Celebrity News
Celebrity Good Samaritans: 7 Times Big Name Actors Came to the Rescue of Car Accident Victims
Nope, these aren’t rehearsals for new action films. Just some big name celebs helping others in need.
Patrick Dempsey
I’m sure more than a few of us have spent some time daydreaming about the day Dr. McDreamy from Grey’s Anatomy would save us, but for one teen, that wasn’t a dream at all. The actor pulled a teenage boy to safety after his car flipped near Dempsey’s home in Malibu. 17-year-old Weston Masset was driving when his car flipped three times leaving him trapped and nearly unconscious. After pulling Masset from the car, Dempsey called an ambulance and stayed with the teen as he was airlifted to the hospital and later treated for a concussion and an eye injury. According to Masset, Dempsey had a pretty great sense of humor about things. When Masset asked, “Are you famous?” Dempsey replied, “Yeah, I’m a doctor.”
Jamie Foxx
The Oscar winner saved a man’s life after his truck crashed in front of Foxx’s home in 2016. The truck caught fire, rolled in a drainage ditch– the driver was trapped inside. Foxx gave an interview about the events saying, “As I’m getting him out, I said, ‘You’ve got to help me get you out because I don’t want to have to leave you.’ I said, ‘You’ve angels around you.’” Foxx and an off-duty EMT were successful in getting the man out of the truck. Foxx is humble about the whole thing saying, “I don’t look at it as heroic. I just look at it as…you just had to do something. It all worked out.” It should be noted that the driver was arrested for driving under the influence. Foxx posted a photo to Instagram after the accident that showed him hugging the young man’s father and saying, “No heroes…Just happy fathers.”
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Tom Cruise
We know Tom Cruise likes doing his own stunts in his films but he used those skills for some pretty cool heroics in real life, too. In 1996, Cruise witnessed a 23-year-old woman, Heloisa Vinhas, get hit by a car. Did he just keep going? He could have. Instead, he sprung into action. He directed nearby pedestrian to call an ambulance and followed Vinhas to the hospital. When he found out that she didn’t have insurance to pay the $7000 hospital bill, Cruise took his good samaritan role even further–he stepped up and took care of it. The woman, as you can imagine was more than grateful for what was Mission Impossible for her. (too cheesy? Yeah, maybe.)
Luke Wilson
Just this past February 2018, Luke Wilson was involved in a multi car accident in Los Angeles. He was hit by a Ferrari in which pro-golfer Bill Haas was a passenger. Haas was injured; sadly, the driver of the Ferrari did not survive. However, after his car was struck, Wilson acted quickly to help a 50-year-old woman who was trapped inside her flipped vehicle. Her leg was pinned and she was unable to get out of the car on her own. Wilson and another onlooker worked quickly to get her to safety. According to his fellow hero, Sean Heirigs, “He was calm. He was definitely a hero, super nice guy.”
Mark Harmon
One man owes his life to the NCIS star after he was trapped in a fiery car crash that could have certainly been much worse. When Colin Specht got into a car accident outside of Harmon’s home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, Harmon jumped into action. Specht’s friend (who was driving the car) got out, but Sprecht himself was pinned. Next thing he knew, Mark Harmon was breaking the window with a sledge hammer and pulling Sprecht, then 16, from the fiery vehicle. “He tugged me, because I was still upside down with the seat belt on, and he ripped me out of the car,” Sprecht said. Though Sprecht credits Harmon for his life, Harmon said, “I won’t take credit for it, because if the car explodes and I’m there next to the car, then you’re talking about two young boys who don’t have a father. And you’d be doing this interview with my wife and talking about how stupid it was.”
Vin Diesel
The Fast & Furious actor pulled a move that we wouldn’t be surprised to see in one of his films. In 2002, Diesel spotted a car crash in front of him in Hollywood and saved an entire family from harm. He ran over to the vehicle and safely got the family, which included two young kids, from the vehicle before the car reportedly went up in flames. Who doesn’t love this story?
Ryan Gosling
Here’s a fun, not so serious one for you! Ryan Gosling saved a British reporter from an oncoming cab in New York City. British people are used to looking both ways when crossing the street, but they get it backwards in America because they don’t drive on the same side of the road. When the reporter went to cross the street and looked the wrong way Ryan Gosling (off all the people in New York) grabbed her and pulled her away just in time. And yes, many of us wish we were that reporter-even with that imminent risk of danger!
