Kim Porter and Sean “Diddy” Combs were something of a pop culture power couple, and their decade-long romance is still taking center stage.
Porter, the late model-actress who dated the hip-hop mogul from 1994 to 2007, has been referenced during Combs’ ongoing criminal trial in Manhattan — in which Combs, 55, is accused of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Porter’s enduring romance with the Bad Boy Records founder was brought up when Combs’ former girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura Fine, took the stand. The one-time R&B star, whose relationship with Combs also spanned a decade, got candid on her feelings toward Porter as she opened up about the harrowing abuse she allegedly experienced from Combs.
From her hip-hop love story with Combs to her tragic 2018 death, here’s everything you need to know about Kim Porter.
How did Diddy and Kim Porter meet?
Porter met Combs in the 1990s when he was an A&R executive at Uptown Records. At the time, Porter was dating R&B singer-songwriter Al B. Sure!, who was signed to the label.
“The first time I saw her, she was at the studio with her ex-boyfriend,” Combs told Essence magazine in a 2006 interview. “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 — and thinking, ‘I wish I had a girl like that.'”
Porter was later hired as a receptionist at the pioneering hip-hop record label, which set the stage for a budding romance.
“She was smooth, you know, like ice,” Combs told the outlet. “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.”
The on-again, off-again couple officially called it quits in 2007 after 13 years of dating, but the two remained friendly, often spending holidays together.
Do Diddy and Kim Porter have kids?
Porter and Combs shared four children, including Porter’s son Quincy Brown, 33, whom she had with Al B. Sure! The couple’s other children include son Christian “King” Combs, 27, and twin daughters D’Lila and Jessie Combs, 18.
Who are Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ kids? These family members attended his sex-crimes trial
How did Kim Porter die?
Porter died in November 2018 at the age of 47 after she was found unresponsive in her San Fernando Valley home. The Los Angeles County coroner’s office later confirmed she died of pneumonia.
Combs mourned Porter and paid tribute to their tight-knit bond in an emotional Instagram post shared just days after her unexpected death.
“We were more than best friends, we were more than soulmates,” wrote Combs, who called Porter’s death a “nightmare.” “And I miss you so much. Super Black Love.”
Kim Porter dies: Model, Diddy’s ex-girlfriend was 47
What has Cassie said about Kim Porter?
During her May 15 testimony, Ventura Fine said she had “some jealousy” toward Porter, and jurors were shown a series of text messages from 2013 in which she was upset at seeing Porter and Combs with their children and not being invited to family vacations and get-togethers. She also expressed concern about looking like a “side piece” and not Combs’ partner.
While taking the stand on May 16, Ventura Fine said the last time she saw Combs was at Porter’s memorial service in Georgia. She told the defense she found it “extremely hurtful” when Combs called Porter his “soulmate” on social media, which she confronted Combs about over text message.
Contributing: Cydney Henderson; USA TODAY staff
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Kim Porter? What to know about Diddy’s late girlfriend
