Legal proceedings – Page 2

Paula Abdul accuses ‘American Idol’ producer Nigel Lythgoe of sexual assault in lawsuit

31Dec

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Entertainment

Paula Abdul accuses ‘American Idol’ producer Nigel Lythgoe of sexual assault in lawsuit

LOS ANGELES -- Paula Abdul has accused former “American Idol” producer Nigel Lythgoe of sexually assaulting her in the early 2000s when she was a judge on the reality competition show, according to a new lawsuit.The lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles also accuses Lythgoe of sexually assaulting Abdul after she left “American Idol” and became a judge on Lythgoe's other competition show “So You Think You Can Dance."The Associated Press generally does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault unless they come forward publicly, as Abdul has done. In a statement Saturday, Abdul's lawyer Douglas Johnson applauded the singer and dancer for speaking out publicly.“It was clearly a difficult decision to make, but Ms. Abdul knows that she stands both in the shoes and on the shoulders of many ot...

Danny Masterson sent to state prison to serve sentence for rape convictions, mug shot released

28Dec

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Entertainment

Danny Masterson sent to state prison to serve sentence for rape convictions, mug shot released

DELANO, Calif. -- DELANO, Calif. (AP) — “That '70s Show" actor Danny Masterson has been sent to a California state prison to serve his sentence for two rape convictions. Authorities said Wednesday that the 47-year-old Masterson has been admitted to North Kern State Prison, and they released his first prison mug shot. The photo shows him wearing orange prison attire, with long hair and a beard. In June, Masterson was convicted of raping two women in his Los Angeles home in 2003. In September, a judge sentenced him to 30 years to life in prison. His wife, actor Bijou Phillips, filed for divorce in the weeks that followed after a marriage of nearly 12 years. He had been held in Los Angeles County jail in the months since while post-sentencing hearings were held and issues resolved, including...

Disney says in lawsuit that DeSantis-appointed government is failing to release public records

26Dec

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Entertainment

Disney says in lawsuit that DeSantis-appointed government is failing to release public records

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Disney has filed a lawsuit claiming that the oversight government for Walt Disney World, which was taken over by appointees of Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year, has failed to release documents and properly preserve records in violation of Florida public records law.Disney said in the lawsuit filed Friday that the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, often referred to as CFTOD, has been so slow in fulfilling its public records duties that it has failed to respond completely to a request the company made seven months ago when it paid more than $2,400 to get emails and text messages belonging to the five district board members appointed by DeSantis.Disney, DeSantis and the DeSantis appointees already are battling for control of the government in two pending lawsuit...

Federal court revives lawsuit against Nirvana over 1991 ‘Nevermind’ naked baby album cover

22Dec

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Federal court revives lawsuit against Nirvana over 1991 ‘Nevermind’ naked baby album cover

LOS ANGELES -- A federal appeals court on Thursday revived a child sexual exploitation lawsuit filed by the man who appeared naked as a 4-month-old on the cover of Nirvana’s 1991 album “Nevermind.” Spencer Elden's lawsuit against the grunge rock group alleges that he has suffered “permanent harm” as the band and others profited from the image of him underwater in a swimming pool, appearing to grab for a dollar bill on a fish hook. The suit says the image violated federal laws on child sexual abuse material, although no criminal charges were ever sought.A federal judge in California threw out the lawsuit last year but allowed Elden to file a revised version, which the judge later dismissed on grounds that it was outside the 10-year statute of limitations of one of the laws used as a cause ...

Singer David Daniels no longer in singers’ union following guilty plea to sexual assault

21Dec

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Entertainment

Singer David Daniels no longer in singers’ union following guilty plea to sexual assault

NEW YORK -- Countertenor David Daniels is no longer a member of the union for singers following his guilty plea to a charge of sexual assault.The 57-year-old and his husband, Scott Walters, pleaded guilty to sexual assault of an adult, a second-degree felony, in Houston's Harris County District Court on Aug. 4. They both were sentenced to eight years’ probation and required to register as sex offenders.“David Daniels is no longer a member of AGMA. In light of an ongoing internal disciplinary proceeding, AGMA cannot comment further at this time.," American Guild of Musical Artists spokeswoman Alicia Cook wrote in an email to The Associated Press.Matt Hennessy, a Houston-based lawyer for Daniels, did not immediately respond to an email from the AP seeking comment.Daniels was fired as a Univ...

