Kevin Hart and the 2 people in his car that crashed Sept. 1 have all lawyered up, TMZ has learned, and everyone's expecting a big lawsuit.
Sources with direct knowledge tell us, the driver, who sustained serious back and chest injuries has an attorney, as does the passenger in the backseat, who sustained only minor injuries. Kevin has a lawyer as well.
We're told Kevin is in the crosshairs of the other 2 people in the 1970 Plymouth Barracuda because the car did not have safety harnesses or airbags. The argument is ... Kevin should have worried less about keeping the car authentic and more about safety -- and not doing so constitutes negligence.
The driver could also be on the hook for Kevin and the backseat passenger, but it's a little premature since the CHP is still investigating the cause of the crash.
The big issue ... we're told the company that customized the car could be looking at a lawsuit. The argument goes like this ... the company is the expert and even if Kevin wanted a custom job without safety harnesses, the company should have refused the job because it wasn't safe ... especially with a powerful, 720 horsepower engine.
We contacted 10 custom car companies around the country and asked if Kevin's crash has opened their eyes and changed their minds about customizing classic cars without installing safety harnesses. 8 out of the 10 said they would if that's what the customer wanted. Only 2 said they would not.
It's interesting because it opens these companies up to a lawsuit, especially if there are passengers in the car who get injured.
Our law enforcement sources tell us ... the CHP may lobby the California State Legislature to prohibit custom car companies from rolling out products without harnesses ... whether the customer wants them or not.
There's a ton of money in Esports ... and there could be GOLD in video games soon too ... 'cause Fortnite superstar Ninja says gaming WILL be in the Olympics -- it's just a matter of time.
Of course, Esports is bigger than ever -- the prize pool for the Fortnite World Cup was $30 MILLION in July (shout-out to 16-year-old gamer Bugha, who took home $3 milli for winning).
Ninja doesn't think the sport's done growing ... 'cause he says gamers will be representing their country on the sticks VERY soon.
"For me, I just think it's going to be time," Ninja tells TMZ Sports. "I think that obviously, the younger generation enjoys Esports and enjoys watching video games. Eventually, that's what they're gonna want and that's what the TV people are gonna want to show and represent."
"Just give a little bit of time and Esports will be there."
As for how soon it can happen, we ask if it can happen in time for the 2028 Games in L.A. ... and Ninja says he "wouldn't put it out of the question."
The greatest Fortnite player alive also weighs in on what countries would dominate in video games at the Olympics ... and it ain't the U.S. of A.
Tekashi69 is singing like a bird and lots of powerful people are pissed, and Aaron Carter and his family are unraveling before our eyes. So, we gotta ask ...
Porn star Bridget Powers' short temper was on full display during the violent clash with her BF that got her arrested ... and TMZ got video of her smashing windows and cussing him out.
In this footage from outside Bridget's Las Vegas apartment, you see the little person adult actress screaming at her boyfriend. Her rage eventually boils over and she hurls a large object through the apartment's front window.
We broke the story ... cops say "Bridget The Midget" -- as she's known in the industry -- stabbed her BF, Jesse James, in the leg during their heated exchange, and she's been ordered to stay away from him.
Toward the end of the clip, cops show up on Bridget's doorstep, and you see her walking away from her residence with an officer. She was eventually placed in handcuffs and taken to jail.
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You can hear more of the insults Bridget hurled in audio from the violent incident. At one point, she threatened, "I will f**k you up."
Bridget, who has performed in more than 50 adult films, was booked on charges of domestic battery with the use of a deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon and burglary while in possession of a deadly weapon ... all felonies.
Jake Paul wants to beat the living dog snot out of Soulja Boy ... but it's not out of hate -- it's because the YouTube superstar wants to make him relevant again!!!
TMZ Sports spoke with Paul about calling out Mr. "Pretty Boy Swag" for an epic celeb boxing match ... and he says it may not happen because Soulja Boy is SCARED of getting KO'd!!!
