Here’s what Biden’s annual health reports showed prior to shock cancer diagnosis
Former President Joe Biden‘s official health reports during his White House tenure did not show signs of aggressive prostate cancer, a Fox News Digital review of the health documents shows.
Biden, who suffered two brain aneurysms in 1988 that nearly claimed his life, received clean bills of health in 2021, 2023 and 2024, according to former White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor’s annual reports on the president’s state of health.
Biden was scheduled to receive a physical by the end of January 2023 but delayed the evaluation due to a busy travel schedule, the White House reported at the time. The former president had a roughly 15-month period between his 2021 physical and one conducted in February 2023.
Fox News Digital reviewed the three reports posted by the White House in 2021, 2023 and 2024 and found that there were no signs indicating aggressive prostate cancer was on the horizon for the 46th president — though concerns over skin cancer were a common theme throughout the three reports.
‘SMALL NODULE’ FOUND IN BIDEN’S PROSTATE DURING ROUTINE EXAM, SPOKESPERSON SAYS
2021
Biden’s White House physician released the president’s first annual health report in November 2021, declaring Biden a “healthy, vigorous” man.
“President Biden remains a healthy, vigorous, 78-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief,” O’Connor wrote in the 2021 report.
The report included routine screenings of Biden’s heart, eyes and teeth, as well as his occasional gastroesophageal reflux.
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The report noted that Biden also underwent “routine” screenings for both colon cancer and skin cancer. Biden had multiple “localized, non-melenoma skin cancers removed” ahead of his presidency after spending a good deal of time in the sun as a youth, the report stated, but that there were “no areas suspicious for skin cancer” during the 2021 physical.
The report did find that Biden was increasingly “throat clearing” and coughing during public events. O’Connor stated that Biden had long cleared his throat or coughed during speaking engagements, but such coughing or throat clearing “certainly seem more frequent and more pronounced over the last few months.”
O’Connor said gastroesophageal reflux was likely the culprit behind Biden’s coughing after conducting multiple lung, oxygen and biological tests.
The report also noted that Biden’s gait had become noticeably more stiff, which the doctor said required a “detailed investigation.” The stiffened gait was attributed to Biden’s wear and tear on his spine and mild sensory peripheral neuropathy of the feet, which O’Connor said could be addressed with physical therapy and exercise.
2023
O’Connor released details on Biden’s second physical as president on Feb. 16, 2023, roughly 15 months after the release of his first presidential physical. The delay between the health assessments was attributed to the president’s busy schedule.
Biden was notably also diagnosed with COVID-19 in July 2022 during the interim period of his first and second physicals. Biden was reported to have mild symptoms that July and was treated with the antiviral drug Paxlovid.
The February 2023 physical report found that Biden was in good health and “fit” to serve as president.
“President Biden remains a healthy, vigorous 80-year-old male who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency,” O’Connor wrote in his 2023 health memo.
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The report found that Biden’s gait had remained stiff since his last physical, though the issue had not worsened. The report overall found that his heart, lungs, eyes and teeth were all in good health.
Biden underwent routine skin cancer surveillance, which found a small lesion on the president’s chest that required biopsy. The lesion was removed just a couple of weeks later without issue, a follow-up memo from O’Connor states.
“As expected, the biopsy confirmed that the small lesion was basal cell carcinoma,” Biden’s doctor wrote in a memo after the lesion was removed. “All cancerous tissue was successfully removed. The area around the biopsy site was treated presumptively with electrodessication and curettage at the time of biopsy. No further treatment is required.”
The 2023 physical health report also provided updates on Biden’s COVID-19 recovery, which the White House doctor said went smoothly in part due to Biden receiving the coronavirus vaccine and two booster shots before the infection.
BIDEN HEALTH SUMMARY RELEASED BY WHITE HOUSE, PRESIDENT CALLED ‘HEALTHY, ROBUST’
2024
The report on Biden’s final physical examination as president was released Feb. 28, 2024 and again found the president in good health and able to serve as president.
“President Biden is a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief,” the most recent memo stated.
Again, vital organs such as the heart and eyes received a clean bill of health, while Biden’s stiff gait did not worsen in the interim since 2023, though the doctor noted “arthritic changes” that were moderate to severe.
O’Connor reported that he conducted a neurological exam and determined that no cerebral or neurological issues were compounding the president’s stiff gait. The test did support previous findings of peripheral neuropathy of the feet, the report stated.
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The 2024 physical additionally noted that the lesion removed from Biden’s chest the year prior needed no additional treatment, as basal cell carcinoma typically does not metastasize.
