Latest in Legal

EXCLUSIVE: Having already seen one lawsuit against the Emmy winning and Peabody Awards nominated When They See Us miniseries tossed out of court, Netflix and Ava DuVernay are aiming today to get the defamation action by ex-Central Park Five prosecutor Linda Fairstein dismissed too. “Plaintiff's claims fail under the…

Thanks to a multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuit filed today from a direct-to-consumer teeth-straightening company, Cesar Conde won't be getting much of a honeymoon as the newly installed chief of the newly formed NBCUniversal News Group. "SmileDirectClub gave NBC every opportunity to retract this defamatory report…

Stores are open. But they’re limited to curbside pickup. Restaurants are open. But not everywhere, and they can’t serve everyone with regular sit-down service. Beaches are open, but only for specific activities. You can play tennis and golf, but you can’t get a legal haircut. Those are just some of the issues facing…

UPDATE, PART II: The plans to stage the first social distancing live music event since the pandemic shutdown were scuttled late on Thursday, as Arkansas officials seized the liquor license of a concert hall where artist Travis McCready would have performed. The show was set to happen on Friday. Promoters described…

Another major event has fallen to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the 2020 L.A. County Fair announced today it was canceling the event for the first time since World War II. Set for Sept. 4-27 at the Pomona Fairplex, the event ‘offers music, rides, food and showcases California’s agricultural community. Such acts as…

Johnny Depp’s former lovers Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis have rallied around the actor, submitting statements defending his character as part of a libel trial in the UK courts. Depp is suing Dan Wootton, the executive editor of The Sun, and the Rupert Murdoch-owned British tabloid’s publisher, News Group…

EXCLUSIVE, UPDATED, 11:15 AM: Jeffrey Katzenberg has always loved a good scrap, and the Quibi kingpin came out swinging Tuesday after being officially named a defendant in the ongoing and competing lawsuits over the mobile platform’s Turnstyle technology. “With its amended complaint, Eko's desperation and the weakness…

The Great Reopening has begun in Southern California, as some – but not all – of the restrictions on gatherings and activities are officially lifted. Now the question is, will the changes wrought by the pandemic permanently damage society’s fabric? Restaurants operating at half-capacity and retailers limited on who…

Lori Loughlin and other well-heeled parents indicted in “Operation Varsity Blues” will still be going to trial later this year, a federal judge ruled Friday. “After consideration of the extensive briefing, affidavits and other information provided by the government and defendants, the Court is satisfied that the…

It survived an E. Coli outbreak and bankruptcy, but Souplantation apparently can’t go on in a world where exposing food in a buffet line is considered hazardous to your health. The San Diego-based chain announced today it is closing all of its locations permanently, effective immediately. The chain had 100 outlets…

Jeffrey Katzenberg's Quibi went very close to the mattresses today in federal court in its ongoing rumpus with the now Elliott Management-backed interactive-video company over motion flipping technology. "This is a case built on circumstantial evidence," Quibi's top outside counsel Michael Jacobs proclaimed in a…

UPDATED with agencies’ response: The WGA on Thursday accused the Big 3 talent agencies of making "multiple misrepresentations" to a federal judge who's presiding over their yearlong legal battle over packaging fees. The guild now is requesting that a hearing that had been taken off calendar be reinstated so oral…