A potential juror in Blac Chyna’s $108 million lawsuit against the Kardashians asked to be excused because he ‘can’t be neutral’ as he has watched Kim’s sex tape and ‘would be replaying it in his head’ during the proceedings.
Judge Gregory W.
Alarcon brought in prospective jurors during jury selection on Monday. The highly-publicized upcoming LA trial stems from a 2017 lawsuit brought by reality star Blac Chyna, who accused the billionaire clan of deliberately plotting to have her hit E! TV show Rob and Chyna axed.
During the afternoon session, Judge Alarcon empaneled jurors and asked their names, marital status, and occupation before attorneys for both sides grilled jurors on whether they felt they could render a fair and impartial decision in the case.
‘I have never watched the Kardashian show but I have watched the Kardashian sex tape and I don’t think I could be neutral in this case,’ a middle-aged man said, causing laughter to break out in the courtroom.
After a break, the same prospective juror volunteered: ‘I’m going to be playing that sex tape in my head and possibly not listening too closely…’
‘I think we got the point,’ Judge Alarcon said, cutting off the juror’s detailed account.
Judge Alarcon rounded up today’s court session by swearing in a third panel of 27 prospective jurors, bringing the pool of potential jurors to a total of 103.
Twelve, plus some alternates, will be picked, most likely by the end of the day Tuesday.
On Monday, Kris Jenner and Kylie, Khloe and Kim Kardashian sat in the front row as prospective jurors aired their feelings about the famous family.
Family matriarch Kris Jenner, with short black hair and dressed in a cream pant suit, led her famous daughters into the downtown Los Angeles courtroom like a mother duck leading her ducklings.
Behind her was younger daughter Kylie, in black jacket and pants, then came her sister Kim, in a baggy gray pantsuit, with blonde-haired Khloe, in a gray jacket and dark pants bringing up the rear.
Kim and Kylie both had their naturally black hair long and not tied back.
Blac Chyna was seen arriving at downtown LA court Monday for her trial against the Kardashians
Chyna is suing Kim, Kylie, Khloe and Kris for allegedly plotting to have her show Rob and Chyna axed.
They are seen in court today in a sketch
As jury selection began today, on the other side of the courtroom, about 20 feet from the Kardashians, sat Chyna, wearing a gray, herringbone pant suit, black blouse and silver spike heels
Blac Chyna is seen in the car as she arrived to the LA courthouse to face the Kardashian clan
Kim, Kylie Jenner, Khloe and their mother, family matriarch Kris Jenner, are all named as defendants in the case
Chyna accuses the Kardashians of plotting to cancel her hit reality show Rob and Chyna
Chyna, whose real name is Angela White, is seeking $108 million in damages, according to court documents – $44 million for ‘past economic damage’ and $64 million for ‘future economic damage.’
Chyna’s attorney, Lynne M.
Ciani, asked the second group of potential jurors, ‘It may come to light in evidence that Miss White was an exotic dancer or stripper in the past – is there anything about that that will prevent you from keeping an open mind?’
None of the jurors put up a hand.
Kris Jenner and Kiley, Kim and Klhoe Kardashian are named as defendants in the case, charged by Chyna – ex-fiancé of Kim’s brother Rob – with causing her and Rob’s hit show, Rob and Chyna, to be cancelled.
As jury selection began today, on the other side of the courtroom, about 20 feet from the Kardashians, sat Chyna, wearing a gray, herringbone pant suit, black blouse and silver spike heels
Under questioning from Ciani, some jurors said they were followers of’ Keeping up with the Kardashians,’ while others said they were not fans of reality TV.
Ciani asked if potential jurors felt they could render a fair fair verdict in the case where Chyna is accusing the Kardashians of defamation and ‘interference with contract’ that led to Rob and Chyna being killed off.
‘I have a hard time caring at all about celebrity defamation,’ responded one of the panel.
Jury selection starts Monday in Blac Chyna’s $108million lawsuit against the Kardashian. The trial is scheduled to last 10 days
‘This case could be decided by a judge – it’s a waste of time for a jury,’ said another.
When asked about awarding damages in the case, several potential jurors seemed skeptical about either side deserving to win.
‘I can tell you sincerely that I hope none of these people get any wealthier,’ one told the court.
Last week, the Kardashian’s attorney, หัวชาร์จไอโฟน Michael Rhodes, filed a huge list of exhibits – 42 pages long with more than 540 items – he intends to bring to court.
The list includes dozens of aired and unaired video clips from Rob and Chyna, excerpts from Keeping Up with the Kardashians, texts and social media postings between various Kardashian family members and others involved in the case, Chyna’s pay stubs, photos of Chyna with Kim and other Kardashians, YouTube videos and news reports.
Chyna claims the $44 million was the amount she could have earned from her TV show, club appearances and the internet over the past five years if Rob and Chyna had not been canceled in 2017.
