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- [00:02]
Marjorie Hernandez
Seriously popular.
- [00:04]
Garrett Kennedy
The following episode explores a number of allegations regarding the artist Diddy. He denies all charges and has pled not guilty to sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.
- [00:17]
Marjorie Hernandez
The biggest secret in the entertainment industry.
- [00:20]
Greg Kading
That really wasn't a secret at all.
- [00:23]
Gene Deal
Has finally been revealed to the world.
- [00:26]
Marjorie Hernandez
At the height of his career, Sean Diddy Combs. His had it all. It seemed like everything Diddy touched turned to gold. Now the once untouchable hip hop mogul is fighting for his life as he faces multiple federal charges in New York, including sex trafficking and allegedly running a criminal enterprise.
- [00:46]
Cassie Ventura
Music mogul and rapper Sean Diddy Combs has faced four different lawsuits in recent weeks alleging sexual Combs can be seen grabbing Ventura and throwing her to the ground.
- [00:56]
Marjorie Hernandez
Oh, this guy is dangerous. Another woman has now come forward.
- [01:00]
Cassie Ventura
Alleged Combs of sexual assault.
- [01:01]
Marjorie Hernandez
She claims she was drugged and sexually assaulted by Combs. I'm DailyMail.com journalist Marjorie Hernandez and over the last six months I've been investigating this incredible story and speaking to the people in the eye of the storm. Welcome to the trial of Diddy. As we've heard in episode one, Sean Combs meteoric rise to fame also brought plenty of controversies. As his past alleged indiscretions began to catch up with him. Multiple former employees made claims of abusive behavior. Now to the latest in the case against Music Mobile seanditte Combs. Another woman has now come forward alleging Combs of sexual assault in a new federal lawsuit. A woman says that this happened back in 2003 and includes very disturbing details in here that she's now sharing. But the most explosive allegations came from his longtime partner, Cassie Ventura, who filed a federal lawsuit in 2023 and alleged Diddy raped and abused her for years. And it would be a shocking video that rocked the world and spelled the beginning of the end of Combs empire.
- [02:16]
Cassie Ventura
The video, captured on multiple cameras, shows Combs assaulting his then girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a hallway at a Los Angeles Hotel in March 2016. Combs can be seen grabbing Ventura and throwing her to the ground. As Ventura lies on the ground, Combs then kicks her twice and attempts to drag her on the floor back to the hotel room. Moments later, he can be seen throwing an object in her direction.
- [02:43]
Marjorie Hernandez
But before his empire began to crumble, Combs still enjoyed huge success with his record label. In his first three years, Bad Boy reportedly made $75 million in album sales. That success crossed over into fashion with the launch of his clothing brand Sean John in 1998, which debuted in Bloomingdale's soon, celebrities like J. Lo who dated Diddy were pictured wearing the brand. Then the liquor brands came knocking, and Diddy partnered with alcohol company Diageo in 2007, becoming a co owner of Ciroc Vodka and later the deleon Tequila brand. Diddy and his rapidly expanding empire seemed untouchable. As journalist and author Garrett Kennedy explains.
- [03:31]
Garrett Kennedy
I think of someone like Puff who foremost our idea of him is not as an artist. Our idea of him is as a tastemaker, as a savant, as someone whose tentacles are across just so much stuff. Puff has his hand on so much like so much of it, to the point that it's actually dizzying to start to think about how can you untangle yourself from if you, if you today wanted to say, I don't want to listen to anything that Puff had anything to do with what are you going to play?
