Oct 24, 2007 8:23 pm US/Pacific
Diddy: 'I Don't Fight Over Girls'
Denies Punching Anyone In Nightclub Incident
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Diddy or didn't he?
Hip-hop mogul, actor and mega entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs" spoke publicly Wednesday for the first time about his alleged punch out of a man, apparently over a girl, at the Kiosk nightclub in Manhattan a couple of weekends ago.
"I'm a human being," Combs said. "I'm gonna get into an argument sometimes. I didn't punch anybody. There's nothing more to say to it than that."
But of course, when CBS station WCBS-TV in New York pressed, he said a little bit more on the subject.
"That incident did not happen," he said. "It was totally blown out of proportion. I'm sorry that the papers had to waste so much ink on it.
"I don't fight over girls."
The entertainer said he simply has too much riding on his public persona to go around slugging people.
"I've taken pride on being able to turn my life around and stay out of trouble and stay focused on my business, and that's what I've been doing," Combs said.
Diddy's comments came at the launch of his latest business venture. He is teaming up with Ciroq vodka, not as an endorser, but as a decision maker.
"I am taking on the lead on all marketing, including advertising, public relations and product placement … and of course my many fabulous events," Combs said.
It's a deal that down the road could be worth $100 million to Combs, whose very public life - complete with accolades and accusations - he says he takes in stride.
"There's two sides to celebrity," he said. "Some days you wake up and you have to go through things like that, but I've been known to whether storms."
Combs was recently declared "one of the most influential businessmen in the world" by Time magazine.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
