Superyacht Bayesian was toppled by ‘extreme wind’, report says
Investigators probing the sinking of the Bayesian have detailed the final moments of tech tycoon Mike Lynch’s doomed superyacht.
The billionaire entrepreneur, 59, and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among seven people killed when the vessel sank off the Sicilian coast on August 19, 2024.
An interim report into the sinking, released by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) on Thursday, shows wind speeds of 63.4 knots (73.0mph) on the yacht’s beam were sufficient to tip it over.
The vessel may have been “vulnerable” to lighter winds, but that information was “unknown” to its owner and crew as it was not included in the stability information book carried on board, the report said.
MAIB investigator Simon Graves said the sails were not raised and the vessel was “running on its engine” before the sinking.
“That indicated a vulnerability that the owner and the crew would not have known about,” he said.
At 4.06am local time, wind speeds exceeded 70 knots (80.6mph), “violently” knocking the vessel over to a 90-degree angle in under 15 seconds, investigators said.
“People, furniture and loose items fell across the deck.”
The report went on: “There was no indication of flooding inside Bayesian until water came in over the starboard rails and, within seconds, entered the internal spaces down the stairwells.”
Andrew Moll, chief inspector of marine accidents, said the findings indicated that the “extreme wind” was sufficient to knock the yacht over.
“Further, once the yacht had heeled beyond an angle of 70° the situation was irrecoverable.”
The MAIB is investigating as the Bayesian was registered in the United Kingdom.
No date has been set for when the final report will be published.
Inquest proceedings in the UK are looking at the deaths of Mr Lynch and his daughter, as well as Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his wife, Judy Bloomer, 71, who were all British nationals.
The others who died in the sinking were US lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo, and Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, who was working as a chef on the vessel.
Fifteen people, including Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued.
The MAIB report stated that during the previous day, the Bayesian was sailed to the site where it later sank in order to “shelter” from forecast thunderstorms.
At 3am the following morning the wind speed was “no more than eight knots (9mph)” but a deck hand thought “thunderclouds and lightning seemed to be getting closer”.
Some 55 minutes later, the deck hand posted a video of the advancing storm on social media, then went onto the deck to close windows to protect the interior from rain.
They noted that the wind had reached 30 knots (34.5mph) and thought the vessel was dragging its anchor.
At 4am, they woke the superyacht’s skipper.
Several crew members were working in response to the conditions when the vessel was knocked over six minutes later.
Five people were injured “either by falling or from things falling on them”, while the deck hand was “thrown into the sea”, the report said.
Two people used furniture drawers “as an improvised ladder” to escape their cabin.
The skipper instructed guests and crew on an area of the deck to “swim clear of the mast and boom as the vessel was sinking”.
Survivors later made their way onto a life raft released from the Bayesian.
They went on to be rescued on a small boat dispatched by yacht Sir Robert Baden Powell, which was also at anchor nearby.
All the bodies of those who died were subsequently recovered by the local authorities.
The MAIB said its report was based on “a limited amount of verified evidence” as a criminal investigation by Italian authorities has restricted its access to the wreck and other pieces of evidence.
A project to move the Bayesian into an upright position and lift it to the surface has been paused since May 9 when a diver died during underwater work.
Further details such as “escape routes” will be included in the final report, according to Mr Graves, who added: “Once we get access to the vessel we’ll be able to tell a fuller picture of activities on board and the sequence of events.”
Magna Carta ‘copy’ bought for $27.50 now believed to be genuine
A rare original Magna Carta, misidentified and sold “for a fairly derisory price” has been uncovered 80 years after it was wrongly catalogued.
The remarkable discovery was made by Professor David Carpenter, a medieval history expert at King’s College London. While researching unofficial Magna Carta copies online, Professor Carpenter stumbled upon a digitised version of the Harvard document and suspected its authenticity.
Subsequent tests, including meticulous textual comparisons, confirmed the document as an original dating back to 1300, issued under King Edward I.
