Lawsuit
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A bombshell lawsuit brought by a former hairstylist for the Fox Sports network is alleging that former network host Skip Bayless offered to pay her a high sum for sex while accusing an FS1 executive of sexual misconduct. Further, the lawsuit named network co-hosts Emmanuel Acho and Joy Taylor, with claims that Taylor slept with several key figures at the network for advancement.
Front Office Sports reports that Noushin Faraji, who worked at Fox Sports from 2012 until August 2024, named Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, Fox Sports Executive Vice President Charlie Dixon, Skip Bayless, and FS1 host Joy Taylor as defendants in the lawsuit that was filed last Friday (Jan. 3).
Source: Travis P Ball / Getty (Dixon is to the right in the photo)
Among the more explosive claims, Faraji says that Bayless offered her $1.5 million to have sex with him after working with the host on the set of Undisputed and allegedly faced sexual harassment and unwanted advances from Bayless. In addition, the suit says that Bayless accused Faraji of sleeping with his former Undisputed co-star, Shannon Sharpe.
The suit also shares a depiction of an exchange between Faraji and Bayless where she attempted to rebuff Bayless by mentioning his wife and Bayless allegedly mentions Faraji’s Muslim faith and the assumption that her father had more than one spouse. Faraji told Bayless that her father was dead.
Faraji added in the suit that Dixon, who was the head of content for FS1, allegedly grabbed Faraji’s bottom at a West Hollywood birthday party. Faraji claims she went to Taylor to report what happened and Faraji said that Taylor allegedly told her to “get over it.”
According to Faraji’s account, she believed that Taylor and Dixon began their affair in 2016 despite both being married. Taylor allegedly invited Faraji out for a drink in Santa Monica, Calif. and when arriving to the bar, she found Taylor sitting with Dixon. Faraji claimed that the body language between the pair suggested a sexual connection. The suit also states that Taylor’s slot on Undisputed was a “reward” for sleeping with Dixon.
Source: ETIENNE LAURENT / Getty
The lawsuit also points to allegations that Taylor used sex to get herself in the door for some of the coveted time slots in the FS1 and Fox Sports space, including sleeping with Acho. Faraji claims she warned Taylor about sleeping with Dixon and Acho at the same time, a warning that was allegedly dismissed by Taylor who believed she had enough leverage to get whatever she wanted out of Dixon.
Faraji is seeking unspecified monetary damages and wants to take the matter to trial. Fox Sports has released a statement regarding the matter while Bayless, Taylor, and Acho have yet to respond to the claims.
On X, the news of the lawsuit have spread wide with reactions going all over the place and zeroing in on the more salacious aspects while largely ignoring the harm Faraji claims to have endured. We’ve got those reactions listed below.
For those who want to go through the 47-page lawsuit, click here.
[h/t Daily Mail]
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Photo: Getty
Nicki Minaj has been sued for assault by a man who claims the rapper physically attacked him following a concert in Detroit last April, according to documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday (Jan. 3).
In the complaint, the plaintiff, Brandon Garrett, claims that while working as a day-to-day manager for Minaj’s 2024 Pink Friday 2 tour, the rapper (real name Onika Maraj) hit him multiple times after flying into a rage backstage at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
According to the lawsuit, the alleged assault occurred on April 21 after Garrett was summoned to Minaj’s dressing room backstage at the arena, where he says he was confronted by Minaj and her former manager Deb Antney about sending another tour employee, identified as hospitality manager Luke Montgomery, to pick up prescriptions for Minaj in his place.
“Ms. Antney asked why Mr. Montgomery was picking up prescriptions on behalf of Defendant Maraj,” the complaint reads, referring to Minaj by her birth name. “Plaintiff responded that he had Mr. Montgomery pick up a prescription in the past because Defendant Maraj wanted it immediately, but Plaintiff was occupied at the venue with Defendant Maraj in the quick change room during a performance because one of Plaintiff’s job duties was assisting Defendant Maraj with dressing during performances.”
