Since Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ arrest, he’s been tied to some celebrity deaths, suspected of victimizing his former protégés, and even linked to Liam Payne’s recent death. Unfortunately, these associations are pretty close, with the music mogul dominating different aspects of the entertainment industry. He even had actual collaborations with another alleged sex trafficker, Vince McMahon, former CEO of WWE.
Even then, Diddy caused some tension behind the scenes of WWE‘s famous pro wrestling reality TV shows. You could say that getting away with it was proof that the rapper’s star power played a huge part in concealing his dark side, and so did Vince’s. Here’s a closer look at Vince and Diddy’s relationship, as well as a side-by-side comparison of their similar legal scandals.
Diddy’s Ego Had A Special Place In Vince McMahon’s WWE
In the recent Netflix docu-series Mr. McMahon, Vince and other WWE personalities opened up about the company’s chaotic times. At one point in the documentary, Hulk Logan described Vince as a real bully like Mr. McMahon, his self-parodied stage character. The bit was just one of the former WWE chairman’s provocative decisions to boost the show’s popularity.
But it obviously resonated with Diddy, who contacted WWE to make a guest appearance after seeing Snoop Dogg do it in 2009. “I want to tell you the truth, I called [WWE] after I saw Snoop Dogg,” Diddy admitted. It seemed like he thought he should have been invited there before Snoop.
“I had to put my ego down and make sure that [WWE] had my information because I did not understand why I hadn’t been called yet. And that really did happen. I’m not just saying that. I called Neil [Lawi, senior vice president and general manager of WWE Music Group] and was like, ‘Yo, Neil, what’s up?”
It was the first meeting between Diddy and WWE. In 2013, two days before WrestleMania 29, Vince tweeted that he was partying with Diddy. At the main event, Diddy performed “Coming Home” by Dirty Money — his trio with Danity Kane’s Dawn Richard and singer/songwriter, Kalenna Harper — featuring Skylar Grey.
Not many fans were fond of celebrity guest appearances back then. It also caused tensions behind the scenes. Cody Rhodes got “mad” after Diddy’s performance *possibly* led to the cancelation of the pro wrestler’s tag-team match with Damian Sandow and The Bella Twins.
Cody believes the match was cut off because the hip-hop star’s musical number ran as long as the match would have. Then again, it could have been just another testosterone/ego clash. After all, it’s what Diddy loves about it all. In 2017, he called himself a “huge WWE fan,” who “loved the intensity and competition”
Here are Diddy’s appearances on WWE:
- 2012 – WrestleMania 28
- 2013 – WrestleMania 29
- 2016 – WWE Raw
- 2017 – Executive soundtrack producer for the WWE 2K17 game
Diddy And Vince McMahon’s Sex Trafficking Scandals Have Similar Power Abuse Patterns
Both Diddy and Vince face sex scandals that are related to their power and status. For the latter, it started when former WWE employee, Janel Grant, claimed that Vince defecated on her during a threesome that went on for an hour and a half more after the alleged mess. In January, Janel filed a lawsuit against WWE, Vince, and former WWE Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis. She accused Vince of sexually assaulting and trafficking her.
Cassie Ventura filed a lawsuit against her ex-boyfriend Diddy, citing rape and violent abuse in November 2023. The very next day, a $30 million settlement was reached out of court. It opened a whole platform for more accusations, which eventually led to Diddy’s arrest in September. Months before that, the feds reportedly found 1,000 bottles of baby oil that were allegedly laced with date rape drugs.
Side-By-Side Comparison Of Diddy And Vince McMahon’s Sex Trafficking Scandals |
|
Diddy’s Federal Charges |
Allegations Against Vince (No Criminal Charges… Yet) |
Racketeering |
Sexual Assault |
Sex trafficking |
Sex Trafficking |
Transportation to engage in prostitution |
Knowingly enabling sexual exploitation of children by a WWE employee |
Both legal disputes are still ongoing, with lawsuits against Diddy still piling up almost every week. In March, it was also announced that Vince was officially under DOJ investigation. Nowadays, he seems to be enjoying retirement after selling his last TKO shares for more than $776 million in April, severing all ties with WWE. Then there’s Diddy awaiting trial in jail after being denied bail.
Diddy And Vince McMahon May Not Suffer The Same Legal Consequences
Diddy’s trial starts on the same day as the Met Gala 2025. But he continues to get more lawsuits, thanks to “fire-breathing” trial lawyer, Tony Busbee, who represents 150 accusers. Tony also warned A-listers that they’ll be held accountable for their involvement in the rapper’s alleged crimes, as well as their attendance at his infamous freak-off parties.
On the other hand, Vince might not even go to trial. It’s no wonder the retired businessman has just been enjoying vacations overseas and an active lifestyle, seemingly free of any worries. Attorney Dmitriy Shakhnevich told Sportskeeda that this could all end with a settlement, which is common in such legal battles.
So statistically speaking, well over 90% of cases settle. So, if you are just going by the numbers, this will probably settle.
The lawyer also noted that Vince isn’t facing a criminal case, at least for now. “This is not a criminal case, right?” Dmitriy explained before comparing the situation to Diddy’s. “This is the mistake that many people made, at least in their minds, when P. Diddy was sued a few months back and in other cases such as this. Nobody goes to jail as a result of a civil case.” Well, we’ll just have to wait and see…