Rumors surfaced on social media claiming NBA legend LeBron James was involved in an alleged encounter with Sean Diddy Combs before the rapper's recent arrest. A tweet from the parody account @TheNBACentel on September 17, 2024, suggested LeBron knew about the arrest beforehand.
"It’s crazy, I was bumping to ‘Mo Money Mo Problem’ earlier today in the car and I had a weird feeling today was the day the feds will catch Diddy," the tweet read.
However, these claims have been proven false, as the account is a parody, which is clearly mentioned in its bio.
Furthermore, no reputable mainstream media outlets have reported or corroborated this information, confirming the tweet's lack of credibility. Therefore, LeBron James did not bump into Diddy before the rapper's arrest.
The artist was arrested late on September 16, 2024, from the Manhattan hotel lobby under the allegations of racketeering conspiracy and s*x trafficking, as per AP News.
LeBron James did not bump into Diddy before the rapper's arrest
As previously stated, the tweet claiming that LeBron James had prior knowledge of Combs' arrest is untrue. The tweet falsely attributed a quote to James, suggesting he had a "weird feeling" about Combs on the day of the arrest.
The claim is false, as the tweet cited media veteran Brandon Robinson as its source. However, Robinson did not verify or report this information on his platform despite it being a significant news topic. Further evidence disproving the claim is that the account @TheNBACentel is not affiliated with the verified NBACentral account on X.
Additionally, the account that made the claim misspells "NBA Central" in both its handle and name, further undermining the tweet's credibility and casting doubt on its authenticity. American basketball power forward LeBron James did not address the tweet.
The tweet involving LeBron James in connection with Combs' arrest may stem from speculation about the duo's reportedly strained relationship, which has garnered attention since lawsuits against the music mogul came to light.
The two had an excellent relationship for a long time. However, since CNN released the CCTV footage of Diddy physically assaulting his former partner Cassie Ventura, James seemingly distanced himself from the rapper in May 2024. Reportedly, he unfollowed Combs from Instagram, indicating that he cut ties with the music mogul. Neither the rapper nor the footballer commented about the same at that time.
Diddy was arrested in Manhattan; bail denied
Law enforcement agencies captured the music mogul in the Manhattan hotel lobby late Monday. As per the AP News, the rapper was charged with multiple s*x offenses that date back to 2008. A 14-page indictment was released on September 17, 2024, with allegations suggesting that Combs had engaged or attempted to engage in s*x trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, drug offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.
Moreover, the indictment reads that the rapper coerced women into "highly orchestrated performances," which he called "Freak Offs," as per People. In addition to the Freak Offs allegations, Combs was involved in distributing a "variety of controlled substances to victims, in part to keep the victims obedient and compliant."
According to Diddy's attorney, Marc Agnifilo, his client is innocent and will fight for his innocence. Agnifilo further told The Mirror that his client voluntarily came to New York and cooperated with the investigation.
"Mr. Combs is a fighter. He's going to fight this to the end. He's innocent. He is an imperfect person, but he Is not a criminal. To his credit, Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation, and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges," Agnifilo said.
According to People, Diddy and his legal team offered $50 million for bail, but Judge Robyn Tarnofsky denied the request. Combs has not addressed the allegations personally.