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Electronic music producer Bassnectar is asking a federal judge to dismiss a long-running civil lawsuit accusing him of sexually abusing three underage girls, arguing that all three alleged victims lied about their ages and had themselves instigated the relationships.
In a motion filed Monday (Nov. 4) in Nashville federal court, attorneys for the DJ (Lorin Ashton) argued that the case did not need to be decided by a jury because the discovery process — the investigation of evidence during a civil lawsuit — had revealed that there was no merit to the allegations.
“Discovery has confirmed that when each of the plaintiffs first contacted defendant, they lied about not only their ages, but also their level of education, as well as their work and life experiences,” his lawyers write. “Each plaintiff admitted to deceiving defendant into believing that she was over the age of eighteen.”
Ashton’s lawyers also say the discovery process has also made “crystal clear” that the DJ “never forced — in any way — plaintiffs into having a sexual relationship with him.”
“To the contrary, the record demonstrates that the pursuit of a sexual relationship between the parties was instigated by Plaintiffs, each of whom was always free to continue it or end it,” his attorneys write. “Plaintiffs simply cannot prove that they were coerced or that they felt that they had no other choice but to engage in a sexual relationship with Defendant.”
The filing comes more than three years after the three women — Rachel Ramsbottom, Alexis Bowling, and Jenna Houston — filed their lawsuit, accusing Ashton of using his “power and influence to groom and ultimately sexually victimize underage girls.”
The lawsuit, which accuses Ashton of sex trafficking, child pornography and negligence, claims that the star would invite minors to his shows, bring them to a hotel room and provide “large sums of cash and other items of value” in exchange for sex.
Last month, Ashton’s attorneys moved for “summary judgment,” meaning the judge would rule on the case without submitting it to a jury. They cited, among many other arguments, that state law enforcement had investigated Ramsbottom’s accusations and federal authorities had looked into Houston’s — and that prosecutors had declined to file charges in both instances.
Responding to that motion last month, attorneys for the accusers blasted Ashton for seeking to dismiss the case, claiming he had made damning admissions during depositions, including “knowing full well” that Ramsbottom was under 18. They also argued that he had clearly “groomed” them in such a way that facilitated the abuse.
“He entered their teenaged lives as a famous celebrity, engendered their trust, and made it such that his withdrawal of affection or the threat thereof, which the plaintiffs now understand to be abusive, caused each to continue their interaction with defendant,” their lawyers wrote at the time.
With Monday’s reply from Ashton’s attorneys, the case is now in the hands of the judge, who will decide in the coming weeks or months whether to order a jury trial or dismiss the accusations. Attorneys for both sides declined to comment.
Countless fans are upset with Nicole Scherzinger following a comment she made on Russell Brand’s recent Instagram post, which appeared to celebrate Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 election.
Though the Republican president-elect wasn’t mentioned by name in the comedian’s post, Brand did share a photo of himself smiling with a red “Make Jesus First Again” baseball cap — which appears to be inspired by Trump’s famous “Make America Great Again” hats — and wrote “God Bless America” in his caption Tuesday (Nov. 5), the same day the former reality star secured his second term in the White House. In a since-deleted comment, the ex-Pussycat Dolls frontwoman wrote, “Where do I get this hat?”
Billboard has reached out to Scherzinger’s reps for comment.
It isn’t clear whether Scherzinger simply wanted to praise the hat’s religious message or if her comment was intended as an endorsement of Trump, but Brand has been famously outspoken in his support for the polarizing twice-impeached POTUS. In recent years, the Hop star has shifted from acting to a career in conservative political commentary, and immediately after his post with the hat, Brand — who is English, not American — celebrated Trump’s victory on Instagram by writing, “DONALD TRUMP HAS WON THE ELECTION.”
At a time when many of Scherzinger’s peers have been sharing their disappointment over Trump’s win against Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, many fans have taken the former X-Factor judge’s comment on Brand’s post to heart. “Nicole Scherzinger being a trumpie was NOT on my bingo card,” one person tweeted Thursday (Nov. 8).
“If Nicole Scherzinger had really posted this, it had to be the most unbelievably stupid career moment I have ever seen,” another person wrote on X. “It took her 20 years for people to take her seriously & she just ended her career high momentum.”
Other fans, however, expressed wanting to give the “Where You Are” singer the benefit of the doubt. “I don’t think this is Nicole Scherzinger coming out as a Trump supporter—I think she is just an annoying christian,” one person tweeted, while another user wrote, “Nicole scherzinger might be a trumpie but she may also just be Christian and stupid.”
The controversy comes amid a career highpoint for Scherzinger, whose performance in Broadway’s ongoing Sunset Blvd. has earned her both critical praise and an Olivier award. The artist has also been generating Tony buzz, and the show’s soundtrack recently debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Cast Albums chart.
In a recent interview with Billboard, legendary composer and Sunset Blvd. maestro Andrew Lloyd Webber praised Scherzinger’s talents as “one of a kind.” “I don’t think there’s any singer I know who can interpret and act through music in the way that she can,” he added. “I mean, I’ve known some very, very great ones, but she’s absolutely extraordinary.”
The sweeping electoral victory of Donald Trump will change the U.S. government, and the country itself, in ways that no one can yet predict. So far, though, it appears that the music industry will not be affected as dramatically as other businesses.
“I don’t think there will be that much of a change,” said a senior executive at one of the major labels. Partly that’s because music, and copyright, are no longer the hot-button issues they were a decade ago. And partly that’s because, at a time of increased partisan rancor, copyright is one of a few genuinely bipartisan issues, according to a half-dozen executives. Because it brings together Democrats who tend to look favorably on the media business and Republicans who believe in strong property rights, passing legislation often depends more on building a coalition of legislators from both parties.
There are no music companies in Trump’s crosshairs, at least from his own public comments, and he tends to look favorably on entertainers, even when they tend not to return that respect. Indeed, right-wing Republicans have been far more critical of media companies and online platforms than of major labels and movie studios.
The most immediate music business issue before the government is the Department of Justice antitrust case against Live Nation Entertainment, which seeks to break up the company. Trump will appoint a new attorney general to replace Merrick Garland, and that appointee will almost certainly replace Jonathan Kanter, who runs the antitrust division. The future of the case will depend on Kanter’s replacement, and several music executives and antitrust experts said that it’s hard to predict how that person will proceed.
“We congratulate President-elect Trump on his election,” said a spokesperson for Live Nation Entertainment. “Live Nation is proud to help bring joy to fans through concerts, sports and other live events. We look forward to working with the incoming administration to continue driving the positive impacts our industry has on American jobs and local economies.”
Several executives without direct knowledge of the matter speculated that, for optics reasons, the DOJ would be less likely to drop the case than to pursue a low-stakes settlement, but all of them made clear that there was no way to know.
Right now, the big issue in the music business is artificial intelligence, and the industry has been lobbying for the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act, which would protect the voices and likenesses of human creators. The bill was introduced in the Senate in July and the House of Representatives in September. It has sponsors on both sides of the aisle, including Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). (One might presume they do not agree on much else.) The industry is going to push to pass it in the “lame-duck” Congress, before the end of the year, but it will conflict with other priorities, and several executives said that would be a long shot. Otherwise, it will be re-introduced next year, and the changes in government are not expected to affect its chances much.
Some of the policies Trump has said he will pursue, such as tariffs for imports, could be bad for U.S. business on a broader level. This could make physical goods more expensive, especially merchandise, such as T-shirts. It could also make CDs and vinyl more expensive, although only by so much, since they could also be manufactured in the U.S.
It is also possible that changes to the tax system could affect catalog sales, as well as the desirability of songs and recordings as an investment. But it is unclear how much taxes will change — and other economic factors, such as interest rates, are likely to affect investment calculations more.
A press release from the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s office No. 14 in Argentina has revealed the final results of toxicology tests taken in the wake of Liam Payne‘s death. According to a translated copy of the report, in the 72 hours before the former One Direction singer and solo star died after falling from a three-story hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he had “alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants” in his system.
The report said that the toxicology report findings have already been shared with Payne’s family, and that they found that he had “only traces of polydrug use” based on “the complete toxicology tests on urine, blood and vitreous humour, carried out in a very short time.”
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The officials who carried out the autopsy concluded that the 31-year-old star’s death was caused by “‘multiple trauma’ and ‘internal and external hemorrhage,’ the result of the fall the musician suffered from the balcony of the third-floor room of the hotel in the Palermo neighborhood where he was staying.”
