Latest news with #sexTrafficking
Fox News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Whitney Houston, Mike Myers name-dropped in Diddy's high-profile sex trafficking trial
Celebrities continue to be name-dropped during explosive testimony in Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial. Whitney Houston, Mike Myers and Mariah Carey are a few A-list stars who came up during testimony in the third week of Diddy's sex trafficking and racketeering trial. The testimony in the 55-year-old music producer's trial began May 12. The disgraced music mogul appeared in court to sit through testimony from another alleged victim, "Mia," his former assistant Capricorn Clark and celebrity stylist Deonte Nash. Here's a look at the celebrities mentioned in court this week. Diddy's former executive assistant, Capricorn Clark, mentioned both Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey during her testimony in the sex trafficking trial. Capricorn claimed she thought Cassie was talented but was more of a studio artist. "Why do you think she just had talent as opposed to being very talented?" Diddy's lawyer asked the ex-assistant. "Um, talented to me is Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey," Capricorn said. "Very talented is that level of performer, entertainer. Cassie was more of a studio artist." Capricorn described a studio artist as "a little bit more comfortable in the vocal booth to have a little bit of things equalized for you and, you know, engineered properly. Less of a live performer." Diddy's alleged victim, who has been allowed to testify under the pseudonym "Mia," testified she previously worked for Mike Myers. "What did you do for Mike Myers?" the prosecution asked in court. "I was his personal assistant," Mia replied. Myers was also a celebrity name mentioned during jury questioning ahead of the trial. Myers' "Austin Powers" features a joke about the disgraced rapper. Prior to working with Mike Meyers, "Mia," the alleged victim who worked for Diddy from 2009 until 2017, also worked as a personal assistant for fashion designer Georgina Chapman. "Who were Georgina's Chapman's clients?" the prosecution asked during direct examination. Mia answered, "It was all like red-carpet celebrity dressing." Chapman was previously married to Harvey Weinstein, who is facing a rape retrial in New York, from 2007 until 2021. Chapman filed for divorce in 2017 after multiple women came forward accusing Weinstein of sexual misconduct. Chapman is the co-founder of the fashion brand Marchesa and has been dating actor Adrien Brody since 2020. Musicians Nas and Kelis were mentioned during Diddy's ex-assistant's testimony. Capricorn Clark claimed Diddy took her to Central Park and threatened to kill her after he learned she had previously worked for Suge Knight. "Did you ever walk in Central Park other than that one time with Mr. Combs?" Diddy's defense asked during the cross-examination. "Earlier that day," she said. "We, he was giving me the run of the, you know, run of show, what the job would be like. And we walked from the east side of the park to the west side of the park, and we ran into Nas and Kelis in the middle of the park." Diddy's former stylist, Deonte Nash, mentioned rapper French Montana during his cross-examination. When asked who was signed by Bad Boy Records while he worked for Diddy, Nash replied, "Um French Montana." "Wait. French Montana, the hip-hop person, rap star?" Diddy's defense lawyer asked. "Yes. I mean, and Puff. That's all I can really remember right now," Nash added. During celebrity stylist Deonte Nash's cross-examination, he told the jury about a mixtape he helped Cassie Ventura produce in 2013, "RockaByeBaby." Nash testified there was a team behind the mixtape. He confirmed that he did not get paid to work on the tape. "No one got paid for the mixtape," he said. Nash testified that A-list rappers were on Cassie's mixtape. Rick Ross, Wiz Khalifa, Meek Mill and other well-known artists were featured, according to Diddy's former stylist. The celebrity stylist, who also worked with Cassie, told the jury Diddy threatened not to release the "Me & U" singer's mixtape. "He told her that one time if she keep — if she keeps having a smart-a - mouth, her little mixtape won't be coming out," Nash testified.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Trump refuses to rule out potential pardon for Diddy if the rapper is convicted of sex trafficking
DONALD Trump has refused to rule out a potential pardon for Sean "Diddy" Combs if the rap mogul is convicted of sex trafficking. The mega-producer, who is currently on trial, is facing a potential life sentence after being accused of running a decades-long, sprawling sex trafficking operation. 6 6 6 6 Trump said on Friday that no one has asked him to pardon Diddy Combs, but that he would look at the facts of the hip-hop mogul's case. His comments at a White House news conference came as Diddy attended the 13th day of testimony in the rapper's criminal sex trafficking trial. Diddy was arrested in September 2024 and is battling a massive list of civil lawsuits as he stands trial. The Bad Boy Records founder has pleaded not guilty to five felony counts of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. During a press conference at the White House, a reporter asked Trump whether he would consider pardoning Diddy. The journalist noted that the MAGA prez said during a 2012 episode of his Celebrity Apprentice reality show that he was friends with the rapper. Trump replied: "Nobody's asked. You had to be the one to ask. I think some people have been very close to asking. "First of all, I'd look at what's happening, and I haven't been watching it too closely although it's certainly getting a lot of coverage." Trump said he had not seen or spoken to Diddy in years. He added: "I haven't seen him, I haven't spoken to him in years. He used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics… that