The report added that Biden had been using a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine when sleeping after he showed symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea. The president had previously reported similar symptoms in 2008 and 2019, O’Connor stated, but that they subsided after sinus and nasal passage surgeries before his presidency.
He also underwent a root canal that year with no complications.
Who is Dr. O’Connor?
Dr. O’Connor has overseen Biden’s health since 2009 and built a close relationship with the president and his family, Fox News Digital previously reported.
“I have never had a better commander than Joe Biden,” O’Connor said in a profile interview with his alma mater, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, when Biden served as vice president. “All politics aside, he approaches his craft with such honor. He’s 100 percent ‘family first.’ He’s ‘genuinely genuine.’”
FLASHBACK: WHITE HOUSE PRESS SEC KARINE JEAN-PIERRE LAUGHS OFF QUESTION ON BIDEN’S HEALTH IN 2022
O’Connor overwhelmingly remained out of the spotlight during Biden’s tenure until the spring of 2024, when speculation mounted among both conservatives and Democrats that the president’s mental acuity was slipping, with pundits and the media subsequently demanding to hear directly from O’Connor on the state of Biden’s health.
The White House physician is affectionately known to Biden and his family simply as “Doc,” and was requested by Biden in 2009 to stay on as his physician after serving in the White House Medical Unit under the President George W. Bush administration, according to the profile.
O’Connor was first appointed to the White House Medical Unit in 2006 for what was intended to be a three-year military assignment, according to his profile published by the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, from which he graduated in 1992.
Instead, “Vice President Biden asked O’Connor to stay on,” the profile continues.
O’Connor complied, marking the beginning of their doctor-patient relationship that has reportedly evolved into a close relationship with the president’s large family.
Biden’s 2017 memoir, “Promise Me, Dad,” features the president reflecting on his close relationship with “Doc,” including O’Connor joining the family on their annual vacation to Massachusetts’ Nantucket in his capacity as the White House physician and balking at the family’s “browsing extravaganza” on the island. The White House medical unit always travels with a president to best protect his health and safety.
The physician’s relationship with the family seemingly grew closer, according to the memoir, when the president’s son, Beau Biden, was diagnosed with brain cancer — which ultimately claimed his life in 2015.
“Doc was good with Beau, who was still trying to get his bearings in those first few days. Real fear was starting to creep in. Sometimes Beau would grab him when everybody else was out of earshot to get his honest assessment,” Biden wrote in the memoir.
“‘Whatever it is, this is bad,’ he told Beau, ‘but we’re gonna find out what it is. And once we find out what it is, we will have a plan.’”
“‘Promise?’ Beau asked.”
“‘Promise.’”
WHO IS WHITE HOUSE PHYSICIAN DR. KEVIN O’CONNOR AND WHAT ARE HIS CLOSE TIES TO THE BIDEN FAMILY?
In another excerpt, Beau Biden requested O’Connor “promise” to take care of his father if he should die.
“‘Seriously, Doc. No matter what happens,'” Beau Biden said to O’Connor, according to the book. ‘”Take care of Pop. For real. Promise me. For real.’”
Back in 2018, Joe Biden’s sister-in-law, Sara Biden, described O’Connor as a “friend” who provided medical advice to members of the Biden family beyond the eventual commander in chief.
“Colonel O’Connor was actually a friend and he — we would frequently ask for his recommendations if any of us had a medical issue, so it was not uncommon to ask him if he had a recommendation,” she said in a deposition related to a New York state medical malpractice case involving her daughter, Fox News previously reported.
The state of Biden’s health now?
Biden’s office announced May 18 that the former president had been diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer, which set off concern that such a cancer should have been discovered sooner.
“Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms,” Biden’s team shared in a statement. “On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.”
“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” the statement said. “The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”
Physicians have remarked that they are “shocked” that the cancer had not been discovered sooner.
“Thank God they found it. (Biden is) a fighter. He’s been through a tremendous amount in his life… with his son, with (his) wife, with (his) daughter,” Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel said May 19. “Two aneurysms, atrial fibrillation. He’s been through a lot health-wise, but I am absolutely shocked that they didn’t find this earlier.”
A spokesperson for Biden confirmed to Fox News on May 20 that Biden’s last known prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, which screens a patient for prostate cancer, was conducted in 2014.
“President Biden’s last known PSA was in 2014,” a Biden spokesperson told Fox News. “Prior to Friday, President Biden had never been diagnosed with prostate cancer.”
