Latest news with #conspiracyTheories
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
REVEALED: The wildest Diddy conspiracy theories to emerge from his trial as celebs fear they will be named next
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial has spawned a slew of absurd conspiracy theories linking the rapper to several high-profile figures. Internet trolls have tried to connect some of America's biggest names - from Barack Obama and Kamala Harris to Beyoncé and Jay-Z - to Diddy's alleged misconduct. Prince and Kim Porter were brought into the discourse posthumously with theorists alleging both detailed Diddy's alleged exploits before their deaths. Others even went as far as baselessly claiming Los Angeles ' deadly Palisades Fire was set in an attempt to burn evidence that would be essential to Diddy's trial. Diddy, 55, has pleaded not guilty to five counts including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. The trial is currently in its fourth week. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan say that over two decades Combs coerced women, including his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, to take part in drug-fueled sexual acts. Combs' lawyers have acknowledged he was at times abusive in domestic relationships, but argue that women who took part in 'Freak Offs' did so consensually. JUSTIN BIEBER ABUSED BY DIDDY After Diddy was accused of a string of depraved crimes, there was widespread fears among Justin Bieber fans that the singer may have been sexually abused by the rap mogul during his early years in the music industry. Concern first erupted last year after a video resurfaced of Combs and Bieber - who was a minor at the time - hanging out for '48 hours.' The pair also worked together on an album. The viral video showed the pair standing next to each other while Diddy stated: 'He's having 48 hours with Diddy, where we hanging out and what we're doing we can't really disclose. But it's definitely a 15-year-old's dream.' He added: 'I have been given custody of him. He's signed to Usher and I had legal guardianship of Usher when he did his first album. 'I don't have legal guardianship of him [Bieber] but for the next 48 hours he's with me and we're gonna go full crazy.' During the clip, Bieber offered simple responses to Combs - such as saying 'yeah' and also 'full crazy.' But Bieber, 31, has insisted he wasn't targeted by the rapper. The singer's spokesperson told TMZ last month: 'Although Justin is not among Sean Combs' victims, there are individuals who were genuinely harmed by him. Shifting focus away from this reality detracts from the justice these victims rightfully deserve.' In regards to the videos of the pair together, insiders told the news outlet that the interactions were simply 'performative' - and explained Bieber was closer to the rapper's sons than to Sean. DIDDY'S MANSION SPARED FROM RAMPANT LA FIRES When a series of deadly wildfires tore through southern California in January, conspiracy theorists made baseless claims the infernos were started to 'cover up' Diddy's alleged sex crimes - and protect any allies he may have left. Diddy's lavish house in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles, a few miles east of Beverly Hills, was untouched by the devastating fires. But many celebrities who live in or near the Pacific Palisades area - anywhere from five to 50 miles away from Holmby Hills - did lose their homes. Former government official Catherine Austin Fitts ramped up the theory by asking how many people connected to Diddy have avoided their homes being destroyed. 'In situations like [the L.A. fires], I look at patterns,' Fitts said on her podcast. 'I look at some of the communities involved. How many of the homeowners were on the P. Diddy list?' The Diddy list is said to name all celebrities accused of attending parties hosted by the rapper where he is alleged to abused. The list has not been verified. There are also wild claims about the fires being started to destroy evidence and even a network of tunnels from Diddy's home to other properties including the Playboy mansion and even Michael Jackson's home. There are claims that this was a joke online. KAMALA HARRIS WENT TO DIDDY'S FREAK-OFFS Former Vice President Kamala Harris was linked to Diddy in the weeks leading up to the 2024 presidential election thanks to a resurfaced tweet. Harris, during her run for the White House in 2019, praised Diddy for hosting a town hall on racial inequality for her campaign. 