CELEBRITY JUSTICE ™

The "Fiji Water Girl" is full of herself and, instead of turning on the company that made her famous, she should have just enjoyed it and honored her contract ... that's how Fiji sees it, anyway.

Fiji filed a counter lawsuit Friday against model Kelleth Cuthbert -- real name Kelly Steinbach -- saying she's "bitten the hand that feeds her" and attempted to extort the company for half a million dollars. In docs, Fiji says Kelly's real motivation was getting a better deal ... aka more money.

As you know ... Cuthbert became a viral sensation after photobombing every celeb at the Golden Globes, and her likeness was later used on cardboard cutouts at various stores to promote the water. She sued, claiming she never gave Fiji her permission for that campaign.

Fiji's calling BS and, according to docs, it had a valid deal with Kelleth to be a brand ambassador for $90k, and claims it included using her likeness for its related ad campaign.

Fiji says she tried to skirt the deal by "suing the very company that is entirely responsible for providing her the opportunity and the means to capitalize on her fleeting 15 minutes of internet fame." Ouch. Body blow.

The company also says it has video and photo proof of Cuthbert signing her contract, which she claimed she never did.

Fiji's asking for Kelly's suit to be dismissed, and wants damages for its canceled cutout campaign.

12:30 PM PT -- Kelleth's lawyer, Kecia Reynolds, tells TMZ, "Kelleth will not be bullied by Fiji Water, the Wonderful Company, or its billionaire owners."

Wyatt Oleff isn't old enough to drive, but he can already afford any car he wants ... because we've learned the kid actor is raking in six figures for his next movie role.

Wyatt, who is playing young Stanley Uris in "It: Chapter Two," could make up to $500,000 for his work ... this according to Wyatt's minors contract, obtained by TMZ. That's a fat paycheck for anyone, but especially for a 15-year-old!

According to the docs, Wyatt is pocketing $150,000 in base pay, and has a chance to earn another $350k depending on how well the sequel does at the box office.

Of course, Wyatt will also get an on-screen credit during the movie's opening titles. Translation: the kid's a star, baby!

He's reprising the Stanley Uris role he played in the 2017 "It" reboot ... which, by the way, was a massive hit. It earned $327 million at the domestic box office, and $700 mil internationally.

Those numbers add up to the kid having a real good shot at his $350k worth of bonuses for the sequel.

Kanye West was a forgery victim and the cost is huge ... nearly $1 MILLION ... sources tell TMZ.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ, a guy Ye knew secretly contacted Philipp Plein, who is staging a big New York Fashion Week event this coming Monday. The guy misrepresented himself to Plein as Kanye's rep and began negotiations for Kanye to perform ... at a STEEP price.

Plein apparently fell for it hook, line and sinker, and they made a deal wherein Kanye would supposedly pocket 7 figures and, in return, he would perform at the NYFW show.

It gets worse. We're told the guy forged Kanye's name on the contract and then had a $900,000 advance wired to an account ... which the guy promptly cleaned out.

Kanye's not performing at the show, and Plein is now out a pretty penny.

As for the guy who committed the alleged fraud ... we're told he's a former friend and associate of G.O.O.D. Music.

We have not been able to reach Plein for comment, but it's a good bet he'll take some sort of legal action.

8:53 AM PT -- Although Ja is a defendant in EHL's lawsuit ... he is NOT on the hook for the $3 mil. The judge only hit McFarland for failing to respond to the suit.

8:32 AM PT -- Ja Rule doesn't seem concerned. He tells us, "this is FAKE NEWS GUYS LOL."

Billy McFarland is gonna have to scrounge together about $3 mil to pay back an investment company that got screwed when Fyre Festival imploded ... TMZ has learned.

EHL Funding sued Ja Rule and Billy over $3 million they loaned the duo less than 3 weeks before Fyre Fest was supposed to go down in April 2017. As we all know now -- courtesy of the Netflix and Hulu documentaries -- McFarland was way over his head at that time and scrambling to get any and all financial support for the concert.

According to docs, EHL won a default judgment because Billy didn't respond to the lawsuit. McFarland's been a little busy -- he started serving a 6-year prison sentence for wire fraud last year.

The judge ordered him to fork over $2,891,600 ... plus 30 percent interest dating back to August 2017 ... and EHL's attorney fees -- which ya just know are gonna be enormous.

Big win for EHL ... on paper. Collecting from these guys might be tough.

Fun fact: McFarland is doing his time at NY's Otisville federal prison ... same place Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino is locked up. President Trump's ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen, will be there soon too!

Originally Published -- 7:21 AM PST

2/8 -- AMI has responded to Jeff Bezos, and it sounds like his claim has shaken them. The company says, "American Media believes fervently that it acted lawfully in the reporting of the story of Mr. Bezos. Further, at the time of the recent allegations made by Mr. Bezos, it was in good faith negotiations to resolve all matters with him."

