Aubrey O’Day is confronting disturbing allegations about her past with Sean “Diddy” Combs, speaking publicly for the first time about a witness affidavit that describes an alleged sexual assault she has no memory of experiencing.
The former Danity Kane member sat down with CBS News following the release of Netflix’s explosive documentary “Sean Combs: The Reckoning,” which has garnered a staggering 40 million views globally in just two weeks.
In the documentary, O’Day reads from an affidavit alleging she was sexually assaulted by Combs and another man while appearing “very inebriated.”
What makes her story particularly heartbreaking is the uncertainty she now lives with—questions without answers about an incident she cannot recall.
Grappling With Painful Questions
O’Day’s response to learning about the alleged assault reveals the profound confusion survivors can face when confronting trauma they don’t remember.
Does this mean I was raped? Is that what this means? I don’t even know if I was raped. And I don’t want to know.
Her words capture a devastating reality: sometimes the burden of knowing can feel more overwhelming than living with uncertainty.
O’Day isn’t accepting the affidavit at face value without verification. She wants absolute confirmation from the witness that they saw her specifically—not a bandmate or someone who looked like her.
According to O’Day, the person who provided the affidavit has maintained their story consistently across different settings for two years now.
Combs Denies All Allegations
A spokesman for Combs issued a statement categorically denying the allegations presented in Netflix’s documentary, asserting that Combs “has never sexually assaulted anyone.”
Combs plans to address these matters through proper legal channels rather than responding to “speculation from anonymous affidavits,” according to his representative.
Combs is currently serving a 50-month sentence in a New Jersey federal prison following his conviction on prostitution-related charges. Prison records indicate an expected release date of May 2028.
History Between O’Day and Combs
O’Day’s professional relationship with Combs began in 2005 when he founded Danity Kane through his reality television show “Making the Band.”
Their working relationship ended in 2009 when Combs disbanded the group. Revisiting this period while participating in the documentary has forced O’Day to process deeply painful experiences from her past.
The Journey Toward Forgiveness
O’Day has spoken extensively about forgiveness as a crucial element in healing from her experiences in the entertainment industry.
But forgiveness, she explains, had to start inward before extending outward.
I forgive myself. That was the hard one.
She describes her emotional journey as learning to distinguish between abuse, attention-seeking, and genuine love—concepts she once conflated.
The feelings that I’ve had throughout all of this really come down to, like, forgiving myself for misplacing abuse, or attention, or acknowledgment as love. Those weren’t one in the same. And so I had to forgive myself first.
Combs’ Forgiveness Isn’t Her Focus
When asked whether she forgives Combs, O’Day reframed the question entirely.
Do I forgive him? I don’t think that matters to the bigger picture. I think that he needs to do the work to forgive himself.
Her response shifts accountability back where she believes it belongs—on Combs to do his own internal work.
Finding Purpose Through Advocacy
O’Day has redirected her energy toward supporting other survivors and advocating for systematic change within the entertainment industry and beyond.
I want to be helping people, and speaking for the underdogs, and speaking for the voices that aren’t being heard. And I didn’t necessarily get to spend the majority of my life yet being able to live in my purpose.
Her words suggest a woman reclaiming her narrative after years of feeling silenced or unable to speak her truth.
Presidential Pardon Speculation
Rumors have circulated about a potential presidential pardon for Combs, though a senior White House official described such reports as mere speculation.
Marc Agnifilo, Combs’ lead attorney, told “CBS Mornings” in August that no conversations about a pardon have occurred: “I have not spoken to the president. I have not spoken to anybody who speaks to the president about Sean Combs.”
O’Day offered her own analysis of why she believes President Trump wouldn’t issue such a pardon.
I think the only reason, in my opinion, that the president would pardon ‘Diddy’ is if it worked well for him in midterms, in regards to gathering a certain voting base. The moves are always strategic, and the moves right now are about midterms.
Moving Forward
O’Day’s story illustrates the complex terrain survivors navigate when processing trauma—particularly when memories remain fragmented or absent entirely.
Her willingness to speak publicly despite not having definitive answers demonstrates courage and a commitment to contributing to broader conversations about accountability in entertainment.
Rather than seeking closure through Combs’ acknowledgment or apology, she’s building her own path forward focused on advocacy, support for others, and living authentically in her purpose.