Latest news with #R&B
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
Key moments from the third week of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial
NEW YORK -- Some of Sean 'Diddy' Combs ' ex-employees took a central role in the third week of his sex trafficking trial, including personal assistants who testified that the hip-hop mogul was capricious, controlling and violent. The week began with Capricorn Clark, a personal assistant who was later a global brand director for Combs' company. She recalled witnessing Combs beating his longtime girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, and said he raged about wanting to kill rapper and romantic rival Kid Cudi. It ended with another ex-assistant, testifying under the pseudonym 'Mia," who alleges Combs raped her during a torturous eight-year tenure working for the rap star. She is the second of three women expected to testify that he sexually assaulted them. Combs has pleaded not guilty. The trial resumes Monday in federal court in Manhattan. Here are key moments from Week 3: Former employees of Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment described repeatedly witnessing him beat Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, but said they didn't report the abuse to law enforcement because they feared Combs would harm them. Clark testified that the day she started as Combs' personal assistant in 2004, he threatened he would kill her if her previous work for rival rappers interfered with her work for him. Then, she testified, she watched in shock as Combs viciously assaulted Cassie, his on-again, off-again girlfriend for more than a decade, in 2011 after learning she was dating Cudi. Clark said her 'heart was breaking from seeing her get hit like that," and neither she nor Combs' bodyguard intervened. She said she called Cassie's mother and told her: 'Please help her. I can't call the police, but you can.' Weeks later, Clark said, she reported what happened to Cassie to the president of Bad Boy Records. She also testified about her own run-ins with Combs, telling jurors that he kidnapped her at gunpoint and took her to Cudi's house as he fumed that he was going to kill the rapper. Cudi testified that he believed Cassie and Combs had broken up. He said his relationship with Cassie only lasted a few weeks. Clark said she stayed in Combs' SUV while he broke into the home. She said she was fired weeks later for what she contends was a trumped-up reason. One of the week's biggest developments came outside the courtroom. Cassie, 38, delivered her third child less than two weeks after testifying for four days as the prosecution's prize witness. The news of her son's birth Tuesday reached the jury the next day when Cassie's longtime stylist, Deonte Nash, testified that he was still close to Cassie and had sent her well wishes after the birth. Cassie, known for the platinum-selling 2006 hit single 'Me & U,' married personal trainer Alex Fine in September 2019 — about a year after breaking up with Combs for good. Their first daughter, Frankie Stone Fine, was born in 2019. They welcomed a second daughter, Sunny Cinco Fine, in 2021. Jurors heard from a Los Angeles police officer who responded to the December 2011 break-in at Cudi's home and an arson investigator who spoke about his efforts to solve the firebombing of Cudi's Porsche 911 weeks later. Officer Chris Ignacio said he found Christmas gifts, some opened, with luxury watches and purses. Cudi has testified that his dog was traumatized after being locked in a bathroom by intruders. Ignacio said he saw a car with tinted windows registered to Bad Boy outside the house but didn't approach it because he had no proof a crime had occurred. Prosecutors are trying to prove that Combs was behind the break-in and the subsequent firebombing, which involved a Molotov cocktail dropped through a hole sliced in the convertible's fabric roof. Lance Jimenez, a Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigator, said the explosive was made from a 40-ounce Olde English 800 malt liquor bottle and a silky designer handkerchief. 'I personally felt it was targeted,' he said of the Jan. 9, 2012, attack. Celebrity stylist Deonte Nash was a witness like no other, adding flair and humor within seconds of taking the stand on Wednesday. Asked if he wanted to testify, he declared: 'Absolutely not!' Nash said he knew Combs as 'Puff' and Cassie as 'Cass.' He said he responded to a Craigslist ad and started working at Bad Boy Entertainment as an intern and then a stylist from 2008 to 2018. Prosecutor Maurene Comey put a picture of Nash in front of him and asked, "Is it a glamour shot of you?' 'Yes. I look amazing,' Nash responded, drawing laughs. Asked what he had heard Combs call Cassie over the years, Nash answered 'Um, Baby Girl, CC, Cass' and then listed a number of slurs against women. Asked how often Combs used one particular slur, Nash said: 'Um, quite a bit. That was his fave.' Nash later testified that Cassie had confided in him that she didn't always want to go along with Combs' demands that she have sex with other men during his drug-fueled 'freak-off' marathons. Mia testified that Combs sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions: forcibly kissing her and putting his hand up her dress at his 40th birthday party, forcing her to perform oral sex as they packed for a trip, and raping her after he climbed into her bed at his Los Angeles home. Mia said she thought her sexual abuse was sporadic enough that each time it occurred, she thought it would never happen again. She said she put on a brave face and continued to work for Combs, in part because she felt shame, blamed herself and feared what would happen if she reported him to authorities. Cassie testified previously that Combs raped her after she broke up with him in 2018. Mia said she witnessed Combs physically attacking Cassie 'all the time' at his houses, her apartments, hotels, events and while traveling. She said Combs also turned his wrath on her, throwing her into a swimming pool, dumping a bucket of ice on her and hurling a bowl of spaghetti in her direction. Prosecutors insisted all week that they are ahead of schedule in presenting their case and said they could be done calling witnesses by mid-June. But Combs lawyer Marc Agnifilo said the defense's presentation might take longer than expected — particularly after prosecutors revealed they were making 'fairly substantial changes' to their plan. 'It may be that because of witnesses the government is not calling, we might have more on the defense case,' he said. As a result, he added, the trial might run to the start of July.
