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Diddy Case Judge Dismises Black Male Juror For ‘Inconsistent’ Answers About Where He Lives

The judge presiding over Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ ongoing sex trafficking trial removed Juror No. 6.

As Variety reported, Judge Arun Subramanian noticed “several inconsistencies” regarding one juror’s living situation, which ultimately prompted her to remove him from the case on Monday.

Why was Juror No. 6 removed from Diddy’s trial?

What alerted Subramanian was the multiple places the juror (an unidentified Black male) claimed to be his residence. When the juror initially answered the survey of questions, he shared that he lived in the Bronx with his fiancée and their daughter. Once the trial began, he mentioned to a fellow juror that he and his fiancée had just relocated to New Jersey while they were on a break from the trial. This news led the court to inquire about his residence. He explained how he resides at his Bronx apartment during the week but spends time in New Jersey on the weekends.

“There are serious questions about the juror’s candor and the juror’s ability to follow the court’s instructions,” Subramanian stated on Friday, per Variety. “Removal of the juror is required, in this court’s view.”

Diddy’s defense lawyers fought to keep Juror No. 6 on the case

Combs’ legal counsel argued that it’s not uncommon for people to commute back and forth between New York and New Jersey. 

“I do believe he will be able to follow instructions,” Xavier Donaldson, a lawyer on Combs’ team, said.

Combs’ lawyers also mentioned that the importance of Juror No. 6 for two reasons. The first was that the juror remained “awake” throughout the trial, unlike some of his counterparts. And the second reason was how his dismissal would create a racial imbalance among the jury.

“I don’t generally play the race card unless I have it in my hand,” Donaldson said.

Federal prosecutors emphasized that all jurors, including alternates, appeared attentive throughout the proceedings. They also pushed back against Donaldson’s suggestion, praising the jury’s diversity.

Combs still maintains that he’s not guilty of the crimes he’s being accused of as the trial enters a sixth week and the prosecution wraps up their reasoning.

June 17, 2025

News
At Home To Close Locations As It Files For Bankruptcy: Is Your Store Impacted?

With $2 billion in debt, At Home is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The home decor and furniture retailer, which has over 200 locations nationwide, also plans to close 26 stores by the end of September, CBS News reported.

At Home entered bankruptcy after missing an interest payment on May 15, according to Bloomberg. As part of At Home’s forbearance agreement, ownership of the business now goes to lenders who hold more than 95% of the company’s debt.

Why is At Home filing for bankruptcy?

In addition to facing hurdles due to tariffs, At Home is seeing a decrease in demand for home furnishings. Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, told CBS News that the decline in sales “is partly a consequence of low consumer confidence and a sluggish housing market.” 

“These dynamics are unlikely to change in the near term,” Saunders said.

Per CNN, Saunders added that “there is way too little inspiration and not nearly enough excitement to draw people in to the stores, particularly in areas where competition is high.”

“Given the expenses associated with brick-and-mortar operation and the issues affecting the retail industry, a number of the (At Home) remaining stores are operating at sub-optimal performance levels,” court documents state, according to USA TODAY.

At Home plans to shut down 26 locations by September 2025

In California, At Home is closing stores in the cities of San Jose, Tustin, Costa Mesa, Chico, Foothill Ranch, Sacramento and Long Beach. The company is also closing a pair of locations in the New York cities of Rego Park and Bronx. In New Jersey, closures are expected in the cities of Middletown Township, Ledgewood and Princeton.

At Home’s CEO is optimistic despite the retailer filing for bankruptcy

At Home CEO Brad Weston said he remains optimistic despite the recent challenges. Weston said the retailer is “operating against the backdrop of an increasingly dynamic and rapidly evolving trade environment as we navigate the impact of tariffs.”

Weston added that these steps “will improve our ability to compete in the marketplace in the face of continued volatility and increase the resilience of our business for the long term.”

June 17, 2025

News
Doja Cat Says Fan Was ‘Manhandling’ Her Following Seemingly Sweet Online Moment

Doja Cat is making headlines once more for a complicated relationship with her fans.

