Perverted Lives of the Rich and Famous > Noel Clarke; Marilyn Manson, Esme Bianco; Felix Verdejo; Roberto Alomar; Jake Virtanen; Mistakay; Christoph Metzelder

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Actor Noel Clarke stripped of Bafta honors, membership after 20 women accuse him of sexual predation & bullying

30 Apr, 2021 09:43

Noel Clarke receives Outstanding British Contribution To Cinema BAFTA award.

©BAFTA / Handout via REUTERS

Acclaimed British actor and filmmaker Noel Clarke has been accused by multiple women of being a serial sexual predator, who has been abusing his professional position of power to harass subordinates. He denied the allegations.

Clarke is a prolific actor, producer, screenwriter and director best known for productions like ‘The Hood Trilogy’ and ‘Bulletproof’ TV series. On April 10, he received the prize for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta), his latest professional award.

A damning expose published by the Guardian on Thursday paints him as an abusive sexual predator, who for years has been using his industry position to sexually harass female co-workers. The newspaper interviewed 20 women, many of whom went on record under their real names, who described incidents of misconduct by Clarke that allegedly happened between 2004 and 2019.

He was accused of secretly filming a nude audition with actress Jahannah James and showing the footage to other people, including producer Gina Powell, who worked for Clarke between 2014 and 2017, producing ‘Brotherhood’. 

Norwegian film producer Synne Seltveit said Clarke smacked her buttocks and sent her a photo of an erect penis through Snapchat.

Anna Avramenko, who worked as an intern during the filming of ‘Doghouse’, said Clarke tried to kiss her several times on set. 

Actress Jing Lusi, who worked with Clarke on the film ‘SAS: Red Notice’, said he told her he wanted to go have sex with her, and after she refused he threatened her with reprecautions (repercussions) unless she kept the episode to herself.

Helen Atherton, an art director on ‘Brotherhood’, said Clarke broke industry norms for filming nude and sex scenes. At times he pressured actresses into taking part in what was “porn basically”.

Philippa Crabb, who worked as a runner on ‘Brotherhood’, said Clarke bombarded her with inappropriate comments. The experience was so bad that she quit the film industry and moved to Switzerland, the report said.

Similar detailed allegations of inappropriate conversations, unwanted physical contact, humiliation and emotional abuse came from other women who remained anonymous.

Clarke denied the allegations, saying in a statement: “In a 20-year career, I have put inclusivity and diversity at the forefront of my work and never had a complaint made against me. If anyone who has worked with me has ever felt uncomfortable or disrespected, I sincerely apologise. I vehemently deny any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing and intend to defend myself against these false allegations.”

The only incident that he acknowledged happening was described by Ieva Sabaliauskaite, a production assistant on ‘Brotherhood’. At a party, she demonstrated her skills as a former gymnast, including doing the splits, and Clarke took a picture of her that showed her underwear. She said she was humiliated when she saw her boss showing the image to colleagues and lunged for the phone, which caused it to drop, breaking the screen. She was further humiliated when she was ordered to take it to a repair shop.

Clarke’s lawyers said the photo only showed what Sabaliauskaite did publicly on a dancefloor and that taking the phone to be fixed was part of her job. They said Clarke was simply joking when he showed the image to others.

Bafta was aware of the allegations before awarding its prize to Clarke, the Guardian reported, but said it could not investigate the credibility of an anonymous email it had received regarding the filmmaker. The organization took a different stance after the expose was published. The report “provided for the first time detailed accounts outlining serious allegations regarding Noel Clarke’s conduct,” so Bafta has “immediately suspended the award and Noel Clarke’s membership of Bafta until further notice,” it said.

The newspaper alleged that Clarke and his business partner, Jason Maza, had been contacting people about its ongoing investigation. Clarke reportedly called James, the actress whose nude audition he allegedly secretly filmed, to ask her if she was talking to the press.

“I would just ask you if the good times meant anything. Do not speak to this woman [the Guardian journalist] … Do not entertain it. Just f***ing – just please do not, that’s all,” he was quoted as saying.

“If there’s someone that was like a consensual that’s changed their mind five years later, well, firstly, that’s f****ing ridiculous. Secondly, they still have to prove it. And I’m not trying to be that guy that’s like: hahaha I’m guilty, prove it. I’m not trying to be that guy. But they still have to prove it,” he reportedly added.

Maza allegedly called a different woman after Clarke received the Bafta award to tell her that the story had been buried. “Obviously, this article hasn’t broken in the Guardian and it won’t run in the Guardian now,” he allegedly said. “As far as we’re concerned, the thing has now gone away as much as Noel can do in his power.”

‘Game of Thrones’ actress Esme Bianco sues Marilyn Manson for rape as authorities probe rock star over reports of sexual abuse

1 May, 2021 11:31

Singer Marilyn Manson poses for photographers at the Fashion Awards 2016 in London, Britain December 5, 2016. ©  REUTERS/Neil Hall

‘Game of Thrones’ actress Esme Bianco is suing Marliyn Manson, alleging that the shock rocker raped her, months after she and other women accused him of sexual abuse.

Filed in a California court, the complaint claims that Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, used drugs and “threats of force” to coerce sexual acts from Bianco, who played Ros on the popular HBO show, on multiple occasions. Manson is accused of “biting, cutting, and whipping” the British actress without her consent, and also engaging in sexual acts with the actress while she was unconscious. Manson raped Bianco sometime around May 2011, the suit alleges, with other incidents of abuse said to have occurred between 2009 and 2013. Manson, along with his former manager, Tony Ciulla, is also accused of violating human trafficking laws. The musician allegedly flew Bianco from London to Los Angeles after offering her a role in a music video and a film that was never made. 

Bianco would have been 27 years old in 2009.

Bianco was reportedly ordered to live at Manson’s residence and perform unpaid labor, including cooking and cleaning. The suit claims that Bianco was forced to wear lingerie around the house and that Manson beat her with a whip that he claimed had been “utilized by the Nazis.” Manson is also accused of electrocuting the actress and locking her in a closet. 

The lawsuit states that the pair’s relationship, which began in 2009, lasted for several years and was initially consensual, but that Bianco “escaped” from him in 2011. 

Several years?

In a statement, Bianco said that her alleged abuser has used his money and fame to avoid punishment. She said that she brought the suit against the rock star because she wanted to help stop him from “shattering any more lives and empower other victims to seek their own small measure of justice.”

