The 3 men charged with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery entered not guilty pleas in court and one of the defendants wants potential jurors to be asked probing questions in a private setting.
Gregory and Travis McMichael, along with William "Roddie" Bryan, all pled not guilty Friday in court. Bryan's attorney also requested bond for Bryan, but the judge denied the request citing a slew of concerns, including a sex crimes investigation by the GBI at the request of the Glynn County Police Department. That investigation is active and ongoing.
Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, and Arbery's father, Marcus Arbery Sr., gave statements requesting the court deny bond.
Bryan's attorney had brought up the coronavirus pandemic as another reason why his client should get bond ... claiming Bryan's in the high-risk category. Prosecutors countered saying the Sheriff's doing his part keeping things safe behind bars. The hearing's currently in a recess.
Bryan's attorney also filed a motion to submit certain questions to potential jurors in an attempt to weed out biases.
According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Bryan's attorney submitted a list of more than 50 questions for potential jurors to answer ... including: "What in your opinion is the principal cause of crime in America today?"
Another question ... "What steps do you think people who are frightened about crime should take to protect themselves?" as well as "Have you ever heard the statement, he looks like a cirminal? If yes, do you think that if someone 'looks like a criminal' they are probably guilty if they are arrested for a crime? Why/why not?"
Bryan's attorney wants everyone examined separately and privately, claiming there are "sensitive and potentially embarrassing questions exploring the prospective juror's bias and prejudice, especially with respect to matters of race."
Then there's this ... Bryan's attorneys also want to inspect all of Arbery's probation docs, any medical or mental health records, any juvenile court records, any DCFS records and any board of education records.
The issue of citizens arrest was also brought up in docs ... Bryan's attorney claims there was enough evidence to establish probable cause that Arbery had committed the offense of criminal attempt to commit burglary. According to the docs, this allowed McMichael to attempt a citizens arrest and then, when Arbery fought back, to defend himself.
Bryan's attorney also argues someone running in an attempted burglary case allows you to presume criminal intent ... and he notes that Arbery was running. Bryan's attorney also claims Arbery knew he was a convicted felon on probation for shoplifting ... so an objective observer would have reason to believe he was trying to commit a burglary when he ran from the house.
As we reported ... the men were all indicted by a grand jury for Arbery's murder on June 24. They are each facing 9 felony charges -- 1 count of malice murder, 4 counts felony murder, 2 counts aggravated assault, 1 count false imprisonment and 1 count criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.
The 3 defendants have been in custody since their arrests in May, and last appeared in court in early June for a probable cause hearing ... where a judge concluded there's enough evidence to move forward with the case.
During that hearing, a GBI detective testified he found no evidence Arbery stole anything from the construction site he walked through before he was shot and killed. Gregory McMichael had claimed Arbery matched the description of a burglary suspect, which is why they were after him.
Gregory's son, Travis, fired the fatal shots during a struggle with Ahmaud on February 23. The GBI detective also testified Bryan told cops he heard Travis refer to Arbery as a "f***ing n*****" right after he shot him.
Travis and Gregory were arrested and charged with murder on May 8. Authorities allege Bryan -- who recorded the incident -- was working with the McMichaels to trap Arbery. He was arrested and charged 14 days later.
Nick Cannon is at his wit's end over his anti-Semitic comments and his apology for them -- he clearly feels he's in a no-win situation, and now some fans are concerned about his well being.
"The Masked Singer" host let his frustrations out Thursday night, saying ... "I hurt an entire community and it pained me to my core, I thought it couldn’t get any worse. Then I watched my own community turn on me and call me a sell-out for apologizing."
He added ... "Goodnight. Enjoy Earth."
An hour later, he followed that up, tweeting ... "Y'all can have this planet. I'm out!"
As you know ... Nick came under fire for pushing anti-Jewish rhetoric on his "Cannon's Class" podcast, which resulted in ViacomCBS dropping him. Instead of apologizing, he initially stuck to his guns and was defiant.
But he changed his tune after a discussion with Rabbi Abraham Cooper, and posted a lengthy apology for his "hurtful and divisive words."
Nick's frustration is clear from his Thursday night tweets -- after initially getting backlash for the anti-Semitic remarks, he's now getting backlash for apologizing. It's interesting ... you could read the apology backlash as a reflection of just how much anti-Semitism there is out there.
