Kanye West has reignited controversy with a series of social media posts defending Sean "Diddy" Combs, who remains incarcerated on federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges. In a string of posts on X, formerly Twitter, over the weekend, West, 47, called for Diddy's release, criticized celebrities for remaining silent, and announced a business collaboration between their brands.
"PUFF IS A WAY BETTER DAD THAN MY DAD AND A WAY BETTER DAD THAN ME," West wrote Sunday morning, alongside a 2020 image of Combs with his children. He followed up with another post lamenting his own relationship with his father, Ray West, stating, "I WISH I HAD THE RELATIONSHIP WITH MY DAD THAT PUFF HAS WITH HIS KIDS."
Combs, 54, has remained in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest last year. Prosecutors allege that the music mogul engaged in a years-long scheme involving sex trafficking, racketeering, and illegal prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty and has been denied bail multiple times.
West's defense of Combs comes amid his latest spree of inflammatory online remarks. Over the past week, he has posted antisemitic, sexist, and homophobic comments, drawing sharp backlash. He also likened his own financial losses to Diddy's legal troubles, referencing his own fallout with major brands, including Adidas and Gap, which severed ties with him in 2022 after his antisemitic rants.
West's social media activity took a more aggressive turn as he criticized public figures for not rallying behind Combs. "ALL THESE CELEBRITY N****S AND B*****S IS P***Y YALL A WATCH OUR BROTHER ROT AND NEVER SAY S**T," he wrote. In another post, he added, "THEY TRYNA PROVE A POINT AND YALL KNOW THAT YALL F***ING KNOW THAT AND SITTING LAUGHING AT THE F***ING INTERNET ON INSTAGRAM THIS MAN GAVE HIS LIFE TO US THIS MY IDOL THIS MY HERO."
In addition to his online outbursts, West announced a new clothing collaboration between his Yeezy brand and Diddy's Sean John fashion line, claiming they would "split the profits 50/50." Combs, posting from behind bars, acknowledged West's support, writing on Instagram, "Thank you to my brother @Ye" and linking to the Yeezy website.
West's public backing of Combs extends beyond social media. He has also urged high-profile figures to support the embattled music executive. On Sunday, he called on Kendrick Lamar to advocate for Combs' release during the Super Bowl halftime show. "KENDRICK LAMAR NEEDS TO SCREAM FREE PUFF FROM THE SUPER BOWL STAGE AND WE ALL KNOW WHY," West wrote in a now-deleted post.
His plea quickly drew skepticism online, with some interpreting it as a veiled reference to Lamar's own alleged personal controversies. "Even as a Kendrick fan, I'm interested in knowing what he means by this," one user wrote. Others dismissed the suggestion outright, with one commenter stating, "Kendrick not gonna do that. He is pro-black, but he got to serve master real good today."
West also appeared to make an unverified claim regarding Combs' financial situation while incarcerated. "I JUST FOUND OUT THAT PUFF IS NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE OR COLLECT MONEY WHILE HE'S LOCKED UP SO I'MA SEND HIS HALF OF THE MONEY TO JUSTIN," he wrote. It was unclear whether he was referring to Diddy's son, Justin Combs, or pop singer Justin Bieber, whose past relationship with Combs has recently resurfaced amid the mogul's legal troubles.
Despite his past conflicts with Combs, West's vocal defense has sparked widespread discussion. The two had a highly publicized falling-out in 2022, when Combs criticized West's "White Lives Matter" merchandise. Now, however, West is positioning himself as one of Combs' most vocal allies, even as his latest social media spree continues to provoke outrage.
