Behind The Trial: Reflections on the Diddy Trial and Media Evolution

Summary

The Breakfast Club: Behind The Trial — Reflections on the Diddy Trial and Media Evolution

Date: November 25, 2025
Hosts: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God (featuring Lauren LaRosa & panel)
Platform: iHeartPodcasts

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Overview

This special episode dives into the media and cultural impact of the Sean “Diddy” Combs federal trial, bringing together leading Black journalists and content creators who covered the proceedings. Moderated by CBS’s Jerica Duncan, the panel features Lauren LaRosa (The Breakfast Club/iHeart), Armand Wiggins (YouTube), Darla Miles (ABC7NY), Jay Dao (PIX11), Celia Simone (TMZ), and Mona Kosarabdi (Extra TV). They reflect on the unprecedented media frenzy, ethical dilemmas, the changing landscape of news and social media, and the personal toll of covering such a high-profile and emotionally charged trial.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Importance and Challenge of Covering the Diddy Trial

• Media Convergence: Legacy media, digital outlets, and independent creators all vied for coverage and audience during the trial.
  • “This case was the first time we saw a lot of creators and a lot of conversation happening online. There’s no blueprint for covering it.” — Mona Kosarabdi [15:06]
• Personal Toll: Panelists spoke candidly about exhaustion and emotional impact.
  • “For eight weeks, getting up at 4 o’clock in the morning, committing to standing outside in line...I was annoyed because I knew it was going to be crazy.” — Darla Miles [27:15]
  • Lauren LaRosa described “sleepwalking” through days of nonstop content creation [03:00, 85:35].
• Trial Details: The charges, verdicts, and surprise elements of the proceedings.
  • “He was found not guilty of racketeering and trafficking. What he was found guilty of was the prosecution.” — Lauren LaRosa [08:59]
  • Diddy was ultimately convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution; not guilty on racketeering/RICO and sex trafficking.

2. The Evolution of Media: Social Versus Legacy

• Rise of Content Creators: Traditional journalists recognized how creators (YouTubers, influencers) provided a different kind of coverage.
  • “There’s a trust that’s built in when you’re speaking to your audience every single day.” — Armand Wiggins [17:23]
  • “We realized it’s not legacy versus YouTube versus social…like making a pie and you have little ingredients that feed that pie.” — Darla Miles [27:15]
• Algorithm & Audience: Success on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram depended more on offering value and unique voice than gaming algorithms.
  • “Good content is good content…Algorithms really don’t matter.” — Darla Miles [62:50]
  • “It taught me that saturation doesn’t matter when you’re good at what you do.” — Lauren LaRosa [60:53]
  • Consistency, unique insights, and reliability were crucial for building audience trust [66:15].

3. Ethics, Security, and Responsibility

• Ambitious Coverage vs. Safety/Privacy: Viral moments can come with risk; ethical lines vary.
  • “You filming a judge entering a building raises ethical concerns…where is the pause and reflection?” — Crystal (audience) [69:09]
  • “That clip in that photo she got, he was wearing a backpack…It set a different conversation.” — Lauren LaRosa [72:44]
• Security Risks: Threats and harassment were common. Some panelists discussed direct confrontations.
  • “There was a woman who attacked me outside the courthouse…People really will get overstimulated and try to attack you.” — Armand Wiggins [57:55]
  • “If you are threatened, don’t brush it off, report it immediately.” — Darla Miles [59:37]

4. Processing Difficult/Triggering Content

• Coping Mechanisms: Community, rest, and shared experience helped journalists process the traumatic and graphic testimony.
  • “At the end of the trial, it kind of felt like I went back to college because we all got so close. Unless you were at that courthouse every day, you really couldn’t fathom the intensity.” — Lauren LaRosa [85:35]
  • Some described “post-trial depression” after weeks of adrenaline and focus [87:15].
• Compartmentalization as Second Responders:
  “We’re kind of like second responders…We compartmentalize and then we go home.” — Darla Miles [94:46]
• Impact on Survivors/Journalists: Shared stories of trauma, empathy, and the challenge of remaining objective and human.

5. The Changing Conversation on Sexual Violence

• Cultural Evolution: Panelists debated whether coverage and public dialogue on sexual violence have evolved.
  • “Ten years ago, we wouldn’t be having the conversations we’re having now.” — Lauren LaRosa [97:23]
  • Skepticism about whether justice has caught up with awareness: “MeToo has advanced the discussion—I don’t think justice has caught up with the conversation.” — Darla Miles [97:29]
• Community Among Women Covering the Case:
  “Every woman talked about every little detail…We were all comparing stories. It was insane.” — Celia Simone [95:13]

6. Journalistic Identity, Purpose, and Legacy

• Representation: The importance of Black journalists covering stories impacting their communities.
  • “I really feel it’s a duty and a calling…to make sure there is representation and context in everything we cover.” — Darla Miles [12:27]
• Finding and Owning One’s Voice:
  • “I’m not there to report play by play…Now let’s really get into it.” — Armand Wiggins on storytelling approach [50:02]
  • “If you’re good at what you do, people will come and find what they want from you.” — Lauren LaRosa [60:53]
• Collaboration Across Roles: Legacy and digital journalists supporting and learning from each other.
  • “I literally learned how to do social media from the queen next to me on the steps of the courthouse.” — Darla Miles about Celia Simone [42:58]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Lauren LaRosa (on media impact):
  “It just really taught me the importance of social media…People were listening to me because they wanted to hear me and hear certain things. It wasn't about an outlet.” [61:15]

• Jay Dao (on legacy and new media):
  “This was the first time I saw our business come full circle…folks like Lauren, like Arman, sitting there…delivering the same material to their own audiences. And I was so impressed.” [11:28]

• Celia Simone (on going viral):
  “They didn’t say it, but they wanted viral…Every day was a struggle to kind of be super creative and not be redundant.” [43:37]

• Armand Wiggins (on independence and growth):
  “I told myself, ‘Listen, I’m going to stop waiting for people to give me opportunity, and I’m just going to create my own opportunity.’” [33:40]

  • On inspiration: “Once they saw me there, we were getting those numbers and we were going viral, everybody and their mama flew out with an iPhone and started doing YouTube videos and TikToks.” [50:02]

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Panelist Introductions & Backgrounds

([10:52]–[18:40])

• Lauren LaRosa: Senior news producer (Breakfast Club), podcast host, former TMZ; covered trial for radio, podcast, socials.
• Jay Dao: PIX11 News, host of Community Close Up; legacy journalism focus, also adapting to new platforms.
• Darla Miles: 30 years in NY journalism, ABC 7 NY; focused on crime reporting, advocating representation, empathy.
• Celia Simone: TMZ senior field producer, YouTuber; unique voice, behind-the-camera specialist, “carving out her lane”.
• Mona Kosarabdi: Extra TV, former ABC; blends entertainment and hard news, major on TikTok/social.
• Armand Wiggins: YouTuber/content creator; self-driven, invested own resources, aimed to create new media space.

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The Verdict & Sentencing — Reaction and Impact

([08:59]–[46:46])

• Diddy: Not guilty on most serious charges (RICO, trafficking), guilty on two counts related to prostitution.
• Emotional moment: Diddy’s shock at guilty verdict, his children testifying on his behalf before sentencing [46:46].
  • “His kids gave this powerful plea to the judge…they already lost their mother, and now they were going to lose their father, too.” — Mona Kosarabdi [46:46]
• Judge’s stance: Balanced, recognizing bravery of accusers and gravity of Diddy’s past.

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Ethical & Practical Challenges During Coverage

([69:09]–[80:16])

• Security/Ethics: Dangers of judge identification, public exposure vs. public right to information.
• Collaboration & Competition: Reporters learning social media from each other, respecting boundaries.
• Audience Dynamics: Desire for viral moments runs parallel with need for rigorous fact-based reporting.
  • “Social media is built on viral moments…like, what’s going to be viral next? Waking up every day, worrying about how you’re going to feed the beast.” — Jay Dao [75:51]

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Coping With Emotional Impact & Burnout

([85:21]–[89:49])

• Rest and community essential to process traumatic content.
• “Some nights…I didn’t really know how I felt when I left court today. That was an eye-changing moment for me as a journalist.” — Lauren LaRosa [64:39]

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Addressing the Cultural Conversation on Sexual Violence

([96:12]–[100:29])

• MeToo has advanced dialogue, but legal and justice systems lag.
• Black community tension: Is this targeted prosecution or overdue accountability?
  • “One case doesn’t dictate if the MeToo movement is effective…people were torn between ‘is this a powerful Black man being targeted or a powerful man abusing power?’” — Mona Kosarabdi [99:28]
• Panelists see progress but recognize room for improvement in both coverage and justice.

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Noteworthy Timestamps

• Intro to the Panel & Themes: [03:10]–[07:26]
• Recap of the Trial: [07:26]–[08:59]
• Panelist Role Intros: [10:52]–[18:40]
• Strategies for Coverage & Impact of Social Media: [39:45]–[50:02]
• Coping, Security, Ethics: [57:24]–[74:35]
• Burnout & Community: [85:21]–[89:49]
• Sexual Violence Conversation & Cultural Impact: [96:12]–[99:28]

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Conclusion

The episode offers a compelling look behind the scenes of one of the year’s most pivotal cultural moments, candidly exploring the professional and personal realities facing journalists and creators in the era of viral news. The conversation also serves as a microcosm of the media’s ongoing reckoning with representation, platform power, audience trust, and the storytelling responsibilities of our time.

Transcript

[Lauren LaRosa]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Jerica Duncan]

Guaranteed Human.

[Jay Dao]

Whoa. What a vibe we've got y'.

[Mona Kosarabdi]

All.

[Armand Wiggins]

As always, it's classic HBCU energy. Nonstop action, the band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chants echoing, drums beating, everybody showing that school pride.

[Big Lone]

Moments like this, yeah, they call for an ice cold Coca Cola.

[Armand Wiggins]

Crisp and refreshing.

[Big Lone]

That's a game changer right there. Mm yeah, that taste always hit the right note. Just like the band at halftime. Passionate fans, school colors everywhere and a.

[Armand Wiggins]

Nice ice cold Coca Cola.

[Big Lone]

That's a winning combo. No matter the place, no matter the.

[Jay Dao]

Moment, everybody knows fan work is thirsty work.

[Big Lone]

So grab a Coca Cola and keep.

[Jay Dao]

That HBCU pride going.

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[Celia Simone]

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[Celia Simone]

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[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm the homegirl that knows a little bit about everything and everybody.

[Jay Dao]

You know, she don't lie about that, right?

[Commercial Announcer]

Lauren came in hot.

[Armand Wiggins]

Back on the grind.

[Mona Kosarabdi]

Hey, y'.

