Source: JAYNE RUSSELL / Getty Harrison Barnes Volunteers To Cover Funeral Costs For Atatiana Jefferson According to TMZ , NBA player Harrison Barnes has stepped up and volunteered to pay for the funeral of Atatiana Jefferson, after she was shot and killed by a police officer while she was in her own home. After a neighbor called police to check on Jefferson because he saw a door was open at her home in Fort Worth, Texas, officer Aaron Dean then arrived at the home. He saw a person inside, and before ever announcing he was a police officer, he opened fire and shot Jefferson, killing the 28-year-old who was babysitting her 8-year-old nephew. Dean has been charged with murder. Now, Barnes has offered to help out the family and foot the bill for the funeral, which is scheduled for this weekend in Dallas.Philadelphia Eagles star Malik Jackson has followed Barnes’ lead also by pledging to pitch in and pay for the remainder of the fees for Jefferson’s service.
Source: Justin Sullivan / Getty Johnson & Johnson Recalls Bottles Of Its Signature Product After Finding Trace Amounts of Asbestos According to CBS , Johnson & Johnson recalled 33,000 bottles of baby powder after federal regulators found trace amounts of asbestos in a single bottle purchased online. The recall reportedly only pertains to lot number “22318RB.” A spokesman added that the company is still gathering information and investigating the issue. This recall comes on the heels of several lawsuits the company is facing. Recently, the company agreed to pay nearly $117 million to settle litigation over its marketing of trans-vaginal surgical mesh devices. Last week, a Philadelphia jury awarded $8 billion in punitive damages against J&J after their drug was linked to the abnormal growth of female breast tissue in boys.
Source: Taylor Hill / Getty James Franco Sued For Alleged Sexual Exploitation Actor James Franco is being sued over sexual misconduct that allegedly occurred at his acting school , Studio 4. According to the reports from The New York Times , Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal have both filed a lawsuit against Franco along with his business partner Vince Jolivette, accusing the men of sexually exploiting students at the now defunct school. In the suit, Franco and Jolivette’s Rabbit Bandini Productions company is also listed as a defendant along with the company’s general manager Jay Davis. Tither-Kaplan and Gaal are former students of the school, which shut down completely in 2017. In the suit, they say that Franco and his partners “engaged in widespread inappropriate and sexually charged behavior towards female students by sexualizing their power as a teacher and an employer by dangling the opportunity for roles in their projects.” The women go on to explain that they joined the Los Angeles branch of Studio 4 in 2014, paying approximately $300 in monthly tuition. The plaintiffs claim the school also offered additional classes, which included a $750 master class for sex scenes, specifically. According to the lawsuit, any students who were interested in taking the sex scene class were required to submit an audition tape for Franco to review; which also required students to forfeit their rights to the footage. In the lawsuit, Gaal claims she auditioned for the master class, but ended up being denied entry after she expressed some uneasiness. Tither-Kaplan, on the other hand, said she ultimately took the class, which actually led to several roles in Franco’s independent films. In these roles she said she was often asked to appear in nude scenes or sex scenes. During the making of an orgy scene for one of his films, Franco went as far as removing plastic guards that covered other actresses’ vaginas while he simulated oral sex on them, according to the lawsuit. This is not the first time we’re hearing of these accusations about Franco from Tither-Kaplan. She previously spoke about her experiences at Studio 4 in a 2018 article in the Los Angeles Times . She also took to Twitter to blast James Franco for sporting a Times Up pin at the 2018 Golden Globes ceremony, given his own actions behind-the-scenes. Hey James Franco, nice #timesup pin at the #GoldenGlobes , remember a few weeks ago when you told me the full nudity you had me do in two of your movies for $100/day wasn't exploitative because I signed a contract to do it? Times up on that! — Sarah Tither-Kaplan (@sarahtk) January 8, 2018 Franco addressed the accusations against him shortly following the 2018 Golden Globes. “In my life, I pride myself on taking responsibility for things that I have done. I have to do that to maintain my well being, ” he said on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert . “… The things that I heard that were on Twitter are not accurate. But I completely support people coming out and being able to have a voice because they didn’t have a voice for so long. So, I don’t want to shut them down in any way … If I have done something wrong. I will fix it. I have to.” Now, after filing the lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Tither-Kaplan told the Times she hasn’t spoken to Franco in two years and that he has yet to make amends. Tither-Kaplan and Gaal are seeking monetary damages along with the return or destruction of any video recordings submitted by former Studio 4 students. The plaintiffs are also seeking “class-action status so other women who may have similar histories with the defendants can join in the suit.”
