Lawsuit
Bassnectar Responds to Explosive Sex Trafficking Lawsuit, Denies Allegations
Following graphic allegations of sex trafficking and possessing child pornography, among other charges, DJ and electronic music producer Bassnectar has responded to an explosive lawsuit filed on behalf of multiple women. VICE reports Bassnectar, whose real name is Lorin Ashton, has denied all of the accusations and is demanding a jury trial, according to an official response filed in a U.S. district court in Tennessee. “This case is nothing more than an attempt by opportunistic women who have chosen to sue Ashton, his record label, managers, and even one of the charities he has contributed to, all in an attempt to frame years of friendship as trafficking so that they can exploit a statute for monetary gain,” the response reads. “Our clients want to see just...
Fyre Festival Bankruptcy Case Leaves Attendees With Just 4% of What They’re Owed
Fyre Festival attendees have been dealt a definitive blow to their prospects of recovering a material portion of their promised settlement. In May a class action settlement ruling by the US bankruptcy court of New York was approved, effectively paving the way for the plaintiffs—consisting of 277 attendees—to receive up to $7,220 per person for a total settlement of over $2 million. However, that initial figure has changed drastically due to the fact that the Bankruptcy Trustee, Gregory Messer, was able to recover only $1.4 million in assets from the failed festival company. To make matters worse, $1.1 million of that sum went back towards paying court and legal fees, leaving just $300,000 to service the festival’s creditors, which includes ticket-holders. Messer’s jo...
Diplo’s Accuser Drops Sexual Assault Lawsuit, Regrets Filing Claim
Just nine days ago, a bombshell report by TMZ revealed a new sexual assault allegation had been made against Diplo by a woman he had come into contact with following a performance in Las Vegas in 2019. The account from Diplo’s accuser detailed an encounter wherein she had allegedly been forced to perform oral sex on the DJ while they were alone in his hotel room. The woman also said Diplo recorded the act without her consent. At the time of the claim, Diplo’s attorney Bryan Freedman stated the accusation was “meritless.” In a new statement to TMZ, the accuser, who remains unnamed, now says she regrets filing the suit and has opted to withdraw her claim. “No payment was offered or requested,” she said. “I regret filin...
City Of Winston-Salem Sued For Cancelling Hip-Hop Festival Due To “Possible Violence”
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty The Tar Heel State may have to cut a check for fronting on Hip-Hop. A promoter has hit the City Of Winston-Salem with a lawsuit after officials cancelled a concert that they deemed may come with violence. As spotted on Complex the city representatives have a lot of explaining to do and will have to do it formally in front of a judge. The Carolina Summers Music Fest was set to be hosted in Winston-Salem on Saturday, July 31 but the event was cancelled. According to W12 News representatives contacted Starr Entertainment, the organizers, saying that they were worried that the talent might be the reason for violence to occuring. The local police authorities also conducted their own private homework on Moneybagg Yo, Pooh Shiesty, Bi...
Okurrr: Judge Rules In Cardi B’s Favor In Tasha K Assault Lawsuit
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Prince Williams / ATLPics.Net Cardi B has received favorable news about an ongoing legal beef she has with a blogger. A judge says Tasha K needs more people with her claims that Belcalis assaulted her. As spotted on TMZ, the Unwine With Tasha K host was told that her allegations that the Bronx Bombshell contributed to her being beat up and emotional distress are being dismissed. The celebrity gossip site has accessed the court documents which reportedly say the media personality “failed to produce any evidence that [Cardi] herself threatened [Latasha] or made her believe that she was going to harm her.” The judge continued “instead, [Latasha] has only made allegations that others who may be associated with [Cardi] made these threats .. and has failed to d...
Major Music Festival Group Files Suit Against Dutch Government Over COVID-19 Restrictions
Amid an increasingly bitter battle between Dutch regulators and music festival organizers, one of the nation’s largest festival production entities ID&T is taking the government to court. ID&T is comprised of the brilliant minds behind Defqon.1, Mysteryland, Awakenings, and many more iconic festival brands. Time is of the essence and ID&T is hoping the suit will lead to immediate clarity from the government regarding what the path forward for large scale events will be. Despite the request, many major events—most notably Tomorrowland—have been forced to cancel last minute due to the mercurial nature of the government’s pandemic mandates. In Tomorrowland’s case, officials at the local level rejected their filing of an event permit despite nation...