Manson’s attorney dismissed the claims made in the lawsuit as “provably false,” adding that it was only filed after his client “refused to be shaken down” by Bianco and her lawyer. He said that all the charges would be challenged in court and that he was confident his client would be vindicated. 

Bianco was one of several women who came forward earlier this year with stories of abuse suffered at the hands of Manson. As a teenager she had been a huge fan of the musician, but her idol later became her nightmare. 

In an interview from February, she described Manson as a “monster who almost destroyed me and almost destroyed so many women.” Around the same time, other women issued statements alleging similar abuse, including sexual assault and domestic violence.

Shortly after, Los Angeles County authorities announced that they had launched a domestic violence investigation against Manson. 

Bianco’s attorney told the media that, while the criminal investigation into Manson was still ongoing, it was important to “pursue every possible avenue” to hold him accountable for his alleged actions. 

Manson has previously denied accusations of sexual abuse, insisting that his intimate relationships have always been “entirely consensual with like-minded partners.”

Boxing star ‘wanted by authorities over missing woman who was last seen at his home telling him she was pregnant with his baby’

2 May, 2021 09:05

Boxing star Felix Verdejo © Reuters / Andrew Couldridge © Twitter / jasminedragon96

Boxer Felix Verdejo is "of interest" in the investigation of a missing woman whose body may have been found drowned in Puerto Rico, according to reports claiming that she disappeared after telling him she was carrying his child.

Keishla Marlen Rodriguez Ortiz has been missing since Thursday morning, causing local officials to issue a Pink Alert as part of a new bill passed in October to help speed up the process of finding missing women against a backdrop of increasing gender violence on the island.

The alert is for adult women whose disappearances are linked to domestic violence, hate crimes or crimes of a sexual nature, and Ortiz's sister, Bereliz Nichole, accompanied the move with a video on Facebook appealing for information.

Several local accounts on social media have alleged that the body of a pregnant woman whose blonde hair matched Ortiz's has since been found floating in a lake, with her family called to identify whether the body is hers.

Verdejo was contacted by criminal investigators on Thursday, according to Boxing Scene, which has said that he initially "shut down" an interview before agreeing to voluntarily meet them with his attorney.

The account also quoted a local news publication which said that Verdejo and Rodriguez were allegedly romantically linked in the past, and reported that Rodriguez's last location was at his home, where she is said to have arrived with a pregnancy test and the intention of telling him that he was the father.

According to the investigation, the last known location for Rodriguez was at Verdejo’s home where she allegedly arrived with a pregnancy test in tow and to inform the boxer that he was the father.

Ortiz was last officially seen in a car that was found abandoned in the municipality of Canovanas, ESPN said, adding that a police commissioner had told reporters that they were "still looking for [her] alive" and collaborating with the FBI.

“We are interviewing several people who are close to her," said Police Commissioner López Figueroa, announcing that their information suggested Verdejo had known Ortiz for "11 or 12 years".

"Countless people are going to be summoned. Anyone who had any contact with her, any romantic relationship, we are also interviewing." Verdejo's wife, Eliz Marie Santiago, is also said to have spoken to investigators on Friday.

Verdejo, 27, has scored 17 knockouts in an impressive 29-fight defeat that has only seen him beaten twice.

The most recent of those was in December, when he unsuccessfully challenged Masayoshi Nakatani for the WBO Inter-Continental lightweight title, suffering a ninth-round knockout in Las Vegas.

The former London 2012 Olympic Games competitor for his country had been on a run of four wins before his bid for the belt failed.

The danger of making celebrities heroes - athletic ability, musical ability, acting ability do not require good character. Very often these are not the type of person you want your children to emulate.

MLB fires Roberto Alomar from consultant position

amid sexual misconduct allegation

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Former Blue Jays' star infielder 'disappointed, surprised and upset with news'

Christine Rankin · CBC Sports

Posted: Apr 30, 2021 1:44 PM ET | Last Updated: May 1

Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar has been fired by MLB amid a sexual misconduct allegation, according to a statement the league released Friday. (Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

Major League Baseball has fired former Toronto Blue Jays second baseman and Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar from a consultant position amid a sexual misconduct allegation. 

Commissioner Rob Manfred on Friday announced Alomar had been placed on the MLB's ineligible list, according to a media release from the league. 

A statement from the commissioner said an independent investigation was conducted by an external legal firm at his office's request to review the allegation, which date back to 2014 and were reported by a "baseball industry employee" earlier this year.

"Having reviewed all of the available evidence from the now completed investigation, I have concluded that Mr. Alomar violated MLB's policies, and that termination of his consultant contract and placement on MLB's Ineligible List are warranted," the statement said.

"We are grateful for the courage of the individual who came forward. MLB will continue to strive to create environments in which people feel comfortable speaking up without fear of recrimination, retaliation, or exclusion."

The complainant's lawyer released a statement later Friday saying she did not plan to take further action against Alomar. "She simply wants to ensure that Mr. Alomar is held accountable for his wrongdoing and hopes her actions can help Major League Baseball create a safer workplace for its employees," the statement said.

It also expressed the woman's support for MLB's action against Alomar.

In January, New York Mets general manager Jared Porter was fired for having sent sexually explicit and uninvited messages and images to a female reporter in 2016.

The next month, Los Angeles Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway was suspended following allegations of inappropriate behaviour from five women in sports media.

Jays 'severing all ties' with player

In a statement, the Blue Jays supported MLB's decision. 

"The Blue Jays are severing all ties with Alomar, effective immediately, [and] are committed to advancing respect and equity in baseball and are taking further action by removing Alomar from the Level of Excellence and taking down his banner at Rogers Centre."

Alomar's No. 12 banner was revealed at the Rogers Centre nearly 10 years ago in July 2011. He's one of only two players in franchise history to have their numbers retired, joining late pitcher Roy Halladay.

The release said the team commends "the courage demonstrated by the individual who bravely came forward."

'Disappointed, surprised'

Alomar responded with a statement on Twitter, saying "with the current social climate [he understands] why Major League Baseball has taken the position they have."

"I am disappointed, surprised, and upset with today's news," he said. "My hope is that this allegation can be heard in a venue that will allow me to address the accusation directly."

"I will continue to spend my time helping kids pursue their baseball dreams. I will not be making any further comment at this time."

MLB says it also won't be providing further details to respect the person's privacy and confidentiality. 

Plaque remains in Cooperstown

The National Baseball Hall of Fame said it was "shocked and saddened," but that Alomar's plaque would remain on display to recognize his achievements in baseball. 

