ICYMI: Diddy trial closes in on jury selection, Usher announces Australian tour, Death Stranding 2 reveals Australian settingBy Velvet WinterBy Al NewsteadBy Anna Kelsey-SuggBy Rachel RaskerBy Katherine SmyrkABC EntertainmentTopic:Arts, Culture and Entertainment19m ago19 minutes agoFri 9 May 2025 at 2:12amThere will be no cameras allowed in the courtroom but sketches like this one from a hearing ahead of Combs's trial will be made available. (Reuters: Jane Rosenberg)abc.net.au/news/diddy-jury-selection-usher-tour-death-stranding-2/105264414Link copiedShareShare articleWelcome to ICYMI, where we recap the pop culture and entertainment news you might have missed over the past week.Diddy trial closes in on jury selectionSean 'Diddy' Combs is edging closer to his US federal sex-trafficking trial as the case closes in on jury selection.150 potential jurors were brought into a Manhattan courthouse on Monday to begin the vetting process that will whittle the group down to 12 people.Each member of the large group was made to fill out a questionnaire that covered their knowledge of Combs, their views on law enforcement and more, as reported by Variety. They were also presented with a list of 190 people, including public figures, and asked to identify if they recognised anyone.Your questions answered on the Diddy trialPhoto shows Sean "Diddy" Combs holding a mic and dancing on stage in a leather jacket and sunglassesMusic mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs is on trial in a closely watched case that may have greater implications for popular culture.Among the names were Michael B. Jordan, Kanye West, Mike Myers and rapper Kid Cudi — although it was not specified how the names on the list relate to the trial, if they do at all.Prosecutors have alleged that Kid Cudi, real name Scott Mescudi, was targeted by Combs after Mescudi was romantically involved with Combs' ex-girlfriend, Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, who settled a civil lawsuit against Combs in 2024 and is expected to be a key witness in the federal trial.On Tuesday, three-dozen jurors were questioned by Judge Arun Subramanian about their answers on the questionnaire, with another group questioned the following day.On Thursday, Judge Subramanian warned a lawyer connected to Combs' team over comments he made about prosecutors on a podcast.Attorney Mark Geragos, whose daughter Teny is a key member of Combs' legal team, referred to the prosecution as "a six-pack of white women" on a recent episode of the 2 Angry Men podcast he hosts with TMZ founder Harvey Levin.Combs is facing federal charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. (AP: Willy Sanjuan/Invision, file)"I think when you've got a black man who's being prosecuted and the client feels like he's being targeted, it's a — it's an observation," Geragos said in defence of his statements.Judge Subramanian called the situation "ridiculous" and Geragos's comments "outrageous", while confirming that he will be listening to and watching Geragos throughout the trial.The judge said he would likely settle a jury by Friday (Saturday Australian time), with opening statements expected to take place on Monday, May 12.Combs' court case won't be broadcast live because federal courtrooms don't allow electronic recordings inside.Winners announced for annual screen producers awardsIt has been a tough week for Australian screen producers in the face of threats of severe tariffs imposed by the US, but it was all celebration last night with the Screen Producers Australia (SPA) Awards, hosted by Nina Oyama.Local film industry's future in doubt as Trump announces 'chilling' tariffsPhoto shows Donald Trump smiling while speaking at a black microphone and wearing a dark suit and blue tieDonald Trump has announced a plan to rejuvenate the American film industry, with a 100 per cent tariff on movies produced overseas.Encompassing 70 productions across categories including film, television, online, documentary, and reality, the night delivered gongs for razor-sharp Indigenous comedy set in 1980s Central Australia, Thou Shalt Not Steal (winner for Drama Series Production) and the New Zealand drama about abuse allegations, After The Party (for Telemovie or Miniseries Production).There were strong results for the ABC, too, with Fisk winning Best Comedy Program, and Bluey taking the award for Animated Production.CEO Matthew Deaner says the Awards have recognised the "tireless" work of SPA members."It is vital to celebrate the resilience, creativity and adaptability of the Australian screen sector. Despite the challenges faced by our community recently, producers and production businesses across the country continue to deliver outstanding screen stories across all genres and formats."Full list of winners here.Usher announces first Australian shows in 14 yearsR&B, pop and 'Yeah!' sensation Usher will bring his Past Present Future world tour to Australia later this year — his first on our shores since the OMG tour back in 2011.The eight-time Grammy-winning entertainer will play four arena shows each in Melbourne (November 19, 20, 22 and 23) and in Sydney (December 1, 2, 4 and 5). Tickets go on general sale May 16.Presented by touring juggernaut Live Nation, the Past Present Future tour is billed as "a celebration" of Usher's 30-year career and "a glimpse into the future". It kicked off last August in the US, following Usher's glitzy Super Bowl LVIII half-time show, with elements from that performance filtering into the shows. Yes, that includes the roller-skating choreography.Loading Instagram contentHaving sold more than 80 million records worldwide since the release of his debut, self-titled album in 1993, Usher Raymond IV (as his passport reads) has been compiling epic set lists for these shows. Along with signature hits like 'OMG', 'Burn', 'My Boo', 'U Got It Bad', and 'Love In This Club', expect material from Coming Home, Usher's first studio album in eight years.The Past Present Future world tour winds through London, Paris, Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam and Berlin before landing on Australian