R. Kelly hospitalised after prison overdose, lawyers claim ‘assassination plot'
According to a new filing by Kelly's lawyer, Beau Brindley, and widely reported by US outlets, the 58-year-old singer, currently serving 30 years in prison for sex trafficking and racketeering, collapsed on Friday at the federal correctional institute in Butner, North Carolina and was transported to Duke University hospital.
Kelly's lawyers allege that, on June 10, the three-time Grammy Award winner was placed in solitary confinement and was given medication by prison staff, along with 'instructions to take it'.
According to the filing, Kelly awoke in the early morning hours of 13 June, feeling 'faint' and 'dizzy', and 'he started to see black spots in his vision'. 'Kelly tried to get up, but fell to the ground,' the filing alleges. 'He crawled to the door of the cell and lost consciousness.'
The legal filing also claims that Kelly overheard prison officers discussing the situation. According to the documents, during the ambulance ride to Duke University hospital, Kelly allegedly overheard a prison officer say: 'This is going to open a whole new can of worms.'
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At the hospital, Kelly's lawyers claim he 'learned that he had been administered an overdose quantity of his medications that threatened his life'.
Kelly's hospitalisation comes after his legal team filed an emergency motion last week, alleging three officials at the prison came up with a plot to have Kelly killed by leaders of a white supremacist gang to prevent the release of damaging information on prison officials.
After that filing, Kelly was moved to solitary confinement, his attorneys say.
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Why the location of actor Julian McMahon's shock passing has prompted social media theories over Nip/Tuck star's connection with controversial religion
The death of Australian actor Julian McMahon at the age of 56 in Clearwater, Florida, has prompted a wave of online speculation. McMahon's career took off with the hit supernatural television series Charmed before he gained wider recognition with Nip/Tuck, the medical drama in which he played the role of plastic surgeon Dr Christian Troy. The Fantastic Four star's wife Kelly confirmed on Saturday that her husband died following a private battle with cancer. While few details were released, one stood out to social media users: the location. Clearwater - a city on Florida's Gulf Coast - is widely known for being dominated by the Church of Scientology. Its world headquarters, Flag, is located in the heart of downtown, and its members reportedly own the vast majority of the surrounding real estate. The mention of Clearwater in Kelly McMahon's statement quickly ignited debate across social media and internet forums, with some questioning why the actor, who had no public ties to the area, would spend his final days there. 'I live in Clearwater... close to a house (Scientologist) John Travolta owns because we're about a mile from the Scientology center in downtown Clearwater,' one local wrote on Instagram. 'I was wondering if Julian McMahon was a Scientologist since (Kelly's statement) said he died in Clearwater, because why else would he live the last few months of his life there? The only celebrities that do are usually Scientologists. Surprised, that's for certain!' Another user on X posted: 'Why was Julian McMahon in Clearwater when he died? Like, that's Scientology city.' A Reddit thread also sprang up, with one contributor offering a more sceptical take on the theory: 'He was an Australian who loved the beach. I don't see him being involved with Scientology.' To date, there is no mention of Julian McMahon, his wife Kelly, daughter Madison, or ex-wife Brooke Burns in any publicly available Scientology records. does not suggest McMahon or his family are affiliated with Scientology. The town's deep ties to the church are well documented. A Tampa Bay Times investigation found that the Church of Scientology, along with its members and affiliated businesses, owns 185 properties in Clearwater's downtown core. Actor Tom Cruise, one of religion's most prominent public faces, reportedly resides in a penthouse apartment there with his son Connor. Fellow Scientologist Kirstie Alley also lived in Clearwater before her death in 2022 from colon cancer. She had purchased her waterfront mansion from the late Lisa Marie Presley, another well-known Scientologist, back in 2000. At this stage, it remains unclear whether Julian McMahon had been living in Clearwater in the months leading up to his death. His family has not commented further.
Courier-Mail
4 days ago
- Courier-Mail
Can ‘repulsive' Diddy stage a career comeback after his bombshell verdict?
