‘That ‘70s Show’ actor Danny Masterson faces 30 years to life at sentencing for rapes
“That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson could get as much as 30 years to life in prison at his sentencing Thursday for the rapes of two women two decades ago. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo is set to sentence the 47-year-old actor after ruling on a defense motion for a new trial that she’s very likely to reject, and after hearing impact statements from the victims. A jury of seven women and five men found Masterson guilty of two counts on May 31 after seven days of deliberations. Both attacks took place in Masterson’s Hollywood-area home in 2003, when he was at the height of his fame on the Fox network sitcom “That ’70s Show.” The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on a third count, an allegation that Masterson also raped a longtime girlfriend. The verdict came in a second trial after a jury failed to reach verdicts on three counts of forcible rape in December and a mistrial was declared. Prosecutors alleged that Masterson used his prominence in the Church of Scientology — where all three women were also members at the time — to avoid consequences for decades after the attacks. The women blamed the church for their hesitancy in going to police about Masterson. They testified that when they reported him to Scientology officials, they were told they were not raped, were put through ethics programs themselves, and were warned against going to law enforcement to report a member of such high standing. “They were raped, they were punished for it, and they were retaliated against,” Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller told jurors at the trial. “Scientology told them there’s no justice for them.” The church said in a statement after the verdict that the “testimony and descriptions of Scientology beliefs” during the trial were “uniformly false.” “The Church has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone — Scientologists or not — to law enforcement,” the statement said. Masterson did not testify, and his lawyers called no witnesses. The defense argued that the acts were consensual, and attempted to discredit the women’s stories by highlighting changes and inconsistencies over time, which they said showed signs of coordination between them. The women whose testimony led to Masterson’s conviction said that in 2003, he gave them drinks and that they then became woozy or passed out before he violently raped them. Olmedo allowed prosecutors and accusers to say directly in the second trial that Masterson drugged the women, while only allowing the women to describe their condition in the first. Masterson was not charged with any counts of drugging, and there was no toxicology evidence to back up the assertion. The issue could be a factor in a planned appeal from the defense of Masterson’s conviction. The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they’ve been sexually abused. Masterson starred with Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Topher Grace in “That ’70s Show” from 1998 until 2006. He had reunited with Kutcher on the 2016 Netflix comedy “The Ranch,” but was written off the show when an LAPD investigation was revealed the following year. While that investigation began before a wave of women shook Hollywood with stories about Harvey Weinstein in October 2017, the conviction and sentencing of Masterson still represents a major #MeToo era success for Los Angeles prosecutors, along with the conviction of Weinstein himself last year.
2023-09-07 19:57
Mystery as parents ‘kidnapped’ from Texas home with five children left behind alone
A bizarre mystery is unfolding in Texas after five children were found alone in their home after their parents were allegedly kidnapped. San Antonio police officers were called to the home in the city’s Southwest Side neighbourhood at around 6am on Wednesday. The children, all under the age of 17, were inside and unharmed. The children reportedly told police that unknown suspects had broke into their house and “forcefully” taken the parents, who are both in their late 30s. The two male suspects reportedly showed up to the house with guns. “Suspects kicked down the door, entered the home, took the adults and fled the scene,” Ricardo Guzman, from the San Antonio Police Department, told KSAT. “We located about five juveniles all inside the home, no injuries, they were unharmed.” The house, located in the 3100 block of Mission Bell, has been taped off while they search and investigate around the property. The police are currently calling the crime a “kidnapping”. Texas law states this is a third-degree felony which could see the suspects in state prison between two to ten years and/or a fine of up to $10,000. The police say they still have a lot of unanswered questions such as why this kidnapping happened and where the couple is right now. According to KSAT, the police said in an earlier statement that the suspects were driving a white SUV. The motive of the suspects is still unknown, police said. Read More Eleven-year-old girl charged with felony for reporting friend missing in YouTube challenge prank Carlee Russell’s ex speaks out about kidnapping hoax: ‘I was mad, I was sad’ Andrea Vazquez – latest: Murder suspect Gabriel Esparza’s attorney says he’s scared as DA vows to seek justice
2023-09-07 19:52
Danelo Cavalcante update: New video shows prison escape as Pennsylvania police track more sightings
The manhunt for convicted killer Danelo Cavalcante has now entered its eighth day with details beginning to emerge about how he managed to escape from prison in Pennsylvania. Cavalcante, 34, escaped from Chester County Prison days after he was sentenced to life without parole for stabbing his ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandao, 31, to death in front of her two small children. He is also wanted for a 2017 murder in Brazil. Authorities said during a press conference on Wednesday that he broke out by climbing onto a prison building roof from one of the exercise yards. Newly released surveillance video shows Cavalcante crawling up a wall at the prison before he disappears from the frame. Police said that he later managed to jump down to an area of the prison that had less surveillance. A tower officer tasked with observing the site failed to report the incident and Cavalcante’s escape was only noticed later during a head count. He was last spotted near Chandler Road, Pennsbury Township, on Tuesday evening. Local and federal law enforcement searched the area for hours but did not locate the fugitive. Members of the public are urged to secure their homes from the dangerous killer. Read More Danelo Cavalcante’s escape from Pennsylvania prison captured in newly released video How did Danelo Cavalcante manage to slip past Pennsylvania authorities twice? Father reveals terrifying moment escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante broke into his home Danelo Cavalcante killed his girlfriend in front of her children. Now he’s on the run after a prison break
2023-09-07 18:54
Jack Whitehall shares first photos of newborn baby as he praises ‘amazing’ girlfriend Roxy Horner
Jack Whitehall has sung the praises of girlfriend Roxy Horner as the couple announced the arrival of their newborn baby. On Wednesday (6 September), Whitehall posted a selfie to Instagram of himself and Horner smiling as she cradled her baby in her arms. In the caption, the comedian wrote that he is “in awe” of his “amazing” partner. “Well this just happened!” Whitehall wrote. “Utterly overwhelming and joyous in ways I couldn’t have even imagined. In awe of my partner @roxyhorner who has been amazing throughout this journey and is going to be the greatest mum ever.” The Bad Education actor, 35, explained how “excited” he was to have started a family of his own. “Having vowed I’d never be that guy I am now 100 per cent going to be the parent that shows everyone endless pictures of their kid,” he joked. “I also wore Skechers to hospital, I think I must accept I am a full blown dad now.” Whitehall didn’t share the child’s name or gender, instead joking: “Name wise, after this weekend I think ‘rice, rice, baby’ has a nice ring to it.” Sharing the same pictures to Twitter/X, Whitehall quipped: “WARNING: This account is now going to feature exclusively dad jokes.” Horner posted a series of photos to her Instagram in celebration of the milestone moment, in which she was seen holding her baby on her chest. “The love of my life,” she wrote. Horner announced that she was expecting their first child together back in May, posting a series of black and white photos of the pair holding their sonogram photos. “The best news to share,” the model captioned her post. Also sharing the news on Instagram in May, Whitehall quipped: “And I thought I wasn’t getting enough attention when the dog arrived.” The pair started dating in 2020, and live together with their dog Coco. Announcing the news in May, Horner opened up about how having a miscarriage the year before made her “worried” about “telling the world” about her pregnancy. “We had a miscarriage last year and so there was a part of me that was worried to open up too soon about this baby because I was so worried something would happen again and I didn’t want to have to kind of tell the world,” she told Hello! in May. “I think because we did go through that miscarriage you realise how fragile the baby is, and just how common actually a miscarriage is, and that so many women go through it – I had no idea how common it actually was.” She added: “It just makes this feel extra special and you’re more grateful that everything’s fine.” While the pair have kept their relationship private, Horner praised Whitehall back in 2021 after she collapsed during the Brit Awards and was rushed to hospital to find out that she is diabetic. “I’m so lucky and grateful for my man, my biggest support through everything,” she wrote in a sweet tribute after her health incident. “I don’t know what I would have done this past year without you.” Read More Travis Barker speaks out about wife Kourtney Kardashian’s ‘life-threatening’ surgery on her and unborn child Jonas Brothers share ‘emotional’ support for Joe Jonas in first show since Sophie Turner divorce news Trump says he wants to debate Meghan Markle: ‘I didn’t like the way she dealt with the Queen’ Travis Barker speaks out about Kourtney Kardashian’s ‘urgent’ surgery Kendra Wilkinson ‘rushed to hospital’ after panic attack Gisele Bündchen announces new cookbook with family favourite recipes
2023-09-07 16:49
Travis Barker speaks out about wife Kourtney Kardashian’s ‘life-threatening’ surgery on her and unborn child
