Jimmy Kimmel has reminded Donald Trump of the glowing comments he previously made about Sean “Diddy” Combs, who was arrested by federal agents in New York on Monday following months of civil lawsuits accusing him of sex trafficking, sexual abuse and rape.
After the judge denied the rapper bail on Tuesday, the Jimmy Kimmel Live host said: “in the meantime, he’s getting his character referenes lined up.”
Kimmel then played a clip from Trump’s days hosting The Celebrity Apprentice (a spin-off of his original show The Apprentice), showing viewers then-contestant Aubrey O’Day explaining to the business mogul that she was “a very strict and focused businesswoman because working for Diddy for six years trained me to have to be perfect.”
“Working for Diddy?” Trump interjected.
“Absolutely,” O’Day said.
“I love Diddy. You know he’s a good friend of mine, he’s a good guy,” Trump responded. “Is he a good guy?”
O’Day briefly looked to the side before sheepishly replying, “I don’t want to answer that question.”
“Oh well I think he’s a good guy, I’m gonna stick up for him,” the former president said.
“To be fair he also thinks Kim Jong-Un is a good guy,” Kimmel cracked. “Only the best people.”
The Independent has contacted Trump’s spokesperson for comment.
The then-27-year-old O’Day was on the fifth season of the reality show for 14 weeks in 2012 before she was fired, and had been a member of Diddy’s Danity Kane girl group.
Appearing on the Call her Daddy podcast in 2022, she claimed to have been kicked out of the group in 2008 for refusing to fulfill non-music requests for the rapper.
She is now one of several people who have filed civil lawsuits against the musician.
The singer and TV personality said she feels “validated” by Diddy’s arrest, posting to X on Tuesday: “The purpose of Justice is to provide an ending and allow us the space to create a new chapter.”
“Women never get this,” she continued. “I feel validated. Today is a win for women all over the world, not just me. Things are finally changing.”
Diddy pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering and sex trafficking on Tuesday afternoon, and is expected to appear in court again on Wednesday following an appeal to the decision from his lawyer, Marc Agnifilo.
Federal agents claimed to have found more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant after raiding Diddy’s home in March – products he allegedly used in so-called “Freak Offs” for forced sexual acts.
“They won’t be able to keep him behind bars, he’s just gonna slip right out,” Kimmel said in amazement. “What a trip to CVS that is.”