Don't miss out on the headlines from Celebrity Life. Followed categories will be added to My News. Sean 'Diddy' Combs' supporters chanted 'Free Puff!' — and poured baby oil over themselves — outside Manhattan federal court on Wednesday after the stunning verdict in his bombshell weekslong sex trafficking trial was revealed. But could he really make a comeback? A jury convicted the once-renowned music mogul, 55, of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, but acquitted him of the more serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have landed him in prison for the rest of his life. Combs is now facing a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison on the two prostitution charges. His sentencing is scheduled for October 3. Before he was arrested in September, the three-time Grammy Award winner was riding high as one of the most powerful men in music. 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In addition, Combs' ex Cassie Ventura claimed she received a $20 million settlement in her 2023 lawsuit against the hip-hop mogul. Video evidence of Combs physically assaulting Ventura, 38, from 2016 was released last year, before she testified against Combs during the trial in May. Ventura reacted to Wednesday's verdict in a statement via her lawyer, Doug Wigdor, who said she 'paved the way' for the jury to convict Combs on the prostitution charges. 'By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice,' Ventura's lawyer said. This article originally appeared in the New York Post and was reproduced with permission. Originally published as Can 'repulsive' Diddy stage a career comeback after his bombshell verdict?
The Advertiser
6 days ago
- The Advertiser
No verdict on first day of jury deliberations on Diddy
Jury deliberations in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal sex trafficking trial hit a snag almost as soon as they started. But by the end of Monday jurors indicated they were making progress weighing complex charges that could put the hip-hop mogul in prison for life. The first day of deliberations saw a flurry of notes from the jury and Combs and his supporters bowing their heads in prayer in the courtroom - but no verdict. The jury of eight men and four women are sifting through seven weeks of sometimes graphic and emotional testimony about the rap, fashion and reality TV impresario 's propensity for violence and his sexual predilections, including drug-fuelled sex marathons dubbed " freak-offs " or "hotel nights". About an hour in, the foreperson reported that a juror might be having trouble following the 61 pages worth of instructions the judge had just read to them. "We are concerned (the juror) cannot follow your honor's instructions," the foreperson said in a note to Judge Arun Subramanian just after 12:30pm. After the judge originally proposed asking the jury foreperson the nature of concerns about the fellow juror, defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo suggested caution and that it was better to say less than more. "We can always ratchet it up. We can't ratchet it down," Agnifilo said. Subramanian sent his response to the jury around 2pm, reminding the panel to deliberate and to follow his instructions on the law. The jury sent another note about three hours later asking for clarification on the part of the instructions addressing drug distribution - an allegation included in Combs' racketeering conspiracy charge. As deliberations were happening, Combs prayed with his family and friends in the courtroom. He stood facing his contingent in the audience and bowed his head with them. As they finished, they applauded, along with Combs. Combs also showed off two books he's reading: The Power of Positive Thinking, by Norman Vincent Peale and The Happiness Advantage, by Shawn Achor. As he sent the jury to deliberate, Subramanian told the five alternate jurors to remain on standby at home in case they're needed at a later point. Jurors were provided with a laptop loaded with all of the exhibits shown in court, including text messages, photographs and videos of the sexual encounters at the heart of the case. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking - relating to two of his ex-girlfriends - and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution for allegedly arranging to fly his girlfriends and sex workers across state lines. In closing arguments last week, federal prosecutors and Combs' defence team took their last shots at convincing jurors to convict or acquit the Grammy Award-winning founder of Bad Boy Records. "The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted," Assistant US Attorney Christy Slavik said. "He thought that his fame, wealth and power put him above the law." She said that he used his "close inner circle and a small army of personal staff, who made it their mission to meet the defendant's every desire, promote his power and protect his reputation at all costs". Defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo countered, "This isn't about crime. It's about money." He noted that one of Combs' accusers in the criminal case also sued him in civil court. "He is not a racketeer. He is not a conspirator to commit racketeering. He is none of these things. He is innocent. He sits there innocent. Return him to his family, who have been waiting for him," the lawyer told jurors. Jury deliberations