Hollywood Week: Weinstein NY Conviction Overturned, TikTok, Hollywood Con Queen Doc

A New York State Court of Appeals overturned the conviction of disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein, in a 4-3 decision, while urging a retrial of the predator who is currently serving a 16-year sentence in California for sexual assault.

Disgraced Film Producer Harvey Weinstein NY Conviction Overturned

The New York Court of Appeals overturned the 2020 rape conviction of former Hollywood film producer and convicted sexual predator, Harvey Weinstein, in a 4-3 decision that sent shockwaves across the nation and especially in the entertainment community.


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"The Manhattan district attorney's office pledged in a statement to "do everything in our power to retry this case, and remain steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault,"' The Washington Post reported.

The statement by Alvin A. Bragg, which serves a beacon to other affluent and free rapists that there is not a double standard and that the special privileges era that sheltered leaders of industries who believed they were free to commit egregious sexual violence, assault and maintain a determined strategy including career destruction, bankruptcy, reputational damage, in an unwavering effort to squeeze the victims to death, is over.

The decision by the court echoed typical judicial practices that allows the affluent special privileges.


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Biden Signs Legislation to Ban TikTok

President Biden signed legislation which would effectively ban the social media app "TikTok" throughout the United States beginning in 2025, unless the Chinese owner ByteDance divests its interest to an American company.

The bill, "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act," which overwhelmingly passed both the House and Senate, in a rare showing of bi-partisan support, expands the ability of a foreign government or entity to gain access to Americans through internet based apps.

As China has a rob, replicate, repeat, foundation built into its efforts to dominate the United States in technology, defense, and economically, the social media craze of using the app to document the many aspects of American life, from the simplest, which have no collection value to the more compelling gathered from the millions who use the app to document memorable moments without realizing a foreign entity may be scanning the data for ideas, locations, or schematics.

"ByteDance, TikTok's China-based owner, said on its Chinese news app Thursday that it wasn't considering a sale. Chinese officials at the country's main internet regulator have privately indicated to the company their preference is for the app to pull out of the U.S. if forced to do so, instead of selling its operations there, The Wall Street Journal has reported."


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Apple TV's Hollywood Con Queen Doc Set to Air

The Hollywood Con Queen, a three-part limited series, deconstructs the notorious Hollywood Con Queen scam exposed by The Hollywood Reporter's Scott Johnson, after numerous artists filed criminal complaints after being scammed out of thousands of dollars by an individuals or individuals impersonating some of Hollywood's female power players.

Told across three episodes, in part one we meet the victims, Hollywood hopefuls who are suddenly, they believe, on the Hollywood deal makers, radar. As the stories are told, anyone in the industry can understand the investment made to achieve a dream, in these cases, some were asked to invest financially, others through phone sex, and all were promised the achievement of their dream.

Part two and three, unpack both the professional investigator who explains the con artist had been operating for over ten years before he began to populate on the radar and the journalist who decided to dig deeper into the past of the con to understand his motivations.


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Like the famous statement by authorities when any serial killer is caught, "In the US alone, the FBI estimates there are between 25 to 50 active serial killers at any given time, despite the authorities not being aware of them or connecting the killings together," World Atlas.com reported.

The Hollywood Con Queen unpacks one scam, in one part of the Entertainment industry that targets the hopefuls, those who have invested in building creative careers. The critical component that led to his capture, was impersonation of these women, using their names. Other scams may use the reputation of an organization of business, without using an actual name, making sure all the props are in order to assuage the fears of the possibility of any fraud.

The Hollywood Con Queen is set to air, May 8, 2024, on Apple TV. The podcasts are available from Apple Podcasts and Sony Music: Chameleon: Hollywood Con Queen.


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Arts / Culture