Arrests

6:37 PM PT -- Donald Trump Jr. just threw some major shade at Avenatti at his father's political rally in Michigan, joking that Michael's presidential ambitions took a serious hit this week.

Junior jokes that Michael went from "Avenatti 2020 to Avenatti 20 to 25" ... clearly hoping his foe is going to prison for his role in the alleged extortion plot.

Michael Avenatti was loaded for bear Wednesday night, proclaiming his innocence in the extortion case, proclaiming that the R. Kelly case would be unaffected by the extortion case and proclaiming it's only a matter of time before top Nike execs would be led away in handcuffs.

We got the embattled celeb attorney in WeHo Wednesday night ... and we strolled along with him on a long, long walk ... where he unpacked his outrage.

Avenatti said all the talk that his indictment will torpedo the R. Kelly prosecution is BS ... because the evidence is the evidence is the evidence.

And then, he talked Nike. As you know, he's been accused of trying to extort the shoe co. for more than $20 million in return for keeping his silence on alleged misdeeds -- specifically, Nike secretly paid off the families of star high school basketball players in order to direct them to Nike-sponsored colleges.

He goes after Nike execs with a vengeance, saying they are corrupt to the core and it will be exposed. He also insists any money he may have demanded was not a quid pro quo for his silence. Avenatti says he was going to expose Nike regardless of whether the company paid him or not.

The U.S. Attorney claims he has a videotape from a March 21 meeting between Avenatti and Nike attorneys in which he allegedly says, "If [Nike] wants to have one confidential settlement and we're done, they can buy that for $22.5 million and we're done."

Jussie Smollett got off in his criminal case simply because he's a celeb -- so says Chicago's mayor, Rahm Emanuel ... who stops short of calling this a corrupt move, but certainly insinuated it.

Mayor Emanuel went on GMA Wednesday morning following his blistering attack on the Cook County State's Attorney's Office the day before, after they dropped all 16 charges against Jussie and let him walk scot-free.

The Mayor said flat-out ... if he did the same type of thing, he'd have the book thrown at him.

First Assistant to the State's Attorney Joseph Magats says they decided to drop the charges because it wasn't a violent crime -- and thought Jussie coughing up $10k and doing community service sufficed as punishment. Hizzoner says no one on the outside can make sense of it.

Jussie Smollett had pals of his in the Cook County State's Attorney's ear early on in his case -- and, based on leaked correspondence, it looks like she acted on his behalf.

Texts and emails between State Attorney Kim Foxx and two Jussie allies -- one of which is reported to be a family member of his -- have been leaked, and they show that Foxx was asked to intervene in the case a few days after he'd reported the alleged attack to Chicago PD. It appears that she did exactly that ... and kept Jussie's camp in the loop.

The initial correspondence started when Michelle Obama's former chief of staff, Tina Tchen, emailed Foxx to say that she was reaching out on behalf of Jussie's family to express "concerns" they had with how the investigation at that point was being handled.

Jussie had not been charged with a crime yet, but it's believed Chicago PD was already doubting his story and leaking info to the press pushing that narrative.

Foxx responded to Tchen on Feb. 1, saying ... "Spoke to Superintendent Johnson. I convinced him to Reach out to FBI to ask that they take over the investigation. He is reaching out now and will get back to me shortly."

The same day, an unnamed relative of Jussie's texted Foxx herself, as well, and Foxx said she was working on getting the case sent over to the FBI. The relative replied, "Omg this would a huge victory." Foxx then responded, "I make no guarantees, but I'm trying."

Later, Foxx recused herself from the case when Jussie became a suspect. And, of course, her office just announced Tuesday that it was dropping all of the charges against Jussie, after coming out strong with a 16-count indictment just weeks earlier.

Her official reasoning for dropping the charges ... Jussie has done community service in the community, so we're good. Her office asked a judge to seal the case, and they obliged. Mayor Rahm Emanuel strongly hinted at corruption in the State's Attorney's Office.

