Tag Archives: Celebrity Gossip

Meredith Phillips, Former Bachelorette Star, Says She Was Drugged and Assaulted on Season 2

Meredith Phillips, the star of ABC’s Bachelorette back in 2004, said this week on a podcast that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by a crew member on the set of this long-running ABC reality show. It’s a damning and troubling accusation. Per Reality Blured,  Phillips made this allegation while speaking to Steve Carbone (aka Reality Steve) in response to a question about the most challenging aspect of production. “Well, besides being always really tired and some of the producers were – how do I say this? Helpful but not helpful, in terms of trying to make me relax,” Phillips replied, somewhat mysteriously. She then elaborated: “Normally, I wouldn’t talk about this, but I’m going to tell you because it’s bothered me for years. “And I know another friend of mine who was working on the show felt the same experience I did, about getting roofied and in a hot tub and kind of accosted.” Wait… what? Roofied? As in: someone drugged Phillips and took advantage of her? Yes, she says. The allegedly awful deed was done by “a masseuse that a producer hired to come into my room and to give me a massage,” says Phillips. The ex-reality star says she assumed the pill this person gave her was an “aspirin or something to loosen up my back.” But… “It definltey wasn’t that, that’s for sure. The last thing I remember was she got naked and she was in the tub with me, and rubbing my back and rubbing areas probably she shouldn’t have. “And then I was put in bed. I woke up naked. Don’t remember much.” Yikes. That’s extremely disturbing to hear. Phillips, whose season of The Bachelorette was filmed in 2003 and aired in early 2004, said that the experience was “hard for me to talk about because I think I’ve put it somewhere else in my brain.” She was rejected by Bob Guiney on The Bachelor Season 4, finishing as the third runner-up, prior to starring as The Bachelorette and selecting Ian McKee as her winning suitior. The couple broke up in February of 2005. Thinking back on this horrifying incident, Phillips said once whatever she had taken kicked in, “I literally couldn’t even move my body, so I have no idea what the pill was, at all. “All I know is that I was told that, ‘This will make you feel better.'” ABC is yet to address this charge, but we’d expect the network to make a statement at some point. Why didn’t she leave the series after this happened? There was “definitely a part of me” that wanted to, she acknowledges, “but I am also the kind of person that finishes what she starts… “It is a huge deal. I have worked through it.” The story has come out just days before Becca Kufrin debuts as The Bachelorette on Season 14. View Slideshow: The Bachelorette Season 14: Who Are Becca’s Men?

Originally posted here:
Meredith Phillips, Former Bachelorette Star, Says She Was Drugged and Assaulted on Season 2

Meredith Phillips, Former Bachelorette Star, Says She Was Drugged and Assaulted on Season 2

Meredith Phillips, the star of ABC’s Bachelorette back in 2004, said this week on a podcast that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by a crew member on the set of this long-running ABC reality show. It’s a damning and troubling accusation. Per Reality Blured,  Phillips made this allegation while speaking to Steve Carbone (aka Reality Steve) in response to a question about the most challenging aspect of production. “Well, besides being always really tired and some of the producers were – how do I say this? Helpful but not helpful, in terms of trying to make me relax,” Phillips replied, somewhat mysteriously. She then elaborated: “Normally, I wouldn’t talk about this, but I’m going to tell you because it’s bothered me for years. “And I know another friend of mine who was working on the show felt the same experience I did, about getting roofied and in a hot tub and kind of accosted.” Wait… what? Roofied? As in: someone drugged Phillips and took advantage of her? Yes, she says. The allegedly awful deed was done by “a masseuse that a producer hired to come into my room and to give me a massage,” says Phillips. The ex-reality star says she assumed the pill this person gave her was an “aspirin or something to loosen up my back.” But… “It definltey wasn’t that, that’s for sure. The last thing I remember was she got naked and she was in the tub with me, and rubbing my back and rubbing areas probably she shouldn’t have. “And then I was put in bed. I woke up naked. Don’t remember much.” Yikes. That’s extremely disturbing to hear. Phillips, whose season of The Bachelorette was filmed in 2003 and aired in early 2004, said that the experience was “hard for me to talk about because I think I’ve put it somewhere else in my brain.” She was rejected by Bob Guiney on The Bachelor Season 4, finishing as the third runner-up, prior to starring as The Bachelorette and selecting Ian McKee as her winning suitior. The couple broke up in February of 2005. Thinking back on this horrifying incident, Phillips said once whatever she had taken kicked in, “I literally couldn’t even move my body, so I have no idea what the pill was, at all. “All I know is that I was told that, ‘This will make you feel better.'” ABC is yet to address this charge, but we’d expect the network to make a statement at some point. Why didn’t she leave the series after this happened? There was “definitely a part of me” that wanted to, she acknowledges, “but I am also the kind of person that finishes what she starts… “It is a huge deal. I have worked through it.” The story has come out just days before Becca Kufrin debuts as The Bachelorette on Season 14. View Slideshow: The Bachelorette Season 14: Who Are Becca’s Men?

Originally posted here:
Meredith Phillips, Former Bachelorette Star, Says She Was Drugged and Assaulted on Season 2

Jenelle Evans & David Eason: The Haters Want Us to Get Divorced!

Divorce rumors seem to circulate non-stop for just about every married couple in the Teen Mom franchise. (With the exception of Cole DeBoer and Chelsea Houska , of course. No one seems to doubt that those two are in it for the long haul.) But there’s only one marriage that fans actively want to fail: Yes, every time there’s a new report that Jenelle Evans and David Eason are getting divorced , a certain segment of the Teen Mom 2 fandom jumps for joy. It’s not so much that they all want Jenelle to be miserable (although some certainly do). It’s more that the longer the Evans-Eason marriage continues, the more likely it is to end in disaster. And since the couple has five kids between them, most viewers would like to see them call it quits before any irreparable harm is done. But no matter how much you tweet or how many David- and Jenelle-shaped voodoo dolls you lock in separate cabinets, it seems Ensley’s mom and dad are still going strong. It’s a sad fact that fans were reminded of during this week’s episode of Teen Mom 2 . The drama-packed reunion special saw Jenelle flipping out on just about every adult in her life except for David. At one point, she absolutely lost it on Nathan Griffth’s girlfriend, Ashley Lanhardt, for daring to hug her mother, the infamous Barbara Evans; “Because you wanna hug my mother in front of everyone,” Jenelle shrieked in an attempt to justify her tantrum. “Me and my mom have turmoil right now.”  This, among other things, caused Babs to lose it: “You f-cking b-tch! I have never seen you like this ever,” she told Jenelle. “Even on drugs, you didn’t act like this.” At that point, David stepped in, because of course, he did: “You’re right, Barb, you’ve never seen her like this because you’ve never seen her stand up for herself.” David probably thought that was a witheringly clever comment, and amazingly, Jenelle agreed with him. It was then that she made the remark that forced those are eagerly hoping for a Jenelle-David breakup to abandon all hope: “I love how everyone hates us so much, but we’re so in love and happy with each other that it’s just like we don’t give a f–k,” Jenelle stated. “Nothing’s wrong with us.” Obviously, Jenelle has said a lot of questionable things over the years – but that last sentence might be her most ridiculous to date. Watch Teen Mom 2 online to remind yourself of just ridiculous Jenelle and David truly are. View Slideshow: David Eason Taunts Kailyn Lowry: You Deserve to Get Your Ass Kicked!

Here is the original post:
Jenelle Evans & David Eason: The Haters Want Us to Get Divorced!

Jenelle Evans & David Eason: The Haters Want Us to Get Divorced!

Divorce rumors seem to circulate non-stop for just about every married couple in the Teen Mom franchise. (With the exception of Cole DeBoer and Chelsea Houska , of course. No one seems to doubt that those two are in it for the long haul.) But there’s only one marriage that fans actively want to fail: Yes, every time there’s a new report that Jenelle Evans and David Eason are getting divorced , a certain segment of the Teen Mom 2 fandom jumps for joy. It’s not so much that they all want Jenelle to be miserable (although some certainly do). It’s more that the longer the Evans-Eason marriage continues, the more likely it is to end in disaster. And since the couple has five kids between them, most viewers would like to see them call it quits before any irreparable harm is done. But no matter how much you tweet or how many David- and Jenelle-shaped voodoo dolls you lock in separate cabinets, it seems Ensley’s mom and dad are still going strong. It’s a sad fact that fans were reminded of during this week’s episode of Teen Mom 2 . The drama-packed reunion special saw Jenelle flipping out on just about every adult in her life except for David. At one point, she absolutely lost it on Nathan Griffth’s girlfriend, Ashley Lanhardt, for daring to hug her mother, the infamous Barbara Evans; “Because you wanna hug my mother in front of everyone,” Jenelle shrieked in an attempt to justify her tantrum. “Me and my mom have turmoil right now.”  This, among other things, caused Babs to lose it: “You f-cking b-tch! I have never seen you like this ever,” she told Jenelle. “Even on drugs, you didn’t act like this.” At that point, David stepped in, because of course, he did: “You’re right, Barb, you’ve never seen her like this because you’ve never seen her stand up for herself.” David probably thought that was a witheringly clever comment, and amazingly, Jenelle agreed with him. It was then that she made the remark that forced those are eagerly hoping for a Jenelle-David breakup to abandon all hope: “I love how everyone hates us so much, but we’re so in love and happy with each other that it’s just like we don’t give a f–k,” Jenelle stated. “Nothing’s wrong with us.” Obviously, Jenelle has said a lot of questionable things over the years – but that last sentence might be her most ridiculous to date. Watch Teen Mom 2 online to remind yourself of just ridiculous Jenelle and David truly are. View Slideshow: David Eason Taunts Kailyn Lowry: You Deserve to Get Your Ass Kicked!

