#FASHIONFAB: Versace unveils its spring-summer 2026 campaign.
Versace has rarely been interested in restraint, and for spring-summer 2026, the Italian house goes further than usual to prove it. Photographer Steven Meisel captures the new campaign from above, collapsing a cast of sixteen models into a single collective.
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The campaign’s overhead angle is a choice that strips away any pretense of a conventional fashion advertisement, turning the frame into something closer to a living mosaic. Styled by Spencer Singer, the imagery draws from a vast archive: Western embroidery at full intensity, gold metallics borrowed from 1970s glam, and primary brights so saturated they practically vibrate.
What makes the campaign land is the way the format removes hierarchy entirely. There is no singular Versace man here, no single silhouette being sold as the correct one. The Western dandy in his embroidered vest and chrome yellow shirt occupies the same frame as the suited romantic, and neither is asked to give ground.
Fashion has always understood that proximity is its own power, and this season’s composition sells belonging as convincingly as any jacket or bag in the frame.
The casting, including models Anthony Foster, Aymen Rezgui, Cai Yuyang, Francesco Fadda, Ruben Aiello, Santiago Rivata, and Souleymane Sacko, holds up under the close scrutiny the format demands. Versace is not dressing men who are still working out their point of view. It is dressing men who already know.
Versace has rarely been interested in restraint, and for spring-summer 2026, the Italian house goes further than usual to prove it. Photographer Steven Meisel captures the new campaign from above, collapsing a cast of sixteen models into a single collective.
The campaign’s overhead angle is a choice that strips away any pretense of a conventional fashion advertisement, turning the frame into something closer to a living mosaic. Styled by Spencer Singer, the imagery draws from a vast archive: Western embroidery at full intensity, gold metallics borrowed from 1970s glam, and primary brights so saturated they practically vibrate.
What makes the campaign land is the way the format removes hierarchy entirely. There is no singular Versace man here, no single silhouette being sold as the correct one. The Western dandy in his embroidered vest and chrome yellow shirt occupies the same frame as the suited romantic, and neither is asked to give ground.
The casting, including models Anthony Foster, Aymen Rezgui, Cai Yuyang, Francesco Fadda, Ruben Aiello, Santiago Rivata, and Souleymane Sacko, holds up under the close scrutiny the format demands. Versace is not dressing men who are still working out their point of view. It is dressing men who already know.
#RHOA: Kandi Burruss Ordered to Pay $140K to Ex-Landlord
A court ruling tied to a restaurant venture associated with The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Kandi Burruss is drawing renewed attention to a legal dispute over a business she once operated with her estranged husband, Todd Tucker.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, a judge has ordered the company associated with their restaurant to pay more than $140,000 to a former landlord after determining the parties had previously agreed to settle the matter.
The dispute centers on Blaze Steak & Seafood, a restaurant previously operated by Burruss and Tucker through their company, Burruss Tucker Restaurant Group.
Legal filings show the company reached a settlement with the landlord to resolve claims arising from a lease agreement, including unpaid rent and remediation costs for the property. The court ultimately enforced that agreement, ordering the business to pay $140,509.10.
The case had been active in court for more than a year. The landlord initially alleged that the company owed more than $200,000 in back rent and property-related expenses associated with the restaurant space. However, the settlement agreement reduced the amount owed and resolved the dispute without further litigation.
According to the court filings, Burruss and Tucker’s company denied wrongdoing as the case unfolded and filed counterclaims related to the lease arrangement. The judge later determined that the settlement agreement between the parties was valid and enforceable. Under the ruling, the company must pay the agreed amount while the remaining claims on both sides are dismissed.
The legal development arrives during a period of personal change for Burruss, who recently confirmed that she and Tucker are ending their marriage after more than a decade together. The couple first met in 2011 while Tucker was working behind the scenes on RHOA, eventually marrying in 2014 and building several business ventures together along the way.
During their relationship, Burruss and Tucker collaborated on multiple projects, including restaurants and television productions tied to their entrepreneurial efforts. Blaze Steak & Seafood was among the ventures launched during that period as the pair expanded their presence in Atlanta’s hospitality space.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, a judge has ordered the company associated with their restaurant to pay more than $140,000 to a former landlord after determining the parties had previously agreed to settle the matter.
The dispute centers on Blaze Steak & Seafood, a restaurant previously operated by Burruss and Tucker through their company, Burruss Tucker Restaurant Group.
Legal filings show the company reached a settlement with the landlord to resolve claims arising from a lease agreement, including unpaid rent and remediation costs for the property. The court ultimately enforced that agreement, ordering the business to pay $140,509.10.
The case had been active in court for more than a year. The landlord initially alleged that the company owed more than $200,000 in back rent and property-related expenses associated with the restaurant space. However, the settlement agreement reduced the amount owed and resolved the dispute without further litigation.
According to the court filings, Burruss and Tucker’s company denied wrongdoing as the case unfolded and filed counterclaims related to the lease arrangement. The judge later determined that the settlement agreement between the parties was valid and enforceable. Under the ruling, the company must pay the agreed amount while the remaining claims on both sides are dismissed.
The legal development arrives during a period of personal change for Burruss, who recently confirmed that she and Tucker are ending their marriage after more than a decade together. The couple first met in 2011 while Tucker was working behind the scenes on RHOA, eventually marrying in 2014 and building several business ventures together along the way.
During their relationship, Burruss and Tucker collaborated on multiple projects, including restaurants and television productions tied to their entrepreneurial efforts. Blaze Steak & Seafood was among the ventures launched during that period as the pair expanded their presence in Atlanta’s hospitality space.
#MusicNews: Essence Festival 2026 Lineup Announced: Brandy, Monica, Kehlani and More
Essence has announced its 2026 Essence Festival of Culture will return to New Orleans from July 3 through July 5 at the Caesars Superdome.
In celebration of Women’s History Month, the company has also revealed the first wave of performers. R&B queens Brandy and Monica, who wrapped up their The Boy Is Mine Tour last fall, will bring their respective timeless catalogs to the main stage.
The star-studded lineup also includes the legendary Patti LaBelle, R&B sensation Kehlani and rap acts Cardi B and Latto.
According to Essence, more performers and special guests will be announced in “a series of curated reveals that lead up to all the Festival fun in July.”
Three-day weekend ticket packages are available via Ticketmaster.
As noted above, Brandy and Monica joined forces in 2025 for their first co-headlining tour named after their iconic hit. The tour featured support from Kelly Rowland, Coco Jones, Muni Long and Jamal Roberts, as well as special guests Mýa and Keyshia Cole.
The Boy Is Mine Tour is nominated for R&B Tour of the Year at the 2026 Pollstar Awards. LaBelle is also nominated in the same category for co-headlining The Queens! 4 Legends. 1 Stage. with Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan and Stephanie Mills.
As for Kehlani, the singer is gearing up to release her highly anticipated fifth album this spring. The project will include her Grammy-winning hit “Folded” and “Out The Window.”
Meanwhile, Cardi B is on her Little Miss Drama Tour supporting her second album, Am I The Drama? Latto’s last album, Sugar Honey Iced Tea, was released in 2024. Since then, she’s collaborated with artists such as Summer Walker and 21 Savage.
Essence has announced its 2026 Essence Festival of Culture will return to New Orleans from July 3 through July 5 at the Caesars Superdome.
In celebration of Women’s History Month, the company has also revealed the first wave of performers. R&B queens Brandy and Monica, who wrapped up their The Boy Is Mine Tour last fall, will bring their respective timeless catalogs to the main stage.
The star-studded lineup also includes the legendary Patti LaBelle, R&B sensation Kehlani and rap acts Cardi B and Latto.