"When he was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America in the Class of 2011, Alomar was an eligible candidate in good standing. His plaque will remain on display in the Hall of Fame in recognition of his accomplishments in the game, and his enshrinement reflects his eligibility and the perspective of the BBWAA voters at that time."

Alomar is a 12-time all-star and received 10 Gold Glove Awards. He became the first Toronto Blue Jays player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame after spending five seasons with the team, including the back-to-back World Series wins in 1992 and 1993.

He first signed with San Diego, but also played for Baltimore, Cleveland, the New York Mets, Chicago and Arizona. 

Vancouver Canucks place Jake Virtanen on leave

following sexual misconduct allegations

The Canadian Press

Posted: May 01, 2021 4:07 PM ET 

The Vancouver Canucks have placed right-winger Jake Virtanen on leave following allegations of sexual misconduct.

The team released a statement Saturday saying it "does not accept sexual misconduct of any kind and the claims as reported are being treated very seriously."

The Canucks say they have "engaged external expertise" to assist in an independent investigation and Virtanen has been placed on leave as the team awaits more information.

An NHL spokesperson said Saturday the league is aware of the serious allegations and will not comment until the results of the independent investigation are complete.

No charges have been laid, and neither Virtanen nor his representatives have responded to the allegations.

Virtanen, who hails from Langley, (actually, Abbotsford), B.C., was drafted sixth overall by Vancouver in 2014. He has five points, all goals, in 38 games this season.

Virtanen signed a two-year, $5.1-million US extension with Vancouver in October.

Mistakay: Rapper Kieron Cunliffe jailed over

live-streamed child sex abuse

Published 2 days ago

A music producer and rapper who live-streamed child sex abuse to the US has been jailed for 15 years.

Kieron Cunliffe, 25, of Doncaster, was arrested in October 2020 after US security forces alerted South Yorkshire Police to a man streaming child abuse.

Cunliffe, who performs as MistaKay and is also known as Kieron McGowan, pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual assault of a child under 13.

He was also handed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Cunliffe was located by police after the US Department of Homeland Security contacted the South Yorkshire force to tell them about a man sharing child sex abuse images in a chat room.

His IP address was traced that same day to a property in Doncaster.

Cunliffe also pleaded guilty to two counts of taking indecent images of a child and two counts of distributing indecent images of children at an earlier court hearing.

The rapper, whose music had been played on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra, was jailed at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday.

He is to serve a minimum of 10 years in prison and the remainder of his sentence on extended licence.

My first attempt to pronounce 'Mistakay' came out as 'Mistake Eh'! Seems more appropriate now.

Ex-Germany footballer Christoph Metzelder pleads guilty

over child abuse images

Updated: 30 April 2021, 11:17

By Nick Hardinges, LBC

Former Germany and Real Madrid footballer Christoph Metzelder has pleaded guilty to sharing images that show child sex abuse.

The ex-defender was issued with a 10-month suspended sentence at Dusseldorf District Court for distributing the pictures.

He admitted to most of the public prosecutor's charges and was convicted of one charge of possession as his trial commenced on Wednesday.

Metzelder, who spent the bulk of his career at Borussia Dortmund, had been accused of possessing images of children being sexually exploited and of forwarding 29 files to three women, who are also being investigated.

He initially denied the charges when the allegations against him were made public in August 2019. But the prosecutor told the court that the former international star sent photos earlier that month showing the sexual abuse of girls under the age of 10.

The 40-year-old said: "I leave a wound that will never heal."

He apologised to the victims and said he would return all awards handed to him for founding a charity fighting child poverty.

Metzelder enjoyed a successful playing career in Spain and Germany, also representing Schalke.

He made 47 appearances for Germany, helping the side finish as runners-up at the 2002 World Cup and 2008 European Championship. After retirement, Metzelder worked briefly as a pundit for broadcaster ARD.

The ex-footballer stepped down as president of his hometown club TuS Haltern in September 2019 when the allegations came to light.

He is set to next appear in court on 4 and 10 May for the rest of the trial.

The Perverted Lives of the Rich and Famous > K-pop's Seungri; NY Met's GM; Spanish Footie Stars; US Football Star; Bollywood Star Director

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K-pop's Seungri charged with deploying gangsters at bar

By Elizabeth Shim

South Korean singer Seungri was charged with mobilizing special assault in connection with an altercation in December 2015 in southern Seoul, local reports said. File Photo by Yonhap

Jan. 15 (UPI) -- A South Korean celebrity who owned a nightclub in Seoul that shuttered after multiple rape incidents was indicted for mobilizing gang members.

Seungri, a former member of boy band Big Bang, was charged with "special assault," the general military court of South Korea's Ground Operations Command said, according to local paper Hankook Ilbo on Friday.

Seungri, 30, whose real name is Lee Seung-hyun, already has been charged with facilitating sex trafficking, embezzling funds from his own nightclub and gambling overseas. South Korean law prohibits citizens from gambling, even when they are abroad.

South Korean military prosecutors said Thursday the defendant conspired with Yoo In-suk, former chief executive of Yuri Holdings Co., to send gang members to attack a customer who had a dispute with Seungri at a bar in Seoul in 2015.

Seungri and Yoo "displayed force and threatened victims," prosecutors said.

The charges that were addressed this week referred to an incident in late December 2015. After an argument erupted between Seungri and another bar customer at the time, Seungri called Yoo to ask for muscle, according to the Chosun Ilbo on Thursday.

Seungri's legal counsel said his client completely denies the allegations and will submit an opinion, according to reports.

Past charges against the defendant, who is currently completing his mandatory military service, relate to rape-and-drugging incidents at Burning Sun, where he served as a board of director and held shares.

I wonder how much fun he is having doing military service with all those charges hanging over his head?

The club was shuttered in 2019 after local reports said eyewitnesses saw women being dragged to VIP rooms. Whistleblowers were assaulted by staff when they tried to help, reports said.

Burning Sun opened in 2018 but continued to operate even after victims of sexual assault notified police.

Last year South Korean prosecutors charged a senior officer with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency with cover up.

Seungri has denied nearly all charges.

‘Zero tolerance’: New York Mets GM Jared Porter FIRED as four-year-old ‘pics’ come back to bite him

19 Jan 2021 14:53

The New York Mets have dismissed Porter over the messages. © Getty / Instagram @mets (inset)

The New York Mets are in damage control mode after announcing they have fired their recently-appointed general manager Jared Porter amid reports that he sent a series of unsolicited, inappropriate texts to a female reporter.

