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Black America Web
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Evvie McKinney Talks New Music and Viral Performance
Source: Reach Media / Urban One When two powerhouses of faith and music sit down together, inspiration is inevitable. On a recent episode of The Nightly Spirit, host Darlene McCoy welcomed gospel singer Evvie McKinney for a heartfelt conversation. STAY INFORMED! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER! Evvie opened up about her musical journey, reflecting on the pivotal moments that shaped her career—including her viral win on 'The Four.' More than accolades, Evvie's focus has always been her relationship with Jesus, even when faced with pressure to downplay her faith on national television. 'Throughout my entire career… one thing that I have been unapologetic about is Jesus,' she shared. Darlene recognized the courage it takes for artists to stand firm in their beliefs, especially in an industry where faith is often misunderstood. The interview also highlighted the importance of spiritual integrity. Both Darlene and Evvie encouraged aspiring artists to trust God's guidance above all else. 'God is just expanding your territory,' Darlene affirmed, reminding listeners that spiritual growth goes hand in hand with professional success. READ MORE STORIES FROM THE NIGHTLY SPIRIT: Evvie's newest release, 'Believe in Jesus,' featuring Doe, is a testament to friendship, motherhood, and devotion. The bond between Evvie and Doe brings a fresh perspective to gospel music, blending heartfelt lyrics with lived experience. For gospel music enthusiasts and faith-driven listeners alike, Darlene and Evvie's conversation is a reminder that staying true to your faith will light the way—even in the spotlight. SEE ALSO
Toronto Sun
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex trafficking trial is set to begin with jury selection
Published May 05, 2025 • 3 minute read Sean 'Diddy' Combs participates in "The Four" panel during the FOX Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif., Jan. 4, 2018. Photo by Richard Shotwell / Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. NEW YORK — Sean 'Diddy' Combs, the hip-hop entrepreneur whose wildly successful career has been dotted by allegations of violence, was brought to a New York courthouse Monday to be tried on charges that he used the influence and resources of his business empire to sexually abuse women. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Jury selection was scheduled to begin in the morning and potentially take several days. Opening statements by the lawyers and the start of testimony were expected next week. Judge Arun Subramanian started the proceedings shortly after 9 a.m. by making several rulings on what things experts would be allowed to testify about when they take the witness stand. The 17-page indictment against Combs reads like a charging document filed against a Mafia leader or the head of a drug gang, accusing him of engaging in sex trafficking and presiding over a racketeering conspiracy. The indictment says that with the help of people in his entourage and employees from his network of businesses, Combs engaged in a two-decade pattern of abusive behavior against women and others. Women were manipulated into participating in drug-fueled sexual performances with male sex workers that Combs called 'Freak Offs,' prosecutors say. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. To keep women in line, prosecutors say Combs used a mix of influence and violence: He offered to boost their entertainment careers if they did what he asked — or cut them off if they didn't. And when he wasn't getting what he wanted, the indictment says Combs and his associates resorted to violent acts including beatings, kidnapping and arson. Once, the indictment alleges, he even dangled someone from a balcony. Combs and his lawyers say he is innocent. Any group sex was consensual, they say. There was no effort to coerce people into things they didn't want to do, and nothing that happened amounted to a criminal racket, they say. The trial is expected to take at least eight weeks. Combs, 55, has acknowledged one episode of violence that is likely to be featured in the trial. In 2016, a security camera recorded him beating up his former girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel. Cassie filed a lawsuit in late 2023 saying Combs had subjected her to years of abuse, including beatings and rape. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, did. Combs' attorney, Marc Agnifilo, has said Combs was 'not a perfect person' and that there had been drug use and toxic relationships, but said all sexual activity between Combs, Cassie and other people was consensual. The trial is the latest and most serious in a long string of legal problems for Combs. If convicted, he faces the possibility of decades in prison. In 1999 he was charged with bursting into the offices of an Interscope Records executive with his bodyguards and beating him with a champagne bottle and a chair. The executive, Steve Stoute, later asked prosecutors to go easy on Combs, who pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and took an anger management class. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Later that same year, Combs was stopped by police after he and his then-girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez, fled a nightclub where three people were wounded by gunfire. Combs was acquitted of all charges related to the episode at a 2001 trial, but a rapper in his entourage, Jamal 'Shyne' Barrow, was convicted in the shooting and served nearly nine years in prison. Then in 2015, Combs was charged with assaulting someone with a weight-room kettlebell at the University of California, Los Angeles, where one of his sons played football. Combs said he was defending himself and prosecutors dropped the case. Read More Columnists Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Toronto Maple Leafs Movies
