I’m sure most of you have seen this already. I was out & about last night so I missed the latest update on this story. But as many of us suspected, this story was bogus right from the start.
I think most of us bloggers acted irresponsibly in our handling of this story. This is a classic case of jumping the gun before we got all of our ducks in a row. It illustrates the importance of not relying on blogs for your news.
When an industry cat called me about this story on Wednesday, the last thing he said to me was, “make sure you do your research before you post this.” But like a dummy, I didn’t listen to him.
I missed major red flags right from the start. Such as the fact that the source was a random, anonymous chick on Twitter(!). The supposedly “sealed” court documents that she posted online were incomplete and missing vital information such as a docket # and the jurisdiction/courts where the papers were filed in.
If this story was legit, she would have gone mainstream with it. And to use the excuse that the mainstream media didn’t pick up on this story because they’re not aware of who Pretty Ricky or Pleasure P are, is ridiculous.
I’ve seen the media get worked up over lesser known urban artists than them!
The reality is that media outlets like TMZ.com and People.com used caution and common sense in not running with a with a totally unsubstantiated story that had the potential to ruin lives and careers.
Here’s Pleasure P’s official statement that was posted on Atlantic Records website yesterday:
The following statement was issued by Marcus Cooper p/k/a Pleasure P through his attorney Robert Meloni, Meloni & McCaffrey, P.C., [Contact info removed].
“All of the recent rumors and accusations that are being circulated about me are 100% false. They are disgusting and vile; and they are being spread by individuals with their own sick agendas. The purported documents that are also being circulated are forgeries. I have never met or known anyone by the name of “AGoldstein” or Laura Goldstein or Ashley Goldstein, which I believe are fictitious names. I have never been represented by an attorney named Goldstein. For someone to go to such depths to assassinate my character and slander my good name is truly criminal. My attorneys are investigating this matter and will take all necessary and appropriate action to protect my name and reputation.”
Kudos to loyal reader BlackBarbie404 for the tip!
Glad he said something but if I were him I would say nothing else and just let my lawyers get in that azz.
there is obviously bad blood between the members(brothers) of pretty ricky because they damn sure alluded to the fact that this is true..somebody is lying and the truth will come out soon..whether it’s pleasure P or this Goldstein chick..damage is done..he can be telling he truth but there will be a substantial amount of people who wish to believe this
Finally. Let me read it now..
Good morning everyone. Happy Friday!!
Some ppl already said they don’t believe him
Still reserving my .02 on the issue at hand
that’s because everybody wanna be the first one to post the hot story. if the first time you hear about a story is minutes before it gets out, i cant see how any blogger can trust the person telling the story.
i knew from a very reliable source that r kelly was going to be arrested for all that went down with that kid weeks before it finally happened. there was time to check sources and the story.
now this guy’s rep was in question all over some bs defaming story. what is his recourse? this could hurt his business, personal relationships, etc. not cool at all. i never commented on any of it cuz molestation is nothing to toss around lightly.
Sounded like a bunch of bull ish to me anyways….
Glad I didnt delete all his hits off my IPOD — cause Pleasure P can SANG!!!!!!!
I’m gonna believe him……unless given other reasons not to
I just don’t understand how dude let this rumor go almost 24 hrs without saying anything. Thats what left me scratching my head. It wasn’teven a carefully crafted statement that left holes to speculate. Idk…the damaged is done… I don’t know much about pretty ricky to even speculate as to who might of done this
I commend you also Sandra for admitting that the urban bloggers acted to haste with this story………..But i believe him……….And he is getting sued by some lawyers but none of their names are Goldstein…….
Morning y’all.
I don’t know the truth to this BUT what I do know if it was me, I wouldn’t wait 20 minutes let alone 24 hours for my PR to make the words sound “pretty”. I would be Kanye-ing 106 and park, CNN, FOX News, HomeShoppingNetwork, QVC, GMA ( all those shows are taped live). I would interrupt all them just like Kanye did Taylor Swift to proclaim my innocence. I would have too much to lose to wait.
I didn’t think much of the story from jump. Nothing about it made sense.
Anywho, Sandra you are incorrect, mainstream media would not be interested in Pleasure P. Reality show chicks have more pull with them than he does. The only way this might have made it on those sites is because he’s dating Eddie Murphy’s daughter. Otherwise I would care if he raped one of his former bandmates, I doubt TMZ would post it and People damn sure wouldn’t.
Even if this is not true this young man will still have people who will believe that he molested children for the rest of his career BASED OFF OF A TWITTER POST…A TWITTER POST PEOPLE.
Bloggers took this story and ran with it based off of a girl who first promoted a Pretty Ricky CD and then went into these allegations. The sad thing is that they were IMMEDIATELY reporting it as being true (Sandra didn’t I’ll give you that) but NOW I’m seeing stories about “Is it true” “Is the girl lying”,”Is someone trying to ruin his career”. You were SO quick to make the allegations be the truth in your initial reporting of the story though.
They need to find out if this story is 100% true before reporting it. I’m still holding out for the Goldsteins to make a public statement or for Pleasure P to start suing mofos. Then that’ll tell me who’s truthful.
Maybe he waited so long to get the other party to post more forgery to make his case better. Before she posted the pics it was just her word, then she went and posted some “court docs”.. Ide wait just to get more info in order to make my lawsuit better
I disagree about the media not reporting this. I recall CNN, Yahoo, TMZ and other outlets reporting on stories about urban artists that I’d never heard of until I saw their story on the news. Although PR and Pleasure P isn’t NSync, I think they are known enough and the story is serious enough that they would investigate and report it.
