Source: Sakura/WENN.com / WENN The woman who accused Nelly of sexual assault is now claiming that the rapper is trying to intimidate her. The woman, known only as Jane Doe, says a motion filed by Nelly in order to get her to reveal her identity is a tactic to have her drop a connected lawsuit. The Blast reports : The woman suing Nelly (who filed the case under the pseudonym Jane Doe) is responding to the rapper’s request to dismiss the case unless she reveals her identity. “Nelly is attempting to intimidate his sexual assault victim into dropping her case by publicly ‘outing’ her,” Doe’s attorney writes in a new filing. “There is no other reason.” She is demanding his motion to force her to reveal her true identity be denied by the court. The woman says Nelly and his lawyers were already informed privately of her identity last year before this lawsuit was filed. They claim, “There is no prejudice to the Defense in allowing Plaintiff to stay out of the public eye such that her identity remains known only to the Court and to the parties here.” She points out courts have repeatedly ruled that allegations of “sexual assault and rape, as in this case, concern highly sensitive and personal subjects, and that forcing the victims to identify themselves publicly would deter those victims and others from reporting their assaults.” The lawsuit is connected to a November 2017 event in England where Jane Doe claims Nelly masturbated in front of her backstage and forced his penis into her mouth. The woman is also filing a defamation lawsuit against Nelly’s girlfriend, who blasted Jane Doe’s claims on social media. — Photo: WENN
N ew Jersey Senator Cory Booker has announced his candidacy for president, joining what was expected to be a crowded field of people challenging Donald Trump for the White House. Booker, 43, made his announcement Friday morning, NBC News reported . “I believe that we can build a country where no one is forgotten, no one is left behind; where parents can put food on the table; where there are good paying jobs with good benefits in every neighborhood; where our criminal justice system keeps us safe, instead of shuffling more children into cages and coffins; where we see the faces of our leaders on television and feel pride, not shame,” he said. “It is not a matter of can we, it’s a matter of do we have the collective will, the American will? I believe we do. Together, we will channel our common pain back into our common purpose. Together, America, we will rise.” Booker’s announcement came about a week after California Sen. Kamala Harris threw her presidential hat in the ring and said she would be running for the White House. Trump and Booker have been taking shots at each other for years now. But it was perhaps Booker’s role on the Senate Judiciary Committee that may have compelled him most to run for president after he saw firsthand the types of judges Trump has been pushing to be confirmed. While he has always been a prominent voice in the Senate, Booker raised his political profile significantly during the Senate confirmation hearing for Brett Kavanaugh , who was nominated by Trump and ultimately confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice despite a damning sexual abuse scandal that resurfaced from his past. Booker was also behind the introduction and Senate passing of the landmark legislation last year to finally outlaw lynching. Booker, Harris and Republican Sen. Tim Scott introduced the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act of 2018 in June. The bill called for a life sentence for those found guilty on federal anti-lynching charges. After helping to draft the legislation in June, Booker criticized Congress for taking so long—even after the civil rights movement—to pass anti-lynching legislation. “It’s a travesty that despite repeated attempts to do so, Congress still hasn’t put anti-lynching legislation on the books. This bill will right historical wrongs by acknowledging our country’s stained past and codifying into law our commitment to abolishing this shameful practice,” he said in a statement. SEE ALSO: Cory Booker Speaks Out On Gay Rumors Cory Booker Releases More Brett Kavanaugh Documents [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3844029″ overlay=”true”]
Just days ago, Kourtney Kardashian was spotted with David Dee Duron as the two left Nobu Malibu. Rumors and speculation quickly circulated that the two of them were dating. They're hot and together, so why not? Now, Kourtney has posted a video and revealed that things were not quite what they seemed. “Last week we go out with Kourtney [Kardashian] and some friends,” Jason Kennedy shared with Giuliana Rancic in an E! News clip. “And,” Jason continued. “I jokingly said to my buddy, David [Duron], ‘hey, walk Kourtney to her car.'” Most of us walk our friends to their cars because the world is a dangerous place, especially for women. Most of us, however, are not mega-famous millionaires who are photographed everywhere they go. Jason shares that he told his friends: “'We’ll see if the paparazzi or anybody bites.’” They sure did. It turns out that Kourtney is a bit of a prankster, right? She shared the clip of Jason explaining it all. Imposed above the video were Kourtney's own words. “And cropped the other seven people out of the photos,” Kourtney accused. “Of course.” Clearly, this is intended as an indictment of the entertainment news industry's use of paparazzi photos. Entertainment news is what helped to make the Kardashians the successes that they are today. It fuels interest in them and their activities and keeps fans hooked. However, the Kardashians have a complicated relationship with the media. Sometimes, things get out that they wanted to keep secret. Other times, they feel that constant speculation by fans and blogs alike can harm their real-life relationships or even mental health. It sounds like Kourtney was just frustrated that every guy she's spotted with is assumed to be giving her the business. In real life, Kourtney and David are just friends. In fact, it sounds like their relationship is more about lots of mutual friends — which is how plenty of friendships form. We can only imagine how many messages (or, gasp, even phone calls) David has received over just a few days. From relatives to former classmates to friends, people want to know if you're boning a Kardashian. Especially if that Kardashian is the hottest of the OG sisters. And, zero offense to Kim or Khloe, but that's Kourtney. Was it a little hinky that seven entire people were allegedly cropped out of a photo? Yes. But we should point out that if you jokingly make people believe something … they might just believe it. Kourtney knows that, Jason knows that, and presumably, 27-year-old David knows that. At least, if David didn't know that before, he sure does now. It's also not exactly unfair for people to assume that Kourtney might be dating again. It was very recently that Kourtney lamented that being single sucks . She shared a screencap of an iconic scene from Notting Hill . (It was the “I'm just a girl” line, in case you weren't sure from the start) Within the screencap, Kourt confessed to wanting to once again be in love. If you have romantic inclinations, not being in love can sometimes feel less fulfilling. You miss the rush of romance. Kourtney will have no trouble finding an actual man. Why? Because she's gorgeous, rich, and famous. Everyone knows her name. Whether it's a young stud hoping to get a little name recognition or Kourtney falls for a friend with whom she has so much in common, it'll happen. The cycle of courtship — or kourtship — and romance and breakups will continue.
To be clear, the racist homophobes who attacked Jussie Smollett are the worst people on the planet. But the woman featured on this video has to rank among the bottom 10. In footage that has been viewed by nearly three million people on Facebook, this unnamed passenger was on board a United Airline flight last week when she very openly and very loudly complained about the people sitting on each side of her. The woman is in a middle seat and telling someone on the phone that the folks to her left and right are simply gross and overweight. She's saying this very much in their presence, of course. “Oh my goodness, I don’t know how I’m going to do this the next four hours. This is just impossible because they’re squishing me,” she says in the video, adding: “At least they’ll keep me warm.” After hanging up, the woman asks a flight attendant to find her a window seat and “get me out of here [because] I can’t do this.” At this point, one of the people who was the victim of the fat-shaming speaks up and says to the same flight attendant: “Excuse me, can you find her another seat? Because I will not be verbally abused by this bitch or anybody else.” When the awful individual is finally told that, yes, she can change seats, she announce for all to hear: “Thank goodness, because I eat salad, okay?” Fortunately, many other passengers then spoke out in defense of the victims and against this despicable lady. “You should be ashamed of yourself, what you’re doing is so terrible,” one person says, to which she replies: “I’m not going to be politically correct. Why don’t you sit between those two big pigs?” Thankfully, this story has a positive ending: The abuser was eventually escorted off the plane. “United flight attendants care about the safety and well being of all of our customers which is why they acted quickly to find a different seat for the disruptive customer,” a United spokesman said. “When it became clear that this passenger’s behaviour was likely to be problematic on this flight, she was provided alternate travel arrangements first thing the next morning.” WATCH THE INCIDENT UNFOLD HERE.
