Latest news with #Mogul
New York Times
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Combs Acquitted of Sex Trafficking but Found Guilty on Lesser Charges
Sean Combs, the hip-hop mogul who crafted a business empire around his personal brand, was convicted on Wednesday of transporting prostitutes to participate in his drug-fueled sex marathons, but acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, the most serious charges against him. Though Mr. Combs, 55, still faces a potential sentence of as much as 20 years in prison, he and his lawyers were jubilant after the acquittals on the more severe charges in an indictment that accused the famed producer of coercing women into unwanted sex with male prostitutes, aided by a team of pliant employees. Mr. Combs had faced a possible life sentence. Under the transportation charges, set by the federal Mann Act, each of the two convictions carries a maximum term of 10 years, and the judge could set lesser sentences to run concurrently. After the verdict was read in Federal District Court in Lower Manhattan, Mr. Combs put his hands together and mouthed 'thank you, thank you' at the jury of eight men and four women. Later, he dropped to his knees, apparently in prayer, and started a round of applause. His supporters and family began clapping and whistling for his legal team, who embraced each other at the conclusion of the eight-week trial. 'Mr. Combs has been given his life by this jury,' Marc Agnifilo, Mr. Combs's lead lawyer, said in court following the verdict. Lawyers for Mr. Combs, who had been held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest in September 2024, immediately began efforts after the verdict to secure his release until the sentencing. But the government has sought to continue to keep him detained, and Judge Arun Subramanian was scheduled to hear motions from both sides on the issue on Wednesday evening. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
India Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Aamir Khan recalls refusing underworld party invite despite threats: I said no
Actor Aamir Khan has opened up about a tense encounter with the underworld during the peak of his stardom in the 90s. Sharing the experience in a recent interview, Aamir recalled being approached with an invitation to a party- reportedly hosted in the Middle East by underworld figures. Despite repeated pressure, monetary offers, and threats, the actor stood firm and refused to attend, fearing for the safety of his loved to India Today's sister channel, The Lallantop, Aamir recounted, 'I'd said no to the invite to attend their party in the Middle East, probably Dubai. Some people from the underworld had visited me to invite me to the party.'While he did not reveal who was behind the invite, he clarified, 'I don't take names, even of people from my industry. That's my nature.' He added that they tried hard to persuade him, 'They tried a lot. They offered me money and offered to get any work done of my choosing. I still refused to come. They quickly changed their tone and said I'd have to come now because my presence had already been announced, and it was a prestige issue.' advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by podvisions5 (@podvisions5) Aamir said he made his stance clear in what would be their final meeting. 'I said, 'You've been meeting for a month and I've been telling you right from the start that I wouldn't come. You're very powerful so you can bash me up, hit me on the head, tie my hands and legs, and take me forcibly wherever you want, but I wouldn't come on my own.' So they stopped contacting me after that.'The actor admitted he was terrified during the ordeal, not just for himself but for his family. 'I had two small kids then. My parents were very concerned. They said, 'What are you doing? They're very dangerous.' So I had said only one thing to them then, 'I want to live my life the way I want. I don't want to go there.'' He added, 'I was more concerned for the ones close to me.'At the time, Aamir was married to Reena Dutta, with whom he had two children - Junaid (born in 1993) and Ira (born in 1997). The couple divorced in 2002 but remain on cordial years later, Aamir was in talks to star in 'Mogul', a biopic of T-Series founder Gulshan Kumar, who was shot dead by the underworld in 1997. The film, produced by Bhushan Kumar and directed by Subhash Kapoor, saw Aamir exit the project, after which Akshay Kumar was considered for the role. The project has since seen no major updates.- EndsMust Watch
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Aamir Khan reveals he got invitation from underworld to attend Dubai party in '90s: ‘I said I won't go, unless you take me forcibly'
