Legal news
The Wire Creator Pulls Production on New Series from Texas Over Abortion Ban
David Simon, the creator of The Wire, is moving production on his upcoming HBO series out of Texas due to the state’s restrictive new abortion ban. “If an employer, this is beyond politics. I’m turning in scripts next month on an HBO non-fiction miniseries based on events in Texas, but I can’t and won’t ask female cast/crew to forgo civil liberties to film there,” Simon tweeted regarding his decision before asking, “What else looks like Dallas/Ft. Worth?” Some followers bristled at the writer’s stance, with one asking, “Were you expecting the entire female crew to need an abortion while there? This is so condescending to women and you don’t even realize it,” to which he responded, “No…I don’t anticipate anything other than that if even one of our employees requires full control of her own ...
T.I. and Tiny Avoid Charges for 2005 Sexual Assault, Drugging Allegations
T.I. and his wife, Tameka “Tiny” Harris, will not be charged in connection to an alleged sexual assault and drugging incident involving a US Air Force veteran. Los Angeles prosecutors began investigating the rapper and his wife in May after the woman filed a police report the month prior. Now, however, LA officials have deemed the case falls outside the 10-year statute of limitations, as the alleged abuse occurred in 2005 (via TMZ). As a result, they will not pursue charges. The allegations first came to light in March alongside accusations from 10 other individuals, all seeking criminal inquiries. That followed accusations posted on social media in January by a former friend of the couple, Sabrina Peterson, who claimed to have collected stories of abuse from over 34 women. Advertisement R...
G-Eazy Arrested in New York Following Brawl Outside Hotel
G-Eazy was arrested earlier this week in New York City and charged with allegedly punching two men in the face. The altercation occurred in the early hours of Friday morning outside The Standard, High Line hotel, the New York Police Department told Billboard. On Monday, September 13th, G-Eazy (whose real name is Gerald Earl Gillum) was brought in on misdemeanor assault charges. He was subsequently released after being given a ticket and instructed to appear in court on a later date. This is hardly the first time the artist has found himself in trouble with the law. He previously plead guilty to charges of assault, drug possession, and resisting arrest stemming from a 2018 incident with a bouncer at a nightclub in Sweden. At the time, he was fined $10,000, received a sentence...
Josh Homme’s 15-Year-Old Daughter Granted Restraining Order Against Father
Josh Homme’s daughter and eldest child, Camille Homme, has been granted a temporary restraining order against her father. Camille, 15, was granted the temporary restraining order in a Santa Monica, CA court on September 7th — a day before news broke that her two younger brothers had also sought protective orders. In an affidavit included in her court filing, Camille claims that her father has repeatedly threatened her mother, Brody Dalle, and her mother’s new boyfriend. She also says Homme has been physically and verbally abusive towards her and her brothers, and recounted instances in which he “physically disciplined” the children by “grabbing ears, jabbing shoulders, grabbing the back of our necks, slapping top of head, face palming (my brother) [sic].” Advertisement Related Video Camill...
Nicki Minaj’s Husband Kenneth Petty Pleads Guilty for Failing to Register as Sex Offender
Nicki Minaj’s husband Kenneth Petty, who was convicted of first-degree attempted rape in 1995, has pleaded guilty for failing to register as a sex offender. Via NBC News and Pitchfork, he had initially pleaded not guilty, but in August reached a deal with prosecutors, and formally entered a guilty plea yesterday, September 9th. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 24th, 2022. In July of 2019, Petty moved from New York to California, at which time he was legally required to register. Law enforcement officials noted his failure to do so during a November 2019 traffic stop in Beverly Hills and arrested him. Petty walked free after posting $20,000 bail, but found himself arrested again in March of 2020 because he still hadn’t registered as a sex offender. In that instance,...
Afrika Bambaataa Sued for Sexual Abuse and Child Sex Trafficking
A new lawsuit alleges that Afrika Bambaataa sexually abused and trafficked a 12-year-old boy beginning in 1991 and continuing through 1995. Via Metropolis and Pitchfork, the suit was filed in New York State Supreme Court on August 4th, as part of the 2019 Child Victims Act, which temporarily opened a window for adults to sue over childhood sexual abuses even in cases where the statute of limitations had expired. The 64-year-old Afrika Bambaataa, who was born in New York as Lance Taylor, has been accused of sexual misconduct numerous times, with several different now-adult men saying they were molested as teenagers in the 1980s and ’90s. These latest allegations come on behalf of a plaintiff listed as John Doe, and include civil battery, assault, gross negligence, intentional...
Bill Cosby Scraps Comedy Tour Due to Pending Sexual Assault Trial
Looks like Bill Cosby won’t be heading out on a comedy tour any time soon. The disgraced comedian first let the ill-advised plan of some sort of post-prison stand-up comedy tour slip back in July, but according to a new report by TMZ, he’s been talked out of the idea because of yet another sexual assault lawsuit. The case in question was filed by Judy Huth, who alleges Cosby sexually assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion back in the 1970s when was just 15 years old. Huth’s case isn’t exactly new either — it dates back to 2014, with Huth one of more than 60 women who have come forward over the years with allegations of rape, drug-induced sexual assault, sexual battery, and child sexual abuse towards the one-time icon. Advertisement Related Video However, the lawsuit was put on the back burne...
Jamie Spears Asks Court to End Britney Spears’ Conservatorship
Britney Spears’ father, Jamie Spears, has acknowledged it’s time to #FreeBritney. According to NBC News, Jamie Spears has formally asked the Los Angeles Superior Court to end his daughter’s 13-year-long conservatorship. In a filing on Tuesday, Jamie said his 39-year-old daughter “is entitled to have this Court now seriously consider whether this conservatorship is no longer required.” “Ms. Spears has told this Court that she wants control of her life back without the safety rails of a conservatorship,” the filing noted. “She wants to be able to make decisions regarding her own medical care, deciding when, where and how often to get therapy. She wants to control the money she has made from her career and spend it without supervision or oversight. She wants to be able to get married and have...
Britney Spears Cleared in Misdemeanor Assault Investigation
Britney Spears has been cleared of any wrongdoing in an incident involving her housekeeper. Last month, Spears’ housekeeper alleged that the singer slapped a phone out of her hand after the two got into an argument regarding the veterinary care of Spears’ dog. Ventura County Sheriff’s Office investigated Spears for misdemeanor domestic battery, but declined to file charges, citing insufficient evidence that a crime had occurred. Advertisement Related Video In a statement, Spears’ lawyer Mathew Rosengart described the allegations as “nothing more than sensationalized-tabloid fodder — an overblown ‘he said, she said’ regarding a cell phone.” “If this involved Jane Doe rather than Britney Spears it would not have been pursued or covered at all,” Rosengart added. Anyone can make an accusation ...
John Lydon Says Court Decision on Danny Boyle’s TV Series Will “Water Down” Sex Pistols’ Legacy
Last week, John Lydon officially lost a court case over the use of the Sex Pistols’ music in Pistol, an upcoming TV series about the group that’s directed by Danny Boyle. Now, the infamous musician has shared a written statement in which he claims the “majority rules” technicality that lost him the case will also “water down” Sex Pistols’ legacy in the years to come. As The Guardian notes, a press statement was published today on Lydon’s website suggesting Lydon was only made aware of Pistol hours before it was announced. It also claimed he still has not been told how the band will be portrayed in the series, adding that he feels there’s a good chance all of this will “distort the true history” of Sex Pistols. “For more than 23 years the Sex Pistols have operated on the basis of unanimous ...
R Kelly Keeps Asking People to Buy His Song Catalog But No One Wants It: Report
Before R Kelly was accused of being a serial sexual predator, he was known as the singer behind such hit songs as “Ignition (Remix),” “I Believe I Can Fly,” and “Bump N’ Grind.” Kelly isn’t making much money on that music these days — see: serial sexual predator — and in the desperate spirit of “sell low,” he’s now trying to pawn off his music catalog on anyone who’ll have it. The problem, as Billboard reports, is that nobody will have it. Having resided in a jail cell since 2019, Kelly is facing a crisis of cash. “His funds are depleted,” his lawyer Devereaux Cannick said earlier this month. And though his catalog continues to generate something like $1.7 million per year in the US, according to a Billboard estimate, next to nothing trickles down to Kelly. Because whil...
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...
