Latest news with #Ventura
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Unbeaten Ventura resident Callum Walsh will fight on Chumash Casino card on June 21
Ventura resident Callum Walsh will fight Elias Espadas at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez on Saturday night. Callum Walsh could be a win or two away from fighting on a major platform. Elias Espadas stands in his way. The unbeaten Ventura resident will square off against Espadas on Saturday night at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez. The 10-round junior middleweight bout will headline a 360 Boxing Promotions card that will stream live on UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. Advertisement Walsh (13-0, 11 knockouts) last fought on March 16 in New York City, knocking out once-beaten Dean Sutherland in the opening round. Espadas is coming off a close majority decision draw against unbeaten Sadriddin Akhmedov on April 19. The 24-year-old Walsh is the betting favorite going into Saturday's clash, but is not overlooking Espadas. '(Saturday) would be a good win for me, considering he's coming off a draw against a prospect,' Walsh told The Star at a recent open media workout at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, where he trains. 'If I could win and get the job done, it'll show I'm levels above.' Walsh has fought at Chumash before, dropping Mexico's Carlos Ortiz three times en route to a second round knockout victory on June 7, 2024. Advertisement Originally from Ireland, where he was a multi-amateur champion, Walsh recently moved to Ventura. While he enjoys the amenities of the weather and surroundings, a move to Ventura was in play for personal reasons. Walsh is dating MMA star Tabitha Ricci, who resides and trains in Ventura and is an instructor at Paragon Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Ricci is trained by Joseph 'Hoss' Janik at Knuckleheadz Gym in Ventura. 'Ventura is a nice place,' said Walsh, who is trained by Freddie Roach. 'The weather is great. I like living there.' The southpaw Walsh is rated No. 6 by both the IBF and WBC, two of boxing's major sanctioning bodies. A win over Espadas could see Walsh move higher in the rankings and position himself for a possible world title fight next year. Advertisement Besides Ricci, Walsh has a stellar team around him, including promoter Tom Loeffler and UFC President Dana White. Walsh has marketed himself well, appearing at UFC events as a guest of White and at WWE events, as well. Walsh is confident an impressive win over Espadas will position him closer to elite level of the 154-pound division. 'I believe I'm one of the best junior middleweight fighters in the world. I truly believe that. People don't know it yet,' he said. 'I'm looking forward to improving and showing that on a big stage. I will keep fighting those they put in front of me.' Espadas (23-6-1, 16 KOs), who resides in Merida, Mexico, knocked out journeyman Ramon Barajas on Dec. 7, 2024. Prior to the win over Barajas, the 34-year-old Espadas suffered back-to-back knockout losses to Xander Zayas and Fiodor Czerkaszyn. Advertisement In the co-feature, unbeaten junior welterweight Cain Sandoval (15-0, 13 KOs) of Sacramento will face Argentina's Jonathan Eniz (36-22-1, 17 KOs) in an eight-round bout. Daniel Barrera (8-1-1, 4 KOs) of Eastvale will square off against Basilio Franco (10-3, 8 KOs) of Norwalk in an eight-round junior bantamweight bout. Barrera suffered his first loss as a pro to Christopher Rios on Feb. 21. The 23-year-old is managed by Ray Chaparro, who owns Cafe Amri in Oxnard. Jenelyn Olsim of Santa Paula will make her professional debut, facing Jessica Radtke Maltez (1-2-1) of Waconia, Minnesota, in a four-round featherweight bout. Olsim is trained by Janik at Knuckleheadz Gym. Advertisement The Olsim-Radtke fight will stream live on the UFC Fight Pass YouTube page at 6 p.m. Francisco A. Salazar covers boxing for The Star. He has also covered the sport for Ring Magazine and Boxingscene. He can be reached on X/Twitter at FSalazarBoxing. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Unbeaten Ventura resident Walsh ready for fight at Chumash Casino
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial recap: ‘Freak off' videos shown to the jury as prosecutors are close to resting their case
The trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs continued Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, with DeLeassa Penland, a special agent with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, returning to the witness stand for a second straight day in the high-profile sex trafficking case. Federal prosecutors say that for decades, Combs abused, threatened and coerced women to participate in drug-fueled marathon sexual encounters called "freak offs" and used his business empire, along with guns, kidnapping and arson, to conceal his crimes. The defense has argued that the encounters were consensual, and Combs has denied any wrongdoing. Penland's testimony came a day after Judge Arun Subramanian dismissed a Black juror who had given conflicting accounts about where he lived over defense objections that his removal would reduce the racial diversity of the 12-member panel. The 55-year-old hip-hop mogul is facing five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted, he could face life in prison. Here are some key takeaways from Tuesday's testimony culled from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including