Hindsight will always be 20/20. As Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs awaits his May 5th trial, where his lawyers will present the best defense for his not-guilty plea, the court of public opinion is rightfully underway. So, for now, the world is busy dissecting his past, which includes the rumors of a majorly controversial relationship, one that even managed to bypass his ill-fated years with Jennifer Lopez and the headlines they made.
Even before the criminal charges became public, Diddy’s lifestyle was raising eyebrows among his peers. None more so than when a rumor was going around Hollywood that he was dating Lori Harvey, who just so happens to be 27 years his junior. But it’s not just the age gap that puzzled people. Allegedly, Lori Harvey also dated Diddy’s son, Justin Combs — and that’s bizarre by all accounts.
In 2019, when rumors of Diddy Steve Harvey’s daughter continued to swirl, none other than his friend and associate, Nick Cannon, addressed the relationship on Vlad TV. Cannon has a long history with Diddy, so it’s understandable that he tiptoed around expressing his bewilderment at Diddy dating a much younger woman. Notably, Diddy was among the few celebrities who stood up for Nick Cannon in 2020 when he faced allegations of anti-Semitism for leaning on harmful tropes about the Jewish community running banks during his podcast.
During the interview, he admitted that if the gossip mills were telling the truth, then the relationship between Diddy and Lori Harvey was consensual. But despite that, Cannon couldn’t help but imagine how he would feel if the story hit closer to home. When DJ Vlad mentioned that Steve Harvey had gone on a double date with Diddy and Lori Harvey, where the two former lovebirds displayed PDA for the paparazzi, Cannon reflected and shared, “I would be heartbroken if that was my daughter. I would feel like I failed as a father if I’m sitting across from the table with a dude the same age as me.”
Lori Harvey has also chimed in on her relationship with Diddy, albeit indirectly. In a rare sit-down with E!, the often-reclusive Harvey spoke about misconceptions surrounding her, noting that she often sees stories about her dating life and is as surprised and shocked as the public. She alluded to being just as surprised by allegations that she once dated a father and his son, though she refrained from taking names.
Cannon also revealed later that after he was temporarily fired from his shows on ViacomCBS, Diddy actually came to him and offered him another show on his REVOLT Network. So it’s no surprise that now that the other shoe has finally dropped for Diddy, Cannon remained hesitant to fully rebuke him until more evidence emerged, even after the release of that horrific Cassie video. And while Cannon has expressed concern about the video, he has chosen loyalty to Diddy and opted to stay silent since he has to “almost do this dance” around questions seeking his views on the singer’s controversies.
Regardless of the cagey responses from people in Diddy’s life about their closeness to or rebuke of the man, Nick Cannon’s words about the disgraced rapper remain one of the most candid accounts we are likely to get from someone close to him… until the brewing storm about his misdeeds finally blows over and those who ever had the misfortune of knowing him stop feeling like they will be swept away along with him.