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    Woman in street harassment video sues director, organization

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1145 Views
    This Oct. 29, 2014, file photo, shows actress Shoshana Roberts during an interview at The Associated Press headquarters in New York. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)

    By Deepti Hajela

    NEW YORK (AP) --

    A woman who was the centerpiece of a video about street harassment has filed a lawsuit against its director and the organization that put it out.

    Actress Shoshana Roberts, who was videotaped walking around the city while men commented on her appearance, filed her lawsuit in Manhattan on Monday. According to the lawsuit, her performance and likeness were used for "advertising or trade without her prior written consent" and she's seeking at least $500,000. The suit names director Rob Bliss and the anti-street harassment group that released the video, Hollaback!

    The video compiled comments and catcalls that Roberts, who was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, heard from men as she walked Manhattan streets over the course of 10 hours. Bliss walked in front of her with a camera in his backpack recording everything said to her as she went silently about her day.

    "What's up, Beautiful?" one man said to her.

    "Smile!" another told her.

    Roberts never made eye contact with or talked to any of the men she passed. That didn't stop the comments from coming. When she didn't respond, one man told her, "Somebody's acknowledging you for being beautiful. You should say thank you more!"

    The video, which received tens of millions of views online, spurred outrage and sparked conversations about street harassment. Roberts had answered an ad and was tapped to be in the video.

    Bliss didn't reply to an email sent Thursday seeking comment on the lawsuit. A representative for Hollaback! said it hadn't been served with the papers and declined to comment further.

    The video was so popular that parodies of it were made. One of those was a commercial for the TGI Friday's restaurant. Roberts named the restaurant in the lawsuit along with the company that made the ad, Google and YouTube. None of them replied to emails seeking comment.

    Tags:Hollaback!Shoshana Roberts



    DirecTV calls off acquisition of rival Dish, possibly ending a yearslong pursuit

    Friday, November 22, 2024
    Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Feb. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

    DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.

    The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively.

    The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September.

    DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt. The deal was contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off debt related to Dish.

    "While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV's balance sheet and our operational flexibility," DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement.

    The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, and reported talks resurfaced over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked the deal valued at the time at $18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.

    The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming platforms, demand for more traditional satellite entertainment continues to shrink.

    DirecTV says that it will continue to invest in next-generation streaming platforms and offer new packaging options while integrating content from live TV alongside direct-to-consumer... Read More

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