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Hindustan Times
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Sean 'Diddy' Combs found guilty of engaging in prostitution, cleared of sex trafficking and other serious charges
Sean "Diddy" Combs was found guilty on Wednesday of prostitution-related offenses, but cleared of more serious charges after a criminal trial in which two of the music mogul's former girlfriends testified that he physically and sexually abused them. FILE PHOTO: 2018 Vanity Fair Oscar Party - Arrivals - Beverly Hills, California, U.S., 04/03/2018 - Rapper P. Diddy. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok/File Photo REFILE - CORRECTING FROM "RAPER" TO RAPPER".(REUTERS) Combs was convicted of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking, a partial win for the former billionaire known for elevating hip-hop in American culture. Prosecutors say Combs for two decades used his business empire to force two of his romantic partners to take part in drug-fueled, days-long sexual performances sometimes known as "Freak Offs" with male sex workers in hotel rooms while Combs watched, masturbated and occasionally filmed. During raids of Combs' homes, authorities found drugs and 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant that he would use in the performances, prosecutors said. Combs, 55, had pleaded not guilty to all five counts. His lawyers acknowledged that the Bad Boy Records founder, once famed for hosting lavish parties for the cultural elite in luxurious locales like the Hamptons and Saint-Tropez, was at times violent in his domestic relationships. But they said the sexual activity described by prosecutors was consensual. The seven-week trial in Manhattan federal court exposed the inner workings of Combs' business empire and gave the 12-member jury an intimate look into his volatile romantic relationships with the rhythm and blues singer Casandra "Cassie" Ventura and a woman known in court by the pseudonym Jane. Ventura sued Combs in November 2023 for sex trafficking, the first of dozens of civil lawsuits accusing him of abuse. Combs, also known throughout his career as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy and once feted for turning artists like Notorious B.I.G. and Usher into stars, settled with Ventura for $20 million. He has denied all wrongdoing. At the trial, jurors saw surveillance footage from 2016 showing Combs kicking and dragging Ventura in the hallway of an InterContinental hotel in Los Angeles, where she said she was trying to leave a "Freak Off." Jane later testified that Combs in June 2024 attacked her and directed her to perform oral sex on a male entertainer, even though she told him she did not want to. That alleged attack took place a month after Combs apologized on social media for his 2016 attack of Ventura, footage of which had been broadcast on CNN. According to prosecutors, physical violence was just one way Combs compelled Ventura and Jane to take part in the performances - an act of coercion they say amounts to sex trafficking because the male escorts were paid. Both women testified that he threatened to withhold financial support and to leak sexually explicit images of them if they refused to comply. "The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted," prosecutor Christy Slavik said in her closing argument on June 26. "He doesn't take no for an answer." Combs' defense lawyers argued that while Combs may have committed domestic violence in the context of volatile romantic partnerships, his conduct did not amount to sex trafficking. They argued that Ventura and Jane were strong, independent women who voluntarily took part in the sexual performances because they wanted to please Combs. Both women testified they spent time with Combs and took part in sexual performances after he beat them. Defense lawyers argued that Ventura and Jane were retrospectively accusing Combs of forcing their participation in the performances because they were jealous he was seeing other women. "If he was charged with domestic violence, we wouldn't all be here," Combs' defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo said in his closing argument on June 27. "He did not do the things he's charged with." RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY Besides Ventura and Jane, jurors also heard testimony from Combs' former personal assistants who said their jobs included setting up hotel rooms for "Freak Offs" and buying their boss drugs. An InterContinental security guard testified that Combs, in the presence of his chief of staff, paid him $100,000 to hand over what he thought was the only copy of the surveillance tape of his attack on Ventura. And Scott Mescudi, the rapper known as Kid Cudi, told jurors Combs was likely involved in an arson on his car after Combs found out he was romantically involved with Ventura. According to prosecutors, those were all acts Combs and his associates undertook in furtherance of a racketeering conspiracy whose aim was, in part, to facilitate his abuse and keep evidence of his wrongdoing under wraps. The defense argued Combs was a successful entrepreneur who used drugs recreationally, but kept his professional and personal lives separate. Combs has been held in federal lockup in Brooklyn since his September 2024 arrest.
