LOS ANGELES
Man charged with felony theft of Frances McDormand's Oscar
A 47-year-old man has been charged with stealing Frances McDormand's Academy Award.
Los Angeles County prosecutors said that Terry Bryant was charged Tuesday with stealing the statuette McDormand won for best actress from the official Oscars after-party in Hollywood on Sunday. Bryant could get three years in jail.
Video captured by The Associated Press appears to show Bryant walking with the statuette out of the party, the Governors Ball, and holding it up proudly to photographers and gawkers waiting outside.
One photographer didn't recognize him as an Oscar winner and followed and confronted him.
Police say Bryant handed back the statuette without a struggle. It was soon returned to McDormand, and Bryant was arrested.
McDormand won the award for her performance in "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri."
Associated Press
NEW YORK
Investor group cancels deal to buy Weinstein Co.
A group of investors says it has pulled out of a deal to buy the beleaguered Weinstein Co., citing "disappointing information" about the viability of the sale.
Businesswoman Maria Contreras-Sweet made the announcement in a statement Tuesday. She did not offer more details about why the deal fell apart but said the group may still be interested in acquiring assets of the movie and TV studio out of bankruptcy proceedings.
The announcement came just days after Contreras-Sweet and the Weinstein Co. had revived the deal following arduous negotiations with New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who has filed a lawsuit against the company.
The studio has been trying to stave off bankruptcy since sexual assault and harassment accusations emerged last fall against its co-founder, Harvey Weinstein.
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES
Playboy Mansion to get protected status under deal with city
The new owner of the Playboy Mansion has agreed to maintain the facade in its original condition under an agreement with the city of Los Angeles.
Daren Metropoulos entered into a permanent protection covenant for the 5-acre (2-hectare) property he bought for $100 million. He agreed to not demolish the 20,000-square-foot (1858-sq. meter) main residence as he proceeds with plans to connect the mansion and its grounds to his 2-acre plot next door.
The deal, announced Tuesday by Councilman Paul Koretz, will remain in effect for future owners. City News Service says the designation stops short of giving the building landmark status.
Hugh Hefner, who died last year, bought the estate in 1971 and made it into the epicenter of his Playboy brand and one of the world's most famous homes.
Associated Press
