Celebrities, although rich and famous, are not exempt from the legal system — including arrests, charges and civil lawsuits. Video above: Gwyneth Paltrow testifies in ski collision trialRappers, singers, actors and more faced a number of legal issues in 2023. Some of the allegations made include copyright infringement, wire fraud, drug trafficking and sexual assault and abuse.A law that went into effect in late November 2022, known as New York’s Adult Survivors Act, allowed adult survivors of sexual abuse to sue their abusers in the state – even if the statute of limitations on their claims had expired. The law gave adult survivors of sexual assault one year to file lawsuits against their perpetrators before it expired on Nov. 24, 2023. More than 3,700 legal claims were filed under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, some against high-profile celebrities. Here are some of the celebrities that were arrested, sued or went to trial in 2023:Bad Bunny Sued over copyright infringementBad Bunny’s ex-girlfriend filed a lawsuit against the superstar in March of 2023 for at least $40 million over a well-known voice recording she provided the singer before he became famous.Carliz De La Cruz Hernández, whose breathy “Bad Bunny, baby” recording was included in two of the artist’s songs, claimed in the lawsuit that her voice and the phrase she came up with are being used without her permission.Lawyers for Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Martínez Ocasio, filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit in June of 2023, arguing the musical elements in question don’t fall under copyright protection.Bill CosbySued for sexual assault/ Sued for sexual abuseOn June 14, 2023, a lawsuit was filed by nine women, accusing Bill Cosby of sexual assault, alleging he used his “enormous power, fame and prestige” to victimize them. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Nevada alleges that the women were individually drugged and assaulted between approximately 1979 and 1992 in Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe homes, dressing rooms and hotels.On Nov. 21, 2023, a separate lawsuit was filed by a woman who worked as a stand-in at “The Cosby Show” in the 1980s, saying that Cosby drugged and sexually abused her after offering to mentor her in her acting career.Cosby has been accused of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment by more than 60 women. He has denied all allegations involving sex crimes.Pete DavidsonSentenced to community service for reckless driving chargeIn July of 2023, Pete Davidson entered a diversion program and was required to perform 50 hours of community service to resolve a misdemeanor reckless driving charge for crashing into a Beverly Hills home on March 4, 2023. The “Saturday Night Live” and “King of Staten Island” actor and comedian pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor and was put in an 18-month diversion that also includes 12 hours of traffic school, an order to obey all laws and restitution that was not specified.When Davidson was arrested and charged in June of 2023, prosecutors called the crash a “serious collision.”No one was reported injured.Robert De NiroSued over toxic work environmentA jury awarded more than $1.2 million to Robert De Niro’s former personal assistant on Nov. 9, 2023, finding one of his companies responsible for subjecting her to a toxic work environment.While the jury found De Niro was not personally liable for the abuse, it said his company, Canal Productions, engaged in gender discrimination and retaliation against former assistant Graham Chase Robinson and should make two payments of $632,142 to her.De Niro’s lawyers sued Robinson for breach of loyalty and fiduciary duty even before her lawsuit was filed against him in 2019. They sought $6 million in damages, including a return of the 5 million airline miles. The jury flatly rejected the claims.Vin DieselSued for sexual battery, creating hostile work environmentVin Diesel was accused of sexual battery and creating a hostile work environment in a lawsuit filed on Dec. 21, 2023, by a former assistant.The civil suit stems from a 2010 incident in which the “Fast & Furious” franchise star’s former assistant, Asta Jonasson, alleges Diesel forced himself on her in a hotel suite and masturbated in front of her.Jonasson is suing Diesel, along with his company One Race Productions, and Diesel’s sister Samantha Vincent for sexual battery, creating a hostile work environment, negligent supervision and wrongful termination.She is seeking an imposition of a civil penalty of $10,000 for each violation, according to the suit.Jamie FoxxSued for sexual assault