Shyne has shared his thoughts on the infamous 1999 nightclub shooting that led to his imprisonment — specifically, victim Natalia Reuben’s claim that Diddy was the one who shot her, not Shyne.
The rapper and politician — who serves as the leader of the Belize United Democratic Party — addressed Reuben’s bombshell comments during a news conference in his home country on Wednesday (April 17).
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“It opens wounds when you hear the victim saying it was Diddy that shot her. That is what is most remarkable,” he began.
Shyne then referenced producer Lil Rod’s sexual assault lawsuit against his former label boss, in which he claimed that Diddy bragged about “bribing witnesses and jurors in the criminal case.”
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“That is what stands out to me the most because I’ve done my best to put it behind me and to move forward. But it certainly re-opens the wounds,” he continued.
“I’ve been saying this all along. Everyone knew all along that I was the fall guy, but my political enemies and detractors tried to make me into this criminal, but everyone knew that I was a young kid that took the fall.
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“I’m just saying that I maintained my innocence all this time. I said that I was defending myself. I didn’t get into who did what. But the victim is telling you who did what.”
When asked if Reuben’s claim that Diddy was the gunman is true, Shyne said: “I’m not going to get into that,” though he did add: “I am relieved that people are saying what the truth is — that I did not shoot those people.”
The shooting in question occurred on December 27, 1999 at Club New York in Manhattan following an altercation between the Bad Boy camp and a man named Matthew “Scar” Allen.
Shots were fired inside the club and three bystanders were injured. Both Shyne and Diddy were arrested after the incident, but the latter, along with his bodyguard, was acquitted of all charges.
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Shyne, on the other hand, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of criminal possession of a weapon, assault and reckless endangerment. He was, however, found not guilty of attempted murder.
He was later deported to his native Belize following his release from prison in 2009.
Natalia Reuben’s comments about the shooting came almost 25 years later in a video uploaded to social media this past February, in which he pointed the finger squarely at Diddy.
“Let me tell you why that is of utmost importance to me,” she began, referring to the mogul’s multiple sexual assault lawsuits. “Because I am the woman he shot in the face in that December 27, 1999 Club New York shooting.
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“I have told everyone ad nauseam since then, even the surgeon who did the surgery to take the bullet, I got shot in my face with a 9mm hollow-point bullet called a cop killer.”
She continued: “I literally told everyone and never changed what I said. I watched [Diddy]. I got [shot] in the face. I watched him fire the gun. I’ve said it all this time. Even the surgeon who did my surgery testified in the criminal trial that while they were putting me under [anesthesia].
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“I was screaming, ‘Puffy [shot] me in the face.’ […] Everybody knew he did it, but he paid off the club bouncer and all these other people to hide the video. That’s his MO.”
