Latest news with #onTrial
India Today
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
List of OTT releases this week: When and where to watch
This week's streaming lineup offers a dynamic mix of genres across Netflix, Prime Video, SonyLIV, Disney+, Hulu, and more. At the forefront is Netflix, debuting the long-awaited Happy Gilmore 2 (July25), and for fans of edgeofyourseat comedies and documentaries, there's something for every is the list of OTT releases that will be out this coming week:Here's a rephrased version of your OTT release descriptions for this week, keeping the tone crisp and engaging for a digital audience:advertisementHappy Gilmore 2 (July 25) – Netflix Adam Sandler is back as the fiery golfer in this long-awaited sequel. Years after his first swing at glory, Gilmore returns to the green, this time to fund his daughter Vienna's ballet on Trial (July 21) – Prime VideoJudge Judy takes a hard look at the legal system, spotlighting real-life cases where the verdicts were lawful—but not always just. Each episode re-examines how far fairness can stretch within the bounds of the Steve Harvey Show (July 21) – NetflixThe beloved '90s sitcom is back on stream. Whether you're revisiting Steve Hightower or meeting him for the first time, this school-based comedy delivers timeless laughs and heartfelt Happy People: A Teenage Holy War (July 23) – Prime VideoSeason 2 explores the rise and fall of Teen Mania, a flashy evangelical youth group. Behind the music and messages lies a disturbing story of control and ambition far beyond the (July 25) – NetflixSet in a gun-free South Korea, this gripping action thriller follows a relentless cop chasing down a rising black market in firearms. His biggest challenge? An elusive arms dealer who's always one move P.I. Moms (July 22) – NetflixThis doc dives into a chaotic 2000s reality show where suburban moms moonlighted as private investigators. What began as empowering quickly unraveled into scandal and legal From The Past (July 23) – NetflixA young woman uncovers a box of old letters that unravel a buried family secret. Her search for the truth leads her on a moving journey through memory, identity, and untold Winning Try (July 25) – NetflixAfter a fall from fame, a former rugby player heads back to his hometown to coach his alma mater. As he helps a struggling team rise, he discovers redemption and a new purpose.- Ends
NBC News
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Diddy trial judge rebukes lawyers after sealed information appears in media report
This is a free article for Diddy on Trial newsletter subscribers. to get exclusive reporting and analysis throughout Sean Combs' federal trial. Today, U.S. government prosecutors attempted to put a finer point on the case they've presented over the last five weeks. They walked jurors through text messages, phone logs, hotel bookings and other evidence of what they say points to a sprawling criminal conspiracy led by a man with a relentless desire for 'freak offs.' Diddy's defense team continued to forcefully push back, again suggesting that the women in Diddy's life were willing participants in the drug-dazed sexual episodes. Both sides' legal arguments are familiar at this point, but the lawyers are clearly trying to drive home their key points as the prosecution prepares to rest its case. Here's what you need to know about Day 25 of the trial: DeLeassa Penland, a special agent with the U.S. attorney's office, testified that Diddy appears to have paid for male escort Jules Theodore 's round-trip air travel from Los Angeles to New York in August 2009 — potentially bolstering one of the U.S. government's charges against Diddy: transportation to engage in prostitution. In an effort to illustrate that Diddy's 'freak offs' were consensual, the defense read text messages showing the hip-hop mogul and ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura exchanging dates for their next marathon sexual encounter. 'It can be any date you choose,' Diddy told Ventura in one text in August 2009, according to the evidence. By Adam Reiss, Chloe Melas, Katherine Koretski and Jing Feng Judge Arun Subramanian was furious this morning. He rebuked the prosecution and the defense over an online article that appeared to include details from a sealed proceeding. He asked the lawyers whether they knew the report's source. 'Someone is lying,' Subramanian said. 'The transcript was sealed.' 'The court imposed a gag order on the government, the defendant, all attorneys for the defense, and anyone involved was made accountable,' Subramanian added. 'What happened here … may result in civil or criminal contempt charges for all involved.' In other news: Diddy, wearing a cream-colored sweater, did not seem engaged in today's proceedings. He occasionally leaned forward to read papers on the defense table — but overall, he didn't look especially interested in the special agent's testimony. 