Charlotte Laws

Charlotte Laws

On the Red Carpet at an MTV Awards party in Los Angeles on June 4, 2010.
Member of the Greater Valley Glen Council
In office
2004–2012
Succeeded by Rachel Friedman
Personal details
Born (1960-05-11) May 11, 1960
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Political party Independent
Spouse(s) Charles Parselle
Children Kayla
Residence Los Angeles
Religion Jain[1][2]
Website http://charlottelaws.com

Charlotte Anne Laws (born May 11, 1960) is an American author, talk show host, community activist, animal rights advocate,[3] anti-revenge porn activist, former Los Angeles politician, and actress under the stage name Missy Laws.[4]

Laws was a weekly commentator on the NBC television show The Filter with Fred Roggin[5] from August 2009 until 2013 when the show went off the air. One of her episodes was nominated for an Emmy.

Laws was also a co-host on the Internet show Every Way Woman[6][7] from 2008 - December 2013, and she hosted her own Los Angeles TV show called Uncommon Sense from October 2007 until September 2010.[8] Laws and her guests discussed news and current events.

Laws is a former member of the Greater Valley Glen Council in Valley Glen, California.[9][10] She was termed out of office in 2012, after serving four two-year terms. She was the first politician to run on the platform that she represents all beings in her district, not just the humans whom she maintains are the elite. She promotes moving from a democracy to what she calls an omniocracy, a government with representation for all living beings.[11][12][13]

In May 2006, Laws was appointed by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to serve on the city’s 912 Commission, which was also called the Neighborhood Council Review Commission.[14] In 1999, the Los Angeles City Charter mandated that a commission would be formed seven years later to review the progress, successes and failures of the city’s Neighborhood Council system.[15]

Laws is the founder and president of two organizations: the Directors of Animal Welfare (DAW)[16][17] and the League for Earth and Animal Protection (LEAP).[18][19] In 2006, Laws was the recipient of the Los Angeles Animal Humanitarian Award. Laws is a vegan and an advocate of that diet.[1]

Biography

Education

After completing high school at The Lovett School in Atlanta, Georgia, Laws attended the University of Florida in Gainesville and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She moved to Los Angeles in 1981 and completed bachelor's degrees in Theatre (1985) and Philosophy (1996) at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). She earned two master's degrees from the University of Southern California (USC) in Professional Writing (1986) and in Social Ethics (1997), as well as a Ph.D. in Social Ethics (2000) from the University of Southern California. In 2003, she completed post-doctoral coursework at Oxford University, England.

Acting and writing career

Laws during a television interview in June 2009.

Laws studied acting at the Academy Theatre of Atlanta, Joe Bernard's Acting Studio in Las Vegas and the Estelle Harman Actors Workshop in Los Angeles. She worked as a model and actress in movies and television until her late 20's. She has performed as a stand up comic at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles.

In 1988, Laws authored a popular book called Meet the Stars, which details how the average person can succeed in the entertainment industry. She promoted the book on Larry King Live, Oprah Winfrey, The Late Show and over a hundred radio and television shows throughout America and Canada.

From 1997-2000, Laws wrote for the British magazine Mad Dogs and Englishmen and since then has become a syndicated columnist. Her articles on current events, politics, philosophy and social issues have been published in the "Los Angeles Daily News," "E the Environmental Magazine," "The Huffington Post,"[20] "Opinion Editorials," "LA Times," Jezebel (website), "Gawker," "Newsweek" and "Salon."

In 2015, Laws' memoir titled Rebel in High Heels came on the market. The book details her fight against revenge porn and the first 22 years of her life.

Laws made Buzzfeed's list of the 30 fiercest women of 2013.[21] and Brainwreck's list of 20 women who changed the world in 2013.

