The Breakfast Club - Behind The Trial: Reflections on the Diddy Trial and Media Evolution

Episode Date: November 25, 2025

In this special episode of The Latest with Loren Lorosa, Loren sits down with fellow journalists and media professionals to unpack their firsthand experiences covering the high-profile Diddy Trial. As both a journalist and a panelist in the trial coverage, Loren brings an intimate and powerful perspective, exploring the emotional, ethical, and professional complexities of reporting on allegations of sexual violence in the era of viral media. The conversation delves into how social platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram have changed the pace and responsibility of journalism—shifting from traditional reporting to real-time commentary and cultural interpretation. Loren and her peers discuss the weight of public scrutiny, the challenge of balancing empathy with accountability, and how journalists must evolve in a media environment where transparency, emotion, and credibility are constantly tested. They also explore the personal growth that comes with covering cases of this magnitude—highlighting the importance of mental health, peer support, and storytelling integrity in shaping public understanding. The episode ultimately reveals that covering the Diddy Trial wasn’t just about reporting facts—it was about culture, community, and the human impact of journalism.  Tune in and join the conversation in the socials below. Rate, subscribe, comment and share. Follow The Latest With Loren Lorosa on IG @lorenlorosaYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hi, Kyle. Could you draw up a quick document with the basic business plan? Just one page as a Google Doc. And send me the link. Thanks. Hey, just finished drawing up that quick one-page business plan for you.

Here's the link. But there was no link. There was no business plan. I hadn't programmed Kyle to be able to do that yet. I'm Evan Ratliff here with a story of entrepreneurship in the AI age. Listen as I attempt to build a real startup run by fake people. Check out the second season of my podcast, Shell Game, on the IHeart Radio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

What up, y'all? It's your boy, Kevin on stage. I want to tell you about my new podcast called Not My Best Moment, where I talk to artists, athletes, entertainers, creators, friends, people I admire who had massive success about their massive failures. What did they mess up on? What is their heartbreak? And what did they learn from it?

I got judged horribly. The judges were like, you're trash. I don't know how you got on the show. Check out Not My Best Moment with me kept on stage on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. On this week's episode of Next Chapter, I, TDJ, sit down with Denzel Washington,

a two-time Academy Award-winning actor and cultural icon. I don't take any credit for it. I just didn't put me first. I just put God first and he's carried me. Listen to the next chance. chapter podcast on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. New episodes drop weekly. On the podcast Health Stuff, we are tackling all the health questions

that keep you up at night. I'm Dr. Priyanka Wally, a double board certified physician. And I'm Hurricane Dibolu, a comedian and someone who once Googled, Do I Have Scurvy at 3am? And on our show, we're talking about health in a different way, like our episode where we look at diabetes. In the United States, I mean, 50% of Americans are pre-diabetic. How preventable is type 2? Extremely. Listen to health stuff on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Big Take podcast from Bloomberg News keeps you on top of the biggest stories of the day.

My fellow Americans, this is Liberation Day. Stories that move markets. Chair Powell opened the door to this first interest rate cut. impact politics, change businesses. This is a really stunning development for the AI world and how you think about your bottom line. Listen to the big take from Bloomberg News every weekday afternoon on the IHeart radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm a homeguard that knows a little bit about everything and everybody. You know if you're going to lie about that, right? Lauren came in hot. Back on the ground. Hey, y'all. What's up? It's Lauren LaRosa. And this is the latest with Lauren LaRosa. This is your daily dig on all things, pop culture, entertainment news and all of the conversations that shake the room, baby. Now, we are getting into, and I'm so happy we've been doing this so much lately on the podcast. We're getting into another conversation that is going to shake the room. And it's about conversations that shook the room. So I was, you know, honored to be invited. Shout out to Jerica Duncan from CBS, news. I was honored to be invited by her and her Association of Black Journalist New York team to speak on a panel about the experience of covering the ditty trial. Now, you guys know here

at the latest with Lauren Rosa, the podcast, that the ditty trial and that coverage was such a, you know, a time for us. Not only because I think, you know, a lot of people were able to really hear my voice separately of anywhere else you've ever heard it, but also it was such a hustle. I mean, every day from, you know, early 4 a.m. 5 a.m. mornings with the breakfast club going right to court, finishing my day 6, 7 p.m. and getting back up and doing it again to the point where I was like sleepwalking. And you guys will know we were doubling up on content. And I was very honest about you guys. I was very honest with you guys about just how I was feeling, how I was handling it and everything I was seen in the courtroom. And it stuck. So I was joined by

some amazing journalists, you know, the outlets in the room. Shout out. out to Pix 11, which is a local New York traditional news station. There was, you know, ABC was in the room. You also had, let me actually get their names so I can make sure, giving these beautiful journalists their credit. So on the panel, you had Armand Wiggins.

Shout on to Armine. Yon, I love Armand, who is a YouTube content creator. Celia Bussie, who is a senior field producer with TMZ. worked with her there for some time. Darla Miles, who was a reporter for ABC 7, Jay Dow, who is a reporter for Pix 11, and then Jureka Duncan, who was the moderator of the conversation, who I mentioned in the beginning of this from CBS News.

And I was there on behalf of, you know, the Breakfast Club and the latest with Lauren the Rosa. And we got into some conversations. They weren't the easiest because covering the ditty trial and all the things we learned weren't. But we had it. Let's get into it. Hello, everybody.

Thank you so much for coming. I'm like, oh, you look so familiar. I know who you are. I really appreciate you all taking the time to come together to hear some of what we had to say and experience while covering the Diddy Trial. Welcome officially to Behind the scenes, behind the headlines covering the P. Diddy Trial from start to sentencing. So for many of us, coverage of Sean Diddy Cone started two years ago almost to the day when his ex-long-time girlfriend, friend Cassie Ventura filed her civil lawsuit. More allegations were lodged. Combs was later arrested in September of 2024. A federal criminal trial followed in May of this year and by now you know the

rest. The now 56-year-old Grammy award-winning artists, mogul and father of seven was convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. His release date is June of 2028. Combs' conviction was a pivotal moment in the culture that has shaped many of us in this room. I grew up listening to Combs' music, and on the outside, he represented someone who made it in spite of. But when it was all over, I felt it was important to come back together with my colleagues, sitting right here, to reflect on a once-in-a-lifetime memorable trial that shaped all of us in different ways. So tonight, you will get a chance to speak with a diverse group of reporters, producers, content creators for a revealing and respectful conversation about the trial of the year.

Clap it up. We're going to make some noise. Hi, it's Celia Simone. I'm here with Armilegik is. I want to see a supporter. Daryl Miles. I'm J. Dahl. This is the latest with Lana Rosa. Loaded, you had been to end the fourth grade every single Gay. How would you describe Cassie's demeanor when she took the stands today? Welcome to the Dissecting Vinny podcast. Everybody's talking about Cassabian jurors.

I don't believe that what you're talking about you right now is true, but I do believe one day it will be. And if they said to... I don't cry. I love you. Thank you, love you. What do you make of the government's strength in this case compared to when you represented him 26 years ago?

I just stepped down in the courtroom, and tensions were extremely high on day four. of the Diddy trial, prosecutors accusing Diddy's attorney, Ryan Steele, of yelling at and humiliating Diddy's former assistant, Mia, who's on the stand today. Mia had a heartbreaking testimony in which she spoke about being sexually assaulted by Diddy. She mentions seeing tons of abuse. Could you imagine somebody telling you, do you know what your problem is? Because you went away for a viewing video to her island for an hour?

And I joke with you a couple of days ago about, you know, folks up you'd be the next generation of news gatherers. who offer their own opinion. I'm not on either side. Let me just start there. I'm not on either side. Didi is facing life in prison and convicted, so let's break down what he's actually charged with.

There are five counts total in the indictment. Rocketeering conspiracy, RICO, two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Okay, let's start with RICO. It was a law that was passed in 1970 so that the government could take down the mob. So he was found not guilty of the racketeering charge.

He was found not guilty of trafficking. What he was found guilty of was the prostitution. The first verdict, Todd, Han racketeering conspiracy. You're not guilty. You signed him to do a fist pop. And to tap it all off this week, Pousy Nile Drum was teasing and alluding to possibly part of him. Sean Cohn Combs. Sean Funky Combs.

Sean a dude he'd come. There's a prostitution for Cassie Ventura. Guilty, he was shot. He was visibly affected when that one can. You could tell he was not a brain for that to come. like a kinetic, like a real serious shock because I think, you know, once you start hearing the work headed of not guilty verdicts, there may be have been an assumption that there was going to continue to be a not guilty verdict. This was the most important day of this case.

The sentence is 50 months of incarceration, Agnifalo, which is the lead attorney for Combs, asking for more time to list facility recommendations. Also supervised release five years, no reaction from Combs. He is still city. And there's a 500,000. thousand dollar fine. Sean Combs dropped to the three and just bowed his head and just pray. This is probably the first trial where I've seen so much social media presence, TikTok, Instagram, bloggers, people out here. So even though you're not supposed to look at your phone and you're not supposed to read messages for family and friends about this case, there's a lot of information out there.

Man. Thank you. And thank you to Ron Thompson, put that lovely video together. So before we get started on the questions that I have and we're going to open it up to Q&A, I want everybody to just take 30 seconds to introduce themselves who they are and why they're here. 30 seconds.

Lauren, you can start us off. Hey, everybody. I'm Lauren LaRosa. I am the senior news producer at the Breakfast Club and I am the host and creator of Lauren the latest with Lauren La Rosa, the podcast on the Black Effect Network via IHeart. And I'm here because I was

I was there. We were in the courthouse and covering the trial. I was covering it for the radio show, the breakfast club that I worked for, and then it spilled it over into the podcast, and then it took its own life on social media, and it's just been such a conversation because it was such a big deal in pop culture and, you know, in conversation. So thank you for having me. My name is Jay Dow. I'm a correspondent with WPIX, Pixel 11 News, and the host of Community Closeup with Jay Dow. And I was in the trenches with these amazing, journalists. I'm not going to break it down and call them content creators because we were all there in the courtroom with pads in our laps, pens or pencils, taking notes, federal court you can't bring in cameras. And it was an amazing experience, an eye-opening experience for me. I mean, this is my 26th year reporting in New York City, and this is the first time that I saw our business come full circle, the evolution. I felt like this was the transition where you had, you know, a hundred years ago, radio stars and silent movie stars looking to the future.

