TopX Diddy Scandals That You Probably Forgot About

Top 10 Diddy Scandals That You Probably Forgot About

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most shocking Diddy scandals that have been largely forgotten in the wake of the recent accusations.

#10: Losing the “Diddy” Name

It seems like so long ago when the biggest controversy was his name. Or lack thereof, we suppose. Back in November of 2005, a London-based music producer named Richard Dearlove sued Diddy, as he had been going by the same stage name since 1992. Even if you’re not good at math, you can see that this is well before Puff Daddy changed his name to P. Diddy in 2001. He even dropped the “P” in 2005, becoming just “Diddy” and earning the ire of Diddy. Yeah, it’s a little confusing, and that’s why Dearlove sued Combs. And won. He was paid over £100,000 in fees and damages, and Combs was banned from using the name “Diddy” in the UK.

#9: Allegedly Threatening Kirk Burrowes

Back in 1993, Combs founded Bad Boy Records and worked with a business partner named Kirk Burrowes, who served as the company’s president and general manager until 1997. Burrowes owned a 25% stake in the record label, but this partnership ended after Combs allegedly threatened him with a baseball bat. Burrowes sued Combs for $25 million, claiming that he was coerced to quit the company through threats of physical violence. Diddy, of course, denied the claims. We never got the full truth, however, as the statute of limitations had expired and the case was dismissed.

#8: Assaulting Gerard Rechnitzer

In August of 2007, Diddy became the target of another lawsuit, this one coming from 27-year-old Gerard Rechnitzer. Diddy was allegedly talking to Rechnitzer’s girlfriend outside a Hollywood nightclub, prompting Rechnitzer to intervene. When he did so, Diddy flew into a rage, shouting obscenities at Rechnitzer before punching him in the face and sending him into a nearby car. Diddy’s team denied the claims, stating that Rechnitzer was never attacked and that he just wanted to cash in on Diddy’s fame. However, the rapper settled with Rechnitzer out of court for an undisclosed sum.

#7: Assaulting a Football Coach

Sal Alosi was the strength and conditioning coach for the UCLA Bruins, a college football team based out of the University of California, Los Angeles. Back in 2015, Alosi had a disagreement with Diddy’s son, Justin Combs, who at the time was playing for the Bruins. According to the official report, Alosi kicked Combs out of practice owing to a lack of effort. Diddy then confronted Alosi in his office, physically attacking the coach and swinging a kettlebell at one of the interns. Police saw the security video and arrested Combs, charging him with battery and three counts of assault with a deadly weapon. The charges constitute a felony, but they were later dropped owing to a lack of evidence.

#6: A Cheating Scandal

For many celebrities, a cheating scandal is the absolute worst of it. But with Diddy, it’s something we have long forgotten. Combs was with model Kimberly Porter for many years, and the couple had four children (including Porter’s from an old relationship). In 2006, she gave birth to twin daughters, D’Lila Star and Jessie James. Unfortunately, it was also around this time that she learned a horrifying truth - Combs had been unfaithful and had fathered a daughter with a woman from Atlanta named Sarah Chapman. Chapman gave birth to their daughter while Porter was still pregnant with her twins. Porter learned the truth from a friend and later left Diddy owing in part to his infidelity.

#5: The Assault of Cindy Rueda

There have been so many abuse allegations as of late that some people may have forgotten about Diddy’s former chef, Cindy Rueda. She first made the news in 2017 when she sued Diddy for sexual harassment and unpaid work. According to legal documents, Rueda complained about the harassment to the estate director but was subsequently threatened, framed for theft, and fired as a result. Diddy eventually settled with his former chef in February of 2019 for an undisclosed sum. It would be one of the first of many accusations, a snowball effect for the ages.

#4: Allegedly Hiding a Shooting

In February of 2024, Diddy was sued by producer Rodney Jones, claiming sexual assault. But that’s not why we’re here. What some may have forgotten - or not even known about - is that Jones filed an additional complaint about an alleged shooting. According to the lawsuit, Jones was working inside L.A.’s Chalice Recording Studio when he heard gunshots. He saw Diddy and his son Justin leave a bathroom, and inside the bathroom was a man bleeding from a gunshot wound. Jones’s story clashes with that of the LAPD, which claims that a shooting never occurred at the studio and that Diddy is not a suspect. However, Jones has publicly declared this a “massive” cover-up.

#3: Attacking Steve Stoute

It was 1999, and Nas just released a music video for his song “Hate Me Now.” Puff Daddy was featured on the track, and the video showed the rapper being crucified. However, Diddy demanded his scenes be cut from the public release. They did so, but the wrong edit was accidentally sent to MTV, and the channel broadcast the version with Puff Daddy’s crucifixion. Soon after, Combs burst into the office of Nas’s manager, Steve Stoute, and physically assaulted him with the help of some bodyguards. He was subsequently sued by Stoute. Combs pled guilty to harassment and was ordered to attend anger management. He also settled with Stoute out-of-court to the tune of $500,000.

#2: Violating Labor Laws

Not content with music, Diddy expanded his horizons and started a clothing label in 1998 called Sean John. However, it wasn’t long before the controversies began. In 2003, the company was accused of violating labor laws and basic human rights at a factory in Honduras. The reports claim that employees were subjected to mandatory pregnancy tests, worked overtime without pay, subjected to daily body searches, and were forced to obtain passes for the locked bathrooms. Their wages were also not sufficient, with workers being paid sweatshop wages. Former employee Lydda Elie Gonzalez said “we live inhumane lives,” a succinct statement for a horrible reality.

#1: The Shooting Trial

Diddy’s list of controversies has grown so enormous that most people have forgotten about his highly public shooting trial. It stems from an incident that occurred on December 27, 1999, when Combs was accused of shooting a gun inside a Manhattan nightclub. Another rapper named Shyne, who was attending the club with Combs, was also accused of shooting two bystanders. Combs faced up to fifteen years in prison, but he was ultimately acquitted thanks to the help of superstar lawyers Benjamin Brafman and Johnnie Cochran - the same man who helped get O.J. Simpson acquitted. Shyne was not so lucky, as he was found guilty of first-degree assault and given ten years in prison.

Can you think of any more scandals? Let us know in the comments below!