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Is L.A. Reid’s Exit From Sony Because Of Sexual Harassment; Kevin Hart & Eniko Parrish Are Expecting Boy

Naughty Gossip
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Is L.A. Reid’s Exit From Sony Because Of Sexual Harassment; Kevin Hart & Eniko Parrish Are Expecting Boy

L.A. Reid’s abrupt exit from Sony Music may not have been as graceful as it was initially presented.

The music mogul and former head of Epic Records has been accused of sexual harassment by a co-worker.

via NY Post:

The 60-year old music industry veteran allegedly made inappropriate physical advances toward an assistant at last December’s company holiday party, among other instances, according to a March 22 letter a lawyer for the woman sent to Julie Swidler, Sony Music’s General Counsel, said a source who provided details from the letter.

The female assistant, whose name The Post is withholding, also claims Reid, who has led Epic for nearly six years, also asked her to lie down in bed with him and give him a hug while the two were at a hotel while traveling on business, the letter alleges.

Reid, who is married, also made comments about what clothes he liked her to wear and described her as looking “fine,” the letter claims.

Sony Music, in a one-sentence statement on Saturday — “L.A. Reid will be leaving the company” — confirmed the executive was on his way out. It did not elaborate.

When asked about the complaints made in the letter, Sony Music on Sunday had no comment.

Sony Music CEO Rob Stringer, who took over the top spot at the company last month, appears to have taken decisive action in the first major crisis to come along.

“We are not allowing a culture like that in this company,” one insider familiar with Reid’s ouster told The Post, “no matter how much a person brings to the bottom line.”

Reid’s recent successes include signing Meghan Trainor, Future, Fifth Harmony and DJ Khaled — who currently has the No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100, with “I’m the One.”

Reached Sunday night, Reid’s lawyer, Joel Katz, the head of Greenberg Traurig’s global entertainment and media practice, had no comment.

A second source, familiar with the thinking of Reid’s camp, said the March 22 letter is inaccurate.

Meanwhile, Reid, also known as Antonio Reid, has been telling friends since Thursday, when reports of his ouster started ricocheting around the music industry, that he is talking to Warner Music Group boss Len Blavatnik about a position running the company’s Warner Brothers label, sources said.

It’s a Boy! Kevin Hart & Wife Eniko Parrish Are Expecting Their First Child Together

Kevin Hart and Eniko Parrish took to Instagram on this good Mother’s Day to announce that they’re expecting a baby boy!

“Celebrating Mother’s Day with my beautiful wife. We are laughing at the fact that this time next year we will be celebrating her 1st actual Mother’s Day,” Kevin captioned a photo of the two of them.

He also posted a sonogram image of their baby boy captioned “miracle in the making.”

Kevin and Eniko got married Santa Barbara, California, in August 2016. Kevin has two children with ex-wife Torrei: Heaven, 12, and Hendrix, 9.

Love the fresh dirt we bring over daily from Naughty Gossip? Let us know in the comments!

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The Fresh Toast Marijuana Legislative Roundup: May 15

Alec Engber
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The Fresh Toast Marijuana Legislative Roundup: May 15

Most of the marijuana legislation news last week took place on the East Coast, with significant action in New Hampshire, Vermont and Delaware. But the biggest headline of the week was the announcement that the federal government may be bringing back elements of the failed war on drugs. Find out about that more in our weekly marijuana legislative roundup.

National:

On Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a two-page memo instructing federal prosecutors to pursue the most severe provable charges for drug offenses. The move effectively overturns a memorandum circulated by former Attorney General Eric Holder in 2013.

The Holder memo urged prosecutors to avoid seeking charges that could result in inordinately long or racially-motivated mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses in cases where certain criteria are met. The move represents the Trump administration’s first major effort to change the somewhat more lenient federal drug enforcement policies of the Obama administration.

New Hampshire:

The New Hampshire Senate on Thursday voted 16-7 in favor of legislation to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. Under the bill, possession of up to three-quarters of an ounce of cannabis will be reduced from a misdemeanor to a civil violation punishable by a fine of no more than $300.

