Friday 7 February 2014

Woody Allen fires back at molestation claims





  • In 1992, Woody Allen's and Mia Farrow's 12-year relationship ended

  • Allen, then 56, was involved with Soon-Yi Previn, Farrow's 19-year-old adopted daughter

  • Farrow accused Allen of molesting Dylan, then 7, whom the couple had adopted

  • Allen and Soon-Yi Previn subsequently married




(CNN) -- In an op-ed column released Friday by The New York Times, Woody Allen blames Mia Farrow's malevolence over their breakup for a two-decade-old false accusation that he molested their adopted daughter, Dylan, when she was 7.


The film director's opinion piece follows renewed allegations that were made last week by Dylan Farrow, who accused him in an open letter published by the Times of sexually assaulting her as young girl.


"Not that I doubt Dylan hasn't come to believe she's been molested, but if from the age of 7 a vulnerable child is taught by a strong mother to hate her father because he is a monster who abused her, is it so inconceivable that after many years of this indoctrination the image of me Mia wanted to establish had taken root?" Allen writes in the Times.


The controversy dates back to 1992 after the revelation that Allen, then 56, was having an affair with Soon-Yi Previn, Mia Farrow's 19-year-old adopted daughter with composer Andre Previn. Allen and Soon-Yi Previn married five years later.


Relatives take Allen's side


When Mia Farrow's 12-year relationship with Allen ended, the actress accused him of molesting Dylan, one of two children she had adopted with Allen.









Actress Mia Farrow had a long-term relationship with actor/director Woody Allen, whom she met in 1979. She starred in 13 of his films and he was believed to be the father of her son Satchel (shown here as an infant) as well as the acting father of her other children, including adopted daughter Dylan shown here being held by Allen. The couple split in 1992.Actress Mia Farrow had a long-term relationship with actor/director Woody Allen, whom she met in 1979. She starred in 13 of his films and he was believed to be the father of her son Satchel (shown here as an infant) as well as the acting father of her other children, including adopted daughter Dylan shown here being held by Allen. The couple split in 1992.



Mia Farrow and then-teen daughter Malone Farrow arrive at the opening night of "Gypsy" on Broadway at The Shubert Theatre in 2003 in New York. Malone previously went by the name "Dylan" and has accused Woody Allen of assaulting her when she was 7 years old, a claim Allen has denied. She is now married and a writer.Mia Farrow and then-teen daughter Malone Farrow arrive at the opening night of "Gypsy" on Broadway at The Shubert Theatre in 2003 in New York. Malone previously went by the name "Dylan" and has accused Woody Allen of assaulting her when she was 7 years old, a claim Allen has denied. She is now married and a writer.



Ronan Farrow was formerly known as "Satchel" and was believed to be the biological son of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen. His mother cast doubt on that in 2013 when she revealed that his father could be her former husband Frank Sinatra, to which Ronan quipped on Twitter, "Listen, we're all *possibly* Frank Sinatra's son." His MSNBC show is set to premiere on February 24, 2014.Ronan Farrow was formerly known as "Satchel" and was believed to be the biological son of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen. His mother cast doubt on that in 2013 when she revealed that his father could be her former husband Frank Sinatra, to which Ronan quipped on Twitter, "Listen, we're all *possibly* Frank Sinatra's son." His MSNBC show is set to premiere on February 24, 2014.



Allen's breakup with Mia Farrow was precipitated by her discovery of an affair between the director and her then 21-year-old adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn. Farrow found nude photos of Previn in Allen's apartment. Previn and Allen, seen here in 2012 at the premiere of "To Rome With Love" in Los Angeles, have been married since 1997 and are the parents of two adopted daughters. Allen's breakup with Mia Farrow was precipitated by her discovery of an affair between the director and her then 21-year-old adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn. Farrow found nude photos of Previn in Allen's apartment. Previn and Allen, seen here in 2012 at the premiere of "To Rome With Love" in Los Angeles, have been married since 1997 and are the parents of two adopted daughters.



Mia Farrow has had 15 children, including three biological offspring with former husband composer Andre Previn, son Satchel (later known as Ronan) born during her relationship with Allen and several children she adopted. Here, she poses with Allen and her children, from left, Misha, Dylan (in Farrow's arms), Fletcher, and Soon-Yi in New York in 1986. The man in center background is unidentified. Mia Farrow has had 15 children, including three biological offspring with former husband composer Andre Previn, son Satchel (later known as Ronan) born during her relationship with Allen and several children she adopted. Here, she poses with Allen and her children, from left, Misha, Dylan (in Farrow's arms), Fletcher, and Soon-Yi in New York in 1986. The man in center background is unidentified.