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Biden posted to X on May 19 in his first message since publicly revealing the diagnosis to thank supporters.
“Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places,” Biden wrote on X, accompanied by a photo with former first lady Jill Biden. “Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.”
Diddy’s former employee cries recalling rapper’s alleged assault on Cassie
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former assistant claimed she witnessed the rapper kick his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura
with “full force.”
The jury was shown a photo of Diddy’s rental home in Los Angeles where the rapper was living in 2011. Capricorn claimed she and Cassie went to Diddy’s home. He was allegedly wearing underwear and a robe “and immediately began kicking Cassie…100 percent full force…he kept kicking her, never using his hands.”
“Each kick she would crouch into more and more of a fetal position,” Capricorn told the jury. Combs allegedly kicked Cassie all the way to the street. Cassie was “crying silently” as Combs was kicking her on her back and backside, according to Capricorn.
“If I jump in, he was going to f— me up too,” Capricorn claimed Diddy told her. Getting emotional, Capricorn said she had never seen that.
According to Capricorn, Diddy’s security guard did “absolutely nothing” to intervene. Capricorn called D-Roc to have someone intervene. She said she told D-Roc that Diddy “was kicking the s— outta Cassie.” Capricorn testified that she also called Uncle Paulie who said he would handle it.
Capricorn said Combs told her to “get the f— outta this house” on foot. She was crying on the stand as she said this. As she was walking away, Capricorn claimed Diddy was still kicking Cassie.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
During cross-examination, Capricorn Clark confirmed she told Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense that the rapper wouldn’t be in this mess if she’d continued working for him.
Capricorn confirmed she met with Diddy’s defense lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, on April 10, 2024. She had her lawyer, Bryan Freedman, and a friend with her for the meeting.
Capricorn claimed they discussed her coming back as Diddy’s chief of staff. She admitted that during the meeting she probably said the rapper wouldn’t be in this mess if she had stayed around.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Capricorn Clark, a former assistant of Sean “Diddy” Combs, testified that she told the president of Bad Boy that the rapper kidnapped her.
Capricorn claimed that in March 2012 she told Harve Pierre that Combs kidnapped her to go try to kill Kid Cudi and beat up Cassie Ventura all on the same day. According to Capricorn, Pierre responded that it was crazy and everything would be okay.
A few months later, Capricorn claimed she was terminated from her employment. She said she was accused of not properly putting in her vacation.
Capricorn returned to work for Diddy in 2016 because she “wanted to try and get [her] life back.” She claimed she had not been able to get work previously. At the time, she became Cassie’s creative director. Diddy was her boss and allegedly approved all of Cassie’s projects.
Fox News Digital reached out to Harve Pierre for comment.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former assistant claimed the rapper took her to Kid Cudi’s house to allegedly kill the rapper.
Capricorn Clark recalled the 2011 early morning when Diddy found out Cassie and Kid Cudi had been dating while testifying Tuesday.
According to Capricorn, Diddy’s security guard drove the two to Kid Cudi’s home in Hollywood Hills in the early morning hours of Dec. 22, 2011. Capricorn said she got into the back seat, next to Diddy. The rapper would usually sit in the front, according to the former personal assistant. Diddy allegedly had a gun in his lap.
Capricorn claimed she was not able to leave the car. There was no conversation about being able to leave.
Capricorn testified that she was unaware if Cudi was home. She stayed in the car while Combs and his security guard went inside. She claimed she saw them “fitz around” to gain access. While in the car, Capricorn called Cassie on the burner phone. She said, “Cassie what the f—” and told Cassie that “Puff” got her “with a gun and brought me to Cudi’s house to kill him.”
While speaking with Cassie, she heard yelling in the background. It was Cudi. Capricorn told Cassie to stop Cudi because he was going to get himself killed.
Diddy asked who Capricorn was speaking with. He allegedly took the ex-assistant’s phone and called the number back. Capricorn claimed Combs was furious.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Capricorn Clark recalled Sean “Diddy” Combs
finding out about Cassie Ventura’s relationship with rapper Kid Cudi in 2011.
On Dec. 22, 2011, Capricorn claimed she saw Combs around 5:30am. The former assistant testified she heard a loud banging “like metal on metal” on her door. She saw Combs through the peep hole. According to Capricorn, Diddy was “very upset” and “pacing.” “He was furious, that was evident,” Capricorn told the jury.
