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Toronto Sun
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
SHOCK DIDDY SEX TRIAL VERDICT: Rap mogul 'owned' the kinky -- and won
Get the latest from Brad Hunter straight to your inbox In this May 4, 2015 file photo, Sean Diddy Combs is pictured with Cassie, one of the complainants in the case against pictured at at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating "China: Through the Looking Glass" in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File) Hip hop impresario Sean 'Diddy' Combs may have skated on sex trafficking and racketeering charges, but still faces prison on prostitution convictions. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The 55-year-old was acquitted in a New York courtroom on Wednesday of sex trafficking that could have seen him sent to prison for life. But a prostitution conviction could still see him jailed for 10 years. In addition, the prostitution conviction and the lurid details that flowed from the eight-week trial have likely torpedoed his career. It took jurors three days of deliberations — which were reportedly contentious, at times — to reach their verdict. When the verdict was read, the man who was the ringmaster for days-long sex and drug fuelled orgies, clasped his hands together in a prayer motion. He hugged his lawyer, Teny Geragos. One legal analyst said the key to the courtroom win was that the billionaire 'owned' the bad facts of the case. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'This trial was a major gamble and Combs won that bet,' New York Law School Professor Anna Cominsky told the New York Post. 'Everything is stacked against the defendant going into a federal case, in particular one like this. His attorneys were smart and they owned the bad facts. They fought on the things that mattered, and it paid off.' Cominsky said that lawyers for the founder of Bad Boy Records admitted that Diddy had: Beat up girlfriends, engaged in eye-popping kinky sex, made porn and lived a swinger's lifestyle. But they argued the case was about domestic violence, not sex trafficking. One confusing aspect of the trial is that while Combs walked on the sex trafficking charges, he did go down in flames on prostitution, which consisted of him flying girlfriends and male sex workers around the U.S. to engage in sex. Those actions were a felony violation of the Mann Act. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But the jury of eight men and four women acquitted Combs of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, related to allegations that he used his money, power and frightening physical force to manipulate girlfriends into hundreds of drug-fuelled sex marathons. Recommended video His legal eagles argued the women were willing participants in the orgies and that his violent actions did not justify the heavyweight charges. After the verdict was read, Combs continued to pump his right fist subtly, seemingly satisfied that he was acquitted on the most serious charges. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian was weighing whether to grant Combs bail in the wake of the verdict. He adjourned the court while he considered whether to spring Diddy. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Combs has been locked up since he was arrested and charged last September. Diddy appeared buoyant arriving in the courtroom earlier Wednesday morning, a contrast to his mood a day earlier after he learned that the jury at his sex trafficking trial had reached a yet-to-be-disclosed verdict on all but one of the five charges. On Tuesday, Subramanian ordered the jury to continue its closed-door discussions for a third day after the panel of eight men and four women said it was unable to reach consensus on the top count: racketeering conspiracy. The judge agreed with prosecutors and Combs' defence team that less than 13 hours of deliberations was too soon to give up on reaching a verdict on all counts. In a note to the court late Tuesday, the jury said 'unpersuadable opinions on both sides' among some jurors had prevented the group from reaching a unanimous verdict on the racketeering conspiracy charge. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The disclosure of Tuesday's jury note about the partial verdict had seemed to put defence attorneys and their client in a dour mood even before it was read in open court by the judge. Eight defense lawyers formed a half-circle behind Combs as the smiles and lighthearted mood that accompanied the arrival of other jury notes over two days seemed absent. His attorneys contemplated the possibility that jurors had reached agreement on counts that carry the heaviest sentencing penalties. Combs appeared morose as his lawyers spoke with him. At one point, the hip-hop mogul solemnly read a piece of paper that attorney Marc Agnifilo handed to him. After the jury came in for instructions and then exited the room, a subdued Combs sat in his chair for a few minutes. As he stood to leave, he faced his relatives and supporters in the audience, blew a kiss and tapped his heart, as he frequently has done at the start and end of each day. Then he paused before his mother and exchanged a few words, telling her, 'Love you' and 'I'll be all right.' Marshals then led him from the room. — WITH FILES FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Sports Money News MLB Relationships Editorial Cartoons
