Who is Danyel Smith? Former Vibe editor claims Diddy made death threats over magazine cover approval

Former editor of Vibe magazine, Danyel Smith, claimed to have received death threats from Sean Diddy Combs. The incident happened over getting approval for photos of the hip-hop rapper for a story. Smith elaborates on the alleged interaction in an upcoming series, The Fall of Diddy.

Danyel Smith has worked in the entertainment industry for over 20 years. She is presently a Contributing Writer at The New York Times and has work experiences with Penguin Random House, ESPN, and others.

Smith is an alumna of the University of California, Berkeley, and The New School. Besides her work as an award-winning journalist, Smith has also produced documentaries and hosted podcasts.

According to Smith, Combs insisted on previewing images of himself for a story in the magazine’s December 1997 and January 1998 double issue despite the publication's strict policy against showing covers before release.

(Post via X/@ArtOfDialogue_)

She recalled that after the photo shoot, Combs called her to demand an exception. When she refused, he reportedly made a death threat, saying he would ensure she ended up "dead in a trunk" if his request was denied.

Following the interaction, she insisted Diddy to retract his threatening remarks, but he refused. She then involved her lawyer, who warned Combs that law enforcement would be contacted unless he sent an apology.

According to Daily Mail, within a couple of hours, Smith received a faxed apology. Later, she learned from the staff that Combs had allegedly sent individuals to intimidate her and had even visited the Vibe offices with two men looking for her.

---

Danyel Smith said she attended some of Diddy’s parties

A 2024 piece by The New York Times Magazine mentions that Danyel Smith wanted Diddy to wear feather wings for the cover shoot. She described the photo shoot as her first extended interaction with him, though she had previously encountered him briefly at events and attended his large industry parties.

She noted that while Combs had never behaved in a s*xually inappropriate manner toward her, he was a complex figure, both highly ambitious and capable of harmful behavior. Reflecting on her experiences as a journalist, Smith admitted she had broken stories about exploitation in the music industry but felt she hadn't fully recognized the extent of such issues at the time.

In the piece, Smith also recalled meeting Diddy in Los Angeles in February 2020, where he introduced her as a seasoned journalist who asks meaningful questions. When he asked what her first question would be in an eventual interview, she hesitated, and he stopped her from answering, prompting laughter from the group.

---

(Post via X/@UrbanBridgez)

The Fall of Diddy delves into decades of allegations against the music mogul. It features accounts from those who witnessed his alleged violent behavior during his early career at Howard University and Bad Boy Records, as well as in later years at the peak of his influence.

Using interviews and archival footage, the series explores claims that Combs used his power to conceal a history of abuse and harm. The two-part series will premiere on January 27 and 28, 2025, on Investigation Discovery and Max.