Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines for January 26
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Could hip-hop royalty and Meghan Markle join forces to tackle online hate? Cardi B sure hopes so.
The female rapper took to Twitter on Wednesday, January 26, declaring that a conversation with the Duchess of Sussex is on her to-do list.
"I need a chat with Megan Markle," Cardi B, whose given name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, wrote on her platform, which has 21.4 million followers.
The "Up" performer posted the tweet just two days after a federal jury in Atlanta awarded her $1.25 million in a defamation lawsuit against a celebrity news blogger who she says posted videos falsely stating the Grammy-winning rapper used cocaine, had contracted herpes and engaged in prostitution.
CARDI B WILL PAY THE FUNERAL EXPENSES FOR THE BRONX APARTMENT FIRE VICTIMS
The jury on Monday found Latasha Kebe, known online as Tasha K, and a company she owns liable for defamation, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress against the rapper. Kebe's lawyers said in an email Tuesday that they disagree with the verdict and will file an appeal.
Kebe began targeting Cardi B in early 2018, making "degrading and harassing statements" about her, the lawsuit says. On Sept. 19, 2018 Kebe published a video of an interview she did with a woman who said she'd known Cardi B before her music career. The video includes the "false, malicious and defamatory" statements that Cardi B was a prostitute, has herpes and had suffered outbreaks on her mouth, and used cocaine.
The jury's verdict has since spawned a conversation about the dangers of online bullying and defamation, which have also been issues Meghan Markle and her husband Prince Harry have tackled in and out of court in recent years.
A federal jury in Atlanta awarded Cardi B $1.25 million in a defamation lawsuit against a celebrity news blogger who she says posted videos falsely stating the Grammy-winning rapper used cocaine, had contracted herpes and engaged in prostitution. (Netflix)
Earlier this month, a court found that Britain’s Mail on Sunday invaded her privacy. The settlement brought a close to the long-running lawsuit filed after the Mail on Sunday published a series of stories in 2019 based on a personal letter Meghan wrote to her estranged father after her marriage to Prince Harry.
Before that, Prince Harry recalled the "heartbreaking" reaction his wife Meghan Markle had when the couple learned of bullying allegations made against her from former advisors during her time as a working royal at Kensington Palace.
"I was woken up in the middle of the night to her crying in her pillow because she doesn’t want to wake me up because I’m already carrying too much," said Harry, as quoted by People magazine on Friday. "That’s heartbreaking. I held her, we talked, she cried, and she cried, and she cried."
The Duchess of Sussex and her husband also got candid in the couple’s televised interview with Oprah Winfrey last March about painful palace discussions about the color of their son’s skin, losing royal protection and the intense pressures that led the Duchess of Sussex to contemplate suicide.
Meghan Markle has been a target of online hate. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
Similarly, Cardi B said the fake allegations made about her left her feeling "completely helpless and vulnerable."
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Royal reporter Omid Scobie, who is said to be a friend of Meghan and Prince Harry's, commented on the similarities of the criticisms and allegations the duchess and Cardi B have faced in the spotlight.
"This potentially sets new precedent for accounts getting away with and profiting from lies and defamatory claims under the guise of opinion or ‘entertainment purposes,’" he tweeted of Cardi's legal victory.
"YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki continues to ignore the problem, but today’s outcome may change things for good," he added.
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Some experts believe Cardi B's verdict could set a precedent in combating targeted hate. ( Photo by NDZ/Star Max/GC Images)
It's unclear if Meghan plans to have a conversation with Cardi B about online hate. Reps for the Duchess of Sussex did not immediately return Fox News' request for comment.
Just last week, Bot Sentinel published a report about the "coordinated hate campaign targeting Harry and Meghan." The 53-page report covers Twitter conversations, single-purpose accounts, manipulating hashtags and Amazon reviews, and other methods of hate campaigns against the royal couple, including targets against women of color.
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Meanwhile, Cardi B's statement about the court victory is getting recognition. Actor Alec Baldwin seemingly related to her comments. He published her statement made after the verdict on his Instagram account early Wednesday.
In it, Cardi B says in part, "After almost four years of repeated libel and slander against me, being able to walk away from this victorious brings me great happiness. I appreciate Judge Ray for conducting a fair and impartial trial. I am grateful for the jury and their careful deliberation over the past two weeks. I am profoundly grateful for the hard work and support from my legal team. Most importantly, thank you to my family and close friends who held my hand and helped me get the support I needed during this experience."
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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