Bill Maher couldn’t contain himself, or his hands, and decided to mock Al Franken’s infamous mid-air groping photo. LOL? Maher was flying private with Bob Saget when he snapped the shot reaching out for Saget’s man boobs. No doubt he nailed the…
Showing posts with label Groping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Groping. Show all posts
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Bill Maher and Bob Saget Mock Al Franken Groping Photo
Bill Maher couldn’t contain himself, or his hands, and decided to mock Al Franken’s infamous mid-air groping photo. LOL? Maher was flying private with Bob Saget when he snapped the shot reaching out for Saget’s man boobs. No doubt he nailed the…
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Al Franken "Groping" Photo Gets Slapped On Zendaya Movie Billboard
Al Franken’s infamous groping photo briefly co-starred with Zendaya on a movie billboard … in the name of art. Street art. The cropped image of Franken reaching his hands out — over Leeann Tweeden breasts in the original image — showed…
Geraldo Rivera Defends Matt Lauer, Gets Accused of Groping Bette Midler
Yesterday, NBC announced to the world that Matt Lauer had been fired for sexual misconduct. As the day went on, we learned details of Lauer"s alleged sex toy "gifts," pants-dropping, and luring young NBC employees to his room on work trips.
Geraldo Rivera took to Twitter to leap to Lauer"s defense, calling the news a "flirty business" and questioning if the accusers were just vengeful.
He apologized … but not before video (below) resurfaced of Bette Midler describing Rivera drugging and groping her during the "70s.
Matt Lauer has been a big name in television news for decades. He projected the image of being a fun and slightly awkward dad, which most people find disarming and even endearing.
Unfortunately, public image so often does not reflect who someone really is.
We heard stories about workplace harassment. Accusations that Lauer gave one female colleague the unsolicited "gift" of a sex toy, along with a note describing how he"d like to use it on her.
Allegations that he dropped his pants while alone with a woman, and later chastised her for being repulsed instead of performing a sex act with him.
We heard about his creepy desk button that remotely locks his door. If a stern "knock first" isn"t enough to keep your office as private as you"d like, you are doing things that are not work-related.
There were also stories of a pattern of harassing behavior, particularly on trips for NBC. Allegations that he would find ambitious young women who work for NBC and either invite or lure them to his hotel room.
And Matt Lauer has now been accused of rape. Every part of this is serious.
Geraldo Rivera, who surprises no one by defending creepiness, tweeted out his support for Lauer:
"Sad about @MLauer great guy, highly skilled & empathetic w guests & a real gentleman to my family & me. News is a flirty business & it seems like current epidemic of #SexHarassmentAllegations may be criminalizing courtship & conflating it w predation. What about #GarrisonKeillor?"
The "news is a flirty business" line raised a lot of people"s hackles.
And he refers to Garrison Keillor being fired for sexual misconduct. Interesting that Rivera seems willing to defend Keillor when Keillor himself isn"t arguing with his termination.
In light of further details about Lauer that have come out, Geraldo"s tweet has not aged well.
And neither have the tweets that followed:
"A jerk"s a jerk in dating. #SexHarassment should be confined to situations where superior imposes himself on subordinate who feels unable to complain because of power of perp or feared consequences to victim"s employment. Shouldn"t be used to get even w bad bosses or hated ex"s."
We"re sure that a lot of men would love for sexual harassment to have a narrow definition. Similarly, thieves would love for stealing to stop being a crime on Tuesdays. That"s not how this works.
And, as you saw, he seems to be implying that Lauer"s accusers are just being vengeful.
"Heard well-regarded women in media today suggesting morning shows go to an all-female format. That should be as unacceptably retro as the other way around."
One, there have been countless all-male panels and all-male morning shows and all-male Supreme Courts and all-male Congresses. So no, suggesting that an all-woman one might be good is not sexist.
You"d need centuries or millennia of female supremacy for the books to even be balanced. That"s not what anyone wants — they just want a safe working environment.
Geraldo gets even worse, and alleges that, basically, women should come forward immediately (and face retaliation, lawsuits, and ruined careers) or … just keep quiet, apparently.
