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Host 1
Seriously popular. The following episode explores a number of allegations regarding the artist Diddy. He denies all charges and has pled not guilty to sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. The biggest secret in the entertainment industry that really wasn't a secret at all has finally been revealed to the world.
Marjorie Hernandez
At the height of his career, Sean Diddy Combs had it all. It seemed like everything Diddy touched turned to gold. Now the once untouchable hip hop mogul is fighting for his life as he faces multiple federal charges in New York, including sex trafficking and allegedly running a criminal enterprise.
Kayla Brantley
Music mogul and rapper Sean Diddy Combs has faced four different lawsuits in recent weeks alleging sexual assault.
Host 1
Combs can be seen grabbing Ventura and throwing her to the ground.
Marjorie Hernandez
Oh, this guy is dangerous. Woman has now come forward.
Host 1
A legend comes of sexual assault.
Kayla Brantley
She was drugged and sexually assaulted by Combs.
Marjorie Hernandez
I'm DailyMail.com journalist Marjorie Hernandez, and over the last six months I've been investigating this incredible story and speaking to the people in the eye of the storm. Welcome to the trial of Diddy. Hi, I'm Marjorie Hernandez, DailyMail.com's West Coast News editor.
Kayla Brantley
I'm Kayla Brantley, reporter at large for Daily Mail in Manhattan. And welcome to episode 25 of the Trial of Diddy. And oh, yes, it's another week, another lawsuit, and this time it's from Making the Band contestant Sarah Rivers, who at the end of last week filed a whole new $60 million lawsuit against Diddy, alleging he sexually harassed her and stroked her breasts during the 2002 filming of MTV's notorious reality show. A story in Rolling Stone says Rivers claims that after she refused Combs alleged sexual advances, he retaliated against her and blackballed her from the music industry.
Marjorie Hernandez
Rivers, who was included in the show as part of the group the ban, described her experience in an enormous 148 page complaint filed on the last day of February just as the look back window was set to close on otherwise expired claims linked to New York City's Gender Motivated Violence Act. Rolling Stone has said that more than a dozen other plaintiffs filed separate claims against Diddy on the same day to make the same deadline. Rivers, who was known then as Sarah Stokes on the show, has claimed the following that Diddy controlled her sleeping schedule, that Diddy mocked her eating disorder, and that Diddy yelled at her and forced her to do, quote, menial manual labor without pay, including that infamous time he insisted Rivers and her bandmates walk all the way from Manhattan to Brooklyn and back just to Bring him cheesecake. Now. Rivers went on to claim that Diddy created inhumane working conditions and that Combs sexually harassed her and allegedly made humiliating comments about her physical appearance, including, according to Rolling Stone story, the time he inspected her rear and said, quote, everything needed to get firmed up. Rivers has also accused Diddy of cornering her in his recording studio, raising his right arm to block her movement and asking, quote, in, in a low, sensual voice if she needed anything. Before he allegedly, quote, ran his left hand across her breasts while repeating the phrase if she needs anything to let him know. Rivers had stated she ran away from the encounter in shock and in disbelief. The complaint names more than two dozen defendants, including Combs's mother, Janice, Universal Music, MTV and several other bad boy officials. Daily Mail has also reached out for comment. And just yesterday, Jay Z filed his own defamation suit against the Alabama woman who claimed he raped her when she was 13. That civil lawsuit has, of course, since been withdrawn after Shawn Carter questioned the truth and accuracy of her account. Carter's attorney has since sought sanctions against the women's attorney, Texas based Tony Busby. The filing claims Jane Doe has, quote, admitted that Mr. Carter did not assault her and that indeed it was Busby himself who pushed her to go forward with the false narrative of the assault by Mr. Carter in order to leverage a maximum payday. But the extortion and abuse of Mr. Carter, Baido and her lawyers must stop. Busbee released a statement to us@dailymail.com which I'll read some of it here. Shawn Carter's investigators have repeatedly harassed, threatened and harangued this poor woman for weeks, trying to intimidate her and make her recant her story. She hasn't and won't, the statement adds. This is just another attempt to intimidate and bully this poor woman that we will deal with in due course. We won't be bullied or intimidated by frivolous cases. Now, Diddy has always, and it's important to say, vehemently denied all the allegations he's faced. And he's pleaded not guilty. Charges were initially filed. His lawyers told DailyMail.com's Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone, man or woman, adult or minor.
