Rotten Mango

July 5th, 2025 a predator in Nanjing, China is arrested. He’s been nicknamed, ‘Uncle Red’ and his face gets plastered on the news. Finally. The community can breathe and go about their daily lives, right? No. Netizens instead start a boycott and it works. No future travel into or through Nanjing. Gyms are shutting down. No one wants to visit. Some residents are ashamed to have an Nanjing address. Suddenly the biggest online diss you can throw at someone on Chinese social media is telling them that their husband or father is from Nanjing. It’s clear that after Uncle Red’s arrest, nothing and nobody is the same… but how the hell is an entire city impacted by one man’s arrest? For that, all you have to do is log onto Chinese social media and you’ll see it. I’m talking, screenshots, gifs, full videos, memes, AI parodies of Uncle Red’s crimes... Over a thousand graphic videos that captured hundreds of Nanjing residents in their most intimate moments between them and a partner. They had no idea Uncle Red was recording them. And they had no idea that the partner participating in the videos with them was actually Uncle Red too. Full show notes at rottenmangopodcast.com

Almost exactly a year before John O’Keefe is found in the snow outside of Boston detective Brian Albert’s home, Sandra Birchmore is found dead in her apartment in the middle of a blizzard. In her phone are thousands of messages between her and a police detective that indicate he is the father of her unborn child. But of course, it’s never that simple. For one, he’s married and his wife is about to give birth to their third child. And two, he legally, shouldn’t be in a relationship with Sandra. Nobody was supposed to find out that he had been grooming and assaulting her since she was 15 years old, a grade school cadet apart of his police explorer’s program. Now that she’s dead - everything’s about to come out into the open right? Not exactly. When Canton PD and Massachusetts State Police investigate Sandra’s suspicious death, they rule her manner of death as a self exit. It would take the FBI 4 years to get involved and make an arrest. From first glance, it appeared Sandra Birchmore’s connection to Karen Read ended with the fact that both crimes took place in the same town. But when Karen Read’s defense team requests unredacted files from Sandra Birchmore’s investigation…netizens begin digging. Many of the same exact officers that are going after Karen Read are the same ones saying Sandra Birchmore did this to herself. What are they all hiding? Full show notes at rottenmangopodcast.com

Karen Read claims she did not kill her boyfriend. She dropped him off at a friend’s house for a party and he was found the next morning, deceased on the front lawn. The party goers say that he never came inside which has everyone believing Karen Read ran him over with her car. But she says that never happened. Then how do you explain the 40+ pieces of HER car tail light that were found at the scene? Well, it’s simple. She says she was framed. For murder. Those tail light pieces were allegedly planted by shady cops that want her to go down. Law enforcement disagree, providing video evidence that nobody touched her car and nobody could have ever placed tail light pieces at the scene. Nobody believes Karen Read. Until it’s revealed that the so called CCTV footage from inside the police station… is altered. Full show notes at rottenmangopodcast.com

Colin Albert is the son of one of the most powerful families in town. And he was supposed to be anywhere but 34 Fairview, the night John O’Keefe died. For months, not a single witness that spoke with authorities ever stated Colin Albert was at the house that night. Until, John’s girlfriend, Karen Read, gets charged with his death. She knows she didn’t do it and is ready to prove her innocence. She hires a private investigator who uncovers that Colin was there the night of the party. So why is everyone lying to cover for him? Why does it seem like everyone is trying to protect him? Why is it so important to hide the fact that he was at the house that night? Could it be related to the fact that, just weeks after John O'Keefe’s death, Colin Albert was photographed with scraped and injured knuckles? Or perhaps it has something to do with his Snapchat videos, which reveal that this popular high school football player may have violent tendencies? Full show notes at rottenmangopodcast.com

