All posts containing the tag: "rape"
Posted Jan 26th 2010 6:30PM by TMZ Staff
The woman who accused David Copperfield of sexually assaulting her has just been indicted on charges of making a false statement to a public servant and prostitution.
The woman -- Lacey Carroll -- claimed Copperfield raped her on his private island back in 2007. Federal prosecutors pulled the plug on the investigation two weeks ago after her credibility was called into serious question.
Now the Bellevue City Prosecutor's Office in Washington filed charges against her in connection with a December 2, 2009 incident involving another man. Authorities say Carroll met the man in a bar and went to his hotel room. As they began having sex she allegedly told him, "Put $2,000 in my purse and you can have it all." The man says when he refused to fork over the money, she told police he had forced himself upon her.
Shortly after making the report, she refused to cooperate, claiming she had another case going (Copperfield) and felt the new claim would "tarnish the other case."
Authorities didn't believe her and charged her with filing a false police report and prostitution.
David Copperfield's attorney, Patty Eakes, says, "These developments vindicate Mr. Copperfield and confirm what he has said all along -- this woman tried to extort money from him by making a false claim."
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Tags: david copperfield, DavidCopperfield, filing a false police report, FilingAFalsePoliceReport, prostitution, rape
Posted Jan 12th 2010 6:50PM by TMZ Staff
David Copperfield is in the clear in the two-year investigation over alleged rape ... federal prosecutors have decided to drop the case without filing charges.
The woman who lodged the complaint -- a former Miss Washington contestant -- said in a civil lawsuit she was in the audience for a Copperfield performance when David spotted her and invited her to his private island in the Bahamas in 2007.
The woman claimed Copperfield sexually assaulted her on the island.
Copperfield's lawyers called the woman's lawsuit, "extortion for money, plain and simple."
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Tags: charges dropped, ChargesDropped, David Copperfield, DavidCopperfield, rape, rape investigation, RapeInvestigation
Posted Nov 19th 2009 2:58PM by TMZ Staff
We asked Sofia Vergara if she would explain why she cracked yesterday's rape joke heard 'round the internet -- but her only response: More laughter.
Filed under: The View
Tags: modern family, ModernFamily, rape, sofia vergara, SofiaVergara, the view, TheView
Posted Sep 30th 2009 8:41AM by TMZ Staff
Debra Tate -- the sister of Roman Polanski's second wife Sharon Tate -- doesn't want the director hauled back to the U.S. to be prosecuted.
Tate went on the "Today" show this morning, claiming Polanski wouldn't get a fair trial stateside for the rape of a then-13-year-old-girl back in 1977 -- because our "system is broken" -- and the matter would be better served in France ... whatever that means -- France can't prosecute him.
Tate added there's a difference between "rape and
rape" -- and this was "a consensual matter."
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Tags: arrest, debra tate, DebraTate, matt lauer, MattLauer, rape, roman polanski, RomanPolanski, sharon tate, SharonTate, today
Posted Aug 19th 2009 9:20PM by TMZ Staff
A woman who claims David Copperfield sexually assaulted and threatened her in 2007 has just sued him.
The woman -- a 22-year-old fashion model -- alleges the assault took place while she was a guest on his private island in the Bahamas back in 2007, this according to the lawsuit obtained by The Seattle Times.
The woman claims she met David during one of his shows back in January of 2007 -- then got invited to his island in July. The suit says after watching a movie in David's room, he attacked and sexually assaulted her, threatening to kill her if she didn't go along.
The lawsuit alleges David kept at it, assaulting her two more times on the island. She reported the alleged assaults to Seattle police, who turned it over to the FBI.
Copperfield's lawyers were blunt about the suit:
"This woman, who filed the lawsuit, has a history of lying ... She has lied to law enforcement before and, as a result, had innocent people arrested based on a false accusation ... she is incapable of telling the truth.
This lawsuit is extortion for money, plain and simple. Unfortunately, false claims like this only hurt the women who really have been abused, women who really need our help."
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Tags: david copperfield, DavidCopperfield, lawsuit, rape, sexual assault, SexualAssault
Posted Aug 18th 2009 12:26PM by TMZ Staff
A former choreographer for "So You Think You Can Dance" was arrested again for allegedly sexually assaulting four women -- but this time he's actually being charged with a crime ... or eight, to be exact.
Cops say Alex Da Silva was arrested this morning at his North Hollywood home, after the District Attorney filed an arrest warrant charging him with eight felony counts of assault.
That includes four counts of forcible rape, two counts of assault with intent to commit rape and two counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object.
