Claim That Diddy Has Secret Tunnels Under His Home Debunked

The tunnel story seems to have begun with a fabricated screenshot on social media.

By Michael Hein

The allegations against Sean Combs – a.k.a. Diddy – are shocking, but at least one claim has been debunked. Reports that the rapper's home had a secret underground tunnel leading to the Playboy Mansion are not true, according to reports by Reuters and Snopes. This sensational aspect of the story is still circulating on social media, but it has been definitively disproven.

Combs is currently in jail after a federal indictment for sex trafficking and racketeering, while over 100 lawsuits for sexual abuse are in the works as well. Three of his homes around the U.S. were raided by the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year, and some of the findings that have come out have taken comment sections by storm. However, the persistent claim that Combs had secret underground tunnels constructed beneath his home in Los Angeles – and that they connected to other places – is not true.

This rumor was kickstarted by a convincing but completely fake screenshot of a CNN TV broadcast that circulated back in March when Combs' homes were searched. It said: "Underground tunnels found at Diddy's L.A. home," but reporters from Reuters were able to determine that the graphic was fake. It never aired on CNN, and there is no evidence that there are secret underground tunnels at Combs' home.

One small facet of the story that has muddled the narrative is Combs' swimming pool. The luxurious pool reportedly features an underground swimming tunnel which leads to enclosed grotto. This has been confirmed in various real estate listings tracked down by Snopes, meaning it is not a secret and was not built for nefarious purposes.

Commenters seem to have drawn the connection to the Playboy Mansion here as well. That property infamously has a "Grotto" where partygoers can meet in seclusion, but it is unrelated to Combs' property. If anything, it is simply a sign of shared architectural sensibilities. Combs' home is in the Holmby Hill neighborhood not far from the Playboy Mansion, but the two structures are not secretly connected.

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Evidence against the tunnels has piled up, though it is not flashy. Reporters simply compiled photos and videos of the property, reports from law enforcement searches, construction records and so on. On the other hand, there is no evidence for the existence of the tunnel now that we know the CNN chiron was fabricated.

Even without this salacious detail, the case against Combs is shocking – and it's important to stick to the facts for the sake of his alleged victims. The rapper is accused of human trafficking, including the coercion of underage people, and of many assaults himself. Combs was denied bail and is currently in custody, with multiple cases against him building at the same time.

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