Retired agent: Boulder firebombing suspect showed attack was ‘personal’
In the wake of a violent firebombing at a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado, a retired FBI agent said that authorities are probing the Egyptian suspect’s “possible radicalization,” an expert said.
“Authorities are currently conducting a forensic search of the scene, collecting device remnants, fingerprints, and possible surveillance footage,” Jason Pack, a retired FBI special agent, told Fox News Digital. “Background investigations are underway—both locally and internationally, likely with Egyptian authorities through the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, into the suspect’s history, affiliations, and possible radicalization.”
Authorities identified the suspect as 45-year-old Egyptian national Mohamed Sabry Soliman, who had overstayed his visa.
“He came armed with Molotov cocktails and a homemade flamethrower. He shouted ‘Free Palestine’ and other slogans during the assault. This wasn’t random. It was personal and likely politically or ideologically driven,” he said.
BOULDER, COLORADO SUSPECTED TERROR ATTACK SUSPECT MOHAMED SABRY SOLIMAN FACES MURDER, ASSAULT, OTHER CHARGES
Investigators are now determining whether the incident meets the federal legal definition of domestic terrorism.
“Authorities are actively investigating whether the attack where the suspect used Molotov cocktails and a makeshift flamethrower while shouting ‘Free Palestine,’ meets the legal definition of a domestic terror incident under U.S. law,” Pack explained.
He cited U.S. Code § 2331, which outlines domestic terrorism as acts that violate criminal law, are intended to intimidate or influence, and occur within the United States.
Soliman, 45, is charged with violating 18 U.S.C. §§ 249(a)(1) and (a)(2), federal hate crime statutes involving acts motivated by race, religion, or national origin.
“Investigators will likely examine whether the suspect’s actions, targeting a public gathering with incendiary devices, were ideologically motivated and intended to instill fear or make a political statement,” he said.
According to Pack, the public details already suggest several qualifying elements. He said that prosecutors will need “more than just ideology.”
“However, federal prosecutors will need more than just ideology; they’ll have to prove intent to intimidate or coerce,” he said. “Key evidence could include statements, writings, digital communications, or planning behavior.”
The suspect’s behavioral red flags are also under scrutiny, he said.
“According to sources familiar with the case, the attacker was reportedly shirtless, highly agitated, and made no attempt to escape after launching the assault,” Pack said. “From a behavioral and psychological profiling perspective, this suggests impulsive extremism or a desire for martyrdom rather than escape or survival. These traits are often associated with ideologically driven lone actors.”
“This kind of attacker typically operates without a support network but may be influenced by online propaganda or perceived injustices,” he said. “The erratic behavior, crude weaponry, and politically charged language point to a disorganized, emotionally unstable individual whose radicalization—if confirmed—could place the case within the growing trend of unpredictable, lone-wolf-style domestic attacks.”
US POLITICIANS, JEWISH GROUPS CONDEMN ‘HORRIFYING’ BOULDER TERROR ATTACK: ‘VILE, ANTISEMITIC ACT OF TERROR’
The retired Supervisory Special Agent from the FBI with 21 years of service said that he has investigated cases “just like this.”
“It’s rare, but not unheard of, for someone to act out violently in support of a cause, especially when that person feels isolated, powerless, or desperate. Based on the information we know now, Soliman appears to fit the profile of a lone actor, someone with a grievance, who may have felt unheard and decided to lash out. They will also have to assess his mental health.”
“The homemade weapons show planning. The target, a group rallying on behalf of Israeli hostages, was clearly chosen on purpose. That suggests a level of intent and maybe radicalization, though there’s no public evidence yet tying him to any organized group,” Pack said.
Affdavit – App users, click here
The affidavit paints a detailed picture of Soliman’s planning. In an interview with investigators, Soliman said that he researched on YouTube how to make Moltov Cocktails, purchased the ingredients and constructed them.
He told investigators that he wanted to kill the “Zionist group” and wished they were all dead after searching for the gathering online.
He also stated that he would carry out the attack again if given the chance. He referenced “our land,” which he identified as Palestine, and his desire to stop supporters of Israel from “taking over” that land, according to the affidavit.
Pack said that the FBI and local authorities are digging into “everything,” noting Soliman’s online history, phone, travel records and any international connections.
“That includes whether he downloaded bomb-making materials or had contact with foreign actors,” he said. “Agents are also talking to people who knew him in Colorado Springs, where he lived. They’ll want to know if he talked about violence, politics, or anything that might have raised red flags. Investigators will look for any signs this could have been prevented.”
SUSPECT IN BOULDER TERROR ATTACK DETERMINED TO BE EGYPTIAN MAN IN US ILLEGALLY: FBI
On the scene, forensics will remain a top priority for federal investigators, Pack said.
“The forensic work at the scene is just as important. They’re collecting every piece of evidence, from bottle shards to accelerant residue. That’ll help piece together exactly what he used, how he built it, and where he might have tested it,” said Pack.
“This kind of violence shakes communities—and it’s not something law enforcement takes lightly. One man with homemade firebombs injured nearly a dozen people. That’s why police around the country will be taking a second look at security plans for similar events, especially ones tied to Israel, Gaza, or other politically charged issues.”
Despite the gravity of the attack, Pack believes there’s no indication of a broader conspiracy.
“From what I’ve seen, there’s no broader plot here. But that doesn’t mean it ends in Boulder. Investigators are thinking long term—looking for signs this kind of thing could happen again somewhere else.”
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“These kinds of lone-wolf attacks are tough to predict, but they’re not impossible to stop,” he said. “The key is sharing intel, watching for behavioral warning signs, and not ignoring threats when they surface.”
“For now, law enforcement is doing what it does best: following the evidence, interviewing witnesses, and staying focused on keeping the public safe.”
No Russia-Ukraine ceasefire yet as Zelenskyy issues warning about Putin
The second round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey once again did not yield any ceasefire results on Monday and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his demand that Russian President Vladimir Putin “must not receive any reward for [his] war.”
Despite an apparent memorandum of terms given to Ukraine by the Russian delegation, Moscow once again refused to agree to an unconditional ceasefire defined by a U.S. proposal and already agreed to by Kyiv.
Following the talks – which appeared to last for less than three hours, though some reporting noted they lasted for less than one hour – the head of the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, said his Russian counterparts not only refused ceasefire terms, but also to a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin.
UKRAINE, RUSSIA MEET FOR PEACE TALKS IN ISTANBUL AFTER EXPLOSIVE WEEKEND
A massive 6,000 to 6,000 prisoner exchange was agreed to and will secure the release of sick, seriously injured prisoners and those under the age of 25.
Ukraine also handed over a list containing the names of several hundred children that Russia illegally deported and relocated from occupied territories of Ukraine, though it is unclear if Russian authorities have agreed to return any of the children, many of whom have been “adopted” by Russian parents.
“The key to lasting peace is clear – the aggressor must not receive any reward for war. Putin must get nothing that would justify his aggression,” Zelenskyy said in a post to X following his address at a NATO security summit in Lithuania. “Any reward would only show him that war pays off.”
Zelenskyy’s comments and the peace talks came just one day after a surprise drone strike dubbed “Operation Spiderweb” by Ukraine inside Russia in which Moscow’s military complex was targeted, and roughly a third of it’s cruise missile carriers were apparently destroyed.
Zelenskyy said the attack “seriously weakened their military” and “showed what modern war really looks like and [that’s] why it’s so important to stay ahead with technology.”
ZELENSKYY SPEAKS WITH TRUMP, ALLIES AFTER RUSSIA PEACE TALKS BROKER NO CEASEFIRE
The Ukrainian president did not comment further on the substance of the talks. Ukraine has been given one week to review Russia’s terms for a ceasefire.
Ukraine’s terms first call for a 30-day land, air and sea-based ceasefire before Kyiv, alongside Washington and European allies, would then begin further negotiations with Moscow, according to a report by Reuters, which apparently obtained a copy of the conditions.
The document also reportedly states that the current location of the front line will be the starting point for negotiations about territory, and calls for no restrictions on Ukraine’s military, reparations for Ukraine and a refusal by the international community to acknowledge Russian sovereignty over the illegally occupied lands.
Zelenskyy also reiterated his position on Monday that Putin should not be allowed to dictate which countries are allowed to enter the NATO alliance, which Russia has repeatedly said is one of its demands over Ukraine.
Granting Ukraine NATO access would all but officially bar Russia from ever re-invading Ukraine as it would grant Kyiv Article 5 protections, which confirm an attack on one NATO ally will be treated as an attack on all NATO allies and responded to accordingly.
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“If Putin is allowed to decide who joins NATO, where NATO infrastructure can or can’t be, then Russia’s appetite for war will only grow. Our shared goal is the opposite – to completely end Russia’s hunger for aggression,” Zelenskyy said.
“Strong decisions are needed. Decisions for Europe, not for Putin. We all need to work together to make this really happen. And it’s doable,” he added.
A future meeting between Ukraine and Russia has yet to be announced.
Supreme Court declines to hear challenges to state AR-15, mag size bans
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear two cases challenging separate state bans on so-called assault weapons and high-capacity magazines on Monday.
The court declined to hear cases arising out of Maryland and Rhode Island relating to state regulations on AR-15-style rifles and high-capacity magazines, respectively. The cases had been submitted to the Supreme Court after lower courts upheld the bans in the face of challenges.
Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch disagreed with the majority’s decision and said they would have liked to have reviewed the cases.
With respect to the Maryland ban, the Supreme Court’s decision upholds the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling, which states that authority to ban AR-15-style rifles is consistent with the 2nd Amendment.
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The 4th Circuit argued in its ruling that granting AR-15s constitutional protection based on their common use would mean that any dangerous weapon “could gain constitutional protection merely because it becomes popular before the government can sufficiently regulate it.”
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Lawyers arguing against the ban claimed the Supreme Court had a duty to “ensure that the Second Amendment itself is not truncated into a limited right to own certain state-approved means of personal self-defense.”
While the court declined to take up the issue in this case, Justice Brett Kavanaugh stated that, “In my view, this Court should and presumably will address the AR-15 issue soon.”
Thomas, one of the three justices who sought to review the Maryland case now, was more blunt in his dissent.
“I would not wait to decide whether the government can ban the most popular rifle in America,” Thomas wrote. “That question is of critical importance to tens of millions of law-abiding AR-15 owners throughout the country.”
The gun cases come as the Supreme Court has been inundated with challenges to President Donald Trump’s agenda, from his economic and regulatory policies to his anti-illegal immigration efforts.
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The Supreme Court is expected to hand down rulings relating to several of these topics in the coming weeks.
CNN correspondent exits network months after defamation case cost millions
Longtime CNN correspondent Alex Marquardt is exiting the liberal network less than five months after his reporting helped cost the company millions as a result of a defamation trial, Fox News Digital has confirmed.
“Some personal news: I’m leaving CNN after 8 terrific years. Tough to say goodbye but it’s been an honor to work among the very best in the business. Profound thank you to my comrades on the National Security team & the phenomenal teammates I’ve worked with in the US and abroad,” Marquardt posted on X.
Former CNN media correspondent Oliver Darcy reported that Marquardt had been fired over “editorial differences,” but Marquardt was vague when announcing the news on social media on Monday.
CNN declined comment, citing a policy not to discuss “personnel matters.”
CNN DEFAMATION TRIAL: LOSING CASE EXPECTED BUT STILL A BAD BRUISE FOR THE NETWORK, INSIDER SAYS
In January, a Bay County, Florida jury found that CNN had defamed U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young and ruled that Young could seek punitive damages as a result of a November 2021 report by Marquardt. Young successfully accused CNN of smearing him by implying he illegally profited when helping people flee Afghanistan on the “black market” during the Biden administration’s military withdrawal from the country. Young believed CNN “destroyed his reputation and business” by branding him an illegal profiteer who exploited “desperate Afghans” during Marquardt’s segment.
CNN and Young agreed to an undisclosed settlement before the jury had a chance to determine punitive damages. The jury had awarded Young $5 million in financial and emotional damages before the settlement was reached. The jury foreman later told Fox News Digital they were prepared to make CNN pay “somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 million to $100 million.”
It was also revealed that Marquardt told a colleague “we’re gonna nail this Zachary Young mf—er,” a message often cited throughout the trial. CNN previously insisted Marquardt remained on the air in the aftermath of the case because he was an “experienced, veteran reporter with valuable insights on the news.”
Marquardt did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment.
In a post-trial interview, Young said he hadn’t forgiven Marquardt, calling him out for remaining defiant on the witness stand at the trial.
“We’ve given Mr. Marquardt plenty of opportunities during deposition and then again at trial to apologize. And, you know, the answer was no,” Young told Fox News Digital. “He still stands behind his work. He’s very proud of what he did. His hit piece on me to destroy my life.”
“He’s not my biggest fan,” Young added.
On the witness stand, Marquardt insisted his report was not a “hit piece” on Young and that he was proud of his work.
CNN DEFAMATION TRIAL: PLAINTIFF ACCUSES NETWORK OF FAKING CRITICAL PHONE CALL FOR ‘THEATER’
“I wasn’t looking to take anyone down. I didn’t take anyone down,” Marquardt testified.
CNN issued an on-air apology in March 2022 after Young threatened to take legal action. But throughout the trial, Marquardt and several CNN staffers testified they didn’t feel the apology was necessary. CNN senior vice president Adam Levine admitted to the jurors that the apology was merely a legal decision.
“Alex Marquardt had put in an email, ‘I’m going to nail this Zachary Young.’ At that point it seemed as though he had put a target on Mr. Young’s back, and he was not going to let up until he reached his goal… It was obvious to the entire jury that he was out to get him,” jury foreman Katy Svitenko told Fox News Digital in February.
That was the moment Svitenko decided it was defamation with malice.
“The jury pretty much agreed… those emails among the CNN employees were pretty bad. And not just one, it was several, at various levels throughout the corporation,” she said to Fox News Digital.
Young’s attorney in a lawsuit against the Associated Press regarding similar reporting, Daniel Lustig, believes the timing of Marquardt’s exit is “curious.”
“Mr. Marquardt was the lead reporter on the CNN story that a Florida jury found to be false and defamatory. CNN initially retracted the story in an attempt at damage control, but it didn’t work. A Florida jury found CNN liable for punitive damages based on less severe language. The Associated Press had full knowledge of that outcome and still chose to escalate the defamatory accusation. Now the CNN reporter has left the network for undisclosed reasons, but the timing is curious. CNN was held accountable, but AP chose to disregard my client’s vindication and instead, it escalated a false narrative that had already been dismantled in court. That says everything you need to know about their judgment and what’s coming next,” Lustig told Fox News Digital.
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Pennsylvania senator bucks party on border, Israel amid progressive backlash
Sen. John Fetterman is comfortable taking a sharp stance against his own party, a point that he reiterated during a forum moderated by Fox News’ Shannon Bream alongside his Republican counterpart, Sen. Dave McCormick.
The Democratic maverick has made a name for himself as willing to buck his party’s marching orders, oftentimes siding with Republicans on thorny policy issues since coming to the Senate two years ago. Indeed, the lawmaker agreed on many issues with his fellow Pennsylvanian McCormick during the roughly half-hour forum.
KNIVES OUT FOR FETTERMAN: MAVERICK SENATOR JOINS LONG LINE OF DEMS PUNISHED FOR BREAKING FROM LEFT
Fetterman addressed the repercussions that tend to come from his brand of bipartisanship when discussing his agreement with President Donald Trump’s handling of nuclear talks with Iran or the president’s push for a rare earth minerals agreement with Ukraine.
“That’s part of the bipartisanship where, you know, it’s getting more and more kind of, punitive to just agree with some of these things in the middle of the party right now,” he said.
He also called out his own party for his colleagues’ stances on Israel and immigration, and worked in a subtle jab at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s handling of the government funding fight earlier this year.
Fetterman condemned the recent attack in Boulder, Colorado, and noted that parts of his party had “lost the argument” when it came to bucking antisemitism and standing behind Israel.
“For me, that moral clarity, it’s really firmly on Israel,” he said. “I refuse to allow to try to turn Israel into a pariah state, and that’s right in the middle of that.”
Fetterman also dug in on his support of immigration policies pushed by the GOP.
SENATE REPUBLICANS EYE CHANGES TO TRUMP’S MEGABILL AFTER HOUSE WIN
He said that while he largely did not support Republicans’ efforts to ram Trump’s agenda through Congress, there was common ground to be had with his colleagues across the aisle when it came to putting a dent in the nation’s debt, and injecting more funding into the White House’s priorities at the southern border.
In fact, the only thing he said he supported among the sea of policy changes and spending would be the over $150 billion in the colossal package that would go toward building Trump’s border wall, bolstering Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the building of new immigration detention centers and facilities, among others.
“That’s a mistake that our party made, and that’s the border,” he said. “I absolutely support those kinds of investments to make our border secure as well.”
SHUTDOWN AVERTED AFTER SCHUMER CAVES AND BACKS TRUMP SPENDING BILL
He contended that Democrats did not handle the border properly when they controlled the White House, and noted the hundreds of thousands of migrants that were able to make their way into the U.S. under the Biden administration’s porous border policies.
“We can all agree that’s wrong,” he said. “Being very pro-immigration as [a] Democrat, it’s like you’re trying to think two things must be true, and sometimes that’s put me at the odds of my party and my base to assume that I changed my values, and that’s never changed. That’s never changed.”
He also levied subtle criticism of how Schumer, D-N.Y., handled the government funding showdown earlier this year, which saw the Democratic leader ultimately back down at the last minute from his desire to shutter the government over the GOP’s funding plan.
“I refuse to ever shut our government down,” Fetterman said. “And when we have that opportunity in September to do that, I will still be there, and … I’ll take the beating, because that’s, I think, what defines leadership.”
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But Fetterman’s rogue-like tendencies have led to intensified scrutiny in recent weeks for alleged erratic behavior, skipping out on votes and droves of staff leaving his office, criticism that Fetterman has rebuked.
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s editorial board argued in an opinion piece published on Sunday that if the lawmaker couldn’t handle the scrutiny, he should “step aside.” In response, Fetterman couched the criticism as part of a campaign against him for his position on Israel, the border and his dances with bipartisanship.
“It’s just part of a smear, and it’s just not accurate,” he said.
Women who drink popular beverage every day may age healthier, study finds
A popular morning beverage could do more than provide a perk — it could also help women stay healthy as they age.
That’s according to new research from Harvard University, which followed a group of nearly 50,000 women from the Nurses’ Health Study for a 30-year period.
The researchers found that drinking coffee every morning could help women stay mentally sharp and physically strong later in life, according to a press release from the American Society of Nutrition.
THE OPTIMAL TIME TO DRINK COFFEE ISN’T WHEN YOU NORMALLY HAVE IT
The benefits were seen in middle-aged women who drank caffeinated coffee. Decaf coffee and tea did not have the same effect.
“‘Healthy aging’ here meant surviving to older age without major chronic diseases and with good physical, mental and cognitive function,” Dr. Sara Mahdavi, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, told Fox News Digital.
“Importantly, this relationship persisted even after accounting for key lifestyle factors like diet quality, physical activity and smoking — each of which are also strongly associated with healthy aging in their own right.”
The women who qualified as “healthy agers” were found to consume an average of 315 mg of caffeine daily, primarily via coffee-drinking.
WHAT IS MUSHROOM COFFEE? CAFFEINE ALTERNATIVE OFFERS SURPRISING HEALTH BENEFITS
Each additional cup of coffee was linked to a 2% to 5% greater chance of healthier aging, the study found.
Although soda also contains caffeine, people who drank it every day were shown to have a 20% to 26% reduced chance of healthy aging.
“The health benefits appeared specific to coffee, rather than caffeine more broadly,” Mahdavi noted. “We didn’t see the same associations with decaf coffee, tea or caffeinated soda — suggesting that coffee’s unique combination of bioactive compounds may play a key role.”
The findings were set to be presented on Monday at NUTRITION 2025, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held in Orlando.
WOMEN MAY HEAR BETTER THAN MEN, NEW STUDY SUGGESTS
“While past studies have linked coffee to individual health outcomes, our study is the first to assess coffee’s impact across multiple domains of aging over three decades,” said Mahdavi.
“The findings suggest that caffeinated coffee … may uniquely support aging trajectories that preserve both mental and physical function.”
“The health benefits appeared specific to coffee, rather than caffeine more broadly.”
The researcher acknowledged that the study has some limitations.
“As with all observational studies, we cannot establish causality,” she told Fox News Digital. “While we adjusted for many factors, unmeasured confounding is always possible.”
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Mahdavi also pointed out that the study group mostly included white, educated female health professionals.
“Further work is needed to confirm generalizability to broader populations.”
Coffee’s benefits are “relatively modest” compared to the benefits of overall healthy lifestyle habits, according to the researcher.
“These results, while preliminary, suggest that small, consistent habits can shape long‑term health,” said Mahdavi. “Moderate coffee intake may offer some protective benefits when combined with other healthy behaviors, such as regular exercise, a healthy diet and avoiding smoking.”
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“We don’t recommend starting coffee if you don’t already drink it or if you’re sensitive to caffeine,” she went on. “But for people who already consume moderate amounts — typically two to four cups per day — this study adds to the evidence that coffee can be part of a healthy lifestyle.”
Mahdavi emphasized, however, that nutrition, regular exercise and not smoking are the “most powerful and proven contributors” to healthy aging.
The team is now planning to explore how coffee’s bioactive compounds — particularly polyphenols and antioxidants — might influence molecular aging pathways, including inflammation, metabolism and vascular health, Mahdavi said.
“Genetic and hormonal differences may also shape how individuals respond, which could pave the way for more personalized guidance in the future.”
Jonathan Joss, voice of ‘King of the Hill’ John Redcorn, killed in Texas shooting
Jonathan Joss Gonzales, a voice actor who starred in “King of the Hill,” was shot and killed Sunday in Texas, Fox News Digital confirmed. He was 59.
Authorities were dispatched to a home on the 200 block of Dorsey Drive in San Antonio after 7 p.m., and upon arrival, found Joss near the roadway of the location, officials said.
San Antonio Police Department officers attempted life-saving measures until emergency medical services arrived on scene.
DEVIN HARJES, ‘BOARDWALK EMPIRE’ STAR, DEAD AT 41
Upon arrival, EMS pronounced the victim deceased.
‘DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES’ STAR VALERIE MAHAFFEY DEAD AT 71
Officers located the suspect accused of allegedly shooting Joss and detained him. Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, a 56-year-old man, was transported to headquarters for further investigation, and then booked for murder.
Authorities told Fox News Digital that the investigation into Joss’ death is still ongoing.
HOLLYWOOD STARS WHO DIED IN 2025: PHOTOS
Joss voiced the role of John Redcorn for 34 episodes of “King of the Hill.”
In addition to his work on the popular cartoon, Joss was known for playing Ken Hotate in a number of episodes of the NBC comedy, “Parks and Recreation.”
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The late actor had roles in “Tulsa King” and “Ray Donovan” and played Raymond Firewalker in six episodes of “Walker, Texas Ranger.”
He played Bad Face on “Tulsa Kings,” and starred in “Abduction of the Fourth Kind,” in 2022.
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Joss’s last credited role was voicing a character in the 2023 video game, “Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.”
Proctor’s group chat could be the real plot twist in Karen Read’s second trial – here’s how
Although sultry and obscene text messages from former Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor have made headlines throughout Karen Read’s two trials in the death of John O’Keefe — there was another item he mentioned that could be damaging to the prosecution’s case, experts tell Fox News Digital.
According to text messages read with Proctor’s friend John Diamandis on the stand, Proctor called Read a “c—,” a “babe” and said she had “no a–” and mocked her over a medical condition, texts read in court show.
But he also discussed the investigation with friends hours after O’Keefe had been found dead — days before the autopsy and when charges would be filed against Read.
“She waffled him,” Proctor texted a group of friends around 11 p.m. on Jan 29. 2022. “I looked at his body at the hospital.”
O’Keefe had been found around 6 a.m. that same day.
“I thought he was drunk,” a friend wrote about O’Keefe. “Did he get beat up?”
“Nope,” Proctor replied.
A few minutes later, a friend asked, “So the owner of the house was a woman cop that beat him?”
“That’s what I initially thought after talking to [a] Canton paramedic,” Proctor replied. “Then I saw the guy.”
A friend asked him to explain the “waffled” comment.
“She hit him with her car,” Proctor wrote.
Dr. Irini Scordi-Bello would later rule O’Keefe’s cause of death blunt trauma to the head and hypothermia — but she left the manner undetermined, as opposed to homicide or accidental.
“He is not qualified to say that,” Mark Bederow, a New York-based criminal defense lawyer who is following the case, told Fox News Digital about Proctor’s early conclusion. “There is an abundance of evidence of Proctor’s investigative tunnel vision and bias, but I think it would have been more effective to force Proctor to read his messages, many of which were vile.”
However, he said, the decision to have Proctor’s group chat friends read the texts rather than call him to the stand could be a strategic more from the defense.
“Based on fact they called his friend, that strongly suggests they do not intend on calling Proctor and instead will emphasize to jury in summation that the DA didn’t even call the lead investigator,” he said.
Proctor’s testimony at Read’s first trial led to an internal investigation and his firing from the Massachusetts State Police. The FBI also launched a federal probe but closed it without filing any charges.
The official reason for his termination was that he improperly shared “sensitive or confidential
” law enforcement information with his friends.
“The messages prove one thing, and that Michael is human – not corrupt, not incompetent in his role as a homicide detective, and certainly not unfit to continue to be a Massachusetts State Trooper,” his sister, Courtney Proctor, previously told Fox News Digital.
