Live! With Kelly and Mark aired reruns this week due to Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos taking some time off for a vacation, and one of the shows featured Ripa asking for an invite to Sean “Diddy” Combs’ yacht.
“Next time you go on Puff’s boat, we’d like to!” Ripa, 53, replied to guest Mary J. Blige after she mentioned Combs’ yacht in the episode that re-aired on Tuesday, April 2, per Page Six.
The publication also reported that the rerun had been available on YouTube until they reached out to Live! producers about the clip. It has since been removed from the site.
On March 25, federal agents raided Combs’ mansions in Miami, Florida, and Los Angeles, California, which caused a whirlwind of media coverage focusing on the Bad Boy Records founder. The raids were part of a federal inquiry. The following day, Combs’ attorney, Aaron Dyer, released a statement strongly condemning the level of force used by agents in the event, as well as adamantly denying the claims.
“Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences,” Dyer’s statement read. “There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated. Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities.”
He continued, “Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way. This unprecedented ambush – paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence – leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits. There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”
The raids followed a string of allegations made against the “All About the Benjamins” rapper. In February, Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones filed a lawsuit against Combs, claiming the “Coming Home” artist sexually assaulted him.
Combs’ lawyer released a statement maintaining Combs’ innocence.
“Mr. Jones is nothing more than a con man, shamelessly looking for an easy and wholly undeserved payday. We have indisputable, incontrovertible proof that his claims are complete fabrications,” the statement said. “Our attempts to share this proof with Mr. Jones’ attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, have been ignored, as Mr. Blackburn has refused to return our calls. We look forward to addressing these ridiculous claims in court, and intend to take all appropriate action against all who are attempting to peddle them.”
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