Celebrity #MeToo Cases Are Proving Tough to Convict

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The prosecutor made a bold prediction during her closing argument. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey stated in court last week that for two decades, the defendant has evaded justice for his crimes, but that era ends here. It’s past time for him to face consequences… The defendant is not infallible.

It seems unlikely, but it’s worth noting that Combs is extremely famous. Moreover, it’s becoming more evident that #MeToo cases involving celebrities, regardless of whether they’re criminal or civil matters, are often challenging to resolve in favor of the accuser due to the high profile status of the defendant.

Besides Combs being acquitted from the gravest accusations leveled against the rap tycoon, it’s worth noting that comparable mixed outcomes have been observed in other high-profile cases where intense media scrutiny and a substantial investment of resources were directed towards securing “guilty” verdicts against celebrities alleged to have committed sex offenses.

The legal proceedings involving disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein, who initiated the #MeToo movement in 2017 with his arrest, have turned chaotic. In 2020, Weinstein’s New York conviction was overturned, leading to a mistrial for a rape charge and an acquittal on one count of criminal sexual act (however, he was found guilty on another count of the same charge).

After being acquitted of nine sexual assault charges by a London jury in 2023 and being declared not liable in a civil lawsuit by a federal jury in 2022, Kevin Spacey has begun to receive acting jobs once more. One civil case involving him remains unresolved at present.

Subsequently, Bill Cosby faced charges for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 2018, following a first trial that ended in a mistrial. However, he was found not guilty in 2021 due to a technicality.

In 2022, the former star of “That ’70s Show”, Danny Masterson, experienced a mistrial after being charged with rape. Remarkably, he needed to go through another trial in 2023 following this initial inconclusive verdict, as the charges against him resulted in yet another 30 years to life prison sentence.

Two significant instances of non-criminal civil litigation that garnered attention involve celebrities:

1. In 2022, Johnny Depp triumphed in his defamation lawsuit against ex-spouse Amber Heard, who had alleged abuse. Remarkably, Depp was granted $10 million in damages as a result of the case.

2. The legal dispute between director Justin Baldoni and his co-star Blake Lively from the film “It Ends With Us” is still ongoing. However, the situation has generated a public sentiment similar to that of Depp vs. Heard, with Baldoni garnering widespread online support following Lively’s accusations of sexual harassment.

In many respects, these legal disputes demonstrate the challenging nature that any case alleging sexual misconduct often faces in court. The #MeToo movement primarily shaped societal attitudes, but it didn’t fundamentally alter the requirements for securing a conviction in such cases.

In situations where consent is at the heart of the issue, as seen in many well-known cases, this point becomes especially relevant. For example, during Diddy’s trial, his defense used text messages from his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, to depict the alleged sex trafficking as a consensual, albeit unconventional, aspect of their relationship. The texts, which included phrases like “I’m always ready to let loose” and “I just want it to be wild and unpredictable,” were presented to suggest that Cassie was willingly involved in these events.

Matthew Galluzzo, a criminal defense attorney and former New York County DA’s Office prosecutor, explains that it can be challenging for juries to comprehend certain situations, as they find them perplexing. This is also true for individuals who have accused Harvey Weinstein of assault, as in the following stages, they seemed to reconnect with him amicably despite the alleged attack.

It’s common for someone who has been victimized not to instantly cut ties with their abuser, making it all the more challenging to escape. This situation underscores the boundaries that the #MeToo movement has encountered, as it often struggles to make significant progress in legal settings.

Deborah Tuerkheimer, a former Manhattan prosecutor and current law professor at Northwestern, points out the discrepancy between societal expectations for collective credibility and the legal system’s demand that accusers speak out individually and have their testimony sway the jury. She emphasizes that the high burden of proof often leads to ongoing tension in these situations.

Winning some of these cases can be challenging for the accuser, and it becomes even more so when they’re facing off against celebrities. This is due to the fact that well-known individuals often have substantial resources at their disposal, enabling them to hire highly skilled legal representation.

