All articles tagged with #sexual assault allegations
Dutch World Cup referee Rob Dieperink, 38, died weeks after being dropped from the World Cup amid sexual assault allegations; he had been arrested in London but police later said the evidential threshold was not met and the case was dropped. Dieperink had maintained he was wrongly accused and had cooperated with investigators, and he had recently worked as a VAR official before being replaced by Willy Delajod.
Bernie Sanders called on Graham Platner to withdraw from the Maine Senate race amid very serious allegations of sexual assault; Platner denies the charges, and Democrats say a fair, open process will determine the replacement once he formally withdraws. The live blog also covers Trump’s Greenland push, a ruling against DeSantis’s Stop Woke Act, and a Harris Poll showing broad frustration with the affordability crisis ahead of the midterms.
Prominent Democrats are urging Graham Platner to withdraw from Maine's U.S. Senate race after a former partner accused him of sexual assault. Platner denies the claim but says he needs time to reflect on the best path forward, while the party and the Maine Democratic Party push to replace him before a July 13 ballot deadline in a pivotal race against Republican Susan Collins.
California Rep. Ro Khanna defended Graham Platner for Maine’s Senate race, then withdrew his endorsement after new sexual assault allegations, drawing backlash from Republicans and some Democrats and complicating Khanna’s role as a progressive surrogate and potential 2028 candidate.
Kevin Spacey told Bill Maher on Club Random that his career is rebounding after sexual misconduct allegations, saying he feels more welcomed and noting court victories related to the cases, including against Anthony Rapp. He described a post-scandal return that includes European and indie work, and addressed lingering rumors about his sexuality that surfaced during the misconduct allegations.
Los Angeles authorities are reviewing additional sexual assault allegations against Sean 'Diddy' Combs, who is serving a federal sentence, after LAPD and LASD presented separate investigations to the LA County DA. If prosecutors pursue charges in LA, he could face a second trial. Accuser Jonathan Hay has publicly spoken about the case; Combs previously faced but was acquitted on the most serious charges, with appeals ongoing.
Russell Brand told Megyn Kelly that he slept with a 16-year-old when he was 30, calling the encounter consensual but exploitative due to a power imbalance; he notes the age of consent in the UK/Europe is 16 and says he was an immature, younger man at the time. This comes amid 2023 rape allegations against Brand which he denies, with a UK rape trial anticipated later this year.
Ruby Rose’s 2011 essay recounting a drunken night with Katy Perry has resurfaced amid sexual assault allegations against Perry. Perry’s representatives deny the claims, while Rose says she has limited memory of the night and credits the incident with helping her pursue sobriety. Australian police are reportedly involved in the situation.
Justin Fairfax, elected Virginia lieutenant governor in 2017 as a historic rising star, saw his political trajectory derailed by sexual assault allegations; the piece also notes reports that he and his wife were later found dead in an apparent murder-suicide.
Victoria Police’s SOCIT is investigating an alleged 2010 sexual assault in Melbourne connected to Katy Perry after Ruby Rose publicly alleged the incident; Perry’s representatives deny the claims as reckless lies and say the investigation is ongoing.
A former Spice Market manager says Ruby Rose and Katy Perry arrived together in August 2010; both were intoxicated but he did not witness any assault, and they were escorted out discreetly. Perry’s team denies the allegations as false, and no formal findings or police confirmation have been made.
Arizona Democrat Ruben Gallego told CNN he had heard years of rumors that Rep. Eric Swalwell was flirtatious but says he never witnessed sexual assault or harassment. He regrets not addressing the rumors earlier and urged Swalwell to step down after allegations emerged; Swalwell denies the charges and resigned amid ongoing investigations in New York and California. Gallego suggested creating an independent body to protect staffers who come forward and pledged transparency by sharing messages if authorities request them.
Lonna Drewes publicly accuses Rep. Eric Swalwell of drugging and raping her in 2018 in Beverly Hills, a claim added to other misconduct allegations that led Swalwell to resign as authorities investigate; Swalwell denies wrongdoing and his legal team pursues action against accusers.
At a Beverly Hills press conference, Lonna Drewes accuses Eric Swalwell of drugging and raping her in 2018 after meeting him through political circles; she says one glass of wine incapacitated her and he took her to a hotel room, with notes of the assault appearing in therapy records. She plans to file a police report via lawyers Lisa Bloom and Arick Fudali, who say more women have contacted them. Swalwell has previously announced he would resign from Congress amid other accusations and denies this claim, saying he will fight false allegations while pursuing due process.
Ruby Rose has publicly accused Katy Perry of sexually assaulting her in a Melbourne nightclub when she was in her early 20s, saying she waited nearly two decades to speak out about the trauma. In Threads posts, Rose alleges Perry pulled aside her underwear and rubbed her genitals on Rose’s face and says she later vomited; she claims there are photos and witnesses, and that she did not file a police report. Perry has not publicly responded to the allegations.