Two of Australia’s most recognisable true crime podcasts, Casefile True Crime and One Minute Remaining, have teamed up for the first time on Suing Diddy – a seven-part investigative series under the Casefile Presents banner.
The series, hosted by One Minute Remaining creator Jack Laurence, unpacks the extraordinary story of Derrick Lee Cardello Smith, a Michigan inmate who briefly duped the US legal system into awarding him $100 million after suing Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs.
Laurence tells Mediaweek he sat on the story for nearly a year, unsure how to handle it. He knew it needed a larger platform: “I had been holding onto this story for almost a year, mainly because I was not sure what to do with it, but this man simply needed to be stopped. He has been manipulating people for years and even managed, for a short time, to manipulate the US legal system.”
A unique story
True crime has no shortage of scams and celebrity scandals, but Laurence believes Suing Diddy stands apart. “There have been countless podcasts about con artists, criminals and even P. Diddy, but this one is different. It is about an incarcerated man who sued P. Diddy for $100 million and won, all based on a lie,” he explained.
That lie, he added, eventually collapsed in the simplest of ways – which is part of what makes the story so compelling.
Laurence’s background in commercial radio has shaped his approach. Fifteen years of cutting long interviews down into five-minute segments taught him the importance of editing tightly.
“You have to be able to kill your babies,” he recalled – advice from broadcaster Kate Langbroek that still guides his work. It’s an instinct he brings to transcripts, affidavits and court records: stripping out the noise, keeping only what helps the audience follow the case.
Jack Laurence
Collaboration over competition
For Laurence, the collaboration with Casefile reflects a culture of generosity in podcasting.
“‘Casey’ (the anonymous host) and his team are hugely successful on their own and have no obligation to champion other creators, yet they choose to,” he said.
“They use their platform not only to bring important stories to life but also to help other podcasters grow.” It’s an attitude he contrasts with his years in radio, where the default was “crush, kill, destroy.”
That support has helped One Minute Remaining grow rapidly since launching in 2022.
The show has now surpassed eight million downloads, with Laurence releasing more than 400 episodes telling the stories of 46 prisoners in the US, alongside three other podcasts that collectively reach listeners in 135 countries.
Playing the long game
Laurence describes podcasting as a medium that rewards patience. Some stories, like Suing Diddy, live in his files for months before he decides where and how to tell them.
“When something really grabs you, you hang onto it, even if you don’t yet know how or where it will live,” he said. “Unless you’re tied to a large organisation, you can take your time, craft your story, and make sure it’s as strong as it can be rather than just rushing something out to meet a deadline.”
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is still awaiting sentence for his criminal convictions of transporting individuals to engage in prostitution.
Backing from Acast
All seven episodes of Suing Diddy are hosted, distributed and monetised by Acast.
Laurence says the company has been instrumental in supporting true crime creators and tackling brand hesitancy around the genre. “The Aus/NZ team live and breathe podcasting,” he said.
“Their sole focus is the industry which means that as podcasters we know we have a team and a sales team that understand the landscape and the product better than anyone.”
While some advertisers remain cautious, Laurence points to Acast’s success in bringing major clients into the genre.
“That stigma is something I still face, but Acast has been at the forefront of showing clients the benefits of advertising in a genre that consistently dominates audience numbers,” he said.