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Tag: Lawsuit

  • Anna Cardwell Texts Hint That Grandmother Is Behind Mama June Lawsuit

    Anna Cardwell, AKA Chikadee from the Here Comes Honey Boo Boo show that used to air on TLC, is battling with Mama June yet again over money.

    Things have not gone well for Anna Cardwell since the Honey Boo Boo program was dropped from TLC’s lineup amidst rumors of child molestation and endangerment surrounding the family.

    Cardwell has in the past accused her mother of raiding her trust fund. Mama June responded that she was simply paying expenses for Cardwell from that trust fund. Late last year, TMZ ran a story with a photo showing Cardwell holding a check for $15,400 that supposedly was the remaining balance of her trust fun.

    Mama June insisted at that time that she had only used Cardwell’s money to pay Cardwell’s bills, including utilities and rent.

    Now Anna Cardwell is suing her mother and the TLC network over money she says is still owed to her for appearances on the Honey Boo Boo program.

    The suit alleges that Mama June Shannon and her company Honey Boo Boo LLC were in control of money that should have gone into a trust fund for Cardwell. Cardwell seeks to recover $201,800 for herself and $99,500 for her daughter.

    Mama June reminds TMZ that she gave Cardwell a $15,400 check last year, which she says was the end of the trust fund. She in turn alleges that her own mother, Sandra Hale, is behind Cardwell’s current lawsuit. She believes that Cardwell did not want to sue her, but her grandmother pushed her into it.

    TMZ says there are text messages between Anna Cardwell and another family member that indicate this.

    “I did not hire the lawyer,” Cardwell is said to have texted to the other family member. “My grandma did … I know I can’t get her money and that’s what I tried to tell [my grandma’s boyfriend].”

    June says she has texts of her own from Anna Cardwell that read:

    “I never really talked to [the lawyer] cause my grandma boyfriend talked the whole time and then kicked me out so he could talk to the guy. So Idk what was said behind closed door.”

    Anna Cardwell is expecting her second child with her husband Michael.

  • Anna Cardwell: ‘Here Comes Honey Boo Boo’ Star Sues Her Mom, June Shannon, Over Earnings

    Former Here Comes Honey Boo Boo star and her 2-year-old daughter, Kaitlyn, are suing June Shannon, popularly known as Mama June. Anna Cardwell is claiming that her mother has cheated her out of hundreds of thousands of dollars during her appearance on the reality show.

    According to TMZ, Cardwell asserts that she is owed $200,000 and her daugther is owed $100,000. The amount of money the two are owed is based on the family’s collective $22,500 per episode paycheck.

    Last Monday, the names on the lawsuit include Shannon and Honey Boo Boo LLC. The suit claims that they were accountable for the money that was meant to be deposited in a trust fund for Cardwell and Kaitlyn.

    “Unfortunately, despite contractual requirements to do so, none of the Defendants have provided Anna and Kaitlyn with the full compensation and consideration they were contractually promised for their participation in Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” the lawsuit reads.

    The suit furthermore states, “Despite continuous requests for information and documents made by Anna on behalf of herself and her daughter Kaitlyn to discover how much money is owed to Plaintiffs … Defendants have continued to deny Anna knowledge of the facts and figures of their accounts.”

    TLC has not yet provided any comments. But, Shannon has told TMZ that the lawsuit is “ridiculous”. The mother of Cardwell also said that TLC directly deposited earnings into her eldest daughter’s accounts.

    Shannon claims the family was paid $22,500 per episode. She says one third of the amount was divided for her kids.

    Shannon also claims that she gave a check worth $15,400 to Cardwell in December. The check was Cardwell’s part of the payout the family received after Here Comes Honey Boo Boo was canceled.

    The show was canceled after reports went out that Shannon was in a relationship with a convicted child molester. The offender, Mark McDaniel, has also been accused of molesting Cardwell in 2003.

    However, Shannon denies those reports of her romantic relationship with McDaniel.

  • Jessica Seinfeld Has Two Books Coming, Even After Lawsuit

    Jessica Seinfeld is having just as much fun as her husband, what with his show about nothing and his riding in cars with funny people to get coffee. The author and philanthropist is reportedly working on two new books that she will release sometime next year.

    Releasing new books has been a tricky prospect for Jessica Seinfeld. She already has three cookbooks out, and one of those caused her some difficulty when she got sued over it.

    Apparently another author felt that Jessica Seinfeld’s book Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food in 2008 was much too much like her own. Both books were about how to puree vegetables and hide them in tasty treats for your kids. Jessica Seinfeld got sued by Missy Chase Lapine for the supposed infraction.

    The lawsuit also included charges of defamation against Jerry Seinfeld who poked fun at the lawsuit when he appeared on Letterman and expressed his opinion that the plaintiff was a “wacko” and a “nutjob.”

    Eventually, all of the claims in Lapine’s case were thrown out. Jessica Seinfeld has pushed on, publishing two more cookbooks since then. Double Delicious: Good, Simple Food for Busy, Complicated Lives came out in 2012, then The Can’t Cook Book: Recipes for the Absolutely Terrified! hit in 2013.

    Now Jessica Seinfeld is poised for two more. The first is another cookbook, which will be released in fall 2016. The other is said to be a collection of humorous essays and observations.

    As for her charitable efforts, Jessica Seinfeld is the president and founder of Baby Buggy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing clothing and equipment to New York’s families in need. To date, Baby Buggy has donated nearly two million essential items to New York families through domestic violence and homeless shelters, parent programs and court child centers.

  • Jehovah’s Witnesses Get Only Partial Dismissal in Child Molesting Case

    The Jehovah’s Witness church was handed a partial victory in court. The organization is locked in another in a long string of legal battles that tests the ugly assertion that the group allows pedophiles and child molesters to run loose in its ranks.

    In this particular case, two women charge that they were molested by a church leader when they were younger. Annessa Lewis and her sister Miranda allege that they were members of the Jehovah’s Witness congregation in Bellows Falls, Vermont in the early 1990s when they encountered Norton True. They allege that while Norton True was in the position of “ministerial servant” in the congregation, he fondled both sisters on several occasions. Both girls were minors at the time.

    The sisters are now suing the Bellows Falls congregations, as well as the legal entity that heads the Jehovah’s Witnesses — The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. They say that both entities ignored their reports of abuse.

    “These very courageous and brave young women have decided that they need to do something about what happened to them as children that has been kept silent by the Jehovah’s Witnesses,” San Diego attorney Irwin Zalkin said when the lawsuit was filed in 2014.

    In the course of the court battle, Annessa Lewis’ attorneys introduced certain legal theories, including breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, ratification, and fraud by omission.

    But the case received a setback recently when U.S. District Court Judge J. Garvan Murtha dismissed some of the positions the Lewis case was standing on.

    Attorney for the Jehovah’s Witnesses, one Pietro Lynn, of Lynn, Lynn & Blackman in Burlington spoke of the dismissal.

    “We are very pleased with the court’s ruling,” Lynn said. “We expect that once the facts of the case are known that the court will dismiss the rest of the case.”

    “We will vigorously defend my clients [the Jehovah’s Witnesses] in this case,” he said. “We believe the evidence will support the defense and, ultimately, we will prevail.”

    As for Norton True, the man at the center of the case, he has his own attorney. But rather than seeking to win on the merits of his defense, his attorneys are also trying to have the case dismissed on the technicality that the two sisters may have waited too long to file a legal complaint. If they waited longer than six years past their 18th birthday, they may not be able to seek legal relief.

  • Why Is Nina Pham, Ebola Survivor, Suing Texas Health?

    Last October, Nina Pham became the first person to contract Ebola in the United States. Pham, a nurse for Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, got the disease from Thomas Eric Duncan. Duncan, who passed away while he was being treated, was a Liberian national and the first-ever Ebola patient in the US. Pham has survived her battle with Ebola, but now she is fighting another battle: she has filed a lawsuit against her employers for contributing to the factors that led to her being contaminated by the deadly disease.

    According to reports, Pham is suffering from body aches, hair loss, and other symptoms attributed to post-Ebola syndrome. She is also reportedly fearing the long-term effects of four experimental drugs administered to her by the hospital during her treatment. “The fact is, I’m facing a number of issues with regard to my health and my career and the lawsuit provides a way to address them,” Pham said in a statement with regards to her lawsuit. “But more importantly, it will help uncover the truth of what happened, and educate all health care providers and administrators about ways to be better prepared for the next public health emergency.”

    The lawsuit also alleges that Texas Presbyterian’s parent company, Texas Health Resources, ignored her request for privacy and released information about her to the public in order to boost their PR. On October 16 last year, Texas Health Resources released a grainy video of Pham in a hospital bed. The video was meant to update the public about her condition. According to Pham, the interview was an ambush and that she didn’t consent to being videotaped.

    In the court filing, Pham also accused Texas Health Resources of ignoring CDC protocol by assigning Duncan to her care. According to Pham, she was not trained with the handling of Ebola patients and that all of the information she used during that time, she acquired from the internet or from conversations with fellow nurses.

  • Lindsay Lohan Sues Fox News Over Cocaine Insinuation

    Lindsay Lohan and her mother Dina are suing the Fox News network, show host Sean Hannity, and commentator Michelle Fields.

    The suit brought by Lindsay Lohan claims that Fields, while on Hannity’s show, claimed that Lohan and her mother do cocaine together.

    The comments came just days after actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died of a drug overdose in February 2014.

    Lindsay Lohan‘s lawsuit says that the comments came during a segment of the show where, spurred by Hoffman’s death, Hannity and Fields were talking about celebrities who had died from drug overdoses.

    As they discussed people like Whitney Houston, Elvis Presley and Amy Winehouse, it seems they also mentioned “as a matter of fact” that Lindsay Lohan and her mother do cocaine together.

    This, in turn, sort of added her to a list of those who would soon meet the same fate.

    I love you @dinalohan 🙂 and nana Sullivan … Blessed

    Une photo publiée par Lindsay Lohan (@lindsaylohan) le

    That is a bold statement to make without being able to back it up, and Lindsay Lohan’s lawsuit claims that they can’t.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_fbuPwORPI

    The problem is that Lindsay Lohan has been on a long and winding road to recovery from drug and alcohol abuse and is trying to inch her way back up to the top.

