Jul 5, 2023 By Ap 6 min read

Accuser says Kevin Spacey grope wasn’t a caress: ‘It was like a cobra … angry’

LONDON (AP) — A man who says Kevin Spacey made crude and racially offensive remarks before grabbing his genitals said he kept the degrading incident boxed up inside for more than a decade. He says he feared no one would believe his word against that of an Oscar-winning “golden boy.” The man finally told police five years ago and his interview with an officer was played for jurors Wednesday at Spacey’s sex crimes trial in a London courtroom. The 63-year-old American actor has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges involving alleged nonconsenual sexual encounters with four men from 2001 to 2013, when he worked at London’s Old Vic Theatre.

David Beckham sits in Royal Box at Wimbledon a day after Princess Kate made an appearance

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Soccer royalty made its way into the Royal Box at Wimbledon when David Beckham took his place on Centre Court. Beckham attended Day 3 of the grass-court tournament a day after Princess Kate was in the stands. Beckham is one of the most famous players in soccer history for both his ability on the field and his persona off it. He has been a regular at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament over the years. Beckham was sitting with his mother. British adventurer Bear Grylls was also in the Royal Box.

Two months after Charles III’s coronation, Scotland hosts its own event to honor the new monarch

LONDON (AP) — It was Scotland on parade. Bagpipes, kilts, drums and a Shetland pony named Corporal Cruachan IV marched down Edinburgh’s Royal Mile to honor King Charles III. Two months after his lavish coronation at Westminster Abbey in London, Scotland hosted its own event Wednesday to mark the new monarch’s accession to the throne. While Charles and Queen Camilla weren’t crowned a second time at St. Giles’ Cathedral, the new king was presented with the Honors of Scotland — the crown, scepter and sword of state. The Stone of Destiny, an important symbol of Scottish identity, was moved to the cathedral for the festivities.

Shaun White documentary spells out the tough choices the snowboarder made for his sport and himself

Years after their sport was hoisted onto the Olympic stage, the idea of riding for big money and gold medals still felt dirty to most pro snowboarders. They were more focused on fun and friends than cash and prizes. For every death-defying calculation Shaun White made over two decades of risk-taking on the halfpipe, his decision to push those riders into thinking differently about their role in the sport was as big a game changer as any. A key part in the first episode of the documentary series “Shaun White: The Last Run” zeroes in on the exact moment White decided to try to make a living out of snowboarding instead of trying to make friends. The four-part series starts Thursday on MAX.

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ dispute with Diageo deepens as court unseals business details

Rapper and entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs is asking the New York Supreme Court to enforce a 2021 agreement that requires Diageo to treat his DeLeon tequila brand “at least as favorably” as its other tequila brands. Combs initially sued Diageo in May. But many details, including the 2021 agreement, were redacted at the time. On Wednesday, those details were released. Combs signed the agreement after what he says are years of neglect for the DeLeon brand, which Diageo positioned as an inferior “urban” brand. Diageo denies Combs’ claims and has asked the court to compel arbitration or dismiss the lawsuit.

Bear Grylls goes into the wild with a new batch of celebrities, from Bradley Cooper to Rita Ora

NEW YORK (AP) — For his latest role, Bradley Cooper leapt onto a hovering helicopter, rappelled down a 400-foot cliff and pulled himself across a 100-foot ravine in one of the harshest climates in North America. His reward wasn’t an Oscar nomination or a big box office hit. It was a hug from adventurist Bear Grylls and some words of encouragement. Cooper is one of several high-profile celebrities putting their survival skills to the test in Season 8 of Nat Geo’s “Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge.” Grylls told the AP the best guests are always those who come with a willingness to go with it over looking good.

‘Smallville’ actor released from prison for role in sex-trafficking case tied to cult-like group

The television actor Allison Mack has been released from a California prison near San Francisco. Mack pleaded guilty in 2019 for her role in a sex-trafficking case tied to the cult-like group NXIVM. Mack is best known for her role as a young Superman’s close friend on the television series “Smallville.” She was sentenced to three years behind bars in 2021 after pleading guilty two years earlier to charges that she manipulated women into becoming sex slaves for NXIVM leader Keith Raniere. Online records maintained by the Federal Bureau of Prisons say she was released Monday.

Heavy rains flood Chicago roads and force NASCAR to cut short a downtown street race

CHICAGO (AP) — Heavy rains have flooded Chicago streets and forced the cancellation of a NASCAR race set to run through the city’s downtown. The National Weather Service said up to 6 inches of rain had fallen in suburban areas of Chicago by midday. The Illinois State Police said parts of Interstate 55 and Interstate 290 have been closed because of flooding, with at least 10 cars trapped in water near Pulaski Road, a major north-south thoroughfare in the city. NASCAR announced it has canceled the Xfinity Series race set to conclude in the city’s downtown because of the weather.

Web designer in Supreme Court gay rights ruling cited client who denies making wedding site request

DENVER (AP) — A Colorado web designer who the U.S. Supreme Court ruled could refuse to make a wedding website for gay couples had cited a request from a man who says he never asked to work with her. The request in dispute wasn’t the basis for the federal lawsuit filed preemptively seven years ago by web designer Lorie Smith. But as the case advanced, it was referenced by her attorneys when lawyers for the state of Colorado pressed Smith on whether she had sufficient grounds to sue. The revelation distracts from Smith’s victory. Friday’s ruling is widely considered a setback for gay rights.

Affirmative action for white people? Legacy college admissions come under renewed scrutiny

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the wake of a Supreme Court decision that removes race from the admissions process, colleges are coming under renewed pressure to put an end to legacy preferences, the practice of favoring applicants with family ties to alumni. Long seen as a perk for the white and wealthy, opponents say it’s no longer defensible in a world with no counterbalance in affirmative action. President Joe Biden suggested that colleges should rethink the practice after the court’s ruling, saying legacy preferences “expand privilege instead of opportunity.” For critics of legacy admissions, the renewed debate over fairness in admissions has offered a chance to swing public sentiment behind their cause.