Latest news with #JoeTacopina
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Wendy Williams drops bombshell on guardianship as lawyer vows to sue over 'incarceration' and 'misdiagnosis'
Wendy Williams just gave a major update on her controversial guardianship—and it sounds like a legal war is brewing. The former daytime TV queen, who made a rare public appearance to celebrate her 61st birthday on Saturday, has been living at a luxury assisted living facility in New York after she was placed under court-ordered guardianship in 2022. The legal arrangement handed control of her personal and financial affairs to a court-appointed guardian after her bank, Wells Fargo, flagged concerns over her mental health and possible financial exploitation. In 2023, Williams was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia—conditions that further fueled questions about her ability to manage her own life. But Wendy has made it clear she wants out, claiming she's not incapacitated and is being controlled against her will. On Wednesday, she and powerhouse attorney Joe Tacopina were spotted outside Scott's restaurant in NYC, where they confirmed a lawsuit is coming. 'Those responsible for her status, her, basically, incarceration, will be held accountable,' Tacopina told TMZ. 'There's no question about that.' He didn't hold back, adding: 'This guardian process is scary. She was misdiagnosed.' 'What's next is hopefully justice,' Tacopina continued. 'This process has been so long, it's really despicably slow.' Then, gesturing toward Wendy, he added, 'This is Wendy, the same Wendy, we've had conversation over six months, she's the same Wendy Williams that you know from TV. She belongs in a facility like I belong in a facility.' 'She is a person in control of her faculties and is a great human being… and it sickens me… this isn't a case for me, it's a cause…' Wendy jumped in with a laugh, saying, 'I just had a birthday and I'm still in a guardianship. If that doesn't say enough, I don't know what does.' Tacopina wrapped it up with a clear mission: 'My goal for now and the priority is to get her back home.' He added, 'Wherever home is… where she can come and go as she pleases.' Wendy was placed under the guardianship of Sabrina Morrissey in 2022—and in a bombshell court filing last November, Morrissey claimed Williams was 'permanently incapacitated' due to her dementia battle. In March, Wendy made a bold move by retaining a new legal team to fight for her freedom and challenge the court-ordered arrangement. The star hired Tacopina - who recently represented A$AP Rocky - to help secure her freedom from her three-year conservatorship. Since then, a #FreeWendy movement has gained momentum. In a dramatic moment caught on camera in early April, Williams was seen banging on her facility window while supporters rallied in the street below, demanding she be released.
The Independent
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
A$AP Rocky drops huge hint third child with Rihanna is a girl
A$AP Rocky and Rihanna are expecting their third child. The couple confirmed the news at the Met Gala in May. They have two sons, RZA and Riot. During the world premiere for the movie Smurfs, A$AP Rocky hinted at the gender of their upcoming baby, initially responding "It is, man, it is" when asked if it was the girl he'd been waiting for. He quickly redirected the conversation by pointing to a Smurfette toy and later dodged the question when pressed by the reporter. A$AP Rocky previously confirmed on Seth Meyers' talk show that their third child will continue the family tradition of having a name beginning with "R." The couple's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, humorously claimed Rihanna and Rocky joked about naming their next baby "A$AP Joe" after his acquittal in a felony assault case.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rapper Fat Joe's Sex With Minor Case Takes A Shocking Turn With Lawyer's Arrest
The attorney leveling scathing claims against Fat Joe on behalf of a former employee just got himself in trouble with the law. Tyrone Blackburn, the lawyer representing Terrance Dixon, has been arrested for assault just days after he filed a $20 million lawsuit against the rapper. The legal complaint featured numerous accusations, including claims of Fat Joe being a pedophile and allegedly attempting to murder 50 Cent. Fat Joe's issues with Dixon took a shocking turn on Wednesday, June 25, when his accuser's attorney was arrested. A rep for the New York Police Department confirmed the news, noting Blackburn was taken into custody in the morning and booked for assault. Although he was recently arrested, the lawyer's legal drama started last month following a violence report. According to the rep, the incident occurred on the night of May 12 when Blackburn met a 66-year-old messenger hired by the rapper's attorney, Joe Tacopina. The older messenger had been hired to serve Blackburn with a complaint in Joe's case, but the legal rep did not react positively to the news. TMZ reported that he allegedly jumped into his car, pushed it in reverse, and backed up, hitting the server in the leg and causing a minor injury. Blackburn's arrest comes days after he filed a scathing lawsuit against Fat Joe on behalf of his former employee, Dixon. They sued the rapper for $20 million, alleging that he was a pedophile and owed Dixon money for co-written songs, among other claims. Before this lawsuit became public, the rapper's attorney, Tacopina, alleged that Blackburn had initially sent a demand letter for $3 million. The lawyer claimed his client was owed the sum for allegedly co-writing music with the Hip-Hop star. However, Tacopina brushed off the claim. The 54-year-old's legal rep noted that Blackburn did not accept his refusal and sent another demand letter with pedophile allegations. These letters pushed Tacopina to file a defamation and extortion lawsuit against Blackburn and Dixon, leading to the May incident between the older messenger and the lawyer. The Blast covered Dixon's allegations against the hip-hop star, reporting that he accused him of having inappropriate relationships with minors. The lawsuit alleged that at least two underage females had sexual relationships with the rapper, while the third was in a romantic relationship with him. According to the claims, a 16-year-old girl of Dominican descent once offered to perform oral sex and other sexual acts on the rapper if he paid her clothing and phone bills. He also had an alleged sexual affair with a 15-year-old Caucasian girl after meeting her at a concert abroad. Dixon accused Joe of paying for this girl's BBL because her body wasn't fully developed, claiming he regularly flew her to New York and Miami. He added that the Caucasian girl had grown up to marry a professional athlete. As for the third underage, the rapper fell head over heels for the Latina. Dixon claimed the hitmaker was so in love with the underage Latina girl that a sexual relationship between them began when she was 15. He allegedly paid all her expenses and took her aboard whenever he was on tour. Additionally, Fat Joe bought the girl a condo near where he and his wife lived in Florida and allegedly considered leaving his partner to move in with the young girl. Dixon claimed the rapper was not only a pedophile but had also forced him to sleep with women before an audience. However, Joe's corner has vehemently denied the allegations. His legal rep, Tacopina, slammed the lawsuit as "lies intended to damage his reputation and force a settlement through public pressure." The rapper also received 50 Cent's support after he was name-dropped in the legal drama. Besides accusing Fat Joe of pedophilia, Dixon claimed the entertainer had considered murdering 50 Cent during their feud in the early 2000s. His allegations, per Hiphopdx, read: "[Fat Joe] engaged in a calculated and premeditated conspiracy to murder rapper Curtis Jackson. But 50 Cent was surrounded by 'Navy Seal' type security, and the would-be assassins were afraid to make the attempt." Despite Dixon's claims, 50 Cent called BS in a heated social media post defending Fat Joe. The "Candy Shop" hitmaker stressed that he did not believe the allegations, labeling them "baseless" and "not credible." He also sympathized with Fat Joe, noting he did not deserve "the public scrutiny and damage to his reputation."