Professor Carpenter hailed the find as a “fantastic discovery,” emphasising the document’s significance: “Harvard’s Magna Carta deserves celebration, not as some mere copy, stained and faded, but as an original of one of the most significant documents in world constitutional history, a cornerstone of freedoms past, present and yet to be won.”
Prof Carpenter teamed up with fellow Magna Carta expert Nicholas Vincent, professor of medieval history at the University of East Anglia, to investigate the provenance of the document.
Prof Vincent said Harvard’s Magna Carta is the 25th known surviving Magna Carta original.
“The comparison I would draw is the rarest painter known to everybody is Vermeer,” said Prof Vincent.
“There are I think, it’s disputed, there are over 30 Vermeer paintings in existence and yet he is seen as the rarest painter in history.
“There are only now 25 of these Magna Carta originals.
“It is an extraordinary thing for anyone to possess.”
The Magna Carta is the royal charter of rights agreed in 1215 under King John.
It was the first document to confirm the rights of ordinary people under common law.
The first issue was repudiated by King John after around six weeks, and after his death it was reissued in three versions by his son Henry III, with the last of them in 1225, Prof Vincent said.
“That became the definitive text of Magna Carta,” he said.
“Then afterwards, whenever in the 13th Century there was a dispute between the king and the nation, kings reissued Magna Carta on at least three occasions after 1225.
“And this one (Harvard’s Magna Carta), the 1300 issue, is the last time it was issued as a single sheet document under the king’s seal as an official endorsement of the settlement of Magna Carta.”
He said that, including Harvard’s, there are seven known originals of the 1300 version that survive.
“Every county of England would originally have had a Magna Carta of each of those issues,” Prof Vincent said.
The Harvard Magna Carta is thought to have been issued to the former parliamentary borough of Appleby in Westmorland, England.
The Harvard Law School Library bought it in 1946 for 27 dollars and 50 cents, according to the library’s accession register.
Harvard Law School bought it from London book dealers Sweet & Maxwell.
The book dealers had bought it at a Sotheby’s auction in London a month or so earlier from First World War flying ace Air Vice-Marshal Forster “Sammy” Maynard for £42.
The Sotheby’s auction catalogue described the manuscript as a “copy…made in 1327…somewhat rubbed and damp-stained”.
Maynard had inherited it in archives from leading abolitionists in the anti-slavery campaign Thomas and John Clarkson.
Asked how it may have been mistaken for a copy, Prof Vincent said: “I think everyone was knackered at the end of the Second World War.
“I think whoever read it at Sotheby’s and looked at it, I suspect what they thought was ‘oh it can’t be an original Magna Carta because we’d know about it’.
“They misread the date, they got the wrong king.
“They catalogued it as if it was a charter of Edward III.
“But in fact it’s Edward I.
“For an amateur that’s a fairly easy mistake to make.
“But, as a result, the fact that it was an original was completely ignored and it went for a fairly derisory price.”
He said he hoped Harvard would “put it on display” and “make a great deal of it”.
Amanda Watson, of Harvard Law School, congratulated the two professors on the “fantastic discovery” and said: “This work exemplifies what happens when magnificent collections, like Harvard Law Library’s, are opened to brilliant scholars.”
Early release for recalled prisoners as jails on the brink
Recalled prisoners will be released after 28 days under emergency measures to free up 1,400 prison places, the justice secretary has announced.
Shabana Mahmood warned Britain’s prisons are at 99 per cent capacity and the UK is due to run out of places in five months, which would result in the “total breakdown of law and order”.
Unveiling fresh measures to reduce the soaring inmate population recalled to custody for breaching their licence conditions, she said offenders serving sentences of between one and four years will only be returned to prison for a fixed, 28-day period.
This includes those recalled for further crimes, apart from those who commit a serious offence. Certain sexual offenders, violent criminals and serious domestic abusers will also be excluded, as they are already subject to enhanced risk management with police, prisons and probation services.
Ms Mahmood also announced the Ministry of Justice had received treasury funding of £4.7bn for three new prisons as part of a “record prison expansion”.
The cash will see officials break ground on a site near HMP Gartree in Leicestershire later this year, while plans are underway for new prisons near HMP Grendon, in Buckinghamshire, and HMP Garth, in Lancashire. Other cells will also be added at existing prisons.
However, she admitted we “cannot build our way out of this crisis”, adding the prison population is increasing by 3,000 each year – the equivalent of two entire prisons.
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick accused the government of removing an “important deterrent”, adding that a fixed-term recall of 28 days is “pitiful”.
She said the impact of David Gauke’s sentencing review, which is expected to overhaul the justice system with recommendations for shorter jail terms and increased use of community punishments, will not be felt until spring next year.
Despite already releasing thousands of inmates after serving just 40 per cent of their sentence to ease overcrowding, she said the additional measures are needed to “buy us the time we need”.
Addressing journalists on Wednesday, Ms Mahmood warned: “The consequences of failing to act are unthinkable, but they must be understood.
“If our prisons overflow, courts cancel trials, police halt their arrests, crime goes unpunished, and we reach a total breakdown of law and order.”
The prison population in England and Wales stands at 88,087, according to the latest weekly figures. This is 434 below the last peak of 88,521 inmates on 6 September last year.
Amy Rees, the Ministry of Justice’s interim permanent secretary, said running prisons so close to capacity creates “escalating problems”, including increased violence and less time for work and education to prevent reoffending.
The government is already reliant on a number of police cells to temporarily hold offenders under measures called Operation Safeguard.
“If capacity gets even tighter, as an exceptional measure we would activate Operation Early Dawn,” Ms Rees added.
“This means we convene a team at 5.30am every day to track each individual potentially coming into custody so that we can make sure there will be a space available for them.”
Early Dawn was last activated between 19 August and 9 September last year – however, in recent weeks, the government has come close to activating it once again, she said.
“If Operation Early Dawn is unable to manage the flow of prisoners, the situation becomes intolerable,” she warned. “We would, at this stage, see the managed breakdown of the criminal justice system.
“Police holding cells would be full, and the police would be faced with being unable to make arrests. Courts would need to consider bail for offenders they would normally consider dangerous enough to remand to prison.”
Mr Gauke’s sentencing review is due to be published in the coming weeks. He is expected to recommend major changes to ease overcrowding, including shorter sentences, early parole for good behaviour and tougher punishments outside of prison.
Ms Mahmood said she would not “not get ahead of their recommendations”, but added: “The sentencing review must ensure there is always space in prison for dangerous offenders.
“To achieve this, the panel will have to recommend a reduction in the length of some custodial sentences and an expansion of prison outside prison, for those offenders who can be managed in the community.”
Responding to the announcement, Andrea Coomber KC, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said the measures will “buy ministers a little more time”.
“The sentencing review, which is due to report soon, is a chance to lay the foundations for a lasting solution to this mess – but there is no time to lose, and only bold reform will do,” she added.
“Without a major reduction in the number of people sentenced to custody, we will see many more gloomy press conferences and the cold reality that this is a public service lurching from crisis to crisis.”
Mark Fairhurst, the chair of the Prison Officers’ Association (POA), said building new prisons will not improve the crisis, adding: “The government would be better off spending billions of taxpayers’ money on modernising the prison estate, funding an under-resourced probation service, providing more secure mental health beds and ensuring we have robust community sentences that the public have confidence in.”
Women shouldn’t have to work the week of their period. Period
Don’t women do more than enough already? We carry children. We do the same amount of work for 7 per cent less money. We wind up doing the bulk of domestic labour at home. And, at the end of the day, no matter how much we try to deny it, we still exist in a world largely designed for men.
With this in mind, I think calling for a ban on working during the week of our periods is incredibly reasonable. Frankly, it’s the least we deserve. I’m not alone: Bella Hadid said words to this effect during her recent interview with British Vogue while talking about struggling with confidence as a teenage model. “I didn’t get that whole fluid thing going through,” the 26-year-old told the publication. “I was like 17, 18 years old, not knowing or loving myself a hundred per cent yet. I had just moved out of my parents’ house and gone straight into a world where you have to stare in the mirror every single day. And we get our periods.”