Some fans online took Nick's tweets as a sign he might harm himself.
As we reported, Nick had a follow-up face-to-face meeting with Rabbi Cooper Thursday night, but the social media trolling is obviously weighing heavily on him.
Italian police thwarted drug-smugglers who sliced hundreds of coffee beans open, stuffed them with cocaine and carefully encased them with dark brown tape.
The perps might have gotten away with it too ... if it wasn't for that darn John Wick.
According to police, they became suspicious of the package containing the coffee beans when someone noticed the name on it was Santino D'Antonio ... a mafia boss villain in "John Wick: Chapter 2" as well as the third film in the franchise.
The coked-up beans were shipped from Medellin in Colombia to Milan's Malpensa airport, and all in all ... the 2kg package contained 150g of cocaine powder via about 500 beans.
The package was addressed to a tobacco shop in Florence, and cops busted the 50-year-old man who came to collect it.
Italian police named their operation "Caffe' Scorretto" -- which means Improper Coffee, which plays off the name of the country's popular drink, '"Caffe' corretto" ... corrected coffee.
Tamar Braxton may have attempted to take her own life.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a 911 call was placed at around 10 PM Thursday. The caller said someone at the Ritz Carlton hotel in downtown L.A. attempted suicide.
When EMTs arrived we're told they found Tamar unconscious inside her room. Her boyfriend, David Adefeso, told cops she may have overdosed on pills and alcohol.
Our sources say the boyfriend also told police Tamar had been upset earlier in the day and had threatened suicide. Our law enforcement sources say Tamar did not leave a note.
Tamar was rushed to the hospital. We do not know her condition.
Tamar and David do a YouTube show called, "Coupled & Quarantined," and the latest episode was supposed to run Thursday night, but earlier in the day they said it was being postponed. They did not say why.
They also have an upcoming show on WE tv called, "Tamar Braxton: Get Ya Life." The first trailer for the show was released Thursday, and in it, Tamar is seen arguing with producers about being portrayed as the "angry black woman."
Tamar, whose latest album was "Bluebird of Happiness" back in 2017, may be even better known for her reality series, "Braxton Family Values."
She also won the U.S. version of "Celebrity Big Brother" last year.
We attempted but were unable to reach Tamar's rep.
Hayden Panettiere's allegedly abusive ex-boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, is now facing serious criminal charges in California ... this, days after Hayden got an order of protection against him.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Hickerson was charged Thursday in an 8-count complaint that includes domestic violence charges, assault charges. Seven of the 8 charges are felonies.
Panettiere recently reported her ex-BF to the Teton County Sheriff in Wyoming -- along with the Santa Monica police and LAPD -- for multiple incidents involving extreme domestic violence against her during their year-and-a-half relationship.
The former "Nashville" star tells TMZ ... “I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me with the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve. I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again. I’m grateful for my support system, which helped me find the courage to regain my voice and my life."
Hayden's attorney, Alan Jackson, says ... "After suffering for years as the victim of psychological, emotional and severe physical abuse, Hayden Panettiere has begun the process of taking back her life. Hayden has found the strength and courage to share the truth about her abuse and her abuser, and she intends to assist the prosecution to see that justice is served. As a survivor, she recognizes that her arduous journey of healing has just begun."
As we reported ... Panettiere recently got court-ordered protection from Hickerson in Wyoming, and a California judge just granted her that same protection in the Golden State.
Hickerson was arrested for domestic violence on Valentine's Day in Teton County, Wyoming -- after Hayden told cops he'd roughed her up after an argument and punched her in the face.
As for Hayden, a source close to the actress says she's been undergoing successful treatment for alcohol abuse issues and is now focused on healing, sobriety and recovery.
Conor McGregorproved he could switch to Irish Olympic diving now that he's "retired" from MMA ... executing a perfect leap during his vacation in the French Riviera.
LOOK AT THAT FORM!!
The UFC superstar has been chillaxing off the coast of France for the past few days as part of a 32nd birthday celebration -- and while he left his brand new $620,000 watch in the hotel room, he made sure to bring his media team to the beach!
