Jay Leno is being sued by a Sikh man, it was revealed Tuesday, for a joke the man claims is offensive to his religion. Leno had joked that presidential candidate Mitt Romney spends his summers in a solid gold palace, showing a photo of India’s Harmandir Sahib temple, one of the most sacred buildings in the world to the Sikh people. Dr. Randeep Dhillon filed a libel suit against Leno, claiming he’s responsible for encouraging hatred and ridicule of his religion. Dhillon says in court documents the joke “falsely portrays the holiest place in the Sikh religion as a vacation resort owned by a non-Sikh.”
Halle Berry headed to court Tuesday, asking a judge to grant an order preventing baby-daddy Gabriel Aubry from having contact with their daughter Nahla as police investigate his alleged attack on their nanny. Alliance Kamdem claims Aubry physically and verbally abused her when she confronted him last week about why he had kept Nahla from school. He is now being investigated for battery and child endangerment, as Nahla was in Kamdem’s arms when he allegedly pushed her. Kamdem says she fears retaliation for reporting Aubry to the police and requested a restraining order Tuesday, which a judge denied, calling her petition “insufficient and speculative.” Meanwhile, a judge will decide Monday whether to grant Berry an order prohibiting Aubry from contacting Nahla until his investigation is complete.
Jimmy Fallon is being sued by his former stage manager, it was revealed Tuesday. The man claims he was booted due to his gender and that Fallon tries to surround himself with an all-female stage crew. Paul Tarascio claims he was dropped from his position in 2010 and replaced with a “totally incompetent woman.” He is suing Fallon and NBC Universal for discrimination, seeking punitive damages and lost wages. Not a good day for late-night talk show hosts!
Trial started Tuesday to determine the broadcast future of the Golden Globes. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which sponsors the Globes, claims partner Dick Clark Productions improperly negotiated a $150 million contract with NBC, allowing the network to air the show through 2018. The HFPA claims Dick Clark Productions negotiated the deal behind their back and that a better deal might have been struck with CBS. CBS’ CEO Les Moonves is expected to testify that he hoped to bid on the show.
