Sean 'Diddy' Combs addresses son's scholarship controversy

Sean 'Diddy' Combs welcomed the criticism hurled at his son for receiving a full athletic scholarship to a top university last year (12) as the controversy taught the youngster a valuable lesson in handling pressure.

Justin Combs was accepted into the University of California, Los Angeles, on a paid grant to play football, prompting many to suggest the school should not be covering his education fees when his father is a multi-millionaire.

The 19 year old previously hit back at his detractors by arguing that he deserved the award, and now the hip-hop mogul has spoken out about the criticism.

Combs tells E! News, "I wasn't annoyed at all. I kind of welcomed it, because if he's going to be doing what he's doing, if he's going to be in the city of L.A., he has to be able to handle the pressure.

"I thought it was a great learning tool for him to be humble, handle it and go out there and prove himself on the field and prove himself at school."

The I'll Be Missing You hitmaker also reveals he and his family are now in the process of creating their own financial aid initiative: "We'll be announcing our overall scholarship fund, so at the end of the day, it all works out for everybody."