CELEBRITY JUSTICE ™

9:20 PM PT -- Hardwick's attorney just fired back at Cadence13, telling us, "Cadence13 is the only party in breach - the company owes Chris $3 million - and filing this lawsuit is their last ditch, desperate attempt to try and avoid fulfilling their obligations to pay him."

Chris' lawyer continues, "The truth is that Chris has delivered over 30 podcast episodes since October 2018 and hasn't been paid a dime, while Cadence13 has collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in ad revenue during that period."

In an interesting twist ... Hardwick's attorney says, "There is extraordinary irony in the fact that the law firm representing C13 in this action is the same one which conducted a comprehensive investigation and exonerated Chris of the baseless allegations (of emotional and sexual abuse) referenced in the filing."

"Chris and his team will take all appropriate steps to recover the millions of dollars which C13 contractually owes him."

Chris Hardwick is being accused of bowing out of a deal to produce a weekly podcast and failing to pay back the rest of his $1 million cash advance ... this according to a new lawsuit.

In legal docs, obtained by TMZ, podcast company Cadence13 claims Chris signed a two-year deal in early 2018 to create four podcasts per month ... but the company claims Chris stopped making new episodes in June of last year after an actress accused him of emotional and sexual abuse.

As we've reported ... Chris' ex-girlfriend, Chloe Dykstra, accused him of sexual and emotional abuse during their relationship. Hardwick denied the accusations.

In the suit, Chris' podcast partner claims it paid the comedian $1 million in advances, but claims he's yet to pay the full amount back after stopping his weekly "ID10T" podcast.

Doug Marrone wasn't lying ... the Jaguars head coach WAS arrested back in 1997 for the same thing Leonard Fournette got busted for last week!!

TMZ Sports has obtained police docs from June 20, 1997 ... when Marrone -- a Georgia Tech assistant at the time -- was popped for doing 57 MPH in a 35 in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida.

According to the docs ... Marrone was pulled over at 11:59 AM in a 1997 Buick with fellow GT assistant coach Lance Thompson riding shotgun.

Cops say when they checked Doug's record ... they found he had a suspended license stemming from a previously unpaid ticket -- and they slapped the cuffs on him.

Turns out ... Marrone needed his boss -- legendary college football coach George O'Leary -- to get him out of jail ... 'cause cops say O'Leary paid Marrone's $100 bond!!!

Of course, Marrone's star running back suffered a similar fate last Thursday when Fournette was pulled over at a car wash and arrested for driving on a suspended license.

Marrone announced to reporters Tuesday Fournette wouldn't be punished for the incident ... saying he knows firsthand it ain't exactly the biggest deal.

By the way, Doug also wasn't kiddin' when he said it hurt being put in cuffs back then ... 'cause cops say he tipped the scales at 6'5", 305 pounds!!

Oh, and cops also say he had a tattoo of a rose on his upper back.

Blac Chyna's landlord has major beef with her for allegedly bailing on her lease 5 months early, and even worse ... NOT paying a dime since she bolted.

Chyna just got sued by the landlord for a home in Studio City, CA that she'd been renting since April 2017. In the suit, the landlord says Chyna's lease called her to be there through March 2019 ... but for some reason, she upped and moved back in November 2018.

We're guessing he wouldn't care about her leaving IF she paid the remaining rent. Well, guess what? According to the suit, Chyna owes $55,546 for about 5 months of rent. The landlord subtracted her $25k deposit, but tacked on $18k in damages -- he claims she removed "fixtures and equipment" from the pad.

All told, Blac Chyna is $48,546 in the red ... according to the docs, obtained by TMZ.

"Happy Gilmore" star Christopher McDonald just got the equivalent of a penalty stroke in his DUI case ... TMZ has learned.

According to court records ... the actor pled guilty to driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or higher stemming from his October 2017 arrest near Lake Arrowhead, CA. He was sentenced to 35 hours of community service, 3-year summary probation, and an alcohol education program which he already completed ... and a day in jail.

The good news -- he got credit for time served in a jail cell following his arrest ... so he doesn't have to spend any additional time behind bars. His other misdemeanor DUI charge was dropped.

We broke the story ... Christopher, best known as Shooter McGavin, got busted after driving his Porsche off the highway, taking out a gas meter and crashing into an embankment.

He then posed for this disheveled mug shot, which could be explained by the fact he was seen chugging beer at an Oktoberfest earlier in the day.

McDonald was also arrested for DWI in 2013 in North Carolina.

R. Kelly may be jailed again, and soon ... after missing child support payments that have already landed him in jail once before.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the singer has missed his last 2 months of child support payments to his ex, Drea Kelly. He's required to pay $20,833 a month to his ex.

As you know, Kelly was jailed in early March after racking up a $161,633 delinquency ... this after he was arrested on sexual abuse charges.

Kelly was released after he cleared the debt after someone covered his tab. After getting out, Kelly went back to court and asked a judge to lower the $20k amount, claiming he could no longer afford it. The judge said he'd hear arguments but that won't happen until May 8. In the meantime, he owes $20k+ a month and it's clear ... the judge means business.

We broke the story ... Kelly was paid $22k for a 1-hour nightclub performance in Illinois earlier this month -- which Drea was totally cool with ... asking the media to take it easy on him while he tries to make some money. Turns out, he didn't turn over the loot.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will NOT punish Leonard Fournette over last week's arrest -- so says head coach Doug Marrone who admits he was arrested for the exact same thing back in the day!

TMZ Sports posted footage of the superstar RB being handcuffed at a Florida car wash Thursday -- after cops noticed an outstanding warrant for his arrest stemming from an unpaid speeding ticket.

Fournette later paid the fines and now the case is essentially closed -- but the question remains ... will the Jaguars or the NFL suspend Leonard over the incident?

Enter Marrone ... who was adamant the team will NOT take disciplinary action because they don't really think it's a big deal.

In fact, Marrone says people forget to pay speeding tickets all the time -- including him.

That's when Marrone launched into a story about how he was arrested back in the late '90s when he was a college football recruiter -- and the situation sounds identical to Fournette, handcuffs and all.

"I got handcuffed, which is tough when you're my size," Marrone joked.

Marrone says the most important thing is that Leonard learns his lesson and doesn't make the same mistake twice.

3:15 PM PT -- There is ONE bit of good news for Mellie. We found out her Tennessee arrest was dismissed in court about 3 months later ... so, she won't be doing any additional time there.

"Gypsy Sisters" star Mellie Stanley could be sent behind bars for her role in what cops say was a massive coupon scam out of Kentucky -- 'cause she's pled guilty ... and is looking at serious prison time.

According to a court clerk, Mellie pled guilty last week in Fayette County, KY to 2 felonies -- theft by deception and criminal possession of a forged instrument.

The charges stem from a huge coupon scam authorities say Mellie and her hubby were involved in back in 2017 ... in which she was accused of swindling thousands of dollars worth of gear from Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us.

The good news (for her, anyway) -- Fayette County Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Prosecutor Andrea Williams tells TMZ ... 3 other charges Mellie was facing in the bust were dropped per the terms of a plea deal.

That being said, she's still facing the possibility of as much as 5 years in prison for the theft charge alone. On top of that, the Commonwealth says she'll have to pay $23k in restitution.

You might recall ... Mellie was also nabbed in Tennessee in a very similar bust, and that case is still pending. Her Kentucky sentencing hearing is set for June.

4/16 -- Wilson's attorney says they're only suing because settlement talks with Justin's insurance company broke down a couple of months ago when they got a "lowball" offer.

In a statement, the attorney says Wilson suffered a torn meniscus and knee cap damage in the accident and had to undergo arthroscopic surgery.

Justin Bieber's getting sued by the photographer he accidentally drove over as he was leaving a church event.

The accident was pretty brutal to see and hear -- back in 2017, Justin was leaving a worship service in Bev Hills when he pulled away in his 2017 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup. The photog, William Wilson, was no match for the monster truck and went down in a heap.

Wilson is now suing Bieber, claiming the singer was negligent in the way he pulled out into the street. In docs, obtained by TMZ, Wilson says he suffered "permanent disability, emotional damages and general damages."

He doesn't specify his injuries, but at the time ... Wilson posted a video from his hospital bed.

You might recall, Justin immediately pulled over and tried to assist Wilson. He also stayed on the scene until police arrived to take a report. Police eventually decided not to pursue any criminal charges against Bieber ... and chalked it all up to an accident, partially caused by camera flashes blinding Justin.

