Entertainment

Women Slam Music Industry for Ignoring Sexual Misconduct by Major Stars on January 27, 2024 at 12:00 am Us Weekly

Published

2 years ago

January 27, 2024

After years of allegedly being silenced, 10 female survivors of sexual assault took a stand against the music industry — and exposed their experiences with Axl Rose, Nick Carter and more musicians.

“The secrets we have unveiled are horrifying,” attorney Jeff Anderson said in a press release on Thursday, January 25. “What may be even more horrifying is that we know this is only the tip of the iceberg.”

The lawyer hosted a live press event with several women who claimed to have been sexually assaulted while working in the music industry or as fans.

Former Dream singer Melissa Schuman detailed being allegedly assaulted by Backstreet Boys’ Carter, 43, when she was a teenager, while Sheila Kennedy recalled Guns N’ Roses frontman Rose, 61, allegedly attacking her in the ‘80s.

“The music industry should thrive on talent, dedication, and passion not coercion, not exploitation, not harassment, and certainly not rape,” Schuman, 39, said on Thursday. “In sharing my story, I aim to empower others to break the cycle of silence that has allowed this issue to persist. It’s about time the music industry is no longer a breeding ground for abuse.”

Kari Krome, who is part of the Make Music Safe Program and a former songwriter for the Runaways, slammed Rodney Bingenheimer for being a “well-known predator” while asking his employer SiriusXM to cut ties with the rocker.

Scroll down to learn more about the survivors’ alleged attacks — and what they want the music industry to do in response:

Women Are ‘Cheap Labor’ in Music Industry

Schuman, who previously spoke about her alleged assault in 2016, recounted her start in music, saying she was part of the girl group Dream in 1999. The band was signed to Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ Bad Boy Records.

“I was in the middle of school at the time, actually barely out of the eighth grade. And I believe that all my dreams were on the verge of coming true,” she said on Thursday, noting that after the group gained multi-platinum status, she thought her career would take off.

Schuman confessed, “I never, ever considered the darker motives behind discovering and shaping young talent, like the girls in Dream and myself besides us being used as cheap labor.” She alleged that the girls were “a prime age for grooming.”

When she was about to turn 18, Schuman remembered picking up on “this sort of silent understanding by those around me, that success would come at the expense of the exchange of my body.” Schuman alleged that it was joked about among the adults in the industry that “the cost of saying yes to uncomfortable advances” would help with “career advancement.”

Nick Carter Allegedly ‘Weaponized’ Fandom After Assault Claims

Schuman told the press on Thursday that she was “sexually assaulted by Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys when I was only 18 years old.” She alleged that the incident completely derailed her music career.

“I believed it was impossible to safeguard myself from his control and his influence while pursuing music,” she explained. “And so at the young age of 20 years I abandoned my recording career as a solo artist, I was trapped by skewed power dynamics.”

Denise Truscello/WireImage

Schuman claimed that the industry was not only made up of “predators,” but she argued that “those profiting from the predators that shield them at all costs” were just as bad. When Schuman came forward with her story, first on her blog in 2017 and then to police the next year, she alleged that Carter had his fans shame her.

“I have since become a target of retaliation through orchestrated PR,” she claimed. “Read the headlines and social media attacks my abuser and his boy band are well funded, they have access to extensive resources and they even weapon weaponize their fandom to shield their bandmate and brand from accountability.”

Schuman sued Carter in April 2023 for sexual assault and battery. In court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Schuman claimed that Carter raped her when she was 18 and he was 22. She alleged in the filing that Carter performed oral sex on her and then forced her to do the same.

“Melissa Schuman has been peddling this tale for many years, but her allegation was false when she first made it back in 2017 —and it still is,” Carter’s lawyer, Liane K. Wakayama, told Us in a statement at the time. “A judge in Nevada recently ruled, after reviewing the extensive evidence we laid out, that there are strong grounds for Nick Carter to proceed with his lawsuit against Ms. Schuman for plotting to damage, defame and extort Nick, his associates, his friends and his family.”

Wakayama continued: “In light of our progress in Nevada, this kind of response is at once both predictable and pathetic. But this PR stunt won’t shake Nick from his determination to hold Ms. Schuman and her co-conspirators to account for the immeasurable pain and suffering their extortionate conduct has caused.”

Carter and Schuman appeared in court on January 17, during which time he asked for a judge to dismiss the case. Carter’s plea was denied. He has also filed a counter claim against Schuman and two others for allegedly harassing him.

Axl Rose Is a ‘Monster’

Us confirmed in November 2023 that Kennedy, 61, filed a lawsuit against Rose, accusing him of sexually assaulting her in 1989. Kennedy alleged that after she tried to leave Rose’s hotel room because he wanted to engage in group sex with two other models, Rose reportedly “knocked her to the floor” and dragged her to the bed.