According to Complex, what seemed like a pleasant interaction between the star and popular TikTok creator Pablo Tamayo took a turn for the worse when, days after the incident, Doja Cat retracted her initial pleasantries.

Doja Cat has a change of heart regarding interaction

In a now-deleted post shared on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday, the “Say So” singer referenced the viral video, writing, “bottom line is i’ll smile at you but it doesn’t mean I f**k w you and don’t touch me and man handle me when you don’t even f**kin know me. iykyk. i honestly think I need to stand up for myself in the moment sometimes. and he didn’t even know my f**kin name to be touching me and kissing me on my face like that is crazy.”

The clip shows the pair hugging twice before parting ways with a kiss on the cheek and Doja Cat telling Tamayo that he had her blessing to call her “Ami,” a nickname for her given name, Amala.

In a subsequent post, she also claimed, “I threw that musty ass shirt away btw,” which Tamayo took off and gifted her after he stated that Doja Cat admitted to liking the T-shirt, which was a part of his clothing line’s Pride collection.

Pablo Tamayo doubles down on his support for the star

After hitting back at Doja Cat, Tamayo said that he threw away a “musty tee” of his own, which was from the Grammy Award-winning artist’s “The Scarlet Experience,” curated by Spotify in Hollywood in 2023. In a later post, however, his tone changed when the TikToker said he was hurt by Doja Cat’s posts yet still called her work “amazing” and noted that he “never claimed to be the biggest fan.”

He also took ownership of Doja Cat’s concerns that he was being too handsy and friendly during their interaction.

“I’m gay,” Tamayo said. “I would never want to make her feel uncomfortable. She’s so iconic.”

Doja Cat’s interesting relationship with her supporters

This incident isn’t the first time that Doja Cat has had interesting encounters with fans. In 2023, as Blavity reported, she took to Instagram, writing, “My fans don’t name themselves s**t,” adding, “If you call yourself a ‘kitten’ or f**king ‘kittenz,’ that means you need to get off your phone and get a job and help your parents with the house.”

June 17, 2025

Billboard Family  ·  genre latin  ·  Latin  ·  Music  ·  Music News  ·  News
How EcoMusica & SonTierra Are Protecting Kids From Air Pollution and Climate Change With Music

Backed by science and heart, Moms Clean Air Force, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group whose goal is to protect clean air and children’s health — and EcoMadres, their Latino community outreach program — educates families about why they should care about climate disruption, air pollution and toxic chemicals, and engages them in taking action to preserve their futures — all with the help of music.
With data that Latinos in the United States are disproportionately impacted by climate change, an initiative called EcoMusica was born.

Trending on Billboard

As part of EcoMusica, SonTierra, a multi-ethnic ensemble of Latino musicians whose name means “we are the Earth,” perform tunes that offer hope and encourage listeners to reach out to legislators and leaders. The music played at outreach events incorporates a number of Latin music styles: cumbia, banda, bolero, merengue, balada and Andean folk.

They will be performing at the annual EcoMadres Summit in Las Vegas on Sept. 12, Moms Clean Air Force tells Billboard Family.

Who is SonTierra? With an age range of about 11 to 64 years old, the multi-generational band includes Edgar East (Panamanian), Edgar Solís (Mexican), Gabriela Valdivia (U.S.-born; Brazilian mother, Mexican father), Karen Stein (Colombian), Leo Roldán (Argentinean), Marián Vivas (Venezuelan), Stephanie Rivera (Cuban), Valentina Weihe (U.S.-born; Mexican mother, Puerto Rican father), Valery Figueroa (Venezuelan) and Víctor Lara (Mexican).

“I wanted SonTierra to include youth and children at a professional, quality level because we are working for their future,” Stein, both a performer and the group’s manager, shares in an interview with Billboard Family. “And if we’re going to gain trust with Latino communities, we don’t just have to come in and sing at them. We have to sing with them. Including people of various generations and of various ethnicities, it is important to make Latino communities feel like, ‘Oh, we could be [a part of this].’ They can identify with someone on stage.”

The collective of musicians released a 12-track, mostly Spanish-language (with some English, on a few bilingual songs) album of originals and covers, titled EcoMadres, on Earth Day 2023. The album is available to stream on SoundCloud.

Stein had a hand in penning nine of the dozen songs, all of which address climate change, air pollution, ecosystem destruction, environmental justice, taking action and finding hope.

EcoMadres tunes include “Mama,” which she says was written inspired first by her musician mother who sang to her, and then by Mother Earth, with the lyrics “Hoy este arrullo es para la madre tierra/ Que tiene fiebre, que tiene fiebre y no la escuchan, no la escuchan/ En su agonía, en su agonía” (“Today this lullaby is for Mother Earth/ She has a fever, she has a fever/ And we aren’t hearing her agony”).

Other album tracks include “Corrido p’al Congreso” (“A Corrido for Congress”), a message to the U.S. government in mariachi style with corrido and ranchera rhythms, and “Legado” (“Legacy”), written from the perspective of children looking ahead to their future, in the style of bolero. “El pico del tucán (“The Toucan’s Peak”) is set to a cumbia beat and tackles a tough topic: solving “the dilemma between what humans want and what the earth needs to continue to sustain us.”

Born and raised in Colombia, Stein is the Iowa field coordinator for Moms Clean Air Force and EcoMadres. Her heart and roots are in music.

She grew up on a rural farm. On a call with Billboard Family, she cites she’s from and her mother as the reasons she’s a musician.

“The location where we grew up was so isolated, [with] no electricity, so there were very few distractions. I grew up paying a lot of attention to sounds,” including the sounds of nature, animals, and the men on the farm milking the cows, says Stein. “They’d talk to the cows and oftentimes they would sing to the cows. They would just hum,” sometimes to pop music and sometimes to traditional songs.

Meanwhile, her mother was a trained classical pianist who “ended up in this godforsaken corner of Colombia,” Stein jokes. “Of course she hauled a piano down into the farm, right?”

As a young child, Stein would pick up her mom’s knack for music.

“She discovered that since I was young I was able to carry a tune, and so she would harmonize with me since I was very, very little, and that trained my ear to maintain a melody,” says Stein.

Her family ended up moving to Costa Rica, where Stein had music lessons and sang with the Costa Rican Symphony Choir, and she was awarded a scholarship to attend Grinnell College in Iowa. Before she uprooted, she learned as much as possible in traditional guitar technique from the enclave of Latin-American artists who were living in San José at the time. “It was at a time when there were a lot of military dictatorships in Latin America, in the early to mid ’70s,” she recalls. “Costa Rica was a politically neutral country. A lot of the artists who were outspoken against governments, they were musicians. They were theater people. They were writers. They ended up in Costa Rica. I had a lot of mixed feelings about the States because of the United States’ involvement in supporting some of these governments that were making artists escape. But I was at the same time fascinated. It was just, you know, everybody wants to try to understand this country.”

“That’s the beginning of why I consciously connected to music,” she says, “though I studied biology and French. And as soon as I got my master’s in the sciences and horticulture, I decided to switch back to music and become a full-time musician. Those are the roots: rural upbringing and political. The timing of political upheaval in Latin America put me in the path of a deep connection with a large variety of Latin music styles.”

“It’s been home again to go [back] to music,” says Stein, who’s the founder and director of Artes Latinas, a consortium of several different ensembles.

Since 2019, she’s been involved with Moms Clean Air Force, who eventually asked her to join the EcoMadres initiative.

“This is a powerful group of women,” Stein tells Billboard Family, adding that they act on just the right balance between “the heart and the brain.” “I think it has to do with our work being centered on children. I mean, it keeps us vulnerable. We’re not afraid of being vulnerable as human beings while we’re being purposeful and organized and professional in our environmental work. The combination is very powerful.”