And I saw folks like Lauren, like Armand, sitting there doing what they do, delivering the same material to their own audiences. And I was so impressed. So I'm honored to be here. And it's, I'm honored to be here. And it's great to be a part of this. Good evening, everyone. I'm Darla Miles, a correspondent with ABC 7, New York. I have been on the streets of New York City for 16 years. I have been in this industry for 30 years. I'm Benjamin Button. Yes. And, you know, I've covered, I cover crime. I cover a lot of high profile crime. I produce a documentary. Set the record straight. The cold case murder of Chan Master Jay. And I don't do celebrity news or sports news, but whenever they get arrested, you will see me in court. I was in, I just really can't even

remember because there's always, the thing about covering news in New York and crime and high-profile crime, everything is the big story until the next big story. So there was Trump, there was Jonathan Majors, I've covered Luigi Mangione, Weinstein, the Gilgo murders. I was there on the first day when they found the first body. So I've just been in the trenches a long time. And being a part of legacy media, I really feel it's a duty and a calling. And, I really feel it's a duty and a calling. And a purpose in life to hold this seat at the table, to make sure there is representation and context and everything that we cover when it comes to being empathetic as a human, right? Not just a person of color, not just a woman, but being the good Southern person that my family taught

me to be treat people the way you'd like to be treated. So I'm very humbled and honored every day that I get a chance to be one of the lead reporters at the number one news station in the city, the number one station in the country, a legacy station that really shaped local news. And like Jay said, we're now part of an evolution in our industry where the ecosystem is expanding and we're all better for it. Hello. I am Celia Simone. I am a senior field producer at TMZ, hence field so for the ditty trial i was almost exclusively in the field covering the case i really was honored to cover the case because like jureka said i grew up listening to ditty's music and i was always you know to be honest a fan so this was a different way of seeing someone i looked up to my whole life

a different way to kind of view them i will say that i'm also a YouTuber so i was really anxious to talk to my YouTube family and to also do my field work. But I think what was really important was my voice. People always notice my voice. Have a really interesting voice. And this trial really helped to further the narrative with my voice. You probably heard me saying, oh, my God, Justin, I love that jacket. Ms. Combs, I love your hair, you know, because I kind of was carving out a lane for myself strictly behind the camera. No one could see my face just in my voice. And it was Great. Loved it. I do always recognize your voice.

I'm by the lie. Hi, I'm Monaco Sarabdi. I'm a senior correspondent for Extra TV and weekend co-host. And I was covering this, obviously, because I am an entertainment journalism. So a journalist, so I was looking through an entertainment lens. But I'm also a season journalist who was at network news. I was at ABC before Extra came up through local news. So for me, hard news meets entertainment news is my bread and butter.

This is where I excel. To bring kind of just the background, like Darla said, I covered Weinstein, Epstein, Luigi Mangione, so many cases, Jonathan Majors as well. And to look at entertainment news through a hard news lens, it's not very often that they mix, even though more so now. But taking that and also I have a large following online and bringing it to the audience was a very interesting experience because like we've talked about in this case, this was the first time that we saw a lot of creators and a lot of. of conversation happening online. So there's no blueprint for covering it, both for Legacy Media Channel and also for an online platform. And so it was interesting to see how audiences received it. It was interesting to see what people were interested in. I will say that this case, I believe a lot of Legacy Media outlets thought they were going to cover it for the first

week. And that was it. And then they saw the interest online. And they saw the numbers and they saw that young people were interested, old people were interested, everyone, because of the impact that Diddy had in entertainment and how he, you know, transced in generations. And so it was interesting to see them kind of course correct and really try to follow this case. And I think we'll see this impact for many years to come. Turn it up. Turn you into a very large screen here, Amman. We can all see you. Hey. Yeah, it's my turn.

Yeah. So, hey, guys. My name is Armand Wiggins. I am a YouTuber, content creator. Yeah, I had a great time covering the trial. I've covered cases before. I've covered the Megan and Tori case. So I like a lot of, like, hip-hop culture, news and cases.

So the Diddy trial just fell right in line for me to cover it. I felt like it was important for me as a content creator to come get the story for my audience, because while, you know, we love legacy media, I think there's something that there's a trust that's built in when you're speaking to your audience every single day. And I felt like it was just my duty to be on the ground, sleeping outside, getting the news firsthand for my supporters. You know, I would love to be there with you now.

But, you know, my people literally in one hour, less than an hour last night, came up with $1,000 to fly me out to Miami to cover the Megan the Stallion versus Milagra. case. So, I mean, people have a real interest in that. And so, you know, I'm now my people, they want to hear the news and from me covering these cases. So I think now, like, this is a new lane from me and I'm really enjoying it. And it's hard work. But, I mean, it pays off really well. And I'm excited to be a part of, you know, such a great conglomerate. Thank you. Thank you. So all of you guys, again, for being here. My name is Jerica Duncan.

I'm a CBS News National Correspondent. And I have to say this, particular case for me was the first time that I really leaned into social media. My following grew by almost 20,000 followers because I was posting every single day about the nuances of this case at a time when our network actually did not cover it the first day. We covered it the last day on evening news. We did cover it in the morning. But when people asked me, how were you able to do that? I had the benefit of not having a deadline at five or six like Darla did or Jay did and what's so fascinating with what they were able to do and why I'm just a study of what we do as a business is they were literally doing their social media videos and then they were

getting ready for a five o'clock or six o'clock live shot sometimes I think I saw you doing some stuff at 10 or 11 at night or a couple times so I mean there's a lot that was asked of us and we can delve into that and of course you all will be able to ask questions But the first question that I want to pose to the panel, and you guys can feel free to jump in, is when you went into this trial, you went into it thinking what? Well, for me, when I went into the trial, I went into it thinking, this is crazy. Like, of all the places and the ways that I've seen Diddy, to be with him in court is like, I couldn't even fathom what seeing him in court would be like and, you know, all of that because I've been working in entertainment for some time. And I was living in L.A. for eight years. I was working at TMZ with Celia.

So, like, you know, I've been in interaction and things like that. I just remember the first day being in that courtroom and seeing him walk out. I was like, oh, wow. Like, he, man, nothing's ever going to be the same for him. So for me, it was kind of like that shock of, like, this is really real. People's lives have been really impacted. And nothing will ever be the same for him after this first day of court that we're sitting in. I was fortunate enough, and that's what I'm going to call it, to be reporting when Diddy was on trial the first time.

I was working at New York One, and I was, what, 25, 26 years old, and I remember that case. And at the start of this trial, I knew things were going to be different because that was a state case, the first one. This time it was a RICO. And anyone who's familiar with a RICO case knows that when the feds come, they come hard. You know, and the whole framework of a RICO case is designed to take down the head of an organization. It was designed to take down the mob. And when they're successful, they not only put you in prison for the rest of your life, but they take all your assets. And so the stakes were extraordinarily high.

So I knew, and you saw it the first time that Combs came into the courtroom, he took it seriously because he knew how serious it was. And to have two rows of attorneys there, he was speaking with his wallet, knowing that he. He had to beat this, and he did. He beat the RICO, and not many people beat a Rigo. So I knew that going into this case, it was going to be a huge deal. It was going to be mainstream. It wasn't going to be something that was just on, you know, in hip-hop culture and just entertainment news. This was going to be a hard news adventure.

And our station luckily made the commitment. I was grateful to hear that they were going to cover it gavel to gavel. And I've covered several trials, gavel to gavel. And this one was extraordinary, not just because of the national and international media that came, but because of all of the content creators that I was just sitting next to. And, Jerika, you talked about how, you know, we were trying to, you know, get up our game and do our social stuff and then also have to do, you know, Darla has to do the noon. We don't have a noon, but, you know, we're doing the four, five, and six.

we're doing the morning show and I'm trying to figure out how am I supposed to do all of this and still put together a piece you know for the evening but we had to figure it out we have to figure it out because that is where everything is going

so yeah going into this trial I was ready for the unknown and we got it Hi Kyle could you draw up a quick document with the basic business plan just one page as a Google Doc and send me the link

Thanks. Hey, just finished drawing up that quick one-page business plan for you. Here's the link. But there was no link. There was no business plan. It's not his fault. I hadn't programmed Kyle to be able to do that yet. My name is Evan Ratliff.

I decided to create Kyle, my AI co-founder, after hearing a lot of stuff like this from OpenAI CEO Sam Aldman. There's this betting pool for the first year that there's a one-person billion-dollar company, which would have been like unimaginable without AI and now will happen. I got to thinking, could I be that one person? I'd made AI agents before for my award-winning podcast, Shell Game. This season on Shell Game, I'm trying to build a real company with a real product run by fake people. Oh, hey, Evan. Good to have you join us.

I found some really interesting data on adoption rates for AI agents and small to medium businesses. Listen to Shell Game on the IHeart Radio app or wherever you get your podcasts. A decade ago, I was on the trail of one of the countries. most elusive serial killers, but it wasn't until 2023 when he was finally caught. The answers were there, hidden in plain sight. So why did it take so long to catch him? I'm Josh Zeman, and this is Monster, hunting the Long Island serial killer, the investigation into the most notorious killer in New York, since the son of Sam,

available now. Listen for free on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. What do you get when you mix 1950s Hollywood? Cuban musician with a dream and one of the most iconic it comes of all time. You get Desi Arnaz, a trailblazer, a businessman, a husband, and maybe most importantly, the first Latino to break prime time wide open.

I'm Wilmer Valderrama, and yes, I grew up watching him, probably just like you and millions of others. But for me, I saw myself in his story. From plening canary cages to this night here in New York, it's a long ways. On the podcast starring Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama, I'll take you in a journey to Desi Arna. his life. The moments it has

overlapped with mine, how he redefined American television, and what that meant for all of us watching from the sidelines, waiting for a face like hours on screen. This is the story of how one man's spotlight lit the path for so many others and how we carry his legacy today. Listen to starring

Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama. That's part of the My Cultura podcast network available on the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey there, Dr. Jesse Mills here. I'm the director of Men's Clinic at UCLA Health. And I want to tell you about my new podcast called The Mailroom.

And I'm Jordan, the show's producer. And like a lot of guys, I haven't been to the doctor in many years. I'll be asking the questions we probably should be asking, but aren't. Because guys usually don't go to the doctor unless a piece of their face is hanging off or they've broken a bone. Depends which bone. Well, that's true. Every week, we're breaking down the unique world of men's health, from testosterone and fitness to diets and fertility, and things that happen in the bedroom. You mean sleep?

Yeah, something like that, Jordan. We'll talk science without the jargon and get you real answers to the stuff you actually wonder about. It's going to be fun, whether you're 27, 97, or somewhere in between. Men's Health is about more than six packs and supplements. It's about energy, confidence, and connection. We don't just want you to live longer. We want you to live better. So check out the mailroom on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows.

What up y'all? It's your boy, Kevin on stage. I want to tell you about my new podcast called Not My Best Moment, where I talk to artists, athletes, entertainers, creators, friends, people I admire who had massive success about their massive failures. What did they mess up on? What is their heartbreak? And what did they learn from him? I got judged horribly. The judges were like, you're trash. I don't know how you got on the show. Boo. Somebody had tomatoes. I'm kidding. But if they had tomatoes, they would have thrown the tomatoes. Let's be honest. We've all had those moments we'd rather forget. We bumped our head. We made a mistake.

The deal fell through. We're embarrassed. We failed. But this podcast is about that and how we made it through. So when they sat me down, they were kind of like, we got into the small talk. And they were just like, so what do you got? What? What ideas?

And I was like, oh, no. What? Check out Not My Best Moment with me, Kevin on stage, on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcast. Okay, so a couple of things. So I was not on the first trial. I think I was somewhere in the South reporting. Only 29.

Well, yeah, what is that? But I was at his first arraignment. So I caught the assignment when he was arrested. I think it was September 17th. He was arrested the night before. Darley, you're going to be covering the U.S. Attorney's Press Conference are going to be announcing the charges. So I was there for some of the earlier court appearances prior to the trial.

And when I first got there, it was still like old hat because it's just kind of a routine. The way I approach my craft is very much the way my father, the scientist, the coach, taught me. It's kind of like a checklist to make sure I check all the boxes and not to leave us down turn. But again, as my colleagues have stated, you could kind of feel the natives getting restless and the interest really simmering. And so I actually went knowing, like, this is going to sound crazy, but I was annoyed because I knew it was going to be crazy. And, you know, and so I'm like, I cover, I cover, I'm in this courthouse all of the time. I cover this all the time. But there is going to be an element of chaos that I know.

going to be untenable and that I know it's going to be exhaustive, trying to tame it. And, you know, I'm, so I wasn't, I just, you know, you just know, it's almost like cleaning out your garage, right? You're annoyed that you've got to clean it out, but you know you have to do it, and you're going to be happy with your sense of accomplishment after the fact. So that's a way to kind of frame it. So I know it was going to be crazy. What I did not know is how exhausting. if it was going to be for such a long period of time for eight weeks getting up at four o'clock in the morning, committing to standing outside in line to actually make it inside of the courtroom, you know, the whole dynamic with that. So, you know, I was, I didn't really have an issue

with the content. I didn't have an issue with, you know, having to cover federal court because I've done it so many times. But I just knew that there was going to be an element of chaos that was going to be unexpected, that was going to make it difficult. And that rang very, very true. But I think we all grew for it. And I think we all, I think we're here because we all gained a respect for each ingredient to this news ecosystem. So I think what we realize, it's not legacy versus YouTube versus social. I mean, it's like making, you know, a pie. And you have little ingredients that feed that pie. So, you know, I'm never my colleague's enemy. We're all here for the greater good to inform everybody. And for me, the last thing I will say on this is that I'm really

a stickler for facts and information because it is just, it's like nails on the chalkboard when people don't understand the legal nuances, because I think that's how it snowballs into, you know, individuals getting jammed up because they don't really understand how the legal system works. So for me, I wanted to make sure that, you know, I was very, very technical about covering the case. And I left all the social stuff to the social queens. Can I jump in there? Oh, is somebody going? I'll be fast.

What I will say is when the office reached out to me, I felt excited and I felt like, we're going to kill it. you know i really wanted to kill it i really wanted to get it right but it was something you know i had done a little bit of luigi i'm trying to figure out the the time frame i had did some stuff sometimes going to the court but i was mainly like the girl who went to all the morning shows and found talent and got a viral clip so this was really very much structured for me and i was just thinking to myself how am i going to do this like how am i going to get up an hour and a half earlier do what I normally get up and like, you know, I just wanted to figure out what was expected of me and how I was going to deliver. And I think the first day, it really proved to me

that my job was so important. There was an intern that I never met. She was there. I was like, what the heck? Then there's like this other person that they bought in from another state to help us. And there were so many people that I had to work with that I had never met and we had to figure out who was going to do what. And once we figured out, you know, everyone's set job on that first day, it was, it was like game, you know. I just remember also getting to the court at about 5 a.m. and there was no parking already. And I'm like, okay, I'm going to have to be here at 4.30 to make sure I get a parking spot because the office, I realized with this case, especially the first day, they were expecting me to be superwoman, the one who always figures

it out. I was just thinking to myself, what if I dropped the ball this time? What if I, because it was just so different, you know, and instead of me knowing who's going to come out that door at, like say a Sherry Shepherd show, I didn't always know who was going to come out the car. And then later on in the case, we had people like popping up special guests. And then you had witnesses who didn't look like witnesses. And it was just so many little components that I didn't know I was going to have to deal with. But overall, I was excited. And it was mayhem the first day.

When I tell you everybody, TikTok, everybody, YouTube. I said, what the heck? It was like 50-something social media people screaming at themselves, screaming at each other, screaming at you, talking to you, it was a lot. It was, I was inundated with noises and, but I felt proud to be there and I knew I wanted to really show up and show out, if that makes sense. And did. Okay.

And you met me. Yes. So for me, I'm going to be honest. It's a little selfish, but, you know, for one, I did want to go because I had interest in the case. And I just felt like, wow, this is huge. But then, too, personally, I come from a place where I'm independent. And I've always looked for, you know, a bigger platform to back me.

I've always wanted to be a part of a larger conglomerate. I've always wanted to be a part of like an eye heart or a major news station or a major network to push me. But it just seems like it never happened. And so I told myself, listen, I'm going to stop waiting for people to give me opportunity. And I'm just going to create my own opportunity. So for me, I said, I'm not sitting around waiting for somebody to say, yeah, it's okay for you to be a journalist. Oh, yeah, it's okay for you to go get the story. I said, you know, once this case happens, I'm going to be an icon.

I'm going to be a legend. These people are going to respect me and I'm going to get out there and I'm going to create my own table and I'm going to do a damn good job at it. So when the thing came, when the, when the Cassie lawsuit first hit, I told myself, hey, I'm going to cover this case. I started saving my money. In January, I took out a loan for $30,000. booked to Airbnb in Soho, Manhattan. I said, I don't care who's there, what's happening. We're covering this case as the Armand Wiggins show, okay?

And we're going to go out there and do the best that we can, you know? And for me, I just knew that I had to go out there because I was up against so many different people. It's going to be so many different personalities. I didn't know how I was going to navigate. I didn't know about press passes. I didn't know about line sitters. I just knew that I had a duty to get the story from my audience. And then two, as an independent, I was going to create some space for me to put this story out.

And I was going to make an impact there. And I feel like I did that. And I feel like the story was interesting and watching Diddy and seeing his kids and seeing the fact that that man had to be humbled. It really taught me a personal lesson about, you know, don't ever get too beside yourself. Don't ever get too arrogant. Don't ever get too cocky because the universe, God has a way of humbling you in front of everybody. And that was a big takeaway for me. So I just thought it was a learning lesson.

It taught me people skills because, child, let me tell you something. I had got into it with a lot of people that first day. But, you know, I was navigating a lot. But I feel like I came out of that so much better, so much stronger. And then I've gotten some of the greatest opportunities. I've been on television shows, radio. I finally got my shot at radio. I got my shot on the news.

And yeah, a lot of great things have came from it. And I've learned a lot and I met some great people. So, yeah, it was dope for me. For me, I would say, so I covered the arraignment. Before that, once the lawsuit dropped, I usually break things down on my TikTok anyway. So I broke that down and I could see the interests and also the need to break down these complex legal procedures and terms and what's happening and do it in layman's terms. Right. So I did that.

And then I covered the arraignment. And what was shocking to me was the. was the transformation that Diddy made from the arraignment where he was in a black t-shirt. He was kind of a little, you know, a little buff. He was the person that we saw, full head of black hair. And then the first day when we saw him come out in a crew neck sweater with a collared shirt, full head of gray hair, there was the first time we saw him in a really long time. In my mind, I'm like, this was the guy who was the king of New York, right?

Like, you grew up seeing him on TV. He was celebrated for being a shrewd businessman and everything, the bad behavior, the making people walk for cheesecake, all the things that he was doing and was celebrated for in the 2000s with reality show and reality show. I want to work for Diddy making the band mistreating people. He is now in this courtroom in the middle of Manhattan. And I for a while was just trying to process all of that. And then I will say that day, I think it was two days later, maybe when Cassie first testified. I, again, broke it down on my TikTok. I think what was really difficult to try to figure out as well was the fact that you have no cell phone, no electronic devices, you have a pen and paper, but you still have to communicate with your producers.