Source: Scott Legato / Getty Lil Wayne Ordered To Pay $150,000 In Concert Lawsuit Lately, Lil Wayne’s concerts have been a pretty touchy subject. This negative trend is continuing according to reports from TMZ that the rapper has been ordered to pay $150,000 for allegedly orchestrating a fake concert that was promoted under his name. According to court documents obtained by the publication, Wayne was being sued by Ramin Natan for both breach of contract and fraud. The judge ruled in favor of Natan in a default settlement, because Wayne didn’t ever bother tending to the lawsuit. Now, the New Orleans rapper has to pay Natan a smooth $150K in damages. This news comes after Natan first filed this lawsuit back in January. According to the client and his lawyers, Lil Wayne and the Migos are “Ponzi scheme artists” that book shows that they never truly intended on performing at in the first place. Natan says that he gave Eric Stenger $500,000 to promote a Lil Wayne concert, even though Stenger was never a concert promoter at all. Natan feels like Stenger knew Lil Wayne and gave the rapper the $500,000 to perform, but he never showed up. Weezy was served with the lawsuit papers months ago and never responded to Natan’s claims. As a result, the judge ruled in the plaintiff’s favor. In most cases, the judge will give the defendant another chance to respond to being served before the verdict is finalized–but it’s unclear if Lil Wayne is going to move forward with the process or just shell out the $150,000. Hopefully concerts stop being such a negative for Wayne (and his fans) sometime soon.
Source: DJDM/WENN.com / WENN 32 Models Win $900K In Lawsuit Against ‘Miami Velvet’ Swingers Club One Miami swingers club is nearly a million dollars poorer after a judge ruled it owed almost three dozen models some major COIN for using their photos to advertise sex parties . Real Housewives of Miami star Joanna Krupa is among the 32 women who will be paid. From Daily Mail : “A Miami swingers club has been ordered to pay nearly $900,000 after it used photos of models clad in bikinis and lingerie without permission to advertise sex parties and partner-swapping. A jury in Florida federal court agreed Monday that Miami Velvet must pay a total of $892,500 to the 32 professional models whose images were used in the exclusive club’s fliers, social media accounts and on its website, according to the Miami Herald. Miami Velvet is one of the city’s most famous swingers clubs, and allows group sex to occur on its premises. Several of the models who featured in their ads are well known, including Joanna Krupa, who appeared on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and ‘The Real Housewives of Miami’.” According to the site, Krupa was awarded $65,000 in the case. “…while jurors sided with the models, the money awarded to them was far lower than the collective sum of $5.3million which the models were seeking,” Daily Mail continues. “The lawyer for Miami Velvet acknowledged that his clients were responsible for stealing the photographs but argued that the models were demanding too much money.” While it isn’t the sum they were all looking for, Krupa has a baby on the way and an extra $65K can’t hurt!
