Fact Check: Did Howard University revoke Bill Cosby's honorary degree? Notable alumni explored in the wake of severing ties with Diddy

Howard University has severed its ties with Sean “Diddy” Combs following the 2016 video release where the music mogul was seen hurling physical assault at Cassie Ventura. Combs had attended the institute from 1987 to 1989 as a business administration student before dropping out in the early 1990s to build a career at Uptown Records.

The school noted on Friday that the rapper’s name will be removed from its list of alumni who received an honorary degree. The university’s Board of Trustees held a meeting on June 7, following which a spokesperson released a statement on the Board’s behalf:

“The Howard University Board of Trustees voted unanimously today to accept the return by Mr. Sean Combs of the honorary degree conferred upon him in 2014. This acceptance revokes all honors and privileges associated with the degree. Accordingly, the Board has directed that his name be removed from all documents listing honorary degree recipients of Howard University.”

The statement continued:

“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.”

Howard University, which has a notable line of alumni, including Toni Morrison, Thurgood Marshall, Kamala Harris, Chadwick Boseman, and Taraji P. Henson, stood firm “in its opposition to all acts of interpersonal violence.” The institute will return Diddy’s $1 million donation made in 2016 and terminate the Sean Combs Foundation’s deal to donate another $ million to the school:

"No payments toward the $1 million pledge have been due or made by the Sean Combs Foundation as of this date, therefore no funds are due to be returned under the 2023 pledge agreement."

The school's revocation of Diddy's honorary degree led one X user to mention another alumnus Bill Cosby, who was also awarded the degree in 1989. The user mentioned how the university did not revoke the controversial comedian's honorary degree despite a slew of s*xual assault allegations against him.

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Bill Cosby's remarks about Howard University explored amid Diddy's honorary degree revocation

In 2021, Bill Cosby defended his former co-star and fellow Howard University alumnus Phylicia Rashad who received backlash for expressing her support for the comedian over his 2018 conviction.

Cosby was released from prison in June 2021 after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his 2018 conviction on aggravated indecent assault charges. Phylicia Rashad, who also played Sean "Diddy" Combs' mother in the 2008 film A Raisin in the Sun, made a tweet, celebrating Bill Cosby’s release:

“FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted — a miscarriage of justice is corrected!”

Phylicia, who was appointed as the Dean at Howard University’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts only a month back at the time, soon met with intense criticism for voicing her support of the comedian. She posted a follow-up tweet within hours, explaining:

“I fully support survivors of s*xual assault coming forward. My post was in no way intended to be insensitive to their truth. Personally, I know from friends and family that such abuse has lifelong residual effects. My heartfelt wish is for healing.”

Several comments condemning the Howard University alumnus were posted on the school’s social media accounts. Phylicia later issued another statement:

“This week, I tweeted a statement that caused so much hurt in so many people — both broadly and inside the Howard community.”

She added:

“I offer my most sincere apology.”

In response to the backlash faced by Phylicia Rashad, her longtime friend Bill Cosby addressed the school:

"Howard University you must support ones Freedom of Speech (Ms. Rashad), which is taught or suppose to be taught everyday at that renowned law school, which resides on your campus."

He added:

"WE THE PEOPLE STAND IN SUPPORT OF MS. PHYLICIA RASHAD."

Phylicia Rashad later stepped down from her position as the Dean at the end of the 2023-2024 academic year. However, it is to be noted that the university did not revoke Bill Cosby's honorary degree despite the controversies.