Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs looks good in the news for the first time in a while, as he’s decided to reassign the publishing rights of the Bad Boy Records catalog to the performers and songwriters after years of criticisms that he hasn’t treated artists fairly. (And one criticism is that he sexually harasses his employees. More on that in a moment).
Forbes reports that instead of selling the Bad Boy Records catalog to interested parties, Combs is giving the rights back to artists like Faith Evans, Mase, and the estate of the late Notorious B.I.G.
Mase has called out Combs in the past for not paying fairly. And you better pay up for bars like this:
Although Combs’ decision gives music artists cause to celebrate, it’s only one step in Diddy’s apparent quest to rehabilitate his image: The dangling sexual harassment allegations still cling to the artist/producer nearly three years after a former employee levied them.
What is Diddy accused of?
In a lawsuit filed in Oct. 2020, a former chef to Combs, Cindy Rueda, claims she was made to serve Diddy and his guests post-sex meals while they were still naked, then was eventually fired for complaining about it.
Per Essence, Rueda said she was first hired in Jan. 2015 to be a weekend chef for Combs, then was promoted the following September to a full-time role. She prepared food for Combs at home, and she also traveled with him — occasionally for several weeks at a time.
Rueda began complaining to the director of Combs’ estate about the working conditions, saying she was:
“regularly summoned by Mr. Combs to prepare and serve entrees and appetizers to him and his guests while Mr. Combs and/or his guests were engaged in or immediately following sexual activity.”
Rueda said in the filing that sometimes when she was in the room, Combs would make “comments about his body.” She even noted that Diddy asked her if “she was attracted to or liked his naked body.”
According to Rueda, after complaining about the alleged incidents, she was “lured into a situation where she could be accused of theft and ultimately terminated” in May 2016. Rueda is suing for sexual harassment, a hostile work environment, and several other workplace-related claims.
There seem to be no new updates on the lawsuit as of late, so we’ll keep covering Diddy’s Halloween costumes in the meantime.