As a devoted admirer, let me share with you how Michael Combs strategically assembled an impressive team of nine top-tier lawyers to defend him. At the helm was Marc Agnifilo, a versatile legal professional with a wealth of experience in handling intricate racketeering cases involving criminal organizations, much like the one Combs found himself in. Joining forces were also Teny Geragos, a partner at her firm and daughter of renowned litigator Mark Geragos; Brian Steel, who successfully negotiated a favorable plea deal for Young Thug during the YSL racketeering trial; and Alexandra Shapiro, legal counsel for Sam Bankman-Fried. Other notable members rounded out this powerhouse defense team.

With an estimated net worth in the billions, Combs had the means to hire private investigators to challenge the stories presented by the prosecution’s 34 witnesses. A crucial exchange that weakened the government’s case occurred during the cross-examination of Bryana Bongolan, a friend of Cassie Ventura who testified against Combs for an incident at a Los Angeles hotel where he allegedly assaulted her. The judge presiding over the trial commented that Combs’ lawyers had a significant victory, similar to the famous “Perry Mason moment,” when they presented evidence showing that the rap tycoon was actually in New York City during the week in question, as indicated by a hotel bill.

It’s reasonable to question, given that these types of charges can be challenging to prove and typically require substantial evidence, why certain prominent individuals found themselves facing charges.

When allegations against a prominent figure surface in the media, people tend to pay attention. If a prosecutor truly thinks the accusations are valid, not filing charges because the case is challenging and complex might be seen as an act of moral cowardice. After all, why let someone who may think they’re above the law due to their status escape justice?

A less optimistic perspective suggests that prosecutors may aspire to gain some celebrity status by linking themselves with sensational cases that grab widespread attention. Landing a significant victory could significantly enhance their professional standing; they might be seen as the one who’s successfully hunted the great whale.

The Combs verdict has sparked controversy, with critics arguing that prosecutors from the Southern District of New York, renowned for their aggressive approach, may have overcharged the case. While the charges against the rap mogul can technically be classified as racketeering, the term “criminal enterprise” often conjures images of the mafia or cartels rather than shipments of baby oil in common people’s minds. It was a difficult argument to make.

Halim Dhanidina, a former judge, contends that prosecutors may have gone too far in this case. He explains that one reason for this could be the high-profile nature of the case and the media attention it’s receiving. If a prosecutor has ambitions to make a big impact on their career, they might be tempted to make the case as sensational as possible. This desire to be seen as the most impressive lawyer in court might lead them to elevate a simple case into a more dramatic one, such as turning a baby oil case into a racketeering case because it’s more exciting and glamorous.

In preparation for the upcoming trial against Sean Combs, the legal team strengthened their numbers by adding Maurene Comey, daughter of ex-FBI director James Comey, who previously secured a conviction against Ghislaine Maxwell. This brings the total number of lawyers on the case to five, an unusual size as such cases usually involve just two. The trial is projected to cost taxpayers approximately $10 million due to the extensive team of prosecutors and numerous witnesses being called, some of whom had to be transported and accommodated in New York. Given that Combs is now only facing charges related to prostitution, former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani has referred to it as the most expensive prostitution trial in American history in media outlets.

These situations raise some intriguing queries: Could it be that the acquittals of high-profile cases, possibly due to what appears to be overzealous prosecution of celebrities, influence jurors in ordinary sex crime trials to exhibit more doubt than usual? How will the #MeToo movement navigate through the court system now? And might the mixed record of celebrity cases discourage prosecutors from pursuing similar cases in the future?

Some say there’s already been an impact. 

Dhanidina believes that the cases associated with the #MeToo movement were perhaps an excessive reaction. He suggests that society’s initial stance, which was ‘we always side with the accuser’, has shifted to ‘maybe we sometimes side too quickly with the accuser.’ He adds that as cases involving famous celebrity defendants arise, there seems to be a return towards balance in our judgments.

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2025-07-08 16:25