CELEBRITY JUSTICE ™

Tyler Perry's nephew appears to have killed himself behind bars -- but the answer officials are giving the family doesn't have them convinced it wasn't foul play.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the filmmaker's 26-year-old nephew, Gavin Porter, was found dead in his cell Tuesday night at a prison facility near Union Parish in Louisiana. We're told Gavin's immediate family -- which includes Tyler's sister, who's Gavin's mom -- was told by prison officials he had hanged himself with a bedsheet while in solitary confinement.

Our sources say the officials told the fam Gavin had gotten into a fight with another inmate over the weekend and was placed in solitary. We're told that around 6 PM, guards checked on Gavin and found nothing of concern.

Our sources say guards came back at 8 PM Tuesday and found Gavin dead. He had hung himself with bedsheets. We're told the family has been notified there's no foul play in the death -- but our sources say Gavin's family isn't necessarily buying the story.

Gavin was arrested for shooting and killing his biological father back in 2016 -- in front of his mother -- after cops say an argument erupted between the two. He pled no contest to manslaughter and was sentenced to 20 years.

Antonio Brown just posted an email showing his legal team was thiiis close to closing a $2.7 million settlement with his sexual assault accuser in 2019, but the deal ultimately fell through.

TMZ Sports has confirmed the email -- dated August 30, 2019 -- is real. And we're also told the case in question is the lawsuit filed by Brown's former personal trainer Britney Taylor.

As we previously reported, Taylor filed her lawsuit on Sept. 11, 2019 -- claiming Brown sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions, including a violent rape in 2018.

But in the days before Taylor filed, Brown's attorneys were working on striking a private settlement deal with the accuser to keep her from going public with her allegations.

In the email from Brown's attorney Bruce Zimet to AB, the lawyer explains, "Just got a call from Mediator that she accepts $2.7 million. Am awaiting written confirmation."

Sources connected to the case tell us something went sideways before the deal could be closed and Brown did NOT end up writing that check.

ESPN has previously reported that it was Brown who personally blew up the deal. Though details surrounding his decision remain murky.

Harvey Weinstein's got prison officials in NYC thinking twice about how to deal with him behind bars -- because their biggest fear is another Jeffrey Epstein-like suicide.

High-ranking officials at NYC's Department of Corrections tell TMZ ... there's anxiety running through the ranks about another "Epstein Incident" and the scrutiny that would follow if HW offed himself on their watch, which is why an action plan is in place.

For starters, we're told one possibility is that Weinstein will be housed in a private section of Rikers Island's North Infirmary Command, which is for high-profile inmates or guys with health issues -- Harvey fits both. He could land in the "ANNEX," with the other dudes falling apart.

Once he's there and all checked in, our sources say HW will probably get his own cell with round-the-clock surveillance cameras watching his every move. And, when he's out walking around, we're told he'll have DOC officials escorting him. There's a reason for that.

You'll recall ... Epstein's death was put under a magnifying glass when he hanged himself in his cell, while guards were supposed to be checking in periodically. That whole thing's still being investigated right now, but in any case ... officials don't want that with Harvey.

In fact, we're being told people at NYC's DOC don't even want Harvey as a prisoner -- we're told he's seen as a huge risk, and there are talks of trying to ship him elsewhere.

In the meantime, though, we're told Weinstein's milking his stay at the Bellevue Hospital he was taken to this week after complaints of chest pains. Sources tell us he's got his own room there, and that the conditions are much nicer than what's waiting for him at Rikers.

Of course, if they can't get the guy off their hands ... DOC might have to look after HW for the next several years. He's facing a minimum sentence of at least 5 years after Monday's conviction.

Jussie Smollett says the truth will set him free -- literally -- as he ramps up for a second round of fighting criminal charges in Chicago.

The ex-"Empire" star was leaving LAX Tuesday when a photog ran into him and asked to see how he's holding up. His lawyer says he's a tough cookie, but Jussie laughs it off -- it's pretty clear he's going through it, and seems to think at least that much should be obvious.

