OJ Simpson
Madonna and O.J. Simpson: Hollywood’s Biggest Memorabilia Mishaps
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.
11 Famous People Who Have Gone to Prison
Many think that when celebrities are charged with a crime, they generally get off because they’re rich or because they’re beautiful or because they “know” people. But that is simply not true. Yes, famous people can and do hire the best lawyers that money can buy and that certainly helps their defense but money and fame doesn’t always save a celeb from serving time. The truth is big names do have trouble with the law and have gone to prison. From brief stints to decades behind bars, here are some famous people who went to prison …
Robert Downey Jr.
In 1999, Robert Downey Jr, a PROOF favorite, was sentenced to three years in prison for repeatedly violating probation on drug and weapons charges. He was given credit for 200 days of time served but the rest he served at California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison in Corcoran, California. Though the name makes it sounds a little light as if it were more treatment based than prison based, the truth is and has Downey made clear, his temporary home in Corcoran was no country club. But, Downey completed his sentence, got clean, went on to hit it big as Iron Man and in what is likely one of the more important things that has happened to him in his life had his conviction pardoned. For more information on Downey’s pardon, watch this PROOF video.
Martha Stewart
After a six-week trial, lifestyle guru Martha Stewart was found guilty of felony charges of conspiracy, obstruction of an agency proceeding and making false statements to federal investigators. In July 2004, Stewart was sentenced to a five-month term in a federal correctional facility; she did that stint at Federal Prison Camp in Alderson, W. Va.
In high school, we’re sure Stewart would have been voted Least Likely To Go To Prison so certainly her imprisonment shocked some! We also know that prison wasn’t quite so bad for Stewart who was said to have passed the time there cooking, gardening, making crafts and exercising. Doesn’t sound like life behind bars was all that different for Stewart! Since her release she doesn’t seem to have suffered much either professionally. Busy as she always was–and that’s a good thing!
O.J. Simpson
We all know that O.J. wasn’t convicted of the murders of Ron Goldman and Nicole Simpson; and most of us also know that in a very interesting turn of justice, on October 3, 2008, 13 years after he was acquitted of those murders, Simpson was found guilty of other crimes–ten charges in fact including armed robbery and kidnapping. These charges resulted from an incident in which Simpson lead a group men men who broke into a hotel room at the Palace Station Hotel in Las Vegas with the intent to steal sports memorabilia.
On December 5, 2008, Simpson was sentenced to a minimum of 9 years in prison and a maximum of 33 years for those acts. The Juice is currently serving his sentence in Lovelock Correctional Center in Lovelock, Nevada. He is eligible for parole October 2017. No secret to PROOF readers, prison is where we hope he stays.
T.I.
Rapper T.I. (whose real name is Clifford Joseph Harris) was sentenced to one year and one day in prison for federal weapons charges in March 2009. U.S. District Judge Charles A. Pannell, Jr. also ordered T.I. to pay $100,300. Not a bad deal for T.I. because if he hadn’t plead he was looking at a maximum of 10 years and a $250,000 fine.
T.I. began serving his time at FCC Forrest City, a low-security prison in Arkansas. He was released approximately 9 months later, on December 22, 2009 and from there was moved into a halfway house in Atlanta. The hip-hop artist was released in March 2010. In 2016, T.I. was arrested for drug possession (which violated his probation for the weapons charge) but lucky for him, he was not ordered to do any more time.
Phil Spector
Infamous music producer Phil Spector is a famous person in prison. Spector is currently serving his 19 years to life sentence for the second degree murder of Lana Clarkson at the California Health Care Facility, California State Prison in Stockton, California. The “Wall of Sound” creator will be 88 years old before he will be eligible for parole.
Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson was one of many famous people who went to prison. The boxer was convicted on charges of rape on February 10, 1992. The heavyweight was sentenced to six years in prison followed by four years on probation. Despite his age, the 25-year-old began his stint at the Indiana Youth Center in April 1992. After serving less than three years, he was released in March 1995. Though Tyson’s life has been fraught with headlines and conflict, he has managed to stay out of prison.
