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UPDATED Judge Rules Stan Lee’s Former Bodyguard Can Proceed in Lawsuit Against Marvel Creator’s Daughter: Accusations Are Shocking

Roger Friedman
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UPDATED Judge Rules Stan Lee’s Former Bodyguard Can Proceed in Lawsuit Against Marvel Creator’s Daughter: Accusations Are Shocking

with UPDATES

EXCLUSIVE Marvel Comics and film creator Stan Lee’s daughter JC Lee (Joan Celia) lost an important round today in a case brought against her and other defendants by Lee’s former bodyguard and property manager.

Gaven VanOver, who worked for Stan the last year of his life, said he was “removed” from his position against Stan Lee’s wishes by the defendants. On December 2, 2019 VanOver filed a suit in Los Angeles Superior Court against JC Lee, her boyfriend lawyer, and an LAPD Detective who he says was working for JC Lee to do her bidding (see below).  VanOver’s suit is for Intentional Interference with Contractual Relations, Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress.

JC Lee and the defendants responded quickly with an anti-SLAPP Motion to get the judge to dismiss the case. But on Wednesday afternoon, Judge Elizabeth R. Feffer in Los Angeles Superior Court denied part of her motion and ruled that VanOver had a reasonable probability of prevailing in the case against Lee and could move ahead on some parts of his complaint. (Schenck and Munoz were removed from the case.)

It was a stunning setback for JC Lee, because the items the judge will let VanOver move forward on were stunning. One of them was VanOver’s allegation that JC Lee “threatened to shoot and kill her father.”

Other accusations include: On multiple occasions, JC LEE showed up to the house under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs; On several occasions, JC LEE was observed kicking her dogs, throwing them and hittingthem with a broom. Plaintiff was upset and confronted JC LEE for abusing her dogs. JC LEE screamed out obscenities in response to Plaintiff’s concerns.”

Judge Leffler, I’m told, voiced deep concerns about the myriad accusations.

Vanover also filed an Employee Malpractice Complaint* against Detective Gabriel F. Munoz, the text of which follows (I’ve add spaces to make it more readable).

For JC Lee, by the way, court rulings keep going against her. There’s a theme here.

Here’s VanOver’s complaint against Munoz:

I, Gaven Vanover, am filing a complaint against Detective Munoz and the Los Angeles Police Department for malpractice and the interference of my employment with Stan Lee, which resulted in me losing my job, home and livelihood. There are obvious ulterior motives other than collecting and presenting facts of the matter, because Stan Lee was the giant celebrity that he was and his movies earned billions of dollars.

I was Stan’s personal bodyguard and property manager. Stan demanded I be his only bodyguard and asked me to move in with him. He gave me my own room, so moved out of my house to accommodate Stan Lee’s 24n needs. On several occasions, I caught Stan from taking a bad fall. One time I found Stan after he had fallen in the restroom. I brought Stan back to his feet and earned the recognition as “The man that saved my life”. I watched over Stan and his affairs 24n for many months until Detective Munoz put an end to all of Stan Lee’s business affairs. Detective Munoz torturously {sic} interfered with our employment contract. Detective Munoz intimidated and threatened the defamation of my character, and the standing of my name if I did anything other than walk away from Stan Lee. Detective Munoz said that a team was on its way to replace me, basically firing me, from the position Stan placed me in.

Detective Munoz explained that I would be arrested if I did anything other than walk away from Stan Lee and cut all contact with Keya Morgan (Stan Lee’s partner) and Stan. Detective Munoz reported false claims of an emergency, and falsely reported unproved crimes. This humiliates and dishonors all value of my life’s work. I moved out of my own house in order to accommodate Stan’s needs. Detective Munoz Stopped lawsuits for millions of dollars that were the source and main drive keeping Stan alive. Keya Morgan and myself were his right-hand men and most relied upon partners; managers, and confidants. Detective Munoz stopped movie deals of Stan’s life and plans Stan had for his future after he accomplished these goals. Stan, Keya and I were all of one mind, in pursuit of Stan’s last wishes and will on this earth. All these dreams Stan desired to bring to reality were destroyed and shut down by the corrupted Detective Munoz. Stan’s immediate response to Detective Munoz’ invasion was at the very least confusion and anger for interruption of Stan’s businesses. Stan said, “This is ridiculous, Keya is my friend, he’s my partner. He manages my affairs. We have active lawsuits right now that are impossible to accomplish without him”.