You still have to communicate with the people who are back at the office and who do not understand sometimes how all of this works. And they think like, okay, just go. come back and make your hit and it'll be fine and and trying to you know deal with what they were looking for and try to meet those expectations and then I at the end of Cassie's first day testifying I went back and kind of like Armand you kind of just have to do things that you're not being asked to do right you carve out your own lane so I was like you know what I'm sure people will find this interesting so I went through my notes and I broke it down and I think that video did 20 million views that's how

many people from around the world were just trying to. And I think if you're shit. And then I like shut my phone off and it was like girl I don't know why you went to sleep like I need part two and so then I realized the demand and at one point I was making three to four videos a day. I would go in cover, sit through the trial the entire day

do my hits between lunchtime, come out, do any updates then I would go home and do three to four videos a day and it went on for like eight weeks. It was a lot. I was burnt out by the end of it. But I did see the need to meet the audience where they're at. People are interested in this and they're not going to always look for your report. They're not going to always come to you. And I think this is, you know, a valuable discussion as the industry evolves, as media changes, how can we bring people information? How can we also adapt so that we don't go extinct? Because things are looking good sometimes. But so I want to ask you guys

rapid fire, if you could answer in like 20 seconds. And I'll ask each of you a different question. Lauren, I'll start with you. As you're reporting and telling the story, what's the number one thing you're taking into consideration? As I was reporting and telling the story, the number one thing I was taking into consideration is that any other outlet is focused on one thing. And it's always like the big thing. Like they want to go for like what is sensational, what is like, you know, because there's a lot to cover so i was like i'm gonna tell y'all everything if he's if he's sweating if he coughs if he like i just wanted to be that like so you have the tmz and the rolling stones and you know everybody's sitting here that have their dot coms i don't have a dot com i just had my instagram and the

breakfast club so on my instagram my main focus was let me tell you guys every single detail so you felt like you were literally like i was vlogging the case basically and that was my focus and i felt like the more I did that, because I did it the first day and the video went viral and I never experienced that. So I was like, if I do this a lot, people will come here after they talk to everybody because I'll have things that people may not get a chance to talk about. Jay, so much was seen and heard in that trial. How were you able to process that? And I know personally, when the jurors were looking at those sex videos, there was a moment in the beginning where we could hear certain sounds, but there were graphic details of Comzes and Cassie and people's sex lives, pictures of escorts.

How do you process something like that, even though, again, I know you've been covering Combs for a while and covering the streets of New York City, but it was a lot. It was a lot. And, you know, unlike Moran, unlike Armand, you know, where they can say what they want, I mean, I was cracking up watching some of Armand's episodes. Right? I mean, hilarious. I love you, Jay. But, you know, we have the FCC to worry about. So, yeah, I mean, there was so much graphic material. And we had to figure out a way to kind of filter it in a way that it did not lose its impact. But at the same time, we stayed within the guardrails of traditional broadcast news. We work for a network and content creators have evolved to be. become their own network. And so, yeah, there were some considerations that we had to make. Darla, what did you learn most from covering this trial? You know, one of the biggest lessons came from Salea. Me?

Yes. And I will tell this story over and over again because, you know, like you said, it was exhausting, getting up early, having to log all of this information by hand. And for me, I don't have a producer, so I have multiple hits a day, and I'm creating graphics. And I'm like, oh, there's a Blackberry. So let me make sure I have a graphic that has a Blackberry. And let me make sure I can make this case that has no pictures and no video as, you know, as demonstrative as I possibly can. And so I'm, I really got into the details. And so the next week, Salaya was like, Celia, sorry, I always get there wrong. She was like, did you go?

Did you do a social media? I was like, I'm tired. I cannot do. I'm like, I just can't. I'm old. I'm tired. She goes, no, this is what you have to do. So she literally walked me through how to do a TikTok in like seven minutes on the steps of the courthouse. And, you know, she was like, no, this is how you record click, click, and you can do the double. I'm like, oh, you know, and go to Capcutt and use this. And so I tell that story all the time that I literally learned how to social media from the queen next to me in this trial because and just such a healthy respect so yeah

that was you girl you got it so Celia described trial day oh my god well intense and intense and also just like getting a lot of demands from the office because

One thing I kind of, I didn't start it. I definitely didn't start it, but I think I've done it a lot. I realized that they didn't say it, but they want it viral, but that makes sense. They didn't say that, but they wanted that. And they didn't say go get something viral. It was just like, get what you get. I'm like, okay, you know. So it was really intense.

But I think, like Lauren said, it was really important for us to get content that other people weren't going to get. And every day, it was the struggles to kind of be super creative and not be redundant. So specifically on trial day, one of the images that I got, normally I would cover the front of the courthouse. And that one day, one of the head producers said, Celia, go to the back. I need you to get the prosecutors and whoever else you can get. And I don't know. I was just standing in it. And someone just walked by and he had a backpack on. I'm like, he looks like the judge. filmed him and then they were like Celia that was the judge and that went viral and they were like hey we need more of this every day so it kind of I feel like I felt that pressure to repeat that

every single day and to create viral moments every day and I think we started to become the lead of all the people that were outside getting outside content on what was important and it was nerve-wracking because every day it was like trying to beat and top what you got that first day. And we got that like 7 a.m. in the morning. So then it was like, okay, at noon, make sure your guys get this. So it was constant struggle to top each clip to go viral. To Darla's point, I remember watching where you were going when there were the rumors about Kanye. I said, I'm following Salia.

Celia is going to know where Kanye's at. Oh, wait. Really quickly. I just did a video on that. You did? Yeah, I just did a video on that on my Instagram and 10 seconds. Vet every tip. If you are a journalist, some random kid that's like 20 years old, he's out there

a government case. He kept saying Kanye was going to come. Everybody was like, he's crazy. And I made a phone call and confirmed that Kanye was in New York City and the rest is history. And the next day, and no one believed me, and the next day he came to the court. I believed you. Mona, in terms of the sentencing day, if you can describe the mood, because I feel like it's tense.

And for me, everything that we learned was coming to a head in terms of people also asking, predict, what do you think? How much time do you think is going to get? It's like, we're not attorneys. But it was the moment where you knew he could get as much as 20 or he could get, you know, something a lot lower, which he obviously did. but just describe the atmosphere inside and sort of outside the courtroom. Yeah, I'll start with Verdict Day. I mean, it was something that inside the courtroom for Team Diddy was celebratory. They beat the feds.

And then that messaging kind of permeated through to the public where everyone was like, oh, my God, he beat the feds. He beat the case. But that wasn't the case. Obviously, he was still found guilty on two counts. But I feel like there was this idea of, you know, this was a hit for the Me Too movement and you know he's not going to be held accountable but then as different motions were happening for there was like about two three month gap right if you guys can two months right

between the yeah between the verdict and the sentencing and there were different motions and you realize that the judge particularly when he did not let him walk out on bail after the verdict you could tell that the judge was going to hold him accountable but what that looked like he could get anywhere up to 20 years, but he also was never, he wasn't a previously convicted of a felony, right? He had no record. The day of the verdict, again, there was that, okay, is the judge going to throw the book at him? Is he going to make an example out of him? And then the judge went on this long speech after. I mean, I would explain this as, you know, both sides described a completely different ditty. You had the prosecutor saying that this man still needs to be

held accountable, even though he wasn't found guilty for what he did to Cassie, what he did to Jane. He still exhibited violent behavior. He still used all of his resources to control these women. And then the defense was making it seem like, oh, no, he was a John. He was just engaging in prostitution services. He wasn't even running the prostitution services, right? And then came in the judge who basically said that Cassie and Jane were so brave for sharing their story. And this is a man who's gone away with a lot for a very long time and is a violent person, has a history of being violent. And then when he read his sentence of 50 months, I feel like you could see the air being sucked out of Diddy. Before that, his kids, we heard from them for the first time

where his girls gave this powerful plea to the judge where they were saying that this is their father. They already lost their mother. And I will say I started getting emotional. These They're two young, three young girls who are 18 and 19 years old. And for the Comstuins, we know that they lost their mother, Kim Porter. And to say that, again, they were going to lose their father. They already, he already missed graduation and prom. So I will say for me, I kind of didn't know exactly which way it was going to go because it all rests on if the judge was going to make an example out of him

or if what his children said really did affect the judge. But I think he kind of fell somewhere in the middle, I would say for me. Armand there are times I think yes I'm ready there are times as journalists as producers I would imagine as a content creator where you feel like you grew up because we don't cover these types of stories every day do you think this trial did that for you and how are you a different person as a result of covering this case yeah I definitely feel like I grew up and I feel like I have the stamina to do a lot more. And I feel like, you know, the stretch that I was looking for, I got, I got, I felt more inspired. And I realized where my superpower lies within this space. And I, and it makes me appreciate everybody in media because for me specifically

storytelling, you know, I think for me, like the way that I did this case, like, you would see everybody going out, going live in front of the courthouse or outside. the courthouse during every break. I didn't do that. Or people would, you know, you guys had your hits and stuff like that. For me, I would wait to the end of the night because I know that, you know, once traditional media gets the story out, by the time everyone gets to me, everybody knows what happened. I'm not there to report to you play by play like what happened and have it all buttoned up. I'm here now. Here's, we all know what happened. Let's sit and let's talk about it from a more raw, unfiltered lens.

And, like, I'm going to give you the nuances, kind of like Lauren LaRosa was saying, like, what did he look like? What was the hair? What did the outfit give? Like, what was the posture? You know, and let's really have the conversations that once we read the article,

once we see what they say on the news, what are we sitting around the table and how are we discussing what we've actually consumed or what we watched or what we read. And I feel like, for me, I found my spot where I was like, I don't have to be this buttoned up version of, like, what a reporter supposed to be because

there's a space for that person to sit back and be like, all right, now this is, now we know what's going on. Now, let's really get into it. And, you know, this case for me, a lot of people kind of, they had mixed feelings about how I was reporting it, but I felt like it was such a dark and kind of like sexual case that at some point, like, we had to kind of make light of it just a little bit because some of the stuff even though it was kind of creepy, it was funny, you know what I mean, in an interesting way. And so I thought that, you know, for the people back at home, you know, sitting in court every day, it's not the funnest thing, you know, and reading a bunch of paperwork and a bunch of words on the paper or on your screen, that's boring.