And the $64 million is her estimate of what she could have earned in the future, said her attorney, Lynne Ciani, in court papers, had Chyna not been ‘essentially blackballed by Hollywood after they (the Kardashians) defamed her and got her No.1 hit show canceled.’
The Kardashians’ lawyer, Michael Rhodes, scoffed at Chyna’s $108 million damages estimate, calling it ‘speculation and guesswork,’ in court documents.
Rhodes has filed a motion calling for Chyna’s defense team to be banned from mentioning the wealth of the Kardashians during the trial, claiming it could influence the jury.
‘The sole purpose in referencing Defendants’ wealth and financial condition is to inflame and unduly prejudice the jury against defendants,’ he wrote in his motion.
But Chyna’s lawyer, Ciani, has filed an objection to that motion, saying, ‘Defendants routinely flaunt their wealth in their business dealings and on their reality TV show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
‘It simply will not be feasible to ‘caution’ witnesses not to refer to the Defendants’ wealth because their wealth permeates their entire essence.’
The Kardashians tried to settle out of court with Chyna last week to avoid going to trial, it was revealed at a pre-trial hearing last Friday.
But she turned down their offer.
Chyna, 33, whose real name is Angela White, is seeking a whopping $108 million in damages, according to court documents
According to court documents, she is seeking $44 million for ‘past economic damage’ and $64 million for ‘future economic damage’
Following that Friday hearing, Ciani told DailyMail.com, ‘After over 4 1/2 years, Chyna is very thankful to be one week away from proving to a Los Angeles jury that all four defendants — Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, and Kylie Jenner — abused their power to get her No.1 hit show canceled.
‘Although Kris Jenner was the ringleader, her three daughters all played a role in getting Chyna’s show canceled, to their immense financial benefit.
And they knew they did not have the legal right to cancel Chyna’s show: all four defendants carried out their illegal activity in secret and repeatedly lied to Chyna’s face.
‘The ruse was so elaborate and conniving that they even instructed the Bunim Murray film crew not to have Chyna in any shots, while they told Chyna she was still filming for Season 2 of ‘Rob & Chyna’ and for ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians.’
‘Chyna went from being the star on E!’s No.1 hit show at $92,500 per episode, to being off the airwaves entirely.
The defendants’ illegal conduct not only cost Chyna millions and millions of dollars, their conduct was emotionally devastating to her.
‘Kris Jenner was like a second mother to Chyna and Kim had been her BFF for years. The extreme betrayal and humiliation felt by Chyna, after discovering the truth about what the defendants did to her, lingers to this day.
‘Chyna will appear in court to testify and to personally witness the entire trial, from start to finish.’
Ciani told DailyMail.com that she plans to call all four Kardashian defendants to the stand and she is also hoping to get Ryan Seacrest into court to testify.
Seacrest co-created the reality series Keeping Up With The Kardashians and co-executive produced the Rob & Chyna spinoff.
But, added Ciani, ‘Seacrest’s counsel says he is now a resident of New York, and hence out of LA’s jurisdiction. So his testimony may have to be via Zoom, or by playing in court the videotaped deposition he’s already made.’
Chyna, has spent years insisting that Kris, Kim, Khloe and Kylie connived to help get Rob And Chyna axed.
Rob and Chyna were together on and off through 2016, during which time they welcomed Dream and starred on their hit reality show
Back in 2019, Rob (pictured November 11) reportedly stopped paying Chyna $20K/month in child support due to financial difficulties
Meanwhile Rob’s attorney Marty Singer has argued that Chyna and Rob’s breakup is what caused the reality series to end.
Two weeks ago, the model and reality star – who shares her five-year-old daughter Dream with Rob, 35 – tweeted a blast about her legal battle against his mom and sisters.
‘I plan to re-focus my attention on my trial against Kris Jenner and her daughters Kim, Khloe and Kylie…..,’ she declared in her Twitter post.
‘When they got my #1 hit show killed back in January 2017, that not only hurt me financially and emotionally, that hurt my beautiful KIDS.
‘I’m taking them to court to stand up for my legal rights and to be an example to my kids that ‘what’s right is right, what’s wrong is wrong.’ And what they did was so wrong,’ the statement went on.
‘I am so thankful that a jury will finally listen to what really happened behind closed doors – the lies that were told and the damage that was done.
‘At the end of the trial, I’m going to be able to proudly tell King and Dream that I did everything I could to right the wrong that was done to me.’
She added, ‘And that, in life, it is my hope that they will be able to stand up for themselves when it matters too.
Peace and Love to you all. Angela.’
Chyna shares her son King Cairo, nine, with rapper Tyga and her daughter Dream, five, with Rob Kardashian
Chyna tweetey, ‘Yesterday I had to give up 3 of my cars.
My reasons – morals, beliefs, being a single mother, [and] no support. I’m a mama. Single no support [no] child support’
‘Why would I pay child support, LOL?’ Tyga and Rob took to Instagram to set the record straight using similar phrasing