Detective Munoz was forcing Stan to sign documents. Stan said “I won’t sign anything with out my lawyer Rob Reynolds and Keya being present”. Munoz said this has nothing to do with those things. He was very vague and said Keya is involved with some illegal activity and “we” are stepping in to make sure Stan is not being taken advantage of. Stan shook his head and said, “This is ridiculous!” Detective Munoz claimed false reports of an emergency, let alone a crime, that he used to kill the root of Stan’s last wishes and remaining will Stan had to live for. The LAPD’s evil Detective Munoz is the one who abused his own power. Detective Munoz had no right to hire or fire Stan’s partner or security guard. Detective Munoz had no right to end Stan’s Lawsuits and hire lawyers Stan had fired. Detective Munoz had no right to hire the very security guards Stan had fired. Detective Munoz had no right to end lawsuits Stan had filed.

Detective Munoz had no right to stop everything Stan was doing, and take all hope away from Stan, which ultimately killed him. I believe there is an immense level of corruption between the people Stan was suing and the people involved with interrupting and destroying Stan’s right for justice. I was told by Detective Munoz that there were people coming to relieve me of my duties and that I should not talk to Keya Morgan again if I didn’t want to be prosecuted alongside him. I lost my job, my home, my good name, and I was completely humiliated in front of my family, my friends and everyone I have ever worked for in my 20 year security career. I was in the process of getting my PPO and couldn’t complete the process due to lack of funds because Detective Munoz wrongfully took my job away from me.

Detective Munoz and the LAPD have completely ruined my life. I am still homeless and still have not found steady work. These are despicable wrongs the Los Angeles Police Department has forced on my life. Who benefits from this other than the people Stan Lee was suing and the people Stan had fired? Detective Munoz and the LAPD gave power and control over Stan Lee’s every day life directly to the people Stan Lee had fired and was in the process of suing. Sincerely, Gaven Vanover

 

*corrected

TV Updates: “The Wonder Years” Might Come Black to ABC; Shepard Smith Joins CNBC for Nightly News Show

Roger Friedman
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TV Updates: “The Wonder Years” Might Come Black to ABC; Shepard Smith Joins CNBC for Nightly News Show

Two TV updates this afternoon:

Shepard Smith is coming to CNBC. He’s going to host a nightly news show at 7pm after the financial stuff is over. He’ll be going up against, among others, Joy Reid, on MSNBC.

Shep was with Fox News for 23 years until his sane, droll newscasts proved too smart for that cauldron of chaos. CNBC had been wanting to position themselves for the election, and some thought they’d go right wing against Fox. Instead, they’ve hired the best Fox broadcaster who will just make them smart. They certainly can’t build a right wing night on Shep, but just maybe good programming.

Dan Colarusso, CNBC’s senior vice president of business news, said Smith’s program aims to go beyond financial markets, “to tell rich, deeply reported stories across the entire landscape of global news.”

THE WONDER YEARS may be coming back, this time with a black family. ABC is going to shoot a pilot exec produced by Lee Daniels and Fred Savage, star of the original show. Neil Marlens, who co-created the original, will be a consultant. With Lee there they have some cred, but this show would have to have a largely black writing and producing staff and showrunner. ABC did have Kenya Barris (“Blackish”) and Shonda Rhimes (everything) but they’ve decamped to Netflix. There’s going to have to be a strong black voice and vision if this is going to work, and ABC would have to deal with ideas about politics and race in the 60s and 70s they’ve so far largely ignored. I hope it happens.

 

Phenom: “Hamilton” Soundtrack Is Now Number 1 AND 2 on iTunes, With Six Tracks on the Singles Charts

Roger Friedman
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Phenom: “Hamilton” Soundtrack Is Now Number 1 AND 2 on iTunes, With Six Tracks on the Singles Charts

I told you already this week, the “Hamilton” soundtrack is number 1 on iTunes, where it’s selling downloads by the thousands.

“Hamilton” is actually number 1 AND number 2, as there two different versions, explicit and clean. The former is number 1.

But now six different tracks from the album are on the singles chart. This means sales are really rocking.

The top one right now is “You’ll Be Back,” featuring Jonathan Groff as the pouty King George, at number 11. It’s followed by “Helpless,” at number 36, sung by Tony winner Phillipa Soo as Eliza Schuyler. That version actually comes from the soundtrack album. But if they would release the version Soo did on Jimmy Fallon with the Roots and the cast, they’d have an even bigger hit.