Kayla Brantley
And with all that said, let's welcome this week's guest friend of the podcast, super attorney, Lisa Bloom.
Marjorie Hernandez
Now, Lisa, you again, big friend of the pod here. We've had you on before talking about your other client, Dawn Richard, who was also suing Diddy, and you're helping her with that case. Can you give us an update on what's going on with Dawn's case?
Host 1
Yes. So I'm very proud to represent Dawn Richard. She's a lovely person and a terrific musician and very brave. And we filed her case several months ago just before the criminal charges came down against Sean Combs. And the criminal case was strikingly similar to the complaint that we had already filed with some very similar allegations of sex trafficking and co conspirators. So we found that to be encouraging. We had a lot of different people and parties to sue in the case. That took a long time. We've had a fight with some of the other defendants besides Diddy, who don't want to be in the case and feel that they should be dismissed. Some of them we did dismiss. We worked with them. We looked at the facts, we looked at what they had to say, because I always want to be fair and reasonable. Some of them we did, others we did not. And so we're having those fights over the motions to dismiss. Once all that gets sorted out by the judge on those motions, then we'll begin the. The discovery phase of the case, which means we take depositions, we exchange documents and information, ultimately get to a trial, but we don't have a trial date yet, and I would expect that's at least a year away.
Marjorie Hernandez
And are there any deposition dates with Diddy so far in Don's case?
Host 1
Yeah, not yet, of course. I very much look forward to that. We have to get past the motions to dismiss first, so we know which parties are in the case. So it wouldn't be proper for us to notice his deposition, to send out that legal notice until this phase is resolved. Right.
Marjorie Hernandez
You know, as they say, sometimes the wheels of justice are very, very slow.
Host 1
So slow.
Marjorie Hernandez
And so how is, you know, dawn coping with that?
Host 1
You know, it's. It's tough. It's tough. She had a tour. She was out on tour a few months ago. I think she did beautifully. She got wonderful reviews and feedback for her performances because she's all about the music. But in terms of the case, it's very difficult. She does get a certain amount of negativity and hate online, as anybody does who brings these. She's had people following her. We don't know if it's press or crazed fans or people on Sean Combs side, you know, but it's. It's very scary. I mean, she doesn't just Disclose her locations to try to protect herself. I mean, that's her life now.
Kayla Brantley
So, Lisa, what advice do you give your clients to cope with the pressures of having these ongoing cases?
Host 1
Kayla? I tell them, live your life. You know, she had asked me, do you think I should go on tour? I said, absolutely. Make your music go on tour. Be you. Don't let this slow you down. And she did. And I knew that would also bring her a lot of gratification because she is all about the music and she's just a magnificent performer. I follow her on Instagram. I love to look at her pictures of her and her costumes. And I mean, she's amazing. So I tell her, do that. Live your life. And of course, let us know if there are any serious threats to you. Otherwise, I also tell everybody, don't read the comments. Block anybody online who's particularly annoying. I get that all the time. I don't even care. But don't read the comments and the articles. There's always going to be somebody at home who's going to troll you. Don't let that affect you. You who you are.
Marjorie Hernandez
Now, she is definitely a very public person. But you also recently are representing another individual, just this time, a John Doe. Can you tell us how that case is going and what have you told him as well, in terms of protecting himself?
