Latest news with #Jaws
The Journal
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Journal
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs' lawyer mocks sex trafficking case in closing arguments
SEAN 'DIDDY' COMBS was portrayed in his lawyer's closing argument today as the victim of an overzealous prosecution, which tried to turn the recreational use of drugs and a swinger lifestyle into a racketeering conspiracy that could put the music mogul behind bars for life. Marc Agnifilo mocked the government's case against Combs and belittled the agents who seized hundreds of bottles of Astroglide lubricant and baby oil at his properties, as he began a presentation expected to last several hours. 'Way to go, fellas,' he said of the agents. He said prosecutors had 'badly exaggerated' evidence of the swinger lifestyle and threesomes, to combine it with recreational drug use and call it a racketeering conspiracy. 'He did not do the things he's charged with. He didn't do racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking,' the lawyer said. Agnifilo also called Combs' prosecution a 'fake trial' and ridiculed the notion that he engaged in racketeering. 'Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?' Agnifilo asked. 'Did any witness get on that witness stand and say yes, I was part of a racketeering enterprise, I engaged in racketeering?' No, Agnifilo argued, telling jurors that those accusations were a figment of the prosecution's imagination. Combs' family, including six of his children and his mother, were in the public gallery in the New York court for the closing arguments. All his life Combs has taken care of people, Agnifilo said, including the ex-girlfriend who gave evidence under the pseudonym Jane, whose rent he is paying. 'I don't know what Jane is doing today,' Agnifilo said. 'But she's doing it in a house he's paying for.' Advertisement Referring to lawsuits filed by Combs' accusers, he said: 'This isn't about crime. It's about money. This is about money.' He noted that Combs' girlfriend of nearly 11 years, Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, sued him in a lawsuit that was settled for 20 million dollars in a day in November 2023, triggering a federal probe the following day. 'If you had to pick a winner in this whole thing, it's hard not to pick Cassie,' Agnifilo said. Cassie and Jane both gave evidence during the trial that they were coerced repeatedly by Combs to perform in drug-fuelled days-long sex marathons with male sex workers, while Combs watched, directed, masturbated and sometimes filmed the encounters. Prosecutors, he argued, have invaded Combs' bedroom and his most intimate personal affairs. 'Where's the crime scene? It's your sex life,' Mr Agnifilo said. He also mocked the prosecution's assertion that Combs and his underlings had engaged in hundreds of racketeering acts and their suggestion that many of his so-called freak-offs and 'hotel nights' were crimes. If that is so, he said, 'we need a bigger roll of crime scene tape', a reference to a line from the movie Jaws. Mr Agnifilo reiterated that the defence 'owns' the fact that Combs was violent, but he argued that behaviour does not justify the grave charges he faces. He said Combs and Cassie had a 'loving, beautiful relationship', albeit a 'complicated' one. 'If racketeering conspiracy had an opposite, it would be their relationship, they were deeply in love with each other,' Mr Agnifilo said. If convicted, Combs could face a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life. He did not give evidence during the trial, which is in its seventh week. After Mr Agnifilo completes his closing, assistant US attorney Maurene Comey was expected to deliver a rebuttal summation before the judge reads the law to the jury, which is not expected to begin deliberations until Monday.