and batteryActor Jamie Foxx faces sexual assault and battery charges in a lawsuit filed on Nov. 20, 2023.The alleged incident occurred in 2015 at Catch NYC, a popular New York City restaurant, according to the complaint.The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, claims in the suit that Foxx “intentionally and without consent used force to offensively touch Plaintiff’s person.” The complaint alleges Foxx seemed “intoxicated” at the time of the incident.As a result, the complaint states the woman suffered and continues to suffer “physical and emotional injuries, anxiety, distress, embarrassment and economic harm,” and is seeking an unspecified amount.Cuba Gooding Jr.Settled civil sex abuse lawsuitJust as a trial was to begin, Cuba Gooding Jr. settled on June 6, 2023, accusations that he raped a woman in a New York City hotel a decade ago.The actor had insisted through lawyers that his encounter with the woman was consensual after the two met at a nearby restaurant.In 2022, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of forcibly touching a woman at a New York City nightclub in 2018. Gooding admitted to kissing the woman, a waitress at the club, on her lips without consent. He also admitted to two other incidents of nonconsensual contact in October 2018 and June 2019.Gooding is best known for his role as Rod Tidwell in the film “Jerry Maguire,” for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.Michael JacksonSued for sexual abuseA California appeals court on Aug. 18, 2023, revived lawsuits from two men who alleged Michael Jackson sexually abused them for years when they were boys.The court found that the lawsuits of Wade Robson and James Safechuck should not have been dismissed by a lower court and that the men can validly claim that the two Jackson-owned corporations that were named as defendants in the cases had a responsibility to protect them.It’s the second time the lawsuits have been brought back after dismissal. LizzoSued for sexual harassment, creating hostile work environmentLizzo was sued in August of 2023 by three former dancers who accuse the Grammy winner of sexual harassment and allege the singer and her production company created a hostile work environment.The civil lawsuit claims Lizzo, whose legal name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, pressured the dancers to engage with nude performers at a club in Amsterdam and shamed one of them for her weight gain before firing her. The legal complaint seeks unspecified damages.Lizzo’s lawyers filed a motion on Dec. 15, 2023, to dismiss the lawsuit, calling it “meritless and salacious,” according to court documents. Jonathan MajorsFound guilty of assault and harassment Actor Jonathan Majors was found guilty on Dec. 18, 2023, of assault and harassment of his former girlfriend during a domestic dispute.Majors, a rising star who has appeared in Disney’s Marvel franchise and “Creed III,” was arrested in New York in March of 2023 and later convicted of one count of reckless assault in the 3rd degree and a non-criminal charge of harassment as a violation.He was acquitted on another assault charge and one count of aggravated harassment. His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 6, 2024.Marilyn MansonSentenced for simple assaultMarilyn Manson was sentenced on Sept. 18, 2023, to 20 hours of community service and a fine after pleading no contest to blowing his nose on a videographer at a 2019 concert in New Hampshire.Manson, whose legal name is Brian Warner, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of simple assault stemming from the encounter with the videographer at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford on Aug. 19, 2019.Manson pleaded no contest to just the nose-blowing charge in a fully negotiated plea agreement with prosecutors. The prosecutors agreed to dismiss the other charge, which alleged that he spit on the videographer.A no contest plea means Manson is not contesting the charge and does not admit guilt.Manson was fined a little more than $1,400 as part of the deal, with $200 suspended. Danny MastersonSentenced for rape”That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson was sentenced by a judge on Sept. 7, 2023, to 30 years to life in prison for the rapes of two women two decades ago.