Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is one of the most famous rappers on the planet – but recent events threaten to shatter his reputation.
The Bad Boy for Life singer, 54, is currently behind bars at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center facing charges that include racketeering conspiracy, Sєx trafficking and transportation for prosтιтution.
The American rapper has denied any wrongdoing and will fight for freedom at his trial
He has pleaded not guilty and his legal team attempted to get him under houst arrest by offering a bold $50million bail condition. However, Judge Tarnofsky is keeping him locked up.
It has been a troubled year for Diddy who has denied any wrongdoing
Diddy’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, defended his client and speaking outside the New York courthouse, he ᴀsserted: “Mr Combs is a fighter, he’s going to fight this to the end. He’s innocent. He came to New York to establish his innocence. He’s not afraid, he’s not afraid of the charges.
“There’s nothing that the government said in their presentation today that changes anyone’s mind about anything. He’s been looking forward to this day. He’s been looking forward to clearing his name and he’s going to clear his name and we’re going to stand by his side as he does.”
Diddy faced months of civil lawsuits before his arrest and below we take a look inside his wild family life.
Early life
Diddy grew up in Harlem, New York, and tragedy struck his family in 1972 when his father Melvin Combs, who was an ᴀssociate of convicted drug dealer Frank Lucas, was fatally gunned down.
Melvin, 33, was blasted when sitting in his car. Diddy spoke about it for the first time in 2013, when he said: “My father was a hustler. He was a drug dealer and he was a hustler, so I learned early in life that there’s only two ways out of that ᴅᴇᴀᴅ-end jail. It made me work even harder.”
Diddy said his father Melvin was a drug dealer and a hustler
And as for growing up without a dad, he added: “Being that my father was killed when I was three years old, I don’t have a lot of memories of my father. They say you can’t miss something you never had, but that’s only a little ways right.
“There’s definitely been times as I’ve gotten older that I’ve missed my father – his presence not being here. There’s things that you would ask your father. There’s also things that you would celebrate with him that would make him proud.”
The rapper pictured with his mum Janice at the Vogue Fashion Awards in 2002
After losing his old man, Diddy was raised by his beloved mum Janice, a former model and teacher who he has named record labels after.
He has invited his mother to MTV Music Video Awards in the past and Diddy went on to become a parent to his own seven kids. This was after majoring in business administration at Howard University before launching his career on the mic.
Children
The joke goes that the music mogul has more children than nicknames and his oldest son is Quincy Taylor Brown, 32, who he adopted. Quincy is now an actor, singer and model and has praised his father in the past for inspiring him.
Diddy’s first biological child was Justin Combs, 30, who he had with fashion designer Misa Hylton. He achieved his own fame after starring in My Super Sweet 16 in 2008. He has also appeared on screen since then, most notably in season three of Power Book II: Ghost. He also became a father last year, making Diddy a grandad.
Model Kim Porter, mum to Quincy, later had three children with Diddy. Their son, Christian Combs, 25, is now a music artist himself. Kim and Diddy are also parents to twin daughters D’Lila and Jessie Combs, who are now 17.
Diddy pictured with his children (left to right) Jessie, Chance, D’Lila and Justin at the MTV Music Awards in 2023
Diddy, who never married, also had another daughter, Chance Combs, 18, with a businesswoman called Sarah Chapman. He brought her to the 2022 Academy Awards. She described herself as an aspiring actress and said Dune and Euphoria star Zendaya was her biggest inspiration.
Just two years ago, Diddy became a father for a seventh time after welcoming his youngest girl, Love, to the world alongside model Dana Tran.
Writing on Twitter, he said: “I’m so blessed to welcome my baby girl Love Sean Combs to the world. “Mama Combs, Quincy, Justin, Christian, Chance, D’Lila, Jessie and myself all love you so much! God is the Greatest!”
Accusations
They reached a settlement last year and at the time she said: “I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control. I want to thank my family, fans, and lawyers for their unwavering support.”
His 2024 has not been any less turbulent, because the recent arrest in New York aside, he was also hit with a series of Sєxual ᴀssault lawsuits. This included one woman who claimed he drugged her during a dinner in 1991.
One of his representatives told The Mirror: “This last-minute lawsuit is an example of how a well-intentioned law can be turned on its head. Ms. Dickerson’s 32-year-old story is made up and not credible. Mr. Combs never ᴀssaulted her, and she implicates companies that did not exist. This is purely a money grab and nothing more.”
