From security footage to leaked text messages, these pieces of evidence changed everything in high-profile celebrity cases. Join us as we examine the crucial proof that made headlines and altered the course of famous trials, featuring cases that shocked the entertainment world and beyond!
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00:00But you're fine. I did not hurt you. I did not punch you. I was hitting you.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the pivotal pieces of evidence that turned the tide in high-profile celebrity trials,
00:10sealing their fate one way or another.
00:12If it doesn't fit, you must acquit.
00:16Store security camera footage. People vs. Winona Ryder.
00:19Years before she stepped into the world of Stranger Things, Winona Ryder found herself tangled in a real-world legal drama.
00:25In 2001, the Beetlejuice actress faced charges of shoplifting over $5,500 worth of merchandise from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills.
00:33He said the actress walked past three cash registers with a pile of clothes and handbags before leaving the store.
00:39Despite her defense team's arguments about a misunderstanding, the video evidence was compelling.
00:44You see, the prosecution presented clear security footage showing Ryder not only concealing items but removing their tags.
00:50She was convicted of felony grand theft and shoplifting, receiving probation and community service.
00:54The scandal temporarily impacted her career, leading to a hiatus from major roles.
00:59Why are you doing this?
01:02Leave me alone, all of you!
01:05Fake rowing photos. Varsity Blues case.
01:07Two actresses facing real-life drama in a cheating scandal made for Hollywood.
01:12The 2019 admissions scandal dubbed Operation Varsity Blues exposed numerous affluent parents,
01:18including Full House actress Lori Loughlin, who paid to secure their children's admission into elite universities.
01:22Loughlin and her fashion designer husband are accused of paying half a million dollars to guarantee admission for their two daughters into USC.
01:31As it was revealed, Loughlin and her husband submitted staged photos of their daughters on rowing machines to falsely present them as crew team recruits.
01:38These fabricated images became damning evidence, nearly impossible to explain away, except for what they clearly were.
01:43Both parents pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges, resulting in prison sentences and hefty fines.
01:48And with that, the incident sparked nationwide discussions around privilege and fairness.
01:52Well, you gotta give the guy your ballet ticket.
01:54Oh no, I'm good, I've got this.
01:58A handicap sticker?
01:59It's fantastic. I can park anywhere.
02:02Phone records. U.S. vs. Martha Stewart.
02:04Martha Stewart is a retail business queen, author, television host, and, well, a convicted felon.
02:09The sign of the local diner says it all.
02:12Welcome, Martha. Welcome to Alderson.
02:15Alderson, West Virginia.
02:16The prison town that will be Martha Stewart's home for the next five months.
02:20In 2001, Stewart sold her shares in ImClone Systems based on non-public information just before the stock's value plummeted.
02:27Critical evidence were phone records that showed Stewart got a message from her broker right before the dump.
02:32This communication, said to be about the sale and its timing, contradicted her public statements and strongly suggested insider trading.
02:39Stewart was ultimately convicted of obstruction of justice and making false statements, serving five months in prison.
02:44I made, every now and then I would make jokes about...
02:48I heard.
02:48Yeah.
02:50We had a TV.
02:51She bounced back, however, forging a comeback and rebuilding her brand stronger than ever.
02:55Rihanna's injury photos.
02:57People vs. Chris Brown.
02:58She suffered two huge contusions on both sides of her face.
03:03She had a bloody lip.
03:04She had a bloody nose.
03:06In February of 2009, shocking photos of a bruised and battered Rihanna surfaced online,
03:11showing injuries inflicted by then-boyfriend Chris Brown.
03:14The jarring images taken by a police officer were leaked to the media and became central to the public's understanding of the assault,
03:20which was said to have occurred during an argument over another woman.
03:23Brown would plead guilty to felony assault and receive probation along with community service.
03:32Naturally, the incident severely damaged his public image at the time.
03:35As for the leaked photos, they remain a stark reminder of the horrors that come with domestic violence.
03:40I can see what damage it does mentally more than physical.
03:44Incriminating text messages.
03:45Alex Jones defamation trial.
03:47Bar-right media host Alex Jones spent years spreading false claims that the tragic Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax,
03:53accusing victims and their grieving families of being crisis actors.
03:57In response, several families filed defamation lawsuits and won.
04:01Robert Parker weeps in a Connecticut courtroom after a jury ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay him $120 million in damages
04:09for repeatedly claiming that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax.
04:15During a deposition, Jones claimed he couldn't locate any text messages related to the incident.
04:20But in a stunning twist at trial, it was revealed that his own legal team
04:23had accidentally sent two years' worth of Sandy Hook-related texts to the opposing counsel.
04:28As of two days ago, it fell free and clear into my possession.
04:31And that is how I know you lied to me when you said you didn't have text messages about Sandy Hook.
04:36Did you know that?
04:37The blunder blindsided Jones and ultimately sealed his fate in court.
04:41After a resounding rebuke, the Info Wars host was ordered to pay an additional $45.2 million in punitive damages
04:49to the parents of a Sandy Hook shooting victim.
04:51Audio recordings, Depp vs. Heard
04:54The defamation trial between Hollywood actors and former spouses Johnny Depp and Amber Heard
04:58dominated headlines in the spring and summer of 2022.
