Blac Chyna's lawsuit against Rob Kardashian and the rest of his family wrapped up on May 2.
Blac Chyna's lawsuit against Rob Kardashian and the rest of his family has come to an end after each side made a slew of allegations. ET is taking a closer look at why Blac Chyna mounted a $100 million lawsuit against the Kardashian family and what transpired in court.
Blac Chyna plans to appeal verdict
Her attorney, Lynne Ciani, told reporters she plans to file an appeal. Ciani said that, despite losing the defamation and contract interference claims against the Kardashian-Jenner family, there's still reason to celebrate, and for two reasons. Ciani, who has represented Chyna for over four years, said that "the jury found that Chyna had not physically abused Rob Kardashian."
Ciani also said that it's her interpretation that "all four defendants had intentionally interfered with her contract with E! Network." She added, "We will appeal the remainder of the verdict."
Meanwhile, Chyna's mom, Tokyo Toni, has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the legal costs for the appeal. So far, the page has generated more than 40 donations ($780) in hopes of reaching its $400,000 goal.
Kardashians Win Blac Chyna Defamation Lawsuit, No Damages Awarded
On Monday, May 2, the jury decided that no monetary damages should be awarded to Blac Chyna, thus ending the weeks-long case. The verdict was delivered in L.A. Superior Court after a two-week trial.
Meanwhile, Kris Jenner and her daughters were in New York City for the annual Met Gala and the momager spoke to ET about the verdict.
"I'm just glad it's over," she said.
Defamation Claim Against Kim Kardashian Dropped
While the jury was still in deliberations, the judge handed Kim a huge victory in court when he granted her lawyer's motion to drop the defamation claim against her. The Kardashian-Jenner attorney, Michael Rhodes, issued a document purportedly showing the judge's decision, which read, in part, "There is no evidence that defendant Kim Kardashian took a 'responsible part' in the publication of the alleged statements by the other defendants."
Chyna's lawyer had argued that "to support a claim for defamation, [Blac Chyna] need only establish that the individual defendants took a 'responsible part' in the publication of the defamatory matter." However, the judge ruled otherwise.
Kardashian-Jenner Family Attorney Makes Closing Statements
Attorney Michael Rhodes asked the jury to start with the big fight between Rob and Chyna and to put themselves inside the house during that time.
Rhodes asked the jury to think about how Rob looked on the stand and noted the "pain and anguish" on his face. He said Rob looked like someone who had been "really badly hurt here" and said that yes, they are famous people, but they are real people.
Rhodes noted that Chyna's attorney said "her show" when talking about Chyna, but it was never her show. He said it was the Rob and Chyna show and it was a spinoff of the Kardashian brand and that is a central problem in this case. He said Chyna thinks the show is about her and only her, but it's about both of them.
Rhodes said Chyna damaged her own brand and she is blaming it on the Kardashian-Jenner family. He concluded by saying that it's time to let this family start to heal and asked the jury to give a verdict in favor of the defense or else this is going to continue on, and on and on.
Blac Chyna's Attorney Makes Closing Statements
Attorney Lynne Ciani asked the jury to "forget" who "they are" and asked them to go to the Kardashian-Jenner family's argument that they heard from Rob that he was struck with a metal pole, his shirt was ripped, and that he was strangled with an iPhone cord. Ciani noted again that Rob said on the stand that he had no marks and she pondered how that would be possible. She asked if it was reasonable for the family to believe their son and brother's version of the brutal attack.
Ciani further noted that the family is made up of sophisticated reality TV stars. She said the family demanded season 2 of Rob & Chyna be canceled and gave the solution that they would film more of Keeping Up With the Kardashians and do the Life of Kylie show. Lynne also said with The Life of Kylie came the death of season 2 of Rob & Chyna.
Ciani told the jury that there are false reasons for the cancellation of season 2 that have been given.
NBCUniversal Vice President Explains Why Rob & Chyna Was Canceled
On Thursday, April 28, Francis Berwick, a vice president at NBCUniversal, spoke about why Rob & Chyna only had one season, and was adamant that she did not have any conversations with the Kardashian-Jenner family about the cancellation.
Ultimately Francis said that Rob and Chyna's relationship was in a sad place after the first season and it wasn't the sort of story E! wanted to tell. She further noted that E! looks for frothy, escapist shows that are on the lighter side. The state of Rob and Chyna's relationship at that time wouldn't have been an enjoyable, escapist story to tell about a couple.
Rob Kardashian Takes the Stand
On Wednesday, April 27, Rob was questioned by Chyna's lawyer, Lynne Ciani, about his relationship with Chyna, and about alleged threats that Chyna made against his sister, Kylie Jenner, before they ever began dating.
Rob testified that Chyna allegedly threatened Kylie on social media privately, claiming, "She threatened to kill her [Kylie]. Like I said, I don’t know the details. I know she threatened my little sister and that’s that."
He also testified about instances of alleged abuse -- both physical and verbal -- that he claims Chyna committed against him before their breakup, and how it showed him how troubled their connection was.
"Looking at it now, I had my gun put to my head by this woman several times," Rob said. "That’s a toxic relationship. From day one of filming."
“Fights and arguing, me sleeping in the car in the driveway, waiting to get into the home," he added, further claiming, "Strangling someone, beating someone, that’s not a family. That’s not love to me."
Corey Gamble Takes the Stand
Corey Gamble testified that he witnessed an alleged physical altercation between Chyna and Rob. Corey testified that he drove over to Kylie's home, where Rob and Chyna were staying, after receiving a disturbing phone call where he said he could hear Chyna and Rob arguing.
Upon arriving at the house, Corey said he could see down the hallway and heard a "mad" Chyna. “Chyna was telling Rob how she hated him, how she'd kill him, and how she didn't like him," Corey alleged.
Corey said when Chyna saw him, she allegedly ran toward Rob, dropped a metal rod, and picked up a cord that looked like a phone charger. Corey claimed that Chyna was "whipping" Rob with the cord and that he himself allegedly got hit two or three times when he jumped in between the couple and told Rob to get his keys and get out of the house.
Corey claimed that he could smell alcohol on Chyna’s breath and that he was trying to keep Chyna’s attention so that Rob could get his keys and wallet from the bedroom.
Ryan Seacrest's Deposition Is Played in Court
Seacrest's video testimony was played in court on Tuesday, April 26, and the former executive producer for Keeping Up With the Kardashians said he was rarely involved, if at all, with Rob & Chyna, even though he served as one of its executive producers.
Seacrest -- who recorded the deposition testimony on May 31, 2019 in Beverly Hills -- explained he was passively attached to any KUWTK spinoff shows, including Rob & Chyna, and he had no duties as executive producer of the show. He also said he didn't know what his contractual obligations were for any of the Kardashian spinoffs.
The TV and radio host recalled helping Rob and Chyna promote the series on his radio show. He also recalled watching approximately one episode before the show premiered in September 2016. Seacrest also said he couldn't recall ever meeting Chyna.
NBC Exec Weighs in on Decision to Cancel Rob & Chyna
On Tuesday, Adam Stosky, a former NBC executive with nearly two decades at the network, also took the stand and testified that he would continually get updates about Rob and Chyna's rocky relationship. Stosky also recalled hearing stories about arguments that allegedly turned physical.
During cross-examination, Stosky was asked if the Kardashians played a role in Rob & Chyna getting canceled after one season. Stosky said the Kardashians didn't have a say on what shows got canceled. He added that, from the network's perspective, it couldn't produce a show called Rob & Chyna if they weren't a couple.
Stosky said he was excited for season 1 because the show followed Rob and Chyna's love story. The former network executive added that he wanted season 2 to continue on the same love story theme, but when the relationship became toxic, Stosky said, it wasn't the kind of show they wanted to produce.
Kim Kardashian Says She Didn't Want Chyna on Keeping Up With the Kardashians
The 41-year-old SKIMS founder took the witness stand Tuesday, April 26, and testified about her frustration over Chyna appearing on Keeping Up With the Kardashians. The friction stemmed from an argument between Rob and Chyna that allegedly turned physical in December 2016, in which Rob accused Chyna of hitting him with a metal pole and pointing a gun at him.
Kim made the comment after Chyna's attorney brought up text messages between the reality star and a producer for KUWTK, in which the producer suggested that if Kim didn't want Chyna appearing on the show, they would offer to blur Chyna's face. But Kim wasn't having it, at least according to one of the text messages in which she wrote, "This is honestly so next level I'm going to officially take a break because I don't want to do this anymore because this is so confusing. This is just not happening. I cannot believe no one listens to us, no one respects us. It's just not happening."
Ciani read another text from Kim, where she expressed more frustration over Chyna telling people she was on KUWTK. Kim testified she was just trying to manage expectations because it was their show and Chyna is not a family member nor a cast member. Kim also undercut Chyna's claim that the Kardashians influenced the network to cancel Rob & Chyna by pointing to the text message in which Kim wrote, "if you guys aren't going to listen to us," meaning the family did, in fact, voice frustrations but ultimately the fate of Rob and Chyna's show was solely the network's decision.
Khloe offered similar testimony, saying she was out of town on the night of the alleged incident but remembers FaceTiming Rob and saw indentations on his neck.
Khloe said she wasn't exactly sure when that FaceTime call took place, but it came shortly after the alleged physical confrontation. Chyna's attorney presented Khloe with an email she sent to a network executive following the alleged altercation in which Khloe wrote, "We are even considering not moving forward with our show if theirs continues. That's how strongly we feel." Khloe said she sent the email because she wasn't comfortable with the abuse Rob was allegedly enduring.
Khloe said, "I wasn't trying to cancel anything" after Ciani brought up those emails. Khloe explained she was just trying to discourage the volatile behavior between Chyna and her brother. Khloe said they considered not being part of such toxicity or moving forward with any such toxicity.
Kylie Jenner Takes the Stand
On Monday, April 25, Chyna's attorney questioned Kylie about her earlier testimony, where she said she believed Chyna slashed Tyga's arm.
"That's what I heard, yeah," Kylie said before being asked if she ever felt threatened by her brother's ex.
"I remember one time I woke up to some threatening texts. From what I remember, she sent me a bunch of devil emojis and said something about counting down the days to beat me, or I don't know what they meant."
Kylie went on to share that the texts were on an old phone and that she viewed the messages as an empty threat.
The makeup mogul also testified that Tyga told her that Chyna used drugs and assumed that she may be high when sending those texts.
She was also asked about Rob and Chyna's engagement, and Chyna's subsequent pregnancy.
"I think we had an OK relationship," Kylie said of her and Chyna's relationship at the time. "I wanted to be cool with her and I had spent a lot of time with her son. I wanted it to work out for my brother."
Chyna and Rob eventually moved into Kylie's Hidden Hills home, something she said she offered to him after he expressed that he wanted to live under the same roof as his then bride-to-be.
Kylie was asked if they paid rent while they were living there, to which she revealed they did not, telling the court that she would not expect her brother to pay rent.
When asked about the altercation regarding the iPhone cord, Kylie testified that Rob told her that, while he was playing video games, Chyna tried to choke him with an iPhone.
In regards to it being a "death struggle," Kylie took her brother's word for it.
"He used the words 'she was trying to kill me.' I assumed it was a death struggle," she told Chyna's attorney.
While she was admittedly rooting for her brother's relationship, she shared that after that incident, she felt that Chyna's professed love for Rob might be fake, telling the court that she didn't know how someone could do that to someone they loved.
She also told the court that she hoped Chyna's relationship with Rob wasn't just to spite her, but she felt that it maybe was -- pointing to the fact that she was dating the father of Chyna's son at the time.
That's "just how I felt," she told the court.
Kris Jenner Takes the Stand
Chyna's attorney questioned Kris about statements the momager made during previous depositions about threats she'd been told Chyna had made against her daughter, Kylie. According to Kris, she'd heard from Kylie and her then-boyfriend, rapper Tyga, that Chyna had threatened their lives and had been physically abusive towards Tyga.
She claimed to have had a discussion with Kylie about the alleged death threats and admitted they never spoke to the police, instead choosing to keep it internal between the family.
Kris also testified she had been told by the "Rack City" rapper that Chyna was abusive, and allegedly cut him with a knife. That being said, Kris underscored the fact that all the stories about the alleged threats and abuse were heard secondhand.
She was also asked if the stories about Chyna's alleged threats caused her concern when Chyna began dating her son. Kris said she didn't realize how serious the relationship was until they got engaged, and then she put her concerns aside because she "wanted them to have a happy ending."
Kris went on to say that, during Chyna's relationship with Rob and the filming of the first season of Rob & Chyna, she and Chyna didn't speak much. But, when they did, they had conversations about work, the nursery and pregnancy.
"I was trying to be a mentor to her," Kris said, stating that was the extent of their conversations.
Blac Chyna Breaks Down
She grew emotional and requested a break after nude photos in a binder were set in front of her on the third straight day she took the witness stand. The Kardashians' attorney, Michael Rhodes, presented Chyna with the binder that included photos Rob had previously posted on social media.
An eyewitness tells ET, “Once she left the courtroom, Chyna was seen crying and visibly shaken after seeing the photos of herself naked in the binder. She was being consoled by her male friend as she walked into a private room at the courthouse."
Rhodes also brought up the restraining order Chyna filed against Rob -- as well as the press conference she had with her attorney to announce the restraining order and her subsequent appearance on Good Morning America -- and asked her if it was all a publicity stunt.
She fought back, saying, "You think I'm supposed to not let anything happen? Rob posted nudes of me on the internet. Do you want me to not do anything? Am I to not do anything and just take it, right?" At this point, Chyna became visibly upset and started tearing up, and says the binder containing her nude photos is the reason.
Blac Chyna Takes the Stand
Chyna took the witness stand for the second day in a row, sharing details about the December 2016 night in which Rob alleged she choked him with an iPhone charging cord and pointed a gun at him.
Chyna admitted pointed a gun at Rob but claimed she was joking around. She testified that she knew Rob kept a gun on his bedroom dresser but claimed the gun was not loaded. Chyna claimed that, while Rob was eating dinner and FaceTiming with a couple of friends, she jokingly went in the video call's frame and pointed the gun at him as a silly threat if he ever left her. Chyna claimed she was just being silly with Rob and his friends.
As for the charging cord incident, Chyna testified that -- in an attempt to get Rob's attention -- she grabbed the cord and wrapped it around his neck in a playful way and in no way was intending to strangle him. She also claimed there was no struggle during the "playful" incident.
Chyna also said that, after the couple got into an argument, she called Kris Jenner because in the past the momager had previously helped the couple with their relationship struggles. But, instead, Chyna claims Kris' boyfriend, Corey Gamble, showed up to defuse the situation.
She went on to claim there was no physical violence when he arrived and that she was trying to retrieve her phone from Rob, whom Chyna claimed grabbed it from and sifted through it while locked in a closet.
Chyna said that, out of anger, she smashed a gingerbread house and a TV in the house, which belonged to Kylie Jenner. Chyna claims Gamble told Rob to grab his things and leave the house, but Rob wouldn't return the phone. She testified that she didn't do anything physically to him, didn't hit him in the face or on his body.
Kardashians-Jenners' Lawyers Make Opening Statements
The Kardashians/Jenners have a different side of what went down in December 2016. Rhodes said that on the night in question, Kris' boyfriend, Corey Gamble, "had to rush over to that house" to break up a fight between Rob and Chyna. Rob had previously claimed in court docs that Corey provided a declaration in which he alleged witnessing Chyna in a "very agitated state" and claimed that she was "attacking Rob with her fists."
In that declaration, Corey claimed he "tried to separate Chyna and Rob so that I could help Rob leave the house and get away from Chyna. Chyna did not stop attacking Rob even though I did my best to intervene. While I helped Rob walk out of the house, Chyna continued to lunge at him and punched him numerous times in the head and face, as well as his back."
Rhodes, during his opening statement, recounted the purported incident and added that Corey "walked into a house where there was screaming and yelling." Rhodes implored the jury not to believe him, but instead assess Corey's credibility when he's later called to the witness stand.
"Mr. Gamble had to physically get between them," Rhodes told the jury. "He yelled at Mr. Kardashian, 'Get your car keys. Get your license. Get out of here.' She's attacking. He's trying to keep her away. She's irate."
Rhodes emphasized that the reason why E! canceled Rob & Chyna was because Rob and Chyna broke up following that alleged incident. "There is no Rob & Chyna show if there is no Rob and Chyna," Rhodes told the jury.
Blac Chyna's Lawyers Make Opening Statements
Ciani told jurors that "Kris Jenner set out to have Rob & Chyna canceled" and that the family's matriarch "brought in her three daughters to help accomplish that." Ciani claims Kris, in messages to the head of Rob & Chyna, alleged Chyna beat Rob with a pole and wrapped an iPhone charging cord around his neck following a December 2016 incident.
Ciani told the jury that "there was no violent attack" and that when she tore Rob's shirt -- while celebrating the announcement that their show had been green lit for season 2 -- it was out of a flirtatious, "hot" moment. Ciani conceded that a celebration occurred that night and agreed Rob and Chyna got into an argument that ruined the relationship, but Ciani denied Chyna launched into a violent physical attack against Rob.
Chyna's lawyer claimed Kris falsely accused Chyna of physically abusing Rob and, furthermore, used her daughters to spread the false allegation with network executives in an effort to get them to pull the plug on Rob & Chyna.
What's more, Ciani claimed the Kardashians and Jenners held a "family vote" to cancel season 2 of Rob & Chyna, thus severely diminishing Chyna's celebrity earning power after the reality show was canceled after one season.
According to court documents, Chyna is suing for more than $40 million for loss of earning damages and more than $60 million in loss of future earning capacity damages.
What They Said Ahead of Trial
In a statement to ET and just days before the trial, the Kardashian's family attorney, Michael Rhodes, addressed the allegations saying, "We aren't going to sully the process by responding to slanderous nonsense."
Blac Chyna's attorney, Lynne Ciani, told ET that "the defendants' illegal conduct not only cost Chyna millions and millions of dollars, [but] their conduct was emotionally devastating to her." Ciani added that "Chyna will appear in court to testify and to personally witness the entire trial, from start to finish."
According to CBS News, Rhodes told the judge that the Kardashians made a settlement offer earlier this week that was rejected by Chyna. This defamation lawsuit won't be the end of Rob and Chyna's feud. Rolling Stone reports Chyna's separate trial in her "revenge porn" case is set to start in early May.
How We Got Here
Rob and Chyna first confirmed that they were dating in January 2016 and got engaged three months later. The following month, they confirmed they were expecting their first child, and welcomed their daughter, Dream, in November.
They broke up the following month, but appeared to remain friendly over the next few months, before it all went south.
The Point of No Return
Rob and Chyna's relationship imploded in July 2017, when Rob took to Instagram and shared a video of Chyna kissing another man. They would go on to accuse each other of cheating, but the tense mudslinging reached a boiling point when Rob shared a series of NSFW naked images, claiming to be of Chyna, who subsequently filed for a restraining order.
The public stunt triggered Instagram to temporarily disable Rob's account, but that didn't deter him as he took his tirade against Blac Chyna to Twitter, where he levied more cheating accusations against Chyna and tweeted the same video of a mystery man kissing her.
In since-deleted posts on Snapchat, Chyna claimed Rob physically abused her.
“Rob u did all this but u beat me up and try act it never happen !!!!! U put hand on me I swear on god !!!!! On my kids but I’m supposed to be quiet because you’re a Kardashian," she wrote at the time.
Things took a turn for the worse when Rob alleged his ex was using drugs.
"I got receipts for days and when it comes to doing drugs and f**king dudes in the bed my daughter lays I don't play," he wrote at the time. "So I don't care that this is the mother of my child. I told Chyna a million times even after seeing and knowing this that I still will support and be there for her but I can't take this anymore so yes I'm being petty with this woman is fakes like we all good on Father's Day and begged me to go and staged the paparazzi to be there in front of her house and at Disneyland. I'm done with this woman thank God for God! Showing me the light!"
Blac Chyna Files $100 Million Lawsuit
Three months after the volatile relationship went public, Chyna filed a $100 million lawsuit in October 2017 against Rob (for assault, battery, harassment) and his family (defamation) claiming, for starters, that the "Kardashian-Jenner family became media predators, sl**-shaming her on social media and killing her hit television show," as a form of "revenge" for leaving Rob.
The documents also alleged, "The unwritten rule no one told [Blac Chyna] when she embarked on a relationship with Mr. Kardashian is: the entire family takes it personally if you leave and will come after you, using their fame, wealth and power to take you down."
One way, Chyna's lawyer claimed, is "they will get your television show cancelled. They will go after your endorsement deals. They will condone sl**-shaming of you. They will spread lies about you. They will claim you are a bad mother, without evidence."
According to documents, Blac Chyna claimed that Rob & Chyna was going to be renewed for a second season after delivering impressive ratings for the show's initial six-episode run. The proposed second season was "to consist of eight episodes and was expected to air some time in 2017," and "all necessary parties agreed to film a second season focusing on Rob and Chyna’s relationship co-parenting their baby girl."
However, in March, the network announced that Rob & Chyna would not be filming a second season.
The suit claims that Chyna believes that the Kardashian-Jenner family "intentionally interfered with her contract with the E! Network, and therefore her prospective economic advantage in filming a second season of Rob & Chyna."
Furthermore, Chyna alleged that in "killing the second season of Rob & Chyna, Defendants ensured that the E! network had room in its schedule for Kylie Jenner to star in her own show, in which she heavily promoted Kylie Cosmetics, which was once in direct competition with LASHED by Blac Chyna."
As for her assault and battery allegations, Chyna claimed Rob was "verbally abusive" and "physically violent" during their relationship.
The suit recounted one alleged incident from April 2017, in which Chyna claimed Rob "knocked her to the ground where she landed on her hands and knees," after taking away her cell phone. The suit alleged that the altercation occurred in front of Chyna's then-4-year-old son, King Cairo -- whom she shares with her ex, rapper Tyga.
Chyna then allegedly locked herself in her bedroom and the suit claimed Rob "lost all control and tore the hinges off of [her] bedroom door" and then ransacked her closet.
The legal documents included photographs of Chyna's bedroom door, which appeared to be damaged.
Rob Drops Lawsuit Against Blac Chyna
In February, Rob decided to withdraw a lawsuit against the mother of his child and his ex-fiancée, that he filed in 2017, which accused her of assault and battery.
Four years ago, Rob and his sister, Kylie Jenner, filed the lawsuit together, alleging that Chyna attempted to choke Rob with an iPhone cord during an intense fight at a home owned by Kylie. He claimed in the lawsuit that the altercation allegedly left him with injuries to his neck, head and face. Additionally, Rob claimed that Chyna caused extensive damage to Kylie's home, which the makeup mogul said was in excess of $100,000. In 2018, Kylie was dismissed from the case per her request.
In February, Rob filed his own dismissal, and released a statement to ET giving his reasons for withdrawing the lawsuit.
"My love for Dream far outweighs my desire to proceed with my claims against her mother in a public trial," the reality star said, making mention of his and Chyna's 5-year-old daughter. "Now that the court has ruled that there is sufficient evidence to warrant a jury trial on my claim for assault, for our daughter's sake, I am dismissing the action and focusing on my co-parenting relationship with Chyna."
While Rob seemed to want to move on, Chyna's lawyer, Lynne Ciani, told ET that the lawsuit should not have been filed in the first place against the model.
"Rob Kardashian should have thought of his daughter, Dream, before he filed his malicious and baseless assault and battery lawsuit against Dream's mother more than four years ago," Ciani said in her statement at the time. "Rob has sought to use his wealth and power via this vexatious lawsuit to smear Chyna as a mother and even as a human being for more than four years."
Chyna's attorney noted that her client "was finally about to have her day in court at a Feb. 23 jury trial in Los Angeles Superior Court where she was prepared to prove with evidence that Rob's claim that she physically attacked and assaulted him was a malicious lie."
"Instead, Rob dropped his case on the eve of trial, not because he suddenly wanted to drop the case for the sake of his daughter, but because he knew his assault and battery accusations against Chyna were false," Ciani claimed in her statement. "In other words, Rob's avoidance of the serious consequences of an adverse jury verdict is why he dropped his case, not his supposed 'concern' for his daughter."
However, Chyna previously requested a dismissal of this lawsuit, which was denied in September 2020. Her renewed request was also denied on Feb. 15.
Kardashians Speak Out Ahead of Trial
During the Keeping Up With the Kardashians reunion special, Rob's family addressed their legal battle with Chyna over the cancellation of Rob & Chyna.
"We can only imagine how hard that is for him, and I know he feels really guilty about that, so none of us ever make him feel bad about it," Khloe said. "Dream is honestly one of the most incredible little girls in the entire world. We never blur the two... We respect that Chyna is the mother of Dream, and we'll always respect that that's her position. So we never try to [let that bleed through] and make Rob feel more guilty. 'Cause that's out of his control."
For more on the trial, check out the links below.
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