Diddy’s Mom Faces Lawsuit Over Stake in Bad Boy Entertainment

Janice Smalls, the mother of Sean “Diddy” Combs, is facing legal action over her majority stake in Bad Boy Entertainment. The lawsuit was filed by Kirk Burrowes, co-founder and former president of the label, and he accuses Smalls of participating in a scheme to defraud him of his rightful ownership in the company.

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According to court documents obtained by the Daily Mail, Burrowes alleges that in 1996 Diddy violently coerced him into signing away his 25 percent stake in Bad Boy Entertainment. He claims that Diddy, accompanied by the label’s attorney Kenneth Meiselas, ambushed him in his New York City office and used a baseball bat to intimidate him. Burrowes ultimately signed the agreement due to fear. The lawsuit states that Diddy later transferred the stake to his mother.

Although Smalls was not present during the alleged incident, Burrowes asserts that she directed the act and later pretended to be unaware when he reached out to her for advice. Now homeless, Burrowes claims he was blacklisted from the music industry, financially sabotaged, and deprived of the wealth he helped create for the label. He is seeking $100,000 in damages, reinstatement of his 25 percent ownership stake, his share of annual profits, and a full forensic audit of Bad Boy Entertainment’s financial records.

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This lawsuit comes after increased scrutiny over Diddy’s past business dealings with other Bad Boy members. Diddy made headlines in 2023 for returning publishing rights to several ex-label signees, including Ma$e, The LOX, and 112.

Smalls has not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit.