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A fire that damaged the original infrastructure of a historically Black church in Tennessee was intentionally set, authorities say.

Built in 1891, the Romanesque Revival church, located south of Beale Street, initially served as a sacred sanctuary for white residents of Memphis, per the cathedral’s website. Half a century later, the building was moved and sold to the African Methodist Episcopal Church. It became a safe haven and cultural site of faith for the Black community and was renamed Clayborn Temple under the leadership of AME Bishop Jim Clayborn.

Clayborn Temple’s restoration halted by suspected arson

According to the Associated Press, Clayborn Temple was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. After being vacant for some time, the National Park Service initiated a reconstruction movement in 2017 by awarding the church a $400,000 grant. The property was in the process of a $25 million remodel project for several years when it was intentionally set on fire around the end of last month, with the flare-up originating inside the church, according to a statement from the Memphis Fire Department. 

On the day of the incident, Memphis Fire Chief Gina Sweat confirmed that although the building’s interior was destroyed, there was still a chance that portions of the exterior could be preserved. On May 14, the fire department announced that the structure had been stabilized, allowing investigators to begin using specialized tools to determine the cause of the fire. Authorities are actively working to identify a suspect connected to the incident.

A sacred site of Civil Rights legacy

The church has been a part of a couple of historic moments in the city. In 1968, the site was home to a labor strike involving Black sanitation workers who were being treated worse than humanely, according to Clayborn Temple’s website. The walkout kicked off the “I AM MAN” campaign, which caught the attention of civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King, leading him to visit. That same year, the faith-based building was where the homegoing of a teen named Larry Payne, who was unjustly beaten and killed by Memphis Police Department Patrolman Leslie Dean Jones, occurred.

A monument called “I AM A MAN Plaza,” honoring the sanitation workers, was opened on church grounds in 2018. Despite how disheartening the situation has been for the community, Anasa Troutman, who serves as Historic Clayborn Temple’s executive director, shared that she and her peers are resilient.

“Clayborn Temple is sacred ground — home to generations of struggle, resilience and creativity,” Anasa Troutman, executive director of Historic Clayborn Temple, told the Associated Press on Wednesday. “This act of violence is painful, but it will not break our spirit.”

High-profile names continue to pop up in relation to the case against Sean “Diddy” Combs. Several celebrities have either already testified or are expected to in the near future. For a refresher, check out Blavity’s recap of what’s happened with Diddy’s trial so far.

Social media is full of speculation about who will get pulled into the trial, and the names of the victims, witnesses, or willing participants in Diddy’s alleged sex trafficking and racketeering. One of the newest names floating around is Usher Raymond. This has fans wondering, “Did Usher testify at Diddy’s trial?”

Who Has Testified In Diddy’s Trial So Far?

Photo: Johnny Nunez via Getty Images

So far, the trial has included testimony from legal experts, people associated with Combs, and some of his alleged victims. One of these victims, Cassie Ventura Fine, testified about Combs’ abuse in extensive detail, according to NBC News.

“This week has been extremely challenging, but also remarkably empowering and healing for me,” Ventura Fine said. “I hope that my testimony has given strength and a voice to other survivors, and can help others who have suffered to speak up and also heal from the abuse and fear.”

Following Ventura Fine’s testimony, forensic psychologist Dawn Hughes took the stand to testify about abusive relationships. Though Hughes hasn’t assessed anyone related to this trial, she provided context on how relationships like the one Combs had with Ventura Fine often operate through fear and manipulation. 

“It’s about the power and control that the abuser has over the victim,” she said. 

According to CNN, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Gerard Gannon also testified about items found during the raid of Combs’ Miami residence. Agents reportedly found firearms with their serial numbers scratched off and ammunition. They also found a bag with “Puffy” written on it filled with cocaine, ketamine, MDMA, alprazolam, and methamphetamine.

George Kaplan, who worked as a personal assistant to Combs, testified as well. According to ABC News, he revealed that his job was regularly threatened and described how people who worked for Combs protected him from facing consequences. Kaplan also testified that he’d bought MDMA for Combs and prepared hotel rooms with alcohol, baby oil, and candles, among other items. 

On May 22, Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi took the stand to testify about his interactions with Combs. Mescudi confirmed rumours that Combs targeted him because of his relationship with Ventura Fine. In his testimony, he alleged that Combs had broken into his house and damaged his property. Mescudi also stated his belief that Combs orchestrated a 2012 explosion that severely damaged his car. 

Will Usher Actually Testify At Diddy’s Trial?

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

According to Snopes, the rumor that Usher testified in Combs’ trial started when a fake video created with AI was posted to YouTube. The video, which claimed to show Usher’s testimony at the trial, was quickly debunked.

However, his name did actually come up during someone else’s testimony. According to VIBE, Dawn Richard testified that she saw Combs punch Ventura in the stomach at a dinner party in 2010.

“She immediately bent over, [Combs] told her to leave,” Richard testified. “No one intervened.”

Richards, a singer once signed to Combs’ record label, also claimed that Usher, Ne-Yo, Jimmy Iovine, and other celebrities were in attendance. However, she didn’t state whether any of these celebrities witnessed the incident directly. 

That testimony is the only official mention of Raymond during the trial so far.

How Long Has Usher Known Diddy?

Raymond and Combs have a longstanding relationship going back to the early 1990s when they were both becoming household names. In a 2004 interview with Rolling Stone, Raymond said he was essentially sent to live with Combs for a year when he broke into the music industry. 

“Hardest days of my life,” Raymond said in reference to the time. “I had to knuckle up, figure s–t out in New York by my mother-f–king self.” He went on to say, “Puff introduced me to a totally different set of s–t — sex, specifically. Sex is so hot in the industry, man… There was always girls around. You’d open a door and see somebody doing it, or several people in a room having an orgy. You never knew what was going to happen.”

In the context of Combs’ current trial, Raymond’s stories from more than 20 years ago could have a darker meaning. They seem to hint at the far-reaching impact of this scandal. 

According to USA Today, men have also accused Combs of sexual assault. Some of these accusers say they were minors when the assaults happened. This has raised questions about whether Raymond was ever a victim of Combs’ abuse.

As of this writing, no reports have confirmed whether Raymond will testify in Diddy’s trial.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened between Shyne and Puff Daddy?

According to CNN, Moses “Shyne” Barrow was a protégé of Combs in the late 1990s. In 1999, the two were involved in a shooting at a nightclub. Though Combs was acquitted, Barrow was not. He was sentenced to jail time for the incident and eventually deported to his home country of Belize. In the Hulu documentary, “The Honorable Shyne,” Barrow said he believed Combs set him up to take the blame for the shooting.

How much money has Sean Combs lost?

According to Forbes, Sean Combs’s net worth has reportedly shrunk from around $700 million in 2019 to $400 million as of late 2024. Combs currently owns multiple properties and has been paid more than $1 billion in partnerships and business deals with brands like Ciroc and Revolt.

Detroit rapper Skilla Baby, born Trevon Gardner, is recovering in a hospital after being shot in a drive-by shooting Thursday night in Redford Township, Michigan, according to multiple sources.

Uche Ojeh, the husband of NBC’s Today co-anchor Sheinelle Jones, has died at 45 after a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. The news was announced on Today by Jones’ colleagues.

Jones had been on a leave of absence from Today since December, and it was announced in January that she would be away from the show due to a personal family health matter.

What ‘Today’ anchors say about Uche Ojeh’s death

“With profound sadness, we share this morning that Uche Ojeh, the husband of our friend and Today co-host Sheinelle Jones, has passed away after a courageous battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma,” Savannah Guthrie said on Friday’s Today show. “There are no words for the pain we feel for Sheinelle and their three young children. Uche was an incredible person. We all loved him. And so we want to take a moment to tell you more about the remarkable man who was Sheinelle’s perfect partner in life.”

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Craig Melvin added, “We had a number of conversations about just life in general. And one thing he always talked about, he talked about those kids. He loved those kids more than anything else in this world, and was just so proud. He was that dad that was on the sideline every soccer game. He was at all the concerts and the recitals. He was that guy.”

Uche Ojeh and Sheinelle Jones have three children

As Today.com reported, Jones and Ojeh were first married in 2007. They have three children: Kayin, born in August 2009, and twins Uche and Clara, who were born in 2012. The couple first met at Northwestern University.

Ojeh was consultant with UAO Consulting, and he had been with them for over a decade, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Returning an item can be stressful, but getting your money back offers peace of mind. So what happens when that refund shows up years later? Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, has notified some customers that they are receiving refunds for returns dating as far back as 2018.

