Entertainment News Roundup: Harvey Weinstein sues Stellantis' Chrysler unit over 2019 Jeep crash; Woman tells jury Cosby molested her, defense challenges account and more

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Harvey Weinstein sues Stellantis' Chrysler unit over 2019 Jeep crash

The former Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein, now in prison after being convicted of sex crimes, on Tuesday, sued the U.S. business of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles over a 2019 crash in which he flipped a Jeep Wrangler while trying to avoid a deer. Weinstein is seeking $5 million in damages, saying the Aug. 17, 2019 accident in Bedford, New York left him "catastrophically injured and rendered paralyzed" with "significant and continuing conscious pain and suffering" from what his lawyer called "severe spine and back injuries."

Woman tells jury Cosby molested her, defense challenges account

A woman who has filed a civil lawsuit against Bill Cosby took the witness stand in California on Tuesday, telling jurors the comedian forced her to perform a sex act at the Playboy Mansion when she was a teenager in the 1970s. Judy Huth, who is seeking unspecified damages, said she had gone to the famous locale in Los Angeles at Cosby's invitation after she and a friend met him days earlier at a public park where he was filming a movie.

'Top Gun' heirs sue Paramount over 'Top Gun: Maverick'

The family of the author whose article inspired the 1986 Tom Cruise movie "Top Gun" on Monday sued Paramount Pictures for copyright infringement over this year's blockbuster sequel "Top Gun: Maverick." According to a complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court, the Paramount Global unit failed to reacquire the rights to Ehud Yonay's 1983 article "Top Guns" from the family before releasing the "derivative" sequel.

Actor Matthew McConaughey makes emotional plea for gun laws at White House

Actor and Uvalde, Texas, native Matthew McConaughey met with President Joe Biden on Tuesday, and urged more congressional action on gun violence in an emotional speech, sharing stories of those who were killed in last month's elementary school shooting. Nineteen children and two teachers were shot to death at Robb Elementary School in McConaughey's hometown on May 24 by an 18-year-old gunman wielding a semi-automatic rifle.

Fan turns superhero in 'Ms. Marvel' comic spin-off

From super fan to superhero, 19-year-old Pakistani-Canadian actress Iman Vellani has made the ultimate transformation in the new Disney+ television show "Ms. Marvel". Vellani plays Marvel Comics' Kamala Khan, a 16-year-old high school student and superhero fangirl who discovers she has powers of her own.

Taylor Swift, and Jennifer Lopez lead the star line-up at Tribeca Filmfest

A Jennifer Lopez documentary, a "Heat" reunion and a talk with chart-topper Taylor Swift are among the highlights of this year's Tribeca Film Festival which opens in New York on Wednesday. Lopez herself is scheduled to attend the screening of "Halftime", a film about the singer and actor's career which kicks off the 20-year-old annual event.

Kevin Spacey must face sexual abuse accuser's lawsuit in New York

A federal judge on Monday rejected Kevin Spacey's bid to dismiss a civil lawsuit in which fellow actor Anthony Rapp accused the Oscar winner of making an unwanted sexual advance during a party at Spacey's Manhattan home in 1986, when Rapp was 14. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan said there was a genuine factual dispute about whether the now 62-year-old Spacey forcibly touched Rapp's "intimate parts" to gratify his own sexual desire.

Cosby accuser describes going to Playboy Mansion with the comedian

A woman who accused Bill Cosby of sexually assaulting her in the mid-1970s began her court testimony on Monday, describing how she and a friend met the comedian as teenagers and accompanied him to the famed Playboy Mansion. Judy Huth, who has filed a civil lawsuit against Cosby for unspecified damages, told jurors she was playing frisbee at a public park on a weekday when she noticed a movie filming nearby. She and a friend, Donna Samuelson, walked closer and recognized Bill Cosby, Sidney Poitier and other actors.

Italy's La Scala will open new season with Russian opera

Italy's La Scala will open its 2022-23 season with a performance of "Boris Godunov", a Russian-composed opera performed by Russian artists, with no plans for a cultural boycott despite the invasion of Ukraine. "I'm not for a witch hunt nor for the cancellation of Russian works," Dominique Meyer, artistic director of the theatre, told reporters. "I do not hide while reading [Russian writer Alexander] Pushkin."