Howard University Rescinds Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’s Honorary Degree

Sean “Diddy” Combs makes an appearance at his Capital Preparatory School in the Bronx in New York City on Oct. 18, 2022. Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Sean “Diddy” Combs

In the wake of multiple sexual assault allegations made against Sean “Diddy” Combs, Howard University—a private historically black institution located in Washington—has officially rescinded an honorary degree it awarded the 54-year-old in 2014.

On June 7, Howard University’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously “to accept the return” of the honorary award. “This acceptance revokes all honors and privileges associated with the degree. Accordingly, the Board has directed that [Mr. Combs’s] name be removed from all documents listing honorary degree recipients of Howard University,” a statement from the school reads.

According to the Board of Trustees, the decision was made after video footage surfaced from 2016 showing the rapper physically assaulting his then-girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie Ventura, in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel.

“Mr. Combs’ behavior as captured in a recently released video is so fundamentally incompatible with Howard University’s core values and beliefs that he is deemed no longer worthy to hold the institution’s highest honor,” the statement continues. “The University is unwavering in its opposition to all acts of interpersonal violence.”

Additionally, the Board of Trustees instructed Howard University to cancel a 2016 “gift agreement” with Mr. Combs, disband a scholarship program named after him, return his $1 million contribution, and terminate a 2023 pledge agreement with the Sean Combs Foundation to donate an additional $1 million.

“No payments toward the $1 million pledge have been due or made by the Sean Combs Foundation as of this date, therefore no funds are due to be returned under the 2023 pledge agreement,” the statement reads.

2016 Footage

Ms. Ventura filed a federal lawsuit against Mr. Combs in November 2023, citing allegations of physical and sexual abuse throughout their relationship. The 37-year-old singer was involved with Mr. Combs for about a decade, dating the rapper intermittently between 2007 and 2018.

Mr. Combs denied the allegations and settled the lawsuit out of court. However, following the emergence of the 2016 video released by CNN in May, Mr. Combs took to social media to issue an apology.

“It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you gotta do that,” he said in a video shared on his Instagram account on May 19, two days after the footage was published.

“I hit rock bottom, but I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I’m disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it; I’m disgusted now,” Mr. Combs said.

“I went, and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. Had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry,” he said.

Ms. Ventura—who has two daughters with her husband, professional bull rider Alex Fine, whom she wed in 2019—also issued a statement on Instagram, thanking her family, friends, and followers for their support.

“The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now, but this is only the beginning. Domestic Violence is THE issue,” she wrote on May 23. “It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become. With a lot of hard work, I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past.”

Legal Troubles and Allegations

In March, the Department of Homeland Security and other law enforcement officials raided the music mogul’s Los Angeles and Miami homes. A representative for Homeland Security Investigations told The Epoch Times via email that the raid was “part of an ongoing investigation.”

Aaron Dyer, an attorney for Mr. Combs, called the raids “a witch hunt,” telling The Epoch Times at the time that “there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at [Mr. Combs’s] residences.”

“There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated. Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities,” Mr. Dyer said via email.

“This unprecedented ambush—paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence—leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits.”

The raids followed a slew of sexual assault and violence allegations that had been leveled against Mr. Combs. More recently, on May 23, April Lampros—a former student of New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology—filed a lawsuit in the New York County Supreme Court, alleging the rapper sexually assaulted her in the mid-1990s.

Earlier this month, on the heels of the lawsuit being filed, Mr. Combs sold his majority stake in Revolt, a media and television company the record producer founded in 2013. Mr. Combs had previously served as chairman of the company but stepped down in November 2023. Revolt’s employees now hold an equity stake in the company under its new ownership structure.