Diddy at the Met Gala: Sean Combs was a Met mainstay, now on trial for sex crimesCelebrities
Category: BUSINESS
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Sean Combs ruled red carpet, but now sits in jail
The controversial legacy of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. Here’s what we know
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs faces federal sex crime charges. Here’s what we know about his controversial legacy.
NEW YORK – Screams erupted from Fifth Avenue: Sean “Diddy” Combs had arrived.
At around 8 p.m. on the first Monday in May, Diddy ascended the famed steps of the Met Gala red carpet, draped in a black puffer cape atop a black motorcycle suit jacket embroidered with black pearls. The custom Sean Jean cape, adorned with black camellias, was a nod to fellow controversial fashion figure Karl Lagerfeld, to whom the year’s event paid tribute.
He was arm-in-arm with then-girlfriend Yung Miami, excitedly saying “What’s up, yo?” to journalists at the top of the cream-colored carpet before heading inside the festivities, which celebrate and fund the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute and annual exhibit. The two exited fashion’s biggest night early as they prepared to host an afterparty.
This was in 2023, the same year he received lifetime achievement honors and the key to New York City. It’s also when his world – one defined by success and excess – began to crumble.
On Met Gala Monday, May 5, Combs will be five miles away from the glamorous festivities in a downtown Manhattan courtroom, where jury selection will begin on the first day of his sex-crimes trial. Instead of posing on the Met steps, as in years past, he’ll be transported from a jail cell at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center to face five counts on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.
It’s a stunning downfall for power player Combs, 55, who spent years surrounded by his entertainment and fashion industry peers, now reduced to being evaluated by a jury of his peers instead.
The trial’s timing with one of the most exclusive events in his hometown of New York City is jarring – especially considering 2025’s theme and dress code.
Diddy as a dandy: The 2025 Met Gala theme
Combs – also known by the monikers Puff Daddy, Puffy, P. Diddy and Diddy – regularly attended the annual event, benefiting the Met’s Costume Institute with a lavish fundraising gala that has only increased in scale over the years.
Combs’ rise alongside the Met Gala directly relates to the 2025 theme highlighting “the importance of style to the formation of Black identities.” With the Superfine: Tailoring Black Style exhibit, the “Black dandy” and the importance of Black styling to the cultural zeitgeist is on full display.
The rapper, producer and record executive’s Sean John clothing brand brought him international acclaim and industry accolades, and he was the first Black man to win a Council of Fashion Designers of America Award in 2004. “Who’s the original luxury street brand?” Combs asked Vogue in 2023. “It’s Sean John.”
Combs’ place in the fashion realm only grew as he continued elevating his ensembles, often switching between luxe street style with his own logo and impeccably tailored suiting, even touting his own umbrella-holding butler, stylist and certified aughts dandy Fonzworth Bentley. (“He had a very respectable job, and when he held up an umbrella for me, that was his idea, because it’s entertainment,” Combs once told New York Times Magazine of Bentley.)
At its core, the Black dandy figure prioritizes fashion and aesthetics to engage in power dynamics through personal style. This year’s Met Gala, and its “Tailored for You” dress code, would likely have been Diddy’s playground.
It’s not difficult to envision him as one of the co-chairs for the evening, helping to set the tone and curate one of the biggest nights in fashion and entertainment for the top-tier A-listers on the invite list. With co-chairs this year including rapper A$AP Rocky, actor Colman Domingo, race car driver Lewis Hamilton, producer and designer Pharrell – and honorary co-chair LeBron James – Combs before the fall might have tailored his presence to fit just so.
Now, Diddy’s courtroom fashion – a judge-approved mix of shirts, sweaters, slacks and laceless shoes – will be what onlookers assess as prosecutors charge that Combs ran a “criminal enterprise” in which he and associates engaged in kidnapping, arson, physical violence and sex trafficking.
Diddy’s Met Gala appearances with Cassie viewed through new lens
Diddy and ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura Fine attended multiple Met Galas together in the years of their relationship. That was before her bombshell civil suit against Combs in November 2023, in which she alleged rape, physical abuse and sex trafficking at the hands of the music mogul.
Though the suit was quickly settled the day after it was filed, it’s been seen as the catalyst for dozens of other civil suits filed against Combs also alleging three decades of abuse and sexual misconduct.
Combs and Cassie began dating in 2007 and had an on-and-off relationship for more than a decade. In 2005, 19-year-old Cassie met Combs, then 37, when he expressed interest in signing her to his Bad Boy Records label.
What looked like a romantic relationship to the outside world is now being viewed from a new vantage point – including their multiple trips to the Met Ball.
They were arm in arm at the exclusive event in 2015 for China: Through the Looking Glass, 2017 for Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between and 2018 for Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, their last before splitting later that year. Cassie claimed in her lawsuit that Combs raped her in September 2018.
Their appearance at the 2015 fête, captured in a Vogue interview video clip with late Vogue creative director André Leon Talley, is notorious among Diddy trial onlookers. Internet sleuths have latched onto Diddy’s perceived demeanor when Talley greets Cassie first, with a flicker of anger in Combs’ eyes as he pulls her closer to him.
In 2018 for the Heavenly Bodies theme, he told The Hollywood Reporter: “This is how we would be dressed when we arrive at heaven’s gate.” Flanked by Cassie at the top of the Met steps, he later told Vogue on the red carpet, “I just wanted to keep it simple and plain. Angelic.” In perhaps a prescient moment, red carpet correspondent Liza Koshy asked Cassie if she had anything to confess; Combs stared intently. “I keep everything right here,” Cassie says as she lifts her hands to her heart in prayer, before quickly pointing to Diddy, “Or right here.”
Diddy’s final Met Gala appearance was that fateful day in 2023. He’s now graying, in a tan prison uniform and far from his kingdom at the top of the Met staircase. Where the first Monday in May will take him is anybody’s guess.
Contributing: Jay Stahl and Taijuan Moorman
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Julien Baker of Boygenius cancels tour with Torres for health reasons
Julien Baker is putting her health first.
The “Boygenius” singer has canceled the rest of her Send a Prayer My Way Tour with Torres (whose real name is Mackenzie Ruth Scott), which began on April 23, for health reasons, according to a statement shared May 4 on both musicians’ Instagram pages.
The country duo announced that “due to recent events,” Baker, 29, is “prioritizing her well-being and taking time to focus on her health,” adding, “This decision was not made lightly, and we understand the disappointment this may cause for fans. We deeply appreciate your understanding.”
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives of Baker for more information.
Further details were not made available. However, the news came after Baker and Torres canceled a March 27 speaking engagement and performance at Ohio University because “one of our key members sustained a concussion and will need to take the next few weeks to recover.” They also canceled an appearance at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, in late March.
Baker and Torres’s tour had stops planned throughout the summer for cities including New Orleans, Dallas and Philadelphia. The two musicians released their country album “Send a Prayer My Way,” which received four out of five stars from Rolling Stone, on April 18.
During a joint interview with Baker on “The Daily Show” in March, Torres explained the record was in the works for five years and came together after she texted Baker about collaborating on a country album during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Julien was the first person I thought of because she’s from Tennessee, I’m from Georgia,” Torres said. “It just made sense.”
Baker released her debut studio album, “Sprained Ankle,” in 2015, and since 2018 has performed as part of the trio Boygenius alongside Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus. The group snagged three Grammy wins in 2024 for best rock performance, best rock song and best alternative music album.
In February 2024, Boygenius confirmed during a secret show in Los Angeles that they would be going on hiatus. Dacus said at the time, “This is our last show, and we’re feeling it.”
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Carrie Underwood dishes on her first date at 16: 'It did not go well'TV
Carrie Underwood dishes on her first date at 16: ‘It did not go well’TV
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Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper are Instagram official: See the pic
Travis Kelce, Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper are Swifties
Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid were seen with Travis Kelce at one of Taylor Swift’s concerts in Paris.
Gigi Hadid is ringing in her 30s with help from boyfriend Bradley Cooper.
On May 3, the model shared a series of photos on Instagram from her 30th birthday celebrations, one of which showed her sharing a kiss with the Oscar-nominated “Maestro” and “A Star Is Born” actor.
In the snapshot, Hadid, 30, and Cooper, 50, embrace in front of a birthday cake, making their relationship Instagram official. Other photos in the carousel showed Hadid blowing out her birthday candles and celebrating with famous pals like Zoë Kravitz.
“I feel so lucky to be 30!” Hadid, whose birthday was April 23, wrote in the Instagram caption. “I feel so lucky for every high and low − for all the lessons and gifts both have brought me. To get to feel it all! I’m so lucky to be a mom, friend, partner, sister, daughter, colleague to some of the most unbelievable humans!!”
She added, “So lucky for the support and encouragement from all of YOU around the world, every day and on my birthday last week. I had the best time celebrating, and it’s a blessing to feel so loved!! I am grateful and honored to take on a new decade.”
Hadid and Cooper have been romantically linked since 2023, though both have been private about the relationship. She confirmed that she and Cooper were dating in a March interview with Vogue, and the outlet reported that the two met at a birthday party for a mutual friend’s child.
Though Hadid told Vogue that it’s “just not part of our relationship to share for whatever reason,” she described the relationship as “very romantic and happy.” She also reflected that “getting to the point where knowing what you want and deserve in a relationship is essential,” adding, “I respect him so much as a creative, and I feel that he gives so much to me: encouragement and, just, belief.”
Cooper was previously in a relationship with model Irina Shayk, with whom he shares an 8-year-old daughter, Lea De Seine. Hadid, meanwhile, shares 4-year-old daughter Khai with her ex Zayn Malik.
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Grace Potter’s Kentucky Derby national anthem gets mixed reaction
Grace Potter to sing the National Anthem for the Kentucky Derby
Grace Potter will sing the National Anthem, for the Kentucky Derby said the “the way the music moves through the crowd, it was emotional.”
On a gloomy Kentucky Derby Day, Grace Potter wowed the Churchill Downs crowd with a slow but showy version of the national anthem.
The Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter wore a cream cowboy hat she customized with feathers and a gold, waist-cinched dress with gold accessories for her performance at the 151st race in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 3. Potter kept her performance measured until the very end, when she did some showboating on the final word “brave.”
The performance came ahead of the release of her “lost” album, “Medicine,” recorded in 2008 with T Bone Burnett and out May 30. She’ll support the album on tour with Chris Stapleton in July.
What did people think? Many loved Grace Potter’s version of the national anthem at the Kentucky Derby.
Many fans praised Potter as a “powerhouse” vocalist, and one shared quite the compliment: “My grandma said that it gave her goosebumps.”
One brave fan called Grace Potter’s a cappella performance the best since Whitney Houston.
