"I feel validated"— Aubrey O'Day says Diddy's arrest on trafficking and racketeering charges is a win for all women

Aubrey O'Day, former member of the girl group Danity Kane, expressed feeling "validated" after her former boss, Sean "Diddy" Combs, was arrested on charges of s*x trafficking, racketeering, and prostitution. Combs, a well-known music mogul, was taken into federal custody in New York on Monday. His arrest sparked reactions from several artists, including O'Day, who has long accused him of abuse.

Following Diddy's arrest, Aubrey O'Day shared on X (formerly Twitter):

"The purpose of justice is to provide an ending and allow us the space to create a new chapter. Women never get this. I feel validated. Today is a win for women all over the world, not just me. Things are finally changing,"

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Aubrey O'Day's history with Combs

Aubrey O'Day’s friction with Diddy started during her days in Danity Kane, a girl group created by him during MTV’s reality series Making the Band 3. O’Day was a member of Danity Kane from 2006 to 2008, during which the group was signed to Bad Boy Records by Diddy.

In a 2019 interview with Variety, O'Day described working with Combs (also called Puff) as "intense" and "scary". She recalled:

“We were scared to death with what would happen with Puff each day. There was just no room for error. Diddy was one of the most intense people you could ever work with. I experienced everything from race remarks to sexism and a lot of it was scary."

Diddy's recent arrest comes months after the federal authorities raided his villas in Miami and Los Angeles. According to court documents, Combs has been charged with racketeering conspiracy, s*x trafficking by force, fraud, coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Such charges imply criminal activity that, according to the prosecutors, had been ongoing for decades.

According to the office of the prosecutors, Diddy used women and others in his surroundings to satisfy his lust, maintain his image, and cover up his actions. He allegedly assembled a criminal organization to conduct s*x trafficking, coercion, forced labor, kidnapping, and other offenses.

In response to the arrest, lawyer Marc Agnifilo, who is representing Diddy, said that he was disappointed with the unjust prosecution of his client. Agnifilo painted Combs as a ‘music icon’ and a ‘family man’. He added that Combs had been cooperating with the authorities throughout the investigation. He encouraged the public not to judge Combs and said:

"These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court."

The allegations against Diddy come at a time when the music producer is under much pressure. In November 2023, his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, accused him of r*pe and physical violence. The case was settled out of court soon after the lawsuit was filed. Since then, Combs has been accused of similar charges by multiple people.