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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sex Crimes Trial To Begin Monday

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Jury selection is set to begin Monday in New York in the blockbuster trial of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who dramatically fell from grace following his incarceration on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.

 

Combs, 55, has been awaiting his day in court since last year on accusations of leading a crime ring that prosecutors say coerced victims into drug-fueled sex parties using threats and violence.

Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges, insisting that any sex acts were consensual. At a recent hearing, his attorney Marc Agnifilo offered a preview of his team’s defense by describing the artist’s free-wheeling “swinger” lifestyle.

The prosecution said in court it had offered Combs a plea deal — the specifics were not disclosed — but that he had rejected it.

If convicted, the one-time rap producer and global superstar, who is often credited for his role in ushering hip-hop into the mainstream, could spend the rest of his life in prison.

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Over the decades, the artist — who has gone by various stage names including Puff Daddy and P Diddy — amassed vast wealth for his work in music but also his ventures in the liquor industry.

The jury selection start date is notably the first Monday in May — which annually marks New York’s Met Gala, a glittering celebrity charity bash where Combs was once a red carpet mainstay.

Just two years ago, he posed for the cameras at that event uptown — but on Monday, he will be in downtown in federal court, as the panel of citizens tasked with determining his fate face a barrage of questions from lawyers on both sides.

Jury selection is expected to wrap up in about a week, with opening statements tentatively scheduled for May 12.Combs was arrested by federal agents in New York in September 2024 and denied bail multiple times.

He is being held at Brooklyn’s notorious Metropolitan Detention Center, a facility plagued by complaints of vermin and decay as well as violence.

High-profile inmates there have included disgraced R&B star R. Kelly, Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell and Sam Bankman-Fried, the cryptocurrency entrepreneur convicted of fraud.

During pre-trial hearings, Combs has appeared in court looking remarkably aged, his once jet-black, styled coif now overgrown and gray.

‘Freak-offs’

Central to the case is Combs’s relationship with his former girlfriend, the singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, who is expected to be a key trial witness.

A disturbing surveillance video from 2016, which was aired by CNN last year, shows Combs physically assaulting Ventura at a hotel.

Prosecutors say the encounter occurred following one of the “freak-offs” they argue were a feature of his pattern of abuse.

The so-called “freak-offs” were coercive, drug-fueled sexual marathons including sex workers that were sometimes filmed, according to the indictment.

It’s unclear how much of the CNN video will be shown to jurors as evidence in court — the footage’s quality has been a sticking point between the opposing legal teams — but Judge Arun Subramanian has ruled that at least some of it will be admissible.

Combs has no major convictions but has long been trailed by allegations of physical assault, dating back well into the 1990s.

The floodgates against the Grammy winner opened after Ventura filed a civil suit alleging Combs subjected her to more than a decade of coercion by physical force and drugs as well as a 2018 rape.

That 2023 suit was quickly settled out of court, but a string of similarly lurid sexual assault claims from both women and men followed — and the federal criminal indictment dropped after a raid of his luxury properties in Miami and Los Angeles.

The indictment includes a charge of racketeering conspiracy, the federal statute known by its acronym RICO that was once seen as primarily targeting the mafia but in recent years has also been wielded frequently in cases of sexual abuse.

It allows government attorneys to project a long view of criminal activity rather than prosecuting isolated sex crimes, and requires proving “predicate acts” — the crimes elemental to the wider pattern of illegal wrongdoing.

In 2021, it was successfully used to convict R. Kelly, the fallen R&B hitmaker who was sentenced to more than 30 years of prison including for child sex crimes.

Industry watchers are also monitoring Combs’s case as a potential inflection point in the music world which, beyond the case of Kelly, has largely evaded the #MeToo reckoning that has rocked Hollywood.

 

 

 

 

AFP

Entertainment

Tinubu To Wife At 66: I’ll Choose Same Road That Led Me To You

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has paid an intimate tribute to his wife, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu.

 

He declared that if given another chance to begin life afresh, he would still choose the path that brought them together.

In a personal message marking the First Lady’s 66th birthday today, the President described his wife as his “truest friend and confidante,” recalling the difficult years, sacrifices, and private moments that have defined their journey together.

“If life returned me to the beginning, I would choose the same road that led me to you. Through every mile, my heart has always remained at home with you,” President Tinubu said.

The President, who addressed his wife affectionately as “Oluremi mi,” said she has stood beside him with patience, grace and “uncommon courage” through different seasons of their lives.

He recalled a Yoruba saying: “Ìyàwó rere ni adé oko ree”, meaning “a good wife is her husband’s crown,” stressing that the First Lady has given practical meaning to the expression in his life.

President Tinubu also drew from the biblical Book of Proverbs on the worth of a virtuous woman, saying his wife has remained a source of strength, counsel, and prayer, particularly during periods of uncertainty.

