Latest news with #TheLoveAlbum
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Usher, Ne-Yo Were Present When Diddy Punched Cassie At Party, Dawn Richard Testifies
While on the witness stand Monday (May 19) in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial, Dawn Richard testified that the Bad Boy founder allegedly punched his artist and girlfriend at the time, Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, while attending a star-studded dinner party in 2010. The Diddy-Dirty Money singer claims the incident took place in a restaurant where Combs and Ventura were 'quietly' arguing when Combs allegedly punched her in the stomach, causing her to double over in pain. 'She immediately bent over, he [Combs] told her to leave,' Richard testified. 'No one intervened.' Usher, Ne-Yo, record exec Jimmy Iovine and 'other celebrities' were allegedly present in the restaurant, but Richard did not testify that they directly witnessed the alleged moment of abuse. Richard added that she rode home with the couple and witnessed Cassie be assaulted again for saying Combs 'embarrassed' her. 'He grabbed her by the neck and popped her, slapped her in the mouth,' Richard testified, adding that Combs then said to Ventura, 'Shut the f**k up.' 'He would tell her he owned her,' Richard added. 'I told her he should leave. Cass looked torn. She would listen, but I could see the fear.' Richard previously recalled the evening in question in her September 2024 lawsuit against the No Way Out artist. 'In front of dinner guests, Mr. Combs hissed at Ms. Ventura in a screaming whisper and forcefully punched her in the stomach causing her to double over in visible pain, crying,' the lawsuit reads. 'Ms Clark escorted Ms. Ventura out of the restaurant and Mr. Combs remained and continued socializing with dinner guests.' Diddy's attorney Erica Wolff addressed Richard's lawsuit at the time, telling VIBE in a statement, 'Mr. Combs is shocked and disappointed by this lawsuit. In an attempt to rewrite history, Dawn Richard has now manufactured a series of false claims all in the hopes of trying to get a pay day — conveniently timed to coincide with her album release and press tour.' It continues, 'If Ms. Richard had such a negative experience with Making the Band and Danity Kane, she would not have chosen to continue working directly with Mr. Combs for Dirty Money, nor would she have returned for the Making the Band reboot in 2020 or agreed to be featured on The Love Album last year. 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.' More from Dawn Richard Claims Diddy Warned That "People Go Missing" For Going Against Him Misa Hylton Reacts To Backlash For Appearing At Diddy Trial: "I'm A Mother First" Cassie's Husband, Alex Fine, Calls Sean "Diddy" Combs A "Demon"
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
U.S. Judge Partially Dismisses Charges in Sean 'Diddy' Combs Lawsuit From Producer Rodney Jones Jr.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs, September 2023 () Last year, music producer Rodney Jones Jr.—known professionally as Lil Rod—filed a lawsuit against Sean 'Diddy' Combs, alleging sexual assault and grooming on the part of the hip-hop mogul, as well as improper payment for his production work on Diddy's 2023 LP, The Love Album: Off the Grid. Now, according to documents viewed by Pitchfork, a New York federal judge has dismissed five of Jones' nine charges—including those having to do with racketeering, emotional damages, and breach of contract—while choosing to uphold his sexual assault, premises liability, and Trafficking Victims Prevention Act (TVPA) claims against Diddy and his chief of staff, Kristina Khorram. In his original lawsuit, Jones described being drugged, forced to hire prostitutes, and made to participate in nonconsensual sex acts with them while working on The Love Album. He also claimed that he was not properly paid for his work on that record, and that Diddy, Khorram, Diddy's son Justin Dior Combs, former Motown Records CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam, and Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge were all involved in a racketeering enterprise. U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken filed his order for partial dismissal on March 24, stating that Jones' original complaint and two subsequent amendments did not demonstrate sufficient business or property damages to constitute a violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, and that there was no clear link between the Love Album non-payment claim and any suspected racketeering activity. In his motion, the judge also described filings by Jones' attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, as 'replete with inaccurate statements of law, conclusory accusations, and inappropriate ad hominem attacks on opposing counsel.' In a statement to Pitchfork, Blackburn wrote, 'A win is a win; looking forward to discovery.' Diddy had previously filed a motion to dismiss Jones' lawsuit entirely in August 2024. He has repeatedly demonstrated himself as unafraid to take retaliatory legal action, having recently sued both NBCUniversal Media—over the Peacock documentary Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy—and a man who claimed to be in possession of incriminating footage from the rapper's infamous 'freak-off' parties. Though a rape lawsuit against Diddy and Jay-Z was recently withdrawn by their anonymous accuser, the former remains accused of sexual assault, battery, grooming, and other crimes in dozens of civil lawsuits. He will stand trial on federal sex trafficking charges in May. If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, we encourage you to reach out for support: RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline 1 800 656 HOPE (4673) Crisis Text Line SMS: Text 'HELLO' or 'HOLA' to 741-741 Originally Appeared on Pitchfork
Los Angeles Times
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
A new Sean Combs doc reveals fresh allegations: Biggest takeaways from ‘The Fall of Diddy'
