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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Women voters could prove key to Kamala Harris' election bid.</li><li>Women tend to register and vote at higher rates than men.</li></ul>With the US election drawing ever nearer, both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are turning their attention to a few specific voter groups in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/battleground-states-2024-presidential-election-road-white-house-2022-12">a number of key swing states that will likely determine who will be sitting in the White House come January</a>.One group where Harris will hope to make big gains is women, who tend to register and vote at higher rates than men.And it seems to be going well for the vice president so far.Since President Joe Biden dropped out of the running for the election in late July, a number of polls have shown women leaning increasingly toward the Democrats. A recent national Suffolk University/USA Today poll showed women favored Harris by 21 points.A key area closely connected to gender voting patterns — and which has helped tip elections toward the Democrats in recent years — is abortion rights.After the Roe v. Wade ruling was overturned in 2022, ending women's right to abortion nationally, the US saw a rise in reproductive rights activism as many states imposed abortion restrictions or bans. Harris' campaign has sought to build on their concerns and activism.Harris reshaped the election race by "advocating for women's health, reproductive freedom and abortion access more vocally and more powerfully than Biden did and than the Trump/Vance ticket is," Shana Gadarian, a professor of political science at Syracuse University, has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://news.syr.edu/blog/2024/07/25/not-all-women-will-vote-for-kamala-harris-but-a-lot-might/">said</a>."She ties access to reproductive care to a theme of progress and freedom in ways that Biden did not," she added.Women-led political action committees (PACs) and organizations have also been rallying behind the vice president over the issue.Ali Monge, the head of the Women for American Values and Ethics PAC, told Business Insider that in a post-Roe world, women "want our voices heard.""Women are fired up again, and [Harris] being a minority as well says a lot. It's pretty empowering and a lot of youth are excited about that," she added.Jessica Mackler, the president of EMILY'S List, another PAC that supports abortion rights, said, "The energy and excitement that we see around the vice president's candidacy are because she has led her whole life on issues that really matter to women voters and matter to voters across the country, like reproductive freedom."For his part, Trump seems well aware of the threat the gender gap poses to his election bid, and he has continued to try to walk a fine line on issues like abortion by keeping the Evangelical voters in his base enthused without sacrificing women who support abortion access. He has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-trump-harris-contraception-debate-vance-2f11a66ab4619fcb3d9917ee51a9c060">avoided answering</a> repeated questions about whether he would veto a national abortion ban.In August, Trump wrote on Truth Social: "My Administration will be great for women and their reproductive rights" — that's despite his previous claims that he was the most "pro-life president" in history.<h2 id="93477451-47aa-4c91-8e85-5b4066e6e158">Greek life</h2><div type="image" title="Donald Trump and Kamala Harris at their first presidential debate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania." height="768" width="1024" msid="113548355" hostid="261" sizebytes="34600"></div>Harris is also looking to her sorority sisters for support as the election looms.The vice president is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the US's oldest Black sorority and part of the National Pan-Hellenic Council — more commonly known as the Divine Nine.The roughly 4 million members that make up the council could play an important role in drumming up support for Harris, with members having <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2020/11/09/933117256/in-harris-black-sororities-and-fraternities-celebrate-one-of-their-own">previously backed her</a> as she rose through the political ranks."We have nine organizations, and if we all mobilize as we have, we're going to get the vote out," Tonya Ly, a founding member of the Run Sister Run PAC, told BI."They've already sent out a statement to mobilize because they can't directly endorse a candidate, but they can mobilize and get voters out. So they're having voter registration drives. They're figuring out how to get people to the polls. This happens every year, but it's on a larger scale now because we want change in the country," she added.Black women are also getting behind Harris' running mate, Tim Walz, who has established himself as a reproductive rights messenger in his own right.As governor of Minnesota, Walz has signed legislation to establish a new Office for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls and has also sought to protect abortion laws."He is the right white man for the job," Brenda Coles, a Virginia-based activist told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/08/21/black-women-tim-walz-00175662">Politico</a>.Walz has also opened up about his own family's fertility journey."Even if you've never experienced the hell of infertility, I guarantee you know somebody who has," Walz said at the DNC in August. "I remember praying each night for a call with good news, the pit in my stomach when the phone would ring, and the agony when we heard the treatments hadn't worked.""I'm letting you in on how we started our family because that's a big part of what this election is about—freedom," he added.Walz also offers a sharp contrast to Trump's VP pick, JD Vance, who has faced public backlash over a number of controversial resurfaced comments about women, including his now infamous labeling of Harris and other high-profile Democrats as "childless cat ladies."Announcing her endorsement of Harris on Instagram, pop star Taylor Swift made particular note of the two candidates' running mates, saying she had been "heartened and impressed" by Harris' selection of Walz as he had "been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman's right to her own body for decades."She also took the opportunity to take a jab at Vance, signing off her post: "Taylor Swift ... Childless Cat Lady."<h2 id="f2aedbc2-a106-42fb-82c5-614b14e86171">The Swift effect</h2><div type="image" title="A composite image of Taylor Swift smiling as she performs with a guitar onstage and of Kamala Harris speaking from a podium and pointing upward." height="1500" width="2000" msid="113548356" hostid="261" sizebytes="216592"></div>Harris has received a host of major celebrity endorsements since Biden dropped out of the race, including <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-kamala-harris-instagram-twitter-elon-musk-2024-9">big names like Swift</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hollywood-endorse-kamala-harris-george-clooney-charlixcx-2024-7">Billie Eilish</a>. Beyoncé has also seemingly shown her support for the vice president, allowing her to use her song "Freedom" for her presidential campaign — the same song <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/beyonce-threatens-cease-and-desist-trump-campaign-freedom-video-1235084830/">she moved to block Trump from using</a>.While celebrity endorsements are typically unlikely to have too much of an effect on voting, there are exceptions.And Swift and Beyoncé have the kind of global followings that could generate a sizable impact.As Darrell West, a senior fellow in the Governance Studies program at the Brookings Institution <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-beyonce-and-taylor-swift-endorsements-could-help-harris/">writes</a>: "The musicians' strong followings among young people, African Americans, and women, combined with their demonstrated ability to amplify another individual's messages, would suggest they could be very helpful to Harris.""In a close race, little things matter so it is possible that Swift/Beyoncé endorsements could be decisive in areas where the vice president needs a boost," he continued, adding: "These superstar endorsements could matter in exactly the same way as when Winfrey helped Obama more than a decade ago."

