Disgraced singer and accused sexual predator R. Kelly is facing more legal action after failing to respond to a lawsuit against him by Faith Rodgers, one of his alleged former victims.
Rodgers, who originally sued Kelly back in 2018 for sexual assault and giving her herpes, is asking a judge to enter a default judgment against Kelly after he allegedly failed to properly respond to her case. In addition to that judgment, Rodgers is also asking for a trial to determine the damages Kelly should have to pay her. Rodgers also asked the judge to order Kelly not to engage in sexual activity with anyone unless he discloses his STD to them first.
Page Six reports that the documents Rodgers’ lawyer filed with the Manhattan Supreme Court claim that “by failing to respond to the allegations in the [lawsuit], R. Kelly has admitted to them,” using that as the grounds to ask for a default judgment.
This news comes just one day after three men were charged in federal court for allegedly using bribes and threats to influence the testimony of Kelly’s alleged victims in the racketeering and sex trafficking case against the singer. The men allegedly threatened to release sexually explicit photos of one victim and set a car on fire in front of the home of another victim. Even after Surviving R. Kelly and years of reporting on his actions, it’s impossible not to be horrified when new details come out about Kelly’s alleged crimes—and the lengths to which the people around him enabled his predatory behavior. [Page Six]
Jackass star Steve-O taped himself to a billboard to promote his new comedy special—an oddly comforting reminder that even in the midst of a global pandemic, some people really never change.
His new special, “Gnarly,” is reportedly a combination of stand-up comedy and Jackass-style stunts. In the caption of his Instagram post—which he appears to have posted while taped to the billboard—Steve-O reassures his fans that a team of professionals rigged everything safely, and explains that he doesn’t want any city resources to be used to get him down. Of course, it didn’t take too long for the Los Angeles Fire Department to show up with a crane to help get him down.
Was it the right time to pull a stunt that would inevitably involve getting the police and fire department called, potentially shutting down a street, and using city resources? Probably not. But honestly, I have to respect the effectiveness of Steve-O’s PR strategy. And don’t worry—he rented the billboard himself. [TMZ]