Bow Wow Says There’s a ‘Hole’ in Hip-Hop Without Diddy’s Parties

Bow Wow is one of the latest celebrities to weigh in on Sean “Diddy” Combs’ parties following the rapper’s indictment — and his take might come as a surprise.

“I never thought I would see it like this,” Bow Wow, 37, said during a recent appearance on the “More to the Story” podcast. “He’s like the gatekeeper to the game, to the point to where BET Award weekend, like the past two, it just didn’t feel right because there was no motion, there was no parties.”

The Masked Singer alum was seemingly referring to the BET Hip Hop Awards, which took place last week, and the BET Awards, which were in June.

“But it shows how monumental how important he was to the culture,” Bow Wow continued before referencing his mentor Jermaine Dupri. “I said, ‘Jermaine, there was no parties.’ And you feel it. It’s like a hole. He was just such a gatekeeper for the liquor and the clubs. He was everything hip-hop. So for that to die out, you just really never thought. Especially when you look at somebody as somebody you studied, somebody you idolized.”

Diddy’s parties have become a hot topic in Hollywood since the 54-year-old music mogul was arrested last month and charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. The indictment against him detailed parties called “Freak Offs,” which were allegedly “elaborate and produced sex performances” that often took place in hotel rooms. Prosecutors claimed that Diddy arranged and directed these events, which were allegedly recorded by him as well.

Diddy has denied all of the allegations and pleaded not guilty to all charges. “He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal,” Diddy’s attorney Marc Agnifilo previously told Us. “Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”

Days after Diddy’s arrest, Ray J said he never saw anything like what was alleged in the indictment while attending one of the mogul’s events.

“We’ve never seen the stuff that’s being said and the stuff that people are finding out, like, I’ve never been in rooms that people are talking about, and I never knew they existed,” Ray J, 43, said during a September interview with Chris Cuomo. “And a lot of people in the industry can agree with me on that sense.”

Earlier this month, Arsenio Hall said he’d been to Diddy parties in the past, but they weren’t like the ones detailed in the indictment.

“Keep in mind, in all fairness, there are different kinds of Diddy parties. I’ve seen Diddy parties where children were there. … Let me start over. Where, say for instance, you use a person’s home and their family’s in the home, so it’s fun, 8 p.m., lots of food and music,” Hall, 68, explained during an interview on Howie Mandel’s podcast. “That’s one of the ones I went to. … I’ve been to dinner parties at Diddy’s houses. I’ve never been to the ones that I know you’re hoping I can talk about.”

Diddy’s trial is scheduled to start May 5, 2025.