Celebrity
Harvey Weinstein Lawyers Argue He Was Denied Fair Trial In Appeal Of LA Rape Conviction
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyers contend in an appeal that he was not given a fair trial when he was convicted of rape and sexual assault in Los Angeles in 2022 and sentenced to 16 years behind bars.
Only six weeks have passed since the state’s highest court overturned his same historic #MeToo conviction and 23-year jail sentence in New York.
The California appeal contends that the trial judge incorrectly suppressed evidence that the Italian model and actor he was convicted of raping had a sexual relationship with the director of a film festival that had brought both Weinstein and the woman to Los Angeles at the time of the alleged assault.
weinstein | AP News Image
Harvey Weinstein Lawyers Argue He Was Denied Fair Trial In Appeal Of LA Rape Conviction
Weinstein’s attorneys said the judge violated “his constitutional rights to present a defense and led to a miscarriage of justice.”
The attorneys argue that the judge erred in informing jurors about Weinstein’s previous, now-vacated conviction in New York and that testimony from women regarding alleged assaults against Weinstein was unfairly prejudicial. Similar testimony led to his conviction being overturned in New York, where the 72-year-old is being imprisoned while Manhattan prosecutors prepare to retrial him.
“The introduction of this excessive, cumulative, and remote evidence of prior ‘sexual assaults’ simply signaled to the jury that the Defendant was a bad man who should be convicted of something irrespective of whether the prosecution proved its case,” the brief stated.
Weinstein was charged with sexually assaulting four women in his California trial, but a jury convicted him of only one attack, on Evgeniya Chernyshova, who claimed that Weinstein showed up unannounced at her hotel room during the LA Italia Film Festival in 2013.
Weinstein’s lawyers say that Superior Court Judge Lisa B. Lench erred in preventing his defense from introducing the jury Facebook messages revealing Chernyshova and the festival’s founder, Pascal Vicedomini, had a sexual relationship. According to the brief, the messages would have revealed that both were lying when they claimed to be friends and coworkers. It would have strengthened defense claims that the victim was not even in her hotel room but was with Vicedomini at the time of the alleged assault.
The reasons are identical to those presented by Weinstein’s counsel in a motion for a new trial, which Lench denied before his sentencing.
Weinstein has since engaged appellate attorneys, including Jennifer Bonjean, a Chicago-based lawyer whose appeal in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault case resulted in his Pennsylvania conviction being overturned permanently.
Weinstein | Vulture Image
Harvey Weinstein Lawyers Argue He Was Denied Fair Trial In Appeal Of LA Rape Conviction
Throughout the trial, Chernyshova only used the name Jane Doe 1. The Associated Press does not normally identify persons who claim to have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Chernyshova did following the trial. She agreed, through her lawyer, to the AP using her identity.
“Weinstein’s appeal makes the same tired arguments that he previously made multiple times, but without success, to the trial court,” Chernyshova’s attorney, David Ring, wrote in an email Friday. “We are confident that the trial court properly assessed the evidence and made all of the required evidentiary conclusions. We are convinced that Weinstein’s appeal will be denied, and he will serve several years in prison.”
According to the defense’s appeals brief, three jurors wrote statements stating they now regret their decision to vote unanimously guilty.
According to the petition, “jurors confirmed that they did not believe the pair were romantically linked and explained that if they had access to such evidence it would have changed their calculus of whether any rape occurred.”
Harvey Weinstein Lawyers Argue He Was Denied Fair Trial In Appeal Of LA Rape Conviction
According to Weinstein’s attorneys, Chernyshova’s lawsuit, which she filed shortly after the ruling, demonstrates that they ought to have been able to determine whether she had financial stakes in the outcome.
Weinstein’s defense attorneys initially submitted a notice of appeal in April 2023 and requested multiple delays before filing Friday’s brief. The prosecution has until August 6 to file its response.
SOURCE – (AP)
Entertainment
Vanessa Hudgens ‘Disappointed’ Her Privacy Was Invaded With Paparazzi Pictures Of Her New Baby
Vanessa Hudgens is thrilled to be a new mother but wishes she had more say over how the news was announced.
Vanessa Hudgens | People Image
Vanessa Hudgens ‘Disappointed’ Her Privacy Was Invaded With Paparazzi Pictures Of Her New Baby
The “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” star wrote in an Instagram post Thursday, “We’re disappointed that our family’s privacy was violated and exploited during this very special time due to the greed of a long-lens camera feeding the media.” Despite this, Mom, Dad, and Baby are happy and healthy.
Vanessa was alluding to reports published earlier this week that showed her leaving a hospital with her infant.
While the circumstances surrounding the announcement were not ideal, the singer and actor’s Instagram message served as her first confirmation that she had given birth to her kid, her first child with husband Cole Tucker.
CNN has contacted Hudgens’ agents to see if she has more comments.
