Locked-up celebs, fearing coronavirus, fail to win early release from prison, jails - USA TODAY
Locked-up celebs, fearing coronavirus, fail to win early release from prison, jails - USA TODAY |
- Locked-up celebs, fearing coronavirus, fail to win early release from prison, jails - USA TODAY
- Today's famous birthdays list for March 31, 2020 includes celebrities Ewan McGregor, Christopher Walken - cleveland.com
- Celebrities who died from coronavirus and COVID-19 complications - Los Angeles Times
| Locked-up celebs, fearing coronavirus, fail to win early release from prison, jails - USA TODAY Posted: 31 Mar 2020 04:14 PM PDT CLOSE  While most everyone in America is sheltering in place in fear of coronavirus lurking everywhere, some celebrity convicts and defendants are pressing to be released from lockups where they fear the killer virus is raging or soon will be. So far, judges have either turned them down or not yet ruled. Prosecutors are opposed, according to their objections registered in court documents. But the number of prisoners and guards testing positive in the closely confines of prisons and jails is rising, leading the ACLU to call on prison authorities to ensure sure they people inside are safe, especially the more than 10,000 elderly federal inmates and those in chronic poor health. In California on Tuesday, lawyers for Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state will be granting early release to 3,500 inmates in its 35 state prisons in an effort to reduce crowding as coronavirus infections are spreading. Earlier, U.S. Attorney General William Barr directed federal prison authorities to begin identifying more elderly and medically compromised inmates for home confinement to avoid a larger outbreak of the coronavirus inside the agency's 122 institutions housing a total of nearly 250,000 inmates. Movie mogul-turned-convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein, 68, is believed to be the most famous celebrity inmate who has tested positive for the virus thus far. He has been in isolation in a New York state prison and is said to be recovering. The latest: Federal prison officials order system-wide lockdown in bid to limit coronavirus spread The basics on the coronavirus: What you need to know as the US becomes the new epicenter of COVID-19 Meanwhile, the list of famous people convicted or accused of crimes who fear COVID-19 more in prison than outside is growing: Comedian Bill Cosby. President Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen. Trump's ex-legal tormentor, lawyer Michael Avenatti. Brooklyn rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine. R&B singer R. Kelly. "Those now detained cannot be protected from the coming jail epidemic, and if infected will without question suffer from inferior health," argues Steve Greenberg, lead lawyer for Kelly, 53, who's awaiting four trials in federal and state courts in three states. He wants out of the federal jail in Chicago where he's been held since July 2019 on multiple sex-crime charges. Kelly, Greenberg points out, is innocent unless proven guilty, but given the state of the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago and the alleged lack of hand sanitizer and soap, Kelly feels his health and possibly his life are at risk. Plus, the virus could interfere with his meeting with his lawyers. "Requiring people to reside in a custodial jail setting is tantamount to making them drink poison," Greenburg argued in a motion last week in the Illinois federal case against Kelly. Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York, who also have a case against Kelly, argued in court papers against releasing Kelly, saying his fears are unfounded, the jails are properly prepared against the virus, he has sufficient access to soap and cleaning supplies, and he remains a flight risk. Around the country: Jails releasing hundreds of prisoners amid coronavirus fears, up from dozens weeks ago "A jail is the antithesis of a safe environment. It is closely confined and heavily populated, largely by those who have little respect for others," Greenberg argued in a new court filing on the matter Tuesday. "Meals are served in cramped 'day' rooms and 'social distancing' is impossible. To suggest that the jail is a safe environment against this disease is foolish, as well as baseless." Cosby, 82, blind and frail, is not ill nor has he tested positive for the virus, according to his