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Key moments from the third week of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial
NEW YORK — Some of Sean 'Diddy' Combs ' ex-employees took a central role in the third week of his sex trafficking trial, including personal assistants who testified that the hip-hop mogul was capricious, controlling and violent. The week began with Capricorn Clark, a personal assistant who was later a global brand director for Combs' company. She recalled witnessing Combs beating his longtime girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, and said he raged about wanting to kill rapper and romantic rival Kid Cudi. It ended with another ex-assistant, testifying under the pseudonym 'Mia," who alleges Combs raped her during a torturous eight-year tenure working for the rap star. She is the second of three women expected to testify that he sexually assaulted them. Combs has pleaded not guilty. The trial resumes Monday in federal court in Manhattan. Here are key moments from Week 3: Former employees of Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment described repeatedly witnessing him beat Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, but said they didn't report the abuse to law enforcement because they feared Combs would harm them. Clark testified that the day she started as Combs' personal assistant in 2004, he threatened he would kill her if her previous work for rival rappers interfered with her work for him. Then, she testified, she watched in shock as Combs viciously assaulted Cassie, his on-again, off-again girlfriend for more than a decade, in 2011 after learning she was dating Cudi. Clark said her 'heart was breaking from seeing her get hit like that," and neither she nor Combs' bodyguard intervened. She said she called Cassie's mother and told her: 'Please help her. I can't call the police, but you can.' Weeks later, Clark said, she reported what happened to Cassie to the president of Bad Boy Records. She also testified about her own run-ins with Combs, telling jurors that he kidnapped her at gunpoint and took her to Cudi's house as he fumed that he was going to kill the rapper. Cudi testified that he believed Cassie and Combs had broken up. He said his relationship with Cassie only lasted a few weeks. Clark said she stayed in Combs' SUV while he broke into the home. She said she was fired weeks later for what she contends was a trumped-up reason. One of the week's biggest developments came outside the courtroom. Cassie, 38, delivered her third child less than two weeks after testifying for four days as the prosecution's prize witness. The news of her son's birth Tuesday reached the jury the next day when Cassie's longtime stylist, Deonte Nash, testified that he was still close to Cassie and had sent her well wishes after the birth. Cassie, known for the platinum-selling 2006 hit single 'Me & U,' married personal trainer Alex Fine in September 2019 — about a year after breaking up with Combs for good. Their first daughter, Frankie Stone Fine, was born in 2019. They welcomed a second daughter, Sunny Cinco Fine, in 2021. Jurors heard from a Los Angeles police officer who responded to the December 2011 break-in at Cudi's home and an arson investigator who spoke about his efforts to solve the firebombing of Cudi's Porsche 911 weeks later. Officer Chris Ignacio said he found Christmas gifts, some opened, with luxury watches and purses. Cudi has testified that his dog was traumatized after being locked in a bathroom by intruders. Ignacio said he saw a car with tinted windows registered to Bad Boy outside the house but didn't approach it because he had no proof a crime had occurred. Prosecutors are trying to prove that Combs was behind the break-in and the subsequent firebombing, which involved a Molotov cocktail dropped through a hole sliced in the convertible's fabric roof. Lance Jimenez, a Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigator, said the explosive was made from a 40-ounce Olde English 800 malt liquor bottle and a silky designer handkerchief. 'I personally felt it was targeted,' he said of the Jan. 9, 2012, attack. Celebrity stylist Deonte Nash was a witness like no other, adding flair and humor within seconds of taking the stand on Wednesday. Asked if he wanted to testify, he declared: 'Absolutely not!' Nash said he knew Combs as 'Puff' and Cassie as 'Cass.' He said he responded to a Craigslist ad and started working at Bad Boy Entertainment as an intern and then a stylist from 2008 to 2018. Prosecutor Maurene Comey put a picture of Nash in front of him and asked, "Is it a glamour shot of you?' 