Diddy Accusers Speak Up After Hearing Of His Plans To Counsel Abusers: 'Utterly Preposterous'
Alexandra Shapiro, one of the controversial mogul's trial lawyers, spoke to Business Insider about his plans of becoming an anti-domestic violence counselor. 'That's something that he actively wants to pursue in the future,' she said. 'The idea is that he would work with programs and be able to go in and talk to people, talk to youth, talk to others about the issue in a proactive way and be an advocate for this. And sometimes, people like him can be the best spokesperson to try to help.'
Again, this doesn't appear to be entirely selfless or noble, as these plans are part of his attempt to get time served for his two convictions of transportation to engage in prostitution. His alleged victims and their teams held nothing back in sharing their thoughts on his plans. 'This is utterly preposterous,' Douglas Wigdor, Cassie's attorney, told Rolling Stone.
'How are you going to counsel someone else when you haven't done the work on yourself?' another source, who was allegedly physically assaulted by the controversial mogul in 2010, said. 'This is manipulation at its best.'
His need for rehabilitation seemed to be a common theme, as another one of Puff's alleged victims said 'It's [making] a mockery of the system. It's a mockery of everyone he's harmed. He needs intensive therapy.'
The 'I Need A Girl' artist was acquitted of his racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges last month. It closed an almost two-year saga that included him being sued, his homes being raided by Homeland Security, footage of him abusing Cassie coming out, and him spending 8 months in jail.
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Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Kid Cudi 'hated every minute' of testifying in Diddy federal sex trafficking trial
Kid Cudi "hated every minute" of testifying against Sean "Diddy" Combs during the rapper's seven-week sex trafficking and racketeering trial. Kid Cudi, known legally as Scott Mescudi, testified in support of his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. The rapper took the stand on May 22 to tell the jury about allegations that Diddy had broken into his home and set his car on fire with a Molotov cocktail. At the time of the alleged behavior, Cudi was dating Ventura, who was also romantically involved with Combs. The Grammy award-winning rapper recalled feeling "calm" on the stand and revealed he was only there "because [he] had to be" in an interview on the podcast "Call Her Daddy." "First they asked, I said, 'No,' then again, I said, 'No.' Then I got subpoena, and I was like, 'F---, s---. No,'" he told host Alexandra Cooper. "Then I'm thinking about like, 'What am I wearing, man? Do I have to be like, suit or something?' I was like, 'Man, f--- this s---. This is what I'm wearing today. I'm going to this f------ s--- in this. I'm not dressing up for this s---.' Like, wear some hard bottoms. I'm wearing some Solomon's, and I'm coming in with my Levi's and my leather jacket and that's it, you know?" "But I hated every minute of it," Cudi said. "Like I did not want to do it." The "Pursuit of Happiness" singer revealed he came to peace with testifying because he wanted to support Ventura. "I thought about, when I was up there. I'm here to support Cassie, and Cassie is my friend, you know, and I love her, and I wanna see her do well," he said. "And when I saw her get married, I was so happy for her, you know, that she found someone, her person. When I saw that she was having kids, I was like, 'Oh, this is so awesome.' You know what I mean? Like, I've always just wanted to see her thrive and do well and be happy because I know she was living a nightmare, and I just was there to support her." "That's what kind of gave me peace with it when I sat down in that chair. It was just about, 'Oh man, I gotta like, hold homegirl down' and like look out for her," he added. During the trial, Cudi revealed he met up with Diddy after the rapper allegedly broke into his home and set his car on fire. "I reached out to Sean Combs after my car had caught fire and… finally told him that we needed to meet up to talk," Cudi testified. "He had been wanting to talk to me. So, after the fire, I was like, 'This is getting out of hand, I need to talk to him.'" "Why was it Mr. Combs you reached out to after the fire?" Cudi was asked in court. "Because I knew he had something to do with it," Cudi claimed before Judge Arun Subramanian sustained an objection from Diddy's defense. The jury was then instructed to disregard the musician's last answer. Diddy was never charged in the investigation into the alleged break-in or car fire. The "I'll Be Missing You" singer was found not guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering charges. Diddy will be sentenced in October after his conviction on transportation to engage in prostitution charges.
