Allegations

James Safechuck -- one of Michael Jackson's sexual assault accusers -- says there's no way he's going to watch the new biopic about the King of Pop ... and he doesn't think it should have been produced in the first place.

A photog got Safechuck in Sherman Oaks over the weekend and asked him if he planned to go check out "Michael" on opening weekend ... and Safechuck gave an emphatic "no."

Safechuck says the movie shouldn't have gotten the green light ... he says he doesn't believe in supporting alleged child abusers.

He also reiterated his support for abuse survivors.

Brian Hooker calmly ... very calmly ... explained what happened to his wife just days after she went missing near the Bahamas in a new video obtained by TMZ.

The clip -- taken on Monday, April 6 -- two days after Lynette disappeared and two days before Hooker was questioned by the Royal Bahamas Police Force -- shows a fellow seafarer engaging in a conversation with Hooker.

The two have a conversation from their separate ships ... with Brian standing on "Soulmate."

Katie Couric says the woman who has accused Matt Lauer of rape has shown a lot of courage in coming forward with her allegation.

The veteran journalist made the comment about her former colleague during a conversation with Page Six at City Harvest Presents The 2026 Gala: Shaken, Not Stirred earlier this week ... telling the outlet she's read an excerpt from Brooke Nevils' new book.

Couric said, "I feel terrible for her. I think she’s very brave to write the book.”

Jermaine Jackson could be facing a massive payout to his rape accuser -- without ever stepping foot in court.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ, the Jackson family singer could be on the hook for $6.5 million after Rita Butler Barrett -- the woman accusing him of rape -- asked a Los Angeles judge to enter a default judgment ... claiming Jermaine has essentially ghosted the case.

In the filing, Rita's attorneys say they were unable to track Jermaine down -- and had to get court approval to serve him through legal notices published in the Los Angeles Times after traditional methods allegedly failed. Court records show a judge approved service by publication in 2025 ... and notices ran for four consecutive weeks in August and September.

Smokey Robinson's $500M legal clapback in an ongoing sexual-assault civil suit hit a major speed bump in court ... but it wasn't a total wipeout.

A Los Angeles judge dismissed several claims filed by Robinson and his wife, Frances -- including major defamation claims -- against the women publicly accusing him of sexual assault.

The judge this week found the women's allegations against the "legendary musician" were a matter of public interest ... noting their press conference was broadcast on YouTube, spread across social media, and picked up by major media outlets worldwide.

David Del Rio is a long way from Hollywood ... he's now living it up in Paris with his wife after his dramatic departure from "Matlock" amid unwanted sexual contact allegations.

TMZ has obtained the first photos and video of David and his wife in the City of Light ... and it looks like Katherine Del Rio is sticking firmly by his side following his exit from the hit CBS series.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... David and Katherine have temporarily relocated to Paris with their children, where she's currently enrolled in culinary school.

We're told David continues to deny the sex assault allegations as the situation plays out in arbitration ... and the couple is focused on staying grounded and united.

Brian McKnight says his ex-wife, one of his sons, some bloggers, and a newspaper rolled out a coordinated assault on his reputation to make money from "malicious character assassination" ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

The legendary singer filed a lawsuit claiming he's the victim of a "shockingly dishonest" and "sensational but false narrative" alleging he abandoned his kids and refused to tell his dying son Niko he loved him.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Brian says the false narrative was cooked up by his ex-wife, Julie McKnight, and he says it's been peddled by his son Brian Jr., bloggers Marc Lamont Hill and Tasha K, and the New York Post.

Kash Patel is lashing out at what he calls the "fake news mafia" after a report alleged he has an alcohol abuse problem.

The FBI director took some pointed shots at the media Tuesday after filing a $250 million defamation lawsuit on Monday following an unflattering article about him in The Atlantic magazine.

Patel denied reports he shows up to work drunk or sometimes doesn't show up at all ... claiming he is working more days than his predecessors.

