Satellite imagery reveals ongoing work at Iranian nuclear site bombed by US

Satellite imagery reveals ongoing work at Iranian nuclear site bombed by US

New satellite images show continuing work at Iran's Fordow nuclear enrichment plant, which was struck by US B-2 bombers just over a week ago. The imagery was collected by Maxar Technologies on Sunday. Maxar said it "reveals ongoing activity at and near the ventilation shafts and holes caused by last week's airstrikes on the Fordow fuel enrichment complex." The pictures show "an excavator and several personnel are positioned immediately next to the northern shaft on the ridge above the underground complex. The crane appears to be operating at the entrance to the shaft/hole." According to Maxar, several additional vehicles are also seen below the ridge and are parked along the path that was built to access the site. Earlier this month, American B-2 bombers dropped more than a dozen bunker-buster bombs on Iran's Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites, while Tomahawk missiles launched from a US submarine hit theIsfahan sitein central Iran. The US Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs targeted the two ventilation shafts at Fordow, according to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine. He told a Pentagon briefing last week that most of the bombs dropped at Fordow "were tasked to enter the main shaft, move down into the complex at greater than 1,000 feet per second, and explode in the mission space." Former nuclear inspector David Albright, who now leads the Institute for Science and International Security, said that imagery from Fordow on Saturday showed "the Iranians are actively working at the two MOP impact sites penetrating the ventilation shafts" at the plant. Albright assessed that the activity "may include backfilling the craters, as well as conducting engineering damage assessments and likely radiological sampling. The craters above the main shafts remain open." "We have observed that the Iranians have also rapidly repaired the bomb cratering damage on the main entrance road from only a few days prior. However, there are yet no indications of any efforts to reopen any of the tunnel entrances," Albrightposted on X. On Sunday, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog said US strikes on Iranfell short of causing total damageto its nuclear program and that Tehran could restart enriching uranium "in a matter of months," contradicting President Donald Trump's claims the US set Tehran's ambitions back by decades. The comments by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi appear to support an early assessment from the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency,first reported on by CNN, which suggests the United States' strikes on key Iranian nuclear sites last week did not destroy the core components of its nuclear program, and likely only set it back by months. While the final military and intelligence assessment has yet to come, Trump has repeatedly claimed to have "completely and totally obliterated" Tehran's nuclear program. CNN's Laura Sharman and Sophie Tanno contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byMario Satorik

in

June 30, 2025

Satellite imagery reveals ongoing work at Iranian nuclear site bombed by US

Satellite imagery reveals ongoing work at Iranian nuclear site bombed by US New satellite images show continuing work at Iran's Fordow n...

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6 killed in a crash of a small plane in Ohio, officials say

6 killed in a crash of a small plane in Ohio, officials say

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) — Four adults from one family heading out on vacation were killed along with their pilot and co-pilot when a small plane crashed minutes after taking off from an Ohio airport, officials said. The twin-engine Cessna 441 turboprop crashed near Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport on Sunday morning, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. There were no survivors, Western Reserve Port Authority Executive Director Anthony Trevena said at a news conference. The agency owns the airport. Agency records show the plane was registered to Meander Air LLC of Warren, Ohio. Trumbull County Coroner Lawrence D'Amico on Monday identified the victims as the pilot, Joseph Maxin, 63; co-pilot Timothy Blake, 55; and passengers Veronica Weller, 68; her husband, James Weller, 67; their son, John Weller, 36, and his wife, Maria Weller, 34. Blake and the passengers were all Hubbard residents, while Maxin lived in Canfield. D'Amico said the family — which owns steel manufacturing plants in the Youngstown-Warren area — was heading for a vacation in Montana. Maxin was the port authority's director of compliance and also a former assistant prosecutor for the Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office. A statement issued by the authority called Maxin "a selfless public servant and pilot (who) dedicated his life to serving the Mahoning Valley." The plane crashed in heavy woods, making access to the site difficult, Howland Township Fire Chief Raymond Pace said. "This is an extremely tragic situation, but it could have been worse," Pace said, noting that there were three houses near where the plane crashed. Publicly available flight tracking data showed that the plane's destination was Bozeman, Montana, said Michael Hillman, president of aviation company JETS FBO Network. "These were the best of the best in terms of the folks here at the field, as well as the pilots. I can't say enough about them," Hillman said at the news conference. "I'd give anything to rewind the day and take them to breakfast instead." The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating but have not speculated on a possible cause. They have asked residents to contact them if they have surveillance video showing the crash or other information that may be relevant to the investigation.

byMario Satorik

in

June 30, 2025

6 killed in a crash of a small plane in Ohio, officials say

6 killed in a crash of a small plane in Ohio, officials say YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) — Four adults from one family heading out on vacation were...

