Like it did with Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Danny Masterson? Scientology still seems to be up and running, and Weinstein’s movies are still around.
I do struggle with whether to give my entertainment dollars to these companies and stars. I don’t like to support Scientology so try not to watch Tom Cruise, John Travolta, or Elizabeth Moss, but it is hard to do when they are in productions with others I do like. I don’t think I’ve ever given money to P.Diddy directly but probably have through other artists he has promoted.
I think separating the art from the artist is reasonable, in many cases. Here it’s not so much about the artistic output but about the industry that brought it forth along with the mechanisms for wealthy and powerful players to abuse people in plain sight.
I think often about the wild standing ovation that Roman Polanski received from stars like Meryl Streep when he was announced as the Oscar winner for directing The Pianist years ago. A beautiful film made by an odious, yet undeniably gifted, man. Streep et. al. appeared more than willing to set aside Polanski’s admission that he had drugged and sodomized a 13-year old girl.
But I don’t like to think I’m giving money to the artist to support his private views, like Scientology. Scientology absolutely promotes and recruits entertainment industry people so that they’ll give their money to the ‘church’.
I can’t even watch reruns of ‘That 70’s Show’ because I know residuals are supporting scientology. I loved that show. It was my high school life (in Wisconsin, in my friend’s basement, riding around town in a station wagon) so it was fun to watch, but now I can’t. I don’t think Danny Masterson is getting his residuals (maybe they are going to his daughter?) but still, it creeps me out that he might be.
I know if I don’t watch Weinstein productions and they fade away it hurts the people who might be getting money from the movies, and that hurts the people who he hurt. It’s a conundrum.
Weinstein’s behavior was also an open secret, so I agree it can feel icky to watch Miramax productions knowing that. It’s also icky to look back and see how many stars and politicians and important people were always in his orbit and fluffing him up and talking about his genius .
I agree with you, but I don’t struggle with it. For me, it’s an issue of character and I’m willing to give up the art if the artist shows themself to be unscrupulous, engaged in criminal behavior or acting immoral in other ways. I do my best, when something negative comes to light, to avoid watching a show, spending money on a movie, buying a product, etc. that is associated with that individual. I realize they would never lose sleep over little ole me tuning out, but it makes me feel like I’m actively choosing not to support the behavior.
What to know: A number of new documentaries about Sean “Diddy” Combs and his alleged crimes have come out recently. This one from Investigation Discovery stands out with 30 new interviews with his accusers, ex-staff members, friends and other people in his orbit. [Yahoo Entertainment]
Why recommend it: There are several bombshell allegations revealed in this docuseries that made me chillingly aware of just how much control powerful people have over society. And it’s a cautionary tale that is still unfolding. [TheWrap]
I’m obsessed with true crime, usually through Court TV or Youtube vloggers. I’ve watched some on Diddy but I find it much more disturbing than most of the other cases so can only watch it in small doses. I am fascinated by how many people attended his parties and said nothing, and continued to attend the parties even after they HAD to know what was going on.
I’m now following the Alexander brothers cases out of Miami/NYC, sort of along the same lines of parties and trips for sex and drugs. excessive wealth and privilege. Again, years and years of criminal behavior but until the feds got involved, no charges (or even public accusations). One interview was with a woman who met one of the brothers thru FB or other social media as they shared a friend. They went to dinner and then to a party at the Versace mansion. He was showing her around and then raped her. First date, in public places and still he acted like this. She felt too intimidated to report it. She was in counseling for many years.
True, he’s cooked. But why call his defense attorneys “scumbag bottom feeders”? John Adams defended the British soldiers accused of the Boston Massacre, reinforcing the right that everyone is entitled to a defense.
The Lawyer you Know (Peter Taragos?)
Lawyer Lee (who was known as the Harvard Lawyer but Harvard asked her to change that)
Melanie Little
Law and Lumber
Surviving the Survivor
There is a Canadian lawyer (Rumble? It is a play on Rumpole of the Bailey) who is interesting sometimes.
Once you watch one or two, the others just show up in your feed. You can also search for the current ‘hot’ cases:
Shanna Gardner (Florida, hiring a hit man to kill ex who was a Microsoft employee)
Donna Adelson (Florida, hiring a hit man to kill son-in-law Dan Markel, an FSU criminal law professor)
Karen Read (MA, on re-trial for running over her boyfriend)
Monica Sementilli (CA, Luigi was a celebrity hair stylist his wife is accused of hiring a hit man)
(see a pattern with hiring the hitmen?)
It’s basically the same list as on court TV, but without so many commercials and with a little bit of commentary.
I suspect the judge will let the lawyer walk since Diddy has 5 other lawyers still working on his behalf:
Ricco notes that his withdrawal from representing Combs would not delay the trial date, which is currently scheduled to begin in May. And Combs would still continue to be represented by five other attorneys, including Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos.
Here’s an unexpected crew of people.
Diddy, Odell Beckham Jr, and the Maui police chief named in gang rape case that took place in Orinda CA (a very quiet suburb of SF) in 2018.
I don’t know anything about OBJ but I know he’s a pretty big deal. Is this unexpected for him or was he known to run with that crowd? This story is so gross.
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