"He was a hero to me": Taye Diggs reveals admiration for Diddy, says he was 'blindsided' by news of the rapper's arrest

On Thursday, September 26, rapper Taye Diggs discussed his feelings about Diddy’s arrest. This happened when he appeared on the Sibling Revelry podcast episode with Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson.

During the podcast, he claimed that he felt "naive" and was "blindsided" by the accusations made against Sean "Diddy" Combs. Diggs went on to talk about how he admired Combs as he came from humble means and how the former aspired to be accomplished like him. Addressing the same, Diggs said,

"He was a hero to me. I loved how he… He didn’t come from much, he started out as a dancer. All the things that I wasn’t, growing up, he was."

The 53-year-old Rent star revealed that he had always looked up to him as a role model before all the allegations of abuse against the founder of Bad Boy Records became public.

The interview took place following Combs' arrest on September 16 on the allegations of s*x trafficking, conspiring to commit racketeering, and transporting people to engage in pr*stitution.

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Taye Diggs talked about being “blindsided” by Diddy

Taye Diggs opened up about the rapper (Image via Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

During his recent appearance in the aftermentioned podcast, singer Taye Diggs talked about fellow rapper Combs' arrest and stated that he was unaware of the latter’s darker side. He further said,

“I felt so naive when I heard all that stuff because I was… I don’t know where I was, but all of it blindsided me.”

Diggs continued, saying that while he was relieved that the information about the rapper was made public, he was also upset that Combs hadn't lived up to the expectations he previously had from the music tycoon. He went on to say that it was "kind of double-edged".

Diggs also expressed dissatisfaction after hearing the accusations against a person he used to see as a role model.

Stating the same, Diggs stated:

"He had so much confidence and a certain arrogance that I loved and he made being Black cool. I came from a place where we had to ask everything and ‘I’m Black, so of course, I’m going to be treated like this’.”

He continued:

“I looked at him and he wore it like, as a badge, you know what I’m saying? I really put him on a pedestal and it was disappointing to see some of what happened. I couldn’t believe it. And I didn’t like that feeling.”

The interview happened after Diddy's September 16 arrest. The rapper entered a not-guilty plea to the charges and refuted the accusations, but the judge rejected his bail request. After that, Combs was placed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn where he awaits his trial.

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What happened to Diddy?

Diddy was taken into custody on allegations of pr*stitution transportation, racketeering conspiracy, and sex trafficking. A 14-page indictment notified the public that Diddy had "abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him" for decades, at his infamous 'freak-off' parties.

In addition, the document also stated:

“For decades, Sean Combs, the defendant, abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his s*xual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct.”

Moreover, according to an article published by The Guardian on September 17, the rapper's homes in Miami and Los Angeles were seized by federal investigators in March 2024. This happened as a result of the lawsuits filed against him.

Since his arrest, the indictment has been made public online, revealing further details about the outcomes of the raid. Additionally, as per the indictment, approximately one thousand bottles of baby oil were found at the rapper's home along with “three defaced AR-15s.”

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On the other hand, even though Diddy’s lawyer has attempted to explain the bottles of baby oil, Diddy hasn’t released a statement as of yet.