Latest news with #GloriaAllred


Telegraph
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Weinstein victim lawyer: Don't let Diddy case fool you. MeToo is alive and well
The Sean 'Diddy' Combs verdict does not mean MeToo is dying as most sexual assault cases are settled privately, America's most prominent female lawyer has said. The music mogul was this week acquitted on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering after two of his ex-girlfriends, including the R&B singer Cassie Ventura, testified he coerced them into having sex with male escorts. Combs, 55, was convicted on two lesser charges of transportation for prostitution. But Gloria Allred, who is representing several of Combs's alleged victims, including two who have filed civil lawsuits, said the outcome is symptomatic of a waning MeToo movement. 'Nobody should judge the MeToo movement based on what happens in a criminal case,' Ms Allred, who also represented a number of Harvey Weinstein's accusers said. 'Criminal cases are rare, and most of the civil lawsuits that we do and the confidential settlements never result in a criminal case.' Speaking exclusively to The Telegraph, she added: 'There are many, many more civil lawsuits than there are criminal cases. In addition to that, we do many more confidential settlements without a lawsuit than even civil lawsuits, so it's [MeToo] alive and well.' Around 70 lawsuits have been filed against Combs, including two by Ms Allred's clients: Joi Dickerson-Neal, who alleges the star drugged and sexually assaulted her in 1991, and Thalia Graves, who claims she was drugged and raped by Combs 10 years later. Combs has denied all the allegations against him. During her famed career spanning more than 50 years Ms Allred has represented alleged victims of the rich and powerful, including Bill Cosby, Donald Trump, R Kelly and Mohamed Al-Fayed. Her clients include an unknown number of Weinstein's accusers, including Miriam Haley, who the disgraced film mogul was found guilty of sexually assaulting in his New York criminal retrial last month. When Mr Trump won the election in November, some feared electing a man who had been found liable for sexual abuse marked the end of the MeToo movement, which sprung up after more than 80 women came forward claiming they had been raped or sexual assaulted by Weinstein. Following the latest Weinstein verdict, which acquitted the disgraced producer of one count of sexual assault and resulted in a mistrial for his rape charge, Ms Allred, said: 'For those of you in the press who have predicted that the MeToo movement might be dead, that obituary was obviously premature.' Ms Allred insists victims are still contacting her firm Allred, Maroko & Goldberg, which she describes as the most prominent women's rights law firm in the country, every day. 'We won over a billion dollars in the years that we've been in practice for victims, so I am not concerned that this is going to deter victims,' she said. 'Maybe they won't want to perhaps report to law enforcement, but they still want accountability, they still want justice, they can all get that through a civil case, lawsuit or a confidential settlement,' she added. Several of the witnesses who testified against Combs had pending civil lawsuits against the mogul, including Dawn Richard, who is represented by Ms Allred's daughter Lisa Bloom. Ventura, 38, settled her civil suit against Combs within 24 hours of filing. She was paid $30 million by the Bad Boy Entertainment founder. Last year, lawyer Tony Buzbee, who is representing dozens of Combs's alleged victims, claimed several high-profile celebrities had settled with victims quietly before to avoid being named in a public lawsuit. This week a judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, accusing Mr Buzbee of trying to blackmail him with false claims of sexual misconduct. Carter sued after Mr Buzbee contacted the star about a complaint from an anonymous accuser who alleged that Carter and Combs sexually abused her. Mr Buzbee then filed a lawsuit accusing Carter and Combs of raping the alleged victim when she was 13. The lawsuit was later withdrawn by the accuser. There is still a separate lawsuit pending which Carter filed against Mr Buzbee in federal court in Alabama. Following the Combs trial, which included showing the Manhattan court CCTV footage of the star beating Ventura at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, Ms Allred said she plans to propose legislation stating that women cannot legally consent to sex if they are beaten before or after the act. 'We all saw the video, he beat her, he dragged her back, and if that's not force, if that's not coercion, I don't know what is,' she said. Discussing her recommended legislation, she said: 'In the same way that if... a woman is under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, she could not, from a legal point of view, does not have the capacity to consent to a sex act.' She added: 'I'm proposing that if a woman is beaten, a victim of domestic violence before or after the sexual assault, it should be considered that she couldn't consent to it. 'And so that's what I'm going to propose to legislators to change the law, so hopefully something good can come out of this.'


