He said he fired her because she was 15 minutes late. LLS According to TMZ: Magic Johnson has been sued by a former employee who claims the NBA legend is SUPER SERIOUS when it comes to snacks … because he forced her to “regularly squeeze his red vines to make sure they were soft.” The woman behind the lawsuit is 45-year-old Lanita Thomas — who claims she served as Magic’s personal flight attendant on his private jet from 2004 until last month … when Magic fired her ass. In her suit, filed in L.A. County Superior Court, Thomas claims Magic was full of crap when he told her she was let go because she showed up to work 15 minutes late one day. Thomas claims the real reason Magic wanted her gone is because he wanted a “substantially younger woman” to service him in the air. In her suit, Thomas admits she WAS 15 minutes late to work one day … but says it was only because Magic insists on two specific types of turkey meat on his sandwiches … and she was held up at the deli counter. She also says Magic was “very particular that all snacks were fresh” … especially when it came to liquorice. *Editor’s note — stale Red Vines are delicious* In addition to wrongful termination, Lanita also claims Magic failed to pay her overtime and provide her with legally required breaks during her work shifts. She’s asking for unspecified damages. Calls to Magic have not been returned. We’re gonna call a foul on this one. Magic may have his own skeletons but we can’t picture homeboy posted up on his private jet making his flight attendant squeeze his ballz. Images via WENN
With the first Iron Man 3 trailer premiering on Tuesday, Disney whet franchise fans’ appetites by releasing a 17-second teaser trailer and poster for the latest installment of the metallic Marvel superhero saga. The trailer is one of those blink-and-you-miss-it deals that raises more questions than it answers, but, based on the movie-trailer-foreshadowing course I took in college, Pepper Potts ( Gwyneth Paltrow ) will be in some definite danger come May. Next to Downey, Potts’ character gets even more attention than what appears to be a from-the-rear shot of super-villain Mandarin, who will be played by Ben Kingsley . The weird thing is that when I first saw the Potts scene, I thought Paltrow was laughing. I figured this was trailer shorthand for establishing Potts/Paltrow as such a heart-lifting force in cynical Tony Stark’s life that, well, something bad has to happen to her. Turns out the teaser trailer is way more direct than that. Judging from Paltrow’s sweaty appearance and confinement in some weird restraining device that looks like it was borrowed from a Six Flags roller coaster, Pepper’s in a world of pain. Could it be [cue ominous music]…torture at the hands of the dastardly Mandarin? (More about him in a later post.) Either that, or maybe Paltrow’s character is undergoing some kind of state-of-the-art psychological treatment in which she’s just learned that Goop was seriously jank idea. Regardless of the interpretation of Gwynnie’s facial expression, my conclusion remains the same: She’s going to be in harm’s way in Iron Man 3 , which jibes with the this-time-it’s-personal synopsis that Disney released on Thursday. In case you’ve forgotten: Marvel Studios’ “Iron Man 3” pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man? Here’s the teaser trailer. I hope tomorrow’s longer version reveals more. Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Michaels claims a piece of the set at the show contributed to a brain hemorrhage that nearly killed him. By Gil Kaufman Bret Michaels Photo: Paul Archuleta/ Getty Images It was supposed to be his big Broadway debut, but when Poison singer Bret Michaels performed at the 2009 Tony Awards all he came away with was a viral video and a huge headache. Three years after the stage accident seen ’round the world, Michaels has settled a lawsuit against the organizers of the show during which he was hit on the head with a set piece after he and his band performed “Nothin’ But a Good Time.” In the suit, Michaels claimed that he suffered head injuries that later contributed to an April 2010 brain hemorrhage that nearly killed him. According to the Associated Press the confidential settlement also covers Michaels’ claims against CBS Broadcasting, which aired the show. Michaels had blamed the network for televising the moment that turned into a buzzed-about viral video that was viewed millions of times online. He also claimed Tony Awards producers never warned him there would be a set change after he finished singing the classic 1998 Poison hit “Good Time.” At the time of the accident, the set piece descended rapidly and appeared to hit an unaware Michaels in the face hard enough to snap his head back. He was initially left with a cut lip and broken nose , but the lawsuit claimed that the accident also caused brain bleeding. Michaels was rushed to the hospital in April 2010, where doctors found he had a brain hemorrhage, which was followed by a stroke the singer said nearly killed him. Michaels never said how much compensation he was seeking, but claimed in the suit that the injury hampered his ability to perform at later shows. An attorney for Michaels said details of the settlement would not be released and spokespeople for CBS and the Tonys released a joint statement saying that “an amicable resolution” had been reached but no further details would be released. Related Artists Bret Michaels
