What happened between Diddy and Tyson Beckford? Actor speaks out on decade-old beef with label mogul 

Supermodel Tyson Beckford was once the face of Diddy’s Sean John clothing line — a high-profile partnership that initially looked promising. But behind the scenes, the business arrangement began to deteriorate and eventually ended up in court. In a candid interview, Beckford revealed he was never fully paid for his work, despite being owed $1.2 million:

“I still to this day don’t understand what was going on because I thought we were a good fit,” Beckford said. “He reached out to me and Bethann [Hardison]… I don’t know man; I heard rumors that they felt like I was getting too big.”

What began as a creative partnership soured into a prolonged contract dispute that Beckford still doesn’t fully understand. Beckford eventually took legal action against Diddy, suing for $5 million after receiving only two of the four promised payments.

“So we ended up going to court over the rest of the payment, which was just heartbreaking,” he shared.

Despite his rising profile and punctual professionalism—“I show up on set on time”—he was told to walk out on the job.

“I actually had to pick up the phone and my manager was like ‘Walk out. Walk out right now.’… I never did that on a job before, walk out like that. It was so unbecoming and it was just sad.”

Black Rob warned Tyson Beckford: Trouble was coming

Beckford recalled that the late rapper Black Rob tried to warn him about what might come from working with Diddy.

“I remember the late great Black Rob telling me, ‘You gon’ run into some problems,’” he said.

At the time, Tyson Beckford didn’t think much of it. But in hindsight,the warning feels more grounded.

“I didn’t think about it and didn’t really digest what he was saying, but I get it. It’s all good.”

The experience shook Tyson Beckford, who expected mutual respect from someone he considered a brother.

“It was just sad and it was like ‘Yo, we supposed to be brothers. Why we can’t get this done?’” he said.

Even after winning the case, Beckford said the money eventually went to the United Negro College Fund—another twist he still doesn’t fully understand.

The settlement didn't bring closure

Though Tyson Beckford ultimately prevailed in court, he considers the situation a personal loss. The emotional toll lingered longer than any financial hit.

“To this day I’m still mesmerized by what happened,” he admitted. “I never got, like, a full explanation or an apology but it is what it is.”

And while he holds no public grudge, the incident left a sour taste.

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“All I did was chalk it up as a loss and keep it moving.”

Instead of letting the situation define him, Beckford kept rising—returning to modeling, acting, and even mentoring the next generation on Make Me a Supermodel.

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