Host 1
Yes. So John Doe is an adult entertainer who was somewhat well known in Las Vegas in 2007. And that's when Sean Combs, he says, found him and began to engage him at parties. And he says, you know, the incidents got worse and worse. I don't repeat the allegations of the complaints publicly for legal reasons, but we filed John Doe's complaint, which is very sexually explicit, not too long ago. And also in the Southern District of New York. It's a federal case. It's publicly filed. Anybody can look at it. We also had to make a special motion to the court to allow him to proceed anonymously because the allegations are so sexually explicit and he did not want his name out there. You know, people are afraid. Don Richard was brave enough to confront forward with her real name, but that's not for everyone. And John Doe decided he was ready to file the case. He's absolutely terrified as well, but not with his real name.
Marjorie Hernandez
From what I recall from your complaint, that took place for a period of five years, is that correct?
Host 1
Yes, that's. That's what he alleges.
Kayla Brantley
Sarah Rivers was on making the band just like Don was, and their allegations are pretty similar. Do you know if Don has made contact with Sarah at all.
Host 1
I'm not aware of any contact that Don has had with Sarah, but we really appreciate Sarah's courage and coming forward, making these allegations. These are also very similar to the allegations that Dawn Richard made in her complaint, in our complaint. And a lot of this is something that you can see if you go back and look at old videos of the show, the way that these women were treated. So a lot of this stuff should not be disputed because it's right there on the video.
Kayla Brantley
So usually when you have a case like this with allegations going back 20 years, you may have witnesses, maybe some emails, but there's not really much evidence besides testimony. But what's so striking to me in this case is that the evidence here is perfectly edited and was televised for all to see.
Host 1
And isn't that amazing, Kayla? And thank you for pointing that out, because to me, this is part of the normalization of the bad treatment of women in the music industry that they would be so bold in the early 2000s, which is not that long ago, 20 years ago, to just put it all on film. And even now, you know, people ask me, why do I think that sexual abuse is so bad in the music industry? Because I think that's one of the worst industries for women out of all the industries that I've gone after. And I think it's because it is so accepted and normalized. Yeah, you know, look at female artists are still expected to wear very skimpy, tiny little clothes and be very sexy, whereas male artists can wear whatever they want. And it's all about the music for them. Right. And when you look at a lot of music videos now, there's still overly sexualized images of women, which really have nothing to do with the song. It's just there, I guess, as eye candy for people. And, you know, some of that you could say, well, that's just part of the artistry, but it's so prevalent. And women being sexually harassed, sexually assaulted in the music industry. In the music industry, covering it up over and over again, as in R. Kelly's case, for example. I mean, it's really time for a reckoning in the music industry.
Kayla Brantley
Lisa, we know that there's edited footage available from making the band, but is there a chance you can get your hands on raw footage that's never been seen before?
Host 1
You know, I hope so. I hope that the production companies have preserved it. That's something that we definitely want to look at and see. What is there. Also, people's personal videos. You know, people are always Making videos with their phone. What do people have what is still preserved? Absolutely. You know, I wonder if this, as I said, will really even be contested, that the women were deprived of food, that they weren't allowed to leave, that they had bad labor conditions, they had to work ridiculous hours, they were so controlled. You know, I wonder if that will even be contested in the case, because I think it's. It's pretty clear that these things happened.
Marjorie Hernandez
I remember viewing those episodes. It was almost like. I don't know if it was a badge of honor or kind of like his way of training his artists is how it was played on the show. Yeah.
Host 1
And. And why do artists need to be hazed? They don't. People in other industries don't need to be hazed. Television actors don't get hazed. You know, I mean, it's. It's silly. I think it was partly for the entertainment value of reality tv. We all like to see things that are shocking and outrageous, and it's partly the personality of the people involved that they were cruel and sadistic.
Kayla Brantley
When the case against Diddy first started, it was a huge shock. And then even more allegations kept pouring in, which really felt like it was bolstering the cases against him. But now it kind of feels like there's so many new claims coming out every week, and a lot of them are very similar, and it kind of feels like there's a sense of fatigue, maybe from the public. Lisa, how does that impact your case at all?
