Sean "Puffy" Combs testified before a Manhattan grand jury on Tuesday as the rapper contested allegations that he played a role in a December 27 shooting at a New York nightclub that wounded three people.
Puffy's girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez, was called to stand by, and she left early in the afternoon without testifying. As of now, Combs has been charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, and the grand jury will determine if the 30-year-old Bad Boy Records mogul will be indicted on felony charges. A source close to the Puffy camp told MTV News Tuesday that the rapper's testimony supported the eyewitness accounts of four previous witnesses (including a female security guard hired by the club) that Combs did not have a gun and hit the floor when shots rang out. Combs also reaffirmed on the stand that Lopez had nothing to do with the incident. The hip-hop mogul has maintained his innocence since news of the Club New York shooting first broke last week (see "UPDATE: Jennifer Lopez, Puff Daddy Questioned After New York Club Shooting"). During a conversation with MTV News on New Year's Eve, Puffy said, "It's a case of wrong place, wrong time. I just want to tell everybody at MTV that people will know that I'm completely innocent. I've never carried a firearm. I don't own a firearm. I would never have Jennifer in no position where I'm holding a gun. I have professional security. It's just a terrible situation, and I want to thank everyone for their prayers and support." [RealVideo] Alan Nirob, publicist for Jennifer Lopez, told MTV News that the actress-turned-singer is expected to begin shooting the film "The Wedding Planner" for Disney later this month. Asked whether Lopez fears the incident has besmirched her reputation, her publicist said that Lopez had "no career concerns." Speculation that the Combs-Lopez romance is on the rocks has moved from the pages of New York's tabloids and into the mainstream press (see "Puffy-Lopez Romance Scrutinized By Mags"). While one Puffy source told MTV News that those rumors are unfounded, another reliable source in Puffy's camp told MTV News on Tuesday that Jennifer Lopez and her camp of lawyers and publicists won't return Puffy's phone calls or those of his associates and that the rapper was "upset." In addition, the source claims that Puffy didn't realize his bodyguard was packing a gun, the same one found by police in Combs' car the night of shooting. The grand jury investigation has been continued until Wednesday.
