By Mark Gray
8:06am PDT, Aug 18, 2017
A Denver jury ruled in favor of Taylor Swift in her groping case against a radio DJ. The jury deliberated for four hours before handing down the decision on Aug. 14. Taylor sued David Mueller for a symbolic $1. The singer had accused the former radio host of groping her at a meet-and-greet event in June 2013. In a statement, Swift thanked the judge and her legal team for "fighting for me and anyone who feels silenced by a sexual assault." She added, "I acknowledge the privilege that I benefit from in life, in society and in my ability to shoulder the enormous cost of defending myself in a trial like this. My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard. Therefore, I will be making donations in the near future to multiple organizations that help sexual assault victims defend themselves." The former radio host, who'd been fired after Taylor's accusations, still maintains he didn't grope her.
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Splitsville
After 16 years together, Helen Hunt and writer-producer Matthew Carnahan have split. In Touch was first to report the news, saying that things were less than amicable. "The breakup was very messy," a source said, adding that Helen "was convinced Matthew had strayed. She had been suspicious for a long time that something was wrong. But he insisted he didn't betray her." They share a 13-year-old daughter. A source later told E! News that the two have had a trying relationship for a while. "She has been split up with Matthew for several months. They had a rocky relationship and many offs and ons over the years. They stayed together as long as they did because of their daughter," the source told E! "They've split up before, but this time seems to be different."
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Ouch!
Tom Cruise broke his ankle while filming a stunt for the latest "Mission Impossible" film on Aug. 13. Tom was shooting a scene in London in which he was supposed to jump onto the roof of a building. Video shows him running and leaping from rigging, but falling just short and hitting the side of a building hard before pulling himself up and limping quite pronouncedly. While members of the crew looked on, Tom could be seen trying to essentially walk it off before collapsing to his knees. The next day, reports claimed the injury had forced production to halt. On Aug. 16, the reports were confirmed. "Tom Cruise broke his ankle while performing a stunt. Production will go on hiatus while Tom makes a full recovery," a rep for Paramount Pictures said.
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Pregnant
Robin Thicke, 40, and April Love Geary, 22, are expecting a child next year, she announced on her Instagram page on Aug. 17. The model shared an image of a sonogram, writing, "Robin and I are very excited to share with you all that we're having a baby!" She added that the child's due date is March 1, which is his late father Alan Thicke's birthday. Media reports indicate it's a girl. It will be Robin's second child, as he shares 7-year-old son Julian with estranged wife Paula Patton.
Kim's apology
Kim Kardashian West was forced to apologize after defending a vlogger with a history of making racist comments. The story actually has a few twists and turns. On Aug. 14, Jeffree Star took to Twitter to criticize some of Kim's new makeup swatches. Some of Kim's fans began blasting Jeffree for his critique. Kim then came to Jeffree's defense, telling her fans to stop hating on him and to stop "being so petty bringing up things in his past." She later said, "We're all in this together, there's room for all of us. Love you, Jeffree!" Then, the tide turned against Kim for defending Jeffree. "So I really wanted to apologize to you guys and my fans for defending a situation yesterday that I really didn't know enough about. I just feel a bit naïve, and I do want to really apologize for me feeling like I had the right to say 'get over it' in a situation that involves racism. I just don't really feel like I have the right to speak on that, and I really, really, really am sorry. From the bottom of my heart, I've always been about positivity and I've never been a negative person, so my whole thing was: 'Hey guys, I don't want to see negativity in my timeline or my mentions, let's just move forward — let's be positive and move past this.'" Of course, her apology was met with backlash too.
Custody battle ramps up
According to new court papers, Jesse Williams' estranged wife, Aryn Drake-Lee, wants sole custody of their two young children until the "Grey's Anatomy" star can be a better and more consistent parent. She made the request in documents filed on Aug. 11, in which she also asks a judge "to prevent the children from seeing a revolving door of intimate partners." Aryn claims their kids are being "emotionally compromised" because of Jesse's dating life. She wants the court to hand down an order that requires both of them to refrain from introducing new paramours to the kids until a relationship has lasted for six months. She also alleges that Jesse has a temper and has been inconsistent in his visitation with the kids, and that he's prioritizing his own needs over theirs. The documents were made public days after Jesse was seen on another date with Minka Kelly.
No settlements
Usher isn't looking to settle with any of the people who have accused him of exposing them to herpes. TMZ reported on Aug. 15 that there have been absolutely no settlement talks, and Usher "has no interest in making the claims go away in return for money." Four people — three women and a man — have accused Usher of exposing them to herpes. Usher has not commented publicly on the accusations.
Not guilty
The four Boston Teamsters accused of threatening "Top Chef" host Padma Lakshmi and trying to extort jobs using strong-arm tactics were acquitted on Aug. 15. The men, members of Teamsters Local 25, had faced federal charges of trying to extort "Top Chef" producers for unnecessary work. A federal jury deliberated for 20 hours before finding the men not guilty of attempted extortion and conspiracy to extort. In court, prosecutors accused the men of intimidating the staff and crew of the Bravo show when it filmed in Boston in 2014. Padma said in court documents that she felt "terrified" when one of the men told her, "We're gonna bash that pretty face in…"
Divorce response
"Flip or Flop" star Christina El Moussa has finally officially responded to estranged husband and costar Tarek El Moussa's divorce petition six months after he filed. In her filing, Christina asks for joint legal and physical custody of their children — daughter Taylor, 6, and son Brayden, who turns 2 in September. Like Tarek, Christina is also asking for spousal support — and she's asking the court to dismiss his request for it. She cited "irreconcilable differences" for their split.
Controversial comments apology
Paris Hilton was on an apology tour this week after she made comments about President Donald Trump and his sexual assault accusers. Trump, she said, has "always been so nice, so respectful and sweet." As for his accusers, she said, "I think that they are just trying to get attention and get fame." Paris was soon on the defensive and on Aug. 16, she apologized for her comments. "I want to apologize for my comments from an interview I did last year. They were part of a much larger story and I am regretful that they were not delivered in the way I had intended." She continued, "I was speaking about my own experiences in life and the role of media and fame in our society and it was never my intention for my comments to be misapplied almost a year later. I always believe in helping women have their voices heard and helping create an environment where women feel empowered and believe in themselves. I am deeply hurt by how this has played out and also deeply sorry. Moving forward I will continue to do what I can to be an advocate for girls and women with the hopes of providing a louder voice for those who may desperately need it."
