Claim:
A photo authentically depicts Sean "Diddy" Combs, former U.S. President Donald Trump, and his wife, Melania Trump, seated together.
Rating:
True ( About this rating? )
Since 2017 , numerous men and women have filed lawsuits against American rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs , culminating in a grand jury indictment for sex trafficking, racketeering and other charges on Sept. 12, 2024.
Amid these allegations, photos of Combs with various celebrities, politicians, and other famous figures have been widely shared on social media. While some are fake — including several of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris — many are not.
One image appearing to depict Combs with former U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump , went viral across multiple accounts on multiple platforms .
P Diddy, Donald Trump, Melania Trump (2005)
by u/Live_Carpenter_1262 in pics
The photograph resurfaced on X in late September, where one user posted it with the caption: "What does Diddy have on Trump?"
(X user @AgentSelf99B)
The image is in fact real; it is publicly available on Getty Images and was not AI-generated or digitally altered in any way. Photographer Johnny Nunez took the picture on March 11, 2005, and its caption reads:
"Art for Life" Gala Honoring Sean "P. Diddy" Combs Hosted by Russell Simmons and Kimora Lee Simmons
Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Donald Trump and Melania Trump (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
Furthermore, the "Art for Life" gala honoring Combs, where photographers snapped this photo — along with dozens of others — took place at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. The Trumps married less than two months earlier.
In 2012, Trump said : "You know [Combs] is a good friend of mine. He's a good guy." In the same sitting, he also said that he would "stick up for him."
In sum, because the viral photo is publicly available on Getty Images and was not AI-generated or digitally manipulated in any way, we rated this claim as true.
Sources:
Cullins, Ashley. 'Sean "Diddy" Combs Sued by Ex-Chef for Sexual Harassment and Retaliation'. The Hollywood Reporter , 8 May 2017, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/sean-diddy-combs-sued-by-chef-sexual-harassment-retaliation-1001540/.
Dailey, Michael Saponara, Hannah. 'A Timeline of Diddy's Sexual Misconduct Allegations'. Billboard , 18 Sept. 2024, https://www.billboard.com/lists/sean-diddy-combs-allegations-timeline/.
'Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Donald Trump and Melania Trump'. Getty Images , 19 Apr. 2011, https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/sean-p-diddy-combs-donald-trump-and-melania-trump-news-photo/112485891.
'127136161413.Pdf'. Google Docs , https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iSrpU9eql323koZY7Omi0TmOWzrIOpSQ/view?usp=embed_facebook . Accessed 23 Sept. 2024.
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