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"content": "\u003cp>At a time when it seems political rhetoric couldn’t get more bitter or outrageous, it’s easy to see the world’s leaders and the people who support them in the worst possible light.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13966481']But Netflix’s \u003cem>The Diplomat\u003c/em> offers a different vision of politics: one where sharp staffers are often the backseat drivers in government, and many of those involved are truly interested in improving lives — even when they do awful things along the way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s the universe Netflix’s series thrives in, where \u003cem>The Americans\u003c/em> alum Keri Russell plays a hard-nosed, practical mid-level diplomat suddenly elevated to serve as ambassador to Britain, amid plans to groom her to become America’s next vice president.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Starting season two with a bang\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>As the show’s second season kicks off, Russell’s Ambassador Kate Wyler is dealing with the aftermath of a cliffhanger that ended the first season. Her husband — former ambassador Hal Wyler — along with her deputy, Stuart Hayford and another aide were caught in the blast of a car bomb while trying to meet with an official from the British government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The official may have had information about who really initiated a deadly attack against a British aircraft carrier from the first season. But instead of learning more, Kate’s husband and two members of her staff were caught in another attack.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While British and American officials scamper to figure out exactly what happened, we see \u003cem>The Diplomat \u003c/em>ride a delicious, compelling line between serving up hefty slices of political drama and revealing the mournful humanity of co-workers trying to recover from a massively traumatic event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every performance here is golden. Rory Kinnear is particularly excellent as an egotistical blowhard of a British Prime minister, Nicol Trowbridge. Ali Ahn, currently earning raves for her performance as a witch on Disney+’s \u003cem>Agatha All Along\u003c/em>, shines here as CIA station chief Eidra Park — trying to offer savvy, effective support to Kate while not-so-secretly fretting about Kate’s deputy Stuart, with whom she had a relationship.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rufus Sewell is magnetic as Kate’s husband Hal; she suspects he sees her ascension to vice president as his best route back to power, but he insists otherwise, testing their relationship. David Gyasi plays U.K. foreign secretary Austin Dennison as a precise-yet-passionate power player, focused on doing the right thing for Britain, even as he grows closer to Kate and her marriage frays.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J49VymjKJ8w\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it’s not until \u003cem>West Wing\u003c/em> alum Allison Janney arrives as current Vice President Grace Penn that we see the show’s drama really come alive. As a brilliant vice president who may be forced to step down because of a financial scandal involving her husband, Penn excels at maneuvering others into doing what she wants while leaving them convinced it was all their idea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some may have been concerned that Janney is playing a souped-up version of her \u003cem>West Wing \u003c/em>character, White House staffer C.J. Cregg. But ultimately, they don’t have much in common beyond a habit of speaking directly and a predilection for pantsuits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13967597\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13967597\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/aj.png\" alt=\"A middle aged woman with a blond bob stands, arms crossed, in front of a stately home. She is wearing a dark red pantsuit.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1351\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/aj.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/aj-800x540.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/aj-1020x689.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/aj-160x108.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/aj-768x519.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/aj-1536x1038.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/aj-1920x1297.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Allison Janney as Vice President Grace Penn. \u003ccite>(Alex Bailey/Netflix)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>A show centered on smart women leading\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>What both of Janney’s characters do have in common, however, is that they are accomplished, effective women — making a difference in environments where their talents and achievements are often underestimated or overlooked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, several storylines in \u003cem>The Diplomat \u003c/em>revolve around smart women deftly guiding powerful men into making better decisions than they could manage on their own. These men aren’t complete idiots, but also are not as smart as they believe — especially Trowbridge, a vociferous bully who leans heavily on several sharp-thinking women, including his wife.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13965841']In a particularly pointed exchange, as Hal notes all the humiliating reasons why Penn should accept her fate and resign without damaging the president’s agenda, Kate responds with a telling line. “What do you think my husband would do if it was him?” she says to Penn. “Would he quit?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The answer — that Hal naturally assumes the benefits he brings would outweigh any political cost — neatly outlines the specter of sexism which hangs over \u003cem>The Diplomat\u003c/em>. In a world free from that particular “ism,” you get the sense these women would actually occupy the seats of power, instead of acting as backseat drivers for the men who do.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Complicated plots that pay off\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Compelling as all of this is, the plot gets even more complicated in the second season, as Kate and her team begin to sort what really happened in both the warship attack and the car bomb. New viewers trying to jump into the series now could be thoroughly confused — best to make sure you know the events of the first season before joining in for the second.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But once acclimated, you can sit back and enjoy a story set in a political universe where expertise is valued, competition plays out like a protracted, 3D chess game and several staffers caught in the middle truly believe in the possibility of using their offices to make life better for everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Who knew a visceral, fast-paced series about a global political conspiracy could also — thanks to the terrible state of our real-world political clashes — feel like something of a fantasy?\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Season 2 of ‘The Diplomat’ is streaming now on Netflix.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But Netflix’s \u003cem>The Diplomat\u003c/em> offers a different vision of politics: one where sharp staffers are often the backseat drivers in government, and many of those involved are truly interested in improving lives — even when they do awful things along the way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s the universe Netflix’s series thrives in, where \u003cem>The Americans\u003c/em> alum Keri Russell plays a hard-nosed, practical mid-level diplomat suddenly elevated to serve as ambassador to Britain, amid plans to groom her to become America’s next vice president.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Starting season two with a bang\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>As the show’s second season kicks off, Russell’s Ambassador Kate Wyler is dealing with the aftermath of a cliffhanger that ended the first season. Her husband — former ambassador Hal Wyler — along with her deputy, Stuart Hayford and another aide were caught in the blast of a car bomb while trying to meet with an official from the British government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The official may have had information about who really initiated a deadly attack against a British aircraft carrier from the first season. But instead of learning more, Kate’s husband and two members of her staff were caught in another attack.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While British and American officials scamper to figure out exactly what happened, we see \u003cem>The Diplomat \u003c/em>ride a delicious, compelling line between serving up hefty slices of political drama and revealing the mournful humanity of co-workers trying to recover from a massively traumatic event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every performance here is golden. Rory Kinnear is particularly excellent as an egotistical blowhard of a British Prime minister, Nicol Trowbridge. Ali Ahn, currently earning raves for her performance as a witch on Disney+’s \u003cem>Agatha All Along\u003c/em>, shines here as CIA station chief Eidra Park — trying to offer savvy, effective support to Kate while not-so-secretly fretting about Kate’s deputy Stuart, with whom she had a relationship.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rufus Sewell is magnetic as Kate’s husband Hal; she suspects he sees her ascension to vice president as his best route back to power, but he insists otherwise, testing their relationship. David Gyasi plays U.K. foreign secretary Austin Dennison as a precise-yet-passionate power player, focused on doing the right thing for Britain, even as he grows closer to Kate and her marriage frays.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/J49VymjKJ8w'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/J49VymjKJ8w'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>But it’s not until \u003cem>West Wing\u003c/em> alum Allison Janney arrives as current Vice President Grace Penn that we see the show’s drama really come alive. As a brilliant vice president who may be forced to step down because of a financial scandal involving her husband, Penn excels at maneuvering others into doing what she wants while leaving them convinced it was all their idea.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some may have been concerned that Janney is playing a souped-up version of her \u003cem>West Wing \u003c/em>character, White House staffer C.J. Cregg. But ultimately, they don’t have much in common beyond a habit of speaking directly and a predilection for pantsuits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13967597\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13967597\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/aj.png\" alt=\"A middle aged woman with a blond bob stands, arms crossed, in front of a stately home. She is wearing a dark red pantsuit.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1351\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/aj.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/aj-800x540.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/aj-1020x689.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/aj-160x108.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/aj-768x519.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/aj-1536x1038.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/aj-1920x1297.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Allison Janney as Vice President Grace Penn. \u003ccite>(Alex Bailey/Netflix)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>A show centered on smart women leading\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>What both of Janney’s characters do have in common, however, is that they are accomplished, effective women — making a difference in environments where their talents and achievements are often underestimated or overlooked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Indeed, several storylines in \u003cem>The Diplomat \u003c/em>revolve around smart women deftly guiding powerful men into making better decisions than they could manage on their own. These men aren’t complete idiots, but also are not as smart as they believe — especially Trowbridge, a vociferous bully who leans heavily on several sharp-thinking women, including his wife.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In a particularly pointed exchange, as Hal notes all the humiliating reasons why Penn should accept her fate and resign without damaging the president’s agenda, Kate responds with a telling line. “What do you think my husband would do if it was him?” she says to Penn. “Would he quit?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The answer — that Hal naturally assumes the benefits he brings would outweigh any political cost — neatly outlines the specter of sexism which hangs over \u003cem>The Diplomat\u003c/em>. In a world free from that particular “ism,” you get the sense these women would actually occupy the seats of power, instead of acting as backseat drivers for the men who do.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Complicated plots that pay off\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Compelling as all of this is, the plot gets even more complicated in the second season, as Kate and her team begin to sort what really happened in both the warship attack and the car bomb. New viewers trying to jump into the series now could be thoroughly confused — best to make sure you know the events of the first season before joining in for the second.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But once acclimated, you can sit back and enjoy a story set in a political universe where expertise is valued, competition plays out like a protracted, 3D chess game and several staffers caught in the middle truly believe in the possibility of using their offices to make life better for everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Who knew a visceral, fast-paced series about a global political conspiracy could also — thanks to the terrible state of our real-world political clashes — feel like something of a fantasy?\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Season 2 of ‘The Diplomat’ is streaming now on Netflix.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "What if a ‘Blood Test’ Predicted You’d Commit Murder?",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13967018\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1324px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13967018\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/9780593700853-e1729620182658.jpeg\" alt=\"A book cover featuring a painting of a rodent inside a crystal ball. \" width=\"1324\" height=\"2000\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Blood Test’ by Charles Baxter. \u003ccite>(Pantheon)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s a challenging time for social satire: For one thing, the country sometimes seems as divided by what it finds funny as it is by politics. But \u003cem>Blood Test, \u003c/em>a new novel by Charles Baxter, perhaps spans divisions because it draws upon a tried-and-true comic predicament: namely, the little guy who’s forced to punch above his weight with a larger entity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13966951']That entity might be industry — as in Charlie Chaplin’s masterpiece \u003cem>Modern Times\u003c/em>; or government and law-enforcement agencies — as in Jess Walter’s superb 2005 novel \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2006/06/23/5459182/excerpt-citizen-vince\">\u003cem>Citizen Vince\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, about an ex-con determined to exercise his right to vote for the first time. In \u003cem>Blood Test\u003c/em>, the entity is the pharmaceutical industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Everyman hero of this tale is a middle-age, divorced father of two named Brock Hobson, who sells insurance for a living in Ohio. One day, Brock makes an appointment at the local medical clinic to have a pain checked out. Here’s Brock’s description of the clinic and his fellow patients, a thumbnail description of a lot of places in America:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\n\u003cdiv>\n\u003cp>The [parking] spaces [outside the clinic] are usually filled. We have a lot of near-dead people in these parts. You can see them staggering in, breathing hard, young and old, propped up by their canes or walkers … It’s probably the postindustrial air we breathe here, or maybe the nitrate-scented water we drink out of the tap. Could be herbicides we spray on everything or the fact that a third of the town has a drinking problem, and another third is on meth and/or Oxy. You fall down here in Kingsboro, Ohio, you’re in good company. It’s a grand party of the infirm down there on the ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>The doctor who briskly assesses Brock’s pain as stress-related also susses out that he has the money to purchase a product a medical start-up company is offering: It’s a blood test that can not only predict health problems down the road, but also behaviors, like say, romantic entanglements or promotions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13966911']Brock impulsively signs up for the test which also requires answering a questionnaire with queries such as: “WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED METHOD FOR OPENING TIN CANS?” and “IF YOU FOUND OUT THAT GOD DOES NOT LIKE YOU HOW WOULD YOU FIX THE PROBLEM?” Eventually the results come back, predicting that mild-mannered Brock will “embark on a major crime wave”; indeed, it’s likely he’s going to commit a murder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What ensues is a screwball adventure (and I do mean “screwball” — there’s even a banana peel joke here!) in which Brock tries to outrun his homicidal fate and assert his individual free will.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If he is predestined to murder somebody, however, the most likely candidate would be Burt Kindlov — his ex-wife’s boyfriend. Burt is a handsome bully, deeply immersed in a Dianetics-type lifestyle practice. He’s also shamed Brock’s depressed teenage son for being gay. Brock deftly encapsulates his nemesis’ personality this way:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\n\u003cdiv>\n\u003cp>Burt has an imperturbable ignorance about the world and what people are really like. If you were to ask him where Italy is located on the globe, he wouldn’t know but would despise you for asking.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Humor, as we know, often arises from pain. Going back as far as his 2000 novel \u003cem>The Feast of Love\u003c/em>, which was nominated for a National Book Award, Baxter has wielded wit and satire to entertain \u003cem>and\u003c/em> to illuminate harder truths about the world his characters inhabit. Brock’s smalltown Ohio is a place where the most flourishing business, besides the medical clinic, is Famous Discount store, where customers can browse discount DVDs with titles like \u003cem>His Holiness Pope Robot\u003c/em> and buy off-brand diet cola that “tastes like fizzy sugared cat food.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13966822']For sure, it can be a “zany” place where people find themselves drawn to certainty through sketchy blood tests and lifestyle practices; but, as Brock says, “[I]f you don’t like zany you probably shouldn’t live in America. You can always go to somewhere like Switzerland.” In \u003cem>Blood Test,\u003c/em> Baxter invites us to laugh at this all-American zaniness and to acknowledge some of the pain that fuels it.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Blood Test’ by Charles Baxter is out now, via Pantheon.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>That entity might be industry — as in Charlie Chaplin’s masterpiece \u003cem>Modern Times\u003c/em>; or government and law-enforcement agencies — as in Jess Walter’s superb 2005 novel \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2006/06/23/5459182/excerpt-citizen-vince\">\u003cem>Citizen Vince\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, about an ex-con determined to exercise his right to vote for the first time. In \u003cem>Blood Test\u003c/em>, the entity is the pharmaceutical industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Everyman hero of this tale is a middle-age, divorced father of two named Brock Hobson, who sells insurance for a living in Ohio. One day, Brock makes an appointment at the local medical clinic to have a pain checked out. Here’s Brock’s description of the clinic and his fellow patients, a thumbnail description of a lot of places in America:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\n\u003cdiv>\n\u003cp>The [parking] spaces [outside the clinic] are usually filled. We have a lot of near-dead people in these parts. You can see them staggering in, breathing hard, young and old, propped up by their canes or walkers … It’s probably the postindustrial air we breathe here, or maybe the nitrate-scented water we drink out of the tap. Could be herbicides we spray on everything or the fact that a third of the town has a drinking problem, and another third is on meth and/or Oxy. You fall down here in Kingsboro, Ohio, you’re in good company. It’s a grand party of the infirm down there on the ground.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>The doctor who briskly assesses Brock’s pain as stress-related also susses out that he has the money to purchase a product a medical start-up company is offering: It’s a blood test that can not only predict health problems down the road, but also behaviors, like say, romantic entanglements or promotions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Brock impulsively signs up for the test which also requires answering a questionnaire with queries such as: “WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED METHOD FOR OPENING TIN CANS?” and “IF YOU FOUND OUT THAT GOD DOES NOT LIKE YOU HOW WOULD YOU FIX THE PROBLEM?” Eventually the results come back, predicting that mild-mannered Brock will “embark on a major crime wave”; indeed, it’s likely he’s going to commit a murder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What ensues is a screwball adventure (and I do mean “screwball” — there’s even a banana peel joke here!) in which Brock tries to outrun his homicidal fate and assert his individual free will.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If he is predestined to murder somebody, however, the most likely candidate would be Burt Kindlov — his ex-wife’s boyfriend. Burt is a handsome bully, deeply immersed in a Dianetics-type lifestyle practice. He’s also shamed Brock’s depressed teenage son for being gay. Brock deftly encapsulates his nemesis’ personality this way:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\n\u003cdiv>\n\u003cp>Burt has an imperturbable ignorance about the world and what people are really like. If you were to ask him where Italy is located on the globe, he wouldn’t know but would despise you for asking.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Humor, as we know, often arises from pain. Going back as far as his 2000 novel \u003cem>The Feast of Love\u003c/em>, which was nominated for a National Book Award, Baxter has wielded wit and satire to entertain \u003cem>and\u003c/em> to illuminate harder truths about the world his characters inhabit. Brock’s smalltown Ohio is a place where the most flourishing business, besides the medical clinic, is Famous Discount store, where customers can browse discount DVDs with titles like \u003cem>His Holiness Pope Robot\u003c/em> and buy off-brand diet cola that “tastes like fizzy sugared cat food.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>For sure, it can be a “zany” place where people find themselves drawn to certainty through sketchy blood tests and lifestyle practices; but, as Brock says, “[I]f you don’t like zany you probably shouldn’t live in America. You can always go to somewhere like Switzerland.” In \u003cem>Blood Test,\u003c/em> Baxter invites us to laugh at this all-American zaniness and to acknowledge some of the pain that fuels it.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Blood Test’ by Charles Baxter is out now, via Pantheon.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966794\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1369px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966794\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/clean.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring a fly.\" width=\"1369\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/clean.png 1369w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/clean-800x1169.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/clean-1020x1490.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/clean-160x234.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/clean-768x1122.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/clean-1051x1536.png 1051w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1369px) 100vw, 1369px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Clean’ by Alia Trabucco Zerán. \u003ccite>(Riverhead Books)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A woman named Estela García sits alone in an interrogation cell and begins talking to the police she assumes are listening in from another room. She’s 40 years old, born to a single mother in the Chilean countryside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seven years earlier, Estela traveled to the city of Santiago in search of work and was hired by a wealthy couple to be their “housemaid” and nanny to their soon-to-be born daughter, Julia. That daughter, now 7, has just been found dead in the family’s swimming pool. Whether the cause of her death will be deemed an accident, suicide, or foul play we don’t know; but, if it’s the latter, Estela is the chief suspect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13966651']We readers learn almost all of this information in the first pages of \u003cem>Clean, \u003c/em>a slim, extraordinary novel by Chilean author, Alia Trabucco Zerán, translated into English by Sophie Hughes. But, here’s something we never learn: what Estela looks like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve sat still in Estela’s company for hours, raptly reading her story and hearing her voice; yet, it wasn’t until I began describing the premise of this novel that I realized I have no idea of Estela’s appearance beyond the general categories of gender and age.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Through the brilliance of her writing, Zerán lulls readers into the same haughty blindness as Estela’s employers. To the señor, a doctor, and the señora, who works for some kind of corporation, invisible Estela simply\u003cem> is\u003c/em> what she \u003cem>does\u003c/em> for them: “making the bed, airing the rooms, scrubbing the vomit out of the rug,” cooking and serving their meals; bleaching the sweat and dirt out of their clothes; and attending to their surly child, who, even as a baby, had to be coaxed to eat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In its narrative structure \u003cem>Clean\u003c/em> may sound like a suspense story, but it’s really a memoir-in-miniature narrated by Estela — a sharp woman who’s had to funnel her life into the rooms of her employers’ house. “Claustrophobia” would have been a good alternative title for this novel, which is set almost exclusively in interior spaces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Why stay inside with Estela, you may ask? The answer is her voice. Listen to this passage, where Estela in her cell answers the question she assumes is on the minds of her unseen inquisitors, as well as us readers:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\n\u003cdiv>\n\u003cp>By now you’re probably wondering why I stayed. … My answer is the following: Why do you stay in your jobs? In your poky offices, in the factories and the shops on the other side of this wall?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I never stopped believing I would leave that house, but routine is treacherous; the repetition of the same rituals — open your eyes, close them, chew, swallow, brush your hair, brush your teeth — each one an attempt to gain mastery over time. A month, a week, the length and breadth of a life.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>There are so many sentences in this closely-observed novel where an image or comment suddenly swerves matters from the mundane to the revelatory: For instance, when Estela, in answer to an ad, first shows up at her employers’ address, the señora, then pregnant, looks her “up and down,” while the señor doesn’t even make eye contact: “He was texting on his phone [Estela recalls] and, without even glancing up, pointed at the kitchen door.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Julia, as a 2-year-old, begins to bite her nails so compulsively her cuticles bleed, Estela comments:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\n\u003cdiv>\n\u003cp>I kept thinking about the girl, … about her chubby, idle hands, always ready to pop those nails into her mouth, for them to be destroyed by her teeth. I never bit my nails. My mama didn’t either. I suppose for that you’d need to have your hands free.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13966531']Through the years, tensions within and beyond the house escalate as protests against income inequality rock the city. Even Estela’s own behavior becomes less tamped down. For instance, she illicitly cares for a street dog in the laundry room of the house — an assertion of autonomy that, in a roundabout way, leads to that prison cell.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Clean\u003c/em> is an intense novel about class and power and the kind of deep down rot that lingers, despite the most vigorous scrubbing.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Clean’ by Alia Trabucco Zerán is out now via Riverhead Books.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966534\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1364px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966534\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/shred-sisters.png\" alt=\"A book cover featuring an abstract illustration of two women's heads and shoulders directly next to each other.\" width=\"1364\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/shred-sisters.png 1364w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/shred-sisters-800x1173.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/shred-sisters-1020x1496.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/shred-sisters-160x235.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/shred-sisters-768x1126.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/shred-sisters-1048x1536.png 1048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1364px) 100vw, 1364px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Shred Sisters’ by Betsy Lerner. \u003ccite>(Grove Press)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I was in the mood for a novel about family relationships, something \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/903191000/cheever-a-life\">Cheever\u003c/a>-esque. 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Turns out, I landed on a good book for the wrong reasons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13966245']\u003cem>Shred Sisters\u003c/em> is, indeed, incisive and wry; but, given its central subject — an upper-middle-class, Jewish, suburban family all-but-capsized by the mental illness of one of its members — this novel is anything but contained and controlled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Shred Sisters\u003c/em> spans the 1970s through the 1990s and focuses intensely on the relationship between the two Shred sisters who live with their parents in New Haven, Conn. Amy, the younger sister, is our narrator: She’s small, shy, a scrupulous obeyer of rules. 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For a second there was silence, then the window splintered into a web of shards that rained down on my sister …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Later [Ollie] joked that she looked like a giant tampon …\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>That opening gives fair warning of the erratic periods of chaos and exhaustion that will define the Shred family’s life for decades — especially as Ollie begins stealing things, raging and disappearing. She’s eventually sent to a psychiatric hospital that Amy and her parents tactfully refer to as “The Place.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the aspects of coping with mental illness that Lerner vividly captures is the limits of 1970s and ’80s psychiatry to treat what Amy later speculates is bipolar disorder. The Shred parents never get a diagnosis for Ollie; Amy, left on her own, reads popular books of the era to try to grasp what’s going on: “They all had a girl on the cover [Amy tells us], brunette and brooding. \u003cem>Go Ask Alice\u003c/em> … \u003cem>The Bell Jar\u003c/em>. None of the girls reminded me of Ollie.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13966297']After two years, Ollie is discharged, unchanged, and disappears for even longer stretches. Drained of energy for each other, the Shred parents, Amy says, “split slowly, like the subterranean forces that pulled apart the jagged coasts of South America and Africa.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As she did in \u003cem>The Bridge Ladies\u003c/em>, Lerner elevates what may sound like yet another pop saga of endurance, measured recovery and forgiveness into a closely observed story that’s ragged and wry. The final two-thirds of this novel focus on Amy herself — the usher in the shadows who’s spent decades powerlessly observing and cleaning up after this family movie.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Change, as we know, is hard; but, there’s a moment where the adult Amy, who’s been demoralized by loneliness and career failure, spontaneously walks into a hair salon. She’s pulled in by a sign that reads: “\u003cem>Never give up on your hair.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These are the kind of revelatory ordinary human moments Lerner captures with precision. As an affirmation, “\u003cem>Never give up on your hair\u003c/em>” turns out to be a more modest way to declare, “I will survive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Shred Sisters’ by Betsy Lerner is out now, via Grove Press.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>After two years, Ollie is discharged, unchanged, and disappears for even longer stretches. Drained of energy for each other, the Shred parents, Amy says, “split slowly, like the subterranean forces that pulled apart the jagged coasts of South America and Africa.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As she did in \u003cem>The Bridge Ladies\u003c/em>, Lerner elevates what may sound like yet another pop saga of endurance, measured recovery and forgiveness into a closely observed story that’s ragged and wry. The final two-thirds of this novel focus on Amy herself — the usher in the shadows who’s spent decades powerlessly observing and cleaning up after this family movie.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Change, as we know, is hard; but, there’s a moment where the adult Amy, who’s been demoralized by loneliness and career failure, spontaneously walks into a hair salon. She’s pulled in by a sign that reads: “\u003cem>Never give up on your hair.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These are the kind of revelatory ordinary human moments Lerner captures with precision. As an affirmation, “\u003cem>Never give up on your hair\u003c/em>” turns out to be a more modest way to declare, “I will survive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Shred Sisters’ by Betsy Lerner is out now, via Grove Press.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/GjZ2XqYzPTI'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/GjZ2XqYzPTI'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>SET LIST\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>“Rumba Percussion Jam”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>“Mi Amor”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>“The Way That You Do”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>“Possibilities”\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>“Playa Tequila”\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>MUSICIANS\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Sheila Escovedo: lead vocals, percussion\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Raymond McKinley: bass, tour management, production management\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Myke Davison: guitar\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Bertron Curtis: keys\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Rose Ann Dimalanta: keys\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Daniel Rodriguez: drums\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Fausto Cuevas: percussion\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Johny Ayquipa: trumpet\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Percy Recavarren: trombone\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Lynn Mabry: vocals\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Rebecca Jade: vocals\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Debi Nova: vocals\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Jean Rodriguez: vocals\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>TINY DESK TEAM\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Producer: Felix Contreras\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Director/Editor: Maia Stern\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Audio Technical Director: Josephine Nyounai\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Alanté Serene\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Audio Engineer: Ted Mebane\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Photographer: Michael Zamora\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Tiny Desk Team: Hazel Cills, Josh Newell\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "heres-everyone-caught-in-the-web-of-the-sean-diddy-combs-allegations-so-far",
"title": "Here’s Everyone Caught in the Web of the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Allegations So Far",
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"headTitle": "Here’s Everyone Caught in the Web of the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Allegations So Far | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ci>Updated 10:17 a.m. Oct. 14, 2024.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sean “Diddy” Combs remains in a Brooklyn jail while awaiting a May 5 trial on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/09/16/g-s1-23363/sean-diddy-combs-faces-federal-charges-in-new-york\">federal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering\u003c/a>. The hip-hop mogul has pleaded not guilty on all charges and has been denied bail twice thus far.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13954740']Before and after his arrest, Combs has also been served \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13954740/diddy-allegations-sean-combs-raids-sex-trafficking-cassie-joi-rod-harve-pierre-jane-doe\">more than two dozen civil lawsuits\u003c/a> for physical assault, rape and more. The indictment and many of the lawsuits name Combs’ numerous business ventures and claim they are complicit in financing and enabling the rapper’s abuse inside and outside of the recording studio. They also detail how Combs allegedly used his position of power in the entertainment industry to lure, coerce and silence those around him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s an ongoing list of notable people named in lawsuits and criminal investigations against Combs so far, excluding the accusers who have chosen not to reveal their names.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003ch2>The Accusers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Casandra Ventura, aka Cassie\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954776\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954776\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/GettyImages-1780923026-scaled-e1711490898243.jpg\" alt=\"A Black man wearing a suit and very long couture coat stands holding hands with a Black woman wearing an elaborate black gown and purse in the shape of a skull.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sean Combs and Cassie at the 2017 Met Gala. \u003ccite>(Clint Spaulding/ Penske Media via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The R&B singer was in a personal and professional relationship with Combs for over a decade. In November 2023, Ventura filed a federal lawsuit against Combs alleging years of physical, sexual and emotional abuse. The lawsuit also named Bad Boy Entertainment, Bad Boy Records, Epic Records and Combs Enterprises. A day after the filing, the two parties settled the trafficking, rape and physical assault case out of court — but Ventura’s willingness to come forward opened the floodgates for nearly a dozen other lawsuits against Combs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The pair reportedly met in 2005, when Ventura was 19 and Combs was 37. The following year, Ventura signed a deal with Bad Boy Entertainment and released her self-titled debut album. Ventura’s lawsuit alleged this was the beginning of Combs’ coercion and abuse, which she said completely took over her life and included forcing her to take illicit substances, forcing her to participate in sex with male sex workers while Combs filmed her — encounters Combs referred to as “freakoffs” — and frequent beatings. The lawsuit stated that the beatings were often witnessed by Combs’ staff, employees of Bad Boy Entertainment and Combs’ affiliated businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, CNN published \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/05/17/1252221941/sean-combs-cassie-ventura-cnn-video\">footage\u003c/a> dated to 2016 that showed Combs repeatedly hitting and kicking Ventura in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel. Shortly after, Ventura took to Instagram to address the video and subsequent public response. “The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now, but this is only the beginning,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C7T6OCKRJ-W/\">she wrote\u003c/a>. “Domestic Violence is THE issue. It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become. With a lot of hard work, I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joi Dickerson-Neal\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Days after Ventura’s lawsuit, a woman named Joi Dickerson filed a lawsuit accusing Combs of drugging, sexually harassing and abusing her and distributing “revenge porn.” The suit states that Dickerson was a psychology student at Syracuse University when she agreed to go on a date with Combs in 1991. She had appeared in one of the rapper’s music videos. After the pair had dinner, the suit alleges that Combs pressured Dickerson to keep the night going and drove them to a recording studio. There, Dickerson says she realized she had been drugged and was unable to get out of the car, since she could no longer stand or walk on her own. This is when the suit alleges that Combs took her to another location and proceeded to sexually assault her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13964507']Days later, Dickerson was told by a male friend that Combs had recorded the assault and had shown it to him and several others. The lawsuit states that the ensuing feelings of violation and humiliation derailed Dickerson’s studies and have had prolonged effects on her mental health, career and economic opportunities. Like Ventura, Dickerson filed the lawsuit under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which provided a one-year window for victims of sexual abuse who were age 18 or older at the time of the crime to file civil action regardless of the statute of limitations of the crimes themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Liza Gardner\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last November, Liza Gardner filed a lawsuit alleging that in 1990, she was raped by Combs and R&B singer Aaron Hall. The lawsuit says that days later, Combs assaulted and choked Gardner until she lost consciousness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an amended complaint filed Oct. 8, Gardner adds that she was 16 years old when she was invited to New Jersey from her home in North Carolina by her friends DeVante Swing and Dalvin DeGrate of the R&B group Jodeci. The lawsuit states that Jodeci’s housing, where Gardner was staying, was “subsidized” by their label, Uptown Records, a subsidiary of MCA and UMG. It goes on to allege that Gardner and her 15-year-old friend, Monica Case, met Combs and Hall at an MCA Records event in New York, where they were reportedly supplied with alcohol. Combs and Hall allegedly provided the minors with more drinks and with marijuana later that night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lawsuit states that Gardner and her friends were later taken back to Hall’s apartment in New Jersey, where Combs raped Gardner. The suit states that unbeknownst to Gardner at the time, Devante Swing was in the room at the time and did nothing to stop Combs. Swing was added as a co-defendant in the new complaint for “aiding and abetting” the sexual assault.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lawsuit also names UMG Recordings, Universal Music Group and more.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones worked with Combs on his 2023 release, \u003cem>The Love Album: Off the Grid\u003c/em>. In February, Jones filed a lawsuit alleging that during the making of the album — from 2022 to 2023 — he lived with Combs, who he says repeatedly groped him, forced him to solicit sex workers, take illegal drugs, and more. The suit states that Combs would often walk around naked in front of Jones, and that the music mogul attempted to groom the producer into engaging in sex with other men in the music industry, allegedly promising Jones a Grammy if he complied. Jones also alleges that a cousin of rapper Yung Miami, who was dating Combs at the time, sexually assaulted him in Combs’ home in 2022 in front of Combs and his staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13962885']Jones’ lawsuit also names Combs’ son, Justin Dior Combs, Love Records, Combs Global Enterprises and Combs’ chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, as co-defendants. In addition to the allegations of abuse, the suit describes a shooting at a recording studio involving Combs, his son Justin Dior Combs and an unnamed victim. The suit also claims that Combs did not properly compensate Jones for his work on \u003cem>The Love Album.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lawsuit originally included Universal Music Group, Motown Records, former Motown CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam and UMG chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge as co-defendants. Lawyers for Grainge and UMG denied their involvement in the allegations, eventually leading Jones’ lawyer to drop Grainge and the labels from the charges.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Crystal McKinney\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966508\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966508\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/c-mc.png\" alt=\"A beautiful blond woman wearing a coat with a fur collar.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1326\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/c-mc.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/c-mc-800x530.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/c-mc-1020x676.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/c-mc-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/c-mc-768x509.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/c-mc-1536x1018.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/c-mc-1920x1273.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crystal McKinney. \u003ccite>(Arnaldo Magnani/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In May, Crystal McKinney filed a lawsuit against Combs, Bad Boy Entertainment, Universal Music Group (UMG) and Combs’ clothing company, Sean John Clothing. The charges against UMG Recordings were later dismissed, and Daddy’s House Recordings was added as a co-defendant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The suit states that in 2003, McKinney was 22 years old and working as a model when an unnamed designer introduced her to Combs at a Sean John fashion show in New York City. Combs allegedly expressed interest in getting to know McKinney better and helping her modeling career grow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Later that night, he invited her to a recording studio, where McKinney says Combs and several other men were smoking marijuana and drinking. She took a hit of a joint, which according to the lawsuit, she believes was laced with another substance. The lawsuit states that Combs pressured McKinney to continue drinking and smoking, and as she became more intoxicated, she was led to a bathroom by Combs, who forced her to perform oral sex on him. Afterward, McKinney lost consciousness and awoke in a taxi en route to the designer’s apartment. The lawsuit states that following the assault, McKinney became severely depressed. According to the lawsuit, she believes Combs “blackballed” her in the industry, which led to the downfall of her modeling career, and has had long-lasting effects on her mental health.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Lampros\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In May, April Lampros filed a lawsuit naming Combs, Bad Boy Entertainment and Arista Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music. Lampros met Combs in 1994 while studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She says Combs often invited her to the Bad Boy studio, promised to mentor and help her advance her career and began “love-bombing” her. They started dating and Lampros would often travel to see Combs, though he asked that their relationship be kept private.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13956667']In the suit, Lampros accuses Combs of sexually assaulting her on four separate occasions and repeatedly threatening to harm her, both physically and professionally. In one such instance, Combs allegedly forced Lampros and his then-girlfriend Kim Porter to take ecstasy, forced them to engage in sex while he watched and then raped Lampros. Though she tried to distance herself from Combs as the relationship turned abusive, Lampros says Combs continually contacted her, and she feared the repercussions of rebuffing his advances. The lawsuit states that after Lampros’ relationship with Combs had ended, she was told by someone she knew that he had seen a video of her and Combs having sex, recorded without her knowledge.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In June, a man incarcerated in Michigan filed a lawsuit against Combs alleging that the rapper drugged and sexually assaulted him in Detroit in 1997. During a hearing in September, a default judgment was granted to Cardello-Smith for $100 million after Combs and his lawyers failed to appear in court. Shortly after, the judgment was set aside on grounds that Cardello-Smith’s lawsuit, mailed to a Combs residence in Los Angeles, was not properly served. Cardello-Smith is currently serving sentences for kidnapping and criminal sexual conduct.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adria English\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In July, a woman named Adria English filed a lawsuit against Combs, Bad Boy Entertainment, Sean John Clothing, Combs Global Enterprises, Tamiko Thomas, Jacob Arabov aka “Jacob The Jeweler,” \u003cem>VIBE\u003c/em> magazine, Penske Media Corporation and several unnamed defendants. The suit alleges that in 2004, English was working as a dancer at a club in New York City when she and her then-boyfriend, aspiring model Anthony Gallo, were hired to work at one of Combs’ famous “White Parties” in the Hamptons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>English alleges that while working at the party, she was forced to drink alcohol, which she believes was laced with ecstasy, and forced to consume narcotics. The suit alleges that Combs and a Bad Boy Entertainment employee continued to hire her to work at “White Parties” in New York and in Miami. According to the lawsuit, around the third event, English alleges that she was asked to swap the usual white attire for a black mini-dress and forced to begin having intercourse with guests. She believes the black dress was meant to signal to guests that she was a “sex trafficked sex worker.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lawsuit names Jacob Arabov aka “Jacob The Jeweler” as one such guest she was coerced into having intercourse with, along with other unnamed defendants. English believes there are secret recordings of those defendants sexually assaulting her in Combs’ homes while she was unconscious.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dawn Richard\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966509\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966509\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dawn.png\" alt=\"A Black woman wearng a gold jacket talks into a microphone.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1325\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dawn.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dawn-800x530.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dawn-1020x676.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dawn-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dawn-768x509.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dawn-1536x1018.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dawn-1920x1272.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dawn Richard. \u003ccite>(Josh Brasted/Getty Images for ESSENCE/Getty Images North America)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In September, singer Dawn Richard filed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/09/12/nx-s1-5110001/dawn-richard-diddy-danity-kane-lawsuit\">lawsuit\u003c/a> against Combs for sexual assault and battery. The complaint also states that Richard witnessed Combs beat and abuse Ventura on many occasions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Richard first met Combs when she auditioned for the MTV show \u003cem>Making the Band\u003c/em> in 2004 and was selected to be a member of the group Danity Kane under Combs’ mentorship. The lawsuit alleges that Richard and her bandmates were subjected to inhumane working conditions during their time on the show and in the musical group, sometimes being forced to rehearse for up to 48 hours without food or breaks and often being berated by Combs. The complaint states that the abusive behavior continued throughout Richard’s professional relationship with Combs, and that he instilled a culture of fear in the women he worked with.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13918217']After Danity Kane disbanded in 2009, Richard continued to work with Combs in the trio Diddy — Dirty Money, along with singer Kalenna Harper — who allegedly also witnessed much of Combs’ abusive behavior and was subject to his numerous threats. The lawsuit alleges Combs would force Richard to take meetings while he was in his underwear, and he would barge into her dressing room unannounced and would grope her breasts and buttocks during stylist fittings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In one instance in 2010, the lawsuit states that Combs berated Richard and Harper in the lobby of SIR Studios and attempted to punch Richard when she asked him to stop calling them “bitches” in front of people. Richard alleges the women were then ushered into a company car and that Combs and Harve Pierre falsely imprisoned them in the vehicle for over two hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the allegations of abuse, Richard’s lawsuit demands unpaid salaries, royalties and wages for Richard’s work as part of Danity Kane and Diddy — Dirty Money. The complaint also names Harve Pierre, Remote Productions, Bad Boy Entertainment, Daddy’s House Recording Studio and a number of other music, publishing and finance corporations associated with Combs for enabling his violence.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thalia Graves\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966510\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966510\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Thalia-Graves.png\" alt=\"A light skinned Black woman sits on a white armchair wearing a white top.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1356\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Thalia-Graves.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Thalia-Graves-800x542.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Thalia-Graves-1020x692.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Thalia-Graves-160x108.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Thalia-Graves-768x521.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Thalia-Graves-1536x1041.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Thalia-Graves-1920x1302.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thalia Graves. \u003ccite>(Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In September, a woman named Thalia Graves filed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/09/24/g-s1-24401/sean-diddy-combs-graves-rape-lawsuit\">lawsuit\u003c/a> accusing Combs and his bodyguard Joseph Sherman of raping her, recording the assault without her knowledge and distributing the video as pornography.