    Mark Heller, a lawyer for Lindsay Lohan, said in a phone interview, “People should be able to feel that if they hear something on TV or read something in the media, it should be truthful. Lindsay Lohan is on the way toward restoring her career and getting back on track, and something like this can be very fragile and hurtful to her.”

    @jwuntitled #FBF #VanityFair #Versace oh my days in LA……

    Una foto publicada por Lindsay Lohan (@lindsaylohan) el

    Lindsay Lohan is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

    They also want Fox to stop distributing that episode of Sean Hannity’s show.

    What do you think of Lindsay Lohan’s lawsuit against Fox News?

  • Melissa Rivers Tries To Get Justice For Mother’s Death, Files Lawsuit

    Melissa Rivers has filed a lawsuit against the clinic where her mother, Joan Rivers, underwent an outpatient procedure that resulted in her death. Melissa released a statement regarding the lawsuit, alleging that the clinic is guilty of committing several errors that contributed to her mother’s cardiac arrest. “Filing this lawsuit was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make,” Melissa Rivers said in the statement. “What ultimately guided me was my unwavering belief that no family should ever have to go through what my mother, [my son] Cooper and I have been through.”

    “The level of medical mismanagement, incompetency, disrespect and outrageous behavior is shocking and frankly, almost incomprehensible,” Melissa Rivers added. Joan Rivers was being treated at Yorkville Endoscopy for voice changing and acid reflux problems back in August 2014. According to Reports, Joan went into cardiac arrest after a routine procedure blocked the passage of oxygen to her brain. She died a month later after being taken off life support.

    Some of the claims against Yorkville Endoscopy include their negligence and failure to keep medical records, their failure to get consent for every procedure performed, and allowing Joan Rivers’ personal ears, nose, and throat specialist to take part in the procedure despite not being authorized by the clinic. The lawsuit also claims that a laryngoscopy was performed without Rivers’ consent. When an anesthesiologist expressed concern about the effects of the procedure on her breathing, the gastroenterologist performing the surgery brushed her off and said that she “was being paranoid”.

    Melissa Rivers’ attorneys also released a statement about the lawsuit, saying, “To put it mildly, we are not just disappointed by the acts and omissions leading to the death of Joan Rivers, but we are outraged by the lack of care and concern for Ms. Rivers on the part of her treating physicians and the endoscopy center where the treatment was rendered.”

  • Beastie Boys: Judge Backs Band; Monster Energy Drink Has to Pay Up

    The Beastie Boys sued Monster Beverage Corporation, the energy drink maker, earlier this year. At issue was a promotional video that Monster put together that prominently featured the Beastie Boys’ music.The Beastie Boys won that lawsuit. But it ended up before a judge again.

    Now the surviving members of The Beastie Boys have been handed a second victory. But why did the case go back to court again?

    According to court documents, the initial jury had found that “Monster had intended to deceive consumers” into believing that the Beastie Boys endorsed their product. The amount Monster was ordered to pay up to the tune of $2.7 million.

    But Monster fought the decision, again according to court documents:

    “Monster argues that the evidence was insufficient to support the finding of willful infringement. Monster argues that the evidence was insufficient to support either a finding of a false endorsement or that Monster acted with intentional deception.”

    But this second judge begs to differ. Apparently Monster’s claim is that the tracks they used were a re-mix done my a DJ named Zach Sciacca, who goes by the name “Z-Trip.”

    “In early 2011, Z-Trip had entered into an agreement with the Beastie Boys to create a remix of some of their songs to promote the group’s then-upcoming album, Hot Sauce Committee Part II. Under the agreement, Z-Trip was authorized to offer the remix for free as a promotional item.”

    Monster says that they got Z-Trip’s permission to use his mix of the Beastie’s songs in their video.

    “However, Z-Trip did not have the right to sell or license the remix, or to authorize third parties to use it. Nor did he obtain any rights to the underlying Beastie Boys songs.”

    In the end, it boiled down to the fact that:

    “Monster never obtained, or attempted to obtain, permission from the Beastie Boys or their management to use the Beastie Boys’ music in the video.”

    But Monster claims that Monster’s regional marketing director, Nelson Phillips, did not know that he had to obtain explicit permission from the Beastie Boys, not just Z-Trip. The judge wasn’t buying it.

    “Notwithstanding his background (in the forestry and skiing industries) and his lack of training in music licensing there was ample evidence from which a jury could conclude that Phillips well appreciated the concept of copyright and the consequent need to obtain permission to use an artist’s music in the promotional videos he created for Monster.”

    The judge further found that the Beastie’s music was used so much in the video, that any reasonable person would assume they had given permission.

    “The Beastie Boys are featured as prominently in the video as Monster — where Monster is dominantly featured pictorially, the Beastie Boys are dominantly featured aurally. The Beastie Boys’ music fills almost all of the video.”

    The video had been uploaded to YouTube and concluded with the words “RIP MCA,” referring to the then-recent death of Beastie’s member Adam Yauch. Universal Music Group is next in line to get a piece of Monster over the video. They have filed their own lawsuit against the company.

  • Katt Williams Sued for Throwing Chairs at a Family After a Show

    Katt Williams is digging in pretty deep lately. Getting busted with Suge Knight was a pretty high-profile problem. But it is not the first time he’s run afoul of the law, and it is not even the most recent of his troubles.

