Janice Smalls Combs, the 84-year-old mother of Diddy, is firing back at what she calls a baseless lawsuit accusing her of helping her son swindle a former Bad Boy Entertainment partner out of millions, according to a new report by AllHipHop.
In Manhattan federal court, Kirk Burrowes is suing Diddy, longtime attorney Kenneth Meiselas, and Combs, claiming they conspired in the ’90s to strip him of his 25% ownership stake and 15% profit share in the label. According to Burrowes, Combs allegedly played “clean-up crew” after he was pressured to sign away his rights in 1996.
Combs says the claims are false. In newly filed court papers, she insists, “I have never owned a piece of Bad Boy” and had “zero involvement” in any alleged scheme. She adds that she hasn’t even lived in New York since 2012, noting she has been in Florida “minding my business and paying taxes like everyone else.”
Burrowes has pursued this case before—in 2003 and again in state court—both times dismissed for being too late. Combs’ legal team calls this third attempt “frivolous” and “preposterous.”
Burrowes also claims Combs admitted involvement during a 2019 Diana Ross party, but her lawyers argue that even if that were true, the statute of limitations had long expired before the 2025 filing. They further contend the fraud allegations lack required evidence, the “unjust enrichment” and “conversion” counts are duplicates, and “civil conspiracy” is not a valid New York claim without an underlying crime.
For Combs, the message is simple: she wants out of what she calls a “legal circus.” The judge has yet to rule, and Burrowes’ camp remains silent.
