Diddy's cunning courtroom tricks to win over the jury... and some say it's working
He's in the fight of his life in a Manhattan courtroom - and Sean Diddy Combs is pulling out all the stops to win back his freedom.
The music mogul, on trial for racketeering and sexual trafficking, remains hopeful he will be acquitted at the end of the long drawn out criminal blockbuster.
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The Independent
34 minutes ago
- The Independent
Alleged child sex abuse victim of Gateway Church founder Robert Morris sues him for defamation
An Oklahoma woman who accused megachurch pastor Robert Morris of sexually assaulting her as a young girl is now seeking at least $1 million from the disgraced televangelist for, among other things, slander, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress over his public actions in the years since. In a 39-page lawsuit filed Thursday, Cindy Clemishire, who is now 55 and working as a real estate broker, says the 63-year-old Morris, his wife Deborah, their sons and numerous church elders all conspired to cover up the 'heinous' abuse she suffered at his hands. Gateway Church, which Morris founded 25 years ago in the affluent Dallas, Texas suburb of Southlake, quickly became one of the biggest congregations in the country, drawing 100,000 or more worshipers to its weekend services. 'Defendants have made millions of dollars from Gateway Church, writing and publishing books, speaking engagements, TV shows, radio shows, [and] The King's University… while preaching about sexual immorality and redemption all while concealing the true facts of Defendant Robert Morris's sexual abuse and rape of Plaintiff, whose abuse began while she was just 12 years old,' Clemishire's complaint contends. Morris, his family and Gateway Church leadership later downplayed his alleged crimes as 'nothing more than an 'inappropriate relationship,' an 'indiscretion,' 'his transgressions,' 'his moral failures' and an 'extramarital relationship,' deceiving thousands of church parishioners and the public with a false narrative that the sexual acts performed on the plaintiff as a minor child were consensual, or even worse, solicited,' Clemishire's attorneys said in a statement released after filing the suit in Dallas County District Court on behalf of her and her father, Jerry Lee Clemishire. 'Instead,' the statement goes on, 'the lawsuit makes clear that the actions 'amounted to criminal sexual contact with a child, rape and continuous sexual abuse of a child,' for which the survivor is entitled to just compensation for damages.' In an email on Thursday, church spokeswoman Bonnie Curry told The Independent, "No comment to add from Gateway.' Morris, a former spiritual adviser to President Donald Trump, first assaulted Clemishire on December 25, 1982, when he 'demanded' that Clemishire 'get into bed with him,' according to the complaint. At the time, the 22-year-old Morris was on the road as a traveling preacher, and had become friendly with Clemishire's family. The molestation continued for another five years, with Morris insisting to Clemishire that she 'can't ever tell anyone what just happened or it will ruin everything,' the complaint states. However, in 1987, it says Clemishire confided to a friend about Morris' 'wrongful and egregious actions.' Clemishire, who was then 17, then got a call from Deborah Morris, who said she 'forgave' Clemishire for what had happened, according to the complaint. This, the filing argues, 'allud[ed] that it was [Clemishire's] fault that [Morris'] husband had sexually assaulted and raped [her].' Morris would acknowledge in a 2014 sermon that he had been "sexually immoral" during his younger days, and a decade later told The Christian Post that when he was in his early 20s, he 'was involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying.' 'It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong,' Morris told the publication. 'This behavior happened on several occasions over the next few years.' Over the past year, Morris has continued to defame Clemishire by claiming that 'his sexual battery, assault, and rape of [her] was an 'extramarital affair,'' implying that the pre-teen had 'initiated, sought and desired a sexual relationship' with him, her complaint maintains. 'Defendant Morris and/or other Defendants spread horrendous and damaging lies that it was Plaintiff that initiated and perpetuated these illegal acts,' the complaint states. 'Further, Defendants asserted that Plaintiffs forgave Defendant Morris, which was a lie.' In June 2024, Morris stepped down from his position at Gateway Church. His son, along with several other members of the church's board of elders, were placed on temporary leaves of absence while an outside team of investigators probed the allegations against Morris. In March 2025, an Oklahoma grand jury indicted Morris on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, based on Clemishire's claims. 'After almost 43 years, the law has finally caught up with Robert Morris for the horrific crimes he committed against me as a child,' Clemishire said in a statement after the indictment was announced. 'Now, it is time for the legal system to hold him accountable. My family and I are deeply grateful to the authorities who have worked tirelessly to make this day possible and remain hopeful that justice will ultimately prevail.' Last month, Morris filed his own lawsuit against Gateway, arguing that while his behavior may have been 'inappropriate,' the church still owes him millions of dollars in severance, deferred compensation and retirement benefits. But, while church lawyers said Morris 'was laser-focused on securing his financial future,' the accusations against him amounted to a breach of contract, liberating Gateway from any previously agreed upon obligations. For her part, Clemishire is seeking actual, presumed and exemplary damages to be determined by a jury. 'We filed this lawsuit on behalf of Ms. Clemishire because, while criminal charges continue to progress, Morris and those who conspired with him deserve to be held civilly accountable for their actions as well,' attorney S. Alex Yaffe, one of the lawyers representing Clemishire, said on Thursday. 'The lawsuit and the crimes alleged speak for themselves and we look forward to seeing justice served for the Plaintiffs in this case.'
Daily Mail
37 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Chicago Cubs broadcast leaves viewers stunned as Justin Turner is seen engaging in lewd celebration
Chicago Cubs fans were stunned on Thursday night as their team's home broadcast showed Justin Turner engaging in an extremely lewd celebration. Turner, 40, did not appear in the game for Chicago but was dubbed the 'Fan of the Game' by Marquee Sports Network, as they showed a clip of him celebrating with outfielder Seiya Suzuki. But the veteran Turner's cheers were from from typical, as the infielder was actually seen wearing a pair of fake testicles as he jumped up and down. The 2020 World Series champion smiled wide as he pumped his arms in the air while wearing the bizarre item, and fans couldn't believe that Marquee aired the NSFW moment. 'I was like is the camera guy blind or did he do it on purpose,' one fan asked on X, including a laughing-crying emoji in their post. 'Broadcast got some balls to show that,' a second joked. Suzuki rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the bottom of the sixth inning 'For most men, it's the simple things,' a third added. And a fourth said: 'Did we just win it all?' According to the New York Post, broadcasters Boog Sciambi and Jim Deshaies went silent for about 30 seconds afterwards as they seemingly realized what had happened on the broadcast. Nonetheless, it was a positive night for the Cubs as they beat the Pirates 3-2 to move to 42-27 on the year. Turner, in his 17th MLB season, has played a reserve role for the red-hot Cubs this season, only appearing in 38 games. In 110 plate appearances, he's hitting .213 with 11 RBIs and one home run. The Cubs have three more games against Pittsburgh this weekend before they'll welcome the Brewers to town.
The Independent
38 minutes ago
- The Independent
How The Simpsons has survived on TV after 35 years
Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, believes early controversy surrounding the show, including bans and backlash over risque content, ultimately benefited its popularity by making it seem "exotic" and "forbidden." Groening highlighted an incident where Bart Simpson Underachiever T-shirts were banned in schools, contributing to the show's notoriety. Groening believes The Simpsons' longevity is due to its ability to tell stories and incorporate jokes across various mediums, including comics, video games, and merchandise. Showrunner Matt Selman hopes the eventual final episode will be "a really good story about the family," avoiding a typical, sentimental series finale. Selman mentioned a spoof 'finale' in 2024 that used AI to imagine an ending, inspired by the difficulty of creating a satisfactory conclusion to the long-running series.
