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Ozy The media went from screaming to outrage. Its founder, Carlos Watson, appeared in court

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NEW YORK (AP) – For nearly a decade, Ozy Media has projected a picture of recent media success.

The company boasted big-name interviews, an Emmy-winning television show, a vibrant festival of music and concepts, and impressive numbers to exhibit to potential investors – until it collapsed in 2021 amid doubts about its audience size, profitability and fundamental integrity .

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These doubts at the moment are at the middle of the federal criminal trial. Founder Carlos Watson and Ozy are fighting charges of conspiracy to commit fraud.

Even after many other public and court hearings for Silicon Valley corporations that went from screaming to damage, it’s hard to forget the moment of Ozy’s downfall, when co-founder Samir Rao impersonated a YouTube executive to talk concerning the company to potential investors.

Lawyers for Watson and Ozy blame any false statements solely on Rao, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud and identity theft. The defense also argued that prosecutors would criminalize common entrepreneurial bloat and single out Watson, a black founder in a tech world where there are disproportionately few African-American executives.

“I am not now and never have been a ‘fraudster,’” he said last 12 months when the costs were brought against him.

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Prosecutors and Rao, their star witness, say Ozy straddled the road between hopeful hype and brazen fraud.

“We told so many lies to so many different people,” Rao testified after the struggling company produced rosy financial results in a desperate attempt to lure investors and stay afloat.

The hope was to enable “a diverse audience to consume hopefully a different, more meaningful type of content,” he said. But “survival within the bounds of decency, honesty and truth has evolved into survival at all costs and by any means necessary.”

“New and Next”

Ozy was founded in 2012 on the Millennial-friendly premise of providing a fresh, sophisticated but not cookie-cutter approach to politics, culture and more – what it calls “new and next” – while amplifying minority and marginalized voices.

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The son of two South Florida teachers, Watson graduated from Harvard and Stanford, worked on Wall Street, founded and sold a test preparation company and anchored MSNBC. According to Rao, he fathered Ozy after which recruited Rao, a former colleague from the world of finance, after a probability meeting at a Chipotle restaurant in Silicon Valley.

Ozy debuted a web site, newsletters, and with a bang: former President Bill Clinton was one in all the primary interviewees. The company has expanded into podcasts, events and tv programming, winning a 2020 Emmy for Watson’s “Black Women OWN the Conversation” on the Oprah Winfrey Network. The annual Ozy Fest in New York’s Central Park has attracted big names, from John Legend to pre-presidential Joe Biden.

Testimony shows that the corporate acquired many major advertisers, clients and grants. But behind the scenes, prosecutors say, Ozy began to bleed in 2018 and resorted to lies.

“I don’t know where his numbers came from.”

The company told a possible investor that it “ended 2017 with approximately $12 million in revenue,” but gave its accountants a figure of lower than $7 million. The disparities widened through the years, reaching as much as $53 million compared to $11 million in 2020, according to testimony and documents presented throughout the trial.

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Meanwhile, Ozy steadily delayed paying suppliers and rent, borrowed against future receipts to obtain expensive advances, and had difficulty paying salaries, former vp of finance Janeen Poutre testified.

The defense portrayed the scramble for money as a growing problem for a successful startup.

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“Ozy Media did not defraud its investors or anyone else,” said company attorney Shannon Frison.

Watson lawyer and Harvard Law School professor Ronald Sullivan Jr. he said his client “believed every number he gave to every investor.” Sullivan suggested that revenue figures may vary depending on whether or not they represent “in-kind” income, equivalent to promoting trading at one other outlet.

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Poutre testified that auditors rarely agree to count such revenues and she or he didn’t think Watson was all the time honest.

“I don’t know where his numbers came from. I know where my numbers came from,” she said.

Fake emails and voice masking

The alleged programs went beyond questionable numbers.

In an attempt to get Ozy a bank loan in 2020, Rao falsified the deal by saying that Winfrey’s OWN network had renewed “Black Women OWN The Conversation” for a second season. When the bank needed information directly from the net, Rao arrange a fake email account for the actual OWN executive and used it to provide the bank with “transaction background.”