Woody Allen and wife Soon-Yi Previn are the parents of adopted daughter Manzie Tio Allen, shown here with her father in 2011 in New York.Woody Allen and wife Soon-Yi Previn are the parents of adopted daughter Manzie Tio Allen, shown here with her father in 2011 in New York.



Woody Allen and adopted daughter Bechet Dumaine Allen attend a basketball game in 2009 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Her mother is Allen's current wife, Soon-Yi Previn.Woody Allen and adopted daughter Bechet Dumaine Allen attend a basketball game in 2009 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Her mother is Allen's current wife, Soon-Yi Previn.




Woody Allen, Mia Farrow family tree

Woody Allen, Mia Farrow family tree

Woody Allen, Mia Farrow family tree

Woody Allen, Mia Farrow family tree

Woody Allen, Mia Farrow family tree

Woody Allen, Mia Farrow family tree

Woody Allen, Mia Farrow family tree



Woody Allen, Mia Farrow family treeWoody Allen, Mia Farrow family tree






Fmr. teen girlfriend defends Woody Allen

"Twenty-one years ago, when I first heard Mia Farrow had accused me of child molestation, I found the idea so ludicrous I didn't give it a second thought. We were involved in a terribly acrimonious breakup, with great enmity between us and a custody battle slowly gathering energy," Allen wrote.


"The self-serving transparency of her malevolence seemed so obvious I didn't even hire a lawyer to defend myself. It was my show business attorney who told me she was bringing the accusation to the police and I would need a criminal lawyer."


The charge triggered a child-custody battle, with Allen going to court to get both adopted children and Satchel, their biological son, who now goes by Ronan Farrow. But a police investigation of the allegations ended with no charges against Allen.


At the time, Allen lashed out at authorities who handled the case and accused prosecutors of scheming to keep it open to influence his custody battle.


Adopted daughter says Woody Allen sexually assaulted her


Even as the decades passed, the scandal permanently damaged Allen's image -- that of a neurotic but amusing schlub with a talent for slapstick and witty one-liners. He denied the accusations from Dylan and said his relationship with Farrow, which had been painted in storybook colors by the press, was not actually all that strong.


However, the scandal has always been near the surface, and the open letter in The New York Times is one of a number of instances in recent months where the allegation has been raised.


He did marry Soon-Yi Previn in 1997, and after the marriage came a slightly more public Woody Allen. The couple were the focus of a 1997 Barbara Kopple documentary, "Wild Man Blues," which portrayed a generally happy pair. Allen was also the subject of a 2011 Robert Weide film, "Woody Allen: A Documentary," which briskly addressed Farrow's allegations from Allen's point of view.


In her open letter, Dylan Farrow admonished actors by name for "turning a blind eye" and for continuing to work with Allen.


But in the opinion piece, Allen questioned whether Dylan Farrow wrote the letter of her own accord or was guided by her mother in writing the letter.


"Does the letter really benefit Dylan or does it simply advance her mother's shabby agenda? That is to hurt me with a smear. There is even a lame attempt to do professional damage by trying to involve movie stars, which smells a lot more like Mia than Dylan," Allen wrote.


In a November Vanity Fair article, Allen was condemned by Mia Farrow's children, especially Dylan.


After that article's publication, a representative for Allen told CNN, "The article is so fictitious and extravagantly absurd that he is not going to comment."


The article, Dylan Farrow's letter and Twitter postings by Ronan Farrow attacking his estranged father come as the 78-year-old director and his latest film -- "Blue Jasmine" -- are up for honors during Hollywood's annual award season.


When the Hollywood Foreign Press Association gave Allen a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes last month, his son tweeted: "Missed the Woody Allen tribute -- did they put the part where a woman publicly confirmed he molested her at age 7 before or after Annie Hall?"


Dylan Farrow's letter appeared in Times columnist Nicholas Kristof's blog just hours before the Writers Guild Awards ceremony, for which Allen had been nominated for best screenplay for "Blue Jasmine." He did not win.


Academy voters begin casting Oscar ballots on February 14. Allen and his cast are up for three Academy Awards, including best original screenplay for Allen, best actress for Cate Blanchett and best supporting actress for Sally Hawkins.


CNN's Alan Duke and Todd Leopold contributed to this report.



American held captive in N. Korea


Kenneth Bae's sister, Terri Chung, joins CNN Saturday at 5 p.m. ET to share details about a new push to free her brother.


(CNN) -- American Kenneth Bae, who is being held in North Korea, has been moved from a hospital to a labor camp, the State Department said on Friday.


Agency spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement that the United States was "deeply concerned" by the development.


"We also remain gravely concerned about Mr. Bae's health" and again urged Pyongyang to grant him "special amnesty and immediate release on humanitarian grounds," she said.


Bae, of Lynwood, Washington, was arrested in November 2012 in Rason, along North Korea's northeastern coast.


A devout Christian and father of three operated a China-based company specializing in tours of North Korea, according to his family and freekennow.com, a website that friends set up to promote his release.


The North Korean government accused Bae of planning to bring down the government through religious activities.


Last month, he told reporters that he had committed a "serious crime" in the secretive nation and that he had not experienced abusive treatment by the regime.


Any statement by Bae in captivity would be sanctioned by the North Korean government.



3 people arrested, but no charges yet in his death





  • Authorities consider the case of Kevin Quick to be a "death investigation"

  • His family reported him missing Saturday after he didn't show for a party

  • Three people have been arrested, though none has been charged in his death as of yet




(CNN) -- Kevin Quick, a Virginia auxiliary police captain who went missing a week ago, is dead, authorities said Friday afternoon.


Waynesboro Police Chief Michael Wilhelm reported the 45-year-old's death at a Friday afternoon news conference.


Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corrine Geller said that authorities have not positively identified a body found Thursday, but "due to the time that is now transpired since" Quick went missing and his vehicle being found, authorities now consider this case a "death investigation" rather than a missing-person case.


Arrests made in truck theft, but police captain still missing


While no one has been charged in Quick's death, authorities have arrested three people and linked Quick's vehicle to a Sunday night robbery in which one person was shot.


Daniel Mathis and his sister, Mersadies Shelton, have been charged with grand larceny in the theft of Quick's 1999 Toyota 4Runner. A second sister, Shantai Shelton, was picked up on an outstanding warrant from Louisa County, east of Charlottesville, where Sunday night's armed robbery took place, Geller said earlier this week.


The 18-year-old Mathis also was charged with robbery, malicious wounding and a variety of weapons-related charges in connection with the Sunday night robbery, but no details of that holdup were released.


Quick -- an auxiliary police captain in Waynesboro, west of Charlottesville -- was last seen about 10:15 p.m. Friday leaving the Afton, Virginia, home that he shared with his mother. Authorities said his family believed the officer was off duty at the time and heading to a friend's house about 20 miles away.


But he never made it there. His family reported him missing the following day, after Quick failed to show up for a birthday party for his brother that he'd planned.


His 4Runner was captured by surveillance cameras at automatic teller machines twice. The first time was in the town of Fork Union, about 50 miles from Afton, about 11:40 Friday night; the second was in Manassas, on the outskirts of Washington, on Saturday night, Geller said.


Each time, the same two people were in the picture, she said -- but authorities haven't said which, if any, of those arrested were in the image.


The SUV turned up parked under a carport in Mineral, more than 30 miles northeast of Fork Union, on Monday.


CNN's Marlena Baldacci contributed to this story.



Christie and Perry 'don't like each other'





  • Rick Perry's dismissal of Chris Christie's big win in November belies a deep resentment

  • In Perry-world, Christie is seen as pompous and disrespectful

  • To Christie, Perry is unserious, past his prime and too conservative for the national stage

  • "You can only have so many sheriffs in one town," one GOP strategist said




Dallas, Texas (CNN) -- In the afterglow of Chris Christie's smashing re-election win last November, a chorus of big-name Republicans heralded the charismatic New Jersey governor as the party's savior in 2016.


Not everyone was so enamored.


Just days after the election, Texas Gov. Rick Perry appeared on national television and poured cold water on Christie's impressive victory.


"He was a successful governor in New Jersey," Perry said on ABC's "This Week." "Now does that transcend to the country? We'll see in later years and months to come. We're all different states. Is a conservative in New Jersey a conservative in the rest of the country?"