'Yes. I look amazing,' Nash responded, drawing laughs. Asked what he had heard Combs call Cassie over the years, Nash answered 'Um, Baby Girl, CC, Cass' and then listed a number of slurs against women. Asked how often Combs used one particular slur, Nash said: 'Um, quite a bit. That was his fave.' Nash later testified that Cassie had confided in him that she didn't always want to go along with Combs' demands that she have sex with other men during his drug-fueled 'freak-off' marathons. Mia testified that Combs sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions: forcibly kissing her and putting his hand up her dress at his 40th birthday party, forcing her to perform oral sex as they packed for a trip, and raping her after he climbed into her bed at his Los Angeles home. Mia said she thought her sexual abuse was sporadic enough that each time it occurred, she thought it would never happen again. She said she put on a brave face and continued to work for Combs, in part because she felt shame, blamed herself and feared what would happen if she reported him to authorities. Cassie testified previously that Combs raped her after she broke up with him in 2018. Mia said she witnessed Combs physically attacking Cassie 'all the time' at his houses, her apartments, hotels, events and while traveling. She said Combs also turned his wrath on her, throwing her into a swimming pool, dumping a bucket of ice on her and hurling a bowl of spaghetti in her direction. Prosecutors insisted all week that they are ahead of schedule in presenting their case and said they could be done calling witnesses by mid-June. But Combs lawyer Marc Agnifilo said the defense's presentation might take longer than expected — particularly after prosecutors revealed they were making 'fairly substantial changes' to their plan. 'It may be that because of witnesses the government is not calling, we might have more on the defense case,' he said. As a result, he added, the trial might run to the start of July.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
‘It was startling': Buckhead couple detail finding starving dog that led to R&B singer's arrest
It was earlier this month that a Buckhead couple said they came across a red dog that looked malnourished outside an RV in the parking lot of the Hyatt Centric Hotel. 'You could see his ribs and hip bones. It was startling,' the woman said. Noticing the neglect, the couple said they tried to help by offering the dog food and water. 'That poor dog, when we brought food and water down to it. It looked like he hadn't eaten in six weeks,' the man explained. The couple, who asked not to be identified, spoke exclusively with Channel 2's Brittany Kleinpeter on Friday. They said they called authorities after trying to contact the owner. 'I went by very calmly, and said, 'Do you need any help?' and said we got dog food upstairs, and he instantly said, 'Why would you ask me a question like that?'' the man said. According to an arrest warrant, the dog's owner, R&B singer Jaheim Hoagland, who just goes by Jaheim, was given three warnings by animal control before they took the dog. TRENDING STORIES: Delta flight with nearly 200 on board forced to turn back to Atlanta over pressurization issue 'The Wire' actor says his son was 'thrown 300 feet' from their home in Henry County tornado Alleged squatter turns himself in after Channel 2 investigation Authorities said they found several other dogs suffering from neglect. 'They found them in the RV that was apparently filled with feces and urine,' the woman said. According to the warrant, Jaheim Hoagland was arrested on May 1. Jail records show he was released the next day. He is charged with animal cruelty related to six dogs found on his property, including four pit bulls, a French bulldog, and a mixed-breed hound. The warrant states Hoagland has a 2021 third-degree animal cruelty case in Hillsborough, NJ. In that case, he is alleged to have 15 dogs living in a home with deplorable conditions and failed to provide necessary care to the animals. The Buckhead couple who spoke out for the animals is asking for something to change. 'I wish there were stricter laws to prevent situations like this,' the woman said. One of the dogs from the incident, Taka, is listed for adoption on the Fulton County Lifeline website under 'Dogs at risk' for euthanasia.
