Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs choked intern, put UCLA staffer in headlock during brawl, document alleges
Sean “Diddy” Combs was so upset about the way his son was being disciplined by a UCLA football coach in 2015 that he went to the coach’s office and fought with him, briefly choked an intern and put another member of the coaching staff in a headlock, according to a document newly obtained by The Times from Los Angeles County prosecutors.
But although Combs was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, making criminal threats and battery in the incident, he was not ultimately charged with any crime.
A charge evaluation worksheet from the L.A. County district attorney’s office includes new details about what allegedly unfolded that June afternoon nearly 10 years ago inside the weight training facility at UCLA.
The new details about the confrontation come as Combs faces a barrage of lawsuits and criminal charges that allege he led a years-long criminal enterprise that preyed on victims, plied them with drugs and forced them to participate in sex performances called “freak-offs.”
After the incident, UCLA strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi, who had been the focus of Combs’ dissatisfaction, walked away from the argument with scratches and a ripped shirt, the worksheet says. The intern whom Combs briefly choked was left with minor scratches on his neck, according to the document.
Representatives for Combs at the time said any actions he took “were solely defensive in nature to protect himself and his son.” Some of them also alleged that the younger Combs had been bullied by the coach the entire time he was on the team.
“Two different prosecutorial agencies looked at it, and both declined to prosecute,” said Mark Geragos, who represented Combs following his arrest. “I understand the interest now, but clearly, this did not rise to the level of criminal prosecution.”
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs faces six new lawsuits, including allegations that he molested a 16-year-old boy at a 1998 party.
University and law enforcement sources told The Times in 2015 that the confrontation happened after Alosi, dissatisfied with Justin Combs’ effort during a voluntary summer workout, told the junior defensive back to get off the field — not just for the rest of the day, but for the rest of the summer. Justin Combs had enrolled at UCLA on a full athletic scholarship in 2012.
Later that afternoon, the younger Combs and his father walked into Alosi’s office, adjacent to the 15,000-square-foot weight room in the basement of the Acosta Athletic Complex. Alosi was on the phone and motioned for them to wait, according to the document.
“After a short time, [Combs] and his son entered the office and words were exchanged,” the document states. “[Combs] approached the coach and physically assaulted him causing some minor scratches and tearing his shirt.”
Several members of the training staff moved in to remove Combs from the office, the document says.
Combs then turned to the intern, choking him and scratching his neck, and put another member of the coach’s staff in a headlock, according to the charge evaluation worksheet. After that, Combs allegedly grabbed a small kettlebell and swung it in the direction of the staff members, the document alleges.
Alosi, who is no longer working at UCLA, could not be reached for comment.
The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office noted in the document that because no one was seriously injured or struck with the kettlebell, they were referring the case to the Los Angeles city attorney’s office for possible misdemeanor filing. No misdemeanor charges were ever filed.
A spokesperson for the city attorney’s office told The Times in an email that the case was handled by a city attorney hearing, an informal proceeding that’s conducted as an alternative to prosecution, in 2015.
The purpose of city attorney hearings, according to the agency, is to “develop alternative resolution in cases where a crime has been committed but prosecution may be inappropriate.” This includes advising the person about the potential serious criminal consequences if the behavior is repeated.
No further information about Combs’ hearing was available.
Combs, who has been in jail since Sept. 16, is charged with racketeering, transporting for prostitution and sex trafficking. He has pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing. Prosecutors said last week that Combs could face additional charges and that their investigation is ongoing.
For decades, Sean “Diddy” Combs promoted himself as one of the godfathers of hip-hop, a celebrity who transformed the genre and became a business estimated to top a billion dollars.
Attorney Tony Buzbee, who says he represents at least 120 victims of Combs and his employees, filed six lawsuits in U.S. District Court in New York this week, including one that alleges a 16-year-old boy was molested in a private room after being invited to Diddy’s 1998 White Party in the Hamptons.
The allegations mark a stunning fall from grace for the hip-hop music mogul whose career catapulted him to global stardom in the 1990s. Combs has faced criminal charges in the past, but has come out largely unscathed.
In 1999, five months after he was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a record executive in New York, Combs pleaded guilty to a harassment violation and was ordered to complete a one-day anger management class. Combs, who had faced up to seven years in prison, was not required to pay a fine, serve any jail time or do any community service. The violation left him with no criminal record under New York law.
Months later, Combs was arrested again following a shooting at a Times Square nightclub. Combs was charged with carrying a gun illegally into a club and trying to bribe his driver to claim ownership of the weapon after police found the 9-millimeter pistol in the SUV that Combs and his then-girlfriend, pop star Jennifer Lopez, were riding in following the shooting.
Combs insisted he was not involved in the shooting and was acquitted of criminal charges in 2001. A jury convicted a Combs protégé, Jamaal “Shyne” Barrow, of assault, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a pistol. Prosecutors had alleged that Combs and Barrow both opened fire in the club. Three people were wounded.
Combs shook with relief when his not guilty verdict was read.
“I am just so grateful today,” he told a crowd of fans outside the courthouse. “I feel blessed.”
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
