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Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Telegraph
Stalker shared Fifty Shades of Grey extracts with travel influencer
A 'delusional' British stalker who share racy extracts from Fifty Shades of Grey with an American travel influencer has been found guilty of threatening to kidnap her. Rob Keating, 39, faces jail after he was convicted of two counts of stalking involving serious harm or distress following a six-day trial at at Portsmouth Crown Court The court heard Keating went 'from follower to stalker' after becoming obsessed with her posts on Instagram, booking a one-way ticket to the tropical Indonesian island of Bali while warning her to 'get kidnap insurance'. He visited bars and restaurants close to her home and continued to message her while she was in Bali, telling her: 'You're never getting rid of me.' Alexandra Saper – a former lawyer who now makes money from her Instagram page The Wayfarer, which has more than 100,000 followers – told the court she fled the country because she was so 'terrified' he would find her. She blocked Keating on the social media platform after he shared extracts from the erotic S&M novel Fifty Shades of Grey. However, he then began bombarding her with videos and messages over email and used another profile to continue viewing her posts, which he believed were secret messages to him. Ms Saper tried to block his emails too but that just sent them to her spam folder. In a video about her ordeal, posted at the time, Ms Saper also said she felt she was being 'hunted like prey'. On his return to the UK in March 2023, Keating was arrested by police who found black rope and a tie in his suitcase. Keating told police in an interview that he was not sexually attracted to Ms Saper, but said that 'she had shown an interest in him and there could be something there' between the two. In videos he often referred to the influencer as his 'Spartan Queen'. He continued to stalk Ms Saper from September to November 2024, when he lived in Horsham, West Sussex. Keating posted a picture of a plane ticket from London to Bali with the caption 'round 2' on Instagram in November. He was subsequently arrested. At the Portsmouth court, the jury deliberated for just two hours and, when reading the guilty verdict to Keating, Judge Michael Bowes KC said a prison sentence was 'inevitable'. Closing the case, Alexandra Bull, prosecuting, described Keating as 'indulging in a wilful self-delusion' involving a 'one-dimensional' version of the influencer as he 'moved from follower to stalker'. 'He began to indulge in wilful self-delusion, all those genuine emotions he felt from following was not enough,' she said. 'The person he started fantasising about was entirely one-dimensional, they are a character he has never met. 'It is her job to make people feel better about themselves but that is just one part of Ms Saper. 'When Ms Saper's generic posts were not enough for him, he wanted to take it to the next level. What he wanted was her attention on him.' Keating, a traffic worker who lived in his sister's garage in Havant, Hants, first contacted Ms Saper on Instagram in July 2022 with a 'weird and creepy' message to which the influencer responded: 'Dude, why are you following me if you don't like my content?' The court was shown over an hour of footage from these videos in which Keating told Ms Saper to get 'kidnap insurance' and that he was going to 'spank' her. He told her she was 'allowing him to run with it' regarding his contact with her, but added: 'Either that, or you're not interested and not watching these videos and I've lost my mind or something.' In a video from December 2022, Keating said: 'You're going to have to reply to me eventually – there's talk about coming to Bali to get you.' In February 2023, he did travel to Bali, posting a picture of the plane he was about to board with the caption 'Let the games begin'. Ms Saper was so concerned that she fled to Laos to put distance between her and Keating. Giving evidence at court, the influencer said she 'didn't think' he would actually make the trip to the tropical island. 'I blocked him on everything and never responded, so that was a pretty clear indication of not wanting contact,' Ms Saper added. 'I was aware that he was talking about coming to Bali, but I didn't think it would actually happen. 'I shared because I wanted my life back, there was nothing I could do staying in hiding,' she said. 'I was sick, I couldn't eat, I was depressed.' In his own evidence, Keating had tried to claim the kidnap threats were just 'playful ridiculousness' and that the ordeal had had 'no adverse effect' on Ms Saper. He tried to tell the court that because of the 'Anchorman' memes on his Instagram profile there was no way she would take him seriously. Keating will be sentenced at a later date.
