CELEBRITY JUSTICE ™

Remy Ma and Safaree derailed a benefit concert after allegedly breaking 2 simple rules -- but it's enough to get 'em sued.

The Circle Foundation -- which mentors Chicago-area youths -- is suing the rappers, saying they signed to perform at a fundraising concert back on April 21, 2018, at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago. According to docs, obtained by TMZ, the Foundation was forced to cancel the show after the rappers breached their contracts.

The Foundation claims their contracts specifically stated Remy and Safaree could NOT perform within 60 miles of the arena for 30 days before the event. It's called a "performance exclusivity" clause, and it's a common practice promoters use to make sure their concerts remain in hot demand.

In the suit, the Foundation says the rappers agreed and signed the deal ... with Remy getting a $35k deposit payment and Safaree getting $7,250.

The problem, according to the docs, is Remy performed on April 8 at the Black Women's Expo in Chicago -- and Safaree played the Rockin' Horse Saloon & Grill on April 14 in a Chicago suburb.

As a result, The Circle Foundation says it asked Remy and Safaree to return the dough but got the cold shoulder. It's now suing to get its money back, plus damages.

Remy's attorney Eric Sanders tells us she is "unaware of any purported legal action filed but, if such action is initiated she will respond accordingly."

R. Kelly's daughter says her college days got cut short because he stopped paying tuition, but he claims he thought there were no bills to pay ... because she wasn't enrolled.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... Joann Lee, aka Buku Abi, was attending a California art school until last Fall when she tried signing up for classes for the next semester but got denied because of an unpaid bill.

Kelly's on the hook for Joann's tuition and education expenses until she turns 23 -- per his child support agreement with ex-wife Drea -- but her side claims he cut her off without warning last year ... and she was forced to drop out.

We're told Kelly also stopped paying for the apartment Joann was living in while going to school so she had to move out, and she had to pay for her own books for a while because he stopped doing that too.

The singer tells a different story, though.

Kelly's Crisis Manager, Darrell Johnson, tells us ... Kelly's requirement to pay for her education is predicated on him receiving billing statements and proof of expenses ... and he claims he never got them.

Kelly allegedly believed Joann chose to drop out of school and that's why he stopped getting bills. Johnson says Drea never produced any documentation or proof that Joann got kicked out of school either.

Our sources say Joann wants to return to college and will be seeking financial support from her father. Whether or not he's got the money is another story.

As we reported ... Kelly just ponied up the back child support he owed Drea this week to avoid another trip to jail, but he was informed he still owes $32k in interest. And, he currently owes just over $20k per month to Drea in support.

It should be noted -- R. Kelly and his daughter's relationship is beyond strained already. Joann referred to him as a "monster" in January following the release of the "Surviving R. Kelly" docuseries, and says they've been estranged for years.

"Chrisley Knows Best" star Todd Chrisley's oldest son was picked up by cops in Oklahoma on drug charges -- which led them to find he was also wanted in another state for allegedly threatening to kill his wife.

Kyle Chrisley was arrested last week and booked into Okmulgee County Jail for felony possession of methamphetamine, and was also held on an open warrant for his arrest out of Dekalb County, Georgia. It's unclear if Kyle was still behind bars as of Saturday -- the jail wouldn't confirm with us one way or another.

Regarding the allegations coming out of Georgia -- his estranged wife, Alexus Chrisley, told authorities there that Kyle made death threats against her back in January of this year.

According to the affidavit, obtained by TMZ, Alexus claimed that Kyle had threatened to kill her in a text message exchange, in which he allegedly wrote, "[N]ot before I end you. Im going to the streets I will get my s**t and take care of this problem with you because if I'm not with you nobody will be. Bye Alexus."

Per the docs, Alexus responded, "thats a threat to my life" to which he allegedly answered, "yes :Lexi it was. Goodbye." Police cited other text messages provided by Alexus which allegedly show Kyle pointing a weapon at his head, as well as drug usage.

A judge signed off on the warrant to bring him in around mid-January. Kyle shares a young daughter, Chloe, with a previous girlfriend of his, Angela Johnson, who appeared on his father's hit reality show. Kyle appeared on the USA series for only one season.

Speaking of his dad, Kyle has had a rocky relationship with Todd since at least 2014, when he publicly accused him of using Chloe for diversity ratings -- she's half black.

We got Todd around that time, and he openly told us that Kyle would undergo weekly drug testing, calling it a "necessity."

Todd has also said that Kyle suffers from bipolar disorder, and would continue to grapple with that for the rest of his life.

