Tanya Blount of The War & Treaty Appalled by Allegations Against Diddy

The War and Treaty’s Tanya Blount, a former Bad Boys Records artist, is sharing her thoughts on allegations against the label’s founder, Sean “Diddy” Combs. These allegations have surfaced over the years.

Blount was signed to Bad Boys Records in the 1990s, although her album with the company was never released. “Puffy was interesting because being with him was like — we didn’t see this Puffy that people are talking about now,” she recalled on a recent episode of Bunnie XO’s Dumb Blonde podcast. “We never saw him drink, we never saw him smoke. I never saw that guy. Being around him was like school because you were literally learning while training.”

She added, “Everything has good and bad. I’m really appalled with the stuff I’m hearing about now. I had protection too. I was young but I had a manager who told me, ‘No you’re not going to that party.’ […] I also had God protecting me from whatever was happening. The people who experienced it, I really feel bad for them.”

A video obtained by CNN earlier this year and dated March 5, 2016, shows Combs appearing to shove his former partner, Cassie Ventura, to the ground near an elevator bank. He then kicks her several times while she lies on the ground and drags her down a hallway. This video mirrors an assault allegation Ventura made in a now-settled lawsuit filed against Diddy in November.

Shortly after, on May 19, Diddy took to social media to share a video of himself taking responsibility and apologizing for his actions in the disturbing clip. “It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that,” Diddy says in his Instagram video. “I was f—ed up. I mean, I hit rock bottom. But I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I’m disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it, I’m disgusted now.”

He continued, “I went out and sought professional help. Had to go into therapy, into rehab. Had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to being a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”

“The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs,” said Ventura’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, in a statement to Billboard. “Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”

Ventura was the first to accuse Diddy of sexual assault, filing a lawsuit in November. According to her attorneys, she “endured over a decade of his violent behavior and disturbed demands,” including repeated physical attacks and forcing her to “engage in sex acts with male sex workers” while he masturbated. The complaint states that after Ventura attempted to separate from him in 2018 following an on-and-off public relationship for 11 years, Combs allegedly “forced her into her home and raped her while she repeatedly said ‘no’ and tried to push him away.” The case was soon settled, but Combs was then sued by multiple other women who claimed they were sexually abused by the hip-hop mogul.

“ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,” Diddy wrote on Instagram in December. “For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”

Source: CNN, Billboard