Famed for his annual A-list parties and his music industry prowess, being a friend or associate of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is no longer the badge of honour it once was.
As the music mogul awaits trial in the notorious Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn – indicted on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering and facing potentially hundreds of allegations of sexual assault and abuse – a list of his alleged ‘accomplices’ is reportedly on its way.
According to attorney Tony Buzbee, who is representing 120 people who have come forward with new allegations since Combs' arrest, the names on said list will ‘shock you’. Some of them, he says, are household names.
Aside from obvious reputational damage, the rumoured list could have far reaching consequences in Hollywood. Especially since the charges brought against Combs make it the most high profile criminal prosecution on sexual misconduct charges since R Kelly was indicted in 2019. R Kelly is currently serving a 31 year sentence in prison in North Carolina.
What is the Diddy accomplice list?
It's thought that the 'Diddy list' is a list of names of celebrities who have links to Combs, have attended his white parties or his 'freak off' parties over the years, and allegedly had some level of awareness of his crimes. The list of 'accomplices' could be named in the next lawsuit.
Tony Buzbee said: 'The names will shock you. The day will come when we will name names other than Sean Combs, and there's a lot of names. It's a long list already, but because of the nature of this case, we are going to make damn sure, damn sure, that we're right before we do that.'
The alleged list is thought to contain names such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Jay-Z, Ashton Kutcher, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Russell Brand, Mariah Carey, Usher and Megan Fox.
While none of these people are implicated in Combs' active court case or face any public allegations, they are all A-list stars who have been pictured at Combs' parties or have worked closely with him over the years.
It goes without saying that it's not a list anyone would want to find their name on.
Why is the list about to be released?
The implication of the alleged list, then, is that some of those who feature may have been present – though not necessarily complicit or fully aware – when some of the alleged crimes were taking place.
While there are thousands of photographs from Combs' parties that already tell us who was there, there are reportedly photographs and videos that some celebrities would rather not see the light of day. Especially if they do provide evidence that several high profile names were aware of Combs' alleged crimes.
In November 2023, Combs' ex-girlfriend Cassandra Ventura (Cassie) was the first to file a lawsuit against him and claimed he brought her into his 'ostentatious, fast-paced and drug-fuelled lifestyle' when she was 19 and he was 37. She alleges that she was trafficked, raped and beaten by Combs on several occasions over 10 years.
In the past year, several other people have filed lawsuits against the rapper alleging sexual assault, sex trafficking, physical abuse and several accusers claim that they were drugged in the process. One lawsuit alleges that Combs hosted 'sex trafficking parties' with underage women. When Combs' house was raided in March, 1000 bottles of lubricant and baby oil were found.
Combs has denied all allegations made against him and his attorney says he plans to plead not guilty to all charges in court.
Nevertheless, there has been a noticeable silence amongst Combs' Hollywood peers in the past month. It's possible that this list, if published, could change that.
What might the list tell us?
There is clearly a distinction between the 'ostentatious, fast-paced and drug-fuelled lifestyle' known to be present at Combs' parties and its allegedly much more sinister side.
It's currently unclear what the list will reveal and whether it might incriminate any other celebrities, or indeed prompt further investigation. It might, however, put some A-list celebrities in a position where they have to address their relationship with the disgraced musician in more detail to protect their own reputations.
Nikki Peach is a writer at Grazia UK, covering TV, celebrity interviews, news and features.