Howard University revokes P Diddy's honorary degree

Howard University in the United States announced on Friday that it has revoked the honorary degree awarded to Sean "Diddy" Combs in 2014, terminated the scholarship program named after the rap mogul, and returned his $1 million [Ksh 131m] donation.

The university cited a video showing Diddy violently assaulting his former wife, Cassie Ventura, on a hotel hallway in Los Angeles.

"Mr. Combs' conduct... is fundamentally inconsistent with the core values and beliefs of Howard University to such an extent that he is deemed no longer worthy of holding the institution's highest honor," the Washington DC school said in a statement.

"The university remains steadfast in opposing all acts of interpersonal violence."

Howard's announcement regarding the 54-year-old Combs comes in the wake of the shocking video showing him assaulting Ventura and the ensuing lawsuit.

Combs attended Howard for two years before dropping out in 1990. He served as the commencement speaker for the esteemed Black institution the same year it awarded him an honorary doctorate, a recognition bestowed upon the three-time Grammy winner.

Two years later, in 2016, Combs revealed that he had donated $1 million to Howard to establish a scholarship fund for undergraduate business students in need of financial assistance. This fund included internships and mentorship opportunities through his business and entertainment networks, according to Fox 5 DC.

However, that same year, the music producer and entrepreneur was caught on surveillance cameras grabbing and kicking Ventura, his then-girlfriend, at a hotel in the Century City neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Ventura sued Combs for damages in November, accusing him of rape and extensive physical abuse during their relationship, which began in 2007—when she was 19 and he was 37—and lasted until 2018.

Combs—whose other stage names have included Puff Daddy and Love—paid an undisclosed amount to settle Ventura's lawsuit a day after it was filed.

But the unusually swift settlement did not dismiss at least six other lawsuits accusing him of sexual misconduct and other instances of physical abuse.