CELEBRITY JUSTICE ™

The crew member who was electrocuted on the set of Netflix's new Motley Crue movie is suing the band.

Louis DiVincenti just filed suit against the Crue and Netflix in Louisiana -- where filming for "The Dirt" took place, and where he suffered the electrocution. According to the suit, he says he was handing down metal pipes to other crew members, and one of the pipes made contact with a power line ... sending an electric current that "entered his body and blew out through his right foot."

DiVincenti says the March incident left him with third-degree burns on 50 percent of his body, and required a partial amputation on his foot ... as well as multiple surgeries and skin grafts.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, DiVincenti says Netflix and the producers -- which includes Tommy Lee and the rest of the band -- are on the hook for failing to address electrical hazards on set, and should be forced to pay for his suffering.

We broke the story ... DiVincenti had to be carried off in a stretcher at the time of the incident.

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.

Ariana Grande is acting like a tyrant on her new tour ... at least, according to media organizations that are fuming over her photography policy.

Several major news outlets -- including the AP, New York Times, LA Times and 12 others -- have joined the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) in protesting Ariana's photo policy on her current Sweetener World Tour.

The NPPA claims the tour contract she's making them sign to cover her concerts requires photographers to hand over all rights to their photos to her tour company, GrandAriTour, Inc. ... and they're only allowed to take still shots from a designated area during the first 3 songs.

If the photogs want to use their pics, they have to get written approval from Grande ... and even then, they can only use each photo once as part of a news story.

The 16 media outlets believe this is a massive overreach and flies in the face of journalistic principles ... and the NPPA president is urging members to refuse to sign Ariana's photography agreement.

No word yet if the singer will change her tune.

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.

Rob Kardashian will no longer have to fork over heaps of cash to Blac Chyna every month ... in fact, he won't have to pay her at all.

Sources close to the former couple tell TMZ the two have hammered out a final custody agreement for their 2-year-old daughter, Dream. We're told Rob and Chyna will split custody 50/50 ... though Rob will likely have his daughter more of the time.

What's really incredible ... Rob was paying Chyna $20k per month in support and now he'll pay nothing. Our sources tell us the agreement states each parent will only pay for Dream's needs when she's with them ... and things like medical expenses and school will be split down the middle.

Sources familiar with the negotiations tell us on the day the final agreement was reached -- Chyna arrived several hours late and dressed to the nines -- in a look that was complete with pointy translucent fake green nails.

After the meeting wrapped, Chyna allegedly suggested to Rob the two should go out and grab margaritas ... an offer he immediately declined.

It was back in February when it appeared the former couple's relationship was at least cordial. Rob tweeted, "Angela and I are both actively co-parenting and there are no pending or active custody cases." Chyna replied with, "Robert and I only concern is what's in the best interest of our daughter that we both equally love. Additionally, Robert is a wonderful father to our Dreamy!"

Rob and Chyna have a tumultuous history ... with accusations of abuse, public shaming and lawsuits.

It appears all that is in the rear-view now, and Dream is their main priority.

3/26 7:40 AM PT -- DeRay's response to the decision is a pretty pointed shot at Jeanine. He tellsTMZ, "I'm obviously disappointed, but as FOX argued and the judge recognized ... when you have a certain reputation, less is expected of you."

Black Lives Matter leader DeRay Mckesson is coming up short in his legal battle against Jeanine Pirro -- his defamation lawsuit has been tossed out of court.

The judge dismissed the case, according to docs filed Thursday in NY state, saying most of the statements Pirro made about Mckesson during a "FOX & Friends" appearance were her opinion ... and therefore protected by the First Amendment.

You'll recall ... DeRay sued Pirro and FOX News over comments she made back in 2017 when she essentially blamed him for inciting violence during a Baton Rouge protest. A police officer was injured during the incident, and Jeanine felt DeRay should've been held responsible for that.

The judge didn't exactly paint a flattering picture of Pirro's commentary, saying ... "Pirro's lack of temperament and caustic commentary is what she is known, celebrated, and frequently criticized for."

