Howard University announced on Friday that it has rescinded the honorary degree awarded to Sean Combs, also known as Diddy, following a unanimous decision by the Board of Trustees.
This action was prompted by a recently surfaced video that the university found to be fundamentally at odds with its values.
A spokesperson for the Board of Trustees stated, “The Howard University Board of Trustees voted unanimously today to accept the return by Mr. Sean Combs of the honorary degree conferred upon him in 2014.
This acceptance revokes all honors and privileges associated with the degree.
Accordingly, the Board has directed that his name be removed from all documents listing honorary degree recipients of Howard University.”
On Sunday, Sean “Diddy” Combs posted an apology on Instagram after a video from 2016 emerged, allegedly showing him assaulting his ex-girlfriend.
The decision by the university follows a Rolling Stone article detailing accusations that Combs had abused a girlfriend on campus in the late 1980s.
According to the article, Combs was seen shouting aggressively and hitting the woman with what appeared to be a belt.
Howard University stressed its strong opposition to all forms of interpersonal violence.
Additionally, the Board has ordered the cancellation of a 2016 gift agreement with Combs, the discontinuation of the scholarship program named after him, the return of his $1 million donation, and the termination of a 2023 pledge agreement with the Sean Combs Foundation.
The statement clarified that no payments had been made under the $1 million pledge, so no funds are due to be returned.
Combs, a former student who attended Howard University for two years before leaving in 1990, received the honorary doctorate and was the commencement speaker in 2014.
In 2016, he announced a $1 million donation to establish a scholarship fund for undergraduate business majors in need of financial aid, which included internships and mentoring opportunities through Combs Enterprises.
Howard University and the Board of Trustees have declined to comment further on the matter.
