LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Justin Bieber has filed a $20 million defamation lawsuit against two women who accused him of sexual misconduct.
The Canadian pop star filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday after saying on Twitter earlier this week that a claim that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2014 was “factually impossible.”
The woman, who identified herself as Danielle but said she was posting anonymously, said in a Twitter posting that has since been deleted that she was sexually assaulted by the singer at a hotel in Austin, Texas, on March 9, 2014.
The other woman, who identified herself as Kadi, said on Twitter that she was sexually assaulted by Bieber in a New York hotel room in May 2015.
The lawsuit said the accusations by the two women were “outrageous, fabricated lies” and seeks a jury trial and $20 million in damages.
Neither of the women could be reached for comment on Friday. Bieber’s representatives on Friday did not respond to requests for comment about the lawsuit.
The lawsuit said the two women were “trying to capitalize on the climate of fear permeating the entertainment industry, Hollywood and corporate America, whereby it is open season for anyone to make any claim (no matter how vile, unsupported, and provably false) about anyone without consequence.”
Hundreds of men in entertainment, business, sports and politics have been accused of sexual misconduct since the #MeToo movement became a cultural force in 2017.
Bieber, now 26, was discovered at age 13 and has become one of the world’s most popular musicians.
The lawsuit detailed hotel receipts, emails and news reports to assert that Bieber was not staying at the hotel in Austin where Danielle alleged that the 2014 assault had taken place.
It said that Kadi’s accusation was false and that she had fabricated her allegation “out of her desire for fame and attention.”
New Nolan movie delayed again by COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Warner Bros. movie studio on Thursday delayed the release of the new Christopher Nolan thriller “Tenet” for a second time due to the coronavirus outbreak, dealing another setback to the industry’s hopes for a late-summer rebound.
“Tenet” is now scheduled to reach cinemas on Aug. 12, the company said in a statement. Most U.S. movie theaters remain closed to help prevent the spread of the pandemic.
It comes as there has been a recent surge in coronavirus cases in several U.S. states.
“Warner Bros. is committed to bringing ‘Tenet’ to audiences in theaters, on the big screen, when exhibitors are ready and public health officials say it’s time,” a spokeswoman said.
“Tenet” is one of the big-budget movies that theater operators are counting on to lure audiences back to cinemas following a worldwide shutdown earlier this year.
The movie is a science-fiction spy drama starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson from the British director of hits like “The Dark Knight Rises” and “Inception.” Little has been revealed about the plot. The film had originally been scheduled to debut on July 17.
Another closely watched film, Walt Disney Co’s action epic “Mulan,” is set for July 24, though theater owners worry it too will be delayed.
Big movie chains including AMC Entertainment, Cineworld and Cinemark have said they plan for widespread reopenings of multiplexes in July.
But officials in Los Angeles and New York, the top two moviegoing markets in the United States, have not given a green light for theaters to welcome back visitors.
Hollywood studios need as many locations open as possible to make back their investments in big-budget movies. Theater attendance will be limited to enforce social-distancing requirements, and it is unclear how comfortable audiences will be with returning.
Roughly 780 indoor movie theaters are currently open in the United States, according to tracking firm Comscore.
Warner Bros. said it planned to keep “Tenet” in theaters “over an extended play period far beyond the norm” after its debut.
Gap shares soar after 10-year deal for ‘Yeezy’ apparel
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Gap Inc has entered into a 10-year deal with rapper and fashion designer Kanye West to create a Yeezy line of clothing, both parties said on Friday, sending shares of the apparel retailer soaring 42%.
Aimed at young shoppers, the Yeezy-Gap line, which will offer items such as hoodies, basics, T-shirts and joggers, is expected to appear in Gap stores and on Gap.com in 2021, the two parties said. West will keep sole ownership of the Yeezy brand.
Financial details were not disclosed, but Gap said Yeezy would receive royalties and potential equity based on sales results. Yeezy said the brand is valued at $2.9 billion.
German sportswear company Adidas also partners with West, selling Yeezy footwear designed by West.
As a teen, West, 43, worked at a Gap store in the Chicago area. “We are excited to welcome Kanye back to the Gap family,” said Mark Breitbard, the Gap brand global head, describing West as “a creative visionary, building on the aesthetic and success of his Yeezy brand” with the new Gap line.
A Gap spokeswoman said the deal “is an example of leveraging the brand power that Gap has and thinking in a new way about how we can introduce the brand to new customers, new audiences,” she said.
The news of the collaboration, announced through the rapper’s Twitter account, got the brands trending on the social media platform and sent shares of Gap to its highest since early March before the pandemic battered the industry.
San Francisco-based Gap, which owns Banana Republic, Athleta and Old Navy, was among non-essential retailers forced to temporarily close stores to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Gap, which operates nearly 2,800 stores in North America, recently withdrew its full-year targets, suspended its dividend, furloughed employees and has seen its stock fall over 40% so far this year.
