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Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura will testify against him under her real name at his looming sex trafficking and racketeering trial, according to new court filings.
Ventura, whose civil rape lawsuit triggered the rapper’s downfall, will not use the pseudonym “Victim-1” when she takes the stand at his May trial and will instead “testify under her own name,” federal prosecutors told a judge in filings on Friday (April 4). But three other alleged victims of Combs should remain anonymous in court filings and at the trial, prosecutors wrote.
“This case has already received an exceptional amount of media coverage, which will presumably only increase as trial proceeds,” the government lawyers wrote. “Permitting these measures will prevent unnecessary public disclosure of the victims’ identities, and the harassment from the media and others, undue embarrassment, and other adverse consequences.”
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Combs, also known as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, was once one of the most powerful men in the music industry. But in November 2023, Cassie filed a civil lawsuit claiming he had repeatedly physically abused her over the course of their decade-long relationship, including one instance of rape. That case quickly ended with a settlement, but it sparked a cascade of allegations that has not yet stopped.
In September, Combs was indicted on charges that he misused the “employees, resources, and influence” of his business empire 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, Combs faces a potential life prison sentence.
Since filing her civil lawsuit under her real name, Cassie has been known as one of Combs’ accusers, but she has been listed in court documents only as “Victim-1.” The identities of three other women cited in court documents as Victim-2, Victim-3, and Victim-4 remain unknown.
In Friday’s filing, prosecutors said they wanted to keep it that way. They cited recent cases against R. Kelly, Ghislaine Maxwell and others in which judges allowed alleged victims to remain anonymous.
“The practice of allowing alleged victims of sexual abuse to testify under a pseudonym has been widely permitted because requiring alleged victims to publicly provide their names could chill their willingness to testify for fear of having their personal histories publicized and may cause further harassment or embarrassment,” prosecutors wrote. “There is no reason for this Court to deviate from that well-established practice here.”
Lizzo is gearing up to release her next album Love in Real Life, and she’s reflecting on the mental health break and journey she had leading up to the album.
The star joined the On Purpose With Jay Shetty podcast, where she discussed taking a “gap year” in releasing music. “I don’t feel like I’ve expressed myself fully in the last two years, like how I want to. I feel like I’ve been kind of holding my tongue and like staying to myself, but I think that it’s for the best because you know, running your mouth these days,” she said. “Sometimes it’s just unnecessary and sometimes it can get you into some stuff you wasn’t even trying to get into because people will misinterpret it and run with it. I found when I was like, I’m taking a gap year, I’m protecting my peace. But like, people were like, wait, so what’s that supposed to mean?”
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Lizzo has already released two songs from her upcoming album, “Still Bad” and the title track. Aside from “Pink” for Greta Gerwig’s 2023 Barbie soundtrack, the first singles from the project mark the Yitty founder’s first proper releases since 2022’s Special, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and spawned two-week Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “About Damn Time.”
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It also marks her first album since the harassment lawsuit brought by three of her former dancers in August 2023.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles by dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez, accuses Lizzo (real name Melissa Jefferson) and her Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc. of a wide range of legal wrongdoing and included dozens of pages of detailed allegations. Lizzo denied the claims in a response shared to Twitter, calling them “false allegations” and “sensationalized stories.”
Lizzo told Shetty of public perception, “I think when it was out of my control and someone else could tell a story about me that wasn’t true and people believed it, it crushed me,” before adding, “I think what I learned about fame is, even if that’s really me, it just becomes kind of like a, a fictional story that you, it’s a character, it’s a brand, it’s a thing that now doesn’t belong to you anymore.”
She continued, “Whoever Lizzo is to the world is not really even me. And that disconnect is depressing. And I think the only remedy to that is continuing to be myself. That’s the time. I just have to continue to be me and people will see me for who I am.”
Ultimately, Lizzo concluded, “I’m never gonna stop… If anything, I’m more careful now. I can’t just let any author into my life who can make me a villain. I can’t do that anymore. ’cause I’m the author and I. Taking back my narrative by continuing to tell my story from me, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to do that.”
