Usher On His Own in Herpes Lawsuits ... Insurance Co. Wants Out
Usher's insurance company put him on notice, with legal papers -- it will NOT pay for the $20 million herpes lawsuit against him if he loses because his policy doesn't cover STDs.
New York Marine and General Insurance Company filed docs referencing the $20 mil case filed in Georgia by a Jane Doe ... who claims she contracted herpes from Usher after having sex with him at least twice this year. The insurer points out a clause in the singer's policy that excludes coverage for "bodily injury ... arising out of the transmission of any communicable diseases by [Usher]."
In the docs, the company also references the lawsuit filed by celebrity attorney Lisa Bloom on behalf of a John Doe, another Jane Doe and Quantasia Sharpton ... saying it also doesn't want to pay in that case.
The company's also got beef with Usher over the reported settlement he paid to a woman in 2012 for allegedly infecting her. NYM&G says he never disclosed that matter when he signed its policy in 2016, so that's another reason it won't cover him in the Herpes suits.
To be clear, Usher's insurer says it will pay for his defense in the Georgia lawsuit ... for now. But if the court agrees with its interpretation of Usher's policy, it's not only bailing on him ... but will also expect a refund for any money forked out for his defense.
See also
Amber Rose Sued for Defamation by Wiz Khalifa's Mom
Amber Rose launched into a profanity-laced phone call accusing Wiz Khalifa's mother of being an unfit grandmother ... so says Wiz's mom in a lawsuit.
Katie Wimbush-Polk is reportedly suing Amber for defamation because she says Wiz's ex said she was responsible for her child's death. Khalifa's sibling, Dorien "Lala", died in February of complications from lymphoma.
In the suit -- as reported by the Washington Observer-Reporter -- Amber made the phone call to Katie after Katie allegedly reported Amber to California Child Welfare Services. Katie denies making the call, and nothing came of it when child services visited Amber on June 19.
Wiz's mom is suing for damages. We've reached out to Amber, so far no word back.
The Plaza in NYC It's Ground Zero for Rape Culture Current, Ex-Employees Sue
The Plaza Hotel is a cesspool of sexual harassers ... according to current and former female staffers suing the historic hotel in a new lawsuit.
Six women filed a lawsuit against the iconic NYC hotel claiming The Plaza forced them to endure a rape culture. In docs, obtained by TMZ, 3 current and 3 former employees say they've been subjected to a barrage of unwanted groping, kissing and repulsive sexual remarks ... all while Plaza management ignored their complaints and retaliated against them.
In one instance, one of the plaintiffs says her manager followed her into the coat check closet, shut the door behind him, cornered her and started grabbing her by the waist and forcibly kissing her. She says the manager did this 3 times on the same day and when she continually refused his advances, she says he started crying and saying, "I don't understand why you don't want me."
Another plaintiff says one male coworker tried looking under her skirt. And, among the vulgar comments the women say they've been subjected to:
- "I can tell you had sex last night."
- "I want to taste you."
- "My d**k hurts, I had sex with 3 girls I met at the bar last night."
In the suit, one of the women says a male coworker told her he'd "eat your p**sy," and began hugging her from behind. Another male coworker brought a large cucumber and white sauce to work and repeatedly told one of the plaintiffs she should dip the cucumber in the white sauce which "has lots of protein."
Another plaintiff says she tried deflecting a male coworker's advances by reminding him he's married, but he responded, "Well, you can't eat the same food all the time, you have to switch it up sometimes."
In the suit, a plaintiff says a male coworker showed her pictures of his penis and another male employee said, "If you know you're dressing like that with guys around, you can't expect a man not to react. I'm a human being what am I supposed to do?"
The women have hired attorney Andrew Goodstadt, and they're suing The Plaza for unspecified damages. We've reached out to the hotel, so far no word back.
See also
Donnell Rawlings Alleged Assault on Chappelle Fan Caught on Video 'We Asked For Privacy, Son!'
AUGUST 2017
Dave Chappelle and Donnell Rawlings are in the middle of a crazy, violent fight triggered by a guy who was determined to get pics of Dave.
Thurston Greer shot the video, obtained by TMZ. We broke the story ... Greer was somewhere in the vicinity of a bathroom early Friday morning at the Soho Grand Hotel in NYC when he spotted Dave and tried taking a pic, but he was blocked. He says he went outside to do a Facebook post, talking smack on Dave and Donnell, when he ran into them and he says Donnell struck him.
Dave and Donnell say the guy was trying to get pics in the bathroom, they told him no but he persisted and got aggressive. Donnell insists he never laid a finger on Greer and in the video you don't see Donnell ever make contact with the guy.