Travis Barker has spoken out about wife Kourtney Kardashian Barker’s “urgent” surgery on her and her unborn child. The musician, 47, took to X – formerly known as Twitter – on Wednesday (6 September) to open up about his wife’s surgery. His tweet came after the Poosh founder revealed that she was rushed into emergency surgery, in order to save the life of her and her husband’s unborn baby. In his post, he expressed his gratitude for how the procedure went and noted that he’ll be back on stage this week, after postponing a handful of Blink-182 European tour dates due to “an urgent family matter”. “God is great. I flew home for a life-threatening emergency surgery for our baby that I’m so grateful went well,” he wrote. “I want to say thank you for all the support. Tour resumes Friday.” Many fans replied to Barker’s tweet with messages of support during Kardashian’s recovery from the surgery. “Happy to hear man, love from all around the world,” one wrote, while another added: “Great news!” Barker’s tweet comes days after Blink-182 revealed that Barker was returning home to California in the middle of his band’s tour to be with his family. “Due to an urgent family matter, Travis has had to return home to the States,” the band wrote in a tweet, shared on 1 September. “The Glasgow, Belfast, and Dublin shows are being postponed. More information in regards to his return to Europe and rescheduled dates will be provided as soon as available.” The three-piece rock group were initially scheduled to perform two shows at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow on 1 September and 2 September, followed by concerts in Belfast on 4 September and Dublin on 5 September. On Saturday 2 September, Kardashian and her husband were seen leaving the hospital, in photos obtained by the Daily Mail. It was later confirmed by People on 4 September that the reality star had been briefly hospitalised and on the road to recovery. Two days later, Kardashian shared an update about her health on Instagram, where she posted a black and white photo of herself in a hospital bed while holding Barker’s hand. She began her caption by explaining that she’ll “be forever grateful to [her] incredible doctors for saving [her] baby’s life” and praised her husband’s support while she was in the hospital. “I am eternally grateful to my husband who rushed to my side from tour to be with me in the hospital and take care of me afterwards, my rock,” she wrote. “And to my mom, thank you for holding my hand through this.” In her Instagram post, Kardashian revealed that she underwent “fetal surgery”, which “is a procedure performed on an unborn baby in the uterus to help improve the long-term outcome of children with specific birth defects,” according to the Mayo Clinic. “As someone who has had three really easy pregnancies in the past, I wasn’t prepared for the fear of rushing into urgent fetal surgery,” Kardashian continued. “I don’t think anyone who hasn’t been through a similar situation can begin to understand that feeling of fear. I have a whole new understanding and respect for the mamas who have had to fight for their babies while pregnant.” She concluded: “Praise be to God. Walking out of the hospital with my baby boy in my tummy and safe was the truest blessing.” In June, Kardashian held up a sign at a Blink-182 concert to announce that she was pregnant. The news came six months after she publicly shared that she had stopped in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment because it had taken “a toll” on her physical and mental health. Before Kardashian tied the knot with Barker in May 2022, the reality star previously welcomed three children – Mason, 13, Penelope, 12, and Reign, 10 – with ex Scott Disick. Meanwhile, Barker shares a 19-year-old son, Landon, and 14-year-old daughter, Alabama, with ex-wife Shanna Moakler. He also helped raise Moakler’s 24-year-old daughter, Atiana De La Hoya, from her previous relationship. Read More Kourtney Kardashian reveals she underwent urgent foetal surgery amid pregnancy Kourtney Kardashian was briefly hospitalised amid pregnancy, according to reports Blink-182 postpone UK and Ireland shows as Travis Barker rushes home for ‘urgent family matter’ Kourtney Kardashian reveals she underwent urgent fetal surgery Kourtney Kardashian was briefly hospitalised amid pregnancy, according to reports Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker leave hospital after ‘urgent family matter’
2023-09-07 15:46
'More and more on the move'. Record number of migrant children in Latin America and Caribbean, UN warns
Children are migrating through Latin America and the Caribbean in record numbers, driven by gang violence, poverty, instability and climate change, the United Nations reported Wednesday.
2023-09-07 15:23
China Sending Envoys to North Korea Before Kim’s Russia Trip
China plans to send its second high-profile delegation to North Korea in less than two months, just before
2023-09-07 13:47
China’s Export Slump Eases Despite Global Demand Pressures
China’s export slump eased in August despite earlier signs that global demand for Chinese goods remains soft. Overseas
2023-09-07 11:58
Watchdog group sues to block Trump from Colorado ballot, citing 14th Amendment's disqualification clause
A Washington-based advocacy group filed a lawsuit on Wednesday to block former President Donald Trump from the 2024 Republican primary ballot in Colorado, citing the 14th Amendment's ban on insurrectionists holding public office.
