Warning: This content contains allegations of sexual assault that may be upsetting to some.
Danity Kane's Aubrey O'Day talks about a witness statement alleging she was sexually assaulted by Sean “Diddy” Combs.
O'Day gave CBS News her first interview since the release of the new Netflix documentary “Sean Combs: The Reckoning.” An excerpt from the documentary shows O'Day reading an affidavit that described an alleged sexual assault involving her, Combs and another man while she “appeared very intoxicated.” She says she doesn't remember the alleged incident, but it raised questions in her mind.
O'Day leaves with questions after shocking testimony
“Does this mean I was raped? Is this what it means? I don't even know if I was raped. And I don't want to know,” O'Day said in the documentary, which reportedly received 40 million views worldwide in its first two weeks.
In a statement to CBS News, Combs' rep said the music mogul “categorically denies the allegations in the Netflix documentary,” saying “he has never sexually assaulted anyone.” Combs plans to address these issues “in an appropriate legal forum” rather than “speculation based on anonymous testimony,” the statement said. Combs is currently serving a 50-month sentence in a New Jersey federal prison after being convicted on prostitution charges.
O'Day once worked closely with Combs, who helped found Danity Kane on his reality show Making the Group in 2005 before he finally disbanded the group in 2009. Talking about Combs in the documentary brought up many painful moments for O'Day, who said she is still processing the information.
She wanted to make sure the person who wrote the statement was “100 percent sure” it was her and that they didn't confuse her with another bandmate or doppelgänger.
“The story they told lasted for two years in every area they went to,” O'Day said. To this day, O'Day still doesn't know what happened.
O'Day has previously emphasized the role of forgiveness in her journey through the entertainment industry, saying it all starts with forgiving yourself.
“I forgive myself. It was hard,” she said. “The feelings I had throughout all of this were really about forgiving myself for inappropriate insult, attention or declaration of love. It's not the same thing. And so I had to forgive myself first.”
Live your purpose
When it comes to Combs' forgiveness, O'Day said it's not a big deal.
“Do I forgive him? I don't think it matters in the bigger picture. I think he needs to work to forgive himself,” O’Day said.
Right now, O'Day said her focus will be on survivors and systemic change.
“I want to help people, speak up for the underdog and speak up for the unheard. And I don’t have to spend most of my life and still be able to live for my purpose,” she said.
Combs is expected to released from prison May 2028according to online prison records. While there have been rumors about the possibility of a presidential pardon, a senior White House official called the reports “speculation” and told CBS News that any clemency decisions would come directly from President Trump.
Mark Agnifilo, Combs' lead attorney, told CBS Mornings in August that he had not had any conversations about a possible pardon: “I have not talked to the president. I haven't spoken to anyone who has spoken to the President about Sean Combs. I didn't say.”
O'Day doesn't believe Trump pardoned Combs.
“I think the only reason, in my opinion, that the president would pardon 'Diddy' is because it would work well for him in the midterm elections in terms of gathering a certain voting base,” she said. “The steps are always strategic, and now they relate to the midterm elections.”
