♪ whoa i'm in a lone star state of mind ♪ ♪ in a lone star state of mind ♪ ♪ whoa ♪ ♪ [ cheers and applause ] this is nightline. >> tonight, the disgraced mo money mo problems rapper and mogul. come on ma. >> come on girl. i'm crazy. >> facing a new sexual assault

lawsuit. >> my message to sean combs is stop fighting the women. come clean. acknowledge what you have done. >> his latest accuser, dawn rashad of the showstopping girl group danity kane. show. stop it! we show show stopping. diddy denies the allegations, but what rashad says she saw him do to former girlfriend cassie ventura. plus matthew mcconaughey. >> let me give you a little newsflash. there ain't nothing out there can kill me. rhonda woodruff in 30 days, the oscar winning dallas buyers club actor opening up about the cause close to his heart. >> how to keep kids safe in schools. >> what lights your fire for this fight? >> we have to watch that. tragedies like this don't become so commonplace in america that we don't start going. guess it's just the way it is. >> born from the tragedy in his hometown of uvalde, texas. >> that one hit home more

personally for me because it was felt like it was in my backyard. >> plus, how that famous catch phrase. all right, all right, all right came to be. and the vmas. the unforgettable performances. are you gonna go my way? who brought home a moonman? moonman? >> nightline will be right back ? new pantene with more pro-vitamins, plus biotin & collagen. repairs as well as the leading luxury bonding brand. stronger, healthier hair, without the $60 price tag. if you know, you know it's pantene. we all need fiber for our digestive health, but less than 10% of us get enough each day. good thing metamucil gummies are an easy way to get prebiotic, plant-based fiber. with the same amount of fiber as 2 cups of broccoli. metamucil gummies the easy way to get your daily fiber.

where there was only one pediatrician to serve more than 10,000 children. daniel lurie said, i'm going to help. we opened a clinic for our most vulnerable children. i have worked shoulder to shoulder with him as we have brought solutions where people thought the problem was unsolvable. daniel doesn't take excuses. he holds himself accountable. and i know that he can do it for the city of san francisco. sure, i'm a paid actor, and this is not a real company, but there is no way to fake how upwork can help your business. search talent all over the world with over 10,000 skills you may not have in house. more than 30% of the fortune 500 use upwork because this is how we work now.

>> good evening, and thank you for joining us i'm trevor ault. tonight a new accuser stepping forward against sean diddy combs. dawn richard, once a member of danity kane, saying she was victimized by the man she once considered a mentor. here's nightline co-anchor byron pitts. reporter. >> it has been a long journey to get here. she did not want to hide. why should she hide her head in shame? she has not done anything wrong. >> don richard had once been on top of the world. ladies and she was a rising star and a member of the popular girl group danity kane, with hits like showstopper, this is for my ladies and the two ladies, mercedes and damage. what are you gonna do, baby? top ten on the billboard charts in the early 2000, their mentor none other than one of the most influential figures in american music, sean diddy combs. yeah

that's what i'm talking about. >> y'all did a great job today, ladies. >> today richard is back in the spotlight in a new lawsuit she's accusing her former mentor of sexual battery, forced labor and gender motivated violence. >> these are all allegations that have become shockingly familiar against diddy in recent months, as he has faced lawsuit after lawsuit from women and men who have accused him of all manner of bad behavior. >> richard also claims she witnessed him abusing his former girlfriend cassandra ventura, better known as cassie, on numerous occasions. attorney lisa bloom is representing richard. >> don had the choice to file the case as a jane doe, and she chose not to do that after giving it a fair amount of thought. she wants accountability. she wants justice. >> an attorney for combs tells nightline, quote, in an attempt to rewrite history, don

payday, adding quote, it's unfortunate that miss rashad has cast their 20 year friendship aside to try and get money from him, but mr. combs is confidently standing on truth and looks forward to proving that in court. rashad is just the latest person to come forward with disturbing allegations against the once celebrated hip hop mogul. >> diddy has been under criminal investigation for months by federal prosecutors here in new york, and if there are criminal charges, many of them may look a lot like what some of these individuals have been describing with this newest lawsuit. >> this would probably only expedite or increase the amount of allegations and potential witnesses who could testify against sean combs. >> last november, a stunning lawsuit by cassie claimed that she was the victim of a pattern of abuse, violence and sex

trafficking by combs. at the time, combs denied all wrongdoing and said that settling was not an admission of guilt. then this explosive video we're going to begin tonight with the alarming images now emerging of sean diddy combs. >> the new video, obtained exclusively by cnn diddy's flying through the hallway of this hotel. >> and he's so brutal. and cassie is so small and just appears to be so broken, like there's a point where she just stays on the ground. >> it's so difficult to reflect on. >> combs, now 54, acknowledges assault of cassie in a message posted on instagram days after the video surfaced. i was fked up. >> i mean, i hit rock bottom, but i made no excuses. my behavior on that video is inexcusable. i take full responsibility for my actions in that video. >> since cassie's lawsuit, at least eight others have followed. combs has denied any

