Tag: Legal Troubles (51-60 of 163)

Jan 12 2012 06:17 PM ET

Lil Wayne set to release prison memoir

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Image Credit: Jonathan Mannion

Did Lil Wayne’s underwhelming post-prison album Tha Carter IV leave something to be desired?

If you answered yes, then Dwayne Carter has a consolation prize for you: a memoir.

It was announced today that Gone Till November – a Weezy-penned account of his eight-month stint at Rikers — will be released by Hachette’s Grand Central Publishing division this November.

The rapper, who was sentenced in 2010 on a gun possession charge, will provide “an internal dialogue” based on diaries he apparently kept while serving his term, the AP reports.

“We are thrilled to be publishing Wayne’s prison memoir,” confirmed Grand Central Publishing’s Ben Greenberg. ”He kept detailed journals of his inner and outer life while he was on Rikers Island, and they certainly tell a story. They are revealing.”

November will hit shelves November 28th, ensuring that rap fans will have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season.

Read more:
Chris Brown, Busta Rhymes, and Lil Wayne win big at the BET Hip Hop Awards 2011
B.o.B returns with Lil Wayne-featuring cut about weed smoke : Listen to his new single ‘Strange Clouds’ here
Justin Bieber wishes Lil Wayne a happy 29th and covers his ‘How to Love’: Listen to his sweet acoustic version here

Dec 28 2011 05:59 PM ET

Two women charged with fraud for faking injuries in Indiana State Fair stage collapse

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Image Credit: Joey Foley/Getty Images

There’s horrible, there’s despicable, and then there’s the latest story to emerge from the sincerely tragic stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair over the summer: Two women who have sued for compensation for injuries incurred in that incident were allegedly not injured at all—or even present at the site of the collapse.

Seven people died as a result of the accident, while dozens more faced debilitating injuries. A handful of lawsuits have emerged in an attempt to assign culpability, including one levied at Surgarland, who were about to take the stage when high winds overtook the structure.

So it’s a little sickening that investigators have charged self-proclaimed victims Stephanie Murry and Sandra Hurn with fraud. Though the women were seeking compensation funds, a prosecutor in Indianapolis declared that neither were actually on the grounds that day, and were merely trying to bilk the Indiana State Fair Remembrance Fund and the Indiana Tort Claim Fund.

According to local officials, both women made multiple hospital trips in an effort to create a proper paper trail that would back up their claims. When investigators realized that some of the documentation was falsified, Hurn copped to the scheme, which the pair plotted together a few hours after the initial disaster.

Murry faces charges of attempted theft, forgery, and perjury, all felonies which could land her in jail for up to 14 years. Since Hurn actually succeeded in collecting a $7,500 check from the Remembrance Fund, she picks up a charge of felony theft that raises her potential prison stint up to 36 years.

Read more on EW.com:
Sugarland sued for negligence by victims of the Indiana State Fair stage collapse
Indiana State Fair tragedy: Can you protect people from Mother Nature?
Seventh person dies in Indiana State Fair stage collapse

Dec 22 2011 01:39 PM ET

Madonna fan arrested for 'Give Me All Your Luvin' leak

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Madonna

Image Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

A Spanish man has been arrested in connection with the leak of Madonna’s forthcoming single “Give Me All Your Luvin’.” The 31-year-old Zaragozan resident’s name has not been released, though his initials have — J.M.R. — and the detail that he’s “a big Madonna fan,” according to MTV. At the time, Madonna and her manager insisted, “My true fans wouldn’t do this,” then pleaded, “Whoever is responsible for this leak, we ask that you please stop!”

Alas, they did not. Less than a month later, “Masterpiece,” the Golden Globe-nominated ballad from Madonna’s directorial effort, W.E., hit the Internet in an incident that hasn’t been linked to J.M.R. Of today’s news, Madonna’s publicist Liz Rosenberg affirmed, “Madonna takes leaks very seriously” but could not comment further on the ongoing investigation. The video for “Luvin,” which features Nicki Minaj and M.I.A., is expected to premiere early next year.

Read more:
Madonna’s ‘Gimme All Your Luvin’ leaks, is unlikely to get what it demands — LISTEN
Madonna enlists Nicki Minaj, M.I.A. for next album
Madonna debuts new song ‘Masterpiece’ — and we might like it

Dec 22 2011 09:31 AM ET

Adam Lambert arrested in Finland

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Image Credit: Todd Williamson/WireImage

Adam Lambert was arrested outside a club in Finland on Thursday night for fighting with his boyfriend (Finnish Big Brother star Sauli Koskinen), according to multiple reports. The dispute began inside a Helsinki bar and spilled out into the street, where the cops apprehended the duo and took them into custody. They were reportedly questioned and released.