Karen Read slammed Boston Police Officer Kelly Dever outside court Monday after the former Canton cop testified in her murder trial.
“We subpoenaed her to testify to what she told other authorities and just wanted her to be as honest with us as she was with them,” Read told reporters on the courthouse steps. “And today she’s now telling us that was a lie.”
During a federal investigation into Canton police that ended without criminal charges, Dever told FBI agents she saw ATF Agent Brian Higgins and former Canton Police Chief Kennethh Berkwotiz standing near Read’s SUV for “a wildly long time.”
But they showed her evidence that she had left work well before she would’ve seen that and she recanted the statement and said it would’ve been impossible for her to have actually seen that.
The case took a twist with her on the stand, however, when she accused Read’s defense team of trying to threaten her into lying about it.
“You threatened to charge me with perjury during our phone call prior to the first trial if I didn’t lie on the stand right now,” she alleged from the witness stand. “I’m telling you, I did not see anything. Factually, I been provided evidence by a timeline that it is not correct.”
Read denied the claim.
“It seems that she’s a compromised person,” Read said a few moments later while getting into a waiting SUV.
Judge Beverly Cannone called an end to the day a few minutes early as Karen Read’s defense team repeatedly objected to special prosecutor Hank Brennan’s questioning of their dog bite expert.
Dr. Marie Russell, who has Massachusetts roots but lives and works in Los Angeles, testified that victim John O’Keefe had dog-bite injuries on his arm — not scratches from a taillight.
“In fact, when you first testified, you weren’t consistently even saying that it was a dog or as you say today, dog attack, you were saying in your opinion, they were the result of animal bites or scratches,” Brennan said. “That was what you originally opined, isn’t it?”
“We just went through that,” she replied. “Yes. Yea.”
Brennan sought to undermine her credibility and her departure from the findings of prosecution witnesses.
Russell learned about the case from a news article and reached out to a Los Angeles prosecutor — the office where defense attorney Alan Jackson started his career and famously prosecuted music producer Phil Spector for murder.
The case piqued her interest, she said, and she offered to interpret the evidence.
“So, Dr. Russell, from your perspective, as far as you know, you are the only person in the entire United States of America who was qualified to look at a photograph and make a determination whether the wound was derived from a dog bite?” Brennan asked.
“No, I, am one of — I’m the only physician that I know of that can do that. There may be, you know, a few others out there. There may be, but, but I don’t know of any other physicians that can do that.”
She is expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday morning.
A forensic pathologist and former emergency room doctor testified that in addition to signs of dog-bite wounds on John O’Keefe’s right arm, she sees holes in his shirt sleeve that she believes came from a dog’s tooth.
“I believe that this hole was made by a canine tooth, with the tooth going into the shirt, reaching the skin, and then coming out of the shirt, pulling out some fabric with it,” Dr. Marie Russell testified Monday afternoon.
Russell did not examine the shirt of O’Keefe directly, but she testified that it is not uncommon for experts in her field to examine autopsy photos and offer an opinion.
The court is back in session after lunch.
Defense attorney Robert Alessi continues questioning of Dr. Marie Russell.
Dr. Marie Russell, an expert on dog bites who worked as both an emergency room physician and a forensic pathologist, testified in Karen Read’s
trial Monday that she used a pattern analysis to form an opinion on the injuries found on John O’Keefe’s arm on Jan. 29. 2022.
“Those wounds were inflicted as the result of a dog attack,” she testified.
She pointed to groupings on his upper arm, near the elbow and on his forearm.
“They, in my opinion, were inflicted by the teeth and claws of a dog,” she said.
Through either the action of the dog or O’Keefe pulling away, the teeth scratched the flesh from the front toward the back of his upper arm, she testified.
The elbow injuries are more difficult to describe, she said, because the exact position of O’Keefe’s arm is unknown. But they possibly included punctures from the lower teeth as well, she said.
Russell explained that the back of the arm, when the palms are facing forward, is called the “posterior.”
That’s the same part of the arm where John O’Keefe showed a number of injuries during his autopsy in 2022.
Injuries to the posterior of a person’s arm often indicates that the person raised their arms defensively, she testified.
Although the Los Angeles-based Russell has ties to Massachusetts, she went to school and previously worked as a police officer in a different part of the state, she said. However, she had a subscription to the Boston Globe and came across an article about the case that piqued her interest.
As an expert on dog bites, she saw the dueling claims that O’Keefe’s arm injuries came from a vehicle or a dog bite. On top of that, she is a former police officer herself and saw that the victim was a member of the Boston Police Department.
Defense attorney Robert Alessi questioned Russell until Cannone called a lunch break at around 1 p.m.
Dr. Russell explained the difference between civilian dog bites and trained police K9 bites.
She testified that K9 bites would typically be more severe, with injuries to tissue beneath skin, including to muscles and blood vessels.
Russell revealed that before going to medical school, she was a police officer for seven years in the City of Malden, Massachusetts. She was attending Northeastern University part time.
After a contentious morning of testimony in Karen Read’s murder trial Monday, her defense team called dog bite expert Dr. Marie Russell to the witness stand.
The defense has suggested that injuries to John O’Keefe’s right arm were suffered in a possible dog attack, and not inflicted by the defendant’s SUV.
Dr. Judson Welcher, and accident reconstruction expert for the prosecution, played jurors a reenactment showing how a Lexus SUV like Read’s could have hit a person on the arm and hand in the same places where injuries were recorded in O’Keefe’s autopsy.
“My entire job revolves around what I say on the stand right now,” Boston Police Officer Kelly Dever told special prosecutor Hank Brennan. “If I was to lie, I lose my job. I lose everything. I’m here to tell the truth. I cannot lie while sitting on this stand.”
Dever worked for the Canton Police Department at the time of John O’Keefe’s death, on Jan. 29, 2022.
During an interview with an outside agency, she told investigators that she saw Brian Higgins and Canton Police Chief Kenneth Berkowitz in the sallyport with Read’s vehicle for a “wildly long time.”
But she immediately retracted the statement, she testified, after being shown she left work that day well before Karen Read’s
vehicle arrived.
However, she said that Read’s defense team threatened to “charge” her with perjury if she didn’t testify to the retracted statement under oath.
While defense attorneys can’t “charge” people with crimes, she testified that the implication was she would face retaliation if she didn’t cooperate. She said she later received advice that she could not perjure herself by sticking to the truth.
Dever’s testimony ended shortly before 11 a.m., when Judge Beverly Cannone called a morning recess.
Karen Read defense attorney Alan Jackson calls Boston Police Officer Kelly Dever as the next witness — and after a contentious exchange she told jurors that he had threatened to go after her for perjury if she didn’t “lie on the stand.”
Dever, who worked for Canton police a the time, was scheduled to be on patrol the morning John O’Keefe’s remains were discovered but was reassigned to dispatch on the fly as other officers responded to the scene.
“I was already in the parking lot of the Canton police while this took place,” she said. “So I was already at the station.”
Jackson grilled her about security cameras in the department’s sallyport, where Read’s vehicle was eventually towed.
Visibly frustrated when asked if she wanted to be in court Monday, she told Jackson that she had no connection to the case and didn’t know why she had been called to the stand.
Jackson grilled her about a comment she made to “certain” law enforcement officers during an interview in August 2023.
“Did you tell those law enforcement agents on August 9th, 2023, that you saw Brian Higgins and Chief Berkowitz go into the sallyport together and alone with the SUV for a ‘wildly long time’?” Jackson asked her.
“That was my recollection at the time,” she replied.
However, she accused Jackson of threatening her on a phone call prior to Read’s first trial.
“You threatened to charge me with perjury during our phone call prior to the first trial if I didn’t lie on the stand right now,” she alleged form the witness stand. “I’m telling you, I did not see anything. Factually, I been provided evidence by a timeline that it is not correct.”
Dever told special prosecutor Hank Brennan that the agents who interviewed her showed her evidence that she left work on Jan. 29, 2022 well before the car arrived in the sallyport.
She said she immediately retracted her statement, which had been made in “good faith” more than 18 months after the incident.“They were looking for me to say that I saw Higgins and Berkowitz in the garage with the car,” Dever testified.
She angered the defense, she claimed, when she said her initial statement had been incorrect and she would not testify to it. Then the alleged perjury threat came.
Karen Read defense lawyer David Yannetti calls Jonathan Diamandis, a friend of former Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor to the witness stand.
Her legal team is expected to use inappropriate text messages about the investigation that got Proctor fired to skewer police credibility and illustrate alleged bias against their client from the start of the investigation.