As the Sean “Diddy” Combs sex trafficking trial continues, the musician known to the world as Kid Cudi has stepped on the stand to detail his experience with the disgraced hip-hop mogul.

According to Variety, the rapper, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, appeared in the New York courthouse to testify about his relationship with Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, which led to alleged intimidation plots against him by her then-on-again-off-again boyfriend, Combs.

Kid Cudi opens up about his relationship with Cassie

“We were friends and dated briefly,” Mescudi said when asked about his relationship with Ventura. He also noted that he was under the impression that the pair “had some problems and weren’t dating.” The timeline for the short-lived relationship between Mescudi and Ventura began in 2011.

“I didn’t think she was still dealing with him,” he said, detailing that in December of that year, Ventura called him “stressed, nervous, and scared,” revealing that Combs had found out about their relationship.

Mescudi shared that after picking Ventura up and driving her to the Sunset Marquis in Los Angeles’ West Hollywood neighborhood, he was contacted by Capricorn Clark, an employee of Combs. He recalled Clark being “on the verge of tears” while telling him that Combs was at Mescudi’s home in the Hollywood Hills.

Confronting Combs by phone on the way home, Mescudi said he remembers asking the Bad Boy Records label founder if he was in his home, to which Combs replied, “I just want to talk to you.”

Kid Cudi alleges that Diddy broke into his home

Although no one was in his home when he arrived, according to Mescudi, there had been an apparent break-in, as the Christmas gifts he had purchased for his family were now opened. His dog was locked in the bathroom, something that was an immediate red flag for the “Day ‘n’ Nite” MC, who usually left his pet out to roam at will.

“I wanted to confront him, I wanted to fight him,” Mescudi testified, recounting his frustration to find that his personal belongings had been compromised and seeing his dog “very jittery” and “on edge all the time” after freeing him from the bathroom.

Ultimately, when Mescudi spent the holidays with Ventura and her family in Connecticut later that month, he said he received a text from Combs about the two of them having a conversation.

“You broke into my house, you messed with my dog, I don’t want to talk with you,” Mescudi recalled telling him.

He also shared that he decided to break things off with Ventura shortly after the holidays because “the drama was just getting out of hand.”

Kid Cudi decided to break things off with Cassie

According to Mescudi, things took a turn for the worse in January 2012 when his dog sitter called to inform him that his car was on fire.

Per the images shown in court, the car had smoke damage to its doors along with a hole cut in the roof of his convertible where a Molotov cocktail had been found near the vehicle.

It has been speculated that Combs was responsible for the damage to his explosion, but the allegations have never been confirmed.

Variety reported that the trio met at the Los Angeles Soho House the day after Mescudi’s car was set ablaze. Mescudi called Combs’ “calm” demeanor “off-putting” in his testimony, and mentioned that as they prepared to go their separate ways, he asked, “So what are we going to do about my car?” Per People, Mescudi said that Combs was standing “with his hands behind his back like a Marvel supervillain.”

Combs responded, “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” and Mescudi told the court, “He was lying.”

He testified they encountered each other years later at the Soho House, where Combs approached him and said, “I just wanted to apologize for all the bulls**t.” According to Variety, Mescudi said it was “the last thing I was expecting,” and he “made peace” with the situation.

In November, seemingly overnight, Hannah Kobayashi’s story shocked the world and sparked major controversy. The native Hawaiian woman was reported missing at the time. While she’s since returned safe and sound after being found in Mexico, life will surely never be the same. After months of silence, Kobayashi recently spoke out about her feelings and healing process, reflecting on “loss” in light of her father’s passing, among other things.

As E! News notes, Kobayashi has since deleted her emotional Instagram post. Still, that doesn’t mean those who tuned in before it disappeared aren’t left with more questions than answers. Among the conspiracy theories surrounding the 31-year-old’s disappearance are rumors about a green card application, which has only added fuel to the fire. While the world waits for details on this voluntary missing persons case, there is a lot of speculation going on. Here’s what we know about the Hannah Kobayashi story so far. 

Who is Hannah Kobayashi?

Hannah Kobayashi is a photographer living in Hawaii who made headlines for her disappearance in November 2024. According to People, after leaving Maui, on Nov. 8, 2024, the islander was expected to make it to her connecting flight from Los Angeles to New York City. Unfortunately, Kobayashi did not make it on the plane, resulting in concern amongst her loved ones. Another concerning factor that contributed to their panic was the fact that her phone had been left behind at the Los Angeles International Airport.

