Diddy Joke at Awards Show Draws Backlash: Jack Whitehall’s BRIT Awards Controversy, Explained

Jack Whitehall is coming under fire for a joke he made during the Brit Awards about disgraced music mogul, Sean “Diddy” Combs. The comedian, 36, was host of the biggest night in British music for the fifth time on March 1 as the awards got underway at London’s O2 Arena.

It was a lot of material to base his monologue. Sabrina Carpenter opened the show with a controversial performance, Danny Dyer was spotted next to a ‘horse’ and Charli XCX called out the network ITV for “complaining about her nipples.”

During his opening bit, Whitehall joked: “ITV has had so many of its presenters cancelled this year they’ve had to come crawling back to an ex. And what an honour it is to be hosting again the biggest night in British music.” He later made a joke about the Bad Boy Records after Jade Thirlwall’s performance on stage, where she sang “Angel Of My Dreams.”

Thirlwall initially donned a bridal gown, before she then reemerged in a white fluffy coat and a blonde wig. Her dancers were also dressed in white, leading Whitehall to make a joke about Diddy’s infamous parties and pure dress code at his former Hampton estate.

“They’re on their feet! Look at them! That was amazing! Jade everyone, wow. I’ve got goosebumps right now,” he said. “Also, I love that she went for that aesthetic. I really thought Diddy might have done it for the White Party theme. Jade has brought it back.”

Diddy hosted a White Party annually with the biggest influencers in Hollywood, business and politics in attendance beginning in 1998. Some sadistic reports of sexual acts, abuse, and drugs that allegedly took place at these parties have been brought front and center amid his sex trafficking and racketeering case. 

The case was sparked after his ex-girlfriend, singer Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, filed a $30 million lawsuit against him in November 2023 accusing him of rape, grooming, physical abuse, and forcing her in sexual escapades fantasies he dubbed “freak offs” with male escorts while in a drug induced states.

He denied such but settled the lawsuit within 24 hours. Since then, more than a dozen similar lawsuits have been filed. A hotel surveillance video leaked in May 2024 showed Diddy chasing, beating, and berating Cassie after an alleged freak off she detailed in the lawsuit. He issued an apology for his behavior on social media, attributing it to his depression and drug use at the time.