IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Shonda Rhimes joins national Planned Parenthood board
LOS ANGELES >> “Scandal” and “Grey’s Anatomy” creator Shonda Rhimes is joining the national board of Planned Parenthood.
Rhimes made the announcement in an interview with Elle magazine alongside Planned Parenthood’s president, Cecile Richards.
Rhimes says she decided to join the board because “women’s health is under fire right now” and she feels “it’s important to help fight back.”
Rhimes also discussed a 2015 episode of “Scandal,” which showed main character Olivia Pope having an abortion. Rhimes says she was portraying a legal medical procedure and “wasn’t going to pull any punches.”
Richards says the organization is hoping to harness some of Rhimes’ “enormous creative energy and storytelling ability.”
Rhimes previously served on the board of the organization’s Los Angeles chapter.
Baldwin to publisher: nice editing (not!)
NEW YORK >> Alec Baldwin’s latest beef is with his publisher.
The actor’s memoir “Nevertheless” came out this week and he shared some complaints in a Facebook posting. Baldwin wrote that the finished work had typos and other errors and complained that HarperCollins had failed “to do a proper and forensic edit.” He promised to compile a list of revisions, along with material that didn’t make it to print. One clarification, for those who wondered: When he said he was “in love” with Tina Fey and Kate McKinnon, he didn’t mean romantically. He is in love with their talent.
HarperCollins declined comment.
Judge sets date for murder trial of rap mogul Knight
LOS ANGELES >> A California judge on Thursday said the murder trial of former rap mogul Marion “Suge” Knight will begin in January without any further delays, a move that was welcomed by Knight.
The Death Row Records cofounder has changed attorneys several times since he was arrested in early 2015 after he ran over two men outside a Compton burger stand, killing one.
His Death Row label fueled gangster rap’s popularity in the 1990s, with a roster of artists that included Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg. He lost control of the company after it was forced into bankruptcy.
Superior Court Judge Ronald Coen told Knight the timeframe of his trial was set “in stone” and it would begin within 10 days of Jan. 8.
“I want to get back to my family,” Knight said during the hearing in Los Angeles after complaining about his lack of access to legal experts to help his defense.
Knight has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder charges and his lawyers have said he was fleeing armed attackers when he struck the men. Businessman Terry Carter was killed and Cle “Bone” Sloan was seriously injured. Knight could face life in prison if convicted.
Carter’s daughter Nekaya Carter said her family is glad that a trial date has finally been set.
‘Empire’ actor Morocco Omari charged with domestic battery
CHICAGO >> An actor on the television show “Empire” has been arrested on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge in Chicago.
Police say 46-year-old Morocco Omari was arrested Wednesday afternoon. They say officers were called to the Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side by a 24-year-old woman who identified herself as Omari’s girlfriend. She told officers Omari pushed her to the ground several times during an argument, causing scratches on her neck and chest.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office says Omari appeared in court Thursday. His next court date is April 20.