Home Blog Page 305

Sean Combs’ Mother, Janice Combs: ‘My Son is Not a Monster’

0
Michael Tran/FilmMagic

Sean Combs’ mother, Janice Combs defended him in a statement through her attorney on Sunday.

Janice said her son is not perfect and has “made mistakes in the past, as we all have,” but he is not guilty of the allegations against him.

MEGA

“It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies,” she said in the statement, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.

“To bear witness to what seems to be like a public lynching of my son before he has had the opportunity to prove his innocence is a pain too unbearable to put into words. Like every human being, my son deserves to have his day in court, to finally share his side, and to prove his innocence.”

Combs’ legal problems began in November 2023 when ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura sued him for sexual assault throughout their decade-long relationship. He settled the lawsuit the next day.

MediaPunch / BACKGRID

Janice acknowledged that her son lied about physically assaulting Cassie.

“My son may not have been entirely truthful about certain things, such as denying he has ever gotten violent with an ex-girlfriend when the hotel’s surveillance showed otherwise,” she said. “Sometimes, the truth and a lie become so closely intertwined that it becomes terrifying to admit one part of the story… This is why I believe my son’s civil legal team opted to settle the ex-girlfriend’s lawsuit instead of contesting it until the end.”

Janice said settling the lawsuit so quickly resulted in “a ricochet effect as the federal government used this decision against my son by interpreting it as an admission of guilt.”

Sean Combs faces 120 lawsuits from clients of Houston attorney Tony Buzbee. He says many of his clients were raped after being drugged as far back as 1991.

Combs is locked up in solitary confinement at a federal detention center in Brooklyn, while awaiting trial.

‘Hawk Tuah Girl’ Sues Black Man Who Made Her Famous

0
Photo may have been deleted
Screengrab

Internet star “Hawk Tuah Girl” is allegedly suing the Black guy who made her famous.

It all started when YouTube duo “Tim & Dee TV” approached a girl outside a bar and asked her, “What’s one move in bed that makes a man go crazy every time?”

The girl, who may have been drunk, grabbed the microphone and demonstrated her move while making a gagging sound.

“You gotta give ’em that ‘hawk tuah’ and spit on that thang,” she said. “You get me?”

The video went viral, and the “Hawk Tuah” legend was born.

Hawk Tuah memes were everywhere. She appeared on random podcasts, radio shows, talk shows, and even gun shows.

Straight men couldn’t get enough of her. She was a hero to men who wished they had a Hawk Tuah Girl in their lives.

Joe Rogan called her “the most famous girl on the planet right now.”

She was recently parodied in a “Saturday Night Live” skit.

After traveling around the country doing interviews, the Hawk Tuah Girl hooked up with YouTuber and professional boxer Jake Paul and got her own podcast.

When the money started rolling in, Hawk Tuah Girl hired a team to handle her PR, bookings, merchandise sales and accounting.

As she became more famous, her audience expanded.

Mo’ money, mo’ problems

Hwak Tuah Girl’s fame began to wane as her male fans found eager copycats on social media who were cuter and more endowed than she was.

But her podcast gained her a new audience of women who hope to copy her success with men.

Along the way, Hawk Tuah asked Tim & Dee TV for the rights to the video that catapulted her to fame. They refused.

Now she is suing Tim & Dee TV for allegedly taking advantage of her while she was inebriated.

Tim & Dee confirmed the rumor in a comment on Youtube.

Photo may have been deleted

When Hawk Tuah first went viral, Tim & Dee complained that they weren’t getting their cut of the merchandising proceeds. Then they filed to copyright the “Hawk Tuah” name.

Hawk Tuah Girl has reportedly said she doesn’t recall doing the interview or being approached outside the bar.

Supposedly, she wants all the rights to the video to remove it from the Internet forever. After all, her future kids might grow up to view it.

The original Hawk Tuah video has been viewed over 8 million times on YouTube.

Atlanta’s ‘Top Veneer Specialist’ Jailed Without Bond for Practicing Dentistry Without a License

0
Photo may have been deleted
Fulton County, Instagram

Brandon Dillard, who marketed himself as Atlanta’s leading veneer specialist, is sitting in the Fulton County Jail without bond.

On October 3, Atlanta police raided the offices of “A List Smiles Atlanta” in Northeast Atlanta and arrested Dillard.

