Latest news with #HarveyLevin
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
If acquitted, could Diddy rebound? TMZ's Harvey Levin weighs in
(NewsNation) — Harvey Levin hedges a little when asked whether Sean 'Diddy' Combs could rebound and flourish professionally if a jury were to acquit him in his sex trafficking and racketeering trial. The TMZ executive producer said there are precedents of celebrities who have fallen from grace, only to find success after scandals or prison sentences. Among them: lifestyle maven Martha Stewart, quarterback Michael Vick and late pop star Michael Jackson. 'It is easy to take a snapshot,' Levin told 'Banfield' on Friday. 'I've just seen things turn out way different than what you would think at the end of a saga like this.' Ex-mobster Michael Franzese on Diddy trial: 'We didn't beat up women' He added: 'I'm not going to say there's any resurrection for Diddy if he is found not guilty. I'm not going to say that. All I'm saying is I've just been surprised so much in this job.' Diddy is accused of coercing and threatening women and staging marathon sexual 'Freak Offs,' and jurors have seen infamous 2016 surveillance video of Combs attacking his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. Although the testimony at times has been harrowing, Levin said the music mogul may benefit from the trial not being televised. Also complicating the calculus, he said, is the political comeback of Donald Trump, who was convicted of felony crimes last year before being elected to a second term as president. 'People get written off all the time,' Levin said. 'There was this thing with cancel culture, where you looked the wrong way and you were gone. The pendulum has swung now.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Justin Bieber could rebound, despite setbacks: TMZ's Harvey Levin
(NewsNation) — The founder of TMZ, which produced a new documentary about the downward spiral of Justin Bieber, says it's by no means game over for the pop superstar. The 31-year-old musician is currently recording new music in Iceland, where he's renting an entire hotel for $60,000 a night, says TMZ executive producer Harvey Levin. 'He's there with other artists,' Levin told 'Banfield' on Friday. 'It probably will be a No. 1 record, at least in the beginning. And maybe it'll be just as big as everything else. But even if it isn't, Justin Bieber has got a lock on a career for the rest of his life.' Justin Bieber went broke, new TMZ exposé says In the new documentary 'TMZ Investigates: What Happened to Justin Bieber?' the celebrity news site looks at several crises the star has endured in recent years. Purported challenges have included marital pressures, the outsize influence of Bieber's church on his life and a near financial collapse in 2022. The latter setback arose after Bieber ended a concert tour early and sponsors demanded partial repayment, Levin has said. To raise cash, Bieber reportedly sold his music catalogue for $200 million. If the musician can get over his distaste for touring, Levin said, he stands to reap a fortune from his built-in fan base. 'If Justin Bieber just did a residency whenever he wanted, he could make millions and millions and millions of dollars. He is every bit the level of Adele and maybe bigger. Even if you thought of this 31-year-old as a legacy act, it's an act that will live for decades and decades.' 'What Happened to Justin Bieber?' is streaming on Hulu. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Unraveling Justin Bieber went broke, new TMZ exposé says
(NewsNation) — A new documentary produced by TMZ examines the cascading problems of pop superstar Justin Bieber, who reportedly had to sell his music catalogue to avoid a financial collapse. 'As crazy as this sounds, Justin Bieber made up to $1 billion in his career. In 2022, he was broke — so broke, we're told, he borrowed one of his friends' credit cards to play golf,' TMZ executive producer Harvey Levin told 'Banfield' on Thursday. 'He was broke.' Levin says Bieber's financial peril stems from abandoning a tour three years ago and owing millions to sponsors for pulling the plug. In addition, he said, Bieber has gone through mental health struggles and rough patches in his marriage to Hailey Bieber. Mock jury deliberates Combs case for TMZ Justin Bieber, now 31, first rose to fame in his early teens. His life has undergone the type of pressures and scrutiny most people don't have to worry about, Levin said. 'He just was part of this adult world as a 13-year-old kid, with no ability to develop the way kids normally develop,' he said. 'He was robbed of that by his success. And it should be no surprise when you think about how that can mess with your mind.' TMZ reported this week that Bieber sold his music catalogue for $200 million to shore up his finances. 'TMZ Investigates: What Happened to Justin Bieber?' is streaming on Hulu. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Malay Mail
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Race, gender row erupts after Sean ‘Diddy' Combs' affiliated lawyer targets all-white female prosecution team in podcast