10:34 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ that Blac Chyna appears as a named suspect on an assault with a deadly weapon report.

Blac Chyna and her hairdresser got into it early Saturday AM, and it allegedly ended with Chyna pulling a knife on the stylist who then hurled soda cans at Chyna's car.

Chyna and her stylist were at her San Fernando Valley home when things got heated ... we're told over money Chyna alleged owed the hairdresser.

We know the hairdresser filed a police report, claiming Chyna threatened her with a knife when the stylist asked for payment. Our Chyna sources deny she pulled a knife, but claim the hairdresser left in a huff and threw soda cans at Chyna's car.

We're told Chyna's 6-year-old child, King, whom she shares with Tyga, was present during the fight ... and now that a police report has been filed, we're told the L.A. County Dept. of Children and Family Services will get involved and at the very least do a welfare check.

This isn't the first time Chyna has gotten into it with the hired help. She and her makeup artist got into a fight in January at Chyna's home and the police were called.

Originally Published -- 9:49 AM PT

Kim Kardashian is getting backlash from people within the prison reform movement who think she's getting too much credit for helping free non-violent inmates ... and the lawyers Kim's working with are getting an earful.

Kim's attorney, Brittany K. Barnett, joined us on "TMZ Live" and talked about the people working behind-the-scenes to free prisoners who feel like their hard work is being overlooked by Kim's association with prison reform. Brittany says the blame is not on Kim ... it's on the media.

As we've reported ... Kim is footing the bill while Barnett and lawyer MiAngel Cody of The Decarceration Collective lay the groundwork to free prisoners who received Draconian sentences for drug offenses. Together, their 90 Days of Freedom campaign has freed 17 men and women over the past few months, reuniting them with their families after years behind bars.

Brittany -- who also believes the media has unfairly made it look like Kim is shouldering the effort -- tells us there's been a lot of grousing within many of the advocacy groups ... she says lots of folks believe the media is placing too big a focus on Kim just because she's a celeb, and they feel the media is overlooking their efforts which have spanned decades.

The blowback against Kim was big enough for Brittany and MiAngel to address it on social media ... saying, "we are two Black women lawyers ... we do this for the CULTURE, the CAUSE, and the CODE." But, in our convo, Brittany says they are 3 women working together, Kim included.

To be fair, Kim's doing more than just throwing money around. She's also lobbying on behalf of the movement, had a sit down with President Trump in the White House and often deals directly with Jared Kushner. Not everyone can gain that kind of access to powerful people.

One day after Dennis Rodman and his friends allegedly shoplifted from a Newport Beach yoga shop, the crew RETURNED to the business ... and allegedly stole MORE clothing!!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the owner of VIBES Hot Yoga who tells us Rodman and his pals came back to his yoga studio on May 8 ... with Rodman's female pal WEARING one of the outfits she stole the day before.

The owner tells us ... the staffer working the register on May 8 thought Rodman's behavior was bizarre -- he was gyrating and hip-thrusting at the counter.

Once staffers went through the surveillance footage, they noticed Rodman and his friends left with more clothing ... and we're told nobody paid a cent.

The owner is also adamant NOBODY on his staff told Rodman and his crew they could take items as "gifts" ... as Rodman claimed when TMZ Sports spoke with him Thursday evening.

As we previously reported, Rodman and his pals first appeared at the yoga shop on May 7 -- where cameras caught DR's female friend taking clothing off the rack and stuffing it into her purse.

One of Dennis' pals also dropped a $2,500 crystal in the store -- which they placed on a dolly and wheeled out of the store. The owner insists nobody paid for the crystal.

A rep for the Newport Beach PD previously told us they're investigating. So far, no arrests have been made.

As for Rodman, he told us Thursday night (May 9) that he didn't "steal sh*t."

4:45 PM PT -- Britney and her parents agreed on one thing during the hearing. According to court docs, the judge ordered an expert evaluation.

The documents don't specify what the expert will be evaluating, but in conservatorship cases, it often involves a mental examination of the conservatee ... in this case, Britney. However, the judge says the parameters of that evaluation will be set by Jamie Spears and a court-appointed lawyer.

Additionally, we're told Britney asked the judge to allow her certain freedoms -- things she's not able to do under the conservatorship -- but the judge did not grant any of her requests.

The court's decision highlights what we've been reporting ... Britney's not doing well after her 30-day stay in a mental health facility.

3:40 PM PT -- Britney just left the courthouse in bizarre fashion ... no shoes, no socks -- barefoot. The courtroom was closed because her medical condition was discussed. Unclear so far what happened, but check back soon.

