Everything Justin Bieber Has Said About The Diddy Controversy

Justin Bieber's connection to Sean "Diddy" Combs stretches back several years, so when news broke of the rapper's arrest, many turned to the "Sorry" hitmaker for a response. Diddy's legal woes began when ex-girlfriend Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura filed a lawsuit accusing him of extensive abuse across their almost decade-long relationship (it was later settled for an undisclosed amount). In the months that followed, many other women came forward with similarly horrifying stories. By late 2024, Diddy had been detained on charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. Given their history, it's understandable that Bieber would find the situation difficult to come to terms with. As a source confirmed to Us Weekly, in October 2024, "Justin is in a hard place mentally right now."

Another insider explained, "Justin has been advised to stay as far away as possible from anything and everything related to Diddy" but the pop star was nonetheless "completely disgusted" by the allegations made against his former mentor. Bieber refrained from making a formal public statement, with another source firmly telling the Daily Mail: "Justin hasn't been responding on this since the home raids. He's not going to." Instead, the "Baby" hitmaker's focus shifted to his own personal life. In August 2024, he and his model wife Hailey Bieber welcomed their first child. According to the Us Weekly source, the pop star's "happiness [about] being a dad has outweighed his anxiety about Diddy." 

Meanwhile, the disgraced rapper attempted to project a family-man image himself, notably wiping his Instagram account to leave only pictures of his daughters. Diddy's lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, leaned into this narrative further by proudly proclaiming to the BBC that he is a "loving family man, and proven philanthropist."

Justin Bieber met Sean "Diddy" Combs at just 15, when the rapper quickly took the budding heartthrob under his wing. In the aftermath of the shocking allegations against him, old footage of the two resurfaced and sparked major concern, particularly a video from 2009, entitled "JUSTIN BIEBER's 48 HRS with DIDDY." In the clip, Diddy brags, "Where we hanging out and what we doing, we can't really disclose, but it's definitely a 15-year-old's dream," adding, "We're gonna go buck-full crazy." 

When asked what he wanted to do, the pop star replied that he simply wanted to "get some girls," to which Diddy rewarded him with an embrace, saying, "man after my heart." One fan returned to the recording in 2024 to point out how bizarre it was that, in the years since, it hadn't really raised any eyebrows about the nature of their relationship. Diddy continued to be a major influence, sadly leading many to feel increasingly concerned about Bieber after he behaved erratically and fell out of public favor. 

The two remained close for years, with their final musical collaboration launching in 2023 on Diddy's "The Love Album: Off the Grid." Now, though, their once-strong bond seems to be damaged beyond repair likely because the pop star and father of one is more wary of whom he associates with publicly. 

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).