Tiger Woods clearly missed an opportunity to negotiate a confidentiality agreement with former mistress (and porn star), Josyln James — she just published numerous graphic sext messages that Tiger sent her last year. No wonder Elin is talking to lawyers, as reported by Popsquire’s Russell Wetanson on HLN’s Prime News. Watch!
Oprah Winfrey beat the Texas beef industry in court. Now, she’s up against the former headmistress of her South African girls academy. Watch Popsquire’s Russell Wetanson on HLN’s Prime News for analysis of the case.
Paging Vampire Diaries. Nicholas Brendon, a former Buffy The Vampire Slayer, star needs help…and maybe a job to help stay out of trouble.
According to TMZ, Brendon was arrested early this morning for felony vandalism after police responded to a call about a drunk man “causing a commotion” in Venice, CA. Brendon allegedly tried to hit a few officers and took off on foot. He didn’t get very far, however, before being “tased twice, subdued and taken to a hospital.”
The trustees of Michael Jackson’s estate (one of whom is a lawyer, FYI) have brokered a $200 million deal with Sony Music Entertainment — the biggest recording deal ever — for never-before released MJ songs. The first album is set for release in November, and the deal anticipates several more projects.
Wow.
So, it’s probably time for two things: (1) an increase in the allowance for Katherine Jackson and MJ’s kids; and (2) an end to rumblings about a wrongful death lawsuit, because proving damages will depend in part on showing that MJ would have made more money alive.
Popsquire’s entertainment reporter / legal expert was on HLN’s “Prime News” yesterday just before Erin Andrews’ stalker was sentenced to 30 months in jail. I predicted 27 months. Give a lawyer a break, people!
Susan Boyle must be singing the praises of her local police department.
[Bauer Griffin Onlin]
In late January, an intruder ran past Boyle as she entered her home after returning from an evening recording session, and police issued this statement:
“Lothian and Borders Police were called to an address in Blackburn at around 9:50 p.m. yesterday following reports of a disturbance. A man was detained in connection with the incident and released without charge pending further inquiries.”
Now, police tell People that the intruder, a teenage boy, has been arrested and charged in connection with the incident. No details on the charges or possible consequences have been released.
Thankfully, Boyle also now has a guard at her home. Ain’t nothing wrong with a dreaming a dream of security!
Some movie contracts provide financial bonuses for actors who receive Oscar, Golden Globe, and/or SAG nominations. This could explain Gabourey Sidibe’s Victoronix bag and meal at Balthazar over the weekend. Good for her!
This week brought us Lindsay Lohan’s ridiculous E-Trade lawsuit andJoe Halderman’s guilty plea after raising the so-called “Tiger Woods” defense, but the most entertaining pop culture / law collison comes from Lady Gaga and Beyonce. Watch as the duo engage in lots of illegal (and fashion forward) behavior in this video. Enjoy!
For today’s collision between pop culture and politics, Justin Timberlake has signed on to provide a special introduction to MTV’s documentary, SUMMIT ON THE SUMMIT: Kilimanjaro. The 90-minute documentary, which airs this Sunday, hopes to raise awareness about our global clean water crisis.
California’s Attorney General, Jerry Brown, woke up with one more reason to keep pushing his fight against prescription drug abuse. Sadly, actor Corey Haim (Lucas and The Lost Boys) was found dead early this morning in his Los Angeles apartment, and the cause is believed to be prescription drug overdose.
Lindsay Lohan says E-Trade violated her right of publicity by airing this commercial:
Why? Because it refers to a “milk-a-holic Lindsay” and, therefore, is using her celebrity status to make money without paying her. Come on.
This seems like a silly scheme to make settlement money. If E-Trade were stealing Lohan’s image, it could have done a better job by, among other things, using a baby with red hair or including some reference to her infamous relationship with Samanta Ronson.
The only thing this baby and Lohan have in common is a first name. Not enough for a successful lawsuit.
Singers aren’t the only ones who change their tune.
[Bauer Griffin Online]
In January, Joe Halderman, David Letterman’s alleged sextortionist, asked the judge to dimiss the case accusing him of trying to extort $2 million from the comedian based on the so-called “Tiger Woods” defense. Today, however, he pleaded guilty to one count of attempted grand larceny in the second degree.
As part of the plea bargain, Halderman was sentenced to six months in jail, five years probation and 1,000 hours of community service.
As a reminder, Halderman’s alleged conduct includes: (1) personally delivering a package of embarrassing e-mails and photos to Dave; (2) stating in writing that Letterman’s “world is about to collapse around him” and would lead to a “ruined reputation;” and (3) negotiating with Letterman’s lawyer to receive a $2 million paycheck in exchange for not disclosing information about Letterman’s affairs.
Let’s hope part of the plea bargain terms also include a prohibition on profiting from his conduct. Without such a restriction, Halderman very well could make more than the original $2 million he demanded.
UPDATE: Popsquire has confirmed that Halderman’s probation does, in fact, prohibit him from profiting from this ordeal. Good!
According to TMZ, a sex tape starring The Bachelor’s most controversial contestant, Rozlyn Papa, has surfaced on the web, but no lawsuit seems to be surfacing in court.
Any claims involved in any sex tape lawsuit typically are based on theories of copyright, publicity, and privacy. The outcome of the case would depend on several factors including: (1) who owns the footage; (2) how the footage was obtained; and (3) the steps taken to keep the video private.
So, either Papa has analyzed the law and believes she can’t win or, perhaps, she thinks a sex tape will help her career. The latter, of course, (sadly) happens to be a proven theory.
Click here to watch Popsquire discuss celebrity nude pics and sex tapes on CNN.com.
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Posted by russell wetanson
