Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former personal assistant gave explosive testimony in court on Tuesday, recounting a late-night confrontation involving Combs and his longtime rival, Suge Knight. The assistant, David James, claimed that during his time working for Combs between 2007 and 2009, the music mogul once ordered him to drive to Mel’s Diner in Los Angeles — with three handguns in the car — in an apparent effort to confront Knight.
According to James, the incident occurred near the end of his tenure. Around 4 a.m., he and Combs’ security guard, Damion “D-Roc” Butler, had gone to Mel’s Diner to pick up food. While in the parking lot, Butler spotted Knight nearby and approached him, reportedly saying, “It’s me, D-Roc, Biggie’s boy,” referencing the late rapper Notorious B.I.G., whose 1997 murder remains unsolved. Knight allegedly responded, “What are you doing in my city?” before the two exchanged a seemingly cordial handshake.
While inside ordering food, James said he noticed four black SUVs arriving and saw a man hand a gun to Knight. Alarmed, Butler told James, “We got to f—ing go,” and they quickly returned to Combs’ Hollywood Hills home.
There, James testified, Combs directed them to switch cars — moving into a black Cadillac Escalade — and told James to drive back to the diner. As they headed out, James looked back and saw Combs in the backseat with three handguns in his lap.
“It was the first time I realized my life was in danger,” James told the court. Though he felt a “weird sense of calm,” he said he was unsettled by the presence of the guns and Combs’ apparent determination.
When they returned to the diner about 10 minutes later, Knight was no longer there. Combs told James to circle the area, but they were unable to find him.
Days later, James submitted his resignation, though he gave six months’ notice. When asked by Combs’ attorney why he complied with what seemed like a potentially violent mission, James replied, “I didn’t think I had the option to say something.”
James also described his time working for Combs as grueling, often logging 20-hour days for weeks at a time. He recalled a common phrase used by Combs’ security team: “Do you know what rhymes with ‘tired’? ‘Fired.’”
The testimony adds to the mounting allegations against Combs, who is facing multiple legal challenges related to his past conduct. Suge Knight is currently serving a prison sentence for an unrelated fatal hit-and-run.
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