Latest news with #TheFallofDiddy
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘You can't unsee it': ‘The Fall of Diddy' directors on Cassie's allegations and a mogul's decline
In 2023, the world of music and pop culture was rocked as allegations against Sean "Diddy" Combs began to emerge, shaking the foundation of the mogul's decades-long career. The details of Combs' unraveling were chronicled virtually in real time by Investigative Discovery's documentary The Fall of Diddy, directed by Emma Schwartz and Yoruba Richen. 'We had been talking to some folks more broadly about the 'Diddyverse space,' about similar kinds of allegations and things that were happening in the industry,' Schwartz tells Gold Derby. While the directors were unsure of how the narrative might evolve, everything changed when Casandra Ventura (known as the singer Cassie), Diddy's former girlfriend, filed her lawsuit around Thanksgiving 2023. More from GoldDerby 'Sentimental Value' hailed as a 'masterpiece,' the 'best movie' at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival 'The Daily Show' editor Cathy Trasborg on letting Trump supporters 'reveal themselves' in the edit: 'We just let them play out' 'Beast Games' editor Mack Hopkins on the scene that was inspired by 'Dunkirk' That moment became a catalyst. As Schwartz recalls, 'We knew there was a lot more bubbling beneath the surface of that. We also began to hear that more people were starting to come forward as a result of Cassie sharing her story. When someone that well-known came out with such incredibly specific details in that lawsuit about what she says she went through, they felt, 'OK, maybe now I need to speak as well.'' The team began digging into the story well before the high-profile events that would dominate headlines — the federal raid, the viral hotel video, and Diddy's arrest. Richen describes their approach as a dual exploration: 'It was, I think, a very unique kind of process, because on the one hand, we were looking back into so much of the past, at the same time, there was much of that past coming to light and unfolding in the present.' One of the pivotal moments in shifting public perception came with the now-infamous hotel video tied to Cassie's allegations, something Richen describes as 'horrific and shocking.' The video was a crucial turning point not just for audiences, but for the documentary as well. "You can't unsee it," she remarks. "People who we had been talking with over those months, it definitely propelled them to come forward with their stories because they were angry, they were saddened. They were horrified by seeing this." The cascade of revelations gained momentum after the video and Diddy's subsequent apology, as fear began to give way to accountability. Richen explained that those who spoke out felt "sort of safety in numbers" and wanted "to be a part of the accountability process." Yet, for the filmmakers, reaching those willing to share their stories was no straightforward task. "It was a number of ways," says Richen. 'Everything from the research that we were doing in terms of reading about what happened at [the City College of New York] and relatives that had spoken out — or people who had videotaped during that time. It was talking to people and people being like, 'You should talk to so-and-so.' Meeting with people, all the things, all the ways.' Schwartz adds that their collaboration with Rolling Stone further expanded their network: 'We were talking to people before everyone in the media was out there. I think that made a difference. We weren't coming in saying, 'Oh, he's just been arrested. Tell me what happened.' We were there earlier and building a longer story about how we got to this point as opposed to trying to understand why he is being charged.' Thalia Graves in The Fall of Diddy (Photo: Investigative Discovery) One of the documentary's most gut-wrenching moments comes with Thalia Graves' account of an alleged rape. Richen says that the crucial first step in conducting such interviews involves building trust long before sitting down with cameras. Schwartz elaborates, saying, 'When someone decides they want to come forward, if they're going to share a story, they're ready and they've been holding it in ... if someone has been through such a traumatic experience and wants to share it, then I think they're all in.' For Graves, Cassie's decision to speak out broke a long-held silence. 'She thought she was the only one until Cassie came forward,' says Schwartz. 'As it turns out, not only was she not the only one, she was one of many who came forward with all kinds of allegations.' Richen draws parallels between Thalia's courage and the experiences of Danyel Smith, the first female editor-in-chief of Vibe magazine, who recounts being threatened by Diddy but later appearing at events with him out of professional necessity. Richen explains, 'In order to get the scoop, to get the access, she felt she needed to still be around him. I think we see this in so many circumstances, where people who are in abusive relationships or have been threatened, if it's a person of power, the person that can give them access, that it's tied to their professional life, [they] will tolerate it to a certain extent.' Danyel Smith in The Fall of Diddy (Photo: Investigative Discovery) In the documentary, Schwartz and Richen also explore Diddy's undeniable talent and influence versus the harm he allegedly inflicted on those around him. Schwartz reflects on his ability to continually reinvent himself despite scandal. 