Rhyl Journal
12 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs' lawyer mocks sex trafficking case in closing arguments
Marc Agnifilo mocked the government's case against Combs and belittled the agents who seized hundreds of bottles of Astroglide lubricant and baby oil at his properties, as he began a presentation expected to last several hours. 'Way to go, fellas,' he said of the agents. He said prosecutors had 'badly exaggerated' evidence of the swinger lifestyle and threesomes, to combine it with recreational drug use and call it a racketeering conspiracy. 'He did not do the things he's charged with. He didn't do racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking,' the lawyer said. Mr Agnifilo also called Combs' prosecution a 'fake trial' and ridiculed the notion that he engaged in racketeering. 'Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?' Mr Agnifilo asked. 'Did any witness get on that witness stand and say yes, I was part of a racketeering enterprise, I engaged in racketeering?' No, Mr Agnifilo argued, telling jurors that those accusations were a figment of the prosecution's imagination. Combs' family, including six of his children and his mother, were in the public gallery in the New York court for the closing arguments. All his life Combs has taken care of people, Mr Agnifilo said, including the ex-girlfriend who gave evidence under the pseudonym Jane, whose rent he is paying. 'I don't know what Jane is doing today,' Mr Agnifilo said. 'But she's doing it in a house he's paying for.' Referring to lawsuits filed by Combs' accusers, he said: 'This isn't about crime. It's about money. This is about money.' He noted that Combs' girlfriend of nearly 11 years, Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, sued him in a lawsuit that was settled for 20 million dollars (£14.5 million) in a day in November 2023, triggering a federal probe the following day. 'If you had to pick a winner in this whole thing, it's hard not to pick Cassie,' Mr Agnifilo said. Cassie and Jane both gave evidence during the trial that they were coerced repeatedly by Combs to perform in drug-fuelled days-long sex marathons with male sex workers, while Combs watched, directed, masturbated and sometimes filmed the encounters. Prosecutors, he argued, have invaded Combs' bedroom and his most intimate personal affairs. 'Where's the crime scene? It's your sex life,' Mr Agnifilo said. He also mocked the prosecution's assertion that Combs and his underlings had engaged in hundreds of racketeering acts and their suggestion that many of his so-called freak-offs and 'hotel nights' were crimes. If that is so, he said, 'we need a bigger roll of crime scene tape', a reference to a line from the movie Jaws. Mr Agnifilo reiterated that the defence 'owns' the fact that Combs was violent, but he argued that behaviour does not justify the grave charges he faces. He said Combs and Cassie had a 'loving, beautiful relationship', albeit a 'complicated' one. 'If racketeering conspiracy had an opposite, it would be their relationship, they were deeply in love with each other,' Mr Agnifilo said. If convicted, Combs could face a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life. He did not give evidence during the trial, which is in its seventh week. After Mr Agnifilo completes his closing, assistant US attorney Maurene Comey was expected to deliver a rebuttal summation before the judge reads the law to the jury, which is not expected to begin deliberations until Monday.
Chicago Tribune
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs' lawyer mocks sex trafficking case in closing, says charges ‘badly exaggerated'
NEW YORK — Sean 'Diddy' Combs was portrayed in his lawyer's closing argument on Friday as the victim of an overzealous prosecution that tried to turn the recreational use of drugs and a swinger lifestyle into a racketeering conspiracy that could put the music mogul behind bars for life. Attorney Marc Agnifilo mocked the government's case against Combs and belittled the agents who seized hundreds of bottles of Astroglide lubricant and baby oil at his properties as he began a presentation expected to last several hours. 'Way to go, fellas,' Agnifilo said of the agents. He said prosecutors had 'badly exaggerated' evidence of the swinger lifestyle and threesomes to combine it with recreational drug use and call it a racketeering conspiracy. 'He did not do the things he's charged with. He didn't do racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking,' the lawyer said. Agnifilo also called Combs' prosecution a 'fake trial' and ridiculed the notion that he engaged in racketeering. 'Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?' Agnifilo asked. 'Did any witness get on that witness stand and say yes, I was part of a racketeering enterprise — I engaged in racketeering?' No, Agnifilo argued, telling jurors that those accusations were a figment of the prosecution's imagination. Combs' family, including six of his children and his mother, were in the audience for the closing. All his life Combs has taken care of people, Agnifilo said, including the ex-girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym Jane, whose rent he's paying. 'I don't know what Jane is doing today,' Agnifilo said. 'But she's doing it in a house he's paying for.' Referring to lawsuits filed by Combs' accusers, he said: 'This isn't about crime. It's about money. This is about money.' He noted that Combs' girlfriend of nearly 11 years — Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura — sued him in a lawsuit that was settled for $20 million in a day in November 2023, triggering a federal probe the following day. 