Garrett claims that Minaj then became “visibly upset” and “angrily screamed” at him, “Are you f—ing crazy having him pick up my prescription? You have lost your f—ing mind and if my husband was here, he would knock out your f—king teeth. You’re a dead man walking. You just f—ed up your whole life and you will never be anyone, I’ll make sure of it.” Minaj then allegedly “started yelling” at Montgomery, asking what day he picked up the prescriptions and “what exact prescriptions they were.” When Montgomery said he did not remember, Minaj allegedly “screamed” at him “to look through his phone until he finds it.”
The complaint states that when neither Montgomery nor Garrett could find the information Minaj had requested, she “asked to see Mr. Montgomery’s cell phone to read the last text message between Plaintiff and Mr. Montgomery.” After Montgomery allegedly offered up his cell phone to Minaj to read the messages, Garrett says she approached him and “got very close to his face” while continuing to yell at him.
“At this point, Defendant Maraj open-handedly struck Plaintiff on the right side of his face, causing his head to swing backwards as his hat flew off his head,” the complaint reads. Garrett alleges that at this point, several members of Minaj’s security team “swarmed in close” to them before Minaj allegedly “struck Plaintiff on his right wrist, knocking the documents in Plaintiff’s hand onto the floor.”
Garrett claims that Minaj then ordered him out of the room. After complying with her demand, he says he “ran to the nearest restroom and locked himself inside for hours,” during which he says he called his fiance to tell him what had happened. “At this point, Plaintiff’s wrist was throbbing and his face was sore, but he stayed in the restroom because he was terrified and feared for his safety,” the complaint continues. In the “early morning hours” of April 22, Garrett says he then received a text message “from a bus mate on the tour” informing him that Antney said Garrett “would not be riding the bus from Detroit to Chicago,” leaving him stranded.
After arriving back in Chicago on a flight, Garrett says he contacted the Chicago Police Department for a police escort back to his hotel “because he feared for his safety and did not know if his belongings had been removed or tampered with.” He says he filed a police report with the Chicago PD after arriving back at his room, where he allegedly remained “for the next couple days…because he was fearful and traumatized” over the incident. He says he then flew back to Detroit to file a formal police report there.
Garrett is suing for intentional infliction of emotional distress, assault and battery and is asking for punitive and exemplary damages and general damages, among other relief.
A representative for Minaj did not immediately respond to Billboard‘s request for comment. Antney also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Apple / Siri
If Siri recorded your private conversation, you can expect a payment as part of a $95 million Apple settlement agreement.
Spotted on The Verge, Apple has agreed to a $95 million settlement with users whose conversations were “inadvertently” recorded by Apple’s intelligent voice assistant, Siri, and listened to by human employees.
Bloomberg reports that pending approval by a judge, eligible parties could receive up to $20 per device for up to five Siri-enabled devices.
Per The Verge:
If approved, the settlement would apply to a subset of US-based people who owned or bought a Siri-enabled iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, iMac, HomePod, iPod touch, or Apple TV between September 17th, 2014 and December 31st, 2024. A user would also need to meet one other major criteria: they must swear under oath that they accidentally activated Siri during a conversation intended to be confidential or private. Individual payouts will depend on how many people claim the money, so if you apply, you could end up receiving less than the $20 maximum cap.
The Origins of The Class Action Lawsuit
The class action lawsuit against Apple began as a result of the 2019 report from The Guardian claiming Apple third-party contractors “regularly hear confidential medical information, drug deals, and recordings of couples having sex” while working on Siri quality control.
A whistleblower revealed that even though Siri activates using wake words, there were occasions where that was not the case, noting something as simple as the sound of the zipper could activate Siri.
In response to The Guardian’s report, Apple said only a few Siri recordings go to contractors. It also apologized and vowed to stop keeping recordings.
In the lawsuit, a minor and other plaintiffs said that Siri recorded them on various occasions, sometimes without them even saying a word.
Apple is not alone. Google is also involved in a similar lawsuit.
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It seems Jay-Z will have to defend his name in a court of law. A judge has denied his request to dismiss a rape lawsuit against him.