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Seriously, Conor made sure his personal photographer AND a videographer tagged along with his girlfriend, Dee Devlin, and their 2 kids as they enjoyed the sun and sand.
Gotta have content for the Gram, right?!
Despite the fact Conor announced his retirement from MMA back in June, he seems to be keeping himself in fighting shape -- dude looks absolutely jacked.
Earlier this week, he traded friendly tweets with Manny Pacquiao suggesting a possible boxing match between the two -- but we're guessing he'll be back in the octagon before the boxing ring.
In the meantime, enjoy the time off ... and smile for the cameras!
The #FreeBritney movement has re-emerged in a big way, with lots of people spinning conspiracy theories that she's being held against her will ... but they got the story wrong.
Folks on social media have been alarmed by Britney Spears posting a gaggle of dance and fashion show videos. They're odd, to say the least ... she's dancing, pacing back and forth and looking not quite put together.
So then, fans started sending Britney secret messages -- "wear black if you need help," and "wear pink if you are in trouble." Well, she wore pink shorts with black polka dots in a dance video, and that's all she wrote.
She also crossed her arms in an "X" fashion and folks interpreted that as saying, "I'm not okay." Well, people went nuts online, again suggesting her conservatorship -- led by Britney's dad, Jamie -- was holding her against her will.
Here's the reality. We've reported for the last 2 years ... Britney is struggling. Her meds stopped working and doctors were having trouble finding the right combination. Sources with direct knowledge tell us she's not been easy to deal with ... she sometimes complains she wants more freedom. Short story -- she hasn't been especially stable managing her mental illness.
There's collateral damage in all of this ... Kevin Federline has had their 2 kids considerably more than Britney -- and it all relates back to her mental state.
The conservatorship has been around for 12 years -- an incredibly unusual amount of time for a conservatorship to last, but this one's different. Our sources have said for years ... Britney's mental illness requires this conservatorship -- probably for life.
Lots of people think this is all Jamie lording over his daughter, but it's not the case. There is a slew of people involved in the conservatorship -- doctors, lawyers, therapists and a judge. There is no way Jamie could go rogue without one of the others taking it to the judge.
As one source very close to Britney told TMZ ... "These people who are screaming for the conservatorship to end, well if that happened and she hurt herself or died 2 weeks after would these people utter a peep? No way."
Caitlyn Jenner wants Kanye West to keep his presidential bid in the family ... and she's already positioning herself to be Yeezy's vice president!!!
Caitlyn was walking back to her car after grabbing some Starbucks in Westlake Village, CA when she was asked if she'd be voting Kanye for Prez in the 2020 election.
It's pretty funny ... Caitlyn says she's already texted Kanye about being his running mate!!!
Caitlyn thinks they'd make a pretty awesome combination on the Birthday Party ticket ... and while it sounds like she's joking about being Ye's veep, ya can't exactly rule it out, not with the way Kanye's entered the race at the last minute.
We broke the story ... Yeezy filed a second set of docs Thursday with the Federal Election Commission -- a Statement of Candidacy, which shows he's spent or raised over $5,000 in campaign-related expenses, officially elevating him to candidacy status under the federal campaign law.
Ye previously filed legal docs qualifying him to get on the ballot in Oklahoma, though he missed Wednesday's deadline in Florida, a battleground state.
Kanye tabbed Michelle Tidball to be his running mate in his instantly infamous interview with Forbes, but she comes with a lot of baggage and has yet to formally accept the invitation.
Caitlyn's seizing the opening and shooting her shot ... and now the ball's in Kanye's court.
The protesters arrested and charged with a felony for protesting Breonna Taylor's death made sure residents in the neighborhood knew they came in peace.
The demonstration outside the Louisville home of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron was completelynon-violent and peaceful, and protesters made sure to touch base with neighbors beforehand ... according to Jeanette Thomas, who lives on Cameron's block.
Jeanette says the protesters assured neighbors they were only there to demand justice for Breonna and weren't there to start trouble ... and they peacefully protested by chanting Taylor's name, and remained calm even when police started arresting them.
As we reported ... the 87 people arrested and booked on a felony charge of intimidating a participant in a legal process -- that participant being AG Cameron -- included 'RHOA' star Porsha Williams, 'L&HH' star Yandy Smith, NFL player Kenny Stills and activist Tamika Mallory. Opinion -- frickin' ridiculous ... that citizens of a State are not allowed to stage a protest against an elected official.