Three additional reports on requested by a prosecutor also confirmed that the injures Payne sustained were caused by a fall at the Casa Sur Palermo Hotel from a height and that “self-harm of any kind and/or physical intervention by third parties were ruled out.” In addition, authorities reported that Payne did not adopt a “reflex posture” to protect himself from the fall, which led to the conclusion that he “may have fallen in a state of semi- or total unconsciousness.”
Specifically, “the lack of defense or self-preservation reflex in the fall, together with other relevant data from his consumption, allow us to conclude that Liam Payne was not fully conscious or was experiencing a state of noticeable decrease or loss of consciousness at the time of the fall.” The prosecution said that, as such, they were able to rule out the “possibility of a conscious or voluntary act on the part of the victim, since, in the state he was in, he did not know what he was doing nor could he understand it.”
A frantic 911 call placed by staff shortly before Payne’s death included a description of a guest who was “overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol” and “destroying [their] entire room.” By the time police arrived, Payne had already fallen and died at the scene due to his injuries
Prior to the release of the results, investigators reportedly found a number of illicit substances in Payne’s body at the time of death, including a recreational drug called “pink cocaine,” a mixture of substances that often contains ketamine combined with MDMA, methamphetamine, cocaine, opioids and/or psychoactive substances.
Payne had been candid in the past about his struggles with addiction. In May 2023, he celebrated 100 days of sobriety, saying at the time, “I feel really, really good, and support from the fans and everything has been really, really good. So, I’m super happy.” In 2021, Payne also discussed his substance use issues on the podcast Diary of a CEO podcast, detailing a struggle with depression and substances during the chaotic 1D years.
Police raided the hotel last month and reportedly seized a number of items, including computer hard drives and CCTV footage from hotel cameras.
In addition to the news on the autopsy results, the Thursday press release revealed that three people have been arrested and charged in Argentina in connection with Payne’s death after “illicit conduct was discovered,” leading to the charges of abandonment of a person followed by death, supply and facilitation of narcotics.”
The three were described — but not named — as a person who “accompanied the artist on a daily basis during his stay in the city of Buenos Aires,” who was charged with abandonment of a person followed by death, which carries a potential sentence of 5 to 15 years in prison. A second person was described as a hotel employee who “must answer for two proven supplies of cocaine to Liam Payne during the period he was at the hotel” while a third, also a “drug supplier,” has also been charged with supplying narcotics.
The probe into Payne’s death included the analysis of more than 800 hours of video footage from security cameras in the hotel and on adjacent public roads, as well as a forensic extraction and analysis of the contents of the singer’s cellphone, including calls, messages, chats and social network data. Investigators also looked over a record of Payne’s orders at the hotel bar/restaurant to determine who had visited him and their food/drink “consumption habits.”
Police also extracted several gigabytes of data from cell phones belonging to hotel reception and other witnesses who voluntarily offered to corroborate their statements.
Lizzo has a message of positivity for followers following Donald Trump’s election win this week. Two days after Election Day ended with the twice-impeached former POTUS securing his second term in the White House, the 36-year-old musician shared a video on Instagram captioned with a simple rainbow emoji Thursday (Nov. 7). In the clip, only […]
Diddy’s son Christian “King” Combs has decided to take over his father’s Instagram account as the disgraced mogul awaits his 2025 trial. In a video posted on his father’s IG on Wednesday (Nov. 6), Diddy’s youngest son said he was going to post throwback videos of the “positive things” his dad has done over the […]
Following Donald Trump’s win in the 2024 presidential election, Madonna has taken to her Instagram Stories to share her reaction. On her Stories, the Queen of Pop posted a photo of a yellow and orange cake with “F— Trump” written across the top, surrounded by cherries. “Stuffed my face with this cake last night,” she […]
Jack Antonoff is asking his community to stay strong following Kamala Harris’ losing the 2024 presidential election against twice-impeached convicted felon Donald Trump.
In a heartfelt message addressed “to my people” on X Wednesday (Nov. 6), one day after Election Day, the 40-year-old producer reminded followers, “we turn to each other at the best times as we do at the worst times.”
“our community is alive because we lift and take care of each other,” he continued. “we are not moved by bulls–t. when we’re afraid we lean on each other. right now we are going to do exactly that. we are going to be there for each other.”