CNN
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
'Let Puffy Go:' The Fallout From The Verdict - Trial By Jury: Diddy - Podcast on CNN Podcasts
'Let Puffy Go:' The Fallout From The Verdict Trial By Jury: Diddy 17 mins The verdict's been rendered, and despite his attorney's arguments that he should be released on bail, Sean "Diddy" Combs is back in custody awaiting sentencing on two felony charges. But there's a lot to unpack. Laura Coates was in lower Manhattan for the circus that unfolded yesterday, and also talked to several people about their big takeaways: an alternate juror who wasn't surprised that Diddy beat the RICO charge; former record executive "Suge" Knight, who called in from prison; and attorney Gloria Allred, who's representing clients bringing civil suits against Diddy.

Wall Street Journal
13-06-2025
- Wall Street Journal
California State Bar Opens Probe Into Gloria Allred's Law Firm
The State Bar of California has opened an investigation into the tactics used by Gloria Allred's law firm in its dealings with clients. The investigation, prompted by a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, is looking at the issues raised by women who hired the Los Angeles firm to represent them in connection with allegations of sexual misconduct.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Road rage suspect moved to protective custody
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Three California women who were victims of road rage suspect Nathaniel Radimak, who is now in protective custody, expressed their outrage on what they said were failures in the judicial system. On May 22 Radimak made his first appearance in court since an apparent altercation with inmates at Halawa Correctional Facility last week. Wife of Maui doctor withdraws request for restraining order He had bruises and a bandage above his eye as he pled not guilty to charges of assault and unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle after allegedly attacking two women in Kakaako earlier this month. But since his return to Halawa on May 16, sources tell KHON2 he has been placed in protective custody for his safety. Therefore, he is not housed with the rest of the general population of inmates. The three California women say Radimak violated their safety when he attacked them back in 2023.'I think Mr. Radimak poses a serious danger to the public,' said one of his victims, Vivian Romero. The women and their attorney Gloria Allred said the judicial system failed when he was released on parole, after serving only 10 months of a five-year sentence. 'Had he served a sentence of five years in California, these new attacks on women might have been prevented,' Romero added. 'I believe these incidents were a foreseeable consequence of a system that repeatedly failed to address his pattern of violence and behavior.' Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news 'It is sickening that Nathaniel Radimak, after being released from prison early, has appeared to violate his parole by reportedly reoffending in Hawaii,' said another victim Beth Lamprecht. 'There was every reason to doubt any chance of reform for this repeat offender. His return to violence underscores that he has not been willing to control his actions.' Grecia Palma, a third victim said she was infuriated when she heard he was being released on parole. 'This is exactly what we feared, I did not believe a short time behind bars was enough and this latest failure highlights how broken and ineffective the system truly is,' Palma said. HPD officer-involved collision leaves pedestrian in serious condition All three women said they hope justice will be served in the new criminal case in Hawaii. 'If he is convicted, we're looking forward to seeing him back here in LA County,' Allred said. Allred also said Radimak was given credit for 424 days served while he was awaiting sentencing, and 212 days for good behavior. 'I don't know what he got 'good time' for in LA [jail],' Allred said. 'It doesn't look like he had a good time in Hawaii while in custody.' The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation told KHON2 that Radimak was approved for an interstate transfer to Hawaii on Jan. 31, 2025 due to a change in residency. Lānaʻi residents make hundreds of bouquets for Memorial Day Since his arrival to the Aloha State, one Hawaii woman claims she was nearly assaulted by Radimak at a Honolulu gym when he allegedly threw a punch toward her while she was filming him. She said that incident occurred on April 18. The alleged assault on the two Kakaako women occurred two-and-a-half weeks later on May 7. The Hawaii Paroling Authority has issued a no bail warrant for violating parole conditions tied to California. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in an e-mail that Radimak is a CDCR-supervised person currently under the supervision of Hawaii via the Interstate Compact. Interstate Compact offenders are subject to supervision conditions of both the receiving and sending state. Animal resource officers on wild cat chase in Manoa Once Hawaii adjudicates Radimak's criminal charges, California will initiate retaking procedures to bring Radimak back to California so the CDCR can submit a petition to violate Radimak's parole. By law, the department is limited in what it can disclose about supervised persons and is unable to provide specific information on parole conditions. Allred said parolees are told to obey all laws. 'If he is convicted in Hawaii, I'd like to see him be sentenced to the maximum sentence that is possible under the law for which he was convicted there,' Allred said. 'I would like to see him serve his full sentence and then brought back to serve a further term, if it is found, which it will be if he didn't obey all laws and is convicted in Hawaii, serve the remainder of his California sentence here in California.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


CBS News
23-05-2025
- CBS News
'Tesla road rage guy' alleged Hawaii attack is a 'failure of the system,' attorney says
Alongside three alleged victims of the "Tesla road rage guy," attorney Gloria Allred called it an "absolute failure of the system" that he was released from a Los Angeles County prison, allowing him to allegedly strike again. Nathaniel Radimak pleaded not guilty on Thursday in a Hawaii courtroom to a felony charge for unauthorized entry into a more vehicle and two misdemeanor charges for assault to the third degree, according to Allred. Those charges were in connection with his arrest earlier this month in Honolulu. Police said he exchanged words with an 18-year-old woman from a Tesla as she was attempting to park her car. He then allegedly assaulted the young woman and her 35-year-old mother. Radimak, 38, has a history of similar attacks in California. arrest photo of Nathaniel Radimak, May 8, 2025 Honolulu Police Department He was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for his role in a series of road rage attacks throughout Los Angeles County. He only served about 250 days after his sentencing; however, he was given credit for time served and 212 days for good behavior. The violent nature of these incidents, along with video that has gone viral, has led to Radimak gaining notoriety online. In all incidents, including the recent alleged attack in Hawaii, he was driving a Tesla. It's not yet clear if he moved to Hawaii or was just visiting. During a news conference Friday, Allred criticized California's justice system for allowing him to go back on the streets. "When justice is not done, the public is in danger," she said. Allred added that the incident in Hawaii likely violated his parole agreement back in California. He's being held in Hawaii on $100,000 bail, but if that bail were to be paid, Allred says he'd be held on a no-bail warrant for a parole violation. Although it appears Radimak will remain in custody as the legal process plays out for the new charges, Allred criticized the handling of the case in California. She alleges that, before his 2024 early release from prison, the victims of the crimes he was convicted weren't able to give their input, a legal right. One alleged victim on Friday, identified as Vivian Romero, said she's not surprised that Radimak allegedly struck again. "Had he served a sentence of five years in California, these new attacks on women may have been prevented," she said. "I believe that these incidents were a foreseeable consequence of a system that repeatedly failed to address his pattern of violence and his pattern of behavior." 'Vigilante justice' Radimak was allegedly assaulted by fellow inmates at the Hālawa Correctional Facility on May 12, according to the Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. As of Friday, it's not yet clear why the alleged assault took place, or if the offending inmates knew of Radimak's notoriety at the time. Allred disavowed what she described as "vigilante justice" on Friday, although she didn't appear too sympathetic. "Doesn't look like he had a good time in Hawaii in custody. I couldn't help myself," she said with a smirk. "I wouldn't wish a beating on anyone, even Mr. Radimak." She then took a serious tone and stated a truth. "Most of his victims have been women," Allred said. "Terrifying."