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Friday, May 11, 2018 Lifestyle | Music & Movies Pop star Brown named in sex assault lawsuit

Los Angeles woman filed a lawsuit later ended up at Brown’s home as she was by Doe X. She was later allowed to leave on Wednesday against Chris told by Grissom she could retrieve her cell the room by Doe X, who instructed her to ABrown and a fellow rapper, alleging phone at that location, where the party take a shower. she was repeatedly raped and sexually as- was continuing. “Our client alleges ... she It said the victim eventually was al- saulted at Brown’s home during a drug- was forced to go to Brown’s home because lowed to call a ride-sharing service and and alcohol-fueled party last year. The she perceived that she would only be able went to a rape treatment center and to the woman, identified only as Jane Doe, said to retrieve her phone there,” Allred said. police where she reported the assaults. she was lured to the singer’s house follow- The lawsuit said that the 29-year-old rap- “She filed this lawsuit because she wants ing a concert at a nightclub on February per provided alcohol and drugs, including justice for herself, but she also wants to 23, 2017 and was raped several times by cocaine, ecstasy and marijuana, at his warn other young women about the po- Lowell Grissom, who performs under the home. He also gave each female guest a tential danger to themselves if they have name Young Lo. She also alleges that an- clear capsule filled with white powder and their phone taken away and if they go to other unidentified woman at the party as- instructed them to take it to have a “good Chris Brown’s house,” Allred said. saulted her. time,” the suit alleges, adding that the Brown and Grissom’s publicists could “This is one of the most horrific cases plaintiff refused to take the drug. not be immediately reached for comment. involving alleged sexual assault that I have Contacted by AFP, Los Angeles police said ever seen,” Gloria Allred, one of three ‘Wants justice for herself’ there was “no open investigation at this lawyers representing the woman, said in a The complaint says that at one point, time regarding Chris Brown.” The pop star statement. “Our client, Jane Doe, has been the plaintiff was led to a bedroom where over the years has had several brushes with severely traumatized by what she was several women were having sex with Gris- the law. He was convicted in 2009 of beat- forced to suffer.” According to the lawsuit, som and Brown. “Plaintiff refused to un- ing fellow singer , his then girl- following a concert at 1 Oak club in West dress and made it clear that she did not friend, who was forced to miss the Grammy Hollywood, the plaintiff and her roommate want to engage in any sexual activity with Awards that year. In 2016, he was arrested went to an after party where they met anyone,” according to the document. It and charged with assault with a deadly Grissom and Brown and had their phones said that the plaintiff was subsequently re- This file photo shows singer Chris Brown performing during a free concert in weapon after a bizarre hours-long standoff confiscated. The suit says that the plaintiff peatedly raped by Grissom and assaulted Champ de Mars, downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti. — AFP with police in Los Angeles. — AFP

Eurovision up for Estonia’s singer Elina Nechayeva performs the song grabs as hosts ‘La Forza’ during the first semifinal of the song contest for first time 63rd edition of the Eurovision Song ortugal plays host for the first time Sat- graphics and LED screens have been taking Contest 2018 at the urday to the - away from the performance element of it,” Altice Arena in Pthe annual music spectacle known for its added Rendall, who has attended 10 other Eu- . — AFP mix of outrageous costumes, glitz and politics. rovision finals. Cyprus, Israel, France and Norway are among Sobral’s victory was the first time Portugal those predicted to do well but unlike last year- had won Eurovision since it entered the con- when Salvador Sobral took the Eurovision test in 1964 — and the first time a song sung crown with a jazzy-style ballad-there is no out entirely in a language other than English had and out frontrunner. The event in Lisbon won since 2007. His success appears to have comes as cash-strapped public broadcaster inspired more countries to field candidates RTP said it was planning a more “theatrical” performing in their mother tongue. Of the 43 contest that makes less use of video projec- acts taking part this year, 13 are sung entirely tions and new technologies, following in the in a language other than English, up four footsteps of Sobral’s performance at the festi- from last year. val in Kiev last year. Sobral, 28, who said after his win that Repeat winner? Eurovision 2018: What you “music is not fireworks, music is feeling”, Among those tipped to win the outlandish turned down the lights and simply swayed to annual extravaganza is Norway’s Alexander the music as he performed “” Rybak, who won Eurovision in 2009. If he need to know before watching (“Love for Two”), a song penned by his sister. does, it would be only the second time in Eu- rom geopolitical drama to its ardent gay a combined global audience of around 200 “We want our project to be as simple and el- rovision history that the same singer has won fan base-and questions like why can million viewers. egant as Salvador Sobral’s performance in twice, after Ireland’s Johnny Logan in the Australia enter? Here are five facts Kiev,” said Eurovision executive producer 1980s. After getting some chiding for picking F about the Eurovision Song Contest which this ‘Big Five’... and Australia Joao Nuno Nogueira last month as he dis- three men to host last year’s competition, con- year is being held in Portugal for the first time. The five biggest contributors to the Euro- cussed RTP’s plans for the contest, often billed test organizers this year enlisted four Por- pean Broadcasting Union (EBU), which oper- as the biggest non-sporting television event in tuguese women to host the final, including Guinness record ates Eurovision, automatically qualify for the the world. He would not say exactly how much Daniela Ruah, who stars in the hit US TV crime The contest was started in 1956 with the finale along with the host nation of the event, Portugal had spent on staging Eurovision, only drama “NCIS: Los Angeles”. Sobral will per- aim of uniting Europe after World War II which changes every year. The so-called “Big that it would be less than 25 million euros ($30 form on Saturday for the first time since he un- under the original name of the “Eurovision Five” are Britain, Germany, France, Italy and million dollars) which would make it the lowest derwent a heart transplant in December. Grand Prix”. It has been held every year since . While Australia is on the other side of budget contest in a decade. Lisbon’s riverside Praca do Commercio has then, making it the longest-running interna- the world, the contest has since the 1980s been converted into a buzzing “Eurovision Vil- tional TV music competition, according to been hugely popular in the country, especially ‘Different feel’ lage”, complete with bars and food trucks, Guinness World Records. There are annual among its large population of descendants The president of Britain’s main association which will broadcast the contest being held at music competitions that pre-date the event, from European countries, and in 2015 the EBU of Eurovision fans, Alasdair Rendall, welcomed the Altice Arena, located on the outskirts of the which adopted the title of the Eurovision agreed to let it take part in the competition. the changes, predicting it would give a “differ- city. For those without tickets, the competition Song Contest in 1968, but none of them are Australia’s participation was initially set to be ent feel” to the contest, started in the 1950s will be broadcast on a giant outdoor screen. broadcast on television. Often billed as the a one-off event but it has taken part in every with the aim of uniting Europe after World War Viewers and professional juries in all 43 partic- biggest non-sporting TV event in the world, subsequent edition, finishing second in 2016 II. “I think it will make it more of a live music ipating countries will pick the winner, with the organizers predict this week’s two semi-finals when Korean-born Australian singer Dami Im show, it was in danger of becoming too much of televoting and juries each representing 50 per- and the finale in Lisbon on Saturday will have represented the country. — AFP a pure TV show,” he told AFP. “Some of the cent of the outcome. — AFP