Proctor lost his job in March after an internal investigation into the texts began following Read’s first trial last year.
Diamandis, a friend of Proctor for 30 years, has been on a group text with him for more than a decade, he testified.
Special prosecutor Hank Brennan had Diamandis read more of Proctor’s texts, in which he discussed details of the case and how he ruled out that O’Keefe had been beaten after seeing his body in the hospital.
Proctor wrote that Read “waffled” the victim, and that “there will be some serious charges brought on the girl.”
At one point, Diamandis said he felt uncomfortable reading texts that he hadn’t written because they contained “uncomfortable words.”
Read’s first trial revealed that some of Proctor’s texts included lewd and vulgar messages about her.
Diamandis said he did not condone the words, and Brennan said he would read them himself and ask if the witness could confirm that they were in the text chain.
“‘From all accounts, he didn’t do anything wrong,'” Brennan read, quoting one of Proctor’s texts. “‘She’s a whack job and…’ and then uses the C-word.”
Proctor then used obscene language in an apparent reference to a medical condition.
However, Diamandis also testified that Proctor never dicussed framing Read or planting evidence, as the defense has suggested.
The first full week of Karen Read’s defense begins today more than a month after jury selection began in her retrial on murder and other charges in the death of her former boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe.
The 45 -year-old Read’s first trial ended with a deadlocked jury last year.She is accused of striking O’Keefe, 46, with a Lexus SUV in a drunken fight, then driving away and leaving him to die in the cold during a blizzard.
Read’s lawyers — partially paid for after she sold her home and tapped into her retirement fund, deny that she struck him at all, however, over the first five weeks of trial, witnesses for the prosecution testified that O’Keefe suffered a head injury consistent with falling backward after a glancing vehicular strike and that plastic fragments consistent with Read’s broken taillight were recovered from his clothes.
Special prosecutor Hank Brennan rested the commonwealth’s case Thursday.
The first defense witness was an accident reconstruction expert named Matt DiSogra, who said that only three out of nearly 30 possible scenarios based on phone and vehicle data align with the prosecution’s timeline.
Twenty-five of them suggest O’Keefe’s last interaction with his cellphone was a conscious button-press made after Read took her SUV out of reverse, he said.
However, under cross-examination, he could not rule out a collision.
“Sir, are you trying to offer an opinion suggesting that Miss Read’s Lexus never hit John O’Keefe on January 29th, 2022?” Brennan asked. “Is that your opinion?”
“No sir,” DiSogra replied.
Diddy’s $6,000 bill included charges for ‘deep cleaning’ at Beverly Hills Hotel: testimony
Sean “Diddy” Combs was once hit with a hotel bill totaling over $6,600 after staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
The jury in Diddy’s sex trafficking and racketeering trial was shown the bill for Mr. Pines’ June stay. “Phillip Pines” was an alias used by Diddy at the Beverly Hills Hotel, employee Sylvia Oken testified.
The bill had room charges, payout for picking up candles, gift shop, telephone, parking, private bar and deep cleaning of drapes.
The jury was then shown more charges for another stay from May of 2015, where there was a miscellaneous charge for oil damage.
Prior to Oken taking the stand, the jury finished hearing testimony from Diddy’s former assistant. Testifying under the pseudonym Mia, the ex-assistant told the jury she was “psychologically” trapped by the rapper even after she stopped working for him in 2017. During her cross-examination, Mia pushed back on the defense. “I never lied in this courtroom and I never will lie in the courtroom,” she said. “Everything I said is true.”
Mia had testified that Diddy sexually assaulted her multiple times throughout her employment for the now-disgraced music mogul. According to Mia, she was often physically and emotionally abused by Diddy and had tried to run away from him on at least one occasion.
The intense questioning of Mia by Diddy’s defense led the prosecution to put on record that the cross-examination was humiliating and embarrassing.
Testimony will resume Tuesday with the prosecution’s next witness, Eddy Garcia.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs booked rooms at the Beverly Hills Hotel under changing alias names, according to a hotel employee.
After “Mia,” a former assistant of Sean “Diddy” Combs, completed her testimony Monday, Beverly Hills Hotel employee Sylvia Oken took the stand. Oken is the area director of sales and marketing at the hotel. Oken testified that prior to her current job, she was a sales director. Oken explained to the jury what happens when a guest makes a reservation. She said there are profiles for guests generated through a system called “Opera.” The guest profile at the Beverly Hills Hotel includes the name, notes and previous stays. The name on the profile is not always the name of the guest, especially if the guest is a celebrity. Oken testified that the hotel will have both names listed.
The jury was shown the profile of Beverly Hills Hotel guest Phillip Pines. Sylvia Oken testified “Phillip Pines” was an alias for Diddy. According to Oken, a guest can change their profile name.
The jury was then presented a record that showed a stay for a guest. Oken testified that the reservation notes have any special requests, like late check-out.
Oken explained that once the guest checks in, the hotel never really knows who is inside the room. The Beverly Hills Hotel employee said Diddy’s alias has changed over time. He had previously used Frank Black.
During cross-examination, Oken admitted booking a celebrity under an alias is not uncommon.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-assistant, testifying under the pseudonym “Mia,” explained why she was looking down during most of her testimony.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Smyser asked Diddy’s former employee about her demeanor during her testimony after her cross-examination concluded Monday.
“It’s the worst thing that I’ve ever had to talk about in my life,” Mia told the prosecution. According to Mia, she was there today testifying because “I look my niece and goddaughters in the eyes…”
Mia explained to prosecutors while on the stand that she met with the government so many times in order to understand the story because she was so terrified and learning how the things that happened to her were wrong. Mia claimed she was “terrified of Puff and the repercussions.”
Mia confirmed she was only asked to tell the truth.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-assistant testified she would have been made to look crazy if she told HR about the alleged sexual assaults.
Mia, testifying under a pseudonym, claimed Diddy sexually assaulted her multiple times when she was working for him between 2009 and 2017.
The rapper’s former employee said she didn’t tell HR about the sexual assaults because they only punished her unjustly. According to Mia, HR wouldn’t have believed her.
Mia testified if you went against Combs, it was betrayal.
The ex-assistant said if she disclosed the sexual abuse, she might have have been abused, fired or made to look like a crazy person making things up.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Mia, a former assistant for Sean “Diddy” Combs, testified that she kept the rapper happy so she would be “safe.”
After being cross-examined by the defense, Mia confirmed to Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Smyser that she posted on social media as part of her job. She gave examples of posting for Ciroc and the Bad Boy Reunion tour.
Mia reiterated it was part of her job to promote Diddy on social media and if Combs believed she wasn’t doing her job, she could be screamed at or punished. According to Mia, her job would be threatened.
Smyser asked about Mia posting for the rapper’s birthday. Mia explained if she didn’t post for his birthday, it would have been awkward. The ex-assistant claimed she could have gotten into trouble.
Mia testified posting the bad times was not what social media was for which is why she did not post about Diddy allegedly pushing his girlfriend Cassie Ventura into a bedframe or the rapper allegedly sexually assaulting her.
Mia explained she made Diddy a scrapbook gift for his birthday to keep him happy because, “When he was happy, I was safe.”
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense questioned his former assistant about possibly testifying for money in the rapper’s sex trafficking and racketeering trial.
Brian Steel asked if Mia was told she would make any money from testifying.
“No, that’s not a thing,” she told the court.
Earlier Monday during the cross-examination, Diddy’s defense lawyer asked if Mia sought a lawyer to sue Combs. She said no. “You joined the Diddy money grab,” Steel claimed. The prosecution objected and it was sustained.
Authorities charged Diddy with multiple counts of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transporting for prostitution in September 2024. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
His trial began with jury selection on May 5 while testimony began on May 12. The trial is expected to last eight weeks.
So far, the jury has heard from Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, Kid Cudi, former Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard, multiple ex-assistants and investigators.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ assistant testified she burst into tears after allegedly working five days with no sleep.
When asked about the five days she worked, Mia testified she had physical reactions, but did not say to Diddy that she had to go to sleep. The rapper’s defense attorney asked if she complained. Mia said she burst into tears.
Diddy’s lawyer, Brian Steel, asked if HR was a front for Combs. Mia testified that her only interactions were to enforce punishment that she did not deserve. She previously testified that she would often get suspended without pay after allegedly witnessing Diddy do something violent.
Mia first testified about working for five days straight with no sleep on Thursday. She said they were working, traveling, making club appearances and filming impromptu music videos. Mia claimed she has ADHD and has had a prescription since she was 17. According to Mia, she took extended release Adderall. She finally slept when she had a “physical breakdown.” Mia claimed she lost her hearing, had blurred vision, saw lights that weren’t there, burst into tears and couldn’t stop. Diddy then allegedly told her she could sleep.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former employee, testifying under the pseudonym “Mia,” explained she took it hard after losing her job working for the rapper, even texting that she was going to “kill” herself.