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Slander or 'trash-talking'? Drake-Kendrick Lamar feud has a day in court

Slander or 'trash-talking'? Drake-Kendrick Lamar feud has a day in court

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge is pondering the nature of rap battles and the cutting wordplay inKendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us," the megahit diss track that spurred adefamation lawsuitfrom his fellow superstarDrake. Drake sued Universal Music Group — both his and Lamar's record label — over "Not Like Us," saying the company published and promoted a song he deems slanderous. Universal says the lyrics are just hyperbole in the tradition of rap beefing, and the label is trying to get the case dismissed. Judge Jeannette Vargas didn't immediately decide after a lively hearing Monday, when the raw creativity ofhip-hopbrushed up against the staid confines of federal court. "Who is the ordinary listener? Is it someone who's going to catch all those references?" Vargas wondered aloud, addressing a legal standard that concerns how an average, reasonable person would understand a statement. "There's so much specialized and nuanced to these lyrics." Neither artist attended the hearing. The case stems from anepic feudbetween two of hip-hop's biggest stars over one of 2024 biggest songs — the one that won therecord of the year and song of the year Grammys, got the most Apple Music streams worldwide and helped make this winter'sSuper Bowl halftime showthe most watched ever. Released as the two artists were trading a flurry of insult tracks, Lamar's song calls out the Canadian-born Drake by name and impugns his authenticity, branding him "a colonizer" of rap culture who's "not like us" inLamar's home turfof Compton, California, and, more broadly, West Coast rap. "Not Like Us" also makes insinuations about Drake's sex life, including "I hear you like 'em young" — implications that he rejects. Drake's suit says that the song amounts to "falsely accusing him of being a sex offender, engaging in pedophilic acts" and more. Contending that the track endangered him by fanning notions of vigilante justice, the suit blames "Not Like Us" not only for harming Drake's image but for attempted break-ins and the shooting of a security guard at his Toronto home. The mansion was depicted in an aerial photo in the song's cover art. "This song achieved a cultural ubiquity unlike any other rap song in history," Drake lawyer Michael Gottlieb said. He argued that Universal had campaigned and contrived to make it "a de facto national anthem" that didn't just address hip-hop fans who knew the backstory and were accustomed to over-the-top lyrical battling. The average listener could be "a 13-year-old who's dancing to the song at a bar mitzvah," Gottlieb suggested. "That would be a very interesting bar mitzvah," the judge opined. (The song has indeed been played at some such celebrations.) Universal, meanwhile, has emphasized that "Not Like Us" was part of an exchange of barbs between Drake and Lamar. "Context is key," label lawyer Rollin Ransom argued Monday, at one point apologizing for having to use profanity while reciting some of the lyrics Drake aimed at Lamar in a track called "Taylor Made Freestyle." "What you hear in these rap battles is trash-talking in the extreme, and it is not, and should not be treated as, statements of fact," the attorney said. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. Drake also went after iHeartMedia, claiming in a Texaslegal petitionthat the radio giant got illegal payments from Universal to boost airplay for "Not Like Us." IHeartMedia hasdenied any wrongdoing. That disputewas resolvedin March. Drake hasn't sued Lamar himself.

byMario Satorik

in

June 30, 2025

Slander or 'trash-talking'? Drake-Kendrick Lamar feud has a day in court

Slander or 'trash-talking'? Drake-Kendrick Lamar feud has a day in court NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge is pondering the nature of ...

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No verdict on first day of jury deliberations at Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking trial

No verdict on first day of jury deliberations at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial

NEW YORK (AP) — Jury deliberations got underway on Monday in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal sex trafficking trial and hit a snag almost as soon as they started. But, by the end of the day, jurors indicated they were making progress weighing complex charges that could put the hip-hop mogul in prison for life. The first day of deliberations saw a flurry of notes from the jury and Combs and his supporters bowing their heads in prayer in the courtroom — but no verdict. The juryof eight men and four women are sifting through seven weeks of sometimes graphic and emotional testimony about therap, fashion and reality TV impresario's propensity for violence and his sexual predilections, including drug-fueled sex marathons dubbed "freak-offs" or "hotel nights." About an hour in, the foreperson reported that a juror might be having trouble following the 61 pages worth of instructions the judge had just read to them. "We are concerned (the juror) cannot follow your honor's instructions," the foreperson said in a note to Judge Arun Subramanian just after 12:30 p.m. After the judge originally proposed asking the jury foreperson the nature of concerns about the fellow juror, defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo suggested caution and that it was better to say less than more. "We can always ratchet it up. We can't ratchet it down," Agnifilo said. Subramanian sent his response to the jury around 2 p.m., reminding the panel to deliberate and to follow his instructions on the law. The jury sent another note about three hours later asking for clarification on the part of the instructions addressing drug distribution — an allegation included in Combs' racketeering conspiracy charge. As deliberations were happening, Combs prayed with his family and friends in the courtroom. Wearing his customary sweater and khakis, he stood facing his contingent in the audience and bowed his head with them. As they finished, they applauded, along with Combs. Combs also showed off two books he's reading: "The Power of Positive Thinking," by Norman Vincent Peale and "The Happiness Advantage," by Shawn Achor. As he sent the jury to deliberate, Subramanian told the five alternate jurors to remain on standby at home in case they're needed at a later point. Jurors were provided with a laptop loaded with all of the exhibits shown in court, including text messages, photographs and videos of the sexual encounters at the heart of the case. Combs, 55, haspleaded not guiltyto federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking — relating to two of his ex-girlfriends — and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution for allegedly arranging to fly his girlfriends and sex workers across state lines. In closing arguments last week, federal prosecutors and Combs' defense team took their last shots at convincing jurors to convict or acquit the Grammy Award-winning founder of Bad Boy Records. "The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted,"Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik said. "He thought that his fame, wealth and power put him above the law." She said that he used his "close inner circle and a small army of personal staff, who made it their mission to meet the defendant's every desire, promote his power and protect his reputation at all costs." Defense lawyer Marc Agnifilocountered, "This isn't about crime. It's about money." He noted that one of Combs' accusers in the criminal case also sued him in civil court. "He is not a racketeer. He is not a conspirator to commit racketeering. He is none of these things. He is innocent. He sits there innocent. Return him to his family, who have been waiting for him," the lawyer told jurors. In all, 34 witnesses testified, headlined by Combs' former girlfriendsCassie— the R&B singer born Casandra Ventura — and "Jane," who testified under a pseudonym. Both women said he often was violent toward them. Cassie said he forced her into hundreds of sexual encounters with paid male sex workers while Jane recounted numerous "hotel nights." Jurors also saw now-infamoussecurity camera videoof Combs beating, kicking and dragging Cassie at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016 and clips from videos of sexual encounters. Combschose not to testify, and his lawyers didn't call any witnesses in their defense case. His attorneys elected instead to challenge the accusers' credibility during lengthy cross-examination questioning. The defense has acknowledged that Combs veered into violence, buthis lawyers maintainthat the sex acts were consensual. They contend that prosecutors are intruding in Combs' personal life and that he's done nothing to warrant the charges against him.

byMario Satorik

in

June 30, 2025

No verdict on first day of jury deliberations at Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking trial

No verdict on first day of jury deliberations at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial NEW YORK (AP) — Jury deliberations go...

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Jewish woman, 82, dies from injuries suffered in Boulder terror attack

Jewish woman, 82, dies from injuries suffered in Boulder terror attack

A Colorado woman has died from injuries suffered in thefiery antisemetic terror attack in Boulder. Karen Diamond, 82, died June 25 and was privately buried with her family in attendance, according to authorities and members of her synagogue, Boulder's Bonai Shalom. Authorities say Diamond was among a group of protesters raising awareness for Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Prosecutors announced after her death that they wereadding state-level first-degree murder chargesagainst the suspect.The crime has shaken the city's Jewish community amid astring of antisemitic attacks nationally. "There are no words to express the pain of this horrific loss of our beloved member and friend," Rabbi Marc Solowaywrote in announcing Diamond's death, which was made public June 30.  "We will need to support each other as we process this loss." In a statement, Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty called Diamond's death "horrific." "Part of what makes Colorado special is that people come together in response to a tragedy; I know that the communitywill continue to unitein supporting the Diamond family and all the victims of this attack," he said. In addition to the new charges of first-degree-murder, prosecutors announced June 30 that they have added 66 state-level counts against Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, who also faces federal hate crime charges. Soliman, a father of five who was an Uber driver, remains jailed. Federal officials said Soliman was living in the United States after overstaying his visa. Police said Soliman, who is Muslim, confessed to targeting the "Run for their Lives" walk on Boulder's Pearl Street pedestrian mall over what he felt was participants' support for Israel's military actions in Gaza. The weekly walk, which drew Jewish supporters, was focused on the return of hostages taken by Hamas after its militants raided Israel in October 2023. Police said he yelled "Free Palestine" during the attack. Soliman now faces state charges for 29 victims in the attack, 13 of whom suffered physical injuries, along with animal cruelty charges in connection with a dog that was hurt. Federal prosecutors did not immediately announce whether they would be adding further charges. Police said Soliman planned his attack for more than a year and arrived in Boulder after driving from his home in Colorado Springs, stopping along the way to buy gasoline, glass bottles, a weed sprayer and flowers to provide a disguise. Soloway, who leads the Bonai Shalom congregation, asked the public to respect the Diamond family's privacy "under these awful and distressing circumstances. … This event and the tragic loss of someone who has given so much of herself over the years to the Bonai community and beyond, has impacted us all and we are sad and horrified." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Jewish woman dies from injuries suffered in Boulder terror attack