The state House of Representatives, which passed a bill decriminalizing possession of up to an ounce of marijuana earlier in the legislative session, must now take up the legislation. Governor Chris Sununu has said he will sign the bill into law if passed.

Vermont:

On Wednesday, the Vermont House of Representatives passed a bill to legalize possession and use of small amounts of marijuana. Under the legislation, adults 21 and older would be allowed to possess up to an ounce of cannabis beginning in July 2018. The bill, which passed the Senate the previous week, would also create a commission tasked with drawing up an effective system to regulate the production and distribution of marijuana products.

Governor Bill Scott has stated that he is not opposed to legalizing the plant so long as certain public concerns are addressed.

Colorado:

Lawmakers in Colorado failed to come to an agreement to define what constitutes prohibited public consumption of marijuana before the 2017 legislative session ended on Wednesday. Under the recreational cannabis law approved by voters in 2012, “open and public use” of the plant is not allowed.

However, the meaning of this phrase has been hotly contested in recent years, with the debate centered around whether consuming marijuana on one’s private porch constitutes public use. Legislation put forth by the Senate would have permitted a party of no more than five to do so without legal repercussions. Representatives in the Colorado House, however, argued that the five-person limit is arbitrary and would violate the spirit of the measure passed by voters.

Delaware:

The Delaware House Finance and Revenue Committee voted 10-2 on Wednesday in favor of a bill to legalize possession of small amounts of cannabis. If enacted, the measure would allow possession of no more than an ounce of marijuana by adults 21 and over. The legislation also provides for the licensing of retail stores and cultivation facilities, and establishes an excise tax of $50 per ounce on marijuana sales.

A commission would be created to come up with a comprehensive regulatory framework for recreational cannabis production and distribution. The bill will now go to the floor for a vote of the full House.

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Stealthing, The Scary Sex Trend You Need To Know About

Maria Loreto
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Stealthing, The Scary Sex Trend You Need To Know About

Tinder, Bumble, Grindr, and plenty of other social media apps have facilitated hook ups and dates between people who are basically strangers. These apps allow people to meet, relationships to blossom, and sexy time to flourish between consenting adults.

Stealthing is a disturbing trend where guys remove their condoms mid-sex without the consent of their partner, resulting in a rush or euphoria in response to the naughty behavior. These men have online forums where they discuss their methods and their enjoyment when performing this act and deceiving their sexual partners. They brag about their rights of “spreading their seed” and even have guidelines on how to perform a successful “stealth.” 

This practice has yet again made governments question the definition of rape and where lines should be drawn. Several women who’ve been victims of stealthing agree that it is a form of rape that threatens their agency, leaving them feeling victimized and powerless. Many of them are too ashamed to talk openly about it. 

In January 2016, a man in Switzerland was convicted of rape after taking his condom off during sex. The authorities alleged that their partner didn’t agree to have sex without protection, qualifying as sexual assault. Hopefully, authorities in other parts of the world will follow Switzerland’s example and offer the necessary punishment for people who do these types of things. And watch out on Tinder!

5 Random Facts About Chipotle You Should Know

Maria Loreto
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5 Random Facts About Chipotle You Should Know

Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, Chipotle is an American fast food chain founded in Colorado, 1993. Since then, it’s grown and expanded incredibly opening different establishments in Germany, France, Canada and the UK. Even though they’ve faced their hardships (salmonella, anyone?), they’re still the undisputed kings of the burrito business.

Here are 5 random facts on Chipotle that we’re sure you’d never heard of:

https://giphy.com/gifs/hamster-burritos-lfI3HytbkYq1q

The Style

You could say Chipotle looks industrial and cool, like they tried hard to look like they weren’t trying too hard, but in reality they didn’t have much money when they first opened. The decorations look cheap because they kind of are. Luckily, the company that’s now worth around 15 billion dollars doesn’t have to waste any money in fancier decorations because everyone kind of likes their hipster looks.

