June 22, 2025
Sunday 6/22 SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE. The Media Circus: Diddy, Celebrity Trials, and the Court of Public Opinion
With the Diddy trial on pause, Nate Oliver dives into the spectacle outside the courthouse—where cameras, livestreamers, and hashtags shape the story as much as any witness. From TikTok sleuths to tabloid leaks, Nate unpacks how media coverage, public demonstrations, and viral moments influence not just the headlines, but the very course of justice. Comparing Diddy’s case to the media frenzies around O.J. Simpson, Harvey Weinstein, and R. Kelly, this episode explores the double-edged sword of fame, the risks of “trial by media,” and why, in the age of social platforms, the battle for public opinion can be as fierce as the fight in the courtroom
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WEBVTT
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Callaroga Shark Media. Welcome back to Did He Do It?
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The Daily podcast bringing you every raw, unfiltered detail from
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the Sean Ditty Combs Trial and the spectacle that's grown
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around it. I'm Nate Oliver, and with the courtroom dark
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for Juneteenth and just a half day session on Friday,
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let's pull back the curtain and talk about the media circus.
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How celebrity trials like Ditties are shaped by the cameras,
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the live streams, the social feeds, and the crowd outside
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the courthouse. Every morning before the judge even takes the bench.
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The scene outside five hundred Pearl Street is electric. There
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are the network news vans, the legacy press with their
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umbrellas and notepads, and now a new breed of live streamers,
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TikTokers and YouTubers who've turned the steps of the courthouse
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into their own broadcast studio. Some are there for the story,
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others for the spectacle, and more than a few are
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there to go viral. It's a far cry from the
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days when the OJ Simpson trial ruled the airwaves, but
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in many ways it's the same old drama, just with
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faster technology and a million more voices. Inside, the impact
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is unmistakable. Reporters and influencers rush to post every twist
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the moment their phones are returned at the end of
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the day, social media explodes with hashtags, hot takes, and clips,
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sometimes before the lawyers have even finished their closing arguments.
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The result is a real time global conversation where everyone's
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upundit and the line between reporting and opinion blurs fast.
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You see it in the way the ditty trial trends
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on Twitter every afternoon, or how a single TikTok can
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rack up hundreds of thousands of views dissecting a witness's
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body language or the judge's tone. But this isn't just
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about clicks and views. The media's influence runs deep, shaping
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not only what the public thinks, but what the jurors
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might feel. No matter how many times the judge tells
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them to avoid coverage, Studies show that even the most
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well meaning jurors can't completely shut out the world. Social media,
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especially creates echo chambers and viral narratives that can reinforce groupthink,
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polarize opinions, and sometimes even intimidate those inside the courtroom.
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The Johnny Depp versus Amber Herd trial, for example, became
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a TikTok sensation, with memes and commentary, arguably shaping the
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public's verdict before the juries. The same thing happened with
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Gwyneth Paltrow's Ski trial, where her wellness routines and courtroom
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fashion became part of the story, not just the facts
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of the case. Outside, protesters and supporters clash, holding up
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signs for justice or waving banners for Ditty's innocence. Every
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time a big witness arrives, there's a scrum of cameras
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and microphones, and when Ditty's mother leaves the building, it's
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a friends of shouts and live streams, sometimes crossing the
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line between reporting and harassment. The courthouse plaza isn't just
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a place for news. It's a stage and everyone's performing.
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And then there's the question of fairness. Trial by media
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isn't just a phrase. It's a real risk. When a
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case is this public, the pressure on everyone involved ratchets up.
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Lawyers have to manage not just the judge and jury,
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but the court of public opinion. Sometimes the media spotlight
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uncovers hidden evidence or pressure's a settlement, but it can
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also twist facts, amplify rumors and make it impossible for
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a defendant or a victim to ever fully clear their name.
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The Casey Anthony trial, the Amanda Knox case, even Michael
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Jackson's courtroom battles all were shaped by the glare of
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the cameras and the relentless churn of headlines. Sometimes celebrities
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get sympathy and the benefit of the doubt. Other times,
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the public is out for blood and no verdict will
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ever satisfy everyone. It's a double edged sword. On one hand,
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fame can buy better lawyers, more resources, and a platform
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to sway public perception. On the other, it brings scrutiny
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that can be psychologically brutal, with every move dissected, in
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every pass mistake dragged into the light. Jurors are human.
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They might feel awe, envy, or resentment toward a celebrity defendant.
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Sometimes that means a lighter touch, Sometimes it means holding
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them to a higher standard, expecting them to be role
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models or scapegoats. Research shows that, if anything, celebrities are
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convicted at a slightly higher rate than non celebrities, but
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the real impact is in the unpredictability and the spectacle.
