Howard University’s board of trustees has voted to rescind Sean “Diddy” Combs’s honorary degree in light of serious allegations against him, including sexual misconduct and other illegal activities. The board stated that Combs’s recent behavior, particularly a video showing him assaulting his former partner Cassie Ventura, is fundamentally incompatible with the university’s core values. As a result, they deemed him unworthy of holding the institution’s highest honor.
Combs, who attended Howard University in the 1990s and was awarded the honorary degree in 2014, will also have his long-term relationships with the university terminated. The institution plans to return a $1 million donation he made in 2016 to fund a scholarship and will end an agreement for another $1 million donation from the Sean Combs Foundation.
Following the release of the video, in which Combs was seen punching and kicking Cassie, he publicly apologized, calling his behavior “inexcusable.” In an apology video, he reflected on his past struggles, stating, “I was f***ed up – I hit rock bottom – but I make no excuses.” Cassie has described her experience with Combs as deeply damaging, saying it “broke me down to someone I never thought I would become.”
In November, Cassie filed a lawsuit against Combs accusing him of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and rape, which was settled soon after. Since then, multiple individuals have come forward with allegations against Combs, leading to ongoing investigations. In March, federal authorities raided his homes in Los Angeles and Miami as part of a sex trafficking investigation. Combs has consistently denied all allegations, asserting that they are part of a character assassination campaign against him.