How reproductive rights, Greek life, and celebrity endorsements could prove key to Kamala Harris' bid for women voters 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Goldman Sachs last week promoted 95 people to partner — its largest class under CEO David Solomon.</li><li>Partners from Goldman's banking and markets and asset management units shared how they got the news.</li></ul>First came the calls. Then came the Champagne.Wall Street may be known for its long hours — but last week, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-partners-revealed-see-full-list-names-diversity-women-2024-11">95 of Goldman Sachs' top executives</a> pressed pause (briefly) to revel in a professional milestone: making partner.The role — Goldman's top designation outside the C-suite — <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-partner-class-perks-privileges-cross-ruffing-process-2024-10">represents a zenith</a> at the prestigious Wall Street bank. Goldman Sachs is a leading investment bank for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-partners-share-investment-banking-oral-histories-2024-7">corporate dealmaking</a> and trading, and its partners represent less than 1% of roughly 46,000 employees. On average, Goldman's newest partners have spent 16 years rising in the ranks, the bank said last week.Business Insider spoke to nine partners from the 2024 class about their big day, including how they celebrated with their families and teams. For some, the day raced by in a blur after getting the call from top bosses <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-ceo-david-solomon-memo-trump-presidential-victory-policies-2024-11">CEO David Solomon</a> or President and COO John Waldron. Many described an outpouring of support from inside the halls of Goldman Sachs, including balloons, congratulatory notes, applause from staff, and toasts with fellow members of their partner class.One trader told BI he sat in his office quietly to digest the news and not disturb the work of others, while another executive told BI she shouted across the trading floor, "We did it, team! We did it!" to hugs and applause. "It's like a wedding and birthday wrapped up in one amazing moment that you keep reliving," one new partner said.Here's a glimpse inside the big day of nine of Wall Street's up-and-coming executives, including what they did to mark the occasion. Answers have been edited for length and clarity and are ordered alphabetically by last name.<h2 id="7149a354-e3d3-4f1e-b8a4-c63d3a189018">Rob Barlick, region head for Florida and Latin America private wealth management</h2><div type="image" title="Robert Barlick" height="1125" width="1500" msid="115225868" hostid="261" sizebytes="83670"></div>David called me on my cell at 8:54 a.m. My team sits outside my office so they knew what had happened. They all rushed in to offer their congratulations, and we had a celebratory dinner later in the evening.One of the most remarkable things about being named partner is the flood of emails, texts, and calls you get after the announcement. I received literally hundreds of messages from colleagues, clients, alumni, and friends. It's a joyful rush of congratulations that's deeply moving.<h2 id="e22683da-a145-42f7-aa1e-cae0392d86b9">Lyla Bibi, head of the US healthcare equity-capital-markets group within investment banking</h2><div type="image" title="Lyla Bibi Goldman Sachs partner" height="1125" width="1500" msid="115225871" hostid="261" sizebytes="70364"></div>As someone who spent most of her professional career at GS, getting "the call" from John Waldron was a moment I imagined for decades (and was still woefully underprepared for it!).I called my husband first (and by extension my two youngest kids). My parents were my second call.I'd love to say it was a full day of celebrating, but there was a day job in between the incredible outpouring of congratulatory calls, hugs, visits, texts, and emails.There were some wonderful celebrations and tributes across the healthcare team — various women's groups as well as an intimate dinner hosted by the financing group partners with our spouses and partners. And coming home to flowers, Champagne, and cards — it's like a wedding and birthday wrapped up in one amazing moment that you keep reliving.<h2 id="71b7cc8f-c9bf-4944-b5b9-4ab9705296d1">Bracha Cohen, managing director in engineering within Goldman Sachs Asset Management, global head of client servicing and public portfolio servicing</h2><div type="image" title="Bracha Cohen" height="1501" width="2001" msid="115225878" hostid="261" sizebytes="56022"></div>I first got a call from John Waldron and then received a second call from our chief information officer, Marco Argenti. When my assistant saw who had called, she ran into my office to give me a hug. The first person I called was my husband, who told me he never doubted me for a minute.We had three celebrations at work over cake and Champagne – first for the teams I manage and work most closely with, then with all of the engineering managing directors in New York, and then with all of the existing and new asset-and-wealth-management partners. My husband took me to dinner and I suspect he's scheduling a "surprise" party with our seven children for this weekend.One of the things that made it possible for me to get to this point is the incredible support the firm provides to employees to enable them to grow their families. For example, I felt incredibly supported to be on leave for several months when I had triplets just two years after joining the firm, and on top of that got promoted to vice president in my first year of eligibility.Additionally, as an Orthodox Jew, I've never felt anything other than respect and understanding for my commitment to religion, including being unreachable over the Jewish Sabbath and holidays.<h2 id="a0810c31-5f56-47ac-98d9-402bbead7ef4">Matt Doherty, head of alternative capital markets, Americas</h2><div type="image" title="Matt Doherty Goldman Sachs partner" height="1607" width="2143" msid="115225873" hostid="261" sizebytes="70440"></div>It's interesting that David ended up calling me because I haven't interacted as much with David. That was actually our first conversation, which was nice.My team and I went to drinks with Kristin Olsen, the asset-and-wealth-management partner who leads the group, and a whole bunch of other folks at around 4 o'clock.Marc Nachmann runs our division — he put together an event for the current partners in AWM and the new partners at 200 West. I got to meet all my new partners, which was really fun.I didn't manage to see my kids before they went to bed, but I saw my wife, which was fun. We had a nice dinner together.The next morning, my 3-and-a-half-year-old and 1-and-a-half-year-old had made me breakfast and a card, which was really cute. The card said, "Congrats, Dada."I don't think day to day it will change my role too much, although I think this is a step up at the leadership level, being involved in helping weigh in on broader cultural issues or how we should evolve and change our practices as a firm.<h2 id="22771a02-3a57-4753-864e-273d29d226d7">Shane Lee, natural gas trader</h2><div type="image" title="Shane Lee, Goldman Sachs trader" height="1125" width="1500" msid="115225876" hostid="261" sizebytes="88144"></div>I got the call from John Waldron around 7 a.m. local time. Though it was a very exciting call, more than anything, I felt overwhelmingly humbled — almost embarrassed. I kept myself locked in my office away from the trading floor for a couple hours out of respect for the fact many others in the process were nervously awaiting their own news, and my teammates were at their busy peak of the day. I told my wife of 23 years and my parents, and then contemplated how I would break the news to the office without interrupting their days too much.We kept things tame at the office — brought in some lunch at work, and then I took the team out for a couple of drinks. I wanted to make sure I could get in some family time before the end of the night, and take the time to individually thank everyone who had reached out.My wife and I agreed we would celebrate by taking some nice formal family pictures soon. We haven't done that for many years. I know that sounds super boring, but the little family things are important to me. These days it's not easy to get my kids to spend time with me, so this will be a good excuse!I think I made it to partner because my teammates propelled me there. They need to want to work for you, and that's what I spend time on. I try and operate every day with empathy and humility and a healthy dose of fear of the market.<h2 id="d8943d85-886f-4f13-b464-fa1548ae9a39">Vishaal Rana, cross markets consumer retail investment banker</h2><div type="image" title="Vishaal Rana" height="1125" width="1500" msid="115225875" hostid="261" sizebytes="70632"></div>David Solomon called me. The call was short but one of the most consequential I've had over the years. It was surreal and, honestly, still has not completely sunk in.The first person I told was my wife, who was standing right next to me. She was so happy for me, and I could not have done this without her support over the years.I celebrated in a low-key way at home with my family. We had dinner and my wife and I enjoyed a toast. I even still did the dishes. I think that we will probably do a bigger celebration at some point in the future with family and friends, but I don't have one currently planned. This may be superstitious, but it felt like bad karma to plan a celebration too early.Joining the partnership represents the culmination of long-term persistence, being nimble throughout my career, always looking at opportunities and challenges through the lens of what's best for the firm, and the flexibility to work with founders at high-growth companies to boards of large-cap companies.<h2 id="b4b1dea0-ba6c-424e-bd97-84df4e42e837">Aaron Siegel, global head of entertainment investment banking</h2><div type="image" title="Aaron Siegel Goldman Sachs partner" height="1122" width="1497" msid="115225867" hostid="261" sizebytes="66452"></div>I joined GS over 20 years ago, just days after meeting my wife, Hayley, while moving to New York City. John Waldron was the first person I met at 85 Broad Street — it was a meaningful, full-circle moment to get the partnership call from him. I called Hayley right after to share the moment – and to reflect on how many colleagues, mentors, and clients have become like family.I happened to be stepping into a meeting with the Arthur Miller Foundation — an amazing nonprofit that supports theater teachers in schools across NYC and beyond — just as John called. I spent the rest of the day appreciating the transformative impact of great teachers and mentors and had the opportunity to thank many of mine throughout the day.I did celebrate with my wife and two sons – making sure my youngest stayed up well past his bedtime for us to all be together.<h2 id="fccc57f3-4c42-4681-af99-b91faf3bd4c0">Craig Smart, healthcare banker covering healthcare services and technology companies</h2><div type="image" title="Craig Smart Goldman Sachs partner" height="1125" width="1500" msid="115225877" hostid="261" sizebytes="75166"></div>I was on my way to the office after walking my daughter to school. My phone rang while I was on the subway. I quickly decided to get off the train and answer the call, having a feeling for what it might be about. There was a nervousness at the beginning of the call as John began speaking, which transformed into pure bliss and excitement once he delivered the news.I took the rest of my commute to process the magnitude of the moment. As soon as I got above ground, I called my wife, Kristin. It was the pinnacle of my professional career to date and a moment I'll never forget.The excitement and energy at the office was palpable. All day was filled with heartfelt congratulatory remarks from several members of the partnership and colleagues from across the firm. Marshall Smith, global head of healthcare, gathered the entire healthcare team and hosted a celebration for us on the 42nd floor, where he spoke about each of the newly promoted partners from our group individually and toasted the seven of us who are part of the 2024 class.After work, I went to an early dinner with Kristin and our three girls. It was a school night and my children are young, so we were home early, but we plan to find some time to celebrate properly with family and friends over the holiday season — specific plans still TBD.<h2 id="e3d88e7b-bfc7-42e4-b964-4175cd08db11">Sylvia Yeh, cohead of Goldman Sachs Asset Management's municipal fixed-income business</h2><div type="image" title="Sylvia Yeh Goldman Sachs partner" height="1125" width="1500" msid="115225870" hostid="261" sizebytes="139210"></div>I sit with my team on an open trading floor and we're known to be a bit of a fun and outspoken bunch. Not on Thursday, however – you could hear a pin drop even after people hit the desk. We were all just waiting, hoping, for that call to come in.Around 9:40 a.m., our turrets lit up – John Waldron was calling! I felt my heart just stop. And a montage of the last 25 years I've spent at the firm quickly flashed. I took a moment to just shake it off (literally) in my chair before picking up the line. All eyes were on me.John said, "Good morning." We exchanged "how are you's," and then I asked if he was calling because he wanted to open up a Muni Account. We laughed and he said that he was calling to welcome me to the partnership.When our call ended, I did another quick little happy dance, this time swung my chair around, and shouted, "We did it, team! We did it!" knowing that I could not have gotten here without the strong bench I have on my team. The rest is a bit of a blur — applause, cheers, confetti, streamers, balloons, and hugs.It felt like we celebrated all day. Asset-and-wealth divisional management hosted a new partner reception. It was such a wonderful opportunity to connect with current partners and raise a glass to my classmates — an extraordinary group of individuals. And, unbeknownst to me, my husband reserved a location for us to celebrate later that evening and coordinated with my team to make sure that all of my people were there.The only way to celebrate this achievement was to do it with the people who helped make it happen — my team.Are you a Goldman Sachs or Wall Street insider? Get in touch with these reporters with your story. Reed Alexander can be reached via email at ralexander@businessinsider.com or via the encrypted messaging app Signal 561-247-5758 , and Emmalyse Brownstein can be reached at ebrownstein@businessinsider.com or or via the encrypted messaging app Signal 305-857-5516.

