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Diddy’s legal issues continue to get more complicated. He is now is facing two new charges due to a superseding indictment.
As spotted on Variety, the mogul will have to strategize his defense to account for some new accusations against him. Last week, prosecutors upped the ante on his federal trial with new charges against him related to sex trafficking and prostitution. The 17-page document claims Diddy trafficked “Victim 2” starting in 2021 to 2024 and “attempted, aided and abetted, and willfully caused Victim-2, to engage in commercial sex acts.” This filing also details that he “knowingly transported individuals in interstate and foreign commerce with intent that the individuals engage in prostitution.”
Diddy’s legal team has refuted the claims in an exclusive statement to Variety. “These are not new allegations or new accusers. These are the same individuals, former long-term girlfriends, who were involved in consensual relationships. This was their private sex life, defined by consent, not coercion.” Diddy is still being held at Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. He has plead not guilty to the original charges. His trial is set to commence May 5.
You can read the superseding indictment here.
Sean “Diddy” Combs and federal prosecutors are locked in a pre-trial battle over a crucial question: Whether jurors can hear testimony from numerous other accusers beyond the four women at the core of the government’s case.
In dueling court filings Monday, attorneys for the two sides exchanged heated arguments over the prosecution’s plan to call witnesses that it identifies as “non-statutory victims” – women who say they were sexually assaulted by Combs but whose claims don’t form the basis for the actual charges.
Diddy’s lawyers say the feds are trying to “pollute the trial with decades of dirt” by adding last-minute “incendiary” claims to paint him as a “bad guy”; prosecutors say Combs is “desperately” trying to keep relevant testimony about his other intent and knowledge “hidden from the jury.”
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“That testimony powerfully establishes that the defendant made no mistake when he coerced other victims into unwanted sex,” the government wrote in its filing Monday. “It proves that the defendant intended to take the sexual gratification he wanted, regardless of consent.”
Combs was indicted in September, charged with running a sprawling criminal operation that aimed to “fulfill his sexual desires.” The case centers on elaborate “freak off” parties in which Combs and others would allegedly ply victims with drugs and then coerce them into having sex, as well as on alleged acts of violence to keep victims silent.
A trial is currently set to start on May 5. If convicted on all of the charges, which include sex trafficking and racketeering, Combs faces a potential life prison sentence.
The actual criminal counts against Diddy center on four alleged victims, identified in court documents as Victim-1, Victim-2, Victim-3, and Victim-4. While Victim-1 is known to be Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, the identities of the others are unknown and prosecutors are seeking to keep it that way.
On Monday, attorneys for Combs lodged a scathing filing claiming the government had “suddenly” moved to add new accusations from other alleged victims beyond those four women. They claimed the “incendiary” new claims of sexual assault were “substantially more serious” than the actual sex trafficking and racketeering allegations – and would “make it impossible for Mr. Combs to receive a fair trial.”
“The government should not be permitted to pollute the trial with decades of dirt and invite a conviction based on propensity evidence with no proper purpose by painting Mr. Combs as a bad guy who must have committed the charged crimes,” his lawyers wrote.
Diddy’s lawyers say such testimony would not only “double the length of a trial,” but is improper “character evidence” – material not directly linked to the alleged wrongdoing that’s designed to convince jurors that a defendant could have committed the crime.
“This tactic cannot be allowed to succeed,” Combs’ lawyers wrote in their filing. “If the government’s evidence were allowed, it would mark one of the worst abuses of the character evidence rule in the history of American law.”
Later on Monday, prosecutors fired back to defend their plan, arguing that Combs himself had opened the door to such testimony by planning to argue that the alleged victims had consensually partaken in the “freak offs” and other sexual activity. They say testimony about other numerous other assaults will clearly disprove such a defense strategy.
“When the defendant inevitably argues at trial that he had no clue these four women did not want the sexual experiences that he demanded, the government should be able to point out that someone as practiced as he is in sexual assault surely recognized the signs of non-consent,” prosecutors wrote. “And when the defendant claims that he only ever intended to have consensual, loving sexual experiences with the [charged] victims, the government should be able to point out his repeated intent to sexually gratify himself with unwilling participants.”
