Legal news
Nicholas Brendon Arrested for Prescription Drug Fraud
Former Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Nicholas Brendon has been arrested for prescription drug fraud after being found in possession of pill bottles prescribed to individuals other than himself. TMZ reports that Brendon, 50, was pulled over by Indiana police last week after he failed to signal and swerved into different lanes. According to an affidavit, officers say they observed Brendon sweating profusely and appearing “nervous due to a visibly racing pulse on his neck and shaking hands,” which prompted them to search his vehicle. Officers found several small plastic bags with “crystal/powder residue” as well as prescription drugs listed for “Nicholas Bender” and “Kelton Schultz.” Kelton Schultz is the name of Brendon’s twin brother, and Brendon initially identified himself as such to offi...
R Kelly Trial Day 1: Prosecutors Liken Singer to Crime Boss Who Blackmailed His Victims
Opening statements in the federal trial of R Kelly got underway in Brooklyn on Wednesday. The disgraced singer is charged with an array of sex crimes against six women and girls, including kidnapping, trafficking, and forced labor. According to The Daily Beast, in her opening statement Assistant United States Attorney Maria Cruz Melendez sought to portray Kelly as the leader of a criminal enterprise who knowingly facilitated his crimes. Cruz Melendez described Kelly as a “predator… who used his fame, popularity and the individuals at his disposal to target and groom girls, boys and young women for his sexual gratification.” Advertisement Related Video Prosecutors say they’ll present the jury with evidence including text messages between Kelly and his alleged victims, as well as video...
“Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” Rapper Silento Indicted on Murder Charges
I’s probably time we retire “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” for good. After being arrested for murdering his cousin earlier this year, Silento — the Atlanta rapper behind the viral hit — has now been indicted. Silento faces four felonies, including one count of malice murder and one count of felony murder, TMZ reports. He was also charged with aggravated assault and gun possession during the commission of a felony. Born Ricky Lamar Hawk, Silento was arrested by police in DeKalb County, Georgia on February 1st, after it was reported that his cousin, Frederick Roots, had been shot and killed on January 31st. “After a thorough investigation, DKPD detectives identified Hawk as Rooks’ cousin, and the person responsible for Rooks’ murder,” police spokeswoman Michaela Vincent said. Advertisement Relate...
Bob Dylan Denies Claim That He Sexually Abused a 12-Year-Old in 1965
A new lawsuit alleges that Bob Dylan groomed and sexually abused a 12-year-old girl in 1965. A spokesperson for Dylan tells Consequence, “The 56-year-old claim is untrue and will be vigorously defended.” According to court documents viewed by Page Six and TMZ, a 68-year-old woman identified as J.C. alleges that “Bob Dylan, over a six-week period between April and May of 1965 befriended and established an emotional connection with the plaintiff,” thereby “lower[ing] [J.C.’s] inhibitions with the object of sexually abusing her, which he did, coupled with the provision of drugs, alcohol and threats of physical violence, leaving her emotionally scarred and psychologically damaged to this day.” The events allegedly took place at the Chelsea Hotel in New York. The “six-week period...
Johnny Depp Says He’s Being “Boycotted” from Hollywood
Very Famous Actor Johnny Depp has spoken out about being the subject of what he calls a “Hollywood boycott.” In a recent interview with the Sunday Times — his first since losing his libel suit against UK tabloid The Sun last November — Depp continued his attempt to scrub his reputation clean. The interview arrived conveniently in time for the release of his new film, Minamata, in which he plays the real-life tormented photographer W. Eugene Smith. “Some films touch people,” Depp said. “And this affects those in Minamata and people who experience similar things. And for anything… [pause] for Hollywood’s boycott of, erm, me? One man, one actor in an unpleasant and messy situation, over the last number of years?” Advertisement Related Video He added that he’s now trying to “bring things to li...
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...
Horatio Sanz Accused of Sexually Assaulting Underage SNL Fan in New Lawsuit
Horatio Sanz is facing allegations in a new lawsuit that he once groomed an underage fan and sexually assaulted her during a Saturday Night Live afterparty. According to a report by TMZ, the unnamed plaintiff is accusing the comedian of not only groping her during the May 2002 party, but also digitally penetrating her while in the presence of numerous NBC employees. At the time, the woman was just 17 years old. The court filing goes on to allege that Sanz — who was featured on the late night sketch series from 1998 to 2006 — first met the anonymous plaintiff two years earlier when she ran an SNL fan site at 15. From there, the suit claims the Chilean-American actor began grooming the young Jane Doe, leading online conversations to sex and and being overly affectionate in person despite bei...
Jamie Spears Agrees to Step Down as Britney Spears’ Conservator
Jamie Spears has agreed to step down as Britney Spears’ conservator, a position which he has held since 2008. In legal documents filed by his attorney on Thursday, Jamie said that he “does not believe that a public battle with his daughter over his continuing service as her conservator would be in her best interests,” according to TMZ. His attorney added that Jamie “intends to work with the Court and his daughter’s new attorney to prepare for an orderly transition to a new conservator.” Advertisement Related Video Even so, Jamie continues to maintain that there are “no actual grounds for suspending or removing Mr. Spears as the Conservator of the Estate… and it is highly debatable whether a change in conservator at this time would be in Ms. Spears’ best interests.” In a statement, Britney’...
R Kelly Claims Herpes Isn’t an STI, Asks for Charges to Be Dropped
R Kelly has been charged with knowingly exposing partners to an STI, but he thinks prosecutors made a rash decision. As TMZ reports, lawyers for the singer are arguing that herpes doesn’t meet the definition of a sexually transmitted infection as laid out by the New York State Department of Health, and therefore charges should be dropped. It’s hard to know how seriously a judge would take this argument. He’s been charged under N.Y. Pub. Health Law § 2307, which reads, “Any person who, knowing himself or herself to be infected with an infectious venereal disease, has sexual intercourse with another shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.” Kelly is not arguing that he wasn’t aware of his infection, but rather that herpes doesn’t count. The law doesn’t expound on which diseases ...
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...
Aaliyah’s Albums Coming to Streaming Services Beginning August 20th
For several years now, Aaliyah’s uncle Barry Hankerson has promised that the late R&B pop star’s music would finally be uploaded to streaming services. This time, it’s actually going to happen. In an interview with Billboard, Hankerson revealed that all of Aaliyah’s music will be available on Spotify, Apple Music, and the like starting on August 20th. Technically, fans have had access to Aaliyah’s 1994 debut album Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number and a few early singles for a while now. But the majority of her catalog, including 1996’s One in a Million and 2001’s self-titled album, have been unavailable to stream this whole time. According to Hankerson, who owned the original Blackground Records and the majority of Aaliyah’s masters aside from her debut LP, that decision was in accordanc...
Dizzee Rascal Charged with Assault in London
Dizzee Rascal, a pioneer of UK grime that influenced modern British hip-hop, has been charged with assault following an incident in south London that left a woman with minor injuries. London’s Metropolitan Police released a statement earlier today about Dylan Kwabena Mills, Dizzee Rascal’s birth name. “Dylan Mills, 36, of Sevenoaks, Kent, has been charged with assault after an incident at a residential address in Streatham on 8 June,” it reads. “Officers attended and a woman reported minor injuries. She did not require hospital treatment.” Dizzee Rascal was arrested at the scene on suspicion of common assault, but he was later released on bail. According to the Associated Press, he’s now expected to appear at Croydon Magistrates’ Court in south London on September 3rd. Police did not provi...