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Graves alleges that the assault took place in 2001, when she was 25 years old and dating an unnamed record producer who worked with Combs. She says Combs and Sherman took advantage of her relationship with their colleague to lure her to a recording studio alone, where they gave her a drink she believes was laced with some kind of drug. The lawsuit says Graves lost consciousness and awoke to find herself bound and restrained; Combs and Sherman then proceeded to take turns raping her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Graves says she did not report the alleged crime out of fear of Combs’ retaliation, and that her boyfriend at the time discouraged her from doing so because it might hurt his career. In November 2023, Graves alleges she learned the rape had been recorded by Sherman and Combs, who showed it to others with the purpose of humiliating Graves and her then-boyfriend. The lawsuit details how the crime and the knowledge of its recording has had dire, long-lasting consequences on Graves’ mental health.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ashley Parham\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Oct. 15, a woman named Ashley Parham filed a lawsuit against Combs in California involving sexual assault, battery, rape, sexual abuse, false imprisonment and kidnapping. Parham alleges that in 2018, she met a man named Shane Pearce who was associated with Combs. Parham says Pearce called Combs on FaceTime in front of her, but she made remarks about being unimpressed because “she believed Defendant Diddy had something to do with the murder of Tupac Shakur.” Combs allegedly became upset by Parham’s statements during the call.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The complaint says that some time later, Pearce invited Parham over to his home. While she was there, Combs allegedly arrived with Kristina Khorram and several unnamed others. The lawsuit states that Combs was angry at Parham for how she had treated him over the video call. Combs allegedly threatened to physically harm Parham with a knife, while Khorram allegedly said they could “sell” the plaintiff for sex. The lawsuit states that Pearce and Combs then removed Parham’s clothing and Combs squirted Parham with what she believes was an oil or lubricant. According to the lawsuit, Khorram was instructed by Diddy to insert a syringe into Parham’s vagina. The lawsuit goes on to state that Combs, Pearce and two unnamed defendants violently raped Parham and that Combs forced an unknown pill down the woman’s throat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kristina Khorram, Shane Pearce and several unnamed men and women are listed as co-defendants in the lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bryana “Bana” Bongolan\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Nov. 27, fashion designer Bryana “Bana” Bongolan filed a lawsuit against Combs in California that alleges the mogul groped her breasts, dangled her over the balcony of a 17th floor apartment and frequently threatened and intimidated her throughout their working relationship.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lawsuit states that Bongolan worked with Cassie Ventura at Diamond Supply Co. in 2014, which led the two women to develop a friendship. As they got closer, Bongolan alleges that she became aware of Combs’ violent and abusive behavior towards Ventura, eventually leading to Ventura showing Bongolan bruises and a black eye she received from Combs. According to the lawsuit, Bongolan worked closely with both Ventura and Combs, designing Bad Boy jackets for the mogul, creating costumes for the Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour, starting a clothing line called “Cassie + BANA,” and designing merchandise and cover art for Ventura.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Throughout the time they worked together, Bongolan alleges that Combs intimidated and threatened her, including an instance in which he forcibly drugged her and another in which he said “You have no idea what I could do to you. I could kill you.” The lawsuit states that in September of 2016, Bongolan, her then-girlfriend and Ventura were at Ventura’s apartment when Combs began violently knocking on the door. After making his way in, Bongolan alleges he found her on the balcony and began groping her breasts. When she resisted, she alleges that he picked her up and held her over the ledge of the 17th floor balcony, and then slammed her into patio furniture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ventura’s attorneys declined to comment on Bongolan’s lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003ch2>The Accused\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jay-Z\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13832289\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2048px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9.jpg\" alt=\"Jay-Z, on the red carpet to promote the film The Great Gatsby in New York in 2013.\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1152\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13832289\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-520x292.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jay-Z, on the red carpet to promote the film ‘The Great Gatsby’ in New York in 2013. \u003ccite>(Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In October, an unnamed plaintiff filed a civil lawsuit against Combs alleging that he and an unnamed male celebrity assaulted her at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in 2000, when she was only 13 years old. On December 8, the lawsuit was amended and refiled to name Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, as the second assailant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The complaint alleges that in September of 2000, the unnamed victim was attempting to gain entry to the VMAs in New York City when she approached a limousine driver who told her he worked for Combs and could take her to an after-party and did. The plaintiff alleges that later that night, when she arrived, she was asked to sign a document she now believes was a non-disclosure agreement. The complaint states that the plaintiff accepted a drink that made her woozy, leading her to retire to one of the bedrooms. She alleges that Carter, Combs and an unnamed female celebrity entered the room and that the two men raped her while the female celebrity stood by and watched.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement emailed to NPR, Carter denied the allegations and stated that he was the target of a blackmail attempt designed to extort settlement money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!!” he said. “Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree? These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My only heartbreak is for my family,” Carter added. “My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people. I mourn yet another loss of innocence.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carter is the first high-profile co-defendant to be named in over a dozen lawsuits filed by Texas attorney Tony Buzbee, all on behalf of unnamed accusers. The amended complaint accuses Carter of filing his own lawsuit against Buzbee, which the attorney called “frivolous.” NPR has reviewed a lawsuit filed on November 18 by an anonymous celebrity accusing Buzbee of extortion and intentional infliction of emotional distress.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Aaron Hall\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966511\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966511\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Aaron-Hall.png\" alt=\"A Black man onstage wearing sunglasses and a denim jacket.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1383\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Aaron-Hall.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Aaron-Hall-800x553.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Aaron-Hall-1020x705.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Aaron-Hall-160x111.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Aaron-Hall-768x531.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Aaron-Hall-1536x1062.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Aaron-Hall-1920x1328.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aaron Hall. \u003ccite>(Paras Griffin/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The R&B singer is named in Gardner’s lawsuit, alleging that he and Combs raped her and an unnamed friend in 1990. Hall could not be reached for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Harve Pierre\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966512\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966512\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Harve-Pierre.png\" alt=\"A bald Black man in a suit sits at a dinner table.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Harve-Pierre.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Harve-Pierre-800x529.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Harve-Pierre-1020x674.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Harve-Pierre-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Harve-Pierre-768x508.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Harve-Pierre-1536x1015.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Harve-Pierre-1920x1269.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Harve Pierre. \u003ccite>(Thaddaeus McAdams/FilmMagic/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In December 2023, an unnamed woman filed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24193192-sean-combs-jane-doe-complaint\">lawsuit\u003c/a> accusing Combs, former Bad Boy Entertainment president Harve Pierre and a third man of trafficking and gang raping her when she was 17 years old. The suit states that the victim met Pierre at a lounge in Michigan in 2003 while she was still in high school, and that the record executive sexually assaulted her by forcing her to perform oral sex on him. Pierre allegedly called Combs, who convinced the underaged woman to board a private jet to New Jersey.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13934462']After the plane ride, the suit states that the unnamed victim, Pierre and two other men were driven to Combs’ recording studio in New York, where they “plied Ms. Doe with drugs and alcohol.” The lawsuit says that Combs, Pierre and another man proceeded to “gang-rape” the teenager, and that she has limited recollection of the trip back to Michigan the following day. The lawsuit also names recording studio Daddy’s House Recordings and Bad Boy Entertainment as co-defendants. Pierre denied the allegations in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.tmz.com/2023/12/08/diddy-bad-boy-president-harve-pierre-lawsuit/\">statement\u003c/a> to TMZ.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Kristina Khorram\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Khorram is named as Combs’ chief of staff and a co-defendant in Jones’ lawsuit. Jones alleges that Khorram frequently solicited illicit drugs and sex workers for Combs and his guests, forced Jones to carry substances for Combs and ordered Jones to hire sex workers for Combs. He also accuses Khorram of “aiding and abetting” Combs’ sexual assault and helping Combs groom Jones. Though she is not listed as a co-defendant, Khorram is also named in a September 2024 sexual abuse lawsuit filed by an unnamed woman who says the Combs employee often paid for her to travel and “perform” for Combs — the complaint alleges Combs’ staffers would “send drivers to [the victim’s] home to pick her up before she agreed to travel, to the point where she did not believe she had a choice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>NPR reached out to Khorram’s attorneys Oct. 10 and Oct. 22 for comment and is awaiting a reply.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cuba Gooding Jr.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966514\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966514\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Cuba-Gooding-Jr.png\" alt=\"A Black man sits in court wearing a suit and red scarf, looking concerned.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1335\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Cuba-Gooding-Jr.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Cuba-Gooding-Jr-800x534.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Cuba-Gooding-Jr-1020x681.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Cuba-Gooding-Jr-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Cuba-Gooding-Jr-768x513.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Cuba-Gooding-Jr-1536x1025.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Cuba-Gooding-Jr-1920x1282.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cuba Gooding Jr. \u003ccite>(Alec Tabak/The Daily News via AP, Pool, File)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The actor, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/04/13/1092699710/actor-cuba-gooding-jr-pleads-guilty-to-forcibly-touching\">pled guilty\u003c/a> in 2022 to forcibly touching a woman and \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/06/06/1180421961/cuba-gooding-jr-settles-civil-sex-abuse-case\">settled\u003c/a> a civil sexual abuse case in 2023, was named in an amendment to Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones’ original lawsuit against Combs. The producer alleges that Gooding Jr. fondled and groped him on Combs’ yacht. The actor has denied the allegations. “It’s the most ridiculous thing ever,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuZbTB0Fh24\">he said\u003c/a> in an interview with Extra TV. “Welcome to being a celebrity. Welcome to my world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Justin Dior Combs and Christian Combs\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966515\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966515\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dior.png\" alt=\"Two young, casually dressed Black men stand on a red carpet, smiling.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1765\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dior.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dior-800x706.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dior-1020x900.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dior-160x141.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dior-768x678.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dior-1536x1356.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dior-1920x1694.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Justin Dior Combs (left) and Christian Combs. \u003ccite>(Aaron Davidson/WireImage | Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sean Combs’ son, Justin Dior Combs, is also named in Jones’ lawsuit against the rapper, which alleges that the producer witnessed the father and son solicit sex workers and admit underaged girls to a listening party where they laced the women’s drinks. The lawsuit also alleges that Jones witnessed Christian Combs, another son of Combs, drug and assault a woman.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tyrone Blackburn, an attorney representing Jones, is also part of a separate lawsuit filed in April against Christian Combs on behalf of a plaintiff named Grace O’Marcaigh, alleging the younger Combs assaulted her on a yacht owned by Combs, who is named as co-defendant. Both Justin Dior Combs and Christian Combs have denied the allegations against them.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jacob Arabov, aka “Jacob The Jeweler” aka Jacob Arabo \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966516\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966516\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jacob-Arabov.png\" alt=\"A middle aged white man in a blue suit holds one wrist up to show his watch.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1336\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jacob-Arabov.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jacob-Arabov-800x534.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jacob-Arabov-1020x681.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jacob-Arabov-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jacob-Arabov-768x513.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jacob-Arabov-1536x1026.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jacob-Arabov-1920x1283.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jacob Arabov. \u003ccite>(Matthew Eisman/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The founder and chairman of high-profile jewelry and watch company Jacob & Co. is named as a co-defendant in English’s suit, which alleges he was one of the “White Party” guests she was forced to have sex with. Jacob & Co did not respond to NPR’s request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph “Big Joe” Sherman\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Combs’ former bodyguard is named as a co-defendant in Graves’ lawsuit, along with Daddy’s House Recordings, Bad Boy Entertainment and more. Graves claims that Sherman actively raped her alongside Combs in 2001. The lawsuit states that when she attempted to escape the assault, Combs slammed her head into a pool table, causing her to lose consciousness. After waking up, she says Sherman continued to assault her and slapped her until she passed out a third time. Sherman has \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/former-celeb-body-guard-falsely-accused-raping-woman-with-diddy/5849264/\">denied\u003c/a> Graves’ claims, saying he no longer worked for Bad Boy in 2001 and never met the young woman.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>DeVante Swing\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an amended complaint filed on Oct. 8, Liza Gardner added Devante Swing of the R&B group Jodeci as a co-defendant to her lawsuit. Gardner alleges that Swing, who was an adult at the time, was her “assumed co-guardian” when he invited the underaged Gardner to New Jersey. The suit alleges that Swing “trafficked and or coerced the child to travel across state lines from North Carolina to New York and New Jersey with the hidden intention of providing the child with alcohol, and marijuana and prostituting the child to his A&R Combs.” Gardner’s friend, Monica Case, also filed a sworn declaration alleging Swing was in the room “watching whatever Puffy was doing to Liza.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Swing could not be reached for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Shane Pearce\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pearce is accused of inviting Parham to his home with the intention of allowing Combs to assault her. The lawsuit also alleges Pearce is one of the men who participated in the “gang-raping” of Parham.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pearce could not be reached for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003ch2>Other Names To Know\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jimmy Iovine\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966518\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966518\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jimmy-Iovine.png\" alt=\"A white man wearing a white baseball cap, backwards and sunglasses.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jimmy-Iovine.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jimmy-Iovine-800x532.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jimmy-Iovine-1020x679.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jimmy-Iovine-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jimmy-Iovine-768x511.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jimmy-Iovine-1536x1022.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jimmy-Iovine-1920x1278.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jimmy Iovine. \u003ccite>(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In her lawsuit, Richard alleges that she attended a party where Interscope Records co-founder Jimmy Iovine witnessed Combs punch Ventura in the stomach. The lawsuit blames Iovine — and Interscope — for moving forward with a deal with Combs and Bad Boy Entertainment after becoming aware of his violent and abusive behavior. Separately, in 2022, Iovine was accused of sexual abuse and harassment by an unnamed woman under New York’s Adult Survivors Act. The woman later dropped the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>NPR reached out to Interscope and Iovine’s team but did not receive a comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Kid Cudi\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966519\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966519\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/cudi.png\" alt=\"A Black man wearing a white t-shirt sings passionately into a microphone on stage.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/cudi.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/cudi-800x528.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/cudi-1020x673.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/cudi-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/cudi-768x507.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/cudi-1536x1014.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/cudi-1920x1267.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kid Cudi. \u003ccite>(Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Coachella)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kid Cudi and Ventura were romantically involved in 2011. In her lawsuit, Ventura alleged that when Combs found emails between the two on Ventura’s phone, he became enraged and attacked her. Ventura attempted to run away but returned due to pressure from Combs’ staff; the lawsuit alleged that Combs then hit and kicked her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lawsuit stated that in 2012, Combs told Ventura he wanted to “blow up” Kid Cudi’s car while the rapper was home. Kid Cudi corroborated to \u003cem>The New York Times\u003c/em> that his car exploded in his driveway around that time.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Caresha Brownlee, aka Yung Miami\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966520\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966520\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Caresha-Brownlee-aka-Yung-Miami.png\" alt=\"A glamourous Black woman performs on stage wearing a strapless leather dress.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1336\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Caresha-Brownlee-aka-Yung-Miami.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Caresha-Brownlee-aka-Yung-Miami-800x534.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Caresha-Brownlee-aka-Yung-Miami-1020x681.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Caresha-Brownlee-aka-Yung-Miami-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Caresha-Brownlee-aka-Yung-Miami-768x513.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Caresha-Brownlee-aka-Yung-Miami-1536x1026.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Caresha-Brownlee-aka-Yung-Miami-1920x1283.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caresha Brownlee, aka Yung Miami. \u003ccite>(Terence Rushin/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Yung Miami, half of the rap duo City Girls, dated Combs in recent years. In August, she denied knowing anything about the accusations that have surfaced against her ex. “I can’t speak on these allegations because I wasn’t around at the time,” she said on her Revolt TV show, \u003cem>Caresha Please\u003c/em>. “I don’t know that person, and that wasn’t my experience.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In September, however, Brownlee was named in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/09/27/g-s1-25157/sean-diddy-combs-jane-doe-pregnant-assault-lawsuit\">\u003cu>lawsuit\u003c/u>\u003c/a> filed against Combs by an unnamed woman. The lawsuit alleges that the plaintiff was forced to travel and “perform” for Combs many times from 2021 to 2024. Much of this travel was reportedly paid for by Combs’ staffer Kristina Khorram. The suit states that in 2022, the plaintiff was forced to take drugs and have sex with Combs. When she learned she was pregnant and told Combs, the lawsuit states that Brownlee — who is not a co-defendant on the complaint — harassed and called the plaintiff repeatedly, pressuring her to get an abortion. The stress allegedly led the woman to suffer a miscarriage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>NPR reached out to Brownlee’s representation Thursday morning and is awaiting a reply.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tony Buzbee\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966521\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966521\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Tony-Buzbee.png\" alt=\"A white man in a suit.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1335\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Tony-Buzbee.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Tony-Buzbee-800x534.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Tony-Buzbee-1020x681.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Tony-Buzbee-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Tony-Buzbee-768x513.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Tony-Buzbee-1536x1025.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Tony-Buzbee-1920x1282.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tony Buzbee. \u003ccite>(Eric Gay/AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On Oct. 1, Texas attorney Tony Buzbee held a press conference announcing that his firm will be filing at least 120 individual civil lawsuits against Combs in the coming weeks. “The biggest secret in the entertainment industry that wasn’t really a secret at all has finally been revealed to the world,” Buzbee said during the presser. “The wall of silence has been broken, and victims are coming forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since then, Buzbee has filed more than a dozen sexual assault lawsuits against Combs, all on behalf of unnamed plaintiffs. On December 8, one such complaint was amended to name Jay-Z as a co-defendant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Oct. 14, six unnamed plaintiffs filed separate lawsuits against Combs; all are being represented by Buzbee. One of the alleged victims is a man who says Combs fondled him when he was 16 years old at a “White Party” in the Hamptons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Buzbee is known for representing clients in high-profile cases, including Texas attorney general Ken Paxton during his 2023 impeachment trial, the women who sued football player \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1106409107/cleveland-browns-deshaun-watson-settles-20-of-24-sexual-misconduct-lawsuits\">Deshaun Watson\u003c/a> for sexual misconduct, and the victims of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/11/11/1054765905/what-went-wrong-at-astroworld-the-deadly-dynamics-of-crowd-surge\">Astroworld\u003c/a> deadly crowd surge. During Paxton’s trial, Buzbee took his own share of the spotlight for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/ken-paxton-trial-buzbee-altuve-bucees-18355320.php\">public spat\u003c/a> with the media over how they photographed his tan in the courtroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to practicing at the Buzbee Law Firm, his professional ventures include property development, a short-lived THC-infused \u003ca href=\"https://www.chron.com/food/article/houston-buzbee-thc-seltzer-discontinued-19462337.php\">seltzer company\u003c/a> and local politics. He self-funded \u003ca href=\"https://www.texastribune.org/2019/11/05/houston-mayor-race-sylvester-turner-tony-buzbee-runoff/\">a run for Houston mayor\u003c/a> against Democratic incumbent Sylvester Turner in 2019 and \u003ca href=\"https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/07/tony-buzbee-houston-city-council-election-nan-huffman/\">ran for Houston City Council\u003c/a> in 2023, ultimately losing both races.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ci>Updated 10:17 a.m. Oct. 14, 2024.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sean “Diddy” Combs remains in a Brooklyn jail while awaiting a May 5 trial on \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/09/16/g-s1-23363/sean-diddy-combs-faces-federal-charges-in-new-york\">federal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering\u003c/a>. The hip-hop mogul has pleaded not guilty on all charges and has been denied bail twice thus far.