Neither side disclosed in court filings who the new alleged victims are, or how many of them the government plans to call as witnesses. But Combs’ lawyers said that “all but one of the alleged incidents happened over twenty years ago” and that the new accusations “implicate dozens of unidentified witnesses and alleged co-conspirators around the world.”
Artists working with record labels in Latin America have a higher percentage of monthly listeners and generate more revenue on digital platforms than those who are self-released, according to a new report by Worldwide Independent Network (WIN) and the Latin American Independent Music Observatory (OLMI) on digital distribution in the region.
The report also shows that “the existence of local infrastructure (such as digital distributors) is related to higher levels of professionalization, income and knowledge of the digital value chain by artists, for example in relation to the types of existing contracts and the terms offered.”
Released on Tuesday (April 8), the study — which was conducted between 2023 and 2024 — analyzes the situation in eight countries, including Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Paraguay, and highlights how artists’ presence on digital platforms and affiliation with independent record labels positively influences their economic sustainability.
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“These results reinforce the notion that the structural and financial support that labels provide to artists is key to their success in the music ecosystem,” Noemí Planas, CEO of WIN, said in a press release. “Public and private investment to promote a professional music infrastructure in the region is key to ensure the growth of all players.”
One of the challenges the music industry faces in the region is the “heavy reliance on live performances,” the report states. That’s because “although more than 60% of artists generate income through streaming, less than 10% earn more than US$5,000 per year,” it notes. The report adds that “artists with more than 500 monthly listeners barely represent 30% [of artists]” — meaning a large majority may be affected by the recent royalty payment reforms introduced by the major streaming platforms that contemplate the demonetization of content below certain thresholds of streams and listeners.
The study found that almost a third (32.2%) of respondents market their music through distributors that have recently integrated — or are in the process of integrating — with majors, denoting a trend towards market consolidation.
“Consolidation in the music sphere is concerning because of its impact on the dissemination of Latin American independent music, especially in the digital market, where we see that there are fewer and fewer independent operators,” Planas adds. “The concentration of power, information and access channels in the hands of three large multinationals translates into worse conditions for independents, such as streaming models that demonetize their content and that they have no choice but to accept.”
The report highlights the importance of strengthening the relationship with record labels and investing in the education of key players. “[It] reaffirms the need to consolidate a professional, informed and collaborative ecosystem in Latin America,” Cristóbal Dañobeitia, director of OLMI, said in a statement. “The union between key players and investment in education, research and technology are essential to ensure equitable and sustainable growth.”
Titled “La Música Independiente en Latinoamérica: Cadena de Valor y Distribución Digital” (“Independent Music in Latin America: Value Chain and Digital Distribution”), the study was commissioned by WIN and developed by an interdisciplinary team of experts from OLMI, in collaboration with trade associations ABMI, IMICHILE and AMI PY, as well as AMPROFON, Sociedad Chilena de Autores e Intérpretes Musicales (SCD), Alianza Francesa Costa Rica and Universidad de los Andes.
To access the full report (in Spanish) click here.
LISA is feeling emotional as she checks out of the White Lotus. Following the show’s finale, the BLACKPINK star reflected on her first-ever acting gig in a heartfelt Instagram post Tuesday (April 8), writing, “What a ride.”
“Thank you Mike White for trusting in me to fulfill the role of Mook and bring her character to life,” LISA continued, sharing a slew of photos taken on set in her home country of Thailand, where the third season of the hit Max series was filmed. “It was the greatest honor to be part of this show as my first acting gig alongside such incredible actors. And I’m so proud to be able to share my culture and show the beauty of Thailand to the world.”
“Mook has changed my life in a way where I am learning more about myself and my capabilities,” added the K-pop star. “My Sunday nights may feel a lot emptier but closing out The White Lotus with a full heart.”
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LISA’s post comes two days after the final episode of White Lotus season three premiered on Max. On the show, the “Rockstar” singer played an employee of the fictional hotel chain’s Thailand location and starred opposite Tayme Thapthimthong — whose character Gaitok had a big crush on Mook — in many of her scenes.
