Lawsuit
The Baby on Nirvana’s Nevermind Album Cover Sues Band for Child Sexual Exploitation
Spencer Elden, who was famously photographed as a baby for Nirvana’s iconic Nevermind album cover, is suing the band for child sexual exploitation. The lawsuit comes just a month shy of the landmark album’s 30th anniversary. One of the most famous album covers of all time, Nevermind depicts a then four-month-old Elden swimming naked underwater as he reaches for a dollar bill. As the story goes, Elden was the son of a friend of album photographer Kurt Weddle. Nirvana’s label, Geffen, initially objected to Elden’s penis being visible, but Kurt Cobain insisted it not be censored. The Nirvana frontman at one point said his only compromise would be a strategically placed sticker that read, “If you’re offended by this, you must be a closet pedophile.” According to TMZ, Elden has now filed a laws...
Walker Wear Files Lawsuit Against Off-White™ For Alleged “WW” Logo Thievery
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Edward Berthelot / Getty One of the culture’s greatest architects feels like her legacy is being infringed upon. April Walker has filed a lawsuit against Virgil Abloh’s Off-White™ brand over her “WW” trademark. As spotted on Hype Beast the house that Virgil built will have to do a bit of explaining in court. In the complaint Walker Wear alleges that he and his team took their logo likeness, tweaked it slightly and made it their own. Referred herein as the “Virgil Abloh Cheat Code” the paperwork says his brand “chang[e] others’ designs by only ‘three percent’ and then claim the design as his own”. The thievery in question revolves around an Off-White™ varsity jacket from. The piece features “WW” on the chest written in collegiate fo...
Nicki Minaj and Husband Sued by His Attempted Rape Victim for Harassment and Witness Intimidation
The woman who was sexually assaulted by Nicki Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty, has filed a lawsuit against both Minaj and Petty, accusing the couple of harassment and witness intimidation. TMZ reports that Jennifer Hough says Minaj and Petty “have directly and indirectly harassed her and threatened her to not speak about the incident.” The assault occurred in September 1994, when both Hough and Petty were 16 years old and living in South Jamaica, Queens. According to a complaint filed at the time, the victim had been walking to school when Petty came up behind her, pressing an object against her back and instructed her to “keep walking.” The two eventually arrived at Petty’s residence, where he allegedly forced her upstairs and began to rape her at knifepoint before she was able to strike h...
Four Tet Sues Label Over Perceived Discrepancy In Streaming Royalty Rate
A new lawsuit brought forth by Four Tet claims his label Domino Recordings underpaid his streaming royalties for music released over a decade ago. The contract, singed in 2001, led to a partnership between the producer and Domino that manifested multiple albums, including 2001’s Pause, 2003’s Rounds, and 2005’s Everything Ecstatic. At the heart of Four Tet’s claim is the assertion that he is entitled to a 50% share of the streaming royalties for these albums. However, he was historically paid only 18%, according to the suit. The basis for the claim comes from a clause in the contract which suggests that any licensing of his masters to services based outside of the UK entitles Four Tet to a 50% royalty rate. A judge could potentially rule this to be the ca...
Bam Margera Sues Jackass Producers Claiming Mental Health Discrimination
Former Jackass star Bam Margera is suing producers of the upcoming Jackass film claiming that his exclusion from the project was the result of mental health discrimination. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Margera filed the suit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, seeking an injunction on the release of Jackass Forever, as well as monetary damages. Margera specifically claims that Paramount Pictures, MTV Networks, Jeff Tremaine, Johnny Knoxville, Spike Jonze, and other associated entities violated his civil rights when they forced him to sign a “Wellness Agreement” and then fired him after a positive drug test. Advertisement Related Video According to Margera, the Wellness Agreement required him to blow into a breathalyzer three times a day, submit to a urinalysis twice a week, ha...
Marilyn Manson Seeks to Dismiss Esmé Bianco’s Lawsuit, Describes Assault Allegations by Multiple Women as “Coordinated Attack”
Marilyn Manson has filed legal papers seeking to dismiss a lawsuit brought against him by Game of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco. In the same documents, the disgraced singer describes the recent sexual assault allegations by multiple women as a “coordinated attack.” Bianco is one of a number of women who have accused Manson of sexual abuse over the past several months. As previously reported, she sued the shock rocker in April for sexual assault, physical abuse, and human trafficking. She first shared her story in February, weeks after actress Evan Rachel Wood went public with her accusations against Manson. Bianco described Manson as “monster who almost destroyed me,” adding that she “basically felt like a prisoner” while living with the singer. She accused Manson of using “drugs, force...
Bassnectar Responds to Explosive Sex Trafficking Lawsuit, Denies Allegations
Following graphic allegations of sex trafficking and possessing child pornography, among other charges, DJ and electronic music producer Bassnectar has responded to an explosive lawsuit filed on behalf of multiple women. VICE reports Bassnectar, whose real name is Lorin Ashton, has denied all of the accusations and is demanding a jury trial, according to an official response filed in a U.S. district court in Tennessee. “This case is nothing more than an attempt by opportunistic women who have chosen to sue Ashton, his record label, managers, and even one of the charities he has contributed to, all in an attempt to frame years of friendship as trafficking so that they can exploit a statute for monetary gain,” the response reads. “Our clients want to see just...
Fyre Festival Bankruptcy Case Leaves Attendees With Just 4% of What They’re Owed
Fyre Festival attendees have been dealt a definitive blow to their prospects of recovering a material portion of their promised settlement. In May a class action settlement ruling by the US bankruptcy court of New York was approved, effectively paving the way for the plaintiffs—consisting of 277 attendees—to receive up to $7,220 per person for a total settlement of over $2 million. However, that initial figure has changed drastically due to the fact that the Bankruptcy Trustee, Gregory Messer, was able to recover only $1.4 million in assets from the failed festival company. To make matters worse, $1.1 million of that sum went back towards paying court and legal fees, leaving just $300,000 to service the festival’s creditors, which includes ticket-holders. Messer’s jo...
Diplo’s Accuser Drops Sexual Assault Lawsuit, Regrets Filing Claim
Just nine days ago, a bombshell report by TMZ revealed a new sexual assault allegation had been made against Diplo by a woman he had come into contact with following a performance in Las Vegas in 2019. The account from Diplo’s accuser detailed an encounter wherein she had allegedly been forced to perform oral sex on the DJ while they were alone in his hotel room. The woman also said Diplo recorded the act without her consent. At the time of the claim, Diplo’s attorney Bryan Freedman stated the accusation was “meritless.” In a new statement to TMZ, the accuser, who remains unnamed, now says she regrets filing the suit and has opted to withdraw her claim. “No payment was offered or requested,” she said. “I regret filin...
City Of Winston-Salem Sued For Cancelling Hip-Hop Festival Due To “Possible Violence”
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty The Tar Heel State may have to cut a check for fronting on Hip-Hop. A promoter has hit the City Of Winston-Salem with a lawsuit after officials cancelled a concert that they deemed may come with violence. As spotted on Complex the city representatives have a lot of explaining to do and will have to do it formally in front of a judge. The Carolina Summers Music Fest was set to be hosted in Winston-Salem on Saturday, July 31 but the event was cancelled. According to W12 News representatives contacted Starr Entertainment, the organizers, saying that they were worried that the talent might be the reason for violence to occuring. The local police authorities also conducted their own private homework on Moneybagg Yo, Pooh Shiesty, Bi...
Okurrr: Judge Rules In Cardi B’s Favor In Tasha K Assault Lawsuit
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Prince Williams / ATLPics.Net Cardi B has received favorable news about an ongoing legal beef she has with a blogger. A judge says Tasha K needs more people with her claims that Belcalis assaulted her. As spotted on TMZ, the Unwine With Tasha K host was told that her allegations that the Bronx Bombshell contributed to her being beat up and emotional distress are being dismissed. The celebrity gossip site has accessed the court documents which reportedly say the media personality “failed to produce any evidence that [Cardi] herself threatened [Latasha] or made her believe that she was going to harm her.” The judge continued “instead, [Latasha] has only made allegations that others who may be associated with [Cardi] made these threats .. and has failed to d...
Major Music Festival Group Files Suit Against Dutch Government Over COVID-19 Restrictions
Amid an increasingly bitter battle between Dutch regulators and music festival organizers, one of the nation’s largest festival production entities ID&T is taking the government to court. ID&T is comprised of the brilliant minds behind Defqon.1, Mysteryland, Awakenings, and many more iconic festival brands. Time is of the essence and ID&T is hoping the suit will lead to immediate clarity from the government regarding what the path forward for large scale events will be. Despite the request, many major events—most notably Tomorrowland—have been forced to cancel last minute due to the mercurial nature of the government’s pandemic mandates. In Tomorrowland’s case, officials at the local level rejected their filing of an event permit despite nation...
