Guilty pleasures
By NewsPress Now
Feds search Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ properties as part of sex trafficking probe
NEW YORK | Two properties belonging to music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs in Los Angeles and Miami were searched Monday by federal Homeland Security Investigations agents and other law enforcement as part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation by federal authorities in New York, two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press.
It’s not clear whether Combs was the target of the investigation. The officials were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
In a statement, Homeland Security Investigations said it “executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners.”
A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan declined to comment.
Messages to Combs’ lawyers and other representatives seeking comment were not immediately returned.
A police line was set up around the Los Angeles house in the wealthy Holmby Hills neighborhood near Beverly Hills. Helicopter video from KABC-TV showed a group of agents with vests that indicated they were from Homeland Security Investigations gathered in the home’s backyard near the pool. A command post was set up outside the house and agents were still entering and leaving hours after the search began.
There have been several sexual assault lawsuits filed against Combs in recent months.
In February a music producer filed a lawsuit alleging Combs coerced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them. Combs’ attorney Shawn Holley has said of those allegations that “we have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies.”
Combs’ former protege and girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, sued him in November alleging years of sexual abuse, including rape. The lawsuit said he forced her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed them. The suit was settled the day after it was filed.
Another of Combs’ accusers was a woman who said the rap producer raped her two decades ago when she was 17.
The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly as Cassie did.
Combs had said in a December statement, “I did not do any of the awful things being alleged.”
Douglas Wigdor, an attorney who represents Cassie and another woman who sued Combs, said in a statement Monday, “Hopefully, this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr. Combs responsible for his depraved conduct.”
It is not clear whether the search is related to any of the allegations raised in the lawsuits.
Combs is among the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades. Formerly known as Puff Daddy, he built one of hip-hop’s biggest empires, blazing a trail with several entities attached to his famous name. He is the founder of Bad Boy Records and a three-time Grammy winner who has worked with a slew of top-tier artists including Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112.
Combs created the fashion clothing line Sean John, launched the Revolt TV channel with a focus on music, and produced the reality show “Making the Band” for MTV.
His latest album, “The Love Album — Off the Grid,” was released last year days after Combs was honored at the MTV VMAs. It was nominated for best progressive R&B album at February’s Grammy Awards, which the rapper-mogul did not attend.
The entertainment industry has been beset with a steady stream of career-ending sexual misconduct allegations in the years since stories about movie mogul Harvey Weinstein spawned the #MeToo movement in 2017. Weinstein and “That ‘70s Show” star Danny Masterson are each serving prison sentences after rape convictions. Dozens of civil lawsuits have been filed against prominent figures.
The music industry has not faced a reckoning to the same degree, but singer and producer R. Kelly is serving a prison sentence for sexually abusing young fans, seven women have sued hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons alleging he raped them and two women have sued Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler alleging sexual assault.
Weinstein, Masterson and Kelly are appealing their convictions, and Simmons has denied all of the allegations against him. One lawsuit against Tyler has been dismissed and he is contesting the other.
Willie Nelson’s Fourth of July Picnic lands in the Philadelphia area
SPICEWOOD, Texas | Willie Nelson’s Fourth of July Picnic is two-stepping out of Texas to the Philadelphia area.
The country luminary’s mostly annual mega-concert, hosted in his native Texas for most of its 50-year-history, will be held for the first time in the Northeast this July, with a bill that includes Bob Dylan and the duo of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey.
The open air amphitheater is just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia.
The lineup also includes Mavis Staples, Maren Morris and Celisse. Tickets go on sale Friday.
The giant patriotic party that Nelson first threw in 1973 has made occasional forays outside the Lone Star State, to Tulsa, Oklahoma; Kansas City; Atlanta and, most recently, to South Bend, Indiana in 2009. With the exception of virtual concerts in 2020 and 2021, it’s been held in Austin for the past decade.
At 90, Nelson has not slowed the constant touring, recording and performing he’s kept up for more than six decades. Last April he was feted for his birthday with two nights of tribute concerts at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, and in November he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Springsteen becomes first international songwriter made a fellow of Ivors Academy
LONDON | Bruce Springsteen is the first international songwriter to be named a fellow of The Ivors Academy, the U.K’s professional association of music creators.
The American icon was announced as the next recipient of the 80-year old Academy’s highest honor Tuesday, in recognition of the impact his career has had on the cultural landscape of the U.K.
Over the last half century, the “Born to Run” musician has sold more than 140 million records worldwide — from his 1973 debut “Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ” to his most recent studio album “Only the Strong Survive” in 2022 — with a liberal dusting of top honors along the way, including 20 Grammys, an Oscar and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Springsteen, 74, said he was proud of the honor in a statement released by the academy. “In addition to recognising my songwriting, the award stands as a tribute to the fans and friends who have supported me and my work for the last fifty years. This entire country has made me feel welcome every step of the way, and for this, I will always remain deeply appreciative.”
The news comes a week after Springsteen’s triumphant return to the stage with the E Street Band in Phoenix for a nearly three-hour set.
Springsteen announced in September he was pausing his tour, citing doctor’s advice as he recovered from peptic ulcer disease.
Springsteen will receive his newest award at The Ivors ceremony at Grovesnor House in London on May 23, where the winner of the 2024 Ivor Novello will also be announced. Nominees for the prestigious songwriting prize will be announced by the not-for-profit organization on Apr. 23.
Springsteen becomes the 27th Fellow of the Academy, joining previously inducted songwriting icons like Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, Joan Armatrading and Sting. While he will be the sole songwriter to hail from outside Britain, the fellowship also includes American composer John Adams and French composer and conductor Pierre Boulez.
Timothée Chalamet signs first look deal with Warner Bros.
Following the success of “ Wonka “ and the “ Dune” movies, Warner Bros. is staying in the Timothée Chalamet business. The star signed a first look deal with the studio to collaborate on future projects as an actor and producer, Warner Bros. said Tuesday.
This doesn’t mean that Chalamet can only make movies with Warner Bros., just that the studio is entitled to right of first refusal. The terms of the deal were not released, but it is a “multi-year” agreement.
Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group co-chairs and CEO’s Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy said in a statement that they’ve admired his “commitment to his craft” and his “unwavering dedication to give 100% of his time and attention to every project he has made.”
Chalamet, in a statement, said of De Luca and Abdy: “These are studio heads who believe in real movie making, and I’m so grateful for their support as an actor, producer and collaborator. This partnership feels like a natural next step. Let’s go!”
The 28-year-old recently became the first star in over four decades to be in two top-grossing films released within eight months of each other with “Dune: Part Two,” which has a running box office total of $575.5 million, and “Wonka,” which made over $632 million globally. The previous record-holder was John Travolta with “Grease” and “Saturday Night Fever.”
Chalamet was a producer on Luca Guadagnino’s “ Bones and All “ and is also producing and starring in the upcoming Bob Dylan biopic, “A Complete Unknown,” which is currently filming.
—From AP reports