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The Didty trial is a perfect example of how the
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media landscape has changed. Thirty years ago, the OJ Simpson
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trial was a television event, with every moment broadcast live
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and analyzed by a handful of talking heads. Today, the
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Ditty trial unfolds across hundreds of social platforms, with influencers,
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independent journalists, and ordinary people all adding their voices to
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the mix. Sometimes the mainstream media is playing catch up
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as live streamers and YouTubers break news and shape the
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narrative in real time. The result is a trial that's
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as much about the battle for public opinion as it
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is about the facts in the courtroom. And it's not
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just the Ditty trial. Harvey Weinstein's retrial happened just blocks away,
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but it's Ditty who's dominating the headlines and the hashtags.
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The me Too movement, which exploded into public consciousness with
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the Weinstein case, is now being debated and dissected all
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over again, this time with hip hop and celebrity culture
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in the spotlight. Survivors and advocates worry about backlash and
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narrative control, while Ditty's supporters argue that he's being tried
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in the court of public opinion before the jury ever
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gets to deliberate more in a moment. If you want selacious,
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you don't have to look far. Every day, the tabloids
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and gossip blogs churn out new stories about Ditty's alleged parties,
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the guest lists, the wild nights at the Trump International,
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or the infamous freak off suites. There are rumors about
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who's been subpoenaed, who's been spotted sneaking into the courthouse,
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and who's been quietly cooperating with the feds. Social media
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detectives pour over every blurry photo and leaked text, speculating
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about who the next bombshell witness might be or what's
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hidden in those sealed court filings. The Daily Mail runs
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side by side photos of Ditty's xes, while TMZ posts
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videos of Kanye West showing up in support, and Page
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six breathlessly reports on which celebrities have unfollowed Ditty this week.
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Even the courtroom sketches become viral fodder. One day it's
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Ditty slumped at the defense table. Another day it's Jane
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in tears or the judge glaring over his glasses. People
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analyze the outfits, the body language, the smallest gestures. Did
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did he wink at the jury was that a smirk
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or a grimace. Did a witness just roll her eyes
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at the prosecutor? TikTokers turn these moments into memes, and
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suddenly the trial is as much about the spectacle as
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the substance. And let's not forget the leaks. Every few days,
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a new exclusive surfaces. Maybe it's a snippet from a
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sealed deposition, a rumor about a secret settlement, or a
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leaked video clip that's not supposed to be public. Sometimes
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these leaks are strategic, meant to sway public opinion or
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rattle the other side. Other Times they're just the result
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of too many people with too much access and too
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little impulse control. Either way, they feed the beast and
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the story grows bigger, wilder, and harder to control. Meanwhile,
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the people at the center of the storm, Jane, Cassie
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Mia the other accusers, are living their trauma in public.
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Every detail of their testimony is dissected, doubted, or weaponized.
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Online supporters rally to their side, but trolls and skeptics
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are relentless. For survivors, the media circus can be a
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second trial, one that never really ends. For Ditty, the
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scrutiny is unrelenting. Every old interview, every pass lawsuit, every
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rumor about his parties or his business dealings is dredged
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up and re examined. His defenders say he's being targeted
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because of his fame and wealth, while critics argue that
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his celebrity has shielded him for too long. The truth is,
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in a case like this, there's no escaping the spotlight.
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The judge tries to keep the proceedings fair, warning jurors
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to avoid coverage and scolding lawyers for playing to the cameras,
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but everyone knows the real trial is happening in the
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court of public opinion. When the verdict comes, it won't
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just be about guilt or innocence. It'll be about whose
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story the world believes and whose voice was loudest. So
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as the trial pauses and the city catches its breath. Remember,
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justice is supposed to be blind, but in the age
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of the media circus, it's never deaf. The cameras, the hashtags,
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the crowds, they're all part of the story. Now, when
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court resumes, the battle for public opinion will be raging
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right alongside the fight for a verdict. That's where we
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stand as the trial takes a break, I'll be back
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tomorrow for Week eight, with every new twist, every legal battle,
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and every rumor from inside and outside the courthouse. I'm
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Nate Oliver and this is did he do it?
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00:07:59.360 --> 00:08:03.120
125
00:08:03.160 --> 00:08:07.319
126
00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:11.759
127
00:08:11.800 --> 00:08:15.399
128
00:08:15.399 --> 00:08:20.560
129
00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:23.480
130
00:08:23.560 --> 00:08:26.959
131
00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:29.959
132
00:08:30.040 --> 00:08:33.159
133
00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:36.080
134
00:08:36.679 --> 00:08:40.039
135
00:08:40.039 --> 00:08:43.200
136
00:08:44.200 --> 00:08:46.559
137
00:08:46.600 --> 00:08:49.440
138
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139
00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:56.279
140
00:08:56.480 --> 00:09:00.000
141
00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:04.360
142
00:09:04.360 --> 00:09:09.360
143
00:09:09.399 --> 00:09:13.440
144
00:09:13.480 --> 00:09:16.279
145
00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:19.600
146
00:09:19.639 --> 00:09:22.360
147
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148
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149
00:09:30.759 --> 00:09:32.799