Kanye, Gaga, Beiber: Who is Financially Responsible When an Artist Cancels a Tour?
When a music artist cancels a tour for medical reasons, as Lady Gaga had to do in 2013 after suffering a labral tear on her hip, the tour is usually insured and the artist would not be responsible for the losses incurred for the cancellation. It makes sense in cases such as hers — Gaga’s shows feature heavy dancing, the experience wouldn’t be nearly as good if she sang while lying in traction, right? (Actually, note to Gaga, you can use that idea, I don’t think it has been done yet.) Touring insurance protects everyone, including the artist, from suffering huge financial losses when the reason for the cancellation is beyond the artist’s control.
But what about when an artist cancels a tour just… because? Justin Bieber recently announced that he would be canceling the remaining 14 dates of his Purpose tour, with one source saying the Biebs was just “over it.” In that case, an artist may face penalties due to the massive financial losses incurred from ticket refunds, plus all costs for promotion, marketing and advertising.
Kanye West is currently in the middle of a lawsuit that, to some, might seem to straddle these situations. Back in November, 2016, West canceled the final 21 dates of his Saint Pablo tour in 2016 and the cost of ticket refunds alone were upwards of $24 million. Two days after he canceled the tour, he checked himself into a psychiatric facility after suffering a breakdown which his own doctor called “a debilitating medical condition” that prohibited him from performing, yet West’s insurer, Lloyd’s of London, has not paid any claims out to West’s company, Very Good Touring, Inc. West is suing Lloyd’s for breach of contract and breach of good faith and fair dealing for upwards of $10 million.
West’s suit accuses Lloyd’s of London of not providing “anything approaching a coherent explanation about why they have not paid, or any indication if they will ever pay or even make a coverage decision, implying that Kanye’s use of marijuana may provide them with a basis to deny the claim and retain the hundreds of thousands of dollars in insurance premiums.” West also claims in his suit that Lloyd’s sought an independent physician to examine West to verify the claims of his mental health, and despite the fact that their doctor agreed with West’s primary physician, they continued to deny the claims. The suit essentially alleges that Lloyd’s continues to find provisions that will allow them to stall or deny payment.
As we all know, West is known for his controversial behavior onstage (and, sometimes, off) and in fact, just days before he cancelled his tour, he had been making erratic statements to the press and performing abbreviated shows, all of which ultimately led him to seek help. Who determines the cause of his behavior and whether or not he should have continued performing his tour are two issues this case is sure to address. For an update on the case, click here. One thing for sure is that we are glad Ye is better.
Brad Pitt Not Making it Right: His Foundation Faces a Lawsuit Over Defective Homes Built After Hurricane Katrina
If you thought Brad Pitt had his hands full with Angelina Jolie and their custody and child support battle, things seem to be only getting worse for the A-lister.
In 2005, the actor’s charity, the Make It Right Foundation, made a promise to build homes for victims in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward whose lives and residences were devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Sadly, those homes apparently have not held up. Over a decade later, homeowners claim they are falling apart, and were “deficiently constructed and built.”
Currently, the charity has been hit with a class action lawsuit. Two of residents, Lloyd Francis and Jennifer Decuir, are the named plaintiffs and represent all of the people who moved into the defective homes. They allege that the houses are rotting, dangerous, and falling apart. Specific allegations include houses with mold, plumbing problems, rotting wood, poor air ventilation, gas leaks and electrical fires.
The foundation had promised to build 150 homes, but only about 109 homes were built. In one sense that’s good news for the foundation –less potential claimants.
An attorney for the group of homeowners, Ron Austin, told NOLA.com, “While the citizens of the 9th Ward are grateful to Brad Pitt, they are forced to file this lawsuit because the Make it Right Foundation built substandard homes that are deteriorating at a rapid pace while the homeowners are stuck with mortgages on properties that have diminished values.”
The named plaintiffs allege that by 2013 the Make It Right Foundation knew about the issues with the materials that were used to build the homes. They allege that the foundation never gave residents “notice of these design and material defects,” even though those residents were paying mortgages on the homes.
Furthermore, the foundation did send inspectors in 2016, 2017, and 2018, but never provided the residents with written reports of their findings. Then, when pressed on the issue, they allegedly told the homeowners that they first had to sign a packet, which Francis and Decuir are claiming contained NDAs and a binding arbitration document that needed their signatures.