Cops also said the photog shouldn't have been standing in the street.

Wilson's suing Justin for unspecified damages. We've reached out to Justin's camp ... but no word back yet.

Former "Teen Mom" star Ryan Edwards is a free man again ... after spending nearly 3 months behind bars following his arrest for allegedly skipping out on a bar tab.

According to sources at the Hamilton County Jail in Tennessee ... Edwards was released Monday for time served. We're told he was originally sentenced to serve until November, but the judge cut it short. He'd been locked up since late January after cops arrested him for theft of services under $1,000.

We broke the story ... Ryan spent a winter afternoon at Bud's bar in Chattanooga and racked up a $36 bill for 6 Jack Daniel's whiskey, but allegedly walked out without forking over the money.

The bartender called police, who recognized Edwards' face from photos in their Criminal Justice Portal and went and picked him up.

Ryan's mug shot was in the portal for prior offenses ... including drug possession and a probation violation.

Ryan and his wife, Mackenzie Standifer, announced their exit from 'Teen Mom' in 2018 after revealing she was pregnant with their first child. She gave birth to a baby boy in October.

The Jupiter Police Dept. and Palm Beach prosecutors are being sued by a patron at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa ... claiming the secret videotaping inside the spa is a gross violation of the customer's federal civil rights.

The lawsuit was filed anonymously -- listing the plaintiff as John Doe. Doe was not charged with a criminal offense like Robert Kraft, but he was at the spa during the period where video cameras were rolling in every room. Doe says in the suit he did not engage in any sexual activity in the spa.

The lawsuit describes a crazy way in which the cameras were installed. According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, the Jupiter PD staged a false "suspicious package" warning on January 18 that triggered an evacuation of the spa. While everyone was outside, cops came in and installed secret cameras in the private rooms. Doe went in the next day to receive a massage.

Doe says in the lawsuit, filed by top attorney Joe Tacopina, that the secret recordings violate his civil rights ... especially since everything he did was on the up and up.

Doe claims the risk the videos will become public is high, because of the celebrities who have been snared in the case.

The lawsuit also says the cops were sleazy in the way they investigated ... sometimes following patrons who drove away and stopping them for minor traffic violations and grilling them about what went on inside the spa. The suit claims cops also rifled through trash to find napkins and tissues with semen.

He wants damages and an injunction, ordering authorities to destroy all videotapes.

Notre Dame WR Javon McKinley is about to be off the hook in his drunken cop-punching case ... TMZ Sports has learned the Irish stud just struck a deal with prosecutors to have his charges dropped.

We broke the story ... McKinley -- a SUPERSTAR back in his high school days -- allegedly battered 2 officers in a drunken attack near ND's campus last February.

Cops say they were dispatched to help McKinley, who was passed out in the back of an Uber at 3:50 AM ... but he became combative when they tried to give the assist.

Cops say as they were walking McKinley -- who they say reeked of booze -- back to his dorm room, he freaked out, punched a male and a female officer and tried to flee.

When they eventually found the 20-year-old ... they arrested him and hit him with 2 counts of misdemeanor battery and 1 count of misdemeanor underage drinking.

But, prosecutors tell us they agreed to drop the charges on Monday as long as McKinley completes a misdemeanor pretrial diversion program. It's all but a done deal at this point.

We're told Javon must complete a substance abuse evaluation, perform 40 hours of community service, pay fines and fees and keep his nose clean for the next 2 years.

For his part, prosecutors say McKinley was eligible for such a sweet deal because he "sought out and apologized to each person involved in the incident."

Kim Kardashian's says she's doing her homework to become a lawyer, and it's a daily grind that's turned her family life upside down -- but she insists haters won't discourage her from achieving her dream.

Kim shared a photo of herself hitting the books with attorneys Jessica Jackson and Erin Haney, studying for what she calls California's baby bar exam -- a requirement for anyone studying law the way she is ... as an apprentice with Jackson and Haney's firm.

She says, "For the next 4 years, a minimum of 18 hours a week is required, I will take written and multiple choice tests monthly." Kim's approaching the end of her first year, and says she's hitting the books hard right now to prep for a Torts essay on negligence due this week.