Yandy and Tamika told us they find it ironic they now how have a felony charge to fight, while the police officers who killed Breonna still roam free.
Jeanette says the protesters told her they knew they would be arrested and vowed not to resist ... and explains why residents weren't scared in the slightest.
And, get this ... Jeanette tells us protesters even showed concern for the safety of her and her daughter as police started to move in, and says demonstrators sent her flowers the next day as a thank you for letting them park in her driveway.
"Big Brother" is on its way back -- 'rona be damned -- but it's not just the all-star cast that will be quarantining together to make it happen ... the crew must too.
Sources close to production of season 22 tell TMZ ... the people working on the popular reality competition will be taking a page out of the NBA's book, and staying in a bubble.
We're told the crew members will reside in RVs by the set -- otherwise known as the 'Big Brother' house -- but will be swapped out monthly.
Our sources say the system will work like this -- one month on for the crew, then 2 weeks off followed by 2 weeks in quarantine ... then back on. A typical 'BB' season lasts around 3 months.
Those familiar with the show know ... although the 'Big Brother' Houseguests don't directly interact with the people running the show ... the crew must still enter the house to haul in supplies, make repairs, and set up the competitions.
So, it's just as important for the cast to remain safe and take every COVID-19 precaution as the cast.
As we first told you ... CBS is busting out some of its All-Star Houseguests from seasons past for the upcoming season, which is tentatively scheduled to begin shooting later this summer after already being delayed.
Julie Chen Moonves is set to return as host. We don't know if she's part of the bubble.
Our sources tell us the "Pretty Little Liars" actress reached out to Colton soon after his split from ex-girlfriend Cassie Randolph ... and the two have been seeing each other a lot.
The ex-'Bachelor' went on a hike with Lucy Wednesday at Paseo Miramar Trail in Los Angeles' scenic Pacific Palisades neighborhood, and as you can see ... Colton and Lucy were pretty sweaty, close and without masks.
Our sources say Colton and Lucy have gone on a few of these "casual hike dates" over the last few weeks, so it seems their relationship has legs.
Lucy's had her eye on Colton for years too ... back in 2018, she said he would make a good 'Bachelor' because he's "wholesome," a "good guy" and "beautiful to watch." Oh, and we're also told they have mutual friends.
As for Colton being out without a face covering ... well, he's already survived his battle with COVID-19. True, outdoors is safer than indoors, but it's unclear just how much immunity -- if any -- people have who already contracted the virus.
BTW ... walks and hikes are kinda Colton's thing during the pandemic, only now he's transitioned from Cassie to Lucy.
"If Asante Samuel walked up right now, I wouldn't know his face."
That's Darrell Green's reaction to Asante Samuel's recent criticism of his Hall of Fame resume ... and, yeah. OUCH!!!
Don't get it too twisted though ... DG says it's not exactly meant to be a slight to Samuel -- he tells us it just means he's not taking the former New England Patriots cornerback's comments to heart.
"Truthfully," Green told us, "I don't think I've ever met him. I don't know his face if he walked up."
If you missed it ... in order to boost his own Hall of Fame resume, Asante went after Darrell on Twitter earlier this month, calling out his career stats.
"With all do respect can someone explain to me why Darrell Green is considered a great?" Samuel wrote. "He played 19 years and was mostly a nickel back. 54 INT's in 19 years. Talk to me????"
Asante was blasted by many over the tweet -- with Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy essentially telling the guy to do some research.
"Darrell Green played on the outside, not as a nickel," Dungy said. "He traveled with the best receiver and was a TOP ECHELON CB for almost 2 decades!!"
Green tells us he appreciated Dungy coming to his defense ... but added he believes his career numbers more than speak for themselves.
"There's enough information if he really wanted to know that he could have found," Green said.
FYI -- Green played 20 years for Washington and won 2 Super Bowls and made 7 Pro Bowls before he was inducted into Canton in 2008.
Still, Darrell tried his best to take the high road with Samuel ... adding, "I hope he gets in the Hall of Fame."