Christie's political future




Chris Christie: It's a game of gotcha




Is Christie's accuser credibile?

The comments made headlines, but were largely seen as just another predictable potshot fired off by one likely presidential contender jockeying for position with another.


But Perry's curt dismissal belied a much deeper resentment toward Christie -- and thrust a long-simmering tension between two of the Republican Party's biggest personalities into public view.


It is a rivalry that continues today and colors many of the political discussions inside the usually drama-free Republican Governors Association, the powerful fundraising committee currently helmed by Christie.


Even with the slow-burning controversies that have engulfed his governorship in New Jersey, Christie, a prolific fundraiser, maintains the support of his fellow governors, barring any further revelations that contradict his story about the George Washington Bridge lane closures.


But should Christie ever be forced to step aside, Perry -- along with his close ally, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal -- represents another power base inside the governors association that could step into the leadership void.


In Perry-world, Christie is seen as pompous and disrespectful, both to his fellow governors and the sense of collegial decorum that has ruled the governors association for years. To Christie and his allies on the committee, Perry is regarded as unserious, past his prime and too conservative for the national stage.


When Christie traveled to Dallas and Fort Worth on Thursday for a series of closed-door meetings with leading governors association donors, Perry was hundreds of miles from the scene.


The Democratic National Committee, which has turned its full artillery on Christie in the wake of the bridge fiasco, highlighted Perry's absence as a sign of Republicans fleeing a scandal-tarnished governor.


'They just don't like each other'


The truth is that Perry likely would have avoided Christie anyway, with or without the subpoena-flecked drama back in Trenton.





Poll: Christie slips in GOP 2016 race




Jindal: Christie should stay RGA chair




Are jobs better in Texas or Maryland?

"There are factions within the RGA," said an adviser to one Republican governor. "Perry is kind of the leader of one, and Christie is the leader of the other. They just don't like each other."


Like most of the people interviewed for this story -- including aides to both Christie and Perry -- the adviser declined to talk on the record so as not to offend two of the most powerful governors in the country.


Christie and his close-knit team control the purse strings of the governors association, a cash-flush campaign committee that will help fund the party's slate of gubernatorial candidates in 2014. And despite the embarrassment of his failed White House campaign, Perry is angling to run for president again and continues to be a gatekeeper to many GOP donors in Texas, a wealthy state that doubles as an ATM for Republican politicians.


Supporters of the two men who volunteered to discuss their relationship openly were cautious with their words.


"I think there are stylistic differences based on their upbringing and where they come from," said Republican operative Bob Haus, chairman of Perry's 2012 caucus campaign in Iowa. "There is a humility that comes from being from the South. And there is a brashness that comes from being from the Northeast. And that may be very apparent between the two of them."


Most accounts of their sour relationship begin in 2011, during the bruising Republican presidential campaign, in which Christie endorsed Mitt Romney on his way to the GOP nomination.


With backing from some of the GOP's biggest donors, Perry entered the race late that summer to much fanfare, rocketing to the top of national polls and providing Romney with his first serious primary opponent. Perry had resigned his post as chairman of the governors association, but was still counting on support from his fellow Republican governors. But one of them, Christie, was reluctant to give it.


Christie not shy with his thoughts about Perry


Throughout the GOP primary battles, even before his endorsement of Romney, Christie was not shy with his thoughts about Perry. In private sessions with donors, governors and assorted Republican power brokers, Christie asserted that Perry was far from qualified for the White House.


"Christie was unequivocal in saying that the Perry he had gotten to know, while a nice guy, was not suited for the presidency," said one Republican familiar with the conversations. "That was not kept a secret. He was pretty comfortable telling people that. Major donors, other governors and the like. That quickly got back to Perry."





Perry: Medicaid broken like the Titanic




Perry: 'Competition good for businesses'




Quinn: Rick Perry loves Rick Perry

Perry's team chafed at the way Christie handled his endorsement process, in which the GOP candidates were summoned to Drumthwacket, the New Jersey governor's residence, to dine with Christie and his top aides in hopes of winning his support. One veteran of Perry's campaign described the ritual as "imperial." Perry never made the trip. When Christie ultimately endorsed Romney just hours before a debate in New Hampshire, no one bothered to give a simple courtesy call to Perry-world, the former campaign aide said.


After his presidential race concluded, a chastened Perry returned to Austin and began dabbling in governors association business again. According to Christie sympathizers, he discovered that his once-rising star had been eclipsed by a younger set of governors, chief among them the ambitious Christie.


