Source: Chris Hondros / Staff / Getty ‘Johnson & Johnson’ Sued For $8 Billion After Man Develops Breasts Johnson & Johnson has been hit with several lawsuits since being founded over a hundred years ago, but nothing quite like this. On Tuesday, the multinational corporation was ordered to pay 8 billion dollars in punitive damages after a man reportedly developed female breast tissue from taking one of their antipsychotic drugs. A Philadelphia jury awarded 26-year old Nicholas Murray after his lawyer argued that J&J put “profits over patients” in marketing the drug Risperdal. The Guardian reports: “Johnson & Johnson immediately denounced the award after the jury’s decision in the court of common pleas, saying it was “excessive and unfounded” and vowing immediate action to overturn it.” Johnson & Johnson said in a statement on its website it was confident that the award would be overturned, calling it “grossly disproportionate” with the initial compensatory damage award and “a clear violation of due process”. This isn’t the first time this year that J&J had to pay up. You may recall that back in August, Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $572m after a judge in Oklahoma ruled that the company contributed to an opioid epidemic in the state by running a “false and dangerous” sales campaign
Source: Stewart F. House / Getty Joshua Brown, Key Witness In The Botham Jean Trial, Killed According to Dallas News , Botham Jean’s neighbor, Joshua Brown, was killed Friday. He was a key witness in the Amber Guyger murder trial that ended last week. The news came from social media posts by Lee Merritt, the lawyer who represented the Jean family: “Joshua Brown, the next door neighbor of #BothamJean was killed last night after being shot several times by an unknown assailant. Local media have began reporting on the shooting but have not confirmed Brown’s identity,” Merritt wrote on Facebook. “[…] An ADA has confirmed that it was in fact Brown who was killed although they have yet to identify a suspect or motive for the shooting. The case is now in the hands of the Dallas Police Department.” View this post on Instagram Joshua Brown, the next door neighbor of #BothamJean was killed last night after being shot several times by an unknown assailant. Local media has reported on the shooting but have not confirmed Brown’s identity. Because, Brown worked closely with prosecutors just a week ago to ensure Amber Guyger was properly convicted in the murder trial, the DA’s office has fairly direct contact with Brown and his family. An ADA has confirmed that it was in fact Brown who was killed although they have yet to identify a suspect or motive for the shooting. The case is now in the hands of the Dallas Police Department. Brown’s testimony stood out as a fact witness who was approaching his apartment directly across from Botham Jean’s apartment when shots rang out. Brown was still visibly shaken up from the incident when he took the stand to testify on behalf of the prosecution. His murder underscores the reality of the black experience in America. A former athlete turned entrepreneur— Brown lived in constant fear that he could be the next victim of gun violence, either state sanctioned or otherwise. We have more work to do deal with the constant threats to our community both from within and without. Brown deserves the same justice he sought to ensure the Jean family. The Dallas County criminal justice system must mobilized to identify his killer and see that he is held accountable for this murder. A post shared by S. Lee Merritt, Esquire (@leemerrittesq) on Oct 5, 2019 at 1:25pm PDT Joshua Brown,28, lived across the hall from Jean at the time of Jean’s September 2018 murder. Brown took the stand during Guyger’s trial, delivering an emotional testimony on the events of that tragic day. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing and no one is in custody. Unconfirmed rumors spread that Brown was shot in the mouth, but the Dallas News has since confirmed that he was shot in the back and thigh. This story is still developing…
Source: Don Juan Moore / Getty Antonio Brown , the newly signed wide receiver to the New England Patriots, has been accused of sexual assault on three separate occasions by his former trainer Britney Taylor . Taylor filed the federal lawsuit on Tuesday and accused Brown of forcibly kissing her on one occasion in 2017 then masturbating near her during another encounter in 2017 while she was helping him train for the upcoming NFL season. The next year, she accused Brown of raping her on May 20, 2018. Brown’s lawyer, Darren Heitner, released a statement saying his client had a “consensual personal relationship” with Taylor and “denies each and every allegation in the lawsuit.” Heitner continued, “He will pursue all legal remedies to not only clear his name, but to also protect other professional athletes against false allegations.” According to the lawsuit, Taylor first met Brown at Central Michigan University in 2010 