'There's a lot at stake for our communities right now and it's critical we bring to the forefront how coronavirus is perpetuating racial inequality and health disparities,' the tweet read. But conservatives jumped at the opportunity to bring up the old tweet, with some pointing out 'this didn't age well...' President Donald Trump even shared a meme featuring a doctored image of Harris and Diddy to his Truth Social platform, saying: 'Madam vice president, have you ever been involved with or engaged in one of Puff Daddies freak offs?' BEYONCE AND JAY-Z RAN CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE WITH DIDDY Jay-Z came under fire after he was accused in a lawsuit of raping a 13-year-old alongside Combs after the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. The complaint was dismissed by the alleged victim's attorney in February this year. Diddy and Jay-Z are pictured in 2020 Beyoncé and Jay-Z were baselessly accused of being involved in a criminal enterprise with Diddy last year. The allegations surfaced on Piers Morgan's Uncensored show when singer Jaguar Wright, who appeared as a guest on the program, suggested the pair had committed crimes similar to those of which Diddy has been accused. Wright told the media personality she had been 'screaming' that 'Diddy and Jay-Z are 'monsters' for four years. But Morgan was forced to issue an apology to the famous couple after their lawyers contacted him, saying the allegations were 'totally false and have no basis in fact'. Wright's claims, which Morgan said would 'have an audience with or without shows like mine', were edited out of the program, BBC reported. Morgan also apologized, saying: 'Editing interviews is not something we do lightly at a show called Uncensored. But like the proverbial cries of 'fire' in a crowded theatre, there are legal limits on us, too. And we apologize to Jay-Z and Beyoncé.' Jay-Z also came under fire after he was accused in a lawsuit of raping a 13-year-old alongside Combs after the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. The complaint was dismissed by the alleged victim's attorney in February this year. The 99 problems hitmaker released a statement after the suit was dropped, saying: 'Today is a victory. The frivolous, fictitious and appalling allegations have been dismissed. This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere. 'The fictional tale they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims. I would not wish this experience on anyone.' WILL SMITH SOLD HIS DAUGHTER TO DIDDY A fake news story, based on no evidence whatsoever, went viral in October last year, alleging that Will Smith sold his daughter Willow Smith to Diddy. The article featured a doctored image of Willow, 23, and the rap mogul in bed together, prompting widespread speculation that she had been harmed by Diddy. Internet sleuths posted lengthy videos claiming that there was 'deeply unsettling' 'leaked footage' showing both Willow and her older brother Jaden, 26, in 'compromising situations' with Diddy. One conspiracy theorist even peddled an allegation that the children's mother Jada Pinkett Smith sold Jaden to the rapper. There is no evidence to support any of the allegations about the Smith family. DIDDY HAS FOOTAGE OF BARACK OBAMA Conspiracy theorists quickly looped Former President Barack Obama into the Diddy dialogue after the disgraced rapper was arrested last year and an image of them together resurfaced. Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk discussed the pair's connection on his web show, even baselessly questioning: 'Maybe P. Diddy has footage of Barack Obama doing something he shouldn't have been doing?' Obama first crossed paths with Diddy in 2004 when the music mogul rallied support for Democrats ahead of that year's DNC. This included Diddy interviewing Obama for MTV, where Obama praised the rapper for encouraging people to get out the vote. As Diddy's wealth soared to over $700 million through the noughties, he became a top celebrity backer for the Democrats and used his platform to back the party in several election cycles. In 2004, this saw Diddy interview both Obama - then a candidate for the senate in Illinois - and Hillary Clinton. Footage of Diddy's brief interview with Obama, which was widely circulated in wake of the rapper's arrest, saw the politician praised the Diddy's efforts 'because he doesn't have to do this.' 'This is part of what is important about giving back,' the young Obama said. Their exchange appeared jovial, as Diddy made fun of Obama sweating at the convention as he said he 'wanted to apologize for not sweating' while Obama jokingly padded his head with a napkin. Diddy would go on to support Obama's successful run for the White House in 2008, including hosting a 'Last Chance for Change' rally for the then-candidate in Florida days before the election. Obama was bizarrely named in Diddy's ongoing federal trial in shocking testimony about drug-taking at the rapper's infamous 'freak off' parties. Diddy's former personal assistant David James testified that A-listers would pop pills including Percocet and ecstasy at the parties. He did not say Obama was ever in attendance at the parties - but said celebrities would celebrate