"#SexHarassment allegations should require: 1-made in a timely fashion-say w/n 5 yrs. 2-some contemporaneous corroboration, like witnesses, electronic or written communications. W $ settlements in multi-millions slight chance exists some victims are motivated by more than justice."
The classic "financial gain" argument.
"This issue is so red hot right now there is no room for any thought or opinion but hang em high. If News wasn’t (formerly) a flirty biz then how do we explain so many newsroom courtships that have led to happy marriages?"
Ignoring for a moment how dumb that is, Matt Lauer was already married. How wives is one television host supposed to have?
As you can imagine,t hat didn"t go over well.
Geraldo actually listened to the responses to his tweets, which was reflected in his apology:
"Reaction to my tweets today on #sexharassment makes clear I didn"t sufficiently explain that this is a horrendous problem, long hidden-Harassers are deviants who deserve what is coming, to them-Often victims are too frightened to come forward in a timely fashion-I humbly apologize."
And that"s honestly a good apology.
(It"s honestly better than Matt Lauer"s apology, which was intensely bland)
However, Geraldo"s apology came after an old video of Bette Midler being interviewed by Barbara Walters made the rounds on Twitter.
In it, Bette describes being drugged and groped by Geraldo Rivera during the 1970s.
Keep in mind that, way back in 1991, people talked about sexual assault very differently, unfortunately. And that even extended to the victims.
Bette describes:
"Geraldo and his producer came to do an interview with me, in the ‘70s, in the early ‘70s. This was when he was very hot. He and his producer left the crew in the other room, they pushed me into my bathroom, they pushed two poppers under my nose, and proceeded to grope me."
Though Bette doesn"t quite sound like she"s speaking of this as being as serious as it sounds, she does make it clear that this was not consensual:
"I did not offer myself up on the altar of Geraldo Rivera. He was unseemly."
That is a massive understatement.
Neither Bette nor Geraldo have tweeted about this video yet, but here it is. It"s tough to watch:
Friday, November 17, 2017
Elliott Gould Defends Al Franken Amid Groping, Harassment Allegation
Elliott Gould doesn’t think Sen. Al Franken’s career deserves to be sunk by Leeann Tweeden revealing he groped her in 2006 … because that mistake doesn’t define his friend. The actor’s been tight with Franken long before his…
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Al Franken Apologizes for Groping, Kissing Woman Without Her Consent
In the aftermath of the Weinstein rape accusations and further accusations about numerous powerful men coming to light, not a lot of revelations have really shocked us.
But today, a radio newscaster named Leeann Tweeden publicly accused Al Franken of having groped her and kissed her without her consent in 2006.
Al Franken has issued an apology, but that doesn’t in any way negate his past actions.
Describing her upsetting experiences with Al Franken, Leeann Tweeden writes:
“In December of 2006, I embarked on my ninth USO Tour to entertain our troops, my eighth to the Middle East since the 9/11 attacks. My father served in Vietnam and my then-boyfriend (and now husband, Chris) is a pilot in the Air Force, so bringing a ‘little piece of home’ to servicemembers stationed far away from their families was both my passion and my privilege.”
Tweeden shares that she was going to be in a skit that Franken had written, and he kept pressuring her to “practice” the scene’s kiss.
(Before getting into politics, Franken was on SNL. So a skit makes sense. A kiss, though, should not be necessary. Rehearsals less so)
“He repeated that actors really need to rehearse everything and that we must practice the kiss. I said ‘OK’ so he would stop badgering me.”
There are sadly a lot of harassment stories that we’ve heard, especially lately, involving women giving in not out of a desire to consent, but because they’ve been worn down or fear the consequences of saying no.
“We did the line leading up to the kiss and then he came at me, put his hand on the back of my head, mashed his lips against mine and aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth.”
That is gross and unacceptable. You do not kiss people without consent. Kisses should be fun for both parties or they should not happen at all.
“I immediately pushed him away with both of my hands against his chest and told him if he ever did that to me again I wouldn’t be so nice about it the next time.”
That is a more than fair response.
“I walked away. All I could think about was getting to a bathroom as fast as possible to rinse the taste of him out of my mouth.”
