Rami Malek for Love Magazine Issue #22
Thirty-eight year old American actor, Rami Malek is next LOVE 22 cover star. To mark his cover release, here is 10 facts you didn't know about Rami!
- Malek went to Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks with Kirsten Dunst, the pair are still friends.
- He played vampire, Benjamin in the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2.
- Rami Malek featured in an episode of Gilmore Girls In the Clamor and the Clangor (2004) playing Andy.
- He won ‘Best Actor’ at the 2019 Oscars for Bohemian Rhapsody, where he played the lead role of Freddie Mercury.
- He met his current girlfriend on the set of Bohemian Rhapsody.
- The American actor was born to Egyptian parents.
- He won a Critics' Choice Award and the Primetime Emmy Award for ‘Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series’ for his lead role as Elliot Alderson in the American television series Mr. Robot.
- He has an identical twin called Sami Malek.
Love is on newsstands now.
#RHOA: Is she Bitter or NAH? Phaedra Parks Says RHOA is Fakery — 'Reality Shows Are Not Real'
Phaedra Parks once starred on RHOA for eight seasons but she’s not very eager to return. The former reality star exposed the show’s fakery in a new interview and noted that producers made up storylines to keep the viewers entertained.
The mother-of-two claimed that she was well aware of the fact her life would be manipulated for the cameras. "That's just nature of the beast, you can't cry over spilled milk. It is what it is. Reality shows are not real. They're for entertainment at everyone else's expense, except the people that make it, so you can't regret anything. You just have to accept what it is and keep it moving," she explained.
She continued, "I know there's lots of rumors swirling around about me returning to the Housewives, but I haven't had any discussions about returning. I never say never to any opportunities, but I had a good run and you know, I'm very happy right now. I was on Real Housewives for eight years. Both of my children were born on air, my ex-spouse went to prison on the show. I had a lot of big events happen in my life on there so I've got a lot of great memories. I would never say never, but I'm in a very great place in my life... and you see this glow. I was just a character that they're manipulating for their own benefit."
The successful lawyer revealed how producers reportedly completely fabricated a storyline about her dating an African prince. "They completely made up one story that I was dating an African prince the day Apollo went to prison. I was seeing some African man named Mr. Chocolate while I was breastfeeding my baby, going to mortuary school, my husband's going to prison and I've got a two-year-old. I mean, it was the most ludicrous, crazy thing in the world. I was never unfaithful in my marriage at all. But of course the show ran with it because it made for good TV," she admitted.
Costar Kandi Burruss vowed to leave the show if Phaedra ever returned and the mortician took that as a compliment.
"I find it amusing, because if she is that concerned about me three years later, I must have really impacted her life. So I'm glad I touched her like that," Phaedra quipped.
Would you like to see Phaedra return to RHOA?
#Empire: Flashback Cookie's Doctor Informs Lucious that She Had A Heart Attack in Season 4 Episode #12
Every Empire fan held their breath back in Season 4 of Empire when Cookie suffered a heart attack. Though the moment was terrifying, Lucious (Terrence Howard) was thankfully there to take her to the hospital.
In the flashback video above, Lucious does his best to get some answers from the doctor as to what happened but when he feels like he’s not getting anywhere, well, he gets all Lucious in the doctor’s face.
“Ms. Lyon had a heart attack. We don’t know how serious or whether she suffered permanent damage. Now we’re taking her to the cath lab. The good news is that you got her here quickly,” the doctor finally shares.
#MusicNews: Maxwell Announces First-Ever Symphonic Performances In D.C. & Atlanta
For the past 23 years, Maxwell has been feeding our musical souls through song. This makes it all the more perplexing that the mysterious singer has never taken to the stage with a symphony. After all, songs like "Know These Things: Shouldn't You" and "This Woman's Work" are shaped largely by the string arrangments that they feature. Well, the seductive crooner is looking to change all of that with "A Night At The Symphony," his first-ever symphonic shows set to take place this fall in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta.For three nights beginning on September 18th, Maxwell, his longtime band and the National Symphony Orchestra will take over D.C.'s famed John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where they will perform reimagined versions of his music.