Stein says, “The Latino community, whether they still speak Spanish at home or not, or Portuguese … Whatever region or country — you know how diverse Latin America is, it’s incredibly diverse … But regardless of where we’re from, there’s one thing that we respond to, and that is music. In a visceral way.”

EcoMusica’s use of live performance at community outreach events concerning climate crisis has become “a tool to build trust in the Latino community,” she explains.

“This is a tool to start reaching the Latino and Latina community a little more widely than we had been, because that was also on the mind of Moms Clean Air Force at the time. How do we expand? How do we make our program relevant to Latino and Latina communities who are disproportionately affected by these things that we’re working on, the air pollution and the environmental justice issues and climate effects?”

The team’s hope is that the music naturally resonates with those most impacted by climate crisis.

As Stein points out, the group can “recognize the other reality is that the communities that are most impacted by the climate crisis and by pollution are people who for whom acting on climate is a luxury.”

“We have to understand this,” she says. “They’re not at the level of being able to devote 10 hours a week to fighting climate crisis. No, they just stopped at the supermarket and bought 30 bottles of bottled water feeding the problem that we’re having, because they’re afraid of the water pollution coming from their faucet. They just came home from working three jobs. How do we get them to sign a petition? The trust has to come first.”

Stein emphasizes that the environmental justice work they’re collectively doing “resonates with every member” of SonTierra, and praises each musician’s contributions.

Gabi Valdivia, the youngest member of SonTierra, performs with the group at the 2024 EcoMadres Summit in Phoenix, Arizona.

Courtesy of EcoMadres

“I want to say that what stands out to me is how remarkable every individual in the group is, and how honored I am to have them there because they’re not just good musicians,” says Stein. “And I’m talking about the 11-year-old girl. And I’m talking about this 18-year-old young woman and the 22-year-old young woman, and then us geezers … The rest of us are seasoned touring musicians. But each one of us has a purpose for being in SonTierra.”

Stein adds, “I would like to tell all the communities who read this: You don’t have to be Latino or Latina if you want to bring us to your community because you want to work on climate issues or environmental justice issues as a field organizer for EcoMadres and Mom’s Clean Air Force. If they want to invite SonTierra to the community, it doesn’t have to be a Latino community. It can be any community. It can be an African American community. It can be an African community. It can be an Asian community. It can be, you know, the Methodist Church in New York City.”

Those who wish to learn more, or to join Moms Clean Air Force’s fight against climate disruption, can find resources and learn about action points at the organization’s official website.

June 17, 2025

News
GOP Senator Mike Lee Slammed For ‘Truly Disgusting,’ ‘Depraved’ Tweets About Minnesota Political Shootings

During this weekend’s manhunt for the suspected shooter who killed a Minnesota state legislator and her husband and shot another state politician and his wife, one Republican senator chose to mock the shootings and Democrats. Now, Mike Lee is being criticized by his Democratic colleagues for making light of a tragedy to attempt to score political points.

Mike Lee’s posts spread unfounded innuendo, mock Gov. Tim Walz

Sen. Mike Lee of Utah posted a series of tweets over the weekend relating to the Minnesota shootings even as the hunt for the suspected gunman, Vance Boelter, was still underway. In one post, Lee tweeted an image of Boelter, to which Lee commented, “This is what happens When Marxists don’t get their way.”

Since the suspect’s identity has been made public, a number of conservatives have attempted to paint him as a left-wing shooter despite the fact that he targeted Democrats and that there are reports from those who know him which allege he held conservative political views. Lee has shared several of these tweets in addition to his own. In another tweet, Lee posted a picture of the suspected shooter, adding the comment “Nightmare on Waltz Street” in an apparently misspelled reference to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who publicly mourned Rep. Melissa Hortman in a Saturday morning press conference only hours after the fatal shooting.

