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Thursday, April 28, 2011

Celeb Atlanta Woman has Chance Encounter With Diddy at Toys "R" Us

Posted by Derek Erdman on Thu, Apr 28, 2011 at 9:01 AM

A dear friend of mine recently forwarded photos of her child & Sean P. Puff Diddy Daddy Combs via email and I simply had to investigate their origins. Kori G. from Georgia thankfully answered a few questions about her chance meeting in the Barbie aisle with the three-time Grammy-award winner who also happens to hold a key to the city of Chicago.

In what city did you run into Sean "Diddy" Combs?

Atlanta.

What store were you at? Was he shopping? If so, what was he buying? What were you buying?

Toys "R" Us. He was shopping with his daughter in the Barbie aisle. I believe they bought a Barbie car. We were buying a birthday present for my daughter Emily's first birthday.

Did it seem that he was being approached by a lot of people? Did you have apprehension approaching him?

No, there were barely any people there. The entourage passed me and Emily and then when I looked up I saw the cashier making some hand gestures, so I knew that it was him for sure. I wasn't sure if I wanted to approach him so I ran over to my mom and asked her if I should ask him to take a photo with Emily. She said I should, so I grabbed my camera and headed down the Barbie aisle.

Combs has never married, but he is the biological father of five children.

Combs has never married, but he is the biological father of five children.

How did he react when you approached him?

I was so surprised I was as nervous as I was because I'm not a huge fan. I think I was more scared of being turned down for the photo. I said "hi" and I purposely didn't say his name because I wasn't sure what he wanted to be called these days. I told him my daughter was turning one in a week and we would love it if he'd take a photo with her. There was a long pause (or at least it felt long) and he said "yeah, just let me finish up with this first." Then I felt bad interrupting his time with his daughter. We stood there awkwardly for a minute and then he held Emily and helped me try to get her to look at the camera. At first she just stared at him...it was so funny. I wish I had a video of it. As you can tell from the photo, she wasn't that impressed. He had two men with him and they blocked off our little area. I said thank you and as we were turning around my mom started making all of these comments about his appearance and I was embarrassed because he probably heard her.

Did he mind taking a picture with your daughter?

He didn't seem to mind once he was holding her. I had a moment of hesitation when I handed her over to him, but I knew her dad would like to see a photo of her with P. Diddy. I wouldn't say he was super nice, but I never said I was a fan or complimented him.

Are you a fan of the music of Diddy?

I don't hate his music, but I wouldn't say I'm a fan.

Will this encounter change the way you view Diddy's music?

I looked him up on Wikipedia when we got home because I wanted to know more about him. According to Forbes, his net worth is $475 million! I also read that a piece from his clothing line claimed to be made out of faux fur and it was raccoon dog.

Have you had an encounter with a shopping celeb? Discuss in the comments below!

Comments (27) RSS

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When I was 17 I sold John Irving some produce. He had nothing pithy to say.

Posted by Canuck on April 28, 2011 at 1:09 PM

"Worth" $475 million makes me angrier than 1,234,867,246 butchered racoon dogs in China

What the fuck does one human need 475 million dollars for?

Posted by Kelly O on April 28, 2011 at 1:11 PM

@2, "never married, but he is the biological father of five children" is part of your answer.

Posted by Fnarf

on April 28, 2011 at 1:24 PM

John Cougar Mellencamp in a hardware store. The sales clerk said I should get him to autograph the Christmas lights I was buying. I didn't.

Posted by Hannah N on April 28, 2011 at 1:36 PM

I bagged Adam West's groceries once when I was 16. I held his bananas and said, "I am Batman," and he looked at me tiredly and replied, "No, I am Batman." His hands were so old looking.

Posted by Cienna Madrid on April 28, 2011 at 1:38 PM

Can't imagine all the awesome encounters like this that dude gets treated do. "Hey dude, not a fan, but take a flick with my kid? Oh you with your kid or whatever? Cool...I'm not really a fan, and neither are my kid or my mom, who thinks you look weird. And what? I heard yo shit was bootleg anyway nigga!"

Posted by Larry Mizell, Jr. on April 28, 2011 at 1:49 PM

A good friend sold Margaret Atwood a book at the original Indigo books in Toronto. The wall behind the cash register has the names of Canadian authors painted on it. Atwood asked for help finding her name, and my friend pointed it out. Atwood said "Thanks" and took the book.

I've always found that story somehow hilarious.

Posted by Canadian Nurse on April 28, 2011 at 1:53 PM

Wait...He's worth $450 million and he's buying his daughter an off-the-rack Barbie car? Please. He should be commissioning one-of-a-kind toy cars directly from Ferrari.

Posted by Canadian Nurse on April 28, 2011 at 1:58 PM

I kept bumping into Shigetoshi Hasegawa in different aisles at Uwajimaya. He was a lot shorter than I expected in an MLB pitcher. Apparently we have the same taste in squid kim-chi and shrimp snacks.

Posted by Josh Bomb

on April 28, 2011 at 2:54 PM

@5: Oh wow, that's so great.

While working at a record store, Henry Rollins came in and was looking at CDs. I noticed him looking at a Black Flag bootleg and then he looked up at me. There was a five second pause and then I said, "That's your war" and shrugged my shoulders.

He left without buying anything.

Posted by derek_erdman

on April 28, 2011 at 4:00 PM

not really *my* story, but my friend sold Rob Halford Honey BBQ chicken wings when he worked at the KFC drive window in Phoenix Arizona.

does that count?

