In a new podcast, The Trial of Diddy, former employees have spoken out about Sean “Diddy” Combs’ behavior during his early career as a young music executive, painting a picture of a workplace filled with abuse and outbursts. The podcast features former colleagues who describe Diddy as a “walking nightmare” who often berated his staff, contributing to a toxic work environment.
Pam Lewis-Rudden, who worked as Diddy’s assistant at Uptown Records in the early 1990s, is one of the voices featured in the podcast. She revealed that Diddy’s temper and frequent verbal abuse made it difficult for her and others to continue working under him. “He called me b***h one time too many,” said Lewis-Rudden. She went on to describe how Diddy would often use demeaning language, not just in private, but in front of the entire office. “It wasn’t like you were in a room, and he was saying it to you one-on-one. It was like in front of the whole office,” she recounted. The constant hostility eventually led her to leave the company.
Lewis-Rudden’s experiences are echoed by other individuals who worked with Diddy during his time at Uptown Records, a label that managed some of the biggest stars in the 1990s, including Mary J. Blige and Jodeci. Despite his success in discovering talent, Diddy’s behavior toward employees and colleagues strained many relationships, including his dynamic with Uptown’s CEO Andre Harrell. In 1993, Harrell famously fired Diddy, but he later explained that the decision wasn’t out of malice. According to Harrell, Diddy’s rebellious energy and relentless drive were incompatible with the environment at Uptown.
“Puff wouldn’t really listen to anyone but me, so my full-time job became managing Puff,” Harrell explained in a 2014 interview with The Wall Street Journal. “I didn’t do it to hurt him, but I knew it was time to let him grow.” Harrell elaborated that a final disagreement over artistic direction, particularly regarding the debut album of The Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls), convinced him that it was time for Diddy to leave and start his own venture.
Diddy later acknowledged his role in the firing, attributing it to his passion and lack of understanding of workplace protocol. “I got fired because there can’t be two kings in one castle,” he said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. He added that his fiery spirit was difficult to contain, leading to clashes with Harrell’s more diplomatic leadership style.
Despite these early challenges, Diddy went on to establish Bad Boy Records, which would become one of the most successful music labels in the 1990s and early 2000s. His story of entrepreneurial success, however, is now being revisited as part of The Trial of Diddy, with former colleagues providing a behind-the-scenes look at his complicated rise to fame.
The podcast also features insights from a former LAPD detective and one of Diddy’s musical protégés, offering listeners a fuller understanding of the man behind the mogul. While his career has been marked by unprecedented success, the allegations brought forth in the podcast suggest that Diddy’s rise to the top came at a high cost for many who worked alongside him.
For those interested in learning more about the revelations regarding Diddy’s early career, the The Trial of Diddy podcast is available on all major platforms.
