Warning: This article contains discussion of rape, which may be distressing to some readers.
In response to Kanye West’s explicit remarks urging President Donald Trump to pardon Diddy, the imprisoned rapper has issued a reply.
The media has been in a frenzy over the 47-year-old West and his wife Bianca Censori, especially after their appearance at the Grammys. Censori, a 30-year-old model, arrived wearing a thick, black fur coat, which she gradually let slide off to reveal a completely transparent dress without any underwear.
This spectacle, which occurred on the red carpet on Sunday (February 2), catapulted the former architect to become the most Googled person in the United States in the 24 hours that followed, according to West.
Amid the attention, West has seized the opportunity to advocate for a pardon for Diddy, whose real name is Sean Combs, from 78-year-old Republican Trump.
One of his posts on Twitter, tagging Trump, read: “PLEASE FREE MY BROTHER PUFF.”
West has now taken to Twitter to express his support for Combs, previously known as Puff Daddy, and detailed his plans involving his Yeezy clothing line.
“@ Yeezy.com I’m selling the Sean John collaboration that me and my brother spoke about before they locked him up we splitting the profits 50/50,” he announced on social media.
In response, Combs’ account posted on Instagram: “Thank you to my brother @Ye. YEEZY.COM”
Sean John Combs is currently incarcerated, awaiting trial scheduled for May 5. He was indicted by a grand jury following his arrest at the Park Hyatt hotel in Manhattan last September.
He faces charges of racketeering and sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, which he has consistently denied. The 14-page federal indictment accuses him of orchestrating events known as ‘freak offs’.
The indictment claims that Combs and his associates leveraged Combs’ status in the Combs Business to intimidate, threaten, and lure female victims, often under the guise of romantic involvement.
The document further alleges that Combs ‘transported commercial sex workers across state lines and internationally’ and used ‘force, threats of force, and coercion’ to compel victims to participate in extended sex acts, referred to as ‘freak offs’.
West also tweeted, “THEY TRYNA PROVE A POINT AND YALL KNOW THAT,” he continued, “YALL F***ING KNOW THAT AND SITTING LAUGHING AT THE F***ING INTERNET ON INSTAGRAM. THIS MAN GAVE HIS LIFE TO US. THIS MY IDOL. THIS MY HERO.”
Among the alleged victims is a 13-year-old who is suing both Combs and Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, accusing them of raping her at an afterparty for the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000.
Both Carter and Combs have denied these allegations.
If you have been affected by the issues discussed in this article, support is available through The National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7, or online at online.rainn.org.