spokesman, Andrew Wyatt. Cosby has been in Pennsylvania prison SCI-Phoenix, near Philadelphia, since September 2018 after being convicted of three sex crimes. Cosby fears contracting the virus from other inmates who escort him around the prison in his wheelchair or from guards who might bring the illness from the outside, Wyatt said. Cosby's lawyers want the state parole board to release nonviolent elderly inmates, including Cosby, to house arrest for the remainder of their sentences. So far, no decision has been made. • Get daily coronavirus updates in your inbox: Sign up for our newsletter now. "Prisons and jails around the country are becoming infested with coronavirus cases and it's only a matter of time before Mr. Cosby's prison likely falls victim to the virus," Wyatt said in a statement. Avenatti, 49, the ex-lawyer to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels, who accused Trump of sexual misconduct, wants out of a federal jail in New York City where he is awaiting sentencing in June for his February conviction on charges of trying to extort $25 million from sportswear giant Nike. Avenatti's lawyer, H. Dean Steward, argued for temporary release with electronic monitoring until the pandemic is over, citing Avenatti's bout of pneumonia six months ago, a sick cellmate and filthy jail conditions. "Mr. Avenatti is more at risk than most, as he had pneumonia late last year," Steward argued in court documents. "The Metropolitan Correctional Center where he is being held has its first COVID-19 case, and the potential for true disaster and wholesale death from the virus is enormous." U.S. District Court Judge James Selna in California declined to immediately release Avenatti and a final decision is pending. Avenatti faces scheduled criminal trials in New York next month and in Los Angeles in May, although those may be delayed due to the coronavirus crisis. Trump's ex-personal lawyer, Cohen, 53, who pleaded guilty to federal charges including campaign finance fraud and lying to Congress, was denied his bid for early release from a three-year prison sentence last week, after he cited coronavirus fears. U.S. District Judge William Pauley III said it seemed Cohen's request for release to home confinement "appears to be just another effort to inject himself into the news cycle." Last week on Twitter, Cohen, 53, who is in a prison in Otisville, New York, posted an online petition by inmates calling on federal authorities to let nonviolent offenders complete their sentences in home confinement to reduce their risk of contracting the virus. On Tuesday, he tweeted that an inmate had tested positive. "It's time for the Federal Government to act responsibly!" In New York, the judge who sentenced Tekashi 6ix9ine, 23, (real name Daniel Hernandez) to prison said last week he would have ordered home confinement instead if he had known about the coronavirus in December. Nevertheless, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer rejected Hernandez's bid to be released early for the remaining four months of his two-year prison term, after prosecutors pointed out he didn't have the legal authority to change the sentence. The judge, who noted that Hernandez suffers from asthma, issued "instructive guidance" to the Bureau of Prisons to use if it considers an application by the rapper for early release. Hernandez pleaded guilty to racketeering and other crimes and testified against members of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods gang. Contributing: The Associated Press Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/03/31/locked-up-celebs-fearing-coronavirus-fail-win-early-release/5096351002/  |
| Posted: 31 Mar 2020 08:36 AM PDT  Associated Press Top celebrity birthdays on March 31, 2020 Birthday wishes go out to Ewan McGregor, Christopher Walken, and all the other celebrities with birthdays today. Check out our slideshow below to see photos of famous people turning a year older on March 31st and learn an interesting fact about each of them. -Mike Rose, cleveland.com Don't Edit  Associated Press Actor Richard Chamberlain turns 86 Fun fact: Richard is actually his middle name Don't Edit  Associated Press Musician Herb Alpert turns 85 Fun fact: Originally from Los Angeles Don't Edit  Associated Press Actor Christopher Walken turns 77 Fun fact: Won his only Oscar in 1979 for his role in 'The Deer Hunter' Don't Edit  Associated Press Actress Rhea Perlman turns 72 Fun