[Lauren LaRosa]

All, what's up? It's Lauren LaRosa. And this is the latest with Lauren LaRosa. This is your daily dig on all things pop culture, entertainment news, and all of the conversations that shake the room. Baby, now we are getting into. And I'm so happy we've been doing this so much lately on the podcast. We're getting into another conversation that is gonna shake the room. And it's about conversations that shook the room. So I was, you know, honored to be invited shout out to Jerica Duncan from CBS News. I was honored to be invited by her and her association of Black Journalist New York team to speak on a panel about the experience of covering the Diddy trial. Now, you guys know here at the Latest with Lauren LaRosa, the podcast that the Diddy trial and that coverage was such a, you know, a time for us, not only because I think, you know, a lot of people were able to really hear my voice separately of anywhere else you've ever heard it, but also it was such a hustle. I mean, every day from, you know, early 4:00am, 5:00am mornings with the Breakfast Club going right to court, finishing my day, 6 7pm and getting back up and doing it again to the point where I was, like, sleepwalking it. And you guys will know we we're doubling up on content. And I was very honest about you guys. I was very honest with you guys about just how I was feeling, how I was handling it, and everything I was seeing in the courtroom. And it stuck. So I was joined by some amazing journalists. You know, the outlets in the room shout out to Pix11, which is a local New York traditional news station. There was, you know, ABC was in the room. You also had let me actually get their names, so. So I can make sure giving these beautiful journalists their credit. So on the panel, you had Armand Wiggins shout out to Arman. Y' all know I love Armand, who is a YouTube content creator. Celia Bussey, who is a senior field producer with tmz. I worked with her there for some time. Darla Miles, who is a reporter for ABC7J Dao who is a reporter for PIX11 and then Jerica Duncan, who was the moderator of the conversation, who I mentioned in the beginning of this from cb And I was there on behalf of, you know, the Breakfast Club and the latest with Lauren Therosa. And we got into some conversations. They weren't the easiest because covering the Diddy trial and all the things we learned weren't, but we had it. Let's get into it.

[Jerica Duncan]

Hello everybody. Thank you so much for coming. I'm like, oh, you look so familiar. I know who you are. I really appreciate you all taking the time to come together to hear some of what we had to say and experience while covering the Diddy trial. Welcome officially to behind the scenes behind the heads headlines covering the P. Diddy trial from start to sentencing. So for many of us, coverage of Sean Diddy Combs started two years ago almost to the day when his ex longtime girlfriend Cassie Ventura filed her civil lawsuit. More allegations were lodged. Combs was later arrested in September of 2024. A federal criminal trial followed in May of this year. And by now you know the rest of the now 56 year old Grammy award winning artist, mogul and father of seven was convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. His release date is June of 2028. Combs conviction was a pivotal moment in the culture that has shaped many of us in this room. I grew up listening to Combs music and on the outside he represented someone who made it in spite of. But when it was all over, I felt it was important to come back together with my colleagues sitting right here to reflect on a once in a lifetime memorable trial that shaped all of us in different ways. So tonight you will get a chance to speak with a diverse group of reporters, producers, content creators for a revealing and respectful conversation about the trial of the year. Clap it up, we gonna make some noise.

[Celia Simone]

Hi, it's Celia Simone.

[Darla Miles]

I'm here with Armand Wiggins. I would as your supporter Darla Miles.

[Jay Dao]

I'm J. Dao.

[Lauren LaRosa]

This is the latest with Londa.

[Darla Miles]

Rosa Lona, you have been in the.

[Armand Wiggins]

Corporate every single day.

[Darla Miles]

Riga, how would you describe Cassie's demeanor when she took the stands today?

[Jay Dao]

Welcome to the Dissecting Diddy podcast that everybody's talking about. Cassidy and Jury.

[Mona Kosarabdi]

I don't believe that what you're telling.

[Lauren LaRosa]

You right now is true, but I do believe one day it will be. And if it is, girl, don't cry. I love you.

[Jerica Duncan]

Thank you. Love you.

[Jay Dao]

What do you make of the government's strength in this case compared to when you represented him 26 years ago, I.

[Mona Kosarabdi]

Just stepped out of the courtroom. And tensions were extremely high on day 14 of the Diddy trial. Prosecutors accusing Diddy's attorney, Brian Steele, of yelling at and humiliating Diddy's former assistant, Mia, who's on the stand today.

[Celia Simone]

Mia, a heartbreaking testimony in which she spoke about being sexually assaulted by Diddy. She mentioned tons of abuse.

[Armand Wiggins]

Could you imagine somebody telling you, do you know what your problem is? Because you went away for a music video, Jura island for an hour, and.

[Jay Dao]

I joked with you a couple of days ago about, you know, folks, help you be that next generation of news gatherers who offer their own opinion.

[Armand Wiggins]

I'm not on either, either side. Let me just start there. I'm not on either side.

[Mona Kosarabdi]

Diddy is facing life in prison if convicted. So let's break down what he's actually charged with. There are five counts total in the indictment. Racketeering, conspiracy, rico, two counts of sex trafficking, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Okay, let's start with RICO. It was a law that was passed in 1970 so that the government could take down the mob.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So he was found not guilty of the rocket sharing charge. He was found not guilty of trafficking. What he was found guilty of was the prosecution.

[Darla Miles]

So the first verdict, racketeering, conspiracy, not guilty. You saw him do a fist pack.

[Celia Simone]

And to top it all off, this week, President Donald Trump was teasing and alluding to possibly pardoning Sean Combs. Sean, Buffy Combs. Sean Diddy Combs.

[Darla Miles]

There's a prostitution for Cassave Ventura. Guilty. He was shocked. He was visibly affected when that one came. You could tell he was not brain for that to come, like a kinetic, like a real serious shock. Because I think, you know, once you start hearing the repetitive not guilty verdicts, there may have been an assumption that there was going to continue to be a not guilty verdict.

[Jerica Duncan]

This was the most important day of this case. The sentence is 50 months of incarceration. Agnipolo, which is the lead attorney for Combs, asking for more time to list facility recommendations.

[Celia Simone]

Also supervised release, five years.

[Jerica Duncan]

No reaction from Combs. He is still sitting and there's a $500,000 fine.

[Darla Miles]

Sean Combs dropped to the flee and just bowed his head and just prayed.

[Jerica Duncan]

This is probably the first trial where I've seen so much social media presence, TikTok, Instagram, bloggers, people out here. So even though you're not supposed to look at your phone and you're not supposed to read messages from family and friends about this case, there's a lot of information out there.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Man.

[Jerica Duncan]

Thank you. And thank you to Ron Thompson, who put that lovely video together. So before we get started on the questions that I have, and we're going to open it up to Q and A, I want everybody to just take 30 seconds to introduce themselves, who they are and why they're here. 30 seconds. Lauren, you can start us off.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Hey, Everybody, I'm Lauren LaRosa. I am the senior news producer at the Breakfast Club, and I am the host and creator of Lauren the Latest with Lauren LaRosa, the podcast on the Black Effect Network via iHeart. And I'm here because I was, I was there, we were in the courthouse and covering the trial. I was covering it for the radio show, the Breakfast Club that I work for. And then it spilled over into the podcast and then it took its own life on social media. And it's just been such a conversation because it was such a big deal in pop culture and, you know, in conversation. So thank you for having me.

[Jay Dao]

My name is Jay Dow. I'm a correspondent with WPIX Pix 11 News and the host of Community Close up with Jay Dow. And I was in the trenches with these amazing journalists. I'm not going to break it down and call them content creators because we were all there in the courtroom with pads in our laps, pens or pencils, taking notes. Federal court, you can't bring in cameras. And it was an amazing experience, an eye opening experience for me. I mean, this is my 26th year reporting in New York City and this is the first time that I saw our business come full circle. The evolution. I felt like this was the transition where you had, you know, a hundred years ago, radio stars and silent movie stars looking to the future. And I saw folks like Lauren, like Arman, sitting there doing what they do, delivering the same material to their own audiences. And I was so impressed. So I'm honored to be here and it's great to be a part of this.

[Darla Miles]

Good evening, everyone. I'm Darla Miles, a correspondent with ABC 7 New York. I have been on the streets of New York City for 16 years. I have been in this industry for 30 years. I'm Benjamin Button. Yes, I cover crime. I cover a lot of high profile crime. I produce a documentary, Set the Record Straight, the Cold Case Murder of Chan Master J. And I don't do celebrity news or sports news, but whenever they get arrested, you will see me in court. I was in. I just really can't even remember because there's always the thing about covering News in New York and crime and high profile crime. Everything is the big story until the next big story. So there was Trump, there was Jonathan Majors. I've covered Luigi Mangione Weinstein, the Gilgo murders. I was there on the first day when they found the first body. So I've just been in the trenches a long time. And being a part of legacy media, I really feel it's a duty and a calling and a purpose in life to hold this seat at the table, to make sure there is representation and context in everything that we cover. When it comes to being empathetic as a human right, not just a person of color, not just a woman, but being the good Southern person that my family taught me to be, treat people the way you'd like to be treated. So I'm very humbled and honored every day that I get a chance to be one of the lead reporters at the number one news station in the city, the number one station in the country, a legacy station that really shaped local news. And like Jay said, we're now part of an evolution in our industry where the ecosystem is expanding and we're all better for it.

[Celia Simone]

Hello, I am Celia Simone. I am a senior film producer at tmz. Hence field. So for the Diddy trial, I was almost exclusively in the field covering the case. I really was honored to cover the case because like Jerica said, I grew up listening to Diddy's music and I was always, you know, to be honest, a fan. So this was a different way of seeing someone I looked up to my whole life, a different way to kind of view them. I will say that I'm also a YouTuber, so I was really anxious to talk to my YouTube family and to also do my fieldwork. But I think what was really important was my voice. People always notice my voice. I have a really interesting voice. And this trial really helped to further the narrative with my voice. You probably heard me saying, oh, my God, Justin, I love that jacket. Or Ms. Combs, I love your hair. You know, I kind of was carving out a lane for myself, strictly behind the camera. No one could see my face, just in my voice. And it was great. Loved it.

[Mona Kosarabdi]

I do always recognize your voice, I'm not gonna lie. Hi, I'm Mona Kosarabdi. I am a senior correspondent for Extra TV and weekend co host. And I was covering this obviously because I am an entertainment journalism, so a journalist. So I was looking through an entertainment lens. But I'm also a seasoned journalist who was at network news. I was at abc Before Extra came up through local news. So for hard news meets entertainment news is my bread and butter. This is where I excel to bring kind of just the background. Like Darla said, I covered Weinstein, Epstein, Luigi Mangione, so many cases, Jonathan Majors as well. And to look at entertainment news through a hard news lens, it's not very often that they mix, even though more so now. But taking that and also I have a large following online and bringing it to the audience was a very interesting experience because like we've talked about in this case, this was the first time that we saw a lot of creators and a lot of conversation happening online. So this. There's no blueprint for covering it, both for Legacy Media Channel and also for an online platform. And so it was interesting to see how audiences received it. It was interesting to see what people were interested in. I will say that this case, I believe a lot of legacy media outlets thought they were gonna cover it for the first week, and that was it. And then they saw the interest online and they saw the numbers, and they saw that young people were interested, old people were interested, everyone because of the impact that Diddy had in entertainment and how he transcended generations. And so it was interesting to see them kind of course. Correct. And really try to follow this case and I think will see this impact for many years to come.

[Jerica Duncan]

Turn it up. Turn you into a very large screen here. Armand, we can all see you. Hey, there you go.

[Armand Wiggins]

Yeah. Is it my turn? Yeah. So, hey, guys, My name is Arman Wiggins. I am a YouTuber, content creator. Yeah, I had a great time covering the trial. I've covered cases before. I've covered the Megan and Tory case. So I like a lot of, like, hip hop culture news and cases. So the Diddy trial just felt right in line for me to cover it. I felt like it was important for me as a content creator to come get the story for my audience. Because while, you know, we love legacy media, I think there's something that there's a trust that's built in when you. When you're speaking to your audience every single day. And I felt like it was just my duty to be on the ground, sleeping outside, getting. Getting the news firsthand from my supporters. You know, I would love to be there with you now, but, you know, my people, literally in one hour, less than an hour last night, came up with $1,000 to fly me out to Miami to cover the Megan Thee Stallion versus Milagro Grams case. So, I mean, people have a real interest in that and so, you know, I'm now, my people, they want to hear the news and from me covering these cases. So I think now, like, this is a new lane for me, and I'm really enjoying it. And it's hard work, but, I mean, it pays off really well. And I'm excited to be a part of, you know, such a great conglomerate.

[Jerica Duncan]

Thank you. Thank you to all of you guys again for being here. My name is Jerica Duncan. I'm a CBS News national correspondent. And I have to say, this particular case for me was the first time that I really leaned into social media. My following grew by almost 20,000 followers because I was posting every single day about the nuances of this case at a time when our network actually did not cover it the first day we covered it the last day on evening news. We did cover it in the morning. But I. When people ask me, how were you able to do that? I had the benefit of not having a deadline at 5 or 6 like Darla did or Jay did. And what's so fascinating with what they were able to do and why I'm just a study of what we do as a business is they were literally doing their social media videos and then they were getting ready for 5 o' clock or 6 o' clock live shot. Sometimes I think I saw you doing some stuff at 10 or 11 at night or a couple times. So, I mean, there's a lot that was asked of us, and we can delve into that, and of course, you all will be able to ask questions. But the first question that I want to pose to the panel, and you guys can feel free to jump in, is when you went into this trial, you went into it thinking what I.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Well, for me, when I went into the trial, I went into it thinking, this is crazy. Like, of all the places and the ways that I seen Diddy, to be with him in court is like, I couldn't even fathom what seeing him in court would be like. And, you know, all of that because I've been working at Entertainment for some time, and I was living in LA for eight years. I was working at TMZ with Celia. So, like, you know, I've been in interaction and things like that. I just remember the first day being in that courtroom and seeing him walk out. I was like, oh, wow. Like, he, man, nothing's ever gonna be the same for him. So for me, it was kind of like that shock of like, this is really real. People's lives have been really impacted, and nothing will ever be the same for him, after this first day of court that we're sitting in.

[Jay Dao]

I was fortunate enough, that's what I'm gonna call it, to be reporting when Diddy was on trial the first time. I was working at New York once, and I was, what, 25, 26 years old. And I remember that case. And at the start of this trial, I knew things were going to be different because that was a state case, the first one. This time it was a rico. And anyone who's familiar with a RICO case knows that when the feds come, they come hard, you know, and the whole framework of a RICO case is designed to take down the head of an organization. It was designed to take down the mob. And when they're successful, they not only put you in prison for the rest of your life, but they take all your assets. And so the stakes were extraordinarily high. So I knew, and you saw it the first time that Combs came into the courtroom. He took it seriously because he knew how serious it was. And to have two rows of attorneys there, he was speaking with his wallet, knowing that he had to beat this. And he did. He beat the rico. And not many people beat a rico. So I knew that going into this case, it was going to be a huge deal. It was going to be mainstream. It wasn't going to be something that was just on, you know, in hip hop culture and just entertainment news. This was going to be a hard news adventure, and our station luckily made the commitment. I was grateful to hear that they were going to cover a gavel. The gavel. And I've covered several trials, gavel to gavel, and this one was extraordinary, not just because of the national and international media that came, but because of all of the content creators that I was just sitting next to. And Drika, you talked about how, you know, we were trying to, you know, get up our game and do our social stuff and then also have to do, you know, Darla has to do the noon. We don't have a noon, but we know we're doing the 4, 5, and 6. We're doing the morning show. And I'm trying to figure out how am I supposed to do all of this and still put together a piece, you know, for the. For the evening. But we had to figure it out. We have to figure it out because that is where everything is going. So, yeah, going into this trial, I was ready for the unknown. And we got it.

[Big Lone]

What's up? It's big long from it's up There podcast. On this episode, we're unpacking the difference between toxic love and a real bond. How so many of us were taught to survive love instead of experiencing it. A lot of men think being solid means being silent. I'm good. I got it. That's the script we memorize before we even know ourselves. Because somewhere along the line expression got labeled weakness. So now we perform composure while we're falling apart. You'll share your body but not a conversation. And that's not intimacy. But what if being a man really means you care enough to communicate? Real love isn't loud, it's consistent. It's the small things, the small check ins, the shared accountability, the honesty that feels awkward but keeps everyone safe. Stop confusing numbness with dependability. We gotta break the cycle and break the pattern. This special episode of It's Up There Podcast with long brought to you by Healthy Sexual from Gilead sciences on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.

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[Darla Miles]

Okay, so a couple of things. So was I was not on the first trial. I think I was somewhere in the south reporting, but I only 29. Well, yeah, what is that? But I was at his first arraignment, so I caught the assignment when it was when he was arrested. I think it was September 17th. He was arrested the night before. Darla, you're gonna be covering the U.S. attorney's press conference are going to be announcing the charges. So I was there for some of the earlier court appearances prior to the trial. And the first, when I first got there, it was still like old hat because it's just kind of a routine. The way I approach my craft is very much the way my father, the scientist, the coach taught me. It's kind of like a checklist to make sure I check all the boxes and not to leave a stone unturned. But again, as my colleagues have stated, you could kind of feel the natives getting restless and the interest really simmering. And so I actually went knowing, like, this is going to sound crazy, but I was annoyed because I knew it was gonna be crazy. And, you know, and so I'm like, I cover, I'm in this courthouse all of the time. I cover this all the time. But there is going to be an element of chaos that I know is gonna be untenable and that I know it's going to be exhaustive trying to tame it. And, you know, so I wasn't annoyed I just, you know, you just know it's almost like cleaning out your garage, right? You're annoyed that you gotta clean it out, but you know, you have to do it and you're gonna be happy with your sense of accomplishment after the fact. So that's a way to kind of frame it. So I knew it was gonna be crazy. What I did not know is how exhaustive it was going to be for such a long period of time. For eight weeks, getting up at 4 o' clock in the morning, committing to standing outside in line to actually make it inside of the courtroom. You know, the whole dynamic with that. So, you know, I was. I didn't really have an issue with the content. I didn't have an issue with, you know, having to cover federal court because I've done it so many times. But I just knew that there was going to be an element of chaos that was going to be unexpected, that was going to make it difficult. And that, that rang very, very true. But I think we all grew for it. And I think we're here because we all gained a respect for each ingredient to this news ecosystem. So I think what we realize, it's not legacy versus YouTube versus social. I mean, it's like making a pie and you have little ingredients that feed that pie. So I'm never my colleague's enemy. We're all here for the greater good, to inform everybody. And for me, the last thing I will say on this is that I'm really a stickler for facts and information because it is just, it's like nails on a chalkboard when people don't understand the legal nuances. Because I think that's how it snowballs into, you know, individuals getting jammed up because they don't really understand how the legal system works. So for me, I wanted to make sure that, you know, I was very, very technical about covering the case. And I left all the social stuff to the social queens.

[Armand Wiggins]

Can I jump in there?

[Celia Simone]

Oh, somebody going, I'll be fast. What I will say is when they, when the office reached out to me, I felt excited and I felt like we gonna kill it. You know, I really wanted to kill it. I really wanted to get it right. But it was something, you know, I had done a little bit of.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Luigi.

[Celia Simone]

I'm trying to figure out the timef I had did some stuff sometimes going to the court, but I was mainly like the girl who went to all the morning shows and found talent and got a viral clip. So this was really very much structured for me. And I was just Thinking to myself, how am I going to do this? Like, how am I going to get up an hour and a half earlier than what I normally get up? And like, you know, I just wanted to figure out what was expected of me and how I was going to deliver. And I think the first day.

[Lauren LaRosa]

It.

[Celia Simone]

Really proved to me that my job was so important. There was an intern that I never met. She was there. I was like, what the heck? Then there's like this other person that they bought in from another state to help us. And there were so many people that I had to work with that I had never met. And we had to figure out who was gonna do what. And once we figured out, you know, everyone's set job on that first day, it was, it was like game, you know, I just remember also getting to the court at about 5am and there was no parking already. And I'm like, okay, I'm gonna have to be here at 4:30 to make sure I get a parking spot. Because the office, I realized with this case, especially the first day, they were expecting me to be superwoman, the one who always figures it out. I was just thinking to myself, what if I dropped the ball this time? What if I. Because it was just so different, you know, and instead of me knowing who's gonna come out that door at like, say, a Cheri shepherd show, I didn't always know who was gonna come out the car. And then later on in the case, we had people like, popping up special guests, and then you had witnesses who didn't look like witnesses. And it was just so many little components that I didn't know I was gonna have to deal with. But overall, I was excited and it was mayhem. The first day, when I tell you everybody TikTok, everybody YouTube, I said, what the heck? It was like 50 something social media, people screaming at themselves, screaming at each other, screaming at you, talking to you. It was just, it was a lot. I was inundated with noises. But I felt proud to be there. And I knew I wanted to really show up and show out, if that makes sense.

[Jerica Duncan]

Ended okay.

[Armand Wiggins]

And you met me.

[Jerica Duncan]

Yes.