The D.A. says the alleged assaults occurred between August 2002 and March 2009. The four alleged victims were between the ages of 20 and 26 and were all dancers or aspiring dancers who say they met Alex through his dance instruction classes.
Alex was arrested for pretty much the same thing back in April, but prosecutors declined to press charges -- saying further investigation was needed to move forward.
Alex is being held on $6.2 million bail.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Tags: alex da silva, AlexDaSilva, rape, so you think you can dance, SoYouThinkYouCanDance
Posted Jul 21st 2009 6:18PM by TMZ Staff
The woman accusing Ben Roethlisberger of sexual assault claims she tried to tell the head of hotel security about the incident the day after it happened -- but the guy completely blew her off and threatened her job.
In her lawsuit filed last week in Nevada, Andrea McNulty claims Guy Hyder -- the chief of security at Harrah's in Lake Tahoe -- told her she was "over-reacting" and that "most girls would feel lucky to have sex with someone like Ben Roethlisberger."
McNulty also claims Hyder told her that John Koster -- the president of the hotel - will "personally fire you for starting rumors about Roethlisberger's personal life."
McNulty also claims Hyder told her that Koster would be impressed by the sexual encounter, allegedly saying "Koster would love you even more if he knew about this ... Koster would suck his d*ck if Roethlisberger let him."
In the suit, McNulty claims she assumed the incident would be investigated by hotel security, but Hyder "did not do his job of investigating the assault." McNulty also claims she was "afraid of the consequences of going to police authorities since it was obvious to her that Harrah's and it's personnel ... would side with and support Roethlisberger."
McNulty also claims several Harrah's employees broke into her home and ripped files off of her computer, presumably for the purpose of defending themselves against a possible lawsuit.
Several months after the incident -- after McNulty claims she sought psychological treatment because of the encounter -- she claims she had a conversation with Hyder. McNulty says she told Hyder that she had been hospitalized specifically because of the Roethlisberger incident. Hyder allegedly replied, "I figured that was what was wrong, but I thought it was just like a date rape thing."
McNulty claims her bosses told her she was on thin ice at work ... so she preemptively lawyered up.
McNulty is seeking $380,000 in medical fees plus an unspecified amount of punitive damages.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, TMZ Sports
Tags: andrea mcnulty, AndreaMcnulty, battery, ben roethlisberger, BenRoethlisberger, football, pittsburgh steelers, PittsburghSteelers, rape, sexual assault, SexualAssault, super bowl, SuperBowl
Posted Jul 21st 2009 9:03AM by TMZ Staff
A woman claims Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger lured her into a hotel room, then sexually assaulted her, according to a new lawsuit.
Andrea McNulty claims in her civil lawsuit filed in Washoe County, Nevada, this year's Super Bowl winner asked her to come to his hotel room in July, 2008 -- and then forced her to have sex with him.
McNulty -- an employee at the Harrah's Hotel in Lake Tahoe -- is suing for sexual assault and battery, false imprisonment and infliction of emotional distress.
Ben denies all of McNulty's allegations. Roethlisberger's lawyer told ProFootballTalk.com, "The timing of the lawsuit and the absence of a criminal complaint and a criminal investigation are the most compelling evidence of the absence of any criminal conduct."
Roethlisberger was in Nevada at the time of the alleged incident for a celebrity golf tournament.
Coincidentally, Big Ben was photographed in Nevada this weekend for a different celebrity golf tournament, in which he shot a few rounds with Michael Jordan (see photo below).
Ben was reportedly served with the legal papers at some point over the weekend -- but so far it's unclear if he got the papers before or after the tourney.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, TMZ Sports
Tags: ben roethlisberger, ben rothlisberger, BenRoethlisberger, BenRothlisberger, lawsuit, nfl, pittsburgh steelers, PittsburghSteelers, quarterback, rape, sexual assault, SexualAssault
Posted May 19th 2009 5:48PM by TMZ Staff
The former Miss British Columbia 2004 claims in a lawsuit one of the biggest talent agencies in the world promised her stardom but instead -- she says she became the victim of a sexual assault.
Claire Robinson claims in her suit, filed today in L.A. County Superior Court, International Creative Management (ICM) "hip-pocketed" her -- that's a term used when a senior agent takes an inexperienced actress without credits under his wing. The suit claims the agency "sexually exploited the 'hip-pocketed' actresses" they brought in.