Host 1
You know, our job as attorneys is to gather the evidence, gather the facts, the witnesses, and to put on a winning case at trial. So it's not that significant to me whether people in general are tired of hearing about the allegations or they've got fatigue over it. My job is to go into court and put on a case that. That will win. Right. And I think that the two cases that I've accepted, Don Richards and the John Doe case, are both very strong cases. I have also reviewed a lot of others and rejected them because I didn't feel that they had strong enough evidence and witnesses. So a lot of people are coming forward. Perhaps the people that we didn't, they went to other attorneys who see it differently. And God bless them, I hope that they do get good representation if they want to continue with their case. But it's kind of a different angle, looking at something from the point of view of a case rather than from the point of view of media. I agree with you. I mean, Sean Combs has become a punchline. People are kind of Tired of it, maybe. But the criminal case looks like it's on track to go forward in May, which is only two months away. And I think that will create a whole new round of interest. And I think people are really going to be shocked. You know, people know about some of the allegations, like the baby oil, and they want to maybe laugh about it. It seems funny. There's funny memes about it. But these allegations are deadly serious about what he's accused of doing to people, including my clients. So I think once people hear the details of what he's accused of doing, they will sit up and take notice.
Marjorie Hernandez
We were talking about Sarah earlier. A lot of her claims are the same again as your client Dawn's claims. And I was wondering, are you thinking of possibly calling Sarah onto your case as well as a witness?
Host 1
Sure. So what we do in our cases is we look at all of the publicly available information, and certainly a complaint like Sarah's complaint is something that's publicly available, and then we're looking for overlap and what will help our client. You know, my. I. I'm. My interest is helping my clients. I hope everybody else does well, too, but my job is to help my clients. So we're going to look at, you know, is there overlap? Will people cooperate with us? I always prefer that somebody will voluntarily cooperate, be a witness for us. Most people don't want to be witnesses. They don't want to get help. Other people, they don't want to be in the legal system at all. You can't pay them other than a very small amount for a daily fee, like, I think, maybe $30 or something. So, you know, you can't pay people. Most people don't want to do it, and they want to run as far away from the courthouse as possible. Some people get an attack of courage and they decide they do want to help, and we love those people. There's a woman who helped me in a case years ago who I thanked profusely, and she has become a dear friend of mine now because I am so appreciative of what she did. So going back to Sarah, yes, of course, we would want to reach out to her through her attorneys, see whether. Whether she's willing to help us, whether she'd be willing to testify. If people don't want to testify, we always have the option of subpoenaing them. But I really, as kind of a policy matter, I don't like to subpoena other victims. I don't like to force them to do something. If somebody is just a witness to something, and they're not a victim. I may exercise the subpoena power because I've got to get witnesses into court to prove our case.
Marjorie Hernandez
We have so much more coming up, but for now, let's pause for a break. Welcome back. And we're still here with attorney Lisa Bloom.
Kayla Brantley
So, Lisa, there was a lawsuit against Jay Z and Diddy from an alleged victim claiming that they both sexually assaulted her. Now, this was from the very early 2000s, and the case was actually dismissed because there were unsubstantiated claims. How does this possibly affect the credibility of other cases?
Host 1
Well, that doesn't have any effect on our case because that has nothing to do with me, my law firm, or my clients. I don't know exactly what happened there. I've also seen some reports that I think the attorney is Tony Busby in that case. Right. And I think he's claiming that the allegations were not false. So I really don't know. I haven't looked into it. But, you know, that kind of thing does happen. This is why at our firm, we are very, very careful about vetting cases, about going over things. Sometimes people kind of get sick of us asking them question after question after question. I need every email, I need every text. I want to see everything before we file a case. Case, it's never going to be perfect. You're working with human beings. Sometimes stories change, memories are faulty, witnesses fall away. Sometimes people do make false statements and they can be very convincing. So, you know, that's one of the things actually I find very interesting about practicing law is you never really know. And things do change a lot. But if people did file a case that's not substantiated, they should withdraw it.