The Mets moved quickly Tuesday to sever ties with Porter, 41, just over a month after hiring him after a media storm ignited following a report by ESPN that he had sent a series of unsolicited x-rated images to a female reporter in 2016 while he was a member of the Chicago Cubs organization.

"We have terminated Jared Porter this morning," Mets owner Steve Cohen wrote on Twitter. "In my initial press conference I spoke about the importance of integrity and I meant it. There should be zero tolerance for this type of behavior."

Porter's termination comes just hours after the story was broken, with the Mets issuing an initial statement to say that they had just recently been made aware of the allegations, promising to follow-up with further information once an internal review was conducted - which apparently came early Tuesday morning.

"I have spoken directly with Jared Porter regarding events that took place in 2016 of which we were made aware tonight for the first time. Jared has acknowledged to me his serious error in judgment, has taken responsibility for his conduct, has expressed remorse, and has previously apologized for his actions," Mets president Sandy Alderson said on Monday.

"The Mets take these matters seriously, expect professional and ethical behavior from all of our employees, and certainly do not condone the conduct described in (the ESPN) story. We will follow up as we review the facts regarding this serious issue."

The allegations stem from a series of inappropriate messages sent by Porter to a foreign female reporter who has withheld her own identity for fear of public reprisal. She says that she received dozens of messages from Porter, ranging from idle chat to X-rated 'd*ck picks' - along with requests wondering why she wasn't reciprocating the photographs.

She told ESPN that she had kept the messages private for several years but was compelled to come forward when Porter was appointed as the Mets' GM for fear that he would abuse his position of authority with other women.

And now, just 37 days after signing up for the Mets gig in what he predicted would represent a "cultural shift" in the organization Porter now finds himself mired in the Major League Baseball scrapheap, and in direct opposition to the mission statement he announced on signing his contract in late December of "adding good people to the organization."

The Mets, and their fans, will be hoping that this mantra will finally start to take hold. 

Spanish football stars handed two-year prison sentences

for sharing sex tape

19 Jan 2021 16:40 

Sergi Enrich of Eibar is one of the players to be sentenced. © AFP

Two Spanish footballers, Eibar striker Sergi Enrich and his former teammate Antonio Luna, have been given two-year suspended sentences for recording and sharing a video with sexualized content.

Along with a jail sentence, the pair have each been fined €100,000, Mundo Deportivo reported. 

The verdict was delivered by a court in San Sebastián, in Spain’s Basque Country, with the players being found guilty of recording and sharing the intimate video without having the consent of a woman they filmed.

The controversial footage was captured on a mobile phone in 2016, and showed the players with a woman who claimed to have been filmed without her permission.

The scandal erupted after the video went viral, with Enrich and Luna being accused of infringement of the woman’s privacy.

Another former Eibar player, Eddy Silvestre, who was accused of sharing the video online after his teammates sent it to him, has been cleared of all charges by the court.

Enrich and Luna managed to avoid a severe jail term – the prosecution had demanded five years in prison for the two athletes and two years for Silvestre. Both apologized for their actions. 

They are unlikely to actually spend any time behind bars, as under Spanish legislation, first-time offenders do not usually do time for sentences of under two years, serving it on probation instead.

Bollywood: Sherlyn Chopra accuses Sajid Khan of sexual misconduct

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Model and actress claims that the director flashed his private parts in 2005

Published:  January 20, 2021 11:13

Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Chief Reporter, Gulf News

  

Bollywood actress and model Sherlyn Chopra is the latest person to accuse director Sajid Khan of sexual misconduct.

A few days earlier, late actress Jiah Khan’s sister Karishma levelled similar charges in a BBC documentary ‘Death of Bollywood’, saying that Sajid had harassed Jiah as she looked for work with him.

Sajid Khan.

Chopra took to Twitter on January 19 to recount the incident that allegedly took place in 2005.

“When I had met him in April 2005, a few days after my father’s demise, he had taken his [private part] out of his pants and had asked me to feel it,” part of her tweet read.

In 2018, actress Saloni Chopra had also accused Sajid of sexual harassment, which led him to step down as director of ‘Housefull 4’. Apart from Chopra, actresses Rachel White, Simran Suri and journalist Karishma Upadhyay have also accused Sajid of inappropriate behaviour.

Chopra added that she had proof to substantiate her claims of Sajid being a sexual predator.

“It’s not an accusation but the disclosure of a fact. Our phone records of the past may be checked regarding the same,” said Chopra. She also spoke about how emotionally broken she was after her father’s death and how the incident with Sajid had scarred her.

Sajid, the brother of choreographer-director Farah Khan, was in 2018 suspended from the Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association for a year after multiple women accused him of sexual abuse.

Antonio Brown contesting decision ordering NFL star to pay rape accuser $100,000 after direct message discovery

23 Jan 2021 09:42

Six-figure sanction: Antonio Brown © Reuters

NFL star Antonio Brown has been ordered to pay his rape accuser $100,000 after he allegedly broke a confidentiality agreement in a prior settlement.

Brown, who is aiming for a Super Bowl appearance this year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is fighting the ruling and has already submitted legal papers in a bid to overturn the decision.

The former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver was sued in 2019 by Britney Taylor after she claimed that he sexually assaulted her multiple times. One incident, in 2018, was claimed to be a violent rape.

Both Brown and Taylor signed a confidentiality agreement following Brown's lawsuit in a bid to assist the process from both sides of the legal argument.

However, TMZ Sports is reporting that Taylor has accused Brown of violating the agreement "multiple times over the past year and a half" and has called in an independent arbitrator to preside over the issue.

That arbitrator discovered that a screengrab of a direct message showing Brown discussing the case in 2019 was indeed a breach of the agreement, and as a result ordered Brown to pay Taylor $100,000.

Brown is fighting that ruling, saying that the arbitrator's ruling was not made in accordance with law and should therefore be thrown out. The rape case dispute remains unresolved.

Brown faces additional woe in his day job, with Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians confirming the wide receiver will miss out on Sunday's NFC championship game clash at the Green Bay Packers due to a knee injury.

Perverted Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous > Robinho; Cheer Star; Andrew Cuomo; Peter Nygard; Just for Laughs - Rozon

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Ex-Brazil superstar Robinho facing NINE YEARS in jail

as rape conviction upheld

11 Dec 2020 10:42

Jail term: Brazilian ace Robinho © Reuters

Former Real Madrid and Manchester City star Robinho is facing a term of nine years in jail after an appeal failed to overturn a 2017 conviction for rape stemming from an incident with an Albanian woman in Milan four years prior.