Watch the full episode below.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. If you’re looking to improve your damaged strands, you can rest easy — Beyoncé’s beautifying hairline Cécred has officially launched at […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. With the surprise box office success of A Minecraft Movie, the video game adaptation is one of the hottest things in […]
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J. Cole closed out this weekend’s fifth annual and final Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, N.C., delivering a crowd-pleasing set while using the moment to address the festival’s end. During his time on stage, J. Cole says that while the Dreamville Festival is no longer, Raleigh will host an annual musical and community-focused celebration, and Cole promised to be a part of that movement going forward.
J. Cole graced the stage Sunday (April 6) at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh in front of a sold-out crowd that saw the likes of EarthGang, Ari Lennox, Bas, Omen, Cozz, J.I.D., Tems, Keyshia Cole, BigXThaPlug, Coco Jones, Wale, and more.
Cole invited fellow headliner Erykah Badu onstage for his set, and the pair delivered Cole’s “Too Deep For The Intro” from his 2010 mixtape, Friday Night Lights, which samples Badu’s classic “Didn’t Cha Know” track.
The Fayetteville native paused his set to address the chatter surrounding the conclusion of the Dreamville Festival, but eased concerns by stating fully that the show will go on, but under a new arrangement the city made that will bring shows to town over the next four years.
“We said this is the last Dreamville Festival,” J. Cole said as he asked for the crowd’s full attention.. “I’m just keeping it 100 with y’all, that sh*t be a lot. We want to put on some amazing st for y’all, we want to do it for Carolina, you know what I mean? Because, we love being able to offer that and bring amazing artists, and that sh*t be a lot.”
Cole added, “But as I’m walking around today, 73 people said to me, ‘Cole this can’t be the last one,’ but I’m a just let y’all know our plan. We still gonna bring some sh*t. It will still exist. It might not have the motherf*cking Dreamville Festival name on it, but we will be back with this feel.”
During our time on the ground, people we spoke to off the record told Hip-Hop Wired that the city struck a four-year agreement with Live Nation, although we haven’t seen a confirmed press release stating so.
Check out the footage from the Dreamville Festival by clicking here.
Stay tuned to Hip-Hop Wired to check out our exclusive recap and backstage interviews with some of the talent and celebrities on hand at the festival.
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Photo: Source: Astrida Valigorsky / Getty
Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her condolences on Monday (April 7) over the deaths of two photographers on Saturday (April 5) during the AXE Ceremonia music festival in Mexico City. The president said her government would review the license granted to the venue at Parque Bicentenario.
“We regret and send our solidarity to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident,” Sheinbaum said during her morning press conference. “Beyond the fact that it was an accident, we need to look into how the equipment that fell was set up. An investigation needs to be carried out. There should be no impunity in this case.”
Photographers Miguel Ángel Rojas Hernández and Citlali Berenice Giles Rivera died over the weekend when a crane carrying a decorative metal object collapsed during the festival. The accident prompted city authorities to cancel the second day of the event on Sunday (April 6). The attorney general’s office of Mexico City announced the start of an investigation..
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Sheinbaum noted that the mayor’s office of Miguel Hidalgo, the borough where Parque Bicentenario is located, is responsible for authorizing such events, regardless of the federal ownership of the property. As a result, she instructed the Secretariat of Agrarian, Territorial, and Urban Development (SEDATU) to review the venue’s license, assess the conditions under which it was granted, and determine whether it is feasible to revoke their license.
Earlier on Monday, the AXE Ceremonia festival released a statement on the fatal accident, extending its condolences to the victims’ loved ones. “From the very first moment, we have been by the families’ side, providing them with all the support and assistance we can,” it reads.
British band Massive Attack, who, along with rapper Tyler, the Creator, headlined the festival on Sunday, joined in expressing their condolences on social media over the deaths of the photographers. “We are shocked and saddened by the tragic and avoidable deaths of Berenice Giles and Miguel Hernández. Our thoughts are with their families and friends during this difficult time,” the band said in their Instagram Stories.
