Audio After The Jump
Nearly 12 years after a club shooting that left several people injured, Diddy has paid $850,000 to settle his share of a lawsuit brought by the victims according to the New York Post.
On December 27, 1999, Diddy was at a Manhattan nightclub with then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez and protege Shyne. During a dispute, Shyne pulled out a gun and began shooting inside the club.
Shyne was subsequently arrested and charged with and convicted of attempted murder, assault, and reckless endangerment. He was sentenced to ten years in prison.
Diddy, who was represented by Johnnie Cochran Jr., was acquitted of weapons possession and bribery charges. The jury also acquitted his bodyguard Anthony Jones of all charges.
Although cleared in the criminal case, Diddy and the nightclub still faced several civil suits from the three injured victims.
The most seriously injured victim, 40-year old Natania Reuben, was shot in the nose and suffered seizures because of seven bullet fragments still lodged in her face.
Natania Reuben
In June 2011, a settlement was reached. Reuben was paid $1.8 million. The two other victims were paid $500,000 and $50,000.
In October 2009, Shyne, who legally changed his name to Moses Michael Levi to reflect his conversion to being an Orthodox Jew, was released from prison after serving nine years. He was then deported back to his home country of Belize. The rapper had beefed with Diddy while he was incarcerated until they buried the hatchet earlier this year during Paris Fashion week.
Now the beef is back on. Upset that Diddy won't help him obtain a U.S. Visa, Shyne releases a diss track in August titled "You're Welcome" aimed at the Bad Boyboss.
In a new interview with WGIV Charlotte, Shyne claims he saved Jennifer Lopez and Diddy's lives on the night of the shooting in 1999.
"I wasn't thugging and bugging that night," Shyne says. "I was actually the best behaved because I don't drink and I don't smoke. But I'm from the streets so when it's time for my hammer to go off it goes off, and somebody was getting ready to pop [Diddy] head off. It might not had been no Jennifer Lopez movies if I didn't pull my ratchet and squeeze off."
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