- Title: Showbiz in 2024: Liam Payne death, Netflix 'Baby Reindeer' lawsuit
- Date: 2nd December 2024
- Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE - MAY 13, 2024) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF DANCERS AND MUSICIANS ON RED CARPET AT WORLD PREMIERE OF "BRIDGERTON" SEASON THREE, PART ONE
- Embargoed: 16th December 2024 04:00
- Keywords: Aaron Taylor-Johnson Baby Reindeer Netflix lawsuit Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson Beyonce Bridgerton Season Three Caitlyn Jenner Cher Chris Rock Daniel Craig Dennis Quaid Dr Who Drake Gigi Hadid Ian McKellen fall off stage Jake Paul James Bond James Norton Jennifer Lopez Jessica Gunning Jimmy Fallon Kamala Harris Kid Rock Liam Payne death Luke Newton Mel Gibson Millie Gibson Ncuti Gatwa Nicki Minaj Nicola Coughlan Oprah Paul Mescal Pope Francis Pope meets comedians at the Vatican Rege-Jean Page Richard Gadd Richard Madden Stephen Colbert U.S. Presidential election Victoria's Secret comeback Video gaming actors strike Whoopi Goldberg doctor pleads guilty in death of 'Friends' star Matthew Perry supermodel Naomi Campbell
- Location: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
- City: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
- Country: UK
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe
- Reuters ID: LVA00I559820092024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS, PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS FOOTAGE THAT WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3 AND PORTRAIT
EDITORS, PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT IS THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF SHOWBIZ YEARENDERS RUNNING DEC. 2-5, 2024.
FOR MORE ON LIAM PAYNE'S DEATH, PLEASE SEE EDITS 5607, MOVING DEC. 4, 2024 AND 8114, MOVING DEC.5, 2024
Former One Direction member Liam Payne died aged 31 after falling from his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, triggering an outpouring of grief from fans around the world.
A 911 call from a hotel employee on the day that Payne died warned that he had been acting aggressively and could have been under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Argentine authorities have charged three people in connection with Payne's death after an autopsy revealed traces of alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his system when he died.
One Direction were catapulted to global fame in the 2010s after appearing on Britain's "X Factor" talent show, going on to become one of the best selling boy bands of all time. They went on hiatus in 2016 to pursue solo careers.
Payne, who was still a teenager when One Direction found global success, struggled with the pressures of fame, and he later spoke about his problems with alcohol.
Payne's former band members were among the mourners at his funeral in November. Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson joined Payne's family and friends for the private church service in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, north west of London.
One of two California doctors who were among the five people charged in the overdose death of "Friends" star Matthew Perry pleaded guilty to illegally distributing the drug ketamine.
Dr. Mark Chavez of San Diego entered the plea during an appearance in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles in October. He could face up to 10 years in prison at his sentencing, which was scheduled for April.
Another physician charged in the case, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, has pleaded not guilty, as has co-defendant Jasveen Sangha, who authorities said was an illicit supplier of the drug and was known as the "ketamine queen." The pair are scheduled to go on trial in March 2025.
Perry's live-in personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who admitted to injecting Perry with the drug, and the alleged middleman who said he obtained ketamine from Sangha, have already pleaded guilty to charges they faced.
Authorities said Plasencia purchased ketamine from Chavez, and in text messages to Chavez discussing the amount to charge Perry for the drug wrote: "I wonder how much this moron will pay."
The defendant admitted to obtaining ketamine with a fraudulent prescription written for another patient and that he knew the drug was intended for Perry.
He also acknowledged providing ketamine, a short-acting anesthetic, to Plasencia, and that he understood it should only be administered under medical supervision with proper safety equipment nearby.
According to court documents, Plasencia administered ketamine to Perry at the actor's home and supplied vials that were injected by the assistant. Plasencia's lawyer has said his client properly prescribed and administered ketamine to Perry.
Perry died at age 54 in October 2023 from "acute effects" of ketamine and other factors that caused him to lose consciousness and drown in his hot tub, according to a December 2023 autopsy report.
The actor had publicly acknowledged decades of substance abuse, including during the years he starred as Chandler Bing on the hit 1990s television sitcom "Friends."
Chavez pleaded guilty under an agreement with prosecutors, who offered him lesser charges for his assistance in their case against Plasencia and Sangha.
Netflix was sued in June for at least $170 million by a Scottish woman who said she was defamed over her portrayal as a stalker in the hit mini-series "Baby Reindeer."
The plaintiff Fiona Harvey has publicly claimed to be the inspiration behind the character Martha, played by actress Jessica Gunning, who shares a physical resemblance and like her is a lawyer in London.
But in a complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court, Harvey said Netflix and "Baby Reindeer" creator Richard Gadd went too far by suggesting through the show, which calls itself a "true story," that she was a twice-convicted stalker who had been sentenced to five years in prison.
Harvey denied having stalked Gadd, who on the show plays a fictional version of himself named Donny Dunn, or having been convicted or imprisoned.
But she said many people couldn't tell the difference, and thousands of Reddit and TikTok users talk about her as the "real" Martha.
Netflix, in response to the lawsuit, said it intended to "defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadd's right to tell his story."
The lawsuit seeks at least $50 million each for actual damages, compensatory damages including mental anguish and profits, plus at least $20 million of punitive damages.
"Baby Reindeer" won six Primetime Emmy Awards, including best limited series and best acting and writing prizes for Gadd.
Veteran actor Ian McKellen lost his footing and fell off a stage mid-performance in London in June.
McKellen, 85, was starring in "Player Kings", combining William Shakespeare's "Henry IV, Parts One and Two", in the capital's West End theatre district, when he tripped during a fight scene.
The actor, who is best known for playing Gandalf in the film versions of "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" and was also Magneto in the "X-Men" movies, was taken to hospital. He did not return to the role for the rest of the tour.
McKellen broke his wrist and chipped a vertebrae in the fall but said he was saved from more serious injury by the padding of the suit he was wearing.
A security guard was seriously wounded in a shooting at Canadian rapper Drake's Toronto mansion in May, police said, without confirming whether the five-time Grammy award winner was at home during the incident.
Police said the shooting happened around 2 a.m. (0600 GMT) and officers responding to the incident found a man with a gunshot wound who was taken to a hospital. A suspected shooter was spotted and the individual fled in a vehicle.
Asked if the incident was linked to an ongoing feud between Drake and American rapper Kendrick Lamar, Inspector Paul Krawczyk said he was aware of it, but said it was too early in the investigation to assign any motive and declined to comment further.
Lamar, who has won 17 Grammy awards, escalated his musical battle with Drake earlier this year by releasing a three "diss" tracks in 36 hours, according to Variety. The video of the last of the three songs, "Not Like Us," featured aerial view of Drake's Toronto mansion.
Britain banned supermodel Naomi Campbell from being a charity trustee for five years in September after an inquiry into a charity she set up found that funds raised for good causes were used for spa treatments and cigarettes.
London-born Campbell, 54, founded Fashion For Relief in 2005, aiming to raise funds for humanitarian causes by staging runway shows, but the charity was removed from Britain's list of charities this year.
An inquiry published into the organisation by the Charity Commission found multiple instances of misconduct and mismanagement, and the commission said it was banning Campbell plus two others from trusteeship as a result.
Between 2016-2022, the regulator found that only 8.5% of Fashion for Relief's expenditure was directed towards charitable grants. Unauthorised payments of 290,000 pounds were made to one of the trustees, while money was also spent on room service, spa treatments and cigarettes. Such purchases are not deemed "reasonable expenses" by the commission.
The regulator recovered over 400,000 pounds from Fashion For Relief, which has been used to settle its outstanding liabilities with the balance directed to other charities.
Campbell acknowledged shortcomings in her role as a trustee of Fashion for Relief but insisted she had not engaged in any financial misconduct or misused the charity for personal gain during its operation.
She "may not have been as actively engaged in the charity's day-to-day operations as she should have been", Campbell's spokesperson told The Guardian newspaper in October, adding that she had "never engaged in any form of financial misconduct."
"Naomi has never received payment for her involvement with Fashion for Relief, nor has she billed any personal expenses to the organisation," The Guardian reported citing a statement issued on behalf of Campbell.
"Bridgerton", Netflix's hit regency era romance series, returned for a third season in May, showing the highly anticipated friends-to-lovers arc between characters Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton, played by Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton.
Developed by Shonda Rhimes’ television production company Shondaland and Netflix, "Bridgerton" became a global phenomenon when it was released in 2020 and won praise for its diverse cast.
Set in the early 1800s, it follows the romantic journeys of the Bridgerton family as they navigate London’s ruthless marriage market.
Ncuti Gatwa took over as the first Black actor to play the lead role in "Doctor Who" as the British sci-fi television show went global.
The much-loved BBC cult show was also streamed to audiences outside the United Kingdom in a new collaboration between the British broadcaster and Walt Disney Co's streaming service Disney+.
The Rwandan-born Scottish actor, who shot to fame in Netflix show "Sex Education", played the latest incarnation of the Time Lord in the new series, which premiered in May and also saw screenwriter and producer Russell T Davies return as showrunner.
The Doctor is able to regenerate, allowing different actors to play the role since the series first aired in 1963.
The Victoria's Secret fashion show, featuring supermodels with jewel-encrusted bras and angel wings, returned in October after a gap of nearly six years.
Models Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid and Kate Moss were among the famous faces walking the catwalk for the lingerie brand, while singer Cher performed.
In 2019, the retailer cancelled the show saying that it was "important to evolve the marketing of Victoria's Secret".
Earlier this year, the company said its comeback event, which included transgender and plus-sized models, aimed to "deliver precisely what our customers have been asking for – the glamour, runway, fashion, fun, wings, entertainment – all through a powerful, modern lens reflecting who we are today".
Who will be the next James Bond? That question remains to be answered but Britain's The Sun newspaper in March had fans excited when it reported that actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson had been offered the lead role in the film franchise.
Citing a source, the tabloid said Eon Productions, the company making the 007 movies, was due to start shooting the next instalment this year with a script currently "being worked on".
Since then, there has been no official confirmation of who would take over from Daniel Craig who wrapped his tenure playing the suave secret agent in 2021.
Past Bond actors have usually been announced during specially-convened press conferences.
Taylor-Johnson, 34, had been cited as a contender for the job alongside other names including Richard Madden and James Norton.
Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, siblings and producers of the James Bond movie franchise, remained tightlipped about news on the next film and Bond actor at last months' annual Governors Awards ceremony.
Celebrities endorse candidates during the U.S. presidential election campaign.
Music star Beyonce and actor-singer Jennifer Lopez threw their support behind Kamala Harris, appearing at rallies for the Democrat ahead of the Nov. 5 vote, while TV mogul Orah Winfrey held a star-studded for Harris' campaign. Rapper Cardi B also endorsed Harris among others.
Eventual winner, Donald Trump had the support from musician Kid Rock, who performed during the Republican National Convention as well as actor Dennis Quaid, who spoke at a rally for him.
Others reported to have favoured Trump over Harris included Mel Gibson and Caitlyn Jenner.
Pope Francis held a special audience with about 100 comedians, actors and writers from around the world in June.
Those meeting him at the Vatican included U.S. showbiz celebrities Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Fallon, Conan O'Brien, Chris Rock and Stephen Colbert. Around two thirds of the guests were Italians.
After a speech, Francis greeted each participant, cracking jokes and receiving gifts including a bottle of Italian liquor.
Videogame voice actors and motion-capture performers in July called a strike over failed labor contract negotiations focused around AI-related protections for workers, bringing about another work stoppage in Hollywood.
The SAG-AFTRA union said it had called a strike of the Interactive Media Agreement that covers video game performers, effective July 26.
The decision followed months of negotiations with major videogame companies including Activision Productions, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Take-Two Interactive, Disney Character Voices and Warner Bros Discovery's WB Games.
The Interactive Media Agreement expired in November 2022 and was being extended on a monthly basis during the talks.
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