1 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:05,840 Speaker 1: There Are No Girls on the Internet. As a production 2 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:13,400 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio and Unbossed Creative. I'm Bridget Todd and this 3 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:17,639 Speaker 1: is There Are No Girls on the Internet. So I 4 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:19,480 Speaker 1: have to start with a quick heads up because this 5 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:22,479 Speaker 1: episode will deal with some pretty rough stuff sexual and 6 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:26,159 Speaker 1: physical violence. Because today we're talking about the trial of 7 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: music mogul Sean P. Diddy Combs. Now, this trial has 8 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: been a long time coming. If you're familiar with the 9 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: music group Danny Kane, which was formed on MTV's Making 10 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: the Band reality show in two thousand and five, which 11 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: comb signed to his record label, Bad Boy Records, then 12 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: you've probably heard rumors about Sean Diddy Combs for a while. 13 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:49,599 Speaker 1: And honestly, the women of Dandy Kine were kind of 14 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 1: treated like crazy liars when they spoke off about Diddy. 15 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 1: But now those same women are speaking up in a 16 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: courtroom giving testimony for the States case against him. It's 17 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: important to know that Shawn Combs is more than just 18 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 1: a musician. He's one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood, 19 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 1: and his influence reaches far beyond just entertainment, from media 20 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: and politics to tech. Combs really does sit at the 21 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:18,400 Speaker 1: crossroads of power take Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter, Combs 22 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: was one of his investors, and when questions started swirling 23 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,839 Speaker 1: about how the platform handled things like racial slurs, Elon 24 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:27,959 Speaker 1: Musk tried to ease concerns by pointing to his personal 25 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: friendship with Ditty, saying, quote, Pok's a good friend of mine. 26 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 2: We text a lot. 27 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 1: So what's unbolding with Shawn Combs right now is not 28 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: just another celebrity story. It's a story about power, who 29 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:43,319 Speaker 1: holds it, how it's protected, and how social media can 30 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: be used not just to shape the narrative, but how 31 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: it's also used to reinforce harmful attitudes and tropes that 32 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 1: silence victims. 33 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 2: And shield the elite. 34 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: Now, as soon as I saw that Ditty was arrested 35 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: back in twenty twenty four, I knew it was going 36 00:01:56,880 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: to be a storm of disinformation, gendered tropes, and has 37 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 1: truths online. I've actually been following some of how it's 38 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 1: played out online since then, So now seems like a 39 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: great opportunity to get into all of it. So I'll 40 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: give a little bit of an overview of the charges 41 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: against Combs, some highlights on the trial which is ongoing. 42 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 1: Then dig into some of the narratives I've seen online 43 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: and what it all means about power, celebrity and our 44 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: current online culture. So here's the basics of the charges 45 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: against Sean Diddy Combs. Combs is facing two different sets 46 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 1: of charges, civil charges from mostly women but some men, 47 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 1: who are accusing him of a wide range of sexual crimes, 48 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:37,640 Speaker 1: and five criminal counts. One count of racketeering conspiracy, two 49 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or corrosion, and 50 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 1: two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Those five 51 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 1: criminal charges are what this trial is about. Basically, the 52 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: government says that Shawn Combs used his business enterprise to 53 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: conduct a criminal sex trafficking and kidnapping ring, and that 54 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: he used his money, celebrity, and power to intimidate the 55 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:02,239 Speaker 1: victims and cover up crimes. Now, I have to say 56 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: I have been really disappointed in how I've seen some 57 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: folks talk about this but talking about his actions as 58 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: like sex parties, which he called quote freak offs. And 59 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 1: I want to be super clear, Combs is not facing 60 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: charges of being freaky or having freaky sex or freaky 61 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: sex parties. And everybody knows that real freaky people create 62 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: a culture of consent. What he is being accused of 63 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 1: is being the ring leader of a massive criminal enterprise 64 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: that included subjecting people to a pattern of physical and 65 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: sexual abuse. This is according to federal prosecutors. Investigators alleged 66 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: that over a span of years, Combs would apply victims 67 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 1: with drugs and resort to violence and intimidation during days 68 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: long sex sessions. He did not do these things alone, 69 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 1: according to prosecutors, although right now no one else has 70 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 1: been criminally charged in the case, Combs allegedly had assistants, managers, 71 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 1: and security staff who made sure that women and male 72 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: sex workers were present during these freak off events, and 73 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: that tell rooms where they were staged were supplied with 74 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 1: things like lubricant and baby oil. In fact, if there 75 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: is one thing that you've probably heard about this case, 76 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 1: even if you haven't been paying attention to it, it's 77 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 1: that investigators took thousands of bottles of baby oil out 78 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: of Shawn Combs's home after a raid that they say 79 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: were used in these sessions. This detail was publicized right 80 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: after Didi's arrest last year, and this is kind of 81 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: a common tactic of prosecutions drop a salacious detail that 82 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: sure to make headlines. The criminal trial against Combs is ongoing, 83 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:32,919 Speaker 1: but here are a few key points from the trial 84 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 1: so far. I'll focus on a testimony of four people 85 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: in this summary. One of the victims at the heart 86 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:46,840 Speaker 1: of this whole situation Cassie Ventura, rapper Kid Cutty, who 87 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 1: she brisly dated, Cassie's former friend Carrie Morgan, and Cassie's mother. 