As spotted on Vulture, the Brooklyn, N.Y., native did not receive favorable news regarding a recent legal filing against him. On Thursday (Dec. 26), Judge Analisa Torres ruled that Jane Doe can move forward with her lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jay-Z anonymously. While the accuser remains unidentified, the magistrate did say that Jane Doe might have to reveal her name in the future for the case to proceed.
According to the Associated Press, Judge Analisa Torres also expressed her disproval on how Jay-Z’s legal team have handled the complaint thus far. “Carter’s lawyer’s relentless filing of combative motions containing inflammatory language and ad hominem attacks is inappropriate, a waste of judicial resources, and a tactic unlikely to benefit his client. The Court will not fast-track the judicial process merely because counsel demands it,” the written order reads.
The “inflammatory language” is a direct reference to Alex Spiro’s–Jay-Z’s attorney–criticism of the plaintiff’s lawyer Tony Buzbee. In an exclusive statement to the Hollywood Reporter, the Texas-based mouthpiece commented on the judges denial to dismiss the case. “I don’t typically comment on court rulings. I will say that the coordinated and desperate efforts to attack me as counsel for alleged victims are falling flat.”
Back in October, a woman named Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against Diddy and Jay-Z claiming the two raped her at an event following the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. She has since admitted that there were several inconsistencies with her original filing.
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Now that Diddy’s locked up and facing multiple lawsuits from both men and women who allege that the music icon sexually assaulted them over the decades, he has been slapped with yet another lawsuit from a woman who says she too fell victim to the now notoriously disgraced mogul.
According to TMZ, LaTroya Grayson has just filed a lawsuit against Diddy, Bad Boy Records and other entities as she claims that Diddy drugged and raped her in 2006 after she won a local radio contest in Oklahoma that sent her to one of Diddy’s infamous “White Parties” in New York City. After locking down two tickets to NYC courtesy of KJAMZ radio station, Grayson says she and her sibling attended the Diddler’s soiree and ultimately experienced the horror that many of Diddy’s alleged victims have been coping with for years.
Per TMZ:
Grayson says she and her sibling went to the party — which was changed to a “Black Party” — but were separated when entering the party … with Grayson getting in and her sibling being left outside.
Grayson says waitresses circulated around the room with premade drinks and — after she says she had only two — she began to feel sick and headed for the restroom.
Grayson says she has no recollection of the rest of the night … instead waking up at Saint Vincent’s Medical Center. When she woke up, she says she had a ripped shirt, no underwear, and most of her money was gone.
It’s important to note, Grayson remembers nothing about this assault she says happened … so, she can’t say with certainty who allegedly raped her — and, she never mentions actually seeing or speaking with Diddy at the event.
Grayson says when she got back to her hometown of Oklahoma she received an anonymous call from a woman warning her against pursing legal action against Diddy saying that his celebrity status would basically protect him and she’d be “wasting her time.” Unfortunately, it seems like the warning worked as Grayson has remained mum about the incident for almost two decades.
Naturally, Diddy’s lawyers are denying any such assault took place and have dismissed Grayson’s claim as “pure fiction,” while pointing out that she doesn’t actually remember the assault taking place. “As we’ve said before, Mr. Combs cannot respond to every baseless lawsuit and lawyer-driven money grab. He has faith in the judicial process, in which fact will be separated from opportunistic fabrications like these.”
As we’ve said before, one has to wonder how many more people will ultimately come forward with their own horror stories about “The Diddler.”
That upcoming docuseries about Diddy is going to be one helluva ride, b.
What do y’all think about this latest allegation against Diddy? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Lizzo is glad that she will not be bringing legal worries into the new year. She reveals she was totally blindsided by her former staff’s sexual harassment claims.
As spotted on Variety Magazine the singer received a favorable decision regarding a high profile lawsuit. Back in 2023 her ex stylist and dance troupe made some very damming allegations against her including sexual harassment, body shaming and fostering a toxic work environment. Earlier this month a California federal judge dismissed the case and ruled that her former dancers and stylist had no grounds to sue her (they are still pursuing damages from Lizzo’s touring company and payroll agency).
