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Justin Bieber Did All of the Right Things After Hitting a Pap with His Car, But Will He Still Get Sued?

The relationship between celebrities and paparazzi is notoriously contentious, from Sean Penn to Alec Baldwin to Halle Berry, it seems as though every A-lister has had a public run-in with the paps. And one only needs to remember the worst case scenario, the tragic death of Princess Diana, after paparazzi pursued the car she was in, leading to a fatal crash in Paris 20 years ago this month. A day doesn’t go by where celebs are pursued and someone is put in danger as a result of this kind of pursuit, and pop star Justin Bieber made headlines recently when the pickup truck he was driving accidentally clipped the leg of a photographer who, according to eyewitness accounts, would not leave Bieber alone.

Bieber was leaving a church worship service on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills this past July when the incident occurred. It appears that, despite his truck being flanked on all sides by paparazzi, Bieber did all the right things to exit the scene safely in his car, but his front right side tire hit a photographer who was pursuing him. After the incident, Bieber stayed with the photographer until police arrived. A statement from the Beverly Hills Police said “We arrived on scene and found a 57-year-old pedestrian on the ground. He was transferred to local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Justin Bieber remained on scene, co-operated with officers and was released.” The paparazzo himself also released a statement saying “He was compassionate; he’s a good kid. Accidents happen.”

Bieber has not been charged with anything (and neither has the pap who arguably, could have been, as he was preventing Bieber from driving) but the question that remains is whether the injured photog will file a civil suit seeking money damages. In California, the statute of limitations for car accident claims is two years. This means that the photog has 2 years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit against Bieber with the court. We don’t generally say this at PROOF but given the pap’s comments noted above and the relatively minor injuries he seemed to have suffered in the accident, we don’t think Bieber is getting sued on this one. And, if the pap is already back on the street seeking that next celeb snapshot and does choose to file, it’s going to be pretty hard for his lawyers to prove he was injured in such a way as to deserve compensation. Want to read more about lawsuits and Bieber? Click here.

celebrity Nude Photos Released | Celebrity News

The Latest Nude Photo Leak Threatens to Expose More Celebs

Amanda Seyfried, Amber Heard, Analeigh Tipton, Ariana Grande, Celebrity News, Criminal Law, Domestic Violence, Featured, Gabrielle Union, Hot, Jennifer Lawrence, Kaley Cuoco, Kate Upton, Kim Kardashian, Kirsten Dunst, Miley Cyrus, Mischa Barton, Restraining Order, Rosario Dawson, Sex Crimes, Suki Waterhouse

Allegedly hacked and stolen nude photos of Miley Cyrus, Suki Waterhouse and Rosario Dawson just popped up on a website called Celebrity Jihad, and it’s anyone’s guess which celebs will be the next victims.

The women joined a dubious yet ever growing club — last month nude photos of actresses Amanda Seyfried and Analeigh Tipton, and scantily clad pics of Emma Watson, were posted to the same site.

Seyfried, who recently gave birth to her first child, got Celebrity Jihad to take down the photos after threatening legal action, while Analeigh Tipton teamed up with the police to try to track down the person or people who hacked her photos. Emma Watson also pursued legal action, though it should be noted that her leaked pics were not nude and were reportedly from a wardrobe fitting. As this situation continues to develop, it’s unclear if more celebs will be targeted and whether anyone will be brought to justice.

Meanwhile, Mischa Barton has been facing her own nude controversy which PROOF has been covering. Jon Zacharias, an ex-boyfriend of Barton, allegedly recorded her in intimate moments positions without her knowledge and consent and is shopping a sex tape. Allegedly offers have been made for $500,000. Another ex boyfriend, Adam Shaw, is also involved in the matter in that he has copies of the images though he alleges he tried to stop Zacharias from releasing them. A California court shut all of that down and granted Barton a restraining order against both men, prohibiting them from selling the video and anyone from seeking to purchase the footage. For more information on this incident, click here.

Ultimately, when it comes to celebs who’ve had private photos and videos leaked, it’s almost easier to count who HASN’T had their personal images hacked and displayed for the world to see. With technology today and the skills (and total lack of conscience) on behalf of hackers, celebs need to work harder than ever to protect their privacy. Fact is, if nude photo of a star exists there is a good chance it will go public, despite their lack of consent.

Perhaps the biggest celeb nude photo dump to date was the infamous “The Fappening” incident in 2014, in which hackers posted stolen nude pics on the website 4chan of celebs including Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton, Amber Heard, Ariana Grande, Gabrielle Union, Kim Kardashian, Kirsten Dunst and Kaley Cuoco, among many others.

Lawrence spoke out passionately about the breach, saying,” “It is not a scandal. It is a sex crime. It is a sexual violation. It’s disgusting.” She added, “The law needs to be changed, and we need to change. That’s why these Web sites are responsible.”

Gabrielle Union also didn’t take the violation lightly, reportedly going to the FBI to look for justice. It looks like she and the other victims got it — hackers Ryan Collins, Edward Majerczyk and Andrew Helton were convicted in 2016 of crimes related to the photo thefts.

There are laws that allow celebrities (and regular folks too) to pursue both civil and and criminal penalties against those who film them without consent and release those images into the public domain. The cases are not easy though and it is often difficult to identify who obtained the images and who released them. In what is referred to as revenge porn (more akin to Mischa Barton’s situation) it is sometimes easier to identify the wrongdoer and bring that person or entity to justice but even then the cases are not simple.

We at PROOF agree with Jennifer Lawrence that it is a sexual violation and laws do need to change to protect innocent victims. Yes, innocent. Just because someone who is a celebrity does not mean others can invade the most private parts of her life and reveal them to the outside world without permission. We also applaud the position Mischa Barton’s lawyers took when they argued that attempts by her ex boyfriend was an act of domestic violence.

The more celebs that speak up about these violations and pursue the offenders the greater chance we have in stopping this heinous behavior. Will it go away forever? No. There will always be people who get a thrill from violating the rights of others but if laws continue to be written, penalties enforced and investigation stepped up then we have a chance of reducing it–and that is worth something.

At PROOF there’s nothing we like to do more than to share celebrity news–not malicious gossip. Just real, true celebrity news. Browse the site and see what interests you!

4 High Profile Celebrity Divorces You’ll Want to Read About

Amber Heard, Angelina Jolie, Assault, Brad Pitt, Celeb News, Celebrities, Celebrity News, Celebs and Divorce, Custody, Divorce, Drew Barrymore, Family Law, Jennifer Meyer, Johnny Depp, Toby Macguire, Will Kopelman

Celebrity news is always a hot topic. Love and dating life of celebs hotter. And celeb divorce probably the hottest. That’s because nothing gives us better insight into the personal lives of the rich and famous more than learning what goes on in the family law courtroom and the celeb news about divorce, annulment, custody, property settlement, and paternity just to name a few of the types of cases that fall into the family law arena.

PROOF is taking a look at some recent big (translation: sad) divorce cases and providing insight into these stories that rocked the celebrity news world. And to provide further insight into these divorces and the fact that divorce is more prevalent in Hollywood, especially among two celeb homes, consider these words from therapist Lindsey M.Hoskins, “There are several reasons that celebrity relationships are uniquely challenging. First, celebrities often spend a great deal of time apart from each other due to their busy travel and shooting schedules, making it difficult to prioritize the relationship. Second, a relationship in which both partners are used to being the center of attention presents challenges related to compromise and being able to put the other person’s needs ahead of one’s own. Third, many celebrities are exposed to almost constant opportunities to explore other relationships. Over time, the temptation can be difficult to resist, and infidelity is common in celebrity couples for this reason.”

