Sean “Diddy” Combs has returned his honorary Key to the City of New York following a direct request from Mayor Eric Adams. This action comes in the wake of a disturbing video that surfaced last month, showing the music mogul violently assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
Combs, who received the key in a ceremony last September, turned it in to City Hall nearly a week after Adams sent formal letters to Combs’ offices in New York and Los Angeles. The letters, dated June 4, expressed the mayor’s deep disturbance over the footage and requested the immediate return of the key.
Mayor Adams, in his letter, emphasized his solidarity with survivors of domestic and gender-based violence. “The Key to the City of New York is presented to individuals whose service to the public and the common good rises to the highest level of achievement, and who act as a model for fellow and future New Yorkers,” Adams wrote. He added that after internal deliberations, the Key to the City of New York committee recommended nullifying and rescinding Combs’ key, a recommendation Adams accepted.
The mayor’s office confirmed that the key was returned on June 10. This decision marks the first time the city has revoked a Key to the City, a significant move reflecting the gravity of the situation.
The video, released by CNN in May, shows Combs attacking Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. The footage corroborated part of Cassie’s lawsuit against Combs, filed in November, which accused him of years of physical and sexual abuse. Although the lawsuit was settled out of court the day after it was filed, the video has led to increased scrutiny and further allegations against Combs.
In response to the video’s release, Combs posted an apology on social media, acknowledging his “inexcusable” behavior. “My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video,” he said. However, he did not mention Cassie by name in his apology.
The fallout from the video’s release has been significant. Howard University, which awarded Combs an honorary degree in 2014, rescinded the degree and cut financial ties with him. The university’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to revoke the degree, stating that Combs’ behavior was fundamentally incompatible with the institution’s core values.
In addition to losing the honorary degree, Howard University also returned a $1 million donation from Combs, disbanded a scholarship program in his name, and terminated a $1 million pledge agreement made in 2023 with the Sean Combs Foundation.
The video also surfaced two months after Homeland Security raided Combs’ properties in Miami and Los Angeles as part of a federal sex trafficking investigation. The investigation is ongoing, with federal authorities reportedly preparing Combs’ accusers to potentially testify before a grand jury in New York City.
Combs, a prominent figure in the hip-hop industry and founder of Bad Boy Records, has seen his career and reputation severely impacted by these allegations and the subsequent legal actions. Despite his public apology, the repercussions of his actions continue to unfold.
Mayor Adams’ decision to request the return of the Key to the City underscores the city’s commitment to supporting survivors of domestic and gender-based violence. The mayor’s office has made it clear that such behavior is unacceptable and that the city will take decisive action to uphold its values.
As the investigation into Combs continues, the music mogul faces an uncertain future. The return of the Key to the City and the revocation of his honorary degree are just the latest developments in a series of significant consequences stemming from his actions.
