Tag: Lawsuits (31-40 of 491)

Jun 21 2012 08:40 PM ET

John Travolta, lawyer Marty Singer sued for libel

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John Travolta and his lawyer, Marty Singer, were sued today for trade libel by Robert Randolph, the author of a recent book about the actor, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The lawsuit follows earlier accusations against the actor of sexual battery. Randolph’s book, You’ll Never Spa in This Town Again, details Travolta’s alleged sexual encounters with other men in bath houses. Randolph also participated in a Gawker.com article about the actor titled “The Secret Sex Life of John Travolta” in 2010.

Shortly after that story was published, Singer wrote a letter to Gawker, calling Randolph’s claims “blatant defamatory lies.” Randolph’s suit states that since the letter has been widely circulated around the Internet, Singer has led the public to believe he is an unreliable source and has, as a result, discouraged people from buying his book.

When reached for comment, Singer released this statement: “This is a ridiculous lawsuit. It is based on our letter which was completely privileged under the law. We intend to sue the attorneys for malicious prosecution after the court promptly dismisses this baseless lawsuit.”

Travolta’s reps also released a statement: READ FULL STORY »

Jun 20 2012 09:25 AM ET

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange seeks asylum in Ecuador

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British police stood poised Wednesday to arrest WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should he step out of Ecuador’s London embassy — but authorities conceded he is beyond their grasp as long as he stays inside. Assange says he is seeking political asylum at the South American nation’s diplomatic mission.

Police said that he had violated the terms of his bail, which include an overnight curfew, and “is now subject to arrest.” Police officers were stationed outside the Edwardian apartment block in the tony Knightsbridge district that houses the embassy, along with small group of pro-Assange protesters waving “Free Assange” placards. READ FULL STORY »

Jun 15 2012 12:16 PM ET

Bravo sued for 'Top Chef' online recipe database

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top-chef

Image Credit: Virginia Sherwood/NBC

Bravo is being sued for posting Top Chef recipes on their website. But it’s not the recipes, per se, that is at the heart of a lawsuit filed in an East Texas federal court against the cable network. Instead, DietGoal Innovations believes that the way the recipes are presented online violates their technology patent, a “Method and System for Computerized Visual Behavior Analysis, Training, and Planning.” The company claims that Bravo’s use of picture menus and online user interface on their Recipe Finder website infringes on their copyright and has cost them damages.

Bravo declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Jun 12 2012 12:18 PM ET

Report: 'Crouching Tiger' actress Zhang Ziyi files defamation lawsuit

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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon star Zhang Ziyi has filed lawsuits in Hong Kong and the U.S. after two media outlets reported that the actress received 700 million yuan ($110 million) to have sex with high-ranking Chinese government leaders, according to a Bloomberg report.

Zhang is suing Apple Daily Ltd. and Next Magazine Publishing Ltd. for defamation after the outlets ran stories in May that alleged that she was paid to have sex with suspended Politburo member Bo Xilai and “unnamed high government officials” over a 10 year period. The actress reportedly suffered “immense grievance and distress” over the publications’ allegations and is currently seeking unspecified libel damages and an injunction to prevent re-publication of the articles.

The suit also denies than Zhang was barred from leaving China and questioned as part of the government’s investigation into Bo, who was suspended from the Politburo following his alleged involvement in a murder case.

Read more:
Zhang Ziyi to star in Wayne Wang’s ‘Snow Flower’
All About ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’
Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi kick butt in ‘Crouching Tiger…’

Jun 8 2012 01:04 PM ET

Sherri Shepherd threatens legal action against Twitter bully

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The View co-host Sherri Shepherd took action yesterday after Twitter user @Daclonekiller sent a tweet directed at the actress saying “somebody should drag u in a back alley and rape you,” among other derogatory messages.

Shepherd responded on Twitter, writing, ” I’m not a little 19 year olds… I’m a grown @%$ woman… seriously you want to threaten me? I’m on my way to the police @DaCloneKiller” and “Just returned from filing a police report for this online harrassment [sic] nonsense. I will be pursuing this legally.”

Shepherd’s publicist released the following statement to EW: “Local law enforcement is  involved as well as corporate legal and security departments. This matter is being taken very seriously.”

Read more:
Sherri Shepherd dishes out celebrity advice after ‘DWTS’ exit — VIDEO
‘Dancing With the Stars All-Stars’: Who should be cast for season 15?

Jun 4 2012 09:29 AM ET

Kevin Costner and Stephen Baldwin to face off in court over oil cleanup technology

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Two Hollywood stars could spend the next two weeks in a New Orleans courtroom rather than on camera, on opposing sides in a real-life legal drama. Jury selection was scheduled Monday for Stephen Baldwin’s federal lawsuit against fellow actor Kevin Costner over their investments in a device BP PLC used in trying to clean up the huge Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Both are expected to testify. U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman ruled last month that every litigant must be in court every day “because of the seriousness of the claims and issues raised by the parties” and in case of mid-trial settlement talks.

