John Travolta Massage Scandal Gets Weirder: 5 Things To Know About Plaintiff Lawyer Okorie Okorocha
The story around the highly publicized sexual assault lawsuits filed against John Travolta by two masseurs continues to raise eyebrows.
Earlier this week, two unnamed men filed lawsuits against the actor claiming that he sexually assaulted them during a massage. Yet TMZ released proof that the actor was in New York on January 16th when the first incident allegedly took place in Beverly Hills.
Now sources have told Radar the plaintiff had his dates mixed up -- but that the case will still go ahead as planned. According to a source close to the case, The lawsuit will likely be amended, but this doesn't change the facts of the lawsuit. The egregious error is leading many to question the validity of the claims. Another puzzling part of the case is that a relatively unknown lawyer is representing both the alleged victims. Okorie Okorocha career has centered on sexual predator cases rather than high profile celebrity scandals - perhaps he is looking to raise his own profile?
Furthermore, it seems that he might not be giving his clients the best advice -- on Thursday, Travolta's initial accuser has released a bizarre statement -- that can only servie to hurt his credibility -- to Radar:
We should grant all parties involved a wait-and-see attitude, and wait for either the official decision of a judge and jury, or the possibility of a dignified discussion between people who are not pit bulls, or aces, or anything, but are actually officers of the court (lawyers) who have sworn an oath to protect the justice system from losing its blind lady of justice with scales and replacing her with the days of Salem Witch Hunts.
It is not common practice for a victim of a crime to reach out to a lowbrow gossip site while a suit is still pending. This strange turn of events and his date confusion will likely put a dent in Okorocha's argument. Here are five things to know about the lawyer everyone's talking about.
He's a Student: Okorocha is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Forensic Science from the University of Florida. He is expected to graduate next year. The online degree program allows him to study at the University even though he's in California. His studies coincide with his specialization in drunk driving and substance abuse cases.
He's Going Head-to-Head With Marty Singer: Travolta's lawyer Marty Singer is considered one of the best entertainment lawyers in Hollywood. Singer has represented the likes of Bruce Willis, Charlie Sheen Jim Carrey, Celine Dion, and Quentin Tarentino. He's also gone after top celebrity gossip sites such as Perez Hilton and Gawker on behalf of his clients Demi Moore and Eric Dane. Regardless of the Singer's ruthlessness, Okorocha is prepared to win in court. He told Radar:
If Marty Singer thinks he can sue me on the validity of Mr. Travolta's denials, and if he wants to file the lawsuit now, I will give him a waiver allowing him to proceed with it at this stage of the case, even though under California law he has to wait until he wins the case, and that absolutely won't be happening, Okorocha said, It will never happen, he won't win, so we might as well get it over with now. Bring it on.
He's on Twitter: Okorocha's currently has a Twitter account but has yet to Tweet. He has a limited number of followers and has left his profile vacant. However, there is a photo of him with his brother (also a lawyer) and three female lawyers. The Pasadena lawyer doesn't seem to have a Facebook account.
He's Apparently a Decent Lawyer: Based on his public profile, Okorocha has received a number of accolades. Pasadena Magazine has rated him a Top Lawyer while Los Angeles Magazine listed him as a Rising Star.
He Specializes in DUI Cases: Okorocha takes on sexual harassment cases but it primarily known for his work on drunk driving cases. He's a member DUI Lawyers Association and has spoken publicly on such issues as the accuracy of the breathalyzer test.
Okorocha's limited experience with a hugely high-profile court cases, as Travolta's is sure to be, mayweaken his chances of winning. According to Reuters, Travolta's lawyer is already threatening Okorocha with a malicious prosecution lawsuit.
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