Hadid, who has taken a step back from modelling in recent years due to an ongoing battle with Lyme disease and depression, continued: “You’re shooting Victoria’s Secret on your period, with endo. That should be illegal. I’m going to talk to the White House about it, because we should literally ban women working on the week of their period. And the week before, to be honest.”
The model went on to reference her work alter ego, “Belinda”, whom she created as a coping mechanism to get through intense work days. “And then the minute that I get home, I’m on the couch, that’s just Bella again. Because Belinda just does her job.” Hadid continued: “She can be crying from 5am to 7am but by the time she gets to work, a smile’s on her face and she’s going to do her job and get through it … it’s almost a mask because when I get home, I am just a depletion. I’m a skeleton.”
It’s a somewhat grim depiction of the realities of being a very young, very in-demand (and very famous) model in the modern world. Smile as long as the cameras are pointing at you; you’ll have permission to be your miserable self later. But it’s also one that makes a valid point, however tongue-in-cheek Hadid intended it to be. On top of the daily grind of being a woman and all that entails, grappling with PMS while on the clock is, quite frankly, an astonishing ask.
It’s not just the period pain that can range from a persistent, dull ache to an excruciating experience that leaves you bedbound and writhing in agony. Nor is it the general feeling of malaise that tends to hit you during the luteal phase (the second half of the menstrual cycle, starting after ovulation and lasting until the next period begins) – although it’s not hard to imagine how both of these inevitable realities might hinder one’s professional performance. No; if you’re anything like me (and possibly Hadid), it’s the overriding sense of mania, sadness and dissociation that can strike in the run up to your period. Some months are fine. Others, depending on how burnt out I am, can be so brutal that it feels as if I temporarily live in an entirely different reality. One where everything and everyone is dark, and all I can do is cry and cry and cry. Suffice to say, during these times, work is not top of my priority list. Frankly, just getting out of bed and having a shower is a tall order.
I’m aware this may sound somewhat extreme – and yes, I’ve often wondered if I might have PMDD, a rare and more severe form of PMS affecting roughly between 5 and 8 per cent of women – but it’s something many of us deal with, whether it’s every month or just every few months. In Hadid’s case, her symptoms may be even more pronounced; symptoms of endometriosis, which affects one in 10 women, include excruciating period pain and heavy menstrual bleeding. But regardless of whether or not a woman has endo, I think Hadid’s point still stands. Because even the less intense symptoms of PMS experienced by most women – brain fog, fatigue, body aches – can hinder our capacity to work.
It’s harder to concentrate on anything aside from simply getting through the day, a fact that remains true regardless of your line of work. If you’re in an office job, you have the commute and uncomfortable seating to contend with on top of whatever your actual work entails. If you work from home, you might be able to answer emails from bed with a hot water bottle on your belly, but your energy and concentration levels will still be compromised. If you’re a supermodel like Hadid, well – with 12-hour days and minimal resting time on top of the pressure to look utterly sensational, I don’t think that job is anywhere near as glamorous as it sounds.
So, Bella, I get it. And while the idea of actually making it illegal for women to have to work during the week of their periods is probably far-fetched and delusional, it’s something I’m going to dream about the next time I’m in agony, feeling sad about literally everything, eating every last piece of chocolate I can find, and thinking about how nice it would be to be sent away to a tropical island this time every month. If Hadid wants to pitch that to the White House, I’m all in – I’d pay good money to see the look on Trump’s face.
Children waiting two years for critical gender care
Children aged under five are among a soaring number of young people waiting for gender care treatment as the NHS grapples to clear a backlog of patients.
The number of children waiting for treatment in England and Wales has risen by 12 per cent in a year, with 6,225 children now on the national waiting list, up from 5,560 a year earlier.
A total of 157 of those are aged under 10, with up to 10 aged under five. Average waiting times have also grown to more than two years for a child to get a first appointment at a specialist clinic.