Marjorie Hernandez
Jay Z's legal team went further and actually have filed a lawsuit again, the Jane Doe in that case. And I was just wondering what you thought of that. And also the fact that somebody like Jay Z can sue an alleged victim, I mean, does that kind of concern you as well? Would that prevent other folks who might have a substantiated claim that might prevent them from doing so?
Host 1
Right. I'm glad you raised that, Marjorie. I, you know, it is concerning. So again, I mean, I'll just step away from that specific case because I don't know exactly what happened there. I know that he did file that case, as you say, against her, and I think against her attorney as well.
Marjorie Hernandez
Right.
Host 1
Yeah. So that is kind of a trend right now with the kinds of people that I sue. Billionaire bullies, you know, celebrity sex offender types. It is a trend that they will go after the victim or the alleged victim and even the attorneys. And I think they do that for a number of reasons. You know, the best defense is a good offense. They may be innocent. You know, again, I don't know what happened in that case. They want to clear their name, and they have enough money to have attorneys. I think that case was filed in Texas. Go after somebody in any state and, you know, be very aggressive sometimes. Not necessarily in this case, but sometimes those cases are frivolous, in my opinion. And I think they're done just to be very aggressive. I think it's very sad if any victim is deterred from coming forward. You know, victims need good attorneys who know what they're doing to avoid being in that position. I've had people sue me. I've won those cases, had them dismissed. But, you know, they're going to do whatever they can think of to be aggressive, whether it's filing these cases, running negative PR campaigns against victims and their attorneys, which is harder to go after, harder to prove. That's one of the allegations in the Justin Baldoni, Blake Lively case. Right. And some of my cases involve that as well. You know, it's rough. It's rough out there. People have to know what they're doing. I would say that. That.
Marjorie Hernandez
I mean, what is the optics of that, though? Somebody like a Jay Z or somebody like a Diddy. Diddy has not filed any lawsuits against any of the victims. But somebody who was famous like that to go after an alleged victim, the optics of that. What do you think of that in general?
Host 1
Well, I think it's very concerning. It's very hard to be, obviously a sexual abuse victim in general. Add to that being a sexual abuse victim who comes forward in a lawsuit, it's really hard. I mean, one of the things that we look at when people come to us, and many people come to me for representation every day, one of the things I look at is, are you going to be strong enough to really do this fight? You know, what if they sue you? What if they run a negative PR campaign? What if there's all kinds of social media posts about you? Are you going to be able to withstand it? You know, I have a case right now that we're about to file against a prominent person. And my client is in her early 60s and she's very strong. And, you know, I like to say that women get stronger as we get older. I have noticed that all my life. And I like having an older client who's very secure in who she is and made up her mind and really thought this through. And she's mature and she knows what she wants to do. And, you know, I'm very comfortable with her. Somebody who is maybe just starting out in the business, they're in their early 20s, they want to file, and then, you know, maybe a couple months later, the world's crashing in on them and they want to back out of it. I understand that. I'm very compassionate. But that puts us in a very tough position. So I'm always looking for people who are strong enough to withstand litigation. Litigation is tough. Many people, by the way we represent, we don't file. We do pre litigation settlement. That's for many people, the right thing. They can get a settlement. It's all confidential. They go on with their lives. That's what a lot of people still want. And so we still do a lot of, of that.
Kayla Brantley
And how long do these cases typically take?
Host 1
Years. You know, once you file, I would say you should expect maybe two years to get to trial. That's a long time, right, to be going over the details of your sexual abuse over and over. And I tell them, you know, you may be having a good day, you had a great day at work, you had a great day with your partner and your kid. And then you get a call from me, you know, I need to get some questions answered in discovery. And ugh, it all comes crashing down on you. You, right? Or worse, somebody's unemployed and the case becomes their whole life. I understand that too, because it's, it's such a vortex that you get sucked into. But that's also very unhealthy. So people need to have an emotional support person. They need to be in therapy, they need to have other things going on in their lives because a couple of years fighting in litigation is really tough. And again, that's why a lot of people settle before filing because they, they know themselves and they say like, I, I, I just can't do that.