'The thing about Sean Combs — Puff, Diddy, whatever name — he had a way of reinventing himself and has remarkable charm and charisma. I think one of the tensions that almost everybody we interviewed felt was that there was an incredible talent that they were attracted to about what he did… despite the souring that many experienced.' Richen adds that Diddy's innovation in blending hip hop and R&B was 'revolutionary,' particularly during an era when MTV had only recently begun playing Black music. While The Fall of Diddy culminates with Diddy's arrest, his legal battles are far from over, and the filmmakers wrestled with where to conclude the story. Richen explains, 'There's a budget … there's a deadline. We worked with our partners at ID. … We didn't know exactly when the arrest would happen, if it would happen in our time, so we were really just following this, and responding.' Schwartz adds, 'I think part of it was taking it as close to the point of understanding — how did we get to this moment? — rather than attempting to litigate what we're all going to be watching unfold over the coming weeks.' When asked if more chapters could be made, the directors remain open to revisiting the story's ongoing fallout. Still, Schwartz reflects, 'The fate of whether he will stay behind bars or find a way to resurrect and rename himself is really the question that we're all going to be watching.' The Fall of Diddy is currently streaming on Max. Best of GoldDerby 'Étoile' editor Tim Streeto on reuniting with the Palladinos for the Prime Video ballet series 'The Daily Show' editor Cathy Trasborg on letting Trump supporters 'reveal themselves' in the edit: 'We just let them play out' 'Beast Games' editor Mack Hopkins on the scene that was inspired by 'Dunkirk' Click here to read the full article.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Kristina Korram, the woman guarding the dark secrets of Diddy or a victim?
Kristina "KK" Khorram has been silent for months. As the lawsuits piled up and the accusations against Sean 'Diddy' Combs spiraled from disturbing to surreal, the woman long known as his right hand, his fixer, his chief of staff, his loyal lieutenant, said nothing. Until now. On Wednesday, she broke her silence. In a carefully worded statement, Khorram called the allegations against her "false," "horrific," and "irreparably damaging." She said they had taken a toll on her family and mental well-being. She denied aiding or abetting sexual assault. She rejected the idea that she had ever drugged anyone. And she insisted she could never even be a bystander to rape. Whether her claims are true or not will be decided during the trial during which horrific allegations are being levelled against Diddy. But the question that haunts Khorram, and anyone who's ever stood beside a powerful man facing a reckoning, isn't just about what she did. It's about what she enabled . What she ignored . What she normalized in the name of loyalty. Live Events Khorram wasn't a low-level assistant running errands in the background. She was allegedly the gatekeeper,the orchestrator. The woman, according to multiple lawsuits, allegedly managed staff tasked with procuring sex workers, securing drugs, and cleaning up the aftermath of the parties the world never saw. In one lawsuit filed by music producer Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones, Khorram is said to have brushed off Jones' complaints that Diddy had groped him. Her reported response? 'Sean will be Sean.' A phrase that echoes generations of complicity cloaked in casual dismissal. In another case, filed by Ashley Parham, Khorram is accused of threatening Parham just before an alleged assault took place. Parham claims Diddy, comedian Druski, and Odell Beckham Jr. violently gang raped her, allegations denied by all. Even the police tasked with the investigation stated that Parham's allegations were 'unfounded'. Still, Khorram's alleged presence before the incident leaves an uncomfortable trail of implication. And in The Fall of Diddy , a docuseries digging into Combs' alleged double life, former assistant Phil Pines describes working directly under Khorram, being told to clean up hotel rooms after the parties were over. She was, in his telling, the quiet authority behind the curtain. Now she wants to be seen as a victim. Maybe she is of proximity, of perception, of a world that punishes women for men's crimes. But maybe she isn't. Because there's a deeper discomfort in this story: women can be complicit, too. They can reinforce the very power structures that ultimately harm other women. They can help sustain empires built on silence and secrecy. Khorram says her heart goes out to all victims of sexual assault. I believe her. But hearts and hands are two different things. And if she truly wants to separate herself from the empire Diddy built, it will take more than a statement. It will take the truth. Transparency. And the courage to name not just what she didn't do but what she did do for a man now surrounded by allegations of abuse, manipulation, and criminal behavior. Kristina Khorram may not have raped anyone. She may not have drugged anyone. But she was there. And she wasn't just watching. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
Business Recorder
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Recorder
Who is Sean ‘Diddy' Combs, the onetime hip-hop king facing a sex trafficking trial?