"Perry had gotten used to being everyone's favorite governor," said one GOP strategist who works with the committee. "Everyone loved the guy and he could raise a lot of money. And he took it hard that it didn't translate to presidential support. When he came back on the RGA scene, he showed up, and guess who everybody's favorite governor was? Chris Christie. A new guy with a lot of swagger and fundraising ability. And he was from New Jersey."


"You can only have so many sheriffs in one town," the strategist added.


Beyond the obvious political tensions -- both are headstrong politicians with room-filling personalities and White House ambitions in 2016 -- people close to both governors point to a complicated cultural gulf between the two men when asked about their fraught relationship.


Perry not naturally drawn to Christie


Perry, the socially conservative son of north Texas ranchers who wears his evangelical faith on his sleeve, isn't naturally drawn to Christie, a lawyer raised in the shadow of New York City who wants Republicans to move beyond the conservative orthodoxies that have damaged the party's brand with swing voters.


Christie is friendlier to the bumper crop of Republican governors who were elected in 2010, in particular Wisconsin's Scott Walker and New Mexico's Susana Martinez. Perry, who became governor nearly a decade before Christie, is notoriously close with Jindal, the current vice-chairman of the governors association who is thought to have his own presidential aspirations.


"Those two are like brothers," said the adviser to a Republican governor. "They're always doing stuff together."


In summer 2012, even before that November's presidential election, Christie began jockeying with Jindal to take over the chairmanship of the governors association in 2014, a prime election year post that would give one of them a coveted launchpad for a potential White House bid.


Perry actively worked to support Jindal. But after an unusually furious bout of behind-the-scenes campaigning, Christie won the prized post, thanks largely to his star power on the fundraising circuit. Jindal agreed to serve as governors association chairman in 2013.


But the Christie-Perry rift was exposed again last November when Christie, the soon-to-be-anointed governors association chairman, moved to install Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on the governors association's executive committee. Word of Christie's maneuvering frustrated Jindal, the outgoing chairman, who had wanted to give the open spot to Perry, in part because of the Texan's fundraising prowess.


"Perry got wind of this, got pissed, and started calling all these governors," said one Republican consultant who witnessed the intense executive committee campaign that soon followed.


Another operative familiar with the incident said: "Why keep a governor who has been the most prolific fundraiser in the history of the governors association and from a huge donor state off the executive committee? It was strictly a power play by Christie."


As Perry supporters tell it, Perry outworked Christie on the phones and whipped up enough support among his fellow governors to force Christie into a compromise: The governors association agreed to add a slot on the executive committee so that both Perry and Pence could serve.


Christie allies have a different take: The governor simply agreed to give both Perry and Pence executive committee posts to avoid an unnecessary flame war inside the organization.


"The whole executive committee thing was very overblown," said a governors association source when asked about the conflict. "Once Christie figured out Perry wanted to be on board, he allowed him to be on board. And all the governors were happy with it."


As for the greater friction between Christie and Perry, the governors association source acknowledged some ill will but said the two Republicans have an amicable relationship.


"There may be some hangover from Christie endorsing Romney, but Christie respects Perry and his work as governor, and was happy to recommend him to join the executive committee," the source said.



Is Bieber getting out of control?






<a href='http://ift.tt/1cT811l' target='_blank'>NBC is reporting</a> that the pilots of a private jet that flew Justin Bieber from Canada to New Jersey recently were allegedly forced to wear oxygen masks because of the overwhelming marijuana smoke on board. Several celebrities have been open about their love of the whacky weed...NBC is reporting that the pilots of a private jet that flew Justin Bieber from Canada to New Jersey recently were allegedly forced to wear oxygen masks because of the overwhelming marijuana smoke on board. Several celebrities have been open about their love of the whacky weed...

Miley Cyrus <a href='http://ift.tt/1j8CDQ5' target='_blank'>says in the March 2014 issue of W magazine</a> that "I love weed. I just love getting stoned ... I just want it to be back to where it's, like, organic, good weed." Here she lights up during the MTV Europe Music Awards in Amsterdam in November 2013. Whether or not she was actually smoking marijuana onstage has not been confirmed.Miley Cyrus says in the March 2014 issue of W magazine that "I love weed. I just love getting stoned ... I just want it to be back to where it's, like, organic, good weed." Here she lights up during the MTV Europe Music Awards in Amsterdam in November 2013. Whether or not she was actually smoking marijuana onstage has not been confirmed.

