(WASHINGTON) — Nearly two weeks after President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden was convicted on three felony gun counts, he is waging a long-shot bid to fight that outcome.
Attorneys for Hunter Biden requested a new trial in court papers filed Monday, arguing that his “convictions should be vacated” because the trial commenced before a circuit court formally issued a mandate denying his appeal — a technical argument disputing not the merits of the case, but a procedural claim.
“Here, no mandate was issued during the trial or even now,” attorneys for Biden wrote. “Consequently, the conviction must be vacated.”
The younger Biden was found guilty earlier this month on two counts of making false statements for saying on a federal form that he was not addicted to drugs at the time he purchased a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver in October 2018, and a third count of illegally obtaining the firearm while addicted to drugs.
Attorneys for Hunter Biden also argued in a separate filing Monday that the Supreme Court’s decision this week in U.S. v. Rahimi, which upheld a longstanding federal ban on firearms for people under domestic violence restraining orders, supported their motion for an acquittal or, “at a minimum,” a new trial.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in that decision that when “an individual poses a credible threat to the physical safety of an intimate partner, that individual may — consistent with the Second Amendment — be banned from possessing firearms while the order is in effect.”
Because Hunter Biden never acted violently or misused his gun, his attorneys argued on Monday, his Second Amendment right to bear arms ought to remain intact.
“Here, the jury did not find Mr. Biden ever terrorized anyone with a gun in public , or anywhere else, or used it dangerously in any way,” attorneys for Biden wrote. “That requires Mr. Biden’s acquittal.”
Hunter Biden’s legal team also reprised a question they raised at trial about how long after a drug addict stops using drugs before they can purchase a firearm — perhaps laying the foundation for yet another appeal.
“Where is this line that separates not only what is legal from what is illegal, but where the exercise of a constitutionally protected right becomes a felony? How does a person have fair notice of when he or she is allowed to possess a firearm if they used a prohibited substance a day, a week, a month or, as the Special Counsel argued, years before? This Court has not said,” they argued.
Teyana Taylor will be an honoree at the eighth annual Culture Creators Innovators & Leaders Awards Brunch, taking place Friday.
She’ll receive the Innovator of the Year Award for “her profound influence on music, fashion, film, and culture,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. She will be honored alongside Icon Award recipient Lorrie Bartlett, who is being recognized for “outstanding contributions to the entertainment industry and her steadfast commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion, while spearheading initiatives promoting equity within Hollywood.”
“At Culture Creators, we believe in the power of diversity to drive innovation and progress,” said Joi Brown, founder of Culture Creators. “This event is a testament to our commitment to amplifying the voices and contributions of individuals from diverse backgrounds. By celebrating these trailblazers, we inspire a new generation of creators and leaders. This is the very reason we founded The Culture Creators Foundation – to create a pipeline that nurtures and supports underrepresented talent, ensuring their impact on culture and society is profound and lasting.”
The Culture Creators Innovators & Leaders Awards Brunch, presented by BET, will take place in Beverly Hills Friday morning, with Gia Peppers as host. Raheem DeVaughn and Infinity Song will entertain the crowd with performances, while DJ Rosegold holds it down with a DJ set.
The event is also a fundraiser for The Culture Creators Foundation, whose mission is to “empower underrepresented students by providing” them with the tools to thrive professionally and academically, per the foundation’s website. Funds raised will go toward the foundation’s scholarship program.
Saweetie‘s set was cut short at Sunday’s Vegandale in Chicago following an alleged fight in the crowd.
In a clip that surfaced on social media, she asked the DJ to stop the music and addressed those who appeared to be part of the altercation.
“I know y’all ain’t doing what I think y’all doing. Is everybody safe?” Saweetie asked, before some in the area took off. She later wrote on the social platform X, “[I] hope everyone got home safe tonight. That crowd looked crazy.”
When an X user accused her of worrying more about her performance than the fight, Saweetie took the opportunity to defend herself.
“It was a festival! Straight [clown]. Don’t bring your a** back to Chicago; you’ve done enough,” the X user wrote. “It was babies out there getting trampled on for nothing. Then, [you came] back [talking about], ‘I’ma tell y’all what my type is.’ We [don’t give a f***] at this point.”
Saweetie replied, “The crowd did look crazy, which is why I hope everyone got home safe. Also, I could’ve [gone] home after the fight broke out, but I stayed [and] waited after 2 [Chainz] performed. I went back on stage to finish my set [because] I care… [You] clearly don’t like me, so why [did] you stay for the rest of my set when the festival was clearly over?”
Spanish album or not? That is the question Cardi B asked fans on Sunday night when trying to gauge their interest in the project.
While singing her verse to “Put Em in the Fridge” with Peso Pluma, Cardi posted a poll asking fans whether they were interested in her releasing a Spanish album. She then shared the results on her Instagram Story, which showed that the majority of people (79 %) said yes.
Ms. Lauryn Hill is heading back on the road to keep the Miseducation parties going. She’s teamed with the Fugees for a co-headlining tour commemorating her one and only solo album, The Miseducation of Ms. Lauryn Hill.
The trek will start on Aug. 9 and make its way through the U.S. before going abroad to London, Manchester and other international stops. Music from The Score and other Fugees albums will be also performed, with her son YGMarley showing up as support on select dates; surprise guests are still to announced.
Presale tickets for U.S. shows will be available, starting with the Citi presale on Tuesday at 10 a.m. local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For those going abroad, a Mastercard presale starts Wednesday, with others becoming available later in the week.
General tickets for both go on sale Friday. Two dollars from each ticket sold will go toward organizations focused on mental health, women’s wellness, community small-business development and education via the MLH fund.
Kendrick Lamar took to the streets of Compton to film the “Not Like Us” music video. Footage surfaced of him performing the song in front of a large crowd that had awaited his arrival. The clips, some of which also featured the song’s producer, DJ Mustard, made their way through social media after TMZ reported K.Dot hired extra security for the shoot. He reportedly asked the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to deploy deputies, paying them $120 an hour.
Cardi B was the Inspiration Award recipient at the 2024 Hollywood Unlocked Awards, and she delivered a speech that included a message to her haters. “I just want to say thank Jason [Lee] so much for this award. I’m really my biggest critic and I always say this: ‘Nobody has it harder than in the industry and in every genre than a female rapper.’ And I’m going to tell you why,” she said. “You have to have the best verse. Not only that, you have to kill the charts. On top of that, your personal life has to be perfect, or then the opp b****** are going to use that against you.”
If you’re wondering how Kid Cudi‘s doing after his foot surgery, he says he’s doing just fine. Responding on the social platform X to a fan who asked how his feet are feeling, he said, “Its healing! Barely any scars from surgeries, f***** unreal. Im Wolverine now.” He then shouted out his surgeon for doing “a really fantastic job.”
Tinashe has new merch to go with her current song, “Nasty.” The line offers booty shorts, boxer briefs, thongs, heart pendants and more, some of which include the phrases “I’ve been a nasty girl” and “Match my freak” from the hit song.