The Star
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyers seek impartial jurors amid intense media coverage
FILE PHOTO: 2018 Vanity Fair Oscar Party ? Arrivals ? Beverly Hills, California, U.S., 04/03/2018 ? Rapper P. Diddy. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok/File Photo NEW YORK (Reuters) -For the past year-and-a-half, allegations of sexual misconduct against rapper Sean "Diddy" Combshave attracted widespread media attention, including several documentaries and podcasts, sullying the reputation of the mogul once known for his rags-to-riches life story and for elevating hip-hop in American culture. On Monday, with his criminal trial on sex trafficking charges just weeks away, Combs' lawyers will start their search for jurors who have not yet made up their minds about the artist and entrepreneur once known as "Puff Daddy." Hundreds of New York residents who have been summoned for jury duty will arrive at the federal courthouse in Lower Manhattan this week to fill out questionnaires asking them what they already know about the case. It is the first step toward seating a panel of 12 jurors and six alternates that will determine Combs' fate after a trial expected to last eight to 10 weeks. While the judge and lawyers for both sides will know the jurors' names, their identities will not be disclosed to the public. Anonymous juries are not the default in the U.S. criminal justice system, but they are frequently used in high-profile trials to protect jurors from potential harassment or threats. Combs is accused of forcing women to take part in elaborate sex performances with male sex workers called "freak-offs" over two decades. He has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers have argued that the sex acts prosecutors described were consensual. Combs has been in the public eye for decades and is known for founding Bad Boy Records, turning musical artists such as Notorious B.I.G. and Usher into stars, and living a lavish lifestyle befitting a celebrity whose net worth Forbes estimated at more than $1 billion in 2022. His downfall since he was indicted last September has been widely documented, including in several documentaries and podcasts such as the Max miniseries "The Fall of Diddy" and the Daily Mail's podcast "The Trial of Diddy." The media saturation could leave many prospective jurors with the impression that he is likely guilty, said Christina Marinakis, a jury consultant. "As a defense side, you're really wanting to get jurors that have not heard anything about this case or know very, very little about it, so they come in with a truly blank slate," said Marinakis, the CEO of Immersion Legal Jury. VOIR DIRE After prospective jurors fill out questionnaires, defense lawyers and prosecutors will submit a list to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian of those the two sides agree should move forward in the selection process, as well as who should be excused and those about whom they cannot agree. The judge may hold a hearing to resolve any disputes. Starting May 5, Subramanian will question the remaining prospective jurors in person, a process known as voir dire designed to elicit signs of potential bias. Subramanian will dismiss those he finds would not be able to be fair and impartial. The prosecution and the defense will then be able to dismiss a limited number of jurors without articulating a reason, known as peremptory strikes. The process is not foolproof. British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell unsuccessfully sought to have her sex trafficking conviction overturned after a juror who had checked "no" when asked in a pretrial questionnaire whether he had been a victim of sexual abuse, said in media interviews after the trial that he had been sexually abused as a child. Both the defense lawyers and the prosecutors are likely to review prospective jurors' social media accounts to see if they have expressed opinions about the case or on other matters that could indicate bias, Marinakis said. Zachary Margulis-Ohnuma, a New York-based defense lawyer, said Combs' panel would likely consist ultimately of people without firm convictions about issues of consent and sexual abuse. "One side or theother will figure out a way to get rid of the ones who do have strong opinions," Margulis-Ohnuma said. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York;Editing by Noeleen Walder and Rod Nickel)
Forbes
26-03-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Philanthropists Like MacKenzie Scott Could Help Nonprofits Survive A Funding Freeze
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - MARCH 04: MacKenzie Scott attends the 2018 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by ... More Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 4, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by) MacKenzie Scott is showing the world how philanthropy is done. The Center of Philanthropy's (CEP's) three year study 'Breaking the Mold: The Transformative Effect of MacKenzie Scott's Big Gifts' found that Scott's gifts have been instrumental in uplifting nonprofit organizations. Scott's $19 billion in donations has benefited over 2,000 nonprofits, and according to CEP's findings, 86% of nonprofit leaders reported that Scott's gift will strengthen or has strengthened the communities their organization seeks to impact. Nonprofit organizations play a major role in community empowerment and development, and many nonprofits in the U.S. rely on private funding like Scott's to survive. These organizations also rely heavily on government grants. According to nonprofit data provider Candid, in the U.S., 100,000 nonprofits receive a total of $303 billion from government grants and $107 billion from private foundations annually. Yet, with a U.S. federal grant freeze looming, many nonprofit organizations remain uncertain whether they'll continue to receive government funding. In January, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a memo that was issued, rescinded, and later revised. In the revised memo, the OMB demands that federal agencies 'temporarily pause, to the extent permitted by law, grant, loan or federal financial assistance programs that are implicated by the President's Executive Orders.' This would effectively freeze government funds for DEI, LGBTQ+, women's rights and green energy programs that President Trump's executive orders target. The Trump Administration's efforts to withhold federal funding have since been put in limbo after two federal judges blocked the freeze. However, if the freeze were to move forward, it could negatively affect a large swath of U.S. nonprofits. According to Candid's research, private foundations would have to increase donations by 282% to make up for the loss of government grants. This isn't to say that philanthropic efforts aren't doing enough to fund nonprofit organizations, but philanthropy and impactful investing are becoming more important now than ever before. If the government funding freeze moves forward, gifts such as Scott's could become the only way for many nonprofits to survive. Moreover, it'll also be critical that major players in the nonprofit sphere continue their support of DEI, LGBTQ+, women's rights and green energy initiatives. After all, these programs would be most vulnerable if a funding freeze took effect, and unfortunately, larger foundations have already begun eliminating such programs. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), the charity organization founded by Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, announced in a company email that it would end its internal and external DEI efforts. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 26: Melinda French Gates attends the Clooney Foundation for Justice's ... More The Albies at New York Public Library on September 26, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by) Thankfully, not all larger nonprofits or foundations are following Zuckerberg and Chan's lead. Melinda French Gate's nonprofit, Pivotal Ventures, has doubled down on its support for businesses that promote DEI, social equity and abortion rights. As previously reported, Pivotal Ventures is committed to advancing women's rights through advocacy work for female founders, abortion rights and paid family leave, and the nonprofit is sticking to its values. In an interview, Pivotal Ventures' senior director of investment Erin Harkless Moore told CNBC, 'We're open for business. We have capital to deploy' specifically for companies that are focused on supporting women and diversity initiatives. Based on the OMB's revised memo, around 1,480 or more of the over 2,000 organizations that receive Scott's gifts could be impacted by a funding freeze in the U.S. It's very possible that funding from Scott will be what keeps these organizations' doors open. And while investments like Scott's and French Gate's could make a huge difference, they can't be the only ones that do. Without philanthropic efforts and impact investing, many nonprofits and programs focused on women, diversity and the environment could fall by the wayside. What CEP's research makes clear is that philanthropy, when strategic and targeted, can make a transformative impact. And with government funding for these causes under threat, impact investing becomes even more vital, with the potential to not only make or break these organizations, but the lives of the people they serve and the realization of a more equitable future as well.
