Diddy accused by business partner of ‘repeated sexual harassment’ and violence to steal his stake in Bad Boy Entertainment

Warning: The article contains details of alleged sexual harassment and abuse. Please read with caution.

Sean “Diddy” Combs is now on the receiving end of some of the most damning accusations yet. This time, it’s personal — so personal, in fact, that it’s coming from his own former business partner.

Kirk Burrowes, the co-founder of Bad Boy Entertainment and its former president, has filed an 18-page legal complaint against Diddy that doesn’t just accuse him of toxic behavior but paints him as someone who used abuse, coercion, and outright violence to climb to the top. Burrowes, who helped build Bad Boy Entertainment into the industry powerhouse it became in the 1990s, alleges that this behavior spanned more than a decade — starting during the label’s formative years. 

In his legal complaint, Burrowes alleges that between 1992 and 1994, Diddy forced him to witness explicit sexual acts under the guise of it being part of the “culture” of the entertainment industry. According to the lawsuit, Diddy would summon Burrowes into his office under false pretenses, only for him to walk in and find Diddy mid-sexual act with employees, interns, or prospective artists.

By 1995, Burrowes claims Diddy’s behavior escalated to physical coercion. In one alleged incident during a business trip, Diddy demanded that Burrowes watch him masturbate. Later that same year, Burrowes accuses Diddy of pinning him down on a bed and simulating intercourse until he ejaculated. If that wasn’t enough, Burrowes recalls being subjected to inappropriate touching and requests for sexual favors, including being asked to perform acts on Diddy or use objects on him anally.

One of the most alarming claims in the lawsuit involves a 1996 incident where Diddy allegedly stormed into Burrowes’ office, wielding a baseball bat. According to Burrowes, Diddy demanded that he sign over his 25% stake in Bad Boy Entertainment, threatening violent repercussions if he refused. Out of fear, Burrowes says he complied. Even after Burrowes left Bad Boy Entertainment, he alleges that Diddy’s harassment didn’t stop. In fact, the lawsuit details incidents as recent as 2022, where Diddy is accused of personally contacting industry executives to label Burrowes as untrustworthy.

Then there are the public humiliations. In one particularly disturbing incident at a Diana Ross birthday party in 2019, Burrowes claims Diddy aggressively grabbed him in a fake “bearhug,” groped him, and slapped him on the rear in front of others. It was Diddy’s alleged way of reminding Burrowes who held the power, even decades after their professional relationship had ended.

Diddy is already facing a mountain of legal trouble, from sexual misconduct allegations to federal charges of sex trafficking. While he’s pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges and has denied the various civil allegations, the sheer number of claims — and the consistency of the patterns they describe — paints a damning picture. The allegations from Burrowes are particularly significant because they come from someone who was once an insider. Diddy once famously said, “Can’t stop, won’t stop.” But maybe it’s time he (and his legal team) did.