The Italian journalist under fire online for a controversial #MeToo and Black Lives Matter question at the Venice Film Festival is now defending herself.
Federica Polidoro sat down with “After the Hunt” stars Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and Ayo Edebiri for an interview to promote the project. One moment from the conversation, posted to the ArtsLifeTV YouTube channel, has gone viral, with critics accusing Polidoro of being “racist” for directing one of her questions specifically to Roberts and Garfield, who are white, while being accused of excluding Edebiri, who is black.
“Now that the #MeToo era and the Black Lives Matters are done, what do we have to expect in Hollywood and what we lost, we lost something with the politically correct era?” she asked.
Despite the question not being directed at her, Edebiri jumped in to answer it.
“I know that that’s not for me, and I don’t know if it’s purposeful that it’s not for me, but I just am curious,” the star of “The Bear” said.
She went on, “I don’t think it’s done. I don’t think it’s done at all,” as Roberts chimed in with her agreement.
Edebiri went on: “I think maybe hashtags might not be used as much, but I do think that there’s work being done by activists, by people, every day, that’s beautiful, important work that’s not finished, that’s really, really, really active for a reason, because this world is really charged. And that work isn’t finished at all. Maybe if there’s not, like, mainstream coverage in the way that there might have been, daily headlines in the way that it might have been eight or so years ago, but I don’t think it means that the work is done. That’s what I would say.”
Garfield chimed in, agreeing that the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements “are still absolutely alive, as you say, just maybe not as labeled or covered or magnified as much.”
The exchange triggered widespread backlash online, with many commenters accusing Poidoro of asking an insensitive question while being dismissive of the only black actor participating in the interview.
Following the resulting backlash, Polidoro took to Instagram to defend herself in a lengthy post.
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“I am not aware of any protocol that dictates the order in which questions must be asked in an interview,” the journalist wrote in part. “Censoring or delegitimizing questions considered ‘uncomfortable’ does not fall within the practice of democracy.”
“To those who unjustly accuse me of racism, I would like to clarify that in my work I have interviewed people of every background and ethnicity, and my own family is multi-ethnic, matriarchal, and feminist, with a significant history of immigration,” she continued. 
“I have collaborated for over 20 years with numerous national and international publications of all political orientations, always approaching my work with openness and professional rigor. In my view, the real racists are those who see racism everywhere and seek to muzzle journalism, limiting freedom of analysis, critical thinking and the plurality of perspectives.”
“After the Hunt” is a psychological thriller about a college professor (Roberts) whose student (Edebiri) makes an accusation against one of her colleagues (Garfield). The film’s tagline is, “Not everything is supposed to make you uncomfortable.”

Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and Ayo Edebiri

Reporter Under Fire For Directing BLM Question Only To White Actors Says Backlash Is Censorship

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Hollywood

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Pedro Pascal is everywhere right now: on TV, in movies, and, if a female co-star is nearby, all over her.
Though he’s been lauded by Hollywood for years as the new standard of a leading male — sensitive, progressive, charming — Pascal&#8217;s behavior on the “Fantastic Four: First Steps&#8221; press tour has even his most fervent fans questioning his motives. The “Gladiator II” star is constantly caressing his pregnant co-star, Vanessa Kirby. Whether <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@vanityfair/video/7529742724388375838" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rubbing</a> her stomach or <a href="https://x.com/pascalarchive/status/1817428835173863626" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stroking her arm</a> until she takes his hand, Pascal seems to always be touching the 37-year-old English actress.
In the post-MeToo era, Pascal’s behavior is bound to raise some eyebrows. But to hear him tell it, it’s ok. He’s not creepy. He’s just anxious.
Though Pascal has not specifically commented on this, the claim that he requires physical touch to calm his anxiety while appearing in public has widely circulated on social media.
Pascal famously <a href="https://people.com/style/pedro-pascal-tells-bella-ramsey-his-frequent-red-carpet-pose-is-to-curb-his-anxiety/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discussed</a> his anxiety in a 2023 interview alongside his “The Last of Us” co-star Bella Ramsey. Placing a hand on his stomach, Pascal told the crowd, “My anxiety is right there.” The clip, and others like it, endeared Pascal to fans, reinforcing the image of a sensitive, self-aware leading man who stood in stark contrast to the “toxic masculinity” that Hollywood had begun to revile.
But Pascal’s penchant for squeezing and rubbing Kirby — who is in a relationship with Professional Lacrosse League co-founder Paul Rabil — has fans rethinking whether the actor is really as sensitive and nontoxic as they thought.
Things have become so dire that some of Pascal’s most vocal supporters now claim he is the target of a smear campaign due to his vocal support of transgender rights. Regardless, the tomcat may be out of the bag. Internet sleuths seem to uncover a new video of Pascal’s red-carpet affections every day. Now, Hollywood’s favorite sensitive star is at the center of a conversation about boundaries, mental health, and whether an anxiety diagnosis could potentially be used as a free pass for inappropriate behavior.
Clinical psychologist Dr. Andrew Hartz, founder and president of the <a href="https://www.opentherapyinstitute.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Open Therapy Institute</a>, spoke with The Daily Wire about the Pascal drama and how mental health is treated in this country more broadly.
“I think I have two initial thoughts about it,” Hartz said of Pascal’s situation. “One is that if somebody has anxiety, it doesn&#8217;t negate your need for personal boundaries.”
“Whether they have anxiety or any mental illness [it’s important] to have personal boundaries about what you&#8217;re comfortable with,” he explained. “And so I think it&#8217;s important to keep that in mind. Regardless of whatever diagnosis he may or may not have, it&#8217;s totally legitimate — and I think important — for other people to set boundaries about what they&#8217;re comfortable with.”
That might seem like common sense, but these lines are crossed all the time, especially when a mental health label is introduced. When asked if using anxiety as an explanation might lead to people excusing otherwise boundary-crossing behavior, Hartz didn’t mince words.
“I&#8217;m really skeptical about these attempts to treat anxiety by accommodating it in particular,” he said. “A lot of times, when you accommodate anxiety, it makes it worse. Like, if you have a fear of elevators, and so you take the stairs instead, what will happen is you&#8217;ll kind of get &#8230; a dopamine hit for taking the stairs because your anxiety goes down. And the elevator gets scarier.”
“So honestly, the more you avoid and use these safety behaviors to cope with anxiety, it can make it worse,” he continued. “I don&#8217;t know of any treatment for anxiety that encourages behaviors like that.”
So, what would actual treatment look like?
“Depending on what the anxiety is — it sounds like [for Pascal] it&#8217;s like a social anxiety — the most effective treatments are exposure, where you&#8217;re exposed to your anxiety without the safety behaviors over time, so that you learn to tolerate it,” Hartz said. “And these other behaviors, not exposing yourself to that and avoiding that, could potentially make it worse and even lead it to generalize.”
It’s not just about ineffective coping, either. There’s also the matter of accountability. Pascal’s defenders, including some of his co-stars, may appear to be fine with it. But what happens when someone isn’t?
“Even whoever he&#8217;s touching, they need to be able to consent based on what they&#8217;re comfortable with,” Hartz said. “And so if they&#8217;re not comfortable with it, his label doesn&#8217;t matter. So I don&#8217;t know if maybe using the label leads people to let their boundaries be violated in ways that they wouldn&#8217;t otherwise allow, which is not healthy.”
In other words, labeling yourself as anxious doesn’t give you a license to touch people who haven’t clearly consented, and shouldn’t make a person more likely to consent based on that diagnosis.
Hartz also pointed to a deeper cultural shift in how mental health is discussed and how some public figures, intentionally or not, may be using diagnoses as a way to shield themselves from criticism or scrutiny.
“The whole reason that the diagnostic labels exist is so that people can get evidence-based treatments,” he said. “So it&#8217;s interesting the way that diagnostic labels have [become] seen as permanent traits of an identity.”
“It&#8217;s so strange because it&#8217;s like the whole reason you have the label is so that you can effectively treat it and not have those symptoms anymore. Not to say, ‘This is who you are, a person with anxiety forever,’ and everybody needs to accommodate.”
“It&#8217;s really strange the way these labels, I think especially on social media, have taken on a life of their own,” he added. “It’s almost like they&#8217;re a permanent, unchanging part of somebody&#8217;s identity as opposed to like a tool for clinicians to help address problems.”
Hartz’s bottom line was clear: “If you have an anxiety disorder, get treatment. That&#8217;s what I would say.”
In a culture that increasingly elevates mental health awareness, it’s also worth asking whether some public figures are hiding behind the language of self-care to excuse behavior that, in another context, might be seen as intrusive or even predatory.
Pascal may see his actions as harmless. But as Hartz said, “The reason why the labels exist is to help treatments develop where people… can get over the symptoms, not so that everybody else in society accommodates.”
In summary: Anxiety is real, but so are boundaries. And one doesn’t cancel out the other.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps World Premiere