On Sunday (April 6), friends of the two victims, photographers, journalists, content creators, and members of the public held a protest outside Parque Bicentenario to honor them and demand that there be no impunity in the investigation.
“There wasn’t any clarity about what had happened until we left the event. It’s absolutely devastating,” Mexican artist Luisa Almaguer, who performed as part of Saturday’s lineup at AXE Ceremonia, told Billboard Español. “The show definitely should not have continued.”
On Monday, the funerals for Miguel Ángel Rojas and Berenice Giles were held in Mexico City, according to reports from the N+ Foro news channel.
“Cozy” hitmaker Braxton Keith has been on the road promoting his debut EP, Blue, and during a recent tour stop, he brought the concert to a halt to call out some concertgoers for throwing a barrage of beer cans at the stage.
While performing his song “Honky Tonk City” at a show in Gilmer, Texas, he continually dodged beer cans being thrown onstage, before finally stopping the show to address the crowd. “Hey listen up, pause this s–t,” he said, signaling to his band to stop playing. “I didn’t come here to get beer cans thrown at me, alright? This isn’t a godd–n Gavin Adcock concert, okay?” he added, referencing his fellow country musician’s audiences.
Keith continued, admonishing his crowd and reminding them to be respectful not only to him, but to their fellow concertgoers. “Don’t be throwin’ f–kin’ beers out here,” he said. “These people at the front are gettin’ wet up here and it’s gonna piss them off and it’s gonna piss me off.”
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He also noted the presence of a younger concertgoer in the audience, in an attempt to get the crowd to curb their can-tossing behavior. “This little girl right here’s never been to a country concert before, and it’s her first d–n time, okay? We’re gonna have a good show for her, okay?” he said, before concluding that “we’re comin’ here to listen to country music” and continuing with his song “Honky Tonk City.”
Keith shared a video clip of the moment on TikTok, and doubled down on his on-stage comments in the caption. “This is unacceptable behavior for any concert including my brother @GavinAdcockMusic,” he wrote. “Nobody likes beer and trash getting thrown at them. I love live music and when given the opportunity to speak up about unruliness in the concert community, I will protect my audience, band, crew, equipment, and most importantly, the integrity of live performance experiences.”
Adcock offered his own take on the situation, writing a comment admonishing Keith for bringing his name up on Country Central’s Instagram post about the incident. “Maybe he should learn how to handle HIS fans without bringing someone else into it,” he wrote. “I do it every night without bringing anybody else up. Welcome to the big leagues kid.”
Keith’s next show is April 11 at the Galveston County Fair and Rodeo in Hitchcock, Texas.
After two decades of snipes and barbed words traded back and forth, Madonna and Sir Elton John are here to report a groundbreaking piece of news — their feud is apparently over.
In a photo posted to her Instagram on Monday (April 7), the “Material Girl” singer is giving the “Rocket Man” star a side-hug, and reported that she and the star are on the same page at long last. “We Finally Buried the Hatchet!!!” Madonna wrote in her caption. “I went to see @eltonjohn perform on SNL this weekend!! WOW.”
In the caption, Madonna revealed that seeing one of John’s shows when she was in high school “changed the course of my life,” helping her realize that she wanted to become a pop sensation. So, when John publicly expressed his disdain for her, she says she felt wounded. “I had always felt like an outsider growing up and watching him on stage helped me to understand that it was OK to be different —to stand out — to take the road, less traveled by,” she wrote. “Over the decades it hurt me to know that someone I admired so much shared his dislike of me publicly as an artist. I didn’t understand it.”
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The pair’s feud officially started in 2002, when John said that Madge’s “Die Another Day” was “the worst Bond tune ever” and that the track “hasn’t got a tune.” He continued to throw digs at the pop singer at the 2004 Q Awards, where he lambasted her winning the best live act award at the ceremony. “Madonna, best live act? F— off. Since when has lip-synching been live?” he asked. “I think everyone who lip-synchs on stage in public when you pay, like, 75 quid to see them should be shot.”