In one of the photos LISA posted, Thapthimthong lies on the floor in a staging area behind the scenes of White Lotus, smiling at the girl group star’s camera. In other pictures, LISA — wearing her khaki White Lotus uniform — sits on the beach in a director’s chair, watches back one of her scenes on a tablet on set and hangs out with an adorable dog. She also included a video of herself mastering driving Mook’s scooter with the help of a few crew members, hilariously letting out an anxious screech before riding down the street.
LISA’s turn on White Lotus was just one of a few major projects she worked on during BLACKPINK’s hiatus over the past year or so. She also dropped her debut solo album, Alter Ego — which debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and featured collaborations with Doja Cat and RAYE, Megan Thee Stallion, Rosalía and more — in February.
Now that her first solo album is out and White Lotus is wrapped up, LISA will now gear up to reunite with her BLACKPINK bandmates this summer. The girl group is currently working on new music and will embark on a world tour kicking off in July, marking the foursome’s first trek since 2022-23’s Born Pink World Tour.
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There’s been a new addition to the Shady Crew. Eminem’s daughter Hailie Jade Scott has welcomed a son with her husband Evan McClintock.
Elliot Marshall McClintock was born on March 14, 2025, and his proud mom recently shared his first public photo, writing, “happy due date//3 weeks earthside little e 🤍,” Scott said.
The baby’s middle name is an ode to her father, whose real name is Marshall Mathers.
Little Elliot is the Grammy Award-winning rapper’s first grandchild.
In a music video last year, for his song, “Temporary,” the rapper shared some rarely seen home movies in tribute to his daughter, and at the end, Hailie presented him with a Detroit Lions jersey with “Grandpa” embroidered across the back. The 52-year-old rapper’s jaw dropped and his eyes teared up at the announcement.
Scott, 29, hosts a podcast called “Just a Little Shady,” recently shared on her show her excitement about becoming a mother. “It’s so weird to think about… I can’t even wrap my head around it,” Scott said, according to People Magazine. “I have to meet this human that I’ve created. What’s he gonna look like? What’s he gonna … what’s his personality gonna be [like]? It’s strange but super exciting.”
Eminem has famously written numerous songs in celebration of his daughter. Songs like “Just the Two of Us,” and “My Dad’s Gone Crazy,” have featured her voice. She and her husband met while attending Michigan State University, where she majored in psychology. She is currently an influencer and on the fourth season of her popular podcast.
Turnstile has announced its first album in four years: Never Enough, the long-awaited follow-up to the hardcore band’s 2021 breakthrough Glow On, will be released on June 6, the band revealed on Tuesday (April 8). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In addition, Turnstile shared a preview […]
Blink-182 announced the dates for their 2025 Missionary Impossible U.S. tour on Tuesday morning (April 8). The late summer/fall trek will hit arenas, amphitheaters and stadiums across the country. The Live Nation-promoted outing is slated to kick off on Aug. 28 at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL and will include stops in Tampa, […]
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The Tron franchise may not have the cult following of say a Star Wars or even Star Trek, but it does have a decent sized fanbase. And now, they’ll be able to experience an entirely new story as Disney released a new trailer to the upcoming Tron: Ares, and it looks pretty damn interesting.
Starring Jared Leto and OG Tron star, Jeff Bridges, Tron: Ares continues the legacy. Though plot details are scarce right now, it does seem like the digital world of Tron will somehow enter our reality and lead to a war that humanity is just not prepared for. The new teaser trailer was revealed at the D23 event this past weekend, and according to Variety, Jeff Bridges was amazed at just how far the franchise has come these past few decades.
Per Variety:
“It’s really unbelievable to think we made the original in 1982,” Bridges said on stage when “Tron: Ares” was unveiled during the 2024 D23 Expo. “It’s amazing — we never thought we would have this legacy that’s continued on all these years.”
It was also revealed at D23 that Nine Inch Nails, the industrial rock and electronica band founded by Trent Reznor and joined in 2016 by frequent collaborator Atticus Ross, are scoring the film. Reznor and Ross have won Oscars for their scores for 2010’s “The Social Network” and 2020’s “Soul.” They also won Grammys for their soundtracks to “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” and “Soul.” Most recently, they scored Luca Guadagnino’s hit tennis film “Challengers.”