Pitt isn’t named in this lawsuit and admittedly his foundation tried to “do good” and revive the Ninth Ward, but it doesn’t change the fact that these residents are living in sub-par homes and are facing second powerful round of stress and anxiety and money loss.
Special Prosector to Investigate DA’s Handling of Smollett Case
UPDATE: A special prosecutor will be appointed to review State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s handling, and ultimate dismissal, of the Jussie Smollett faux assault case. Depending on the findings, there’s a chance Smollett could be charged again.
UPDATE: Jussie Smollett has been arrested in Chicago for allegedly faking his hate crime attack to further his career. Police report that Smollett paid $3500 to two Nigerian men who were extras on Empire to stage the attack.
Update: Two suspects were interrogated and released in connection with the recent hate crime attack against Empire actor, Jussie Smollett. Now there are reports that Smollett himself may have been involved in the incident and that the whole thing was a hoax. We at PROOF certainly hope not. We have no idea what purpose this might have served.
Hollywood was shaken after reports of a hate crime against actor Jussie Smollett hit the Internet on Wednesday morning. In the early morning of Tuesday, January 28th, in Chicago, Empire star Jussie Smollett was the victim of an attack that targeted him for his race and sexuality in According to initial reports, Smollett went out for a sandwich in the early morning when two men approached him yelling racial and homophobic slurs at him.
Then, the two men attacked the actor, poured “an unknown chemical substance” on him and wrapped a rope around his neck. Smollett confirmed to police in a follow-up interview that the suspects yelled “This is MAGA country” during the attack.
Smollett was treated at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The police continue to investigate the crime as a “possible hate crime.”
It was confirmed that a threat in the form of a very creepy, homemade note was made towards the actor before the attack. The FBI is investigating this threat to Smollett.
According to an incident report, Smollet’s 60-year-old friend was the one who called the police on his behalf, saying that the actor “did not want to report offense however he believed it to be in the best interest to.”
Smollett confirmed that he was attacked by two men dressed in black–one of them was wearing a ski mask–though he does not remember any other details of the attack. The police report also states that the police found Smollett with a white rope around his neck. Smollett stated that the attackers threw an unknown chemicals onto him that stained his clothes.
The Chicago police have been reviewing surveillance footage after releasing an image of two persons of interest on Wednesday, January 30th. Unfortunately, they have not yet found any video of the attack.
Smollett was back to performing on Saturday, February 2nd at the Troubadour in West Hollywood and clarified some things about the incident, telling the audience, “I was bruised but my ribs were not cracked; they were not broken. I went to the doctor immediately. I was not hospitalized. And above all: I fought the f— back.”
His family was also vocal about the attack, calling it “domestic terrorism” and saying, “We are so grateful that God saw him through this cowardly attack alive. We want people to understand these targeted hate crimes are happening to our sisters, brothers and our gender non-conforming siblings, many who reside within the intersection of multiple identities, on a monthly, weekly, and sometimes even daily basis all across our country. Oftentimes ending fatally, these are inhumane acts of domestic terrorism and they should be treated as such.”
We at PROOF want to echo the outpouring of well wishes Smollett has received from Hollywood and around the globe and, to use the actor’s own words, we hope he continues to “fight the f-ck back” until these ignorant cowards are brought to justice.
New Moonves Accuser Places Ousted CBS Chief’s $120 million Severance at Real Risk
UPDATE: November 30 2018: Actress Bobbie Phillips has alleged that in 1995 Les Moonves sexually assaulted her. The details are downright despicable. Newish to Hollywood, Phillips’ manager had set up a meeting for her with Moonves. In the meeting, Moonves allegedly unzipped his pants, pulled out his penis, pushed Phillips to her knees and forced his penis into her mouth. She reported the incident to her manager who bot only did not do anything to help but rather appeared to have used the information to improve his own standing in Hollywood. Moonves’ $120 million severance package is now at great risk– as well it should.
UPDATE: September 9 2018: Les Moonves “resigned” from CBS and the Network says it will donate $20 million to an organization that supports #metoo. Moonves made a statement continuing to deny all claims and reminding everyone that they are decades old.
We love Ronan Farrow. Can we just say that at the outset? His investigative work and commitment to exposing sexual harassment in Hollywood is deserving of recognition and praise.