The Food

Founder Steve Ells never intended to become the king of burritos. With a degree from the Culinary Institute of America, Ells was planning on using Chipotle as a stepping stone or a way of making some money so that he could then invest on the fancy and gourmet restaurant he’d been studying his whole life for. To his great surprise, Chipotle became a huge success and he decided to stick with it, warts and all. 

It’s Relationship To Jason Mraz

Jason Mraz, yeah the two-time Grammy award winner, has an avocado farm where he grows around 30,000 avocados a year. One of his largest buyers is Chipotle, who uses around 10,000 avocados a day to make their beloved guacamole.

The Burrito Coin

This is a big secret but supposedly there’s a special burrito coin awarded to super faithful customers that’s been going around since 1999. Its look has been redesigned a few times, but you can get one on Ebay. Sadly, the coin is only valid for one burrito, so you might as well just keep it as a souvenir.

Chipotle Pizza

The company announced their partnership with a growing pizza place called Pizzeria Locale, on Colorado. At the moment, the pizza place has no plans of expanding but maybe soon you’ll be able to buy some pizza at your nearest Chipotle. We have no idea, but that sounds great.

 

Caitlyn Jenner: I Might Run For Congress; Chanel Issues Apology To Gabourey Sidibe For Alleged Racial Profiling

Naughty Gossip
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Caitlyn Jenner: I Might Run For Congress; Chanel Issues Apology To Gabourey Sidibe For Alleged Racial Profiling

The BBC reports:

The ex-Olympic athlete, who changed her name and transitioned to living as a woman aged 65, said Trump was being “influenced by people around him”. Jenner said her life was “much simpler” now she was living openly as a woman.

She told the program she was now considering going into politics to promote LGBT issues. “I do a lot of political stuff, but it is mostly all behind the scenes,” she said.

Asked if she would stand for election, she added: “I have been asked that question quite a bit, to be honest with you – over the next year I’m looking into it. I want to know where can I do a better job for my community, in bringing the Republican Party around when it comes to all LGBT issues.”

“Is it from the outside? Kind of working on the outside and the perimeter and working with everybody to get the Republicans to change their thinking? Or is it better off being on the inside and actually running for a Congress or Senate seat? Can I do more good there? And those are the things that I am evaluating.”

Chanel Issues An Apology To Gabourey Sidibe For Alleged Racial Profiling Incident

Paris fashion house Chanel is apologizing to Gabourey Sidibe after she came forward with claims she was racially profiled in one of the brand’s boutiques.

via NYDN:

The “Empire” star detailed her encounter in Lena Dunham’s Lenny Letter on Tuesday, writing that the saleswoman directed her to a store across the street to buy her eyeglasses.

“I knew what she was doing. She had decided after a single look at me that I wasn’t there to spend any money. Even though I was carrying a Chanel bag, she decided I wasn’t a Chanel customer and so, not worth her time and energy,” Sidibe wrote.

The incident occurred in Chicago, while Sidibe was there filming “Empire.”

It wasn’t until other store associates of color noticed that she was famous for the original saleswoman to help her.

Eventually, Sidibe, 34, picked up two pairs of frames and two pairs of sandals for co-star Taraji P. Henson, who was stuck on set.

“Unfortunately, I’m used to people giving me bad service. Honestly, if I walked out of every store where someone was rude to me,” she wrote. “I’d never have anything nice.”

Chanel issued an apology in the wake of the letter written by the Precious star, stating “We are sorry that she felt unwelcome and offended.”

“We took her words very seriously and immediately investigated to understand what happened,” the statement continued. “Knowing that this is absolutely not in line with the high standards that Chanel wishes to provide to our customers.”

Love the fresh dirt we bring over daily from Naughty Gossip? Let us know in the comments!

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Here’s How New Jersey Is Preparing For Recreational Marijuana

Mike Adams
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Here’s How New Jersey Is Preparing For Recreational Marijuana

Despite the fact that New Jersey governor Chris Christie remains adamantly opposed to the concept of legal marijuana, state lawmakers are preparing to reveal a master plan for how they will establish a taxed and regulated pot market the second Christie’s veto power is no longer a problem.