Source: Santiago Felipe / Getty Lil’ Mo is a sexual assault victim who doesn’t believe other sexual assault victims. Mo vehemently defended R. Kelly and condemned the parents of the teenage girls who were victims of his perversions on a recent appearance on “The Breakfast Club.” MUST READ: Lil Mo Defends Fab: I’ll Olivia Pope This Whole Situation Before I Let Somebody Take My Brother Down’ After admitting she was molested by a member of her church and that she didn’t tell her parents until she confessed it on R&B Divas at a late age, Mo, baffled by the idea of the victims not coming out, denounced the victims with the asinine comment, “Why now?” “Who raised the people?” she continued. According to Lil’ Mo, her father raised her to be aware, which, in addition to the sexual assault incident in her youth, made her an overprotective parent. Yet still, it happened to her. But perhaps that hasn’t clicked in Mo’s mind because she questioned why the victims took so long to come forward. She even acknowledged women feel “like we’re lesser.” And when she vehemently defended R. Kelly, Charlamagne interjected to add, “you can’t blame parents for the actions of a grown a** man.” Nonetheless, she proclaimed, she isn’t muting sh*t. Mo’s stance isn’t surprising. After all, she defended her former collaborator Fabolous after video of the rapper verbally assaulting his longtime lover Emily B and her father surfaced on the Internet. “One thing I refuse to allow this industry or for anybody to do is to taint his legacy,” she said. “At the end of the day I’m not going to let nobody go out as an abuser and as a..whatever they’re calling him. I’m not letting it happen. You have to protect the king.” Pretty much, Lil’ Mo is out here caping for “kings” at the expense of women and herself as she broke down moments later discussing how loyal she is to her loved ones, who aren’t as loyal to her. Lil’ Mo isn’t alone. This week, Erykah Badu and Taraji P. Henson both made troubling statements that laddered up to the support of a monster. Similar to Mo’s sentiments–Erykah Badu blatantly admitted that she still loves R. Kelly and will continue to pray for him. This is also the same woman who tweeted in 2016, “Young Girls need to wear longer skirts to fight against natural male teacher attraction.” There’s a generational divide between millennial women and our proverbial aunties. Women once found strength in how much they could take whereas younger women refuse to take all society, particularly men, has to throw at them. In the Black community, it seems holding men accountable takes a backseat to placing the onus on young girls. Whereas young White girl victims are allowed to be innocent, young Black victims are seen as “fast” or “fresh.” Particularly perplexing with Lil’ Mo is that she is a victim but won’t acknowledge the victim in others. That she can’t understand why someone dealing with the shame of sexual assault, abuse would not immediately come out. That she questioned the parents before denouncing the man behind the horrors. Black women have to do better. Defending a man isn’t more important that defending our own. RELATED STORIES: Erykah Badu Tries To Clarify Her R. Kelly Comments: ‘I Want Healing For You & Anyone You Hurt’ No Sis, No! Taraji Wants To Know Why R. Kelly Is Muted, But Harvey Weinstein Isn’t
Source: Michael Tullberg / Getty Kevin Barnett Dead At 32 Rel show co-creator and comedian Kevin Barnett has died at just 32-years old. Reports say Barnett was vacationing in Mexico at the time of his death, but the cause is still unknown. The Broad City writer was beloved and respected by so many of his comedy colleagues. I’m at a loss for words hearing about Kevin Barnett… We went to college together and both moved out to LA to pursue the dream. Rest in paradise brother — King Bach (@KingBach) January 22, 2019 Rest In Peace Kevin Barnett. Too young, just too, too young… Kevin Barnett Dies: Comedian Passes Away Tragically at 32 – https://t.co/p4ppGL1VsW https://t.co/UJcWrCb6s0 — David Alan Grier (@davidalangrier) January 22, 2019 RIP Kevin Barnett. I love you man, and you were walking proof that real niggas could dress up as wolverine or even Devil May Cry and not be labeled the “Black Version” of that character. Still can’t believe you’re gone. This hit home. Fuck. pic.twitter.com/KGE3r5BbwI — TOO WOKE is Out Now! (@noredavis) January 22, 2019 Our thoughts and prayers are with the Barnett family. He will be greatly missed.
