Fame Under Fire

Hollywood film-maker Tyler Perry is facing a second sexual assault lawsuit by an actor employed on one of his productions. Actor Mario Rodriquez claims Perry carried out a series of unwanted sexual advances, some of which happened in Perry’s Los Angeles home. The claims follow an existing sexual assault claim by another actor called Derek Dixon. He was also employed by Perry and is suing for $260 million in damages. Both claims have been filed by the same lawyer.

Tyler Perry’s legal team has strongly denied all the allegations in both lawsuits, saying they are a “scam.” Responding to the Rodriquez claim, Perry’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, says it will be “another failed money grab.”

New York based attorney and legal analyst Terri Austin walks presenter Amber Haque through the two cases.

Host: Amber Haque
Series Producer: Jim Frank
Senior Impact Producer: Melanie Stewart-Smith
Production Coordinator: Hattie Valetine
Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford
Editor: Clare Fordham
Assistant Commissioning Producer: Rechmial Miller
Commissioning Producer: Adam Eland
Assistant Commissioner: Will Drysdale
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

Liam Neeson appears as the narrator of a controversial film promoted as an investigation into pharmaceutical wrongdoing and Covid-era decision-making. The narration includes claims about Covid lockdowns and vaccines described as “dangerous experiments”, raising the question of what it means when a beloved movie star becomes associated, even indirectly, with polarising health narratives.
Host Amber Haque discusses reputational risk with Crisis PR Manager Molly McPherson and BBC Journalist Madeline Halpert.
Got questions? Send us a Whatsapp message on 0330 678 111 4.
Subscribe to Fame Under Fire on BBC Sounds and turn on push notifications so you never miss an episode. We’ll let you know as soon as new episodes are available.
Host: Amber Haque
Series Producer: Louise Clarke
Senior Impact Producer: Daniel Raza
Production Coordinator: Hattie Valentine
Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford
Editor: Clare Fordham
Assistant Commissioning Producer: Rechmial Miller
Commissioning Producer: Adam Eland
Assistant Commissioner: Will Drysdale
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

A very public and very personal fallout places the Beckham family under renewed attention after Brooklyn Peltz Beckham publishes a series of Instagram statements to his millions of followers. He alleges that family relationships have been shaped by what he calls Brand Beckham, including claims about public promotion, social media expectations and long-standing tensions surrounding his marriage to Nicola Peltz.
The Beckhams have yet to respond.
Got questions? Send us a Whatsapp message on 0330 678 111 4.
Subscribe to Fame Under Fire on BBC Sounds and turn on push notifications so you never miss an episode. We’ll let you know as soon as new episodes are available.
Host: Amber Haque
Series Producer: Louise Clarke
Impact Producer: Daniel Raza
Production Coordinator: Hattie Valentine
Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford
Editor: Clare Fordham
Assistant Commissioning Producer: Rechmial Miller
Commissioning Producer: Adam Eland
Assistant Commissioner: Will Drysdale
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

Will Smith is accused of predatory behaviour by a violinist, Brian King Joseph, who played on Smith's 2024/25 tour to promote his latest album, "Based on a True Story."
Smith's lawyers say the allegations are "false, baseless and reckless."
King says that he and Smith had become close friends with the star once confiding in him that: "You and I have such a special connection that I don't have with anyone else." The violinist, who came to public attention on the "America's Got Talent" show, also alleges that Smith groomed him for sex. He's also claiming damages from Smith and his company for wrongful dismissal.
So what happens next? Fame Under Fire's own in-house lawyer, Shaun Kent guides us through the key legal issues at play.
Host: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty
Series Producer: Jim Frank
Senior Impact Producer: Melanie Stewart-Smith
Production Coordinator: Harriet Valentine
Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford
Editor: Clare Fordham
Assistant Commissioning Producer: Rechmial Miller
Commissioning Producer: Adam Eland
Assistant Commissioner: Will Drysdale
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

A writer convicted of cyber-bullying the French president’s wife has told the Fame under Fire podcast he doesn’t regret it.
Bertrand Scholler posted an edited photo of Brigitte Macron in a swimming costume. Her head had been cut out and a man’s torso edited in.
He was one of 10 defendants in France accused of spreading false claims about Mrs Macron’s gender and sexuality as well as making “malicious remarks” about the 24 year age gap between her and her husband.
They were found guilty at a Paris court. Scholler was handed a suspended sentence of six months.
Speaking after his conviction, he said he was in “shock”, adding that the law which led to his conviction was a “nuclear bomb for freedom of speech”.
We also hear from the BBC’s Paris correspondent Hugh Schofield about the court case and what’s next for the Macrons.
Got questions? Send us a Whatsapp message on 0330 678 111 4.
Subscribe to Fame Under Fire on BBC Sounds and turn on push notifications so you never miss an episode. We’ll let you know as soon as new episodes are available.
Host: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty
Series Producer: Vicky Farncombe
Senior Impact Producer: Melanie Stewart-Smith
Production Coordinator: Helena Warwick-Cross
Technical Producer: Mark Burrows
Editor: Clare Fordham
Assistant Commissioning Producer: Rechmial Miller
Commissioning Producer: Adam Eland
Assistant Commissioner: Will Drysdale
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts