P Diddy has lived the high life, but it all appears to be crashing down around him.
Federal agents recently raided two of the rapper and producer’s homes, in L.A and Miami, after a slew of recent lawsuits against the singer. His plane was also intercepted in Miami, and one of his cronies was arrested. Diddy is accused of sexual assault and sex trafficking, although it now seems that there could be even more charges added to his rap sheet, as well as more legal battles for him to get drawn into.
The most highly publicized lawsuit in the claims against Diddy has come from Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, a producer who worked with the rapper (real name: Sean Combs) on The Love Album: Off the Grid. He claims he was sexually assaulted by the media mogul during the making of the record.
As per TMZ, the filing also alleges other illegal behavior, including the acquisition and transport of drugs and weapons. One person who’s name is constantly brought up around these topics in the filing is the man who was arrested after officers intercepted Diddy’s plane.
His name is listed as Brandon Paul in the filings, although it appears that might be a mistake. As per his mugshot, his name is actually Brendan Paul. Amazingly enough, this second spelling is confirmed by the 2018-20 basketball roster for Syracuse Orange, as Paul was a player at the university.
Whether or not the r in his name is followed by an a or an e is probably the least interesting thing to know about Paul, given what he’s in the news for. So, who is Diddy’s drug mule? Read on to find out everything we know so far.
Who is Brendan Paul?
Looking at a picture of him, (well, not his mugshot), you wouldn’t know that Brendan Paul might just be a key figure in one of the most explosive celebrity news events of the year. His history is just as anodyne as his appearance. He grew up in Ohio and his schooling was all private, taking place in New Hampshire and later his home state, so it can be assumed he’s from a middle class family. He attended Syracuse between 2018 and 2020.
At the university he joined the basketball team at an impressive Division I level, but had a forgettable time, recording just three points from 16 games, most of which were off the bench. He decided to enter the transfer portal and ended up at Fairmont State in West Virginia, where he bagged 51 points over two years. He currently lives with his parents in Ohio.
His social media presence has shown that he was keen on focusing on basketball and producing music during lockdown. While his sporting dream seemed to die as the world stumbled out of the pandemic, his musical one appeared to just be beginning. Little did he know it would soon become a nightmare.
How does Paul know Diddy?
It’s unknown how the young man from Ohio met the ultra wealthy celebrity, but in 2023 Paul posted several times about his work on The Love Album: Off the Grid. His hard work practicing producing during lockdown appeared to have paid off. This is the album which Lil Rod was also working on when the alleged sexual assault took place.
The legal filings from Lil Rod describe Paul as a “mule” for Diddy, not only procuring and transporting drugs for the rapper, but also acquiring and distributing them at his behest. Additionally, it has been claimed that he was involved in the alleged sex trafficking ring by virtue of being the one who paid the sex workers in cash.
Paul was arrested on two separate drug charges after the police stopped Diddy’s plane from taking off at Opa Locka Airport in Miami. The offences were possession of suspected cocaine, and possession of suspected marijuana candy. These are both felonies in Florida, and worse still, don’t seem like they will be the harshest charges against Paul.
The officers were working in conjunction with Homeland Security and Border Protection officials, and have claimed that the suspected drugs were tested and proven to be real, which was why Paul was thrown in jail. However, he soon made bail, and is currently on release. It is unknown if he has gone back to his parents’ home in Ohio, or is with Diddy.
After the incident, Diddy was seen pacing near his plane. Paul took complete ownership of the narcotics, and there is no evidence that these drugs were related to Diddy. The mogul has also denied the claims of sex trafficking and assault.
Paul is scheduled to appear in court on April 24. We think it might be a long month for him.