As if the snowball effect in Diddy’s federal sex trafficking and racketeering case couldn’t get any worse, the Bad Boy mogul could be facing more charges as a grand jury has heard sworn testimony from a sex worker.
According to a report from TMZ, jurors heard statements from another male escort who was allegedly hired by Diddy to be a part of one of his now infamous “freak offs”. The grand jury interrogated the sex worker about his travel and whether or not he crossed state lines. Questions were also asked about payments for sex, specifically whether the man was paid in cash or via wire transfer.
Prosecutors are speaking to more witnesses as they are considering filing more charges in a superseding indictment.
This is the second male sex worker to come forward in this case since Diddy’s arrest earlier this month.
Prosecutors met with a male sex worker last week who gave them video footage from one of the freak offs and signed a proffer agreement, meaning they can offer evidence without being at risk of incriminating themselves. According to the report, the man flew from Atlanta to Miami in May 2023 and had sex with an unnamed woman while Diddy watched and recorded the encounter.
The prosecution claim that these freak offs were not consensual and that Diddy used drugs, violence, threats and blackmail to force women into having sex, while also sending for the male sex workers across state and international lines.
Diddy’s lawyer Marc Agnifilo has concedes that all of the sexual encounters were consensual.
“These are consensual adults doing what consensual adults do. We can’t get so puritanical in this country to think that somehow sex is a bad thing because if it was there would be no more people,” he said to reporters.
When asked if Diddy would be taking the stand in his trial, Agnifilo said, “I don’t know that I can keep him off the stand. I think he is very eager to tell his story and I think he will tell every part of his story, including what you see on the video,” the attorney said. “I expect it’s going to be explained by the both of us.”
Judge Paige Reese Whitaker has had enough. She’s overseeing the RICO trial of Young Thug and other YSL codefendants, and you don’t need us to tell you how complicated and controversial it’s been so far. Moreover, on Monday (September 30), the trial’s 138th day, Judge Whitaker issued explosively called out the state for allegedly dragging the case out and recklessly developing it in unclear, backhanded, and secretive ways. This discussion emerged over a new motion for a mistrial, one that the collective’s defense team has prioritized and advocated for over most of the trial so far.
“I mean, I can’t figure out what it is,” Young Thug and YSL’s judge’s scathing takedown began. “If it’s disingenuous, if it is that. I mean, I don’t want to malign the prosecutor standing in front of me right now. So I’m not going to say the possible things that it could be. But it is baffling to me that somebody with the number of years of experience that you have, time after time after time, continues to seemingly purposefully hide the ball to the extent that you possibly can for as long as you possibly can. And I really don’t want to believe that it is purposeful.
“But honestly, after a certain number of times, you start to wonder how it could be anything but that,” Judge Whitaker continued her remarks to the prosecution in the Young Thug case. “Unless it is just that you are so unorganized that you are throwing this case together as you try it. And I am sorry to say that. But this case is being made much more difficult for everybody because of the haphazard way in which it is being presented. I’m going to take a recess for a few minutes. I’ll have a ruling when I get back.”
Mistrial Denied
Even after the Judge basically said “this is either purposeful or you’re incompetent” to the State…
However, according to Thugger Daily, Judge Whitaker denied this mistrial motion in the Young Thug case. Of course, this doesn’t entirely close the door on another try for the defense team. But considering how damning these comments were and her crystal-clear dissatisfaction, if this incident didn’t do it, we don’t know what could.
Hitmaka says that Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s viral feud from earlier this year has ruined the game of hip-hop. He explained his reasoning for the controversial take in a pair of statements from his Instagram Story, over the weekend. As caught by 2Cool2Blog, he wrote: “Drake & Kendrick sh*t really f*cked the game up cause now there’s no BAR/STANDARD. Don’t nobody got nothing to aim at or copy off of. Now the hottest rappers in the game are women besides Future & ain’t no n***a running home to make a beat or song in competition with a woman.”