Of course ... we're talking about Jussie getting re-charged for allegedly lying to cops about the hate crime he claims was perpetrated against him by MAGA-hat wearing thugs -- this after the State Attorney's Office dropped the original 16 charges against him almost a year ago.

He's pled not guilty again, and his legal team has filed a motion for the case to be dismissed over double jeopardy -- which basically means you can't prosecute someone over the same offenses twice. Jussie and his lawyer talk about that, plus other possible defenses.

The photog asks point-blank ... which is it gonna be, JS -- telling 'em you didn't do it, or hope double jeopardy saves ya? Watch ... Jussie says there's only one thing he can count on.

Ex-'Bachelorette' star Chad Johnson is under arrest after police investigated a couple of alleged fights between his girlfriend and him ... TMZ has learned.

LAPD took Johnson into custody Monday evening, and according to law enforcement sources his current GF, Annalise Mishler, called 911 because he was at her apartment and they'd gotten into a heated argument.

Annalise told cops Chad -- known as the bad boy from JoJo's 'Bachelorette' season -- was also at her apartment on Sunday, but she says that time things got physical. She claims Johnson was drunk and not only punched a hole in her wall, but also got physical with her.

Officers who responded Monday to Annalise's home, found she had visible red marks on her face. That was enough for cops to arrest Johnson, and according to our law enforcement sources, he's been booked for felony domestic violence and robbery.

We're told the robbery charge stems from Annalise's claim Chad snatched her phone away from her while she was calling 911.

Long before she called cops ... Annalise had put Johnson on blast on social media. Mishler, who is a YouTuber, posted a video Sunday night to her IG ... showing the hole she claims her BF punched in her wall.

She also posted video allegedly showing Johnson screaming at her, saying "I hope you f**king die" after she'd kicked him out of her place.

Vanessa Bryant has just sued the company that owned the doomed helicopter that crashed, killing Kobe, Gigi and 7 others ... claiming the aircraft should never have been placed in the peril it was in before the Jan. 26 accident.

The lawsuit alleges Island Express was only allowed to fly under visual flight rules, and the conditions the day of the crash were not conducive for such flying. As we reported, the fog was extremely low and the pilot was in blinding conditions before the mishap.

The lawsuit also says the pilot was going 180 miles per hour in the heavy fog in a steep decline in the moments before it crashed in Calabasas, CA.

The lawsuit claims the pilot failed to properly monitor and assess the weather prior to takeoff, failed to obtain proper weather data prior to the flight, failed to abort the flight when he knew of the cloudy condition, failed to maintain control of the helicopter and failed to avoid "natural obstacles" in the flight path.

The suit says Island Express engaged in unnecessary and needlessly risky means of transportation under the circumstances.

The suit also asks for damages for "pre-impact" terror -- damages for the emotional trauma Kobe and Gigi suffered as the pilot struggled to get out of the clouds before the crash.

The lawsuit also says the pilot, Ara George Zobayan, was disciplined in 2015 for violating the visual flight rule minimums by flying into an airspace of reduced visibility.

The lawsuit also claims the helicopter was not safe, although it doesn't say what was unsafe. It could be the basis for the claim is that the helicopter was not certified to fly in bad weather.

The lawsuit does not list an amount of damages sought, but Vanessa is asking for punitive damages, claiming the pilot and Island Express were reckless, and the damages could be untold millions.

The suit seeks damages for loss of love, affection, care, society, service, comfort, support, right to support, companionship, solace or moral support and expectations of future support and counseling. The suit also seeks money for loss of financial support and for burial and funeral expenses.

Harvey Weinstein is guilty of 2 of the 5 charges he faced in his NYC criminal trial -- but he was found not guilty on the charges that could have put him in prison for life.

The jury found Weinstein guilty of 1st-degree criminal sexual act and 3rd-degree rape. He could get up to 25 years in prison just for the criminal sexual act. However, the jury found him not guilty on 2 counts of predatory sexual assault charges. Those carried a possible life sentence. He was also acquitted of 1st-degree rape.

