Celebrity Justice Archives - Wixtainment

Justin Timberlake Sued by Director of ’20/20 Experience’ Documentary

admin — Sat, 02 Jul 2022 01:02:07 +0000

Justin Timberlake‘s deal to make a documentary about his blockbuster album “The 20/20 Experience” isn’t sitting well with the project’s director, who’s now suing JT for years of hard work … according to a new lawsuit.

The singer is being sued by John Urbano, who claims JT recruited him back in 2012 to shoot and edit a documentary film about the making of his third studio album.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Urbano claims Justin proposed an arrangement where he would share profits from the film with Urbano instead of paying him his normal fee — but Justin shelved the doc, which is why the director feels he got the shaft.

Urbano claims he filmed Justin for a total of 60 days all across the world and spent about 2,500 hours editing the footage into a documentary titled, “The Making of The 20/20 Experience.”

The director says if he had been paid on the front end for the project, his filming and editing fees would have reached $2,450,000 … but he says the only money he’s seen out of Justin is a modest $20,000 upfront fee, plus reimbursements for expenses incurred while filming. According to his math, Urbano’s been paid just $7 per hour for the project.

Urbano claims Justin was moved by the documentary at first, but after his album became his most successful solo project he lost interest in the doc, which has never been released.

The problem for Urbano … he says Justin promised to share profits with him, but if the doc sits on a shelf, the promise of a big payday goes out the window.

Urbano claims Justin used his network of agents, managers, and handlers to stop the director from getting paid … and he wants compensation for an allegedly breached agreement.

The director wants Justin to cough up lots more money, and he also wants a judge to declare he owns all the rights to the documentary.

We reached out to Justin’s camp … so far no word back.

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DDG Cleared on Gun Possession Charges in Los Angeles

admin — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 00:48:51 +0000

DDG’s celebrating a big legal victory — he’s no longer facing charges for illegal gun possession — and it’s perfect timing, as the platinum-selling rapper has a big summer tour.

We spoke to DDG’s manager, Dimitri Hurt … who tells TMZ Hip Hop the new California gun laws allowing for more concealed weapons also played into the District Attorney’s decision to reject the case and not pursue charges.

An excited DDG took to Instagram to celebrate the news, thanking Dimitri and plugging his lawyer, Charleston White, at the same time.

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TMZ Hip Hop broke open the story … LAPD pulled over DDG on June 7 for allegedly speeding and swerving in his Lambo, and he admitted having a loaded firearm in the whip.

Dimitri says DDG did make the honest mistake of speeding to a video shoot with the firearm, but with the charges dropped, he’s now clear to travel for work.

This week, it’s onward to Europe for the U.K.’s 2022 Wireless Fest, a Rolling Loud Portugal … followed by shows in Amsterdam, Germany, Denmark and Poland as they make their way back to the U.S.

No need for boxing rings now, DDG’s got arenas to rock!

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Britney Spears’ Lawyer Calls Jamie Spears Vengeful, Shameless for Demanding Deposition

admin — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 16:17:17 +0000

Britney Spears is not going to sit willingly for a deposition … that was made clear by her lawyer, who filed legal docs saying Jamie Spears is “shameless” by, among other things, asking a judge for a depo date “shortly after his daughter’s wedding and just before Father’s Day.”

Attorney Mathew Rosengart claims in searing legal docs … “Mr. Spears refuses to simply go away, as he should and as any decent man or father would do.” Rosengart goes on to say Jamie is piling up legal fees to rehabilitate his reputation.

Rosengart says there’s no legitimate purpose to force Britney into a deposition and calls it “morally abominable” and “revenge.”

Britney and Rosengart have accused Jamie of gross conflicts of interest — among other things, alleging he approved unjustified fees requested by business manager Lou Taylor and used Britney’s money to pay for unwarranted personal expenses.

On the other hand, among the abuses, Britney has alleged … that Jamie illegally forced her into rehab and refused to allow her to remarry. These are alleged abuses that might convince a judge that he has a right to confront Britney over these claims. The counter to that is that Rosengart is simply asking for an accounting to determine if Jamie squandered Britney’s money, and that can be determined without Britney’s direct participation.