When the outlet shared the posts on Instagram, hip-hop fans in the comments section weren’t moved by the argument. “I have no clue what any of this means or if it even makes sense. Just make good music. The f*ck does Kendrick and Drake gotta do with it?” one user wrote. Another remarked: “The women was on top the rap game before the beef lol.” Others complained about the wording of his post.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 30: (L-R) Armani White and Hitmaka onstage during the BET Hip Hop Awards 2022 at The Cobb Theater on September 30, 2022, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for BET)
Drake and Kendrick Lamar traded several diss tracks, earlier this year, but haven’t taken aim at one another musically for several months. However, while announcing his headlining set at the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, Lamar did troll Drake. The Toronto rapper had teased preparing for a “Game 2,” to which Lamar remarked, “You know it’s only one opportunity to win a championship. No round two’s.”
Snoop Dogg will reunite with Dr. Dre for their next collaborative album Missionary, which doesn’t have a release date yet. They’ve indicated that they want to drop it in November to commemorate the anniversary of their last full-length team-up, 1993’s Doggystyle. But a new Forbes report published Sunday (September 29) also added another exciting possibility to this reunion. Moreover, the writer mentioned “talk of a tour as early as next year,” although this wasn’t directly attributed to Tha Doggfather. As such, maybe it’s just wishful thinking or a misplaced interpretation, but it seems unlikely that they would drop this album without taking it on the road.
“Music is my foundation. That’s the root of who I am, so I can never run away from that,” Snoop Dogg expressed to the publication. He first announced Missionary back in 2022 on Stephen A. Smith’s Know Mercy podcast. “You’re the first one to hear this: me and Dr. Dre have been working on an album for the past two months,” the Long Beach legend revealed. “It’s produced by Dr. Dre, it’s our 30th anniversary to Doggystyle. And the name of the album is Missionary.” While it didn’t line up with the 30th anniversary, 31 isn’t so bad!
Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre Performing At The 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 13: (L-R) Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg perform during the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
“As soon as we finish this I have to go downstairs and start mixing,” Dr. Dre told Entertainment Tonight last month concerning his upcoming album with Snoop Dogg. “I wanted 14 songs, Snoop wants 16, so we have that thing happening. I’m on song number 11 as far as the mixes go. I have to be done and delivered by September 1st to have a November release.” We never got an update on whether he handed the project in or not…
“I actually did a couple of songs, I’m not sure if one of them’s going to make it or not,” Dr. Dre continued his revelations about Snoop Dogg’s Missionary. “I produced the entire album. But vocally, I think, only one of them is going to make it. There’s a song, we have Sting on the song. Man, it’s an amazing roster of artists that’s on this album. I shouldn’t have revealed that, to be honest.”
We didn’t expect Damian Lillard and GloRillarelationship rumors to pop up in 2024, but here we are. For those unaware, the two had social media talking after the Memphis rapper thirsted for the NBA star, although they’ve always downplayed that there’s actually something going on there. However, the question came up yet again during the Milwaukee Bucks’ media day, and Lillard had a pretty diplomatic answer. While he didn’t go into much detail all things considered, this is definitely the most direct and elaborated response to this speculation so far. All we wonder is why this was so big for basketball reporters to cover…
“We know each other,” Damian Lillard said of GloRIlla. “She’s an artist, I’m an artist, but as far as anything else, it ain’t nothing going on. That’s what I can tell you.” Previously, she dodged questions about him from Shannon Sharpe, particularly a pointed one about her favorite basketball players. Even though this is ripe headline fodder, neither individual really took it seriously enough to create much of a conversation. Sure, they addressed it, but it seems like they don’t even understand what the big deal is.
However, when some beef and shade found its way into the group chat, GloRilla in particular chose to double down on this gossip. Damian Lillard’s ex wife Kay’La seemed to mock rumors about the two when authorities arrested Glo for a DUI in Atlanta. She then responded by rocking a custom “GloLillard” jersey and flaunting it online, which many took as a direct rebuttal to Kay’La and not just generally playing into the meme. So it’s all fun and games until the negativity rolls in.
Meanwhile, GloRilla is really looking forward to the release of her debut album Glorious, and this would follow an earlier 2024 mixtape. Maybe she could even get Damian Lillard – sorry, Dame D.O.L.L.A. – for a feature. Jokes aside, we wonder how much more this speculation will last, especially since it’s been a couple of months since either celebrity’s last comments on it. Is there really that much more to unearth or are we thirsty for tea?
Shakira showed love to Cardi B on Instagram over the weekend after she shared a picture of herself channeling the iconic singer for Paris Fashion Week. “Shakiraaaaa Shakiraaaaaa,” Cardi captioned the post. In the comments section, Shakira responded: “Cardi!!! Whaaat? Soltera you look even better!!! Love u!!!!”