So, what did he uncover this time? (In case you forgot, Farrow, son of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen, is the reporter who blew the lid off Weinstein). Well, this time, it’s all about CBS chairman and CEO Les Moonves. In an article published in The New Yorker, Farrow talked with 6 women who accuse Moonves of harassment and intimidation and speak of a culture of sexual misconduct at CBS since the late 1980s to late 2000s. Moonves has been a powerful media executive for more than twenty years and is one of the highest-paid corporate execs in the world so, this is a VERY big deal. But, what makes these allegations all the more disturbing is that Moonves has been very outspoken (“supportive”) of #metoo movement. In fact, he was a member of the Commission on Eliminating Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace which is led by Anita Hill (for those who don’t know about Anita Hill–she is the lawyer and colleague of Supreme Court Clarence Thomas, who, at Thomas’ confirmation hearing spoke out about his sexual misconduct toward her. Though it was a big story back in 1991 you see who won that.)
What are these women alleging Moonves did? Four of the six women said Moonves forcibly touched or kissed them during business meetings. They even called it a “practiced routine.” The other two women said that the executive intimidated them physically and threatened their careers.
Moonves admits he may have been inappropriate at times, but that he always understood that ‘no’ meant ‘no.’ In a statement he said, “I recognize that there were times decades ago when I may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances. Those were mistakes, and I regret them immensely. But I always understood and respected—and abided by the principle—that ‘no’ means ‘no,’ and I have never misused my position to harm or hinder anyone’s career.”
Hmm. Really Les? That doesn’t seem to be the case. Moonves is powerful, and like those who have such power, he understands it–it is well known in Hollywood that he is someone who can make or break a career. We at PROOF are huge fans of Emmy award winning actress and writer, Illeana Douglas, one of his accusers, so when we learned of what she experienced with the all-powerful Moonves, we were almost at a loss for words. She said that “the physicality of [her experience] was horrendous.” and that she was soon fired from the station and told that she would “never work at this network again.” Douglas even told director Martin Scorcese (whom she dated for several years) about her experience; and he urged her to “be cautious” about legal action because of how powerful Moonves was in the industry. Yup. You read that right, ridiculously talented and accomplished director Martin Scorcese told his girlfriend to be not make waves. Ultimately, Douglas “lightly complained” and CBS gave her $125,000 and $250,000 to appear in a new mini-series. She never worked for CBS again.
Or, how about writer Janet Jones? She alleges that Moonves “threw himself on top of her” while trying to kiss her in 1985. Jones told a producer who then confronted Moonves. Moonves once again retaliated with fear allegedly telling Jones, “I’m warning you. I will ruin your career.” This stuff really happens! This is not a Scorcese mob film.
When writer Julie Kirgo rebuffed Moonves’ request for a date, she was labeled as “difficult to work with.”
Many are now saying that Moonves enjoyed having the power to crush women should they refuse to bend to his whim and that attitude permeated the culture at CBS. Farrow writes that 30 current and former CBS employees talk about being discriminated against and harrassed while on the job, but the male staffers who were accused were never punished. In fact, they were often promoted. Feel as if you’ve heard this story before?
While these women continue to come forward to end the cycle of abuse that starts at the very top of the CBS executive board, the company insists that during his last 24 years with the company, there have been no misconduct claims and no settlement against Moonves.
The 68-year-old is now being investigated by CBS, though the company insists that they “do not believe that the picture of their company created in The New Yorker represents a larger organization that does its best to treat tens of thousands of employees with dignity and respect.”
As for his wife, tv host, Julie Chen, she’s standing by her man. In a statement made on Twitter, Chen wrote, “I have known my husband, Leslie Moonves, since the late ’90s, and I have been married to him for almost 14 years. Leslie is a good man and a loving father, devoted husband and inspiring corporate leader. He has always been a kind, decent and moral human being. I fully support my husband and stand behind him and his statement.”
While Moonves has been suspended from the Board of USC’s renowned School of Cinematic Arts, the Board at CBS has not taken any action against him other than hiring two law firms to investigate the allegations made about him, CBS News and CBS in general.
And, the truth is, the statute of limitations has long run on the claims against him so unless more recent ones are unearthed Moonves will not face any legal consequences. Are we the only ones who are disappointed in CBS’ decision to keep Moonves at the helm? At least a suspension, a little leave of absence until the “investigation” is complete? CBS, come on.