5 most controversial Diddy celebrity feuds explored
Sean "Diddy" Combs is currently being held in a Brooklyn Detention Center and is facing multiple charges. He was arrested in New York on charges including federal s*x trafficking and racketeering, for which the rapper has pleaded "not guilty."
According to Combs' indictment, he was allegedly running a criminal enterprise, via Bad Boy Records. It is alleged that the company helped facilitate his alleged exploitation of women, "Freak-Off parties," and conceal his illegal conduct.
While the allegations list serious acts of depravity, the complete list of crimes Sean is being charged with reportedly includes s*x trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.
Upon his arrest, Combs' attorney, Marc Agnifilo, issued a public statement on behalf of the rapper addressing the ongoing investigation. The attorney said that the rapper has been "nothing but cooperative with this investigation." He noted that the rapper also "voluntarily relocated to New York" the previous week "in anticipation" of the charges.
"Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court," Agnifilo said.
From 50 Cent to Kid Cudi: Revisiting 5 celebrities Diddy has beefed with in the past
The allegations seemingly began to flood in after Cassie Ventura filed her lawsuit in November 2023, claiming the Bad Boy CEO had s*xually assaulted and abused her during their relationship. These claims of violence and abuse have appeared several times across Diddy's 30-year career, many of which involved infamous feuds with popular celebrities.
Given the rapper is heavily tied to Hollywood, and some of the biggest names in the music industry, he has allegedly resorted to violent verbal and physical interactions with Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and more. Here is a list of five celebrities Diddy has reportedly beefed with in the past.
1) Sean Combs threatens J. Cole in 2013
Based on statements made on J. Cole's recently released Port Antonio, which addresses several controversies and rumors from the 2024 rap beef, Combs has always "avoided conflict."
However, in 2013 Cole reportedly got into a physical altercation with Diddy at the 2013 VMA after-party. The event was hosted by Sean and Jay-Z, who Jermaine was signed to at the time.
Reports from the event suggest that Sean Combs felt disrespected by Kendrick Lamar's statements on Control. Dot allegedly took shots at some of the biggest rappers in the game. In his verse, he proclaimed he was the "King of New York," a title Diddy has previously claimed several times across his discography.
Diddy supposedly attempted to pour a drink over Lamar's head because of his subliminal bar, before J. Cole stepped in to defend Kendrick. A violent scuffle ensued where several chairs and bottles were knocked over, and Sean threatened Jermaine stating:
"I’m gonna break it on the table and I’m gonna cut your throat"
2) Diddy punches Drake at an LIV club
In 2014, reports of an alleged brawl between Sean Combs and Drake began to surface with many publications claiming their feud was sparked over Drizzy's hit record 0 to 100 / The Catch Up.
Based on interviews conducted over the years, 0 to 100 / The Catch Up was supposedly meant to be Diddy's record, with the Bad Boy CEO claiming the instrumental was sent over to Drake to help ghostwrite the song.
"0 to 100 was initially… was my record. Nah the beat was mine." - Diddy stated during a 2013 Breakfast Club interview.
Drake allegedly sent Diddy the fully recorded version, which was then scrapped since Sean no longer wanted to release 0 to 100 / The Catch Up. This led Drizzy to upload to track to SoundCloud which resulted in the song garnering millions of streams.
Months after the song was released, Diddy and Drake would meet again at a popular LIV nightclub in Miami. Reports from that night suggest that Sean attempted to confront the OVO CEO over releasing 0 to 100 / The Catch Up independently, before punching Drizzy.
The altercation supposedly sent Drake to the Emergency Room seemingly because an old injury was aggravated which resulted in the rapper dislocating his shoulder.
"You’ll never disrespect me again." - Sean Combs reportedly yelled out during the fight.
3) Sean Combs allegedly blows up Kid Cudi's car
Sean Combs and Cassie Ventura's decade-long controversial relationship ended in 2018. During their relationship, Cassie would take a break and reportedly enter into a relationship with rapper Kid Cudi in the early 2010s.
