Photographer Who Blackmailed Diaz For Topless Pictures Loses Court Appeal
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
John Rutter, the photographer who clicked topless photos of Cameron Diaz when she was 19 and tried to force her into buying them back for $3.5 million after she became a well known actress, lost an appeal Monday challenging his conviction.
In 2005, Rutter was convicted of forgery, attempted grand theft and perjury relating to the topless photos and is presently in jail for nearly a four-year sentence.
A three-justice panel from the 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled out Rutter's demands that the conviction should not be executed since it was based on errors in his trial.
The AP reports that at the time when the topless pictures were taken, Diaz was a 19-year-old aspiring model in 1992. In some of the pictures, she was shot wearing leather boots and fishnet stockings. The pictures that were published in European magazines showed her wearing a top and black vest.
However, the topless photos have never been published, and a judge has prohibited Rutter from releasing either them or a video of the shoot.
During his two-week trial, the photographer confessed that he gave Diaz two days to pay him $3.5 million for the photos or else he would sell them to a list of buyers in the wake of a campaign timed to coincide with the 2003 release of her film "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle."
Labels: Cameron Diaz
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at 1:36 PM
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Michael Jackson Sues Former Lawyers
Michael Jackson is charging his former attorneys for conspiracy to have him put into involuntary bankruptcy.
In the papers, Jackson accused former attorneys Ayscough and Marar of "approaching other lawyers" who represented Jackson "in an effort to get such lawyers to join [with them] in forcing Jackson into involuntary bankruptcy ..."
Jackson also cited claims that former attorney Brent Ayscough threatened to leak confidential information about him to the press, broke rules of professional conduct and committed acts of negligence and malpractice.
A month earlier, Ayscough sued Jackson $216,000 in back fees.
Ayscough also revealed many of Jackson's debts that were printed by the media.
According to sources, Jackson financial concerns are are precarious, with his annual royalty income from his hit songs totaling to $7 million or $3.5 million after taxes.
Labels: Michael Jackson
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at 1:25 PM
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Victoria Beckham: "No More Babies For A While"
Victoria Beckham has rubbished reports she is trying for a baby with football star husband David, insisting she wants to wait at least a year before considering a new addition to the brood.
And although she loves the idea of a little girl, she wants to concentrate on her new-found career in fashion first.
She says, "I would love to have more children, maybe not for a year or so because I'm enjoying the three I've got - and it's hard work."
Labels: Victoria Beckham
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Madonna Says Adoption Plan In Line With Law
Madonna on Tuesday defended her plans to adopt a 13-month-old Malawian baby. The singer said she had respected "the law like anyone else who adopts a child."
A BBC report quotes her as saying, she wanted to "open up our home and help one child escape an extreme life of hardship, poverty and in many cases death". The little David Banda, who was shown in TV footage, flew from into London from Johannesburg with one of Madonna's bodyguards and a personal aide.
The singer was speaking after a group of Malawian charities called her adoption plan an "illegal" move on Monday. The group vowed to seek a court injunction to halt the adoption process.
The group, Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC), said the adoption of Banda did not respect local laws. The singer has not lived in the African country and therefore is not qualified to adopt the child, the group said.
Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie had their adoption file approved by an interim court order last week. The couple traveled to Britain over the weekend after a 10-day visit to Malawi.
Madonna and her husband have been involved in the fight against poverty and AIDS in the southern African country. Madonna has also pledged nearly $3 million to support 900,000 orphans in Malawi.
Labels: Madonna
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at 1:09 PM
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John Rutter, the photographer who clicked topless photos of Cameron Diaz when she was 19 and tried to force her into buying them back for $3.5 million after she became a well known actress, lost an appeal Monday challenging his conviction.
Victoria Beckham has rubbished reports she is trying for a baby with football star husband David, insisting she wants to wait at least a year before considering a new addition to the brood.
Madonna on Tuesday defended her plans to adopt a 13-month-old Malawian baby. The singer said she had respected "the law like anyone else who adopts a child."