BRIT Hollywood star Jodie Turner-Smith is accused of helping fund her brother’s drug use and sex parties, according to a bombshell lawsuit.
Three women have also filed a complaint against convicted felon Richard Smith – alleging sexual coercion, non consensual sexual conduct, and imprisonment.
One of them, named Jane Doe 2, alleged that Smith referred to her as his “white slave” and described himself as her “master”.
Turner-Smith is named as a defendant in the harrowing case, that is now threatening to derail her Hollywood career.
The actress, the lawsuit claims “knew of significant dangers associated with Smith and, despite that knowledge, continued to provide or make available resources that enabled [him].”
Smith used the housing and money that he received from his sister to carry out the sexual abuse, according to the claimants.
Among Turner-Smith’s gifts to her brother was an Audi that he allegedly used to transport drug packages to USPS that were then moved across state lines.
Smith also used his famous sister to make some of the women feel safe and “lower her defences” during sex parties, it was alleged.
“I used to take care of her, now she takes care of me. She pays all my bills,” he told them, as per the papers.
Turner-Smith denies all the claims made against her.
Some of the more shocking accusations were made by Jane Doe 2, who said she met Smith in 2023 at an after hours party in Los Angeles.
He allegedly pressured her to take drugs where “trays of cocaine… and firearms or other weapons were present”, the papers say.
The pair engaged in a sexual relationship that later turned “unhealthy” and “controlling”.
Smith is accused of pressuring her to have sex with him as well as multiple other men.
Jane Doe 1 also claimed he pressured her to take drugs and engage in unwanted sexual activity with him.
At times, his own children were present during some of the illicit activities at a 1555 Vine Street residence, the papers say.
Meanwhile, Jane Doe 3 said she did not feel safe in the Hollywood home, and said Smith even pressured her to sell drugs.
He further “forced sexual activity involving himself and a roommate,” she said.
The three women allege that “they have suffered and continue to suffer emotional distress, fear, anxiety, humiliation, trauma, loss of peace of mind, and other damages as a result.”
Representing the three women, Nissan Thomas, said: “This lawsuit raises serious questions about what happened, who knew about it, and what resources continued to be provided after warning signs allegedly became impossible to ignore.
“They are asking the court to examine the conduct of each defendant based on the evidence – not on family relationships, celebrity status or speculation.”
A representative for Turner-Smith told TMZ that this is a “fictional lawsuit.”
“[It] was filed by someone who has been harassing Jodie while hiding behind the name Jane Doe,” the statement said .
“The claims are not true. This is an abuse of the legal system, allowing someone to make up facts and file meritless legal documents.”
mustafaU
RIYADH: A US economic delegation has held meetings with Syria’s sovereign fund to explore investment opportunities, as Damascus seeks to deepen ties with the world’s largest economy and attract international capital.
The meetings, which included representatives from government bodies and private companies, were focused on assessing the Syrian market and available investment opportunities amid the country’s economic opening and the lifting of sanctions, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported.
The discussions come as the Middle Eastern nation’s seeks to capitalize on the momentum generated following Washington’s termination of sanctions against Syria in July 2025.
“In his remarks during the meeting, Yasir Kahf, Director of Development and Planning at the Syrian Sovereign Fund, explained that the fund’s investment portfolio encompasses a diverse range of sectors and companies. He emphasized the Fund’s openness to establishing various forms of partnerships with US and international companies — including joint ventures — tailored to the specific nature of each sector,” the newly released SANA statement said.
Kahf also said the US Chamber of Commerce delegation’s inaugural visit to Syria represents a significant step toward enhancing economic cooperation.
Mohammad Mastat, director of public relations at the Syrian Sovereign Fund, said US companies had shown interest in entering the Syrian investment market, adding that several agreements and projects were currently under negotiation and would be announced in due course.
The easing of US sanctions has also created greater scope for investment and private-sector activity.
In May 2025, the US Treasury said sanctions relief would enable new investment in Syria and facilitate activity across all sectors of the Syrian economy as part of efforts to support its economic recovery.
The International Monetary Fund expects Syria’s economic growth to reach double digits in 2026 and remain strong in 2027.
It said the recovery is being supported by improving agriculture, hydrocarbon production, electricity provision, trade and services, alongside policies aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability and achieving a strong, private-sector-led recovery.