Outrage over Mike Lee’s callous posts

A number of political commentators, including some Republicans, called out Lee for his tweets, which remain posted as of Monday afternoon. Dan Pfeiffer, cohost of the political podcast Pod Save America, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “Truly disgusting behavior from a United States Senator.”

Democratic strategist Matt McDermott called the shooting and Lee’s response examples of “depraved moral rot.”

Yesterday, a Trump supporter went on an assassination spree targeting Democrats.Today, a GOP Senator mocks their murder.This isn’t politics — it’s depraved moral rot. https://t.co/ezLNVf50g7— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) June 15, 2025

Former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele, now an MSNBC political analyst, called on Lee to “grow the hell up.”

The GOP’s track record of condoning political violence

Lee is the latest Republican to make light of political violence. Donald Trump and other Republicans mocked and shared conspiracy theories about the near-fatal attack against Paul Pelosi, the husband of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, by an intruder to the Pelosi home who was looking for the representative. Recently, Trump suggested that he might pardon the men who were convicted in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. This would be in line with one of Trump’s first acts since returning to office: the pardoning or commutation of nearly everyone criminally charged with participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill insurrection that disrupted the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election win over Trump.

With Boelter now in police custody, more information may be forthcoming concerning the political motivations behind the Minnesota shootings. Lee’s comments have not helped the process of trying to make sense of these violent acts, nor do the Republican’s words help discourage such political violence.

June 16, 2025

News
Reneé Rapp On Tory Lanez: ‘I Feel Like A Lot Of People Get Stabbed, And That’s OK’

Reneé Rapp’s comments on Tory Lanez‘s getting stabbed in prison are sparking a lot of reactions. In May, Lanez, who is serving a 10-year prison sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion, was stabbed multiple times by a fellow inmate. The rapper was hospitalized and has since recovered, but during a recent interview with comedian and writer Ziwe for her self-titled YouTube show, Rapp had no qualms about sharing her unfiltered opinions regarding the situation.

What did Reneé Rapp say about Tory Lanez being stabbed in prison?

During the sit-down, Rapp discussed her ride-or-die friendship with Megan. The two collaborated on 2024’s “Not My Fault,” which was featured in the Mean Girls musical film adaptation.

“How do you feel about Tory Lanez getting stabbed 12 times?” Ziwe asked Rapp, to which she replied, “I feel like a lot of people get stabbed, and that’s OK.”

“Maybe we should be doing it more,” she added.

Ziwe followed up by mentioning how Drake posted a petition requesting to pardon Lanez on the morning of her and Rapp’s interview.

“That’s so tired,” Rapp said, adding that she’s Team Kendrick Lamar all the way.

Many on the internet found Rapp’s comments refreshingly honest, even those who aren’t familiar with her work.

“That’s her friend and she has her back. Tory has his friends and they have his back. Case closed,” someone wrote in The Shade Room’s comment section under a post of the viral video.

“😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 I LIKE HER mind you this is my first impression of her,” another person chimed in.

“LMAOO SHE ATEEE AND YALL MAD BYE 😂,” someone else commented.

June 16, 2025

News
Is Juneteenth A Federal Holiday? What To Know In 2025

Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, has been a federal holiday since 2021. Since then, government offices and some private companies have closed in observance as the Black community commemorates the day on June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were finally declared free.

June 16, 2025

News
Nezza, Latina R&B Singer, Performed National Anthem In Spanish At Dodgers Game To Protest ICE

According to Yahoo! Sports, Nezza shared a TikTok video Saturday night following her performance that showed an unidentified Dodger employee instructing her to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” in English. “We are going to do the song in English today, so […]

June 16, 2025

News
What Is The G7 Summit, And Why Is It Important?

The annual G7 summit kicked off in Canada on Sunday as world leaders are expected to discuss several pressing issues, including Trump’s trade war, the war in Ukraine and the conflict involving Israel. Canada is hosting the summit this year and world leaders are gathering at a mountain lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, for the duration of the event.

What is the purpose of the G7 summit?