ABC News
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
You Need To Hear: Dean Brady - Brand New Smile
There's only one word to describe Dean Brady's new one 'Brand New Smile': smooth. This infectious groove nods to his upbringing surrounded by his parents' 'outback Motown' band, Banawurun, producing a sound that's rich, deep and undeniably soulful. For fans of: candlelit dancing candlelit dancing 2000s r&b 2000s r&b flare jeans flare jeans vinyl nights
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Teddy Swims' ‘Lose Control' Notches Record-Breaking 92nd Week on Billboard Hot 100
The endurance of Teddy Swims' 'Lose Control' hits new historic heights as the song logs a record-breaking 92nd week on the Billboard Hot 100. The single surpasses the run of Glass Animals' 'Heat Waves,' which ran up 91 weeks in 2021-22, for the most time spent on the chart dating to its Aug. 4, 1958, inception. More from Billboard Mariah Carey Celebrates 20 Years of 'The Emancipation of Mimi': Stream It Now Miley Cyrus' New Album 'Something Beautiful' This Way Comes: Stream It Now Beéle Wins Big at 2025 Heat Latin Music Awards: Complete Winners List 'Lose Control' debuted at No. 99 on the Hot 100 dated Aug. 26, 2023. It led for a week in March 2024, and became the year's No. 1 song. It ranks at No. 11 on the latest list, dated May 31, 2025. The soulful smash has also amassed a record 63 weeks in the Hot 100's top 10. (Songs have generally logged longer runs on the chart, and at No. 1 and in the top 10, since the survey adopted electronically tracked Luminate data in November 1991.) Along the way, 'Lose Control,' on SWIMS Int./Warner Records, has also ruled the following Billboard charts: the all-format Radio Songs and Digital Song Sales surveys, Adult Contemporary, Adult Pop Airplay, Adult R&B Airplay and Pop Airplay. It also hit No. 2 on Adult Alternative Airplay and the top five on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. 'Lose Control' has even outlasted two follow-up singles that each hit the Hot 100's top 40: 'The Door' (No. 24 peak, last October) and 'Bad Dreams' (No. 30, earlier this May). Both songs also reached the top 10 on Adult Pop Airplay and Pop Airplay. Another of Teddy Swims' hits, 'Are You Even Real,' with Giveon, topped Adult R&B Airplay in April. 'Teddy Swims is a once-in-a-generation talent who defies genres, making him truly unique in today's music landscape,' Warner evp of promotion and commerce Mike Chester told Billboard last year. 'When we began promoting 'Lose Control,' our journey was carefully planned. From the start, we noticed that the song was resonating in various pockets of culture, creating a strong and diverse fanbase.' The artist born Jaten Dimsdale, in Conyers Ga., in 1992, and who made his overall Billboard chart debut in 2021, was nominated for best new artist at the Grammy Awards this year. 'I love always watching your updates,' he mused of Billboard News' weekly recap of the Hot 100's top 10. 'It's like, 'Here comes Teddy Swims!' I hope you never stop saying that. I'm grateful.' Below, browse a rundown of the longest-charting hits in the Hot 100's history. No. 1 Hot 100 peak (one week), March 30, 2024(still charting as of May 31, 2025) No. 1 Hot 100 peak (five weeks), beginning March 12, 2022 No. 1 Hot 100 peak (four weeks), beginning April 4, 2020 No. 3 Hot 100 peak, July 6, 2013 No. 17 Hot 100 peak, Oct. 12, 2013 No. 2 Hot 100 peak, May 22, 2021 No. 6 Hot 100 peak, Sept. 20, 2008 No. 1 Hot 100 peak (18 weeks), beginning Dec. 21, 2019 No. 2 Hot 100 peak, Oct. 7, 2023 No. 2 Hot 100 peak, March 30, 2024(still charting as of May 31, 2025) No. 1 Hot 100 peak (two weeks), beginning May 8, 2021 No. 2 Hot 100 peak, Dec. 13, 1997 Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Four Decades of 'Madonna': A Look Back at the Queen of Pop's Debut Album on the Charts Chart Rewind: In 1990, Madonna Was in 'Vogue' Atop the Hot 100
