A new Sean Combs doc reveals fresh allegations: Biggest takeaways from ‘The Fall of Diddy'

Los Angeles Times

28-01-2025

As Sean 'Diddy' Combs awaits his May trial on federal charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering, the disgraced hip-hop mogul's rise and fall is being examined once again in another documentary.
Investigation Discovery's new docuseries 'The Fall of Diddy,' which concludes Tuesday, depicts Combs as a man prone to violent outbursts who used his power to keep survivors, as well as those in his inner circle, from speaking out about any alleged abuse or misconduct. Featuring interviews with Combs' former employees, collaborators, friends and accusers, the four-part documentary from the producers of 'Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV' is also available to stream on Max.
'The Fall of Diddy' arrives on the heels of Peacock's special 'Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy,' which premiered earlier this month. Both documentaries follow Combs' September arrest as well as numerous accusations — including from former girlfriend Casandra Ventura — of sexual and physical abuse. Combs, who has denied all allegations, is currently being held in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center and recently filed a defamation lawsuit against one of his accusers, Courtney Burgess, Burgess' attorney and Nexstar Media Inc. — the parent company of NewsNation.
ID's docuseries touches on earlier moments from Combs' career, including his time at Howard University and his alleged involvement in a 1999 shooting; dives into his relationship with 'Cassie' Ventura — former Combs staffers talk about the alleged abuse they witnessed — and features new allegations from an ex-girlfriend. Here are three of the biggest takeaways from the final two installments of 'The Fall of Diddy.'
Actor Kat Pasion, who briefly dated Combs after his split with Ventura, revisits her relationship with the rap mogul and alleges that he forced himself on her one night in 2021.
After detailing how she became drawn to Combs despite his reputation, Pasion recalled a time when the two of them had watched a documentary about R. Kelly. According to Pasion, as Combs left her room, he said to her, 'There's a little bit of R. Kelly in all of us.'
'I remember being like, 'There is not a little bit of R. Kelly in all of us,'' said Pasion, 'but I wasn't absorbing the severity of that statement until later.'
After some time apart, Pasion said she returned to Combs' orbit more as a friend while he was recording 'The Love Album' in 2021. One night, after Combs allegedly took a recreational drug, Pasion said he woke her up and forced himself on her.
'It was just scary,' said Pasion, who did not want to get into the details of the alleged incident. 'It wasn't consensual.'
In response to inquiries about the new docuseries, Combs' legal team told the Hollywood Reporter in a statement, 'These documentaries are rushing to cash in on the media circus surrounding Mr. Combs. The producers failed to provide sufficient time or details for his representatives to address unsubstantiated claims, many from unidentified participants whose allegations lack context. By withholding this information, they made it impossible for Mr. Combs to present facts to counter these fabricated accusations. This production is clearly intended to present a one-sided and prejudicial narrative. As we've said before, Mr. Combs cannot respond to every publicity stunt or facially ridiculous claim.'
Thalia Graves, who filed a lawsuit against Combs in September, spoke out in 'The Fall of Diddy' about her alleged 2001 encounter with the rapper.
According to Graves, Combs drugged, bound and violently raped her at Bad Boy studios after reaching out to her in the guise of wanting to discuss her then-boyfriend's job performance. She discussed the alleged attack and running out of the studio 'terrified' after she came to.
'I just didn't want to die,' said Graves. 'I was scared, not just for my life, I was scared for my parents finding out. … And I didn't want to go to the police because I was in the middle of a child custody battle and a divorce.'
Graves also said Combs threatened her into silence, but she eventually came forward after learning in 2023 that the alleged attack on a pool table was recorded and shown to others.
'Why would somebody record raping somebody and then show it to other people?' asked Graves.
In a statement to the filmmakers, Combs' attorneys said, 'Mr. Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court the truth will prevail: that the accusations against Mr. Combs are pure fiction.'
Combs' former personal chef Jourdan Cha'Taun, bodyguard Roger Bonds and makeup artist Mylah Morales are among the interview subjects who discussed in 'The Fall of Diddy' the abuse they said they witnessed by the rapper against then-girlfriend Ventura.
Ventura, who previously settled her 2023 lawsuit alleging rape and abuse, is cited as the catalyst for more accusers coming forward and the federal indictment that followed. In May, CNN obtained a video of Combs attacking Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel.
Morales described an instance when Combs allegedly attacked Ventura one night in a hotel room. Bonds, meanwhile, detailed attempting to break up an alleged altercation between Combs and Ventura by throwing them in his car, where the alleged attack continued while Bonds drove.
Cha'Taun said, after she found out that Combs was allegedly abusing Ventura, Bonds told her that 'he was beating the s— out of her' and that he thought Combs was going to kill her. She also said Combs, after finding out that they were discussing the alleged abuse, threatened to 'end' her if she told anybody about it.
'He never once said it didn't happen,' said Cha'Taun.
Bonds also seemingly corroborated allegations that Ventura was forced to participate in 'freak-offs' with other men. The former bodyguard said he saw male visitors around Combs and Ventura's hotel room, where they spent weekends.
'I've seen questionable things, but I never knew exactly what was going on,' said Bonds.