The Independent
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Attorney for Fat Joe's former hype man accused of hitting man delivering legal documents with his vehicle
An attorney representing the former hype man of rapper Fat Joe has been arrested and accused of hitting a man with his car who was delivering legal documents in the latest installment of a messy legal saga. Attorney Tyrone Blackburn, who is representing Terrance 'T.A.' Dixon in the case against the rapper, was served with a legal complaint from Fat Joe's team on May 12 in New York. He's accused of putting his car in reverse and hitting the 66-year-old process server in the leg, according to TMZ. The New York Police Department confirmed Blackburn was taken into custody Wednesday morning and booked for assault after the process server went to the police. Blackburn is representing Dixon in seeking $20 million in damages from Fat Joe, born Joseph Antonio Cartagena, accusing the rapper of engaging in 'coercive labor exploitation, financial fraud, sexual manipulation, violent intimidation, and psychological coercion.' Fat Joe denies the allegations and hit back against the lawsuit with his own, alleging extortion, defamation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. These were reportedly the documents being served to Blackburn when the alleged assault took place. The Independent has contacted Blackburn for comment. Fat Joe's attorney, Joe Tacopina, told Vibe that Blackburn's arrest 'is not a surprise at all.' 'Normally, a lawyer getting arrested would be sort of shocking. Here, it's not shocking at all, because it's just the latest example of his conduct,' Tacopina said. 'His malicious, manipulative conduct — or misconduct — that's what I'll call it … he's an embarrassment to the legal community, he really is.' Blackburn's arrest is the latest incident that stems from the complex legal fight between Dixon and Fat Joe. Dixon served as Fat Joe's hype man for 16 years, energizing the crowd before and during performances. In his $20 million lawsuit against Fat Joe, Dixon alleged the rapper forced him 'into humiliating situations, including sex acts performed under duress and surveillance, accompanied by threats of abandonment in foreign countries if [he] refused compliance.' Dixon further alleged 'he was coerced into more than 4,000 sexual acts to maintain his standing within the Enterprise.' The lawsuit also alleged that Dixon 'personally witnessed [Fat Joe] engage in sexual relations with children who were 15 and 16 years old,' which the rapper denies. 'Fat Joe is Sean Combs minus the Tusi,' Blackburn previously told The Independent. 'He learned nothing from his 2013 federal conviction,' Blackburn continued, referring to Fat Joe's four months behind bars for failing to file income tax returns. Fat Joe's lawyer told The Independent the claims from Dixon and Blackburn are 'a desperate attempt to deflect attention from the civil suit we filed first, which exposed their coordinated scheme to extort Mr. Cartagena through lies, threats, and manufactured allegations.' Tacopina also said that Blackburn is the subject of a pending referral to the Southern District's disciplinary committee. 'Law enforcement is aware of the extortionate demand at the heart of this scheme,' he said.
CNN
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Live updates: Sean ‘Diddy' Combs trial continues with investigation into Cassie Ventura relationship
Update: Date: Title: Former attorney for Trump breaks down legal risks of courtroom conduct in latest CNN podcast Content: It's been a busy fourth week of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' federal trial: a woman dangling from a 17th floor balcony, the threat of Combs being removed from the courtroom for nodding to the jury, and a new alleged victim on the stand known as 'Jane.' On the latest episode of 'Trial By Jury: Diddy' — a podcast from CNN's Laura Coates — Joe Tacopina, former attorney for President Donald Trump and the rapper A$AP Rocky, breaks down the legal risks of the testimony and the courtroom conduct. Listen here. Update: Date: Title: Here's what we learned in court yesterday Content: A judge rebuked Sean 'Diddy' Combs for his behavior in court, and a woman using the pseudonym 'Jane' alleged that Combs pressured her to have sex with other men as part of her testimony at the hip-hop mogul's federal criminal trial yesterday. Here's what we learned in testimony yesterday: Judge warns Combs for gesturing to jury Jane describes 'hotel nights' with Combs Jane says she became 'frustrated' Defense uses receipts to undermine alleged balcony assault