They continue, "Nonetheless, in light of the nature of the allegations published by Mr. Bezos, the Board has convened and determined that it should promptly and thoroughly investigate the claims. Upon completion of that investigation, the Board will take whatever appropriate action is necessary."

6:11 PM PT -- Ronan Farrow says AMI also attempted to blackmail him "and at least one other prominent journalist involved in breaking stories about the National Enquirer's arrangement with Trump."

The Pulitzer Prize winner says he "fielded similar 'stop digging or we'll ruin you' blackmail efforts from AMI." He says he did not engage AMI on the topic.

Jeff Bezos is sick of playing games with the National Enquirer -- he's released a series of letters it sent him, threatening to blackmail him over photos he and his lover sent each other.

The Amazon honcho says the Enquirer's parent company American Media Inc. (AMI) is threatening to publish photos he exchanged with Lauren Sanchez if he doesn't shut down investigations into AMI's ties to President Trump and the Saudi government.

Remember, Bezos owns the Washington Post, which has been all over the Trump administration's Saudi ties since its journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, was murdered last year.

Bezos says he also hired a private investigator to find out how the Enquirer obtained his text messages to Sanchez ... which it published last month. He's now gone fully on the offensive by releasing

, threatening to publish new explicit photos of Bezos and Sanchez, if he and WaPo don't back off.

As you can see in the emails, the Enquirer execs claim to have sexually explicit images sent between Jeff and Lauren ... including his naked bathroom selfie, several shirtless snaps of Jeff and sexually suggestive images of Lauren.

Bezos makes no bones about it ... calling it blackmail, but adding AMI miscalculated his reaction. He says he'd rather risk the public embarrassment than give in to the extortion attempt.

We reached out to AMI for comment ... no word back yet.

As we reported, the world's richest man is divorcing his wife, Mackenzie Bezos -- which he announced in January, the day before the Enquirer published its story about his relationship with Sanchez.

Originally Published -- 2/7 4:28 PM PT

A former guest on Dr. Phil's talk show claims her mental illness became the subject of scorn and ridicule, causing her to have a breakdown -- but sources on the show tell us she didn't present herself as mentally ill, but falsely claimed to be the therapist of another guest.

The woman, named Kaden Mahaffa, says she was on Phil's show back in February 2017, but says her boyfriend was really supposed to be the focus during a show about childhood abuse. Kaden claims she was going to be on the show purely to support him, but during a pre-interview she told producers she has x-ray vision, the ability to hear people's thoughts, and other psychic abilities.

According to the suit, when Kaden went onstage she became the focus of Dr. Phil's questions. She claims he grilled her with hostile questions about her "sanity and beliefs" -- including asking her, "Can you tell me what I'm thinking right now?"

Now, what's clear when you see the clip is Kaden claimed to be providing more than emotional support for her BF, she claimed to be his therapist. Phil did grill her, but mostly about her credentials as a therapist.

We haven't been able to independently verify whether Kaden is a certified therapist.

Kaden says, in docs obtained by TMZ, the audience laughed at her and she felt humiliated. She claims things took a very dark turn when the taping ended. According to suit, she suffered a mental breakdown backstage ... "collapsing in tears and engaging in erratic behavior" including shouting at staffers and tearing out her own hair.

She says police were called and she was involuntarily committed to a mental health facility for 5 days. After she was released, Kaden says she was suicidal and became the subject of online harassment after the episode aired.

She's suing Phil, his production company and CBS for infliction of emotional distress, fraud and negligent misrepresentation ... and seeking unspecified damages.

We reached out to Dr. Phil's show, but they said they can't comment on pending litigation. However, sources connected to production tell us Kaden signed a release that made it clear anything she said was fair game for the TV show.

2/8 11:33 AM PT -- It seems as though Kelly has already complied with the court's demand to remove the bed.

2/8 -- The judge agreed to meet him in the middle -- he has extended the working hours for the first-floor studio space from 9 AM-9 PM.

Kelly's also been ordered to remove the mattress immediately.

R. Kelly's attorney, Melvin Sims, tells TMZ that they are pleased with the outcome, but still "concerned with the restriction and limitation of any recording artist's ability to create music and ply their trade in a private studio, to certain hours of the day, particularly through the use of local ordinances."

The case has been continued until May 2.

R. Kelly wants back in his studio, and he wants to work late-night hours -- 'cause that's when his creative juices flow the best ... according to new legal docs.

The singer filed paperwork in Chicago Thursday as part of his building code violations case asking a judge to give him access to his studio during the wee hours of the night. According to the docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Kelly wants access to the space between the hours of 8 PM to 7 AM.

