Former Vibe Editor Alleges Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Said She'd Be 'Dead in a Trunk' During Dispute Over Magazine Cover

Former Vibe editor-in-chief Danyel Smith has accused Sean “Diddy” Combs of threatening to kill her during a dispute over a magazine cover — an allegation his attorneys call “pure fiction.”

In a Jan. 23 sneak peek of the upcoming Investigation Discovery docuseries The Fall of Diddy, Smith claims Combs asked to view the cover, but she declined, citing company policy not to share a cover or story before publication. After refusing Combs’ request again, she alleges he told her over the phone that he would see her “dead in a trunk.”

Smith explains how she then contacted her attorney, who then called Combs, requesting that Combs fax over an apology or he would involve the police. Smith says she received that apology nearly two hours later.

“What I’ve only recently come to realize through members of the staff at that time was that [Combs] had actually, in the days before, come up to the Vibe offices with two tough guys looking for me,” Smith further alleges in the clip.

Smith made the same allegation, referencing a 1997 cover story on Combs, in a July 2024 personal essay published in the New York Times Magazine.

According to a source, “The narrative presented is a reinterpretation that does not accurately reflect the 30-year professional relationship. If this individual truly felt threatened, why did she continue to attend events and dinners, and meet with Mr. Combs over the last 30 years — most recently in 2021 attended a business meeting at his home regarding a project.”

In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, Combs’ attorneys stated that, “These documentaries are rushing to cash in on the media circus surrounding Mr. Combs. The producers failed to provide sufficient time or details for his representatives to address unsubstantiated claims, many from unidentified participants whose allegations lack context. By withholding this information, they made it impossible for Mr. Combs to present facts to counter these fabricated accusations. This production is clearly intended to present a one-sided and prejudicial narrative. As we’ve said before, Mr. Combs cannot respond to every publicity stunt or facially ridiculous claim. He has full confidence in the facts and the judicial process, where the truth will prevail: the accusations against him are pure fiction.”

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Combs is currently behind bars at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center as he awaits his trial on federal sex crime charges, which is scheduled for May. He has pleaded not guilty.

The disgraced music mogul has also been named as a defendant in more than 30 lawsuits accusing him of sexual misconduct.

The Fall of Diddy is set to premiere on Monday, Jan. 27 and Tuesday, Jan. 28 from 9 to 11 p.m. eastern time on Investigation Discovery and will also be available for streaming on Max.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.