She said it looked like he had something in his hand. Capricorn opened the door because he was upset and part of her job was to make sure the brand and likeness was okay. She described Combs as wearing gray slacks, split open at the crotch, furious, holding a gun, saying, “Why didn’t you tell me?…Who’s Scott?” Kid Cudi’s real name is Scott Mescudi
. Diddy allegedly told Capricorn, “Get dressed. We’re going to kill this n—-.”
Capricorn said she told Combs she didn’t want to go, but the rapper demanded she get dressed. She testified that he was “livid, furious, maddening.” “I had never seen anything like this before…I had never seen him with a weapon. I had never seen him making me do something,” she told the jury.
“The way he was acting, I just felt like anything could happen…” Capricorn said she got dressed and went with Combs.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Capricorn Clark testified that Sean “Diddy” Combs became violent with her in 2006.
Capricorn said she observed fighting while employed for Diddy. He would allegedly throw phones “often” when he was upset.
According to Capricorn, Diddy became violent with her in the summer of 2006 at his home in Miami. He allegedly told Capricorn no matter what happened, she was not to leave the house. She was then told to bring another producer to Palm Island. She stayed for about one hour before getting a call from Diddy who asked, “where the f— are you?” When she returned to his Miami home, he allegedly told her that her problem was she wanted a life and couldn’t have one.
The next day, Capricorn went to get breakfast and told the chef “I hate it here.” The chef allegedly told Diddy. “[The rapper] charged me…he ran towards me…started pushing…” Capricorn testified. He allegedly pushed the former assistant 25-30 yards.
She recalled Diddy telling her if she hated it there, to get out. He pushed using 75% of his strength, Capricorn testified. Diddy’s security intervened and told Combs to stop, instructing Capricorn to leave. She said she left her employment because it pushed her boundaries.
Capricorn became choked up again during this part of her testimony.
Capricorn explained she returned a few years later, but worked for Sean John. She did not want to work directly for Combs in his home.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Capricorn Clark, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former assistant, testified that the rapper tasked her with getting drugs for him.
Capricorn testified that she used ecstasy and MDMA once a week while working for Diddy. She claimed her drug usage later increased.
“It was the most contained when I was his assistant,” she told the jury.
According to Capricorn, she had to personally get Combs ecstasy “not more than 10 times.” She claimed Combs would give drugs to girlfriends and friends.
She recalled Diddy asking her to get cocaine in the summer of 2006 while they were in the South of France. Capricorn said she didn’t want to add it to the list of things because it was how her mother died. She asked who it was for and Diddy allegedly replied, “not me n—-.” Capricorn asked the Spanish security guards to get the cocaine.
Capricorn testified that Combs would also take prescription drugs. She explained the prescriptions were sometimes in her name because the rapper had allegedly exceeded the amount of controlled substances he could obtain in his name.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-assistant claimed she developed a stress-induced condition while working for the disgraced music mogul.
Capricorn Clark testified that while working for Diddy, she would work from 9am until 4am the next morning. According to Capricorn, she did whatever Diddy wanted and if she failed, she would lose her job. She allegedly did not get any breaks. Capricorn testified to getting two to four hours of sleep.
Capricorn claimed she developed Alopecia, a stress-induced condition that creates bald spots. She sought medical treatment and was told to “calm down.”
Capricorn testified she was paid $65K. She recalled sitting down with HR to discuss overtime pay as she was owed $85K. The ex-assistant claimed Combs “ripped up the paper” and Capricorn was not paid.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former assistant claimed she was forced to take lie detector tests for five days after being accused of stealing high-end jewelry.
Capricorn Clark testified that she was first taken to a building and locked inside a room for the tests. The ex-assistant said she did not attempt to leave the building because it was “the opposite of what [she] was there to do. [She] was there to prove [her] innocence.” Diddy’s security
eventually took her home and then brought her back to take lie detector tests the next day.
Capricorn claimed she took lie detector tests for five days. “I wanted to prove my innocence. I didn’t like the threats,” she testified.
Capricorn, getting choked up again, said she felt taking the lie detector tests was the only way to prove she had nothing to do with stealing the jewelry. She claimed she did not report this to law enforcement. She also revealed she had signed an NDA. However, the jury was told to disregard the comment.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Capricorn Clark became emotional while testifying in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial Tuesday.
Capricorn told the jury she was accused of stealing three pieces of high end jewelry on loan to Diddy. She claimed she did not steal it. According to Diddy’s former assistant, the jewelry was in her possession on a plane trip to Miami. She realized it was missing on the way to Teterboro. After the jewelry went missing, Capricorn was allegedly instructed to stay behind in New York.
Capricorn claimed Diddy’s security brought her to this building and they were locked in. She recalled there was a “heavyset” gentleman who was “chain smoking cigarettes” and drinking coffee. While she was locked in the room, Uncle Paulie would allegedly leave and return intermittently.
Capricorn testified she was told by the man that she was brought to the building to take a lie detector test. The former assistant claimed she was told she would be thrown into the East River if she failed the test. Capricorn claimed the “heavyset” man was very serious. Capricorn told the jury, “I was petrified.”
The ex-assistant began to get choked up on the stand. Capricorn explained she did not want to take the test because she was afraid of what would happen if she didn’t pass. She was asked if she stole the jewelry, if she came up with a plan to steal the jewelry. The results of the test were “inconclusive.”
Capricorn said the man told her he wasn’t getting a good reading and instructed her to calm down. He allegedly threatened her again saying if she didn’t calm down, she was going to end up in the East River. Capricorn testified that she couldn’t calm down. The man intermittently administered lie detector tests throughout the day.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former assistant’s testimony mentioned rapper 50 Cent.
Capricorn Clark testified about an incident where she observed Diddy with a gun.
She claimed once at MTV, the now disgraced music mogul was doing press. Afterwards, Capricorn claimed she and Diddy got into an elevator. There was allegedly some issue with 50 Cent at the time.
Capricorn recalled Combs explaining he didn’t like issues, “I like guns.” She told the jury Diddy was serious when he said this.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex-trafficking trial resumed Tuesday with the rapper’s former executive assistant, Capricorn Clark.
Clark worked for Diddy from 2004 until 2012 when her employment was terminated. Before working for Bad Boy, Clark worked for Death Row Records – managed by Suge Knight.
After meeting Combs in 2002, Clark testified the two began a “super platonic” friendship.
Capricorn worked as the rapper’s personal assistant from 2004 until 2006. She said she briefly left in 2006, but returned in 2007 as director of marketing for Sean John. She eventually worked as Cassie Ventura’s creative director from 2016 until 2018.On her first day working for Diddy, Capricorn testified that he took her to Central Park. They were joined by Diddy’s security, Uncle Paulie, and went after dark. Clark described Uncle Paulie as looking like a linebacker and wearing blackout sunglasses 100% of the time. She testified that Combs didn’t know Capricorn had anything to do with Suge Knight and “if anything happened, he would have to kill me.”
Capricorn testified that Diddy’s demeanor was “calm” when he made the alleged threat. She perceived this as “very serious.” According to Capricorn, Uncle Paulie didn’t say anything, but was nearby and “stoic.”
The former assistant claimed she said, “we’ll just have to see.”
Capricorn told the jury she stayed because she felt she could have been more transparent, but acknowledged this wasn’t the last time Diddy threatened her.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal team wants some of Kid Cudi’s testimony thrown out.
Kid Cudi testified Thursday that he believed Diddy was involved in a 2011 car fire that left the rapper’s Porche damaged beyond repair. The “Pursuit of Happiness” singer admitted there was no proof of Combs’ involvement and acknowledged that Diddy denied he was connected.
Kid Cudi told the jury he still believed Diddy had been involved in the car fire after finding out about Cassie’s relationship with Cudi.
“Scott Mescudi’s opinion that Mr. Combs was ‘lying’ about his Porsche was erroneously admitted and should be stricken from the record,” Diddy’s legal team wrote in a letter filed Monday to Judge Arun Subramanian.
“That testimony was highly improper, and the objection should have been sustained,” the letter, obtained by Fox news Digital, continued. “A witness generally cannot testify that in his opinion, a declarant was lying when making a statement.”
“Here, Mescudi admitted he had no personal knowledge ‘that anybody affiliated with Mr. Combs was on or around [his] property at the time of the damage to [his] vehicle.’ His testimony that Combs was lying was therefore mere speculation that does not satisfy Rule 701.”
During the first two weeks of testimony in the federal trial for sex trafficking against Sean “Diddy” Combs, jurors heard about the rapper’s alleged abuse from many witnesses.
Most notably, they heard from Cassie Ventura, Diddy’s ex-girlfriend of 12 years, who claimed she was physically and sexually abused by the rapper.
The jury later heard from Cassie’s mother, Regina Ventura, as well as male escorts, ex-assistants and former Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, all of which “helped the prosecution corroborate Ventura’s testimony,” according to former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani.
While Rahmani believes the prosecution has a strong case, others believe the defense is doing a “great job” poking holes in their arguments during cross-examination.