[Armand Wiggins]

So for me, I'm gonna be honest, it's a little selfish, but, you know, for one, I did wanna go because I had interest in the case. And I just felt like, wow, this is huge. But then two, personally, I come from a place where I'm independent and I've always looked for, you know, a bigger platform to back me. I've always wanted to be a part of a larger conglomerate. I've Always wanted to be a part of, like, an iHeart or a major news station or a major network to push me, but it just seems like it never happened. And so I told myself, listen, I'm gonna stop waiting for people to give me opportunity, and I'm just gonna create my own opportunity. So for me, I said, I'm not sitting around waiting for somebody to say, yeah, it's okay for you to be a journalist. Oh, yeah, it's okay for you to go get the story. I said, you know, once this case happens, I'm gonna be an icon. I'm gonna be a legend. These people are gonna respect me, and I'm gonna get out there and I'm gonna create my own table, and I'm gonna do a damn good job at it. So when the thing came, when the. When the Cassie lawsuit first hit, I told myself, hey, I'm going to cover this case. I started saving my money. In January, I took out a loan for $30,000, booked an Airbnb in SoHo, Manhattan. I said, I don't care who's there, what's happening. We're covering this case as the Armaan Wiggins show, okay? And we're gonna go out there and do the best that we can, you know? And for me, I just knew that I had to go out there because I was up against so many different people. It's gonna be so many different personalities. I didn't know how I was gonna navigate. I didn't know about press passes. I didn't know about line sitters. I just knew that I had to. Had a duty to get the story for my audience. And then two, as an independent, I was going to create some space for me to put this story out, and I was going to make an impact there. And I feel like I did that. And I feel like the story was interesting. And watching Diddy and seeing his kids and seeing the fact that that man had to be humbled, it really taught me a personal lesson about, you know, don't ever get too beside yourself. Don't ever get too arrogant. Don't ever get too cocky, because the universe, God, has a way of humbling you in front of. Of everybody. And that was a big takeaway for me. So I just thought it was a learning lesson. It taught me people skills. Because, child, let me tell you something. I had got into it with a lot of people that first. First day, okay? But, you know, I was navigating a lot, but I feel like I came out of that so much better, so much stronger. And then I've gotten some of the. Some of the greatest opportunities. I've been on television shows, radio. I finally got my shot at radio. I got my shot on the news. And, yeah, a lot of great things have came from it, and I've learned a lot, and I met some great people. So, yeah, it was dope for me.

[Mona Kosarabdi]

For me, I would say. So I covered the arraignment before that. Once the lawsuit dropped, I usually break things down on my TikTok anyway, so I broke that down, and I could see the interest and also the need to break down these complex legal procedures and terms and what's happening and. And do it in layman's terms, right. So I did that, and then I covered the arraignment. And what was shocking to me was the transformation that Diddy made from the arraignment where he was in a black T shirt. He was kind of a little, you know, a little buff. He was the person that we saw full head of black hair. And then the first day when we saw him come out in a crew neck sweater with a collared shirt, full head of gray hair. This is the first time we saw him in a really long time. In my mind, I'm like, this was the guy who was the king of New York, right? Like, you grew up seeing him on tv. He was celebrated for being a shrewd businessman and everything. The bad behavior, the making people walk for cheesecake, the. All the things that he was doing and was celebrated for in the 2000s with reality show on. Reality show. I want to work for Diddy. Making the band, mistreating people. He is now in this courtroom in the middle of Manhattan. And I, for a while was just trying to process all of that. And then I will say that day, I think it was two days later, maybe when Cassie first testified, I again broke it down on my TikTok. I think what was really difficult to try to figure out as well was the fact that you have no cell phone, no electronic devices, you have a pen and paper, but you still have to communicate with your producers. You still have to communicate with the people who are back at the office and who do not understand sometimes how all of this works. And they think like, okay, just go, come back and make your hit and it'll be fine. And. And trying to, you know, deal with what they were looking for and try to meet those expectations. And then I. At the end of Cassie's first day testifying, I went back and kind of like, Armand, you kind of just have to do things that you're not being asked to do right. You carve out your own lane. So I was like, you know what? I'm sure people will find this interesting. So I went through my notes and I broke it down, and I think that video did 20 million views. That's how many people from around the world were just trying to. And I think if you're sh. And then I, like, shut my phone off, and it was like, girl, I don't know why you went to sleep. Like, I need part two. And so then I realized the demand, and at one point, I was making three to four videos a day. I would go in, cover, sit through the trial the entire day, do my hits between lunchtime, come out, do any updates. Then I would go home and do three to four videos a day. And it went on for, like, eight weeks. It was a lot. I was burnt out by the end of it. But I did see the need to meet the audience where they're at. People are interested in this, and they're not gonna always look for your report. They're not gonna always come to you. And I think this is, you know, a valuable discussion. As the industry evolves, as media changes, how can we bring people information? How can we also adapt so that we don't go extinct? Because things are looking good sometimes, But.

[Jerica Duncan]

So I want to ask you guys, rapid fire, if you could answer in, like, 20 seconds, and I'll ask each of you a different question. Lauren, I'll start with you. As you're reporting and telling the story, what's the number one thing you're taking into consideration?

[Lauren LaRosa]

As I was reporting and telling the story, the number one thing I was taking into consideration is that any other outlet is focused on one thing, and it's always like, the big thing. Like, they want to go for, like, what is sensational, what is like, you know, because there's a lot to cover. So I was like, I'm going to tell y' all everything. If he's. If he's sweating, if he coughs, if he. Like, I just wanted to be that. Like, so you have the TMZs and the rolling Stones and, you know, everybody sitting here that have their dot coms. I don't have a dot com. I just have my Instagram and the Breakfast Club. So on my Instagram, my main focus was, let me tell you guys, every single detail. So you felt like you were literally like, I was vlogging the case, basically. And that was my focus. And I felt like the more I did that, because I did it the first day. And the video went viral. And I never experienced that. So I was like, if I do this a lot, people will come here after they talk to everybody, because I'll have things that people may not get a chance to talk about.

[Jerica Duncan]

Jay, so much was seen and heard in that trial. How were you able to process that? And I know personally, when the jurors were looking at those sex videos, there was a moment in the beginning where we could hear certain sounds, but there were graphic details of comzes and Cassie and people's sex lives, pictures of escorts. How do you process something like that? Even though, again, I know you've been covering Combs for a while and covering the streets of New York City, but it was a lot.

[Jay Dao]

It was a lot. And, you know, unlike. Unlike Lauren, unlike Armon, you know, where they can say what they want. I mean, I was cracking up watching some of Armand's episodes. Right? I mean, hilarious.

[Armand Wiggins]

I love you, Jay, my man, but.

[Jay Dao]

You know, we have the FCC to worry about. So, yeah, I mean, there was so much graphic material, and we had to figure out a way to kind of filter it in a way that it did not lose its impact. But at the same time, we stayed within the guardrails of traditional broadcast news. We work for a network, and content creators have evolved to become their own network. And so, yeah, there were some considerations that we had to make.

[Jerica Duncan]

Darla, what did you learn most from covering this trial?

[Darla Miles]

You know, one of the biggest lessons came from Soleayah.

[Jerica Duncan]

Me.

[Darla Miles]

Yes. And I will tell this story over and over again because, you know, like you said, it was exhausting getting up early, having to log all of this information by hand. And for me, I don't have a producer, so I have multiple hits a day. And I'm creating graphics, and I'm like, oh, there's a BlackBerry. So let me make sure I have a graphic that has a BlackBerry, and let me make sure I can make this case that has no pictures and no video, as demonstrative as I possibly can. And so I really got into the details. And so the next week, Salea was like, celia, sorry, I always get that wrong. She was like, did you go? Did you do a social media. I was like, I'm tired. I cannot do. I'm like, I just can't.

[Armand Wiggins]

I'm old.

[Darla Miles]

I'm tired. She goes, no, this is what you have to do. So she literally walked me through how to do a TikTok in, like, seven minutes on the steps of the courthouse. And, you know, she was like, no, this is how you record Click, click and you can do the double. I'm like, oh, you know, and go to cap cut and use this. And so I tell that story all the time. That I literally learned how to social media from the queen next to me in this trial because. And just such a healthy respect. So, yeah, that was you, girl.

[Celia Simone]

You got it.

[Armand Wiggins]

Good job.

[Jerica Duncan]

So, Celia, describe trial day.

[Celia Simone]

Oh, my God.

[Darla Miles]

Well.

[Celia Simone]

Intense and intense and also just like getting a lot of demands from the office because one thing I kind of. I didn't start it. I definitely didn't start it, but I think I've done it a lot. I realized that they didn't say it, but they wanted viral, if that makes sense. They didn't say that, but they wanted that. And they didn't say, go get something viral. It was just like, get what you can get. I'm like, okay. You know, so it was really intense, but I think like Lauren said, it was really important for us to get content that other people weren't going to get. And every day was a struggle to kind of be super creative and not be redundant. So specifically on trial day, one of the images that I got, normally I would cover the front of the courthouse. And that one day, one of the head producers said, celia, go to the back. I need you to get the prosecutors and whoever else you can get. And I don't know, I was just standing there and someone just walks by and he had a backpack on. I'm like, he looks like the judge filmed him. And then they were like, celia, that was the judge. And that went viral. And they were like, hey, we need more of this every day. So it kind of. I feel like I felt that pressure to repeat that every single day and to create viral moments every day. And I think we started to become the lead of all the people that were outside getting outside content on what was important. And it was nerve wracking because every day it was like trying to beat and top what you got that first day. And we got that like 7am in the morning. So then it was like, okay, at noon. Make sure you guys get this. So it was constant struggle to top each clip to go viral.

[Jerica Duncan]

To Darla's point, I remember watching where you were going when there were the rumors about Kanye. I said, I'm following Celia Salita. Gonna know where Kanye's at.

[Celia Simone]

Oh, wait, really quickly. I just did a video on that.

[Jerica Duncan]

You did?

[Celia Simone]

Yeah, I just did a video on that on my Instagram and 10 seconds. Vet every tip. If you are a journalist, Some random kid that's like 20 years old, he's out there covering the case. He kept me saying Kanye was gonna come. Everybody was like, he's crazy. And I made a phone call and confirmed that Kanye was in New York City and the rest is history. And the next day. And no one believed me. And the next day he came to the court.

[Jerica Duncan]

I believed you, Mona. In terms of the sentencing day, if you can describe the mood. Cause I feel like it's tense. And for me, everything that we learned was coming to a head in terms of people also asking, predict, what do you think? How much time do you think is gonna get? It's like, we're not attorneys. But it was the moment where you knew he could get as much as 20 or he could get, you know, something a lot lower, which he obviously did. But just describe the atmosphere inside and sort of outside the courtroom.