Then comes the title song, at 41, “My Shot” at 44, “Satisfied” at 48, and “Wait for It” at 83.

I’m actually surprised “The Room Where it Happens” isn’t on the chart and higher than all of these. But with the DisneyPlus release of the show a massive hit, almost any of the tracks can jump in now.

 

 

Hollywood Horror: Major Fall Film Festivals Pledge Allegiance to Each Other as COVID Panic Threatens Survival

Roger Friedman
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Hollywood Horror: Major Fall Film Festivals Pledge Allegiance to Each Other as COVID Panic Threatens Survival

The major fall film festivals — Venice, Telluride, Toronto, New York — have banded together to battle COVID panic. The festivals sent out a letter this morning pledging allegiance to each other. They won’t be competitive, but share information and resources, they say. The fact is, they are in dire trouble. Awards season has been moved farther away from them. No one can travel anywhere, or wants to. All the festivals have to use digital platforms. And they are all trying to raise money via donations from fans. Toronto aka TIFF has laid off 130 employees. The others have made similar moves. For those who love and respect the festivals as forums of creativity, and places for business deals to be made, this year’s turn of events is shocking.

Here’s the letter signed by the heads of all the festivals:

This year, we saw the COVID-19 pandemic devastate communities all over the world, and bring life as we knew it to a halt. As supporters of global cinema, we watched as the work of film artists stopped in its tracks, and the culture of film itself was challenged. Films come alive with audiences, who could no longer gather in the ways we had for over a century.

The art form we love is in crisis. Our own organizations have seen unprecedented challenges to our work and our financial security. The pandemic caught each of us as we were preparing for the biggest event of our year in the fall of 2020. We knew we had to adapt. We decided to collaborate as we never have before.

Venice is the origin story for every film festival in the world. Telluride is one of the world’s most influential festivals. Toronto is home to the world’s largest public film festival. And the New York Film Festival curates for one of the world’s most storied, sophisticated film cities. Our four festivals share a love of cinema and a devotion to filmmakers. We also share a short span of six weeks each autumn.

This year, we’ve moved away from competing with our colleagues at autumn festivals and commit instead to collaboration. We are sharing ideas and information. We are offering our festivals as a united platform for the best cinema we can find. We’re here to serve the filmmakers, audiences, journalists and industry members who keep the film ecosystem thriving. We need to do that together.

We believe cinema has a unique power to illuminate both the world around us, and our innermost perceptions. In a crisis, films can transport us. They can enchant, inform, provoke and heal. As we work through challenging circumstances this summer to prepare our festivals, we will work together, in support of film.

Kanye’s 19th Nervous Breakdown as He Falls Into the Gap with Presidential “Birthday Party” and Millions in Government Bail Out

Roger Friedman
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Kanye’s 19th Nervous Breakdown as He Falls Into the Gap with Presidential “Birthday Party” and Millions in Government Bail Out

Just imagine this morning being the people who made the deal for Kanye West to design clothes for The Gap. It’s a ten year deal. Did they keep the receipt?

This morning, Kanye had his 19th nervous breakdown. He gave a wild, “rambling” interview to Forbes.com in which he mapped out his presidential campaign. He has a new political party called “The Birthday Party” because “when we win, it’s everybody’s birthday.”

Fans of Kurt Vonnegut will sense a familiar feeling: this could be right out of one his novels. It’s hilarious and demented, and the character, Kanye now instead of Kilgore Trout, is out of his mind.

He tells Forbes that “he envisions a White House organizational model based on the secret country of Wakanda in “Black Panther,” that he’s never voted in his life, he thinks vaccines are “the mark of the beast,” and that “he’s ok with siphoning off Black votes from the Democratic nominee, thus helping Trump. “I’m not denying it, I just told you. To say that the Black vote is Democratic is a form of racism and white supremacy.”

So he’s crazy, completely crazy, which I know is a pejorative term, but he is crazy. He’s also admittedly bi-polar, which Forbes didn’t ask him about, and this seems to be a manic moment.

Should Forbes have published the interview knowing Kanye goes through these episodes? Especially without asking him if this was one? And what about Kim Kardashian? Does she take no responsibility here? Or is all publicity good publicity?

