Arrest warrant issued for singer Marilyn Manson on assault charges in New Hampshire

Police in the U.S. state of New Hampshire said late on Tuesday that they had issued an arrest warrant for rock singer Marilyn Manson in connection with assault charges.

The alleged assaults involved a videographer, the police said, adding that Manson, his agent and legal counsel had been aware of the warrant “for some time” and “no effort has been made by him to return to New Hampshire to answer the pending charges”.

“The Gilford Police Department has an active arrest warrant for Brian Hugh Warner (aka: Marilyn Manson) for two counts of Class A misdemeanor Simple Assault stemming from a 2019 incident at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion,” the police said in a statement on Facebook.

A representative of Manson was not immediately available for comment.

Manson had been performing a concert at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion on Aug. 18, 2019, when the alleged assaults occurred, according to the police.

The videographer had been subcontracted by a New Hampshire-based company to video the concert, and had been located in the stage pit area when the alleged assaults occurred, the statement added.

A Class A misdemeanor New Hampshire can carry a possible jail sentence of up to a year and a fine of up to $2,000.

The alleged assaults were not sexual in nature, the police said, adding that the issuance of an arrest warrant was not a presumption of guilt.

The development marks the latest controversy to surround the rock singer. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in February that authorities were investigating allegations of domestic violence by Manson.

“Westworld” TV and film actor Evan Rachel Wood and three other women said in February in social media posts that Manson had abused them. Manson was dropped by his record label after the allegations.

The singer and songwriter is known for his Gothic-inspired black outfits and heavy make-up. His hits include “The Dope Show” and “Personal Jesus”.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Alex Richardson)

-reuters-

Weinstein agrees $25 million settlement with accusers: lawyer

NEW YORK — Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has reached a $25 million settlement with dozens of his alleged sexual misconduct victims, one of the women's lawyers told AFP on Wednesday.

The cash will be shared among more than 30 actresses and former employees who have sued the 67-year-old producer for offenses ranging from sexual harassment to rape.

Aaron Filler, an attorney for "Boardwalk Empire" actress Paz de la Huerta, told AFP he expected his client, who accused Weinstein of raping her in 2010, to be part of the settlement.

Weinstein will not have to admit wrongdoing or pay from his own pocket, celebrity news portal TMZ said, with the bill instead being met by insurers for his bankrupt former movie studio, The Weinstein Company.

The deal will have to be signed by all parties and get court approval to resolve almost every misconduct lawsuit brought against him since 2017 and insulate company directors from future liability.

Weinstein's accusers include some of the world's most famous actresses -- including Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Salma Hayek -- although none is part of the proceedings. 

The once-powerful "Pulp Fiction" and "Sin City" producer, whose case sparked the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment, faces a criminal trial in January on charges of rape and forcibly performing oral sex on a woman.

Looking frail as he shuffled into a pretrial hearing in Manhattan using a walking frame, he had his $1 million cash bail raised to $2 million in assets after prosecutors accused him of mishandling his ankle monitor.

Weinstein's legal team told the court he was scheduled to undergo surgery on Thursday to relieve back pain from an injury in an August car accident.

"He is in pain. He's going to have surgery and he will be back in court on Jan. 6," said attorney Donna Rotunno. 

The criminal claims against him involve just 2 accusers, meaning the civil settlement represents the only chance of justice for the many women who have accused Weinstein of abuse.

One of his accusers, 50-year-old Katherine Kendall, told The New York Times she was disappointed by the deal but had agreed to sign on because she didn't want other women to miss out on the payout.

"I don't love it, but I don't know how to go after him. I don't know what I can really do," said Kendall, who alleged that she was chased around his New York apartment by a naked Weinstein.

Agence France-Presse 

Rapper A$AP Rocky back in Los Angeles from Sweden: reports

LOS ANGELES -- US rapper A$AP Rocky has returned to Los Angeles after a Swedish court released him pending the verdict of an assault trial, US media reported Saturday.

The 30-year-old artist, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, arrived around midnight Friday aboard a private jet on a flight from Stockholm, ABC and CBS reported.

"The rapper was ecstatic," celebrity news website TMZ said, describing the rapper smiling, taking photos and hugging supporters.