Naturally the “Truth Hurts” singer said very little about the lawsuit while the case was still open. Now that it is formally behind she is speaking up about the entire ordeal. She recently paid a visit to the This Is Keke Palmer podcast and she made it clearly she was just as surprised by the filing as everyone else was. “The hardest part about all this is that none of these things were true,” she explained. “I was completely surprised. I was very deeply hurt because these were three dancers; that I gave opportunities to. These were people that I liked and appreciated as dancers, respected them as dancers. So I was like, ‘What?!’ But then I heard all the other things, like sexual harassment, and I was like, ‘I don’t know what they’re trying to do,’ but these are the types of things that the media can turn into something that it’s not.”
In the lawsuit the troupe detailed an evening out in Amsterdam’s Red Light District where they claim Lizzo pressured them to interact with nude performers. While Lizzo denied that their account of the evening was factual, Keke responded objectively asking “Do you feel looking back on the situation that maybe your casual personality could have been misconstrued as ‘I got to do this, because this is my boss?’” Lizzo admitted that the experience has taught her how to move more tactfully when it comes to engaging with her staff. “I think that this experience taught me healthy boundaries, but to be real with you, it was such a fun night… I think there’s a time where there’s a difference between having boundaries and professional boundaries… It’s nuanced. It’s a new conversation in this industry.”
You can watch Lizzo discuss this and her upcoming new album below.
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Tony Buzbee, the high-profile attorney representing the alleged victims of Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jay-Z, is facing a heavy accusation himself. A woman has launched a lawsuit against Tony Buzbee alleging that the Texas lawyer gave her a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
As reported by TMZ, the lawsuit filed by Jane Doe in New York Superior Court claims that Tony Buzbee has been connected with her since 2018 after initially meeting online. Doe wrote in the filing that Buzbee interacted with her to the point of convincing her to go on a date and travel to his hometown of Houston for a night out.
Doe stated further in the filing that Buzbee booked a hotel room and laid on the charm before the pair engaged in intercourse. Doe claims that Bubzee failed to disclose his status and passed on the unnamed STI to her. The next day, Doe says she noticed pain around her groin area, and after an examination, the STI diagnosis was revealed. Doe says she contacted Buzbee, who allegedly apologized and appeared to note that he knew of his status before having sex with the woman.
Despite the diagnosis, Doe continued to date Buzbee despite feeling shame about the matter. She also claims that Buzbee used his power and influence to manipulate and control Doe on his terms and to keep his disease a secret from the public.
Buzbee told TMZ that the lawsuit from Jane Doe is a shakedown tactic connected to his pursuit of Combs, calling the claim “false, frivolous, laughable and ridiculous” and believes it will be dismissed.
Tony Buzbee was sued for assault in November for allegedly using a champagne flute as a weapon according to a former client of his.
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Photo: Getty
Lizzo is speaking out amid her ongoing lawsuit accusing her of harassment.
The “About Damn Time” singer joined Keke Palmer on the latter’s Baby, This Is Keke Palmer podcast on Thursday (Dec. 19), where she discussed the harassment lawsuit brought by three of her former dancers in August 2023.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles by dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez, accuses Lizzo (real name Melissa Jefferson) and her Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc. of a wide range of legal wrongdoing and included dozens of pages of detailed allegations. Lizzo denied the claims in a response shared to Twitter, calling them “false allegations” and “sensationalized stories.”
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During her interview with Palmer, Lizzo reflected on the busy year that started out with her first arena tour. “I was literally living in my dream, and then the tour ended, and three ex-dancers just completely, like, blindsided me with a lawsuit,” she said. “I was very deeply hurt because these were three ex-dancers, so they weren’t on the tour. They didn’t, like, finish the tour out with us. But even regardless of that, these were people that I gave opportunities to.”
She added, “These were people that — I liked them and appreciated them as dancers, respected them as dancers. So I was like, what? But then I heard all the other things like sexual harassment, and I was like, they’re trying well, I don’t know what they’re trying to do, but these are the types of things that the media can turn into something that it’s not.”