On Monday, state Senator Nicholas Scutari, one of the leading legislative forces dedicated to marijuana reform in the Garden State, will formally announce the introduction of a bill to legalize a recreational cannabis industry. Although the details of the proposal have not yet been made public, previous attempts indicate that it will likely call for adults 21 and over to be given the freedom to purchase marijuana in a manner similar to beer.

“The national trend is toward legalization,” Scutari told NJ Advance Media. “It’s absolutely necessary to save our neighborhoods from drug dealers. And we can use the tax revenue. And people are smoking it anyway.”

The mission to end marijuana prohibition in New Jersey became a hot topic of discussion last week, with several reports indicating that lawmakers were simply holding out on plans to legalize weed until after Governor Christie, a man who believes marijuana is a “gateway” to the destruction of civil society, is forced down from his executive perch.

But lawmakers feel it is necessary to put the marijuana debate in the forefront in order to ensure easier passage in the State Legislature next year. If not, it is distinctly possible the issue could get jammed up in a flurry of negotiations and stall tactics.

“We got to get the ball rolling and educate the legislators,” Scutari said. “This is not something I can guarantee passage of right now. But we’ve got to work it so it will be ready for a new administration come January.”

However, there is still some concern over whether President Donald Trump’s administration will revert back to the era of Nixon and launch a blitzkrieg-style attack on states that have legalized the leaf. Although the Justice Department has not yet given any sort of confirmation on its plans for dealing with legal weed, it seems that every month a new comment or memo inches the nation further back to a time when total prohibition was the law of the land.

Yet, New Jersey has been prepping for a legal marijuana market for the past several years, so unless U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his cronies over at the DEA say otherwise, lawmakers are going to proceed with creating a system that allows the state to capitalize on the cultivation and sale of legal marijuana.

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Charlie Hunnam Grew Marijuana When Meaty Acting Jobs Ran Dry

Brendan Bures
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Charlie Hunnam Grew Marijuana When Meaty Acting Jobs Ran Dry

Actor Charlie Hunnam is having a moment. The Sons of Anarchy lead and Guillermo del Toro muse is a bona fide star in back-to-back big production films released closely. The first is James Gray’s Lost City of Z, where Hunnam plays an Englishman obsessed with finding purpose through a hidden Amazonian civilization. He also acts as the titular role in Guy Ritchie’s upcoming King Arthur epic.

But times weren’t always so fruitful for Hunnam, according to a recent New York Times profile. He admits to being a rather picky actor, only assuming roles he felt personally attached to. He said his attitude and desire to build a proud body of work for himself led to some rather lean years for the actor.

So Charlie Hunnam grew marijuana.

Yes, Hunnam cultivated organic cannabis in his Los Angeles home to provide for himself when the acting jobs he wanted weren’t coming in. Later he would sell the crop to a medical dispensary to earn money.

“I can’t believe I’m being this candid,” Hunnam revealed to the NYTimes.

Hunnam said his weed-growing days are behind him. We can’t help but wonder, however, with his growing celebrity, if Hunnam wouldn’t be wise joining the ranks of the many celebrity cannabis brands filling the marketplace these days.

How Cable News Shapes Trump’s View On Marijuana

MJ News Network
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How Cable News Shapes Trump’s View On Marijuana

Donald Trump really hasn’t said much about marijuana as president-elect/president. His administration meanders from strong to modest opposition, depending on who’s talking. This is because cable news is in a nebulous area where media personalities, the president’s staff, channel advertisers, and occasionally everyday people brief Trump from the comfort of his TV.

Cannabis, like everything else, is hostage to the news cycle.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer first said the administration was looking at “greater enforcement.” Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and top Justice Department advisor, Steven Cook, have a dim view of all criminal justice reforms from the Obama years. They’ve had recent harsh words for legal cannabis, yet Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper recently described a meeting with Sessions where the AG stressed the administration’s other priorities over enforcement against legal cannabis. “Well you haven’t seen us cracking down, have you?” Sessions reportedly told the governor.

Still, a Justice Department review of the non-legally-binding Cole memo, which outlined expectations of state legalization in 2013, is said to be underway. Trump’s early executive order on crime was mostly a call to review and enforce laws against drug trafficking and criminal organizations, with no new authority or money to fight marijuana.

As a candidate Trump said he was 100 percent supportive of medical cannabis, as president that support has shown itself to barely be barely 50 percent in maintaining a status quo with HHS Secretary Tom Price, formerly a not-totally-anti-medical-cannabis congressman from Georgia and the continuation of the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer budget amendment which blocks DEA spending on state-compliant medical cannabis laws until September. And Trump’s Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives agency has expanded Form 4473 for gun sales to make clear that no legal marijuana consumers, medical or otherwise, has 2nd amendment rights.

Then, Trump’s White House proposed to gut the ONDCP, or drug czar’s office, budget by over 90 percent while establishing a special commission to examine the opioid epidemic headed by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, perhaps the most specifically anti-cannabis member of the Trump team, yet also the farthest from controlling that federal weed policy. What does all of this mean?

President Trump listens to these men, and others, on marijuana policy. However, their views on weed played little role in their ascendance in his government as opposed to their outright loyalty and deference to Trump himself. He doesn’t keep them around because he agrees with their extremist views on cannabis. But he listens to one advisor above all else: Cable news. As much as he may say he hates it, mainstream media is the central issue brief for America’s president, academics and political research filling in the rest (probably). Evidence abounds …

“As president, Trump has quite patently gathered his cues from cable shows, and the evidence surfaces in his Twitter account. Analysts have taken to tracing the substance of his tweets to programming moments on CNN or Fox News.”

“Some White House officials — who early on would appear on TV to emphasize points to their boss, who was likely to be watching just steps away in his residence — have started tuning into Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” because they know the president habitually clicks it on after waking near dawn.” – Erik Wemple/Ashley Parker The Washington Post

“White House staff have learned to cater to the president’s image obsession by presenting decisions in terms of how they’ll play in the press.” -Josh Dawsey, Politico

“MSNBC and Fox News are cashing in on Trump’s viewing habits, reportedly hiking up ad rates in February “as companies and outside groups try to influence Trump and his top lieutenants” through ads on his favorite networks.” -Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic

Trump wants all his weed policies to be broadly popular and perceived as the strongest and best. That’s not news. What is news is that press briefings, media surrogates, and high ranking government officials used to be reliable attempts to describe an administration’s decided drug policy. Now, they’re active arguments to the president regarding an undecided one.

Used to be, federal marijuana statements were carefully orchestrated and approved soundbytes. Now, they’re often jockeying for future validation for putting on a popular show. It’s depressing, but cannabis is no third rail in getting this treatment, healthcare, taxes, immigration, civil rights, foreign affairs and been treated similarly.

So media around cannabis laws is more crucial than ever both for influencing the commander-in-chief, feeling out his staff’s arguments, and judging individual players overall influence. This ranges from dramatic reports of arrests and injury, to human interest pieces on patients in need or entrepreneurial green businesses. Cannabis law reformers talking to the press better behave, the president might be watching. For the public, this results in a type of “read between the lines” comprehension of news that reformers have long engaged in when judging media veracity, but is becoming a mainstream lenses for the public.

In last month’s budget debate, the White House did little to stop the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment protecting state medical marijuana programs, with Trump later asserting his ability to enforce constitutional duties even with that amendment on the books in the law’s signing statement. Some news outlets immediately interpreted this as a warning shot to medical patients. In all likelihood, the president wants flexibility and firmness simultaneously, and his discretion on this and many other parts of the budget strongly keep his options and opinions amorphous. It’s disappointing because he had the opportunity to lead a conversation on individual rights, safety, and economic instead of perpetually reacting to it.

A lot of people know not to trust everything they hear on TV, and as an internet commentator, I’m not saying otherwise. But, knowing what and how marijuana is being talking about on MSNBC, CNN, and Fox is not a sign of being duped by “lamestream news” so much as trying to understand the drug’s portrayal to the president at any given moment. During the campaign, Trump promised to keep the country in suspense on whether or not he’d accept election results. On cannabis at least, that promise has been kept.

