Legal news
Diplo Under Criminal Investigation Following Allegations of Sexual Misconduct: Report
The Los Angeles city attorney’s office is investigating allegations of sexual misconduct against Thomas Wesley Pentz, also known by his stage name Diplo, according to a Buzzfeed News report. The city is mulling charges of invasion of privacy and intentionally spreading a sexually transmitted infection. The investigation is rooted in a 2020 complaint to the LAPD, in which a 25-year-old woman accused Diplo of knowingly giving her chlamydia, recording sexually explicit videos of her without her consent, and distributing at least one of those videos. Consequence has reached out to LA city attorney Mike Feur for comment. Both Diplo and the alleged victim have sought restraining orders against each other, and the woman also told police that the superstar DJ raped her after one of ...
Savatage Frontman Jon Oliva Arrested for Cocaine Possession and DUI
Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra frontman Jon Oliva was arrested this week and charged with driving under the influence and felony possession of cocaine. According to a Florida Highway Patrol arrest report, police and EMS responded to a single vehicle crash on US Highway 41 shortly before 1:00 a.m. local time on Thursday, September 30th, in Pasco County, Florida. Witnesses told police that Oliva’s pickup truck had swerved into the wrong lane before driving off the road and striking a tree. The force of the crash ripped off the truck’s passenger side door. Upon searching the vehicle, officers found empty vodka bottles and a clear bag of cocaine. A second bag of cocaine was found in a bag belonging to Oliva. Advertisement Related Video Oliva was treated at the scene by paramedics, but a...
Scarlett Johansson and Disney Settle Black Widow Lawsuit
Scarlett Johansson has struck a deal with Disney to settle her blockbuster lawsuit over her compensation for Black Widow. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but both Johansson and Disney issued statements confirming the settlement (via The Hollywood Reporter). “I am happy to have resolved our differences with Disney,” stated Johansson. “I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done together over the years and have greatly enjoyed my creative relationship with the team. I look forward to continuing our collaboration in years to come.” Advertisement Related Video “I’m very pleased that we have been able to come to a mutual agreement with Scarlett Johansson regarding Black Widow,” added Disney Studios chairman Alan Bergman. “We appreciate her contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe an...
Judge Suspends Jamie Spears as Britney’s Conservator
A judge has suspended Jamie Spears as the conservator of his daughter Britney Spears’ estate, effectively ending his 13-year reign controlling every aspect of Britney’s life and career. During the hearing, which some fans and #FreeBritney supporters hoped would be the singer’s last, Judge Brenda Penny essentially had three options: end Spears’ conservatorship altogether, suspend Jamie and appoint a temporarily successor, or deny any changes to the arrangement and continue with the status quo. “The current situation is not tenable,” Judge Penny ruled, adding that Jamie’s suspension was “in the best interest of the conservatee.” Advertisement Related Video In addition, TMZ reports that Jamie must turn over all books and records associated with the conservatorship. To that point, Britney’s la...
Bam Margera Taken to Rehab by Police After Report of “Emotional Disturbance”
Former Jackass star Bam Margera was involuntarily taken to rehab on Sunday after police responded to an incident at a Tampa Bay-area hotel. A spokesperson for the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office told Page Six that officers responded to a report of an “emotionally disturbed person” at the Don CeSar Hotel in St. Pete Beach, Florida. “When deputies arrived, they were informed that Mr. Margera had an ex parte order, which is a judge’s order for court-ordered rehabilitation,” the spokesperson explained. “Those are taken out by a third party on behalf of the person.” Advertisement Related Video Last month, Margera filed suit against the producers of the upcoming Jackass film claiming that his exclusion from the project was the result of mental health discrimination. He specifically claimed that...
R Kelly Found Guilty in Federal Sex Trafficking Trial, Faces Decades in Prison
R Kelly has been found guilty of all counts in his federal sex trafficking case and faces decades in prison. The disgraced R&B singer was charged with one count of racketeering rooted in alleged sexual exploitation of children, kidnapping, and forced labor. Additionally, he was charged with eight counts of violating the Mann Act, a law that criminalizes transporting someone across state lines “with intent that such individual engage in prostitution, or in any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense.” Kelly pleaded not guilty to all charges, but on Monday a jury convicted him on all nine counts. Kelly, 54, faces a possible sentence of a decade to life in prison. Sentencing is set for May 4th, 2022. Advertisement Related Video Over the span of 20 days,...
Marvel Sues to Avoid Copyright Termination on The Avengers
The fate of the Avengers is in the hands of the law. In a court filing even more serious than the Sokovia Accords, Disney‘s Marvel unit is suing to prevent the MCU’s most famous superhero team from falling into copyright termination. The stakes couldn’t be higher for the company behind the blockbuster superhero franchise: if they lose the copyright on the likes of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and co., the studio would be forced to share the Avengers’ identities with the heirs of their creators (i.e. the estates of Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Gene Colan, and others). According to reporting by The Hollywood Reporter, the copyright for Spider-Man was the most recent to risk lapsing. Ditko’s estate filed a “notice of termination” on the character last month. Advertisement Related Video Essentia...
Nirvana “Nevermind Baby” Wants His Naked Image Removed from 30th Anniversary Reissue
Thirty years ago today (September 24th), Nirvana changed the shape of rock to come with their magnum opus, Nevermind, which boasted one of the most iconic album covers of all time. The 1991 grunge landmark is getting an expansive reissue for the occasion, but Spencer Elden — who posed as the swimming naked baby that graces Nevermind‘s cover — wants to leave his genitalia out of the artwork. Last month, Elden sued Kurt Cobain’s estate, the surviving members of Nirvana, and other parties, accusing them of child exploitation. He claimed that his legal guardians didn’t formally consent to his image being used on the album cover. Legal experts have called the case “frivolous” and “offensive” to victims of child pornography. As part of the lawsuit, Elden requested that the image be rem...
The Weeknd Sued for Copyright Infringement Over “Call Out My Name”
The Weeknd is being taken to court over alleged copyright infringement on his song “Call Out My Name.” According to a report by Pitchfork, producers Suniel Fox and Henry Strange, who collaborator as Epikker, filed the lawsuit on September 17th alleging that the track from the singer’s 2018 EP My Dear Melancholy is “strikingly and/or substantially similar, if not identical” to their own song “Vibeking” from 2015. The Weeknd’s collaborators Nicolás Jaar and Frank Dukes were also named in the suit. In the filing, Fox and Strange point out several similarities in the two songs, including that “Call Out My Name” uses the same scale degrees as “Vibeking,” particularly in the hook’s melody. “Both works are in a minor key. Both works are in a 6/8 meter that is less common in popular music. Both wo...
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...