- [04:12]
Marjorie Hernandez
But with such success also came very dark days. A dispute between Diddy's Bad Boy and LA's Death Row Records, helmed by security guard turned rap impresario Marion Suge Knight and rapper Tupac Shakur, dominated headlines. Shakur had accused his one time friend Bad Boys flagship artist Biggie and Diddy with shooting and robbing him on November 30, 1994, at Quad Recording Studios in Manhattan, igniting the feud. Many thought Diddy and Bad Boy were somehow involved in the attack. Shakur even openly accused Biggie and Puffy of having prior knowledge of the shooting, something they both denied. The Quad Studio shooting ignited the infamous east coast versus west coast rivalry that would ultimately cost Tupac and Biggie their lives. Tupac penned his hit diss track Hit Em up, released in June 1996, where he boasted of sleeping with Biggie's wife, bad boy RB artist Faith Evans, on September 13, 1996, while cruising in Las Vegas in a car with Suge Knight in the driver's seat, Shakur was gunned down in a drive by Shooting. Six months later, as he was leaving a party in LA after the 1997 Soul Train Awards, Biggie was shot to death. Both men's deaths shook the industry, and Diddy was now in fear for his life. Retired LAPD homicide detective Greg Kading, who investigated the Tupac and Biggie murders, said Combs hired members of the Notorious crip gang in 1995 during a stop of the Summer Champs tour in Anaheim, California. Among the prominent Crip members at the time was Dwayne Keefe D. Davis and his nephew Orlando Baby Lane Anderson.
- [06:19]
Greg Kading
Keefe D was dealing both PCP and Cocaine from Los Angeles to another drug dealer, a figure out in New York, a guy named Eric Martin. They called him Zip. And Zip was a very well known drug dealer, hustler, shot caller out in New York who happened to be affiliated with Puffy Combs's dad. And after Puffy's dad died, Zip kind of took over as kind of like a play uncle figure for Puffy Combs. And also he became very close with Christopher Wallace and Faith Evans and was even the godfather of Christopher Wallace's son. So that was the connection. Keefe knew a drug dealer, that drug dealer, dealer was affiliated with Puffy and Biggie. And that was how the introduction happened. When Puffy said that he needed some security on the west coast because of all the problems that he was having with Suge Knight and Death Row records, his friend Zip, his play uncle, said, hey, I've got just the perfect people for you. I know some gang members out there that can handle that kind of work. Let me introduce you to them. And that's how the association began.
- [07:38]
Marjorie Hernandez
When Tupac was shot to death during the September 7, 1996 drive by in Las Vegas, Keefe D, along with three others, were pinpointed at the suspects in the getaway car. Keefe D told investigators it was his nephew, Baby Lane, who shot and killed Tupac and shot at Suge Knight, who was driving. Nearly 30 years after Tupac's murder, Keefe D was arrested and is now facing murder charges in Nevada. Prosecutors allege Davis was the mastermind behind Shakur shooting. He is the lone remaining person from the purported suspect vehicle who is alive today. Prosecutors submitted interviews of Keefe D, who alleged Diddy offered him $1 million to assassinate Tupac. Court documents show. Cops asked if Combs played a role in this thing, to which Keefe responded, yeah, I think he did. Davis said Puffy contacted him about Pac's death and that Combs reached out wondering if the Southside Crips were responsible by asking, is that us? Keefe D, beaming with pride, answered, yes. This is former LAPD detective Greg Kading.
- [08:55]
Greg Kading
Puffy would have known that he was. He was targeted when he came to the West Coast. And so when things were really getting bad, that's when Keefe D says that he met with Puffy at Greenblatts up in Hollywood on Sunset Strip. Puffy called him aside and made it more pronounced, made it more emphatic. Hey, I really need you to take care of this problem because, you know, I'm a dead man walking if you don't. That was kind of the gist of it, according to Keefe D. And this is where I give this caveat. This is a conversation where I think there's emotions going on and desperation and fear. And KE says that he offered him a million dollars and of course Ked is not going to turn that down. So that was the kind of number that was thrown out there.
