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Princess Diana’s relationship with Dodi Fayed is among the storylines teased in the first images released of the final series of The Crown.

Photography from the sixth season includes a picture of Diana, played by Elizabeth Debicki, in a car with Dodi (Khalid Abdalla), as well as scenes on a yacht belonging to his father, business tycoon Mohamed Al Fayed.

Inspired by real events, Netflix‘s fictional dramatisation tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II and the political and personal events that shaped her reign. Following five hit series, this upcoming sixth season of The Crown is set to be the final instalment.

Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana in the sixth and final series of The Crown. Pic: Netflix
Salim Daw as Mohamed Al Fayed in the sixth and final series of The Crown. Pic: Netflix
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Salim Daw plays Mohamed Al Fayed, who died earlier this year

It will be released in two parts, with the first four episodes launching on 16 November, depicting the couple’s relationship before the car crash in Paris in which they were both killed. The second part of the series will air from 14 December.

The images released by Netflix also give a glimpse of Mr Al Fayed, played by Salim Daw. The billionaire’s relationship with the Royal Family was first depicted in season five, during which Mr Al Fayed was seen getting to know a younger Diana.

“I think it’s a really unique challenge as an actor, to portray those days,” Debicki has said of playing Diana, while Abdalla described playing Dodi Fayed as “the honour of my life”.

Stars Imelda Staunton and Dominic West return as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles respectively, while Rufus Kampa and Fflyn Edwards play William and Harry.

Dominic West as Prince Charles, with Rufus Kampa and Fflyn Edwards as William and Harry, in the sixth and final series of The Crown. Pic: Netflix
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Dominic West returns as Prince Charles, while Imelda Staunton (below) is back as the Queen

Imelda Staunton as the Queen in the sixth and final series of The Crown. Pic: Netflix

Staunton, who took the role over from Olivia Colman and Claire Foy, said: “I’ve been living with her for a long time so, if anything, I felt more comfortable this time.

“I love her stillness and her ability to not be thrown by everything that must have constantly – throughout her whole life – gone on around her.”

Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana in the sixth and final series of The Crown. Pic: Netflix
Khalid Abdalla as Dodi Fayed in the sixth and final series of The Crown. Pic: Netflix
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The final series depicts the period of time around Diana and Dodi Fayed’s deaths

West said Charles has “got real sadness to him and real compassion” and that The Crown gives viewers the opportunity to “see these public figures in private”.

He added: “I suspect in private he’s quite emotional, well that’s the way I played him anyway… I talked to a lot of people who have met him because he’s met a lot of people, he’s met probably more than anyone except the Queen and Prince Philip. Almost everyone has extremely warm, kind things to say about him.”

According to the show’s producers, Prince William tries to integrate back into life at Eton in the wake of his mother’s death as the monarchy has to ride the wave of public opinion.

As she reaches her Golden Jubilee, the Queen reflects on the future of the monarchy with the marriage of Charles and Camilla and the beginnings of a new Royal fairytale in William and Kate.

Diana death to be handled ‘sensitively’

Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival in the summer, executive producer Suzanne Mackie said Diana’s death would be handled sensitively in the upcoming series.

Diana and Dodi Fayed, a film producer, died on 31 August 1997, when their car crashed in a road tunnel in Paris as they tried to outrun paparazzi photographers on motorbikes.

Mohamed Al Fayed died in August at the age of 94, with his family saying he “passed away peacefully of old age”.

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P Diddy: Stars react to video showing rapper attacking Cassie Ventura in hotel hallway

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P Diddy: Stars react to video showing rapper attacking Cassie Ventura in hotel hallway

Stars have hit out at rapper P Diddy following the release of CCTV footage showing him attacking singer Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway in 2016.

Warning: This story includes images readers may find distressing

The video, which was obtained by CNN, was shot on 5 March eight years ago and shows the 54-year-old – whose real name is Sean Combsshirtless and wearing just a white towel and brightly coloured socks, punching and kicking Ventura.