12:39 PM PT -- Several Britney fans have started to gather outside the courthouse with "Free Britney" posters and chants.

Britney Spears will make the drive from Thousand Oaks to downtown L.A. Friday ... appearing in court as her mom fights to get her medical files in what is turning into a family war.

Sources with knowledge tell us, Britney will appear with her mom, Lynne Spears, who is trying to gain access to her medical information. We're told Lynne does not want to become a co-conservator, which creates a weird legal argument ... the right to medical information but no right to act on it.

Britney's dad, Jamie Spears, has been her sole conservator for more than 11 years, and is widely credited with saving her life back in 2008, when the singer was off the rails.

As we reported, Lynne has been staying at Britney's home for more than a week. The 2 have been estranged for nearly 15 years. We're told Britney cut Lynne out of her life right after her breakup with Justin Timberlake. Over the last few months, Lynne has tried to reestablish a relationship.

TMZ has reported, Lynne became alarmed when she read various posts on social media that Jamie was allegedly forcing Britney into the mental health facility where she stayed for 30 days, and that he ordered doctors to ply her with certain drugs. FYI, Jamie does not have the power to do either.

Britney, we're told, will side with her mom in court, for obvious reasons. Jamie has imposed certain restrictions to keep her and her family safe, and Britney wants freedom ... it's what happens in most conservatorships. She's banking on Lynne easing the restrictions.

As we have reported, Britney is not doing well. The meds that stabilized her for years stopped working and doctors are still struggling to find the right combination. Multiple sources have told us she did not come out of the mental health facility in great shape and her judgment is impaired.

It's an odd ask to look at medical records when you're not part of a conservatorship. Legally speaking, Lynne's parental rights are trumped by the conservatorship, and she doesn't want to be part of it.

We'll be at the courthouse, so stay tuned.

Founding member of The Fugees, Pras Michel, is in serious legal trouble with the feds for allegedly funneling millions of dollars worth of campaign contributions.

Federal prosecutors in D.C. slapped the rapper with a 4-count indictment Friday ... claiming he and infamous Malaysian businessman Jho Low conspired to funnel funds from foreign accounts to make political contribution in the U.S. ... reportedly for President Obama.

Although the indictment doesn't mention Obama by name ... it says Pras made the donations for a Presidential candidate in the 2012 election, and specifies dates on which Pras posed for pics with that candidate. According to multiple reports, the candidate was Obama.

Pras has posted pics with Obama ... although it's unclear the date they were taken.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Low would send the money to Pras ... who would then recruit friends -- or "straw donors" -- and then divvy up the funds between them ... so they could make smaller donations to political action committees. The feds believe the smaller donations were made to disguise the source of the money ... namely Jho Low, who's also been indicted.

It's illegal for all foreign entities -- not only Russia -- to use money to influence U.S. elections.

As we reported, the feds had filed a civil lawsuit last year against Low, and although Pras' alleged involvement was mentioned in that suit ... he was not a defendant. He told us he was innocent.

Fast forward to Friday ... and Pras is staring down possible prison time. The indictment charges him with conspiracy, false statement and 2 counts of false entry in record.

12:32 PM PT -- Darden just joined us on "TMZ Live" where he further explained his reason to back off of the case. He also said that while he's got a lot of haters ... his supporters really show out to help him as well. Darden hopes the same attention that people put into intimidating him off of the case will be used to stop violence in the streets.

Nipsey Hussle's alleged murderer is going to need a new lawyer -- Christopher Darden is quitting the case ... and it sounds like a wave of death threats to him and his family were just too much.

Darden says he's filed a motion to withdraw as Eric Holder's defense attorney. Holder happens to have a hearing scheduled for Friday in L.A. Superior Court, and Darden says it's the last time he will appear in court on the case.

Darden, who famously prosecuted O.J. Simpson in his double murder trial, says he's received death threats since taking Holder's case -- and the flood of hatred reminded him of the O.J. case. As he put it, "Just as they were in 1995-Cowards never change. These days these cowards don’t send letters instead they sit anonymously behind keyboards threatening a man’s mother and children."

Darden hinted he might reveal more in the future about exactly why he's bailing on Holder -- aka "Shitty Cuz" -- but made it clear to his haters that he won't forget ... "To those who issued those threats to my children please pay close attention so there is no misunderstanding. Later. F**K YOU!"

Truth is, Darden's been mercilessly berated ever since agreeing to defend the man accused of killing someone as beloved as Nipsey. One threatening tweet said, "Remember it was written in the book of life that the children shalt suffer from what the parents do."

