Posted Aug 24th 2007 11:39AM by TMZ Staff
The Hoff's ex has been sued by her former lawyer, who claim she owes him a boatload of fees.
Attorney Gary Mitchell says he represented Pamela Bach in her ongoing divorce war with David Hasselhoff. He claims he repped Bach for six months, but she didn't pay his $39,092.60 bill. Strangely, according to the suit filed in L.A. County Superior Court, Mitchell says his deal with Pam was oral -- no written retainer agreement.
Ironically, just yesterday, Debra Opri, the lawyer Pam fired, won a strange legal battle. A judge ruled that The Hoff was not required to pay Opri's $189,000 legal bill. She repped Bach for a few months, but we're told Pam was so dissatisfied she didn't want anyone -- not even David -- to pay the bill.
The drama continues.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, H-Wood, Dirty Divorces, David Hasselhoff
Tags: david hasselhoff, DavidHasselhoff, opri, pamela bach, PamelaBach
Posted Aug 14th 2007 10:31AM by TMZ Staff
And in this week's installment of "What the ...?", Mischa Barton, pal to mama-to-be Nicole Richie and compulsively oddball fashion victim, has relocated to bucolic Hoboken, New Jersey? Not exactly the O.C. -- but trendy nonetheless!
Mischa's swanky Tribeca bachelorette pad, reports New York magazine, is currently rented out, so she decided to move across the Hudson River to Frank Sinatra's hometown. Ol' Blue Eyes would be so proud!
The actress tried to explain her Jersey jaunt to the mag, saying, "Every time I've come [to New York] recently I've stayed in a hotel which just feels lame." What, were there are no available apartments in New York City? Barton is currently in NY filming her upcoming flick, "Assassination of a High School President."
How's this for glamorous -- if any of Mischa's Hollywood chums visit, the easiest way to get to Hoboken is via public transportation. Oh, the horror! Thankfully, the ride's only ten minutes from lower Manhattan. Fuhgeddaboutit!
Filed under: Wacky & Weird, H-Wood
Tags: Mischa Barton, MischaBarton, New York City, NewYorkCity, Nicole Richie, NicoleRichie, O.C.
Posted Sep 18th 2006 7:27PM by TMZ Staff
Matt LeBlanc has got to be one of the richest dudes in show biz. So imagine our shock when we pulled his divorce papers from the courts and discovered that he filed them In Pro Per. For those of you who don't speak lawyer, Matt is representing himself!
LeBlanc is getting a divorce from Melissa, his wife of three years. The couple has a two-year-old girl. And the couple has a serious bank account. So why would Matt not lawyer up in a potentially high-stakes divorce?
We're told Matt felt he could do it all himself. TMZ knows the "Friends" star had a prenup so money wasn't going to be an issue. And we're told Matt and Melissa agreed to joint custody. So, perhaps in an effort to save a few bucks, Matt and Melissa went to a mediator. Melissa actually did eventually hire a lawyer. But Matt was a regular Jacoby AND Meyers, going it alone.
Actually, we're told in the last few months, Matt has consulted with celebrity powerhouse lawyer Neal Hersh, a partner in Hersh, Mannis and Bogen. And we're told just last week, Matt formally hired Hersh to put the finishing touches on the remnants of his marriage.
The bottom line -- the guy's a regular Matt-lock!
Filed under: Break-Ups, H-Wood
Tags: Matt LeBlanc, MattLeblanc
Posted Sep 5th 2006 4:55PM by TMZ Staff
TMZ has learned that Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey have divided up the assets in their marriage, and Nick agreed to less than his share in order to avoid an ugly court fight.
The couple amassed a fortune during their three-year marriage, in no small part because of their MTV reality show "Newlyweds" and the avalanche of endorsements and other deals that followed. Jessica refused to sign a prenuptial agreement, so under California law the assets -- estimated at $36 million -- are to be divided equally. So Jessica and Nick should each get $18.
Nick will take significantly more than the $1.5 million, but considerably less than 50%
As TMZ first reported, Jessica (we're told at the behest of her dad, Joe Simpson) offered Nick a relatively measly $1.5 million to walk away from the marriage. Sources say Joe Simpson believed Nick didn't have the stomach to put up a fight over money. Nevertheless, Nick rejected the offer and the former sweethearts decided to make their divorce final and try to hammer out a property settlement.