through the Fellowship for Christian Athletes, where they became Bible study partners. Taylor was a freshman gymnast, while Brown was a junior football player. Taylor says the two of them reconnected in 2017 when Brown requested that she train him. She flew to Pittsburgh and Florida to meet him for the training session, reads the complaint. In June 2017, Taylor was staying at Brown’s home for a session and while she was in the bathroom, Brown walked in exposed, says the lawsuit. He then “grabbed and kissed her without her consent,” according to the lawsuit, and Taylor “pushed him away and immediately left the room.” In another incident in 2017, the suit says Brown and Taylor were watching a church service on Taylor’s iPad at Brown’s Miami home. Brown then allegedly masturbated behind Taylor and ejaculated on her back. Afterwards, the lawsuit claims “in astonishingly profane and angry text messages, Brown bragged about the incident to her.” The suit says Taylor cut contact with Brown after this. However, according to The Boston Globe , Brown’s lawyer argues that Taylor actually approached Brown again is 2017 to ask him to invest $1.6 million in her business project. Heitner continues, “ Mr. Brown was not informed by his accuser that she had just been levied with a $30,000 IRS tax lien or that $300,000 of the $1.6 million so-called ‘investment’ was to be used to purchase property already owned by the accuser and her mother. When Mr. Brown refused to make the $1.6 million ‘investment,’ the accuser supposedly cut off communications with Mr. Brown.” Though both sides have differing accounts on why they cut ties, the two eventually reconnected in 2018. Taylor’s suite says, “Brown reached out to Ms. Taylor, expressing contrition, begging forgiveness and pleading with her to train him again. Ms. Taylor was hesitant but eventually agreed, swayed by his assurance that he would cease any sexual advances.” However, Taylor argues that Brown did not meet their terms. The suit claims that Taylor was visiting Brown in the Miami area on May 20, 2018 when he pinned her down onto a bed, shoved her face into the mattress and forcibly raped her. The suit says Taylor tried to resist the assault but “Brown was too strong and physically overpowered her.” The suite says Taylor screamed and cried the whole time while repeatedly shouting “no” and “stop.” “Brown’s assaults and rape have severely traumatized Ms. Taylor. Ms. Taylor has suffered near-daily panic attacks and suicidal ideations,” says the lawsuit. The Patriots released a statement on Tuesday night saying that the NFL will be investigating the allegations. “We are aware of the civil lawsuit that was filed earlier today against Antonio Brown, as well as the response by Antonio’s representatives,” the statement said. “We take these allegations very seriously. Under no circumstance does this organization condone sexual violence or assault.” Meanwhile, in a statement released by her lawyer, Taylor explained, “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.” At one point, the suit says Taylor sought counseling and she even took a polygraph test conducted by one of the country’s leading examiners, who used to lead the FBI’s polygraph program. According to the lawsuit, the examination confirmed that Taylor’s accounts were “completely truthful” regarding the alleged 2018 rape and 2017 ejaculation assault. The suit says Taylor opened up her own training center in her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee back in 2016. She continues to train girls there till this day.
Source: Chicago Tribune / Getty R. Kelly Is Looking For Help From Michael Jackson’s Attorney R. Kelly is reportedly looking for some heavyweights to represent him in his many pending trials. According to reports from TMZ, Kelly is trying to land Tom Mesereau, the lawyer who represented Michael Jackson in his molestation case in 2005. He also got Robert Blake acquitted of murder. The publication goes on to say that Kelly met with Mesereau for 4 hours, but he still hasn’t signed on just yet. The issue here just might be Kelly’s diminishing finances, which are being burned through quickly to fight his numerous cases. Obviously, an attorney with a track record like Mesereau’s doesn’t come cheap. Kelly is reportedly looking for new representation because his current team brings too much media attention for certain stunts of theirs, like referring to his accusers as “disgruntled groupies.” R. Kelly’s current lead attorney Steve Greenberg called the news that his client was seeking out new lawyers, “A complete load of crap.” Whoever does end up representing Kelly in the future sure has their work cut out for them. In addition to charges already filed in Chicago and New York, Kelly was recently hit with two counts of underage prostitution in Minnesota. The disgraced singer allegedly paid a minor to strip for him in his hotel room in 2001, at which point prosecutors claim there was “sexual contact” but “no intercourse” between the two.
