How Sean ‘Diddy' Combs dodged sex trafficking, racketeering charges after feds built ‘weak' case - that likely cost $15 million: experts
Jurors found Combs, 55, not guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering charges, while convicting him on lesser prostitution counts — ultimately making his closely watched case one of the most expensive prostitution trials in American history.
'Diddy likely spent eight figures or more than $10 million ($15 million AUD) on defense fees in this trial,' former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani said, adding that his 'top-tier' attorneys Mark Agnifilo and Brian Steel typically charge retainers of $1 million or more in cases like Diddy's.
'The irony of it all is that if Diddy wasn't so cheap and he had paid the additional $10 million to Cassie to settle her case before she filed her lawsuit, we probably wouldn't be here.'
The case was doomed from the start, according to veteran defense attorney David S. Seltzer, managing partner at Seltzer Mayberg, LLC.
'They tried to put a square peg in a round hole, using mobster-like charges, when all they had were glorified State Court charges,' he said, referring to the racketeering counts.
He said the feds proved that Combs abused women and enjoyed voyeuristic sex, but failed to prove that the mogul's sins and kinks were part of a Mafia-like criminal enterprise.
The mixed verdict is a blow to the powerful Southern District of New York – a formidable institution that earned the nickname the 'Sovereign District' because of its reputation for independence and success in winning complex convictions.
The storied US Attorney's office successfully prosecuted shaggy crypto fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried, gold bar bribe bearer former Sen. Robert Menendez and a host of New York mafia figures in the 1980s.
But SDNY recently saw its corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams collapse as President Trump's Department of Justice told prosecutors to dismiss charges – a request that prompted an exodus from the office.
Southern District prosecutors, then led by former US Attorney Damien Williams, pursued an ambitious Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act — or RICO — case against the Bad Boy Records mogul, alleging he used his business empire to conceal sordid crimes, including forcing his girlfriends into degrading, drug-fueled sex romps he dubbed 'freak-offs.'
The case's outcome hinged on whether prosecutors could prove Combs ran a criminal enterprise, said Rahmani, a defense attorney.
'Like I've said all along, this case will come down to racketeering,' Rahmani predicted ahead of the verdict.
'If the government doesn't get a RICO conviction, this will be a huge loss and the most expensive prostitution trial in American history.'
And it's a huge loss financially for taxpayers, as well.
'The federal investigation into Diddy involving countless raids, surveillance, and cooperation across agencies like Homeland Security and the FBI, likely resulted in taxpayers' seven- or eight-figure dollar bill, taking in staff wages, travel, legal fees, and administrative costs,' said New York trial attorney Nicole Brenecki.
'Despite this questionable investment, no guilty verdict has been secured raising serious concerns about prosecutorial discretion and the use of taxpayers' funds. This case simply appears to be a costly misfire. Potentially $10 million.'
During the sensational two-month trial, Combs' former girlfriends Cassie Ventura and a woman only identified as 'Jane' emotionally testified they were coerced into disturbing, baby oil-soaked 'freak-offs' with escorts.
The women's testimony was often harrowing, such as when Ventura – who was pregnant on the witness stand – alternately detailed Combs' abuse and the humiliating sex acts he desired she carry out for his sick pleasure.
'Jane' also recounted how Combs choked, kicked and punched her during an hours-long abusive at her Los Angeles home in 2024 — before forcing her into a 'freak-off' that same night.
But Brenecki said the evidence still indicated that Combs' ex-girlfriends appear to have 'willingly taken part in 'freak-offs.''
'Voluntary participation, no matter how controversial, doesn't equal organized crime,' Brenecki said.
The prosecution's case fell apart because it was 'built more on sensationalism than a solid legal basis,' Brenecki opined.