One expert warned children need help “before they reach crisis point”, with numbers showing that “demand is outpacing supply”.
Responding to the latest figures, the NHS medical director for specialised services, Professor James Palmer, said he understands it “can be really difficult” for children and their families waiting to be seen.
TransActual, a charity supporting trans people, said the waiting list figures were “unacceptably high”.
Two new gender care services led by London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital (Gosh) and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool opened in April 2024 following the closure in March 2024 of the UK’s dedicated gender identity clinic, run by the Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust.
A third service has since opened in Bristol while another is planned for the East of England “later this spring”, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The aim is for there to eventually be up to eight specialist children’s gender clinics covering the seven NHS regions in England.
Last year, health secretary Wes Streeting branded waiting times “unacceptable”, acknowledging the “enormous distress” they can cause.
Waiting times for a first appointment have also risen, to an average of 116 weeks at the end of March from an average of 100 weeks at the end of May last year, according to a Freedom of Information request by the Press Association.
There is no minimum age requirement for gender care and the NHS previously said it wanted to ensure parents of very young children are given support where necessary, with some aged under five seeking help.
Dr Roman Raczka, president of the British Psychological Society, said: “It is essential that children, young people and their families can access the professional care and support they need, before they reach crisis point.
“Demand is currently outpacing supply. This contributes to a range of broader challenges which face children and young people’s services that require further investment.”
Chay Brown, operations director for TransActual UK: “Trans and gender questioning children and young people are having to wait years to access support from the NHS.
“The majority of people leaving the waiting list at that time will have aged out. Sadly, some will have died whilst waiting – waiting times for NHS gender services have been cited in several prevention of future deaths reports.”
Following last year’s Cass Review, which concluded children had been let down by a lack of research and evidence on medical interventions in gender care, NHS England announced a new plan which requires new referrals to the clinics to have been seen by a GP and mental health specialist or paediatrician first.
Some 250 patients transferred from the Gender Identity Development Service have been seen by new services, and it is understood that each of the new clinics is designed to see 25 patients a month.
Guidance expected to be published later this month will see the health service move away from a “medical model” in favour of a “holistic” approach to children’s gender care, as per recommendations from the Cass Review.
According to leaked plans reported last month, children who have gender dysphoria will now be tested for neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Prof Palmer said: “We know it can be really difficult for children and young people and their families who are waiting to be seen by our new holistic gender services, and that’s why it has been so important that we put a new system in place to ensure that, while they’re waiting, they can access mental health support if they need it.
“The NHS is now almost halfway through its planned expansion of regional services, and we are seeing significantly fewer referrals as children are first assessed by paediatric or mental health experts and provided with care in NHS services that are more appropriate to their needs.”
Puberty blockers are not prescribed on the NHS to children for the treatment of gender dysphoria, after a ban last year was made permanent in December.
Plans remain in place to set up a clinical trial into their use this year, although no patients have yet been recruited and ethical and regulatory approval is being sought.
A DHSC spokesperson said: “We are working with NHS England to reform children’s gender services in line with the recommendations from the Cass review, to provide children with timely, holistic support.
“We’ve opened three new children and young people’s gender services, with a fourth anticipated to open later this spring. These new services will increase clinical capacity and reduce waiting times, so patients can be seen sooner and closer to home.”
Celebration villa breaks: find your perfect luxury getaway
If you’re planning a milestone birthday, a big anniversary, or a long-awaited reunion, a villa holiday is hard to beat. Imagine clinking glasses on a rooftop terrace at sunset or gathering loved ones around a candlelit garden table for a leisurely dinner under the night sky.
These special occasions deserve much more than booking out a busy hotel, and nothing beats having your own sun-drenched sanctuary where you have the space and privacy to celebrate in style. Whether you’re heading to Marrakech in the shadow of the Atlas Mountains, to the rolling hills of Tuscany, or a tropical oasis further afield, Villas are the perfect home-away-from-home for celebrating something, or someone, special.
CV Villas’ luxurious ABOVE collection offers the perfect backdrop for unforgettable moments – think breathtaking settings, total privacy, and the kind of comfort and space that makes everyone feel at home. All come with stunning interiors, sweeping views as far as the eye can see, and enviable locations in some of the world’s most sought-after spots. Each villa is hand-picked by dedicated CV Villa specialists, who are experts in helping people craft their dream getaway. Many come with their own infinity pools, breathtaking views and large alfresco dining areas, perfect for spending quality time together during life’s most important moments. Villas aren’t just places to stay, they’re a big part of the celebration itself.
From the moment you book your stay to your arrival back home, the CV Villas Concierge team is there to make everything as seamless and stress-free as possible. They are dedicated to looking after you and your party before and throughout your holiday so that you can focus on the things that really matter, like spending quality time together and celebrating without having to worry about the minor details. The team tailors each trip to exactly what you’re after, whether you’re looking to book a private boat day or need to organise a surprise celebration dinner, nothing is too much trouble. Many of the five-star villas even come with their own butlers and chefs so that you can be waited on hand and foot during your special getaway.
ABOVE villas are the epitome of luxury and come with designer interiors, infinity pools boasting panoramic ocean views, and terraces made for golden hour cocktails – properties with serious star quality. What’s more, they’re located all around the world, from the sun-soaked shores of Spain and Greece to the palm-fringed beaches of far-flung Sri Lanka and beyond.
Sampling delicious local food is a big part of a holiday, but catering for a large group can often mean juggling different requests and palates. Luckily for you, many of these luxury villas come with their very own in-villa chefs – perfect for when you’d rather toast the moment with a glass of fizz than spend time flapping around in the kitchen. Instead, let your chef whip up multi-course meals morning till night, using the freshest local produce, all based on your personal tastes and dietary requirements, before tucking into it alfresco under the undisturbed starry night sky.
The little luxuries make a big difference to a bucket-list trip: daily housekeeping to keep things spic and span, spa treatments for when you need a little R&R, wine tastings for the adults, yoga sessions with epic views, and even round-the-clock babysitting. All of this can be arranged to make your stay feel even more indulgent.
Maison Emilion, France
This rustic French villa is practically made for wine lovers, aptly located amidst the rolling vineyards of Bordeaux. This six-bedroom hilltop hangout boasts views of the working vineyards from every angle, including from the heated pool and surrounding sunbeds. Wander into the nearby village of Saint-Émilion, then enjoy the included wine-tasting experience before settling into the garden for dinner with nothing but the glow of flickering candlelight and the moonlit sky.
Oleander, Corfu
It doesn’t get much more luxurious than Oleander in Corfu, a five-bedroom villa overlooking Avlaki Bay and the picturesque town of Kassiopi. It’s located high above the Ionian Sea and is the ideal villa for memorable summer celebrations. Soak up the sunshine from the infinity pool while enjoying views of Albania’s craggy Ceraunian Mountains, or hang out on the wrap-around terraces and communal outside dining areas. During peak season at Oleander, chef service is also included, so you can enjoy meals with your loved ones without even having to leave the villa.
Spirit of Son Fuster, Mallorca
Spirit of Son Fuster in Mallorca is hard to beat for large groups and multigenerational stays. This five-star bolthole is set in a stunning natural landscape at the foot of the Alaro twin mountains, right near the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Serra de Tramuntana, and is as secluded as it gets. This gorgeous 14th-century manor house sleeps twenty people across ten bedrooms and even has its own on-site spa and hammam where everyone can enjoy treatments in the dedicated treatment rooms. There’s even a private cinema room for movie nights and a well-stocked wine cellar filled with local vintage wines.
Masseria Giardini, Puglia
Masseria Giardini in Puglia is the height of luxury and the perfect home-away-from-home for families and large groups. It was built in 1750 and is surrounded by leafy olive groves and landscaped gardens curated by Chelsea Flower Show winners Urquhart & Hunt. Enjoy unparalleled views of the Canale Di Pirro Valley from this ten-bedroom farmhouse and spend days lazing around in the heated pool. This villa is an architectural masterpiece, with signature stone domed roofs and hand-carved stone baths in five of the ten bedrooms.