Activism against revenge porn

In January 2012, after an unreleased topless photo of her daughter, Kayla, was posted on the internet, Laws contacted the FBI. This led to an investigation of Hunter Moore who ran the revenge porn website Is Anyone Up?[22] Laws determined a large number of the photos on the site had been hacked. She contacted dozens of victims and became known as the "Erin Brockovich of revenge porn."[23][24] Laws appeared on Nightline, MSNBC, CNN, NBC, CBS and the Dr. Drew (TV series) to discuss the issue. Laws detailed her revenge porn battle in the online publication, Jezebel,[25] and the article went viral with over 1.2 million page views. Her experiences are detailed in her new book, Rebel in High Heels, which was released in April 2015.[26][27]

Moore removed his website in the midst of the FBI investigation, but announced on November 28, 2012, that he would start a new site that would include address information. This prompted Laws to make Moore's home address public on Twitter,[28] and Moore threatened to ruin her life. She received death threats from his followers and a stalker appeared at her home.[29] The underground group "Anonymous" came to her aid, waging war on Moore, hacking into his servers and posting much of his personal information on the Internet.[30]

The FBI arrested Hunter Moore and his alleged hacker, Charles Evans of Studio City, California, who went under the alias of "Gary Jones", on January 23, 2014. On February 18, 2015, it was announced that Moore will plead guilty to federal computer hacking and identity theft charges. He faces up to 7 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. With no plea deal in place and facing 42 years in prison, Charlie Evens confessed his crimes to CNN on tape at Laws' house (when CNN was interviewing Laws for a segment). The taped confession aired on April 27, 2015.[31]

On June 4, 2013, Laws gave testimony before the California State Senate in favor of SB 255, a law designed to protect victims from revenge porn or "cyber rape," a term Laws coined. The bill was sponsored by State Senator Anthony Cannella of Modesto, CA[32] and it was signed into law on October 1, 2013, making California the second state (after New Jersey) to pass a law designed to help victims of nonconsensual pornography. Laws is also a board member of the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI),[33][34] an organization dedicated to helping victims of online harassment.[35] Laws has been meeting with Senators and Congressional Offices about a federal law. Rep Jackie Speier (CA) has publicly announced that she will introduce legislation on this issue.

Bill Cosby scandal

On November 30, 2014, Laws spoke out about her "34-year-old Bill Cosby secret." In a Salon article,[36] she detailed her experiences with Mr. Cosby and a friend she calls "Sandy." Laws claims that Mr. Cosby drugged "Sandy" in 1981 and had sex with her. Laws was interviewed on the Dr. Drew Show[37] on December 1, 2014 about this issue. In a Fox News interview, Laws ponders whether Cosby has somnophilia.[38]

Gay rights activism

In March 2015, Laws came to defend the LGBTQ communities when a Southern California attorney proposed a statewide ballot initiative that permitted the execution of gays by "bullets to the head or any other convenient method."[39] He called it the Sodomite Suppression Act. In response to what is widely seen as a vicious and repugnant attack on LGBTQ people, a traditionally oppressed minority, Laws registered a rebuttal initiative with the Attorney General’s office, "The Intolerant Jackass Act". Laws’ proposal called for sensitivity training and a steep fine for anyone submitting a state initiative related to the killing of gays.[40] In June 2015, the initiative was cleared to move forward, but Laws said that she did not plan to gather signatures, adding "I'm glad my proposal made an impact. My intent was to send a message and support gay rights. [The proposal] has served its purpose."[41]

Party crashing expert

Laws is listed as the fourth most notorious party crasher in the world.[42] She claims the hobby began in her teens and then blossomed into the perfect way to meet up with elected officials, A-list celebrities and business leaders.[43] She crashed VIP events to push for legislation, to get support for nonprofit causes, to snag high-profile interviews and to obtain clients for business-related endeavors. Laws crashed The Secret Service four times, which included a 40k per person fundraiser for President Obama at George Clooney’s estate.[43] Plus, she interviewed President Reagan after crashing Walter Annenberg exclusive New Year’s party in the early 1980s.[44] She lists some of her outlandish techniques as the "Fake Out to Get In" ploy, the "Glitz Blitz" and the "Celebrity Snuggle Up."[45]

