Law&Crime Sidebar - 5 Times P. Diddy’s Acting Roles Mimicked Reality: 'You Can't Outrun Me'

Starting point is 00:00:00 Wondery Plus subscribers can binge all episodes of this Law and Crimes series ad-free right now. Join Wondry Plus in the Wondery app Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Agent Nate Russo returns in Oracle 3, Murder at the Grandview, the latest installment of the gripping Audible Original series. When a reunion at an abandoned island hotel turns deadly, Russo must untangle accident from murder. But beware, something sinister lurks in the grand. View Shadows. Joshua Jackson delivers a bone-chilling performance in this supernatural thriller that

Starting point is 00:00:35 will keep you on the edge of your seat. Don't let your fears take hold of you as you dive into this addictive series. Love thrillers with a paranormal twist? The entire Oracle trilogy is available on Audible. Listen now on Audible. Now this is what the music industry is all about. Sergio's go crazy. I love this day. He's Jeffrey. Let's go. Bye. No, I don't think so. As the sexual assault allegations against P. Diddy continue to mount the once popular artist and music mogul is now becoming one of the most controversial figures in entertainment. Looking back at some of his appearances on film and TV programs, were there red flags there?

Starting point is 00:01:13 Do they seem maybe a bit strange looking back at them today? Let's take a look. Welcome to Sidebar. Presented by Law and Crime. I'm Jesse Weber. So Sean Diddy Combs is currently locked up inside of the Metropolitan Detention Center, the MDC, out in Brooklyn, New York, awaiting his trial on federal sex trafficking, racketeering, and prostitution charges. With all of the allegations against the disgraced wrapper just continuing to pile on, including lawsuit after lawsuit, accusing him of sexual assault and rape, including with respect to minors, if we take all of these allegations as true, were there warning signs? And when you think about that, Combs has been in the public eye for quite some time. He has made so many appearances over the years and TV and film programs. The question becomes, was there anything there?

Starting point is 00:02:13 Looking back, where there are clues? Again, taking all of the allegations is true. So what we're going to do is we're going to dive into some of the rappers' on-screen appearances that are resurfacing right now. They're resurfacing online. People are talking about them. They're raising some eyebrows. And we are going to be looking at them now, maybe.

Starting point is 00:02:33 be in a different lens considering the allegations. I will give you a caveat, though. To be clear, not only is Sean Combs innocent until proven guilty, and he hasn't been found guilty of anything as of yet, and he also hasn't been found liable of any of the allegations in any of these lawsuits, but also what we're about to talk about, what we're about to show you, it really could be nothing, right? Could be just creative art, could be coincidence, but it is interesting looking back on all of this. So I want to start with the one that I first thought of, first came to my mind, I'm sure it came to a lot of your minds,

Starting point is 00:03:13 but this is the one that many people likely remember. In 2010, Sean Didy Combs appeared in the film Get Him to the Greek. This was a sequel to the Judd Apatow film For Getting Sarah Marshall. The film saw comedian Russell Brand reprised his role as Aldous Snow, a British rock star looking to revive his flailing career. Actor Jonah Hill appeared alongside him as Aaron Green, a record company employee assigned to Get Snow to perform at the Greek Theater for an anniversary show. And Diddy appeared in the film as well, as Sergio Roma, the chaotic owner of the record label and Aaron's boss. There's a bunch of scenes I want to talk about, but the first one depicts Diddy's Sergio, giving a very specific instruction to a groupie named Destiny, played by Carla Gallo.