How 9 newly minted Goldman Sachs partners celebrated their big day, from shouting across the trading floor to popping Champagne in the office

The investigation into the untimely death of <keyword id="21128622" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="liam-payne" source="keywords">Liam Payne</keyword>, former member of One Direction, has taken a dramatic new turn as authorities make arrests and uncover additional details surrounding his tragic fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. Payne, who was just 30, was found dead on October 16 after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel. New reports now reveal the complex and troubled circumstances leading up to that fatal night. According to an official autopsy obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Payne had multiple narcotics in his system when he died. The investigation’s spotlight has fallen on two men recently arrested: a hotel maintenance worker and a suspected local drug dealer. Both individuals are accused of supplying Payne with the narcotics, which reportedly included cocaine, as revealed by forensic tests. The investigation has also implicated an Argentine businessman who claimed to be Payne’s manager during the singer's last days. Authorities believe the businessman falsely presented himself in this role and was involved in several incidents that may have contributed to the singer's distress. <h2>Mysterious events</h2>Reports describe Payne’s hotel room as a chaotic environment: there were broken items, alcohol bottles, and narcotics. Witnesses say this tension culminated in a confrontation with two women, identified as "L" and "R," whom Payne had allegedly contacted via an escort app. In a heated encounter, the women reportedly demanded $5,000 from Payne, which led to an argument that spilled into the hotel lobby. The hotel manager attempted to de-escalate the situation by calling the Argentine businessman, who was said to be a friend of Payne. This businessman, however, now faces a charge of "abandonment of a person" for allegedly failing to notify Payne’s family about his worsening state or alerting authorities after his death. Although he has cooperated with police only through his lawyer, he has not been detained. Authorities believe that while he may not have directly caused Payne’s death, his actions could have prevented tragedy if he had intervened sooner. <h2>An expanding investigation</h2>In their search for answers, Argentine police have raided nine locations tied to those involved. They have gathered critical evidence, including nine mobile phones, computers, hard drives, and a jar of marijuana, which they believe may hold clues to what truly happened. One of the nine locations raided was the rented room of "L," who had reportedly spent time in Payne's hotel room before the fatal incident. However, after briefly speaking with authorities, she disappeared, adding another layer of mystery to the case. Neighbours reported hearing a dog barking from her now-vacant room, and police are actively searching for her. As the investigation deepens, Payne’s family is preparing for his body’s return to the UK, where they will lay him to rest. Authorities continue to analyse the extensive evidence collected in hopes of understanding the full scope of events that led to the tragic loss of the young star. (With inputs from agencies)

Mystery deepens in Liam Payne’s tragic fall: Two arrested as new clues emerge

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-connect-launch-celebrity-voices-ai-assistant-openai-scarlett-johansson-2024-9">Meta is reportedly using celebrities</a> like John Cena, Judi Dench, and Awkwafina to voice new AI chatbots.</li><li>Its earlier attempts at AI chatbots using the faces of celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Tom Brady didn't catch on.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meta">Meta</a> is reportedly set to introduce AI chatbots voiced by celebrities like John Cena, Awkwafina, Keegan-Michael Key, Kristen Bell, and Dame Judi Dench. This is, of course, huge news for the underserved market of the Denchbench. (I assume that's the name of the Judi Dench stan-dom) who haven't yet found the right reason to experiment with an AI voice chatbot.For the rest of us, the logic behind Meta's celebrity collaboration is a little more perplexing.Around this time last year, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-ai-chatbots-assistants-tom-brady-mr-beast-kendall-jenner-2023-9">Meta introduced a different round of celebrity AI assistants</a> as part of Messenger. These chatbots had the faces of celebrities like Kendall Jenner, Mr. Beast, Tom Brady, Snoop Dogg, and more. Strangely, these chatbots used the likenesses of the celebrities, but not their real names. For example, I chatted with "Billie," the character portrayed with an image of Kendall Jenner, whose chat persona was of a helpful sister-like friend.For the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-paying-celebrity-faces-of-ai-chatbots-as-much-as-5-million-2023-10">celebrity-faced AI assistants, Meta reportedly paid as much as $5 million</a> over two years — for six hours of work sitting in a studio. The deal didn't seem to work out too well for Meta. The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-scraps-kendall-jenner-tom-brady-celebrity-ai-chatbots-2024-8">chatbots were discontinued</a> by August, less than a year after their launch.So why is Meta using the celebrity AI playbook again if it apparently crashed and burned last time?<h2 id="b5b28601-135c-4d5b-9c10-917b127344b6">Celebrities might help AI be less threatening</h2>Maybe last year's chatbots weren't a failure by some metrics. Sure, people didn't seem interested in sticking around talking to fake Tom Brady, but maybe the goal was to get enough people to try using an AI chatbot just one time — and the celebrity gimmick worked for that.Or maybe Meta just has a really strange relationship with the concept of celebrity: It's not a brand like Doritos that uses celebrities in Super Bowl ads or a fashion house where an actress is the face of a perfume. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram">Instagram</a> has been so embedded in the concept of fame and celebrity for the last decade that it's impossible to imagine Meta and famous people existing without each other (whereas I can imagine Doritos getting along just fine).When Meta's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/threads-app">Threads</a> launched in the summer of 2023, a real tension appeared: Big, A-list celebrities — the kind who hadn't used Twitter in years — suddenly flocked to the new platform, bringing big follower counts with them. But most of those celebrities went silent after a day or two, perhaps realizing that a text-based medium wasn't really their jam. A few months later, Meta rolled out a program to give cash bonuses to reality stars in exchange for posting on Threads.When <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department-album-reviews-critics-reviews-2024-4">Taylor Swift released her latest album</a>, she did post to Threads, where Mark Zuckerberg enthusiastically posted to welcome her. There was even a custom sparkle effect made for users when they typed her album name. But after Meta rolled out the welcome mat for the star, she never posted again on Threads.And recently, when Swift made her announcement supporting Kamala Harris, she did it only on Instagram — not even a cross-post to the platform's text-native cousin (for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-kamala-harris-instagram-twitter-elon-musk-2024-9">good reasons, as my colleague Peter Kafka explains</a>).There have been other flops in the celebrity-Meta-ad world. In 2019, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://mashable.com/article/facebook-portal-tv-ad-jennifer-lopez-kim-kardashian-west">Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez</a>, two celebrities whose endorsements usually aren't cheap, starred in three TV spots to promote the Facebook Portal. The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katienotopoulos/facebook-portal-rip-amazon">Portal was discontinued</a> in late 2022.<h2 id="f684fc34-9ed2-45f0-89eb-636509c56634">How celebrities can help Meta</h2>So, Meta relying on celebrity voices for its AI products feels a little odd to me. Meta's products are usually really good at selling themselves because people love to use them. Celebrities even use them — without getting paid!But reuniting the cast of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/whatsapp-modern-family-tv-ad-us-growth-2024-7">"Modern Family" for a WhatsApp ad</a> suggests Meta might be using celebs to reach normies who might not typically be using AI or <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/what-is-whatsapp-guide">WhatsApp</a>. And with these latest AI assistant voices, Meta is not going with the hottest Gen Z influencers; it's using Judi Dench, after all.I mean, at least Meta didn't "accidentally" <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/openai-scarlett-johansson-sam-altman-chatgpt-disaster-why-2024-5">hire a soundalike of a well-known celebrity to be the voice for an AI companion</a> like, uh, some other AI competitors. Could be worse!Perhaps it's just that AI is still a little scary and impersonal, and Meta execs think putting a celebrity face — or voice — to it will help make it feel more accessible. Oddly, the ability of AI to impersonate celebrities is one of the things I think many people fear about the technology. But, ah well.My final guess as to Meta's play here is that these decisions come from somewhere deep inside the company, perhaps a decision based on an executive's instinct about what will pop, mixed with some data from the marketing team. I'm sure many meetings were held!I still hold on to my personal pet theory: <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://ai.meta.com/people/396469589677838/yann-lecun/">Yann LeCun</a> is a frothing fan of "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" franchise and demanded the Dame.

