Entertainment

November 20, 2007

Fashion designer indicted for rape, assault of 9 women

A fashion designer already in Los Angeles police custody on sex charges has been indicted in New York on charges of rape and sexual assault of nine women, prosecutors said Tuesday.

A 40-count indictment charges Anand Jon Alexander, a graduate of New York's Parsons School of Design who has worked for many celebrities, with rape, aggravated sex abuse and related crimes that stem from assaults from November 2002 through September 2006, the Manhattan district attorney's office said.

Many of Alexander's victims came from other cities looking for modeling or other job opportunities, office spokeswoman Barbara Thompson said.

Prosecutors in New York sent an arrest warrant to Los Angeles, asking authorities there to hold Alexander for extradition if he posts the $2.1 million bail a judge set for him this month, Thompson said. Alexander was due back in court there on Dec. 6.

One of Alexander's attorneys, Donald Marks, said he hadn't seen the New York indictment and couldn't comment. Marks' law firm partner, Anthony Brooklier, had said their client denied the Los Angeles charges and was "anxious to get out of jail."

The hirsute Indian-born designer has worked with Paris and Nicky Hilton, Ivanka Trump, Mary J. Blige and other celebrities. In 2003, he was among 20 people profiled by Newsweek as up-and-coming players in various industries.

A Los Angeles County grand jury indicted Alexander on Sept. 27 on 54 felony and five misdemeanor counts, including forcible rape, sexual battery by restraint and lewd acts upon a child, prosecutors said. That indictment was unsealed Oct. 4.

Los Angeles prosecutors say Alexander, 33, attacked women from three countries and nine states between November 2002 and March 2007. They said he met women online and assaulted them when they visited him to seek modeling opportunities.

Thompson said she understood that Alexander also is under investigation in Texas because of sex assault allegations.

On his Web site, Alexander describes himself as "one of the young visionaries of our times" who is "both an individual personality and a brand name representing the synergy of the East and the West with a focused luxurious, youthful, sensual and cutting edge inspiration/image."

Read more | Send to a Friend
Associated Press | Tuesday, November 20, 2007

 

November 2, 2007

South Africa Arrests Woman In Oprah School Abuse Case

South African police have arrested a former dormitory employee at Oprah Winfrey's leadership academy for girls on charges of abuse, including indecent acts.

At least seven alleged victims have submitted statements about the woman, police said.

"A former dormitory employee (27) has been arrested yesterday by the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit on several charges of abuse," a statement from police spokesman Superintendent Lungelo Dlamini read.

"Several charges including alleged assault, indecent assault, crimen injuria and soliciting girls under age to perform indecent acts are being investigated against her. At least seven victims have already submitted statements."

The suspect is being held by police and is expected to appear before a magistrate on Monday, said the statement.

A spokeswoman in Chicago for U.S. billionaire television magnate Winfrey said there was no one immediately available for comment.

The $40 million academy has been dogged by controversy since it opened in January with a launch attended by singers Mariah Carey and Tina Turner, actor Sydney Poitier and filmmaker Spike Lee.

Winfrey selected the first class of 152 poor, mostly black pupils to attend the school that boasts state-of-the-art facilities including laboratories, a yoga studio and beauty salon.

Tuition and board is free. The academy provides its 450 students with textbooks, uniforms and meals.

NO JUNK FOOD

In March, some parents complained the school was too strict and its restrictions on visits, phone calls and email contact were comparable to rules in prisons.

In May, some parents complained their children were not allowed junk food and, when they visited the school, they had to go through a security gate.

Crimen injuria refers to the crime of injuring another person's dignity. This can cover racial abuse and sexual offences against children.

"We would like to thank a team of experts appointed by the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls who compiled a misconduct report which was later handed to the police," said the police statement.

"The report assisted members of the police to speed up investigations, that is, victims as well as the suspect were already identified."

South Africa's Rapport newspaper had reported that Winfrey had flown to meet parents and school officials, and asked for forgiveness for letting them down.

The residential academy is situated on 52 acres (21 hectares) at Henley-on-Klip, south of Johannesburg.

Reporters who visited the school after reports of abuse were published were denied access to children and administrators.