A horrifying feeling.
“I felt disgusted and violated.”
And remember that she still had to go on stage with him.
“Not long after, I performed the skit as written, carefully turning my head so he couldn’t kiss me on the lips.”
After that, she avoided interacting with him. But eventually, his harassment continued … while she slept:
“The tour wrapped and on Christmas Eve we began the 36-hour trip home to L.A. After 2 weeks of grueling travel and performing I was exhausted. When our C-17 cargo plane took off from Afghanistan I immediately fell asleep, even though I was still wearing my flak vest and Kevlar helmet.”
She did not learn that he had posed with his hands over her breasts until looking through the CD of photos that the photographer had given her, back at home.
She felt violated all over, and you can see why:
Kevlar or no, there is no excuse for that.
Senator Al Franken has publicly apologized:
“The first thing I want to do is apologize: to Leeann, to everyone else who was part of that tour, to everyone who has worked for me, to everyone I represent, and to everyone who counts on me to be an ally and supporter and champion of women.”
Starting with an apology is absolutely appropriate. This is a clear apology, unlike Louis C.K.’s open admission. There’s a difference, and it matters.
Al Franken continues:
“I respect women. I don’t respect men who don’t.”
We feel the same way.
“And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed.”
Shame is very appropriate.
Mitch McConnell has called for an ethics investigation into Al Franken, and Al Franken has agreed.
Leeann Tweeden has publicly accepted Al Franken’s apology, and says that she is not calling for an ethics investigation into him.
(We’re not sure what there is to investigate, as Al Franken’s apology sounds like an admission, but even Franken isn’t opposing it)
Many people on both sides of the political aisle feel that it would be appropriate for Al Franken to resign.
Overall, Democratics haven’t shown any signs of chill in condemning Al Franken’s shameful, inexcusable actions.
The controversy surrounding Alabama candidate Roy Moore’s alleged penchant for underage girls, one that got him banned from a local mall in his thirties, comes to mind.
We all need to remember that, though some political parties may respond different to different accusations, sexual harassment and sexual predation don’t know political boundaries.
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Dustin Hoffman: Accused of Groping an Underage Girl!
A few years ago, if you saw a name of a beloved celebrity trending, you clicked because you worried that they might be dead.
These days, in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal, you see their name pop up, and you worry that they might have committed sexual assault. Just today, it came out that director Brett Ratner was accused of sexual assault by multiple actresses.
Well, Dustin Hoffman’s name is trending right now … and, well, he’s still alive..
We might think of Dustin Hoffman, these days, as a living legend. He’s a veteran actor and, up until today, was widely respected.
Once upon a time, though, he was a young actor at the top of his game.
Anna Graham Hunter has come forward with her story, accusing Dustin Hoffman of sexually harassing her when she was only 17.
She shared her story in The Hollywood Reporter. Just because this happened in 1985 does not make this okay, folks.
“When I was a senior in high school in New York City, interning as a production assistant on the set of the Death of a Salesman TV film,he asked me to give him a foot massage my first day on set; I did.”
Massaging can be entirely non-sexual or pretty explicitly sexual and everything in-between.
Because of that ambiguity, we’d say that if you’re going to ask a 17-year-old for a massage, you should probably be their peer — like, say, a classmate. If not, you should be a trustworthy family member.
Based upon this, there was no ambiguity about how Dustin Hoffman regarded Anna Graham.
“He was openly flirtatious, he grabbed my ass, he talked about sex to me and in front of me.”
That’s not appropriate around a 17-year-old or in a workplace. And the butt-grabbing might be the worst part of it.
“One morning I went to his dressing room to take his breakfast order; he looked at me and grinned, taking his time. Then he said, ‘I’ll have a hard-boiled egg … and a soft-boiled clitoris."”
Even if he were saying that to a lover, that would be super weird. Speaking to another woman, especially in a work setting and especially a minor, that crosses some serious lines.
So how did the other people respond? And how did Anna Graham?
“His entourage burst out laughing. I left, speechless. Then I went to the bathroom and cried.”
That is heartbreaking.