Personal life

Laws, a former Atlanta debutante,[46] was adopted at birth and tracked down her birthparents in her late twenties. She is known for saying, "You can never have too many parents."[47] Laws has never consumed any alcoholic beverage, tried illegal drugs, including marijuana, or smoked a cigarette.[48] Prior to acting and writing, Laws experimented with a number of jobs. She was a cab driver, private investigator, bodyguard, backup singer for an Elvis imitator, nurse, fashion designer, aerobics instructor and antiques shop owner. Laws was a lecturer for the FBI in Quantico, Virginia in 2006[49] and has also been a licensed Realtor since 1987.[50]

In April 2015, Laws went public about her three-year romance with singer Tom Jones in her memoir, Rebel in High Heels. She says he was her first boyfriend and that she dated him from age 18 until age 21.[51][52]

She married English barrister and California attorney Charles Parselle in the 1990s and has a daughter named Kayla Laws, who is an actress. She also has three rescue dogs and eight rescue chickens[53] and is a practising Jain.[54]

In 2012, Laws' chicken, Mae Poulet, was a write-in vice presidential candidate. She was selected by a dog from Tennessee to be his running mate on the Bully ticket.[55] Mae Poulet was also involved in a 2011 fundraiser with actress Natalie Portman and actor Jason Alexander to raise money for poultry in need.[54] In March 2013, Mae Poulet was inducted into the National Museum of Animals and Society.