Starting point is 00:04:00 Pay attention. You are going to go and have sex with Aaron right now. Stay respectful. Aaron, go with your destiny. Later on, Hill's character tells Russell Brand's character, Aldous Snow, quote, I think I've just been raped. And what's weird about that is based on the allegations that Combs is currently facing, the theme would be that women were essentially sex objects,

Starting point is 00:04:28 and he would direct who is. would have sexual relations with who? And that's just an eerie thing to think about when looking back at that. This whole Sean Combe story is so crazy. And from a legal point of view, as he's facing in particular all of these lawsuits, it just shows you how important it is to have a good lawyer on your side, right? And I can't say that without calling out our incredible partner and sponsor Morgan and Morgan. Why? Because they're America's largest injury law firm. Personal injury cases, they happen all the time. And Morgan and Morgan is maybe the firm you want in your corner. They have a dedicated team of over 1,000 attorneys. They have investigators, power legal

Starting point is 00:05:08 specialists, an incredible track record. I mean, recently, look at these verdicts. 12 million dollars in Florida, $26 million in Philadelphia, $6.8 million in New York. All of these minds, you considerably higher than the highest insurance offers in these cases. There's no upfront fee. The whole process can be done straight from your smartphone. So if you're injured, you can easily start a claim at for the people.com slash LC sidebar. There's another chaotic scene that kind of bears arguably eerie similarities to Diddy's real-life freak-off parties. In the scene, Diddy is in the midst of a wild party where guns are firing, furniture catches fire, people are being beaten up. Take a look.

Starting point is 00:05:51 Now, this is what the music industry is all about. Sergio is real crazy. I love this game. Now, in real life, the 55-year-old is accused of facilitating. freak-off parties that are described in his indictment as elaborate and produced sex performances that Combs arranged, directed, pleasureed himself during, and often they were electronically recorded. The allegations of these gatherings are just one example of a variety of claims made against the rapper, but there are even more similarities to the allegations in real life

Starting point is 00:06:25 than just these parties, how they're depicted in the film. Because in the scene that follows the previously mentioned chaotic party one, Brandon Hill's characters are seen trying to escape while Diddy's character pursues them down a hallway. This is the longest hallway of long time. It's cute Ricky. You get not out from me. Yeah. Now, why that might seem so familiar, but also incredibly disturbing and chilling and creepy, is that it might be because there was a very similar scenario that is mentioned in the now settled lawsuit filed by Diddy's ex-girlfriend Cassandra Ventura.

Starting point is 00:07:04 In that lawsuit filed last November, Ventura alleged that he, quote, followed her into the hallway of the hotel while yelling at her, he grabbed at her, and then took glass vases in the hallway and threw them at her, causing glass to crash around them as she ran to the elevator to escape. Now, this wasn't just an allegation in a lawsuit, because what happened in May of this year. CNN publishes this 2016 videotape seemingly portraying exactly what was just described in that lawsuit. This is video that's captured on hotel surveillance footage from the Los Angeles Intercontinental Hotel, and it shows Diddy wearing a robe physically assaulting Cassandra Ventura during an altercation, kicking her, punching her, dragging her, throwing vases. Now, this 2016 incident,

Starting point is 00:07:58 is six years after this movie, but the parallels there. I mean, my gosh, that's why people are talking about this scene. Now, there's another scene in the film that I have to talk about, and it bears kind of a similarity to one of the allegations that Combs is facing, that he would force people to take drugs during these freak-off parties. So the scene that I'm talking about depicts Aaron, this is again Jonah Hill's character, calling Sergio, P. Diddy's character, to tell him that Aldous, know, Russell Brand, is forcing him to smuggle drugs for him onto a plane. And I want you to listen

Starting point is 00:08:34 to how Diddy's character response to all of this. It's only a little bit of hair wrong in your nobody's going to die. You know what you signed up for. And again, in real life, Diddy is accused of forcing people, and maybe I should say more specifically, forcing his employees to carry around drugs. That was one of the main allegations put forward in Rodney Little Rod Jones lawsuit. mentioned in the indictment, it reads, Combs' business employees facilitated the freak-offs by stocking the hotel rooms in advance with the required freak-off supplies, including controlled substances. And by the way, back in April, Diddy's alleged drug mule, Brendan Paul, was charged with felony cocaine and marijuana possession after those substances were found in his travel

