Who is Ty Stiklorius? John Legend's longtime manager recalls experiencing "terrifying situation" at a Diddy party

John Legend's longtime manager Ty Stiklorius recently described a "terrifying situation" she faced at a Sean "Diddy" Combs party. In an opinion piece written for the New York Times titled The Music Industry Is Toxic. After P. Diddy, We Can Clean It Up, published on Thursday, October 31, 2024, the manager described the "pervasive culture" of the music industry.

Ty Stiklorius is a well-known producer and activist. She founded Friends at Work, a talent management company that combines entertainment with social justice.

In her op-ed piece, Stiklorius detailed a yacht party hosted by Combs in St. Barts that she attended just after graduating from college. She stated she was "directed into a bedroom by a man" but didn't know him or if he had any connection with Diddy. She continued:

"To this day, I can’t remember how I managed to talk my way out of that terrifying situation. Perhaps my nervous babbling — ‘My brother’s on this boat, and he’s probably looking for me!’ — convinced him to unlock the bedroom door and let me go."

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Ty Stiklorius' work has earned 2 Emmy awards

Ty Stiklorius is an Emmy-winning producer hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to a September 2020 article by Forbes, she attended the Friends' Central School. She holds an MBA degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School (in 2003). She holds an undergrad degree from the same university from 1997.

In her op-ed, Ty Stiklorius explained she thought the Diddy yacht party was a one-off incident, thinking it was just "one guy behaving badly at a drunken party." But working in the industry over the years has changed her opinion.

She further stated that just years after the yacht party, she was given an "unsubtle invitation" to a music executive's hotel room. Referring to these incidences, she noted that the industry "actively fostered sexual misconduct and exploited the lives and bodies of those hoping to make it in the business."

She noted that she only persisted in the industry, as in 2005 an old college friend, John Legend, reached out to her. She has been managing him for 20 years now. She explained:

"It turns out that many artists, including John, want to be a part of a different model of business and culture."

In 2015, Ty Stiklorius started her talent management company, Friends at Work, which represents artists like Legend, Charlie Puth, and The National.

In her profile on Marie Claire published in 2018, Ty explained that the company and its artists focus on issues like criminal justice, education, mental health, LGBTQ rights, and empowering women. At the time, she told the publication:

"We need to name and shame bad-actors, like the Charlie Walks and the L.A. Reids, the people who’ve been s*xually harassing women throughout their careers. I’m not afraid to do that."

Per Billboard's 2017 article, she previously worked as an executive at Ascent Media. Additionally, Ty and John started JL Ventures in 2006 and Get Lifted Film Co. in 2012. She has executive-produced films like La La Land, Monster, and Citizen Ashe. Her produced work such as Crow: The Legend (2019) and Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (2018) won an Emmy each.

Per Billboard, Ty Stiklorius is married to Erik Flannigan, former Viacom VP. They share 2 children together.

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Houston-based lawyer Tony Buzbee announced he was representing 120 alleged victims abused by Diddy

Last month, Texas attorney Tony Buzbee announced he was representing 120 alleged victims abused by Diddy, of whom he claimed 25 were minors. On October 14, six of the alleged victims (four men and two women, including one who was just 16 at the time of complaint) filed civil lawsuits claiming r*pe and assault. This was the first time a minor filed a lawsuit against the rapper.

Last week, Buzbee filed suits on behalf of two accusers who were just 10 and 17 when the assault took place. According to an October 14 report by People, the lawyer claimed both victims were trying to "break into the music business," and Diddy promised to help them.

Federal officers arrested Diddy in September on charges of s*x trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in p*rostitution. The rapper has denied all accusations levied against him.

He is currently being held without bail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. His trial is scheduled to begin in May 2025.