Straits Times
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
James Foley, director of Fifty Shades Of Grey sequels and House Of Cards, dies at 71
James Foley, director of Fifty Shades Of Grey sequels and House Of Cards, dies at 71 LOS ANGELES - American veteran director James Foley, whose films included Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) and the Fifty Shades Of Grey sequels (2017 and 2018), and who also worked on the hit television series House Of Cards (2013 to 2018), died this week at his home in Los Angeles. He was 71. His death came after a year-long battle with brain cancer, according to Mr Taylor Lomax of ID, the firm that represents Foley. Foley made his directorial debut with the film Reckless (1984), a drama about a high school romance between a rebellious, motorcycle-driving football player and a cheerleader. In the decades that followed, he built a career directing movies, television shows and music videos, working with some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Among his most celebrated works is the film adaptation of Glengarry Glen Ross, the play by American playwright David Mamet that won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1984. The movie, about real estate salesmen trying to make ends meet in a tough economy, starred Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris and Alan Arkin. Foley also directed Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and Fifty Shades Freed (2018), the final two instalments of the Fifty Shades Of Grey franchise (2015 to 2018). Those films were adapted from the second and third books of the Fifty Shades trilogy by British author E. L. James. James Foley's directorial credits include Fifty Shades Freed, which starred Dakota Johnson (right) and Jamie Dornan. PHOTO: UIP Foley told the The Hollywood Reporter in 2017 that he was pleased that his career had not been pigeonholed. 'I think in terms of what fascinates me and what intrigues me and what I feel is engaging for the year that you spend making the movie, what's personally engaging, not adhering to any kind of conventions,' he said. Foley was born on Dec 28, 1953, in New York City and grew up on Staten Island. He studied psychology and graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1974. He planned to attend medical school, but he decided instead to pursue directing after taking a six-week film production course at New York University. He went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts in 1979. Foley recalled screening the short film he made during the six-week course in New York while speaking to film and media studies students at Johns Hopkins University in 2013. 'That was the first time that something I had done got a reaction out of a lot of people,' Foley said. 'From that moment on, I decided I wanted to do that again.' Foley directed At Close Range (1986), the crime drama starring Sean Penn and Christopher Walken. Several years later, he directed and co-wrote the film adaptation of After Dark, My Sweet (1990), the crime novel by late American novelist Jim Thompson. Foley's directorial credits also include Fear (1996), starring Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon; The Chamber (1996), with Chris O'Donnell and Gene Hackman; and Perfect Stranger (2007), with Halle Berry and Bruce Willis. Foley also directed several music videos for American pop diva Madonna, including Live To Tell (1986), True Blue (1986) and Papa Don't Preach (1986). Foley made his foray into television directing an episode of Twin Peaks in 1991. He later directed 12 episodes across Seasons 1, 2 and 3 of House Of Cards, the hit Netflix series about the underbelly of American government that was adapted from a BBC series of the same name. He also directed episodes of Wayward Pines (2015 to 2016) and Billions (2016 to 2023). Foley is survived by a brother, Kevin Foley; two sisters, Eileen and Jo Ann Foley; and a nephew, Quinn Foley. He was predeceased by his brother, Gerard Foley. 'I've had a very fluid career of ups and downs and lefts and rights, and I always just responded to what I was interested in at the moment,' James Foley said in the 2017 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. 'I've always just followed my nose, for better or for worse, sometimes for worse.' NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Euronews
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
‘Glengarry Glen Ross' director James Foley dies aged 71
American filmmaker James Foley, who directed the 1992 classic Glengarry Glen Ross, two Fifty Shades Of Grey sequels and TV episodes of Twin Peaks, Hannibal and House Of Cards, has died aged 71. A representative told The Hollywood Reporter that Foley passed away 'peacefully in his sleep earlier this week' at his home in Los Angeles after a 'years-long struggle' with brain cancer. Born in Brooklyn in 1953, Foley's debut film was Reckless in 1984, starring Daryl Hannah and Aidan Quinn. He followed that with At Close Range (1986), starring Sean Penn and Christopher Walken. This neo-noir included the Madonna song 'Live to Tell'. Foley would go on to work with Madonna on several music videos – 'Live To Tell', 'Papa Don't Preach', and 'True Blue' - before directing the singer in 1987's Who's That Girl. His most critically acclaimed film came in 1992 with the David Mamet-written Glengarry Glen Ross, starring Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey and Alec Baldwin. The film was not a box office success but became a cult classic, earning an Oscar nomination for Pacino. In television, Foley directed episodes of David Lynch's classic series Twin Peaks, the brilliant Hannibal series starring Mads Mikkelsen, the American drama Billions, and 12 episodes of Netflix's hit series House Of Cards. His final work as a director was the 2017 and 2018 sequels to 2015's Fifty Shades Of Grey – Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. James Foley is survived by his brother Kevin, sisters Eileen and Jo Ann, and his nephew Quinn. Donald Trump's plans to impose tariffs on foreign-shot films won't apply to James Bond, according to comments made by the president. Earlier this week, Trump shared a bombshell announcement when he declared that he will be authorising 100 per cent tariffs on films made outside of the US. He wrote on social media at the time: 'The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death. Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated. This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda!' However, it would appear that the tariffs won't apply to 007 and the James Bond franchise. During a press conference on Thursday (8 May) to discuss a trade deal with the UK that will slash tariffs on British goods, Trump doubled-down on his plans. 'As you know, we're putting tariffs on… film, the moviemakers,' Trump said. 'And we're going to be doing some tariffs to get them, because a lot of them have left this country. They all live here, the money comes from here, everything comes from here, but they make them in other countries. So, we're gonna do something to bring them back, maybe to a large extent.' However, he seemed to assure that the James Bond franchise will be safe – in large part due to Trump's connection to Sean Connery. 'But James Bond has nothing to worry about, that I can tell you,' Trump added. 'And you know, Sean Connery was a friend of mine. Sean Connery was responsible for my getting zoning in Aberdeen. He said, 'Let the bloody bloke build his golf courses.' I was like four years into the process, and it was impossible in Aberdeen… He was a great guy, Sean Connery. Quite how Trump's tariffs will work is unclear, as is whether these measures will apply to US productions that are partially filmed overseas. However, Trump's statements continue to wreak havoc and stir confusion. Trump's James Bond comments come as the 007 franchise is being rebooted. Amy Pascal and David Heyman will produce the next Bond film and Amazon MGM's Courtenay Valenti and Sue Kroll said at CinemaCon in April that the pair of 'filmmaking legends' is working on the film. 'We are committed to honoring the legacy of this iconic character, while bringing a fresh, exhilarating new chapter to audiences around the world alongside Amy and David,' said Valenti. 'They are both in London getting started and couldn't be here tonight, but we wanted to thank them for what we know will be an incredible partnership.' Meanwhile, the search for the next actor to play (a tariff exempt) James Bond continues.
Irish Examiner
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Fifty Shades sequels director James Foley dies aged 71
Fifty Shades Of Grey sequels director James Foley has died aged 71 after being diagnosed with brain cancer a year ago. The American filmmaker, known for Glengarry Glen Ross, Fear, and The Corruptor, died peacefully in his sleep earlier this week, a statement from a rep confirmed. His work spanned across music videos, television and film, making his directorial debut in 1984 with Reckless, starring American actor Aidan Quinn and Blade Runner's Daryl Hannah. James Foley arriving for the Fifty Shades Darker European premiere at Odeon Leicester Square (Ian West/PA) In 1986 he directed music videos for pop star Madonna, including for the hit songs Papa Don't Preach, Live To Tell and True Blue. He more recently directed the two sequels to the Fifty Shades romantic thriller trilogy – Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and Fifty Shades Freed (2018) – which starred Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan, and also directed for television, including 12 episodes of the hit Netflix thriller series House Of Cards. The filmmaker worked with Edward Burns, Dustin Hoffman and Rachel Weisz on the 2003 film Confidence, which follows Jake Vig, played by Burns, a grifter whose con plan to avenge his friend's murder goes awry, leaving him indebted to a mob boss and his enforcer. He also directed the psychological thriller Perfect Stranger, starring Halle Berry as a journalist who goes undercover to investigate businessman Harrison Hill, played by Bruce Willis, who she suspects killed her childhood friend. He is survived by his brother, Kevin Foley, sisters Eileen and Jo Ann Foley, and his nephew Quinn Foley and is also predeceased by his brother, Gerard Foley.
Hindustan Times
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
James Foley, Fifty Shades, Glengarry Glen Ross director, dies at 71 after long battle with cancer
Fifty Shades Of Grey sequels director James Foley has died aged 71 after being diagnosed with brain cancer a year ago. The American filmmaker, known for Glengarry Glen Ross, Fear, and The Corruptor, died peacefully in his sleep earlier this week, a statement from a rep confirmed. His work spanned across music videos, television and film, making his directorial debut in 1984 with Reckless, starring American actor Aidan Quinn and Blade Runner's Daryl Hannah. In 1986, he directed music videos for pop star Madonna, including for the hit songs Papa Don't Preach, Live To Tell and True Blue. He more recently directed the two sequels to the Fifty Shades romantic thriller trilogy – Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and Fifty Shades Freed (2018) – which starred Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan, and also directed for television, including 12 episodes of the hit Netflix thriller series House Of Cards. The filmmaker worked with Edward Burns, Dustin Hoffman and Rachel Weisz on the 2003 film Confidence, which follows Jake Vig, played by Burns, a grifter whose con plan to avenge his friend's murder goes awry, leaving him indebted to a mob boss and his enforcer. He also directed the psychological thriller Perfect Stranger, starring Halle Berry as a journalist who goes undercover to investigate businessman Harrison Hill, played by Bruce Willis, who she suspects killed her childhood friend. He is survived by his brother, Kevin Foley, sisters Eileen and Jo Ann Foley, and his nephew Quinn Foley and is also predeceased by his brother, Gerard Foley.