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Mario Paglino, 52, and Gianni Grossi, 54, die; designers made Barbies into art
Depending on their interests, fans 'buy Barbies that have been created by Mattel, or they buy limited-edition and one-of-a-kind Barbies that doll artists make,' Kim Culmone, the head of design for dolls at Mattel, said in an interview. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'There are different levels of people who do this sort of work,' she added. 'And Gianni and Mario really were just a cut above.' Advertisement Mr. Paglino, a fashion designer, and Mr. Grossi, a graphic art director, were hailed by collectors for their meticulous handiwork — the ruffles and extravagant bows, the embroidery, appliqué, crystals, rhinestones, paillettes, and beading on silk, satin and tulle — as well as their unswerving attention to detail and their deep knowledge of fashion and art history. Most of the Barbies from their atelier sold for $2,000 to $3,000. One well-cloaked Barbie of their devising looked to be straight out of a Velazquez painting. Mr. Grossi and Mr. Paglino also created a line of Barbies wearing finery inspired by the works of well-known artists, including Vincent van Gogh ('Sunflowers' and 'Irises'), Piet Mondrian ('Composition With Red, Blue and Yellow'), Gustav Klimt ('Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I'), Andy Warhol ('Marilyn Diptych'), and Frida Kahlo ('The Two Fridas'). In a tribute to Jackson Pollock's 'Convergence,' they created a Barbie gown that echoed the artist's drip-painting technique. Advertisement Here and there, dresses also made subtle references to Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli. Some of Mr. Paglino and Mr. Grossi's creations were inspired as much by pop culture as by art. The men designed look-alike Barbies to pay tribute to show-business personalities like Sarah Jessica Parker, Victoria Beckham, Lady Gaga and Sophia Loren. They conjured several different Barbies for their favorite star, Madonna, and proudly watched from the audience of 'The Graham Norton Show' in Britain as one of the dolls was presented to her in 2012. After they died, Madonna dedicated the 40th anniversary reissue of her hit 'Dress You Up' to the designers' memory, thanking them 'for dressing up so many of your creations in Madonna iconic looks over the years,' Rolling Stone magazine reported. Gianni Grossi was born Nov. 27, 1970, and grew up in Biella, Italy, a city northeast of Turin, where his mother, Marissa Grossi, worked in the textiles industry. She survives him, as does a half sister, Luisa. Mario Paglino was born June 30, 1973, in Turin, the oldest of three sons of Maria Concetta (Albano) Paglino and Guiseppe Paglino, who ran a laundry service. They survive him, along with his brothers, Max and Matteo Paglino. For Mr. Grossi, the fascination with Barbie began early; as a child, he often played with a little girl who had several Barbie dolls, according to his family. Advertisement Matteo Paglino recalled in an email that his brother Mario's interest in Barbie dolls began as a 9-year-old. After helping with household chores and much pleading, Mario was given the coveted Barbie Dream Date doll. But when children at school taunted him, his father took the doll away. Years later, Mr. Grossi presented Mr. Paglino with the same doll, reviving his enthusiasm for Barbies. The two men met in 1997 and soon became a couple. They established their company, Magia2000, in 1999. Magia means magic in Italian; it also contains the first few letters of each founder's first name. Mr. Paglino and Mr. Grossi generally worked with Barbies that were made from silkstone, a composite material with a smooth, porcelainlike appearance. A blend of resin, quartz, and sand, it produces a heavier, more substantial doll than those typically found in the aisles of chain stores. (Mattel generally uses silkstone for its Barbie Fashion Model Collection, a higher-priced line aimed at adult doll collectors.) Magia2000's Barbies got a full makeover. Their factory face paint was removed, and they were given a whole new look with the aid of acrylic paint and watercolor pencils. Their hair was restyled or removed entirely and replaced with a different shade of nylon tendrils, a process called rerooting. Mr. Paglino designed and made the clothing; he also did the hairstyling. Mr. Grossi sewed the beading, embroidery, and appliqués by hand. (Swarovski crystals figured prominently.) He also handled the dolls' accessories and worked on photography and marketing for the company. The men typically produced four collections a year, each with close to 60 dolls. 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At the convention's charity auction in 2015, in Arlington, Va., Burnett bid $15,000 for Magic Wanda, a Barbie cloaked in a blue gown with gold sequins, only to have a rival from Australia outbid her, for $15,250. 'At that point, my husband looked at me and said, 'Really?' And I said, 'OK, we'll let her have it,'' Burnett recalled. 'It's hard to describe the detail and beauty that went into those dolls,' she added. 'You know how some people collect paintings or sculpture? These Barbies are works of art.' Barbie may have been their 11½-inch-tall muse, but Mr. Paglino and Mr. Grossi also designed clothing and accessories and did the hair and makeup for other fashion dolls. In 2023, for example, they dressed 12-inch-tall figures in high-fashion outfits inspired by their home countries in collaboration with Integrity Toys, a company that specializes in collectible dolls. 