This week in pop culture and law is dedicated to Lindsay Lohan and her quest to sue E-Trade for airing this commercial:
Lindsay claims the commercial infringes on her right of publicity (a celebrity's right to prevent others from profiting from her name, likeness, voice, or image without paying for it). Why? Because the ad refers to a "milk-a-holic Lindsay" and whenever we hear the name "Lindsay," we automatically think of Lindsay Lohan. Puhlease, it's not like that baby has red hair, a DJ girlfriend, a self-tanning product, leggings, a history of car wrecks, or a DUI. That, Popbytes peeps, is my official legal opinion. Have a good weekend! And, remember, if you're gonna drink and drive, just drink milk.
For this week's spotlight on pop culture and law, the Lawscar goes to The Hurt Locker. Iraqi War veteran Master Sgt. Jeffrey S. Sarver filed a lawsuit this week against people behind the Oscar nominated film, including director Kathryn Bigelow and banned producer Nicholas Chartier. Sarver alleges that Marc Boal, the screenwriter, was embedded with him in combat and stole his life story, even though the film's credits state that the characters are entirely fictional. So, why wait until just days before the Academy Awards to file the lawsuit? It's called leverage. And, it likely will work to squeeze out a nice financial (and confidential) settlement! Have a good weekend, Popbytes peeps. Remember, don't drink and drive. But, feel free to drink and watch me on TV Guide Network's Countdown to the Academy Awards, starting Sunday at noon (PST)!
This week in pop culture and law is dedicated to Andrew Koenig. Best known for his role as 'Boner' on Growing Pains from 1985-89, Koenig suffered from depression as an adult and, sadly, was found dead yesterday in a Vancouver park after committing suicide. Believe it or not, suicide used to be a felony in many states and, today, some states classify attempted suicide as a criminal act even though prosecutions are rare. Illegal or not, let's make sure none of our friends or family gets to that point. If you are feeling desperate, alone, or hopeless ... or know someone who is, please call for help ASAP. The US National Suicide Hotline is 1-800-273-TALK.
Someone once asked me how messed up you have to be for a court to establish a conservatorship over your life. The answer is: umbrella-thumping-head-shaving-messed-up! That's why this week is all about my favorite pop culture / law collision, Britney Spears. Believe it or not, Brit took those infamous clippers to her head three years ago this week. After she stripped every hair from her head, the court system stripped away her parental rights and, eventually, the right to control her own life. But, look at her now. Her hair (with the help of some extensions, of course) is back and, by all accounts, so is her career and personal life. Congrats, Brit! Have a good weekend, Popbytes peeps. If you're in front of a TV, check me out on E!'s "Doomed By Lust" (a snippet is below) and, remember, don't drink and drive.
For the second week in a row, Dr. Conrad Murray owns the collision between pop culture and law. After a bunch of will-he-or-won't-he-surrender-be-arrested-or-be-arraignednonsense, Dr. Murray finally was charged with involuntary manslaughter on Monday. So, why not a higher degree of homicide? To prove "murder," the prosecutors would have to show that Dr. Murray intended to kill MJ, but no such evidence has surfaced. Instead, this seems to be a case about a doctor who recklessly supplied a celebrity with medicine that experts say should not have been administered in a home setting, no matter how big of a celebrity the patient was and no matter how much money he was being paid. Have a good weekend, Popbytes peeps. Remember, don't drink and drive.
This week in pop culture and law clearly belongs to Dr. Conrad Murray. Is he or isn't he guilty? Is he in LA to surrender to police or just to visit his baby mama? Will he be arrested or arraigned? The answers to these questions seemed to change by the second this week and, of course, that made it all the more fun. So, let's just list the top five reasons why the DA's office has no choice but to charge him with involuntary manslaughter: (1) he administered Propofol to Michael Jackson; (2) not one expert has come forward to say that Propofol is OK to administer in a home setting; (3) the L.A. Coroner concluded that the cause of Michael Jackson's death was "acute Propofol intoxication;" (4) Michael Jackson died, even though his autopsy says he was a healthy man; and (5) doctors are not supposed to give patients medicine just because they request it and/or pay top dollar. Have a great weekend, Popbytes peeps. Remember, don't drink (alcohol or Propofol) and drive.
Like a typical lawyer, I decided to organize my files this week. Poor Susan Boyle. She got a place in the cabinet, because a male intruder broke into her home Tuesday night. Yeah, there's a first time offense joke there. Sadly, though, my "death" file grew as Nancy Kerrigan's father passed away following an allegedly violent argument with his son. Nancy's brother, who is charged only with assault so far, remains in jail waiting for someone to post his bail. Goooooood luck, dude. Meanwhile, I have nine months to update my "things that should be illegal" file, the location for Tila Tequila's announcement that she has a baby on tap. Oddly, she won't say who gave her a shot at sperm. Hopefully not any of you, Popbytes peeps! Have a great weekend. And, remember, don't drink and drive.
While Jersey Shore's Snooki was snookin' for love this week, Conan O'Brien, Shane Sparks, and Amy Winehouse were lookin' for lawyers. NBC gave Conan the official goodbye, and his lawyers were able to squeeze out a settlement worth $45 million as well as the freedom to start working again in September. Shane Sparks, on the other hand, is free to work immediately...wherever an alleged child molester can get a job, so long as it's not on MTV's America's Best Dance Crew. And, Jamie Foxx would be so proud of Amy Winehouse as she pleaded guilty to assaulting a theater manager in December, and her lawyer blamed it on the a-a-a-alcohol. Have a good weekend, my Popbytes peeps. Remember, please don't drink and drive.
Lawyers are lovers, which is why I decided to take the time this week to share my love with a few celebs. Let's start with you, Usher. No one deserves to be robbed, but if you have $1 million worth of merchandise in your car, NEVER leave it unattended. Adam Levine, yes, even celebrities need license plates on their cars. If the police pull you over again, you might find it harder and harder to breathe watching your car get impounded. Oh, Charlie Sheen, it shouldn't take lawyers to figure out that drugs, alcohol, firearms, intimidation, and harassment do not constitute a recipe for a good marriage. Just a few friendly, lawyerly observations to take into the weekend, Popbytes peeps. Remember, please don't drink and drive and, of course, please do what you can to help the people of Haiti!
Wake up in the morning feelin' like P-Diddy? Well, that's gotta be better than Charlie Sheen, Joe Halderman, or Richard Heene this week. They've been brushing their teeth with controversy and, potentially, lots of legal bills. First, Charlie Sheen was unable to convince a Colorado court to withdraw a restraining order preventing him from seeing his wife after an alleged Christmas Day domestic violence incident involving a knife. David Letterman's alleged extortionist, Joe Halderman, is raising the Tiger Woods defense, saying if Rachel Uchitel can make bank for staying silent, then he is not guilty on all counts of extortion. And, finally, Richard Heene -- the infamous Balloon Boy dad -- tells Larry King that it was NOT a hoax. As for the truth...it went up, up, and away, apparently. Tick tock, Popbytes readers -- it's time for the weekend! Remember, please don't drink and drive.
i've got a new column here on popbytes - legalbytes - written by my blogger buddy - entertainment reporter & legal expert russell wetanson - who you may already know from his site popsquire (where pop culture and law collide) he'll be bringing us all the latest celebrity legal drama weekly starting next year - right now to kick things off russell's rounding up the top ten legal stories of '09 - there were lots of sticky situations that required a good lawyer! popbytes over & out for now ... xoxo
Although J-Lo wants us to believe Louboutins are a celebrity's best accessory, I know the truth: Every celeb needs a lawyer, especially in 2009. This was the year when: (10) Carrie Prejean settled her religious discrimination lawsuit against Miss California USA after she was caught on tape not in prayer position; (9) Sarah Jessica Parker busted the police for being involved in her surrogate baby mama drama; (8) Roman Polanski flew to Switzerland to receive a lifetime achievement award and, instead, was arrested after a lifetime on the run; (7) John Travolta sadly faced a mistrial after testifying against two Bahamians accused of extorting him following his son's tragic death; and (6) Anna Nicole Smith's legacy continued to leap from the pages of Playboy to the pages of court dockets. If you're curious about the top 5 (and I know you are), click here.
