In this Jan. 21, 2018, file photo, Terry Crews poses for a portrait to promote the film, "Sorry to Bother You", at the Music Lodge during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Prosecutors on Wednesday, March 7, decided not to file charges against a talent agent whom Crews said groped him at a Hollywood party. (Photo by Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) --
Prosecutors have decided not to file charges against a talent agent whom actor Terry Crews said groped him at a Hollywood party.
The Los Angeles County district attorney's office said Adam Venit, an agent at William Morris Endeavor, twice grabbed Crews by the groin, but because there was no contact with his skin, and no restraint involved, the allegations were not a felony.
They sent the case to the Los Angeles city attorney, who prosecutes misdemeanors. The city attorney's office said Wednesday the statute of limitations for them to prosecute Venit had expired. The party was in February 2016. Crews did not report the incident until November 2017.
Crews has also filed a lawsuit against Venit.
After-hours messages seeking comment from Venit's office were not immediately returned. Crews' publicist declined to comment.
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
