Celebrity News
Taylor Swift Groping Case Goes to Trial
Taylor Swift may live a very public life and we might think we know everything about her relationships, her childhood, and her career, but there is one aspect of her personal life that she has remained fairly quiet about… until now. Swift is expected to take the stand in a civil suit involving an alleged assault by a Colorado radio DJ, David Mueller, as a result of groping. The incident occurred in 2013, and as Swift explained in her deposition that 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.” 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 did tell her team about it who notified Mueller’s employer; Mueller was fired from his job at 98.5 KYGO. He 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 (at the very worst, he’s calling her a liar; at the least, saying she had him confused with someone else) and filed a counterclaim for assault. In May 2017, the court threw out Mueller’s slander claims and the matter is now going forward on other counts raised in Mueller’s complaint including intentional interference with a contract and tortious interference with prospective business relations as well the counts in Swift’s counterclaim
Note that this is a civil case. There are no criminal charges, no jail time at issue. The eight person jury, made up of 6 women and 2 men, will decide who is liable here–that’s the term, not guilt or innocence. Among other things, they will decide whether Mueller assaulted Swift or Swift interfered with his contract with KYGO causing him to suffer damages. Mueller says his life was ruined by Swift’s claims and seeks up to $3 million; Swift has said if she receives any money damages, she will donate them to “charitable organizations dedicated to protecting women from similar acts of sexual assault and personal disregard.”
Swift as well as her mother are expected to testify along with another eye witness. A critical piece of evidence which, by now, most have seen, is the photograph from the incident–Mueller’s hand certainly appears to be behind Swift. Was it simply behind her or was it under her skirt and on her buttock? That’s the main issue the jury will decide as far as Swift’s claims.
While we at PROOF know this is not the most serious of cases (as does Swift–we indicated above that she could have, but did not, report the incident to police), we do not agree with those who refer to this case flippantly and we applaud Swift for filing a counterclaim, for using her resources and her access to make a point for herself and on behalf of other women who have been similarly victimized and violated physically without consent. Swift has said she hoped to “serv[e] as an example to other women who may resist publicly reliving similar outrageous and humiliating acts.” You go, Taylor.
The Deadliest Celebrity Stalkers In Hollywood History
Here at PROOF, we’re convinced that stalking is by far the scariest byproduct of fame. Despite the argument that celebrities choose to live their lives publicly, no one deserves to feel threatened or face danger on a daily basis. While many celebs endure harassment, and take out restraining orders when necessary, often things take a much scarier turn. PROOF is taking a deeper dive into the most tragic stalker situations in Hollywood–situations that have sadly ended in someone’s death.
One of the first murders that comes to mind when we think of young Hollywood actresses is that of Rebecca Schaeffer, the star of the TV show “My Sister Sam.” Schaeffer was murdered by her stalker, Robert James Bardo, in 1989 in the doorway of her home. Her death helped bring about the country’s first anti-stalking laws. Bardo remains in prison, serving a life sentence without parole. It seems impossible to believe, but prior to Schaeffer’s murder, stalking was not a crime.
Actress Theresa Saldana was attacked by a man who called himself the “benevolent angel of death” in 1982. Though she survived being attacked by Arthur Richard Jackson, she was stabbed so many times that she required major surgery on her heart and lungs and a transfusion of 26 pints of blood. Though she later became an advocate for stalking victims, she was continually harassed by Jackson while he served time in prison — he was handed a mere 12 year sentence for his crime — and he threatened her life on numerous occasions. Eventually he was extradited to England where he died in 2004. Saldana passed away in 2016.