A jury of 12 people -- 7 men and 5 women -- finally reached their verdict after 5 days and about 22 hours of deliberations. This comes after an interesting turn on Friday ... when the jurors sent a note to the judge asking if they could be hung on 2 counts of predatory sexual assault and unanimous on the others.

The judge told them to go back deliberations, and they worked it out by Monday morning.

As we reported ... Weinstein pled not guilty to 5 felony charges relating to sexual misconduct. The charges were based on the accounts of 2 women ... Miriam Haley, a TV and film production assistant who worked on "Project Runway," and former actress Jessica Mann.

The prosecution rested its case 2 weeks ago after 12 days of witness testimony. In total, 6 women testified against Weinstein, including Haley and Mann. Last Tuesday marked the start of jury deliberations.

As we reported ... Mann testified under oath that Weinstein began manipulating her as soon as he met her, allegedly forcing himself on her multiple times and raping her at a hotel in Manhattan.

Weinstein's defense argued he had a consensual relationship with Mann lasting for years after the alleged sexual assault. He maintained all sexual conduct was consensual.

During closing arguments, Weinstein's lawyer, Donna Rotunno, ripped into the prosecution, saying prosecutors, "created a universe that strips adult women of common sense, autonomy and responsibility," arguing Weinstein's accusers acquiesced to sex because they thought it would advance their careers.

However, Prosecutor Joan Illuzzi-Orbon countered in her closing argument, saying Weinstein's accusers “were merely ants that he could step on without consequences.”

The disgraced Hollywood mogul felt he couldn't get a fair trial in New York, claiming the jury pool was tainted ... but the case proceeded.

Jussie Smollett is back in a Chicago courtroom, and you've gotta see the ruckus his arrival created outside ... as his supporters made sure they were heard.

Jussie was flanked Monday morning by an entourage of about 10 people -- some of them family members -- as he made his way into his arraignment on 6 new felony counts of lying to cops. At least one photog went down in a heap at Jussie's feet while he tried to get into the courthouse.

In the video, you can hear Jussie's backers chanting, "What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!!!"

We're expecting the ex-"Empire" star to enter not guilty pleas to all 6 charges in the new indictment, which calls the 6 charges "disorderly conduct," but all involve allegations of lying to cops.

Interestingly, Abel and Ola Osundairo also showed up at court this morning. There's no reason for them to be at his arraignment -- we know they'll be testifying against Jussie, but that's weeks down the road.

As we reported ... the special prosecutor, Dan Webb, said Jussie "planned and participated in a staged hate crime attack, and thereafter made numerous false statements to Chicago Police Dept. officers."

You'll recall, Jussie claimed he was attacked in Chicago by 2 white men ... alleging the men put a rope around his neck and doused him with bleach. He claimed they also yelled racial and homophobic slurs. As the investigation unfolded, 2 black men -- brothers Abel and Ola Osundario -- were detained and they told police Jussie paid them to stage the attack.

The special prosecutor effectively re-opened the controversial case nearly a year after Cook County prosecutors dropped all 16 felony counts against Smollett in March 2019. At the time, they called it a "just disposition and appropriate resolution," but not an exoneration.

Jussie's attorney, Tina Glandian, questioned the timing of the indictment. State Attorney Kim Foxx also questioned the timing. Jussie maintains he's innocent. If convicted, he faces up to 3 years in state prison.

Hilary Duff got in the face of a photographer whom she felt was invading her privacy by snapping pics of her kids during a soccer game -- but he didn't back down on video.

The 'Lizzie McGuire' actress posted the confrontation on Instagram Saturday, showing her walk up to a guy on the sideline of her one of her kids' soccer game and ask him who he's there with ... and what exactly he's doing taking pictures of the children.

It's pretty tense ... the man says he's not there with anyone but himself, and HD demands to know why -- if he isn't with anyone or isn't affiliated with anyone on the team -- he's out there taking pictures of 7-year-olds. His smug answer ... 'cause it's legal, lady.

The implication here is that this dude may be a paparazzi photog, and was only out to snap pics of Hilary and her children ... something she's dealt with before in similar fashion.

Something Hilary might wanna take into account the next time she encounters one of these photog hounds trying to get photos of her and/or her kids ... it actually ain't legal like the man claimed -- at least according to California law, where this appears to have happened.