Drew Barrymore & Will Kopelman

On July 15, 2016, after four years of marriage, wild-child-turned-Earth-mother Drew Barrymore filed for divorce from art consultant husband Will Kopelman. The two confirmed that they were separated in April 2016 but the “Santa Clarita Diet” actress didn’t file the docs until mid summer. The fallen lovebirds have two daughters, Olive and Frankie. The pair issued a joint statement at about their split, it read: “Sadly our family is separating legally, although we do not feel this takes away from us being a family. Divorce might make one feel like a failure, but eventually you start to find grace in the idea that life goes on. Our children are our universe, and we look forward to living the rest of our lives with them as the first priority.”

On a personal note, we’re sad about this one. Will seemed so solid, such a good long term choice for Drew and we really wanted her to live happily ever after with him and her girls. Though the two are not officially divorced, there has been no talk whatsoever of reconciliation. But it’s clear these two are going to handle the divorce and the future running of their family with grace and ease–can’t say that about the rest of the fallen couples on this list.

Amber Heard & Johnny Depp

In a pretty surprising turn of events, Amber Heard filed for divorce from Johnny Depp on May 25, 2016 after a mere 15 months of marriage. Heard cited irreconcilable differences in her divorce petition. Then, all hell broke loose.

What do we mean by that? Well, let’s start with the fact that on May 27, Heard was granted a restraining order against the beloved “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor and also that photos surfaced that appeared to support Heard’s claims of physical abuse at the hands of Depp. To say Hollywood was thrown into a tizzy about this is an understatement. Almost a year later, we at PROOF remain somewhat perplexed that so many in Hollywood seemed to rush to support Depp and, at the same time, alienate Heard.

After months of arguing, legal wrangling, and excoriating public commentary, Heard and Depp finalized their divorce in Los Angeles on Jan. 13, 2017. The two worked out a settlement that included Depp agreeing to pay Heard $7 million (as well as money towards her legal fees, among other things). Ahh, if only things were that simple though. What seemed like a clean settlement became quite murky due to Heard doing a PSA on domestic violence when part of the divorce agreement mandated that she stay mum on the subject as well as the complex nature of Depp’s payout, which was to go solely to charities. And, can we add, we were impressed by Heard’s choice to forego the big payout and seek to do good out of something not-so-good.

Tobey Maguire & Jennifer Meyer

These two have not officially filed papers yet but they have announced their separation (and McGuire has been photographed out and about. And by out and about we mean kissing other women in public). After nine years of marriage and thirteen years together, Tobey Maguire and Jennifer Meyer told the world they were splitting. They have two children, Ruby, 9, and Otis, 7. The exes, who met in 2003 and were married four years later in Hawaii, issued this joint statement: “After much soul searching and consideration we have made the decision to separate as a couple. As devoted parents, our first priority remains raising our children together with enduring love, respect and friendship.” It’s an encouraging sign that so many Hollywood couples seem to be quite clear on their post-marriage goals regarding their children: protecting them and making sure their lives remain as stable, good, and happy as possible.

While Maguire and Meyer (trying saying that five times fast!) announced their separation last October, as of this writing, it does not appear that divorce documents have been filed. No news may be good news with this couple. Perhaps they are working it out? We surely hope so despite those pics of Maguire.

Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie

Of course, for last, we saved the the biggest divorce case of the year (maybe the decade) in celebrity news. Here ya go …

In September 2016, Angelina Jolie shocked the world when she filed for divorce from her superstar hubby Brad Pitt, asking for full custody of their six children, Maddox, Zahara, Pax, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne.

The trouble began during the family’s international flight on September 14, 2016 which ended abruptly at Minnesota’s International Falls Airport (trouble likely didn’t begin there but that was the first public report of something amiss in the child rearing category in the Jolie-Pitt family). Reports suggested that a drunk Pitt lunged at 15-year-old Maddox on the flight. In November, Pitt was cleared of abuse allegations after the LA County Department of Children and Family Services investigated. But, while the investigation was pending, Pitt was not allowed to see his children. Once it was resolved, he was granted supervised visits.

Pitt has been on the offensive since that fateful flight, and on Dec. 21, 2016, asked a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to seal any future court documents pertaining to the exes’ kids and to keep any further custody disputes private. Jolie agreed. And, we are not surprised by that. Though the couple’s breakup opened up a media can of worms they are trying to put a lid back on things and keep their names out of celebrity news’ headlines. In fact, on January 6, 2017, they released a joint statement, in which they made known their intention to hire a private judge to handle the matter. The press release stated: ”The parties and their counsel have signed agreements to preserve the privacy rights of their children and family by keeping all court documents confidential and engaging a private judge to make any necessary legal decisions and to facilitate the expeditious resolution of any remaining issues.” The statement continued, “The parents are committed to act as a united front to effectuate recovery and reunification.”

Though we at PROOF would have liked to have access to legal documents in this matter so we can reduce the amount of gossip and untruths coming out about this family’s breakup, given the situation, the number of children, and the very high profile nature of the parties, we applaud this move by Pitt and Jolie. Nice to see adults acting like adults and in the best interest of their children.

Seeking more celebrity news? Check out other PROOF articles. We cover celebrity news like no one else!

Civil Lawsuits Effecting female celebs || Celebrity News | PROOF with Jill Stanley

Civil Lawsuits Affecting Four of Your Favorite Female Celebs

Assault, Celeb News, Celebrities, Celebrity News, Civil Law, Custody, Divorce, Erin Andrews, Kendall Jenner

Celebrity news has always been and will always be the talk of the town. Sure people want to know what stars are wearing and who they’re dating. But, what really piques people’s interest is who is suing whom for what and how much!

When celebs find themselves in civil court cases, there is one major thing at stake: money. (That’s basically the main distinction between a civil case and a criminal case. In criminal cases, the focus is freedom; in civil cases it’s finances). No one likes to lose money, including celebrities, and with the resources to fight hard, these big cases usually turn into big legal battles.

Take a look at four of our favorite celebrity civil court cases from the past year and gain legal insight into the stories that rocked the celebrity news world as well as celebrity wallets–those hired guns don’t come cheap!

Erin Andrews

Celebrity news headlines were made and justice was most certainly served in March 2016 when a jury awarded sportscaster, Erin Andrews, a whopping $55 million in her civil suit against her convicted stalker, Michael David Barrett, as well as the owner and operator of the Nashville Marriott, where a nude video of her changing her clothes was filmed back in 2008. The shocking events sparked public outcry at the time and had many rethinking what privacy means.

The sportscaster, who was working at ESPN at the time of the incident, originally filed a suit for $75 million after Barrett, who was shockingly a former insurance executive, used a hacksaw to create a peephole and record her changing in the privacy of her hotel room. The video was later posted online. Millions watched. As one can imagine, the invasive incident caused Andrews great personal distress.

The unanimous jury deliberated for seven hours and determined that 51% of the fault belonged to Barrett, which amounted to more than $28 million of the total verdict. The hotel’s management company, Windsor Capital Group, and its owner, West End Hotel Partners, were found 49% responsible, which amounted to $26 million. West End Hotel Partners attorneys claimed that they shouldn’t be held liable because Barrett’s actions were his own and had nothing to do with the company. That argument failed because evidence showed that Barrett went to the hotel restaurant, used the house phone, called the hotel operator, asked to be connected to Andrews’ room, and easily learned her room number because it was displayed on the hotel phone. It was that information that lead him directly to her. Further, how secure is a hotel that makes it possible for another guest to alter a peephole and not get caught? The reality is West End Partners has a duty to protect the security of their guests and when they fail to do so and harm results, they are responsible. The jury was correct in assigning blame to them.

This verdict was important and not just from a celebrity news perspective but for victims everywhere. In fact, Andrews released a statement after the jury returned their verdict. The statement, posted on Instagram, read: “I’ve been honored by all the support from victims around the world. Their outreach has helped me be able to stand up and hold accountable those whose job it is to protect everyone’s safety, security and privacy,”

It should also be pointed out that prior to the civil case, Barrett was convicted of interstate stalking Andrews in a criminal court case. He was sentenced to 27 months in prison. Let’s hope Barrett learned his lesson and won’t be making any more celebrity news headlines again.

Kendall Jenner

How much is Kendall Jenner’s face worth? She thinks $10 million dollars!

In February 2016, the model/reality star sued skincare company Cutera for unauthorized use of her likeness in ads for their “Laser Genesis” treatment.

The company made a pretty ballsy move when they featured the brunette beauty in an ad that read, “Acne ‘Completely Ruined’ Kendall’s Self Esteem,” and then boasted that Cutera’s Laser Genesis treatment is what she used to get her “flawless skin.”

In the lawsuit, Jenner’s legal team contended that due to their client’s A-list status (Is Kendall an A-lister? ) she should be awarded $10 million for the use of her image. According to documents filed in court Cutera never obtained nor sought permission from Kendall for use of her image. In addition to seeking $10 million for the unauthorized use of her “face” Kendall also asked for a temporary restraining order (referred to as TRO for those into legal jargon) against the skincare company, as well the prohibition of any use of her name, likeness, or identity.

Just a few months after filing, Kendall’s legal team dismissed the case. Though likely less than $10 million, I am certain she received a nice payout from Cutera in exchange for that dismissal. In most jurisdictions when a civil case is dismissed, it done with or without prejudice– the distinction is that when a matter is dismissed with prejudice the case is completely over and cannot be bought again while a dismissal without prejudice allows for a case to be refiled. In Kendall’s situation, the Cutera case was dismissed without prejudice so her attorneys can refile should there be a need to do so.

Sofia Vergara

This is one of the celebrity news cases that we here at PROOF are obsessed with as it addresses complex legal issues regarding ownership of fertilized human eggs. There has been a lot of back and forth on this between the Sofia and her former fiancé, Nick Loeb. Most recently, Loeb filed a lawsuit against the actress on behalf of the fertilized eggs for the right to live. Yep, you read that right; Vergara is being sued by her own embryos. Now this one of those celebrity news story for the ages!

This isn’t the first time that Loeb has put up a fight for custody of the embryos or made headlines in celebrity news. The couple created the embryos together back in 2013 when they were still a couple (Sofia married Joe Manganiello of Magic Mike fame in 2015); Loeb sued her in California for custody of them. A California judge sided with the 44-year-old actress, when she requested that Loeb identify two of his previous lovers who had had abortions after he impregnated them. Loeb refused to reveal that information and the case was dismissed. He filed this new action in Louisiana. Among other things, this new suit claims that because “Emma” and “Isabella” (yes, the embryos have names!) have not been born, they’ve been deprived of an inheritance from a trust that has been created for them in Louisiana. The fact that Sofia’s ex chose to file the matter in a traditionally pro-life state is no accident. Though he allegedly has ties to Louisiana, the embryos aren’t there, Sofia doesn’t live there, and neither does Loeb, he’s clearly looking for a favorable jurisdiction (forum shopping, anyone? More about that in another post!). Still, the decision in this matter will be a landmark one in an area of the law that remains unsettled. And, with reproductive rights such a hot topic in this era of President Trump, all eyes will be on Sofia’s embryos. One part of this matter that we at PROOF find very interesting is the validity of a previously signed contract between Sofia and her ex that spoke to the subject of the embryos, specifically the part of the agreement that states that neither party could use the embryos without the consent of the other. The issue here is whether that is something that can even be contracted–this is going to be a very interesting legal discussion.

Is it just us or are you glad that the Vergara got rid of this guy and is living happily ever after (seemingly!) with her hubby? One take-away for all of us–men and women? Think twice about with whom you create embryos or you might find yourself in some not-so-flattering celebrity news headlines or at least in the case caption of a lawsuit!

Beyonce

Beyonce stealing the work of a deceased YouTube star? Seems unlikely but so says a $20 million lawsuit the estate of Messy Mya filed against Queen Bey. Mya’s family is claiming that Beyonce sampled the gunned-down rapper’s words in her hit song, Formation, but did so without permission. According to the lawsuit, which was filed in the Eastern District of Louisiana, the estate claims that Mya’s words helped, “create the tone, mood, setting and location of the New Orleans-themed ‘Formation’ video and audio recordings.” The case alleges that the sample was “blatant in both scale and degree” and that Mya “has received nothing — no acknowledgment, no credit, no remuneration of any kind.”

These types of cases are growing in popularity (Bieber is facing a similar suit in relation to his hit son, Sorry) and we have to wonder if these Grammy winning artists simply asked for permission, received permission, and gave a shout out to the original creator, they would never be brought. Certainly there is great financial value to Beyonce giving a relative unknown a little musical credit or some money. And, with a net worth of well over $200 million, she could well afford it. We at PROOF do not want to believe that Beyonce would steal anyone’s work so we are eager to see how this celebrity news story develops and we look forward to analyzing the evidence uncovered in support of Mya’s claims.

Interested in learning more celebrity news? Please peruse PROOF. We have tons of celebrity news articles about your Hollywood favorites.

Celebrity Criminal Cases | Celebrity News | Proof With Jill Stanley

Celebrity Criminal Cases That Have Us Talking in 2017

Assault, Bill Cosby, Celeb News, Celebrities, Celebrity Lawsuits, Celebrity News, Criminal Law, Custody, Divorce, Shia LaBeouf, TJ Miller

Celebrity news is fun to follow, but nothing ensnares our attention quite like a star who is mixed up with the justice system. While many celebs find themselves involved with the court system due to divorce or contract disputes, it’s the star that has run-ins with the criminal law system that really gets us talking.

From physical assault to sexual assault and DUIs, count on PROOF to cover the most shocking celebrity criminal cases. Below though you will find a handful of celeb criminal cases that are keeping our attention in 2017.

Shia LaBeouf

Surprise, surprise! Shia’s in trouble — again!

The always controversial former Disney star was charged with misdemeanor assault and a harassment violation after getting in a fight. LaBeouf got into a scuffle with the 25-year-old man in front of the Museum of the Moving Image in the Big Apple where Shia was holding his anti-Trump, He Will Not Divide Us protest. Authorities allege that LaBeouf pulled on the man’s scarf and in doing so scratched the man’s face. While this may be his first arrest of 2017 – we have a feeling he’ll be making more headlines in celebrity news, especially because the 30-year-old has said he’s planning to continue the protest art exhibit for the next four years. That’s right, FOUR YEARS! The exhibit was originally slated to run continuously outside the Museum of the Moving Image, but due to the controversy, it got shut down on February 10, 2017. No fear though because just about a week later, LaBeouf and his collaborators, Nastja Säde Rönkkö and Luke Turner, announced that the exhibit was relocating to the El Rey Theater in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sadly though, once again the protest has been shut down. Apparently gunshots were heard in and around it. At the time of this writing, Labeouf tweeted the following: We have taken the stream down after shots were reported in the area. The safety of everybody participating in our project is paramount. It’s a shame that this keep happening, that’s there’s violence in the face of a seeker of free speech, especially with all that’s going in with this Administration. Perhaps this “participatory performance artwork” will reopen and any acts of violence will cease. As for LaBeouf, let’s hope he will play nice and stay out of celebrity news headlines.

T.J. Miller

T.J. Miller is one of Hollywood’s newest funny guys, but certainly no one was laughing when Uber driver, Wilson Deon Thomas III, said that the “Silicon Valley” actor slapped him after getting in a dispute about Donald Trump. Talk about some celebrity news drama!

Los Angeles Police Department Officer, Jenner Houser, said that authorities responded to a report of battery at the 6900 block of Camrose Drive in the Hollywood Hills at 1AM. Miller was charged with that battery. He was issued a citation and was quickly released from custody with a promise to appear in court on the matter at a later date. Despite his quick release, Miller may have to deal with more than just a slap on the wrist for his slap across the face. The driver now claims he suffered violent whiplash from the incident after slamming on the brakes while driving and is now suing T.J. for medical expenses and other damages.

