NBA icon Kobe Bryant dropped from film festival jury
over 2003 rape claims
over 2003 rape claims
© AFP / Harry How
NBA great Kobe Bryant has been dropped from the jury of an animated film festival in the US over rape claims stemming from 2003. A petition had circulated calling for the former LA Lakers star to be removed from the panel.
Organizers at the 'Animation Is Film Festival’ in Los Angeles, which runs from October 19 to 21, announced the decision to take Bryant off the jury on Wednesday.
“After discussions with the various stakeholders of Animation Is Film, the decision has been made to remove Kobe Bryant from the 2018 jury,” said Eric Beckman, the CEO of GKIDS, the company that organizes the event.
“We are a young organization and it is important to keep our collective energies focused on the films, the participating filmmakers, and our festival attendees,” Beckman added, according to AP.
There had been calls online for Bryant to be removed from the jury over sexual assault claims from 2003, when the basketballer was accused of raping a 19-year-old hotel employee.
A petition on the change.org website read: “This is an urgent time to say NO to toxic and violent behavior against women. Keeping Kobe Bryant on the jury sets a precedent of lenience for sexual criminals and further undermines the visibility and respect that victims of harassment and assault deserve.”
The petition had gained 204 signatures at the time of writing.
Bryant maintains that the 2003 encounter was consensual, and the case was dropped when the alleged victim refused to testify. She later settled a civil case with Bryant out of court, with the player admitting no guilt.
Responding to the news he would be removed from the jury, Bryant said: “This decision further motivates me and my commitment to building a studio that focuses on diversity and inclusion in storytelling for the animation industry.
“I remain focused on changing the world in positive ways through diverse stories, characters, and leadership, in order to inspire the next generation.”
The 40-year-old former Lakers star retired from the NBA in 2016, and has since devoted himself to numerous projects, including work at Granity Studios, which he founded.
His short film ‘Dear Basketball’ won the Oscar for best animated short film at this year’s Academy Awards.
‘Carnatic musician Ravikiran sexually harassed me’:
Two former students say ‘Me Too’
Two former students say ‘Me Too’
Ravikiran and Shashikiran are world renowned musicians
Ravikiran has, however, denied allegations against him and said that his ‘parental concern’ was misunderstood.
Carnatic music developed in the southern 5 states of India but is enjoyed globally.
Caution: Graphic content below
Priyanka Thirumurthy
Over the last few weeks, several allegations of sexual harassment by prominent names in the field of Carnatic music have emerged. On Wednesday, a survivor who has been part of the music industry for almost a decade came out to name yet another highly accomplished musician, and her harrowing experiences with him as a student for three years. Lalitha*, in a series of messages to social activist Radhika Ganesh, has alleged that popular singer and chitravina player Ravikiran sexually abused her.
She has also levelled allegations of sexual harassment against his father Narasimhan. The messages have been posted with the survivor's permission on Facebook. They follow a string of anonymous allegations against Ravikiran's brother Shashikiran, who is also a popular musician.
Sounds like a very parental family!!!
Both Ravikiran and Shashikiran are world renowned musicians. Members of the Carnatic music industry tell TNM that they play a huge role in deciding the list of singers who perform at the Cleveland Thiagaraja festival every year. In addition to being the largest music festival outside India, this event is considered every musician's pass to performing across the United States of America.
Former students speak up
What Lalitha explains in her account is a textbook case of abuse of power in a place of education. She joined Ravikiran's Carnatic music classes at the age of 18. She says she initially did not find anything amiss when he claimed that he always tried to get to know his students personally. But soon, she says, the reason became clear.
"Under the pretext of dropping me or picking me up from my home, he used to take me in his car on a slow drive, while engaging in conversation. The conversation slowly shifted to how he was unhappy in his marriage. I tried to take the conversation away from that topic as much as I could,” she recounts. She says that his offer to go for an outstation concert left her perturbed, while the messages increased over time.
"He said, “I buy you coffees and get you concerts, but I don’t get to experience anything.” He then took me to his home after a drive and showed me his bedroom and asked if I liked it," says Lalitha.
"He had also asked me then, "What do you feel, are you wet?” I didn't even know what it meant then. Later on, the verbal harassment got more brazen with statements like – You are very sexy... Your boyfriend must be really lucky... What will you do when you like a boy?... Have you ever kissed?... Would you like to?” she recalls.