It’s a blizzard party. A group of friends at a house, getting drunk, before they all drive back home. By 2AM, the snow is coming down hard and the party goers have left for their own homes. Only the residents of 34 Fairview Road remain. At least that’s what they say. Within just a few hours, the frozen body of John O’Keefe is found outside on their lawn. Laying in the snow. The best way to figure out what happened to John O’Keefe is to talk to every single person inside the house for the ‘blizzard party'. But ‘hos’ can authorities have a proper investigation if all of them are evasive? Nobody wants to answer any of the questions directly and their stories aren’t adding up. Most importantly, what about the allegations that every single person inside of the house that evening may have a motive to harm John? Are they telling the truth? Could it really just’ve been John’s ‘jealous’ girlfriend Karen? Did she really run him over in a fit of rage like all the party goers say? The authorities seem to think so. They take the residents of 34 Fairview and the partygoers at their word despite the mountains of evidence that point in a completely different direction. So the real questions are: Is Karen Read actually guilty or is it just because the residents of 34 Fairview are the most well-connected and powerful family in Canton? Full show notes at rottenmangopodcast.com

Deputy: In the matter of USA v. Combs, how do you find the defendant, Sean Combs, for count one, racketeering conspiracy? Juror 5: Not guilty. There’s a small gasp from Diddy’s two rows of friends and family. Deputy: As for sex trafficking of Casandra Ventura, how do you find the defendant? Juror 5: Not guilty. Someone from the same section of the gallery says “yeah!!” It was quiet but in the tension of the courtroom it is clear that everyone heard it. His kids have broken into smiles, happily nodding. Deputy: Transportation for purposes of prostitution related to Casandra Ventura? Juror 5: Guilty. There’s no reaction. Deputy: As for sex trafficking of Jane, how do you find the defendant? Juror 5: Not guilty. Teny Geragos tightly grips Sean Combs’s hand across the table as the defense team exchanges positive looks. Deputy: Transportation for purposes of prostitution related to Jane? Juror 5: Guilty. As the entire courtroom stands and watches the jury leave, Combs continues to nod and clasp his hands in prayer directed towards the jurors; a silent ‘thank you.’ Basically the moment the jury walk out of the room, Marc Agnifilo, Sean Combs's lead defense attorney immediately petitions the Judge. Judge: Are you proposing he just walk outside now? Agnifilo: Yes…

Thursday morning felt like we were seeing something we weren't supposed to be seeing… Sean Combs is sitting in his normal spot and the entire defense team fall into formation like soldiers at attention. They make a human force field as they huddle around Sean Combs. Is this a pep talk? What's happening? Through the cracks we can see, Sean Combs, absolutely livid. They stay like that until Father Arun, aka Judge Arun calls for a sidebar in the robing room. Lead counsel, Father Arun, and the court reporter disappear behind the door for 20 mins. Then 30 mins. It’s an hour into the morning and we have yet to start the actual court proceedings - nor can we hear anything that’s going on inside the robing room. Usually the rumors will come and go in the press pews - there’s not that many to go around. But everything about this Thursday is different. With nothing else to do - the press are whispering - ‘Did you hear?’ ‘I don’t know if it’s true’ ‘Kanye West is trying to get into the courthouse’ ‘I heard he’s here to support Diddy’ But this doesn’t make sense because why would Diddy be so viscerally angry to the point that his entire team has to block our view of him? Wouldn’t he want his friend supporting him? Is this why the attorneys have spent so long in the robing room? It all seems a lot deeper than that. Perhaps even darker. A lot of people start to speculate that Kanye might be the Feds next target - he might be who they’re coming after next. Full show notes at rottenmangopodcast.com

During a sidebar for the case of USA v. Sean Combs - the judge tells the defense attorneys: “Well, that is victim blaming. That is literally that's like if you had a dictionary that had a term victim blaming, like that would be the explanation that you'd be given, so it can't be that. It has to be something else.” He clarifies that they themselves are not victim blamers; however, some of their questions could not be accepted in open court for their rather victim blaming nature. He has said what netizens have been thinking for months now. Netizens have been wondering for months - Who is on trial here? Sean Combs or the victims? Every single text message and every intimate detail of these women’s lives have been brought up in court. They are being subjected to days and 20+ hours of brutal testimony. Their pasts are being dug up online - while Sean Combs has a growing line of fans waiting to get into the courtroom to support him. We are nearing the end of the trial and it feels like nobody really knows how this will end. Full show notes at rottenmangopodcast.com

