Sean “Diddy” Combs — currently incarcerated after being convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution — could be drawn into another high-profile courtroom battle, this time as a potential witness in the upcoming murder trial of Tupac Shakur.
Duane “Keffe D” Davis, 62, the former Southern California gang figure charged with orchestrating Shakur’s 1996 drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, believes Combs could play a pivotal role in his defense, according to reporting by the New York Post.
Mr. Davis’ attorney, Las Vegas lawyer Michael Pandullo, told the New York Post that Combs “would be a credible witness for the defense” if called to testify.
A family friend of Mr. Davis said the defendant believes Combs taking the stand — particularly if he were to deny statements allegedly attributed to him — could significantly strengthen the defense before a jury.
“Duane has made his feelings clear — if Diddy is a witness or makes a statement denying what he told cops then that helps him hugely,” the family friend told the Post. “Another factor is that this case will be a jury trial … and there is a suspicion that celebrities are often seen preferentially. So if Diddy backed up this story it would help immensely.”
Mr. Davis has long alleged that Combs once offered $1 million to have Shakur killed — a claim that has not been charged by prosecutors in Nevada. Mr. Pandullo has suggested Combs could contradict aspects of Mr. Davis’ past statements and reinforce the defense’s argument that Mr. Davis’ prior confessions were fabricated for “fame and fortune.”
Prosecutors allege Mr. Davis was the “shot caller” who ordered Shakur’s killing in retaliation after his nephew, Orlando Anderson, was involved in a fight with Shakur, Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight and others at a Las Vegas casino hours before the shooting.
Mr. Davis was arrested in September 2023 and has pleaded not guilty. Authorities have pointed to interviews Mr. Davis gave to law enforcement and in media appearances in which he described involvement in the killing. His defense team maintains those statements were exaggerated or untrue.
The trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 10, 2026, though it could be pushed into 2027.
In late 2025, Mr. Davis’ attorneys moved to suppress evidence obtained during a 2023 search of his home, arguing the warrant was based on what they described as an outdated and misleading portrayal of Mr. Davis as an active drug dealer.
Mr. Davis has remained in custody since his September 2023 arrest. His attorney has said he remains in good spirits and hopes for another review of bail once a separate battery-by-prisoner matter is resolved.
It remains unclear whether prosecutors would seek to call Combs as a witness or whether his legal team would agree to cooperate if approached.
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