Legal news
Law & Order Writer Says Alex Jones Trial Too “Dumb” for Fiction
Forget about Law & Order‘s dun-dun, this is just dumb-dumb. Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is currently standing trial for a defamation lawsuit brought by the parents of children killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, but his own legal team have torpedoed the case. On Wednesday, August 3rd, it was revealed that Jones’ lawyers accidentally emailed the full contents of his phone to the attorneys representing the parents, in the process providing dozens of emails and texts that contradicted Jones’ sworn testimony and suggesting he committed perjury. The reveal was so bizarre that longtime Law & Order writer David Slack weighed in, writing that the twist was too outlandish for fiction, because “on Law & Order we wouldn’t have let a lawyer do something that dumb...
Netflix Sues The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical Creators for Copyright Infringement
A scandal worthy of Lady Whistledown’s poisoned pen. On Friday, Netflix filed a lawsuit against the creators of The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical for copyright infringement. In the court papers, which were filed in a Washington DC District Court, the streamer alleges duo Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear “have taken valuable intellectual property from the Netflix original series Bridgerton to build an international brand for themselves.” “Bridgerton reflects the creative work and hard-earned success of hundreds of artists and Netflix employees,” the court filing reads. “Netflix owns the exclusive right to create Bridgerton songs, musicals, or any other derivative works based on Bridgerton. Barlow & Bear cannot take that right — made valuable by others’ hard work — for themse...
Shakira Facing Eight Years in Prison, $24 Million Fine for Tax Fraud in Spain
Prosecutors in Spain are seeking a prison sentence of eight years and two months for Colombian pop star Shakira after she rejected a settlement deal in her alleged tax fraud case. In July 2021, Shakira (full name Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll) was charged with failing to pay the Spanish government €14.5 million ($15 million) in taxes between 2012 and 2014. According to the AP, prosecutors are also seeking a fine of €24 million ($24 million). The indictment includes six charges against Shakira. Prosecutors in Barcelona have alleged she lived more than half of each year from 2012 through 2014 in Spain and thus should have paid taxes in the country, while Shakira has argued that her fiscal residence was in the Bahamas. Advertisement Related Video In a statement issued to The Independent, Shak...
Bob Dylan Accuser Drops Sexual Assault Lawsuit Following Allegations of Destroyed Evidence
An anonymous woman who accused Bob Dylan of sexually assaulting her as a child has dropped her lawsuit against him after being being accused of destroying evidence, Billboard reports. Last year, a woman identified only as J.C. accused Dylan of sexually abusing her over a six-week period in 1965, claims the artist called “false, malicious, reckless and defamatory.” The woman’s case first came under scrutiny after her timeline of events failed to match up with records of Dylan’s 1965 touring schedule. Then, at a hearing on July 28th, she asked the federal judge overseeing the case to dismiss it “with prejudice,” meaning it will be permanently closed and cannot be refiled. J.C.’s request to end the lawsuit came after she failed to turn over texts and emails pertinent to the case pri...
Amber Heard Files to Appeal Verdict in Johnny Depp Defamation Case
Amber Heard has filed to appeal the verdict in the defamation case brought by her ex-husband Johnny Depp, as The Daily Mail was first to report. “We believe the court made errors that prevented a just and fair verdict consistent with the First Amendment,” a spokesperson told TMZ. “We are therefore appealing the verdict. While we realize today’s filing will ignite the Twitter bonfires, there are steps we need to take to ensure both fairness and justice.” Depp’s lead attorney, Ben Chew, responded that the motion is “What we expected, just longer, no more substantive.” Advertisement Related Video A Virginia jury tried to award Depp $15 million — $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages — though since Virginia law caps punitive damages at $350,...
Restraining Order Against Ricky Martin Dismissed After Accuser Withdraws Request
A judge has dismissed a temporary restraining order against Ricky Martin after his accuser reportedly withdrew the request. Martin’s accuser, identified as the singer’s 21-year-old nephew Dennis Yadiel Sanchez, was initially granted the restraining order on July 2nd. Sanchez claimed that he and Martin had been in a seven-month romantic relationship. Martin allegedly refused to accept their breakup and was found loitering outside of Sanchez’s home on three different occasions. Sanchez also accused Martin of physical and psychological abuse. In a statement to TMZ, Martin’s legal representatives said Sanchez’s decision to withdraw his request for a restraining order “was his alone, without any outside influence or pressure.” Advertisement Related Video “The accuser confirmed he was satisfied ...
