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Justin Bieber Calls Sexual Assault Allegation “Factually Impossible”

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11 months ago

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  • Over the weekend, two women accused singer Justin Bieber of sexual assault. The first, Danielle, said she was invited to Bieber’s hotel room at the Four Seasons in Austin after seeing him perform in 2014. She claimed he had sex with her after she told him to get off her and said things were going too far.
  • The second, Kadi, said she was also invited to his hotel in 2015 when Bieber allegedly locked her in a room with him. She said she was able to kick him off of her and run away while the assault was taking place.
  • Bieber has not specifically addressed Kadi’s claim, but posted several tweets about Danielle’s, which he says is false.
  • He claims he was in Austin during that time, but did not stay at the Four Seasons, and allegedly confirmed this with a manager at the hotel. He also shared screenshots of receipts of hotel reservations booked at other locations.

First Allegation Against Bieber

Singer Justin Bieber defended himself against accusations of sexual assault, Sunday night, calling one account “factually impossible.”

“I don’t normally address things as I have dealt with random accusations my entire career but after talking with my wife and team I have decided to speak up on an issue tonight,” Bieber wrote on Twitter, starting a long series of posts.

Allegations against the 26-year-old pop star began Saturday when a Twitter user named Danielle said Bieber assaulted her on March 9, 2014. Danielle claimed that she and her friends were at an event in Austin where Bieber, who was accompanied by his then-girlfriend Selena Gomez, made a surprise performance. Danielle claimed that a man approached her and her friends, asking if they wanted to meet Bieber. 

They said yes, took photos with Bieber, and chatted with him. After this, Danielle alleged that he and his friends invited them back to the Four Seasons hotel. She claimed that upon arriving, her friends were sent to one room, but she was brought to another with Bieber, who asked her to not say anything. 

Danielle wrote that Bieber asked her to join him in bed and hegan to kiss her, even though she tried to change the conversation by asking about Gomez. According to Danielle, she had been drinking, and hoped this would be a clear sign that she was not willing to do much with the singer. 

As things progressed, Danielle claims that Beieber began to undress her. When she told him things were going too far and she wanted to get back with her friends, Danielle alleges that Bieber responded by saying, “Relax. They’re all okay.”

“I was very uncomfortable and I felt myself starting to hyperventilate,” Danielle wrote in her post. “I told him to get off because I was starting to worry about my friends but it was too late. He forced himself inside me before I got the last few words out…My body felt unconscious.”

Second Claim Comes Out

Later that day, another girl named Kadi echoed her support for Danielle and claimed she had also been assaulted by Bieber. She said that after waiting in line for a meet and greet with Bieber, his bodyguard Mikey invited her up to Bieber’s hotel, where there was a small get together. 

Kadi claims that when she was there, she started talking to Bieber, who kissed her and then followed her into the bathroom. Kady then said that he locked the door to the bathroom, which was attached to the bedroom. She alleged that the singer continued to kiss her and touch her, while she told him that she was waiting for marriage to have sex. 

However, Kadi claimed that after this, he pushed her to the bed, removed some of her clothes and penetrated her. She said she kicked him off of her and ran away. Kadi wrote that she told her sister, who warned her against speaking out because her alleged sexual encounter could harm her or her family’s reputation. 

She said she remained silent until 2017, when the MeToo movement encouraged her to speak out. She claimed she tweeted then deleted her story, but a reporter did contact her asking for more information, though nothing ever came of it. In addition to her story, she shared screenshots of messages she sent with Bieber’s bodyguard, the reporter, and another girl who was at the hotel named Arianna. 

Bieber Responds

While Bieber has not specifically addressed the allegation from Kadi, he sent out numerous tweets denouncing Danielle’s story, which has since been deleted. 

“Rumors are rumors but sexual abuse is something I don’t take lightly. I wanted to speak out right away but out of respect to so many victims who deal with these issues daily I wanted to make sure I gathered the facts before I made any statement,” Bieber said.

According to Bieber, he was in Austin on March 9, the day that Danielle claimed the incident happened. However, he said he was with Gomez and his friends, and showed photos of him elsewhere throughout the night. 

He also said he did not stay at the Four Seasons, the hotel that Danielle claimed the incident happened at. While one tweet from March 10, 2014 does show someone claiming to see him at the hotel, Bieber was allegedly just at the restaurant, not an overnight guest. 

Beiber maintains that he spent one night at an Airbnb with Gomez and friends and another at the Westin. He shared receipts and screenshots that appear to confirm reservations there. He also claimed that the Four Season regional manager stated that he was never at the hotel during this timeframe. 

“Every claim of sexual abuse should be taken very seriously and this is why my response was needed,” Bieber later explained. “However this story is factually impossible and that is why I will be working with twitter and authorities to take legal action.”

He did face backlash for his response, however, as some thought his promise of legal action looked like threats against his accusers. Others did not think he should be bringing Gomez into the situation and making her his alibi.

Other Stars Accused of Sexual Assault 

The accusation against Bieber came one day after a woman claimed that actor Ansel Elgort sexually assaulted her when she was 17. Elgort has denied this and said he did have a relationship with her, but it was consensual and legal. Danielle still claimed that seeing someone speak up about Elgort gave her the courage to speak out against Bieber. 

Also over the weekend, Cole Sprouse and other members of the cast of CW’s “Riverdale” were accused of sexual assault and harassment. The tweets came from resembling accounts, all of which had a woman’s first name followed by a long series of numbers as the handle. 

The accusations against Sprouse are still online, however, tweets with allegations against stars like Lili Reinhart, KJ Apa, and Vanessa Morgan have been deleted. In one case, the user who tweeted a sexual harassment claim against Reinhart later tweeted that the claims about Apa and Morgan were fake.

“Do you see how easy it is to lie and you guys will believe it?” that user wrote, with many claiming it was an effort to prove Sprouse’s innocence. 

The allegations still became a trending topic on Twitter, with some thinking they were all fake, but others still feeling inclined to believe them. Both Sprouse and Reinhart have made threads denouncing the claims.

“False accusations do tremendous damage to victims of actual assault. Furthermore, I would never seek to silence anybody,” Sprouse wrote. “I encourage that people look into the accusations themselves, as the events detailed were factually untrue.”

“I have always taken sexual assault allegations seriously. But it was proven that this account was created specifically to create false stories about me and my cast,” Reinhart added. “I can’t think of something more twisted than lying about sexual assault.”

Reinhart also claimed that the cast is looking into legal action. 

See what others are saying: (Pitchfork) (Entertainment Weekly) (The Guardian)

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Chrissy Teigen Apologizes To Courtney Stodden Following Backlash Over Old Tweets

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1 day ago

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May 12, 2021

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  • In a recent interview with The Daily Beast, Courtney Stodden, who gained tabloid attention a decade ago after marrying 51-year-old Doug Hutchison at the age of 16, said model Chrissy Teigen “would privately DM me and tell me to kill myself.”
  • The direct messages have not been verified but Internet users dug up old tweets Teigen posted telling Stodden to take a “dirt nap.”
  • Many called Teigen out for harassing a then-teenager and telling them to die, especially since Teigen has been vocal about her own experiences with online hate, which prompted her to temporarily leave Twitter earlier this year.
  • On Wednesday, Teigen apologized to Stodden and said she was “ashamed and completely embarrassed” by her past remarks.

Courtney Stodden Speaks Out

Model and television personality Chrissy Teigen apologized on Wednesday for old comments she allegedly made 10 years ago, encouraging then-teenager Courtney Stodden to kill themself. 

In a profile by The Daily Beast, Stodden (who uses they/them pronouns) accused Teigen of sending them messages encouraging suicide.

“She wouldn’t just publicly tweet about wanting me to take ‘a dirt nap’ but would privately DM me and tell me to kill myself,” Stoddon told The Daily Beast, referring to Teigen. “Things like, ‘I can’t wait for you to die.’”

Teigen became a trending topic on Tuesday as people began sharing the article. Now, she is finally addressing the controversy.

“Not a lot of people are lucky enough to be held accountable for all their past bullshit in front of the entire world,” she wrote on Twitter. “I’m mortified and sad at who I used to be. I was an insecure, attention seeking troll. I am ashamed and completely embarrassed at my behavior but that is nothing compared to how I made Courtney feel.”

Stodden made headlines in 2011 after marrying 51-year-old Doug Hutchison at the age of 16. The couple has since divorced, but at the time of their marriage, their relationship was the subject of incessant tabloid coverage. Rather than show concern for Stodden’s situation as a victim of grooming, the media and public shamed and ridiculed them relentlessly. 

Teigen was one of many stars that Stodden said used to mock them. Stodden told The Daily Beast that “The View “co-host Joy Behar referred to them as a “slut” and musician Courtney Love called them a “whore.” They also claimed that of all the celebrities to use such harsh language, the only one to apologize since is Perez Hilton.

Chrissy Teigen Faces Backlash

While the direct messages Teigen allegedly sent have not been verified, several Twitter users recovered and shared old tweets Teigen posted at the height of Stodden’s fame. In one, Teigen says her “fantasy” would be for Stodden to take “a dirt nap.” In another, she told Stodden to “go to sleep forever.”

Many called the star out for bullying a 16-year-old. 

“Chrissy Teigen tried to bully a 16yo abuse victim into suicide?” one person wrote. “This is so much more than ‘oh she’s annoying on twitter’ she’s a fucking monster.”

Some claimed that her tweets should be considered a violation of Twitter’s terms of service. Others noted that earlier this year, Teigen temporarily left Twitter, citing copious amounts of online hate. Some found it hypocritical that she previously incited that same hate, then left the platform when it was being directed towards her. 

“I’m so sorry, Courtney. I hope you can heal now knowing how deeply sorry I am,” Teigen continued on Wednesday, adding that she wants to constantly work to be a better person.

See what others are saying: (BuzzFeed News) (The Daily Beast) (A.V. Club)

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Ellen DeGeneres Announces End of Her Daytime Talk Show

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1 day ago

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May 12, 2021

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  • In a Hollywood Reporter interview published Wednesday, Ellen DeGeneres revealed that she is ending her talk show after its upcoming 19th season.
  • Many believe the decision came in response to toxic workplace allegations the host and her show faced last summer, but DeGeneres said the plans were in motion far before that because the show is no longer challenging enough for her. 
  • Staffers were notified of the decision Tuesday and DeGeneres will discuss the news on Wednesday’s episode of her show with Oprah Winfrey, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Ellen DeGeneres Show To End With Season 19

Ellen DeGeneres is officially pulling the plug on her daytime talk show.

In an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the comedian and host announced that her upcoming 19th season will be her last. She informed staff of the decision Tuesday and will discuss the news on Wednesday’s episode of her show with Oprah Winfrey.

“When you’re a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged – and as great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it’s just not a challenge anymore,” DeGeneres said when explaining the reasoning behind her choice to end the show.

People on social media have, of course, taken issue with that statement. Many noted that the decision comes now that DeGeneres has fallen out of much of the public’s favor.

Last summer, several people made claims about DeGeneres’ alleged cold or rude demeanor as others began criticizing her old interviews. Buzzfeed then published a report with allegations of a toxic workplace culture, which included sexual harassment, racism, and intimidation claims, among other things.

Plans Were in Motion for Some Time, DeGeneres Said

Still, DeGeneres said ending the show now was always the plan. She actually said she wanted to stop after Season 16, and her wife Portia de Rossi had also been urging her to move on.

Executives behind the show, however, pushed for four additional year and they ultimately settled on three, with DeGeneres knowing that season 19 would be her last.

In the article, she specifically addresses the summer allegations saying, “It almost impacted the show. It was very hurtful to me. I mean, very. But if I was quitting the show because of that, I wouldn’t have come back this season. So, it’s not why I’m stopping.

She also framed the claims about her character as “ridiculous,” saying they attacked everything she stands for and destroyed her.

As far as the toxic workplace allegations, DeGeneres said she learned of them through the press and didn’t want to believe them at first.

“So, there was an internal investigation, obviously, and we learned some things but this culture we’re living is [is one where] no one can make mistakes,” she added.

“And I don’t want to generalize because there are some bad people out there and those people shouldn’t work again but, in general, the culture today is one where you can’t learn and grow, which is, as human beings, what we’re here to do. And I can see people looking at that going, ‘You don’t care about what people [went through.]’ I care tremendously. It broke my heart when I learned that people here had anything other than a fantastic experience.”

See what others are saying: (The Hollywood Reporter) (CNN) (Fox News)

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Seth Rogen Says He Has No Plans To Work With James Franco “Right Now” Following Sexual Misconduct Allegations

Published

3 days ago

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May 10, 2021

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  • In an interview with Britain’s Sunday Times, actor Seth Rogen was asked about his relationship with longtime collaborator James Franco, who has been accused of misconduct and sexually exploitative behavior by multiple women. 
  • In response to claims that Rogen was Franco’s enabler, he said, “What I can say is that I despise abuse and harassment, and I would never cover or conceal the actions of someone doing it, or knowingly put someone in a situation where they were around someone like that. 
  • He also expressed regret over a 2014 joke he made on “Saturday Night Live,” which many felt trivialized Franco’s inappropriate communication with a 17-year-old. 
  • “I also look back to that interview in 2018 where I comment that I would keep working with James, and the truth is that I have not and I do not plan to right now,” he added.

Seth Rogen Addresses James Franco Controversies

Actor and comedian Seth Rogen was asked about his relationship with fellow film star James Franco in a new interview with Britain’s Sunday Times.

Franco and Rogen are friends and longtime collaborators who’ve done hit films together, including “Pineapple Express,” “The Disaster Artist,” “The Interview,” and “Sausage Party,” among others.

In 2014, Franco was exposed for trying to pick up a 17-year-old through Instagram direct messages. In 2018, five women publicly accused him of inappropriate and sexually exploitative behavior, which he denied. Two of those women, who were students at an acting school he ran, then filed a lawsuit against him and agreed to a settlement this year.

Throughout these controversies, Rogen has faced a ton of backlash for continuing to show Franco support.

Last month, actress Charlyne Yi took to Instagram to open up about her experience working on “The Disaster Artist,” accusing Franco of being a “predator” and Rogen of being his “enabler.”

When asked about that specific claim, Rogen said, “What I can say is that I despise abuse and harassment, and I would never cover or conceal the actions of someone doing it, or knowingly put someone in a situation where they were around someone like that.”

No Current Plans To Work Together

Rogen also expressed regret over a 2014 joke he made on “Saturday Night Live,” which many felt trivialized Franco’s inappropriate communication with the 17-year-old.

“It was a terrible joke, honestly. And I also look back to that interview in 2018 where I comment that I would keep working with James, and the truth is that I have not and I do not plan to right now,” he continued.

When asked how Franco’s scandals have impacted their relationship, Rogen said, “I can say it, um, you know, it has changed many things in our relationship and our dynamic.”

Still, he noted that changes are “not as painful and difficult as it is for a lot of other people involved. I have no pity for myself in this situation.

See what others are saying: (CNN) (Huff Post) (The Sunday Times)

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