Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ behavior was on full display when he did the hit reality show Making the Band II. The classic MTV series followed Diddy as he mentored a group of aspiring hip-hop artists to make them the best artists they could be. However, Diddy didn’t look back at his time on the show too fondly.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs felt ‘Making the Band’ made him look like a villain
Even back in 2003, Diddy was a bit wary about entering the world of reality TV. Diddy’s presence was everywhere at the time, so he didn’t need the attention or shine that Making the Band would give him. However, he asserted that he was passionate about giving potential stars the opportunity to succeed in a new way.
“I thought it would give people a chance to understand what I do every day. I’ve never been interested in doing any cheesy reality show or Osbournes or anything that would overexpose me more than I’m already overexposed. This thing is real,” Diddy once told Entertainment Weekly.
Even before the cameras started rolling, Making the Band II had plenty of interesting behind-the-scenes stories.
“Already, we [discovered] two young ladies are pregnant, somebody’s sister got killed, and somebody had to pull out yesterday because they had to go to jail for eight months,” Diddy said. “These things aren’t in the script, they’re just things that happen to a kid growing up in the inner city. This is what I deal with every day. Drama all over the place.”
The drama bumped up by several fold by the time Making the Band II aired. The tension and fights between the show’s selected group members, and Diddy’s own personality, kept viewers coming back for more. Looking back on it, however, it seems Diddy would’ve avoided reality television if he could. He felt reality TV changed the public’s perception of him far before Cassie’s lawsuit did.
“One of the mistakes I’ve made was doing reality TV,” Diddy once said according to The Austin Chronicle. “When I was doing Making the Band, nobody understood that I’m an incredible actor. A lot of people think I yell at people and tell them to get cheesecake and that I’m an a**h***. Well, I am an a*****e sometimes.”
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ latest reality show was scrapped because of his allegations
Diddy didn’t stop doing Reality TV with Making the Band seasons 2 and 3. He also created I Want to Work for Diddy, a new type of reality competition series that searched for Diddy’s next assistant. And despite his regret about being a part of the genre, he was gearing up to do another show called Diddy+7. According to Variety, the Hulu series would’ve followed the music mogul and his family. The reality series was one of many businesses Diddy lost, which has negatively impacted his net worth.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ responses to ‘Making the Band’ backlash
Diddy once had a more aggressive response to the backlash he received from former Making the Band contestants. One artist, Freddy P, spoke candidly about his experience on the second season of the show. According to BET, the rapper revealed Diddy’s influence had severe ramifications on his mental health that he didn’t think was possible. But Diddy took to social media to post a response seemingly directed at, not only Freddy P, but his other critics as well.
“STOP ALL YOUR CRYING, B***ING & MOANING. HUSTLE HARDER OR GET THE F*** OUT OF OUR WAY,” Diddy wrote.
Ironically, Diddy was toying around with the idea of doing a revival series of Making the Band back in 2019. But it seemed plans for that show might’ve been scrapped quietly long before Diddy’s recent controversies surfaced. Freddy P isn’t the only Making the Band member who aired grievances with the music mogul. Members of Danity Kane from Making the Band 3 also accused Diddy of depriving them of food and rest.