Kevin Spacey Pleads Not Guilty to Five Sexual Assault Charges in UK Court
Kevin Spacey pled not guilty to five sexual assault charges at a court hearing in London today (July 14th), Deadline reports. A trial date has been set for June 6th, 2023. In May, Metropolitan Police charged the Oscar-winning actor with four counts of sexual assault and one of “causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.” The alleged assaults occurred between 2005-2013 in London and nearby Gloucester county against three men who are now aged in their 30s and 40s, and Spacey has repeatedly denied the accusations. The judge in today’s hearing also continued Spacey’s unconditional bail, which was granted last month. Back in 2019 in Massachusetts, Spacey was charged with indecent assault and battery in connection to a July 2016 incident involving an 18-...
Judge Rejects Amber Heard’s Claim of Jury Fraud in Johnny Depp Defamation Trial
A judge has rejected Amber Heard’s motion for a new trial, ruling that a mix-up between a 52-year-old man and his 77-year-old father did not constitute jury fraud. The jury awarded Johnny Depp $10.35 million in his defamation lawsuit, and Heard has not yet filed an appeal, possibly because Judge Penny Azcarate ordered her to pay an $8.3 million bond before any appeal could go forward. Instead, she’s focused her legal efforts on this father and son. While the identities of the two men have been redacted, they live together, and publicly available information suggests that they also share a name, although it’s unknown if one is a “Jr.” or “II.” But the 77-year-old was summoned for jury duty, and instead the 52-year-old showed up, ultimately getting enrolled on the jury. Heard’s leg...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Curator Charged in Conspiracy to Sell Don Henley’s Stolen Handwritten “Hotel California” Lyrics
Three men, including a curator for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, were charged on Tuesday, July 12th in an alleged conspiracy to sell Don Henley’s stolen lyrics to multiple Eagles classics, including “Hotel California,” “Life in the Fast Lane,” and “New Kid In Town.” According to TMZ, over 100 pages of Henley’s notes were stolen in the 1970s by an author hired to write a biography on The Eagles. In 2005, the author sold the notes, which were valued at more than $1 million, to rare books dealer Glenn Horowitz, who then sold them to Rock Hall curator Craig Inciardi and Edward Kosinski. The three men subsequently attempted to sell the manuscripts through Christie’s and Sotheby’s auction houses, and even worked to fabricate ownership records in order to “coerce” Henley, who reported them...
Ricky Martin Slapped with Restraining Order in Puerto Rico
A Puerto Rican judge has issued a restraining order against Ricky Martin. According to local media reports (via the Associated Press), an individual who dated Martin sought the restraining order after the pop singer refused to accept their breakup and was found loitering outside of their home on three different occasions. The restraining order was reportedly filed under Puerto Rico’s domestic violence law. A court hearing on the matter is reportedly scheduled for July 21st. Until then, Martin is prohibited from contacting the individual who filed the complaint. Related Video Earlier this week, Martin was sued for more than $3 million dollars in unpaid commissions by his ex-manager, Rebecca Drucker. Advertisement Consequence has reached out to Martin’s representatives for additional informa...
R Kelly Sues Brooklyn Jail After Being Placed on Suicide Watch
R Kelly is suing MDC Brooklyn – the detention center in which he’s currently being held — after being placed on suicide watch. The disgraced R&B singer says he has been subjected to harmful and punitive suicide watch conditions since being sentenced on June 29th to 30 years in federal prison for federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges. The lawsuit claims that Kelly was placed under suicide watch despite having no thoughts of suicide or self-harm in order to punish him for his celebrity status. The filing also claims that Kelly is made to wear a paper-like smock and denied utensils to eat, and compares his incarceration to that of convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell. Advertisement Related Video Kelly is seeking “award of compensatory damages for all emotional distress...
R Kelly Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison
R Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in prison in the long-awaited conclusion of his federal sex trafficking case in New York. Last September, a jury found the disgraced singer guilty of all counts, which included one charge of racketeering related to the sexual exploitation of children, kidnapping, and forced labor, as well as eight charges of violating the Mann Act, which outlaws the transportation of a person across state lines for illegal sexual activity. Addressing the court, Judge Ann M. Donnelly said of the long sentence, “I would have imposed [it] regardless of the guidelines.” According to The New York Times, she spent several minutes revisiting allegations leveled against Kelly, which saw nine women and two men testify that the singer had tormented them with sexual, p...
