Sean "Diddy" Combs reportedly committed a strategic move to "soften" his image amid the trafficking case against him.
The question now is, did it work?
A PR expert was called to explain.
Sean "Diddy" Combs Breaks His Silence While Trying To Contain Controversy
After Homeland Security raided Combs' Miami and Los Angeles homes as part of an investigation into a s-- trafficking case, Diddy surprised everyone with his social media return on Easter Sunday.
The embattled rapper took to Instagram and uploaded a photo of his and Dana Tran's young daughter, Love.
He wrote in the caption, "HAPPY EASTER from Baby Love."
Diddy uploaded a new photo of Love on Thursday, April 4, days after the Easter Sunday, though he still turned off the commenting on his posts.
One PR expert shared her thoughts about Diddy's moves, saying he might have posted the photos to help him soften his image amid his legal battles.
Speaking with Newsweek, Molly McPherson said, "More and more, celebrities are using social media to strategically connect with their fans in order to control their narratives."
According to McPherson, Diddy seemingly engaged in a social humanizing strategy by uploading a photo of his daughter.
"It's a deliberate move to shift focus from the allegations to a softer, more relatable aspect of his life-his role as a dad," she added. "The timing and nature of the post serve as strategic distractions. Posting during Easter, a time of family and renewal, could be a clever redirection to steer the conversation to his family instead of his legal troubles."
The PR expert said Love's photo "contrasted sharply" with the unearthed video showing two of his sons getting handcuffed during a raid on his Los Angeles home.
With that, McPherson assumed it "could be a strategic and financial move to restore his mogul image and income" by showing his side as a father amid a s-- trafficking investigation.
READ ALSO: Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Sons Hire Lawyers to Investigate Feds Treatment During Raids
PR Expert Warns Public Over Diddy's Posts
Crisis communications expert at Goldman McCormick, Ryan McCormick, also told Newsweek that sharing the photo was not enough to present him in a more positive light in the middle of the ongoing probe and erase the toxicity of his image.
"Diddy hasn't officially been charged with anything yet. However, having two of his homes raided by federal agents compounded with allegations of sexual assault in separate lawsuits is toxic for his image," he exlained.
Diddy has long denied the allegations thrown at him, and his attorney, Aaron Dyer, told NBC News that they would fight to clear his name.