The Chicago-Tribune first reported on the leaked texts and emails.

Michael Avenatti's new legal woes -- being accused of extortion and fraud -- could derail the case against R. Kelly ... that's what the singer's lawyer thinks.

R. Kelly's attorney, Steve Greenberg, tells TMZ ... now that Avenatti has been charged with extortion as well as bank and tax fraud, his credibility is now a centerpiece in the singer's case -- specifically, the circumstances surrounding how prosecutors obtained a key piece of evidence.

That evidence, of course, is a sex tape that Cook County investigators claim shows R. Kelly having sex with an underage girl, who's alleged to be 14 years old. It's what many believe to be a smoking gun against R. Kelly ... and the catalyst that led to a 10-count indictment.

Greenberg says the issue of "chain of custody" -- how Cook County got hold of that tape via Avenatti -- is now questionable. Greenberg strongly suggests the possibility the tape could've been altered before it got to prosecutors.

Sources connected to the case tell us that the man who handed the tape over to Avenatti is a whistle-blower who has a history of extorting R. Kelly.

We're told the man recently confessed to prosecutors in Chicago that he squeezed about a million dollars out of R. Kelly's team in the past to stop the tape from going public. So, the question ... if the guy got the cash, how would Avenatti have gotten it?

Remember, there were supposedly TWO R. Kelly sex tapes that Avenatti turned over to Cook County officials, but Greenberg tells us he's only aware of one.

Either way, if Greenberg can create reasonable doubt in the jury's mind as to authenticity ... he could get R. Kelly off. Hey, we've seen it happen before.

3/26 -- Avenatti tweeted early Tuesday morning thanking his supporters for their kind words. He then claimed that he "never attempted to extort Nike & when the evidence is disclosed, the public will learn the truth about Nike's crime & coverup."

6:13 PM PT -- Avenatti just held a brief press conference, saying, "I have fought against the powerful -- powerful people and powerful corporations -- I will never stop fighting that good fight." He added he's "highly confident" he'll be "fully exonerated."

4:33 PM PT -- Avenatti has just been released on a $300,000 bond. He didn't have to pay that amount, but it had to be co-signed by 2 people who say they're good for it.

While he's out on bond, his travel will be restricted to New York and California ... and all travel plans must be approved by the government. Avenatti is also barred from contacting Mark Geragos.

2:53 PM PT -- Avenatti's indictment will NOT have any major impact on the pending R. Kelly criminal case, in which he reps the family of Azriel Clary ... so says Gerald Griggs, who represents Joycelyn Savage's family. Griggs tells TMZ ...  that while Avenatti's criminal cases present problems for himself personally, Griggs says they'll have "minimal" effect in the R. Kelly matter. He adds, "[T]he ten charges are based on four independent accusers and other information independent of Mr. Avenatti. The Savage family continues to seek reunification with their daughter, and that process of justice continues on course for all the alleged victims of Robert Sylvester Kelly."

1:15 PM PT -- The Nike indictment says Avenatti had an unnamed co-conspirator, and we've confirmed reports it is famed attorney Mark Geragos.

12:08 PM PT -- Nike just broke its silence following the news conferences ... saying it "will not be extorted or hide information that is relevant to a government investigation. Nike has been cooperating with the government's investigation into NCAA basketball for over a year."

The shoe giant goes on to say, "When Nike became aware of this matter, Nike immediately reported it to federal prosecutors. When Mr. Avenatti attempted to extort Nike over this matter, Nike with the assistance of outside counsel at Boies Schiller Flexner, aided the investigation."

"Nike firmly believes in ethical and fair play, both in business and sports, and will continue to assist the prosecutors."

If you recognize the law firm -- Boies Schiller Flexner -- the "Boies" is David Boies, the famous high-powered lawyer who's represented everyone from Al Gore to Harvey Weinstein.

