Diddy’s efforts to free himself from jail have not once been successful. Even though he’s been trying to make his bail packages appealing, no judge has taken the bait. Because of this, he effectively and recently decided to back out of any further attempts in the future. “Mr. Combs does not seek to appeal the district court’s denial of his renewed motion and hereby moves to voluntarily dismiss the appeal. Mr. Combs hereby states that (a) counsel has explained the effect of voluntary dismissal of the appeal; (b) he understands counsel’s explanation, and (c) he desires to withdraw and voluntarily dismiss the appeal.”
That is part of the court filing that was sent in back on December 13. While Diddy is moving away from this plan, he recently tried a different approach. According to Billboard, an order was issued earlier today from the embattled mogul. In it, he was arguing that the physical assault footage against ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura was leaked by prosecutors. He believes it was spread by them to “taint the jury pool,” thus leading an unfair trial.
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 20: Sean “Diddy” Combs attends Sean “Diddy” Combs Fulfills $1 Million Pledge To Howard University At Howard Homecoming – Yardfest at Howard University on October 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images for Sean “Diddy” Combs)
However, Judge Arun Subramanian, the latest of the three to oversee this case, denied this. He’s done so by shutting down Diddy’s request to see this through in court hearings. Mr. Subramanian argues that he “doesn’t point to any sound basis for this conclusion.” He adds, “Combs never considers the possibility that many people beyond Victim-1 and government agents likely had access to the video.”
That includes “Combs’s team (who paid security officers at the Intercontinental Hotel “$100,000 in cash to destroy” the video) and hotel employees and contractors.” Also in this denial, the judge made sure to make things clear regarding information and how to share it. “The court has already taken steps in this regard,” he begins. “It is open to tailored applications for relief as this case continues. The court once again reminds the government and its agents that if specific information comes to light showing that they leaked prohibited information, action will be taken.”
One of the big conflicts between federal prosecutors and the defense in the Diddy case concerns the 2016 footage of him assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassie. His legal team accused the federal government, specifically the Department of Homeland Security, of leaking this video to the press, something that the government denied yet again in a new motion filed late Wednesday (October 30). Moreover, they responded to these allegations by claiming that Sean Combs’ legal team wants to “suppress a damning piece of evidence” and make it so that jurors don’t see him “brutally physically assaulting a victim.”
More importantly, federal prosecutors claimed it is impossible for them to have leaked the video of Diddy and Cassie to CNN because they did not have the video in their possession when it emerged in May. They also alleged that his legal team knows this well, and are instead using these accusations to prevents its use as evidence in his trial next year. “Without any factual basis, the leak motion seeks to suppress highly probative evidence […] by claiming that it was grand jury material leaked by government agents,” prosecutors posited in writing. “But, as the defendant is fully aware, the video was not in the Government’s possession at the time of CNN’s publication and the Government has never, at any point, obtained the video through grand jury process.”
Diddy At An Atlanta United & Inter Miami CF Game In 2023
Jul 25, 2023; Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA; Recording artist Sean Combs attends the game between the Atlanta United and the Inter Miami CF at DRV PNK Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images
If Diddy faces conviction for allegations of sex trafficking and racketeering, he could face life in prison. His lawyers demanded an investigation into this footage’s emergence, alleging that it “led to damaging, highly prejudicial pre-trial publicity that can only taint the jury pool and deprive Mr. Combs of his right to a fair trial.” Furthermore, Combs’ lawyer Marc Agnifilo alleged that the government leaked the Cassie footage to the press to ruin his reputation and chances at defense, claiming that they used it to prejudice him without context rather than using it as trial evidence informed by other elements and additional pieces of alleged proof.
Nevertheless, this new filing from prosecutors also addressed Diddy’ demands for the government to reveal the names of his alleged victims. Federal prosecutors shot this down, citing that it would “pose serious risks” to alleged victims’ safety. They also referenced his alleged “significant history of violence and obstruction” that caused the court to deny his bail, warning of possible witness tampering.
Diddy and his legal team continue to accuse the federal government of allegedly leaking crucial information to the press. According to these allegations, these leaks include trial materials, the Cassie assault video, and “confidential, damaging and false” claims and statements. The defense attempted to account for these alleged leaks once again, as Sean Combs’ lawyer Marc Agnifilo filed a motion requesting a judge to enact a gag order “as partial relief” for these supposed leaks, per court documents reportedly obtained by AllHipHop. Homeland Security and other federal authorities have already denied any leaks whatsoever. Other allegations against Combs continue to mount, all of which he and his team have also denied.