Mental health is clearly an issue when it comes to stalking and in the case of Paula Abdul’s alleged stalker, Paula Goodspeed, she ended up killing herself near the star’s Los Angeles home in 2008. Goodspeed appeared on American Idol in 2005 and, as was common in those days, she was criticized harshly for her talents, but expressed a deep admiration for Abdul. When her body was found in her car, the license plate of which read “ABL LV,” with a photo of Abdul hanging from the mirror
The story of Selena has been immortalized on film, but we can’t shake the horrific real-life details of the singer’s murder. The Tejano singer was shot to death in 1995 by Yolanda Saldivar, the president of her fan club. Saldivar was a fan who has repeatedly asked Selena’s father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., his permission to start a fan club. It was later discovered that Saldivar was embezzling money from the club and, after being confronted by Selena’s family about it, she murdered Selena by shooting her in the back. Saldivar was sentenced to life in prison.
No one will forget the stalker who killed John Lennon. Mark David Chapman famously gunned down the Beatles legend outside his New York City apartment building in 1980. Chapman has been serving life in prison and has been denied parole nine times. He has said that he killed the Beatle because he wanted to be famous, but his haunting recollection of the night he killed Lennon is even more disturbing. “As a ruse, I had his album and a pen and I asked him to sign the album… He asked me if I wanted anything else. His wife had come out with him and she was waiting in a limo and that’s something I often reflect on how decent he was to just a stranger.” A stranger that he then came back to murder later that same evening after receiving an autograph.
John Hinckley Jr.’s obsession with Jodie Foster took a bizarre turn in 1981 when he attempted to kill President Reagan to get her attention. The President was shot in the chest, and three other men were also shot, most notably Press Secretary James Brady, who was paralyzed by the attack (and spent the rest of his life campaigning for gun control).
It may seem as though celebrity stalkers have gotten less violent in recent years since many of these stories have occurred over the last 40 years or so, but let’s not forget the latest tragedy at the hands of a crazed fan: Christina Grimmie. The young singer placed third on her season of The Voice and had just performed a concert on June 10, 2016 in Orlando, Florida, when Kevin James Loibl gunned her down as she was signing autographs for her fans. Grimmie’s brother managed to restrain Loibl temporarily to try and save his sister, but moments later Loibl escaped and killed himself.
While each of these circumstances is undeniably scary and terribly tragic if there is anything on the positive side to note, it that they have sparked changes in the law. But isn’t it an unfortunate fact that we must wait until something truly awful happens before we really start to talk about how to prevent such tragedies from happening again?
Working Out the Details: Harvey Weinstein’s Divorce Settlement
Amidst allegations of sexual misconduct that set off a chain reaction in Hollywood, government and sports, Georgina Chapman decided to leave her husband Harvey Weinstein. This was back in October 2017, when the depth of breadth of the allegations had not yet been realized (perhaps she knew what was coming). Now, nearly three months later, it appears Chapman has reached a settlement with the disgraced film producer.
When she announced her separation, Chapman made it clear that caring for her young children was her top priority. The pair share two children, India Pearl, 7 years old and Dashiell, 4 years old. Apparently, Georgina will receive primary custody of them. Given the nature of the allegations against Weinstein, he would not have been victorious had he fought this matter. It was certainly in the best interest of his children for Weinstein not to fight this.
And just how much is Chapman going to get? Not surprising, the couple had a prenuptial agreement. That’s a good thing as it has likely made things easier. Apparently, the terms of the prenup provided that Chapman receive $300,000 a year in spousal support for their first nine years of marriage. If the couple stayed married 10 years that number increased by another $100,000 a year. Weinstein and Chapman’s 10 year anniversary was December 15, 2017 so Chapman made it to ten years (unless, of course, in the prenup, “married” was defined differently). Though big numbers are being batted about– somewhere between 12 and 20 million– the actual terms of the financial settlement and distribution of assets has not been revealed. Rest assured Chapman is getting a good chunk of change (and we kinda like that after all she has had to endure).
Weinstein also recently faced legal issues with his ex wife, Eve Chilton (fun fact: Chilton was Weinstein’s assistant). In December 2017, she went to court in New York and asked the judge to order Weinstein to pre-pay the remaining approximately 5 million he allegedly owes for the children they share. Why? Chilton alleges that Weinstein asked to suspend his child support payments for at least one year due to the allegations and legal matters. The judge denied Chilton’s request because Weinstein has kept up his payment and not yet fallen behind. Those lawyer fees don’t come cheap so perhaps Chilton will be back in court on this matter.
