Who is Danyel Smith? Former Vibe editor accuses Diddy of threatening to kill her, claims she would end up 'dead in the trunk of a car'

Former Vibe magazine editor-in-chief Danyel Smith claimed in a New York Times essay that Sean “Diddy” Combs threatened her life in 1997. She stated that the incident took place following the dispute over the cover of the magazine that the singer featured in. The latest allegations come after rapper Eminem put Diddy on blast in his latest songs.

In a lengthy essay that was published on Friday, July 13, 2024, Danyel Smith detailed her interactions with the hip-hop mogul. She claimed that in 1997, Diddy demanded dual magazine covers that featured him as both an angel and a devil. However, Smith refused.

She was then reportedly hit with threats by Diddy, who said that she would be found “dead in the trunk of a car” if she did not comply with him.

When Danyel Smith asked him to take back his statement, the Bad Boy billionaire reportedly swore at her and told her that he knew her exact location at that moment.

For those uninitiated, Danyel Smith is a journalist who contributes to The New York Times. She has also written numerous books, including Shine Bright, More Like Wrestling, and Bliss, among others.

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Danyel Smith was the first Black editor of Billboard and Vibe magazine

As per her official LinkedIn account, Danyel Smith is a journalist who started off her career as a music editor with San Francisco Weekly. She has since worked at numerous organizations, including the San Francisco Bay Guardian, SPIN, Time Inc., ESPN, and more.

Danyel Smith became the Editor-in-Chief and the Chief Content Officer for Vibe in August 2006. In January 2011, she went on to become the magazine editor of Billboard.

The journalist has also played a role in shaping the minds of the youth. Between August 2013 and June 2014, she worked at Stanford University. She was also part of The New School faculty for six years, where she prepared students to write fiction and nonfiction.

Danyel Smith is also the owner of Danamo Works, which helps in the creation of cross-platform content.

The Oakland-born was the first Black editor of Vibe and Billboard. Smith is a University of California, Berkeley, graduate.

In her essay, Smith revealed that Diddy once burst into a restaurant while she was having dinner with his then-wife, Kim Porter. He reportedly emptied the contents of her purse, snatched her bank cards, and told her to get home to take care of their children. Smith said, “I was Porter being hustled into the limo in which we arrived.”

She also recalled a party where she noticed Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura looking “unsarcastically alone.” When Smith reportedly asked the singer how she was doing, Cassie reportedly appeared to want to tell her something important. Smith said:

“We each wanted to say something. It seemed that neither of us could find the words.”

Meanwhile, Eminem commented on the assault allegations against Diddy in his track Fuel.

Diddy was also recently accused of “grooming” model Adria English into s*x trafficking. The latter is one of eight alleged victims who have come forward to file a lawsuit against the I Need A Girl rapper.