fact: Appeared in a number of episodes of 'Taxi' early in her career Don't Edit Don't Edit  Associated Press Actor Robbie Coltrane turns 70 Fun fact: Has appeared in both the Harry Potter and James Bond movie franchises. Don't Edit  Associated Press Rock musician Angus Young turns 65 Fun fact: Originally from Glasgow, Scotland Don't Edit  Associated Press Actor Ewan McGregor turns 49 Fun fact: Set to reprise his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in an upcoming Disney+ series. Don't Edit  Associated Press Actress Kate Micucci turns 40 Fun fact: Attended Keystone College Don't Edit  Associated Press Actress Melissa Ordway turns 37 Fun fact: Appeared in a handful of episodes of '90210' Don't Edit Don't Edit More celebrities with birthdays today Actor William Daniels is 93. Actress Shirley Jones is 86. Comedian Gabe Kaplan is 76. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, is 76. Rock musician Mick Ralphs (Bad Company; Mott the Hoople) is 76. Author David Eisenhower is 72. Actor Ed Marinaro is 70. Actor Marc McClure is 63. Actor William McNamara is 55. Alt-country musician Bob Crawford (The Avett Brothers) is 49. Actress Erica Tazel is 45. Actress Judi Shekoni is 42. Rapper Tony Yayo is 42. Actor Brian Tyree Henry (TV: "Atlanta" Stage: "Book of Mormon") is 38. Jazz musician Christian Scott is 37. Pop musician Jack Antonoff (fun.) is 36. Actress Jessica Szohr is 35. Don't Edit Other popular or historical birthdays on March 31st Andrew Marvell, poet Johann Sebastian Bach, composer Franz Joseph Haydn, composer Cesar Chavez, labor leader Gordie Howe, NHL star Liz Claiborne, fashion designer Al Gore Jr., former vice president (72) with The Associated Press and HistoryOrb.com Don't Edit  Associated Press Don't Edit Celebrity fun facts Danielle Fishel and the 'Boy Meets World' cast Jennifer Lawrence & Mila Kunis Don't Edit  Associated Press Don't Edit Don't Edit Movie and TV fun facts & more 15 fun facts about 'The Office' The Royal Family: Who is next in line for the British Throne? 30 celebrities who were guest stars on 'The Office' 88 celebrities who were born in Canada In memoriam: Celebrities we lost in 2019 | 2018 25 Fun facts about 'Friends' | 25 celebrities who appeared on 'Friends' 25 actors you didn't know were on 'Game of Thrones' 25 actors you didn't know appeared in 'Boy Meets World' The MCU timeline: From 'Iron Man' to 'Avengers: Endgame' 20 fun facts about 'The Phantom Menace' for its 20th anniversary 15 fun facts about 'Napoleon Dynamite' to celebrate its 15th anniversary 20 fun facts about 'Love Actually' Relive your childhood with these 120 Hanna-Barbera cartoons Fun facts about 'The Big Lebowski' and 20 other movies turning 20 in 2018 Fun facts about 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' for its 20th anniversary Celebrate 'Dirty Dancing' turning 30 with these fun facts 20 fun facts about 'Scream' for its 20th anniversary 'Romeo + Juliet' turns 20: Where are they now Don't Edit Want to see more celebrity birthdays as well as additional fun facts posts? Follow me on Facebook for the latest by clicking the "like" button below. Don't Edit Don't Edit Subscribe to our free To Do Cleveland newsletter Cut through the noise with our expert picks and recommendations for restaurants, bars, concerts, nightlife, movies, festivals, family fun, theatrical performances, art exhibitions and more with To Do Cleveland, delivered every Thursday to your inbox. Don't Edit  |
| Celebrities who died from coronavirus and COVID-19 complications - Los Angeles Times Posted: 31 Mar 2020 10:21 AM PDT First the coronavirus outbreak shuttered entertainment venues and events around the world. And now it is starting to claim the lives of artists, entertainers and other celebrated figures. Here is a list of notable names among the tens of thousands of COVID-19 deaths worldwide. Sadly, it will be updated regularly, as will the tally of celebrities who are testing positive for the novel coronavirus. Terrence McNally, playwright (1938-2020)"Timing is everything in the theater, and Terrence McNally, a Broadway maestro who exuded eternal gratitude for the life the stage had given him, knew the importance of making a meaningful exit," wrote Times critic Charles McNulty in his appreciation. Advertisement "Having survived the AIDS epidemic and lung cancer, he died of complications from coronavirus on [March 24] at age 81. As the nation and the world are left reeling from