“The defense believes that Exhibit A accomplishes the intended purposes of the requested relief,” Diddy’s team’s motion reportedly reads. “To ensure that leaks, as well as damaging and false information which are undermining Mr. Combs’ right to a fair trial stop, while including reciprocal restraints on the defense. […] Unfortunately, however, we are unable to submit Exhibit A as a joint proposal, because after extensive back and forth since the October 10 conference, the parties were unable to reach agreement on the order. We did narrow the disputes, however, and understand that most, but not all, of the language in Exhibit A is acceptable to the government.”
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 27: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs speaks onstage during the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 27, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
Marc Agnifilo and Diddy’s legal team also alleged that Homeland Security agents “have continued their leaks” and relays of allegedly false info to press after an October 10 status conference that raised this supposed issue. As such, they believe that a gag order is crucial. In addition, the court documents reportedly alleged several examples of “sources” that spoke to CNN about the investigation as an insider scoop.
Finally, Agnifilo characterized the defense and prosecution’s disagreement over this matter as the latter “resisting language” which would cover all agents possibly exposed to grand jury information and other confidential elements about the investigation and prosecution. We’ll see whether or not the court grants this order, which could limit how information about the Diddy trial is shared. But the gag order’s hypothetical effect, if granted, still isn’t completely clear in practice.
A celebrity apology is not always what it seems. From lackluster to too-little-too-late, celebrities have a history of offering unconvincing apologies for their mistakes or wrongdoings. The latest, most famous of these insincere attempts at amends comes from rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs. It seems like not a day has gone by recently without Combs in the news. A line of women have been stepping forward with allegations of abuse. Perhaps most famously, Diddy’s ex, Cassie Ventura, settled a federal lawsuit against the Bad Boy Records executive last November. But it wasn’t until mid-May of this year that Diddy made any attempt to apologize for–or even acknowledge–Cassie’s allegations.
Recently, CNN obtained footage from 2016 showing the music mogul repeatedly assaulting Cassie in a Los Angeles InterContinental Hotel. Finally, a celebrity apology from Diddy has gone public. He took to Instagram, claiming he was at “rock bottom” at the time. He also stated that he sought therapy and entered rehab in the time since. Instagram users lambasted the “I’ll Be Missing You” rapper, stating “Not even a week ago Diddy was denying the accusations against him” and “YOU ARE NOT THE VICTIM HERE.” Cassie’s lawyer Meredith Firetog also released a statement on the apology, calling it “disingenous” and an act of “pathetic desperation.” This is, of course, only the newest in the ongoing pop-culture spectacle known as the “questionable celebrity apology.” Let’s take a look at five times celebrities have issued condolences that raised eyebrows and garnered further backlash.
Shia LeBeouf is no stranger to criticism – he did, after all, once don a paper bag over his head on the red carpet. But back in 2012, the Even Stevens actor gave his own celebrity apology regarding a short film he created titled Howard Cantour.com. While it was initially very well-received by fans and critics alike, not long after release the film was revealed to be the work of plagiarism. Comic book writer Dan Clowes came forward, showing how the film copied much of the plot and dialogue of his comic Justin M Damiano.
LeBeouf issued a strange apology via a rambling series of tweets. First, he said that, swept up in excitement and creativity, he “neglected to follow proper accreditation.” Finally, he admitted that he “f****** up.” Perhaps the oddest thing about this was that it was revealed later that LeBeouf’s apologies were themselves plagiarized from a Yahoo! Answers forum, which led to further investigations of plagiarism and continued future skepticism over LeBeouf’s work.
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis both rose to fame on the much-loved sitcom That 70s Show. One of their former co-stars, Danny Masterson, was convicted last May of two counts of sexual assault. Kutcher is known as a co-founder of Thorn, an NGO that works against human trafficking. That’s one reason the media found it bizarre when it was revealed he and Kunis wrote letters in support of Masterson to his judge. They lauded him as an incredible person. In the midst of subsequent public outcry, Kutcher and Kunis created a video apology. Their disheveled demeanor and stilted tones led viewers to see it as very insincere and uncaring.