Reflecting back on it all, she summarizes things pretty honestly.
“I loved the attention from Dustin Hoffman. Until I didn’t.”
Anna Graham brought up letters that she had written to her sister at the time, detailing her life on the set.
“When I was walking Dustin to his limo, he felt my ass four times. I hit him each time, hard, and told him he was a dirty old man. He took off his hat and pointed to his head (shaved for the part) and said, ‘No, I’m a dirty young man, I have a full head of hair."”
On February fourth of 1985, her letter details how things got worse … but also better.
“Today this business got scarier. Or at least less appealing. This morning when I asked Dustin what he wanted for breakfast, he said something that beat even his lows. It was worse than anything anyone has ever said to me on the street.”
Well, we know what he said — the “soft-boiled” line. Creepy.
“It was so gross I couldn’t say anything. I just turned around and walked out.”
That’s a very understandable reaction.
“Then later I tried to get into a serious conversation with Frankie about why Dustin is like that. I don’t know how Dustin knew what we were talking about, but he shouted, ‘Anna! Are you badmouthing me? Anna! Get over here, Anna!’ The whole crew was cracking up, and I ducked behind a set.”
There was more fallout. But maybe it was worth it.
“Later, I was delivering lunches when John, Stephen, and Dustin came down the hall and he shouted, ‘Anna! So you think I’m a sexist pig, huh? Anna!’ The whole fucking studio heard him. So I told him that I didn’t appreciate his wandering hands or his comments. He apologized and said he would stop.”
She said that he did in fact stop, and that he started acting towards her the way that he acted when his wife was around. Gentlemanly, for the most part.
On February 20th of 1985, she reached her conclusion about him.
“No one is 100 percent good or bad. Dustin’s a pig, but I like him a lot.”
The actor has responded.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Dustin Hoffman issued a sincere-sounding apology.
“I have the utmost respect for women and feel terrible that anything I might have done could have put her in an uncomfortable situation.”
It’s not clear if he read her account, but he clearly got the gist of it.
“I am sorry. It is not reflective of who I am.”
This is one of those semi-apologies that we so often see in Hollywood.
It could mean that he’s not sorry at all … but it more likely means that he’s genuinely sorry about it, now that he’s 30 years older and wiser, but still doesn’t want to admit explicitly to anything.
Lawsuits are real things, folks.
This is complicated.
The time at which this took place and the act that Anna Graham appreciated his attention — up to a point — doesn’t mean anything.
After all, there’s no statute of limitations on something being bad. Sexual harassment isn’t excusable just because it happened a long time ago.
It’s possible that Dustin Hoffman misread some things (a lot of men take friendliness as genuine flirtation), but again, that’s an explanation and not an excuse.
Like Anna Graham, we find it hard to hate Dustin Hoffman for this — after all, what she describes is much more good-natured than the menacing predatory accounts that we’ve heard from actresses like Selma Blair or in Lupita Nyong’o’s Weinstein story.
Those were stories about calculated predators who lured women under the guise of work and then repeatedly tried to pressure them into unwanted sex.
But let’s be very clear — this story about Dustin Hoffman is the story of an older man sexually harassing a minor. It’s a story about other people ignoring it.
Everything that she describes is part of the same toxic, predatory problem that pervades every #MeToo story that we’ve read..
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Ben Affleck Accused of Groping Makeup Artist as Harassment Scandal Worsens
In the wake of reports that Harvey Weinstein sexually abused countless women during his decades at the top of the Hollywood hierarchy, countless high-profile victims have come forward to reveal that they were harassed and forced to keep quiet for fear of being blackballed.
If there’s a silver lining to be found in this massive black cloud of a scandal, it’s the fact that Hollywood’s culture of demeaning and victimizing young women is finally being brought to the public’s attention–and Weinstein isn’t the only abuser who’s now being taken to task.
As you may have heard, Ben Affleck condemned Weinstein and appalling misconduct in a statement issued earlier this week.
Many applauded the actor, who rose to mainstream fame with 1997’s Good Will Hunting, the Weinstein-produced sleeper hit that earned Affleck and co-star Matt Damon a pair of Best Original Screenplay Oscars.
