Eric Adams Defends Giving P. Diddy the Key New York City Amid His Arrest for Sex Crimes
"Look, you can't live life by what's in the front window. You go based on what people have done," Adams said of P. Diddy.
Published Jan. 24 2025, 12:55 p.m. ET
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is doubling down on giving Sean "P. Diddy" Combs the key to his beloved city — Diddy was given the keys to the city in 2023.
While the disgraced mogul's key has been revoked as he faces at least 30 civil lawsuits for sex trafficking and other sex crimes, Adams is making it known the decision wasn't his.
Mayor Eric Adams said he doesn't regret giving P. Diddy the key to New York City.
On Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, Mayor Adams appeared on Stephen A. Smith's podcast. During their hour-long conversation, they addressed Combs's ongoing charges and why he doesn't regret giving the Bad Boys CEO key to the city in 2023 after knowing what he does now.
"Look, you can't live life by what's in the front window," Adams told Smith. "You go based on what people have done."
"There's a whole paneling committee, and what we did, we broke it up into entertainers, as well as those who contribute to the city, and people looked at his contribution, what he has done, and others that we honored, and we knew that we should give him that award," he added.
Adams awarded Combs with the key to the city in September 2023. Two months later, Combs's ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, filed a civil lawsuit against him for sexual assault and domestic violence. Soon after, more lawsuits surfaced accusing Combs of sex trafficking and racketeering.
In May 2024, a video of him attacking Ventura went viral. The video caused Adams to publicly revoke Combs's key in June 2024. In his January 2025 interview, Adams said that the decision was forced upon him by the committee.
The mayor, who is under indictment on federal corruption charges, including bribery, fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations, also said in his interview with Smith that he sympathized with Combs, who is serving time in Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn as he awaits his trial.
"Listen, my heart goes out to him as he goes through his legal struggles," Adams declared.