Marjorie Hernandez
Do you have a good percentage of, or any percentage of your clients who actually refuse to take that settlement and actually want to take the individual to court?
Host 1
I would say 95% prefer to settle without going to litigation. We send a confidential demand letter. We often have mediations which are confidential and they're done, they move on with their lives. There are some cases that we have to file because there might be a statute of limitations ticking those time deadlines to file. And so we have to other. I don't want to settle because I believe that the person has already gotten away with this in the past, and a confidential settlement is just going to enable them to continue to do it. Other cases we tried to settle before litigating, and the other side was not reasonable. And so we file it. I would say most of the time, the other side will come to the bargaining table and we'll have a negotiation. Sometimes they won't even do that. So then we file. Or if the negotiation doesn't go well, we don't think they're being reasonable, then we will file.
Marjorie Hernandez
Lisa, I do have a question going back to your client, John Doe, and you said this allegation or these incidents happened starting at 2007. What made him finally come forward and. And file?
Host 1
One of the things we say in his complaint, so I don't think I'm disclosing anything improper, is that Sean Combs being arrested and being in prison lowered his fear level. Right. He still has fear, but it did make him more comfortable in coming forward. Now, it would be an overstatement to say that he's comfortable. He's not comfortable now. He's still scared. He's still very anxious about bringing this case. He feels a little bit better that we were able to prevail on the motion that he could be a John Doe. But, you know, there's always a chance that his name will get out there and it will be humiliating for him. People don't want to be known as a sexual abuse victim or even an accuser. Reminds me, a lot of the 11 women I represented against Jeffrey Epstein, once he went to prison, a lot of them came forward. But even after he died, some of them were still scared. And I found that to be so interesting about the trauma response that a lot of times it's not rational. You could say, look, he's dead. You have nothing to fear now, and nobody is supporting this monster, Jeffrey Epstein. But still, she was scared. And that's how the trauma response works.
Marjorie Hernandez
And it took years and years to even speak up.
Host 1
Right.
Marjorie Hernandez
It's the process of getting through that fear.
Kayla Brantley
Lisa, we have asked this question of nearly every one of our guests, especially legal experts, and we've had varied responses. It is now March 5 and two months from now. May 5 is the trial date. Do you think we will actually go to trial on May 5?
Host 1
I do think it's going to go forward. Then I do have some inside information on that, that they are planning to go forward May 5th. I can't tell you my source, but it sounds like it is going to go. I wanted to know because I intend to be there for that trial for a number of reasons. So I needed to know for my own scheduling purposes. I understand that jury selection will begin May 5 in the southern District of New York, which of course is in New York City. And that will take about a week. And then they expect the trial itself to begin the following Monday, May 12th. Now, obviously, anything can happen, and one of the easiest things to get in our legal system is a delay. All kinds of things can lead to a delay. An attorney gets sick, somebody's out of town, another case drags on, and so the judge needs to push the case forward. There's some dispute that's not resolved, that needs to give. You know, a lot of things could happen to delay the case. But my understanding right now is that all parties do expect the trial to start May 5th. Wow.
Marjorie Hernandez
Were you surprised at that?
Host 1
I was a little surprised because often the first trial date is gets put off. But Southern District of New York is kind of a no nonsense jurisdiction and judge may be pushing this forward. You know, I don't know the details about it, but I think it would be good for everybody if it does start on May 5th. Let's get on with it.
Kayla Brantley
So there is a trial date in two months. What is Diddy's team doing right now to prepare from now until then?
Host 1
Well, I'm sure they have from the prosecution what's called the Brady evidence, which means that the prosecution has to turn over all of their evidence to the other side. So I would assume that Sean Combs team is going over all of that evidence, talking to those witnesses, reviewing witness statements, looking for holes that they can exploit, whether it's on cross examination of witnesses, whether it's pointing out deficiencies in the evidence. They're probably thinking about whether Sean Combs should testify. I think it's very unlikely that he will testify. That is ultimately his decision. Every criminal defendant in America gets to make that decision himself. The lawyers don't make that decisions for him. I would be very, very, very surprised if he does testify, but that's a decision that usually they reserve for trial.