05:01Heard alleged she was a victim of domestic abuse during their marriage,
05:04while Depp countered by claiming he was the one who had endured violence at her hands.
05:08So much of the case was put to the jury as being whether or not Johnny Depp would be the sort of person
05:15or is the sort of person that would ever lay a finger against another woman.
05:19Throughout the trial, audio recordings of the pair's private conversations were introduced as evidence.
05:23One particularly striking clip featured Heard admitting to hitting Depp,
05:27directly undermining her portrayal of herself as solely a victim.
05:31But you're fine. I did not hurt you. I did not punch you. I was hitting you.
05:35This incriminating recording proved pivotal, likely swaying the jury's decision to find Heard
05:39liable for defaming Depp with actual malice.
05:42Falsified documents. United States vs. Elizabeth Holmes.
05:44Through her startup Theranos, Elizabeth Holmes publicly vowed to revolutionize blood testing,
05:49claiming her technology could detect a wide range of illnesses using just a few drops of blood.
05:53The goal is to empower the individual.
05:56We believe strongly that the future of healthcare is in enabling the individual
06:00to have the information that they need to take ownership of their health.
06:05But as it turned out, the promises were built on lies,
06:07and Holmes resorted to forging documents to convince investors of the company's legitimacy.
06:11Two sets of fakes were especially damning in court.
06:14One included a fabricated endorsement from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
06:18Remember those logos that Elizabeth Holmes admitted she put on pharmaceutical company lab
06:25reports and then sent to prospective business partners like Walgreens?
06:29It was Pfizer and Shearing Plow.
06:31Well, it turns out she did more than just add the logos.
06:35The other featured wildly inflated revenue projections,
06:38claiming millions of dollars in contracts with drug companies that simply didn't exist.
06:42For the jury, the forged document spoke volumes, leading to Holmes' eventual conviction.
06:46Today, she entered the minimum security federal women's prison camp located in Bryan, Texas.
06:51Damning text messages in payment.
06:53People vs. Jussie Smollett.
06:55In 2019, Empire actor Jussie Smollett made headlines for all the wrong reasons
06:59when he was found guilty of essentially orchestrating a fake hate crime against himself.
07:03In a statement, Chicago police say they have not identified any suspects
07:06and are looking for surveillance video of the assault.
07:10Key evidence included text messages sent between Smollett and the Osandaro brothers,
07:14detailing the planning of the staged attack.
07:16A point of focus in the courtroom today, a text message sent by Smollett
07:19to one of the two men originally questioned by police.
07:22These messages, along with surveillance footage and a payment to the brothers,
07:25undermined all of Smollett's claims.
07:27He was convicted on multiple counts of disorderly conduct for filing false police reports.
07:31However, the Illinois Supreme Court later ruled that the actor had been unjustly prosecuted
07:36after he had already reached a deal to resolve the case without jail time,
07:39leading the conviction to be overturned.
07:41Video evidence.
07:42R. Kelly Federal Trial.
07:43I did you wrong.
07:46I admit I did.
07:47R. Kelly's legal troubles had followed him for decades,
07:50with allegations of indecent misconduct and abuse dating back to the 1990s.
07:54His bodyguard handed me his phone number and said,
07:56R. Kelly, we'd like you to call him.
07:58It wasn't until his 2021 and 2022 federal trials that the full weight of justice finally caught up to him.
08:04Kelly faced multiple charges related to exploitation and trafficking, many involving minors.
08:09I want my story to be heard so people could take this situation seriously.
08:13But when I found out it wasn't just me, I just don't want it to get any worse.
08:17A turning point came in the form of video evidence,
08:19footage that the prosecutors argued showed Kelly abusing victims,
08:23including one who testified in court.
08:24Unlike in his 2008 trial, where the alleged victim refused to testify,
08:28this time the evidence was undeniable.
08:30The tapes became the smoking gun that shattered any remaining doubt,
08:34ultimately securing Kelly's conviction.
08:36The fact that it took 20 years, you know, to convict him is problematic.
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08:56The Bloodied Gloves, People vs. O.J. Simpson
08:59In 1995, O.J. Simpson was on trial for the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson,
09:04and her friend, Ronald Goldman.
09:05Among the key pieces of evidence was a pair of bloodied gloves found at the crime scene,
09:09believed to have been worn by Simpson during the killing.
09:11You know, at this time, the people would ask that Mr. Simpson step forward
09:15and try on the glove recovered at Bundy as well as the glove recovered at Rockingham.
09:20Lead prosecutor Marsha Clark opposed having Simpson try on the gloves in court,
09:23but assistant prosecutor Christopher Darden went ahead, hoping for a dramatic reveal.
09:27Instead, the moment backfired.
09:29Simpson struggled to fit the gloves on his hands, no doubt casting doubt in the minds of the jury.
09:33The gloves didn't fit.
09:35Remember these words.
09:36If it doesn't fit, you must acquit.
09:39Simpson was acquitted and the gloves became an enduring symbol of smoking guns,
09:43evidence that failed spectacularly.
09:45Do you think any of these celebrities' cases would have ended differently
09:48without the game-changing smoking gun evidence?
09:50Share your thoughts in the comments below.
09:51Back in the courtroom, Simpson smiled at his attorneys were obviously pleased and relieved.
09:57The prosecution team sat stone-faced.