Following the conclusion of the limited show, he will then dip over to Atlanta where he will be joined by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for a one-night show at the city's Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park.Despite the accolades and success, Maxwell has attained over the course of his lengthy career, he admits that performing with a full symphony is something he never could have imagined. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think that what started when I was 16 years old would take me to such a prestigious experience, to be on stage with two of the best orchestras around," he said in a statement.Tickets for the shows at the Kennedy Center are currently available at the box office, online and by phone via Instant Charge at (800) 444-1324. Meanwhile, tickets for the Atlanta show are available to the public through Ticketmaster, at the Woodruff Arts Center box office or directly via ASO's website.
#HipHopNews: Chance The Rapper Announces Debut Album ‘The Big Day’
Chance the Rapper is set to release his debut album, The Big Day, on Friday, July 26. During his appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” last night, the Chicago rapper made the big announcement.
In exchange for Jimmy pre-ordering the project, he agreed to reveal the title and release date. “My name is Chance the Rapper and I will be releasing my debut album on July 26 entitled The Big Day,” he told the audience.
He also shared the cover art, which features his hand holding up a clear CD embedded with diamonds.
This will be the first time Chance has sold his music, which was previously available for free on streaming services. “I haven’t sold my projects before. A lot of my projects were free,” he explained.
The Big Day follows Chance’s 2016 mixtape Coloring Book, which won Best Rap Album at the 2017 Grammys.
In May, Chance dropped the Murda Beatz-produced “GRoCERIES” featuring TisaKorean. He has been previewing snippets from the album on social media, including one song that samples Brandy’s “I Wanna Be Down.”
The Big Day is now available for pre-order. Chance also plans to tour in support of the release.
Spike Lee’s “She’s Gotta Have It” Has been Canceled After 2 Seasons and He Responds!
Netflix has pulled the plug on Spike Lee’s, She’s Gotta Have It”. The series aired for two seasons on the streaming platform. Lee will reportedly shop the scripted comedy to other outlets.
The series starred breakout actress DeWanda Wise as Nola Darling, an uncompromising woman in her late twenties struggling to define herself and divide her time among her Friends, her Job and her Three Lovers: The Cultured Model, Greer Childs, The Protective Investment Banker, Jamie Overstreet and Da Original B-Boy Sneakerhead, Mars Blackmon.
Created and executive produced by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee through their 40 Acres banner, the series also stars Lyriq Bent, Cleo Anthony, Ilfenesh Hadera, Margot Bingham, and Anthony Ramos as Mars Blackmon, the iconic role originated by Spike Lee. In a post on his Instagram page, Spike wrote:
NOLA, MARS And DA CREW Say IT AIN’T OVAH. YA DIG? SHO-NUFF. And Dats Da “Quintessential Afro Futuristical” Truth, Ruth.
You can watch Uncle Spike deliver his message HERE
Lady Gaga's Look Badass in Black at Her Beauty Line Launch Party
Lady Gaga was front and center to celebrate her new beauty line's launch party, but it was her personalized cakes that created buzz.
The 33-year-old partied with her closest friends at A.O.C. in West Hollywood on Wednesday for the launch for her "Haus of Collections" cosmetics.
Gaga went full glam, wearing all black and rocked all her cosmetics.
Sporting a strapless leather dress and shag matching oversized coat, the entrepreneur soaked up the moment in front of photographers as she cleverly displayed her metallic eyeshadow and red lips while they snapped away.
Holding a white single rose as she exited and sporting her platinum blonde bouffant updo, Gaga clearly had a good time.
Gaga's makeup artist, Sara Tanno, gave some insight into the intimate gathering by posting a few pics of the star during the party.
The close friends cuddled up while sitting at a long table ready to get their grub on as black and silver balloons lined the background.
But it's her delicious dessert that stole the cake.
They had two different cakes for the party. One with Gaga's face dripping in diamonds and the second showing several of her makeup models surrounded by Mama Monster as she poses in leather.
Cakes aren't cheap and personalized ones are even more, so clearly no expense was spared for Gaga's launch party.
The party comes just two days after the star's success on Amazon Prime Day.
Pre-orders for Haus Laboratories launched Monday morning with six different collections available exclusively on Amazon. Gaga's "Haus of Collections" quickly shot to the #1 best seller in makeup sets.
And while the makeup won't ship out until it's released in September, her Monsters didn't care one bit.
Kanye West, Kim Kardashian Lobbied Trump Administration to Take Action in A$AP Rocky Case
According to TMZ, Donald Trump’s administration is interceding to attempt to end A$AP Rocky’s imprisonment in Sweden after being lobbied to take action in the matter by Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West. The gossip site alleges that Jared Kushner briefed Trump on the rapper’s status after discussing it with Kim and Kanye. Trump then supposedly privately expressed his solidarity with Rocky’s cause and encouraged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the State Department to investigate the matter. TMZ claims that a State Department representative is expected to arrive in Sweden today to advocate for Rocky.
Last week, the State Department claimed in a statement to Spin that they were “actively monitoring” the rapper’s case, and told Politico on Sunday that aspects of Rocky’s tenuous legal situation abroad “raise[d] concerns.” This past weekend, the NYC rapper’s attorney Alan Jackson also told conservative radio show host Hugh Hewitt that Pompeo and Robert O’Brien, the Special Presidential Envoy For Hostage Affairs, had been briefed about the case.
Rocky has been held in pre-detention in Stockholm, awaiting possible assault charges, for over two weeks. The rapper was arrested for his role in an alleged brawl between a group of his friends and two men on June 30.
NBA Star Kawhi Leonard Countersued By Nike, Demand Injunction Against Him
NBA star Kawhi Leonard has been hit with a countersuit by Nike who accuse him of violating their deal together, and want a court to grant an injunction against him,
According to court documents obtained by The Blast, Nike is demanding Leonard’s lawsuit against them be dismissed. The company then countersued Leonard for using a design they claim to own.
In their response to his lawsuit, they deny all allegations of wrongdoing against Leonard.
Nike filed counter-claims against Leonard in the case. They explain Leonard signed a deal with them in 2011, which expired in September 2018.
During their partnership, Leonard provided them with designs to use on merchandise. They claim to have used one he gave them and sold products he promoted with it. They claim all designs worked on during the contract are owned by them. Further, they claim the Nike team was the one who created the final design used.
Once their deal ended, Nike says they found out about Leonard using the design he gave them on other non-Nike products. They told him that was a breach of their deal but he refused to cease.
They claim he then sued them during the NBA finals and even started hawking the design on clothes during the finals without their permission. Nike is demanding Leonard’s lawsuit against them be dismissed and the court grant a permanent injunction against him from using the design.
Earlier this year, Leonard sued Nike over his logo accusing him of ripping off his work.
In the suit, he claimed that he created a unique logo for himself after he was drafted to the NBA in 2011.
"Leonard traced his notably large hand," the lawsuit stated, "and, inside the hand, drew stylized versions of his initials 'KL' and the number that he had worn for much of his career, '2.'"
He claimed that as part of his endorsement deal with Nike several years later, he "allowed Nike to use on certain merchandise the logo he created while Leonard continued to use the logo on non-Nike goods."
But, he claimed that unbeknownst to him, "Nike filed an application for copyright registration of his logo and falsely represented in the application that Nike had authored the logo."
Kawhi Leonard claims that he wants to use the logo for "clothing lines, footwear and on other products and, among other things, in connection with sports camps and charity functions, but Nike explicitly has objected to such uses."
The NBA star is asking a judge to declare that he is the rightful owner of the logo and to rule that Nike "committed fraud on the Copyright Office in registering the Leonard Logo."
A report in the New York Times last week claimed that the Los Angeles Clippers — who are said to be the frontrunners to sign Kawhi when he becomes a free agent after the season — attempted to purchase a portion of the rights to Leonard’s signature logo that Nike claims it still owns.
Janet Jackson, Chris Brown, 50 Cent will now perform at the Saudi festival while Nicki Minaj pulls out!
NEW YORK (AP) — Janet Jackson, Chris Brown, 50 Cent, Future and Tyga have been added to the lineup for the Jeddah World Fest, the concert in Saudi Arabia that Nicki Minaj pulled out of because of human rights concerns.
The website for the event, to take place Thursday at the King Abdullah Sports Stadium, posted photos of the newly added acts alongside previously announced performers Liam Payne and Steve Aoki.
The Human Rights Foundation and other organizations have asked artists not to perform in Saudi Arabia, where gender segregation between single men and women is enforced in many restaurants, coffee shops, public schools and universities. Other rules have loosened in the kingdom with women now allowed to drive and attend events at sports stadiums.
Representatives for Jackson, Brown, 50 Cent, Future and Tyga didn't immediately reply to emails seeking comment.
Thor Halvorssen, president of the Human Rights Foundation, criticized the entertainers in a statement Thursday to The Associated Press, saying it was "profoundly distressing that they have chosen money over morals."
He added: "These individuals constantly make public statements of support for LGBT rights and women's rights, except, apparently, when a seven-figure check is attached. The hypocrisy is breathtaking. Principal apparently matters to them far more than principles."
Minaj said she pulled out of the concert because she wants to show support for women's rights, gay rights and freedom of expression. Human rights organizations praised the rapper for her decision.
Saudi Arabia saw profound change last year as a result of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's top-down reform efforts, including the opening of the first movie theater and the lifting of the world's only ban on women driving. But there's a hard limit to the reforms — as revealed by the brutal killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents close to the crown prince in October and the reported torture of several women's rights activists in detention. While the arena for entertainment is widening, the space for political engagement and dissent has virtually disappeared.
"It's clear that, after losing Nicki Minaj on the basis of the Saudi regime's atrocious human rights record and their treatment of women and the gay community, the Crown Prince has chosen to spend whatever it takes to give the appearance that things are normal and that this is just another music concert. Except it isn't," Halvorssen's statement read. "It's a blatant public relations push on the heels of the pre-meditated assassination of a Washington Post columnist and the ongoing imprisonment of dozens of human rights activists. Saudi is engaged in a sophisticated campaign of distraction."
Over the past several months, the kingdom has seen performances by Mariah Carey, Enrique Iglesias, the Black Eyed Peas, Sean Paul, David Guetta and Tiesto. That's a stark change from when Saudi morality police would raid establishments that played loud music.
Jennifer Hudson Has finally Settled her Nasty Custody Battle With Ex David Otunga
“Cats” star Jennifer Hudson has finally reached a deal to end her years-long battle with ex David Otunga over custody of their son.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the singer and Otunga agreed on a parenting agreement that covers all issues of child support and custody.
The two were behind closed doors for seven hours working out the details. This development will end the vicious court battle between the exes.
Back in 2017, Hudson originally filed for an emergency order of protection accusing Otunga of pushing her while holding their son David. The court granted the temporary request, but Hudson would later drop the petition altogether. Otunga has always denied the allegations.
Since she dropped her petition for an order of protection, the two had been battling it out in court with each filing motion after motion in court accusing the other of playing legal games.
At one point, ‘The Voice’ star even feared he would kidnap their son and David claimed she was trying to defame him with her allegations.
During the battle, Hudson trashed Otunga and refused to pay his bills.
She denied the best decision was to give Otunga primary custody and “denies that her working and David either not working or professing not to work makes him more fit to personally care for the child in the City where the child attends school.”
Her filing wrote, “To accept David’ proposition that because he is present, he is a better parent would be to do a disservice to working parents in general and to Jennifer in particular.” She also calls into question his ability to raise their son in a safe, consistent and loving environment.”
Hudson took particular issue with the idea of her paying for Otunga’s housing costs. She said Otunga was well able to pay for a home if he actually tried to get a job.
The filing added, “Nothing entitles David to live in a home identical to Jennifer’s”
Hudson argued she had no duty to support Otunga and “denies that the child support should extend to housing subsidies for David when the parties were never married.”
She wrote, “Having a child with a celebrity should not be the basis to treat David like someone who has given birth to a child and who has no means of supporting the child. Jennifer is the one who gave birth to the minor child who had the minor child with her as she traveled prior to the difficulties the parties experienced in their relationship.”
Otunga had even recently fired off a subpoena to Jennifer’s sister Julie requesting she sit for a deposition in the case. The two have even been fighting over the choice of school bus stops.
Earlier this year, the two were unable to reach a settlement and the court set a trial date of August 5. The new agreement means that will be taken off the calendar.
Hudson is having quite the week with not only ending this battle but the trailer for her highly-anticipated film "Cats" premieres this Friday.
Cardi B Supported Ilhan Omar After President Trump's "Go Back" Remarks!
In the midst of President Trump's recent verbal attacks on several members of Congress, some celebrities are speaking out in defense of those congresswomen. On her Instagram, Cardi B defended Ilhan Omar after Donald Trump's offensive remarks, and she did so with a little help from Beyoncé.
On July 17, Cardi posted a photo of Omar flashing a big smile in order to show her support for the politician, who has been a target of Trump's vitriol (both via Twitter and at his rallies). The rapper captioned the photo with a line from Beyoncé's "Formation," as she wrote, "You know you that b*tch when you cause all this conversation 💁🏽♀️." Between the choice of photo and the caption, the "Money" singer's post serves as a strong defense for Omar in the wake of an exhausting and frustrating news cycle.
Just as Cardi (and Beyoncé) put it, it's certainly true that Omar has been a big topic of conversation, particularly for the president. On July 14, Trump took to Twitter in order to address "Progressive Democrat Congresswomen," whom he told to "go back" to to where they came from. While he did not name them specifically, his tweet was seemingly directed at a specific group of Democrats, all of whom are American citizens — Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley — who have spoken out against the Trump administration's immigration policies.
The president wrote in a thread on Twitter:
"So interesting to see 'Progressive' Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world (if they even have a functioning government at all), now loudly [...] and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run. Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how [...] it is done. These places need your help badly, you can’t leave fast enough. I’m sure that Nancy Pelosi would be very happy to quickly work out free travel arrangements!"
On July 16, Congress voted to condemn Trump's racist remarks, as CNN reported. But, as if that wasn't enough, the president once again spoke out against the four congresswomen, and specifically Omar, during a rally held in North Carolina on July 17. The crowd chanted, "Send her back" in reference to Omar, who was originally born in Somalia and became a naturalized United States citizen, as CNN once again noted. The publication reported that Trump made no effort to stop the chanting.
In response, Omar took to Twitter and quoted Maya Angelou, as she wrote, "You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise. -
It shouldn't come as a surprise to see that Cardi has recently voiced her support for Omar on Instagram, especially after these recent, incredibly harmful comments. As ELLE noted, the rapper has long been outspoken about where she stands when it comes to politics and, particularly, how she feels about Trump.
In an interview with Rolling Stone in June 2018, she made her feelings about the president and his administration very clear. Cardi said,
"Every artist has explained how harmful he is. He has made divisions in this country–he almost made a crazy civil war between the blacks and the whites. He has proven himself to be a madman so many times, and proven himself to be disrespectful to women, and that still hasn’t gotten him impeached."
As you can see, Cardi is not here for any of the vitriol Trump continues to spew. So, when it comes to supporting those who have been unfairly attacked by the president, you can definitely count on the singer to speak up for what she believes in.
Kathy Griffin Still Feuding with Ellen DeGeneres: ‘I Am Not Her Cup Of Tea’
Griffin and DeGeneres were said to have had a falling out after DeGeneres allegedly refused to do a tribute for Joan Rivers back in 2014.
When asked if she was now friends with the talk-show host, Griffin insisted that she wasn’t, adding: “I am apparently not her cup of tea, but I think she is great. I am not a comedy snob.”
“I’m vulgar, but I think it’s great there’s clean comedians and prop comedians and topical comedians and observational comedians.”
“I’m just happy whenever a female — especially a female over 50 — is still in the game.”
Griffin also insisted she hadn’t ended her feud with Perez Hilton or Andy Cohen either.
Why is Todrick Hall Trolling the BeyHive?
Taylor Swift's bestie Todrick Hall re-heats beef with Beyoncé's fanbase over copying claims...
Back in May Taylor Swift got dragged by the BeyHive after they accused her of copying Beyoncé's HBCU drum line swag for her performance at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards [click here if you missed that].
Taylor's creative director Todrick Hall is apparently still pressed as proven by a recent post on Instagram Live where he questions whether random street drummers are also copying Beyoncé.
OOOPS!
There are New LGBTQ Emojis, But Still No Trans Flag Emoji!
Wednesday was World Emoji Day, and to mark this "global celebration of emoji," Apple and Google showed off some of the new emojis coming this fall. In total, 230 emoji will debut this year, which will bring the total number of emoji to around 3250.
Emoji have made great strides in terms of diversity over the years, and this new batch is no different. The new emoji include walking canes, wheelchairs, and hearing aids. Plus, there will now be a prosthetic arm, prosthetic leg, and service dog emojis. And Unicode is adding dozens of "couple holding hands" emojis of various genders—including a gender neutral option—and races.
While those are all great and needed, there’s something else that’s still glaringly absent: more LGBTQ flags.
There are currently 268 country flag emojis, according to Emojipedia's blog, along with some fun ones thrown in like a checkered flag and a pirate flag. Yet, there is only one pride flag available: the rainbow flag. While the rainbow flag is steeped in queer history, it has not only been co-opted by seemingly every corporation every Pride Month, but it is just one of many flags that represent pride in the queer community.
The rainbow flag does have a universal "LGBTQ" connotation, but it is also associated specifically with the gay identity. There are many identities that fall under the LGBTQ umbrella, and most have their own popular flags. Yes, it’s just an emoji, but we deserve representation in such a ubiquitous form of communication. As someone who's bisexual, I'm tired of either using the rainbow flag or some kind of combination of the pink, purple, and blue (the color of the bi pride flag) heart emojis to represent my queerness.
The lack starts to feel a little absurd when you consider all the other seemingly random and arguably unnecessary emojis that exist, like the parachuting person, the banjo, and the stick of butter with a little bit sliced off. There is a pirate flag emoji—a pirate flag!—but no other pride flag emoji. The trans flag is supported by both WhatsApp and Twitter desktop (not the iOS app). Unicode, which creates the emojis for iPhones, however, does not have one.
But Unicode isn’t entirely to blame. New emojis go through a process of being proposed and reviewed by Unicode. According to Jeremy Burge, Chief Emoji Officer at Emojipedia, Unicode itself doesn't propose any new emojis. Rather, the public submits these proposals (though employees of Unicode, Apple, Google, and other emoji-adjacent companies may submit proposals as well) and Unicode reviews them.
"Unicode accepts proposals from the public for new emojis, which meet criteria such as being visually distinctive or required for technical compatibility with other platforms," Burge said in an email. "One selection factor requires proposal authors demonstrate that an emoji would see considerable use if approved."
The timeline from submission to approval varies as new emoji are approved annually. Burge used the bagel emoji as an example: the proposal was submitted in July 2017 and it was added to the lexicon a year later.
Unicode has a robust selection criteria for emoji, including how much they expect users to use said emoji, completeness (does it fill a gap in the emoji library?), and how often it is requested. Seems easy enough. But, Emojipedia's blog entry about flags mentions two obstacles to including more pride flags. One is the difficulty for determining which flags are "notable for representation" —however that's measured.
I'm definitely not the first person to point out this lack of representation. Trans activists Bianca Rey and Ted Eytan began a campaign to get the trans flag added in 2017. And activist Charlie Craggs created a Change.org petition that has amassed thousands of signatures. In response to their efforts, Unicode co-founder and president Mark Davis has said, "We can’t have an emoji to represent every single possible group of people in the world. We have to make some choices."
