In a personal essay for the New York Times, former Vibe Magazine editor-in-chief Danyel Smith detailed a disturbing incident with Sean “Diddy” Combs. Smith claimed that Diddy threatened her life following a disagreement over his December 1997/January 1998 magazine cover.
The conflict began when Diddy demanded to see the Vibe covers before they went to print, which was against the magazine’s policy. The cover shoot, inspired by the 1978 film “Heaven Can Wait,” led to a heated exchange between Smith and the Bad Boy Records mogul.
Smith explained, “Combs wanted to see the Vibe covers before they went to press. It wasn’t our policy to show covers before publication.” After she refused his request, rumors spread that Diddy planned to visit the office to view and possibly change the cover.
Smith recounted that Diddy called her office and threatened, “I’ll see you dead in the trunk of a car.” She stood firm and demanded he retract the threat. Diddy allegedly laughed and replied with a curse before hanging up.
Smith contacted her attorney and threatened legal action, prompting Diddy to fax an apology shortly thereafter. Following the confrontation, Vibe’s office servers were stolen, including the completed issue featuring Diddy. Smith suspected Bad Boy Records’ involvement, but the issue was saved thanks to an art director who had a backup.
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