[Tiste Simeon]

On a side note, how repulsive do you have to be to be suspended by GB News (an attempt to make a Fox News channel in the UK)?

I'm sure he'll rant about freedom of speech and will get his job back before too long.

BBC News - GB News suspends Laurence Fox over on-air comments about female journalist
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66932538

[QuickTidal]

Tiste Simeon, on 27 September 2023 - 09:15 AM, said:

On a side note, how repulsive do you have to be to be suspended by GB News (an attempt to make a Fox News channel in the UK)?

I'm sure he'll rant about freedom of speech and will get his job back before too long.

BBC News - GB News suspends Laurence Fox over on-air comments about female journalist
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66932538

Laurence Fox is so completely off the deep end...like even people in his family who kind of avoided defending him OR taking him to task like SILENT WITNESS's Emilia Fox have written him off now. Like his social media posts are unhinged conspiracy rants now.

[Tiste Simeon]

Interestingly enough, the other presenter on GB News who was with Fox on this interview has also been suspended. The man is Dan Wooton who IIRC used to be the editor of Murdoch toilet paper rag The Sun.

So another top mind cancelled by the woke mob 😂

[polishgenius]

It's a bit grim that Wootton has been suspended for this, and not for the credible allegations of sexual assault, entrapment and blackmail plots that were reported about him a couple of months ago.

[Cyphon]

Again the issue of evidence versus allegations.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

IDK how many of you might remember all those Abercrombie and Fitch ads of handsome muscular shirtless men that inundated the United States back in the aughts...

Quote

Former Abercrombie & Fitch boss accused of exploiting men for sex

[...] paid to fly out to Jeffries' properties and luxury hotels around the world, with modeling opportunities with Abercrombie & Fitch promised as an additional reward.

[...] "didn't feel safe to say 'no'" to sex with Jeffries. [...]

"This experience, I think it broke me," [....]

Jeffries stood down as Abercrombie & Fitch CEO in 2014 after more than two decades at the helm of the teen fashion giant.

[...] Jeffries wanted Abercrombie to be seen as an exclusive club for wealthy teens, famously saying in an interview in 2006: "A lot of people don't belong [in our clothes], and they can't belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely."

By the time Jeffries departed, the company [...] faced lawsuits for alleged racism

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 03 October 2023 - 02:08 PM

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Stumbled on this yesterday (it's a month or so old) but the case against Brian Foster seems to not have been limited to his partner Ashley Johnson.

Critical Role star Ashley Johnson and six other women allege verbal and physical abuse by Brian Foster

I've copied the headline as is but there are also sexual abuse and stalking allegations involved. One of the women is Ashley's sister, alleging inappropriate stuff against her in front of her children, and two others are current Critical Role staff alleging bullying and inappropriate advances with threats of violence if they didn't comply.

It doesn't make for pretty reading but it fits the pattern of a manipulative abuser.

This post has been edited by TheRetiredBridgeburner: 16 November 2023 - 11:24 AM

[Cause]

I missed it but Kevin Space was cleared of all charges in the USA and the UK aswell. Does someone know the details? He was dropped from house of cards and the show died and his career died. I thought it was clear cut and believed many men came forward. Apparently none of the charges have stuck? Was he innocent, is it grey?

[Mezla PigDog]

I can't remember the specifics but I recall reading something about him making a minor public appearance in the UK after he was cleared and getting a standing ovation. I also remember thinking it was the kind of audience that would give a standing ovation in those circumstances (said as someone who has never voluntarily given a standing ovation for anything - I only ever stand due to social pressure!). What I remember of the acquittal is that it was emphatic. I think he's trying to revive his career. He must be paying a fortune to a image consultants and agents somewhere!

Key question is are we allowed to like The Usual Suspects again? Will Fred Clause be on this Christmas?

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Quote

Amid an unprecedented act of violence during the 2022 Academy Awards, there was one man who presented himself as a symbol of peace.

[...] For years, the hip-hop mogul had positioned himself as someone reflective, thoughtful, and compassionate.

[...] But over the past several weeks, “Brother Love” appears to be someone quite the opposite.

[...] Diddy and Harve Pierre, the former president of Bad Boy Entertainment, were accused of gang-raping a 17-year-old high school junior in 2003. This lawsuit follows three other recent cases that accused Diddy of sexual misconduct—including one filed by his ex-girlfriend Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, who accused him of beating her and forcing her to be intimate with male sex workers. He and Ventura reached a settlement.

[...]

This is an astonishing fall from grace for a man who’s built a career off the persona of being a fun-loving, positive-vibes-only success story. Growing up as a Black millennial, I saw Diddy as the embodiment of a successful Black man who was confident, business-savvy, and fashionably cool.