Starting point is 00:09:20 bags. He ended up taking a plea deal in order to avoid jail time. But there's something I have to say about this. As we are making comparisons to Diddy's character and what he's accused of in real life. I think a fair question is, why was all of this in the movie? Is it just a coincidence? Maybe it was Diddy suggesting to the producers and the creators, the writers, the director that, hey, look, this is what the lifestyle looks like. This is how we should portray it. Maybe. Or if the allegations are true. Again, if the allegations are true, if was this kind of an open secret about what did he was about was this kind of a play on that in a way which would be a really disturbing thing to think about because that's been a big point

Starting point is 00:10:08 of conversation how many people knew what did he was doing or what did he is accused of doing that's been a main point of conversation or really this could just be crazy party lifestyle we took creative liberties and now it's just weird coincidence with everything that we're seeing don't really have an answer for you I don't. Just something interesting to think about. But moving on, following his major role and get him to the Greek, did he made a guest appearance in a TV show, season one finale of the ABC show called Blackish.

Starting point is 00:10:35 This was back in 2015. And he portrayed a gangster known as Elroy Savoy. And the episode takes place in the past, as Pops, played by Lawrence Fishburn, tells a story of an ice delivery man, played by Drexler Johnson, who ends up on a collision course with Harlem club owner Savoy. And as soon as we see Diddy on screen, his character makes a startling demand.

Starting point is 00:11:01 Send two women and four bottles to the gym in at table six. And throughout the episode, Diddy's character makes threats. He verbally assaults workers. And he makes one reference to having control over the women at the club. What you doing? You're trying to make time with my girl? And I'm sorry, Mr. Savoy. I thought Maribel was your girl.

Starting point is 00:11:21 They all my girls. except for that one right there. Again, the allegations that Combs currently faces is that he uses force, fraud, coercion, violence to get what he wants, to control women, to sexually abuse women. So you could see again how it's a little strange. And perhaps not necessarily eerie,

Starting point is 00:11:42 but the episode does actively blur the lines between the character and Diddy himself with references to Diddy's own music and record company Bad Boy Records. Now, in fairness, the other side of it is, this is Diddy playing a gangster. Isn't this how he's expected to act? Isn't this what a gangster does? I'm sure there will be others who will say, well, why is he so good at it, right?

Starting point is 00:12:03 I don't know. All right, but let's actually talk about another guest appearance made by the disgraced rapper. This is back in 2012. It's the show, it's always sunny in Philadelphia. And the sitcom revolves around five friends who own an Irish pub in Philadelphia, and they're often disastrous attempts to navigate the adult world. It's hilarious. And in the episode titled Charlie's mom has cancer, Diddy guest stars as the character Dr. Jinks,

Starting point is 00:12:28 a smooth-talking musician who lives in a storage unit, and the gang pays him a visit under the assumption that he's an actual doctor that can help Charlie's mom, to which Diddy's character happily plays along, and he resorts to asking questions that are sexual in nature to diagnose Mack, played by Rob McElanee, who has an eczema condition. When you was in Kensington, did you have intercourse with any holes, ladies of the knights of prostitutes? No. He actually ends up treating that condition with a home remedy that turns out to be nothing more than a pesticide. And another character makes a request to be sprayed with something that would cause him to feel things.

Starting point is 00:13:07 Do you have anything from the Mother Earth that would be sprayed on me and cause me to have feelings again? Because I'm having trouble feeling things. Oh, you want feelings. So kind of strange because we talk about Sean Combs' allegations that he did. drugs people. There was also allegations that the baby oil, the lubricant might have been laced with drugs as well. Now, back to the show. During this interaction, Dr. Jinks even makes a reference to Bill Cosby, of all people. Your parents ain't let you watch the Cosby show when you was coming up? Oh, my parents would never have let me watch something like that.

Starting point is 00:13:41 Now, what's unsettling about that is that this episode was released in 2012, and at that point, there were already allegations of Cosby drugging and assaulting women that had already been out for years. But now let's talk about another guest appearance made by Sean Diddy Combs. And this depicts him in a scene that resembles his infamous white parties. So in 2009, Combs appeared as a guest star in an episode of CSI Miami. This is where he played defense attorney Derek Powell. And the show centers around the investigative team led by Horatio Kane, played by David Caruso. I actually thought the show was phenomenal back in the day.