This ain’t good Johnny boy, this ain’t good at all… John Travolta Has Another Masseur Accuse Him Of Sexual Assault The second alleged victim says that on January 28, 2012, at an Atlanta, Georgia resort, during an in-room massage, Travolta removed the sheet from his body and asked for his buttocks to be massaged, during which time he opened his legs to reveal an erection. He then tried to “force Doe Plaintiff No. 2′s hand on Travolta’s scrotum. Then, Travolta started to grab, rub and caress Doe Plaintiff no. 2′s upper thighs and buttocks,” RadarOnline.com reports the lawsuit states. The first alleged victim told a similar story, alleging Travolta, 58, touched the unnamed plaintiff’s genitals, propositioned him and touched himself lewdly. Travolta’s rep said in a statement to E! News that John Doe No. 1′s claim was a lie and the “Pulp Fiction” star was on the East Coast on the day the incident allegedly occurred. “This lawsuit is complete fiction and fabrication,” it reads. “None of the events claimed in the suit ever occurred. The plaintiff, who refuses to give their name, knows that the suit is a baseless lie. “Plaintiff’s attorney has filed this suit to try and get his 15 minutes of fame. John intends to get this case thrown out and then he will sue the attorney and plaintiff for malicious prosecution.” Looks like this thing is gonna get worse before it gets better. Hold ya head John, or, better yet, don’t! Source
Do the right thing Twist! Twista , his record labels, and promoters are all being sued for the death of a bodyguard, Arthur “Butch” Nixon, who passed away following a tour bus crash in 2004. His family recently filed the suit that claims Twista’s cousin, Otis Bankhead, should not have been allowed to drive the bus: The family of a bodyguard who was killed in a 2004 tour bus crash is suing Chicago-based rapper Twista and his management companies. Arthur “Butch” Dixon, 45, died of multiple blunt force trauma injuries in a rollover crash in Pennsylvania after the driver, Twista’s cousin, Otis Bankhead, fell asleep at the wheel as Twista and his entourage returned to Chicago from a concert in New York. Dixon, an accomplished jazz pianist and son of legendary bluesman Willie Dixon, and all the other passengers were thrown from the customized van. The lawsuit states Bankhead had a history of driving violations and his license was suspended at the time of the crash. The lawsuit mirrors one filed just two years after the crash, which lawyers for Dixon’s wife and three children dropped last year. The suit claims Twista, whose real name is Carl Mitchell, as well as his record label and promoters should have barred Bankhead from driving. While it is incredibly sad that he lost his life, it seems like they waited a long time to file this suit. Source More On Bossip! Don’t Be Ashamed: A Gallery Of Women That Men Are Embarrassed To Admit They’d Chop Down Shook Ones:The Dumbest Celebrity Lies Of All Time Billionaire Beach Bums: BeyBey And Hov Lay Out In St. Barths, First Swimsuit Pictures Since Birth Of Blue Ivy! On The Party Scene: Busty Bangers Sheneka Adams, Erica Mena, And Natalie Nunn Let It All Hang Out In ATL [Photos]
Can models covered from head to toe conquer the catwalk? It’s no secret that the fashion industry isn’t shy about baring all — so when we heard about a new modeling agency being founded for Muslim models, we liked the idea, but just weren’t sure it would work. Check out the details and tell us if you think it could work! Modeling and modesty are two words that seem mutually exclusive, but a Muslim fashion designer in New York City is trying to change that. A new agency for Muslim models, called Underwraps , is launching next week during New York Fashion Week. Its goal? To prove that models can be gorgeous, stylish, and yet still maintain their religious beliefs. Nailah Lymus is an American-born Muslim whose parents converted to Islam before she was born… Lymus is a self-taught designer who originally studied child development. While interning at a boutique, she ended up designing and selling some pieces there, and what was once a hobby suddenly got lucrative. She’s since made it a full time profession, and has turned her eye towards models. Specifically, Muslim models. There historically haven’t been many well-known Muslim models in western fashion, but that may be changing. Lancôme just signed its first ever Muslim model, Hanaa Ben Abdesslem, who’s Tunisian. Abdesslem broke into the mainstream after debuting on Vivienne Westwood’s runway, and is signed with IMG. Abdesslem doesn’t have her head covered in photographs, and doesn’t seem to be adhering—at least in her professional life—to modesty standards, and Lymus acknowledged that it has to be that way to get recognition right now. “[Muslim models] come from a background where they dress Islamically appropriate, but to be in this industry and to be a model you kind of have to forfeit that,” Lymus said. “That’s why I wanted to start this agency, so you don’t have to do that. You don’t have to lose who you are to be in this business.” To that end, she’s starting Underwraps as an agency for girls who are committed to maintaining modesty standards in their dress, but hope to work with mainstream designers. That’s Lymus’ long-term goal. “We take things seriously and are professional just like other models. During fashion week I’ll be sending them out to castings just like anyone else,” she told me. Right now Underwraps has four girls in development, who aren’t officially signed yet. She’ll bring them to industry events during fashion week and let them get a taste of the attention. Besides having a “look”, Lymus believes that the girls have to have strong personalites and be able to handle the pressures of the industry, and also the misconceptions. Especially since 9/11, there’s a lot of misunderstanding about Islam and its expectations of women. Lymus hopes to shatter the more common ones—like that women can’t work or that they have to wear full abayas. Could an agency like this succeed? It would take a special girl, and an open-minded designer to make it happen. While runways featuring lots of bare skin tend to get