Usher Defends Diddy, Acknowledges Legacy Amidst Allegations
Usher speaks out about Sean "Diddy" Combs, acknowledging his contributions to Black entrepreneurship while addressing the serious allegations against the Bad Boy mogul.
In a recent interview, Usher shared his perspective on Sean "Diddy" Combs, stating that he doesn't have "anything negative" to say and chooses to remember Combs' legacy and contributions despite the abuse allegations.
The Confessions singer spoke with Forbes about his feelings toward his former mentor, with whom he lived as a teenager in New York while recording his debut album in 1994.
Since November 2023, Combs has faced accusations of sexual assault and physical violence following a lawsuit by his ex-girlfriend, Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, leading to numerous civil lawsuits and a federal sex-trafficking trial. Combs has denied the sexual assault allegations and was acquitted of sex-trafficking charges but convicted on lesser prostitution charges. He is currently appealing the conviction while serving a four-year prison sentence.
In a recent episode of The Enterprise Zone, interviewer Jabari Young asked Usher for the first word that came to mind when listing his music industry influences, including Jermaine Dupri, L.A. Reid, Babyface, Pebbles, and Lil Jon. When Combs was mentioned, Usher responded with "legacy."
"In many ways, I think certain people are prosecuted and maybe not recognized for the greatness that they offer," Usher explained, acknowledging the potential controversy of his viewpoint. "I don’t have anything negative to say about Sean Combs because my experience was not what the world has seen, and how he’s been misrepresented."
Usher stated that he separates Combs' admission of domestic violence in past relationships and the sexual assault allegations from the pathway Combs provided for Black musicians and businesspeople, noting that people have "flaws."
"I’m not saying that every man is perfect. I’m not saying that all of us don’t have flaws," Usher added. "But I can’t with any sense of humanity not recognize the valuable contributions that this man made for us as Black entrepreneurs, for us as businessmen, for us as people who have transitioned culture and ideas into something that’s tangible. So many people benefitted from what he created and I acknowledge that."
Usher respects Combs "because I realized that what I learned as a businessman before I even understood what business was came as a result of seeing the incredible things that he was able to do and the way that he positioned himself as a businessman."
During Combs' federal criminal trial last summer, his attorneys admitted to his physical violence with Ventura during their relationship. "We own the domestic violence," Combs' defense attorney Marc Agnifilo told jurors. "It happened."
Ventura testified to numerous instances of physical abuse, and surveillance video showed Combs stomping and dragging her inside a hotel in 2016.
Former Danity Kane and Diddy-Dirty Money member Dawn Richard testified that Usher was present during a 2010 incident where Combs argued with and punched Ventura in the stomach.
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