Diddy Finally Explains The Story Behind His Latest Name Change
Music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs has gone by many names throughout his career, and it's sometimes hard to keep up. When the entertainer came into the music industry in 1990, he simply went by "Puffy," according to the credits on Notorious B.I.G.'s debut album. But in typical Diddy-fashion, he also referred to himself as "Puff Daddy" in Father MC's 1991 hit "Lisa Baby."
It would take nearly a decade for Diddy to switch things up again, but his new name wasn't far off. The rapper started going by "P. Diddy" in 2001, telling MTV News that he wanted "something fresh." He dropped the "P" from his moniker in 2005, but added the letter back in 2006, after he was sued by a UK-based producer of the same name. The Bad Boys Records founder eventually changed his name four more times, going by "Sean John" in 2008, "Swag" in 2011, and "Love" or "Brother Love" in 2017.
Diddy seems to be sticking to the "Love" moniker and has legally changed his middle name to such. However, Diddy has finally provided some insight into the reason for his latest name change, and his explanation is quite simple.
Diddy says he is Love
Diddy has opened up about his most recent name change, and his reasoning is far less complex than some might think. During an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," the entertainer explained to host Ellen DeGeneres that he will continue to go by "Diddy" professionally but clarified that "Love" is in fact his legal middle name.
"Diddy is my nickname. Love is my real name," Diddy told DeGeneres. "I just changed my name to Love. Sean Love Combs, that's what it says on my driver's license, that's my official name, Love." The mogul then shouted, "I'm Love. I am Love! I have made it."
The move may be confusing to some, as Diddy recently claimed that he was "joking" about the name switch when he first announced it in 2017. "I was only joking. Okay? I didn't change my name. It was just part of one of my alter egos. One of my alter egos is Love," he wrote in a since-deleted post on Instagram, per Us Weekly. However, it seems Diddy has come to terms with the name and it is legally here to stay.