He is charged with 8 felonies, including illegally practicing dentistry without a license for years.

Dillard is popular on social media where he promotes his veneer services for $3,000 and up. But local prosecutors say Dillard is not a dentist and he was putting his clients’ health at risk.

A judge ordered Dillard to shut down his illegal practice last year. But Dillard continued to practice dentistry without a license.

“Brandon Dillard is not a dentist. He’s never been a dentist. And as much as he may want to play one on Instagram, he is not one,” Fulton County Deputy District Attorney Will Wooten told WSB-TV.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said Dillard’s dental offices “appears to be legitimate.”

“If you went to this and you thought it was a dental office, and you looked at the equipment, it appears to be legitimate. But that’s what the best fraudsters do, is they do everything they can to make themselves look legitimate. And in this case, this is an illegitimate operation. The problem is the consequences are to one’s health,” she said.

Dillard’s Instagram page boasts over 164,000 followers. Some of his followers are his clients who now have million-dollar smiles.

But not all of Dillard’s customers were as lucky.

Kristi Brown says she paid Dillard $3,000 for partial veneers and planned to go back and have more work done.

But she said her dentist questioned the shoddy work when she went in for a routine cleaning.

“He kept asking who did this. You need to be careful. Did he have a dentist [license]? I was like, I don’t remember seeing any of that. I should have known,” Brown told WSBTV.

Willis is asking Dillard’s customers to come forward. She is also looking for people he trained in 2-day courses to install veneers.

Dillard is accused of charging people upwards of $6,000 to become a “Veneer Specialist.”

Willis’s office is studying videos like this one to determine who paid for the 2-day Veneer Specialist classes. They may be hit with criminal charges if they are determined to be practicing dentistry without a license.

She said there is no official designation for a “veneer specialist” or a “veneer technician” in Atlanta.

“They were enticing people to come in to take these classes so that you could get rich, too. But you were getting rich doing something that’s completely illegal,” Willis said.

The DA’s office is also trying to track down unlicensed hair stylists and nail techs who are working from home in Atlanta.

Cease & Desist: ‘For the Record, Mr. Combs is Not Homosexual’

0
Dave Hogan / Getty Images

Your auntie found a long forgotten 2010 cease & desist letter from a law firm representing Sean Combs. I found the C&D while organizing about 100 cease and desists I’ve received from various law firms over the years.

Photo may have been deleted
Prince Williams/ATLpics.net

Debra Antney’s lawyer sent a C&D in reference to a post I wrote about her son, rapper Wake Flocka. Another C&D came from former blogger Necole Bitchie’s lawyer. He accused your auntie of “altering” an email in which Necole referred to singer Trey Songz as “a nobody.”

Among the C&Ds from 2010 was an email from Mr. Combs’ law firm informing me that “For the record, Mr. Combs is not a homosexual.”

The Cease & Desist letter referred to a Blind Item post I’d written that contained insider information about Puffy’s alleged down-low lifestyle. I also shared the infamous “gay photos” of Combs and a man at a pool party.

Photo may have been deleted
Screengrab

In addition to calling the lawyers, Combs also told his baby mama, Sarah, to stop working with me on her fashion blog that was set to launch that year.

Then came the cease & desist letter from the law firm.

Photo may have been deleted

The legal term “For the record” means Combs’s attorney had indisputable evidence that his client is not gay.

Prince Williams/ATLpics.net

Here is an excerpt from my Blind Item post, dated April 23, 2010:

The source said that [Mogul #2] instructs his bodyguards to bring him men blindfolded. After sex with them, he cleans up and leaves. He doesn’t consider himself to be gay, and he uses sex with random men (in addition to the drugs and alcohol) as a means of “escaping his demons.”

Sean Combs’ Ex-Bodyguard Calls Thalia Graves’ Lawsuit a ‘Money Grab’

0
Photo may have been deleted
Screengrab

Sean Combs’ ex-bodyguard says he has never met a woman who filed a sexual assault lawsuit against him and his former boss. Thalia Graves appeared at a press conference last week with her attorney Gloria Allred.

Graves said she was 25 in 2001 when Combs and his then-bodyguard, Joseph “Big Joe” Sherman, drugged and bound her before assaulting her at Bad Boy Records in NYC.

Sherman said he wasn’t working for Combs or Bad Boy Records in 2001 when Graves claimed the assault took place.

“I’m not questioning her integrity,” Sherman told News 4 New York. “I’m questioning her claims against me. I wasn’t head of security. You’ve got the wrong man,” he added.

“Her and whoever that she’s in cahoots with was orchestrating a money grab. She wanted me to be a part of her money grab — it says it right in her texts. She wanted to get Diddy,” Sherman said.

Sherman showed News 4 I-Team reporter Sarah Wallace DM messages that Graves sent to him on Instagram last November.

Photo may have been deleted
Screengrab

In one message, Graves asked Sherman if he was a security guard for [Combs]. “She confused me because she kept saying, “Are you Big Joe?”

Sherman said her inquiries proved she didn’t know who he was.

In another message, Graves accused Sherman of showing videos of her to people in a studio.

Photo may have been deleted
Screengrab

“Did you work for Bad Boy?” Graves asked Sherman. “Did you show a video to people in the studio of Conrads? That’s why I asked you to call so I can make sure it’s the right person.”

She went on to say, “If you will be my witness against Diddy then my attorneys will leave you out of any proceedings…”

Photo may have been deleted
Screengrab

“It’s a money grab,” said Sherman. “She knows that what she did to me destroyed my family, destroyed my livelihood. I can’t get a job.”

“I’m nothing but a scapegoat for this BS. Because I wouldn’t get Puffy and lie on Sean Combs,” said Sherman.

Photo may have been deleted
Screengrab

News 4 New York reached out to Allred and asked about Sherman’s denials, Allred responded in an email: “The complaint speaks for itself. Our client looks forward to her day in court.”

Sherman said that he and his attorney plan to file a countersuit in the near future. He said the lawsuit will likely include defamation.

Watch the news report below.

Photos: Jeezy and Daughter Make Red Carpet Debut at 4th Annual Sno Ball Gala in Atlanta

0
Credit: Shakur Harrison

Last night, Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum recording artist and New York Times best-selling author Jay “Jeezy” Jenkins hosted the highly anticipated 4th Annual Sno Ball Gala in Atlanta, Georgia.

Credit: Shakur Harrison

In a heartwarming moment, Jeezy made his first red carpet appearance alongside his oldest daughter, Amra, marking their debut together at the event and adding a special, personal touch to the evening’s celebrations.

Credit: Shakur Harrison

It was an unforgettable evening that combined elegance, entertainment, and philanthropy. This exclusive, invite-only event gathered a star-studded lineup of celebrities and influential leaders, all coming together to support Jeezy’s Street Dreamz Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering underserved youth.

Credit: Shakur Harrison

The event, held at Flourish Atlanta, featured an array of luxurious experiences —from gourmet dining to a thrilling live auction.

Credit: Shakur Harrison

Among the evening’s high-profile attendees were Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, comedian Mike Epps, rapper T.I. (pictured), Frank Ski and his wife, Dr. Patrice Basanta-Henry, Shanti Das, Ed Lover, and many more. The highlight of the evening were the silent and live auctions, offering attendees the chance to bid on exclusive items and experiences while supporting a worthy cause.

Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Guests had the chance to bid on exclusive, high-end items, with all proceeds going directly to Street Dreamz Foundation’s initiatives in education, entrepreneurship, and community development for at-risk youth.

Credit: Shakur Harrison

Comedian Mike Epps had the crowd roaring with laughter as the gala’s master of ceremonies.

Credit: Shakur Harrison

While DJ Cassidy (right) kept the energy high with a mix of crowd-pleasing hits that had attendees dancing into the early hours.

Credit: Shakur Harrison

The night’s real success came from the funds raised, which will further the foundation’s mission to uplift the next generation of leaders. Reflecting on the event, Jeezy stated, “The Sno Ball Gala is about more than just a great night—it’s about creating real change. I’m grateful to everyone who came out, contributed, and helped make this event impactful. Together, we’re giving our youth the tools to succeed and thrive.”

Paras Griffin/Getty Images

As the 2024 Sno Ball Gala wraps, it solidifies Jeezy’s legacy — not just as a music icon and author, but as a philanthropist devoted to making lasting, positive change in his community.