Rosengart has been trying to get Jamie to sit for a deposition for months, to no avail. He’s even said he would travel to Louisiana if that makes it easier, but so far there’s been no progress.

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Ariana Grande Stalker Breaks Into Her Home on Her Birthday, Violates Restraining Order

admin — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 00:02:51 +0000

A man who has already been arrested for stalking Ariana Grande has been arrested again … this time after breaking into her Montecito home on her 29th birthday.

Aharon Brown has a history of dogging Ariana. He was arrested last September at her L.A. home after showing up with a large hunting knife, allegedly screaming at her security, “I’ll f***ing kill you and her!” He was arrested for making criminal threats and a judge issued a restraining order prohibiting him from coming near Ariana.

That did not stop him. He violated the restraining order recently by trying to find Ariana and apparently got close. He was supposed to turn himself in Tuesday for violating the restraining order, but Sunday he traveled to Montecito and broke into her house.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … on Sunday, Brown somehow got into Ariana’s Montecito home. She was NOT home at the time, but the security alarm went off and cops showed up and arrested Brown.

He has been arraigned on charges of stalking, burglary, damaging power lines, violation of a court order and obstruction. He pled not guilty. Brown is currently in custody.

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Johnny Depp’s Attorney Camille Vasquez Fielding Offers From Law Firms, Hollywood

admin — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 15:41:50 +0000

Johnny Depp‘s attorney Camille Vasquez is plotting her next move after winning his case against Amber Heard … and she’s in high demand in both the legal world and Hollywood.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … Camille’s considering a wide range of career options in the wake of the Depp-Heard trial, and her rise to fame, including media, law and even authoring a book.

Camille’s a “big get” for lots of Hollywood bigwigs … we’re told she’s speaking with agents and network execs about a bunch of projects … like broadcasting roles, speaking engagements, branding opportunities and even starting her own production company.

We’re told Camille’s taking it slow, and is trying to decide if Hollywood, law or both are the right fit.

As for law … we’re told she’s being courted by some major law firms. It makes sense … law firms are all about snagging clients, and Camille is now in high demand by litigants around the country. We’re told at least 4 big law firms are making a full-court press, and last Wednesday in NYC she met with a managing partner at one of them.

She’s getting hit up by scores of folks who need a lawyer, and we’re told there’s one high-profile potential client who’s close to going to trial, and she’s interested in the case.

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Johnny Depp’s Attorney Camille Vasquez Jumps to Aid in Medical Emergency on Plane

As we reported, Camille was hailed as “Wonder Woman” on her way to NYC … jumping to aid a passenger who was suffering a medical emergency on her flight.

She’s also pondering the idea of writing a book … in her spare time, right?

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As Camille mulls over her next move, we’re told she’s visiting her boyfriend, Ed, at his place in London, where they plan to celebrate her upcoming birthday.

6/8/22

SplashNews.com

Camille told us she was going to see Johnny again … and our sources say they’re trying to put something on the calendar while they’re both in Europe.

Sounds like Camille’s got quite the summer ahead.

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Johnny Depp’s Lawyers Say Amber’s Words Did Her in, Not Social Media

admin — Wed, 08 Jun 2022 18:28:52 +0000

ABC

Johnny Depp clearly understands the power of TikTok, but his attorneys reject the notion it had any impact on the verdict … instead, they say it’s Amber Heard‘s testimony that hurt her with the jury.

Camille Vasquez — fresh off her promotion to partner in her law firm — and Ben Chew told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos their strategy was to use Amber’s own words against her … carefully crafting their questions based on her previous testimony. Vasquez believes that showed the jury all it needed to know about Amber.

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As for Team Amber’s claim the jury was influenced by the overwhelming support for Johnny on social media — including TikTok, which Depp joined Tuesday — Chew says it “played no role whatsoever,” and the jury reached the verdict purely based on the evidence presented by both sides.

Remember, the jury was not sequestered, and the criticism is it would’ve been impossible for them to avoid the flood of posts supporting Johnny and attacking Amber.