byMario Satorik

in

June 30, 2025

Jewish woman, 82, dies from injuries suffered in Boulder terror attack

Jewish woman, 82, dies from injuries suffered in Boulder terror attack A Colorado woman has died from injuries suffered in thefiery antiseme...

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Judge again delays Abrego Garcia’s release from Tennessee jail over deportation concerns

Judge again delays Abrego Garcia's release from Tennessee jail over deportation concerns

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) —Kilmar Abrego Garciawill stay in jail for now over concerns from his lawyers that he could be deported if he's released to await his trial on human smuggling charges, a federal judge in Tennessee ruled Monday. Abrego Garcia's attorneyshad asked the judgeto delay his release because of what they described as "contradictory statements" by PresidentDonald Trump's administration over what would happen to the Salvadoran national. The lawyers wrote in a brief to the court Friday that "we cannot put any faith in any representation made on this issue" by the Justice Department, adding that the "irony of this request is not lost on anyone." Justice Department spokesman Chad Gilmartin told The Associated Press on Thursday that the departmentintends to try Abrego Garcia on the smuggling chargesbefore it moves to deport him, stating that Abrego Garcia "has been charged with horrific crimes." Hours earlier, Justice Department attorney Jonathan Guynn told a federal judge in Maryland that the U.S. government plans to deportAbrego Garciato a "third country" that isn't El Salvador. Guynn said there was no timeline for the deportation plans. Abrego Garcia's attorneys on Friday cited Guynn's comments as a reason to fear he would be deported "immediately." Abrego Garcia, a construction worker who had been living in Maryland, became a flashpoint over Trump's hardlineimmigrationpolicies when he was mistakenly deported to his native El Salvador in March. Facing mounting pressure and a Supreme Court order, Trump's Republican administration returned him this month to face the smuggling charges, which his attorneys have called "preposterous." Abrego Garcia's attorneys have accused the Trump administration of bringing Abrego Garcia back "to convict him in the court of public opinion" with the intention of deporting him before he has a chance to defend himself at trial. "In a just world, he would not seek to prolong his detention further," his attorneys wrote Friday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes in Nashville ruled June 22 that federal prosecutors failed to show that Abrego Garcia was a flight risk or a danger to the community. During a court hearing June 25, Holmes set specific conditions for Abrego Garcia's release that included him living with his brother, a U.S. citizen, in Maryland. But she held off on releasing him over concerns that prosecutors can't prevent ICE from deporting him. Acting U.S. Attorney Rob McGuire told the judge he lacks jurisdiction over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, stating he has no way to prevent Abrego Garcia's deportation. Abrego Garcia's attorneys have asked the judge to delay his release until a July 16 court hearing, which will consider a request by prosecutors to revoke Abrego Garcia's release order while he awaits trial. Abrego Garciapleaded not guiltyon June 13 to smuggling charges. The Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, did not respond directly to a question from The Associated Press on Friday regarding its plans for Abrego Garcia. A DHS spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, said in a statement that "he will never go free on American soil." When the Trump administration deported Abrego Garcia in March, it violated a U.S. immigration judge's order in 2019 that barred his expulsion to his native country. The immigration judge had found that Abrego Garcia faced a credible threat from gangs that had terrorized him and his family. The human smuggling charges pending against Abrego Garcia stem from a 2022 traffic stop for speeding in Tennessee, during which Abrego Garcia was driving a vehicle with nine passengers without luggage. ___ Finley reported from Norfolk, Virginia.

byMario Satorik

in

June 30, 2025

Judge again delays Abrego Garcia’s release from Tennessee jail over deportation concerns

Judge again delays Abrego Garcia's release from Tennessee jail over deportation concerns NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) —Kilmar Abrego Garciawill...