We’re not the biggest fans of Tron ’round these parts, but the trailer does look very intriguing. So we might have to check it out.
Peep the teaser trailer for Tron: Ares, and let us know if you’ll be checking for it when it hits theaters this coming October in the comments section below.
Island Records has promoted Marshall Nolan to executive vp, head of commercial strategy. Based in New York, Nolan reports directly to Imran Majid and Justin Eshak, co-chairmen and CEOs of Island Records.
In his enhanced role — he was previously svp — Nolan will continue leading streaming, physical and D2C strategy for the label. Since joining UMG in 2022, he has been pivotal to the breakthrough campaigns of Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, the development of rising stars Gigi Perez, Lola Young, and Charley Crockett, and the continued success of Bon Jovi, Shawn Mendes, Demi Lovato and The Killers.
Last September, Nolan was recognized as Billboard’s executive of the week for his role in orchestrating the leave-no-stone-unturned commercial strategy (radio promo, streaming, multiple variants to boost sales) behind Carpenter’s album Short N’ Sweet, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. “The plan from the start was that every detail mattered,” Nolan told us. “We knew to double down on her strengths, in areas like e-commerce, and once we built a rhythm there, it afforded us the time to nurture elements that still had room for growth.”
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Prior to joining UMG, Nolan spent five years at Columbia Records as senior director of the commercial team, working on key projects for artists such as Adele, Harry Styles, Hozier, Beyoncé and The Neighbourhood.
Eshak and Majid expressed their excitement about Nolan’s promotion, highlighting his leadership, deep understanding of music and visionary approach to commercial strategy. “His strong, trusted relationships with our label’s artist roster and their respective teams have led to some of the most exciting commercial marketing campaigns in recent memory,” they said in a joint statement. “We’re excited for his next phase and the opportunities he’ll bring to our team and artists we support.”
Nolan emphasized the artist-first culture at Island, saying “Nothing is off limits if it benefits the artist, which opens up the boundaries and enables us to effectively deliver at the highest level on their behalf.”
The executive is also committed to philanthropy, raising awareness and funds for metastatic breast cancer research through organizations like BCRF and The Pink Agenda, inspired by his sister-in-law cancer battle.
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Baka Not Nice, the rapper and close Drake affiliate, recently spoke out about his name being dropped in Kendrick Lamar’s explosive diss track “Not Like Us.”
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At one point in the “Not Like Us” diss track, Kendrick says, “Baka has a weird case. Why is he around?”. According to Yahoo, Baka was allegedly accused in 2014 of forcing a 22-year-old woman into prostitution. In 2015, he ended up pleading guilty to assaulting her and violating rules related to some separate gun charges, as reported by The Toronto Sun.
The song shook the entire Hip-Hop world and went viral, even getting a performance at the Super Bowl halftime show. For Baka, though, the track wasn’t just some rap beef, it was a personal attack that had him heated.
Baka kept it 100 about his initial reaction: “At first, the instinct was to respond quick. Where I’m from, that sh*t don’t happen. You can’t just call out a man with no receipts. That’s wild,” he said. The way people ate up the diss, treating it like fact, only added to the frustration. “Everybody has to understand, I got a kid, Drake got a kid. Making accusations like that is crazy,” he added, letting it be known that this wasn’t just rap talk, it hit home.
It wasn’t long before Baka got a message from “The Boy” aka Drake, that helped him chill. “Yo, I know how you feel, I know how you get down. Don’t let the noise get to you, it’s just noise. All those people talkin’ ain’t even real. They’re bots,” Drake told him. That advice helped Baka fall back and avoid doing or saying something he’d regret.
Drake’s homie Baka made it clear: once people start doing their research and realize Kendrick just made up a whole story, they should be looking at Kendrick funny, not him or Drake. It’s a reminder that Hip-Hop narratives are powerful, but they’re also easily twisted. Facts always come out, and when they do, the truth will speak louder than the lies.
Check out the clip below: