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A former Penthouse magazine model is suing Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose, accusing him of sexually assaulting her in a New York City hotel in 1989.

Sheila Kennedy, 61, filed the lawsuit in the State Supreme Court in Manhattan under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which lets victims sue over attacks that occurred decades ago – the law expires after Thanksgiving on Thursday.

More than 2,500 lawsuits have been filed so far under the law, which have targeted individuals, employers or institutions such as hospitals, accusing them of not doing enough to stop abuse, but the vast majority have been filed against the state, New York City and local counties involving allegations of abuse at state prisons and local jails.

Attorney Alan S Gutman said in a statement on behalf of Rose: “Simply put, this incident never happened. Notably, these fictional claims were filed the day before the New York State filing deadline expires.

“Though he doesn’t deny the possibility of a fan photo taken in passing, Mr Rose has no recollection of ever meeting or speaking to the Plaintiff, and has never heard about these fictional allegations prior to today. Mr Rose is confident this case will be resolved in his favour.”

It is the latest in a string of lawsuits filed under New York’s expiring Adult Survivors Act.

Bill Cosby
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Bill Cosby

Several lawsuits filed before law expires

On Tuesday a woman accused Bill Cosby of drugging and sexually abusing her after offering to mentor her in her acting career – joining more than 60 women who have accused him of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment.

He has denied all allegations involving sex crimes.

A spokesperson for Cosby, 86, declined to comment but suggested look-back windows in place in New York and elsewhere should be closed because they were being abused to go after wealthy celebrities, asking: “When is it going to stop?”

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Actor Nuno Lopes. Pic: AP
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Actor Nuno Lopes. Pic: AP

Actor accused of rape

Also on Tuesday American writer and filmmaker AM Lukas accused White Lines actor Nuno Lopes of drugging and raping her in 2006.

Lopes denied any wrongdoing and said he would not be afraid to take legal action against anyone who tried to defame him.

Terry Richardson. Pic: AP
Image:
Terry Richardson. Pic: AP

And photographer Terry Richardson, who was effectively blacklisted by the fashion world in 2017 after multiple rape and sexual assault allegations, had a new lawsuit filed against him on Tuesday by Spanish model Minerva Portillo.

Record producer Jimmy Iovine
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Record producer Jimmy Iovine

Jamie Foxx accused of sexual assault

Jamie Foxx was also sued under the act on Wednesday, by a woman who accused the Hollywood star of sexual assault while at a New York rooftop lounge in 2015. A spokesperson for Foxx has been approached for comment.

Meanwhile music industry veteran Jimmy Iovine was sued by a woman who claims she was sexually abused, forcibly touched and subject to sexual harassment and retaliation in August 2017.

A spokesperson for Iovine said they were “quite shocked and baffled” by the alleged claim, adding: “This inquiry is the first we’ve heard of this matter. No one has ever made a claim like this against Jimmy Iovine, nor have we been contacted or made aware of any complaint by anyone, including this unknown plaintiff prior to now.”

Actor Cuba Gooding Jr in court after he pleaded guilty
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Actor Cuba Gooding Jr in court after he pleaded guilty

Oscar-winning actor sued by two women

Also on Wednesday Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr was sued by two women whose sexual assault accusations against the star formed the basis of a criminal prosecution that ended with him pleading guilty in April 2022 but serving no jail time.

Lawyers who have represented Gooding in civil and criminal litigation over his alleged sexual misconduct did not respond to requests for comment.

Others who have been sued under the law include Russell Brand, former movie producer Harvey Weinstein, former president Donald Trump and hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs – whose case was settled after one day.

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P Diddy: Stars react to video showing rapper attacking Cassie Ventura in hotel hallway

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P Diddy: Stars react to video showing rapper attacking Cassie Ventura in hotel hallway

Stars have hit out at rapper P Diddy following the release of CCTV footage showing him attacking singer Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway in 2016.

Warning: This story includes images readers may find distressing

The video, which was obtained by CNN, was shot on 5 March eight years ago and shows the 54-year-old – whose real name is Sean Combsshirtless and wearing just a white towel and brightly coloured socks, punching and kicking Ventura.

Sean Combs and Cassie in 2017. Pic: PA
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Sean Combs and Cassie in 2017. Pic: PA

The R&B singer, whose legal name is Cassandra Ventura, was his protege and girlfriend at the time.

The footage also shows Combs shoving and dragging her across the floor, as well as throwing a glass vase in her direction.

It closely resembles the description of an incident at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles described in a lawsuit filed by Cassie last year.

Commenting on the video on X, formerly known as Twitter, actress Emily Ratajkowski, wrote: “Monster”.

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Fellow rapper 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, shared the video, writing sarcastically: “Now I’m sure Puffy didn’t do it, he is innocent this proves nothing! This is what his lawyers are gonna say, God help us all.”

Jackson also re-posted a screenshot of a statement shared by Combs in December last year, denying allegations against him and accusing those making them of “looking for a quick payday”.

50 Cent wrote: “The lie detector test has determined this was a lie…”

Pic: CNN via AP
Image:
Pic: CNN via AP

Pic: CNN via AP
Image:
Pic: CNN via AP

He also shared a statement from LA police which called the footage “extremely disturbing and difficult to watch,” but explained that it happened too long ago to be prosecuted.

California law has a one-year statute of limitations for assault.

Read more: What is Sean Combs accused of?

The husband of Ventura, Alex Fine, shared a lengthy statement on Instagram titled “Letter to women and children,” calling out men who perpetrate violence against women.

‘Men who hurt women hate women’

He wrote: “Men who hit women aren’t men. Men who enable it and protect those people aren’t men…

“Hold the women in your life with the utmost regard. Men who hurt women hate women.”

The personal trainer also shared the number of a domestic abuse helpline, urging those who need help to call.

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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs issues an apology

Meanwhile, lawyers representing Ventura branded Combs’s apology “pathetic,” after he shared a short video on social media on Sunday, saying he was “truly sorry,” and was “disgusted” by his own behaviour.

‘Disingenuous words’

Meredith Firetog, who is a partner at Wigdor LLP, said in a statement: “Combs’ most recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt.

“When Cassie and multiple other women came forward, he denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday.

“That he was only compelled to ‘apologize’ once his repeated denials were proven false shows his pathetic desperation, and no one will be swayed by his disingenuous words.”

‘Leave god and mercy out of this’

US singer and reality star Aubrey O’Day, who previously worked with Combs, also hit out at Combs’s apology video, writing on X: “Diddy did not apologize to Cassie. He apologized to the world for seeing what he did… Leave god and mercy out of this, they aren’t present here, and you know it.”

It is the first time Combs has responded directly to allegations of physical and sexual violence levelled at him in recent months.

Sean Comb's home raided by federal law enforcement.
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Sean Combs’ home raided by federal law enforcement. Pic: AP


Multiple claims

In March, his homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by Homeland Security as part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation by federal authorities in New York.

In April, Combs was named in a lawsuit that alleges his son sexually assaulted a woman working on a yacht chartered by his father.

Ventura, who began dating Combs a few years after meeting him in 2005, and split with him in 2019, sued him in November, alleging she was trafficked, raped, plied with drugs and beaten by Combs over a 10-year period.

The lawsuit claimed he forced her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed them. The case was settled the day after it was filed.

Combs has previously denied the allegations in the lawsuits and his lawyers have said he denies any wrongdoing.

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Sienna Miller walks the Cannes red carpet with daughter Marlowe

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Sienna Miller walks the Cannes red carpet with daughter Marlowe

Sienna Miller has walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival with her daughter Marlowe Ottoline Layng Sturridge.

The 42-year-old actress, who was born in the US but brought up in the UK, has been promoting her new film Horizon: An American Saga, directed by Kevin Costner.