with 'various pills in the shape of the former president's face', the court heard. PRINCE'S SECRET RECORDING Just last month a rumor circulated online that federal prosecutors presented a secret recording of Prince exposing Diddy as evidence in the rapper's trial. Pictured are Prince and Diddy talking at the 2007 NBA All-Star Game Just last month a rumor circulated online that federal prosecutors presented a secret recording of Prince exposing Diddy as evidence in the rapper's trial. The rumor alleged that Prince, before his death, divulged details of the alleged illicit activities from Diddy's parties. He also warned 'if something happens to me, this recording needs to go to the press or the police, either one', according to the theory. But the alleged video or audio recording never surfaced. AI-generated content claiming to be a 'Prince & 'Diddy' video' has been shared online, but factcheckers on sites like YouTube have added disclaimers that the footage is 'altered or synthetic content'. Prince was mentioned in the Diddy trial by Cassie Ventura who, in her testimony, said she fled a party at the musician's house just before Diddy assaulted her at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Prince died on April 21, 2016. The coroner ruled that the seven-time Grammy-winner died from an accidental fentanyl overdose. KIM PORTER'S LOST WORDS Diddy's ex-girlfriend Kimberly Porter was tied to the trial from beyond the grave after the publication of a fabricated salacious memoir that purported to tell the story of an abusive relationship between the pair Diddy's ex-girlfriend Kimberly Porter was tied to the trial from beyond the grave after the publication of a fabricated salacious memoir that purported to tell the story of an abusive relationship between the pair. Porter and Combs' children denounced the 59-page book - titled Kim's Lost Words: A journey for justice, from the other side... - as a complete fabrication after it became a bestseller on Amazon in September last year. 'We were made aware of a dispute regarding this title and have notified the publisher,' an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement. 'The book is not currently available for sale in our store.' The independent publisher is Todd Christopher Guzze, who goes by the name Chris Todd and defines his occupation as an 'investigative producer, author and journalist.' Todd told The Associated Press in a phone interview in September that sources 'very close to Kim and Sean Combs' provided him with a 'flash drive, documents and tapes' from Porter that he eventually pieced together to create the memoir. Todd used the pseudonym Jamal T. Millwood when publishing the title. The name is an apparent reference to a conspiracy theory involving rapper Tupac Shakur, who was killed in a drive-by shooting in 1996. The theory baselessly claims that Tupac faked his death and was using the alias Jamal T. Millwood.
CNA
2 days ago
- General
- CNA
Health Ministry debunks COVID-19 misinformation on autopsy, vaccination laws
SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday (Jun 3) clarified and debunked two false claims circulating on social media regarding COVID-19 autopsy findings and vaccination laws in Singapore. In a press release, MOH addressed misinformation suggesting that Singapore was the first country to conduct a COVID-19 autopsy and discover that COVID-19 does not exist as a virus but as a bacterium. It added that this message was first circulated in 2021 but recently resurfaced. 'This is false. As clarified by the ministry then, Singapore has not performed such an autopsy, and it is also not true that COVID-19 is caused by a bacterium,' said MOH. MOH had previously noted in 2021 that an earlier version of this message had mentioned Russia instead of Singapore, which was also untrue. It also rejected separate false claims that Singapore has enacted laws to mandate vaccines and jail unvaccinated individuals following Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates' recent visit to Singapore. 'This is false. Singapore has not passed any laws on vaccinations after Mr Gates' recent visit to Singapore,' said MOH. A online search by CNA shows that Mr Gates has been a frequent subject of vaccine and COVID-19 conspiracy theories, with one claiming that he wanted to use vaccines as part of a plan to eliminate billions of people. 'We urge members of the public not to spread unsubstantiated information which may cause public alarm,' the Health Ministry said. Singapore last month reported an increase in COVID-19 cases, as MOH warned of periodic waves of infection throughout the year similar to other endemic respiratory diseases. Currently, the main COVID-19 variants circulating in Singapore are LF.7 and NB.1.8, accounting for more than two-thirds of locally sequenced cases. Both variants are descendants of the JN.1 variant, which is also the variant used in the formulation of the current COVID-19 vaccine.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