On Oscar night in March, Vanessa disclosed that she and the Major League Baseball outfielder were expecting their first child.
Vanessa Hudgens | CNN Image
Vanessa Hudgens ‘Disappointed’ Her Privacy Was Invaded With Paparazzi Pictures Of Her New Baby
Vanessa and Tucker reportedly married in December in Tulum, Mexico, after announcing their engagement early last year.
Vanessa and Tucker were initially linked in 2020 when she tweeted a selfie of herself titled “date night” and was caught holding hands later that evening.
SOURCE – CNN
Entertainment
For ‘Love Island USA’ Superfan Ariana Madix, Hosting The Show ‘Does Not Feel Like Work’
Before the real-life infidelity scandal known as Sandoval, there was a scene in Season 10 of Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules” in which Ariana Madix and her then-boyfriend Tom Sandoval admitted to not spending enough quality time together. Sandoval wanted to party like a rock star, but Madix preferred that he stay at home with her and watch her favorite TV show, “Love Island USA,” with pals.
“I do not have time to watch 50 (expletive) episodes of ‘Love Island.'” “No, I don’t.” he replied.
Ariana Madix | AP News Image
For ‘Love Island USA’ Superfan Ariana Madix, Hosting The Show ‘Does Not Feel Like Work’
After roughly a year and a half, Madix and Sandoval split. Sandoval had been cheating on Madix for almost six months with a “Vanderpump” co-star. Madix is presently the host of “Love Island USA” on Peacock, succeeding Sarah Hyland.
It’s a fitting development for Madix, whose nearly decade-long romance ended publicly. Since then, she has appeared on “Dancing with the Stars” and on Broadway as Roxie Hart in “Chicago.” Her original tenure was extended due to high ticket demand, and she will return to the position next month. Madix, a former bartender, published a best-selling cocktail recipe book and launched a sandwich business called “Something About Her” in Los Angeles with “Vanderpump” co-star Katie Maloney.
Madix has spent the past month in Fiji filming “Love Island USA.” She describes the work as a dream come true for a superfan like herself.
“I love watching how this show is made,” Madix stated in a recent Zoom interview. “There’s a crew of about 400 people who work on the show to make it happen and turn these episodes around virtually in real time. It is really stunning.”
Ariana Madix | AP news image
For ‘Love Island USA’ Superfan Ariana Madix, Hosting The Show ‘Does Not Feel Like Work’
On “Love Island USA,” a group of single men and women move to an isolated villa in the hopes of finding love. The candidates form couples based on their first impressions. These relationships are put to the test. Do they have lasting chemistry? They can also make connections with others, including a constant influx of fresh singles. At various points, viewers are allowed to vote for their favorite couples. Contestants are eliminated at various points, and the public ultimately votes for the winning couple, who receives a financial award.
SOURCE – (AP)
Entertainment
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Accused Of Sex Trafficking And Sexual Assault In Lawsuit By Former Adult Film Actress
Adria English, a former adult video actor who claims to have worked for Sean “Diddy” Combs from 2004 to 2009, accused the music mogul of sex trafficking and sexual assault in a lawsuit filed Wednesday.
The 114-page complaint claims that Combs and other defendants in the case exploited English as “a sexual pawn for the pleasure and financial benefit of others” during “White Parties” at Combs’ mansions in the Hamptons, New York, and Miami, Florida. The case, filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, also claims Combs compelled English to “engage in prostitution and sex work” from 2006 to 2009.
P diddy Combs | CNN Image
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Accused Of Sex Trafficking And Sexual Assault In Lawsuit By Former Adult Film Actress
The lawsuit is the ninth against Combs since November and the eighth expressly accusing him of sexual assault. One of the eight lawsuits filed by former girlfriend Cassie Ventura has been resolved. Another lawsuit accuses his son Christian Combs of sexual assault, while Sean Combs is accused of aiding and abetting.
“No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone,” stated Jonathan Davis, an attorney for Combs, in response to English’s claim.
“We live in a society where anyone can bring a lawsuit for any reason and without providing proof. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to determine the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident in his ability to succeed in court against these and other unfounded charges,” the attorney continued.
English’s claim wants a jury trial and undisclosed punitive damages.
Combs has aggressively refuted charges in many of the civil complaints but has not responded to them. In December 2023, after four lawsuits were filed against him, Combs issued a vehement denial on social media, claiming that “sickening allegations” were made by accusers “looking for a quick payday.”
He said, “Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged.”
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Accused Of Sex Trafficking And Sexual Assault In Lawsuit By Former Adult Film Actress
Federal investigators are also prepared to put Combs’ accusers before a federal grand jury, two individuals familiar with the investigation previously told CNN, indicating that the US Justice Department is considering an indictment of Combs.
Bringing those who have filed civil complaints against Combs before a grand jury would represent a significant step forward in the government’s continuing investigation into the producer and Bad Boy Records founder.
SOURCE – (CNN)
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