The ex-assistant believed the music mogul was a genius at the time, according to her testimony during Monday’s cross-examination.
Diddy’s lawyer questioned how any high could cover up the alleged lows she experienced while working for Combs. Mia said because “I felt safe…”
Brian Steel then asked why Mia texted she wanted to kill herself when first learning she wouldn’t be working for Combs. Mia testified that her “entire world was being ripped away from me immediately…” Steel asked if Mia made the decision to continue working for Diddy. Mia claimed she didn’t feel like she had a choice. Mia testified she was devastated when she was told she was being let go because it came out of nowhere and it felt like her world was being ripped apart.
On Friday,
Diddy’s defense attorney questioned Mia about finding out she would be let go from Revolt Films. Mia said she believed it was around Thanksgiving, but does not recall the exact date.
Texts between Mia and Diddy’s Chief of Staff Kristina “KK” Khorram from Dec. 2016 were shown to the jury. Mia wrote, “I’m going to kill myself. My life is over.” KK texted multiple times asking Mia to answer her phone. Mia eventually texted that she would call soon. Mia later wrote that she was hurt.
According to Mia, she was given this notification out of the blue and it made no sense. She noted they were in the middle of working on a documentary. Mia claimed it was “very overwhelming and horrific.” She said she did not want to leave the company she built where she was seeing her dreams come true. Mia testified that she loved what she was doing at the time.
Mia explained she didn’t see quitting as an option. According to Diddy’s ex-assistant, there is a long psychological explanation. It wasn’t just a job. She said she couldn’t leave the job on her own. Mia claimed she was misled about Combs wanting to dissolve Revolt.
Steel noted it was great and pointed out she was away from her abuser. Mia agreed in hindsight it was great, but at the time it was horrible.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense attorney asked if his former assistant had evidence she was “blacklisted” after she stopped working for the rapper in 2017.
“No…of course not,” Mia said when asked by Brian Steel if there was any evidence she was “blacklisted.”
The defense attorney asked if there had been any retribution by Combs. Mia testified that Diddy took away the documentary credit and other projects she had been working on.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-employee took the stand Monday for a third day of testimony in the rapper’s federal trial for sex crimes.
Testifying under the pseudonym Mia, she told the court that after she finished her employment with Diddy, she began working for Madonna, operating like an assistant.
Mia claimed to work for the “Material Girl” singer for six months in either 2018 or 2019.
She previously testified to working for Diddy as his personal assistant and as a director at Revolt films. She described the work environment as “chaotic, toxic … the highs were really high and the lows were really low.” According to Mia, Diddy’s mood determined the environment.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former assistant was questioned about her meetings with the prosecution during her cross-examination.
Mia was shown her notes from her meeting with the government from Jan. 5, 2024. Mia reviewed them on the stand. Diddy’s defense lawyer, Brian Steel, then asked if Mia ever told the prosecution about the alleged sexual abuse she experience by the rapper at the meeting on Jan. 5, 2024. Mia claimed she does not remember dates, but if Jan 5. 2024 was the first meeting then she did not say anything about the alleged sexual abuse.
Steel then had Mia look at more notes and asked if she mentioned anything about sexual assault during a Jan. 8, 2024 meeting with the government. Mia again said she doesn’t remember dates and did not tell the government about the alleged sexual assault until she had legal representation.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ mother attended court Monday as the jury continued to hear testimony from the rapper’s former assistant.
Janice Combs was pictured wearing a colorful blazer as she walked into the Manhattan courthouse for the 14th day of testimony in the 55-year-old music producer’s federal trial for sex crimes.
She’s publicly defended the disgraced music mogul, and claimed in an October statement provided to Fox News Digital that her son is “not the monster they have painted him to be.”
“It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies,” Janice wrote. “To bear witness what seems to be like a public lynching of my son before he has had the opportunity to prove his innocence is a pain too unbearable to put into words. Like every human being, my son deserves to have his day in court, to finally share his side, and to prove his innocence.”
Testifying under the pseudonym Mia, Diddy’s ex-assistant
has been on the stand since Thursday. In addition to allegations of witnessing Diddy attack his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, she claimed the “Last Night” rapper also sexually assaulted her.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense team accused his former assistant, Mia, of joining the “Diddy money grab” during cross-examination Monday.
The disgraced music mogul’s attorney noted that until Mia got a lawyer in 2024, she never revealed to anyone that Diddy was allegedly sexually violent with her. “Unless it was to my privileged therapist, correct,” the ex-assistant told the courtroom.
Brian Steel, Diddy’s defense lawyer, asked if Mia sought a lawyer to sue Combs. She said no. “You joined the Diddy money grab,” Steel claimed. The prosecution objected and it was sustained by Judge Arun Subramanian, which means the jury was instructed to disregard.
Mia testified that she was aware that Cassie Ventura received a settlement
from Diddy after filing a sexual abuse lawsuit against the rapper. According to the former assistant, she never discussed with Cassie anything about the substance of their convos with the government.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
During cross-examination Monday, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former assistant Mia was asked about the legitimacy of her testimony.
Diddy’s lawyer, Brian Steel, asked Mia about her recollection of a party at Prince’s house. She testified last week that she and Cassie Ventura allegedly snuck away together to attend an event at the late “Little Red Corvette” singer’s place without the rapper’s permission in 2011 or 2012.
Mia told Steel that she and Cassie were told to remain in the hotel suite, and that it was possible Diddy would know people at the party.
Once at the party, Mia testified last week
that she saw Diddy come through wearing a bucket hat. Mia and Cassie “booked it” out of the house, and tried to hide in the bushes, but she claimed Diddy caught Cassie and had her on the ground. Mia testified that Diddy “started to attack her,” but security “swiftly intervened.”
On the stand Monday, Steel asked if there were pictures of a chase, to which Mia responded she wasn’t sure. The lawyer then asked if she recalled taking paddleboards out onto the water to escape Diddy, and if there was any recorded evidence of the escape. Steel wondered if Mia made up the event, to which she said “no.”
Following the incident, the Bad Boy Records founder allegedly suspended her without pay, and deemed her “insubordinate.”
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Mia, a former assistant of Sean “Diddy” Combs, didn’t disclose the alleged sexual assault she experienced while working for the rapper until she had a lawyer.
Diddy’s defense attorney, Brian Steel, asked Mia about meeting with prosecutors on Jan. 5, 2024. The ex-assistant remembered meeting with them, but does not recall the date. She confirmed she did not tell prosecutors at that meeting about the alleged sexual assaults.
Steel asked about Mia meeting with prosecutors again in January of 2024. Mia claimed she does not remember when she told prosecutors about Combs sexually assaulting her. According to Mia, she did not tell the government about the alleged sexual assaults before she had legal representation.
Diddy’s attorney questioned Mia about having a lawyer at her third meeting with prosecutors. The former employee of Diddy said she is not sure. Mia said she remembered meeting with prosecutors with her lawyer, Shawn Crowley, present but can’t remember the dates.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former assistant was “deeply ashamed” of the alleged sexual assault she experienced by the rapper.
Diddy’s defense lawyer brought up
Cassie Ventura’s sexual abuse lawsuit against the rapper. Cassie sued Diddy in November 2023.
Mia testified that she remembered the lawsuit becoming public on Nov. 16, 2023 and confirmed she was aware of the #MeToo movement. Brian Steel, Diddy’s attorney, asked if Mia called Cassie after reading her allegations about being sexually abused by Combs. According to Mia, she and Cassie spoke at the time.
However, Mia said she did not reveal her own alleged sexual abuse. “I was still deeply ashamed and wanted to die and didn’t want to tell anyone ever,” she told the court.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs put tracking devices on his ex-assistant’s car, according to her testimony Monday.
During cross-examination, Mia explained Diddy had stolen her phone many times and stolen his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura’s phone. The former assistant also claimed Diddy had put tracking devices on her car and testified that she was terrified of the rapper because she wasn’t sure what he was capable of.
Diddy’s defense attorney shifted the cross-examination to Mia leaving Combs Enterprises and Revolt.
Mia testified that she did have a lawyer to negotiate her settlement. The ex-assistant testified that she had to articulate through her lawyer why she was owed money. Mia admitted she never mentioned anything about sexual assault during the mediation.
Mia previously testified that she settled for about $400K, and personally received about $200K.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-assistant, testifying under the pseudonym “Mia,” claimed she was “forced” to cover for the rapper during his relationship with Cassie Ventura.