CNN, NBC News, and the Washington Post. Penland continued her testimony about evidence that was collected showing some of the logistics behind the 'freak offs,' including texts, flight records and hotel bills. Records for flight and hotel reservations for an escort named Jules to travel from Los Angeles to New York City in August 2009, paid for by Combs, were shown to the jury. Other records showed various hotels charged Combs's businesses thousands of dollars for damage to drapes, carpets and linens, as well as 'deep cleaning.' In one striking record from October 2012, the InterContinental New York Times Square hotel charged Combs $46,786 for 'penthouse damage.' Big picture: Prosecutors want to show that Combs arranged interstate travel for the escorts, which would support the transportation to engage in prostitution charges. They are also looking to prove that he used his business empire to pay for expenses related to the 'freak offs,' such as the exorbitant hotel bills, as part of their racketeering conspiracy case. The jury was also shown phone logs and text messages from March 5, 2016, the day Combs was captured on surveillance video brutally beating his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. 'Call me the cops are here,' Combs texted Ventura after she left the hotel, adding that he was 'about to be arrested.' Police were never called to the hotel, but Combs desperately wanted to reach Ventura, who testified that the assault occurred when she tried to leave a 'freak off.' Combs called Ventura repeatedly between the texts, but she did not answer. There were then a flurry of calls and texts between Ventura, Combs, his former chief of staff Kristina Khorram and his former security guard Damion Butler, who goes by D-Roc. Ventura had testified that Combs showed up at her apartment demanding she let him in. 'This is crazy he won't stop,' Ventura texted Khorram around 2:30 that afternoon. 'Please tell him the neighbors are about to call the police.' In the days that followed, there were also calls between Combs and former InterContinental security guard Eddy Garcia, who Combs paid $100,000 in exchange for video footage of the assault. Garcia testified earlier in the trial. Before this week, the jury had only seen still images or heard audio of 'freak offs,' the marathon, drug-fueled sexual encounters at the center of the prosecution's case. The panel was shown video footage of several 'freak offs' for the first time on Monday, and again on Tuesday. The jury — along with the judge and Penland, the special agent who processed the evidence — were shown clips from three videos created in October 2012, October 2014 and December 2014. They wore headphones as they watched the footage, which was blocked from public view. According to reporters inside the courtroom, most of the jurors showed no visible reaction while viewing the explicit material. One juror put her hand over her eye, and another appeared to wince. Big picture: Prosecutors say Combs coerced multiple women, including Ventura, to take part in the 'freak offs.' At one point during cross-examination, the defense presented text exchanges showing Ventura and Combs planning 'freak offs' together, underscoring its argument that she was a willing participant in the encounters. Prosecutor Maurene Comey said the government will likely rest its case on Friday. The court is closed Thursday for the Juneteenth holiday. Combs's lead attorney Marc Agnifilo estimated the defense would take between two and five days to present its case. Under that timeline, Judge Arun Subramanian said the jury could begin deliberations as soon as next week. It also means that Combs probably won't testify in his own defense, given that his testimony would likely take much longer than a week.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial recap: ‘Freak off' videos shown to the jury as prosecutors are close to resting their case
The trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs continued Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, with DeLeassa Penland, a special agent with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, returning to the witness stand for a second straight day in the high-profile sex trafficking case. Federal prosecutors say that for decades, Combs abused, threatened and coerced women to participate in drug-fueled marathon sexual encounters called "freak offs" and used his business empire, along with guns, kidnapping and arson, to conceal his crimes. The defense has argued that the encounters were consensual, and Combs has denied any wrongdoing. Penland's testimony came a day after Judge Arun Subramanian dismissed a Black juror who had given conflicting accounts about where he lived over defense objections that his removal would reduce the racial diversity of the 12-member panel. The 55-year-old hip-hop mogul is facing five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted, he could face life in prison. Here are some key takeaways from Tuesday's testimony culled from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including CNN, NBC News, and the Washington Post. Penland continued her testimony about evidence that was collected showing some of the logistics behind the 'freak offs,' including texts, flight records and hotel bills. Records for flight and hotel reservations for an escort named Jules to travel from Los Angeles to New York City in August 2009, paid for by Combs, were shown to the