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Howard University announced on Friday that it would revoke an honorary degree that was awarded to the hip-hop mogul Sean \u201cDiddy\u201d Combs in 2014. The decision comes in the wake of Mr. Combs\u2019s admission that he physically abused a former girlfriend, in addition to a slew of other allegations of abuse that have surfaced in recent months.<\/p>\n
At the conclusion of a meeting of the Howard University board of trustees, the body voted unanimously \u201cto accept the return by Mr. Sean Combs of the honorary degree,\u201d according to a statement<\/a> released by the university. Howard also said that it would revoke all honors and privileges associated with the degree.<\/p>\n Mr. Combs, 54, also known as \u201cPuff\u201d and \u201cDiddy,\u201d attended the university from 1987 to 1989 but left before graduating. In 2016, he pledged $1 million to establish the Sean Combs Scholarship Fund, which went to students in need of financial aid.<\/p>\n Video footage surfaced last month of Mr. Combs striking, kicking and dragging his former girlfriend, Casandra Ventura, known professionally as Cassie, in 2016.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cMr. Combs\u2019s behavior as captured in a recently released video is so fundamentally incompatible with Howard University\u2019s core values and beliefs that he is deemed no longer worthy to hold the institution\u2019s highest honor,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n Howard University did not immediately respond to additional requests for comment.<\/p>\n In November 2023, Ms. Ventura filed a lawsuit accusing Mr. Combs of rape and physical abuse; they reached a settlement the next day. Then, in May, CNN published surveillance footage it had acquired from a Los Angeles hotel that showed Mr. Combs attacking Ms. Ventura near the building\u2019s elevators.<\/p>\n Mr. Combs subsequently posted<\/a> an apology video on Instagram with the caption \u201cI\u2019m truly sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hit rock bottom \u2014 but I make no excuses,\u201d he said in the apology video. \u201cMy behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video.\u201d<\/p>\n Howard University was founded in 1867 to educate freed slaves, and today is a renowned historically Black university. Notable alumni include politicians, actors and writers, such as Vice President Kamala Harris and the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison. Last year, the university awarded honorary degrees to Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina and Keith Christopher Rowley, the prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago.<\/p>\n The loss of the honorary degree comes amid ongoing legal troubles for Mr. Combs, who is the founder of Bad Boy Records. In March, federal agents<\/a> raided Mr. Combs\u2019s homes in Los Angeles and the Miami area, which officials said was related in part to a human trafficking investigation. No charges have been filed in relation to that case.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The raids followed lawsuits in which four women, including Ms. Ventura, accused Mr. Combs of rape and sexual assault and a man accused him of unwanted sexual contact. Lawyers for Mr. Combs have begun to file motions to dismiss the sexual assault suits.<\/p>\n This month, as his legal troubles mounted, Mr. Combs sold his majority stake in his media company<\/a>, Revolt. He had previously sold his half of a liquor brand<\/a>, DeLe\u00f3n, for roughly $200 million after its parent company said Mr. Combs\u2019s reputation had been tarnished. And a New York charter school network Mr. Combs had worked to expand cut ties<\/a> with him.<\/p>\n In addition to stripping Mr. Combs of the honorary degree, Howard said that it would return his $1 million contribution and disband the scholarship program in his name.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n