Diddy is facing yet another legal problem when Kirk Burrowes, his former business partner, filed a lawsuit accusing him of using violence and intimidation to take over Bad Boy Entertainment, which he co-founded.
According to court documents, Diddy allegedly threatened Burrowes with a baseball bat in 1996 to get him to give his mother, Janice Smalls-Combs, his 25 percent share in the label.
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The lawsuit documents state that the alleged harassment took place in Burrowes’ New York City office in May 1996.
In the case, Combs and Kenneth Meiselas, an attorney for Bad Boy Entertainment, allegedly barged in brandishing a baseball bat and forced Burrowes to give up his shares.
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“By words and actions, Sean Combs and Kenneth Meiselas frightened and intimidated and assaulted plaintiff (Burrowes) and forced him to turn over his share certificate for 25 shares of Bad Boy Entertainment to Sean Combs,” the lawsuit stated.
According to the petition, Burrowes was so overcome with terror that he was “clearly unable to resist under the circumstances” and had “tears streaming down his face.”
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Janice Combs, who was not there when the incident occurred, reportedly denied knowing about the encounter when Burrowes asked her for assistance. But he says she was complicit, running the whole thing behind the scenes.
The 62-year-old claims that Smalls-Combs, 84, participated in a planned attempt to seize control of the business, which has left him homeless and in dire financial straits in New York City. Burrowes also held the positions of general manager, chief operating officer, and president of the business at one point.
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According to the lawsuit, Smalls Combs used “a decades-long scheme of intimidation, violence, fraudulent misrepresentation, and financial concealment” to keep Burrowes under control during an alleged attempt to remove him from the music business.
Additionally, Burrowes’ career was allegedly methodically ruined by the defendants, who allegedly blacklisted him from the industry, denied him commercial prospects, and damaged his image.
Burrowes, who helped West Coast producer Dr. Dre get one of Mary J. Blige’s biggest songs, “Family Affair,” says Diddy tried to ruin his career in spite of his efforts. He claims that his pay rose from a meager $30,000 to $125,000 between 1992 and 1997, which is far less than what was promised to him in light of Bad Boy’s popularity. Additionally, he claims that Diddy and his mother have consistently broken financial agreements, including a 2019 pledge to “make things right” at Diana Ross’s birthday party.
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Restitution for lost revenues, the return of his ownership part, and a forensic analysis of Bad Boy Entertainment’s finances are among the demands Burrowes is pursuing. He claims to have invested $100,000 in the company at its founding. Even though Burrowes contributed historical documents and even elements for a 2021 documentary on Bad Boy Entertainment, he claims he was once again duped and not compensated for his work. The complaint claims that although Diddy was in financial disaster, he and his mother continued to benefit from his labors.
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“We are confident that the legal process will hold those responsible accountable and ensure that justice prevails,” Tyrone Blackburn, Burrowes’ lawyer said. Additionally, Burrowes sent Diddy’s mother a direct message. “Janice Smalls, I thought Sean had talent, and we began this as a family,” he said. “I too had a skill, and I succeeded. I protected your family, and you allowed yourself and your family to ruin mine. I’ll see you in court.
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Diddy is still being held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center for trial on a number of allegations, including sex trafficking, racketeering, and prostitution transportation, at the time of this most recent complaint. Since his arrest in September 2024, the “Gotta Move On” rapper has been denied bail on many occasions.
