Tag: Oprah
Oprah says Russell Simmons ‘attempted to pressure’ her out of producing sex assault documentary
Russell Simmons tried to force Oprah Winfrey out of working on the documentary about his sexual assault allegations but it wasn’t his efforts that caused her to ditch the project, the television icon has revealed.
Winfrey announced last week she was stepping away from the “On the Record” project as its executive producer, nearly one month after receiving backlash from Simmons. She also shared that it will no longer air on Apple TV+.
Now, in a new statement to Fox News, Winfrey revealed what exactly was going on behind the scenes and detailed Simmons’ attempts to stop her involvement.
“He did reach out multiple times and attempted to pressure me,” Winfrey told Fox News through a spokesperson on Saturday.
The spokesperson added that Winfrey’s decision to separate herself from the documentary was not due to Simmons’ incessant attempts. Instead, Winfrey found inconsistencies in the reporting for the “On the Record” documentary, specifically with the story coming from one of the music producer’s accusers, Drew Dixon.
Despite her exit, Winfrey’s spokesperson confirmed the media mogul believes Dixon as well as the other women who come forward in the film.
“First and foremost, she believes all of the women,” the spokesperson told Fox News.
The spokesperson added that Winfrey felt the film did not need to be rushed to the Sundance Film Festival, scheduled to premiere on Jan. 25.
Winfrey announced her decision to step down as the documentary’s executive producer in a statement to Fox News last week.
“I have decided that I will no longer be executive producer on the untitled Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering documentary and it will not air on Apple TV+,” Winfrey shared in a statement. “First and foremost, I want it to be known that I unequivocally believe and support the women. Their stories deserve to be told and heard. In my opinion, there is more work to be done on the film to illuminate the full scope of what the victims endured, and it has become clear that the filmmakers and I are not aligned in that creative vision.
“Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering are talented filmmakers. I have great respect for their mission but given the filmmakers’ desire to premiere the film at the Sundance Film Festival before I believe it is complete, I feel it’s best to step aside. I will be working with Time’s Up to support the victims and those impacted by abuse and sexual harassment.”
Dixon is one of the multiple women who made sexual assault allegations against Simmons, 62. The famed record executive was accused of rape by at least three women in 2017 and adamantly denied the allegations.
Simmons penned his own message to Winfrey last month maintaining his innocence, which he reposted again following the news of Oprah’s exit.
“Dearest OPRAH, you have been a shining light to my family and my community,” he wrote. “It’s so troubling that you choose to single me out in your recent documentry [sic]. I have already admitted to being a playboy (more appropriately titled today ‘womanizer’) sleeping with and putting myself in more compromising situations than almost any man I know. … So many that some could reinterpret or reimagine a different recollection of the same experiences.”
“I have taken and passed nine 3-hour lie detector tests,” he added. “These stories are UNUSABLE.”
Rapper 50 Cent also previously called out Winfrey via his social media accounts.
“I don’t understand why Oprah is going after black men,” 50 Cent, real name Curtis Jackson, wrote on social media. “No Harvey Weinstein, No Epstein, just Micheal [sic] jackson and Russell Simmons this s–t is sad.”
In a joint statement to Fox News, Simmons’ silence-breakers and survivors said: “We are more than victims of rape. We are Black women. We are mothers, daughters, sisters and friends insisting on our right to live and work free from sexual violence and abuse. We will not back down, and we will not be silenced. We are not afraid. When we raised our anguished voices to say, ‘No! Stop! Don’t’ to Russell Simmons, he ignored us.”
Article via Fox
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Kid Rock responds to disparaging Oprah remarks: ‘I am what I am, I ain’t what I ain’t’
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Kid Rock has received a lot of feedback in the past few days after making disparaging remarks about Oprah Winfrey, and he has responded.