The former Brazil international was among six people found guilty of the gang rape of the woman in a nightclub in the Italian city during his time with AC Milan in 2013.

Each of the men found guilty was ordered to pay the woman a sum of $65,000 (£50,000 / €54,000), while Robinho was handed a lengthy jail sentence.

However, Robinho quickly contested the conviction but was informed late Thursday that his appeal had been quashed and the rape conviction upheld. Legal representatives for the player say that they plan to appeal the conviction for a second time.

"This sentence is an example for the protection of women and shows that the system works, when necessary," the woman's lawyer, Jacopo Gnocchi, told the media.

Per Italian law, Robinho won't be officially sentenced until the appeals process has concluded but Italian prosecutor Cuno Tarfusser appeared confident that justice had been done.

"[It was] a well-done investigation, seriously, with a correct first-degree sentence," Tarfusser said.

"Professionally, I am very satisfied, especially for the victim."

Brazilian club Santos, where Robinho began his career, had inked a deal with the player in October after a one-season spell in Turkey with Istanbul Basaksehir but tore up his contract soon after the negative publicity associated with his sexual violence conviction, saying that they did so to allow Robinho to "concentrate exclusively on his defense in the process that takes place in Italy."

Robinho denied the Italian rape allegations, just as he did when he found himself in similar legal trouble during his time at Manchester City after he was questioned for an alleged rape in a Leeds nightclub in 2009. 

'Cheer' star Jerry Harris indicted on child pornography,

sex abuse charges

Harris, a breakout star of the Netflix docuseries 'Cheer,' was initially charged in September (4th story on link) with producing child pornography

Author: TEGNA

Published: 3:58 PM CST December 11, 2020

Updated: 10:30 PM CST December 11, 2020

Jerry Harris, one of the stars of the Netflix series “Cheer,” has been indicted on additional child pornography and sex crime charges, according to an indictment revealed publicly on Friday. 

The seven-count indictment handed down in the case against the 21-year-old involves five children. 

The indictment charges that Harris solicited child pornography from his victims, engaged in sexual activity with a minor and attempted to engage in sexual activity with a minor. 

The charges laid out in the indictment are alleged to have happened in Illinois, Florida and Texas. 

Harris, of Naperville, was charged in September with producing child pornography. A month later, he was denied bond. 

Harris admitted to FBI agents that he had asked a teenager to send him photos and videos of the boy's genitals and buttocks via Snapchat, according to a criminal complaint filed by prosecutors. He also admitted to requesting and receiving photographs of 10 to 15 other children, according to the initial complaint. It's unclear at this time if the new charges are connected with that admission. 

Harris became a breakout star on the series "Cheer," which followed a competitive cheerleading team at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas.

He's been held in a federal detention facility without bond since he was arrested on child pornography charges in September, and a judge has subsequently suggested that Harris would pose a public danger if released from custody.

Harris' attorneys have not yet spoken about the new charges but an arraignment was scheduled for Friday afternoon.

Attorneys for two of Harris' alleged victims, teenage brothers who have sued Harris in Texas, praised authorities on Friday to continue to “locate victims and take action.”

“This was made possible because our clients’ mother initially had the courage to report Harris to the FBI and provided evidentiary proof of the manipulation, sexual harassment, abuse, and exploitation that her sons had suffered,” the statement from attorneys Morgan Stewart and Sarah Klein read.

Harris, who was born in the Chicago suburb of Hinsdale and raised in nearby Bolingbrook, was the breakout star of the Emmy-winning docuseries that follows the cheerleading team from Navarro College.

“Cheer” was an instant success when it was released in January, and Harris drew fans for his upbeat attitude and his encouraging “mat talk.” Earlier this year, he interviewed celebrities on the red carpet at the Academy Awards for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

Why does that seem so appropriate? 

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ‘sexually harassed me for years,’ former staffer claims after blasting ‘toxic’ work environment

13 Dec 2020 15:46

FILE PHOTO. ©  REUTERS / Carlo Allegri

Democrat Lindsey Boylan has claimed NY Gov. Cuomo “sexually harassed” her for years while she worked in his administration, a work environment she previously described as “beyond toxic.”

“Yes, @NYGovCuomo sexually harassed me for years. Many saw it, and watched,” Boylan, who is running for Manhattan borough president in 2021, wrote in one of a series of tweets on Sunday.

“I could never anticipate what to expect: would I be grilled on my work (which was very good) or harassed about my looks. Or would it be both in the same conversation? This was the way for years,” she said. 

Boylan worked for Cuomo from March 2015 to October 2018 in a variety of roles, including deputy secretary for economic development, chief of staff, and executive vice president of Empire State Development.

Boylan, a Democrat, added that she “knows” she is not the only woman to face abuse under Cuomo.

“I hate that some men, like @NYGovCuomo abuse their power,” she tweeted. 

Cuomo’s position, she continued, made it hard for her and others to speak up.

Boylan previously described the work environment in Cuomo’s administration as “beyond toxic” and claimed she is in therapy because of it.

While the New York governor has been applauded by various celebrities and in media interviews for his leadership during the pandemic, he has also become a highly controversial figure for a number of reasons. 

An early decision to force nursing homes to accept positive Covid-19 cases led to thousands of deaths, according to critics, and the governor’s decision to write and release a book about his leadership while his state remains under some of the most strict lockdown orders in the country has become a common point of criticism.

Despite this, however, Cuomo remains popular among many in his party and has even been reported to be a frontrunner for the attorney general position in Joe Biden’s administration.

Boylan has warned that “there are fewer things more scary” than giving the governor that amount of power.

“There are fewer things more scary than giving this man, who exists without ethics, even more control,” she tweeted over the weekend before coming forward with her sexual harassment allegation. “I saw how he wielded power for years. He takes advantage of people, including me.”

Gov. Cuomo has not yet responded to Boylan’s sexual harassment allegations.

Peter Nygard Arrested; Prince Andrew visited designer's Bahamas mansion

Author of the article: Brad Hunter, Toronto Sun

Publishing date: Dec 16, 2020 

Prince Andrew apparently never heard the Queen’s speech about being judged by the company you keep.

The 60-year-old royal’s reputation has already been obliterated by his association with billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Now, there’s more.

According to the Daily Mail, Andrew once visited Canadian fashion giant Peter Nygard, 79, at his mansion in the Bahamas in 2000.

