Diddy Settles With Victims Of 1999 Club New York Shooting

Combs, former protégé Jamal 'Shyne' Barrow and club owner reportedly paid one victim $1.8 million.
By James Montgomery

Diddy
Photo: Victor Boyko/ Getty Images

Sean "Diddy" Combs has settled all civil actions against him stemming from the 1999 shooting at Club New York, the New York Post reported Thursday (June 23).

Citing court records, the Post revealed that Diddy, his former protégé Jamal "Shyne" Barrow and the now-shuttered club struck a deal earlier this year with three people shot by Barrow during the incident. The exact terms of the settlements were unknown because of confidentiality agreements between the parties.

But former Club New York owner Michael Bergos, who did not sign the agreement, told the paper that the most seriously injured victim, Natania Reuben, was paid $1.8 million, while two other victims received settlements of $500,000 and $50,000. Bergos said he didn't know who paid what amount in the deal, but Barrow's and the club's shares were covered by insurance companies, while Diddy was forced to pay himself, since his insurance company has since gone out of business.

A spokesperson for Combs did not respond to MTV News' request for comment on the report.

Reuben's lawyer, Debra Reiser, declined to comment on the settlement, telling the Post, "My client wanted the confidentiality agreement because she didn't want any further publicity. She's been victimized enough."

The hip-hop mogul, who was with then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez at the club, was acquitted of all charges in May 2001. Shyne was convicted on two counts of assault, as well as reckless endangerment and gun possession (he was, however, cleared of the most serious charge: attempted murder.)

The following month, Shyne was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was released in October 2009 — and subsequently deported to his native Belize — but has always maintained his innocence in the shooting, telling MTV News in 2004 that he fired his gun in the air in an act of self defense.

"I'm a regular guy, man," he said. "I'm not tougher than nobody. I'm not better than nobody. I know real killers. I know people that really snatch bodies. I'm not that. I just did what I had to do. Somebody pulled out a .40 caliber and I had to pull mine our or I was gonna die."

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