Minister Robert Edwards is going viral, and not for his inspirational words. The Oakwood University vice president’s reference to accused sex trafficker Sean “Diddy” Combs while addressing the institution’s student body has created an uproar online.
On Oct. 3, Edwards delivered a Diddy-inspired message about remaining abstinent until marriage during a chapel service at his Huntsville, Alabama, alma mater. The program streamed live on YouTube.
Around the 1:22:00 mark in the video, Edwards says, “Speaking to the Oakwood Live students now, I know you’re trying to make a decision. Even while you are here you may have to say ‘no Diddy’ to an Oakwood student.”
The Seventh-day Adventist leader’s advice to avoid premarital intercourse drew applause from the crowd. He then spoke about promising God at the age of 19 to remain celibate until marriage.
“I had to say ‘no Diddy.’ The first time I ever had sex was the night I got married. No, let me share something with you. I also told the Lord, ‘I’m not fluffing her like she’s a pillow. I ain’t squeezing Charmin tissue.’”
Edwards is married to school administrator Dr. Denise Henderson Edwards. The two have two adult daughters and three grandchildren.
The phrase “no Diddy” became a meme in late 2023 and early 2024 after several lawsuits accusing the Bad Boy Entertainment founder of sexual misconduct and physical abuse became public.
It is often used as a replacement for the slang expressions “no homo” or “pause,” which are used to clarify that the speaker did not intentionally make a homoerotic double entendre.
While Edwards’ quotes spread across the internet, he was actually calling back to Dr. MyRon Edmonds’ “chapel message” from earlier in the worship service. The self-described spiritual strategist’s sermon centered around his issues with young people sexualizing conversations.
“Well, now it’s evolved from ‘pause’ to ‘no Diddy.’ Y’all know I was going there today. Look at your neighbor and say, ‘No Diddy.’ You know what? That’s the title of my talk today. Yes, it is. The title of my talk today is ‘No Diddy,’” Edmonds told the attendees.
Several social media accounts, including Spiritual World, reposted the video of Edwards’ “no Diddy” reference during the benediction portion of the Oakwood Live service.
“Unc not even using it in the right context,” one person wrote in the outlet’s comment section An even harsher comment read, “That was corny and not relatable, sir.”
Someone else joked, “Yeah I’ll continue to read my bible in the privacy of my own home.”
However, a few were concerned with the way Edwards presented his message by using a pop culture reference. “I miss when church was church… now everything for money and jokes. Sad times,” said one person.
Another said, “I keep seeing pastors bring ‘the world’ into the church instead of church to the world.” One final observers said, “I’m so embarrassed.”
Allegations of sexual and physical abuse against Sean “Diddy” Combs became a legal issue after his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura filed an Adult Survivors Act lawsuit against Combs in New York on Nov. 16, 2023.
Combs and Ventura reached an undisclosed settlement on Nov. 17. Additional lawsuits from various women and men also accused Diddy of sexual assault, gang rape, false imprisonment, emotional distress, and more.
Initially, Diddy denied any wrongdoing. He claimed in a Dec. 6-dated social media post that the accusers were trying to assassinate his character, destroy his legacy, and receive a “quick payday.”
In May 2024, CNN released surveillance footage of Combs physically assaulting Cassie Ventura inside a Los Angeles hotel on March 5, 2016. The violent footage forced the 54-year-old Harlem native to release an apology video, but he did not mention Cassie by name.
Diddy’s legal fight went from civil cases to a criminal case once the Southern District of New York indicted the “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down” rapper for racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution on Sept. 17.
He pleaded not guilty to all three federal charges and maintains his innocence. The father of six is reportedly being detained without bond in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York.
“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Diddy’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said in a statement to E! News.