Will Smith’s Celebrity Apology To Chris Rock
Who can forget when Will Smith stood up and slapped Chris Rock hard during the Academy Awards in March 2022? The moment was so strange that it felt surreal. Rock had let loose a somewhat insensitive comment about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett’s alopecia. Less than an hour later, Smith won Best Actor for his role as Richard Williams in King Richard. Smith took that chance to publicly apologize for what had just transpired, but he didn’t explicitly apologize to Rock himself. He claimed that he was “fogged out by that point.” This, of course, led to heavy criticism, prompting Smith to finally release a 6-minute apology video on his YouTube channel. He stated that “there is no part of me that thinks that is the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect.”
For years, celebrity chef Mario Batali was well-known as a friendly face on various Food Network shows, and as an ongoing member of ABC’s The Chew. But everything came crashing down in 2017 when Batali was fired from The Chew due to multiple allegations of misconduct with women. In his email newsletter, Batali later apologized for his actions and stated that he took “full responsibility.” However, for some bizarre reason, the chef included a recipe for cinnamon rolls right after his apology. This careless decision was heavily criticized and mocked across the media.
Logan Paul In Japan’s Aokigahara Forest
The social media influencer and professional boxer/wrestler Logan Paul has had to make a couple of public celebrity apologies over the years. But probably the most famous and most ridiculous came after he filmed himself in Aokigahara forest near Japan’s Mount Fuji. The forest is infamous due to the large number of suicides that have taken place there over the years. Paul filmed a body and his reaction, which viewers were astonished by. It resounded with incredible disrespect and insensitivity.
Paul rushed to offer a few apologies, which ranged from him claiming that the entire video was created in reaction to his own psychological issues and even that he was attempting to raise awareness about mental health in general. No one really took these various statements too seriously, and he was the target of (mostly well-deserved) mockery. (He was also the target of a $3 million dollar lawsuit based on a Google licensing deal that fell through after his forest video.)
While Diddy and Cassie settled the sexual assault lawsuit that the latter brought against the former, the story is still not over. On one hand, multiple other alleged victims came forward with legal action of their own against him, which is seemingly spiraling further and further with each passing week. On the other, other tangential figures in the singer’s case came forward with their own testimonies and claims. The latest to do this is Cassie’s friend Tiffany Red, who wrote a letter to Sean Combs published in Rolling Stone. In it, she gives weight to her friend’s claims and further suggests certain patterns when it comes to his allegedly abhorrent behavior.
Moreover, Red explained that she met Cassie in 2015, and that she helped her write songs for her second album, which never came out. They became close, and spoke about the latter’s relationship with Diddy quite often. So, when the three met at Cassie’s surprise 29th birthday party, Tiffany alleged that he didn’t take kindly to her being so close with his artist. When the singer wanted to go to a karaoke bar, Puffy and his crew allegedly tried to convince her otherwise, but they ended up making it shortly after Cassie and company got there. Then, he took the Connecticut native outside for a chat, and Red followed them given her hunch that something was up.
Furthermore, Diddy allegedly verbally abused Cassie when Red found them, and she became too scared to do anything as his entourage surrounded them. When everyone was back at Cassie’s apartment, she left to be with him even though she didn’t want to, according to her friend. This is allegedly the “freak-off” sex party that she named in her now-settled lawsuit. Later that night, Red claimed, they both returned very drunk and high, and the Bad Boy mogul screamed at her for her work on Cassie’s songs.
“I am traumatized by you,” the letter reads. “Your abuse of power has inflicted ongoing harm on countless individuals, including myself, my friends, and my peers. It pains me to write this letter to you as a Black woman, but when will this cycle of abuse stop? It has to stop.” For more news and the latest updates on Cassie and Diddy, stick around on HNHH.
Diddy and his team recently received their fourth (allegedly fifth) sexual assault lawsuit in the past three weeks. Moreover, this whole situation became a PR nightmare for him as of late, and the sheer number of accusations paint a dark picture of his alleged behavior and attitudes. What’s more is that these cases relate to each other in unique ways, especially when it comes to how they might play out in court. Furthermore, a Jane Doe recently accused Sean Combs and two other men of sexually assaulting her when she was 17. According to reporter Meghann Cuniff, the plaintiff hired the same lawyers that worked with Cassie in the settled lawsuit that kicked this wave off.
“This is now the fifth lawsuit filed against Mr. Combs in the last three weeks,” the latest lawsuit against Diddy reads. “Incredibly, the allegations brought by Ms. Doe are in many ways even more egregious than those brought by his prior victims.” Not only that, but we’re also getting rumors and whispers of how this whole situation is impacting the industry. Apparently, this resulted in a “logistical nightmare” for the Grammys, for which he is nominated for this year.
