Author: openjargon

• Kevin Bacon said he didn't turn down the role of Sam Wheat in the 1990 movie "Ghost."
• The part was played by Patrick Swayze.
• "I don't think I would've turned it down," Bacon told Business Insider. "I have no memory of that."

Kevin Bacon's acting career has included standout performances and roles that got away, but there's one bit of film trivia he wants to set the record straight on. Asked if he really did turn down the role of Sam Wheat in "Ghost" — which ultimately went to Patrick Swayze — he shook his head.

"No, I wish," Bacon told Business Insider's Caralynn Matassa in the latest installment of our Role Play interview series. "I don't think I would've turned it down. I mean, I have no memory of that."

Bacon also heaped praise on Swayze as the right choice. "And by the way, the other piece of that is 'Ghost' without Patrick Swayze — I don't know. It could have gone nowhere," he added.

"Ghost," directed by Jerry Zucker and released in 1990, starred Swayze as Sam, a banker who was murdered. After his death, Sam's ghost tries to save his girlfriend, Molly Jensen (Demi Moore), from danger through the help of a psychic named Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg).

In Swayze's 2009 memoir "The Time of My Life," cowritten by his wife Lisa Niemi, the actor said that he felt he was perfect for the role of Sam after reading the script, but Zucker wasn't keen on him. Instead, Swayze said that a number of notable actors in Hollywood were "under consideration" for the part, including Bacon, Alec Baldwin, Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, and Tom Hanks.

Swayze was granted an audition, where he acted out six scenes and convinced Zucker that he was right for the role.

The film went on to become a box office slam dunk, grossing $505.7 million on a $22 million budget. "Ghost" was also nominated for five Academy Awards; Goldberg, who Swayze fought to get cast, took home the award for best supporting actress.

Despite not turning down a role in "Ghost," Bacon said that there are still roles that he wanted but missed out on. But he's made his peace with it because it's part of the territory.

"Being an actor is a lifetime of rejection. It's a lifetime of getting just close. I think the only one that pops into my head is 'Raising Arizona,'" Bacon said, referencing Joel and Ethan Coen's 1997 film that starred Nicolas Cage.

"Part of the reason is because I love the Coen brothers so much," he said. "They went on to make just so many incredible movies, and I had a meeting with them and completely fucked it up. So that's the one that resonates with me."

• NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore spoke about flying aboard Boeing's glitchy spaceship.
• In a call from the International Space Station, they recounted taking manual control of Starliner.
• The astronauts are waiting for NASA to finish troubleshooting the wonky thrusters and helium leaks.

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore have been on the International Space Station way longer than they'd planned.

The duo flew into space aboard Boeing's Starliner spaceship, testing it out as its first-ever human passengers, on June 5. They were supposed to stay on the station for eight days, then return home so NASA could certify the spaceship and start using it regularly.

Shortly after they reached space, though, the Boeing spacecraft started glitching. They've been on the ISS ever since, while NASA and Boeing troubleshoot and insist the astronauts are "not stranded."

In a brief call with journalists on Wednesday, Williams and Wilmore finally shared their take on the situation and described what it was like to realize something was wrong with their spaceship.

What astronauts experienced flying on a glitchy spaceship

"Launch was spectacular. I mean, truly amazing," Wilmore said.

The astronauts were pressed back into their seats as the rocket roared through the atmosphere, then experienced the relief of microgravity as Starliner slid into orbit.

Then, in space, they began checking the spaceship's operational capabilities and it "performed unbelievably well," Wilmore said.

Astronauts use a scale of 1 (best) to 10 (worst) to rate spacecraft handling qualities. Wilmore said he's never given a 1 rating before, "but I was tempted."

He added, "It was truly amazing, the precision that this spacecraft held" — until day two of the mission.

As they approached the space station, one of Starliner's 28 Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters unexpectedly shut down. Then another went offline.

"You could tell the thrust, the control, the capability was degraded. The handling qualities were not the same," Wilmore said.

The astronauts took manual control for over an hour while ground teams were troubleshooting. Ultimately, five RCS thrusters unexpectedly shut down. They got a few thrusters back, Wilmore said, but things weren't the same.

"From that point on, you could tell that the thrust was degraded," though they didn't know why at the time, Wilmore said.