UPDATE (12/22 12:30 p.m. ET) Lambert tweeted about the scuffle on Friday: “Jetlag+Vodka=blackout. Us÷blackout=irrational confusion. jail+guilt+press=lesson learned. Sauli+Adam+hangover burgers= laughing bout it. :) “

Koskinen responded to the incident with a blog post (roughly translated from Finnish): “The limelight is not easy. But celebrities are only human people. Love is not easy but it is forever! … [E]verything is really good! … Hey, the evening was pretty funny and the hangover is already gone! Yay!

“P.S. By the way, paparazzi, including those at the rear door of the police station … Go home already!”

Nov 30 2011 02:44 PM ET

Mindy McCready missing -- UPDATE

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Mindy McCready and her 5-year-old son have gone missing, reports People. The embattled singer has been engaged in a dispute over custody of son Zander, who is currently under the care of her parents. She was last seen in Cape Coral, Fla., where the boy’s father lives. People reported that McCready posted on her Facebook wall, “My son is not missing” and that “police established that this afternoon via Skype” before telling friends and fans, “Please do not worry.”

It’s the latest in a saga of recent personal problems for McCready, including an apparent overdose, suicide attempts, and rehab. EW reached out to McCready’s publicist Linus Entertainment and was told the company had not been in touch with the country singer for some time. UPDATE: Lieutenant Tony Sizemore of the Cape Coral PD confirmed that a police report was filed yesterday morning, though he emphasized, “It is not a Missing Persons report.” He added, ”It’s not the Missing Persons case you would imagine. There’s no amber alert, there was no child abducted on a playground.”According to Lt. Sizemore, McCready removed her son from the Cape Coral area and was, thus, in violation of her visitation agreement. “We have contacted her. She is okay, and the child is okay,” said Lt. Sizemore. McCready now has until 5 p.m. Thursday to return her son to his grandparents. If she fails to do so, the judge on her case may issue a bench warrant for her arrest.

Read more:
Country singer Mindy McCready hospitalized
Mindy McCready Comes Clean
Mindy McCready gives us early scoop on the crazy upcoming season of ‘Celebrity Rehab’

Nov 29 2011 01:31 PM ET

Dr. Conrad Murray given maximum sentence for his role in the death of Michael Jackson

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Conrad Murray has been sentenced to the maximum four years in prison for his involvement in the death of Michael Jackson.

Murray was convicted Nov. 7 of involuntary manslaughter after the prosecution “painted him as a reckless caregiver who administered a lethal dose of a powerful anesthetic that killed the pop star,” according to the AP.

CNN reports that presiding judge Michael Pastor, in a lengthy statement delivered before sentencing Murray for involuntary manslaughter, said that he felt a significant responsibility to determine the appropriate sentence, utilizing his “sense of fairness and decency.”

“There are those who feel Dr. Murray is a saint,” Pastor said. “There are those who feel Dr. Murray is the devil. He’s neither. He’s a human being. He stands convicted of the death of another human being.”

According to CBS, several members of Jackson’s family, including mother Katherine and siblings LaToya, Jermaine, Randy and Rebbie, attended the proceedings. Before the sentencing, a representative read a statement on behalf of the Jackson family.

While they didn’t explicitly ask for the maximum penalty for Murray, their statement stated that “the cardiologist should be punished in a way that reminds physicians that they cannot sell their services to the highest bidder.”

Readers: Do you think the maximum sentence was fair? Let us know in the comments below.

Read more:
Conrad Murray found guilty in Michael Jackson trial
Verdict reached in Conrad Murray case

Nov 23 2011 02:20 PM ET

Justin Bieber talks to David Letterman about baby scandal, weasels -- watch the video here

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Image Credit: Allen Berezovsky/PR Photos

Justin Bieber is ready to put this whole baby-daddy mess behind him, and as the world knows by now, willingly submitted this week to a DNA test to prove he is not the father of 20-year-old Mariah Yeater’s baby.

Although previous reports suggested that Yeater was hesitant to have the baby tested as well, (since a false match would be serious evidence against her if Bieber’s team ever decided to sue) Yeater’s attorney, Jeffery Leving, told TMZ today that  his client was not avoiding the DNA test, and can’t wait to compare the baby’s DNA with Bieber’s.

Bieber, for his part, appears to be moving on and continuing with teen-pinup business as usual. In addition to an out-of-control Today Show concert this morning, Bieber also taped an appearance on David Letterman, where Letterman (no stranger to public scandals) gave Bieber some sympathy, saying he could “smell a weasel.”