The G7 summit was established in 1975 by France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States in order to find solutions to the economic crisis at the time. Canada joined the summit a year later and the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission eventually became regular attendees in order to represent the European Union, according to the website for this year’s summit. Over time, the G7 summit was organized to address a wide range of global issues, including international security, human rights and global stability.

This year, the G7 features several guest world leaders representing their countries. These guests include Australia’s Anthony Albanese, Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, South Korea’s Lee Jae-Myung, Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, India’s Narendra Modi and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky.

The G7 is a “consensus body. We work together,” Canadian government official said in a briefing last week, according to BBC.

How long is the G7 summit?

The G7 summit lasts three days, starting on Sunday, June 15, and concluding on Tuesday, June 17.

What global issues will be addressed at the G7 summit?

This year, several global issues are at the forefront of concerns for the member countries. Canada, this year’s host, issued statements regarding wildfires and climate change, strengthening the economy, peace and security, discussing artificial intelligence and fortifying mineral supply chains.

The war in Ukraine will be a main topic of discussion as Zelensky will be attending the summit. Tariffs, the global economy and the Israel and Iran conflict will also be topics of discussion.

Is Trump attending the G7 summit?

Trump is in attendance at this year’s G7 summit. His presence comes as he has started a trade and tariffs war with several member countries and has made threats to annex Canada and Greenland and integrate them as part of the United States.

“Everybody in France, the European Union thinks that Greenland is not to be sold, not to be taken,” France President Emmanuel Macron said in a news conference, according to the Associated Press. “The situation in Greenland is clearly a wakeup call for all Europeans. Let me tell you very directly that you’re not alone.”

Trump isn’t expected to make any concessions or diplomatic decisions regarding imposed tariffs on other countries.

“We have our trade deals. All we have to do is send a letter: ‘This is what you’re going to have to pay.’ But I think we’ll have a few, few new trade deals,” he said on Sunday after being asked if he planned to announce any trade agreements at the G7.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also announced his decision to forgo the annual tradition of issuing a joint statement to conclude the summit.

June 16, 2025

News
Paris Jackson Slams Michael Jackson Fans Over These Critiques Ahead Of Anniversary Of Her Father’s Death

Michael Jackson‘s only daughter, Paris Jackson, is firing back at fans who slammed her for scheduling a performance on the anniversary of her father’s death.

Paris posted a video message to her Instagram story and told people that she didn’t have any control of the schedule.

Michael Jackson’s fans called out Paris Jackson for scheduling a concert on the anniversary of his death

“One of the tour dates I’m supposed to be going out on tour with Incubus and Manchester Orchestra happens to be June 25, which is a very negative anniversary for me in my life and my family,” Paris said, according to Deadline. “When you’re first of three, and you’re not headlining these shows, you don’t pick what date you perform or what time you go on stage to perform, or what city you perform in.”

Paris also said she doesn’t get any special treatment as the additional opening act.

“First of three also doesn’t get a tour bus,” she said. “You get maybe a sprinter van, which I’ve done before when I’ve got a band with me. But I’m not going to have my band with me this time.”

Paris Jackson’s fiancé, Justin Long, will be with her

Paris said she will only have her acoustic guitar and fiancé Justin Long, who happens to be her sound guy.

“So we’re gonna be in a soccer mum van,” she said. “This feels like [Incubus is] doing me a favour by bringing me out on tour. So [what], I’m gonna tell ’em, ’Sorry, guys, we can’t perform on this date?’”

Paris closed her message with a “F**k you.”

At 50, Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, from cardiac arrest, leaving behind three children, Prince, Paris and Bigi (formerly known as Blanket).

In 2021, Paris joined supermodel Naomi Campbell for her No Filter with Naomi series via YouTube.

“My dad was really good about making sure we were cultured, making sure we were educated, and not just showing us like the glitz and glam, like hotel hopping, five-star places,” Paris said about being raised by the King of Pop.

“It was also like, we saw everything,” she added. “We saw third world countries. We saw every part of the spectrum.”

June 16, 2025

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