Entertainment

Russell Brand sued by extra who claims she was sexually assaulted on film set

Published

6 months ago

November 6, 2023

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Russell Brand has been accused of sexually assaulting an extra on the set of the 2011 film Arthur.

A lawsuit was filed in New York, and is the first accusation to be made against Brand in court.

British police are still investigating claims against the comedian and presenter after multiple women made accusations, including rape, against him in September.

Brand has previously denied all the claims, saying all sexual relations were consensual.

He and his representatives have yet to respond to this lawsuit.

The US case was brought under the Adult Survivors Act, which gives a one-year window to sue over alleged sexual abuse from a long time ago.

Warner Brothers, which distributed Arthur, is also named as a defendant – as are other firms involved in making the movie.

Allegations in the lawsuit

The lawsuit accuses them of tolerating Brand’s misconduct on set and aiding and abetting the alleged offence. They have yet to comment.

The accuser says she was hired as an extra for a scene filmed at Le Cirque restaurant in Manhattan in July 2010.

Brand was intoxicated during filming, according to the lawsuit, and is accused of exposing his genitalia in front of everyone while sat at a table staring at the woman.

It is alleged Brand later followed her into a bathroom where he pulled down his pants and shoved her into a cubicle, forcing her to perform oral sex.

A crew member is said to have stood directly outside, as if guarding the door.

The woman – who is seeking unspecified financial damages – says she suffered “severe psychological injuries” and economic losses after the alleged attack.

The first claims against Brand were made in an investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches.

They are alleged to have happened when he was at the height of his fame, but no charges have been brought.

Entertainment

Stars say Kevin Spacey should return to acting after ‘seven years of exile’

Published

11 hours ago

May 16, 2024

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Stars say Kevin Spacey should return to acting after 'seven years of exile'

Hollywood stars have begun campaigning for Kevin Spacey to resume his acting career “after seven years of exile”.

Sharon Stone, Liam Neeson and Stephen Fry are among the names speaking up for the Oscar-winner following the release of a Channel 4 documentary levelling fresh allegations against 64-year-old Spacey, which he denies.

The Oscar-winning actor was one of Hollywood’s biggest names when allegations of sexual misconduct were made in 2017, leading Netflix to cut all ties with him at the height of his House of Cards fame.

Despite being acquitted of numerous sexual offences after a trial in London, and winning a US civil lawsuit in which he was accused of making an unwanted sexual advance, Spacey said he still feels ostracised from the industry.

Basic Instinct star Stone told the Telegraph: “I can’t wait to see Kevin back at work. He is a genius. He is so elegant and fun, generous to a fault, and knows more about our craft than most of us ever will.”

The 66-year-old said it was clear aspiring actors had “wanted and want to be around him”.

She added: “It’s terrible that they are blaming him for not being able to come to terms with themselves for using him and negotiating with themselves because they didn’t get their secret agendas.”

Taken and Star Wars actor Neeson, 71, told the paper: “Kevin is a good man and a man of character. Personally speaking, our industry needs him and misses him greatly.”

British actor and writer Fry said Spacey had been both “clumsy and inappropriate” on many occasions, but to “devote a whole documentary to accusations that simply do not add up to crimes… how can that be considered proportionate and justified?”

The 66-year-old said Spacey’s reputation had been “wrecked”, adding: “Surely it is wrong to continue to batter a reputation on the strength of assertion and rhetoric rather than evidence and proof?

“Unless I’m missing something, I think he has paid the price.”

A spokesperson for Channel 4 said: “Spacey Unmasked is an important film exploring the balance of power and inappropriate behaviour in a work environment, aiming to give a voice to those who have previously been unable to speak out.”

Spacey won two Academy Awards as best supporting actor for The Usual Suspects in 1996 and best actor in 2000 for American Beauty, which also scored him a BAFTA for leading actor.

Last year, Spacey was found not guilty by a jury of nine sexual offences alleged by four men between 2001 and 2013 after a trial in London.

He also won a US civil lawsuit in October 2022, after being accused of an unwanted sexual advance at a party in 1986.

Spacey says he has struggled to get work despite his acquittals, branding his experience a “life sentence”.

Entertainment

Rust weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez appeals against conviction over fatal shooting on Alec Baldwin film set

Published

23 hours ago

May 15, 2024

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Rust weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez appeals against conviction over fatal shooting on Alec Baldwin film set

The weapons supervisor for the Western film Rust is appealing against her conviction for involuntary manslaughter over the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on set, according to court documents.

Hannah Gutierrez was jailed in April after being found guilty by jurors following a trial in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the US.

She was in charge of weapons during the production of the film in October 2021, when a Colt 45 revolver fired by actor and co-producer Alec Baldwin went off during a rehearsal.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins died, while director Joel Souza was injured.

A defence lawyer for Gutierrez, who is serving an 18-month sentence at a prison for women in New Mexico, filed a shortly worded appeal notice on Monday.

Her legal team has 30 days to submit detailed arguments. They previously requested a new trial following the verdict.

Gutierrez’s trial was told she unwittingly brought live ammunition to the set, where it was expressly prohibited, and failed to follow basic gun safety protocols.

During her sentencing hearing, she told the court she had tried to do her best while working on the production, despite not having “proper time, resources and staffing”.

Alec Baldwin case latest

Baldwin, who was a producer for the film as well as its star, has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter.

He maintains he pulled back the gun’s hammer – but not the trigger – before it fired, and is set to face trial in July. He denies any wrongdoing.

The 66-year-old was originally charged in January 2023, more than a year after the shooting, but those charges were dropped a few months later. He was charged again in January this year.

His legal team has filed a motion calling for the charges to be dropped. Prosecutors responded with a 32-page document claiming that footage of the star on set shows he had “absolutely no control of his own emotions” and “no concern for how his conduct” affected those around him.

Assistant director David Halls, who also faced charges, entered a plea bargain for negligent use of a deadly weapon last year, receiving a six-month suspended sentence.

Filming of Rust resumed last year in Montana – with Baldwin reprising his role as the main character – after an agreement made Ms Hutchins’s widower an executive producer.

Entertainment

Super Gran star Gudrun Ure dies aged 98

Published

23 hours ago

May 15, 2024

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Gudrun Ure, the star of hit 1980s children’s TV show Super Gran, has died aged 98.

Ure’s portrayal of Granny Smith – who gained superpowers after being struck by a magic ray – won her legions of fans across the globe.

Her death was confirmed by her niece, Kate McNeill.

Ure was born in Milton of Campsie, East Dunbartonshire, on 12 March 1926.

As an actress she starred as Desdemona in a 1951 stage production of Othello, directed by Hollywood legend Orson Welles. She also re-dubbed Suzanne Cloutier’s performance in Welles’ film adaptation.

Ure appeared in other television shows, including Casualty, Midsomer Murders, The Crow Road, The 10th Kingdom, and T-Bag and the Pearls of Wisdom.

However, it was her role in Super Gran that elevated her to cult status.

The show, based on a series of books written by Forrest Wilson, saw Ure’s character use her powers to protect the residents of Chiselton from a series of villains, including the scheming Roderick ‘Scunner’ Campbell and his gang.

Many guest stars appeared on the programme, including George Best, Spike Milligan, Eric Bristow, Roy Kinnear and comedian Billy Connolly, who also sang the theme song.