The past few days have been particularly — and perhaps justifiably — rough for hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy†Combs, aka Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, etc. But the popularity of his music isn’t suffering.
Combs was arrested last week and indicted on federal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He’s pleaded not guilty. The indictment contains lurid details of alleged sexual abuse over a period of at least 16 years. Combs has been labeled a flight risk, and hasn’t been able to secure bail. He could face life in prison, if convicted. Combs also is facing a stack of civil lawsuits accusing him of committing sexual assault or enabling sexual abuse.
Despite all of this, there’s been an 18.3% increase in streaming of his music since his arrest, according to a report by The Associated Press. The article notes that R&B artist R. Kelly’s streaming numbers doubled after a documentary accusing him of sexually abusing minors was released. Kelly is in the midst of a 30-year federal sentence for racketeering and sex trafficking while serving a concurrent sentence following a conviction on child pornography and enticement charges out of Chicago.
While the AP states it’s “not uncommon†for a celebrity’s popularity to increase after a controversial incident, there’s nothing in the article to suggest why.
A study by Vanderbilt University suggests some celebrities garner sympathy from fans who think they’ve been framed or set up by alleged victims seeking notoriety. However, the study also notes that many celebrities are presumed guilty by a public that also sees courts as more lenient on those with a lot of wealth and high social status. It’s worth noting that the study is particularly old, although from a time when streaming and social media did exist.
Most articles on the topic of celebrity run-ins with law enforcement tend to focus more on how they are treated by a court system that is supposed to apply an unbiased eye to everyone and the advantage in resources the rich and famous possess to mount legal challenges, rather than a spike in popularity.
Research in this field is bound to grow, though, considering the Republican candidate for president has been found liable for sexual assault and defamation in civil court, was convicted of 34 felonies related to business fraud and faces a host of other criminal cases. He’ll still likely get 45% of the popular vote and has a path to victory through the Electoral College.
In an era when truth is such a malleable thing to some, any publicity can be made into good publicity.