Sean Combs and Cassie in 2017. Pic: PA
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Sean Combs and Cassie in 2017. Pic: PA

The R&B singer, whose legal name is Cassandra Ventura, was his protege and girlfriend at the time.

The footage also shows Combs shoving and dragging her across the floor, as well as throwing a glass vase in her direction.

It closely resembles the description of an incident at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles described in a lawsuit filed by Cassie last year.

Commenting on the video on X, formerly known as Twitter, actress Emily Ratajkowski, wrote: “Monster”.

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Fellow rapper 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, shared the video, writing sarcastically: “Now I’m sure Puffy didn’t do it, he is innocent this proves nothing! This is what his lawyers are gonna say, God help us all.”

Jackson also re-posted a screenshot of a statement shared by Combs in December last year, denying allegations against him and accusing those making them of “looking for a quick payday”.

50 Cent wrote: “The lie detector test has determined this was a lie…”

Pic: CNN via AP
Image:
Pic: CNN via AP

Pic: CNN via AP
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Pic: CNN via AP

He also shared a statement from LA police which called the footage “extremely disturbing and difficult to watch,” but explained that it happened too long ago to be prosecuted.

California law has a one-year statute of limitations for assault.

Read more: What is Sean Combs accused of?

The husband of Ventura, Alex Fine, shared a lengthy statement on Instagram titled “Letter to women and children,” calling out men who perpetrate violence against women.

‘Men who hurt women hate women’

He wrote: “Men who hit women aren’t men. Men who enable it and protect those people aren’t men…

“Hold the women in your life with the utmost regard. Men who hurt women hate women.”

The personal trainer also shared the number of a domestic abuse helpline, urging those who need help to call.

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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs issues an apology

Meanwhile, lawyers representing Ventura branded Combs’s apology “pathetic,” after he shared a short video on social media on Sunday, saying he was “truly sorry,” and was “disgusted” by his own behaviour.

‘Disingenuous words’

Meredith Firetog, who is a partner at Wigdor LLP, said in a statement: “Combs’ most recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt.

“When Cassie and multiple other women came forward, he denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday.

“That he was only compelled to ‘apologize’ once his repeated denials were proven false shows his pathetic desperation, and no one will be swayed by his disingenuous words.”

‘Leave god and mercy out of this’

US singer and reality star Aubrey O’Day, who previously worked with Combs, also hit out at Combs’s apology video, writing on X: “Diddy did not apologize to Cassie. He apologized to the world for seeing what he did… Leave god and mercy out of this, they aren’t present here, and you know it.”

It is the first time Combs has responded directly to allegations of physical and sexual violence levelled at him in recent months.

Sean Comb's home raided by federal law enforcement.
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Sean Combs’ home raided by federal law enforcement. Pic: AP


Multiple claims

In March, his homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by Homeland Security as part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation by federal authorities in New York.

In April, Combs was named in a lawsuit that alleges his son sexually assaulted a woman working on a yacht chartered by his father.

Ventura, who began dating Combs a few years after meeting him in 2005, and split with him in 2019, sued him in November, alleging she was trafficked, raped, plied with drugs and beaten by Combs over a 10-year period.

The lawsuit claimed he forced her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed them. The case was settled the day after it was filed.

Combs has previously denied the allegations in the lawsuits and his lawyers have said he denies any wrongdoing.

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Sienna Miller walks the Cannes red carpet with daughter Marlowe

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Sienna Miller walks the Cannes red carpet with daughter Marlowe

Sienna Miller has walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival with her daughter Marlowe Ottoline Layng Sturridge.

The 42-year-old actress, who was born in the US but brought up in the UK, has been promoting her new film Horizon: An American Saga, directed by Kevin Costner.