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Rao told jurors that Watson verbally approved the charade. Jurors saw a text message from Watson urging Rao to “be brave and do this,” but “that” was not specified. Ultimately, witnesses said, there was no loan or extension of this system.

Rao’s infamous phone rang the next 12 months when Ozy was searching for an investment from Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs. He falsely claimed that YouTube was paying for Watson’s eponymous talk show. When Goldman’s bankers wanted confirmation, he downloaded a voice-modifying app and talked to them while posing as a YouTube executive.

But the bankers were wary, as the actual YouTube executive soon discovered, and Watson told the board of Goldman Sachs and Ozy that his co-founder had suffered a mental breakdown.

The investment fell through, but Goldman Sachs continued to advertise with Ozy after the episode, Rao said.

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Rao told jurors he was taking antidepressants but was not having a mental health crisis when he called. Rao said Watson was present and gave him instructions via text messages.

“I’m a huge fan of Carlos, Samir and the show,” reads one in all the texts, which Rao explained when Watson prompted him with a line for his fake persona to say. Watson then urged, “use the right pronouns. You are NOT OZY” – amongst other messages.

– You’re a liar, aren’t you?

Watson’s lawyer said the Ozy founder stumbled upon Rao’s scam, was outraged and signaled him to hang up.

The defense emphasized that Rao drafted a 2021 letter – ultimately unsent – in which he stated that the phone ruse was entirely his doing. Rao told jurors he wrote it to protect the corporate.

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Defense attorneys labeled him an incompetent executive, a confessed fabricator and a confessed criminal who falsely implicated Watson in hopes of avoiding prison for his own crimes.

“So, Mr. Rao, you are a liar, aren’t you?” Sullivan asked during last Friday’s hearing.

“Unfortunately,” Rao replied, “I told many lies during my time at Ozy.”

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com

Crime

The first day of Cassie as a witness sheets more light on “freak-offs”

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All eyes were on Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, when she took the position of witness on Tuesday, May 13, in a federal loud case of sexual trade against her ex -boyfriend, Sean “Diddy” Combs.

The 38-year-old singer R&B came to court Daniel Patrick Moynihan of the United States in Lower Manhattan in New York, with a wonderful tumor for teenagers, and testified with regard to the controversial relationship through which she was involved with Didda for about a decade, which began when she was 19 and newly signed his bad files for 10-lib, which was his bad concluded for a 10-album offer, 10-colbum offer, every 10-colbum, 10-lb contract, CNNIN NBCAND CBS Reported.

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During her testimony, the singer described the years of alleged physical, emotional and sexual use at Diddy’s hands. She accused the disgraced rap rap of controlling each aspect of her life, from her funds to her musical occupation to the place where she lived, to what she would wear, and ultimately her sexual exploits.

She shed even more light on notorious drugs powered by drugs called “Freak-Offs”, through which alleged Diddy would force Ventura and others to perform sexual activities with men’s sexual employees. In vivid detail she described some acts to which she and others were forced, including he and other sexual employees urine throughout the mouth. The topic of infant oil appeared when she claimed that they’d be forced to devour oil for command and use Diddy, on average to 10 bottles for “freak-off”. According to her, recovering from the parties would take several days, which could last days.

Cassie resigns from anonymous testimony in the Sean trial

“(Freak-Offs) became a job in which there was no place to do anything other than to recover and attempt to feel normal again,” she said: NPR.

Pasitals reported that she broke up in tears when she asked what she likes to participate in “Freak-offs” and didn’t answer practically anything.

“I felt quite terrible. I felt disgusting. I felt humiliated,” she said, consistent with CNN. “I had no words to show how terrible I felt. I couldn’t talk about it.”

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Ventura claims that, allowing for one of the precise ways wherein wherein during which during which young she was, when she first entered the rapper’s orbit, she was completely inexperienced in navigating his demanding, brutal nature. She also admitted that at first she really fell in love with rapper and desperately wants his approval.