Watch Bieber describe the drama to Letterman:  READ FULL STORY »

Nov 23 2011 12:52 PM ET

Sugarland sued for negligence by victims of the Indiana State Fair stage collapse

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Sugarland has been sued by 44 victims of the stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair, which killed seven and injured many others back in August.

If you remember, on August 13, high wind gusts caused an elaborately rigged outdoor stage to topple onto a sea of terrified patrons in the front rows of a Sugarland concert.

The Grammy-winning duo, who were not injured in the incident (they had yet to take the stage) have apologized profusely for the incident, and performed a free benefit concert in Indianapolis last month to offer their condolences. As recently as the CMA Awards last week, Jennifer Nettles thanked the people of Indiana once again.

But to the victims of the collapse, apologies aren’t enough. The plaintiffs, a group that includes the estates representing four of the deceased concertgoers, claim that Sugarland was negligent for not canceling the concert when inclement weather loomed. Apparently, a clause in Sugarland’s contract stipulates that the group has final say on whether to cancel a show due to hazardous weather. Because they didn’t pull the plug on the show, now they are being held responsible.

“Unfortunately, this tragedy could have been prevented if the responsible parties had been concerned about the concertgoers that night,” plaintiffs’ attorney Mario Massillamany said in a statement.

The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages that would “help the victims pay the medical bills and other financial expenses that they have incurred from this incident.”

A rep for Sugarland tells EW they have no comment at this time.

Read more:
Sugarland to return to Indiana for free concert Oct. 28
Indiana State Fair tragedy: Can you protect people from Mother Nature?
Sugarland will hold memorial for 5 stage collapse victims

Nov 16 2011 10:08 AM ET

Justin Bieber's paternity suit withdrawn

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It’s been an eventful month for Justin Bieber. He scored a chart-topping album with Under the Mistletoe and got to hang out with a Claymation penguin, but the bulk of his headlines were dominated by the paternity suit filed by a woman named Mariah Yeater. Her claim was that the 17-year-old Canadian pop sensation was the father of her child, and she intended to get the kind of support that can only be bought with proceeds from all those Never Say Never checks.

But we will no longer have to put up with “Baby”-related puns, as TMZ is reporting that Yeater’s lawyers have abandoned ship and that the suit has been withdrawn by the plaintiff. (At press time, Bieber’s representatives had not yet responded to a request for confirmation or comment.) If it’s true, that means that Bieber will not have to subject himself to the paternity test he pledged to take, which lets him keep his dignity but robs him of the chance to do that “I’m Not the Father!” dance on syndicated television.

It’s probably best that the whole scenario ended where it did, since Yeater was probably wading into a whole heap of trouble. Bieber’s camp had already pledged to come back with a suit of their own for defamation, which would have been a slam dunk. And even if we somehow wandered into one of the Fringe multi-verses and it turned out the paternity test was positive, Yeater would have opened herself up to criminal statutory rape charges. It was basically a no-win situation for her, and it’s a good thing she pulled out before anything got ugly.

With the suit behind him, Bieber can get back to the business of being a normal 17-year-old guy — you know, like screening movies in basketball arenas for his pop star girlfriend and singing for the President.

UPDATE: While the lawsuit has been withdrawn, the drama could continue. Yeater has retained new counsel and still believes that Bieber is the father. She will attempt to get a paternity test done outside of the court system. “The case is completely out of control and I don’t want something terrible to happen to my client or her child,” Yeater’s new lawyer Jeffrey Leving told a Chicago radio station. “My goal [is] to try and keep my client and her child out of the media.”

Read more on EW.com: 
Justin Bieber invited to appear on ‘Maury’, and other things that are never going to happen
Justin Bieber’s ‘Under The Mistletoe’ debuts at No. 1; Wale, Susan Boyle, and Miranda Lambert follow
Justin Bieber gets molded in clay for ‘Santa Claus Is Coming to Town’ video: Watch it here!

Nov 15 2011 06:41 PM ET

Patti LaBelle sued for throwing a water bottle at a child

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Patti-LaBelle

Image Credit: Paul Froggatt/PR Photos

R&B legend Patti LaBelle still has an incredible voice, but apparently she’s a bad neighbor. In a just-filed lawsuit, a Manhattan woman is accusing the diva of verbally accosting her, attempting to attack her, and throwing a water bottle at her 18-month-old child.

The incident is supposed to have occurred in the lobby of the New York building where the plaintiff lives and LaBelle was staying while performing in Fela!, the Broadway musical about the life and music of Fela Kuti. READ FULL STORY »

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