Here is the original post:
Jenelle Evans & David Eason: The Haters Want Us to Get Divorced!

R. Kelly: Sued for Alleged Sexual Battery, False Imprisonment

The allegations about R. Kelly’s sex cult house of horrors are enough to keep you up at night. And they just keep coming. While the Time’s Up movement pushes to #MuteRKelly , yet another woman who says that she was one of his victims is speaking out. In fact, she’s taking him to court. In court documents filed in a New York lawsuit and obtained by E! , Faith Rodgers accuses Kelly of a number of things. She says that he would lock her in secluded areas for extended periods of time as punishment. She accuses him of “willfully, deliberately, and maliciously” infecting her with herpes. R. Kelly is accused of recording her without her consent during sexual contact. He is accused of both forceful and non-consensual sexual contact with Faith. She also says that he inflicted mental, sexual, and verbal abuse upon her during their relationship, which spanned for nearly a year. Faith’s attorney, Lydia C. Hills, explains why they filed this lawsuit in New York. “The criminal investigation is still ongoing in the state of Texas.” It comes down, in part, to jurisdiction. “We have decided to file the civil suit in New York, as this is the location where the initial sexual contact and several other incidents took place.” Faith herself shares her horrifying allegations about that initial contact, below. “My goal is simply to obtain justice for my client, and hopefully, prevent this from happening to anyone else.” They are seeking damages in a jury trial. In an interview with CBS This Morning , Faith describes an upsetting-to-read encounter with R. Kelly that took place in New York. “He turns on all the lights and he’s like, ‘Take off your clothes’ and he says it with authority in his voice.” That is unsurprising from a man who is accustomed to having women obey his every command. “I didn’t take off my clothes because why would I? I just wasn’t ready for sex.” Unfortunately, he then forced non-consensual sex upon her, Faith alleges. “He has this type of like intimidation right off the bat, so I was just waiting for it to be over.” On top of that, she says that he did not warn her that he had herpes. R. Kelly is accused of keeping women as “pets,” and we are all too familiar with accusations of him isolating them and depriving them of food. Faith says that she got out before she was fully part of his traveling group of kept women. She does, however, describe why she accuses him of false imprisonment. She says that Kelly allegedly locked her in a car for eight hours . Faith’s next words may send a chill down your spine as you take in the scope of R. Kelly’s alleged victims. Faith believes that the abuse was all to prepare her to become another one of his “pets.” “He goes on to tell me that he raises five women — some of them have been with him for 15 years and he basically was trying to make it seem like it was a family thing.” Creepy. And those words are very familiar. “Raising” is a word fans have heard before, in references to women whom R. Kelly allegedly “trained” since they were minors. Including an alleged  14-year-old sex slave . It sounds like some women have lost their entire lives to Kelly. Faith, at least, got away from what her life might have been with Kelly. R. Kelly has always strongly denied the allegations against him. View Slideshow: Hollywood Sex Scandal: Who’s Been Caught? Accused? Fired?