88 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 1: So Cassie Ventura is sort of the voice at the 89 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:56,559 Speaker 1: center of what's going on. The R and B singer 90 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,479 Speaker 1: was in a personal and professional relationship with Shawn Combs 91 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: for over decade. Her lawsuit was really the watershed suit 92 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:06,600 Speaker 1: that preceded all the other charges. In November of twenty 93 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 1: twenty three, she filed a lawsuit against Combs alleging years 94 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:14,799 Speaker 1: of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse. The lawsuit also named 95 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: Combs's businesses, bad Boy Entertainment, bad Boy Records, Epic Records, 96 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 1: and Cohn's Enterprise. Just to day after filing, they ended 97 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 1: up settling the trafficking, rape, and physical assault part of 98 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: the case out of court. They actually settled within hours 99 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 1: of Cassie filing, but her willingness to come forward really 100 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 1: opened the floodgates for dozens of other lawsuits against Combs. 101 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 1: The background of how they got involved with each other, 102 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 1: I think is pretty telling. Cassie met Diddy when she 103 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 1: was only nineteen years old and he was thirty seven. 104 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:47,920 Speaker 1: They started dating, and a year later Cassie signed a 105 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: deal with his record company, bad Boy Entertainment and released 106 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 1: her first self titled debut album. Now, if you know 107 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:56,480 Speaker 1: anything about army music, it has been a long time 108 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: question of why Cassie's music career never really took off 109 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: off the way that it probably should have. You know, 110 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 1: she put out one pretty successful album and then didn't 111 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:09,600 Speaker 1: put out another album for six years, despite being in 112 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 1: a creative and romantic partnership with one of the most 113 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 1: powerful locals in music. I remember there was this feeling 114 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:17,919 Speaker 1: in the space of like, what is happening with Cassie's career. 115 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 2: While her lawsuit really shed some light into. 116 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 1: What was going on, her suit allege is that this 117 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 1: was all happening at the very beginning of Combs's coercion 118 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 1: and abuse, which took over her life and included things 119 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: like forcing her to take drugs, forcing her to be 120 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:41,920 Speaker 1: involved with male sex workers. During these events where participants 121 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 1: would have sex for hours while Combs would film her 122 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 1: and frequent beatings. Her lawsuit stated that the beatings were 123 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:52,440 Speaker 1: often witnessed by Comb's staff, who are employees of bad 124 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 1: Boy Entertainment and Combs's affiliated businesses. Now we've actually seen 125 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: evidence of some of this. Earlier this year, CNN published 126 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 1: footage of Combs attacking Cassie in a hotel lobby. Prosecutors 127 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: alleged that there was a male sex worker still in 128 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,159 Speaker 1: their hotel room at the time of the surveillance video recording. 129 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 1: Prosecutors in court also quoted text messages from Cassie talking 130 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 1: about the bruises and the fat lip that she received 131 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: as a result of the beating from Combs shown in 132 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: the surveillance video. Now, initially, Combs denied all wrongdoing and 133 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: implied that Cassie was just lying for money until the 134 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: release of that surveillance footage. He initially was able to 135 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: get that footage buried because he allegedly paid off the 136 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 1: hotel security. After that footage was released, I guess there 137 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 1: was no denying it and did. He settled with Cassie 138 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 1: basically within the day, but still legal pressure against him. 139 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:46,000 Speaker 1: Mountain I have to be honest, Cassie's testimony in court 140 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 1: over the last few days has been difficult to listen to. 141 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: I should mention she's currently eight months pregnant, so she 142 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 1: was giving all this testimony while like heavily pregnant. She 143 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: described numerous instances of physical and sexual violence by Combs, 144 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: including being kicked, punched, and dragged. Comb's former assistant backs 145 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 1: all of this up and his testimony to the court, 146 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 1: telling the court that one notable incident occurred on a 147 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 1: private jet in twenty fifteen where Cassie screamed for help. 148 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 1: She screamed, isn't anybody seeing this during an assault? But 149 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 1: no one intervened. Cassie testified that Combs forced her into 150 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: these drug fueled sexual encounters with male sex workers, the 151 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: freak offs as he called them, which Combs orchestrated and filmed. 152 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:28,680 Speaker 2: Now. 153 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 1: I won't get into all the details here, but the 154 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 1: stuff that she says happened during those events is really unpleasant. 155 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 1: And then he allegedly used these recordings to blackmail her 156 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:40,440 Speaker 1: and would It's threatened to release these videos if she 157 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:42,280 Speaker 1: did not follow his demands. 158 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 2: She also talks about how he exerted a lot of 159 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 2: control over her personal and professional life, including monitoring her 160 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 2: communications and movements. She describes these very creepy instances where 161 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 2: he would just appear on announced at her locations, indicating 162 00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 2: that he was probably tracking her. So for a while 163 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 2: while when Cassi in Combs briefly split, she had a 164 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:06,200 Speaker 2: short relationship with rapper Kid Cutty, who also testified before 165 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 2: the court. Cutty testified that in December of twenty eleven, 166 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 2: Combs allegedly broke into his La home, and during that 167 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:16,440 Speaker 2: break in, he unwrapped Christmas gifts and locked Cutty's dog 168 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:19,360 Speaker 2: in a bathroom. A few weeks after this break in, 169 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 2: Cutty's Porsche was destroyed by a Molotov cocktail explosion. He 170 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 2: testified that he believes Combs was behind that attack. So 171 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:30,440 Speaker 2: after Cutty's car was fire bombed in January of twenty twelve, 172 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 2: which he blamed Combs for, he was like, I have 173 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:36,560 Speaker 2: to meet Comb's in person and figure this out. He said. 174 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:39,440 Speaker 1: They met in an La hotel meeting room and Combs 175 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:42,080 Speaker 1: was quote staring at the window with his hands behind 176 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 1: his back like a marble super villain. 