But standing out in the chorus of praise were several voices calling out Affleck for blatant hypocrisy and some ugly misdeeds of his own.
The allegations started with actress and former MTV VJ Hilarie Burton who Affleck groped on the set of TRL back in 2004.
Burton even supplied video of the incident for those who called her account into question.
Shortly thereafter, a second incriminating clip resurfaced, this one apparently showing Affleck harassing a Canadian television host during a 2006 interview.
(The alleged victim in that case, Anne-Marie Losique, has stated that she was “not at all a victim” and that the incident was part of a “game” she and Affleck were playing “for the camera.”)
The allegations against Affleck are not nearly as severe as those against Weinstein, who now stands accused of raping Asia Argento when the actress was just 21 years old.
But the fact remains that new or forgotten evidence of appalling behavior on Affleck’s part keeps making the rounds on social media, and the actor is currently making the situation worse by keeping quiet.
The latest allegation comes from makeup artist Annamarie Tindler, who tweeted yesterday that Affleck sexually assaulted her in 2014.
“I would also love to get an apology from Ben Affleck who grabbed my ass at a Golden Globes party in 2014,” Tindler wrote.
“He walked by me, cupped my butt and pressed his finger into my crack … I guess he tried to play it like he was politely moving me out of the way and oops touched my butt instead of my lower back?” she continued.
Tindler added that while all of Affleck’s alleged victims experienced different forms of harassment, they all have one thing in common:
“Like most women in these situations I didn’t say anything but I have thought a lot about what I’d say if I ever saw him again,” she concluded.
Affleck has apologized for groping Burton, but has yet to address the other accusations that followed.
We’ll have further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available.
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Ben Affleck Apologizes for Groping Hilarie Burton, As More Inappropriate Vid Surfaces
Ben Affleck is apologizing for apparently groping former MTV host-turned-actress Hilarie Burton, but he’s also dealing with another, arguably worse video of himself and a female reporter. The incident came to light when former “Total Request…
Ben Affleck Apologizes for Groping Hilarie Burton, As More Inappropriate Vid Surfaces
Ben Affleck is apologizing for apparently groping former MTV host-turned-actress Hilarie Burton, but he’s also dealing with another, arguably worse video of himself and a female reporter. The incident came to light when former “Total Request…
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Taylor Swift Wins Again! Singer Awarded $1 in David Mueller Groping Case
Taylor Swift 2, David Mueller 0.
A few days ago, a judge dismissed a lawsuit filed against the singer by the aforementioned DJ, who claimed that Swift’s accusation of sexual misconduct against him cost Mueller his job in 2013.
Now, the singer has been declared victorious in her countersuit against David Mueller.
As previously reported, the incident at the center of both these lawsuits took place after a Swift concert about four years ago in Denver.
During a meet and greet with the artist, Mueller posed for a picture with Swift, smiling on her left side while allegedly placing his hand on her bare backside.
This is what Swift said at the time, at least, prompting her bodyguard to escort Swift out of the arena and for the DJ to get fired from his job at KYGO radio station after word of the harassment went viral.
In response, Mueller sued Swift for $ 3 million, arguing she defamed his character and cost him his job.
In response to that lawsuit, however, Swift sued Mueller, refusing to back down and only asking for $ 1 to prove she was not making these allegations as any kind of money grab.
On Monday afternoon, a Denver jury sided with Swift and determined Mueller had to pay his symbolic $ 1 to the pop star.
Said Swift in a statement after the verdict was read:
“I want to thank Judge William J. Martinez and the jury for their careful consideration, my attorneys Doug Baldridge, Danielle Foley, Jay Schaudies and Katie Wright for fighting for me and anyone who feels silenced by a sexual assault, and especially anyone who offered their support throughout this four-year ordeal and two-year long trial process.”
She added:
“I acknowledge the privilege that I benefit from in life, in society and in my ability to shoulder the enormous cost of defending myself in a trial like this.
“My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard.
“Therefore, I will be making donations in the near future to multiple organizations that help sexual assault victims defend themselves.”
Both Mueller and Swift took the stand during this six-day trial.