    Katt Williams is now being sued by a family in Seattle who say that he threw chairs at them and sent his entourage to run them down.

    Back on December 2 of 2012, Williams ran into some problems with the Seattle police when he was accused of being involved in an altercation at a South Lake Union bar after skipping out on a show in town that evening. Williams allegedly brandished a pool cue in the incident. Bystanders also say that he flicked a lit cigarette at a woman and threw a rock at a car. Police say that he struggled with officers at the scene, as well.

    The charges were misdemeanors, but an arrest warrant was issued when he failed to appear for court.

    The newest lawsuit from the family stems from the same visit to Seattle, but this from the night before. Charles Adams, Domonique Adams-Swanson and her teen child went to the Katt Williams’ show on December 1. Adams is a promoter, and had a backstage pass to meet Williams before the show. After the show, he brought his family up on the stage to meet Williams.

    Adams’ lawsuit says Williams posed for several photos with the family, then began swearing at them, even threatening to shoot them.

    They say that Williams threw chairs at them and sent his entourage after them when they tried to leave. The family went for medical care after the altercation. The lawsuit does not specify an amount sought, but does seek compensation for injuries and an award for mental anguish.

    Williams recently entered a guilty plea over an incident when he pepper-sprayed a man who tried to take his picture near LAX airport. Reportedly, Williams asked the man for his phone, on which he had taken the photo, and the man refused.

  • ‘Dance Moms’ Lawsuit Goes Forward, But Defamation Claim Gets Dropped

    Two Dance Moms co-stars are currently locked in a bitter feud, and it looks like the matter will only escalate from here.

    Dance Moms star Kelly Hyland filed a lawsuit against cast-mate Abby Lee Miller.

    Hyland claims that Miller is verbally abusive towards her students and tends to body shame them.

    According to RadarOnline, Miller is also accused of forcing the girls to practice 60 hours per week.

    The most extreme allegation is that the dance mom went so far as to throw a chair at a student she was unhappy with.

    According to Hyland, her daughter Paige suffered a series of panic attacks due to being constantly reprimanded by Miller.

    Paige Hyland is apparently a plaintiff in the ongoing lawsuit against her former coach. Her mother Kelly is also suing, claiming that Miller defamed her by implying that she physically assaulted her. Unfortunately for Kelly, there is video footage to back up such a claim.

    The lawyers for the 13-year-old weren’t necessarily as hard on Abby Lee Miller as one might expect, blaming Miller’s alleged behavior on a surprising source: the Dance Mom producers.

    The lawyers believe that “in an effort to attract ratings and viewership”, the producers actively “encourage and facilitate the conflicts” that take place between Miller and her students and or their mothers.

    After all, nothing says “drama” quite like screaming, fighting, and onscreen meltdowns.

    There was concern recently that the Hyland lawsuit was going to be completely thrown out.

    Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ruth Kwan made the decision to throw out the defamation and infliction of emotional distress claims were baseless.

    Miller’s comments were found to be subjective rather than defamatory, which isn’t enough justification for a suit.

    The judge also felt that since there was no psychological tests or reports to validate claims of emotional distress or abuse, there was not enough evidence to substantiate such a claim.

    The loss of these two key parts of the lawsuit led some to believe Kwan would throw out the case altogether.

    In the end, the judge decided to let the case move forward.

    Do you think Kelly Hyland has a chance with such important aspects of her case getting tossed out?

  • Nancy Grace Sued for Repeatedly Calling Innocent Man a “Selfie Stalker”

    Back in February, Benajmin Seibert found himself in a bit of a mess. Police were looking for him in connection with a break-in in Denver, Colorado. A woman in Denver had just put her kids to bed and went downstairs to look at her cell phone. On the phone, she found a picture of a man she did not know.

    It appeared that someone had broken into her home while she was upstairs, taken a picture of himself on her phone, and left it for her to find. She called police, who started hunting for the man. A Crime Stoppers alert was issued, and the man’s picture was posted on television.

    National talk show host Nancy Grace started talking about this incident on her show, referring to the man as the “Selfie Stalker,” and saying that his behavior was a “textbook serial killer’s calling card.”

    The problem was, the picture on the woman’s phone was Benjamin Seibert. And Benjamin Seibert was nowhere near Denver.

    Police investigated and discovered that the picture on her phone was actually from Seibert’s Facebook account. Police determined that Seibert’s story was true — he was in California when the whole “break-in” took place. So they declared publicly that he was not suspected of anything. The picture had somehow accidentally made its way to the woman’s phone — possibly an accidental screenshot while perusing pages.

    But Nancy Grace did not let up. She continued to refer to Seibert as the “Selfie Stalker” on Facebook and Twitter. Now Seibert is suing Nancy Grace, charging defamation.

    “It’s still very hard to deal with that as your reputation with millions of people,” said Seibert.

    Seibert’s attorney said they asked Nancy Grace repeatedly to issue a retraction, post a correction.

    “It’s very clear that despite a number of attempts to have this cease, it did not. Ms. Grace continued. It’s all described in the pages of the complaint and we had no alternative but to send a message taken more seriously,” said John Pineau, Seibert’s attorney. “He’s very much hoping that those responsible are held accountable. He would like to correct the record he’s not a serial killer.”

    Seibert is suing Nancy Grace and Turner Broadcasting.

  • Joan Jett Shills Clothing Line for Company She Sued Less Than Two Years Ago

    New York rocker Joan Jett has made headlines lately for a new clothing line that she has unveiled. It is called the Joan Jett for Tripp NYC fashion collection for Hot Topic.

    Jett explained her foray into fashion. “I’ve talked about doing something like this over the years but nothing ever came to fruition. Daang and Ray [at Tripp NYC] really get my styles and I didn’t have to do the nuts and bolts of the design. They take my essence and translate my vibe and we go from there.”

    Jett said that her essence and vibe are tough to explain.

    “It’s tough to put words to your own self. It sounds kind of cliché to say but minimalist, rock ’n’ roll, edgy and dark, but they all apply to my style — androgynous because I don’t have a bunch of curves,” she said.

    When asked why she chose Hot Topic for her outlet, she pointed out their rock style choices. Hot Topic was launched in 1988 as a “music-inspired accessory destination” and now also carries clothing, calling itself “the loudest store in the mall”.

    “I’ve known about Hot Topic for years and years because on the road there are very few places in certain areas of the country where you can find kind of rock ’n’ roll clothes,” she explained.

    While all that sounds like a good matchup for Jett, it does seem curious since she and her record label sued Hot Topic back in 2013. Now it sounds like Joan Jett doesn’t even remember that.

    Joan Jett and her label, Blackheart Records Group, sued the retailer for trademark infringement, dilution, unfair competition, and false advertising over their Blackheart Clothing Co. brand.

    Jett and partner Kenneth Laguna trademarked the terms “Joan Jett and the Blackhearts” as well as “Blackheart Records” back in the early 80s. They registered “Blackheart Records Group” in 2005.

    At the time, Hot Topic said it was shocked that they would be slapped with a lawsuit by Jett since, they asserted, Hot Topic “takes the rights of artists very seriously, and has in fact compensated Ms. Jett over many years in keeping with mutually agreed-upon license agreements for the sale of tee shirts featuring her image.”

    “This lawsuit is a surprise to us, and we are confident in our rights to use the Blackheart brand name,” Hot Topic said.

    In fact, Hot Topic insisted that they have trademarks on the “Blackheart” designation themselves for “retail stores, apparel, lingerie, accessories, cosmetics and more, with some uses going back a decade to 2003.”

    “In contrast, Blackheart Records has for years abandoned trademark filings for the use of the Blackheart name on apparel and accessories, and when we contacted them a year ago about acquiring the Blackheart URL, they never indicated a problem with our use,” they said in the filing.

    But Jett’s label said that their relationship with Hot Topic soured when the retailer stopped working with them on official “Blackheart” merchandise and launched their own unapproved line separate from their agreement.

    “After experimenting with legitimate and illegitimate items that use and/or are sold under the Blackheart Family of Marks, [Hot Topic] commenced their own line of clothing under their own new ‘Blackheart’ brand,” the label said in their filing.

    “Hot Topic, who previously purchased and distributed products — including clothing — made by Blackheart and featuring Blackheart’s famous owner, rock ’n’ roll legend Joan Jett, willfully and knowingly sought to co opt the Blackheart name and trademark intending to profit from consumer confusion, Blackheart’s well-known brand and Jett’s well-known persona,” the complaint further read.

    The lawsuit was settled only in May of this year. Perhaps the quiet settlement of that suit has something to do with the new launch from Jett?

  • Kylie Jenner Sued Over Three-Car Pileup

    Kylie Jenner has just passed another rite of passage for a reality TV star. She’s been hit with her first lawsuit.

    The suit was filed by attorneys for one Alida Griselie Palma Rivera and is regarding the car crash Kylie was in just two weeks after she turned 16.

    Kylie was out and about, driving her mother’s $125,000 Mercedes Benz G Wagon when she allegedly rear-ended a Toyota, causing that car to then rear-end a Subaru. The plaintiff Rivera was the driver of the Subaru.

    Attorney Sara Rezvanpour says that Alida Griselie Palma Rivera missed two weeks of work due to her injuries from that crash. The lawsuit describes Kylie as driving “at an unsafe speed that made it difficult for defendant to negotiate a safe stop, resulted in the rear end collision with Alvarez [the driver of the Toyota], who then collided with plaintiff’s vehicle.”

    Rivera is suing the driver of the Toyota, whom she says was following to closely, as well as Kylie and Kris Jenner.

    Rezvanpour says that Kris Jenner is named in the lawsuit because she “knew, or should have known, that Kylie Jenner was incompetent and unfit to drive Jenner’s vehicle.”

    “While it is unfortunate that Mrs. Rivera had to resort to litigation, we seek to make our client whole and to hold Ms. Jenner accountable for her actions, just like any other member of the general public,” Rezvanpour said.

    The lawsuit seeks compensation for “great mental, physical, and nervous pain and suffering she’s already had, as well as future suffering and loss of income.”

