Sean 'Diddy' Combs's former PR has broken his silence on his former client - who is on trial for sex trafficking crimes.
Rob Shuter worked with the singer and musician in the early 2000s and has been left horrified by the charges facing the star.
Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, Shuter has reflected on his past dealings with Combs, musing, "With Sean "Diddy" Combs facing a cascade of allegations - including rape, sexual assault, sex trafficking and physical abuse - all of which he has denied, I'm left with a question I can no longer avoid: What's more damning? Not knowing? Or not wanting to know?"
Shuter goes on to draw a distinction between the two approaches, noting that one would represent "ignorance" while the other would be "complicity".
Insisting he had no idea about Combs's alleged crimes, he continued, "When I say I didn't see the alleged behaviour, I mean it.
"But I also understand the ways I may have refused to. That refusal didn't come from malice. It came from ambition. From awe. From the seductive hum of being needed by someone the world adored. It's astonishing what we'll fail to see when fame is in the room."
The former public relations officer, who now hosts a podcast called Naughty But Nice, explained that he was always focused on work when he was employed by the star.
He wrote, "I convinced myself that I was doing good work. I was launching brands, placing magazine covers, shaping narratives.
"What I was actually doing was managing a mirage. And like so many others in the entertainment ecosystem - agents, producers, stylists, executives, managers - I learned to look away."
Shuter goes on to write he hopes the truth prevails amid Combs's ongoing trial.