Kevin Costner with Miller. Pic: Doug Peters/PA
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Kevin Costner with Miller. Pic: Doug Peters/PA

Miller – who will appear in this film and its next instalment – plays East Coast settler Frances Kittredge, who moves to the Horizon settlement with her husband and two children.

Miller wore a pale blue floor-length gown, while 12-year-old Marlowe wore a white dress with a large pale pink bow around the waist for her red carpet debut.

Miller gave birth to Marlowe, whose father is The Sandman star Tom Sturridge, 38, in 2012.

She had a second daughter earlier this year with The Crown actor Oli Green, who also attended the premiere.

Miller and Green, 27, met at a Halloween party thrown by a mutual friend and have since moved to London together.

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Costner – who not only directs the film but also co-wrote and stars in it too – had plenty of family support on the red carpet.

The 69-year-old Hollywood star brought five of his seven children – Annie, 40, Cayden, 17, Grace, 13, Lily, 37, and Hayes, 15. The latter makes his screen acting debut in the movie.

The Costner family: (L-R) Lily, Hayes Logan, Grace Avery, Kevin, Cayden Wyatt  and Annie. Pic: PA
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The Costner family: (L-R) Lily, Hayes Logan, Grace Avery, Kevin, Cayden Wyatt and Annie. Pic: PA

Horizon: An American Saga spans four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, and is described by the studio behind it, Warner Bros, as an “ambitious cinematic adventure” telling the story of the United States of America “through the lens of families, friends and foes”.

Brace yourself for a three-hour epic – and more to come

The two-part western – of which this is the first chapter – received a 10-minute standing ovation when it premiered on Sunday.

Costner also says he has scripts ready for two further instalments in the story, which would extend the epic to four parts if commissioned.

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The Yellowstone star, who first pitched a version of the movie back in 1988, has plenty at stake in the project, and personally financed around $100m for the film and its sequel.

He will be hoping to emulate the success of his 1990 directorial debut Dances With Wolves, which he also starred in and produced. The movie was a box office hit, winning multiple Oscars including best picture and best director.

Horizon: An American Saga runs for over three hours and will come to UK cinemas at the end of June.

It also features Avatar star Sam Worthington, Donnie Darko actress Jena Malone and Owen Wilson’s brother Luke Wilson.

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GB News show with Rishi Sunak broke broadcasting rules, Ofcom finds

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GB News show with Rishi Sunak broke broadcasting rules, Ofcom finds

GB News could face punishment after a programme with Rishi Sunak broke broadcasting rules.

Regulator Ofcom said it was considering a “statutory sanction” after finding ‘People’s Forum: The Prime Minister’ breached impartiality guidelines.

GB News called it “an alarming development” that “strikes at the heart of democracy”.

The hour-long show, which aired on 12 February, saw members of the public put questions to the prime minister. However, it received 547 complaints.

Ofcom said in March that five other GB News programmes featuring politicians acting as presenters – including two hosted by Jacob Rees-Mogg – also broke impartiality rules.

The watchdog said the show featuring Mr Sunak was fine in principle, but “due weight” should have been given to an “appropriately wide range of significant views” other than the Tories’.

These should have happened during the programme itself or “in other clearly linked and timely programmes”.

It said Mr Sunak “had a mostly uncontested platform to promote the policies and performance of his Government in a period preceding a UK General Election”.

“We have therefore recorded a breach of rules 5.11 and 5.12 of the Broadcasting Code against GB News,” it added.

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The channel was quick to hit back at the ruling and denied breaking the impartiality rules.

“The regulator’s threat to punish a news organisation with sanctions for enabling people to challenge their own prime minister strikes at the heart of democracy at a time when it could not be more vital,” it said.

“Our live programme gave an independently selected group of undecided voters the freedom to challenge the Prime Minister without interference,” added the channel.

It said neither producers nor the prime minister had seen the questions beforehand and Mr Sunak was kept “under constant pressure and covered a clearly diverse range of topics”.

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