Predator and Prey: Assault, harassment, and other aggressions in the entertainment industry

[Jaded]

I used to get Michael Madsen and Tom Sizemore mixed up due to them both having issues that would make the news. I didn't know Michael had been arrested for child cruelty until I went to search if he had been arrested for domestic abuse previously.

[EtheltoTillie]

3 hours ago, Bastet said:

Michael Madsen was arrested this weekend for domestic battery (against his wife).  I have it in my head that there was a previous allegation of either domestic abuse or sexual harassment, many years ago, but none of the articles I checked mention it, so I may be mixing him up with another Hollywood asshole.

A quickie google search revealed an LA Times article saying he had two previous arrests, for DUI, and something involving a fight with his own son. 

[Vermicious Knid]

NBC says prosecutors may be able to file new charges against Weinstein this week.

Quote

A New York grand jury has been convened to weigh whether to bring new charges against the disgraced former movie mogul, a source with knowledge of the proceedings told NBC News, adding that a decision could be announced as early as Friday.

Here's hoping...

[BetterButter]

Weinstein indecent assault charges discontinued by CPS

Quote

Indecent assault charges in the UK against disgraced former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein have been discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

 

[Jaded]

😑😑😑

Something about her has always bugged me...
 

Katy Perry defends working with Dr. Luke amid criticism

[Blergh]

On 9/6/2024 at 12:54 PM, Jaded said:

😑😑😑

Something about her has always bugged me...
 

Katy Perry defends working with Dr. Luke amid criticism

Come on, he's not the ONLY music producer out there and it's not as though she has zero clout to have connected with anyone else! Is not having had a lawsuit over assault  and harassment which wound up being settled by the defendant considered too high for Miss Perry to have considered re vetting music producers?

Edited September 7 by Blergh

[merylinkid]

2 hours ago, Blergh said:

Come on, he's not the ONLY music producer out there

He's not even the only one out there who can help you have a hit song.   Like, if everyone else were losers, okay, maybe go with him.   But why go with him when you have good options?

[Passing Strange]

On 9/6/2024 at 1:54 PM, Jaded said:

Something about her has always bugged me...

Me, too, but I didn't actively dislike her until the incident with the young guy on American Idol. He was 19 and never been kissed because he was saving his first kiss for when he met someone special. Perry proposed to give him a kiss on the cheek, then turned it into a lip kiss. Although he guy said he didn't think he was harassed, that sure looked like an unwelcome physical advance to me.

[Vermicious Knid]

A man that sued Diddy over an alleged sexual assault has won a $100 million default judgement.

Quote

 

Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, 51, accused Combs of drugging him and sexually assaulting him at a party in Detroit, Michigan, in 1997. Lawyers for Combs have denied the allegations.

Cardello-Smith is a convicted felon currently serving a prison sentence and is known for his long history of filing civil lawsuits, according to a local newspaper...

Combs and his lawyers told the BBC they had not been aware of the lawsuit because Combs was not properly served notice of it, and that they will be seeking to vacate Monday's judgment.

 

Even if it gets dismissed, hah! 

[BetterButter]

Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard sues Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs for sexual assault

Quote

Former Making the Band singer also alleges she witnessed the music mogul punch, strangle and drag his ex Cassie

 

[BetterButter]

Harvey Weinstein indicted on additional sex crimes charges ahead of New York retrial

Quote

NEW YORK (AP) — Disgraced ex-movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has been indicted on additional sex crimes charges in New York ahead of a retrial in his landmark #MeToo case, Manhattan prosecutors said at a court hearing Thursday.

 

[merylinkid]

May Harvey Weinstein never see daylight outside a prison again.

Oh and Sean Combs, same to you.

[Blergh]

1 hour ago, merylinkid said:

May Harvey Weinstein never see daylight outside a prison again.

Oh and Sean Combs, same to you.

And let's add R.Kelly to that (among others)!

[bluegirl147]

9 hours ago, merylinkid said:

May Harvey Weinstein never see daylight outside a prison again.

Oh and Sean Combs, same to you.

 

8 hours ago, Blergh said:

And let's add R.Kelly to that (among others)!

We are going to need a bigger prison.

[Palimelon]

‘I constantly was saying no’: ex-Abercrombie & Fitch boss accused of abuse at global sex events.

Mike Jeffries, now 80, has been accused of exploiting young men for sex in cities around the world from 2009-15.

[Zella]

Forgive me linking to TMZ, but I think they broke the story. Diddy is in federal custody and awaiting charges, likely connected to the ongoing sex trafficking investigation. 

https://www.tmz.com/2024/09/16/diddy-taken-into-custody-arrested-new-york-feds/

Edited Tuesday at 02:19 AM by Zella

[merylinkid]

these charges are bad.  like bad bad.   I'm going to spoiler them to protect anyone they might upset.   Please be kind to yourself if you go looking for details.

 

Spoiler

Charges are sex trafficking for the purposes of prostitution.   They include child sex trafficking.  forced labor. Running a business for an illegal purpose (the prostitution)  Abuse, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.   

The full indictment can be found here:   https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69167625/2/united-states-v-combs/

US Attorney is asking no bond/bail stating there is no condition that could keep the public safe AND he is a flight risk.   His attorney is putting together a package that would allow for bond, including Combs selling his private plane (because none of his buddies have planes and he has no access to people who could get him fake passports right?).   

[bluegirl147]

Bail was denied so does that mean Diddy is at Rikers?  I hope his victims feel a little bit of peace now.

[SunnyBeBe]

I’m wondering what motivation their was for Combs’ alleged offenses.  I mean, did he need the money?  I thought not…..if he’s feeding a fetish or fantasy, why not hire legal professionals?  So…..I don’t get it.  
 

Is anyone aware of a documentary or featured story about him?  Nothing justifies it, I’m just trying to figure out the basis for his enterprise.  Bizarre.  Oh, who goes down with him?  

[Annber03]

4 hours ago, merylinkid said:

these charges are bad.  like bad bad.   I'm going to spoiler them to protect anyone they might upset.   Please be kind to yourself if you go looking for details.

 

  Reveal spoiler

Charges are sex trafficking for the purposes of prostitution.   They include child sex trafficking.  forced labor. Running a business for an illegal purpose (the prostitution)  Abuse, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.   

The full indictment can be found here:   https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69167625/2/united-states-v-combs/

US Attorney is asking no bond/bail stating there is no condition that could keep the public safe AND he is a flight risk.   His attorney is putting together a package that would allow for bond, including Combs selling his private plane (because none of his buddies have planes and he has no access to people who could get him fake passports right?).   

Yeah, just the article I saw on TVLine today was enough to make me cringe. Ye gods. 

[bluegirl147]

52 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I’m wondering what motivation their was for Combs’ alleged offenses.  I mean, did he need the money?  I thought not…..if he’s feeding a fetish or fantasy, why not hire legal professionals?  So…..I don’t get it.  
 

Is anyone aware of a documentary or featured story about him?  Nothing justifies it, I’m just trying to figure out the basis for his enterprise.  Bizarre.  Oh, who goes down with him?  

When it comes to sex crimes the motivation isn't sexual pleasure.  It's power and control. He is one sick puppy.

 

 

 

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

Bail was denied so does that mean Diddy is at Rikers?

No, these are federal charges so he's in a federal detention center -- MDC Brooklyn.  That place is as horrific as Rikers, though (but he's not in general population, of course, he's in the special protection unit where R. Kelly was held).

Edited Wednesday at 12:13 AM by Bastet

[OllieSocks]

Hi *waves* longtime listener first time caller. 
 

Is anyone else having a weird kind of disconnect with this one? Diddy is one sick mofo and they need to bury his ass underneath the prison (I know I know presumption of innocence and all but I’m the public and I’m taking sides as is my god given right as a nosey American). 
 

I’m also 43 and grew up on Diddy’s music and there’s a tiny part of me just sitting here going “Really??” Even though shit’s been swirling around him for ages. So the bigger part of me tells the tiny part of me to shut up. But man. It’s just one more part of my childhood gone to crap.
 

Bottom line though is his mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork (credit Mae West). 

[Annber03]

No, yeah, I get it. I wasn't a big fan or anything, but I certainly remember his music being all over the place back in the day and did like a couple of his songs, so that just adds to the "WTF?" of this news. 

[Dimity]

3 minutes ago, OllieSocks said:

I’m also 43 and grew up on Diddy’s music and there’s a tiny part of me just sitting here going “Really??” Even though shit’s been swirling around him for ages. So the bigger part of me tells the tiny part of me to shut up. But man. It’s just one more part of my childhood gone to crap.

I was like this with Cosby.  When the accusations first surfaced I went into denial - how could any of this be true? I held onto hope that it was all a horrible mistake and that he was the real victim.  

[Mountainair]

I’m turning 40 in a few weeks and grew up in the era of the rap wars and while I did listen to a few of Sean Combs songs he started to lose me with his producing of so many artists. Mace was always a weird one, the profiting off of Biggie via Mary J Blige, that show where he made the girl band (Danity Kane?- which I believe one of them is part of these charges against him). He just gave me an icky feeling even as a teenager and I never cared for him. 

[OllieSocks]

I’m just wondering if through this we finally get official confirmation that he was behind Tupac’s murder (my speculation but I mean c’mon so, so, sooo many other people think this too). 

[Zella]

I never listened to his music, but Combs was definitely a pretty inescapable pop culture presence. The behind-the-back nickname for our college president where I attended as an undergrad was P. Diddy. He was a really deeply unpleasant, very stern older white guy who bore no similarities to Combs, but calling him P Diddy struck us all as very funny, and you never had to explain the joke or the reference. 

[Palimelon]

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs: a timeline of allegations and charges.

[merylinkid]

11 hours ago, Dimity said:

I was like this with Cosby.  When the accusations first surfaced I went into denial - how could any of this be true? I held onto hope that it was all a horrible mistake and that he was the real victim.  

THIS.   We don't want to believe that someone who created something we enjoyed could be this vile in real life.   But honestly, when he let JLo (who is not my favorite person) almost take the rap for that nightclub shooting we should have known he was not a decent person.   

Just another rich guy who felt his fame and money let him do what he wants.   He Weinsteined artists who wouldn't go along with this game.

My question -- its a conspiracy, who else is involved?   Other big names?   I just keep coming back to that picture of Diddy, Kanye, Jay Z and one other guy sitting at a small table while their wives/girlfriends stand behind them.   Did they know?   Did they very deliberately not know?

[Affogato]

1 minute ago, merylinkid said:

 

My question -- its a conspiracy, who else is involved?   Other big names?   I just keep coming back to that picture of Diddy, Kanye, Jay Z and one other guy sitting at a small table while their wives/girlfriends stand behind them.   Did they know?   Did they very deliberately not know?

Weinsteined should be a word. Is it?

people can hide abuse very well when they need to, it is hard to tell. 

[bluegirl147]

11 hours ago, Mountainair said:

He just gave me an icky feeling

Same.  I don't know how he grew up but I always got the vibe he was one of those people who thought I will show everyone who thinks I'm nothing.  He had a chip on his shoulder.  There were rumors for years of how ruthless he was.  But he always seemed to come through it unscathed.  The nightclub shooting when he was J Lo.  The whole Tupac Biggie thing.  The tape of him attacking Cassie really was the turning point.  I hope justice is served.

11 hours ago, Dimity said:

I was like this with Cosby.  When the accusations first surfaced I went into denial - how could any of this be true? I held onto hope that it was all a horrible mistake and that he was the real victim.  

I was not surprised about Cosby. Well maybe surprised he was a sexual predator but I always, even as a kid, could sense there was something very bad about him.

 

14 minutes ago, merylinkid said:

My question -- its a conspiracy, who else is involved?   Other big names?   I just keep coming back to that picture of Diddy, Kanye, Jay Z and one other guy sitting at a small table while their wives/girlfriends stand behind them.   Did they know?   Did they very deliberately not know?

Yes.  That is the question. Do we  have another Jeffrey Epstein situation on our hands?

[Danielg342]

11 hours ago, OllieSocks said:

I’m also 43 and grew up on Diddy’s music and there’s a tiny part of me just sitting here going “Really??” Even though shit’s been swirling around him for ages. So the bigger part of me tells the tiny part of me to shut up. But man. It’s just one more part of my childhood gone to crap.