[...] Unlike his other hip-hop mogul peers, he leaned into a nice-guy charm that included being a devout father, mentor, and coach for up-and-coming talent.

[...] Seeing how so many people in the industry are now coming out of the woodwork to share stories of how allegedly abusive he’s been has made me view his legacy as a facade—a fraudulent attempt to divorce himself from any true image of the man others have known him to be.

Turns Out Diddy’s ‘Brother Love’ Persona Was a Total Sham (thedailybeast.com)

Quote

Among her claims: that Combs coerced her, over a number of years, into having sex with male prostitutes while he watched, masturbated, took pictures and shot video as part of a ritual he called “freak offs”; that after learning she referred to her grandfather as “Pop Pop,” Combs insisted she refer to him by that nickname; and that Combs once threatened to blow up the car of one of Ventura’s former partners, the rapper Kid Cudi. Soon after he made that threat, Kid Cudi’s car exploded in his driveway. Cudi’s attorney confirmed this story, which happened in 2012[...]

[...] But the claim that really caught my attention was this: [...] security staff burst in to say that Knight had been seen at a nearby restaurant. According to the lawsuit, Combs hurriedly got dressed, gathered a number of guns [...] and headed toward Mel’s, hoping to confront Knight.

[... Davis claims] that Combs offered to pay $1 million for the deaths of Shakur and Knight. [...] Davis said Combs first asked him and the Crips to work security for Bad Boy artists [...] “Puffy would give us tickets to be at their Bad Boy west coast shows. We went everywhere with them fools. We’d meet up with them at the hotel, get the tickets and go with them. I used to ride in the van with the nigga. Crips were backstage deep at most of those west coast shows,”

[...] But Davis wasn’t officially arrested [for the murders] until earlier this year.

[...] In Davis’ version of events, he never explicitly says Combs asked him to kill anyone, giving both of them plausible deniability.

Puff Daddy lawsuit: Why Cassie’s allegations against Sean Combs didn’t surprise me after my reporting on Tupac’s death. (slate.com)

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Finally got around to listening to Drake's latest Kendrick Lamar diss track and holy shit he's accusing him of beating his wife.

Not clear if there's any evidence. I don't think it's considered ok (among famous rappers anyway) to just make something like that up?

Then about an hour later Kendrick Lamar released a diss track claiming that Drake is a running a sex trafficking ring, that other celebrities should keep their children away from him, and that the police are about to raid his home.

[Edit: Lamar addressing Drake's mother:

Quote

Sandra, [...]
your son's a sick man with sick thoughts, I think niggas like him should die
Him and Weinstein should get fucked up in a cell for the rest they life


[...]
He got sex offenders on ho-VO that he keep on a monthly allowance
A child should never be compromised and he keepin' his child around them
And we gotta raise our daughters knowin' there's predators like him lurkin'
Fuck a rap battle, he should die so all of these women can live with a purpose
I been in this industry twelve years, I'ma tell y'all one lil' secret
It's some weird shit goin' on and some of these artists be here to police it
They be streamlinin' victims all inside of they home and callin' 'em Tinder
Then leak videos of themselves to further push their agendas
To any woman that be playin' his music, know that you're playin' your sister
Or better, you're sellin' your niece, to the weirdos, not the good ones
Katt Williams said, "Get you the truth," so I'ma get mines
The Embassy 'bout to get raided, too, it's only a matter of time
Ayy, LeBron, keep the family away, hey, Curry, keep the family away
To anybody that embody the love for they kids, keep the family away
They lookin' at you too if you standin' by him, keep the family away
I'm lookin' to shoot through any pervert that lives, keep the family safe

Kendrick Lamar – ​meet the grahams Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 04 May 2024 - 04:34 PM

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

I edited my post yesterday to correct the claim that Kendrick Lamar had called Drake a pedophile---a more careful reading suggested that he wasn't necessarily saying that. But then he dropped another diss track...

Quote

Kendrick Lamar Calls Drake A 'Pedophile' In New Diss Track (tmz.com)

Here are the lines in question:

Quote

Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young
You better not ever go to cell block one
To any bitch that talk to him and they in love
Just make sure you hide your lil' sister from him
They tell me Chubbs the only one that get your hand-me-downs
And Party at the party, playin' with his nose now
And Baka got a weird case, why is he around?
Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles

Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

The "certified pedophiles" line could just be referring to Chubbs, Party, and Baka, but in context it does also seem to be referring to Drake.

