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Casandra Ventura, best known as the singer Cassie, has sued her former longtime romantic partner, Sean “Diddy” Combs, accusing him of rape and a decade’s worth of physical abuse. According to the New York Times, Ventura filed sued today (November 16) in Manhattan Federal District Court, claiming that from shortly after they met in 2005 (she was 19 at the time), he exercised a pattern of abuse and manipulation that included beatings, drugs, coerced sex with male prostitutes, and at least one occasion, rape.

In a statement, Cassie wrote, “After years in silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story, and to speak up on behalf of myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse in their relationships.”

Diddy’s lawyer, Ben Brafman, wrote in response, “Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations. For the past six months, Mr. Combs has been subjected to Ms. Ventura’s persistent demand of $30 million, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, which was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail. Despite withdrawing her initial threat, Ms. Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr. Combs’s reputation and seeking a payday.”

However, Ventura’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, characterized the proposal differently. “Mr. Combs offered Ms. Ventura eight figures to silence her and prevent the filing of this lawsuit,” he said. “She rejected his efforts.”

The lawsuit names a number of other defendants as people who helped Diddy maintain the secrecy of these incidents, as well as claiming that he used threats, such as withholding her music, to coerce her compliance. He allegedly exercised control over her housing, transportation, and even medical records, while pushing her to take ecstasy and ketamine. Ventura says that he would become violent when angered, which was multiple times a year.

There are more detailed accounts in the Times‘ report, which readers should be warned are graphic in nature. It should be noted that there is at least one report of police involvement in the couple’s relationship woes.

A new House Ethics Committee report has revealed that George Santos spent campaign funds on Botox, trips to Atlantic City, and most scandalously, a subscription to the porn site OnlyFans. It’s another embarrassing stain on the New York congressman’s record, which has been marred from the start after it became clear that Santos lied about numerous items including his professional career, college education, and his mother dying in the September 11 attacks.

According to Mediaite, the committee found “substantial evidence” that Santos misappropriated funds and “lived large” thanks to his campaign coffers, despite having an “abysmal” credit rating. However, despite his wild spending, a staffer claimed that Santos failed to pay him for eight months and was told the campaign “had no money.”

In the midst of the House Committee revealing Santos spent campaign funds on OnlyFans, a hilarious and now-telling March interview with Fox Business has resurfaced. In the clip, Kennedy asks Santos if he has an OnlyFans where he peels a banana with his feet. The embattled congressman just laughs and says he didn’t even know what OnlyFans was until recently.

That answer prompted Kennedy to laugh and say, “You just can’t tell the truth,” to Santos’ face.

The resurfaced clip has already gone viral on Twitter where people can’t believe what they’re watching, especially in light of the new allegations against Santos. You can see some of the reactions below:

(Via Mediaite)

For years, Stephen A. Smith has been going on television and begging people to STAY OFF THE WEED.

What started as one of his rants became a patented catchphrase for the ESPN personality every time an athlete found himself in trouble for using marijuana, which has happened less and less now that it’s legal in most states and most of the major sports leagues have removed it from their banned substance list. Even so, Smith still campaigns for folks to get off the weed and on Thursday, one of the most shocking news items of 2023 dropped when one of the most legendary weed smokers in history, Snoop Dogg, said he’s “giving up smoke” with a social media post reminiscent of a high school recruit making his college choice, asking for privacy at this time.

A few hours after the news of Snoop’s retirement from smoking hit, Stephen A. posted his response, photoshopping his face onto the Wario “I’ve won, but at what cost” meme.

It’s some top-tier posting from Smith and, I assume, whoever helps Smith run his social media — although, I do prefer pretending Stephen A. was opening up photoshop and making this all on his own. Stephen A. has been trying for years to get someone to listen and maybe, just maybe, Snoop watched one too many First Take episodes and was moved.

I recently spent some time with Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. He’s known not only for breaking down stereotypes about what kinds of people go into science, but he has actively stood up and spoken against those who would close its doors, especially to young women.

So when Neil was asked this question by a little girl during a public speech, he gave one of the best answers I’ve ever heard. It may drive some parents crazy, but it also might just help change the world.

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This article originally appeared on 01.14.15

Every single day, babies across the world are born prematurely, which means that they’re born before 37 weeks of gestation.

In Canada, about 29,000 infants are born prematurely each year, roughly 1 in every 13. But in the United States, around 400,000 to 500,000 are born early. That’s about 1 in every 8 to 10 babies born in the U.S.!

Red Méthot, a Canadian photographer and student, decided to capture the resilience of many of these kids for a school photography project.

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He’s the father of two prematurely born kids himself, so the topic is important to him.

“My son was born at 29 weeks and my daughter at 33 weeks,” he told me in a phone interview. “These are the kind of pictures I would like to have seen when my first child was born — they’ve been through that, and they are great now.”

Méthot said he knows not all preemie stories have a happy ending — one of his photos features a child whose twin passed away after they were born prematurely — but for so many kids who come early, they go on to experience a great life.