She is one of Sean Combs’s latest girlfriends. She was dating Sean Combs when Cassie Ventura’s lawsuit went public. She was in the room with him when he found out that CNN had just released the hotel video of him assaulting Cassie. AND - she had plans to visit Sean Combs in New York City, on the very trip that he was arrested on. Jane Doe. Testifying under a pseudonym. There are so many questions that the prosecution, defense, and even the public have for her. Such as - what happened during her relationship? What was Sean Combs’s reaction to the hotel video being released? Were her experiences similar to Cassie’s? But the most interesting question in the courtroom is - why is Sean Combs still paying for her attorney? And - what does that mean for the case?

A mistrial. Sean Diddy Comb’s legal team has just filed for another mistrial, alleging that the prosecutors knew that Cassie was lying on the stand and still allowed her to testify. This entire fight centers around a 2016 balcony incident, in which Cassie and her friend Bona allege that Combs dangled Bona off the balcony. The defense argues that this incident never even happened. This makes it sound like the defense is grasping at straws to get a mistrial. However, the energy in the courtroom has been interesting lately. The defense has been taking some large “wins” in cross examinations. Some netizens believe that their biggest win yet was “taking down” the second victim to testify, Mia. Netizens believe that the defense has completely dismantled her story and that she came off “unlikeable” on the stand. But the prosecutors argue that all the defense did was harass, argue, and further traumatize a victim on the stand. Prosecutors argue that the cross examination was so brutal and humiliating that it might deter future victims from testifying in criminal cases. So which one is true? This is the testimony of Mia.

“Diddy, they’re laughing at you! This is not a game!” The lady is screaming in the back of the courtroom. Everyone whips their heads around to stare - and there she is. Staring off 3 court officers and threatening them to take out their gun. “Diddy is walking perfection. Take out your guns!” The woman has been banned from the courthouse, wore a scarf around her head (not for religious reasons), and snuck into the very courtroom where Diddy is now staring straight at her. Mouth agape. This was the very important message that she had to deliver - “They’re laughing at you.” She is dragged out of the courtroom but that is not the last we will hear from her. She has been there almost every single day during the USA v. Sean Combs case and there have been rumors circulating that she is a paid actor. But why? Full show notes at rottenmangopodcast.com

We have been having a lot of weird encounters during the trial of USA v. Sean Combs. Too many people have been persistently asking the same questions and now it’s starting to just feel weird. There are people outside the courthouse swinging wooden planks at reporters, spitting on news anchors, and threatening to take someone out with a sock filled with pool balls. These are all the strange encounters we have had during the Diddy trial. What is really happening here? Full show notes at rottenmangopodcast.com

“Did Diddy try to kill Kid Cudi?” In 2012, only a few gossip pages were wondering this question with the vast majority of readers wondering - “who even comes up with these crazy rumors?” Now, in 2025, it might not just be a rumor. Kid Cudi takes the witness stand to testify against Sean Combs. The man who allegedly broke into Kid Cudi’s house, lit his car on fire, and according to a former assistant - the man who wanted Kid Cudi dead. This is Kid Cudi’s full testimony in the USA v. Sean Combs case and the reactions of celebrities turning on him after his story.