In fact, Boies was also heavily involved with Theranos -- the blood testing company -- and was featured in the HBO documentary "The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley."

11:55 AM PT -- The NY Presser just finished up, and prosecutors there had quite a bit to say about Avenatti's alleged extortion efforts toward Nike.

Prosecutors in NY say the alleged Nike scheme played out over the course of a few days last week. Avenatti repped an AAU coach whose team had just lost a Nike sponsorship worth $72k a year. The coach claimed that Nike made payments to families of some high school basketball players, and Avenatti demanded payment from Nike to keep him quiet.

He was arrested Monday at the location where he was supposed to meet with Nike brass, presumably to strike a deal or keep the convo going.

For the record .. the only thing that was coordinated between NY and California was how the bust would go down. That said ... these are two separate federal cases.

11:33 AM PT -- The L.A. Presser just wrapped, and investigators didn't pull any punches in condemning Avenatti's alleged criminal behavior ... calling him a "corrupt lawyer" who was only out for his own personal gain.

Among the most damning allegations in Avenatti's financial case ... Avenatti allegedly siphoned off a $1.6 million settlement he scored for a client in 2017 and hid it in a personal bank account that he controlled ... but never told his client a thing about it. The U.S. Attorney alleges Avenatti used that money to fund his lavish lifestyle and to help pay for his coffee business in California and Washington State. All the while, the client never received a penny.

What's more ... the U.S. Attorney and the IRS also claim Avenatti defrauded a bank for millions of dollars worth of loans by submitting fake tax returns between 2011 and 2013, in which he claimed to have earned around $4-$5 million a year each year and supposedly paid $2.8 million in taxes. The government says all of that was a lie ... he didn't file taxes those years at all.

Michael Madsen is behind bars ... after wrecking his Land Rover in Malibu, he got arrested for driving under the influence.

The veteran actor of Quentin Tarantino flicks like 'Kill Bill,' 'Hateful Eight' and "Reservoir Dogs" got into a single-car crash, hitting a pole, Sunday around 8 PM ... according to law enforcement sources. We're told the L.A. County Sheriff's Department deputies responded and, when they arrived, immediately suspected Madsen had been boozing.

We're told Madsen smelled of alcohol, so he was given a field sobriety test and, according to law enforcement, it didn't go well -- his BAC was .10.

The legal limit is .08, so Madsen was arrested for misdemeanor DUI. His bail has been set at $15k.

Madsen was also busted for DUI in Malibu back in 2012, when his BAC was twice the legal limit. He entered a 30-day rehab after that arrest, and the judge also ordered him to get outpatient treatment.

Adrien Broner got in trouble with the law again .... and he ended up in cuffs.

Eyewitnesses tell TMZ the former boxing champ was in South Beach at around 9 PM Saturday, walking with fellow boxer Gervonta Davis, when he jaywalked on busy Collins Avenue and a driver honked at him. We're told Adrien got angry and smacked the hood of the car and began yelling at the driver.

Cops were already out in force because it's Spring Break, they heard the commotion and warned him to calm down or else he'd be arrested. We're told Broner then started yelling at the police so they cuffed him for a time but did not arrest him.

Broner didn't let the incident dampen his night. He went to Exchange Miami nightclub where he did the Bust Down dance and even jumped onstage.

Earlier this week Broner threatened to attack and even shoot gay people in a vile video posted to his social media account. He said, "If I got my gun on me, I'm shooting you in the f***ing face, and that's on God and them ... I don't like gay sh*t." The comments were directed at social media star Andrew C. Caldwell, the famous "I'm Delivert" guy. Caldwell had said Broner was flirting with him. Broner's response was to "punch the testosterone out you GAY ASS."

3/24 -- R. Kelly's request to travel to Dubai looks shaky at best now -- 'cause the Dubai government is coming out strong against the singer, saying he has no business coming there ... at least as far as they're concerned. The Dubai Media Office issued a statement Sunday, denying R. Kelly's claims that he might need to fly there for potential gigs ... with the agency saying there were no planned concerts for R. Kelly that the government was aware of.