Miller’s attorney has called the lawsuit a “pure money grab” and said Thomas is prone to filing “lawsuits to extort people.” I’m not sure what that is based on as PROOF has searched LA County court records and found only this case with Wilson Deon Thomas as a plaintiff. We look forward to seeing the evidence T.J.’s lawyer has to support his statement.

Though not overly serious, this is one celebrity news tale we are interested in for both civil and criminal ramifications

Bill Cosby

Anyone spending time on PROOF knows we just can’t stop talking about the fallen funnyman. And, we’re not the only one. Seems like no story since O.J. has grabbed the celebrity news world’s attention than that of the tale of Bill Cosby and sexual assault. Over the past few years, Cosby has been accused of sexual assault, rape, sexual battery and more by over 60 women, spanning from 1965-2008. Despite the abundance of allegations, Cosby has been able to escape the full weight of law because the accusers came forward years after the alleged incidents occurred and well after the statute of limitations had run.

Many thought that Cosby would never see a courtroom despite the mounting complaints against him — that is until Andrea Constand stepped forward one more time.

In January 2004, a former Temple University employee named Andrea Constand alleged that Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her in his home outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In January 2005, the Montgomery County Detectives opened a criminal investigation. On February 22, 2005, Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce Castor released a statement on his office’s website that he found, “Insufficient, credible and admissible evidence exists upon which any charge against Mr. Cosby could be sustained beyond a reasonable doubt.” The case was then dropped.

In March 2005, Constand filed a civil suit against the former “Cosby Show” star. Instead of dealing with the likely celebrity news scandal that would surely follow, Cosby settled with Constand out of court for an undisclosed amount in November 2006.

Over a decade after the settlement, a motion was filed to void the confidentiality agreement that stemmed from settlement of the 2005 civil suit. In court, Constand’s attorney argued that Cosby himself had already displayed a ”total abandonment of the confidentiality portions of the agreement” with his denials of all allegations against him. On July 8, 2015, Judge Eduardo C. Robreno ruled to unseal some of the private documents in that civil case. In his ruling, the judge wrote that Cosby’s role as a “public moralist” was in contrast to his possible crimes. The unsealed documents were made public and showed that in 2005 Cosby had said that he intended to give Quaaludes to young women so that he could have sex with them (he insisted, however, that the sex was consensual).

The celebrity news world was then rocked when, after years of speculation and dozens upon dozens of accusations, Cosby was finally charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault on December 30, 2015.

Cosby’s attorneys have been fighting these charges tooth and nail ever since. On January 11, 2016, they filed a motion to dismiss the sexual assault charges stating that the local district attorney’s office had promised in 2005 that Cosby would not be prosecuted. On February 3, 2016, Judge Steven O’Neill ruled, “there was no basis” to dismiss the case based on Cosby’s assertions. Cosby’s legal team has made several attempts to have the criminal case thrown out but none have been successful. On September 6, 2016, Judge Steven O’Neill set a trial date for June 6, 2017. If convicted on all three counts, Cosby faces a maximum of of thirty years in prison and a fine up to $25,000. It should also be noted that Cosby is fighting dozens of civil suits for defamation when, through his lawyers, he called his accusers liars. One of those cases, a matter filed in Massachusetts, was dismissed in February 2017, and though others have also been dismissed, several remain active.

Want more celebrity news about Cosby and other celebs? Explore the pages on PROOF. We’ve got lots of celebrity news articles about your favorites!

NFL Enterprises Slammed with a Lawsuit: Here’s What You Need to Know

Celebrity News, NFL

The details of this case rival even that of Harvey Weinstein…and that’s saying something.

With the near daily allegations levied against men in Hollywood and Washington D.C., TIME magazine naming the Silence Breakers their person of the year for 2017, and the #MeToo movement at its height, we’ve seen some of the most powerful men in America meet their demise. The story now extends to the NFL, with explosive claims detailed in an amended complaint filed against NFL Enterprises.

On December 11th, 2017, several high-profile figures in the world of sports broadcasting were implicated by former wardrobe stylist for the NFL Network, Jami Cantor. Cantor filed an amended complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court naming producers and on-air talent for subjecting her to unlawful discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation, defamation, and several other claims.

Her original complaint was filed back in October 2017 and though it included the same counts it did not name any names nor describe the allegations in detail. This time around, Cantor is not holding back. And, the details are shocking, even in this post-Weinstein era. Highly regarded New York trial lawyer, David Oddo speaks to the lengthy complaint. “To preserve a client’s rights and provide for the best chance of recovery, plaintiff lawyers must plead all available causes of action and seek all available types of damages.” Whether buoyed by all the other victims who have recently spoken out against their abusers or due to a legal strategic decision, the choice by Cantor’s team to amend the complaint and support her counts in more detail is a wise one.

Note also, along with NFL Enterprises, Cantor names as a defendant her supervisor there, Jessica Lee (the woman who fired her in 2016), and Does 1-50. The naming of Does (as in John Doe) is a common practice and is done because at the time of filing the names, capacities, or facts showing the person(s) to be liable is not then known but there is a belief that he/she is responsible in some manner for allegations made in the complaint.
Though not named as actual defendants, Cantor does “name names” in the counts in the amended complaint. Current president of the Bill Simmons Media Group Eric Weinberger (former executive producer at NFL network) and current and former on-air analysts Heath Evans, Ike Taylor, Warren Sapp, Donovan McNabb, and Marshall Faulk all are called out for their unlawful behavior.

The detailed counts paint a picture of a workplace that is not only sexist and abusive but downright scary. Cantor accuses Weinberger of attempting to sexually assault her on at least one occasion and of sending her sexually explicit photos. And it doesn’t stop there. In a particularly harrowing portion of the complaint, Cantor alleges that Weinberger told her that she “was put on Earth to pleasure [him],” and that he once pressed his crotch against her shoulder while asking her to touch it. Seething yet? We are.

As for Evans, McNabb, Taylor, Sapp, and Faulk, Cantor alleges that they acted inappropriately towards her in the workplace and sexually harassed and assaulted her on several different occasions. Reading the details of the multiple men harassing and assaulting her, one wonders how Cantor was ever able get up and go to work each day, and make it through the day.
Allegations against Faulk indicate that he would ask Cantor invasive questions about her sex life in addition to groping her breasts and butt. The lawsuit says that these physical advances were his way of (wait for it)…greeting Cantor. Pretty sure Faulk wasn’t raised that way and taught that’s how one greets someone–male or female.

With time the physical aggressiveness that Faulk showed Cantor in his “morning greetings” turned into him inviting her to his hotel room where he would expose himself and masturbate in front of her. The lawsuit also describes an incident where Faulk pins Cantor against a wall and demands oral sex from her.

Moving on to Heath Evans. According to the court document, the former fullback who played for the Seahawks, the Dolphins, the Patriots and the Saints propositioned Cantor for sex on multiple occasions, sent her lewd texts and photos, and even told her that he “needed to get in [Cantor] deep and hard.” Sadly, that’s not the worst thing that Cantor heard in her time with NFL.

As a stylist, Cantor would have to spend time with the men in fittings and help them with their clothes. Eric Davis, a former NFL player who played for several teams, took advantage of this time by using it to make sexually explicit comments to Cantor directly while grabbing, pushing and rubbing his body against her. She claims that in one instance things got quite physical: Davis grabbed her from behind while she was on a ladder and slide his hand in between her legs. Warren Sapp, Donovan McNabb, and Ike Taylor, also former players, are all accused of sending sexually explicit photos and messages. With allegations ranging from Warren Sapp sending Cantor sex toys as Christmas gifts to McNabb sending videos of himself masturbating.