Two full days after the start of the “Diddy Trial” - a new lawsuit is filed. A woman is accusing Sean Combs of SA and states that she recalls his private part being an “itty bitty Diddy.” She includes a photo of a teeny tiny tootsie roll for reference. This is just one of the many civil lawsuits filed against Sean Combs. Many of the people that have sued him are also showing up to the trial to testify against him. Which begs the question, how many more witnesses will be coming to get justice? Dawn Richards, a former band mate of Sean Combs, shows up in court seemingly ready to take him down. To finally tell her story. She says she watched him attack Cassie with a skillet. That the next morning he threatened her and everyone around them to stay silent. Or else… But once the cross examination by Diddy’s attorneys begin - it feels like her entire story starts unraveling. Or is that just what Diddy’s attorneys want us to think? This is the truth behind her brutal testimony. Full show notes at rottenmangopodcast.com

This is the first time they have seen each other since their break up in 2018. Over 6 years. And now they’re going to be on opposite sides of the courtroom - she’s going to be up on the stand testifying against him. Detailing all the things she didn’t want to do. The urination. The inflatable pool in the middle of a hotel room filled to the brim with baby oil. The seedy green “adult activity” club in Las Vegas. Even breaking up with Kid Cudi. And he will sit there and listen for 2 days straight while she tells the jurors about the injuries he gave her. How he stomped on her face and blackmailed her with explicit videos. All their private messages, photos, and emails will be shown to the court. This is the testimony of Cassie Ventura against Sean Diddy Combs and the reactions of her, her husband, and Sean Combs in the courtroom.

The energy in the courtroom has shifted. Sean Combs no longer looks like a statuesque wax figurine. He is now much more animated, literally jumping out of his seat to look at the evidence screen, there is almost an air of anticipation. But why? For the past 2 days Cassie Ventura, a government witness and victim in this case, has been testifying against Sean Combs. Now, the defense will begin their cross examination. Sean Combs’s attorneys will attempt to poke holes in Cassie’s story, discredit her, and show the jurors that she “wanted freak offs.” Everyone seems to be under the impression that the defense has very slim evidence to accomplish this. Then why is Sean Combs so happy? Do they know something we do not?

“Mr. Combs came out of the room, and I just saw a liquor bottle fly past her and hit the wall. He grabbed her by her hair, and started dragging her by her hair into her bedroom. And I could hear what sound like him slapping her. She was screaming. Then Mr. Combs was basically saying, b*tch, when I tell you to come here, you come now, not later.” “Did you intervene?” “No, I was terrified.” This is Day 2 of Diddy’s trial.

“The prosecutors already told you about lubricant, and you may know of his love of baby oil. Is that a federal crime? No." "He uses drugs, he is physical... but is that a federal crime? No." “We accept full responsibility for the domestic violence present in this case. However, domestic violence does not equate to sex trafficking.” - Diddy’s Defense Team This is day 1 of Diddy’s trial.

Some attorneys say the case is decided before opening statements in a trial even begin. They believe the trial begins and ends during jury selection. Picking 12 people to decide what happens to Sean “Diddy” Combs. Some potential jurors come in - stating they’ve seen the hotel video of Diddy and Cassie. Others mention that they work at HBO - the same company that released a documentary on Diddy’s case. One juror mentions that they work at the very jail that Diddy is currently housed in. Diddy intently listens to the jurors getting questioned. At times - he shakes his head no, he smiles, he takes notes, and he jokes around with his famous attorneys. And sometimes…he looks back and stares at the members of the press. There are no cameras allowed in a federal courtroom. But we were there and we want to tell you what we saw. Full show notes at rottenmangopodcast.com

There are only a few ways of getting out of it alive. The one rule - no matter how good it feels - DO NOT let sleep whisk you away. The only options are as follows: 1. Cover yourself completely in plastic and only stick your head out to breathe when necessarily. 2. Crawl into a cardboard box and try your best to stay awake. 3. Take the frozen goods and stick them into your clothing. That is how you stay alive if you are trapped inside of a commercial walk in freezer. Or at least that’s what they say but the odds of survival do not look good. The police are concerned that, that is where 5 year old, Ashley, is going to be. Maybe she accidentally locked herself in the freezer with no way out? The officers look through the freezer bins, cardboard boxes filled with packaged meats, and grocery bags… She’s is not there. But that’s the thing about humans - we all have a blind spot. They looked left, right, under the tables of the restaurant… but have they looked up? Full show notes at rottenmangopodcast.com