177 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 2: It was just him and I in the room. 178 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 1: We discussed the whole story of how Cassie and I 179 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 1: started to date and how it ended. His whole point was, 180 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:53,280 Speaker 1: you were with my girl, and I said. She told 181 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:54,720 Speaker 1: me you were broken up, and I took her word 182 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 1: for it. He was calm, and he offered me water twice. 183 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:00,200 Speaker 1: It was very off putting. It was weird. She was 184 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:03,680 Speaker 1: so calm. Cassie eventually came. I was upset to find 185 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:05,920 Speaker 1: that she was back with him. She pretty much explained 186 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:08,560 Speaker 1: that we fell in love and things just happened. Cassie 187 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 1: said that she broke up with Cuddy after Combs told 188 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:13,200 Speaker 1: her that quote he was going to hurt the both 189 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:15,840 Speaker 1: of us. I also want to include a little bit 190 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:19,080 Speaker 1: of testimony from a woman named Carrie Morgan, Cassie's former 191 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:22,160 Speaker 1: best friend. She said that Combs once choked her and 192 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 1: hit her with a wooden coat hanger, trying to get 193 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:28,439 Speaker 1: her to reveal who Cassie was allegedly cheating with. This 194 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:30,959 Speaker 1: incident led to Combs having to pay her thirty thousand 195 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:34,319 Speaker 1: dollars for her to keep quiet, and ultimately ended her 196 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:38,520 Speaker 1: almost twenty year friendship with Cassie. She testified that Cassie 197 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 1: told her that she thought that she was milking it 198 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:44,720 Speaker 1: and over exaggerating. Her friend had basically had enough, She 199 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:47,760 Speaker 1: signed an NDA and her and Cassie never spoke again. 200 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:51,280 Speaker 1: I wanted to include her testimony because she really is 201 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 1: an outside person with no real connection to this situation anymore. 202 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 1: So when people try to say this is all some 203 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 1: kind of a conspiracy against Colmbs, why would someone who 204 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: hasn't spoken up for years, is no longer connected to 205 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:05,439 Speaker 1: either party, and just as she puts it, wants to 206 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:08,080 Speaker 1: quote move on with her life, want to be involved 207 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:11,840 Speaker 1: in a conspiracy to take down Shawn Colmbs. I found 208 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 1: the testimony of Cassie's mother, Regina, to be amongst the 209 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:18,800 Speaker 1: most heartbreaking, other than the testimony from Cassie herself. Cassie's 210 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:20,840 Speaker 1: mom said that she was once forced to pay Comb's 211 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:24,160 Speaker 1: twenty thousand dollars. Essentially, she says that Combs was angry 212 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 1: because Cassie was involved with Kid Cutty. He's threatened to 213 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 1: release tapes of Cassie's involuntary participation with the male sex workers. 214 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:34,400 Speaker 1: Regina said that in twenty eleven, Combs threatened Cassie via 215 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:37,280 Speaker 1: email after learning that her and Kidcutty were dating. In 216 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:39,559 Speaker 1: this email, which was read in the court, did. He 217 00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:42,640 Speaker 1: threaten to release two different sex types of Cassie, including 218 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:45,440 Speaker 1: one that will be released on Christmas Day. He also 219 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:47,880 Speaker 1: threatened Cassie and Kid Cutty, saying that they would be 220 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: physically harmed, although not by his hands. Cassie's mom said, quote, 221 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:55,080 Speaker 1: it was understood that he was going to need twenty 222 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 1: thousand dollars to recoup money he had already spent on 223 00:11:57,840 --> 00:11:59,600 Speaker 1: her because he was angry that she had had a 224 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 1: relationship with Kitcutti. He was angry that he had spent 225 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:05,080 Speaker 1: money on her and that she was with another person. 226 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: Cassie's mom and her husband said they had to take 227 00:12:07,640 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 1: out a home equity loan to fulfill the payment that 228 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:12,960 Speaker 1: Combs allegedly demanded because it was really the only way 229 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:15,880 Speaker 1: they can get the money. Cassie's mom also photographed all 230 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 1: of Cassie's injuries from Diddy, which were pretty significant. So 231 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 1: that's where things are at with this testimony as of 232 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:24,079 Speaker 1: recording this on May twenty third. All of those claims 233 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 1: were made in court under oath. Those are just the 234 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 1: facts of the situation. But like most things these days, 235 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:32,880 Speaker 1: this is not only playing out in court, it's also 236 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 1: playing out online. So I want to pipot to talk 237 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:38,600 Speaker 1: about how this conversation has been going down on the internet. 238 00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 1: So I have seen so many well worn tropes about 239 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:46,439 Speaker 1: what is happening play out online. The first is the obvious, 240 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:49,960 Speaker 1: the gold digger trope. This trope has already made a 241 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:53,120 Speaker 1: few appearances at the trial. Combs's lawyer said in his 242 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 1: opening statement, So when you hear from the witnesses who 243 00:12:56,360 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 1: testify here, who will tell you they were victimized, asked yourself, 244 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: what is their motive? 245 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:05,200 Speaker 2: For many of them? The answer is simple money. His 246 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:08,600 Speaker 2: lawyer referred to Cassie's civil suit as quote, a money grab. 247 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:11,679 Speaker 2: And then the defense lawyer posed this question to the jury, 248 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 2: how many millions of reasons does this witness swearing to 249 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:17,720 Speaker 2: tell the truth and nothing but the truth have to lie. 250 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 2: But here's my thing. Cassie already settled her civil suit 251 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:25,680 Speaker 2: with Ditty. He settled within hours. So how could. 252 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:29,640 Speaker 1: Cassie testifying as the state's witness in this criminal trial 253 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:34,440 Speaker 1: be about money? Another well worn trope that I've seen 254 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:37,080 Speaker 1: a lot online is why didn't she leave? 