    Back on the day of the accident, Kylie Jenner had tweeted:

  • Jehovah’s Witnesses Hit with $13.5 Million Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Loss After Governing Body Member Refuses to Testify

    Jehovah’s Witnesses Hit with $13.5 Million Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Loss After Governing Body Member Refuses to Testify

    The news that another church has been called to account for the sexual abuse of children on their watch hit hard this week. The Jehovah’s Witness church saw their ruling organization, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, ordered to pay Jose Lopez $13.5 million.

    Lopez testified that he was sexually abused at the age of seven by a man in the Jehovah’s Witness congregation his mother attended, one Gonzalo Campos. He said that the man was assigned to mentor and teach him by local congregation elders because he was being raised only by his mother.

    Lopez testified that his mother had gone to the local congregation elders about the abuse, as she is told to do according to Witness judicial procedure, but the elders there told her not to report Campos to secular authorities. They would handle it themselves.

    During the course of the trial, decades of abuse coverup on many other cases was charged by the plaintiff’s attorneys, the Zalkin Law Firm, which has a history of pursuing relief in Jehovah’s Witnesses sexual abuse cases.

    “Documents that go back decades and show the depth and the breadth of their knowledge of child predators and child molesters in their organization,” Irwin Zalkin said in a statement.

    Zalkin points out that there is a “judicial procedure” inherent in the Witness church organization that allows molesters to run free without fear of expulsion.

    “Due to church policy, sexual abuse is often ignored, and should an allegation be made, it is often either covered up or decried as unfounded. The Jehovah’s Witnesses practice what is known as a “two witness” rule – which is allegedly used to help work against the possibility of a false accusation. This rule is said to be based off the group’s interpretation of Deuteronomy 19:15 and 1 Timothy 5:19; it requires that an accusation of sexual abuse be backed by at least two witnesses. One of the witnesses may be from DNA or other scientific evidence.

    “If there is only one witness, however, the accused is to be placed under careful monitoring. They also might lose some of their privileges; however, no other steps are taken. Due to such policies as this, there have been many accusations over the years that have gone unreported. By mainly dealing with the accusations internally, they rarely turn over a sexual offender to law enforcement. This not only leaves victims vulnerable – it leaves the offender unpunished and essentially free to abuse again.”

    The court ordered the Witnesses to produce a key member of their worldwide Governing Body for testimony, Gerritt Losch. They refused to do so. The Court of Appeals affirmed the order. The California Supreme Court affirmed it and granted extenisons for Losch to appear. Still the Witness Governing Body refused to produce Gerritt Losch.

    “They refused to produce the longest standing member of their Governing Body (Gerrit Losch), who knew all about this stuff,” Zalkin said.

    Finally, given the Witnesses refusal, their defense was terminated by the court and the Lopez was awarded $13.5 million.

    The Watchtower Society’s attorneys vowed to appeal the ruling.

    “Jehovah’s Witnesses abhor child abuse and strive to protect children from such acts,” associate general counsel for Watchtower Society Mario Moreno said in a statement. ”The trial judge’s decision is a drastic action for any judge to take given the circumstances of this case. We will seek a full review of this case on appeal.”

    Moreno insisted that Campos was not in a position of authority within the Witness organization, implying that he acted on his own and that the Witness corporation should not be held liable for his actions.

    But Lopez’s attorneys beg to differ.

    During the trial, evidence emerged that Gonzalo Campos had already been accused of pedophilia by another family before he molested Lopez. The Witness elders declared that he was “repentant” and continued to use him to work with young boys, giving him the opportunity to molest again.

    Zalkin said, “For almost 14 years, from 1982 to 1995, the Watchtower and its agents, the elders of the local congregation, knew that they had a dangerous child sexual predator in their organization… [Campos] was actually elevated up the organizational ladder ultimately
    becoming an elder himself in 1993. During this time frame he has confessed to sexually abusing at
    least eight children.”

    During the trial, there was never a question of whether or not Campos actually molested Lopez. He already admitted to doing so in a video testimony. Campos is now free somewhere in Mexico, still a Jehovah’s Witness.

    “I just want him to be behind bars where he belongs,” Lopez said.

  • Don Henley Sues Clothing Company for Eagles-Themed Ad

    When it comes to defending his intellectual property rights, Don Henley ain’t no new kid in town. He’ll lawyer up and in a New York minute if he thinks some desperado is guilty of the crime.

    So when Wisconsin-based Duluth Trading Company ran an email ad for their Longtail T Henley shirts, that used the slogan “Don a Henley and Take it Easy”, there was no wasted time. Henley rang up Melanie Howard and Thomas Jirgal at Loeb & Loeb and got the lawsuit rolling.

    Henley alleges that Duluth Trading is taking advantage of his celebrity and a song he co-wrote with Glenn Frey and Jackson Browne to sell their products, essentially trading on his name. Henley did not go quietly.

    Henley’s complaint states:

    “Large numbers of customers who receive and see Duluth Trading Company’s advertisements will unquestionably believe that Mr. Henley is associated with and/or has endorsed the company and its products, which is not true.”

    If dirt were dollars, Duluth might have sought to pay Henley for his endorsement, if he would give it.

    “This kind of thing happens with some degree of frequency,” a spokesperson for Henley said, getting to the heart of the matter, “and the members of the Eagles always defend their rights, often at great expense. One would think that the people in charge of marketing for these corporations would have learned by now that U.S. law forbids trading on the name of a celebrity without permission from that celebrity.