shores. Usher will also be in the country around the same time as Lady Gaga, Justice, Franz Ferdinand, Kendrick Lamar and Doechii. Consider your bank accounts warned.Blockbuster game sequel revealed as largely set in AustraliaCheck on your gamer mates today because it has just been revealed that the upcoming release from video game luminary Hideo Kojima is primarily set in Australia.Loading TikTok contentDeath Stranding 2: On The Beach is the highly anticipated sequel to 2019's Death Stranding, which took home three awards at the 2019 Game Awards, including Best Game Direction for Kojima. A movie version of the original game is also in production with arthouse studio A24.Preview gameplay of On The Beach has revealed a post-apocalyptic version of Australia, complete with quokkas, kangaroos, echidnas, bilbies and even a reference to Vegemite, as reported by Press Start.Takayuki Uchida, lead environmental artist at Kojima Productions said Alice Springs and other parts of the Northern Territory served as the main inspiration for the Death Stranding version of the country.The likeness of Mad Max director George Miller, who has previously professed his admiration of Kojima, will also appear in the game, voiced by former Aussie pop star Marty Rhone.Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux and Troy Baker are set to reprise their central characters from the first game, while new additions include Elle Fanning and Shioli Kutsuna.Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is set for release on June 26 and, strewth, we are bloody excited!Director James Foley dies aged 71James Foley was behind Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan's romance-thriller Fifty Shades Darker. (Getty: Isa Foltin)James Foley, whose career in film spans more than three decades, has died.A representative from his team said the 71-year-old passed away "peacefully in his sleep earlier this week" after a "years-long struggle" with brain cancer.Foley made his directorial debut in 1984 with the romantic comedy Reckless, which he followed with a string of music videos for Madonna, including for songs 'Dress You Up', 'Papa Don't Preach' and 'The Look of Love'.Loading YouTube contentFoley went on to direct Sean Penn and Christopher Walken in At Close Range (1986) and, in 1992, he helmed Glengarry Glen Ross, a black-comedy drama set in the world of real estate starring Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin and Kevin Spacey.In 2003, he was behind the crime drama Confidence, with Dustin Hoffman, Paul Giamatti and Rachel Weisz, while the 2010s saw him take over two of the Fifty Shades of Grey sequels.His TV credits include episodes of Twin Peaks, Hannibal, Billions and House of Cards.Trailer of the week: The SurvivorsAnother hauntingly Australian murder mystery by journalist-turned-crime-writer Jane Harper is coming to our screens.After Eric Bana starred in film adaptations of her novels, The Dry and Force of Nature, her 2020 title, The Survivors, is now a six-part limited series.This story takes place in a small town on the Tasmanian coast, where two young men drowned and a girl went missing after an accident at sea 15 years before. Now, the body of another young woman is found on the beach, and the town's dark secrets start to leak out.Coming to Netflix on June 6.Loading YouTube contentPosted 19m ago19 minutes agoFri 9 May 2025 at 2:12amShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesPM tells caucus to maintain 'laser-like' focus on voters, as dumped minister Ed Husic a no-showLIVEPhoto shows Anthony Albanese with two fists in the air.Australia's political conclave theatrics feel blokey, but the future is femaleAAnalysis by Annabel CrabbPhoto shows Sussan LeyErin Patterson took son on hour long drive despite feeling sick, murder trial hearsLIVEPhoto shows A digital drawing of Erin Patterson wearing a pink shirtAn energy giant 'drained' this householder's batteryTopic:Energy IndustryPhoto shows Man wearing baseball cap and khaki green t-shirt standing next to household Tesla batteryIn 10 minutes, Pope Leo XIV told us a lot about himself, and his agendaTopic:Religious LeadersPhoto shows Newly elected Pope Leo XIV looks up when appears on the balcony at the VaticanRelated storiesHe's sold tens of millions of games and Guillermo Del Toro says he's a 'master'. But who is Hideo Kojima?Topic:ExplainerPhoto shows Hideo Kojima with director Gullerimo Del Toro at the 2017 game awards. This Kiwi drama divided New Zealand, and now it's our time to ask: What happened at the party?Topic:TelevisionPhoto shows A woman in a black blazer stands in front of a lawn looking concerned, another younger woman behind her also with furrowed brow.Thou Shalt Not Steal is the razor-sharp Indigenous comedy its star has been waiting forTopic:TelevisionPhoto shows A woman stands in the desert next to a car with luggage stacked on top. She wears a red tracksuitRelated topicsArts, Culture and EntertainmentAustraliaTop StoriesPM tells caucus to maintain 'laser-like' focus on voters, as dumped minister Ed Husic a no-showTopic:Government and PoliticsPhoto shows Anthony Albanese with two fists in the air.Australia's political conclave theatrics feel blokey, but the future is femaleAAnalysis by Annabel CrabbErin Patterson took son on hour long drive despite feeling sick, murder trial hearsTopic:Law, Crime and JusticeAn energy giant 'drained' this householder's batteryTopic:Energy IndustryIn 10 minutes, Pope Leo XIV told us a lot about himself, and his agendaTopic:Religious LeadersJust InChina criticises Australia over joint exercises in South China SeaTopic:Defence and National Security6m ago6 minutes agoFri 9 May 2025 at 2:24amHow this understated Aussie's 'unreal' level could upset the Giro favouritesTopic:Road Cycle Racing13m ago13 minutes agoFri 9 May 2025 at 2:18amDiddy sex trafficking trial closes in on jury selectionTopic:Arts, Culture and Entertainment19m ago19 minutes agoFri 9 May 2025 at 2:12amGetting through Mother's Day if you're struggling with infertilityTopic:Fertility and Infertility33m ago33 minutes agoFri 9 May 2025 at 1:57amMore Just InBack to top