The feud escalated in 2012, when both Madonna and John were up for best original song at the 69th annual Golden Globes — Madonna for “Masterpiece” from W.E., and John for “Hello, Hello” from Gnomeo & Juliet. When Madonna eventually won the award, John’s husband, David Furnish, blasted her win on his Facebook account, claiming that her victory showed the awards had “nothing to do with merit.” Madonna, for her part, reacted to John and Furnish’s comments backstage, saying “[John]’s been known to get mad at me, so I don’t know. He’s brilliant, and I adore him, so he’ll win another award. I don’t feel bad.”
But on her latest Instagram post, Madonna revealed that when she went to go visit with John backstage at SNL on Saturday (April 5), the “Your Song” singer was immediately apologetic. “I needed to go backstage and confront him. When I met him, the first thing out of his mouth was, ‘Forgive Me’ and the wall between us fell down,” she wrote. “Forgiveness is a powerful tool. Within minutes. We were hugging.”
Madge even revealed that this reconciliation could potentially bear fruit. “Then he told me had written a song for me and he wanted to collaborate. It was like everything came full circle,” she wrote. “And you can tell everybody , This is Your Song……….”
John thanked Madonna for “forgiving me and my big mouth” in the comments of the post, highlighting her work as an activist for the fight against HIV and AIDS as one of the many reasons he admires her. “I’m not proud of what I said. Particularly when I think about all the groundbreaking work you have done as an artist,” he wrote. “I’m grateful we can move forward.”
The star added that he hoped the two of them could serve as an example to people around the world of what reconciliation looks like in a divided political landscape. “I’m increasingly distressed by all the divisiveness in our world at the moment. Both you and I have wholeheartedly been accepted and embraced by communities who are under threat around the world,” he wrote. “By pulling together, I’m hopeful that we can make great things happen for those who really need support.”
It’s been seven long years since the release of DJ Koze’s brilliant and beloved 2018 album Knock Knock, with his followup, Music Can Hear Us, released April 4 of the German wizard’s own Pampa Records label.
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The project’s 15 tracks are classic Koze — music that feels at once totally organic and deeply considered, weaving in acoustic guitar, hand drums and bird calls while occasionally veering into dancefloor territory, but altogether equally as well-suited to a soundbath.
Featuring collaborations with artists including Damon Albarn, Sofia Kourtesis, Marley Waters and Ada and Sophia Kennedy (the latter two both Pampa Records signees), the project extends and expands Koze’s reputation as a sort of sage of electronic music, an artist who exists within the genre, but doesn’t always necessarily seem of it. It comes ahead of DJ Koze sets at summer festivals including Barcelona’s Primavera Sound in June and San Francisco’s Outside Lands this August.
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Here, the artist born Stefan Kozalla engages in a characteristically existential conversation about the right setting in which to listen to Music Can Hear Us, the proudest moments of his career so far and more.
1. Where are you in the world right now, and what’s the setting like?
I am everywhere and nowhere, floating in the echo chamber of creation. The sun hums the rhythm, the moon sips the bassline.
2. What is the first album or piece of music you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?
The first music I did not buy, only receive. Sound is a gift from the universe, in my case from my mother, who sang me a lullaby while holding me against her chest.
3. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid, and what do or did they think of what you’ve done and do now?
My father was an attorney, sharp with words and justice, while my mother was a midwife, bringing new life into the world. They saw me weaving rhythms out of thin air and said, “You’re an attorney of sound, defending truth with every beat, and a midwife to melody, helping music be born.“ I’m still Koze from da block.
4. What is the first non-gear thing you bought for yourself when you started making money as an artist?
The first thing I bought was a pair of shoes to walk a little further, a book to open my mind wider, and a Tascam 4 track to capture the thoughts that danced in my head.
5. If you had to recommend one album for someone looking to get into dance music, what would you give them?
Matthew Herbert’s Bodily Functions from 2001 is a truly unique album that blends house music with deep conceptual exploration.
6. What’s the last song you listened to?
“Remember to Remember” from Rick Holme.
7. If, as you say, Music Can Hear Us, what exactly does it hear?
Music hears everything — the heart, the soul, the past, the future. It hears thoughts before they are spoken.