Robinson claims in her lawsuit she was "sexually battered in an ICM limousine en route to a Paramount Studio event." The suit goes on ..."Robinson was later raped by another co-conspirator." Robinson claims the alleged rapist is a talent manager who conspired with ICM Executive VP Jack Gilardi.
Robinson claims Gilardi accepted bribes -- in the form of cash and gold watches -- in return for "hip pocketing" an actress who his friends wanted to "sexually exploit."
Robinson says the "hip-pocketing" practice is conducted "under the nose of Jeffrey Berg, the Chairman of ICM, in full view of its employees," and is an "inside joke" or "dirty secret," known by all within the entertainment industry.
Robinson's attorney Perry Wander tells TMZ "This case was filed as a class action because Ms. Robinson has since learned that this scheme has ensnared other actresses who were 'hip-pocketed' by ICM and sexually exploited."
She's suing for unspecified damages.
UPDATE: 5:48 PM ET -- An ICM spokesperson just gave TMZ the following statement: "Ms. Robinson's allegations are completely baseless. ICM denies any and all wrongdoing and will vigorously defend this action."
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Tags: actress, claire robinson, ClaireRobinson, hip pockett, HipPockett, icm, International Creative Management, InternationalCreativeManagement, jack gilardi, JackGilardi, jeffrey berg, JeffreyBerg, rape, sexual assault, SexualAssault
Posted Jul 10th 2008 1:28PM by TMZ Staff
Prosecutors have charged former L.A. Ram kicker Antonio "Tony" Zendejas with drugging a woman and then raping her.
The L.A. County D.A. says that in January, the 48-year-old owner of Zendejas Mexican Restaurant in Pomona gave a woman a drink at the popular bar that made her "groggy." They then say the victim woke up at a motel down the street and called police, saying she had been raped.
He was arrested this morning in San Dimas and is still in jail on $260k bail.
Zendejas retired in 1995 after playing for ten seasons with the Rams, Houston Oilers, Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers.
He faces up to 15 years in the joint.
UPDATE: Tony's lawyer released a statement on his behalf saying the charges "are utterly false. I look forward to the opportunity to prove my innocence."
UPDATE 3/11/09: Zendejas was acquitted of all charges.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, TMZ Sports
Tags: Antonio Zendejas, AntonioZendejas, NFL, Rape, San Diego Rams, SanDiegoRams
Posted Jun 29th 2008 3:14PM by TMZ Staff
Some people dress up like members of Poison and cover their music -- others dress up like members of Poison and allegedly rape people.
Rape charges were dropped against Rikki Rockett in Mississippi, because according to Rikki, an imposter named John Minskoff is out there claiming to be him ... among other big name hair bandsmen.
Tags: rape, rikki rocket, RikkiRocket
Posted Oct 4th 2007 1:12PM by TMZ Staff
The problems for jailed fashion designer Anand Jon just keep growing. TMZ was in court this morning when Anand was ushered in, handcuffed, wearing an unflattering orange jumpsuit. He was indicted by an L.A. County grand jury on a shocking 59 new counts of sexual assault. If convicted on all charges, Anand faces life in prison.
Click here... it's not over yet
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Tags: Anand Jon, Anand Jon Alexander, AnandJon, AnandJonAlexander, fashion designer, fashion guru, FashionDesigner, FashionGuru, Marla Maples, MarlaMaples, Michelle Rodriguez, MichelleRodriguez, Paris Hilton, ParisHilton, Paula Abdul, PaulaAbdul, rape, rape charges, RapeCharges
Posted May 11th 2007 12:06PM by TMZ Staff
While the dust is settling for Akon after his simulated onstage rape of a 15-year-old Minister's daughter in Trinidad, TMZ has uncovered some racy photos of her -- on the little miss' MySpace page.
Danah Alleyne, or as she call herself on MySpace, "Diva Trixie," claims to be 19 and writes, "I'm a BITCH oh well... ima bitch, ive got class, mess wid me and i'll kick ur ass!!"
A 15-year-old searching for her identity probably shouldn't be looking for it in an 18-and-over club, especially at an Akon concert! Danah has posted a picture from the night of the controversial event, and the caption says, "girls nite out! best time!!" Not quite the way she described the evening to the Trinidad Express.
TMZ isn't taking sides, but this recent discovery raises a few questions ... and eyebrows.
UPDATE: Since the posting of this story, Miss Danah set her MySpace page to "private."
Filed under: MySpace
Tags: akon, concert, danah alleyne, DanahAlleyne, minister, myspace, on stage, OnStage, racy photos, RacyPhotos, rape, shower, trinidad