Since the allegations have surfaced, the NFL Enterprises has suspended Marshall Faulk, Ike Taylor, Eric Davis, Donovan McNabb, and Heath Evans as they investigate the claims. Bill Simmons Media Group has confirmed that Weinberger has been placed on indefinite suspension. The Network fired Sapp in 2015 after he was arrested for assault and soliciting prostitution.

Perhaps the worst part of this entire situation is that Marc Watts, the NFL Network’s talent coordinator, reportedly heard Cantor’s complaints but did nothing to resolve them. In fact, according to the lawsuit, he called it “part of the job.” Well, Mr. Watts, being sexually harassed by multiple men is not only disgusting and appalling, it’s against the law. Shame on you for failing to protect Cantor when you could have.

We eagerly await NFL Enterprises response to this amended complaint. And, if you haven’t yet had enough and want to read the whole thing, click here.

Jami Cantor, we add you to the list of victims we stand beside and applaud your strength in speak outing. All of us, male and female, will benefit from your courage and your determination to hold these men and NFL network responsible.

Glee’s Mark Salling Commits Suicide Weeks Before Sentencing on Child Pornography Charges

Celebrity Lawsuits, Celebrity News, Mark Salling

Update: Mark Salling found dead on January 30, 2018. He was set to be sentenced in March on charges stemming from his guilty plea to possession of child pornography.

Salling joined the ranks of Jared Fogle (aka the Subway spokesperson) and Jeffrey Jones of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, when he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor.

Salling was arrested back in 2015 for possession of child pornography. Police found 50,000 images of “child sexual exploitation” on the Glee star’s computer. They also shared a particularly troubling detail: That the images they captured from the computer were of children younger than 15 and 16 years old. Apparently the investigation into Salling’s computer conduct was prompted by information supplied from an ex-girlfriend of the actor.

Salling was indicted on two counts of child pornography after police uncovered the images; he faced up to 20 years in prison for those acts. On October 4th, 2017, however, Salling entered into a plea bargain which required that he admit guilt (as all plea bargains do by the way). In court he stated his guilt aloud in exchange for a sentence of 48-84 months of imprisonment. Pretty good deal considering what he was facing.

In addition to jail time, Salling will have to pay $50,000 per victim. To date, we do not know how many victims will request restitution but this is certainly going to put a dent in Salling’s bank account, especially as right after he was indicted he was fired from the project he was working on, Gods and Secrets. It is doubtful Hollywood will welcome him back with open arms after his release from prison so this financially penalty is going to hurt–as it should.

Salling will also have to register as a sex offender. He will not be allowed to live within view of any parks, public pools, schools, arcades. He is pretty much barred from places frequented by children under age 18.

Jared Fogle, perhaps the most recent and well known example of a personality being arrested for child pornography, ended up paying $1.4 million to 14 victims for restitution after being charged with paying to engage in sexually explicit acts with children, receiving, and distributing child pornography. Jared had allegedly been using websites to solicit minors for sexual acts from 2007 to 2015. He, too, plead guilty. He was sentenced to fifteen years in prison on November 19th, 2015.

Certainly, the charges between the two men are different because Salling did not engage in sexual acts with minors, but nevertheless, his crimes are deserving of real punishment.

Given the gravity and breadth of Salling’s wrongdoing it was likely his sentence was going to to be on the longer rather than the shorter end of the 48-84 month window.

Fred Savage Hit With Allegations of Battery and Sexual Harassment

Celebrity News, Fred Savage

Wonder Years star Fred Savage has been accused of discrimination, battery, and harassment by a costume department employee who worked with him on the set of The Grinder (Rob Lowe was the big name on that one but the show was cancelled in 2015). The designer, YoungJoo Hwang, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday, March 21st, 2018 alleging that Savage physically assaulted her and that he was generally aggressive and intimidating on set and created a hostile work environment. She alleged that the intimidation and aggression were directed toward her and other women on set.

Hwang claims that, in one instance, Savage “violently struck her arm three times with his hand” after she dusted some dandruff off of his jacket. Allegations also include Savage rolling his eyes at her and glaring at her. He also made clear his displeasure with her and calling into question his reputation for being verbally abusive to female members of the crew.

Hwang also named Twentieth Century Fox as a defendant seeking to hold the production company responsible for allowing Savage’s behavior to go “unchecked.”

Both Twentieth Century Fox and Savage have denied the allegations (big surprise). In a statement, Savage, said that the lawsuit was “completely without merit and absolutely untrue.” He insisted, “I have been working in the entertainment industry my whole life and have always endeavored to treat everyone on any set I work on respectfully and professionally.” He also added that Twentieth Century Fox performed their own investigation and that he was cleared of wrongdoing.

Note though that this isn’t the first time Savage has been accused of inappropriate on-set behavior. In 1993, while on The Wonder Years, the costume designer on that show alleged that Savage, then 16 years old, made sexually explicit comments toward her and even asked her to have an affair with him. The designer claimed she was fired from the show as a result. That suit was settled for an undisclosed sum.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Hwang said that, while it was difficult to stand up for herself, she was inspired by the #MeToo movement and the women who have told their stories before her. Hwang is seeking unspecified damages for emotional distress.

And the list continues to grow . . .

The Kardashian’s DASH Store is Consistently Under Attack

Celebrity News, Kardashian

Both legally speaking and literally (there’s a machete involved, guys.)

The Kardashians have been experiencing drama with their string of DASH stores for some time now, though the last 6 months have been particularly tough ones in terms of the law. In March 2017 the LA outpost of their clothing store, Dash, was vandalized in the early hours of the 16th. A vandal spray-painted the front of the West Hollywood location. He/she (at the time of this writing the suspect has not yet been identified) certainly wanted to get noticed– bright red paint was the color of choice to mar the storefront. Dash employees acted quickly and the act of vandalism was promptly cleaned up. The storefront was not significantly damaged (If it were, insurance would have kicked in but then Dash would not be looking quite so lovely quite so quickly as insurance companies are not known for their speedy response time to claims!)

This isn’t the first time the Dash West Hollywood on Melrose has had issues with vandals. June 2017 a man threw a molotov cocktail into the store’s window. Luckily, the shop was closed at the time so no one was injured. The fiery “bomb” did shatter the store window but not much else was damaged. That’s good news because a sweatshirt at Dash will set a shopper back a cool hundred (though again, insurance would kick in to cover damaged merchandise).

Dash’s original store in Calabasas (the SoCal town where the Kardashians live) was the target of a spray paint “event” back in 2009 and though the message was sweet, it’s still vandalism–a fan tagged, “We love you Kim,” on the store’s window. It happened another time at the Calabasas location and also at the Miami store.

This latest turn is a weird one, though. On September 21st, 2017, a woman walked into the store and pointed a gun at two employees, threw some merchandise onto the ground, and said, “Stay away from Cuba.” As if that wasn’t jarring enough, she came back to the store armed with…a machete! She ranted on the sidewalk for some time as cameras looked on, yelling, “The Kardashians will be executed if they step on Communist territory! They’ll be f-cking killed!” When a brave person told her to shut up, she threatened to stab them. The police are still looking for her.

Needless to say, Dash doesn’t seem to be having much luck, despite the enormous fame of the owners. The Kardashian sisters closed the Dash NYC location in December (2016 which, by the way, we at PROOF had been in several times and really liked!) and the Las Vegas location has been shuttered for more than two years. We know most things these sisters touch turns to gold but maybe retail just isn’t for them?

James Franco Under Fire Amidst Accusations of Sexual Misconduct, Anyone Surprised?

Celebrity News, Celebs, James Franco

You may have been busy beaming with pride at the Golden Globes as you looked at a sea of women in black dresses, some with activists on their arm, shouting at the top of their lungs that time is finally up to notice the drama that was unfolding involving none other than James Franco.

Franco, who won for his role in The Disaster Artist, was accepting his speech with a pin on his black tuxedo that said, “Time’s Up,” while his accusers were taking to Twitter, calling him out for his hypocrisy.