the new pandemic, McNally, whose plays and musicals preached a gospel of living more fully through an awareness of loss, urges us through his death to take this disease seriously and to care for ourselves and one other — just as he instructed us to do in an earlier plague when he was a playwright at the top of his game." Floyd Cardoz, restaurateur-chef (1960-2020) (Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images) Chef Cardoz — who competed on "Top Chef," won "Top Chef Masters" and operated successful restaurants in both India and New York — died March 25 of complications from the coronavirus, his company said in a statement. He was 59. Advertisement Cardoz had traveled from Mumbai to New York through Frankfurt, Germany, on March 8. He was hospitalized with a fever in New Jersey a week before his death and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19. Mark Blum, actor (1950-2020) (Brian Killian / Getty Images) Blum, the actor known for roles in "'Crocodile' Dundee" and "Desperately Seeking Susan," died March 25 from complications of COVID-19. He was 69. Blum died at New York Presbyterian Hospital after being diagnosed a week prior with the coronavirus, said Janet Zarish, his wife of 15 years. The couple had not traveled recently or knowingly been in contact with anyone with the virus, she said, but Blum had asthma. Manu Dibango, saxophonist (1933-2020) (Christophe Ena / Associated Press) Jazz musician Manu Dibango, who fused African rhythms with funk to become one of the most influential musicians in world dance music, died March 24 of an illness linked to the coronavirus, according to his music publisher. He was 86. Advertisement The Cameroon-born saxophonist, who gained international fame with his 1972 song "Soul Makossa," died in a hospital in the Paris region. Joe Diffie, country singer-songwriter (1958-2020) Country star Joe Diffie died March 29 from complications related to COVID-19. (Crystal K. Martel) A star of the 1990s country scene, Diffie died March 29 of complications related to COVID-19, according to publicist Scott Adkins. Diffie was 61. Diffie had five No. 1 hits on the Billboard country chart, including "Home," "If the Devil Danced (in Empty Pockets)," "Third Rock From the Sun," "Pickup Man" and "Bigger Than the Beatles." A native of Tulsa, Okla., Diffie also wrote hits for others, including Tim McGraw, Conway Twitty and Jo Dee Messina.  (Associated Press) Popular Japanese comedian Shimura died March 29 from the coronavirus infection, becoming Japan's first known celebrity to be a victim of the disease. He was 70. Advertisement Shimura, who attracted fans of all generations with his slapstick comedy and funny faces, had been treated at a Tokyo hospital, according to his agency, Izawa Office. He was diagnosed with pneumonia after contracting the coronavirus. Alan Merrill, musician/songwriter (1951-2020) (Neil H. Kitson / Redferns / Getty Images) Merrill — who co-wrote the song "I Love Rock and Roll," which became a signature hit for fellow rocker Joan Jett — died March 29 in New York of complications from the coronavirus. He was 69. Daughter Laura Merrill shared the news on her Facebook page, writing, "I was given 2 minutes to say my goodbyes before I was rushed out. He seemed peaceful and as I left there was still a glimmer of hope that he wouldn't be a ticker on the right hand side of the CNN/Fox news screen," she wrote. "I walked 50 blocks home still with hope in my heart. The city that I knew was empty. ... By the time I got in the doors to my apartment I received the news that he was gone." Andrew Jack, dialect coach/actor (1944-2020)Jack died early March 31 from COVID-19 complications at a hospital near London, his rep confirmed to TMZ. The dialect coach worked on accents with stars including Robert Downey Jr., Emma Thompson, Liam Hemsworth and Pierce Brosnan and helped create the dialects for the various fictional languages in the "Lord of the Rings" movies. The 76-year-old also appeared periodically as an actor in movies including "Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens," "Sherlock Holmes" and "Avengers: Endgame." "He was in no pain, and he slipped away peacefully knowing that his family were all 'with' him," his wife, Gabrielle Rogers, wrote on Twitter. Rogers, who is also a voice, dialect and acting coach, was reportedly quarantined in Australia when Jack died.  |
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