in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal sex trafficking trial hit a snag almost as soon as they started. But by the end of Monday jurors indicated they were making progress weighing complex charges that could put the hip-hop mogul in prison for life. The first day of deliberations saw a flurry of notes from the jury and Combs and his supporters bowing their heads in prayer in the courtroom - but no verdict. The jury of eight men and four women are sifting through seven weeks of sometimes graphic and emotional testimony about the rap, fashion and reality TV impresario 's propensity for violence and his sexual predilections, including drug-fuelled sex marathons dubbed " freak-offs " or "hotel nights". About an hour in, the foreperson reported that a juror might be having trouble following the 61 pages worth of instructions the judge had just read to them. "We are concerned (the juror) cannot follow your honor's instructions," the foreperson said in a note to Judge Arun Subramanian just after 12:30pm. After the judge originally proposed asking the jury foreperson the nature of concerns about the fellow juror, defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo suggested caution and that it was better to say less than more. "We can always ratchet it up. We can't ratchet it down," Agnifilo said. Subramanian sent his response to the jury around 2pm, reminding the panel to deliberate and to follow his instructions on the law. The jury sent another note about three hours later asking for clarification on the part of the instructions addressing drug distribution - an allegation included in Combs' racketeering conspiracy charge. As deliberations were happening, Combs prayed with his family and friends in the courtroom. He stood facing his contingent in the audience and bowed his head with them. As they finished, they applauded, along with Combs. Combs also showed off two books he's reading: The Power of Positive Thinking, by Norman Vincent Peale and The Happiness Advantage, by Shawn Achor. As he sent the jury to deliberate, Subramanian told the five alternate jurors to remain on standby at home in case they're needed at a later point. Jurors were provided with a laptop loaded with all of the exhibits shown in court, including text messages, photographs and videos of the sexual encounters at the heart of the case. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking - relating to two of his ex-girlfriends - and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution for allegedly arranging to fly his girlfriends and sex workers across state lines. In closing arguments last week, federal prosecutors and Combs' defence team took their last shots at convincing jurors to convict or acquit the Grammy Award-winning founder of Bad Boy Records. "The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted," Assistant US Attorney Christy Slavik said. "He thought that his fame, wealth and power put him above the law." She said that he used his "close inner circle and a small army of personal staff, who made it their mission to meet the defendant's every desire, promote his power and protect his reputation at all costs". Defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo countered, "This isn't about crime. It's about money." He noted that one of Combs' accusers in the criminal case also sued him in civil court. "He is not a racketeer. He is not a conspirator to commit racketeering. He is none of these things. He is innocent. He sits there innocent. Return him to his family, who have been waiting for him," the lawyer told jurors. Jury deliberations in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal sex trafficking trial hit a snag almost as soon as they started. But by the end of Monday jurors indicated they were making progress weighing complex charges that could put the hip-hop mogul in prison for life. The first day of deliberations saw a flurry of notes from the jury and Combs and his supporters bowing their heads in prayer in the courtroom - but no verdict. The jury of eight men and four women are sifting through seven weeks of sometimes graphic and emotional testimony about the rap, fashion and reality TV impresario 's propensity for violence and his sexual predilections, including drug-fuelled sex marathons dubbed " freak-offs " or "hotel nights". About an hour in, the foreperson reported that a juror might be having trouble following the 61 pages worth of instructions the judge had just read to them. "We are concerned (the juror) cannot follow your honor's instructions," the foreperson said in a note to Judge Arun Subramanian just after 12:30pm. After the judge originally proposed asking the jury foreperson the nature of concerns about the fellow juror, defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo suggested caution and that it was better to say less than more. "We can always ratchet it up. We can't ratchet it down," Agnifilo said. Subramanian sent his response to the jury around 2pm, reminding the panel to deliberate and to follow his instructions on the law. The jury sent another note about three hours later asking for clarification on the part of the instructions addressing drug distribution - an allegation included in Combs' racketeering conspiracy charge. As deliberations were happening, Combs prayed with his family and friends in the courtroom. He stood facing his contingent in the audience and bowed his head with them. As they finished, they applauded, along with Combs. Combs also showed off two books he's reading: The Power of Positive Thinking, by Norman Vincent Peale and The Happiness Advantage, by Shawn Achor. As he sent the jury to deliberate, Subramanian told the five alternate jurors to remain on standby at home in case they're needed at a later point. Jurors were provided with a laptop loaded with all of the exhibits shown in court, including text messages, photographs and videos of the sexual encounters at the heart of the case. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking - relating to two of his ex-girlfriends - and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution for allegedly arranging to fly his girlfriends and sex workers across state lines. In closing arguments last week, federal prosecutors and Combs' defence team took their last shots at convincing jurors to convict or acquit the Grammy Award-winning founder of Bad Boy Records. "The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted," Assistant US Attorney Christy Slavik said. "He thought that his fame, wealth and power put him above the law." She said that he used his "close inner circle and a small army of personal staff, who made it their mission to meet the defendant's every desire, promote his power and protect his reputation at all costs". Defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo countered, "This isn't about crime. It's about money." He noted that one of Combs' accusers in the criminal case also sued him in civil court. "He is not a racketeer. He is not a conspirator to commit racketeering. He is none of these things. He is innocent. He sits there innocent. Return him to his family, who have been waiting for him," the lawyer told jurors. Jury deliberations in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal sex trafficking trial hit a snag almost as soon as they started. But by the end of Monday jurors indicated they were making progress weighing complex charges that could put the hip-hop mogul in prison for life. The first day of deliberations saw a flurry of notes from the jury and Combs and his supporters bowing their heads in prayer in the courtroom - but no verdict. The jury of eight men and four women are sifting through seven weeks of sometimes graphic and emotional testimony about the rap, fashion and reality TV impresario 's propensity for violence and his sexual predilections, including drug-fuelled sex marathons dubbed " freak-offs " or "hotel nights". About an hour in, the foreperson reported that a juror might be having trouble following the 61 pages worth of instructions the judge had just read to them. "We are concerned (the juror) cannot follow your honor's instructions," the foreperson said in a note to Judge Arun Subramanian just after 12:30pm. After the judge originally proposed asking the jury foreperson the nature of concerns about the fellow juror, defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo suggested caution and that it was better to say less than more. "We can always ratchet it up. We can't ratchet it down," Agnifilo said. Subramanian sent his response to the jury around 2pm, reminding the panel to deliberate and to follow his instructions on the law. The jury sent another note about three hours later asking for clarification on the part of the instructions addressing drug distribution - an allegation included in Combs' racketeering conspiracy charge. As deliberations were happening, Combs prayed with his family and friends in the courtroom. He stood facing his contingent in the audience and bowed his head with them. As they finished, they applauded, along with Combs. Combs also showed off two books he's reading: The Power of Positive Thinking, by Norman Vincent Peale and The Happiness Advantage, by Shawn Achor. As he sent the jury to deliberate, Subramanian told the five alternate jurors to remain on standby at home in case they're needed at a later point. Jurors were provided with a laptop loaded with all of the exhibits shown in court, including text messages, photographs and videos of the sexual encounters at the heart of the case. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking - relating to two of his ex-girlfriends - and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution for allegedly arranging to fly his girlfriends and sex workers across state lines. In closing arguments last week, federal prosecutors and Combs' defence team took their last shots at convincing jurors to convict or acquit the Grammy Award-winning founder of Bad Boy Records. "The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted," Assistant US Attorney Christy Slavik said. "He thought that his fame, wealth and power put him above the law." She said that he used his "close inner circle and a small army of personal staff, who made it their mission to meet the defendant's every desire, promote his power and protect his reputation at all costs". Defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo countered, "This isn't about crime. It's about money." He noted that one of Combs' accusers in the criminal case also sued him in civil court. "He is not a racketeer. He is not a conspirator to commit racketeering. He is none of these things. He is innocent. He sits there innocent. Return him to his family, who have been waiting for him," the lawyer told jurors.
