Jay D. Roth, national executive director of the Directors Guild of America, will be the recipient of the DGA Presidents Award at the 69th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 4, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. The award, which is given for leadership and extraordinary efforts in enhancing the welfare and image of the Guild and the industry, is bestowed only by a unanimous vote of the sitting and former DGA presidents.
Roth, the DGA’s national executive director for the past 22 years, is only the fourth recipient of the DGA Presidents Award, first given in 1998 to former DGA president George Sidney, and then in 2001 and 2005 to former presidents Robert Wise and Gil Cates.
“The Presidents Award has only been previously given to the most exceptional leaders of the DGA. Sidney, Wise and Cates were remarkable presidents who left a lasting impact on the Guild. And in Jay Roth, we have a kindred spirit whose brilliant mind and incredible accomplishments, including our groundbreaking recent negotiations, have forged a deep footprint–a legacy which has advanced both this Guild and our industry,” said Barclay, current DGA president.
“I’m honored by this recognition from our current and past presidents,” said Roth. “We’ve served alongside one another to carry into the future the vision upon which this Guild was founded: protecting and advancing the creative and economic rights of directors. I’m proud of all we’ve accomplished together.”
The L.A. County sheriff is investigating a new sex battery claim against Sean “Diddy” Combs
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said it's investigating a new sexual battery allegation against hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, who is serving a four-year prison sentence on prostitution-related convictions.
A male music producer and publicist said he was asked in late 2020 to come to a photo shoot involving clothing belonging to the late rapper Notorious B.I.G. at a Los Angeles warehouse, according to a police report. Once there, Combs exposed himself, told the man to perform a sex act, then tossed a dirty shirt that once belonged to the rapper at the man, according to the police report.
The accuser, whose name is redacted from the police report, said he did not tell anyone for several years because he felt embarrassed. He came forward to police in Largo, Florida, this September, shortly after Combs was convicted on other charges.
Combs' lawyer did not respond to an email Monday from The Associated Press seeking comment on the latest allegations.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said Monday that it received an official copy of the report from the Florida department on Friday, and will investigate the allegations.
The report also details a March 2021 encounter in which the accuser claims two men covered his head before Combs came into the room, called him a snitch and sexually assaulted the accuser, according to the police report.
Combs was convicted in July of flying his girlfriends and male sex workers around the country to engage in drug-fueled sexual encounters in multiple places over many years. However, he was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could have put him behind bars for life.
He is set to be released in May 2028, though he can earn reductions in his... Read More