Still, when it came time to dock to the space station, where there were only a few inches of room for error, the spaceship did the job.

"Starliner came right down — in automatic mode at this point — right down the middle, even with the degraded thrusters, which was truly impressive knowing what we know now," Wilmore said.

What's wrong with Boeing's spaceship

NASA has also discovered five leaks in Starliner's helium supply, which is used to pressurize its propulsion system.

NASA is working to understand all the issues on the spacecraft and get more data to ensure the return trip will be safe. Engineers are testing an RCS thruster at NASA's White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, trying to replicate the unexpected issues that arose mid-flight and ensure the thrusters will perform well on the return journey.

In the meantime, Wilmore and Williams have been busy working on experiments and station maintenance with the other astronauts on the space station.

"We've been thoroughly busy up here integrated right into the crew," Williams said. "About once a week we get to jump into Starliner and talk to our control team there and work through all the nuances that they're working very hard on the ground."

Boeing keeps falling behind

NASA requires Boeing to put Starliner through extensive testing to uncover issues like these. In addition to ground testing, the spaceship had to fly an uncrewed mission to the space station.

The first attempt never reached the space station and experienced multiple failures, but eventually, in a later uncrewed attempt, Starliner reached the ISS.

This crewed mission with Williams and Wilmore is supposed to be the final test to certify the spacecraft for routine astronaut missions, and the astronauts expected to uncover some imperfections.

The leaks and thruster failures are the latest of many issues Boeing has faced with its spacecraft over the years, which has set it far behind competitor SpaceX.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon was developed on a similar timeline through the same NASA program as Starliner, but it finished testing and NASA certification in 2020. It's been flying people to and from the space station ever since.

It's not yet clear how the new issues will affect Boeing's ability to get its spacecraft into the regular space station rotation. Still, Wilmore and Williams expressed confidence.

"We are really satisfied with putting more people in the spacecraft once we get back and we work through all the issues that we've found already," Williams said.

• Samsung unveiled new wearables at its Unpacked event.
• Both the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro show clear design similarities to Apple's products.
• Samsung did reveal some innovative devices, however, debuting the new Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 phones.

Samsung made major product announcements at its Unpacked event on Wednesday — and two of its new wearable gadgets will look familiar to Apple fans.

The tech company wasn't subtle about the similarities between the soon-to-be-released Galaxy Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch Ultra 2.

And it's more than just the (literally same) "Ultra" name or the orange band. The Apple Watch Ultra 2, which debuted in September 2023, features an orange-accented action button, a titanium case, and a breathable band style called "ocean."

The Galaxy Watch Ultra, set to be released on July 24, is also made of titanium, boasts its own orange "Quick Button," and a "marine" band option. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 retails for $800, and the Galaxy Watch Ultra will cost $650.

While tech companies have been copying each other for decades, Samsung's approach here appears to be targeting Android fans who like the look of the Apple Watch Ultra. Apple's smartwatches don't play nicely with Android, so Samsung could attract customers who like the Apple aesthetic.

But the strategy has its downsides. If you spot someone wearing Galaxy Watch Ultra, there's a good chance you'd mistake it for Apple's model — which doesn't help Samsung differentiate itself.

In a statement to Business Insider, Samsung said that the design choices for its new smartwatch were "made to ensure comfort, usability, and durability in a variety of use cases." It didn't mention what went into naming the device.

The similarities extend to Samsung's new earbuds.

The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and the Galaxy Buds 3 — also announced at Unpacked — got a revamp that steps away from previous designs to make Samsung's Bluetooth earbuds shaped more like Apple AirPods.

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are stemless and come in light purple, but their successor only comes in silver or white. Similar to the AirPods Pro, Galaxy Buds 3 Pro owners will be able to control their earbuds with gestures.

The second-generation AirPods Pro and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro cost about $250.

Samsung said the new look of the earbuds is "based on statistical data Samsung collected to ensure the most comfortable fit for the broadest userbase."

While the company didn't exactly go in a new direction for its Ultra and Galaxy Buds, it's still not afraid to experiment and has demonstrated real innovation in the past. Look no further than Samsung's foldable phones, a product type that Apple is reportedly exploring. At Unpacked, Samsung debuted new iterations of the foldable Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip.

And to be clear, Apple has also borrowed heavily from rivals in the past, introducing iOS features at WWDC 2024 that Android user have enjoyed for years.

But still, it's hard not to look at Samsung's new watch and earbuds and not see two Apple products staring back.

• Katy Perry announced her new album, "143," will arrive on September 20.
• The album's lead single, "Woman's World," will be released Thursday.
• Perry worked with pop producers like Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Stargate, and more.

Katy Perry has officially opened the portal to her new musical era.

Perry announced on Tuesday that her new album, "143," will be released on September 20.

"I set out to create a bold, exuberant, celebratory dance-pop album with the symbolic 143 numerical expression of love as a throughline message," Perry said in a press release distributed by her label, Capitol Records.

The press release also bills "143" as a "sexy, fearless return to form" for Perry, who hasn't released a full-length project since 2020. That album, "Smile," was met with largely negative reviews and lackluster sales; it debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and its top-charting single, "Daisies," peaked at No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. (Her previous three albums, "Teenage Dream," "Prism," and "Witness," all went to No. 1.)

Since then, Perry has delivered a small handful of duets and commercial singles, including a cover of "All You Need Is Love" for a Gap holiday campaign and the pop song "Electric" for a Pokémon soundtrack album.

"143" will be Perry's sixth major-label release — seventh overall, including her sparsely heard debut "Katy Hudson," a Christian music album released in 2001.

The new album's lead single, "Woman's World," is set to arrive on Thursday after more than a month of teasers.

The upbeat track will contain themes of freedom and female empowerment, with Perry belting in the chorus, "Celebrate / We ain't going away / It's a woman's world and you're lucky to be living in it."

Although teasers for "Woman's World" were initially met with disappointment online (and a clip of the music video has received similarly mixed reactions), it does offer a peek into the tone of Perry's hopeful pop comeback.

"'143' IS A PARTY AND THE WORLD IS INVITED!" reads the album description in Perry's online store. "Get ready for Singalong, Heart Opening, Empowering, Sexy, Provocative Pop Anthems!"

Perry worked with major pop producers like Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Stargate

Perry reunited with familiar faces to create "143," a label source told Rolling Stone.

Perry previously worked with Dr. Luke, Martin, and Stargate to craft No. 1 hits like "I Kissed a Girl" (2008), "Teenage Dream" (2010), "Firework" (2010), and "Roar" (2013).

However, Perry has not worked with Dr. Luke since he was sued by Kesha, his former teen protégé, in 2014.

Kesha accused Dr. Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald, of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. He denied all of Kesha's claims and countersued for defamation.

"The abuse I suffered from Luke was a decade long, every day, every moment of every day," Kesha said during sworn questioning in 2017.

Kesha's battle to escape her contract with Dr. Luke's label, Kemosabe Records, earned her support from fellow pop stars like Adele, Halsey, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift, who donated $250,000 to help cover Kesha's legal fees.

The parties reached an undisclosed settlement last year. Shortly after, Kesha announced that she had fulfilled her contractual obligation to Kemosabe and released her first song as an independent artist, "Joyride," earlier this month.

Given Dr. Luke's embattled reputation among artists and fans alike, Perry's decision to reunite with him sparked backlash. However, the Capitol Records source told Rolling Stone that Perry personally assembled her team for the album.

"Katy knew exactly the album she wanted to make and put together the team to make it happen," the source said.

Perry also reconnected with Sarah Hudson, who cowrote Perry's diamond-certified hit "Dark Horse," as well as several tracks from her 2017 album "Witness."

Newcomers to Perry's orbit include Vaughn Oliver, Rocco Valdes, and Theron Thomas, according to the label source.

Oliver is an up-and-coming pop producer who has teamed up with Gottwald multiple times, coproducing hits like Latto's "Big Energy" and Nicki Minaj's "Super Freaky Girl."

Valdes — better known by his stage name Rocco Did It Again! — is another member of Gottwald's inner circle. The two share production credits on songs by Doja Cat, Kim Petras, Minaj, and more.

Thomas is a Grammy-winning songwriter who signed with Kemosabe in 2014. More recently, he has written songs with Beyoncé ("All Night"), Lizzo ("Juice," "Tempo," "About Damn Time"), and Usher ("No Limit," "Bad Habits").

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

• A Manhattan federal grand jury is weighing sex-trafficking allegations against Sean 'Diddy' Combs.
• The rap mogul hired top NYC defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo to fight a possible indictment.
• Agnifilo has repped Harvey Weinstein, 'pharma bro' Martin Shkreli, and NXIVM leader Keith Raniere.

Sean "Diddy" Combs has lawyered up as a federal grand jury in Manhattan continues a months-long investigation into sex-trafficking allegations involving multiple accusers, Business Insider has learned.

The rap mogul has hired Marc Agnifilo, a veteran criminal attorney whose high-profile clients include producer Harvey Weinstein, 'Pharma Bro' Martin Shkreli, and NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere.

Agnifilo told BI that sex-trafficking allegations by R&B singer and Combs' former girlfriend Cassie Ventura were the spark for the now sprawling investigation by prosecutors for the Southern District of New York.

When Ventura's bombshell Manhattan lawsuit settled only one day after it was filed last November — for a sum assumed to be in the millions — additional Combs accusers "came out of the woodwork," Agnifilo said.

Since then, "There's been subpoenas out for months, and I don't get the sense anything is imminent," Agnifilo said of potential charges.

Combs' homes in Los Angeles and Miami were subjected to federal searches and the seizure of phones and computers in March as part of that probe, he said.

Agnifilo, a former state and federal prosecutor in Manhattan, said he and co-counsel Teny Geragos are in regular communication with federal prosecutors.

"I think that the Southern District is appropriately taking its time and considering many different factors," the lawyer said.

"But we are firmly convinced that he did not violate any federal laws, and we hope we can work with prosecutors in reaching that conclusion."

Combs has not spoken with prosecutors, added Agnifilo, a former state and federal prosecutor in Manhattan now at Agnifilo Intrater.

The Manhattan grand jury is the latest, and potentially most serious, legal trouble plaguing Combs as women from the rapper's past step forward with accusations of violence and coerced sex.

In May, CNN published 2016 video of Combs shoving, dragging, and kicking Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel.

The video corroborated allegations of violence in the R&B singer's lawsuit against Combs and Bad Boy Entertainment.

"I'm disgusted," Combs said in an apology after the video went public, calling his behavior "inexcusable."

The lawsuit alleged that Combs seduced her into a "drug-fueled lifestyle" and repeatedly forced her to engage in sex with male prostitutes so that he could watch and film the encounters.

Combs has fought nine sex-assault lawsuits since November, the most recent filed in federal court in New York by porn star Adria English, who also accuses him of sexual assault and harassment.

English says that in 2004 to 2009, Combs "demanded" she engage in sex with guests at his high-profile "white parties" at his homes in New York and Florida, charges Combs denies.

The last time Combs was in serious legal peril in New York was more than 20 years ago, when he and then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez were arrested after a shootout at a Times Square nightclub.

Combs was repped then by longtime celebrity defense attorney Benjamin Brafman, who in 2001 won the rapper a high-profile acquittal after a six-week trial on gun and bribery charges — "Uncle Benny," a grateful Combs called him at the time.

Brafman repped Combs again in the leadup to the Ventura lawsuit. Reached Wednesday, Brafman declined to comment on Combs' switch to Agnifilo, who was senior trial counsel at Brafman & Associates before the two men parted ways in March after 17 years.

"I've always viewed Ben as a mentor," Agnifilo said when asked of the split. "He fought Puffy's battle 25 years ago, and I get to fight it now."

An attorney for Ventura did not respond to a request for comment on this story.

• Elon Musk's X avoids $500 million in severance after favorable court ruling.
• The court found insufficient evidence of ERISA governance of benefits for employees.
• X still faces multiple lawsuits over severance pay and unpaid bills from vendors.

Elon Musk and his company X, formerly Twitter, just got out of a $500 million in severance pay lawsuit for now, according to a Tuesday court ruling.

A federal judge in the Northern District of California dismissed a lawsuit brought by former Twitter employees who said the company owed $500 million in severance to those laid off after the Twitter acquisition.

Former Twitter HR boss Courtney McMillian and ex-manager Ronald Cooper filed the lawsuit last July. They argued the company failed to properly compensate over 6,000 laid-off employees under rules set by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

The plaintiffs said in the lawsuit they were only offered one month of severance pay after Musk's 2022 takeover of Twitter.

They said in the lawsuit that was " a fraction" of what they were entitled to under the severance plan."

McMillian did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

US District Judge Trina Thompson ultimately found insufficient facts to support that the severance plan is governed by the ERISA.

The judge noted in her ruling that the company told employees after Musk took over that laid-off employees would get cash payouts. There were also no promises to continue healthcare benefits or outplacement services following termination, she wrote.

The company told employees after Musk took over that laid-off employees would get cash payouts, according to the ruling. There were also no promises to continue healthcare benefits or outplacement services following termination, the ruling said.

McMillian and Cooper can amend their complaint about insufficient severance in the next 21 days, but any ERISA claim won't hold up in court.

Despite this win, Musk and his social media platform aren't quite off the hook yet.

Several lawsuits have been filed regarding Musk's takeover of X and insufficient severance pay awarded to laid-off employees — and they're ongoing. Some employees also claimed they weren't paid a proper portion of their 2022 bonuses.

Even vendors have accused the social media platform of not paying its bills. Australian project management company Facilitate filed a lawsuit seeking $700,000 for unpaid work it completed in Twitter offices. Twitter's London and Boulder, Colorado, offices were also both accused of not paying rent.

Since taking over Twitter, Musk has slashed about 80% of its workforce and implemented a number of controversial changes that have altered the company's brand, like offering verification to anyone who pays, renaming the company "X," and making users' likes private.

Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

• Blake Masters and Abe Hamadeh are in the midst of a nasty primary for a House seat in Arizona.
• Sen. JD Vance, a potential Trump VP pick, has endorsed Masters. Trump has endorsed Hamadeh.
• Vance downplayed the disagreement. "Trump knows that Blake's a friend," he said.

As Donald Trump prepares to announce his vice presidential nominee at the Republican National Convention next week, the former president seems to have found a potential favorite: Sen. JD Vance of Ohio.

"It looks good," Trump said of Vance's signature beard on Fox News radio on Wednesday morning. "He looks like a young Abraham Lincoln."

According to various media reports, Vance, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, and Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota are the top three "finalists" for the job.

"I've never heard that word," Vance told reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday. "I have not gotten a rose, or trinket, or any other gift. But look, I mean, I have no reason to think that reporting is false. I think that they are narrowing the list down."

Vance, a freshman Republican senator from Ohio, is the most ideologically aligned with Trump of the trio. He was among the first GOP senators to endorse his 2024 campaign, and he has gone to lengths that few others have gone to defend Trump during his 18 months in the Senate.

However, there is one place where there's daylight between the two men: The Republican primary in Arizona's 8th congressional district, where Abe Hamadeh and Blake Masters are engaged in perhaps the ugliest GOP primary of the cycle.

Vance endorsed Masters, a friend who shares much of the Ohio senator's same "New Right" beliefs, in October, several weeks before Trump endorsed Hamadeh. Vance and Masters both ran for Senate in their respective states in 2022 with the financial backing of right-wing tech billionaire Peter Thiel: Vance won his race, while Masters did not.

Vance said on Tuesday that he's spoken with Trump about the race. "We've talked about it," Vance said. "You know, I endorsed Blake very, very early, before Trump got involved in the race. I mean, Trump knows that Blake's a friend."

The campaign has since become ugly, with Masters running ads portraying Hamadeh — an Arab American with a Muslim father — as sympathetic to Islamic terrorists.

"Seems pretty dirty," Vance said with a laugh. "Unusually messy for a Republican primary where you have a reasonably safe seat."

Masters has also featured Trump prominently in his campaign materials and ads, despite not having his endorsement. One recent Masters ad notes that Trump endorsed his Senate campaign, prompted accusations that Masters was trying to mislead voters and reportedly spurring a take-down request for Trump campaign manager Susie Wiles.

"Well, he's trying to win, right?" Vance said when asked what he thought of the way Masters was conducting his campaign. "He's trying to win, and you're going to get pretty aggressive sometimes and try to draw contrasts. He has to draw contrasts, he has to give people a reason to vote for him."

Vance also suggested that he had little issue if Hamadeh, Trump's preferred candidate, ultimately prevails in the July 30 primary.

"I think you got two good candidates running there, and we'll see what happens," Vance said. "They're going to fight out their primary, and I think we're going to get a good congressman out of that."

• Nearly half of Gen Zs rely on their families for financial support, a new study found.
• The rising costs of everything is straining Gen Z's financial independence.
• Despite practicing 'loud budgeting,' 57% of Gen Zs lack savings for three months' expenses.

Gen Zs are struggling financially, and nearly half of them rely on their parents for support, a new study found.

And though the TikTok-famous trend of "loud budgeting" may be helping, it's not enough to offset the rising cost of everything from college education to monthly rent to eggs.

Bank of America released a report Wednesday outlining Gen Z's financial health, and things aren't looking too great for these 18- to 27-year-olds.

The report — which is based on an Ipsos survey of more than a thousand young people conducted in April and May — found that 46% of Gen Zs in that age bracket rely on their parents or family members for financial assistance.

It's not just in college, either; the report found that 30% of non-students get help from their families.

And 32% of the Gen Zs who are getting financial assistance from either their families, the government, or their friends say they get $1,000 a month or more, with 44% saying they get $500 or less.

That money isn't funding influencer-style trips to Ibiza — it's just helping them pay for the bare necessities: groceries and toiletries, rent and utilities, phone plans, and health insurance, according to the report.

The report did outline a positive financial trend among Zoomers: their willingness to do "loud budgeting," a trend popularized on TikTok where young people are open with their friends about what they can and can't afford.

The research found that 38% of Gen Zs are OK admitting to their friends that they can't go to certain social events because they can't afford them. And 63% of the group surveyed said they don't feel like their friends pressure them to spend more than they can, "indicating that Gen Z may be drawing firmer financial boundaries compared to other generations at the same age," according to Bank of America's report.

And that's a big change from previous generations — ones that made fun of budgeting.

Take, for example, an episode of "Friends" from 1995, "The One with Five Steaks and an Eggplant" in which Rachel, Phoebe, and Joey awkwardly and shamefully confront Chandler, Ross, and Monica about not being able to afford the kinds of activities that their more financially stable friends can. At the time, that type of conversation was totally taboo.

But just because Zoomers are better at being honest about their finances doesn't mean they're better off.

Bank of America's report found that 57% of those surveyed do not have enough money saved to cover three months of expenses, and only 18% had put money into an emergency fund in the last year.

"Though faced with obstacles driven by the cost of living, younger Americans are showing discipline and foresight in their saving and spending patterns," Holly O'Neill, BofA's President of Retail Banking, said in a press release. "It is critical that we continue to empower Gen Z to work toward achieving financial health and meeting their long-term goals."

• Rudy Giuliani interrupted his bankruptcy hearing after an attorney said he would commit fraud.
• He is $152 million in debt, almost all of which is owed to election workers he defamed.
• Giuliani scored a legal win as the bankruptcy judge said he'd likely dismiss the case, allowing appeals.

Rudy Giuliani erupted during a bankruptcy hearing Wednesday morning, interrupting the proceedings to complain it was "defamatory" to suggest he would commit bankruptcy crimes by hiding his assets.

His interruption came as Rachel Strickland, an attorney representing two Georgia election workers whom Giuliani defamed and owes $148 million, urged the judge to dismiss the bankruptcy case and allow the claims against Giuliani to play out in different courts.

Keeping the case in bankruptcy court would inevitably lead to Giuliani hiding his assets and being charged with bankruptcy crimes, Strickland said.

"We will all be stayed while the trustee in this court wades through the morass of sexual assault and other allegations while Mr. Giuliani continues to play golf," Strickland said, her voice scathing.

Giuliani's attorneys appeared in person in Manhattan's bankruptcy court for the hearing, but Giuliani himself called in by phone.

"Ted! Would you get them on the phone and stop—" Giuliani shouted, appearing to refer to his spokesperson Ted Goodman.

"Alright, someone's got a live microphone, and that's not a good situation," the bankruptcy judge said.

As muffled noises continued to emerge from Giuliani's phone line, the judge, Sean H. Lane, tried to silence it.

"We keep having that same telephone pop up," Lane said. "Let me ask in court if we can make sure to have that muted, please."

"Your honor, this is the Rudolph Giuliani," Giuliani said amid the static of his phone. He asked for a break to talk to his lawyers and address Strickland's "defamatory remarks."

Lane asked Giuliani to wait his turn to speak. Later in the hearing, Giuliani's attorney Gary Fischoff assured the court that his client would not commit bankruptcy fraud.

"I just wanted to state something for the record," Fischoff said. "There were some statements that the debtor would commit bankruptcy fraud. So I just wanted to state for the record that Mr. Giuliani, the debtor, would not commit any bankruptcy fraud."

The judge said he'll probably dismiss Giuliani's bankruptcy case

Wednesday's bankruptcy hearing comes at a major turning point for Giuliani's bankruptcy process — where he may actually score a major legal win.

Giuliani filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December, shortly after a jury in Washington, DC, found him liable for $148 million in damages for defaming Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Moss, the two election workers who he falsely claimed manipulated ballots in the 2020 election.

The bankruptcy filing paused their lawyers from enforcing the judgment against them, which formed nearly all of his $152 million in debt.

It also paused all the other civil cases against Giuliani, including a sexual abuse lawsuit from Noelle Dunphy and another defamation lawsuit from the election technology company Dominion Voting Systems.

Over the past seven months, Giuliani has tried to buy time with motions to slow down the bankruptcy process as he appeals the $148 million judgment.

At the same time, creditors have accused Giuliani of filing misleading and incomplete financial statements, and of hiding streams of income.

They asked Lane to appoint a Chapter 11 trustee, who would have the power to seize legal control of his assets and sell them to satisfy everyone who was owed money. The trustee also may be able to waive attorney-client privilege on Giuliani's behalf, possibly opening him up to further legal risk.

But in court filings this week, lawyers for Giuliani, Freeman, and Moss all agreed that dismissing the bankruptcy case entirely would be the best course of action.

They said Giuliani would agree not to file for bankruptcy again for another year, giving time for appeals in the $148 million defamation judgment to play out.

"It is in the interest of creditors for their claims to be heard in the forum of their choosing" and not bankruptcy court, Strickland said in Wednesday's hearing.

Lane said he was inclined to agree and dismiss the bankruptcy, citing "the difficulties we've had in terms of transparency in this case."

"That's not going to magically change if you continue the case in 11 with the trustee," Lane said.

The judge said that a Chapter 11 trustee could easily liquidate Giuliani's two apartments and jewelry, which comprise the bulk of his estimated $8 million estate.

But liquidating Giuliani's other assets, like his media company and coffee operation, would be difficult to disentangle from the former New York City mayor's personal brand, he said. Dealing with those could incur expenses that would ultimately come out of the pockets of creditors who were owed money, the judge said.

Philip Dublin, an attorney representing the other creditors in the bankruptcy — including Dunphy and Dominion — objected to that plan.

He said the best way to fairly split Giuliani's assets would be to appoint a Chapter 11 trustee who would liquidate Giuliani's assets.

But Strickland said her clients had priority — and they wanted the case dismissed.

"We are the significant focus of the case," she said. "We are $148 million."

The judge said he would issue an order by Friday and asked the parties to meet and figure out how to pay expenses for a discovery vendor, a third-party company that has already done months of work obtaining and organizing Giuliani's records for the case.

Lane also said he would not approve Giuliani's preferred backup plan of converting the bankruptcy process from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7, which would allow him to save future income for himself while liquidating his current assets.

Justin Kelton, an attorney representing Dunphy, told Business Insider that she would continue to pursue her sexual abuse claims in court if the judge dismissed the bankruptcy case.

"Our client Noelle Dunphy remains as strong and steadfast as ever in her commitment to pursuing justice," he said. "If Mr. Giuliani's bankruptcy is dismissed, she will continue pursuing her claims in court, and we look forward to the day when we can present this case to a jury."

Giuliani has brought upon himself a barrage of indignities as he falsely insisted that the 2020 election results were rigged.

In addition to his numerous civil cases, the former US attorney and personal lawyer to Donald Trump was disbarred in New York and is on the verge of losing his law license in Washington, DC.

He was also indicted in two criminal cases, in Georgia and Arizona, over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in those states.