Vasquez also shot down the idea the #MeToo movement was setback by the verdict in Johnny’s favor — saying, “We encourage any victim to come forward. Domestic violence doesn’t have a gender.” She added, “The facts are what they were. The jury made a unanimous decision based on those facts.”

Chew and Vasquez carefully skirted a question about the possibility of Johnny striking a deal … where he would let Amber off the hook for the $8.35 million judgment, and she would not file an appeal … as she’s claimed she intends to do.

Watch their answer … Chew cited attorney-client privilege, but did say Johnny was never interested in getting money out of the case, and only wanted back his reputation.

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Amber Heard’s Sister Posts Message of Support

admin — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 17:35:09 +0000

Amber Heard’s sister has no regrets about the outcome of the Johnny Depp trial — putting on a united front even in defeat.

Whitney Henriquez shared her support for her “sissy” on IG, this a few days after a jury ruled in favor of her ex-brother-in-law. She didn’t mince words … saying she’d do it all over again. The photo attached was just a hashtag — #istandwithamberheard.

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WH says, “I still stand with you, sissy. Yesterday, today and tomorrow I will always be proud of you for standing up for yourself, for testifying both here in Virginia and in the UK, and for being the voice of so many who can’t speak to the things that happen behind closed doors.”

She adds, “We knew that this was going to be an uphill battle and that the cards were stacked against us. But you stood up and spoke out regardless.”

Whitney says she knows what she saw, and would get on the stand for Amber a “million times over.” She also says she still stands with AH — as do others, despite the outcome.

You’ll recall, Whitney was one of a handful of witnesses for Team Amber in the 6-week trial down in Virginia — and she was key, because she was the only person who could say they’d seen a physical fight with their own two eyes. Whitney claimed Johnny struck her first, and then went on to pummel Amber at the top of a staircase … aka, the “Kate Moss moment.”

The opportunity to testify once more on Amber’s behalf might come sooner than later … assuming her sibling actually follows up with appealing the verdict like she’s said she will.

BTW, FOX is airing a new special this week about the case — it’s called “Johnny vs. Amber: From Love to Hate,” and it airs Tuesday at 9/8 CT.

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Lisa Bloom Catches Backlash for Speaking Up on Depp-Heard Fallout

admin — Sun, 05 Jun 2022 01:12:11 +0000

Lisa Bloom says her clients are already feeling the impact of the Depp–Heard trial by being silenced — but she’s being labeled a hypocrite … because of Harvey Weinstein.

The famed women’s rights attorney — who has made a career following in the footsteps of her mother, Gloria Allred, by repping women with claims against high-profile men — shared some insight into how the verdict against Amber is taking a toll on other alleged victims.

I had to advise two women today that if they speak out about their sexual assaults, they can be sued.

Even if they don’t name their abuser.

Even if they don’t identify him by job or relationship.

One wept at being silenced.

The fallout from Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard.

— Lisa Bloom (@LisaBloom) June 3, 2022
@LisaBloom

She writes, “I had to advise two women today that if they speak out about their sexual assaults, they can be sued. Even if they don’t name their abuser. Even if they don’t identify him by job or relationship. One wept at being silenced. The fallout from (Depp vs. Heard).”

Lisa also addressed a caveat proposed by some who say truthful accusers are A-OK … “Some of you said they need not worry if they are telling the truth. If only. Defamation case = years of anguish in pretrial proceedings + 2-5 years to get to trial + a half mil to a million $ in attorneys fees (not to me). Few have the emotional strength and wealth for that.”

Some of you said they need not worry if they are telling the truth.

If only.

Defamation case = years of anguish in pretrial proceedings + 2-5 years to get to trial + a half mil to a million $ in attorneys fees (not to me).

Few have the emotional strength and wealth for that.

— Lisa Bloom (@LisaBloom) June 4, 2022
@LisaBloom

It’s a fair point … women, in general, might second guess going public with allegations now, especially knowing they could be sued and lose. But, the flip side of that argument is … Amber was literally one woman making claims against Johnny, while no other woman did.

