Popsquire

Nancy Kerrigan’s mother says her husband had a heart attack, but MyFoxBoston.com says Nancy’s brother, Mark, had a violent argument with his dad just before his death.  Mark currently is facing only assault charges and is expected in court today.

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No surprises here.  Matt Lauer had to ask whether Michael Phelps was smoking pot, and the Olympic hero had to dodge the question.  Of course, a seasoned lawyer could have gotten the answer out of him…

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The smoke has cleared for Michael Phelps!

After arresting eight people who attended the November party where the infamous Phelps bong photo was taken, Richland County sheriff Leon Lott announced today that his investigation failed to produce enough evidence to prosecute anyone, including Phelps.  Here is what Phelps had to say:

“I’m glad this matter is put to rest. But there are also some important lessons that I’ve learned.  For me, it’s all about recognizing that I used bad judgment and it’s a mistake I won’t make again. For young people especially – be careful about the decisions you make. One bad decision can really hurt you and the people you care about.”

One fallen hero story resolved.  Stick around to see what happens to A-Rod and Chris Brown…

Technorati Tags: celebrities and law, evidence, michael phelps bong, pop culture law, prosecute michael phelps, sheriff leon lott

Getting suspending from swimming and losing an endorsement deal is looking kinda good right now…

Since media attention swarmed all over pictures of Michael Phelps smoking pot at a South Carolina party, Sheriff Leon Lott began building a criminal case.  First, he indicated a desire to pursue legal action against Phelps.  Now, his department has arrested eight people connected to the party where Phelps was caught smoking: seven for drug possession and one for distribution. The department also has located and confiscated the infamous bong, which apparently was on auction at eBay for $100,000!

Many people want to blame the Sheriff for this, but Popsquire blames the photographer.  If that person didn’t take and sell the picture, none of this would be happening.  The Sheriff can’t ignore illegal activity just because an Olympic athlete is involved.

Phelps has not been arrested.  Popsquire will keep you posted.

[Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos]

Technorati Tags: celebrities and law, distribution, drug possession, ebay auction for bong, michael phelps bong buddies busted, olympics and drugs, pop culture law, sheriff leon lott

This is Michael Phelps’ career on drugs…

Just when you thought the smoke had cleared in the Phelps pot scandal, Kellogg decided not to renew his endorsement deal and USA Swimming suspended him for three months.  Of course, the consequences may have been worse if he was caught with (Special) K!

Technorati Tags: kellogg, michael phelps, olympics, pop culture law, pot scandal, sports and law, usa swimming suspension

By now, everyone knows that Michael Phelps may know how to take a hit, but the real question is whether lawyers will hit him over the head with contracts.

Contracts for television, advertising, and endorsement deals sometimes include morality clauses, like the following:

The artist agrees to conduct himself with due regard to public conventions and morals, and agrees that he will not do or commit any act or thing that will tend to degrade him in society or bring him into public hatred, contempt, scorn or ridicule, or that will tend to shock, insult or offend the community or ridicule public morals or decency, or prejudice the producer or the motion picture, theatrical or radio industry in general.

As a result, the future of Phelps’ multi-million dollar endorsement deals likely depends on whether the companies that hire him (a) care about the picture and/or (b) plan to enforce any applicable morality clauses.  Popsquire will keep you posted!

Technorati Tags: bong, drugs, endorsement deals, michael phelps, morality clauses, olympics, pop culture law, Sports

A-Rod and Cynthia Rodriguez have reached a quick settlement in their divorce, which Cynthia filed in June amid rumors that A-Rod and Madonna were having an affair.  A-Rod’s attorney is not releasing details, but he tells the NY Daily News: “They deliberately engaged in a private negotiation. This was and remains a personal family matter for both of them.”

Although no details are being released, Cynthia must have gotten more than the couple’s pre-nup had provided.  She filed for divorce first, blamed A-Rod even though Florida is a no-fault divorce state, and sought additional compensation.  There likely would be no reason for her enter such a quick settlement if she didn’t get more than the pre-nup provided.

For a review of the Madonna/A-Rod rumors, which Madonna has denied, check out this video of Popsquire on TV Guide Network’s “Hollywood 411.”

Technorati Tags: a-rod, affair, alex rodriguez, cynthia rodriguez, madonna, mistress, pop culture law, Sports

Alexis Miller aka MaryJane, the woman who recently obtained a restraining order against Shaquille O’Neal, has a restraining order past!

According to TMZ, she has been involved in at least two other restraining orders.  First, a judge ordered Miller/MaryJane to stay 500 yards away from and have no contact with another woman, Lakisha Renae Hall.  And, in October 2007, Miller sought a restraining order against Jonathan Stubbs, claiming he stalked her — once pulling out a gun, shooting it once and yelling, “Who were you with?” That petition was dismissed because Miller never followed through.

Popsquire told you so!  Remember, many critics believe that the restraining order mechanism often is abused.  As a result, it’s important to see how this case shapes up and analyze the evidence that both Miller and Shaq present when the judge considers next steps in September.

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A Georgia judge has issued a restraining order against Shaquille O’Neal!

According to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, 23-year-old Alexis Miller — an independent music artist known as MaryJane — claims that Shaq threatened her with bodily harm and made harassing phone calls in which he would breathe heavily into the phone before hanging up. She also alleges that he threatened to ruin her career by having her blackballed after an alleged intimate relationship between the two ended last month.

