Rosie O'Donnell Compares Former Neighbor Diddy to Harvey Weinstein: 'It's Very Disturbing'
Rosie O'Donnell is speaking out about Sean "Diddy" Combs following his recent arrest. In a nearly 10-minute-long TikTok video, the TV personality shared her thoughts on Diddy after he was indicted on sex trafficking, racketeering, and kidnapping charges, comparing the rapper to convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein. O'Donnell said Diddy was her former neighbor and recalled their first and only alleged encounter. "Although I only met him once, he did invite me to his New Year's Eve party, which I believe everybody was wearing white, but we didn't know. We had on, like, sweatpants, me and my family and my kids," she began, claiming that she and her family weren't allowed into the party. "They didn't let us in," she continued. "The doormen were, like, looking at us. I'm like, 'No, no. He invited me yesterday. I live right there. My daughter saw him in the street and we talked' ... No, we couldn't come in." The comedian said that Diddy called her the next day to apologize. "He called, and he felt so bad that he rented out the Regal Cinema for me and my family to see any movie we want, the entire day, in any theater, whenever we wanted, which was so unbelievably over the top and extraordinary," O'Donnell said. "I never spoke to him before or after that." "I'm just kind of in shock," she continued. "I know that there's perhaps a naivete to me in some way. But I think, how could a person live knowing that they had done that and then be a public person and continue to do it? Didn't he feel, like, the footsteps of the law behind him at all times?" "Or do you just get to be so big -- like Harvey Weinstein did -- that he thought, 'Well I control Hollywood. I control the Oscars. I can sleep with any actress I want, whether they want to or not.'" O'Donnell noted that she didn't "understand" how Diddy didn't "consider himself a rapist." "How can you not consider yourself a rapist if you're doing or participating in or filming or watching the rape?" she asked. "I don't understand it. I really don't." "It's very disturbing. And then you start to think, how many people really knew that?" she continued. The View alum went on to admit that before the Weinstein accusers came forward. if someone were to ask her if the disgraced movie mogul was a "rapist," she would have said no. "If you would have said to me, 'Million dollars if you're right, is he a rapist?' I would have said, 'No. He runs Miramax. You think he could also be a rapist? What is he, Clark Kent? He gets in a cape and he is someone different,'" O'Donnell explained. "Give me a break, too many people know him. Too many people would be involved. Too many people would have to participate in that in order for it to be true." "Well, people did. People do," she said. Weinstein, of course, has been accused of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment. He was arrested in 2018, and pleaded not guilty. In March 2020, Weinstein was sentenced in New York City to 23 years in prison for third-degree rape and a first-degree criminal sexual act. His rape conviction was overturned in April 2024. The court ordered a new trial, and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office plans to retry the case. As for Diddy, O'Donnell said the allegations and charges are "very upsetting." "Sex trafficking? That's serious, man. And then they found 1,000 bottles of baby oil. I'm gonna be thinking about that the rest of my life," she said, referencing the items seized during the raids in Diddy's Beverly Hills and Miami homes, which included narcotics and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant. "It's very unnerving and very disturbing," she added. Diddy was arrested on September 16 in New York City and is now a criminal defendant in a federal sex trafficking, racketeering, and kidnapping case, according to TMZ. He's been charged with 3 counts -- racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He entered a not guilty plea. The 54-year-old was denied bail a second time on Wednesday, September 18 after a federal judge in Manhattan remanded him to await trial at a jail in Brooklyn. Combs' lawyers described conditions at Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn as "horrific" and "not fit for pre-trial detention." The music mogul was initially denied bail during his arraignment in Manhattan's federal court on Tuesday. If convicted, Diddy faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, and a maximum of life behind bars.
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"I'm just kind of in shock," the comedian said, before asking, "How could a person live knowing that they had done that and then be a public person and continue to do it? Didn't he feel, like, the footsteps of the law behind him at all times?"
Rosie O'Donnell is speaking out about Sean "Diddy" Combs following his recent arrest.
In a nearly 10-minute-long TikTok video, the TV personality shared her thoughts on Diddy after he was indicted on sex trafficking, racketeering, and kidnapping charges, comparing the rapper to convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein.
O'Donnell said Diddy was her former neighbor and recalled their first and only alleged encounter.
"Although I only met him once, he did invite me to his New Year's Eve party, which I believe everybody was wearing white, but we didn't know. We had on, like, sweatpants, me and my family and my kids," she began, claiming that she and her family weren't allowed into the party.
"They didn't let us in," she continued. "The doormen were, like, looking at us. I'm like, 'No, no. He invited me yesterday. I live right there. My daughter saw him in the street and we talked' ... No, we couldn't come in."
The comedian said that Diddy called her the next day to apologize.
"He called, and he felt so bad that he rented out the Regal Cinema for me and my family to see any movie we want, the entire day, in any theater, whenever we wanted, which was so unbelievably over the top and extraordinary," O'Donnell said. "I never spoke to him before or after that."
"I'm just kind of in shock," she continued. "I know that there's perhaps a naivete to me in some way. But I think, how could a person live knowing that they had done that and then be a public person and continue to do it? Didn't he feel, like, the footsteps of the law behind him at all times?"
"Or do you just get to be so big -- like Harvey Weinstein did -- that he thought, 'Well I control Hollywood. I control the Oscars. I can sleep with any actress I want, whether they want to or not.'"
O'Donnell noted that she didn't "understand" how Diddy didn't "consider himself a rapist."
"How can you not consider yourself a rapist if you're doing or participating in or filming or watching the rape?" she asked. "I don't understand it. I really don't."
"It's very disturbing. And then you start to think, how many people really knew that?" she continued.
The View alum went on to admit that before the Weinstein accusers came forward. if someone were to ask her if the disgraced movie mogul was a "rapist," she would have said no.
"If you would have said to me, 'Million dollars if you're right, is he a rapist?' I would have said, 'No. He runs Miramax. You think he could also be a rapist? What is he, Clark Kent? He gets in a cape and he is someone different,'" O'Donnell explained. "Give me a break, too many people know him. Too many people would be involved. Too many people would have to participate in that in order for it to be true."
"Well, people did. People do," she said.
Weinstein, of course, has been accused of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment. He was arrested in 2018, and pleaded not guilty. In March 2020, Weinstein was sentenced in New York City to 23 years in prison for third-degree rape and a first-degree criminal sexual act. His rape conviction was overturned in April 2024. The court ordered a new trial, and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office plans to retry the case.
As for Diddy, O'Donnell said the allegations and charges are "very upsetting."
"Sex trafficking? That's serious, man. And then they found 1,000 bottles of baby oil. I'm gonna be thinking about that the rest of my life," she said, referencing the items seized during the raids in Diddy's Beverly Hills and Miami homes, which included narcotics and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant.
"It's very unnerving and very disturbing," she added.
Diddy was arrested on September 16 in New York City and is now a criminal defendant in a federal sex trafficking, racketeering, and kidnapping case, according to TMZ. He's been charged with 3 counts -- racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He entered a not guilty plea.
The 54-year-old was denied bail a second time on Wednesday, September 18 after a federal judge in Manhattan remanded him to await trial at a jail in Brooklyn. Combs' lawyers described conditions at Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn as "horrific" and "not fit for pre-trial detention." The music mogul was initially denied bail during his arraignment in Manhattan's federal court on Tuesday.
If convicted, Diddy faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, and a maximum of life behind bars.