255 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:38,800 Speaker 2: She's an adult, she could have just left. 256 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:41,960 Speaker 1: This one is so baffling to me because we have 257 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:45,880 Speaker 1: actual video surveillance footage of exactly what happened when she 258 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 1: tried to leave. When she left one of these sex 259 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:52,400 Speaker 1: events at a hotel, Combs followed her, physically attacked her, 260 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 1: and physically dragged her back to his hotel room. 261 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 2: So that's why she didn't leave. He also tried to 262 00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 2: blow up kid Cutty's car when she left homes for 263 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:02,600 Speaker 2: him when she tried to leave, her mom had to 264 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:05,080 Speaker 2: put up her home as collateral to give twenty thousand 265 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:08,000 Speaker 2: dollars to a multi millionaire to keep him from releasing 266 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:10,400 Speaker 2: videos of her and humiliating sex acts. 267 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:13,000 Speaker 1: So all of that is why she couldn't leave. I mean, 268 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:16,160 Speaker 1: anybody who knows anything about how abuse works would understand this, 269 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 1: but especially under these kinds of circumstances. And this is 270 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: such a common trope used against abused women that it 271 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:27,040 Speaker 1: feels like a cliche. Abusers use emotional manipulation to isolate 272 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 1: and control their partners. Perversely, abuse can sometimes cause victims 273 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 1: to feel even more connected to their abusers through the 274 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:36,600 Speaker 1: process of trauma bonding, which can happen when cycles of 275 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 1: abuse are interspersed with moments of affection. Cassie basically says 276 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 1: as much during the trial, she testified that at the 277 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:44,480 Speaker 1: time when all of the stuff was going down, she 278 00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:46,840 Speaker 1: still had a lot of complicated love for Combs because 279 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 1: they had been in a relationship for over a decade, 280 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 1: and obviously that emotional rollercoaster of highs and lows can 281 00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 1: create really confusing emotional ties. Add with that, the fear 282 00:14:57,160 --> 00:14:59,320 Speaker 1: of physical violence, which we saw and is not in 283 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:03,040 Speaker 1: dispute or other forms of retribution, can keep victims of 284 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 1: abuse trapped in relationships, which the testimony from Cassie and 285 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:08,960 Speaker 1: others certainly suggest was a big factor here. 286 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 3: Let's take a quick break at her back. 287 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:30,160 Speaker 1: So we're talking about how all these well worn trophes 288 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:32,440 Speaker 1: about survivors have been showing up in the trial against 289 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 1: Sean P. 290 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:33,080 Speaker 3: To B. 291 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:36,320 Speaker 1: Combs, and how they continue to discredit people from speaking up. 292 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:39,560 Speaker 1: Another trope I've seen online is the idea that Cassie 293 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:42,320 Speaker 1: wanted this, She must have wanted this kind of behavior 294 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 1: from Combs. Combs's legal team did a great job to 295 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:47,240 Speaker 1: portray her as a woman who, as they put it, 296 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:51,640 Speaker 1: made voluntary adult choices. They actually had Cassie read text 297 00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:54,160 Speaker 1: messagers that she had written to Combs in court where 298 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 1: she said things that maybe could be construed like she 299 00:15:56,920 --> 00:15:59,320 Speaker 1: was into what was going on, but Cassie says at 300 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:01,400 Speaker 1: that point she was really just trying to placate him 301 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 1: and that it was really just words that she was typing. 302 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:07,200 Speaker 1: She describes how she would have these big events or 303 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 1: premieres coming up, and that she was just doing these 304 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:12,440 Speaker 1: things and pretending to go along with them just to 305 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 1: try to keep him under control so that he wouldn't 306 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: ruin and blow up more aspects of her life. And truly, 307 00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 1: can there really be any consent in a situation where 308 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:26,280 Speaker 1: both parties agree there is control, abuse and coercion. Okay, 309 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:28,360 Speaker 1: So another trope I've seen a lot online is that 310 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:31,040 Speaker 1: the people who are speaking out are rats. They're going 311 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:34,640 Speaker 1: against somebody just because they're rats. The rapper Young Thug 312 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 1: essentially called Kid Cutty a snitch for testifying at all. 313 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 1: But let's be real, Combs broke into his house and 314 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: blew up his car and Kid Cutty stayed silent about 315 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 1: it for ten years until he was subpoened by the 316 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 1: Feds to testify. So this is not someone who was 317 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 1: just like out looking to thing like a canary against 318 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:54,840 Speaker 1: somebody who's wrong them. 319 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 2: And by the way, if somebody blew up my car. 320 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 1: You best believe I would tell anybody who would listen 321 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:03,240 Speaker 1: about it right away. A kind of shade of that 322 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 1: trope that I've also seen online is that Cassie and 323 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:08,480 Speaker 1: the other people speaking out are just trying to tear 324 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:11,560 Speaker 1: down a black man. And this one is the trope 325 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:14,639 Speaker 1: that I would say bothers me the most, because I 326 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:17,280 Speaker 1: think that there is a certain subsect of people for 327 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:21,480 Speaker 1: whom a powerful, visible black man will never be able 328 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 1: to do anything wrong and should always be shielded from accountability, 329 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 1: even if we have video evidence of him doing something wrong. 330 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:30,560 Speaker 1: And I think we see some version of this that 331 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:33,399 Speaker 1: comes out anytime a famous or visible black man is 332 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:35,719 Speaker 1: accused of a crime, Like we're all supposed to just 333 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:38,199 Speaker 1: stay silent and protect an abuser because he is a 334 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:41,680 Speaker 1: black man who is doing good in the community or 335 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:44,199 Speaker 1: you know, trying to help his people, or whatever you 336 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 1: want to say. And it just makes me wonder, like, 337 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:49,719 Speaker 1: why is it that this black man is more worthy 338 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:53,320 Speaker 1: of protection, but the black woman he abused isn't, And 339 00:17:53,359 --> 00:17:55,320 Speaker 1: that the whole dynamic is that she's meant to stay 340 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 1: silent so that he can continue to masquerade as a 341 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:00,560 Speaker 1: black man worth protecting. 