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Monday August 14, 2017 16 ENtertainment

Swift groping trial in focusPOP star Taylor Swift’s former bodyguard Friday corroborated her account of being groped by a Colorado disc jockey, testifying that he saw the radio personality slip his hand under her skirt as they posed for a photo.

Greg Dent, a former police offi cer who said he has provided security for many other celebri-ties, took the witness stand on the fi fth day of a U.S. district court trial in Denver pitting the 27-year-old singer against the man she has accused of sexual assault, David Mueller, 55.

An eight-member jury has been weighing her allegation that Mueller clutched her bare buttocks during a pre-concert fan reception in 2013 against Mueller’s assertion that she falsely accused him, then got him fi red from radio station KYGO-FM.

Swift testifi ed Thursday that she was subjected to a “very long,” “intentional” and “hor-rifying” grope by Mueller as she posed with him and his then-girlfriend for a picture. Swift also said it was obvious the couple had both “had a few cocktails.”

Dent, called to the stand by Mueller’s lawyer, Gabriel McFar-land, told jurors he witnessed the incident.

“I saw his hand under her skirt. ... Her skirt went up. ... She jumped,” Dent testifi ed, adding that Swift then moved closer to Mueller’s girlfriend, who was standing on the other side of the singer for the photo.

Dent said he did not immedi-

ately intervene because he took his cues from Swift, who contin-ued with the meet-and-greet ses-sion. When she fi nished meeting her fans, Dent said, Swift told her staff about the groping.

Earlier this week, Mueller testi-fi ed that he may have made inno-

cent contact with Swift but denied any inappropriate behavior.

The last witness McFarland called was Mueller’s ex-girl-friend, Shannon Melcher, a former sales representative for KYGO who gave testimony that was somewhat supportive of Mueller though far from effu-sively favorable.

Asked if she saw Mueller inappropriately touch Swift during the picture-taking ses-sion, Melcher said she did not, but added, “I don’t have eyes in the back of my head.”

But Melcher testifi ed she did not notice Swift lurch or move away from Mueller. The photo, repeatedly displayed in court, shows Swift in a black skirt and top, fl anked by Mueller and Melcher, all three smiling for the camera. Mueller has his right hand concealed behind Swift’s backside, and she appears to have shifted her hip away from him.

Jurors were dismissed for the weekend, and were due to return Monday to hear closing arguments.

Mueller initiated the litiga-tion, claiming Swift fabricated the story and pressured KYGO to fi re him. Swift then counter-sued for assault and battery, asking for symbolic damages of US$1. (SD-Agencies)

Box offi ce hit“WOLF Warrior 2” became the biggest grossing fi lm ever at the Chinese box offi ce after collecting a massive US$571 million after 14 days.

The action movie took the crown from Stephen Chow’s fantasy phenomenon “The Mermaid,” which earned US$527 million during its theatrical run last year. “Wolf Warrior 2” also relegated “The Fate of the Furious,” the most successful Hollywood title in China ever, down to third place. “Wolf Warrior 2” started big with a US$130 million debut, but it has really turned heads with its second weekend gross of US$161 million.

ParadeGRAMMY Award-winning artist Chance the Rapper rode through the streets of his Chicago hometown as grand marshal of the city’s back-to-school parade.

The 24-year-old rapper sat atop a white convertible waving at the crowds during Saturday’s Bud Billiken Parade, which welcomes Chicago children back for the new school year. The rapper, whose name is Chancelor Bennett, won three Grammys in February. The parade started in 1929.

‘Ad Astra’DONALD SUTHERLAND is heading into orbit for New Regency’s “Ad Astra,” James Gray’s upcoming sci-fi epic.

Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones and Ruth Negga also are attached to the project, which is described as an adventure fi lm about one man’s (Pitt) journey across a lawless and unforgiving solar system to fi nd his missing father, a ren-egade scientist who poses a threat to all of mankind.

Gray will direct the fea-ture fi lm from a script he co-wrote with Ethan Gross. New Regency, 20th Century Fox and Bona Film Group are fi nancing the pic.

Pro wrestlingWWE will launch the WWE Network in China for the fi rst time after striking an exclusive deal with Suning Sports Media. Starting Friday, the WWE Network will be available on Suning’s PPTV platform as a subscrip-tion video-on-demand service that will include a raft of WWE content, all live pay-per-view events including the marquee promotions “Wrestlemania” and “Summerslam.”

PPTV, which has the China rights to UFC and the English Premier League, is pushing WWE Network wide on its digital platform offering Chi-nese customers a chance to watch pro wrestling through smart TVs and set-top boxes, as well as mobile devices and tablets.

(SD-Agencies)

At a Glance

CHINESE documentary fi lm-maker Wang Bing won the Locarno Festival’s Golden Leopard prize with his new fi lm “Mrs. Fang.” The jury, led by Olivier Assayas, awarded the festival’s top prize to Wang, who is considered a leader in the current documentary fi lm movement out of China.

“Mrs. Fang” is a sobering por-trait of death, fi lmed through-out the last 10 days of the life of an elderly farmer. Last year Wang won the Horizons award for best screenplay at Venice Film Festival for his fi lm “Bitter Money.”

The special jury prize went to “Good Manners,” a horror-drama feature from Brazilians Juliana Rojas and Marco Dutra.

F.J. Ossang won best director for “9 Doights,” about a man on the run who inherits a fortune from a dying man he meets on the road.

“Elle” star Isabelle Huppert took home the prize for best actress for “Madame Hyde,” a Serge Bozon fi lm about a reviled teacher who becomes a different person after being struck by light-ning. Best actor went to Elliott

Crossett Hove for “Vinterbrodre” by Hlynur Palmason. The fi lm follows two brothers over a cold winter and their violent fi ght with another family. In the Cinema of the Present competition, Ilian Metev won the Golden Leopard for “Three Quarters.” Valerie Massadian won the special jury prize for “Milla.” And Dae-Hwan Kim won the competition’s best emerging director prize for “The First Lap.”

A special mention went to She-vaun Mizrahi for “Distant Con-stellation” and Pedro Cabeleira for “Damned Summer.” The 70th Locarno Festival ends Sat-urday with a screening at the Palazzo Grande of Swiss rock fi lm “Gotthard — One Life, One Soul.” (SD-Agencies)

Chinese documentary wins Golden Leopard

BRUNO MARS said Saturday he is donating US$1 million from his Michigan concert to aid those affected by the Flint water crisis.

The Grammy-winning star told the audience at his show in Auburn Hills, about 48 kilome-ters from Detroit, that he and tour promoter Live Nation are redirecting funds from the show to the charity The Community Foundation of Greater Flint.

In 2014, Flint switched water sources and failed to add cor-rosion-reducing phosphates, allowing lead from old pipes to leach into the water. Elevated levels of lead, a neurotoxin, were detected in children, and 12 people died in a Legion-naires’ disease outbreak that experts suspect was linked to the improperly treated water.

“I’m very thankful to the Michigan audience for joining me in supporting this cause,” Mars said in a statement. “Ongoing challenges remain years later for Flint residents, and it’s important that we don’t forget our brothers and sisters affected by this disaster.”

(SD-Agencies)

Bruno Mars donates $1m to water crisis

Wang BingWang Bing

Taylor SwiftTaylor SwiftTaylor Swift is fl anked by Taylor Swift is fl anked by Shannon Melcher (L) and Shannon Melcher (L) and David Mueller in this fi le photo David Mueller in this fi le photo displayed in court.displayed in court.