Source: ImagesByKecia LLC. Andrea Buera, The Woman that accused Trey Songs of assaulting her during All-Star Weekend is now dropping her Lawsuit. Andrea sued Trey Last year after she claims trey became upset and assaulted her at a party in Hollywood. Trey says, he “reasonably believed Plaintiff was going to harm him and any force he used was only the amount reasonably necessary to protect himself.” To read more click here
Source: Prince Williams / Getty At this point, we’ve shared several pieces about Vince Herbert’s financial woes. And while it’s been years since he’s been in financial trouble, it doesn’t mean that the end is near. In fact, according to The Blast , Sony Music still has their hands out. In court documents obtained by The Blast , Herbert has yet to pay the $4 million he owes Sony Music, even after a judge ruled that he needed to pay the debt. Text “RICKEY” to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news. ( Terms and conditions ). As we reported earlier, the label gave Herbert the $4 million advance in order for him to find new talent. They lent the money with the expectation that it would eventually be recouped. But they claimed he failed to pay back the advance as he promised. Herbert ignored the lawsuit and a default judgement of $3,738,515.93, was set against him. In new documents, Sony claims, “No portion of the Judgment has been satisfied and the judgment continues to accrue interest. Defendant Herbert instead has evaded enforcement through a series of shell transactions using an ever expanding list of closely held corporate entities as a means to fund and thrive upon a lavish lifestyle at the expense of his creditors, including Sony Music.” Sign Up For Our Newsletter! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit They list Herbert’s assets as a justification of the money he could have began paying back. They also claim that Herbert went through extraordinary measures to prevent Sony from serving him documents. When Herbert sold his Calabasas home, the $9.8 million profit went to pay his debts but none of the money was applied to his $4 Sony balance. The label alleges that Herbert created a company called GloJoe in order to collect funds. Thus far, he’s collected $472,000. They also believe over 1 million dollars was collected at another point. They’re asking a judge to step in and order Herbert to pay his debt. We’re sure there will be more news. We’ll keep you updated. [ione_media_gallery src=”https://rickeysmileymorningshow.com” id=”1946235″ overlay=”true”] This story was originally published on MadameNoire.com . ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : 74-Year-Old Woman Gives Birth To Twins ‘Fresh Prince’ And ‘Martin’ Actor Passes Away Lil Mama Shoots Her Shot With Meek Mill, Gets Curved Follow @TheRSMS
Antonio Brown has been accessed of sexually assaulting his former trainer, according to ESPN . A lawsuit was filed Tuesday in the Southern District of Florida. ESPN reports that the lawsuit accuses the NFL receiver of sexually assaulting his former trainer, Britney Taylor, on three separate occasions from 2017 and 2018. The first alleged incident came in June 2017, with Taylor saying Brown exposed himself and kissed her without consent. A month later, Taylor alleges in the lawsuit, Brown masturbated near her without her knowledge and ejaculated on her back, then later bragged about it in a series of text messages. And then, in May 2018, Taylor alleges that Brown “forced her down onto a bed, pushed her face into the mattress, and forcibly raped her.” Brown’s lawyer said that his client and Taylor were involved in a “consensual personal relationship. Any sexual interaction with Mr. Brown was entirely consensual.” Source: Christian Petersen / Getty The lawsuit claims the incidents have left Taylor suffering “near-daily panic attacks and suicidal ideations.” “As a rape victim of Antonio Brown, deciding to speak out has been an incredibly difficult decision,” Taylor said in a statement. “I have found strength in my faith, my family, and from the accounts of other survivors of sexual assault.” The allegation comes after weeks of drama surrounding the All-Pro receiver, which eventually led to his release from the Raiders, and eventual signing with the New England Patriots Monday. There was no immediate comment from the Patriots or the NFL. Source: ESPN Related: Jig Alert: Antonio Brown Signs With The New England Patriots
Source: Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images / Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images Patriots New Star Antoino Brown Accused Of Raping Former Trainer The news cycle of Antonio Brown calmed for all of three days–but things are picking up right where they left off. After receiving several fines , losing $30 million showing his azz to get off the Raiders roaster with a recorded phone call , and ending up a Patriot , you’d think he would be out of headlines for a while. But that is most definitely not the case. According to reports from TMZ , AB is now the focus of a rape lawsuit. A trainer by the name of Britney Taylor is accusing the wide receiver of raping & sexually assaulting her not once, not twice, but on three different occasions over the last several years. The story obtained in court documents states that the first encounter happened in June 2017 at his Pittsburgh home, not too long after being hired by him as a personal trainer. On that occasion, court documents state “Brown