Meta has a curious addiction to celebrities

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Sean "Diddy" Combs' famed parties are being looked at in a new light after his federal indictment.</li><li>Celebrities who partied with Combs may want to consult their lawyers, entertainment attorneys told BI.</li></ul>Celebrities who attended <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-arrested-grand-jury-indictment-2024-9">Sean "Diddy" Combs'</a> parties should consider lawyering up, even if they attended one of his more high-profile soirees.Several entertainment attorneys told Business Insider that any celebrities who may have been involved in Combs' alleged <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-indictment-allegations-freak-off-sex-performances-2024-9">drug-fueled sex parties called "Freak Offs,"</a> in which prosecutors say the hip-hop mogul "used force, threats of force, and coercion" to get female victims to engage in sex acts with male commercial sex workers, should be especially worried and immediately consult an attorney.And while Combs' <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-cuban-glad-he-never-hung-out-with-diddy-2024-9">extravagant, star-studded </a>White Parties, which were thrown in the late 1990s and early 2000s, were not mentioned in the 14-page federal indictment against the entrepreneur, those who attended may also want to touch base with their lawyers, they said."The likelihood that prominent persons known to have attended these parties will be contacted by law enforcement personnel is very high," said Wayne Dennison, a partner at the firm Brown Rudnick who was part of the team that successfully represented <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/johnny-depp-amber-heard-verdict-legal-team-hugs-2022-6">Johnny Depp</a> in his defamation lawsuit against <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/johnny-depp-amber-heard-relationship-timeline-2020-7">Amber Heard</a>.There is "no downside" for celebrities who attended Combs' ritzy parties, thrown at glitzy locales like the Hamptons, Beverly Hills, and St. Tropez, to be "proactive about potentially being interviewed by law enforcement personnel with respect to this matter," Dennison, who is co-chairman of the firm's brand and reputation management team, said.On the other hand, Neama Rahmani, the president and cofounder of West Coast Trial Lawyers, said: "If I were a celebrity who participated in one of Diddy's 'Freak Offs,' I would be shaking in my boots.""At best, they're a witness in a case that is very likely going to trial," Rahmani said. "At worst, they're a codefendant."<div type="image" title="Sean &quot;Diddy&quot; Combs at one of his white parties." height="1763" width="3000" msid="113939127" hostid="261" sizebytes="267334"></div><h2 id="5474f25f-a61d-49ef-83d4-c10dd6218ae3">Celebrity guests may have 'relevant information' and be summoned to testify</h2>Combs' lavish shindigs are being viewed in a new light after the 54-year-old rapper and businessman was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-bond-court-jail-trial-2024-9">indicted by a Manhattan grand jury</a> last month on federal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation for the purposes of prostitution.Combs, who <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-metropolitan-detention-center-brooklyn-jail-indictment-2024-9">remains locked up at a Brooklyn jail</a>, has vehemently denied the charges and has pleaded not guilty.Some of the entertainment attorneys told BI that celebrities who attended Combs' A-list parties could be summoned to testify at a trial, even if they don't think they witnessed anything nefarious.Jurors tend to view well-known people as credible witnesses, Dennison said."By all accounts, Mr. Combs threw very large parties, which likely had some form of guest list that may now be available to prosecutors," Dennison said. "The only way for the prosecution to determine who knew what and when is to talk with those in attendance."Rahmani added that stars who attended Combs' high-profile parties could have "relevant information" and be compelled to testify.Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, said he would advise these individuals to consult with their lawyer and their publicist "because a lot of dirty laundry" could soon be made public.Camron Dowlatshahi, a Los Angeles entertainment attorney with Mills Sadat Dowlat LLP, agreed, saying it's possible prosecutors may bring in celebrities for witness interviews.However, Tre Lovell, an attorney and the owner of the Los Angeles-based Lovell Firm, told BI that he wouldn't rush to call a lawyer simply for attending one of Combs' parties as doing so "does not suggest unlawful or criminal activity.""He's a very famous celebrity and has been for decades before his recent indictment," Lovell told BI. "He's had many legitimate parties over the years and, chances are, most celebrities and guests were not aware of his sex parties."However, if a celebrity actually participated in any of the "Freak Off" parties, "then that would be something different, and I would suggest contacting your attorney" to "strategize how best to deal with any potential criminal investigation," Lovell said.<div type="image" title="A courtroom sketch of Sean Combs next to his defense lawyer, with security personnel in the background." height="2000" width="3000" msid="113939125" hostid="261" sizebytes="624808"></div><h2 id="ab007a3a-1abb-4846-8523-c5f1fad2c8b1">'Freak Offs' are at the center of Combs' indictment</h2>Federal prosecutors allege that for decades Combs "abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct."Combs and his associates "wielded the power and prestige" of the rapper's success to "intimidate, threaten, and lure female victims" into his orbit "often under the pretense of a romantic relationship," prosecutors say in the indictment.The "Freak Offs," prosecutors say, occurred regularly, often in hotel rooms, and sometimes lasted multiple days. During these events, prosecutors say Combs would give out a variety of drugs to the victims to keep them "obedient and compliant."Members of the Combs' enterprise, including high-ranking supervisors, security staff, household staff, and personal assistants, helped host the "Freak Offs" by booking hotel rooms, according to prosecutors. The staff stocked the parties with the "required" supplies, including drugs, baby oil, and lubricant, prosecutors say in the indictment."Combs subjected victims to physical, emotional, and verbal abuse to cause the victims to engage in Freak Offs," the indictment says.Combs' lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, has sought to portray the so-called "Freak Offs" as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-combs-diddy-appeal-jail-conditions-trial-prep-2024-9">consensual acts</a>.In a statement to BI, a Combs spokesperson drew a distinction between the "false allegations" against the hip-hop mogul and his famed parties."Sean Combs' white parties and other events were iconic, a true convergence of hip-hop, Hollywood, and Black excellence. His parties were a 'who's who' of A-list celebrities, with an endless stream of people vying to attend," the spokesperson said."It's disappointing to see the media and social commentators twist these cultural moments into something they were not," the spokesperson continued. "Shaming celebrities who attended, taking video clips and photos out of context, and trying to link these events to false allegations is simply untrue."<div type="image" title="An image of Sean &quot;Diddy&quot; Combs in an all-white suit at his famous &quot;white party&quot; in 2006." height="2000" width="3000" msid="113939124" hostid="261" sizebytes="386774"></div><h2 id="8b2c355a-46ee-4947-84a3-3666dc148e6b">A woman recently sued Combs, alleging she was forced to have sex with guests at the White Parties</h2>In one of a slew of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/timeline-sean-diddy-combs-sexual-misconduct-timeline-2024-2">civil lawsuits against Combs</a> accusing him of sexual misconduct, the former porn star <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-lawyer-nyc-sex-trafficking-charges-2024-7">Adria English</a> alleged Combs hired her as an entertainer for his White Parties at his Hamptons and Miami homes between 2004 and 2009 and forced her to have sex with guests.In the lawsuit, filed in July in Manhattan federal court, English said that during one White Party, she was required to wear a black dress "to denote her capacity there as an employee, but more sinisterly as a sex trafficked sex worker."In response to the lawsuit, Combs' attorney Jonathan Davis said: "No matter how many lawsuits are filed it won't change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone. We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason and without any proof."Rahmani told BI that if there was "overlap and there were sex workers" at Combs' parties, celebrity attendees should most definitely consult a lawyer.If the "Freak Offs" that prosecutors allege Combs held were completely separate from his star-studded bashes, then guests who attended should have nothing to worry about, he said.

