We need to stop treating the Diddy case as entertainment.

Content warning: This story includes discussions of domestic and sexual abuse, as well as child sexual abuse, which may be disturbing to some readers.

Recently I fell down a TikTok rabbit hole. It’s not the first time it’s happened and it certainly won’t be the last. This time I found my For You page flooded with content about the many allegations facing Sean “Diddy” Combs.

In case you don’t know, the rapper and business mogul is currently facing charges of extortion and sex trafficking in the United States. In addition, a Houston law firm recently announced that it would file an additional 120 individual civil lawsuits against Combs – one of which involved allegations of child sexual abuse by a then nine-year-old victim.

It goes without saying that these alleged crimes are extremely serious. But as I scrolled endlessly on TikTok, I saw a spectrum of videos ranging from wild speculation and bold claims that could easily be debunked as misinformation to jokes and memes.

And look, I understand. The Diddy case is not only very exciting, it is also convincing, and that is undeniable. When Tony Buzbee – the Texas lawyer whose firm is preparing to file these 120 civil lawsuits – says that the names of the people involved will shock the public, it’s only natural to wonder how many A-list celebrities are involved combs will fall. After all, Diddy has been a key figure in Hollywood for decades and the list of his A-list connections is truly extensive.

“The day will come when we will name names other than Sean Combs,” Texas attorney Tony Buzbee said in a recent press conference. “And there are many names. The list is already long, but due to the nature of this case, we will make damn sure, damn sure, that we are right before we do that.”