Touchy Subject: Does ‘Anxiety’ Justify Pedro Pascal Getting Handsy With His Pregnant Co-Star?

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A New York jury on Wednesday delivered a mixed verdict in Harvey Weinstein&#8217;s sexual assault retrial, finding the former Hollywood mogul guilty of one count while acquitting him of another.
The jury found Weinstein guilty of forcibly performing oral sex on former &#8220;Project Runway&#8221; production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006, but acquitted him of criminal sexual assault against former model Kaja Sokola.
They remain deadlocked on third-degree rape charges related to actress Jessica Mann, who testified that Weinstein had raped her in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013.
Since the trial began last week, the jurors have been contentious with one another. The judge even <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/11/nyregion/harvey-weinstein-verdict">ordered</a> them to pause deliberations and “cool down” earlier on Wednesday, per The New York Times.
Justice Curtis Farber was informed in the courtroom that jurors were indeed “yelling and screaming” at each other throughout the day, and that one juror threatened the jury’s foreman, “I’ll see you outside one day.”
<div id="attachment_933075" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-933075" class="wp-image-933075 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219041463-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219041463-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219041463-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219041463-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219041463-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219041463-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219041463-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219041463-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Photo by Curtis Means-Pool via Getty Images.</div>
Weinstein attempted to capitalize on the situation, arguing to Justice Farber that the jury conflict was grounds for a mistrial.
“This is not right for me, for me the person on trial here,” Weinstein told the judge. “This is my life on the line, and you know what, it’s not fair. It’s simple. It’s not fair.”
“It’s time, it&#8217;s time, it&#8217;s time to say this trial is over,” the former Hollywood mogul <a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvey-weinstein-sexual-assault-trial-31d7a64b75148d1e482f3c020ffea527">said</a>.
Farber denied Weinstein&#8217;s request: “Jurors fight. They act childish at times. They get heated. I’m not going to allow any injustice to happen to you.”
This <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harvey-weinsteins-lawyers-argue-hes-the-one-whos-being-abused-during-retrial">retrial</a> followed the New York State Court of Appeals overturning Weinstein&#8217;s 2020 conviction, which had become a defining case of the #MeToo movement.
&#8220;If this person wasn&#8217;t Harvey Weinstein, would we even be here?&#8221; Weinstein&#8217;s attorney, Arthur Aidala, asked during closing arguments, maintaining the encounters were &#8220;transactional&#8221; and &#8220;consensual.&#8221; On June 5, Weinstein told FOX 5 New York that he acted &#8220;immorally&#8221; but insisted, &#8220;never illegal, never criminal, never anything.&#8221;
Over the past six weeks, three accusers testified: former &#8220;Project Runway&#8221; production assistant Miriam Haley, actress Jessica Mann, and former model Kaja Sokola from Poland. Weinstein, 73, pleaded not guilty to all charges.
<div id="attachment_933069" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-933069" class="wp-image-933069 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219678380-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219678380-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219678380-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219678380-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219678380-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219678380-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219678380-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219678380-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images.</div>
The partial verdict came as a shock, as Farber had only assembled the jury to formally send them home for the day when the foreman suddenly announced decisions on two of the three charges.
Jurors were unable to reach a verdict on the third charge and will continue deliberating on Thursday.
Regardless of the outcome, the 73-year-old former producer, who has been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, will likely return to California, where he&#8217;s serving a 16-year sentence for a separate 2022 rape conviction.
Weinstein’s lawyers <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jury-harvey-weinstein-sex-assault-retrial-reached-partial-verdict-rcna210599">filed</a> an appeal for his 2022 conviction last year, which is still in process, per NBC.
Judge Farber instructed the jury to continue deliberations on Thursday regarding the remaining charge related to Sokola&#8217;s allegations.

The Jury Deliberates In The Harvey Weinstein Sexual Assault Retrial

Deadlocked Jury Throws Harvey Weinstein Retrial Into Chaos After Partial Verdict

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Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer argued during closing statements at his retrial that his client was actually the victim.
The disgraced Hollywood executive, now a convicted sex predator, has been undergoing a new trial in Manhattan since late April. His attorney’s closing statements have been making headlines as he attempts to flip the script.
“They’re using their youth, their beauty, their charm, their charisma to get stuff from him,” defense attorney Arthur Aidala said of the three women who testified against him, per <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/06/03/us-news/closing-arguments-begin-in-harvey-weinsteins-manhattan-rape-trial/">the New York Post</a>.
“I know it’s going to sound crazy, but he’s the one who’s being abused. He’s the one who’s getting used,” he added.
Aidala went into detail about the Miramax co-founder’s romantic relationships with his accusers, saying the sex was both consensual and “transactional” because they all “wanted to cut the line” to getting famous.
He said the women were upset that their method didn’t work and they never achieved notability. “They’re mad. They’re mad to this day,” Aidala <a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/news/harvey-weinstein-abused-defense-retrial-closing-argument-1236416728/">said</a>.
The attorney next referenced the prosecutor deciding on a retrial. “They needed to get the poster boy, the original sinner for the MeToo movement,” Aidala said. “They tried to do it five years ago, and there was a redo, and they’re trying to do it again.”
The defense attorney said the women’s claims were not proven beyond a reasonable doubt. He described his client as a “fat dude” incapable of participating in some of the sexual acts described by their testimonies.
“Some of these descriptions from these women sound like ‘Cirque du Soleil’!” Aidala said.
Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg denied these assertions, saying “it wasn’t about fooling around — it was rape.”
Weinstein is charged with two counts of committing a “criminal sexual act” and one count of third-degree rape by former production assistant Miriam Haley, former model Kaja Sokola, and former aspiring actor Jessica Mann. Weinstein pleaded “not guilty” to all charges.
Once a powerful figure in Hollywood, Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York following his 2020 conviction on charges of rape and sexual assault. But in April 2024, the New York Court of Appeals overturned that conviction. The court ruled that testimony from three women should not have been included as their accounts were deemed unfairly prejudicial and most likely helped sway the jury.
Weinstein was also found guilty of rape in a Los Angeles court and sentenced to 16 years in prison for the crime.

Harvey Weinstein’s Lawyers Argue ‘He’s The One Who’s Being Abused’ During Retrial

Harvey Weinstein's Lawyers Argue 'He's The One Who’s Being Abused' During Retrial

The following is an edited transcript of an interview with Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham and Daily Mail columnist Maureen Callahan on the growing, public PR battle between actress Blake Lively and film director Justin Baldoni. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/blake-lively-and-justin-baldoni-s-epic-hollywood-battle-2-8-25" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Catch the full interview on Morning Wire</a>.
* * *
Actress Blake Lively and director Justin Baldoni are continuing their public feud over their hit film, &#8220;It Ends With Us,&#8221; with both sides filing lawsuits. But even more than a legal battle, this has become an all-out PR war with leaked texts, calls, and film footage, as well as allegations of sexual harassment and spousal jealousy. The first trial date is set for March. Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham speaks with award-winning journalist, author and Daily Mail columnist Maureen Callahan to get insight into a drama only Hollywood could produce.
MEGAN: Thanks for being here, Maureen. So, especially for those of us who are kind of catching up with this story, I&#8217;m wondering if you can give us the 10,000 foot summary of this scandal?
MAUREEN: Sure. So about a month ago, the New York Times ran a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/21/business/media/blake-lively-justin-baldoni-it-ends-with-us.html?searchResultPosition=9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blockbuster</a>, I think 4,000 word piece, in which Blake Lively was alleging her director and co-star Justin Baldoni, on their film “It Ends With Us,” had subjected her to almost ritualistic sexual harassment — and that she suffered so greatly, it was a concerted effort in which he involved multiple people to not only harass her while filming, but then once the movie was about to be released, orchestrated an online smear campaign against her. A couple of weeks later, Baldoni&#8217;s lawyer, Bryan Freedman filed a countersuit in which he alleged that the text messages obtained by the New York Times had been selectively edited. They sort of threw open their document dump, which seemed to absolve Justin of many of the things that Lively has been claiming. Nonetheless, these two are now locked in a bitter, bitter, expensive lawsuit. Baldoni is countersuing Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds for $400 million, which is, I believe, what he thinks their estimated net worth is. And the trial is tentatively set for March 2026.
MEGAN: So, before we get to some of the legal ramifications, there have obviously been a lot of leaks, a lot of shifting in public loyalties back and forth. At least that&#8217;s been my experience. At the outset, I was kind of on Team Justin. And then I thought, “Well, wait a minute. That New York Times piece was really persuasive.” But then Justin Baldoni&#8217;s team released some new audio leaks and they sort of shifted the game a little bit. What&#8217;s your sense right now of who&#8217;s on top in the PR war?
MAUREEN: I think Blake Lively is suffering mightily right now and the collateral fallout is affecting not just her husband, Ryan Reynolds, but her so called “Dragon,” her BFF Taylor Swift, who it&#8217;s reported has been taking a step back from her friendship with Blake because she doesn&#8217;t want any of this runoff affecting her career. Justin&#8217;s team has been very smart in what they&#8217;re leaking and when. They leaked footage of the two of them while filming a scene, rehearsing a scene, in which they were dancing very closely and Justin had his mic on. And so they&#8217;re working out how they&#8217;re going to do this scene. Justin is saying, “I think we should be kissing.” And Blake says, “No, I think we should be talking. I think that&#8217;s even more intimate.” And Justin says, “Okay.” So that sort of takes some wind out of her sails. They also released another lengthy voice memo that Justin had sent to Blake in which he&#8217;s praising her to the high heavens and saying he has let her down by not taking all of her notes, and she&#8217;s so brilliant and so smart, and he&#8217;s going to do everything he can to make her happy. Again, a counter narrative to Lively&#8217;s claims that he was doing everything possible to sabotage her and make her feel unsafe on that set. So I think right now Baldoni&#8217;s team is in the power position, but that of course could shift in another few days.
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/it-ends-with-us-in-court-2-8-25/id1576594336?i=1000690394738" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
MEGAN: Well, you know, it seems like there was a moment where Lively could have disengaged and, and just moved on. And this would have been something of a blip on Hollywood&#8217;s gossip radar. Why do you think she escalated to a lawsuit that opened up so much more of these internal communications?
MAUREEN: This is such a great question, Megan, because if you think about it the damage has already been done to her. Think about it, there are like five female directors working in Hollywood today. What male director is going to put himself and his career and reputation at risk by working with Blake Lively, who launched this all out assault on a guy who is not as well capitalized as she and Ryan are, who doesn&#8217;t have the reputation, the lengthy career — who on earth would risk it? And I have to wonder why she did it, because like you said, it could have just been, you know, a thing where they butted heads, they didn&#8217;t see eye-to-eye, but they each walked away clean to do their next project. I have a theory — and it is just my own theory and supposition — that something went on between these two. Perhaps it was an unrequited crush on Blake&#8217;s part and Justin didn&#8217;t respond in kind; perhaps they did in some way have a physical relationship outside of the filming and that went south. There&#8217;s something about this that just feels way too intense, way too personal. I think the real undergirding, the real story is why she did this.
<div id="attachment_873967" style="width: 860px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-873967" class="size-large wp-image-873967" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1928882045-850x576.jpg" alt="JERSEY CITY, NJ - JANUARY 12: Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively are seen on the set of 'It Ends with Us' on January 12, 2024 in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)" width="850" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1928882045-850x576.jpg 850w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1928882045-300x203.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1928882045-768x521.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1928882045.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px" />Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images</div>
MEGAN: Well, I&#8217;m glad that you bring that up, because I do want to talk a little bit about those messages between Baldoni and Lively. And I know some media outlets characterize them as “flirty,” I don&#8217;t know that I necessarily saw them that way, but I at least saw them as very familiar, let&#8217;s put it that way.
MAUREEN: I kind of read them as flirty — even the text messages between Justin and Ryan Reynolds. Look, if anybody listening wants to get a taste of what it&#8217;s like to deal with Hollywood people, this is it. And it&#8217;s really quite vile because they&#8217;re just mooning over each other. I mean, they&#8217;ve just met and Ryan hasn&#8217;t responded to Justin&#8217;s text for two weeks and then he replies and says, “I happen to adore you, Justin.” It&#8217;s like, buy me dinner first before you start talking to me like this. It&#8217;s disgusting. And, you know, Justin and Blake are having a very familiar texting relationship that, whether they were that familiar, whether it was this sort of hastened intimacy because they were working so closely together so quickly, who knows? But now we&#8217;re going to see. I don&#8217;t think there&#8217;s any slight that&#8217;s not going to be weaponized. I just read an item yesterday that Blake Lively blew a good chunk of the movie&#8217;s budget on her wardrobe. I mean, this is how petty we&#8217;re going to get. I love it, but it is the strangest Hollywood war. I&#8217;m going to say it&#8217;s maybe the biggest one since Brad versus Angie.
MEGAN: Do you think Lively and Reynolds, at least as a couple, their image — like maybe Reynolds individually, Lively individually — do kind of come back from this? Because, you know, Brad and Angelina eventually did. But does their image as this blissful “It” couple bounce back?
MAUREEN: Well, Megan, first of all, when I said Brad versus Angie, I meant like when they divorced, when they separated, and it was like the bombshells were going off: “He was abusive. She was out of her mind.” This will be the thing that shows the strength of their marriage. I&#8217;m very cynical, so I really do believe that if this blowback against Blake gets to be too much, Ryan&#8217;s going to cut her loose. I think Ryan Reynolds has his eyes firmly set on becoming a billionaire, and I believe he&#8217;ll get there. And I don&#8217;t think he&#8217;s going to stand for his reputation getting muddied in all of this, even though he&#8217;s already in it with these lawsuits and all of these text messages and these documents. And he was famously brought in by Blake to write a whole scene in the movie and be some sort of unpaid advisor. So I think that&#8217;s really where you&#8217;re going to see the strength of this countersuit against Justin, if it really does sort of crater their marriage.
MEGAN: Well, maybe just a couple more questions, Maureen. One of them is that The New York Times has come under a lot of scrutiny for the role it played in sort of rehabilitating Lively&#8217;s claims when she was on the outs in terms of public affection. I have seen some claims that they handled the coverage in a biased way, clearly working hand in glove with Blake Lively&#8217;s team. What do you think? Is there any validity to that claim?
MAUREEN: Yes, I think there is. It seems as though, perhaps, they didn&#8217;t do their full due diligence. I think it was probably seen, initially, as a strength, but is now a liability. I forget how many bylines were on that piece, but one, Megan Twohey, was one half of the team at the Times that broke the Harvey Weinstein story and became synonymous with MeToo. They wrote a book. They made a lot of money off of it. And I think the Times is already struggling in many ways reputationaly and this does not help. If I recall correctly, I could be mistaken so forgive me, but if I recall correctly I think they went to Baldoni&#8217;s team and gave them two hours to respond to that laundry list of accusations. So if that&#8217;s true, it&#8217;s not a great look. [NOTE: <a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/news/justin-baldoni-lawsuit-blake-lively-ryan-reynolds-nicepool-new-york-times-metadata-1236293856/">Some outlets</a> report The New York Times gave Baldoni approximately 12 hours to respond.]
<div id="attachment_873969" style="width: 804px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-873969" class="size-large wp-image-873969" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1925904572-794x576.jpg" alt="JERSEY CITY, NJ - JANUARY 12: Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are seen on the set of &quot;It Ends with Us&quot; on January 12, 2024 in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)" width="794" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1925904572-794x576.jpg 794w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1925904572-300x218.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1925904572-768x557.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-1925904572.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 794px) 100vw, 794px" />Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images</div>
MEGAN: Well, you kind of intuited where I was going to go next. And that was the role that MeToo has played in this, with these claims, that it was a sexual harassment issue. So, do you think on a broader level, the tide has turned? And maybe this is because of Johnny Depp. Because before, I think there was a period of time when even the public was willing to say, “Hey, I don&#8217;t know that that&#8217;s a MeToo allegation.” I&#8217;m thinking of something like Aziz Ansari where there was a lot of back and forth debate about that. In this case, it seems like some of these men in Hollywood who don&#8217;t even possess the power of some of these women are now willing to challenge these MeToo allegations. So, do you think this sort of shifts the balance on where we are with MeToo?
MAUREEN: Yes, I think this case is very important in terms of where we are and where we&#8217;re going. I agree with you. The Aziz Ansari thing was ridiculous. If that allegation had come out maybe a year later, his career would not have been destroyed. I think we are now seeing a pendulum swing back towards sanity where just because a woman says a man did something to her, it&#8217;s not automatically received as gospel, that the man does get a chance to tell his side of the story and back it up with documents, receipts, screenshots, texts, voicemail, and it certainly helps when you have movie footage. So I think this is going to be an interesting case in terms of the cultural corrective that is underway.
MEGAN: Okay. Well, last question: Any predictions for the March trial?
MAUREEN: You know, I&#8217;ll be amazed if it gets there. Because I would think saner heads would prevail, and both sides should really just drop it and walk away. Justin Baldoni&#8217;s lawyer has already said he&#8217;s pretty much bankrupted by this, financially and emotionally. I don&#8217;t know what good it does for Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds to have this be the headline of their careers for the next calendar year, and that&#8217;s just to start. So, I think it&#8217;ll be interesting to see if it ever really comes to fruition, and if there is some sort of settlement reached, who pays who? This is really just Hollywood writ large, right? The egotism, the narcissism, the ridiculous sums of money, the victimization, the weaponization perhaps, we don&#8217;t know yet, but perhaps of MeToo, it&#8217;s such a great, weird stew of stuff.
MEGAN: Well, thank you Maureen. That was enlightening. I kind of can&#8217;t wait to see where this goes next.
MAUREEN: I know, it&#8217;s like every day we get another tidbit. Yes, thanks for having me.
* * *
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/blake-lively-and-justin-baldoni-s-epic-hollywood-battle-2-8-25" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Catch the full interview on Morning Wire</a>.

Celebrity Sightings In Jersey City – January 12, 2024

‘Way Too Personal’: The Escalating PR War Between Blake Lively And Justin Baldoni

actress

Blake Lively

Film

interview

Morning Wire

Movies

Ryan Reynolds

Sexual Harassment

The New York Times

Country singer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/garth-brooks">Garth Brooks</a> has been accused of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/sexual-abuse">sexual assault</a> by a former hair and makeup artist who worked for his family.
The 27-page lawsuit was filed on Thursday on behalf of &#8220;Jane Roe,&#8221; who claims the incidents occurred over several years. Roe said one of the alleged incidents included Brooks forcing her to touch his erect penis while she was styling his hair.  The suit also includes details of Brooks allegedly raping her in a Los Angeles hotel room in 2019 while she was helping him get ready for a Grammy tribute, per <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/10/04/nx-s1-5139950/garth-brooks-sexual-assault-accusation-lawsuit">NPR</a>.
Roe accused Brooks of repeatedly exposing his genitals and buttocks to her, talking about sex, sharing sexual fantasies, and sending sexually explicit text messages, per <a href="https://www.today.com/popculture/news/garth-brooks-accused-sexual-assault-battery-former-hair-makeup-artist-rcna173966">Today</a>. The country singer also stands <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/garth-brooks-breaks-silence-on-sexual-assault-battery-allegations/">accused of</a> “repeated remarks” about “having a threesome” with his wife, singer Tricia Yearwood.
The plaintiff said she had initially worked for Yearwood beginning in 1999 and started working for Brooks beginning in 2017.
Roe’s legal team noted that the “Friends in Low Places” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/country-music">singer</a> filed a preemptive lawsuit anonymously in September, saying he was being extorted for money from a former employee because he had refused to give her a raise or pay for health insurance.
Brooks has denied the allegations. A statement from his legal team said, &#8220;(Roe&#8217;s) false allegations and her threats to wrongfully assassinate (Brooks&#8217;) character through the public airing of such revulsive and untrue allegations have caused (Brooks) emotional distress including anxiety and fear for himself and his family.&#8221; 
It continues, &#8220;(Roe&#8217;s) attempted extortion of (Brooks) for millions of dollars through such untrue, lewd allegations constitutes intentional, outrageous conduct that was intended to and did in fact cause (Brooks) serious mental injury, amounting to an intentional infliction of emotional distress.&#8221;
&#8220;For the last two months, I have been hassled to no end with threats, lies, and tragic tales of what my future would be if I did not write a check for many millions of dollars,” Brooks said in the statement. “ It has been like having a loaded gun waved in my face. Hush money, no matter how much or how little, is still hush money. In my mind, that means I am admitting to behavior I am incapable of — ugly acts no human should ever do to another.&#8221;
&#8220;We filed suit against this person nearly a month ago to speak out against extortion and defamation of character. We filed it anonymously for the sake of families on both sides, &#8221; he added.
&#8220;I want to play music tonight. I want to continue our good deeds going forward. It breaks my heart these wonderful things are in question now,&#8221; the country singer&#8217;s statement concludes. &#8220;I trust the system, I do not fear the truth, and I am not the man they have painted me to be.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
Roe announced her intention to move forward with a jury trial. She is seeking monetary and punitive damages plus attorney’s fees.
&#8220;We applaud our client’s courage in moving forward with her complaint against Garth Brooks,&#8221; Roe&#8217;s legal team wrote in a statement. &#8220;The complaint filed today demonstrates that sexual predators exist not only in corporate America, Hollywood and in the rap and rock and roll industries but also in the world of country music.&#8221;
&#8220;We are confident that Brooks will be held accountable for his actions and his efforts to silence our client through the filing of a preemptive complaint in Mississippi was nothing other than an act of desperation and attempted intimidation,&#8221; the statement says. &#8220;We encourage others who may have been victimized to contact us as no survivor should suffer in silence.&#8221;
Brooks performed in Las Vegas on Thursday night just after the news broke. He addressed the drama with an Instagram post, writing in the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DAsLedVx1sN/?hl=en">caption</a>, &#8220;If there was ever a night that I really needed this, TONIGHT was that night! Thank you for my life!!!!!&#8221;

Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks Accused Of Sexual Assault By Former Employee, He Calls It ‘Extortion’

Garth Brooks Accused Of Sexual Assault By Former Employee, He Calls It 'Extortion'

Celebrities

Country Music

Lawsuit

A spokesman for second gentleman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/doug-emhoff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doug Emhoff</a> reportedly denied Thursday that he assaulted his ex-girlfriend or any other woman.
Semafor reported in its Thursday newsletter that an unnamed spokesman denied the Daily Mail&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doug-emhoff-accused-of-hitting-ex-girlfriend-in-the-face-at-high-profile-event-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explosive report</a> that Emhoff had drunkenly and &#8220;forcefully slapped&#8221; his ex-girlfriend in 2012 at the Cannes Film Festival in France because he thought she was flirting with another man.
The spokesman <a href="https://www.semafor.com/newsletter/10/03/2024/family-feud?utm_source=nowshare&amp;utm_medium=principals&amp;utm_campaign=flagshipnumbered4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Semafor</a> that the Daily Mail&#8217;s report is &#8220;untrue&#8221; and that &#8220;any suggestion that he would or has ever hit a woman is false.&#8221;
Neither the Harris campaign nor the White House has responded to The Daily Wire&#8217;s press inquiries on the matter. Emhoff is scheduled to speak at multiple campaign events on Friday and Saturday, according to Thursday press releases from the Harris campaign.
The Daily Mail based its reporting on the stories of three different friends who said that Emhoff&#8217;s ex-girlfriend, whom the publication identified only as &#8220;Jane,&#8221; told them about the alleged incident shortly afterward.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
&#8220;Jane&#8221; is a &#8220;successful New York attorney&#8221; who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of Emhoff, the publication reported. She reportedly met Emhoff on a dating website and had been going out with him about three months before the alleged assault took place.
The Daily Mail also included documentation showing that Emhoff and the woman were a couple: a photo of the couple, with the woman&#8217;s face blurred out, as well as their travel itinerary and email showing details about their 2012 stay in Nice, France.
The publication <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13703933/Kamala-Harris-Doug-Emhoff-cheated-nanny-Najen-Nayler.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also first reported in early August</a> that Emhoff&#8217;s first marriage ended because he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kamala-harris-husband-admits-to-impregnating-babysitter-while-cheating-on-first-wife" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cheated</a> on his ex-wife, Kerstin Emhoff, with his children&#8217;s nanny — whom he impregnated. In their Wednesday story on the assault allegation against Emhoff, the Daily Mail also cited a source claiming that Emhoff allegedly settled with the nanny for about $80,000, and had her sign an NDA.

TOPSHOT-US-VOTE-POLITICS-DEMOCRATIC-CONVENTION

Doug Emhoff Spokesman Denies Second Gentleman Assaulted His Ex-Girlfriend

Doug Emhoff

Elections

Kamala Harris

Politics

The Daily Mail

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/sharon-stone">Sharon Stone</a> and Liam Neeson are upset that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-spacey">Kevin Spacey</a> was canceled in the Hollywood community.
After multiple men came forward and accused the actor of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/sexual-abuse">sexual abuse</a> at the height of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/metoo">#MeToo</a> movement in 2017, Spacey was removed from projects and hasn’t been cast in many roles since. Spacey has claimed his innocence all along. Actor Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of sexually assaulting him as a minor but ultimately lost his lawsuit in 2022. Spacey was acquitted of further sexual abuse charges in 2023.
Stone and Neeson both spoke to <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05/15/kevin-spacey-return-to-acting-sharon-stone-liam-neeson/">The Telegraph</a> and said winning those court cases meant he should be offered major roles again.
“I can’t wait to see Kevin back at work,” Stone told the outlet. “He is a genius. He is so elegant and fun, generous to a fault and knows more about our craft than most of us ever will.”
Stone also suggested that some of Spacey’s accusers may have “secret agendas.”
“Taken” star Neeson agreed with Stone’s assessment, saying Hollywood “needs” and “misses” Spacey.
“I was deeply saddened to learn of these accusations against him. Kevin is a good man and a man of character. He’s sensitive, articulate and non-judgmental, with a terrific sense of humor,” the actor said. “He is also one of our finest artists in the theater and on camera. Personally speaking, our industry needs him and misses him greatly.”
Most recently, Spacey spoke out against an upcoming British documentary called “Spacey Unmasked,” which is expected to detail past and additional sexual misconduct allegations.
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“I take full responsibility for my past behavior and my actions. But I cannot and will not take responsibility or apologize to anyone who&#8217;s made up stuff about me or exaggerated stories about me,&#8221; the two-time Academy Award winner said in an interview with former GB News presenter Dan Wootton.
&#8220;That may not have been the best decision and it&#8217;s not one that I would do today. But it happened,&#8221; Spacey said. &#8220;It wasn&#8217;t illegal, and nor has it ever been alleged to have been illegal.&#8221;
The &#8220;House of Cards&#8221; star said during the Wootten interview that he was suspicious of the timing of the documentary, noting how it’s coming at a time when he’s just starting to be offered roles in small, independent projects. 
“Despite the challenges and the difficulties and the pain and the bad days, I’ve also witnessed the most beautiful demonstrations of friendship and love and family,” the actor said.

Kevin Spacey

Sharon Stone, Liam Neeson Insist Kevin Spacey Should Be Un-Canceled: ‘A Man Of Character’

Sharon Stone, Liam Neeson Insist Kevin Spacey Should Be Un-Canceled: 'A Man Of Character'

Liam Neeson

Sharon Stone

Public School Sign Carved in Granite above Entrance

The Public School System Is Covering Up A Massive Sex Abuse Scandal

Child Sex Abuse

Matt Walsh

Opinion

Public Schools

Readers Pass

Schools

Sexual Abuse

Oscar winner Mira Sorvino and other Hollywood stars reacted to a decision by the New York Court of Appeals to overturn <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-appeals-court-tosses-harvey-weinstein-rape-conviction">Harvey Weinstein</a>’s 2020 rape verdict.
In a post on <a href="https://x.com/MiraSorvino/status/1783518840984584428">X</a> on Thursday, Sorvino wrote that she was “horrified” by the court&#8217;s decision to overturn the 2020 rape conviction of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/04/25/nyregion/harvey-weinstein-appeal?smid=tw-nytimes&amp;smtyp=cur#weinsteins-accusers-express-fury-and-disappointment-over-the-courts-ruling">Weinstein</a> due to the court’s failure to give the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/harvey-weinstein" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disgraced movie mogul</a> a fair trial by allowing allegations from accusers not connected to the charges against him to testify.
“Day after #DenimDay honoring sexual violence survivors, Harvey Weinstein’s conviction overturned, due partly to ‘Molineux witnesses’ testifying to prior bad acts, like lioness Annabella Sciorra,” Sorvino’s post read, referring to a term meaning “witnesses in a trial who are allowed to testify about criminal acts that the defendant has not been charged with committing,” The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/04/25/nyregion/harvey-weinstein-appeal?smid=tw-nytimes&amp;smtyp=cur#weinsteins-accusers-express-fury-and-disappointment-over-the-courts-ruling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>.
“Since when don’t courts allow evidence of pattern of prior bad acts to be admitted?” she added. “He’s a prolific serial predator who raped/harmed 200+women! Disgusted w/justice system skew [to] predators not victims.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Horrified!Day after <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DenimDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DenimDay</a> honoring sexual violence survivors,Harvey Weinstein’s conviction overturned,due partly to molyneux witnesses testifying to prior bad acts,like lioness Annabella Sciorra.Since when don’t courts allow evidence of pattern of prior bad acts to be… <a href="https://t.co/yIoF6u76da">pic.twitter.com/yIoF6u76da</a>
— Mira Sorvino (@MiraSorvino) <a href="https://twitter.com/MiraSorvino/status/1783518840984584428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2024</a></blockquote>
In a second post, the actress wrote, “Harvey Weinstein&#8217;s 2020 rape conviction overturned by New York court of appeals, retrial ordered, dissenting opinions speak volumes,” and included an <a href="https://ew.com/harvey-weinstein-rape-conviction-overturned-new-york-8638799?utm_source=social2&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=shareurlbuttons">Entertainment Weekly</a> article with the voice of one of the dissenting judges, who claimed in her dissent that &#8220;fundamental misunderstandings of sexual violence perpetrated by men known to, and with significant power over, the women they victimize are on full display in the majority’s opinion.&#8221;
“By whitewashing the facts to conform to a he-said/she-said narrative, by ignoring evidence of defendant’s manipulation and premeditation, which clouded issues of intent, and by failing to recognize that the jury was entitled to consider defendant’s previous assaults, this Court has continued a disturbing trend of overturning juries’ guilty verdicts in cases involving sexual violence,” she added.
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Following the appeals court announcement, the Silence Breakers, a group of Harvey Weinstein survivors, released a statement about the “unjust” decision.
“The news today is not only disheartening, but it’s profoundly unjust,” the <a href="https://variety.com/2024/film/news/harvey-weinstein-accusers-react-conviction-overturned-1235981941/">statemen</a>t read. “But this ruling does not diminish the validity of our experiences or our truth; it’s merely a setback. The man found guilty continues to serve time in a California prison. When survivors everywhere broke their silence in 2017, the world changed. We continue to stand strong and advocate for that change&#8230;&#8221;
Actress Ashley Judd, who was the first to make allegations against Weinstein in 2017, called the news “unfair to survivors,&#8221; the Times noted. “We still live in our truth,” Judd said. “And we know what happened.”
It’s “a terrible reminder that victims of sexual assault just don’t get justice,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/10/us/gwyneth-paltrow-angelina-jolie-harvey-weinstein.html">Katherine Kendall</a>, an actress who made allegations against Weinstein, said. “I’m completely let down by the justice system right now. I’m sort of flabbergasted. But the important thing is that we do not stop speaking out. Our culture needs to keep supporting silence breakers.”
Actress Amber Tamblyn, who also spoke out during the #MeToo movement, called the decision “a loss to the entire community of women who put their lives and careers on the line to speak out.”