[Mona Kosarabdi]

Yeah, I'll start with verdict day. I mean, it was something that inside the courtroom for Team Diddy was celebratory. They beat the feds. And then that messaging kind of permeated through to the public, where everyone was like, oh, my God, he beat the feds. He beat the case. But that wasn't the case. Obviously. He was still found guilty on two counts. But I feel like there was this idea of, you know, this was a hit for the Me Too movement. And, you know, he's not going to be held accountable. But then as different motions were happening for. There was like about two, three month gap. Right. You guys can. Two months, right, between the. Yeah. Between the verdict and the sentencing. And there were different motions. And you realize that the judge, particularly when he did not let him walk out on bail after the verdict, you could tell that the judge was going to hold him accountable. But what that looked like he could get anywhere up to 20 years. But he also was never. He wasn't previously convicted of a felony. Right. He had no record. The day of the verdict, again, there was that, okay, is the judge going to throw the book at him? Is he going to make an example out of him? And then the judge went on and this long speech after. I mean, I would explain this. As, you know, both sides described a completely different ditty. You had the prosecutor saying that this man still needs to be held accountable, even though he wasn't found guilty for what he did to Cassie, what he did to Jane, he still exhibited violent behavior. He still used all of his resources to control these women. And then the defense was making it seem like. Like, oh, no, he was a John. He was just engaging in prostitution services. He wasn't even running the prostitution services. Right. And then came in the judge who basically said that Cassie and Jane were so brave for sharing their story. And this is a man who's gotten away with a lot for a very long time and is a violent person, has a history of being violent. And then when he read his sentence of 50 months, I feel like you could see the air being sucked out of Diddy. Before that, his kids, we heard from them for the first time where his girls gave this powerful plea to the judge where they were saying that this is their father. They already lost their mother. And I will say, I started getting emotional. These are two young. Three young girls who are 18 and 19 years old. And for the Combs twins, we know that they lost their mother, Kim Porter. And. And to say that, again, they were gonna lose their father. They already. He already missed graduation and prom. So I will say, for me, I kind of didn't know exactly which way it was gonna go, because it all rests on if the judge was going to make an example out of him or if what his children said really did affect the judge. But I think he kind of fell somewhere in the middle.

[Jerica Duncan]

I would say, for me, Armand, there are times, I think, yes, I'm ready. There are times, as journalists, as producers, I would imagine, as a content creator, where you feel like you grew up because we don't cover these types of stories every day. Do you think this trial did that for you? And how are you a different person as a result of covering this case?

[Armand Wiggins]

Yeah, I definitely feel like I grew up, and I feel like I have the stamina to do a lot more. And I feel like, you know, the stretch that I was looking for, I got. I felt more inspired, and I realized where my superpower lies within this space. And I. And it makes me appreciate everybody in media, because for me, specifically, what is my superpower? Storytelling. You know, I think for me, like, the way that I did this case, like, you would see everybody going out, going live in front of the courthouse or outside the courthouse during every break. Like, I didn't do that, or people would, you know, you guys had your hits and stuff like that. For me, I would wait to the end of the night because I know that, you know, once traditional media gets the story out every. By the time everyone gets to me, everybody knows what happened. I'm not there to report to you play by play, like, what happened and have it all buttoned up. I'm here now. Here's. We all know what happened? Let's sit and let's talk about it from a more raw, unfiltered lens. And, like, I'm gonna give you the nuances. Kind of like Lauren LaRosa was saying, like, what did he look like? What was the hair? What did the outfit give? Like, what was the posture? You know? And let's really have the conversations that once we read the article, once we see what they say on the news, what are we sitting around the table and how are we discussing what we've actually consumed or what we watched or what we read? And I feel like, for me, I found myself spot where I was like, I don't have to be this buttoned up version of, like, what a reporter supposed to be, because there's a space for that person to sit back and be like, all right, now this is. Now we know what's going on. Now let's really get into it. And, you know, this case for me, a lot of people kind of. They had mixed feelings about how I was reporting it, but I felt like it was such a dark and kind of, like, sexual case that at some point, like, we had to kind of make light of it just a little bit, because some of the stuff, even though it was kind of creepy, it was funny, you know what I mean, in a. In an interesting way. And so I thought that, you know, for the people back at home, you know, sitting in court every day, it's not the funnest thing, you know, and reading a bunch of paperwork, a bunch of words on the paper, on your screen, that's boring. So my thing was, I didn't want people to feel like they were sitting in court again with me. So the idea was, all right, I'm gonna sit in court. Y' all read the news or y' all read your articles, and then when we come back, we're gonna have fun with this story, and I'm gonna tell you the little things that I noticed that I seen or, you know, things that may. I feel like other people may have left out. And so I think that I. I think that I grew a lot, and I think that I. I gained a lot of confidence to where, you know, now I. I'm not intimidated to say, yeah, I cover trial. In the past, I would be. Well, I'm not a reporter. I don't have a journalism degree. I don't think I'm. No, I think I'm good enough, and I think I can do it. And I think I know my lane, and I feel like I've grown and you know, the biggest thing for me was the fact that my parents were proud of me, you know, and people were inspired by me. And, you know, not to toot my own horn, but I feel like, you know, once they saw me up there and a lot of people saw me there, we were getting those numbers and we were going viral. Everybody and their mama flew out with an iPhone and started doing YouTube videos and TikToks like it's no shade. So I feel like we've inspired a community of creators and, you know, I think that was great.

[Jerica Duncan]

Thank you.

[Big Lone]

What's up y'?

[Jerica Duncan]

All?

[Big Lone]

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[Jerica Duncan]

I want to open it up now to Q and A. If you guys had any questions and I'll come out to you.

[Celia Simone]

Tell us who you are.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Okay? Hi everyone.

[Mona Kosarabdi]

My name is Asia Alexander.

[Lauren LaRosa]

This is really inspiring. Great panel, by the way. But I was wondering if you guys ever had any, like, death threats or like, anything come to you guys while covering this case? Because I know that could be a real big thing when you're talking about.

[Mona Kosarabdi]

Like, mafias and all that kind of stuff.

[Armand Wiggins]

Oh, well, I can jump in there. I'll just say for me, I don't know if it's necessarily. Well, I did get some death threats. Well, there was a woman who attacked me outside the courthouse. I don't know. She came and started attacking me out of nowhere for Diddy. She was harassing me, following me. Everybody was telling me to go inside. It was just really, really weird. And this is the thing about the cases, too, because it made me feel a little bit uncomfortable about going to cases because it's such a public place. You do have to watch when you have visibility. People will try to, like, get cloud off of you. It's really, really weird. So they have people that are looking for moments, and then they have people that are just kind of crazed fans. So you always have to protect yourself out there because people really will get overstimulated and try to attack you. I mean, I've been. I was harassed. Lauren was harassed. It was crazy out there.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yes.

[Jerica Duncan]

I got.

[Celia Simone]

Are you gonna chat? Well, I was gonna just chime in really quickly. People actually came down to the court to see people. Yeah, like, people came to visit Lauren, people came to visit Armand. And I was surprised. People would say, hey, you're that girl from tmz.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Right?

[Celia Simone]

And I'm like. And I couldn't say no because my phone had a big TMZ on the back of it. But people. And honestly, even people who I didn't have communication with in years to visit me at the court, and I don't really know how I felt about that. So that's the one thing I didn't love about the court, was having people show up just to, like, see what's going on and what the hype was about. Even though the police were there, I didn't feel like they were going to help them help people jump or get off me if somebody did jump on me. So whatever.

[Darla Miles]

But, yeah, I will say I did speak to a content creator who had been threatened. They threatened sexual violence against her and physical violence. And one thing I told her, I said, this is New York City. You go report that to the nypd. You keep track of that. So I was happy to be that voice. And I would tell anyone in this room, listening, if you are threatened, don't brush it off, report it immediately. Just don't play like that. And that was the advice I gave this particular content creator who thought, well, I don't want to be extra. I don't want to be too much. And I was like, absolutely not. That is nothing to play around with. So that did happen.

[Armand Wiggins]

You did.

[Darla Miles]

Hi, you guys.

[Jerica Duncan]

My name is Chelsea.

[Mona Kosarabdi]

I am an NYU graduate student.

[Darla Miles]

This is my professor right here.

[Mona Kosarabdi]

I am also a freelance production coordinator and social video manager for one of the public affairs shows at ABC7.

[Celia Simone]

And the question that I have is, what did this teach you about the.

[Darla Miles]

Algorithm or how people engage with your content? I hear a lot. The way you report things on TikTok is different than Instagram. So if there's one thing that it.

[Mona Kosarabdi]

Taught you, what would it be?

[Lauren LaRosa]

I think it taught me that that whole it's saturated conversation doesn't matter when you good at what you do, because the first day, from, like, the jewelry selection to the first day of trial to the last day, the number of content creators and people there covering it grew up. Some days it was, like, kind of chill when certain things weren't going on. But we literally, in real time, watch the world realize, oh, we're not gonna get this from just our regular outlets. We need to be everywhere. So we need to be on the legacy media, on social, all these things. So it's very saturated. Like, it got to a point where outside of the courtroom, you wouldn't even kind of want to record anything because people are recording. You recorded. There's just so much going on. But. But my numbers never stopped growing, like, at all. People still found me and still found what they wanted to get from me. Like, my numbers grew insanely. And yes, I also. I mean, I had already kind of knew that different platforms are for different things, but I think that the Diddy trial really. It just really taught me just, I guess, like, the importance of social media. Like, I knew that when I left tmz, I told myself that there was no one on social media who was actually vetting certain things, but also able to kind of, like, be out, get with certain things, understand what's happening culturally, really be outside, right, and know what's happening. Like, not be disconnected from the world and people and things. So I was like, that's it. Like, that's me. Naturally, I'm gonna lean into that. But during the Diddy trial, I think that was the first time ever in my life and in my career where it was and it wasn't about an outlet. Like, people were listening to me because they wanted to hear me and hear certain things. And I think the same thing happen for everybody. Even if you were with the outlet, people were looking for certain people. So it just made me realize, like, I mean, people say, oh, social media is so saturated and this and that, and I'm like, you good at what you do and you cutting through. That's what you're doing. Like, none of that matters. People will come and find what they.

[Darla Miles]

Need to chime in on that. I think it taught that the algorithms really don't matter. Really, Just like Lauren and everyone else has said. For example, I had no idea what I was doing when Celaya taught me, but I know that some of the shorts that I did, based on your tutelage, they were like, part of the YouTube top five shorts globally, based on whatever. So it just taught me it doesn't really matter. Good content is good content. And people, when they can't get enough of something they're going to. The algorithm just doesn't really make that much of a difference. Difference.

[Armand Wiggins]

It's just. It's about giving value. That's it. Like, I never worried about the algorithm one time. I never chased it. Like I was saying before, everybody was going live and getting hundreds of thousands of views during the day. I literally went live once a day at six, sometimes nine o' clock at night, and I didn't. It. I gained hundreds of thousands of followers and. And my numbers were always up. Like, we had 20,000, 30,000 people live life every single day. It didn't matter what happened throughout the day. So I would wait. Everybody I meet me and Lauren and silly, we would go to eat chicken, and we would go. I was not running out of the court like there were some people. I'm not gonna lie, there were people that were running out of the courtroom trying to be. As soon as something would be said, they would run out of the courtroom to try to be first. I never got flustered with that because I knew what I knew, and I knew where my power landed and I knew that I was gonna be able to go deliver. I don't chase the algorithm because that's when you don't get that dopamine of that algorithm or you.

[Jay Dao]

You.

[Armand Wiggins]

You don't get that initial hit that you've maybe gotten it once before. If you don't get it again, you don't feel like you're good enough. And so for me, I just get on camera. I'm gonna do my thing.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Can I say one thing, too? I come from tmz and I was there for eight years. When I started, as I was on the tour bus when I left, I was senior news producer, right? So when you have been in a newsroom like that, you are literally trained to go like you are a sniper. I swear, like, I don't know nothing but to be first and to live, breathe, starve, or you don't eat, period. Literally, they will fire you. That has been my life for eight years. And then I come to Breakfast Club, and things still are there, but it changes because you're a person now. And also everybody hangs on your word. I had a hard lesson just trying to learn you don't have to be first backing off of what Armand was saying right with the Diddy trial. In the beginning, I was always so worried about that. That toward the middle of it, when I started realizing, like, no, people are really paying attention, I was like, I actually want to have something to say, like, I don't want to just tell you guys what's happening. I'm going to do that. But like, I also think you're here too, because it's like, culturally, you want to kind of understand where my mind is, like as a person and I really want to process what I just heard. So there'll be some nights where like my podcast is supposed to be live at 6. I might not even do a podcast episode that day. I would wait and literally tell my audience, yo. I didn't really know how I felt when I left court today. And that was such a eye changing moment for me as a journalist because I think, because things move so fast and especially in a lot of newsrooms, I mean, you do have to be first and finest on a lot of things. But man, it's so important today to have something to say for real outside of just being factual, because there's so much stuff that is just like, what are you talking about? I didn't really understand the power of that until this trial also though, and being right.

[Mona Kosarabdi]

Yeah, no, exactly. So from, from my experience, I would say that I use the skills that I acquired from legacy media, like my 12 year career about using a hook, framing the story so that people can digest it, giving the details that matter, not giving every single detail, but like, what is this adding to the story? And so I kind of framed all my TikToks like that. But then I've been on TikTok for a few years now and so I know, cut out the breaths. Don't start by saying, okay, guys, today we got no, like really hit them with the hook. And so mixing those two, I realized that it would just trigger the algorithm. And then the people want to hear, because you're concise, you're giving the facts, you're giving them details that they didn't have in court. You know, was he rubbing his hands? They wanted to know was what were the jurors doing? Were they laughing, were they smiling, were they crying? And giving those details, I feel like, was the advantage. The fact that we were in the courtroom, that we were there and then we were there every day, and that you could be reliable. Also the consistency. You knew that every night I was gonna give you at least three to four videos. And if I didn't immediately in the morning, I would as well. I think where some of the other reporters struggled, like if you were with cbs, NBC, abc, is that it was such a, a hard shift to now, like, okay, well, now you guys need to go make TikTok videos. And it was just like, okay. And they're fixing their camera and. And starting the. The sentence with like, okay. And I'm just like, that's too many words, too many breaths. Like, we gotta. We gotta jump right to it. And so I could see how you know it. It's a powerful tool and how you can be utilized, but also the skills that you learned for storytelling and. And being factually accurate and structuring the story in a way that people can understand it. And why should you care? Right? The why of it all is important. And that's things that, you know, whether you're reporting on the 5 o' clock news or you're sharing a TikTok don't change. And they're transferable skills really, really quickly.

[Celia Simone]

10 seconds. I think social media wise, TMZ dominated because we constantly stayed true to tmz. We didn't try to switch up because we're covering a case. No, it was, we're gonna get you walking in, we're gonna chase you down the block. And literally when the lawyers would come out, people would laugh at me at first. I would go. I would be walking backwards. What do you think happened? Even if they didn't say anything, people wanted that footage. And when TMZ would post it, it would go crazy. So we stayed true to the brand. I'm gonna chase you down. Cause that's what I do. And it worked out for us. We never shifted from that as far as street coverage.

[Jay Dao]

Oh, I just wanted to add something. And then, you know what? Let's hear your question. I don't want to take time away from you, so.

[Darla Miles]

Hi, everyone. My name is Crystal and I'm a producer. I'm currently working in documentary. First, I want to say I love that you were collaborative with Darla and supporting each other in the field, but also as a producer, something you said kind of raised a red flag for me. So I did a documentary series in Dallas where I filmed with a judge. And you filming a judge entering a building, it raises ethical concerns for me because the judge I filmed with in Dallas, they have a separate entrance for a reason. And as the young woman asks the question about your security, as Lauren is saying, you gotta be first. Right. This is one of the reasons why I transitioned out of local news into longer form storytelling. I'm like, where is the ethical concern or pause about this judge's safety as everyone is rushing to be first, rushing to hurry up and get it on there. As a producer, I'm concerned because I don't hear that moment for pause and reflection, because everyone is just like, we gotta go. So I wonder if you guys can speak to how you handle that. Okay. I just need to just.

[Celia Simone]

And you're right.

[Darla Miles]

Set the record straight just on one thing that I. That this is. Is a sticking point for me. It's not just local news. Right. So I know some people move away. I'm very passionate about the fact that I've been in local news for 20 years, and I always try to dispel myths about what it is we do and how we do things. And you're absolutely right. There has to be a moment. But in that it's a personal thing. So I don't want you to just say it's local news or it's TikTok or whatever. It's a reflection of that person. So I always have to, like, you know, throw a little flag on the play when someone says, oh, I don't like local news for that, because I think you're just painting a broad brush for an industry when it's still about that individual journalist. I just had to just jump in and say that really quick.

[Celia Simone]

I do want to speak to it, so I'm not going to lie. Like, of course, the company I work for, of course, sometimes people, we've had a history, you know, but I cannot rep. I cannot speak for them because I will never do that. But overall, there has been a history. I'll leave it at that. What I will say is, when I did shoot that clip, I wasn't sure how it was gonna be received, but I also am not the person who approves those things either. So I sent it in, like, hmm, okay, let's see. If they want it, they'll use it. If not. Did I feel a little bit worried about it? Yes. But I also kind of felt like, okay, what's done is done. The next day, we continued to shoot the entire prosecutor, judge, everyone coming in. What we did not do was we did not, of course, shoot people who were hidden witnesses or try to find those witnesses. We also did not publicly say the names of witnesses that we probably did know who they were. And I stand by that. I feel like we did a great job. I feel like I did a great job. I do see where it does raised some ethically, maybe some immoral. But I feel like overall, we set the tone for the way the rest of the trial was going to go. I feel like everyone started to follow suit and started to try to create content that was off the wall.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I also think there Were already profiles on the judge as well, too. Like, so coming from tmz and now being in a space where I have to make those same decisions, because if not, I'm under fire.

[Jerica Duncan]

Right.

[Lauren LaRosa]

It is a personal thing. That's number one. I will also say two. It's just that there's a job to do and how you do it. So there were profiles on the judge. Like, I knew when I researched and I read about this judge prior to, because I was trying to figure out what the case would be like. And the judge is important when Celia grabbed that shot. TMZ is not known for humanizing a lot of people in a lot of things. Right. Like, no shade to them. I was there. Cool. She can't say it. I will. But at the same time, that clip in that photo she got, he was wearing a backpack. He was listening to music. The conversation went from, this is the judge. Will he throw diddy in jail for the rest of his life? To this judge is a person. He listens to music. He's young. It set a different conversation. And I get what you're. You're saying, but I think a lot of times in this, people have to also have a conversation about. There are certain stories that if Celia doesn't do the story, someone's going to do it. And the way she goes about it is something to say, okay. I mean, and again, it is above her being in the newsroom. I remember she would get clips and they would send it. And a lot of times we would look at things when I was there, and I would say, okay, I know that this is coming from Celia. I know her. I'm a black woman as well, so I know her heart. They don't care about that. And a lot of times, you don't have leadership that does. She's not in control of that. But at the same time, there are those moments where when you put those things out, it does kind of like the opposite of what you're saying. And that was that moment for that judge. I remember the shot that she's talking about. And it's just a. It's an internal battle, I think if you choose to step away from it. I don't fault anybody because I chose to step away from a platform because I wanted to figure out, was there a balance of sanity I could have. But at the same time, I do think that there are times where I'm like, man, I don't want to have to, but how can I bring my person into it? And that's the beauty of the platform I'm at now, so I think it's about personal platform choice, too.

[Celia Simone]

But lastly, I have. I was told this. I have the most published clips out of any film producer ever at tmz. Let's put that on the table. Right? I have been able to constantly talk to people who have never talked to tmz, Halle Berry, Jay Z two weeks ago. People who would run from us, come to us now. Jada Pinkett never talked to tmz. I've been able to break down those barriers because I am a human being first. And even down with the Diddy case. I had phone calls from some people who I cannot mention who are linked to the family that said they love you and they love watching your clips because you are so nice to them. So I stand by that stuff because it's real. People wouldn't say that if it wasn't real. And the numbers don't lie. And Jay Z talking to me twice. The first time they didn't publish it. The second time he said, sis, I don't wanna have to embarrass you today. I don't got a story for you, but I'm proud of you. This is my story and I stand by everything that I shoot.

[Jay Dao]

I think I'm glad that I didn't say what I had to say a few minutes ago. And I'm glad for your question because I think multiple things are allowed to be true at the same time.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah.

[Jay Dao]

What. What is true? A is that social media is built on viral moments as opposed to the traditional training that Jerica, myself and Darla and Mona that you have where, you know, we're in local news and our job is to tell the story very objectively. We're not supposed to insert our opinions. We're supposed to just give you the facts and the spirit of Walter Cronkite. But social media is built on viral moments. So we heard Selena talking about, oh, you know, like, what's going to be viral next? Waking up every day worrying about how are you going to feed the beast? We're all feeding the beast, just in a different way.

[Darla Miles]

Yeah.

[Jay Dao]

So I think that, you know, we're talking around a lot of things. I'm sorry, but there is an appetite for viral moments on social media. And I think that as a society, we have been trained to only need. Here's an analogy. Do you remember when you were a kid, you had Tropicana orange juice in the frozen thing in the freezer? I would eat that. My grandmother would be all over me like she wait until I make the orange juice. You have to pour the water in it. Like I just wanted to concentrate. And that's literally.

[Jerica Duncan]

It is, right?

[Jay Dao]

Am I dating myself? So, but, but that is literally what social media is. Everybody wants the orange juice concentrate. They don't want it diluted, they don't want it served to you in a glass. What is also true is there is an appetite for long form journalism. And so, you know, just as in Legacy media, I have been, you know, I'm grateful and fortunate enough to have my own show where I can do those long form stories where Arman is able to sit down and do a two hour show and people are there for it. People, the diminishing eyes, the audience that is on Legacy is there for my show and everyone else is watching Armand. Right. And so there is, you know, an appetite for long form stuff. The breakfast, you know, like Lauren is on the air for how many hours in the morning?

[Jerica Duncan]

Four.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Three.

[Jerica Duncan]

Four hours.

[Jay Dao]

Four hours. It's not just about the 30 second hit. It's not just about the one minute clip. They will sit there and listen to what Lauren has to say for hours. They would sit there and listen to what Armand has to say for hours. 60 minutes is still where it is because it's good television, 15 minute pieces. So I think that, yeah, multiple things are allowed to be true at the same time.