Your next Peloton ride could be really quiet -- it's recalling any classes featuring the songs the company's accused of using without permission.

John Foley -- Peloton's founder and CEO -- sent a letter to his more than 600k subscribers Monday, letting them know the company is yanking any classes that use the songs ID'd in that lawsuit a handful of music publishing companies filed.

TMZ broke the story ... the publishers claim Peloton was using a bunch of hit songs from big-time artists without permission -- upwards of at least a thousand tracks, apparently -- ranging from Rihanna's "Umbrella" to Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot."

Those companies are suing for major damages ... up to $150 million.

In his letter, Foley says the fitness company is only doing this as a precaution ... and assures users that their cycling experience will not be affected by the change. He says Peloton has deals in place with lots of other music publishers and labels that give them access to a "broad catalog" of music that he suggests will be able to replace the temporarily silenced tunes.

On the lawsuit itself, Foley says it's unfortunate that it had to be filed ... since he claims Peloton was in talks with at least a few of the publishers before they pulled the trigger.

Lonzo Ball's manager wants everyone to take their $500 Big Baller Brand shoes and THROW THEM IN THE TRASH.

Yeah, seems the Big Baller era is officially over.

The guy dumping his ZO2s is Darren "DMo" Moore -- Lonzo's longtime friend and manager.

Moore posted video of the shoe-trashing on social media -- along with the hashtag, "DumpUrMerch."

So, why is Zo's camp turning on Big Baller Brand?

It's obviously connected to reports that BBB co-founder Alan Foster allegedly stole $1.5 MILLION from Lonzo's personal and business accounts.

Ball has lawyered up and says he plans to go after Foster.

In a statement, Lonzo says he still has love and respect for Foster -- but it seems his manager DMo doesn't feel the same way.

Important to point out that Lonzo isn't calling for people to trash his shoes -- he's still a majority owner in the company -- but it's not a good sign that his manager is calling for a worldwide BBB dump.

There are also reports the Ball family is considering folding the BBB brand altogether.

12:10 PM PT -- A rep for Skye tells TMZ, "A judge in the Superior Court of California granted a restraining order against Sheck Wes that is still in effect and the correlating case is still pending."

They continue, "However, it is unfortunate that the Los Angeles District Attorney decided to not pursue any further action at this time but that is often the case with many victims of domestic violence which is why incidents like this go unreported much of the time."

Sheck Wes can ball out like Mo Bamba again ... he's off the hook in his physical abuse case.

We've learned the "Mo Bamba" rapper won't face any charges for allegedly beating his ex-girlfriend last summer at the Montrose Hotel in West Hollywood. According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the L.A. County D.A.'s office is rejecting the case due to a lack of evidence.

As we reported ... Sheck's ex, Justine Skye, put him on blast back in February, calling him pathetic and claiming he had a history of putting his hands on her. The model, actress and singer claimed Sheck once threw her phone across a hotel room at the Montrose, slapping her in the face with a wad of cash and berating her.

Justine also claimed Sheck and his crew stalked her and attacked her friends.

Right off the bat, Sheck vehemently denied abusing Justine or jumping her friends. Now it looks like he can put the case behind him.

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.

1:31 PM PT -- Cameras finally spotted Kraft at the meetings, though he was clearly in no mood to stop to chat ...

The most powerful people in the NFL touched down in AZ over the weekend for the Annual League Meeting ... and while most of the owners and GMs strutted around Phoenix, Robert Kraft was unusually low key.

Everyone from Jaguars owner Shad Khan to Denver Broncos general manager John Elway was spotted in Phoenix -- where the league's top guys meet every year to discuss rule changes and other NFL issues.

Elway looked pretty jacked, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson was scooting around after his foot surgery and Raiders owner Mark Davis was rockin' his usual white blazer with his patented hairdo.

