For years, Sean “Diddy” Combs has been identified to throw a number of the most extravagant bashes. From the notorious white events held at his houses within the Hamptons, Los Angeles and Miami to smaller gatherings on a yacht in St. Tropez, the fallen music mogul shortly gained world recognition within the late Nineties and early 2000s for his lavish, celebrity-packed get-togethers that always featured an extra of alcohol, medicine and nudity.
Since his arrest on a number of intercourse trafficking prices final month, increasingly particulars are rising about what truly occurred throughout these events.
In an unique interview with Fox Information Digital, celeb photographer Selma Fonseca, who attended “20 to 30” Diddy events all through her profession and reportedly broke the information of his romance with Jennifer Lopez in 1999, opened up about what she witnessed firsthand, together with a warning to kids who have been in attendance and a “nerve-wracking” second she by no means noticed coming.
“I imply, all his events have been unbelievable: the perfect meals, the perfect music, drinks, entertainers, folks with fireplace,” Fonseca mentioned of the events, which have been usually attended by celebrities similar to Ashton Kutcher, Lopez, Paris Hilton, Mariah Carey, Usher, Jay-Z and extra; none of whom have been implicated in Diddy’s legal case.
“It was like a mini-circus,” she added. “LeBron James mentioned, ‘There’s no occasion, like a Diddy occasion.’ There was quite a lot of champagne going round and the whole lot else. You may have no matter you wished.”
Fonseca first met Diddy at his birthday bash in 1998. One yr later, Diddy invited Fonseca to his White Social gathering at his residence within the Hamptons.
“He had simply purchased that home within the Hamptons, and he had the white occasion the place I used to be capable of {photograph} him and J-Lo on the balcony kissing one another,” she recalled. “And I broke the information that they have been courting as a result of there have been rumors they have been courting, however no one had proof.”
As a photographer, Fonseca, who has printed two books that spotlight her profession as a celeb photojournalist, had a firsthand account of how a typical Diddy occasion unfolded from starting to finish.
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“He would stroll round, say whats up to everybody, you understand what I imply? He was at all times out and about and doing one thing, speaking on the mic and on the DJ sales space,” she recalled.
“There was no VIP space that was closed off,” she mentioned. “It was like all people was a VIP in East Hampton. He had some folks go inside the lounge, and he additionally had the bed room upstairs on the balcony. So, folks would go inside, however not all people was allowed inside.”
Fonseca, who mentioned she “by no means went inside” as a result of she was “by no means invited,” mentioned she wasn’t totally certain what went on inside on the time.
“I by no means noticed something out of the peculiar, solely that the performers have been very sexual and really horny on a regular basis,” she mentioned. “There have been geishas strolling round. There have been ladies in very skimpy outfits strolling round, dancing on high of pedestals. However that’s like one thing that he simply wished, simply to entertain folks. I’ve seen bare folks at his events.”
“I don’t know if freak-offs have been occurring,” she added. “However anyplace there are wealthy and well-known folks, there are intercourse employees round … there are intercourse employees in every single place. They’re very discreet,” Fonseca alleged.
Within the indictment introduced in court docket final month, officers alleged that Combs and quite a few unnamed associates within the Combs Enterprise used intimidation techniques to “lure feminine victims into Combs’ orbit, usually underneath the pretense of a romantic relationship.”
He would then use “pressure, threats of pressure, and coercion, to trigger victims to interact in prolonged intercourse acts with male business intercourse employees that COMBS known as, amongst different issues, ‘Freak Offs,’” in line with the indictment.
“Freak Offs” have been “elaborate produced intercourse performances that Combs organized, directed, masturbated throughout, and infrequently electronically recorded.”
Whereas Fonseca mentioned she didn’t witness the alleged “freak-offs,” she mentioned it wasn’t unusual for girls to be strolling round bare.
“As folks have been consuming, it obtained slightly crazier,” she continued. “Typically folks took their garments off and [would] go within the swimming pool. That was type of regular.”
