Tuesday, March 22, 2011

GIOVANNI helping hand

     Fame musician GIOVANNI has pledged to help the refugees in Japan.
“I feel close to them, my son is married to a Japanese lady and I have grandchildren.”
The need is great and that’s why he pledged and has given free concerts to help raise money for Japan (contact if you want to set up a concert to help Japan).  All the money will go to the RED CROSS.  This is the same Organization Yoko Ono donated too.
Giovanni is one of the most successful expressionist pianists of the 21st Century… composer, arranger and performer, with scores of accolades attesting to his credit.  One hundred twenty thousand CDs sold in one 120 minute segment on QVC! A record that still stands as one of the outstanding achievements of Giovanni, international composer, arranger and pianist who was born of Italian heritage.
     Over the years, Giovanni performed throughout Europe, Asia and America,
filling concert halls, venues and showrooms worldwide, and has sold over six million CD's during his appearances on QVC and The Home Shopping Network.  All of Giovanni's current CD's and mp3s are available at ITunes, Amazon or other online outlets .... You can watch clips of performances on YouTube.
     Two years ago he released "The Giovanni’s Roll Out Keyboard" for Christmas. The keyboard was a portable roll up piano that is compact enough to take just about anywhere. Along with the keyboard, Giovanni invented an easy to learn system called the "Gini Method" to teach beginners the fundamentals of the piano, included with the Giovanni Roll Out Keyboard.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

OPRI on HALLE BERRY PATERNITY FILINGS

      Hollywood's leading family law expert, DEBRA OPRI (www.DebraOpri.com) – renown for Anna Nicole Smith & David Caruso custody case victories – is the ultimate analyst on today’s heated battles between household name celebrities engaged in contentious for control of their children.
      “A child’s life is in play right now.  This should not be a tug-of-war between two strong-willed personalities.  In the interest of their child, her/his two parents should be sitting down and working out what’s best for the kid.  Instead, it’s turned into the SuperBowl of all family law battles, an epic custody war,” summarizes OPRI.
      Padma Lakshmi and Halle Berry are both fighting to keep their baby daddies away from their young kids.  According to OPRI, “Paternity filings are common when a parent wants a relationship with his natural child.  In these particular cases, the fathers [of each child] in filing paternity actions are asserting their parental rights for a presence in their child's lives.  The courts will enforce these rights -- unless there are threats to the health safety and welfare of the child.
      It is very common that IF the court finds that if negligent care of the child did exist, mandatory parenting classes are the norm.  Additionally, there must be very serious circumstances for a parent not to have parental rights, which could include drugs, alcohol and/or child abuse."
      Addressing specificity on why Berry has gone so far as to pull out of a film to concentrate on fighting Aubry’s request for joint custody, "If Aubry filed on Dec. 30, there are strict deadlines for responding in court.  If I were Halle's attorney, I would tell her she must be present to assert her concerns and her presence.  If the child has been prior in the father's custody while Halle was out of town for any duration, and the child was not with her/nanny on location, this is something she would have to explain to the Judge.
     Halle cannot argue it both ways.  She cannot state that she trusted Gabriel enough to have an agreement for him to have the child while she was 'working' or otherwise not available for the child.  So, to retain either primary OR full custody, Halle had to pull out of the movie. If something happened to the child while in his care, the severity of the incident will be looked at by the court once it assumes jurisdiction [ie., a paternity filing/case no or if a prior written agreement has already been filed as part of a mediated settlement at time of the breakup].  Further, if the incident is serious enough to warrant an independent third party evaluation, the court will assign a ‘730 evaluator’ to conduct interviews of the parties, and any witnesses [ie., nannies].  This scenario would take time, and clearly, both Halle, her ex [Gabriel Aubry] and their child –Nahla— would end up in the vortex of the Family Law courts.  This is a long journey which should clearly be avoided," explains OPRI.
      In regard to Padmav Lakshmi going to court with multimillionaire Dell over his request for increased visitation, according to OPRI, "Courts are very liberal with father's rights today to the point where the goal is a 50-50 custody split.  This is not uncommon.”
      Addressing the rights of non-married dads (who are not a threat the health & welfare of their kids)….”50-50 equal time with the child is usually mandated so that the child has the benefit of both parents in their life.  This is the direction the courts specializing in family law are most often heading," emphasizes OPRI.    
      “There are bi-lateral benefits for these kids to having relationships with their fathers, who obviously want to spend time with them,” says OPRI.  In fact, "family law courts and the legislation deemed it beneficial that the child has the full benefit and presence of both parents.  This is something that is encouraged."
And why are these moms specifically fighting so hard to keep the dads at a distance?
     OPRI concludes, "As with everything, it comes down to control.  When a relationship is over, the custodial parent usually wants to cut the cord of involvement with their ex’es.  While it may get ‘messy’ with future relationships by having an ongoing presence with their baby’s daddy in the child's life, parents need to understand that once the child is brought into this world, both parents have equal rights to the care and raising of their child.  Control does not include cutting off a parent's rights.  That's why more and more paternity actions are. being filed, because one parent deems it appropriate that the child's life not include an ex-relationship of a natural parent.  This is ‘control issue’ must, unfortunately, be dealt with by the courts until societal norms evolve to include both parents as a matter of right whether they are married to each other or not.  We are close but old ways die hard."

