Janice Combs, the mother of Sean “Diddy” Combs, is facing a lawsuit after allegedly assuming control of a 25 percent stake in Bad Boy Entertainment through fraud.
The lawsuit was filed by Kirk Burrowes, a co-founder of Bad Boy Entertainment, who claims he was forced to sign over his shares under the threat of violence from Diddy. According to reports from Rolling Stone, Burrowes alleges that he only recently discovered Combs’ involvement in the 1996 scheme to remove him from the company. He claims to have what he describes as “irrefutable evidence” that Janice Combs secretly received and unlawfully assumed control of his ownership stake.
Burrowes, who served as president of Bad Boy, says Combs betrayed him and that she conspired with her son to cut him out of the company. He also alleges that she assured him she would rectify what he calls the theft of his stake, and the two remained in contact as recently as 2021.
The lawsuit accuses Janice Combs of fraud, unjust enrichment, and deceptive business practices. Burrowes is seeking the return of his 25 percent stake in Bad Boy Entertainment, financial compensation, and a full audit of the company’s financial records. Neither Janice Combs nor Diddy have responded to the lawsuit.
Burrowes sued Diddy in 2003, claiming the hip-hop mogul stormed into his office with a baseball bat and forced him to sign away his ownership of Bad Boy. That case was dismissed due to the statute of limitations. He also claims that after being forced out in 1996, he was blacklisted from the entertainment industry.
Meanwhile, Janice Combs has been a vocal defender of her son amid the multiple sexual assault and sex trafficking allegations he has faced since 2023. In a statement released through her attorney last October, she condemned the accusations, calling them a “public lynching” and insisting that her son deserves his day in court.