Latest news with #FallofDiddy
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Diddy Loses Trial Delay Bid In Sex Trafficking Case; Warner Bros Discovery Comes Up Short In Keeping Docuseries Outtakes Out Of Case
Barring unforeseen circumstances, Sean 'Diddy' Combs' criminal trial for sex trafficking and more will start next month. Also, footage from a Warner Bros Discovery Fall Of Diddy docuseries about the much accused 'I'll Be Missing You' performer will be allowed as evidence, despite the efforts of the David Zaslav run media giant. With the former mini-mogul in attendance, a federal judge this morning rejected a motion by Combs' defense to push back the trial by 60 days. Almost right from the top of the hearing, Judge Arun Subramanian denied the sealed move by the Marc Agnifilo- and Teny Geragos-led legal team based on the defense's assertions the U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of New York was slow in handing over evidence and even lacked possession of certain evidence from Victim-4 in the case. More from Deadline Sean "Diddy" Combs Seeks 60-Day Delay Of Sex-Trafficking Trial; Claims Feds Too Slow In Sharing Evidence Max Goes Live In Turkey; Just For Laughs Renewals Ahead Of Relaunched Fest; MX Player Stocks Turkish Drama Shelf; Rannvijay Singha Strikes Infinitum Deal; - Global Briefs Diddy's Sex-Trafficking Trial Start May Be Delayed Again As Feds & Defense Fight Over Evidence At Latest Arraignment Once again calling the defense's claims nothing new in a case that has been bogged down in procedural battles the past few months since Combs' September arrest in a Big Apple hotel, Judge Subramanian chided the defense for looking to shift the May 5 trial start by two months, not two weeks. Noting the bulk of latest indictment was much the same as past filings, the judge told the defense it was'unclear why there isn't sufficient time to prepare.' With jury selection set to begin the first week of May, the actual opening statements in the incarcerated and heavily lawyered up Combs' trial are penciled in for May 12. If found guilty on the charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and more, the 55-year-old Bad Boy Records founder will likely be behind bars for the rest of his life. Moving briskly through pre-trial motions Friday, Judge Subramanian also denied an attempt by Warner Bros Discovery to stop outtakes from its January debuting Fall of Diddy docuseries. Specifically, the footage the defense want to see involves a former employee of Combs and an ex-girlfriend. WBD flew the flag of reporter's privilege to keep the outtakes out of the case. However, today, Judge Subramanian rejected that notion because both of the individuals in the footage are pretty certain to be giving testimony in the trial and therefore the outtake are relevant and admissible. Combs has failed three times since his arrest last fall to be released on a $50 million bail package, and is currently housed in one of the nicer units of Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center as inmate 37452-054. More charges have been added by the politically besieged SDNY over the since the New Year, including a superseding indictment that Combs entered yet another not guilty plea to in a hastily convened April 14 hearing. Building off the quickly settled ($30 million) assault and abuse suit and more from Victim-1, a.k.a former Combs girlfriend Cassie Ventura (who has said she will testify in open court in the trial), prosecutors allege that Combs and his aides coerced women and men into marathon sordid sexual encounters called 'freak-offs.' The sessions included male and female prostitutes, drug use, threats of violence and imprisonment in the hotel rooms where the acts were staged and videotaped. In a filing late April 17 the government summed its case up by saying: 'Over the course of more than a decade, the defendant subjected multiple victims to sexual, physical, emotional, and verbal abuse. With respect to Victim-1, Victim-2, and Victim-3, the defendant used those forms of abuse, along with threats, fraud, and coercion, to cause them to engage in commercial sex acts.' In stark terms, the feds added: 'Freak Offs were multi-day sex performances that the defendant arranged, directed, masturbated during, and often electronically recorded. The defendant exercised control over the victims through, among other things, physical violence, promises of career and financialopportunities, granting and threatening to withhold financial support, and by other coercive means,including tracking their whereabouts, dictating the victims' appearance, monitoring their medicalrecords, controlling their housing, and supplying them with controlled substances. TheGovernment expects the evidence to show the following with respect to Victim-1, Victim-2, andVictim-3, as well as other victims.' Proclaiming that he has done no wrong and all the relationships were consensual, the defense has exclaimed the feds are using 'racist' laws against Combs and seeking to 'police non-conforming sexual activity.' In that vein, on February 24, the defense took a judicial poke at 'unconstitutionally broad' search warrants that had been used on Combs as part of spring 2024 raids of his Los Angeles and Miami homes, devices, digital storage and more. As