There is one glimmer of hope here: the trans flag is on the "short list" for possible 2020 emojis. That doesn't mean it will be included, however, and no other pride flags—such as the bisexual, pansexual, or genderqueer flag—are on said list, meaning we’ll have to wait until at least 2021 for those.
Jeffrey Epstein Is Denied Bail In Sex Trafficking Case
A federal judge in Manhattan has ordered that multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein remain confined while he awaits trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman announced his decision that the 66-year-old financier be held without bail on Thursday, following a hearing Monday in which Epstein's lawyer asked that his client be placed on house arrest.
In denying that request, the judge called the bail offer from Epstein's defense team "irredeemably inadequate," saying his first priority in making the decision is weighing the danger Epstein posed to the community and to other potential victims.
Epstein has pleaded not guilty to charges of one count of sex trafficking and one count of sex trafficking conspiracy. He was arrested July 6 after his private plane landed at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport and was taken to the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan.
Prosecutors had called Epstein a flight risk, noting that he owns two private jets and has traveled abroad more than 20 times in the past 18 months. They also feared he might try to obstruct justice, accusing him of tampering in a previous case by paying out hundreds of thousands of dollars in hush money to silence potential witnesses.
In a filing opposing bail, prosecutors wrote that Epstein "has already demonstrated a willingness to use intimidation and aggressive tactics in connection with a criminal investigation."
Epstein's lawyers had asked that their client be issued an ankle bracelet and allowed to remain at his Manhattan mansion, which prosecutors estimated is worth $77 million. They said the registered sex offender has had a clean record since he was convicted as part of a plea agreement a decade ago.
From at least 2002 to 2005, Epstein "enticed and recruited" girls as young as 14 to his houses in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Fla., to engage in sex acts with him, according to the indictment. He allegedly paid some of the girls to recruit others in order to "maintain and increase his supply of victims."
Prosecutors said investigators have found evidence suggesting Epstein hasn't changed his ways.
"And any doubt that the defendant is unrepentant and unreformed was eliminated when law enforcement agents discovered hundreds or thousands of nude and seminude photographs of young females in his Manhattan mansion on the night of his arrest, more than a decade after he was first convicted of a sex crime involving a juvenile," U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman wrote the judge.
Epstein's victims also wanted him detained until trial, according to prosecutors: "They believe it would be unfair to victims of a wealthy defendant, like Epstein, if he were to be given greater freedoms than others would be in similar circumstances."
The federal indictment in New York comes more than a decade after Epstein faced similar federal charges in Florida. He eventually pleaded guilty to two state felonies and served 13 months in county jail as part of a plea agreement with federal prosecutors.
The new charges heightened scrutiny of the decade-old deal Epstein brokered with prosecutors, which was negotiated by then-Miami U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta. Last week, Acosta announced that he was resigning from his current post as Labor secretary.
Over the years, the well-connected financier has surrounded himself with famous people, including President Trump and former President Bill Clinton, who have recently distanced themselves from Epstein. He also has been represented by prominent lawyers such as Alan Dershowitz and Kenneth Starr.
Before Thursday's hearing, Epstein's lawyers and the government exchanged dueling filings about a mysterious passport that investigators found in a locked safe in his Manhattan mansion. Investigators say it was discovered along with "piles of cash" and diamonds.
Government lawyers said the passport was issued by the government of Austria with Epstein's photo but another person's name. It showed travel to countries including France, Spain and Saudi Arabia in the 1980s, according to the filing.
Epstein's lawyers explained to the court that a friend gave Epstein the passport bearing a "non-Jewish name," and that it was necessary "in case of hijacking" when traveling abroad.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘ROCKET WOMAN’
Out here rocking that new Elton John line of footwear.
#EGGPLANT NATION Meet Sir Wolf 🐻!
Meet Sir Wolf! Well to see more you can GO HERE TO SEE THE PICS! And remember they’re NSWF!
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN any images posted on this blog. All images are found online or submitted.
ENJOY!
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!
EFREM
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