For more travel information and inspiration and to book your perfect villa getaway, visit CV Villas
Cassie testifies Diddy raped her and settled civil suit for $20m
An emotionally packed day of testimony from Diddy’s ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, ended with shocking revelations – how she claimed the abuse from the music mogul lasted for years, how she tried to harm herself and how the superstar raped her when they broke up in 2018.
“I can’t carry this anymore. I can’t carry the shame, the guilt, the way I was guided to treat people like they were disposable,” Ventura told a New York federal courtroom Wednesday. “What’s right is right. What’s wrong is wrong. I’m here to do the right thing.”
She spoke feet away from Diddy – whose real name is Sean Combs – who was once her partner but now is a defendant facing decades behind bars in what prosecutors described as a years-long sex trafficking and racketeering scheme to fulfill his desires. Diddy has been held in federal custody since September 2024. Investigators have said he used abuse, coercion and his “freak offs” to control women.
Ventura has spent more than two days on the witness stand and is expected to resume her testimony Thursday. Towards the end Wednesday, she made several revelations about his relationship with Diddy. She also testified that he paid her a $20 million settlement to end her civil suit against him.
It was part of a day of testimony that included several shocking moments including:
“I was spinning out,” Ventura said while crying. “I didn’t want to be alive anymore at that point.”
Ventura, wearing a long gray dress that hugged her baby bump, offered immediate responses in a soft, raspy voice. She appeared to try to stay calm by taking frequent sips of water, flipping her hair over her shoulders, and rubbing her pregnant belly. Except for taking a deep breath after seeing the stills from the “freak off” videos, her responses were often brief and reserved.
She gave a detailed history of the relationship that culminated with the 2018 break up. It was then that Combs raped her, Ventura said.
At the time, Ventura was dating her now-husband, Alex Fine. She met Combs for dinner and went back to her house. There, Combs forced himself onto Ventura and raped her, despite Ventura saying “no” the entire time. She described how his eyes went lifeless and ignored her tears during the alleged attack.
Ventura said the incident made her question the value of her life.
“I didn’t want to be alive anymore at that point,” Ventura said. “I couldn’t take the pain that I was in anymore, and so I just tried to walk out the front door into traffic and my husband would not let me.”
Ventura’s alleged sexual assault was just part of the picture she painted for the jury about the years-long abuse she and others allegedly suffered.
She described an incident where Combs dragged his former personal assistant, known as Mia, out of her hotel bed when she refused to give him her phone. Another time, Combs dangled one of Ventura’s friends over the balcony of a 17-story apartment.
Ventura said Combs became angry when she began dating rapper Scott Mescudi, known as Kid Cudi, and he threatened to hurt Mescudi as well as Ventura as a result. Ventura said Combs threatened to “blow up” Mescudi’s car. Eventually, Mescudi’s car did catch fire, though it’s unclear what or who caused it.
Ventura eventually broke up with Mescudi out of fear, she said.
At the beginning of the day, Ventura told jurors that Combs gave her a black eye, “fat lip” and bruises all over her body after he assaulted her in the InterContinental hotel in Los Angeles in 2016.
Jurors were shown hotel surveillance footage of Combs throwing her to the ground, kicking her and dragging her by her hair the day of the assault. Some of that infamous footage was released by CNN last year.
Jurors also saw a selfie that Ventura took of herself after sustaining the busted lip.
Ventura said Combs punched her in the face, giving her a black eye, while the two were engaging in a “freak off.” As a result, Ventura stormed out of the hotel room and intended to go home, but Combs ran after her, wearing only a towel and assaulted her.
The abuse forced her into rehab and trauma therapy in 2023, she claimed. She added that she was prompted to seek treatment after “I couldn’t take the pain that I was in anymore. So I tried walking out the front door into traffic and my husband would not let me.”
