FACT CHECK: Viral X Video Shows Kamala Harris With Montel Williams, Not P. Diddy
A viral video shared on X claims to show 2024 Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris with rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Never forget how Kamala Harris got her start. She isn’t a stranger to Diddy parties in L.A. either.
P Diddy has been arrested. pic.twitter.com/QEaqD7FJzY
— Ape𝕏 (@CubanOnlyTrump) September 17, 2024
Verdict: False
The video, shared on YouTube by Inside Edition, shows Harris with former daytime talk show host and actor Montel Williams. Harris and Williams, who dated in 2001, appear at the video’s 0:42-second mark.
Fact Check:
A recent Fox News poll places Harris ahead of 2024 Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump at 50% to 48%, the outlet reported. The data shows a shift from last month, when Trump was ahead by one point, according to the outlet.
The X video, viewed 49,000 times as of writing, claims to show Harris with Combs. In the video, Harris and another woman can be seen posing for a photo with a black male at a public event.
“Never forget how Kamala Harris got her start. She isn’t a stranger to Diddy parties in L.A. either. P Diddy has been arrested,” the video’s caption reads. An on-screen label for the TV show “Inside Edition” is visible in the bottom left corner of the clip.
The claim is false. Check Your Fact conducted a keyword search using the terms “Kamala Harris” and “Inside Edition,” which led us to the original video shared on YouTube. Harris and another woman can be seen posing for a photo with Williams at the video’s 0:42-second mark. The video’s timestamp recalls how Harris and Williams dated in 2001.
“In 2001, talk show host Montel Williams introduced her to the paparazzi at a red carpet event they attended together. Now the whole world knows who she is,” the video’s description reads in part.
Likewise, the claim does not appear to be referenced on Harris’ 2024 campaign website or her verified social media accounts. Additionally, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. In fact, the opposite is true. On Sept. 18, Snopes reported the claim was false. The outlet also noted the claim previously circulated on X in July 2024.
Furthermore, according to the Daily Beast, Williams called out a social media account that shared the clip and misidentified him as Combs. “Here they go again with ‘All black people look alike,'” Williams wrote, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Did Howard University Professors Label Kamala Harris As The ‘Worst Student Ever?’)
Combs was recently arrested on racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, CNN reported.
Check Your Fact has contacted a Harris spokesperson for comment.