Nelson_A_Ishikawa
Japan likely sold a portion of its U.S. Treasury holdings to finance its currency intervention over the past month, as its foreign reserves posted their largest decline in August.
Tokyo’s reserve assets totaled ~$1.21T at the end of August, down 6.2% from a
Zhihu (ZH) announced that it has entered into a subscription agreement to invest RMB1.5B (approx. $210M) as a limited partner in Tianjin Lisi Xingshen Equity Investment Partnership (Limited Partnership).
The proposed capital commitment, payable in cash via capital calls, will give Zhihu
A bipartisan package of bills aimed at punishing unethical attorneys and hedge funds that have flourished within California’s legal industry is headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.
The two bills would bar lawyers from prioritizing the desires of private investors who fund lawsuits, and ramp up penalties for lawyers who scout for clients at hospitals, jails and accident sites.
Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Los Angeles), one of the bill authors, said the legislation is intended to police the state’s bruised legal profession in response to “a wave of inappropriate attorney conduct” reported by The Times.
Times investigations last year found some clients within L.A. County’s $4-billion sex abuse settlement said they were paid to sue and, in some cases, fabricate claims.
“When attorneys are exploiting vulnerable people, including paying folks to file fraudulent claims, they’re not just breaking the law, they really undermine the credibility of the legal system and every attorney,” Zbur said.
Both bills were sponsored by the Consumer Attorneys of California, a powerful trial lawyer trade group that says it wants to beef up punishment for misconduct.
“If we are going to demand that corporations, government, and powerful institutions be held accountable, we must be — and we are — willing to hold ourselves to that same standard,” Doug Saeltzer, head of the association, said in a statement.
California law already bans a practice known as capping, in which non-attorneys directly solicit or procure clients to sign up for lawsuits with a law firm.
Zbur’s legislation, Assembly Bill 2039, would require that attorneys lose their license if they’re convicted of felony capping or a misdemeanor capping conviction in which they “acted knowingly and for financial gain.” The lawyers could also be fined $25,000 per violation.
The bill also creates whistleblower protections for law firm employees who report misconduct, and would enact new restrictions on loans that attorneys give their clients. California is one of the few states where lawyers can lend money directly to plaintiffs.
Lawyers who use the loans to sway the client’s decision-making around “legal strategy, settlement decisions, or continued representation” can be fined $15,000 per offense.
The second bill aims to bar private investors from influencing a case — for example, telling a lawyer how many clients to take on or when to settle — in lawsuits they fund.
California allows lawyers to take high-interest rate loans from investors, such as private equity firms or hedge funds, who expect to profit from the payout when a case is settled. Critics of this litigation funding claim investors sometimes exert themselves in legal strategy to the detriment of the clients, such as requiring a case to settle prematurely so the law firm can repay the loan faster.
“We don’t want them having any influence in the outcome of a case,” said Assemblyman Ash Kalra (D-San José), who authored AB 2305. “We want the lawyers to be able to represent their clients, and then not have those financial pressures play any role.”
A spokesperson for Newsom’s office said they don’t comment on pending legislation.
Lawyers already are barred under State Bar rules from allowing a third party to dictate case strategy. Kalra has said the goal of the bill is to provide additional “clear statutory safeguards.”
Law firms would also be barred from using money from private investors to market for cases, Kalra said. The State Bar would be tasked with disciplining lawyers that flout the rule.
A Times investigation last year found law firms that have filed thousands of sex abuse claims in California are funded by private investors, meaning an unknown chunk of the $4-billion settlement will go into the pockets of opaque funders.
It’s unclear how violations of the law would come to the attention of the State Bar. Litigation funding agreements are typically private between the funder and the law firm, and clients often don’t know their cases are being funded by private investors.
Jaime Huff, the head of the Civil Justice Assn. of California, which advocates for lawsuit reform on behalf of business interests, said her group — a frequent foe of California trial lawyers — ultimately pulled their support from the bill because they found it toothless.
“I don’t trust the State Bar to tie their own shoes in the morning, much less govern this stuff,” said Huff. “It’s basically gaslighting the public into thinking, ‘Yes, they’ve done something.’”
“It’s like the mall cop of self-policing,” she added.
Kalra said the point was to send a blunt message to the state’s legal bar.
“There may be loopholes that folks find in this one, and they have to follow up and close those loopholes,” he said. “But ultimately, it makes a very clear rule as to how that funding can be used. Once that rule is in place, it’s the law. And lawyers have to follow the law.”
