Sean “Diddy” Combs shot the music video in a now-abandoned Hollywood Hills mansion that had been taken over by squatters and graffiti artists, who upon learning of the production, spray-painted “Diddy Was Here” on the roof.
Combs used several parts of the luxury home as the backdrop for the 2007 song, including a great room, a spiral staircase, and an outdoor area near the pool. “last night” Featuring Keyshia Cole.
Mary K. Blige has lived in the mansion in the past, as have several “high-level business people.” One of the neighbors, Jack He told KABC.
“I'm sure this has been where some influential people have lived for years. It's a really nice house – big,” the neighbour added.
“The longer they let it go, the more people will come and continue to do what they're doing,” Jack said. “The neighborhood needs security, especially this house. Two guards…it's not that expensive. Let's keep the neighborhood safe.”
Combs was arrested by federal agents on suspicion of sex trafficking, extortion and transportation for prostitution and is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
The rapper was placed on suicide watch in prison as a “precautionary measure.”
The abandoned mansion at 7571 Mulholland Drive in the upscale Hollywood Hills neighborhood has been owned by John Powers Middleton since 2012.
Middleton, the only son of businessman and Philadelphia Phillies owner John S. Middleton, received an exclusion order from the city of Los Angeles two years after purchasing the property.
According to KABC, Middleton owns a second property in Los Angeles, but it has also become overrun with squatters and graffiti artists.
Squatters and graffiti artists have been encroaching on the land for over two years.
The uninvited guests have become a headache and a safety threat to neighbors, who call the house unsightly, with graffiti and “tags” covering its exterior.
Residents who live near the Hollywood Hills homes are outraged, saying it's no longer safe to live near the properties.
One homeowner was attacked by a vagrant armed with “rebar and beer bottles.” WPVI reported.
Some argue that graffiti artists are beginning to expand their activities to other locations.
The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety declared the building a nuisance property and issued an exclusion order in October 2022 forcing the owner to install a fence and make the building safe. NBCLA reported.
Middleton did not comply with the order, so the city ended up installing a fence instead.
The home is in foreclosure and Middleton has been behind on his property taxes for several years.
Squatters and graffiti artists have broken into the six-bedroom, 9,707-square-foot home. The Middleton mansion has a pool and is estimated to be worth $6.53 million, according to the listing.
Most of the windows are broken and the exterior walls and roof of the house are covered in graffiti.
Private security guards are stationed at the house around the clock to keep squatters and graffiti artists away.
Los Angeles police were called to the building six times in September and picked up 10 people on Wednesday, including one person arrested on a warrant, KABC reported.