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Before and after his arrest, Combs has also been served \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13954740/diddy-allegations-sean-combs-raids-sex-trafficking-cassie-joi-rod-harve-pierre-jane-doe\">more than two dozen civil lawsuits\u003c/a> for physical assault, rape and more. The indictment and many of the lawsuits name Combs’ numerous business ventures and claim they are complicit in financing and enabling the rapper’s abuse inside and outside of the recording studio. They also detail how Combs allegedly used his position of power in the entertainment industry to lure, coerce and silence those around him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s an ongoing list of notable people named in lawsuits and criminal investigations against Combs so far, excluding the accusers who have chosen not to reveal their names.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003ch2>The Accusers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Casandra Ventura, aka Cassie\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13954776\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13954776\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/GettyImages-1780923026-scaled-e1711490898243.jpg\" alt=\"A Black man wearing a suit and very long couture coat stands holding hands with a Black woman wearing an elaborate black gown and purse in the shape of a skull.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sean Combs and Cassie at the 2017 Met Gala. \u003ccite>(Clint Spaulding/ Penske Media via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The R&B singer was in a personal and professional relationship with Combs for over a decade. In November 2023, Ventura filed a federal lawsuit against Combs alleging years of physical, sexual and emotional abuse. The lawsuit also named Bad Boy Entertainment, Bad Boy Records, Epic Records and Combs Enterprises. A day after the filing, the two parties settled the trafficking, rape and physical assault case out of court — but Ventura’s willingness to come forward opened the floodgates for nearly a dozen other lawsuits against Combs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The pair reportedly met in 2005, when Ventura was 19 and Combs was 37. The following year, Ventura signed a deal with Bad Boy Entertainment and released her self-titled debut album. Ventura’s lawsuit alleged this was the beginning of Combs’ coercion and abuse, which she said completely took over her life and included forcing her to take illicit substances, forcing her to participate in sex with male sex workers while Combs filmed her — encounters Combs referred to as “freakoffs” — and frequent beatings. The lawsuit stated that the beatings were often witnessed by Combs’ staff, employees of Bad Boy Entertainment and Combs’ affiliated businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, CNN published \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/05/17/1252221941/sean-combs-cassie-ventura-cnn-video\">footage\u003c/a> dated to 2016 that showed Combs repeatedly hitting and kicking Ventura in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel. Shortly after, Ventura took to Instagram to address the video and subsequent public response. “The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now, but this is only the beginning,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/C7T6OCKRJ-W/\">she wrote\u003c/a>. “Domestic Violence is THE issue. It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become. With a lot of hard work, I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joi Dickerson-Neal\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Days after Ventura’s lawsuit, a woman named Joi Dickerson filed a lawsuit accusing Combs of drugging, sexually harassing and abusing her and distributing “revenge porn.” The suit states that Dickerson was a psychology student at Syracuse University when she agreed to go on a date with Combs in 1991. She had appeared in one of the rapper’s music videos. After the pair had dinner, the suit alleges that Combs pressured Dickerson to keep the night going and drove them to a recording studio. There, Dickerson says she realized she had been drugged and was unable to get out of the car, since she could no longer stand or walk on her own. This is when the suit alleges that Combs took her to another location and proceeded to sexually assault her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Days later, Dickerson was told by a male friend that Combs had recorded the assault and had shown it to him and several others. The lawsuit states that the ensuing feelings of violation and humiliation derailed Dickerson’s studies and have had prolonged effects on her mental health, career and economic opportunities. Like Ventura, Dickerson filed the lawsuit under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which provided a one-year window for victims of sexual abuse who were age 18 or older at the time of the crime to file civil action regardless of the statute of limitations of the crimes themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Liza Gardner\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last November, Liza Gardner filed a lawsuit alleging that in 1990, she was raped by Combs and R&B singer Aaron Hall. The lawsuit says that days later, Combs assaulted and choked Gardner until she lost consciousness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an amended complaint filed Oct. 8, Gardner adds that she was 16 years old when she was invited to New Jersey from her home in North Carolina by her friends DeVante Swing and Dalvin DeGrate of the R&B group Jodeci. The lawsuit states that Jodeci’s housing, where Gardner was staying, was “subsidized” by their label, Uptown Records, a subsidiary of MCA and UMG. It goes on to allege that Gardner and her 15-year-old friend, Monica Case, met Combs and Hall at an MCA Records event in New York, where they were reportedly supplied with alcohol. Combs and Hall allegedly provided the minors with more drinks and with marijuana later that night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lawsuit states that Gardner and her friends were later taken back to Hall’s apartment in New Jersey, where Combs raped Gardner. The suit states that unbeknownst to Gardner at the time, Devante Swing was in the room at the time and did nothing to stop Combs. Swing was added as a co-defendant in the new complaint for “aiding and abetting” the sexual assault.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lawsuit also names UMG Recordings, Universal Music Group and more.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones worked with Combs on his 2023 release, \u003cem>The Love Album: Off the Grid\u003c/em>. In February, Jones filed a lawsuit alleging that during the making of the album — from 2022 to 2023 — he lived with Combs, who he says repeatedly groped him, forced him to solicit sex workers, take illegal drugs, and more. The suit states that Combs would often walk around naked in front of Jones, and that the music mogul attempted to groom the producer into engaging in sex with other men in the music industry, allegedly promising Jones a Grammy if he complied. Jones also alleges that a cousin of rapper Yung Miami, who was dating Combs at the time, sexually assaulted him in Combs’ home in 2022 in front of Combs and his staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Jones’ lawsuit also names Combs’ son, Justin Dior Combs, Love Records, Combs Global Enterprises and Combs’ chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, as co-defendants. In addition to the allegations of abuse, the suit describes a shooting at a recording studio involving Combs, his son Justin Dior Combs and an unnamed victim. The suit also claims that Combs did not properly compensate Jones for his work on \u003cem>The Love Album.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lawsuit originally included Universal Music Group, Motown Records, former Motown CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam and UMG chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge as co-defendants. Lawyers for Grainge and UMG denied their involvement in the allegations, eventually leading Jones’ lawyer to drop Grainge and the labels from the charges.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Crystal McKinney\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966508\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966508\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/c-mc.png\" alt=\"A beautiful blond woman wearing a coat with a fur collar.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1326\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/c-mc.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/c-mc-800x530.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/c-mc-1020x676.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/c-mc-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/c-mc-768x509.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/c-mc-1536x1018.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/c-mc-1920x1273.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crystal McKinney. \u003ccite>(Arnaldo Magnani/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In May, Crystal McKinney filed a lawsuit against Combs, Bad Boy Entertainment, Universal Music Group (UMG) and Combs’ clothing company, Sean John Clothing. The charges against UMG Recordings were later dismissed, and Daddy’s House Recordings was added as a co-defendant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The suit states that in 2003, McKinney was 22 years old and working as a model when an unnamed designer introduced her to Combs at a Sean John fashion show in New York City. Combs allegedly expressed interest in getting to know McKinney better and helping her modeling career grow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Later that night, he invited her to a recording studio, where McKinney says Combs and several other men were smoking marijuana and drinking. She took a hit of a joint, which according to the lawsuit, she believes was laced with another substance. The lawsuit states that Combs pressured McKinney to continue drinking and smoking, and as she became more intoxicated, she was led to a bathroom by Combs, who forced her to perform oral sex on him. Afterward, McKinney lost consciousness and awoke in a taxi en route to the designer’s apartment. The lawsuit states that following the assault, McKinney became severely depressed. According to the lawsuit, she believes Combs “blackballed” her in the industry, which led to the downfall of her modeling career, and has had long-lasting effects on her mental health.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>April Lampros\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In May, April Lampros filed a lawsuit naming Combs, Bad Boy Entertainment and Arista Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music. Lampros met Combs in 1994 while studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She says Combs often invited her to the Bad Boy studio, promised to mentor and help her advance her career and began “love-bombing” her. They started dating and Lampros would often travel to see Combs, though he asked that their relationship be kept private.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In the suit, Lampros accuses Combs of sexually assaulting her on four separate occasions and repeatedly threatening to harm her, both physically and professionally. In one such instance, Combs allegedly forced Lampros and his then-girlfriend Kim Porter to take ecstasy, forced them to engage in sex while he watched and then raped Lampros. Though she tried to distance herself from Combs as the relationship turned abusive, Lampros says Combs continually contacted her, and she feared the repercussions of rebuffing his advances. The lawsuit states that after Lampros’ relationship with Combs had ended, she was told by someone she knew that he had seen a video of her and Combs having sex, recorded without her knowledge.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In June, a man incarcerated in Michigan filed a lawsuit against Combs alleging that the rapper drugged and sexually assaulted him in Detroit in 1997. During a hearing in September, a default judgment was granted to Cardello-Smith for $100 million after Combs and his lawyers failed to appear in court. Shortly after, the judgment was set aside on grounds that Cardello-Smith’s lawsuit, mailed to a Combs residence in Los Angeles, was not properly served. Cardello-Smith is currently serving sentences for kidnapping and criminal sexual conduct.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Adria English\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In July, a woman named Adria English filed a lawsuit against Combs, Bad Boy Entertainment, Sean John Clothing, Combs Global Enterprises, Tamiko Thomas, Jacob Arabov aka “Jacob The Jeweler,” \u003cem>VIBE\u003c/em> magazine, Penske Media Corporation and several unnamed defendants. The suit alleges that in 2004, English was working as a dancer at a club in New York City when she and her then-boyfriend, aspiring model Anthony Gallo, were hired to work at one of Combs’ famous “White Parties” in the Hamptons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>English alleges that while working at the party, she was forced to drink alcohol, which she believes was laced with ecstasy, and forced to consume narcotics. The suit alleges that Combs and a Bad Boy Entertainment employee continued to hire her to work at “White Parties” in New York and in Miami. According to the lawsuit, around the third event, English alleges that she was asked to swap the usual white attire for a black mini-dress and forced to begin having intercourse with guests. She believes the black dress was meant to signal to guests that she was a “sex trafficked sex worker.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lawsuit names Jacob Arabov aka “Jacob The Jeweler” as one such guest she was coerced into having intercourse with, along with other unnamed defendants. English believes there are secret recordings of those defendants sexually assaulting her in Combs’ homes while she was unconscious.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dawn Richard\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966509\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966509\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dawn.png\" alt=\"A Black woman wearng a gold jacket talks into a microphone.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1325\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dawn.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dawn-800x530.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dawn-1020x676.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dawn-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dawn-768x509.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dawn-1536x1018.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dawn-1920x1272.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dawn Richard. \u003ccite>(Josh Brasted/Getty Images for ESSENCE/Getty Images North America)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In September, singer Dawn Richard filed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/09/12/nx-s1-5110001/dawn-richard-diddy-danity-kane-lawsuit\">lawsuit\u003c/a> against Combs for sexual assault and battery. The complaint also states that Richard witnessed Combs beat and abuse Ventura on many occasions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Richard first met Combs when she auditioned for the MTV show \u003cem>Making the Band\u003c/em> in 2004 and was selected to be a member of the group Danity Kane under Combs’ mentorship. The lawsuit alleges that Richard and her bandmates were subjected to inhumane working conditions during their time on the show and in the musical group, sometimes being forced to rehearse for up to 48 hours without food or breaks and often being berated by Combs. The complaint states that the abusive behavior continued throughout Richard’s professional relationship with Combs, and that he instilled a culture of fear in the women he worked with.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>After Danity Kane disbanded in 2009, Richard continued to work with Combs in the trio Diddy — Dirty Money, along with singer Kalenna Harper — who allegedly also witnessed much of Combs’ abusive behavior and was subject to his numerous threats. The lawsuit alleges Combs would force Richard to take meetings while he was in his underwear, and he would barge into her dressing room unannounced and would grope her breasts and buttocks during stylist fittings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In one instance in 2010, the lawsuit states that Combs berated Richard and Harper in the lobby of SIR Studios and attempted to punch Richard when she asked him to stop calling them “bitches” in front of people. Richard alleges the women were then ushered into a company car and that Combs and Harve Pierre falsely imprisoned them in the vehicle for over two hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to the allegations of abuse, Richard’s lawsuit demands unpaid salaries, royalties and wages for Richard’s work as part of Danity Kane and Diddy — Dirty Money. The complaint also names Harve Pierre, Remote Productions, Bad Boy Entertainment, Daddy’s House Recording Studio and a number of other music, publishing and finance corporations associated with Combs for enabling his violence.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Thalia Graves\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966510\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966510\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Thalia-Graves.png\" alt=\"A light skinned Black woman sits on a white armchair wearing a white top.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1356\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Thalia-Graves.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Thalia-Graves-800x542.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Thalia-Graves-1020x692.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Thalia-Graves-160x108.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Thalia-Graves-768x521.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Thalia-Graves-1536x1041.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Thalia-Graves-1920x1302.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thalia Graves. \u003ccite>(Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In September, a woman named Thalia Graves filed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/09/24/g-s1-24401/sean-diddy-combs-graves-rape-lawsuit\">lawsuit\u003c/a> accusing Combs and his bodyguard Joseph Sherman of raping her, recording the assault without her knowledge and distributing the video as pornography.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Graves alleges that the assault took place in 2001, when she was 25 years old and dating an unnamed record producer who worked with Combs. She says Combs and Sherman took advantage of her relationship with their colleague to lure her to a recording studio alone, where they gave her a drink she believes was laced with some kind of drug. The lawsuit says Graves lost consciousness and awoke to find herself bound and restrained; Combs and Sherman then proceeded to take turns raping her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Graves says she did not report the alleged crime out of fear of Combs’ retaliation, and that her boyfriend at the time discouraged her from doing so because it might hurt his career. In November 2023, Graves alleges she learned the rape had been recorded by Sherman and Combs, who showed it to others with the purpose of humiliating Graves and her then-boyfriend. The lawsuit details how the crime and the knowledge of its recording has had dire, long-lasting consequences on Graves’ mental health.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ashley Parham\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Oct. 15, a woman named Ashley Parham filed a lawsuit against Combs in California involving sexual assault, battery, rape, sexual abuse, false imprisonment and kidnapping. Parham alleges that in 2018, she met a man named Shane Pearce who was associated with Combs. Parham says Pearce called Combs on FaceTime in front of her, but she made remarks about being unimpressed because “she believed Defendant Diddy had something to do with the murder of Tupac Shakur.” Combs allegedly became upset by Parham’s statements during the call.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The complaint says that some time later, Pearce invited Parham over to his home. While she was there, Combs allegedly arrived with Kristina Khorram and several unnamed others. The lawsuit states that Combs was angry at Parham for how she had treated him over the video call. Combs allegedly threatened to physically harm Parham with a knife, while Khorram allegedly said they could “sell” the plaintiff for sex. The lawsuit states that Pearce and Combs then removed Parham’s clothing and Combs squirted Parham with what she believes was an oil or lubricant. According to the lawsuit, Khorram was instructed by Diddy to insert a syringe into Parham’s vagina. The lawsuit goes on to state that Combs, Pearce and two unnamed defendants violently raped Parham and that Combs forced an unknown pill down the woman’s throat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kristina Khorram, Shane Pearce and several unnamed men and women are listed as co-defendants in the lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bryana “Bana” Bongolan\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Nov. 27, fashion designer Bryana “Bana” Bongolan filed a lawsuit against Combs in California that alleges the mogul groped her breasts, dangled her over the balcony of a 17th floor apartment and frequently threatened and intimidated her throughout their working relationship.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lawsuit states that Bongolan worked with Cassie Ventura at Diamond Supply Co. in 2014, which led the two women to develop a friendship. As they got closer, Bongolan alleges that she became aware of Combs’ violent and abusive behavior towards Ventura, eventually leading to Ventura showing Bongolan bruises and a black eye she received from Combs. According to the lawsuit, Bongolan worked closely with both Ventura and Combs, designing Bad Boy jackets for the mogul, creating costumes for the Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour, starting a clothing line called “Cassie + BANA,” and designing merchandise and cover art for Ventura.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Throughout the time they worked together, Bongolan alleges that Combs intimidated and threatened her, including an instance in which he forcibly drugged her and another in which he said “You have no idea what I could do to you. I could kill you.” The lawsuit states that in September of 2016, Bongolan, her then-girlfriend and Ventura were at Ventura’s apartment when Combs began violently knocking on the door. After making his way in, Bongolan alleges he found her on the balcony and began groping her breasts. When she resisted, she alleges that he picked her up and held her over the ledge of the 17th floor balcony, and then slammed her into patio furniture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ventura’s attorneys declined to comment on Bongolan’s lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003ch2>The Accused\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jay-Z\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13832289\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2048px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9.jpg\" alt=\"Jay-Z, on the red carpet to promote the film The Great Gatsby in New York in 2013.\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1152\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13832289\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/gettyimages-167861280_wide-4d1f06bf6c32c94d5b6c0fb9c6bd351a100f11e9-520x292.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jay-Z, on the red carpet to promote the film ‘The Great Gatsby’ in New York in 2013. \u003ccite>(Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In October, an unnamed plaintiff filed a civil lawsuit against Combs alleging that he and an unnamed male celebrity assaulted her at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in 2000, when she was only 13 years old. On December 8, the lawsuit was amended and refiled to name Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, as the second assailant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The complaint alleges that in September of 2000, the unnamed victim was attempting to gain entry to the VMAs in New York City when she approached a limousine driver who told her he worked for Combs and could take her to an after-party and did. The plaintiff alleges that later that night, when she arrived, she was asked to sign a document she now believes was a non-disclosure agreement. The complaint states that the plaintiff accepted a drink that made her woozy, leading her to retire to one of the bedrooms. She alleges that Carter, Combs and an unnamed female celebrity entered the room and that the two men raped her while the female celebrity stood by and watched.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement emailed to NPR, Carter denied the allegations and stated that he was the target of a blackmail attempt designed to extort settlement money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!!” he said. “Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree? These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My only heartbreak is for my family,” Carter added. “My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people. I mourn yet another loss of innocence.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carter is the first high-profile co-defendant to be named in over a dozen lawsuits filed by Texas attorney Tony Buzbee, all on behalf of unnamed accusers. The amended complaint accuses Carter of filing his own lawsuit against Buzbee, which the attorney called “frivolous.” NPR has reviewed a lawsuit filed on November 18 by an anonymous celebrity accusing Buzbee of extortion and intentional infliction of emotional distress.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Aaron Hall\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966511\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966511\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Aaron-Hall.png\" alt=\"A Black man onstage wearing sunglasses and a denim jacket.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1383\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Aaron-Hall.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Aaron-Hall-800x553.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Aaron-Hall-1020x705.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Aaron-Hall-160x111.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Aaron-Hall-768x531.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Aaron-Hall-1536x1062.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Aaron-Hall-1920x1328.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aaron Hall. \u003ccite>(Paras Griffin/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The R&B singer is named in Gardner’s lawsuit, alleging that he and Combs raped her and an unnamed friend in 1990. Hall could not be reached for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Harve Pierre\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966512\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966512\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Harve-Pierre.png\" alt=\"A bald Black man in a suit sits at a dinner table.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Harve-Pierre.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Harve-Pierre-800x529.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Harve-Pierre-1020x674.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Harve-Pierre-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Harve-Pierre-768x508.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Harve-Pierre-1536x1015.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Harve-Pierre-1920x1269.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Harve Pierre. \u003ccite>(Thaddaeus McAdams/FilmMagic/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In December 2023, an unnamed woman filed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24193192-sean-combs-jane-doe-complaint\">lawsuit\u003c/a> accusing Combs, former Bad Boy Entertainment president Harve Pierre and a third man of trafficking and gang raping her when she was 17 years old. The suit states that the victim met Pierre at a lounge in Michigan in 2003 while she was still in high school, and that the record executive sexually assaulted her by forcing her to perform oral sex on him. Pierre allegedly called Combs, who convinced the underaged woman to board a private jet to New Jersey.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>After the plane ride, the suit states that the unnamed victim, Pierre and two other men were driven to Combs’ recording studio in New York, where they “plied Ms. Doe with drugs and alcohol.” The lawsuit says that Combs, Pierre and another man proceeded to “gang-rape” the teenager, and that she has limited recollection of the trip back to Michigan the following day. The lawsuit also names recording studio Daddy’s House Recordings and Bad Boy Entertainment as co-defendants. Pierre denied the allegations in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.tmz.com/2023/12/08/diddy-bad-boy-president-harve-pierre-lawsuit/\">statement\u003c/a> to TMZ.