Tag Archives: endorsements

Entertainment

Kevin Hart, Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna, Jimmy Fallon Sued For NFT Endorsements – Deadline

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Looks like a good old fashion cash grab celebrity endorsement has become a bit more fraught when it comes to the digital marketplace nowadays.

Less than a month after the likes of Larry David, Tom Brady Gisele Bundchen, and Stephen Curry were sued for bringing their well compensated star power to pitch now collapsed cryptocurrency firm FTX, a new class action filed in federal court aims to take the Golden State Warriors superstar and a pantheon of big names to the financial woodshed over shilling Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs for hidden payoffs.

It’s an action that turns the spotlight uncomfortably not just on Curry again, but also Kevin Hart, Madonna, Jimmy Fallon, Justin Bieber, Paris Hilton, Serena Williams, DJ Khaled, Gwyneth Paltrow, and more. Along with Universal TV also being named as a defendant, high profile music manager Guy Oseary is specified as the brains behind the whole alleged big bucks scam.

“Defendants’ promotional campaign was wildly successful, generating billions of dollars in sales and re-sales,” says the lawsuit from Adonis Real and Adam Titcher filed on December 8 in U.S. District Court in California. ”The manufactured celebrity endorsements and misleading promotions regarding the launch of an entire BAYC ecosystem (the so-called Otherside metaverse) were able to artificially increase the interest in and price of the BAYC NFTs during the Relevant Period, causing investors to purchase these losing investments at drastically inflated prices,” the jury trial seeking 10-claim suit adds (read it here).

Essentially, on their various platforms, through public statements and in Fallon’s case on The Tonight Show in late November 2021, the celebs praised the Yuga Labs backed BAYC NFTs to the public by claiming to be customers themselves. Now, the allure of non-fungible tokens may have dimmed considerably ( a.k.a. nosedived) in recent months, but to BAYC buyers jumping on board last year, they quickly proved “losing investments at drastically inflated prices.”

“The truth is that the Company’s entire business model relies on using insidious marketing and promotional activities from A-list celebrities that are highly compensated (without disclosing such), to increase demand of the Yuga securities by convincing potential retail investors that the price of these digital assets would appreciate,” the 95-page fraud complaint states.

With the Oseary-backed crypto company Moonpay working with Yuga to covertly slip payments to the promoting A-listed talent, the whole scheme saw Hart, Fallon, Paltrow give BAYC NFTs the seal of approval without the celebs revealing the often hefty compensation they were receiving.

“During the Class Period, Defendants engaged in a plan, scheme, conspiracy, and course of conduct pursuant to which they knowingly or recklessly engaged in acts, transactions, practices, and courses of business that operated as a fraud and deceit upon Plaintiffs and the other members of the Class,” the document declares. “In truth, the Executive Defendants and Oseary used their connections to MoonPay and its service as a covert way to compensate the Promoter Defendants for their promotions of the BAYC NFTs without disclosing it to unsuspecting investors,” it adds

A spokesperson for Comcast-owned Universal TV said the company does not comment on legal matters. “In our view, these claims are opportunistic and parasitic,” a Yuga Labs spokesperson said in a statement today. “We strongly believe that they are without merit, and look forward to proving as much.”

Represented by San Diego-based attorney John T. Jasnoch, plaintiffs Real and Titcher have defined the potential Class in what could be a very pricey action as all those who invested in “Yuga Financial Products” between April 23, 2021 and now. They are looking for “actual, general, special, incidental, statutory, punitive, and consequential damages and restitution.”

And that will be in cold hard U.S. Treasury printed cash, not crypto, if you know what I mean?  



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Trump slams reconciliation deal, touts endorsements at rally while taking jabs at Republican foes

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Former President Trump used his rally in Waukesha, Wis., on Friday evening to criticize Democrats’ sweeping climate, tax and health package while touting his track record of recent endorsements.

While Trump was in the Badger State to boost several of his endorsed candidates ahead of the Aug. 9 primary, including gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels (R) and Adam Steen, running in the 63rd Assembly District race against Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R), the former president used the rally to take jabs at his opponents.

“The radical Democrats now intend to impose the biggest tax hike in American history, the exact opposite of what I did,” Trump asserted, referring to the reconciliation deal. “And they are working feverishly to pile on more regulations at levels never seen before. You’re going to have regulations like nobody’s ever seen before.”

He name-checked Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), claiming he got “taken for a ride” by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who made a surprise announcement with Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) last week that they had reached a deal on climate, health and tax reforms. 

“Joe Manchin has totally sold out West Virginia, what he’s done to that state is disgraceful. And I told the old broken crow, Mitch McConnell, that this was going to happen,” Trump said.

Manchin had earlier in July appeared to pour cold water on the prospects of a deal after data was released showing inflation at 9 percent annually. 

When the deal was announced, after the Senate with GOP support passed a bill to boost domestic semiconductor production and fund scientific research, some Republicans expressed frustration about the agreement, saying they would have blocked the chips and science bill if they knew Democrats were pressing forward with provisions on taxes and climate in a reconciliation package.

Manchin claimed he and Schumer had not misled their colleagues.

The former president touted the recent successes of Arizona candidates Kari Lake (R) in the GOP gubernatorial primary and Blake Masters in the Republican Senate primary as well. 

He also mentioned Michigan gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon (R) and former Department of Housing and Urban Development official John Gibbs (R), who defeated Rep. Peter Meijjer (R-Mich.), one of 10 House Republicans to vote in favor of impeaching Trump.

Trump called Michels, who is running against former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch (R) in the gubernatorial primary next Tuesday, an “incredible success story” and touted his construction company.

He called Steen — a candidate he endorsed as part of a larger revenge tour against Republicans who he believes crossed him following the election and the Capitol riot — a “true patriot.” Vos, Steen’s opponent, drew Trump’s ire after he refused efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

As Trump took a few jabs at Kleefisch, he also appeared to subtly hit back at those who endorsed her, including former Vice President Pence.

“Tim’s opponent in the primary is Rebecca Kleesfisch, a career politician and a political insider. Known her for a long time. She’s the handpicked candidate of the failed establishment, the RINOs … the Washington swamp, and she’s running a campaign of falsehoods and lies,” he alleged, using the acronym for “Republican in name only.”

The former president even waded into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) trip to Taiwan, one of several stops she made in her travel to East Asia amid heightened tensions between China and the self-governing island, asking why she would travel to Taiwan.

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Trump Targets Liz Cheney at Wyoming Rally Days After High-Profile Endorsements Flopped

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  • Trump went after his critic, Rep. Liz Cheney, at a rally in Wyoming on Saturday.
  • Trump has endorsed Harriet Hageman, an attorney running to unseat Cheney.
  • The rally comes days after Trump’s high-profile endorsements in Georgia flopped.

CASPER, Wyoming — Thousands of supporters of former President Donald Trump jumped out of their seats and held up their phones to capture the moment he took the stage on Saturday afternoon at a rally in support of Harriet Hageman, an attorney running to unseat Rep. Liz Cheney in the upcoming Republican primary. 

The crowd, which nearly filled up the Ford Wyoming Center, an arena with a 9,700-person capacity, welcomed Trump with a long, standing ovation, thunderous applause, and chants of “USA.”

“The people of Wyoming are going to vote to dump your RINO congresswoman Liz Cheney,” Trump told the audience, which erupted with cheers, “And you’re going to send the incredible Harriet Hageman to Congress.” 

Trump’s appearance in the red state on Saturday demonstrated his commitment to trying to oust Cheney from Congress. A Trump ally-turned-critic, Cheney sharply rebuked the former president following the January 6 Capitol riot. She was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump on a charge of “incitement of insurrection” last year. 

Trump has since targeted the congresswoman and vowed to exact revenge on Republicans like Cheney who he says have betrayed him. Cheney, a staunch conservative, has stood her ground against Trump amid an onslaught of national- and state-level backlash from members of her own party.

Trump ripped into Cheney during several parts of his speech, claiming she “hates the voters of the Republican Party.” The speech was in part a wide-ranging airing of Trump’s frequent grievances, including over the investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 elections; his two impeachments, crowd sizes; the investigation into the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack – which he called a “hoax” — and Cheney’s vote to impeach him.

Trump urges support for Hageman

Attendees cheer as former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally on May 28, 2022 in Casper, Wyoming. The rally is being held to support Harriet Hageman, Rep. Liz Cheney’s primary challenger in Wyoming.

Photo by Chet Strange/Getty Images


“Liz Cheney is about America last,” Trump said, flanked by two giant screens that displayed a meme of Cheney’s face morphed with former President George W. Bush’s. “She’s weak on border security, by the way, very weak on border security.”

The former president’s arrival in Wyoming, his first-ever political appearance in the state, comes as the primary is just getting kicked off. Cheney officially filed for her reelection bid on Thursday. There has been no significant polling on the race yet, which takes place on August 16. Trump urged voters on Saturday afternoon to support Hageman over Cheney.

“All of America is counting on you, Wyoming,” Trump said. “I think this is the most important election we have.”

The primary election is widely considered as a test of Trump’s influence over the Republican Party. Recently, Trump’s high-profile endorsements in Georgia’s primary elections failed. Trump had backed two primary challengers against incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, both of whom had rejected Trump’s pushes to overturn the 2020 election results in the battleground state. Kemp and Raffensperger each won their primary races on Wednesday by a landslide. Trump-backed candidates in Ohio and Pennsylvania, however, won their primary elections in recent weeks. 