Wesley Snipes
After being convicted of three misdemeanor counts of failing to file federal income tax returns, “Passenger 57” actor Wesley Snipes began his three-year federal prison sentence on December 9, 2010 at McKean Federal Correctional Institution, a federal prison in Pennsylvania. Snipes was eventually released on April 2, 2013. Unfortunately, seem as if his career has not taken flight since his release.
Heidi Fleiss
Another famous person in prison is Hollywood Madam Heidi Fleiss. She was arrested, tried and convicted back in 1994. Her state conviction was overturned but she was convicted on federal charges of tax evasion in September 1996. She was sentenced to seven years in prison, but only served 20 months at the Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin in California. The personality was released into a halfway house on November 19, 1998 and had to do 370 hours of community service before being released from the halfway house. Since her release in September 1999, Fleiss has been in and out of rehab and got engaged to Dennis Hof, the infamous owner of Nevada’s Moonlite BunnyRanch. Great judgement does not seem to be one of Fleiss’ strong suits!
Tim Allen
Before he was Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor on “Home Improvement,” Tim Allen (then known as Tim Allen Dick) was in the joint. The then-25-year-old was found in possession of over 650 grams of Colombian cocaine at the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport in Michigan. Due to state law, the amount of drugs he was found with (a pound and a half!) could have led to life sentence in prison. But instead, the funny man rolled over on his associates — 21 people in fact. Due to his giving up names, Allen brought his sentence down to three to seven years. He only served two years and four months. He was paroled on June 12, 1981 in Federal Correctional Institution, Sandstone in Sandstone, Minnesota. And we all know what happened to him after he got out of the big house — he made it big!
Don King
Another famous person who went to prison is legendary boxing promoter Don King, who has charged with killing two men 13 years apart. In 1954, King shot a man who was robbing one of his gambling houses. The death was ruled a justifiable homicide. In 1967, King was convicted of second degree murder for stomping to death his employee, Sam Garrett, who owed him $600. Ordinarily being convicted of second degree murder would warrant a life sentence but in a surprising move, the presiding judge reduced the conviction to nonnegligent manslaughter. King served less than four years and was pardoned in 1983 by Ohio Governor Jim Rhodes.
Charles S. Dutton
When Charles S. Dutton was 17 he was convicted of manslaughter. He spent seven years in prison. Soon after his release, he was arrested for possession of a deadly weapon, and was sentenced to three more years in prison.
Here’s the best part: During a six-day stint in solitary confinement, Dutton accidentally grabbed an anthology of black playwrights and became immersed in the plays. Upon leaving solitary, he petitioned the warden to start a drama group for the Christmas talent show, which the warden agreed to on the sole condition that Dutton get his GED. He complied. While in prison he completed a two-year college program at Hagerstown Junior College. Upon his release, Dutton enrolled as a drama major at Towson State University and graduated in 1978. He then went on to earn a master’s degree in acting from the Yale School of Drama in 1983. This is one of those stories about famous people who have gone to prison that has a happy ending–for Dutton and his fans at least, certainly not the crime victim.
Discussing celebrity news is what we enjoy most at PROOF. Please visit the rest of our site for more of our one of a kind take on celebrity news.
The Case We Can’t Stop Talking About: The People V. O.J. Simpson
Most of us know that before he became an accused murderer, O.J. Simpson was a record-breaking NFL running back. After retiring from the game, he remained in the spotlight providing sports commentary, appearing in movies, or endorsing products. Who can forget the Hertz commercial of him running through the airport?
