Exclusive: Civil suit against Sean 'Diddy' Combs had fabricated rape kit evidence

Exclusive: Civil suit against Sean 'Diddy' Combs had fabricated rape kit evidence

Claims of a sexual assault and a backlogged rape kit that resulted ina $100 million default judgmentagainstSean "Diddy" Combsare not true, USA TODAY has confirmed. And as the rap mogul's criminal trial unfolds in New York, his lawyers have succeeded in having the civil award thrown out. The civil suit against Combs, who is standing trial on criminal charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, was filed by a Michigan prison inmate who alleged Combs sexually assaulted him in 1997. The inmate, Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, claimed hisrape kit– like hundreds of thousands of others around the country – had sat untested for years. Cardello-Smith alleged Combs assaulted him in Detroit, whereWayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthywas at the forefront of the national movement to clear the rape kit backlog. He claimed that when his kit was finally tested in 2024, the DNA evidence in it matched Combs. But a spokeswoman for Worthy confirmed exclusively to USA TODAY that Cardello-Smith's allegations were false. "Derek Lee Cardello-Smith did not have a rape kit that was part of the Detroit Sexual Assault Kit Project," Maria Miller told USA TODAY in an email. "We do not know of a SAK (sexual assault kit) being tested in 2024 related to him." A few days after Lenawee County Circuit Court Judge Anna Marie Anzalone awarded the $100 million default judgment in a Michigan courtroom in September 2024, she reversed it. Default judgments are entered when someone fails to respond to a lawsuit. But Combs was never served with the suit and didn't know it had been filed until he read about the judgment in the media, according to court records. Shortly thereafter, Combs, 55, retained Michigan law firm Fink Bressack, which argued successfully that the award to Cardello-Smith should be nullified. The suit itself remained pending, however. Combs' attorneys had the suit moved from state court to federal court, and in January 2025, U.S. District Judge Judith E. Levy dismissed it with prejudice, meaning it cannot be re-filed. Since then, Cardello-Smith has made numerous attempts to keep the case alive. So far, he has been unsuccessful. Cardello-Smith is serving up to 75 years in prison after being convicted of criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping. He filed the suit against Combs without a lawyer. When the default judgment was handed down, Marc Agnifilo, one of the attorneys representing Combs at his criminal trial, said Combs had never heard of Cardello-Smith. Diddy on trial newsletter:Step inside the courtroom as music mogul faces sex-crimes charges "This man is a convicted felon and sexual predator, who has been sentenced on 14 counts of sexual assault and kidnapping over the last 26 years," Agnifilo wrote in a statement to USA TODAY. "His resumė now includes committing a fraud on the court from prison." Cardello-Smith's suit, originally filed in June 2024, is among dozens of civil lawsuits alleging sexual assaults and other misdeeds by Combs dating back to the 1990s. One of them was filed by his former girlfriend, Casandra Ventura Fine, who can be seen being physically assaulted by Combs on surveillance video from a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. Combs' legal team has said the video, first made public by CNN in 2024, had been altered.CNN has denied the allegation. Ventura Fine, better known by her stage name, Cassie, testified for four days during Combs' criminal trial in the Southern District of New York, which began May 5 with jury selection and is expected to last at least through the end of June. Combs' attorneys have said they believe her suit, which Combs settled for $20 million the day after it was filed, prompted the criminal investigation against him. Gina Barton is an investigative reporter at USA TODAY. She can be reached at (262) 757-8640 orgbarton@gannett.com. Follow her on X@writerbartonor on Bluesky@writerbarton.bsky.social. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Exclusive: Michigan man's rape allegation against Diddy was fabricated

byKonstantin Pynzar

in

May 21, 2025

Exclusive: Civil suit against Sean 'Diddy' Combs had fabricated rape kit evidence

Exclusive: Civil suit against Sean 'Diddy' Combs had fabricated rape kit evidence Claims of a sexual assault and a backlogged rape k...

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Taylor Swift Returns to Social Media to Support Kobe Bryant's Daughter Natalia as She Graduates from USC

Taylor Swift Returns to Social Media to Support Kobe Bryant's Daughter Natalia as She Graduates from USC

Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty; Natalia Bryant/TikTok Taylor Swift showed her support for the late Kobe Bryant's daughter Natalia as she recently graduated cum laude from USC Natalia and three friends shared a clip wearing their commencement stoles alongside Swift's song, "Nothing New" The track is particularly appropriate for 22-year-old Natalia as it features the lyric, "How can a person know everything at 18 but nothing at 22?" Taylor Swiftis showing her support forKobe Bryant's daughter,Natalia. On Sunday, May 18, Kobe's eldest daughter, Natalia, shared aTikTok videoof her lip-syncing to Swift's song "Nothing New (Taylor's Version)" alongside three friends. And who should have liked the video, but Swift herself! The clip shows the four recent University of Southern California graduates wearing matching white minidresses with their red-and-gold commencement stoles. The quartet is smiling widely and throwing their hands in the air as they celebrate their achievement in the 15-second clip. The lyrics of 35-year-old Swift's tune are particularly appropriate for 22-year-old Natalia as they include the line, "How can a person know everything at 18 but nothing at 22? And will you still want me when I'm nothing new?" touching on the uncertainty new college graduates often feel. Natalia Bryant/TikTok Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Nataliaincluded a fewspecial nods to her late father Kobewhile accepting her diploma from USC on Friday, May 16. After she graduated cum laude her mother Vanessa shared the sweet ways in which she honored the basketball legend,who died in 2020, via avideoshared to Instagram. The clip showed that Natalia's graduation sash had "Thank you Mom & Dad," embroidered inside in USC's signature yellow and red colors. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! The sash also featured her father's sheath logo, which, in a 2014Esquireinterview, Kobe explained was inspired by a samurai sword and meant "raw talent." Mat Hayward/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management The PEOPLE Appis now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! ​​And while her late father, who tragicallydiedalong with her sisterGianna Bryantand seven others in a helicopter crash in 2020, couldn't be there in person, the Bryants had the support of their Lakers family in ownerJeanie Bussat the ceremony. Buss, 63, personally Natalia her diploma on stage. "Thank you@jeaniebussfor making this milestone even more special.#LakersFamily," Vanessa wrote in her caption on Instagram, with Natalia adding, "Thank you@jeaniebuss❤️." Swifties were excited to see her presence on social media in liking Natalia's post, as Swfit has been taking some time away from the spotlight sincewrapping her record-breaking Eras tourat the end of last year. And with her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight endTravis Kelce, 35, also enjoying the off-season, the pair aremaking the most of some time off together. "They have been traveling nonstop and very much enjoy it," a source told PEOPLE exclusively back in April. "They are hanging out with friends, too. It's a special time for them." Read the original article onPeople

byKonstantin Pynzar

in

May 21, 2025

Taylor Swift Returns to Social Media to Support Kobe Bryant's Daughter Natalia as She Graduates from USC

Taylor Swift Returns to Social Media to Support Kobe Bryant's Daughter Natalia as She Graduates from USC Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Ge...

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Prince William, Princess Kate get dolled up for annual Royal Garden Party: See the photos

Prince William, Princess Kate get dolled up for annual Royal Garden Party: See the photos

Prince WilliamandPrincess Kateare welcoming the summer in style. The Prince and Princess of Wales, along with a slew of other British royals, attended the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on May 20. The appearance marks Kate's return after skipping out on the 2024 Garden Party amid hercancer treatment. The outdoor soiree, part of a series of annual garden parties held at the palace and Scotland's Palace of Holyroodhouse, allows the royal family to "speak to a broad range of people from all walks of life, all of whom have made a positive impact in their community," according to theroyal family's official website. Entry to the event is invitation-only, and invites are typically distributed via a "long established network of sponsors," per the royal family's website. Guests often include Lord-Lieutenants, as well as members from select societies and associations, government departments, the Church of England and other faith-based organizations. During the Garden Party, the royals in attendance greet guests in designated "lanes," during which each royal family member takes a different route and watches presentations from the various attendees, according to the royal family's website. Afterward, the royals make their way to the Royal Tea Tent to converse with other guests. See who else was in attendance at the Royal Garden Party. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Prince William and Princess Kate get dolled up for Royal Garden Party

byKonstantin Pynzar

in

May 21, 2025

Prince William, Princess Kate get dolled up for annual Royal Garden Party: See the photos

Prince William, Princess Kate get dolled up for annual Royal Garden Party: See the photos Prince WilliamandPrincess Kateare welcoming the su...

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Trump to meet South African president amid clashes on trade, refugees

