Who was Chris Lighty and what happened to him? Capricorn Clark mentions eerie detail surrounding Diddy's late manager during the trial

On May 27, 2025, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former assistant Capricorn Clark took to the witness stand at his ongoing federal trial in Manhattan, New York City. Clark name-dropped Diddy’s late ex-manager, Chris Lighty, during his testimony.

Lighty was not only the manager of Sean Combs, but also of other music celebrities, including 50 Cent and Mariah Carey. He passed away in August 2012 from an apparent suicide.

Capricorn Clark testified on Tuesday that Lighty reportedly died the day before she was supposed to start working for Diddy. Clark further claimed that the Bad Boy Records rapper once spoke about his feud with 50 Cent (real name Curtis James Jackson III) with Chris Lighty in an elevator. It was while they were leaving an MTV press event, more than two decades ago.

“I don’t like all the back and forth … I like guns,” Clark recalled Diddy telling Lighty.

50 Cent replied to Capricorn Clark’s testimony by mocking Diddy in an Instagram post on May 27, 2025.

“Cut, CUT. Wait a minute, PUFFY’s got a gun, I can’t believe this, I don’t feel safe. LOL,” the Power of the Dollar artist wrote.

The post was accompanied by a picture of himself, alongside a screenshot of Inner City Press’ reporting from the Diddy trial, which mentions his name. In a follow-up post, Curtis Jackson continued mocking Combs by writing:

"Oh my goodness itty bitty Diddy wants me Dead, I have to lay low, I think I'm gonna hide out at the playoff game tonight. LOL."

50 Cent was talking about an NBA game he later attended. The post was accompanied by a picture of him, where he appeared to be terrified.

Notably, 50 Cent survived a shooting in the Queens area of New York in 2000, despite taking nine bullets. It remains unknown whether the incident had any connection to Sean Combs.

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All you need to know about Chris Lighty amid his mention at the Diddy trial

Hip-hop stars Sean Combs and 50 Cent shared a professional and personal friendship before things went south in the early 2000s. Since then, they have been rivals, with the latter mocking the former for his ongoing legal disputes.

However, the duo once shared the same manager named Chris Lighty, whose real name was Darrel Steven Lighty. A music manager and record producer by profession, Chris began his career working for DJ Red Alert before joining Lyor Cohen and Russell Simmons’ Rush Artist Management in the late 1980s.

Later, in 1996, he left Simmons’ company and founded his own record label, management, and marketing firm, Violator, alongside partner Mona Scott-Young. Since then, Chris Lighty managed the likes of L.L. Cool J, Diggy Simmons, Busta Rhymes, Nas, Mobb Deep, Missy Elliott, Noreaga, Prodigy, Jungle Brothers, and the hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest.

Inner City Press

@innercitypress

AUSA: And did he talk about it?

Capricorn Clark: He. Mr. Combs told Chris Lighty he had a gun. He had a problem with 50 Cent.

AUSA: Were you ever accused of stealing?

CC: Yes. Jewelry. It had been given to me. It was on loan.

AUSA: It went missing?

CC: Yes.

Chris also founded The Violator Allstar DJs with deejay Scrap Dirty in 2002. Two years later, he appeared as himself in the video game Def Jam: Fight for NY using the moniker Baby Chris.

Subsequently, Lighty worked with A-listers Mariah Carey, 50 Cent, and Diddy, as well as the companies Def Jam, Jive, and Loud Records. He helped artists with their brand sponsorships, label imprints, and more. He was also the CEO of Brand Asset Group.

The Bronx native also launched the now-defunct website pleaselistentomydemo.com, which was aimed at allowing up-and-coming artists to submit their music online and have record executives listen to them. Occasionally, the now-late music manager practised hip-hop in collaboration with Tribe and De La Soul, and was also a member of the Native Tongues crew.

Chris Lighty was married to Veronica from 2003 until their divorce filing in 2011. They had two children. Lighty had four other kids from past relationships.

On August 30, 2012, Chris was discovered dead on the patio of his apartment in South Riverdale, Bronx, with a gunshot wound to the head. It was later ruled a suicide from a self-inflicted bullet injury from a 9mm handgun, as per the NYC coroner’s office. He was 44 at the time of his death.

At the time, the New York Daily News reported that Lighty was heard arguing with his wife, Veronica, shortly before his demise. While Diddy tweeted “In shock” following the apparent suicide, Chris’ family questioned the nature of his death.

Reportedly, 50 Cent later hired a private investigator to independently investigate the case at the request of Chris Lighty’s mother. The G-Unity boss also shared a social media statement, writing he was “deeply saddened” by the loss.

Russell Simmons, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Mary J. Blige, Chuck D, Ghostface Killah, Rev Run, Donald Glover, Fred Durst, Pete Wentz, and Kim Kardashian were among others who paid their tributes.

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At the time of his death, Chris Lighty reportedly owed about $5 million in back taxes to the IRS.