relationship busted up, from what I read. Diddy 'EXPLODED with threat to kill assistant over ex Cassie's silence' "He didn't tell me that, but I'd read some little bit nasty statements.' Since taking office on January 20, Trump has made extensive use of his power to pardon or commute the sentences of people accused of or convicted of federal crimes. Diddy is accused of throwing so-called "freak-off" parties where he would illegally fly in sex workers from across the country to provide his high-profile guests with explicit entertainment. He also would allegedly record some of his most recognizeable guests in compromising positions and use his sick videos as blackmail to keep people under his thumb, prosecutors say. In just three weeks of proceedings, a court has already heard about Diddy allegedly bombing fellow rapper Kid Cudi's car and lashing out at his ex-girlfriend in late rock star Prince's mansion. At the center of the trial is the rapper's nearly decade-long relationship with ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who busted his case wide open with a graphic civil suit filed in November 2023. That lawsuit was settled out of court, and Diddy denied all of her allegations. The courtroom has heard gut-wrenching testimony from Combs' former assistants, Ventura, and rapper Scott Mescudi, who is best known by his stage name Kid Cudi, among others. 6 6 Ventura, gave birth to her third child after taking the stand, testified for four days about the horrific sex marathons she was allegedly forced into by Combs. The singer, 38, also told jurors about the physical and psychological abuse she suffered during her relationship with the music executive. She accused Diddy of forcing her to get high and have sex with male escorts for hours on end during the horrific sessions, and claimed the executive controlled every aspect of her life. 'Control was everything from the way I looked, what I was working on that day, who I was speaking to," Cassie, who was just days away from giving birth to her third child with now-husband Alex Fine, said. "You make the wong face and the next thing I knew I was getting hit in the face." A growing list of celebrities has been mentioned in Diddy's sick sex trafficking trial over his perverse "freak off" parties. The list includes Hollywood A-listers like Michael B Jordan, Suge Knight and 50 Cent. Diddy locked eyes with us as he entered the courtroom - inside the trial of the decade By Israel S-Rodriguez, Senior News Reporter at The U.S. Sun The federal sex trafficking trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs began with jury selection on May 5. Combs is standing trial at the Southern District of New York Courthouse in Lower Manhattan - an intimidating federal courthouse where the cases of Ghislaine Maxwell, Donald Trump, and Bernard Madoff, among others, were tried. Once a powerful founder of a music and business empire, Combs has been reduced to a defendant, inmate 37452-054, stripped of his mogul status, and now standing trial on five federal charges with the full wrath of the United States government against him. When I attended Day 3 of jury selection at the federal courthouse on May 7, the buzz around the start of the trial was palpable. Hours before the courthouse opened its doors, more than a dozen reporters and members of the public stood in line in hopes of securing a seat in the gallery for the high-profile trial. As you walk through the glass door entrance of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse, you are met by bulletproof vest-clad court officers. All visitors must separate their electronic devices from their personal belongings, which are passed through a metal detector. Visitors walk through a metal detector before a court officer hands them a poker chip. The courthouse uses a poker chip system to sort the number of electronic devices visitors are in possession of. Electronic devices, such as Bluetooth-powered headphones, voice recorders, laptops, cellphones, and smart watches, are confiscated before you're allowed to enter the courthouse's main hallway. As about a half-dozen reporters and I waited in the gallery for jury selection, we witnessed how Combs entered the courtroom shackle-free. Combs entered with his hands pressed together, greeted his defense team before he examined the gallery, and locked eyes with reporters and potential jurors. The 55-year-old disgraced Bad Boy Records executive was attentive and engaged with his counsel as they grilled dozens of potential jurors. As jury selection wrapped up for the day, Combs embraced each of his female defense attorneys before he mouthed "thank you" to a handful of supporters in the gallery. I attended trial again as opening statements got underway on May 12 and the world media waited anxiously outside the federal courthouse before the sun rose in Lower Manhattan. A line stretched down the block from the federal courthouse as some members of the media and from the public camped out overnight to try to obtain a coveted seat inside the gallery. At least three overflow rooms were made available for reporters and the public, who are eager to witness the prosecutions case against the music mogul. At least half a dozen members of Combs' family arrived at the courthouse as spectators filed in single order to enter the federal building to turn over all their electronic devices. Combs' trial is being held on the 26th floor in Judge Arun Subramanian's courtroom and is expected to last for eight weeks. We'll bring it all to you on The U.S. Sun.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
If acquitted, could Diddy rebound? TMZ's Harvey Levin weighs in