attention, there are many designers who could theoretically use Muslim models. Haider Ackermann’s spring show, which featured layered looks and even veils, is one that comes to mind. Regardless of whether or not Underwraps is successful, we love that agencies featuring non-traditional models are trying to make a go of it. We could see there being certain shoots and shows these models could do, but it seems like it might not be enough work to really pay the bills. Besides, why hire a model who won’t strip down when there are so many who will? Source More On Bossip! Ladies, Can We Watch?: RihRih Asks Ochocinco’s Permission To Get In Evelyn Lozada’s Panties Lady Lovin’: The 10 Most “Lesbihonest” Cities in America (Part 2) Wait, There’s More! A History Of Slore-y “Journalists” That Showed Off Their Cakes At Super Bowl Media Day For The Ladies: The Best Super Bowl Bangin’ Baller BAWWWWDIES!!! [Photos]
Beyotch you wasn’t with me singing in the booth!!! According to TMZ reports : Drake is finally firing back at the disgruntled female vocalist featured on his hit song “Marvin’s Room” … telling TMZ he NEVER threatened the woman when she complained about payment. Earlier this week — a woman named Ericka Lee filed a lawsuit against Drake, in which she claimed she co-wrote the song but never got proper credit. In her suit, Lee claims Drake warned her that if she didn’t back off about payment … he had “people” who would take care of “issues like her.” But Drake’s rep says, “This claim is entirely without merit and our client has not engaged in any wrongful conduct.” The rep also claims Lee consented to have her voice used in “Marvin’s Room” without compensation … adding, “Drake tried for months to resolve the matter amicably, and he now looks forward to being vindicated in court.” In her suit, Lee claims she and Drake were engaged in a romantic relationship for more than a year between 2010 and 2011 … but sources tell us the rapper is adamant there was never a relationship between the two. Guess chicks like Ericka Lee are why Drake has so many “Trust Issues”… More On Bossip! Ladies, Can We Watch?: RihRih Asks Ochocinco’s Permission To Get In Evelyn Lozada’s Panties Lady Lovin’: The 10 Most “Lesbihonest” Cities in America (Part 2) Wait, There’s More! A History Of Slore-y “Journalists” That Showed Off Their Cakes At Super Bowl Media Day For The Ladies: The Best Super Bowl Bangin’ Baller BAWWWWDIES!!! [Photos]
With just over two months to go until the release of The Hunger Games , Lionsgate has released the final poster for this sure-to-be blockbuster. It features Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen and it’s just as awesome as all other promotional material so far: But while the excitement over The Hunger Games builds each day, and while its core audience may also be comprised of teenage girls, Josh Hutcherson recently spoke to E! News and stopped the comparisons to another franchise right then and there. “I’m not a huge fan of the comparisons to Twilight just because I think it’s a very different world,” the actor behind Peeta said. “I understand why people make the connection just because it’s a popular teen book… but the story is really more about Katniss and her survival. There’s definitely less romance.” Find out for yourself on March 23 when Suzanne Collins’ novel hits the big screen.
Brittany Kerr, a cheerleader for the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats and now a contestant on American Idol, probably can’t challenge Phillip Phillips on talent alone. She does bring other attributes to the table, however. A massive surge in traffic from peeps looking for Brittany Kerr bikini photos crashed her manager’s website the following day, according to reports. Not only that, she’s on her way to Hollywood! J.Lo wasn’t impressed with her audition (below), but Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson sent her through. Big surprise. No word if she’ll don a two-piece in the next round … Brittany Kerr American Idol Audition Kerr’s management company wasn’t the only thing affected. Jim Merrill, a photographer who recently shot Kerr in a bikini, had to buy more bandwidth. Merrill typically gets about 5,000 hits a month on his website. Just moments after Kerr’s audition, his traffic ballooned to 20,000 hits … Wednesday. The moral of the story? People love their American Idol. And cyber stalking pics of hot girls who become Z-list celebrities overnight. U-S-A! U-S-A!
Ben Roethlisberger has settled the lawsuit filed against him by Andrea McNulty in 2009 – the first of two incidents in which he was accused of sexual assault. The civil lawsuit filed by McNulty, a former Lake Tahoe casino host, claiming the NFL star raped her while he was in town for a golf tournament in 2008. Neither side will say if Andrea McNulty was paid in the settlement. McNulty filed the suit in Washoe District Court in 2009, claiming Roethlisberger lured her into his Harrah’s penthouse suite and forced her to have sex. The suit also named a list of Harrah’s employees, claiming they covered up the alleged sexual assault to protect the Pittsburgh Steelers superstar. McNulty’s lawyer, Cal Dunlap, refused to discuss the terms of the case . Roethlisberger’s lawyer, David Cornwell, and his agent, also had no comment. McNulty claimed Roethlisberger asked her to come to his suite to fix his broken television, only to force her onto the bed and rape her, the suit said. Lawyers for Roethlisberger denied the claims, and the casino denied covering it up. McNulty was accused by some of trying to extort money from him. The star faced similar allegations in Georgia only one year later when a second Ben Roethlisberger accuser said he sexually assaulted her after a night of drinking. Authorities investigated the allegations, but no charges were filed.