In a series of since-deleted tweets, actress Ally Sheedy seemingly called out James Franco and Christian Slater. She wrote, “Why is a man hosting? Why is James Franco allowed in? Said too much. Nite love ya #goldenglobes.”

The second read, “Ok way. Bye. Christian Slater and James Franco at a table on @goldenglobes #MeToo.”

And then another: “James Franco just won. Please never ask me why I left the film/tv business.”

There were other accusations, ranging from only paying one actress $100 per day to do full nudity in two of his films to being accused of pushing a woman’s head toward his exposed penis while in a car. In that tweet, the woman also brought up his past transgressions, namely the time that Franco tried to get a 17-year-old girl to come to his hotel over Instagram. Don’t remember? It happened in 2014, back when we would laugh off behavior like Franco’s as being a young male in Hollywood or roll our eyes at how ridiculous he was. There’s no more laughing or eye rolling here, and none of this paired particularly well with Franco wearing his black tuxedo onstage at the Globes with a Times Up pin on the lapel.

In his “apology” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, he said, “First of all, I have no idea what I did to Ally Sheedy. I directed her in a play Off-Broadway. I had nothing but a great time with her, total respect for her. I have no idea why she was upset. She took the tweet down. I can’t speak for her.” This is a rather clear example of gas lighting that women have endured for so long. Oftentimes men will employ this technique to make the woman seem “crazy” or as if she is overreacting to a situation. We know now that Sheedy clearly wasn’t overreacting as Franco has been slapped with five allegations of being sexually exploitative or sexually inappropriate.

The Los Angeles Times provided five accounts of sexual misconduct by Franco who, wielding the power of teacher at HIS film schools in New York and Los Angeles, would get students to give in to his demands both sexually and creatively. As noted above, he would often insist his female students perform nude for very little pay, and in one case was documented to have, during a scene in which the actors engaged in an orgy, took the plastic guards off of the women’s vaginas while giving them oral sex. There are other claims, as well. One of the more troubling accounts is that he allegedly pushed one of his student’s heads towards his penis until she performed oral sex while they were in a car together.

To date, none of the women have gone to law enforcement with their claims. There has not been an announcement of a criminal investigation of Franco. So, it’s the same Hollywood story that we’ve been talking about for a while now–women too afraid to come forward with their claims, silenced by a culture that reveres and protects) powerful men.

Of course, Franco has denied these claims and has addressed the matter on late night shows (Franco quit social media in 2016). Among his comments: “Look, in my life I pride myself on taking responsibility for things that I have done…If I have done something wrong, I will fix it — I have to.” Not sure what he means by that but so far Franco hasn’t taken responsibility or spoken directly to any of the claims against him–other than his “I have no idea what she’s talking about” response to Sheedy. Interestingly, on Late Night with Seth Meyers, he spoke out on behalf of victims (yawn): “There are people that need to be heard. I have my own side of this story, but I believe in these people that have been underrepresented getting their stories out enough that I will hold back things that I could say, just because I believe in it that much.”

Ok, James. You believe in it that much that’s why you’re holding back? Yeah, we don’t think so. More likely than not you’re staying quiet and just hoping this whole thing blows over, replaced by the next wave of allegations against the next celeb. Sadly, we know that is sure to come.

Marc Anthony’s Accountant Arrested for Stealing From Him

Celebrity News, Celebs, Marc Anthony

Add Marc Anthony to the ever-growing list of celebrities who have been taken to town by their financial managers. Anthony claims LA accountant, Kyle Tessiero’s conduct cost the singer to lose $2.5 million dollars.

Cases like these may make someone who isn’t a celeb wonder, “How the hell did he get away with taking that kind of money?” We get it. We’re talking millions of dollars, wouldn’t ya notice something like that?? But here’s where we have to stand up for these celebs–they’re busy, they travel a lot, they have lots of expenses and when they hire someone to handle their finances, they are trusting them not to be greedy or immoral. They rightfully expect them to adhere carefully to their fiduciary duties. In common language: celebs have every right to believe people will not steal from them. Additionally, Tessiero, whose company also manages clients like Drake and Pharrell, was pretty clever. He had easy access to Anthony’s accounts, so he would make charges on an American Express credit card that he opened in Anthony’s name; he used Anthony’s personal funds to pay the bill!

He also seemed to siphon off the money sporadically. Naturally, taking out large lump sums would wave red flags, so over the past eight years, Tessiero slowly stole that $2.5 million. And where did that money go? Allegedly, Tessiero spent most of it at an undisclosed “Manhattan entertainment venue.” I think we can all guess what that is code for.

The theft was discovered during an internal audit at the company (meaning Anthony didn’t figure it out himself). Tessiero was arrested in Manhattan and charged with first degree larceny. It’s a felony and the potential consequences are serious–Tessiero could serve up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
What makes this even more of a bummer is that Anthony has been heavily supporting relief efforts in Puerto Rico alongside his ex-wife Jennifer Lopez. Taking money from a person with an obvious generous heart (and pocket) seems somehow even more wrong.

Madonna and O.J. Simpson: Hollywood’s Biggest Memorabilia Mishaps

Celebrity Mug Shots, Celebrity News, Celebs, Madonna, OJ Simpson

Madonna, never one to be shy about exposing intimate details about her life was granted a preliminary injunction to block the sale of 22 personal items including worn underwear, a checkbook, a used hairbrush, and a breakup letter written to her by rapper Tupac Shakur.

The singer stated that she only learned her belongings were for sale in an auction after reading about the sale online, she didn’t know she was no longer in possession of them until reading that they would be going up for sale on the website GottaHaveRockandRoll.com. A former friend and art consultant of Madonna’s, Darlene Lutz, is said to have provided the contents for the sale. Madonna’s statement explained that though she did know Ms. Lutz, she “never sold, gifted or otherwise transferred title or a possessory interest in any of the Madonna Memorabilia” to her. Lawyers for Lutz have rebutted that “the statute of limitations for any alleged theft of the items would have already expired,” and that Madonna’s injunction is purely the result of a personal vendetta. Lutz also added that Madonna “willingly gave up her material possessions,” saying, “As a result of my close relationship with Plaintiff, I received certain ephemera directly from her.” The two women are known to have had a falling out, and this is not the first time Madonna has taken legal action against Lutz; in 2005 she sued Lutz for failure to pay her a sum earned from the sale of a painting from Madonna’s collection.

The Material Girl has smartly turned these matters over to her lawyers to handle, but the case of stolen memorabilia brings another infamous celebrity to mind that we are all talking about (again!) this week: O.J. Simpson. The former football great has been in prison since 2008 serving a 9-33 year sentence stemming from a conviction for 12 various crimes including kidnapping and armed robbery as a result of an incident when he attempted to retrieve memorabilia that he claimed belonged to him. At the time, Simpson entered a Las Vegas hotel room with 5 other men, two of whom were armed seeking retrieval of such personal belongings as family photos, letters, a video from his first wedding and his Hall of Fame certificate, among others. Simpson, who was offered a plea bargain with a sentence of 2 ½ years (he said he knew nothing of that offer) was granted parole for 5 of the charges back in 2013 and on July 20, 2017, he was granted parole on the remaining charges. He will be eligible to be released from prison on October 1, 2017. Note: according to OJ’s parole hearing testimony, a California court ruled that the items did in fact belong to the Juice.

As for what happens permanently with the Material Girl’s material possessions, PROOF will keep you posted.

Richard Simmons Defamation Case Dismissed

Celebrity News, Richard Simmons

Fitness guru Richard Simmons sued American Media Inc. for defamation. In May 2017, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge tentatively dismissed the lawsuit against the media conglomerate, which publishes both The National Enquirer and Radar Online, in which Simmons contended the publications defamed him by reporting between June 2016 and March 2017 that he was transitioning from a man to a woman. Now though the decision is final and the case is dismissed. Here’s the skinny (seemed liked an appropriate word to use here!)

In a cover story that ran in The National Enquirer, the mag claimed that Simmons’ infamous disappearance from public view was due to being transgender. The publication called Simmons “the new Caitlyn Jenner,” claiming Simmons was “now a woman” and going by the name Fiona. They also reported a secret boob job and castration surgery.

Judge Gregory Keosian denied the claim for a very interesting reason — he basically said that being transgender isn’t perceived as being bad. He wrote that being labeled transgender doesn’t automatically subject a person to “hatred, contempt, ridicule or obloquy,” so therefore it’s not defamation.

He did acknowledge that not everyone embraces transgender people, writing, “While, as a practical matter, the characteristic may be held in contempt by a portion of the population, the court will not validate those prejudices by legally recognizing them.”

He pointed out that race is not subject to defamation, and speculated that being labeled transgender could be seen the same way.

An attorney for American Media, Kelli Sager, argued, “There is nothing inherently bad about being transgender” and therefore the defamation suit “isn’t actionable.”

Attorneys for Simmons vehemently disagree with Sager’s assertion. Rodney Smolla said, “There are giant segments of society in this country who endorse the kind of prejudice and hatred and shunning of transgender persons in a way that is dramatically different than the way we treat race in this country.”

Apparently Simmons has vowed to appeal the ruling. So far no word on that. But we have learned that there was another ruling in this matter, again not in Simmons favor–he was ordered to pay The National Enquirer’s attorney fees and any other court fees related to the case. If Simmons appeals and wins then he won’t have to pay. While ordering Simmons to pay those fees certainly feels as if it’s adding insult to injury, it is how our system works in some types of matters and is not uncommon.

But the real (non-legal) question many want answered remains: Where has Simmons been? He essentially disappeared from public view in 2014. Many have wondered why he would shun the public after a long career of embracing publicity. Earlier this year, he was the subject of a podcast called “Missing Richard Simmons” in which a former student attempted to discover what he’d been up to since essentially going underground.

But Simmons says there’s absolutely nothing for anyone to be concerned about. He and those close to him have made repeated statements that he’s just fine and merely wants to be left alone. His older brother, Lenny, echoed that on the podcast, “He’s doing what he wants to do, which is kick back and have a quiet life. … For some reason, he wants to be quiet, which is the complete opposite of how he normally is. I don’t understand it, but I have to respect it.”

After Taking the Stand, Swift Comes Out Victorious in Groping Trial

Celebrity News, Celebs, Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is the top of our girlcrush list right now. This talented singer may live a very public life and we might think we know everything about her and her relationships but there is one aspect of her personal life that for quite some time she fought relatively quietly. That was until her day in court. Swift took the witness stand in the case against the DJ who groped he and told it like it was. She did not back down. She spoke for all of us; and she made sure she was heard. And heard she was. A jury returned a verdict after only four hours finding that back in 2013, Colorado radio DJ, David Mueller groped her. In deposition testimony prior to trial here’s what Taylor said happened. While posing for a photo with Mueller, “he took his hand and put it up my dress and grabbed onto my ass cheek, and no matter how much I scooted over, it was still there. It was completely intentional. I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.” At trial she was just as clear, even more so really. One of our favorite Swift responses while on the stand was to the question as to why her skirt wasn’t ruffled in the front if she were groped, “Because my ass is located in the back of my body,” the singer responded.

Note that Mueller got himself in the position of fighting Swift in court. Swift did not report the incident to police (which, by the way, she could have–his alleged actions could have supported a criminal charge) but rather, promptly told her mother and her team about it who notified Mueller’s employer. No one from Swift’s side asked for Mueller to be fired. They simply reported the incident and allowed the radio station to handle it. Wisely, the station fired Mueller. Not so wisely, Mueller sued Swift for slander in 2015, claiming he never touched her and suffered damages including the loss of his job as well as other professional opportunities as a result of her claims.

Swift did not stand by and allow Mueller to contradict her and filed a counterclaim for assault and battery. In May 2017, the court threw out Mueller’s claims of slander and the matter only went forward on intentional interference with a contract and tortious interference with prospective business relations (in addition to the counts in Swift’s counterclaim). Interestingly, after Swift testified her attorney moved that she be dismissed from Mueller’s suit altogether as Mueller had not presented sufficient evidence to show that Swift had interfered with anything. The judge agreed and Swift was dismissed as a defendant–only her mother and Bell, her radio manager remained. Mueller didn’t win against the remaining defendants either. In addition to finding that Mueller groped Swift the jury also found that neither Swift’s mother nor her radio manager did anything wrong–they had not tortuously interfered with anything regarding Mueller’s career. Bottom line: Mueller lost all around.

Swift only sued for $1.00 and that is what the jury awarded but after the verdict the ever-classy Swift acknowledged her privileged position in society and said, “I will be making donations in the near future to multiple organization that help sexual assault victims defend themselves.” Is there anyone cooler than Taylor Swift? We at PROOF don’t think so and want to add our thank you to the long list of thank yous she has been getting since taking up this fight. Thank you, Taylor you’re “Fearless!”

Can the LAPD Stop the Knock-Knock Burglars?

Alanis Morissette, Burglaries, Celebrities, Celebrity News, Crimes, Criminal Law, LA Lakers, LAPD, Nick Young, Nicki Minaj

The facts seem more like the plot to a new Home Alone sequel instead of real life — but real life it is. There has been a rash of burglaries targeted at celebrities and other wealthy elite in the San Fernando Valley (yes, “The Valley”) and the crimes have been committed by the so-called “knock-knock burglars.”

Why knock-knock burglaries? It’s actually not very creative (not sure we want our cops being creative anyway; we’ve got enough creatives in LA!) but basically these burglars are groups of 3 or 4 people (aka gang members, according to LAPD. And when I say gang members, I mean real gang members despite the cutesy knock-knock name), one person knocks on the front door and once that person confirms, via the knock, that no one is home, he signals to the others and they look for doors and windows in which to access the house. The goal is not to hurt anyone personally or to engage in violence, rather it’s all about “the stuff.” The burglars then drive quickly from the scene and get rid of the goods by going to pawn shops or gold melting facilities–they keep the cash, as it’s not traceable.

Though the wealthy may be in fear over their lost riches there is a bevy of police power on the case. Lt. Todd Hankel, commanding officer of LAPD’s West Valley Area detectives, said that the San Fernando Valley Knock Knock Burglary Task Force is targeting the criminal street gang members who have been preying on the residents living in the ritzy communities such as Studio City, Woodland Hills, Encino, Tarzana, Sherman Oaks, Chatsworth and Porter Ranch.

This news comes after Los Angeles Lakers’ Nick Young was the target of a recent theft in February with the criminals stealing cash and other valuables worth approximately $500,000. He’s not the only NBA star losing his loot. On Jan. 30, former Lakers player Derek Fisher’s Tarzana home was broken into, with thieves taking cash, jewelry and more worth approximately $300,000. Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig’s Sherman Oaks home was also hit by the knock-knock burglars.

But it’s not just the Valley that’s getting hit. PROOF had a one on one chat with Detective Dunn of the LAPD and the burglars are hitting homes from Santa Barbara to San Bernadino all the way to Newport. Apparently, celebs living in Malibu are a little safer than others because it’s just so darn hard to get out of Malibu quickly–PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) and the canyon roads leading out of Malibu are the only ways in and out and if those roads get backed up the burglars are stuck with a car full of stolen loot. According to Detective Dunn, the knock-knock burglars want to get rid of the goods and turn it into cash as soon as possible. Maybe Nicki Minaj who lives in LA and had approximately $200,000 worth of items stolen as well as damage to her home and Alanis Morisette whose Brentwood home was also cleared out should consider a move. (And really it’s an extra bummer for Morisette who suffered another recent financial loss when her manager stole millions from her. Click here for full article on that theft).

