Mel B recalls how she put Diddy in his place after he cussed at her during 1998 MOBO Awards rehearsal
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Fearless Spice Girl Mel B has made some stunning revelations about her interactions with Sean "Diddy" Combs, the disgraced music mogul who is remanded in custody on a slew of charges.
In the expanded version of her 2018 memoir 'Brutally Honest', Mel spilled the tea about a jaw-dropping encounter with the music mogul back in 1998.
It was the MOBO Awards, where Mel was hosting alongside comedian Bill Bellamy. But what should’ve been a seamless rehearsal turned into a bitter on-stage clash with none other than Puff Daddy himself.
Mel B and Sean 'Diddy' Combs clashed while rehearsing for the 1998 MOBO Awards
Mel B was gearing up for her big hosting and performing gig when Sean "Diddy" Combs rolled in with his massive entourage and started hogging the stage. Mel's patience eventually snapped as she watched the clock tick down, with less than an hour until showtime.
The English singer wrote, "People think I am so tough, and to some degree, I am. I can stand my ground against the likes of Sean 'P. Diddy' 'Puffy' Combs, who—back in 1998, when I’d been asked to host the MOBO Awards in London—wouldn’t get off the stage to let me start my rehearsals for the show. I had to perform as well as host the show."
Diddy wasn’t just running late; he was demanding another run-through. Mel recalled how he brushed her off when she confronted him. "I marched out towards him. 'No, I need to rehearse my song NOW,' I said." His response? "He didn’t even look at me, just raised his mic and said, 'Get this b***h off the stage.'"
Mel wasn’t about to let that slide. "I was livid. This was a British show, and we don’t behave like that over here. No one has the right to say that about anyone," she recalled.
Charging back, Mel poked him in the shoulder and demanded, "What did you say? Get WHAT off the stage?" When he tried to ignore her, she doubled down: "Listen, I’m introducing you tonight, so I’d be nice if I were you. The doors are opening in ten minutes. I need to rehearse. Can you get off the f**king stage!"
Mel eventually got her way, but not without Diddy sending an awkward peace offering. "I got my rehearsal, and about half an hour later, one of his bouncers turned up in my dressing room with a peace offering: a jacket with P Diddy’s name splashed all over it. It looked like a bloody cagoule," she noted.
Not impressed, she gave the gift right back.
"There’s no way I’d be walking around with his name on my back. 'Thanks,' I said with a fake smile, then I threw it back at the bouncer. I wanted you to send a message back. Nobody has the right to treat anyone like that. And some crummy jacket was not an acceptable apology," she said.
Regardless, Diddy performed at the event and scooped two awards that night. As for Mel? She proved she was unshakable by hosting the awards again the following year, as per the Daily Mail.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' fall from grace
Fast forward to today, and Sean "Diddy" Combs is in a serious legal mess. After being arrested on sex trafficking and racketeering charges, he’s been locked up in New York’s Metropolitan Detention Center.
The Bad Boy Records founder has reportedly lost a shocking amount of weight and looks noticeably older.
"He appeared just astonishingly thinner, which you can expect [from him being] inside a federal detention center for a couple of months now," shared Law & Crime reporter Elizabeth Millner, who attended a recent hearing.
She added, "A lot different from the luxury lifestyle that he was living before, but he appeared very noticeably thinner, and maybe being locked up in detention is starting to wear on him."
The journalist also noted his changing appearance. "He appeared greyer a little bit," she said — a stark contrast to the carefree image of Diddy playing hacky sack in Central Park just days before his arrest on September 16.
With a trial date set for May 2025, Diddy’s future looks uncertain. He denies all charges against him and remains in federal custody after being denied bail three times.