But the video is insane, and the fight seems to last forever ... lots of n-words hurled back and forth.
As we reported ... Donnell's wanted by police for questioning.
Greer says he was injured in the altercation, citing a sore back, neck and head ... among other scrapes and bruises.
See also
Snoop Dogg Impostor Disappoints Kids ... Promoter Sued by Charity
Snoop Dogg was all set to perform in Bulgaria to raise cash for kids in war zones -- at least that's what the charity org thought before sniffing out what it believes was a $360,000 scam.
Krasimir Dachev -- a rep for Bulgarian nonprofit Peace for You Peace for Me -- filed a lawsuit against Brandon Allen and his company, Rich America. In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Dachev says Rich America claimed it could deliver Snoop and Britney Spears for a 2016 benefit concert.
According to the suit, the promoter demanded fees totaling $360k just to secure a date and start negotiations. Dachev says Allen sent a video he claimed was Snoop shouting out the concert. It's obviously NOT the D-O-double-G ... but Dachev says they bought it.
Dachev says they feared fraud when Rich America tried to trade out Brit for Natalie LaRose, and Snoop backed out. They asked for a refund, but Dachev says Allen told 'em to kick rocks.
To be clear ... the REAL Snoop had nothing to do with this.
Peace for You Peace for Me -- who's being represented by Douglas Painter -- wants a big piece of Rich America. They're suing for the lost $360k, plus more than $2.5 mil in other lost expenses.
See also
'Mighty Ducks' Goalie Busted for Possession of Meth ... 5 Days After Jail Release
Shaun Weiss -- who played Goldberg in 'The Mighty Ducks' -- got busted again 5 days after serving a jail sentence ... this time for meth.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops in Burbank got a 911 call last Wednesday for a suspicious person stumbling around yards in a neighborhood near the Warner Bros. studio lot.
Cops responded and arrested Weiss around 2:30 PM, booking him for possession of a controlled substance. We're told he had meth on him ... unclear exactly how much, though. He's being held on a $20,000 bond.
We broke the story ... Weiss was sentenced to 150 days in jail for petty theft just last month, but only served 12 days due to overcrowding. His manager told us at the time Weiss was hoping jail could help him, and that he'd be trying to write a script or jokes while behind bars.
We've reached out to his manager again ... so far, no word back.
See also
Lisa Vanderpump & Ken Todd Sued for Getting Ruff at Dog Charity ... They Deny the Attack
Lisa Vanderpump's husband assaulted a dog rescue's executive for not playing ball -- so claims the rescue operation in a new lawsuit, but Lisa says the allegation's all bark ... no bite.
Spot Rescue is suing Ken Todd, Lisa and the Vanderpump Dog Foundation claiming Ken got pissed when Spot's executive director refused to provide pooches for a fundraiser gala Vanderpump sponsored.
According to docs, Spot's executive refused because it's against company policy -- but Ken got pissed. He allegedly threw her against a wall and yelled, "Do you know who I am? I will ruin your life!"
The director relented and sent dogs to the event, but when it came time to split the $64,000 raised, Ken shorted the operation ... according to Spot Rescue. In the suit, the org says Ken offered partial payment, but only if the exec released him from liability for the assault.
Lisa denies Ken touched anyone. She adds, "It was a beautiful event with friends who donated to the charity," and there was no deal to split profits with Spot Rescue. She says it only asked for money after seeing how much dough they raised.
See also
Usher Accuser Days Before News Conference ... 'I Need Money'
One of Usher's accusers, Quantasia Sharpton, proclaimed exactly one week before filing her STD lawsuit against the singer, she was hard up for cash.
Quantasia, who also goes by Angel Valentino on social media, said last week, "I need some money." The Facebook post came exactly one week before her news conference with celebrity attorney Lisa Bloom, announcing the lawsuit against Usher.
Also, early Monday morning ... she wrote, "Enjoying my last couple of hours as a regular girl." Seems Quantasia was well aware coming forward to make the herpes allegation against Usher would put her squarely in the spotlight.
It's interesting since the other 2 people on the lawsuit filed anonymously, as Jane and John Doe.
As for why she uses aliases online ... Quantasia says, "I go by Angel cause my name is clearly ghetto and hard to pronounce."
See also
Taylor Swift Butt Grab Trial Lawyers Want to Know ... Are You a Swiftie?!
Taylor Swift fans need to know ... the more they like her, the less likely it is that they'll sit in judgment of her.
