How Cancel Culture Around P Diddy Is Spreading. Who Is Next?

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by Alexandra Mansilla

How Cancel Culture Around P Diddy Is Spreading. Who Is Next?

1 Oct 2024

Guess what is driving the rise of cancel culture? It is pretty obvious: social media. It has completely changed the way we see celebrities. They are no longer distant, untouchable icons — they are right there in our feeds, sharing personal updates and even responding to fans. This has blurred the lines, and now fans feel way too familiar, almost like they are entitled to speak to them like old friends. Naturally, this has led to some pretty wild and often disrespectful behaviour.

By 2024, cancel culture has hit a whole new level. What used to feel like something that could happen to anyone still had its "untouchables" — people who seemed safe from being cancelled. But P Diddy’s arrest proved otherwise. Even the ones we thought were immune aren't safe anymore.

For those who haven’t been keeping up with the news, here is a bit of context: two weeks ago, rapper P Diddy (real name: Sean Combs) was arrested for horrifying and unacceptable behaviour, including incidents at his infamous Freak Off parties. At first, it seemed like all the accusations were squarely aimed at him, but there is a twist.

Cancel culture began spreading across the entire celebrity scene.

Many famous faces who attended his parties are now feeling the heat: Paris Hilton, Jennifer Lopez, Ashton Kutcher, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, and a long list of other celebrities. Virtually every A-lister of the past two decades seems to have made an appearance at one of P Diddy’s parties.

Fans and critics are digging up any images of celebrities with P Diddy — even if they were taken years ago. You are suddenly a suspect if you have ever been spotted somewhere near P Diddy, even at some random event years ago. Got a picture with him? Guilty by association.

Usher wiped all 7,000 of his tweets.

Leonardo DiCaprio is now trying to show that he only went to P Diddy's parties at the very beginning — and then quit.

But Beyoncé and Jay-Z took the biggest hit. Yes, even these figures, who are often considered untouchable. Commenters on their social media have been calling them out, accusing the couple of turning a blind eye to Diddy’s actions. Some fans are even speculating that the two may have benefited from staying close to Diddy.

And new videos keep popping up. Just recently, a 15-year-old clip surfaced where Rihanna talked about how Jay-Z pressured her into signing a contract. And there is so much more like this. The internet never forgets, and finding reasons to accuse people is now as easy as scrolling through old posts.

While other celebrities are dealing with backlash and the threat of being cancelled, Justin Bieber is in a different spot. This whole scandal has put a spotlight on something he has been talking about for a while — the exploitation and manipulation of young stars in the industry.

Justin Bieber entered the industry at the tender age of 12, skyrocketing to fame by 15. He has been open about how difficult his early years in the spotlight were, and he has spoken out about how young artists are often taken advantage of. In a video that has gone viral, Bieber talks about wanting to protect Billie Eilish from facing the same struggles he did, saying, “I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.” It is a reminder that the entertainment industry has a dark side, especially for young stars.

As we dig deeper into these controversies, it is hard to ignore the troubling pattern with child stars who get thrown into the spotlight. Kids in the entertainment industry are often the most vulnerable, and they are placed in situations where they can easily be taken advantage of. Bieber’s experience is a perfect example of the bigger issue that still haunts Hollywood. Young stars like him, who enter the industry with big dreams and starry eyes, often end up navigating a world filled with manipulation, pressure, and emotional stress, all under the public’s constant watch.

So, there are two big questions: Will fans really cut ties with celebrities they have admired for years just because they were linked to P Diddy? And, more importantly, will this finally spark the much-needed conversation about how young stars are treated in the industry?

by Alexandra Mansilla