The style Svengali was arrested Monday in Winnipeg and is accused of racketeering, sex trafficking and related crimes including the alleged sex trafficking of a minor.

Investigators say Nygard would then force them into “deviant acts.”

When the Duke of York reportedly visited Nygard in the Bahamas, he had been divorced from Sarah Ferguson for about four years. There is no indication of any wrongdoing by Andrew but the latest brouhaha does go back to his judgement.

Or, lack thereof!

Shocking photos have surfaced which show fashion mogul Peter Nygard with bikini-clad young women. (Splashnews)

Calls are mounting for Andrew to come clean about his long friendship with billionaire sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019.

At least one of Epstein’s slaves claims she was forced into sex with the royal when she was underage. Andrew denies any wrongdoing but his handling of the crisis reveals an obtuse, flat-footed fop.

Nygard remains in custody in a Winnipeg jail while authorities seek his extradition to the U.S.

According to the U.S. Dept. of Justice, the accusations against Nygard are eerily similar to those against Epstein. The fashion maven is accused of using his wealth to “groom and entice” underage girls as part of a quasi harem.

Promises of cash, lux goods and modelling jobs were dangled before the girls, many of whom were impoverished locals. The feds say the girls would then be lured to Nygard’s compound for drug and booze-fueled sex parties.

Ironically, federal prosecutors from the southern district of New York are the same ones pursuing Andrew for questioning over Epstein.  The Prince has denied wrongdoing but has stonewalled investigators looking for answers.

Nygard’s lawyer has said his client denies the allegations.

Just for Laughs founder Gilbert Rozon acquitted in rape,

indecent assault trial

CBC News · 

Posted: Dec 15, 2020 3:51 PM ET 

Gilbert Rozon arrives at the Montreal court house to hear a judge's ruling in his rape trial on Tuesday. (Ivanoh Demers/CBC)

The founder of the world-famous Just for Laughs comedy festival has been acquitted of charges of rape and indecent assault in a Montreal court. 

Gilbert Rozon, 66, was charged in December 2018 in relation to acts allegedly committed in 1980 in Saint-Sauveur, Que. when he was 25 years old. His trial took place in front of a judge alone, back in October.

A woman told the trial that the entertainment mogul had raped her in the ski-resort town north of Montreal.

Quebec Court Judge Mélanie Hébert lifted the publication ban on the woman's identity, at her request. Her name is Annick Charette, 60.

While reading her ruling Tuesday, Hébert said she found Charette's testimony clear and that the defence offered no proof her testimony could have been influenced by others. 

But Hébert also noted that on many points Rozon's testimony was consistent.

She said both Rozon and Charette's testimonies were credible, but that the prosecution was unable to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Charette spoke to reporters after the ruling, saying she was deeply disappointed. She said the decision proved the justice system is flawed when it comes to sexual assault cases.

"The encouraging winds of change that are being felt in our society are unfortunately not yet reflected in a victim's journey through the justice system," Charette said in her statement.

"This system sets high expectation for how the victim performs throughout the process, and especially through their first testimony … While I am grateful for the investigators and prosecutors who have accompanied me throughout this crusade, this process has been like a storm, reviving the trauma I experienced and a strong sense of powerlessness."

Still, she said she wanted to encourage victims to come forward in the hopes that the system will change as they do. "Do not be ashamed," Charette said. "The guilt you feel is not yours."

Rozon left the Montreal courthouse without commenting.

During the trial, several woman stood outside the courtroom in protest, wearing masks bearing the hashtag #MeToo, in reference to the international movement to denounce sexual assault.

Charette told the court she met Rozon in 1980 — three years before he launched his comedy festival — when he came to the radio station where she worked to record publicity spots.

She said he invited her out to a club after work. Afterward, Rozon said he was tired and refused to drive her home, she said. He showed her to a room where she could sleep.

Charette said the next thing she remembered was waking up with Rozon on top of her, "determined."

She said she didn't remember all the details of what followed, but she said she recalls looking out a window to the right of the bed while it happened.

Rozon testified that it was Charette who had initiated the encounter.

Rozon's charges reflect those that were on the books in 1980; "rape" has since been replaced by sexual assault in the current version of the Criminal Code.

The Crown prosecutor's office evaluated 14 complaints against Rozon dating back to roughly the same period, but only moved forward with two.

Perverted Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous - Episode XLIX > 2 UK MPs; Alicia Arden; Anasia Govender; Aayan Hirsi Ali; JK Rowling

‘I’m a naughty Tory’: Giggling Ex-MP Charlie Elphicke chased woman around kitchen after sexual assault

Charlie Elphicke arrives at Southwark Crown Court with his wife, Natalie Elphicke.

©Global Look Press/Keystone Press Agency

An absurd yet horrifying scene has been described at the trial of former Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke. It is alleged that, after trying to force himself on a woman, he chased her “like a sketch from ‘The Benny Hill Show’.”

Elphicke, who represented Dover between 2010 and 2019, is accused of three counts of sexual assault against two different women. One of the alleged episodes happened at his family home in 2007, the prosecution told Southwark Crown Court on Monday.

The victim, who was in her 30s at the time, was invited by Elphicke to share a bottle of wine. The MP enquired about his guest’s sexual interests and implied he was into “bondage and whips” before leaning over her, groping her breast and trying to kiss her, jurors were told.

The woman rejected his advances, so he chased her around the kitchen, the prosecutor said.

“He was chanting in a sing-song way: 'I'm a naughty Tory, I'm a naughty Tory,' as though it was the school playground,” the description went. “He was very animated, excitable, and clearly enjoying himself, chanting towards her and slapping her bottom.”

The victim relayed the details of the incident to her brother and a friend, the court was told. She described the former MP’s behavior as being “ridiculous, like a sketch from [British comedy series] ‘The Benny Hill Show’.”

However, the woman did not come forward with any accusations against Elphicke until after his name appeared on a list of alleged sexual offenders published by parliament in 2017.

The two other charges come from the testimony of a parliament worker in her 20s, who told investigators that the MP assaulted her on two occasions in 2016. Elphicke groped her in a parliamentary office and “giggled,” the prosecution said, adding that the staffer described her assailant as “a disgusting slobbery mess.”

Elphicke pleaded not guilty to all charges. His wife Natalie Elphicke, who succeeded him as Dover MP, was accompanying him during the hearing. The trial is expected to continue for at least four weeks.