The DMO also shot down claims by R. Kelly's legal team that he had plans to meet the sheikhdom's ruling Al Maktoum family ... calling BS and saying, "Authorities in Dubai have not received any request for a performance by singer R. Kelly nor are there any venues that have been booked."

8:02 AM -- The hearing has wrapped up. Greenberg formally asked for a copy of the sex tapes but the judge did not rule on whether Kelly's team will get copies just yet. Greenberg added the sex tapes should be protected from public viewing.

Also, Kelly's motion for permission to travel has been continued.

7:20 AM PT -- Kelly has just arrived to court. The hearing is now scheduled to start at 7:45 AM PT.

6:40 AM PT -- We will be live streaming inside R. Kelly's pretrial hearing in Cook County Courthouse. It's scheduled to start around 7 AM PT.

R. Kelly and his legal team are demanding to get their hands and eyes on the alleged sex tapes that prompted the 10 counts of sexual abuse ... and they're hoping to walk out of court Friday with them.

Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg, tells TMZ ... prosecutors will begin handing over discovery materials during a court hearing Friday in Chicago. He says there's no guarantee what they'll get right off the bat -- could be police reports, case material from Kelly's 2008 trial but, obviously, the items they're most anxious to see are the 2 tapes Michael Avenatti turned over to Cook County prosecutors.

Greenberg says he hasn't seen the tapes -- which Avenatti claims show Kelly engaged in various sex acts with a 14-year-old girl -- so he can't really begin to mount a defense strategy. Once he does get them, a couple different things could happen.

He'll immediately order a full forensic analysis of the tapes ... if he and Kelly believe the tape does show the singer. If they don't think it's Kelly, Greenberg says he'll speed things up to trial.

For now, it's a waiting game since Kelly's team has no idea what prosecutors will hand over.

Kelly might also ask the judge to let him travel to Dubai for work -- he had to surrender his passport when he got arrested. Sources close to the singer tell us he could potentially get a gig there, but doesn't have anything booked yet.

Greenberg says he's not sure the judge will hear that request Friday, but it's on their "to do" list because -- make no mistake -- Kelly's desperate to make some cash.

5:29 PM PT -- Tommie just apologized for showing up to court drunk ... she says she needs help and is seeking treatment.

Tommie says, "I've been working really hard through my problems considering the challenges that's been set before me since I've been home. I've done all that I can do on my own to shake my habits but I do realize that I need help and I am currently seeking treatment."

Tommie Lee needs some serious help, because she's back in jail for being extremely drunk ... during a court appearance!

The former 'Love & Hip Hop' star showed up to court last week in Cobb County, GA for a hearing in her child abuse criminal case. Law enforcement sources tell us she appeared to be intoxicated -- so much so the judge ordered her to undergo drug and alcohol testing immediately.

Spoiler alert -- the new mug shot was also a dead giveaway -- but she failed. We're told Tommie's BAC was 0.16 ... twice the legal limit, and a violation of her bond. Tommie was arrested on the spot, and no bail's been set yet.

You'll recall ... Tommie was trying to get approval to move to Cali for work while she was out on bond, but a judge shot her down ... citing her long rap sheet as the reason. She's currently facing multiple charges of child abuse for her October 2018 arrest.

According to prosecutors, Tommie disrupted her daughter's class, slapped her hands and face, dragged her out by her hair and slammed her into a locker. She was indicted earlier this year, and faces up to 54 years in jail if convicted on all 7 charges.

As it stands, she might be behind bars until her trial starts. We've reached out to Tommie's attorney for comment ... so far, no word back.

Here's VIDEO of ex-Denver Broncos QB Chad Kelly being chased out of a Denver-area home by a man wielding a vacuum cleaner tube ... all while Kelly's dressed like an idiot in his Halloween costume.