View original post here:
R. Kelly: Sued for Alleged Sexual Battery, False Imprisonment

R. Kelly: Sued for Alleged Sexual Battery, False Imprisonment

The allegations about R. Kelly’s sex cult house of horrors are enough to keep you up at night. And they just keep coming. While the Time’s Up movement pushes to #MuteRKelly , yet another woman who says that she was one of his victims is speaking out. In fact, she’s taking him to court. In court documents filed in a New York lawsuit and obtained by E! , Faith Rodgers accuses Kelly of a number of things. She says that he would lock her in secluded areas for extended periods of time as punishment. She accuses him of “willfully, deliberately, and maliciously” infecting her with herpes. R. Kelly is accused of recording her without her consent during sexual contact. He is accused of both forceful and non-consensual sexual contact with Faith. She also says that he inflicted mental, sexual, and verbal abuse upon her during their relationship, which spanned for nearly a year. Faith’s attorney, Lydia C. Hills, explains why they filed this lawsuit in New York. “The criminal investigation is still ongoing in the state of Texas.” It comes down, in part, to jurisdiction. “We have decided to file the civil suit in New York, as this is the location where the initial sexual contact and several other incidents took place.” Faith herself shares her horrifying allegations about that initial contact, below. “My goal is simply to obtain justice for my client, and hopefully, prevent this from happening to anyone else.” They are seeking damages in a jury trial. In an interview with CBS This Morning , Faith describes an upsetting-to-read encounter with R. Kelly that took place in New York. “He turns on all the lights and he’s like, ‘Take off your clothes’ and he says it with authority in his voice.” That is unsurprising from a man who is accustomed to having women obey his every command. “I didn’t take off my clothes because why would I? I just wasn’t ready for sex.” Unfortunately, he then forced non-consensual sex upon her, Faith alleges. “He has this type of like intimidation right off the bat, so I was just waiting for it to be over.” On top of that, she says that he did not warn her that he had herpes. R. Kelly is accused of keeping women as “pets,” and we are all too familiar with accusations of him isolating them and depriving them of food. Faith says that she got out before she was fully part of his traveling group of kept women. She does, however, describe why she accuses him of false imprisonment. She says that Kelly allegedly locked her in a car for eight hours . Faith’s next words may send a chill down your spine as you take in the scope of R. Kelly’s alleged victims. Faith believes that the abuse was all to prepare her to become another one of his “pets.” “He goes on to tell me that he raises five women — some of them have been with him for 15 years and he basically was trying to make it seem like it was a family thing.” Creepy. And those words are very familiar. “Raising” is a word fans have heard before, in references to women whom R. Kelly allegedly “trained” since they were minors. Including an alleged  14-year-old sex slave . It sounds like some women have lost their entire lives to Kelly. Faith, at least, got away from what her life might have been with Kelly. R. Kelly has always strongly denied the allegations against him. View Slideshow: Hollywood Sex Scandal: Who’s Been Caught? Accused? Fired?

View original post here:
R. Kelly: Sued for Alleged Sexual Battery, False Imprisonment

#TimothyCunningham Death Of Missing CDC Worker Ruled Death By Suicide

#BREAKING : CDC researcher’s death ruled a suicide by drowning https://t.co/hVCLrrXarS pic.twitter.com/iGzI7CAfjo — AJC (@ajc) May 22, 2018 Timothy Cunningham’s Death Ruled A Suicide Timothy Cunningham, the death of the Georgia CDC worker who went missing in February has been ruled a suicide. The AJC reports that the Fulton County Medical Examiner said Tuesday that the epidemiologist whose body was found in the Chattahoochee River committed suicide by drowning. The AJC adds that Cunningham’s parents told investigators their son had not been diagnosed with depression but did have mood swings. His family also asked investigators if he could have been given some type of drug that changed his behavior. Some people aren’t convinced that Cunningham self-harmed himself… What do YOU think happened???

Read more from the original source:
#TimothyCunningham Death Of Missing CDC Worker Ruled Death By Suicide