Cassie’s Lawyers Reportedly Helping Diddy’s Latest Alleged Victim In Court
The same lawyers who represented Cassie in her quickly settled lawsuit against Diddy have sued him again, this time on behalf of a woman who’s staying anonymous.
This complaint has a “trigger warning” on the front page, too, just like Cassie’s did. pic.twitter.com/AJJXFNnrD3
Meanwhile, amid all this speculation and legal action, the Bad Boy mogul finally broke his silence on all this. Rather than state something through his attorneys, he took to social media recently to stand up for himself. “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,” Diddy posted on Instagram. “For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”
However, this situation will likely become even more high-profile in the next few months. That is, if 50 Cent is reallyproducing a documentary on the whole scandal. We’ll have to wait and see if that manifests. For more news and the latest updates on Diddy, check back in with HNHH.
Diddy’s former head of security, Roger Bonds, recently dropped some bombshell claims against him amid a whole slew of accusations and lawsuits about his alleged sexual misconduct and abuse. Specifically, Bonds claimed that he witnessed him attack multiple women– including Cassie, whose initial lawsuit is what started this wave in the public. However, things changed quite quickly when it comes to the former bodyguard’s narrative. For example, his Instagram seemed to disappear shortly after he made these remarks. Now, Bonds returned to the platform and seemingly walked back a lot of what he said initially.
“This ain’t about nothing, yo!” Diddy’s former bodyguard began his message online. “I seen Cassie and Diddy fight. Yeah, I seen them fight– just like everybody else fight. Just like I fight, just like y’all fight with y’all man and y’all fight with your girl.” Of course, this runs contrary to his initial statements, which were much more damning and took more accountability for what went down. As such, this is a pretty unclear situation and one that also has some suspicions of interference or pressure attached to it.
However, Roger Bonds isn’t the only previous member of Diddy’s inner circle to claim this long pattern of behavior. Ex-Bad Boy Records affiliate Mark Curry recently alleged to The Art Of Dialogue that the label’s mogul broke Kim Porter’s nose. “Busted her nose, man,” he remarked. “It was all insecurities. Anytime a man would go out of his way to wiretap someone’s phone or put taps in their home just to monitor their conversations, that’s a sign of insanity. So, when you see someone doing that, you can imagine everything else they do. What do you think he’s gon’ do if he found her on the phone talking to someone or feels that she’s cheating on him with somebody sleeping with his girl? What you think he’s gon’ say? ‘I caught you. I heard this.’ Nah, he gonna come in– it’s gonna be a fight.
“I think he’s very capable of doing it,” Curry continued, referring to the multiple lawsuits on the table. “It’s in his character, that’s who he is. That’s what comes with power, that’s what comes with arrogance. That’s what comes with what makes him, that’s the selfishness that makes you be like that. He’s being humbled right now. It took a long time. It takes a long time to humble an arrogant person.” For more news and the latest updates on Diddy, keep checking in with HNHH.
Though Diddy’s legal battles are far from over, the bombshell suit from Cassie is still the principal point of discussion when it comes to his alleged abhorrent behavior. Moreover, many folks expressed shock, satisfaction, or skepticism when they settled the case, which was quite the suspicious and quick resolution to such a damning accusation. However, in the weeks since, other voices and angles shed some light on this issue and might actually help us understand it a little more. On that note, Houston-based attorney Symone Redwine appeared on the Pour Horsemen podcast on Wednesday (November 29) to explain the possible financing behind this settlement.
“They didn’t sue just Diddy,” Symone Redwine told the show hosts, explaining that there’s a chance that Sean Combs didn’t pay a cent in this explosive, slightly damning, and eyebrow-raising legal development. “They sued his corporations. And they sued his corporations, and sued in her capacity as an employee. When you do that, it triggers commercial liability insurance and it triggers another policy called directors and officers.” Then, she went on to elaborate what the implication of these policies is, and how things maybe weren’t up to Puff Daddy in this case.
“We know he’s the director of the companies as a CEO,” Symone Redwine continued about the Diddy lawsuits. “So now you got two policies. What happens then is, it takes away Puffy’s ability to settle. It’s not his choice no more. So because they added those claims, the corporate insurance carrier got to say, ‘Oh hell no, we’re giving her the money.’” Furthermore, it’s unclear if the lawyer also believes these considerations apply to the multiple other lawsuits against the Bad Boy mogul. Of course, it’s more likely that this is very case-by-case and depends on the codefendants named.