Kevin Costner with Miller. Pic: Doug Peters/PA
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Kevin Costner with Miller. Pic: Doug Peters/PA

Miller – who will appear in this film and its next instalment – plays East Coast settler Frances Kittredge, who moves to the Horizon settlement with her husband and two children.

Miller wore a pale blue floor-length gown, while 12-year-old Marlowe wore a white dress with a large pale pink bow around the waist for her red carpet debut.

Miller gave birth to Marlowe, whose father is The Sandman star Tom Sturridge, 38, in 2012.

She had a second daughter earlier this year with The Crown actor Oli Green, who also attended the premiere.

Miller and Green, 27, met at a Halloween party thrown by a mutual friend and have since moved to London together.

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Costner – who not only directs the film but also co-wrote and stars in it too – had plenty of family support on the red carpet.

The 69-year-old Hollywood star brought five of his seven children – Annie, 40, Cayden, 17, Grace, 13, Lily, 37, and Hayes, 15. The latter makes his screen acting debut in the movie.

The Costner family: (L-R) Lily, Hayes Logan, Grace Avery, Kevin, Cayden Wyatt  and Annie. Pic: PA
Image:
The Costner family: (L-R) Lily, Hayes Logan, Grace Avery, Kevin, Cayden Wyatt and Annie. Pic: PA

Horizon: An American Saga spans four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, and is described by the studio behind it, Warner Bros, as an “ambitious cinematic adventure” telling the story of the United States of America “through the lens of families, friends and foes”.

Brace yourself for a three-hour epic – and more to come

The two-part western – of which this is the first chapter – received a 10-minute standing ovation when it premiered on Sunday.

Costner also says he has scripts ready for two further instalments in the story, which would extend the epic to four parts if commissioned.

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The Yellowstone star, who first pitched a version of the movie back in 1988, has plenty at stake in the project, and personally financed around $100m for the film and its sequel.

He will be hoping to emulate the success of his 1990 directorial debut Dances With Wolves, which he also starred in and produced. The movie was a box office hit, winning multiple Oscars including best picture and best director.

Horizon: An American Saga runs for over three hours and will come to UK cinemas at the end of June.

It also features Avatar star Sam Worthington, Donnie Darko actress Jena Malone and Owen Wilson’s brother Luke Wilson.

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GB News show with Rishi Sunak broke broadcasting rules, Ofcom finds

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GB News show with Rishi Sunak broke broadcasting rules, Ofcom finds

GB News could face punishment after a programme with Rishi Sunak broke broadcasting rules.

Regulator Ofcom said it was considering a “statutory sanction” after finding ‘People’s Forum: The Prime Minister’ breached impartiality guidelines.

GB News called it “an alarming development” that “strikes at the heart of democracy”.

The hour-long show, which aired on 12 February, saw members of the public put questions to the prime minister. However, it received 547 complaints.

Ofcom said in March that five other GB News programmes featuring politicians acting as presenters – including two hosted by Jacob Rees-Mogg – also broke impartiality rules.

The watchdog said the show featuring Mr Sunak was fine in principle, but “due weight” should have been given to an “appropriately wide range of significant views” other than the Tories’.

These should have happened during the programme itself or “in other clearly linked and timely programmes”.

It said Mr Sunak “had a mostly uncontested platform to promote the policies and performance of his Government in a period preceding a UK General Election”.

“We have therefore recorded a breach of rules 5.11 and 5.12 of the Broadcasting Code against GB News,” it added.

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The channel was quick to hit back at the ruling and denied breaking the impartiality rules.

“The regulator’s threat to punish a news organisation with sanctions for enabling people to challenge their own prime minister strikes at the heart of democracy at a time when it could not be more vital,” it said.

“Our live programme gave an independently selected group of undecided voters the freedom to challenge the Prime Minister without interference,” added the channel.

It said neither producers nor the prime minister had seen the questions beforehand and Mr Sunak was kept “under constant pressure and covered a clearly diverse range of topics”.

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