“To date, we have heard consistent testimony from several of the witnesses that Diddy was violent with Cassie Ventura, was controlling over her, instructed what to do in the ‘freak offs’ and was a jealous boyfriend, but none of this is sufficient to justify a criminal enterprise or a pattern of criminal conduct,” entertainment lawyer Tre Lovell, of The Lovell Firm, explained.
“Cassie’s relationship can be as easily characterized as she was in love with Diddy, performed ‘freak offs’ because of her feelings for him and stayed with him for personal benefits such as furthering her career, developing connections, and being taken care of financially. Reasonable doubt looms very heavy in these first two weeks of trial. The prosecution will need to bring out additional victims that are not girlfriends of Diddy to separate a romantic, emotionally charged relationship from actual sex trafficking.”
Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this file.
Sean “Diddy” Combs appeared in the courtroom Tuesday morning as the rapper prepared to hear ongoing testimony in his federal sex trafficking trial.
Diddy sat at the defense table wearing a dark sweater, speaking with one of his attorneys while waiting for the jury to arrive.
The jury will hear testimony from Combs’ ex-assistant Capricorn Clark. Her testimony follows a two-day break in the case. Diddy’s trial did not sit Friday or Monday due to Memorial Day.
On Thursday, the jury heard from rapper Kid Cudi, Cassie Ventura’s former makeup artist, one of the rapper’s former employees and an HSI agent.
Kid Cudi testified about Diddy allegedly breaking into his home. Kid Cudi also testified that he believed the disgraced music mogul was involved in a car-fire that left his Porsche damaged beyond repair. According to Kid Cudi, both incidents occurred after Diddy found out about his relationship with Combs’ on-and-off again girlfriend Cassie.
Cassie’s former makeup artist also testified about an alleged physical altercation that occurred during Grammys weekend in 2010. Mylah Morales told the jury she feared for her life after witnessing the heated moment at a hotel between Diddy and Cassie. The makeup artist claimed she did not call the police and never spoke about the incident until she participated in interviews with the press years later.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich and Fox News Digital’s Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs spent his Memorial Day holiday behind bars as he got a break in his federal trial.
Diddy spent the holiday at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), where the fallen music mogul has been incarcerated since his September arrest.
While the “Last Night” rapper received a brief respite from testimony in his ongoing sex crimes trial, Diddy and his fellow inmates were offered a number of activities for Memorial Day. Diddy is being held in the 4 North corridor of the jail, a dormitory-style unit shared with 20 other federal inmates.
“Spades card games, dominoes, 3-on-3 basketball tournament and soccer tournament,” an executive assistant told People magazine.
Diddy and the inmates were offered a “normal, rotating Monday meal,” which included fruit, cereal, skim milk and a breakfast cake, the outlet reported.
For lunch, he had the choice of barbecue chicken, kidney beans, macaroni and cheese, mixed vegetables, whole wheat bread, fruit, a holiday dessert and a beverage.
Chicken, tofu, rice, pinto beans, canned corn, whole wheat bread and a drink were available for Diddy’s dinner.
Read more about Diddy’s Memorial Day.
Fox News Digital’s Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
The federal trial against Sean “Diddy” Combs on sex crime charges is entering its third week of testimony and many celebrities have been mentioned in the court room.
Cassie Ventura and former Danity Kane singer, Dawn Richard, have already taken the stand, in addition to rapper Kid Cudi, who allegedly clashed with Diddy after his brief relationship with Cassie, Diddy’s ex-girlfriend.
Cudi was also previously mentioned during Cassie’s testimony. Usher, former President Barack Obama, Biggie Smalls and Jennifer Lopez have also been mentioned in court.
Diddy’s former assistant, David James, testified on May 20 that the rapper typically carried “25 to 30” undisclosed pill bottles. According to James, some of the pills were ecstasy, and he saw “one that was in the shape of a former president’s face.” That former president was Obama.
Richard testified that Usher was at a dinner where Diddy allegedly punched Cassie in the stomach, and Cassie’s former makeup artist testified she’d also worked for Lopez.
Michael B. Jordan was brought up during Cassie’s testimony, as someone Diddy suspected she was in a relationship with. Britney Spears was also mentioned in connection to Cassie, as Diddy brought her to Cassie’s 21st birthday party.
None of the celebrities mentioned have been accused of any wrongdoing.
Read more about the celebs who have been brought up in court here.
Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.
In March 2024, Homeland Security Investigations officials executed a search warrant on two of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami
. During the rapper’s trial, it was revealed authorities found weapons, drugs and sex paraphernalia.
The disgraced music mogul was arrested and charged with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution, according to a federal indictment unsealed on September 17, 2024.