exposed himself and kissed [her] without her consent”. Later, at his Florida residence, “Brown, while positioned behind her, began masturbating near her without her knowledge and ejaculated on her back”. Following those two incidents, she also claims he bragged about it to her, which is when she chose to stop working for him. Months later, Taylor claims he reached out to make amends and have her return to training him. While she was skeptical, she eventually resumed training sessions against her better judgement. Almost a year later, on May 20th 2018, court documents reveal “Brown cornered [her] forced her down onto a bed, pushed her face into the mattress, and forcibly raped her”. Taylor expressed she tried to fight back but he over powered her as she screamed and cried and yelled both “no” and “stop”. As for the emotions she felt after the ordeal, “she had near-daily panic attacks, frequent suicidal ideations, and insomnia. She has also lost a remarkable amount of weight — 30 pounds in one month — due to stress.” As the story broke, Taylor has issued her own statement via her lawyer: “As a rape victim of Antonio Brown, deciding to speak out has been an incredibly difficult decision…I have found strength in my faith, my family, and from the accounts of other survivors of sexual assault. Speaking out removes the shame that I have felt for the past year and places it on the person responsible for my rape…I will cooperate with the NFL and any other agencies; however, at this time, I respectfully request that the media please respect my privacy.” In her lawsuit, Taylor is seeking compensation for physical injuries, pain and suffering, humiliation, embarrassment, stress and anxiety, loss of self-esteem and self-confidence, and emotional pain and suffering. The two met when they were both students and members of the ‘Fellowship of Christian Athletes group’ at the University of Central Michigan. As for AB’s response, he denies the sexual assault and rape allegations, but not the situations themselves, claiming that all of their encounters were consensual. In his statement, he walked the lines of victim blaming and mentions being approached by Taylor after he became one of the ‘highest paid’ wide receivers in the league. He also points out her asking him to invest in a business venture, all pretty weird things to mention in a rape lawsuit response. You can read AB’s full statement via his lawyer here . STATEMENT REGARDING ANTONIO BROWN: https://t.co/yvEcRyilbt pic.twitter.com/0K9G8vJeG1 — Darren Heitner (@DarrenHeitner) September 11, 2019
Source: John Moore / Getty Phoenix Police Investigated For Rape Threats, Brutality, And Stealing Money A police officer in Phoenix is under serious investigation for a series of infractions including, but not limited to beating civilians, threatening witnesses, wrongfully seizing money in a drug bust , and abusing a female co-worker whom he allegedly called a “c*m dumpster” and said he wanted to rape. According to PhoenixNewTimes , four lawsuits were filed in federal court against officer Sergeant Daniel Beau Jones and all four were settled. Pretty heinous charges for a settlement… “Phoenix Police Sergeant Daniel B. Jones is the subject of a criminal and internal investigation. No arrest has been made,” Phoenix police spokesperson Sergeant Vince Lewis said on August 24. “He has been placed on administrative leave pending the resolution of the investigations.” In regards to the sexual harassment, peep what a female officer accused Jones of in her lawsuit: According to the officer, her time with the 41G squad in South Mountain Precinct was marked by rampant sexual harassment, bullying, and hostile behavior. “Daniel Jones often specifically referred to [the officer] as a dumb c*nt, dumb b*tch, useless 101 [police code used to refer to females], carpet muncher, and c*m dumpster,” the lawsuit states. When the officer told Jones not to call her those names, she alleges that Jones intimidated her “by telling her that any snitch should or could get a bullet to the head” and that “snitches should be taken care of just like they are on the street. Oh, but there’s MUCH more… Besides the name-calling, she said Jones would also purposefully and forcefully run into her with his shoulder when they passed each other in the hallway. He interfered with her work, making noise and kicking her chair while she was on the phone. He called her a “dumb bitch” in front of her supervisors. Sometimes, he called her “it” or said she was a man. Occasionally, Jones looked at the officer “in a threatening manner, and shook his head and unsnapped his gun holster,” the lawsuit states. Then one day, Jones sent her a message asking her to meet him in South Mountain Precinct’s back parking lot. According to the lawsuit, which was settled, Jones told her, “he had fantasized about raping her and choking her around the neck and stated, ‘I want to fuck you so hard your librarian glasses fall off.’” Then there’s the charge of beating up civilians: “At least one of these witnesses pled with officers to stop beating the now-unconscious” Vasquez. Instead of stopping, Kincannon “drew his weapon, pointed it at the civilian witnesses and said, ‘Trudy, get the fuck in the house,’” the lawsuit states. Then, police arrested one of the witnesses and took him to a nearby cemetery, where they “told him he better keep his mouth shut or he would end up buried in the cemetery,” according to the lawsuit. Yeah, so, f**k 12.
