FACING the MUSIC

Inside the disastrous downfall of billionaire Sean "Diddy" Combs, from celebrated king of hip-hop to disgraced star accused of sexual assault and misconduct

- Travis Cronin, Christina Garibaldi, Andrea Simpson & Amanda Williams

It was a party for the ages. In December 2019, Sean “Diddy” Combs celebrated his 50th birthday with a blowout bash at his $40 million Beverly Hills mansion. The guest list was a who’s who of Hollywood royalty with the likes of Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cardi B, Kate Beckinsale, Kevin Hart, Snoop Dogg, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, Post Malone, Paris Hilton and Regina King in attendance. As the champagne and Ciroc flowed, Combs — decked out in an Alexander McQueen tuxedo — held court, dancing with abandon as Mary J. Blige performed live and later raising a glass to a toast from Usher.

Flash-forward four years, and the rap mogul has fallen from grace in spectacular and shocking fashion. On March 25, swarms of armed Homeland Security agents raided Combs’ homes in L.A. and Miami as part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation. The raids followed a slew of civil lawsuits: In November 2023, Combs’ ex Cassie accused him of rape and physical abuse; four additional lawsuits swiftly followed, alleging a range of disturbing and illegal behavior, including sex trafficking and harassment.

The hip-hop pioneer, 54, has denied all wrongdoing, but there’s no question the House of Diddy has come crashing down. In late November, he resigned as chairman of his TV network, Revolt TV, and 23 companies have terminated their partnerships with his e-commerce platform, Empower Global. In December, Hulu announced it was scrapping a reality series starring Combs and his family.

“Diddy has gone from being the king to being persona non grata,” says a music industry insider. “No one wants to return his calls.”