Legal Controversies in the Entertainment Industry

One of the biggest controversies to hit television this year was Charlie Sheen.  Charlie Sheen was an actor on the CBS sitcom, Two and a Half Men.  He created a lot of problems with his drug abuse and the show was put on hiatus to send him to rehab.  Shortly there after he made some nasty comments about the creator and the studio (Warner Bros.), prompting Sheen to be fired.  Legal battles ensued after Charlie Sheen being let go.  Recently the legal woes came to an end, but it definitely let the rest of the industry know that they are entitled to pay someone for the work they did.  For more information on the outcome, check out the Los Angles Times article, Charlie Sheen's Legal Dispute Over 'Two and a Half Men' Ends.

Another controversy that struck the entertainment industry this year was Lady Gaga and her “benefit” bracelets.  Basically consumers are saying that they bought these bracelets thinking they were going towards a charity and in reality, Lady Gaga was making quite a profit off of them.  Consumer Protection laws are put in place to help prevent this sort of thing from happening.  These bracelets were to help those in Japan after the earthquake.  And while some of the profits probably made it there, why was she profiting off these bracelets?  This particular lawsuit really gets my fire going.  She makes so much money in her own sales that she has the ability to lend her name to a relief fund over a tragedy.  It bothers me that anyone would want to profit off of that, especially without the public who adores here knowing!  Read more about the lawsuit at Reuters, and how there are people out there looking out for the consumer protection.  The article, reported by Jill Serjeant, Lady Gaga Sued Over Japan Earthquake Charity Bracelets, also shares about how the Michigan legal network, 1800LAWFIRM, is the one that pointed out this allegation.

But of all the controversy happening this past year, my favorite would have to be the reality-stars, the Kardashian’s debit card scandal.  Kim, Khloe, and Kortney, who are unbelievably famous for basically nothing, signed on to have their brand (face/name) but lent to this company to make these debit cards.  But when they heard that the cards had outrageous fees, they pulled out of the deal, and lawsuits followed shortly after.  This could have been avoided if they were to know exactly what they were signing up for beforehand. I believe they should pay the money and move on.  Watch the video, Credit Card Company Sues for Kardashian Kash, and decide for yourself.  I found the Kardashian video posted at newsy.com.

In reality, we’re going to be going through controversy for as long as this industry continues.  But knowing the rules, the laws, and the fine print will help in the long run.