"He actually stayed in the private terminal parking lot for around 45 minutes, talking and joking most of the time," TMZ added.

Mayers had been held in Sweden since July 3 when he was arrested following a brawl in Stockholm on June 30, which saw him and his crew embroiled in a fight with a 19-year-old plaintiff.

The case had even prompted President Donald Trump to call for Mayers to be freed -- drawing complaints of interference from Swedish politicians.

Mayers and two others had been held in custody ahead of their trial because the court deemed him a "flight risk." 

On Friday, the Stockholm district court's presiding judge Per Lennerbrant said that Mayers could be released pending the verdict, which will be delivered on August 14.

His detention has sparked a campaign for his release by his fans and fellow artists, with an online petition called #JusticeForRocky garnering more than 640,000 signatures. Social media campaigns have even urged fans to boycott Swedish brands such as Ikea.

The New York-born rapper made no official announcement of his return to the United States on his social media accounts.

Earlier, however, he thanked his fans via Instagram for their support after his release.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of my fans, friends and anyone across the globe who supported me during these last few weeks, I can't begin to describe how grateful I am for all of you," the post said.

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Rapper A$AP Rocky to face trial in Sweden on assault charge

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - U.S. rapper A$AP Rocky will be tried for assault in Sweden starting on July 30 over his alleged involvement in a street brawl in central Stockholm last month, the Swedish public prosecutor announced on Thursday.

Best known for his song “Praise the Lord”, the 30-year-old performer, producer and model, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, was detained about three weeks ago following an altercation with two men on June 30.

Mayers has said he is innocent and that the men provoked him and his two companions who have also been charged with assault. If convicted, they could face up to two years in jail.

Over half a million people, including fellow artists Nicki Minaj and Post Malone, have signed an online petition calling for his release on bail.

Last week U.S. President Donald Trump urged Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven to free Mayers and said he would personally vouch for his bail. Sweden does not have a bail system. Lofven has said he will not influence the rapper’s case.

Public prosecutor Daniel Suneson said he had begun criminal proceedings against Mayers and two others for suspected assault causing actual bodily harm, despite claims of self defense and provocation.

“The artist is the one who threw the victim to the ground and then, together with two other suspects, dealt him blows and kicks. A bottle was used during the assault and there are cuts on the arms and (on) the plaintiff’s ear,” Suneson told Reuters.

“Provocation is something that I, as prosecutor, must always take into account, but I still believe that what they have done constitutes a crime,” he said.

Suneson declined to say which of the suspects had wielded the bottle in the fight. Court documents described the plaintiff as a person needing a Persian translator, but did not provide any further details.

TO PLEAD NOT GUILTY

Mayers’ lawyer said the rapper would plead not guilty at the trial when it begins on Tuesday.

“Mayers is extremely marked by the time he has been detained. It is tough to be basically isolated,” lawyer Slobodan Jovicic said at a news conference.

“We have to be humble but I definitely think there are grounds for an acquittal,” he said.

Suneson said he would seek a sentence of less than 2 years. He said he had looked at evidence including text messages and video footage that has not been made public.

Before his arrest, Mayers had uploaded videos on Instagram of the alleged altercation, saying the two men had followed his team and that he had not wanted any trouble.

Mayers, also known by the pseudonym Lord Flacko, was in Stockholm to perform at the Smash hip-hop festival. His detention has forced him to cancel a dozen shows scheduled as part of his Europe tour.

Mayers shot to fame with his 2011 debut mixtape “Live.Love.A$AP”, gaining recognition as much for his experimental approach to music as for his unpredictable fashion style that made him the first person of color to front luxury brand Dior Homme.

His latest album, “Testing”, bagged the No. 4 spot on the Billboard 200 charts on its release last year.

Reporting by Esha Vaish and Johan Ahlander in Stockholm, additional reporting by Edward Baran, Helena Soderpalm and Johannes Hellstrom; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Actor Jussie Smollett indicted on 16 counts by grand jury

CHICAGO - A grand jury in Chicago has returned a 16-count felony indictment against television actor Jussie Smollett, accusing him of falsely reporting to police that he was the victim of a hate-crime assault, local media reported on Friday, citing court records.

Smollett, who is black and openly gay and plays a gay character on the Fox network hip-hop drama "Empire," was previously charged in a single-count criminal complaint with lying to police about a supposed racist and homophobic attack on Jan. 29 by supporters of President Donald Trump.

A spokeswoman for Smollett, 36, who was arrested and later released on $100,000 bond 2 weeks ago in connection with the initial charge against him, did not immediately return a call or email seeking comment. An attorney for the actor could not immediately be reached for comment.

At least 2 local television stations reported that a Cook County grand jury charged Smollett with 16 counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly giving false accounts of an attack on him to police investigators.

At the time he was initially charged, Chicago's police chief said that Smollett had paid 2 brothers to stage an assault on him.

According to previous police accounts, Smollett reported that 2 masked men approached him on a darkened street shouting racial and homophobic slurs, struck him in the face, doused him with an "unknown chemical substance," and wrapped a rope around his neck before they fled.

According to the account, the attackers had shouted, "This is MAGA country," referring to Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.

Smollett took himself to a hospital but was not seriously hurt, police had said.

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Singer R. Kelly, facing sex abuse charges, gets $1 million bail

CHICAGO -- A US judge set $1 million bail for R&B superstar R. Kelly on Saturday after prosecutors laid out graphic details of charges that he sexually abused 4 victims, 3 of them minors.

Kelly, known for hits like "I Believe I Can Fly," surrendered to police late Friday after decades of allegations of sexual abuse, especially of underage girls, led to the first sexual assault charges against him.

Kelly was acquitted in a child porn trial more than a decade ago, and had maintained a steady fan base and continued to perform.

But his fortunes changed after a docuseries last month led Chicago prosecutors to publicly seek out any potential victims.

A Chicago grand jury on Friday charged him with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against four females, the youngest 14 years old at the time of the alleged crimes, which spanned between 1998 and 2010.

The charges carry 3 to 7 years of prison per count.

A grave-faced Kelly appeared in a packed courtroom in a black hooded sweatshirt with his hands handcuffed behind his back.

Two women who had previously publicly accused him of abuse came to court to observe the proceedings.

In setting bail, Cook County Judge John Fitzgerald Lyke Jr. ordered Kelly to have no contact with anyone under 18 years old, and to have no contact with any of the alleged victims or witnesses.

The singer also was required to relinquish his passport.

"He's devastated," Kelly's attorney Steve Greenberg said. "Here is someone who at one point was a huge star. Now he is sitting behind bars."

VICTIMS SAID TO BE 14, 16

In the bail hearing, prosecutors offered new details of their case -- including a shocking accusation that Kelly met one underage victim while giving autographs during his 2008 trial.

They described a video showing Kelly repeatedly having sex with a 14-year-old, DNA evidence from another victim's shirt that they said matched Kelly's and semen from yet another victim's clothes that preliminary tests showed appeared to be his.

Prosecutor Kimberly Foxx told reporters that a witness, not publicly identified, had provided the video showing Kelly having oral and vaginal sex with the youngest girl sometime between 1998 and 2001, when he would have been in his early 30s.

"In the video," the prosecutor said, "the victim repeatedly, repeatedly, says she is 14 years old."

In 1998, Kelly allegedly met another girl at a restaurant where she was celebrating her 16th birthday party, invited her to his studio knowing her age, and had sex with her several times after that, each time giving her an envelope with "a large amount of money," Foxx said.

In 2008, he allegedly met a girl who was under 17 years old while giving autographs during his criminal trial on child pornography charges, and had sex with her multiple times until 2010.

"At times, Robert Kelly would spit on her, slap her on her face and choke her," the prosecution alleged in court.

Illinois outlaws sex with those under 17 when the partner is at least 5 years older. Kelly is now 52 and was 31 at the time of the earliest alleged abuse.

In the only case not involving minors, Kelly is accused of trying to force a 24-year-old hairdresser to provide him with oral sex in 2003. When she resisted, he "ejaculated onto the victim and spit in her face several times," Foxx said.

DNA on the hairdresser's shirt, tested by police, was found to match Kelly's DNA profile, prosecutors said.

FINANCES 'A MESS'

Although his bail was set at $1 million, Kelly needs to put up only a tenth that amount, or $100,000, to be let out of jail. But Kelly's attorney was unsure when the singer would be able to pay.

"His finances are a mess," Greenberg told the judge in court.

After the hearing, he told reporters Kelly would likely put up bail by Monday at the latest and poked holes in the prosecution's case.

"He's entitled to a presumption of innocence," Greenberg said.

"He did not force anyone to have sex. He's a rock star. He doesn't have to have non-consensual sex."

Kelly is next due in court Monday, at which time a trial judge will be assigned to his case. He is scheduled for a March 8 arraignment, when he will have an opportunity to enter a plea.

Allegations of child pornography, sex with minors and sexual battery have dogged Kelly for decades, yet he still managed to enjoy a successful music career.

The musician's fortunes turned after last month's broadcast of the docu-series "Surviving R. Kelly," which once again brought accusations against him to the fore.

High-profile lawyer Michael Avenatti and prominent women's rights attorney Gloria Allred are representing clients linked to Kelly.

Kelly married his protege Aaliyah in 1994, when the late R&B star was 15 and Kelly was 27. He had produced the teenage singer's debut album titled "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number."

Their marriage was later annulled, and Aaliyah died in a plane crash in 2001.

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Cardi B fails to show up for hearing over fight at New York club

NEW YORK - A New York judge on Monday rescheduled Cardi B's court hearing to Friday after she failed to appear in criminal court to face charges of assault in connection with a fight at a strip club but warned that she risked arrest if she did not show up again.

The 26-year-old performer, whose real name is Belcalis Almanzar, surrendered to police in Oct. after being accused of involvement in the Aug. 15 incident at the Angels NYC strip club in the borough of Queens.

Judge Scott Dunn told her lawyer "to convey to her that it’s not acceptable that she’s not here today," after she failed to show up for her scheduled appearance.

"You should inform her that if she doesn't show up to the arraignment on Dec. 7, that unless the circumstances change, then it's very likely the court will issue a bench warrant for her arrest,” Dunn said to her lawyer, Jeff Kern.

Cardi B, a 2-time Grammy award nominee, has topped music charts in recent years with hits "Bodak Yellow" and "Girls Like You," a collaboration with Maroon 5.

On her verified Instagram profile under the "Story" section, Cardi B early Monday posted a video featuring her on aircraft and another showing a vibrant blue ocean. There was no indication where the photos were taken or when she may have been at the locations.

Kern, who admitted that he rarely had direct communication with Cardi B but spoke with her through business managers, apologized to the judge and blamed her failure to appear in court on poor communication.

"I can tell you my client knew of the date, but there was a previously standing commitment for today and tomorrow," he said, assuring the judge that his client was not a flight risk.

Kern said Cardi B had asked for an adjournment before Monday but the court had denied it. She was initially due in court on Oct. 29, but the court allowed her to reschedule.

According to the New York Times, Cardi B accused 1 of 2 sisters who tend bar at the Angels NYC club of having an affair with her husband, Offset, who is part of the rap trio Migos. Citing police, the newspaper said Cardi B's bodyguards and members of her entourage attacked the sisters with bottles and chairs.

Cardi B's agents and Joe Tacopina, an attorney representing the 2 bartenders, did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment on Monday.

She has also made headlines for an ongoing feud with rapper Nicki Minaj, with whom she had a physical altercation during an event at this year's New York Fashion Week. After a series of posts on Twitter and Instagram directed at each other, the two agreed on a cease-fire in Oct.

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Alec Baldwin arrested in New York after 'punching' man

NEW YORK - Hollywood actor and television presenter Alec Baldwin was arrested in New York on Friday for allegedly punching a 49-year-old man in the face during a parking dispute, police said.

The 60-year-old, who has famously impersonated President Donald Trump and who lives in downtown Manhattan with his second wife and their 4 young children, was arrested in Greenwich Village, a police spokeswoman told AFP.

"Police got a call around 1:30 pm (1730 GMT) regarding an assault in progress. When we got there, we discovered that it looked like 2 individuals were fighting over a parking spot," the spokeswoman said.

The younger man had already parked his vehicle and was attempting to purchase a parking ticket, when he got into a dispute with Baldwin, "who then punched him in the face," the officer said.

She said the unnamed man was taken to hospital in "stable" condition, while Baldwin was in custody awaiting charges.