TMZ obtained the questionnaire prospective jurors must fill out in a lawsuit filed by former DJ David Mueller, who claims Taylor defamed him by claiming he played grab ass with her during a meet-and-greet. Mueller lost his job over it, but Taylor countersued claiming sexual assault.
In the questionnaire, jurors must disclose their level of fanship. For example:
-- Listened to Taylor on the radio.
-- Watched a Taylor video.
-- Read a blog about her.
-- Bought a Swiftie album.
-- "Intentionally listened to Taylor Swift through an online service."
-- Gone to a Taylor Swift concert.
Check out the questions and guess whether you'd be picked as a jury.
The trial starts Monday.
See also
Charlamagne tha God Threatens Rolling Stone Over 'Transphobic Comments' Story
Charlamagne tha God is threatening to sue Rolling Stone if it doesn't apologize for accusing him of making transphobic comments.
The 'Breakfast Club' host fired off a legal letter to the magazine saying its July 31 article on Rollingstone.com, headlined ... "Janet Mock on Charlamagne tha God's Transphobic Comments," is defamatory as hell since he didn't make such comments.
Rolling Stone has since changed its headline to "Janet Mock Speaks Out Following Charlamagne tha God's Controversial Morning Show." But the DJ is still furious and he's demanding an apology, full retraction and money for damage to his reputation.
You'll recall Charlamagne had comedian Lil Duval on his show, and outrage ensued after Duval said if he ever discovered he'd unknowingly slept with a transgender woman, she would be "dying."
Charlamagne seemed to condemn the remark and reminded Duval it's a hate crime. But Charlamagne says RS took his words out of context to write a fictitious and negative story.
We've reached out to Rolling Stone, so far no word back.
See also
Usher Lawsuit Plaintiffs Claim Vaginal, Oral Sex Exposed them to Herpes
Usher allegedly had vaginal sex with at least one of the 2 women who are suing him for failing to disclose he has genital herpes, and he had oral sex with a male who is also suing him ... this according to a new lawsuit.
According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, all 3 plaintiffs allegedly had sex with Usher, "because Raymond [Usher] was a revered celebrity in their eyes who they believed could be loved and trusted."
The lawsuit claims Usher never told them about a herpes diagnosis. It's important to note, the lawsuit is based on news reports that Usher is carrying the STD and that he settled a herpes lawsuit for $1.1 million a few years back.
The suit claims the 2 women and the man have all suffered severe emotional distress, depression and anxiety. It also says they have experienced embarrassment, shame, anxiety and revulsion.
The suit does not give specifics on where the 3 people had sex with Usher nor does it say when. One of the plaintiffs, Quantasia Sharpton, held a news conference with her celeb lawyer, Lisa Bloom, saying Usher picked her out of a crowd during a concert and later had sex with her.
Bloom says one of the plaintiffs -- not Sharpton -- has tested positive for herpes.
The lawsuit doesn't specify the amount of damages, but asks for punitives as well as a judge's order requiring Usher to fully disclose his alleged herpes diagnosis.
We reached out to Usher's people ... so far no word back.
See also
Chance the Rapper Bodyguard Busted For Body Slam in Chi-Town
-
EXCLUSIVE
- 509 shares
Chance the Rapper's bodyguard allegedly unleashed some WWE moves on a guy right in front of the MC ... and the whole thing was caught on surveillance video.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Chance's private security guard, 44-year-old Star Thomas, was arrested Thursday night at the W Hotel in Chicago after he allegedly body slammed a man in the lobby. We're told Chance had a front row seat as it all went down.
The alleged victim was trying get into the same elevator as Chance and his crew around 9 PM, according to our sources ... and the bodyguard blocked him. We're told about 2 hours later they ran into the man again in the lobby, and that's when Thomas threw him down.
Chance's bodyguard was booked for misdemeanor simple battery. We've reached out to his camp for comment ... so far, no word back.
We spoke with Thomas's lawyer, Elias R. Hilal, and he tells us Thomas was not the aggressor. According to Hilal, the altercation started when the alleged victim "shoulder hit" Thomas and mouthed off. That's when Chance's bodyguard grabbed the guy. Hilal adds that Thomas never took the alleged victim to the ground.
See also
Jarvis Landry Investigated For Domestic Battery
Dolphins star WR Jarvis Landry is under investigation for domestic battery ... Ft. Lauderdale police tell TMZ Sports.
The alleged battery occurred on April 1, 2017. In the incident report "hands, fist, feet, teeth" are listed as weapons used in the alleged incident. Landry has not been arrested, or charged with a crime.