Prince Harry wins phone hacking lawsuit against British tabloid publisher, awarded 140,000 pounds

15Dec

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Prince Harry wins phone hacking lawsuit against British tabloid publisher, awarded 140,000 pounds

LONDON -- LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry won his phone hacking lawsuit Friday against the publisher of the Daily Mirror and was awarded over 140,000 pounds ($180,000) in the first of his several lawsuits against British tabloids to go to trial.Justice Timothy Fancourt in the High Court found phone hacking was “widespread and habitual” at Mirror Group Newspapers over many years and private investigators “were an integral part of the system” to gather information unlawfully. He said executives at the papers were aware of the practice and covered it up. Fancourt said he awarded the Duke of Sussex damages for 15 of the 33 newspaper articles in question at trial that were the result of unlawful information gathering and resulted in the misuse of Harry's private information.“Today is a great day fo...

Luke Combs helping a fan who almost owed him $250,000 for selling unauthorized merchandise

14Dec

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Luke Combs helping a fan who almost owed him $250,000 for selling unauthorized merchandise

TAMPA, Fla. -- Country singer Luke Combs is making amends to a disabled Florida woman who sells tumblers online after she was ordered to pay him $250,000 when she got snared in a crackdown his lawyers launched against companies that sell unauthorized merchandise with his image or name on it. Combs in an Instagram video posted Wednesday said he told his attorneys to remove Nicol Harness from a lawsuit they filed in an Illinois federal court and that he was sending her $11,000. She had sold on Amazon 18 tumblers she had made with his name and likeness for $20 each, grossing $360. The singer, who recently topped the country charts with his remake of Tracy Chapman's “Fast Car,” also said he would start selling his own tumbler with the proceeds going to pay Harness' medical bills — she has hea...

Young Thug trial on pause until January after co-defendant is stabbed in jail

12Dec

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Young Thug trial on pause until January after co-defendant is stabbed in jail

ATLANTA -- The trial for rapper Young Thug and five other people is on pause until early next year after one of the defendants was stabbed in the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta.Shannon Stillwell, 31, was stabbed multiple times Sunday evening during a fight with another man housed in the same part of the jail, the Fulton County Sheriff's Office said. Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville sent jurors home Monday morning, telling them one of the defendants had a “medical issue” but told them to return the next morning.On Tuesday, he told them the “medical issue still exists” and, given the time that it may take to deal with it, “I'm going to recess you for the holidays today.” He had previously told the jury they would have a break starting at the end of the proceedings this Friday and co...

Fox News pushes back against reporter’s suit claiming he was fired for challenging Jan. 6 coverage

10Dec

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Entertainment

Fox News pushes back against reporter’s suit claiming he was fired for challenging Jan. 6 coverage

Fox News is pushing back against a former reporter’s lawsuit saying he was targeted and fired for challenging false claims about the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021ByLINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated PressDecember 8, 2023, 7:18 PMFILE - Rioters loyal to President Donald Trump stand on vehicles and the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. Jason Donner, a former Fox News producer says in a lawsuit filed Monday, Nov. 13, 2023, he was targeted and fired for pushing back against false claims about the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Donner said he was part of a “purge” of employees who refused to report information that would please Trump and his supporters. Donner was inside the Capitol during the riot and pressed his complaints about the networks coverage for mo...

Illinois appeals court affirms actor Jussie Smollett’s convictions and jail sentence

2Dec

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Entertainment

Illinois appeals court affirms actor Jussie Smollett’s convictions and jail sentence

An appeals court upheld the disorderly conduct convictions Friday of actor Jussie Smollett, who was accused of staging a racist, homophobic attack against himself in 2019 and lying about it to Chicago police.Smollett, who appeared in the TV show “Empire,” challenged the role of a special prosecutor, jury selection, evidence and many other aspects of the case. But all were turned aside in a 2-1 opinion from the Illinois Appellate Court.Smollett had reported to police that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack by two men wearing ski masks. The search for the attackers soon turned into an investigation of Smollett himself, leading to his arrest on charges he had orchestrated the whole thing.Authorities said he paid two men whom he knew from work on “Empire,” which filmed in Chi...