👨⚖️ Analysis: Why the air travel testimony is so crucial By Danny Cevallos Penland's testimony about Diddy appearing to have paid for a sex worker's air travel, by itself, may be enough for the jury to convict on Counts 3 and 5, 'Transportation to Engage in Prostitution,' also called the 'Mann Act.' In the last month, most of the focus has been on the other charges — sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. The necessary elements for a Mann Act conviction are (1) knowingly transporting (or attempting to transport) a person in interstate or foreign commerce, (2) with intent that the person engage in prostitution (or other specified illegal sexual activity). There is no requirement of force, fraud, or coercion, as there is with the sex trafficking charges. There is no defense of consent. As much as sex trafficking and RICO charges have dominated the coverage, the Mann Act charges are quietly the easiest charges for a conviction in this case. The government just needs evidence of interstate travel and a desire to get a prostitute to prostitute. The prosecutors pretty much got all of that with one witness: a special agent who wasn't even an eyewitness to anything, but who read records into evidence. Here's what we know about the coming days: The government will likely rest its case Friday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey confirmed. Marc Agnifilo, Diddy's lead defense lawyer, said the defense needs two to five days to lay out its case, but that timeline isn't set in stone. The jury could get the case as early as next week, Subramanian said. PSA: Every night during Diddy's trial, NBC's 'Dateline' will drop special episodes of the 'True Crime Weekly' podcast to get you up to speed. 'Dateline' correspondent Andrea Canning chats with NBC News' Chloe Melas and special guests — right in front of the courthouse. Listen here.
NBC News
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
At Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial, some online content creators are playing by different rules
In recent years, the defamation suit between actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard and the shooting of Megan Thee Stallion by fellow rapper Tory Lanez put a new spin on how celebrity trials are covered, as content creators and vloggers flooded social media feeds with the most explosive moments. The federal trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs is no exception. Each day, outside a towering courthouse in lower Manhattan, a horde of traditional media outlets, online streamers and curious spectators jostle to score a seat inside the main courtroom where Combs is facing sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges that could result in a lengthy prison sentence if convicted. Sign up for the ' Diddy on Trial ' newsletter for key developments and analysis When the proceedings pause for a lunch break or conclude for the day, it's the dozens of content creators who take center stage, scrambling to the sidewalks to set up their cellphone tripods and emote the latest testimony and courtroom drama for their eager followers. But with Combs' fate unfolding in a trial that is not being televised, the rush to relay every sordid detail and rack up views can pose challenges fraught with ethical issues as well. The real-life consequences came to light when two women who took the stand using pseudonyms were exposed when their presumed names were leaked online, highlighting how irresponsible behavior in this new wave of content creation can be harmful. Federal prosecutors said 'Mia,' a former assistant to Combs, had her identity revealed by a YouTube streamer who had been in the courtroom and her name was also posted on X, while another court watcher may have unmasked 'Jane,' an ex-girlfriend of Combs who testified over six days. Jane's personal lawyer told U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian last week that such 'posts and media outlets threaten her safety and privacy that led to the court's pseudonym order.' Subramanian has said he would consider specific media gag orders or barring violators from court in a trial poised to continue through early July. Revealing the names of Combs' accusers wouldn't necessarily impact the trial itself, since jurors aren't supposed to consume media about the case or talk about it to others — but it still represents a line that must be tread carefully, said Mark Chutkow, a defense lawyer who handled racketeering cases as a federal prosecutor in Detroit. If names are leaked, he said, 'it could deter victims from coming forward in future high-profile cases because they won't believe the law enforcement assurances that their identities will be protected.' To help protect the accusers' identities, the court sketches of them released publicly have not included their facial features, and traditional media coverage of their testimonies hasn't included physical descriptions. For the creator behind the YouTube account Make It Make Sense, which has more than 213,000 subscribers, shining a light on the accusers' experiences was an important reason to cover the trial, he said. He temporarily moved to New York to be in the courthouse each day. 