‘You can't unsee it': ‘The Fall of Diddy' directors on Cassie's allegations and a mogul's decline
In 2023, the world of music and pop culture was rocked as allegations against Sean "Diddy" Combs began to emerge, shaking the foundation of the mogul's decades-long career. The details of Combs' unraveling were chronicled virtually in real time by Investigative Discovery's documentary The Fall of Diddy, directed by Emma Schwartz and Yoruba Richen.
'We had been talking to some folks more broadly about the 'Diddyverse space,' about similar kinds of allegations and things that were happening in the industry,' Schwartz tells Gold Derby. While the directors were unsure of how the narrative might evolve, everything changed when Casandra Ventura (known as the singer Cassie), Diddy's former girlfriend, filed her lawsuit around Thanksgiving 2023.
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That moment became a catalyst. As Schwartz recalls, 'We knew there was a lot more bubbling beneath the surface of that. We also began to hear that more people were starting to come forward as a result of Cassie sharing her story. When someone that well-known came out with such incredibly specific details in that lawsuit about what she says she went through, they felt, 'OK, maybe now I need to speak as well.''
The team began digging into the story well before the high-profile events that would dominate headlines — the federal raid, the viral hotel video, and Diddy's arrest. Richen describes their approach as a dual exploration: 'It was, I think, a very unique kind of process, because on the one hand, we were looking back into so much of the past, at the same time, there was much of that past coming to light and unfolding in the present.'
One of the pivotal moments in shifting public perception came with the now-infamous hotel video tied to Cassie's allegations, something Richen describes as 'horrific and shocking.' The video was a crucial turning point not just for audiences, but for the documentary as well. "You can't unsee it," she remarks. "People who we had been talking with over those months, it definitely propelled them to come forward with their stories because they were angry, they were saddened. They were horrified by seeing this." The cascade of revelations gained momentum after the video and Diddy's subsequent apology, as fear began to give way to accountability. Richen explained that those who spoke out felt "sort of safety in numbers" and wanted "to be a part of the accountability process."
Yet, for the filmmakers, reaching those willing to share their stories was no straightforward task. "It was a number of ways," says Richen. 'Everything from the research that we were doing in terms of reading about what happened at [the City College of New York] and relatives that had spoken out — or people who had videotaped during that time. It was talking to people and people being like, 'You should talk to so-and-so.' Meeting with people, all the things, all the ways.'
Schwartz adds that their collaboration with Rolling Stone further expanded their network: 'We were talking to people before everyone in the media was out there. I think that made a difference. We weren't coming in saying, 'Oh, he's just been arrested. Tell me what happened.' We were there earlier and building a longer story about how we got to this point as opposed to trying to understand why he is being charged.'
Thalia Graves in The Fall of Diddy (Photo: Investigative Discovery)
One of the documentary's most gut-wrenching moments comes with Thalia Graves' account of an alleged rape. Richen says that the crucial first step in conducting such interviews involves building trust long before sitting down with cameras. Schwartz elaborates, saying, 'When someone decides they want to come forward, if they're going to share a story, they're ready and they've been holding it in ... if someone has been through such a traumatic experience and wants to share it, then I think they're all in.' For Graves, Cassie's decision to speak out broke a long-held silence. 'She thought she was the only one until Cassie came forward,' says Schwartz. 'As it turns out, not only was she not the only one, she was one of many who came forward with all kinds of allegations.'
Richen draws parallels between Thalia's courage and the experiences of Danyel Smith, the first female editor-in-chief of Vibe magazine, who recounts being threatened by Diddy but later appearing at events with him out of professional necessity. Richen explains, 'In order to get the scoop, to get the access, she felt she needed to still be around him. I think we see this in so many circumstances, where people who are in abusive relationships or have been threatened, if it's a person of power, the person that can give them access, that it's tied to their professional life, [they] will tolerate it to a certain extent.'
Danyel Smith in The Fall of Diddy (Photo: Investigative Discovery)
In the documentary, Schwartz and Richen also explore Diddy's undeniable talent and influence versus the harm he allegedly inflicted on those around him. Schwartz reflects on his ability to continually reinvent himself despite scandal. 'The thing about Sean Combs — Puff, Diddy, whatever name — he had a way of reinventing himself and has remarkable charm and charisma. I think one of the tensions that almost everybody we interviewed felt was that there was an incredible talent that they were attracted to about what he did… despite the souring that many experienced.' Richen adds that Diddy's innovation in blending hip hop and R&B was 'revolutionary,' particularly during an era when MTV had only recently begun playing Black music.
While The Fall of Diddy culminates with Diddy's arrest, his legal battles are far from over, and the filmmakers wrestled with where to conclude the story. Richen explains, 'There's a budget … there's a deadline. We worked with our partners at ID. … We didn't know exactly when the arrest would happen, if it would happen in our time, so we were really just following this, and responding.' Schwartz adds, 'I think part of it was taking it as close to the point of understanding — how did we get to this moment? — rather than attempting to litigate what we're all going to be watching unfold over the coming weeks.'
When asked if more chapters could be made, the directors remain open to revisiting the story's ongoing fallout. Still, Schwartz reflects, 'The fate of whether he will stay behind bars or find a way to resurrect and rename himself is really the question that we're all going to be watching.'
The Fall of Diddy is currently streaming on Max.
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