Celebrities and the Law

blixie wrote:Aha, it's the twink filled pool parties that Ted C went on about, and it sounds like that is what the accuser is alluding to as well. Am I right in thinking Corey Feldman/Haim's shade for their abuse is firmly on Schumacher? Which also fits in with Renfro going from him to Singer? UGH. JHC.

I'm actually surprised the rumors about Singer haven't been more widely circulated. People seem so shocked, but the stories have been almost constant since the days of Apt Pupil. I forgot that Schumacher has been rumored about, too.

mandalaya wrote:
I wonder if being on a show that revels in people doing very extreme things has made him feel like that kind of behavior is acceptable, or if he did things like this before he was on the show?

He has a long history of abuse and anger issues well pre dating the show. And I mean if the show did influence him, that would still probably have to do with existing problems he had.

Singer's love of young men has been around a LONG time but I think people thought they were (barely) on the other side of 18. Horrifying.

I was acquainted with an awful guy who used to drop Bryan Singer's name.

I won't lie. I am very curious about Paul Simon and Edie Brickell's arrests.

I cannot believe that they've been married for more than 20 years!

Apparently her mom was the one who called the cops. I reeeeeally hope this was just something that got blown out of proportion.

Not technically illegal but still pretty shady: Ben Affleck banned from Hard Rock Casino for counting cards. FOR LIFE! even...not good, Ben.

I have to admit, I see nothing wrong with counting cards. Everyone knows it's legal, and if you're smart enough to do it, more money to you, says me. Part of the risk of blackjack is that one of the players might be counting.

Yep. A casino banning a player for doing it is essentially them saying, "The house always wins. And when the house doesn't win, we *make it win*."

Yeah, I don't think it is a big deal. The casinos don't like people using their brains to even the odds.

What I find a little puzzling about this is that they decided to come down on him for it. I would think the value of having Affleck playing in their casino would make up for the losses, especially over future visits. This seems kind of short-sighted of them.

particle_person wrote:What I find a little puzzling about this is that they decided to come down on him for it. I would think the value of having Affleck playing in their casino would make up for the losses, especially over future visits. This seems kind of short-sighted of them.

He was probably being pretty blatant about it or maybe Jen Garner is BFFs with the head of security there.

I don't think the casino's see any value in letting an inconspicuous card counter get away with much less someone as famous as Affleck. Every time I've been to Vegas I've seen at least three or four get booted.

Yep. A casino banning a player for doing it is essentially them saying, "The house always wins. And when the house doesn't win, we *make it win*."

Seriously I'm supposed to feel bad for casino's? Not happening, it's justice that there are people out there skilled enough to tilt the odds however slightly in their favor. If anything I think it should be illegal to ban patrons for *winning* too much.

It's not that I feel bad for casinos but in Affleck's case it's not really a good look and it seems like an outward sign of the rumored backslide... When Argo was winning all those awards, I didn't foresee a future of Ben playing Batman and getting thrown out of casinos. It just feels circa 2002, coming from him.

I get what you mean Arabella. When he checked himself into rehab pre-J.Lo, he had just spent a weekend gambling and had won $800K. The point was he was on a bender while gambling. It could very easily be a trigger for him.

Arabella wrote:It's not that I feel bad for casinos but in Affleck's case it's not really a good look and it seems like an outward sign of the rumored backslide... When Argo was winning all those awards, I didn't foresee a future of Ben playing Batman and getting thrown out of casinos. It just feels circa 2002, coming from him.

That's what I thought. And I figured he wasn't necessarily thrown out for cardcounting (only), but for associated unwanted behaviors like alcohol or drug abuse or molesting the employees, all of which I can completely buy him doing.

Which sucks, because I like him and enjoy his work, and him getting thrown out of casinos suggests he's not in a good place.

Isn't he in Vegas with JGarner?

Garner is in Vegas with him but it's not clear if she was in the casino at the time.

I bet it was Jen Garner counting cards and Ben Affleck took the fall because he's so noble and valiant like that!!!! (Not really but I wouldn't put it past the likes of Lainey to try to spin it that way if she could at all, especially if she's in a mood over the mini-van majority!)

particle_person wrote:What I find a little puzzling about this is that they decided to come down on him for it. I would think the value of having Affleck playing in their casino would make up for the losses, especially over future visits. This seems kind of short-sighted of them.

Or cracking down on him could be seen as a way to dissuade other, less famous people.

I read a long article about that whole situation a year ago and it was just really depressing. I feel for that man and his children.

Kiran wrote:I read a long article about that whole situation a year ago and it was just really depressing. I feel for that man and his children.

It is utterly screwed up. His wife has always struck me as bizarre.

Michael Jace shoots and kills wife

Yikes. My husband loves The Shield and still binge-watches it once a year or so.

That's just…really sad. This seems like the kind of thing that could be stopped if there were fewer guns lying around.