Guilty Pleasures
By NewsPress Now
Movie armorer appeals conviction in fatal shooting of cinematographer
SANTA FE, N.M. | A movie weapons armorer is appealing her conviction for involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western film “Rust,” according to court documents released Tuesday.
A defense attorney filed the shortly worded appeal notice as Hannah Gutierrez-Reed serves an 18-month sentence at a New Mexico penitentiary for women. Her attorneys have 30 days to submit detailed arguments.
Prosecutors blame Gutierrez-Reed for unwittingly bringing live ammunition onto the set of “Rust,” where it was expressly prohibited, and for failing to follow basic gun-safety protocols. A jury convicted her in state court in March.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer of the film, was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal when the gun went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza.
Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter and says he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the gun fired. His trial is scheduled for July.
Gutierrez-Reed was acquitted of an evidence tampering charge at trial, and still confronts separate court proceedings on allegations she carried a firearm into a bar in downtown Santa Fe.
A New Mexico judge last month found that Gutierrez-Reed’s recklessness on the “Rust” set amounted to a serious violent offense, noting few indications of genuine remorse in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Gutierrez-Reed said at a sentencing hearing she had tried to do her best on the set despite not having “proper time, resources and staffing,” and that she was not the monster that people have made her out to be. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer said the maximum sentence was appropriate.
A French court clears director Polanski of defaming actor
PARIS | A French court acquitted filmmaker Roman Polanski on Tuesday of defaming a British actor whom he accused of lying after she alleged that he sexually assaulted her as a teenager.
The case stems from a 2019 interview with Paris Match magazine where Polanski accused Charlotte Lewis of “a heinous lie” for alleging that he raped her in the 1980s when she was 16.
The Paris court’s ruling did not address the truth of the rape allegation but focused solely on whether the 90-year-old Polanski’s comments in the interview constituted defamation against Lewis. Polanski denied the charges.
Lewis said she felt let down by the verdict and would appeal.
“I feel sad,” she said. “For us, it’s not over.”
Polanski was not in court. His lawyer Delphine Meillet phoned him from the courtroom to announce the news, saying: “We won, Roman.”
Speaking afterward to reporters, she said the court recognized his right to challenge people who make accusations against him. She noted that the verdict came on the opening day of the Cannes Film Festival, calling it “a symbolic day.”
“The question that the court answered was whether you could defend yourself publicly when you are accused publicly. The answer is yes. You can challenge accusations, you can cast doubt on accusations,” the lawyer said. “It’s a victory for the rights of the defense.”
Polanski, known for classics such as “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Chinatown” and “The Pianist,” had also suggested to Paris Match that Lewis was a poor liar and may have falsely accused him out of “frustration.”
Lewis first made public her accusations against Polanski in 2010, alleging that “he sexually abused me in the worst possible way when I was just 16 years old,” referring to a 1983 incident in Paris during a casting session for his film “Pirates.”
When her defamation suit was heard in Paris in March, Lewis testified that she didn’t file suit for rape against Polanski in 2010 because too much time had passed for her allegations to be heard, the court noted Tuesday in a summary of its ruling.
The filmmaker has faced several other accusations of sexual assault that allegedly occurred over several decades, including a notable case from 1977 where he was charged with the rape of a 13-year-old in the United States. He pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor but fled to Europe in 1978 before sentencing could take place.
Jason Aldean will honor Toby Keith at the ACM Awards
The time has come to raise a red solo cup. Jason Aldean will pay tribute to the late Toby Keith at the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards.
The 59th ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, will take place Thursday at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, just north of Dallas.
Across his career, Keith took home 14 ACM Awards, twice winning the top prize of entertainer of the year. He died in February at age 62, following a stomach cancer diagnosis.
“I’ve been a fan of his since the beginning and his songs are some of the first songs I played back in clubs early in my career, including the one I’ll be performing on the show,” Aldean said in a statement. “I was lucky enough to share the stage with Toby in Oklahoma this last year, and it means a lot to be able to honor him and properly celebrate his iconic career and legacy. He was one of a kind.”
Having Aldean, the most recent artist of the decade recipient, honor Keith made sense, ACM CEO Damon Whiteside said in a statement.
“The popularity, influence, and love for Toby Keith is infinite since his passing earlier this year,” Whiteside said, adding that the academy was looking forward to welcoming Keith’s family.
Luke Combs leads the 2024 nominations with eight nods. For a fifth year in a row, he’s up for both male artist of the year and entertainer of the year.
Megan Moroney and Morgan Wallen follow with six each, while Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson are tied with five.
Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett, Post Malone, Parker McCollum, McEntire, Wilson and Stapleton will perform during the telecast. Fans can expect a few interesting collaborations as well — Kelsea Ballerini with Noah Kahan; Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani and Nate Smith with Avril Lavigne.
Among the presenters are Alabama, BRELAND,Carin León, Little Big Town, Randy Travis.
The awards will stream on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch Live at 8 p.m. Eastern. The red carpet feed will begin at 7 p.m.
King Charles III unveils his first official portrait since his coronation
LONDON | King Charles III has unveiled the first portrait of the monarch completed since he assumed the throne, a vivid image that depicts him in the bright red uniform of the Welsh Guards against a background of similar hues.
The larger-than-life painting by artist Jonathan Yeo captures the king with his hands clasped atop the hilt of his sword and a butterfly flitting above his right shoulder. Charles got his first look at the canvas Tuesday at Buckingham Palace.
Yeo began the portrait more than a year before Charles became king, with a sitting at the then-Prince of Wales’ Highgrove estate in June 2021. The last sitting took place in November 2023 at Clarence House, one of the king’s residences in London.
“When I started this project, His Majesty The King was still His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, and much like the butterfly I’ve painted hovering over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subject’s role in our public life has transformed,’’ Yeo said.
The portrait, which is approximately 8 1/2 by 6 1/2 feet, will be on display at the Philip Mould Gallery in London from May 16 to June 14. From the end of August, it will be displayed at Drapers’ Hall across town.
The portrait was commissioned to celebrate Charles’ 50 years as a member of the Drapers’ Company, which was set up more than 600 years ago as a trade association for wool merchants.
Philanthropy came to be part of their mission and the company is now a grant-giving body.
—From AP reports