Actress Alicia Arden reveals Jeffrey Epstein sexually assaulted her in 1997 but no action was taken when she filed a police report as she demands investigation into why claims weren't pursued

By MAXINE SHEN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Model and actress Alicia Arden claims Jeffrey Epstein sexually assaulted her during a meeting in 1997 - and has demanded that authorities investigate why police never followed up with her after she filed a report to the cops. 

Arden, 51, spoke out about her claims during a press conference in Los Angeles on Monday - the one year anniversary of Epstein's arrest.

Arden said that the alleged sexual assault occurred at the Shutters on the Beach hotel in Santa Monica, California, in 1997. 

Alicia Arden is pictured at the press conference she held Monday in Los Angeles, revealing authorities did not follow up on her claim that Jeffrey Epstein sexually assaulted her in 1997

At the time, Arden was 26 years old and an aspiring model, who had a handful of screen credits to her name, including an appearance on the Baywatch TV series and the TV movie, Red Shoe Diaries. 

During the press conference, Arden said that she had gone to the Santa Monica hotel to meet Epstein under the belief that she was going to 'a legitimate audition for Victoria's Secret.'

She said the supposed audition had been arranged, in part, by an unnamed friend, People reported. Arden said she was carrying her modeling portfolio when she entered Epstein's room.

She claimed that Epstein said, 'Let me manhandle you for a second.' He then allegedly groped her and pulled her shirt up over her head and her skirt down. 

Arden said that while this was happening, Epstein had touched her hips and buttocks.

'I started to feel scared and I began to cry,' Arden recalled.

Arden was 26 years old when the alleged assault occurred in 1997. She said she had gone to see Epstein thinking she was going to a 'legitimate' Victoria's Secret audition. Arden is pictured in 2002

She said that Epstein got distracted by a phone call, giving her the opportunity to redress. As she headed for the door, she said, Epstein offered her $100.

She said: 'I told him, "Jeffrey, I'm not a prostitute. I want to be in the Victoria's Secrets catalog".'

According to Arden, Epstein responded: "Let me see what I can do."

She said that she 'left the money in the hotel room and walked out,' according to USA Today.

'I felt violated and mistreated,' she said, adding that Epstein 'took advantage of me.'

Arden said that a few days after the alleged incident, she filed a police report with the Santa Monica Police Department, but that she never received a call about the report from either detectives or a prosecutor.

Arden's lawyer, Gloria Allred, who arranged the press conference, said that 'Alicia deserves answers.'

Allred said that letters had been written to Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey and Santa Monica Police Chief Cynthia Renaud, seeking information about whether local authorities had looked into Arden's allegations against Epstein.

'We'd like to know, first, what happened. Was there an investigation? Was there not an investigation,' Allred said Monday. 'I don't think Alicia should have to live with the unanswered question. ... Why was it apparently disregarded? Did they interview Mr. Epstein? Did he decline to be interviewed? Did they take his words against hers? Or did they not do anything?'

Arden had previously come forward about Epstein's alleged abuse in the summer of 2019, following Epstein's arrest on federal charges involving allegations that he paid teenage girls hundreds of dollars in cash for massages and then sexually abused them.

In August 2019, the Santa Monica Police Department told the Associated Press that Epstein was questioned in the wake of Arden’s complaint, but that his statement conflicted with Arden's claims. 

According to the unnamed detective who supposedly invested Arden's report, Arden said that she didn't want to press charges against Epstein, asking instead that he be warned about his behavior.

A police spokesperson then told the AP in a statement that, 'If the victim tells the detective they do not wish to prosecute, then the detective will close the case.' The spokesperson also stated that, 'In this case, the victim advised the detective she did not wish to prosecute so there was no point in presenting it to the City Attorney for review.'

Arden has denied telling police that she didn't want to press charges against Epstein. 

In a December 2019 interview with DailyMail.com, Arden provided additional detail about her alleged encounter with Epstein.

She said that she prior to her meeting with Epstein, she had been asked to do a test shoot and send the photos to Epstein's New York office.

She said that she was so excited about the prospect of being able to model for Victoria's Secret, that she purchased lingerie from the brand to use during the shoot.

Epstein then supposedly invited Arden to the Santa Monica hotel for an in-person meeting. 'He was very nice in the beginning and looked at my portfolio. When you go on an audition for something like this, they want to see your body,' Arden told DailyMail.com.

'I was in very little clothing — like a swimsuit-type bra with a top over it and underwear and a short little skirt so he could see my legs. He said he liked the photos and said he'd love to get a picture in the Victoria's Secret catalogue.

'He said: "You know, you look really good, your body looks really good. I think I just need to see it better." ' Doing as requested, she moved closer — only for Epstein to start 'manhandling' her.

'He started to take off my top, then he moved down to my skirt and was trying to take that off, and was touching my hips and buttocks,' she said. 'I was pushing his hands off me, I was pushing them down and pushing them away, but he was bigger than me.'

She said that she went to the police to file her report 'because I thought he was doing it to other girls, and touching other girls, and I could have been raped myself. 'He told me he worked for Victoria's Secret, and he was misrepresenting the brand — I wanted to file that.'

Arden's Monday press conference comes hot on the heels of Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell's arrest on July 2.

She has been charged with helping to procure victims for Epstein's child sex trafficking operation that began more than 25 years ago.

Epstein died in jail in New York City in August 2019, after pleading not guilty to the charges against him. The coroner ruled his death a suicide, confirming that he hanged himself in his cell.

He didn't commit suicide, he was suicided, as Ghislaine will most likely be before she talks. There are way too many high profile people to allow her to talk.

Former UK lawmaker Eric Joyce pleads guilty to making ‘indecent image’ of children as young as 12 months

FILE PHOTO. Eric Joyce. © Global Look Press / ZUMAPRESS.com / Stephen Lock

Eric Joyce, a former shadow minister for the UK Labour Party, has pleaded guilty to a making an indecent image of children. The disgraced politician was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register and now faces prison time.

The former MP appeared in court on Tuesday and admitted making an indecent photograph in the form of a 51-second video. The clip “depicts a number of children,” Judge Emma Peters revealed.

“Some are quite young, one is said to be 12 months old – clearly a Category A movie,” she said.

Category A is the most severe class of indecent imagery, and can include penetrative sex, sadism, and sex with animals. Producing such material is punishable with imprisonment. The court stressed that it “takes such incidents very seriously” since they “fuel the abuse of children.”

According to the judge, the video was made at some point between 2013 and 2018, and Joyce claims that “he accessed it via an email which he says was a spam email.”