'If you had to pick a winner in this whole thing, it's hard not to pick Cassie,' Agnifilo said. Cassie and Jane both testified during the trial that they were coerced repeatedly by Combs to perform in drug-fueled dayslong sex marathons with male sex workers while Combs watched, directed, masturbated and sometimes filmed the encounters. Prosecutors, he argued, have invaded Combs' bedroom and his most intimate personal affairs. 'Where's the crime scene? It's your sex life,' Agnifilo said. He also mocked the prosecution's assertion that Combs and his underlings had engaged in hundreds of racketeering acts and their suggestion that many of his so-called freak-offs and 'hotel nights' were crimes. If that's so, he said, 'we need a bigger role of crime scene tape,' a reference to a famous line from the movie 'Jaws.' Agnifilo reiterated that the defense 'owns' the fact that Combs was violent, but he argued that behavior does not justify the grave charges he faces. He said Combs and Cassie had a 'loving, beautiful relationship,' albeit a 'complicated' one. 'If racketeering conspiracy had an opposite, it would be their relationship … they were deeply in love with each other,' Agnifilo said. If convicted, Combs could face a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life. He did not testify during the trial that is in its seventh week. After Agnifilo completes his closing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey was expected to deliver a rebuttal summation before the judge reads the law to the jury, which is not expected to begin deliberations until Monday.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Richard Dreyfuss Launches Exclusive Merch Line for ‘Jaws' 50th Anniversary
Richard Dreyfuss is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Jaws in a unique way. The actor, who played marine biologist Matt Hooper in the 1975 Steven Spielberg thriller, launched a new website loaded with merch for Jaws fans—just in time for the film's milestone anniversary on June 20. In a post on his official website, Dreyfuss, 77, welcomed fans to 'step aboard the Orca and dive into the legacy of Matt Hooper' with an exclusive collection of signed merchandise from Jaws, all personally autographed by the Academy Award-winning actor. What's available? Signed photos, movie posters, t-shirts, hoodies, and Matt Hooper Oceanography Institute hats. There's even a shark jaw replica signed by the actor. Signed merch ranges in price from $95 to $495. Dreyfuss also shared a YouTube video that showed him autographing some of the exclusive merchandise, including a photo that was taken on the very first day of shooting the iconic film. 'Over the years, my signature has changed, gotten shorter and shorter because my name seems to have gotten longer,' the actor joked, adding, "I hope you find stuff you like. Talk to you later.' Dreyfuss wasn't always sure there would be so much Jaws fandom. In a 2021 interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, the actor admitted that he doubted the film would be a hit early on. 'Everyone thought that they had struck gold, and I said, 'What are you talking about, it's just a little movie,'' the Jaws star recalled in the interview. 'And so, when the film was released, I found myself going back to the talk shows and saying I'm the guy that didn't believe in it.' Jaws went on to become the first-ever summer movie blockbuster and spawned three sequels. Dreyfuss has since called the film 'one of the most powerful things that ever happened' to Dreyfuss Launches Exclusive Merch Line for 'Jaws' 50th Anniversary first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 20, 2025
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Jaws' Child Actor Jay Mello Reveals 1 Iconic Scene Wasn't Part of the Script
Jaws is known for more terrifying moments than sweet ones, but 50 years after the film's release, the youngest star from the movie confirmed a long-standing story about a poignant scene. In an interview with People magazine, Jay Mello, who played Amity Island Police Chief Brody's (Roy Scheider) young son Sean in the 1975 blockbuster, revealed that his habit of mimicking people not only scored him the part, but an extra scene. The scene in question features Mello, then 6, and Scheider at the Brody dining table, where the youngster copies everything his distraught dad does. "That wasn't even written in the script," Mello told the outlet. "We were taking a break from a scene where I was sitting in a swing set, and we came inside, and Roy Scheider was making funny faces, and I was trying to mimic him. He called Steven Spielberg in and said, 'We've got to add this to the film. This is going to be something.'' 'It really touched people's hearts,' Mello added. In the famous scene, little Sean sips from his glass, folds his hands, buries his face in his hands, and makes a funny face in unison with his dad. Chief Brody then asks the boy to give him a kiss, telling him he needs one. Director Steven Spielberg addressed the scene in the book Spielberg: The First Ten Years. "I think we improvised that moment on the day,' he told author Laurent Bouzereau, per 'I wanted Roy to show he was depressed, and his son imitates him. It lightens up the mood, and Brody can see that he does have a life outside his job, that he has children and a family." Mello also explained how his copying caught Spielberg's eye when he accompanied his two older brothers to an audition for the film on Martha's Vineyard. "I had a habit of copying people," Mello told People. "So when Steven Spielberg was interviewing them, I was copying him as he gave direction. When the interview was over, he said, 'You boys can go, we're done. But the youngest can stay.'"'Jaws' Child Actor Jay Mello Reveals 1 Iconic Scene Wasn't Part of the Script first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 23, 2025