On Nov. 11, the Kobayashi family reported Hannah as missing. Afterward, they sparked a nationwide spotlight on her case, fearing she had fallen victim to dangerous circumstances. She became the focus of an intense month-long search, but no one could have guessed what would happen next. As it turns out, Kobayashi was alive and well; she had just been seemingly off the radar purposely.

On Dec. 11, she was found unharmed and alone in Mexico, per People. This discovery marked the beginning of the controversy surrounding her disappearance. Although the Kobayashi family released a statement via an attorney expressing, “We are incredibly relieved and grateul that Hannah has been found safe”, there still were many questions left unanswered. Days after the ambiguous news of her discovery had been released, she reportedly returned to the United States.

What happened to her dad, Ryan Kobayashi?

One of the most heartbreaking occurrences surrounding Hannah’s missing person’s case is the loss of her father. Ryan Kobayashi. He was 58 years old and leading the charge on the front lines, searching for his daughter, even traveling to Los Angeles to look for her himself. Tragically, at the height of the investigation, Ryan died. According to E! News, he was found deceased in an LAX parking lot.

After the medical examiner investigated, it was reported that the Kobayashi patriarch had jumped off a parking structure and committed suicide. He was discoverd on Nov. 24, just a short while after his daughter was reported missing. At the time of Ryan’s passing, Hannah had not been found, leaving her family to deal with even more grief.

Per E! News, they released a public statement, sharing that, “After tirelessly searching throughout Los Angeles for 13 days, Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, tragically took his own life. This loss has compounded the family’s suffering immeasurably.” This devastating news, along with Hannah’s life seemingly hanging in the balance, was an overwhelming circumstance, to say the least.  

A recent video from Hannah reflects on her initial disappearance 

After being discovered in Mexico and learning of her father’s death, Hannah Kobayashi remained relatively quiet about the whole ordeal until this week. In a since-deleted video on Instagram, the photographer shared a message for both her supporters and critics. “I just want to say how grateful I am for everyone, every single person who dedicated time and energy into looking for me,” she said in the brief clip.

More recently Kobayashi has posted a rather ambiguous Instagram post which makes reference to her past. On May 3, she shared a black and white photo of trees with the caption, “For all that I have yet to say, the love in my heart remains the same, for every being that exists and those to come.” She continued, “To go deep within and bear witness to your unwaivering resilience is a true remembrance. More powerful than you could ever imagine. Rise up against tyranny, rise up against hate, overcome fear and nothing will ever stop you from becoming that in which you are destined.”

While this vague and whimsical post may have some followers questioning Hannah’s state of mind, there is more. In the comments of her social media pages, followers are asking Kobayashi questions about missing her father’s funeral. She has yet to unveil the details of her relationship with Ryan, but continues to make references to her healing and casting away hate while gradually opening up.

Addressing rumors of a green card scam

According to NBC News, there’s been speculation regarding whether Hannah Kobayashi could have been involved in a green card marriage scam. There was an FBI investigation into the matter in 2024, due to the bizarre circumstances of her missing person’s case. It’s also worth noting that Kobayashi’s mother found immigration documents in her daughter’s Hawaii home. During the time she was missing, it was uncovered that she was accompanied by an unidentified man in downtown Los Angeles.

As confirmed in an X (formerly Twitter) post by the family’s attorney, the Kobayashi family was just as confused about her disappearance as the public was. “We want to stress that the family has not publicly announced any information regarding an alleged marriage because we did not have the facts or the necessary documents to verify,” Sara Azari wrote on Dec. 4. Since the investigation, no evidence has been confirmed that indicates Hannah indeed did get involved with a marriage scam.  

Frequently Asked Questions 

What ethnicity is Hannah Kobayashi?

Hannah Kobayashi is a native Hawaiian, which means she has Polynesian roots. 

What is Hannah Kobayashi’s career?

She is a photographer by trade, but works worldwide, so travel is a regular part of her career.

Blavity reported that Anthony, now 18, was released on a $250,000 bond initially set at $1 million for allegedly fatally stabbing fellow track athlete Austin Metcalf, 17, during an argument at a track meet on April 2. What is Karmelo […]