For nearly a year, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs was faced with a series of legal issues, which culminated in his arrest in Manhattan earlier this month. The 54-year-old is currently incarcerated in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center and is facing numerous charges outlined in a 14-page indictment. Since Combs was taken into custody, very few of the celebrities he’s friended over the years have commented on his situation. Now, a public relations expert is providing some thoughts as to why that’s been the case.
The “Come to Me” performer has made a number of notable acquaintances over the years, ranging from actors to singers and fellow business magnates. It’s for that reason that some members of the general public have chastised Diddy’s legions of famous friends for not addressing his legal woes as of late. However, Evan Nierman — the CEO of crisis PR firm Red Banyan — suggested that this shouldn’t be all that surprising. As Nierman explained, this is a strategic move on the stars’ part, and it all comes down to one key element – “distance”:
The name of the game right now is distance, and the more distance they can supply between themselves or the more distance they can create between themselves and Diddy, the better it is for them. There's nothing to be gained by wading into the conversation around his arrest or the allegations. For all of these people who have known him through the years and been associated with him, or been photographed with him, they should be avoiding this topic to the greatest extent possible and trying to stay out of the public spotlight on anything related to Sean Combs.
Based on the explanation that Evan Nierman gave to Business Insider, it’s best that any stars connected to Puff Daddy keep their heads down throughout this time. The PR industry veteran also stated that if a star were to speak out, it could have unintended side effects on them:
It's in their interest not to weigh in and not to call attention to themselves if they want to avoid being unfairly tarnished by this.
Among the charges that Sean Combs is currently facing are sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering. Within the legal documents were also details on alleged “Freak Offs” Combs would hold, during which sex-related acts were reportedly performed and recorded. Since the information on these events was divulged, past clips and quotes from some of Combs’ associates have surfaced, during which they commented on the parties.
Before Diddy was incarcerated but facing lawsuits and allegations, several notable entertainers did indeed speak out on the matter. One such person was Slim Thug, who commented after the 2016 footage of Diddy assaulting ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a hotel went viral. Thug said he’d “take this L” after initially supporting his fellow rapper amid the accusations. Another reaction came from Suge Knight, who infamously feuded with the Sean John founder. When reacting to his former rival’s situation, he called it a “bad day for the culture.”
More recently, Sean Combs’ fellow performer and longtime friend Ray J did speak out in the aftermath of his arrest. The artist – whose real name is William Ray Norwood Jr. – opined during a recent talk show appearance that few people have spoken out because the industry is still in “shock” and trying to process the matter. He also said that right now, it’s “important to learn a lesson right right now and ensure the next generation understands how to move differently with transparency and integrity.”
P. Diddy is currently awaiting trial and, all the while, his lawyer has continued to share statements about his various legal entanglements. (He most recently commented on those various bottles of lubricant seized from Diddy’s house during a raid.) It’s probably a given that the attorney will continue to speak out. But, if Evan Nierman’s comments ring true, then we probably shouldn’t expect any A-listers to get involved.