(NewsNation) — Harvey Levin hedges a little when asked whether Sean 'Diddy' Combs could rebound and flourish professionally if a jury were to acquit him in his sex trafficking and racketeering trial. The TMZ executive producer said there are precedents of celebrities who have fallen from grace, only to find success after scandals or prison sentences. Among them: lifestyle maven Martha Stewart, quarterback Michael Vick and late pop star Michael Jackson. 'It is easy to take a snapshot,' Levin told 'Banfield' on Friday. 'I've just seen things turn out way different than what you would think at the end of a saga like this.' Ex-mobster Michael Franzese on Diddy trial: 'We didn't beat up women' He added: 'I'm not going to say there's any resurrection for Diddy if he is found not guilty. I'm not going to say that. All I'm saying is I've just been surprised so much in this job.' Diddy is accused of coercing and threatening women and staging marathon sexual 'Freak Offs,' and jurors have seen infamous 2016 surveillance video of Combs attacking his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. Although the testimony at times has been harrowing, Levin said the music mogul may benefit from the trial not being televised. Also complicating the calculus, he said, is the political comeback of Donald Trump, who was convicted of felony crimes last year before being elected to a second term as president. 'People get written off all the time,' Levin said. 'There was this thing with cancel culture, where you looked the wrong way and you were gone. The pendulum has swung now.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Stephen A. Smith doesn't like the idea of Trump pardoning Diddy
Stephen A. Smith joins 'CUOMO' to discuss the possibility of President Trump pardoning Diddy should he be found guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering charges. He and Chris Cuomo also broach why some Democrats are turning to Trump amid the reported Biden cover-up. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Celebrities reportedly lawyering up to avoid testifying in Diddy's sex trafficking trial
Some celebrities are reportedly worried about being called to testify in the Sean "Diddy" Combs sex trafficking trial and have hired lawyers. "I have heard that there are some celebrities worried about being called to testify and have even lawyered up trying to fight that," TMZ founder Harvey Levin tells Fox News Digital. "I think [rapper Kid] Cudi and Cassie were the star witnesses, but I don't know who else the prosecution has up their sleeve," Levin said. "I don't know what's going on behind the scenes there, but they've got four weeks left of testimony before they hand it over to the defense. We will see. But what they clearly are doing is cobbling together what they claim is proof beyond a reasonable doubt that he has committed these various crimes." Levin didn't detail which celebrities might be called to testify. Diddy's ex, Cassie, rapper Kid Cudi and singer Dawn Richard have already taken the stand. The rapper went on trial this month after being charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution. On Wednesday, arson investigator Lance Jimenez, who investigated the car fire that damaged Kid Cudi's Porsche beyond repair in 2012, and Diddy's former stylist both testified. Jimenez testified he believed the Porsche was targeted after Kid Cudi's testimony that he thinks Diddy was involved in setting the car on fire. Kid Cudi had been dating Cassie at the time, while she was on a break from Diddy. Jimenez told the jury he believed someone lit a Molotov cocktail and dropped it into the cut-open roof of Kid Cudi's car. He said he tried unsuccessfully to reach Diddy's assistant at the time about the vandalism. The assistant testified she hung up on him because she "wanted this whole thing to be over." Jimenez also tried to reach Cassie. According to Jimenez, no charges were brought in the car fire case, but he never closed the case. It is currently listed as "inactive." Following Jimenez, Diddy's former stylist, Deonte Nash, testified that he witnessed the rapper threaten Cassie often, calling her names like "b----" and "s---" and allegedly warning that he would "beat her a--." "I have heard that there are some celebrities worried about being called to testify and have even lawyered up trying to fight that." He claimed he also saw Diddy hit her more than once, including a time when he came over to her house unannounced and allegedly beat her until she was bloody, telling her, "Look what you all made me do." Nash also testified that Diddy once choked him, accusing him of going out with Cassie without his permission. The prosecution has been focused on Cassie in the Diddy trial so far, which experts previously told Fox News Digital is their "star witness." Levin told Fox News Digital if the jury believes Cassie's earlier testimony that Diddy showed her a sex video from a "freak off" he filmed while on an airplane returning to New York from Cannes, threatening to release it unless she did another freak off with him in New York, "I think they could nail him certainly as it pertains to Cassie because that clearly would show coercion." He added, "So, I think Diddy has a big problem there if the jury believes it. Diddy also has a problem with the interstate transportation of sex workers, I think." But Levin said he wasn't clearly seeing proof of racketeering. "When you look at all of the things he did, he's burglarizing Kid Cudi's house and going not for money or drugs or jewelry or anything like that. He is going for the Christmas present that he was going to give Cassie, and then he torches Cudi's car, and then makes threats against her mother. This feels like a crazed, criminal, jealous boyfriend," Levin said. "And I don't think it necessarily shows him to be a racketeer." Levin said Diddy did allegedly use his employees to do "various things, but usually when you talk about racketeering and organized crime, you're talking about having an undercover illegal business, selling drugs, running guns, doing hits on people. He's not selling drugs. He's using people to help him buy drugs. That, to me, is not racketeer. So I have a feeling. At least at this point, the jury isn't sold on that."