The Street Dreamz Foundation, founded by Jeezy, is dedicated to empowering underprivileged youth through education, entrepreneurship, and community development programs. All proceeds from the Sno Ball Gala will directly support the foundation’s initiatives.

“The Sno Ball Gala is more than just a night of entertainment,” says Jeezy. “It’s about coming together as a community to make a real difference in the lives of young people who need our support. I’m grateful for everyone who contributes to making this event a success year after year.”

See more photos from the event at Talkingwithtami.com.

About The Street Dreamz Foundation

The Street Dreamz Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that encourages a generation of at-risk youth to become effective leaders through programs that foster independence and respect for others, while educating and motivating each child to reach their ultimate potential in their area of interest. The Street Dreamz Foundation, founded in 2001 by Grammy nominated, multi-platinum music artist, Jeezy, was created to provide aid and opportunity to underserved communities worldwide.

Source: press release

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Step Out in Style to Celebrate His 36th Birthday

0
JosiahW / BACKGRID

Rapper A$AP Rocky and his common law wife Rihanna stepped out in style to celebrate his 36th birthday on Thursday, Oct. 3.

BeautifulSignatureIG / BACKGRID

The mom-of-2 wore a black halterneck lingerie with a brown mink fur shawl, bejeweled strappy sandals and red tinted sunglasses. She added gold chains and pendants from Marie Lichtenberg to her look.

BeautifulSignatureIG / BACKGRID

A$AP Rocky looked cool as a cucumber in a tartan coat, a striped button down shirt and grey blazer and pants.

BlayzenPhotos / BACKGRID

RiRi sparked pregnancy speculation when she guarded her abdomen as if she has a bun in the oven. Rihanna and A$AP share 2 sons, RZA, 2, and Riot Rose, born in August 2023.

BlayzenPhotos / BACKGRID

Rihanna must be paying her bodyguard very well. The lady is always Gucci from head to toe. One of her outfits is worth $5,000 easily. That means she’s making at least $20,000 a month to guard the beauty Guru.

BlayzenPhotos / BACKGRID

Earlier, Rihanna stunned once again wearing an oversized cowhide print coat, which she accessorized with a brown quilted handbag and PUMA sneakers.

Dock Workers Call Off Strike After Union Boss’s Luxurious Lifestyle Exposed

0
Photo may have been deleted
Screengrab

Dock workers from Maine to Texas have agreed to postpone their strike until January 2025. The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) went on a brief strike this week after failing to negotiate a new contract with port bosses.

Dock workers returned to work on Friday after reaching a temporary agreement on Thursday night.

The massive labor dispute caused havoc as far away as Asia. Long lines formed at grocery stores across the country. Shoppers hoarded essential items such as toilet paper and bottled water.

@victoria.ajl 100 People Line for paper towels- againnnnn. ????? . . . . . . #costco #panicbuying #hoarder #strike #samsclub #papertowel #panicshopping #stockingup #insanity ? Awkward Moments – AstroMusic

Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

The strike ended one day after media organizations uncovered union president Harold Daggett’s luxurious lifestyle.
 
RELATED: Massive Port Strike Could Cause Food & Gas Shortages Across the U.S.
 
Daggett had vowed to “cripple” the U.S. economy if port bosses didn’t ban automation and raise dock workers’ pay by 75%.

Daggett referred to port bosses as “greedy”, and he said the dock workers were “fighting for our livelihoods.”

But according to reports, Daggett earns an annual salary of over $900,000, drives a Bentley, and lives in a 7,000 sq. ft. mansion with a 5-car garage. The mansion sits on 10 lush acres in an upscale New Jersey enclave.

An X.com user pointed out that Daggett wore a pair of Cartier glasses that retails for $1,245 in an interview with local news media.

Hours after his lifestyle was exposed, Daggett went back to the negotiation table with port bosses.

Daggett was once acquitted of federal racketeering charges in connection with alleged mafia ties.

One of Daggett’s co-defendants, a mob figure named Larry Ricci, was found dead in the trunk of a car during the trial.

Ricci’s attorney, Martin Schmukler, told the court Ricci was either abducted or killed. Ricci was acquitted after his death.

The federal government said Daggett had ties to the Genovese crime family, and the union has been accused of giving jobs to mobsters’ relatives and providing kickbacks.