But “before you lose your minds,” the fan noted, “I did not say better than.”
“Very nice job,” another said. “Never heard her before. I was impressed.”
Others thought Grace Potter’s rendition of the national anthem was too slow or not to their liking.
One viewer called it a “miserably slow” and “selfish” version.
“Don’t they have try outs for the national anthem anymore?” another wondered. “Wince, wince.”
“You let me down,” one fan tweeted. “Zero Inspiration. Darn.”
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Lady Gaga Rio de Janeiro show target of bomb plot foiled by police
Lady Gaga concert bomb threat thwarted by police in Rio de Janeiro
Brazilian police said they thwarted a bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga’s concert in Rio de Janeiro on May 3.
Brazilian police said on May 4 that they had thwarted a bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga’s historic concert that drew more than 2 million people to Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on May 3.
The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro state, working in coordination with the Justice Ministry, said the plot was orchestrated by a group promoting hate speech and the radicalization of teenagers, including self-harm and violent content as a form of social belonging.
According to the Rio city hall, 2.1 million people attended the pop icon’s concert.
“The suspects were recruiting participants, including minors, to carry out coordinated attacks using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails,” the police said in a statement.
The Justice Ministry said the recruiters identified themselves as members of Gaga’s global fan base, known as the “Little Monsters.”
The operation was based on a report by the ministry’s Cyber Operations Lab following a tipoff from Rio state police intelligence, which uncovered digital cells encouraging violent behavior among teenagers using coded language and extremist symbolism.
A man described as the group’s leader was arrested in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul for illegal possession of a firearm, while a teenager in Rio de Janeiro was detained for storing child pornography.
Authorities carried out more than a dozen search-and-seizure warrants across the states of Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul and Sao Paulo.
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75 best ‘Star Wars’ characters ever, ranked for May the 4th
Here’s why Diego Luna feels ‘Andor’ is so relevant today
“Andor” star Diego Luna tells USA TODAY’s Brian Truitt why he feels this series is so relevant today.
Love movies? Live for TV? USA TODAY’s Watch Party newsletter has all the best recommendations, delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now and be one of the cool kids.
Over the course of nearly 50 years, the “Star Wars” galaxy has spawned 11 movies, seven live-action TV shows and endless characters, be they Jedi or Sith, Rebels or Imperials, twisted bounty hunters or adorable porgs.
In honor of Star Wars Day and the 20th anniversary of “Revenge of the Sith” (released May 19, 2005), we’re ranking the 75 best live-action characters in “Star Wars” history, from the original heroes of 1977 to the fresh faces of Disney+ shows like “Andor” and “The Mandalorian.” Some personalities, though, just will never make the cut – sorry, Jar Jar.
Here’s our rundown, from the good to the very, very bad:
75. Admiral Motti
Some Imperial officers like Admiral Ozzel get Force-choked by Darth Vader and die. Motti actually survived such a deadly encounter (before eventually perishing in the explosion of the Death Star), and for that he makes this illustrious list.
74. Captain Phasma
The First Order’s supreme female Stormtrooper had a super-neat suit of armor and so much wasted potential, being thrown into a trash compactor in “Force Awakens” and falling to her apparent death in “Last Jedi.”
73. Carson Teva
Other than Luke Skywalker and Poe Dameron, we haven’t gotten to know many X-wing pilots but Teva, a buddy of the Mando, is the kind of dude you have a beer with at a New Republic watering hole or ask to cut some bureaucratic red tape.
72. Supreme Leader Snoke
He led the nefarious First Order for two movies in the new trilogy and … well, that’s pretty much all we ever knew. Snoke’s on here solely because of the couple of years he gave “Star Wars” fans fits online theorizing about his origins and for taking a supremely nasty lightsaber slice like a champ.
71. Cobb Vanth
The old-fashioned cowboy wore Boba Fett’s armor and weapons as the marshal of Mos Pelgo on Tatooine and was an loyal ally of the Mando – until Cad Bane gunned him down in cold blood.
70. R5-D4
The droid has low-key been with us the whole time. R5 was in the first film when Luke Skywalker’s uncle buys R2-D2 and C-3PO from some Jawas on Tatooine and decades later is around to help the Mando and Grogu whenever they’re in a pickle. Where’s his Disney+ spinoff, guys?
69. Sy Snootles
The intergalactic version of Stevie Nicks (but kind of better, honestly), Sy belted all the hits as lead singer and dancer of the Max Rebo Band. And it takes some serious talent to keep Jabba the Hutt from throwing you to the Rancor.
68. Oma Tres
While his name isn’t Luke, Han or Leia, he’s still a GOAT: Legendary “Star Wars” composer John Williams had a quick cameo as the one-eyed Kijimi City bartender in “The Rise of Skywalker.”
67. The porg on the Millennium Falcon
It takes a brave soul to fly into battle as the unofficial mascot of a famous starship after its furry pilot – in this case, Chewbacca – tried to roast you for dinner.
66. Black Krrsantan
Unlike Chewbacca, this Wookiee warrior would have downed that porg raw. Krrsantan first made his appearance in comic books and then made his presence felt in “The Book of Boba Fett,” first as a bounty hunter working for Jabba’s cousins and then alongside the Mando as muscle for Fett’s crew.
65. Jod Na Nawood
Shiver me timbers: A galactic pirate who can use the Force! Jod (aka Crimson Jack, aka Captain Silvo) is a treasure-hunting rogue with a mysterious backstory and a way of ticking off everyone. That said, the dude would be a lot cooler if he didn’t get taken down by a bunch of space kids.
