During Tuesday‘s live broadcast of The View, cohost Sara Haines sparked an audible reaction from the in-studio audience after making a controversial joke about rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The comment came during the show’s “Hot Topics” segment, which opened with a discussion about Combs’ ongoing criminal case. Combs is currently facing serious federal charges, including sex trafficking, interstate transportation for the purpose of prostitution, and coercion. He has pleaded not guilty following his arrest in Manhattan in September.
Conservative cohost Alyssa Farah Griffin commented on the situation, stating, “The Diddy case is one where we’ve seen some of these celebrity causes where there’s two sides to this. There’s not really two sides to Diddy.” She acknowledged, however, that the case is ongoing and it remains uncertain whether Combs will be convicted.
Griffin also mentioned rapper 50 Cent, who reportedly suggested he might contact former President Donald Trump about Combs’ case. She pointed out that although 50 Cent hasn’t endorsed Trump publicly or performed for him, he has long criticized Combs. “He’s been all on Diddy’s things for years and been calling him out for it,” she said, referencing 50 Cent’s own statement to PEOPLE in October 2024, where he claimed to have been vocal about Combs “for 10 years.”
It was during this exchange that Haines made her joke. After a short pause, she said, “Everyone’s been on Diddy’s…” before stopping herself. The incomplete sentence led to groans from the audience due to its suggestive nature.
Entertainment Weekly has contacted representatives for both Haines and 50 Cent for comment.
Combs’ trial began on May 5 and has already included emotional testimony from his ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura. Ventura appeared in court after a video surfaced showing Combs assaulting her in a hotel. Combs later called the footage “inexcusable” when it first circulated last year.
Panelist Sunny Hostin, a former federal prosecutor, said she attended the trial early on. Speaking on the show, she described seeing a different version of Combs in court. “Sean Combs is not the person that we used to see out there,” Hostin said. “He looks very much like a defeated mogul.”
The View airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT on ABC.