Celebrities who partied with Diddy may want to contact their lawyers

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/i-faced-online-hate-didnt-want-kids-2023-3">Madalin Giorgetta</a>, 35, used to sell a fitness guide to help women get a curvy, muscular figure.</li><li>In 2019, she realized that her messaging was celebrating thinness, so she switched gears.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Madalin Giorgetta, 35, a fitness influencer-turned-nutritionist who lives in Australia. The following has been edited for length and clarity.In 2019 I ran a fitness empire and had one million Instagram followers. Today, I'm a nutritionist, but I wouldn't change it for the world.I used to get 60,000 likes on a bikini photo, be a GymShark athlete, and sell my own workout program. Once I realized I was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fitspiration-doesnt-work-but-worsens-body-image-self-esteem-study-2020-3">endorsing harmful ideas about body image</a>, I shifted gears. Now I get 500 likes on a graphic I made about nutrition science, and I'm just so happy someone is liking my content even though it doesn't have my body in it.It all started back in 2016 when I ate crap and didn't exercise. I ran a social media management business with my sister at the time. My then-boyfriend, now-husband, said it would be good for me to start taking care of my body in a loving way. I started going to the gym, kind of just to prove to him that I could.I signed up for a fitness app made by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-top-fitness-influencer-kayla-itsines-sells-empire-sweat-400m-2021-7">Kayla Itsines</a>, a famous personal trainer and fitness influencer who was huge at the time. After about six months, she reposted a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fake-before-and-after-weight-loss-photos-2017-3">before-and-after photo</a> I had uploaded, and I gained about 10,000 followers overnight. Back then, when someone was posted by Kayla, they would blow up.My following built from there, but I didn't actually have that much fitness experience. People were asking me for advice, and I was like, "Oh, I'm a fitness person now."<h2 id="06d28b08-4c7f-49bb-a980-1bb5ee77c70c">I built my own program, and people loved it</h2><div type="image" title="Madalin Giorgetta takes a mirror selfie in gym clothes." height="1366" width="1242" msid="114866792" hostid="261" sizebytes="57978"></div>This was around the time that everyone was sick of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/burpees-every-day-fitness-after-health-scare-pulmonary-embolism-recovery-2024-3">burpees</a> and mountain climbers, and the beauty standard was shifting from skinny to curvy but in a muscular way.The guide I was following was designed to be used at home with minimal equipment, and after a while, I started to get frustrated that my body wasn't building muscle the way I wanted it to.I wanted to get stronger and have a muscular body, so I started researching and reading about how to do that. I fell into a rabbit hole about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/fitness/how-to-build-muscle">how to build muscle</a> and the best techniques, and I developed a program for myself that incorporated weights.I was naturally thin, but through the gym, I managed to shape myself into the aspirational aesthetic of the time. I had the solution, essentially.At this stage, I was influencing but still running my social media business. Influencing was an income stream on the side.I started selling my guide around April 2017, and it just exploded. It became very big, and then I started working on my own fitness app, working with brands, and gaining more and more followers. I was super excited about it. It took me about a year in total before I was able to quit my social media job and work full time in my fitness job.<h2 id="e9e9a593-eb16-46c5-bd86-f501df90f970">My body became my business card, and it led me to an obsessive headspace</h2><div type="image" title="Madalin Giorgetta stands in front of a gate in a white and silver bikini." height="1539" width="1237" msid="114866686" hostid="261" sizebytes="76340"></div>I've always been very sensitive to people's criticisms and compared myself to others. But being an influencer magnified those feelings times a thousand.I became obsessed with everything, from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/threads-engagement-bait-rise-social-media-2024-9">engagement on my posts</a> to the number of guides I was selling to how my body looked in a photo.Before I got into fitness, I didn't look at my body that much. My body was my body. But when I started constantly looking at it in the mirror and taking photos of it, I became very fixated on everything.My body was my business card, and I was very aware that if it looked a certain way, I could get a lot more likes, sell more products, and make more money. I didn't actually care about the money itself — it was the validation. More money meant that more people liked me.It was insane how I could grow my business by posting my body in a specific way, and I knew how it had to look. I had to pose in a certain style, have abs, make sure I didn't eat before I worked out, and have a tan, lashes, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/red-flags-botox-filler-injections-2024-10">Botox, and filler</a> all over my face.I was super successful, and people wanted to look like me, but I never felt good about how I looked. My phone was filled with rows of selfies of me trying to get the best angle. There was always someone who was more toned, prettier, or doing better financially, and that made me feel like I wasn't good enough. It ruined my mental health.<h2 id="885a6903-88d9-4ae4-9fce-f12dff2c71e4">I started to interrogate the message I was sending</h2><div type="image" title="Madaline Giorgetta sits on the grass, looking behind her, in front of a mountain range." height="2268" width="3024" msid="114866684" hostid="261" sizebytes="804634"></div>In 2019, I started to reflect. I visited my sister in San Francisco and tried <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microdosing-psilocybin-mushrooms-for-creativity-startups-2024-3">psilocybin</a>, a psychedelic, which opened my mind to ideas I hadn't considered — or hadn't allowed myself to consider.It prompted me to question what I was promoting and things I'd previously accepted, like why people struggle with weight loss if diets supposedly "work." Before, I assumed people weren't trying hard enough or didn't have the "right" knowledge. But after the experience, I began to recognize the complex factors, such as socioeconomic status, that affect someone's ability to manage their weight.I became genuinely interested in reading deeper and understanding. I also felt more open, compassionate, and receptive, so the messages had a deeper impact on me.A few weeks later, I stumbled across an article about how <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biggest-loser-star-lost-kept-off-weight-maintenance-2024-2">dieting doesn't work</a>. It mentioned a study and a few people's different experiences. Suddenly, it felt so true to me. I just remember crying and thinking, "Oh my God, it doesn't work. What have I been doing? It's a scam."My content wasn't specifically about dieting, but I posted before-and-after photos of women who had lost weight and now looked thinner after using my program. I spoke about low-calorie diets, and on my app, I used phrases like "get leaner." I promoted the idea of "no excuses" when it came to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/we-need-to-reframe-exercise-and-stop-branding-it-punishment-2021-1">hitting the gym</a>.I began to interrogate what that language actually meant and the underlying message I was sending. I realized that it was insidious — it's not saying "become your best self," it's saying "become your thinnest self." It was clear to me that I was telling people that their body wasn't good enough and needed to change.It took me a while to come to terms with that emotionally because, naturally, you make excuses for why you did what you did. I feel guilty about so many things I said.But overall, I felt like I needed to spring into action. I thought: "What can I do to change this?"<h2 id="e366c9ee-9813-40de-b840-07eafe3c8d94">I changed my messaging completely and received a lot of hate</h2><div type="image" title="Madalin Giorgetta stands in front of a wooden house." height="2268" width="3024" msid="114866790" hostid="261" sizebytes="1628406"></div>I became hyper-fixated on learning about diet culture, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/mental-health/fatphobia">fatphobia</a>, and public health.I quit my work with a supplement company because it had a protein powder called Lean Protein. I was like, "No, I can't do that." I stopped working with activewear brands that didn't sell clothes bigger than a size XL. These deals were thousands of dollars and I was just cutting and cutting them.My content became centered on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fake-before-and-after-weight-loss-photos-2017-3">anti-diet culture</a> after that, and I received some pretty brutal backlash.Every post I did would get lots of hate comments, and I lost a lot of followers and friends in the industry, which made me really sad.Either people weren't following me for that type of content, or they felt like I was shaming them because I was saying things like, "Ditch your fitness app." It was kind of creating this vortex of shame and anger, and it was a horrible space to be in.I felt like people weren't taking me seriously because I didn't have the qualifications to back what I was saying, so I decided to study for a Bachelor's degree in nutrition.<h2 id="2f326e63-8a02-431c-974f-60e602efd72e">I wish I hadn't cared so much about what people think</h2><div type="image" title="Madalin Giorgetta stands in front of a house with wooden shutters." height="2268" width="3024" msid="114866685" hostid="261" sizebytes="1637628"></div>Changing my messaging so suddenly and drastically in front of a huge audience was really difficult, but I don't regret anything.I now work as a functional nutritionist, seeing one-to-one clients remotely. I used to be a lot more extreme with my anti-diet stance. Now I'm more centered in my beliefs. I encourage the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stop-counting-calories-avoid-processed-foods-weight-loss-tim-spector-2022-5">whole foods diet</a> and eating foods that will fuel your body and satiate you.I still have a big following on Instagram, but I wouldn't consider myself an influencer because I very rarely work with brands. I use it as a way to get clients, connect with my community, and share educational content about nutrition and fitness.I recently started going to the gym again after a five-year break. I stopped going because I couldn't look at myself in the mirror without thinking, "You look so bad, you don't have this, you don't have that."I'm proud of my decision, and I feel comfortable with who I am and what I've done. My relationships with myself, my body, my partner, and my friends improved too.I just wish that Madalin back then hadn't cared so much about what people thought.