64. Bail Organa
Listen, politicians may not have the best reputation in the Milky Way, but in the galaxy far, far away, the senator from Alderaan not only took in Baby Leia and kept her hidden from the Empire but was also integral in the formation of the Rebel Alliance. He’s got our vote.
63. Qi’ra
Before Han Solo hooked up with Princess Leia, Qi’ra was his childhood sweetheart on Corellia. They went their separate ways but both ended up in their own corners of the underworld, with Qi’ra choosing the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate over her love. It’s OK, Chewie turned out to be a better bestie in the long run.
62. Babu Frik
“Rise of Skywalker” didn’t give us many highlights yet at least we got this little droidsmith out of the deal. Cute, feisty and adorably unintelligible, Babu snagged some Sith secrets out of C-3PO’s memory banks and stole our heart in the process.
61. Galen Erso
Sort of the J. Robert Oppenheimer of the “Star Wars” universe, the scientist hatched the technology that was used to power the Death Star’s uber-destructive laser, was betrayed by friends and lost his family, but – knowing its violent capability – purposely built a weakness in the deadly space station.
60. Max Rebo
Jabba the Hutt’s house band leader is what happens when you combine Paul Shaffer, Dumbo and Blue Man Group.
59. Greef Karga
He’s the kind of politician you’d want in a firefight. He had his run-ins with the Mando as leader of the Bounty Hunters’ Guild, became a key fighter against the Imperial Remnant, and took on the role of Head Magistrate of the planet Navarro, always going to bat for his people.
58. Peli Motto
Tatooine’s quirkiest space mechanic is also its coolest, with a bunch of jittery repair droids and tons of warm personality. When the Mando’s Razor Crest went boom, she outfitted him with a sweet and super-speedy N-1 Starfighter and is always down to babysit her favorite boy, Grogu.
57. Luthen Rael
By day, he runs a high-end antiques shop and deals with wealthy power players on Coruscant in a bad wig in “Andor.” But on the side, Luthen recruits folks like Cassian Andor as key cog in a spy network and works against the Empire in a growing rebellion.
56. Nien Nunb
The Sullustan pilot doesn’t say a whole lot yet he co-starred in several important “Star Wars” moments: He rolled with Lando Calrissian in the Millennium Falcon when the Rebellion blew up the second Death Star, flew an X-wing in the assault on Starkiller Base and was part of the ragtag crew that took on an overwhelming First Order force during the Battle of Crait.
55. Reva Sevander/Third Sister
A former Jedi youngling when the Empire came to power, Reva eventually joined the Dark Side of the Force as one of Darth Vader’s vicious inquisitors. She harbored a mean streak when it came to Obi-Wan Kenobi yet refused to kill kid Luke Skywalker, showing there was still some light in her.
54. Jek Porkins
He died as a hero during the Battle of Yavin. More importantly, he was a role model for dudes with dad bods who wanted to squeeze into the cockpit of an X-wing.
53. L3-37
The clever droid had equal parts strength and sass as confidante and co-pilot for Lando Calrissian during his gambling days and was also all about robot rights, even sparking the occasional mechanical revolution. Although her body was fatally damaged, she lives on in the circuits of the navigational computer aboard the Millennium Falcon.
52. Director Orson Krennic
Anybody in middle management can relate to this Imperial officer who’s saddled with getting a big project up and running (in his case, the first Death Star), forced to deal with uncaring bosses and winds up having some rebellious types screw the whole thing up.
51. Salacious B. Crumb
In some galactic circles, Kowakian monkey-lizards are sold as street meat. Salacious avoided being cooked on a spit, and as Jabba the Hutt’s resident court jester, got a front-row seat to laugh mockingly at those who crossed his boss.
50. Migs Mayfeld
A former Imperial sniper turned mercenary, Migs is usually getting into trouble and palling around with criminals. The guy’s got an honorable side, though, and helped the Mando take down an Imperial refinery – plus gave an old commanding officer a piece of his mind, to boot.
49. Count Dooku
Christopher Lee with an awesome cape and a lightsaber. How do you not love that combination?
48. Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo
The Resistance leader with the purple hair was hard to read: She went way back with Leia, but didn’t appreciate Poe Dameron’s trigger-happy attitude. But she made the ultimate sacrifice for her fellow rebels in a strategic ploy against the First Order forever after named the “Holdo Manuever.”
47. Syril Karn
“Andor” gave fans something they hadn’t seen in a while: a complex yet weaselly guy you love to hate. Syril is a cockroach of a civil servant in the Empire, desperately trying to move his way up the ranks, though he’s been a little more relatable since getting himself an Imperial girlfriend.
46. Greedo
Forever famous for being an integral part of the decades-old “Did Han Solo shoot first?” debate. Sadly for this shady green dude, he ends up facedown and dead no matter how many times they edit the original “Star Wars” film.
45. Wedge Antilles
The Tom Cruise of the Rebel Alliance. The X-wing flyboy was a top gun taking on AT-ATs in the Battle of Hoth and being an integral member of Red Squadron during the attacks on both Death Stars.
44. Cad Bane
Don’t let the space fedora fool you. The ruthless gun-for-hire was a deadly shot with a blaster and as nasty an hombre as they come. A final showdown with his old pal Boba Fett didn’t go his way, though.
