Amid an already surging saga of resurfacing videos or photos from the mogul's past, a newly unearthed photo has caught him and his then-girlfriend embroiled in a heated confrontation on what is now deemed a dreaded night, expanding sexual misconduct allegations against him per emerging reports.
The pictures released by DailyMail.com show Combs and his ex Jennifer Lopez, who dated from 1999 to 2001, entangled in a tiff at an afterparty for the 2000 MTV VMAs at a defunct Lotus nightclub in New York City. Reportedly snapped on September 7, 2000, these pictures depicting trouble in the little Diddy-JLo paradise at the time were taken on the same night the Bad Boy Records founder is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in the presence of two unspecified celebrities.
What appears to have happened between Diddy and Jennifer Lopez that night?
"Diddy held a Cristal champagne bottle the entire time serving his guests," a source has now spoken out, contextualising the pictures. Even in the zoomed-out version of the snaps swarming with the party-attending crowd's revelry, the now-disgraced rapper and Lopez's altercation catches the attention. 'Jenny from the Block' is seen furiously shouting at her then-partner in the newly released images. She is believed to have walked out on him eventually. The VMA afterparty was reportedly co-hosted by Eminem and Dr Dre, with numerous A-listers, including Jay-Z, Ben Stiller, celebrity magician David Blaine and Damon Dash, among others, attending.
Other pictures also show proof of Lopez's sister, Lynda, attending the event and standing beside Jennifer as the altercations unfolded. The former couple's entourage included her sister, Lopez's longtime manager Benny Medina, record executive Damon Dash and other members, including a group of girls. Earlier that night, Lopez, in an all-white outfit, was pictured alongside Diddy at the 2000 VMAs at Radio City Music Hall. It was an especially special night for the "Waiting for Tonight" crooner as she had snagged the Best Dance Video for her hit track.
"Everyone was dancing and enjoying themselves, but as the night progressed, tensions rose between him and JLo," the source, who was seemingly present at the scene and witnessed the former couple butting heads, confessed. The party guest also claimed that in the aftermath of this spat with his then-girlfriend, the 'Bad Boy for Life' left the place early on, accompanied by a group of girls and his entourage. Per the eyewitness' insight, Jen also left with him.
It remains unclear what ultimately led to the souring of moods and the escalating tension between the pair, even though they were initially eager to celebrate Lopez's big win. The angry exchange inevitably rendered the vibe awkward, with stunned observers trying to make sense of the scene.
Brief overview of the then-13-year-old accuser's allegations
These eyebrow-raising pictures have emerged hot on the heels of Diddy being barraged with one lawsuit after another. One of these recently filed complaints alleges that Combs sexually assaulted a young girl on the same night. No other celebrity has been directly named in the suit, but it maintains that the purported incident occurred at a house quite a distance from the nightclub. Despite the heated exchange between Diddy and Lopez that night in September 2000, they did not split up for months and only went their separate ways in February 2001.
According to a 19-page legal document, the plaintiff, who was 13 at the time, had hoped to snake into the VMA ceremony without a ticket. When unsuccessful, she came across Diddy's driver and was told to come back after the show. While Combs has denied the allegations, the accuser also claims that an unspecified male celebrity raped her as the rapper and a female celebrity watched.