From Shailene Woodley to Justin Bieber: The Best of Celebrity Mug Shots
From bar bust ups to drunk driving to “unintentional” trespassing and more, celebrities are no strangers to arrests. And of course with an arrest comes the dreaded celebrity mug shot, which is sure to be plastered across the Internet even before the celeb has called his lawyer!
Celebrity mug shots might just be our favorite form of selfie– well, it’s not really as selfie but we sure do like looking at them (Must be because without make up, the right lighting, a professional photographer and some retouching most celebs look a lot more like we do than we thought!).
Check out some of the celebrity mug shots of Hollywood hottest stars, and even a few of those forgotten about players who just happen to have a celebrity mug shot worth talking about!
Shailene Woodley
Reese Witherspoon isn’t the only “Big Little Lies” cast member to have her celebrity mug shot taken. “Divergent” star Shailene Woodley also had a run in with the law. And though we might be biased because we absolutely love Shailene Woodley, we have to say that out of all the celebrity mug shots, Woodley’s is pretty much the most adorable!
So, how’d she get to be part of the celebrity mug shot walk of fame? On October 10, 2016, Woodley and 27 other people were arrested during a protest at Standing Rock, while attempting to block the Dakota Access pipeline. Live footage of the actress’ arrest was streamed to roughly 40,000 viewers via her Facebook page. Later, she was strip searched in jail. I know, it seems weird to strip search someone following this type of offense and though kinda gross one can likely conclude that it might be related to her celebrity status (imagine those bragging rights?!) but despite Woodley also being “just shocked” by the strip search, apparently is is common practice in that jurisdiction for low level crimes. Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chair Dave Archambault II and others have also been strip-searched after being arrested for nonviolent civil disobedience against the pipeline.
After the arrest and resulting strip search, the environmental activist said: “Every time we allow another pipeline … we are endorsing the fossil fuel industry and only prolonging the time it is going to take to switch to renewable energy.”
We at PROOF aren’t fans of breaking the law but Woodley’s cause was a noble and good one. We commend her for her bravery and standing up for what she believes in–no matter the consequences. Keep fighting the good fight, Shailene!
Reese Witherspoon
The “Big Little Lies” actress and her husband, Jim Toth, were arrested in Atlanta in 2013. Toth was pulled over for suspicion of driving while intoxicated in Atlanta. Apparently Reese didn’t like that so much. So much so that she got into an argument with the police officer, which led to her arrest.
This celebrity mug shot is pretty unusual because it’s a pretty unusual mug shot for anyone — Witherspoon is looking down! The whole point of mug shots are for identification purposes. We have to wonder if the Atlanta PD gave the superstar a pass on looking at the camera because of her A-list status.
Either way, shortly after her jail release, the actress issued a statement saying there was “no excuse” for her behavior.
“I was disrespectful to the officer who was just doing his job. The words I used that night definitely do not reflect who I am. I have nothing but respect for the police and I am very sorry for my behavior.”
Nick Carter
Backstreet Boy Nick Carter may not have wanted it that way (sorry, sometimes we just can’t help ourselves with these puns!!) when he was arrested in Florida on January 13, 2016. The boybander was booked by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office on a misdemeanor battery charge following an incident outside Hog’s Breath Saloon in Key West.
The singer was released after pleading not guilty and posting $1,500 bail. He was ordered to stay away from the bar.
Unfortunately for Carter, an employee at the Hog’s Breath, Skylar Carden, 21, filed a civil lawsuit against Carter a few weeks later, in which he accused the singer and former “Dancing with the Stars” runner-up of battery.