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.”After an initial jury failed to reach verdicts on three counts of rape in November of 2022 and a mistrial was declared, prosecutors made the decision to retry Masterson on all three counts.This time, a jury found Masterson guilty of two counts of rape in May of 2023 after seven days of deliberations. NirvanaSued for child pornographyA federal appeals court ruled on Dec. 21, 2023, that Nirvana must face a child pornography lawsuit for their “Nevermind” album cover featuring a nude baby.The lawsuit was originally filed by Spencer Elden, the man who was the nude baby on the cover of the album. He claimed that the album cover violated federal child pornography laws.However, it was ruled in 2022 by a lower court that Elden waited too long for the lawsuit. That decision was overturned because of a 30th-anniversary re-release of the album in 2021 claiming that the re-release could reset the statute of limitations.The lawsuit will now return to a lower court, where Elden will attempt to prove that the album cover is child pornography.Gwyneth PaltrowFound not at fault in ski collision lawsuitGwyneth Paltrow won her court battle over a ski collision at a posh Utah ski resort.On March 30, 2023, a jury decided that the movie star wasn’t at fault for the 2016 crash.A jury dismissed the complaint of retired optometrist Terry Sanderson who sued Paltrow for more than $300,000 over injuries he sustained when the two crashed on a beginner run at Deer Valley ski resort. Both parties blamed the other for the collision. Sanderson, 76, broke four ribs and sustained a concussion after the two tumbled down the slope, with Paltrow landing on top of him.The two weeks of courtroom proceedings hinged largely on reputation rather than the monetary damages at stake in the case.A$AP RockyPleaded not guilty to assault with firearmIn November of 2023, a judge found that there is enough evidence for A$AP Rocky to stand trial on charges that he fired a gun at a former friend and collaborator outside a Hollywood hotel in 2021.Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.Rocky was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in the case in April of 2023 and charged in August of 2023.Axl RoseSued for sexual assaultAxl Rose, lead singer of the rock band Guns N’ Roses, was accused of sexually assaulting a Penthouse magazine model in a lawsuit filed on Nov. 22, 2023, in New York.Model and actress Sheila Kennedy, identified as the plaintiff in the complaint, alleges that Rose “violently” sexually assaulted her in 1989 after they met at a New York City nightclub, and is suing the singer for battery, assault, gender-motivated violence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.Kennedy is suing for an unspecified amount.Jennifer ShahSentenced for wire fraudJennifer Shah, a cast member on the “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,” was sentenced on Jan. 6, 2023, to 78 months in prison for running a nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme.Shah pleaded guilty in July of 2022 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.”I knew this was wrong, I know many people were harmed, and I am so sorry,” Shah told the judge.In addition to her prison sentence, Shaw was ordered to forfeit $6,500,000, 30 luxury items, and 78 counterfeit luxury items, and to pay $6,645,251 in restitution.ShakiraReached deal in tax fraud trialPop star Shakira agreed to a deal with Spanish authorities on the first day of a tax fraud trial in Barcelona on Nov. 20, 2023, avoiding the risk of a prison sentence.Shakira told the presiding magistrate that she accepted the agreement reached with prosecutors. She answered “yes” to confirm her acknowledgement of six counts of failing to pay the Spanish government 14.5 million euros (about $15.8 million) in taxes between 2012 and 2014.Under the deal, Shakira is to receive a suspended three-year sentence and a fine of 7 million euros ($7.6 million).Ed SheeranFound he did not violate copyright lawsuitA jury on May 4, 2023, found that British singer Ed Sheeran didn’t steal key components of Marvin Gaye’s classic 1970s tune “Let’s Get It On” when he created his hit song “Thinking Out Loud.”The verdict in New York came after a two-week trial that featured a courtroom performance by Sheeran as the singer insisted, sometimes angrily, that the trial was a threat to all musicians who create their own music.The heirs of songwriter Ed Townsend, who created the 1973 soul classic with Gaye, said in their lawsuit that “Thinking Out Loud” had “striking similarities” and “overt common elements” that made it obvious that it had copied “Let’s Get It On.”The English pop star insisted that he stole nothing from “Let’s Get it On” when he wrote his tune.Kevin SpaceyAcquitted on sexual assault chargesKevin Spacey was acquitted on sexual assault charges on July, 26, 2023, after a trial in which the actor said he was a “big flirt” who had consensual flings with men and whose only misstep was touching a man’s groin while making a “clumsy pass.”The