Insiders Reveal Dark Side of Diddy’s 90s Music Empire, Reports BBC
The BBC has spoken to over 20 people who worked with Sean “Diddy” Combs at Bad Boy Records in the 1990s. They describe a troubling culture of sex, threats, and excess during the label’s rise to fame.
Former executive Daniel Evans recalls a moment in 1997 when Combs allegedly threatened a colleague, saying, “I have so much money now that I could hire someone to kill you, and nobody would know.” Evans told the BBC that Combs’s behavior changed as he gained more power and wealth.
At the time, Bad Boy Records was thriving, with artists like The Notorious B.I.G. selling millions of albums. But now, Combs is in jail, facing charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. He denies all allegations, but more than a dozen lawsuits accuse him of assault and abuse at parties, hotels, and his recording studio.
The BBC reports that former staff witnessed Combs having sex with women in the studio, with one woman appearing unresponsive during the act. Another employee said Combs asked her to bring him condoms. Corporate funds were reportedly used to fly women across the US for sex at the request of artists and employees.
Tony Buzbee, a lawyer representing some of Combs’s accusers, told the BBC that this behavior dates back to the 90s. One of his clients claims Combs raped her at a party in 1995 and threatened her, saying, “You will disappear.”
Combs’s lawyers deny all accusations, calling them “pure fiction” and saying he looks forward to proving his innocence in court.
The BBC also spoke to Felicia Newsome, who managed Combs’s recording studio. She said inappropriate behavior was common in the music industry at the time. Newsome recalled confronting Combs after he asked a staff member to fetch condoms for him and two women. She told him not to do it again, and he listened.
However, other staff were less willing to challenge Combs. Evans told the BBC that young interns, some as young as 14, were often involved in sexual relationships with employees. He also said artists and staff would request women to be flown in for sex, with the costs logged as travel expenses.
In the 2000s, the studio became a hub for wild parties, with Combs bringing “random women” and artists demanding luxury items like suitcases of vodka. The studio is now at the center of multiple lawsuits, with women accusing Combs of drugging and assaulting them there.
Despite the allegations, some former colleagues find it hard to believe. Jeffery Walker, a close friend of Combs, told the BBC he never saw any wrongdoing. But Evans changed his mind after seeing footage of Combs violently attacking his ex-partner, Cassie Ventura, in 2016. Ventura sued Combs in 2023, accusing him of abuse and sex trafficking. The case was settled quickly, but it raised questions about Combs’s true character.
The BBC notes that Combs has reinvented himself many times over the years, from Puff Daddy to Diddy to “Love.” But as his trial approaches in May, many are wondering if they ever really knew the real Sean Combs.
As one former colleague told the BBC, “Maybe money just gives people the freedom to be exactly who they really are.”
Credit : BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6264v0p61eo