Fact check: Did Kamala Harris ever pose with Sean 'Diddy' Combs as shown in resurfaced viral photo?
WASHINGTON, DC: Recently, a user on social media shared an image purporting to show a younger Vice President Kamala Harris at a gathering with rapper and hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, who was arrested on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering on September 17.
Bail for Sean "Diddy" Combs was denied on Wednesday, September 18, leaving the rapper and mogul in custody as he awaits his trial.
The photo was first shared on X, quickly going viral and surprising many who learned that Harris was once seen as a party-goer alongside Combs.
Claims of Kamala Harris posing with Sean 'Diddy' Combs debunked as digital manipulation
Meanwhile, many social media users have been trying to verify the sensational claim about Kamala Harris and Sean "Diddy" Combs.
The photograph, shared on X and Facebook, features Kamala Harris posing with a man and a woman at an event. Numerous users on X have claimed that the man in the image is Sean "Diddy" Combs alongside Harris.
Never forget how Kamala Harris got her start. She isn’t a stranger to Diddy parties in L.A. either.
— Ape𝕏 (@CubanOnlyTrump) September 17, 2024
P Diddy has been arrested. pic.twitter.com/QEaqD7FJzY
Nevertheless, the claim holds no truth. The photograph was digitally manipulated to include Combs' face, and it has been confirmed as a fabrication.
In reality, the person next to Kamala Harris was Montel Williams, a prominent actor and television host. The image was manipulated to superimpose Combs' face over Williams'.
The fact-checking website Snopes has investigated the rumors regarding Harris and Williams, confirming that the photographs in question were indeed taken at the same event in 2001.
Kamala Harris attended the 2001 Race to Erase MS Benefit event with Montel Williams
Kamala Harris and Montel Williams attended a red-carpet event in 2001 with the TV host's daughter, Ashley Williams. The newsmagazine TV program 'Inside Edition' uploaded the archival footage to YouTube in November 2020.
The caption of a Getty Images photograph from the event states that it was the Eighth Annual Race to Erase Multiple Sclerosis Benefit, which took place at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, California.
Snopes has previously addressed rumors concerning the relationship between Harris and Williams, including the verification of photographs from a 2001 event.
In 2020, Williams commented on his past with Harris, saying, "Kamala Harris and I briefly dated about 20 years ago when we were both single. So what? I have great respect for Sen. Harris. I have to wonder if the same stories about her dating history would have been written if she were a male candidate?"