In a statement accompanying the lawsuit, Carter’s lawyer, Mark DiCowden’s said, “Nick Carter has shown the world that he is nothing more than a backstreet thug.” And you thought our pun was bad? Nick Carter,a thug? And what’s a backstreet thug?? All we picture is a good looking boy band member singing romantic songs. That’s not so scary! But the lawsuit did contain some scary allegations including that the singer “violently attacked” Carden by “striking and choking” him.
Carter settled the matter out of court–the terms of the settlement are not public–and the case was dismissed with prejudice (remember this means Carden can’t bring the suit again for any reason).
Pawn Stars Austin “Chumlee” Russell
Austin “Chumlee” Russell, star of the History Channel’s “Pawn Stars” was arrested in Las Vegas on March 10, 2016 and charged with drug possession and “prohibited person in possession of a firearm,” according to the Las Vegas Metro Police Department.
Here’s the really crazy part of this story: officers were serving a warrant at the reality star’s house for a sexual assault case when they found Russell with at least one gun, as well as with methamphetamine and marijuana.
In May 2016, Russell pleaded guilty in Las Vegas court to attempted possession of a controlled substance. As a result of the deal, Russell did not have to go to jail for the misdemeanor charge, instead he was sentenced to three years’ probation. The felony count of ownership or possession of a firearm by a prohibited person was stayed. If Russell completes the terms of his probation, the gun charge will be dismissed. And, that sexual assault charge that started the whole thing? Police have confirmed that Russell has not been charged at the time for that.
Bill Cosby
We know we talk about Bill Cosby a lot on PROOF but we can’t help it, there are just so many aspects of his wrongdoing that make for excellent legal lessons! And so, Bill Cosby’s infamous celebrity mug shot, which was years in the making after dozens upon dozens of accusations. As PROOF readers know, there is only one criminal case going forward against the disgraced funny man. He has been free on $1 million bail, but faces up to 10 years in jail for each of the sexual assault counts he is facing.
The Montgomery County District Attorney’s office in Pennsylvania, where he is set to stand trial, released this mugshot shortly after his arraignment. Those do not look like the same kindly eyes of Dr. Huxtable. Unbelievable downfall.
Shia Labeouf
Shia Labeouf has been arrested more than once but of course his most famous celebrity mug shot was after getting drunk at Broadway musical “Cabaret” in New York City. In this shot, Labeouf has a big smile on his face and looks like he’s been crying. It’s unnerving to say the least!
According to police, the “Transformers” star was smoking inside the Studio 54 theater and acting “loud and disruptive” during the first act of the musical. Law enforcement officials were notified. The “Transformers” actor was arrested during intermission, handcuffed, and escorted out of the theater.
He was then charged with two counts of disorderly conduct and one count of criminal trespassing before being released.
Shia has since been arrested again in connection with his HeWillNotDivide.US protest but was also quickly released. For more information on that, click here.
Dustin Diamond
We all loved super nerd Screech on Saved by the Bell, too bad that geeky kid turned out to be such a not-so-great adult. Dustin Diamond gave off some seriously dangerous vibes when he made his way into the celebrity mug shots wall of fame after he was arrested in Wisconsin for allegedly stabbing a man with a switchblade on Christmas Day 2014.
The former teen actor was charged with possession of a switchblade, reckless endangerment and carrying a concealed weapon.
He was later convicted of carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors. He served nearly three months in jail.
Lindsay Lohan
We love this one of Lindsay Lohan’s celebrity mug shots because she’s just so over it. She’s like — been there, done that!
This is the redhead’s mugshot from March 19, 2013 when she turned herself into the Santa Monica police. She eventually pleaded no contest to reckless driving and providing false information to the police who were investigating an accident that happened the previous summer.
The troubled star was sentenced to 90 days in a lockdown rehab facility. Want more information about Lohan and the criminal justice system, click here and here.
Justin Bieber
Oh, Justin! We love you but you make it so hard on us sometimes. What do we at PROOF have to say about our favorite bad boy’s celebrity mug shot? Well, does is not look like Bieber is having the best day of his life? Does to us! In reality though he has just been arrested for a DUI and drag-racing in Miami in 2014. Must have been a really fun race!