In addition to Shakira, several other fans shared supportive messages for the rapper as well. “They can never make me hate you Idc if you cheated back a million times,” one user posted. Another fan wrote: “Bardi can you please make the most disrespectful Album I’ve ever heard.”
Cardi B at Balmain RTW Spring 2025 as part of Paris Ready to Wear Fashion Week held at Palais de Chaillot on September 25, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by River Callaway/WWD via Getty Images)
Cardi has been single for the last several months after filing for divorce from Offset, earlier this year. Last week, Cardi went off about their relationship on X (formerly Twitter) after ATL Jacob shared the following lyrics from Future’s “Perkys Calling”: “These Hoes always gettin’ exposed, ain’t got home trainin.’” In response, Cardi fired back: “P*ssy ass b*tch stop playing wit me or ima violate you!!! You a whole man and stay shading me when I don’t even know you.. I got a N***a for you to square up with tho if you really got an issue!! Send your best b*tch. And I also want to make this VERY clear.. I was faithful to this man for 7 years! You never seen my name attached to no other man and before that relationship I was engaged. Always been a clean slate b*tch so don’t ever try to throw HO on BELCALIS… Y’all wish. “
Cardi B Pays Tribute To Shakira On Instagram
Back in March, Cardi and Shakira teamed up for the single, “Puntería,” off of the album, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. Check out their latest interaction on social media below. Be on the lookout for further updates on Shakira and Cardi B on HotNewHipHop.
The baseball world lost an integral piece of history yesterday as it was announced that Osvaldo “Ozzie” Virgil Sr., passed away on Sunday. He was 92 years old.
The Dominican Republic native migrated to the Bronx in the late 40s, where Virgil graduated from high school then enlisted in the US marines from 1950-1952. I n1953, the 21-year-old Virgil embarked on his baseball career that included nine seasons in the major leagues with the Giants (two stints), Tigers, Athletics, Orioles, and Pirates. He was the first non-white player for the Detroit organization in 1958, 11 years after jackie Robinson broke the color barrier when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. At the time, Virgil was considered the first Black Tigers player, but he was the first Dominican-born baseball player to play in the majors and the first Latino Tigers player.
Following his playing career, Virgil spent 19 seasons as an MLB coach with the Giants, Expos, Padres, and Mariners from 1968-88. He served as third base coach under Hall of Fame manager Dick Williams with the Expos (1977-81), Padres (1982-85) and Mariners (1986-88).
Virgil’s son, Ozzie Jr., played 11 MLB seasons with the Phillies, Braves, and Blue Jays from 1980-90. He went to the 1985 All-Star Game with the Phillies and the 1987 All-Star Game with the Braves.
“He means a lot,” the Yankees’ Juan Soto said last year. “He was the first Dominican coming to the big leagues and opened the doors for a lot of Dominicans — and not only Dominicans, for all Latin players.”
In 2008 with the Detroit Free Press, the late Federal Judge Damon Keith said, “Ozzie was not white, but he wasn’t Black, and he was caught in between through no fault of his own.”
A recent phone call has Todd White’s head spinning.
“I just had a call today and learned that I need to put together a mood board for a music video that, potentially, has 16–20 looks,” he says, shocked, over the call. “I’ve never done anything like that before.” As if that’s not wild enough, the tight timeline to which he potentially has to adhere makes it even scarier. “You get these calls sometimes where you have 48 hours to pull something like this together.”
Easy-peasy — at least for a stylist and costume designer of White’s caliber. He’s an industry heavyweight, a creative director who’s been tapped by rap’s leading women like Megan Thee Stallion, Latto, and Coi Leray to curate the iconic looks you see get tens and thousands of likes on social media. No matter whether they’re shutting down the red carpet, gracing the cover of a magazine, or filming a leading commercial, White’s fingerprints can be found all over their fittings —- and he’s just getting started.
It all came from sending one direct message in 2017 that changed his life forever. “I always say yikes because I feel like without that moment I wouldn’t be here,” he says. “I’m so grateful that I just took that chance.”
White didn’t just wake up a few years ago and say, “I want to be a stylist.” Since he was a kid in Cincinnati, he had a serious love for all things fashion. “I’ve always been attracted to art in general, but specifically fashion just because of the glam of it all, luxury designers, and the celebrity aspect.” When he turned 16, he decided to pursue it after graduating from high school.
