Fact Check: Are the viral photos of Taylor Swift with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs real?

After Diddy's arrest, social media has been flooded with resurfaced photos of the rap mogul with many celebrities, Taylor Swift being the latest
PUBLISHED OCT 4, 2024
Photos of Taylor Swift with Sean 'Diddy' Combs were widely shared on social media after the embattled rapper's arrest (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for MTV, Getty Images)
Photos of Taylor Swift with Sean 'Diddy' Combs were widely shared on social media after the embattled rapper's arrest (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for MTV, Getty Images)

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Following the arrest of Sean 'Diddy' Combs on September 16, social media has been flooded with resurfaced images and videos of the disgraced rapper with celebrities from entertainment to politics.

Pop star Taylor Swift was also dragged into the trend after photos of her posing with Diddy went viral online.

Photos of Taylor Swift with Sean 'Diddy' Combs explodes Internet



 

Two photos of Taylor Swift with Sean 'Diddy' Combs resurfaced online in late September, days after the rapper's arrest.

One photo posted on X (formerly Twitter) by a user showed the 'Bad Blood singer engaged in a conversation with the embattled Diddy. Swift was dressed in a sequined dress, and the music mogul was in a black suit, which appeared to be from an award function.

In a second image that went viral on X, Diddy, holding an award, was seen posing with the pop sensation.

VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA - APRIL 27: Diddy performs onstage at SOMETHING IN THE WATER - Day 2 on Apr
Sean 'Diddy' Combs was arrested on serious charges on September 16 (Getty Images)

The rap mogul was arrested at  Park Hyatt Hotel in Midtown, New York City, last month over trafficking and racketeering charges, and he currently serves jail time at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn until trial.

Taylor Swift's photos with Sean 'Diddy' Combs are real

A fact check by Snopes confirmed the authenticity behind the photos of Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Taylor Swift.

TinEye and Google reverse-image searches revealed that the images have been circulating online since late 2009 and early 2010, appearing on platforms like Facebook and X.

In addition, the photographs under question are also available on Getty Images, confirming those are legit and not photoshopped.

The first image was from 2009, when both attended the MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on September 13, 2009, in New York City. It was captured by Christopher Polk for Getty Images.

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 13: Sean
Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in September 2009, in New York City (Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

The second image is from a year ago. Getty Images photographer Catherine Powell snapped Swift and Diddy at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards at Prudential Center in  Newark, New Jersey, held on September 12, 2023.

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 12: Diddy and Taylor Swift pose during the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards at Prudential Center on September 12, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Catherine Powell/Getty Images for MTV)
Taylor Swift with Sean 'Diddy' Combs at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards at Prudential Center in New Jersey in September 2023 (Catherine Powell/Getty Images for MTV)

Taylor Swift is latest celebrity to get dragged into Sean 'Diddy' Combs controversy

The authenticity of the two images confirms Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Taylor Swift are acquaintances since they are contemporaries in the current music industry.

Notably, the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards became infamous in Swift's career after Kanye West interrupted her acceptance speech for Best Female Video for 'You Belong with Me.'

At the time, the rap mogul was already an established figure in the industry. Nevertheless, as of now, there are no reports of any professional collaborations between the two.

Swift is not the only celebrity to be scrutinized for her connection with Diddy after his arrest. Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Barack Obama faced backlash on social media after their past links with the now-jailed rapper resurfaced.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at the Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote Presidential Town Hall at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on July 13, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Harris continues campaigning ahead of the presidential election as Democrats face doubts about President Biden's fitness in his run for re-election against former President Donald Trump. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
Vice President Kamala Harris drew flak over her 2020 social media post praising Sean 'Diddy' Combs (Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)

Harris, in 2020, shared an appreciation post after Diddy hosted a town hall for the Black community to draw focus on the impact of Covid-19.

Obama was spotted with Diddy in a 2004 video, praising the rapper's efforts on voter outreach while the latter was running for Senate.

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