Saturday, June 8, 2024 -The Howard University Board of Trustees has unanimously voted to rescind the honorary degree it conferred on Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in 2014.
The
decision was taken after CNN published a 2016 surveillance video
showing Combs physically assaulting his former girlfriend, singer Cassie
Ventura, at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles.
The Washington DC-based historically Black
college or university said it will disband its scholarship program in Combs’
name.
“This acceptance revokes all honors and
privileges associated with the degree,” said a statement from the Howard
University Board of Trustees. The Board has directed that Combs’s name be
removed from all documents listing honorary degree recipients of Howard
University.
The University added “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 University is unwavering in its opposition to all
acts of interpersonal violence,” the board added, linking to
the school’s “Interpersonal Violence Prevention” webpage in the statement
The Board has also directed the University
administration to terminate a 2016 gift agreement with Combs, disband the
scholarship program in his name, and return his $1 million contribution. Howard
will also terminate a 2023 pledge agreement with the Sean Combs Foundation that
pledged $1 million. No funds were due or made by the Sean Combs Foundation
on that pledge as of this date.
Howard
University’s announcement comes amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the
once-beloved Bad Boy Records music mogul. Combs has been named in eight
lawsuits since November, when Ventura accused him in a now-settled claim of
years of abuse during their relationship and of raping her in 2018.
Subsequent lawsuits have accused Combs of
sexual misconduct and other illegal activity. He has not responded to all the
allegations against him but has denied claims from many of the civil suits.
The US Department of Homeland Security’s
investigative arm has already launched a federal probe into Combs and
allegations of sex trafficking. Investigators searched his Los Angeles and
Miami homes on March 25 as part of the probe. No federal criminal charges have
been filed against the music executive.
The surveillance video published by CNN
could potentially become evidence in the federal investigation.
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