Gene Maddaus-Senior Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Actors Access, the leading online platform for film and TV casting, was hit with a class action lawsuit on Wednesday, alleging that it illegally charges performers for access to auditions. The lawsuit, filed in L.A. Superior Court, accuses the platform of predatory conduct, and of charging working actors hundreds of dollars a year for upgrades that they hope will get them noticed.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer A New Mexico judge on Friday asked a series of skeptical questions of the prosecutor in the Alec Baldwin manslaughter case, suggesting she might decide to throw out the indictment. Baldwin is scheduled to face a trial in Santa Fe in July for negligently pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and pulling the trigger. In New Mexico, involuntary manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Lovo, a Berkeley-based AI startup, was accused in a class action lawsuit on Thursday of stealing actors’ voices to create Genny, a publicly accessible AI generator. Paul Skye Lehrman and Linnea Sage, a New York couple who work as voice actors, alleged that they were deceived into providing voice samples through a freelance website. They were paid $1200 and $400, respectively, for reading scripts, and were told the recordings would be used internally, or for academic purposes.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Independent filmmaking is no easy task — even if you’re Steven Spielberg’s daughter. Destry Allyn Spielberg is set to make her feature directorial debut with “Please Don’t Feed the Children,” a low-budget thriller, which was filmed last year in Santa Fe, N.M. But the film has endured significant financing problems, shutting down just before production was to begin.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer A veteran crew member was killed early Saturday morning when his SUV left the freeway and flipped over, according to IATSE and the California Highway Patrol. Rico Priem, 66, was driving home after a 14-hour day on the set of the ABC series “9-1-1” when the crash occurred, according to his union. Priem was heading north on the 57 Freeway at Via Verde Drive in San Dimas, when his Toyota Highlander left the road, went up an embankment, and flipped onto its roof, according to the CHP.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Jason Cloth, a Canadian financier with credits on dozens of films including “Babylon” and “Joker,” was hit with a $19.6 million verdict last week after failing to appear at a fraud trial in West Palm Beach, Fla. A seven-member jury found that Cloth defrauded an investor on “The Pathway,” a TNT docuseries about the NBA draft, out of $6.6 million. The jury also awarded $13 million in punitive damages.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer After two months at the bargaining table, IATSE and the major studios have begun talking about one of the key hurdles to getting a new contract: artificial intelligence. The union is seeking to ensure that the adoption of AI will not displace jobs. In an update to members on Friday evening, the union advised that the two sides are “constructively engaging” on the issue, as well as on wages and other working conditions.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Filmmakers are warning that a recent ruling in a copyright suit against Netflix over its “Tiger King” docuseries could restrict the use of video clips in documentaries, and upset a long-held understanding of what constitutes “fair use.” The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Denver, ruled in March that the use of a 66-second excerpt from a funeral video was not “transformative” under the Copyright Act. The three-judge panel remanded the case to a lower court to determine if Netflix violated the copyright of Tim Sepi, the videographer who shot the scene.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Alec Baldwin‘s lawyers have filed two more motions to throw out his manslaughter indictment in the “Rust” case in New Mexico. Meanwhile, Rory Kennedy, who is making a documentary about Baldwin and the “Rust” shooting, is fighting a subpoena that would force her to turn over interview footage to the prosecutors in the case. Baldwin faces a trial in July on a charge of negligently causing the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The producer of “Safehaven,” an unreleased TV show, has been accused in a lawsuit of siphoning funds from the show’s budget to pay his personal expenses, including payments to keep his house out of foreclosure. David Ozer, the president of Strong Studios, is alleged in the complaint to have fabricated invoices and created fake vendors in order to hide the theft. The plaintiff, Kevin V.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Miriam Haley, the key witness at Harvey Weinstein‘s rape trial in New York, said Friday that she is weighing whether to testify again, after an appeals court on Thursday overturned his guilty verdict. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has indicated that it will seek to retry the former producer, but a trial likely would not go forward without Haley’s participation. At a press conference with her attorney, Gloria Allred, Haley said she does not want to go through the ordeal of another trial, but recognized there are broader issues at stake.