Source: David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images / Getty This ain’t it, sis… Taraji P. Henson Brings Up Harvey Weinstein In The Midst Of R. Kelly Scandal An “Empire” star is currently trending and it’s unfortunately for ALL the wrong reasons. Taraji P. Henson is getting unceremoniously dragged for a comment she made on her IG story about Harvey Weinstein. The star who’s receiving her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame January 28 offered a surprising reaction to the current R. Kelly criticism. Earlier today Taraji posted on her IG story a comparison between the singer and the embattled former film producer that’s got people talking. “Checking on these #mute for a friend,” wrote Taraji. She then looked up the numerous #MuteRKelly hashtags before typing in #MuteWeinstein which only had one post. She obviously felt like she hit fans with the Big Joker because she then went back and searched #MuteHarveyWeinstein to prove that that hashtag too had little to no use. Unfortunately for Taraji, Harvey’s not a recording artist so it would make sense that there aren’t a flurry of “mute” posts in full swing for him. Not only that, Harvey’s sexual misconduct was part of the massive “Me Too” movement that prompted a bevy of people to wear all-black to the 2018 Golden Globes. Source: Kevork Djansezian/NBC / Contributor / Getty And did our beautiful bob donning friend forget that there’s an entire sexual assault trial pending against Weinstein tentatively scheduled for May 6? Sounds like a “muting” to us…but hey, what do we know? Fans are bewildered by Taraji’s behavior and they’re questioning what she possibly hoped to accomplish. Taraji. Taraji. I don’t understand why y’all older black folk do this every time. The “absence” of outrage in YOUR bubble, doesn’t mean it does not exist. Weinstein is literally on trial as we speak. Which is more than we’ll ever get for R. Kelly. Why the hell would you do this? — Jenn E. Penny (@JennE_Penny) January 22, 2019 All of this Auntie Outrage over R. Kelly's “downfall” is so dishonest anyway bc Taraji & Erykah & the rest don't care about Weinstein. They just want R. Kelly to be able to step in the name of pedophilia at his leisure bc part of them blame his victims but I'm being too loud. — Eunice Chantilly's tacky barrette. (@RafiDAngelo) January 22, 2019 This…is…all…bad. She’s since tweeted that R. Kelly is “guilty and wrong.” LET ME BE CLEAR R. KELLY IS GUILTY AND WRONG AND SHOULD BE MUTED PERIOD!!!!! — Taraji P. Henson (@TherealTaraji) January 22, 2019 Taraji, there is no misguided attack on R. Kelly that should be steered toward a white man. Every bit of criticism, every raised eyebrow, every possible investigation, every possible lawsuit is warranted and you trying to turn us toward the white gaze is NOT effective. You’ve gotta be better than that. Source: Paras Griffin / Getty More on the flip.
Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lauren Burnham have achieved the near-impossible. The couple has actually gone from The Bachelor to… the altar! Will Arie and Lauren last a lifetime? It’s too early to say. But they’ve already accomplished what few twosomes who got together via this franchise have accomplished before them: an actual exchanging of vows! As documented by Us Weekly, Arie and Lauren got married this weekend in Hawaii. “Ever since we’ve gotten together, we wanted to fast-forward to this day,” Luyendyk told this tabloid , adding: “It’s been a year. That’s kind of crazy ‘cause I remember a year ago we were doing ‘happy couples [weekend on The Bachelor]’ and talking about getting married and wanting to do that, even last year, so it’s awesome that the day is finally here.” He’s not wrong. It’s been quite a journey for these reality stars. Luyendyk Jr. and Burnham met while filming season 22 of The Bachelor last year. But their courtship both ended and then started again amidst controversy. This is because the former race car driver proposed to Becca Kufrin during the season finale. However, he later had a change of heart, broke up with Kufrin in front of ABC cameras… and decided he wanted to be with Burnham. After shattering Kufrin’s heart into a million pieces, Luyendyk Jr. and Burnham got engaged during the live After the Final Rose special in March. “I made some bad decisions but the best decision was running back to you,” the real estate agent said during his proposal, continung as follows: “I truly believe are my soulmate. I’m ready to face this life with you and all that comes with it. I love you so much. “I wanted to do this in front of everyone because I want to show you that I should have done this a long time ago.” In November, meanwhile, the famous couple took fans by surprise when they announced they were expecting. We’ve since learned they are expecting a girl . “We are so excited,” the former ex-Bachelor told Us Weekly last fall. “It’s going to be a whole new chapter in our lives.” Referencing his child’s gender and his now-wife, Arie added: “I’m definitely excited to see Lauren and her together, and I think it’s gonna be so adorable. “Everything’s so new, so we’re buying parenting books… “There’s just so much that we don’t know, and I think learning together and experiencing this together is gonna be a lot of fun.” All eyes of Bachelor Nation will now hone in on Arie and Lauren to see if their love truly lasts. For now, though, as mentioned previously, they’ve already defied the odds by tying the knot. “To say it’s been quite a year would be an understatement!” Arie recently wrote on Instagram as the calendar flippe. “Lots of firsts and many more to come! Thank you for all of your love and we can’t wait to share what is going to be the biggest year out of our lives in 2019!” NOTE : To find out what’s on tap this season on The Bachelor, visit our section of The Bachelor spoilers ! View Slideshow: The Bachelor Secrets Exposed: Affairs, Herpes & More!
