New Lawsuit Targets Diddy's Inner Circle: This Time, His Mother Is Accused

Sean "Diddy" Combs' legal battle has taken an unexpected turn as his mother, Janice Smalls, is also now facing a lawsuit. The suit accuses her of playing a role in a decades-long scheme to control Bad Boy Entertainment.

Filed by Kirk Burrowes, the label's co-founder, the lawsuit alleges fraud, intimidation, and financial concealment in a bid to maintain control over the iconic music empire.

Burrowes claims that in 1996, Diddy violently coerced him into giving up his 25% stake in Bad Boy Entertainment. According to legal documents obtained by the Daily Mail, Diddy and Bad Boy's lawyer Kenneth Meiselas confronted him at his New York office, where Diddy allegedly brandished a baseball bat to intimidate him into giving up his shares. These shares were later transferred to Janice Smalls.

Burrowes, who now claims to be homeless, maintains that although Smalls was not physically present during the incident, she orchestrated the plan and then pretended to be unaware of the situation when he sought her guidance.

He claims to have been blacklisted from the music industry, financially sabotaged and deprived of the wealth he helped generate for the label.

Claims and demands

The suit demands $100,000 in unpaid earnings, reinstatement of Burrowes' 25% stake, annual profit sharing and a full forensic audit of Bad Boy Entertainment's finances.

This new legal front opens up at a time when Diddy is facing multiple personal accusations, including criminal charges for sex trafficking and racketeering, as well as numerous civil lawsuits for sexual misconduct. In addition, his mother has been a key figure in his public defense, expressing her support and denying the accusations against her son.

Context of the accusations

The allegations against Janice Smalls add to a series of controversies surrounding Bad Boy Entertainment. In recent years, Diddy has returned publishing rights to artists including Ma$e, The LOX and 112, though some former artists at the label have questioned the value of these gestures.

Although there have been no public statements from Janice Smalls regarding these accusations, her legal team is likely to respond to the allegations in the coming days. The lawsuit against her represents a new chapter in the legal saga surrounding Diddy Combs and his business empire.

Diddy Combs has been in custody since September 16, 2024, facing accusations of human trafficking and sexual abuse. His mother, Janice Combs, has come to his defense, calling the accusations a "public lynching" and saying that her son deserves to prove his innocence in court.