“Simply put, this incident never happened. Notably, these fictional claims were filed the day before the New York State filing deadline expires,” Rose’s attorney, Alan S. Gutman, told Us in a statement at the time. “Though he doesn’t deny the possibility of a fan photo taken in passing, Mr. Rose has no recollection of ever meeting or speaking to the Plaintiff, and has never heard about these fictional allegations prior to today. Mr. Rose is confident this case will be resolved in his favor.”

Harry Durrant/Getty Images

Kennedy, who was a former Penthouse model, has not backed down from her claims and has continued to allege that the assault has left her traumatized. “I have a voice and I don’t want to be called a victim. I want other women to hear this about Axl Rose, he’s a monster and he needs to be held accountable,” she said on Thursday. “And I’m here today to make sure that happens.”

Kennedy noted that it was “difficult” to talk about the assault but she wanted to get her story out there. “I think it’s really important that we need to make this industry safe for women,” she explained. “There are so many victims that feel shame, that feel guilty. Feel like they when they go to sleep at night, they have nightmares and it needs to stop this monster needs to be stopped: Axl Rose.”

A Call for Rodney Bingenheimer to Be Fired

Krome (legal name Carrie Mitchell) filed two lawsuits in April 2023, one against the late Runaways manager Kim Fowley and the second against former KROQ disc jokey Bingenheimer, 76. Krome claimed that Fowley, who died in 2015, sexually assaulted her in the 1970s when she was a teen. Fowley was previously accused of sexual assault by Runaways’ bassist Jackie Fox.

Krome alleged that Bingenheimer also sexually assaulted her during that decade after grooming her. Bingenheimer has recently been accused of sexual assault by five other women. He has not publicly commented on the case. Bingenheimer currently has a SiriusXM radio show called “Rodney Bingenheimer in the Underground Garage,” which Krome argued on Thursday should get shut down due to the allegations.

Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

“I’m here to demand Sirius XM to remove Rodney Bingenheimer a well-known serial predator and pedophile,” Krome told reporters. “What I want to know is how do listeners feel about having an abuser and a pedophile employed by Sirius XM? How many more victims need to come forward for Sirius to take this seriously? This is a cancer that’s affected every aspect of the industry and I’m here to call for it to stop and I would just like to say flat out shame on Sirius XM. Remove Rodney Bingenheimer.”

Us Weekly has reached out to Rose, Carter and Bingenheimer’s reps for comment.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

After years of allegedly being silenced, 10 female survivors of sexual assault took a stand against the music industry — and exposed their experiences with Axl Rose, Nick Carter and more musicians. “The secrets we have unveiled are horrifying,” attorney Jeff Anderson said in a press release on Thursday, January 25. “What may be even

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Entertainment

Selling Your Soul in Hollywood: The Hidden Cost of Fame

Published

2 hours ago

October 20, 2025

Bolanle Media Staff

By all appearances, Hollywood is a dream factory — a place where charisma, talent, and luck collide to create stars. But behind the camera lights and red carpets lies a conversation few inside the industry speak openly about: the spiritual and moral price of ambition.

For actor Omar Gooding, the idea of “selling your soul” in Hollywood isn’t a metaphor — it’s a moral process that begins with tiny compromises. In an October 2025 interview, Gooding explained that no one in Hollywood makes a literal deal with the devil. Instead, it’s the quiet yeses, the moments when comfort overrides conviction, that mark the beginning of the trade. “They don’t say, ‘Take this or you’ll never make it,’” he said. “They just put it in front of you. You choose.”

Those choices, he argues, create a pattern. Once you show that you’ll accept something you once resisted, the industry notices. “Hollywood knows who it can get away with what,” Gooding said. “One thing always leads to another.” The phrase “selling your soul,” in this context, means losing your say — doing what you’re told rather than what you believe in.

That moral tension has long shadowed the arts. Comedians like Dave Chappelle, who famously walked away from millions to preserve his creative integrity, often serve as examples of where conviction and career collide. In resurfaced interviews, Chappelle hinted that he felt manipulated and silenced by powerful figures who sought control of his narrative, warning that “they’re trying to convince me I’m insane.”

This isn’t just about conspiracy — it’s about agency. Hollywood runs on perception. Performers are rewarded for being agreeable, moldable, entertaining. Those who question the machine or refuse the script risk exile, while those who conform are elevated — sometimes beyond what they can handle.

“We see the ‘collections’ all the time,” Gooding explained. “When the bill comes due, you can tell. They made that deal long ago.”

But the story doesn’t end in darkness. Gooding also emphasizes that in today’s entertainment landscape, artists have more control than ever. With streaming, social media, and creator‑driven platforms, performers don’t have to “play the game” to be seen. Independent creators can build their own stages, speak their own truths, and reach millions without trading authenticity for access.

Still, the temptation remains — recognition, validation, quick success. And every generation of artists must answer the same question: What are you willing to do for fame?

As Gooding put it, “You just make the best choices you can. Because once it’s gone — your name, your peace, your soul — there’s no buying it back.”