Marjorie Hernandez
And also I'm curious to see is who will be on that witness list.
Host 1
Yes, and I think that that probably will be publicly available, you know, a week or two before trial, unless there's some confidentiality orders in the case that I don't know about. And, you know, people, by the way, lawyers, we put a lot of names on a witness list just because you can't call somebody unless they're on the witness list. So usually we put a lot of names on there, but we don't call all those people. So we shouldn't get too excited if there's names on the list that, you know, know they may not get called as witnesses.
Kayla Brantley
And of course, Daily Mail has reached out to Diddy's team for comment on both of the cases that Lisa mentioned.
Marjorie Hernandez
So for now, that's it. Thanks again to this week's guest, Lisa Bloom. Great to have her back on the pod. And as we prepare for Diddy's trial in May, which Lisa seems convinced will actually happen, what other trials would you like us to cover? Let us know by email the trialalailymail.com or you can WhatsApp us on/447-796-5572 and start your message with Trial.
Kayla Brantley
As ever, thank you for listening. Please share all your comments, suggestions and thoughts on the trial of Diddy on Apple or Spotify and follow us on TikTok talk at Daily Mail. Crime do follow the trial of Diddy as we will be here each week with fresh information, new insights and some expert guests.
Host 1
Goodbye.
Release Date: March 7, 2025
Hosts: Kayla Brantley, Germania Rodriguez & Marjorie Hernandez
Producers: Serita Wesley, Rob Fitzpatrick
Guests: Attorney Lisa Bloom
The episode opens with a stark portrayal of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' journey from a celebrated music mogul to a defendant facing severe federal charges. Host Marjorie Hernandez sets the stage by highlighting Diddy's illustrious career in the 90s and 2000s, producing hits for legendary artists like Biggie, Mary J. Blige, and Jennifer Lopez. However, his legacy is now overshadowed by multiple federal charges in New York, including sex trafficking and running a criminal enterprise.
Marjorie Hernandez [00:25]: "At the height of his career, Sean Diddy Combs had it all. It seemed like everything Diddy touched turned to gold. Now the once untouchable hip hop mogul is fighting for his life as he faces multiple federal charges in New York, including sex trafficking and allegedly running a criminal enterprise."
Kayla Brantley delves into the recent spate of lawsuits against Diddy, emphasizing four separate lawsuits alleging sexual assault. One prominent case involves Sarah Rivers, a former contestant from MTV's "Making the Band," who filed a $60 million lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and assault during the show's 2002 filming.
Kayla Brantley [01:27]: "And yes, it's another week, another lawsuit, and this time it's from Making the Band contestant Sarah Rivers, who at the end of last week filed a whole new $60 million lawsuit against Diddy, alleging he sexually harassed her and stroked her breasts during the 2002 filming of MTV's notorious reality show."
Rivers' complaint is extensive, spanning 148 pages, and coincides with other plaintiffs' filings aiming to leverage New York City's Gender Motivated Violence Act. Hernandez notes the pattern of allegations, including claims of controlling behavior, mocking of an eating disorder, coercion into unpaid labor, and explicit sexual harassment.
Marjorie Hernandez [02:03]: "Rivers, who was included in the show as part of the group the ban, described her experience in an enormous 148 page complaint filed on the last day of February just as the look back window was set to close on otherwise expired claims linked to New York City's Gender Motivated Violence Act."
The discussion shifts to other high-profile cases, including Jay-Z's defamation lawsuit against an Alabama woman who retracted her rape allegations. This case raises questions about its impact on the credibility of other lawsuits against public figures like Diddy.
Marjorie Hernandez [05:38]: "Jay Z filed his own defamation suit against the Alabama woman who claimed he raped her when she was 13... Shawn Carter's investigators have repeatedly harassed, threatened and harangued this poor woman for weeks, trying to intimidate her and make her recant her story."
