Aubrey O’Day Says Major Artists Offered Her Money and Career Deals for Sex

Former Danity Kane singer Aubrey O’Day says she was offered large sums of money for sex by well-known recording artists while she was trying to build her career in the music industry.

O’Day made the allegations during a recent appearance on the Creators Inc. podcast. She said the music business had “gatekeepers” who, in her experience, controlled who could become successful and claimed that some people used sexual favors as part of career opportunities.

“Some of the gatekeepers played dirty, and you had to f--- for tracks,” O’Day alleged. She said she believes some of those individuals should still face federal investigation following Sean “Diddy” Combs’ criminal case and prison sentence.

O’Day described what she called a widespread culture of “pay-for-play,” saying she knew women who became successful through such arrangements.

She also alleged that one “very huge star,” whom she did not identify, offered her $50,000 for sex and promised to appear on her first single, sign her to his record label and help produce the song.

According to O’Day, another recording artist who is currently on tour offered her approximately $150,000 for sex. She said she turned down both offers.

“I would take neither of that,” O’Day said, describing the situation as “f---ing nuts.” She added that she received similar calls from other rappers.

O’Day says she was blacklisted

O’Day also claimed that her outspoken comments about the music industry contributed to her being “blacklisted.”

She has been a vocal critic of Combs, particularly following the release of a 2016 surveillance video showing Combs assaulting his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, in a hotel.

After Combs later issued a public apology for his behavior, O’Day criticized his response on X.

“Diddy did not apologize to Cassie,” she wrote. “He apologized to the world for seeing what he did.”

O’Day did not identify the artists she says made the alleged offers. The claims have not been independently verified.

From Making the Band to Danity Kane

O’Day became widely known after appearing on MTV’s Making the Band, the reality competition created by Combs to form a new pop group.

She was one of the women selected for Danity Kane, alongside Aundrea Fimbres, D. Woods, Shannon Bex and Dawn Richard. The group signed with Combs’ Bad Boy Records and went on to score hits including “Damaged” and “Show Stopper.”

Danity Kane initially broke up in 2009. Three members later reunited for the 2014 album DK3, followed by several individual releases in subsequent years.

O’Day has also appeared on reality shows including The Celebrity Apprentice and Dance Moms. She and former Danity Kane member Shannon Bex later formed the pop duo Dumblonde and released two albums.

Her latest allegations add to her long-running criticism of the entertainment industry and raise further questions about the power dynamics faced by young performers trying to establish themselves in music.