Photo: getty
She was Diddy's ex.
By Amy Lamare — Written on Jul 14, 2020
Kim Porter, Diddy's girlfriend of 13 years, was found dead today in her Los Angeles area home.
Law enforcement received a call to rush to Porter's Toluca Lake home around noon. The emergency dispatch reveals that the call came in as a person in cardiac arrest. Porter was an actress and model who appeared on I Want To Work For Diddy. She had reportedly been feeling under the weather recently. She was 47 years old.
A representative for Diddy confirmed the news to TMZ, saying, “Sadly, I can confirm the passing of Kim Porter. I ask that you give the families privacy at this time.”
How did Kim Porter die?
The coroner said Kim Porter died from pneumonia.
A source close to Kim reported that she had been having flu-like symptoms and suffering from pneumonia for several weeks. She reportedly had contacted her doctor yesterday to tell him she wasn't feeling any better.
“Three days before she passed, she wasn’t feeling well. She had the flu, and she sent the kids over to my house so they wouldn’t get sick," Diddy eventually revealed to Essence after Porter's death. "One night I was checking on her, and she was like, ‘Puffy, take care of my babies.’ She actually said that to me before she died.”
According to NBC News, the Los Angeles coroner ruled that Porter died from pneumonia. "The manner of death was certified as natural," the coroner said.
Al B claims Kim Porter was murdered
Producer Al B and Kim Porter dated and had a son together before she moved on to Diddy.
In July 2020, Al B posted a video on Instagram that he claims he took upon learning of Porter's death. The footage shows the producer crying, and he wrote that her death "ripped the soul from his physical body."
In the caption, Al B shockingly calls Porter's death a murder. "I do know very clearly that Kimberly didn't just check out all of a sudden over [sic]neumonia."
Kim Porter 911 call
LAPD officer Jeff Lee told Us: “I can confirm that there is an investigation underway in the 10300 block of Woodbridge. That call came out at 11:38 this morning. And there is a female deceased at the scene. We are sending our homicide detectives over there to find out whether or not foul play was involved.”
Kim and Diddy's relationship
Kim Porter dated Diddy for more than a decade. Diddy first met Porter when he was an A&R executive in the early 1990s. Porter was at the studio with Al B.
When Diddy first laid eyes on her, it was love at first sight. In 2006, he told Essence, "I wasn't trying to holler at her or anything, but I was admiring her — her lips, her eyes, her mouth, her shape, her energy." He said all he could think was that he wished he had a girl like that.
By 1994, they were dating and inseparable. Over the years they broke up and made up several times — often quite dramatically. They called it quits for the final time in 2007 but remained on friendly terms and active in their kids' lives.
Diddy told Essence in 2006, that Kim wasn't like other girls he knew. He's from Harlem. She was from Columbus, Georgia.
"She wasn't like a New York girl. She was Bohemian, mixed with Georgia-peach hospitality. I got the idea she'd like doing stuff like walking barefoot in the grass. I didn't think I could get her to like me. She was smooth, you know, like ice. She's cool and collected and thinks before she speaks. You meet a lot of young ladies, and they just don't do that. Kim was never pressed. She was always in control."
Shortly after the birth of Christian in 1998, news broke that Diddy was dating Jennifer Lopez. Suddenly, Porter's name and business was splashed all over the press. She kicked Diddy out of the house that they shared. He dated Lopez for two years.
Then, when Diddy was facing jail time for bribery and weapons possession, he got back together with Porter. The threat of losing his freedom forced Diddy to grow up and face his responsibilities, according to Porter. Diddy was back to feeling like Porter was his muse at that point.
Kim Porter's kids
Kim and Diddy have three kids together. Christian Combs is 20. Twins Jessie James and D'Lila are 12. Kim also has a son named Quincy from her previous relationship with Al B.
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. She is deeply devoted to her chocolate Labrador and an avid long distance runner. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.