NEW YORK: Sean 'Diddy' Combs, who elevated hip-hop in American culture while building a music and clothing empire that made him a billionaire, faces a sex trafficking trial starting with opening statements on Monday that could cement the rapper's shattered reputation - or offer him a shot at redemption. The 55-year-old Combs, facing possible life in prison if convicted, is among the most influential and widely recognized men in the entertainment field to face sexual abuse allegations after the #MeToo movement encouraged accusers to speak up. Like movie producer Harvey Weinstein and R&B singer R. Kelly, Combs is accused by prosecutors of using his influence and wealth to coerce women into unwanted sexual activity, and intimidate them into staying quiet for years. Combs has pleaded not guilty to five felony counts including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. The trial, taking place in Manhattan federal court could last two months. Combs' lawyers did not respond to a request for comment for this story. Since his arrest in September, Combs has been jailed in Brooklyn - far from the mansions in Miami and Los Angeles where he had been living, but about an hour by subway from the Harlem neighborhood where he was born. Advertisement · Scroll to continue His father died four years after his birth, and Combs was raised by a single mother. After two years at Howard University in Washington, Combs dropped out to go into the music business. He worked at New York's Uptown Records before co-founding Bad Boy Records in 1993. Combs was a hustler and a showman. He is credited with turning artists like Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls) and Usher into stars, and broadening hip-hop's appeal in the 1990s and 2000s. Musicians, athletes and actors angled to be in Combs' circle, while Combs flaunted a lavish lifestyle filled with diamonds, yachts and over-the-top parties. In the late 90s, he dated singer Jennifer Lopez, and they became one of entertainment's biggest power couples. 'He made hip-hop seem so vital and lively to American culture that everyone wanted to be a piece of it,' author Mark Anthony Neal said in the Max documentary 'The Fall of Diddy.' Combs won three Grammy awards including for 'I'll Be Missing You,' a 1997 tribute to Biggie after he was killed in a drive-by shooting. He built on his celebrity by launching the multimillion-dollar Sean John clothing brand and Revolt TV cable network. Combs even became a Broadway headliner, starring in 'A Raisin in the Sun' in 2004. Combs has sold his stake in Revolt. A spokesperson for Combs did not respond to a request for comment about the status of Sean John. By 2022, Forbes magazine estimated Combs' wealth had topped $1 billion, and his rags-to-riches story was seen as an inspiration for other Black men. That same year, Combs received a lifetime achievement honor at the BET Awards. 'Anything I do is through love,' Combs said at the ceremony. 'Collateral' recordings Not so, according to prosecutors. They contend that Combs, backed by his business empire, forced women into elaborate sexual performances known as 'Freak Offs' with male sex workers from 2004 to 2024. They say he coordinated 'Freak Offs' by giving drugs such as ketamine and ecstasy to women, while also promising financial support, career support and romantic relationships. Combs watched and, on occasion, recorded the performances, and masturbated, according to prosecutors. They say Combs used surreptitious recordings of the sex acts as 'collateral' to ensure that women stayed silent, and sometimes displayed weapons to further intimidate them, prosecutors said. Marc Agnifilo, a lawyer for Combs, has said the sexual activity described by prosecutors was consensual. One of the prosecution's expected witnesses is Combs' former girlfriend Casandra Ventura, an R&B vocalist known as Cassie. Ventura sued Combs in November 2023, accusing him of rape and serial physical abuse during their decade-long professional and romantic relationship, which he denied. She settled just one day after suing. Settlement details were not disclosed. Later, CNN broadcast hotel surveillance video showing Combs striking and dragging Ventura. Combs then apologized. Dozens of other women and men have filed civil lawsuits accusing Combs of sexual abuse. He has denied all wrongdoing. Fortune magazine estimated that Combs' net worth fell to about $400 million by 2024.