But, 22-year-old Paul tells us he's actually trying to HELP Soulja out ... 'cause he thinks the fight will give him major clout and give him a new audience.
"I grew up a Soulja Boy fan and, so after I knocked him out, I'd be like, 'yo, respect, let's do a song together, bro!'"
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Jake beat up fellow YouTuber Deji via TKO last year ... and he's been itching to get back in the ring ever since -- calling out anyone from FaZe Banks to Dillon Danis.
As for Soulja, he's been flirting with stepping into the ring for years ... and even famously came close to fighting Chris Brown in 2017, before Breezy backed out.
Paul says the 29-year-old rapper has nothing to be embarrassed about if he loses ... 'cause he thinks Soulja would be the underdog.
Say goodbye to hot girl summer and say hello to Thotumn!!!
The new season is just around the corner and these famous faces are determined to still keep things hot ... just indoors this time!!!
Anastasia Karanikolaou, Josephine Skriver, April Love Geary and Kelly Gale are just a few of the sexy stars avoiding having to layer up, which means they'll be enjoying fall through the glass!!!
Get a good look at all the ladies weathering the storm from inside this season by scrolling through our gallery of babes in the window!!! See who's keeping things hotter than ever this fall!!!
Joe Giudice just got shot down by a judge in his immigration case -- he's been ordered to stay locked up while his deportation case plays out.
Joe petitioned the court earlier this month -- where he appeared via video conference -- asking to be released pending his appeal of his deportation. Now the judge has ruled, and it's not in his favor.
He will remain locked up in the ICE detention facility he's been a resident of since his release from prison in March -- the Clinton County Correctional Facility.
The Giudice family attorney, James Leonard Jr., tells TMZ, "We are absolutely devastated. Our system of justice has failed this family. We are now at the mercy of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. God willing they will return this man home to his four daughters."
TMZ broke the story ... Joe's homesick and tired of being kept behind bars and he feels he should be let out from ICE custody while he's appealing. Joe says the least the judge can do is let him see his family, especially if he's in danger of getting deported soon anyway.
As we've previously reported ... Joe was immediately transferred to ICE custody when a judge ordered his deportation to his native Italy. This after serving a 41-month sentence for conspiracy to commit wire and bankruptcy fraud.
Joe appealed that decision and lost. But, he appealed again to a higher court ... and that's where we're at now. Joe wanted to be home in New Jersey with his family as he awaits the judge's final ruling.
Joe has the opportunity to appeal this bond decision within the next 30 days, but Leonard says that's off the table, and they are just holding tight to see how the deportation appeal plays out.
3:24 PM PT -- The judge granted Angel the restraining order and we now know exactly why she filed for it. In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Angel says she had a phone convo with Aaron on Sept. 5, and she claims he said, "I have people that would come and harm you." She adds ... due to the fact Aaron has been brandishing his firearms on social media, she fears for her life, as well as her husband and daughter's.
The docs also include this bizarre anecdote. During the August FaceTime convo with Aaron -- when he allegedly made the "killing babies" remark -- she claims he also admitted to torturing a turtle by lighting it on fire when he was a child. She claims he said he felt "no emotion" about the incident.
The restraining order requires Aaron to stay 100 yards away from Angel and her family. He also can't make any social media posts regarding them that include threats or brandishing of weapons.
Aaron Carter's twin sister has followed in Nick Carter's footsteps ... filing a restraining order against her brother.
Angel Conrad filed docs Friday in Los Angeles for a domestic violence restraining order. A judge has not heard the case to decide whether or not to grant the protection.
TMZ broke the story ... Aaron's brother, Nick, filed a restraining order against him on Monday claiming Aaron had "thoughts of killing babies." Nick claimed Aaron had made the claims during a FaceTime with Angel in August. Nick also said Aaron told Angel he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Aaron's then-girlfriend, Lina, was there during the convo and chimed in, "Angel, how do you think I feel with him sleeping with a sword next to him?" According to the docs, Aaron got upset and said, "Shut up Lina, you are next on my list."