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Diane Ladd Gets Star on Walk of Fame with Laura Dern and Bruce Dern

     "I ask the universe that these three stars right here - when I'm dead and gone or if I'm still alive - that whoever comes and looks at it or stands on it, may the energy of the three of our lives permeate into their foundation and help each and every one fulfill their destiny with joy and love, as I wish for you," Diane Ladd told the crowd as she accepts her star Monday Nov. 1, 2010. 
     It was a family affair for Laura Dern, her father, Bruce Dern, and her mother, Diane Ladd. 
Actress Diane Ladd, left, actor Bruce Dern and actress Laura Dern pose after all received stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday. The acting dynasty was honored during a ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, marking the first time that three stars were dedicated to family members at the same time.   

This was not the first time Laura and Diane made Hollywood history, Laura Dern and Ladd received Oscar nominations in 1992 for their roles in “Rambling Rose.”  That marked the first time that a mother and daughter received nods together.
     The family trio, Hollywood ace actress Laura Dern, her father Bruce Dern and mother Diane Ladd were honored at Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday at landmark in front of the W Hotel. The three Academy Award-nominated actors marked the history in Hollywood where all members from one family received the stars. Laura Dern, Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd honored with the 2,419th, 2,420th and 2,421st stars respectively.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Tesla Allgood debut in Films

Believe it or not.... Tesla Allgood (age 6 months) spent the afternoon with Debra Opri at her home for Debra's photo session.  Well a few photos were take with Tesla and Tesla's photo was cropped out... put into Breakdowns... She was submitted for Baby Max for the film BBF & BABY. The casting director contacted Tesla's manager (me) and Tesla auditioned.  Got a role in the film as JJJ and begins shooting Oct 21, 2010 (she will be playing the little girl).
The director and screenwriter is Kat Coiro the producers are; Justin Levine, David Phillips, Corbin Timbrook and the film stars: KRYSTEN RITTER (Kim and screenwriter), KATE BOSWORTH (Deena),  FALLON GOODSON (Jayde), Jason Biggs (Sergei), and the cast goes on and onLeslie Woo is the casting director. STORY LINE: Unabashed party girl, Kim, is in for a rush of reality after a one night stand results in unexpected motherhood. Clearly not ready for the dating "buzz kill" that having a baby can bring, Kim eventually comes to realize that being a good parent to a precious little boy has its own rewards... Great cast...

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Shaquan Duley, Columbia SC Mom who Killed two sons

      September 16, 2010  – If you missed “Oprah” this afternoon, Thursday (09/16/10), the country’s leading daytime television show featured a story that was first covered on HLN’s groundbreaking, “Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell” over two weeks ago on the Orangeburg, South Carolina mother, Shaquan Duley, accused of killing her two young sons.        Her mother, Helen Duley, who spoke of the tragedy candidly to Oprah, brought the queen of talk to tears.  Mom Duley accentuated precisely what family law expert, DEBRA OPRI, voiced on “Issues with JVM” when the story first broke (which Velez-Mitchell brought to national consciousness).  According to Opri, the 29-year-old single mom who confessed to suffocating 2-year-old Devan Duley and 1-year-old Je'Van inside a hotel room at Orangeburg's Trumps Inn, then dumping them into the river, is textbook “massive depressive and obviously suffered a psychotic break.”
     A pathologist's report supported Duley's confession.     Helen Duley vocalized to the television audience today that she knew her daughter was depressed but never thought she would take such drastic action. "She was highly upset, raging, acting like a crazy person," Helen Duley told Winfrey when discussing her daughter’s mindset in the hours leading up to the drowning.
     "The thought never came in my mind that she would do anything like this," Duley's sister Adriane told Oprah on Thursday. "I'm totally shocked. She must of snapped," "
     Adriane said Duley was in a manic state before the deaths and became irate after a fight over her inability to take care of her children.
      Opri’s legal assessment of the accused mother broadcast nationally nearly three weeks ago was validated today by Duley's attorney, Carl Grant, who appeared alongside the family on “Oprah.”  He relayed that mental health workers met with Duley hours after the incident and diagnosed her with severe major depressive disorder with psychotic tendencies. He emphasized this diagnosis shows “Duley didn't know right from wrong” at the time of the killing.
     Grant also said Duley tried to slit her wrists with a box cutter that same day, took 12 headache powders and tried to drown herself in the river.
     Duley remains in jail after being denied bond on Monday, Sept. 13.  They are, as Opri predicated, presenting an insanity defense.
For more information on Debra Opri go to:  www.DebraOpri.com
Press contact:  Monique Moss 310-858-8230; 310-994-4582