'When I make dolls for Barbie,' Culmone said, 'I have a group of artists who specialize in pattern-making, embroidery, and beading. Someone else specializes in face painting. Someone else specializes in hair design. Think about the rarity of finding a pair of individuals who could take all those parts of doll — coming up with the vision, the fashion design, the pattern-making, the sample-making, the embroidery, the hair design, the hair embellishments, the shoe creation.' 'These are two people who played a big role in our community,' she added. 'Because of them, our community is better. My design team is better. Barbie is better.' This article originally appeared in Advertisement
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kid Cudi Opens Up About Diddy Trial: ‘I Hated Every Minute' of Testifying but ‘I'm Here to Support Cassie'
Months after testifying at the Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial, Kid Cudi was asked about his experience on the witness stand. The rapper and actor, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, was subpoenaed by federal prosecutors and was required to testify against the Bad Boy Records founder in regards to a home invasion and car explosion allegedly linked to Combs. Discussing the trial with 'Call Her Daddy' host Alex Cooper in a podcast interview, Cudi said, 'I hated every minute of it. I did not want to do it.' But he knew that his purpose in the courtroom was to 'support Cassie,' aka Casandra Ventura, Combs' longtime ex-girlfriend and the key witness in his trial. More from Variety Kid Cudi Details Struggles With Depression, Addiction and Near-Fatal Overdose in New Memoir 'Cudi' Judge Denies Diddy's Request for Release on Bail Diddy's Ex-Girlfriend Writes Letter to Judge in Support of Bail Before Sentencing: 'I Do Not View Mr. Combs as a Danger' For a brief period in 2011, Cudi was in a romantic relationship with Ventura when she was apparently on a break with Combs. Cudi testified that when Combs found out about his relationship with Ventura, Combs broke into Cudi's house in the Hollywood Hills. Ventura alleged that Combs told her he would blow up Cudi's car, and in January 2012, Cudi's Porsche exploded. While there is no clear evidence linking Combs to the firebombing, prosecutors accused Combs of carrying out the attack. (Combs was acquitted of racketeering charges, as well as sex trafficking charges. He was found guilty of two lesser counts related to prostitution.) Cudi said he was feeling 'calm' when he walked into the federal courthouse in Lower Manhattan on May 22. 'I was there because I had to be,' he said. When federal prosecutors first asked him to testify against Combs, he declined. 'They asked again. I said no. Then I got subpoenaed, and I was like, 'Fuck! Shit! No!'' Cudi said. He soon began thinking about what he would wear to court, asking himself, 'Do I have to be like in a fucking suit or something?' He opted for something more casual. 'I was like, 'Fuck this shit.' This is what I'm wearing today. I'm going to the fucking shit in this. I'm not dressing up for this shit. Wearing some hard bottoms? I'm wearing some Salomons and I'm coming in there with my Levi's and my leather jacket, and that's it.' While Cudi did not enjoy his time on the witness stand, he said he found 'peace' in the idea of being there for Ventura. 'Cassie is my friend. I love her, and I want to see her do well,' Cudi said. 'When I saw her get married, I was so happy for her that she found someone, her person. When I saw that she was having kids, I was like, 'Oh this is so awesome.' I've always just wanted to see her thrive and do well and be happy, because I know she was living a nightmare. I was there to support her.' In a separate interview on 'CBS Mornings,' Cudi talked about the public response to his testimony. 'The backlash was swift. I had a lot of people that supported me, but there were a few that had some opinions about it,' he said. 'It was interesting because I'm not no street dude. I don't live by no code, you know? So I guess it's because I'm a rapper. People just threw that on me. But, like, my music has never been about that and I have never tried to pretend I was about that. I'm from the suburbs, baby!' When Cooper asked Cudi about living through that period of his life, when he was dating Ventura and dealing with alleged threats and transgressions from Combs, the 'Pursuit of Happiness' singer seemed at a loss for words. 'It was crazy, man,' he said between long pauses. 'I had a hard time understanding if it was reality. I was like, 'Am I in a movie? What the fuck is going on?'' Cudi said he was already 'standoffish' in the entertainment industry, and his experience in late 2011 and early 2012 made him more of a hermit. He said he rarely goes out in public in Los Angeles. This marks the first time Cudi has spoken out about his experience at the Combs trial in an interview. Following his testimony in May, he posted a message to social media thanking his fans for their support, saying, 'This was a stressful situation. I'm glad it's behind me.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in August 2025 What's Coming to Netflix in August 2025