According to Essence, more performers and special guests will be announced in “a series of curated reveals that lead up to all the Festival fun in July.”
Three-day weekend ticket packages are available via Ticketmaster.
As noted above, Brandy and Monica joined forces in 2025 for their first co-headlining tour named after their iconic hit. The tour featured support from Kelly Rowland, Coco Jones, Muni Long and Jamal Roberts, as well as special guests Mýa and Keyshia Cole.
The Boy Is Mine Tour is nominated for R&B Tour of the Year at the 2026 Pollstar Awards. LaBelle is also nominated in the same category for co-headlining The Queens! 4 Legends. 1 Stage. with Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan and Stephanie Mills.
As for Kehlani, the singer is gearing up to release her highly anticipated fifth album this spring. The project will include her Grammy-winning hit “Folded” and “Out The Window.”
Meanwhile, Cardi B is on her Little Miss Drama Tour supporting her second album, Am I The Drama? Latto’s last album, Sugar Honey Iced Tea, was released in 2024. Since then, she’s collaborated with artists such as Summer Walker and 21 Savage.
Gunplay Speaks on Frustrations With Rick Ross: “Nobody’s giving me a budget”
Miami rapper Gunplay is reflecting on the challenges he says slowed his music career, sharing his perspective during a recent appearance on the I Say That 2 Say This Podcast.
During the conversation, the rapper discussed his early connection to Rick Ross and the group that helped shape Ross’ rise in hip-hop. Gunplay described himself as one of the original figures around the movement, but said the level of support he witnessed during Ross’s success did not extend to his own projects.
“When it was Ross’s turn, everybody was a group effort,” Gunplay said. “When it was Gunplay’s turn, it was crickets.”
Gunplay also spoke about records he believes gained strong traction with listeners despite receiving little promotional backing from the label. He cited tracks such as “Bible on the Dash” and “Yams” as examples of songs that resonated in the streets but lacked the resources for wider commercial exposure.
“I got hit records. Nobody’s giving me a budget. Nobody’s doing nothing,” Gunplay said. “So what you want me to possibly do?”
The rapper said the situation often felt confusing because responsibility for advancing his career seemed to shift between him and Def Jam executives.
“They’ll play ping pong,” he said. “Ross says it’s on Def Jam. Then Def Jam says it’s on fat boy.”
According to Gunplay, the lack of clear support left him stuck without the backing needed to build momentum, a position he says created serious financial pressure during that period of his career.
During the conversation, the rapper discussed his early connection to Rick Ross and the group that helped shape Ross’ rise in hip-hop. Gunplay described himself as one of the original figures around the movement, but said the level of support he witnessed during Ross’s success did not extend to his own projects.
“When it was Ross’s turn, everybody was a group effort,” Gunplay said. “When it was Gunplay’s turn, it was crickets.”
Gunplay also spoke about records he believes gained strong traction with listeners despite receiving little promotional backing from the label. He cited tracks such as “Bible on the Dash” and “Yams” as examples of songs that resonated in the streets but lacked the resources for wider commercial exposure.
“I got hit records. Nobody’s giving me a budget. Nobody’s doing nothing,” Gunplay said. “So what you want me to possibly do?”
The rapper said the situation often felt confusing because responsibility for advancing his career seemed to shift between him and Def Jam executives.
“They’ll play ping pong,” he said. “Ross says it’s on Def Jam. Then Def Jam says it’s on fat boy.”
According to Gunplay, the lack of clear support left him stuck without the backing needed to build momentum, a position he says created serious financial pressure during that period of his career.
President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama Will Co-Produce Proof On Broadway
The Obamas are coming to Broadway! President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama will make their Broadway debuts by co-producing the upcoming revival of David Auburn's Proof, under their production banner Higher Ground. They join a previously announced producing team that includes Mike Bosner and director Thomas Kail.
Kail is directing the revival of the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning play, which will begin a strictly limited 16-week engagement at the Booth Theatre March 31 ahead of an April 16 opening night. Ayo Edebiri, Don Cheadle, Samira Wiley, and Jin Ha are starring.
Proof tells the story of the daughter of a recently deceased mathematician who must fight to prove the authorship of a landmark proof that is discovered among her father's papers, while also dealing with her father's legacy of genius and mental illness.
The Obamas are coming to Broadway! President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama will make their Broadway debuts by co-producing the upcoming revival of David Auburn's Proof, under their production banner Higher Ground. They join a previously announced producing team that includes Mike Bosner and director Thomas Kail.
Kail is directing the revival of the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning play, which will begin a strictly limited 16-week engagement at the Booth Theatre March 31 ahead of an April 16 opening night. Ayo Edebiri, Don Cheadle, Samira Wiley, and Jin Ha are starring.
Proof tells the story of the daughter of a recently deceased mathematician who must fight to prove the authorship of a landmark proof that is discovered among her father's papers, while also dealing with her father's legacy of genius and mental illness.
The production will serve as an expansion for Higher Ground, which has previously focused on film, television, and podcast projects. The group has earned three Academy Award nominations and won for American Factory, and has also won six Emmys and two Grammys. Titles include Leave the World Behind, Crip Camp, Rustin, American Symphony, IMO With Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson, Talk Easy With Sam Fragoso, The Wonder of Stevie, and Fela Kuti: Fear No Man.
Proof premiered Off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club in 2000, selling out its initial run before transferring to Broadway, where it won three Tony Awards, including Best Play. Proof closed January 5, 2003, after 917 performances at the Walter Kerr Theatre, setting the venue record for a play. In 2001, Proof received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In 2005, Proof was adapted into a feature film starring Anthony Hopkins and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Kail's creative team includes composer Kris Bowers, scenic designer Teresa L. Williams, costume designer Dede Ayite, lighting designer Amanda Zieve, sound designers Justin Ellington and Connor Wang, hair and wig designer Mia Neal, casting director Daniel Swee, and production stage manager Sara Gammage. Baseline Theatrical serves as general manager for the production.
Janice Dickinson reveals dark side of her role on America's Next Top Model. Says they were 'Begging me to be harsher'
America's Next Top Model has been thrown back into the spotlight, and former stars of the show are speaking out.
Janice Dickinson, who viewers can agree was quite a polarising member of the cast, has spoken out about her time on the show in the new E! Series Dirty Rotten Scandals.
The 71-year-old former model claimed Tyra Banks was pushing her to be "harsher" during judging of the girls' photos from their shoots.
Want the official inside scoop on MAFS, unfiltered and unseen? Watch After The Dinner Party here
Janice Dickinson has reflected on her time working alongside Tyra Banks on America's Next Top Model. (Getty)
"The producers on America's Next Top Model, especially Tyra, were begging me to be harsher and cruel, like Simon Cowell was on American Idol," Dickinson claimed during a recent episode of the series.
At the time, Cowell was a judge on American Idol and his snarky and at times brutal responses were ratings gold for the series.
The process of ANTM was a similar format to Idol, with the girls competing to win a modelling contract, rather than a record deal – thus the drive to have a similar appeal for success in ratings.
Primary Wave Partners With Kool & The Gang’s Robert ‘Kool’ Bell
Janice Dickinson, who viewers can agree was quite a polarising member of the cast, has spoken out about her time on the show in the new E! Series Dirty Rotten Scandals.
The 71-year-old former model claimed Tyra Banks was pushing her to be "harsher" during judging of the girls' photos from their shoots.
Want the official inside scoop on MAFS, unfiltered and unseen? Watch After The Dinner Party here
Janice Dickinson has reflected on her time working alongside Tyra Banks on America's Next Top Model. (Getty)
"The producers on America's Next Top Model, especially Tyra, were begging me to be harsher and cruel, like Simon Cowell was on American Idol," Dickinson claimed during a recent episode of the series.
At the time, Cowell was a judge on American Idol and his snarky and at times brutal responses were ratings gold for the series.
The process of ANTM was a similar format to Idol, with the girls competing to win a modelling contract, rather than a record deal – thus the drive to have a similar appeal for success in ratings.
Primary Wave Partners With Kool & The Gang’s Robert ‘Kool’ Bell
Independent publisher Primary Wave Music announced a new partnership with Robert “Kool” Bell, the musician, singer, songwriter, and founding member of the legendary R&B group Kool & The Gang.
The partnership will see Bell partner with Primary Wave for his legendary catalog of music and recordings, as well as develop new opportunities for his name, image, and likeness. Through the partnership, Primary Wave will also provide Kool with access to its marketing team and publishing infrastructure, including digital strategy, licensing, synch opportunities, and film & TV production.
Along with leading the band, Bell was one of Kool & The Gang’s principal songwriters with a catalog of hits that includes “Hollywood Swinging,” which was their first #1 on the R&B charts; “Jungle Boogie,” which was ranked as the #12 song for 1974 by Billboard; “Cherish,” which was the biggest Adult Contemporary chart hit of the ’80s; and the #1 hit “Ladies’ Night,” among others.
“I’m extremely excited about my new partnership with Primary Wave, not only because they understand my vision, but because they are very accessible—just a phone call away,” said Robert “Kool” Bell. He continued, “Together we are going to ride a Kool Wave as we get things fixed and stay fit in 2026!”
Mohamed Moretta, Managing Partner of Kool Moretta Media, added, “We’ve developed multiple brands on our own, such as The Just Kool Party, Le Kool Champagne, and Kool King Coconut Water. Our partnership with Primary Wave will take these projects, as well as our upcoming Be Kool Musical, to another level.”
The partnership will see Bell partner with Primary Wave for his legendary catalog of music and recordings, as well as develop new opportunities for his name, image, and likeness. Through the partnership, Primary Wave will also provide Kool with access to its marketing team and publishing infrastructure, including digital strategy, licensing, synch opportunities, and film & TV production.
Along with leading the band, Bell was one of Kool & The Gang’s principal songwriters with a catalog of hits that includes “Hollywood Swinging,” which was their first #1 on the R&B charts; “Jungle Boogie,” which was ranked as the #12 song for 1974 by Billboard; “Cherish,” which was the biggest Adult Contemporary chart hit of the ’80s; and the #1 hit “Ladies’ Night,” among others.
“I’m extremely excited about my new partnership with Primary Wave, not only because they understand my vision, but because they are very accessible—just a phone call away,” said Robert “Kool” Bell. He continued, “Together we are going to ride a Kool Wave as we get things fixed and stay fit in 2026!”
Mohamed Moretta, Managing Partner of Kool Moretta Media, added, “We’ve developed multiple brands on our own, such as The Just Kool Party, Le Kool Champagne, and Kool King Coconut Water. Our partnership with Primary Wave will take these projects, as well as our upcoming Be Kool Musical, to another level.”
Egypt Criss Seems To Respond To Treach, Breaks Her Silence After Brutal KO Loss
Egypt Criss responds to father Treach and other critics after her knockout loss and promises she is far from finished.
First of all, I am glad she is ok. Safe and encouraged.
Egypt Criss is not hiding after that tough knockout loss, she is stepping right back into the spotlight with something to prove. The daughter of Hip-Hop royalty from Naughty By Nature and Salt-N-Pepa took to social media to address fans, critics and anyone questioning her decision to step into the boxing ring after her difficult debut.
If you saw the fight, you already know it ended in dramatic fashion. The second-round stoppage against Olympic-level striker Jade Jones had people talking, debating and in some cases pointing fingers. But Egypt made it clear she is not here for excuses or blame games.
She seemed to address her father, Treach, who blasted her husband. He and some other critics suggested she was improperly guided in the fight. Egypt shut that down quickly and took full ownership of the outcome.
“First of all, I’m a grown woman that makes my own decisions. No one no one directs me. No one brainwashes me. No one does anything that makes me no one makes me do anything I don’t want to do.”
She also defended her team and even praised the sportsmanship between her and Jones after the fight. I am not sure what role her man took in the fight, but he was there in the video training for something himself
“So regardless, I’m happy that I did. I’m so proud of myself and no one’s going to take nothing away from me cuz I’m just going to come in even hotter and ready.”
Instead, she spoke directly to supporters.
“That’s right. That’s right. I just wanted to let y’all know, thank you to all my true supporters out there that really, you know, checked on me, wanted to make sure I was good. Your girl’s always great. This just fueled me 15 times more to come back even harder cuz you already know this ain’t it for me.”
She made it clear that simply stepping into the ring was a personal victory.
“I got in there, got my feet wet, I went out on my shield, and that’s all that really matters. Y’all can’t say I don’t got heart.”
Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that Egypt is not walking away from boxing. If anything, she sounds more motivated.
“Nothing got me discouraged. It just got me fueled.”
Whether she returns to the ring soon or takes more time to develop remains to be seen. One thing is clear though. Egypt Criss is not letting one loss define her story.
First of all, I am glad she is ok. Safe and encouraged.
Egypt Criss is not hiding after that tough knockout loss, she is stepping right back into the spotlight with something to prove. The daughter of Hip-Hop royalty from Naughty By Nature and Salt-N-Pepa took to social media to address fans, critics and anyone questioning her decision to step into the boxing ring after her difficult debut.
If you saw the fight, you already know it ended in dramatic fashion. The second-round stoppage against Olympic-level striker Jade Jones had people talking, debating and in some cases pointing fingers. But Egypt made it clear she is not here for excuses or blame games.
She seemed to address her father, Treach, who blasted her husband. He and some other critics suggested she was improperly guided in the fight. Egypt shut that down quickly and took full ownership of the outcome.
“First of all, I’m a grown woman that makes my own decisions. No one no one directs me. No one brainwashes me. No one does anything that makes me no one makes me do anything I don’t want to do.”
She also defended her team and even praised the sportsmanship between her and Jones after the fight. I am not sure what role her man took in the fight, but he was there in the video training for something himself
“So regardless, I’m happy that I did. I’m so proud of myself and no one’s going to take nothing away from me cuz I’m just going to come in even hotter and ready.”
Instead, she spoke directly to supporters.
“That’s right. That’s right. I just wanted to let y’all know, thank you to all my true supporters out there that really, you know, checked on me, wanted to make sure I was good. Your girl’s always great. This just fueled me 15 times more to come back even harder cuz you already know this ain’t it for me.”
She made it clear that simply stepping into the ring was a personal victory.
“I got in there, got my feet wet, I went out on my shield, and that’s all that really matters. Y’all can’t say I don’t got heart.”
Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that Egypt is not walking away from boxing. If anything, she sounds more motivated.
“Nothing got me discouraged. It just got me fueled.”
Whether she returns to the ring soon or takes more time to develop remains to be seen. One thing is clear though. Egypt Criss is not letting one loss define her story.
#RIPLordSear, Veteran DJ And Radio Personality, Dead At 53
Veteran DJ and radio personality Lord Sear, a core member of the iconic Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show, has passed away at 53. A cause of death has not been revealed at this time.
News of Sear’s death was announced on Wednesday afternoon (March 11) in a post on Shade 45‘s official X account.
“WE ARE SAD TO REPORT THAT OUR DEAR FRIEND AND HOST, LORD SEAR HAS PASSED AWAY,” read a statement shared by the station, which Sear worked with dating back to its launch in 2004.
“SEAR WAS MORE THAN A VOICE ON THE RADIO – HE WAS A FORCE, A FRIEND, AND FAMILY TO SO MANY OF US! ”
A New York native, Lord Sear, born Steve Watson, built a reputation as one of hip-hop radio’s most distinctive voices throughout his decades-long career. He gained early recognition as the touring DJ for rapper Kurious before becoming a core member of the groundbreaking Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show on WKCR.
Sear first appeared on the influential college radio program during the early 1990s, helping with beatboxing and bringing guests to the studio before eventually becoming an official co-host. The show famously helped introduce future hip-hop icons including Jay-Z, Nas, and Wu-Tang Clan.
Beyond radio, Sear contributed to albums by Beastie Boys, Big Pun, MF DOOM, The X-Ecutioners, Statik Selektah, and more.
He released the 12-inch singles “Alcoholic Vibes / My Hindu Love” in 1997 and “Hello! (The Wake Up Call)” in 2000, and provided voice work for the landmark video games Grand Theft Auto III (2001) and Grand Theft Auto IV (2008).
During the 2000s, Sear expanded his presence on satellite radio as co-host of The All Out Show alongside Rude Jude on Shade 45, the hip-hop channel founded by Eminem on SiriusXM.
At the time of his death, he remained an active voice on the platform as host of The Lord Sear Special, continuing to champion hip-hop music and culture for listeners worldwide.
Veteran DJ and radio personality Lord Sear, a core member of the iconic Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show, has passed away at 53. A cause of death has not been revealed at this time.
News of Sear’s death was announced on Wednesday afternoon (March 11) in a post on Shade 45‘s official X account.
“WE ARE SAD TO REPORT THAT OUR DEAR FRIEND AND HOST, LORD SEAR HAS PASSED AWAY,” read a statement shared by the station, which Sear worked with dating back to its launch in 2004.
“SEAR WAS MORE THAN A VOICE ON THE RADIO – HE WAS A FORCE, A FRIEND, AND FAMILY TO SO MANY OF US! ”
A New York native, Lord Sear, born Steve Watson, built a reputation as one of hip-hop radio’s most distinctive voices throughout his decades-long career. He gained early recognition as the touring DJ for rapper Kurious before becoming a core member of the groundbreaking Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show on WKCR.
Sear first appeared on the influential college radio program during the early 1990s, helping with beatboxing and bringing guests to the studio before eventually becoming an official co-host. The show famously helped introduce future hip-hop icons including Jay-Z, Nas, and Wu-Tang Clan.
Beyond radio, Sear contributed to albums by Beastie Boys, Big Pun, MF DOOM, The X-Ecutioners, Statik Selektah, and more.
He released the 12-inch singles “Alcoholic Vibes / My Hindu Love” in 1997 and “Hello! (The Wake Up Call)” in 2000, and provided voice work for the landmark video games Grand Theft Auto III (2001) and Grand Theft Auto IV (2008).
During the 2000s, Sear expanded his presence on satellite radio as co-host of The All Out Show alongside Rude Jude on Shade 45, the hip-hop channel founded by Eminem on SiriusXM.
At the time of his death, he remained an active voice on the platform as host of The Lord Sear Special, continuing to champion hip-hop music and culture for listeners worldwide.
Kanye West Found Liable At Mansion Trial. Jurors Slam His Sleepy Testimony
Kanye West, the musician now known as Ye, was found liable by a jury Wednesday after a man said he was seriously injured during the controversial gutting of Ye’s $57 million Malibu mansion in 2021.
The plaintiff, Tony Saxon, had asked for $1.7 million in compensatory damages. But in the mixed verdict that included several wins for Ye, the jury awarded only $100,000 for past and future medical expenses and another $40,000 for past pain and suffering. Jurors declined to award any damages for future pain and suffering and did not impose punitive damages. They found that Saxon had not been wrongfully terminated and that Ye did not engage in “malice, oppression, or fraud.” (Ye also is on the hook for Saxon’s reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.)
“It took a lot of discussion to get to $140,000. Some people wanted to go higher,” a juror who spoke with Rolling Stone on condition of anonymity says. “We thought [Saxon] was injured, but there were too many other nebulous things to consider.”
The juror says the panel meticulously dissected bank statements and canceled checks to determine how much of the $240,000 that Ye wired to Saxon in late 2021 had been used to pay workers and invoices, and how much should count toward the wages Saxon claimed he was still owed. “We figured he pretty much broke even,” the juror says.
Asked about Ye’s wild turn on the witness stand last week, when he appeared to fall asleep amid his examination, she and a fellow juror said it left them cold.
“He looked at us contemptuously. It was just a waste of our time. Either he was just bored, or he was falling asleep on the stand. Both are bad options,” the female juror says.
“Oh, he fell asleep. I saw it,” the second juror, a man, tells Rolling Stone. “I was kind of surprised. I could tell he’s not what some of my friends who still like him believe.”
Saxon’s lawyers said the mixed verdict was “a vindication” for their client. “Obviously, it’s not as much as we asked for, but under the labor code, they have to pay attorney fees and costs. It’s going to be a lot more than $140,000 when it’s all said and done. The final judgment should be over $1 million,” Saxon’s lawyer Neama Rahmani, president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, tells Rolling Stone.
Rahmani and his co-counsel, Ronald Zambrano, said that before the trial, Ye demanded that Saxon pay the rapper-producer’s fees and issue a public apology. Saxon refused, they said. “In true David-vs.-Goliath fashion, Mr. Saxon stood firm against one of the biggest celebrities in the world, with the truth on his side,” Zambrano said in a statement.
“Although the jury found that Saxon qualified as an employee for certain purposes, they awarded no damages for lost wages, overtime, waiting-time penalties, retaliation, punitive damages, or any other statutory penalties,” Ye’s spokesman, Milo Yiannopoulos, said in a statement highlighting Ye’s victories.
He also pointed to a portion of the verdict form where jurors found that Saxon performed “in the capacity of a contractor” while working for Ye. Based on that finding, he said, “we believe the damages award is legally barred and will be seeking post-trial relief from the court.”
During the two-week trial, Saxon alleged that Ye hired him as a project manager and around-the-clock security guard at the contemporary concrete beach house designed by the Pritzker Prize–winning Japanese architect Tadao Ando. “Stay here now. You can’t leave,” Ye purportedly demanded, according to Saxon’s testimony.
Saxon, 35, testified that he severely injured his neck and back while working at the property and was later fired after seeking workplace accommodations and refusing to run fuel-powered generators indoors. He said that when he warned Ye the generators posed a carbon monoxide risk, the rapper snapped, “If you don’t do what I ask you to do, you’re an enemy. You’re a Clinton. You’re a Kardashian. And I won’t be your friend anymore, and you’re only gonna see me on the TV and the news.” Saxon told jurors the moment was “a very scary interaction.”
In closing arguments Monday, Zambrano said that under California law, Saxon had been hired as a full-time employee, not an independent contractor. Zambrano played a clip from Ye’s videotaped deposition in which the musician was asked whether he disputed hiring Saxon as an employee. “No, I don’t dispute it,” Ye replied on video, before later taking it back.
Zambrano said Saxon produced thousands of pages of records supporting his claims. By contrast, he told jurors, Ye’s legal team turned over just 19 pages of discovery. “[Saxon] kept things that were embarrassing, and he still presented them to you,” Zambrano said. “Mr. Saxon, for all his layers, was transparent with you. He has been victimized, and he got hurt.”
