Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

What Makes Gloria Run?

Feminist champion Gloria Allred takes on bad boys, deadbeat dads and ... Britney

By Jane Yager, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 14, 2007 5:48 PM CDT

(Newser) – London's Daily Telegraph offers a colorful profile of LA "celebutorney" Gloria Allred as both a tireless victims' rights advocate and a self-promoter who thrives on high-profile trials. She's squared off against Michael Jackson, Dodi Fayed, Charlie Sheen and OJ; she's recently been battling Eddie Murphy on behalf of ex-girlfriend (and baby mother) Mel B from the Spice Girls.

And there she was last month, introducing a "secret witness"—a former bodyguard— into Britney Spears' child custody trial. In June she targeted Paris Hilton for receiving better prison medical care than a client of her own. Describing herself as 'Davida' fighting Goliath, she attributes her legal crusading to her own experiences as a single mother, rape victim, and survivor of a botched illegal abortion. Twice divorced, Allred says her work now leaves her no time for a relationship.

Attorney Gloria Allred holds the chair for her client, Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown, left, at a news conference Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2007, in Los Angeles. Brown filed a Superior Court petition Wednesday... (Associated Press)

Betty Perry, left, sits with Attorney Gloria Allred in Utah's Fourth District Court waiting for her case to come before a judge Tuesday Sept. 18, 2007 in Orem, Utah. Perry, 70, is charged with having... (Associated Press)

Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown, right, and attorney Gloria Allred take questions during a news conference Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2007, in Los Angeles. Brown filed a Superior Court petition Wednesday that seeks... (Associated Press)

Attorney Gloria Allred speaks to reporters as she arrives at the county courthouse in Los Angeles, Monday, Sept. 17, 2007, to attend a child custody hearing between pop music star Britney Spears and her... (Associated Press)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

10 Ridiculous Celebrity Excuses

Paris Hilton isn't the first one to grasp at straws

(NEWSER) - Paris Hilton really, really thought that cocaine in her (er, a friend's ) purse was chewing gum . In her honor, PopEater lists nine more equally ridiculous tall tales celebs have dreamed up when they needed an excuse:

Britney Spears: Why did she drive with her infant son on her lap instead of in a car seat? Because that's how they do it where she's from, she once explained: "I did it with my dad. I'd sit on his lap and I drive. We're country."
Eddie Murphy: He was spotted with a hooker in his car, but only because he has a soft spot for prostitutes. "It's not the first hooker I've helped out," he explained, insisting that he pulled over because the woman (who actually turned out to be a transsexual) was crying.

15 Dumbest Celebrity Quotes

You can't make this stuff up...

(NEWSER) - Celebrities say the darndest—and sometimes the stupidest—things. The Stir rounds up 15 that fall into the latter category:

Arnold Schwarzenegger: "I think gay marriage is something that should be between a man and a woman."
Brooke Shields: "Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life."
Paris Hilton: "What's Wal-Mart, do they sell, like, wall stuff?"

10 Craziest Celeb Diets

Could you survive on strawberries, lettuce, and edamame?

(NEWSER) - Snooki of the Jersey Shore is going on a cookie diet—which sounds downright yummy compared to some of the other crazy diets she and her fellow celebrities have tried. (In high school, Snooks would “suck on ice cubes for hours” instead of eating, a friend says.) The Frisky found 9 more similarly insane-sounding regimens:

Mariah Carey: Her purple food diet involves eating grapes, plums, beetroots—and nothing but—for three days each week.
Victoria Beckham: Insisted the Spice Girls subsist on strawberries, lettuce, and edamame; now, when she goes to lunch with Katie Holmes, they split a small salad—sans dressing.

'00s Biggest Celeb Scandals

Jon and Kate Gosselin haven't always dominated the headlines

(NEWSER) - You may have forgotten all about it, thanks to the neverending coverage of the Gosselin divorce or Tiger Woods’ mistresses, but there was a time—in the last 10 years—when Winona Ryder’s shoplifting was the story of the hour. The Frisky lists the top 10 celebrity scandals of the decade:

R. Kelly: He was acquitted on charges of sex with a minor and child porn, but that didn’t make the idea of him making a sex tape with a 14-year-old go away.
Michael Jackson: In 2003, Jackson was accused—again—of child molestation, resulting in the trial of the decade.

Signs the Mean Girl Era Is Over

Down with Paris and Britney's antics, up with Taylor's goody-goody ones

(NEWSER) - Gone are the good old days when tabloids were filled with stories of Paris Hilton getting arrested and Britney Spears shaving her head—the world of celebrities is now ruled by do-gooders like Taylor Swift. You may rejoice momentarily, but “you’ll miss Paris Hilton now that she’s gone,” promises Richard Rushfield. He offers up the evidence of a new era, on Gawker :

Paris Hilton: Her biggest moment in the spotlight in nearly a year was when she released a shampoo line.

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

What Makes Gloria Run?

Feminist champion Gloria Allred takes on bad boys, deadbeat dads and ... Britney

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Britney Spears • Paris Hilton • Gloria Allred

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

10 Ridiculous Celebrity Excuses

Paris Hilton isn't the first one to grasp at straws

15 Dumbest Celebrity Quotes

You can't make this stuff up...

10 Craziest Celeb Diets

Could you survive on strawberries, lettuce, and edamame?

'00s Biggest Celeb Scandals

Jon and Kate Gosselin haven't always dominated the headlines

Signs the Mean Girl Era Is Over

Down with Paris and Britney's antics, up with Taylor's goody-goody ones

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?