Kelly says it's during those hours when he puts in the best work on his music, just like a lot of big artists in and around Chi-Town. He also lists this schedule as his employees' normal working hours.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, R. Kelly doesn't spell it out specifically, but we've been told by sources close to the singer that he sometimes spends up to 15 hours in his studio ... and needs a place to crash -- hence the bed that was there as of Wednesday when city officials did a follow-up inspection to Thursday's hearing.

These are photos taken from inside R. Kelly's studio, and as you can tell ... there's still a bed inside that hasn't been removed. City officials attached this photo as evidence that R. Kelly is using the space as a residence, even though he says he's removed most of his other belongings since the city's January raid.

A city inspection showed a number of personal items were being stored inside the studio, including clothes, a massage table, couches, an entertainment set and other miscellaneous items. There was even a full bathroom that'd been installed, shower included.

The building's landlord was facing heavy fines for each of the violations -- which ranged between $500 and $1,000 for each day the violation went unaddressed, adding up to staggering amounts in the tens of thousands. Sources close to R. Kelly tell us he helped the landlord pay off some of those fines.

R. Kelly had already been instructed that he could only use the studio for recording during business hours -- 9 AM to 5 PM.

A judge continued the case and is expected to officially weigh in Friday.

Woody Allen says Amazon Studios got cold feet and backed out of a four-movie deal ... over the old molestation allegation about him and his daughter -- and now he wants MAJOR payback.

Woody filed a lawsuit Thursday against the studio for at least $68 million! In the suit, he says Amazon was all in, as of Aug. 2017, to distribute his movie, "A Rainy Day in New York" ... starring Selena Gomez and Timothee Chalamet.

Allen says the movie was shot, edited and ready for release -- but according to the suit, Amazon backed out in June 2018. He says he demanded an explanation, and the studio would only say it was due to "renewed allegations" and Woody's "controversial comments."

Even worse ... Woody says Amazon committed to distribute three other films as well, but reneged on all of them.

He says Amazon never spelled it out for him, but in the suit Woody says he thinks it's related to a "25-year old, baseless allegation" he molested his and Mia Farrow's adopted daughter, Dylan.

'Love & Hip Hop' star Moniece Slaughter says she's living in fear after a man allegedly broke into her home and accosted her.

Moniece just filed legal docs against 30-year-old Sterling Coleman. The nature of their relationship is unclear.

Moniece says it all started last week. For some reason, he was at her home while she was on the phone with her dad and Coleman allegedly called her a nasty bitch. She says he followed her around the kitchen, living room and hallway while barking, "f*** you I'm not going anywhere."

Moniece says Coleman eventually left but moments later broke in through the kitchen window and got extremely confrontational. She says Coleman poured himself a glass of lemonade and drank it before slamming it on the counter so hard it shattered and cut her right index finger. She claims Coleman left but then called her incessantly.

She wants the judge to keep him away ... and the judge obliged. Coleman's gotta stay away at least 100 yards away from her and her 9-year-old son and have no other contact whatsoever.

We're told Coleman's also filed a restraining order against her.

Vince Young says he's taking "full responsibility" for his drunk driving arrest this week -- and it sounds like he's about to check into rehab to clean himself up.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the former NFL star was arrested around 4 AM in Fort Bend County, Texas early Monday morning. It's the 2nd time the 35-year-old quarterback has been arrested for drunk driving.

Young broke his silence on the situation Wednesday night -- saying, "I deeply apologize for letting my family, my friends and my fans down.

"With the help of God and my loved ones, I am going to take aggressive actions to make sure this never happens again. I take full responsibility for my actions."

While he didn't specifically say "rehab" -- seems that (or some kind of alcohol treatment) is the plan here.

Missy Elliott's being sued by the author of 'Bald is Beautiful' .... who claims the rapper stole an image of her smooth dome and slapped it on the cover of her 2016 single.

Jodi Pliszka, who has alopecia, says in her lawsuit ... she never gave Missy permission to use her picture. The shot Jodi's referring to shows Missy -- on her "Pep Rally" cover -- wearing a top that has a bald woman's face and head on it.

In docs obtained by TMZ, the author and motivational speaker says she did a modeling shoot years ago, and the image on Missy's chest is from that shoot.

To the naked eye ... it certainly seems like the woman on Missy's tee bears some resemblance to Jodi -- but whether it really is her might be a question for a jury.

Andy King -- the event planner who offered oral sex in exchange for Evian (lots of it) at the doomed Fyre Festival -- is ready for his close-up ... strictly above the waist.

Andy tells TMZ ... he's received offers from multiple networks for a reality series since his unforgettable scenes in the Netflix 'Fyre' documentary. He says cameras would follow him doing what he does ... hosting major events around the world.