Baldwin is well known for his hot temper and for impersonating Trump on satirical US television show "Saturday Night Live." The Oscar nominee recently launched a Sunday night talk show on ABC television.

In 2014, he was detained by New York police for riding his bicycle the wrong way down a street.

In late 2013, NBC scrapped his late-night chat show after he allegedly subjected a photographer to a homophobic slur outside his apartment on the day that a Canadian actress convicted of stalking him was jailed.

In a subsequent profanity-laden article in New York Magazine, the actor said he was finished with public life and that the Big Apple no longer offered his then baby daughter a "normal" life.

The nearly 5,300-word rant denied allegations that he insulted gays and lashed out furiously against the media, the city where he has lived since 1979, and US public life in general.

Despite that February 2014 article, the actor still lives in Manhattan with second wife Hilaria. The couple now share 4 young children.

His anger made headlines as long ago as 2007, when he left a notorious message for his then 11-year-old daughter with first wife Kim Basinger, calling her a "rude, thoughtless little pig."

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Top Hollywood women launch anti-harassment initiative

WASHINGTON - More than 300 top women in Hollywood -- from Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence to Emma Thompson and Cate Blanchett -- unveiled an initiative Monday to tackle pervasive sexual harassment in workplaces, calling special attention to their "sisters" in less than glamorous blue-collar jobs.

The initiative, dubbed Time's Up, caps a year in which the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct scandal touched off a deluge of allegations that brought down powerful men in entertainment, politics and the media, prompting companies, government agencies and even the US federal court system to re-examine harassment policies.

But in an open letter printed in The New York Times, the new initiative lends the star power of its A-list members to the cause of women in less prominent fields, urging support and respect for farmworkers and others whose humble positions leave them vulnerable and voiceless.

"We fervently urge the media covering the disclosures by people in Hollywood to spend equal time on the myriad experiences of individuals working in less glamorized and valorized trades," the group says in its full-page ad.

"To every woman employed in agriculture who has had to fend off unwanted sexual advances from her boss, every housekeeper who has tried to escape an assaultive guest, every janitor trapped nightly in a building with a predatory supervisor, every waitress grabbed by a customer and expected to take it with a smile... we stand with you. We support you."

$15 MILLION GOAL 

Last month, the head of Ford Motor Company apologized to employees at two factories in Chicago and promised changes, after a scathing expose by the Times detailed pervasive harassment and mistreatment of women at the plants dating back to the 1990s. It was one of the first major media investigations into sexual harassment in blue-collar workplaces.

Among the specific steps it announced, Time's Up has established a legal defense fund that, in just 12 days, has raised $13.4 million toward a $15 million goal aimed at providing legal aid for women and men who were sexually harassed, assaulted or abused in the workplace.

It has vowed to push for legislation to strengthen laws on workplace harassment and discrimination.

The group insists that more women must be brought into positions of power and leadership, while every woman should have equal benefits, opportunities, pay and representation.

As for Hollywood, it wants "swift and effective change to make the entertainment industry a safe and equitable place for everyone."

And it called on women to wear black at Sunday's Golden Globes as a statement against gender and racial inequality, and to raise awareness about the group's efforts.

'DEAR SISTERS'  

The open letter in the Times, which also appears in the Spanish-language La Opinion, opens with the words "Dear Sisters" in large, bold type, and closes with the words "in solidarity," followed by the names of the 300 women.

Several of Weinstein's accusers signed the open letter. They include Ashley Judd, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Beckinsale, as well as Salma Hayek, whose lengthy account of mistreatment by Weinstein -- "my monster," she called him -- was widely circulated on social media after appearing last month in The New York Times.

Weinstein has denied some of the allegations, including Hayek's assertion that he pressured her to do a nude sex scene in one movie.

Other prominent women lending their names to the Time's Up cause are actresses Natalie Portman, America Ferrera, Amy Schumer, Halle Berry, Julianne Moore, Keira Knightley, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Susan Sarandon, Uma Thurman and Viola Davis; producer Shonda Rhimes; Universal Pictures chair Donna Langley; feminist activist Gloria Steinem; lawyer and ex-Michelle Obama chief of staff Tina Tchen and Nike Foundation co-chair Maria Eitel.

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