Diddy's Instagram Live Dance-a-thon

Overview

Diddy's Instagram Live Dance-a-thon is an Instagram Live fundraiser event hosted by music producer and artist Diddy held on Easter in April 2020 during the coronavirus outbreak. The live stream, which lasted for 10 hours featured celebrities like Lizzo, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bieber and Drake dancing to raise money for Team Love in partnership with Direct Relief which supplies PPE to medical workers.

Background

On April 11th, 2020, Diddy uploaded a video to Instagram explaining that he would be hosting an Instagram live the next day with the caption, "Let’s lift up the energy Tomorrow we will all dance together for our healthcare workers! Let’s spread some positive vibes and let them know how much we appreciate them! Tomorrow at 3PM EST on my Instagram Live Team Love Dance-A-Thon. THE WHOLE WORLD IS INVITED!!!!!!" (shown below). The video gained over 2.3 million views and 556,700 likes in four days.

On April 12th, Diddy hosted the dance-a-thon which went on for 10 hours on Instagram. YouTuber Pilot Media uploaded the full video that day (shown below). The stream helped to raised over three million dollars in donations to Direct Relief.^[4]

Developments

On April 12th, 2020, Twitter users and Instagrammers began sharing clips of celebrities being featured on the live stream. Twitter user @After5ivePod tweeted, "Diddy and JLo doing the Salsa on IG Live. Rona really got everybody reuniting" (shown below). The video accumulated over 1,400 likes in three days. Harpers Bazaar^[2] and People Magazine^[3] published articles about their reunion.

That same day, Diddy posted a clip of himself and Drake dancing on Instagram live adding the caption, "Spreading nothing but LOVE and POSITIVE VIBRATIONS all day! #TEAMLOVE DANCE-A-THON supporting our healthcare workers!@combscartel @champagnepapi TEAMLOVE.COM 🎥 @revolttv" (shown below). The clip gained over two million views in three days.

Lizzo Twerking Controversy

On April 12th, 2020, Diddy brought Draya unto the live stream. Twitter user @__Mamass__ posted a clip (shown below). The video featuring Draya twerking gained over 45,700 likes and 8,400 retweets in three days.

The next day, Twitter users began uploaded clips of Lizzo being stopped by Diddy mid-dance. Twitter user @TheVondaJay tweeted the clip saying, "Lizzo vs. Draya sooo Lizzo was stopped in mid twerk by diddy due to it being “Sunday” and not family friendly yet Draya can finish a whole twerk session due to it being “Sunday and family Friendly?” and “the best performance all day?” what y'all think?" (shown below). The tweet garnered over 2,100 likes and 460 retweets in two days.

Although, Diddy claimed that he stopped the dancing due to the cursing in the song many Twitter users continued to criticize the move.^[1] Twitter user @writtenbybeja tweeted, "diddy said he paused lizzo because the record HE chose had “too much” cursing YET he allowed draya to twerk to the explicit version of Back Dat AZZ Up which again HE chose and y’all somehow came to the conclusion that his explanation was sufficient, honest and not full of shit…" (shown below). The tweet gained over 1,300 likes and 310 retweets in two days.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References