In 2013, Gov. Brown signed SB 606 into law, which made the photographing of minors because of a parent's "employment" (AKA celebs) illegal if it falls into the area of harassment, annoyance, alarm, or torment without legitimate purpose ... punishable by up to a year in jail.

Chris Tavarez, the actor from the Disney Channel hit "K.C. Undercover," is going to jail for several months for an alleged domestic violence incident, and that's after striking a plea deal.

According to the LA Superior Court ... the 27-year-old pled no contest to 1 count of felony domestic violence with a prior conviction. He's been sentenced to a suspended 5-year prison sentence but will only serve 300 days in county jail. He's also getting credit for 153 days already served.

That leaves him with a little less than 150 days behind bars. Tavares will also have to take a 52-week class on domestic violence awareness, and complete one year of an outpatient alcohol program.

TMZ broke the story ... Tavarez was busted back in November after allegedly flying into a rage during a fight with his GF, who suffered a concussion. As we reported, he had a prior conviction for a June 2017 spousal battery case .... so, it was a near certainty he'd get a jail sentence this time around.

Tavarez is best known for playing Darien on 'K.C.' ... which starred Zendaya.

"Mob Wives" star Drita D'Avanzo isn't losing sleep over her gun and drugs case anymore, but her husband -- he's still sweating it out.

According to the DA's Office in Staten Island ... prosecutors have dropped all charges against Drita, 2 months after cops raided the house where she and Lee D'Avanzo live. The announcement was made in court Thursday morning with Drita present.

The DA now says Drita was NOT the target of the search warrant. As for Lee, the feds are now taking over -- he's been indicted for possession of firearms and weed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.

Outside of court, Drita told reporters, "I have no time to celebrate because my husband is not home, but I am very happy with the outcome. All I'm focusing on right now is the fact that this turned out good."

Kevin Hart wants the judge to throw out his sex tape lawsuit ... just like he says the legal papers were thrown out of a car window and left on his driveway.

According to new legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- the actor claims he was not properly served in the case filed against him by Montia Sabbag ... Hart's alleged sex tape partner who sued him for $60 million, claiming he and his friend conspired to tape their encounter.

Hart wants the suit dismissed because he claims the process server "simply threw a set of papers out of a car window in view of a security guard" outside the gate of his home.

The security guard's photos of the drive-by drop-off appear to show the legal papers lying on the ground outside the server's car. The security guard claims he doesn't live at Hart's residence, and wasn't authorized to accept service of a legal complaint.

Due to the improper service ... Hart wants the judge to dismiss the case.

We broke the story ... Sabbag sued Kevin back in September, alleging her 2017 encounter with him in a Vegas hotel room was all planned by Hart and J.T. Jackson -- his friend who was later charged for extortion.

A youth org. claims LeBron James straight-up jacked their "More Than An Athlete" slogan for his Uninterrupted brand ... and now they want more than $33 MIL to make things right!

Game Plan -- a Maryland based nonprofit, which guides young athletes to achieve professional success in an out of sports -- claims they've been using the slogan "I Am More Than an Athlete" since 2016 and they obtained the trademark in 2018.

The problem ... Game Plan is convinced LeBron James saw Game Plan staffers wearing "More Than An Athlete" shirts at a Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Washington Wizards game in 2017 and stole it for his Uninterrupted brand. In fact, the staffers even posed for a pic that day with Wizards star John Wall.

Game Plan says in their lawsuit ... "The attendance at the game gave Game Plan tremendous exposure, as it was able to gain attention from John Wall in front of his peers including the (arguably) most famous athlete in the world, as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, at the time, LeBron James."

In court docs filed by Game Plan, they claim Bron loved the phrase so much, he began using it in 2018 as a response to the infamous Laura Ingraham "Shut Up and Dribble" incident.

After the Fox News host made the comment on air, James went to social media and posted a picture of a neon light sign that read, "I Am More Than an Athlete."

