Celebrities

Donald Trump Can’t Sue over Claims He’s Not a Billionaire, NJ Appeals Court Rules

Donald Trump has lost a defamation lawsuit he filed over claims that he’s not a billionaire. A New Jersey appeals court ruled (PDF) on Wednesday that Trump can’t sue because he is a public figure and he had not shown actual malice by author Timothy O’Brien, the New Jersey Law…

Sep 8, 2011 1:03 PM CDT

Actor Randy Quaid’s Suit Over His Ex-Lawyer’s Alleged Postings on Entertainment Website Is Dismissed

Actor Randy Quaid and his wife, Evi, waited too long to file suit over alleged postings by a former attorney on his website, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled today. Granting a motion to dismiss by attorney Lloyd Braun based on the statute of limitations, Judge Kevin Brazile nixed…

Sep 6, 2011 7:24 PM CDT

Heirs of Miles Davis Sue Miles’ Cafe Owner, Who Is Also a Trumpet Player Known as Miles

A New York restaurateur who allegedly claims Miles Davis appeared to him in a dream, leading him to take the legendary jazz musician’s first name and open a cafe using that moniker, is now a defendant in a lawsuit. Brought by relatives who inherited from Davis’ estate, the Manhattan federal…

Aug 31, 2011 9:28 PM CDT

Mel Gibson Settles Child-Custody Case

Updated: Actor Mel Gibson is putting an end to a hard-fought case over the custody of his young daughter with former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Peter Lichtman announced today that Gibson will pay $750,000 to Grigorieva and establish a trust for their child, who is almost…

Aug 31, 2011 5:27 PM CDT

Gilbert Arenas’ Tweets Help Doom His Legal Bid to Block ‘Basketball Wives’

Orlando Magic basketball star Gilbert Arenas has failed to obtain a preliminary injunction to block the airing of Basketball Wives Los Angeles, set to air for the first time on Monday. Arenas’ enthusiasm for Twitter helped doom his contention that his private life wasn’t a matter of public concern, according…

Aug 26, 2011 2:20 PM CDT

Actors Want Share of ‘Happy Days,’ ‘Partridge Family’ & ‘A Christmas Story’ Merchandise Sales

Zack Ward, the actor who played the red-headed bully Scut Farkus from the 1983 movie A Christmas Story is suing Warner Bros Entertainment Inc., claiming the company used his image to produce toy action figures without his permission. Ward, who filed suit in federal court in California this week, maintains…

Aug 19, 2011 9:28 PM CDT

Police Visit Blogger Who Posted Nude Toddler Photos; Free Speech Experts Raise Questions

A sports law blogger has removed nude pictures of a star quarterback’s 20-month-old son after a visit from police with the Massachusetts attorney general’s office. Blogger David Portnoy tells the Boston Globe he decided “it would be in the best interest of everybody involved” if he removed the photos of…

Aug 17, 2011 2:07 PM CDT

Village People Singer Seeks ‘YMCA’ Rights Under Obscure Copyright Termination Provision

Corrected: The Village People had one word of advice for a young man in need of some dough and somewhere to go: Y.M.C.A. Now the man who wrote the song is a little older and seeking to cash in through a little-known copyright provision that allows musicians and songwriters to…

Aug 17, 2011 1:23 PM CDT

Courthouse Security Guards Investigated for Accepting Autographed Roger Clemens Baseballs

Up to six security guards at the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., are being investigated for accepting baseballs autographed by Roger Clemens from someone associated with his defense team. The guards received the baseballs soon after U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton declared a mistrial in the case due to prosecution…

Aug 17, 2011 12:22 PM CDT

Heirs of Frank Sinatra Step Up to Plate, Seek Role for Season Ticket Holders in Dodgers Bankruptcy

A judge overseeing the Delaware bankruptcy case of the Los Angeles Dodgers now has a new issue to resolve, reports Reuters: Should season ticket holders, to whom the heirs of Frank Sinatra, a famous fan of the baseball team, have added their voice, be allowed to speak for themselves in…

Aug 16, 2011 11:33 PM CDT

Actor Burt Reynolds Is in Foreclosure on $2.4M Waterfront Vacation Home

Back in 2009, actor Burt Reynolds said he’d put his 12,500-square-foot waterfront Florida vacation home on the market for $8.9 million, but was in no hurry to sell before real estate values recovered. Now, it appears, his need to sell the home, which is situated on a 4-acre parcel on…

Aug 16, 2011 6:12 PM CDT

Plaintiffs Apparently Settle Suit Against Dr. Phil over Naked Man Appearance

Corrected: Two women who appeared on a Dr. Phil spinoff show have dropped their lawsuit claiming they were traumatized by the unexpected appearance of a naked man. Defense lawyer Kelli Sager refused to say whether the suit was settled, the Orange County Register reports. TMZ.com interprets Sager’s response as indicating…

Aug 12, 2011 2:43 PM CDT

Casey Anthony Is More Reviled Than OJ Simpson, Poll Shows

Casey Anthony is the most hated person in America, according to a new poll gauging celebrity popularity. Anthony is more reviled than former football star O.J. Simpson, who was also found not guilty of murder, according to Reuters and the New York Post. The poll found that 53 percent of…

Aug 11, 2011 1:34 PM CDT

‘Wire’ Actress, Faced with Wiretap Evidence, Pleads Guilty to Drug Charges

In a case of life imitating art, an actress who played an assassin for a drug gang in the HBO series The Wire pleaded guilty Monday to charges that she conspired to distribute heroin. Felice “Snoop” Pearson, 31, received a seven-year suspended sentence and three years of probation with special…

Aug 9, 2011 8:17 PM CDT

Detroit Judge to Decide If Former Mayor’s Book-Proceeds Account is Legal

A Detroit judge is set to decide next week whether an escrow account he created to capture proceeds from the sale of ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s new autobiography is legal. Kilpatrick’s lawyer, Daniel Hajji, argued Monday that the account is unconstitutional because it violates Kilpatrick’s free speech rights, the Detroit News…

Aug 9, 2011 4:36 PM CDT