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Diddy's star-studded trial: The celebrities mentioned in court

Diddy's star-studded trial: The celebrities mentioned in court

NEW YORK — Before his precipitous downfall,Sean "Diddy" Combswas apop-culture supernovawithinnumerable starsin his orbit. Like it or not, that's part of the reason we've all been so glued to his criminal trial, as theonce-untouchable music mogulawaitsa verdicton fivecharges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. It's why journalists dashed breathlessly through the halls of Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse on June 13, in an attempt tocatch a glimpse of rapper Ye as he made a fleeting appearance to show his solidarity with Combs. It's also why dozens of social media influencers waited for nearly four hours in the pouring rain in the early morning hours of May 22, hoping to land a spot in the main courtroom asmusician Kid Cuditestified about analleged arson attack by Combs. Throughout nearly two months of testimony, attorneys and witnesses alike havename-checked several celebritiesas they've excavated nearlytwo decades of Combs' apparent criminal past. They've recounted nights ofpartying with Prince, Stevie Wonder, Muhammad Ali and Rita Ora, some of which ended in Combs allegedly assaulting his girlfriends orforcing them into "freak offs" with escorts. Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross were referenced in court, as defense tried to highlight the powerful connections that Combs helped afford to his ex-lover, singer Casandra "Cassie" Ventura Fine.Michael B. Jordan,50 CentandSuge Knightwere all subjects of Combs' ire, whileUsherandDanity Kane's Dawn Richardwere both on the sidelines of allegedly violent incidents. Diddy trial bombshells:What his inner circle said about baby oil, 'freak offs' There were name drops that sparked dry amusement from reporters, too, like the revelation that Combs once had ecstasy pills shaped like the face offormer President Barack Obama. Or that the rapper gave his staff an annual paid holiday on the Notorious B.I.G.'s birthday. (Checking into hotels, Combs often used the alias Frank Black ‒ a nod to Biggie Smalls' nickname, Frank White.) Combs' lawyer also mentioned Beyoncé in his closing statement. "I don't expect we're going to see Beyoncé in CVS," lead defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said as he argued Combs' employees were not part of a criminal enterprise and that they instead were just doing their jobs. Here are just a few of the most notable A-listers to find their way into the Diddy trial: "Mia," a former assistant of Combs who testified under a pseudonym, told jurors that she had been abused and assaulted by the rapper throughout her employment. In a series of texts read aloud in court, sheinvoked the name of disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly, who is in prison following his own sex-crimes trial. Jurors saw an exchange from 2019, in which Mia wrote toCombs: "I had a nightmare. I was trapped in an elevator with R. Kelly and you came to rescue me." In a lengthy text that she sent Combs around 2020, Mia described some of their most "magical, hilarious" and "hysterical" memories together. One was of a night in Paris when Mick Jagger tried to take her home; another was of a night when Jennifer Lopez wouldn't stay out. Mia also referenced a high-stakes poker game between the hip-hop mogul andDiCaprio. She wrote that Combs said, while cursing: "That 'Titanic' (guy) doesn't know (anything). He won $10,000, I won $650,000." What to expect:Diddy trial is ending, jury deliberation underway In a message from August 2020, Mia texted Combs, "Thinking of you withChadwick Boseman," following the actor's death. Mia said on the stand that Combs was "auditioning for the role" of James Brown in the "Get On Up" biopic that Boseman ended up playing. In a text exchange shown to jurors, Mia told Combs that she had his audition tape and would send it to him. Mia alleged that in 2012 she witnessed a discussion between Combs and Ventura Fine escalate at the premiere of theBrad Pittfilm "Killing Them Softly," during the Cannes Film Festival in France.She claimed she saw Combs grit his teeth while digging his nails into Ventura Fine's arm, and eventually insisted that Ventura Fine leave, which she did. On the stand, Mia said that over the years, she saw Combs take molly, MDMA, ketamine and prescription drugs. Although she said it was "mostly in party situations," she once claimed to see him high at a board meeting. On another occasion, she alleged that he was so high at aChelsea Handlershow that she pulled him aside. "You look a little crazy right now," Mia told Combs. More:All the witnesses who took the stand in the Diddy trial, including Cassie and Kid Cudi On the stand, Combs' ex-personal assistant Capricorn Clark was