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Cassie Ventura — the ex-girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs — took the stand on Tuesday at his racketeering and sex trafficking trial in New York. Ventura, who performed under the name Cassie, rose to fame with the single “Me & U” on her self-titled debut album, which hit #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart back in 2006. Ventura and Combs dated on/off from 2007-2018.

Security video of Combs attacking Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016 is a key piece of evidence in the trial. The video, obtained and published by CNN last year, shows Combs throwing Ventura onto the floor before kicking and dragging her. Combs is accused of sexually assaulting, trafficking and exploiting women over multiple decades before he was arrested last September.

The prosecution alleging in its opening arguments that Combs “used lies, drugs, threats and violence to threaten and coerce first Cassie” and then another unnamed person “to have sex with him in front of male escorts.”  However, the defense insisted that Ventura and the other alleged victim are both “capable, strong” women who chose to remain with Combs, adding that Ventura was “not coerced to engage in this sex life.”

The 38-year-old Ventura is pregnant with baby No. 3 with husband Alex Fine, to whom she has been married since 2019.  Ventura took the witness stand to testify, marking the first time Ventura and Combs are seeing one another in person since their 2018 split. Ventura testified Combs controlled every aspect of her life, telling jurors she often did things out of fear, since physical abuse was frequent. Ventura alleged violent arguments with Combs that she said “would usually result in some physical abuse … He would bash my head, knock me over, drag me, kick me, stomp me in the head when I was down.”

She concluded her first day of graphic testimony by recalling the time she says she tried to leave a “freak off” before it was over, referring to the March 2016 incident at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City (which was depicted on video shown to jurors Monday and Tuesday). She said: “There’s an instance in Los Angeles where it got violent and I chose to leave. There was a lot of drinking, a lot of partying. I’m not sure what happened but in the middle of it I got hit by Sean and got a black eye. When I chose to leave, I grabbed what I could and got out and Sean followed me into the hallway by the elevators, grabbed me, tried to drag me back to the room .. That’s me,” Ventura said, referring to the footage, adding that she made it to the elevators when “the next thing I knew I was just thrown to the ground.”

A full recap of the day’s testimony can be found HERE.  Ventura is expected to testify the entire week.

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Sports Illustrated has unveiled the cover models for its 2025 swimsuit issue. Actress Salma Hayek, 58, is one of four cover stars that are featured on the 61st swimsuit edition of the magazine, which also includes Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, social media star/gymnast Olivia Dunne, and model/entrepreneur Lauren Chan.

SI editor MJ Day in a statement: “Every single woman included this year brings with her a unique and powerful reason for being featured in the issue. Whether it’s about what she represents, the impact she’s making, or the change she’s driving in her own life and the world around her, these women show up with passion and purpose.” Day referred to Hayek as “a force of nature as an actor, director, producer, and champion for women. These women, along with our 34 other incredible models, have joined forces to carry the SI Swimsuit torch for 2025.”

Hayek told TODAY show hosts Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin on Tuesday morning that she was shocked to be invited to model for the iconic issue: “I still can’t believe it. I remember when I was young and hot. I used to look at this magazine… I wanted to see who was the new gorgeous model, the new girl of the moment, and it never crossed my mind that I could be on that cover, because it didn’t look like me, or my body’s not necessarily the model type, and I never thought that was a possibility, and for it to happen when I’m 58. It’s really shocking .. This is magical, this is like my land — I’m 58, I’m doing this. My generation, especially Mexican women, we thought we were going to be dismissed at 35. And I got so excited and I felt really free.”

Hayek also said in a the Sports Illustrated cover story: “I remember when I was young, a long, long time ago, I was always excited to see the Swimsuit Issue of Sports Illustrated, and [thinking] ‘Who’s going to be in it?’ Of course, I didn’t look like a model, so it never crossed my mind that one day I would be in it. If somebody had told me I was gonna be in it at 58, I would have sent them to the madhouse, but the world has changed, and that’s exciting.”

Hayek continued: “I feel so fortunate that I am part of a generation that has been able to really experience very tangible change. I could retire, but I don’t want to miss out on this time. I fought for it, you know, and I’ve been part of it, and I think it’s really remarkable that a magazine like Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit] says that it’s OK, maybe even cool, to be past 50 and still be able to feel not just sexy, but for me, to be free and not be self-conscious of your body like you have to hide .. I don’t see why, after a certain age, we have to retract ourselves from embracing life to the fullest.”

Dunne, 22, previously appeared in the SI swimsuit issue in 2023, when she modeled in Puerto Rico, and in 2024, when she was photographed in Portugal.   Chan, 33, previously modeled for the magazine in 2023 and 2024, in the Dominican Republic and Mexico; she told the publication: “I’ve always had a little bit of hope, but to have it actually happen is… I’m speechless.”

Chiles, 24, made her debut with this year’s shoot, sharing with the magazine: “The biggest thing I want people to take away [from the photo shoot] is understanding that my body is my body and that I have the ability to express it in millions of different ways and people are going to accept that. It’s really cool just being able to finally embrace my beauty in the way I can. So hopefully people can see the beauty inside of me and that they understand that this is a dream come true for me.”