This report has been updated with remarks from the rally.

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Sarah Sanders snaps up Arkansas endorsements from governor, congressional delegation

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Former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders has snapped up a slew of endorsements in her run for the Arkansas governor’s office, including backing from outgoing Gov. Asa Hutchinson and the state’s entire congressional delegation, according to reports. 

Hutchinson, in his endorsement Friday, said Arkansas would “be in good hands” with Sanders as governor. He can’t run again because of term limits. 

“I’ve known Sarah Huckabee Sanders most of her life and know firsthand her love for our state and her heart for public service,” he added. “Sarah has earned the Republican nomination and I’m delighted today to endorse her for Governor.”

Both of the state’s U.S. senators and all four of its members of the U.S. House also endorsed Sanders this week, FOX 16 in Little Rock reported. 

Reps. Rick Crawford, French Hill, Bruce Westerman and Steve Womack wrote in a joint statement, “We are proud to endorse Sarah Huckabee Sanders for governor of Arkansas. We know she is the right leader for our state, and it is time for Republicans to come together so we can move forward in our fight for a stronger Arkansas and a stronger America.”

SARAH SANDERS UPFRONT ABOUT ‘NATIONALIZING’ ARKANSAS GOVERNOR’S RACE: ‘YOU BET I AM’ 

In a joint statement released Thursday, Sens. Tom Cotton and John Boozman said Sanders would make an “outstanding governor.”

Former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, right, greets supporters at an event for her campaign for governor at a Colton’s Steak House on Sept. 10, 2021, in Cabot, Arkansas.
(Associated Press)

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge on Tuesday dropped her bid for governor, clearing Sanders’ path to the Republican nomination for the job.

Rutledge said in a statement said that it was time for “Christian conservative leaders to unite” – although the attorney general has in the past criticized Sanders for not having much accomplishment behind her rhetoric.

“While my opponent talks about the liberal left in Washington, D.C., she has done nothing to effectively combat them in the last several years,” Rutledge told The Associated Press in September.

This week, Sanders thanked Rutledge for her leadership after she dropped out of the race. 

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She also said she was “grateful for the support of the entire Arkansas congressional delegation as they stand with me in the fight for freedom” on Friday, according to FOX 16. 

Sanders’ father, Mike Huckabee, served as governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Republican congresswomen revoke endorsements of Texas GOP candidate after ‘hurtful and untrue’ comments about Chinese immigrants

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“As the first Korean American Republican women to serve in Congress, we want to empower and lift up fellow members of the (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community who want to serve their communities,” California Reps. Young Kim and Michelle Steel said in a statement. “We talked with Sery Kim yesterday about her hurtful and untrue comments about Chinese immigrants, and made clear that her comments were unacceptable.”

During a candidate forum on Wednesday hosted by two Republican groups in Texas’ 6th Congressional District, Kim responded to a question about the US’ immigration crisis by saying “I don’t want them here at all,” referring to potential Chinese immigrants.

“They steal our intellectual property, they give us coronavirus, they don’t hold themselves accountable,” she continued, adding that, “I can say that because I’m Korean.”

The congresswomen said in their statement Friday that they “urged her to apologize and clarify her remarks, especially as hate against the AAPI community is on the rise.”

“However, she has not publicly shown remorse, and her words were contrary to what we stand for,” they added. “We cannot in good conscience continue to support her candidacy. We will continue to speak out in support of our AAPI community.”

When reached for comment on the revoked endorsements, Sery Kim said in a statement Friday that “I am shocked that in an effort to counter Asian-American hate the liberal media is targeting me, an Asian and an immigrant, in an effort to paint me as anti-Asian and anti-immigrant just for speaking against the oppressive Chinese Communist Party.”

Kim, who served as assistant administrator for the Small Business Administration under former President Donald Trump, is running for the seat previously held by former Rep. Ron Wright until his death in February following a Covid-19 diagnosis.
After endorsing her in March, Reps. Steel and Kim condemned the Texas Republican’s comments on Thursday, calling them “unacceptable and hurtful” and emphasizing that “discrimination and violence against Asians and Asian Americans has to stop.”

Sery Kim told CNN in an interview on Thursday that her remarks the previous day “were directed at the Communist Party of China, and were not directed at Asian Americans, especially Chinese immigrants fleeing this oppressive regime.”

She added that she didn’t take back any of her comments, and she stood by her remarks made at the event, which included a claim in an interview with the Dallas Morning News that anti-Asian violence has not worsened over the last year.

“The biggest difference right now is people are filming it — and the media choosing to report it,” she told the newspaper. “Asians have always faced violence. It’s not worse than before.”

Sery Kim confirmed she made those comments in an interview with CNN on Thursday. The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino reported in a study last month that anti-Asian hate crimes surged 145% from 2019 to 2020.

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