Originally published as How Sean 'Diddy' Combs dodged sex trafficking, racketeering charges after feds built 'weak' case - that likely cost $15 million: experts
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9 News
33 minutes ago
- 9 News
Long before his sex trafficking trial, 'Diddy' was embroiled in a different scandal
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here On the day Sean "Diddy" Combs was convicted on charges of transportation to engage in prostitution, Jason Swain's mind raced back more than three decades to the Manhattan gymnasium where his brother and eight other young people were crushed to death. He recalled being shown a Polaroid of his deceased 20-year-old brother Dirk – eyes open – that night in late December 1991 at the stairwell entrance to the City College of New York gymnasium. Thousands had gathered at the Harlem campus for an oversold charity basketball game organised by an up-and-coming music producer then known as Puff Daddy. Sean 'Diddy' Combs was convicted on charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) "My mother was there with some of the other mothers. They all were looking at Polaroid pictures of their dead kids," Swain told CNN in a recent interview. "And my dad was angry with the police because they wouldn't let us see Dirk. But, you know, it was a crime scene." In fact, no criminal charges were filed in connection with the tragedy, which stunned the city and generated national headlines. The victims ranged in age from 15 to 28, according to media reports. No criminal charges were filed in connection with the tragedy. (CNN) It was the first of several instances along the three-time Grammy winner's meteoric ascent that Combs' career kept prospering despite civil or criminal allegations, including his 2001 acquittal on four counts of gun possession and one count of bribery following a Manhattan nightclub shooting two years earlier. For years, the families of Dirk Swain and other victims sought civil damages in drawn-out wrongful death suits. Combs paid about US$750,000 ($1.1 million) of a total $5.8 million to settle claims by relatives of the victims in 1998, according to the New York State Attorney General's office, which represented City College, The New York Times reported. A state court judge had ruled Combs and the rap artist and copromoter of the event Dwight "Heavy D" Myers – who died in 2011 – bore 50 per cent of the culpability for the deaths and injuries, according to court documents. The balance of the blame fell on the college, according to the judge. Combs' attorney in the suits declined comment this week. Jason Swain and a survivor, Charrisse Miles, find little solace in Combs' conviction this week on two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. They said he has never accepted full responsibility for the deaths at City College. Instead, Combs faces a maximum sentence of 20 years – though he could serve less prison time. In this courtroom sketch, Sean "Diddy" Combs reacts after he was convicted of prostitution-related offenses but acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put him behind bars for life, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Manhattan federal court in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP) (AP) "I don't know how to express it any other way. I'm spiritual, like my mother, and for anything that was done wrong over the years, he's gonna get his," said Swain, a filmmaker. "I believe in karma." CNN reached out to members of Combs' current legal team for comment on this story. A media representative for Combs referred CNN to their client's 1998 statement to the media. When Combs testified as a witness in one of the lawsuits related to the deadly stampede, he spoke to reporters outside the courtroom. "City College is something I deal with every day of my life," Combs was quoted as saying by The New York Times. "But the things that I deal with can in no way measure up to the pain that the families deal with. I just pray for the families and pray for the children who lost their lives every day." On Wednesday, after an eight-week trial, Combs sat with his hands clasped in his lap when the verdict was read. When the not guilty verdict was announced on the racketeering conspiracy charge, he put his head in his hand. Then he did a subtle fist pump when he was declared not guilty on the sex trafficking counts. Later, Combs dropped to his knees at his chair and bowed his head as if praying. When he stood up, he faced members of his family and supporters in the gallery and started a round of applause. They responded with applause and cheers as Combs' attorneys exchanged hugs. Prosecutors had accused Combs of leading a criminal enterprise made up of some of his closest employees, alleging they used threats, violence, forced labour, bribery and other crimes to force ex-girlfriends Casandra "Cassie" Ventura and "Jane," who testified under a pseudonym, to engage in drug-fuelled sex acts called "Freak Offs" or "hotel nights" with male escorts. Prosecutors had accused Combs of leading a criminal enterprise. (Elizabeth Williams/AP) Combs pleaded not guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation for prostitution. His lawyers argued the sex acts were consensual and merely preferences, while trying to undermine the hip-hop mogul's accusers by contending they were trying to gain a monetary benefit from Combs. Combs was denied bail on Wednesday. The date of his sentencing has not been firmly set. There will be a hearing on Tuesday to address the scheduling of Combs' sentencing. In the end, legal experts said the prosecution may have overcharged Combs. Jurors never heard any direct testimony from many of the people who prosecutors claimed participated in the alleged enterprise . After the judge left the bench on Wednesday, Combs told family members: "We're going to make it through this." "I'll see you when I get out," he added before blowing kisses to family and friends in the courtroom. Charrisse Miles, who was 21 when she survived the deadly 1991 stampede in Harlem, said she followed coverage of Combs' latest