Fonseca recalled Diddy being a really hands-on host, ensuring his company have been supplied with drinks at any given second.
“He at all times had this tray, and he provided pictures to everybody,” she mentioned.
“Ecstasy was actually in trend at the moment,” she added. “So, it’s like for those who take a drink or take a tablet, how is anyone going to know?”
More often than not, Diddy’s events would begin off harmless with kids of assorted celebrities usually in attendance. However when the dad and mom have been instructed to place their kids down, “[T]hings have been going to get loopy,” mentioned Fonseca.
In a video obtained by Fox Information Digital, Diddy will be heard advising dad and mom to “put the children away” so that everybody else can get their “groove on.”
“We fed ya’ll, gave ya’ll some drinks. Now it’s time to take pleasure in life,” Diddy mentioned. “This can be a celebration of life. That is the legendary white occasion. And to all the children, the children have an hour left. Get additional comfy children, as a result of after that, ya’ll obtained to go. It’s a wrap for ya’ll. As a result of this factor turns into one thing that when ya’ll become older, ya’ll are going to need to come to. Let’s begin to get our groove on and in an hour we’ll put the children away.”
Whereas Fonseca mentioned she by no means felt “unsafe,” she skilled a “nerve-wracking” second in 2006 at one in every of Diddy’s events.
“Diddy was in a VIP space, and I noticed there was a lady subsequent to him that I had by no means seen earlier than,” she mentioned. “I took footage of him with the woman, and he instructed his bodyguard, ‘Go get her digital camera.’ The bodyguard got here and mentioned, ‘Let me see the photographs,’” Fonseca alleged.
“Diddy appeared on the footage, and I’m ready, and he’s pouring pictures, having enjoyable. He did finally give me my digital camera again.” Fonseca famous that Diddy didn’t delete any pictures.
“He by no means requested me for my digital camera,” she added. “I had been photographing the person for 20 years. It was scary, however he knew higher.”
When Diddy’s L.A. and Miami houses have been first raided this yr in relation to a federal human trafficking investigation, Fonseca mentioned she wasn’t certain what to assume.
“I wasn’t actually stunned, however I used to be stunned on the similar time as a result of I’ve by no means seen something,” she mentioned. “I’ve been round this man so many instances backstage on the award ceremonies, I imply on a regular basis. I used to see him most likely as soon as a month or extra.”
Diddy was arrested and charged with racketeering conspiracy; intercourse trafficking by pressure, fraud or coercion; and transportation to interact in prostitution. He faces a minimal of 15 years behind bars and a most sentence of life in jail if discovered responsible.
Combs appeared in Manhattan federal court docket the place he pleaded not responsible. Not solely was Combs denied the proposed $50 million bail, he was despatched to jail instantly after the listening to.
Previous to the U.S. lawyer’s press convention in September, Combs’ lawyer mentioned they deliberate to struggle for the rapper to be launched.
“His spirits are good. He’s assured,” Combs’ lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, mentioned exterior the courthouse on Sept. 17. “He’s coping with this head-on, the way in which he’s handled each problem in his life. And he’s not responsible. He’s harmless of those prices. He’s going to plead not responsible, clearly. He’s going to struggle this with all of his power and all of his would possibly and the complete confidence of his legal professionals. And I anticipate an extended battle with a great consequence for Mr. Combs.
“I’m going to struggle like hell to get him launched, and he needs to be launched,” Agnifilo added, “with all that he’s achieved and coming right here voluntarily.”
In TMZ’s documentary, “Downfall of Diddy: The Indictment,” Agnifilo mentioned Diddy is “very keen” to talk the reality.
“I don’t know that I can maintain him off the stand,” Agnifilo mentioned within the documentary. “I feel he’s very keen to inform his story. And I feel he’ll inform each a part of the story, together with what you see on the video. So, I anticipate it’s going to be defined by the each of us.”
Fox Information Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz and Tracy Wright contributed to this submit.