Not long after reports of Cassie and Cudi reportedly dating would surface, in January 2012, the INSANO rapper's Porsche convertible exploded in his driveway. As per a report from the Los Angeles City Fire Department, documenting the crime, the memo suggested the fire was intentional.
The report also included a description that identified the possible cause of the fire. The memo claims that the convertible roof was sliced open and a Molotov cocktail was dropped into the car's interior.
According to a memo submitted to New York Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky, prosecutors are attempting to draw from instances like Kid Cudi's car explosion during Diddy's upcoming trial. Combs' attorney Marc Agnifilo issued a statement to Rolling Stones confirming:
"There is no allegation that Mr. Combs was involved in these actions or directed anyone else to take them. It’s clear the government doesn’t know who set fire to the vehicle or how it relates to Mr Combs, who denies any involvement."
4) Eminem claims Diddy had Tupac killed
In the late 90s, Sean Combs, who used to go by the name Puff Daddy, was an established figure in hip-hop due to his close relationship with The Notorious B.I.G. and for incorporating what would become Death Row's rival record label, Bad Boy Records.
Eminem at the time was an upcoming rapper attempting to break into the mainstream industry. Given Em's affinity to take shots at important figures in pop culture, the rapper has consistently fired disses at Diddy throughout his career.
Many of Eminem's disses seemingly included references to lawsuits and allegations that are eerily similar to what has surfaced in Sean Comb's ongoing investigation. On 2018's Killshot, which was a diss track aimed at Machine Gun Kelly, Eminem alluded to Diddy's involvement in the murder of rap icon Tupac Shakur.
"Killshot, I will not fail, I'm with the Doc still / But this idiot's boss pops pills and tells him he's got skills / But, Kells, the day you put out a hit's the day Diddy admits / That he put the hit out that got Pac killed, ah" - Eminem raps on 'Killshot'.
Although their beef was more silent and less dramatic than others on this list, Eminem's statements regarding Combs supposedly putting a "hit out" on Tupac sparked a larger conversation online revolving around Diddy's need for control and dominance in the industry.
In 2023, Duane “Keefe D” Davis was arrested on suspicion of being involved in the murder of Tupac Shakur. The individual was asked about Sean's involvement in the crime, to which Keefe D responded by stating that he "thinks" Combs played a role in the drive-by shooting.
5) 50 Cent to produce a Documentary detailing Diddy's crimes
Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and Sean Combs first came together back in the 1990s when the Many Men rapper assisted Diddy in writing his verse on the 2001 record Let's Get It.
The rappers seemingly maintained a pure business relationship, with 50 explaining that he "didn’t ever party or hang out" with Sean Combs outside of their work and viewed the Bad Boy CEO as a "business person" instead of an artist.
A few years later, in 2006, Curtis released a track titled The Bomb, which included several allegations implying that Diddy was responsible for the murder of The Notorious B.I.G. in 1997.
Their feud would escalate when 50 Cent became the face of Effen Vodka and would regularly compare the alcohol brand to Sean's Ciroc. The rivalry re-ignited since Diddy had been the official face of Diageo's "Ciroc Vodka" since 2007 until the two parties officially separated earlier this year.
Their rivalry came to a head this year when Sean Combs' mansions were raided by federal officials from the Department of Homeland Security. 50 Cent would take to X (formerly Twitter) to state that he believes all the allegations against Diddy were true.
A few months later, after CNN posted the CCTV footage of Sean assaulting Cassie Ventura at the InterContintental Hotel in Los Angeles, 50 Cent announced that he was working alongside Netflix to produce a documentary titled Diddy Do It?
The documentary will reportedly feature several of the alleged victims and accusers who've come forward over the past months, centering on the truth behind the depraved crimes Sean Combs is accused of committing.
If convicted on all his charges, Sean "Diddy" Combs could potentially be looking at a mandatory minimum of 15 years to a maximum sentence of "life in prison". The music mogul's trial date was recently approved and confirmed to be set for May 5, 2025.