First of all, I would say it's not weird or strange at all to feel this way- it's completely normal. Picking a favourite celebrity is like picking a favourite in other fields- like sports, other forms of entertainment or even politics- so having a favourite becomes ingrained as part of who you are as a person.

So when that person does something that is less than how we perceived them to be, it can feel like a part of us has died. Which is why a lot of people respond with grief, because the feeling in this context is very much the same.

What this means is that it's not weird at all to be sad and disappointed that Diddy has let you down so spectacularly. It might feel weird because- I assume- you have not personally met Diddy, but understand it's no less valid or weird to feel this way.

You form a bond with a celebrity by becoming their fan, and it's perfectly fine to question that bond when that celebrity does something unbecoming and be sad when you feel the celebrity has wronged you so much that you feel you have to break that bond.

As for myself, I feel like when it comes to Diddy it feels like his relationship with the public is very complex and has far more nuance than the relationships other celebrities may have with the public. Diddy was never universally loved or universally hated- depending on what happened, he oscillated between the two ends of the spectrum, but, also because of the totality of all the things he's done, he never quite reaches, at the very least, the "absolute love" part of the spectrum.

I used to love his music myself. No Way Out is still one of my personal favourites and I felt for him because Diddy was quite open about the pain he felt concerning the death of The Notorious B.I.G. Plus, he drew further sympathy as one of the many rappers who achieved a life of fame and fortune after living in abject poverty.

...but...as the years progressed and the scandals piled up, that sympathy gradually washed away. At first I could rationalize it by saying he has his demons and they may be far greater than the ones I may have to deal with, but there comes a point where you can no longer give him the benefit of the doubt anymore.

I think that's the most important part of the Diddy experience- it's not like he had a singular event or a had a series of small events and then a huge event that knocked him off his pedestal.

Diddy, it seems, goes through a major scandal every few years, and they're usually the type of scandals that would level celebrities of a lesser profile. He always found a way to move on and recover a bit from his latest transgression, but I think his big problem is that, as the scandals pile up, it becomes harder and harder for him to completely recover from whatever new problem befalls him.

We as a public, I think, in general can be quite forgiving when celebrities have a misstep. After all, we recognize they're humans just like we are, and we all make mistakes.

However, when that person- like Diddy- keeps on making mistakes, and keeps on making major mistakes- it can become harder and harder to move past them. We wonder if the person is truly remorseful and is actually trying to move past their transgressions and become a better person, or, worse, we'll wonder if they even want to try to improve and become a better person.

After a while, it's the whole "crying wolf" phenomenon- Diddy may come out and say the right things and do the right things after a scandal, but when the process keeps repeating itself and nothing seems to actually get better, the acts of contrition and remorse begin to feel hollow.

This is before we get to the latest series of stuff that Diddy is accused of doing and, if he's convicted, I'm sure there's really no way back. I'm not even sure there's a way back even if he escapes conviction- this just may be a major scandal that, for a lot of people, is "one too many".

Even if he's actually innocent of the charges (and I make that distinction because there's a difference between "not guilty" and actual innocence), I think that because Diddy has created this larger than life persona and cultivated an image that is, frankly, one where he is pompous and arrogant and feels "higher" than the plebeians "below" him, there will just be too many people that will think he "got off easy" and will remain convinced he's guilty of the crimes he stood accused of, even if a court emphatically says he isn't. That said, even among those who will accept the court's decision in that scenario, they just may say that Diddy's arrogance has gone too far and they're "done" with him anyway, because even if he's exonerated, he's still not the "better" man he ought to be and who knows, by now, if he ever will be.

[Ohiopirate02]

1 hour ago, merylinkid said:

My question -- its a conspiracy, who else is involved?   Other big names?   I just keep coming back to that picture of Diddy, Kanye, Jay Z and one other guy sitting at a small table while their wives/girlfriends stand behind them.   Did they know?   Did they very deliberately not know?

Besides Russell Simmons? I cannot imagine that the other artists who hung out with Diddy were unaware of what he was doing. 

[Danielg342]

6 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

Besides Russell Simmons? I cannot imagine that the other artists who hung out with Diddy were unaware of what he was doing. 

I think we have to be careful before we go with the whole "guilt by association" thing. It's quite likely that a lot of people in Diddy's circle, at the height of his power, simply "went along to get along" because they believed challenging Diddy was fruitless. Even the most powerful figures may have felt that they needed to "respect" his position because he'd still have enormous influence in the industry, and I'm sure many feared that trying to take on Diddy could have disastrous consequences.

I mean, let's not forget the last time a power rap mogul took on Diddy two high profile rappers were gunned down.

That's not exactly something you take lightly, no matter how rational it may actually be.

It's important to point out the people who started Diddy's latest descent are arguably people who have proverbially nothing to lose- Cassie and Dawn Richard. Their careers are already railroaded (likely by Diddy himself) so challenging Diddy might not really hurt them so much.

To close, I'm not saying those who looked the other way are in the right. All I'm saying is that I don't think they deserve quite the same amount of outrage as Diddy does- they did not commit the crimes (to my knowledge) and they had perfectly reasonable grounds for being dismissive of Diddy's acts. So they at least deserve some benefit of the doubt.

[Shrek]

Judging by the way Kanye likes to dress his wife in public he has to be a main character, but at least he's open about humiliating her in public for all to see but she always looks so miserable. 

[bluegirl147]

1 hour ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I cannot imagine that the other artists who hung out with Diddy were unaware of what he was doing. 

He is accused of sex trafficking women and having "freak outs".  So yes there were definitely other people involved. Makes me wonder all this power he had in the industry was related to what he knew about some of the other players. 

[Wiendish Fitch]

5 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

He is accused of sex trafficking women and having "freak outs".  So yes there were definitely other people involved. Makes me wonder all this power he had in the industry was related to what he knew about some of the other players. 

It never ceases to astonish me the sway predators have over others that make them either turn blind eye or even excuse them. 

[EtheltoTillie]

1 hour ago, bluegirl147 said:

He is accused of sex trafficking women and having "freak outs".  So yes there were definitely other people involved. Makes me wonder all this power he had in the industry was related to what he knew about some of the other players. 

That's an Epstein--not just a Weinstein . . .  These freakouts sound horrifying.  His lawyer is defending it as consensual activity--"it's not trafficking--everyone wanted to be there." 

Edited Wednesday at 07:30 PM by EtheltoTillie

[Angeltoes]

20 hours ago, Dimity said:

I was like this with Cosby.  When the accusations first surfaced I went into denial - how could any of this be true? I held onto hope that it was all a horrible mistake and that he was the real victim.  

In his mind, he thinks he is the real victim.  I doubt if he's ever felt a smidge of shame for what he's done.  I would bet that to this day he thinks people should have minded their own business and not thrown a wrench into what he had going.

[Dimity]

Allegations that Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs tampered with witnesses contribute to bail denial --  Sean Combs had his bail denied a second time by a judge Wednesday.

[JustHereForFood]

I don't listen to any rap because I just don't like that kind of music, so I barely know who he is (yes, I know, I am a huge racist because of that, according to a part of the internet, lol). But I recently went through a similar stages of denial and grief with Neil Gaiman, so I kind of get it. And before that, Harry Potter and Mists of Avalon are some of my most favorite books, Buffy is one of my favorite shows ... yes, there are some different levels of terrible things that the people behind them did. Bottom line is, I had to come to some level of separating art from the artist, otherwise I am afraid that we will end up not being able to enjoy anything eventually. Sometimes, I can do it, other times not and it's all pretty inconsistent, but we all should do what is best for us at the end of the day. And since I am seeing people who get very mad at others who still enjoy the art and remain part of a fandom, I think we should remember to be mad at the people who did the wrong/illegal acts, not at other fans who are dealing with the same as us, just maybe in different ways.