Or is Kanye crazy like a fox? His newest single is a dud. His last album, “Jesus is King,” has sold a total of 625,000 copies, mostly sales from streaming, which is not terribly remunerative. He has a mega deal with Adidas and a new line of his expensive sneakers coming shortly. Is this what we call a marketing plan? A lot of Kanye’s foot festishists are out of work and don’t have $220 to $1000 to spend on yet more kicks. Is this him rousing the base? Luckily, his Yeezy shoe company just received millions in government bailout money.

In my generation, we had Pat Paulsen, who knew for a while that his presidential campaign was a send up, a put on, until he crossed the line and seemed to believe what he was doing. Kanye is our Pat Paulsen.

 

 

Beatles Birthday Party: Watch Ringo Starr’s 80th Birthday Celebration at 8pm Eastern with Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, More Stars

Roger Friedman
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Beatles Birthday Party: Watch Ringo Starr’s 80th Birthday Celebration at 8pm Eastern with Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, More Stars

Ringo Starr’s 80th birthday party starts here at 8pm with Ringo, Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh and lots of stars. It’s all for charity. Happy Birthday, Ringo!

Late Broadway Star Nick Cordero Go Fund Me Campaign Nears $1 Million, with Donations from Stars, Fans, Friends

Roger Friedman
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Late Broadway Star Nick Cordero Go Fund Me Campaign Nears $1 Million, with Donations from Stars, Fans, Friends

The GoFundMe campaign for Nick Cordero’s family is nearing $1 million. As of 5:30pm it was up to $965,000.

Cordero died two days ago at age 41 following a 95 day battle with COVID-19. The Tony nominee for “Bullets Over Broadway” was incredibly talented and popular. His death has become emblematic of the coronavirus. He had no underlying issues and he was young.

He leaves behind his wife, Amanda Kloots, and their 1 year old son, Elvis.

Contributions to the GoFundMe page have come from friends, fans, and stars. Among the latter are Chazz and Gia Palminteri. Nick and Chazz had very close ties. Nick played Chazz’s movie role “Bullets” on stage and then played Chazz in Palmineri’s “A Bronx Tale” on Broadway as well. Tommy Mottola, producer of the show, also donated.

Other stars include Ben Stiller, Alan Mencken, Kristin Chenoweth, Andrea Martin, famed director Susan Stroman, and Alec Baldwin. There are a number of anonymous donations for $10,000, but many, many more from fans and friends in smaller amounts.

In some ways, thinking about it now, Nick was like a new version of Jerry Orbach. He would have Orbach’s career, at least, on Broadway, TV, and in movies. He was already on his way, with Broadway creds like crazy. He was just starting to pick up the TV side of things. His death is a terrible loss for his family, and for all of us.

Picking Up ‘The Scent’: Hot New Nashville Band of Aussies Has Lead Singer Who Sounds Like He’s Made for Radio

Roger Friedman
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Picking Up ‘The Scent’: Hot New Nashville Band of Aussies Has Lead Singer Who Sounds Like He’s Made for Radio

When you get a call from Bebe Buell, who’s making music and chilling down in Nashville, you listen.

Bebe’s husband, Jim Wallerstein, has produced an EP for a new band, a duo from Australia living in the coolest music town in America and drawing huge attention. They’re called The Scent.

Singer/Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kurt Lowney and his musical soulmate Mika Nuutinen, have come together to create a new vision and sound for their debut. Having moved to Nashville from Sydney, Australia, their love for their newly adopted home has led them to set up shop in the USA. Kurt and Mika agree that there is a myriad inspiration to draw from in the diverse cultural landscape that is ‘Music City’.

Kurt played all the instruments on the record, with Mika playing bass, which was recorded at their home studio and mixed at the iconic Sound Emporium.

After finishing the record, the duo have put together the perfect line up of fellow musicians to help them take the music to the next level on stage.

With Kurt being a prolific songwriter, The Scent promises the future will hold lots of new material and exciting changes.

But LISTEN to this guy’s voice. He is radio ready. Tom Poleman, that means you! This group really Hearts Radio.

The Scent’s first video is for “Popstar” but below you can hear all the songs, now available on Spotify and iTunes.