“You have stood by my side through every season. The burdens that were mine to bear often found their way onto your shoulders. The thoughts I could not put into words somehow found their way to you.

“In difficult times, when the future was uncertain, you stayed calm beside me and prayed with me. Through all these years, you have remained the one who truly understands me,” he said.

The President said the First Lady often knew when he needed advice even before he sought it, adding that there had been occasions when her presence alone provided the counsel he needed.

He described her honesty as one of the qualities he had treasured throughout their years together, saying she had never hesitated to tell him uncomfortable truths.

“I call you my truest friend and confidante because you speak the truth plainly, even on the days I would rather not hear it.

“After a demanding day, you wait until we are alone before telling me what I need to hear. I have always cherished you for that honesty,” he said.

The President also praised his wife for her devotion to their family, saying their children and grandchildren have grown under the influence of her prayers, faith and kindness.

According to him, the imprint of the First Lady’s devotion is evident in their home and in the values their children and grandchildren carry with them.

Turning to her public service and humanitarian activities, President Tinubu said Nigerians have come to know his wife for her compassion, generosity and steadfast faith.

He recalled her humanitarian interventions through the New Era Foundation during their years in Lagos and, more recently, through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), saying the programmes have reached young Nigerians, widows, senior citizens and women farmers across the country.

President Tinubu also lauded her advocacy for people affected by tuberculosis and other diseases, describing her as a compassionate advocate for the vulnerable.

“I know the prayers you offer for people whose names you may never know. I also know many whom you have helped without ever meeting them. For you, compassion has never recognised the boundaries of tribe, region or religion,” he said.

Reflecting on their years together, the President said their journey had taught him the true value of having a dependable partner.

“A long journey teaches a man the true value of a good partner. We have travelled a long road together. I think of the difficult decisions we talked through for hours and the sacrifices no one else saw. Laughter and prayer carried us through many of them,” he said.

Expressing gratitude for their life together, President Tinubu added: “I thank you for the life we have built and the love that has held it together.”

The President prayed for many more years of good health and happiness for the First Lady, wishing that the years ahead would bring her the same comfort and happiness she had given him and others.

“Happy 66th birthday, my darling Oluremi. I pray that God Almighty will grant you many more years in good health and joy.

“May the years ahead bring you the same comfort and happiness you have so freely given to me and many others,” President Tinubu said.

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Son Announces Actor, Olu Jacobs Death At 84

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Veteran Nigerian actor and film executive, Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, popularly known as Olu Jacobs, has died at the age of 84.

 

Report says the actor’s son, Olusoji Jacobs, announced his death in a post on Instagram on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, saying the family was grateful for his life and asking the public to respect their privacy.

“It is with gratitude to God for a life well lived and fought, that we announce the passing of our dear husband, father, grandfather and uncle. The Lion of Lufodo.

“We call on all bloggers and social media influencers to respect our families privacy at this time,” he said.

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‘My Husband Is Upset’:Real Warri Pikin Apologises Over Viral Video With Timaya

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Popular comedienne Anita Asuoha, popularly known as Warri Pikin, has apologised following backlash over a viral video featuring her and singer Timaya.

 

The controversy began over the weekend after a clip surfaced showing the comedienne dancing on stage with Timaya in a manner many described as inappropriate for a married woman.

In a video addressing the issue, Warri Pikin accepted full responsibility for her actions and expressed remorse.

She explained that she was backstage enjoying the performance when Timaya invited a woman on stage during his Ukwu song, and, out of excitement, she rushed out.

She said she initially hesitated when asked to jump on the singer but eventually gave in to avoid disrupting his performance.

The comedienne noted that the moment felt entertaining on stage but looked different online, adding that her husband is ‘upset’ about the incident.

She appealed for forgiveness from fans and critics, stressing that the act was out of character and pledging her continued commitment to her marriage.

She wrote, “Area, abeg make Una no vex for me. I take full responsibility, make Una forgive me. Na me do am to myself; I no know say if Timaya dey perform his ‘Ukwu’ song, e dey bring women come outside. I dey backstage dey vibe when I heard him say a woman should come outside, and you know I love anything vibe, hence why I rushed out o. Na me put myself for this one.

“That’s when he told me I would jump on his body, and I said I couldn’t do it. I was very reluctant, but he said I was the one who came outside, so I shouldn’t spoil his performance. It was very funny and entertaining on stage, but online it wasn’t funny. All my online in-laws, they say make I come for the marriage; where Una wan push me go? Ikechukwu now dey vex for me; where una wan put me go?

“I don plast am for the marriage say na till kingdom come. Make Una take it easy on me. Una no dey no person? It’s not in my character. There are times you find yourself in some awkward situation, and yesterday was one of them. I owe you guys this apology because I understand where you’re coming from. Not everything is hate speech. Some people are just genuinely concerned.”

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