In October 2024, a Facebook post went viral, claiming that actress and singer Willow Smith had revealed her father, actor Will Smith, sold her to music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs. These claims were unfounded, and no evidence backed them up.
(TK Newsfeed/Facebook)
The post linked to an article by US Talk News, published the same day, Oct. 7, which offered further details on this unfounded rumor:
Willow Smith REVEALS how Will Smith SOLD her to Diddy because Diddy promised to
The rumours and allegations surrounding Will Smith and P Diddy, as well as Willow Smith's shocking claims has created a whirlwind of controversy in the entertainment industry.
Willow reportedly in the video attached accused her father facilitating a relationship with P. Diddy that went beyond professional boundaries.
She claims that her father essentially sold her to Diddy, leading to feelings of betrayal and exploitation. This has not only affected her emotionally but has raised serious questions about the dynamics of Irgun the Smith family and the ethics of those in power in the entertainment industry.
A split-screen thumbnail accompanying the post included a doctored image of 23-year-old Willow Smith and the hip-hop mogul in bed together, which fueled further speculation.
(US Talk News)
Similar claims circulated on other platforms, including YouTube and TikTok. A video shared (archived) by celebrity gossip YouTube channel Stardom Scoop in July 2024, titled, "Willow Smith REVEALS How Will Smith SOLD Her To Diddy," gained over 104,000 views, as of this writing. Other YouTube channels, such as CELEB FAME, shared similar allegations about Willow's brother, rapper and actor Jaden Smith, suggesting he was also sold by their mother, actress Jada Pinkett Smith. That video amassed more than 62,000 views, as of this writing.
In these lengthy videos, narrators referenced "deeply unsettling" "leaked footage" allegedly showing the Smith siblings in "compromising situations" with Diddy, while also admitting that "nothing has been fully confirmed."
Despite their claims, none of the videos provided any proof to substantiate these allegations. There is no evidence, legal or otherwise, to support the claims either Willow Smith or Jaden Smith revealed their parents had sold them to Diddy. Throughout these videos, neither Smith sibling is shown or heard making any such statement.
Instead, the rumor appeared to be fabricated, appearing in social media posts and clips that employed sensationalism and the blending of Diddy's real legal issues to attract comments and views across social media.
If there was even a sliver of truth to the claim — for instance, if Willow Smith had engaged in a consensual relationship with Diddy, or if there was footage of 26-year-old Jaden Smith attending one of the music producer's infamous "freak-off" parties, as many of the videos claim he did — reputable entertainment media outlets would have covered the story, published the footage, interviewed parties involved, and documented the ordeal. That had not happened, indicating the rumor was fabricated.
A disclaimer on the Star Scoop YouTube homepage read: "Videos sometimes contain information not to be considered as the truth, rather theories, rumors and information found on the internet."
The rumors began gaining traction following the March 2024 raid of Diddy's homes in Los Angeles and Miami by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, following a sex trafficking investigation that culminated in his Sept. 16 arrest in New York City on charges related to racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Regardless of the baseless nature of these rumors, the videos could seem believable because woven into the narrative are mentions of Diddy's growing legal issues, his "freak-off" parties and sex trafficking allegations. With that mixture of true and misleading information, as well as emotionally charged language, such videos with celebrity rumors often generate hundreds, or thousands, of comments from YouTube users. Some of those messages indicate people interpreted the videos as real news.
This was not the first misleading rumor related to the Smith family that captured social media users' attention. We previously debunked a death hoax involving Jaden Smith, and the false claim Willow Smith "bashed" her mother for "humiliating" her father.