rape trial

Donald Trump Tries To Ban Access Hollywood Tape From Rape Trial

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Former president Donald Trump and his legal team tried to ban his infamous Access Hollywood tape from his rape trial. For those who don’t remember, Trump bragged about “doing whatever you want” and grabbing women “by the p***y.” Moreover, his attorneys Alina Habba and Michale Madaio requested a ban of the tape based on court papers obtained Thursday (February 16). Furthermore, they called it “irrelevant and highly prejudicial,” and that it “might unjustly be used to suggest to jurors that Trump had a propensity for sexual assault and therefore must have raped Carroll.” Also, they want references to it blocked alongside the tape itself, which surfaced when he first ran for President.

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 31: Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for a New Years event at his Mar-a-Lago home on December 31, 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump continues to run for a second term as the President of the United States. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Not only are these requests questionably obfuscating trial, but the clip formed part of people’s perception of him years ago. As such, it’s hard to imagine a judge or jury ignore his words, however banned. “I’m automatically attracted to beautiful [women],” Trump told Access Hollywood host Billy Bush in 2005. “I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the p***y. You can do anything.”

Furthermore, the former Commander in Chief’s legal team also sought to block testimonies from two women who accused Trump of sexual misconduct. Moreover, 26 women accused him over the years, and he denied any and all claims. For this specific case, whose civil suit begins in April, writer E. Jean Carroll said Trump assaulted her in a department store in the mid-’90s. While Trump said she was lying and not his “type,” he mistook her for his ex-wife Marla Maples during an October deposition.

Meanwhile, ex-wife Ivana Trump reportedly said in a 1990 divorce deposition that Trump assaulted her the year prior. However, she later claimed that she accused him, but not in the “literal or criminal sense.” Even considering that, 26 stories risk being ignored in trial, and the court’s decision on these tape bans could make or break Trump’s accountability. Come back to HNHH for the latest news on Donald Trump and whether his trial will look at the full picture.

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Danny Masterson’s Retrial For Rape Charges Moved To April

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In 2017, iconic actor Danny Masterson was accused of rape by several different women. However, his arrest for these alleged crimes happened three years later in 2020. Most famous for his role in That 70s Show, Masterson was a member of the Netflix comedy show The Ranch at the time of the accusations. He was subsequently removed from the cast. In the past few years, he has had to deal with the repercussions of these accusations, and has had the help of Scientology, the church he has belonged to for a majority of his celebrity life. For the trials and court appearances he has had to participate in, Scientology’s higher-ups have supported him every step of the way.

In the first trial Masterson was a defendant for, three Jane Does hoped to have him prosecuted for raping them. The trial, which ended in Nov. 2022, concluded with a deadlocked jury and no verdict. A new retrial was scheduled for March 29, where a new jury will decide his fate. This retrial will likely see the same women who testified in the first trial return. However, throughout all this time and the first trial, Masterson has said that all of his sexual encounters with his accusers, even an ex-girlfriend, have been consensual.

Danny Masterson’s Retrial Date

Actor Danny Masterson stands with his lawyers Thomas Mesereau and Sharon Appelbaum as he is arraigned on rape charges at Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on September 18, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Masterson has been charged with forcibly raping three women on separate occasions between 2001 and 2003. (Photo by Lucy Nicholson – Pool/Getty Images)

On Wednesday (Feb. 15), LA Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo moved the Masterson retrial to April 11. He did so to accommodate potential witnesses. The first day of trial will see jury selection for the case. On Thursday (Feb. 16), Masterson’s pre-trial hearing took place at Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in LA. Although Danny Masterson was not present, a few other celebrities were in the building. The hearing occurred simultaneously with a pre-sentencing hearing in Harvey Weinstein’s rape case down the hall, as well as Eric Weinberg’s preliminary hearing for his multiple sex crimes case.

In regards to Masterson’s retrial, sources revealed to Deadline that television cameras could be present in the courtroom. This was not the case in Masterson’s first trial. It is currently unclear how the defense and witnesses feel about this possibility, but sources said the prosecution is in favor of the idea. The group of women who first testified against Masterson in the first trial was all former Scientologists. So, there will likely be a good amount of hostility in the retrial, considering Scientology and its ethics were a big talking point the first time around.

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