well as the criminal case, Combs is charged in dozens and dozens of civil actions (mainly from Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee) claiming assault and abuse similar to the sex trafficking claims. He has entered not guilty pleas to all of them, with several since dismissed or died on the legal vine. Along with the various pre-trial motions being addressed, this week has also seen some more muscle added to Combs' defense team. Coming off an ultimately successful stint representing rapper Young Thug in his gang and racketeering trial, Atlanta attorney Brian Steel has joined the defense. Earlier this year, Anthony Ricco left the defense, citing in a declaration before the court: 'Although I have provided Sean Combs with the high level of legal representation expected by the court, under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs, consistent with the ABA Standards for Criminal Justice.' MORE Best of Deadline 'Ransom Canyon' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The New Netflix Western Romance Series Everything We Know About 'Emily In Paris' Season 5 So Far Everything We Know About Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners': From The Themes To How It Was Shot
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean Combs demands that Warner Bros turn over raw footage from the 'Fall of Diddy' documentary series
Diddy and Warner Bros are fighting over his demand for outtakes from the "Fall of Diddy" docuseries. Diddy wants all unaired footage and paperwork concerning two accusers from the series. The studio says the subpoena is too broad and violates long-standing legal protections for reporters. With jury selection three weeks away in his Manhattan sex-trafficking trial, Sean Combs is fighting with Warner Bros over his demand for unaired footage from the documentary series "The Fall of Diddy." Lawyers for Combs had subpoenaed Warner Bros in March asking for "all recordings, including raw and unedited footage" from interviews with two accusers who appeared in the series, which aired in January on the studio's subsidiary, Max. Combs' subpoena also demands any notes or journals the accusers gave the documentary's producers, and any records of financial payments the producers made to the accusers in connection with their involvement in the project. Warner Bros is fighting the subpoena. On Tuesday, the studio's lawyers asked the federal judge overseeing the sex-trafficking case to quash. The lawyers' nine-page court filing cites "reporter's privilege" and calls Combs' effort an overly broad "fishing expedition." "Mr. Combs seeks outtakes from interviews with two persons featured in the docuseries," studio attorney Thomas B. Sullivan wrote to US District Judge Arun Subramanian. "The interview outtakes it seeks are protected by the reporter's privilege that applies to unpublished newsgathering materials," the studio's lawyer wrote. Journalists have long been protected from being compelled to reveal unpublished notes and confidential sources under an array of long-standing federal and state court decisions recognizing the public's interest in a free press. "Mr. Combs has not met, and cannot meet, his burden to overcome that privilege," the studio lawyer wrote. The Warner Bros filing does not name the two accusers whose notes and outtakes are being sought by Combs. Instead, they are described as Individual A and Individual B. "Individual A is Mr. Combs' former personal chef," the studio wrote. "She is featured in the docuseries speaking about how Mr. Combs treated her when she was employed by him, as well as about various rumors she heard about his behavior during her time in his orbit." The studio refers to Individual B as "a former romantic partner of Mr. Combs. She is featured in the docuseries discussing the origins and path of her relationship with him, including one alleged incident of sexual assault." Combs may be seeking the outtakes and other records in hopes of finding something to use against the two accusers should they testify against him at trial, the Warner Bros lawyer wrote. However, "recordings of interviews with Individual A and Individual B would be hearsay, and therefore, not directly admissible," the lawyer wrote. Also, "Courts have consistently held that broad subpoenas for journalistic outtakes based on the hope that the unpublished material might prove relevant in some way are insufficient to overcome the reporter's privilege," the lawyer wrote. Combs' subpoena had given Warner Bros a Tuesday deadline for turning over the outtakes and other records. Combs' attorneys have yet to publicly reply to the studio's efforts to quash his subpoena. The judge has given them until Thursday to do so. Lawyers and media representatives for Combs did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the studio's efforts. Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Right-Hand Woman Breaks Silence on Accusations Against Her
