Travis Barker

Travis Barker, the punk musician has filed lawsuit and is litigating companies linked to a plane that crashed in South Carolina, resulting in killing two of his friends and injuring him. Barker, who is the former drummer of Blink-182 has claimed more than US$25,000 in damages and have also taken legal actions against the plane’s owners, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., and an airplane maintenance company.

The lawsuit produced by the Barker’s lawyers claims the aircraft companies improperly operated and maintained the Learjet that blasted a runway and burst into flames on September 19 in South Carolina. Besides,  Chris Baker,  Barker’s assistant and Charles Monroe Still Jr., Barker’s bodyguard, the crush also killed the two pilots of the aircraft.

The suit filed by Barker claims damages for disfigurement, pain and suffering, loss of earnings, and medical and legal expenses. Thelma Martin Still, the mother of late Charles Monroe Still Jr. also joined  Barker and claimed for grief and sorrow, funeral expenses and loss of earnings.

Barker and celebrity disc jockey DJ AM were returning to Los Angeles after performing at a show that night. Both of them were badly injured in the crash.

It has been reported by the aviation authorities that the cockpit recordings indicated the jet’s crew thought a tyre had blown during takeoff. NTSB officials have said pieces of tyre were retrieved about 2,800 feet from where the plane took off down the 8,600-foot runway.

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Madonna and Ritchie

Finally the end has arrived for pop star Madonna and her film director husband Guy Ritchie. The star couple are all set to begin their divorce at the High Court in London on Friday, according to court lists. The  Registry of the Family Division will soon receive a notice of the  couple’s rule inconclusively.

Reliable sources mentioned that the celebrity couple have already reached a concord over finances and sharing custody of their children. If there are no further dispute from either side the marriage may legally come to an end within the next couple of weeks.

Madonna and Ritchie tied the wedding knots in December 2000 at Skibo Castle in Scotland and they announced their break-up in October,  the next year. The divorce will have its first hearing before the High Court’s Family Division at 1000 GMT, for which the couple is registered by Ciccione M and Ritchie GS names. The couples are not requested to attend the hearing, which is likely to last few minutes.

Reports have also said that Rocco and David, the two adopted sons of the couple will share their time between their UK and US homes. The 12 year old daughter of Madonna,  Lourdes will stay with her.

Tags: Guy Ritchie, Madonna
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Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron’s new watchmaker, whom the actress turned to after a breach of contract with the earlier one, is reportedly backing the actress’ South African AIDS charity. Sources said that  Breil, the famous Italian jeweler will arrange for an auction  Breil Milano Battio, a white gold 27.93-carat champagne diamond heart pendant next year to raise funds for the actress’s Africa Outreach Project.

The actress turned to  Breil after she was sued by  Raymond Weil’s company. She was alleged for breaking an cliquishness agreement by wearing other companies’ watches during her contract.  Raymond and Theron had an
out-of-court settlement. Theron became a brand ambassador for Breil seven months after the suit was filed as reported by the Eonline.com.

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Prince was sued by a  perfume company on Monday for $100,000 (66,883 pounds) for failing to help them promote a perfume named “3121”. The  fragrance was named after the musician’s  2006 album, which the company produced as a part of the business with musician Prince.

Prince

The the lawsuit that has been filed in New York State Supreme Court that states that Prince and Universal Music Publishing Group, his music publisher, have reached a licensing agreement with Revelations, the  perfume company in December 2006. The agreement allowed  the company to use Prince’s name and likeness as well as the name of his album “3121” to market two fragrances. The first of the two fragrances have already been released in 2007 and a second is due out in 2009, the lawsuit also mentions.

The agreement between the musician and the perfume company stated that 50% of the of the net profits from the sale of the fragrances would go directly to the Universal. In return the label would arrange the cooperation of Prince to market the products.

“Since July 2007, despite repeated attempts by Revelations there have been virtually no communications from anyone who could commit to or coordinate any promotional efforts by Prince”,  the breach of contract lawsuit mentions.

The Universal Music Publishing Group said in a statement, “Although we have not seen the complaint, we are familiar with the claims being asserted by Revelations, and they are completely without merit”.

The music company is owned by French media and telecoms conglomerate Vivendi.

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Michael Jackson

The King of Pop is dragged to the court by the son of an Arab monarch. Jackson has been charged of taking US$7 million as an advance on an autobiography and an album that he never produced. Sheikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain’s lawyers claimed that Jackson accepted the money as an advance on the book and joint recording project with the Sheikh. Jackson claims the money was a gift from the Sheikh, who is an aspiring songwriter.

As the trial opened on Monday in London’s Royal Courts of Justice both Jackson and Al Khalifa were not present. Lawyers of Michael Jackson said that they would seek permission from the court to prove by video link from the United States. A lawyer of Al Khalifa, Bankim Thanki, on the other hand said that the royal first had a word with Jackson over the telephone about the contract while the singer was on trial in California on charges of child molestation.

Thanki also added that the Shiekh wanted to  work with Jackson on rebuilding his career. Al Khalifa  has spent millions paying Jackson’s legal fees and moving him to Bahrain. These expenses also included a sum of US$350,000 for a European vacation for Jackson and his associates. “The cost even included the expenses of bringing out Mr. Jackson’s hairdresser. It’s not a conventional commercial dispute”, he added.

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Heather Locklear

Heather Locklear has been changed by the California prosecutors with DUI while driving under the influence of prescription drugs. The California Highway Patrol have admitted that the actress expressed “obvious impairment” when her car was noticed by an officer that was parked and blocking a lane on a highway in September this year. But  the alcohol was winnowed out. She was taken for a test for drugs at a nearby police station and was soon released after the test was done.

Locklear said that she was under medication and was seeking treatment for anxiety and depression since June. She went into depression after she had a divorce with Richie Sambora, Bon Jovi’s guitarist, last year. The court had scheduled Locklear to submit legal document on January 26, 2009.

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Marcia Valentine

A woman who tried to stalk actress Sandra Bullock has been put to a three year of probation following her guilty plea to an infringement charge.  Marcia Valentine, now  47, was charged with assaulting the star with a deadly weapon. According to the Orange County Superior Court Web site she entered her guilty plea to stalking on November 5.

Earlier in May 2007, Bullock had obtained a restricting order that banished Valentine for 3 years from contacting her or coming near her home, family or work. Bullock also evidenced in court that on five different occasions, Valentine left in her yard palm foliages clothed with “weird signs” and “pieces of animal fur.” The star all added that Valentine had yelled dirty words and twice tried to run over James, host of TV’s Monster Garage, with her silver Mercedes-Benz. James is although not hurt.

Tags: Marcia Valentine, Sandra Bullock
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Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse has reportedly pulled in lawyers to protect her fortune from husband Blake Fielder-Civil. The tightening of Amy’s legal position sends the alarms straight.

The ‘Rehab’ singer’s father Mitch has reportedly had a secret meeting with legal experts to find a way to keep her estimated £10 million fortune safe. This means if she decides to divorce Blake her huge fortune will be in safe hands. This comes in the wake of

Blake Fielder-Civil’s release from prison last week.

A source close to the singer said discussions were “productive”, adding: “There was panic in her team that Blake could get access to Amy’s money.”

“This cannot be allowed to happen. Mitch is leading the way but Amy is fully aware of what is happening.”

Blake is presently at the Life Works Community rehab centre in Surrey, where he is being treated for drug addiction under the terms of his early release for grievous bodily harm and perverting the course of justice.

Speculations of a failed marriage with Winehouse rose when he did not see his wife since his release from prison. Blake and

Winehouse’s marriage has taken a rough turn and is definitely on the rocks because of all these legal procedures being tightened thus distancing the couple more and more.

Amy was quoted this weekend as saying: “I don’t know if I want to be with him. Everything has changed. I’m trying to move on and I can’t take the pain any more. I’m still thinking about whether to see him.”

A source close to the singer added: “Things are really bad between her and Blake. She doesn’t know any more if he is ‘the one’.

It’s really sad but this could be the end.”The 25-year-old star has refused to pay for her husband’s £30,000 rehab stay after deciding Blake needs to take responsibility for cleaning up his own life.

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Todd Shemarya, a  Hollywood agent, is reported to have insulted his clients and made fun of their sexual habits publicly, a lawsuit claims. The agent have helped Angelina Jolie and  Brad Pitt to draw $15m for photographs of their newborn twins.

Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt With Their Kids

Todd Shemarya, whose clients include names of stars like Matthew McConaughey and Christina Aguilera, is accused of subjugating, Heather Devlin, his former assistant, to “a constant barrage of offensive sexual, racist and religious comments” while marching naked and exposing himself completely to the staff in his office.

A case of  sexual harassment and unlawful discharge is filed at the Superior Court in Los Angeles against Todd Shemarya. He is also charged of stealing gifts that were kept for clients, and giving “preferential treatment” to gay employees who slept with him. All the charges brought against him by  Ms Devlin was denied by the agent himself. Ms Devlin  claims that in the past 6 years that she has accompanied  Mr Shemarya she was forced to live “a work environment rife with sexual harassment and discrimination”. Her responsibilities included dictation from Mr Shemarya as he pooped in a toilet cubicle without locking the door. She has also claimed that  Todd Shemarya  “paraded naked” around the office, called female employees to fetid ill-treatment, and made constant sexually loathsome and disparaging comments about his celebrity clients.

But Mr Shemarya have claimed to the reporters that “These are false accusations. This is a disgruntled employee who I fired about a year ago. And now she’s trying to extort money”.

Tags: Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Todd Shemarya
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Carol Alt

Carol Alt has been ordered to pay up for ex-husband Ron Greschner’s legal fees. The news comes after she lost a lawsuit against him over an investment made during their marriage.

Alt has to pay up for the attorney’s fees and expenses which amounts to $31,622 (£19,934), Manhattan Federal Judge Colleen McMahon has ruled on Wednesday.

The 47-year-old model/actress sued Greschner for $9 million (£5.7 million), accusing him of cheating her out of her share of an $18 million (£11.3 million) profit from a water filtration business venture they entered into as a married couple.

She accused him of  failing to share the cash with her which was in clear violation of the terms of their divorce settlement, which was finalised in 2001 after 18 years of marriage.

But she lost her courtroom battle last week when McMahon ruled that Alt had been too late to file her claims. Carol was hoping to turn the legal battle to her side but the court ruling comes as a dampener.

The former couple separated amicably after the model failed to conceive following her battle with cancer. Greschner has remarried and is a father of five.

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Keanu Reeves

A jury has said that actor Keanu Reeves doesn’t rest on anything to a paparazzo who litigated him, claiming that Reeves was responsible for the paparazzi photographer’s alleged injuries. Alison Silva, the photographer, sued the actor who acted in films such as The Matrix, Speed and Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, for an incident in March 2007. Reeves was accused of striking  Silva with his Porsche, causing him to fall and injure his left wrist.

Silva had claimed an alimony of a sum of US$711,974 from Reeves to the jury. This money includes medical bills, lost wages and punitive damages. While  Silva was interrogated by the jury for the past 5 days, time and again he had given contradictory statements about what exactly happened on the day of the accident. He even presented a video of Keanu Reeves, which he claims to have shot with his injured hand.

The closing arguments were issues by the attorneys for both the sides on Friday.  They considered about five minutes and left for the weekend. The juries again resumed their work on Monday morning. The panel of jury were an eminent Hollywood bunch, one claiming to be an animator for The Simpsons, while the other works as a coordinator of movie filming in public parks.

Reeves was seen in the  courtroom throughout the legal proceeding. He would be seen starring in his upcoming remake of  “ The Day the Earth Stood Still”.

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Two surfers have appealed for not being guilty to violation of battery charges. They have been charged for intentionally pushing a photographer into the water as he tried to take pictures of Matthew McConaughey on the waves.

