‘Only reason I’m not dead...’: Did Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs almost kill Sony exec years ago?

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is not new to legal battles due to his violent temperament. Years before he faced the current charges, he was accused of aggressive behaviour towards American record executive Steve Stoute.   

It took place in 1999 during the making of Nas’ song ‘Hate Me Now,’ in which Diddy appeared. In the video, he was seen wearing a crown of thorns and posing as though he were crucified on a cross.  

Not new to violence 

At first, Diddy approved the final cut, but he changed his mind just before its release. However, since Sony had spent $14,000 on the scene’s production, they refused to remove it. 

Later, Diddy and his associates went to Stoute’s office to confront him. According to the Los Angeles Times, Stoute said, “One minute I’m in the middle of a meeting, and the next minute I’m down on the floor, and Puffy and his guys are kicking and pounding me.”  

“Then Puffy throws my desk over and they just walk out like nothing happened,” he added. “I was laying there on the floor bleeding. My jaw and my head were all swollen. I couldn’t move my arm. It was a traumatic experience, and in the middle of it, I didn’t know exactly how to feel. I was upset. Embarrassed. Scared. Angry. As far as I’m concerned, this was an attempt on my life. The only reason I’m not dead is because they missed.” 

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Diddy arrested 

After Stoute reported the incident, police arrested Diddy on felony charges. He could have been in prison for seven years if he was actually convicted on the charges at the time. Stoute believed, “If this kind of behavior is allowed to go unpenalized, it’ll be like an invitation for extortion in the music business.”