Your support helps us to tell the story
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
Amazon has announced the removal of a memoir from its site that claims to tell the story of an abusive relationship between the late actor and model Kim Porter and her longtime partner, hip-hop mogul Sean ”Diddy” Combs.
Porter and Combs’ children denounced the book — titled “Kim’s Lost Words: A journey for justice, from the other side…” — as a complete fabrication after it became a bestseller on Amazon in September.
The 60-page book is said to be filled with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. It details physical abuse, sexual coercion and other acts of violence Combs allegedly committed.
The $22 paperback had a quiet release on Amazon but skyrocketed after the news of Combs’ arrest and the shocking details of the indictment against him. He has pleaded not guilty.
“We were made aware of a dispute regarding this title and have notified the publisher,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement. “The book is not currently available for sale in our store.”
The independent publisher is Todd Christopher Guzze, who goes by the name Chris Todd and defines his occupation as an “investigative producer, author and journalist.” Todd told The Associated Press in a phone interview in September that sources “very close to Kim and Sean Combs” provided him with a “flash drive, documents and tapes” from Porter that he eventually pieced together to create the memoir.
Last week Sean “Diddy” Combs issued a statement from prison, calling the book a fake. The 54-year-old music mogul and father of seven was arrested on 16 September and indicted on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. Despite having pleaded not guilty to the charges, he’s been denied bail twice and remains in jail.
His attorney Erica Wolf said in a statement: “The Kim Porter ‘memoir’ is fake. It is also offensive – a shameless attempt to profit from tragedy.
“Unlike the fabrications in his sickening ‘memoir’, it is an established fact that Ms Porter died of natural causes. May she rest in peace.”
Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial
Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial
Todd used the pseudonym Jamal T. Millwood when publishing the title. He did not comment on the removal Tuesday when contacted by the AP.
The memoir reached the No. 1 spot on Amazon’s bestseller’s list in September and dipped down on the charts before Amazon eventually pulled it from the site.