Read more | Send to a Friend
Reuters | Friday, November 2, 2007

 

September 15, 2007

O.J. named as possible armed-robbery suspect

Since being acquitted in the death of his ex-wife 13 years ago, the former football star has been accused of assaulting a photographer, questioned by police when his former girlfriend reported domestic disturbances, charged in a road rage incident, ticketed for speeding through a Florida manatee zone in a power boat and investigated in connection with an Ecstacy ring, a money laundering scheme and the pirating of satellite television programs.

Read more | Send to a Friend
Los Angeles Times | Saturday, September 15, 2007

 

September 9, 2007

Thousands Celebrate Art and Humanity of Pavarotti

Luciano Pavarotti, the Italian tenor, was eulogized on Saturday as a "great artist" with "a profound sense of humanity" in the same cathedral where he once sang in the children's choir. During a musical career that spanned nearly 50 years, Mr. Pavarotti bridged highbrow and pop culture. He died near here on Thursday at 71 after a yearlong battle with pancreatic cancer.

Read more | Send to a Friend
ELISABETTA POVOLEDO - New York Times | Sunday, September 9, 2007

 

September 7, 2007

Warner Bros. Gets in on the Social Networking Fad, Will Launch 'T-Works' Site Next Year

Warner Bros. plans to launch a Web site early next year that will allow users to interact with its cast of animated characters, create personal profiles and watch original online episodes.

The advertising-supported site will be called T-Works and will launch next spring, the company, a division of Time Warner Inc., said Thursday.

Besides serving as a destination for fans of such characters as Tweety Bird, Bugs Bunny and the Flintstones, the site also will allow users to personalize the characters and take them off site to decorate Web pages and profiles on social networking sites such as MySpace.

Users also will be able to create their own profiles and use such standard social networking tools as online chats.

The site will enable Warner Bros. to market toys, books and movies from its various divisions, including DC Comics, which serves as the home to Batman and Superman.

''T-Works will offer original entertainment content, social interaction and an intimacy with our beloved and iconic characters like never before in an environment that's safe and appropriate for all ages,'' said Lisa Judson, president of Warner Bros. Animation.

While the site will let users adopt a cartoon personality, or avatar, and interact with others on the site, it will also include filters, parental controls and other safeguards, the company said.

Video channels will include original shows made for the site as well as games. Users also can accumulate points that can be redeemed for items to decorate their T-Works profile.

Read more | Send to a Friend
Associated Press | Friday, September 7, 2007

 

August 27, 2007

Britney Targeted in Child Abuse Investigation

TMZ has learned Britney Spears is being investigated for possible child abuse. An unscheduled hearing was held today at L.A. County Superior Court. Present -- Britney's lawyer, Dennis Wasser, K-Fed's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, and a lawyer from the Los Angeles County Counsel who is assigned to the dependency court.

Read more | Send to a Friend
TMZ | Monday, August 27, 2007

 

August 18, 2007

Action star Steven Seagal Wants an FBI Apology

Not long ago, Steven Seagal was one of the best-paid action stars in Hollywood. The martial arts master played crime-busting anti-heroes in films that generated more than $1 billion in ticket and DVD sales during the 1990s. Now he appears in low-budget productions that go straight to video.

Read more | Send to a Friend
Chuck Philips - Los Angeles Times | Saturday, August 18, 2007

 

August 14, 2007

Controversial O. J. Simpson's Book to Be Published After All

A literary agent for the family of stabbing victim Ronald Goldman has made a deal to repackage and publish O.J. Simpson's canceled "If I Did It" book about the slayings of Goldman and Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, a spokesman for the agent said Monday.

Read more | Send to a Friend
Associated Press | Tuesday, August 14, 2007

 

August 2, 2007

Fred Thompson's Wife: Is She Dragging Down His Candidacy?

Read more | Send to a Friend
Robert Novak - Washington Post | Thursday, August 2, 2007

 

July 20, 2007

Lindsay Lohan turns herself in to police

Lindsay Lohan turned herself in to face charges of driving under the influence in connection with the Memorial Day weekend hit-and-run crash that sent her into rehab.Accompanied by her attorney, the 21-year-old actress surrendered at the Beverly Hills Police Department Thursday afternoon to be fingerprinted and photographed, Officer Brian Ballieweg said.

Read more | Send to a Friend
The Associated Press | Friday, July 20, 2007