© Daniel Ogren

Blasting Bieber

There are those who find it metaphorically painful to listen to Justin Bieber's music. But Oregon resident Stacey Betts is suing the star for the actual physical anguish she purportedly suffered after attending one of his concerts.

Betts and her daughter attended one of the singer's concerts in July 2010. While riding in a heart-shaped gondola above the audience, Bieber purportedly “enticed the crowd into a frenzy of screams by continuously waving his arms in a quick and upward motion,” resulting in a “wave like effect of screaming” that exceeded safe decibel levels. Betts says she suffered hearing loss, severe tinnitus and oversensitivity to sound in the wake of the show. She is suing the star, the concert promoter and the arena for $9.2 million.

© David Shankbone

Flunking Franco

With his multiple movies, his endorsement deals and his much-discussed Oscar hosting gig, actor James Franco has been busy the past few years—too busy to attend class, according to one of his former professors.

One-time New York University (NYU) professor Jose Angel Santana says he gave the actor a “D” in a directing class after Franco attended just 12 of 14 class sessions. According to Santana, NYU subsequently fired him over the poor grade, although Franco told several media outlets that “[Santana] was asked not to come back…because they didn't think he was a good teacher.” Now Santana, who is already suing NYU over his firing, has filed a defamation suit against the actor.

© Joella Marano

Wing Wars

Rapper Jay-Z seems to have everything: a beautiful wife, a newborn daughter and a $450 million fortune. But there's one thing he doesn't possess—the perfect recipe for chicken wings.

Jay-Z sued Mike Shand, formerly the head chef at the star's 40/40 Club restaurant, for refusing to turn over the recipe for the popular menu item when he left the eatery this year. Shand's lawyer says that the chef was fired from his post, and that the spice mix recipe was his own. Jay-Z was seeking $1.5 million in damages, but the New York Post reports that he agreed to drop the suit last month.