Ariana Grande Pens Beautiful Tribute on Manchester Bombing Anniversary

Tuesday was the one year anniversary of the May 22 Manchester Arena bombing that left twenty-three people dead and hundreds wounded. Ariana Grande had already performed a powerful trubute to the victims and her fellow survivors just two days earlier. To mark the anniversary, she sent out a much more direct message. Ariana tweeted from the heart, writing: “Thinking of you all today and every day.” Here she included a bee emoji, or  beemoji . The bee is the symbol of Manchester. “I love you with all of me.” She is so good and so pure. “And am sending you all of the light and warmth I have to offer on this challenging day” There is no easy or perfect way to address a tragic terrorist bombing that left dozens of children injured or dead. Some would just put up an image in memory of the fallen and of the shattered lives. After all, there are situations for which words fail. Others would pen a miniature essay, hoping that if they say enough, they can somehow live up to the gravity of the anniversary that they are mourning. But Ariana kept her tweet short and simple. She said what she needed to say. Besides, she had already said so much in a recent interview. Last week, Ariana spoke to Time . “There are so many people who have suffered such loss and pain. The processing part is going to take forever.” Trauma can last a lifetime. “Music is supposed to be the safest thing in the world.” She is so sweet. “I think that’s why it’s still so heavy on my heart every single day.” Remember, she’s a fellow survivor of that terrible suicide bomber’s attack. “I wish there was more that I could fix. You think with time it’ll become easier to talk about. Or you’ll make peace with it.” We know that it might sound fake, but recovery from trauma is possible. But it takes time. “But every day I wait for that peace to come and it’s still very painful.” Earlier this month, Ariana and Mac Miller broke up . That is not in any way comparable to the trauma of surviving a terrorist attack, but that has to be on her mind, too. However … she may have a distraction from her last relationship. In the form of her new relationship. According to People’ s report, they have been able to confirm that Ariana is casually dating Pete Davidson . Pete is part of the cast of Saturday Night Live . In fact, when he joined, he was the youngest person ever cast on SNL . He is also frequently brought up in internet arguments about which person on SNL is the most attractive, though he, like everyone else, generally loses to Kate McKinnon. According to the reports, Ariana and Pete’s relationship has “just started.” And it is said that “it’s very casual.” The two were even spotted togther at the Billboard Music Awards. “After Ariana’s performance, they were backstage and he had his arm around her.” Awww! “They seemed very lovey-dovey. He was hanging out with her and her friends with his arm around her. She seemed quite smitten.” This sounds so cute. Ariana Grande deserves good things. We hope that she’s finding comfort on this very grim anniversary. View Slideshow: Manchester Bombing: A Tribute to the Victims

See the article here:
Ariana Grande Pens Beautiful Tribute on Manchester Bombing Anniversary

For Discussion: Should Netflix Pull Their Hit Series ’13 Reasons Why’ Over School Shooting Scene

Image via JB Lacroix/WireImage/Getty Parents Television Council Want ’13 Reasons Why’ Cancelled The hit Netflix series 13 Reasons Why is again under fire for the second season. The first go-round of the teen angst series dealt with the very graphic suicide of a high school student who left her surviving classmates to figure out which one of them was ultimately responsible for her self-inflicted death. Season 2 deals with the aftermath, but adds a level of terror in the form of a school shooting. A parental watchdog group is now campaigning to get Netflix to cancel the series entirely, especially in the wake of the shooting at Santa Fe High School and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. We're issuing an urgent warning to parents and schools about @Netflix 's #13ReasonsWhy Season 2 and urging the company to pull the series entirely because of the potentially harmful content. https://t.co/tdMrXilYc9 — Parents Television Council (@ThePTC) May 21, 2018 How do you feel about this show’s depiction of violence and suicide among teens? Would you allow your children to watch? Should these type of shows be banned completely?

Visit link:
For Discussion: Should Netflix Pull Their Hit Series ’13 Reasons Why’ Over School Shooting Scene

For The Old-Heads: Nickelodeon Reveals Plans To Bring Back “Double Dare” Game Show This Summer

Nickelodeon To Bring Back ‘Double Dare’ For those of you old enough to recall Nickelodeon’s OG “slime” days, there’s some good nostalgia on the horizon. According to TMZ , the kids’ network plans to dust off a classic for a new generation of kids to enjoy. Double Dare, the classic game show where two teams faced off on trivia questions and subsequent physical challenges — typically covering themselves in loads of slime and other unidentifiable goo in the process — will return in a few short weeks. If that weren’t enough, original host Mark Summers will be back in the driver’s seat. He won’t be the host this time around, as he’s in his mid-60’s at this point, but he will have Executive Producer credit and an on-camera role, for those of you watching the game show you grew up on with kids of your own at this point. The original show ran from 1986-1993, with a couple years of reruns thereafter, and a reboot arriving back in 2000 called “Double Dare 2000.” So for those of you who have no idea what we’re talking about here…that’s probably why. We wonder…will they’ll still be giving out BK Diamond Cells as grand prizes? Getty

See the article here:
For The Old-Heads: Nickelodeon Reveals Plans To Bring Back “Double Dare” Game Show This Summer