Overview
- Speaking on The Art of Dialogue in clips published December 7–8, Deal denied harassing Hylton and rejected claims that he reignited the decades-old rumor.
- Deal said he personally witnessed a 1990s paternity test that identified Sean “Diddy” Combs as Justin’s father, a claim reported without independent corroboration.
- He alleged Diddy failed to adequately support Hylton early on and contended larger payments began only after the test results.
- Deal maintained the rumor predated his public comments and linked its spread to 1990s taunts involving Suge Knight, as coverage revisited talk that long tied the story to the late Anthony “Wolf” Jones.
- Hylton’s since-deleted message said speculation and the Netflix series triggered renewed harassment, online reaction split over Deal’s credibility, and Diddy’s team has labeled the documentary a “hit piece.”