342 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:05,040 Speaker 2: You know, this is all about power, coercion and control, 343 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 2: and honestly, to me, it's comparable to what we saw 344 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:11,040 Speaker 2: with Jeffrey Epstein when I was covering Epstein for an 345 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:13,240 Speaker 2: earlier episode of their No Girls on the Internet. What 346 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:17,000 Speaker 2: really struck me was the way that Epstein intentionally ingratiated 347 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 2: himself into the upper echelons of the tech world through 348 00:18:20,119 --> 00:18:23,639 Speaker 2: things like his donations to MIT's renowned Media Lab and 349 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:27,800 Speaker 2: other respected institutions. He did this with intention to shield 350 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:31,760 Speaker 2: himself from accountability for his vast crimes, and this is 351 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:35,760 Speaker 2: a tried and true abuser tactic. Ditty was known for 352 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:38,960 Speaker 2: his iconic White Party, which was a who's who of 353 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:41,680 Speaker 2: a lists celebrities and moguls. He donated to all the 354 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:44,679 Speaker 2: right causes, you know, he donated a million dollars to 355 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:48,040 Speaker 2: his alma mater and my old workplace, Howard University, right 356 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:51,200 Speaker 2: here in DC. Basically trying to keep anybody from calling 357 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:52,680 Speaker 2: him out, because look at. 358 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:54,200 Speaker 1: All these good things I have done. Could all these 359 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:57,480 Speaker 1: good causes I stand for? Even Ditty's attorney said in 360 00:18:57,520 --> 00:19:01,000 Speaker 1: a statement, Sean Ditty combs as a music icon, self 361 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:04,840 Speaker 1: made entrepreneur, loving family man and proven philanthropist who has 362 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 1: spent the last thirty years building an empire, adoring his children, 363 00:19:08,119 --> 00:19:11,359 Speaker 1: and working to uplift the black community. This is kind 364 00:19:11,359 --> 00:19:13,520 Speaker 1: of a side note, but y'all might remember that Ditty's 365 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:16,879 Speaker 1: public persona kind of shifted in twenty seventeen when he 366 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:18,600 Speaker 1: started asking people to call him. 367 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:19,879 Speaker 2: Love instead of Ditty. 368 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:22,959 Speaker 1: He had a baby daughter in twenty twenty two, so 369 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:25,200 Speaker 1: you know, how could he be a sex criminal? 370 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,240 Speaker 2: He has a daughter. He named his daughter. 371 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:31,359 Speaker 1: Love, which is also the title of his first solo 372 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:33,920 Speaker 1: studio album in seventeen years, which came out in twenty 373 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:37,879 Speaker 1: twenty three. There's also this glowing New York Times puff 374 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:41,760 Speaker 1: piece that I think really helped him paint this new persona. 375 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:44,080 Speaker 1: I have to read a few gems of how the 376 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:47,480 Speaker 1: New York Times really helped launder this new reputation that 377 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:51,160 Speaker 1: he was trying to foster for himself. He talks about therapy. 378 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:54,879 Speaker 1: He said it probably most likely really saved my brain, 379 00:19:55,119 --> 00:19:57,600 Speaker 1: because when you have a genius brain, it is also 380 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:00,800 Speaker 1: a crazy brain. He talks about how he continue to 381 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:04,359 Speaker 1: try to understand life beyond the conventional earthly plane, saying 382 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,480 Speaker 1: I'm a big old hippie, said Combs, who has attended 383 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 1: multiple Burning Man festivals. I had a little bit of 384 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:12,919 Speaker 1: ego left in me, and when I did Toad, I 385 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:16,919 Speaker 1: officially had an ego death. Toad is the drug DMT, 386 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:20,480 Speaker 1: and it's honestly giving that joke. Men need to do 387 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:24,879 Speaker 1: psychedelics to have the same psychological revelation that most girls 388 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:29,199 Speaker 1: have had since they were fourteen. So basically it's I 389 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:31,479 Speaker 1: have done all these great things. I am now a 390 00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 1: loving and centered family man. I could not also be 391 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:37,800 Speaker 1: a criminal. It's what Harvey Weinstein did, It's what Bill 392 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:41,000 Speaker 1: Cosby did, It's what r Kelly did, and now it 393 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:44,119 Speaker 1: is what Diddy is doing. So this is what I hate. 394 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:46,880 Speaker 1: How there are real people who were hurt in this case, 395 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:49,600 Speaker 1: but of course, in our current digital media climate, it 396 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:52,920 Speaker 1: just becomes another way to callously score political points in 397 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:55,520 Speaker 1: the ever running culture war. So the reality is is 398 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:58,360 Speaker 1: that Diddy, in building his public persona to protect him 399 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:03,040 Speaker 1: from accountability, is cozy with lots of famous people, Democrats, 400 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:05,639 Speaker 1: Republicans of their celebrities. When you look through the different 401 00:21:05,640 --> 00:21:07,920 Speaker 1: pictures of who has been photographed with Ditty over the years, 402 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:11,200 Speaker 1: it's basically everyone. None of this should be surprising because 403 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:13,639 Speaker 1: it's of course intentional. You might recall that he had 404 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:16,800 Speaker 1: a voting initiative called Vote or Die. He endorsed both 405 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:19,719 Speaker 1: Obama and Biden, which of course Fox News made a 406 00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:23,800 Speaker 1: huge production about while glossing over his documented connections to Trump. 407 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:26,840 Speaker 1: This actually became a thing during the twenty twenty four election, 408 00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:29,960 Speaker 1: when right before the election, the account Trump fact News 409 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:33,720 Speaker 1: posted a picture of Harris and Didty, saying, never forget 410 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:36,320 Speaker 1: how Harris got her start. She's no stranger to Diddy 411 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:39,560 Speaker 1: parties in Los Angeles either, So this is obviously a 412 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:42,040 Speaker 1: reference to the common lie hurled at Harris that she 413 00:21:42,119 --> 00:21:43,320 Speaker 1: quote slept her way. 414 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:46,160 Speaker 2: To the top. But the picture is not even of 415 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:49,160 Speaker 2: Harris and Diddy. It's of Harris and talk show host 416 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:53,400 Speaker 2: Montell Williams, who Kamala Harris actually did date twenty years ago. 417 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:57,200 Speaker 1: Montell Williams replied, here they go again, with all black 418 00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:00,399 Speaker 1: people look alike. In September of twenty twenty four, a 419 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:03,399 Speaker 1: pro Trump meme account on X called the Right to 420 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:06,680 Speaker 1: Bear Memes posted a doctored version of a photo taken 421 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:08,480 Speaker 1: by Montell Williams in two thousand and one at a 422 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:12,200 Speaker 1: charity event The picture is basically like they just put 423 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:15,679 Speaker 1: Sean Combs's head on William's body. It's like obviously a 424 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:17,520 Speaker 1: very bad photoshop if you look at it for more 425 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:20,720 Speaker 1: than five seconds, but it prompted the comment the Ditty 426 00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:23,280 Speaker 1: client list goes all the way to the top, posted 427 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:26,359 Speaker 1: by red Pill USA, a major pro Trump conspiracy account, 428 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:29,640 Speaker 1: and it was viewed over a million times on truth 429 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:33,440 Speaker 1: Social Trump himself reposted and then deleted an image of 430 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:36,879 Speaker 1: Harris with Ditty's face photoshopped over Montell Williams's with the 431 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:41,720 Speaker 1: caption Kamala doing the diddy Madam Vice President, have you 432 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:44,439 Speaker 1: ever been involved or engaged in one of puff Daddy's 433 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:49,679 Speaker 1: freak offs? He did delete that, thankfully, But this was 434 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:52,159 Speaker 1: just the beginning of all the disinformation and being spread 435 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:53,000 Speaker 1: about this case. 436 00:22:56,080 --> 00:23:08,840 Speaker 4: More after a quick break, let's get right back into it. 437 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:12,800 Speaker 2: So this trial is not being shown on television. 