Starting point is 00:14:15 Anyway, they worked to solve crimes in the greater Miami area. It was really big hit. In the episode, Sink or Swim, Diddy's character opposes Kane's team in a very important case, but he ultimately ends up providing them with crucial information. But here's the interesting part about this episode. There is actually a scene in the episode where people are seen partying on a yacht belonging to Diddy's character. And they are even seen wearing white. Come on, man, I thought you was throwing apart.

Starting point is 00:14:45 They're more than marry you, right? Got to imagine this was on purpose because everyone would get the reference because Diddy's real-life white parties, they were renowned. These series of lavish, all-white attire events that took place in the early 2000s. The first white party was thrown on September 7th, 1998 at Diddy's Mansion in the Hamptons. Notable attendees of the parties included Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lopez, Howard Stern, Beyonce, JZ, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Kim Kardashian. I could probably do a full hour where I just list all the names of people that were at these parties. Having said that, recent allegations suggest that these parties were really a facade that allowed for nefarious criminal conduct to occur.

Starting point is 00:15:27 In fact, there is a lawsuit filed against Diddy, where it's alleged that at a white party that he held in New York, he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old. According to the suit, the assault, which was part of a practice that defendant Sean Combs had, of grooming or attempting to groom minors occurred at what was termed a Diddy White Party at Combs' residence in New York. And by the way, looking at this yacht clip as well, what's also strange is we know that Sean Combs' son Christian has been sued for allegedly sexually assaulting a steward on Combs' chartered yacht.

Starting point is 00:16:03 We know that pop star Chris Brown had been accused at one point of time of drugging and raping a woman on a yacht that was docked outside of Combs Mansion in Miami. And we know, even recently, John Legend's manager came out and said that back in the day, someone who she believed was Sean Combs' associate locked her in a room during Sean Combs' New Year's Eve yacht party. Okay, now I want to turn to this last clip, and it doesn't actually include Sean Diddy Combs himself, but it is a reference to him nonetheless, and it's resurfaced amidst all these allegations. This is from the 2000 film Scary Movie, and this primarily parodies horror movies like Scream and I know what you did last summer.

Starting point is 00:16:46 The scene that we want to talk about features high school friends Cindy, played by Anna Farris, and Brenda, played by Regina Hall. And the two are discussing their classmate, Buffy, played by Shannon Elizabeth. And Brenda brings up Buffy's behavior at a fictionalized ditty party. My friend Sean had a pool party this summer. Sean, you know, Puff Daddy. And there was your girl getting bucked wire in the jacuzzi. So? With a backup dancer.

Starting point is 00:17:14 This is kind of resurfaced a little bit now. People who have been re-watching the film, they have reposted this clip online, shocked to see that Diddy reference in the comedy, which, by the way, was over two decades ago. And again, for decades, Diddy's lavish parties were the talk of Hollywood, but his arrest in September has painted them in a much different context. Before we finish out, I have to say something, though. All of these clips that I mentioned, while they're interesting, while they may or may not provide clues to what is going on, if you take the allegations against Sean Combs is true, I do not believe that any of those clips will make their way into a criminal trial against Sean Combs. First of, I don't even think prosecutors would even need to introduce it. It feels so disconnected and kind of would distract away from the evidence they do have. but even if they wanted to put it in, I would suggest that the defense would say this is irrelevant and this is just prejudicial material. But it is interesting nonetheless to see these clips and

Starting point is 00:18:13 think about them in light of everything we're talking about today. As for Sean Combs, he has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges filed against him. He continues to deny any wrongdoing, including with any accusation or any lawsuit and of course the criminal charges. And he is currently set to stand trial in May of 2025. That's all we have for you right now here on Sidebar, everybody. Thank you so much for joining us. And as always, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Jesse Weber.

Starting point is 00:18:41 I'll speak to you next time. Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Your Ad Here

Law&Crime Sidebar - 5 Times P. Diddy’s Acting Roles Mimicked Reality: 'You Can't Outrun Me'

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.