Hollywood star had faced historical sex offense charges that allegedly took place between 2004 and 2013. He pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.Spacey faced nine charges, including multiple counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.Young ThugOn trial for racketeering, criminal street gang activityOpening statements for Grammy-winning rapper Young Thug’s racketeering trial began on Nov. 27, 2023.Young Thug, whose legal name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, is accused of leading a criminal street gang that committed murder and a slew of violent crimes in the Atlanta area over the past decade. The rapper was initially charged and arrested in May 2022 for conspiring to violate the state’s expansive Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act – known as RICO and participating in criminal street gang activity.In a reindictment filed in August 2022, prosecutors charged the artist with additional counts related to gang activity as well as drug and firearms violations.Young Thug is among six defendants who have pleaded not guilty to all charges and are standing trial in an Atlanta courtroom.Fetty WapSentenced for drug traffickingRapper Fetty Wap was sentenced on May 24, 2023, to six years in federal prison for his role in a New York-based drug-trafficking scheme.The “Trap Queen” rapper, whose legal name is Willie Maxwell, pleaded guilty in August of 2022 to a conspiracy drug charge that carried a mandatory minimum sentence of five years.Maxwell told the judge, “Me being selfish in my pride put me in this position today.” His lawyers had suggested he turned to selling drugs because of financial hardship brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.Maxwell was arrested in October of 2021 on charges of participating in a conspiracy to smuggle large amounts of heroin, fentanyl and other drugs into the New York City area.Maxwell rose to prominence after his debut single, the melodic but grungy “Trap Queen,” reached No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 2015. He was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2016.The Associated Press and CNN contributed to this report
Celebrities, although rich and famous, are not exempt from the legal system — including arrests, charges and civil lawsuits.
Video above: Gwyneth Paltrow testifies in ski collision trial
Rappers, singers, actors and more faced a number of legal issues in 2023. Some of the allegations made include copyright infringement, wire fraud, drug trafficking and sexual assault and abuse.
A law that went into effect in late November 2022, known as New York’s Adult Survivors Act, allowed adult survivors of sexual abuse to sue their abusers in the state – even if the statute of limitations on their claims had expired.
The law gave adult survivors of sexual assault one year to file lawsuits against their perpetrators before it expired on Nov. 24, 2023. More than 3,700 legal claims were filed under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, some against high-profile celebrities.
Here are some of the celebrities that were arrested, sued or went to trial in 2023:
Bad Bunny
Sued over copyright infringement
Bad Bunny’s ex-girlfriend filed a lawsuit against the superstar in March of 2023 for at least $40 million over a well-known voice recording she provided the singer before he became famous.
Carliz De La Cruz Hernández, whose breathy “Bad Bunny, baby” recording was included in two of the artist’s songs, claimed in the lawsuit that her voice and the phrase she came up with are being used without her permission.
Lawyers for Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Martínez Ocasio, filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit in June of 2023, arguing the musical elements in question don’t fall under copyright protection.
Bill Cosby
Sued for sexual assault/ Sued for sexual abuse
On June 14, 2023, a lawsuit was filed by nine women, accusing Bill Cosby of sexual assault, alleging he used his “enormous power, fame and prestige” to victimize them. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Nevada alleges that the women were individually drugged and assaulted between approximately 1979 and 1992 in Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe homes, dressing rooms and hotels.
On Nov. 21, 2023, a separate lawsuit was filed by a woman who worked as a stand-in at “The Cosby Show” in the 1980s, saying that Cosby drugged and sexually abused her after offering to mentor her in her acting career.
Cosby has been accused of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment by more than 60 women. He has denied all allegations involving sex crimes.