Mark Geragos called prosecutors 'six-pack of white women' Lawyer is close to the hip-hop mogul's defense team Judge Arun Subramanian calls comments 'outrageous' Combs has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking NEW YORK, May 9 — The judge overseeing Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial admonished a lawyer close to the hip-hop mogul's defense team for referring to the prosecutors in the case as a 'six-pack of white women' in comments on a podcast. The lawyer, Mark Geragos, said in a May 2 episode of 'Two Angry Men,' a podcast he co-hosts with celebrity news website TMZ's founder Harvey Levin, that the racial and gender composition of the six-member prosecution team was 'interesting.' Geragos said race may be an 'undercurrent' at the trial, but would not be a focus of Combs' defense. 'That's something that you shouldn't, that no one should be saying as an officer of the Court and a member of the bar,' US District Judge Arun Subramanian told Geragos in a private conversation in his robing room on Tuesday before jury selection resumed, according to a trial transcript. 'Referring to the prosecution in this case as a six-pack of white women is outrageous,' said the judge, who is of South Asian descent. Combs, who is Black, has pleaded not guilty to a five-count indictment charging him with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prosecution. Jury selection is expected to finish on Friday, with opening statements scheduled for Monday. Prosecutors with the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office say Combs used his business empire to coerce women into taking part in days-long, drug-fueled sex parties known as freak offs. His defense will argue that the sex acts prosecutors described were consensual and that the alleged victims expected to testify against him cannot be trusted. Combs' lawyers have said in court papers that he is being unfairly targeted for prosecution because of his race, but will not make that argument at trial. Lawyer has represented Hunter Biden, Menendez brothers Geragos, who is white, is a well-known Los Angeles-based lawyer who has represented President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden as well as Lyle and Erik Menendez, two brothers who were convicted of murdering their parents in 1989. He is not representing Combs in his criminal case, but told Subramanian he speaks with the rapper frequently and represents his mother in a matter which he did not describe in detail. Geragos' daughter, Teny Geragos, is one of Combs' defense lawyers at trial. Mark Geragos told the judge that he was not trying to interfere with either side's right to a fair trial but that defendants had the right to respond to negative pre-trial publicity. 'When you've got a Black man who's being prosecuted and the client feels like he's being targeted, it's a, it's an observation,' Geragos said, according to the transcript. Geragos did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Nicholas Biase, a spokesperson for the Manhattan US Attorney's office, declined to comment. Prosecutor Christy Slavik told the judge the TMZ podcast had millions of subscribers. 'The danger of Mr. Geragos' statements infecting the jury pool I think is very serious,' Slavik said in Subramanian's robing room, according to the transcript. Subramanian told Geragos he would be monitoring his comments. 'You have one more listener for your podcast,' the judge said. 'As long as you subscribe,' Geragos replied, 'I'm all for it.' — Reuters
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Diddy Trial Judge Warns Mark Geragos, Says I'll Be Watching '2 Angry Men'
The judge in Diddy's criminal trial is issuing a warning to Mark Geragos over his public comments about the case, and vows he'll be watching and listening weekly to his podcast, "2 Angry Men." Judge Arun Subramanian called Geragos into chambers Tuesday -- on day 2 of jury selection -- for a tête-à-tête about the famed attorney referring to the federal prosecuting team as a "6-pack of white women" during last week's episode of the podcast he co-hosts with TMZ's Harvey Levin. Prosecutors alerted the judge to the comment, which they claimed violated court rules because Geragos appears to be consulting with Diddy's defense team. The rule bars prosecutors and attorneys involved in a trial from making public comments that could influence the jury. During the meeting, Geragos argued the Supreme Court has effectively said defendants and their lawyers have a Constitutional right to publicly defend themselves, and therefore, the judge shouldn't gag attorneys connected to Diddy's defense. Getty BTW, the judge squarely asked Geragos if he's advising Diddy in this case -- his daughter Teny and Marc Agnifilo are leading the defense -- and he would only say he talks to Diddy "with great frequency." Anyway, the judge didn't disagree with Geragos' argument, but still reminded him certain comments are so "outrageous," they wouldn't be tolerated ... for instance, a "6-pack of white women." The judge essentially said if Geragos pulls a stunt like that again, he could be cited for contempt. To view all content on this page click here. Bottom line ... Judge Subramanian warned MG about crossing the line on "2 Angry Men," saying, "I'm going to be watching and I'm going to be listening. All right? You have one more listener for your podcast." The Diddy Trial: Jury Selection Continues And Geragos In Hot Water Over '2 Angry Men' Podcast | TMZ Live Thanks, Judge! It's available wherever you get your podcasts.
