Sean “Diddy” Combs is the subject of the new episode of Impact x Nightline: Drugs Lies & ‘Freak Offs,’ which will dive into the allegations of sexual assault and abuse made against him, as well as the recent federal charges for racketeering and sex trafficking that the hip-hop mogul is facing.
In a new preview clip shared exclusively with Billboard, Lizzette Martinez, who is a survivor of R. Kelly’s abuse, shares her experience meeting Diddy in the late 1990s. “He’s like, ‘Hey, you have really pretty eyes.’ And said, ‘Hey, I’m having a party. You want to come with me?’” she recalls in the clip. “I didn’t have a good feeling about it and I just declined. Thinking about it now, it’s like, ‘Wow, I really dodged a bullet.’”
The disgraced R&B singer (real name Robert Sylvester Kelly) is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence after he was convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking charges in 2021. In 2022, he was also convicted of six counts of child pornography and enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity.
Martinez noted that she thought R. Kelly and Diddy are “a lot alike,” claiming that they are both “predators” who like to manipulate. She continued, “They’re dangling a career in front of you. They use the power to get you to where they want you.”
Billboard has reached out to reps for Diddy for comment. The music mogul — who has previously denied all allegations of sexual assault and abuse made against him — has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was denied bail twice, and is currently awaiting trial behind bars. After his arrest, his lawyer told Billboard in a statement: ” We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. … He is an imperfect person but he is not a criminal.”
Impact x Nightline: Drugs Lies & ‘Freak Offs’ will also feature an interview with Tiffany Red, a producer and songwriter who is friends with Diddy’s ex-partner Cassie Ventura, who filed a now-settled lawsuit against Diddy in November accusing the mogul of assault. She was also seen in a 2016 video obtained by CNN, in which Combs appears to shove Ventura to the ground near an elevator bank, kick her several times while she lies on the ground and drag her down a hallway.
“I can’t unsee that Cassie video,” Martinez says of the clip, while getting emotional. “You can tell me whatever you want about him, but I can’t unsee that video. She helped others to feel like they can come forward and that’s huge, because you put yourself on the line.”
Impact x Nightline: Drugs Lies & ‘Freak Offs’ begins streaming on Thursday (Sept. 26) on Hulu. Watch the preview clip featuring Martinez below.
