R. Kelly’s trial is underway and it’s not going great for him.

by Therese Odell, posted in Uncategorized

#MeToo

The R. Kelly trial is underway, and already he’s been accused of having an abusive six-month-long relationship with a 16-year-old, and giving one 17-year-old victim herpes, viciously beating her, and forcing her to get an abortion against her will. It was also revealed that the reason Kelly married a 15-year-old Aaliyah when he was 27 was because his manager thought she was pregnant and they were trying to avoid statuary rape charges. It’s going to be a rough trial for Kelly. GOOD. (And again, it’s worth remembering that he is on trial today in large part because of the bravery of Lifetime’s Surviving R. Kelly documentary, and the women who participated in it. Let’s hope they get justice this time around.)

The New York Times published a troubling report about the Time’s Up organization and its leaders’ relationships with people — notably men — in power, including Andrew Cuomo and their role in helping him protect his reputation while dealing with the sexual harassment allegations against him. The report also claims that President of Time’s Up, Tina Tchen, held back a letter from women’s groups to President Biden when he was a candidate, that urged him to respond to a sexual misconduct allegation, and that she wanted to create “a new for-profit consulting arm that could allow her and others to advise corporations, including those facing abuse accusations, board and staff members grew concerned, according to meeting notes.” Basically, according to some members, the organization has moved away from helping women to protecting the men who abuse them.

Ms. Tchen has no intention of resigning, and Time’s Up says they’ve hired an outside group to investigate.

Speaking of Andrew Cuomo, yesterday was that asshole’s last day and of course he went out on a defiant note, claiming that “the truth will come out.” Alright, bye.

Oh, and The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has stripped Cuomo of the Emmy they gave him for his daily press conferences during last spring’s COVID surge in New York.

Actress Briana Thomas is suing Sony Television and CBS Studios, alleging that Anthony “Tony” Morina, The Young and the Restless, showrunner sexually harassed her when she appeared as an extra on the soap.

The Queen wants her sex pest son to keep all of his military titles. As this piece points out, remember how Harry was stripped of all of his military titles and he didn’t even go to a sex monster island to sexually abuse minors?

Porn star Peter North has been accused of raping and violently abusing his wife.

All Other TV News

Wait, hold up, The Rachel Maddow Show is going to move from being nightly to once a week? Apparently, it’s designed to allow Maddow to do other film, TV, and media projects, but I can’t imagine MSNBC is thrilled with letting their most popular primetime host go like that.

American Horror Story returns tomorrow, and you can get in the mood with these creepy radio broadcasts (another is expected to drop today, and one tomorrow):

Have you watched Annette? If so, I’m guessing you have some … questions. The Ringer is here to try to help as best they can.

No, that was not Steve Zahn’s penis in White Lotus, but he’s fine with doing nudity, in case you needed to know that.

John Cleese, whom I adore, is doing a show in the UK about cancel culture called Cancel Me, “in which he speaks to activists and victims of cancel culture, including some famous faces.” I’m not going to rant again about how no one is actually being “canceled,” they are just facing consequences, I’ll just point out that John Cleese once sued a newspaper writer for writing an op-ed that suggested that his career was stagnating. It’s always remarkable to me that the people who scream the loudest about not being able to offend people anymore are among some of the most easily offended.

Y’all really are refusing to watch Wellington Paranormal, huh.

I’m genuinely not here to try to sell you on another streaming service, but if you have Paramount+, I do recommend catching up with Evil season two, it’s been great fun. It returns after a short hiatus on August 29, and here’s a little reminder of where everything stands.

An Infowars host (but unfortunately, not Alex Jones) has turned himself in after being charged for his involvement in the January 6 insurrectionist riot. I’m shocked, shocked, I say.

Tom Girardi has been moved into a senior living facility, so either he really has dementia or he is really committing to pretending he has dementia.

Oh, Nicholas Brendon, not again. Please get help.

Renewals

In Development

Casting News

Mark Your Calendars

  • Netflix has released the dates for 42 movies debuting this fall. Some of them will be included below, but for the full list click here.
  • Army of Thieves will premiere on Netflix on October 29.
  • Cruella will be available on Disney+ on August 27.
  • The Kelly Clarkson Show will return on September 13.
  • Teenage Euthanasia will debut on Adult Swim on September 19.
  • Luna Park will premiere on Netflix on September 30.

R.I.P.

Micki Grant, Actress, writer, and director who was the first Black woman on a daytime program, the first woman to write both the music and lyrics for a Broadway show and the first Black woman to direct a Broadway show.

Charlie Watts, Drummer for the Rolling Stones

Bill Clotworthy, NBC standards and practices executive who was known as “Dr. No” at Saturday Night Live

Jimmy Hayes, Former NHL player

Brian Travers, Founding member of the band UB40

WATCH THIS

Bachelor in Paradise: Last week’s premiere only aired on Monday night, and believe it or not, I had actually stupidly held out hope that this season this nonsense would only be on once a week. Of course, I would never be that lucky. 7 p.m., Tuesday

Supergirl: Supergirl and Zor-El somehow create a whole new threat to National City. Final season premiere. 8 p.m., The CW

Hereditary: Genuinely, this is the scariest movie I’ve seen in the past 20 years — if not even longer. If you don’t think you can handle it, you can’t. 5:20 p.m., Showtime Showcase

Late Night:

  • Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Andy Samberg, Andrea Bocelli
  • Late Night with Seth Meyers: Melissa McCarthy, Ben Falcone, J.B. Smoove, Taylor Tomlinson, Jerome Flood II
  • The Late Late Show with James Corden: Lorde
  • Jimmy Kimmel Live: Lizzo, Kane Brown, the Jonas Brothers, guest host Niall Horan

TUES. 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30
ABC Bachelor in Paradise

(new)		 The Ultimate Surfer

(new)
CBS NCIS
(repeat)		 FBI
(repeat)		 FBI: Most Wanted
(repeat)
CW Stargirl
(new)		 Supergirl
(new)		 Local
FOX Lego Masters
(new)		 Fantasy Island
(new)		 News/Local
NBC America’s Got Talent
(new)		 Capital One College Bowl
(new)

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