438 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:15,040 Speaker 1: If you're not physically at the trial or following the 439 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 1: reporting of somebody who is, you might not have any 440 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:20,800 Speaker 1: real clue what is happening. So people online can and 441 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 1: are saying just about anything to capitalize on the clicking 442 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:25,800 Speaker 1: engagement of this trial. 443 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:27,640 Speaker 2: Here's a few examples of what I mean. 444 00:23:28,359 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 1: One rumor that I saw everywhere online while the trial 445 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:34,119 Speaker 1: was going on was the claim that prosecutors presented as 446 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:38,879 Speaker 1: evidence a secret recording of prints exposing Colombes's crimes. The 447 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:42,159 Speaker 1: rumor said that in Prince's final days alive, he filmed 448 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:45,040 Speaker 1: the video that said if something happens to me, this 449 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:46,080 Speaker 1: recording needs to go to. 450 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:50,800 Speaker 2: The press or the police, either one. This is simply false, 451 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 2: not true, never happened. 452 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:55,159 Speaker 1: And we've got to talk about this because typically I 453 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 1: don't think it's good to amplify random conspiracy theories that 454 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:01,200 Speaker 1: pop up online, because sometimes it ends up that you're 455 00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:03,919 Speaker 1: just helping a random video that nobody was probably ever 456 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:06,800 Speaker 1: really going to see anyway. Outside of these niche pockets 457 00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:09,840 Speaker 1: of the Internet get more traction and oxygen, and a 458 00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:12,000 Speaker 1: lot of times that's true. But I wanted to talk 459 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 1: about this one involving Prince, because this particular conspiracy theory 460 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:18,480 Speaker 1: was not just staying in one niche corner of the Internet. 461 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,760 Speaker 1: I've seen this particular false claim about Prince all over 462 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:25,159 Speaker 1: the web, to the point where mainstream news outlets like 463 00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:28,320 Speaker 1: Yahoo had to publish pieces debunking it because they were 464 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:30,879 Speaker 1: getting so much traction, and I think it reveals a 465 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:33,880 Speaker 1: lot about why this kind of AI generated conspiracy theory 466 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:37,359 Speaker 1: content works. They blow up something that has a grain 467 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:39,639 Speaker 1: of actual truth to it, or something that fits an 468 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:42,760 Speaker 1: existing pattern or story that we already know or already 469 00:24:42,800 --> 00:24:46,560 Speaker 1: align with, and then project this entire fictional world onto it. 470 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:50,720 Speaker 1: So in nineteen ninety three, Prince famously changed his name 471 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:53,560 Speaker 1: from Prince to the artist formerly known as Prince in 472 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:56,720 Speaker 1: a public dispute over how much control his record label, 473 00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:59,639 Speaker 1: Warner Brothers had over his music. So the grain of 474 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 1: truth is that Prince was somebody who went up against 475 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:07,199 Speaker 1: powerful figures in the entertainment industry. So this particular false 476 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 1: claim really does align with my existing worldview about Prince, 477 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:13,440 Speaker 1: which is why it works so well. And Prince died 478 00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:16,879 Speaker 1: really suddenly, so of course there will always be conspiracy 479 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:20,120 Speaker 1: surrounding his death, like maybe he was killed by those 480 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:22,760 Speaker 1: very same powerful forces that he was trying to call 481 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:25,639 Speaker 1: out and dismantle. So then when you hear about the 482 00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:29,160 Speaker 1: ways that Diddy, who actually is a powerful force at entertainment, 483 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:32,720 Speaker 1: used his power to abuse and control others, it makes 484 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:36,080 Speaker 1: sense why this is the AI conspiracy that really hits 485 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:38,960 Speaker 1: and takes off and gets traction because at its core 486 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:40,520 Speaker 1: it has a grain of truth to it, and it 487 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:43,000 Speaker 1: aligns with the kind of conspiracy that our brains love, 488 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:45,760 Speaker 1: you know, a story about a beloved figure being taken 489 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:48,159 Speaker 1: out by a powerful evil force he was trying to 490 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:51,119 Speaker 1: take down. In fact, I have to admit that when 491 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:54,000 Speaker 1: I was watching some of these Prince Diddy conspiracy videos 492 00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:57,280 Speaker 1: for this episode, I found myself going from watching it 493 00:25:57,320 --> 00:26:00,560 Speaker 1: critically to at a certain point catching myself almost kind 494 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:02,720 Speaker 1: of getting lost in the story because the story is 495 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 1: that good, Like I could see myself sharing this video 496 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:09,919 Speaker 1: and if I wasn't already tuned into accurate coverage of 497 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:12,840 Speaker 1: the trial, I m not even believe this actually happened 498 00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:15,600 Speaker 1: in the courtroom, even though it didn't, because it aligned 499 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:19,200 Speaker 1: so well with my pre existing worldview. And honestly, that's 500 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 1: what AI and LM's are so good at reflecting our 501 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:25,240 Speaker 1: own world's back at us, and it seems like that's 502 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:27,240 Speaker 1: why they were really able to hit a home run 503 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:31,600 Speaker 1: with this Prince Diddy AI conspiracy theories. So where did 504 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:35,480 Speaker 1: this Diddy Prince video come from? Well, it came from 505 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:39,000 Speaker 1: a YouTube channel called what is My Star Wars, which 506 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:43,560 Speaker 1: posted the video titled Prince's Secret Recording Just Shattered Ditty's Trial. 507 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:48,600 Speaker 2: Then the video spread to Blue Sky, Facebook threads, TikTok x, 508 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 2: and other places on YouTube. 509 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:52,240 Speaker 1: So I took a look at that channel and it 510 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:57,280 Speaker 1: is essentially very obviously AI generated fan fiction that gets 511 00:26:57,560 --> 00:26:58,919 Speaker 1: so many views. 