43. Mon Mothma
The Rebels’ primary mover and shaker behind the scenes, she first opposed the evil Palpatine in the Galactic Republic – putting her personal and professional lives in jeopardy – and then was integral in the growing resistance against the Empire.
42. Darth Maul
The Sith apprentice never got much to do in “The Phantom Menace” before getting sliced in half, falling down a shaft and being left for dead. (Spoiler alert: He got better.) Still, from his horns and tattoos to the double-bladed lightsaber, Maul’s bad-guy chic was hard to beat.
41. Wicket W. Warrick
Arguably the cutest Ewok, Wicket became the unofficial furry mascot of the Rebel Alliance and also has a cooler name than his buds Paploo, Logray and Chief Chirpa.
40. Qui-Gon Jinn
Liam Neeson’s wise Jedi master was the first one to figure out that Anakin Skywalker was something special. It’s probably for the best he didn’t see the very dark turn the kid would take.
39. Fennec Shand
Equal parts major domo, bodyguard and partner, she’s a former bounty hunter and loyal right hand for Boba Fett who plays bad cop to his good cop extraordinarily well. Fennec is the strong and silent type but can be counted on for the occasional deadpan zinger.
38. General Hux
The embattled First Order military man was pretty much the most stressed-out guy in the galaxy, first watching as Starkiller Base was blown sky high and then having to chase various rapscallions in the Resistance before becoming a spy on the inside.
37. Maz Kanata
She likes Wookiees, running a crazy space bar, looking into people’s eyes to see their souls and collecting antique lightsabers. Folks back in the day had Yoda as their feisty oldster and the kids now have Maz.
36. Enfys Nest
We’re probably never getting a “Solo” sequel and the most tragic part of that is we only got one movie with this Cloud-Riders’ leader, an enigmatic pirate and freedom fighter with an awesome look (and swoop bike!) years before being a Rebel was a thing.
35. Moff Gideon
After the fall of the Empire, Gideon made a play for being the galaxy’s No. 1 baddie. He wielded the Darksaber (before Luke Skywalker and Mando teamed up to defeat him), tried many times to kidnap Grogu, headed up the creation of robotic Dark Troopers and overall was a menace to society.
34. Mace Windu
Giving Samuel L. Jackson an awesome tunic and a lightsaber is the easiest way to make sure you have the most groovy Jedi master ever.
33. K-2SO
The most human of all the various “Star Wars” droids also is the snarkiest robot in the Rebel Alliance. And we adore him for it.
32. Padmé Amidala
The queen of Naboo as well as Luke and Leia’s mom, Padmé honestly wasn’t the greatest at picking guys, and her friendship with Jar Jar was a head-scratcher, too, but she was quite the woman of action when needed.
31. Grand Moff Tarkin
Even a guy like Darth Vader has to answer to somebody, and in the original “Star Wars” there was nobody more ruthless or cunning than Tarkin. Who ordered the blast that took out the planet Alderaan? Yep, that guy. Cold. Blooded.
30. C-3PO
The protocol droid is always good for getting in the way and giving you odds of death during stressful space missions when you least want or need them. He’s fluent in more than 7 million forms of communication and probably annoying with every single one.
29. Kuiil
This helpful Ugnaught and Mando pal might be the most honorable guy in the galaxy. We have spoken.
28. Rose Tico
The sister of a heroic Resistance bomber pilot, the mechanic tases traitors, gets her time in the spotlight on a death-defying mission with her idol Finn, and fights with the good guys in one last showdown with the First Order.
27. Figrin D’an
On one hand, the frontman of the Modal Nodes from the original “Star Wars” was an intergalactic one-hit wonder. That said, just like “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” “One Night in Bangkok” and “99 Luftballoons,” “The Cantina Band” theme is as tasty a jam as it ever was.
26. Chirrut Imwe
He’s one with the Force, and the Force is with him. The spiritual warrior gave us the most ethereal “Star Wars” quote since “May the Force be with you.”
25. Bo-Katan Kryze
A supporting player in the “Clone Wars” animated series finally got her spotlight in “The Mandalorian,” teaming up with the Mando and rallying opposing factions of her people to bring Mandalore back in a big way.
24. BB-8
The little ball droid rolled into our hearts in “The Force Awakens” and is probably staying there for a while. BB-8 loves Poe, kinda digs Finn and is always available if you need a light or a thumbs up.
23. Jabba the Hutt
So corpulent he didn’t even move in “Return of the Jedi,” Jabba was an intergalatic gangster with some serious swag. Owe him some money and you’re likely to wind up in a carbonite frame and hung on the wall as cautionary-tale decor for the next poor soul.
22. Finn
He’s given a face to cannon-fodder Stormtroopers, plus has a penchant for flirting and a heroic streak. So, yeah, Finn’s a “big deal” in the Resistance and in fans’ hearts.
21. Jyn Erso
She watched her mom die in front of her as a child, lost her dad to the Empire and was raised under the watchful eye of a Rebel extremist – so not the greatest upbringing. An ex-con, Jyn more than proved her worth as a hero stealing the plans to the Death Star. In short? She rules.
20. Kylo Ren
Being the grandson of Darth Vader ain’t easy: Do you embrace the light side of the Force like your parents and Uncle Luke, or is the dark side more your thing? With a lot of gravitas and some serious TIE fighter-flying skills, Ben Solo moved up the ranks after a memorable arc in “The Last Jedi” but we’d rather forget that final “Rise of Skywalker” kiss with Rey.
