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Rapper and music mogul Diddy was a pillar of the music scene throughout the 2000s. He worked with some of the eras biggest artists, including Usher, Mary J Blige and JLo. And his ‘white parties’ were known across the A-list as the event of the year. Held each year between 1998 and 2009, initially in the Hamptons before moving to other exclusive locales, Diddy’s white parties attracted a glittering, fame hungry crowd. However, as Diddy now sits under arrest in New York on federal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, facing a slew of further civil lawsuits alleging various forms of abuse, some are reviewing the glitz and glamour of the mogul’s famous white parties.
Here, we answer all your questions about Diddy’s white parties—from celebrity guests to what happened inside.
What Were Diddy’s White Parties?
Defined by its strict dress code, Diddy’s White Party demanded guests dress in all-white, with party décor also fitting the white theme. Diddy would later tell Oprah Winfrey in 2006 that this was to “strip away everyone’s image and put us all in the same colour, and on the same level.”
Famed for the mixed guest list of old-money New Yorkers with Hamptons homes and members of Diddy’s music circles, Diddy once described the parties as “breaking down racial barriers, breaking down generation barriers.”
The first party took place over the Labour Day weekend in September 1998, but further iterations had events on the 4th of July and other dates over the proceeding years. Per the original tradition, Diddy’s White Party took place at the mogul’s East Hamptons home, with later iterations taking place in Beverly Hills and St Tropez in France.
How Did Diddy’s White Party Start?
The first party was held on September 7, 1998 in East Hampton, New York. Diddy reportedly invited 200 people to a BBQ at his new Hamptons home, with an eclectic mix of people in R&B and Hip Hop, actors and socialites. “I had the craziest mix [of guests]: some of my boys from Harlem, Leonardo DiCaprio after he’d just finished Titanic. I had socialites there and relatives from down south. There were 200 people sitting out here, just having a down-home cookout,” Diddy said of the first White Party.
When Was The Last White Party?
The last White Party was held on the 4th of July, 2009. It was co-hosted by Ashton Kutcher and double-billed as an event to raise awareness for the charity Malaria No More. It was held in Beverly Hills, and was attended by Kutcher and his then-wife Demi Moore, plus Khloe Kardashian, Nicole Scherzinger and more.
What Did People Say About The White Parties?
Paris Hilton once recalled, “I remember the first party he threw in the Hamptons. It was iconic and everyone was there.” Martha Stewart, who also attended the first White Party, described everyone dressed in white as a “stunning sight”.
One attendee from the music industry, Tom Swoope, said that there were ‘tiered’ levels of entry—with some guests privy to areas and activities others weren’t. After a certain hour, kids were also told to go home. In a video obtained by the Daily Mail, Diddy can be seen speaking to his White Party guests from a balcony, announcing it was time for kids to leave. “We fed you all. We gave you drinks. Now it’s time to enjoy life,” he said. “Kids have an hour left [because] this thing turns into something that when you get older, this is something y’all gonna want to come to … So let’s just start to get our groove on. Put the kids away. It’s all good.”
Which Celebrities Attended Diddy’s White Party?
Over the years, it could be said that “everyone who’s anyone” attended Diddy’s White Party in one year or another. Actors, musicians, models, socialites and more flocked to the event if they were ‘lucky’ enough to score an invite.
Aretha Franklin, Jay Z, Beyonce, Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Sarah Jessica Parker, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ashton Kutcher all reportedly attended the White Party at one point. The parties were a famously eclectic crowd, mixing celebrities and non-famous folk from the music industry and beyond. (Note: ELLE is not implying any of these celebrities were involved in criminal activity.)
Diddy’s White Party, In Pictures:
Jay Z & Diddy
AbsolutWhite Party 2003
Howard Stern, Kelly Osbourne, Beth Ostrosky, Kim Porter & Diddy
Absolut White Party 2003
Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, Diddy & Scott Storch
St Tropez White Party, 2006
Tommy Lee and Diddy
White Party 2007
Diddy, Kim Porter and their twin daughters with guests
The Real White Party, 2007
Diddy & Lil Kim
The Real White Party, 2007
Ashley Olsen
The Real White Party, 2007
Diddy & Rachel Zoe
The Real White Party, 2007
Andre Harrell, Lorraine Bracco and Jay Z
Absolut White Party, 2003
Ashanti
White Party 2004
Mariah Carey & Nick Cannon
White Party for Malaria No More, 2009
Khloe Kardashian
White Party for Malaria No More, 2009
Nicole Scherzinger
White Party for Malaria No More, 2009
Russell Brand & Diddy
White Party for Malaria No More, 2009
Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore & Diddy
White Party for Malaria No More, 2009
Mel B and Stephen Belafonte
White Party for Malaria No More, 2009
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