Yeah, it's bizarre.

It's all part of Kelly's criminal case stemming from the bizarre October 22 arrest -- after Kelly left Von Miller's big Halloween party and wandered into a random person's home.

Cops say the 24-year-old plopped down on the couch next to a woman who was holding her baby. Kelly was allegedly mumbling incoherently.

The woman called for help -- and a man who was inside the house grabbed a piece from a vacuum cleaner and used it as a weapon to chase the QB out of the home, striking him several times along the way.

In the footage, taken from the security camera at the home -- you can see Kelly (apparently dressed as Woody from "Toy Story") bolting out of the home.

Kelly was later arrested and charged with felony criminal trespassing ... and you can see in police station video we've obtained, the QB was distraught over the arrest.

But on Wednesday, the QB struck a deal with prosecutors in which he agreed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of 2nd-degree criminal trespass -- a class 3 misdemeanor -- and in exchange, the felony trespass charge was dropped.

As part of the deal, Kelly was also sentenced to 1 year of supervised probation, 50 hours of community service, and fines and fees.

For the Broncos' part -- they released Kelly shortly after the incident, with GM John Elway saying, "Even though Chad's no longer part of our team, we've offered to help him however we can and are supportive of him in every way possible."

Kelly is currently a free agent looking for another team.

8:00 PM PT -- June's manager and WEtv -- which airs her reality show -- say, "We share our viewers' concerns for [Mama June] and her entire family. We are monitoring events as they occur and are focused, as always, on the entire family's well-being."

Mama June's mug shot just surfaced from last week's arrest for crack cocaine ... and it's clear to see, she was anything but impressed.

TMZ broke the story ... Mama June and her boyfriend, Geno Doak, were both arrested last Wednesday after a reported domestic incident at an Alabama gas station. When police investigated, they say they discovered controlled substances on both of them, including drug paraphernalia.

Cops say Mama June was in possession of crack cocaine and a glass pipe, she also had $1300 cash in her bra ... and Geno -- who was also arrested for domestic violence/harassment -- had a needle in his pocket.

As we first told you ... the reality TV star was feeling lucky days after her arrest, strolling into an Alabama casino early Saturday morning and hitting up the slots.

Geno was there too -- watching as Mama June tried to hit the jackpot -- which could be a big problem considering court docs stated he had to stay away from her following the arrest.

Mama June's family is pissed at Geno ... they're blaming him for the crack arrest and June's downward spiral. They've been together for 3 years, and Geno has a long rap sheet including arrests for theft, burglary and property damage.

11:01 AM PT -- According to legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Geno allegedly threatened to kill June during a domestic dispute. Cops say when they arrived on scene, Geno was placed under arrest and admitted to having a needle on him ... June told cops the SUV the two were sitting in belonged to her, and she'd take all blame for whatever was inside.

After a search, cops discovered another needle, a white powdery substance -- which June allegedly said was crack cocaine -- and a pipe. June also had $1,340 in her bra.

Geno was ordered by the court to stay away from June after the incident ... an order that was seemingly ignored when the two hit up a casino together Saturday.

Mama June is headed down a rough path, and there's no one else to blame but her boyfriend, Geno Doak ... so say members of her family.

Sources connected to Mama June's brood tell TMZ ... her family is laying guilt over the reality star's recent arrest squarely at Geno's feet, as they feel he's been an awful influence on June since they started dating around 3 years ago.

We're told June's family believes Geno's criminal history speaks for itself, and it's no coincidence she got into trouble while in his company. He does have quite the rap sheet -- Geno's been arrested for burglary, theft and damage to property. He's also done jail time.

TMZ broke the story ... Mama June and Geno were arrested at an Alabama gas station last week after someone called cops to report they were involved in a domestic incident. When police arrived, they say they found drugs and drug paraphernalia on both of them, including traces of crack on Mama June and a needle in Geno's pocket.