Model Ashley Morgan Smithline Sues Marilyn Manson for Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking
Editor’s Note: This article contains graphic and disturbing descriptions of sexual violence. Two months after detailing a horrific relationship with Marilyn Manson in a tell-all feature with People magazine, model Ashley Morgan Smithline has filed a lawsuit against the singer. The suit alleges sexual assault, human trafficking, and unlawful imprisonment. Smithline is the fourth woman to sue Manson related to the recent allegations of sexual assault against the shock rocker. Previously, Game of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco filed a similar lawsuit, as did the singer’s former assistant Ashley Waters and an unidentified woman. Related Video As reported by Rolling Stone, Smithline’s accusations in the lawsuit are similar to the claims she made in her interview with People. The suit all...
Juul to pay US state $40 million for targeting teens with e-cigarettes
Electronic cigarette giant Juul Labs Inc will pay $40m to North Carolina and take more action to prevent underage use and sales, according to a landmark United States legal settlement announced on Monday after years of accusations that the company had fueled an explosion in teen vaping. A state judge accepted the first-of-its-kind agreement with a US state. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein had sued Juul, accusing it of employing unfair and deceptive marketing practices that targeted young people to use its vaping products, which deliver addictive nicotine. As part of the agreement, Juul will not advertise to anyone under 21 in North Carolina and will limit sales amounts of Juul products online to any state residents. It will also sell its products only behind counters at retailer...
Tristan Kardashian Wins $50K Settlement Against Kimberly Alexander, Khloe Hints Break Up
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Hollywood To You/Star Max / Getty Even though Tristan Thompson has no chance at a championship he took a win this week. A judge ruled in his favor with regards to a woman claiming he fathered her child and more. As spotted on Page Six the NBA player got one of his most high profile critics to pay like they weigh. This week a court granted him a victory in his libel lawsuit against Kimberly Alexander. On Tuesday, June 22 she was ordered to pay him $50,000 dollars in general damages and $2,901.95 in costs. He filed the charges against her back in May 2020 after she claimed he fathered her five-year old son. He then took a paternity test and it proved he was not the father. “Alexander has persisted in publicly proclaiming that Thompson is her child...
Jay-Z Sues Photographer Jonathan Mannion For Exploitation
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Jim Spellman / Getty Jay-Z is suing renowned photographer Jonathan Mannion over some classic flicks from early in his career. It seems Hova isn’t too happy about millions of dollars being made from his likeness if he isn’t getting a cut. The Brooklyn mogul filed a lawsuit accusing Mannion of profiting off his likeness without his permission. Mannion famously shot the cover and artwork for Jay-Z’s debut album, Reasonable Doubt. He’s gone on to shoot the covers of a lot of Jay-Z albums actually, including The Blueprint. And then when you throw in other artists (and not mention magazine shoots), the famed photographers credits are in the hundreds if not thousands. Apparently, Mannion has been making coins selling images of Jay-Z on his website, which the Bro...
Moog Accused of Enabling Misogyny, Verbal Abuse, Assault in Civil Rights Lawsuit
Moog, the famous synthesizer company based in Asheville, North Carolina, has been accused of workplace discrimination, verbal abuse, physical assault, and misogyny in a new federal civil rights lawsuit. According to The Asheville Blade, former sales assistant Hannah Green is suing the company for over $1 million to “make sure Moog Music never does this to anyone else ever again.” Green was hired as a sales assistant in 2018 and a “personal assistant to the head of sales.” By the end of the year, she was a full-time staff member that managed 20 accounts on her own, but her job title was never updated to reflect the additional tasks she was assigned beyond her job description. Linda Lafferty, the then-head of Moog’s sales department, allegedly promised Green an official title change “soon.” ...
High-Profile Music Publishers Have Filed a Lawsuit Against Roblox for Copyright Infringement
A new battleground is coming into focus in the ongoing clash between emerging tech companies and established music rights holders. Roblox has been hit with a hefty nine-figure lawsuit filed on behalf of a large collective of music publishers. Plaintiffs in the suit include one of the largest independent music publishers, Downtown Music Publishing, as well as Sony’s Kobalt Music Group, Universal Music Publishing, and high-profile artists such as deadmau5. The suit alleges that Roblox enabled its users to illegally stream copyrighted music across its platform. According to the $200 million complaint, Roblox sells players virtual boomboxes which effectively allow players to stream copyrighted, unlicensed music in the game. The gear has been available since 2015, but it was s...
