I was 13 and part of a girl band when I first met Diddy… I’m still haunted by the horrors that came next…

Los Angeles — Alex Chester-Iwata was only 13 years old when she met Sean “Diddy” Combs for the first time. It was 1998, and she was one-fourth of a young girl group, still navigating puberty, the pressures of the entertainment industry, and the naïve dream of pop stardom. She was bubbly, ambitious, and excited about what lay ahead. What she couldn’t have known, she says now, was how that moment would mark the beginning of a journey she describes as “a descent into a world I was never prepared for.”

For over two decades, Alex remained silent. But in recent months, following a cascade of disturbing allegations against the music mogul, the former child performer has chosen to come forward with her story. Her voice, now stronger, carries a tremor of emotion—but not of weakness. Rather, it’s the sound of a woman who says she’s finally reclaiming what was taken from her: her childhood, her safety, and her truth.

“He Was the Gatekeeper”

Alex recalls the first time she met Diddy with chilling clarity. She and her bandmates—three other teenage girls from the East Coast—had been flown to New York by a music producer with connections to Bad Boy Records. “We were so excited,” she says. “We thought this was it—our big break.”

At the time, Combs was one of the most powerful figures in music. Known for launching the careers of megastars like Mary J. Blige and The Notorious B.I.G., his reputation was both glamorous and intimidating. To the girls, he was untouchable.

“When we walked into that studio, he barely looked at us at first,” Alex says. “Then he smiled and said we were cute. I remember feeling flattered… but also a little nervous. Something about the way he looked at us didn’t feel right.”

What followed, according to Alex, was a whirlwind of studio visits, “industry parties,” and private rehearsals that she now describes as “blurring the lines between mentorship and manipulation.” There was no official contract signed, no parents present during key meetings, and no oversight.

“Adults around us either turned a blind eye or convinced us it was all part of the business,” she says. “We were told to be mature, to be sexy, to be confident—but we were children.”

The Unseen Scars

Alex doesn’t detail everything that allegedly happened during her time around Combs, but her words—and her body language—say enough. At times, she pauses mid-sentence, looking down, fingers clenched in her lap. Other moments, her eyes grow distant, as if replaying memories she’s long tried to suppress.

“There were things done, said, and expected that no 13-year-old should ever have to process,” she says. “Things that make you feel dirty even when you’ve done nothing wrong.”

She alleges that the environment she was pulled into was saturated with predatory behavior, blurred consent, and a culture of silence. “It was always this unspoken rule: if you spoke up, you lost everything,” she recalls. “So you smile, you play along, and you try to convince yourself it’s normal.”

According to Alex, she eventually left the group before anything “irrevocable” happened—but not before the psychological damage had already taken root. “I was lucky,” she says. “But I didn’t leave unscathed.”

The Aftermath

By the time she was 16, Alex had left the music industry altogether. She returned to school, tried to rebuild her sense of self, and spent much of her twenties in therapy. “For years, I couldn’t even listen to music from that era,” she says. “I’d see his face on a magazine or hear his name at a party and feel physically ill.”

She avoided speaking out publicly, afraid of being discredited or worse—forgotten. “No one wanted to believe a teenage girl over a billionaire music mogul,” she says. “And honestly, I didn’t think anyone would care.”

But as the legal cases mounted and more women began coming forward with their own accounts of abuse and coercion involving Combs, something inside her shifted. “It was like the dam broke,” she says. “I wasn’t alone anymore.”

In recent months, Combs has faced a wave of legal scrutiny, including multiple lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct, abuse, and trafficking. While Combs has denied all allegations and continues to defend his legacy, public sentiment has shifted. Several brands have dropped him. Longtime collaborators have distanced themselves. The once-untouchable king of hip-hop now finds himself under a dark, unrelenting cloud.

A Reckoning for the Industry

Alex’s story is not an isolated one. As more and more former artists—many of them women and minors at the time—speak out, a broader pattern emerges. The early 2000s music industry, often glamorized for its glitz and creativity, is being recast as a breeding ground for unchecked power and exploitation.

“It was the Wild West,” Alex says. “There were no rules. No protections. Just money, fame, and a long list of people willing to look the other way.”

She is quick to point out that not all her memories of the industry are dark. “There were kind mentors. There were great experiences. But the power imbalance was real, and the damage it caused is still being felt today.”

Why She’s Speaking Now

Asked why she’s finally sharing her story, Alex takes a long breath.

“Because I don’t want the next 13-year-old girl with a dream to walk into the same trap,” she says. “Because I carried this weight for too long. Because if one person hears my story and feels less alone, it’s worth it.”

She adds that she’s not seeking revenge or money. “I’m not here to take anyone down. I just want truth. I want healing.”

Alex has since become an advocate for child performers’ rights and is working with a nonprofit aimed at creating legal protections for minors in entertainment. “We need change. Real change. And it starts by listening—really listening—to those who were there.”

A Call to Accountability

As the industry reckons with its past, voices like Alex’s are becoming harder to ignore. The stories are messy, emotional, and sometimes hard to hear—but they are real. And in the current cultural climate, the tide of silence is shifting.

Whether or not Combs faces legal consequences for the growing number of allegations, his legacy will be forever altered by the voices of those who say they were harmed under his watch.

And for Alex Chester-Iwata, the scars may never fully fade—but speaking out, she says, is the first step toward freedom.

“Some things you never forget,” she says softly. “But now, at least, I’m not hiding anymore.”