Former Danity Kane singer Aubrey O’Day claims that Sean “Diddy” Combs’ move to turn over publishing rights to Bad Boy Records artists in 2023 was a way of buying their silence.
“I received the publishing deal. I know what it says. I know how much money it was giving me,” O’Day says in a sneak peek of TMZ’s new doc, “TMZ Presents: The Downfall of Diddy,” which comes out Sunday on Tubi.
The singer — who did not sign the deal — says she was to be given $300.30 for “a full release against all claims against Diddy and many other players.”
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When asked by host Harvey Levin what she thought Diddy’s motivation was in releasing the rights, she claims, “I think you would probably be making moves to keep as many people quiet as possible.”
O’Day, 40, goes on to say it would not have made her financially whole again.
“It asked me specifically to stay silent and never speak poorly about a human. So then I realized, something really bad is coming,” she concludes.
A source with knowledge of the situation tells Page Six, “Aubrey O’Day got her big break because Diddy and Bad Boy cast her in their show with her group, Danity Kane. Last year, when he reassigned his portion of the publishing to Bad Boy artists, an unprecedented move within the industry and which he did not have to do, not all artists signed an NDA.”
Reps for Diddy did not immediately return Page Six’s request for comment.
In September 2023, Diddy — who founded Bad Boy Records in the ’90s — made a rare move of reassigning his Bad Boy publishing rights back to all artists and writers on the label.
“It’s just doing the right thing,” Combs told PvNew at the time. “I think that we as an industry, and as a people, have to look in the mirror and make a shift forward. It’s about evolving, leading by example and reforming an industry that needs it, in a world that needs reform.”
nstage with Danity Kane." >Artists on the record label have included Notorious B.I.G., Ma$e, Craig Mack, Faith Evans, Danity Kane, French Montana and Janelle Monae.
TMZ’s documentary and O’Days claims come on the heels of the feds’ raids on both his Miami and Los Angeles mansions in connection to a sex-trafficking probe.
One of Combs’ attorneys, Aaron Dyer, called the March raids a “witch hunt.”
“This unprecedented ambush — paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence — leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits,” Dyer told Page Six.
Diddy has also been the subject of various lawsuits, including allegations of assault and human trafficking, all of which Diddy has denied.
In February, Combs was sued by former male employee Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones. He accused the hitmaker of sexual assault while working on his 2023 album “The Love Album: Off the Grid.”
Combs’ attorney, Shawn Holley, previously told Page Six that “Lil Rod is nothing more than a liar” seeking to “shamelessly” win the $30 million lawsuit.
In November 2023, Diddy was sued by his ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura – famously known by her stage name Cassie. She accused him of abuse and rape, which Diddy also denied. The case was settled within days.