CUNY Labor School honcho spreads ‘antisemitic' conspiracy and lies about Gaza war: critics
A top CUNY official is spreading 'antisemitic' conspiracy theories and lies that Israel was in on or welcomed Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, massacre as a 'pretext' to take over the Gaza strip, critics fume. Arthur Cheliotes, 76, the board chairman of CUNY's School of Labor and Urban Studies, posted an online thread that compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler, too. Cheliotes, who was instrumental in founding the CUNY 'social justice' Labor School, reposted on Facebook a series of conspiracies and falsehoods under the heading, 'What Israel Doesn't Want You to Know,' and accompanied by a picture of Netanyahu and the Israeli Star of David flag. It says: '1. Egypt warned Israel — twice.'2. Israel gave Hamas $200 million in cash.'3. 2/3 of IDF Troops were pulled from [the] Gaza border 3 days before.'4. Israel invoked the Hannibal Directive — killing their own to prevent hostage-taking.'5. Bodies were moved to the music festival. No explanation given.'6. Border surveillance footage deleted.'7. Lies about 'beheaded babies and mass rape' were pushed — none confirmed.' The message then closes with, 'They wanted a pretext. Gaza was the goal.' In another post, the CUNY big — who served as president of the Communication Workers of America Local 1180 for 39 years — shows a picture side by side of Hitler and the Nazi flag in the year 1939 with Netanyahu and the Israeli flag in 2023. A CUNY insider who has known Cheliotes for years was stunned by the posts. 'I'm blown away. I'm saddened. These are bogus conspiracy theories that are at odds with the truth,' the source said. Former longtime City University Board of Trustees Jeffrey Wiesenfeld fumed, 'This man is an imbecile and antisemite.' There are legitimate criticisms that Israel's intelligence and security underestimated the threat from Hamas, Wiesenfeld said. The terrorists' Oct. 7, 2023 attack caught Israel defenses off guard, slaughtering 1,200 and triggering the brutal retaliatory war in Gaza. 'The worst thing you can do the martyrdom of 1,200 people who were killed. Of course this is antisemitic,' Wiesenfeld said. 'This man is disgrace to New York City, to union leadership and to CUNY.' Weisenfeld said President Trump and his team fighting antisemitism at Ivy League schools such as Columbia and Harvard should pivot to CUNY 'where there's enough trash to clean up for a long time.' Cheliotes, who was instrumental over 40 years in setting up labor programs at CUNY and creating the the Labor school, defended his postings during a Sunday interview. 'These positions seem reasonable to me,' said Cheliotes, who has chaired the CUNY Labor school's advisory board since its creation. Asked if any of the seven points were conspiratorial or falsehoods, Cheliots, 'I don't know? Are they?' He claimed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin is taking certain actions to extend the Gaza war to avoid prosecution of criminal indictments against him and jail time. 'You create a crisis to stay in power and create a circustmance to harm your people. That's what I think Netanyahu has done,' said Chelioties, doubling down on the conspiracy theory. '[Netanyanu] allowed the circumstances to allow [the Oct. 27,2023 Hamas attack] to happen. Cheliotes shot down claims that he's a Jew hater, noting his mother was under Nazi occupation in Greece. His father fought the Nazis in the US military during World II and two uncles fought the Nazi occupation in Greece. He visited Israel twice and supports its people. 'I'm particularly sensitive to anyone who claims I'm antisemitic,' said Cheliotes. CUNY declined to comment. Anti-Israel protests have marred some of CUNY's campuses. Last month, Brooklyn College saw anti-Israel student agitators brawl with cops after they set up a tent encampment — with one officer being forced to fire a Taser to subdue a violent protester. In another frightening incident last year, anti-Israel criminals caused at least $3 million in damage and the need for costly extra security at taxpayer-funded City College's campus in Upper Manhattan during a violent protest there last year. CUNY officials said they've moved to tamp down on Israel-bashing, antisemitism and other form of discrimination of their campuses. Still, reports of campus antisemitism are of such concern that Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered a review of Jew-hatred at CUNY campuses in 2023. The analysis — released last September and overseen by former state chief judge Jonathan Lippman –concluded that CUNY needed a top-to-bottom overhaul to combat 'alarming'' antisemitism fanned by its own faculty and do-nothing higher-ups.
