At this point, I think John Travolta’s reputation as a happily married heterosexual male, or even as someone who engages in consensual sex, is pretty much shot. Given how many times the guy has been accused of sexually harassing male masseurs, spa-goers and various male underlings, it’s hard to find someone who considers Travolta a victim of litigious individuals. There’s only so much denying and attacking his lawyer can do, basically. So that’s why I have mixed feelings about this latest ruling, because it seems like new details about Travolta’s creeping won’t damage his brand, since it’s pretty much already shot.

This case involves a cruise ship employee who accuses Travolta of requesting a massage on board in 2009, and then accosting him for sex, basically. When the man protested, Travolta offered $12,000 for his silence, which he refused. Travolta’s lawyer tried to have the case dismissed, which failed, then he tried to argue that it should go to arbitration, as per the fine print on Travolta’s cruise ticket. The arbitration request was denied by the judge, meaning the case could go to trial.

A California federal judge has dismissed a petition by the 58-year-old actor’s lawyer to have a lawsuit filed against him by a cruise ship masseur decided in arbitration, which would have kept a lid on some pretty graphic accusations.

Travolta was sued last June for assault and battery and infliction of emotional distress by Fabian Zanzi, who accused the Get Shorty star of disrobing while the latter was giving him a neck massage and then “forcefully embracing” him during a Royal Caribbean cruise in June 2009.

After claiming Travolta engaged in contact that was “nonconsensual, inappropriate, extreme and outrageous,” the suit also charged that the thesp offered to buy Zanzi’s silence for $12,000.

Travolta subsequently denied the allegations, and his pit bull attorney, Marty Singer, pointed to a clause in the fine print of his cruise ticket to argue that the legal dispute should be settled by arbitration, which would not only allow the suit to be resolved expeditiously but also in secret.

However, per The Hollywood Reporter, in a 31-page ruling on Friday U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson smacked down that argument, noting there’s no evidence that Zanzi, as a “nonsignatory,” is bound by the arbitration agreement the A-lister entered into with Royal Caribbean.

Consequently, Zanzi’s lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, now looks to be headed for trial—unless, of course, Travolta opts to settle.

Singer was unavailable for comment, but he previously told E! News in a statement that Zanzi’s allegations were “ludicrous” and “completely contradicted” by what the employee told Royal Caribbean back in 2009 when he reported to superiors that “the only physical contact he claimed occurred was allegedly touching my client’s neck.”

[From E! Online]

So Travolta’s people want us to believe he’s entirely innocent of all these consistent allegations by different people, over time, who have no connection to each other. If he settles this case he’ll keep some of the more sordid details out of the press, but that might be tantamount to admitting guilt. I think he should settle and just have his lawyer make some lame excuse about it, as they’ve been doing all along. People think he’s guilty, and it will only remind everyone about Travolta and the mountain of evidence against him if a whole new round of stories comes out with details from the trial. Plus, this Zanzi guy could easily get corroborating witnesses to testify that Travolta did the same thing to them.

But look – Kelly is standing by him! Of course she is, her brain has been washed so many times it’s mush.

These photos are from The Annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on 1-18-13. Credit: FayesVision/WENN.com

Here are some new photos of loved-up couple Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde at last night’s gala at The American Museum of Natural History in NYC. Olivia’s gown is Dolce & Gabbana – it’s pretty, maybe a little bit too fussy, but it’s a nice gala and it’s appropriate. I think this is the first time Jason and Olivia have walked a red carpet together and posed for photos for all of the press. It’s nice. They’ve been dating….? About a year I think. They began in late 2011/early 2012. So they waited a while until they did the whole “we’re a couple” thing on a red carpet. And now all I can think about is how they’ll get married and have babies. It’s certainly beginning to look like that, right? Which comes first – an engagement ring or a pregnancy announcement? We know that Olivia thinks the sex is better with Jason than with her ex-husband, so she probably wants to lock that sh-t down.

Meanwhile, Olivia recently told a story about how young actresses dress for their auditions. I don’t really understand why this is shocking or breaking news or anything – here’s Olivia’s story:

“I was an assistant — a terrible assistant — for the world’s greatest casting director, a woman named Mali Finn, who was the most powerful casting director in Hollywood. I had just come from school, and I was a little feminist and she was too. I remember an actress coming in wearing a too-short dress. And after she left, Mali said, ‘Why was she wearing that dress? She’s a joke, I’m not meeting with her ever again.’ And this girl was never heard from again.

Then a few days later, I was going for an audition and I was wearing this huge cashmere turtleneck and pants, thinking I looked very ‘executive.’ As I was walking out of the office, Mali said, ‘Olivia, what are you wearing? I said I was going to a meeting, and she said, ‘Oh! You can’t wear that! You have to wear something tight and sexy.’

I was so confused, because I had just learned this lesson of this actress who wore the short skirt and now her career is over. So she said, ‘You’re going to meet a male executive. You have to learn this game, you have to learn when to use sexuality and beauty and appearance in general, and when it’s inappropriate. That was my first kind of dunk into the world of Hollywood. It gives you this idea of the contradiction that exists, really in all fields.”

[From Buzzfeed]

Call me a pragmatic cynic, but I feel like this is just the way Hollywood works? Male Hollywood executives often hire actresses based solely on the “Would you f—k her? Is she f—kable?” question, and actresses dress accordingly. But! There are a lot of female casting directors out there who (I believe, perhaps naively) are actually looking for the right actor or actress for the part. As for the idea that this kind of sexism exists in other industries… I don’t know. I’ve heard anecdotal evidence that many men don’t want to hire “the sexy girl” or “the girl who dresses provocatively” because… you know, they don’t want to hire a lawsuit waiting to happen. But don’t ask me… CB makes me wear low-cut blouses and call her “The Mistress”. SEXIST!

Photos courtesy of WENN.

These are some new photos of Britney Spears and Jason Trawick taking Sean Preston and Jayden James to go bowling on 1/30. Those boys are growing up fast, and I dread the day they end up Googling their mother and seeing all of the strange behavior that led up to her 5150 hold (way back in 2008) not to mention the shaved head, the umbrella attack, the pink wig, and the crotch-baring outings with Paris Hilton. Thankfully, Britney is mostly “together” these days other than the occasional report of her acting spacey in a nail salon. She remains heavily medicated but still managed to pull off a (financially) successful world tour and is now preparing to marry Jason and, hopefully, live happily ever after.

However, a lingering reminder of more troubled times threatened to come to a head when Britney’s ex-bodyguard, Fernando Flores, filed a lawsuit that stated that Britney sexually harassed him (from February – May 2010). Amongst his claims were allegations that Britney walked around naked in front of him, tried to beckon him for sex, took a bunch of drugs, and persisted in burping, farting, and picking her nose to the point of excess. Some of these claims were believeable (especially since Britney has flashed all her good in public on more than one occasion), but Fernando crossed the line by alleging that Britney also beat her sons, had sex in front of them, and fed them foods to which they were allergic. Fernando insisted that he suffered “psychological damage, anxiety attacks, depression and insomnia” and wanted to collect $10 million in damages for his troubles. In an interesting move, Britney has now settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount:

Britney Spears has settled a lawsuit filed by Fernando Flores, a bodyguard who worked for her for a very short time — a bodyguard who claimed Britney was a sex-crazed maniac who came on to him and flashed him.

Sources close to Britney say the lawsuit is total B.S. — he worked for her for about a minute.

Nonetheless … Britney decided to end the lawsuit after going before a private mediator … and it’s officially case closed.

As for whether Britney paid Flores any loot … no one is talking. The terms of the settlement are confidential.

[From TMZ]

Okay, so Britney settled this lawsuit, but that doesn’t mean she’s admitting to sexually harassing Flores while he worked as her bodyguard. The vast majority of lawsuits settle, and they do so for a variety of reasons. Yes, Britney may have flashed this guy and probably picked her nose and farted in front of him a lot. Did she insist that he have sex with her? No one besides Britney and Flores will ever know the answer to that question. However and if we assume that Britney did not do so, I will proffer the theory that she settled this suit because she doesn’t want to deal with the hassle of a trial.

Going to court would have meant that Britney would have to potentially relive those years where her behavior was truly erratic. This would be a painful experience for her, and I think she’s really ready to move on with life. Since her conservatorship will end when she marries Jason in the near future, I think Britney wants a fresh start, and settling this long-running lawsuit is a part of that desire (although Sam Lufti’s lawsuit is still pending and has had the effect of pushing back Britney’s wedding date). Hopefully, she didn’t pay the guy anywhere near the $10 million he was asking the court to hand award him.

Photos courtesy of WENN

This is a disturbing story. According to Star Magazine/Radar, Minka Kelly got a crew member fired on the set of the Charlie’s Angels reboot. A source tells Star that a crew member came up behind Minka, slapped her ass and held up a $100 bill. Minka was irate, as you could imagine, and she fumed for a day. When the dude tried to apologize the next day, Minka slapped him, and then I guess producers stepped in and the guy was fired…?

The reboot of iconic ’70s show Charlie’s Angels has been rocked by an incident of sexual harassment, Star magazine is exclusively reporting.

A crew member was fired from the Miami production after he inappropriately touched Minka Kelly, who plays street racer Angel Eve French on the show, which premieres this Thursday on ABC.

The staffer came up behind the 31-year-old actress and slapped her across the rear end while holding a $100 bill in his hand on August 23, an insider tells Star.

“It seems like it was meant to be a joke, but clearly it was inappropriate. Minka was shocked and absolutely irate,” the on-set source reveals. “She was still fuming about it hours later.”

When the crew member tried to apologize to Minka the next day, the ex-girlfriend of Yankees star Derek Jeter slapped him in the face. Television executives had him removed from the production the next day, Star has learned.

“The whole set was buzzing about the incident,” the source dishes. “It was quite a scandal. One day he was there, and the next he was gone.”

The axed worker — whom Star has declined to identify — confirmed there was an incident when contacted but refused to elaborate further, beyond insisting: “It was just a misunderstanding.”

Reps for Minka and the production company behind the remake of the show declined to comment on the scandal.

For the full story pick up the new issue of Star magazine — on newsstands now.

[From Radar]

A few things… one, why wasn’t the dude fired immediately after he slapped Minka’s ass and treated her like a hooker? Two, was the $100 bill a really tacky reference to Minka’s late mother, who was a stripper and presumably lived on tips? Three, I don’t like the idea of Minka slapping the dude when he was trying to apologize, but maybe she thought she had to fend for herself if the guy was still there after sexually harassing her. And four, God knows if this is really what went down.

Photos courtesy of Fame & WENN.

Jeremy Irons:“Who wants their ass groped?”

I don’t follow gossip about Jeremy Irons. I have great affection for him as an actor, but I don’t actively seek out information about his personal life. He’s been married to the actress Sinéad Cusack since 1978 and he seems like a pretty nice, eccentric, lovely Englishman. I might have to rethink my opinion of him after this article, though. It’s not just that Jeremy seems to be in the Dark Ages as far as his view of sexual harassment – it’s also the information about his history with women other than his wife. Jeremy is definitely “PRO” sexual harassment – but of course, Jeremy might be in a different place than most men – because if Jeremy Irons patted my ass, I would probably giggle, not slap him.

Any woman ‘worth her salt’ should be able to take a pat on the bottom with good humour, the actor Jeremy Irons has said in a controversial interview. The 62-year-old declared that such an advance is nothing more than a man indulging in friendly ‘communication’.

His views are sure to anger feminists and those who have campaigned for equality in the workplace but may find sympathy with those who believe political correctness holds too much sway in modern Britain.

Irons, who made his name as Charles Ryder in the 1981 television adaptation of Brideshead Revisited, said: ‘[Political correctness] has gone too far. There are too many people in power with too little to do, so they churn out laws to justify their jobs. I hope it’s a rash that will wear itself out.’

Interviewed in this week’s Radio Times, he went on: ‘Most people are robust. If a man puts his hand on a woman’s bottom, any woman worth her salt can deal with it. It is communication. Can’t we be friendly?’

Irons has been married to actress Sinead Cusack for 33 years. The couple, who have two grown-up sons, Sam, 32, and Max, 25, are reported to have an open relationship.

Last year, the actor was seen in what was described by observers as a ‘prolonged clinch’ with a pretty Broadway assistant stage manager less than half his age. Then there was a bizarre incident in which Spanish actress Loles León successfully sued a five-star Madrid hotel for £39,000 after she broke her wrist and pelvis falling down steps in the actor’s luxury suite.

She claimed she had gone to the suite so that she could tell friends she ‘had spent the night with Jeremy Irons’.

The actor has previously described his relationship with his wife as ‘dysfunctional’ and claimed that ‘part of our nature is to have as many partners as possible’.

He admitted: ‘Sinead and I have had difficult times. Every marriage does because people are impossible. I’m impossible, my wife’s impossible, life’s impossible.’

He also once said: ‘No marriage is what it seems. I will say that it is very difficult to be everything to one person.’

In this week’s interview he is more circumspect, saying: ‘I float ideas, which I shouldn’t. But why not stir the pot? Lack of privacy is faintly aggravating, particularly if you have a salacious private life, which I hope most people have. We only live once. We all like dirty secrets, don’t we? [But] I’ve never needed a super-injunction. They’re terribly expensive you know.’

Irons is currently starring as Pope Alexander VI in the 15th-century drama The Borgias on Sky.

[From The Mail]

So, Jeremy has an open marriage (or an understanding wife). And if he wants to be friendly to a woman, whether she’s a coworker, a waitress, a random on the street, he’s going to put his hands on her. At what point does it become less about “being friendly” and more about him being a handsy, dirty old man?

Photos courtesy of WENN.

In July of last year, we heard that an aspiring actress was suing David Boreanaz for sexual harassment stemming from a series of incidents after she met him on the set of Bones, where she had just filmed a bit part. This news came after Boreanaz had admitted cheating on his wife and was linked with at least two mistresses, some porn star/stripper and Rachel Uchitel.

The woman suing Boreanaz was repped by lawyer Gloria Allred, who has a history of representing mistresses who want to shake down wealthy and famous cheaters after they’re done with them. Only the details in this case sound more like typical harassment. According to the lawsuit, Boreanaz promised to help the “alleged” victim with her career in the fall of 2009, then proceeded to send her multiple text messages, including one of his d*ck. He allegedly offered to give her a ride somewhere, but then drove to a park, made advances that she fended off, and then masturbated when she made it clear she wasn’t interested. In another incident in his trailer, he tried to make a move on her and was again rebuffed. It sounds sketchy to me that she kept seeing him after he was so wildly inappropriate, to say the least, but she maintains that he promised to help her with her career and she believed him.

It looks like we may be hearing the last of this story, though, because the case has been dismissed after Boreanaz and the woman reached an undisclosed settlement. Maybe the creep learned his lesson and will keep it in his pants when it comes to sexually harassing would-be actresses on set. He’s surely still got a wandering dick, though, but it will be seeking out paid professionals and gold diggers in the future. Whether it will cost him less in the long run remains to be seen.

David with the victim in a handout photo from her lawyer:

David is shown int he header with his wife in April, 2010. Credit: WENN.com.

With his wife and son in October, 2009. They also have a daughter born in 2009.

An ex bodyguard of Britney Spears has filed a lawsuit for sexual harassment and emotional distress. Fernando Flores worked or Britney from February to May of this year and alleges that the 28 year-old pop singer repeatedly exposed herself to him along with abusing her two sons, which he supposedly witnessed. We’ve heard this from Flores before as he first spoke to the press in June, telling British paper The Sun that Britney often walked around naked and was seen hitting little Sean Preston with a belt. Britney was investigated by CPS and cleared after that claim.

Here are details from TMZ* Radar quotes a source who says that Flores “doesn’t want to settle this. He says he wants the lawsuit to go all the way.”

According to the suit, a copy of which TMZ has obtained, Fernando Flores claims Britney made “repeated unwanted sexual advances” toward him by exposing herself in front of him in her home.

Flores alleges, on one occasion — in a scene right out of “Legally Blonde” — “She was wearing a white lace, see-through dress. She walked over close by [Flores], intentionally dropped her cigarette lighter on the floor, bent over to retrieve it and thereby exposed her uncovered genitals to [Flores].” The lawsuit goes on, “The incident caused [Flores] shock and disgust.”

The suit then goes on to describe another alleged instance where Britney summoned Flores to her room, where she was standing naked. The suit claims, “After an awkward silence during which [Britney] just stood naked before [Flores], [Flores] asked Spears if she needed anything. After some hesitation, Spears asked [Flores] to get her two bottles of 7 Up.”

One time after allegedly exposing herself, the suit claims Britney said, “You know you liked it.”

And the suit says, “In addition to exposing herself to [Flores], Spears engaged in numerous sex acts in front of [Flores].” There’s also an allegation Britney was “loudly having sexual relations” in a hotel suite where her kids were present. The suit does not say if the kids saw anything.

And there is a more serious allegation — The suit claims on one occasion Britney allegedly demanded Flores’ belt, then walked in the house and allegedly twice “savagely hit the small child [Preston]” with the belt.

And the suit claims on another occasion Britney fed both kids crabmeat even though she knew they had serious fish allergies. The suit claims both kids started vomiting and Spears allegedly prevented anyone from seeking medical help, allegedly telling them, “Mind your own f**king business!”

Although it is not mentioned in the lawsuit, sources have told TMZ … Flores contacted the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services. And we’re told DCFS investigated and determined the claim had no merit.

[From TMZ]

It’s very easy to believe that Britney would proposition her bodyguard and walk around naked in front of the guy. This is her M.O. and we’ve seen her do it for the paparazzi for years. I hope that the boys were sleeping when she had sex in the hotel suite where they were all staying, that she never fed them crabmeat knowing they were allergic, and that she never hit Preston with a belt. I could see her hitting her boys with a belt though, as depressing as it is to think about someone treating a little kid like that. Britney is mentally ill and we’ve seen that she has poor parenting skills. Still, we have to consider this guy’s motivations and the fact that these are just allegations at this point. He’s not the first bodyguard to claim that Britney is an awful mother, though.

*It’s worth noting that there are two stories of potential child abuse, the belt and the food allergy incident, that TMZ and Radar report are in the lawsuit, but that don’t appear in the PDF of the lawsuit on TMZ. Radar has those allegations in the PDF of the lawsuit they posted. It looks like the two sites have different versions of the same lawsuit, with some pages missing from TMZ’s.

Photos are from 8/18/10. Credit: Fame Pictures

For the first sexual harassment lawsuit against Casey Affleck, filed by a woman who claims to be an uncredited producer on the Joaquin Phoenix documentary, I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and consider that it could be a case of professional differences. The woman claimed that Affleck failed to pay her the $50,000 fee they verbally agreed on, and it’s possible the sexual harassment allegations were thrown in there for leverage. There were also stipulations that the lawsuit was filed for publicity ahead of the film. After all, the whole construct of the “documentary” (Hollywood star goes crazy and embarks on an ill advised rap career) seemed like a put on. Given how well Joaquin has since “recovered,” it’s up to question whether his breakdown was legitimate or some kind of stupid social experiment, especially considering that a film was made out of it.

Now another lawsuit has been filed against Casey by a female collaborator on the film who also claims to have been accosted for sex, subjected to verbal abuse and ultimately gone without pay. The whole scenario sounds just like the last woman alleged in her lawsuit and like a pattern of disgusting behavior by Casey. Here’s more, including the allegation that Casey crawled drunk into bed with her. She left the project the next day, only to return when another woman was hired and to be subjected to the same ongoing harassment (allegedly):

According to the new Gorka lawsuit, when production on “I’m Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix” began in New York in mid-December, she was the only woman on the team. Phoenix and Affleck, who is married to Phoenix’s sister, decided that the crew would stay at Phoenix’s apartment instead of at a hotel. Phoenix allegedly told Gorka she could sleep in his bedroom and he would sleep on the couch.

“During the middle of the night, [Gorka] awoke to find Affleck lying in the bed next to her,” the lawsuit alleges. “Unbeknownst to [Gorka], Affleck had entered the bedroom while she was asleep and crawled into the bed. When she woke up, Affleck was curled up next to her in the bed wearing only his underwear and a t-shirt. He had his arm around her, was caressing her back, his face was within inches of hers and his breath reeked of alcohol.”

Gorka says she was shocked because she didn’t know how long Affleck had been there or where she had been touched. She says she immediately told him to get out of bed. “Affleck responded by asking ‘Why?,’” according to the lawsuit. “[Gorka] said ‘because you are married and because you are my boss.’ Affleck, undeterred, asked if [Gorka] ‘was sure.’ [Gorka] said she was sure and insisted that he leave the room. He left and slammed the door in anger.”

According to the complaint, Gorka confronted Affleck the morning after the incident, then got on a plane for Los Angeles, consulted with her agent and left the project. Unable to find work, however, she says she returned several weeks later once a female producer, White, had joined the project and assured her she would be present.

But the lawsuit says the abuse continued. “[Gorka] was berated and verbally attacked by Affleck after she refused his sexual advances in New York, and was criticized constantly for refusing to be submissive in response to his rants and derisive comments,” the complaint says.

Gorka says she ultimately left the project again, after which Affleck allegedly refused to honor their oral agreement that she would be paid a $300 per-day fee and a deferred $700-a-day fee when the film sold to a distributor (Magnolia bought the film in July and plans to release it in the fall). She says she’s also been stripped of her “director of photography” credit…

Reached for comment, Gorka attorney Brian Procel says the decision to file the lawsuit was not easy for his client.

“In her 16 years of working in the entertainment industry she has never accused anyone of sexual harassment,” Procel says. “Ms. Gorka knows there will be repercussions, and that she will be exposed to attacks mounted by Affleck’s high-paid publicists and ‘bulldog’ attorneys. She ultimately decided that the truth needs to come out. We look forward to our day in court.”

The Gorka complaint alleges causes of action for intentional infliction of emotional distress, constructive discharge in violation of public policy, breach of oral contract, negligent infliction of emotional distress, unjust enrichment and negligence.

Gorka is represented by Procel, Skip Miller and Mira Hashmall at L.A.’s Miller Barondess firm, which also represents White. Defendants are Affleck and Flemmy Prods.

[From The Hollywood Reporter]

I like how the lawyer explains that his client will be similarly attacked by Casey’s people and that she filed the lawsuit despite that. It all sounds so seedy and typical, and while I don’t know much about Casey I never had the impression he was like that. I wonder what he’s telling his wife and if he’s trying to portray it as a case of sour grapes. For the first incident that might be believable, but now that another co-worker is suing him it’s not looking good.

When I first heard about the masseuse accusing former Vice President Al Gore of sexually attacking her, I was skeptical. The incident supposedly occurred at a hotel in Portland in 2006. The alleged victim did report the incident to police after it occurred, but then canceled several follow-up interviews, eventually granting an interview to police in early 2009. I listened to the tapes available online of her statements to police and she goes into exhausting detail about everything except for the alleged attack. (You can read more on my thoughts on that case here.) Reports had her asking $1 million to sell her story to a tabloid. She eventually came forward to The National Enquirer, which claims it never paid her.

Anyway police in Portland have re-opened the case now that it’s received media attention and are said to have questioned Gore. It’s a good thing because The National Enquirer claimed this week to have evidence that two more massage therapists were accosted for sex by Gore during what should have been legitimate non-sexual massages in 2007 and 2008. (Their details convinced me and I’ll include them in a moment.) If that’s true, I hope that other women come forward to help with the case. Here’s more from People.com:

Al Gore was reportedly questioned last week by Portland police about a massage therapist’s claims he sexually abused her in 2006.

The former vice president, 62, who has emphatically denied the allegations, sat down Thursday with detectives in San Francisco, Portland TV station KATU reports.

A spokesperson for Gore declined to comment.

Therapist Molly Hagerty alleges Gore demanded sexual favors and made “unwanted sexual contact” with her during a massage in his Portland, Ore., hotel room four years ago.

Officials said they were reopening the investigation after detectives looking into the alleged incident this past year failed to notify high-ranking officials that they were dropping the case.

Gore and his wife Tipper, 61, split in June after 40 years of marriage. Tipper does not believe Haggerty’s allegations, says a friend, who adds that “they played no role whatsoever in their decision to separate.”

[From People]

As for those other claims, the Enquirer laid out how they’d tried to verify the reports and I was persuaded. (Remember, we have to give them props for exposing John Edwards, although that doesn’t mean that this story is necessarily true or that there aren’t political motivations behind it.) Here’s part of the report from their print edition:

Police have investigated charges from two more women who claimed they were abused by the former vice president, The Enquirer has learned exclusively…

The first incident allegedly took place at a Beverly Hills luxury hotel when Gore, 62, was in Hollywood to attend the Oscars… in 2007…

The second reportedly occurred a year later at a hotel in Tokyo.

In the first incident, a source at the hotel told the Enquirer: “Al Gore booked a massage with a female therapist at the rooftop spa of the hotel.

“The therapist claimed that when they were alone, Gore shrugged off a towel and stood naked in front of her. He pointed at his erect penis and ordered her, ‘Take care of this.’

“The shocked woman ran out of the room and reported Gore’s behavior to the spa manager. He was ordered to leave the spa and not come back.

“Hotel management hushed up the incident. Staff were ordered not to talk about it.”

Contacted by The Enquirer, a former executive at the hotel confirmed “Yes, something happened between Al Gore and a massage therapist at the hotel.