So my thing was, I didn't want people to feel like they were sitting in court again with me. So the idea was, all right, I'm going to sit in court, y'all read the news or y'all read your articles, and then when we come back, we're going to have fun with this. story. And I'm going to tell you the little things that I noticed that I've seen or, you know, things that may I feel like other people may have left out. And so I think that I think that I grew a lot and I think that I gained a lot of confidence to where, you know, now I'm not intimidated to say, yeah, I cover trials. In the past, I will be, well, I'm not a reporter. Well, I don't have a journalism degree. I don't think I'm, no, I think I'm good enough. And I think I can do it. And I think I know my lane and I feel like I've grown. And, you know, the biggest thing,

for me was the fact that my parents were proud of me, you know, and people were inspired by me. And, you know, not to shoot my own horn, but I feel like, you know, once they saw me up there and a lot of people saw me there, we were getting those numbers and we were going viral, everybody and their mama flew out

with an iPhone and started doing YouTube videos and TikToks. Like, it's no shade. So I feel like we've inspired a community of creators and, you know, I think that was great. Thank you. Hi, Kyle. Could you draw up a quick document with the basic business plan? Just one page as a Google Doc and send me the link. Thanks. Hey, just finished drawing up that quick one page business plan for you. Here's the link.

But there was no link. There was no business plan. It's not his fault. I hadn't programmed Kyle to be able to do that yet. My name is Evan Ratliff. I decided to create Kyle, my AI co-founder, after hearing a lot of stuff like this from OpenAI CEO Sam Aldman. There's this betting pool for the first year that there's a one-person billion-dollar company, which would have been like unimaginable without AI and now will happen. I got to thinking, could I be that one person? I'd made AI agents before for my award-winning podcast, Shell Game. This season on Shell Game, I'm trying to build a real company with a real product run by fake people. Oh, hey, Evan.

Good to have you join us. I found some really interesting data on adoption rates for AI agents and small to medium businesses. Listen to Shell Game on the IHeart Radio app Or wherever you get your podcasts. A decade ago, I was on the trail of one of the country's most elusive serial killers. But it wasn't until 2023 when he was finally caught. The answers were there, hidden in plain sight. So why did it take so long to catch him?

I'm Josh Zeman, and this is Monster, hunting the Long Island serial killer, the investigation into the most notorious killer in New York, since the son of Sam, available now. and for free on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Hey there, Dr. Jesse Mills here. I'm the director of the men's clinic at UCLA Health, and I want to tell you about my new podcast called The Mailroom.

And I'm Jordan, the show's producer. And like a lot of guys, I haven't been to the doctor in many years. I'll be asking the questions we probably should be asking, but aren't. Because guys usually don't go to the doctor unless a piece of their face is hanging off or they've broken a bone. Depends which bone. Well, that's true. Every week, we're breaking down the unique world of men's health, from testosterone and fitness to diets and fertility, and things that happen in the bedroom. You mean sleep?

Yeah, something like that, Jordan. We'll talk science without the jargon and get you real answers to the stuff you actually wonder about. It's going to be fun, whether you're 27, 97, or somewhere in between. Men's health is about more than six packs and supplements. It's about energy, confidence, and connection. We don't just want you to live longer, we want you to live better. So check out the mailroom on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows. What do you get when you mix 1950s Hollywood, a Cuban musician with a dream, and one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time? You get Desi Arness, a trailblazer, a businessman, a husband, and maybe most importantly, the first Latino to break prime time wide open.

I'm Wilmer Valderrama, and yes, I grew up watching him, probably just like he. and millions of others. But for me, I saw myself in his story. From plening canary cages to this night here in New York, it's a long ways. On the podcast starring Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderama, I'll take you in a journey to Desi's life. The moments it has overlapped with mine, how he redefined American television,

and what that meant for all of us watching from the sidelines, waiting for a face like hours on screen. This is the story of how one man's spotlight lit the path for so many others and how we carry his legacy to. today listen to starring desi arnaz and wilmer valderrama as part of the mycultura podcast network available on the iHeart radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast what up y'all it's your boy kev on stage i want to tell you about my new podcast called not my best moment where i talk to artists athletes entertainers creators friends people i admire who had massive success about their massive failures what did they mess up on what is their heartbreak and what

did they learn from him? I got judged horribly. The judges were like, you're trash. I don't know how you got on the show. Boo, somebody had tomatoes. I'm kidding. But if they had tomatoes, they would have thrown the tomatoes. Let's be honest.

We've all had those moments we'd rather forget. We bumped our head. We made a mistake. The deal fell through. We're embarrassed. We failed. But this podcast is about that and how we made it through. So when they sat me down,

they were kind of like, we got into the small talk. And they were just like, So what do you got? What idea is? And I was like, oh, no. What? Check out Not My Best Moment with me, Kevin on stage on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcast.

I want to open it up now to Q&A if you guys had any questions and I'll come out to you. Tell us who you are. Okay. Hi, everyone. My name is Asia Alexander. This is really inspiring. Great panel, by the way. But I was wondering if you guys ever had any, like, death threats or, like, anything come to you guys while covering this case. Because I know that could be a real big thing when you're talking about, like, mafias and all that kind of stuff. Oh, well, I can jump in there. I'll just say, for me, I don't know if it's necessarily, well, I did get some death threats. Well, there was a woman who attacked me outside the courthouse. I don't know. She came and started attacking me out of nowhere for Diddy.

She was harassing me, following me. Everybody was telling me to go inside. It was just really, really weird. And this is the thing about the cases, too, because it made me feel a little bit uncomfortable about going to cases because it's such a public place. You do have to watch when you have visibility. people will try to get cloud off of you. It's really, really weird. So they have people that are looking for moments

and then they have people that are just kind of crazed fans. So you always have to protect yourself out there because people really will get overstimulated and try to attack you. I mean, I was harassed. Lauren was harassed. It was crazy out there. Are you going to chat?

Well, I was going to just, I mean, really quickly, people actually came down to the court to see people. Yeah. Like people came to visit Lauren, people came to visit Armine. And I was surprised. People would say, hey, you're that girl from TMZ, right? And I'm like, and I couldn't say no because my phone had a big TMZ on the back of it. But people, and honestly, even people who I didn't have communication with in years came to visit me at the court.

And I don't really know how I felt about that. So that's the one thing I didn't love about the court was. having people show up just to, like, see what's going on and what the hype was about. Even though the police were there, I didn't feel like they were going to help people jump and get off me if somebody did jump on me. So whatever, but yeah. I will say I did speak to a content creator who had been threatened. They threatened sexual violence against her and physical violence. And one thing I told her, I said, you, this is New York City.

you go report that to the NYPD, you keep track of that. So I was happy to be that voice, and I would tell anyone in this room listening, if you are threatened, don't brush it off, report it immediately. Just don't play like that. And that was the advice I gave this particular content creator who thought, well, I don't want to be extra, I don't want to be too much. And I was like, absolutely not. That is nothing to play around with.

So that did happen. Hi, you guys. My name is Chelsea. I am an NYU graduate student. This is my professor right here. I am also a freelance production coordinator and social video manager for one of the public affairs shows at ABC 7. And the question that I have is, what did this teach you about the algorithm or how people engage with your content? I hear a lot the way you report things on TikTok is different than Instagram. So there's one thing that it taught you. you what would it be i think it taught me that that whole it's saturated conversation doesn't matter when you get at what you do because the first day from like the jewelry selection to the first day of trial to the last day the number of content creators and people there covering it grew some

days it was like kind of chill when certain things weren't going on but we literally in real time watch the world realize oh we're not going to get this from just our regular outlets we need to be everywhere. So we need to be on the legacy media, on social, all these things. So it's very satchery. Like it got to a point where outside of the courtroom, you wouldn't even kind of want to record anything because people are recording you record. There's just so much going on. But my numbers never stopped growing, like at all. People still found me and still found what they wanted to get from me. Like my numbers grew insanely. And yes, I also, I mean, I'd already kind of knew that different platforms are for different things.

But I think that the Diddy trial really, it just really taught me just, I guess, like, the importance of social media. Like, I knew that when I left TMZ, I told myself that there was no one on social media who was actually vetting certain things, but also able to kind of like be out, get with certain things, understand what's happening culturally, really be outside, right? And know what's happening, like not be disconnected from the world and people and things. So I was like, that's it. like that's me naturally i'm going to lean into that but during the ditty trial i think that was the first time ever in my life and in my career where it wasn't about an outlet like people were listening to me because they wanted to hear me and hear certain things that i think the same thing happened for everybody even if you were with the outlet people were looking for certain people so

it just made me realize like i mean people say oh social media is so saturated and this and that and i'm like you're good at what you do and you cutting through that's what you're doing like None of that matters. People will come and find what they need. To chime in on that, I think it taught that the algorithms really don't matter. Really, just like Lauren and everyone else has said. For example, I had no idea what I was doing when Salaia taught me.

But I know that some of the shorts that I did based on your tutelage, they were like part of the YouTube top five shorts globally based on whatever. So it just taught me, it doesn't really matter. Good content is good content. And people, when they can't get enough of something, they're going to, the algorithm just doesn't really make that much of a difference. To add. It's just, it's about giving value.

That's it. Like, I never worried about the algorithm one time. I never chased it. Like I was saying before, everybody was going live and getting hundreds of thousands of views during the day. I literally went live once a day at six, sometimes nine o'clock. at night. And I didn't, I gained hundreds of thousands of followers. And, and my numbers were always up. Like, we had 20,000, 30,000 people live every single day. It didn't matter what happened throughout the day. So I would wait. Everybody, I would meet, me and Lauren and Silloo, we would go

to eat chicken and fast. I was not running out of the court. Like, there were some people, I'm not going to lie. There were people that were running out of the courtroom trying to be, as soon as something would be said, they would run out of the courtroom to try to be first. I never got flustered with that because I knew what I knew and I knew where my power landed and I knew that I was going to be able to go deliver. I don't chase the algorithm because that's when you don't get that dopamine of that algorithm or you don't get that initial hit that you've maybe gotten it once before. If you don't get it again, you don't feel like you're good enough.