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Kristina Khorram\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Khorram is named as Combs’ chief of staff and a co-defendant in Jones’ lawsuit. Jones alleges that Khorram frequently solicited illicit drugs and sex workers for Combs and his guests, forced Jones to carry substances for Combs and ordered Jones to hire sex workers for Combs. He also accuses Khorram of “aiding and abetting” Combs’ sexual assault and helping Combs groom Jones. Though she is not listed as a co-defendant, Khorram is also named in a September 2024 sexual abuse lawsuit filed by an unnamed woman who says the Combs employee often paid for her to travel and “perform” for Combs — the complaint alleges Combs’ staffers would “send drivers to [the victim’s] home to pick her up before she agreed to travel, to the point where she did not believe she had a choice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>NPR reached out to Khorram’s attorneys Oct. 10 and Oct. 22 for comment and is awaiting a reply.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Cuba Gooding Jr.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966514\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966514\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Cuba-Gooding-Jr.png\" alt=\"A Black man sits in court wearing a suit and red scarf, looking concerned.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1335\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Cuba-Gooding-Jr.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Cuba-Gooding-Jr-800x534.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Cuba-Gooding-Jr-1020x681.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Cuba-Gooding-Jr-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Cuba-Gooding-Jr-768x513.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Cuba-Gooding-Jr-1536x1025.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Cuba-Gooding-Jr-1920x1282.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cuba Gooding Jr. \u003ccite>(Alec Tabak/The Daily News via AP, Pool, File)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The actor, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/04/13/1092699710/actor-cuba-gooding-jr-pleads-guilty-to-forcibly-touching\">pled guilty\u003c/a> in 2022 to forcibly touching a woman and \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2023/06/06/1180421961/cuba-gooding-jr-settles-civil-sex-abuse-case\">settled\u003c/a> a civil sexual abuse case in 2023, was named in an amendment to Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones’ original lawsuit against Combs. The producer alleges that Gooding Jr. fondled and groped him on Combs’ yacht. The actor has denied the allegations. “It’s the most ridiculous thing ever,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuZbTB0Fh24\">he said\u003c/a> in an interview with Extra TV. “Welcome to being a celebrity. Welcome to my world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Justin Dior Combs and Christian Combs\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966515\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966515\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dior.png\" alt=\"Two young, casually dressed Black men stand on a red carpet, smiling.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1765\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dior.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dior-800x706.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dior-1020x900.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dior-160x141.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dior-768x678.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dior-1536x1356.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dior-1920x1694.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Justin Dior Combs (left) and Christian Combs. \u003ccite>(Aaron Davidson/WireImage | Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sean Combs’ son, Justin Dior Combs, is also named in Jones’ lawsuit against the rapper, which alleges that the producer witnessed the father and son solicit sex workers and admit underaged girls to a listening party where they laced the women’s drinks. The lawsuit also alleges that Jones witnessed Christian Combs, another son of Combs, drug and assault a woman.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tyrone Blackburn, an attorney representing Jones, is also part of a separate lawsuit filed in April against Christian Combs on behalf of a plaintiff named Grace O’Marcaigh, alleging the younger Combs assaulted her on a yacht owned by Combs, who is named as co-defendant. Both Justin Dior Combs and Christian Combs have denied the allegations against them.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jacob Arabov, aka “Jacob The Jeweler” aka Jacob Arabo \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966516\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966516\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jacob-Arabov.png\" alt=\"A middle aged white man in a blue suit holds one wrist up to show his watch.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1336\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jacob-Arabov.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jacob-Arabov-800x534.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jacob-Arabov-1020x681.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jacob-Arabov-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jacob-Arabov-768x513.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jacob-Arabov-1536x1026.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jacob-Arabov-1920x1283.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jacob Arabov. \u003ccite>(Matthew Eisman/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The founder and chairman of high-profile jewelry and watch company Jacob & Co. is named as a co-defendant in English’s suit, which alleges he was one of the “White Party” guests she was forced to have sex with. Jacob & Co did not respond to NPR’s request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph “Big Joe” Sherman\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Combs’ former bodyguard is named as a co-defendant in Graves’ lawsuit, along with Daddy’s House Recordings, Bad Boy Entertainment and more. Graves claims that Sherman actively raped her alongside Combs in 2001. The lawsuit states that when she attempted to escape the assault, Combs slammed her head into a pool table, causing her to lose consciousness. After waking up, she says Sherman continued to assault her and slapped her until she passed out a third time. Sherman has \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/former-celeb-body-guard-falsely-accused-raping-woman-with-diddy/5849264/\">denied\u003c/a> Graves’ claims, saying he no longer worked for Bad Boy in 2001 and never met the young woman.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>DeVante Swing\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an amended complaint filed on Oct. 8, Liza Gardner added Devante Swing of the R&B group Jodeci as a co-defendant to her lawsuit. Gardner alleges that Swing, who was an adult at the time, was her “assumed co-guardian” when he invited the underaged Gardner to New Jersey. The suit alleges that Swing “trafficked and or coerced the child to travel across state lines from North Carolina to New York and New Jersey with the hidden intention of providing the child with alcohol, and marijuana and prostituting the child to his A&R Combs.” Gardner’s friend, Monica Case, also filed a sworn declaration alleging Swing was in the room “watching whatever Puffy was doing to Liza.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Swing could not be reached for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Shane Pearce\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pearce is accused of inviting Parham to his home with the intention of allowing Combs to assault her. The lawsuit also alleges Pearce is one of the men who participated in the “gang-raping” of Parham.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pearce could not be reached for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003ch2>Other Names To Know\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jimmy Iovine\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966518\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966518\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jimmy-Iovine.png\" alt=\"A white man wearing a white baseball cap, backwards and sunglasses.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jimmy-Iovine.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jimmy-Iovine-800x532.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jimmy-Iovine-1020x679.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jimmy-Iovine-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jimmy-Iovine-768x511.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jimmy-Iovine-1536x1022.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Jimmy-Iovine-1920x1278.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jimmy Iovine. \u003ccite>(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In her lawsuit, Richard alleges that she attended a party where Interscope Records co-founder Jimmy Iovine witnessed Combs punch Ventura in the stomach. The lawsuit blames Iovine — and Interscope — for moving forward with a deal with Combs and Bad Boy Entertainment after becoming aware of his violent and abusive behavior. Separately, in 2022, Iovine was accused of sexual abuse and harassment by an unnamed woman under New York’s Adult Survivors Act. The woman later dropped the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>NPR reached out to Interscope and Iovine’s team but did not receive a comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Kid Cudi\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966519\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966519\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/cudi.png\" alt=\"A Black man wearing a white t-shirt sings passionately into a microphone on stage.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/cudi.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/cudi-800x528.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/cudi-1020x673.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/cudi-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/cudi-768x507.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/cudi-1536x1014.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/cudi-1920x1267.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kid Cudi. \u003ccite>(Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Coachella)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kid Cudi and Ventura were romantically involved in 2011. In her lawsuit, Ventura alleged that when Combs found emails between the two on Ventura’s phone, he became enraged and attacked her. Ventura attempted to run away but returned due to pressure from Combs’ staff; the lawsuit alleged that Combs then hit and kicked her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lawsuit stated that in 2012, Combs told Ventura he wanted to “blow up” Kid Cudi’s car while the rapper was home. Kid Cudi corroborated to \u003cem>The New York Times\u003c/em> that his car exploded in his driveway around that time.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Caresha Brownlee, aka Yung Miami\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966520\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966520\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Caresha-Brownlee-aka-Yung-Miami.png\" alt=\"A glamourous Black woman performs on stage wearing a strapless leather dress.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1336\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Caresha-Brownlee-aka-Yung-Miami.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Caresha-Brownlee-aka-Yung-Miami-800x534.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Caresha-Brownlee-aka-Yung-Miami-1020x681.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Caresha-Brownlee-aka-Yung-Miami-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Caresha-Brownlee-aka-Yung-Miami-768x513.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Caresha-Brownlee-aka-Yung-Miami-1536x1026.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Caresha-Brownlee-aka-Yung-Miami-1920x1283.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caresha Brownlee, aka Yung Miami. \u003ccite>(Terence Rushin/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Yung Miami, half of the rap duo City Girls, dated Combs in recent years. In August, she denied knowing anything about the accusations that have surfaced against her ex. “I can’t speak on these allegations because I wasn’t around at the time,” she said on her Revolt TV show, \u003cem>Caresha Please\u003c/em>. “I don’t know that person, and that wasn’t my experience.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In September, however, Brownlee was named in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/09/27/g-s1-25157/sean-diddy-combs-jane-doe-pregnant-assault-lawsuit\">\u003cu>lawsuit\u003c/u>\u003c/a> filed against Combs by an unnamed woman. The lawsuit alleges that the plaintiff was forced to travel and “perform” for Combs many times from 2021 to 2024. Much of this travel was reportedly paid for by Combs’ staffer Kristina Khorram. The suit states that in 2022, the plaintiff was forced to take drugs and have sex with Combs. When she learned she was pregnant and told Combs, the lawsuit states that Brownlee — who is not a co-defendant on the complaint — harassed and called the plaintiff repeatedly, pressuring her to get an abortion. The stress allegedly led the woman to suffer a miscarriage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>NPR reached out to Brownlee’s representation Thursday morning and is awaiting a reply.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tony Buzbee\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966521\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966521\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Tony-Buzbee.png\" alt=\"A white man in a suit.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1335\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Tony-Buzbee.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Tony-Buzbee-800x534.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Tony-Buzbee-1020x681.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Tony-Buzbee-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Tony-Buzbee-768x513.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Tony-Buzbee-1536x1025.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/Tony-Buzbee-1920x1282.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tony Buzbee. \u003ccite>(Eric Gay/AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On Oct. 1, Texas attorney Tony Buzbee held a press conference announcing that his firm will be filing at least 120 individual civil lawsuits against Combs in the coming weeks. “The biggest secret in the entertainment industry that wasn’t really a secret at all has finally been revealed to the world,” Buzbee said during the presser. “The wall of silence has been broken, and victims are coming forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since then, Buzbee has filed more than a dozen sexual assault lawsuits against Combs, all on behalf of unnamed plaintiffs. On December 8, one such complaint was amended to name Jay-Z as a co-defendant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Oct. 14, six unnamed plaintiffs filed separate lawsuits against Combs; all are being represented by Buzbee. One of the alleged victims is a man who says Combs fondled him when he was 16 years old at a “White Party” in the Hamptons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Buzbee is known for representing clients in high-profile cases, including Texas attorney general Ken Paxton during his 2023 impeachment trial, the women who sued football player \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1106409107/cleveland-browns-deshaun-watson-settles-20-of-24-sexual-misconduct-lawsuits\">Deshaun Watson\u003c/a> for sexual misconduct, and the victims of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/11/11/1054765905/what-went-wrong-at-astroworld-the-deadly-dynamics-of-crowd-surge\">Astroworld\u003c/a> deadly crowd surge. During Paxton’s trial, Buzbee took his own share of the spotlight for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/ken-paxton-trial-buzbee-altuve-bucees-18355320.php\">public spat\u003c/a> with the media over how they photographed his tan in the courtroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to practicing at the Buzbee Law Firm, his professional ventures include property development, a short-lived THC-infused \u003ca href=\"https://www.chron.com/food/article/houston-buzbee-thc-seltzer-discontinued-19462337.php\">seltzer company\u003c/a> and local politics. He self-funded \u003ca href=\"https://www.texastribune.org/2019/11/05/houston-mayor-race-sylvester-turner-tony-buzbee-runoff/\">a run for Houston mayor\u003c/a> against Democratic incumbent Sylvester Turner in 2019 and \u003ca href=\"https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/07/tony-buzbee-houston-city-council-election-nan-huffman/\">ran for Houston City Council\u003c/a> in 2023, ultimately losing both races.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "disclaimer-tv-review-apple-tv-cate-blanchett-thriller-kevin-kline",
"title": "‘Disclaimer’ Is a Sprawling Thriller Built for the Streaming Age",
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"headTitle": "‘Disclaimer’ Is a Sprawling Thriller Built for the Streaming Age | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Ever since streaming became a thing, I’ve wondered why more people who make TV don’t take advantage of its freedoms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sure, creatives talk often about how they’re making 10-hour movies. But that’s frequently just empty bluster to cover for projects which feel like skeletal ideas stretched over too many hours, or a jumble of plotpoints shoehorned uneasily into episodes aimed mostly at boosting engagement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13965841']And then a project comes along like Apple TV+’s \u003cem>Disclaimer\u003c/em>. This seven-episode series uses the breadth and sophistication of streaming to tell a tale which evolves steadily, appearing to be one thing before morphing into something else.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the process, it subverts expectations to ask pointed questions of both the characters and its audience.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>A woman who has it all faces her deepest secret\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>It all begins with Cate Blanchett’s character Catherine Ravenscroft. She’s a journalist and documentary filmmaker successful enough to earn a high-profile award presented by CNN star Christiane Amanpour one moment, and credibly fool a co-worker into thinking Jodie Foster will star in a movie adaptation the next.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She is the sort of high-achieving, work-focused alpha female that Blanchett plays so magnificently — see 2022’s Oscar-nominated \u003ca href=\"https://video.kqed.org/video/tar-hd4vxb/\">\u003cem>Tar\u003c/em>\u003c/a> — flanked by a well-meaning but feckless husband and an emotionally floundering son.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966484\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966484\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dis.png\" alt=\"A man and woman stand in a kitchen with large windows talking to their adolescent son.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1201\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dis.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dis-800x480.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dis-1020x613.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dis-160x96.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dis-768x461.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dis-1536x922.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dis-1920x1153.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kodi Smit-McPhee plays Nicholas, Catherine’s son, while Sacha Baron Cohen plays her husband, Robert Ravenscroft. \u003ccite>(Apple TV+)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Living a glamorously upper middle class life, Catherine is a character easy to envy and suspect — so when a novel shows up in her mail which presents a lightly fictionalized story of her extra-marital encounter with a young man decades ago, it’s tough to find sympathy for a woman who seems to have betrayed everyone in her life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13966239']The book, titled \u003cem>The Perfect Stranger\u003c/em>, comes prefaced with an ominous, um, disclaimer: “Any resemblance to persons living or dead is not a coincidence.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The novel paints a picture of horrific self-absorption Catherine is desperate to keep hidden. It details how a woman had an affair with a young man who later drowned trying to save her son, leading the woman to tell police she didn’t know him to cover up their connection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A journalist renowned for exposing others’ secrets seems to have a terrible one of her own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so6XoqZgbVM\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>A story that moves carefully\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>It is difficult to explain the many twists this narrative takes without dropping spoilers that will ruin the experience. And some may feel the plot — crafted with an auteur’s flair by writer/director Alfonso Cuarón, based on a 2015 novel by Renee Knight — is too predictable and outlandish to land with the power he so obviously intends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13965835']But I found myself swept away by Cuarón’s patient, attentive style. (You’ll spend way too much time wondering about the inner life of a cat which constantly pops up in Catherine’s home at the oddest moments, framed artfully by the director’s lens.) This is a story that moves carefully in revealing its secrets, but never completes an episode without delivering forward momentum, leaving you with new clues, bigger questions and a desire to learn more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cuarón, a Mexican filmmaker whose name is associated with ambitious movies like \u003cem>Gravity \u003c/em>and \u003cem>Roma\u003c/em>, assembles an ace cast here. Sacha Baron Cohen is convincingly emasculated as Catherine’s entitled husband Robert and Oscar nominee Kodi Smit-McPhee brings maximum emo energy as their drug-addled son, Nicholas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it is Kevin Kline who is the revelation, even though he’s turned in Oscar, Emmy and Tony-winning work for decades. An American often cast as the prototypical yank, here Kline expertly plays a quietly caustic British widower — retired private school teacher Stephen Brigstocke, devastated after the loss of his wife.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966485\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966485\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/kk.png\" alt=\"A man with white hair leans across a table in a dark bar or restaurant.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1298\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/kk.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/kk-800x519.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/kk-1020x662.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/kk-160x104.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/kk-768x498.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/kk-1536x997.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/kk-1920x1246.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kevin Kline as Stephen Brigstocke. \u003ccite>(Apple TV+)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With an immaculate accent and disheveled style, Kline plays Brigstocke as a man grieving over a family life atomized by loss, stumbling on an ambitious, merciless plan for revenge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He blames Catherine for the death of his son, which happened after the two met years ago. Brigstocke vows to make her pay, in part, by circulating the book.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Shifting narrators bring different perspectives\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Even the narration is complicated here. While Kline’s character often reveals his thoughts by speaking directly to the viewer, Catherine’s ideas are rendered by an omniscient female narrator speaking \u003cem>about\u003c/em> her, sometimes sounding like the voice of the book itself. (And yes, it can be confusing, possibly on purpose). There are also flashbacks featuring Kline playing Brigstocke as a younger man and a different actress, Leila George, playing the younger version of Catherine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13966394']It all services a tale exploring the power of storytelling and the danger of assumptions leveraged to make us believe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yes, the ending is dramatic while spotlighting those ideas in stark terms — some may even find it overly manipulative and a little too pat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But I reveled in a well-told tale that truly earned every second of its seven-episode length, allowing a master filmmaker the time, talent and resources to weave a story perfectly suited for the streaming space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s hoping a few other folks working in this industry are paying close attention.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Disclaimer’ is streaming now on Apple TV+.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Ever since streaming became a thing, I’ve wondered why more people who make TV don’t take advantage of its freedoms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sure, creatives talk often about how they’re making 10-hour movies. But that’s frequently just empty bluster to cover for projects which feel like skeletal ideas stretched over too many hours, or a jumble of plotpoints shoehorned uneasily into episodes aimed mostly at boosting engagement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>And then a project comes along like Apple TV+’s \u003cem>Disclaimer\u003c/em>. This seven-episode series uses the breadth and sophistication of streaming to tell a tale which evolves steadily, appearing to be one thing before morphing into something else.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the process, it subverts expectations to ask pointed questions of both the characters and its audience.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>A woman who has it all faces her deepest secret\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>It all begins with Cate Blanchett’s character Catherine Ravenscroft. She’s a journalist and documentary filmmaker successful enough to earn a high-profile award presented by CNN star Christiane Amanpour one moment, and credibly fool a co-worker into thinking Jodie Foster will star in a movie adaptation the next.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She is the sort of high-achieving, work-focused alpha female that Blanchett plays so magnificently — see 2022’s Oscar-nominated \u003ca href=\"https://video.kqed.org/video/tar-hd4vxb/\">\u003cem>Tar\u003c/em>\u003c/a> — flanked by a well-meaning but feckless husband and an emotionally floundering son.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966484\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966484\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dis.png\" alt=\"A man and woman stand in a kitchen with large windows talking to their adolescent son.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1201\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dis.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dis-800x480.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dis-1020x613.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dis-160x96.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dis-768x461.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dis-1536x922.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/dis-1920x1153.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kodi Smit-McPhee plays Nicholas, Catherine’s son, while Sacha Baron Cohen plays her husband, Robert Ravenscroft. \u003ccite>(Apple TV+)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Living a glamorously upper middle class life, Catherine is a character easy to envy and suspect — so when a novel shows up in her mail which presents a lightly fictionalized story of her extra-marital encounter with a young man decades ago, it’s tough to find sympathy for a woman who seems to have betrayed everyone in her life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The book, titled \u003cem>The Perfect Stranger\u003c/em>, comes prefaced with an ominous, um, disclaimer: “Any resemblance to persons living or dead is not a coincidence.