What separates art from the artist? Removing an artist from their creations decontextualize their work and leaves it devoid of meaning. There can be numerous reasons for this. The phrase or ideology behind “separating the art from the artist” has been coined as a way to differentiate one’s appreciation of an artist’s music or work from their disdain for the artist’s actions. 

Who may believe in separating the art from the artist? A prime example of a problematic artist whose fans tried to separate from his art is R. Kelly, who after the release of the documentary “Surviving R. Kelly”which detailed his troubling actions of racketeering and sex trafficking, was convicted and is currently serving 30 years in prison. Now we must ask, will it be the same for P. Diddy?

Puff Daddy, also known as P Diddy, is an African American rapper, actor, and producer. He has recently been sued by singer, model, actress, and dancer Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, in federal court on November 16th, according to a report covered by the New York Times, among other news outlets. 

The article details allegations of rape and a decade-long pattern of abuse that began when she was 19 years old. Cassie, who was once signed to Diddy’s label, Bad Boy Records, alleges sex trafficking, human trafficking, sexual battery, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and gender motivated violence, among other causes of action. 

The filing claims he allegedly exerted complete control over her life including her apartment, car, clothing, and even her medical records. 

According to the lawsuit, he went so far as to target rapper, Kid Cudi, who briefly dated Cassie in 2011, allegedly during a rough patch in Diddy and Cassie’s relationship.

The Hub will follow this on-going story and provide updates to this troubling case as it develops.