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Debra Opri Opinion on Britney Spears Harassment Case

Britney Spears' Ex-Bodyguard Must Prove Ongoing Harassment, says Nationally Known Expert Legal Analyst, Attorney DEBRA OPRI: Burden is on Fernando Flores to prove his hostile work environment.
(Los Angeles, CA September 10, 2010) After mounting a successful comeback and maintaining a relatively low profile in the press for the past year, Britney Spears must now deal with, what some are calling, a ridiculous bout of disturbing claims regarding her personal life.
On Wednesday (Sept. 8, 2010), Spears' former bodyguard, Fernando Flores, filed a sexual harassment lawsuit alleging that the singer made multiple unwelcome passes at him, exposed herself on numerous occasions and engaged in sex in front of her two young sons. Not surprisingly, a post on Spears' site denied the allegations.
"What filing this case and making these allegations by Flores means is that he will have to show he was subjected to a hostile work environment with solid evidence," says DEBRA OPRI. "If this even goes to trial - which is highly unlikely due to the fact of the exorbitant expense of bringing a civil case like this to a courtroom - a Judge, as well as a jury, will look for material evidence, in the form of official complaints from [Spears'] previous employees. There may be an outside chance that Flores' documented concerns and voiced these to friends indicating wrongdoing on the defendant's part," says Ms. Opri.
As an expert in the field, Opri states there is no question that California's sexual harassment laws are "employee-friendly" with no cap on punitive damages. However, the onus is still on Flores to demonstrate the extent to which his experience and employment status with Spears affected him.
The suit states that Flores reported an incident in which Spears called him up to her room "for no other purpose or reason than to expose her naked or near naked body to Plaintiff." According to the suit, Flores apparently voiced his issues several times to his superior, but "his complaints were ignored or mocked, and no action was taken to rectify the situation."
According to Opri, "What courts and what juries look [for] is: Did he act consistently with the way you would expect someone to act who was actually offended by this type of conduct? In other words, did he make complaints? Did he tell her to stop? Did he talk to his friends and colleagues? Is there corroboration that, at the time this was happening, it was actually bothering him and is there anyone willing to come forward and be able to testify?"
What is most disturbing to family law expert Debra Opri is the allegation of child abuse and/or child neglect. "The child abuse accusations Flores' threw into this legal filing are outrageous and if they were true," explains Opri, "wouldn't DCFS had different findings the last time they investigated the children? If the kids were negatively affected, wouldn't ex-husband Kevin Federline have noticed something wrong with their children and have reported it to DCFS?"
The fact of the matter is that the bottom line is always money. "Cash trumps all," Opri emphasized and moving forward with a suit like this in our justice system is going to cost all parties - including the Court for added staffing - to properly proceed.
More on Debra Opri go to her website.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Las Vegas D.A. Hardliner Unlikely to Give Paris Hilton Special Treatment

(Sept. 1, 2010 – Los Angeles, CA)  According to leading attorney DEBRA OPRI, Paris Hilton is about to discover what O.J. Simpson already knows – when it comes to justice, Las Vegas can be a lot tougher than Los Angeles.  Opri, the Los Angeles-based legal expert best known for high-profile cases from the Jackson family to James Brown and Anna Nicole Smith , she is certain (L.V.) District Attorney David Roger is highly unlikely to offer Paris a plea bargain deal that won’t include formal probation with mandatory community service which may involve (minimal)  jail time on her felony cocaine possession charge.
Can you imagine Paris Hilton picking up garbage on the side of the road in Las Vegas? “I can,” says Opri. 
(Note:  The veteran Clark County, Nevada prosecutor – David Roger – put Simpson behind bars on robbery charges after the former football great beat murder charges in Los Angeles.)
Hilton is facing a felony drug possession charge that possibly could carry a prison sentence of one to four years. The man who arrested Hilton, Lt. Dennis Flynn, said a small plastic "bindle" of the drug fell out of her purse when she reached for a tube of lip balm.
Hilton claimed the purse she was carrying, where the .8 grams of cocaine was found, did not belong to her.  She reportedly told a Las Vegas police lieutenant that she had borrowed the purse from a friend, but acknowledged owning money, credit cards and a broken tablet of the prescription drug Albuterol that was also found in the bag.
The Vegas bust was the third encounter in three months with law enforcement for Hilton. “You’d better believe that even though Hilton’s other infractions and as well as reported possession of illegal drugs – and her 2007 DUIs for which she went to Jail – were outside of Nevada jurisdiction, the presiding Judge will certainly take these earlier brushes with the law into serious consideration when Paris is in his court.  It's going to be extremely difficult for Paris to get out of these charges, even with the brilliant legal skills of her experienced criminal defense lawyer,” says OPRI.