- [09:56]
Marjorie Hernandez
Combs lawyers have denied those allegations. As the industry reeled from the tragic deaths of Tupac and Biggie, Bad Boy continued to make hits. Author Garrett Kennedy said 1997 was a banner year for Puffy's label. Out of the 10 songs to reach number one on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, four of them were from Bad Boy. One of those hits was Diddy's tribute song to his friend Biggie titled I'll Be Missing youg, which featured the slain rapper's wife, Faith Evans. As Bad Boys hits kept climbing the charts, so did Combs Stock as an international superstar. He set out to embrace that star power in 1998 and put on the first Labor Day white party at the East Hamptons. His White party became the highlight of the season. Were A listers Business moguls and socialites rubbed elbows without inhibitions. Guests like Carousel Tin dubbed Diddy the modern day Gatsby and the ultra exclusive party demanded all A listers to only wear white. People were turned away for even a hint of any other color. But controversy continued to follow the Bad Boy mogul Gene Deal. Combs former bodyguard, told me about an incident in 1996 when he saw the aftermath of an alleged violent fight between the rapper and his on again off again girlfriend, model Kim Porter. He said she had slit his wrists with a wine bottle corkscrew and I met him over at St. Luke's Hospital in New York. She was just tired. You could see that she had bruises on her face and she did that to him because she had to protect herself from him. When I got to the hospital she was actually with him and his wrist was covered in blood. Dio said. Diddy had a white shirt wrapped around his wrists and he was bleeding profusely because Kim had hit an artery while trying to protect herself. I looked at her face and I could tell me being a former officer, I could tell that there was some altercation. I didn't see it, but I saw and heard about the aftermath. Dio added. See the ditty that you all know you have to realize the drugs, the alcohol, being addicted to opioids, it changes a person along with the money. What you're all seeing now wasn't how it was back then. In his business, he was ruthless. On December 27, 1999, Diddy, then girlfriend Jennifer Lopez, rapper Jamal Shine Barrow, and Diddy's bodyguard Anthony Wolf Jones were involved in a disagreement at a Manhattan club that ended in gunfire. In the melee, three people were injured, but Combs, Lopez, and Jones managed to leave the club. NYPD ended up chasing the trio and stopped them. Cops found a stolen gun inside the car. One of the people who was shot at the club, Natania Rubin, still remembers to this day that it was Diddy who shot her. She claims Combs got into a dispute with a known drug dealer when she saw Combs reach for a gun and shoot.
- [13:33]
Gene Deal
Puffy gestured in some type of way that they didn't like, and one of the guys that was with scar slapped him in the face with a wad of money. It was a. Like the. Like the young guys are now on, you know, doing that little phone brick thing. Well, he had this wad of money in his hand for whatever reason, because I wasn't standing near them. I was across. But all I know is he. I saw when he swung and slapped. And money was raining through the sky and falling to the floor. Everybody started trying to run and pick up money. And it was just craziness. It was. It was lights, action, camera, people scurrying for money, trying to catch money out of the sky. And that melee was still taking place. Now, when I saw that, I turned around to my friend and I was like, oh, shit is getting crazy in here. You see this? And never in a million years did I think it would escalate to a shooting. I thought it was male bravado. It was cold as ice outside, so I had no reason to believe it would get to that. But in no time, one thing led to another. The money was falling down. And then I see Shine. I hear the raised voices, and I see Shine and Puffy start backing back. Now, we don't all watch the hood movie or whatever. We know what it looks like when people are backing back and reaching from their hip to pull. So as they were backing back, they were drawing from their hip. And I turned to tell my friend, like, oh, girl, watch out. Oh, my God. Because there was really nowhere for me to go. I was. Where I was standing, there was a wrought iron metal rail to my back. I couldn't go. There was a drop over that. In fact, one of my friends fell over it onto the dance floor. After everything happened, there was nowhere for me to go. And so as they were going back. They were backing back, like, literally walking backwards towards the door. Drawing from their hip. I told my friend, I said, oh, my God, watch out. As I turned back to look at them, I watched them bow, Bow. Both of them fired. And the muzzle flash was like. Shine's muzzle flash was a little higher. He was on the side closest to the bar. Puffy's muzzle flash was a little lower, and he was on the side closest to where I was, straight ahead from me. I watched them both fire their guns. I watched them. I got hit right here in my nose, in between my eyes, which means I'm facing directly at you, just like I'm looking at you. And I can tell you got on black shades. They kind of look like gazelles and an Adidas shirt. That's exactly how I was looking at him. And I watched him shoot me. So not to digress, it always bugs me when people say, how can you be sure? The same way you sure when your man is lying to you or when your woman is lying to you? Or the same way you're sure when you ask your kids a question and they do that little thing they do when they're not being honest and you know they're telling a story. I'm that sure. We know people that we love. We know people's tells or body language or whatever. The same way you're sure that I have on a green shirt. I'm certain that he shot me.