And so for me, I just get on camera. I'm going to do my thing too. Can I say one thing too? I come from TMZ and I was there for eight years. When I started as I was on the tour bus, when I left. I was senior news producer right so when you have been in a newsroom like that you are literally trained to go like you are a sniper i i swear like i don't know nothing but to be first and to live brief starve or you don't eat period literally they will fire you that has been my life for eight years and then i come to breakfast club and things still are there but it changes because you're a person now and also everybody hangs on your word i had a hard lesson just trying to learn you don't have to be first backing off a what our mom was saying, right? With the ditty trial in the beginning, I was always so worried about that. Toward the middle of it, when I started realizing, like, no, people are really paying

attention. I was like, I actually want to have something to say. Like, I don't want to just tell you guys what's happening. I'm going to do that. But, like, I also think you're here, too, because it's, like, culturally, you want to kind of understand where my mind is, like, as a person. And I really want to process what I just heard. So there'll be some nights where, like, my podcast is supposed to be live at six, I might not even do a podcast episode that day. I would wait and literally tell my audience, y'all, I didn't really know how I felt when I left court today. And that was such a eye-changing moment for me as a journalist because I think because things

move so fast and especially in a lot of newsrooms, I mean, you do have to be first and finest on a lot of things, but, man, it's so important today to have something to say, for real, outside of just being factual because there's so much stuff that is just like, what are you talking about? I didn't really understand the power of that until this trial also. And being right. Yeah. No, exactly.

So from my experience, I would say that I use the skills that I acquired from legacy media, like my 12-year career about using a hook, framing the story so that people can digest it, giving the details that matter, not giving every single detail, but like what is this adding to the story? And so I kind of framed all my TikToks like that. But then I've been on TikTok for a few years now. And so I know cut out the breaths. don't start by saying, okay, guys, today we got,

no, like really hit them with a hook. And so mixing those two, I realized that it would just trigger the algorithm. And then the people want to hear because you're concise, you're giving the facts, you're giving them details that they didn't have in court. You know, was he rubbing his hands

they wanted to know? What were the jurors doing? Were they laughing? Were they smiling? Were they crying? And giving those details, I feel like, was the advantage, the fact that that we were in the courtroom, that we were there and they were there every day, and that you could be reliable, also the consistency. You knew that every night I was going to give you at least three to four videos.

And if I didn't, immediately in the morning I would as well. I think where some of the other reporters struggled, like if you were with CBS, NBC, ABC, is that it was such a hard shift to now like, okay, well, now you guys need to go make TikTok videos. And it was just like, okay, and they're fixing their camera and starting the sentence with like, okay. And I'm just like, that's too many words, too many breaths. Like, we got to jump right to it. And so I could see how, you know, it's a powerful tool and how you can be utilized, but also the skills that you learn for storytelling and being factually accurate and structuring the story in a way that people can understand it. And why should you care, right?

The why of it all is important. And that's things that, you know, whether you're reporting on the 5 o'clock news or you're sharing a TikTok, don't change and they're transferable skills. Really, really quickly, 10 seconds. I think social media-wise, TMD dominated because we constantly stayed true to TMZ. We didn't try to switch up because we're covering case. No, it was, we're going to get you walking in. We're going to chase you down the block. And literally, when the lawyers would come out, people were.

would laugh at me at first, I would go, I would be walking backwards. What do you think happened? Even if they didn't say anything, people wanted that footage and when T&D would post it, it would go crazy. So we stayed true to the brand. I'm going to chase you down because that's what I do. And it worked out for us. We never shifted from that as far as street coverage. Oh, I just wanted to add something. And then, you know what, let's hear your question. I don't want to take time away from you. Right. So, Hi, everyone. My name is Crystal and I'm a producer. I'm currently working in documentary. First, I want to say I love that you were collaborative with Darla and supporting each other in the field. But also as a producer, something you said kind of raised a red flag for me. So I did a documentary series in Dallas where I filmed with a judge. And you filming a judge entering a building, it raises ethical concerns for me because the judge I filmed with in Dallas, they have a separate insurance for a reason. And as the young woman asks the question about your security,

as Lauren is saying, you got to be first, right? This is one of the reasons why I transitioned out of local news into longer form storytelling. I'm like, where is the ethical concern or pause about this judge's safety as everyone is rushing to be first, rushing to hurry up and get it on there? As a producer, I'm concerned because I don't hear that moment for pause and reflection. because everyone is just like, we got to go. So I wonder if you guys can speak to how you handle that. Okay, I just need to just set the record straight just on one thing that this is a sticking point for me.

It's not just local news, right? So I know some people move away. I'm very passionate about the fact that I've been in local news for 20 years. And I always try to dispel myths about what it is we do and how we do things. and you're absolutely right. There has to be a moment. But in that, it's a personal thing. So I don't want you to just say it's local news or it's TikTok or whatever.

It's a reflection of that person. So I always have to like, you know, throw a little flag on the play when someone says, oh, I don't like local news for that because I think you're just painting a broad brush for an industry when it's still about that individual journalist. I just had to just jump in and say that really quickly. Well, I do want to speak to it. So I'm not going to lie. Like, of course, the company I work for, of course, sometimes people, we've had a history,

you know, but I cannot speak for them because I will never do that. But overall, there has been a history. I'll leave it at that. What I will say is when I did shoot that clip, I wasn't sure how it was going to be received, but I also am not the person who approves those things either. So I sent it in like, hmm, okay, let's see. If they want it, they'll use it. If not, did I feel a little bit worried about it?

Yes, but I also kind of felt like, okay, what's done is done. The next day, we continued to shoot the entire prosecutor, judge, everyone coming in. What we did not do was we did not, of course, shoot people who were hidden witnesses or try to find those witnesses. we also did not publicly say the names of witnesses that we probably did know who they were. And I stand by that. I feel like we did a great job. I feel like I did a great job.

I do see where it does raise some ethically, maybe some immoral. But I feel like overall, we set the tone for the way the rest of the trial was going to go. I feel like everyone started to follow suit and started to try to create content that was off the wall. I also think there were already profiles on the judge as well, too. Like, so coming from TMZ and now being in a space where I have to make those same decisions because if not, I'm under fire, right? It is a personal thing. That's number one. I will also say, too, it's just that there's a job to do and how you do it.

So there were profiles on the judge. Like I knew when I researched and I read about this judge prior to because I was trying to figure out what the case would be like and the judge is important. When Celia grabbed that shot, TMZ is not known for humanizing a lot of people in a lot of people. of things right like no shade to them i was there cool she can't say it i will but at the same time that clip in that photo she got he was wearing a backpack he was listening to music the conversation went from this is the judge will he throw ditty in jail for the rest of his life to this judge is a person he listens to music he's young it set a different conversation and i get what you're saying but i think a lot of times in this people have to also have a conversation about there are certain

stories that if Celia doesn't do the story, someone's going to do it. And the way she goes about it is something to say, okay. I mean, and again, it is above her. Being in the newsroom, I remember she would get clips and it would send it. And a lot of times, we would look at things when I was there and I would say, okay, I know that this is coming from Celia. I know her. I'm a black woman as well. So I know her heart. They don't care about that. And a lot of times you don't have leadership that does. She's not in control of that. But at the same time, there are those moments where when you put those things out it does kind of like the opposite of what you're saying and that was that moment for that judge i remember the shot that she's talking about and it's just it's an internal

battle i think if you choose a step away from it i don't fall anybody because i chose a step away from a platform because i wanted to figure out was there a balance of sanity i can have but at the same time i do think that there are times where i'm like man i don't want to have to but how can i bring my person into it and that's the beauty of the platform i'm at now so I think it's about personal platform choice too. But lastly, I have, I was told this. I have the most published clips out of any field producer ever at TMZ. Let's put that on the table, right?

I have been able to constantly talk to people who have never talked to TMZ. Hallie Berry, Jay-Z two weeks ago. People who would run from us, come to us now. Jada Pinkett never talked to. to TMZ. I've been able to break down those barriers because I am a human being first. And even down with the Diddy case, I had phone calls from some people who I cannot mention who are linked to the family that said they love you. And they love watching your clips because you are so nice to them. So I stand by that stuff because it's real. People wouldn't say that if it wasn't real.

And the numbers don't lie. And Jay-Z talking to me twice. The first time they didn't publish it. The second time, he said, sis, I don't want to have to embarrass you today. I don't got a story for you, but I'm proud of you. This is my story, and I stand by everything that I shoot. I think I'm glad that I didn't say what I had to say a few minutes ago, and I'm glad for your question, because I think multiple things are allowed to be true at the same time. Yeah. What is true, A, is that social media is built on viral moments,

as opposed to the traditional training that Jerika, myself, and Darla, and Mona that you have where, you know, we're in local news and our job is to tell the story objectively. We're not supposed to insert our opinions. We're supposed to just give you the facts and the spirit of Walter Cronkite. But social media is built on viral moments. So we heard Selena talking about, oh, you know, like what's going to be viral next, waking up every day, worrying about how are you going to feed the beast? We're all feeding the beast just in a different way. Yeah. So I think that, you know, we're talking around a lot of things. I'm sorry, but there is an appetite for viral moments on social. And I think that as a society, we have been trained

to only need, here's an analogy. Do you remember when you were a kid, you had tropical orange juice in the frozen thing in the freezer? I would eat that my grandmother would be all over me. Like, wait until I make the orange juice. You have to pour the water in it. Like, I just wanted to concentrate. And that's literally, it is, right? Am I dating myself? But, But that is literally what social media is. Everybody wants the orange juice concentrate. They don't want it diluted. They don't want it served to you in a glass.

What is also true is there is an appetite for long-form journalism. And so, you know, just as in legacy media, I have been, you know, I'm grateful and fortunate enough to have my own show where I can do those long-form stories, where Armand is able to sit down and do a two-hour show. and people are there for it. People, the diminishing eyes, the audience that is on Legacy is there for my show, and everyone else is watching Armand. Right? And so there is, you know, an appetite for long-form stuff.

