Howard University's Board of Trustees has unanimously voted to revoke the honorary degree awarded to Sean "Diddy" Combs in 2014, declaring him "no longer worthy to hold the institution's highest honor." In addition, the university will return Combs' $1 million contribution and terminate a $1 million pledge agreement from the Sean Combs Foundation.
The decision follows the release of a 2016 surveillance video published by CNN, which shows Combs physically assaulting his former girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles. The board's statement emphasized that Combs' behavior is "fundamentally incompatible with Howard University's core values and beliefs."
Howard University also announced the disbandment of its scholarship program in Combs' name, reinforcing its commitment to opposing all acts of interpersonal violence. The university provided a link to its "Interpersonal Violence Prevention" webpage for further information.
This decision comes amid ongoing controversies surrounding Combs, the former Bad Boy Records mogul. Since November, he has faced eight lawsuits, including accusations from Cassie Ventura of years of abuse and rape in 2018, which have since been settled. Other lawsuits have accused Combs of sexual misconduct and other illegal activities. While Combs has denied many of these claims, he has not responded to all the allegations.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's investigative arm has launched a federal probe into Combs, investigating allegations of sex trafficking. As part of the investigation, federal agents searched his Los Angeles and Miami homes on March 25. Although no federal criminal charges have been filed, the surveillance video could become evidence in the federal investigation. Investigators are also preparing to bring Combs' accusers before a federal grand jury in New York.
In addition to the allegations of sexual misconduct, federal authorities are investigating Combs for potential money laundering and illegal drug activities. Recently, Combs sold a majority stake in Revolt, the media company and television network he founded in 2013.