Avenatti Strikes Back at Nike

Just one day after being arrested and charged with numerous crimes, including conspiracy to commit extortion, bank fraud, and wire fraud, celebrity lawyer and outspoken President Trump critic, Michael Avenatti, proclaimed his innocence and struck back at Nike in a CBS interview and a string of tweets.

As we just recently reported, on March 25, 2019, Avenatti was charged and taken into custody after federal prosecutors were tipped off about Avenatti’s attempt to extort up to $26.5 million from Nike. However, over the last twenty-four …

March 28, 2019 Basketball / Celebrities / General / NCAA

Michael Avenatti Arrested for an Attempt to Extort up to $26.5 Million From Nike

On March 25, 2019, celebrity lawyer and outspoken President Trump critic, Michael Avenatti, was arrested and taken into custody after federal prosecutors charged him with numerous crimes, including conspiracy to commit extortion, bank fraud, and wire fraud. According to a federal criminal complaint, on March 19, 2019, Avenatti met with Nike representatives claiming to represent a youth basketball coach who had information that Nike employees made illicit payments to the families of high school athletes.

Avenatti and his alleged co-conspirator Mark Geragos, a high-profile criminal …

September 6, 2018 Celebrities / Contract / NFL

Kaepernick’s Grievance against the NFL to Advance

Colin Kaepernick’s case against the NFL will proceed to a full hearing, following an arbitrator’s decision on Thursday, August 30, 2018 to deny the NFL’s motion for summary judgment.

The former 49ers quarterback accuses the NFL of colluding to keep him out of the league since he became a free agent in March 2017, arguing that the organization refuses to hire him because of the national anthem protests Kaepernick initiated in 2016. Now, with the case going to a full, trial-like format, some team …

June 29, 2018 Basketball / Celebrities / civil rights / Ethics / NBA

Bucks Guard Sues Milwaukee Police Over Racial Profiling Incident

Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard Sterling Brown filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Milwaukee, the chief of the Milwaukee Police Department (“MPD”) and eight other MPD officers and sergeants in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Brown claims the defendants violated his civil and constitutional rights and applied excessive and brutal force while unlawfully arresting him. The suit arises out of the highly publicized incident that took place on Friday, January 26 at 2 a.m.

Brown was parked …

June 26, 2018 Basketball / Celebrities / Contract / Defamation / Litigation / NBA

BIG3 Suit Involves Allen Iverson and Steve Bannon

Another lawsuit involving Ice Cube’s start-up three-on-three basketball league the BIG3 is the latest issue for the league to try and overcome. What was supposed to be a fun, innovative league that would allow former players to keep their careers alive has turned into a series of lawsuits.

Former Chief Creative Officer Kainoa Henry filed his complaint on Monday, June 12, in a California Superior Court. Henry alleges that he was forced to resign from his position at the BIG3 after co-founder Jeffrey Kwatinetz, who …

November 9, 2016 Celebrities / Litigation

Gawker Media, Hogan Finally Settle Sex Tape Saga

This past Wednesday, one of the most notorious journalism lawsuits finally came to an end. Former Gawker CEO Nick Denton agreed to pay $31 million—in addition to a portion of the company’s bankruptcy sale—to former wrestler Hulk Hogan. The agreement brings a final end to the legal drama beginning with Gawker’s publishing a secret sex tape featuring Hogan, whose real name is Terry Gene Bollea. This past March, a Florida Court found Gawker liable for libel to the tune of $115 million.

The broader storyline …

November 7, 2016 Celebrities

Justin Timberlake “Can’t Stop the Feeling” on Voting

It is likely Justin Timberlake was simply trying to encourage voting when he posted a voting-booth selfie on his Instagram account, but instead, he caused a little legal chaos.

In late October, Timberlake took to his over 37 million Instagram followers to encourage voting and told them to “choose to have a voice.”

Initially there were questions of whether Timberlake’s selfie violated Tennessee law; however these rumors were struck down by the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office. Although it is illegal to take pictures inside …

August 3, 2016 Celebrities / Litigation

Disney Company to Blame for Star Wars Star Injury on Set

On July 26, 2016, a Disney subsidiary responsible for the filming of the new Star Wars trilogy pleaded guilty to two criminal charges in British Court. The company claimed responsibility for “failing to ensure safety and failing to keep Ford and other actors away from hazardous situations.” Foodles Productions, named to avoid fan attention during filming of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, plead guilty for the workplace safety breaches at Pinewood Studio two years after the injury of an actor on set.

In June 2014, …

Late Night Host Stephen Colbert Dances Around IP Issue Over His Own Exaggerated Persona

CBS’s “The Late Show” opted to go live at the conclusion of each day of the Republican National Convention two weeks ago to better respond to the fodder the RNC provides. During one of the shows, host Stephen Colbert brought back his beloved fictional “Colbert” character from his immensely popular “The Colbert Report.” The character was retired after the show ended on Comedy Central and hasn’t been seen for more than a year as the real Stephen Colbert forged his own identity. However, it appears …

July 22, 2016 Celebrities

Kanye West Versus Taylor Swift — The Saga Continues

The newest chapter in the Taylor Swift and Kanye West feud stems from the release of video footage on Kim Kardashian’s Snapchat account.

In Kanye’s latest album, The Life of Pablo, he released a song titled “Famous,” which made a reference to Swift. Upon release, Swift was publicly outraged at the song’s content and denied giving Kanye permission to use the specific lyrics West used in the song. This disagreement prompted Kim Kardashian to defend West by posting recorded videos on her Snapchat between …