Kid Rock put out a statement on his Facebook page just before 5 p.m. Friday:
“My people tried to get me to do The Oprah Winfrey show years ago and her people wanted me to write down 5 reasons why I loved her and her show????? I said f*** that and her. End of story. I am just saying what a lot of people think. Not saying I should be, but sometimes I just do. Oh well. I have a big mouth and drink too much sometimes, shocker! I also work hard and do a ton to help others out but that’s just back page news because the press hates I love Trump, f*** them too. I am what I am, I ain’t what I ain’t!
PS And you haters and internet trolls can check my touring numbers and shut your ignorant a**** up! Boom!
PSS I did not get removed from MY OWN BAR (fake news) if anything I was leaving and the cops were helping me out. Hey, at least I don’t drink and drive!! ????
PSSS. Was it racist when I said “F*** Joy Behar”??? and by the way… I love Kathy Lee Gifford.”
Rock’s statement comes after a patron at his Nashville honky tonk captured video of him in a profanity-laced rant about Oprah Winfrey and others.
TMZ posted the video early Friday morning of Kid Rock swearing and slurring his words on stage, especially calling out Oprah, but also Joy Behar and Kathie Lee Gifford. This apparently occurred last week.
The “Cowboy” singer defended his tirade, saying, “I’m not the bad guy” and “I’m just an honest guy,” while an onlooker can be heard calling him racist.
The video ends with him singing “Proud Mary,” before security tends to him.
This time last year, Kid Rock was kicked out of the Nashville Christmas parade for calling Behar an expletive. However, he also paid off layaways for hundreds of families in Nashville.
Article via Fox17
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Spiritual ‘healer’ featured on Oprah accused of sexual abuse
RIO DE JANEIRO — Ten women in Brazil have accused a self-styled spiritual healer of sexually abusing them at a clinic in the central-western state of Goias.
The accusations against Joao Teixeira de Faria, known as John of God, were made Saturday night on the Globo TV network.
It was not immediately clear if Farias was being investigated by prosecutors.
In a statement to the G1 news portal, Faria’s press office said: “John of God vehemently denies having committed any inappropriate behavior during his treatments.”
Faria’s faith-based healing skills drew the attention of TV host Oprah Winfrey, who said on her website that she interviewed him at his clinic in 2013 and saw him performing psychic surgeries.
Faria’s website says he has treated former President Bill Clinton and Brazil’s ex-President Luiz Inacio da Silva.
Article via NYPost
Stacey Dash Comes For Oprah, Meryl Streep, Seal And Everyone Else
Stacey Dash Says Oprah & Meryl Streep Knew About Harvey Weinstein, Plus She Claps Back At Seal For Saying She Lives In The Sunken Place
After Seal reposted a meme on his Instagram that suggested that Oprah purposely turned a blind eye to Weinstein’s sexually depraved behavior, Stacey Dash echoed his sentiments. However, Seal did not support Dash and went on to say “Don’t try and use me as a pawn against Oprah, or any of your political games,”.
“Stacey Dash, keep my name out of your mouth. Do not retweet [or] re-quote anything I said in order to reinforce your self-hating agenda. You live in the Sunken Place.”
Dash responded to Seal in an open letter, in which she also took the opportunity to cast shade towards Oprah and other celebrities that might have known of Weinstein’s sexual misconducts. Dash went on to deconstruct the #MeToo movement to nothing more than high school politics.
“I won’t walk back what I believe. Oprah the homecoming queen, prom queen and class president knew. Meryl, the high school drama star knew. Most of those women wearing black knew. The class clown, Seth McFarland knew. He joked about it a few years ago on the Oscars, Hollywood’s equivalent of the prom,” Dash writes.
“You know how I can say this? BECAUSE I KNEW. So how “clueless” am I? I knew enough when meeting Harvey Weinstein, to bring a male chaperone and it paid off as he did make a move on me. My chaperone blocked him and said, ‘Not this one.’ You can read all about it here. My chaperone knew.”