On the serious side though, at a press conference, a spokesperson for Miami Beach Police said that the arresting officer “smelled odor of alcoholic beverage” on the singer. Bieber was also charged with driving with an expired license and resisting arrest without violence.
We at PROOF are crossing our fingers and hoping that there are no celebrity mug shots of Bieber–even if they do look as good as this one!
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.
Settled: Venus Williams Wrongful Death Suit
UPDATE: Venus Williams has settled the lawsuit filed against her stemming from the June 2017 auto accident in which one person died and another was injured. Details regarding the settlement amount have not been disclosed.
Tennis superstar Venus Williams has been cleared of traffic law violations in connection with her June 9, 2017 car accident in Palm Beach, Florida that left a 78-year-old man dead and his wife injured but the wrongful death suit filed by his family is being vigorously pursued.
Williams reportedly drove her Toyota Sequoia SUV into an intersection at approximately 5 miles per hour, stopped and then was hit on the passenger side by a Hyundai Accent driven by 68-year-old Esther Barson. Williams had allegedly stopped in the intersection due to a car turning in front of her. Barson and her passenger, her husband, Jerome Barson, 78, were seriously injured; Jerome died two weeks later from injuries he sustained in the accident. Williams’ car was damaged but she was not hurt. In fact, she played in Wimbledon just a few weeks later. It must be noted though that when she spoke of the accident at a press conference she was tearful and very visibly upset.
By now, many have seen the video of the crash. We don’t know about you but we at Proof feel as if that cop did not seem very confident regarding what traffic laws Williams violated. Despite this lack of clarity, he charged her and deemed her at fault in the accident. That initial determination certainly played a role in prompting the Barson family to quickly seek legal counsel and file suit but in no way was it the sole determining factor. This was a somewhat confusing, serious accident that resulted in serious injuries. It was therefore not surprising when Jerome Barson’s family sued the Grand Slam-winning tennis player for wrongful death, seeking unspecified damages related to his death as well as for the pain and suffering of both Jerome and Esther. A lawsuit was coming whether Williams was cited at the scene or not.
And, as many of us have learned, after reviewing video footage of the intersection, police found that the light was green when Williams entered the intersection, and that she did not violate any traffic laws (Perhaps you came to the same conclusion after watching the video footage). That is good news for Williams; it also makes the Barson’s case more difficult. Not impossible, just more difficult. Having a finding of fault at the scene, where witnesses can be interviewed, location of vehicles can be solidified and conditions confirmed are powerful investigative tools. Though expert witnesses are used frequently in serious auto accident cases, this change makes the decision to secure one even more critical. As Andrew Needle, a personal injury lawyer Fort Lauderdale FL residents know to have handled hundreds of car accidents explains, “Experts are critical in cases that present complex fact patterns, especially when liability is in dispute. Calling a skilled and experienced accident reconstructionist to the stand goes a long way in helping jurors understand just how an accident occurred.”
As noted above, the change in the finding of fault by the local police hasn’t stopped the plaintiff from moving forward or stopped Williams’ attorneys from mounting a strong defense. In fact, Williams’ attorneys have alleged that at least one of the occupants of the Hyundai was not wearing a seatbelt, and that the car had not been maintained properly. Attorneys for the Barson family have denied both of those assertions. They’ve also subpoenaed Williams’ cell phone records to see if she was distracted at the time of the crash. Her attorneys have agreed to turn them over.
Williams, for her part, in addition to her teary press conference has expressed condolences to the Barson family, writing on Facebook, “I am devastated and heartbroken by this accident. My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Jerome Barson and I continue to keep them in my thoughts and prayers.”
Note though that while Williams presently appears to have been cleared of wrongdoing, the investigation of the crash by Palm Beach police is still ongoing so there is a very slight chance that there could be further determinations made by that police department. Either way, this is a very sad and tragic situation for all involved.
When Celebs Split, Who Gets Custody of the Family Pet?