If found guilty, Diddy faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars or a maximum sentence of life in prison, and could also lose his home in the exclusive Star Island area in Florida.
“There are two layers to prove,” criminal defense lawyer Phil Harvey told Fox News Digital. “First, he has to get convicted of count one of the indictment, the RICO charge. That means the jury finds him guilty of running a criminal enterprise through his entertainment businesses.”
Harvey added, “Second, the jury will have to determine if the prosecutors prove that the Star Island home was ‘involved in, used, or intended to be used’ in the commission of the RICO crimes, or if it was purchased with ‘proceeds obtained’ as a result of RICO crimes. If the jury finds that the property fits that description, then the Government will argue that Mr. Combs ‘shall forfeit’ the Miami mansion.”
Fox News Digital’s Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
Popular beers found with high levels of dangerous ‘forever chemicals,’ study reveals
Recent studies have found that some beers brewed in the US have high levels of “forever chemicals” and are considered above the allowed EPA limit.
A team from the ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology conducted a study to find out how polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or “forever chemicals” get into beers and how much they contain.
“As an occasional beer drinker myself, I wondered whether PFAS in water supplies was making its way into our pints. I hope these findings inspire water treatment strategies and policies that help reduce the likelihood of PFAS in future pours,” research lead Jennifer Hoponick Redmon said.
ALCOHOL DEATHS HAVE MORE THAN DOUBLED IN RECENT YEARS, ESPECIALLY AMONG WOMEN
While breweries have water filtration and treatment systems, these are not designed to prevent PFAS from entering into the batch.
By modifying an EPA testing tool for analyzing levels of PFAS in drinking water, Redmon and her team tested 23 beers.
NOT ONLY DOES BEER TASTE GREAT, THERE ARE HEALTH BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH IT, TOO: EXPERT
The team tested beers from areas with known documented water system contamination along with some other popular beers with unknown water sources.
Through their research, it was found that beer brewed in North Carolina, California, and Michigan had elevated levels of this PFAS.
The researchers found a strong correlation between PFAS concentrations in municipal drinking water and levels in locally brewed beer.
In 95% of the beer tested, PFAS was found with perfluorooctanesulfonate and perfluorooctanoic acid, two forever chemicals with recently established EPA limits in drinking water.
International beers tested — one from Holland and two from Mexico — were less likely to have detectable PFAS.
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“Our findings indicate a strong link between PFAS in drinking water and beer, with beers brewed in areas with higher PFAS in local drinking water translating to higher levels of PFAS in beer, showing that drinking water is a primary route of PFAS contamination in beer,” the research team concluded.
Major US airline officially ends longstanding baggage perk for passengers
Southwest Airlines is ending its long-standing policy of free checked bags and introducing a new basic fare on Wednesday as the carrier aims to attract new customers and boost profitability.
Most passengers will be charged $35 for their first checked bag and $45 for their second checked bag for flights booked and or changed on or after Wednesday, marking a major shift in its customer-friendly pricing model.
Still, Southwest, considered a “no-frills” carrier, said Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred members and customers traveling on Business Select or Choice Extra fares will receive two free checked bags for up to eight additional passengers traveling on the same reservation. Additionally, A-List Members and Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers will get one free checked bag as the carrier aims to encourage more people to join its loyalty program.
The carrier is simultaneously launching a new basic fare, which will be its cheapest but least flexible fare.
SOUTHWEST ENDING ITS OPEN SEATING POLICY
CEO Bob Jordan said the changes, announced in March, are part of an effort “to meet current and future customer needs” as well as “attract new customer segments we don’t compete for today.”
However, unlike rival carriers, Southwest upheld a policy allowing passengers to check free bags, appealing to a wide range of budget-conscious travelers. The policy, along with open seating, helped the carrier distinguish itself as one of the first to adopt and maintain its low-cost model. However, in recent years, financial challenges have forced the airline to reevaluate its approach.
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES EXITS MULTIPLE AIRPORTS AS BOEING TROUBLES WEIGH
To drive more revenue growth, Southwest announced in July that it would begin offering assigned seating and offering premium seating options on all flights – a move designed to boost profits by charging higher rates for premium seats across its entire network. The carrier has maintained a single economy-class cabin with open seating assignments for more than 50 years.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LUV | SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. | 30.95 | -0.26 | -0.83% |
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Reservations for flights with assigned seats are expected to start in the second half of 2025 for flights operating in 2026.