Trump’s Lethargic, Divisive Mt. Rushmore Speech Brought in 2 Million Fewer Viewers on Fox News than Tulsa Rally

Roger Friedman
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Trump’s Lethargic, Divisive Mt. Rushmore Speech Brought in 2 Million Fewer Viewers on Fox News than Tulsa Rally

Last Friday night at 10pm, when Laura Ingraham would be doing her batshit crazy TV show on Fox News, Donald had a rally at Mt. Rushmore. It was divisive, racist, and delivered in a weirdly lethargic monotone. Also, his skin was glowing from too much orange paint, hot lights, and humidity.

Only Fox News gave us the whole thing. But it was way too late for the average Fox News viewer, who is 90 and senile. The result was 3 million fewer viewers than Trump’s Tulsa tally show on Fox just a short time ago.

At 10pm, Fox News had just 5,690,000 viewers. The Tulsa rally, by contrast, averaged 7,654,000 nitwits (including me, I was hate watching).

On Friday, 4.3 million of those people watching Fox were over 50. Just 490,000 were in the key demo 18 – 49. At 11pm, the number declined as Trump kept waxing on about something irrelevant or mean spirited.

The Trump Mt. Rushmore special was indeed the most watched show on cable Friday night. But it’s unclear how many of those Fox News viewers were actually awake the whole time or even part of it. It was the most watched show on all TV, as broadcast networks aired reruns of reruns. But a respectable 3.7 million people watched two reruns on CBS of “The Dick van Dyke Show” in honor of Carl Reiner. That was the number 1 broadcast show.

Numbers courtesy of Mitch Metcalf at ShowBuzzDaily, who we don’t thank enough.

“Audiences are buying tickets from Europe” for Virtual Theater Event of the Summer: Julianne Moore and Alec Baldwin, Directed by Bob Balaban

Regina Weinreich
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“Audiences are buying tickets from Europe” for Virtual Theater Event of the Summer: Julianne Moore and Alec Baldwin, Directed by Bob Balaban

If you thought “Hamilton” was the only big theater experience of the summer, guess again. Julianne Moore and Alec Baldwin are starring in a virtual performance of Bernard Slade’s evergreen, “Same Time, Next Year,” directed by our pal, the great Bob Balaban, and presented by East Hampton’s Guild Hall. Tickets are $100, and the show is set for this Sunday, July 12th.

“Audiences are buying tickets from Europe,” says Josh Gladstone, artistic director of Guild Hall, the center of cultural activity in the Hamptons. (Their free art shows are to die for.)

Gladstone says, “Balaban brought the idea to us” — as only the multi hyphenate actor-director-writer can do. Balaban works hard as ever from his home in Sagaponack, developing content for when “the gates are lifted,” and looking to help the community. With an idea for supporting Guild Hall, he enlisted Alec Baldwin, who invited Julianne Moore, and the result is this, a benefit staged reading which will go out on Zoom.

In a normal summer, Guild Hall would be packed on a daily basis with theatre, music, readings, art. But this year, the gorgeous interior of the famed theater is empty, and cash registers are not ringing. Gladstone is confronting the challenge of keeping its virtual doors open. He says, “This is our third Zoomed show. Alec Baldwin supports so many cultural projects out east, and Julie wants to, but usually has scheduling difficulties; now she is out in Montauk, and everyone is free.”

He explains: “[Moore] was able to give us an afternoon, set us up in her pool house laundry room. Alec set up in his master bedroom suite. That’s where he could close the door on four kids under the age of 6 running around, and Hilaria is pregnant. With Zoom virtual backgrounds, we are ready for public airings on the 12th.”

This show is taped, as opposed to a Tennessee Williams reading back in May that was live, starring Mercedes Ruehl, Harris Yulin, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Tedra Millan. Says Gladstone: “Bob wanted to do post-production on Zoom, with music, video graphics—we are all learning how to do this together.”

On selecting this show, Balaban added, “It’s a 1976 comedy with real intelligence, with references that don’t ground it in any specific period. The hardest part was getting dates: when could we get together? The reading is magical: you do see people turning pages. No scenery or costumes. The actors don’t know their lines. But with Zoom, you wouldn’t know if it is live or not. I put in an intermission. I had the luxury of cutting close up to close up and back to a twosome. You get the intimacy without them being close. We dressed it up more like a movie, and like reading a book, the audience is immersed; it comes to life. Does it have enough of a heartbeat? Yes. Do they have chemistry? Yes. In the end, that’s all that matters.”

 

 

 

 

You can also read Regina Weinreich at Gossipcentral.com

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