Diddy’s former friends and employees allege “abusive and violent” behaviour

WARNING: This article includes accounts and imagery of sexual and domestic violence and may be distressing for some readers. Resources for support are listed at the end of this article

In a new investigation by Rolling Stone, dozens of Diddy’s former friends, employees, and Bad Boy artists have alleged “abusive and violent” behaviour by the US rapper.

The investigation follows unearthed CCTV footage that appeared online last week showing Diddy, real name Sean Combs, kicking his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.

In the surveillance video discovered by CNN, it appear to show Combs throwing Ventura to the floor before attempting to drag her, kick her, and throw a vase in her direction. Combs has since admitted his guilt, explaining: “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video.”

Rolling Stone interviewed “dozens of former friends, acquaintances, employees, Bad Boy artists, and industry insiders” over the past six months. Of the 300 people contacted, just 50 were willing to speak to the publication.

“Combs wielded his growing power to bend people to his will, sources claim, sending staffers to win back onetime girlfriend Jennifer Lopez, beating a label executive bloody after he became romantically involved with Combs’ ex-partner Kim Porter, and allegedly trying to solicit sex from a woman on his payroll,” Rolling Stone reports.

Several women who attended Howard University with Combs claimed to Rolling Stone that they had “seen signs of a controlling and abusive personality decades ago". Unnamed classmates also alleged “previously unreported incidents involving unwanted touching and fits of rage”.

Others claimed that Combs was hot-headed throughout college. In a past interview with Jet Magazine, Combs says he earned his nickname, 'Puff Daddy', by "huffing and puffing”, explaining; “I had a temper. That’s why my friend started calling me Puffy."

Kasey Sheridan, who was a member of the US girl group Dream, told Rolling Stone that she was “summoned for a meeting with Combs” at a Beverly Hills hotel when she was 15 years old.

She alleged that Combs emerged in a bathrobe. “It’s like, you can’t even keep our innocence,” she said. “I’m 15, walking into this situation knowing exactly what he was doing next door.”

Rolling Stone also contacted several artists who signed to Bad Boy, although "many declined". One former signee explained: “I don’t have anything nice to say when it comes to my time with Bad Boy. It was not a good experience and one I really don’t want to relive.”

A list of questions was issued to Combs as part of the investigation, which he did not address. His lawyer wrote back that “Mr. Combs cannot comment on settled litigation, will not comment on pending litigation, and cannot address every allegation picked up by the press from any source, no matter how unreliable.”

[Via Rolling Stone]

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter

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