Diddy: What did Ray J say about Diddy? Singer issues public apology over viral comments, says he takes full accountability

William Ray Norwood Jr., a.k.a. Ray J, issued an apology over his recent comments about his interview with megachurch pastor Dr. Jamal Bryant. On Friday, November 15, 2024, the R&B singer took to his Instagram to apologize for his "disrespectful," "distasteful," and "disgraceful" behavior.

The singer is referencing his Instagram story shared on Tuesday, where he revealed he interviewed on The Jamal Bryant Podcast: Let’s Be Clear. At the time, the episode wasn't released, and Ray J didn't want parts of the discussion to be made public. This drove him to go on an aggressive rant, wanting Pastor Bryant to not play the interview or else "somebody getting snatched off the pulpit."

During his interview, the singer addressed his past comments about Sean "Diddy" Combs since the latter's arrest. This included the October 9 episode of The Reality Check News, where Norwood Jr. expressed his disappointment at Combs and others in the music industry who took advantage of young entrepreneurs, adding:

"I’m exhausted with the people in this industry that have power who are abusing the power. I can say a lot of names. I won’t today but I will soon."

Ray J called out those keeping quiet, questioning if they had proof. He explained that, as Diddy's friend, it was not easy to believe anything until someone was proven guilty. However, Ray J highlighted the need for better leaders in the industry and better systems in place to prevent abuse.

He also criticized internet users making jokes and memes about the controversy, asserting that it was disrespecting the victims and their suffering. He was referencing the 1000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant found during raids at Didd's homes in Los Angeles and Miami. In light of the news, internet users, including 50 Cent, made jokes about it.

At one point, he remarked:

"Do you forgive somebody for taking somebody's a**? There's a lot of people out there taking form people... people are getting robbed of not only their money and their spirituality, they're getting robbed of their womanhood and manhood. A**es are being taken in ways that nobody can explain."

In a separate post shared on October 19, the singer posted a snippet of his interview with the NewsNation show, Cuomo (it featured an in-video headline: "Ray J on who really knew about Diddy") where he can be heard saying:

"Because you know they saying that people at the church doing it. So now I can’t turn cheek to cheek when somebody hits me because now I’m thinking about b*tt cheeks. You know it’s like it’s a lot. It’s a lot and it’s just not adding up to me."

"I take full accountability for my words" — Ray J in his apology to Pastor Bryant

In his apology post, Ray J wrote:

"PASTOR BRYANT! I take full accountability for my words! I apologize to you and the whole church community! What I did might be unforgivable but I still want you to know that I’m sorry and it was not ok what I did."

He claimed that he was scared of the legal consequences of his interview. He did not elaborate on his reasons further.

During their discussion, Pastor Bryant asked Ray J if he regretted speaking about the Diddy situation. The R&B singer explained that he didn't like Combs' treatment of his (Diddy's) former girlfriend Cassie, stating that the CNN CCTV footage showing the rapper kicking and dragging Cassie "wasn't cool" and that it "got (him) mad."

The singer explained that he advocated against fake stories from spreading. He added that despite that, it was coming across as "something negative."

"Everything else after that I've been an advocate for bogus stories not being promoted and that's all the stuff that they've been saying about Puff, and all the things that they've been doing so its been coming off as if I've been saying something negative about Diddy. But I've been saying something positive. Meaning these stories are absolutely out of control."

This Tuesday, however, Ray J took to his Instagram stories to backtrack on the interview becoming public. In his rant, he addressed Pastor Bryant (and those behind the show), asking them not to play the interview, adding that "if y’all play that interview, somebody getting snatched off the pulpit." He claimed that he did not clear the interview and it was "out of bounds."

"Me and Pastor Bryant need to talk because the way I was treated was dirty and illegal and I don’t like it. And I don’t want nobody to play that f**king interview."

Pastor Bryant later addressed Ray J's comments in an Instagram post (on Wednesday), stating that he found the singer's baseless threats "surprising and disheartening." He claimed that any comments with "potential legal ramifications" were "edited out of the interview" as per their agreement. He added:

"Though private agreements have now been brought into the public eye, I refuse to be embroiled in a battle that demeans our community and all that I stand for. I love my brother unconditionally and I stand on my agreed promise."

Not long after, Ray J went on Instagram Live to allege that someone tried to shoot him. It remained unclear what exactly occurred or why the singer was targeted. Many speculated it could have been in connection with his issues with Diddy's sons.

During a Los Angeles Halloween party, the R&B singer was involved in an altercation with Combs' sons Justin Combs, Christian "King" Combs, and Quincy Brown. In an October 29 livestream with Wack 100, he explained that fellow singer Chris Brown broke up the fight before things got serious.

While Ray J wasn't bothered by the development, Wack 100 threatened Diddy's sons, saying:

"It’s on... That’s what it’s gon’ be. If we run into you, act like it’s 1995."

At the time, Ray asked him to leave them alone as they (Combs' sons) were troubled at the moment.

On November 13, TMZ shared the new TUBI documentary, The Downfall of Diddy: Inside the Freak-Offs. The documentary features Ray J claiming that several high-profile celebrities have approached him, expressing concern over their actions during the alleged parties. He claimed that these celebrities were paying off their victims to keep their names hidden.

Federal officers arrested Diddy in September on charges of s*x trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. According to his unsealed indictment, he ran a "criminal enterprise" that s*xually abused women and others for years.

This included participating in "elaborate and produced s*x performances" at his "freak off" parties for the benefit of Diddy and his guests. Since then, netizens have speculated on the various celebrities who would have attended the notorious parties.

Over the months since his arrest, several people have sued Diddy for s*xual abuse and assault. The rapper is being held without bail at a detention center in Brooklyn (a third bail hearing is scheduled for later this month). His trial is set for May 2025.

Edited by pshmueni