
New details in Gene Hackman death investigation expected Friday
New Mexico authorities are expected to release new details Friday afternoon about the investigation into the deaths of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, who were both found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home last month.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, whose office is leading the death investigation, will hold a joint news conference at 2 p.m. local time with officials from the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, the New Mexico Department of Health and the Santa Fe City Fire Department.
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USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Sean 'Diddy' Combs accuser reveals her identity in lawsuit alleging 4-year 'pattern of abuse'
Sean 'Diddy' Combs accuser reveals her identity in lawsuit alleging 4-year 'pattern of abuse' Show Caption Hide Caption Witness details rocky relationship with Sean 'Diddy' Combs A witness using the name Jane said Sean Combs dismissed her when she refused sex with other men, and threatened to stop paying her rent. More than eight months after accusing Sean "Diddy" Combs of sexually abusing and manipulating her over a four-year period in a 2024 lawsuit, a woman has come forward to identify herself. Chelsea Lovelace, described as a Florida business owner, entrepreneur, and model, on June 13 filed an amended complaint in the New York Supreme Court using her own name as plaintiff, replacing the anonymous name Jane Doe she'd used in her Sept. 27 filing. She alleges that between 2021 and 2024, Combs pressured her to regularly travel to meet him, ingest "illicit substances," have sex with other men and women and otherwise do his bidding by leveraging the allowance he was paying her. The claims and timeline mirror testimony Combs' former partner gave on the stand in his criminal trial. Lovelace's filing comes after Combs' legal team sought the court to issue a ruling that would compel her to use her legal name, Lovelace's attorney, Joseph L. Ciaccio, said in a statement to USA TODAY. "Before the Court made any decision on that, my client decided herself to come forward publicly on her own terms," Ciaccio said. In response to Lovelace's amended complaint, Combs' team told USA TODAY in a statement reiterating, "Mr. Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: That Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone - man or woman, adult or minor." Combs is on trial for charges of sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering and has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The Grammy-winning rapper and producer has faced a barrage of civil lawsuits – many of them from unnamed accusers – since November 2023, alleging sexual assault, abuse and trafficking dating back to the 1990s. Combs denies all misconduct claims. Diddy on trial newsletter: Step inside the courtroom with our daily updates. Chelsea Lovelace says alleged relationship with Diddy 'turned into manipulation, control and abuse' He also shared a statement from Lovelace, who said of her alleged relationship with Combs, "There was a time I truly believed we shared something real. In my heart, for a time, I believed he genuinely cared about me. That we both cared for one another in a way that meant something. "But over time, that illusion shattered. And with it, so did parts of me," Lovelace continued. "What I once thought was love and loyalty, quickly turned into manipulation, control and abuse. I was not seen as a person with a soul, but as a pawn in a much larger game. I didn't want to believe it. I wrestled with God, with my heart, with my own silence." 'Coercive control' and Diddy: You won't hear about this during the trial — here's why it's still important. She clarified the lawsuit was "not an act of revenge," but rather "an act of release. Of standing in my truth. Of choosing healing over hiding." Lovelace added that eventually, "silence became too heavy to bear." Lovelace concluded by saying she believes "that light exposes what needs to be healed. And I believe that the truth, even when it hurts, is the beginning of freedom." She also noted, "Today, I choose to walk forward with my head held high and my voice intact." Chelsea Lovelace's lawsuit mirrors testimony from Diddy's ex, 'Jane' Lovelace sued Combs for sexual assault, sexual battery and infliction of emotional distress. She alleges she'd first met him on Nov. 5, 2020, on a three-day trip to Turks and Caicos for which he'd paid. (Lovelace's initial complaint did not specify this "overseas location.") She says he flew her back to his Miami estate via a private plane on Nov. 7, 2020, and sent her home Nov. 9. They started "seeing each other regularly" in early 2021, Lovelace alleges. However, she claims her monthly trips with Combs, or to meet him, were "not of her own volition." Combs and his accomplices "would use coercive and harassing language to compel her to comply," Lovelace's lawsuit states. She went on to detail several alleged incidents, including forced and coerced sex with Combs as well as other people, blacking out from "alcohol and substances" various times and the realization that he was tracking her phone. Lovelace also described Combs allegedly discouraging her from working and paying her an allowance that he would use as leverage "to control her." Diddy trial recap: Diddy's ex, Jane, says she felt obligated to have sex with male escorts for him The amended complaint includes details that have emerged throughout Combs' trial, which wrapped its sixth week in Manhattan federal court on June 13. Though Lovelace's September complaint included allegations about "City Girls" rapper Yung Miami, whose legal name is Caresha Brownlee, the new filing does not make mention of the musician, who is Combs' ex-girlfriend. Lovelace's claims are reminiscent of testimony given by one of Combs' other ex-partners, who used the pseudonym Jane in federal court and alleged Combs took her on multiple trips to the islands and pressured her to do so-called "hotel nights" with sex workers. Jane also told jurors Combs allegedly paid her $10,000 per month rent but regularly threatened to revoke it if she didn't do his bidding. They dated between 2021 and 2024, Jane said, at one point noting on the stand that while she was monogamous, Combs was not. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support in English and Spanish via chat and at 800-656-4673.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Justin Baldoni to ‘March Forward' With Blake Lively Legal Battle After $400 Million Defamation Suit Thrown Out: Facts Are ‘on Our Side'