Snoop is such a fan, he's created <a href='http://ift.tt/1o2lhoR' target='_blank'>"Rolling Words: A Smokable Songbook,"</a> a book of lyrics ... printed on rolling papers. You can even light a match on the book's spine.Snoop is such a fan, he's created "Rolling Words: A Smokable Songbook," a book of lyrics ... printed on rolling papers. You can even light a match on the book's spine.

Woody Harrelson talked to <a href='http://ift.tt/1f2xB0y' target='_blank'>420 Magazine</a> in 2008 about why he thought marijuana should be legalized: "I do smoke, but I don't go through all this trouble just because I want to make my drug of choice legal. It's about personal freedom. We should have the right in this country to do what we want, if we don't hurt anybody."Woody Harrelson talked to 420 Magazine in 2008 about why he thought marijuana should be legalized: "I do smoke, but I don't go through all this trouble just because I want to make my drug of choice legal. It's about personal freedom. We should have the right in this country to do what we want, if we don't hurt anybody."

When Cameron Diaz appeared on "Lopez Tonight" in 2011, George Lopez asked her if she knew Snoop growing up in "the LBC." The "What to Expect When You're Expecting" actress<a href='http://ift.tt/1o2liZL' target='_blank'> responded</a>: "We went to high school together. ... He wore lots of ponytails and I'm pretty sure I bought weed from him."When Cameron Diaz appeared on "Lopez Tonight" in 2011, George Lopez asked her if she knew Snoop growing up in "the LBC." The "What to Expect When You're Expecting" actress responded: "We went to high school together. ... He wore lots of ponytails and I'm pretty sure I bought weed from him."

Funnyman Seth Rogen told<a href='http://ift.tt/1f2xDpd' target='_blank'> High Times </a>that he drew from his own experience when playing a stoner in 2008's "Pineapple Express." "Everyone's been with someone who's bought weed or knows someone who's sold weed or gone and bought weed themselves," he said.Funnyman Seth Rogen told High Times that he drew from his own experience when playing a stoner in 2008's "Pineapple Express." "Everyone's been with someone who's bought weed or knows someone who's sold weed or gone and bought weed themselves," he said.

During an interview with "60 Minutes," Lady Gaga said: "I smoke a lot of pot when I write music. ... I drink a lot of whiskey and I smoke weed when I write. I don't do it a lot because it's not good for my voice."During an interview with "60 Minutes," Lady Gaga said: "I smoke a lot of pot when I write music. ... I drink a lot of whiskey and I smoke weed when I write. I don't do it a lot because it's not good for my voice."

Police allegedly found three pot cookies and one brownie on Armie Hammer in Sierra Blanca, Texas, back in January, <a href='http://ift.tt/1o2lhFc' target='_blank'>according to TMZ.</a>Police allegedly found three pot cookies and one brownie on Armie Hammer in Sierra Blanca, Texas, back in January, according to TMZ.

"OK, so I didn't really go to high school parties," Natalie Portman told <a href='http://ift.tt/1f2xDph' target='_blank'>Marie Claire</a> in 2009, "and yeah, I didn't touch pot till I was in my 20s. I didn't get flat-out drunk until I went to college. But I think that's a good thing in many ways.""OK, so I didn't really go to high school parties," Natalie Portman told Marie Claire in 2009, "and yeah, I didn't touch pot till I was in my 20s. I didn't get flat-out drunk until I went to college. But I think that's a good thing in many ways."

In 2009, Brad Pitt told <a href='http://ift.tt/1o2liZV' target='_blank'>Parade</a> about his early days in the biz: "I liked to smoke a bit of grass at the time, and I became very sheltered. Then I got bored. I was turning into a damn doughnut, really."In 2009, Brad Pitt told Parade about his early days in the biz: "I liked to smoke a bit of grass at the time, and I became very sheltered. Then I got bored. I was turning into a damn doughnut, really."

In a 2009 interview with <a href='http://ift.tt/1f2xDpo' target='_blank'>Britain's GQ</a>, Megan Fox said, "I can't tell you how much bulls*** I've been through because I will openly say that I smoke weed."In a 2009 interview with Britain's GQ, Megan Fox said, "I can't tell you how much bulls*** I've been through because I will openly say that I smoke weed."