[polishgenius]

'Trying to strike a chord and it's probably A-Minoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooor' is definitely about Drake

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Picked up yesterday on some accusations of sexual assault against Neil Gaiman, one recent and one around 20 years ago. There's also a quote which I can't corroborate doing the rounds that when one of the victims approached his ex-wife Amanda Palmer with her story, Palmer claimed she was the 14th woman to have approached her. The timing of the most recent accusation seems to sit neatly with when the two got divorced also.

For the sake of balance, the original story seems to have come from a heftily right-wing podcast which I hadn't heard of (Tortoise) but who apparently don't have the best record for verifying the things they post, and one of the presenters is Boris Johnson's sister, of all people.

This post has been edited by TheRetiredBridgeburner: 10 July 2024 - 08:16 AM

[Macros]

oh, I really hope this is nonsense

[Macros]

Looks like a lot of smoke, alas I'd say there is fire at the heart of it.


I feel bad that I feel bad when someone I like turns out to be not nice, its fairly selfish of me

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Macros, on 10 July 2024 - 10:38 AM, said:

Looks like a lot of smoke, alas I'd say there is fire at the heart of it.


I feel bad that I feel bad when someone I like turns out to be not nice, its fairly selfish of me

Quote

Scarlett filed a complaint to New Zealand police in October 2022. [...] New Zealand police told the outlet it made a "number of attempts to speak to key people as part of this investigation and those efforts remain ongoing,"

Neil Gaiman Denies Sexual Assault Allegations Made by Two Women (rollingstone.com)

Quote

Scarlett described herself as a friend of Amanda Palmer before Palmer hired her as a live-in au pair/nanny to help care for Palmer and Gaiman's young son, Ash. [...] on Scarlett's first day working for the couple, [...] Within a few hours of their meeting, Gaiman climbed into an outdoor bath that Scarlett had run for herself and according to Scarlett, anally penetrated her with his singers without her consent. This was the beginning of a three-week sexual relationship between Scarlett, then 21, and Gaiman, then 61, in which Scarlett says:

Spoiler

— Gaiman entered her anally without consent or warning in their second sexual encounter, and used butter as a lubricant.

—on another occasion that he anally penetrated her, the pain was so intense she passed out. Scarlett described the pain as "celestial".

— Gaiman repeatedly subjected her to degrading sexual acts including having her perform oral sex on him as punishment when she screamed as a result of painful anal sex, which she referred to as having to "clean him up". She says he also "used his belt" on her.

According to Gaiman, Scarlett had agreed to share a bath on that first night, in which they merely "made out" and cuddled consensually. He says he never penetrated Scarlett with his penis and that within days of their meeting, she "expressed an interest in mild BDSM." He says their relationship was entirely consensual.

A court of law might agree with Gaiman, because [...] she did express enthusiastic consent throughout her relationship with Gaiman. Scarlett hands over to Tortoise Media the entire archive of Whatsapp messages between her and Gaiman and on the podcast, Johnson describes Scarlett as seeming "besotted" with him.

[...] At the same time that she texted a friend the next day telling them about the bath with Gaiman and saying that he "crossed the boundaries", Scarlett also texted Gaiman. She signed off her message, "Thank you for a lovely, lovely night. Wow. x"

"This is where things get messy, emotionally and evidentially," Caruana narrates. But anyone who's worked with victims of grooming and assault can tell you how common it is for survivors to develop feelings for their abusers

[...] Scarlett says she told Amanda Palmer about what happened with Gaiman the following month and that Palmer told her she was "the 14th fucking woman who had gone to her."

A summary of the Neil Gaiman sexual assault allegations (substack.com)

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 10 July 2024 - 03:34 PM

[Macros]

I think what I said makes sense, I am a fan of his work and its a bummer when it turns out someone you are a fan off turns out to be not so good.
Which entirely detracts from the actual victim of their acts.

Article I read tracks mostly with what you linked and quoted, even if it was consensual its not someone I could ever support their work of again because the dynamics of the whole thing are so fucked up and he was clearly abusing a position of power.

[Macros]

this is where people all chime in and say this was known about him for a long time, how did I not know this?

[Abyss]

Macros, on 10 July 2024 - 03:41 PM, said:

this is where people all chime in and say this was known about him for a long time, how did I not know this?

'Gaiman hits on younger woman', 'Gaiman into bdsm', and 'Gaiman and Palmer open relationship' aren't news.


The non-consent element is the unproven question mark here. The telling part will likely be whether this triggers a rush of similar accusations, as was the case w Warren Ellis, or it's more of a Jian Gomeshi situation with a small number of women who make the accusations are themselves accused of trying to retcon past events.

Also curious to see whether Netflix or Audible take any steps w their ongoing Sandman productions, considering Gaiman is very involved with both. He's maintaining denial, no criminal charges have been laid, i could see them pushing fwd.