Emily Brown
Warning: This article contains discussion of racism and sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.
Two college students who used recent allegations against Sean 'Diddy' Combs as inspiration for their Halloween costumes are the subject of widespread criticism after the images have gone viral.
Combs is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, and is charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
In addition to the charges, Combs is also facing a series of allegations raised in numerous lawsuits, one of the most recent of which came just nine days ago, on October 20.
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The rapper is now awaiting trial, having been denied bail.
But while Combs is behind bars, some members of the public have been making light of the situation.
In a since-deleted TikTok video, one pair of students could be seen showing off their outfits as they appeared as Combs and 'Baby Oil'.
The costumes are in reference to the discovery of approximately 1,000 bottles of baby oil in Combs' homes in Miami and Los Angeles, as revealed by the Southern District of New York (SDNY) in a 14-page legal indictment.
According to the New York Post, the original video was captioned: "How the group chat dressed for Halloween."
The man who was supposed to be dressed as Combs was white, but he covered his face with a product which left him with blackface.
Alongside the makeup, the man wore a dark blazer, a red bowtie, and white sneakers.
Meanwhile, the female was dressed in a pink hat and shirt, with a sign attached to her shirt which said 'Johnson's baby', in reference to the baby oil brand.
Both the original video and the social media accounts of the person who posted the clip have since been deleted, but the video has amassed attention across the globe after being picked up and shared by other social media users.
The two students have been widely criticized, both for using blackface to create their costume, and for making light of the horrific allegations against Combs.
On Twitter, one person commented: "The blackface is disgusting. And doing this as if what Diddy is accused of is some big joke is [grimace emoji]."
Another wrote: "I just started learning about the diddy case and for them to even think of this makes me question their morals."
The two students seen in the images have not been identified, but the person who posted the photos is believed to attend San Diego State University (SDSU) in California.
In a statement to the Mail Online, a spokesperson for the university said: “Our team is working to confirm information, including the location and the names and affiliations of the individuals involved.
"We appreciate the willingness of people who have come forward to share information with the university. The use of blackface and any actions making light of sexual assault are deeply offensive and have no place in a respectful, caring community.”
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Racial Equity Support Line on 503-575-3764, available weekdays from 10am to 7pm PT. Or via the Lines for Life Equity Team at [email protected].
You can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org