Content creator Armon Wiggins has issued an apology after a video surfaced showing him dancing shirtless and having baby oil sprayed on him outside the courthouse following the Diddy trial decision.
During an interview on the Mail’s The Trial of Diddy podcast, Wiggins, who describes himself as an ‘independent media personality,’ clarified that his actions were not meant to show support for the disgraced rap mogul.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, aged 55, was found guilty on Wednesday of two charges related to transportation for prostitution but was cleared of charges involving sex trafficking and racketeering.
Wiggins told podcast host Kayla Brantley that he was ‘misrepresented by the media’, adding that fans of his reporting know he believes Diddy was fortunate to escape the most serious charges.
‘In reporting the case, I was trying to take a very eerie, grim situation and turn it into something digestible for people’, the YouTuber argued.
‘I wasn’t making light of the victims or poking fun at them. What ended up happening on the final day was that we were just having a good time.
Diddy was convicted on Wednesday of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering
Content creator Armon Wiggins has apologised after footage showed him dancing shirtless and being sprayed with baby oil outside the courthouse following the Diddy trial verdict
The self-described ‘independent media personality’ insisted his actions were not in support of the disgraced rap mogul.
‘We had been there at the trial from start to finish – we were tired and wanted to celebrate making it to the end.
‘I was just vibing with another YouTuber, to be honest with you, and before I knew it, there was a crowd of people with television cameras and lights that circled around me.’
Wiggins claimed he didn’t profit from the viral video and said his intention was to mock Diddy, not his victims.
‘I got a lot of hate and lost followers’, he said.
‘I said to myself afterwards: I’ve got to grow up and learn to control the narrative because it was irresponsible.
‘Even if my fans knew the intent behind it, that doesn’t matter when you have 150 cameras out there in a heightened situation. You’ve got to be smarter than that.
Armon Wiggins: ‘How many bottles of baby oil does one person need?’ Listen here
‘The amount of baby oil involved in the trial became ridiculous. You can’t even say baby oil now without laughing. Really, I was making fun of Diddy – he came across as crazy.
‘How many bottles of baby oil does one person need?
‘In hindsight, I regret it for the simple fact that people were hurting, and it taught me never to be above reproach.
‘If you make a mistake, you have to be humble enough to say, I didn’t mean that and I apologise.’
Despite his apology, Wiggins shared his belief that traditional media wanted a reason to target him.
He argued that the press feels intimidated by the ‘realness and relatability’ of creators like him, who can deliver news in a more entertaining way.
‘A lot of the press didn’t think we deserved to be there’, Wiggins told the podcast.
‘It was so easy for them to slap a headline on me – they knew who I was. The story about me came from them.
‘Us YouTubers had to fight for respect – because the journalists went to school and have got all these degrees.
‘News doesn’t travel like that anymore. Traditional media is still necessary, but there’s something to be said for the people that can go out and reach their audience.
‘There’s a rawness, a realness, a relatability – they come to me to have a good time.’
To listen to the full bonus episode, search for the The Trial of Diddy now, wherever you get your podcasts.
