Howard University announced Friday that it will revoke the honorary degree it awarded hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2014. The decision comes after Mr. Combs admitted to physically abusing an ex-girlfriend in addition to a a number of other allegations of abuse that have surfaced in recent months.
At the end of Howard University’s board of trustees meeting, the body voted unanimously “to accept the return of the honorary degree from Mr. Sean Combs,” according to a statement released by the university. Howard also said he would revoke all honors and privileges associated with the degree.
Mr Combs, 54, also known as ‘Puff’ and ‘Diddy’, attended the university from 1987 to 1989 but left before graduating. In 2016, he pledged $1 million to create the Sean Combs Scholarship Fund, which went to students in need of financial aid.
Last month, footage emerged of Mr Combs punching, kicking and dragging his ex-girlfriend Cassandra Ventura, known professionally as Cassie, in 2016.
“Mr. Combs’ conduct, as captured in a recently released video, is so fundamentally inconsistent with Howard University’s core values and beliefs that he is deemed no longer worthy of holding the institution’s highest honor,” the statement said.
Howard University did not immediately respond to additional requests for comment.
In November 2023, Ms. Ventura filed a lawsuit accusing Mr. Combs of rape and physical abuse. they reached an agreement the next day. Then, in May, CNN released surveillance footage obtained from a Los Angeles hotel that showed Mr. Combs assaulting Ms. Ventura near the building’s elevators.
Mr Combs then posted an apology video on Instagram with the caption ‘I’m really sorry’.
“I hit rock bottom — but I’m not making excuses,” she said in the apology video. “My behavior in this video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in this video.”
Howard University was founded in 1867 to educate freed slaves and today is a prestigious historically Black university. Notable alumni include politicians, actors and authors, such as Vice President Kamala Harris and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison. Last year, the university awarded honorary degrees to Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina and Keith Christopher Rowley, the prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago.
The loss of the honorary degree comes amid ongoing legal problems for Mr Combs, who is the founder of Bad Boy Records. In March, federal agents raided Mr. Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and the Miami area, which officials said was partly related to a human-trafficking investigation. No charges have been filed in connection with this case.
The raids followed lawsuits in which four women, including Ms. Ventura, accused Mr. Combs of rape and sexual assault and one man accused him of unwanted sexual contact. Mr. Combs’ lawyers have begun filing motions to dismiss the sexual assault lawsuits.
This month, as his legal troubles mounted, Mr. Combs sold his majority stake in his media company, Revolt. He had previously sold half of his drinks brand, DeLeón, for about $200 million after its parent company said Mr. Combs’ reputation had been tarnished. And a network of New York charter schools Mr. Combs had worked to expand ties with him.
In addition to stripping Mr. Combs of his honorary degree, Howard said he would return the $1 million contribution and dissolve the scholarship program in his name.