[Jerica Duncan]

Before we ask another quick question, I know Mona wanted to jump in and.

[Mona Kosarabdi]

Jump in real quick because I think this is a conversation that goes beyond this table. I feel like where before there were gatekeepers. And this is a reason why a lot of people weren't able to get the opportunities that, for example, I've been fortunate enough to have. Because journalism is not easy. It wasn't easy to break into. Right. And then getting our stories told was even harder. You had an uphill battle to fight. And so now with social media, it's allowed a new wave of people to enter the space and take up space. But with that comes some murky waters that we're navigating. Right. Where people, for example, were revealing the identity of witnesses that were going under pseudonyms. And so, you know, personally I made the decision not to do that. But that doesn't mean that everyone who, you know, walks in and is able to see the same court proceeding that I'm watching won't go back and put two and two together and get those viral moments. And so I think it's not just about one clip. It's more about things are changing and how are we Going to navigate that. That when the gatekeepers are gone, which is great because now more people get opportunities, but the gatekeepers are gone, which means things are not being vetted. Ethic codes are not being, you know, legal and standards are no longer, you know, vetting everything.

[Darla Miles]

So I just wanted to add that in 30 seconds. 30 seconds, I think to tie a bow on that. Thank you for that question and I apologize. I know.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm actually glad you asked it, girl. You will be acting like you can't do both.

[Darla Miles]

Yeah, yeah. Let me just say, every day of my career, every day that I'm gathering, I always have to answer that question, right? So when I did a story today about a Jersey City police officer who just got arrested for sexual assault. Da, da, da, da, da. With a minor who was incapacitated and da, da, da. You know, I had to have that conversation.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Whoa.

[Darla Miles]

I had a conversation. Okay. Do I show his life and children? Right? So I think, yeah. So what I say is every day, every decision as a journalist, whether your legacy, whether you're Armand, whether you're Salea. Celia. Celia. Celia, Mona. And that's why, you know, we thank Jerica for putting this panel together. Because this is the panel that you ask the questions to. Because we all have our different platforms, but you know, cream rises to the top when you answer. When you ask that question, guess what? Sometimes you're going to get it wrong, right? Sometimes you're going to get it right. But you learn from each time, so it doesn't matter, right? We all have to ask. Ask. In this world, in the murky waters, the buck stops with us. And it's good to ask that question. And sometimes it's just what it is.

[Big Lone]

What's up? It's Big Lone from It's Up There podcast. On this episode, we're unpacking the difference between toxic love and a real bond. How so many of us were taught to survive love instead of experiencing. A lot of men think being solid means being silent. I'm good. I got it. That's the script we memorize before we even know ourselves. Because somewhere along the line, expression got labeled weakness. So now we perform composure while we're falling apart. You share your body, but not a conversation. And that's not intimacy. But what if being a man really means you care enough to communicate real love? Love isn't loud. It's consistent. It's the small things, the small check ins, the shared accountability, the honesty that feels awkward but keeps everyone safe. Stop confusing numbness with dependability. We gotta break the cycle and break the pattern. This special episode of It's Up There podcast with Lone brought to you by Healthy Sexual from Gilead sciences on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.

[Celia Simone]

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[Lauren LaRosa]

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[Celia Simone]

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[Amazon Five Star Theater Podcaster]

Amazon five Star Theater presents real customer reviews performed by a real serious improv podcaster. Tonight's review Spatula for the Stars When I'm dead and civilization eventually collapses, this spatula will remain. It will be the only rune uncovered by some unknown species of the future upon which they base their assumptions of our existence. Eggs they will posit. These extinct people like to eat their eggs scrambled, omeletted and fried. They love to eat eggs, and this was their primary tool for cooking them.

[Mona Kosarabdi]

Now come, let us teleport to the.

[Amazon Five Star Theater Podcaster]

Intergalactic Museum and put this device in.

[Lauren LaRosa]

The Milky Way exhibit.

[Amazon Five Star Theater Podcaster]

5 stars Zachary thank you for listening to Amazon 5 star theater. A spatula of such enduring majesty. Truly the perfect gift for my co hosts. May they wield it nobly in the Breakfast wars to come find your perfect gift. This holiday on Amazon, Every holiday shopper's got a list.

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[Lauren LaRosa]

Shantae from Short n Sweet. Well, the trial obviously brought up so many triggering topics. What did you do specifically to trigger.

[Celia Simone]

Or not trigger, but center yourself in your personal life?

[Lauren LaRosa]

I would go out for dinner and drinks with Armaan and Celia a lot. And I also took a couple days to just go to sleep and to not go to court. Like, I needed to do that. I was sleep one. It was one point. I was sleepwalking so bad. I was at. I was leaving the Breakfast Club and our EP was like, do you need me to call you an Uber home? Like, I'm scared for you to drive home. Cause I was so tired. Like, I gotta be at Breakfast club at like 5:30, then at court until 6, so. And then I'm doing my podcast, so. And it's just bringing in the information is draining. And then the type of information is draining as well too. So I physically had to disconnect a couple days and a couple times, and I felt like, dang, I'm missing it. And then I was like, if I don't miss it, I don't even know what I'm be talking to y' all about. I'm be so delirious. But also, too, community was a big thing. At the end of the trial, me and Armand were talking about how it kind of felt like, like I went back to college or like we went back to college because we all got so close going through it together, and we were able to talk to each other about it and be upset with each other about certain things. And, you know, just. And. And that was so important because unless you were at that courthouse every day, you really couldn't fathom the intensity of certain things that we were experiencing. So leaning into community was like, a big thing for me too.

[Armand Wiggins]

I missed the question. Guys, Can. Can y' all just tell me what the worst one. What were you responding to?

[Jerica Duncan]

The question was about things that were triggering and how folks processed it. Lauren was saying going out to drinks with you helped. No.

[Armand Wiggins]

Oh, I. I have a triggering thing really quick. It wasn't until after the trial, though. I think a lot of people don't. Well, maybe you guys didn't experience, but I did. And I know a lot of, like, my peers kind of felt it, but after all of that, I think I fell into, like, a hole. I don't know. I kind of got. It was like a little.

[Jerica Duncan]

We.

[Armand Wiggins]

They were calling, like, a diddy depression. I don't know. It just kind of felt like, ugh. Like, once it was like, all over, I had felt like, what's next. I didn't know what, like, I didn't know what I felt. I felt like it was so much energy there, but I was like, doing it for the eight weeks that I was there. Then once it was over, it was just this weird cloud over me where I kind of was like, sad. I was fatigued. I didn't really want to work. I didn't know what was going on with me. And I think I didn't know what that was. But I started to slowly pull myself out, you know, like talking to my friends. Me, I would go to New York, hang out with Celia. We would go out, have drinks, run into Lauren. Like, we. I would just start doing stuff and then I would find myself getting inspired to get back to it again. But that was something that kind of hit me hard after the trial. Like, you know, went there, made a bunch of money, did a bunch of content, had some big highs. And then, like, I think people we don't talk about enough. When you hit those, those big highs like that, and then you just drop. It's like you feel it. Like, I definitely did.

[Mona Kosarabdi]

I will say, oh, oh, the. The information is difficult to listen to. I mean, there's a lot of things that came out and they. It was, it was disturbing and, you know, information that was coming out. I will say my years of covering court has helped me compartmentalize things and not take things home because it will wreck you. It is why I kind of distanced myself from hard news and started getting into entertainment news. Because after years of that, it is difficult. Right? But I will say, the amount of work that I was doing, all of the, you know, the long days in core trying to get all the content out, all this stuff, at the end of it, I was beat. I was burnt out. And it was something that I realized our newsrooms are demanding so much of us these days. Like, when I first started, it was one hit and then it was like, oh, we added a four o' clock show. And then now you gotta produce yourself. And then you have to now do something on social media. And so. So I feel like a lot of the reporters that were out there can agree that we are being stretched really thin. And at the end of it, by summer, I'm like, first of all, my summer was gone. Because you look up and it's mid July. We started this in May. So you look up and you're like, oh, my gosh, I didn't go on vacation. I was in this courtroom and processing all this difficult information. But also the workload was so much that by August, I was burnt out and had to just keep going. And so I think trying to figure out how to navigate this and. And the demands and more content. Great people want it, but we're only just one person trying to produce all of that as well.

[Darla Miles]

Hello, my name is Cynthia Horner.

[Amazon Five Star Theater Podcaster]

I'm on the board of New York.

[Darla Miles]

Association of Black Journalists. And I want to thank you all.

[Amazon Five Star Theater Podcaster]

For having such wonderful comments, and we've.

[Darla Miles]

Learned so much from what you've had to say. There's so many diverse viewpoints. My question is, what was the most difficult moment for you in covering this trial? Because there are some people that are readers of publications or viewers of television shows who felt that there were some moments in that trial that were so horrific, the depravity and all of that, that they couldn't even stomach listening to it. So what was your take on how did you navigate with that? Because you have the reporter in you, but you also have the human side and, you know, especially women hearing testimony from women who had been sexually assaulted and all of that kind of thing. So if you could just give us quick comments on and how you navigated, and if there was one moment where you just said, I don't know if I can keep doing this, and if.

[Jerica Duncan]

One person wants to take that, because we got one more question, and then we have announcements. So we got, like, five minutes left. Sorry. Very quickly. Thank you, Ms. Cynthia.

[Jay Dao]

I think with every story, you try to approach it as a person. I'm a father of two daughters, so hearing stories of domestic violence in that graphic nature was hard. But at the same time, compartmentalizing is key to be able to tell the audience what's happening without getting personally emotionally involved to the point where you can't do your job.

[Big Lone]

All right, I respect all you ladies, and I don't feel like I respect black journalists. I love black journalists. Lauren LaRosa $miles Jericho.

[Jay Dao]

Ducking.

[Armand Wiggins]

I love y'.

[Darla Miles]

All.

[Big Lone]

Don't suppress anything that y' all do.

[Armand Wiggins]

I'm from Jersey, and if y' all.

[Big Lone]

Feel suppressed or threatened by any way, I got a hundred goons that will protect y'.

[Darla Miles]

All.

[Big Lone]

Keep your foot on Donald Trump's.

[Armand Wiggins]

I'm not here to tear puff down or nothing.

[Big Lone]

I don't.

[Armand Wiggins]

I don't got nothing to do with that. I do know the dude that dropped the bunny book, Courtney, that dropped a.

[Jay Dao]

Book with Kim Porter book.

[Big Lone]

I do know him. I don't know how legit that book is, and I don't know if y' all read the book or whatever, whatever, but keep your foot on Donald Trump neck, you know what I'm saying?

[Jerica Duncan]

Like, didn't know where you were going with that conversation, brother.

[Darla Miles]

Okay?

[Jerica Duncan]

I said, wait a minute. Wait a minute.