Sources say in the property settlement -- which has not yet been filed in court -- Nick will take significantly more than the $1.5 million, but considerably less than 50% of what he and Jessica earned during the marriage. Two sources in Nick's camp made it clear to TMZ that Lachey agreed to end the dispute because he does not want to hurt anyone in a contentious court battle.
Ironically last week, a reporter on a red carpet relayed a message from Joe and Jessica Simpson to Nick: "They love you. You're still part of the family." Nick blanched and said "Well, good, that's nice to hear...." The reporter persisted "...Jessica will always love you." Nick's classic reply: "Okay, then!"
Filed under: Break-Ups, Nick Lachey, Jessica Simpson, H-Wood
Posted Aug 20th 2006 1:02PM by TMZ Staff
This past Friday afternoon, I landed in Los Angeles after taping my "People's Court" segments in New York. I checked my voice mail at work as we taxied to the gate and the first message was from an L.A. County Sheriff's sergeant. He wanted to talk to me about the Mel Gibson case.
I sort of knew why he was calling. The Department is obsessed with finding out who gave me the arrest report in the Gibson case. I've made it clear that I will not tell them and, besides, the law is on my side. Nevertheless, I wanted to play it out so I called him back. He was nice enough, telling me he was in charge of the "criminal investigation" into the leak and wanted to know if the rumors were true that I paid someone off for the documents. I told him I would not tell him anything about how I got the report, but I did mention that I have said on TV several times that we absolutely did not pay anyone for the documents. He thanked me, saying that I answered 80% of his questions, and that was the end of it.
Do you think the Sheriff's Department might also spend a little time figuring out why officials blatantly tried to cover-up the incident by repeatedly lying to the public the day of the arrest? Please understand, this is not about Mel Gibson. Frankly, I think given what went down, his punishment was far more severe than any other drunk driver in 2006. I can't think of anyone who was put under as much scrutiny after a DUI. This is not about Mel. It's about how arrogant the Sheriff's Department is and how officials clearly feel empowered to violate the public's trust again.
Click here... it's not over yet
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, H-Wood, Mel Gibson
Tags: Mel Gibson, MelGibson
Posted Aug 12th 2006 3:55PM by TMZ Staff
It's Saturday and I just got home from the gym, where I worked out with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. We'll, maybe that's not exactly so. I used a couple of machines next to him and I must say, it was very cool.
A bit of history. The gym is legendary in Los Angeles. Before becoming Governor, Arnold was there everyday. There are pictures of him all over the walls -- posed and posing in all his glory. There are wild stories that other members have told me about Arnold back in the day -- women gawking into the locker room to get a glimpse, and Arnold happily obliging.
Today was different. I've been going to this gym for a couple of years, and I've never seen him there until today. I gotta say, the gym seems more his element than Sacramento. He was so relaxed and friendly, with assists from two Herculean security guys -- both Austrian -- who were guarding him and working out simultaneously. The old timers there all talk about Arnold all the time, so they all reconnected and Arnold could not have been happier. I couldn't believe the guy (a newcomer) who asked him to sign a newspaper -- one of the bodyguards put a quick stop to that.
Los Angeles gyms are fun because celebrities are scattered throughout. A few years ago I saw Britney Spears and she couldn't have been nicer or more fun. It's one of those places where everyone -- even me -- stops doing business.
It was great seeing Arnold reconnecting with all the members who knew him back when. Arnold was just great. Oh yeah, one other big plus. This is the first time all summer that the gym management turned the air conditioner on. Thanks Gov.
Filed under: H-Wood, Arnold Schwarzenegger
Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, ArnoldSchwarzenegger
Posted Aug 5th 2006 11:34AM by TMZ Staff
The video of Britney and K-Fed that just surfaced on YouTube is incredible and revealing. We don't know when it was shot, but let's give Brit the benefit of the doubt and say it was before her pregnancies.
What's so amazing about it is that just years before, no one was more focused on her career and single-minded than Miss Spears. She may not have been a city slicker, but she knew what she wanted and knew how to get it. If this video speaks any truth, it's that the brass ring isn't all it's cracked up to be. I wonder if Lindsay Lohan has looked at the video and if it had an impact on her? Maybe all of us end up reflecting about our lives at the kitchen table. It just seems like this one is so much more of a train wreck than most.
I've always rooted for Britney. What I love about her is that she is so unaffected by her stardom and wealth. As crazy as things got for her over the last year, I still thought she'd have a huge comeback. I still hope that, but now I am not so sure.