Divorce is nasty business especially when it comes to division of assets, spousal support and child custody. Another area rife with fighting? Custody of the family pet. The number of divorce cases in which pet custody is an issue is on the rise as is the intensity of the fighting over it. Just as celebs are not immune from bitter child custody battles so too do they face fierce fights over family pets. And because celebrities have the money to hire tough lawyers and can afford protracted litigation often their pet custody battles are among the nastiest.
Legally speaking, most states consider pets property which means courts consider them as they would any asset and not at all akin to a child. Thankfully though this is not always the case and recently we’ve seen judges in various jurisdictions looking at other factors. In fact a New York case moved away from the chattel (legal jargon for property) view of pets and took a more holistic approach, asking what was the best interest of all—not of the pet, per se, but of all involved in the dispute. This is good news for the more than 80 million(yup!) American families that own a pet.
Let’s take a look at some well known celebrity breakups in which custody of the pets was a pivotal issue.
Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas. When these two decided to end their almost twenty year marriage, Stella, their youngest child, was already eighteen years old so custody was no longer an issue (child custody is not legally relevant once a child is over eighteen). However, the couple had three dogs (two were adopted together from an animal rescue group) and Melanie wanted to keep all of them. Word on the street was that their $50 million divorce case was contentious in large part over custody of these pups. Melanie made it clear that she wanted to keep them and many believed she was the better pup parent. There is no official word about how things ended up but my guess is that Melanie got what she wanted. These two seem to still be pretty good friends and are often seen out and about supporting their children at various events. Had Antonio not relented on the dog issue, this would not likely be the case.
Amber Heard and Johnny Depp. Most of us are probably glad this very messy Hollywood divorce is finally over. I know I am. But what was worked out early and fairly amicably between these two was who got custody of Pistol and Boo, the dogs the couple adopted during their brief marriage (Amber also got custody of their horse, Arrow, but I’m not sure there was much of a fight over that). You might remember hearing about these dogs—they’ve been in the news before. They are the same dogs that Amber and Johnny brought into Australia without declaring them at customs or obtaining the proper paperwork for them. Though Amber pleaded guilty to providing a false immigration document to immigration officials, the pair got away easy. As punishment, Amber and Johnny were allowed to make a public service announcement. Amber apologized for her conduct and praised Australia’s biosecurity laws; Johnny encouraged others to declare everything when they come into Australia. Lucky for them that they got away easy on this one as the dissolution of their marriage was anything but that.
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. First let me say I am a big fan of both of these actors but I’m still very pissed that Kristen cheated on Robert (Team Edward!). He just did not deserve that! And with a married guy? I feel as if Kristen is better than that and if she wanted to end things with Robert she could have done so much less painfully and publically. But, she was young and everyone makes mistakes. Maybe that’s why when she and Robert could not initially agree on who should get custody of their newly adopted dogs, Bernie and Bear, she ultimately relented. I’d like to think it was an act of remorse and contrition. And, I bet it was. She certainly didn’t want to cause more pain to her one time love.
Mandy Moore and Ryan Adams. It’s great seeing Mandy Moore happy and starring in the hit television show, This Is Us because we know this young actress has been through a lot. She and Ryan two were working through their divorce settlement after ending their six year marriage when talks apparently stalled over a number of issues, one very big one being who would get custody of their eight pets—six cats and two dogs. Mandy got to keep all of her fur babies but she did seek pet support payments from Ryan. With the success of her new show, doubt she needs it anymore.
Britney Spears and Kevin Federline. Britney is back on top and has been for years now but for a while many of us were worried that she’d never be the Britney Spears whom we first met. We all know well about her emotional breakdown, the shaved head, the breaking of car windows, the run-ins with the law (Click here for more about Britney’s legal battles). When Kevin sought and won custody of their two children there was also an issue of who got the family pets. What’s interesting in this case is that PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) got involved and wrote an open letter to Kevin, begging him to take the animals. Whether or not Britney got custody of the pets has never been publicly revealed but it was a very sad, difficult time for her and assuming she was capable of taking care of her dogs, there is no doubt they would have brought her comfort. On the other hand though, the pets would provide the same to the kids with the added benefit of stability. Judging by Britney’s commitment to her children (and her pets) over the past several years, it seems as if all has worked out. But, as a vegan and animal lover myself, I’m not sure PETA really needed to get involved in this one.
