Usher’s recently resurfaced 2016 interview with Howard Stern highlighted some of the “wild” things he witnessed while living with Diddy at the age of 13.
Usher said he saw “very curious things taking place” when he resided with Diddy in New York City, and the details he provided during the interview seem to shed light on Diddy’s character follwing the recent raids on the rapper’s homes and the sexual assault and sex trafficking allegations he faces.
“I got a chance to see some things,” Usher told Stern at the time. “I went there to see the lifestyle — and I saw it.”
Multiple women have come forward accusing Diddy, whose real name is Sean Combs, of a series of heinous crimes, including gang-rape, rape, sex trafficking and sexual assault. Amid the legal battles and accusations against the star, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security launched simultaneous raids on Diddy’s Los Angeles and Miami Beach estates, leaving no stone unturned.
Diddy’s personal and business relationships have since come under greater scrutiny, including his friendship with Usher, who had a lot to say to Stern eight whole years before the allegations surfaced.
“I don’t know if I could indulge and understand what I was even looking at. It was pretty wild,” Usher told Stern, as he recalled his stay at Diddy’s home.
Singers Usher (L) and Sean “P. Diddy” Combs attend the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards at the American Airlines Arena August 29, 2004 in Miami, Florida. Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
Usher and Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs attend the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards Pre-GRAMMY Gala and Salute to Industry Icons honoring L.A. Reid held at The Beverly Hilton on February 9, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for NARAS
Usher, whose full name is Usher Raymond, noted that other famous artists — including Biggie Smalls, Lil’ Kim, Craig Mack, Faith Evans and Mary J. Blige — were also part of Diddy’s inner circle at the time.
When Stern asked Usher if he was staying up until 4:00 a.m. to party with Diddy and his pals at the tender age of 13, Usher confirmed that he was and that he “actually stayed up longer than them.”
He described the experience as “pretty crazy,” but when asked if he would ever send his own children to “Puffy camp,” Usher immediately replied, “Hell no.”
Singer Usher and rapper/producer Sean “P. Diddy” Combs pose backstage during the VH1 Big in 04 at the Shrine Auditorium on December 1, 2004 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
Usher and rapper/producer Sean “P. Diddy” Combs pose backstage during the VH1 Big in 04 at the Shrine Auditorium on December 1, 2004 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
In February, Usher spoke to People about his time in Diddy’s “Flavor Camp,” telling the outlet he remembered “OutKast making their first records and being able to hear Rico [Wade] work on these songs, literally sleeping in this man’s living room, being in the dungeon, just kind of being around and just trying to figure out who’s who.”
Usher Raymond, businessman/singer Sean Combs, songwriter/record producer Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and record producer Antonio “L.A.” Reid. Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Usher noted the “energy” he was surrounded by, saying the others “were teaching me and showing me how to act and how to present myself,” according to the outlet.
In 2004, the famous singer told Rolling Stone that Diddy introduced him to “a totally different set of shit — sex, specifically.” (RELATED: Lil Rod Alleges 50 Cent’s Girlfriend Was Diddy’s Sex Worker, Court Documents Say)
“Sex is so hot in the industry, man,” he said at the time. “There was always girls around. You’d open a door and see somebody doing it, or several people in a room having an orgy. You never knew what was going to happen.”