But fret not famous people with lots of money and expensive things! According to the LAPD, the task force consists of roughly 30 officers divided among surveillance teams, undercover detectives and patrol cars working to prevent and curb these incidents. And, task forces such as this have been formed in the past and have been effective in reducing the number of burglaries, Detective Dunn told us! But celebs, watch your dogs because although the goal of the knock-knock burglars isn’t to engage in violence they are known to pepper spray dogs when they encounter them inside homes.

We think it’s great that there is a task force to help stop these crimes but celebs maybe lay off social media and stop tweeting, posting and instagramming your every move and you might avoid being hit. The fact is, when you let the bad guys know where we you at all times, you make it pretty easy on them.

Stay safe!

At PROOF we love celebrity news as much as you do. So if you want more, celebrity news about A-Listers (and others!), we welcome you to explore the rest of the site.

Abby Lee Miller Going to Prison for Fraud

Abby Lee Miller Prison, Celebrity News, Celebs, Crimes, Fraud, Prison

Former “Dance Moms” star Abby Lee Miller pleaded guilty in June 2016 to bankruptcy fraud and bringing foreign currency into the country illegally. On May 9, 2017 she was sentenced to one year and one day in jail and ordered to pay a fine of $40,000. Not bad considering if she were convicted of the initial charges she could have served five years in prison.

Her crimes were kind of interesting in that prosecutors charged her with hiding $775,000 in income when she filed for bankruptcy, and with having her friends bring her Australian currency into the United States hidden in plastic bags (We know what you’re thinking, Abby Lee Miller has friends???)

Her attorneys argued at her sentencing that she shouldn’t receive jail time because she allegedly paid back all of the money she owed after the fraud was discovered. They further argued that Miller wasn’t a criminal, just an inexperienced businesswoman.

That didn’t sway the judge, who told Miller that she had “lost her moral compass.” While we agree with the court in not buying her excuse, we can’t say that Miller lost her moral compass at the time the crime was committed. Have you seen Dance Moms and the way that she would treat those kids (and their moms!)? At PROOF, we think Miller lost her moral compass way before she broke the law. Also, some of the dance moms attended the sentencing but allegedly not to support their children’s’ long time teacher.

In any event, in typical Abby Lee Miller style, the former reality tv star appears to be making the best of things, telling “Good Morning America” after the sentencing, “I’m just going to pretend I’m shooting a movie and we’re on set and I’m there for 10 months. That’s the way it’s going to be.”

Well, maybe with all that time she will find the moral compass she lost all those years ago and she won’t be just another reality tv casualty.

Shia LaBeouf’s Racist Rant Goes Viral as the Actor is Arrested Again

Celebrities, Celebrity News, Celebs, Shia LaBeouf

It’s getting harder and harder for us at PROOF to be Shia LaBeouf fans — we’ve stood behind him for a very long time now but his latest racist rant against two police officers is making it very, very difficult.

LaBeouf was arrested on Saturday, July 8, 2017 in Savannah, Georgia, where he’s currently filming “The Peanut Butter Falcon,” with Dakota Johnson and Bruce Dern. He was booked on charges of disorderly conduct, obstruction and public drunkenness after he reportedly approached someone to ask for a cigarette in the early morning hours, and became aggressive when he was told no, at which point he began shouting profanities at both passers by and police. The police statement reveals “When the officer attempted to place LaBeouf under arrest, LaBeouf ran to a nearby hotel. LaBeouf was arrested in the hotel lobby, where his disorderly behavior continued.”

What makes this situation so indefensible is what happened after the arrest. In a video captured on a body camera during his ride in a squad car and at the station, LaBeouf is heard telling his female arresting officer, “If I had my gun I’ll blow your s—t up. You’re a b—h, though.” He continues his racist, sexist tirade making threats against the officer, insulting her family and threatening to sue her, saying “I got more millionaire lawyers than you know what to do with, you stupid b—h.” The 31-year-old actor was released around 11 a.m. that same day from the Chatham County Detention Center after posting a $7,000 bond.

This is the sixth arrest for the actor, and latest in a long line of alcohol-related incidents. LaBeouf was ordered to receive alcohol abuse treatment after a 2014 disorderly conduct charge in a Broadway theater. He received treatment in 2016. “He is voluntarily receiving treatment for alcohol addiction. He understands that these recent actions are a symptom of a larger health problem and he has taken the first of many necessary steps towards recovery,” his rep said in a statement. LaBeouf himself has discussed his demons in the past, saying “Why am I an alcoholic? I haven’t a damn clue! What is life about? I don’t know. What I do know is, I screw up.”

La Beouf returned to work on Monday, just two days after the arrest. He also took to twitter to apologize, writing “I am deeply ashamed of my behavior and make no excuses for it” as well as addressing his very serious problem with addiction. Shia, please get help (again-no shame in that!), we really want to remain fans.

Celebrity News | Chris Brown Legal Problems

Chris Brown Facing Legal Problems…Again

Celebrities, Celebrity Lawsuits, Celebrity News, Celebs, Chris Brown, Court, Criminal Law, Domestic Violence, Ex-Girlfriend, Karrueche Tran, Restraining Order, Singer, Violence Against Women

Chris Brown has more legal problems. Two TROs (temporary restraining order) were issued against him in February 2017. His ex girlfriend, model, Karrueche Tran got one and now, one of Tran’s closest friends, Joseph Ryan LaCor, has one against him too.

It has been a wild 2017 already for the singer. It very clearly seems he still does not have control over his anger issues. On New Year’s, Brown apparently got into a violent fight with rapper Soulja Boy over Tran. Then on February 17, 2017, Tran, who for years was Brown’s on again, off again girlfriend finally stood up for herself and sought protection for herself-she sought a restraining order against Brown. In court documents she filed she alleged that Brown punched her in the stomach and pushed her down the stairs several years ago but that she did not call the police or report the incident (Tran, you are way too good to endure this type of relationship–all women, all humans are.) and that recently Brown has been sending her threatening texts. In the court documents, she included the following: “He told a few people that he was going to kill me. He said if no one else can have me, he’s gonna ‘take me out.” Due to his violent history, especially violence against women, a Chris Brown threat should not be ignored. And the LA court did not ignore the. They granted the request and now Chris Brown must stay away from Karrueche Tran or risk arrest, among other things.

So, how does LaCor fit into this story? Well, apparently Brown can’t leave well enough alone as it relates to Tran and has allegedly threatened to shoot Tran’s bestie, LaCor leaving LaCor with no choice but to seek the court’s protection as well.

In documents LaCor filed, it stated that Chris said about Tran and LaCor “no matter where we go, he will find us and shoot the place up.” LaCor also spoke of past conduct by Brown. “Chris Brown has threatened me and run up on me for not allowing him to bully Karrueche Tran in my presence. More recently, making threats to her saying that he will beat anyone that is friends with her.”

LaCor’s allegations are specific and also include details of a harrowing night hanging out with Tran at a 2017 Super Bowl party; Brown was also there. LaCor said that he was at the party for two hours when two men confronted him and told him to leave or he was, “going to have problems.” He said he decided to leave and that’s when, “Chris Brown ran up to me, got in my face, saying, ‘It’s 2017, Ima f–k you up every time I see you. So you better get the f–k out of here before I lay your ass out.””

LaCor also claims that Brown yelled at another friend of LaCor’s and threw a drink in her face. After that, smart move by LaCor–he left the party. Given all this information, the TRO was issued and now Brown must stay away from LaCor as well. Quite a collection Brown is building.

Brown has allegedly been diagnosed with bipolar disorder but too bad for him that is not a legal excuse to threaten people or assault them. With all this recent unacceptable, illegal, scary behavior, you’d think that Brown doesn’t know what is at stake. But after all his run-ins with the law, especially the domestic violence occurrence with Rihanna, he most certainly does. No excuse, Brown. Get help.

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