Lisa Bloom, a renowned attorney representing victims against high-profile figures, joins the podcast to provide deeper insights into the legal battles faced by Diddy's accusers.
Bloom discusses her representation of Dawn Richard, another accuser, and a John Doe case involving an anonymous adult entertainer from Las Vegas.
Lisa Bloom [05:45]: "I'm proud to represent Dawn Richard... The criminal case was strikingly similar to the complaint that we had already filed with some very similar allegations of sex trafficking and co-conspirators."
She elaborates on the challenges of the legal process, including motions to dismiss and the anticipation of a trial date set for May.
The hosts address the public's growing fatigue with the numerous allegations against Diddy, questioning how this affects the ongoing cases.
Kayla Brantley [13:49]: "It feels like there's a sense of fatigue, maybe from the public. Lisa, how does that impact your case at all?"
Bloom responds by emphasizing the importance of a strong legal strategy regardless of public sentiment, reinforcing her commitment to building a solid case based on evidence and witness testimonies.
Bloom sheds light on the additional burdens borne by victims when facing lawsuits from powerful figures, such as attempts to discredit their claims or intimidate them legally.
Lisa Bloom [19:36]: "It is concerning... They may be innocent. They want to clear their name, and they have enough money to have attorneys. I think that case was filed in Texas. Go after somebody in any state and, you know, be very aggressive sometimes."
She underscores the resilience required from victims to withstand such pressures and the necessity for robust legal support.
The podcast provides an update on the impending trial date set for May 5, 2025, in the Southern District of New York. Bloom anticipates the trial proceeding as scheduled, highlighting the jurisdiction's reputation for promptness.
Kayla Brantley [26:26]: "It is now March 5 and two months from now. May 5 is the trial date. Do you think we will actually go to trial on May 5?"
Lisa Bloom [26:48]: "I do think it's going to go forward... Southern District of New York is kind of a no nonsense jurisdiction and judge may be pushing this forward."
Bloom outlines the preparation steps Diddy's legal team is likely undertaking, including reviewing evidence and strategizing witness cross-examinations. She also mentions the possibility of Sean Combs choosing not to testify, a decision left to the defendant.
As the episode wraps up, the hosts reflect on the severity and complexity of the cases against Diddy, emphasizing the societal implications of the allegations and the urgent need for accountability in the music industry.
Lisa Bloom [11:14]: "This is part of the normalization of the bad treatment of women in the music industry... it's really time for a reckoning in the music industry."
The hosts encourage listeners to stay engaged and informed as the trial approaches, promising continued coverage and expert insights in future episodes.
Multiple Allegations: Sean 'Diddy' Combs faces numerous federal charges, including sex trafficking and running a criminal enterprise, alongside multiple sexual assault lawsuits.
High-Profile Legal Battles: The podcast highlights the intricacies of defamation suits and their potential impact on other victims' credibility.
Attorney Insights: Lisa Bloom provides an in-depth view of the legal strategies employed in high-stakes cases and the challenges faced by victims in the public eye.
Upcoming Trial: A significant trial date is set for May 5, 2025, in the Southern District of New York, with expectations of moving forward as scheduled.
Industry-Wide Issues: The episode underscores systemic problems within the music industry regarding the treatment and safety of women, calling for widespread accountability.
Marjorie Hernandez [00:02]: "Seriously popular. The following episode explores a number of allegations regarding the artist Diddy."
Marjorie Hernandez [10:55]: "I think it's pretty clear that these things happened."
Lisa Bloom [19:36]: "It is concerning... They want to clear their name, and they have enough money to have attorneys."
Lisa Bloom [26:24]: "Sean Combs being arrested and being in prison lowered his fear level."
Follow The Trial of Diddy on X and Instagram @thetrialpod for updates. For inquiries, contact thetrial@dailymail.com. Engage with the podcast by leaving comments on Spotify or sending voice notes via WhatsApp at +447796657512 (start your message with 'Trial').
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