Pete Davidson
Sentenced to community service for reckless driving charge
In July of 2023, Pete Davidson entered a diversion program and was required to perform 50 hours of community service to resolve a misdemeanor reckless driving charge for crashing into a Beverly Hills home on March 4, 2023.
The “Saturday Night Live” and “King of Staten Island” actor and comedian pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor and was put in an 18-month diversion that also includes 12 hours of traffic school, an order to obey all laws and restitution that was not specified.
When Davidson was arrested and charged in June of 2023, prosecutors called the crash a “serious collision.”
No one was reported injured.
Robert De Niro
Sued over toxic work environment
A jury awarded more than $1.2 million to Robert De Niro’s former personal assistant on Nov. 9, 2023, finding one of his companies responsible for subjecting her to a toxic work environment.
While the jury found De Niro was not personally liable for the abuse, it said his company, Canal Productions, engaged in gender discrimination and retaliation against former assistant Graham Chase Robinson and should make two payments of $632,142 to her.
De Niro’s lawyers sued Robinson for breach of loyalty and fiduciary duty even before her lawsuit was filed against him in 2019. They sought $6 million in damages, including a return of the 5 million airline miles.
The jury flatly rejected the claims.
Vin Diesel
Sued for sexual battery, creating hostile work environment
Vin Diesel was accused of sexual battery and creating a hostile work environment in a lawsuit filed on Dec. 21, 2023, by a former assistant.
The civil suit stems from a 2010 incident in which the “Fast & Furious” franchise star’s former assistant, Asta Jonasson, alleges Diesel forced himself on her in a hotel suite and masturbated in front of her.
Jonasson is suing Diesel, along with his company One Race Productions, and Diesel’s sister Samantha Vincent for sexual battery, creating a hostile work environment, negligent supervision and wrongful termination.
She is seeking an imposition of a civil penalty of $10,000 for each violation, according to the suit.
Jamie Foxx
Sued for sexual assault and battery
Actor Jamie Foxx faces sexual assault and battery charges in a lawsuit filed on Nov. 20, 2023.
The alleged incident occurred in 2015 at Catch NYC, a popular New York City restaurant, according to the complaint.
The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, claims in the suit that Foxx “intentionally and without consent used force to offensively touch Plaintiff’s person.” The complaint alleges Foxx seemed “intoxicated” at the time of the incident.
As a result, the complaint states the woman suffered and continues to suffer “physical and emotional injuries, anxiety, distress, embarrassment and economic harm,” and is seeking an unspecified amount.
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Settled civil sex abuse lawsuit
Just as a trial was to begin, Cuba Gooding Jr. settled on June 6, 2023, accusations that he raped a woman in a New York City hotel a decade ago.
The actor had insisted through lawyers that his encounter with the woman was consensual after the two met at a nearby restaurant.
In 2022, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of forcibly touching a woman at a New York City nightclub in 2018. Gooding admitted to kissing the woman, a waitress at the club, on her lips without consent. He also admitted to two other incidents of nonconsensual contact in October 2018 and June 2019.
Gooding is best known for his role as Rod Tidwell in the film “Jerry Maguire,” for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Michael Jackson
Sued for sexual abuse
A California appeals court on Aug. 18, 2023, revived lawsuits from two men who alleged Michael Jackson sexually abused them for years when they were boys.
The court found that the lawsuits of Wade Robson and James Safechuck should not have been dismissed by a lower court and that the men can validly claim that the two Jackson-owned corporations that were named as defendants in the cases had a responsibility to protect them.
It’s the second time the lawsuits have been brought back after dismissal.
Lizzo
Sued for sexual harassment, creating hostile work environment
Lizzo was sued in August of 2023 by three former dancers who accuse the Grammy winner of sexual harassment and allege the singer and her production company created a hostile work environment.
The civil lawsuit claims Lizzo, whose legal name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, pressured the dancers to engage with nude performers at a club in Amsterdam and shamed one of them for her weight gain before firing her.
