Latest news with #MakingTheBand
The Guardian
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Don't try to keep the dead alive' – Liam Payne's new Netflix show can only be totally creepy TV … right?
At first glance, Netflix's new series Building the Band comes off as a weird amalgam of every singing competition show you loved a decade and a half ago. There's the core DNA of X Factor. The singers perform out of sight of everyone else, so it cribs from The Voice. Clearly, there's heavy borrowing from Making the Band. Plus, this is Netflix, so everything looks a bit like Squid Game. But this odd mishmash of a format isn't what will keep you away from Building the Band. No, what will keep you away from Building the Band is the posthumous appearance of Liam Payne. Last year, Payne was named as a member of the Building the Band judging panel. He filmed his parts for the series in August 2024. However, two months later, he died aged 31 in circumstances that the tabloids feasted upon for months. Yesterday the first clip of Building the Band was released, and producers confirmed that the One Direction star will still appear as a member of the onscreen judging team. 'Liam Payne's family reviewed the series and is supportive of his inclusion,' Netflix said in a statement. And suddenly what looked at first like the most inoffensive piece of background fluff has become uncomfortably charged. Unfortunately, this is not a unique problem. Several productions have had to contend with the unexpected death of their talent. How this is handled relies entirely upon the nature of the star, the death and the production. The most drastic but perhaps the most appropriate thing to do in this situation is to shut down production entirely. Midnight Rider, a 2014 biopic of the musician Gregg Allman, was axed after a horrific accident on the first day of filming took the life of an assistant camerawoman. Though it initially looked as though the movie might have continued to shoot, there was an industry clamour to boycott out of respect. Another option is to acknowledge what happened upfront. When Cory Monteith died between seasons of Glee, the show chose to return with an episode devoted to the death of his character and the impact it had on those around him. Similarly, John Ritter's death was treated by his show 8 Simple Rules as a way for the cast, crew and audience to grieve for him together, blurring the lines between character and actor in a way that remains incredibly touching. Less successful are the productions that attempt to keep the dead alive. Perhaps the only misstep in the entire run of The Sopranos was its effort to complete the storyline of Livia Soprano after the death of Nancy Marchand. Her final scene was cobbled together with unused footage and ham-fisted CGI in such a way that it was impossible to suspend disbelief. Yes, it was a horrible decision, but in retrospect the haphazard execution wasn't particularly fair on the character or the performer. Plus, let's not blame this creepiness on emergent technology, since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker did the same thing with Carrie Fisher and the end result was just as eerie. So what will Building the Band do? Well, the team have evidently not shut down production, and we can assume they haven't built a CGI re-creation of Liam Payne. From all the available information, it doesn't seem as though Payne was a central part of the show – the Hollywood Reporter describes his role as 'guest judge', which might mean his participation was limited to a single episode. If that's the case, the show will be able to package his appearance as a tribute to his life and career, which seems like the most respectful outcome. But if Payne was present for more episodes, the show will be faced with an uncomfortable transition. One moment he will be there, and the next minute not. This sort of porous judging panel used to happen on a fairly regular basis on X Factor, but the circumstances are far more serious this time. The show doesn't have to brush off a backstage tantrum or scheduling conflict. It has to reckon with the tragic death of a young man. It isn't an edit that can be easily smoothed over. Ultimately, you suspect that Building the Band as a whole is destined to be overshadowed by the fate of Liam Payne. His appearances, however short, are going to be scrutinised, either for signs of promise that were sadly snuffed out or for glimpses of the pain that was evident in his final days. When there's something that heavy going on, a bunch of hopefuls crooning on a stage simply don't stand a chance. Building the Band is on Netflix from 9 July
Daily Mirror
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Kourtney Kardashian claims she was 'socked in the face' at Diddy birthday party
Kourtney Kardashian recalled attending one of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' birthday parties at TAO nightclub in 2001 when she was 'socked in the face' by a woman Kourtney Kardashian previously claimed she was 'socked in the face' by a random woman while attending one of Sean 'Diddy' Combs ' birthday parties in 2001. At the time, long before the Last Night rapper was put on trial, he rented out TAO nightclub to celebrate his birthday with a host of stars. In an old clip from Khloe Kardashian's 2016 show, Kocktails with Khloé, Kourtney, 46, recalled the horrific moment during a casual chat. "I got socked in the face cuz I was waiting in line for the bathroom at TAO, which Diddy rented out the whole restaurant. It was for his birthday," she said. Kourtney told the story with talk show guests Diddy and Kylie Jenner and said his invitations were sent out in the form of a CD as she admitted he 'went all out' for the party. "I remember somebody getting socked [in line at the bathroom]," Diddy responded. Kourtney went on to explain how she was waiting in line at the bathroom when a girl 'cut in front' of her and turned to violence after the socialite told her to wait her turn. The star, who is married to Travis Barker, added: "I was like, 'Excuse me, I'm next.' And she literally just went, like, boom right in the face,' Kourtney said. 'I didn't know what to do. Nobody was with me. I was by myself." After the woman left, Kourtney said she went into the bathroom stall and cried before rushing out to find her sister Khloe. Khloe joked she tried to search for the woman to 'beat her up' for hurting Kourtney. During the same chat, Khloe said Diddy was 'known for' his lavish parties. She said: "When you think of a party or a good time you think of Puff. We've been known to party with you a few times." Meanwhile, the 55-year-old hip hop mogul is currently facing a number of serious charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution. He was arrested in September and strongly denies all allegations made against him. He has been in prison since his arrest, and a number of bail requests have been rejected. Last week saw his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, take to the stand to testify as she detailed the abuse she was subjected to by him. Singer Dawn Richard, who was part of the MTV show Making The Band that was produced by Diddy, appeared in the witness box on Monday. Cassie's former friend Kerry Morgan also took to the stand on Monday. Meanwhile, his former assistant David James and Cassie Ventura's mother Regina Ventura among those who gave evidence on Tuesday. James testified that he saw the rapper take drugs and provided him with baby oil, lubricant and condoms for his hotel rooms. James told the court that Diddy would stay with women including ex girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Cassie's mother made a heartbreaking claim in court, telling the jury she took out a loan to pay Combs as she feared for her daughter's safety.
CNN
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
The Sean ‘Diddy' Combs trial has people revisiting ‘Making the Band'
Before there was 'American Idol' and 'The Voice,' there was 'Making the Band.' The reality series began on ABC in 2000, with Lou Pearlman, the man behind the boy bands the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, forming the group O-Town on the show. But it was the subsequent seasons, overseen by Sean 'Diddy' Combs, that most people associate with the franchise. 'Making the Band' moved to MTV in 2002, with Combs looking to form a hip-hop group. In the early aughts, 'Total Request Live' and MTV's reality-TV lineup carried oversized pop culture influence. 'Making the Band' has recently returned to public consciousness, due to the mogul's ongoing federal sex-trafficking trial in Manhattan. Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges that include racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. One of the witnesses for the prosecution, singer Dawn Richard, first met Combs as a contestant on'Making the Band.' She testified Friday that she once witnessed Combs drag his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, by her hair. Separately, Richard accused Combs of sexual battery, sexual harassment and false imprisonment in a 2024 civil lawsuit. Combs has denied her allegations. 'It's unfortunate that Ms. Richard has cast their 20-year friendship aside to try and get money from him, but Mr. Combs is confidently standing on truth and looks forward to proving that in court,' an attorney for Combs said in a statement to CNN at the time the lawsuit was filed. Richard, whose testimony continued on Monday, is just one of the people who have worked with Combs who has said he could be tough. Viewers of the 'Making the Band' franchise witnessed glimpses of it as well. Contestants on 'Making the Band 2' lived together in New York City, where they were mentored by Combs and others as they competed to become part of mainstream hip-hop and R&B through a record deal with his Bad Boy Records. In one memorable scene, Combs requested contestants Dylan Dilinjah, Rodney 'Chopper' Hill, Lloyd 'Ness' Mathis, Sara Stokes, Frederick 'Freddy P' Watson and Lynese 'Babs' Wiley walk miles to Junior's Cheesecake in Brooklyn and return with dessert for him. They were not allowed to use any public transportation. 'Y'all can walk from here, get the cheesecake, see the city, enjoy the sights, would ya.' Combs told them. He added, 'It's not about me trying to do a mean-spirited initiation hazing act.' 'There's a bigger picture to it,' Combs said. 'In the world of music, I have to get up every day and do a bunch of s**t I don't wanna do.' The episode became comedic fodder for Dave Chappelle, who went on to parody Combs' over-the-top behavior. 'Making the Band 3' premiered in March 2005, showing Combs as he sought to put together an all-girl singing group. It lasted for three seasons and resulted in Richard, Aubrey O'Day, Shannon Bex, D. Woods and Aundrea Fimbres forming the group Danity Kane, who enjoyed success with singles like 'Touching My Body' and 'Damaged.' Richard, O'Day and Bex talked to Cosmopolitan magazine about their experiences on the show in 2018, including when Combs fired O'Day after he accused her of being 'promiscuous.' 'It wasn't about her being 'promiscuous,'' Richard said at the time. 'It was about the power to prove, I own your career.' O'Day added, 'And I'm not promiscuous. I didn't lose my virginity until my senior year of college.' 'It wasn't even about that. It gave him an excuse,' Richard said. 'It was to let you know, 'This is my show, this is my s**t, and I want to prove to you that it's my s**t and I'm going to show you how much power I have over you by saying I'm going to control your lives.'' She described Combs' behavior as 'extremely sexist.' Bex pointed out that O'Day didn't shy away from conflict with Combs. 'Whenever you had conversations with him, it was almost like you were asking, 'Is this OK?,'' Bex told the publication. 'And Aubrey didn't like to bring the apprehension, so she was like, 'No! This is what it is.' He didn't like that.' Combs did not comment at the group's remarks at the time. O'Day hasn't stopped speaking up. She's offered criticism of Combs and how she has said he treated her in interviews over the years. On a recent episode of the 'Amy & T.J' podcast, O'Day criticized Combs as a parent because six of his seven children, ages 18 to 33, have been present during some of the explicit testimony at his criminal trial, calling it 'selfish.' 'The fact that the kids are marching up to that court,' O'Day said. '[I] don't know any father that would want their children to sit through [that kind of] testimony.' And while O'Day was in New York City, she said on the podcast that she is not scheduled to be called to testify in his criminal trial. 'I posted on my Instagram that I was here in New York and enjoying myself because I wanted to make it clear to everyone that I am not here testifying,' she said. 'Making the Band' ended in 2009.
Daily Mirror
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
P Diddy trial updates - Cassie's mum and male escort to take stand today
Sean 'Diddy' Combs will be returning to court today, with his ex Cassie Ventura's mum Regina Ventura, a male escort and Combs' former personal chef set to be called to the stand. Witness David James, who gave his testimony on Monday, will be returning. The 55-year-old faces a number of charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution. He was arrested in September and strongly denies all allegations made against him. He has been in prison since his arrest and a number of bail requests have been rejected. Singer Dawn Richard, who was part of the MTV show Making The Band that was produced by Diddy, appeared in the witness box on Monday. Cassie's former friend Kerry Morgan also took to the stand on Monday. Combs' former assistant David James told the court yesterday that Cassie confided in him during a trip to Miami with Combs. David testified Cassie told him: 'Man, this lifestyle is crazy,' and he agreed. 'Cassie, if it's so crazy, why don't you just leave?' he asked her. 'I can't get out,' she said, according to the witness. 'Mr. Combs oversees so much of my life.' David said Cassie told him that she depended on Combs for her career, her home and her salary. 'I just didn't think she could easily leave,' he said. The US government has confirmed that a number of witnesses will be called today. They include a male escort, Combs' former personal chef and Cassie Ventura's mother Regina Ventura. Witness David James, who took to the stand on Monday, will also be returning today to continue his testimony. Rapper and producer Sean 'Diddy' Combs, 55, will return to court today to face a number of charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution. He was arrested in September and strongly denies all allegations made against him. Combs has been in prison since his arrest, with a number of bail requests rejected.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Five takeaways from Dawn Richard's testimony in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial
NEW YORK — After Cassie Ventura's graphic testimony last week in the Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial, new details are emerging from another witness, Danity Kane's Dawn Richard. The 'Making the Band' alum took the stand on Friday and Monday to testify against her ex-boss, revealing threats from Combs, violence she observed and other celebrities who also witnessed assaults. Here are the biggest takeaways from Richard's testimony: Dawn Richard, who was introduced to Combs as a contestant on his MTV music competition series 'Making The Band,' was chosen to be a member of his girl group Danity Kane, which formed in 2004. After the group broke up, Diddy went on to form another band called Dirty Money in 2009 that included himself, Richard and singer Kalenna Harper. Richard and Ventura were both artists signed to Combs' Bad Boy Records label. 'Frequently, he would punch her, choke her, slap her in the mouth, kick her, punch her in the stomach,' Richard told jurors. 'It could be because Cassie was speaking up for herself. It could be random. It could be if she had an opinion for herself.' Richard continued: 'She would be quiet and when she had these moments of trying to stick up for herself, he would hurt her for it.' Richard started her testimony recalling a 2009 incident she witnessed when Combs tried to hit Ventura with a hot frying pan. 'He came downstairs angry and was saying, where the f–k was his eggs and he was telling Cassie she never gets anything right and where the f–k was his food,' Richard said in court. 'And he came over to the skillet with the eggs in it and tried to hit her over the head and she fell to the ground.' Richard says Ventura immediately 'went into the fetal position and was 'literally trying to hide her head.' When asked why she didn't call the police, Richard said, 'I was scared for her and scared to do anything. I had never seen anything like that before.' Richard also claimed multiple members of Combs' staff, including bodyguards, were present to witness him physically abuse Ventura, but 'they wouldn't react' or 'do anything.' The 41-year-old singer says she witnessed another incident in 2010 where Combs beat and punched Ventura in front of several celebrities at a restaurant. 'She immediately bent over, he told her to leave,' she testified. Among the celebrities Richard recalls being in the room that day were Usher, Ne-Yo and Jimmy Iovine. 'No one intervened.' Richard says, after witnessing several incidents of Combs' violence towards Cassie, she encouraged her to walk away from the music mogul. 'I told her she should leave.' She testified that Combs warned her to stay out of their relationship. Richard told jurors the hip-hop mogul threatened her life to keep her quiet about the violence she witnessed. 'He said, 'You could go missing.'' When asked what she thought he meant by that, Richard responded, 'That people could die.' 'I was shocked but also scared, I couldn't believe this would be the beginning of a journey for us.' Days before Combs' arrest last year, Richard sued Combs in a lawsuit of her own accusing him of sexual abuse.
