NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

‘SpongeBob’ tops ‘Sniper’

NEW YORK

“The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water” finally unseated Clint Eastwood’s runaway hit “American Sniper” at the weekend box office.

Paramount Pictures’ “SpongeBob Movie” earned $56 million in North America, a huge debut for the animated Nickelodeon big-screen transfer, according to estimates Sunday.

The top five also included: “American Sniper,” $24.2 million, second; “Jupiter Ascending,” $19 million, third; “Seventh Son,” $7.1 million, fourth; and “Paddington,” $5.4 million, fifth place.

New accuser emerges; Cosby cancels 2 shows

BOSTON

A former fashion model and actress who appeared on one episode of “The Cosby Show” in 1988 is the latest of several women to accuse Bill Cosby of making unwanted sexual advances toward them.

Helen Gumpel, formerly known as Helen Selby, said Sunday that Cosby made sexual advances and lewd gestures toward her while she was on the set of the show. She said she was called to the show’s set for what she thought was another audition shortly after filming the one episode in 1987. She said she was brought to Cosby’s dressing room and Cosby had her sit on a couch and handed her a drink. She said Cosby then stood in front of her with his crotch in her face.

Meanwhile, Cosby canceled back-to-back comedy shows scheduled Sunday at Wilbur Theater. Demonstrators had threatened to protest outside the theater. Cosby, who has a home in western Massachusetts, said he canceled the shows because of winter weather forecasts.

He still is slated to perform at Packard Music Hall in Warren on March 13.

Jenner’s phone records, texts could be an issue

LOS ANGELES

Investigators will likely seek Bruce Jenner’s cell- phone records to determine if the Olympic gold medalist was texting when he was behind the wheel of an SUV involved in a chain-reaction crash in Malibu that killed a woman, authorities said Sunday.

The agency will likely collect phone records for all the drivers involved in Saturday’s multivehicle accident, so investigators can check call and text data, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Philip Brooks said.

The sheriff’s department has custody of all the vehicles and will inspect them to ensure they are mechanically sound or whether a defect prevented somebody from stopping in time. Investigators are trying to determine who or what triggered the crash that killed Kim Howe 69, of Calabasas, Calif.

Associated Press