Andy says his show will absolutely focus on the drama and stress involved in putting on huge events -- a la the Fyre Festival -- but will also show the fun side. Presumably when things do NOT implode ... a la Fyre.

As for Fyre villain Billy McFarland, Andy still thinks Billy's heart was in the right place and he's not a bad guy -- he just made some very bad decisions.

Understatement much?

Unlike Billy, Andy says the events on his show will give back to the communities where they take place. Don't get the wrong idea ... he means financially.

4:23 PM PT -- This is a little complicated, but here's why 21 Savage's lawyer applied for a U-Visa 4 years ago. The application was submitted just after a judge vacated his drug conviction, and they felt they were eligible for legal status. That application fell into an abyss -- it was neither approved nor rejected. So in 2017, 21 Savage reapplied for a U-Visa and it has been pending ever since.

What's more ... there is solid law suggesting ICE had to release the rapper on bond, rather than keep him in custody.

Jay-Z is coming to the defense of 21 Savage, slamming his arrest by ICE and throwing some major support his way ... including help with his upcoming legal battle.

The hip-hop mogul calls the arrest and detention of the "Bank Account" rapper "an absolute travesty" ... and points out his U Visa application has been pending for years.

Jay says ... "In addition to being a successful recording artist, 21 deserves to be reunited with his children immediately."

Also, even though Savage isn't a Roc Nation artist, Jay-Z's company has responded to what it calls a "matter of injustice" by hiring attorney Alex Spiro to assist with his case.

Spiro tells TMZ, "We are not going to stop until he is released, bonded out or in front of a judge ... What we have here is someone who overstayed their Visa with an application pending for 4 years - not a convicted criminal that needs to be detained and removed but, by all accounts a wonderful person, father, and entertainer who has a marijuana offense which was vacated and sealed."

We're told 21 actually had a U Visa permit pending for 4 years before he reapplied for one in 2017, which -- as we reported -- may have led to a background check that discovered his visa was expired and triggered his arrest.

21 Savage thinks it's more nefarious than that, though -- he believes ICE arrested him early Sunday morning in Atlanta as revenge for his new music that slammed the behavior of immigration officials.

Alice Marie Johnson stole the show during President Trump's State of the Union speech -- but turns out that's not her only show.

The recently-freed prisoner told us about her book deal, her movie deal and her big plans for the future on TMZ Live. And, check out today's show, because turns out she's already dealing with the benefits and pitfalls of being a celebrity.

And, speaking of celebs ... she's clearly become good buds with Kim Kardashian, who is, in large part, responsible for her freedom.

Antonio Brown says his baby mama is a liar who's caused "irreparable harm" to their daughter by falsely accusing him of domestic violence ... and says he's now seeking full custody of the kid.

TMZ Sports spoke with Brown's attorney, Darren Heitner, who says the allegation that Brown shoved his 30-year-old baby mama during a January altercation is completely false ... despite what the woman initially told cops.

As we previously reported, the woman told police she had been at Brown's home on January 17 to drop off their daughter ... and that's when things went sideways.

Brown's attorney claims the NFL star is concerned with the woman's behavior and decision to include the child in the police report ... so now he'll fight for full custody of their child.

"The complainant unnecessarily involved my client’s minor child in her false reporting, causing irreparable harm to a minor child," Heitner says.

"Therefore, Antonio Brown’s family law attorney, Jaclyn Soroka, Esq. will be filing an action with the Court today, seeking full legal custody of his child accordingly."

More info in the Antonio Brown police investigation ... the NFL star's baby mama initially told cops he pushed her during a heated argument -- but then tried to get police to "cancel" her report.

It's all laid out in documents obtained by TMZ Sports ... a woman who has a child with Brown went to the Hollywood Police Dept. in Florida on January 18 to report a domestic violence incident that took place on Jan. 17.

The woman initially told cops she went to Brown's home to drop off their daughter and get reimbursement for the daughter's recent hair appointment.

The woman claimed Brown tried to kick her off the property -- and an argument ensued, with Brown ultimately using both hands to push her out of the doorway, "causing [her] to fall backwards to the ground."

The woman told police she suffered a scraped wrist as a result of the incident. Cops say they noticed the scrape and photographed the injury.

Cops say they gave the woman a domestic violence brochure and information on how to obtain a restraining order.

But, a short time later, the woman had a change of heart -- telling another officer she "wished to cancel her report" because she did NOT want to press charges against Brown.

Cops say the woman admitted she stood in the doorway of Brown's home and refused to let him close the door -- it seems like she was almost taking the blame for the incident.

After cops told her they could not "cancel" the report, she became irate and left ... according to the documents.

Brown's attorney previously told us the NFL star denies all allegations of wrongdoing -- calling them "baseless and false."