legal issues
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Sean “Diddy” Combs is currently behind bars at a detention facility in New York as he awaits sentencing and his legal troubles are still mounting. A new lawsuit filed by Thalia Graves alleges that Diddy and a bodyguard brutally assaulted her and that the incident was filmed.
As reported by CNN, Thalia Graves, 48, held a press conference alongside Gloria Allred on Tuesday (September 24) in Los Angeles. Graves was a former resident of Queens who encountered Diddy around 1999 and 2000 as her boyfriend at the time was a part of the Bad Boy Records executive team.
In her lawsuit, Graves says that in the summer of 2001 while at her mother’s home, she entered into a vehicle with Combs and his bodyguard Joseph “Big Joe” Sherman and accepted a glass of wine. She alleges in the suit that after having the wine, she began to feel strange after consuming the beverage.
Graves said that she eventually passed out from the wine, which she alleges was tainted with drugs, and woke up naked in a Manhattan studio with her hands tied behind her. She goes on to say that Combs sexually assaulted her and used force to keep her stationery as she tried to resist. She added that Sherman sexually assaulted her as well as she regained and lost consciousness.
While flanked by Allred, the current Texas native said that the encounter with Diddy left her physically and emotionally damaged.
“The combination of physical and emotional pain has created a cycle of suffering from which it is so hard to break free,” Graves said, through tears. “I want to continue on this journey towards recovery and healing. I’m glad that he is locked up, but that’s a temporary feeling of relief.”
While Combs’ legal team has yet to respond to Graves’ 26-page complaint, Sherman issued a statement saying that Graves’ assertion of him assaulting her were “false and baseless accusations” and added that Graves is looking to cash in on a financial settlement.
“These accusations are not only false but damaging to my character,” Sherman said. “I have never met the accuser, and I was not working with Sean Combs during the time in question. I will be pursuing legal action to address this defamation and protect my name.”
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Photo: Getty
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Source: Bad Boy Records / Bad Boy
Diddy is seemingly letting the world know he is keeping his head up regardless of all the scandals involving his name. He recently posted a video alluding to him enduring all his legal troubles.
As reported by Digital Music News, the embattled music mogul has kept a very low profile ever since he was accused of multiple acts of sexual misconduct and more. On Saturday, May 4, he posted a video that opens up with a camera shot moving down a white hallway as audio of Bishop TD Jakes saying “not hysterical, not frantic, not anxious, not fretful…but steady in the storm” plays. It then transitions into footage of Diddy hugging an unidentified individual and joining a prayer circle with his family. The closing scene shows The Love Album: Off the Grid rapper at the beach while it is raining hard, with his arms raised to the sky; it appears he is embracing the moment regardless of the harsh winds.
Though he doesn’t speak in the video, it is safe to assume the inclement weather is symbolic of all the legal issues he has been facing. On April 26, Diddy’s legal team filed a motion requesting that a sexual assault claim be dismissed because it was “brought under statutes that did not exist at the time the alleged misconduct occurred.” The victim, Joi Dickerson-Neal, claims Diddy drugged her and filmed their romantic encounter then later showed it to one of his friends. In essence, her claim was filed nearly 30 years after she says the incident occurred, and the New York State Revenge Porn Law was not passed until 2019.
You can watch Diddy’s Instagram post below.
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Source: Courtesy of Damon Dash / Damon Dash
Dame Dash will have to seek new legal representation. His lawyers have served him resignation papers due to unpaid fees.
HotNewHipHop is reporting that the Harlem, New York, native’s debts continue to increase. Last week, Felton T. Newell and Justin H. Sanders, Esqs., of Sanders Roberts LLP formally abandoned their positions as the lawyers on record for the media mogul. The reasons they cited included “breach of contractual obligations to the firm” and claimed Dame Dash “failed to fulfill their financial obligations under their retainer agreement, resulting in the firm initiating an enforcement action against them.”
The firm was representing Dame Dash in his court battle against Monique Bunn. Back in 2023, the photographer claimed he sexually assaulted her but he was eventually cleared of any wrong doing. According to documents obtained by HipHopDX, she has since requested that the case be reopened citing the jury did not understand the gravity of the damages she suffered. Bunn also states that she was not compensated for her work and that Dame Dash.
“The evidence at trial – which was uncontroverted – established that each photo was worth $1,500, which should have resulted in a verdict for at least $384,750,000,” the 285-page document read. “It is well known that professional photographers earn much of their income through licensing their portfolio of photographs, and Defendants’ actions destroyed Ms. Bunn’s economic prospects. The jury ignored the valuation evidence and awarded zero to Ms. Bunn.”
Dame Dash has yet to formally respond to the matter. You can read through the lawyer’s notice of resignation below.
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Diddy, known also as Sean Combs, had his homes in Los Angeles and Miami raided on Monday (March 25) in connection to a federal sex trafficking investigation. A video of Diddy surfaced online and showed the mogul simply walking around a Miami airport.
TMZ shared the footage of Diddy, 54, walking around Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport and was reportedly stopped by law enforcement officials.
According to an eyewitness, Diddy was waiting on other people who were part of his entourage who too were stopped by investigators although it isn’t known if anything came of it. The Department of Homeland Security officers appeared on the scene while the Bad Boy Records honcho was on a private jet.
Rumors online persisted that Combs was attempting to flee the country but considering that he isn’t under arrest, it does not appear that Diddy is on the run.
Thus far, four Jane Does, and one John Doe have been questioned by the Southern District of New York, who is said to be leading the criminal investigation.
This story is still developing and as new details emerge, we will update our reporting.
