Diddy’s former publicist reveals the moment disgraced star’s ‘dark side’ took over… and how jail won’t stop him
As Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is finally sentenced to over four years behind bars, his ex-publicist revealed how the rap mogul’s ‘dark side’ took a turn for the worse.
Rob Shuter, Combs’ former publicist, revealed to the Daily Mail the disgraced star’s downward spiral and the ‘sick’ way Combs is likely reveling in the fame brought on by the trial that ended in a shock sentence of 50 months in jail.
On October 3, Combs hung his head as he received his sentence for prostitution charges and was further slapped with a $500,000 fine for the ‘savage’ abuse of his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
Shuter, however, believes Combs is far from receding from the spotlight and firmly declared that ‘Diddy not only can recover, he will recover.’
Yet, after working with Diddy for many years, Shuter admitted that Combs’ ‘dark side’ took over in disturbing ways as his fame grew.
‘When I was with him, there was a dark side to him. You know, he was moody, he was grumpy, he could be very impatient, he could be violent. However, it was probably about ten percent of what I saw,’ Shuter told the Daily Mail.
‘As time grew, as his fame grew, as the power he had grew, as the pressure grew, that ten percent expanded.’
The publicist conceded that fame, particularly at such a level as Diddy’s, can take its toll on stars.
Rob Shuter, Combs’ former publicist, revealed to the Daily Mail the disgraced star’s downward spiral and the ‘sick’ way Combs is likely reveling in the fame brought on by the trial that ended in a shock sentence of 50 months in jail
Combs was sentenced on Friday for his prostitution conviction in a stunning fall from grace for the disgraced rap mogul
Sean Combs was found guilty of flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters, a felony violation of the federal Mann Act
‘I think there’s a lot of pressure in fame, and I don’t wanna be like “boo hoo poor celebrities, they’re all rich and too many people and bothering them.” There’s a real sense of being watched, of not being prepared for that,’ he continued.
‘Every time you’re on a red carpet, there’s pressure to perform. There’s pressure to be a dancing jester, and so after a while you get sick of that person and I think maybe that’s one of the reasons Diddy always changed his name.’
The rap mogul went by many names throughout his career, including Puffy, P. Diddy, and Puff Daddy.
‘He got sick of these people so he became a new person,’ Shuter added.
But Combs’ dark side would eventually lead him to a courthouse in New York and then to his prison cell after being found guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
While evading more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering after he was acquitted, Combs’ trial became one of the most talked about after his 2024 indictment.
Shuter said, however, that he never saw the monster that Combs was painted out to be – at first.
‘When Cassie sued, I thought that she was a gold digger and I believed the Diddy spin – that this is somebody who is after his money – and it wasn’t until that tape was released did I change my mind,’ he said.
Ventura is pictured heavily pregnant as she headed to court for the final day of her testimony on May 16 after four days of recounting the horrific abuse she experienced at the hands of Diddy
Shuter said that ‘peak Diddy’ is happening right now, and the disgraced star would find the attention brought on by the trial a mark of success
The tape showed Combs assaulting Ventura in the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles and went viral as the world was horrified by the violent scenes.
Combs was seen dragging Ventura down the hallway and throwing what appeared to be a vase at her.
Shuter admitted: ‘I feel really foolish now. I was saying that the side of Diddy that I saw was not that Diddy, and I didn’t believe that other side existed until that tape.’
However, according to his former publicist, Combs would see his current infamous reputation as a success.
‘Peak Diddy is right now and there’s a sick, perverse part of Puffy that is enjoying what is happening right now,’ Shuter said.
Shuter claimed that Combs’ always had goals of being ‘on the nightly news’ and ‘on the cover of newspapers,’ and through the trial he is ‘now the most talked about person in the world.’
‘There’s a sickness, I know this man, that he finally got what he wanted. For not the reason he wanted, but he now is what he always wanted to be – the most famous person in the world,’ he continued.
‘I think this is the peak of what he would consider success, which is attention.’
Shuter said that he never saw the monster that Combs was painted out to be until the video of Combs assaulting Ventura emerged
Damage after the altercation on March 5, 2016, in a photograph taken in the hallway of the Los Angeles hotel which was entered as evidence in Diddy’s trial
Despite the stain that the allegations against Combs and the trial that ensued brought upon the rap mogul, Shuter can see Diddy bouncing back into fame and success once more.
‘Diddy not only can recover, he will recover,’ Shuter continued.
Combs’ career was paved by what Shuter called marketing and PR ‘genius’ from the star.
‘He always knew how to not only expand a deal, but to make sure that he became the center of it. I used to joke that he could shrink to fit. If Puffy needed to be a square to fit a square hole, he’d be a square… If Puffy needed to be a Republican, he’d be a Republican,’ Shuter said.
‘It was a real skill. I think its easy to say this is pushy, this is vulgar, or this is rude. I don’t think that’s the case, I think it’s brilliant. I think he is a marketing, a PR genius. And if I was successful at all in that field, its because I learnt at the feet of Puffy.’
Rumors have already begun to surface of an upcoming tour as Combs’ continues to sit behinds bars, Shuter said.
‘He won’t stop, he can’t stop. He will be back at Madison Square Garden, I’m hearing rumors of tour plans already. There’ll be a documentary that’s made. He’ll turn this into a movie,’ he continued.
The publicist painted a disturbing image of the disgraced rap mogul, and said Combs ‘doesn’t feel the emotions we do.’
Despite the frigid air early on the morning of October 3, hordes of people lined up outside the New York City courtroom eager to learn the outcome of Diddy’s sentencing
Diddy wept at several moments in his sentencing on October 3 before he was handed the prison stint
‘He doesn’t have the shame that we do, and so he’s gonna figure out how to make this a plus,’ Shuter said.
However, despite the outrage that the trial stirred, it was obvious to Shuter that Combs’ spotlight had not been dimmed.
Many fans were seen calling for the star’s release throughout Combs’ legal woes, with many posted outside of the courthouse showing their support.
‘You saw it outside the trial – I went down to the trial – and there was a lot of fans outside screaming and shouting and had more passion to him that I’ve maybe seen in ten years,’ Shuter said.
‘He has energized his base, he will play a racial element to this and get people very very excited…As sick as it is he’s gonna figure out how to make this a plus.’
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