'Do not try to guess who Jane is, please,' he told his followers recently. 'It's not a joke. She is supposed to remain anonymous.' The creator behind Make It Make Sense told NBC News after court ended this week that 'legacy media' may understand the repercussions of certain actions, but there is a different attitude among some content creators who are attending these high-profile trials for the first time and seeking to go viral. 'Exposing people's names does not move the needle or change the story,' said the channel's creator, who asked for his real name not to be used because of fears for his personal safety. One afternoon after Combs' trial let out, a woman who said she works as a court employee gushed as she watched popular online streamers — like the man behind Make It Make Sense — leaving the courthouse. 'They're how I get my information,' she said. And no legal background is required. For some content creators, it's simply about fulfilling people's curiosity — and their own. Michelle Bracy of Manhattan said her TikTok account, miss_knockout, has grown from about 9,000 followers since Combs' trial began in mid-May to now more than 35,800. She said she goes live in the mornings before the trial starts, sits in court where she takes extensive notes on a legal pad, and then returns outside the courthouse at the day's end, sometimes broadcasting through the evening. 'I do follow the rules because, of course, it's TikTok, and you don't want to be removed,' Bracy said, 'but I also make my coverage more relatable to people. And I stay in the middle. I'm not on this side, I'm not on that side. I just get the facts on both sides.' The 2022 courtroom dispute between Depp and Heard showcased a new frontier among online content creation. The trial, which was televised, attracted droves of livestreamers and spectators to outside a Fairfax, Virginia, courthouse where they could show their support for either side. Online as well, memes and hashtags, particularly ones manufactured to support Depp, popped up and gained billions of views on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. Combs' case has not attracted that same groundswell, as the initial appearance of people in 'Free Diddy' T-shirts early in the trial has subsided outside the courthouse. But on days when certain witnesses have taken the stand, including his ex-girlfriend, Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, the rapper Kid Cudi and Jane, their presence reinvigorates interest. On Friday, the courthouse was buzzing with a surprise appearance by the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, who tried to get inside the main courtroom to support Combs and was ushered instead to a court overflow room, where he stayed for several minutes. When he left, members of the media and vloggers ran for the elevators to follow him outside, sprinting across the promenade to catch him before a car could whisk him away. It's these viral moments and quick interactions with key figures in the trial that content creators like Bracy yearn for, she said. She had her own moment last month with one of Combs' defense lawyers that helped increase her followers. 'Are you Brian Steel?' she said before Steel entered the courthouse. 'Can you say 'hi' to my TikTok real quick?' 'Hey,' Steel responded. The idea that other content creators would defy court orders in Combs' trial is disappointing, Bracy told NBC News. 'You got to respect the court system and the judge,' she said, 'and be bright enough not to repeat the names.' Competition can be stiff among the creators. When court lets out, they jockey for position with television cameras as Combs' family, including his mother and children, are escorted by security to their car. The spectacle can draw a small crowd from interested passersby. Oota Ongo, a YouTube streamer from Brooklyn, gives street preacher energy as he talks to his more than 13,600 subscribers from outside the courthouse. He told NBC News that he started covering the trial, his first, to 'see everything for myself and put my biases aside.' The most surprising thing about the trial, he added, has been knowing how much sway he can have. 'How small content creators, big content creators, big publications, big news programs, all of these people are merging as one,' Ongo said. 'I really dived in,' he added. 'This is our trial of the century.' On a recent afternoon after court, he began streaming to his channel, contending with several other online streamers pacing the sidewalk, a crush of media cameras and reporters, and unrelenting New York City street noise. He took it all in, anticipating what's to come when the jury finally reaches a verdict after weeks of an energized trial. Like 'Madison Square [Garden] out here. Psychos. People on unicycles, like this,' an expressive Ongo told his followers, pointing to a man pedaling a unicycle. 'All of that going on. Drinking and juggling going by you. The Moon Man. All of that is out here because they're here every day.'