1News
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- 1News
Former aide says Sean 'Diddy' Combs kidnapped her in plot to kill Kid Cudi
A former top aide to Sean 'Diddy' Combs has testified that the hip-hop mogul threatened to kill her during her first day on the job and kidnapped her at gunpoint as he sought to kill rapper Kid Cudi. Capricorn Clark's account of Combs' volatility and violence launched the third week of testimony at his federal sex trafficking trial in Manhattan. Prosecutors called Clark, the former global brand director for Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment, as they work to prove he led a two-decade racketeering conspiracy that relied on beefy bodyguards, death threats and the silence of frightened staff to ensure he got what he wanted. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to an indictment alleging he abused his longtime girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie, and others. If convicted, he could face 15 years to life in prison. ADVERTISEMENT Clark's testimony came days after Cudi, whose legal name is Scott Mescudi, testified that Clark called him from a car outside his home in December 2011 and told him Combs had forced her to accompany him to Cudi's house. Combs was angry Cudi was dating Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, Clark said. Cassie Ventura, left, and Sean "Diddy" Combs appear at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating "China: Through the Looking Glass" in New York on May 4, 2015. (Source: Associated Press) Clark, who mostly referred to Combs as 'Puff' during her testimony, said he came to her home with a gun in his hand, demanded that she get dressed and come with him because 'we're going to kill Cudi.' Clark, her voice shaky at times, said they rode in a black Cadillac Escalade to Cudi's Los Angeles home, where Combs and his bodyguard entered the residence while Clark sat in the SUV and called Cassie. Clark testified she told Cassie that Combs 'got me with a gun and brought me to Cudi's house to kill him". Clark said she heard Cudi in the background asking, 'He's in my house?' She said she told Cassie, 'Stop him, he's going to get himself killed.' ADVERTISEMENT Cassie told her she couldn't stop Cudi, she recalled. Combs returned to the Escalade and asked Clark who she was talking to, Clark testified. He grabbed the phone and called Cassie back, she said. They then heard Cudi driving up the road, she said. Combs and his bodyguard got back in the SUV and chased after Cudi, finally giving up when they passed police cars that were heading for Cudi's house. After the break-in, Clark said, Combs told them that they had to convince Cudi 'it wasn't me". 'If you don't convince him of that I'll kill all you,' he said, punctuating his threat with an expletive, according to Clark. Clark said she and Cassie then went to Cudi's home, telling jurors: 'We needed to talk to him. We needed to make sure he wasn't going to make a police report about Puff." ADVERTISEMENT After that, she said she watched in shock as Combs viciously assaulted Cassie over her relationship with Cudi. Combs kicked Cassie with '100% full force" to the legs and back as she curled on the ground outside his home in a fetal position and wept silently, Clark said. Clark said her 'heart was breaking from seeing her get hit like that' and that neither she nor Combs' bodyguard intervened. The answer prompted an objection from Combs' lawyers, and Judge Arun Subramanian told jurors to disregard it. Combs' lawyer Marc Agnifilo questioned Clark's recollection, leading her to reconsider certain details. She admitted some haziness about events that happened "such a long time ago". On Thursday, Cudi testified that he dated Cassie briefly in December 2011, believing she'd broken up with Combs, but they agreed over the holidays to end the relationship. Assistant US Attorney Mitzi Steiner questioned Clark about her off-and-on employment with Combs from 2004 to 2018, beginning with her first day when she said Combs and a bodyguard took her to Central Park after 9pm and said he hadn't been aware of her past work for other rappers. ADVERTISEMENT Clark testified that Combs told her that if that work became an issue, he'd have to kill her. Clark said she was only weeks into the job when Combs tasked her with carrying diamond jewellery, and it went missing. As a result, she said, she was repeatedly given lie detector tests over a five-day stretch by a man who seemed five times larger than her own size. 'He said: 'If you fail this test, they're going to throw you in the East River,'' she recalled, adding that they eventually let her return to work. Even the alleged kidnapping didn't scare Clark away, Agnifilo noted. Last year, after federal agents raided Combs' homes, she suggested returning to his employment as his chief of staff. Combs rejected the offer, Agnifilo said.