8. Seriously though, please tell me the story behind or meaning of that album title?
Nothing to add.9. I know you remixed Gorillaz’s “Humility” in 2018. Did that lead to Damon Albarn being on your album? Or if not, how did he end up on “Pure Love“?
Yes, the reincarnation of the old song was the birth of the new song.
10. Please, tell the story behind the name of “The Talented Mr. Tripley.” Does the title in any way nod to the song’s inspiration?
Mr. Tripley is a man with three faces — one for truth, one for lies, one for the space in between. It’s what you don’t hear or tell in a song that’s important!
11. What does success for the new album look like for you?
Success is making hearts resonate, not numbers.
12. Do you feel like there’s an ideal setting for it to be played in? Do you have recommendations for listeners, in terms of an optimal experience?
Play it in the desert at sunrise, play it underwater so the fish can listen, play it in a dark room with only a candle and the spirit beside you.
13. Pampa Records signees Ada and Sophia Kennedy are on the album. What is the label’s prevailing philosophy and approach?
Pampa Records is like a spaceship flying through sound, piloted by the rhythm itself. No borders, no walls—only music in its purest form.
14. The album cover art is gorgeous. What’s the story behind it?
The album cover art is truly special. My girlfriend, Gepa Hinrichsen, loves to paint with oils. She is my favorite painter. I feel incredibly lucky that her beautiful creations help to visualize the music, weaving together sound and vision in a way that transcends the ordinary.
15. In the sprawling world of electronic music and DJ culture, what pocket do you feel most connected to and comfortable in?
A little sparrow, who comes and goes, never staying too long but always leaving a trace of light and freedom.
16. What are the proudest moments of your career thus far?
The proudest moments of my career are when I see my work resonate with others. When someone tells me my music has sparked something in them or helped them navigate a difficult moment, I know I’m doing something meaningful. It’s those genuine connections that make it all worthwhile.
17. And what are you currently finding most challenging?
Maintaining a positive mindset amidst the cacophony of malicious men’s voices around us.
18. What’s the best business decision you’ve ever made?
To work together with my lovely problem solver, my manager Patric.
19. Who’s been your greatest mentor and what’s the best advice they ever gave you?
My dear wife: always s–t on the same pile please, but the s–t itself can always be different.
20. What’s one piece of advice you’d give your younger self?
Don’t fear the fire — become it.
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A new report by two witnesses sheds more light on an incident in late March where Israeli soldiers reportedly attacked rescue workers in Gaza. Saeed al-Bardawil, a doctor, and Red Crescent volunteer paramedic Munther Abed were detained by the Israeli Defense Forces earlier. Abed said that he was captured while surviving an assault on his ambulance, which killed the other members of his crew, and al-Bardawil was captured while venturing out to go fishing with his son.
The two men alleged that the soldiers attacked another ambulance and fire truck in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, claiming the workers were members of the Hamas organization. The vehicles and crew were sent out to investigate what happened to Abed’s ambulance, which had their headlights and emergency signals on when attacked. “I wasn’t blindfolded — I saw everything clearly,” Dr. al-Bardawil said to the New York Times. “The medics got out to inspect the damaged ambulance. That’s when the soldiers opened heavy fire.”The United Nations would find a mass grave containing 15 rescue workers – eight from the Palestine Red Crescent Society, one from the United Nations, and from Gaza’s Civil Defense – along with their half-crushed vehicles in a separate grave, leading them to accuse the Israeli Defense Forces of targeting the workers “one by one.” The IDF would deny the claims until a seven-minute video retrieved from the phone of one of the victims showed the moments leading up to soldiers confronting the medics and opening fire. An official would then backtrack in a statement, saying: “What we understand currently is the person who gives the initial account is mistaken. We’re trying to understand why.”Abed described the attack on his ambulance, and how he was confronted by Israeli soldiers who told him to strip naked and kneel. “You’re a terrorist — why are you here?” he recalled a soldier shouting at him. He then detailed how when he asked about his colleagues, another soldier told him in Arabic that “those terrorists” had been taken to hell by God. He and Dr. al-Bardawil would be released after telling others to evacuate.