In a personal essay for the New York Times, former Vibe Magazine editor-in-chief Danyel Smith claimed that Sean “Diddy” Combs allegedly threatened to see her “dead in the trunk of a car” following a disagreement over his December 1997/January 1998 cover treatment.
Smith recounted that she and the Bad Boy Records founder had a heated argument over his shoot, which was inspired by the poster for the 1978 Warren Beatty film “Heaven Can Wait.” Combs wanted to see the Vibe covers before they went to press, which was against the magazine’s policy. Smith refused his request, leading to a tense standoff.
“Combs wanted to see the Vibe covers before they went to press. It wasn’t our policy to show covers before publication,” Smith recalled. “After I told him no, we heard that he planned to come to our office and force us to show him what we’d chosen — and to make us choose something else if he didn’t like what he saw.”
Smith alleged that Combs called her office shortly after and made the chilling threat. “It was then that Combs told me, as I’ve retold hundreds of times over the years, that he would see me ‘dead in the trunk of a car.’ Not missing a beat, I told him he needed to take that threat back.”
According to Smith, Combs responded with a “vile laugh” and said, “[Expletive] you.” She further claimed that he knew her exact location, saying, “I know where you are right now. Right on Lexington.”
Smith reached out to her attorney and threatened legal action, prompting Combs to fax over an apology hours later. However, the situation escalated when the magazine’s servers were stolen from the office, with the completed issue saved on one of the servers. It was suspected that Diddy’s label was behind the theft. Fortunately, Vibe managed to salvage the issue thanks to their art director, who had the issue saved on a disk.
Smith’s story comes amid Diddy’s ongoing legal woes, as he faces several lawsuits accusing him of sex trafficking and sexual assault. Model Adria English is the latest person to hit the “I Need a Girl” rapper with a suit claiming he “groomed” her into sex trafficking.
In her essay, Smith also mentioned that Combs had a reputation for aggressive behavior. In 1996, he was found guilty of criminal mischief for threatening a photographer for the New York Post with a gun. Despite this, Smith felt compelled to have him on the cover, leading Vibe employees to devise a plan to keep her safe in case Combs appeared at the office.
Smith alleged that Combs entered the office with two security guards one day and asked the receptionist, “Where’s Danyel?” The employees, who had been notified of Combs’ arrival, “shuttled” Smith from office to office, allowing her to narrowly escape in a taxi with the paper proofs of the covers in hand.
The next day, Combs allegedly called the office again, insisting on seeing the covers. Smith stood firm, reiterating the magazine’s policy. It was during this call that Combs allegedly made the threat about finding her “dead in the trunk of a car.”
Smith threatened legal action, and within two hours of speaking to her personal attorney, Combs faxed over an apology. Despite this, the magazine’s servers were stolen shortly after the incident, leading to suspicions that crew members from Combs’ label, Bad Boy Entertainment, were involved. The issue was ultimately salvaged thanks to a backup copy.
Smith’s account comes as Combs faces multiple lawsuits alleging sexual assault, abuse, rape, and sex trafficking. Former adult film star Adria English recently filed a lawsuit against him, adding to the growing list of allegations. Ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura also filed a bombshell lawsuit against him in November, which has since been settled.
According to a recent report from NBC News, Combs is the focus of an ongoing federal criminal investigation into his sex trafficking allegations. Sources familiar with the matter said the producer’s legal team was notified about the probe by federal authorities in the Southern District of New York. A federal grand jury is reportedly hearing evidence as part of the investigation, though it’s unclear if formal charges will be brought.
Combs has previously denied all allegations made against him.
Source: New York Times, NBC News