512 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:03,119 Speaker 2: They have created video after video after a video falsely 513 00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:07,680 Speaker 2: linking the biggest celebrities to the Combs trial. Most of 514 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:09,400 Speaker 2: the videos follow the same formula. 515 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:13,479 Speaker 1: They start with an AI generated voice narrator saying, before 516 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:17,080 Speaker 1: we begin, viewer discretion is strongly advised. The following is 517 00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:20,399 Speaker 1: for educational and entertainment purposes only. But then in the 518 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:24,080 Speaker 1: very next sentence, the narrator says, this is the verbatim 519 00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:27,440 Speaker 1: federal courtroom testimony of the Sean Ditty Combs trial, as 520 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:29,119 Speaker 1: reported by Inner City Press. 521 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:30,919 Speaker 2: When no, it's not. 522 00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:36,240 Speaker 1: One video called Oprah Fux Ditty claims that Oprah was 523 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:39,600 Speaker 1: present at one of Ditty's hotel sex sessions and that 524 00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:43,720 Speaker 1: the actress Monique has named Oprah, Tyler Perry and others. 525 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:46,760 Speaker 2: As being involved. That video has only been up for 526 00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 2: four days and it already has one point. 527 00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:53,800 Speaker 1: Five million views. And again this is pure fiction. None 528 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:55,920 Speaker 1: of these people testified. None of these people are even 529 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 1: involved in any of this. As somebody who studies conspiracy 530 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:02,239 Speaker 1: theory and how they move online, when I look at 531 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:04,880 Speaker 1: this page, I can sort of immediately clock what's going 532 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:07,639 Speaker 1: on when you go back a little further in the 533 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:11,440 Speaker 1: content before switching over to all ditty content. The channel 534 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:14,719 Speaker 1: was sort of cycling through this format of having a 535 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 1: public figure in some sort of sad situation. It's generally 536 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:22,960 Speaker 1: an AI generated image of a sad looking celebrity, and then. 537 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:25,760 Speaker 2: It'll say the shocking truth about Christopher. 538 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:28,959 Speaker 1: Walkin seemed to implying that, like something bad is happening 539 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:29,600 Speaker 1: in his life. 540 00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:30,200 Speaker 2: Now. 541 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 1: Their early videos seem to have done all right in 542 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:35,800 Speaker 1: terms of views, but the Diddy videos really hit, so 543 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:39,200 Speaker 1: of course they're going to keep producing them. And honestly, 544 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:41,960 Speaker 1: it seems like any celebrity you want dead or alive 545 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:46,480 Speaker 1: can be mixed up in the Diddy stuff. Elvis, Wendy Williams, 546 00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:50,880 Speaker 1: Whitney Houston, will Smith, according to this channel, have all 547 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:54,160 Speaker 1: appeared in the courtroom to give explosive testimony. But like 548 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:57,680 Speaker 1: I said, it's just fan fiction, except in my opinion, 549 00:28:57,720 --> 00:28:59,720 Speaker 1: they're obviously going out of their way to make it 550 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:02,520 Speaker 1: look real. And it's interesting how they pick celebrities that 551 00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:06,040 Speaker 1: have some level of conspiracy theory kind of around them already, 552 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:09,760 Speaker 1: folks like Will Smith or Oprah. They pair that with 553 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:12,880 Speaker 1: an AI generated image of that celebrity looking distraught on 554 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:15,640 Speaker 1: the stand next to an AI generated Diddy, and. 555 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:17,479 Speaker 2: People actually believe it. 556 00:29:18,200 --> 00:29:20,600 Speaker 1: I fully expected the comments on these videos to be 557 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:23,719 Speaker 1: people calling it out as obvious fakes, but no, people 558 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:27,440 Speaker 1: believe it. In one of these AI generated videos, they 559 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:30,040 Speaker 1: claim that Samuel L. Jackson took the stand and made 560 00:29:30,040 --> 00:29:34,120 Speaker 1: a bombshell accusation claiming that Diddy groomed Lori Harvey and 561 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:36,840 Speaker 1: that her stepfather, Steve Harvey, may have played a role 562 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 1: in serving his stepdaughter up to be abused by Diddy. 563 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:43,600 Speaker 1: It says, the shocking testimony has sent shockwaves across the 564 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:46,960 Speaker 1: entertainment industry and social media as the Harvey family's reputation 565 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,640 Speaker 1: is suddenly thrown into question. Now there is a disclaim 566 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:51,560 Speaker 1: worth at the very bottom that says this content is 567 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:55,400 Speaker 1: fictional and intended for entertainment purposes only. No verified court 568 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 1: documents or official statements confirmed these claims, but that doesn't 569 00:29:58,920 --> 00:30:01,520 Speaker 1: stop people in the comment tents from talking about it 570 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:02,240 Speaker 1: like it's real. 571 00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:03,800 Speaker 2: Here's a few comments. 572 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 1: I always had this instinctive feeling that something was wrong 573 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:11,560 Speaker 1: with Steve Harvey, Tyler Perry, Oprah, Kevin Hart, Michael Jackson, T. D. 574 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:14,239 Speaker 1: Jakes and Martin Lawrence and others. I never understood why 575 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:16,840 Speaker 1: folks on TV and movies maybe uncomfortable learning this. 576 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 2: Now I know God gave me this wonderful gift. Here's 577 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:20,640 Speaker 2: another comment. 578 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:23,960 Speaker 1: Samuel is a noble brother that appreciates fair game and order. 579 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:26,960 Speaker 1: To see a colleague sacrifice his own daughter for gain 580 00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:29,920 Speaker 1: with a demonic, cold, calculating monster is an insult to 581 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:32,720 Speaker 1: our entire culture. No mana should be that thirsty to 582 00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:36,440 Speaker 1: compromise his integrity for money. Steve pimped that girl. Samuel 583 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:39,680 Speaker 1: is the one millions of us respect. And lastly, quote 584 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:42,360 Speaker 1: how I wish I could have seen mister Jackson's testimony. 585 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:44,680 Speaker 1: This could be a movie, and I hate to break 586 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:47,760 Speaker 1: it to you, but you can't see mister Jackson's testimony 587 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 1: because it doesn't exist. It never happened. So even when 588 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:54,160 Speaker 1: the coverage of the trial isn't straight up making up facts, 589 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:57,760 Speaker 1: it still feels gross. People online are covering this trial. 