A man is suing Busta Rhymes, claiming the rapper and his crew beat him up after he spit on their car. The man, Roberto LeBron, 20, says that he was kicked in the head by the rapper, who was flanked by his nine bodyguards, last August. In what appears to be a separate incident, Busta is also facing assault charges from an incident last August 12th. In that case, he’s accused of beating up a fan after his performance at a music festival on Randalls Island, New York. In another incident, Busta is going to separate trials on various charges of DUI, driving with a suspended license, and assaulting a former employee.
“Busta Rhymes’ legal woes continue after he was named in another lawsuit from a man who claims to have been assaulted by the rap star.
“Roberto LeBron filed the legal challenge in Manhattan state Supreme Court on Thursday, following an altercation in August last year.
“He claims to have been kicked in the head in a fracas with Busta, real name Trevor Smith, and his nine bodyguards at a music festival on Randalls Island.
“The hip hop icon is already due to face trail following an incident at the same gathering. It is currently unclear if the two cases are linked, reports Billboard.
“In the coming months, Busta Rhymes must answer separate charges of drunk driving, driving with a suspended license and attacking a former employee.”
That means that Busta’s currently got five major trials to worry about. Hope he’s a good multi-tasker. The prosecution offered Busta a plea deal of one year in jail for all of the four charges. Busta refused. In two of the cases, the prosecution tried to join the trials but the motion was refused by the judge. Talk about a lot on your plate. He was even given a second shot at the plea deal, and again refused. Dude seems to think he can do better on his own. I’m assuming he’s banking on his celebrity, because the odds that someone with four separate criminal trails would do better with a jury are slim. It will be interesting to see how all of these trials play out, and if they affect his career in a negative or positive way. One would assume doing time would be a bad thing, but lately it just seems to heighten celebrity.
Rod Stewart’s doofus son Sean Stewart, 26, is being sued by a guy he beat up outside of the club LAX last year. Stewart stars on the A&E reality show “Sons of Hollywood.” Daniel Refoua is accusing Stewart of a whole string of crimes against him: assault, battery, false imprisonment, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
“Refoua’s lawyer, Sean Bral, said his client was beaten up Jan. 5, 2006, by a group including Stewart after accidentally bumping into the singer’s son at Hollywood’s LAX nightclub.
“The melee followed an argument between Refoua and Stewart, who had a bodyguard with him, Bral said.
“’The next thing you know, he gets punched in the face and he’s getting punched by Stewart and his bodyguard and whoever it was who was with him,’ he said.
“Refoua, who is in his 20s, suffered a fractured nose and other injuries, Bral said. The lawsuit seeks unspecified general, special and punitive damages.
“’We invite him to come forward if they want a resolution in this, to sit down early to talk as opposed to later,” Bral said.’”
Stewart’s lawyer countered by saying what actually went down was “much different” from what the lawsuit states. He accuses Refoua of just going after Stewart for money. I could see that happening, as the guy has cash and is a pretty easy target. Except that, unfortunately for Sean, he has a history of beating people up, and has pending criminal charges against him in a separate case. In April he and some of his friends confronted a couple, Tobalus and Ericka Stein, in their truck and then started punching the pair while throwing bricks at them and their car. According to legal documents, “Stewart and friends began ‘swinging their arms at, punching, throwing bricks and other items’ at them and striking the bodies of plaintiffs as well as striking the [truck].’” Stewart was charged “June 11 with two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon (the brick) and one count each of throwing substances at a vehicle and vandalism with damage in excess of $400. He was arrested one day later on a felony warrant and released on bail.” He is due back in court on that case this Monday. The Steins have also filed a lawsuit against Stewart.
From these two separate incidents, it sounds like Sean Stewart and his friends are just a pack of roving angry guys roaming L.A. waiting to beat up on unsuspecting bystanders. The guys sound like they’re jerks, but neither of these stories mentions if the victims did anything to provoke them. I’m not saying the victims could have possibly deserved to be beaten up, I’m just saying it’s weird. Either way, from now on I’m carrying a brick on me whenever I’m in Los Angeles, just in case I run into any of the Stewart family. That Kimberly could really use someone knocking her off her pedestal anyway.
