Donell Rawlings Reveals the Story Behind Viral Photo with Diddy

Donell Rawlings provided a hilarious, lengthy and somehow complex answer to an interview question about a viral photo of himself with a number of celebrities at an event with Diddy years ago.

On Wednesday (January 15), Rawlings appeared in a new episode of Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay Podcast, which is where the explosive conversation occurred.

The nearly 15-minute exchange was kicked off after Sharpe pressed the comedian and actor about a throwback photo in which he appears to be sitting between the legs of Diddy, who has Simmons and Dave Chappelle under each arm as other celebrities such as French Montana surround them in a group.

While the image sparked plenty of chatter online, Rawlings took the opportunity to explain the backstory with his signature humor, and ended up sharing a candid story about his experience at one of Diddy’s parties.

“I ain’t even know he was back there,” Rawlings joked. “I photobombed and I was in an awkward position. You don’t got to say between the man’s legs. You got the wrong wordplay. I photobombed and was in a situation where people perceived to be very suspect. Or as the kids say, ‘sus’.”

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Rawlings then trolled himself and the situation as Sharpe pressed him on why he was positioned between Diddy’s legs, saying, “You know how I knew I was f##### up, because Diddy looked at me like, ‘Damn, somebody get this n*gga off the boat.”

The viral photo, however, took on a different life in the wake of allegations surrounding Diddy’s so-called “Freak Off” parties, events rumored to involve wild and debaucherous behavior. Rawlings, who admitted the existence of “freak offs” was quick to point out the double standards in how people view Hollywood.

“Everybody knows ‘Freak Offs’,” he said. “Everybody know Hollywood is Hollywood. I don’t understand why all these muthafuckas act like, ‘Oh my God, they had a mansion party and they had cocaine and all these orgies drugs and stuff.”

He continued by noting that the backlash to the photo felt exaggerated given the context and its circulation a decade after it was taken.

“I’ll tell you. It’s a photo that’s gone viral that 10 years ago,” he said. “That would have been a photo that had been iconic and people to wish they was in that picture. It wasn’t until after the ‘Freak Off’ s### that now the picture looks suspect. But you look at that picture. Shannon, you see it different for me. What I saw in that picture. First off, I saw eight successful Black men.”

Rawlings went on to described the gathering as a family-friendly event hosted by Diddy during the holidays. He emphasized that his son was present, as were Dave Chappelle’s kids and even Diddy’s late partner, Kim Porter.

“It was just a vibe,” Rawlings said. “We had dinner, we exchanged good energy, and that’s what it was for me. Nothing more, nothing less.”