Trump to meet South African president amid clashes on trade, refugees

WASHINGTON – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will meet with PresidentDonald Trumpat the White House on May 21 to discuss trade, putting the two leaders on a collision course after weeks of traded barbs. Trumpcut off U.S. aid to South Africa for what he called"egregious" accusations of genocideagainst Israel and for "fueling disproportionate violence against racially disfavored landowners" – a claim widely disputed by experts and human rights activists, in addition to South Africa's government. He also beganaccepting White people from South Africa− many of them descendants of Dutch colonists known as Afrikaners – as refugees fleeing alleged racial discrimination. Ramaphosa called accusations of racial persecution against Afrikaners a"completely false narrative."Although apartheid − in which South Africa was controlled by the country's White minority and Black South Africans were deprived of basic civil rights, ended in 1994 −white people still own a large majority of the landand control a hugelyoutsized share of the country's wealth. Trump has said the White South Africans are the victims of "genocide" – an accusation the South African government and human rights experts say is not supported by evidence. Ramaphosa told reporters May 17ahead of his tripthat he wasn't worried about a hostile welcome at the White House. "There is no genocide in South Africa,"Ramaphosa said. "We are going to have good discussions on trade." John Steenhuisen, the South African minister for agriculture, said on social media May 20 that he had a constructive meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. "Trade is essential between our two countries and we are determined to ensure that access for agricultural products remains open in a mutually beneficial way,"Steenhuisen said. "Trade means jobs and a growing economy." The United States had an$8 billion trade deficitwith South Africa in 2024. Upon taking office, Trump immediatelysuspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Programand orderedmost potential refugees to remain in other countries. But an exceptionTrump ordered Feb. 7was for "Afrikaners in South Africa who are victims of unjust racial discrimination" who he offered admission and resettlement in the United States as refugees. The Trump administration warmly greeted59 White people from South Africaupon their arrival on May 12, aftergranting them refugee status. But experts on South Africa say Trump's claims of anti-White discrimination − much less genocide − are baseless. "Genocide has a very clear definition and what is happening in South Africa with White South Africans does not fit the definition at all," said Mandeep Tiwana, chief officer of evidence and engagement at CIVICUS, a human rights advocacy organization headquartered in South Africa. "In fact, White South Africans are a privileged minority." "There is no White genocide. It is a story that has been sold," said Thapelo Mohapi, secretary general of Abahlali baseMjondolo, a South African poor people's movement. "It is very unfortunate, as a poor South African that lives in a shack, seeing somebody going abroad on a flight with gifts and clothing and receiving a warm welcome from the presidency in the U.S., with a lie that they are being persecuted," Mohapi said of the Afrikaners granted refugee status. "We, in fact, are the ones who are living in poverty," Mohapi said. Trump's admission of the Afrikaners also angered refugee assistance programs. The Episcopal Churchannouncedit would shutter its refugee resettlement program on May 12 after Trump asked it to help resettle the group of Afrikaners – even as the flow of refugees from all other countries had stopped. "This is a corruption of the U.S. refugee program," Kenn Speicher, co-founder of Northern Virginia Friends of Refugees, said at Dulles Airport, where he was protesting the Afrikaners' arrival. Genocide is defined in the Genocide Convention, an international treaty that criminalizes genocide, as the killing of members of a group because of their race, religion or national origin, as in the Holocaust. "White farmers are being brutally killed," Trump told reporters May 12 in the White House Roosevelt Room. Ramaphosa has branded the claim a "false narrative." In South Africa, White people are much less likely to be murder victims than Black people. The group Genocide Watch has said that while South Africa's population is 7% White,White people make up just 2%of its murder victims. The South African government saidon May 9 that "The South Africa Police Services statistics on farm related crimes do not support allegations of violent crime targeted at farmers generally or any particular race." Allegations of a White "genocide" in the country have been heavily bolstered byElon Musk, Trump's close advisor, who is South African by birth. Last week, users of X, the social media site owned by Musk,widely reportedthat its AI chatbot repeatedly spitted out statements that the South African White genocide is real in unrelated conversations. Musk has also frequently used the platform to broadcast his accusations that White South Africans are victims of targeted racial violence. "When a farmer dies, then the whole world must know, because that farmer is White and the farmer is privileged," Mohapi said. "Black people can die anytime, like flies." The conflict over South African refugees erupted at a Senate hearing May 20 between Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Kaine disputed that Afrikaners are refugees because their political party is part of the government. "I assert that this claim that there is persecution of Afrikaner famers is specious," Kaine said. Rubio said the Afrikaners who arrived as refugees felt persecuted because "their farms were burned down and they were killed because of the color of their skin." Rubio denied the Trump administration favored Afrikaners as refugees because they are White. He said accepting refugees from more countries would lead to millions of more people arriving. "It was acting as a magnet," Rubio said of the refugee program. "They can't all come here." Trump's allegations of a White "genocide" in South Africa center on recent land reform legislation signed by Ramaphosa in January called theExpropriation Act. The bill, aimed at rectifying inequality in land ownership left over from South Africa's racial apartheid system, opens pathways for the government to seize private land for public use – sometimes without compensation. The White House's executive order slammed the bill as "in shocking disregard of its citizens' rights" and Muskbrandedit "racist." But South Africa's racial wealth gap leans starkly in the opposite direction. Whitesmake upjust over 7% of the population, but own around 72% of the country's farms and agricultural land, according toa 2017 government report. The country's inequality levels – consistently rated by the World Bank as among the worst globally – impact its Black population at a vastly disproportionate rate. Last year, the unemploymentrate hit37.6% for Black South Africans, while 7.9% of Whites were without a job. Around 10% of Blacks hadmedical carein 2018, as compared to 72% of their White counterparts. "We are finding ourselves in a very tight and difficult situation," said Mohapi. "People celebrate when they get a meal a day." "We are defending White privilege rather than to actually talk about the real issues, the bread and butter issues," he said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Trump to host South African president for trade, refugee talks

byKonstantin Pynzar

in

May 21, 2025

Trump to meet South African president amid clashes on trade, refugees

Trump to meet South African president amid clashes on trade, refugees WASHINGTON – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will meet with Pr...

