Latest news with #PDDiddy
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Scenes outside courthouse after Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs trial verdict
The trial of Sean "P. Diddy" Combs gathered headlines for weeks as it went on. The verdict was rendered on July 2 and the hip-hop star and mogul was found guilty of two charges but the most serious charges resulted in a not-guilty result. The expensive trial saw fans of Combs thrilled by the verdict while those who wanted him to be convicted of racketeering charges were not happy with the jury's decision. This article originally appeared on The List Wire: Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs verdict reactions in images
Sky News
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Diddy trial latest: Defence lawyer mocks case in closing argument - and says charges have been 'badly exaggerated'
Eyewitness: A red-carpet circus and moment of reckoning as Diddy trial reaches culmination By David Blevins, US correspondent, in New York They queue from the night before for a seat in the courtroom, and the street outside has the feel of a red- carpet circus. Some here to support, others here to protest, most just here for the theatre - raw, unscripted, unpredictable. The whole thing feels like Times Square has been dropped in front of New York's Moynihan courthouse and told to wait. Television news correspondents mingle with bloggers and vloggers, podcasters and Tik-Tokers. The United States versus Sean Combs - aka Puff Daddy, aka P Diddy, aka Diddy - has gripped America for seven weeks. A palpable sense of anticipation only added to the June humidity as the trial nears its culmination. 'Case on baby oil' The prosecution's final words after five hours of closing argument were scalpel sharp: "It's time to hold him accountable." The defence accuse prosecutors of building a case on baby oil, a reference to the copious amounts of it allegedly found at the home of the accused. The 55-year-old music mogul denies five criminal counts - one of racketeering, two of sex trafficking and two of transporting prostitutes. Prosecutors accuse him of coercing women into drug-fuelled, days-long sex parties - or "freak-offs" - with male prostitutes. Every lurid detail The defence says the sex was consensual and has built its case on questioning the reliability of prosecution witnesses. From CCTV pictures of an alleged attack on his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, to 20 minutes of explicit footage from so-called freak-offs, the evidence has been graphic. Hard to hear, but impossible to turn off, hence the influx of new media dissecting every lurid detail for their audiences. He brought hip-hop to the masses in the 90s and noughties, but this isn't just about the man, it's about the moment. Guilty or not guilty, this was always going to be a moment of reckoning for an entire culture - rap, music, celebrity and power.
Telegraph
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Netflix too soft? Then 50 Cent's all-action streamer will knock you for six
You stream, I stream, we all stream. But is any of it any different? Often, it can seem as if we are collectively wading through the same binge watch gloop – a budget sci-fi show here (Stranger Things, the entirety of Apple TV+), a drama about how awful people are there (White Lotus, Sirens, The Perfect Couple). Night after night one must-see series runs into the other – they all appear to star either Nicole Kidman and each has the same shiny yet vaguely conveyor-belt-esque production values. What happened to new ideas? What happened to fun? The answer might finally be here. But not on Netflix, Disney + or any of the usual suspects. The saviour of TV, it turns out, is not a middle-aged career executive in a suit with another Marvel spin-off to sell you. It's a rapper who has survived death threats, lawsuits and several invitations to attend one of P Diddy's notorious parties (he refused). And he wants to bring together the very best of entertainment: ie films where Jason Statham slaps people, in which Michael Caine plays an aged criminal and where piracy means men with cutlasses with parrots on their shoulders. Nobody asked for his help – and yet he might just be the saviour of the small screen thrill-ride. Rapper 50 Cent has been coining it for the past decade with his surprise spin-off career as a television mogul – and now he's taking a punt on the UK with the roll-out of his high-kicking, hard-hitting '50 Cent Action' channel. Following a successful launch in the US last year, '50 Cent Action' has just arrived on Prime Video UK with a sinew-popping selection of beefy beat 'em ups. Prime viewers have to pay extra on top of their usual subscription – but, then, there's no such thing in life as a free punch. Still, it's quite a lineup – ranging from Tarantino classics such as Kill Bill and Jackie Brown to brawny barnstormers like Sylvester Stallone's Expendables and Jason Statham's Crank. Also featured is Matthew Vaughn's 2010 superhero parody Kick-Ass – a title which encapsulates 50 Cent's philosophy when it comes to home entertainment. The common thread running through all of the above 'Fiddy' approved content is a high body count. Truly, this is a channel built in the image of its creator – a hip-hop heavyweight who has delighted in waging feuds with rivals such as P Diddy (long before his downfall) and Ja Rule. However, under the braggadocio – and the scars he sustained in a near-fatal drive-by shooting – the artist born Curtis James Jackson III is also