Drew Barrymore and Tom Green. Drew Barrymore and comedian Tom Green were married for a short five months. In Tom’s words, the marriage was “a crazy, whirlwind of a time.” Certainly he didn’t make life any calmer when he decided to fight Drew for custody of their yellow lab, Flossie. You might remember it was Flossie’s barking that saved the couple’s lives when their home caught fire in 1998.
It Didn’t Just Happen to Drake! Here’s a List of Crazy Celeb Tour Bus Thefts
Rapper Rich Homie Quan is the latest musician whose tour bus has been broken into and he’s claiming thieves made off with up to $2,000 worth of gear. Tour bus break ins are nothing new in the music world, in fact, they’re common occurrences given that even a lay person would know that there’s probably gold in them thar vans. Or at least some laptops and a few instruments.
In September, 2016, a man was arrested after stealing over $3 million worth of jewelry from Drake’s tour bus while the “Hotline Bling” rapper performed at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, AZ. Travion King was arrested and charged with felony burglary. But seriously, Drake, with celebs targeted in so many thefts lately, we don’t think you keep $3 million in jewelry anywhere except a bank vault. Just take out the pieces you need for those special occasions!
Tennessee-based roots-rock band The Black Lillies didn’t just have their gear stolen out of their van, they had their entire van stolen while performing in Houston, TX in January 2016. The band recalls that they went to bed after their performance around 11 p.m. and when they woke up, their travel trailer and passenger van which contained all their gear were no longer in the hotel parking lot. The trailer and van were worth $30,000 together, but their gear inside was valued at $70,000. The van was discovered abandoned days later on the side of the road in Houston, and wiped clean of all of its contents.
Indie band Surfer Blood was hard hit on a personal level when their tour van was robbed in Chicago in May 2015. Their guitarist, Thomas Fekete, had just left the band that April to battle a rare form of cancer, and his bandmates were collecting cash donations at their shows to go toward his medical bills. They lost thousands of dollars in personal belongings as well as the donations they had collected while on tour as a result of the theft. Very sad. Hate these kinds of events that make us question humanity (but, guess the flip side is that it was kind, charitable, generous people who gave the money in the first place. Good will always prevail over evil!).
Not quite a van break-in but a real heartbreaker of a theft in the music community: In 2012, five of Tom Petty and his bandmates’ guitars were stolen from a soundstage where he was rehearsing for a tour, in Culver City, CA. Petty issued a $7500, no questions asked reward for the instruments, several of which were rare and incredibly valuable. (The entire collection was valued at over $100,000.) Shortly after the theft, an arrest was made and a security guard for the soundstage was charged after it was discovered that he had pawned one of the instruments for $250.
Unfortunately, while tour van break-ins are increasingly common what happened to the band Spose might take the cake. The band had been enjoying some St. Louis barbecue at Pappy’s Smokehouse in March 2015, and after paying their bill, they discovered that all three of their touring vehicles had been broken into and over $30k worth of equipment was taken — in broad daylight. Band member Ryan Spose explained “St. Louis is the only city where anybody ever warned us, ‘Watch out for your van. There’s a big series of robberies.’”
And speaking of St. Louis… Here’s a tale of an unsuccessful thief who tried to break in to rapper Lil’ Boosie’s tour van back in March of 2017. The man snuck on to Boosie’s van which was parked outside The Marquee in St. Louis, and was jumped by Boosie’s entourage without taking anything. And before you could shout “World Star!” the entire encounter was caught on tape.
The bright side of all these thefts? No one was injured–except perhaps the thief attempting to take down Lil’ Boosie’s van!