In that filing, Nick explained he needs the court-ordered protection from Aaron because he's afraid Aaron will listen to the "voices in his head and cause harm to my family." He also states, as far as he knows, Aaron owns 6 firearms, which he's known to keep "readily available."
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Aaron has denied making those statements and tells us he would never harm his family. All he wants is for them to leave him alone.
7:00 PM PT -- The NFL just issued a statement addressing AB's status within the league, saying … "Antonio Brown was released today by the New England Patriots and is currently an unrestricted free agent. Our office is presently investigating multiple allegations, some of which are the subject of pending litigation."
"We have as yet made no findings regarding these issues. The investigation is ongoing and will be pursued vigorously and expeditiously. As long as Mr. Brown is a free agent, placement on the Commissioners Exempt list is not appropriate. If he is signed by a club, such placement may become appropriate at any time depending on the status of the investigation."
"Upon the conclusion of the investigation, he may also be subject to discipline if the investigation finds that he has violated the law or the league policies."
4:14 PM PT -- Tom Brady is still showing love for Antonio Brown ... responding to his Instagram post with 3 heart emojis.
4:06 PM PT -- The lawyers for the second accuser have just released a statement praising New England for the move ... saying, "The NFL and the Patriots clearly took our client's concerns seriously."
"She wanted the threats and intimidation to stop and we hope that will be the case. The NFL has assured us that regardless of Antonio Brown's roster status, it will continue to investigate all claims regarding his behavior."
3:31 PM PT -- TMZ Sports spoke with Brown's former teammate in Pittsburgh, Ike Taylor, and he tells us he wants to reach out to AB and "let him know that I'm here for him."
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"While everybody is doing the opposite and kind of kicking him while he's down," Taylor says, "I'm going to reach out to him."
1:54 PM PT -- Antonio Brown's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, just issued a statement about the WR saying, "It's unfortunate things didn't work out with the Patriots."
"But Antonio is healthy and is looking forward to his next opportunity in the NFL. He wants to play the game he loves and he hopes to play for another team soon."
Brown is now giving away the football from the only TD he scored with the Patriots ... and he's holding a caption contest on IG to select a winner.
The New England Patriots have just parted ways with Antonio Brown after a new NFL investigation into concerning text messages.
"Thank you for the opportunity @Patriots #GoWinIt," Brown posted on Twitter ... adding, "The marathon continues."
He also posted a photo with Tom Brady on Instagram, "Love ya champ. That was fun!"
Brown was only an official member of the Pats for 11 days.
The Patriots issued a statement saying, "The New England Patriots are releasing Antonio Brown. We appreciate the hard work of many people over the past 11 days, but we feel that it is best to move in a different direction at this time."
The writing was certainly on the wall ... Patriots head coach Bill Belichick shut down a press conference Friday morning because he was sick of answering questions about the WR.
As we previously reported, the Patriots signed Brown on Sept. 7 -- hours after he was cut by the Oakland Raiders following multiple issues with Raiders executives.
Brown didn't sign his contract with the Pats until Sept. 9. His deal was a 1-year contract worth up to $15 mil with a $9 million signing bonus.
Days after Brown signed his deal with the Pats, a woman named Britney Taylor filed a lawsuit against AB accusing him of forcible rape in 2018, along with 2 allegations of sexual assault in 2017.
Brown has denied all wrongdoing and vowed to explore his own legal options. Brown was not arrested or charged with a crime in that case. Taylor never went to police.
Earlier this week, Sports Illustrated published a report containing allegations from a 2nd woman who accused Brown of sexual misconduct.
Brown later sent that woman menacing text messages in which Brown directs associates to look into the accuser's family. He also sent a pic of the accuser's children.
The NFL was contacted by the woman's attorney and immediately launched an investigation.
Despite the investigation, Belichick suggested the team was planning on using Brown on Sunday when they take on the NY Jets.
Brown played 24 snaps for the Patriots in his debut with the team against the Dolphins last weekend. He saw 8 passes from Tom Brady, catching four of them for 56 yards and a TD. He also had one rushing attempt for 5 yards.