[Blergh]

5 hours ago, JustHereForFood said:

I don't listen to any rap because I just don't like that kind of music, so I barely know who he is (yes, I know, I am a huge racist because of that, according to a part of the internet, lol). But I recently went through a similar stages of denial and grief with Neil Gaiman, so I kind of get it. And before that, Harry Potter and Mists of Avalon are some of my most favorite books, Buffy is one of my favorite shows ... yes, there are some different levels of terrible things that the people behind them did. Bottom line is, I had to come to some level of separating art from the artist, otherwise I am afraid that we will end up not being able to enjoy anything eventually. Sometimes, I can do it, other times not and it's all pretty inconsistent, but we all should do what is best for us at the end of the day. And since I am seeing people who get very mad at others who still enjoy the art and remain part of a fandom, I think we should remember to be mad at the people who did the wrong/illegal acts, not at other fans who are dealing with the same as us, just maybe in different ways.

FWIW ,

I never was a fan so I have no dogs in this circus but to each one's own.

However my rule of thumb is that if I have knowledge that a performer has been abusive and/or criminal to other (especially children),then I will boycott their work for rest of their lives so as to not chance any of my hard-earned monies contributing to their livelihood.

Now how each patron decides re continuing to deal with invidual celebs is up to them. OTOH,don't have a 🐄 because I won't buy spins of innocence or framing just because one doesn't want to have to deal with the possibility of having backed the wrong horse.

BTW,though ages ago an older Italian woman colleague in my work area named Paulette got dubbed P Diddy.

[Palimelon]

Mohamed Al Fayed accused of multiple rapes by staff.

The BBC has heard testimony from more than 20 female ex-employees who say the billionaire, who died last year aged 94, sexually assaulted them - including rape.

[Mabinogia]

20 hours ago, JustHereForFood said:

Bottom line is, I had to come to some level of separating art from the artist, otherwise I am afraid that we will end up not being able to enjoy anything eventually. Sometimes, I can do it, other times not and it's all pretty inconsistent, but we all should do what is best for us at the end of the day. And since I am seeing people who get very mad at others who still enjoy the art and remain part of a fandom, I think we should remember to be mad at the people who did the wrong/illegal acts, not at other fans who are dealing with the same as us, just maybe in different ways.

Yes, we all have different thresholds for what we deem "acceptable" in regards to enjoying the output from "bad" people. I don't think anyone should judge anyone else's threshold. Unfortunately we are in such a divisive world now that if someone doesn't agree with your (not you JHFF but the societal you) ideals they are "wrong!" 

Personally, I can still enjoy most media created by what the internet has decided are "bad" people and even some that I personally consider bad because that person is rarely the only person responsible for the product, and even if they are, people are complex. They can have opinions different than mine, or do things I deem bad, but still be creative geniuses. It's unfortunate, but life is the farthest thing from fair or just. 

Fortunately I don't like Diddy's output so fuck him  and hope he rots in hell. Gaiman is harder, as I do like some of his work, but I actually give him some credit for being willing to step down from Good Omens so the show can go on. It shows he's not a total monster. Thing is, there are a LOT of factors to consider when deciding if you want to continue to enjoy someone's work and it is not as black and white as social media wants to make it. 

While I won't stop watching/reading/listening to something I enjoy by someone I no longer respect, I won't start watching/reading/listening to anything new they make. That is the line I have chosen, but I also understand why some would go full stop and others don't let it bother them. 

[Mindthinkr]

I saw a video showing the conditions of the jail that Sean Combs is in. The place looks bad. As in dirty, needing repairs and no frills. 

[bluegirl147]

15 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

While I won't stop watching/reading/listening to something I enjoy by someone I no longer respect, I won't start watching/reading/listening to anything new they make. That is the line I have chosen, but I also understand why some would go full stop and others don't let it bother them. 

It's easier for me to stop listening to music by artists that have done repulsive things.  Michael Jackson (while he was alive) and R Kelly and now Diddy for obvious reasons and Kid Rock and Ted Nugent for other reasons. Their music was just their music.  But for actors and directors that is a little harder.   While I will probably never watch House of Cards again there are some Kevin Spacey movies I really enjoyed and they had other actors I like who weren't accused of sexual crimes.  I mentioned before I'm not going to never watch SATC or L&O the early years again because Chris Noth was accused of sexual assault. But I'm not watching anything new Noth or Spacey were to make.