Mueller contended he may have made contact with Swift’s ribcage or ribs during their brief encounter… but insisted he never touched her inappropriately.
Taylor, though, stood strong in the case of cross examination and argued otherwise.
“He stayed latched onto my bare ass cheek as I lurched away from him,” Swift told the jury. “It was a definite grab. A very long grab.”
Swift rolled her eyes, shook her head and fought back tears during Mueller’s lawyer’s closing argument, in which he claimed Swift did not appear to be in distress during the photo.
But the victim-shaming did not work.
In the end, Swift proved that she’s a winner on the charts and also in the courtroom.
Now maybe she can back into the studio and finish her latest album!
Saturday, August 12, 2017
Taylor Swift Scores Win In Butt Groping Case
Taylor Swift just scored a big win in her butt groping trial … the judge threw out DJ David Mueller’s case against her. Mueller sued Swift, her mom and management team in 2015, saying they cost him his job after Swift alleged the DJ grabbed her…
Thursday, August 10, 2017
Taylor Swift Drawn Terribly In Court Sketches for Butt Groping Trial
Taylor Swift took the stand to testify this week in her butt groping trial — but from the way she was drawn in court sketches … you’d never know it was her. Sketches show Taylor in what appears to be a floral top, under an updo with loose curls…
Taylor Swift"s Butt Groping Trial: "He Latched On to My Bare Ass"
Taylor Swift has come out swinging at her butt groping trial — testifying that a Denver radio DJ “grabbed my ass underneath my skirt” while posing with Swift for a photo and stayed “latched on” to her bare ass. The singer is currently on…
Friday, October 21, 2016
Taylor Swift -- Judge Seals Groping Photo
Taylor Swift just got what she wanted from a judge, who agreed with her that the photo of a DJ allegedly groping her at a concert will be kept from the public until the case goes to trial. Taylor filed legal docs, claiming the photo was…
TMZ Live: Taylor Swift: Groping Pic War!
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Taylor Swift -- My Groping Pics Will Get People Off ... Don"t Release Them!
Taylor Swift thinks the pics of a DJ allegedly groping her will get people all hot and bothered … so much so she wants the judge in the case to seal them. Taylor made the pitch in legal docs in her lawsuit against radio DJ David…
Taylor Swift -- My Groping Pics Will Get People Off ... Don"t Release Them!
Taylor Swift thinks the pics of a DJ allegedly groping her will get people all hot and bothered … so much so she wants the judge in the case to seal them. Taylor made the pitch in legal docs in her lawsuit against radio DJ David…
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Taylor Swift Sues Radio Host, Alleges Rear End Groping
Taylor Swift celebrated the one-year anniversary of her smash hit album, “1989,” this week.
But the latest piece of Taylor Swift news is not celebratory in nature. Far from it, in fact.
The artist has filed a countersuit against a radio host who sued her earlier this year, claiming he was fired from his $ 120,000-per-year job due to Swift making false allegations about him.
David Mueller, a former co-host of the 98.5 KYGO “Ryno and Jackson” morning show, filed his legal papers in September.
He said at the time that he attended a 2013 Swift concert in Denver, only to be kicked out of a meet-and-greet backstage by a member of Taylor’s security team.
This employee accused Mueller of inappropriately touching Swift’s butt. Two days later, Mueller was fired.
In his lawsuit, Mueller denies all culpability, writing at one point that he was blamed for the actions of a colleague.
But Swift is standing strong.
“Ms. Swift knows exactly who committed the assault – it was Mueller,” states her filing.
The papers go on to say Mueller “intentionally reached under her skirt, and groped with his hand an intimate part of her body in an inappropriate manner, against her will, and without her permission.”
Swift’s legal team says their client was “surprised, upset, offended, and alarmed” after Mueller “lifted up her skirt and groped her.”
Swift – who wants a jury trial for the case and who is out to prove that “Mueller alive was the perpetrator” – will donate any potential financial winnings to “charitable organizations dedicated to protecting women from similar acts of sexual assault and personal disregard.”
That’s Taylor Swift once again for you.
Even when angry on her own behalf, she’s always thinking of others.
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