Diddy’s Mom Sued By Bad Boy Entertainment Co-Founder Over Ownership Stake

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ mother, Janice Smalls, is facing a new lawsuit over her majority stake in Bad Boy Entertainment.

According to legal documents obtained by Daily Mail on Wednesday (February 26), the lawsuit, filed by Kirk Burrowes, co-founder and former president of the label, alleges that Smalls played a role in a decades-long scheme to defraud him of his rightful ownership.

Burrowes claims that in 1996, Diddy used a baseball bat to intimidate him into signing over his 25 percent stake in the company, which was later transferred to Smalls. Burrowes states that he was ambushed in his New York City office by Diddy and Bad Boy Entertainment attorney Kenneth Meiselas. The lawsuit describes how Burrowes, fearing for his life, was forced to sign away his shares while in tears. Smalls was not present at the time, but Burrowes alleges she directed the act and later feigned ignorance when he sought her guidance.

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Burrowes, who claims he is now homeless, accuses Smalls of engaging in “intimidation, violence, fraudulent misrepresentation, and financial concealment” to maintain control over the label. He claims that after being pushed out, he was blacklisted from the music industry, sabotaged financially and deprived of the wealth he helped generate for the company.

He is now seeking $100,000, he asserts he is owed, along with additional damages, reinstatement of his 25% ownership stake, his annual share of profits and a full forensic audit of Bad Boy Entertainment’s financial records.

The lawsuit against Smalls comes as Diddy’s past dealings with former Bad Boy artists continue to draw scrutiny.

In 2023, Diddy made headlines for returning publishing rights to several artists once signed to Bad Boy Entertainment, including Ma$e, The LOX and 112. However, former Bad Boy rapper Mark Curry was vocal about his dissatisfaction with the move, claiming that the publishing rights had lost their value and were now worth less than $500 per year.

Curry, best known for his feature on Diddy’s 2001 hit “Bad Boy for Life” dismissed Diddy’s gesture as an attempt to stay relevant.

“Diddy gave the publishing back… So what? It has no value,” Curry said, arguing that financial compensation would have been a more meaningful restitution.