“I was so young and I didn’t have a vocabulary for some things we talked about. I just tried to understand it, just completely inexperienced,” she said, at NBC.

He also claims that Diddy directly thwarted her musical occupation during her relationship with the music director. Of the ten albums to which it was initially signed, despite the recording of a whole lot of songs, only one ever reached.

Although she settled a civil lawsuit outside the court inside a few hours after she had filed it almost two years ago, her testimony might need been provided by a broader context of claims that Diddy was racketing or conducted a criminal company to take care of up his sexual abuse. Ventura claims that she was intensively handled with members of Diddy’s staff, who handled many things, including funds, destroyed hotel rooms, and even monitored their injuries after many cases of physical abuse.

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Cassie reveals that he is expecting a child No. 3

(Tagstransate) news

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Crime

Diddy allegedly tried to kill a former boyfriend Cassie, prosecutors say in the sexual trade process

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The sexual trade process for Sean “Diddy” Combs, 55, founding father of Bad Boy Records and the music mogel began on Monday morning in New York with statements opening each the defense team and the defense of COMPS. The trial has already began with unimaginable claims.

According to New York Daily News, In his comments opening US prosecutor Emily Johnson, he shared with the jury that the anger with the former Girl Cassie and the lack of control over her caused him to consider murder. Apparently, trying out that Cassie was dating one other person, Johnson claimed that Diddy called one in all his bodyguards and went to seek for a boy Cassie (at the moment), with a weapon, intending to kill a man.

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“He took the weapon and took his bodyguard – one of his most loyal lieutenants – to wake up one of the employees of the accused in the middle of the night. The accused shouted that he was going to kill a man with whom she was Cassie,” said Johnson. Unable to find a man, Diddy set his view on a brutally assault on Cassa.

Opening declarations are expected in Sean

“He did what he did countless times earlier. He beat her brutally. Kicking her in the back and throwing her like Ragdoll. All this violence was not enough, but the accused had to make sure that he would have control over Cassie again. So he threatened her,” the accused told Cassie that he would supply you with the option to publicly release sex with sex when he kept her. Nights of her life. ”

Johnson’s opening remarks developed her plan to share twenty years of violence and abuse of each Cassie (Ventura) and other women who allegedly forced sex against their will, and ruthlessly defeated after they didn’t follow, amongst many other crimes. She also claimed that he had a tight ring of fogeys that were aware and complicity in Diddy’s crimes committee.

Diddy’s lawyer, Teny Geragos, said that Combs had committed domestic violence, but he was not at the trial for it, and the movies and data they receive would show consensual, intimate private relations, but no orders of any crimes.

“We accept the full responsibility that in this case there has been domestic violence. Domestic violence is not sexual trade. I want to say it again: domestic violence is not sexual trade. If he was accused of domestic violence, if he was accused of assaulting, he will not be here now,” said Geragos.

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She added: “sexual trade, prostitution, tribute, these are federal crimes. Fees for various elements. He is simply not guilty of these crimes.”

Diddy didn’t plead all allegations against him, including sexual trade allegation, racketeers, transport of victims and sexual employees in terms of prostitution and all other related numbers. If he’s convicted, he’ll face prison with a very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very long time.

Sean

(Tagstranslat) sean Diddy combs

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Crime

Sean “Diddy” Combs says he is “a bit nervous” when the sexual trade process begins

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The federal sexual process of Sean “Diddy” Combs, whose extremely successful occupation was dotted by allegations of violence, began on Monday in New York with the alternative of a jury, which was briefly detained when the hip-hop entrepreneur said he was “a bit nervous” and needed a break in the bathroom.

Three dozen potential jury was questioned by judge Aruna Subramaanian about their response to the questionnaire, which is also to help determine whether or not they is perhaps honest and impartial at the trial through which violent and sexual movies will appear. Opening declarations and the starting of the testimony are scheduled for the next week.

The judge gave a possible sworn to a transient lived description of sexual trade and a conspiracy from tribute to Combs, telling them that he didn’t plead guilty and it was thought that this was not innocent.

