Eric Adams and the Diddy Dilemma
From The G-Man Challenges Mayor to Show Support for Survivors
of Sexual Violence by Revoking Music Mogul’s Key to the City
In September of 2023, New York City Mayor Eric Adams presented music legend Sean Combs, also known as Diddy, with a Key to the City at a ceremony in Times Square. During the presentation, Adams stated, “The bad boy of entertainment is getting the key to the city from the bad boy of politics!” Given the recent series of events, that statement may be coming back to haunt Adams in ways he never imagined.
In the wake of the comment, former members of the Adams administration were indicted for allegations of corruption, and federal authorities are investigating whether Adams’ 2021 campaign took illegal contributions. Soon after, Diddy became the subject of intense ridicule, scorn and scrutiny after Casandra “Cassie” Ventura filed suit against him and the Bad Boy empire for allegations of extreme sexual and physical abuse over a prolonged period. The claims made by Ventura, which are extremely detailed, are not only shocking, they are deeply troubling. Hours after the official court document was made public, Diddy and his legal team acted quickly and settled the case. However, Diddy’s former bodyguard, Gene Deal, and a host of others came forward to corroborate Ventura’s claims on various social media platforms. Deal, in a series of YouTube videos, also predicted other women would come forward with allegations of sexual violence by Combs, members of his inner circle, and Bad Boy artists. Moreover, TIME magazine recently reported that a new lawsuit has been filed by a woman alleging the music mogul gang-raped her in 2003. The woman claimed she was only 17-years-old when the alleged crime occurred. Combs has denied the allegation.
According to a 2023 NBC News report, “Combs, 54, has faced dozens of lawsuits over his four-decade career as a hip-hop mogul, with some incidents involving accusations of violence.” This being the case, From The G-Man is having trouble understanding exactly why Mayor Adams decided to give Diddy a Key to the City, especially with so many disturbing and questionable incidents on record. Granted, the entertainer has been and continues to be the subject of allegations, and Mayor Adams would likely cite this as the reason for his decision. From The G-Man would love to ask, but his press office never responds to our requests for comments. While he would have a valid point that they are merely allegations, the case of Cassie Ventura is a game-changer. For whatever reason, Combs and his attorneys decided to make the Cassie problem go away as quickly as possible. His former bodyguard believes this will be the case for every legal action taken against Combs in the months to come, including the woman who claims Combs gang-raped her in 2003.
Question: Do you know what Nelson Mandela, Spike Lee, Det. Luis Alvarez, Richard Parsons and Ray Pfeifer have in common? They were presented with a Key to the City. Do you know what else they have in common? None were ever the subject of numerous scandals or sexual violence allegations. Key to the City recipients represent character, excellence, honor, and the best of humanity. That all changed on Mayor Adams’ watch. Here’s the thing, though! Adams has repeatedly conveyed that women are the backbone of his administration. He appointed Keechant Sewell as the first female commissioner of the New York City Police Department, and he also made history by selecting five women as deputy mayors. Yet, Mayor Adams has remained absolutely silent since the Ventura story broke and the case was settled. If women mean as much to him as he claims, he could have held a press conference after the settlement was announced and simply said he found Ventura’s allegations very unsettling. That never happened, and From The G-Man suspects millions of women in this great city, particularly survivors of sexual assault and violence, are wondering if Mayor Adams regrets presenting the key to Combs.
Undoubtedly, 2024 could be devastating for Diddy and Bad Boy Entertainment, from a financial and legal standpoint, if more women, and perhaps men, come forward with evidence confirming they were victims of sexual violence. Allegations were made against Harvey Weinstein, and look how that turned out. Singer R. Kelly’s career and world began to crumble after scores of women claimed they were sexually abused and violated by the singer. The evidence was presented in court and they were convicted. In the end, both fell from grace and will spend the rest of their lives in a prison cell as sexual predators. Oh! One more thing regarding R. Kelly. His honorary Key to the City in Baton Rouge was revoked after his conviction. If Mayor Adams intends to honor his pledge to women in his administration and throughout the City of New York, he should not have to wait for Diddy to be convicted of a crime to revoke his Key to the City, especially in the wake of Cassie Ventura’s disturbing allegations and landmark settlement.