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Photo: ANGELA WEISS / Getty
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Pras Michel and his ongoing legal issues are far from nearing a solid conclusion after the Fugees rapper and entrepreneur requested a new trial via an explosive claim. According to a new report, Pras Michel claims his former attorney used artificial intelligence in his closing argument during the trial earlier this year that ended in the Haitian-American’s conviction.
As Politico reported, Pras Michel, who was convicted in April on several charges including witness tampering, acting as an unregistered foreign agent for China, and conspiracy, alleges that his former defense team used AI to create his closing argument in that earlier trial.
From Politico:
In a withering motion filed Monday night with a federal judge in Washington, Michel’s new attorneys argued that his Los Angeles-based lawyer David Kenner relied on the fledgling technology at critical points in Michel’s trial, contributing to “prejudicial ineffective assistance of counsel.”
Kenner “used an experimental artificial intelligence (AI) program to draft the closing argument, ignoring the best arguments and conflating the charged schemes, and he then publicly boasted that the AI program ‘turned hours or days of legal work into seconds,’” Michel’s new defense team from D.C.-based ArentFox Schiff wrote. “It is now apparent that Kenner and his co-counsel appear to have had an undisclosed financial stake in the AI program, and they experimented with it during Michel’s trial so they could issue a press release afterward promoting the program — a clear conflict of interest.”
A former publicist for Michel added that Kenner allegedly admitted that “AI wrote our closing,” which former federal prosecutor Peter Zeidenberg shared in a declaration that went with the current defense team’s motion.
Pras Michel joined his Fugees bandmates on Tuesday (October 17) for the start of a reunion tour in support of the 25th anniversary of Lauryn Hill’s acclaimed solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
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Photo: ANGELA WEISS / Getty
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Source: Bernard Smalls for iOne Digital / Bernard Smalls iOne Digital
While their legal fight against Sabrina Peterson isn’t over, T.I. and Tiny Harris have scored a minor victory. A judge has thrown out some of her claims.
As per AllHipHop the Atlanta trapper turned rapper was sued by Sabrina Peterson back in 2021. The entrepreneur accused T.I. of threatening her life with a firearm. “The first victim allegedly had the same gun that was pulled on me, her three children were forced in the closet at gunpoint. She described the same gun [from T.I.]. She described the same exact gun. There’s no way that this woman would be able to vividly describe this gun unless she actually seen this very gun,” Peterson said on an interview with Hollywood Unlocked at the time.
But Law 360 reports that this week, California’s Second District Court of Appeal tossed out some of her claims specifically her allegations of trade libel, suffering emotional distress and negligent interference with prospective economic advantage. Therefore she will have to pay “fees and costs incurred both in the trial court and on appeal in moving to strike the claims on which they prevailed.” The court is allowing her to move forward with her claims of defamation and false light invasion of privacy.
Neither T.I. nor Tiny have commented on the rulings, but their lawyer handling the case said he was “generally pleased with the decision.”
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Shawn Kemp made headlines this week after he was arrested in connection to what was widely reported as a drive-by shooting, prompting many to scratch their heads. According to the retired NBA great’s legal team, Kemp fired his weapon in self-defense and new details are currently emerging.
Shawn Kemp, 53, was arrested near the Tacoma Mall in Tacoma, Wash. on Wednesday (March 8) after reports went wide that two vehicles exchanged gunfire. Details were scant at the time but now more information has come out regarding the shooting incident.
The Associated Press writes that Kemp was released from jail Thursday afternoon without facing charges and the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office says it won’t be bringing any forward.
“We’re grateful they didn’t rush to judgment,” said Seattle criminal defense lawyer Tim Leary, who is representing Kemp, according to the outlet.
W. Scott Boatman, in a separate written statement, added that Kemp’s car was broken into on Tuesday of this week, and among the items stolen was an iPhone that Kemp tracked by location to a car parked near the Tacoma Mall. Kemp approached the car and was met with gunshots then returned fire.
“There was not a drive by shooting as previously reported and Mr. Kemp’s actions were reasonable and legally justified,” Boatman wrote in his note to ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski. “Mr. Kemp met with law enforcement at the scene in an attempt to assist in the matter. Mr. Kemp has retained criminal attorneys Aaron Kiviat and Tim Leary to represent him and ensure that he is exonerated of all charges.”
Curiously enough, many online are pointing out how the moment became jokes and meme fodder on social media but Kemp has more than enough support as many saw a rush to judgment after news of the arrest went wide.
Shawn Kemp has yet to make any public statements about the incident.
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Photo: Leon Bennett / Getty
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Eminem recently filed legal opposition to the name of a podcast that uses a portion of his famous nickname. In the filing, the Real Slim Shady believes that a burgeoning podcast, Reasonably Shady, will cause confusion as it pertains to his likeness and brands.
Page Six exclusively reports that on Feb. 14, Eminem, real name Marshall Mathers, filed the objection to the name Reasonably Shady, a podcast series hosted by Real Housewives of Potomac stars, Gizelle Bryant and Robyn Dixon. The pair filed for a trademark to sell merch with the title of their series emblazoned upon the gear.
The outlet adds that Eminem believes the show’s title would confuse many of his consumers who know him as Shady, and it was reported that he also owns the trademark to Shady for use on merchandise.
Bryant and Dixon’s podcast launched in 2021 and they recently filed for the trademark for Reasonably Shady at the top of the year, hence Eminem’s filing this earlier this month in response. The hosts intend to sell hoodies, socks, water bottles, and other merchandise.
As Page Six shared in their report, a reply from Bryant and Dixon has yet to occur.
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Photo: VALERIE MACON / Getty
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