an astute businessman with a finely-honed instinct for audience tastes. That ability to cut through the noise of limitless streaming options and give viewers what they want – even if they didn't know they wanted it – is a unique skill. One that has taken 50 Cent to an estimated net worth of $60 million. If hardly in the Jeff Bezos league, it is nonetheless an impressive figure considering he filed for bankruptcy in 2015 – although he has admitted that was a 'business move' after a court ordered him to pay $5 million over a woman's leaked sex tape (which he posted online without her permission). By the time of the sex tape trial, Jackson, whose hits include In Da Club, was already forging ahead as a force on TV. In 2014, the Starz network in the US aired the first season of his crime drama Power – the tale of New York City drug dealer, James 'Ghost' St Patrick (Omari Hardwick), whose rise and fall mirrors Jackson's own experiences as a school-age pusher of substances in Queens. At the time of Power's debut, Starz was best known as the home of the bawdy historical drama Spartacus and for various Walking Dead spin-offs. All were quickly eclipsed by Power – a fast-paced drama which buzzed with the same energy that 50 Cent brought to his rapping. Plugging into an untapped demand among audiences for a street-wise thriller, Power was an instant success. However, for Curtis, this was merely the start. He and Starz went on to launch a multitude of Power sequels and spin-offs, including Force, Raising Kanan and BMF. One show followed another – he has at least 10 to stream on Amazon alone – and many were stacked high with superstar cameos. Kendrick Lamar took time out from feuding with Drake to play a drug addict in Power, Eminem portrayed a drug dealer 'White Boy Rick' in BMF and Mary J Blige starred in Ghost as crime boss Monet Tejada. If television is a glorified hustle, then it is a field in which Jackson was destined to excel. Born in Queens as the borough hurtled towards an apocalyptic early Eighties crack epidemic, he was just eight when his mother, a drug dealer, died in a fire. His grandparents did their best to raise him and steered him towards a career in boxing. But there was no teaching the hot-headed future mega-star who, by 14, was dealing crack at school. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 50 Cent Action (@50centaction) His crimes caught up with him relatively early – at 19, he was sent to a facility for juvenile offenders, where he decided to turn his life around. His first step was to create the alter ego of 50 Cent – a more confrontational and seat-of-the-pants version of the real Curtis. He also embarked on a career as a rapper – though his life in show business almost ended before it had begun when he was shot in a drive-by shooting (the motives for which remain murky to this day). He almost died and was left with permanent scars and damage to his voice – hence his husky rapping style. However, he made the most of the notoriety with his 2003 debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin', a global smash that yielded the ubiquitous In Da Club – recorded with hip hop legend Dr Dre, to whom he was introduced by mutual friend Eminem. Jackson became one of the biggest forces in hip-hop more or less overnight. But even at the height of his success, he was looking to a life beyond music – and was soon proceeding with mythologising his life in the 2005 biopic, also called Get Rich or Die Tryin', overseen by – of all people – Oscar-nominated My Left Foot director Jim Sheridan, who has described the rapper as 'a very sweet, funny guy and an extremely hard worker.' The movie Sheridan and Jackson made together was fun and flashy. The same can be said of Jackson's 50 Cent Action channel. It is the best sort of leave-your-brain-at-the-door entertainment. Jackson makes no great claims for the channel – only that he is passionate about action cinema and that there is a huge audience that feels likewise. In an era when television too often trips itself up trying to be clever, how refreshing to encounter a talent who has made it his mission to give viewers exactly what they want. 50 Cent Action: five to watch 1. Crank Jason Statham does what Jason Statham does best in this far-fetched but fun story of an assassin (Statham) who must keep his adrenaline flowing at a constant rate while trying to track down the enemies who poisoned him (and who have the antidote). 2. Black Sails Rip-roaring pirate drama that begins as the 'origin story' of Treasure Island's Long John Silver but quickly expands into a sprawling tale of derring-do and bloody backstabbing on the high seas. 3. The Condemned The Hunger Games meets Alan Clarke's Scum in this brutal tale of 10 convicts forced to fight to the death as part of an illegal game broadcast to the public. The cast is headed by geezer godhead Vinnie Jones, alongside wrestling star Steve Austin and Japanese stunt coordinator Hidemasa Yamaguchi. 4. King of Thieves Michael Cain is a career criminal in old age in a zippy heist film that tells the story of the Hatton Garden safe deposit raid from 2015 in which robbers absconded with £14 million. A top-notch cast also features Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Charlie Cox, Ray Winstone and Francesca Annis. 5. Killing Gunther Arnold Schwarzenegger brings all his cigar-chomping charm to a chaotic mockumentary tracking a disaster-prone assassin's attempt to kill the world's most notorious hitman (Gunther, portrayed with the traditional dry wit by Arnold). Comedian Taran Killam directs and plays the assassin – but it's Arnold's laconic presence that seals the deal.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Origin Of Diddy's Former 'Puff Daddy' Stage Name Resurfaces Amid Rapper's Sex-Crimes Trial
Sean "Diddy" Combs, who has gone by many names throughout his long career, is currently on trial after his arrest last year on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Several witnesses have been called to the stand to share their testimony, including the rapper's ex-girlfriend, Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura. Now, amid Diddy's explosive trial, the story of his previous name, "Puff Daddy," has begun circulating again, leaving many intrigued by the rapper's past. People are just getting to know about the eerie meaning behind Diddy's former stage name, "Puff Daddy," as his sex-crimes trial rages on. The embattled rapper officially launched his career in 1990, and by 1996, he released the song "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down," which topped the charts at the time and became his first number-one single. Since then, he has had several monikers, including Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, and Brother Love. According to The Mirror, Diddy himself revealed "Puff Daddy" originated from his childhood nickname, "Puff," which was given to him because he had a tendency to "huff and puff" whenever he was angry. However, by 2001, Diddy switched from "Puff Daddy" to "P. Diddy," as he sought a fresh name following his acquittal in a court case in which he had been charged with gun possession and bribery. "No more Puff Daddy - the first week in June, we're going to have a name-change ceremony," Combs said at the time, per the news outlet. "I'm not doing it as serious as Prince. I just want something fresh. I'm rocking with P. Diddy just now." Regarding the origin of "P. Diddy," the rapper reportedly said it was suggested to him by his late friend, Notorious B.I.G., who died in 1996.' Diddy has pleaded not guilty to the charges leveled against him by the government and has been on trial for more than two weeks now. According to the Daily Mail, the rapper has adopted the position of a "quarterback" to his lineup of well-paid attorneys and has seemingly shaken off early nerves he the courtroom during the trial. He has been seen passing dozens of sticky notes to his lawyers, intensely questioning them during breaks, and suggesting they bring in different evidence, and has generally used his memories to bolster his lawyers' tactics. "He was there, he remembers exactly what happened: nobody knows more about Diddy's life than he does," a source told the news outlet. "He's very involved and he's on top of things because he knows his life is on the line." The report is a far cry from what things initially looked like when Diddy's trial first started. During jury selection on May 5, the "I'm Coming Home" rapper notably raised his hand and asked for a bathroom break because he was a "little nervous." In court, he was overheard telling his attorney, Anna Esteavo, that he was "proud" of her before she cross-examined his ex-girlfriend, Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura. He has also exerted his influence in more subtle ways, including when he nodded repeatedly as his former executive assistant, George Kaplan, described in glowing terms his commitment to diversity at Combs Enterprises. His demeanor has also changed as he no longer appears to be anxiously hunched over at his chair but now sits back in a relaxed manner to watch as proceedings unfold. "He's running the show, no doubt about it," one observer who has been in court most days told the Daily Mail. "He's becoming more confident as each day goes by - he's the boss." A source doubled down on what the trial meant to Diddy, explaining that he was not joking around. "There are so many comedy takes out there, but what they're forgetting is that this guy can go to jail for the rest of his life," they said. "This isn't a joke for Diddy." Diddy was said to be devastated after missing the high school graduation of his twin daughters, Jessie and D'Lila Combs, last week due to his ongoing federal trial. A source close to the rapper said the day meant everything to Diddy and that he was "heartbroken" for not being able to witness them walk the stage in person. "He was heartbroken not to be there for such a monumental moment in the twins' lives — graduation and prom," the insider told Page Six. "It meant everything to him." Diddy's family seems to be his motivation as he tries to prove his innocence from the racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges he's been accused of. The insider explained that he has repeatedly said he's "fighting for his life and wants to get back to his family." Despite being away from their father since his September 2024 arrest, the "Finna Get Loose" rapper's children have put up a united front, especially during their appearances in court, and are usually seen holding hands together as they enter and exit the courtroom. Meanwhile, Diddy seemingly did all he could to ensure that the girls had a fun and happy experience on their big day, and didn't feel left out. According to Page Six, a source close to the situation said the music mogul instructed his relatives to ensure the day was all about the 18-year-old twins. "He specifically asked the family to focus on the girls and to stay out of court so they could be together and fully present for them, especially since Kim [Porter] was not present," the source said.