It's no secret that the underworld held significant influence over the Hindi film industry during the 1980s and 1990s. Right around that time, in the late 1980s, Aamir Khan had his breakthrough in Bollywood as the lead in cousin Mansoor Khan's 1988 directorial debut Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. As he became a renowned star, like many others of that time, he received an invitation in the late 1990s from the underworld to attend a party organized by them in the Middle East. 'I'd said no to the invite to attend their party in the Middle East, probably Dubai. Some people from the underworld had visited me to invite me to the party,' said Aamir Khan, not revealing if they were hired by notorious gangster Dawood Ibrahim. 'I don't take names, even of people from my industry. That's my nature,' added Aamir. In the interview with The Lallantop, Aamir Khan continued, 'They tried a lot. They offered me money and offered to get any work done of my choosing. I still refused to come. They quickly changed their tone and said I'd have to come now because my presence had already been announced, and it was a prestige issue.' 'That was our last meeting. I said, 'You've been meeting for a month and I've been telling you right from the start that I wouldn't come. You're very powerful so you can bash me up, hit me on the head, tie my hands and legs, and take me forcibly wherever you want, but I wouldn't come on my own.' So they stopped contacting me after that,' recalled Aamir. Aamir Khan admitted he was very scared at that time, not only for him, but more so for his family. 'I had two small kids then. My parents were very concerned. They said, 'What are you doing? They're very dangerous.' So I had said only one thing to them then, 'I want to live my life the way I want. I don't want to go there,'' said Aamir. 'I was more concerned for the ones close to me,' added Aamir. He had two kids then — Ira Khan and Junaid Khan — from his then-wife Reena Dutta. Aamir had tied the knot with Reena in 1986 and they'd become parents to Junaid in 1993 and Ira in 1997. Aamir and Reena got divorced in 2002. Also Read — Aamir Khan says he was asked to do an action film after Laal Singh Chaddha failure: 'I had many offers, but story of Sitaare Zameen Par entered my bloodstream' A few years ago, Aamir Khan was in talks to do Mogul, the biopic of late producer Gulshan Kumar, who was shot dead by the underworld in 1997. The film was being produced by Gulshan's son Bhushan Kumar, the current head of T-Series, which was founded by his late father. The film was being helmed by Subhash Kapoor. After Aamir exited the project, Akshay Kumar was being considered for the lead role. However, there's no further update on the film yet.
New York Times
11-06-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Weinstein's Declining Health Loomed Over His Second Trial
During his six-week trial, Harvey Weinstein often nodded off during testimony. He looked pale and frail as he was wheeled into the Manhattan criminal courthouse, arriving from his secured unit at Bellevue Hospital Center. Mr. Weinstein, once an imposing force in Hollywood, has been in poor health in recent years, according to his lawyers, who have listed diabetes, spinal stenosis and fluid on his heart and lungs among his many ailments. Last September, he was hospitalized for emergency heart surgery. The next month, he was diagnosed with cancer. Mr. Weinstein's condition played a role during jury selection in his first trial in 2020, when he used a walker to shuffle into the courtroom following back surgery. By then, he was no longer the robust movie executive sitting proudly at the front of awards ceremonies. Instead, potential jurors saw a diminished, considerably thinner man at the defense table, and prosecutors wanted to make sure they could look past his physical appearance. Five years later, his health appears to be much worse, but this time prosecutors did not probe jurors' feelings about it during jury selection. During their closing arguments, however, prosecutors tried to remind the jury that during deliberations they should remember Mr. Weinstein at the peak of his powers, when he was still a Hollywood mogul, wearing sharp suits and laughing with movie stars. 'I want you to remember it's not the person sitting here today in the wheelchair,' Nicole Blumberg, a prosecutor with the Manhattan district attorney's office. She then pointed to an oversized picture of him at the Cannes Film Festival and said, 'It's that man.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mogul Slams George Lucas: ‘Sanctimonious Hypocrite'
Barry Diller is making his thoughts on Star Wars creator George Lucas known. In a portion of Diller's tell-all, Who Knew, he details working with Lucas on the Indiana Jones franchise back when the mogul was CEO of Paramount Pictures. Diller had doubts about approving Raiders of the Lost Ark, despite studio president Michael Eisner's support. The film, led by George Lucas as co-writer and executive producer and Steven Spielberg as director, seemed risky. Though Diller liked the script and had faith in Spielberg, he was wary of the creators' steep demands. Both Spielbertg and Lucas had reputations for escalating budgets. "After the first twenty or so pages, where Indiana Jones gets chased down the mountain by a giant rock, I thought the opening segment alone would cost more than any movie we'd ever made,' Diller writes. Learning from 20th Century Fox's costly Star Wars deal, Diller insisted on airtight sequel terms. 'I wanted to retch once, and then not have to regurgitate in a new negotiation if the film was a success.' Raiders was made, becoming a massive success in 1981. But when work began on the sequel, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Lucas demanded more money, to Diller's chagrin. 'This deal, the most generous in history, isn't worth it?' Lucas responded, 'No, not really.' When Diller reminded him of the agreed-upon terms, Lucas replied, 'Yeah, well, it's just not worth it for me unless I get more money.' Diller ultimately renegotiated the terms for the Indiana Jones sequel, but concluded: 'The Hollywood-bashing, take-the-high-ground George Lucas was actually a sanctimonious, though supremely talented … hypocrite" Mogul Slams George Lucas: 'Sanctimonious Hypocrite' first appeared on Men's Journal on May 23, 2025
