Ahead of his sex trafficking trial, Sean 'Diddy' Combs previously faced accusations linked to a tragic charity event that resulted in the deaths of nine individuals.
In a tragic event that took place on December 28, 1991, a crowd crush occurred at a charity basketball game promoted by Sean "Diddy" Combs at the City College of New York's Nat Holman Gymnasium. The gym's capacity was 2,730, but nearly 5,000 people tried to enter, resulting in nine deaths, mostly young people from New York City.
The victims, ranging in age from 15 to 28, suffered asphyxia due to compression of the chest, with no broken bones found. The stampede occurred before the game started, between 7 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.
Despite promoting the event, there is no documented history of legal allegations or civil settlements against Combs that are specifically connected to this 1991 City College gym tragedy.
Other legal issues involving Combs, such as racketeering and sex trafficking charges in 2025, are unrelated to the 1991 incident and concern entirely different allegations.
However, the tragedy did lead to a mayoral report that assigned partial blame related to the event's organization and crowd control. Charrisse Miles, a survivor of the stampede, recalled seeing Combs running past her during the chaos, never looking back. She believes that Combs, with his celebrity status, could have used his influence to calm the crowd.
Jason Swain, whose brother Dirk Swain died in the stampede, has expressed dissatisfaction with Combs' evasion of responsibility for the deaths. Despite Combs' conviction for prostitution charges in a separate incident, Swain and Miles find little solace in it.
Miles feels that Combs' behavior after the recent trial verdict, including a subtle fist pump and applause, shows narcissistic behavior. A state court judge ruled that Combs and Dwight "Heavy D" Myers bore 50% of the culpability for the deaths and injuries, but no criminal charges were filed in connection with the 1991 tragedy.
Thousands attended the charity basketball game, making it a crowded event that unfortunately led to the tragic outcome. Despite the lack of legal consequences for Combs in this incident, the memory of the victims and the lessons learned from this tragedy continue to resonate.
- Us as the general public remain deeply affected by the tragic events of December 28, 1991, when a crowd crush occurred at a celebrity-promoted basketball game, with its impact on entertainment industry celebrities, young people from New York City, and those interested in general-news.
- Despite the lack of criminal charges against Sean "Diddy" Combs for his role in the 1991 City College gym tragedy, some relatives of the victims, like Jason Swain, continue to express dissatisfaction with Combs' perceived evasion of responsibility and seek accountability for the crime-and-justice aspect of the incident.