[Darla Miles]

So I want to say this is.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Thank you for your support.

[Jay Dao]

I support y'.

[Jerica Duncan]

All. No, I appreciate it.

[Armand Wiggins]

I support y' all wholeheartedly. I support y' all wholeheartedly.

[Big Lone]

I respect y' all journalism. I love black journalism. You know what I'm saying?

[Jay Dao]

Like, our story needs to be told.

[Darla Miles]

I appreciate that.

[Jay Dao]

I support Joy Reid to the fullest.

[Darla Miles]

I got you. You know, we got five now. We got, like, three minutes.

[Celia Simone]

All right?

[Jay Dao]

I support Joy to the fullest.

[Darla Miles]

All right. I appreciate it. We got, like, three minutes.

[Armand Wiggins]

You know what I mean?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Like, thank you.

[Darla Miles]

We got you. Keep going. All right.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Thank you.

[Darla Miles]

The one thing I want to end with appreciate you. Really appreciate that. You know, we'll get your number outside Holler. So I heard the same question twice. How did we deal with it? And I don't think, you know, I didn't address it. I don't know if you got the answer that you were looking for from a woman's perspective, from a black woman's perspective. From my point of view. Right. I mean, I think we've addressed it. The only thing I will say, because I do get that question a lot. Let me get. Just land a plane. You know, we. We're coming back over from Jersey. But, you know, I've seen a lot. I've seen a lot in New York City. I've covered a lot, and I kind of feel like we're second responders. So, like, first responders, they go out and they compartmentalize. They compartmentalize and they just go home. And so we're kind of like second responders. And we, whether we know it or not, we do compartmentalize in that way. And I'll say, just to Lauren's point, the community of us who kind of, like, were pledging the Diddy trial together, you know, really made it great. Jay and I would talk about Armand's show in the morning. Did you see Armand last night? I would see Solayah and what you. This panel is a product of the community that we built during that experience. And I'll say that that's not the worst I've ever covered.

[Lauren LaRosa]

That's how I felt.

[Darla Miles]

So I've covered so much more that was also horrific. It really wasn't the worst that I've ever covered. And I was very happy that they didn't show us the tape because I didn't want that in my brain. I'm very particular about what I put in my brain. So I was happy that they kept some of the stuff away from us and it protected my brain. And we just were second responders and we compartmentalized last.

[Celia Simone]

Every woman, black, white, Asian, everybody talked about every little detail being flew out. I mean, you had Emmy award winning journalist that you see on TV that are like, well, I was flew out. I don't remember that experience. We were all comparing.

[Jerica Duncan]

That was not me.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm just saying it's like, I never been flew out.

[Celia Simone]

I'm just saying women got together of all different races, ethnicities, and were like, well, I don't know. I mean, when I look back, this could have been me. We were all like, wow. Like, it was like stories. Everybody sharing stories. It was insane. And then people kept telling me that TMZ loved Diddy, which really was weird. And I was like, that's not true. And I felt like I had to defend myself and it was just weird. But so there was so many different components. But yeah, everybody got together and talked about it, and it was a great bonding experience.

[Jay Dao]

Can I follow up that question?

[Jerica Duncan]

Sure.

[Jay Dao]

It's. It's real fast because I, you know, we kind of all lived through rfeli and now the Diddy tribe. I just wanted to follow up easily. Do you guys think that as a society, we're talking about sexual violence in the Mexico? Like our conversation around the sexual violence, is it evolving? Because it just seems like, you know.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I would say yes.

[Darla Miles]

That's a good question. No, no. Epstein files. No, no, no.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah, but 10 years ago we went through this conversation.

[Darla Miles]

Now. Yes, yes, yes.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I want to kick a conversation, but.

[Darla Miles]

I remember when R. Kelly and Aaliyah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Came out and to my naive kid, when the whole marriage story broke, I thought it was a marketing floor. I was thinking to myself at the.

[Darla Miles]

Time, her uncle was her manager.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm like, there's no way her parents would co sign. I truly thought it was a marketing ploy to sell.

[Darla Miles]

Age ain't nothing with enough.

[Lauren LaRosa]

It wouldn't have occurred to me at.

[Celia Simone]

That time that it was a real thing.

[Jerica Duncan]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So I think my answer, and I.

[Armand Wiggins]

Can'T speak to anybody, but I will.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Say my answer is yes, because again, 10 years ago, we wouldn't be having the conversation we're having now.

[Darla Miles]

You're right. I mean, I think the conversation with me too, has advanced the discussion. I think to quantify my earlier knee jerk reaction is and maybe that is my perspective as a woman, because I don't think the justice has caught up with a conversation.

[Celia Simone]

No, no.

[Jay Dao]

And, you know, really quick social media, we've said it before, it's about everybody wants to see the car accident. So, you know, the most graphic details that you can imagine that we were not discussing 10 years ago, because everyone wants the, you know, the most salacious details on their feed that they can just scroll through. A lot of it is falling through the cracks into our phone and onto our feeds. And I know we're about to wrap up, but I just wanted to say this, that, you know, for people like me and Darla, I love. I don't want there to be any kind of misperception about what's happening in this business. I love seeing Lauren win. I love seeing Salia win. I love seeing Armand win. And I told Armand that to his face. You know, it's so cool.

[Armand Wiggins]

Well, I know you put me on your show.

[Jay Dao]

I did, I did. And you know what? My producers are like, who is that? And why is he a guest on your show? But as the managing editor and the creator of it and the co producer of it, I get to call the shots on who's on the show.

[Jerica Duncan]

Oh, man.

[Jay Dao]

And I said, I want Armand on my show. And so, you know, to have people who look like us carry us into the next generation about. Of what is going to be seen, I think it's so important. And there's a nut. The plate is big enough for all of us to eat. And I'm looking to them to teach me how to evolve. And so I just wanted to say that, you know, I'm so grateful to all of. All of you for leading the way.

[Jerica Duncan]

Yes. Thank you, guys. I know this went by so fast. I wish we had more time. Mona, you had one more thought. Did you want to say one more.

[Mona Kosarabdi]

Thing just quickly, about the conversation about sexual violence? And if we're having these conversations, I think we've come a long way since the days of normalizing R. Kelly and making jokes on the Chappelle show about what he was doing. But I also think that what. What was complicated about this case is you had it. We were almost saying that it was, you know, a test for the MeToo movement. Is a MeToo movement done. And I don't think that one case dictates if the MeToo movement is effective. But also what I think happened is people were torn between, is this a black man who is, you know, being the government's trying to throw a Black man, a successful black man in jail? Or is this someone who was a very powerful rich man who was taking advantage of women and using his power to do so? And I think sometimes that makes sense of a conversation was happening as well.

[Jerica Duncan]

Hopefully with the reporting that everybody here did, you get to make that decision. We're not here to tell you how to think. So thank you.

[Armand Wiggins]

And then lastly. Real quick, real quick. Go ahead, real quick, real quick. But I think, too, because I always got to add the LGBTQ factor in it, too. I think people also were having conversations they were so interested in. Is Diddy gay? What about the men? What about the escort? So, you know, people were becoming desensitized because they were so infatuated with whether or not he was interested in the men or not. So it's just a lot of things that kind of went into that when we get into the sexual stuff.

[Jerica Duncan]

So you make sure you follow everybody on this panel. Check out Arman. Show Jay, show Darla. All of us, please.

[Celia Simone]

We need your support here.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Thank you guys so much for joining me for this conversation. Look, I always say I can't ever be afraid to answer a question because I'm the girl that's going to ask them. I know y' all hate the way I say ask. I'm also never gonna learn how to say that the correct way. But thank you guys for joining me in this episode. You know, I tell y' all every single episode, I appreciate you guys because y' all could be anywhere with anybody having these conversations, and you choose to be right here with me. My lowriders. I will see you in my next episode. You know what might be the best thing about JD Sports? The possibilities. I mean, they're endless. I stopped by the other day at the Times Square location, and I didn't even really need any. I was just there. Y' all know how you wander in and then you end up buying everything. But I was like, JD Sports gets me, like, they feel me. I couldn't leave without picking up something. So I grabbed the Nike tech for bae. Cause y' all know it's that season, and to no surprise, it worked out perfectly. Elevate your fit at JD Sports. Explore the latest drops and make your style your own. JD Sports, where the latest global sportswear lives.

[Jay Dao]

So usually on ok Storytime, our audience will send in their relationship problems. And the okay Storytime squad gives some good advice goofily. But today, we're not giving out our usual advice.

[Armand Wiggins]

Our producer Riley says we're giving something else.

[Jay Dao]

So what are we doing today, Riley? Today we're playing a little game.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Game.

[Jay Dao]

Says the man. I bought special gifts for you guys from ebay. Each one picked with one of you in mind. Yeah, Dakota, if you want to guess. All right. There is a gift at my feet. Open that. And now it is in my hands. Oh, I feel like it's got to be our resident gamer kiosk. This is the rectangle of childhood.

[Armand Wiggins]

It's a portable game game console.

[Jay Dao]

I used to have this as a kid.

[Armand Wiggins]

This game console I used to play all the time.

[Jay Dao]

And you know when your mom came.

[Commercial Announcer]

Into the room when you're a kid.

[Jay Dao]

And like you're pretending to sleep.

[Mona Kosarabdi]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jay Dao]

But Riley, what a thoughtful gift. Yeah, right? Thank you so much, Riley. You're crushing it.

[Armand Wiggins]

But we have one more gift.

[Jay Dao]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Open it.

[Celia Simone]

Boom.

[Jay Dao]

Oh, camera. Yeah, an old timey camera.

[Darla Miles]

That's right.

[Armand Wiggins]

Classic.

[Jay Dao]

This is awesome. Yeah, because you know how I love to take pictures on my travels. Yeah, you're always somewhere. Whether it's in Kyrgyzstan with some nomads or just New York, you know, with a nice little. A piece of trash or a rat taking pictures with the birds.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So, Riley, you got all this from ebay?

[Jay Dao]

Dude, ebay. It was really fun finding it with you guys. Like, I had very specific things for each one of you. It was all there. Thanks, Riley. And thank you, ebay. And guys, shop ebay for millions of finds, each with a story. EBay, things people love.

[Celia Simone]

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[Armand Wiggins]

Gift that inspires confidence and adventure all year long.

[Celia Simone]

Give them a Guardian bike.

[Jay Dao]

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[Celia Simone]

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[Jay Dao]

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[Big Lone]

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[Lauren LaRosa]

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[Jay Dao]

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[Big Lone]

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[Jay Dao]

This holiday season, Guardian is offering up to 40% in savings on all bikes plus $100 in free accessories.

[Armand Wiggins]

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[Big Lone]

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[Armand Wiggins]

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[Big Lone]

And now your organization can tap into the same technology that drives Amazon's advertising success. AWS AI Where Advertising Meets Intelligence Discover the Amazon ad [e-mail] AI Our-Story this.

[Lauren LaRosa]

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