The actress continued, “As so many of my critics like to point out, aside from “Clueless” I am nobody. So how did this “nobody” know about Harvey Weinstein, and the popular, powerful mogul, Oprah Winfrey did not? How did the Oscar-laden “Iron Lady” Meryl Streep not know? Hollywood is one big, dark, John Hughes movie. Some of us sit with the regular kids. Some are the outsiders. However, the cool kids sit at the cool kids lunch table and they talk.”
“They talk a lot and they share their elite information among their members at that table. They know the deal. They know how it works and they know they have an image to uphold. From the popular crowd to the freaks and geeks, they all knew the faculty to avoid. Let’s just say right here, I am not judging nor am I condemning. I am simply doing the math and coming up with what appears to be an obvious answer. Occam’s Razor says the simplest answer is usually the correct one. I am writing this with Occam’s Razor.”
Read Dash’s full accusation here.
STEVE HARVEY SUED FOR ALLEGED FRAUD INVOLVING CHARITY Blames Oprah, Tyler Perry for Bad Financial Advice
STEVE HARVEY SUED FOR ALLEGED FRAUD INVOLVING CHARITY: Blames Oprah and Tyler Perry for Bad Financial Advice
Steve Harvey is being sued by someone who claims he was hired by the TV mogul to raise $20 million for the Steve and Marjorie Foundation as well as other ventures and got royally stiffed.
Vincent Dimmock claims he struck a deal with Harvey in April to raise the $20 mil, and in return he says he was promised 12.5% of everything he brought in. Dimmock says in the lawsuit he had access to high-level execs, A-list entertainers and political figures including a former President, and he got pledges for $20 mil.
According to the suit, Dimmock delivered on the first million but Harvey refused to pay him his commission.
Dimmock claims Harvey never intended to pay him and then goes on to make various allegations.
Dimmock says he introduced Harvey to an investor in May, and during their meeting he allegedly disparaged women, blamed Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry for giving him bad financial advice and also blamed Barack Obama for Harvey’s “disastrous meeting with Donald Trump.”
He says Harvey and his foundation were in bad financial shape because of a series of P.R. gaffes, including mocking Asian men and meeting with Trump.
We reached out to Harvey’s agent, Todd Frank, who tells TMZ, “It sounds fake. Steve is the most loyal guy in the world. I’ve never been stiffed on a commission from Steve Harvey in 21 years.”
Article via: http://www.tmz.com/2017/12/07/steve-harvey-sued-charity-fraud-oprah-tyler-perry/
EMPIRE | It’s Not Business
Hey ya’ll O M G the 2nd Promo for Empire season 2 got me all twisted looks like the Lyons about to fight in the Lyons Den!
Cookie is plotting and planning with her boys to get their (her) Empire back I see Andre got himself together so he can help get his Daddy removed as CEO of Empire but wait wasn’t Jamal given the title as CEO? Oh SNAP it looks like there’s gonna be a prison flight out in the yard!!! But wait a minute Lucious gonna get some spiritual or some serious activism help from Al Sharpton. Somebody I think gonna get some a wardrobe makeover from Fashion icon Andre Leon Talley. I forgot to mention Ludacris is gonna play one of the prison guards Hmmmm… Could he be talkin’ to Lucious about a hip-hop record deal if he helps break him out? We have Jennifer Hudson playing Lucious mama in a flashback!
Season 2 Guest stars look pretty good Chris Rock; Pitbull gonna make appearance and one of my favorite actresses Marisa Tomei is guest starring!! OMG I CAN’T WAIT ‘TIL Sep 23rd!! Empire RETURNS WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 23rd 8/7c ON FOX If you missed Empire Season 1 there’s only ONE more week to catch up on FOXNOW!
Ready! Set! Bing! http://www.fox.com/empire/full-episodes
LAWD I NEEED SOME EMPIRE NOW!!!! I’m gonna sit on my couch with my tea and popcorn and just wait! #TEAMCOOKIE Although I may be on #TEAMLUCIOUS for a HOT sexy MINUTE SEE YA’LL NEXT WEEK!!