Posted by Kelly O on April 28, 2011 at 5:08 PM

My friend Ollie sold Ozzy Osbourne a pastry at a book store in Austin a long while back. Ollie asked him if he'd like it heated and Ozzy replied, "No, I'm going to shove it up me bum!"
After a few uncomfortable moments it became clear that Ozzy thought Ollie had asked "Would you like to eat it?" which was the cause of his consternation and mild outburst.

Posted by laceyswain on April 28, 2011 at 5:24 PM

Iggy Pop was over at our house once, and watched me empty a full ashtray into my mouth.

Posted by Fnarf

on April 28, 2011 at 6:21 PM

@ 6: It doesn't say that she told him she wasn't a fan, and anyway, she said that she wanted the picture because her husband would like it. Perhaps he is a fan. If Diddy is going to go around with an entourage, people are going to notice him and want pictures or autographs. Small price to pay for $475 million and the adoration of so many.

Posted by B. Beatsie on April 28, 2011 at 6:30 PM

I worked at a video store in Cambridge, MA about 5 years ago. One day I got a call from someone asking to hold the movie "Love Story" for Casey. About 15 minutes later Casey Affleck walks in and wants to use his mom's account but didn't have id. My co-worker made him call his mom to get permission to use her account. He actually said "Do you know who I am?"

Posted by rosina on April 28, 2011 at 6:31 PM

I sold Meryl Haggard a some Bose speakers and $400 worth of CDs/boxsets when I was 20, working at Circuit City . He paid with a check.

Posted by Travis Ritter

on April 28, 2011 at 7:02 PM

Also, George Bush Sr. came into Circuit City in Houston with ten secret servicemen. They went directly to the car stereo department.

Posted by Travis Ritter

on April 28, 2011 at 7:03 PM

i met jared leto back in the late 90's. he was really nice. i was restocking a vending machine and he said something about the sour patch kids. apparently they are his favorite. he was filming some movie in pioneer square. he had a bunch of make up caked on to make his skin darker and he was wearing a mohawk wig. i didn't recognize him. i didn't realize it was him until i read about the movie he was shooting days later. i was like "huh...i met jordan catalano".

Posted by Rabid Child Images

on April 28, 2011 at 7:11 PM

I'm a huge Quentin Tarantino fan and I was lucky enough to have lunch right next to him at Barney's Beanery in WeHo. I couldn't work up the nerve to say anything to him, but I was just as happy watching him eat with his "flavor of the moment." Other than that most of my encounters have been boring. Oh, Tracy Jordan is really short and Geena Davis is an Amazon woman. That's all I got!

Posted by LizzieVeg on April 28, 2011 at 10:50 PM

I almost forgot about my favorite ego boosting encounter...I was paying for my groceries at Whole Foods in Pasadena when I felt someone starring at me. I look up and there's the very handsome and sophisticated Dr. Drew looking at me. He had an amused smirk on his face. I'm a huge dork so he was either checking me out or observing me like you would a monkey at the zoo. I prefer to think he was looking at my luscious tatas.

Posted by LizzieVeg on April 28, 2011 at 10:56 PM

I was working at a record store (circa '97?) when Thom Yorke came in to shop. Radiohead was playing a sold-out show, but I really wasn't a big fan. However, Spiritualized was opening and I love that band. When ringing him up I asked if he could get me into the show. He was super polite; pulled out a pen and paper from his pocket and asked for my name and how many.

Went that night to see Spiritualized and left before Radiohead played. I still kinda feel like a dick (sometimes) for not sticking around. I'm sure he's losing sleep over it, too.

Posted by sean mcmanus on April 29, 2011 at 7:24 AM

When I was 2 my family went to hawaii to visit my Grandma at her salon. this was back in the 80s when Tom Selek was in hawaii filming Magnum PI and he would go to her salon to get his hair cut. She arranged a photo session with him and my family.
So i have pics of all of us and me sitting on Tom's lap crying. I think I was scared of all the hair :P

Posted by l3ahkn1ts on April 29, 2011 at 11:04 AM

I saw Heath Ledger and Andrew Keegan (and that other guy from 10 Things I Hate About You that is not Joseph Gordon Levitt) at the Tacoma Mall a few times. I talked to Andrew Keegan at the Gap and asked him if he was that guy from 7th Heaven. He laughed and said "Yes". The girls at the Gap screamed and jumped up and down. I wish I would have known who Ledger was at the time. Who the hell cares about Andrew Keegan in the past 12 years anyway?

Posted by okayokay on April 29, 2011 at 5:57 PM

Oh yea, and that time Joan Jett was checking out my ex at JFK airport. I was so annoyed and I said "This bitch keeps giving me dirty looks and checking you out!" My GF said "Oh my God it's Joan Jett!" God, I wish Joan would have swept her away and spared me 2 years of pure Hell.

Posted by okayokay on April 29, 2011 at 6:10 PM

I was sitting up in the balcony of the Capitol Theatre in Olympia during Yo-Yo-A-Go-Go (2001) when the 2 empty seats next to me suddenly became occupied by Carrie Brownstein and her friend. Carrie sat next to me. I couldn't work up the nerve to say anything.

Posted by Simone on April 29, 2011 at 10:44 PM

If I remember correctly Bratmobile was on stage.

Posted by Simone on April 29, 2011 at 10:47 PM

i was at yyagg that year! but ... its olympia so the idea of running into anybody from the KRS/K records set seems real obvious?

i sold trucker hats to members of the backstreet boys (uhh the blond one? and one other one?) when i worked at the alley in chicago.

Posted by alithea on May 2, 2011 at 11:50 AM