Fast Company
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fast Company
These right-wing comedy podcasts are leading listeners down conspiracy theory rabbit holes
Right-leaning comedy podcasts are a gateway to conspiracy theories and misogynistic content, a new study has found. While these podcasts may seem harmless at first—often discussing sports like the NFL and MMA and featuring guests such as Ben Affleck and David Goggins—a new report reveals that engaging with their content online can open a Pandora's box of aliens and Andrew Tate, the former professional kickboxer who built his platform by promoting misogynistic ideas. In a study published this week, the nonprofit Media Matters for America examined five comedy shows that platformed Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential election while claiming to be nonpolitical: Full Send, The Joe Rogan Experience, Impaulsive With Logan Paul, This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von, and Flagrant. Using a brand-new TikTok account created solely for research, Media Matters interacted with accounts affiliated with these shows or their hosts. (In the case of Rogan, who does not have an official TikTok, a fan account exclusively posting show clips was used.) After Media Matters watched and 'liked' the 10 most recent videos from each account, TikTok's algorithm began delivering a stream of content that included conspiracy theories, toxic masculinity, misinformation, doomsday prepping, racism, right-wing media, and transphobia. Among the first 425 videos shown on the Media Matters account's 'For You' page, 28% contained conspiracy theories and 16% promoted toxic masculinity. These included claims that recent plane crashes were orchestrated to 'make sure people won't leave.' Other videos featured phrases like 'get rich and disappear,' set to montages of luxury watches, boats, cars, and planes—many soundtracked by Tate. 'TikTok's recommendation algorithm fed our account with misogynistic content and fringe conspiracy theory videos that can lead users down a right-wing rabbit hole of misinformation and more extreme content, which has the potential to radicalize them,' Media Matters senior investigative researcher Olivia Little tells Fast Company. The concern grows when considering the reach of these shows. Right-leaning podcasts far surpass their left-leaning counterparts in audience size. According to a Media Matters report published in March, 9 of the 10 most-followed online shows across all platforms are right-leaning, with a combined total following of more than 197 million. These shows extend their influence through social media, where they post full streams, short clips, and links. While left-leaning online shows have a collective following of 48 million across platforms, right-leaning shows have amassed more than 225 million followers. 'TikTok is so popular because of its focus on hyper-tailoring a user's recommendation feed to their content preferences, which has the potential to throw users down hard-to-escape rabbit holes,' Little says. 'Engaging with right-wing or right-wing-adjacent content appears to signal to the recommendation algorithm that you're interested in that content and your feed will quickly reflect that.'
Telegraph
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Our terrifyingly anti-Semitic universities are arming students with blatant falsehoods
Ever noticed how the most cretinous conspiracy theories are always preceded by an 'actually'? 'Actually, Paul McCartney died a long time ago.' ' It was actually the Royal family who killed Diana '. 'Everyone knows that 5G was actually responsible for Covid.' A few months ago, a friend's daughter confirmed this when she told me how a fellow student at the same London university had inferred that the Israeli military had 'actually' killed its own civilians on October 7 2023. What shocked her the most wasn't the level of misinformation (though admittedly lamentable, even by misinformation's bottom-feeding standards) but the fact that this was said at a crowded pub table – and that she was the only one out of five students to correct the young woman in question. I thought of that deeply depressing anecdote when I read about a new report, released yesterday, claiming that anti-Jewish narratives are 'flourishing unchecked' on university campuses – thereby contributing to hostility towards Jewish students. According to findings compiled by Helena Ivanov at the trans-Atlantic national security think tank, the Henry Jackson Society, more than 20 per cent of the students questioned (from three unnamed universities) said anti-Semitic claims were aired in lectures, seminars and class discussions. Meanwhile, a whopping 70 per cent of those polled said disinformation had directly shaped their peers' understanding of the Gaza conflict. It's bad enough that you could get away with airing toxic bilge in a pub, but British universities are praised across the world for their strong academic standards and rigorous research, and if those antisemitic claims are being repeated in teaching environments, it means that either the lecturers aren't refuting them, or that they are doing so in far too feeble a way – as, many say, was the case at Columbia University in the US. Certainly, it makes a mockery of the words 'higher learning.' This is not a 'we're all entitled to our opinions' situation, and how 'generation feelings' may feel about the conflict doesn't come into it. This is a place of learning. Here are the facts. They are immutable. Anything we discuss therefore needs to work on those foundations. Imagine if doctors allowed their interns to make categorically incorrect medical statements ('it's not actually the heart that pumps blood through the body'), or the government put out a series of blatant falsehoods? (OK, bad example). Young minds are particularly malleable, as we know. Now there's a wonderful fact, but also a dangerous one. Because if the people in charge of shaping those minds are being cowardly or deliberately turning a blind eye to any disinformation that suits their agenda, those students will go forth into the world armed with nothing but propaganda and prejudice.