Meet several of the beautiful kids he photographed!

Méthot’s school project originally consisted of 10 photos, but the reaction has been so positive and he’s enjoyed taking them so much, he continued adding to the collection.

Currently, he has captured 50 images. (You can view them all in the album on his Facebook page!). Méthot told me that his favorite part of the project has been meeting the subjects.

“Each time I meet a new person, I [learn] about a new story,” he said.

And I think we can all agree that Méthot is a wonderful storyteller through his photography. Between his photos showing the bright future so many premature babies have and his photo showing the loss, he captures reality beautifully.

This article originally appeared on November 6, 2015

Holidays can be hard for some people, especially if they have family members that they don’t get along with and while the solution for some people would be to stay away, it’s not always that simple. There are many reasons people may choose to endure unpleasant family members, whether it be staying with in-laws until they get on their feet or visiting parents in order to see their younger siblings.

With holidays coming up, people are making plans on who’s house they’re visiting and for how long. Your mouth may be salivating at the thought of eating aunt Mary’s famous green bean casserole that she only cooks twice a year and you can’t wait for dinner. But what do you do if you’re stuck spending time with family members you don’t particularly care to be around?

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According to a recent poll by USA Today, nearly 85% of people avoid family get togethers during the holidays. That’s certainly one way to avoid drama but that’s not possible for everyone. So for those that must be in contact with family members that their not particularly fond of, there are three simple things you can do the maintain your sanity and enjoy your time.

1. Create an easy to execute escape plan in advance

No one likes being stuck somewhere unpleasant, so if you have a partner coming with you, make sure you are both clear on how long you’re staying. Given that the holidays are often seen as extended family days, someone will likely ask why you need to leave. Prepare for that scenario by actually having a place to go. If it’s your family that makes you a little unstable, schedule that visit first so you can use the other person’s scheduled family time to politely exit.

This doesn’t have to be elaborate, it just has to feel valid to you. If you don’t have a partner, you can always make plans to spend some time at a friend’s house after your allotted time with your family. “Sorry, uncle Jimmy, I’m expected at Becky’s house by 2:30 but it was so nice to see everyone,” as you skedaddle out the door.

2. Set a physical boundary by utilizing distance

If you find yourself at a family gathering that includes one or two people you’re not particularly fond of, you can utilize the space of the location to create physical distance between you and that person. After the initial pleasantries, move away to another room in the house and enjoy the company of other family members. There’s no rule that says you need to engage with everyone at all times. You set the boundary around your engagement with this family member.

If it gets to be a little overwhelming, remember that you’re in control of yourself. You can exit the space to step outside, go to the bathroom or ask the host to lay down in an empty room for a few minutes. This will help to reset your nervous system a bit so you can continue to be present with the other family you enjoy.

3. Have a code word to indicate an immediate need to exit

Whether you bring your partner, friend or arrive solo, have a code word ready to go so whoever you’re with knows it’s their time to shine. This is essentially like pulling the escape hatch. If you walk up to your partner and say, “we forgot the banana pudding,” and they know banana pudding is the code word, that’s when they give a reason to leave immediately. Will it be a lie? Yes. Do we care in that moment? No. In that moment the focus is on your mental health and feelings of safety.

So if you say the code word and your partner says, they just checked the camera app and the dog has had multiple accidents in the house and looks like he’s sick, apologize for having to leave and go clean up imaginary dog poop.

Bonus: Avoid unnecessary hot topics unless you’re mentally prepared

No matter what TikTok says, you don’t have to have heated conversations over hotly debated topics at the dinner table. If you’re not prepared to emotionally and mentally handle the hostility that may come, keep it surface level. If someone tries to bait you, redirect by stating you’ve heard about it but haven’t really kept up, then change the subject. There are multiple variations on this that someone could use to steer the conversation away but remember, you can always create space between you two if necessary.

You never have to stay in an unsafe or hostile environment, while you can’t control other people, you can control yourself.

For years, Stephen A. Smith has been going on television and begging people to STAY OFF THE WEED.

What started as one of his rants became a patented catchphrase for the ESPN personality every time an athlete found himself in trouble for using marijuana, which has happened less and less now that it’s legal in most states and most of the major sports leagues have removed it from their banned substance list. Even so, Smith still campaigns for folks to get off the weed and on Thursday, one of the most shocking news items of 2023 dropped when one of the most legendary weed smokers in history, Snoop Dogg, said he’s “giving up smoke” with a social media post reminiscent of a high school recruit making his college choice, asking for privacy at this time.

A few hours after the news of Snoop’s retirement from smoking hit, Stephen A. posted his response, photoshopping his face onto the Wario “I’ve won, but at what cost” meme.

It’s some top-tier posting from Smith and, I assume, whoever helps Smith run his social media — although, I do prefer pretending Stephen A. was opening up photoshop and making this all on his own. Stephen A. has been trying for years to get someone to listen and maybe, just maybe, Snoop watched one too many First Take episodes and was moved.