The Bronco and the Highway Chase
Perhaps one of the most bizarre aspects of the OJ murder arrest was on June 12, 1994 when every major TV station interrupted their broadcast to show a live shot of a slow car chase. This wasn’t just another LA mad gunman story: it was OJ Simpson allegedly fleeing a murder scene in a white Ford Bronco while his friend, Al Cowlings, was driving at or below the speed limit. Domino’s pizza reported one of the best days ever, with a record number of deliveries. The police found nearly $9,000 in cash, a fake mustache and goatee, makeup adhesive, a gun, and, Simpson’s passport in the Bronco. Very odd. Was Simpson going to escape the country in disguise, but somehow use his own passport. And the gun? What was that for? Simpson claimed he wasn’t running from anyone but I don’t know about you but when I’m driving with a friend in my car, I’m the one behind the wheel and he’s sitting next to me. I’m not in the back with fake hair, a pile of cash, and a gun.
The Murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman
Meanwhile, back at OJ’s Brentwood, CA (a toney LA neighborhood) home his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend, Ron Goldman, were lying outside, dead allegedly killed by a single knife by a lone killer. The crime scene was littered with evidence: a bloody glove, a knit cap, and a trail of blood.
The Trial of the Century
Simpson was charged with the double murder. He plead not guilty despite the substantial amount of physical and circumstantial evidence, including DNA analysis as well as witness testimony against him. His legal team led by the late Johnnie Cochran, included Robert Kardashian, the father of Kim, Khloe and Kourtney (this was way before Kardashian became a household name). People were riveted by this case, it was all anyone was talking about. In fact, more than 100 million people tuned in to hear the jury’s Not Guilty verdict. As we all can remember: the glove did not fit so the jury acquitted.
Wrongful Death Suit Against Simpson
Not surprisingly, after the criminal case, the families of the deceased sued Simpson for wrongful death suit. The burden of proof in a civil suit is much lower than the beyond a reasonable doubt required in criminal case. This time the families were victorious. The civil jury found OJ liable for Brown and Goldman’s death and was ordered to pay more than$30 million in damages to the Brown and Goldman families.
Sentenced to Prison
That should have been the end of OJ’s legal troubles, right? But, it was not. He was arrested in 2007 for an incident in Las Vegas involving a hotel room robbery. He was charged with using a deadly weapon to commit burglary and armed robbery, and kidnapping. Simpson was sentenced to 33 years; he is eligible for parole in October 2017.
Books and TV Series,
Never one to shy from the spotlight, Simpson wrote a book titled, “If I Did It: Here’s How it Happened.” Actually, a ghost writer who authored it, but Simpson offered details of how and why he would have killed Brown and Goldman, if he had done it. Another odd aspect of this very odd tale. In 2007 a judge ordered rights to the book to the Goldman family. They published it and changed the title to: If I Did It: Confessions of a Killer. The proceeds from the book would go to the Goldman family as partial payment of the civil judgment (OJ had filed for bankruptcy) as well as other creditors, including the Brown family.
Dozens of OJ Simpson murder trial related books have come out over the years. Pretty much anyone involved with the trial or Simpson wrote a book: jury members, lawyers, Simpson’s friends, even an ex-girlfriend of his.
America’s fascination with OJ Simpson and the murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman continued and in early 2016, cable network, FX, presented season one of the true crime anthology TV series American Crime Story, and featured the The People v. O.J. Simpson. Critics loved it and the show won big at major award shows including the SAG awards, Emmys, and the Golden Globes.
Learn the Truth About A-List Stars and Our Justice System
Are celebs above the law? Does a privilege exist for them which means they “get away” with conduct that regular, everyday citizens would never? Maybe yes. Maybe no. But if yes, why do they get this special treatment? Is it because they can sing? They can act? No. I believe it has nothing to do with their talent (or their looks!) but rather it is what privilege and celebrity can buy. And that, my friends, is a good lawyer. A good lawyer is creative, can hire experts to poke holes in a case and fully investigate witnesses in order to question their credibility. A good lawyer can raise enough doubt that a jury won’t convict or find for the plaintiff. And a good lawyer is nothing if not expensive. How expensive? Well, lawyer to the stars, Mark Geragos did not amass a net worth of more than 25 million by charging a hundred bucks an hour. Though I don’t know his hourly rate or if he charges by case (it’s likely he does both), I would venture to say his rate is well over $1000 per hour. But, that’s just a drop in the bucket for those on Geragos’ client list which includes Chris Brown, Usher and Nicole Ritchie.
