Latest news with #JamesToback
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Yahoo
Police say one man dead, another arrested in South St. Paul shooting
Police in South St. Paul are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred Friday night. According to police, officers responded to an 8:50 p.m. call about a shooting in a residence in the 700 block of 12th Avenue North. Officers arriving at the scene found a man with an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene by medics. A 36-year-old man from Hudson, Wis., was arrested at the scene in connection with the shooting. Police said the victim and suspect were known to each other and that there is no ongoing threat to public safety. South St. Paul police were being assisted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Investigation in collecting evidence and determining the circumstances of the shooting. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office was also investigating and will positively identify the victim. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact South St. Paul police at 651-413-8300. Jury deliberates in fatal shootout that followed St. Paul funeral reception Ex-Abercrombie CEO has dementia and is unfit for sex trafficking trial, prosecutors and defense say Minnesota woman faces federal charges for assaulting flight crew member Lakeville man is first ever convicted under new wage theft law in Minnesota New York jury awards $1.68 billion to women who accused 'Bugsy' writer James Toback of sexual abuse
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jury Awards $1.68 Billion to James Toback's Sexual Abuse Accusers
Originally appeared on E! Online A New York jury has awarded James Toback's accusers a sizable sum. The Two Girls and a Guy director was ordered to pay $1.68 billion to 40 women who accused him of sexual assault between 1979 and 2014, according to the plaintiffs' lawyers. The April 9 judgment, which has not been made available by the court, included $280 million in compensatory damages and $1.4 billion in punitive damages, attorney Brad Beckworth said in a release obtained by E! News. 'This verdict is about justice,' he emphasized. 'But more importantly, it's about taking power back from the abusers—and their and enablers—and returning it to those he tried to control and silence.' Beckworth, who in an interview described the jury's judgement as among the largest in New York state history, added that he was 'very proud' of his clients' 'brutally honest' testimony, calling it 'empowering—for them and for all women.' More from E! Online Tori Spelling Proves Ryan Cramer Romance Is Going Strong With Red Carpet Outing Chanel West Coast Makes Surprise Career Move After Ridiculousness Exit Rebecca Gayheart Shares Update on Eric Dane Relationship After Dismissing Divorce Toback, 80, who received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay for writing the 1991 drama Bugsy, repeatedly denied that he 'committed any sexual offense' and said that 'any sexual encounter or contact between Plaintiffs and Defendant was consensual,' according to court documents obtained by the Associated Press. He most recently represented himself in the case, per the outlet. E! News has reached out to Toback's lawyers for comment but has not heard back. The lawsuit was initially filed in 2022 under New York's Adult Survivors Act, which opened a one-year window for survivors of sexual assault to sue their alleged assailants regardless of when the abuse occurred. It remains to be seen whether the filmmaker will be able to pay the 10-figure sum as he has described himself in court filings obtained by The New York Times as 'financially destitute.' Toback first faced allegations of sexual misconduct in 2017 amid the #MeToo movement, when dozens of women including and came forward with their accounts. By 2018, no less than 395 women had accused Toback of harassment, according to the Los Angeles Times. Prosecutors declined to file charges against him at the time as the accusations fell outside the statue of limitations, per the New York Times. For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
South China Morning Post
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Inside Hollywood veteran James Toback's fall from grace: a New York jury awarded US$1.68 billion to 40 women who accused him of sexual abuse over a span of 35 years, marking a huge #MeToo victory
On April 10, a New York jury awarded US$1.68 billion in damages to 40 women who accused writer and director James Toback of sexual abuse and other crimes over a span of 35 years, according to lawyers representing the plaintiffs. The decision stems from a lawsuit filed in Manhattan in 2022 after New York state instituted a one-year window for people to file lawsuits over sexual assault claims even if they took place decades ago. It marks one of the largest jury awards since the advent of the #MeToo movement, as well as in New York state history, said lawyer Brad Beckworth, of the law firm Nix Patterson LLP, in an interview. The plaintiffs, he said, believe such a large verdict will send a message to powerful individuals 'who don't treat women appropriately'. Advertisement Beckworth said the abuse took place between 1979 and 2014. James Toback developed a gambling addiction while working as a university lecturer. Photo: AP Toback was nominated for an Oscar for writing 1991's Bugsy, and his career in Hollywood has spanned more than 40 years. Accusations that he engaged in years of sexual abuse surfaced in late 2017 as the #MeToo movement gained attention. They were first reported by the Los Angeles Times. Toback, 80, who most recently had represented himself, denied numerous times in court documents that he 'committed any sexual offence' and that 'any sexual encounter or contact between Plaintiffs and Defendant was consensual'. He also argued that New York's law extending the statute of limitations on sexual abuse cases violated his constitutional rights. Here's everything to know about the disgraced film director: He grew up privileged
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jury Orders James Toback to Pay $1.68B to 40 Women In Sexual Assault Trial