asked whether she thought Ventura Fine was "very talented." Clark responded "no," adding that she thought the rising R&B star merely had "talent." "Very talented to me is Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey," Clark told jurors. "Very talented is that level of performer, entertainer. Cassie was more of a studio artist." During Ventura Fine's lengthy testimony, jurors saw a text that she sent to Combs in July 2013. At the time, she had been dating Combs for roughly seven years, and expressed frustration that she wasn't integrated more into his family life with his children. "As much as you think you're Bruce Willis, you aren't," Ventura Fine texted Combs. "He's married, and before he was married, the family as a whole went on trips together or just him and his woman." "Eddie Murphy and Paige (Butcher) took his kids away on their own," the message continued. "I don't think you sympathize with my feelings. I understand you feeling like you need to protect your children. But after a while, it's like, for what?" Surviving abuse:Cassie Ventura Fine and the unlikely bond with her mother-in-law Kerry Morgan, a model and former friend of Ventura Fine, testified that Combs once attacked her in Cassie's California home, choking her and hitting her in the head with a wooden hanger. She also told the court she saw Combs assault Ventura Fine several times, and she pleaded with her friend to leave the rapper. During cross-examination, the defense showed a number of photos of Morgan and Ventura Fine hanging out with groups of people. One snapshot included Morgan, stylist Deonte Nash, producer Rob Holiday, and "Nope" actress Keke Palmer. Defense asked whether they all had fun together: "We had a lot of fun," Morgan said. "We look like a loving bunch," although "I didn't love all these people." On the stand,Combs' ex "Jane," who also testified under a pseudonym, said that she, Combs and one of the escorts they allegedly hired used the nickname "trifecta" when they had sex. Jane claimed she was Kobe Bryant; Paul, the entertainer, was Shaquille O'Neal; and Combs was Michael Jordan. Jurors were also read a series of flirty text messages between Jane and Combs, where she likens their relationship to the NBA legends. In the exchange, Jane thanks Combs for making "me very happy" and giving "me so much love." "You're my Michael Jordan and I'm your Kobe Bryant," Jane texted Combs. "We're the greatest." More:Diddy's defense claims he was just 'swinging.' These swingers are appalled. In another frisky text exchange read aloud to jurors during testimony, Jane compared herself to former Playboy models. "It's giving Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra," Jane texted Combs, adding two melon emojis. Jane frequently referenced famous figures in her text messages to Combs. Some of their other nicknames for each other: Bert and Ernie from "Sesame Street." In court, Combs' attorneys pressed Ventura Fine about a time when the hip-hop heavyweight suspected she was cheating on him. "He found out you were dancing with another person in the entertainment industry? Do you remember the incident where he suspected you of dancing withChris Brown?" defense asked, referencing an unspecified occasion in 2013. Ventura Fine said she did not remember the incident, but she "was not dancing" with the singer. Defense showed an exhibit to help jog Ventura Fine's memory of a time when Combs allegedly took the "Me & U" singer's phone after he suspected her of dancing with Brown. After looking at the evidence, Ventura Fine said, "It says that in the message, but I don't really remember it." Ventura Fine is close friends with Karrueche Tran, the actress and model who won a five-year restraining order against ex-boyfriend Brown in 2017. Diddy lawyerMarc Agnifilo compares 'freak offs' to couples drinking lemonade Cassie Beyoncé Rihanna Michael B. Jordan Barack Obama Georgina Chapman Mike Myers Will Smith DJ Whoo Kid Dallas Austin 50 Cent Suge Knight Prince Usher Britney Spears Common Madonna Jimmy Iovine Dawn Richard Kalenna Harper Kid Cudi French Montana Too Short Chris Brown Biggie Smalls Ryan Leslie Brad Pitt Keke Palmer Pamela Anderson Carmen Electra Whitney Houston Mariah Carey Chris Gethard Jay-Z Michael Jordan Kobe Bryant Shaquille O'Neal Bruce Willis Eddie Murphy Leonardo DiCaprio Mick Jagger Jennifer Lopez Chelsea Handler R. Kelly Chadwick Boseman Rita Ora Nicki Minaj Lil Wayne Yung Miami Contributing: USA TODAY staff This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Diddy trial celebrities ranged from Beyonce to Brad Pitt and Kid Cudi

byMario Satorik

in

June 30, 2025

Diddy's star-studded trial: The celebrities mentioned in court

Diddy's star-studded trial: The celebrities mentioned in court NEW YORK — Before his precipitous downfall,Sean "Diddy" Combswa...

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