19. Cassian Andor
The “Rogue One” spy gets quite the origin story with the prequel “Andor.” After killing a couple of cops, Cassian goes on the run and winds up aligning himself with the Rebels, helps spark a prison riot, and resists fascist regimes like a champ, even though we know his ultimate fate is not a great one.
18. Admiral Ackbar
Pop culture may know him for tossing one very memorable, meme-worthy line in a stressful situation (“It’s a trap!”) yet Ackbar goes bravely into battle against the second Death Star with the Rebel fleet, plus lives long enough to be an important part of the later Resistance.
17. Lando Calrissian
The smoothest of operators, Lando was forgiven too easily after betraying Han Solo and friends and gifting them to Darth Vader for some political capital. He helped save Han from Jabba, became a Rebel general and took down a Death Star, so probably a win in the long run.
16. Poe Dameron
The greatest pilot in the Resistance, if not the galaxy. So he’s got that going for him.
15. Grogu
So his name’s not technically Baby Yoda, though he’ll always be known as that in our hearts. And he’s not exactly a baby, being 50 years old. But you can’t dispute the pure heart-melting power of the little guy who’s taken pop culture by storm hanging with his adopted dad, the Mando.
14. Boba Fett
For a whole generation, he was the universe’s most mysterious fan favorite, a bounty hunter who didn’t say all that much and got eaten by a sand monster before we got to know him. “The Book of Boba Fett” however showed the man underneath that signature helmet and rocket pack and gave him an unexpected redemption arc.
13. The Emperor
At one time the baddest man in the universe, no matter what name he goes by. As Senator Palpatine, he created a political situation perfect for the coming of a fascist Empire, and as Darth Sidious, led the fight to wipe out the Jedi. His “Rise of Skywalker” return took away much of that shine, and at the end he wasn’t as scary as …
12. Dedra Meero
While the Empire had its share of fright-inducing folks, you didn’t get more ambitious or sinister than this member of the Imperial Security Bureau. Cold, calculating and highly intelligent, Dedra saw the rebellion coming when none of her other peers did. And good luck to anybody who gets in her way.
11. Rey
‘Star Wars’ quiz: ‘Skywalker’ stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega face off
John Boyega and Daisy Ridley get the same graduate-level quiz from USA TODAY to see who has better knowledge of the galaxy.
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The young heroine is fierce, smart, way strong in the Force and an ideal hero for little “Star Wars” fans, no matter their gender, and she doesn’t suffer old Jedi masters (or hotheaded Sith lord wannabes she’s got some chemistry with) who give her a hard time.
10. Chewbacca
Perhaps the most egregious fail in “Star Wars” history was Chewbacca not getting a service medal after the Battle of Yavin. And don’t even go there calling him a “sidekick” – Han Solo’s hairy best friend is the Rebels’ most loyal jack of all trades and also has an affinity for porgs.
9. Din Djarin
The bounty-hunting gunslinging space dad travels the galaxy in a post-Empire world with a tragic backstory and son Grogu in tow. Mando got in trouble for taking off his helmet, although we need to know is he’s got a big ol’ heart underneath that valuable beskar armor.
8. R2-D2
He’s best known as the other half of an iconic mechanical pairing with Threepio, and that’s all well and good. But one of the neatest “Star Wars” friendships is between Luke Skywalker and Artoo, a duo that remained tight from the sands of Tatooine to the swamps of Dagobah.
7. Obi-Wan Kenobi
The prequel trilogy isn’t good for much, but what those films do is give old Ben a tragic backstory: Before protecting Luke for years and being killed by Vader, Obi-Wan was one of the Clone Wars’ greatest heroes until he and the Jedi were betrayed by his talented apprentice and best friend.
6. Ahsoka Tano
Originally a character in the animated “Clone Wars” series, Anakin Skywalker’s young Padawan figured out that being a Jedi wasn’t much of a career track way before Luke Skywalker also saw the heroic order’s flaws. Now a grown-up with her own “Ahsoka” Disney+ show, she’s a capable warrior with a pair of lightsabers and a bunch of fight left in her.
5. Yoda
Don’t underestimate the wizened little green guy putzing around with a laser sword. He acrobatically took on Palpatine in the prequels, but the Jedi master’s best work came showing Luke the ways of the Force and preparing him to face Vader.
4. Luke Skywalker
Remember when everybody freaked out that no one knew what he was up to as an old man in “Force Awakens”? That’s just how integral he is to the original “Star Wars” trilogy and the overall saga. In terms of all-time hero’s journeys, his is up there, from his humble beginnings on Tatooine to learning of his sinister dad to becoming a Jedi master to sacrificing himself to help the Resistance.
3. Princess Leia
For the longest time, the late Carrie Fisher’s iconic heroine was the only one around in George Lucas’ movie universe, but she still redefined female characters in the sci-fi genre. She took no guff from anybody, particularly not slug-like villains who put her in metal bikinis, and will forever be the gold standard of “Star Wars” women.
2. Han Solo
A protagonist armed with not only a blaster but a signature smirk and questionable morals, the Corellian smuggler flew into fans’ hearts from the start and never let go. In many ways, Solo fueled the narrative as the Everyman caught up in a world of “hokey religions and ancient weapons” while just trying to make a buck. His return in “Force Awakens” – with the insta-classic line “Chewie, we’re home” – meant we were, too.
1. Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker
Much of the primary story of “Star Wars” is Anakin’s, a tragically Shakespearean exploration of what happens when “the chosen one” isn’t exactly that. From superhero to child killer to intergalactic enforcer, Vader’s arc leads him to want to rule the galaxy with his son by his side, though Luke doesn’t turn like his father when given the chance. Anakin does ultimately find redemption through sacrifice, and even after death his presence is still felt through Luke and his grandson, Kylo. This universe has no bigger or more important personality.
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Feelings on cheating? Hip hop? Surprising clues to picking Diddy jury
What we know now about Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ pre-trial court appearance
Sean “Diddy” Combs was in court for a pre-trial hearing in his federal sex crimes case. What was decided in today’s hearing? Here is what we know now.
NEW YORK ‒ If your significant other cheated on you, could you get past it?
At first blush, the answer might not seem relevant to Sean “Diddy” Combs’ upcoming sex-trafficking trial. But it’s the surprising type of clue lawyers may look for in picking jurors.
The hip-hop mogul faces charges that he trafficked women for “freak off” sex parties and ran a criminal enterprise that included kidnapping and forced labor. If he’s found guilty, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.
On May 5, prosecutors and Combs’ defense will begin the crucial step of selecting jurors.
The process includes potential jurors filling out a written questionnaire and answering verbal questions from the judge, or possibly even from the lawyers.
The judge can eliminate potential jurors who can’t attend the full trial for personal reasons or can’t commit to being fair and impartial. Each side will then get a chance to eliminate a limited number of remaining potential jurors for their own reasons.
The defense didn’t respond to a request for comment on how it’s preparing for jury selection, and the prosecution declined to comment. However, USA TODAY talked to jury and trial experts about what it could look like. Here’s what they said:
Response to cheating? Testing if jurors can compartmentalize violent Cassie video
One of the most difficult pieces of evidence for Combs may be a video depicting him dragging and kicking his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, in a hotel hallway. Judge Arun Subramanian ruled in late April that prosecutors, who say the video took place during a “Freak Off” and is “devastating proof” of sex trafficking, can show it to the jury.
Combs’ defense team has argued in court filings that the video was doctored.
Robert Hirschhorn, a lawyer and jury consultant, told USA TODAY that the defense may deal with the video by arguing that Combs was overcharged: he might be guilty of domestic violence, but prosecutors instead charged him with sex trafficking.
Hirschhorn has represented several high-profile clients, such as George Zimmerman, who was acquitted of murder and manslaughter in the death of Black teenager Trayvon Martin.
If the judge allows it, Hirschhorn might ask potential jurors if they are the type of people who could work through and compartmentalize their significant other cheating, or whether that would forever affect the relationship. The answer might help gauge if the person could also get past the video.
“Everybody that says, ‘compartmentalize,’ I don’t care what else they say – Unless they say, ‘I already think Diddy’s guilty,’ I’m putting them on the jury every day,” Hirschhorn said.
The juror who couldn’t get past the cheating?
“They’re a dog with a bone,” Hirschhorn said. “They can’t ever forget about it. That’s the juror that will convict.”
Race, gender, and sexual assault experiences
Wealthy defendants, in particular, will sometimes hold mini-trials with focus groups and send out surveys about the case. It’s all part of developing profiles of people you want on your jury, and perhaps especially of people you don’t want.
“Jury selection is really jury de-selection,” Eric Rudich, a social psychologist and litigation strategist at Blueprint Trial Consulting, told USA TODAY. “It’s not what you’re looking for. It’s the people that you feel like they’re going to be really bad for you.”
Prosecutors may seek to root out people who are wary of the government. Several of the questions that prosecutors want potential jurors to be asked have to do with feelings on law enforcement and experiences with the government.
Experiences with sexual assault or with being accused of assault could also be a major factor. Both sides have proposed questions to potential jurors about those experiences.
Prosecutors “want to try to keep on this jury any woman that has been the victim of some kind of unwanted sexual contact,” Hirschhorn said.
Combs’ team wants potential jurors to describe the music they like as well as their opinions about the hip-hop and rap music industry. That could be an avenue for figuring out if a potential juror has a bias toward Combs, either because of his race or the industry he is in.
“You can’t strike jurors based on ethnicity unless they reveal explicit bias,” Rudich said. “But questions about people’s opinions about hip-hop culture, P. Diddy in general – that’s going to probably reveal attitudes and predilections for favoring one side or another.”
Feelings on alternative sexual lifestyles?
Combs’ lead attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said in an April hearing that the defense team plans to tell jurors at trial that Combs belonged to an alternative sexual lifestyle as they make their case that he didn’t traffic women. “Call it swingers,” Agnifilo said.
“Swinging” involves singles or people in committed relationships who engage in consensual, non-monogamous sexual behavior.
The defense team’s proposed questionnaire suggests they want to know if jurors are open-minded to that kind of lifestyle or would hold it against Combs.
“There may be evidence in this case about people engaging in relationships with multiple sexual partners. Would hearing about that type of evidence affect your ability to serve as a fair and impartial juror in this case?” the questionnaire asks.
To the extent that potential jurors open up about their own experiences or lifestyles within their social circles, that could be one of the best measures of whether they could be receptive to Combs’ defense, according to Hirschhorn.
“I’d want to know if anybody’s ever experimented with things like swapping, or any of that kind of outside-of-the-norm sexual behavior,” Hirschhorn said. “If you know somebody that’s a swinger – I’d take that juror.”