jury. Other records showed various hotels charged Combs's businesses thousands of dollars for damage to drapes, carpets and linens, as well as 'deep cleaning.' In one striking record from October 2012, the InterContinental New York Times Square hotel charged Combs $46,786 for 'penthouse damage.' Big picture: Prosecutors want to show that Combs arranged interstate travel for the escorts, which would support the transportation to engage in prostitution charges. They are also looking to prove that he used his business empire to pay for expenses related to the 'freak offs,' such as the eye-popping hotel bills, as part of their racketeering conspiracy case. The jury was also shown phone logs and text messages from March 5, 2016, the day Combs was captured on surveillance video brutally beating his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. 'Call me the cops are here,' Combs texted Ventura after she left the hotel, adding that he was 'about to be arrested.' Police were never called to the hotel, but Combs desperately wanted to reach Ventura, who testified that the assault occurred when she tried to leave a 'freak off.' Combs called Ventura repeatedly between the texts, but she did not answer. There were then a flurry of calls and texts between Ventura, Combs, his former chief of staff Kristina Khorram and his former security guard Damion Butler, who goes by D-Roc. Ventura had testified that Combs showed up at her apartment demanding she let him in. 'This is crazy he won't stop,' Ventura texted Khorram around 2:30 that afternoon. 'Please tell him the neighbors are about to call the police.' In the days that followed, there were also calls between Combs and former InterContinental security guard Eddy Garcia, who Combs paid $100,000 in exchange for video footage of the assault. Garcia testified earlier in the trial. Before this week, the jury had only seen still images or heard audio of 'freak offs,' the marathon, drug-fueled sexual encounters at the center of the prosecution's case. The panel was shown video footage of several 'freak offs' for the first time on Monday, and again on Tuesday. The jury — along with the judge and Penland, the special agent who processed the evidence — were shown clips from three videos created in October 2012, October 2014 and December 2014. They wore headphones as they watched the footage, which was blocked from public view. According to reporters inside the courtroom, most of the jurors showed no visible reaction while viewing the explicit material. One juror put her hand over her eye, and another appeared to wince. Big picture: Prosecutors say Combs coerced multiple women, including Ventura, to take part in the 'freak offs.' At one point during cross-examination, the defense presented text exchanges showing Ventura and Combs planning 'freak offs' together, underscoring its argument that she was a willing participant in the encounters. Prosecutor Maurene Comey said the government will likely rest its case on Friday. The court is closed Thursday for the Juneteenth holiday. Combs's lead attorney Marc Agnifilo estimated the defense would take between two and five days to present its case. Under that timeline, Judge Arun Subramanian said the jury could begin deliberations as soon as next week. It also means that Combs probably won't testify in his own defense, given that his testimony would likely take much longer than a week.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Inside Diddy's Bad Boy empire of threats, violence and bribes. What court revelations expose
At its height, Sean 'Diddy' Combs's Bad Boy Entertainment was a show business powerhouse, mixing music, video, fashion, liquor and style into a business that made Combs a billionaire. Combs won praise for his visionary growth and brand management. But federal prosecutors have another word for Bad Boy: A racketeering enterprise. The federal trial in New York City includes an allegation that Combs was involved in mob family-style racketeering with coercion, kidnapping, threats, and beatings done to cover up a pattern of sexual assaults, sex trafficking and prostitution. The mogul has publicly and defiantly maintained his innocence even before his arrest last September. The federal indictment alleges that Combs and his associates lured female victims, often under the pretense of a romantic relationship. Combs then allegedly used force, threats of force, coercion and controlled substances to get women to engage in sex acts with male prostitutes while he occasionally watched in gatherings that Combs referred to as 'freak-offs.' Combs gave the women ketamine, ecstasy and GHB to 'keep them obedient and compliant' during the performances, prosecutors say. Combs' alleged 'criminal enterprise' threatened and abused women and utilized members of his enterprise to engage in sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, coercion and enticement to engage in prostitution, narcotics offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice, prosecutors said. In bringing so-called RICO charges, prosecutors in opening statements said Combs was helped by a cadre of company employees, security staff and aides. They allegedly helped organize the 'freak-offs' and then covered up the incidents. Thus far, Combs is the only one facing criminal charges related to the investigation. Have prosecutors made the case? Prosecutors have so far called nearly 30 witnesses to the stand in Manhattan and are expected to finish up with its witnesses this week. They include three women who described graphic sexual assaults, including a woman the defense acknowledged was the key witness, Combs's onetime lover, Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura. It was Ventura's lawsuit in 2023 that set off the unraveling of the Combs enterprise with its details of sex, violence and freak-offs. His last former girlfriend, referred to only as Jane in court, described how the freak-offs and coerced sex continued despite the lawsuit and a raid by Homeland Security Investigations until his arrest. She texted Combs pages of Ventura's lawsuit immediately after it was filed. 