Tag Archives: #Metoo

Beyoncé Reportedly Vetting Artists and Producers On “Renaissance” Album For #MeToo Allegations

Beyonce Reveals She's 'Cooking Up Some Music'

With less than a month from us getting a new Beyoncé album, Bey and her team are steadily making sure that everything is ready for the July 29th release date. And according to reports, this includes running background checks on everybody involved in the album for “MeToo” allegations.

According to The Sun, Beyoncé and her team are running background checks on artists and producers involved in her latest project Renaissance for #MeToo allegations. This decision from Beyoncé comes after “Drunk In Love” co-writer Detail was accused of sexual harassment, rape, abuse, and coercion.

“Beyonce was devastated when she found out Detail, one of her past collaborators was accused of rape and sexual assault,” a source told the publication.” The source went on to say how two songs from producers have been rejected due to allegations against them.

“Although neither has been found guilty, she’s sending a clear message to the industry in the wake of troubling cases from people like R Kelly and Harvey Weinstein.”

The source continued, saying that “She’s [Beyonce] rubbed some people up the wrong way but she doesn’t care. She won’t go anywhere near you if you’ve been accused of going after one of her peers. Beyonce is a leader in her business and wants to set an example that any abuse shouldn’t be normalised. This is why her new record is about empowering women.”

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Beyoncé Reportedly Vetting Artists and Producers On “Renaissance” Album For #MeToo Allegations

Beyonce Reveals She's 'Cooking Up Some Music'

With less than a month from us getting a new Beyoncé album, Bey and her team are steadily making sure that everything is ready for the July 29th release date. And according to reports, this includes running background checks on everybody involved in the album for “MeToo” allegations.

According to The Sun, Beyoncé and her team are running background checks on artists and producers involved in her latest project Renaissance for #MeToo allegations. This decision from Beyoncé comes after “Drunk In Love” co-writer Detail was accused of sexual harassment, rape, abuse, and coercion.

“Beyonce was devastated when she found out Detail, one of her past collaborators was accused of rape and sexual assault,” a source told the publication.” The source went on to say how two songs from producers have been rejected due to allegations against them.

“Although neither has been found guilty, she’s sending a clear message to the industry in the wake of troubling cases from people like R Kelly and Harvey Weinstein.”

The source continued, saying that “She’s [Beyonce] rubbed some people up the wrong way but she doesn’t care. She won’t go anywhere near you if you’ve been accused of going after one of her peers. Beyonce is a leader in her business and wants to set an example that any abuse shouldn’t be normalised. This is why her new record is about empowering women.”

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Russell Simmons’ Anonymous Rape Accusers Loses Lawsuit Because Claims Fell Outside The Statute of Limitations

Russell Simmons' Anonymous Rape Accusers Loses Lawsuit Because Claims Fell Outside The Statute of Limitations

Russell Simmons beat a sexual assault lawsuit against him and it’s not necessarily because he’s innocent.

Jane Doe filed a $10 million lawsuit in March 2018 alleging the music mogul raped her and inflicted emotional distress. Simmons denied the claims and called it a “vile” extortion attempt.

L.A. Superior Court Judge Mark H. Epstein made a judgment in favor of Simmons because Doe’s claims stem from an alleged incident from 1988.

“Defendant contends that plaintiff’s claims are time-barred because plaintiff admitted the alleged incident occurred in 1988 but filed her action in 2018,” writes Epstein. “This is true. As previously stated, the Court granted defendant’s motion to deem the request for admission asking plaintiff to admit that the alleged sexual battery occurred in 1988.”

Epstein made this order on October 1st and held it for two weeks to give the anonymous accuser time to respond. But she never did and Russell Simmons was victorious.

There’s no clear indication why Jane Doe didn’t file an opposing motion but we are in the middle of a pandemic and her attorney, Douglas Mastroianni, was disbarred on Sept. 18 following unrelated disciplinary charges.

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Court Forces The Game to Release ‘Born 2 Rap’ Album Royalties to Sexual Assault Accuser

An Illinois Court is turning over the finances from The Game’s latest album to his sexual assault accuser according to a new report.

After a 2016 ruling that demanded Game to pay $7 million to his accuser, Priscilla Rainey, courts have now decided that Game will ante up the money via Born 2 Rap royalties according to Allhiphop.com.

After a 2019 failed appeal to the $7 million payouts to Rainey, the courts are also turning over ownership of the West Coast rapper’s independent label LA Prolific. According to the report, Game could face contempt of court charges if he continues collecting money through LA Prolific and Born 2 Rap.

Game was originally accused of sexual assault in 2015 by Rainey who claims the rapper put his hands on her bare vagina during the taping of Game’s reality show She’s Got Game.

Rainey claims that while taping in Chicago, Game, whose real name is Jayceon Taylor, groped her in the middle of a sports bar when the cameras weren’t rolling.

The 40-year-old Compton native has denied all claims of sexual assault against him, but by missing court dates related to the charges Rainey came out victorious in the courts.

Game’s 9th album dropped in November 2019 selling just over 20,000 units in the first week. At the time of release, Game said that this would be his retirement album.

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Court Forces The Game to Release ‘Born 2 Rap’ Album Royalties to Sexual Assault Accuser

An Illinois Court is turning over the finances from The Game’s latest album to his sexual assault accuser according to a new report.

After a 2016 ruling that demanded Game to pay $7 million to his accuser, Priscilla Rainey, courts have now decided that Game will ante up the money via Born 2 Rap royalties according to Allhiphop.com.

After a 2019 failed appeal to the $7 million payouts to Rainey, the courts are also turning over ownership of the West Coast rapper’s independent label LA Prolific. According to the report, Game could face contempt of court charges if he continues collecting money through LA Prolific and Born 2 Rap.

Game was originally accused of sexual assault in 2015 by Rainey who claims the rapper put his hands on her bare vagina during the taping of Game’s reality show She’s Got Game.

Rainey claims that while taping in Chicago, Game, whose real name is Jayceon Taylor, groped her in the middle of a sports bar when the cameras weren’t rolling.

The 40-year-old Compton native has denied all claims of sexual assault against him, but by missing court dates related to the charges Rainey came out victorious in the courts.

Game’s 9th album dropped in November 2019 selling just over 20,000 units in the first week. At the time of release, Game said that this would be his retirement album.

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What Do You Think They Found on the Almost 100 Electronics they Swiped from R. Kelly’s Storage Unit?

Chicago Feds did a raid on one of R. Kelly’s storage units and seized almost 100 electronic devices (video cameras, iPads, hard drives, computers, cell phones, etc.) from the facility. Many are wondering (and his camp probably are worried) about what the courts will find on them.

The prosecution is hoping that they will find more discriminating evidence pointing to the award-winning singer’s alleged pedophilia.

Until then, the singer’s trial that was scheduled for next month… that will be placed on ice… and postponed until this new evidence is thoroughly sorted through.

The public was made aware of this most recent raid during what is considered a routine arraignment for Kelly. During this proceeding, both sides were addressing an indictment filed in February alleging (yet again) that during his early years in the industry, he sexually abused another minor from 1997 to 2001 (overlapping his years with now-deceased Aaliyah).

According to The Chicago Tribune, no one wanted to postpone the trial but needed more time to review the iPads, cell phones, and other devices that they found during the officially warrant-ed search.

The raid was conducted at a storage unit near the O’Hare International Airport and is said to store the “Pied Piper of R&B’s” tour equipment.

According to the Chicago Tribune, his will not be the first time that this particular unit has been searched. A few months ago, for other separate criminal charges filed in New York, lawyers went there to gather evidence.

“It’s where he keeps his tour bus, stage equipment, and all sorts of computers,” Attorney Steve Greenberg said. “It’s stuff like the iPad that the sound guy uses…they aren’t going to find anything.”

Emotions are high as Kelly has been locked for almost a year on the original 13-count federal indictment including paying off witnesses, getting them to change their stories and paying big bucks to gather all of the tapes floating around that could have hurt his 2008 child pornography where he was acquited.

He and his two former employees (longtime manager Derrell McDavid and former employee Milton “June” Brown) are currently on trial. They have all asserted their innocence.

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Harvey Weinstein And Russell Simmons Accusers Ask For Support

Russell Simmons

Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz

Now that justice is now in process for the victims of Harvey Weinstein and Russell Simmons, the accusers are seeking some assistance.

Billboard Magazine is reporting that some of the women who have spoken out against the alleged high profile sexual predators are telling their story again. Days after the guilty verdict against Weinstein was passed, several of the women who claimed he violated them hosted a Silence Breakers group panel to discuss their next steps. Also in attendance, former music industry record professional Drew Dixon, who accused the Def Jam Records co-founder in Simmons of misconduct, spoke about that after coming forward, her phone line went cold.

“Nobody called me, to this day, and said, ‘Drew, can we put you on?’” Dixon revealed.”They are not touching me. People have to be ethical and brave in positions of power with access to capital, access to distribution and put us on.”

Weinstein accuser Sarah Ann Masse said that that she also experienced the same cold shoulder in the film industry saying she has not landed an audition since she came forward with her story.

Since then, Masse has created a #HireSurvivorsHollywood movement on social media and is trying to launch a survivor-run production company. “Sexual violence survivors are a traditionally silenced group, and I think it’s something that we have to come together as a community to address,” Masse said. “It shouldn’t be that way. People in power should be doing something about it, but they’re not.”

On February 24, Weinstein was found guilty of rape and a criminal sexual act but was acquitted of the most serious charges against him. He faces a possible sentence of between five and 29 years.

Photo:  Getty

Source: HipHopWired.com

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Estate of Funk Music’s Super Freak, Rick James, Gears Up for 1979 Rape Case

Rick James may be dead, but his legacy (for the good and for the bad) still is alive and well. Recently, his estate James dragged to court for an alleged crime from about 40 years ago.

The estate of Rick James is being sued for $50,000 million dollars in damages from an alleged rape that happened in Richmond, New York involving a minor. The minor is now in her 50s and has hired a law firm in Manhattan, Oddo & Babat, to represent her— giving her justice after years of trauma.

According to Court House News, who discovered the affidavit and summons with notice filed on Thursday, Feb. 13th n Erie County Supreme Court, the funk star took advantage of the girl who was living in a group home ran by two of his friends. The group home was located on Richmond Avenue and was a part of the Youth Detention Center #6 Program.

She alleges the house parents introduced the funk singer to the young ladies in the group home. Most of them were excited to see him because he was a star. However, she was not. She believed that he was crude and left the space where they were all gathered after dinner. She went to her room to read a book.

Uninvitedly, he came in and assaulted her. Almost 15 years her senior, she alleges that he not only raped her by ejaculated inside of her, creating an opportunity for a teenaged pregnancy.

“I tried to fight him off, but he told me to ‘shut up and quit moving or I’ll cut you,’” she says in the affidavit.

She continues, “I abused alcohol briefly as a young teenager, used drugs, suffered from low self-esteem, had serious thoughts of suicide, and had difficulty concentrating, all from Rick James’s rape,” the affidavit states, adding that she also suffers from panic attacks, nightmares, and flashbacks.

“This traumatic experience has caused me everlasting damage and I would like to preserve my privacy in this matter.”

Attorney David Oddo says his team performed “a very thorough and incredulous investigation into these allegations and determined that they are highly credible.”

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EXPLOSION! Right Before Their Big Weekend, Ex-CEO of the GRAMMYS Drops Major Bombs about Rape, Corrupt Voting Practices and How Dirty They Are Doing Black People

Days before The Grammys are set to air, the former CEO of The Recording Academy is fired and she is not going down with a fight or dropping a few major bombs.

Deborah Dugan was only the CEO of the Recording Academy for a short time and was reveling in his historic appointment. She was the organization’s first female in their C-Suite. Let go on Jan. 16th, last Thursday, she took no time to file a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against the Academy.