Works

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Religion vs. the Sprinkler Police, retrieved 2011-03-05
  2. ↑ Laws, Charlotte (2004-11-15). "Polls and the Power of Self-Manipulation". Thesimon.com. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  3. ↑ United Press International, "Animal Groups Zero in on pharma," July 26, 2006
  4. ↑ "Missy Laws". IMDb. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  5. ↑ "The Filter". NBC Southern California. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  6. ↑ "Every Way Woman Talk Show". Everywaywoman.com. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  7. ↑ Mills, Michelle J. (November 28, 2012). "'Every Way Woman' offers smart talk for everyday women". Pasadena Star-News. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  8. ↑ "Uncommon Sense (2007–2010)". IMDb. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  9. ↑ Kerry Cavanaugh, "Mayor revives drive for affordable housing," Los Angeles Daily News, Oct. 17, 2007
  10. ↑ "Official Website Of Charlotte Laws". Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  11. ↑ "Uncaged: Top Activists Share Their Wisdom on Effective Farm Animal Advocacy," pp. 71-72
  12. ↑ Laws, Charlotte."From Democracy to Omniocracy", Opinion Editorials, March 15, 2005.
  13. ↑ Lisa Kemmerer. "Animals and the Environment: Advocacy, activism, and the quest for common ground: Lisa Kemmerer: 9781138825888". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  14. ↑ "Laws Appointed to the 912 Commission", Studio City Sun, June 30, 2006, p. 5.
  15. ↑ "NCRC - Neighborhood Council Review Commission". Done.lacity.org. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  16. ↑ Fleck, Denise. "Directors of Animal Welfare: Helping Los Angeles Communities and the Animals that Inhabit them"
  17. ↑ Smith, Kimberly K. "Governing Animals: Animal Welfare and the Liberal State." Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. pp. 109-118.
  18. ↑ "League for Earth & Animal Protection". Leapnonprofit.org. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  19. ↑ "Bios of 2007 Speakers". Animal Rights National Conference. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  20. ↑ "Charlotte Laws". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  21. ↑ Pugachevsky, Julia (2013-12-15). "30 Women Who Kicked Ass In 2013". Buzzfeed. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
  22. ↑ "FBI Investigates 'Revenge Porn' Website Founder". ABC News. May 22, 2012. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  23. ↑ Dahl, Julia (October 3, 2013). ""Revenge porn" law in California a good first step, but flawed, experts say". CBS News.
  24. ↑ "I've Been Called the "Erin Brockovich" of Revenge Porn, and For the First Time Ever, Here is My Entire Uncensored Story of Death Threats, Anonymous and the FBI". xoJane. 2013-11-21. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
  25. ↑ 11/22/13 3:20pm (2012-01-01). "One Woman's Dangerous War Against the Most Hated Man on the Internet". Jezebel.com. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  26. ↑ Jordyn Taylor. "Mother of Revenge Porn Victim Cheers Hunter Moore's Guilty Plea". Observer. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  27. ↑ "A gripping, tell-all memoir by Dr. Charlotte Laws". Rebel in High Heels. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  28. ↑ Roy, Jessica (2012-12-04). "Anonymous Hunts Hunter Moore to Hold Him 'Accountable' For His Revenge Porn Empire". Betabeat. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  29. ↑ "One Woman's Dangerous War Against the Most Hated Man on the Internet". Jezebel. 2012-01-01. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
  30. ↑ Weitzenkorn, Ben (2012-12-07). "'Revenge porn king' hit by anonymous hackers". Fox News. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  31. ↑ Fink, Erica (2015-04-26). "Undercover mom takes on revenge porn king". CNN. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  32. ↑ Pardon, Rhett (2013-06-04). "Calif. Senate Panel Moves 'Revenge Porn' Bill Forward". XBIZ Newswire. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
  33. ↑ "CCRI Board of Directors and Advisors - The Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, Inc". Cybercivilrights.org. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  34. ↑ Hate Crimes in Cyberspace, Danielle Keats Citron. Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2014, p. 252.
  35. ↑ "The Crusading Sisterhood of Revenge-Porn Victims". New York Magazine. August 2013. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
  36. ↑ Charlotte Laws (2014-11-30). "Bill Cosby and drugging: My 34-year-old secret". Salon.com. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  37. ↑ "Charlotte Laws reveals her 34-year-old Bill Cosby secret". HLNtv.com. 2014-12-01. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  38. ↑ "Is Bill Cosby a somnophiliac?". Fox News. 2014-12-10. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  39. ↑ "Matthew Gregory McLaughlin, California Lawyer, Proposes Ballot Measure Allowing Execution of Gays". NBC News. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  40. ↑ Joseph, Mark (2015-03-23). "The Intolerant Jackass Act: A brilliant response to that Kill the Gays bill". Slate.com. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  41. ↑ "'Intolerant Jackass Act' author may collect signatures for ballot proposal". LA Times. 2015-06-04. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  42. ↑ http://www.therichest.com/rich-list/most-shocking/worlds-15-most-notorious-party-crashers/
  43. 1 2 Mccormack, David. "Celebrity party-crasher Charlotte Laws reveals all in Rebel In High Heels book | Daily Mail Online". Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  44. ↑ 5/13/15 4:20pm. "Emergency Delivery for G. Clooney: My Life as an A-List Party Crasher". Gawker.com. Archived from the original on 2015-07-02. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  45. ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/09/18/how-to-fake-your-way-into-a-celebrity-party/
  46. ↑ WWR Editor. "Former Debutante Wages War Against 'Revenge Porn'". Working Woman Report. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  47. ↑ The Bachelorette Book, April 30, 1998.
  48. ↑ http://www.rebelinhighheels.com
  49. ↑ Laws, Charlotte (May 22, 2006). "My Adventure Presenting Animal Rights Philosophy to the FBI". The Simon. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  50. ↑ "From Persian Folly to boring boxes," The Economist, Volume 382.March 22, 2007.
  51. ↑ Wareing, Charlotte (2015-04-26). "Tom Jones' 'mistress' claims they had three year affair - and his wife turned a blind eye". Irishmirror.ie. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  52. ↑ McCloskey, Jimmy (2015-04-27). "Secret affair with Voice star Sir Tom Jones claimed as fan opens up on 'real gentleman'". Daily Star. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  53. ↑ Laws, Charlotte. "Charlotte Laws". Huffington Post.
  54. 1 2 "Charlotte Laws: Natalie Portman gets her eggs thanks to Mae". LA Daily News. 2011-05-21. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  55. ↑ "A hen in the White House? Just the ticket". LA Daily News. October 23, 2012. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  56. ↑ Charlotte Laws. "Rebel in High Heels: True story about the fearless mom who battled-and defeated-the kingpin of revenge porn and the dangerous forces of conformity: Charlotte Laws: 9780996133517". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2015-07-03.

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