Antonoff went on to give fans a meaningful call to action, noting that The Ally Coalition — which he founded in 2013 with his sister, designer Rachel Antonoff, to support LGBTQ youth — will “not rest” in their activism post-election. “do not be cynical,” he wrote. “do not have the conversation alone in your head. go be together. be around those who do not assume the worst of you.”
“fight for the rights of oppressed people,” he added. “respect the earth and its creatures. live with the most dignity and remember that every tiny thing is carried on.”
The Bleachers frontman is one of many artists disheartened by Trump’s return to power, with Ariana Grande, Ethel Cain, Billie Eilish, Cardi B and several more stars all sharing messages of disappointment to social media over the past 36 hours. One of Antonoff’s 2024 collaborators, Sabrina Carpenter, addressed the election results at her Nov. 6 concert in Seattle, telling the crowd: “I hope we can be a moment of peace for you, a moment of safety … sorry about our country, and to the women in here, I love you so so so so so much.”
The former Fun band member has long been open about his dislike of Trump, from joking about the president-elect wearing diapers with Jimmy Kimmel in April to slamming what he called a “Trumpian approach” to spreading false information when Damon Albarn accused Taylor Swift — another frequent Antonoff collaborator — of not writing her own songs in 2022. He’s also spent his career being a fierce advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and recently announced his Public Studios initiative, which will build studios in LGBTQ+ youth shelters and create a network of engineers to train aspiring producers in those communities with the Ally Coalition’s help.
Read Antonoff’s post-election message below.
to my peoplewe turn to each other at the best times as we do at the worst times. our community is alive because we lift and take care of each other. we are not moved by bullshit. when we’re afraid we lean on each other. right now we are going to do exactly that. we are going to…— jackantonoff (@jackantonoff) November 6, 2024
After the 2024 presidential race was called for Donald Trump on Wednesday (Nov. 6), plenty of people flocked to social media looking for catharsis. One such person was singer-songwriter Maren Morris, who decided to give those people something to listen to. In a post to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday night, the “Push Me Over” […]
Cardi B has very little patience left to test following the 2024 election.
After the results of this week’s election declared that Donald Trump will once again return to the White House as president of the United States, the 32-year-old rapper — who had ridden hard for his opponent, Kamala Harris — issued a warning to the Republican victor’s supporters on X Wednesday (Nov. 6). “Listen, I’mma let y’all know this right now,” she began, filming herself while walking through a Target parking lot.
“So you know, Trumpettes, y’all won, I know y’all happy,” Cardi continued. “Ain’t nobody acting like they’re the losers. However, y’all need to leave me the f–k alone. Because I got one more f–king cigarette in me before I start lighting your asses up. Aight?”
“And that’s word to the United States of motherf–king America,” the Grammy winner added.
Cardi’s message is only the latest post she’s made since Trump won the presidency, with the star also sharing a heartfelt message to Harris on social media Wednesday. “No matter what they’ve said to bring you down or belittle your run for presidency they can never say you didn’t run your race with honesty and with integrity!” she wrote. “This may not mean much but I am so proud of you! No one has ever made me change my mind and you did!”
The “WAP” artist is part of a large group of stars who have shared reactions to Trump’s victory, her post coming amid other disheartened messages from Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Bette Midler, Ethel Cain and more. As votes for the twice-impeached president-elect poured in Tuesday night (Nov. 5), Cardi also wrote on Instagram Stories, “I hate y’all bad.”
The Whipshots founder was outspoken in her support for Harris even before the former prosecutor took over the Democratic ticket from President Joe Biden, telling followers on Instagram Live over the summer, “They should’ve passed the torch to Kamala.” After the VP entered the race, Cardi frequently supported the politician on social media and in interviews before speaking at one of Harris’ final rallies in Milwaukee.
“Like Kamala Harris, I’ve been the underdog, underestimated, and had my success belittled,” she said at the Nov. 1 event. “I didn’t have faith in any candidates until she joined and spoke the words I wanted to hear about the future of this country.”
On Wednesday (Nov. 6), Harris conceded the election to Trump with a speech at her alma mater, Howard University. She told the the tearful crowd, “Sometimes the fight takes a while — that doesn’t mean we won’t win,” and reminded supporters that “this is not a time to throw up our hands — this is a time to roll up our sleeves.”
Watch Cardi’s video below.