Source: Prince Williams / Getty Reality Star Exes Embroiled In Custody Dispute Over Toddler Daughter Bonnie Bella Stevie J has pleaded with a family court judge to throw his ex Joseline Hernandez behind bars after he says she violated a court order by deliberately denying him the chance to visit their daughter during a trip to Miami last weekend. The former “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” star filed in court papers July 29 to have Joseline put in contempt of court after she allegedly purposely kept their daughter Bonnie Bella Hernandez away from him after he flew to Miami to spend time with the girl under a court order. We exclusively revealed that Stevie sued Joseline for full custody of the tot , arguing that he was more financially and emotionally stable. He also asked the judge to force Joseline to pay him child support. But in her answer, Joseline said that she’s doing the best she can to raise Bonnie, even though her income had gone down. She said that she’s never kept him away from the girl and asked a judge to make him start paying her 20 percent of his income. Stevie and Joseline were in court last week over access to the almost-three-year-old girl, and the judge issued a temporary order where he’d have visitation and one overnight in Miami from July 28 to Aug. 11. Under the order – which was obtained by BOSSIP – Stevie was supposed to take Bonnie to school, hang out with her in class and then drop her back to Joseline’s at 7 p.m. He was also supposed to have unsupervised visitation on weekends. Both Joseline and Stevie also had to agree to submit to drug testing as part of the temporary order. Stevie said he and his family flew to Miami in the hopes of rekindling his relationship with Bonnie, who he said he hadn’t seen or spoken to for six months because Joseline froze him out of her life. But Faith Evans’ husband said Joseline thumbed her nose up at the court by keeping Bonnie home from school and eventually stopped Stevie from seeing her altogether, his court docs state. Stevie wants the judge to step in and put Joseline in jail for her refusal to let him parent Bonnie. He is also seeking an emergency court hearing, for Joseline to reimburse him for his Miami trip as well as his lawyer’s fees. Joseline has not responded to Stevie’s allegations.
Source: FOX / Getty Man…poor Taraji . Apparently, the “Empire” star has been the victim of identity theft! According to the Chicago Tribune , Chicago police charged 29-year-old Alicia Newby with a felony count of continuing a financial crime enterprise as a result of breaking into the Oscar nominee’s email and stealing her identification. It was Taraji’s manager who noticed the fraud of $4,000 and canceled the transactions that were in Taraji’s name but were being shipped to an address on the city’s south side. It’s unknown how the two knew each other and if any other Empire stars have fallen victim to her game, the Tribune noted. Newby, who is also 6-months pregnant with her seventh child, has been accused of having multiple victims racking fraudulent charges of more than $12,000. Authorities also began to look at her after she got into a fight with a mail carrier who refused to deliver the packages to her home due to suspicion of fraud. Chicago woman accused of stealing identity of 'Empire' actress Taraji Henson: Report https://t.co/Msgr2tCRBD pic.twitter.com/R0KIPyZlE1 — ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) July 30, 2019 But it wasn’t until last Saturday, after she stole a bag at a pawn shop and the mail carrier identified her in surveillance video, was she finally arrested. In court with Newby crying in front of the judge, her lawyer claimed that his client suffered from bipolar disorder. The judge must have felt generous that day, releasing Newby on $10,000 bail. She will be back in court on August 8. Taraji has yet to make a public statement about the incident. RELATED NEWS: How Taraji P. Henson Relates To ‘Best Of Enemies’ Character: You Always Feel Like You’re Fighting For Equality Taraji P. Henson Lets Us In On A Little Secret: My Fiancé Wears Magnums The Nation’s Oldest Veteran Is The Victim Of Identity Theft [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”2933542″ overlay=”true”]
Kim Kardashian delivered a major plot twist when she revealed she was studying to become a lawyer earlier this year. It may be hard to imagine Kim representing anyone in court, and not just because she hasn't yet passed her Bar exam. But now that Wendy Williams is calling out for Kim's help, it's clear that Kim's influence and legal know-how are already in high demand . In a recent segment on her talk show show, Wendy Williams asked Kim Kardashian to help get A$AP Rocky released from jail in Sweeden. The 30-year-old rapper was arrested for assault after he and his crew were involved in a street altercation in Stockholm late last month. The beatdown was caught on camera, but Rocky's lawyer insists that it was done in self-defense. Additional footage of the incident, posted to the rapper's Instagram seems to confirm the lawyer's account. In the videos, we can plainly see that Rocky and his crew are being followed and harrassed by shrimpy guys who should really know better. Rocky and his entourage all but beg the two men to leave them alone and “walk the other way.” Of course, both men repeatedly refused to take the advice and continued to stalk the crew around Stockholm, resulting in the eventual fight and arrests. Look, laws are laws, and violence should always be discouraged. But after watching the tapes, it's hard not to feel like those jerks had it coming. Wendy Williams seems to think of the Swedish as organized, healthy, and humane, and assumed their prisons would follow suit. “I'm thinking the prison probably has down sheets, 700 thread count,” Wendy says in the clip. She muses, “You can eat the meatballs like at IKEA all day long.” But Wendy was appalled by the reality of Rocky's imprisonment when she learned of the horrific, inhumane conditions in his cell. “It's Holy Hell!” Wendy reveals about the prison. She goes on to explain that he sleeps “down on the floor” on something akin to a yoga mat. She adds that he has no cell-mate, and he's been alone in his cell for 16 days. “This is stupid, he needs to be released,” Wendy asserts. Apparently, this is where Kim Kardashian comes in. Wendy Williams feels that if Kim were to speak up about this, her voice would make a difference. Kim would be joining a handful of other celebrities who have spoken out about the wrongful imprisonment, including Al Sharpton, Snoop Dogg, and even Donald Trump. In fact, it's Snoop Dogg who first mentions that Kim should get involved, as Wendy's clip shows. “Hey Kim Kardashian,” Snoop says in a self-recorded video post, “go get Rocky out of jail.” “Look out for us,” the famous rapper entreats, adding “The black community needs this.” Snoop and Wendy both also call on Kanye West to simply make his wife help Rocky out, in case their pleas didn't reach her directly. But why Kim Kardashian? What exactly do all these celebrities expect her to do? Well, the “queen of celebrities” as Wendy calls her, is on track to becoming a full-fledged lawyer. And although she may not be legally certified yet, she may have a more a nuanced perspective of this issue from a legal standpoint. “She's involved with the law right now,” Wendy points out, “and this would be a big feather in her cap if she can help make this happen.” Truly, Kim's influence is so mighty that she could bring a lot of attention to Rocky's plight without ever stepping into the courtroom. But Wendy ackowledges that Kim can't pull this off all by herself. “When I say help, I mean she should not be the main person,” Wendy clarifies, suggesting Kim contact a law firm. Wendy goes on to explain that “Kim needs to be in the shadows, but clearly present, making it happen.” Wendy also suggests that Kim go so far as to make use of her connections with the white house, pushing our government to fast-track the issue with Sweeden. We love this fantasy of Kim as some kind of fame-powered superhero, fighting for justice from “the shadows” despite her insane level of visibility. We think Wendy may be giving Kim a little bit too much credit. But we live in a time when celebrities seem to make all the rules, so honestly, who even knows anymore? In any event, the world will know more about A$AP Rocky's fate on Friday, when prosecutors must either formally charge him or request to extend his detainment.
Source: Gabriel Olsen/WireImage/Raymond Hall/GC Images) / Getty Rob Kardashian Refuses To Allow Dream On Blac Chyna Show Rob Kardashian isn’t really here for Blac Chyna’s clout-chasing shenanigans. According to TMZ , Chyna wants to put her 2-year-old daughter Dream on full reality TV blast and Rob ain’t trying to hear it. Chyna sent Rob release forms to sign and his lawyer Marty Singer replied with a letter threatening major legal action if Chyna tries to proceed without Rob’s consent. Rob and Chyna have 50/50 custody of Dream and there is absolutely nothing that Chyna can do without his blessing. Outside of the drama that he has already gone through with his buxom, blonde, baby mama, Rob’s own experience with reality TV hasn’t exactly been 5-stars. He doesn’t want his daughter exposed to the long days of shooting, staging lights, and everything else that comes along with f***ery production. “Should The Zeus Network proceed with releasing any episodes of the Series or related materials containing Dream’s likeness, it will be acting at its own peril and exposing itself to significant liability.” Can’t really blame Rob. Chyna just fought her mother and hairdresser in just a matter of weeks.
Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty Dr. Gregory Lovallo Demands $15K From Rapper & Claims She Was “Unjustly Enriched” By False Insurance Claim A Northern New Jersey urologist has accused Lil Kim of cashing in on an insurance scam all the while failing to pay $15,000 for specialized medical treatment that may have been part of the con. Dr. Gregory Lovallo sued the “All About The Benjamins” rapper earlier this month for breach of contract, saying he provided urology-related health care to Lil Kim – whose real name is Kimberly Jones – but the rapper never paid her $15,000 bill for it. And the urologist alleges that Kim’s treatment may have been related to an insurance scam that she later profited off of. The doctor does not go into detail about what made him suspect that Kim was allegedly part of an insurance scheme, but does say that she was “unjustly enriched” as a result, court papers state. “Based upon information and belief, defendant improperly converted insurance proceeds to his/her own personal use,” Dr. Lovallo’s complaint, which was obtained by BOSSIP, states. “Based upon information and belief, defendant was unjustly enriched.” Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty The doctor wants the $15,000, plus interest and his lawyer’s fees paid. We’ve reached out to Dr. Lovallo’s lawyer for comment. Kim, who filed for bankruptcy last year after admitting owing millions to creditors, hadn’t responded to the case as of May 31. However, if she doesn’t answer the doctor’s complaint by next month, a judge could put her in default over the case.
Days after Maleah Davis’ stepfather was arrested and weeks after she went missing, Texas authorities confirmed that they are searching for the 4-year-old near a haunted house in Texas. According to FOX 26 , Texas Equusearch coordinator confirmed that they are looking for the child near the Creepy Hollow Haunted House in Rosharon where Derion Vence was arrested in connection to the case. Apparently, Vence is familiar with that area because he worked as a mail carrier in the town from 2017-2018. “All we look for is something that doesn’t fit in,” Jack Boggess with Texas Equusearch told FOX 26. “We look for clothing, shoes, whatever. Just something that doesn’t fit in, and that’s what we key on.” KHOU reported that Vence’s mother-in-law claims that Vence once told her that if he killed anyone he would hide them in Rosharon because no one would ever find the body. Search for Maleah Davis: A deserted haunted house in Rosharon is the scene where Equusearch is currently looking for any evidence of the missing 4-year-old girl. They tell me law enforcement pointed them in this direction. pic.twitter.com/SqerNhegt3 — Ivory Hecker FOX 26 (@IvoryHecker) May 14, 2019 On Saturday night, Vence was arrested and charged with tampering with evidence—a human corpse— after investigators discovered the young girl’s blood in his home and reviewed surveillance footage that shows the 26-year-old walking out of his apartment carrying a heavy laundry basket. It’s been nearly two weeks since Vence claimed that a group of Latino men kidnapped Davis when they were on their way to pick up Davis’ mother, Brittany Bowens, from the airport. He told authorities that he stopped to fix a flat tire when the men came and knocked him out. According to Vence, the men took Davis, but left Vence’s 1-year-old son him. A taxi driver later found Vence’s car in Missouri City on May 9. Last week, Bowens and her lawyer made some serious accusations against Vence, claiming that he was upset with her because she broke off their engagement. That, and he may have been molesting her daughter. “On the day that Brittany left to be with her sick father — her dying father — to be with family, there was a huge fight between her and him,” Quanell X, her lawyer said in a press conference on May 10. “He was hurt, he was angry, he was upset,” adding, “She told him she was giving back his ring and that she was not going to marry him. I believe that caused him to snap in anger. There is a reason to believe, based on what I know now, there’s issues of him possibly molesting young Maleah.” Despite having suspicions of possible sexual abuse, Bowens never reported it to the police. But KTRK reported that in January 2019 Davis and two other siblings were removed from her home as CPS investigated allegations of physical abuse related to a severe head injury she endured. Yet, the children were returned the following month when it was determined that Davis’ injuries were the result of a fall. Meanwhile, law enforcement officials have not yet confirmed whether Davis has died, but investigators do not think she is still alive. Davis was last seen wearing a pink bow in her hair, a light blue zip jacket, blue jeans and gray, white and pink sneakers. If you have any information into Davis’ disappearance please contact Houston Police at at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. RELATED NEWS: UPDATE: Black Woman Shot And Killed By Texas Cop Was Not Pregnant Two Miami Sisters Killed In Drive-By Shooting, Police Searching For Suspects DR Authorities Believe Two Bodies Found Are Missing New York Couple