Under terms of the restraining order issued yesterday, Shaq cannot have any contact with or come within 200 yards of Miller or her 19-month-old son. Shaq is expected in court on September 4.

Popsquire’s perspective…

A restraining order is an effective legal tool that may, in some cases, prevent violence. However, they often are very easy to obtain and, as a result, many critics believe that the mechanism often is abused. As a result, it’s important to see how this case shapes up and analyze the evidence that both Miller and Shaq present when the judge considers next steps in September.

Mainly, Popsquire is looking forward to Miller’s explanation about her stage name, MaryJane. What will she tell the judge is the inspiration for her name? Shoes? Yeah, right…

The bars may not be the only uneven things about the 2008 Olympics!

According to the Epoch TImes, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed today that it has asked the International Gymnastics Federation to investigate allegations that members of China’s female gymnastics team are underage.  The confirmation comes after blogger/hacker site, Stryde Hax, presented detailed documents allegedly found in search engine caches suggesting He Kexin’s real birth year to be 1994.  Here’s what the blogger/hacker did…

First, he simply tried Google, only to find that an official listing by the Chinese sports administration that had given her age could no longer be accessed.  Next, he tried the Google cache, only to find that Kexin’s name had been removed.  Next, he tried the cache of Chinese search engine Baidu. There, he found that Baidu lists two spreadsheets in Kexin’s name, both giving her date of birth as January 1, 1994 – making her 14 years old and, thus, too young to compete at the 2008 Olympics.

Game on!

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While Popsquire remains furious about China’s decision to present a “flawless” lip syncing little girl during the Olympics Opening Ceremony, the world may be tuning in to yet another controversy. The AP reports that He Kexin, a member of the Chinese gold-winning gymnastics team, may be only 13 and thus ineligible to participate in the Olympics.

Just nine months before the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government’s news agency, Xinhua, identified Kexin as one of “10 big new stars” who made a splash at China’s Cities Games. And, it gave her age as 13! The AP found the Xinhua report on the site Thursday morning and saved a copy of the page. Later in the day, the website was still working but the page was no longer accessible. In addition, a May 23 story in the China Daily newspaper, the official English-language paper of the Chinese government, said Kexin was 14. The story was later corrected to list her as 16, which is the minimum age for Olympic participation.

Olympic legend Michael Phelps’ stomach deserves a medal!  According to the NY Post, Phelps’ daily 12,000 calorie diet includes:

Breakfast: (a)  three fried-egg sandwiches with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions and mayonnaise; (b) two cups of coffee; (c) a five-egg omelet; (d) a bowl of grits; and (e) three slices of French toast topped with powdered sugar and three chocolate-chip pancakes.

Lunch: (a) a pound of enriched pasta; (b) two large ham and cheese sandwiches slathered with mayo on white bread; and (c) about 1,000 calories worth of energy drinks.

Dinner: (a) a pound of pasta; (b) an entire pizza; and (c) another 1,000 calories in energy drinks.

It should be illegal to eat like this and still have zero body fat.  Write your Congressman now!

Technorati Tags: 12000 calories, beijing, body fat, butterfly stroke, diet, Food, full figure, mayo, mayonnaise, michael phelps, olympcs, olympic gold medal, pasta, pizza, pop culture law, sandwiches, swimming

Former NBA superstar and Carmen Elektra’s ex-husband, Dennis Rodman, pleaded no contest to domestic violence charges yesterday in a Los Angeles court.

In exchange for his plea, Rodman was sentenced to: (a) 36 months of probation; (b) 45 days of roadside graffiti removal; (c) one year of domestic violence counseling; and (d) six months of drug and alcohol treatment.

The judge warned Dennis about future incidents: “If I hear or see in the news that you have committed any more crimes — you will go to jail.”

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Location, location, location. Knowing that the Olympics often have provided major pop culture/law collisions, Popsquire has decided to take a look at the upcoming 2008 Beijing games.

Did you know…

1. Nearly 500 people were subject to the death penalty in China last year.
2. More than 60 crimes can carry the death penalty in China, including tax fraud, stealing VAT receipts, damaging electric power facilities, selling counterfeit medicine, embezzlement, accepting bribes and drug offenses.

Yikes! Rob Lowe’s chef is lucky he can face only civil liability for at least two of these alleged offenses in the USA!

Technorati Tags: beijing, capital punishment, china, death penalty, law, olympics, pop culture

According to the NY Times, Roger Clemens’ former personal trainer, Brian McNamee, recently gave federal investigators bloody gauze pads, vials and syringes allegedly used to inject Roger Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone in 2000 and 2001.

Clemens’ lawyer responded that McNamee “apparently has manufactured evidence” and was “a troubled man who is obsessed with doing everything possible to destroy Roger Clemens.”

Popsquire’s perspective…

This has all the workings of a Perry Mason/LA Law/Boston Legal episode…except Popsquire is pretty sure this kind of evidence would be credible only on tv.

McNamee’s failure to reveal the evidence to federal investigators when he first met with them in 2007 raises serious concerns.

Having said that, science is pretty powerful. Popsquire is looking forward to learning the results of lab tests and, perhaps, DNA tests from Clemens.  Either way, Popsquire is in a state of “Shell Shock” (by New Order) as he watches all the twists and turns in the Clemens investigation.

Technorati Tags: baseball, brian mcnamee, federal investigation, hgh, human growth hormone, roger clemens, steroids