The counter argument to preferential treatment is that scrutiny is at its most intense in high profile cases so those in the system are especially careful. New York based attorney to the stars, Ben Brafman, who has represented P. Diddy and many others, has been known to say that authorities like to use high-profile cases to send a message about obeying the law and thus the system is more stringent with celebrities. I agree with him. The truth is no one in the justice system wants to face public outcry or press hostility for any matter and certainly not one involving a celebrity. In today’s world when celebs instagram from crime scenes or tweet on their way to court and everything seems to be captured on film, prosecutors, lawyers, and judges need to be very careful with every decision they make, witness they call or ruling they issue.
In the end I agree with famed legal scholar and lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, a member of OJ Simpson’s Dream Team, who said, “It is true that the legal system treats celebrities differently from average folks…it could be worse treatment, or it could be better treatment. The coin flips two ways.”
Baby Mama Drama for Attorney Christopher Darden
Christopher Darden, famous for being one of the L.A. County prosecutors who took O.J. Simpson to trial, has gotten himself in trouble with the law. Looks like a baby mama of his named Celia Smith (yes, Darden has more than one baby mama) sought a restraining order against the legal eagle, saying that he has been harassing her and that she is afraid of him. No surprise that Darden denied all of the allegations. And, what’s really interesting about this whole matter? Darden obtained a restraining order against Smith last year!
Here’s what’s going on in this most recent Smith/Darden dispute. On February 2, 2017 Celia Smith filed documents with the court asking them to order that Darden stay away from her, her 4-year-old daughter with Darden, Chloe, her mother, Anita Smith, and her brother, Robert Smith.
In the documents, Smith claims that she and Darden lived together and had Chloe on October 17, 2012. According to Smith, things went sour between them after that. As evidence, Smith submitted alleged posts that appeared on a custody website, Talking Parents. She says these posts chronicle the abuse she suffered at Darden’s hands.
In one message, she wrote, “I am in fear of my life. You won’t stop with the harassment. Your obsession with me is disturbing.”
Darden allegedly wrote back, “You may rot. Obsession indeed. I despise you.”
Smith told the court she needed the restraining order and is afraid of Darden because he threatens her and is verbally abusive, calling her, “horrible names – lot lizard prostitute, dirty nasty stripper,” and more. (We’ve never heard the term, “lot lizard prostitute” before, have you?)
Smith also alleged that Darden has been, “cyberstalking my friends and sending nude photos and my arrest record.”
Darden insists the allegations are false, and said that he has never been served with anything and no temporary restraining order (TRO) was issued against him. Darden counters that Smith has been harassing him and that she has even threatened the lives of his other children, which is why he was granted a restraining order against her a year ago.
Smith is court ordered to stay 100 yards from Darden and is not allowed to contact him by email, telephone, mail or any other electronic means. Smith is allowed to have “brief and peaceful contact” with her ex as it relates to their child.
As expected, the court sided with Darden and Smith’s TRO request was denied and the matter dismissed on February 28, 2017. It’s important to note that we at PROOF take allegations of violence against women very seriously. But, the court’s decision is correct here–the evidence Smith submitted is not persuasive nor credible or reliable. If she had proven that the offensive internet posts in fact came from Darden then we would be having a different discussion and likely be seeing a different result but that is not the case here. Some may feel that Darden’s prestige and fame as a well respected LA lawyer is what caused the dismissal that is simply not true given the facts as we know them here especially in light of the history between these two.
As with all the other family disputes we seem to be covering so often lately on PROOF, we have one main hope: that these two people who chose to be parents can get it together enough to ensure that their daughter has a happy, healthy, safe environment in which to grow up.
Discussing celebrity news is what we enjoy most at PROOF. Please visit the rest of our site for more of our one of a kind take on celebrity news.