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Chief of Staff at Bad Boy Entertainment, Kristina Khorram, has broken her silence after being named in at least three civil lawsuits alongside her former boss that involve sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, claiming that she is innocent. Khorram, 38, worked alongside the rap mogul for over a decade and has been described by the beleaguered billionaire fashion and music icon as his 'right-hand woman.' Known as 'KK,' she started working for Diddy in 2013 as a senior executive at Combs Enterprises. By 2020, Khorram was his chief of staff and had grown so close to Combs that on the day his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura first filed the lawsuit that brought his life crashing down, she was photographed alongside him in Miami. More from The Hollywood Reporter ABC News Pivots Podcast Slate to Focus on True Crime, 20/20 Shows in the Works (Exclusive) Kanye West Drops New Song Seemingly Featuring Diddy and Daughter North From 'Quiet on Set' to 'Fall of Diddy,' Meet the Doc Team Holding Pop Culture to Account On Wednesday, months after Khorram was named in three of the dozens of civil complaints filed against Combs since his September arrest in New York on sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution charges, the now former Bad Boy boss is speaking out to flat out deny all accusations. 'For months, horrific accusations have been made about me in various lawsuits regarding my former boss,' Khorram said in a statement sent to Rolling Stone. 'These false allegations of my involvement are causing irreparable and incalculable damage to my reputation and the emotional well-being of myself and my family. I have never condoned or aided and abetted the sexual assault of anyone. Nor have I ever drugged anyone. 'The idea that I could be accused of playing a role in — or even being a bystander to — the rape of anyone is beyond upsetting, disturbing, and unthinkable,' Khorram added in the statement. 'That is not who I am, and my heart goes out to all victims of sexual assault. I am confident that the allegations against me will be proven to be untrue.' In 2021, a Facebook post from Combs sang her praises as controlling all aspects of his life. 'KK keeps everything in my life and my business running,' he wrote. 'She's been my right hand for the last eight years and has consistently proven to execute and get shit done. Don't know how I'd function without her.' The allegations against Khorram began with the March addition to civil complaint filed by Rodney 'Little Rod' Jones; in February, the producer claimed Khorram was the 'Ghislaine Maxwell to Sean Combs' Jeffrey Epstein' in his sexual harassment and assault lawsuit against the music executive. Jones alleged that throughout the making of his 2023 album, The Love Album: Off the Grid, Combs made sexual advances on him, including groping his buttocks and genitals. In February 2024, Jones claimed Khorram was the 'Ghislaine Maxwell to Sean Combs' Jeffrey Epstein' in an addendum to his sexual harassment and assault lawsuit against the music executive. When Jones went to Khorram with his complaint, he says he was told by Khorram, 'You know, Sean will be Sean' and 'attempted to downplay Mr. Combs' groping … as friendly horseplay, stating that those acts were Mr. Combs's way of 'showing that he likes you.'' Khorram allegedly required Combs' employees to carry a crossbody bag that contained a potpourri of illegal drugs 4 with a variety of illicit substances that she allegedly ordered and distributed, including 'cocaine, GHB, ecstasy, marijuana gummies and Tuci (a pink drug that is a combination of ecstasy and cocaine),' Jones lawsuit states. An attorney for Combs previously denied Jones' claims, calling them 'pure fiction – a shameless attempt to create media hype and extract a quick settlement.' A rep for the mogul pointed out the fact that Jones sought funds via a GoFundMe page before filing his complaint seeking a massive settlement. Phil Pines, Diddy's former assistant who filed a sexual harassment and battery lawsuit in December against the mogul, also drops her name in his filing. Khorram, to whom Pines reported, told him never to speak about unwanted touching from Combs and warned of repercussions if he did, his lawsuit claimed. Pines was also tasked with and sworn to secrecy about Combs' alleged 'Wild King Night' parties involving elaborate sexual encounters with women that left rooms he'd have to then clean in the terrible condition he described as 'wreckage.' Khorram was also named in a third sexual assault lawsuit brought against Combs by a San Francisco woman. That case was filed in October and the mogul has denied that the accusations in the suit are true. The Hollywood Reporter reached out to Combs Global for comment. Combs' federal trial will begin in May in the Southern District of New York; until then, he will remain jailed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. The mogul has pleaded not guilty to all charges he faces. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2024: Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Olivia Rodrigo and More
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs Hit With Revised Sex Trafficking Indictment