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The novel paints a picture of horrific self-absorption Catherine is desperate to keep hidden. It details how a woman had an affair with a young man who later drowned trying to save her son, leading the woman to tell police she didn’t know him to cover up their connection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A journalist renowned for exposing others’ secrets seems to have a terrible one of her own.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/so6XoqZgbVM'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/so6XoqZgbVM'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch3>A story that moves carefully\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>It is difficult to explain the many twists this narrative takes without dropping spoilers that will ruin the experience. And some may feel the plot — crafted with an auteur’s flair by writer/director Alfonso Cuarón, based on a 2015 novel by Renee Knight — is too predictable and outlandish to land with the power he so obviously intends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But I found myself swept away by Cuarón’s patient, attentive style. (You’ll spend way too much time wondering about the inner life of a cat which constantly pops up in Catherine’s home at the oddest moments, framed artfully by the director’s lens.) This is a story that moves carefully in revealing its secrets, but never completes an episode without delivering forward momentum, leaving you with new clues, bigger questions and a desire to learn more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cuarón, a Mexican filmmaker whose name is associated with ambitious movies like \u003cem>Gravity \u003c/em>and \u003cem>Roma\u003c/em>, assembles an ace cast here. Sacha Baron Cohen is convincingly emasculated as Catherine’s entitled husband Robert and Oscar nominee Kodi Smit-McPhee brings maximum emo energy as their drug-addled son, Nicholas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it is Kevin Kline who is the revelation, even though he’s turned in Oscar, Emmy and Tony-winning work for decades. An American often cast as the prototypical yank, here Kline expertly plays a quietly caustic British widower — retired private school teacher Stephen Brigstocke, devastated after the loss of his wife.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13966485\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966485\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/kk.png\" alt=\"A man with white hair leans across a table in a dark bar or restaurant.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1298\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/kk.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/kk-800x519.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/kk-1020x662.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/kk-160x104.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/kk-768x498.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/kk-1536x997.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/kk-1920x1246.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kevin Kline as Stephen Brigstocke. \u003ccite>(Apple TV+)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With an immaculate accent and disheveled style, Kline plays Brigstocke as a man grieving over a family life atomized by loss, stumbling on an ambitious, merciless plan for revenge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He blames Catherine for the death of his son, which happened after the two met years ago. Brigstocke vows to make her pay, in part, by circulating the book.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Shifting narrators bring different perspectives\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Even the narration is complicated here. While Kline’s character often reveals his thoughts by speaking directly to the viewer, Catherine’s ideas are rendered by an omniscient female narrator speaking \u003cem>about\u003c/em> her, sometimes sounding like the voice of the book itself. (And yes, it can be confusing, possibly on purpose). There are also flashbacks featuring Kline playing Brigstocke as a younger man and a different actress, Leila George, playing the younger version of Catherine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>It all services a tale exploring the power of storytelling and the danger of assumptions leveraged to make us believe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yes, the ending is dramatic while spotlighting those ideas in stark terms — some may even find it overly manipulative and a little too pat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But I reveled in a well-told tale that truly earned every second of its seven-episode length, allowing a master filmmaker the time, talent and resources to weave a story perfectly suited for the streaming space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s hoping a few other folks working in this industry are paying close attention.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Disclaimer’ is streaming now on Apple TV+.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966268\" style=\"font-weight: bold;background-color: transparent;font-size: 16px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/wicker-man.png\" alt=\"A huge wicker structure built in the shape of a man, stands on a hillside with a ladder propped up against its center. On the ground a circle of people with torches stand.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1568\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/wicker-man.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/wicker-man-800x627.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/wicker-man-1020x800.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/wicker-man-160x125.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/wicker-man-768x602.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/wicker-man-1536x1204.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/wicker-man-1920x1505.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1973’s ‘The Wicker Man,’ British policeman (Edward Woodward) visits a remote Scottish island to find that the locals have embraced a form of paganism.It’s October. Some of your neighbors will spend this, the official first weekend of spooky season, going all-out with inflatable yard skeletons and ghosts. They will embark upon the annual attempt to make candy corn, aka high-fructose ear wax, a thing. They’ll adorn their front porches with those cotton spider webs that look nothing like real spider webs and instead just make it look like they went and ritually murdered a white sweater so they could hang its dismembered corpse across their doorway as a grisly warning to all other knitwear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13962878']For me, it’s a more simple, elemental formula: Hot cider, cider donuts, folk horror.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The appeal of cider and donuts is universal, but folk horror might need some defining. Essentially, it’s horror set in remote, isolated areas where nature still holds sway. Well, nature paired with the superstitious beliefs of the locals, who tend to treat unwary outsiders with suspicion (if the outsiders are lucky) or malice (if they’re not).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The classic example is 1973’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/112213/how-religious-sect-movies-like-midsommar-get-so-far-under-our-skin\">\u003cem>The Wicker Man\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, in which an uptight, devout, and veddy \u003cem>veddy \u003c/em>British policeman (Edward Woodward) visits a remote Scottish island to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. Turns out the locals have embraced a form of Celtic paganism, which doesn’t sit right with him. He says as much to the island’s aristocratic leader, a mysterious and charismatic sort played by Christopher Lee. Things don’t end well for our poor British bobby — though presumably the island \u003cem>will \u003c/em>enjoy a bountiful harvest, so, you know: Big picture, it’s still a win.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-tDnavDCwI\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other founding classics of the genre include 1968’s \u003cem>The Witchfinder General\u003c/em> and 1971’s \u003cem>The Blood on Satan’s Claws\u003c/em>, which of the three films has the least going for it, apart from its title, which is, all reasonable people can agree, \u003cem>metal AF\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I love me some folk horror, and am never happier than when I can while away a damp, foggy (and thus obligingly atmospheric) October afternoon mainlining new and old examples of the form like \u003cem>Kill List\u003c/em>, \u003cem>You Won’t Be Alone\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Viv\u003c/em>,\u003cem> The Ritual\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Häxan\u003c/em>, \u003cem>The Medium\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Apostle\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Midsommar\u003c/em>, \u003cem>The Witch\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Hereditary\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Night of the Demon\u003c/em>, \u003cem>A Field in England\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Robin Redbreast\u003c/em>, and \u003cem>Men\u003c/em>. (Looking for more examples? Check out the documentary \u003cem>Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror\u003c/em>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQXmlf3Sefg\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some folk horror involves supernatural elements, but I confess a particular fondness for those stories that don’t — stories where it’s the folk themselves (read: the locals, and their beliefs) who are the true and only source of the horror. (I won’t spoil which of the above films traffic in human vs. supernatural evil, in case you haven’t seen them.)\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Talismans and turtlenecks\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Wicker Man\u003c/em> was the first folk horror film I saw as a kid, which is maybe why I harbor a deep love of folk horror set in ’70s Britain, a time and place when an interest in the occult became faddish, inspiring a wave of folk horror specifically inflected with Satanic panic. Many of these films were set in the past, but those like \u003cem>The Wicker Man \u003c/em>were set in the then-present, a time when men wore wavy hair and tight bell bottoms. Christopher Lee’s Lord Summerisle, for example, sported a kicky tweed leisure suit topped off by a burnt-orange sweater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13964075']It’s why I think of this very specific subgenre of ’70s folk horror as Talismans and Turtlenecks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I just came across a new-to-me example of T & T last Sunday afternoon, which was suitably cold and wet and misty: 1970’s \u003cem>The Dunwich Horror\u003c/em>. A stiff-haired Sandra Dee, desperately attempting to shake her goody-goody image, plays a woman who falls under the sway of a young and hilariously intense, wide-eyed Dean Stockwell. (Seriously, you keep waiting for his character to blink, but instead he just keeps goggling fixedly at the world around him. At one point he makes a pot of tea, staring at it so fiercely through every stage of the process you start to wonder if he’s trying to convince it to hop into bed with him.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA1WCp8hGB0\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Don’t get me wrong: It’s a cheesy film, filled with crummy dialogue and hammy acting and cheap sets and one fight scene so wildly inept that has to be seen to be disbelieved. I won’t reveal if the threat hanging over the film is human or supernatural (though the fact that it’s based on an H.P. Lovecraft short story should tip you off). But I \u003cem>will \u003c/em>say that Stockwell sports a thick, curly hairdo, a cravat, two count-em \u003cem>two \u003c/em>pinky rings, and a huge mustache that curls \u003cem>under \u003c/em>itself at either end, in the process effectively turning my guy’s mouth into a parenthetical statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13962666']You can watch it for free, with commercials, on Pluto TV, which I swear is a real streaming service and not something I made up. \u003cem>The Dunwich Horror\u003c/em> is not remotely scary, but it does have something to say, I suppose, about the madness of crowds and what, back in grad school, we used to call “othering.” (The Stockwell character is the scion of an eccentric family that the local community has shunned for generations, you see.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that, of course, is the abiding appeal of folk horror: It takes those universal feelings of alienation and isolation that make us all feel like outsiders in our own communities and gives them flesh. When the supernatural is involved, sometimes that flesh pulses and oozes. Sometimes it’s furry and clawed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But whenever the story is about our collective tendency to cling to belief in the supernatural, the flesh involved is all too human, and probably gets stabbed with a sacrificial dagger in the final reel. Happy spooky season, y’all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vnghdsjmd0\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This piece also appeared in NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour newsletter. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/newsletter/pop-culture\">\u003cem>Sign up for the newsletter\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> so you don’t miss the next one, plus get weekly recommendations about what’s making us happy.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Listen to Pop Culture Happy Hour on \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3xNgYt9\">\u003cem>Apple Podcasts\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3ELR3n6\">\u003cem>Spotify\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13966268\" style=\"font-weight: bold;background-color: transparent;font-size: 16px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/wicker-man.png\" alt=\"A huge wicker structure built in the shape of a man, stands on a hillside with a ladder propped up against its center. On the ground a circle of people with torches stand.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1568\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/wicker-man.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/wicker-man-800x627.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/wicker-man-1020x800.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/wicker-man-160x125.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/wicker-man-768x602.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/wicker-man-1536x1204.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/wicker-man-1920x1505.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1973’s ‘The Wicker Man,’ British policeman (Edward Woodward) visits a remote Scottish island to find that the locals have embraced a form of paganism.It’s October. Some of your neighbors will spend this, the official first weekend of spooky season, going all-out with inflatable yard skeletons and ghosts. They will embark upon the annual attempt to make candy corn, aka high-fructose ear wax, a thing. They’ll adorn their front porches with those cotton spider webs that look nothing like real spider webs and instead just make it look like they went and ritually murdered a white sweater so they could hang its dismembered corpse across their doorway as a grisly warning to all other knitwear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>For me, it’s a more simple, elemental formula: Hot cider, cider donuts, folk horror.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The appeal of cider and donuts is universal, but folk horror might need some defining. Essentially, it’s horror set in remote, isolated areas where nature still holds sway. Well, nature paired with the superstitious beliefs of the locals, who tend to treat unwary outsiders with suspicion (if the outsiders are lucky) or malice (if they’re not).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The classic example is 1973’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/112213/how-religious-sect-movies-like-midsommar-get-so-far-under-our-skin\">\u003cem>The Wicker Man\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, in which an uptight, devout, and veddy \u003cem>veddy \u003c/em>British policeman (Edward Woodward) visits a remote Scottish island to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. Turns out the locals have embraced a form of Celtic paganism, which doesn’t sit right with him. He says as much to the island’s aristocratic leader, a mysterious and charismatic sort played by Christopher Lee. Things don’t end well for our poor British bobby — though presumably the island \u003cem>will \u003c/em>enjoy a bountiful harvest, so, you know: Big picture, it’s still a win.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/a-tDnavDCwI'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/a-tDnavDCwI'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Other founding classics of the genre include 1968’s \u003cem>The Witchfinder General\u003c/em> and 1971’s \u003cem>The Blood on Satan’s Claws\u003c/em>, which of the three films has the least going for it, apart from its title, which is, all reasonable people can agree, \u003cem>metal AF\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I love me some folk horror, and am never happier than when I can while away a damp, foggy (and thus obligingly atmospheric) October afternoon mainlining new and old examples of the form like \u003cem>Kill List\u003c/em>, \u003cem>You Won’t Be Alone\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Viv\u003c/em>,\u003cem> The Ritual\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Häxan\u003c/em>, \u003cem>The Medium\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Apostle\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Midsommar\u003c/em>, \u003cem>The Witch\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Hereditary\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Night of the Demon\u003c/em>, \u003cem>A Field in England\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Robin Redbreast\u003c/em>, and \u003cem>Men\u003c/em>. (Looking for more examples? Check out the documentary \u003cem>Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror\u003c/em>.)\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/iQXmlf3Sefg'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/iQXmlf3Sefg'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Some folk horror involves supernatural elements, but I confess a particular fondness for those stories that don’t — stories where it’s the folk themselves (read: the locals, and their beliefs) who are the true and only source of the horror. (I won’t spoil which of the above films traffic in human vs. supernatural evil, in case you haven’t seen them.)\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Talismans and turtlenecks\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>The Wicker Man\u003c/em> was the first folk horror film I saw as a kid, which is maybe why I harbor a deep love of folk horror set in ’70s Britain, a time and place when an interest in the occult became faddish, inspiring a wave of folk horror specifically inflected with Satanic panic. Many of these films were set in the past, but those like \u003cem>The Wicker Man \u003c/em>were set in the then-present, a time when men wore wavy hair and tight bell bottoms. Christopher Lee’s Lord Summerisle, for example, sported a kicky tweed leisure suit topped off by a burnt-orange sweater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>It’s why I think of this very specific subgenre of ’70s folk horror as Talismans and Turtlenecks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I just came across a new-to-me example of T & T last Sunday afternoon, which was suitably cold and wet and misty: 1970’s \u003cem>The Dunwich Horror\u003c/em>. A stiff-haired Sandra Dee, desperately attempting to shake her goody-goody image, plays a woman who falls under the sway of a young and hilariously intense, wide-eyed Dean Stockwell. (Seriously, you keep waiting for his character to blink, but instead he just keeps goggling fixedly at the world around him. At one point he makes a pot of tea, staring at it so fiercely through every stage of the process you start to wonder if he’s trying to convince it to hop into bed with him.)\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/QA1WCp8hGB0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/QA1WCp8hGB0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Don’t get me wrong: It’s a cheesy film, filled with crummy dialogue and hammy acting and cheap sets and one fight scene so wildly inept that has to be seen to be disbelieved. I won’t reveal if the threat hanging over the film is human or supernatural (though the fact that it’s based on an H.P. Lovecraft short story should tip you off). But I \u003cem>will \u003c/em>say that Stockwell sports a thick, curly hairdo, a cravat, two count-em \u003cem>two \u003c/em>pinky rings, and a huge mustache that curls \u003cem>under \u003c/em>itself at either end, in the process effectively turning my guy’s mouth into a parenthetical statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>You can watch it for free, with commercials, on Pluto TV, which I swear is a real streaming service and not something I made up. \u003cem>The Dunwich Horror\u003c/em> is not remotely scary, but it does have something to say, I suppose, about the madness of crowds and what, back in grad school, we used to call “othering.” (The Stockwell character is the scion of an eccentric family that the local community has shunned for generations, you see.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And that, of course, is the abiding appeal of folk horror: It takes those universal feelings of alienation and isolation that make us all feel like outsiders in our own communities and gives them flesh. When the supernatural is involved, sometimes that flesh pulses and oozes. Sometimes it’s furry and clawed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But whenever the story is about our collective tendency to cling to belief in the supernatural, the flesh involved is all too human, and probably gets stabbed with a sacrificial dagger in the final reel. Happy spooky season, y’all.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/1Vnghdsjmd0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/1Vnghdsjmd0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This piece also appeared in NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour newsletter. \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/newsletter/pop-culture\">\u003cem>Sign up for the newsletter\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> so you don’t miss the next one, plus get weekly recommendations about what’s making us happy.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Listen to Pop Culture Happy Hour on \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3xNgYt9\">\u003cem>Apple Podcasts\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://n.pr/3ELR3n6\">\u003cem>Spotify\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Brad Pitt and George Clooney Are Perfectly Cast as Two Old Pros in ‘Wolfs’",
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"content": "\u003cp>For most of its history, Hollywood made its money by putting stars the public liked to watch in stories that wouldn’t be worth watching without them. These days, such star-driven films are falling out of fashion — except on our streamers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s where you’ll find \u003cem>Wolfs\u003c/em>, an AppleTV+ vehicle that features \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13890684/george-clooney-says-midnight-sky-is-about-our-desperate-need-to-be-with-loved-ones\">George Clooney\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/tag/brad-pitt\">Brad Pitt\u003c/a> skating through a crime plot in glamorously grizzled mode. They play two professional “fixers” — they’ll do \u003cem>anything \u003c/em>to clean up a client’s mess — who collide while working the same job. Written and directed by Jon Watts (who did a popular \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/91487/origin-al-sin-what-hollywood-must-learn-from-spider-man-homecoming\">Spider-Man\u003c/a> reboot), \u003cem>Wolfs\u003c/em> matters more for its stars than for the characters they play.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13966048']The action begins when a New York politico played by Amy Ryan has a casual fling at a posh hotel that goes terribly wrong. She calls Clooney, a seasoned pro who knows how to make trouble disappear. He’s doing just that when they’re interrupted. Enter Pitt who, as it turns out, is working for the hotel, which also wants the problem to go away. Because Clooney and Pitt (their characters don’t use names) always work alone, both bristle at each other’s presence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two bicker and gibe and question each other’s expertise — Pitt keeps hinting that Clooney’s an old man. And naturally, they discover that their task is more challenging than it looked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All too soon they’re dealing with four bricks of stolen drugs, a goofy college kid and a group of murderous gangsters. Over the course of a long night the two come to a kind of understanding — not only with one another, but about their larger role in the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLJUPjiRbAM\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If I’d paid to see \u003cem>Wolfs\u003c/em> in a theater rather than screened it on TV — which has the lowered expectations of in-flight viewing — I’d probably have been bugged by its lack of imagination and urgency. Watts’ script gives you no singing dialogue a la Elmore Leonard or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/11191894/tarantino-holes-up-a-few-outlaws-in-the-hateful-eight\">Quentin Tarantino\u003c/a>, none of the stinging emotional force you find in comparable two-hander stories — Elaine May’s \u003cem>Mikey and Nicky\u003c/em>, say, or Martin McDonagh’s \u003cem>In Bruges\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13965877']And yet the movie’s still enjoyable. Clooney and Pitt are such deft, charismatic actors that, even in a lazy, low-key picture like this one, you get a lot of pleasure from their barbed asides and mocking silences. It’s clear why they’ve been stars for three decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thirty years ago, one would have wagered that Clooney, a smart man with a wide-ranging mind, would wind up with the weightier resume of the two. And indeed, he’s been in lots of terrific movies, like \u003cem>Out of Sight\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Up in the Air\u003c/em> and his work with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/11762007/coen-brothers-inspired-dark-comedy-with-actors-from-veep-true-blood\">Coen Brothers\u003c/a>. Yet just as he’s drawn to the idea of Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack — he has one of his own — he often throws himself into projects that feel like throwbacks to the 1950s or ‘60s. He’s an old-fashioned kind of star. And while a lot of his movies are fun — think \u003ca href=\"https://video.kqed.org/video/oceans-11-web-extra-kbfvd7/\">\u003cem>Ocean’s Eleven\u003c/em>\u003c/a> — they rarely resonate in the culture as much as he does off the screen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For all his prettiness and ubiquity in the tabloids, Pitt’s movies do. Maybe because he’s always been running away from his beauty — he’s never happier than when scruffed up — he’s chosen a more adventurous path. From \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897161/thirty-years-after-thelma-louise-feminist-revenge-movie-endings-still-suck\">\u003cem>Thelma & Louise\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and \u003cem>Se7en\u003c/em>, to \u003cem>Fight Club\u003c/em> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/56273/the_tree_of_life\">\u003cem>The Tree of Life\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/128101/for_a_free_spirit_a_grim_12_years_in_chains\">\u003cem>12 Years a Slave\u003c/em> \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/moneyball\">\u003cem>Moneyball\u003c/em> \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/113016/tarantinos-turned-on-tuned-in-tinseltown-once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood\">\u003cem>Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, he’s made movies that feel in touch with our present moment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13965858']What Clooney and Pitt share, beyond friendship, is that both achieved stardom by doing the kind of movies that rarely get made anymore. That’s why, even though \u003cem>Wolfs\u003c/em> is slight, I can see how they might find it meaningful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all, this is a story about two old pros who each start out thinking he’s irreplaceable — the only one who can do this special job. Then each discovers that, far from being unique, there’s somebody else who does exactly what they do. And so far from being indispensable, they’re working for soulless people who have no qualms about getting rid of them and hiring somebody new. Which is to say, \u003cem>Wolfs\u003c/em> isn’t really a film about being a fixer. It’s a film about being an aging movie star.