Meanwhile, this news is relevant because it affects how the public truly perceives his accountability in this situation. If the New York music magnate didn’t pay here, then how can we expect to see this settlement as him atoning for his alleged mistakes? What does that mean for what this settlement means as far as his guilt– and how will this affect future legal procedures? Regardless, check back in with HNHH for more news and the latest updates on Diddy and Cassie.
50 Cent is having a field day blasting his rival Diddy for his accusations of sexual assault and physical abuse. Moreover, this feud and his comments on the harrowing matter inspired many to go back into previous discussions surrounding the two rap moguls. As such, Internet sleuths found an old 2010 radio interview with DJ Whoo Kid on Shade 45 in which Fif calls Sean Combs’ relationship with Cassie into question. For those unaware, she is the person who sued the Bad Boy executive and launched an avalanche of bombshell allegations of his abhorrent behavior. Still, his G-Unit counterpart apparently tried to warn him of something, but ended up feeling like what he faced was his own doing.
“They sent me the girl’s pictures,” 50 Cent said of Cassie, explaining that he received explicit pictures of her on his phone from an unknown source. “Not the s**t that y’all saw- worse, way worse. Like, penetration pictures. I called the n***a and I said, ‘Yo, you f***ing with this girl, you like her like that?’ [Diddy] said, ‘Yeah, that’s my girl.’ So I said, ‘Alright, I’ma send you something. You look at it and you call me back.’
50 Cent Blasts Diddy For Cassie Relationship In Old Shade 45 Clip: Listen
“I sent him the photos, the pictures and everything,” 50 Cent continued. “The n***a called back and was like, ‘Yo, thanks, man. I really appreciate that. Yo, where you get these s**ts from?’ They know if something cr*zy is going on, if they send it to me, I’ll make sure it gets out there, so they sent it to me. I really kinda felt like those photographs were not happening because of Cassie, I felt like they were happening because of Puffy.” It’s unclear who the rapper is referring to when he says “they,” but let’s not waste time on a thirteen-year-old question.
Meanwhile, he also called Sean Combs a “b***h” during this interview, so there’s no room for interpretation on whether or not sending him the pictures was doing him a solid. With all this in mind, we can only speculate on what the Queens MC will say next about this whole thing. After all, he thinks this isn’t the end of his public reckoning. Come back to HNHH for more updates and the latest news on Diddy, Cassie, and 50 Cent.
The Diddy and Cassie lawsuit, although settled, still lights a fire under Internet discussion and general conversation. Moreover, accusations of sexual assault and physical abuse against the Bad Boy mogul fell under much scrutiny on both sides. However, a big part of this is also seeing how people react to it, which might not actually be the best or most logical of practices. At least, that’s what Joe Budden remarked on his podcast, on which he had to respond to all this in some way. According to the Slaughterhouse MC, folks who need celebrities to validate criticism of abhorrent behavior are looking in the wrong place.
“Are y’all stupid?” Joe Budden’s slight rant began. “Like, let’s have a moment. Nah, for real. Y’all gon’ make me take these f***ing shades off. I’m trying to be cool, I’m trying to respect the gospel, clean version of this podcast. But I be wondering this, too, at home. The fans echo some of that stupid s**t. Do y’all think podcasters are coming into work to say that domestic violence, r*pe, sex trafficking, and drugging women is right on some fronts? Like, do y’all need anybody to say that all of those things are horrifically mortifying?
“Y’all didn’t need Joe Budden for that, right?,” the media personality continued. “Y’all don’t even want me for a music review. So I know that I’m not… That’s my thing, right? For as much praise I give Hov and to Puff and to Dame. Again, back to podcasters keeping some of their thoughts private and just not having to share everything. I don’t feel like I need to come in here and have word vomit about my discernment when it comes to some of the evil s**t that goes on in the industry. Nor do I think I’m the mascot and spokesperson to be the ‘deliverer’ of news for some of the evil s**t that goes on in the industry.
“Some of the treacherous, some of some of the things that are made not so public,” he concluded. “Like, I don’t think the public would react well if they knew all of the locker room behavior of football players. I don’t.” For more news and the latest updates on Joe Budden, Diddy, and Cassie, stick around on HNHH.
