Kathryn Stockett, author of the mega-bestselling novel The Help, was sued by Ablene Cooper, a black housekeeper and nanny who claimed that a character of the same race, profession and a very similar name, Aibileen, was based on her life. Ms. Cooper works for Ms. Stockett’s brother and alleged that Ms. Stockett had used her Read More
Conde Nast has been sued for libel over Maureen Orth’s September 2010 Vanity Fair article, “Cassini Royale,” about designer Oleg Cassini and the battle over his estate. The plaintiff is Marianne Nestor-Cassini, Cassini’s secret wife from that story, who says that aspects of Ms. Orth’s piece were slanderous wrong. Wrong to the tune Read More
The photographer David LaChapelle recently won a pre-trial hearing that will allow his lawsuit against Rihanna to proceed, Photo District News reports. The two superstars will go head-to-head, through their lawyers, in New York City District Court on August 10
Mr. LaChapelle argues that the video for Rihanna’s “S&M” lifts elements from his Read More
Another day, another lesson in the wacky world of U.K. media ethics!
A high court in London today ruled that The Daily Telegraph libeled journalist Sarah Thornton in their review of her book Seven Days in the Art World, and ordered that the paper pay her £65,000, plus her legal fees.
The review by Lynn Read More
The Michael Werner Gallery has settled its lawsuit with Carnegie Museum trustee and collector James H. Rich. The lawsuit involved a painting by Peter Doig that was sold to Mr. Rich in 2004 and was supposed to have passed into the collection of the Carnegie Museum. “Due to a misunderstanding,” according to the latest Read More
The Upper East Side gallerist Richard Feigen has been sued by a couple that claims the gallery failed to properly authenticate a painting they purchased 20 years ago.
The plaintiffs, Richard and Saundra Verri of Arizona, recently tried to consign a painting by Rosa Bonheur — described in both their complaint and her Wikipedia page Read More
The Michael Werner Gallery has filed a lawsuit against Carnegie Museum trustee and collector James H. Rich over a painting that was allegedly supposed to have passed into the museum’s possession but curiously — as its value increased by a factor of 12 — didn’t.
The painting in question, “Red Boat (Imaginary Boys)” (2004) by Read More
On Monday morning, Mohamed Kotbi was in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, preparing for the annual fund-raiser luncheon for the UJA-Federation Lawyers Division (Bankruptcy and Reorganization Group). One of his colleagues, another banquet waiter, had some news for him.
“Oh, I heard they got your brother,” the man told him.
Mr. Kotbi’s brother Read More
The 1990s are back, baby! Harvey Weinstein is the target of a lawsuit from the filmamkers beind a never-released film, Escape From Planet Earth, who claim Mr. Weinstein’s alleged incompetence and erratic decision-making sabotaged the production. Tony Leech and Brian Inerfeld further claim they received a $500,000 payout from Mr. Weinstein to hush them Read More
Was today one of those mornings when you roused yourself from bed, stretched, yawned and then thought to yourself, “Whatever is that Stephen Baldwin character up to these days?”
Well, Santa Claus came early this year. In what may be the biggest Stephen Baldwin news since his appearence in Slap Shot 2: Breaking The Ice, Read More