Federal prosecutors have issued a bolstered version of an indictment accusing Sean 'Diddy' Combs of directing a vast criminal enterprise through which he assaulted and trafficked women with the help of his various businesses. The revised indictment, issued in federal court in New York on Thursday, represents an attempt by prosecutors to strengthen their case by detailing new allegations in the alleged racketeering conspiracy, including by specifying that there were three victims that the rap mogul allegedly forced to engage in commercial sex acts. It doesn't contain any additional charges. More from The Hollywood Reporter A Timeline of Sean "Diddy" Combs' Recent Legal Troubles, From Cassie's Lawsuit to His Imprisonment How to Stream 'The Fall of Diddy': When to Watch the Final Episodes Online Former Sean "Diddy" Combs Assistant Details "Wild King Nights" Parties in 'Fall of Diddy' Expanded Episode In a statement, Marc Agnifilo, a lawyer for Combs, said the filing has 'no new offenses' and that the prosecution's central theory of the case 'remains flawed.' Of the new victims alleged in the indictment, he added, 'The government has added the ridiculous theory that two of Mr. Combs' former girlfriends were not girlfriends at all but were prostitutes.' A representative for Combs didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The filing adds to an indictment issued against Combs in September charging him with sex trafficking and racketeering for, in part, assaulting and arranging forced sexual encounters with women. For decades, Combs 'abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct,' the indictment stated. The sex trafficking allegations revolve around claims that he 'manipulated women to participate in highly orchestrated performances of sexual activity with male commercial sex workers,' who were often flown in across state lines and internationally. Among the new allegations in the complaint are that Combs paid hotel security staff $100,000 for surveillance footage of his alleged March 2016 assault of a woman, who later came forward as ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. 'When Combs' authority or reputation was threatened by the possibility of negative publicity or legal or law enforcement action against him,' the indictment states, he and his associates 'pressured witnesses and victims, including through attempted bribery, to stay silent and not report what they experienced or knew to law enforcement.' Prosecutors add that Combs 'provided these victims and witnesses with a false narrative of events in an effort to conceal' his crimes. Prosecutors also unveiled an additional component to the alleged criminal enterprise involving an unspecified kidnapping. Notably, the new indictment claims that the criminal enterprise started in 2004 and not 2008, as alleged when Combs was initially charged. It also says that psychedelic mushrooms and meth were involved in his alleged crimes. In a letter to the court after prosecutors issued the superseding indictment, Combs' legal team noted that the government has indicated that its investigation remains 'active and ongoing,' which could lead to additional charges. Combs' trial is set to start in May. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Caitlin Huston contributed to this report. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2024: Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Olivia Rodrigo and More
USA Today
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Fall of Diddy' doc: Danity Kane alum alleges Sean Combs made sexual advances on Aubrey O'Day
'Fall of Diddy' doc: Danity Kane alum alleges Sean Combs made sexual advances on Aubrey O'Day Show Caption Hide Caption Sean 'Diddy' Combs to remain in jail until May 2025 trial In a press conference, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York revealed shocking allegations against Sean "Diddy" Combs. A former member of Sean "Diddy" Combs' girl group Danity Kane is opening up about what it was like working for the embattled hip-hop mogul. Singer D. Woods, who comprised the platinum-selling R&B band alongside Aubrey O'Day, Dawn Richard, Shannon Bex and Aundrea Fimbres, spoke out during the finale of Investigation Discovery's "The Fall of Diddy" on Tuesday. "It takes a lot for me to allow you to have your experience and not taint it and still understand what my experience was," Woods said. "Hearing some of those songs brings up awful memories. "I see myself standing in those dark, scary, predatory spaces and hearing somebody say some of the most degrading things to me and ... having to figure out how to navigate and not let that person break me down." 'The Fall of Diddy' revelations: Cassie's makeup artist recalls harrowing hotel assault Woods alleged Combs was verbally abusive to her and her bandmates throughout their career, including criticizing her physical appearance. "I called it 'jedi mind tricks,'" she said. "I had to just take it, grit my teeth and let him say what he wanted to say." The Danity Kane alum also claimed Combs' alleged misconduct extended to sexually charged remarks aimed at O'Day. In response to "Fall of Diddy" producers' request for comment, Combs' representatives said: "Mr. Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court the truth will prevail: that the accusations against Mr. Combs are pure fiction." Combs, who was arrested in September 2024 on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, remains in custody at the Special Housing Unit in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center. A trial for the Grammy-winning rapper, who's denied all accusations against him, is set to commence on May 5. Here are the biggest revelations from Tuesday's episode. D. Woods alleges Diddy made sexual advances toward Danity Kane member Aubrey O'Day Woods' account also included claims about Combs' relationship with O'Day. The singer said O'Day confided in her that Combs often sent "inappropriate" photos to her, which allegedly included "overtly pornographic" material. "I remember telling her, 'Girl, put that in a folder. Send it to your mama. Save that,'" Woods recalled. Woods added that while the women were attending New York Fashion Week in 2008, O'Day ran into Combs, where he reportedly told O'Day she was now "hot enough" to have sex with. Shortly after O'Day's alleged encounter, Combs called a mandatory meeting with Danity Kane, during which O'Day and Woods were fired from the group. Woods said Combs retaliated against O'Day, in part, because she didn't "succumb to his advances." "He wanted her to feel powerless and question her worth," Woods said. "I feel like that's part of the same reason why he probably got rid of me too." USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for O'Day for comment. Aubrey O'Day speaks out: Singer likens experience with Diddy to 'childhood trauma' Diddy's former chef alleges he assaulted her during an argument Combs' former chef Jourdan Cha'Taun, who worked for Combs from 2007-2010, alleges the music mogul assaulted her during an argument at his home. Cha'Taun said the dispute stemmed from Combs' issue with the chef's alleged "attitude" at work. When an upset Cha'Taun told Combs in response that she was quitting her job, the Bad Boy Records founder allegedly shoved her to the ground. Although Cha'Taun wanted to take legal action against Combs, she was cautioned that she would be blackballed in the culinary industry if she spoke out. "Puff scared me, so I kept quiet about things that I knew because I was afraid that something might happen to me," Cha'Taun said. Lil Rod says he was encouraged to 'downplay' Diddy's alleged sexual misconduct Producer Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones Jr., who worked on Combs' most recent album "The Love Album: Off the Grid," claims his concerns about the rapper's alleged misconduct fell on deaf ears. Jones sued Combs in February 2024, alleging he forcibly touched him and required Jones on numerous occasions to solicit sex workers and perform sex acts with them for his "pleasure." In the documentary, Jones recalled one alleged studio session, in which Combs moved the production crew into his bathroom, undressed in front of them, and stepped into the shower. When Jones attempted to address Combs' purported behavior with one of his chiefs of staff, he was reportedly told: "That's just his way of showing he likes or loves you. Just downplay it like it's nothing." "Everybody was sipping on the Puffy juice," Jones reflected. "That makes me feel very used, abused. It makes me feel like only a monster can do this." Lil Rod lawsuit: Producer accuses Diddy of sexual assault Thalia Graves says Diddy threatened her following alleged rape Thalia Graves, who alleged in a September lawsuit that Combs raped her in the early 2000s, reflected on the emotional aftermath of the alleged assault. Graves, who was reportedly dating one of Combs' employees at the time, alleged in her complaint that Combs and his then-bodyguard, Joseph "Big Joe" Sherman, "viciously raped her" at the Bad Boy Records studio in New York City around the summer of 2001. In "The Fall of Diddy," Graves said she received a phone call from Combs shortly after the alleged assault, claiming the music mogul told her to keep her "mouth shut." Graves said she subsequently moved out of New York and "disappeared for a few years," adding that Combs' alleged mistreatment caused her severe mental distress. "I was a total wreck, hanging on to sanity by a thread, trying to cope with being raped and assaulted, trying to raise a child, depression," Graves said. "Trying to fight every day to keep yourself alive because at that point, there was nothing there." Thalia Graves lawsuit: Diddy and former bodyguard accused of drugging, raping woman in 2001 Diddy's former girlfriend alleges he threatened to deport her A former romantic partner of Combs alleges he threatened her residency status following their breakup. Actress Kat Pasion, who dated Combs on and off in the late 2010s, recalled their relationship took a dark turn in 2021 while Combs was making "The Love Album: Off the Grid." One night, Pasion said Combs, after having taken the drug Tusi, woke her up and subjected her to nonconsensual sex. "The person who came out of that bathroom and woke me up was someone that I didn't even recognize," she said. A few weeks after the alleged incident, Pasion said she received an angry phone call from Combs, during which he threatened to have the Canada native deported. In response, Pasion told Combs that he was a "demon." "This man is sick," Pasion said. "He uses his resources and uses what he can do for you and thinks that can band-aid and solve the horrible things he does to people." Episodes of "The Fall of Diddy" are available to stream on Max. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: (4673) and and en Español Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
