Rapper P Diddy has settled a custody case over his three-year-old son after failing to show up for the hearing on nine previous occasions.

The hearing examiner at the Manhattan Family Court threatened to have the star, who's real name is Sean Combs, arrested if he did not show up again.

Combs and the mother of his son, Kimberly Porter, thrashed out the terms of the joint custody and financial deal for Christian for more than three hours.

But the pair appeared together outside the courtside following the settlement to show they were still friends.

Ms Porter, a model, will now receive child support, health insurance and other necessities for their son under the agreement.

Name change

Speaking outside court, Combs said: "I have joint custody of Christian. We have always been friends. We just had to go through the proper process."

Combs has gone under various names since hitting the big time as a rap artist.

He took the decision in 2001 to change his stage name from Puff Daddy to P Diddy.

The 32-year-old was acquitted last year of charges of bribery and gun possession resulting from a nightclub shooting.

During the trial he split with high-profile girlfriend Jennifer Lopez, who had also been caught up in the nightclub incident.

As well as rapping, Combs is also a fashion designer and appears in the Oscar-nominated film Monster's Ball, alongside Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry.