Latest news with #NotoriousBIG
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Joe Biden's daughter Ashley's divorce getting messy: ‘My husband'
Ashley Biden, the former first daughter who is fresh off filing for divorce from her husband, Dr. Howard Krein, shared a picture purportedly showing her ex with another woman. 'My husband and his girlfriend holding hands,' the 44-year-old wrote in the Instagram Story, over a picture of a man and a woman taken from behind. She accompanied the story with the Notorious B.I.G. song 'Another' featuring Lil' Kim, which details an affair. The dark-haired man in a casual short-sleeved shirt and the blond woman in a strapless black dress are not immediately identifiable, but Biden's message was clear. Sunday morning's Instagram Story — which was quickly taken down — came just hours before Ashley Biden filed for a divorce from the plastic surgeon in a Philadelphia court after 13 years of marriage. Biden and Krein did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The 44-year-old ex-first daughter filed the papers in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on Monday, The Post confirmed. Biden's Instagram Story on the same day featured a photo of her walking through a park and flashing a thumbs-up, and was set to the song 'Freedom' by Beyoncé, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, which first reported the divorce filings. She also posted a quote that read: 'New life, new beginnings means new boundaries. New ways of being that won't look or sound like they did before.' Details on what caused the split weren't immediately clear. Divorce records aren't made public in Philadelphia. Biden and Krein had tied the knot in Greenville, Delaware, back in June 2012 — two years after being set up by her late older brother, Beau Biden. He popped the question on a cliff in Big Sur, California, in late 2011 after getting 'Pop's' permission, People reported at the time. 'This is the right guy,' said Biden, who was vice president at the time. 'And he's getting a helluva woman.' The couple went on to wed at the St. Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church, which is where Ashley was baptised, in front of some 200 guests. Ashley briefly mentioned her nuptials on the public stage when she was introducing her dad at the Democratic National Convention last year. 'At the time, my dad was vice president, but he was also that dad who literally set up the entire reception,' she told the crowd. 'He was riding around in his John Deere 4-wheeler, fixing the place settings, arranging the plants, and by the way, he was very emotional.' Krein, 59, is an otolaryngologist and plastic surgeon at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals in Philadelphia. Prior to their split, the couple had been living in Philly. They don't have children.
Sky News
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Diddy plotting return to music with Madison Square Garden gig, his lawyer says
Disgraced hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs is hoping to make a comeback to music with a concert at Madison Square Garden, his lawyer has said. On Tuesday, the rapper was denied bail ahead of his sentencing in October, when he could face up to 20 years in prison after he was convicted of prostitution-related offences. The sentence, however, will likely be much shorter than that. Speaking to CBS News, the rapper's lawyer Marc Agnifilo said Combs told him "he's going to be back at Madison Square Garden", the iconic arena in New York City. 2:51 In July, Combs was found guilty of two counts of transportation for prostitution - but cleared of more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex-trafficking, which carried potential life sentences. Combs, who co-founded Bad Boy Records and launched the career of the late Notorious BIG, was for decades a huge figure in pop culture - as well as a Grammy-winning artist and entrepreneur, who presided over an empire ranging from fashion to reality TV. 2:11 Now, as well as the criminal conviction, he is also facing several civil lawsuits. It follows recent reports that Combs has been in contact with Donald Trump about a pardon, a source close to the rapper's legal team told Sky News' US partner network NBC News. A White House spokesperson said it "will not comment on the existence or nonexistence of any clemency request".
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lawsuit accuses Diddy of masturbating into Biggie's shirt, throwing it at man
NEW YORK — Sean 'Diddy' Combs may have been acquitted of federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges last week, but the Harlem-born mogul is already being accused of additional sexual misconduct in yet another in a long line of civil lawsuits, this one claiming he masturbated into a shirt owned by the Notorious B.I.G. and threw it onto another man. An plaintiff, identified only as John Doe, is suing the 55-year-old Bad Boy Records founder for multiple misdeeds, including sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to the filing obtained by TMZ. The outlet did not disclose the damages Doe is seeking. Doe claims he was in a September 2020 listening session with Combs — who was convicted last week on two lesser counts of transporting individuals for prostitution — regarding a Notorious B.I.G. project, when Combs pressured him to take ketamine. The men moved to a Los Angeles warehouse storing Biggie's clothes when Diddy allegedly started watching porn and took one of the late rapper's shirts to masturbate into it, ultimately calling on Doe to 'finish' him off. Combs allegedly did so before Doe could get his bearings and threw the shirt onto the latter, saying, 'RIP Biggie,' referring to late rapper Notorious B.I.G. The alleged incident occurred during a listening session regarding a Biggie project, during which Combs is accused of having pressured Doe to take ketamine. Years prior, Doe claims that Combs shoved his penis in the former's face in 2005, ordering him to 'suck it.' 'Mr. Combs' trial and acquittal on trafficking and RICO charges prove what we have been saying all along: Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone,' Diddy's lawyers told TMZ in a statement, following the outlet's initial report. 'That people continue to broadcast and file false accusations — no matter how heinous and uncorroborated — is unfortunate, but Mr. Combs. will not back down.' His attorneys said that Diddy 'will fight for as long as necessary to win his full vindication,' which is now in question in over 60 lawsuits, included those filed by individuals who were minors at the time of Combs' alleged offenses. Combs was facing life behind bars last week before a jury acquitted him of the most serious charges last week. He now faces a maximum 20-year sentence — 10 years each, with no minimum. Combs has been denied bond and will remain in custody until his sentencing, initially set by the judge for October. A sentencing schedule hearing will take place Tuesday at which Combs' lawyers will push to move up the sentencing date. Lawyers for Combs did not immediately respond to the Daily News' request for comment.
BBC News
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Diddy's reputation is tarnished, but could he find a way back?
After the verdicts were delivered in Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial in New York on Wednesday, emotions boiled over outside court in heated confrontations between fans and protesters who voiced opposing views about the thought the rap star should have been found guilty on the more serious counts, not just the two lesser charges on which he was they were outnumbered by pro-Diddy influencers and fans who were chanting "free Diddy" and "let him go" and spraying each other in baby oil in jury's mixed verdicts did not present a clear-cut result - but it was seen as a better-than-expected outcome for the still faces significant jail time and dozens of civil legal cases, though. His reputation will forever be tarnished by months of ugly allegations and revelations - and the two some observers believe that's unlikely to stop him trying to mount a comeback. Driving force of hip-hop As a songwriter, rapper, producer and record label impresario, Combs - formerly known as Puff Daddy - was one of the driving forces in hip-hop and R&B in the launched the careers of Notorious BIG and Mary J Blige, signed acts such as Faith Evans, 112, Mase and Janelle Monae to his Bad Boy Records label, and worked with stars including Mariah Carey, Usher and Busta won three Grammy Awards as an artist and scored his biggest pop hit with I'll Be Missing You, sampling The Police's Every Breath You Take, in 1997 - his tribute after BIG's "was one of the most famous people in hip-hop", says Los Angeles Times music writer August Brown."He was an incredibly important figure in evolving both that genre and the music industry as a whole into a commercial juggernaut." Dark side of Diddy's parties Like many at the peak of the music industry, he also threw lavish parties. But sordid details emerged during the legal cases, revealing a darker so-called "freak offs" were hotel sex encounters which could last for days, involving multiple male escorts, routine violence and copious amounts of drugs and baby question for the jury was whether this was a criminal enterprise designed to force two alleged victims into sex against their will or whether, as Combs claimed, the women willingly took defence argued that these orgies were "kinky" but consensual - and that organising them was not the end, the jury agreed and he was found not guilty of the most serious charge of racketeering conspiracy, as well as two charges of sex trafficking."The jury was just unpersuaded that what amounted to an extremely baroque and violent and drug-stoked sex life on Diddy's behalf amounted to a criminal organisation on the racketeering charge, or trafficking in the way that we understand it now," Mr Brown told the BBC World Service."This isn't to say that it wasn't possible, but they just didn't think it rose to 'beyond a shadow of a doubt'." Jail then comeback? Combs was, however, convicted on two counts of transporting two former girlfriends, including singer Cassie, to participate in sex acts and will face up to 10 years in jail for each charge when he's sentenced in October. But the sentences are likely to be lower than the maximum and to run simultaneously, with the year he will have already spent in jail to be deducted. So it's quite possible he could be free in several supporters will be waiting - but most people will be unwilling to accept a comeback, Mr Brown says."I cannot imagine any kind of redemption arc as far as him [remaining] as an artist or a music mogul in light of this."I think the public will remember him as an important figure whose name is now permanently associated with this very-difficult-to-process range of charges, even if he's not been convicted on the worst of it."Alvin Blanco, content director of agrees that Combs is too tarnished to make a successful comeback. "He's definitely going to try, but I think the damage is just too irreparable at this point." Mark Anthony Neal, professor of African American Studies at Duke University in North Carolina, also believes there's "no doubt" the revelations have tarnished Combs' legacy as the man who helped take hip-hop "from the ghettos to the mainstream of America to the global mainstream".However, his influence on music had diminished even before the allegations, says Jem Aswad, executive editor of music at Variety."He doesn't really have much of a music career any more, and he hasn't for about 15 years," Mr Aswad told BBC News."It's not that he was unpopular, although he wasn't enormously popular recently - he just moved on to other businesses. He got into beverages, he got into apparel, he got into lots of other businesses."Anything he did in music over the last 15 years was almost just for fun. I think he's released two, maybe three albums in that time period, and they just did OK, and frankly they just were OK." Awards success His stock was still pretty high, though. His last LP, The Love Album: Off The Grid, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2024. The previous year, he was named a Global Icon at the MTV he wouldn't be the first star to retain support despite facing Jackson was cleared of child abuse in court in 2005 but persuasive claims about him have persisted, and many people still wrestle with how to reconcile those with the brilliance of the King of Pop's catalogue.R&B star R. Kelly was jailed for 30 years in 2022 for racketeering and sex trafficking. He still has five million monthly listeners on Spotify at the last in hip-hop may be willing to work with Combs. Kanye West last week released a song called Diddy Free - although Kanye himself is ostracised by large parts of the industry for making antisemitic and Nazi statements. Supporters' delight Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty, host of the BBC's Diddy on Trial podcast, has seen the support outside court and suggests there may be a way back."We'll see what happens with his career after this," she told the BBC's Newscast."I feel like he will be able to reclaim a top spot in hip-hop just because of the sheer amount of support we've seen online and here at the courthouse from his fans, and from people who feel he was being unjustly targeted by the federal government."He won't be the first musician to be a convicted criminal who carries on having a music career, especially in hip-hop."For many, the details of the case will be hard to shake from the memory, Star, one of the content creators outside court on Wednesday, told BBC News that "his image is tainted, and when you think of Diddy now, you think of..." before finishing her point by holding up a bottle of baby oil.
The Independent
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
A timeline of the rise of Sean 'Diddy' Combs and his legal troubles
For more than two decades, Sean 'Diddy' Combs was one of hip-hop's most nimble entrepreneurs, spinning his hitmaking talents into a broad business empire that included a record label, a fashion brand, a TV network, deals with liquor companies and a key role in a reality TV show. Then he was charged with forcing, threatening and manipulating two ex-girlfriends into drug-fueled sex marathons, with assistance from a network of associates. Combs denied the allegations and went to trial in a high-stakes federal sex crimes and racketeering case. The trial ended Wednesday with a verdict that his attorneys called a victory: Combs was convicted of prostitution-related offenses but acquitted of higher-level charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. Here is a timeline of major events in his life story: 1990-1999 1990: Combs, then a student at Howard University, gets his start in the music business with an internship at Uptown Records in New York. Dec. 28, 1991: Nine people die at a celebrity basketball game promoted by Combs and the rapper Heavy D when thousands of fans try to get into a gym at the City College of New York. A mayoral report lays part of the blame for the catastrophe on poor planning by Combs. 1992: Combs is one of the executive producers on Mary J. Blige's debut album, 'What's the 411?" 1993: After being fired by Uptown, Combs establishes his own label, Bad Boy, which quickly cuts a lucrative deal with Arista Records. 1994: Bad Boy releases Notorious B.I.G.'s album 'Ready to Die." Two months later, Tupac Shakur survives a shooting in New York and accuses Combs and Biggie of having prior knowledge of the attack, which they deny. Shakur was later killed in a 1996 shooting in Las Vegas. 1996: Combs is convicted of criminal mischief after he allegedly threatened a photographer with a gun. 1997: Biggie is killed in Los Angeles. Combs, then known as Puff Daddy, releases 'I'll be Missing You' in honor of his dead star. 1998: Combs wins two Grammys, one for best rap album for his debut 'No Way Out' and another for best rap performance by a duo or group for 'I'll Be Missing You' with Faith Evans. Also that year, Combs' Sean John fashion line is founded. April 16, 1999: Combs and his bodyguards are charged with attacking Interscope Records music executive Steve Stoute in his New York office in a dispute over a music video. Combs is sentenced to an anger management course. Dec. 27, 1999: Combs is arrested on gun possession charges after he and his girlfriend at the time, Jennifer Lopez, fled a shooting that wounded three people at a New York City nightclub. Some witnesses tell police Combs was among the people shooting in the club. He is later charged with offering his driver $50,000 to claim ownership of the 9 mm handgun found in his car. 2001-2008 March 17, 2001: Combs is acquitted of all charges related to the nightclub shooting. One of his rap protégés, Jamal 'Shyne' Barrow, is convicted in the shooting and serves nearly nine years in prison. Two weeks after the trial, Combs announces he wants to be known as P. Diddy. (Barrow also later changed his name, to Moses Barrow, and became a parliamentarian in his native Belize). 2002: Combs becomes the producer and star of 'Making the Band,' a talent search TV show. Feb. 1, 2004: Combs performs at the Super Bowl halftime show along with Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake and others. A week later, Combs, Nelly and Murphy Lee win a Grammy for best rap performance by a duo or group for 'Shake Ya Tailfeather.' April 2004: Combs makes his Broadway acting debut in 'A Raisin in the Sun.' 2005: Combs announces he is changing his stage name to Diddy, getting rid of the P. March 2008: Combs settles a lawsuit brought by a man who claims Combs punched him after a post-Oscar party outside a Hollywood hotel the previous year. In May, Combs is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 2015-2022 2015: Combs is arrested after a confrontation on the campus of UCLA, where one of his sons played football. Assault charges are later dropped. 2016: Combs launches a Harlem charter school, the Capital Preparatory School. Also that year, he announces he is donating $1 million to Howard University. 2017: Combs is named the top earner on Forbes' list of the 100 highest-paid celebrities, which says he brought in $130 million in a single year. 2018: Kim Porter, Combs' former girlfriend and the mother of three of his children, dies from pneumonia at age 47. 2022: Combs receives a lifetime honor at the BET Awards. 2023-2025 Sept. 15, 2023: Combs releases 'The Love Album — Off the Grid,' his first solo studio project since 2006's chart-topping 'Press Play.' Nov. 16, 2023: R&B singer Cassie sues Combs, alleging that during their decade-plus as a couple, he subjected her to abuse, including beatings and rape. A day later, the lawsuit is settled under undisclosed terms. Combs, through his attorney, denies the accusations. Nov. 23, 2023: Two more women accuse Combs of sexual abuse in lawsuits. Combs' attorneys call the allegations false. Dozens of additional lawsuits follow by women and men who accuse Combs of rape, sexual assault and other attacks. Plaintiffs include singer Dawn Richard, a 'Making the Band' contestant who alleged years of psychological and physical abuse. Combs denies all the allegations. March 25, 2024: Federal agents search Combs' homes in Los Angeles and Miami Beach, Florida. May 17, 2024: CNN airs video that shows Combs attacking and beating Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. Two days later, Combs posts videos on social media apologizing for the assault. Sept. 16, 2024: Combs is arrested at his Manhattan hotel. A federal sex trafficking and racketeering indictment unsealed the next day accuses him of using his business empire to coerce women into participating in sexual performances. Combs denies the allegations. His attorney calls it an unjust prosecution of an 'imperfect person.' May 5, 2025: Jury selection begins for Combs' trial. May 12, 2025: A jury is selected and testimony begins in Combs' trial. June 30, 2025: Jury deliberations begin in Combs' trial. July 2, 2025: The jury convicts Combs of two counts of a prostitution-related offense but acquits him of higher-level charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. The outcome significantly reduces the rap mogul's potential prison sentence, which a judge will determine in the months to come. His lawyers unsuccessfully ask for him to be released on bond in the meantime. Combs is visibly relieved by the verdict, and his lead lawyer calls it "a victory of all victories.'