AB has been a superstar in his career on the field, he's logged at least 100 catches and 1,200 receiving yards in each of the last six seasons.
In his 10-year career, Brown's scored 75 receiving touchdowns ... putting him in a tie for 34th all-time in NFL history.
As for the Raiders, Oakland cut bait with Brown after a string of bizarre behavior including a weird injury in a cryotherapy chamber and issues with his helmet.
The last straw seemed to be when Brown publicly called out Raiders general manager Mike Mayock after the team fined him for missing multiple team activities.
The question now ... will another team take a chance on Antonio Brown -- or is his NFL career finished?
4:09 PM PT -- Britney just shared a video of herself doing a little dancing at home, which she says went down before she and Sam headed out for the awards show.
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Looks like she's in the same outfit she showed up to the awards in, and she says ... "PS I felt beautiful !!!"
Britney Spears looked like she wanted to be anywhere else after she arrived with her boyfriend to the Daytime Beauty Awards, so after a few photos ... she was outtie.
Britney and Sam Asghari showed up to the awards show Friday looking stylish as they got out of their SUV, but as they walked up to take pics it appeared Brit immediately grew uncomfortable.
After a few seconds of cameras clicking and flashing, Spears said to her publicist ... "I just want to go."
She stuck around for a few more shots and forced smiles, but seemed to be urging Sam to keep moving ... until she finally had enough and said she was leaving.
Asghari -- who's being honored for Outstanding Achievement in Fitness -- had to reverse his course and walk her back to their SUV, where she got in and left.
Of course, this comes in the midst of a family showdown in court over Britney's conservatorship. As we told you ... a "fireworks show" was expected this week, but as of now things are still up in air.
Jennifer Lopez is here with a flashback Friday for the ages ... bringing back THAT dress -- y'know the one from the 2000 Grammys, and this time it stole the show at Milan Fashion Week.
J Lo hit the runway at Versace's Spring 2020 show Friday in a recreated version of her iconic Versace grown from nearly 2 decades ago, resurrecting one of the most memorable fashion statements in history.
Jenny rocked the throwback look with Donatella Versace walking her down the runway ... and the crowd went absolutely bonkers. Excuse us while we pick our jaws up off the floor.
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Easy to see why J Lo got a standing O in Milan ... she's every bit as stunning in the plunging green dress as she was back in the day, showing off her flawless figure and leaving little to the imagination.
Check out the gallery for more J Lo in green ... Alex Rodriguez is one lucky man.
A bizarre and terrifying scene in Chicago -- someone behind the wheel of an SUV drove straight through a Sears and into a mall.
In the video, shot by one terrified shopper, the vehicle plows through kiosks in the Woodfield Mall, and just keeps going ... smashing store windows and rolling over everything in its path.
You can hear one shopper repeatedly yelling, very appropriately, "What the f**k?!!" Multiple reports say police responded and were able to take the driver into custody.
Video from a news chopper showed the outdoor entrance to Sears totally destroyed -- so, it appears that's where the driver first got into the mall in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg.
It's unclear what the psycho's motive was ... or if there were any casualties.
Paris Hilton is saying goodbye to her grandpa, Barron Hilton ... the former Hilton Hotels chairman and founding owner of the Los Angeles Chargers has died.
Paris posted a heartfelt tribute to her late grandfather on social media Friday afternoon, saying she's deeply saddened by his death and calling Barron a visionary.
Barron, the son of patriarch Conrad Hilton, died Thursday from natural causes ... according to the Conrad Hilton Foundation. Paris says she spoke with her grandpa only days before he died, and she told him how much of an impact he made in her life.
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Barron expanded the family's Hilton Hotels empire and helped start the American Football League as the Chargers' first owner, paving the way for the modern NFL.
After serving in the Navy and spending two decades as an entrepreneur, Barron joined the family biz as Hilton Hotels' vice president way back in 1954 and quickly rose through the ranks to become the chairman, president and CEO.