In her complaint, she let loose with a ton of secrets that is sure to make this GRAMMY season blush. According to The NPR, one of those company secrets is that Neil Portnow, who held the job before her, raped a female artist in New York. [Clutch those pearls] She also revealed that despite his alleged sexual assault of another woman, she was forced by the chair of Recording Academy Board, John Poppo, to hire him as a “consultant” and basically making her presence in the position just a facade. His fee? Three-quarters of a cool M.

Another major bomb as that the Academy’s general counsel and former board chair, Joel Katz, sexually harassed her last year and before she took the CEO position, making her feel devalued.

Both Neil Portnow and Joel Katz have flat out called her a liar.

Portnow released a statement in Billboard that called her allegations “inaccurate, false and outrageous.”

“This document is filled with inaccurate, false and outrageous and terribly hurtful claims against me. The allegations of rape are ludicrous, and untrue. The suggestion that there was is disseminating a lie. The baseless complaint about my conduct referenced in the EEOC filing was immediately brought to the attention of the Board of Director’s Executive Committee. An in-depth independent investigation by experienced and highly regarded lawyers was conducted and I was completely exonerated. There was no basis for the allegations and once again I deny them unequivocally.”

Billboard, Former Recording Academy President Neil Portnow Responds to Rape and Other Allegations, Calling Them ‘Ludicrous and Untrue’, 1/22/20

Katz also released a statement through his lawyer, Howard Weitzman, stating in more eloquent words (of course) that she was bugging.

“Ms. Dugan’s allegations of harassment and her description of a dinner at the steakhouse in the Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel are false, and Mr. Katz categorically and emphatically denies her version of that evening.”

“Mr. Katz believed they had a productive and professional meeting in a restaurant where a number of members of the Board of Trustees of the Academy, and others, were dining.”

“Mr. Katz will cooperate in any and all investigations or lawsuits by telling the absolute and whole truth. Hopefully Ms. Dugan will do the same.”

NPR, statement given to the site from Attorney Howard Weitzman’s office.

Her allegations did not stop with that.

Dugan, according to Pitchfork, breaks down what she seems to be shocked at but many have been saying forever; the underrepresentation of women and minority groups at the show and with the awards.

She states what seems to be systemic racism and sexism by saying that they “routinely faced criticism for failing to honor Black artists,” and that the process is “ripe with corruption.”

The Academy is saying that something is ripe alright… maybe even past that… downright gone bad, and she is the bad fruit. They say that if she had those problems that these allegations never came up until she knew she was getting fired because she herself was harassing people. She was under investigation for allegedly bullying another female employee. The Academy alleges that Dugan wanted $22 million to step down.

Y’all clearly, she knows where the bodies are buried.

They gave this statement: “We regret that Music’s Biggest Night is being stolen from them by Ms. Dugan’s actions and we are working to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.”

According to the NPR, over the last 7 months, Dugan has been working hard to do some “major restructuring,” pledge to make the awards more gender and racially inclusive and diverse, measurable goals to achieve that goal and adding measures to enhance voting regarding the awards more transparent to the membership.

However, 10 days before the actual show, she was placed on administrative leave… essentially canning the whistleblower.

The post EXPLOSION! Right Before Their Big Weekend, Ex-CEO of the GRAMMYS Drops Major Bombs about Rape, Corrupt Voting Practices and How Dirty They Are Doing Black People appeared first on The Source.

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Azriel Clary is Free and Happy! Posts Pics of Her with Her Family. #LetTheHealingBegin

Today is a day of celebration as more evidence that R. Kelly’s former live-in girlfriend, the one that had the most mouth on Gayle King and positioned herself as his “Ride or Die” is back in the protective covering of her family.

Azriel Clary took to Instagram to post pics of her dancing with her kinfolk, smiling in a youthful way… almost as we have never seen before.

Her caption says: “Suprise🥳 Let the healing process begin. Love yall and thank y’all ❤I even thank everyone who follows me.. because you all believed in me when I could not believe for myself. 🙏🏿🦋 #movingontobetterdays

P.S – everyone will be posting there own fav photos so make sure y’all follow the family! @azrielmostwanted ❤❤❤

We are rooting for you! Let the healing begin!

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