Among the materials presented to jurors were 94 pages of text messages between Saxon and Ye, who bought the house for $57 million in 2021 and ordered it stripped of plumbing, toilets, fixtures, cabinets, electricity, a concrete fireplace, and two custom 30-foot stainless steel chimney stacks. Ye later sold the property for $21 million in September 2024, a steep loss.
In his dueling closing argument, Ye’s lawyer, Andrew Cherkasky, portrayed Saxon as an unreliable witness who fabricated claims about injuries and unpaid wages after being let go from the project. “The lies are so deep and so wicked, not a thing can be believed that came out of his mouth,” Cherkasky said, calling Saxon a “professional victim.”
Ye’s wife, Bianca Censori, an architect from Australia who worked on the Ando house, testified that Ye had an aversion to stairs and windows, preferring “ramps and slides” and “trying mesh as the barrier between indoor and out.” She said Saxon told her that he was a licensed contractor, a claim Saxon denies.
Cherkasky also praised Ye for appearing in court last week and taking the witness stand. “He answered the questions. He wasn’t sleeping, he was bored. This is beneath him,” Cherkasky said Monday.
In rebuttal, Zambrano said Ye hardly deserved a “participation prize” for his brief appearance. “Who’s been here the rest of the time? You guys,” he told the jury of seven women and five men on Monday.
Zambrano argued Ye was gutting the Ando house without permits and hired Saxon not as a licensed contractor but to keep the work discreet. He pointed jurors to a group text message from Censori that read, “No permitting increases caution,” which suggested the team should seek solutions that are “quicker” and create “less red flags.”
Text messages shown in court appeared to document Saxon complaining about a back injury suffered on the job. “I hurt my back and have been taking it easy,” he wrote to Ye in one text from his tenure on the job in late 2021. In another message to Censori, he wrote, “My back is so fucked.”
Saxon also asked about seeing a chiropractor who regularly visited Ye’s warehouse office in Los Angeles and wrote to Censori at one point, “I can’t live here anymore,” adding that he had asked Ye to hire new security.
Zambrano said Saxon, a vintage records dealer and performer, described himself to Ye as a “guy with a van,” not a professional contractor. “Tony is not a general contractor. He never was. Everyone knew that,” Zambrano said, arguing Ye’s failure to secure workers’ compensation insurance left him responsible for Saxon’s injuries.
Cherkasky countered that Saxon’s messages reflected a typical relationship between a homeowner and an independent contractor. “Your passion about the outcome of your home is not an invitation to have someone become an employee,” he said.
Jurors also heard testimony from Jeromy Holding, a handyman who supported Saxon’s claim that the project lacked permits. Holding said the home was discussed as potentially serving as a private school location, a bomb shelter, a monastery, a recording studio, and a playground with slides and ramps.
Censori disputed the idea that the project was chaotic, describing Ye’s evolving directives as “iterations” of a consistent vision. “This was all concepts,” she testified. “It was always going to be a residence.”
Saxon’s lawsuit was the first to reach a jury among a wave of civil complaints filed by people who worked for Ye in recent years. The musician, 48, has faced more than a dozen lawsuits since an October 2022 social media tirade in which he tweeted his now-infamous plan to “go death con 3 ON JEWISH PEOPLE.” Last year, Ye again posted inflammatory messages on X, formerly Twitter, writing “IM A NAZI,” and “I LOVE HITLER.” Days after that, he aired a Super Bowl commercial promoting Yeezy.com, where he later sold shirts emblazoned with swastikas. Last May, he released a single titled “Heil Hitler,” which was quickly removed from most digital streaming services.
In January, he took out a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal apologizing for the hateful rhetoric. “I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness,” the ad read. “I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.”
Ye is still facing a crush of other civil lawsuits, though last year he did settle complaints from a former assistant principal and teachers at his failed private Christian school Donda Academy. The staffers alleged deplorable conditions, including an overflowing septic tank, exposed electrical wiring and the removal of windows because Ye allegedly “did not like glass.”
Former assistant Lauren Pisciotta sued Ye last year with claims he sexually harassed her between 2021 and 2023, then wrongfully terminated her. She alleges he made obscene comments about her body, demanded she wear tight-fitting clothing, groped her, forced her to watch pornographic material, and sent sexually explicit images. Ye is fighting the lawsuit, with a hearing set for March 23.
In a separate complaint, a model who appeared in a 2010 music video with Ye alleges he choked her with both hands, smeared her makeup, and then “rammed several fingers down her throat.” According to the lawsuit, Ye told her, “This is art. This is fucking art. I am like Picasso.” He is seeking to dismiss the claims.
The plaintiff, Tony Saxon, had asked for $1.7 million in compensatory damages. But in the mixed verdict that included several wins for Ye, the jury awarded only $100,000 for past and future medical expenses and another $40,000 for past pain and suffering. Jurors declined to award any damages for future pain and suffering and did not impose punitive damages. They found that Saxon had not been wrongfully terminated and that Ye did not engage in “malice, oppression, or fraud.” (Ye also is on the hook for Saxon’s reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.)
“It took a lot of discussion to get to $140,000. Some people wanted to go higher,” a juror who spoke with Rolling Stone on condition of anonymity says. “We thought [Saxon] was injured, but there were too many other nebulous things to consider.”
The juror says the panel meticulously dissected bank statements and canceled checks to determine how much of the $240,000 that Ye wired to Saxon in late 2021 had been used to pay workers and invoices, and how much should count toward the wages Saxon claimed he was still owed. “We figured he pretty much broke even,” the juror says.
Asked about Ye’s wild turn on the witness stand last week, when he appeared to fall asleep amid his examination, she and a fellow juror said it left them cold.
“He looked at us contemptuously. It was just a waste of our time. Either he was just bored, or he was falling asleep on the stand. Both are bad options,” the female juror says.
“Oh, he fell asleep. I saw it,” the second juror, a man, tells Rolling Stone. “I was kind of surprised. I could tell he’s not what some of my friends who still like him believe.”
Saxon’s lawyers said the mixed verdict was “a vindication” for their client. “Obviously, it’s not as much as we asked for, but under the labor code, they have to pay attorney fees and costs. It’s going to be a lot more than $140,000 when it’s all said and done. The final judgment should be over $1 million,” Saxon’s lawyer Neama Rahmani, president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, tells Rolling Stone.
Rahmani and his co-counsel, Ronald Zambrano, said that before the trial, Ye demanded that Saxon pay the rapper-producer’s fees and issue a public apology. Saxon refused, they said. “In true David-vs.-Goliath fashion, Mr. Saxon stood firm against one of the biggest celebrities in the world, with the truth on his side,” Zambrano said in a statement.
“Although the jury found that Saxon qualified as an employee for certain purposes, they awarded no damages for lost wages, overtime, waiting-time penalties, retaliation, punitive damages, or any other statutory penalties,” Ye’s spokesman, Milo Yiannopoulos, said in a statement highlighting Ye’s victories.
He also pointed to a portion of the verdict form where jurors found that Saxon performed “in the capacity of a contractor” while working for Ye. Based on that finding, he said, “we believe the damages award is legally barred and will be seeking post-trial relief from the court.”
During the two-week trial, Saxon alleged that Ye hired him as a project manager and around-the-clock security guard at the contemporary concrete beach house designed by the Pritzker Prize–winning Japanese architect Tadao Ando. “Stay here now. You can’t leave,” Ye purportedly demanded, according to Saxon’s testimony.
Saxon, 35, testified that he severely injured his neck and back while working at the property and was later fired after seeking workplace accommodations and refusing to run fuel-powered generators indoors. He said that when he warned Ye the generators posed a carbon monoxide risk, the rapper snapped, “If you don’t do what I ask you to do, you’re an enemy. You’re a Clinton. You’re a Kardashian. And I won’t be your friend anymore, and you’re only gonna see me on the TV and the news.” Saxon told jurors the moment was “a very scary interaction.”
In closing arguments Monday, Zambrano said that under California law, Saxon had been hired as a full-time employee, not an independent contractor. Zambrano played a clip from Ye’s videotaped deposition in which the musician was asked whether he disputed hiring Saxon as an employee. “No, I don’t dispute it,” Ye replied on video, before later taking it back.
Zambrano said Saxon produced thousands of pages of records supporting his claims. By contrast, he told jurors, Ye’s legal team turned over just 19 pages of discovery. “[Saxon] kept things that were embarrassing, and he still presented them to you,” Zambrano said. “Mr. Saxon, for all his layers, was transparent with you. He has been victimized, and he got hurt.”
Among the materials presented to jurors were 94 pages of text messages between Saxon and Ye, who bought the house for $57 million in 2021 and ordered it stripped of plumbing, toilets, fixtures, cabinets, electricity, a concrete fireplace, and two custom 30-foot stainless steel chimney stacks. Ye later sold the property for $21 million in September 2024, a steep loss.
In his dueling closing argument, Ye’s lawyer, Andrew Cherkasky, portrayed Saxon as an unreliable witness who fabricated claims about injuries and unpaid wages after being let go from the project. “The lies are so deep and so wicked, not a thing can be believed that came out of his mouth,” Cherkasky said, calling Saxon a “professional victim.”
Ye’s wife, Bianca Censori, an architect from Australia who worked on the Ando house, testified that Ye had an aversion to stairs and windows, preferring “ramps and slides” and “trying mesh as the barrier between indoor and out.” She said Saxon told her that he was a licensed contractor, a claim Saxon denies.
Cherkasky also praised Ye for appearing in court last week and taking the witness stand. “He answered the questions. He wasn’t sleeping, he was bored. This is beneath him,” Cherkasky said Monday.
In rebuttal, Zambrano said Ye hardly deserved a “participation prize” for his brief appearance. “Who’s been here the rest of the time? You guys,” he told the jury of seven women and five men on Monday.
Zambrano argued Ye was gutting the Ando house without permits and hired Saxon not as a licensed contractor but to keep the work discreet. He pointed jurors to a group text message from Censori that read, “No permitting increases caution,” which suggested the team should seek solutions that are “quicker” and create “less red flags.”
Text messages shown in court appeared to document Saxon complaining about a back injury suffered on the job. “I hurt my back and have been taking it easy,” he wrote to Ye in one text from his tenure on the job in late 2021. In another message to Censori, he wrote, “My back is so fucked.”
Saxon also asked about seeing a chiropractor who regularly visited Ye’s warehouse office in Los Angeles and wrote to Censori at one point, “I can’t live here anymore,” adding that he had asked Ye to hire new security.
Zambrano said Saxon, a vintage records dealer and performer, described himself to Ye as a “guy with a van,” not a professional contractor. “Tony is not a general contractor. He never was. Everyone knew that,” Zambrano said, arguing Ye’s failure to secure workers’ compensation insurance left him responsible for Saxon’s injuries.
Cherkasky countered that Saxon’s messages reflected a typical relationship between a homeowner and an independent contractor. “Your passion about the outcome of your home is not an invitation to have someone become an employee,” he said.
Jurors also heard testimony from Jeromy Holding, a handyman who supported Saxon’s claim that the project lacked permits. Holding said the home was discussed as potentially serving as a private school location, a bomb shelter, a monastery, a recording studio, and a playground with slides and ramps.
Censori disputed the idea that the project was chaotic, describing Ye’s evolving directives as “iterations” of a consistent vision. “This was all concepts,” she testified. “It was always going to be a residence.”
Saxon’s lawsuit was the first to reach a jury among a wave of civil complaints filed by people who worked for Ye in recent years. The musician, 48, has faced more than a dozen lawsuits since an October 2022 social media tirade in which he tweeted his now-infamous plan to “go death con 3 ON JEWISH PEOPLE.” Last year, Ye again posted inflammatory messages on X, formerly Twitter, writing “IM A NAZI,” and “I LOVE HITLER.” Days after that, he aired a Super Bowl commercial promoting Yeezy.com, where he later sold shirts emblazoned with swastikas. Last May, he released a single titled “Heil Hitler,” which was quickly removed from most digital streaming services.
In January, he took out a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal apologizing for the hateful rhetoric. “I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness,” the ad read. “I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.”
Ye is still facing a crush of other civil lawsuits, though last year he did settle complaints from a former assistant principal and teachers at his failed private Christian school Donda Academy. The staffers alleged deplorable conditions, including an overflowing septic tank, exposed electrical wiring and the removal of windows because Ye allegedly “did not like glass.”
Former assistant Lauren Pisciotta sued Ye last year with claims he sexually harassed her between 2021 and 2023, then wrongfully terminated her. She alleges he made obscene comments about her body, demanded she wear tight-fitting clothing, groped her, forced her to watch pornographic material, and sent sexually explicit images. Ye is fighting the lawsuit, with a hearing set for March 23.
In a separate complaint, a model who appeared in a 2010 music video with Ye alleges he choked her with both hands, smeared her makeup, and then “rammed several fingers down her throat.” According to the lawsuit, Ye told her, “This is art. This is fucking art. I am like Picasso.” He is seeking to dismiss the claims.
Dwight Howard Breaks Silence After Wife Amy Luciani Accuses Him Of Having Coca!ne Addiction
Dwight Howard wants people to stop believing everything they see online.
The retired NBA star is finally addressing claims made by his wife, reality star #AmyLuciani, whose real name is Amber Howard. According to Amy, Dwight is battling a serious coca!ne and dr*g problem that causes him to behave in harmful ways. She shared the allegations in an emotional video last weekend, also claiming that Dwight’s daughter had been taken by CPS.
While Dwight has yet to address the situation involving his child, he is pushing back on the coca!ne accusations. Taking to Snapchat, he wrote, “Never done C*ke in my life yall will believe everything yall see on the internet lol.” He also shared a lighthearted video reacting to the “hate and slander” he says he’s received since Amy’s post. Dwight and Amy tied the knot in Las Vegas in January 2025. A few months into the marriage, Amy filed to end the union but later withdrew the petition. However, on Monday, after her claims began circulating online, Dwight filed for divorce.
Dwight Howard wants people to stop believing everything they see online.
The retired NBA star is finally addressing claims made by his wife, reality star #AmyLuciani, whose real name is Amber Howard. According to Amy, Dwight is battling a serious coca!ne and dr*g problem that causes him to behave in harmful ways. She shared the allegations in an emotional video last weekend, also claiming that Dwight’s daughter had been taken by CPS.
While Dwight has yet to address the situation involving his child, he is pushing back on the coca!ne accusations. Taking to Snapchat, he wrote, “Never done C*ke in my life yall will believe everything yall see on the internet lol.” He also shared a lighthearted video reacting to the “hate and slander” he says he’s received since Amy’s post. Dwight and Amy tied the knot in Las Vegas in January 2025. A few months into the marriage, Amy filed to end the union but later withdrew the petition. However, on Monday, after her claims began circulating online, Dwight filed for divorce.
Brian McKnight Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Rickey Smiley Morning Show Over Claims He Was ‘Emotionally Abusive’ To His Children
Brian McKnight is taking legal action against The Rickey Smiley Morning Show, claiming the program helped spread damaging accusations about his role as a father.
According to reports, McKnight has filed a defamation lawsuit against the show, host Karen Clark, and media company Urban One over interviews and broadcast segments he says pushed false allegations about his behavior.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, claims the program aired unverified statements portraying him as “emotionally abusive, mentally abusive, and neglectful.”
McKnight is seeking $25,000 in compensatory damages for each alleged claim, along with punitive damages.
The lawsuit stems from interviews tied to McKnight’s ongoing family dispute, including a 2025 radio conversation between Clark and his ex-wife, Julie McKnight. He also challenges a December 2025 segment that featured audio from his son, Brian McKnight Jr., alleging the show broadcast the claims without verifying them.
As of now, the show and Clark have not publicly responded to the lawsuit.
According to reports, McKnight has filed a defamation lawsuit against the show, host Karen Clark, and media company Urban One over interviews and broadcast segments he says pushed false allegations about his behavior.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, claims the program aired unverified statements portraying him as “emotionally abusive, mentally abusive, and neglectful.”
McKnight is seeking $25,000 in compensatory damages for each alleged claim, along with punitive damages.
The lawsuit stems from interviews tied to McKnight’s ongoing family dispute, including a 2025 radio conversation between Clark and his ex-wife, Julie McKnight. He also challenges a December 2025 segment that featured audio from his son, Brian McKnight Jr., alleging the show broadcast the claims without verifying them.
As of now, the show and Clark have not publicly responded to the lawsuit.
Kevin Spacey Claims He's Been Diagnosed with 'Sexually Compulsive Behavior'
Kevin Spacey returned to the witness stand this week as part of an ongoing California civil trial tied to the fallout from the final season of House of Cards.
According to Rolling Stone, the disgraced actor confirmed to jurors that he was diagnosed with “sexual compulsive behavior” in 2017 after voluntarily entering an inpatient treatment program during a wave of sexual misconduct allegations that disrupted production on the series.
Spacey testified in a Santa Monica courtroom while reading portions of a psychiatric discharge summary from The Meadows treatment facility in Arizona. The document listed several diagnoses, including obsessive and related behaviors tied to sexual compulsive conduct and generalized anxiety disorder.
When asked if he had any medical basis to dispute the diagnoses, Spacey responded, “No.” He also confirmed that he entered treatment to examine his behavior and address personal boundaries.
The testimony comes as part of a dispute between the show’s production company, Media Rights Capital, and its insurer, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, over a nine-figure claim tied to the show’s halted production in 2017.
At the time, the political drama centered on Spacey’s character, President Frank Underwood, and the allegations that surfaced forced the production to pause and ultimately rewrite what became the show’s final season.
During questioning, Spacey pushed back on certain notes recorded by doctors during his stay at The Meadows. One entry suggested that the actor described a problematic behavior as “touching in public without permission.”
Spacey denied making that statement and criticized parts of the medical records as inaccurate. “Throughout the medical records, there are comments attributed to me I never said,” he told jurors, adding that some details in the notes were incorrect, including references to him having a British accent or a wife.
The civil case stems from insurance coverage disputes following Spacey’s removal from the series in 2017. Fireman’s Fund argues that its policy covered only losses caused by a medically verified incapacitating illness, while the production company maintains the disruption was tied to Spacey’s medical condition.
The show was placed on hiatus on October 31, 2017, shortly after allegations against the actor became public.
Those allegations first surfaced when actor Anthony Rapp claimed Spacey made a sexual advance toward him during a gathering in 1986, when Rapp was 14. Spacey has denied wrongdoing.
A jury later found him not liable in a 2022 civil trial involving Rapp, and he was acquitted in 2023 of sexual assault charges brought in the United Kingdom.
While on the stand this week, Spacey described entering treatment as an attempt to examine his life during a turbulent period. “I went there to try to help myself,” he testified.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, help is available. Contact the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit rainn.org for confidential support.
Kevin Spacey returned to the witness stand this week as part of an ongoing California civil trial tied to the fallout from the final season of House of Cards.
According to Rolling Stone, the disgraced actor confirmed to jurors that he was diagnosed with “sexual compulsive behavior” in 2017 after voluntarily entering an inpatient treatment program during a wave of sexual misconduct allegations that disrupted production on the series.
Spacey testified in a Santa Monica courtroom while reading portions of a psychiatric discharge summary from The Meadows treatment facility in Arizona. The document listed several diagnoses, including obsessive and related behaviors tied to sexual compulsive conduct and generalized anxiety disorder.
When asked if he had any medical basis to dispute the diagnoses, Spacey responded, “No.” He also confirmed that he entered treatment to examine his behavior and address personal boundaries.
The testimony comes as part of a dispute between the show’s production company, Media Rights Capital, and its insurer, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, over a nine-figure claim tied to the show’s halted production in 2017.
At the time, the political drama centered on Spacey’s character, President Frank Underwood, and the allegations that surfaced forced the production to pause and ultimately rewrite what became the show’s final season.
During questioning, Spacey pushed back on certain notes recorded by doctors during his stay at The Meadows. One entry suggested that the actor described a problematic behavior as “touching in public without permission.”
Spacey denied making that statement and criticized parts of the medical records as inaccurate. “Throughout the medical records, there are comments attributed to me I never said,” he told jurors, adding that some details in the notes were incorrect, including references to him having a British accent or a wife.
The civil case stems from insurance coverage disputes following Spacey’s removal from the series in 2017. Fireman’s Fund argues that its policy covered only losses caused by a medically verified incapacitating illness, while the production company maintains the disruption was tied to Spacey’s medical condition.
The show was placed on hiatus on October 31, 2017, shortly after allegations against the actor became public.
Those allegations first surfaced when actor Anthony Rapp claimed Spacey made a sexual advance toward him during a gathering in 1986, when Rapp was 14. Spacey has denied wrongdoing.
A jury later found him not liable in a 2022 civil trial involving Rapp, and he was acquitted in 2023 of sexual assault charges brought in the United Kingdom.
While on the stand this week, Spacey described entering treatment as an attempt to examine his life during a turbulent period. “I went there to try to help myself,” he testified.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, help is available. Contact the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit rainn.org for confidential support.
Janet and Jermaine Jackson Clashed with one another at Michael Screening
This week the Jackson family held a private screening for the new Michael Jackson biopic, "Michael.'
Witness claim Jackson siblings Janet and Jermaine broke out into a loud argument over the flick...
According to Page Six The Jackson family gathered quietly in Los Angeles last week for what insiders expected would be a triumphant moment.Instead, sources say, the private screening of the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic exploded into a family confrontation — exposing long-simmering tensions over the King of Pop’s legacy.
More than 60 members of the Jackson clan packed into a private Los Angeles showing of “Michael,” which hits theaters worldwide on April 24 and stars Jermaine Jackson’s son, Jaafar Jackson, as his legendary uncle.
At first, the mood inside the room was electric, several insiders at the screening told Page Six. Relatives laughed, clapped and leaned forward in their seats as the film recreated moments from Michael’s rise from child prodigy out of Gary, Indiana, to the most famous entertainer on the planet.
Witness claim Jackson siblings Janet and Jermaine broke out into a loud argument over the flick...
According to Page Six The Jackson family gathered quietly in Los Angeles last week for what insiders expected would be a triumphant moment.Instead, sources say, the private screening of the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic exploded into a family confrontation — exposing long-simmering tensions over the King of Pop’s legacy.
More than 60 members of the Jackson clan packed into a private Los Angeles showing of “Michael,” which hits theaters worldwide on April 24 and stars Jermaine Jackson’s son, Jaafar Jackson, as his legendary uncle.