wrongdoing. don richard first met combs while filming the mtv reality show making the band. >> but i just feel like diddy is going to pull something because that's just how he is. >> combs is working on making danity kane the next big girl group. >> i need you to take the lead on that song. i need you to take the lead and produce those vocals. get those vocals right. >> but behind the scenes. according to richard's lawsuit, the group was subjected to verbal abuse and deprived of basic needs such as adequate food and sleep. she claims they were sometimes forced to work up to 48 hours with no breaks. richard also alleges that during the filming of making the band, she saw kim porter combs ex-partner and mother of three of his children leaving his recording studio in tears with visible facial injuries, including a lacerated lip. >> it's at that point, according to the lawsuit, that richard says, that she knew that sean combs was capable of assault and some of the most heinous acts

towards a woman. >> so many people are trying to break into the music industry. no matter how they're treated on those shows, it's very hard for them to leave because this is their lucky break. this is their dream. >> richard went on to work with combs in another group called diddy dirty money. >> like puff says, it feels good to work with a team. i'm better with a team. >> according to her lawsuit, the harassment didn't stop, richard says combs groped her multiple times. >> she claims that while in the dressing room, he would be there groping her buttocks under the auspice of this is where i want her underwear to be showing. this is where i want her pants to be cut. this is where i want her, her top to be fitted. >> it was around this time. the lawsuit says that richard was witness to multiple acts of violence against combs then girlfriend, cassie. in one incident, she alleges that in front of dinner guests, combs forcefully punched cassie in the stomach, causing her to double over in visible pain, crying. >> don richard describes this one instance where cassie is apparently making breakfast in

the kitchen, and diddy comes downstairs. she describes him as drug addled, apparently high, and just starts yelling at cassie. diddy picks up the frying pan full of eggs and whatever and hurls it at her, causing cassie to duck into a fetal position. and she said this is what made her dawn richard to be so afraid of him and what he was capable of. >> there was also a financial toll. richard claims she's owed upwards of $3 million for her work as an artist in the music industry, sexual harassment and sexual abuse of women is tolerated. >> a lot of very high level people are complicit. women suffer. women are overly sexualized. they're discarded like trash after they complain. and a reckoning is long overdue. it takes a lot of people coming forward until somebody is believed against a very powerful person in the music industry. >> yet a year ago this week,

combs was being celebrated at the mtv video music awards, receiving the global icon award for his impact on the industry. >> it don't matter what religion you are, but make sure you know there's a higher power of love. >> tonight, he's far from that vma stage. just this week, he put his $61 million l.a. mansion up for sale. the home had been raided by the feds earlier in the spring, and his name is now sullied by allegations that he denies that he insists he will fight. >> but he is also facing a criminal investigation. the biggest threat that he faces is the prospect of criminal charges. diddy, who once seemed untouchable in the world of entertainment, could in theory put him into prison. >> richard hasn't led any of this stop her. her love for music still driving her. she's even gearing up to go on tour. >> my message to sean combs is

stop fighting. the women come clean. acknowledge what you have done, make amends. but i don't think any of that is going to happen. >> our thanks to byron when we return one on one with oscar winning actor matthew mcconaughey, his fight to make sure kids are safe in school and where that all right, all right, all right. originally came from. all right, all right, all right. >> oh, christ. how you doing >> homeowners. when your water or sewer line breaks, it's expensive and often not covered by basic homeowners insurance. you could pay thousands. finding a good contractor can be tough. what? this guy doing the job with a plan from homeserve. call us. we'll send a contractor and there's no big bill. easy. but don't wait. get a plan from homeserve before a line breaks. go online now. >> plans from homeserve start at

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>> welcome back from the very first line he spoke in front of the camera. matthew mcconaughey has been a cool dudes cool dude, but under all that, cool is a man who cares deeply about his friends, his family, and the safety of every school kid in america. here's nightline co-anchor juju chang. >> all the ways we're approaching this problem of gun violence in america, we don't have a solution. but if we got enough people taking the right steps in constructive ways, lawmakers will listen. >> what lights your fire for this fight? >> we have to watch that. tragedies like this don't become so commonplace in america that we don't start to go on. guess it's just the way it is. not not not this one. >> matthew mcconaughey refuses to give up. he's using his star power to help make schools safer. >> we don't start dialing at 930 for more than three decades, he's disappeared into big screen roles.

>> as a quirky businessman in the wolf of wall street, cementing his heartthrob status in rom coms like how to lose a guy in ten days, you're beautiful, earning an oscar portraying an aids activist in dallas buyers club. >> let me give you a little newsflash. there ain't nothing out there can kill ron woodruff in 30 days at 54, the father, activist and actor is also the bestselling author of a memoir called greenlights. >> it's coming out in paperback november 12th. >> people stop me from all over the world and tell me things like, hey, i'm here. i was stuck there on another continent, and i'm here right now because of your book. >> for the few people who haven't listened or read the book, what does greenlights mean to you? >> greenlights is being cool to your future self. i love it, it's what it is. it's making choices today and investments