Entertainment

California Bans AI Clones from Replacing Real Talent

Published

5 days ago

October 14, 2025

Bolanle Media Staff

California just made a dramatic stand for human creativity, defeating the threat of AI actor clones with a sweeping new law that puts people—not algorithms—back in the Hollywood spotlight. With the stroke of Governor Gavin Newsom’s pen in October 2025, the state has sent a clear message to studios, tech companies, and the world: entertainment’s heart belongs to those who create and perform, not to digital facsimiles.

California Draws a Hard Line: No More AI Clones

For months, the entertainment industry has been divided over the use of artificial intelligence in filmmaking. Studios, lured by promises of cost-cutting and creative flexibility, have invested in software that can mimic an actor’s face, voice, and even emotional range. But for performers, this wave of synthetic reproduction has triggered alarm—encouraged by chilling stories of deepfakes, unauthorized digital doubles, and contracts that let studios reuse a star’s likeness indefinitely, sometimes without pay or approval.

The new California law, anchored by AB 2602 and AB 1836, changes everything:

Every contract must explicitly detail how studios can use digital replicas or voice models, preventing once-common “blank check” agreements that overlooked this risk.
No one—not studios nor streaming giants—can create or release AI-generated clones of an actor, living or dead, without clear, written consent from the performer or their estate.
The law gives families new powers to defend loved ones from posthumous deepfake exploitation, closing painful loopholes that once let virtual versions of late icons appear in new ads, films, or games.

Actors Celebrate a Major Victory

The legislation rides the momentum of the recent SAG-AFTRA strike, where real-life talent demanded control over their own digital destinies. Leaders say these protections will empower artists to negotiate fair contracts and refuse participation in projects that cross ethical lines, restoring dignity and choice in an industry threatened by silent algorithms.

Stars, unions, and advocacy groups are hailing the law as the most robust defense yet against unwanted AI replications.

As one actor put it, “This isn’t just about money—it’s about identity, legacy, and respect for real artists in a synthetic age.”

A New Chapter for the Entertainment Industry

California’s move isn’t just a victory for local talent—it’s a warning shot to studios everywhere. Companies will now be forced to rethink production pipelines, consult legal counsel, and obtain proper clearance before digitally cloning anyone. Global entertainment platforms and tech developers will need to comply if they want to do business in the world’s entertainment capital.

These laws also set a template likely to ripple through other creative fields, from musicians whose voices can be synthesized to writers whose work could be mimicked by generative AI. For now, California performers finally have a powerful shield, ready to fight for the right to shape their own public image.

Conclusion: Human Talent Takes Center Stage

With its no-nonsense ban on AI actor clones, California draws a bold line, championing the work, likeness, and very humanity of its creative stars. It’s a landmark step that forces the entertainment industry to choose: respect real talent, or face real consequences. The age of the consentless digital double is over—human performers remain the true source of Hollywood magic.

Entertainment

Chaos and Comedy: Darby Kingman’s “Camp Wackapoo: Rise of Glog”

Published

6 days ago

October 13, 2025

Bolanle Media Staff

Darby Kingman’s “Camp Wackapoo: Rise of Glog” redefines summer camp comedy with a wild, energetic story about ambition, chaos, and the joy of embracing the unexpected. The film centers on a relentlessly competitive camp counselor who’s determined to finish first—only to face a motley crew of unruly campers and a summer unlike any other.

As Darby puts it, “Not everything is that deep. It really honestly was to make people laugh. She has all these kids that are not working with her and she’s just losing her mind. It’s crazy, silly, goofy, and it was a blast.”

What started as a simple scene for Darby’s acting reel evolved into a full-fledged film with encouragement from her mentor at Debbie Reynolds Acting School. Darby dove into every role—writing, directing, starring, and meticulously preparing each prop and costume. “Plan and prepare, but also be flexible and ready to be in the moment—that’s when the magic happens,” she advises.

Working with a handpicked cast of her own dance students, Darby built an atmosphere of real teamwork and camaraderie. She credits the “precious” energy of her young cast, her creative director of photography, and the overall spirit of her production team for turning the project into something bigger than herself. Her experience is an inspiring blueprint for indie filmmakers:

“Take initiative and control of your career. You can’t just sit around and wait for somebody to pick you. Figure out what you’re good at and go for it. Create something that brings joy to others.”

Her production motto? “Preparation is key, but you have to be ready to go with the flow—that’s when the magic happens.” Darby’s fearless creativity, focus on collaboration, and love for comedy shine throughout “Camp Wackapoo: Rise of Glog.” It’s more than just a camp satire—it’s a heartfelt testament to hard work, original humor, and leadership from the ground up: “People need to laugh right now. That’s a win.”

Catch “Camp Wackapoo: Rise of Glog” and experience Darby’s infectious energy and comic genius at the Deluxe Theatre on November 1, 2025. Get your tickets now at Houstoncomedyfilmfestival.com.