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George Wendt, Who Played Norm on ‘Cheers,’ Dies at 76

George Wendt, Who Played Norm on 'Cheers,' Dies at 76

George Wendt, an American actor and comedian who earned six consecutive Emmy nominations for his performance as Norm Peterson on the beloved NBC comedy series "Cheers," died Tuesday morning at his home. He was 76. Wendt's death was confirmed by his publicist Melissa Nathan with the following statement: "George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him. He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time." More from Variety Kelsey Grammer and Ted Danson Didn't Speak for 30 Years After Danson Confronted Him on 'Cheers' Set: 'I'm Kind of Mad You Don't Show Up Ready to Go' Ted Danson Apologizes to Kelsey Grammer for Argument During 'Cheers' Years: 'I Feel Like I Missed Out on the Last 30 Years' and 'It's My Bad' Frances Sternhagen, Tony-Winning Actor Who Appeared in 'Cheers,' 'ER,' Dies at 93 A student of the Chicago improv landscape, Wendt was a comedian at The Second City in the 1970s before becoming a television actor. After numerous guest spots, he landed the role that would come define him: the loyal barfly Norm Peterson, whose regular first line of "Afternoon everybody" became one of the fan-beloved motifs of the series. A standout among the cast, Wendt earned six Emmy nods in the supporting actor in a comedy series category through his tenure as a main cast member across the 11-season run of "Cheers." He would go on to reprise the role in appearances on the short-lived spinoff "The Tortellis" and the long-running spinoff "Frasier." After appearing in all 273 episodes of "Cheers," Wendt jumped to CBS to lead his own sitcom, titled "The George Wendt Show," in which he played a radio host car mechanic. The series was quickly scrapped, running for just a month. Wendt's affinity for comedy made him a regular on "Saturday Night Live" through the '90s, drawing on his Southside roots to join Chris Farley, Mike Myers and Robert Smigel in the recurring mustachioed Chicago Superfans sketches. (In one particularly odd bit of "SNL" lore, Wendt co-hosted a 1986 episode with director Francis Ford Coppola, then preparing to release "Peggy Sue Got Married." Philip Glass was the musical guest.) Born Oct. 17, 1948 in Chicago, Ill., Wendt was one of nine children and attended the University of Notre Dame before jumping to Jesuit Rockhurst College where he graduated with a degree in economics. During his time at The Second City, Wendt met Bernadette Birkett. The two married in 1978. (Though never seen on-screen, Birkett voiced the character of Norm's wife on "Cheers.") The couple had three children. Notably, Wendt is also the uncle to "SNL" and "Ted Lasso" star Jason Sudeikis. After "Cheers" elevated Wendt, the actor had no trouble scoring supporting roles for the rest of his career, with film credits including comedies like "Fletch," "Gung Ho" and "Spice World," along with features like the 1985 horror film "House" and the 2019 American indie standout "The Climb." His immense resume of TV guest credits features titles like "Hot in Cleveland," "The Twilight Zone," "Columbo," "George Lopez" and "Fresh Off the Boat." Though he never found another series as enduring as "Cheers," Wendt helped anchor several sitcoms over the years, serving as a main cast member on the TBS series "Clipped" and lending his voice talent to the animated series "Fancy Nancy." In 2023, he competed on "The Masked Singer." Wendt also turned to theater in the latter portion of his career. In 2008, he took over the role of Edna Turnblad (traditionally performed by an actor in drag) in the then-ongoing Broadway production of "Hairspray." He would reprise the role at a production in the Charlottetown Festival. He also featured as Santa in Broadway's "Elf the Musical" and played Willy Loman in a 2017 Ontario production of "Death of a Salesman." Wendt is survived by his wife and three children. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival Sign up forVariety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us onFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram.

byKonstantin Pynzar

in

May 20, 2025

George Wendt, Who Played Norm on ‘Cheers,’ Dies at 76

George Wendt, Who Played Norm on 'Cheers,' Dies at 76 George Wendt, an American actor and comedian who earned six consecutive Emmy n...

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