Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was obsessed and desperate to party with princes William and Harry
Princes William and Harry were repeatedly invited to party with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, it has been revealed — with the rapper apparently obsessed with the pair.
Combs’ fascination even extended to keeping framed pictures of the royal brothers in his luxury New York apartment, according to his former publicist Rob Shuter.
The rapper is behind bars and facing a deluge of sexual abuse lawsuits, including one for an alleged attack on a 16-year-old boy at his inaugural White Party in 1998.
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Shuter, who worked for the rapper at the height of his fame from 2002 to 2004, told BBC News he never witnessed any sexual misconduct.
“I’ve seen the imbalance of power,” he said. “What I haven’t seen is what is now alleged, which is just horrific.”
Shuter said when he joined Combs, the rapper was looking to elevate his career and used parties to keep himself at the centre of the entertainment industry. It was Shuter’s job to keep Combs at the top.
“He was just figuring out that how he could get the most attention was to become the party king of New York,” Shuter said.
And, because Combs considered himself to be a king, it made sense that he would want the princes in his entourage.
“The reason he was such a superstar is because all he thinks about is Diddy. From the minute he wakes up until the minute he goes to bed,” Mr Shuter said. “Diddy’s hobby is Diddy.”
Mr Shuter recalled being asked more than 10 times to call Prince Harry and Prince William with invites to parties — offering to cover all of their expenses, including security.
But while a cavalcade of big-name celebrities, including Justin Bieber, Paris Hilton, Jennifer Lopez, and others, accepted invitations to party with the rapper, the princes always declined.
“(They) never accepted (the invites), they were never part of his world,” Shuter said.
But Combs and the royal pair did meet in person.
Prince Harry wrote in his memoir Spare that he had personally selected the rapper to perform at a 2007 benefit concert held in honour of his late mother Princess Diana at London’s Wembley Stadium.
Prince William was later photographed at the after-party meeting the rapper, shaking his hand and Prince Harry was seen with his arm around his shoulders.
But by 2011, when Graham Norton questioned Combs on his panel show over the rapper’s desire to get Prince William and Prince Harry along to one of his parties, he appeared to have changed his tune.
“Not anymore,” Combs said. “Trust me, they’re off the list.”
“Before when they were young bucks growing up and they were getting in a lot of trouble themselves, so, hey, I was like, ‘Why don’t you come hang out with me?’”
Combs also expressed his desire to meet Queen Elizabeth.
“She doesn’t have to hang out with me but I could just go over for some tea or something and we could just kick it,” he said.
If you or someone you know needs help, contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), or Sexual Assault Counselling Australia on 1800 211 028, or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