trial for a couple of days and then couldn't "stomach" any more. "When you think about the City College incident, that was traumatizing for a lot of us back then. But when we think about the people he's traumatized since then, it's astronomical," Miles, 54, an IT project manager who now lives in Georgia, told CNN, referring to Combs. The nightmarish moments she endured more than three decades ago are still vivid: A mob of pushing, shoving young people; the faces of victims trapped in a small stairwell, screaming, passing out and being crushed. People were falling; others running. It was her first time out alone for an event like the "1st Annual Heavy D & Puff Daddy Celebrity Charity Basketball Game." Miles recalled "feeling a little grown up". The night featured some of the biggest names in music: Boyz II Men, Run DMC, Big Daddy Kane and Jodeci. It was billed as an AIDS education benefit after basketball legend Magic Johnson had recently revealed he was HIV-positive. Sean 'Diddy' Combs posing with a Grammy award. (Nine) Miles recalled standing in the crowded gym as speakers blared music and celebrities ran plays up and down the court. "I probably was (in the gym) not even 10 minutes before the stampede actually started," she told CNN . "I was in the crowd when the first victim was raised above us and carried out." She remembered a roar as the crowd stampeded through the doors. She said she saw Combs and some associates running past her and "never looking back". "I know it was so many years ago but it was one of those incidences where you kind of don't forget," Miles said. "He just kind of ran past, like, 'We have to get out of here.'" Miles said Combs – who she believes was sufficiently well-known and respected by young people even at the time – could have used his celebrity status to try to calm the crowd and "brought a sense of peace". "I feel like from City College up until today, if this was a person of remorse, we should have seen it by now," she said. "I just feel like he's trying to get to a position where he can continue." She referred to his behavior after the recent trial verdict, the subtle fist pump and the applause and cheers in the courtroom. "I'm not a psychologist or a psychiatrist but it just screams narcissistic behaviour," Miles said. "He seems to be saying, 'I'm OK. I'm good. I'll be free again.' There's nothing about, 'I'll do better,' or the victims or the harm he's brought to people. It just appears to be all about him." A 1992 report requested by former New York City Mayor David Dinkins cited a failure of responsibility of all the parties involved in the event in the 1991 tragedy. It singled out Combs for leaving the event planning in the hands of inexperienced associates and accused him of misleading attendees about the charitable nature of the game. The gym's capacity was 2730 – but accounts of the number of people who sought to gain admission were between 3000 and 4000, the report said. The review of the events that day, the report said, "leads to the inescapable conclusion that almost all of the individuals involved in the event demonstrated a lack of responsibility." In his ruling in one of the lawsuits, Court of Claims Judge Louis Benza cited the testimony of a veteran New York City police officer who said the doors to the gym were blocked by a table. The officer said when he pushed aside the table that was blocking the door and fell "through the door, into the gym," he saw "Combs standing there with two women, and all three had money in their hands". Benza wrote the officer's description of events "places a strain on the credibility of Combs' testimony that he was caught up in the melee and attempted to help the people who were trapped in the stairwell." "It does not take an Einstein to know that young people attending a rap concert camouflaged as a 'celebrity basketball game,' who have paid as much as $20 a ticket, would not be very happy and easy to control if they were unable to gain admission to the event because it was oversold," the judge wrote. "By closing the only open door giving access to the gym, Combs' forces, who were fully aware of the crowd uncontrollably pouring down the stairwell, created something akin to a 'dike,' forcing the people together like 'sardines' squashing out life's breath from young bodies," Benza added. The cause of death for each victim was "asphyxia due to compression of the chest," the city's chief medical examiner said, according to the report commissioned by the former mayor. "No broken bones were found in any of the deceased". Jason Swain said even after nearly 34 years, he has never stopped thinking or talking about the tragedy at City College and the nine people who lost their lives. He'll never forget his older brother Dirk, lying on the gym floor with a sheet draped over his body. The ticket to the game was in his pocket. "Dirk wanted to be an architect. And that was based off, as funny as it may sound, 'The Brady Bunch,' the father of 'The Brady Bunch,'" he recalled. "Dirk was a graffiti artist … Dirk, with my dad, as a kid, used to trace the comics in the newspaper. And he became an artist." Dirk was a junior at Hampton University near Virginia Beach when he died. Swain said Dirk had been shot in Virginia three months before the City College event and survived his head injuries. "His first day out was at City College, at this event. So we got him back, and then he died. So I lost my mind. I only had one sibling and he was super, like a father to me." On his Grammy award-winning "No Way Out" album nearly six years after the stampede, Combs briefly mentioned the City College victims in a song titled Pain . "To the City College deceased, may you rest in peace To the families, I never meant to cause no pain I know the truth, but if you want, then I shoulder the blame." But Swain and Miles said Combs has always evaded responsibility for the deaths. "The way I look at it, the victims were tucked under a rug and left voiceless," Swain said. "No one talked about them." World crime USA entertainment CONTACT US Property News: The suburbs where workers on $300,000 can't afford a house.