Ever since the six-part documentary, Surviving R. Kelly , aired on Lifetime, R. Kelly has been the center of an ongoing investigation in his hometown of Chicago. The R&B singer can’t escape the new wave of attention that this docuseries has given him. R. Kelly hasn’t been hit with any charges as of yet, but he’s been suffering from panic attacks that require full medical attention. The singer has been dealing with these sudden panic attacks ever since the documentary aired last week. The internet has been on fire ever since the documentary’s debut and they haven’t backed down. Surviving R. Kelly addressed the exploitation of Aaliyah and featured testimonies about his predatory and abusive behavior. Several celebrities have spoken out about against the singer on social media. The firestorm has also led Lady Gaga to break ties with R. Kelly and have their song “Do What You Want” removed from iTunes. R. Kelly doesn’t like the attention he’s been receiving lately. The panic attacks have gotten so bad that he’s currently seeking treatment at a hospital. R. Kelly can’t take the heat he’s been getting from celebrities, the media, and the general public. Sources told TMZ that he’s shocked that people are siding with the victims. But that hasn’t stopped R. Kelly from making shameless public appearances though. On Wednesday night, he made an appearance at a nightclub at V75 Chicago on his birthday. He was surrounded by screaming fans as he grabbed a microphone and declared that he did nothing wrong. Law enforcement claims a different story. According to the Cook County State Attorney’s Office, R. Kelly held two women against their will in his Trump Tower residence. Five officers rushed to the home and ordered R. Kelly to come to the door while they questioned the two women. Both women claimed they were there on their own free will and nothing suspicious was going on. The two women were named Azriel Clary and Joycelyn Savage, both of which have claimed they were there to be with R. Kelly, despite their parents’ previous claims that he brainwashes his victims. This comes after multiple women came forward in 2017 with their own stories about R. Kelly’s alleged sex cult . He allegedly grooms his young victims, making them dependent upon him, and uses confinement, physical abuse, and starvation as forms of punishment. Cook County State Attorney Kimberly Foxx has urged R. Kelly’s victims to come forward. The hotline has been lighting up ever since she made that statement. It doesn’t like the firestorm from Surviving R. Kelly is going to die down anytime soon. Hopefully, for the sake of the victims, this docuseries will finally kill his career. R. Kelly Addresses Sex Abuse Accusations in 19-Minute Song
Source: Jonathan Daniel / Getty Chance The Rapper Denounces Drummers Accused Of Rape, One Connected To R. Kelly A woman took to Twitter earlier this week to reveal she was allegedly raped by two friends of Chicago rapper Chance The Rapper on separate occasions. Now Chance the Rapper is separating himself from his “associates.” But, not before folks questioned the rapper’s discernment… On Sunday, @pppermint (Joan Harris) shared in very detailed tweets, that she suffered sexual assault. First from at the hands of Chicago rapper Preston Oshita aka Towkio and another instance of sexual assault involving Chance The Rapper’s drummer Stix. February 2016, I was raped, by Preston Oshita aka Towkio. pic.twitter.com/lpdwqiWXMm — Joan Harris (@pppermint) January 6, 2019 Harris says she had no intention of sleeping with Towkio but after arriving his apartment, the musician allegedly pressured her into sex. The says he refused to stop after telling him she was pain. I said to him, “Preston, can we please stop? It’s starting to really hurt”… and he replied “No, I didn’t cum yet.” — Joan Harris (@pppermint) January 6, 2019 Harris then shared another instance where she was allegedly assaulted by Chance The Rapper’s drummer @StixJams aka Gregory Landfair. Ironically Landfair is the brother to Sparkle’s niece, who has been linked to R. Kelly’s infamous “sex tape.” Harris says the Surviving R. Kelly was triggering, having memories of the drummer allegedly assaulting her. Stixx tried to denounce the allegations in a private DM, which Harris shared below. Speaking of Chance’s drummer…in 2011, he assaulted me after my prom. He pushed me in a room, closed the door, turned off the light & put his hands down my pants. I rejected his sexual advances and immediately left the room… — Joan Harris (@pppermint) January 6, 2019 This is GASLIGHTING! I WILL NOT BE SILENCED. I WILL NOT CHANGE MY STORY TO BETTER SUIT ANYONE’S NARRATIVE. pic.twitter.com/rSdwshIexz — Joan Harris (@pppermint) January 6, 2019 Chance the Rapper has denounced the alleged behavior of his friends with a Tweet. In the past 2 days I’ve heard too many stories of domestic abuse, sexual violence and rape perpetrated by ppl I called friends. I am ashamed of yall. These stories will be amplified and your victims will receive the justice they deserve. — Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) January 9, 2019 Hit the flip to see how chatter about these allegations are affecting folks on Twitter. It seems like Sparkles Niece, her brother and their father (still linked to R. Kelly) are still out here in the music industry, flicking it up with SZA in one instance on the next page…
