S. Samuel
Bad Boy Records CEO Diddy has finally paid up civil suits aimed at him over the 1999 shooting that ultimately sent him to court and locked away Shyne for nearly ten years.
According to reports, Diddy secretly came to terms with multiple settlements sometime this year.
Sean “Diddy” Combs, his former protégé Jamal “Shyne” Barrow and the now-defunct Times Square hot spot struck a deal earlier this year with three clubgoers shot by Barrow in the notorious 1999 melee, court records show. The exact terms of the settlements were unknown because of confidentiality agreements between the parties, but former Club New York owner Michael Bergos, who did not sign the confidentiality deal, said the most seriously injured victim, Natania Reuben, was paid $1.8 million. Reuben, 40, was shot in the nose and suffered seizures because of seven bullet fragments still lodged in her face. (New York Post)
Additional reporting claims Shyne’s payouts were covered through insurance.
Two other victims were paid $500,000 and $50,000. Bergos said he was unsure who paid what amount in the deal, but Barrow’s and the club’s shares were picked up by insurance companies, while Diddy — who was acquitted in the criminal case related to the brawl — had to pay out of pocket because his insurance company had gone belly up. (New York Post)
Last summer, Shyne discussed Diddy not standing by him during their 2000 court battle over the shooting.
“I don’t know whether he was nervous, afraid,” Shyne says of Puffy. “When you’re afraid and you’re emotional, that’s a different survival tactic. Those are the people that do anything, regardless of character and integrity, to preserve and protect themselves, regardless of who they hurt. I guess maybe that was the situation. Never been in a situation like that, where he facing years, and he got hundreds of millions and all that shit at stake. But where I’m from, doesn’t matter. You lose everything for your comrade. Again, if you’re in battle, I’ll catch a bullet, too. It ain’t like, Yo, he’s dead. Don’t make no sense for me to die, too. Nah, I’ma die, too! So you hope or you take for granted that all men are the same. But I know all men are not.” (XXL Mag)
The shooting took place in late December 1999 resulting in multiple injuries.
The fracas broke out on December 27, 1999, at a Manhattan nightclub where Shyne, Sean “Diddy” Combs with then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez and their entourage had been partying. Around 3 a.m., Combs and Shyne allegedly began arguing with another group of patrons. Someone threw money at Combs, a gesture of disrespect, and guns started going off. Three bystanders were shot. Shyne, who police found with a pistol in his waistband, was arrested after bystanders identified him as one of the shooters. Shyne received a 10-year prison. Barrow has always claimed he acted in self-defense and only fired his gun after the other group, Matthew “Scar” Allen and his crew began shooting. (About)
Check out some recent Diddy footage down below:
