Celebrities

R. Kelly Acquitted in Child Porn Case

Updated: Rhythm and blues superstar R. Kelly was acquitted today of all 14 counts in his child pornography trial. Before the verdict was announced, the 41-year-old singer could be seen praying, and, as “not guilty” after “not guilty” rolled in, Kelly’s lawyer says he heard his client saying “Thank you,…

Jun 13, 2008 6:50 PM CDT

Evidence Error in R. Kelly Trial: ‘Exact’ Videotape Copy Wasn’t

After six years of delay, the child pornography trial of R&B star R. Kelly is not only under way but nearing a verdict. Testimony concluded in the Chicago case yesterday, with the 41-year-old Kelly deciding not to testify, and closing arguments are scheduled for tomorrow. However, a major evidence issue…

Jun 11, 2008 3:18 PM CDT

Ozzy Osbourne Gets ‘Substantial’ Settlement for ‘Freak Show’ Claim

Rocker Ozzy Osbourne has won “substantial” damages in a libel settlement with a newspaper that claimed he fell over twice before an awards ceremony he was set to host. The article in The Star was headlined “Ozzy’s Freak Show,” report the Guardian and Reuters. The Star report said Osbourne had…

Jun 5, 2008 1:15 PM CDT

Tatum O’Neal: 18 Hours in Jail ‘Wasn’t That Horrible’

Actress Tatum O’Neal puts a positive spin on her experience of being arrested and jailed, for the first time, for 18 hours this week, after she alleged bought crack cocaine from a street dealer on Sunday. “I slept on a mattress with a couple of ladies because I was tired.…

Jun 4, 2008 4:42 PM CDT

Ed McMahon in Foreclosure in Beverly Hills

Updated: It isn’t just struggling blue-collar workers who are battling in court with mortgage lenders in the ongoing real estate meltdown. Ed McMahon, famous among late-night television fans as Johnny Carson’s longtime sidekick, could lose his Beverly Hills home to foreclosure due to health problems. As of late February, the…

Jun 4, 2008 4:19 PM CDT

Thurman Stalker Sentenced to Probation

The man convicted of stalking actress Uma Thurman has been sentenced to three years’ probation. Defendant Jack Jordan was also ordered to submit to psychiatric treatment, the New York Times reports. Judge Gregory Carro said he believed Jordan now understood that his actions were wrong. Jordan apologized for his conduct…

Jun 3, 2008 4:44 PM CDT

Actress Tatum O’Neal Arrested in Alleged Crack Cocaine Buy

Actress Tatum O’Neal was arrested last night for allegedly buying crack cocaine from a street dealer on the lower East Side of New York City, a few blocks from her luxury apartment. O’Neal, 44, initially told police she had been researching a part after she was allegedly seen by officers…

Jun 2, 2008 5:25 PM CDT

IRS Employee Charged With Checking Out Celebrity Tax Records

A tax examiner in Ohio has been arrested on charges he sneaked a peek at tax information for nearly 200 celebrities. John Snyder has been charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly accessing the information on the Internal Revenue Service database, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. He is accused of checking out…

May 30, 2008 3:59 PM CDT

Celebrity Divorce Case: Bill Murray’s Wife Cites Booze, Pot, Adultery

The wife of actor and comedian Bill Murray has filed for divorce, contending that the former Saturday Night Live mainstay has physically abused her, has had affairs, is addicted to alcohol and marijuana and has abandoned her. A premarital agreement attached to her South Carolina filing provides for a $7…

May 29, 2008 7:05 PM CDT

Teen Violence Up in London; ‘Harry Potter’ Actor is Killed

It isn’t just in major cities in the U.S. that recent spates of violence, often attributed to teens and young adults, have sparked concern. A top official at Scotland Yard has warned British parents to find out whether their children are carrying knives, after attacks killed 14 teens in London…

May 27, 2008 5:24 PM CDT

Judge Bars Sketch Artist From R. Kelly Trial

The Chicago judge in R&B singer R. Kelly’s high-profile child pornography trial has barred the Chicago Tribune’s sketch artist from the courtroom for the duration of the proceedings. Judge Vincent Gaughan asserted that the artist, Cheryl Cook, violated his strict order not to create images of jurors for publication, the…

May 22, 2008 12:04 AM CDT

Jerry Springer’s Words of Wisdom Win Over Skeptical NU Grads

Students at Northwestern University School of Law protested when they heard that television reality show host and NU law grad Jerry Springer was to be their commencement speaker. But when they heard what he had to say last week, he got a standing ovation from about half of the audience,…

May 21, 2008 5:47 PM CDT

PI-to-Stars Anthony Pellicano Guilty in Dirty-Tricks Litigation Case

Updated: Private eye Anthony Pellicano and four co-defendants were all found guilty today by a federal jury in Southern California in a racketeering, fraud and conspiracy case that had attracted worldwide media attention because of its star-studded witness lineup. It had also been watched with interest by the legal community…

May 15, 2008 8:58 PM CDT

R. Kelly Trial Offers Lessons About Avoiding Jury Service

Despite days of voir dire, lawyers in the R. Kelly child pornography trial in Chicago are still nowhere close to having a jury selected. In fact, the Chicago Tribune says in gavel-to-gavel coverage by the newspaper, all the dismissed prospects have provided ample material to write a book, How to…

May 15, 2008 3:45 PM CDT

Hallway Altercation Follows Hip Hop Artist’s Sentencing

The fiance of hip hop artist Remy Ma erupted in anger after her sentencing yesterday to eight years in prison. Shamele Mackie, the rapper known as Papoose, cursed and lunged at court officers and overturned a garbage can, the New York Times reports. “Mackie shouted at the guards, ‘Go ahead,…

May 14, 2008 2:54 PM CDT