Director James Toback — among the first Hollywood men to be accused in the #MeToo movement — has been ordered to pay $1.68 billion to 40 women for sexual assault and other kinds of abuse. A New York jury on Wednesday awarded the women $280 million in compensatory damages and $1.4 billion in punitive damages, intended to punish Toback for malicious conduct. More from The Hollywood Reporter How a Film Writer Grappled With #MeToo Accusations Against Friend James Toback James Toback Accusers Call Out Festival, Distributor for Screening His Latest Film Why a James Toback Film Will Get a Festival Screening Toback, who helmed the films Black and White (1999) and Two Girls and a Guy (1998) and was nominated for an Oscar for writing the Warren Beatty film Bugsy (1991), didn't mount a defense at the trial and wasn't represented by a lawyer. The court in January issued a default judgment, reserved for cases in which the defendant fails to appear. When allegations of pervasive sexual harassment first surfaced in a report from The Los Angeles Times in which more than 30 women came forward, Toback denied ever meeting most of the accusers. He also claimed it was 'biologically impossible' for him to engage in the alleged behavior, saying he had diabetes and a heart condition that required medication. Brad Beckworth, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said the verdict is 'about justice' but also 'taking power back from the abusers.' He added, 'Several years ago, when the Me-Too movement began, I think many of us thought that we were past the point where men in positions of power would prey on women and try to steal their dignity and honor in exchange for allowing them to advance in their careers. We now know that the movement didn't go far enough. We still have a lot of people in this country who abuse their power—and there are many more who turn a blind eye to it.' The lawsuit, filed in 2022, accused Toback of leveraging his power in the entertainment industry to lure young women into meetings under the pretext of discussing potential movie roles. He'd direct them to engage in sexual behavior, including taking off their clothes or masturbating in front of him, saying it was 'part of the job,' according to the complaint. When some of the women tried to escape, Toback allegedly trapped them. Several of the instances involved him 'rubbing his genitals up against them and ejaculating on them without their consent,' the lawsuit said. The complaint also alleged that Toback 'would forcibly touch and or penetrate his victims' genitals with his hands and/or mouth against their will.' The women were told by Toback, who said he had connections to the mob, that he'd ruin their careers if they reported the assaults. The alleged misconduct spanned four decades from at least 1979 to 2014. The lawsuit was filed under New York's Adult Survivors Act, which effectively suspended time constraints on claims involving sex offenses for a year. Several high-profile figures across Hollywood have been sued under the law, including Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Bill Cosby and Jimmy Iovine. It's unknown whether the award for punitive damages will stand. Though New York doesn't have a cap, there's typically a maximum amount the figure can exceed compensatory damages. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2024: Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Olivia Rodrigo and More
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Director James Toback ordered to pay $1.68B in sexual assault trial involving 40 women
A judge is ordering director James Toback to pay $1.68 billion in damages Wednesday, following a jury finding him liable in a sexual assault trial in New York, during which he was accused by 40 women of sex crimes over decades. Attorneys for the accusers believe the sum represents the largest sexual assault civil suit verdict in state history. "The jury's verdict is about justice," Brad Beckworth, an attorney for the accusers wrote in a statement to USA TODAY. "But more importantly, it's about taking power back from the abusers — and their and enablers — and returning it to those they tried to control." Toback, who has previously denied any wrongdoing, was not reachable for comment. He did not have legal representation during the trial. The screenwriter behind films like "Bugsy" and "Two Girls and a Guy," Toback, 80, was one of the first major Hollywood names to be thrown out during the #MeToo reckoning over sexual violence in the entertainment industry nearly a decade ago. Along with the aspiring actresses listed in the suit, he has also been accused by big-name stars like Rachel McAdams, Selma Blair and Julianne Moore of on-set harassment. 'Grey's Anatomy' star Ellen Pompeo: James Toback once asked me to get naked in a movie "Several years ago, when the Me-Too movement began, I think many of us thought that we were past the point where men in positions of power would prey on women and try to steal their dignity and honor in exchange for allowing them to advance in their careers," Beckworth continued. "We now know that the movement didn't go far enough. We still have a lot of people in this country who abuse their power—and there are many more who turn a blind eye to it." The lawsuit in New York, which loops together over a dozen named accusers and several anonymous ones, alleged that Toback over the course of 40 years used his "reputation, power and influence" to "lure young women … through fraud, coercion, force and intimidation into compromising situations where he falsely imprisoned, sexually abused, assaulted, and/or battered them." Many of the women are now in their 30s and 40s. Filed under the Adult Survivors Act, the lawsuit was allowed to proceed despite the large amount of time that had lapsed since many of the assaults by way of a one-year look-back window. The state opened the window in 2022 to allow accusers a brief opportunity to skirt the statute of limitations. That same look-back window was used by journalist E. Jean Carroll to sue President Donald Trump over an alleged assault during the mid-1990s. The original suit also ensnared the Harvard Club of New York, where lawyers for the women allege Toback was a frequent customer, often taking his victims there for meals and drinks before attacking them. Because of his status as a prestige member, the club turned a blind eye to the abuse, the lawsuit alleged − the organization was ultimately not part of the trial. Toback was a graduate of the Ivy League university and directed a 2001 dramedy about the school entitled "Harvard Man." McAdams and Blair both told Vanity Fair in 2017 that during the production of the movie Toback engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior, asking them to take their clothing off during auditions, masturbating in front of them or discussing personal pleasure habits and threatening them about speaking out. Blair, who originally spoke to the Los Angeles Times anonymously, said she decided to come forward after Toback's blanket denial. "When he called these women liars and said he didn't recall meeting them and that the behavior alleged could not be attributed to him, I just felt rage and an obligation to speak publicly now," she told Vanity Fair. "For decades, I carried this trauma in silence, and today, a jury believed me. Believed us," Mary Monahan, the lead accuser in the case resolved Wednesday, told Variety. "That changes everything. This verdict is more than a number — it's a declaration. We are not disposable. We are not liars. We are not collateral damage in someone else's power trip. The world knows now what we've always known: what he did was real. And what we did — standing up, speaking out — was right." Contributing: Lorena Blas This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: James Toback to pay $1.68 billion to women after sexual assault trial
