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**New York City** – Sean “Diddy” Combs, a renowned figure in the hip-hop industry, has complied with a request from Mayor Eric Adams of New York City, returning the ceremonial key to the city that was bestowed upon him last year.
The awarding of the key took place during a public ceremony in Times Square in September 2023, aligning with the debut of Combs’ album, “The Love Album: Off The Grid.” Mayor Adams, referring to both of their notable reputations, commented at the event, “The bad boy of entertainment is getting the Key to the City from the bad boy of politics.”
However, since the ceremony, Combs has been at the center of controversy, with several women bringing forth allegations of sexual assault and abuse against him, and one man alleging sexual misconduct.
In May 2024, a surveillance footage from 2016 was disclosed, seemingly capturing Combs in a violent episode with his then-girlfriend, singer Cassie, in a hotel corridor in Los Angeles. Following the surfacing of this footage, Combs issued an apology via social media, acknowledging his actions in the video as indefensible.
In light of these events, Mayor Adams, on June 4, reached out to one of Combs’ businesses to express his “deep disturbance” over the surveillance footage and to request the return of the city key. In his letter, Adams underscored the city’s stance that honorees of the key should embody the zenith of public service and act as paragons for others in the city. He stated that, following recommendations from the Key to the City of New York committee to revoke Combs’ honor, he had accepted this advice.
Adams asked for the immediate return of the key to City Hall, which was confirmed by the mayor’s office to have been received on Monday.
Additionally, in a related development, Howard University retracted an honorary degree awarded to Combs in 2014 and severed financial dealings with him earlier this month.