28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards – Arrivals

‘Horrified’: Oscar Winner And Other Hollywood Stars React To Overturned Weinstein Rape Verdict

'Horrified': Oscar Winner And Other Hollywood Stars React To Overturned Weinstein Rape Verdict

Mira Sorvino

A New York appeals court moved on Thursday to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/weinstein-metoo-appeal-ed29faeec862abf0c071e8bd3574c4a3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">overturn</a> the 2020 rape conviction of former Miramax producer Harvey Weinstein, citing “egregious” rulings that allowed allegations unrelated to the charges to be introduced in testimony.
The court’s 4-3 ruling came down in Weinstein’s favor, leaving it up to prosecutors whether or not they will try him again.
“We conclude that the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes,” the decision read in part. “The remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial.”
“It is an abuse of judicial discretion to permit untested allegations of nothing more than bad behavior that destroys a defendant’s character but sheds no light on their credibility as related to the criminal charges lodged against them,” the decision continued.
The virtual flood of accusations against Weinstein — whose accusers included “Charmed” star Rose McGowan and others — cascaded in 2017 following a New Yorker exposé written by Ronan Farrow. What followed was a slew of additional accusations against Weinstein, which sparked the #MeToo movement.
Judge Madeline Singas penned a dissent on behalf of the minority, saying that the decision meant the court was “whitewashing the facts to conform to a he-said/she-said narrative,” following a “disturbing trend of overturning juries’ guilty verdicts in cases involving sexual violence.”
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“The majority’s determination perpetuates outdated notions of sexual violence and allows predators to escape accountability,” she wrote.
Weinstein will remain in prison — despite the New York conviction being overturned — because his 2022 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disgraced-film-producer-harvey-weinstein-sentenced-to-16-more-years-for-sex-crimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conviction</a> in Los Angeles still stands.

Harvey Weinstein Court Hearing – Los Angeles, CA

New York Appeals Court Tosses Harvey Weinstein Rape Conviction

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kevin-spacey-says-he-was-rushed-to-hospital-fearing-heart-attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin Spacey</a> announced that he will appear at his first ever comic book fan event after being acquitted in his sexual assault trial last year.
The 64-year-old actor said, in a video posted on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2h02YuMzGl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>, that he&#8217;s looking forward to meeting fans at the <a href="https://madmonster.com/c24/">Mad Monster</a> comic book convention in North Carolina next month — the first comic book convention ever for &#8220;The Usual Suspects&#8221; star.
The actor also took a moment to thank his fans for &#8220;all your support through all these years. It&#8217;s meant so much to me. And I hope you can make it because it would be nice to meet in person.&#8221;
The &#8220;House of Cards&#8221; and &#8220;American Beauty&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kevin-spacey-acquitted-in-uk-sex-assault-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">star&#8217;s</a> photo appeared in promotional material about the event and he&#8217;s listed as being among the stars who will be on hand throughout the three-day event to take pictures with fans and be available for signing autographs, the <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/kevin-spacey-books-first-comic-con-appearance-1235806007/">Hollywood Reporter</a> noted.
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&#8220;Kevin Spacey is one of the most sought after actors in the celebrity appearance space,&#8221; the Mad Monster event told THR. &#8220;We couldn&#8217;t be more excited to be the first to bring him to a show.&#8221;
Other than appearing in a few strange <a href="https://x.com/KevinSpacey/status/1077263549326651392?s=20">videos</a> posted via <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/24/entertainment/kevin-spacey-christmas/index.html">social media</a>, Spacey has largely avoided being in the spotlight over the last several years following sexual misconduct and assault allegations. In October, he received a standing <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/oct/17/kevin-spacey-receives-standing-ovation-in-first-stage-appearance-since-court-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ovation</a> when he performed a Shakespearean scene in Oxford — his first stage appearance following the sexual assault trial last year. Earlier that month, he also made an appearance at a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kevin-spacey-says-he-was-rushed-to-hospital-fearing-heart-attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">film festival</a> in Uzbekistan. 
In July, the &#8220;Superman Returns&#8221; star was acquitted on all nine of the sexual assault charges against him in the United Kingdom. In the courtroom, Spacey reportedly wept after Justice Mark Wall said he was cleared of all charges and concluded that the &#8220;defendant may be discharged,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/kevin-spacey-uk-trial-verdict-not-guilty-1235543727/">Hollywood Reporter</a> noted.
Spacey previously pleaded not guilty to nine counts stemming from allegations that he had sexually assaulted four men between 2004 and 2013 in London, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/actor-kevin-spacey-acquitted-all-nine-sexual-offence-charges-london-trial-2023-07-26/?taid=64c1317bbbd95200010df6dc&amp;utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&amp;utm_medium=trueAnthem&amp;utm_source=twitter">Reuters</a> noted. The allegations ranged from unwanted touching to aggressive fondling — and, in one case, performing oral sex on an unconscious actor.
The actor was one of the most prominent figures accused of sexual misconduct during the start of the #<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pamela-anderson-doubles-down-on-metoo-comments-its-just-common-sense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MeToo</a> era. In November of 2017, Spacey was fired from the hugely popular Netflix series &#8220;House of Cards&#8221; following a string of sexual misconduct allegations against him.
One such accusation came from &#8220;Star Trek: Discovery&#8221; star Anthony Rapp, who accused Spacey of making a sexual advance toward him at a party in 1986 — when Rapp was just 14. Spacey denied the allegations. Rapp brought a civil lawsuit against Spacey but lost the case in 2022 when the actor was found not liable for battery, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/10/20/arts/kevin-spacey-trial-verdict#:~:text=The%20jury%20found%20that%20Mr,Rapp%20to%20bring%20his%20claim." target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Times</a> noted.

Actor Kevin Spacey Appears In Federal Court To Answer Sexual Assault Allegations

Kevin Spacey Attending First Ever Comic Book Fan Event Following Sexual Assault Trial

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