The federal lawsuit claims Costner and a business partner duped Baldwin and a friend out of their shares of an $18 million deal for BP to buy oil-separating centrifuges after the April 2010 spill. Baldwin and his friend, Spyridon Contogouris, said they didn’t know about the deal when they agreed to sell their shares of Ocean Therapy Solutions, a company that marketed the centrifuges to BP, for $1.4 million and $500,000, respectively. READ FULL STORY »

Jun 1 2012 09:54 AM ET

Julie Taymor's 'Spider-Man' lawsuit moves to court

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In early March, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark ex-director Julie Taymor filed new documents in her $1 million lawsuit against the producers of that Broadway disaster turned financial success. Now Taymor’s case has moved forward once more: The New York Times reports that its first courtroom arguments will take place in Manhattan today. Three separate motions will be brought before a judge; a full trial is expected to commence next year. Taymor, who conceived Spider-Man alongside composers Bono and The Edge and co-wrote the show’s original script, first sued her former colleagues in November. The musical’s producers fired back with a countersuit in January.

Read more:
Behind the scenes of ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’ TV spot — EXCLUSIVE VIDEO
Neil Patrick Harris promotes the Tony Awards in a big way
‘The Producers’ returns to Hollywood Bowl with ‘Modern Family’ and ‘Spin City’ star power

May 31 2012 12:53 PM ET

Party-bus driver drops assault case against Matthew Fox -- EXCLUSIVE

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A Cleveland bus driver who claimed that a drunken Matthew Fox assaulted her last August has withdrawn her lawsuit against the Lost actor. Heather Bormann had told authorities that Fox struck her repeatedly in the chest and crotch after he attempted to board her vehicle. The pair exchanged lawsuits, but Bormann’s attorney withdrew from the case in April, saying his client “intentionally failed and refused to provide full and timely cooperation and information,” and that she failed to honor an agreement to pay his out-of-pocket expenses.

The resolution in the party-bus incident comes just days after Dominic Monaghan went on Twitter and accused his Lost castmate of abusing women.

A spokesperson for Fox had no further comment.

Read more:
Matthew Fox charged with DUI
Matthew Fox detained after alleged altercation in Cleveland
‘Lost,’ ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ and Johnny Depp top IMDb’s top-searched lists

 

May 31 2012 11:14 AM ET

Dish Network on top for now in ad-skipping lawsuit

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Dish Network has won the first round of litigation concerning its ad-skipping DVR technology, reports the L.A. Times. The Big Four — CBS, NBC, Fox and ABC — filed suit against the cable company soon after it introduced a new DVR feature called AutoHop that allows viewers to breeze past commercials.

A federal court judge in New York ruled yesterday in favor of Dish’s request for a temporary restraining order against the networks’ California-based litigation. “We’re pleased that the New York federal court has entered a [temporary restraining order] against Fox until the New York court decides whether the suits filed by Fox, CBS, and NBC in California should be enjoined in favor of Dish’s suit in New York,” said Dish General Counsel R. Stanton Dodge in a statement.  “Dish looks forward to presenting its case and prevailing on the merits.”

Fox was the first broadcast company to file suit on the West Coast. However, Dish filed its own suit in New York on May 24, before the networks, in hopes that a prior ruling on the East would set a precedent in its favor.

Both Dish and the broadcast networks have much at stake, as the outcome of the lawsuits — for copyright infringement and breach of contract on Fox’s end — could influence not only what features will be available to viewers on their TV devices but also the price for monthly service.

Read more:
Dish Network’s new DVR system eliminates commercials
Hulu might restrict access to those with cable subscriptions — eventually
Netflix beware! Blockbuster and Dish Network unveil Blockbuster Movie Pass

May 23 2012 08:45 PM ET

$18.5M settlement for 'Transformers 3' injury

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 The family of a woman left with brain damage after an accident during the filming of Transformers 3 has reached an $18.5 million settlement with Paramount Pictures.

Gabriela Cedillo was working as an extra in 2010 when she was hit in the head by a piece of flying metal during the filming of a stunt sequence in Hammond, Ind. An investigation found a weld connecting a car to a tow cable failed.

Her attorney says the 26-year-old needs constant care. Part of the settlement will be set aside for monthly payments to ensure Cedillo has care for the rest of her life.

Paramount spokesman Robert Lawson says the studio is pleased the family agreed to “move forward with the settlement.” He calls what happened “a tragic accident.”

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