- [16:41]
Marjorie Hernandez
Combs, Jones and Shine were charged with gun possession. Prosecutors claim Diddy and Shine bribed the driver of the car with $50,000 to tell police that the gun was his. A jury ended up acquitting the bodyguard and Diddy, but rapper Shine was found guilty of first degree assault, reckless endangerment, and possession of a weapon. Shyne, who was then 21, served 10 years behind bars. Critics speculated whether whether he took the route for Diddy. More legal problems continued for Puff as he gained more fame. Stories of his quick temper became more common as those around him claimed his newfound influence went to his head. There was the 1995 assault of Steve Stout, where Diddy and two of his bodyguards reportedly attacked the record executive with a champagne bottle, a telephone and a chair. Stout, however, asked the charges to be dismissed against Diddy after he publicly apologized for the incident. But insiders said Combs reportedly paid Stout $500,000. The assault charge was dropped, and Diddy pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of harassment. He was sentenced to one day of anger management classes in 1996. Diddy. Diddy was found guilty of misdemeanor criminal mischief for using a gun to threaten New York Post photographer Gary Miller in late 1997, Diddy allegedly told Vibe magazine Editor in Chief Daniel Smith she would wind up dead in the trunk of a car during a disagreement over a cover story. More allegations would surface as Diddy fought lawsuits after lawsuit. In 2008, Diddy and his Sean John clothing label were hit with allegations by an LA based company that he failed to pay them for goods delivered. In June 2015, he was arrested at UCLA's campus for assault with a deadly weapon following an altercation with assistant coach Sal Elosi. The coach was coach and Diddy's altercation stemmed from Alosi allegedly being hard on Diddy's son Justin, who was then a part of the university's football team. Diddy allegedly threatened to coach with a kettlebell. He was not charged for the incident. It was also in 2015 that Diddy celebrated the 20th anniversary of Bad Boy Records with a family reunion tour. The tour was a huge success as Diddy brought back together his roster of superstars including Mary J. Blige, MASE112Total, French Montana and singer Cassie, who he had been dating off and on since 2007. Cassie Ventura was only 19 years old when she was signed to Bad Boy records. Combs was 37. They met while she was recording her self titled debut album which was released in the summer of 2008 featuring her hit Me and U. The stunning Connecticut native had modeled for JCPenney before making it big in the music scene and entering Diddy's world. She was signed to a multi album deal but after her infectious single Me and U peaked at number three in the Billboard Hot 100 in 20 2006, a full length second album never materialized. She released a mixtape in 2013 called Rock Bye Baby but Cassie was relegated to making guest appearances on other artists songs including Diddy's. The Beautiful Brunette would become more known as Diddy's glamorous girlfriend, often smiling and remaining silent at red carpet events as the flashy Combs took the spotlight. It would take 17 years for Cassie to reveal shocking allegations, why her career stalled and how she was subjected to sick sexual perversions by her own mentor turned lover. Diddy, in his three decades since Bad Boy broke through the industry and quickly took over. So did founder Sean Combs. Over the years he gained international success and took his place as a bonafide a lister and mogul, mixing with politicians and dignitaries all over the world. But controversy still followed the hot headed Diddy. And with that came multiple lawsuits and arrests. Yet Combs continued to avoid jail and the at times deadly consequences that befell some of those close to him. In the end, it would be a two minute viral video of Diddy repeatedly abusing longtime girlfriend Cassie that put a crack in Combs protected bubble. Some say this revealed the bad boy for who he really is. Sam.