 

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

A jury was selected Monday in the sex trafficking trial of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs in Manhattan federal court. Combs is accused of sexually assaulting, trafficking, and exploiting multiple women over a span of decades leading up to his arrest in September. Combs has been held at the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest. Despite being offered a plea agreement during the final pre-trial proceedings, Combs declined the deal. If found guilty on all charges, he could face a life sentence.  The trial is expected to continue for approximately eight to ten weeks.

Judge Arun Subramanian delivered instructions to the jurors, comprised of eight men and four women, and turned the proceedings over to the lawyers for opening statements. Prosecutors have charged Combs, 55, with several serious offenses, including racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking through force, fraud, or coercion, and two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution-related purposes. Combs has entered a not guilty plea to all allegations.

The case will focus on testimonies from four women, one of whom is Combs’ former girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura. The other three women are expected to testify under the protection of anonymity. Prosecutors alleged in their opening statement that Combs used his fame and power to run a criminal enterprise that facilitated his “freak offs,” drug-fueled orgies involving paid sex workers. He allegedly used violence and coercion to force the participation of victims in the freak offs, including Cassie.

In his defense, Combs has denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that all sexual encounters were consensual. His attorney, Marc Agnifilo, argued that Combs was simply engaged in consensual activities within the swinger community, rejecting any claims of coercion or abuse. In its opening statement, Combs’ defense admitted that while he was jealous and occasionally violent, Combs’ alleged victims were all willing participants.

The prosecution’s first witness was Israel Florez, a Los Angeles police officer, who worked at the hotel in LA’s Century City area where the 2016 security tape of Combs and his then-girlfriend Ventura came from.  Testimony ended on Day 1 of the trial, after the cross-examination of male escort Daniel Phillip by defense attorney Xavier Donaldson; Phillip will return to continue cross-examination on Tuesday. In addition, Cassie Ventura is expected to be the next witness called later Tuesday morning to testify for the prosecution.

Editorial credit: Sky Cinema / Shutterstock.com

Neon has released a teaser trailer for The Life of Chuck, set to open in theaters this June. From director Mike Flanagan, the film is based on the short story of the same name by Stephen King — one of the four in his 2020 novella, If It Bleeds.

Tom Hiddleston plays Charles Kranz, a regular guy whom King visits in three different chapters. The film also stars Matthew Lillard, Karen Gillan, David Dastmalchian, Annalise Basso, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mia Sara, Nick Offerman, Carl Lumbly, Rahul Kohli, Harvey Guillén, Jacob Tremblay, Kate Siegel and Samantha Sloyan.

The film’s official synopsis reads: “From the hearts and minds of Stephen King and Mike Flanagan comes The Life of Chuck, the extraordinary story of an ordinary man. This unforgettable, genre-bending tale celebrates the life of Charles ‘Chuck’ Krantz as he experiences the wonder of love, the heartbreak of loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us.”

Neon later unveiled a new poster for The Life of Chuck on X, which featured Hiddleston dancing atop a body of water underneath the stars with the tagline: “Every life is universe all its own.”

The Life of Chuck premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, and arrives in theaters June 6. See the teaser trailer – HERE.

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More than a decade after her death, NBC will air the star-studded special Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute on May 13 at 10pm ET/PT, with an “extended and uncensored version” of the show to stream May 14 on Peacock.

Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute was taped in November during the opening night of the 2024 New York Comedy Festival at the famed Apollo Theater. Rivers’ daughter Melissa wrote on Instagram: “I cannot wait for you to see this labor of love come to life as me and some of your favorite celebs celebrate the life of comedy legend, my mother, the one and only @joanrivers. Tune in May 13th when Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute airs on @NBC and streams on @Peacock.”

Per Deadline, the special will see today’s comedians putting their own topical spin on Rivers’ legendary cabinet of jokes.  The special features appearances, musical bits and stand-up comedy from the likes of Rachel Brosnahan, Margaret Cho, Nikki Glaser, Tiffany Haddish, Chelsea Handler, Neil Patrick Harris, Bill Maher, Howie Mandel, Joel McHale, Tracy Morgan, Patton Oswalt, Aubrey Plaza, Sarah Silverman, Melissa Rivers, Jean Smart and Rita Wilson.

The late Joan said in a letter she left for daughter Melissa Rivers: “Given that I’m dead, I assume someone will finally decide to honor me. Well, it’s about time.”  Melissa added in a statement: “This tribute is everything my mother would have wanted — hilarious, unfiltered and filled with people she respected (and roasted). And as usual, she was still the funniest person in the room. It’s incredibly moving to see so many iconic comedians come together to celebrate her legacy, especially the women whose careers she helped make possible by breaking down so many doors. I know she’d be thrilled to see how far things have come, and she’d still have notes. This is more than a tribute. It’s a reminder of the trail she blazed and the joy she brought to so many.”

The tribute special was executive produced by Melissa Rivers, Chris Convy, Erich Bergen and David Jammy, will benefit the charity God’s Love We Deliver, for which Rivers served on the Board of Directors.  Watch a teaser – HERE.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com