590 00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:00,840 Speaker 1: At the recapping and Netflix series Friend of the podcast, 591 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:04,880 Speaker 1: Francesca Ramsey made a great point that creators online are 592 00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:08,040 Speaker 1: rushing to do these breakdowns and coverage for engagement of 593 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:10,600 Speaker 1: all these salacious details that make it seem with our 594 00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:15,000 Speaker 1: covering a fictional series, not the traumas of somebody else's life. 595 00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 1: It's a bit of a sad commentary on the state 596 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:20,600 Speaker 1: of our digital media ecosystem, which really does encourage everybody 597 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:22,960 Speaker 1: to have an opinion, everybody to have a take, but 598 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:26,840 Speaker 1: in doing so treats real people's lives like stories and 599 00:31:26,880 --> 00:31:30,880 Speaker 1: discourages empathy. And this kind of the fan fiction capturing 600 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:33,920 Speaker 1: the nation's interest with this trial is not new. It 601 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:38,080 Speaker 1: started the day that Ditty was arrested. Combs's late ex wife, 602 00:31:38,080 --> 00:31:41,240 Speaker 1: the model kim Porter, died very suddenly in twenty eighteen. 603 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 1: Her listed cause of death was pneumonia, but rumors have 604 00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:47,680 Speaker 1: swirled about her death since she died. After Ditty was arrested, 605 00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:53,000 Speaker 1: An LA based producer self published a quote mamoir of 606 00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:54,440 Speaker 1: kim Porter's on Amazon. 607 00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:57,160 Speaker 2: The memoir was full. 608 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:00,840 Speaker 1: Of pulpy, salacious claims about Sean Combs's past and crimes. 609 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:03,680 Speaker 1: There are plenty of people breaking it down on TikTok, 610 00:32:03,800 --> 00:32:08,160 Speaker 1: but this memoir is probably completely bogus. The author, who 611 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 1: calls himself Chris Todd no relation, told Vanity Fair that 612 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:14,640 Speaker 1: the memoir is based on a flash drive that Kim 613 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:17,959 Speaker 1: Porter allegedly left behind after her death in twenty eighteen, 614 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:22,040 Speaker 1: which also contained, he claims, quote tapes of Ditty with 615 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:25,360 Speaker 1: celebrities and sexual situations. He said that he received portions 616 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 1: of the drive from a quote celebrity source who was 617 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:31,360 Speaker 1: quote very close inside the Kim and Ditty hip hop circle. 618 00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:34,719 Speaker 1: In the Variety interview, Todd said, I'm not doing this 619 00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:37,520 Speaker 1: for the money. I'm the voice for the voiceless, although 620 00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:39,960 Speaker 1: he did acknowledge making a fair bit of money from 621 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:43,200 Speaker 1: the fake book. He even told Rolling Stone that he 622 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 1: himself can't be sure if that memoir is real, saying, 623 00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:48,320 Speaker 1: if somebody put my feet to the fire and they 624 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:50,719 Speaker 1: said life or death, is this book realed? I have 625 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:51,800 Speaker 1: to say, I don't know. 626 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:52,880 Speaker 2: But it's real enough to me. 627 00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:55,920 Speaker 1: Sometimes you just got to put it out there. Maybe 628 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:57,840 Speaker 1: not one hundred percent of the book is true, but 629 00:32:57,880 --> 00:33:00,520 Speaker 1: maybe eighty percent is. That is to get those people 630 00:33:00,560 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 1: to come forward and either corroborate or deny the claims, 631 00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:05,640 Speaker 1: and that helps me as an investigator to know the truth. 632 00:33:06,040 --> 00:33:08,680 Speaker 2: So even though the person who published. 633 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:11,800 Speaker 1: This memoir pretty much says it's probably not true, this 634 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:14,160 Speaker 1: did not stop the book from shooting to the number 635 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:17,680 Speaker 1: one spot on Amazon. Eventually, in October twenty twenty four, 636 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,600 Speaker 1: after shooting to the number one spot, Amazon pulled it. 637 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:23,440 Speaker 1: And that really says a lot to me that we 638 00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:27,080 Speaker 1: have a digital culture that really incentivizes just making stuff 639 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:30,320 Speaker 1: up about something as serious as sex trafficking and sexual 640 00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:32,960 Speaker 1: abuse to make a quick book, whether through sales of 641 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:37,080 Speaker 1: bogus memoirs or through online engagement through AI generated fan 642 00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:40,880 Speaker 1: fiction that has no grounding in reality. So what's next 643 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 1: for Ditty? While the trial continues, and according to Rolling Stone, 644 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:47,840 Speaker 1: Combs's team is already working on a pardon from Trump 645 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:51,240 Speaker 1: if he's convicted. Several longtime friends and allies of Combs 646 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:54,200 Speaker 1: have already begun making connections to the Trump team with 647 00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:57,080 Speaker 1: hopes of laying the groundwork for a possible presidential pardon 648 00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:01,040 Speaker 1: if Combs is found guilty on the charges her Rolling Stone, 649 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:03,600 Speaker 1: Combs's team is hoping to appeal to Trump by drawing 650 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:07,400 Speaker 1: a comparison between their shared stories two successful businessmen allegedly 651 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:10,239 Speaker 1: targeted by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New 652 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:15,000 Speaker 1: York with baseless wink wink accusations of sexual assault. Combs 653 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:17,840 Speaker 1: and Trump have reportedly maintained a friendly personal relationship for 654 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:18,919 Speaker 1: over a decade. 655 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:20,440 Speaker 2: Trump described Combs as. 656 00:34:20,400 --> 00:34:22,440 Speaker 1: Quote a good friend of mine during a twenty twelve 657 00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:25,400 Speaker 1: taping of Celebrity Apprentice and was a regular attendee at 658 00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:26,240 Speaker 1: his birthday parties. 659 00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:28,920 Speaker 2: And you know what, I think it might work. 660 00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:31,560 Speaker 1: I think if Diddy is convicted, I could see a 661 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:33,960 Speaker 1: world where Trump pardons him. And they just want to 662 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:38,320 Speaker 1: end by saying, survivors are watching that dig about Cassie 663 00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:41,000 Speaker 1: being a gold digger or somehow inviting her own abuse. 664 00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:45,120 Speaker 1: Cassie probably won't see it online, but you know who will, survivors. 665 00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:47,719 Speaker 1: Survivors are watching, and we're not going to stand for it. 666 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:54,560 Speaker 1: Got a story about an interesting thing in tech. I 667 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:56,520 Speaker 1: just want to say hi. You can reach us at 668 00:34:56,560 --> 00:34:59,280 Speaker 1: Hello at tengodi dot com. You can also find transcripts 669 00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:01,280 Speaker 1: for today's episode at tengo doi dot com. 670 00:35:01,440 --> 00:35:02,799 Speaker 2: There Are No Girls on the Internet. 671 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:04,960 Speaker 1: Was created by me Bridget tod It's a production of 672 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:08,720 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio and Unbossed creative Jonathan Strickland is our executive producer. 673 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:12,240 Speaker 1: Tarry Harrison is our producer and sound engineer. Michael Almato 674 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:15,880 Speaker 1: is our contributing producer. I'm your host, Bridget Todd. If 675 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:17,719 Speaker 1: you want to help us grow, rate and review. 676 00:35:17,520 --> 00:35:18,680 Speaker 3: Us on Apple Podcasts. 677 00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:22,160 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, check out the iHeartRadio app, 678 00:35:22,200 --> 00:35:24,239 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts