Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing yet another bombshell allegation—this time from his own inner circle. The music mogul’s former personal assistant has come forward with explosive claims that his “life was in danger” while working for Diddy, describing a work environment so toxic and unpredictable it eventually pushed him to flee the role entirely.
In an exclusive on-camera interview released Monday morning by Rolling Stone, 32-year-old Marcus Devereaux, who worked for Combs from 2017 to 2022, said he quit after “five years of paranoia, violence, and watching too many people disappear in silence.”
“I didn’t leave because of the money,” Devereaux told reporter Michelle Kinney. “I left because I genuinely thought if I stayed one more month, I wasn’t gonna make it out alive.”
Devereaux’s shocking account is the latest in a growing mountain of accusations against Diddy, who is currently under multiple federal investigations related to sex trafficking, physical assault, and coercion—cases that were reignited following the viral hotel assault footage of Cassie Ventura released by TMZ.
But Devereaux’s testimony adds a new dimension: a rare insider’s look at what he describes as “a regime of fear.” His interview went viral within hours, after a clip was posted to Pop Base, where he can be heard saying, “It wasn’t just verbal abuse. It was physical intimidation. We all knew to keep our heads down and our mouths shut.”
According to Devereaux, the breaking point came in early 2022, when he claims he witnessed Diddy allegedly strike a female staffer during an alcohol-fueled rage at a party inside the rapper’s Los Angeles mansion. “She screamed, and no one moved. That was the moment I knew—I couldn’t be complicit anymore.”
Though he says he initially signed a strict NDA, Devereaux claims the document was “coerced under duress” and is now being challenged legally by his attorneys. In the interview, he revealed he has already sat for interviews with federal investigators and handed over “hundreds of text messages, voice notes, and internal schedules” that allegedly corroborate abusive behavior and suspicious disappearances.
Journalist Wesley Lowery confirmed in a thread on X that the DOJ has indeed re-interviewed several former Diddy employees in the past two weeks, adding, “Devereaux is the first domino. More insiders are being flipped.”
Social media erupted after the interview aired. Actress Keke Palmer reposted the clip to her Instagram story with the caption, “This is absolutely terrifying. Everyone who stayed silent to protect power should be ashamed.” The clip has also been shared by rapper Meek Mill, who added: “The walls are caving in. Karma don’t miss.”
Devereaux also claimed Diddy frequently carried firearms in casual settings, including studio sessions and pool parties, often leaving them “unsecured and visible.” He described one instance in 2019 where Diddy allegedly pointed a gun at a male staffer over a scheduling conflict, laughing afterward and saying, “I’m just playing—but don’t test me again.”
In a Reddit thread on r/popculturechat, users dissected Devereaux’s story line by line, linking it to previous accounts from bodyguards, drivers, and ex-partners. “This is the first time we’re getting timestamps and actual tech receipts,” one user noted.
Perhaps most disturbing was Devereaux’s claim that a female backup dancer from a 2020 tour went “missing from payroll and never returned” after allegedly filing an HR complaint. He says he brought it up to management and was told “she quit abruptly.” No records of her resignation exist, he claims.
Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump told MSNBC that Devereaux’s testimony could become a key part of a larger RICO case. “If even half of what he’s saying is true—and he has documentation—it establishes a pattern of organized abuse under Diddy’s leadership.”
Diddy’s legal team has vehemently denied all allegations, calling Devereaux a “disgruntled ex-employee with a vendetta.” In a statement issued to Fox News, attorney Benjamin Brafman said, “These are wild fabrications designed to capitalize on public attention. Mr. Combs has no history of threats or violence toward Mr. Devereaux.”
But the court of public opinion appears unconvinced. A Change.org petition demanding that Diddy’s music be removed from major streaming platforms has gathered over 500,000 signatures in less than 24 hours. Spotify and Apple Music have not commented on whether they’ll take action.
Devereaux concluded the interview with a simple but chilling statement: “We all stayed quiet because we were scared. But staying quiet doesn’t make the monsters disappear—it just feeds them.”
His full interview is set to air later this week on a primetime ABC special, with excerpts already posted by @Nightline on Instagram.
As the dominoes continue to fall around Sean Combs, and more insiders step into the spotlight, what was once a whisper campaign about his behavior has become a deafening reckoning.
