D. Woods, a former member of the popular girl group Danity Kane, has accused music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs of treating her and her fellow bandmates in a degrading and "predatory" manner during their time together on Making the Band. The 32-year-old singer shared her account in the new Investigation Discovery docuseries The Fall of Diddy, where she spoke about troubling interactions with Combs that left her feeling like a "piece of meat."
Woods, whose real name is Denise Woodgett, detailed how Diddy would often "pick and prod" at the group members, undermining their confidence with his words and actions. "He did it in different ways with all of us, picking and prodding, just a way to chip and knock away and then praise you," Woods explained. She shared that these comments were made in both private and public settings during filming of the third season of Making the Band, a reality show created by Diddy.
One of the most striking moments Woods recounted was a resurfaced clip in which Diddy mocked her weight. "What's your stomach looking like? Are you feeling a little thick?" he asked Woods during an interview, prompting her to reflect on the lasting impact of his words. Woods elaborated, "I see myself standing in these dark, scary, predatory spaces, and hearing somebody say some of the most degrading things to me. From the outside, he was this mogul - he was this guy who could make your dreams come true, but inside it was very different."
For years, Woods had not spoken out about her experiences, fearing disbelief and backlash. "It's more of a question of why I have not been able to speak up in the past, and I would say that this moment now is a time where I feel like my experience, my truth will really be heard and actually considered and believed," she said. Woods' courage to speak out aligns with a growing number of women who have shared similar accounts of Diddy's behavior.
Woods' allegations come amidst an escalating wave of accusations against Diddy. The mogul, known for founding Bad Boy Records and launching the careers of several high-profile artists, is currently facing a slew of sexual assault allegations. His ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, recently filed a lawsuit accusing him of assault, which was settled out of court. In addition to this, Diddy was charged with sex trafficking and is currently awaiting trial. The charges, which include racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution, could carry severe penalties, including a life sentence if proven true.
Representatives for Combs have strongly denied all allegations, claiming that the various documentaries about his behavior are nothing more than a "media circus" capitalizing on the criminal charges. A statement from Combs' legal team accused the producers of the The Fall of Diddy docuseries of rushing to air "unsubstantiated claims" without providing adequate time for his legal team to address them. "This production is clearly intended to present a one-sided and prejudicial narrative," the statement said, adding that the accusations are "pure fiction."
However, Diddy's critics, including former Danity Kane member Aubrey O'Day, have voiced support for Woods and other women who have come forward. O'Day, who also appeared on Making the Band, took to social media after Diddy's arrest to share her own experiences with his alleged abuse. "His behavior could have been stopped long before things like this broke our hearts to read," O'Day wrote on X. "His abuse didn't have to reach me & many others including women, men, & minors who will forever traumatize an entire industry." O'Day has been vocal about her own struggles with Diddy's treatment, labeling him as a "soulless human inside of a systemic problem within the entertainment industry."