I
with Ms.kaylamomma, I wouldn’t have waited either. An accusation such as this I would have jumped on to comment pronto
A rumor like this isn’t something thats going to go away because sum ppl no matter what will still believe it….I know Pretty Ricky had something to do with this cuz they still salty that Pleasure P is getting more attention and oding way better while they still in the shadows living with their dad…This whole thing is just wrong and sad
Im gonna wait this one out….its just too serious.
I don’t know what to believe and I don’t know how to react right now…in the mean time I’ll still pop his music
BUT IM WATCHING YOU PLEASURE P!
Shauny Says:
I disagree about the media not reporting this. I recall CNN, Yahoo, TMZ and other outlets reporting on stories about urban artists that I’d never heard of until I saw their story on the news.
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Can you give me an example?
I am so glad that he spoke on this. Seriously. I didn’t believe it, and like I said before, I just saw the residual of Pretty Ricky – “Ugly Ricardo” boys on 106&Park, with their lil’ ignorant actin’ selves – screaming and blurting out like they had Tourette’s Syndrome, looking like “Gat-dammit I’ll bite ya'”, and literally whoomping out that their record releases soon, so go buy it. On top of that, the video AND song was lame. Desperation at it’s best.
They lost a good one when they lost Pleasure, and I feel it in my collar bone that they had something to do with it. Lil’ bastages.
Goodmorning SR Fam
KayCeiSoul Says:
…I feel it in my collar bone that they had something to do with it. Lil’ bastages.
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I can’t stand “Ugly Ricardo” (your words and funny as hail) and the one with the dreaded mess is scary to me.
Well, I’m glad he finally released a statement. I’m sad though that somebody would steep to a such a low level to assinate someone else’s character. It’s mindboggling I wouldn ever come out of my mouth and make false criminal allegations against anyone. Some people are so crazy, sick, and low.
@Bird
I saw on the news that Dolla got shot in Cali……….I was like is he that mainstream……he only had one song….called “who the heck(clean version) is that”
Pretty Ricki or whoever is mad… Pleasure has 3 GRAMMY nominations and seem to be doing very well.
When this FIRST hit the fan I reached out to a lawyer friend of mine and she said that the lawyer or his daughter could not release information like this EVEN if he owed the legal team money.
Pleasure P didnt have to repsond at all. Im not looking at a time line
C- Murder would be my first pick Bird. He was reported on TMZ and CNN and IS NOT a mainstream artist.
Dolla
Big L
The Luniz
someone name Uncle Murda
Just some of the artists whose news stories that were on CNN, Yahoo, or/and TMZ. Hell even Gucci before he made it big was on the news. None of the people above are not mainstrean artist.
I know Pretty Ricky is hating on Pleasure’s success because he was the SINGING voice of the group the rest of those guys are a bunch of no talent having losers. Pleasure is actually talented and he left the group because the money was looking funny. And I know there is something hinky about the whole Pretty Ricky set-up. But anyways I would not be surprised at all if it comes out that somebody with Bluestar is behind these falsified documents.
Damn Poor Marcus, whoever made this crap up definitely needs to be SUED.
Well I reserve my comments until further prove is shown to either back up the molestation charges or prove his innocence.
Someone is lying…and they are very dangerous
!!!
I’m glad Sandra admitted jumping the gun on this one. Blogs have to release they have reach and some people were going left and right on twitter on this man. I don’t own his CD but I may go purchase it now.
I just want to say that I believe its a lie. I heard that PR album sold 8000 copies in the first week. They are a bunch of haters. I hope he sue their ass for what little money they have. He made that group. I really do believe if it was true it would be all over tmz and everywhere else.
i don’t know who is behind this mess, but believe me it ain’t nothing to play with. now this dude is going to always be side eyed because people won’t remember the truth but they’ll never forget a lie like this.
i hope it all gets straightened out soon. and i hope everyone that reported the story and posted videos about it will do the same as sandra did and admit to running with an unconfirmed story.
Good post SR. i am still waiting for this to shake down and watching the moves as that will tell what is behind this horrible mess. I thought it strange that she twittered it and who she reached out to. Someone I had never heard of but I am west coast, the first i had heard of that *journalist she said she is not a blogger* was on your site a few days earlier, that made me look sideways at it all. Then a little research, the signs were right there. No attorney would let this happen. All kinds of wrong.
damn I must the minority. Am I the only person who doesn’t believe him? What else do you expect him to say, when he’s up for 3 grammies. “Hi I’m Marcus, i like to touch little kids”. idk folks.
Ok, guess i’ll sit back and wait for the bashing to ensue.
Ms.kaylamomma says – “I can’t stand “Ugly Ricardo” (your words and funny as hail) and the one with the dreaded mess is scary to me.”
He looks like a Trilogy of Terror doll. Look it up on Google. He IS scary girl! Scary as hell. I think he was the one who was doing all that howling on 106&Park. I was so disgusted with him. He nervoused me so! I know they did it.
His response was just as specific and detailed as the accusations. That would be one helluva turd for him to take back if he’s lying. He flatout DENIED the allegations, and even knowing who the accusors and he did it WITH his attorneys. He wasn’t sideways about it at all.
Innocent until proven guilty as far as I’m concerned.
The blogs did act irresponsibly in reporting the story–it seems as soon as the media (big media included) get wind of a little bit of dirt–they run with it. People are so pressed to see the destruction of someone else’s lives and career that they say F the facts.
On the other hand, they almost had me believing the hype. And I was like “Run Bria Murphy, Run!!”
Well the AGoldstein twitter page has been deleted due to “strange activity”. Twitter is soooo funny!
Damn, that’s messed up. Whoever is responsible for this travesty is sick.
Very big of you Sandra to admit you were wrong.