Japan Today
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' ex-girlfriend Cassie testifies at his trial about abuse and 'freak offs'
FILE - Cassie Ventura, left, and Sean "Diddy" Combs appear at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating "China: Through the Looking Glass" in New York on May 4, 2015. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File) By MICHAEL R. SISAK and LARRY NEUMEISTER Cassie, the R&B singer and former girlfriend of Sean 'Diddy' Combs, testified on Tuesday that the music mogul abused and sexually exploited her for years, as she took the witness stand for the first time during his sex trafficking trial. Sighing heavily and pausing to compose herself at times, Cassie told the New York jury about Combs forcing her into elaborate sexual marathons with male sex workers, which he called 'freak offs.' She said she didn't feel like she could say 'no' to Combs, who she said assaulted during their turbulent relationship, hitting her in the head, stomping on her and dragging her numerous times. 'Sean controlled a lot of my life, whether it was career, the way I dressed, everything, everything,' Cassie testified, later adding, 'Sean is a really polarizing person, also very charming.' Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, sued Combs in 2023 alleging years of abuse. The suit was settled within hours but dozens of similar legal claims followed, sparking the criminal investigation. She is the star witness for prosecutors who accuse Combs of using his status as a powerful executive to orchestrate a deviant empire of exploitation, coercing women into abusive sex parties and becoming violent if they refused. She is expected to return to the stand Wednesday to answer more questions from prosecutors before being cross-examined by Combs' attorneys. Lawyers for three-time Grammy winner argue that, although he could be violent, Combs never veered into sex trafficking and racketeering, telling jurors that the sexual acts were consensual. Defense attorney Teny Geragos said in opening statements on Monday that jurors might think Combs is a 'jerk' and might not condone his 'kinky sex,' but that 'he's not charged with being a jerk.' Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty. He has been jailed since his arrest in September. If convicted, could get at least 15 years and up to life in prison. Combs interacted with his lawyers during Cassie's testimony but remained largely stoic. During an afternoon break, he made a heart shape with his hands toward one of his twin daughters and mouthed 'Thank you.' He also blew a kiss toward his mother. She and Combs met in 2005 when she was 19 and he was 37. He signed her to his Bad Boy Records label and, within a few years, they started dating. Her 2006 single, 'Me & U," hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart, was certified platinum and was the lead single of her only studio album, released by Combs' label. Under questioning by a prosecutor, Cassie said their relationship ran the gamut from good times to arguments and physical altercations. Combs became increasingly controlling and sometimes violent, she said, leaving her bruised and battered. She said the abuse happened 'too frequently" and sometimes came after the smallest perceived slights. Cassie sniffled and dabbed her eyes with a tissue while on the stand. She is pregnant and would occasionally rest her hands on her belly. Her husband was in the courtroom. Now 38 years old, Cassie said she was barely 22 when Combs first asked her to do a 'freak off,' which she said stemmed from Combs' interest in voyeurism. These involved her hiring sex workers at Combs' behest for thousands of dollars and 'setting up this experience so that I could perform for Sean." 'He was controlling the whole situation. He was directing it,' she said. The encounters would go on for 36 or 48 hours, and she said the longest lasted four days. 'I was an object being heavily objectified by men in that scenario,' she testified. They took place in private, often in dark hotel rooms, unlike Combs' very public White Parties in the Hamptons that attracted A-list celebrities and gossip columnists. Her first 'freak off' occurred in Combs' Los Angeles home with a male stripper from Las Vegas, she said. She felt dirty and confused afterward, but also relieved that Combs was happy. Still, she said she felt obligated to go along with future 'freak offs." 'I just didn't want to make him upset," she said. "I just didn't want to make him angry and regret telling me about this experience that was so personal.' Cassie began crying when asked if she liked any aspect of the 'freak offs.' She said she enjoyed 'time spent with him.' She said she used drugs at every 'freak off' to numb herself during 'emotionless sex with a stranger that I didn't really want to have sex with.' The Associated Press doesn't generally identify people who say they are victims of sexual abuse unless they come forward publicly, as Cassie has done. Soon, she said, she was doing 'freak offs' weekly. They went on for a decade, with the final one occurring in 2017 or 2018, she said. Each time, she said, she had to recuperate from lack of sleep, alcohol, drugs and 'having sex with a stranger for days.' She described the situation as: ''Freak offs' became a job where there was no space to do anything else but to recover and just try to feel normal again.' Shown still images from the now-infamous 2016 security camera footage of Combs beating her at a Los Angeles hotel, Cassie said it happened after a 'freak off" as she was leaving. Video of the attack was shown to jurors on Monday and is a key part of the prosecution's case. After the footage was leaked last year, Combs apologized. Cassie said the 'freak offs' involved lots of baby oil and she described being humiliated by some of the things Combs made her do. During her opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson told the jury that Cassie was far from the only woman Combs beat and sexually exploited. Johnson said Combs last year brutally beat another woman — identified only as Jane — when she confronted him about enduring years of 'freak offs.' Combs was among the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades, working with a slew of top-tier artists including Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige and Usher. He also created the fashion clothing line Sean John and produced the reality show 'Making the Band' for MTV. Associated Press writer Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Vogue
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Stevie Wonder and Usher Headline a True Musical Extravaganza at the 2025 Met Gala