Brian Steel, Diddy’s attorney, asked why Mia would stick up for the “I’ll Be Missing You” singer when she had knowledge he was “jerky.” Mia claimed she was required to be put in the middle and coverup for Combs to Cassie, which “he forced me to do constantly.”
Steel then asked if Mia told Cassie she needed to stay with Diddy. According to Mia, she doesn’t remember using those words. She said she remembers covering for the disgraced music mogul when he forced her to and if she didn’t he would have taken her away.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
During cross-examination Monday, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense attorney turned the questioning back to the rapper’s ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
Brian Steel asked the rapper’s former employee, who is testifying under the pseudonym “Mia,” about her relationship with Cassie. Mia confirmed they were best friends, like sisters, and they are still close. Mia claimed there was a time period where they didn’t see each other.
Steel asked if Mia would lie to Cassie. Mia said she wouldn’t lie to her about anything unless she was forced to. According to Diddy’s ex-assistant, sometimes she was told to uphold whatever story the rapper told her.
Mia never told Cassie that Diddy allegedly sexually assaulted her.
Mia said she did not tell Cassie to get away from the “Gotta Move On” rapper in the way she wishes she could have. The former assistant testified she was not allowed to because of Combs.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
The judge in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial refused to admit more photos into evidence, denying the defense’s request during a morning break Monday.
Diddy’s defense said they were alerted to additional pictures this morning that they want to use for impeachment evidence. According to the defense, the images of Mia spending time with family and friends is relevant because they show she had time away from Diddy.
Judge Arun Subramanian ruled the photos will not be admitted.
The defense then asked to have them moved into evidence for a record.
The judge said no. According to Subramanian, the social media posts and images have no relevance. He said the images will not be shown, but Diddy’s attorney Brian Steel can still ask questions.
Mia, a former employee of Diddy, previously testified to the long hours she allegedly endured while working for the rapper. She told the jury that she didn’t sleep for 24 hours on her first day of work. The ex-assistant also claimed she was forced to work five days without sleep.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
The prosecution in Sean “Diddy” Combs’
case took time to put on record that Mia’s cross-examination has been humiliating and embarrassing.
During a break in trial testimony, the government accused the defense of crossing into prejudice. According to the government, the defense’s line of questioning should not be allowed to continue.
They said Mia has held her own with dignity. The prosecution pointed out there are a lot of eyes on this case, and depending how Mia is treated may determine if victims in other cases choose to testify.
Judge Arun Subramanian
said he does not believe Diddy’s attorney Brian Steel has yelled at the witness, but there are questions that are argumentative and in improper form. The federal judge said if Steel continues to do that, he may be inclined to believe it’s being done just to get the question asked.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former employee kept in touch with the rapper despite being scared of him.
The jury in Diddy’s sex trafficking and racketeering trial was shown a text from his ex-assistant Mia sent in April 2019, two years after she stopped working for the rapper.
Mia’s text sent love and happiness for Diddy coming to her hometown, Virginia Beach, for the festival Beach Week. In the text message, Mia wrote that Diddy’s presence brought love. Mia said she wrote she was sorry to miss Combs that week, but claimed she didn’t want to send the text. The ex-assistant said she didn’t want to see Diddy, but had never said anything direct or mean to him before and wasn’t going to start. She testified that she would have been expected to be there because it was her hometown.
A text message from Mia to Diddy on July 30, 2022 is shown. Mia texted Combs about the documentary. She wrote, “Love you.”
The defense continued to show more messages including a text from Mia to the rapper from Dec 28, 2022. Mia wished Combs a happy holiday.
Diddy’s attorney, Brian Steel, questioned how Mia kept communicating with a man who she couldn’t see and was terrified of. The defense attorney then asked if Mia felt this way the entire time she was with Diddy. According to Mia, she felt this way “when he was scary, yes.”
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense questioned his former employee about why she waited to come forward about the rapper allegedly sexually assaulting her.
According to the ex-assistant, Diddy sexually assaulted her multiple times throughout her employment.
Mia testified Monday that Diddy threatened to tell his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura
“everything,” which made her feel as though she had done something wrong. She said she doesn’t know how to explain that.
Diddy’s defense attorney, Brian Steel, asked why she didn’t tell Diddy he should tell everyone. There was an objection from the prosecution that was sustained, meaning the jury will disregard the question and answer.
Steel then asked why Mia didn’t speak up in 2017, when she stopped working for Diddy. She said she didn’t because she “was terrified and brainwashed.”
Diddy’s attorney questioned when the “moral obligation” that the rapper sexually violated her came to mind. Mia explained, “When I started witnessing him be held accountable for his actions” and when she was told what he was doing was wrong. Mia noted she is still untangling these things in therapy.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Mia, a former employee of Sean “Diddy” Combs, testified that she was brainwashed by the rapper when working for him.
In response to a text from Diddy saying he would only remember the good times, Mia wrote, “love you too and the only things to remember are the good times…hysterical times…I was bamboozled by Heather because I didn’t really know how s—– people could be…”
Defense attorney Brian Steel asked why Mia didn’t tell Diddy he bamboozled her. Mia claimed she was brainwashed by Combs, that she was in an environment where the highs were really high and the lows were really low. Mia claimed she was punished and made to feel as if she did something wrong. She continued that she felt like she betrayed Diddy by going to the mediation, that she had done something wrong. According to Mia, she was constantly seeking his approval. Diddy was her main authority figure.
Mia told the jury Friday that there was a mediation after she left Combs’ company in 2017.
According to Mia, her attorney asked for about $10 million. Mia revealed some of the physical abuse. She said she felt “really wrong and shameful” because she was breaking confidentiality. The former assistant claimed she did not reveal anything about the alleged sexual assaults because she wanted to die with those secrets. Mia settled for about $400K, and personally received about $200K.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-assistant claimed she has not lied while testifying in the rapper’s sex trafficking and racketeering trial.
Diddy’s defense team continued to show the jury texts from Mia to the rapper. One, from Mia on Aug 29, 2020, was about life being crazy. Brian Steel, Diddy’s attorney, asked if Mia had notes in her phone about the “Last Night” rapper not being professional. Mia said she doesn’t know but doesn’t think so. Steel asked if Mia had time away from Combs to write a note about the rapper allegedly sexually assaulting her. She said no.
In another text shown to the jury, Diddy asked for footage for his documentary and said he would only remember the good times.
Steel noted the #MeToo movement
was going on for over two years by now, but Mia did not respond that she only remembered the bad times. Mia said she would not have responded that way.
Steel said “because it’s not true, is it Mia.” Mia pushed back, telling the defense attorney, “I never lied in this courtroom and I never will lie in the courtroom. Everything I said is true.”
Steel also asked if Mia ever recorded Combs allegedly berating her.
”No I wouldn’t have been allowed to film that…” she replied. He then asked if Mia had any text messages and she said no. According to Mia, she did not discuss the sexual assaults. Diddy’s former employee claimed she did not disclose things other people didn’t witness.
Steel asked if all the texts are positive. Mia agreed that she was sending support and love.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
The former employee of Sean “Diddy” Combs testified she was psychologically trapped by the rapper, even after she stopped working for him.
Diddy’s defense showed the jury a text message from March 2019. In the text, Mia expressed her love for the rapper. Brian Steel, the rapper’s attorney, said Mia was not under the trap of Combs at this time. The ex-assistant had stopped working for Diddy in 2017.
Mia claimed psychologically, she was. She explained Diddy’s ex Kim Porter had just passed away and she “felt horrible for him.” Steel asked Mia to explain why she was reaching out. Mia said five months isn’t that long after a tragedy.
She claimed the version of Combs that treated her like a best friend protected her from the other versions of him. Mia also said she didn’t understand what was happening with herself until recently.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former assistant, Mia, once dreamt the rapper saved her from R. Kelly.
The jury was shown a text sent from Mia to Diddy in January of 2019. Mia told the rapper she had a nightmare where she was stuck in an elevator with R. Kelly, but Combs rescued her. Brian Steel, Diddy’s attorney, noted that the person Mia claims “terrorized her” is the one she wrote to after a dream where he saved her.
There was an objection that Judge Arun Subramanian sustained, meaning he ruled in favor of the objection. This means the question or answer will be disregarded by the jury.
The jury was also shown a text between Mia and Combs from Christmas 2018. Mia wrote, “Merry Christmas. Love you, so, so much.” She also wished him a happy New Year. These texts were sent after Mia stopped working for Diddy.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense team showed the jury a copy of the rapper’s ex-assistant’s resume during cross-examination Monday.
On her resume as an assistant, Mia wrote she catered to celebrity clients. She told Diddy’s defense lawyer that she wanted to work in the entertainment industry.