Tyla is having a big moment right now. The South African singer currently has the most successful song of her career thanks to her latest release “Water.” The track has grown to be a favorite on social media platforms like TikTok where it has its own challenge. The song has also brought Tyla to the late-night TV spotlight as she recently performed “Water” on The Tonight Show and it earned her a Grammy nomination at the 2024 award show. As expected, Tyla recently announced a remix to “Water” with a surprise guest, and hours before it gets released, we now know who that artist is.

Who Is On Tyla’s “Water” Remix?

In what will be her biggest collaboration yet, Tyla will get an assist from Travis Scott for the remix of “Water.” Truthfully, it’s not the name many expected as the production behind “Water,” which is amapiano-inspired, is one that is outside Travis’ expected sound. With that said, it remains to be seen how the remix will sound, but it will surely be a boost for Tyla as the song currently sits at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100.

When Does Tyla’s “Water” Remix With Travis Scott Come Out?

Tyla and Travis Scott’s “Water” remix will be released on November 17 at 12am EST/9pm PST. The song will be available on streaming platforms like Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, YouTube, and more.

In July, Billie Eilish released “What Was I Made For?,” her contribution to the Barbie movie soundtrack. The song was a success, as it was well-received and managed a No. 14 peak on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Immediately before coming up with that tune, though, Eilish was apparently concerned that she might be done for as a songwriter.

In a Hollywood Reporter feature published today (November 16), Eilish sat down for a roundtable conversation with Olivia Rodrigo, Dua Lipa, Julia Michaels, Jon Batiste, and Cynthia Erivo. During the chat, she spoke about her and brother/collaborator Finneas’ mindset before coming up with their Barbie song, saying:

“I thank God for [Barbie director Greta Gerwig], man. I honestly was concerned that it was over for me. I’ve got to be honest with you. She saved me, really, honestly. Getting that request, it was like a FaceTime, it brought us both out of it, and immediately we were inspired and wrote so much more after that. Especially when it came out, I was like, ‘Aye yai yai.’ It was like somebody reading your diary or something.”

She also noted, “We’d been trying and it wasn’t doing what it usually would do in me. I was honestly like, ‘Damn, maybe I hit my peak and I don’t know how to write anymore?’”

Check out more from the conversation here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The sideline reporter has one of the oddest jobs in sports media, as they are tasked with providing color into the teams during the game as well as interviews and insight from the sideline, but are typically given relatively few opportunities to make their imprint on the broadcast.

That brings a unique pressure to those moments when they are on air, particularly when it comes to drawing something interesting out of a coach or player in the midst of (or right after) a game when they aren’t exactly at their most forthcoming. There is an art to doing that job well and asking questions that get something interesting for the broadcast, but even then there are challenges to just getting the subjects to talk.

Charissa Thompson, who was previously on sidelines for Fox Sports before moving into a host role with NFL Sunday Kickoff and Amazon’s Thursday Night Football, caused quite the stir this week when she said on the Pardon My Take podcast that there were times where she’d make up a very generic report about halftime adjustments if a coach wasn’t made available.

“I’ve said this before,” Thompson said. “I haven’t been fired to saying it, but I’ll say it again. I would make up the report sometimes, because A, the coach wouldn’t come out at halftime, or it was too late and I didn’t want to screw up the report. So I was like, ‘I’m just gonna make this up.’

“Because first of all, no coach is gonna get mad if I say, ‘Hey, we need to stop hurting ourselves, we need to be better on third down, we need to stop turning the ball over and do a better job of getting off the field.’ They’re not gonna correct me on that. So I’m like, it’s fine, I’ll just make up the report.”

This seems like an instance of Thompson being a bit too comfortable on a podcast and divulging something that not only could hurt her credibility, no matter how minor she believes it to be, but also something that casts doubt on the value of sideline reporters in general. If the idea is you can just make up the coach-speak they get out of interviews without even talking to the coaches, then plenty of people wonder why even bother to have them. That was the general message of a lot of the responses to the tweet as it went viral, which unsurprisingly led to other sideline reporters making clear this isn’t something that they do.

As someone who’s done a number of pieces on sideline reporters, I understand the difficulty of the job, which is to impact the broadcast in short windows and provide something unique to the viewer they otherwise can’t get. There are a lot of them that do that very well and there’s real value in having a sideline reporter who players and coaches trust to provide some actual insight during the game, or anecdotes and stories in meetings prior that can provide some color on the broadcast.

Unfortunately, Thompson’s comments won’t help the idea that sideline reporters don’t do a lot, even if that wasn’t her intent, as well as bringing her credibility into question with some in the process. She is well-liked and respected in her current role as a host by colleagues and bosses who heap praise on her ability to mix professionalism and personality, but in this case the ever-forthcoming Thompson might have accidentally created a much larger story than she intended here.