New Straits Times
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
Sean 'Diddy' Combs faces trial that could send him to prison for life
SEAN "Diddy" Combs, who elevated hip-hop in American culture while building a music and clothing empire that made him a billionaire, faces a sex trafficking trial starting with opening statements on Monday that could cement the rapper's shattered reputation - or offer him a shot at redemption. The 55-year-old Combs, facing possible life in prison if convicted, is among the most influential and widely recognised men in the entertainment field to face sexual abuse allegations after the #MeToo movement encouraged accusers to speak up. Like movie producer Harvey Weinstein and R&B singer R. Kelly, Combs is accused by prosecutors of using his influence and wealth to coerce women into unwanted sexual activity, and intimidate them into staying quiet for years. Combs has pleaded not guilty to five felony counts including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. The trial, taking place in Manhattan federal court could last two months. Combs' lawyers did not respond to a request for comment for this story. Since his arrest in September, Combs has been jailed in Brooklyn - far from the mansions in Miami and Los Angeles where he had been living, but about an hour by subway from the Harlem neighbourhood where he was born. His father died four years after his birth, and Combs was raised by a single mother. After two years at Howard University in Washington, Combs dropped out to go into the music business. He worked at New York's Uptown Records before co-founding Bad Boy Records in 1993. Combs was a hustler and a showman. He is credited with turning artists like Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls) and Usher into stars, and broadening hip-hop's appeal in the 1990s and 2000s. Musicians, athletes and actors angled to be in Combs' circle, while Combs flaunted a lavish lifestyle filled with diamonds, yachts and over-the-top parties. In the late 90s, he dated singer Jennifer Lopez, and they became one of entertainment's biggest power couples. "He made hip-hop seem so vital and lively to American culture that everyone wanted to be a piece of it," author Mark Anthony Neal said in the Max documentary "The Fall of Diddy." Combs won three Grammy awards including for "I'll Be Missing You," a 1997 tribute to Biggie after he was killed in a drive-by shooting. He built on his celebrity by launching the multimillion-dollar Sean John clothing brand and Revolt TV cable network. Combs even became a Broadway headliner, starring in "A Raisin in the Sun" in 2004. Combs has sold his stake in Revolt. A spokesperson for Combs did not respond to a request for comment about the status of Sean John. By 2022, Forbes magazine estimated Combs' wealth had topped US$1 billion, and his rags-to-riches story was seen as an inspiration for other Black men. That same year, Combs received a lifetime achievement honour at the BET Awards. "Anything I do is through love," Combs said at the ceremony. Not so, according to prosecutors. They contend that Combs, backed by his business empire, forced women into elaborate sexual performances known as "Freak Offs" with male sex workers from 2004 to 2024. They say he coordinated "Freak Offs" by giving drugs such as ketamine and ecstasy to women, while also promising financial support, career support and romantic relationships. Combs watched and, on occasion, recorded the performances, and masturbated, according to prosecutors. They say Combs used surreptitious recordings of the sex acts as "collateral" to ensure that women stayed silent, and sometimes displayed weapons to further intimidate them, prosecutors said. Marc Agnifilo, a lawyer for Combs, has said the sexual activity described by prosecutors was consensual. One of the prosecution's expected witnesses is Combs' former girlfriend Casandra Ventura, an R&B vocalist known as Cassie. Ventura sued Combs in November 2023, accusing him of rape and serial physical abuse during their decade-long professional and romantic relationship, which he denied. She settled just one day after suing. Settlement details were not disclosed. Later, CNN broadcast hotel surveillance video showing Combs striking and dragging Ventura. Combs then apologised. Dozens of other women and men have filed civil lawsuits accusing Combs of sexual abuse. He has denied all wrongdoing. Fortune magazine estimated that Combs' net worth fell to about US$400 million by 2024.
Express Tribune
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Diddy sex trafficking trial begins with celebrity name-drop during jury selection process
Jury selection has officially begun in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' high-profile federal sex trafficking trial, with over 150 potential jurors questioned at a Manhattan courthouse. As part of the process, jurors were asked about their familiarity with a list of over 190 names, including celebrities like Kanye West, Michael B. Jordan, Kid Cudi, Mike Myers, and others—some of whom may be connected to the trial. Among those reportedly tied to the case is Kid Cudi, whom prosecutors believe was the victim of a 2011 car bombing allegedly orchestrated by Combs. At the time, Cudi was reportedly dating Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, the trial's star witness. Michael B. Jordan, who also dated Ventura briefly in 2015, is not expected to testify, according to sources. Potential jurors were also asked about their personal experiences with sexual assault, law enforcement, and their opinions on media coverage. Many admitted to seeing the 2016 hotel video showing Combs allegedly assaulting Ventura—though CNN's version of the footage will not be used in court. Combs is facing five felony charges: racketeering, two counts of sex trafficking, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted, the 55-year-old mogul could face life in prison. The charges span alleged crimes from 2004 to 2024. Concerns were raised over several jurors' affiliations, including one who works at HBO, which released The Fall of Diddy docuseries. Another was excused due to a connection with an upcoming memoir by Al B. Sure!, who accuses Combs of threatening behavior. Opening statements in the trial are expected to begin May 12. Combs has denied all allegations, claiming that any sexual encounters were consensual.
