Fact Check: Rumors Jennifer Lopez Fled the US After 'Massive Threat' from Diddy Are False

Claim:

Videos that surfaced in fall 2024 accurately reported that the FBI confirmed Jennifer Lopez had fled the country following threats from Sean "Diddy" Combs.

Rating:

In the fall of 2024, multiple videos surfaced on TikTok and YouTube alleging that actress and singer Jennifer Lopez had fled the United States due to threats from her long-ago boyfriend, music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, whom she dated from 1999–2001. These videos alleging Lopez's hasty exit from the country surfaced without any evidence to corroborate the claim. The assertion was false.

The clips began gaining traction following Diddy's Sept. 16 arrest in New York City on charges related to racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.

The false rumor stemmed from purported celebrity gossip YouTube channels, including Pop Cult, Celeb Lounge, Just In and Uncover Discovery, who posted videos along with variations of the caption, "FBI reveals Jennifer Lopez escapes the country after Diddy's threat!" and a thumbnail allegedly showing a split screen of current FBI Director Christopher Wray and Lopez boarding what looked like a private jet.

(Celeb Live/YouTube)

Several of these YouTube videos claimed Lopez's apparent retreat overseas was tied to "an alleged FBI report that's been circling on the internet," but did not provide evidence of the FBI's involvement, only speculation.

One of the YouTube videos, shared on Nov. 6, claimed that Lopez had "vanished without warning" and had "left the country, slipping away quietly with very little information about her destination."

Another video posted the same day suggested she may be "tucked away in a luxurious European villa possibly hidden along the scenic coastlines of Italy or France." The clip also claimed she had not been posting on social media or making public appearances.

One celebrity-focused YouTube channel, ScoopTvFame, even used a thumbnail accompanying the post that appeared to include a computer-generated image of Lopez allegedly dropping her suitcase and bolting away from photographers toward an airplane.

(ScoopTvFame/YouTube).

Meanwhile, posts on social media sites such as Facebook and TikTok also spread the rumor by linking to such videos.

One lengthy YouTube video by Celebrity Lifestyle & Moments received more than 100,000 views, as of this writing, since its upload on Nov. 6. Without naming a source for its information, the video's narrator said:

Rumors are exploding as reports claim Jennifer Lopez has fled the country amid the ongoing storm surrounding P. Diddy's indictment and incarceration.  Just when things looked like they couldn't get more intense, J.Lo seems to have pulled the ultimate disappearing act. She didn't just skip a few events or dodge cameras, word is she took a full-scale, one-way ticket, packed-your-bags-and-vanish kind of escape. But why such a drastic move?  Online speculation is tying her departure directly to Diddy's legal battles, with countless whispers suggesting she might be putting distance between herself and the chaos surrounding his recent indictment. Could she be protecting herself from potential fallout? Or is there something even more intense going on behind the scenes? Whatever the truth, J.Lo's sudden vanishing act is fueling even more questions about Diddy's alleged influence and the high-stakes drama that's unfolding. So hold on tight as we dive into the gripping theories surrounding J.Lo's escape amid this escalating situation.

There was no evidence to support the assertion that the FBI confirmed Lopez had fled the country following threats from Diddy. If, hypothetically speaking, there was even a sliver of truth to the claim — for instance, if Lopez had stopped posting on social media or making appearances at public events — reputable entertainment media outlets would have interviewed parties involved and documented the ordeal. That had not happened.

Rather, multiple credible sources, including Getty Images and Lopez's official Instagram, indicated the whereabouts of the singer during the period that these YouTube videos claimed she had fled the country to an unknown destination.

For instance, Lopez was filmed on the red carpet in London for the Nov. 5 screening of her film "Unstoppable."

She also showcased to her 250 million Instagram followers her trip to London Nov. 5–8, and prior to that were posts from New York City. There is also additional video evidence of Lopez on the red carpet for the Nov. 9 premiere of "Wicked" in Los Angeles, posted to Instagram Nov. 10.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCF2mSXyiXJ/?img_index=1

Indeed, it appears the only sites claiming the FBI confirmed Lopez fled the country to whereabouts unknown were the celebrity gossip YouTube sites and accompanying social media posts. No other reputable source or news outlet backed up these video rumors.

Regardless of the baseless nature of these rumors, the videos could seem believable because woven into the narrative are mentions of Diddy's growing legal issues, his "freak-off" parties and sex trafficking allegations. With that mixture of true and misleading information, as well as emotionally charged language, such videos with celebrity rumors often generate hundreds or thousands of comments from YouTube users. Some of those messages indicate people interpreted the videos as real news.

This was not the first misleading rumor related to Diddy that captured social media users' attention. For example, we previously debunked the unfounded claim that Willow Smith and Jaden Smith revealed their parents had sold them to Diddy, and a fake photo that showed U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris standing next to Diddy at a party.

Sources:

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"Christopher Wray, August 2, 2017 - Present." FBI.Gov, https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/christopher-wray.

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