Accusations levied against Garth Brooks last week were only the latest in a string of major claims to rock the music industry after Sean 'Diddy' Combs' arrest on sex crimes charges. With dozens of lawsuits filed against Diddy in the last year, and an alleged 100+ more victims expected to file additional suits, echoes of the #MeToo movement appear to be hitting a high note in an industry that was essentially bypassed in 2017.
One recent example from a few years ago was the case of another well-known music mogul, R. Kelly, who is currently in prison,' Shapiro told Fox News Digital. The R&B artist was convicted of federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges involving sexual abuse of minors and is currently serving a 31-year sentence at a medium-security prison in North Carolina. 'For too long, victims of sexual assault have been exploited and left without a voice.
Diddy and his employees would 'intimidate, threaten, and lure female victims into Combs' orbit, often under the pretense of a romantic relationship. Combs allegedly then used force, threats of force and coercion to cause victims to engage in extended sex acts with male commercial sex workers that Combs referred to as, among other things, 'Freak Offs.
When it comes to any possible changes in the music industry to protect victims, Shapiro noted the importance of victims coming forward to speak out against alleged accusers. 'The hope is that, irrespective of the case’s outcome, the end result of these accusations will change the music industry for the better, similar to those changes that went into effect for the film industry once Harvey Weinstein was outed,' he said. 'But time, and a jury of 12, will likely have the final word.
On one hand, it's too soon to say. On the other hand, the more we learn, the less this seems like an ‘apples to apples’ comparison,' he said. 'Weinstein and other Hollywood elites were finally exposed for the 'casting couch' environment that was pervasive for decades in Hollywood. By contrast, the scope and scale of the allegations against Diddy paint a broader, perhaps darker, picture: sex trafficking, drugging party attendees, etc.