and sacrifices or doubling down on the fun you're having today. so to tee yourself up for more success and pleasure in the future, what am i doing here? >> right? >> greenlights is also the name of his grant initiative helping school districts get access to federal funds to beef up safety and mental health programs, not enough school districts that need these grants know how to apply for them and for those that do, it is a complex and expensive process, and so you came in to fix it. >> we came in and said tried to with the green light. grant initiative, which we're the connector between the schools that are in need and the government agencies that have the money that want to spend the money, want to allocate the money that we have to remember that mcconaughey's nonprofit founded with his wife, camila, was born out of tragedy. >> the couple, who live with their three children in texas, were devastated by the 2022 uvalde school shooting, where 19 children and two teachers were killed at robb elementary. >> uvalde happens when i go down there that was my hometown. that

one hit home more personally for me and others because that was felt like it was in my backyard. >> less than two weeks later, he visited the white house, delivering a powerful message about a ten year old's green sneakers, which became a symbol of that tragic day. >> my day wore green hytop converse with a heart. >> she had hand-drawn on the right toe because they represented her love of nature. >> these are the same green converse on her feet that turned out to be the only clear evidence that could identify her. after the shooting. how about that? >> his impassioned public pleas and private talks with lawmakers helped yield results. >> we go to d.c, we meet r's and d's and senators and congressmen and women and both sides and get the conversation going and try to see where the two can meet. >> and a year later, the bipartisan safer communities act is passed. here's billions of dollars to go safe in schools,

physically and through mental health help. >> but the funds deadline is set to expire in many states by 2026. many schools not taking advantage for needy school districts that money can't come soon enough. since uvalde, there have been an estimated 76 shootings at schools across the country. >> a mass shooting at appalachia high school in georgia. police say a suspect is now in custody. >> recently, in georgia, two students and two teachers were shot and killed, allegedly by 14 year old colt gray. his mother saying she tried to warn the school that morning after receiving an alarming text from her son. >> no parent wants to wants to think, oh, my kid could be hurting so bad that they might do something crazy. you know, both colt and his father, colin gray, now face multiple charges for the incident that killed four and injured nine. >> neither of them has entered a plea in the georgia shooting. the dad was arrested and held responsible. where do you stand on that?

>> guilty. not guilty. we. it starts at home. we have to admit that moms, dads, parents, that the schools could use our help in communicating with them. we know more about our children than they do where it starts. >> mcconaughey believes too many kids are lacking psychological support. >> we found some schools that had one mental health counselor for 3000 students. what we're doing is we're training and getting more mental health counselors hired per capita, per student for these schools. i think everyone agrees we could use more counselors, not just for the gun violence, but for all kinds of things. the kids just need them. >> mcconaughey will tell you his most important role is being a father. his 16 year old now following in dad's footsteps. your son levi, is making his acting debut. >> do i get to? i'm going with him every single day. >> oh my god, it's night. >> we work on the scenes for a couple hours. i'm helping him ask the right questions. like i learned helping him break down scenes, learning his rights as an actor. as soon as it

happened, i was like, oh, i'm going with levi. i'm with him. drop everything else. this could not be a more important moment in my life right now. >> in the book, you talk about how you came up with all right, all right, all right. yeah, it was an improv line. sure. and it was so sort of fortuitous. you've told that story many times, but then when you stood up and accepted the oscar, those three words came out of your mouth. >> thanks to that, i say, all right, all right, all right. first three words i ever said in film 1992 days. confused. all right, all right, all right. >> oh, christ. how you doing? >> all right. >> when i said those words, i didn't know if this was going to be a career. >> i thought i might have a little weekend. i had this bit part in a movie, and that was a weekend hobby. and i never do it again. so 32 years later, it turned out to be a career that i love. all right, all right, i'll put those in front of me. i'll say those any time. >> that's a tagline for you forever. yeah

>> our thanks to juju. and when we come back, the vmas, which we come back, the vmas, which stars rock the black carpet rth. i was under a lot of stress. i started taking nutrafol. we test our formulations with the highest rigor of clinical trials and we're the number one dermatologist recommended hair growth supplement. i noticed it becoming... stronger and thicker. nutrafol has taken me back to the hair i was meant to have. i am back to me. start your hair growth journey at nutrafol.com think scaling your ai pilots is hard? think again. with watsonx, you can deploy ai across any environment. above the clouds and on lots of clouds. with your secured data on prem, in real time on center court and assisting bank tellers on the edge. watsonx helps you deploy ai wherever you need it. so you can take your business wherever it needs to go.

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>> finally, tonight, mtv's video music awards. guess who's back? the high energy show kicked off with eminem and a troupe of slim shady's flooding the stage. cause baby, you're a firework. the fireworks of katy perry receiving the video vanguard award with a medley that had her sailing from the rafters. dude take these beautiful things that i've benson boone brought down the house with a rockin, beautiful things. he barely made it. >> he's gone mad at megan's law. i don't know what the problem is. >> megan thee stallion mixed it up with a flank of drummers and having the most fun tonight. it might have been taylor swift to the fans. >> i'm always trying to figure out a way to say thank you to you for making my life what it is. for making the eras tour. what it has become. for making the tortured poets department what it has become. that's all you guys, for doing t