Diddy is facing numerous federal charges and many celebrities are fearing reprisal

Sean “Diddy” Combs is in serious trouble. The hip-hop mogul has been hit with numerous sexual assault lawsuits in addition to a three-count indictment that alleges racketeering and sex trafficking over a lengthy period. Diddy’s now-infamous “Freak Off” sex parties — and acts affiliated with them — have threatened to ensnare musicians and celebrities, such as Beyonce and Chris Brown.

But recently-resurfaced footage could be bad news for Taylor Swift, arguably the most famous musician on the planet. As Swift wraps up her globe-spanning, immensely-profitable “Eras Tour” in the coming weeks, a fresh controversy is ramping up as Diddy’s legal quagmire gets ever deeper.

Swift spoke fondly of “prom date” Diddy in 2011

During an appearance on “Rachael Ray” in 2011 — shortly after the release of her third studio album “Speak Now” — Swift declared Diddy to be among her “dream prom dates” as part of a segment in which she was presented several options, including Bono and Justin Timberlake.

“Diddy’s really always been very nice to me,” a 21-year-old Swift told Ray during the “Swift Decision” segment. Ray responded, “He’s a gentleman, isn’t he? He’s a lovely gentleman.”

Commenters and Swifties on TikTok — where the resurfaced clip was posted — were quick to declare that the segment had “aged like milk” given the breadth of charges facing Diddy, who is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Many commenters speculated that the nature of Diddy’s relationship with the “Love Story” singer wasn’t much more complicated than saying “hi” and “bye”, that Swift could have no way of knowing what the “I’ll Be Missing You” rapper was allegedly up to behind the scenes.

Still, being linked even tangentially with Combs cannot be a welcome distraction for Swift, and one she is likely to ignore. Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, could soon be engaged amid persistent marriage rumors. And in the meantime, the “Cruel Summer” songwriter has 13 more shows to run, the majority of which will be in Canada. The final Eras Tour show in the United States is at Indianapolis‘ Lucas Oil Stadium on Nov. 3.