Ex-bodyguard Gene Deal claims Diddy treated Cassie badly over her 'love' for Tupac

Gene Deal, who previously served as Sean "Diddy" Combs's bodyguard, has claimed that Diddy reacted negatively upon discovering that his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, admired the late rapper Tupac Shakur. In a recent interview with The Art of Dialogue, Deal stated:

"He didn't like the fact that she liked Tupac."

Gene Deal elaborated that Diddy believed anyone who admired Tupac was not loyal to him. Gene Deal suggested that Diddy's jealousy extended to attempting to associate with women he believed had connections to Tupac. He added:

“He was knocking down all the women that he thought Pac was knocking down. And what I mean is having sex with him.”

In other words, Diddy tried to distance Cassie from any link to Tupac, and Deal says that this jealousy led to frequent clashes between Diddy and Cassie.

Cassie filed a lawsuit against Diddy in 2023, alleging abuse

In November 2023, Cassie Ventura filed a lawsuit against Sean "Diddy" Combs, accusing him of rape, sex trafficking, and physical abuse during their relationship, which began in 2005. The lawsuit claimed that Diddy subjected her to a decade-long cycle of abuse and violence. The following day, the parties reached an undisclosed settlement.

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Surveillance footage from 2016 shows Diddy assaulting Cassie

In May 2024, CNN released surveillance footage from 2016 that appeared to show Sean "Diddy" Combs physically assaulting Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway. The video showed a man, identified as Diddy, grabbing, shoving, dragging, and kicking Cassie. This footage was part of the evidence presented in the ongoing federal trial against Combs. Deal said of the video on The Art of Dialogue's YouTube channel in May 2024:

“He said y’all just keep watching, the truth will soon come out. And you see what came out?”

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Cassie testified in Diddy's federal trial in 2025

In May 2025, Cassie Ventura testified in the federal trial against Sean "Diddy" Combs, detailing instances of emotional, physical, and s*xual abuse during their relationship. She described a severe power imbalance, noting that Diddy was her employer, mentor, and partner. Ventura's testimony highlighted the coercive control she experienced, including threats and manipulation. As Gene Deal put it in an interview with The Art of Dialogue last year:

“He was never a father figure … He was an individual that preyed on this young girl, using her dreams, her talent, holding it hostage for his own benefit”.

During the trial, Bryana "Bana" Bongolan, a friend of Cassie Ventura, testified that Combs once dangled her over a 17-story balcony and allegedly threw a knife at Ventura during a violent outburst. Bongolan also recounted threats made by Combs, supporting Ventura's previous allegations of manipulation and abuse. These testimonies contribute to the ongoing federal case against Combs, who faces charges including sex trafficking and racketeering.

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