A rep for the Ft. Lauderdale PD tells us, "this is an open investigation that has been sent over to the State Attorney’s Office for review."
Dolphins head coach, Adam Gase, said the team is aware of the situation, but refused to comment further.
A rep for the NFL tells us the league is investigating, saying "the matter is under review."
Landry, 24, is one of the best receivers in the NFL ... making the Pro Bowl in '15 and '16.
12:10PM PT -- Estrella Cerqueira, the mother of Landry's daughter, who was allegedly involved in the incident, released the following statement through J.L.'s rep.
“In March of 2017 the father of my child and I had a vocal disagreement that resulted in someone calling 911. I, myself did not call the police. When the police arrived they determined that there was no cause for any arrests nor was there any concern for my physical well-being. There were no arrests made, there were no criminal charges, I was not in any way physically harmed Yes, we are going through a civil family court case and emotions are high, but I would like to make it very clear that Jarvis would never, ever do anything to harm me or anyone else. Jarvis and I are happily raising our beautiful daughter and I would like to make a plea to the media that they refrain from spreading this completely false story.”
See also
Usher Lawsuit Accuser Says He Never Mentioned Herpes Before Sexual Contact
A woman who is suing Usher for allegedly exposing her to genital herpes has come forward, saying Usher cherry-picked her out of a crowd at one of his concerts, got her number, went to her hotel and had sex with her without disclosing he allegedly had genital herpes.
Quantasia Sharpton appeared with celeb lawyer Lisa Bloom Monday morning, saying she was celebrating her 19th birthday at an Usher concert, wearing a birthday crown, when she was contacted by Usher's security.
Sharpton says she's negative for herpes but still feels violated.
Bloom went on to say she doesn't know for sure if Usher has herpes but there are media reports saying just that and he has remained silent.
Bloom is filing a lawsuit on behalf of 2 women and 1 man, all of whom claim they have had sexual contact with Usher since his alleged diagnosis. She says 1 of the remaining clients -- either the man or woman -- has tested positive for herpes.
Attorney Bloom went on to say she's been contacted by others and may file additional lawsuits.
Bloom says one of the things she wants is a court order forcing Usher to reveal to his future sex partners that he has an STD ... again, his health status has not been confirmed.
We've reached out to Usher's reps ... so far they're mum.
See also
Courtney Love Dodging Depo Over Kurt's Guitar ... Claims Daughter's Ex
Courtney Love's dodging making a decision on who gets Kurt Cobain's famous guitar -- their daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, or her estranged husband ... according to new legal docs.
Isaiah Silva -- who's in an ongoing divorce with Frances -- claims Courtney's refused to come to the door twice when his investigators tried to serve her with deposition papers. According to the docs ... she's also ducking the L.A. Sheriff's Dept.'s attempts to do the same.
Silva wants a depo from Love because he claims she has "personal knowledge of many of the facts" surrounding the 1959 Martin D-18E acoustic guitar Kurt played during Nirvana's "MTV Unplugged."
As we reported ... the guitar's been a heated point of contention in the divorce. Frances says the "priceless family heirloom" belongs to her, but he says it's his because she gifted it to him.
We reached out to Courtney ... her rep tells us she's already publicly stated the guitar is a family heirloom and doesn't belong to anyone other than family, which echoes what she told us in July 2016. The rep also says Courtney hasn't been home much ... she's been filming in Canada.
See also
Fetty Wap Claims Fired Asst. Stole $250k ... She Says It's All BS!!!
Fetty Wap says he had to fire a woman for allegedly skimming a quarter mil off his bookings -- but she says it's really the exact opposite, and Fetty owes her for a ton of expenses.
Sources close to Fetty's RGF Productions tell TMZ ... they fired Shawna Morgan Friday for falsely representing herself as his booking agent and manager. RGF claims Morgan charged additional fees to venues that booked Fetty. They believe she collected real booking fees on behalf of RGF, and then emailed on the side pretending to be Fetty's manager.
They claim she would request added fees, or as they say in the biz ... "double dip." RGF also believes she took cash off the top by lying about fees, and pocketing the extra dough.
Morgan denies the allegations, and tells us RGF owes her $250k in unpaid expenses. She says she repeatedly put her credit card down to cover tour expenses, such as hotels, but was never reimbursed. As for bookings ... she says she only took the industry standard 10% fee.
Morgan says she has receipts to back up her version of events. She also denies being fired.
Our sources say RGF doesn't plan to go to cops, but will consult with attorneys on further action. Morgan says she's doing the same.