Sean “Diddy” Combs He's been in the news recently because His arrest in September 2024But his first brush with scandal occurred more than 30 years ago.
The new Peacock documentary Diddy: Made a bad boy It delves into the controversy surrounding the December 28, 1991 event, promoted by a young Diddy, then working at Uptown Records. To supplement his income, he promoted concerts, and at one point, he and the rapper heavy d They teamed up for a charity basketball game that was to be hosted at the City College of New York.
“Not only was it full on the inside, but there were probably just as many people on the outside who couldn’t get in.” Tim Patterson, Didi's childhood friendwas mentioned in the film that will premiere on Tuesday, January 14.
Sonny Williamswhose sister Sonya was killed in the event, claimed that local radio stations promoted the game as if it were being played in a 10,000-seat arena. (The college gym holds only 2,730 people.)
The situation quickly turned deadly, as thousands of people tried to enter, more than the space could accommodate. Nine attendees were killed and 29 others were injured.
Jason Swain
peacockIn the documentary, childhood friend Didi Lee Davis (aka DJ EZ Lee) claimed to have seen the future mogul “running around trying to save people” who were in harm's way. “I saw him trying to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to people.”
Gene dealDiddy, who worked as Diddy's bodyguard from 1991 to 2005, remembers things differently. “I've never seen Sean Combs perform CPR on anyone,” he said. “If anyone tells you that, they are outright lying.”
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, (…)
No criminal charges were filed, but a lawsuit later determined that Diddy and Heavy D were 50 percent responsible for the deaths, with the college responsible for the other half.
“All the families settled and received the settlement amount,” he said. Jason Swainwhose brother Dirk died in the stampede. “We got $40,000 straight from Sean Combs. But he never admitted it, and he never said, 'I apologize.' There's a clip of him saying he wasn't overly booked. … That's a blatant lie. His image is important to him.” Lies to City College If someone had found him responsible, it might have slowed down the process of all the other things that happened to other people.
Meanwhile, Sonny recalls accepting $50,000 from Diddy, now 55, after initially hesitating because he felt the amount was too low.
“He called me to the BMG building. It was just me and him in the office, and he looked very nervous. Sonny claimed that he looked so nervous that his lips turned white. “He said, ‘Son, I want to offer you $50,000.’” I remember looking Around me in the office and I see all these plates now on the wall – platinum plates, gold plates and I said to him, 'Bro, did you do all this and you're offering me $50,000?' He said, 'Sonny, man, listen, man, this Real generosity – that's a generous donation, and I lost it.
Sonny felt the exchange was a slap in the face, especially because he believed Diddy and Sonya were friends. After a final conversation, Sonny “reluctantly” accepted the $50,000.
“I don’t want to talk about money. He said to the camera: ‘I want you to help me do something in their memory.’ I said: ‘But is Sonia your friend?’ He wouldn’t answer me.”
While the stampede was a headline-grabbing tragedy, Patterson believes it actually helped make Diddy's name more famous.
“Somehow this thing made him the most famous man ever,” he explained. “Puffy became more popular. It almost made it in a really weird way.
Diddy was not involved in the documentary, but claimed in court at the time of the incident that City College was responsible for security at the event. “I'm sorry for being the promoter of this event,” he said. “I just pray for the families and I pray for the children who lost their lives every day. It is a tragic event, and my heart goes out to the families of the victims.”
Investigative company Discovery's explosive docuseries about Sean “Diddy” Combs features new revelations about the disgraced music mogul — including comments from a surprising interviewee — ahead of his sex trafficking trial. The network released the official trailer on Thursday, January 9, which included more than 30 interviews with former friends, employees and colleagues, all[…]
Didi is Currently in prison He is awaiting trial after his arrest last year Accusations of sex traffickingConspiracy to commit extortion and transportation to engage in prostitution. He denied the accusations and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In a statement to Us WeeklyHis rep criticized the new film, saying: “This documentary recycles and perpetuates the same lies and conspiracy theories that have been hurled against Mr. Combs for months. It's disappointing to see NBC and Peacock rolling in the same mire as unethical tabloid reporters. By providing a platform for proven liars and opportunists to press false criminal charges, the documentary constitutes irresponsible journalism of the worst kind.
Diddy: Made a bad boy Premieres on Peacock Tuesday, January 14.