I was a fitness influencer with 1 million Instagram followers. I made a career U-turn after I realized my content was damaging myself and others.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Sean "Diddy" Combs' "white parties" were known for extravagance and celebrity attendance.</li><li>The famed parties held throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s also regularly featured nude women.</li></ul>Endless Champagne, celebrities galore, and naked women hanging out in the sprawling pool.This was a common sight at <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-arrested-grand-jury-indictment-2024-9">Sean "Diddy" Combs'</a> famed annual "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/celebrities-sean-diddy-combs-parties-lawyer-indictment-charges-2024-10">white parties</a>" throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, said a veteran celebrity photographer who attended at least five of the bashes hosted by the now indicted hip-hop mogul."His parties were always over the top — the best food, the best drinks," Selma Fonseca, who has made a career out of photographing and writing about the rich and famous, told Business Insider.It was not unusual to find nude women at Combs' soirees, the photojournalist said.At the time, though, Fonseca said, that was pretty typical at elite affairs, especially in ritzy locales like the Hamptons, where the "I'll Be Missing You" rapper held many of his summertime white parties."It's the summer, and people are at the white party with Diddy, and I guess, you know, they get naked in the pool," Fonseca said."They were beautiful," she said, "but I'm not sure if they were getting paid to entertain people or if they were guests."<div type="image" title="Sean &quot;Diddy&quot; Combs surrounded by other celebrities at one of his white parties." height="2053" width="3000" msid="114284746" hostid="261" sizebytes="490188"></div>Combs' lavish shindigs, held mostly at the East Hampton, New York, mansion he owned at the time or in Beverly Hills, are now being looked at in a new light after the entrepreneur was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-bond-court-jail-trial-2024-9">indicted by a Manhattan grand jury</a> last month on federal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation for the purposes of prostitution.Combs, 54, has vehemently denied the charges, as well as any sexual-misconduct accusations that have been lodged against him in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/timeline-sean-diddy-combs-sexual-misconduct-timeline-2024-2">civil lawsuits</a>.At least three civil lawsuits against Combs focus on the rapper's white parties. In one, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-lawyer-nyc-sex-trafficking-charges-2024-7">Adria English</a>, a former adult-film actor, alleges she was forced to have sex with guests at the white parties, while another alleges that a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-combs-diddy-new-allegations-lawsuits-2024-10">then-16-year-old boy was molested by Combs</a> at his 1998 white party. In another lawsuit, a man alleges he was drugged and sexually assaulted by Combs while working as a security guard at the music mogul's 2006 white party.Fonseca, who said she'd attended and photographed as many as 30 events where Combs was also present, can't speak to what may have happened behind closed doors on the nights of the parties but said nude women were a common occurrence at high-profile events during her two-decade career.The nudity alone didn't raise concerns at the time, she said, adding that it was a common site when she photographed A-list parties in the Hamptons."Especially at that time when there was no social media," she said. "It's not like people are taking pictures and posting them on Instagram."David Allen, another celebrity photographer who attended Combs' 1999 white party in the Hamptons, told BI he remembered seeing topless women "in and around" Combs' in-ground pool."But to me, it wasn't a big deal," Allen said.Attorneys for Combs did not respond to a request for comment for this story, but a Combs spokesperson previously called the white parties "a true convergence of hip-hop, Hollywood, and Black excellence.""It's disappointing to see the media and social commentators twist these cultural moments into something they were not," the spokesperson said.In response to the recent barrage of lawsuits against Combs, his attorneys said in a statement: "In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone—adult or minor, man or woman."<div type="image" title="Sean &quot;Diddy&quot; Combs held many of his white parties at his East Hamptons mansion." height="1968" width="3000" msid="114284986" hostid="261" sizebytes="443660"></div><h2 id="08a93f7d-7036-493a-b76d-70cdc4e4879c">At one white party, bikini-clad women swung</h2>Combs' white parties had a reputation for being <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-cuban-glad-he-never-hung-out-with-diddy-2024-9">ultraextravagant events</a> that attracted A-list celebrities across the worlds of music, movies, and sports.Federal prosecutors have alleged that behind the scenes, Combs was holding a much more nefarious type of party — <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-indictment-allegations-freak-off-sex-performances-2024-9">drug-fueled sex sessions called "freak-offs"</a> where they say Combs "used force, threats of force, and coercion" to get female victims to engage in sex acts with male commercial sex workers.The indictment said these freak-offs were "elaborate and produced sex performances that Combs arranged, directed, masturbated during, and often electronically recorded."For decades, prosecutors allege, Combs "abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct."Aside from naked women, Fonseca told BI that she never saw anything that raised red flags at Combs' parties that she attended.Business Insider has seen dozens of the photographs and videos taken by Fonseca at white parties."I never saw people having sex, like intercourse, but people do make out," she said. "They're making out on the couch and maybe touch a little."At Combs' 2009 Beverly Hills white party, Fonseca recalled women clad in bikinis on swings that were suspended above a vast pool. At one point, a white-sunglasses-wearing Ashton Kutcher also swung across the pool.Combs "had girls in the swings, in a bathing suit swinging back and forth, and just people like sexy girls swimming," Fonseca said, adding: "There's always sexy girls around when there is rich people, celebrities. That's just the way it is."<div type="image" title="Actor Ashton Kutcher pictured on a swing above a pool at one of Sean &quot;Diddy&quot; Combs' white parties." height="2152" width="3000" msid="114284984" hostid="261" sizebytes="444858"></div><h2 id="5edcef42-89c1-412b-88da-e75f55f2e2dc">Combs was always dancing, drinking, and posing for pictures, photog says</h2>Fonseca, who has authored two photo books, including "Partying With Selma: Inside the Life of Rock Stars," said she never went inside the house at any of Combs' parties."There was bodyguards at the door to get inside of the house, so you had to be invited or a celeb, I guess," Fonseca said, adding that Combs' Hamptons home was full of large windows, "so everyone could see what was happening in the living room from the outside."She described the events as "well organized," with Combs' expansive backyard transformed into something like a giant living room filled with couches and pillows.There was exceptional service, an extensive array of foods like salmon, steak, and corn, fire-spitting entertainers, and "celebs everywhere," the photographer said.<div type="image" title="Sean &quot;Diddy&quot; Combs poses with waiters at one of his white parties." height="2000" width="3008" msid="114284978" hostid="261" sizebytes="429204"></div>Fonseca recalled seeing stars like Busta Rhymes, Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Simmons, Tyson Beckford, Tommy Lee, Mariah Carey, Lindsay Lohan, Lil' Kim, Mary J. Blige, Russell Brand, and Chris Brown at Combs' extravaganzas over the years."I think that's why his parties were so popular besides the food and drink and everything," Fonseca said. "If you want to meet someone, or if you want to do business with someone, it was a way to meet the celebs."The celebrities have been photographed at Combs' white parties over the years but have not been accused of wrongdoing.A representative for Beckford confirmed he attended one white party, but "remained outdoors where the festivities were held." Representatives for the other celebrities seen by Fonseca didn't immediately return requests for comment from BI.Fonseca — who captured a photo of Combs and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/celebrities-received-warnings-over-sponsored-instagram-posts-2017-5">Jennifer Lopez</a> kissing on the balcony early on in their then-relationship at the 1999 party — said she remembered Combs "always walking around, dancing, drinking Champagne, talking to people, posing for photos, having fun always."Allen said Combs was a "regular, normal gentleman.""What I saw was a regular party with a white theme, with people doing their own thing all around," he said. "Some were smoking pot, keeping it semihidden. Others were around and in the pool being served Champagne, some topless."At one white party, Combs issued a warning to guests from atop his balcony about children needing to leave the event."I think I made my point clear, so if child welfare come in here in 30 minutes — that's on y'all," he said into a microphone, according to a video viewed by BI. "My kids are downstairs. Fifteen minutes, the kids have to go, thank you very much."Fonseca said that it was common knowledge for those in attendance that once it got darker, kids would leave the party, so it was "more like an adult party."While giving tips for what makes a good party during a now resurfaced <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqXhXi81yDg">2002 appearance</a> on Conan O'Brien's late-night show at the time, Combs said locks on the doors were a must."This is what you need to do," Combs told O'Brien before saying a party needed "beautiful women" and "beautiful men for the ladies.""We need alcohols," Combs added. "You need some water.""A lot of ladies drink water at parties, so if you don't have what they need, they're going to leave. Got to keep them there. You need locks on the doors," Combs said, adding, "It's a little kinky."

At Diddy's A-list 'white parties,' naked women were a staple — but that didn't seem to raise eyebrows at the time

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Noelia Voigt and UmaSofia Srivastava have been wiped from the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA Instagrams.</li><li>Voigt resigned as Miss USA 2023 in May, and Srivastava resigned as Miss Teen USA two days later.</li></ul>There are over 4,000 posts on the Miss USA Instagram page. But once a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-miss-usa-michigan-us-army-officer-2024-8">new queen was named</a> on August 4, nearly all evidence of the two women who recently resigned their crowns vanished.One of those women is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/miss-usa-noelia-voigt-resigned-from-title-2024-5">Noelia Voigt</a>, who relinquished her Miss USA 2023 crown in May. She held the position for seven months, but the only post from her reign acknowledges her resignation.The same is true on the Miss Teen USA page, where any glimpse of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/miss-teen-usa-resigns-after-miss-usa-gives-up-crown-2024-5">UmaSofia Srivastava</a>, who resigned her title two days after Voigt, has also disappeared.It's just the latest development in the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/miss-usa-pageant-scandals-queens-laylah-rose-organization-2024-7">drama surrounding Miss USA</a> and its CEO, Laylah Rose. Now, it's causing many to wonder if the pageant hopes to sweep all its scandals under the rug as its leadership stays silent.<h2 id="dfde6ff4-7d2a-48b6-88b1-2d7ba08e519a">Vanishing act</h2>Voigt and Srivastava have said little about their resignations, citing nondisclosure agreements that forbid them from speaking out about the organization.Still, their mothers, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/miss-usa-miss-teen-usa-mothers-speak-out-resignations-2024-5">Jackeline Voigt and Barbara Srivastava,</a> previously spoke to Business Insider about what they had witnessed their daughters go through under Rose's leadership."Our daughters were happy and excited to have the job of their lives when they won those crowns," Barbara Srivastava told BI in May. "And to expect this is the payment on their self-esteem and their confidence, being bullied by a 46-year-old woman who just wants to be in the limelight herself — this is unacceptable.""Noelia was shaking just to see a text or a call or an email from Laylah," Jackeline Voigt said during the same interview. "Because it was so abusive, so aggressive, the communication."In an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/an-open-letter-from-ceo-laylah-rose-on-miss-usa-302158718.html">open letter</a> shared on May 30, Rose said the allegations of a "toxic environment and bullying are not true.""To be clear, such behavior is not accepted, and we can assure you that if such behavior ever occurred, we would take immediate steps to protect our titleholder and provide access to appropriate resources," she added.As news of the disappearing Instagram posts began to spread on August 9, Jackeline and Barbara sent a statement to BI."While both of our daughters have moved on from this, we are disappointed to learn that the Miss USA Organization has chosen to erase their presence in its entirety from official social media," the statement read."This includes all official appearances, their community service with official partners of the Miss Universe Organization and Miss USA, from Smile Train and BestBuddies, as well as all of their personal platforms — which they worked so hard to cultivate, support, and promote — and which were the inspiration for both ladies to compete and reason for their winning the Miss Teen USA and Miss USA 2023 crowns."The Miss USA organization didn't respond to a request for comment.While Voigt and Srivastava are the first to resign in the pageant's history, it's not typical for Miss USA to remove Instagram posts from the reigns of past queens.On the Miss USA page, BI counted more than 80 Instagram posts of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rbonney-gabriel-miss-usa-universe-rigged-controversy-scandal-2023-9">R'Bonney Gabriel</a>, who won Miss USA in October 2022, and 90 posts of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-morgan-romano-meet-new-miss-usa-and-engineer-2023-1">Morgan Romano</a>, who assumed her title after Gabriel won Miss Universe in January 2023. There were also over 200 posts featuring Miss Teen USA 2022 Faron Medhi on its Instagram page.Now, there are monthslong gaps between posts that previously featured Voigt or Srivastava.Other than a post acknowledging <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C6oN3xnrNQh/">Voigt's resignation from May 6</a>, the only photo that remains of her and Srivastava on the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pages is one of them holding a check for a collaboration with Best Buddies, a longtime Miss USA sponsor, and Supermodels Unlimited, a pay-to-play magazine owned by Miss USA employee Kimberly Clark.Neither of the pageant queens are tagged, and they're barely discernible in the photo, which features a caption written by Rose.<h2 id="abde0298-c639-454f-b005-6232ac8e4a2c">Forgotten sponsors</h2>Among the deleted Instagrams are posts made in collaboration with sponsors, who paid for Voigt and Srivastava's travel, meals, and more in exchange for promotion.Voigt's sister Natasha Mihm accompanied her to High Point Market in April as her plus-one. Since Voigt had studied interior design, Mihm said it was a perfect partnership."In exchange for Noelia being there and promoting them, High Point Market covered everything," Mihm said. "Miss USA did not cover a single thing, and that was in exchange for posts for the Miss USA page — and that's all gone now.""It was a really nice and natural partnership that was mutually beneficial," she added. "People at the market were super excited that Miss USA was there. I don't understand why that partnership is just wiped now."Ben Muller, the vice president of marketing and communications for High Point Market, told BI that "we loved having Noelia here to support her aspirations in the design industry." He declined to comment further on the Miss USA organization removing her Instagram posts.But Mihm said removing them was "really strange.""It just feels very juvenile to me," Mihm said. "As someone who loves Noelia and has seen her go through this experience and worked so hard to get to that point, it's really sad. She gave something to the brand while she was there, even though she resigned.""It feels like they're trying to erase the whole narrative in a way that feels like they don't have to answer for it," she added.<div type="image" title="Noelia Voigt and Uma Srivastava" height="1000" width="1444" msid="112574739" hostid="261" sizebytes="87748"></div>Maria Montgomery, Miss Kentucky 2009, took Voigt and Srivastava to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in February for a sponsorship trip with Smile Train. She volunteered for the Miss USA organization and acted as their supervisor."It was a magical experience," Montgomery said. "Smile Train took really great care of us and covered a lot of funds to have all three of us in a resort. Each day, we went out to different homes to visit patients who had cleft-lip surgery or were going to have surgery through Smile Train.""It's a trip that Miss USA has taken every year for the past few years, and the girls have always said it's one of their top experiences," she added. "To see it firsthand was really special because both of these girls are bilingual. They were on the same level with these kids. We were there to help them, but these girls also had their lives touched just by being around them."Montgomery said she found it sad that the special memories from that trip were now erased from the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA Instagram pages."It's obviously, on a personal level, very disrespectful," Montgomery said. "But it also makes me feel like they want to hide that there were ever issues for girls to resign.""It's very unfair for the differences these girls have made in other people's lives," she added. "The last thing we need to do is hide or silence either of them."In a statement sent to BI, Nicole Bell, Smile Train's vice president of public relations, said the nonprofit extended "appreciation and gratitude to Noelia and Uma for their time and dedication to raising awareness about Smile Train.""For questions regarding what Miss USA decides to do with content on their various platforms, we defer to Miss USA," Bell added.<h2 id="3b58efbd-55b5-40c8-ad19-c5c2c26dd500">Bringing up the past</h2>The Miss USA Instagram page still has plenty of pictures of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/miss-usa-new-queen-miss-hawaii-savannah-gankiewicz-2024-5">Savannah Gankiewicz</a>, Voigt's runner-up at Miss USA 2023, who took over the title after she resigned.Gankiewicz made headlines after appearing on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1212225506878511">NewsNation</a> the week before the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/miss-usa-alma-cooper-army-west-point-pageants-2024-8#:~:text=Alma%20Cooper%2C%20a%20US%20Army,graduated%20in%20the%20top%205%25.">Miss USA 2024</a> pageant, praising the organization. She said the allegations that Rose harassed Voigt and Srivastava were "completely false" and that it was Rose who had been "bullied.""Miss USA is an organization about empowerment, and that's exactly what it does," she added.<div type="image" title="Savannah Gankiewicz and Laylah Rose" height="1024" width="743" msid="112574740" hostid="261" sizebytes="78644"></div>Following the July 28 interview, Voigt posted a statement on her Instagram story saying she was "very disheartened to see a video today of someone completely invalidating my and UmaSofia's experiences.""UmaSofia and I are unable to speak on our experiences at all, which is disappointing and difficult to deal with when false narratives are being created from all different directions," she added. "If the intention is to empower women, why the need to invalidate their feelings and experiences and question the character of those who are now formerly part of the organization, who have stepped away and lost their dream or their career?"Srivastava also posted a statement on her Instagram story, saying she would "not stand for someone impugning my or Noelia's character.""Claiming that Noelia and I were not victims, but rather perpetrators of anything remotely close to 'bullying,' in the words of the current representative, is unfortunate, but reaffirms that my choice to distance myself from this organization was the right one," she added.Gankiewicz's mother, Yvienne Peterson, added to the drama. In screenshots reviewed by BI, Peterson sent pageant fans direct messages about Voigt, including one that called her a "rude bitch" and "little troll." She also left public comments on Miss USA fan pages attacking people who supported Voigt and Srivastava, claiming her daughter was always meant to win Miss USA."What I am is a bitch and I proudly own it," she wrote in one on July 30. "I have to head out and continue to build my empire."Peterson and Gankiewicz did not respond to a request for comment on this story. However, in an interview with BI the day after her NewsNation appearance, Gankiewicz said she supported Voigt and Srivastava and "everything they went through.""I am sorry that that is what they experienced, but now it's time to just empower an organization that they believed in," she added. "So it's time to spread love and show the new delegates and new winners that they, too, can keep going for this dream."