Comparing JD to the likes of Weinstein or other notorious #MeToo men with a sea of accusers isn’t fair — you could say this was a unique one-off that won’t have a chilling effect … especially if you believe Amber lied, which a vast majority of folks (including the jury) do.

Speaking of Weinstein, Lisa’s history with the guy is resurfacing in the wake of these comments of hers. Many are pointing out what they see as her being sanctimonious … seeing how she was advising HW at the beginning of his own scandal in 2017.

As we reported — and as has been confirmed many times over — Lisa was doing extensive investigative work for Weinstein in the summer of 2017 … looking into Rose McGowan and other accusers who were going public. We’d been told that Bloom was deeply involved and was squarely in Weinstein’s corner … trying to bat off the negative press.

So, yeah … Lisa positioning herself as a fierce advocate of accusers probably won’t ever look authentic again to some in light of that Weinstein chapter. But, whether it’s her or someone else, the argument has been and will continue to be made … this verdict was mega.

But, on whether #MeToo ramifications apply here, per se … eye of the beholder, we suppose.

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Johnny Depp Says ‘Jury Gave Me My Life Back’ After Heard Defamation Case Win

admin — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 00:11:00 +0000

Johnny Depp has a new lease on life after being awarded more than $10 million in his defamation case against Amber Heard … telling the world he’s “truly humbled” by the jury’s decision.

In a lengthy statement following his win Wednesday, Depp says, “Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people who for many, many years have supported and believed in me were forever changed. All in the blink of an eye.”

He continues, “False, very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me via the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me … And six years later, the jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled.”

As we reported, a jury found Heard’s op-ed titled, “I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath” defamed the actor, and awarded him $10.35M in damages. Heard was awarded $2M in compensatory damages of her own.

Depp’s statement continues, “My decision to pursue this case, knowing very well the height of the legal hurdles that I would be facing and the inevitable, worldwide spectacle into my life, was only made after considerable thought.”

He says, “From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome. Speaking the truth was something that I owed to my children and to all those who have remained steadfast in their support of me. I feel at peace knowing I have finally accomplished that.”

5/26/22

Depp also gives love to his fans, many of whom were outside the court, saying, “I am, and have been, overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and the colossal support and kindness from around the world. I hope that my quest to have the truth be told will have helped others, men or women, who have found themselves in my situation, and that those supporting them never give up. I also hope that the position will now return to innocent until proven guilty, both within the courts and in the media.”

Offering thanks to those involved in the case, “I wish to acknowledge the noble work of the Judge, the jurors, the court staff and the Sheriffs who have sacrificed their own time to get to this point, and to my diligent and unwavering legal team who did an extraordinary job in helping me to share the truth.”

Finally, he says, “The best is yet to come and a new chapter has finally begun. Veritas numquam perit. Truth never perishes.”

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Chuck Liddell Pleading For Cain Velasquez’s Release From Jail, ‘Give Him Bond’

admin — Mon, 30 May 2022 14:59:38 +0000

TMZSports.com

Chuck Liddell clearly believes Cain Velasquez should be out of jail by now … telling TMZ Sports a judge needs to give him bond ASAP.

The UFC legend has been locked behind bars since late February — after he allegedly tried to kill a man who was accused of molesting one of his relatives.

Liddell — who’s been good friends with Velasquez for years — told us out at LAX this week it’s time for that to change … saying Cain should be let out and able to see his family.

“It’s so funny how easy it is to get out — they’re letting all these crazy people out,” the Iceman said. “But you have a problem with letting him out? I don’t know.”

Liddell went on to say, if all of the allegations are true, he doesn’t blame Velasquez one bit for it all — obviously, a big reason why he thinks the 40-year-old should get bond.

“I get it,” Chuck said. “In that situation, I get it.”

Cain, though, will remain in jail until at least his next hearing on June 10.

Chuck, meanwhile, is pleading with the former fighter to “stay strong” while the case plays out … saying, “We’re here for you. We love you.”

As we reported, Velasquez — who’s already been denied bail twice — is facing a myriad of criminal charges, including felony attempted murder. He could spend serious time in prison if convicted on all counts.

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