Melanie Brown and her lawyer, the (in)famous Gloria Allred, announced that Brown has filed a paternity suit against Eddie Murphy. Apparently Eddie hasn’t stepped up to the plate yet. Shocking. In her statement, Brown said that she wanted her daughter, 4-month-old Angel Iris Murphy Brown, to know that she was planned and wanted by both of her parents. Somehow I doubt that’s entirely true, but it’s nice to do what you can to get the kid to believe it. Brown told reporters:
“‘I am here for one reason and one reason only – her name is Angel. Angel is my baby and Eddie’s. She will always know that she was planned and wanted by both of us, but I want her to know that she has two parents who desire to be responsible for her during her life and who love her so much that they want to be a part of it.’”
Gloria Allred was a little tougher than Brown… but that’s what she’s paid for. She told reporters that Murphy “’has not paid one penny of child support’ for the former couple’s daughter, said she plans to ask the court to award child support and ‘to decide what is reasonable.’” Allred also mentioned that although they have proved through DNA that Murphy is Angel’s father, he has yet to acknowledge her legally. “’We’ve had communication with his attorney, and now we’re moving forward,’” she said, adding that the papers are sealed because they concern a child.” She got a few good jabs at Murphy in her speech.
“’Murphy was promising to do the right thing, but to date he has not done the right thing,’ said Allred. ‘Mr. Murphy can have all the babies he chooses to have, but his responsibility needs to be to his own children. [Brown] is seeking sole physical and legal custody.’”
“Still, Allred said Brown would be happy to arrange for Murphy to see his daughter regularly ‘like millions of parents do.’”
“’He bought a big diamond ring for his new fianceé,’ added Allred, referring to Murphy’s recent engagement to girlfriend Tracey Edmonds. ‘It is nice to be generous to others, but what about his own baby?’”
Eddie Murphy, you got served! Literally this time. I like Gloria Allred. She’s so tough with just a tiny hint of crazy. Unlike Nancy Grace who is crazy with a tiny hint of tough. I also love anyone who wears clothes to coordinate with their last name. Really though, how hard is it for Eddie Murphy to step up and support his child? There’s so much bitterness here that it’s doubtful he’ll ever be in his daughter’s life, but at least take some responsibility for your actions. Poor Angel Iris Murphy Brown. Not only does she have two kinda wacky parents, but her last name is Murphy Brown. I really hope kids today won’t get the reference.
Rapper DMX has been ordered to pay a whopping $242,000 to Amusing Diversions Inc, which makes fancy dog clothes. True story. DMX signed a contract with the company saying that he would promote a line of dog clothing that was named for his dog Boomer 129. The line included all of the doggie essentials: raincoats, caps, bomber jackets and scarves. Apparently things started off alright, but DMX never really fulfilled his end of the contract – he just took the company’s money. He was supposed to endorse the Boomer 129 line at his concerts, TV, and public appearances. Not only did DMX not do that, but he actually promoted the line’s competitors instead, resulting in a severe financial loss for Amusing Diversions.
“The 36-year-old rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was ordered to pay a $242,000 judgment to Amusing Diversions Inc., a company that produced and marketed the canine clothing line, named for his dog Boomer 129.”
I was kind of confused or why in the world this company would want DMX to promote their brand. I could see Snoop Dogg, because, well it’d be awesome. But what the hell does DMX have to do with dogs? He has one? That makes 70% of the country eligible to promote doggie wear. Well according to the judge, there’s a very good reason, and she’s hip enough to know it. I am not.
“’DMX, it appears, is known for his growl and bark and is called Pit Bull (which according to the evidence … he has tattooed on his back),’” noted Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Jane Goodman’s ruling, announced Tuesday.
If that’s all it takes to get an endorsement deal, I’m going to get an iPod tattooed on my back. And a box of Wheaties. Then between the two deals, I’ll be set for life. Plus I’ll be able to listen to my music wherever I go.
Note by Celebitchy: DMX’s tattoo on his back is in honor of his pitbull Boomer, who was killed by a car. The tattoo says “One Love Boomer.” Aww. In 2003, DMX was said to be working on a Saturday morning cartoon in honor of Boomer, but I’m not sure if anything happened with that as I could find only references to it being in the works.
Picture above is by Michael Schreiber and was found at Altpick.com. Other photos are of DMX performing on 7/26/2006 at the House of Blues, thanks to PRPhotos.
Isaiah Washington has been given a second chance by NBC after he was dropped from Grey’s Anatomy following the use of a homophobic insult and resulting on-set fight with Patrick Dempsey. (It was rumored that producers will willing to keep him on for another season, but that cast members banded together to ensure he was fired from the show.)
Washington will appear on five episodes of the fantasy series Bionic Woman this fall, and he is also said to be developing an action series with NBC, in which he will star. According to IMDB, he has a movie coming up in 2008 called The Least of These in which he plays a teacher trying to solve a sex abuse-based murder.
How this guy got so many gigs after behaving like an ass and then bringing it up again unnecessarily is beyond me. At least he did an anti-defamation PSA, but that doesn’t absolve him of guilt.
Regardless it’s a good thing for everyone that Washington owes money to that he’s still getting work. He was deep in debt before he landed the role of Dr. Preston Burke on Grey’s Anatomy in 2005. He didn’t just have some looming credit card and tax bills, he had bills that he refused to pay for so long that he faced multiple lawsuits from creditors. He eventually paid most of the money he owed, but only after he was ruled responsible for his debts:
In 1998, Beverly Hills radiology group Tower Magnetic sued Isaiah and his wife Jenisa to collect $2,083 in unpaid medical bills. After a court trial, the Washingtons were found liable for the full amount – plus $771 in miscellaneous court fees. The couple paid in full that October.
In 2003, the Ford Motor Credit Company took Washington to court to recover $8,340. The case was settled.
Washington had a role in the Steven Seagal action pic Exit Wounds, which filmed in 2000. Two years later, top talent agency ICM won a court arbiter’s ruling that Isaiah owed them $25,000 in agent’s fees. Washington paid half the amount – but ICM was forced to take him to court for the other half. In October 2003, a judge ordered Washington to pay the missing $12,500 (plus $1,108 in interest) – but records show that as of September 2004, he still hadn’t paid up!
In January 2005, the IRS filed a federal tax lien against Isaiah and Jenisa for an unpaid balance of $41,063 from their 2001 and 2002 tax returns. They paid in full five months later.
[From Star Magazine print edition, August 6, 2007]
It sounds like not paying bills is a pattern for Washington. He probably was living beyond his means, thinking that he was about to hit it big. A lot of people get in trouble with debt and it’s nothing to be ashamed of, but to me this is just more evidence that he thinks the rules don’t apply to him.
“NYPD Blue” actor Esai Morales’ ex-girlfriend is accusing the actor of intentionally giving her herpes. Elizabeth Mazzocchi filed a lawsuit on Thursday accusing Morales of “’intentional and negligent transmission of a sexually transmitted disease, assault, battery and breach of oral contract.’” In the suit, Mazzocchi claims that Morales knew that he had herpes, but chose not to tell her. This resulted in “’an incurable disease that will have associated medical expenses, pain and discomfort for the rest of her life.’”
According to the lawsuit Morales moved into Mazzocchi’s L.A. home in March 2006. Mazzocchi began acting as his manager around that time as well, forfeiting other career opportunities for herself. She also claims that Morales began abusing her shortly thereafter, and raped her in their home on May 19th, 2006. She also claims that he continually kicked and punched her throughout the course of their time together. Under the Health and Safety code, Morales has a legal obligation to inform any potential partners that he has an STD.
The suit doesn’t say how much Mazzocchi hopes to be awarded; only that it is in excess of the jurisdictions of the court. She’s retained Gloria Allred as her attorney, which means she must be fighting mad and trying her case in the press. Allred is a celebrity lawyer, and is on TV more than George Bush. Or close to it. It’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out, and how much money Mazzocchi is awarded, if she wins. Though in all likelihood, Morales will probably settle, to avoid so much bad publicity. I know in some jurisdictions knowingly exposing someone to an STD is a criminal matter, though I’m not sure that’s the case in L.A. I wonder if that factored into her decision to handle this in civil court?
John Travolta local airport won’t let him land one of his massive airplanes there anymore, and the female-impersonating actor is suing mad. Travolta lives in an $8 million dollar home in the ultra-exclusive Jumbolair Aviation Estates in Ocala, Florida. The owners of the local airport say they can no longer accommodate Travolta’s Boeing 707, a four-engine Qantas commercial passenger jet. Travolta says that he has used the runway neighboring his home without problems, and he built his home there six years ago because he was assured that he could use the airport.
The part-time pilot [Travolta] alleges that Greystone owners James and Christine Garemore doctored the airport master record to prevent Travolta from landing his jet and to ‘wreak financial harm’ on Jumbolair by forcing a lawsuit against the complex owners.
“Mr. Travolta has been severely mistreated as a consequence of these acts and intends to vigorously pursue all appropriate legal recourse against these responsible parties,” the former Oscar nominee’s attorney, Michael Ossi, said in a statement.
The plaintiffs are also requesting that the Garemores’ report, which states that heavier planes ‘may cause immediate structural damage,’ be withdrawn to prevent ‘future baseless filings,’ because it provided false, misleading info to the Federal Aviation Administration.”
Apparently when the runway was built, it could accommodate the owner’s 707, which was used infrequently. However Travolta uses his 707 quite often and the runway has deteriorated. The runway owners claim that it’s no longer safe. Travolta’s lawyers never state why the owners would have an erroneous report filed just to make sure he couldn’t use their runway. Why in the world would they do that and lose all his business for no good reason? It doesn’t make sense. It sounds to me like Travolta’s just mad that he can’t land his jet next door – and yes, I do mean next door. Here’s a little information about the Jumbolair Aviation Estates, from their website.
You have just concluded a business meeting in Chicago. You promised your son you would be home in time for his game, but you live in Florida. No problem, your private plane is fueled and ready for takeoff. In a few hours you will be landing in your own back yard and pulling your plane into the hangar attached to your home. You are one of a fortunate few who live at Jumbolair Aviation Estates, home of the worlds largest, FAA licensed, lighted and paved, private airport.
Unlike most fly-in communities, Jumbolair home sites have separate roads and taxiways, so when you are taxiing, you won’t have an accidental meeting with a repairman’s truck. Jumbolair, a private, gated community will exceed your expectations with its abundant natural beauty.
Thank goodness someone had the foresight to reach out to this massively underserved market and create a neighborhood with private taxiways and roads. The other day I was taxiing my airplane home, and I nearly hit an ice cream truck. If only I lived in John Travolta’s neighborhood, that never would have happened, and that Creamsicle would still be alive today. Seriously, John Travolta, you must chill! It sounds like these people are just trying to make sure your plane doesn’t crash. Stop getting mad at them. Take one of your 10 other smaller planes when you fly to the grocery store. If you have so much stuff, then just make two trips.
Picture note by Celebitchy: Header image is of Travolta when he had more hair and less body fat, and is from Jonny Jets.
Goran Visnjic, one of the cast members of the forever, er I mean “long running,” ER, has a bit of a lady problem on his hands. Well I guess he has a bigger problem as a result of the lady problem – a kid problem. The Croatian actor, once labeled People Magazine’s Sexiest Import, apparently has fathered a child with a Croatian woman named Mirela Rupic. Rupic filed a paternity suit against Visnjic after he refused to acknowledge that her 4-month-old daughter is his.
Rupic said she was originally expecting that Visnjic would take financial responsibility for their child, and Visnjic has been aware of her pregnancy from the start. However she said he would never legally acknowledge their daughter as his own, which would obviously leave the child unprotected if Visnjic ever decided to back out on his financial obligations. It appears relations have deteriorated even further since then.
“The suit, filed in Croatia on behalf of 36-year-old Mirela Rupic, claims the 34-year-old actor refused to acknowledge his paternal role and is asking for a DNA test to prove he needs to take responsibility.
Rupic’s attorney, Nenad Skare, told the Associated Press his client had hoped to reach a settlement with Visnjic, but he turned them down.”
Visnjic married his wife Ivana Vrdoljak, a sculptor, in 1999 – the same year he joined the cast of ER. The couple adopted a newborn boy this past April.
Visnjic is also leaving ER at the end of the season. It seems like he didn’t give his bosses a ton of notice. According to Hollywood.com, “TV bosses want Visnjic to star in six more episodes, to allow them time to write him out of the storyline, which involves his relationship with Dr. Abby Lockhart, played by Maura Tierney.” Somehow that makes me think they weren’t really planning on his exit anytime soon.
I really doubt the show will be worth watching without him. It feels like NBC is just pushing it way beyond its expiration point, which was about five years ago. It’s so formulaic that it’s hard to be invested anymore. I wonder if his exit has anything to do with the problems in his personal life. Perhaps to avoid anymore negative attention being focused on him? I can’t help but wonder what’s going on with his marriage. If he and his wife adopted their son in April, that’s just a month or so before his biological daughter was born to Rupic. All of this must feel like a shot through the heart for his poor wife. Even though he’s a good actor and his character is fairly compelling, he just strikes me as one of those people that thinks he should have whatever he wants. Wife? Check. Mistress? Check. But being responsible for the consequences? Well that’s someone else’s problem.
Goran and his plastic-surgery challenged wife, Ivana Vrdoljak.
The judge in the Anna Nicole Smith case, Larry Seidlin, seems to be getting all caught up in the drama in his courtroom. It’s probably the most interesting thing that’s ever happened at his job. He first took a liking to Howard K Stern, making sure he had two different private jets on standby to whisk him back to the Bahamas, and telling him he liked having him around.
It seems like he’s not that biased after all and just likes interesting witnesses, because he’s all up Larry Birkhead’s ass and praised his testimony yesterday.
Stern also seems to have gotten on the Judge Seidlin’s bad side with wishy-washy testimony about Anna’s drug use. The judge asked Howard about Anna’s drug use. Howard said that Anna was on prescription medication and that Anna’s baby-talking in the clown face video was “just the way she talked” and that “at times she was more impaired than that,” which seems to have really pissed off Seidlin.
Birkhead said in his testimony that Howard went to the Bahamas with a duffel bag full of drugs for Anna that he gave her in the hospital before she gave birth when she was several month’s pregnant. He also said that Howard told him that businessman Ben Thompson, who has since revealed that a vasectomy makes him incapable of having children, was Dannielynn’s real father.
Birkhead said Anna filled out a baby book while she was in the hospital that lists him – Larry Birkhead – as Dannielynn’s dad.
And incredibly there’s some kind of fake check writing scam that one of Anna’s companies is being investigated for in the Bahamas. Chances are Howard K Stern is behind it, although he denies knowing about that too. He told the judge that Anna paid for everything, that he basically has no other clients, and that he’s now living off borrowed money from his parents and whatever he made from Entertainment Tonight.
If Anna does get that 1/2 billion she was fighting for from her dead husband’s estate, Stern will receive 6% as her lawyer, though.
Stern is still being investigated for his role in Daniel’s death and I bet he’s trying to hide his involvement in that check forgery case. He had to make money somehow. It’s also going to come out soon that he’s not Dannielynn’s father.
The guy is going to break soon. I don’t know if I think he killed Anna, but he doesn’t seem that stable and I doubt he can hold it together much longer.
Back in the heavier, slightly more sober days of E! Networks The Anna Nicole Show, Anna had a punky gay assistant named Kimmy who seemed to be in love with her. Kimmy had Anna’s face tattoed on her shoulder and could be seen gazing at her adoringly in footage from the show.