If President Trump was going to war with legal marijuana, he won’t hesitate to tweet it. You don’t have to like every CNN commentator or Fox & Friends to contact them and share your support for legal weed. Until then, follow cannabis in the news without obsessing over it. Our president has that covered.

Bailey Hirschburg wrote this story for MJ News Network. 

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How High Is The Medical Marijuana Market Expected to Soar?

MJ News Network
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How High Is The Medical Marijuana Market Expected to Soar?

According to a research report by New Frontier Data, in 2017 medical marijuana market sales are forecasted to grow to $5.3 billion, accounting for 67 percent of total cannabis sales.

By 2025, medical sales in current legal states are forecasted to grow to $13.2 billion, at which point medical sales will account for 55 percent. Comparatively, adult-use sales in 2017 are projected to reach $2.6 billion, rising to $10.9 billion by 2025.

In 2016 alone, adult-use consumers shopped once every 14 days and spent $49 per transaction; medical consumers, by contrast, shop once every 10 days and outspend the adult-use customer by more than three-to-one; spending $136 per transaction.

California by itself is expected to play a major role in the legal cannabis market.

“California offers the perfect example of why it is so important to understand trends in consumer behavior. The state’s legal industry is forecast to grow from $2.8 billion in 2017 to $5.6 billion in 2020. That spending will be increasingly directed at products and retailers who understand and serve the market’s evolving tastes and preferences. The market is changing, and the most successful operators will be those who adapt most quickly to the change,” said New Frontier Data CEO Giadha Aguirre De Carcer.

For more cannabis business coverage, visit the MJ News Network. 

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Smoking Marijuana In Denver Just Got More Social

Al Olson
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Smoking Marijuana In Denver Just Got More Social

After six months of negotiating and committee hearings, Denver on Thursday became the first city in the nation to allow social cannabis consumption.

Businesses in the Mile High City will be able to apply for annual permits allowing adult patrons to consume their own cannabis as part of a four-year pilot program. The social experiment gives Denver cannabis enthusiasts the ability to share cannabis socially without fear of arrest.

In November, Denver voters passed  Initiative 300, allowing for businesses to accommodate cannabis consumption among the public. But implementation of the program proved challenging. The Denver Department of Excise and Licenses spent half a year listening to all sides of the issue before unveiling the draft regulations.

And, as if with most compromise rules, neither side particularly happy with the ruling.

According to the Denver Post:

“Since the very beginning, we wanted this to be a discussion between neighborhood groups and businesses,” said Emmett Reistroffer from Denver Relief Consulting, who led the pro-300 campaign. “We think some of these rules kind of circumvent that intent.”

Meanwhile, opponents of I-300 have concerns of their own, including seeing too few restrictions to keep children at a business away from the new “designated consumption areas,” whether indoors or outside, and to protect nearby residents from any effects of marijuana use at a local business.

“There is absolutely no buffer zone in these rules for consistent marijuana use backing up to homes,” said Rachel O’Bryan, who managed the anti-Initiative 300 campaign.

Colorado became the first state to allow for recreational marijuana sales on January 1, 2013. But since then, tourists coming to Denver have struggled to find a place to consume it. The new provision hopes to provide places for tourists and residents alike.

“This is about personal responsibility and respecting adults who want to have a place to enjoy cannabis,” Reistroffer, said.

Here are some of the specifics of the new regulations:

  • Before a business acquires a permit, it is required to have a letter of “evidence of community support.”
  • Vaping, not smoking, is allowed. Edibles are permitted as well.
  • Businesses are required to have a ventilation system sufficient enough to control the smell of cannabis.
  • Businesses will not be allowed to serve alcohol if cannabis is being consumed on the premises.
  • Patrons must sign a waiver declaring that the venue is not responsible for their actions. Customers are not allowed to sell cannabis to others.

A public hearing on the rules has been scheduled for June 13.

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