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Over the past 24 hours, a particular cartoon depiction of Serena Williams has been causing outrage online. 

The cartoon, by The Herald Sun artist Mark Knight, shows the tennis legend smashing her racket in a rage.

The cartoon has been widely criticised as being sexist and accused of using racist stereotypes. 

The newspaper's editor, Damon Johnston has defended the cartoon, writing on Twitter that it 'is not racist or sexist …. it rightly mocks poor behaviour by a tennis legend … Mark has the full support of everyone.' 

High profile figures have criticised the cartoon, including author JK Rowling. 

'Well done on reducing one of the greatest sportswomen alive to racist and sexist tropes and turning a second great sportswoman into a faceless prop,' she tweeted. 

Knight denied that the cartoon was racist, telling 3AW radio's Neil Mitchell:

'It's a cartoon about poor behaviour … People said I’m racist because I drew Serena as an African-American woman.'

'I drew her as a powerful figure, which is what she is. She's strongly built.'

Serena Williams has since been fined $17,000 for her outburst at the US Open Final. 

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Earlier today news broke that former Backstreet Boys member, Nick Carter, has been accused of sexual assault and rape by a former member of US girl band DREAM.

In a lengthy blog post, Melissa Schuman detailed an incident which took place in Nick's Santa Monica apartment, and insisted that the pop star had forced himself on her against her will when she was 18-years-old.

"I  told him I didn’t want to go any further. He didn’t listen. He didn’t care," she wrote.

Nick has since responded to the allegations, and insisted that he was stunned by Melissa's interpretation of that particular night in 2002.

"I am shocked and saddened by Ms Schuman's accusations," he began.

In a description of events which contradicts Melissa's entirely, Nick insisted that any relations between the pair was wholly consensual.

"Melissa never expressed to me while we were together or at any time since that anything we did was not consensual."

Nick also addressed their showcase which Melissa described in her blog post, and again contradicted Melissa's version of events.

"We went on to record a song and perform together, and I was always respectful and supportive of Melissa both personally and professionally."

The BSB singer insists that the accusations have come as a shock, not lest because Melissa has waited 15 years to come forward.

"This is the first that I am hearing about these accusations, nearly two decades later. It is contrary to my nature and everything I hold dear to intentionally cause someone discomfort or harm."

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Gossip Girl actor, Ed Westwick, has responded to Kristina Cohen's allegations against him in succinct statement this afternoon.

Taking to Twitter, the British actor – in just three short sentences – dismissed Kristina's claims that he raped her.

"I do not know this woman", he wrote. "I have never forced myself in any manner, on any woman. I certainly have never committed rape."

The post which was uploaded minutes ago has amassed more than 3,000 likes, with social media users wasting no time responding to his statement.

As many appeared to support the actor, one Twitter user responded to the support, writing: "Astonishing how a woman can be raped & describe it in great detail but a man comes out with a half assed statement and y’all believe it."

Echoing this, another Twitter user condemned the length of Westwick's statement, writing: "Exactly. It’s so impersonal. Whereas her detailed description speaks volumes. I just don’t know what to believe."

Kristina alleges that the rape took place in Westwick's apartment three years ago.

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Lupita Nyong’o' is just one in an alarming number of high-profile women who have come forward with allegations against Harvey Weinstein in recent days.

And while the allegations – all of which display an unsettling number of similarities – mount, Harvey Weinstein has, on the whole, maintained a deafening silence.

However, Lupita's lengthy op-ed in The New York Times – a piece which details her various encounters with the movie mogul – was one of the few allegations to spark a response from the once highly-regarded producer.

In the piece, the 12 Years a Slave actress recalls one particular meeting with the producer which took place in his family home.

After being cajoled away from the people present, Weinstein suggested performing a massage on the Oscar-winner – a suggestion which Lupita found disturbing.

"For the first time since I met him, I felt unsafe," she remembered. "I panicked a little and thought quickly to offer to give him one instead: It would allow me to be in control physically, to know exactly where his hands were at all times."

"Before long he said he wanted to take off his pants,” she wrote. “I told him not to do that and informed him that it would make me extremely uncomfortable. He got up anyway to do so and I headed for the door, saying that I was not at all comfortable with that."

This incident was couched by encounters which left Lupita in no doubt of the producer's influence in Hollywood.

During one meeting over dinner, Lupita recalls Weinstein saying: ‘Let’s cut to the chase. I have a private room upstairs where we can have the rest of our meal.’I was stunned. I told him I preferred to eat in the restaurant."

"He told me not to be so naïve. If I wanted to be an actress, then I had to be willing to do this sort of thing. He said he had dated Famous Actress X and Y and look where that had gotten them."

