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Sean John Combs, aka Diddy, is a controversial music executive currently facing charges of racketeering conspiracy, s*x trafficking, and transportation for the purpose of prostitution.
The music mogul’s indictment followed a string of civil lawsuits by former girlfriend Cassandra Ventura and music producer Rodney Jones, amongst others, accusing him of assault and harassment.
Combs, who has denied the increasing allegations against him, faces intense media scrutiny as netizens and the media examine his past controversies and actions.
Rumors and speculations are rife about some aspects of the mogul’s life. This article explores some facts and speculations about Combs that might prove shocking to some.
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Frequent name changes, his father's tragic death, and 3 other things you didn't know about Diddy
1) Diddy has changed his name several times
The embattled music mogul has gone by many names in recent years. The nickname “Puffy” was reportedly coined during his childhood and stuck with him for several years.
The 54-year-old artist also released his earliest music projects using the moniker, per Complex’s November 2017 report. According to the US Weekly’s May 2022 report, after releasing albums as Puffy in 1995, he was identified on some of his 1996 projects as Puff Daddy.
In 2001, Sean Combs emerged with a name change—he was to be called P. Diddy. He spoke to MTV in March 2001:
"No more Puff Daddy — the first week in June we’re gonna have a name change ceremony,” and added: I’m rockin’ with P. Diddy now — my man Biggie gave me that name.”
In August 2005, he announced to TODAY’s News correspondents that he would simply be known as Diddy. In 2021, the music executive legally changed his name to Sean Love Combs. On an appearance on the Ellen Degeneres Show in May 2022, he clarified that Diddy was his stage name and Love was his real name.
2) Diddy allegedly began throwing parties at Howard University
In an investigative article published by Rolling Stone on May 28, 2024, it was reported that Diddy's controversial parties, popularly known as freak-offs, began during his years at Washington DC's Howard University.
It was alleged that he developed a penchant for throwing unforgettable parties and for “unwanted touching and fits of rage.” Although Combs halted his studies at the predominantly black college in favor of a music career, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in Humanity in 2014.
However, after footage of Diddy assaulting former girlfriend Cassandra Ventura came to light in May 2024, Howard University, in June 2024, rescinded the conferred degree and refunded the million-dollar donation made by Combs to the university.
A part of the statement released by the university’s Board of Trustees read:
"Mr. Combs’ behavior as captured in a recently released video is so fundamentally incompatible with Howard University’s core values and beliefs that he is deemed no longer worthy to hold the institution’s highest honor,"
3) The circumstances surrounding the death of his father
Sean Combs was born in November 1969 to Janice and Melvin Earl Combs. His father was later killed in a tragic incident when he was only 3 years old.
People Magazine reported on October 7, 2024, that the rapper’s mum initially told him that his father died in a car accident. Combs later found out that his father was killed during a gunfight when he searched for his dad’s name as a student at Howard University.
He revealed this during his Commencement Speech at the institution in 2014:
"When I typed in my father’s name and the day he died, I read in the Amsterdam News that he had been murdered in a drug deal gone bad," he said. "Right there in that library, I realized there’s nothing greater than a mother’s love and desire to protect her child."
In a 2006 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the music executive shared how his mother took on his father’s responsibilities and molded him into the person he was.
4) Diddy was arrested for a 1999 club shooting alongside his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez
Diddy, his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez, bodyguard Anthony Jones, and rapper Shyne were involved in a club shooting scandal in 1999. Forbes reported in March 2024 that a disagreement between Diddy, Lopez, and others in a Manhattan club resulted in gunfire that left three people injured.
According to the magazine, Combs, Lopez, and Jones left the club, were chased by the police, and were later arrested when a stolen gun was found inside the car.
Reports state that Combs and Lopez were arrested, detained, and charged, although Lopez‘s charges were dropped. Combs, Jones, and Barrie were tried on charges relating to gun possession.
Combs and Jones were acquitted of all charges by a New York jury, while Shyne was found guilty of charges relating to criminal possession of a weapon, assault, and reckless endangerment. Shyne served over 8 years in prison after sentencing.
In February 2024, Rodney Lil Rod Jones Jnr, a music producer who had worked with Combs, filed a civil suit against the music executive for s*xual assault and harassment. In his lawsuit, Jones alleged that Combs boasted about shooting people and getting away with it.
5) Diddy's alleged altercation with J. Cole was linked to Kendrick Lamar
After News of an alleged altercation between J. Cole and Sean Combs at an afterparty for the 2013 VMAs broke, different accounts of what went down that night were peddled online. J. Cole even referred to the incident in his track Let Go My Hand:
"My last scrap was with Puff Daddy, who would've thought it?"
In an episode of the R&B Money podcast in September 2024, Top Dawg Entertainment president Terrence Henderson, who claimed to have been present during the incident, alleged that a fight broke out between J. Cole and Sean Combs over Kendrick Lamar’s controversial verse in the rap song, Control.
The rumored beef between Combs and Lamar is said to have begun after the release of Control by Big Sean featuring Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica, where Lamar seemingly throws shade at New York rappers like Diddy with lines:
"I'm Makaveli's offspring, I'm the King of New York/ King of the Coast; one hand, I juggle 'em"
According to CNN, Diddy's trial was set for May 5, 2025. The music mogul is being held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center. He was denied bail twice.