“At the time he was drinking heavily and he has now undergone work with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and a psychotherapist,” the judge added.

The case against Joyce has been running since late 2018, when he was charged under the Protection of Children Act. It's the latest scandal in the turbulent career of the former army major turned politician.

Joyce served as MP for Falkirk in Scotland from 2000 to 2015. For the first 12 years, he was with Labour, before switching to being an independent for his final three. During his time in parliament, Joyce was involved in several incidents, including a pub brawl with four fellow politicians in Westminster. He was also convicted of drunk driving and abusing airport workers on several occasions.

Deutsche Bank hit with $150 million penalty for relationship to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein

Dan Mangan, Jim Forkin, CNBC

KEY POINTS

New York state financial regulators said that Deutsche Bank has agreed to a $150 million penalty related to the bank’s lack of oversight in dealings with accused child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, a now-dead investor, as well as with two client banks.

A consent order agreed to with the New York State Department of Financial Services covers  Deutsche Bank’s relationship with Epstein, and correspondent banking relationships with Danske Bank Estonia and FBME Bank.

Epstein, who died in what has been ruled a suicide while in jail, was a former friend of Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, as well as Prince Andrew.

His alleged procurer and former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, was arrested on federal charges in New Hampshire in early July.

The rest of this story can be found at CNBC

Top Durban comedian Anasia Govender opens up about childhood sexual abuse

By Daily News 

Durban - Popular local comedian and singer, Anasia Govender, who shot to stardom with her alter ego Annalakshmi has opened up about why she has hardly been on social media over the past two years, revealing that she has been battling depression linked to the trauma of being a victim of sexual abuse and molestation.

Taking to her Facebook account Govender, who owns an Indian restaurant and shot to national fame after she posted a video advertising her restaurant with a parody of Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud, said she wanted to use her voice and talent to bring awareness to child and sexual abuse.

She said that her social media absence was due to her battling depression that was brought on by her sexual abuse as a child. 

"Four different perpetrators, three of which were once off cases and a family member that abused me on recurring occasions from the age of five and I put a stop to it when I was 12," she said.

"I am pretty proud that I took my power back at the age of 12 and that was in my control. The one thing that was not and that I was not really aware of was how these negative incidents would shape how I saw myself and how I would feel about myself. The guilt and the shame around the incidences has made me see myself in such a negative light. The healing started a long time ago but the popularity of Annalakshmi and me being inundated with people wanting to take photos and talk and people violating your personal space and touching you when they shouldn't be and saying inappropriate things kind of regurgitated all of this mess," she said.

She said she battled two autoimmune diseases which made her lose her will to perform and make people laugh.

However, she said she was on her way to healing thanks to the support of her family and husband who have been amazing.

"I want to use my gifts and my voice to bring awareness to child and sexual abuse... Sadly in South Africa, women abuse and child abuse is on the rise and its time we shed more light on it and its time more people spoke up and break the silence...The reason for sharing my trauma, is that light needs to be shed on this ugly darkness, the silence needs to be broken, the cycles need to be broken. Say what's right, do what's right, give the next generation hope that they will be born into a world (where) they can be free to express themselves and free to be who they are," she said.

‘Hero of our times’: Human rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali

facing backlash for defending JK Rowling in

transgender controversy

 © Getty Images North America via AFP / Jemal countess, (R) © Reuters / Neil Hall

Veteran human rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali has opened herself up to some major online backlash after daring to defend author JK Rowling for “standing her ground” and sticking to her position on transgender issues.

“She is not transphobic and neither am I,” Hirsi Ali insisted in a Wednesday tweet, calling Rowling a “hero of our times” who is fighting to “protect the hard-won rights of women.”

Rowling has been the subject of fierce criticism in recent weeks for expressing the view that trans-identifying children are “being shunted towards” taking hormones and having life-altering surgeries when it may not be necessary. She has also come under fire for suggesting trans activists are “erasing the concept of sex.”

The Somali-born Hirsi Ali had expanded on her thoughts on the issue in an article published in the Washington Examiner at the end of June. In the piece, she defended the controversial Harry Potter author for “engaging in an act of heterodox thinking” and “refusing to be intimidated by the Twitter mob.”

She praised Rowling for “fighting against the erosion of women’s rights” and “warning of the real-life consequences when women’s rights are subordinated to transgender rights.”

Hirsi Ali’s latest declaration of support for Rowling sparked outrage online, with many commenters immediately branding her ‘transphobic’. One accused the activist, who suffered female genital mutilation as a child and fled to the Netherlands years later, of having a “ludicrous sense of entitlement.” Another questioned her bravery because she was praising a “rich white lady.”

While my respect and admiration for JK Rowling is a very recent development, I have greatly admired and respected Aayan Hirsi Ali for several years now for her honesty, candidness, brilliance, and remarkable courage.

While the backlash was swift, there were a few other commenters who thanked Hirsi Ali for publicly backing Rowing.

In her own tweet on Wednesday, Rowling also thanked the activist for speaking up, claiming that many people with public platforms privately say they agree with her, “but are too scared to stand up.”

Rowling appears to be on a roll in terms of attracting controversies of late. On Tuesday, she made headlines again after signing an open letter condemning “cancel culture” alongside Noam Chomsky and other activists. The move was lauded largely by conservative crowds online and mocked by many on the left.

It should be lauded by anyone with a brain! Here are some more signatories to that letter, courtesy of CBC:

J.K. Rowling, Salman Rushdie and Margaret Atwood are among dozens of writers, artists and academics to argue against ideological conformity in an open letter in Harper's Magazine.

The names hail from a host of different sectors, from cognitive scientist Noam Chomsky to activist Gloria Steinem, jazz great Wynton Marsalis to chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov to Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.

Academics on the list of more than 150 signatories hail from American universities such as Princeton, Yale, Harvard Law, Brown, Rutgers and more.


In addition to Atwood, other Canadian signatories include political pundit David Frum, longtime New Yorker writer Malcolm Gladwell, former federal Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff and literary critic and writer Jeet Heer.

The most urgent crisis in 'untruth and consequences' is the pushing of children into considering transgenderism. From being taught in school as though it is normal rather than a mental illness, to being prescribed by doctors with no moral compass, cross-gendering is a physical, emotional, and psychological experiment with horrific consequences. 20-51% of transgenders attempt suicide. Many are reverting back to their original gender and suffering terrible consequences to their health. It is #PCMadnes!

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