Danity Kane’s Aubrey O’Day says Diddy wanted a signed NDA in exchange for Bad Boy publishing
Diddy’s much-lauded return of Bad Boy publishing came with some strings, according to O’Day.
In early September, Diddy announced that he would be handing over the publishing rights from all music released on his label Bad Boy to the artists who performed the songs. During a recent appearance on the Only Stans podcast, Aubrey O’Day, a former member of the Bad Boy-signed pop group Danity Kane, criticized the terms of Diddy’s release, claiming that she was asked to sign an NDA in exchange for her share of Danity Kane’s publishing.
O’Day begins her comments (at 56 minutes in the video above) by describing Diddy’s move to return publishing rights as “bittersweet.” “As I’ve gotten older I”ve let go of a lot of the trauma and I’ve learned to really appreciate some of the personal, beautiful moments I’ve had with him,” acknowledging that Diddy was the first entertainment executive to provide a “platform” for her in the music industry.
However, she took exception to some of the terms that came with Diddy’s offering, including the requirement that she sign an NDA. “I have to release him for any claims or wrongdoings or actions prior to the date of the release,” O’Day said. “I have to sign an NDA that I will never disparage Puff, Bad Boy, Janice Combs, or Justin Combs Music, or EMI, or Sony ever in public.”
O’Day suggested that the amount of money she would receive from publishing — around "$800–$900", O'Day says, though the specific timeframe surrounding that sum is unclear — would pale in comparison to what she could receive from her story about her time in Danity Kane. “This is the honest-to-God agreement of what I’m being offered: a few hundred dollars to sign away my rights to ever tell the story of what I went through ever again.” According to O’Day, she and one other member of Danity Kane have not signed the contract.
Watch the full interview above via Complex. The FADER has reached out to Diddy's representative for comment. Speaking with Billboard last week, Diddy said the return of the publishing was "the right thing to do... As a businessman, there comes a time when you have to pick purpose over profit. I’m glad that I’ve seen both sides."