Sean “Diddy” Combs’ new ad for his fragrance, 3AM, was too racy for execs at Macy’s, sources tell Page Six. But when the hip-hop mogul was told to re-edit his commercial several times to tone down the explicit scenes with his girlfriend Cassie, we hear, the perfume launch was nearly delayed.
The ad, recently shot in LA, featured Combs, 45, and Cassie, 28, in fast-paced scenes that included nudity, simulated sex and at least one nipple ring. We hear cops even came in to break up the shoot.
“The full-length version includes such provocative images that retailers were concerned about young customers seeing [them],” said an insider.
“The required edits almost delayed the [fragrance] launch,” the source continued. “In an attempt to bypass the censors, Combs tried to get the commercial [out on cable channels], but it was still deemed too racy” by the networks.
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In the original clip seen by Page Six, Cassie’s breast is exposed and is grabbed by Combs, who wears a suit. Cassie’s also shown naked and straddling him. Another titillating scene shows Combs and Cassie naked in bed, with Combs thrusting between her spread legs.
We’re told Combs agreed to recut the risqué sequences to get approval from Macy’s execs to run the ad in its stores, and the changes then threatened to delay his 3AM launch this week.
A rep for Macy’s confirmed it did ask for changes, and said an edited version of the ad will be displayed when Combs unveils his fragrance at the giant department store this week.
Aside from any approvals, we’re told Combs had a run-in with the law during filming when his shoot at an LA apartment complex went past schedule, and building management called the cops.
When police appeared, Combs explained he was finishing his shoot. They let him continue, sources told us, but told him to “hurry up.”
Diddy told Ellen DeGeneres last week that another woman was originally cast as Combs’ leading lady in the ad, but the chemistry wasn’t there. “It wasn’t as natural,” he explained.