The surf boarders, namely Skylar Peak and Philip Hildebrand, are charged of ending up in many showdowns with several paparazzi who showed up on June 21 on a Malibu beach to shoot photographs and film the Fool’s Gold and Failure to Launch star.

One of the photographers, Richid Altmbareckouhammou, reported to the authorities that he was attacked by the surfers who also threw his camera in the ocean. He was then forced to put his camera away. The  pretrial hearing will be held on January 1.

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Guy Ritchie

Guy Ritchie got the shock of his life. A crazed Madonna fan was seen brandishing his knife on the sets of Guy’s new film.

The terrorising teenager burst into the set and was foul mouthing. The security guards were alerted and brought the teenager down.

While grounded the kid screamed: “I’m Madonna’s biggest fan! I’m gonna kill Guy.”

The director is fighting a divorce case with Madonna was reportedly yards away. The petrified crowd witnessed the teenage kid shouting out and waving a 12 inch long knife. He was yelling at the top most voice : “Where’s Guy? I’m going to kill him!”

The teenager had somehow barged in managing to get inside the set in Manchester where Guy Ritchie is shooting for a Sherlock Holmes remake. A visibly terrified witness/source said, “The bloke was screaming about Guy and shouting, ‘I love Madonna’.”

The source also added that everyone present inside thought at first to be a joke. But soon things got worse. He said that luckily there were four guards/policemen who empowered the youth and grounded him.

He added: “Guy was understandably upset, but carried on as if nothing had happened.” The knifeman’s entry and display was too scary for Ritchie. A 16 year old has been arrested in connection to this incident. No further details have been divulged by the authorities.

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Britney Spears

Britney Spears have regained her platform. She is all set to rebuild her lost field and touch. Besides her professional status the pop star seems prepared to get hold of her family life and take care of her future. She wants to get back the custody of her kids. After a remarkable recovery in the music arena, Britney will have to wait for the behind the scenes recovery as well.

The Los Angeles Superior Court has ruled that Britney Spears is to be guided by her father on a long term basis. All her business affairs and assets, estates will be under her father Jamie’s custody. The order comes in light  because the pop star’s lawyers had appealed to the Superior Court for temporary co-conservatorship (which was due to end on Dec. 31). The ruling has ended the court case under Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Riva Goetz’s guidance. She granted the temporary request into a permanent one until Britney recovers from her mental degeneration. The order will remain in tact until the 26-year-old has made a full and stable recovery. Britney’s lawyers and the entire legal team feels that the court episode and the co-conservatorship could well increase her chances of regaining custody of her sons as the family commissioner will feel appeased to know that Spears is taken good care of.

“The conservatorship is necessary and appropriate for the complexity of financial and business entities and her being susceptible to undue influence,” Goetz said. Spears’s mental health will be under close scrutiny and this will be performed by a team of experts. The state of law will eagerly wait for her full and stable status. Spears’s attorneys have refused to comment further on the ongoing case and the present status or anything about her current condition and her feeling at a time when she is under status change.

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Raffaello Follieri and Anne Hathaway

Raffaello Follieri was sentenced four and half years imprisonment after he was proved guilty of 14 counts of wire fraud, money laundering and other conspiracy. He appealed for a bail, which was denied by the court on Thursday.

Raffaello Follieri is Anne Hathaway’s former boyfriend. He is condemned for cheating millions of dollars of
investors to whom he had earlier claimed to have Vatican connections that enabled him to buy Roman Catholic Church property at a discount. Raffaello Follieri, who is 30 now, have admitted, “ I dishonored my family name and embarrassed the church I love. I’ll never be able to wash away that stain, and I will have to live with it the rest of my life”, as reported by an Italian newspaper. He also added, “ I just hope someday those who have been hurt by my actions can forgive me”.

Follieri has claimed that he did not start off with bad intentions, rather he was determined to run an honorable business. “Instead, I made some terrible mistakes”, he added. “I always thought I could repair the wrongdoing, but I was wrong”.

Anne Hathaway and Raffaello Follieri were going around for four years. They decided to split in June just before his arrest.

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