ABC News
4 hours ago
- ABC News
Cassie has emerged as a powerful figure after mixed verdict in Sean 'Diddy' Combs case
Warning: This story contains details of graphic sexual acts and domestic violence. Casandra "Cassie" Ventura was a picture of "poise" and "grace" as she entered the courtroom to give evidence against her ex-boyfriend of more than a decade, and her former boss music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs. If you need help immediately call emergency services on triple-0 Known professionally as Cassie, she's emerged as a powerful figure after bravely telling her story in a New York courtroom, winning the admiration of many globally. Cassie's ordeal with Combs resulted in her losing friends, as her former best friend testified during the trial. She long ago lost her innocence. Cassie's career trajectory was stunted. But one thing she has refused to shed is her dignity. Combs has been found not guilty on one count of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking. He has been found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. While some advocacy groups say the mixed verdict is a backwards step for victims, a legal expert says the sentence, which will be handed down in October, is a much better indication of whether justice has been served. Brian Buckmire is a practicing attorney, ABC America legal contributor, and the host of Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy, a popular and captivating podcast which gives listeners a backstage pass to the rise and fall of Combs. As someone who practices in the same courtroom where Combs was tried — the Southern District of New York — Mr Buckmire had unique access to the courtroom and was right there throughout the trial. He was almost in awe of Cassie as she walked into the courtroom. "When Cassie testifies, I'm in the courtroom, she's walking centimetres away from me as she walks towards the witness stand," Mr Buckmire told ABC News. Cassie, 38, gave birth to her third child roughly two weeks after taking the witness stand, testifying for a period of four days. She has two other children with her husband, fitness entrepreneur and actor Alex Fine — Frankie, born December 6, 2019, and Sunny, born March 22, 2021. Mr Buckmire said Cassie delivered her testimony in a soft tone. "At times she broke down when there was difficult testimony that she was talking about," Mr Buckmire said. "And even when she was cross-examined by Teny Geragos, she still maintained that kind of small and quiet way she responded." He says her testimony drew you in. "I don't know if it was the nature of the testimony that she was giving, the fact that she was pregnant, [or] how she testified," Mr Buckmire said. Cassie was born in Connecticut in August 1986 to her mother Regina who has West Indian, Mexican, and African American ancestry and her father Rodrick who is Filipino. In June 2021, Cassie celebrated Father's Day by posting a tribute to her parents on Instagram. "You (and Mom) have been my greatest support system and THE most real and true example of unconditional love," she wrote. Cassie first met Combs in 2005 when she was 19 years old, and Combs was in his 30s. She already had a hit on her hands with the song Me & U, which was getting radio airplay and was being heard in clubs after she'd built a following in the early days of social media. This is the song that drew Combs to Cassie. Combs signed Cassie to a 10-album deal with his record company Bad Boy, and her and Combs would later develop a romantic relationship. Cassie only released one of those albums, the self-titled Cassie, which was released in August 2006 and debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 charts. Her career never really took off beyond that. Cassie's appearances on 106 & Park, a TV show which was a cultural touchstone in the United States on BET (Black Entertainment Television), and on MTV's Total Request Live were widely panned by critics and fans, with Cassie stating in her 2023 civil lawsuit against Combs that she suffered from significant performance anxiety. We now know what was going on behind the scenes with Cassie testifying that she engaged in "freak-offs" — drug-fuelled orgies with male escorts — while Combs watched, masturbated, and filmed, even directing the encounters. As Cassie tells it, this left little time to focus on her music. "The question [that] I think will always remain is: was Cassie not as talented as we believe?" Mr Buckmire said. "Was she a studio artist rather than a performance artist? "Or was it the brutality and the abuse and the Sean Combs of it all that knocked out that talent? "Because from what we saw in this trial, she went through a lot, and I don't know how you go through that and still be successful at your craft." In November 2023, Cassie filed a civil lawsuit alleging a violent and abusive relationship in which Combs would savagely beat her leaving bruises. She also alleged that she was forced into sex trafficking, for which Combs has been acquitted in the federal case. The civil lawsuit was settled within a day for $US20 million ($30.5 million). Combs denied all allegations. When CNN broadcast hotel security footage in which Combs is seen assaulting Cassie, it seemed to corroborate Cassie's account of those particular events. Combs took to social media to apologise for what was on the video. He was later arrested after Homeland Security raids on his homes and has been in jail ever since. In May 2024, after the footage of her being violently assaulted made its way around the world, Cassie posted to Instagram, asking that people believe victims the first time they speak out. Full statement from Cassie, May 23, 2024: Thank you for all of the love and support from my family, friends, strangers and those I have yet to meet. The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now, but this is only the beginning. Domestic Violence is THE issue. It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become. With a lot of hard work, I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past. Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to take this matter seriously. My only ask is that EVERYONE open your heart to believing victims the first time. It takes a lot of heart to tell the truth out of a situation that you were powerless in. I offer my hand to those that are still living in fear. Reach out to your people, don't cut them off. No one should carry this weight alone. This healing journey is never ending, but this support means everything to me. Thank you. Love Always, Cassie Mr Buckmire says there's no doubt that Combs won the federal case. "I don't think there's any interpretation where you say the defence did not win," Mr Buckmire said. "They avoided a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison with both [of] the sex trafficking charges being dismissed. "They avoided life in prison, which would be the maximum for both the RICO as well as the sex trafficking. "They avoided automatic forfeiture of Sean Combs's assets that would have been tied directly or indirectly to the racketeering conspiracy if he was found guilty of that charge. "And he was only found guilty on the two counts that … have no mandatory minimum and have the lowest top end of prison time being a max of 10 years each. "If Sean Combs walks out of this doing five years of prison … because you were facing life in prison? That is a win." Mr Buckmire says while some people have interpreted the verdict to mean the jury didn't believe Cassie, he does not believe this to be the case. "I could say, at least from my reaction to hearing her testify, my observation of the jurors when she testified, and even to the arguments, she was believed," Mr Buckmire said. "I don't think anyone walked out of that courtroom thinking that Cassie was not a victim. He says the defence openly admitted that Cassie was a victim of domestic violence at the hands of Combs, but not sex trafficking. "Cassie displayed that she was brutally abused by Sean Combs, that he is a short-tempered abusive man towards Cassie and many other women that he was involved with. "But I think the defence was smart to say: 'What are we here for and what is he guilty of are two different things.' "And I think they gave themselves the credibility of saying, and Teny Geragos said this in opening statements, 'in some regard, he's indefensible … especially for what he did to Cassie.' "But I think that they were successful in arguing that Sean Combs is abusive for abuse sake, not for the purposes of transporting Cassie for the purposes of commercial sex through force, fraud, coercion, or the threat of force. "And that's what sex trafficking is." Cassie's lawyers contacted ABC News after the verdict, telling us the entire criminal process started due to the courage Cassie showed in filing her civil complaint in November 2023. Her lawyer, Douglas H Wigdor, says Cassie has left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry and the fight for justice for survivors. Full statement from Douglas H Wigdor (Wigdor LLP): "This entire criminal process started when our client Cassie Ventura had the courage to file her civil complaint in November 2023. Although the jury did not find Combs guilty of sex trafficking Cassie beyond a reasonable doubt, she paved the way for a jury to find him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution. By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice. We must repeat — with no reservation — that we believe and support our client who showed exemplary courage throughout this trial. She displayed unquestionable strength and brought attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit and the misconduct that has persisted for decades without repercussion. This case proved that change is long overdue, and we will continue to fight on behalf of survivors." Mr Buckmire says it's possible to pluck a victory from the clutches of defeat, and he believes that's what Cassie's lawyers are doing. "But I think there is a catharsis," Mr Buckmire says. "I think there is a positive aspect to going into court, facing the person that you're accusing of sexual crimes and testifying in the way that Cassie did and no matter what the result, I think there's a victory in that for her. "Whether it be for her own catharsis, her own growth, her own feelings, whatever that may be. "I think 100 per cent right, her attorney is correct in this, that her lawsuit started this all. "Without her lawsuit, these allegations would be swept under the rug, never to see the light of day and I think if it doesn't amount to a long-term incarceration, at the very least, we're all aware of the man that Sean Combs is. "And I think that Cassie's testimony at the very least protected maybe the next woman who would have been the next Cassie. "And so, I think there's a lot of things that she can walk out of this trial for and say that she was successful, she's powerful, and that she's done a lot in terms of attaining justice in one way, shape or form." During the trial Mr Wigdor read a statement to reporters outside court from Cassie's husband, who said the world is a safer place due to his wife's testimony. Full statement from Cassie's husband, Alex Fine: "Over the past five days, the world has gotten to witness the strength and bravery of my wife, freeing herself of