EXCLUSIVE: Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Creepy Nickname for Jailed Russell Brand Revealed
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' gave jailed Russell Brand a creepy nickname, which has been revealed following the sentencing.
Nov. 9 2026, Published 8:00 p.m. ET
Russell Brand was affectionately nicknamed "Rusty Rocket" by Sean "Diddy" Combs, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Sources have told us the reason for the moniker, but it is too vile to repeat in detail here. But we can reveal Combs viewed it as a lewd nickname referencing a sexual kink.
Diddy's 'Rusty Rocket' Nickname for Russell Brand
Sean 'Diddy' Combs called Russell Brand 'Rusty Rocket' in a resurfaced video
Former Hollywood star Brand, 51, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison at London's Southwark Crown Court on Monday after being convicted of r--e and three sexual assaults.
Combs, 57, used the "Rusty Rockets" nickname in a 2009 video that captured him and Brand together on a flight, although Brand had already adopted "Rusty Rockets" as his online identity months earlier.
Combs said in the footage: "I'm here with my new best friend, right here: Rusty Rocket."
A source told us: "The nickname was already established as part of Brand's celebrity persona rather than something invented by Combs, but Combs found it hilarious for one very disgusting reason that now looks horrific in light of Brand's r--e conviction."
Resurfaced footage showed Russell Brand joking with Sean 'Diddy' Combs in 2009.
Inside Brand's Provocative Celebrity Persona
Brand used the username @rustyrockets when he joined Twitter now X in 2009.
Brand joined Twitter under the username @rustyrockets in January 2009.
The name also suited Brand's public image at the time – a flamboyant, sexually provocative entertainer whose comedy frequently centered on his relationships with women.
An entertainment industry insider said: "Rusty Rocket was exactly the kind of nickname that fitted Russell's image back then. It sounded mischievous, slightly sexual and deliberately outrageous, which was precisely how he wanted the public to see him.
"Combs understood that immediately. Both men were operating in a celebrity culture where outrageous behavior and sexual boasting were treated as entertainment rather than something to question.
"The interesting thing is that Diddy wasn't revealing some secret identity. Russell was already advertising himself as Rusty Rockets online – Combs just found it hilarious."
From Hollywood Co-Stars to Prison Sentences
Russell Brand faced ten years while Sean Combs served fifty months.
Brand and Combs appeared together in the 2010 comedy movie Get Him to the Greek, in which Brand played troubled musician Aldous Snow and Combs portrayed hard-partying record executive Sergio Roma.
The two entertainers subsequently faced separate criminal proceedings.
At Brand's sentencing, Mr Justice Joel Bennathan described him as a "sexual predator" who had shown "staggering arrogance" toward his victims.
Combs is serving a 50-month federal prison sentence after being convicted of transportation to engage in prostitution in July 2025. He was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and s-- trafficking charges.
Brand was convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others following a trial concerning incidents between 1999 and 2009.
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Judge's Damning Words at Brand's Sentencing
Brand mouthed 'I love you' to his wife Laura as he left court.
The former comedian's wife Laura and father Ron attended court as Brand was sentenced on Monday.
He mouthed "I love you" at his partner as he was led away after his sentencing. The judge told Brand in his sentencing remarks: "In many people's eyes you were funny and charismatic. You had also become a sexual predator. Your status protected you until 2023 when journalists collected and published allegations.
"Those public declarations you were a s-- offender allowed a number of women to come forward and tell their stories of your activities many years before.
"[In sentencing], I make clear that I disregard the allegations in the documentary and the allegations in the recent trial, of which the jury were not sure and found you not guilty."