"But, I will say this, you don't have to try to step on somebody else to try to get yours."
New York-native Rory Cochrane was only 20 years old when he landed the role of the long-haired high school burnout Ron Slater -- who gets stoned and sits shotgun with Matt McConaughey's cool character David Wooderson -- in the classic 1993 throwback film "Dazed and Confused."
Rory Cochrane was cast alongside a laundry list of stars on the rise including actors like Ben Affleck as the paddle-happy, Fred O'Bannion, Adam Goldberg as the punchy, Mike Newhouse, Milla Jovovich as the hot hippie Michelle Burroughs and of course Joey Lauren Adams and Parker Posey as the popular hazing seniors, Simone Kerr and Darla Marks.
Donald Trump drops the n-word and hurls anti-Semitic slurs in the presence of his family ... this according to Mary Trump, the President's niece.
Mary, who rips her uncle in her new book, "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man" wrote it was pretty much normal to hear the n-word and anti-Semitic slurs bandied about in family settings.
In an interview with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, which aired Thursday night, Mary says back in the day she personally heard her uncle use the n-word as well as anti-Semitic slurs.
Mary, a clinical psychologist, didn't hesitate when asked if Trump uttered the hurtful words in her presence ... and she says it shouldn't come as a shock to anybody "given how virulently racist he is today."
As we reported ... in her tell-all book, Mary also alleges Trump cheated on the SAT by paying someone to take the college entrance test for him, and claims her uncle developed "twisted behaviors" while growing up in a rich and notorious real estate family lead by Fred Trump Sr.
The White House blasted Mary over her claim Trump used racist slurs, saying, "This is a book of falsehoods, plain and simple. The President doesn't use those words."
Tory Lanez allegedly opened fire on Megan Thee Stallion early Sunday morning after arguing with her and her friend ... according to sources directly connected to the investigation.
We're told the argument started after the group left a Hollywood Hills party together in the chauffeur-driven SUV, and at some point, Megan and her friend, Kelsey Nicole, wanted out of the vehicle.
Our sources say Tory opened fire from inside the vehicle, and allegedly hit Meg in the feet twice. TMZ broke the story ... LAPD pulled over Tory's ride a short time later. Megan's feet were clearly bleeding on the sidewalk as she followed police instructions to exit the vehicle.
Tory was arrested for possession of a concealed weapon. As for why he hasn't been booked for the alleged shooting?
Well, sources connected to Tory say there are mitigating circumstances. Based on what we know, we believe he's going to say it was an accidental shooting.
Also, the initial report to cops was someone had fired a gun into the air, not at someone. Megan initially told police she had cut her feet on glass, but remember ... she's the victim in this case -- as police had listed her from the start. It's entirely possible she felt intimidated as an alleged domestic violence victim.
There's also this complication -- witnesses are not cooperating with police up to this point, according to law enforcement sources ... and without witnesses who are willing to testify it might be hard to prove the case against Tory.
However, we're told police have been notified that there is cell phone video of the shooting. Our law enforcement sources tell us they have not put eyes on that video yet -- again, witnesses have been difficult -- but, obviously, if they do see it ... it could dramatically change the case.
Nick Cannon's seeking enlightenment following his anti-Semitic comments and subsequent apology ... according to Rabbi Abraham Cooper, who says they're getting to work right away.
Rabbi Cooper tells us his first step was sending Cannon a report on Louis Farrakhan -- whose teachings Nick has vocally supported -- to show him the Minister's pattern of hate speech ... and then they started talking on the phone.
As you know ... "The Masked Singer" host came under fire for pushing anti-Jewish rhetoric on his podcast, and though he was initially defiant ... Nick eventually said he was sorry and credited Cooper for helping him understand why his words were hurtful.
The rabbi says Cannon was apologetic upfront, but more importantly ... he listened when Cooper explained how some of his perceived "facts" were actually hateful and harmful propaganda.
Rabbi Cooper says Nick's owned up to his wrongdoing, and he's even requested another discussion to gain more knowledge. The rabbi's obliging and says their having a face-to-face meeting Thursday evening, which he thinks could lead to some major progress.
As we reported ...FOX said it believes Nick's apology shows he's remorseful, and as a result, it's keeping him on as host of "The Masked Singer."