Getty Image
That’d lead him to Kent State to study fashion merchandising. While he was there, he became even more immersed in fashion, with a job at Forever 21 inspiring him to focus on women’s fashion design. White collaborated with a friend around this time, who studied photography, to create Fashion Haus — a showcase for their creative direction skills. “I kind of came up with this idea with my photographer friend at the time for how we can practice for the future,” says White. “The idea was, I’d style, he’ll shoot, and we’ll come up with concepts for people who want to build a portfolio for modeling or if someone has a brand, and they need some sort of creative concept for an upcoming release.”
At the same time that White was waist deep in preparation for his fashion career, Megan Thee Stallion was exploding onto the rap scene after making “The Houston Cypher” her bitch and dropping her debut EP Make It Hot in 2017. Her aura and lyricism were unmatched. Anybody who was anybody knew that she was next up. White discovered her music around this time and instantly became a fan. Wanting to become a part of her story, he decided to shoot his shot and hop into her Instagram DMs with a proposition.
“I got hip to her music and was really inspired by her,” he says. “One late night, I just randomly decided that I would DM her and see about the possibility of styling her for upcoming shows and projects.” Not anticipating a response, he was shocked when she got back to him pretty quickly. “I can’t remember if it was the next morning or a few hours later, but I know it didn’t take that long,” he recalls. “This was a time when she only had about a hundred thousand followers.”
After that message, he linked up with her a few weeks later. “We met in New York while I was there for fashion week,” he explains. “She had a show, so we connected and vibed. We really hit it off. After that, I would meet her in other cities to dress her or at least help with whatever she would wear.”
As Megan grew in popularity and people started to see her as a fashion icon, White’s styling work got its share of the spotlight. “Our work during that era was huge because of the mega star that she’s turned into,” he says. “That opened up doors for me to get other people’s attention.”
Those “other people” are some of the biggest stars you see on social media and hear on top playlists, like Latto, who he’s draped in custom threads from Onrushw23fh and Michael Schmidt, and Uproxx Cover Star Coi Leray, who he’s laced in Karl Kani. He continuously finds creative ways to capture his clients’ personalities in clothing. To do this, White has an ideal process that helps him come up with these iconic looks.
Paul L. Carter
“Most of the time, I’m turning on some music, and I’m deep diving into whatever creative may have been shared with me by the artist,” he says. “Depending on who you’re working with, you have to dissect what era they’re in at that time so it all makes sense. Then, I’m doing a deep dive. I’m on Pinterest, I’m on Instagram, I’m on TikTok. I want every platform that has anything to do with fashion, and I’m pulling references, I’m taking notes on up-and-coming designers, [and] I’m looking at seeing what is current from a runway show.”
“This process takes me a few days,” he continues. “Once I get that mood board or creative of what I see, I like to hop on the phone with the client to go through everything. Because more times than not, you’ll come up with a really nice mood board and not get any notes or have any notes. And then the day of the shoot comes and the artist, the client can hate everything — which usually only happens if there’s not been any communication.”
White is very open and honest about not just his process, but also how clients can react. There are times when people will love his creative direction. Other times, they can find issues with it — which is par the course when you’re a stylist working with so many different clients. “You want people to like everything that you do, but you’re not going to always get that reaction,” he admits. “Sometimes they hate it, and you have to come up with something completely different, or they love it, but things could be better.”
Tight turnaround times for creativity can also put a damper on the process — but even those can work out too. “I’ve had clients where we’ve had 24 to 48 hours to put everything together, including fitting on the day of the shoot, and things go bad,” he says. “But then somehow, at the end of the day, the shoot ends up turning out great and the client is thrilled. Those are the moments, the stressful days, that I live for.
“Something as simple as an assistant not showing up on time or a UPS delivery arriving late can really throw off a shoot — but when the final shot is wrapped, you’re able to reflect and be excited that you pulled off something nicely together,” he adds.
White has no plans to stop styling anytime soon, even though he’s achieved practically everything he’s ever wanted — but there are even bigger aspirations that he’s been thinking about pursuing. “I would love to get into film -— specifically, horror films,” he says. “In a perfect world, I’d love to do a slasher film and be a part of the costume design and wardrobe.”