Since then, Game Plan says LeBron and Uninterrupted have monetized the hell out of the slogan -- striking deals to use "I Am More Than An Athlete" with Nike, ESPN and the NBA2K video game.

Game Plan says they own the rightful trademark and are entitled to all profits that have been made from it -- seeking no less than $33 MILLION.

They're suing Uninterrupted, Nike, Disney and Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.

So far, no comment from LeBron's camp.

Damon Dash says his ex-wife, Rachel Roy, has been hiding stacks of cash that are rightfully his -- the fruits of her fashion company's labors -- so he's suing her for fraud.

Dame is pissed off about the Rachel Roy Brands of clothes -- which include several lines Rachel sells in Bloomingdales and similar department stores. In his suit, he says the company is FLUSH ... earning profits in the millions each year. His issue is his cut of that pie.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Dame claims Rachel conspired with several other companies involved in keeping RRB afloat ... to hide the amount of money that was due to go in Dame's pockets.

He's pretty colorful and complete with his allegations, claiming they "manipulated, diverted, misappropriated, transferred, concealed and embezzled funds."

Rachel and co. allegedly submitted fraudulent accounting, withheld payments, and undervalued Damon's share of RRB. Dame says he was an original member of Rachel's company when she formed it in 2008 -- they were still married then -- and as such he's entitled to royalties.

Far as Dame can tell, the alleged shell game with his money started in 2014 when a royalty payment of $175,000 was withheld. He claims that happened again in 2015 with a $200,000 check.

In the suit, Damon says he had a verbal agreement with Rachel that she would re-purchase his interest in RRB for $1 million -- but she reneged with no explanation.

He's not only suing Rachel, her companies and more than a handful of others -- accountants, lawyers and such -- he claims conspired against him.

Former 'Love Island' host and well-known UK personality Caroline Flack died in her home this weekend after taking her own life -- this just weeks before she was set to go to trial.

The longtime reality TV presenter was found dead Saturday in her London apartment -- which her family confirmed in a statement to the British press. A family spokesman says, "We can confirm that our Caroline passed away today on the 15th of February. We would ask that the press both respect the privacy of the family at this difficult time."

Sky News reports Flack had killed herself, citing an attorney for the TV star.

Caroline was set to face a judge on March 4, pertaining to an assault case she was fighting there across the pond. Her tennis star boyfriend, Lewis Burton, had accused her of attacking him with a lamp at their home -- for which she was charged and pled not guilty.

In December, she had stepped down from her 'Love Island' hosting role and was keeping a low profile, out of the public eye. On Instagram, however, she doubled down on her proclaimed innocence, and vowed not to be silenced and to keep living her life.

Several famous British TV presenters and hosts expressed shock over news of her death. Several people say the British press treated her harshly and unfairly -- criticizing the sympathetic tone several outlets and papers are taking today upon her death.

Besides 'LI,' Caroline had an extensive on-camera resume ... having appeared as a guest, panelist, judge and presenter on shows like 'Big Brother,' 'X Factor,' "Celebrity Juice," "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!," "Britain's Got More Talent," 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,' "Viral Tap," "Loose Women," "Sunday Brunch," "Strictly Come Dancing" and more.

She was 40.

RIP

Jussie Smollett's alleged accomplices in staging a hate crime are speaking on camera for the first time since Jussie was hit with felony charges again ... and they're practically pleading for him to come clean.

The Osundairo brothers -- Abel and Ola -- were leaving Fina Estampa restaurant in Chicago Friday afternoon when they opened up about Jussie ... and how they feel about the whole debacle.

Ola starts by telling us they are praying for Jussie to "build up the courage to finally tell the truth" ... clearly implying they're sticking to their story -- that it was all a hoax perpetrated by Smollett.

Abel, who's walking with his brother and their lawyer, Gloria Schmidt, goes on to say the brothers feel remorseful for being involved in the incident and causing people pain ... especially real victims of hate crimes who may have been marginalized because of what they did.

As we reported ... Jussie's facing a new 6-count indictment for allegedly lying to law enforcement about his "attack" back in January 2019. He also still has to deal with the City of Chicago's lawsuit against him for around $500k in investigative costs.