Bay Boy’s co-founding partner Kirk Burrowes is suing Sean “Diddy” Combs’ mom Janice Combs with claims she secretly and unlawfully assumed control of his 25 percent ownership stake in the record label after her son allegedly coerced Burrowes into signing over his share under threat of physical violence.
In a new lawsuit filed Wednesday in Manhattan federal court, Burrowes claims he only recently learned about Janice’s alleged “fraudulent concealment” of her role in the purported 1996 effort to wrest away his ownership stake and that his allegation is not barred by the normal six-year statute of limitations. He claims an investigation that started last year uncovered “irrefutable evidence” that in or around 1998, Janice “secretly received and unlawfully [assumed] control of [his] 25% ownership stake in BBE.”
Burrowes, who was Bad Boy’s president before his dramatic ouster, previously sued Sean Combs and lawyer Kenneth Meiselas for allegedly cheating him out of $25 million. He alleged that in May 1996, Combs stormed into his office wielding a baseball bat and forced him, under duress, to sign a contract that forfeited his ownership rights. His lawsuit was eventually dismissed as beyond the statute of limitations.
The new lawsuit filed Wednesday by lawyer Tyrone Blackburn claims Burrowes was “ruthlessly betrayed” by Janice when she allegedly conspired with her son to consolidate power and exclude him from the company that he helped start. Janice, identified in the lawsuit as Janice Smalls, purportedly shifted blame entirely onto her son as she remained in contact with Burrowes over the ensuing years, his lawsuit claims.
“Smalls carefully maintained a facade of integrity, portraying herself as an innocent bystander while orchestrating plaintiff’s financial and professional downfall behind the scenes,” the 53-page filing obtained by Rolling Stone states. “Through false assurances and calculated deceit, defendant Smalls led plaintiff to believe that she had no knowledge of the fraudulent transfer, effectively suppressing any opportunity for plaintiff to reclaim his rightful stake in [Bad Boy].”
Attempts to reach a lawyer or spokesperson for Janice were not immediately successful Wednesday. Sean Combs, meanwhile, remains in custody in Brooklyn awaiting criminal trial on sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
According to the new lawsuit, Janice falsely reassured him over the years that she would help “rectify the theft of his ownership interest.” He says that never happened, and instead he was “blacklisted” and left “destitute.” He claims that as recently as 2021, Janice sought his expertise and assistance while developing a historical documentary on the history of Bad Boy. Burrowes claims he agreed to provide assistance, but that Janice subsequently reneged on their agreement of compensation.
Burrowes’ new fraud lawsuit also includes claims for unjust enrichment and deceptive business practices. He’s asking for compensatory damages of the value of his 25 percent ownership stake or the return of his ownership interest. He’s also seeking an independent audit of Bad Boy’s earnings from its inception and punitive damages.
From Rolling Stone US
