Kim Porter, Diddy's former girlfriend and mother of 3 children dies

Los Angeles — Kim Porter, Diddy's former longtime girlfriend and the mother of three of his children, has died at age 47.

A representative for Sean "Diddy" Combs confirmed Porter's death on Thursday.

According to TMZ, Porter was battling an illness and went to bed on Wednesday night feeling unwell. When family members tried to wake her on Thursday morning she was unresponsive.

Paramedics later pronounced Porter dead.

Diddy and Porter, a former model and occasional actress from Georgia, were a couple on-and-off from 1994 until they split for good in 2007.

Their children are a 20-year-old son, Christian, and 11-year-old twin daughters, D'Lila Star and Jessie James. Combs also has three other children from other relationships.

Porter also has 27-year-old son Quincy Brown from a previous relationship with singer Al B. Sure. Brown, but who was largely raised with Diddy and is an actor and appears on the Fox series Star.

As an actress, Porter appeared on the TV series Wicked Wicked Games in 2006 and 2007 and in the film Mama I Want to Sing in 2011.

Many in the hip-hop community were mourning her death and offering condolences.

Missy Elliott called her death "so heartbreaking," tweeting, "Lord please give her kids & her whole family strength."

50 Cent tweeted that Porter "was loved and will be missed dearly." "I know Puff is hit up right now," he said, "he loved her for real."

During one of their breakups, Porter took Combs to court in 2002 to compel him to pay more child support in what appeared might become an acrimonious legal fight, but the two reunited and had the twins in 2006.

They broke up permanently about six months after the girls were born. Porter said in a statement at the time that the decision was hers.

"In ending this relationship, I made a decision that was in the best interest of myself, Sean and our family, Porter said. "I look forward to moving on with my life and my career, and wish him prosperity, health and happiness in life and in love. We will remain friends and committed parents to our children."