Justin Baldoni plans to keep at his legal battle with 'It Ends With Us' co-star Blake Lively after a judge dismissed his $400 million defamation lawsuit against her and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. 'Ms. Lively and her team's predictable declaration of victory is false, so let us be clear about the latest ruling,' Baldoni's lawyer Bryan Freedman said in a statement to Variety. 'While the court dismissed the defamation related claims, the court has invited us to amend four out of the seven claims against Ms. Lively, which will showcase additional evidence and refined allegations. This case is about false accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation and a nonexistent smear campaign, which Ms. Lively's own team conveniently describes as 'untraceable' because they cannot prove what never happened.' More from Variety Judge Throws Out Justin Baldoni's $400 Million Defamation Suit Against Blake Lively Judge Rules Blake Lively's Emotional Distress Claims Against Justin Baldoni Are Officially Dead Blake Lively Abandons Claims Against Justin Baldoni of Infliction of Emotional Distress Freedman's statement continued, 'Most importantly, Ms. Lively's own claims are no truer today than they were yesterday, and with the facts on our side, we march forward with the same confidence that we had when Ms. Lively and her cohorts initiated this battle and look forward to her forthcoming deposition, which I will be taking. We are grateful for the organic show of support from the public and for the dedication of the Internet sleuth community who continue to cover the case with discernment and integrity.' On Monday, a judge tossed out the entire lawsuit filed by Baldoni that accused Lively and Reynolds of extortion and other claims. Judge Lewis J. Liman, who found that Lively's accusations of sexual harassment were legally protected and therefore immune from suit, allowed Baldoni to amend and refile a couple of allegations regarding interference with contracts. Baldoni's lawsuit against The New York Times, which Baldoni claimed had conspired with Lively and Reynolds to destroy his career with false allegations, was also dismissed. 'As we have said from day one, this '$400 million' lawsuit was a sham, and the court saw right through it,' Lively's lawyers said on June 9 after the dismissal. 'We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys' fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni […] and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation.' Lively has sued Baldoni in federal court for sexual harassment and retaliation, alleging the director and producers of 'It Ends With Us' launched a smear campaign against her after she complained about the conditions on the film's set. A trial on Lively's complaint against Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer Studios, has been set for March 2026. Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Judge Throws Out Justin Baldoni's $400 Million Defamation Suit Against Blake Lively
A judge on Monday dismissed Justin Baldoni's $400 million defamation claim against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, finding that her accusations of sexual harassment were legally protected and therefore immune from suit. Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Baldoni's entire lawsuit — which also alleged extortion and other claims — but allowed him to amend and refile a couple of allegations regarding interference with contracts. More from Variety Judge Rules Blake Lively's Emotional Distress Claims Against Justin Baldoni Are Officially Dead Blake Lively Abandons Claims Against Justin Baldoni of Infliction of Emotional Distress Taylor Swift Excluded From Baldoni-Lively Narrative, as Subpoena Is Withdrawn 'Today's opinion is a total victory and a complete vindication for Blake Lively, along with those that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties dragged into their retaliatory lawsuit, including Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane and The New York Times,' Lively's lawyers said in a statement. 'As we have said from day one, this '$400 million' lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it. We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys' fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, Sarowitz, Nathan, and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation.' Lively has sued Baldoni in federal court for sexual harassment and retaliation, alleging that he and the producers of 'It Ends With Us' launched a smear campaign against her after she complained about conditions on the set of the film. Baldoni brought the defamation claim against the New York Times, Lively, Reynolds, and their publicist, alleging that they had conspired to destroy his career with false allegations. In his ruling on Monday, Liman found that initial claims — first made in a complaint to the California Civil Rights Department and shared with the Times — were covered by the litigation privilege, which immunizes legal claims from defamation actions. The Times' reporting on the claims was also protected under the 'fair report' privilege, which allows media outlets to cover legal proceedings without incurring defamation liability. Best of Variety 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Animated Program — Can Netflix Score Big With 'Arcane,' 'Devil May Cry' and the Final Season of 'Big Mouth?'