The breakfast is, you know, like, Lauren is on the air for how many hours in the morning? Three, four hours? Four hours. It's not just about the 30-second hit. It's not just about the one-minute clip. They will sit there and listen to what Lauren has to say for hours. They will sit there and listen to what Armand has to say.

save for hours. 60 minutes is still where it is because it's good television. Fifteen minute pieces. So I think that, yeah, multiple things are allowed to be true at the same time. Before we asked another quick question, I know Mona wanted to jump in in the Charlotte. Jump in real quick because I think this is a conversation that goes beyond this table. I feel like where before there were gatekeepers and this is a reason why a lot of people weren't able to get the opportunities that, for example, I've been fortunate enough to have because journalism is not easy. It wasn't easy to break into, right? And then getting our stories told was even harder. You had an uphill battle to fight. And so now with social media, it's allowed a new wave

of people to enter the space and take up space. But with that comes some murky waters that we're navigating, right? Where people, for example, were revealing the identity of witnesses that were going under pseudanins. And so, you know, personally, I mean, not to do that, but that doesn't mean that everyone who, you know, walks in and is able to see the same court proceeding that I'm watching won't go back and put two and two together and get those viral moments. And so I think it's not just about one clip. It's more about things are changing and how are we going to navigate that when the gatekeepers are gone, which is great because now more people get opportunities, but the gatekeepers are gone, which means

things are not being vetted. Ethic codes are not being, you know, legal and standards are no longer, you know, betting everything. So I just wanted to add that. In 30 seconds, 30 seconds. I think to tie a bow on that, thank you for that question. And I apologize. No, no, no, no, no. I'm actually glad you asked the girl.

People will be acting like you can't do both. Yeah, yeah. Let me just say every day of my career, every day that I'm gathering, I always have to answer that question, right? So when I did a story today about a Jersey City police officer who just got arrested for sexual assault, with a minor, with a minor who was incapacitated and, you know, I had to have that conversation. Whoa. I had a conversation.

Okay. Do I show his wife and children? Right? So, so I think, yeah. So what I say is every day. every decision as a journalist, whether your legacy, whether you're Armand, whether you're Salea, Salea, Salia, Salia, Salia, Mona. And that's why, you know, we thank Jerika for putting this panel together because

this is the panel that you ask the questions too, because we all have our different platforms, but, you know, cream rises to the top when you answer, when you ask that question, guess what? Sometimes you're going to get it wrong, right? sometimes you're going to get it right but you learn from each time so it doesn't matter right we all have to ask in this world in the murky waters the buck stops with us and it's good to ask that question and sometimes it's just what it is. Hi Kyle could you draw up a quick document with the basic business plan just one page as a

Google Doc and send me the link thanks. Hey just finished drawing up that quick one-page business plan for you. Here's the link. But there was no link. There was no business plan. It's not his fault. I hadn't programmed Kyle to be able to do that yet. My name is Edmund Ratliff. I decided to create Kyle, my AI co-founder, after hearing a lot of stuff like this from OpenAI CEO, Sam Aldman. There's this betting pool for the first year that there's a one-person billion dollar company, which would have been like unimaginable without AI and now will happen. I got to thinking, could I be that one person? I'd made AI agents before. for my award-winning podcast, Shell Game.

This season on Shell Game, I'm trying to build a real company with a real product run by fake people. Oh, hey, Evan. Good to have you join us. I found some really interesting data on adoption rates for AI agents and small to medium businesses.

Listen to Shell Game on the IHeart Radio app or wherever you get your podcasts. A decade ago, I was on the trail of one of the country's most elusive serial killers, but it wasn't until 2023 when he was finally caught. The answers were there, hidden in plain sight. So why did it take so long to catch him? I'm Josh Zeman, and this is Monster, hunting the Long Island serial killer, the investigation

into the most notorious killer in New York, since the son of Sam, available now. Listen for free on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. What do you get when you make's 1950s Hollywood, a Cuban musician with a dream, and one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time? You get Desi Arnaz, a trailblazer, a businessman, a husband, and maybe most importantly, the first Latino to break prime time wide open. I'm Wilmer Valderama, and yes, I grew up watching him, probably just like you and millions of others. But for me, I saw myself in his story. From plening canary cages to this night here in New York, it's a long ways.

On the podcast starring Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama, I'll take you in a journey to Desi's life, the moments it has overlapped with mine, how he redefined American television, and what that meant for all of us watching from the sidelines, waiting for a face like hours on screen. This is the story of how one man's spotlight lit the path for so many others and how we carry his legacy today.

Listen to starring Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama as part of the MyCultura podcast network available on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey there, Dr. Jesse Mills here. I'm the director of the men's clinic at UCLA Health. And I want to tell you about my new podcast called The Mailroom. And I'm Jordan, the show's producer.

And like a lot of guys, I haven't been to the doctor in many years. I'll be asking the questions we probably should be asking, but aren't. Because guys usually don't go to the doctor unless a piece of their face is hanging off or they've broken a bone. Depends which bone. Well, that's true. Every week, we're breaking down the unique world of men's health, from testosterone and fitness to diets and fertility and things that happen in the bedroom. You mean sleep? Yeah, something like that, Jordan.

We'll talk science without the jargon and get you real answers to the stuff you actually wonder about. It's going to be fun, whether you're 27, 97, or somewhere in between. Men's Health is about more than six packs and supplements. It's about energy, confidence, and connection. We don't just want you to live longer. We want you to live better. So check out the mailroom on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows. What up, y'all?

It's your boy, Kevin on stage. I want to tell you about my new podcast called Not My Best Moment, where I talk to artists, athletes, entertainers, creators, friends, people I admire who had massive success about their massive failures. What did they mess up on? What is their heartbreak? And what did they learn from it? I got judged horribly.

The judges were like, you're trash. I don't know how you got on the show. Boo, somebody had tomatoes. I'm kidding. But if they had tomatoes, they would have thrown the tomatoes. Let's be honest. We've all had those moments we'd rather. forget. We bumped our head. We made a mistake. The deal fell through. We're embarrassed. We

failed. But this podcast is about that and how we made it through. So when they sat me down, they were kind of like, we got into the small talk and they were just like, so what do you got? What? What ideas? And I was like, oh, no. What? Check out not my best moment with me, Kevin on stage on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcast. Shantay from short and sweet. Well, the trial obviously brought up so many triggering topics. What did you do specifically to trigger or not trigger, but center yourself in your personal life? I would go out for dinner and drinks with Armand and Celia a lot.

And I also took a couple days to just go to sleep and to not go to court. Like, I needed to do that. I was sleep one, it was one point I was sleepwalking so bad. I was at, I was leaving a breakfast club and our EP. He was like, do you need me to call you an Uber home? Like, I'm scared for you to drive home because I was so tired. Like, I'd be at breakfast club at like 5.30. Then at court until 6.

So, and then I'm doing my podcast. So, and it's just bringing in the information is draining. And then the type of information is draining as well, too. So I physically had to disconnect a couple days and a couple times. And I felt like, dang, I'm missing it. And I was like, if I don't miss it, I don't even know what I'm going to be talking about. I'm going to be so delirious. But also, too, community was a big thing.

At the end of the trial, Mia Armama, I was talking about her. how it kind of felt like I went back to college or like we went back to college because we all got so close going through it together and we were able to talk to each other about it and be upset with each other about certain things and, you know, just, and that was so important because unless you were at that courthouse every day, you really couldn't fathom the intensity of certain things that we were experiencing. So leaning into community was like a big thing for me too. I missed the question, guys. Can you all just tell me the question? What were you responding to. The question was about things that were triggering and how folks processed it.

Lauren was saying going out to drinks with you helped. No. Oh, I have a triggering thing really quick. It wasn't until after the trial, though. I think a lot of people don't, well, maybe you guys didn't experience, but I did. And I know a lot of, like, my peers kind of felt it. But after all of that, I think I fell into like a hole. I don't know. It was like a little, they were calling like a ditty depression. I don't know. It just kind of felt like. Ugh. Like, once it was like all over, I had felt like, what's next? I didn't know what, like, I didn't know what I felt. I felt like it was so much energy there, but I was like doing it for the eight weeks that I was there. Then once it was over, like, it was just this weird cloud over me where I kind of was like sad. I was fatigued. I didn't really want to work. I didn't know what was going on with me. And I think I didn't know what that was. But I started to slowly pull myself out, you know, like talking to my friends. me i would go to new york hang out with celia we would go out have drinks running to loren like we i would just start doing stuff and then i would find myself getting inspired to get back to it again

but that was something that kind of hit me hard after the trial like you know went there made a bunch of money did a bunch of content had some big highs and then like i think we don't talk about enough when you hit those big highs like that and then you just drop it's like you feel it like I definitely did I will say the the information is difficult to listen to I mean there's a lot of things that came out and they it was it was disturbing and you know information that was coming out I will say my years of covering court has helped me compartmentalize things and not take things home because it will wreck you it is why I kind of distanced myself from hard news and started getting into entertainment news because after years of that it is difficult right but I will say

the amount of work that I was doing all of the, you know, the long days and core trying to get all the content out, all this stuff. At the end of it, I was beat. I was burnt out. And it was something that I realized our newsrooms are demanding so much of us these days. Like when I first started, it was one hit. And then it was like, oh, we added a four o'clock show. And then now you got to produce yourself. And then you have to now do something on social media. And so I feel like a lot of the reporters that were out there can agree that we are being stretched really thin. And at the end of it, my summer, I'm like, first of all, my summer was gone because you look up and it's mid-July, we started this in like May. So you look up and you're like, oh my gosh, I didn't go on vacation.

I was in this courtroom and processing all this difficult information, but also the workload was so much that by August I was burnt out and how to just keep going. And so I think trying to figure out how to navigate this and the demands and, you know, know, more content gray, people want it, but we're only just one person trying to produce all of that as well. Hello, my name is Cynthia Horner. I'm on the board of New York Association of Black Journalists, and I want to thank you all for having such wonderful comments, and we've learned so much from what you've had to say. There's so many diverse viewpoints. My question is, what was the most difficult moment for you in covering this trial because there are some people that are

readers of publications or viewers of television shows who felt that there were some moments in that trial that were so horrific, the depravity and all of that, that they couldn't even stomach listening to it. So what was your take on how did you navigate with that? Because You have the reporter in you, but you also have the human side. And, you know, especially women hearing testimony from women who had been sexually assaulted and all of that kind of thing. So if you could just give us quick comments on how you navigated and if there was one moment where you just said, I don't know if I can keep doing this. And if one person wants to take that, because we got one more question and then we have announcements, so we got like five minutes left, sorry. Very quickly.

Thank you, Ms. Cynthia. I think with every story, you try to approach it as a person. I'm a father of two daughters. So hearing stories of domestic violence in that graphic nature was hard. But at the same time, compartmentalizing is key to be able to tell the, you know, the audience what's happening without. getting personally, emotionally involved to the point where you can't do your job? All right.

I respect all you ladies and I don't feel like I respect black journalists. I love black journalism. Lauren La Rosa, Dollar Miles, Jerica Ducking, I love y'all. Don't suppress anything that y'all do. I'm from Jersey

and if y'all feel suppressed or threatened by any way, I got a hundred goons that will protect you keep your foot on Donald Trump's I'm not here to tear puff down and I don't

I don't got nothing to do with that I do know the dude that dropped the book Courtney that dropped the book with Kim Porter book I do know where

I don't know how legit that book is and I don't know if y'all read the book or whatever whatever but keep your foot on Donald Trump net you know what I'm saying

and know where you were going with that conversation, brother. Okay, okay. Wait a minute, wait a minute. So I thank you. Thank you for your support. No, no, no, no, I support y'all.

No, I appreciate. No, we got you. I support y'all wholeheartedly. I support y'all wholeheartedly. We good. I respect y'all journalism. I love black journalism. You know what I'm saying?

Like, our story needs to be told. I appreciate that. I support Joy Reed to the fullest. I got you. You know, we got five, now we got like three minutes. Oh, I support Jordan to the fullest. All right. I appreciate it.

We got like, Thank you. We got you. All right. Thank you. The one thing I want to end with, appreciate you. We appreciate that.

You know, we'll get your number outside. So I heard the same question twice. How did we deal with it? And I don't think, you know, I didn't address it. I don't know if you got the answer

that you were looking for from a woman's perspective, from a black woman's perspective, from my point of view, right? I mean, I think we've addressed it. The only thing I will say, because I do get that question a lot, let me just land a plane. You know, we're coming back over from Jersey. But, you know, I've seen a lot.

I've seen a lot in New York City. I've covered a lot. And I kind of feel like we're second responders. So, like, first responders, they go out and they compartmentalize. They compartmentalize, and they just go home. And so we're kind of like second responders. And we, whether we know it or not, we do compartmentalize in that way. And I'll say, just to Lauren's point, the community of us who kind of like we're pledging the Diddy Trial together, you know, really made it great.

Jay and I would talk about Armand's show in the morning. Did you see Armand last night? I would see Salaya. And this panel is a product of the community that we built during. that experience. And I'll say that that's not the worst I've ever covered. That's how I felt. So I've covered so much more that was also horrific. It really wasn't the worst that I've ever covered. And I was very happy that they didn't show us the tapes because I didn't want that in my brain. I'm very particular about what I put in my brain. So I was happy that they,

kept some of the stuff away from us, and I protected my brain, and we just were second responders and we compartmentalized. Last, every woman, black, white, Asian, everybody talked about every little detail. Being flued out. I mean, you had Emmy Award winning journalists that you see on TV that were like, well, I was flued out. I don't remember that experience. We were all comparing.

That was not me. I'm just saying it's like. I never been flued out. Like this thing, women got together of all different races, ethnicities, and we're like, well, I don't know. I mean, when I look back, this could have been me. We were all like, wow. Like, it was like stories, anybody's sharing stories. It was insane.

And then people kept telling me that TMZ loved Diddy, which really was weird. And I was like, that's not true. And I felt like I had to defend myself. And it was just weird. But so there was so many different components. But yeah, everybody got together and. talked about it, and it was a great bonding experience. Can I follow up that question?

Sure. It's real fast because, you know, we've got to all look through our felly and now the Diddy Trial? I just wanted to follow up usually a little. Do you guys think that as a society we're talking about sexual violence and the next, like our conversation around those G.B.'s sexual violence isn't evolving because it just seems like, you know, no, no, Epstein Files, no, no, no, no.

Yeah, with two years old, we went through this conversation now. Yes, yes, yes. I would kick up with conversation, but I remember when R. Kelly and Alia came out. And to my naive kid, when the whole marriage story broke, I thought it was a marketing floor. I was thinking of myself at the time Her uncle was her manager right there There's no way to her parents with co-signs

I truly thought it was a marketing Clorin to sell A.J. Nothing one or nothing. It wouldn't have occurred to me at that time That It was a real thing. Yeah. So I think My answer, and I can't speak to anybody But I will say my answer is yes

Because again, 10 years ago We wouldn't be having the conversation We're having, nah. You're right. I mean, I think the conversation with me too, has advanced the discussion, I think to quantify my earlier knee-jerk reaction is, and maybe that is my perspective as a woman,

because I don't think that justice has caught up with a conversation. Mm. No, no. And, you know, really quick, social media, we've said it before. It's about everybody wants to see the car accident. So, you know, the most graphic details that you can imagine that we were not, discussing 10 years ago. Because everyone wants the, you know, the most salacious details on their

feed that they can just scroll through a lot of it is falling through the cracks into our phone and onto our feeds. And I know we're about to wrap up, but I just wanted to say this that, you know, for people like me and Darla, I love, I don't want there to be any kind of misperception about what's happening in this business. I love seeing Lauren win. I love seeing Salia win. I love seeing Armand win. And I told Armand that to his face. You know, it's so... Well, I know, you put me on your show. I did. I did. And you know what? My producers are like, who is that? And why is he a guest on your show? But as the managing editor and the creator of it and the co-producer of it, I get to call the shots on who's on the show. Oh, man. And I said, I want

Armand on my show. And so, you know, to have people who look like us carry us into the next generation about of what is going to be seen. I think it's so important. And the plate is big enough for all of us to eat. And I'm looking to them to teach me how to evolve. And so I just wanted to say that, you know, I'm so grateful to all of you for leading the way. Yes.

Thank you guys. I know this went by so fast. I wish we had more time. Mona, you had one more thought. Did you want to say one more thing? Just quickly about the conversation about. sexual violence and if we're having these conversations, I think we've come a long way since the days of normalizing R. Kelly and making jokes on the Chappelle show about what he was doing. But I also think that

what was complicated about this case is you had it. We were almost saying that it was, you know, a test for the Me Too movement. Is a Me Too movement done? And I don't think that one case dictates if the Me Too movement is effective. But also what I think happened is people were torn between Is this a black man who is, you know, being, the government's trying to throw a black man, a successful black man in jail? Or is this someone who was a very powerful, rich man who was taking advantage of women and using his power to do so? And I think sometimes that mix of a conversation was happening as well. Hopefully, with the reporting that everybody here did, you get to make that decision. We're not here to tell you how to think.

And then lastly, real quick, real quick. Go ahead. Go ahead, Arm. Real quick. But I think, too, because I always got to add the LGBTQ factor in, too. I think people also were having conversation. They were so interested in is Diddy Gay? What about the men? What about the escort? So, you know, people were becoming desensitized because they were so infatuated with whether or not he was interested in the men or not. So it's just a lot of things that kind of went into that when we get into the sexual stuff. So you make sure you follow everybody on this panel. Check out Armand Show, Jay Show, Darley. all of us please we need your support you thank you guys so much for joining me for this conversation look i always say i can't ever be afraid to answer a question because i'm the girl that's going to ask them i know y'all hate the way i say ask i'm also never going to learn how to say that the correct way but thank you guys for joining me in this episode uh you know i tell y'all every single episode i appreciate you guys because y'all could be anywhere with anybody having

these conversations and you choose to be right here with me My lowriders, I will see you in my next episode. Hi, Kyle. Could you draw up a quick document with the basic business plan? Just one page as a Google Doc and send me the link. Thanks. Hey, just finished drawing up that quick one-page business plan for you. Here's the link.

But there was no link. There was no business plan. I hadn't programmed Kyle to be able to do that yet. I'm Evan Ratliff here with a story of entrepreneurship in the AI age. Listen as I attempt to build a real startup run by fake people. Check out the second season of my podcast, Shell Game, on the IHeart Radio app or wherever you get your podcasts. What up, y'all? It's your boy, Kevin on stage.

I want to tell you about my new podcast called Not My Best Moment, where I talk to artists, athletes, entertainers, creators, friends, people I admire who have had massive success about their massive failures. What did they mess up on? What is their heartbreak? And what did they learn from it? I got judged horribly. The judges were like, you're trash. I don't know how you got on the show. Check out Not My Best Moment with me kept on stage

on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcast. On this week's episode of Next Chapter, I, T.D. Jake, sit down with Denzel Washington, a two-time Academy Award-winning actor and cultural icon for a conversation about change, identity, and the moment everything shifted.

I mean, I don't take it. any credit for it. It's nothing I did as special, you know, didn't knock down a few pegs and recognize it, but I just didn't put me first. I just put God first and he's carried me. Whether you're rebuilding, reimagining, or just trying to hold it together, this one will speak to you. Listen to the next chapter podcast on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast, new episodes drop weekly. Don't miss one of them. On the podcast Health Stuff, we are tackling all the health questions that keep you up at night.

I'm Dr. Priyankawali, a double board certified physician. And I'm Hurricane de Bolu, a comedian and someone who once Googled, Do I Have Scurvy at 3am? And on our show, we're talking about health in a different way, like our episode where we look at diabetes. In the United States, I mean, 50% of Americans are pre-diabetic. How preventable is type 2?

Extremely. Listen to health stuff on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Big Take podcast from Bloomberg News keeps you on top of the biggest stories of the day. My fellow Americans, this is Liberation Day. Stories that move markets. Chair Powell opened the door to this first interest rate cut.

Impact politics, change businesses. This is a really stunning development for the AI world and how you think about your bottom line. Listen to the big take from Bloomberg News every weekday afternoon on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.