It has come to light via Complex that Diddy allegedly wanted to put his hands on popular actor Will Smith after he and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, tried to hook up with his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez, according to his former bodyguard Gene Deal.
During his interview with The Art of Dialogue, Deal reflected on the situation and how angry the Bad Boy Records founder was at Will and Jada trying to make a move on J. Lo. According to Deal, Diddy was so mad he was going to “snuff” the award-winning actor.
“We were at a birthday party that I think Matt Damon was giving for Ben Affleck. It was just a little gathering at the Four Seasons,” Deal said. “Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Puff, Will Smith and Jada were sitting on [one] side of the room.”
He added, “[Puff] stood up. And when he stood up, he walked and did his arms a certain kind of way like [crossing them]. I go over towards him and he said to me, ‘Yo, I think Will and Jada are trying to scoop up Jennifer. I want you to stay close ’cause I’m a snuff him.'”
Deal laughed at the situation as he felt Smith would probably “beat the shit” out of Diddy due to their size difference, but he acknowledged his former boss could throw hands. Before anything could happen, Deal said he stood far enough that if Diddy did make a move, Will could get “two or three punches back in” once he intervened.
“That shit was funny,” he concluded. “He thought that Jada and Will were coming on too strong to Jennifer, making advances.”
Diddy and Lopez dated each other between late 1999 and early 2001 after meeting on a music video set. It’s unclear when the alleged incident occurred. Affleck and Lopez later got married in 2022.