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Wolfs’ is streaming on Apple TV+ now.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>For most of its history, Hollywood made its money by putting stars the public liked to watch in stories that wouldn’t be worth watching without them. These days, such star-driven films are falling out of fashion — except on our streamers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s where you’ll find \u003cem>Wolfs\u003c/em>, an AppleTV+ vehicle that features \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13890684/george-clooney-says-midnight-sky-is-about-our-desperate-need-to-be-with-loved-ones\">George Clooney\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/tag/brad-pitt\">Brad Pitt\u003c/a> skating through a crime plot in glamorously grizzled mode. They play two professional “fixers” — they’ll do \u003cem>anything \u003c/em>to clean up a client’s mess — who collide while working the same job. Written and directed by Jon Watts (who did a popular \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/91487/origin-al-sin-what-hollywood-must-learn-from-spider-man-homecoming\">Spider-Man\u003c/a> reboot), \u003cem>Wolfs\u003c/em> matters more for its stars than for the characters they play.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The action begins when a New York politico played by Amy Ryan has a casual fling at a posh hotel that goes terribly wrong. She calls Clooney, a seasoned pro who knows how to make trouble disappear. He’s doing just that when they’re interrupted. Enter Pitt who, as it turns out, is working for the hotel, which also wants the problem to go away. Because Clooney and Pitt (their characters don’t use names) always work alone, both bristle at each other’s presence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two bicker and gibe and question each other’s expertise — Pitt keeps hinting that Clooney’s an old man. And naturally, they discover that their task is more challenging than it looked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All too soon they’re dealing with four bricks of stolen drugs, a goofy college kid and a group of murderous gangsters. Over the course of a long night the two come to a kind of understanding — not only with one another, but about their larger role in the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/wLJUPjiRbAM'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/wLJUPjiRbAM'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>If I’d paid to see \u003cem>Wolfs\u003c/em> in a theater rather than screened it on TV — which has the lowered expectations of in-flight viewing — I’d probably have been bugged by its lack of imagination and urgency. Watts’ script gives you no singing dialogue a la Elmore Leonard or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/11191894/tarantino-holes-up-a-few-outlaws-in-the-hateful-eight\">Quentin Tarantino\u003c/a>, none of the stinging emotional force you find in comparable two-hander stories — Elaine May’s \u003cem>Mikey and Nicky\u003c/em>, say, or Martin McDonagh’s \u003cem>In Bruges\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>And yet the movie’s still enjoyable. Clooney and Pitt are such deft, charismatic actors that, even in a lazy, low-key picture like this one, you get a lot of pleasure from their barbed asides and mocking silences. It’s clear why they’ve been stars for three decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thirty years ago, one would have wagered that Clooney, a smart man with a wide-ranging mind, would wind up with the weightier resume of the two. And indeed, he’s been in lots of terrific movies, like \u003cem>Out of Sight\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Up in the Air\u003c/em> and his work with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/11762007/coen-brothers-inspired-dark-comedy-with-actors-from-veep-true-blood\">Coen Brothers\u003c/a>. Yet just as he’s drawn to the idea of Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack — he has one of his own — he often throws himself into projects that feel like throwbacks to the 1950s or ‘60s. He’s an old-fashioned kind of star. And while a lot of his movies are fun — think \u003ca href=\"https://video.kqed.org/video/oceans-11-web-extra-kbfvd7/\">\u003cem>Ocean’s Eleven\u003c/em>\u003c/a> — they rarely resonate in the culture as much as he does off the screen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For all his prettiness and ubiquity in the tabloids, Pitt’s movies do. Maybe because he’s always been running away from his beauty — he’s never happier than when scruffed up — he’s chosen a more adventurous path. From \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897161/thirty-years-after-thelma-louise-feminist-revenge-movie-endings-still-suck\">\u003cem>Thelma & Louise\u003c/em>\u003c/a> and \u003cem>Se7en\u003c/em>, to \u003cem>Fight Club\u003c/em> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/56273/the_tree_of_life\">\u003cem>The Tree of Life\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/128101/for_a_free_spirit_a_grim_12_years_in_chains\">\u003cem>12 Years a Slave\u003c/em> \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/moneyball\">\u003cem>Moneyball\u003c/em> \u003c/a>and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/pop/113016/tarantinos-turned-on-tuned-in-tinseltown-once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood\">\u003cem>Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, he’s made movies that feel in touch with our present moment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>What Clooney and Pitt share, beyond friendship, is that both achieved stardom by doing the kind of movies that rarely get made anymore. That’s why, even though \u003cem>Wolfs\u003c/em> is slight, I can see how they might find it meaningful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all, this is a story about two old pros who each start out thinking he’s irreplaceable — the only one who can do this special job. Then each discovers that, far from being unique, there’s somebody else who does exactly what they do. And so far from being indispensable, they’re working for soulless people who have no qualms about getting rid of them and hiring somebody new. Which is to say, \u003cem>Wolfs\u003c/em> isn’t really a film about being a fixer. It’s a film about being an aging movie star.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>‘Wolfs’ is streaming on Apple TV+ now.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "industry-season-3-hbo-max-analysis-summary-soap-myhala-abela",
"title": "‘Industry’ Got Pulpier, Nastier and Better in Season 3",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This piece contains spoilers for \u003c/em>Industry \u003cem>Season 3\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>Even by the standards of an inherently stressful show like \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/08/07/nx-s1-5064320/hbo-industry-season-3\">HBO’s \u003cem>Industry\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, Sunday night’s Season 3 finale was an absolutely diabolical doozy, the kind of conclusion that makes you sit up in your seat and yell at the screen, \u003cem>“Holy ****!!!”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scrappy and utterly ruthless trader \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/12/03/941425173/hbos-industry-features-the-most-fascinating-character-on-tv-right-now/\">Harper\u003c/a> (Myha’la) managed to claw her way into a partnership with a mega-powerful and equally unscrupulous financier while scratching everyone in her path. Try as she might’ve to avoid it, socialite Yasmin (Marisa Abela) stepped fully into her fate by getting engaged to the man-child tech billionaire Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington, aka \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2016/04/22/475261626/we-know-nothing-about-jon-snow-as-game-of-thrones-returns\">Jon Snow\u003c/a>), breaking Robert’s heart in the process. And time was finally up for managing director Eric (Ken Leung), as he was told by Pierpoint & Co.’s CFO that “there’s no business need” for him now that the company’s been bought by Egyptian investment firm Al-Mi’raj.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV6BGl2YA04\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From the beginning, Mickey Down and Konrad Kay’s \u003cem>Industry \u003c/em>has explored familiar — though no less enticing — prestige-TV themes around survival in a cutthroat workplace and ever-compromised morals among the filthy rich and those aspiring to be filthy rich. It’s often somewhat lazily compared to \u003cem>Succession\u003c/em>, and has sometimes courted or at least acknowledged the comparison. (Eric to Rishi in Season 2: “\u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@hbo/video/7146623348439649578?lang=en\">Any particular reason you’re dressed as Kendall Roy?\u003c/a>”)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But \u003cem>Industry \u003c/em>is in its own lane, pulpier and seedier than the classical overtures of the Roy family, and Season 3 really leaned into the muck for the better. In the sixth episode, frenemies Harper and Yas engaged in a scathing war of words which climaxed in a ferocious exchange of slaps; it was a long time coming, and the daggers they hurled at one another were top-notch, \u003cem>Dynasty\u003c/em>-esque, worthy of a primetime Shonda Rhimes melodrama.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13965835']And in the finale, Rishi (Sagar Radia), the uncouth Alpha-male trader who’s emerged from the show’s periphery, suffered the bleakest of consequences, for an out-of-control gambling addiction: His estranged wife was murdered right in front of him by the loan shark he’s indebted to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, death loomed over this season in several ways. The most protracted and melodramatic among them was the ripped-from-the-headlines plot concerning Yas’s repulsive dad Charles, whose character appears to be drawn from the bios of both \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13882981/epstein-confidante-ghislaine-maxwell-is-unlike-any-enabler-weve-seen-before\">Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell\u003c/a>’s media magnate father Robert Maxwell. The series cultivated an air of suspicion surrounding Charles’ disappearance from the party yacht, doling out the details of what occurred in piecemeal flashbacks over the course of several episodes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13965849\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13965849\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/yas.png\" alt=\"A white man and woman walk the grounds of a stately home.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/yas.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/yas-800x532.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/yas-1020x679.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/yas-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/yas-768x511.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/yas-1536x1022.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/yas-1920x1278.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Robert (Harry Lawtey) and Yasmin (Marisa Abela). \u003ccite>(Simon Ridgway/HBO)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Yas was on the yacht with him that day, despite claiming to want “nothing to do with him” at the end of Season 2 once she learned about his pattern of inappropriate affairs with younger women. (Including her childhood nanny, a teen at the time.) Maybe, as she very guiltily “joked” to Robert at one point, she killed him; or maybe, like the British tabloids suggested, she’d helped him hide out to avoid dealing with the consequences of his embezzlement. In the end, Yas didn’t push Charles overboard that yacht, but she did watch him drown without trying to save him. That’s \u003cem>dark\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13964217']This is the kind of sweeps-week storyline (remember those?) that could elicit groans for seeming cheaply manipulative, but \u003cem>Industry \u003c/em>is a show where everyone and everything is connected and no relationship, no matter how unhinged, is superfluous. Harper’s presence aboard the yacht and her knowledge of what went down adds color to their rocky history as former adversaries at Pierpoint and on-and-off again friends; it’s meaningful that one of the show’s most \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/12/03/941425173/hbos-industry-features-the-most-fascinating-character-on-tv-right-now/\">unabashedly opportunistic characters\u003c/a> cared enough to keep Yas’ secret.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Which is why it’s poetic (and disappointing) that Yas ultimately wound up getting engaged to a version of her father – Henry, like Charles, was accused of sleeping with his employees. The continuous comforts of material luxury and guaranteed financial security proved too alluring to relinquish. One of \u003cem>Industry\u003c/em>’s most engrossing recurring subjects is generational divides — and their limits. The show is an early depiction of Gen Z in the corporate space, and characters’ actions show that for all the relatively progressive ideals of youth, the influence of elders (and capitalism) is strong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13965850\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13965850\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/ken.png\" alt=\"A middle aged Asian man stands in the lobby of a glass office building.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1327\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/ken.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/ken-800x531.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/ken-1020x677.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/ken-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/ken-768x510.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/ken-1536x1019.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/ken-1920x1274.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ken Leung as Eric. \u003ccite>(Simon Ridgway/HBO)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Eric spent much of this season lecturing the younger cohort in his orbit — former mentee Harper, Yas, and even millennial Rishi — about “ethics” and the very dangerous risks they were taking in the business. Yet this is the same guy who intimidatingly carries a baseball bat around the sales floor, does coke with his direct reports (he hooked up with Yas’ lawyer!), and on more than one occasion has exploited and sabotaged his colleagues to stay afloat at Pierpoint.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13963775']When he admonished Harper for treating everyone, including Yas, as collateral on her road to domination, it was refreshing to hear Harper make plain \u003cem>Industry\u003c/em>’s M.O.: “Everything you do on the floor communicates an ideology that people are a means to an end! I enact \u003cem>your\u003c/em> philosophy and you have the nerve to come into my office and call \u003cem>me\u003c/em> a bad person?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re both right, of course. And that’s the beauty of \u003cem>Industry\u003c/em>, which has been mercifully renewed for a fourth season. It’s a show less concerned with characters who are easily “likable” or “despicable.” What matters is they are individuals with clear ambitions and unique strategies for getting what they aim for — and this makes them endlessly watchable.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This piece contains spoilers for \u003c/em>Industry \u003cem>Season 3\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr>\n\u003cp>Even by the standards of an inherently stressful show like \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/08/07/nx-s1-5064320/hbo-industry-season-3\">HBO’s \u003cem>Industry\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, Sunday night’s Season 3 finale was an absolutely diabolical doozy, the kind of conclusion that makes you sit up in your seat and yell at the screen, \u003cem>“Holy ****!!!”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scrappy and utterly ruthless trader \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/12/03/941425173/hbos-industry-features-the-most-fascinating-character-on-tv-right-now/\">Harper\u003c/a> (Myha’la) managed to claw her way into a partnership with a mega-powerful and equally unscrupulous financier while scratching everyone in her path. Try as she might’ve to avoid it, socialite Yasmin (Marisa Abela) stepped fully into her fate by getting engaged to the man-child tech billionaire Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington, aka \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2016/04/22/475261626/we-know-nothing-about-jon-snow-as-game-of-thrones-returns\">Jon Snow\u003c/a>), breaking Robert’s heart in the process. And time was finally up for managing director Eric (Ken Leung), as he was told by Pierpoint & Co.’s CFO that “there’s no business need” for him now that the company’s been bought by Egyptian investment firm Al-Mi’raj.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/fV6BGl2YA04'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/fV6BGl2YA04'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>From the beginning, Mickey Down and Konrad Kay’s \u003cem>Industry \u003c/em>has explored familiar — though no less enticing — prestige-TV themes around survival in a cutthroat workplace and ever-compromised morals among the filthy rich and those aspiring to be filthy rich. It’s often somewhat lazily compared to \u003cem>Succession\u003c/em>, and has sometimes courted or at least acknowledged the comparison. (Eric to Rishi in Season 2: “\u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@hbo/video/7146623348439649578?lang=en\">Any particular reason you’re dressed as Kendall Roy?\u003c/a>”)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But \u003cem>Industry \u003c/em>is in its own lane, pulpier and seedier than the classical overtures of the Roy family, and Season 3 really leaned into the muck for the better. In the sixth episode, frenemies Harper and Yas engaged in a scathing war of words which climaxed in a ferocious exchange of slaps; it was a long time coming, and the daggers they hurled at one another were top-notch, \u003cem>Dynasty\u003c/em>-esque, worthy of a primetime Shonda Rhimes melodrama.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>And in the finale, Rishi (Sagar Radia), the uncouth Alpha-male trader who’s emerged from the show’s periphery, suffered the bleakest of consequences, for an out-of-control gambling addiction: His estranged wife was murdered right in front of him by the loan shark he’s indebted to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, death loomed over this season in several ways. The most protracted and melodramatic among them was the ripped-from-the-headlines plot concerning Yas’s repulsive dad Charles, whose character appears to be drawn from the bios of both \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13882981/epstein-confidante-ghislaine-maxwell-is-unlike-any-enabler-weve-seen-before\">Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell\u003c/a>’s media magnate father Robert Maxwell. The series cultivated an air of suspicion surrounding Charles’ disappearance from the party yacht, doling out the details of what occurred in piecemeal flashbacks over the course of several episodes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13965849\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13965849\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/yas.png\" alt=\"A white man and woman walk the grounds of a stately home.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/yas.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/yas-800x532.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/yas-1020x679.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/yas-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/yas-768x511.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/yas-1536x1022.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/yas-1920x1278.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Robert (Harry Lawtey) and Yasmin (Marisa Abela). \u003ccite>(Simon Ridgway/HBO)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Yas was on the yacht with him that day, despite claiming to want “nothing to do with him” at the end of Season 2 once she learned about his pattern of inappropriate affairs with younger women. (Including her childhood nanny, a teen at the time.) Maybe, as she very guiltily “joked” to Robert at one point, she killed him; or maybe, like the British tabloids suggested, she’d helped him hide out to avoid dealing with the consequences of his embezzlement. In the end, Yas didn’t push Charles overboard that yacht, but she did watch him drown without trying to save him. That’s \u003cem>dark\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>This is the kind of sweeps-week storyline (remember those?) that could elicit groans for seeming cheaply manipulative, but \u003cem>Industry \u003c/em>is a show where everyone and everything is connected and no relationship, no matter how unhinged, is superfluous. Harper’s presence aboard the yacht and her knowledge of what went down adds color to their rocky history as former adversaries at Pierpoint and on-and-off again friends; it’s meaningful that one of the show’s most \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2020/12/03/941425173/hbos-industry-features-the-most-fascinating-character-on-tv-right-now/\">unabashedly opportunistic characters\u003c/a> cared enough to keep Yas’ secret.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Which is why it’s poetic (and disappointing) that Yas ultimately wound up getting engaged to a version of her father – Henry, like Charles, was accused of sleeping with his employees. The continuous comforts of material luxury and guaranteed financial security proved too alluring to relinquish. One of \u003cem>Industry\u003c/em>’s most engrossing recurring subjects is generational divides — and their limits. The show is an early depiction of Gen Z in the corporate space, and characters’ actions show that for all the relatively progressive ideals of youth, the influence of elders (and capitalism) is strong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13965850\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13965850\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/ken.png\" alt=\"A middle aged Asian man stands in the lobby of a glass office building.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1327\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/ken.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/ken-800x531.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/ken-1020x677.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/ken-160x106.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/ken-768x510.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/ken-1536x1019.png 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/ken-1920x1274.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ken Leung as Eric. \u003ccite>(Simon Ridgway/HBO)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Eric spent much of this season lecturing the younger cohort in his orbit — former mentee Harper, Yas, and even millennial Rishi — about “ethics” and the very dangerous risks they were taking in the business. Yet this is the same guy who intimidatingly carries a baseball bat around the sales floor, does coke with his direct reports (he hooked up with Yas’ lawyer!), and on more than one occasion has exploited and sabotaged his colleagues to stay afloat at Pierpoint.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>When he admonished Harper for treating everyone, including Yas, as collateral on her road to domination, it was refreshing to hear Harper make plain \u003cem>Industry\u003c/em>’s M.O.: “Everything you do on the floor communicates an ideology that people are a means to an end! I enact \u003cem>your\u003c/em> philosophy and you have the nerve to come into my office and call \u003cem>me\u003c/em> a bad person?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They’re both right, of course. And that’s the beauty of \u003cem>Industry\u003c/em>, which has been mercifully renewed for a fourth season. It’s a show less concerned with characters who are easily “likable” or “despicable.” What matters is they are individuals with clear ambitions and unique strategies for getting what they aim for — and this makes them endlessly watchable.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "snl-best-impersonations-of-politicians-kamala-harris-maya-rudolph-tina-fey-palin",
"title": "‘SNL’ Has Always Taken on Politics. Here’s What Works – and Why",
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"content": "\u003cp>As a comedy nerd who has watched \u003cem>Saturday Night Live\u003c/em> since I stumbled on a rerun of the debut episode back in the mid-1970s, I’m convinced \u003cem>SNL\u003c/em> has had a profound impact on how America views politics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the show has seemingly struggled in recent years, as the absurdity of modern politics has caught up to satire. Former president Donald Trump’s references to myths about Haitian immigrants eating pets, his running mate JD Vance’s comments about women without children, Vice President Kamala Harris having to defend stories about working at McDonald’s as a youth — it all seems like stuff which would have been in sketches years ago, instead of real life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13965683']As a historic election looms, and the show begins its landmark 50th season this week, \u003cem>SNL\u003c/em> faces an ongoing challenge: to make America laugh — and think differently — about a political world which has gotten stranger than anyone could have predicted when the show debuted back in 1975.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Already, the show’s been on summer hiatus for the year’s three most seismic political events: President Joe Biden’s terrible debate performance against former president Donald Trump, Biden’s eventual decision to step aside for Vice President Kamala Harris and Harris’ domineering debate performance against Trump. So they’ll need to hit the ground running from the very start of the new season.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>A political impact from the beginning\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>I decided to bounce some of my harebrained theories about \u003cem>SNL\u003c/em>’s impact over time off Al Franken, who wrote some of the show’s earliest political skits and worked there for many years as a writer and performer, before serving nearly ten years as a U.S. senator from Minnesota.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(Franken \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2017/12/07/568909860/sen-al-franken-to-make-announcement-amid-calls-for-him-to-resign\">\u003cu>resigned from the Senate in 2018\u003c/u>\u003c/a> amid allegations of misconduct from several women who accused him of touching or kissing them in inappropriate ways. He has denied some allegations, said he remembers others differently, apologized for making some women feel uncomfortable and \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/07/29/the-case-of-al-franken\">\u003cu>said he regrets resigning the office\u003c/u>\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEIpAIqzbTg\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it came to political satire, Franken says he and his fellow \u003cem>SNL\u003c/em> writers had a pretty simple goal: Craft stuff that would be funny for people who knew both a little — and a lot — about politics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We didn’t try to be liberal or conservative,” says Franken, who worked on the show in various stints from 1975, during its very first season, to 1995, helping write classic sketches featuring Dan Aykroyd as President Richard Nixon during his last days in office and Dana Carvey as both George H.W. Bush and Ross Perot in a debate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13965548']Quoting another legendary \u003cem>SNL\u003c/em> writer, Jim Downey, he adds, “We just tried to do stuff … that would reward people for knowing stuff, but not punish them for not … Sketches that would be funny to everyone, but we were also trying to put in things that, really, really, smart people could go, ‘Oh I see. They put that in there for me.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘SNL’ shapes our view of politicians through impressions\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>When \u003cem>Saturday Night Live\u003c/em> nails an impression of a politician, it manages a unique alchemy — elevating the thing about that person that is so funny it can pretty much define them in the public’s mind. Often, it is something people already suspected about the politician, crystallizing how the public feels about their policies or candidacies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSOLz1YBFG0&t=77s\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When John McCain announced Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008, Tina Fey produced a devastating take on the vice-presidential candidate as a superficial dimwit given to folksy-sounding word salads in speeches and interviews. Some people even assumed the politician actually said “I can see Russia from my house” — one of the jokes Fey’s Palin announces during a speech that the real Palin never said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Think Gerald Ford was a clumsy dolt? That might be because that’s how Chevy Chase \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/nEIpAIqzbTg?si=RV7AOhoy6NgmFPK3\">\u003cu>played him\u003c/u>\u003c/a> in the show’s first season, even though Ford was a former champion athlete. Aykroyd handled Nixon and Jimmy Carter — nailing Nixon’s shifty villany and Carter’s wide smile and youth appeal, despite wearing a mustache neither politician had. Dana Carvey’s take on George H.W. Bush as a stiff patrician given to flailing his arms widely also led people to confuse Carvey’s jokes with things the real-life president said and did.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ooq_j89WOw\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And there was Darrell Hammond’s take on Al Gore during a debate sketch in 2000, playing Gore as an oblivious technocrat obsessed with the word “lockbox” to a crushing effect. “I think [that sketch] elected Bush,” says Franken, recalling how Gore’s team reportedly used the sketch to coach the vice president on future debate performances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDgRRVpemLo\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>But sometimes impressions aren’t enough\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Because so much of the show’s political insight comes from impressions, it creates problems when SNL can’t find the right approach. The show never really found a great caricature of Joe Biden, despite having everyone from Jason Sudeikis to Woody Harrelson and Jim Carrey play him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I say they had similar problems with Barack Obama, Franken agrees. “[It] was like trying to climb a smooth, vertical wall,” he says of lampooning Obama. “He had nothing to really grab onto. You could do an impression of his voice … but there [weren’t] really a lot of footholds there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEH9iqWm_xQ\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The problem with Donald Trump may be the opposite: too many footholds. Alec Baldwin nailed Trump’s scowling self-obsession, while James Austin Johnson captures the former president’s \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/R3N6Iqp8QIk?si=SbMxBNUjiMuCthQo\">\u003cu>stream of consciousness patter\u003c/u>\u003c/a>, though finding things funnier or more absurd than what he’s actually done in real life remains a challenge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This weekend at least, Maya Rudolph was ready to nail Harris’ coolly efficient power.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg4Z1M_GjhQ\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Helping the audience process political ideas beyond impressions\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>There have been impactful \u003cem>SNL\u003c/em> sketches which speak to political ideas beyond lampooning politicians, often in the name of helping the audience process potent ideas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of my favorites is a bit from 2016, where Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock are sitting in an election watch party surrounded by white people. As Trump’s election is confirmed, the white folks are shocked that America elected a candidate with such obvious race and sexism issues, while Rock and Chappelle — as Black men familiar with America’s hypocrisies — are not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHG0ezLiVGc&t=158s\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>When politicians appear as themselves\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Particularly before the rise of social media, the best way a politician could try to get ahead of how \u003cem>SNL\u003c/em> portrayed them was to appear as themselves in the show’s sketches. Obama, Palin, Hillary Clinton, and even Nikki Haley used this tactic, popping up to look like good sports while pushing back subtly against the most insulting parts of the parodies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McCain, who called \u003cem>Saturday Night Live\u003c/em> creator and showrunner Lorne Michaels\u003ca href=\"https://x.com/senjohnmccain/status/402184925756928000\">\u003cu> a friend\u003c/u>\u003c/a>, delivered one of the most notable cameos. He kicked off the \u003cem>SNL\u003c/em> episode right before the presidential election in November 2008 with an appearance where the senator — flanked by Fey as Palin and his actual wife, Cindy — hawked fake merchandise on the QVC home shopping channel, deftly presaging when Trump would \u003ca href=\"https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-watches-bibles-coins-1960247\">\u003cu>do it for real\u003c/u>\u003c/a> with his own Bibles and luxury watches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://youtu.be/pix6pJUW5-s?si=P1V3MCCJ7xgALbqp\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But one of the most infamous political cameos is also the show’s earliest, when Ron Nessen, then press secretary for Ford, hosted the show in 1976 and got his boss to pre-tape saying the show’s legendary opening phrase, “Live from New York, It’s Saturday Night.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Franken says he impulsively asked Nessen to host the show at an event for Ford — later, he says, Michaels reminded him that handing out host invites was not his job — but they didn’t really ease up on the president for the episode. “We had way too much fun with them and the Ford family was not appreciative,” Franken adds. “And I think right after that he lost in South Carolina to Reagan … They hated it.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As a comedy nerd who has watched \u003cem>Saturday Night Live\u003c/em> since I stumbled on a rerun of the debut episode back in the mid-1970s, I’m convinced \u003cem>SNL\u003c/em> has had a profound impact on how America views politics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the show has seemingly struggled in recent years, as the absurdity of modern politics has caught up to satire. Former president Donald Trump’s references to myths about Haitian immigrants eating pets, his running mate JD Vance’s comments about women without children, Vice President Kamala Harris having to defend stories about working at McDonald’s as a youth — it all seems like stuff which would have been in sketches years ago, instead of real life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>As a historic election looms, and the show begins its landmark 50th season this week, \u003cem>SNL\u003c/em> faces an ongoing challenge: to make America laugh — and think differently — about a political world which has gotten stranger than anyone could have predicted when the show debuted back in 1975.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Already, the show’s been on summer hiatus for the year’s three most seismic political events: President Joe Biden’s terrible debate performance against former president Donald Trump, Biden’s eventual decision to step aside for Vice President Kamala Harris and Harris’ domineering debate performance against Trump. So they’ll need to hit the ground running from the very start of the new season.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>A political impact from the beginning\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>I decided to bounce some of my harebrained theories about \u003cem>SNL\u003c/em>’s impact over time off Al Franken, who wrote some of the show’s earliest political skits and worked there for many years as a writer and performer, before serving nearly ten years as a U.S. senator from Minnesota.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(Franken \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2017/12/07/568909860/sen-al-franken-to-make-announcement-amid-calls-for-him-to-resign\">\u003cu>resigned from the Senate in 2018\u003c/u>\u003c/a> amid allegations of misconduct from several women who accused him of touching or kissing them in inappropriate ways. He has denied some allegations, said he remembers others differently, apologized for making some women feel uncomfortable and \u003ca href=\"https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/07/29/the-case-of-al-franken\">\u003cu>said he regrets resigning the office\u003c/u>\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/nEIpAIqzbTg'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/nEIpAIqzbTg'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>When it came to political satire, Franken says he and his fellow \u003cem>SNL\u003c/em> writers had a pretty simple goal: Craft stuff that would be funny for people who knew both a little — and a lot — about politics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We didn’t try to be liberal or conservative,” says Franken, who worked on the show in various stints from 1975, during its very first season, to 1995, helping write classic sketches featuring Dan Aykroyd as President Richard Nixon during his last days in office and Dana Carvey as both George H.W. Bush and Ross Perot in a debate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Quoting another legendary \u003cem>SNL\u003c/em> writer, Jim Downey, he adds, “We just tried to do stuff … that would reward people for knowing stuff, but not punish them for not … Sketches that would be funny to everyone, but we were also trying to put in things that, really, really, smart people could go, ‘Oh I see. They put that in there for me.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>‘SNL’ shapes our view of politicians through impressions\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>When \u003cem>Saturday Night Live\u003c/em> nails an impression of a politician, it manages a unique alchemy — elevating the thing about that person that is so funny it can pretty much define them in the public’s mind. Often, it is something people already suspected about the politician, crystallizing how the public feels about their policies or candidacies.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/vSOLz1YBFG0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/vSOLz1YBFG0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>When John McCain announced Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008, Tina Fey produced a devastating take on the vice-presidential candidate as a superficial dimwit given to folksy-sounding word salads in speeches and interviews. Some people even assumed the politician actually said “I can see Russia from my house” — one of the jokes Fey’s Palin announces during a speech that the real Palin never said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Think Gerald Ford was a clumsy dolt? That might be because that’s how Chevy Chase \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/nEIpAIqzbTg?si=RV7AOhoy6NgmFPK3\">\u003cu>played him\u003c/u>\u003c/a> in the show’s first season, even though Ford was a former champion athlete. Aykroyd handled Nixon and Jimmy Carter — nailing Nixon’s shifty villany and Carter’s wide smile and youth appeal, despite wearing a mustache neither politician had. Dana Carvey’s take on George H.W. Bush as a stiff patrician given to flailing his arms widely also led people to confuse Carvey’s jokes with things the real-life president said and did.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/-Ooq_j89WOw'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/-Ooq_j89WOw'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>And there was Darrell Hammond’s take on Al Gore during a debate sketch in 2000, playing Gore as an oblivious technocrat obsessed with the word “lockbox” to a crushing effect. “I think [that sketch] elected Bush,” says Franken, recalling how Gore’s team reportedly used the sketch to coach the vice president on future debate performances.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/zDgRRVpemLo'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/zDgRRVpemLo'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch3>But sometimes impressions aren’t enough\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Because so much of the show’s political insight comes from impressions, it creates problems when SNL can’t find the right approach. The show never really found a great caricature of Joe Biden, despite having everyone from Jason Sudeikis to Woody Harrelson and Jim Carrey play him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When I say they had similar problems with Barack Obama, Franken agrees. “[It] was like trying to climb a smooth, vertical wall,” he says of lampooning Obama. “He had nothing to really grab onto. You could do an impression of his voice … but there [weren’t] really a lot of footholds there.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/FEH9iqWm_xQ'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/FEH9iqWm_xQ'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>The problem with Donald Trump may be the opposite: too many footholds. Alec Baldwin nailed Trump’s scowling self-obsession, while James Austin Johnson captures the former president’s \u003ca href=\"https://youtu.be/R3N6Iqp8QIk?si=SbMxBNUjiMuCthQo\">\u003cu>stream of consciousness patter\u003c/u>\u003c/a>, though finding things funnier or more absurd than what he’s actually done in real life remains a challenge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This weekend at least, Maya Rudolph was ready to nail Harris’ coolly efficient power.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/pg4Z1M_GjhQ'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/pg4Z1M_GjhQ'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch3>Helping the audience process political ideas beyond impressions\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>There have been impactful \u003cem>SNL\u003c/em> sketches which speak to political ideas beyond lampooning politicians, often in the name of helping the audience process potent ideas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of my favorites is a bit from 2016, where Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock are sitting in an election watch party surrounded by white people. As Trump’s election is confirmed, the white folks are shocked that America elected a candidate with such obvious race and sexism issues, while Rock and Chappelle — as Black men familiar with America’s hypocrisies — are not.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/SHG0ezLiVGc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/SHG0ezLiVGc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003ch3>When politicians appear as themselves\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Particularly before the rise of social media, the best way a politician could try to get ahead of how \u003cem>SNL\u003c/em> portrayed them was to appear as themselves in the show’s sketches. Obama, Palin, Hillary Clinton, and even Nikki Haley used this tactic, popping up to look like good sports while pushing back subtly against the most insulting parts of the parodies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McCain, who called \u003cem>Saturday Night Live\u003c/em> creator and showrunner Lorne Michaels\u003ca href=\"https://x.com/senjohnmccain/status/402184925756928000\">\u003cu> a friend\u003c/u>\u003c/a>, delivered one of the most notable cameos. He kicked off the \u003cem>SNL\u003c/em> episode right before the presidential election in November 2008 with an appearance where the senator — flanked by Fey as Palin and his actual wife, Cindy — hawked fake merchandise on the QVC home shopping channel, deftly presaging when Trump would \u003ca href=\"https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-watches-bibles-coins-1960247\">\u003cu>do it for real\u003c/u>\u003c/a> with his own Bibles and luxury watches.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/pix6pJUW5-s'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/pix6pJUW5-s'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>But one of the most infamous political cameos is also the show’s earliest, when Ron Nessen, then press secretary for Ford, hosted the show in 1976 and got his boss to pre-tape saying the show’s legendary opening phrase, “Live from New York, It’s Saturday Night.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Franken says he impulsively asked Nessen to host the show at an event for Ford — later, he says, Michaels reminded him that handing out host invites was not his job — but they didn’t really ease up on the president for the episode. “We had way too much fun with them and the Ford family was not appreciative,” Franken adds. “And I think right after that he lost in South Carolina to Reagan … They hated it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13965685\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 978px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13965685\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/intermezzo.jpeg\" alt=\"A book cover showing chess pieces on a board viewed from above. The shadows each piece creates resembles the outline of a person.\" width=\"978\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/intermezzo.jpeg 978w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/intermezzo-800x1227.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/intermezzo-160x245.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/intermezzo-768x1178.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 978px) 100vw, 978px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Intermezzo’ by Sally Rooney. \u003ccite>(Farrar, Straus and Giroux)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sally Rooney, who made such a splash with her first novel, \u003cem>Conversations with Friends, \u003c/em>back in 2017, has made it clear with each succeeding book that she is no flash in the pan. \u003cem>Intermezzo\u003c/em>, her fourth novel, is her most fully developed and moving yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s about two Irish brothers, 32-year-old Peter Koubek, a Dublin lawyer, and 22-year-old Ivan, a chess prodigy, and their troubled relationships with each other and the women in their lives. After their mother moved in with another man when Ivan was small, they were raised mainly by their father, an engineer who immigrated to Ireland in the 1980s from Slovakia. We meet them soon after their father’s death following years battling cancer. Both brothers, at loose ends, are struggling with the question, “Under what conditions is life endurable?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13965284']The simple answer, consistent throughout Rooney’s work, is that what makes life not just endurable but rich and meaningful is connecting with others, romantically and platonically, through deep conversations and love, which is easier said than done\u003cstrong>.\u003c/strong> Her novels take us down long and winding roads in search of often elusive fulfillment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Intermezzo, \u003c/em>although filled with plenty of grief and strife, is less disturbing (and ultimately happier, if never exactly sunny) than the early novels, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2019/04/09/711377704/personal-demons-and-class-differences-complicate-love-in-normal-people\">\u003cem>Normal People\u003c/em>\u003c/a> (2018) and \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/09/02/1031904202/sally-rooney-review-beautiful-world-where-are-you\">\u003cem>Beautiful World, Where Are You\u003c/em>\u003c/a> (2021). The ever-resonant conversations, often about delicate subjects, are still alternately soul-baring and couched, plaintive and meandering. The sex scenes — physical expressions of her characters’ emotional communions — are as beautiful as ever. But \u003cem>Intermezzo \u003c/em>is focused less on topical questions about how to live in a troubled, increasingly unviable world and more on the psychological ramifications of love, loss and heartache.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About the title: The word intermezzo, meaning an interlude in a drama, opera, or musical work, can also refer to a light palate cleanser between courses in a rich meal. Amusingly, \u003cem>Intermezzo \u003c/em>is also the brand name of a form of the insomnia medication, zolpidem. But more relevant to Rooney’s novel is its sense as an unexpected move in chess. The narrative of \u003cem>Intermezzo, \u003c/em>in which Rooney continually rearranges her characters like pieces on a chessboard, features many game-changing surprise moves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It wouldn’t be a Rooney novel without romantic entanglements. Peter’s are complicated. For months, he has been involved in an “ongoing sexual and also quietly financial relationship” with Naomi, a university student who supports herself with occasional sex work. He’s fond of her, but is haunted by his abiding love for his college girlfriend, Sylvia Larkin, now a professor of modern literature. Sylvia broke up with him six years earlier after a debilitating accident, insisting that she didn’t want to ruin his life. Peter has never gotten over her, which makes him feel guilty about leading Naomi on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rooney conveys Peter’s desperate, suicidal state with a Joycean staccato, jangled stream-of-consciousness: “Thoughts rattling and noisy almost always and then when quiet frightening unhappy. Mental not right maybe. Never maybe was.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13964548']While Peter sees Naomi mainly in her grungy, noisy, illegal shared flat, he and Sylvia meet regularly for civilized meals and arm-in-arm strolls through familiar streets in the rain. (It’s always raining in this novel.) They talk easily about her lectures and a big discrimination case he has won against a business with a demeaning dress code for its female employees. Rooney conveys the enormous comfort Peter finds in Sylvia so well that we share “the deep replenishing reservoir of her presence.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ivan is as socially awkward and reticent as his brother is dominant and ambitious. Despite a degree in theoretical physics, he barely supports himself, taking on just enough freelance data analysis work to enable him to focus on competitive chess. After a weekend chess exhibition where he plays 10 people at once at a local arts council several hours outside Dublin, the program director gives him a lift to his rented lodging for the night. Margaret, 14 years Ivan’s senior, is guiltily separated from her alcoholic husband. The tentative but intense connection that unfolds between these two sidelined people is one of the great pleasures of this novel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the brothers get together for dinner at Sylvia’s urging, Ivan cautiously opens up about his new relationship. Peter’s kneejerk reaction is disparaging, which causes Ivan to hit back: “I’ve hated you my entire life.” With its fraught fraternal dynamic, \u003cem>Intermezzo \u003c/em>taps into a classic literary theme — think Cain and Abel, Dostoyevsky’s \u003cem>The Brothers Karamazov, \u003c/em>Elizabeth Strout’s\u003cem> The Burgess Boys, \u003c/em>Sam Shepard’s\u003cem> True West,\u003c/em> and even James Herriot’s \u003cem>All Creatures Great and Small.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The novel is also sprinkled with fragmented quotes from various literary classics, including \u003cem>Hamlet, The Waste Land, The Golden Bowl,\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Ulysses\u003c/em> — which Rooney duly cites in her endnotes. But don’t let the erudition put you off. Embedding quotes from beloved texts has become popular with writers, at once a way of paying homage and adding layers of meaning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13963867']\u003cem>Intermezzo \u003c/em>propels you to its well-earned, moving climax with nary a false move. This story about learning how to accept loss and pain ultimately involves the exhilaration of flinging all the windows and doors of life wide open: “Everything exposed to light and air. Nothing protected, nothing left to be protected anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another question Rooney’s characters ponder: “What can life be made to accommodate, what can one life hold inside itself without breaking?” Apparently — like this novel — quite a lot.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The simple answer, consistent throughout Rooney’s work, is that what makes life not just endurable but rich and meaningful is connecting with others, romantically and platonically, through deep conversations and love, which is easier said than done\u003cstrong>.\u003c/strong> Her novels take us down long and winding roads in search of often elusive fulfillment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Intermezzo, \u003c/em>although filled with plenty of grief and strife, is less disturbing (and ultimately happier, if never exactly sunny) than the early novels, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2019/04/09/711377704/personal-demons-and-class-differences-complicate-love-in-normal-people\">\u003cem>Normal People\u003c/em>\u003c/a> (2018) and \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2021/09/02/1031904202/sally-rooney-review-beautiful-world-where-are-you\">\u003cem>Beautiful World, Where Are You\u003c/em>\u003c/a> (2021). The ever-resonant conversations, often about delicate subjects, are still alternately soul-baring and couched, plaintive and meandering. The sex scenes — physical expressions of her characters’ emotional communions — are as beautiful as ever. But \u003cem>Intermezzo \u003c/em>is focused less on topical questions about how to live in a troubled, increasingly unviable world and more on the psychological ramifications of love, loss and heartache.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About the title: The word intermezzo, meaning an interlude in a drama, opera, or musical work, can also refer to a light palate cleanser between courses in a rich meal. Amusingly, \u003cem>Intermezzo \u003c/em>is also the brand name of a form of the insomnia medication, zolpidem. But more relevant to Rooney’s novel is its sense as an unexpected move in chess. The narrative of \u003cem>Intermezzo, \u003c/em>in which Rooney continually rearranges her characters like pieces on a chessboard, features many game-changing surprise moves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
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"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
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"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"order": 1
},
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"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
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"meta": {
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
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"meta": {
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"source": "WNYC"
},
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
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},
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"id": "fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"hidden-brain": {
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"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
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"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
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"meta": {
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"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
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"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
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