We want to hear from you - LITERALLY! Call TMZ's toll-free number 866-895-8877 and sound off (but not for more than 30 seconds)! Start with your name and tell us where you live.
Filed under: Britney Spears, H-Wood
Tags: Britney Spears, BritneySpears, K-Fed
Posted Aug 4th 2006 1:52PM by TMZ Staff
I'm sorry for neglecting my blog, but it's really been crazy this week.
So much has happened so quickly, I wanted a little time to reflect. Initially, I had harsh comments about Mel Gibson, but as the week wore on, I started having conflicting feelings. On the one hand, Gibson was really on the ropes and maybe he did really want help. On the other hand, it's very difficult to get past his anti-Semitic rant.
But I now have some conviction on how I feel. I'm not buying Mel Gibson's p.r. In his second statement, Gibson says "I am in the process of understanding where those vicious words came from during that drunken display...." Guess what? That's pretty much the definition of anti-semitism: A deep-seeded hatred toward Jews. Notice, Gibson did not blame the remarks on alcohol -- he said he was trying to understand how he could utter those words.
That said, it leads me to the fundamental problem with Mel's mea culpa. In the statement Gibson insists "...I am not an anti-Semite." By his own admission, yes he is.
If Gibson simply acknowledged his anti-Semitism and vowed to take steps to understand why and then do something about it, I would respect that. But Gibson did the opposite. He denied the obvious because he didn't like the label, and then offensively tried to manipulate the Jewish community by disingenuously asking for its help.
Mel's statement feels like a slick move from a clever public relations guy, but at least for me, it's as transparent as vodka.
Filed under: H-Wood, Mel Gibson
Tags: Mel Gibson, MelGibson
Posted Aug 1st 2006 5:30PM by TMZ Staff
Guns N' Roses star Axl Rose fell ill during the final show of the band's European tour after a doctor had advised the singer not to perform. Former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach, who earlier joined the band on stage for a version of "My Michelle," took Rose's place and completed the concert at London's Wembley Arena.
Axl had been diagnosed with low blood pressure and low blood sugar earlier that day after performing at Wembley Arena, followed by a surprise show at the city's Cuckoo Club. He succumbed to illness during the band's last performance of the night after being advised by doctors not to do the show -- his response to that suggestion was "f*** that."
"I approached this last show with equal parts determination, obligation, responsibility and insanity," he said. "It was an amazing night." The singer said afterwards that the band had "an amazing tour."
Rose managed two hours of the show, with Bach filling in on the mic for part of the final two songs: Night Train" and "Paradise City."
"I want to thank everyone in Europe and the UK for inspiring us and for giving us the opportunity to play for them," Axl said after the show.
GNR hits the U.S. beginning in September.
Filed under: Music, H-Wood
Tags: axl, axl rose, AxlRose, Bach, rose, Sebastian Bach, SebastianBach, sick, Skid Row, SkidRow
Posted Jul 29th 2006 1:54PM by TMZ Staff
Let me borrow a line from Mel Gibson's play book -- The L.A. County Sheriff's Department is f****d."
The Department has been caught in a huge lie that they now can't undo. My sources say the Sheriff's officials are scrambling at this very moment, trying to figure out what to do and the Sheriff himself, Lee Baca, has been involved from the outset (I'll explain more about this on Monday).
Here's the problem. The deputy who arrested Mel Gibson wrote an eight page report detailing Gibson's rants and aggressive conduct, but officials ordered the arresting deputy to sanitize his report, eliminating the four pages TMZ has posted on the web site. The sanitized report was signed and became the party line that the arrest occurred "without incident." That is a blatant lie -- a lie the Sheriff's department never thought would be exposed.
When I first called a Sheriff's spokesman to comment on the story we were about to publish, he told me I was "wrong" and the story was "erroneous." When he said that, I had plenty of information but I was not in physical possession of the four phantom pages.
When I finally got the documents and called the spokesman back, his response changed. He said when the case is presented to the D.A. it will have all the information about the case. Do you see how that begs the question? Of course, now it will have all the information because we exposed the Sheriff and Mel Gibson.
This was a cover up and there's no way of getting around it. The Sheriff said it happened "without incident" and that's just a blatant lie. Now there's an official, signed report that does not have the information TMZ has published, so something's rotten in Denmark.
As far as I know, the arresting deputy has not even re-written the information in this new "supplemental report" that for some reason was supposed to be locked in the watch commander's safe.
The Sheriff didn't get this sloppy overnight. Clearly many celebrities must have gone where Mel Gibson did on Friday. We have more information that we will publish on Monday, but The L.A. County Sheriff's Department must be investigated.
What do you think about this story? Call the TMZ comment line and we may post your raves and rants on TMZ! Call toll-free 866-895-8877 now!
Filed under: H-Wood, Mel Gibson
Tags: arrrest, mel gibson DUI arrest, MelGibsonDuiArrest
Posted Jul 29th 2006 2:35AM by TMZ Staff
Mel Gibson is garbage. What an awful person he is. True enough, I'm Jewish, so the grotesque remarks didn't please me none. And resisting arrest -- let me just say, I am privy to incontrovertible evidence that he did indeed try to bolt. It will come out, and it will shock you.
But even worse is that the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has become a shill to celebrities. I knew this 11 years ago with Tony Danza, who beat up a photographer and stole his camera. The Sheriffs were ridiculous -- they merely asked him to return the camera, which Danza did after removing the film. That was just fine with the Sheriffs.
Well, it's gotten a lot worse. In the Mel Gibson case, I called the lieutenant who was on duty Friday, who told me that Gibson's arrest was "without incident." And I asked her about the anti-Semitic comments around mid-day. She said, in the phoniest of ways, "Oh, I'm just sure that's not the case." It was such a lying comment -- I just felt it.
Well, turns out that this time I was right on target. The lieutenant who gave me the bogus statement is the same person who told the arresting Deputy to 86 the truth and create a bullshit explanation for what went down.
The Sheriff's Department is so screwed. They thought they could protect their celebrity resident who did not deserve protection. What they didn't know is that we'd get a copy of the report that they tried to censor. And what's worse, there's evidence that I'm not allowed to report that will nail them to the wall.
There needs to be an investigation of the L.A.County Sheriff's Department and STAT. As awful as Mel Gibson is, the Sheriff's Department is worse. This is a corrupt department. They thought they could get away with this and they got nailed. Now they say they will issue a full report to the D.A. -- yeah, right....because they got caught.
What do you think about this story? Call the TMZ comment line and we may post your raves and rants on TMZ! Call toll-free 866-895-8877 now!
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, H-Wood, Mel Gibson
Tags: H-Wood, Mel Gibson, MelGibson
Posted Jul 27th 2006 2:35PM by TMZ Staff
Like it or not, David Hasselhoff has become a huge star again, thus proving the freak factor never fails in Hollywood.
In the last few months, Hasselhoff has been accused by his ex-wife of wild brutality (which he denies), he's been through the ugliest of divorces, he's proven America really doesn't have talent, he's been barred from an airplane because of bizarre behavior and he's a big star again.
Last February, a gaggle of paparazzi told TMZ that they could only get five bucks for a David Hasselhoff pic. Who would have thunk, just months later, he'd be a hot commodity?
Surely you know in Germany Hasselhoff runs a close second to Jesus Christ. People sob at his singing, and not for the obvious reasons. They like him. They really, really like him.
In America, not so much, but then again, they watch him. He's got that Paula Abdul/Paris Hilton quality -- you need to watch to see if he falls off that cliff. In Hollywood, that translates into stardom.
Don't hassle The Hoff.
Filed under: Train Wrecks, H-Wood
Tags: David Hasselhoff, DavidHasselhoff
Posted Jul 21st 2006 4:43PM by TMZ Staff
Some young, hot celebs want to get even hotter, so they're going under the knife. I think it's sending a really bad message to millions of young girls.
Plastic surgeons in Hollywood are doing boffo box office these days. It used to be that their "sweet spot" was actresses who were 40ish. Now, 20-year-olds are signing up for new noses, lips, boobs, you name it.
Here's the deal. A lot of these high-profile, young starlets already look good/great. True enough, they could look even better with a tweak here or there, but to most young girls they look amazing.
So what's the message here. An insecure 15-year-old who idolizes a certain young star watches the sudden transformation. I think the way that translates is that the young star must have hated the way she looked. How do you hate the way you look when you look good already? We'll that's the altered state of reality created by these 20-something makeovers. It validates hating the way you look, therefore hating yourself.
I realize that a star has every right to go under the knife and also that there is peculiar pressure to look at the top of your game in Hollywood. But the collateral damage done to the millions of girls who are watching on the sidelines is very troublesome.
Filed under: Beauty, H-Wood