It was also in 2023 that Ventura filed her lawsuit against Diddy. The lawsuit described similar claims to those she described on the witness stand. It ended with an undisclosed settlement a day after being filed. That was until Wednesday, when Ventura revealed she was paid $20 million in the case.
“Sean and his companies,” Ventura, 38, said when asked who paid.
A year later, Combs was facing federal arrest and now the criminal trial over the allegations.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Fear Brexit left UK consumers more exposed to cancer-causing food
Fears have been raised that Brexit has left British consumers more exposed to food that can give them cancer because the UK has failed to keep up with EU standards since leaving the bloc.
Hopes are high that if Keir Starmer agrees to align the UK to EU rules and regulations in his Brexit reset deal to be unveiled on Monday, then the exposure to carcinogenic nitrites in bacon and ham can be removed.
But the concerns are reflected in a new J.L Partners poll that not only revealed more than two-thirds (69 per cent) of Brits fear the UK is falling behind European food standards but the worries are shared by even 55 per cent of pro-Brexit 2024 Reform voters.
Stricter EU rules limiting the amount of nitrites permitted in bacon and ham come into force in October – but the UK is currently permitting higher levels of the carcinogenic chemicals in its processed meat.
The issue has been taken up by a group of the world’s leading scientists, who have joined representatives from seven political parties, including a former UK health minister, to call for carcinogenic nitrites to be removed from processed meats.
In 2015, the World Health Organisation (WHO) classified processed meats as a Group One carcinogen – the same classification as tobacco – and attributed an estimated 34,000 global colorectal cancer deaths a year to diets high in processed meats.
The Coalition Against Nitrites, a new non-profit organisation, launched this week with the backing of three former WHO scientists, a Harvard professor, and the UK’s top food safety expert.
Experts backing the campaign include Professor Paolo Vineis from Imperial College London, Professor Denis Corpet from Toulouse University and Professor Robert Turesky from the University of Minnesota.
Other scientific supporters include Professor Walter Willett of Harvard University, who is widely regarded as the world’s most influential nutritionist, and Professor Chris Elliott, who founded the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast and led the UK Government’s investigation into the 2013 horse meat scandal.
Political supporters of the campaign include Conservative ex-health minister Lord Bethell, Labour’s former shadow health minister Sharon Hodgson MP, DUP health spokesman Jim Shannon MP, former Green Party leader Baroness Bennett, former Deputy Mayor of London Baroness Jones, and the former leader of the SDLP, Baroness Ritchie.
Professor Chris Elliott said: “The UK’s departure from the EU has meant we have slipped behind European food standards. The addition of nitrites to processed meats is a major example of what has happened.
“While the EU has sought to protect its consumers with better food safety rules, the UK has dithered, leaving British consumers at greater risk. It is essential the UK keeps pace with the EU’s improving food safety rules for the sake of public health.”
Professor Walter Willet from the Harvard School of Public Health, added: “It is time for governments globally to step in and ban the use of these chemicals – or for food producers to make the right decision for human health and remove these dangerous chemicals themselves from their products.”
The UK Food Standards Agency has previously claimed that nitrites are “essential” to protect against botulism.
It states: “Nitrites and nitrates (E 249 – E 252) are used in certain cheeses and processed meats such as bacon, ham, corned beef and other cured meats to help keep it looking red and to aid the development of the ‘cured’ flavour. However, their main role is to reduce the growth of harmful microorganisms in particular clostridium botulinum, a bacterium that can be life threatening.”
However, the EU has recently tightened regulations on the use of nitrites as food additives in processed meats, lowering the levels at which they are legally permitted to be added. Food businesses have been granted a two-year period to adapt to these new limits, with the regulations becoming fully applicable from October 2025.
The French government has already acknowledged the health risks associated with nitrites in processed meats and has initiated measures to reduce their usage. In March 2023, it unveiled an action plan aiming for an immediate reduction of nitrite additives in deli meats by approximately 20 per cent.
Labour MP Sharon Hodgson, a former shadow health minister, said: “Knowing what we know today about the health risks of added nitrites, it’s time for a serious conversation about the safety of our food.”