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Danyel Smith, the former editor for Vibe Magazine revealed that Diddy threatened her with harm over a dispute about the cover.
Last Friday (July 12), Diddy was hit with another explosive accusation of violent behavior from a woman. In an article written for the New York Times by journalist Danyel Smith, who was the former editor-in-chief at Vibe Magazine, she revealed that Diddy threatened her life in a dispute over a cover photo that he took. “Combs and I worked together a lot,” Smith wrote. “Competed, in our way. So often I thought I came out on top. I was mistaken. I had reason to fear for my life. What happened was insidious. It broke my brain. I forgot the worst of it for 27 years.”
Smith wrote that it all began with Diddy, aka Sean Combs, being asked to be on the cover of the magazine for its December 1997/January 1998 issue wearing white feathered wings. While the photo shoot in September went well, everything turned soon after.
“Combs wanted to see the Vibe covers before they went to press,” Smith continued. “It wasn’t our policy to show covers before publication, so after I told him no, we heard that he planned to come to our office and force us to show him.”
This was during the same period after the murders of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G., with a lot of heat placed on Diddy amid speculation that he was involved with Shakur’s murder. Diddy would show up to her offices demanding to see the proofs, which prompted her to escape while handing them off to managing editor Jesse Washington. Undeterred, Combs called Smith the next day demanding to see the pictures, with Smith politely refusing.
“It was then that Combs told me, as I’ve retold hundreds of times over the years, that he would see me ‘dead in the trunk of a car,’” she wrote. “Not missing a beat, I told him he needed to take that threat back. ‘Take it back,’ I said, sounding as if I were 10.” “‘Take what back?’ Then, with a vile laugh, ‘[Expletive] you,’” Smith continued. “‘Take it back now,’ I said. ‘Or I’m calling my lawyer, and you’re going to jail.’ He said: ’I know where you are right now. Right on Lexington [Avenue].”
Combs would later fax over an apology after she called her lawyer. Diddy has not responded to press inquiries about the article.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: Mireya Acierto / Getty
Veteran ESPN executive Raina Kelley has agreed to become the new editor-in-chief of VIBE beginning next year.
According to Variety, Raina Kelley will join the lauded Hip-Hop and R&B publication, VIBE, as its new editor-in-chief. Kelly was formerly the editor-in-chief at Andscape, ESPN’s digital hub covering the intersection of culture, race and sports.
Prior to that role, Kelley had worked as a media commentator and writer, beginning with Newsweek and its website Newsweek.com, which she joined as an assistant editor in 2003. The veteran was also the managing editor for The Undefeated, the predecessor to Andscape, as well as a senior editor for ESPN The Magazine when she joined the company in 2011.
“Vibe was founded to put hip-hop and other forms of Black expression on the record as world-dominating art forms,” said Kelley in a statement “It is my absolute pleasure and honor to step in as Editor-in-Chief of this venerable brand and to expand its coverage into other areas beyond music — everywhere hip-hop is already ascendant.” She will begin Jan. 2, and work from VIBE’s offices in New York City, reporting to Ramin Setoodeh and Cynthia Littleton, who are editorial directors of VIBE as well as co-editors-in-chief at Variety.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Raina to the Variety family,” said Setoodeh and Littleton in a press release. “Raina brings with her an incredibly rare set of skills and experiences across politics, sports, and media. She will be instrumental in maintaining Vibe’s unique voice of authority and infusing her perspective into all of our initiatives. We look forward to Vibe’s exciting evolution ahead.”
Kelley takes over for Datwon Thomas as he enters into a new position as the editor-at-large for VIBE and the executive producer for talent at Dick Clark Productions. The moves coordinate with VIBE joining the Penske Media Corporation in 2020, which includes other notable publications such as Billboard, Variety and the Hollywood Reporter.
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