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PRODUCER: 'THE ROOKIE' CO-STAR'S MISCONDUCT CLAIMS UNFOUNDED
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The producer of ABC's "The Rookie" says actress Afton Williamson's claims of on-set misconduct against her weren't substantiated by an independent investigator.
Production company Entertainment One said Tuesday the investigation led it to conclude no unlawful or inappropriate behavior was committed by the co-workers Williamson accused.
In early August, "The Rookie" co-star said she was quitting the show because of sexual harassment and racial discrimination she experienced during its freshman year. The crime drama returns Sept. 29 for its second season.
Entertainment One said in a statement the investigation involved about 400 hours of interviews and review of evidence, including video provided to the investigator.
The company said the full report wasn't released for privacy reasons.
A representative for Williamson couldn't immediately be found.
BRAD PITT AND JAMES GRAY TAKE A GIANT LEAP WITH 'AD ASTRA'
VENICE, Italy (AP) — Brad Pitt says he wants to be creative until someone pulls the plug on him. The 55-year-old produced and stars in the space epic "Ad Astra," which opens in theaters nationwide on Friday.
Pitt is garnering raves and awards buzz for his performance as a loner astronaut in the near future who travels to the outer reaches of space to investigate a disturbance that may be related to his long-missing father, played by Tommy Lee Jones.
It's Pitt's second standout role this year. This summer he also made waves with his portrayal of a Hollywood stuntman in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."
Pitt has never won an Oscar for acting, despite two nominations, although he does have one for producing 2013's "12 Years a Slave."
WELCOME TO ORCLAND: LORD OF THE RINGS TO FILM IN NEW ZEALAND
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Amazon has announced it will film its upcoming television series "The Lord of the Rings" in New Zealand, marking a return of the orcs, elves and hobbits to the country they became synonymous with over the course of six movies directed by Peter Jackson.
Amazon Studios on Wednesday said it had found a majestic location with world-class sets. It said production would begin in the city of Auckland over the coming months.
But Amazon wouldn't reveal the extent of its plans for the series. It declined to say how much it plans to spend, how many seasons the show will run, or when it will debut.
Some have speculated Amazon could spend more than $1 billion on the series as it looks to take on other streaming services like Netflix.
AMAZON PRIME TO STREAM RIHANNA'S NEXT-LEVEL LINGERIE SHOW
NEW YORK (AP) — Rihanna believes women of all shapes, colors and sizes should be celebrated, and that spirit of inclusion has made her lingerie and beauty lines massive successes.
Her mission will be showcased Friday as Amazon Prime streams her New York Fashion Week show for Savage X Fenty in more than 200 countries and territories. The show's army of models included women of all sizes in a range of ethnicities and skin tones.
The show at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, was an all-star extravaganza featuring Halsey, Migos, Big Sean, A$AP Ferg, Fat Joe, DJ Khaled and more.
TEKASHI 6IX9INE TESTIFIES FOR PROSECUTION AT GANG TRIAL
NEW YORK (AP) — Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine (six-nine) testified on Tuesday against two alleged members of a Brooklyn street gang, describing how he discovered a formula for success with the crew before betraying it by becoming a prosecution witness.
6ix9ine explained that his role in the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods was to "just keep making hits and be the financial support for the gang ... so they could buy guns and stuff like that."
Asked what he got in return, the 23-year-old rapper responded: "My career. I got the street credibility. The videos, the music, the protection - all of the above."
The testimony in federal court in Manhattan was a dramatic turnabout for a performer who had gone out of his way to portray himself as a legitimate gang member. He told the jury he decided to cooperate only a day after his arrest last year on a racketeering indictment naming him as a member of the gang - a move that has put him at risk behind bars and prompted rap icon Snoop Dogg to label him a "snitch" in a recent Instagram post.
On trial are Aljermiah Mack and Anthony Ellison, described by prosecutors as two high-ranking members of a gang that terrorized city streets with drug-dealing and gunfire. They say that after a falling out with 6ix9ine, Ellison took revenge by abducting and robbing the rapper.
Both defendants have denied the charges, with an attorney for Ellison portraying the alleged kidnapping as a publicity stunt.
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