An unlikely person has come toSean "Diddy" Combs' defense. Suge Knight, the Death Row Records founder and longtime rival of Diddy, said in a new interview from prison that the Bad Boy Records founder ought to be found not guilty. "I say this all the time, Puffy and I are not friends, but Puffy should definitely walk free," Knight, 60, told Chris Cuomo on "Cuomo" on May 27, referring to Diddy by his 1990s-era moniker. "The most important thing is that it was other executives that was involved in Puff's life. And for Puffy to be the only guy that gets on the stand is a sad day for hip-hop." Knight's name has been brought up during testimony in Combs' sex-crimes trial, including an incident in which the producer's ex-girlfriendCasandra "Cassie" Ventura Finerecalled Combs packing up guns from his safe and leaving his Los Angeles home in search of Knight at a nearby diner. AndCapricorn Clark, Combs' former assistant, said her personal connection to Knight – as the father of her best friend's children –caused friction with Combs. Suge Knight'ship-hop beef with Diddy resurfaces in Cassie Ventura's trial testimony Knight recalled Clack getting "beaten up, allegedly," and said she was approached by an "executive from Interscope." He said, "When they talked to him, Interscope gave Capricorn a million-dollar check (to) say nothing about the incident with her and Puffy. "So when Jimmy, I think, gave her that check, that's when all hell broke off," Knight continued, not specifying the executive's last name. "But at the same time, I don't think there's a case where Puffy should be going to prison." Knight is not involved in Combs' case and is incarcerated at a San Diego, California, correctional facility, after being convicted and sentenced to 28 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter in 2018. Jimmy Iovine, co-founder of Interscope Records, has not appeared at Combs' trial, but the music executive has been referenced in court testimony. USA TODAY has reached out to Iovine's reps for comment. Clark has previously testified on the stand that after falling out with Combs, the Revolt TV founder tried to blackball her. She alleged that she met with Iovine for what she thought was a job opportunity, but the Beats Electronics co-founder, among others, gave her awarning on Combs' behalf. "They were there to tell me to leave Puff alone and that this wasn't going to end well for me," Clark said. In response, the judge sustained the prosecution's objection. Contributing: Patrick Ryan, Josh Meyer and KiMi Robinson This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Suge Knight: Diddy should 'walk free' in sex-crimes trial