her past. There has been speculation online surrounding how it must feel for me to sit there and listen to my wife's testimony. I have felt so many things sitting there. I have felt tremendous pride and overwhelming love for Cass. I have felt profound anger that she has been subjected to sitting in front of a person who tried to break her. So, to him and all of those who helped him along the way, please know this: You did not. You did not break her spirit nor her smile that lights up every room. You did not break the souls of a mother who gives the best hugs and plays the silliest games with our little girls. You did not break the woman who has made me a better man. I did not save Cassie, as some have said. To say that is an insult to the years of painful work my wife has done to save herself. Cassie saved Cassie. She alone broke free from abuse, coercion, violence and threats. She did the work of fighting the demons that only a demon himself could have done to her. All I have done is love her as she has loved me. Her life is now surrounded by love, laughter and our family. This horrific chapter is forever put behind us, and we will not be making additional statements. We appreciate all of the love and support we have received, and we ask that you respect our privacy as we welcome our son into a world that is now safer because of his mom." Mr Buckmire says the next step is finding out how much prison time Combs will face. "I think the sentence is going to have a lot to say about this case and what the judge perceives about this case. "If Sean Combs walks out of that courtroom with only serving one or two years, I think that's going to be a strong indication as to whether or not people think that justice was found in this case. "If Sean Combs walks out of the building and he's sentenced to five to six years years, if he's sentenced to 10-15 years, the judge is [saying] 'I'm throwing the book at you', I think that's going to have another opinion as to whether or not this is justice.
Sydney Morning Herald
12 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Billionaire's wedding a marriage of exhibitionism and excess
I would go further than Jacqueline Maley (' The Bezos-Sanchez wedding party proves we live in an age of vulgarity ', June 29). The Bezos-Sanchez wedding surpassed vulgarity. It was an obscenity. If there were ever an argument against a wealth tax on billionaires, it was dispelled by that single event. Tony Judge, Woolgoolga Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say. You look at the positives and negatives of Bezos' nuptials. Jeff Bezos apparently pays a 1.1 per cent tax currently, substantially lower than the average American pays, which is likely to decrease further once the Trump bill passes through the US Congress and Senate. Having said that, Bezos has contributed to the Venice economy in the past few days in a way they could only dream of. But he can't beat Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani's son's wedding last year - apparently Ambani spent over $US$1.1 billion, which supported the local economy in India, and he also invited the world's who's who, including Tony Blair and many other influencers. In both cases, it's their own wealth they are spending or showing off, though it might look vulgar and obscene to an average punter in the street. That's life, as Derryn Hinch used to say. Mukul Desai, Hunters Hill Jacqueline Maley sums up glaring divide between the so-called rich, famous and powerful and a society desperately struggling to survive. The excess and blatant display of wealth and self-importance is all about those who telegraph to the world that despite global uncertainty, exhibitionism is of greater importance. For those of us whose love brought them to a wedding ceremony in a time and place very different to that of today, the simplicity of the occasion is something to be cherished. While we wish the newlywed couple well for their future happiness, our hope is that they retain an everlasting love that transcends the extravagance. Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook According to the long-held view 'the more expensive the wedding, the quicker the divorce', this marriage will be very short indeed. Heather Johnson, West Pennant Hills Creepy AI friends It is concerning that many young children and teenagers (or adults, for that matter) have no human confidant and must rely on an AI chatbot for interaction (' Her best friend wasn't real, but they still spoke every day ', June 29). 'Invisible friends' and diaries have always provided a safe haven for thoughts and creative play, but AI bots deliver a menacing undertow where control is limited and information flow is indeterminate. Many of our children and the vulnerable are at risk, and safeguards need to be calculated to allow safe interaction both in the 'now' and the future use of personal and confidential information. Janice Creenaune, Austinmer Shut up and shop I sympathise with Thomas Mitchell's aversion to insincere retail bonhomie (' Does the customer want to chat? Since you asked, no ', June 29). But far worse than shop assistants who chattily probe the details of one's social calendar is the irritation of having a fellow shopper insist on amiably blathering on to said assistant, with both of them oblivious to the growing queue. Maybe the 'dreaded manager' lurking somewhere offstage could 'offer feedback' to the assistant that those of us who just want to get in and get out as quickly and efficiently as possible would appreciate a timely acknowledgement of our existence as a polite nudge to the bottlenecker to keep it moving. Adrian Connelly, Springwood Degrees of toxicity