In 1959, Lamar Hunt approached Barron and several other wealthy businessmen, and they formed the AFL. Barron founded the Chargers, buying the franchise for $25,000. Under Barron, the Bolts became the first pro-football team to put players' last names on the backs of their jerseys, and he was instrumental in the design of the team's iconic lightning bolt logo.
Barron helped Lamar negotiate the AFL-NFL merger in 1965, and in '66 Hilton sold his controlling interest in the Chargers to take over Hilton Hotels.
Barron is survived by his 2 daughters, 6 sons, 15 grandkids and 4 great-grandchildren.
Tekashi 6ix9ine was rat material from the start, and now he's going to get what's coming to him ... so says Rap-A-Lot Records honcho J. Prince.
Prince claims "clown" Tekashi's recent testimony -- specifically the part about an attempted robbery of Rap-A-Lot reps last year in NYC -- is a bunch of lies.
The rap boss says he's been warning everyone for awhile ... that if Tekashi "keeps campaigning with dumb sh*t that he was gonna get elected! Election Day has come and now I’m hearing lies he’s telling under oath about robbing me or representatives of #Rapalot."
J. Prince adds ... "If him or any of those clowns were to try to rob me or anyone from the #Rapalot family bad news would’ve beat them home."
In case you missed it ... during day 2 of 6ix9ine's snitch-fest, he detailed how his relationship with his former gang, the Nine Trey Bloods, began to sour.
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He claims he was denied entry to a Houston gig in March 2018 by Rap-A-Lot peeps because he didn't "check in," and it cost him money. As revenge for the diss, the Nine Treys planned to rob J. Prince's people a month later in New York ... and Tekashi says they pulled off an armed robbery on Rap-A-Lot reps in the lobby of a building.
J. Prince says Tekashi's version of events isn't how it went down, and the gig he got turned away from was his son's party ... because they simply didn't want him there.
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He says ... "Let this be a lesson to those who know better to do better because there was never a question mark in my mind that this kid #takashi69 was rat material that’s why my sons didn’t allow him to come into their party. It was never about a rat checking in with us."
As for that robbery ... Tekashi testified he was outside in a parked car while his former manager, Shotti, and other members did it. Surveillance footage of the incident was played in court.
Law enforcement sources tell us 5 perps approached 2 victims as they got out of the elevator, pointed guns at them and threatened to kill them if they didn't get on the ground. They allegedly made off with 2 chains, a cell phone and a bunch of hard drives.
Kawhi Leonardis officially on the prowl for his new home ... checking out some of the best available cribs in Los Angeles ... starting with an incredible $10 million pad!!
TMZ Sports has learned ... the Clippers superstar has been lookin' for a place to hang his hat recently ... exploring all the nicest houses L.A. has to offer (and there's a lot).
Leonard was spotted visiting a spot on the Sunset Strip earlier this week ... and we gotta say, the dude has great taste.
The home -- listed by Dustin Nicholas of the Nicholas Property Group -- has HUGE windows, high ceilings, a chef's kitchen ... and, of course, a pool and sundeck.
The crib is listed at $9,995,000 ... but remember, the dude's in a 3-year, $103 million contract.
No word on whether the Klaw is all in on the pad ... but if he takes it, we're jealous.
Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino is getting back to his old ways now that he's out of prison ... and you know what that means ... GTL!!!
Sitch was out in New York City Friday afternoon and "Jersey Shore" cameras were rolling as he and his wife, Lauren, ran into some old friends ... the first time we've seen Mike in public since getting outta prison.
Situation says he's pumped to be back in the Big Apple ... as for how he's passing the time as a free man, Mike unleashes his famous "Jersey Shore" catchphrase.
Yes, GTL is officially back, baby!!! Still, it looks like Mike's been going heavy on the G and L, and not so much on the T.
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Mike's been on the outside for a little more than a week after spending 8 months behind bars for tax evasion ... and now he's focused on growing his clothing biz.
Speaking of laundry ... Sitch looks happy to shed his prison jumpsuit. Check out his threads, his shirt sums up his situation.