At first, the mood inside the room was electric, several insiders at the screening told Page Six. Relatives laughed, clapped and leaned forward in their seats as the film recreated moments from Michael’s rise from child prodigy out of Gary, Indiana, to the most famous entertainer on the planet.
But within minutes of the lights coming up at the end, the atmosphere shifted dramatically when Janet Jackson, 59, began dissecting the film with brutal precision, according to multiple people in the room.
The superstar singer — one of the family’s most powerful figures and the second most sucessful artist after Michael — reportedly criticized everything, from the performances to the makeup.
“She had something negative about almost every scene,” said one person present at the screening.
“The acting, the makeup, how the actors spoke, even how they walked. It was Janet deciding against the room that this movie wasn’t going to meet her approval.”
The critique stunned some relatives, who had expected the family to all rally behind the project. Others say the moment reflected deeper divisions that have been simmering for years.
Janet has been one of the most visible family members backing Michael’s daughter, Paris Jackson, 27, in her ongoing legal fight against his estate — a dispute that has fueled tension among siblings, cousins and advisors who disagree over how the late singer’s empire should be run.
But, insiders told Page Six, Jermaine Jackson, 71, had enough and stood up and sharply confronted Janet.
“You are going to miss this wave,” Jermaine told his sister, according to one family insider who witnessed the exchange. “You are so jealous — just get on the wave.”
The blunt exchange stunned several in the room, particularly younger family members who had not previously witnessed such open disagreement between Michael’s immediate siblings.
Prosecutor says Rihanna, family were home when woman charged with attempted murder fired
Rihanna, her partner A$AP Rocky, their three children and her mother were all at home when a woman now charged with attempted murder and many other felony counts is alleged to have fired at the property, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, 35, of Orlando, Florida, was charged with attempting to kill Rihanna, along with 10 counts of assault on a person with a semiautomatic firearm and three counts of shooting at an inhabited vehicle or dwelling, authorities said. No one was injured.
The singing superstar and her rap star partner were together in a trailer on the property at the time of the Sunday afternoon shooting, while other family members and staffers were in the Beverly Hills-area home, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said outside a court hearing.
Inside court, Deputy Public Defender Jamarcus Bradford, Ortiz's attorney, at first entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf, but then withdrew it in favor of postponing arraignment until March 25. She was ordered held on $1.8 million bail. Ortiz wore blue jail clothes with her blond hair in braids and spoke to the lawyer through a glass divider.
The LA County Public Defender's Office said in a statement that it could not comment on the pending case against Ortiz.
"As in every case, we will work to ensure that our client receives the full protections guaranteed under the Constitution," the statement said.
Ortiz could get life in prison if convicted on all charges. All 14 counts against her are felonies. The three counts of firing at a dwelling were for Rihanna's house, her trailer, and a neighbor's house, prosecutors said. The 10 assault counts were for Rihanna and family, two staffers and two people in the neighboring house.
"LA based celebrities should not be additionally worried because of this," Hochman said, "in large part because of the response of the police." He praised officers for arresting Ortiz soon after the shooting, several miles (kilometers) to the north in the suburb of Sherman Oaks.
Judge Theresa McGonigle issued a protective order for Ortiz to stay away from Robin Fenty and Rakim Mayers –- the legal names of Rihanna and A$AP Rocky –- and their home. McGonigle also said Ortiz is not allowed to possess any firearms or ammunition along with several other conditions.
The hearing was held in a courtroom a few floors from where Rocky went through a trial where he was acquitted just over a year ago. Rihanna was often in attendance, sometimes with their sons.
And the lead prosecutor in the new case is Alexander Bott, the deputy district attorney who successfully prosecuted rapper Tory Lanez in a trial where he was convicted of shooting hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion in the feet.
Hochman would not say where any of the bullets landed, would not say how long Ortiz had been in California, or discuss her motivation or any connection to Rihanna, saying all were under investigation.
Public records show her most recent address was in Orlando and that she has been a licensed speech pathologist for more than a decade.
In 2018, a man was accused of breaking into another home belonging to Rihanna in the Hollywood Hills and spending 12 hours there. The man pleaded no contest to felony counts of stalking and vandalism and a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest in 2019. He was sentenced to probation.
A nine-time Grammy Award winner, Rihanna has 14 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including "We Found Love," "Work," "Umbrella" and "Disturbia." She founded the makeup brand Fenty Beauty in 2017.
She and A$AP Rocky announced the birth of their third child, a girl named Rocki Irish Mayers, in September.
Rihanna, her partner A$AP Rocky, their three children and her mother were all at home when a woman now charged with attempted murder and many other felony counts is alleged to have fired at the property, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, 35, of Orlando, Florida, was charged with attempting to kill Rihanna, along with 10 counts of assault on a person with a semiautomatic firearm and three counts of shooting at an inhabited vehicle or dwelling, authorities said. No one was injured.
The singing superstar and her rap star partner were together in a trailer on the property at the time of the Sunday afternoon shooting, while other family members and staffers were in the Beverly Hills-area home, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said outside a court hearing.
Inside court, Deputy Public Defender Jamarcus Bradford, Ortiz's attorney, at first entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf, but then withdrew it in favor of postponing arraignment until March 25. She was ordered held on $1.8 million bail. Ortiz wore blue jail clothes with her blond hair in braids and spoke to the lawyer through a glass divider.
The LA County Public Defender's Office said in a statement that it could not comment on the pending case against Ortiz.
"As in every case, we will work to ensure that our client receives the full protections guaranteed under the Constitution," the statement said.
Ortiz could get life in prison if convicted on all charges. All 14 counts against her are felonies. The three counts of firing at a dwelling were for Rihanna's house, her trailer, and a neighbor's house, prosecutors said. The 10 assault counts were for Rihanna and family, two staffers and two people in the neighboring house.
"LA based celebrities should not be additionally worried because of this," Hochman said, "in large part because of the response of the police." He praised officers for arresting Ortiz soon after the shooting, several miles (kilometers) to the north in the suburb of Sherman Oaks.
Judge Theresa McGonigle issued a protective order for Ortiz to stay away from Robin Fenty and Rakim Mayers –- the legal names of Rihanna and A$AP Rocky –- and their home. McGonigle also said Ortiz is not allowed to possess any firearms or ammunition along with several other conditions.
The hearing was held in a courtroom a few floors from where Rocky went through a trial where he was acquitted just over a year ago. Rihanna was often in attendance, sometimes with their sons.
And the lead prosecutor in the new case is Alexander Bott, the deputy district attorney who successfully prosecuted rapper Tory Lanez in a trial where he was convicted of shooting hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion in the feet.
Hochman would not say where any of the bullets landed, would not say how long Ortiz had been in California, or discuss her motivation or any connection to Rihanna, saying all were under investigation.
Public records show her most recent address was in Orlando and that she has been a licensed speech pathologist for more than a decade.
In 2018, a man was accused of breaking into another home belonging to Rihanna in the Hollywood Hills and spending 12 hours there. The man pleaded no contest to felony counts of stalking and vandalism and a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest in 2019. He was sentenced to probation.
A nine-time Grammy Award winner, Rihanna has 14 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including "We Found Love," "Work," "Umbrella" and "Disturbia." She founded the makeup brand Fenty Beauty in 2017.
She and A$AP Rocky announced the birth of their third child, a girl named Rocki Irish Mayers, in September.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
Courtesy of P.O.Wm
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Walmart can be full of entertainment
A little parking lot entertainment
A little parking lot entertainment
AND NOW Meet: Thomas
It's Thomas! You can see more HERE
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HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL!!!
EFREM
