In a recent interview with The Art of Dialogue, former Bad Boy Records security officer Gene Deal claimed that Sean “Diddy” Combs deliberately mistreated singer Cassie Ventura, in part because of her admiration for the late Tupac Shakur.
Deal, who served as part of Diddy’s security team in the 1990s, explained how the mogul’s behavior changed depending on who was employed to protect him. “Puff never did no stupid shit around us,” Deal said, referring to licensed officers like himself. “People wasn’t going to lose their pensions and lose their jobs… We were mandated reporters.”
But according to Deal, when Combs began hiring street-connected security without professional licenses, accountability disappeared. “They gonna allow him to do whatever he want to do ’cause he could fire them in a minute,” Deal said. “That’s their livelihood. He holds them in the palm of his hand.”
The most disturbing part of the interview came when Deal suggested Diddy’s alleged abuse of Cassie was partially motivated by jealousy over her musical idol. “Cassie was a diehard Tupac fan,” he claimed. “And because Puff may have found that out… he treated her like that.”
Deal went further, alleging a longstanding obsession Diddy had with Tupac that extended beyond music. “In Kirk Burrow’s lawsuit, he states how obsessed Puff was with Tupac,” Deal said, referencing claims that Combs bought the same Versace shirts Pac wore and mimicked his Grammy speeches. “I believe he hated Pac that much to take it out on that little girl.”
Deal emphasized that other women in Diddy’s life, including Kim Porter and Sarah Chapman, also had affection for Tupac. However, he said Cassie was especially vulnerable. “He thought he could get away with it,” Deal added. “And I think it had something to do with that.”