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At the end of the day, the jury pool was half its size, because some were excluded for personal reasons, resembling the inability to economically endure the process anticipated for two months or because their opinions or previous experience would threaten their objectivity.

The next thirty potential jurors were to be questioned on Tuesday. The jury was not going before Wednesday.

Throughout Monday, Combs, 55 years, sat along together together along together together together along together along together along along together together together together together together along together together along along together along together together together together along along together along along along together along together along along along along together together along together along together together together together together together together along together together together along along together together together together together along together along along together along together along together together together together together along together together together along together along together together together along along along together along along along together along along together along together together together along along along together together along together together together along along along along together together together together together along together along together along together along together along along along along together together together together together together together along along along together together together along together along along along together along together along along together along along together together along together together along together together along along along together together together together along along along together along together together together together along together along along together together along along along together together together together together together along along along along together along together together along along together together along along along together together together along together together together together together along along along along together together together together along together along along together together along together along along along together together together along together together along along together together together along together together along together together along together together along together together together along along together along along together together along along together along along together together together together together together together together together together together along along along along along together together with his lawyers in a sweater above a white shirt with a collar and gray pants that the judge allowed as a alternative of prison clothes. Since his arrest, it took place in a dismal federal blockade in Brooklyn. His hair and goat were almost fully gray because the dye is not allowed in prison.

Unlike the other latest loud celebrity processes, the Combs case won’t be broadcast live, because the federal courtroom doesn’t allow electronic recordings in the middle-what signifies that the artists of the sketch of the courtroom are the eyes of the public in the courtroom.

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If he is convicted of all the allegations, he could face the maximum life in prison.

Seven questions we have before Sean

Several potential jury indicated that they saw press reports containing key evidence on this matter: a video with a hip-hop tycoon striking and kicking one amongst his prosecutors in the corridor in the hotel in Los Angeles in 2016. One potential juror described a stationary picture that she saw from the film as “condemning evidence.” This woman was rejected from the consideration.

After releasing one other juror, Combs asked for a break in the bathroom, telling the judge: “I’m sorry your honor, I’m a bit nervous today.”

One potential juror said that she published a “similar” film in social media by a comedian who joked about large amounts of oil for infants found by law enforcement agencies in one amongst the houses of Combs. Has not been released.

The 17-page indictment against Combs-which appears like an accusation document against the mafia leader or the head of the drug gang-he is confirmed that Combs have been involved in twenty years of racketeers of behavior towards women and others, with the help of people in his funeral and employees from his network of corporations.

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Combs and his lawyers say he is innocent and every group sex was compatible. They say that there was no effort to force people to do it, and nothing that happened was a criminal rocket.

Prosecutors say that girls were manipulated in sexual ends in sexual results with sexual men, which the Combs called “freaks”. To keep women in a queue, prosecutors say that Combs used a mix of influence and violence: he suggested that he would increase their entertainment occupation in the event that they did what he asked – or breathe or not.

Sean

And when he didn’t get what he wanted, the indictment says that Combs and his colleagues resorted to violent deeds, including beating, kidnapping and arson. Once, in accordance with the indictment, he even hung someone from the balcony.

One of the 4 alleged victims of the testimony against Combs may not finally take the position of a witness, on Monday he revealed the assistant to the US prosecutor Maurene Comey. She told Subramanian that a lady’s lawyer had personal problems and it was difficult to get and it was clear if the woman would also appear.

“There is no special number that requires her testimony so that we can bear our burden,” said Comey.

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Combs recognized one episode of violence, which is considered a key element of the prosecutor’s case. In 2016, the security camera recorded him that he defeated his ex -girlfriend, R&B Cassie singer, in the corridor of the hotel in Los Angeles. Cassie filed a lawsuit at the end of 2023, saying that Combs gave her years abuse, including beating and rape.

Associated Press normally doesn’t call individuals who claim that they were sexually abused, unless they report in public as Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura.

Sean

(Tagstotransate) Diddy

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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