On other occasions, Ravikiran allegedly listed the female musicians he had affairs with and tried to initiate dirty talk, Lalitha says.
Two former students of Ravikiran, who were his disciples at the same time as Lalitha, corroborated her allegations to TNM.
"A bunch of us were in the living room of her house, jamming together," says Praveen*, who was a student of Ravikiran. "And Lalitha came out of the bathroom and sat down, she looked very troubled. She didn't say much, which was odd because she is a talkative person. And then, suddenly, she burst into tears. When we asked her what happened, she told us that she told Ravikiran she will be late for class as she had to take a bath and get ready. He apparently replied to her saying, 'I wish I could join you'," reveals the former student.
Another female student, Archana*, who was Ravikiran's disciple for a short while, says that he approached her, too, for car drives and attempted to get too personal.
"She (Lalitha) happened to hint to me that he is capable of flirting as we were on that topic. I took the courage to tell her the kind of personal questions he asked me, and that got her to confess some unbelievably perverted things you would never want to hear from your guru," recalls Archana, in her account which has also been posted by Radhika on her Facebook page. "I also saw how mentally stressed out she was as she had left everything to pursue music," she adds.
But disinterest and even her fear, did not stop Ravikiran, alleges Lalitha.
The unending harassment
"I went without knowing it was a one-on-one class and before I reached his place he called me and asked me not to ring the doorbell and instead call him. I did so. When I went in, he asked me to check if his father in-law was asleep. I did so, and then I went upstairs to his music room," says Lalitha. "He started talking dirty and started coming near me and touched my hair. Made me very scared and I cried," she adds.
The other two students were aware of the harassment being meted out, but did not speak up then.
"Nobody says anything because Ravikiran is influential in sabhas in the US. He can destroy your career if he wants to," explains Praveen. "If things don't go as per his narrative, he can get very vengeful," he points out.
Intimidation when rejected
Lalitha, at that point of time, was attempting to make a mark in Chennai's Carnatic music field. She claims she was trying to kickstart her career and avoid getting molested at the same time. But the results of rejecting his advances were evident in class, she says.
"He started giving away concerts she was supposed to do to others. From star pupil, she came down to being humiliated in every class," says Praveen.
Unable to understand why somebody so talented was being picked on, Archana claims she questioned Lalitha on Ravikiran's behaviour in class. "She broke down and told me how he has been trying to pursue her, and is very upset with her for not reciprocating," says Archana. "When she decided to quit learning from him, he was so upset that he sent her emails with so many taunts and subtle threats," she adds.
While the mails and texts stated that he was unhappy with her performance, Lalitha claims the real reason for Ravikiran's behaviour was evident. "In the texts, he claimed these threats were because my performance was not up to the mark. But it was a totally obvious retaliation for rejecting his advances," says Lalitha. She finally left the class, but continues to carry the scars of the experience.
Another victim?
Another former student of Ravikiran approached TNM with her story as well. She was 18 years old and had been his student for a few years when he coaxed her to join him on car drives and have coffee with him. She says his behaviour took a drastic turn as soon she legally became an adult.
"He’d ask me if I’ve ever had sex, then he’d tell me, oh so you’re still a virgin in the woods. He also told me now that I’ve turned 18 I was free to make my own decisions. He’d also tell me that unlike alcohol or cigarettes, sex had no consequence. It felt like he was grooming me for consent," she tells TNM.
She eventually left his classes for good but he continued to call her for a while.
Former students allege that this was Ravikiran's modus operandi. "Build trust in a student and push his limits to see if he can coerce consent. And if said consent isn't given then make the student's life hellish," summarises Praveen.
Archana says she was just lucky, she understood his intentions in time. "He tried it with me as well but luckily he could not get too far. He traps you by telling you that there is no such thing as right and wrong. It was so sick that I can't tell you how much I regretted taking up music," she admits.
Ravikiran denies allegations
When TNM contacted Chitravina Ravikiran over the allegations levelled by the former students, he dismissed their claims.
Ravikiran says, "Asking someone if they have a boyfriend does not mean that I want to have sex with them. Moreover, I would never ask someone something that sleazy, it is not my style. I have never laid a finger on someone against their will. I am a victim of child sexual abuse myself.”