    “Both Mr. Henley and the Eagles have worked hard, for over 40 years, to build their names and goodwill in the world community. They pride themselves on the fact that they have never allowed their names, likenesses or music – individually or as a group — to be used to sell products. Their names are their trademarks and, therefore, they take offense when an individual or a business tries to piggyback and capitalize on their art, their hard work and their goodwill in the public arena,”

    Henley has previously fought politicians, and won, when they used his songs in campaign videos, wrapping their political dirty laundry in his art. Perhaps they thought he’d get over it. I can’t tell you why.

    One of these nights, people are going to get the message that The Eagles are fine with you enjoying their music. But infringing on their copyright is living life in the fast lane.

    With a trigger-happy Henley ready to defend his intellectual, infringers have to ask themselves, “How bad do you want it?”

  • Jessica Biel And Justin Timberlake File Lawsuit

    Jessica Biel and husband Justin Timberlake have filed seperate, but related lawsuits agianst British gossip magazine Heat.

    The lawsuits were filed because the tabloid, owned by Germany-based Bauer Media Group, allegedly used unauthorized photos and quotes from Jessica Biel that she never made.

    Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake filed the lawsuits in Ireland.

    They were told that doing so would expedite the process since the publication is widely read there. The fact that Biel and Timberlake are very popular in Ireland doesn’t hurt, either.

    They are being represented by Paul Tweed of Johnsons Solicitors, an international media attorney.

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    Baby got back(pack) hell yeah @allsaintslive

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    “We have issued defamation proceedings on behalf of our clients, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, in relation to an article and a headline in Heat magazine,” said Tweed.

    “We are suing in Ireland in relation to publication in all jurisdictions, as our clients are entitled to do.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnFR5iAsGPk

    Due to the nature of the lawsuit, it hasn’t been made clear what the defaming story was actually about or what was said.

    Jessica Biel, 32, and Justin Timberlake, 33, have been under speculation for some recent pregnancy and cheating rumors, so neither one of those topics would be surprising.

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    Just last month the rumor mill was running overtime as rumors that Justin cheated on Jessica Biel with one of his backup dancers while on his 20/20 tour.

    Both the National Enquirer and Star ran pictures that appeared to show Justin and Zenya Bashford dancing with their hands all over each other.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08QfgQEu0-U

    An eyewitness said of Timberlake and his supposed mistress,

    “It was definitely more than friendly. They were dancing in a way that no married man should ever dance with someone who is not his wife.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gfmernHS-c

    There was also talk of Jessica Biel having a hard time conceiving with Timberlake and speculation that those issues could cause trouble in their young marriage.

    A source said, “They’ve been trying to conceive for a couple of months now, and she told Justin she’s going to see a fertility expert. She has no problem using technology, if that’s what it will take to have a baby and stick this marriage out.”

    While we don’t know the story that has Heat catching so much…well, heat, we do know that Jessica Biel is a fighter and won’t give in! Good luck to her and Justin Timberlake on their lawsuits.

  • Melissa Rivers May File Lawsuit Against Mother’s Surgeon

    The death of Joan Rivers had a huge effect on the world, but her daughter Melissa was the most devastated. Rivers was undergoing a routine throat surgery when she went into cardiac arrest on the operating table and later died.

    A source close to the family said that Melissa is planning to sue the Manhattan clinic where her mother was undergoing the minor surgery that led to her death.

    “Melissa does plan to sue the clinic,” a source close to Melissa Rivers told the Daily Mail. “She is going to launch a lawsuit.”

    The details surrounding the procedure and Rivers’s death are a bit sketchy, but according to reports, Dr. Gwen Korovin, the ear, nose and throat specialist who accompanied Rivers to the clinic but was not authorized to practice there, performed the surgery.

    While working on the vocal chords, Korovin allegedly noticed something strange on one of them and decided to do an unplanned biopsy. Rivers had consented to the vocal cord surgery and an endoscopy, but not a biopsy.

    The clinic has denied that any such biopsy was ever done on Joan, but strangely, the medical director of the clinic has stepped down.

    Dr. Korovin however, doesn’t seem too worried about the lawsuit or the death of Rivers and allegedly even took a selfie before doing Rivers’ procedure and is still taking new patients in spite of the circumstances.

  • Chelsea Manning Sues US Gov’t Over Stalled Gender Treatments

    Chelsea Manning, formerly known as Bradley Manning, has reportedly filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Defense. In it, the Wikileaks leaker claims that she has been “denied access to medically necessary treatment” in connection with a gender disorder.

    “She brings this action to compel defendants [Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and the federal government] to treat her serious medical needs consistent with their obligation under the Constitution,” says the suit, according to CNN. If the requests are denied, said Manning’s lawyers, she “will suffer continued pain, depression and anxiety and is at an extremely high risk of self-castration and suicidality.”

    In August of 2013, Pvt. Chelsea (then Bradley) Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison for supplying WikiLeaks with 700,000 classified documents in 2010. Manning was found guilty on charges under the Espionage Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and the code of military justice – but was spared the charge of “aiding the enemy”, the most serious of all the charges. If convicted of that crime, Manning could have face up the 90 years behind bars.

