BILL COSBY was found GUILTY yesterday on three counts of aggravated indecent assault, for drugging and raping ANDREA CONSTAND in 2004. People are calling this the first major conviction of the #MeToo era. He faces up to 10 years in prison on each count, but the judge could allow him to serve his sentences concurrently. Still, Cosby will be 81 in July, so even 10 years could be a life sentence. Cosby was acting as a mentor to Constand at Temple University when he assaulted her. She reported it the following year, but prosecutors decided they didn’t have enough evidence to pursue the case. So she filed a civil suit, claiming to have more than a dozen women who would testify that they were victims, too. She and Cosby settled in 2006 for $3.4 million. The whole thing pretty much died down until 2014, when comedian HANNIBAL BURESS called Cosby a rapist during a standup routine. From there, about 60 women came forward. Many of the alleged incidents fell outside the statute of limitations . . . but the charges in the Constand case were filed in 2015. This was actually the SECOND jury to hear this case. The first one couldn’t reach a conclusion, and a mistrial was declared last year. The district attorney immediately asked for Cosby’s bail to be revoked, claiming he’s a flight risk. He said Cosby could go anywhere, because he has unlimited wealth and a plane. At that point, Cosby yelled, quote, “He doesn’t have a plane, you [A-hole]!” (???) He also said of the D.A., “I’m sick of him!” The judge allowed Cosby to remain free on bail. Several of Cosby’s alleged victims were there for the verdict, including Lili Bernard, who left the courtroom in tears. She said, “[This] is a victory for all sexual assault survivors, female and male.” Cosby’s attorney says he’s going to appeal.
The first round of the NFL Draft went down last night, and the Cleveland Browns had the #1 pick. They took Oklahoma quarterback BAKER MAYFIELD. At Pick #2, the New York Giants got arguably the biggest talent in the draft with Penn State running back Saquon Barkley. At #3, the New York Jets selected USC quarterback Sam Darnold. Then the Browns were on the clock AGAIN – took cornerback Denzel Ward from Ohio State. The Denver Broncos rounded out the Top Five with NC State defensive end Bradley Chubb. For the first time ever, FOUR quarterbacks were taken in the Top 10. And also for the first time, two brothers went in the first round of the same draft. The Buffalo Bills took Tremaine Edmunds 16th, and the Pittsburgh Steelers took Terrell Edmunds with the 28th pick. The draft resumes TONIGHT with the second and third rounds . . . and it’ll finish tomorrow with the last four rounds.
The #MeToo movement isn’t done. The latest ALLEGATIONS – TOM BROKAW was accused yesterday of sexually harassing two women in the ’90s. Former NBC News correspondent Linda Vester says Brokaw groped her in a conference room in 1993, then in 1994, he came to her hotel room uninvited and tried to force a kiss on her. Another women who didn’t want to be identified says Brokaw put her hands on his chest, and invited her to his office to discuss her career. But she says the implication was that they weren’t going to talk business. Brokaw denies all the allegations. He says the incident with the unidentified woman never happened. As for Linda Vester, he says he met with her twice, both at her request. “The meetings were brief, cordial and appropriate, and despite Linda’s allegations, I made no romantic overtures towards her at that time or any other.” Brokaw is 78, and he’s been married to Meredith Auld since 1962. Both his accusers were in their 20s when these incidents allegedly happened.
BRANTLEY GILBERT has teamed up with Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional to sell T-shirts that will benefit heroes and victims of Sunday’s Waffle House shooting. The shirts say “I Believe in Heroism.” That’s a variation of the “I Believe in Nashville” fund that was set up not only to benefit the victims and families, but also Sunday’s real hero, James Shaw Jr. He’s the man who disarmed the gunman.
MORGAN WALLEN was talking to “CMT” about his debut album, “If I Know Me”, which is out today. He says there are touches of ’90s country, some honky-tonk, and even hip-hop and rock. “I grew up on a lot of classic rock. AC/DC, Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, the Eagles, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. “It’s funny, because nowadays if the Eagles or Lynyrd Skynyrd put out a record, it would be country, more than likely. That’s where I probably got my country influences from back in the day.”
The royal family’s web developer may have inadvertently spoiled the name of Prince William and Kate Middleton‘s third child — which could may be Albert — on the family’s website.
The Situation is officially off the market! 35 yr old Mike Sorrentino and his longtime girlfriend, Lauren Pesce, are engaged. The couple met while in college and dated for four years before he joined Jersey Shore in 2009. They rekindled their romance when the show wrapped in 2012 and have been together ever since. Sorrentino says Lauren kept him in line through the years and stood by his side during the tough times. He went to rehab for prescription pill abuse in 2012 and in January 2018, pleaded guilty to tax evasion. He has not yet been sentenced.
The Crocodile Hunter STEVE IRWIN posthumously got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
BRAD PITT’s company is producing a movie about the Harvey Weinstein investigation.
COLIN JOST and MICHAEL CHE from “Saturday Night Live’s” “Weekend Update” will host this year’s “Emmys”.
ANN CURRY says she warned NBC of MATT LAUER’s alleged sexual misconduct in 2012. Meanwhile, Lauer spoke out for the first time about the allegations against him. “I have made no public comments on the many false stories from anonymous or biased sources that have been reported about me over these past several months. I remained silent in an attempt to protect my family from further embarrassment and to restore a small degree of the privacy they have lost. But defending my family now requires me to speak up. I fully acknowledge that I acted inappropriately as a husband, father and principal at NBC. However I want to make it perfectly clear that any allegations or reports of coercive, aggressive or abusive actions on my part, at any time, are absolutely false,”
ACM Vocal Group of the Year OLD DOMINION is adding 13 dates to their tour. MATTHEW RAMSEY says, “The story of this band is based on two things, songwriting and touring. We really didn’t know how to do anything else.” Saturday, June 9th — Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia – Trip Around The Sun Tour September 4 – York Fair Friday, October 26th – Bryce Jordan Center
KANE BROWN made a young girl’s night extra special at a recent show. He brought her onstage while singing “Learning” . . . and she didn’t waste the moment. She hugged him tight, and then joined him to sway back and forth.
JUSTIN MOORE has been dealing with people telling him his music is “too country” his whole career. So he was thrilled when his record label wanted to release “Kinda Don’t Care” as a single.
This week’s CD Releases include new music from Willie Nelson, Keith Urban,
John Osborne of Brothers Osborne is 36.
Si Robertson from “Duck Dynasty” is 70.