'I've been crying for three days and am under stress from reading all of this. I keep having nightmares about forced nights and all the times I felt like I couldn't say no. I feel like I'm reading my own sexual trauma,' she wrote, according to Legal Affairs and Trials. On another occasion, she said she texted his chief of staff about the threats he made, writing 'he just threatened me about my sex tapes that he has of me on two phones. He said that he would expose me and send them to my child's father.' Jane is one of three women whose testimony is at the center of the trial. The others being Ventura and a former employee testifying under the pseudonym Mia, who also testified she was sexually assaulted. Under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO, there are 35 specific offenses, including kidnapping, murder, bribery, and extortion and federal prosecutors need to show a pattern involving at least two overt acts as part of a criminal enterprise. Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, said that to prove RICO, the prosecution must show the existence of not just criminal activity but an actual criminal enterprise. People typically think of the mob, street gangs, or drug cartels. But any loose association of two or more people is enough, like Combs' entourage, she said. They also have to show a pattern of racketeering or two or more RICO predicate acts over a 10-year period. That's why the evidence of bribery, kidnapping, obstruction, witness tampering, and prostitution is important to the prosecution's case, she said. It will be up to jurors to determine if federal prosecutors proved the RICO charge. R&B singer Cassandra 'Cassie' Ventura, who had a long relationship with Combs, was an early key witness in the prosecution's case. Ventura testified she felt 'trapped' in a cycle of physical and sexual abuse by him, and that the relationship involved 11 years of alleged beatings, sexual blackmail and a rape. She claimed Combs threatened to leak videos of her sexual encounters with numerous male sex workers while drug-intoxicated and glistening with baby oil as he watched and orchestrated the freak-offs. One of those freak-offs led to an infamous hotel beating, Ventura testified. Video footage from that March 2016 night shows Combs punching and kicking Ventura as she cowers and tries to protect herself in front of an L.A. hotel elevator bank. He then drags her down the hall by her hooded sweatshirt toward their hotel room. A second angle from another camera captures Combs throwing a vase toward her. She suffered bruising to her eye, a fat lip, and a bruise that prosecutors showed was still visible during a movie premiere two days later, where she donned sunglasses and heavy makeup on the red carpet. A cover-up then ensued, according to prosecutors. Ventura stated that the police visited her apartment. She answered a few of their questions, but told the jury she still wanted to protect Combs at the time. 'I would not say who I was talking about,' she told the jury. 'In that moment, I did not want to hurt him in that way. There was too much going on. It was a lot.' Eddie Garcia, the Intercontinental Hotel security guard, testified that Combs gave him a brown paper bag containing $100,000 in cash for the video. Garcia said after his supervisor agreed to sell the video recording, he met with Combs, Combs' chief of staff Kristina Khorram and a bodyguard. After Garcia raised concerns about the police, he said Combs called Ventura on FaceTime, handed him the phone and told Ventura to tell Garcia that she also wanted the video 'to go away.' After that, Garcia said he took the money and split it with coworkers. Capricorn Clark, a former assistant to Combs, recalled a 2011 violent incident with Combs. Clark told jurors Combs forced her from her apartment at gunpoint to go with him to musician Kid Cudi's home in December 2011. Once there, Combs and Clark entered the empty house, and then Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, showed up. To avoid getting law enforcement involved, Clark testified, Combs ordered her to call Ventura, who was at that time Combs' ex-girlfirend, and said they need to convince Cudi not to snitch to the cops. 'If you guys don't convince him of that, I'll kill all you m....,' Clark quoted Combs saying. Cudi testified that his Porsche was later firebombed in his driveway with a Molotov cocktail. Ventura wasn't Combs' only alleged sex crime victim. Mia, an assistant testifying under that name, described years of sexual abuse, rape and threats. Combs, she said, first sexually assaulted her at his 40th birthday party in New York in 2009, shortly after she began working for him. In the year that followed, she slept in a bedroom at his home, where she was not allowed to lock the door. Through tears she testified he raped her. 