Miss USA erased Noelia Voigt and UmaSofia Srivastava, the pageant queens who resigned, from its Instagram pages

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Raygun performed with Australian star Tones and I after announcing her retirement.</li><li>Rachael Gunn faced criticism for her Olympics routine, which she said impacted her decision to step away.</li></ul>Australian breakdancer <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rachael-gunn-raygun-named-world-no-1-bgirl-breakdancing-olympics-2024-9">Rachael "Raygun" Gunn</a> performed her viral Olympics routine onstage days after announcing her <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/olympic-breakdancer-raygun-rachael-ray-breaking-retires-online-hate-misinformation-2024-11">retirement</a>.Gunn, 37, appeared onstage with Australian singer <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/big-celebrity-music-video-transformations-with-photos">Tones and I</a> while the star sang "Dance With Me" at her concert in Melbourne on Saturday.Tones and I — whose real name is Toni Watson — is best known for her 2019 single, "Dance Monkey."In a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DCKyGzogDKA/?hl=en">video</a> of the routine posted to Watson's Instagram, Gunn showed off some of the same moves that received criticism following her elimination from the round-robin stage of the breaking competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics."Raygun the most beautiful kindest full of life human I have met. It was an honour to celebrate you last night," Watson wrote in the caption of the video."Thank you for sharing the stage with me and bringing smiles to so many faces. You always have a friend in me. Tones," she added.In another video shared to Gunn's Instagram Story, she appears to teach Watson's dancers some of her viral moves, including one that Olympics fans compared to a kangaroo hop.The performance came days after Gunn said she was now just dancing "in my living room.""I was going to keep competing, for sure, but that seems a really difficult thing for me to do now, to approach a battle," Gunn told 2DayFM, a Sydney radio station, on Wednesday. "I still dance, and I still break, but that's like, in my living room with my partner.""The level of scrutiny that's going to be there, and people will be filming it, and it will go online, and it's just not going to mean the same thing, it's not going to be the same experience because of everything that's at stake," she added.However, Gunn's recent performance has left fans wondering if she has changed her mind about retirement.Gunn reposted a video from one audience member who wrote that the Olympian "is not retiring.""She's loud, proud, and what a routine," they added.Representatives for Gunn did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, which was sent outside regular business hours.

Raygun gives surprise performance of her viral Olympics moves days after announcing her retirement

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday voiced concern over increasing <keyword id="20715750" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space-debris" source="keywords">space debris</keyword> as a result of numerous satellites being placed in orbit and lauded <keyword id="19915124" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ISRO" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="ISRO" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="ISRO">ISRO</keyword> for setting itself a target to make future <keyword id="20018231" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space-missions" source="keywords">space missions</keyword> debris free by 2030. Murmu was speaking at the celebration of the maiden <keyword id="22301946" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Space-Day" source="keywords">National Space Day</keyword> celebrations to mark the first anniversary of the landing of India's Chandrayaan-3 project. "Space debris can cause problems for space missions," she said during the event at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi that was attended by Union minister Jitendra Singh, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S Somanath, engineers, ISRO scientists and representatives of the country's nascent space industry. The president appreciated the ISRO System for Safe &amp; Sustainable Operations Management facility, which ensures continuous progress of space research activities. "I am also happy to note that India is moving forward to make all its space missions debris free by 2030," Murmu said. The president presented awards to winners of the Robotics Challenge and the Bharatiya Antariksh Hackathon on the occasion. The president said ISRO had made remarkable achievements in the space sector as well as invaluable contributions to the country's social and economic development. She appreciated the dedicated scientists who placed India's space programme among the best in the world by using minimum resources. Murmu also expressed confidence that the country would make continuous progress in space science and continue to set new standards of excellence. The president said the progress of India's space sector was extraordinary. "Be it a successfully completed Mars mission with limited resources or the successful launch of more than a hundred satellites at once, we have made many impressive achievements," Murmu said. The president said space exploration had increased the capabilities of human beings and transformed imagination into reality. "But space exploration is a challenging task. Research conducted to solve the problems during space exploration accelerates the development of science and improves human life," she said. The president said many sectors, including health and medicine, transportation, security, energy, environment and information technology, had benefited from developments in the space sector. The president pointed out that with the opening of the space sector to private entities, the number of start-ups had increased at a very rapid pace. "This has not only brought progress in space research but also given new opportunities to our youth to showcase and hone their talents," Murmu said. The president said she was happy to note that just a few months ago, an Indian company successfully launched a single-piece 3D-printed semi-cryogenic engine-powered rocket, the first such achievement. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/webstories/2024-tvs-jupiter-vs-honda-activa-6g-which-110cc-scooter-should-you-buy/slidelist/112730069.cms">2024 TVS Jupiter vs Honda Activa 6G – which 110cc scooter should you buy?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/how-to/how-to-add-music-to-instagram-profile/articleshow/112732934.cms">You can now add music to your Instagram profile – here's how</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/audi-q8-facelift-launched-in-india-with-a-1-17-crore-price-tag/slidelist/112707701.cms">Audi Q8 facelift launched in India with a ₹1.17 crore price tag</a>

President Murmu voices concern over increasing space debris

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I used to remove my hijab in women's-only spaces, like gym classes and social events.</li><li>But photos and videos of me have ended up online, even after I've asked people to be mindful.</li></ul>Last week, while scrolling through Instagram, I stopped on my gym trainer's latest story. It wasn't unusual for her to post, and I was going to scroll right past until I realized that this particular video was of the class I had attended that day.For most people, this wouldn't mean much; these days, it's common to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-quit-social-media-anxiety-free-time-2024-3">document everything on social media</a>. But it was jarring and very unexpected to see myself on someone's Instagram without a hijab. This class was supposed to be a women-only space, and I had dressed accordingly. But now I felt uncomfortable at the thought of not only being filmed without knowing but also having that video posted on a public platform.<h2 id="3b8c9da6-809e-44cf-9831-d8cdb9234409">I've asked people to be mindful of what they post</h2>It may only have been a few seconds, but it was enough for me to see myself clearly, which meant other viewers would, too. When I messaged my trainer asking her to take it down, she did, thankfully. But her response, trying to justify it and make it seem like her posting wasn't that big a deal, made me feel as if she didn't take my concern too seriously.This isn't the first time this has happened to me. It's not even the first time this has happened to me in a gym class, despite my multiple reminders not to take pictures or videos of me <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bilqis-abdul-qaadir-hijab-muslim-basketball-iran-protest-mahsa-amini-2022-11">without a hijab</a> to both my instructors and people around me every time I'm in a women-only space.I've had friends accidentally post Snapchats of a group gathering. A few years ago, for a friend's pre-wedding event, we decided to celebrate with a relaxing girl-only pool day. It wasn't relaxing for me; I spent half the event either taking group pictures for everyone else or sitting in a corner to avoid being in everyone's videos.Though I have asked people to be careful to make sure I'm not in any pictures, I've become increasingly uncomfortable at these <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/man-australian-visited-japan-women-only-train-segregation-disrespectful-harassment-2023-9">women-only gatherings</a>. I've felt like I'm asking for too much.I know that none of this is done maliciously, and I don't hold anyone at fault. Most often my request probably slipped the other person's mind.<h2 id="0cf831a9-c27b-4358-a9a2-5390b2181e92">The way we post on social media has made me feel like an outsider</h2>Asking someone not to post on social media can be awkward. And while this is no one's fault, it has made me feel like an outsider, even in Pakistan, my own country, and my community. More than that, it means my relationship with my hijab has also slowly changed over the years, as there are fewer spaces where I feel comfortable being without it outside of the comfort of my home.When I attended a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/gifts/baby-shower-gifts-under-50-dollars">baby shower</a> last month, I dressed in hijab even though the guests were only women. A few people even asked me why I had chosen to do so, given that no men were present. I gave vague answers to some, unsure of how to word it in a way that wouldn't make me seem overly anxious or like I was accusing anyone of anything preemptively.I am now hyperaware when I'm not in hijab that I might still be seen by people who I don't want to be seen by because someone posted photos of the event I'm attending. I feel more comfortable being in my hijab at social events because when I'm not, a part of me is on the lookout for a camera — and as a result, I end up enjoying events a lot less. Ironically, the digital tools that are meant to make us more connected are perhaps the very reason I feel a bit more isolated.

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