Later this year, the company will change the fare classes as well. In the third quarter of 2025, customers will choose between Choice Extra, which was formerly Business Select, Choice Preferred, formerly Anytime, and Choice, formerly Wanna Get Away Plus. The new fares will also have new seat options: Standard, Preferred and Extra Legroom, which will cost extra.
Southwest is working to gain more customers and increase revenue while navigating a complex landscape. The carrier withdrew its financial forecast last month because of economic uncertainty stemming from tariffs. It didn’t reaffirm its previous forecast of $1.7 billion in earnings before interest and taxes in 2025 and its outlook of about $3.8 billion in 2026.
Expert recreated crash with identical Lexus, tells jury: ‘I have no dog in this fight’
Dr. Judson Welcher took the stand Tuesday as the state worked to close its case in the murder retrial of Karen Read.
In front of a seated jury, Special Prosecutor Hank Brennan began direct examination of Dr. Welcher, an accident reconstruction expert.
“I take my job as to be a critical analysis of the data. So I wanted to look at the data as objectively as possible and form conclusions based upon the data, trying to remove wherever possible, speculation,” Welcher testified.
“Now, sometimes testimony is the only thing we have, and so we need to rely on it for bits and pieces. But generally my job is to try and look at data and see what the data shows. I have no dog in this fight. I don’t, quite frankly, care. What I’m doing is trying to do a good engineering job, looking at the data and drawing sound principles and sound conclusions from the data.”
Welcher listed an exhaustive inventory of physical evidence he used to form his conclusions about the crash scene.
His review used materials from the Canton Police Department, cruiser dashboard cameras, Ring doorbell videos, scene photographs, Verizon and Lexus Connect data, lab toxicology reports, and multiple interviews given by Read to media outlets.
“I have police reports, including the Canton PD incident report and eight other reports,” Welcher testified. “I have the Ring video from Mr. O’Keefe’s residence, cruiser cameras, 140 photographs of vehicles, additional photographs of the scene, surveillance video files from McCarthy’s Shipping, Waterfall Bar, Cellebrite data, Lexus infotainment system data, Verizon GPS records, weather reports, medical records, and two retrograde extrapolation reports.”
In an effort to replicate and analyze conditions relevant to the case, Welcher also purchased the same make and model of SUV that Read was driving, a 2021 Lexus RX350, and conducted his own field testing.
He said that he had presented an early version of his analysis to the prosecution team via PowerPoint on January 30, and that he had visited 34 Fairview Road, the scene where John O’Keefe’s body was discovered.
Nationally known accident reconstruction expert, Dr. Judson Welcher, took the stand on Tuesday morning.
Welcher first faced voir dire, a legal vetting process to assess whether he should be accepted as an expert witness.
The voir dire was conducted by Read’s defense attorney, Robert Alessi, who focused on recent modifications made to Welcher’s PowerPoint presentation, which the state intends to use.
Welcher acknowledged that he had altered the presentation within the past 8 to 10 days, removing a slide and changing wording. The edits related to the Dighton route and vehicle mileage, both crucial components in the prosecution’s theory of the timeline.
Alessi pressed Welcher about who he had spoken with about the content and edits. Welcher testified that he had discussed the PowerPoint with Assistant District Attorneys Hank Brennan, Adam Lally, and Mary Ellen Gray, as well as Lt. Brian Tully, an investigator in the case.
Karen Read arrived in court on Wednesday morning as her second trial for the alleged murder of Boston police officer John O’Keefe resumed after a five-day recess.
Dressed in a dark green suit, she was flanked by her lead defense attorney, Alan Jackson, who is preparing to launch their defense as the prosecution wraps up its case.
Tuesday marked a pivotal moment in the retrial. After 21 days of testimony, the prosecution is expected to call its final witness, an accident reconstruction expert, before resting its case.
After nearly two months of witness testimony, expert analysis, and intense cross-examination, the prosecution in the Karen Read retrial is expected to rest its case this week in Norfolk Superior Court.
Read, who is charged with second-degree murder in the 2022 death of Boston police officer John O’Keefe, has maintained her innocence, claiming she did not hit O’Keefe with her car.
Prosecutors allege she struck O’Keefe with her SUV after a night of drinking and left him to die in the snow outside a friend’s home.
Over the past eight weeks, the prosecution has called more than 30 witnesses, including forensic specialists, law enforcement officers, and civilians present on the night in question.
Key evidence has included plastic taillight fragments said to match Read’s damaged Lexus RX350, digital forensic analysis of O’Keefe’s phone and location and witness testimony who alleged that Read made incriminating statements after the incident.