The new documentary Diddy: Made a bad boy Features interviews with people who know Sean “Diddy” Combs As a young man, some of them have theorized about how he became the person he is now.
Tim Pattersonwho grew up with Diddy, 55, in Mount Vernon, New York, drew a clear line between the man born Sean Combs and the one who became known as Puffy, Brother Love and other names.
“I know Sean, not Diddy, not Daddy Love. I don't know these people, I don't know them, I swear I don't know them, I've never met these people,” Patterson said in the film, which premieres Tuesday, January 14. “He told people what they didn’t know about his childhood.
Ron LawrenceThe rapper's classmate at Howard University said Diddy always knew he wanted to work in the music business, even at a young age. (He left college after his second year).
“He would tell you, 'I'm going to be the biggest record producer in the world,'” Lawrence recalls. “He already knew what he wanted at Howard University.”
However, Diddy's legacy has now been tarnished by his arrest in September 2024 on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation for prostitution. He denied the accusations against him and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
“This documentary recycles and perpetuates the same lies and conspiracy theories that have been hurled against Mr. Combs for months,” a representative for the mogul said. Us Weekly Before the film's release. “It is disappointing to see NBC and Peacock rolling in the same mud as unethical tabloid reporters. By providing a platform for proven liars and opportunists to press false criminal charges, the documentary constitutes irresponsible journalism from The worst kind.
Diddy: Made a bad boy Premieres on Peacock Tuesday, January 14. Keep reading for the biggest reveals about Diddy's youth Diddy: Made a bad boy.
His father died young
Tim Patterson
peacockWhen Didi was a little kid, mother, Melvin CombsHe was shot while sitting in his car in New York City. “Sean had to find out about his father through other guys who showed up during that period,” Patterson recalled, adding that he didn’t know how Melvin died.
According to Diddy's former bodyguard Gene dealHowever, Melvin's death was not a random act of violence. Dale claimed in the documentary that “his father sold (drugs) to an undercover cop, to a police officer in New York City, and provided the police officer with information.” “His father was killed because he was telling them off.”
Several Make the Band alumni have come forward with allegations about Sean “Diddy” Combs over the years, including Danity Kane's Don Richard and Aubrey O'Day. In the new documentary Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy, Da Band's Sarah Rivers is the latest participant to share her story. “Sometimes people stop and say, (…)
Gucci watches and private schools
Patterson claimed that Didi's mother, Janice CombsShe inherited money after her husband died, which allowed her and her children to move to a nicer neighborhood in Mount Vernon. “I look at him like, 'Oh my God, this guy is different,'” Patterson said, looking at a photo of him and Diddy when they were children. “He's the one wearing the hat. You can see he's wearing jewelry, he's wearing rings, he's wearing bracelets. This is a 4-year-old in a 30-year-old's wardrobe.”
Rich Parkeranother friend, remembers that Didi always dressed up even when he was a child. “He was part of a dance and costume crew called 7 Up Crew,” he explained. “These people were walking around New York City, fighting people in dance and costumes. He was also one of the first kids I knew who had a Gucci watch.
Lee Davis aka “DJ EZ Lee”
peacockLee Davis (aka DJ EZ Lee) said he met Diddy in Little League but learned he went to private school. “He had the best of everything,” Patterson explained. “This kid is rich, and he was seen as the rich kid.”
“Always bullies”
According to Patterson, Diddy's wealth made him a target for bullies in elementary school. “Sean was the different kid,” he claimed. “Shawn was the kid that people could smell and he wasn't tough. Shawn was always getting bullied.”
Dell claimed that Diddy initially had difficulty fitting in and was roughed up by men from the Same Gang crew who did not like that the young Combs was not from Harlem. But after that incident, Dale pointed out, “Puff was in the same gang.”
Sean “Diddy” Combs and his mother, Janice Smalls Combs, had a close relationship throughout his life. “My mother always had a job, so I think I was always trained that I should have multiple careers and multiple ambitions,” Diddy said in a 2010 interview with Nightline. “I remember that she had multiple aspirations, always (…)
His mother's parties
As an adult, Diddy gained a reputation Organizing loud, lavish partiesPatterson believes he inherited that trait from Janice. “Because Shawn didn't have a father, all he had was his mother. “Shawn's house, our house, there were always things going on,” Patterson said. “On the weekends, I shared the houseAnd we did that a lot. It was about all kinds of alcohol, and it was about reefer smoke. It was about drug addicts, it was about lesbians, it was about homosexuals, it was about pimps and pushers. This was just who was in our house.
Ron Lawrence
peacockPatterson went on to say that it was not difficult to find people to communicate at home. “At night, it would not be appropriate to accidentally walk into one of the bedrooms and find a couple there naked,” he claimed. “That's what we were privy to. That's what we were fed. Was that desensitization? I'm sure it was. So were we aware of that?” No. “It was only Saturday night.”
For his part, Davis said he had never attended a party hosted by Janis but had heard stories about her. “She had, like, a little crew of chicks that would come over, and she would make sure everyone was comfortable,” he recalls.
The producers noted that Janice did not respond to their request for comment.
Rush to get a job
Before starting his career in earnest, Diddy did everything he could to get on the radar of the staff at Uptown Records, which was founded in 1986 by Andre Harrell. “Shaun will appear in the strangest places – in heavy d“He was on his doorstep, he was showing up uptown, he was showing up at parties,” Patterson said. “Anything to get the attention of the VIPs.”
Parker claimed he once heard Little Diddy sleeping outside Harrell's car to get his attention. Ultimately, the effort paid off, because by 1990 he had secured an internship.
