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

[Danielg342]

On 1/28/2025 at 7:16 PM, peachmangosteen said:

As she said in this video, I doubt anyone who doesn’t already get it will really listen to this but just in case:

I could go on a rant and say "we don't have feminism in the West. We have a patriarchal, performative version of 'feminism' that pays lip service to women all while simply being a tool for powerful men to keep their power and to continually hold back women and lesser men", but I'm not sure that's appropriate for this thread.

Honestly, I watch the video and think- after I cut out the obvious emotional elements- that maybe I'm some kind of an outlier. I'm not sure the "general consensus" is that Blake Lively is wrong and Justin Baldoni is right. Because I think it sure is the opposite.

Look. Lively is no Hollywood neophyte, and if there's anyone who could definitely give her pointers about building and maintaining a positive image it's her husband, Ryan Reynolds. So Lively's not going to be the type to bring forth some frivolous lawsuit on some flimsy premise- there has to be very much a kernel of truth in what she is saying.

Now, of course, I'll reserve full judgement until the case is finally resolved, which may not be for years yet, given how tangled a mess this lawsuit is shaping up to be. That said, I'd have to wholeheartedly disagree with this video creator's assertion that no one will believe Lively even if a court of law rules in her favour...because I will, for whatever that is worth.

[merylinkid]

I'm good with a gag order on the Lively-baldoni lawsuit.   His attorney has set up a website for the documents so everyone can read them.   Which sounds good.   But in reality, WHAT?   How trustworthy that it is really all the documents, in complete form?   Also that seems really beyond zealous advocacy and into the realm of trying to poison the jury pool.   It's just not done.   Really hope the judge smacks this down.

[Trini]

2 hours ago, merylinkid said:

I'm good with a gag order on the Lively-baldoni lawsuit.   His attorney has set up a website for the documents so everyone can read them.   Which sounds good.   But in reality, WHAT?   How trustworthy that it is really all the documents, in complete form?   Also that seems really beyond zealous advocacy and into the realm of trying to poison the jury pool.   It's just not done.   Really hope the judge smacks this down.

This dude is doing WAY too much.

[Blergh]

1 hour ago, Trini said:

This dude is doing WAY too much.

To say nothing of evidently  having never considered the truth in the adage of protesting too much!

[Spartan Girl]

He’s doing too much because he’s a fucking scumbag.

[Danielg342]

4 hours ago, Trini said:

This dude is doing WAY too much.

I always felt like Justin Baldoni is going well over and above what a more reasonable person would do who just wants to defend themselves. Issue a statement denying the allegations? Fine. Lawyer up and say "I'll have my day in court"? OK.

Start a website that's clearly meant to sway the "court of public opinion"? Um... Launch a smear campaign in an attempt to completely ruin the reputation of your accuser? What? Seriously?

Something tells me Baldoni has something to hide. Otherwise, why these lengths?

Unfortunately, as far as I understand, the trial is set for March 2026...so it may be a while still before we get the real truth. :(

[BetterButter]

Neil Gaiman Hit With Rape & Human Trafficking Suits After Months Of Allegations; Estranged Spouse Amanda Palmer Also Named In Multi-State Filings

[Makai]

4 hours ago, BetterButter said:

Neil Gaiman Hit With Rape & Human Trafficking Suits After Months Of Allegations; Estranged Spouse Amanda Palmer Also Named In Multi-State Filings

And that’s the real reason Palmer has been silent. 

[Vermicious Knid]

Glen Weldon of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour did this essay, about wrestling with whether to separate the artist from the art when they do something that's reprehensible like Gaiman. Worth the read. 

In other news, a court case has revealed that Prince Andrew was lying and did not stop communicating with Jeffrey Epstein when he said he did. 

Quote

 

A photographer had captured Prince Andrew and Epstein walking together in New York's Central Park in December 2010, while the prince stayed at Epstein's house.

"Was that visit, December of 2010, the only time you saw him after he was convicted?" interviewer Emily Maitlis had asked the royal.

Prince Andrew replied "yes". Maitlis then asked: "Did you see him or speak to him again?", to which Andrew responded: "No."

But emails a few months after that New York meeting suggest, if not a direct conversation, there were still friendly exchanges.

According to the court documents, on 27 February 2011, Epstein emailed: "jes staley will be in London on next tue afternoon, if you have time."

There was a reply from the "member of the British Royal Family" with a question: "Jes is coming on 1st March or next week?"

The court documents say there was a "discussion of press articles" and then the message: "Keep in close touch and we'll play some more soon!!!!"

 

Too bad the Tower of London is only a tourist attraction nowadays. 

[SVNBob]

10 minutes ago, Vermicious Knid said:

Glen Weldon of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour did this essay, about wrestling with whether to separate the artist from the art when they do something that's reprehensible like Gaiman. Worth the read. 

In other news, a court case has revealed that Prince Andrew was lying and did not stop communicating with Jeffrey Epstein when he said he did. 

Too bad the Tower of London is only a tourist attraction nowadays. 

Bet it'd be a bigger draw with an actual prisoner in it... and a Royal one to boot.

[Anduin]

3 hours ago, Vermicious Knid said:

Too bad the Tower of London is only a tourist attraction nowadays. 

I was terribly disappointed to find out how short that tower actually is. But it is big enough to hold a few prisoners.

[peachmangosteen]

English Teacher renewed in spite of an allegation against the star. Oh yea, allegations really ruin men's lives huh.

Edited February 7 by peachmangosteen

[tearknee]

Depends on the man (and depends on the woman, too)

 

As with Amy Carter being concerned with nukes in 1980 versus Samantha Reed Smith in November 1982 = it's not only what the message is but who is the messenger.

[merylinkid]

On 2/4/2025 at 1:49 AM, Vermicious Knid said:

In other news, a court case has revealed that Prince Andrew was lying and did not stop communicating with Jeffrey Epstein when he said he did. 

I am so surprised that Andrew lied.   Oh my goodness, who would have expected that?

Oh right, anyone other than his mother.  

[Blergh]

1 hour ago, merylinkid said:

I am so surprised that Andrew lied.   Oh my goodness, who would have expected that?

Oh right, anyone other than his mother.  

I'm not sure Her Late Majesty sincerely believed her 3rd born child was honest but just wagoncircled.

Let's also not forget that the late Mr. Epstein and Miss Maxwell attended his elder daughter's Princess Beatrice's 18th birthday party- and didn't get thrown out on their ears by the Duke of York.

BTW, if Princess Beatrice or any other member of the York nuclear family ever called out the Duke for having at the very least allowed these two (who had a record of badly exploiting underage girls) to have attended her party, I've never heard of it.

[Danielg342]

Jay-Z and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Rape Lawsuit Dismissed by Jane Doe’s Attorney

(Yahoo! via Variety)

Quote

The lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jay-Z over the alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl in 2000 has been dismissed by the attorney representing the Jane Doe, according to a court filing made on Friday in New York.

The voluntary dismissal, reviewed by Variety, was filed by attorneys Tony Buzbee and Antigone Curis, claiming that the Jane Doe who accused the musicians of sexual assault “hereby gives notice that the above-captioned Action is voluntarily dismissed, with prejudice.”

...

“The frivolous, fictitious and appalling allegations have been dismissed,” Shawn Carter (Jay-Z) wrote. “This civil suit was
without merit and never going anywhere. The fictional tale they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims. I would not wish this experience on anyone. The trauma that my wife, my children, loved ones and I have endured can never be dismissed. This 1-800 lawyer gets to file a suit hiding behind Jane Doe, and when they quickly realize that the money grab is going to fail, they get to walk away with no repercussions. The system has failed. The court must protect victims, OF COURSE, while with the same ethical responsibility, the courts must protect the innocent from being accused without a shred of evidence. May the truth prevail for all victims and those falsely accused equally.”

 

[BetterButter]

Guy Pearce Gets Choked Up Recalling Troubling Encounters With Kevin Spacey While Filming ‘L.A. Confidential’: “He Targeted Me, No Question”

Quote

'The Brutalist' actor got candid about how the #MeToo movement led to a wake-up call: "I broke down and sobbed, and I couldn't stop. I think it really dawned on me the impact that had occurred."

 

[Makai]

23 hours ago, BetterButter said:

Guy Pearce Gets Choked Up Recalling Troubling Encounters With Kevin Spacey While Filming ‘L.A. Confidential’: “He Targeted Me, No Question”

 

It’s pretty much impossible for my opinion of Spacey to go any lower but this new story took me down a rabbit hole of being pissed at celebrities that have defended him. What the actual fuck, Judi Dench and Sharon Stone. The others weren’t particularly shocking. 

Edited Wednesday at 05:32 AM by Makai

[Notabug]

12 hours ago, Makai said:

It’s pretty much impossible for my opinion of Spacey to go any lower but this new story took me down a rabbit hole of being pissed at celebrities that have defended him. What the actual fuck, Judi Dench and Sharon Stone. The others weren’t particularly shocking. 

And, Spacey, being the classy guy he is, fired back at Pearce, telling him to 'grow up'.  He didn't deny the story, just needed to chastise Pearce for telling it.  He also says Pearce is 'not a victim'.  Because he didn't actually get into his pants?  Because Pearce wasn't a minor at the time?  Who knows?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/celebrity/kevin-spacey-says-guy-pearce-is-not-a-victim-after-pearce-says-he-was-targeted-by-spacey/ar-AA1zjIvS?ocid=BingNewsSerp

Edited Wednesday at 05:18 PM by Notabug

[Zella]

And per Pearce, he wasn't the only one Spacey was harassing on set. 

Quote

While filming on location in Los Angeles, Pearce was in town with his then-wife, Kate. He recalled telling her that “the only days I feel safe are the days when [Simon Baker] is on set because I’m dumped like a hot potato, and [Kevin] focuses on [Simon] because he was 10 times prettier than I am.”

 

[Soapy Goddess]

7 hours ago, Notabug said:

And, Spacey, being the classy guy he is, fired back at Pearce, telling him to 'grow up'.  He didn't deny the story, just needed to chastise Pearce for telling it.  He also says Pearce is 'not a victim'.  Because he didn't actually get into his pants?  Because Pearce wasn't a minor at the time?  Who knows?

Spacey also said that Pearce spent time with him in his hotel room and never appeared to be scared or worried. Spacey went on to say "why now?" IOW, why after all these years is Pearce now coming forward with this story. 

Apparently there's more to this story, but unless Pearce cites specifics, we'll never know. 

[Makai]

5 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

Spacey also said that Pearce spent time with him in his hotel room and never appeared to be scared or worried. Spacey went on to say "why now?" IOW, why after all these years is Pearce now coming forward with this story. 

Apparently there's more to this story, but unless Pearce cites specifics, we'll never know. 

As for why now specifically, he was talking about his new movie and it appears there are similarities between the role and Spacey. This also isn’t the first time he has talked about it. This is just the first time the story is getting widespread attention. 

Kevin Spacey’s aggressive, ‘grow up’ response seems to prove one of Guy Pearce’s claims

Quote

Pearce told Feinberg that it took decades for him to process what happened with Spacey. But he began to do so after other men came forward to speak up about their experiences with Spacey during the #MeToo movement. Spacey, in fact, was hit with a wave of allegations, extending from film sets and production locations to the Old Vic Theatre, where the actor had served as the artist director, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Pearce said he caught the headlines about the Spacey allegations while he was working in London. “I heard (the reports) and I broke down and sobbed, and I couldn’t stop,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “I think it really dawned on me the impact that had occurred and how I sort of brushed it off and how I had either shelved it or blocked it out or whatever. That was a really incredible wake-up call.”

Also contrary to Spacey’s claim that Pearce never spoke to him about behavior, Pearce said he has since “had a couple of confrontations with Kevin” that “got ugly.

 

Edited Thursday at 06:00 AM by Makai
Edited to remove incorrect supposition after more research.

[praeceptrix]

One of the lawyers for Sean Combs is quitting.

[Is Everyone Gone]

On 2/8/2025 at 11:44 AM, Blergh said:

I'm not sure Her Late Majesty sincerely believed her 3rd born child was honest but just wagoncircled.

I'm pretty sure Queen E was a famously absentee parent who only really noticed her kids when they got into some deep shit. Pretty typical for royal women of her generation. 

Hope Kate is more hands-on behind the scenes.

[merylinkid]

On 2/19/2025 at 7:40 PM, Soapy Goddess said:

Spacey went on to say "why now?" IOW, why after all these years is Pearce now coming forward with this story. 

I dunno maybe because the reaction he is getting even AFTER people know how terrible Spacey is.   You want people to come forward sooner, you have to make it safe for them to do so.