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Harvey Weinstein was already effectively serving a life sentence when he was flown to Los Angeles to face his second trial on rape and sexual assault charges. That second conviction is now the only thing keeping him in prison, after the New York Court of Appeals overturned his original verdict in a 4-3 ruling on Thursday. The court’s ruling could now be used to bolster the appeal in California, which, if successful, could set the former Hollywood producer free.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Several crew members were injured during rehearsal of an action sequence on the set of “The Pickup” on Saturday. The Amazon Studios feature film is currently shooting in Georgia. The studio confirmed on Tuesday that multiple people were hurt while rehearsing the second unit sequence.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer IATSE told members Friday that the last several weeks of bargaining with the major studios has been “productive,” as the two sides move closer to talks on major issues. The crew union announced that Local 705, which represents costumers, has reached a tentative agreement on issues pertaining solely to its members. That makes 11 out of the 13 “West Coast” locals that have reached agreements on their craft-specific items.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SAG-AFTRA is urging members to support a new agreement with the major record labels, which establishes conditions under which singers’ voices can be replicated with AI. The union announced a tentative agreement with the labels — including Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Disney Music Group — on Friday, saying that it provides for “ethical and responsible” use of artificial intelligence. The agreement follows the union’s contract with the major studios, which ended last year’s actors strike, and which set terms for AI use in TV and film.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Leslie Moonves, the former CEO of CBS, was fined $15,000 on Wednesday by the L.A. City Ethics Commission for obtaining secret information in 2017 about an LAPD sex assault investigation of which he was the target. The commission voted 4-0 to approve the penalty, which is the maximum allowed for ethics violations under the L.A.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Two men who rented “Yesterday” on Amazon Prime after seeing Ana de Armas in the trailer, only to discover that her role was removed in the final cut of the film, have settled their false advertising lawsuit. Peter Rosza and Conor Woulfe sued Universal in 2022, alleging that they were each cheated out of $3.99. A federal judge initially sided with them, finding that movie trailers are not immune from false advertising claims.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The film armorer who loaded a live bullet into Alec Baldwin‘s gun on the set of “Rust,” leading to the death of a cinematographer, was sentenced Monday to the maximum term, 18 months in prison. Hannah Gutierrez Reed, 26, was convicted in March of involuntary manslaughter, after a jury found that her negligence caused the death of Halyna Hutchins. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer said that Gutierrez Reed had not shown any remorse.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer In recorded jail calls, “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed complained about the judge, prosecutor and jurors who served on her case and said she was “railroaded,” according to a court filing on Friday. Gutierrez Reed was convicted last month of involuntary manslaughter for loading a live bullet into Alec Baldwin’s gun, leading to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. She is due to be sentenced on Monday in a Santa Fe, N.M.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer A judge has sided with Netflix in a legal conflict launched by a famous diver, who claimed that a movie inspired by his life falsely accused him of murder. Judge Bruce G. Iwasaki granted Netflix’s motion to throw out the lawsuit Tuesday, finding that the diver, Pipin Ferreras, could not prove that the fictional film was about him.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Attorneys for “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed asked on Wednesday that she be sentenced to probation for her role in the accidental death of the film’s cinematographer. Gutierrez Reed is due to be sentenced on Monday on a charge of involuntary manslaughter for negligently loading a live bullet into Alec Baldwin’s gun. She faces a maximum of 18 months in prison.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Would you buy a car from an AI chatbot? What if it looked and talked like Tom Hanks? These are the sorts of questions kicking around Sacramento, where lawmakers are considering a slew of proposals to regulate artificial intelligence. SAG-AFTRA, the union representing Hollywood actors, is pushing for legislation that would require detailed consent for the use of “digital replicas.” In a separate bill, the union also wants to prevent studios from putting dead performers in movies without the consent of their heirs.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Prosecutors intend to argue that Alec Baldwin could not control his emotions on the set of “Rust,” and that he “shamelessly lied” and repeatedly changed his story after accidentally shooting the film’s cinematographer. The actor is due to go on trial in July in Santa Fe, N.M., on a charge of involuntary manslaughter for firing a prop gun and killing Halyna Hutchins. In a 32-page filing made public on Monday, prosecutor Kari Morrissey laid out the allegations against Baldwin in unprecedented detail.