    Shortly after her sentencing, Manning revealed that she was transgender, suffering from “gender dysphoria” – a condition in which a person does not identify with the sex assigned to them at birth. Soon, Manning began demanding treatment for the condition, including hormone therapy.

    In July of this year, Manning’s request to be transferred to a civilian prison to begin treatment was approved – but according to the new lawsuit things have stalled. Or better yet, people are stalling.

    “I have not yet seen their treatment plan, and in over eight months, I have not received any response as to whether the plan will be approved or disapproved, or whether it follows the guidelines of qualified health professionals,” says the lawsuit.

    Manning also wishes to be able to grow out her hair and modify her dress to better express her gender identity.

    The White House will reportedly address the lawsuit “in the coming weeks.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Trump Taj Mahal Closing Slated For November, Donald Trump Files Lawsuit

    Atlantic City’s gambling industry is in danger following the announcement of the closing of one of its iconic casinos, the Trump Taj Mahal. If it closes in November, as Trump Entertainment Resorts threatened on Tuesday, Trump Taj Mahal will be the fifth casino shut down this year out of 12 establishments located in Atlantic City.

    In a statement e-mailed to The Washington Post, Trump Entertainment Resorts announced that without “significant expense reductions, the Trump Taj Mahal is expected to close on or shortly after November 13, 2014.”

    The announcement coincided with the company’s filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Wilmington, Delaware and followed a previous announcement by the company that it would be closing its other casino in Atlantic City, Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, in September. The Trump Plaza will accordingly be closing next week on September 16.

    If Trump Taj Mahal closes in November as well, 2,800 people will be left unemployed, bringing the total number of casino jobs lost this year in Atlantic City to 8,000. Revenues for casinos in Atlantic City this year have been negatively affected by the opening of casinos in neighboring states such as Maryland, New York, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

    Apparently, when rumors about the closing of Trump Taj Mahal circulated on Monday, September 8, New Jersey governor Chris Christie also held a meeting with elected officials, union leaders and casino executives to address the closing of casinos in the city. State and city officials are reportedly aiming to attract other businesses to Atlantic City to offset the losses of casinos and attract non-gamblers to the area.

    Meanwhile, Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit seeking to remove his name from the two doomed casinos, saying that their closing might damage “the Trump name and brand.” Trump founded Trump Entertainment Resorts but no longer has an active role in managing the company.

  • Sammy Hagar: Red Rocker as Business Tycoon

    Sammy Hagar has made the news lately because of a libel lawsuit that has been dogging him for years. Lawyers have managed to keep more serious issues away from the Red Rocker, but a twist of Iowa state law is pulling the rock star closer and closer to court.

    The whole thing stems from statements Hagar made in his autobiography “Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock”, where Hagar admits to bedding an unnamed former Playboy Bunny while he was married to his former wife. According to Hagar, the woman claimed she was then pregnant with Hagar’s child, but the baby died within five days of birth and no paternity test was performed.

    Hagar doubted that the baby ever existed. And even though he never named the woman in his book, the fact that even a handful of people know who he is referring to means that he must face the libel suit.

    But make no mistake, Hagar comes to this issue with more than the usual rock star retinue of attorney coverage. Sammy Hagar is a businessman who could go toe-to-toe with the acumen of a Gene Simmons and come away smelling like a rose.

    For example, Hagar owns multiple restaurants and nightclubs. He developed and later sold his interest in Cabo Wabo Tequila in a deal that netted him a cool $91 million.

    But restaurants, clubs, and even booze are par for the course for a rock star with scratch to invest, right? Well, how about a fire sprinkler company? Hagar’s done that, too. In his autobiography, he tells the tale of starting that company.

    “Shortly after we’d started building the apartments, the fire department came to my brother-in-law and said he needed to put a fire hydrant in front of every apartment building. He told the fire department that his plumber could put fire sprinklers in the building that would be more effective for about the same price. The insurance companies went along, because sprinklers put out fires before fire departments could even get there, but the fire department needed some convincing. We staged a demonstration for them. We bought one of my old houses, sprinkled it, and then lit a fire in a trash can. We waited for the neighbors to call the fire department, which was parked, waiting, right down the street, and, by the time they got there, the sprinklers put everything out. The house was still totally cool. Fire sprinkling is amazing. It really saves lives. The city passed an ordinance and gave us some money. Before long, we had 180 employees and ran the second-largest fire sprinkler company in America, Fire Chief Inc.”

    Hagar’s business sense also played along the lines of “a penny saved is a penny earned”, learning how to write off business travel by starting his own travel agency.

    “I started a travel agency because I was traveling so much for tours that I was paying my travel agent a small fortune. I decided to start my own, Steady State Travel in Mill Valley, hired the two ladies that used to work for the old travel agency, and gave them a piece of the action. It didn’t make a lot of money, but it also didn’t cost me anything when I went on tour.”

    How does Hagar keep up with all this while still living the life of his dreams as a rock star father?

    “I always had other people doing everything,” Hagar says. “It was my palate and my concept. I would go in taste and say, ‘Leave this in the barrel a little bit longer.’ That was my job. I could do that right before I went on stage. That’s a perfect time to do it, as a matter of fact!”