As Sean 'Diddy' Combs awaits his May trial on federal charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering, the disgraced hip-hop mogul's rise and fall is being examined once again in another documentary. Investigation Discovery's new docuseries 'The Fall of Diddy,' which concludes Tuesday, depicts Combs as a man prone to violent outbursts who used his power to keep survivors, as well as those in his inner circle, from speaking out about any alleged abuse or misconduct. Featuring interviews with Combs' former employees, collaborators, friends and accusers, the four-part documentary from the producers of 'Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV' is also available to stream on Max. 'The Fall of Diddy' arrives on the heels of Peacock's special 'Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy,' which premiered earlier this month. Both documentaries follow Combs' September arrest as well as numerous accusations — including from former girlfriend Casandra Ventura — of sexual and physical abuse. Combs, who has denied all allegations, is currently being held in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center and recently filed a defamation lawsuit against one of his accusers, Courtney Burgess, Burgess' attorney and Nexstar Media Inc. — the parent company of NewsNation. ID's docuseries touches on earlier moments from Combs' career, including his time at Howard University and his alleged involvement in a 1999 shooting; dives into his relationship with 'Cassie' Ventura — former Combs staffers talk about the alleged abuse they witnessed — and features new allegations from an ex-girlfriend. Here are three of the biggest takeaways from the final two installments of 'The Fall of Diddy.' Actor Kat Pasion, who briefly dated Combs after his split with Ventura, revisits her relationship with the rap mogul and alleges that he forced himself on her one night in 2021. After detailing how she became drawn to Combs despite his reputation, Pasion recalled a time when the two of them had watched a documentary about R. Kelly. According to Pasion, as Combs left her room, he said to her, 'There's a little bit of R. Kelly in all of us.' 'I remember being like, 'There is not a little bit of R. Kelly in all of us,'' said Pasion, 'but I wasn't absorbing the severity of that statement until later.' After some time apart, Pasion said she returned to Combs' orbit more as a friend while he was recording 'The Love Album' in 2021. One night, after Combs allegedly took a recreational drug, Pasion said he woke her up and forced himself on her. 'It was just scary,' said Pasion, who did not want to get into the details of the alleged incident. 'It wasn't consensual.' In response to inquiries about the new docuseries, Combs' legal team told the Hollywood Reporter in a statement, 'These documentaries are rushing to cash in on the media circus surrounding Mr. Combs. The producers failed to provide sufficient time or details for his representatives to address unsubstantiated claims, many from unidentified participants whose allegations lack context. By withholding this information, they made it impossible for Mr. Combs to present facts to counter these fabricated accusations. This production is clearly intended to present a one-sided and prejudicial narrative. As we've said before, Mr. Combs cannot respond to every publicity stunt or facially ridiculous claim.' Thalia Graves, who filed a lawsuit against Combs in September, spoke out in 'The Fall of Diddy' about her alleged 2001 encounter with the rapper. According to Graves, Combs drugged, bound and violently raped her at Bad Boy studios after reaching out to her in the guise of wanting to discuss her then-boyfriend's job performance. She discussed the alleged attack and running out of the studio 'terrified' after she came to. 'I just didn't want to die,' said Graves. 'I was scared, not just for my life, I was scared for my parents finding out. … And I didn't want to go to the police because I was in the middle of a child custody battle and a divorce.' Graves also said Combs threatened her into silence, but she eventually came forward after learning in 2023 that the alleged attack on a pool table was recorded and shown to others. 'Why would somebody record raping somebody and then show it to other people?' asked Graves. In a statement to the filmmakers, Combs' attorneys said, 'Mr. Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court the truth will prevail: that the accusations against Mr. Combs are pure fiction.' Combs' former personal chef Jourdan Cha'Taun, bodyguard Roger Bonds and makeup artist Mylah Morales are among the interview subjects who discussed in 'The Fall of Diddy' the abuse they said they witnessed by the rapper against then-girlfriend Ventura. Ventura, who previously settled her 2023 lawsuit alleging rape and abuse, is cited as the catalyst for more accusers coming forward and the federal indictment that followed. In May, CNN obtained a video of Combs attacking Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel. Morales described an instance when Combs allegedly attacked Ventura one night in a hotel room. Bonds, meanwhile, detailed attempting to break up an alleged altercation between Combs and Ventura by throwing them in his car, where the alleged attack continued while Bonds drove. Cha'Taun said, after she found out that Combs was allegedly abusing Ventura, Bonds told her that 'he was beating the s— out of her' and that he thought Combs was going to kill her. She also said Combs, after finding out that they were discussing the alleged abuse, threatened to 'end' her if she told anybody about it. 'He never once said it didn't happen,' said Cha'Taun. Bonds also seemingly corroborated allegations that Ventura was forced to participate in 'freak-offs' with other men. The former bodyguard said he saw male visitors around Combs and Ventura's hotel room, where they spent weekends. 'I've seen questionable things, but I never knew exactly what was going on,' said Bonds.