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer “Fallout,” the post-apocalyptic series debuting this week on Amazon Prime, is expected to relocate to California for its second season, thanks to $25 million in California tax credits. The California Film Commission announced Monday that it has awarded $152 million in tax incentives to a dozen TV shows. The list also includes two shows from Ryan Murphy, “Dr.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Faith Stowers, a former “Vanderpump Rules” cast member, accused NBCUniversal on Friday of racist harassment and retaliation, becoming the latest Bravo star to sue over her treatment on a popular reality show. Stowers appeared on Seasons 4 and 5 of the series, which aired from 2015 to 2017.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer George Carlin‘s estate has settled a lawsuit over an AI-generated imitation of the late comedian, with the creators agreeing to remove it from their YouTube channel and podcast feed. In January, the Dudesy podcast released “George Carlin: I’m Glad I’m Dead,” which purported to be an hour-long special created by artificial intelligence.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the armorer on the Alec Baldwin film “Rust,” will remain in jail while her lawyers appeal her conviction in the death of the film’s cinematographer. A Santa Fe judge denied a defense request for release on Friday, and refused to order a new trial in the case. “Keep in mind there was a death that the jury determined was caused by her,” said Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Georgia has dropped an effort to cap its billion-dollar film and TV tax credit, after the state House and Senate could not reach agreement on the issue. Lawmakers have been working for nearly a year on proposals to rein in the incentive, which is the largest of any state in the nation.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Disney has reached a truce in its fight with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over the special district that governs Walt Disney World.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer A former friend of con artist Anna Sorokin was allowed on Tuesday to proceed with a defamation lawsuit against Netflix over the Shonda Rhimes miniseries, “Inventing Anna.” Netflix had argued that Rhimes and the other show creators have a “literary license” to give their interpretation of events. In rejecting that argument, Chief Judge Colm F. Connolly found that at least some of the characterizations in the show could cross the line into defamation.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer “The Walking Dead” debuted on AMC in 2010, instantly becoming a massive hit. For almost as long, the cable network has been fighting in court with the show’s creators over how much of the profits it has to share. Much like the main show itself (which ended in 2022), the original lawsuit is over — but the spinoff litigation is still going strong.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SAG-AFTRA announced Friday that members have ratified new three-year contracts for voice actors who work on animated TV shows. The deals addressed the same concerns that fueled last year’s 118-day actors’ strike, notably artificial intelligence, which many actors fear will replace their jobs. As with the live-action agreement, the animation deals do not forbid the use of AI.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Martin Scorsese has settled a lawsuit from an aspiring screenwriter who accused him of pocketing $500,000 to help develop a World War II movie — and then doing nothing. Simon Afram wrote “Operation: Fortitude,” a screenplay about the Allied effort to deceive the German army as to the whereabouts of the Normandy invasion. He and another producer, Edward Kahl, hired Scorsese in January 2022 to serve as an executive producer, which they hoped would help attract an A-list cast and director.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Georgia lawmakers on Wednesday backed away from a proposal to cap the state’s $1 billion incentive for film and TV production. The state tax incentive has turned Georgia into a major production hub over the last decade, attracting Marvel movies and TV shows like Netflix’s “A Man in Full” and “Stranger Things” with a 30% rebate on all in-state production costs. But as the program has exceeded $1 billion annually in recent years — far surpassing the incentives offered by any other state — some lawmakers have begun to try to rein it in.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer IATSE resumed negotiations with the major studios on Monday, with a day spent focused on items relevant to the International Cinematographers Guild, Local 600. IATSE began talks earlier this month, as it seeks to address artificial intelligence, see wage increases to make up for inflation, and close a significant shortfall in its pension and health fund. With more than 9,000 active members, the ICG is the largest of the IATSE locals involved in bargaining.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Attorneys for “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed asked a judge on Friday to release her from jail and to grant a new trial, citing a recent New Mexico Supreme Court ruling in another case. Gutierrez Reed faces up to 18 months in prison for negligently loading a live bullet into Alec Baldwin‘s gun and causing the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. She has been held since her conviction on March 6 at the Santa Fe County Adult Detention Facility, where she awaits her April 15 sentencing.