As we reported, Kim plans to take the bar exam by 2022. She's clearly heard the critics who claim she can only do this because of her privilege and money. She fired back, "I want people to understand that there is nothing that should limit your pursuit of your dreams, and the accomplishment of new goals. You can create your own lanes, just as I am."

She adds, however, it ain't easy -- saying she studies all weekend and at nights after working all day and putting her kids to bed. She says she's so committed to achieving her dream, she changed her number last year to disconnect and focus.

Lori Loughlin is ready for a fight, because she's just entered her plea in the case that could land her in prison for years ... and that plea is NOT GUILTY.

Lori and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, entered pleas to all charges -- conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Lori and Mossimo did not appear in court ... they entered their plea via court documents filed by their attorneys.

Olivia Jade's parents both face a minimum of 4 years and 9 months in prison ... and that's even if they cop a plea.

As we reported, the U.S. Attorney out of Boston gave all of the parents an ultimatum ... either take a plea or the case would go to the Grand Jury and additional charges would be filed, and that's exactly what happened.

Our sources say a plea bargain is still on the table.

And, as we reported, Felicity Huffman has already copped a plea and faces a minimum of 4 months in prison. As for the disparity -- it's all based on the amount of money the parents paid. Felicity paid $15,000 to have her daughter's SAT test rigged. Lori and her husband allegedly paid $500,000 to an athletic coach to get their 2 daughters into USC.

Daz Dillinger can breathe easier now -- he's not going to jail for having weed after striking a sweet plea deal.

According to docs obtained by TMZ ... Daz pled guilty to a single count of possession of more than an ounce of marijuana and, as a result, will get 3 years probation and have to cough up a thousand bucks in fines. But, that's it ... no jail for the Dogg Pound rapper, who originally faced much more serious charges in Georgia.

As we first reported ... Dillinger faced up to 25 years in prison after he was indicted on 2 felony drug charges for the marijuana bust that went down back in September at his Powder Springs home -- about 20 miles outside Atlanta.

Fast forward to now ... and one of the two charges was dismissed due to insufficient evidence.

One less off-the-field issue for Antonio Brown ... who just struck a settlement with the man claiming Brown nearly killed his child in a crazy furniture-throwing fit.

We broke the story ... Brown was sued by Ophir Sternberg -- who claims his 22-month-old son was walking around the pool at a high-end apartment complex in Florida in April 2018 when suddenly "large objects started to fall from the building many floors above them."

In his suit, Sternberg claims Brown tossed everything from vases to an ottoman and other pieces of furniture ... and they landed mere FEET from the toddler, who was allegedly traumatized by the whole thing.

For his part, Brown denied throwing the items -- claiming the tosser was another person who had access to his apartment that day.

The problem for Brown ... cops actually responded to the apartment that day and say the NFL star was "very agitated" and yelling when they got there. Cops also said the people who were with Brown that day were trying to calm him down.

But, it's all furniture under the bridge now ... sources connected to the case tell us both sides agreed to a settlement and the lawsuit will not be moving forward.

The terms of the settlement are confidential but we're told both sides are happy with the resolution.

The timing couldn't be better for Brown ... who's reporting to Oakland Raiders training camp MONDAY and hopes to start a new chapter in his life.

Two professional athletes from the NBA and NFL, respectively, were busted by cops this weekend after allegedly getting into a brawl on the street.

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Jalen Mills and Washington Wizards forward Devin Robinson were both arrested early Saturday morning outside of the Opera Ultra Lounge in D.C. and cited for disorderly affray, which is cop talk to fighting in public.

It's unclear if either of the men were sent to jail, but Devin was reportedly taken to a hospital afterward.

According to a police report, obtained by the AP, Jalen and Devin were involved in a verbal altercation which escalated into a physical altercation on the sidewalk adjacent to Opera. No official word on what exactly led up to the alleged fight, but reports have come out suggesting Devin was pissed Jalen was in town ... but didn't play for a D.C. team.

Both players will probably feel the fallout of their alleged actions -- especially Devin, who's already out of a job next season.

The Wizards released a statement saying they wouldn't be extending Devin a contract for the 2019-20 season. He played seven games for the Wizards this year but mostly spent time playing in the G League.