But, Darden wants to make the point that under the Constitution, EVERYONE deserves a defense in court. He says, "After centuries of a history of black men hung from trees without trial, or after the thousands of cases of black men tried, convicted and executed without counsel ... I cannot understand why in 2019 some people would deny a black man his 6th Amendment right to counsel of his choice."

6:58 AM PT -- TMZ Sports has obtained the 911 call placed by Smith's wife from the school ... and she says Zach was irate -- "yelling" at the principal until cops arrived.

More trouble for former Ohio State coach Zach Smith ... cops say they arrested Urban Meyer's ex-assistant after he got into an altercation with officials at his children's elementary school Thursday.

The Delaware County Sheriff's Office confirms to TMZ Sports that Smith showed up to Scioto Ridge Elementary School in Ohio to pick up his kids at around 3 PM.

The problem? They say because of a civil protection order with his wife -- who was already at the school -- Smith was NOT allowed to be there until 6 PM.

When school officials confronted Zach ... cops say an altercation took place -- and Zach was eventually arrested for violating the protection order.

Per jail records, Smith was booked at 6:24 PM and has not been released yet.

As we previously reported ... it's been a nightmare past year for Smith -- who was fired from his role as Buckeyes' receivers coach last summer when he was the centerpiece of a domestic violence scandal involving his wife, Courtney.

She accused him of abusing her on several occasions ... and while Zach denied ever getting violent, he admitted things had gotten physical during heated disputes in the past.

The 35-year-old has been out of coaching since his Ohio State departure in July.

T-minus 4 days until Anthony Weiner is back on these streets.

The disgraced ex-Congressman will finally complete his stay at a halfway house on May 14, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. As we first reported back in February ... Weiner got out of prison, but was not yet a free man. He was transferred to a residential re-entry center in NYC.

Once he's officially out, he'll be under supervised release for 3 years and he'll have to submit to DNA testing with his probation officer. He also must register as a sex offender and pay a $10k fine.

As we've reported ... Weiner started serving his 21-month prison sentence in November 2017 after pleading guilty to sexting with a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina. He was initially supposed to get out in August 2019, but good behavior slashed his sentence 3 months to May 14.

As you know by now ... Weiner resigned from Congress after his sexting scandal in 2011. His NYC mayoral run fell short in 2013 after it was uncovered he was sexting Sydney Leathers under the infamous alias, "Carlos Danger."

Dennis Rodman claims he's NOT A THIEF -- telling TMZ Sports allegations he participated in a clothing heist at a yoga studio this week are just wrong.

Or as Dennis put it ... "We didn't steal sh*t!!!"

We spotted the NBA Hall of Famer leaving The Abbey in West Hollywood on Thursday with the same group of friends who were with him at the VIBES Hot Yoga studio in Newport Beach earlier this week.

As we previously reported, the owner of the studio claims Dennis and his crew stole more than $500 in clothing off the racks before breaking (and taking) a $2,500 crystal art piece. The whole incident was captured on surveillance video obtained by TMZ Sports.

But, Dennis claims it's all a giant misunderstanding -- insisting the staffers at the shop told the group they could take "a couple of gifts" in exchange for helping to move the giant crystal art piece ... which is why they grabbed the items.

Rodman never explains why his female companion tried to shield herself from view while stuffing shirts into her purse at the store ... or why the staff needed help moving the crystal in the first place.

"I tried to help ... as the good person I am," Rodman said.

When asked why the store owners filed a police report, Rodman and his crew insisted the yoga place was just looking for "exposure."

Remember, Rodman is still on probation from a 2018 DUI arrest -- but Dennis says he's not worried about this incident possibly triggering a violation because he's adamant he did NOTHING wrong!

"Am I going to jail? No."

Rodman also disputes claims he was drunk during the situation.

The owners of an upscale yoga studio are accusing Dennis Rodman of participating in a brazen daytime clothing heist ... and the whole bizarre thing was captured on video obtained by TMZ Sports.

Here's the deal ... the NBA Hall of Famer entered VIBES Hot Yoga in Newport Beach around 12:45 PM on Tuesday with 3 companions -- 2 women and 1 man.

Almost immediately after they arrived, things got weird -- the owner tells us Dennis began distracting employees while the woman in a long-sleeved green shirt began stuffing clothing into her purse.

At one point, the woman hides behind Rodman while she tucks a shirt away.

Then, things get weirder ...

Rodman's male companion grabs a large $2,500 crystal art piece from the front desk and tries to place it on a steel dolly, insisting he wants to buy it.

But, the guy drops the crystal -- which shatters all over the floor -- and while the staff is distracted, the woman in the green-sleeves grabs another clothing item and again stuffs it into her purse.

