Always in his heart. Diddy gave an emotional shout-out to his late girlfriend, Kim Porter, while accepting a major honor during the 2022 BET Awards.
The “Coming Home” rapper, 52, paid tribute to his former partner during his acceptance speech for the Lifetime Achievement Award on Sunday, June 26. “I just miss Kim, y’all,” the New York City native told the audience. “I know we all go through grief and stuff like that in this life, you know, stay connected to God and he’ll bring you out. This is not — we don’t control this. But I miss Kim so much, and I just want to say thank you to Kim.”
Earlier in the evening, Diddy dedicated his performance of “I’ll Be Missing You” to Porter, who died of pneumonia at age 47 in November 2018. “It’s a joyous occasion,” he said. “We’re celebrating life. I’d like to dedicate this to everybody y’all lost, and baby girl Kim, this one is for you.”
The producer and the model, who dated off and on from 1994 to 2007, share son Christian, 24, and twin daughters D’Lila and Jessie, 15, and Diddy adopted and raised Quincy, 31, Porter’s son from a previous relationship. The entrepreneur also shares Justin, 28, with Misa Hylton-Brim and Chance, 15, with Sarah Chapman.
Though Porter and the Sean John designer were not together at the time of her death, Diddy has been open about how deeply her passing affected him. “She was unforgettable,” the Bad Boy Records founder told Essence of Porter in April 2019, recalling the moment he heard that she had died. “That day turned my world upside down.”
The Grammy winner added that his ex made a request shortly before her death. “Three days before she passed, she wasn’t feeling well. She had the flu, and she sent the kids over to my house so they wouldn’t get sick,” he recalled. “One night I was checking on her, and she was like, ‘Puffy, take care of my babies.’ She actually said that to me before she died.”
During his speech on Sunday, Diddy also paid tribute to his longtime collaborator and friend Andre Harrell, who died at age 59 in May 2020. “Andre Harrell, that was like my father figure,” the Making the Band producer said. “I miss him so much. He’s the reason why I’m here. He taught me everything.”
The “Victory” singer dedicated his trophy to his mom, Janice Combs, who was in the audience at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. “Today is not about me,” Diddy said. “Today is about my mother. Mom, I love you. This is your day.”