“The woman claimed he exposed himself to her and demanded sex. Everyone was warned that if they talked about it, they’d be fired.”

The Enquirer tracked the masseuse, who is in her 30s, to San Francisco, where she now lives.

When asked about the purported incident, the woman – who still works as a licensed massage therapist – did not deny the allegations and instead wanted to know “who told” the Enquirer…

In a second sensational incident, Gore has been accused of sexually abusing a masseuse in Japan on Nov. 18, 2008, The Enquirer has learned…

“According to the woman, Gore had been ‘sexually inappropriate’ with her when she began to massage him.

“She complained to the hotel staff and told them she was going to the police. However, hotel staff managed to convince her not to.

“The alleged incident soon became known among some Tokyo journalists.”

The Enquirer has confirmed that Gore did speak at Keio University on the date in question.

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, August 2, 2010]

It sounds like The Enquirer got much more confirmation on the first alleged incident than on the one in Japan. Either way, this is looking like much more of a pattern of abuse from Gore and less like a money grab by a single masseuse. Unless there’s a “blue dress” and more women willing to speak on the record, this case may not be able to move forward. Gore has not yet been charged with anything, although that could change.

Al Gore is shown on 11/24/09. Credit: WENN.com

Casey Affleck has been sued for sexual harassment by a female producer named Amanda White, who worked on Casey’s documentary, I’m Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix. White claims that Casey habitually demeaned her, spoke in graphic detail about sex, said and texted rude things and invited her to spend the night with him in a hotel, and after she refused, he got aggressive and grabby, and then he didn’t pay her. Casey is married to Joaquin’s sister, Summer, and they have two sons together, Indiana (who is six years old) and Atticus (who will be three years old in November).

Maybe Casey Affleck is looking to quit acting for a while, too. One of the producers on the “Joaquin Phoenix tries hip-hop” documentary the actor’s been working on has sued Affleck for $2 million, claiming he refused to pay her after she refused to spend the night in a hotel with him.

Affleck—who denies all—is married to Phoenix’s little sister, Summer, and they have two sons.

In the lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Amanda White alleges that she endured “uninvited and unwelcome sexual advances in the workplace” throughout the making of I’m Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix, which, incidentally, just recently found a distributor.

“Affleck repeatedly referred to women as ‘cows’; he discussed his sexual exploits and those of other celebrities that he allegedly witnessed; and asked [White], after learning her age, ‘Isn’t it about time you get pregnant?’” the suit states.

White also claims that, while shooting in Costa Rica, she was unable to go to her hotel room one night because Phoenix and Affleck were in there with two women. While filming at the Palazzo in Las Vegas, White continues, Affleck hired prostitutes to be on set, but none of that footage ended up in the movie. She believes that Affleck employed the hookers “for his personal gratification,” subjecting her and cinematographer Magdalena Gorka to the scene “for reasons having nothing to do with the purpose of the project.”

Finally, White claims, when the production moved to San Francisco, Affleck tried to get her to share a hotel room with him. When she refused, the suit states, he “became hostile and aggressive” and “violently grabbed her arm in an effort to intimidate her into staying.” After being slighted, he sent her “abusive” text messages.

Ultimately, Affleck refused to give White the $50,000 they had agreed on for her work on the film and, after she repeatedly complained and got nothing, she quit.

In response to the suit, attorney Michael J. Plonsker said in a statement to E! News on behalf of Affleck and codefendant Flemmy Productions that White’s claims are “preposterous and without merit.”

“Ms. White was terminated from the production over a year ago,” Plonsker said. “She and her lawyers believe that this maliciously and erroneously filed complaint will cause the producers to succumb to her outrageous and baseless demands. She is mistaken. The complaint will be vigorously defended and cross-claims will be filed against her.”

White is asking for at least $2 million in damages to cover sexual harassment, retaliation, failure to prevent harassment/retaliation, constructive discharge in violation of public policy, breach of oral contract, unjust enrichment, and negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

[From E! News]

It’s so oddly specific, I tend to think there might be something there. Plus, I’ve always believed Casey is a strange dude, and maybe this answers some questions? Of course we don’t know who is telling the truth, and it’s a bold move for Casey to counter-sue, especially if White does have any proof of her allegations. Maybe we can find a way to blame Joaquin and his f-cked up performance art.

Header: Casey on January 30, 2008. Credit: WENN.