Diddy’s attorney, Brian Steel, asked if Mia can understand and take on responsibility. She replied, “True.” Mia said that she is good at teaching others, but not necessarily enforcing it. Steel asked if Mia is a leader. After a pause, Diddy’s former employee said she doesn’t know how to answer that. He then asked if she can speak up for herself, to which she said “no.”
Steel asked if Mia has thick skin. “I thought I did,” she told the defense attorney. She also admitted she wrote she was comfortable with a 24/7 role.
Mia testified on Thursday that she didn’t sleep for 24 hours on her first day working for Diddy.
While describing her first day of work, she explained she was told she wasn’t going to see Diddy for roughly two weeks while she was “on trial” and got accustomed to the job. Mia was instructed to go to Diddy’s home in New Jersey and take note of what needed attention. She said she was there for a few hours and went back to the office before being told she could go home. However, Mia claimed she was then told to go to the studio until 1:00pm the next day and then to go to Diddy’s apartment. According to Mia, she didn’t sleep during her first 24 hours on the job.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense team appeared unprepared as “Mia,” an ex-assistant testifying under a pseudonym, took the stand for her continued cross-examination Monday.
Diddy’s defense lawyer, Brian Steel, tried to show Mia defense exhibit 1750, but didn’t have headphones for her. He also did not have the binders for the witness. Defense exhibit 1750 is a birthday video from the ex-assistant to Combs.
The defense first brought up the video Friday. Judge Arun Subramanian ruled to admit the video Monday morning. The judge agreed with the prosecution that the birthday video has limited probative value. The defense argued that Mia is putting on a persona on the stand and the video has impeachment value.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former assistant resumed testimony in the rapper’s sex trafficking trial Monday morning.
“Mia” took the stand around 9:15am ET.
Before the ex-assistant took the stand, the defense, prosecution and Judge Arun Subramanian discussed pending issues. The prosecution said they received about 30 additional social media posts the defense wants to use for impeachment purposes on Mia. The defense confronted the ex-assistant with her own social media posts praising Diddy on Friday.
The judge told the defense the posts need to be clear.
Diddy’s defense said they will need until at least lunch time to finish cross-examination on Mia. The judge joked, “and we’re not going to have 30 more Instagram posts.”
Many celebrities have been name-dropped during the first three weeks of the federal sex crimes trial against Sean “Diddy” Combs.
During the third week of testimony, jurors heard from former employees of Diddy’s, including his former assistant Capricorn Clark, who brought up a few big names.
“Um, talented to me is Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey,” Clark said when speaking about Cassie Ventura’s talent. “Very talented is that level of performer, entertainer. Cassie was more of a studio artist.”
Clark also testified that during a walk in Central Park, Diddy threatened to kill her after learning she previously worked for Suge Knight.
Another former assistant, who worked for Diddy from 2009 until 2017 and who testified anonymously under the pseudonym “Mia,” said she was previously the personal assistant of actor Mike Myers. Mia also worked for designer, Georgina Chapman.
Also mentioned in testimony during week three of the trial were musicians, Nas, Kelis and French Montana.
Celebrity stylist, Deonte Nash, brought up Rick Ross, Wiz Khalifa and Meek Mill in his testimony, claiming the three musicians were working on a mix-tape with Cassie which Diddy threatened not to release.
“He told her that one time if she keep – if she keeps having a smart a– mouth, her little mixtape won’t be coming out,” Nash testified.
Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former assistant claimed the rapper sexually assaulted her more than once during his sex trafficking trial.
On Thursday, “Mia” testified the “Victory” rapper sexually assaulted her sporadically throughout her employment, with the first incident during his 40th birthday party in New York.
After Diddy allegedly gave her two shots of alcohol, Mia claimed she froze when Diddy began to kiss her and move his hand up her dress.
“I was shocked … I froze,” she said. Mia said that not only was Diddy her boss, but he was also a very powerful person. She claimed she didn’t remember “coming to” and getting from the kitchen to the penthouse.
She also recalled an alleged sexual assault that took place at Diddy’s Los Angeles home.
Mia said she was sleeping in an unlocked room that had bunk beds. She allegedly woke up with Diddy on top of her, with instructions to be quiet. Mia testified that Diddy used one hand to get his pants off. She claimed through tears, “He put himself inside of me.”
Mia testified that she did not want to have sex with Diddy. The assault was allegedly very quick, “but felt like forever.” She didn’t remember how it ended, but she claimed he didn’t leave the job unfinished.
The former employee told the court that Diddy had control over her. “I couldn’t tell him no … I couldn’t tell him no about anything,” she said during her testimony. “I knew his power … control over me. I didn’t want to lose anything I worked so hard for.”
Fox News’ Maria Paronich and Fox News Digital’s Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs returned to court Monday for the fourth week of his federal sex trafficking trial.
Diddy sat at the defense table wearing a light-colored sweater Monday morning.
Testimony will resume with the defense team’s continued cross-examination of Diddy’s ex-assistant, who has been allowed to testify under a pseudonym. Testifying as “Mia,” she told the court she endured physical and emotional abuse while working for the rapper. She also claimed she was sexually assaulted by Diddy multiple times.
During cross-examination on Friday, Diddy’s defense showed Mia multiple posts from her personal social media accounts where she praised Combs. She explained that she only posted positive things about her life on social media and those posts do not reflect the fear and trauma she felt.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs has been detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York since his arrest in September 2024, and will stay there for the remainder of his federal trial for sex crimes.
Following a full day of court throughout the fourth week of the trial, Diddy will most likely return to the detention center for dinner. Unlike for breakfast, the dinner menu differs from day to day.
On Monday, Diddy will be offered chicken fried rice or tofu fried rice, black beans, carrots, whole wheat bread and a beverage.
Returning from court on Tuesday, the disgraced rapper will find chili or three bean chili on the menu, alongside green beans, garden salad with assorted dressing options, whole wheat bread and a beverage.
On Wednesday the menu consists of chicken breast sandwich, or chickpea burger, pinto beans, steamed rice, whole kernel corn with mayonnaise, whole wheat hamburger buns and a beverage.
After a day at court on Thursday, Diddy will eat chicken cheese steak or navy beans, garlic macaroni, pinto beans, whole wheat hot dog buns and a beverage.
Then on Friday, Diddy will be served a steak and cheese sub or black bean burger, baked potato, green beans, whole wheat hot dog bun, margarine pat and a beverage.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal trial for charges of racketeering and sex trafficking is in its fourth week, and the price tag on his defense continues to rise.
When factoring in the cost of the eight-week trial, as well as the months of pretrial motions and preparations, plus his top-notch legal team, experts estimate the total cost could be anywhere from $10 to $15 million.
Marc Agnifilo, who represented NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere, and Brian Steel, who recently represented rapper Young Thug, are among the team of lawyers listed on Diddy’s court docket. The others include Teny Geragos, Anna Estevao, Jason Driscoll, Xavier R. Donaldson and Alexandra Shapiro.
“When you consider the severity of the potential punishment Diddy is facing if convicted, including life in prison, and the sprawling indictment which alleges RICO charges along with the number of witnesses and locations of the conduct being prosecuted, it’s easy to see the legal tab topping $10 million,” civil rights and criminal defense attorney Adante Pointer told Fox News Digital.
Criminal defense attorney John Day told Fox News Digital that he estimates Combs’ trial will cost him $15 million “for the entire package,” adding, “This is literally a ‘money is no object’ defense.”
Fox News Digital’s Janelle Ash contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs pleaded not guilty to an updated version of the federal indictment against the rapper during a March court hearing.
Diddy, 55, appeared in a Manhattan courtroom wearing a tan jumpsuit, and showed noticeably grayer hair.
His mother, Janice Combs, and four of his children were present in the courtroom. At the end of the hearing, Diddy turned to his family and blew a two-handed kiss.
The new indictment against Diddy lengthened the timeline of his alleged sex-trafficking and racketeering behavior and added two more unnamed victims.
The prosecution also accused the “Last Night” rapper
of forcing employees to work long hours by threatening them with physical or reputational harm and forcing an employee to engage in a sexual encounter with the musician.
The sides also discussed evidence to be used during trial – including footage previously obtained by CNN and shared publicly showing Diddy assaulting his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
Prosecutors argued this was critical evidence for their case against Diddy, while his team claimed the video was deceptive. The rapper’s legal team said a forensic analysis of the video showed it had been sped up and the order of events had been changed.
CNN denied the allegations in a statement to Fox News Digital.
The prosecution expects the government’s case to take six weeks to lay out, while Diddy’s legal team estimates needing two weeks to argue the rapper’s defense.