The musician states that he was always involved in the lives of all his students, including personal, financial and professional facets of it. "She has misunderstood my parental concern for her. I do this for my male and female students," he claims.
Ravikiran further goes on to state that he had pulled up Lalitha several times in class for bad conduct and that his students were aware of it. (Though TNM did not take her name, he said he could guess who the person was).
Responding to the allegations, Ravikiran instead accused Lalitha of being ‘flirtatious to others’.
"I tell all my students to be career conscious and focus on music. She wasn't practicing enough and there were complaints against her. I am known to give advice in soft manner as well as in a scathing manner in front of the entire class," he adds.
Praveen, who was also a student of Ravikiran however denies this. "The men in his classes were definitely treated like second class citizens," he alleges.
Archana meanwhile points out that Ravikiran was particularly cruel to Lalitha.
"He would literally humiliate and break her in class. And she was one of the most talented singers there," she states.
When questioned about the alleged blackmail Lalitha was subjected to when she attempted to quit, Ravikiran laughs it off. "How can I take away opportunities in a democratic society?" he asks. "Am I the mafia?" he asks.
‘Don't question the Guru’
Stalwarts in the industry, tell TNM, that the complex relationship that a Guru and his student shares, often robs the latter of the power to say no to their teachers."In the world of art and culture, the Guru-Sishya dynamic is very complex. The Guru wields immense power over his students and is almost seen as a demi-god," says Swarnamalya, a performing artiste. "If a student aspires to take up music or dance as a career, then the Guru's decisions and opinion will permeate into every aspect of their life," she explains.
She says that there is a culture of not questioning the Guru and the student is groomed into believing that the Guru's help and guidance is required to make a mark in the field. "They are considered to be the custodians of any knowledge imparted to you. That is why even parents push their children without paying any attention to the abnormality in the relationship. It simply does not strike them that sexual harassment could occur in this environment. This hold that the Guru has over the student must be inspected," she adds.
*Names changed
Tekashi 6ix9ine Receives Four Years Probation
In Sexual Misconduct Case
News VIBEIn Sexual Misconduct Case
CREDIT: Jefferson Siegel/NY Daily News via Getty Images
Tekashi 6ix9ine’s 2015 case has a new development. According to Pitchfork, the “FEFE” rapper received four years probation for a plea agreement violation. Born Daniel Hernandez, the controversial rapper originally faced 1-3 years in prison.
The Brooklyn native breached the terms which led to his court appearances and prosecutors’ pleas for prison time. Documents were filed calling for 6ix9ine to register as a sex offender. However, the court did not mandate that the controversial rapper enter his name into the sex offender database.
The 22-year-old violated the plea terms when he faced a misdemeanor assault charge in May 2018. He was later booked for operating a vehicle with a suspended license. Pitchfork adds Hernandez was also tied to an assault concerning an NYPD officer.
In 2015’s first quarter, 6ix9ine was detained for evidence of his unlawful involvement with a 13-year-old girl. Reports state he used the underage teen in “a sexual performance” and he later pled guilty to the charge. He was 18 at the time. His plea deal was enacted a while after and served as a temporary hold until it was time for sentencing.
As part of his probation, Tekashi will have to complete 1,000 hours of community service, TMZ reports. His interaction with gang members will also have to cease. If he violates again, a new re-sentencing date will be likely.
Community service - wonder what that will look like?
Two members of Ontario's new Premier's inner circle
resign due to inappropriate sexual behaviour
By Travis DhanrajQueen’s Park Bureau Chief Global News
Global News has learned from multiple sources that two senior members of Premier Doug Ford’s inner circle were forced to resign Friday due to allegations of sexually inappropriate behaviour.
The allegations, involving sexual misconduct, were made by a male Queen’s Park staffer and the premier’s office became aware of the claim late Friday afternoon.
Just after 6 p.m., a member of Premier Ford’s communications team issued the following statement: “The Honourable Jim Wilson has resigned as Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade, effective immediately. Mr. Wilson will also be resigning from the Progressive Conservative caucus to seek treatment for addiction issues.”
The short statement made no mention of the allegations against Wilson.