Eventually, the entire crew leaves the store with the shattered crystal piece on the dolly. The owner tells us everyone in the group refused to pay. Dennis actually blamed the staff for the broken crystal.

The owner tells us ... the gang left the store with more than $500 in stolen clothing, plus the broken crystal -- so they went to police and filed a theft report.

The owner also says the employees working that day say everyone in Rodman's group reeked of alcohol.

VIBES is a popular spot for the rich and famous in Newport Beach -- everyone from Selena Gomez to Kobe Bryant has been there.

We reached out to the Newport Beach PD -- but they're not commenting.

We also spoke with Rodman's attorney who told us, "We would decline comment. It's premature."

By the way, Rodman is still on probation stemming from a Jan. 2018 drunk driving incident -- so, this could become a VERY big deal for the 57-year-old.

The company that organized what looks like a Woodstock 50 fiasco has just filed a lawsuit against the main investor, accusing the investor of straight-out sabotaging and money stealing.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Woodstock 50 claims in the suit ... Dentsu -- the chief investor -- blindsided them last week when it said they were pulling out, claiming safety concerns. Woodstock 50 says Dentsu was actually up to no good, allegedly draining the festival's bank account of $17.8 million.

Woodstock 50 says Dentsu then went on a campaign to sink any chance of the festival coming to life, contacting a number of agents of performers. The suit doesn't say who was contacted, but some of the names mentioned as possible performers included Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, Dead & Company, and Carlos Santana.

The suit claims Dentsu told various performers and agents Woodstock 50 was off and implied to them that they'd try to get them a spot at a 2020 Olympics event ... which Dentsu is sponsoring.

"Little Women: LA" star Christy Gibel says she needs court-ordered protection against her husband, and she needs it now ... TMZ has learned.

The reality TV star filed court docs Wednesday in L.A. County asking a judge to grant her a temporary restraining order against her hubby of 5 years -- Todd Gibel.

Our Christy sources claim Todd has been making life for her and her 19-year-old daughter from another relationship miserable in a number of threatening ways. For one, Christy says Todd has been impersonating her via email and shutting her out of her social media accounts. She also suspects he's been ripping up her mail.

On a more petty level ... Christy says Todd's been doing stuff like unnecessarily raising the temperature in the house to unbearable levels. For that reason and others ... Christy says she fears for her life and needs a force field between her and Todd.

The married couple has certainly been going through a tough time lately, as Todd has been battling depression. He told us late last month that he'd be seeking treatment to better his condition -- which he explained was severely affecting his marriage to Christy.

At the time, Todd said ... "Right now Christy and I still live together, but we are just co-existing."

There's been more drama at home, it seems, in recent days -- social media posts Todd's been putting up paint a picture of constant arguing over family coming to visit and their dogs.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, Todd even called cops late Sunday night ... complaining about Christy's pup not shutting its yap when her niece came to visit. We're told cops instructed them to figure it out amongst themselves.

They tried doing that by boarding all three of their dogs up for a day -- Monday, we're told -- but it appears Todd's now fighting with Christy about that too ... saying she's not releasing his own dog, Elvis, to him and holding it hostage against his will.

Kim Kardashian is making house calls to some of the inmates she's recently helped free -- as one of them in North Carolina just discovered -- and she's pitching in to get their lives back on track.

This is pretty incredible -- Azaria Algarin's twin brother, Paul, got out of Central Prison in North Carolina on April 19 after serving 7 years, but while he was locked up he asked for Kim's address so he could send her a letter because he'd heard of the prison reform work she's been doing.

Azaria says she thought her bro was being ridiculous and it was a pipe dream that Kim would even read his letter, let alone respond. Turns out she did ... with a personal visit to meet him and his family.

Kim and Kanye West flew to Charlotte Tuesday -- the day after attending NYC's Met Gala -- to meet Paul, Azaria and their mom. She also brought a doctor to discuss removing Paul's face tattoos so he can have a fresh start post-incarceration. Kim and Kanye are covering the cost for the procedure.

Azaria's floored by the gesture, saying ... "Never in a million years did I think Kim would write him back (or even read his letter), fly in right after the met gala (not to mention her 4th baby is due at any minute), invest in our family & laugh / relate to us over the smallest things."

Azaria tells TMZ the group had lunch at The Lights Juicery & Cafe, then went to MedSpa nearby for Paul's first lasering session to remove his facial ink.

She says ... "I’m so proud of my brother for taking steps in the right direction," and she's grateful for Kim's involvement in "such a special day that I will forever cherish."