Billionaire gags press over rape allegation
An American billionaire who gagged the British press after being arrested on suspicion of raping a woman at a London hotel is suing a PR firm in the US following allegations that he paid money to settle the claim. The businessman obtained an injunction at the High Court after being questioned by police in May, so cannot be named in this country despite his high-profile court action in America.
THE BBC is facing a crisis in its Christmas schedule after a star of its forthcoming Agatha Christie drama was accused of rape.
Ed Westwick is in the cast of Ordeal by Innocence, an adaptation of Christie’s 1958 murder mystery.
The BBC is due to unveil its festive highlights package in the next two weeks, but executives must now decide whether or not to include the drama as one of its prime-time draws.
The plan had been to follow tradition by screening the first episode on Boxing Day, as with Christie adaptations And Then There Were None in 2015 and The Witness For the Prosecution in 2016. Both were ratings winners in the vital battle for Christmas viewers.
But the allegations, which Westwick has denied, pose a dilemma as the starstudded drama has already been filmed.
The actor, former star of Gossip Girl, is being investigated by Los Angeles police after an actress accused him of rape. The woman said Westwick assaulted her at his home in 2014. Yesterday, a second actress came forward with a similar allegation.
Westwick said in a statement: “I have never forced myself in any manner on any woman. I certainly have never committed rape.”
Last night, in response to the second allegation, he said in a message on Twitter: “It is disheartening and sad to me that as a result of two unverified and provably untrue social media claims, there are some in this environment who could ever conclude I have had anything to do with such vile and horrific conduct. I have absolutely not, and I am cooperating with the authori- ties so that they can clear my name as soon as possible.”
The BBC could follow the lead of Netflix, which has cancelled House of Cards, following a string of allegations against Kevin Spacey.
Meanwhile, Ridley Scott, the director, has cut Spacey from his latest film, All The Money in the World, about the 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty III. It was announced yesterday that Spacey is to be replaced by Christopher Plummer, a month before the film is due for release, and his scenes reshot.
A BBC spokesman declined to comment on the scheduling of the drama.