Interestingly enough, Mama June was spotted hanging with Geno at a casino a few days after her arrest ... hitting a slot machine with her BF right by her side. It certainly appears her family's concerns are falling on deaf ears.

That doesn't change how the family feels though. Our sources say Mama June's fam thinks she'll continue putting herself at risk as long as she's with him. Not only that, but they feel that her daughter, Alana (aka Honey Boo Boo, who's only 13) is in an unsafe environment.

Originally Published -- 9:17 AM PT

"Glee" actor Jesse Luken has officially been charged with DUI ... nearly 3 months after he was arrested.

The L.A. County D.A.'s Office charged Jesse with 1 misdemeanor count of DUI and 1 misdemeanor count of driving with a .08 blood alcohol content. His arraignment's been set for next month in Glendale.

TMZ broke the story ... Jesse was busted last December after cops said his Toyota was found on a curb with the airbag deployed. His right front tire was mangled but no other cars were involved. We were told Jesse was in the driver's seat and he reeked of booze. Cops say he bombed the field sobriety test.

If convicted, Jesse -- who played the dirty blonde jock, Bobby 'Boom Boom' Surette, on the hit show -- will almost certainly get the usual punishment ... probation and a mandatory alcohol ed program.

Mama June was feeling lucky after her arrest for crack cocaine earlier this week ... so she rode that wave by rolling into a casino and hitting the slots.

The reality TV star was spotted at a slot machine early Saturday morning at a casino in Wetumpka, Alabama. We're told she was there around 3 AM, with her boyfriend, Geno Doak, right by her side. Hard to tell if she hit any jackpots -- not too many smiles here.

We broke the story ... Mama June AND Geno were both arrested Wednesday after a reported domestic incident at a gas station. When cops investigated, they say they found controlled substances on both of them, including drug paraphernalia. Police say Mama June was in possession of crack cocaine, and that Geno had a needle in his pocket.

Geno was also arrested for domestic violence/harassment.

Clearly, whatever happened between June and Geno wasn't bad enough to keep them apart for long. Geno seems to be attentive and relaxed as his gal works the machine.

Lance Bass says he's come to peace over his late former manager, Lou Pearlman, and it sounds like a new documentary about the guy helped with that process.

We got the former 'NSYNC singer at LAX Friday, where our photog asked about a new doc coming out that covers Lou's sheisty dealings and financial crimes while he managed Lance and co., as well as the Backstreet Boys in their heyday. It's called 'The Boy Band Con.'

If you aren't familiar, Lou got sent to prison in 2008 for running one of the largest Ponzi schemes ever. He pled guilty to conspiracy, money laundering and other financial crimes ... and got sentenced to 25 years in prison. He died behind bars in 2016.

More relevant to Lance ... Lou stands accused of robbing his artists blind throughout his career by way of shady business practices -- aka fraud. 'NSYNC, The Backstreet Boys and even Aaron Carter all sued Lou in federal court ... and either won or settled.

Mama June was arrested Wednesday after a domestic incident with her boyfriend that landed both of them in jail ... TMZ has learned.

We're told it went down at an Alabama gas station. Our sources say police got a call that 2 people were in a confrontation and when police arrived they saw enough to arrest Geno Doak for domestic violence/harassment, felony possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. Mama June was cuffed for felony possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.

39-year-old June and 43-year-old Geno have been together for 3 years. In the season 2 finale of Mama June's show 'From Not to Hot,' she laid down the law and said it was either engagement or the highway.

Geno has a long rap sheet, which includes crimes for burglary, theft and criminal damage to property. He's served jail time.

June's had issues with boyfriends in the past. You'll recall "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" was canceled after it was revealed her boyfriend, Mark McDaniel, served 10 years in prison for molesting June's then 8-year-old daughter, Anna.

We do not know the nature of the domestic dispute.

We reached out to Mama June's rep ... so far, no word back.