'I was frozen. I didn't react. I was terrified and confused and ashamed and scared.' Another alleged attack occurred in a bedroom closet where she said Combs grabbed her head and forced her to perform oral sex on him. Under cross-examination, she said she did not initially tell federal prosecutors that Combs sexually assaulted her and acknowledged sending Combs loving messages in the years after the alleged attacks. Jane, his most recent ex-girlfriend described how she endured drug-fueled sex marathons right up until the hip-hop titan's arrest. Bryana Bongolan, a friend of Ventura, testified that Combs dangled her over a 17-story balcony and tossed her onto balcony furniture in September 2016. 'I will never forget him holding me on that balcony,' she said as a defense lawyer challenged the date she provided with evidence of Combs's being elsewhere at a hotel across the country.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The Trade Desk Expands Generative AI Creative Marketplace in Kokai With Rembrand
Rembrand Joins Existing Partnerships With Innovators Such as Bunny Studio, Nova and Spaceback, to Help Advertisers Unlock Creative Value on the Open Internet With Generative AI VENTURA, Calif., June 17, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global advertising technology leader The Trade Desk is expanding its generative AI creative offering with Rembrand, a leader in cutting-edge spatially-aware AI technology for content creation, monetization, and advertising. The new partnership integration helps advertisers leverage Rembrand's Virtual Product Ad form solution, allowing advertisers to embed their brands within digital content, including creator and influencer video content. With this and other AI-driven creative optimization offerings, The Trade Desk is helping advertisers unlock the full value of creative agility on the open internet. Rembrand analyzes video content frame by frame to identify organic, in-scene locations where branded elements can subtly be placed in post-production. The new Virtual Product Ad also enables that content to be transformed into the foundation of a content-driven ad unit, which can be delivered through The Trade Desk. The result is a more contextually relevant, seamless advertising experience for viewers. As Rembrand looks to expand its capabilities to connected TV (CTV) and film, they are integrating with The Trade Desk as its first media buying platform partner. "Brands understand the need to be faster, smarter, and more innovative to better connect with their consumers. And The Trade Desk is collaborating with companies that are at the forefront of advertising innovation, particularly as we embed generative AI into every aspect of programmatic," said Samantha Jacobson, Chief Strategy Officer, The Trade Desk. "Bringing Rembrand into our platform gives advertisers a powerful new way to own the moment. This is digital advertising reimagined for the future as an immersive and culturally relevant experience." "Our partnership with The Trade Desk goes beyond technology," said Omar Tawakol, CEO of Rembrand. "It's about placing brands within content that carries the trust audiences have towards their favorite influencers. That tight contextually relevant integration increases watch time so that the brand can convey their story and deliver programmatic ads that perform." Rembrand becomes the latest AI creative innovator to integrate with The Trade Desk. As part of its AI-driven creative optimization marketplace within Kokai, The Trade Desk has also partnered with creative automation platforms such as Nova and Spaceback. Nova equips brands and publishers with native ad tools that blend seamlessly on-site, enhancing performance while maintaining an uninterrupted user experience. Spaceback recreates social content as programmatic-ready display, video, and CTV ads. Within audio, Bunny Studio streamlines high-quality audio production in a few clicks. It offers more than 100 services and a global network of voice talent, empowering advertisers to produce professional-grade audio spots that are ready-to-air and multilingual for podcasts, audio streaming platforms, and video. This feature is built into the Creative Library tile on The Trade Desk's Kokai platform. "By tapping into a range of advanced and diverse creative optimization technologies, The Trade Desk is strengthening the relationship between advertisers and audiences," said Jacobson. "Our approach with these creative optimization partners is driving us to move beyond traditional media buys and focus on dynamic advertising opportunities that evolve alongside changing consumer behavior. It represents another step toward a more adaptive and immersive future for digital advertising across the open internet." About The Trade Desk The Trade Desk™ is a technology company that empowers buyers of advertising. Through its self-service, cloud-based platform, ad buyers can create, manage, and optimize digital advertising campaigns across ad formats and devices. Integrations with major data, inventory, and publisher partners ensure maximum reach and decisioning capabilities, and enterprise APIs enable custom development on top of the platform. Headquartered in Ventura, CA, The Trade Desk has offices across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. To learn more, visit or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. View source version on Contacts Media ContactPat WentlingThe Trade Deskpr@
