Sean “Diddy” Combs

Sean Combs (a.k.a. Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, or Diddy, and Brother Love)  is an American performing artist and entrepreneur.

While at Howard University, he had a talent for drawing people to parties and events. However, his greed overshadowed his planning skills. In 1991, he oversold tickets to an AIDS fundraiser with Heavy D, causing a stampede that killed 9 people.

He amassed his fortune through a series of business ventures. In 1993, Mr. Combs established the record label Bad Boy Entertainment in partnership with Arista Records. The endeavor rested on the song writing and production skills of The Hitmen, its in-house production team. A string of hits followed with artists including the Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace ), Craig Mack, Carl Thomas, Faith Evans, Total, and 112. The Hitman created chart topping tracks for Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil’ Kim and Mariah Carey.

In 1997, Mr. Combs released his debut album ‘No Way Out,’ earning five Grammy nominations and winning the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. However, in April 1999, he faced assault charges for an altercation with Interscope Records executive Steve Stoute over a video editing dispute. The issue was resolved out of court.

In 2023, Cassie Ventura, filed a lawsuit against him, alleging intimate partner violence (IPV), rape, and sex trafficking. The matter was swiftly settled out of court. However, an ever-increasing number of sexual assault lawsuits have ensued.

On September 16, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New York City announced that Combs was arrested by federal agents at the Park Hyatt Hotel. According to the Justice Department, he was charged with a years-long scheme to sexually abuse and exploit women.