While Kraft was seen walking with his son, Jonathan, and NFL commish Roger Goodell, he didn't speak with the media and seemed to make an effort to lay low.

Obviously, Kraft has a LOT going on right now -- he's due in court in Florida later this week to deal with his prostitution case where he's facing two counts of solicitation.

Kraft broke his silence on the legal issue this weekend -- essentially admitting wrongdoing and apologizing for his actions.

"I am truly sorry. I know I have hurt and disappointed my family, my close friends, my co-workers, our fans and many others who rightfully hold me to a higher standard."

He's facing up to 1 year in jail if convicted -- but it's VERY unlikely he'll serve one minute behind bars.

A meeting between R. Kelly's alleged "sex slave," Azriel Clary, and her family wasn't dictated by the singer himself, nor was it his fault the whole thing fell apart ... so says his lawyer.

Clary was supposed to meet with her family -- for the first time in years -- Saturday night in Chicago. R. Kelly's attorney, Steve Greenberg, tells TMZ the plans fell through after Azriel insisted on changing the location last minute. We're told she wanted the meeting with her family to take place at Trump Tower Chicago in a conference room on the hotel side of the building -- not in R. Kelly's residence there -- as opposed to a previously decided spot.

The previous location was a different hotel, one block away, but Greenberg says Azriel made the switch the day before the scheduled meeting. It's been reported that Kelly was the one who pushed for the change -- supposedly wanting his security there too -- but Greenberg says that's false.

He tells us Azriel is the one who suggested Trump Tower as a means to control the media circus she thought her family would orchestrate around the meetup. She wanted say over who could get into the building by having it at Kelly's place, where she lives with him.

When her family got word on that, they pulled the plug entirely. Greenberg says the singer was never going to be at the meeting.

Michael Avenatti -- who reps Azriel's family in this matter -- tells TMZ ... "On Friday, R Kelly’s camp tried to abruptly change the terms of the meeting at which time my clients and I decided not to participate because the terms were not acceptable. We are now attempting to reschedule the meeting on agreeable terms so my clients can see their daughter."

Tommie Lee shocked her closest friends when she showed up to court drunk ... they say she was in the process of getting sober before her recent relapse.

We broke the story ... the former 'Love & Hip Hop' star is back in jail for being wasted during a court hearing in her child abuse criminal case. We're told her BAC was 0.16 -- double the legal limit.

Sources close to Tommie tell TMZ ... she was trying her best to sober up in recent weeks, staying away from alcohol even though she was surrounded by vices. We're told Tommie was going out with friends who were drinking, and even stayed at a friend's house with a stocked bar inside, but she stayed off the booze.

But, Tommie fell off the wagon before last week's court appearance ... and our sources claim the stress of the case caused her relapse. She was indicted on child abuse charges earlier this year, and she's facing up to 54 years in jail if convicted on all 7 charges.

TMZ Sports has obtained a 911 call made by Tony Ferguson's wife during an incident in February -- and the way she handled the call may have saved Tony's life ... and the lives of several cops.

As we've previously reported, Tony's wife, Cristina, called police to their Santa Ana, California home several times over the past couple months when the UFC star was having manic episodes and acting erratically.

Cristina has made it clear she loves Tony and wants him to get treatment -- but during a Feb. 16 incident, things got to a point where she was scared and needed police to intervene.

During the call, Cristina says she needs help -- but warns police that Tony is a professional fighter. She notes, "I don't want no cops to get injured."

The operator responds, "We don't want anyone to get hurt."

Of course, Tony is not just a pro UFC fighter, he's one of the greatest mixed martial artists in the world ... currently, the #1 ranked contender in the UFC's lightweight division.

When cops arrived to Ferguson's home, officers used the information from the call to help diffuse the situation ... and according to the police report, Tony told officers he would seek help.

Unfortunately, cops were called back to the house a few days later -- but the good news, Tony has since agreed to get serious about treatment and appears to be doing better.

In fact, just last week, Tony posted on social media that he's seen a psychologist and that it "went well."

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.