P Diddy, also known as Sean Combs, Puff Daddy, or Diddy, is one of the most successful and influential figures in the music industry. He has won multiple Grammy Awards, produced hit songs and albums for artists like Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, and Mariah Carey, and founded Bad Boy Records, a label that dominated the hip-hop scene in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
But behind his glamorous image and impressive achievements, P Diddy has a messy past that involves scandals, controversies, and legal troubles. Here are some of the most notable incidents that have tarnished his reputation over the years.
- In 1991, P Diddy was fired from his job as an A&R executive at Uptown Records after he organized a charity event at City College of New York that ended in a stampede that killed nine people and injured dozens more. He was accused of overselling tickets, failing to provide adequate security, and ignoring fire safety regulations.
- In 1997, P Diddy was involved in a nightclub shooting that resulted in the death of his friend and rapper Notorious B.I.G. He was with him in a car when another vehicle pulled up and opened fire. The murder remains unsolved, but some theories suggest that it was part of a feud between the East Coast and West Coast rap scenes, or that it was orchestrated by Suge Knight, the head of Death Row Records and a rival of P Diddy.
- In 1999, P Diddy and his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez were arrested after another nightclub shooting at Club New York. They were accused of fleeing the scene with a gun in their car, but they claimed that they were innocent and that they were trying to escape the chaos. The charges against them were eventually dropped, but their relationship ended soon after.
- In 2001, P Diddy was sued by his former driver Wardel Fenderson for $3 million. Fenderson claimed that P Diddy forced him to lie to the police about the gun in the car after the 1999 shooting, and that he suffered emotional distress and physical injuries from the incident. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
- In 2004, P Diddy was sued by his former business partner Kirk Burrowes for $25 million. Burrowes claimed that P Diddy cheated him out of his share of Bad Boy Records profits, and that he threatened him with violence and intimidation. The case was dismissed by a judge who ruled that Burrowes had waited too long to file the lawsuit.
- In 2005, P Diddy was sued by his former stylist Fawnia Mondey for $25 million. Mondey claimed that P Diddy sexually harassed her, forced her to take drugs, and fired her after she refused his advances. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
- In 2011, P Diddy was sued by his former employee Francesca Spero for $12 million. Spero claimed that P Diddy discriminated against her because of her age and disability, and that he fired her after she had hip surgery. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
- In 2014, P Diddy was arrested for assaulting his son’s football coach at UCLA. He allegedly swung a kettlebell at him after he confronted him about his son’s performance on the team. He was charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, one count of making terrorist threats, and one count of battery. He pleaded not guilty and the charges were later reduced to misdemeanor counts of assault and battery.
- In 2015, P Diddy was sued by his former chef Cindy Rueda for $15 million. Rueda claimed that P Diddy sexually harassed her, exposed himself to her, forced her to work long hours without breaks, and fired her after she complained. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
These are just some of the examples of how P Diddy’s past has been marred by scandals and lawsuits. While he has managed to overcome these challenges and maintain his success and popularity in the music industry, he has also earned a reputation as a troublemaker and a bully who does not respect the law or the rights of others.