The legal complaint seeks unspecified damages.
Lizzo’s lawyers filed a motion on Dec. 15, 2023, to dismiss the lawsuit, calling it “meritless and salacious,” according to court documents.
Jonathan Majors
Found guilty of assault and harassment
Actor Jonathan Majors was found guilty on Dec. 18, 2023, of assault and harassment of his former girlfriend during a domestic dispute.
Majors, a rising star who has appeared in Disney’s Marvel franchise and “Creed III,” was arrested in New York in March of 2023 and later convicted of one count of reckless assault in the 3rd degree and a non-criminal charge of harassment as a violation.
He was acquitted on another assault charge and one count of aggravated harassment.
His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 6, 2024.
Marilyn Manson
Sentenced for simple assault
Marilyn Manson was sentenced on Sept. 18, 2023, to 20 hours of community service and a fine after pleading no contest to blowing his nose on a videographer at a 2019 concert in New Hampshire.
Manson, whose legal name is Brian Warner, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of simple assault stemming from the encounter with the videographer at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford on Aug. 19, 2019.
Manson pleaded no contest to just the nose-blowing charge in a fully negotiated plea agreement with prosecutors. The prosecutors agreed to dismiss the other charge, which alleged that he spit on the videographer.
A no contest plea means Manson is not contesting the charge and does not admit guilt.
Manson was fined a little more than $1,400 as part of the deal, with $200 suspended.
Danny Masterson
Sentenced for rape
“That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson was sentenced by a judge on Sept. 7, 2023, to 30 years to life in prison for the rapes of two women two decades ago.
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.”
After an initial jury failed to reach verdicts on three counts of rape in November of 2022 and a mistrial was declared, prosecutors made the decision to retry Masterson on all three counts.
This time, a jury found Masterson guilty of two counts of rape in May of 2023 after seven days of deliberations.
Nirvana
Sued for child pornography
A federal appeals court ruled on Dec. 21, 2023, that Nirvana must face a child pornography lawsuit for their “Nevermind” album cover featuring a nude baby.
The lawsuit was originally filed by Spencer Elden, the man who was the nude baby on the cover of the album. He claimed that the album cover violated federal child pornography laws.
However, it was ruled in 2022 by a lower court that Elden waited too long for the lawsuit. That decision was overturned because of a 30th-anniversary re-release of the album in 2021 claiming that the re-release could reset the statute of limitations.
The lawsuit will now return to a lower court, where Elden will attempt to prove that the album cover is child pornography.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Found not at fault in ski collision lawsuit
Gwyneth Paltrow won her court battle over a ski collision at a posh Utah ski resort.
On March 30, 2023, a jury decided that the movie star wasn’t at fault for the 2016 crash.
A jury dismissed the complaint of retired optometrist Terry Sanderson who sued Paltrow for more than $300,000 over injuries he sustained when the two crashed on a beginner run at Deer Valley ski resort.
Both parties blamed the other for the collision. Sanderson, 76, broke four ribs and sustained a concussion after the two tumbled down the slope, with Paltrow landing on top of him.
The two weeks of courtroom proceedings hinged largely on reputation rather than the monetary damages at stake in the case.
A$AP Rocky
Pleaded not guilty to assault with firearm
In November of 2023, a judge found that there is enough evidence for A$AP Rocky to stand trial on charges that he fired a gun at a former friend and collaborator outside a Hollywood hotel in 2021.
Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
Rocky was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in the case in April of 2023 and charged in August of 2023.
Axl Rose
Sued for sexual assault
Axl Rose, lead singer of the rock band Guns N’ Roses, was accused of sexually assaulting a Penthouse magazine model in a lawsuit filed on Nov. 22, 2023, in New York.
Model and actress Sheila Kennedy, identified as the plaintiff in the complaint, alleges that Rose “violently” sexually assaulted her in 1989 after they met at a New York City nightclub, and is suing the singer for battery, assault, gender-motivated violence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Kennedy is suing for an unspecified amount.