After explaining that she abruptly called the meeting to a close, Lupita says the next time she encountered Weinstein was at an after-party for 12 Years a Slave where the producer apologised for his conduct.

"He was ashamed of his actions and he promised to respect me moving forward," Lupita wrote. "I said thank you and left it at that. But I made a quiet promise to myself to never ever work with Harvey Weinstein."

Lupita's op-ed has been contradicted by Weinstein, who issued a statement through his representative, which not only denies the claims, but seeks to highlight Lupita's supposed admiration of the now disgraced Hollywood heavy-hitter.

"Mr. Weinstein has a different recollection of the events, but believes Lupita is a brilliant actress and a major force for the industry," reads the statement. "Last year, she sent a personal invitation to Mr. Weinstein to see her in her Broadway show Eclipsed."

Lupita is one of just two actresses Weinstein has responded to, having previously denied wrongdoing against Ashley Judd.

Oh, and one more thing while we have you! Don't forget that you can catch up on all your favourite shows for free for a month right here, so sign up now!

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From Miley Cyrus’ tears to Lady Gaga’s protest, Donald Trump’s election has elicited a variety of responses from Hollywood’s elite.

However, at this early stage, few stars have surmised America’s current political situation as eloquently as The Hunger Games’ Jennifer Lawrence.

In an open letter for Vice’s Broadly, the 26-year-old Kentucky native has encouraged US citizens to transform their current state of anger and fear into a form of hopeful resolution.

Surmising the feelings of those left marginalised by Trump’s rise to power, the Oscar-winner wrote: “Is this the stark reality?…This country was founded on immigration and today the only people that feel safe, that their rights are recognized and respected are white men.”

“I want to be positive; I want to support our democracy, but what can we take away from this?  It’s a genuine question that we all need to ask ourselves.”

As an outspoken opponent of the President-elect, Jennifer continued by offering seemingly modest solutions to the anxieties of her peers.

“If you’re worried about racial violence love your neighbour more than you’ve ever tried to before – no matter what they believe or who they voted for.”

“If you're afraid of a wall putting us all into another recession then organize and stand against it.”

“If you’re a woman and you’re worried that no matter how hard you work or how much you learn, there will always be a glass ceiling, then I don’t really know what to say.  I don’t know what I would tell my daughter if I were you.  Except to have hope.  To work for the future.”

The actress’ powerful letter finished by recognising that the current mood is apt, but suggested that those left disappointed by the election’s result must continue to strive for progress.

“We’re all allowed to be sad that the present isn’t what we thought it was.  But we mustn’t be defeated.  We will keep educating ourselves and working twice as hard as the man next to us because we know now that it is not fair.  It is not fair in the workplace, so you make it impossible to fail.  And like Hillary, it might not work.”

“But like Hillary, you can still be an inspiration and get important things done.  Do not let this defeat you – let this enrage you!  Let it motivate you!  Let this be the fire you didn't have before.  If you are an immigrant, if you are a person of colour, if you are LGBTQ+, if you are a woman – don't be afraid, be loud!”

Images: Shutterstock

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Late last week Blurred Lines star Emily Ratajkowski set tongues wagging when she wore an extremely plunging Julien Macdonald gown to a New York Fashion Week event.

And while we thought the actress pulled off the eye-catching LBD like only she could, critics like Fashion Police’s Tim Gunn weren’t quite as impressed with the navel skimming ensemble.

According to Us Weekly, the 63-year-old fashion consultant was quick to brand Emily’s outfit as “appallingly vulgar and revealing” during a televised discussion of the gown. 

 

Bazaar.

A photo posted by Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata) on

While claiming he wasn’t shocked by the dress because he “lived through the 1960s”, the Project Runway co-host did go as far as to suggest the dress would be enough to turn him off his food.  

Clearly unimpressed with Tim’s comments, Emily has taken to Twitter to defend her outfit of choice.

In a series of tweets – which begin with a reference to a recent article she wrote in defence of female sexuality – the avid feminist said: “When I wrote my Glamour article, I was just thinking of men who call women attention seeking for being sexy.”

“I wasn’t thinking of the hosts of nationally televised shows who call women vulgar because they can see their stomachs.”

The outspoken star continued by highlighting the way in which male voices try to dictate how women dress.

“Western men in 2016: Want to ban women abroad from voluntarily covering themselves at the beach then want women to cover up their ‘vulgar’ bodies at home.”

She finished be asking: “Who controls women’s bodies in 2016?”

“It’s 2016.  Why keep trying to dictate what women can wear?”

 

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