Daggett denied everything in an interview with The NY Post.

Prosecutor Considers Freeing Lyle and Erik Menendez. Kim Kardashian Says ‘It’s Time’

0
Los Angeles Times

Lyle and Erik Menendez have a chance at freedom after being convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez.

Erik Menendez, 53, and Lyle, 56, were 18 and 21, respectively when they killed their parents in their Beverly Hills home in 1989.

Netflix is set to release a documentary on the case, titled “The Menendez Brothers.” The documentary will begin streaming on October 7.

Los Angeles County prosecutors are reviewing new evidence uncovered in the documentary. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said his office will make a decision on whether to release the brothers or re-sentence them. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for November 29.

After their first trial ended in a hung jury, Erik and Lyle were convicted at a second trial and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Both brothers claimed they acted in self-defense. They said they were sexually and physically abused by their parents for years. According to Lyle, he was just 6 years old when the abuse started.

The local D.A. will take new evidence of abuse into consideration.

MEGA/WENN

That is good news to influencer Kim Kardashian who wrote an essay for NBC News calling for the brothers to be freed.

“Some witnesses from the first trial were barred from testifying about the alleged abuse, depriving the jurors of crucial evidence,” Kardashian wrote. “The prosecutor, having successfully argued to exclude the abuse testimony, mocked the brothers’ defense during his closing arguments for not producing any evidence of abuse.

“Erik and Lyle had no chance of a fair trial against this backdrop. Back then, there were limited resources for victims of sexual abuse, particularly for boys,” she added.

MEGA/WENN

Kardashian continued: “I have spent time with Lyle and Erik; they are not monsters. They are kind, intelligent, and honest men. In prison, they both have exemplary disciplinary records… The killings are not excusable. I want to make that clear. Nor is their behavior before, during or after the crime. But we should not deny who they are today in their 50s.”

She concluded: “With their case back in the spotlight — and considering the revelation of a 1988 letter from Erik to his cousin describing the abuse — my hope is that Erik and Lyle Menendez’s life sentences are reconsidered. We owe it to those little boys who lost their childhoods, who never had a chance to be heard, helped or saved.”

Sean Combs’ Federal Sex Trafficking Case Assigned to New Judge

0
Sandra Rose/Sandrarose.com

Sean Combs’ sex trafficking case has been assigned to a new judge after he was denied bond twice. Combs was arrested in NYC on Sept. 16 following a grand jury indictment.

After Combs was initially denied bond on Sept. 17, his case was randomly assigned to Judge Andrew Carter on Sept. 18. Carter also denied Combs’ bond and ordered him held in jail until his trial in 2025.

Combs retained 2 new attorneys who specialize in filing appeals cases. He filed a third request for bond last week.

On Thursday, the court docket showed the case was reassigned to Judge Arun Subramanian. No reason was given for Judge Carter’s removal from the case.

According to Allhiphop.com, court reporter Meghann Cuniff said Carter frequently recuses himself from cases because his wife is a lawyer for the Bank of New York Mellon and worked for JPMorgan Chase. Judge Carter reportedly hinted at recusing himself during Combs’ Sept. 18 bail hearing.

Sandra Rose/Sandrarose.com

Combs’ supporters saw the judge’s removal as a “win” for the music mogul. They say Judge Carter was unfairly biased against Combs because Carter, who is Black, was nominated by former President Barack Obama back in 2011.

Obama has not commented on his former pal Sean Combs’ legal case.

An old interview with Combs and Obama resurfaced on X.com. In the video, Combs apologized to the former president, who is sweating profusely.

“And I want to apologize. I ain’t trying to make you look bad… but I’m just so cool,” Combs told Obama.

It’s not clear why Obama was perspiring so heavily.

Todd Christopher Guzze, the publisher of Kim Porter’s alleged memoir, claims Combs flew some of the freak off videos out of the country on a private jet.

It is possible that Combs is being held without bond until the feds obtain all of the videos from him.

Combs is being sued by 120 additional “victims” in Texas, Georgia and California.

Houston attorney Tony Buzbee claims he was contacted by over 3,000 people who alleged abuse by Combs. He vetted all of the people and settled on representing 120 of them. His clients include a man who said he was only 9 when the abuse occurred.

Combs has emphatically denied the latest allegations.