Friday, December 13, 2024

Diddy Accused of Sexually Assaulting Three Men in Disturbing New Lawsuits, Will Smith Denies Connection to Scandal

Three new lawsuits filed Thursday in New York accuse Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs of drugging and sexually assaulting multiple men, adding to the avalanche of civil claims already pending against the music mogul.

The complaints, submitted to New York Supreme Court, detail alleged assaults between 2019 and 2022. Two of the plaintiffs say Combs “personally offered” them alcoholic drinks at parties, after which they lost consciousness and were attacked. A third man, who says he once worked for Combs, alleges the rapper drugged and assaulted him during a meeting about unpaid wages.

Combs, 55, is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. He faces federal charges including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, has pleaded not guilty, and has been denied bail three times. A trial is scheduled for May 2025.

His attorneys, who have called the growing number of allegations “full of lies,” recently secured a court order allowing Combs daily access to a discovery laptop in jail, though under strict conditions. In a statement to the BBC, they said: “We will prove them false and seek sanctions against every unethical lawyer who filed fictional claims against him.”

The men, who filed anonymously, say they fear Combs’ “reach and influence,” according to their lawsuits. Attorney Thomas Giuffra, representing the three plaintiffs, said his office has fielded inquiries from more than 60 people with claims against Combs.

In one case, an anonymous plaintiff said he felt disoriented at a private gathering in 2019 after Combs “personally offered” him a cocktail. He recalled moments of consciousness during which he was being recorded and assaulted. Another plaintiff alleges that, during a 2020 party at Combs’ East Hampton home, he began losing consciousness after drinking alcohol Combs provided, and “fading in and out” as Combs and others “took turns” raping him. The third man claims he was drugged and assaulted by Combs in February 2020 during a hotel meeting arranged to discuss unpaid wages.

Meanwhile, actor and musician Will Smith recently told a San Diego audience he has no connection to Combs, addressing online speculation by saying: “I don’t have s*** to do with Puffy, so y’all can stop all the memes.”

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

NBA YoungBoy Takes Plea Deal, Gets 23 Months in Gun Case

MILLION DOLLAZ WORTH OF GAMECC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A federal judge in Utah on Wednesday sentenced Louisiana rapper NBA YoungBoy to 23 months in prison on gun-related charges, just months after he acknowledged possessing firearms as a convicted felon.

The artist, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, also received five years of probation and must pay a $200,000 fine as part of an agreement that settles multiple federal and state cases, court documents show. He has been detained in Utah since May, reducing his remaining time behind bars to about one year.

Before U.S. District Judge Howard Nielson handed down the sentence, Gaulden, 25, apologized to the court and his family, saying, “I let my situation get the best of me. I take full responsibility.”

Nielson told Gaulden he hoped the rapper would remain “totally unfettered” by substances in the future, emphasizing the importance of “walk[ing] the straight and narrow” under court-ordered treatment and evaluations.

The sentencing stems from a 2020 incident in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where Gaulden and several others were detained during the filming of a music video. Authorities seized multiple firearms at the scene. As part of the plea deal, Gaulden agreed to relinquish the guns and plead guilty to several state charges.

“This has been a long road that involved extensive litigation and ultimately extensive negotiation,” Atlanta attorney Drew Findling, who represented Gaulden, said in a statement Wednesday. “Kentrell’s defense team is very happy for Kentrell, and we look forward to his many future successes.”

While Gaulden’s legal troubles have often overshadowed his music career, he has remained a prominent name on the charts, recently signing with Motown after fulfilling his Atlantic Records contract. Over the past several years, he has tallied multiple top 10 Billboard 200 entries, including the 2022 album “The Last Slimeto,” which peaked at No. 2.

Tuesday, December 10, 2024

J. Cole's Music Festival, Dreamville Fest, Sets 2025 as Final Year

J. Cole's Dreamville Fest, the hip-hop festival that transformed a patch of North Carolina into a haven for music and community, is taking its final bow. After four years of electrifying performances and a cultural impact that rippled far beyond the stage.

"April 5 & 6, 2025 will be the Fifth & Final Dreamville Fest 🌻," the festival announced Tuesday on its official Instagram account, adding, "What a ride it’s been… We can’t thank y’all enough for all the memories we’ve shared."
"From the very beginning," the festival organizers added, "the idea behind the fest was creating a place where our fans, the Dreamville community, could spend time together, a place where they could see themselves reflected, a place to share in experiences."
That sense of shared experience extends to the artists and organizers. J. Cole's manager, Ibrahim Hamad, expressed his gratitude Tuesday on Twitter: "I love y'all for real y'all don’t know how hard and how much work it takes to bring all this event…But just know y'all make it more than worth it every year."

Dreamville Fest has not only enriched the cultural landscape of North Carolina but also injected a significant economic boost into Wake County. In 2023 alone, the festival generated a staggering $145 million, solidifying its position as a major contributor to the state's economy.

Presale tickets go on sale Wednesday at 9 a.m. EST, with fans able to snag early access by texting DREAMVILLE to 68624.

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