Wilson will remain as the MPP for the riding of Simcoe—Grey, sitting as an independent. Jim Wilson has been a member of provincial parliament since 1990 and had served in the cabinets of former premiers Mike Harris and Ernie Eves. He was also chosen by the PC party to serve as interim leader following the 2014 resignation of former leader Tim Hudak.Global News reached out to the premier’s office and Jim Wilson for comment and have not received a reply.
Global News also learned from multiple sources that Andrew Kimber, (left) Ford’s executive director of issues management and legislative affairs, resigned Friday after being confronted about multiple sexually inappropriate text messages he allegedly sent to a female staffer at Queen’s Park.
No statement was issued about Kimber’s departure or about the allegations. Kimber had been a trusted adviser to the premier since he was sworn in this summer.
Explicit messages sent during manic episode,
exposure left me suicidal, says sexting MP
(CC) Chris McAndrew / UK Parliament
MP Andrew Griffiths, who sent 2,000 sexually explicit messages to women, leading to his resignation, has said that he was having a manic episode and that his condition is linked to being sexually abused as a boy.
The disgraced MP for Burton told the Sunday Times that he had considered suicide after the messages were exposed and that the episode lead to him spending 31 days in a psychiatric hospital.
The MP, 48, repeatedly attempted to ‘sext’ a 28-year-old bar worker and her friend. He was exposed in July after the Sunday Mirror published extracts from the over 2,000 messages - many of which were of violent and graphic nature. In some of the messages Griffiths referred to himself as “daddy,” while others were boasts of his connections to celebrities and the Royal Family.
Addressing the episode, Griffiths told the newspaper: “I don’t for one second try to excuse what I did. The texts were horrible and I apologize hugely for them, and to everyone I have hurt. I am ashamed and embarrassed.
“But I need to put into context why it happened, so that in 15 years, when my daughter reads this interview, she’ll understand exactly why I found myself in this terrible situation.”
Griffiths, a one time chief of staff for Theresa May, also faced allegations of bullying and inappropriate touching from several Conservative colleagues. The allegations, one of which was being investigated at the time, didn’t stop the MP being appointed Small Businesses Minister. He stepped down from the role following the sext expose.
Which tells you a lot about Theresa May!
In an attempt to explain his behavior to his constituents, Griffiths spoke of the incident as being “the result of my mental breakdown, my battle with my own mental health has been ongoing for decades.”
During his time in hospital, the MP detailed how he “confided aloud for the first time in my life that as a child I was abused by an older boy of about 15.”
On his suicidal thoughts, Griffiths, whose daughter was born earlier this year said: “Two things saved my life; the first was the thought of what suicide would do to my daughter and wife. The second was the chief whip, who contacted parliament’s doctor and got me into hospital.”
The interview comes as a Conservative disciplinary panel is due to decide on whether the MP should be kicked out of the party. Despite resigning from his ministerial role, Griffiths has refused to step down as an MP, despite condemnation from Tory colleagues and protests from his constituents.
It is very unfortunate that Griffiths was sexually abused as a child and it certainly explains many of his problems, but it can never be used as an excuse to afflict others with your problems.
Kim Richards Reveals She Was a
Victim of Sexual Abuse as a Child
Lara SophiaFormer Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kim Richards is opening up about the sexual abuse she experienced as a child.
“When I was about 6-yrs-old, I didn’t have a lot of friends. So, when the ice cream man would pull up out front in the ice cream truck, he would let me get inside the truck and he would let me serve the kids ice cream,” Kim confessed. “And one day, I turned around, and he had no pants on.”
Adding, “And he grabbed my hand and put it on him. And I just kind of, you know, backed up and ran out of the truck.”
One of the show’s therapist then asked Kim how this event shaped her life and affected her relationships.
Kim explained that this traumatic event affected her ability to love.
“I think it blocked my love for a long time,” Kim explained. “I was afraid to love.”
During the same episode, Kim also opened up about the death of her former fiance John Collett. Collett was killed in 1991 after being shot execution style.
Kim opened up about John after she was asked to paint a traumatic event from her past.
“This is John, my fiance. We were on the phone, and then he said ‘Tell me you love me,’” said Kim. “Two men just walked up and one of them shot him. That was the biggest pain I had ever felt, and I put a wall up.”
As you know Kim has battled alcoholism her entire adult life. Alcoholism can be a result of childhood trauma and stress.
Thankfully, Kim is currently sober and very happy.
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