The social media star alleging Stefon Diggs sexually assaulted him, who Diggs then sued for defamation, wants the judge in their legal beef to force the NFL star to turn over financial information ... claiming Diggs has been stonewalling him.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Christopher Blake Griffith and his legal team filed a motion asking the court to compel Stefon to produce evidence that Christopher's sexual assault allegations have hurt him financially and otherwise.

Christopher claims Stefon is resisting the discovery process ... and his lawyer says the NFL player "does not get to sue and hide."

Vernon Davis' assault and battery case stemming from an alleged incident in June 2025 has been dismissed ... TMZ Sports has learned.

It's unclear why the case was dropped, but the former superstar tight end addressed the development in a statement ... saying he's "grateful" to put the situation behind him.

"This has been a challenging and deeply personal time, and I want to sincerely thank everyone who stood by me with love, encouragement, and support throughout the process. Your belief in me meant more than words can express."

6:00 AM PT -- We asked Nomiki Konst about the photos and the details of her claim ... she now says, "Over the course of 2 years, I attended over 10 Democratic organizing meetings. I'm not a whistleblower or a Swalwell survivor -- but was simply sharing an anecdote of an event that occurred at one of these many meetings. The event was in a public space with witnesses. After reviewing documents, the event occurred at a DNC meeting in 2017. The point has always been about his recklessness and demanding democratic leadership have better modes of accountability."

The woman who claims Eric Swalwell made her "uncomfortable" at a Democratic National Convention event appears to have her facts mixed up, because we obtained photos showing Swalwell wasn't there. She stands by her story but admits she mixed up the dates.

Here's the deal ... Nomiki Konst last week alleged she and Swalwell had an interaction at a 2018 DNC gathering in Chicago, which ran from August 23 through August 25, that made her "uncomfortable."

Konst, who is Bill de Blasio's ex-girlfriend, went on a podcast and claimed Swalwell brought her a glass of Prosecco and "zoomed" in on her. She also said he became "touchy-feely, touching my hands."

Blake Lively believes the “mean girl” label placed on her amid her battle with Justin Baldoni cost her upwards of $40 million in reputational damages ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ, Blake breaks down the money she is seeking in the legal battle.

As TMZ first reported, Blake is seeking around $161 million from Baldoni’s company, including $56 million in past and future earnings, $49 million in losses to her haircare company, $22 million for her Betty Buzz beverage company, and more.

Katy Perry could be charged for her alleged sexual assault of Ruby Rose from 16 years ago if investigators find evidence of a crime ... prosecutors in Australia say there's no statute of limitations that prevents bringing the case.

As the world knows, Katy is under police investigation following Ruby's stunning claims the singer sexually assaulted her at a nightclub in Melbourne in 2010. We're told if police investigators find evidence of a crime, they can turn the case over to prosecutors, who can then bring charges against Katy.

Jacqueline Harris, a rep for the Office of Public Prosecution in Victoria, Australia, tells us ... "There is no statute of limitations on prosecuting indictable (serious) crimes in Victoria."
Harris went on ... "The law at the time the alleged offence was committed applies to criminal proceedings and sentencing for historical offences."

Taylor Frankie Paul just announced she’s been living with PTSD ... for years.

"The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star took to her Instagram stories Sunday with a message “for all those that assumed diagnoses” … declaring she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder two years ago.

Taylor writes that she was diagnosed “by more than one therapist” … and muses that it might even be considered Complex PTSD. 

The violent end of former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax's life is reigniting scrutiny over the sexual assault allegations that rocked his career ... with one of his accuser’s attorneys speaking out after the apparent murder-suicide.

Nancy Erika Smith, who represented Meredith Watson -- the woman who came forward in 2019 accusing Fairfax of raping her when they were both students at Duke University around 2000 -- said her thoughts are with the couple’s children, who were reportedly home during the incident.

“First, this is horrific for their children who were home at the time of this event,” Smith said in a statement to the NY Post, before turning sharply critical.