Hung jury? Finding the one who just won’t go along
The prosecution’s goal in Combs’ criminal trial isn’t just to find one juror who concludes Combs is guilty. It needs all 12 jurors to agree to win a conviction.
That’s not necessarily the strategy for Combs’ defense team. While they also need a unanimous verdict to win an acquittal, a divided jury would force the prosecution to decide if it wants to try him again, and the judge might not allow for retrial after retrial after retrial.
That disparity means one kind of juror the defense, in particular, may want is someone who just doesn’t like to go with the crowd.
“The defense wants people who are iconoclastic, who will in some way feel that there is a dominant culture out there that is trying to impose things on the rest of society,” Mitchell Epner, a longtime New York litigator and former federal prosecutor, told USA TODAY.
Combs’ defense has said it wants potential jurors to be asked about their decision-making styles in groups, including whether they go with what the majority favors. It has also proposed asking jurors about the political commentators they listen to and whether they belong to any clubs.
“You love an acquittal, obviously, but a hung jury is also a win for your client,” Rudich said. “All you need is one juror to find for you.”
Aysha Bagchi covers the Department of Justice for USA TODAY. She is an attorney, Harvard Law graduate, and Rhodes Scholar. You can follow her on X and Bluesky at @AyshaBagchi.
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What to know about Sean Combs case
What we know now about Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ pre-trial court appearance
Sean “Diddy” Combs was in court for a pre-trial hearing in his federal sex crimes case. What was decided in today’s hearing? Here is what we know now.
Once an all-powerful Hollywood heavy hitter, Sean “Diddy” Combs now awaits trial in a New York jail.
As the embattled media mogul faces spending the rest of his life in federal prison, investigators allege that Combs was the mastermind behind an elaborate scheme to abuse alleged victims in a pervasive pattern of sexual assault and rape to “fulfill his sexual desires.”
Combs’ trial begins May 5 in New York City and as the Billboard chart-topping rapper remains behind bars, his federal sex-crimes case is preparing to be officially underway.
Here’s what to know about prosecutors’ case against Combs – and his attempt to defend himself amid a flurry of criminal charges.
Diddy arrested in September at Manhattan hotel
Diddy was first arrested in September at a Manhattan hotel and was subsequently charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all five counts.
The Bad Boy Records founder’s arrest followed bicoastal federal raids at his Miami and Los Angeles homes in March 2024.
Federal prosecutors submitted a second superseding indictment this March, updating an amended indictment from January that added three unnamed women who were allegedly victims of his so-called sex trafficking enterprise, which claims Combs subjected employees to forced labor under inhumane circumstances.
In a third superseding indictment, prosecutors added two additional counts – one count of sex trafficking and one count of transportation to engage in prostitution of alleged “Victim-2” – to the previous three charges against him.
Diddy sex-crimes charges total five counts, including sex trafficking
Combs is charged with two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and one count of racketeering. In early April, federal prosecutors added two additional counts to their case against the “I’ll Be Missing You” hitmaker, including one count each of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Racketeering is the participation in an illegal scheme under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Statute, or RICO, as a way for the U.S. government to prosecute organizations contributing to criminal activity.
Using RICO law, which is typically aimed at targeting multi-person criminal organizations, prosecutors allege that Combs coerced victims, some of whom they say were sex workers, through intimidation and narcotics to participate in “freak offs” – sometimes dayslong sex performances that federal prosecutors claim they have video of.
Diddy’s federal trial isn’t about civil lawsuits
The federal criminal trial centering around Diddy does not include dozens of civil lawsuits levied against him over the past year.
However, the court battle coincides with the barrage of civil suits that have upended Combs’ public persona and accused the rapper of numerous abuses, including sexual assault, rape and physical violence. Some claims involve minors.
Many of the suits filed against Diddy hail from controversial Texas lawyer Tony Buzbee. The lawsuits against Combs, 55, were filed in a New York federal court by the Houston attorney’s Buzbee Law Firm and others, as part of the 120 alleged victims the firm announced would file suits against the producer in 2024.
Combs’ lawyers have suggested that his behavior was sexual ‘swinging’
Combs’ lawyers laid groundwork for his legal defense during a court hearing April 25.
At the hearing, the embattled music mogul’s legal team argued that he’s not guilty of federal sex crimes because, in his mind, he was simply engaging in sexual “swinging.”
“Swinging,” a consensual but non-monogamous sexual behavior, takes place when singles or partners in committed relationships engage in intimate acts.
Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo said his legal team agrees they shouldn’t be able to argue Combs is being selectively targeted for prosecution, but they need to be able to say that there is “a lifestyle” Combs had, quipping: “Call it swingers.”
Diddy remains in jail as trial begins
Despite repeated attempts at bail, Combs was ordered to remain in custody at the Special Housing Unit in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center ahead of his May 5 trial – a ruling his legal team has challenged. He’s been there since his arrest on Sept. 16, 2024.
The New York City jail also houses suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter Luigi Mangione and disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. In a March interview, the former entrepreneur praised his fellow famed inmate.
“I’ve only seen one piece of him, which is Diddy in prison, and he’s been kind to people in the unit; he’s been kind to me,” Bankman-Fried told former Fox News host Tucker Carlson on his podcast. “It’s a position no one wants to be in.”
Contributing: Edward Segarra, KiMi Robinson, Taijuan Moorman, Patrick Ryan, Brendan Morrow, Aysha Bagchi