NBC News
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Diddy's lawyers portray ‘hotel nights' as consensual encounters
This is a free article for Diddy on Trial newsletter subscribers. to get exclusive reporting and analysis throughout Sean Combs' federal trial. U.S. government prosecutors have presented the drug-dazed, marathon sexual encounters known as 'freak offs' as part of Diddy's sweeping criminal conspiracy. But in a forceful cross-examination of Diddy's ex-girlfriend ' Jane ' today, his legal team attempted to recast the 'freak offs' as consensual trysts. Here's what you need to know about Jane's fifth day on the stand: Jane, answering questions from defense attorneyTeny Geragos, said she initiated some 'freak offs' with Diddy. Diddy's lawyers entered as evidence photos of a room, decorated by Jane, filled with rose petals and balloons. When asked if she suggested a 'hotel night' with two other men on that occasion, Jane said yes. 'Yes, that was my suggestion,' she replied. Diddy was 'excited about that.' In late August 2022, after Jane had a tryst with Diddy and a sex worker named Paul, she told the rapper how much she enjoyed such sexual encounters. Jane texted Diddy that she was 'having so much fun,' adding that she would 'never take this for granted and will always make sure you are taken care of.' Jane wept on the stand after recounting telling Diddy in a text message that he was a 'blessing' in her life. 'I have never had a man take care of me like you do,' Jane wrote to Diddy a day after one of their 'hotel nights.' She added: 'You're the reason for my child's joy, it means the world to us, I love you baby.' Jane testified she urged Diddy to stay off drugs and eat healthy food for 30 days. Diddy suggested a 'sobriety party' — a 'hotel night' without drugs, she said. The October 2023 party lasted between 12 and 18 hours; Jane had sex with three men, she testified. 'I resent him for how much I loved him and couldn't say no to him,' she said. 'I resent him for all of it.' 🔎 The view from inside By Adam Reiss, Chloe Melas and Katherine Koretski The prosecutors are seeking to remove one of the jurors — Juror #6 — who Diddy's defense lawyers claim is among the panel's Black members. It's not exactly clear what's behind the prosecution's request, though it has cited a 'lack of candor.' 'We were very reluctant to put in this letter. It appeared to be a lack of candor with the court that raises serious issues with us,' Maurene Comey, one of the prosecutors, told the court today. 'We did not want to do this. We were compelled to do that.' In other news: Diddy, wearing what appeared to be a light orange sweater and khaki pants, stood up and faced the audience in the courtroom before proceedings got started today. He seemed to be mouthing words to someone. Tomorrow: 'Jane' is expected to return to the stand for more cross-examination. We'll be live-blogging the key moments.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Judge in Diddy trial warns he may be removed from courtroom after jury interactions
The federal judge overseeing the sex trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs scolded his defense lawyers Thursday and warned he could be removed from the courtroom after he apparently made facial expressions at jurors. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said it was "absolutely unacceptable" that Combs would try to interact with the panel during recent testimony. Sign up for the 'Diddy on Trial' newsletter for key developments and analysis "I was very clear there should be no facial expressions to the jury and I could not have been clearer," Subramanian said, adding that "there was a line of questioning where your client was nodding vigorously and looking at the jury." "There should be no efforts to have any interactions with this jury," he added. Subramanian asked defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo if this would happen again. "No, your honor, it's not going to happen again," Agnifilo replied. Subramanian added that if Combs doesn't comply, "I will give an instruction to the jury or it could result in the exclusion of your client from the courtroom." Courtroom artist Jane Rosenberg, who has had her eyes and binoculars on Combs for over a month, told NBC News that she has seen him making facial expressions both affirmatively and negatively depending on the testimony, and she has seen him attempting to interact with various members of the jury since the beginning of the trial. Testimony in Combs' trial in New York is in its fourth week. The music mogul has pleaded not guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. If found guilty of even one, he could face a lengthy prison sentence. The judge's admonishment Thursday came before the jury returned from lunch. Combs, in an oversized cream sweater and khaki pants, had been extremely engaged with his defense team all day, passing notes and conferring with his lawyers. In the morning, he waved and blew a kiss to his mother, Janice Combs, right after proceedings began. And when one of his lawyers made objections before the jury came in, he nodded in affirmation. The testimony Thursday morning featured Bryana Bongolan, a friend of Combs' longtime girlfriend, Casandra Ventura, who was cross-examined about a 2016 incident in which Combs allegedly dangled Bongolan from a 17th-floor balcony. This article was originally published on