Kimmy has finally weighed in on Anna’s death and Howard K Stern’s role in her life, and her verdict is about the same as Anna’s family. She thinks Howard had a hand in Anna’s death, and is at the very least profiting from it. She says that she finds it unbelievable that Anna didn’t have another will drawn up after her son’s death, and that she thinks Howard is hiding something. On her personal website she spells out the reasons why Howard can’t be trusted:
YOU LIED ON THE STAND TODAY! YOU SAID YOU DO NOT GAIN MONETARY BY BEING THE EXECUTOR OF ANNA NICOLE’S WILL? WHAT ABOUT THAT DOCUMENT YOU HAD HER SIGN ONCE YOU WON THE HUGE AWARD FROM HOWARD MARSHALL ESTATE??? DO YOU GET 10% OR 100% ??? SO YOU DO CONTROL THE EARNING TO BENEFIT YOU!!! WHAT A F&&*ING LIAR!!!!!!
Anna Nicole
Howard K Stern
1. Researched laws from around the country and found one that would benefit YOU in any paternity case.
2. Convinced Anna Nicole to move to the Bahamas for the benefit of her child.
3. Daniel died within hours of arriving and you flushed WHAT down the toilet?
4. You loved Anna Nicole so much you turned your head when you signed the FedX for the METHADONE?
5. You loved Anna Nicole so much you had to rush out and buy a Yacht and to take her where? A watery grave?
6. Did you have enough time to empty the refrigerator of anything you wanted to hide from the corner?
7. My guess the reason you don’t want any DNA samples done on you or Dannielynn is they will find DRUGS in both systems.
8. Was Dannielynn born an addict?
9. Not for one minute do I believe Anna Nicole didn’t have another will made out. You know she was obsessive about taking care of her child. What did you do with the updated will? Or did it not benefit you?
10. How much of a percentage do you get from the Marshall case? Did Anna find out you were bilking her out of her hard earned money?
11. Do I ever want to see your snout again? NO I value my health to much and your track record is not good…..people are dieing around you…
12. Where is Daniels will? I know he had one made out.
13.
14. OH Please, Howard! Hot Smoochie Lips, Inc….Tell the world you wanted to star in your own reality show. Where are the gowns of Annas that you sent out to be dry cleaned and they never returned? Will we be seeing them on ebay?
15. You never slept in the same bed with Anna!! You crawled in there after she fell asleep…she never invited you to her bed!!!
16. Now you have E on your side they won’t show the real HOWARD!
17. The burial plots were bought by YOU…you sicko… that is the only way you could think of to finally get to sleep next to her each night?? After you are dead!!!! because it wasn’t happening while she was living.
LARRY BIRKHEAD IS THE FATHER OF DANNIELYNN
Larry only wanted the best for Anna Nicole. He tried to do the right thing by her and his daughter.
Thanks everyone for all the nice emails. I will start a forum.. and we will talk… I’m still in a state of shock over what is going on. And that judge?? what is up with him?? That bloke needs to go back to being a cabbie…
EDIT: This was just added:
I’m going to show up, when you least expect me! I have my own tapes… you had no right making a fool out of Anna like you did.
According to commentors on Oh No They Didn’t, Kimmy was fired after The Anna Nicole Show wrapped because Howard didn’t like her and wanted her out of the picture.
It looks like Kimmy’s suspicions about Anna’s will may be correct – TMZ, your source for all things Anna, is reporting that they’ve found a fax dated 02/03/2007 that suggests that Stern was in the process of changing Anna’s will a few days before she died. Of course Anna may have wanted to change the will herself, but it’s thought that it was Howard’s doing since she was generally out of it.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait until the damn Oscars to get a break from the constant Anna Nicole and Britney coverage.
Here’s Kimmy on Anna Nicole’s fascinating show. I didn’t watch the whole thing. I may waste my time reading about this shit on the Internet but my patience is wearing thin.
The judge in the Anna Nicole Smith case, Larry Seidlin, seems to be getting all caught up in the drama in his courtroom. It’s probably the most interesting thing that’s ever happened at his job. He first took a liking to Howard K Stern, 