Jennifer Shah
Sentenced for wire fraud
Jennifer Shah, a cast member on the “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,” was sentenced on Jan. 6, 2023, to 78 months in prison for running a nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme.
Shah pleaded guilty in July of 2022 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
“I knew this was wrong, I know many people were harmed, and I am so sorry,” Shah told the judge.
In addition to her prison sentence, Shaw was ordered to forfeit $6,500,000, 30 luxury items, and 78 counterfeit luxury items, and to pay $6,645,251 in restitution.
Shakira
Reached deal in tax fraud trial
Pop star Shakira agreed to a deal with Spanish authorities on the first day of a tax fraud trial in Barcelona on Nov. 20, 2023, avoiding the risk of a prison sentence.
Shakira told the presiding magistrate that she accepted the agreement reached with prosecutors. She answered “yes” to confirm her acknowledgement of six counts of failing to pay the Spanish government 14.5 million euros (about $15.8 million) in taxes between 2012 and 2014.
Under the deal, Shakira is to receive a suspended three-year sentence and a fine of 7 million euros ($7.6 million).
Ed Sheeran
Found he did not violate copyright lawsuit
A jury on May 4, 2023, found that British singer Ed Sheeran didn’t steal key components of Marvin Gaye’s classic 1970s tune “Let’s Get It On” when he created his hit song “Thinking Out Loud.”
The verdict in New York came after a two-week trial that featured a courtroom performance by Sheeran as the singer insisted, sometimes angrily, that the trial was a threat to all musicians who create their own music.
The heirs of songwriter Ed Townsend, who created the 1973 soul classic with Gaye, said in their lawsuit that “Thinking Out Loud” had “striking similarities” and “overt common elements” that made it obvious that it had copied “Let’s Get It On.”
The English pop star insisted that he stole nothing from “Let’s Get it On” when he wrote his tune.
Kevin Spacey
Acquitted on sexual assault charges
Kevin Spacey was acquitted on sexual assault charges on July, 26, 2023, after a trial in which the actor said he was a “big flirt” who had consensual flings with men and whose only misstep was touching a man’s groin while making a “clumsy pass.”
The Hollywood star had faced historical sex offense charges that allegedly took place between 2004 and 2013. He pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
Spacey faced nine charges, including multiple counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.
Young Thug
On trial for racketeering, criminal street gang activity
Opening statements for Grammy-winning rapper Young Thug’s racketeering trial began on Nov. 27, 2023.
Young Thug, whose legal name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, is accused of leading a criminal street gang that committed murder and a slew of violent crimes in the Atlanta area over the past decade.
The rapper was initially charged and arrested in May 2022 for conspiring to violate the state’s expansive Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act – known as RICO and participating in criminal street gang activity.
In a reindictment filed in August 2022, prosecutors charged the artist with additional counts related to gang activity as well as drug and firearms violations.
Young Thug is among six defendants who have pleaded not guilty to all charges and are standing trial in an Atlanta courtroom.
Fetty Wap
Sentenced for drug trafficking
Rapper Fetty Wap was sentenced on May 24, 2023, to six years in federal prison for his role in a New York-based drug-trafficking scheme.
The “Trap Queen” rapper, whose legal name is Willie Maxwell, pleaded guilty in August of 2022 to a conspiracy drug charge that carried a mandatory minimum sentence of five years.
Maxwell told the judge, “Me being selfish in my pride put me in this position today.” His lawyers had suggested he turned to selling drugs because of financial hardship brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Maxwell was arrested in October of 2021 on charges of participating in a conspiracy to smuggle large amounts of heroin, fentanyl and other drugs into the New York City area.
Maxwell rose to prominence after his debut single, the melodic but grungy “Trap Queen,” reached No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 2015. He was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2016.
The Associated Press and CNN contributed to this report