Over the years, the Met Gala has developed something of a reputation for its show-stopping (or should that be dinner-stopping?) musical performance—from Rihanna belting out 'Bitch Better Have My Money' during 2015's 'China: Through the Looking Glass,' to Cynthia Erivo joining Ariana Grande onstage for a duet of 'When You Believe' at last year's 'Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion' celebration. For the 2025 gala, however, fêting 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,' one or two big acts simply wouldn't do: The night, a tribute to the Black dandy, demanded a constellation of musical talent, beginning with a show on the red carpet. As celebrities streamed onto the daffodil-strewn Met steps, Silk & Sound, a 20-person chorus, serenaded guests (and eager onlookers posted across Fifth Avenue) with a rendition of 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough.' (Creative direction was by Allen René Louis.) The red carpet performance at the 2025 Met Gala The group would later move into the Great Hall, where, throughout the night, they covered a string of classic R&B, disco, and reggae hits, including 'Let's Groove' by Earth, Wind & Fire; 'Rock With You' by Michael Jackson; 'Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing' by Stevie Wonder (more on him later); 'Three Little Birds' by Bob Marley; 'Let's Stay Together' by Al Green; 'Lovely Day' by Bill Withers; 'Never Too Much' by Luther Vandross; and 'Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now' by McFadden & Whitehead. Joining them were the Matt Jones Orchestra, conducted by Matt Jones himself. Next came an interlude, arranged by Met Gala co-chair Pharrell Williams, from the 26-member Voices of Fire choir, based in Hampton Roads, Virginia, and directed by Bishop Ezekiel Williams, Pharrell's uncle. They performed melodious arrangements of 'JOY (Unspeakable),' 'Anywhere,' and—of course—'Happy,' because what would a major Pharrell outing be without that number? Later in the evening, as guests lingered in the Engelhard Court during cocktail hour, the call to dinner came—quite suddenly!—courtesy of New York's High and Mighty Brass Band, an eight-person group established back in 2009. They did 'No Diggity' by Blackstreet and Dr. Dre and 'Here Comes the Hotstepper' by Ini Kamoze.
Forbes
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
8 Looks that Honored Black Dandyism at the 2025 Met Gala
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 05: Colman Domingo, Met Gala Co-Chair, attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by) Getty Images 'The first Monday in May' is something of an in-the-know phrase for those who follow the fashion industry. Every year, celebrities, industry legends and musicians alike attend one of—if not the—most coveted parties on the fashion calendar: the Met Gala. Ostensibly a charity function, the Met Gala has grown to become an institution within a cross-section of industries. With each year bringing a new theme, stylists up the ante in new, creative ways. This year's theme, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, highlights the sartorial history of black dandyism and its influence on modern menswear today. How did the attendees do embracing this year's theme? Keep reading to find out. The Met Gala of today is far from its more humble beginnings. Founded by fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert in 1948 as a fundraiser for the newly-opened Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it has since grown to become one of the most exclusive industry events on the planet. Under Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's tutelage, the Met Gala has become something of a thing of legends. From Rihanna's long-trained yellow gown in 2015 (the theme being 'China: Through the Looking Glass') to A$AP Rocky's quilted statement piece ('In America: A Lexicon of Fashion'), every year seems to bring a broader definition to what fashion can be. This year's theme is a historic one for the Met Gala. With its focus on black fashion, and especially menswear, co-chairs (Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams and Anna Wintour) have brought a new spotlight to an often-overlooked part of African-American sartorial history. To understand black dandyism, one must look to the time period in which it emerged as both a style and a subtle act of resistance. As USA Today notes, In 18th century England, slave owners would often decorate their slaves in elegant clothing, as a way to flaunt their own wealth. 'Luxury slaves' were a status symbol, but soon transformed into an act of resistance. These 'dandified' slaves would find ways to make the costumery imposed on them their own, often adding small details that added personality and individualism into their clothing. Fast-forwarding to Jim Crow-era United States, the power of clothing and what is signified was once again used as a powerful tool for the black community. Black dandyism, a vibrant cultural movement from Harlem to New Orleans began to take root. Black men would emphasize personal style, often with exaggerated tailored silhouettes, accessories and vibrant colors, eschewing the racial stereotypes of the era. These dandies were saying to their white counterparts, 'I'm not dressing like you; I'm doing it better than you.' NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 05: (Exclusive Coverage) Met Gala Co-Chair Colman Domingo attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/MG25/for The Met Museum/Vogue)for The Met Museum/Vogue NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 05: Bad Bunny attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/FilmMagic) FilmMagic NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 05: Met Gala Co-Chair Lewis Hamilton attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo byfor The Met Museum/Vogue) Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 05: Met Gala Co-Chair, A$AP Rocky attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by) Getty Images NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 05: Doechii attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo byfor The Met Museum/Vogue) Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 05: Zendaya attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images) The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 05: Pharrell Williams, Met Gala Co-Chair, attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by) Getty Images NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 05: Jeremy O. Harris attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images) The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images The Met Gala's theme this year has introduced many to the concept of black dandyism and its sartorial history. If you'd like to explore more, be sure to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art for their 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style' exhibit from May 10 to October 26, 2025.
