Celebrity
After praising the Me Too movement, Sean “Diddy” Combs struggled to explain why. Here’s what he had to say about the movement.
In 2021, Sean “Diddy” Combs discussed his rebrand in a Vanity Fair cover story, noting his support of the Me Too movement and desire to go by “Love.” Writer Tressie McMillan Cottom recalled the bizarre circumstances of their interview. She felt that much of what Combs said was simply intended to make him look good in the profile. When she questioned him about why he felt supportive of the Me Too movement, she recalled Combs growing uneasy.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs became uncomfortable when asked follow-up questions about the ‘Me Too’ movement
In 2021, Combs said the Me Too movement inspired him.
“When they said in the #MeToo, when it was over, it was over … The #MeToo movement, the truth, is that it inspired me,” he told Vanity Fair. “It showed me that you can get maximum change.”
His statement was vague, so Cottom asked him follow-up questions. It became increasingly clear to her that his support of the movement was hollow. She believed he was saying things because he wanted her to write them down, not because he felt them strongly.
“He couldn’t even perform it well … It was another one of those moments where it was clear that it was out of context, the quotes,” she told The Independent. “He wanted it to make the piece, but he didn’t have anything to make it significant. And he did get very uncomfortable when I asked follow-up questions.”
Cottom said Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ rebrand and support of ‘Me Too’ felt ‘egregious’
When Cottom met with Combs, he was rebranding as Love. He said he would focus on positivity and compassion during this era of his life. After allegations of abuse began to surface, Cottom found the rebrand insulting.
“I think that is particularly egregious,” she said. “After everything came out, choosing ‘Love’ felt like a psychopath move. It wasn’t enough to try to rebrand himself and do all the reputation management, but that seemed like a very sort of particular thumb in the eye to his victims. That, to me, pushed it into being, you know … sick.”
The writer recalled walking away feeling strange
Even before the allegations against Diddy, however, Cottom wasn’t sure what to make of him.
“He kept talking about, ‘I’m an attractive young man,’” Cottom said “The way he would describe himself, first of all, was ‘young’ which I thought was bizarre. It was telling that he has created a character version of himself that is powerful and sexy and physically attractive when really, what he is, is rich.”
She believed his boastful claims hid his insecurity.
“Absent the money and the star power, I’m not sure we would look at him and think those things, but that’s the kind of story a very scared, self-conscious little boy would write about himself, right?” she said. “The ladies love me. I’m so powerful. I’m so dope. I’m a playboy. That sounded like a child.”