Trending on Billboard
Lizzo said that she’s learning from the experience moving forward, but concluded by noting, “Let’s be clear, I did nothing wrong.”
The plaintiffs’ attorney Ron Zambrano responded to Lizzo’s comments in a statement to Billboard, writing, “There is an utter lack of awareness by Lizzo failing to see how these young women on her team who are just starting their careers would feel pressured to accept an invitation from their global celebrity boss who rarely hangs out with them. There is a power dynamic in the boss-employee context that Lizzo utterly fails to appreciate. We stand by the claims in the lawsuit and are prepared to prove everything in court with Lizzo on the stand under oath before a jury of her peers, not spouting nonsense and lies rationalizing a failure to take accountability on a podcast.”
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Source: YouTube / A&E
It seems Kanye is going to Kanye wherever and wherever. He did the absolute most during a virtual lawsuit deposition.
As reported by TMZ, the rapper was recently featured on A&E’s Interrogation Raw: Celebrity Under Oath. The news series shows high-profile stars participating in legal proceedings. To promote the premiere the network released a promotional trailer, which captures Kanye being questioned regarding a lawsuit MyChannel. Inc. filed against the “Stronger” rapper for allegedly stealing their technology.
As soon as Kanye joins the virtual call he makes it clear he sees this very important matter as beneath him by wearing a cap and keeping his head down while using his phone. Naturally, the lawyers request he put away the device to which Yeezy responds defiantly. “Due to my mental geniuses-ness, in order to focus on this bullish*t I need to be on a phone.” Shortly after, his counsel asks about the device. Kanye volunteers to get off the phone but then proceeds to put on a mask. When asked why he put on the facial covering he said, “because you don’t have the right to see my face.”
In a second clip, Kanye is asked where he is located during interrogation and tells the plaintiff’s lawyer “I’m not going to tell you! You’re never going to see me again.” When prompted further on who else is he with and what other items he has in the room besides the phone he yells “Are you stupid? You are talking to the richest Black person in the history of America.”
You can watch the trailer for Interrogation Raw: Celebrity Under Oath below.
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Jay-Z has responded to a Jane Doe who accused him and Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping her when she was 13 in 2000, this after the woman gave an exclusive interview acknowledging inconsistencies in her story. The woman contends that the assault did take place but said she made “mistakes” in delivering her account of the incident which prompted Jay-Z’s response.
NBC News exclusively spoke with Jane Doe, who now resides in Alabama, who retold her story regarding what she referred to as the “catastrophic event” that took place 24 years ago. Doe told the network that she “made some mistakes” and her attorney, Tony Buzbee, is attempting to vet her account via his resources.
Of note, Doe claimed that her father picked up up after the alleged assault that occurred after the 2000 MTV VMAs but the woman’s father says he has no recollection of doing so. The woman also said she spoke to a celebrity at the afterparty where the alleged assault took place but the celebrity revealed he was not in New York during the VMAs. Further, photos came forth showing Jay-Z and Diddy at a location that differed from the woman Doe detailed in her initial claim.|
In a statement from Jay-Z, the Brooklyn rapper and businessman continued his vocal critique of Buzbee, who he is accusing of treating the claim and lawsuit as a money grab.
“Today’s investigative report proves this ‘attorney’ Buzbee filed a false complaint against me in the pursuit of money and fame. This incident didn’t happen and yet he filed it in court and doubled down in the press. True justice is coming. We fight FROM victory, not FOR victory. This was over before it began. This 1-800 lawyer doesn’t realize it yet, but, soon,” the statement read.
Jay-Z’s attorney Alex Spiro added, “It is stunning that a lawyer would not only file such a serious complaint without proper vetting, but would make things worse by further peddling this false story in the press. We are asking the Court to dismiss this frivolous case today, and will take up the matter of additional discipline for Mr. Buzbee and all the lawyers that filed the complaint.”
Buzbee claims that Jane Doe’s case was a referral from another firm outside his own and said that Doe’s statements were vetted, according to an email he sent to NBC News.
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Photo: Getty