"When I was in high school, I loved smoking weed," Joseph Gordon-Levitt told<a href='http://ift.tt/1f2xDFC' target='_blank'> Details</a> in 2010. "I loved it. But I cut myself to once a month. That was my rule. ... That's my drug of choice.""When I was in high school, I loved smoking weed," Joseph Gordon-Levitt told Details in 2010. "I loved it. But I cut myself to once a month. That was my rule. ... That's my drug of choice."

"Gossip Girl" actor Chace Crawford was arrested on a <a href='http://ift.tt/1f2xBh5' target='_blank'>marijuana charge</a> in his hometown Plano, Texas, in 2010."Gossip Girl" actor Chace Crawford was arrested on a marijuana charge in his hometown Plano, Texas, in 2010.








1



2



3



4



5



6



7



8



9



10



11



12



13








  • Justin Bieber and his entourage smoked pot a charter plane, says police report

  • Robert Mark: Bieber has been getting in trouble lately, but this is getting out of line

  • He says smoking marijuana on a flight could potentially have serious consequences

  • Mark: Thank goodness the pilots landed safely, but Bieber's behavior was risky




Editor's note: Robert P. Mark is a pilot, award-winning journalist and publisher of Jetwhine.com, a website about the aviation industry. He's been teaching people to fly since 1974. He also teaches at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and is author of the upcoming book, "Loss of Control."


(CNN) -- So, Justin Bieber has done something stupid again. This time, he made the headlines by allegedly smoking pot on a chartered airplane and being rude and verbally abusive to the crew on a flight to Teterboro Airport in New Jersey.


Is he just another rich teen idol blowing off a little testosterone? Sure. But seriously, his bad behavior is getting a bit out of control.


For those who may never have flown aboard a charter, think of it like a bigger, swankier limousine where the passengers in the back are pretty much free to do whatever they want.



Robert P. Mark


In a regular airplane, the line in the sand is a bit clearer when it comes to passenger conduct. Unruly behavior is not tolerated on airlines like Delta or American Airlines. Get rowdy and obnoxious enough and most captains would tell the passengers they were landing the airplane at the nearest airport if they didn't calm down.


On the chartered airplane that carried Bieber, his father and 10 friends, the flight attendant was verbally abused so much so that she took refuge near the cockpit, according to a police report. The report also said that the captain asked the Beiber entourage more than once to stop smoking marijuana, but those demands were ignored.


Worried that the intoxicating fumes would eventually make their way to the cockpit, the pilots donned their emergency oxygen masks. Luckily, all went well and the airplane landed safely.





Source: Bieber filled jet with pot smoke

In the great rulebook of flying, this easily qualifies as interference with the flight crew. However, even though the plane was met by Customs agents and the police upon landing, and the cabin still smelled like marijuana, none of the crew members wanted to press charges. Who has the resources to sue a pop star who can hire the best lawyer money can buy?


Bieber got off easy in this incident. But it could have been a disaster.


What if the crew of the chartered jet, trying to be nice to this unruly bunch of well-paying customers, hadn't put on the oxygen masks? What if the fumes had gotten them high before they put on those masks? Instead of a bunch of crazies arguing with the flight crew, you could have a flight crew impaired as well.


Imagine a now-impaired flight crew approaching some of the busiest airspace in the world. Could they have managed to get the airplane down on the ground in one piece? Maybe. But maybe not, because when you're impaired your thinking is off.


Or, what if one of the passengers, already high as a kite, had wandered up front and distracted the pilots (chartered planes don't usually have the same secure doors as airliners) ... just enough that they missed an important radio call or failed to notice another nearby airplane? If you were on an airliner headed for Newark or LaGuardia, how would you feel knowing the guys in some nearby business jet are loopy? Or imagine if the airplane had slid off the runway during landing, or sailed through the airport fence because the crew wasn't really in control? The profit the charter company made carrying the Bieber entourage would not even cover the attorney's fees in a lawsuit.


The flight attendant on the flight said she'd never fly with these passengers again, and good for her. The charter company should never carry the Bieber entourage again, either, because these people don't belong in an airplane where they can hurt someone else.


Most captains I know would have put the safety of the crew, the passengers and the people on the ground above everything else. Should any company fly Bieber after this? I hope not, but a wealthy pop stars usually gets his way.


Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion


Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion


The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Robert P. Mark.