2023-09-07 11:56
Another person dies after being found unresponsive at Fulton County Jail in Atlanta
A 24-year-old man died at an Atlanta hospital after being found unresponsive at a jail that is already being investigated by federal authorities for potential civil rights violations. A Fulton County Jail officer found Shawndre Delmore during a routine check just before 8.30pm on 31 August, the county sheriff's office said in a news release Wednesday. Jail staff attempted to revive Delmore until medical staff arrived, and he was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he died on 3 September, the release says. Delmore is the sixth person to die in Fulton County custody since the end of July. He was arrested on 1 April by Atlanta police and was being held on $2,500 bond on a second-degree burglary charge. Atlanta police will investigate his death, and the county medical examiner will do an autopsy, the sheriff's office said. The US Department of Justice in July opened a civil rights investigation into jail conditions in the county, citing violence, filthy conditions and the death last year of a man whose body was found covered in insects. Lashawn Thompson, 35, died last September in a bedbug-infested cell in the Fulton County Jail’s psychiatric wing. An independent autopsy done at his family’s request found he died from severe neglect. His family has since reached a settlement with the county. Dayvion Blake, 23, was stabbed to death and four others were stabbed an injured during a fight at the jail on 31 August. Samuel Lawrence, 34, died Saturday at Grady Memorial Hospital after he was found unresponsive in his cell at the jail. The other three people who died in the last month include 66-year-old Alexander Hawkins, 34-year-old Christopher Smith and 40-year-old Montay Stinson. Read More Georgia prosecutors predict four-month trial and 150 witnesses for Trump’s election interference case Inside the notorious Fulton County Jail where Trump and 18 allies were booked over Georgia election plot Wisconsin Republicans want to impeach a liberal state Supreme Court justice before she has even heard a case
2023-09-07 11:52
Investigative genetic genealogy leads police to a suspect in series of California kidnappings and sexual assaults
A man suspected of a series of suspected sexual assaults in Sacramento, California, over a decade ago, was identified and arrested through the use of investigative genetic genealogy, officials announced Tuesday.
2023-09-07 10:18
Kendra Wilkinson ‘rushed to hospital’ after panic attack
Kendra Wilkinson was reportedly rushed to the emergency room after suffering a panic attack on 6 September. A spokesperson for the Girls Next Door alum told TMZ that Wilkinson had recently become overwhelmed in balancing her life, two kids, and her job in real estate. Wilkinson reportedly couldn’t sleep Tuesday night and the following day, she decided that going to the hospital was the best course of action. By the time she arrived at the hospital, an unidentified TMZ source alleged that Wilkinson was desperately pleading for someone to get her a doctor. The Independent has contacted Wilkinson’s representatives for comment. Earlier on Wednesday, Wilkinson had posted a selfie on her Instagram, writing: “Checking out the best Beverly Hills has to offer. Always on the look out for amazing properties for my clients.â ” The star’s most recent reality TV adventure has been Kendra Sells Hollywood, which chronicles the former Playboy playmate’s journey as she makes her foray into the luxury real estate business with the help of revered real estate power player, Douglas Elliman. Wilkinson has reportedly been learning from Elliman since 2021. In June of this year, the show released its second season on the streaming platform, Max. Throughout her hospital stint, her ex-husband Hank Baskett, 41, has reportedly stayed by her side. The couple share two children, Hank IV, 13, and Alijah Mary, 9. Wilkinson and the former NFL wide receiver married in 2009, but after nearly ten years of marriage, the pair filed for divorce. Combined with the end of her reality show Kendra On Top on E!, Wilkinson admitted on PodcastOne’s On Display with Melissa Gorga, that both endings “triggered [her] depression.” “I went through a divorce, lost everything I knew, which was my TV show. I had a TV show every year until my divorce,” she explained. “Then my divorce happened and all of a sudden, now I’m left with no marriage, I’m left with no show, I had to move into a little house – I didn’t understand what was going on and all of a sudden I had to do some intense healing.” Wilkinson told Real Housewives star Gorga that the end of her relationship began during a four-year period in which she said she “didn’t have fame”. She continued: “I didn’t have everything I knew for a really long time. I didn’t know who I was. I was so lost.” Wilkinson said that her kids were the ones to give her the push to “stay alive, to keep going, to drive them to hockey and basketball and smile and watch them do everything. They’re the ones who kept my heart beating.” Read More Sophie Turner seen partying in Birmingham as divorce from Joe Jonas confirmed Meghan Markle has ‘adorable’ reaction after Prince Harry takes a selfie at Beyoncé concert Why are we assuming Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet are intellectually incompatible? Gisele Bündchen announces new cookbook with family favourite recipes Travis Barker speaks out about Kourtney Kardashian’s fetal surgery amid pregnancy Mother defended after calling daughter’s father ‘creepy’ over name choice for newborn
2023-09-07 09:29