Audrey O’Day called Sean “Diddy” Combs’ abuse “a cautionary reminder” after the mogul was sentenced to 50 months in prison and fined $50,000 by a New York judge on Friday (Oct. 3).
Diddy was convicted in July of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. The jury found him not guilty on racketeering and sex trafficking charges.
During the seven-week trial, multiple women, including his ex Cassie Ventura, testified that Diddy physically and sexually abused them, often in the context of multiple day sexual encounters involving drugs and prostitutes.
O’Day had previously accused Diddy of sexual harassment and of “grooming” her when she appeared on his MTV show, Making the Band. The show led to the formation of girl group Danity Kane, which launched O’Day’s career and was signed to Diddy’s Bad Boy Entertainment label.
The singer told Decider in August that she at one point carried a “butcher knife” out of fear of retaliation for speaking out against Diddy.
After the conclusion of his federal trial, O’Day tweeted a statement warning young people who are “pursuing their dreams” that abuse and exploitation are not worth enduring for fame.
“The true warning is not that a jury may doubt your testimony, nor that a court’s sentencing guidelines may fail to reflect the years of suffering you endured. The real warning is this: the moment someone in a position of power oversteps your boundaries or demands more than is legitimately required of you, walk away and do not look back,” O’Day wrote.
“No dream, however bright, can outweigh the pain and exploitation that may follow if you remain. Too often, those who misuse their power, even when exposed, face far fewer consequences than the harm inflicted upon their victims,” she continued. “Protect yourself at the first sign of coercion or impropriety. If something feels wrong, trust that instinct and remove yourself from the situation. Your well-being is worth more than any opportunity.”