Johnny Depp Warner Bros. Sends Him Packing ... After Wife-Beating Case

Johnny Depp's suffering a huge blow to his career on the heels of losing his wife-beating case ... he's no longer starring in 'Fantastic Beasts.'

The actor says Warner Bros. asked him to step down from his recurring role as Grindelwald in the Harry Potter spinoff franchise, and he's agreeing to walk away.

Warner Bros. confirmed the drastic change in a statement to TMZ, telling us ... Johnny is leaving the 'Fantastic Beasts' family, and with the third-installment already in production, Grindelwald's character will be recast.

As we reported ... Johnny lost his libel lawsuit in the U.K. against The Sun ... which had called him a "wife-beater" in reference to his ex-wife, Amber Heard.

Filing the case was a huge miscalculation on Depp's part -- since the judge agreed he was a "wife-beater" -- and the move by Warner Bros. to cut ties is evidence of that.

Johnny says he's planning to appeal the court's "surreal judgment" and says he won't let the case define his life and career.

YNW Melly Sued for Millions By Alleged Victims' Estates

YNW Melly has a new problem, on top of his trial for murdering 2 of his friends ... the rapper is now being sued by their estates for tens of millions of dollars.

The estates of Christopher Thomas and Anthony Williams filed the wrongful death lawsuits. According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Christopher's estate claims "damages are in the millions or tens of millions of dollars or more."

According to the suit filed by Anthony's estate ... Melly murdered him because of money. The suit says tension began to develop among Melly's friends about how money should be distributed, claiming greed was a factor in the alleged murders because it left fewer people to split up the cash.

YNW Melly's mom, Jamie King, and his manager, Jameson Francois, are also named in both suits. The Williams family claims Melly's manager played a role in the alleged murders, including an allegation Francois transported YNW Melly from the shooting location.

As you know ... Melly's been sitting in a Florida jail for over a year, awaiting his double murder trial for his friends' deaths. When he caught COVID-19, he asked to be let out and placed on house arrest, but the judge said no.

The same families suing him now said he should rot in jail with the virus.

Britney Spears Wants Jamie Ousted as Co-Conservator ... After Biz Manager Bolts

Britney Spears says her business manager quit out of the blue, but she claims her bigger issue is that her dad hired a new manager without giving her any notice.

Britney's legal team filed docs requesting Bessemer Trust Company become the sole conservator of her business affairs ... as opposed to just co-conservator with her father, Jamie. In docs, obtained by TMZ, Britney says the move that set things in motion was an October 28 letter telling her that Tristar Sports and Entertainment Group resigned as Britney's business manager without any prior notice.

She says she's got beef with her dad for hiring Michael Kane of Miller Kaplan to come on as the new business manager without giving her notice or a chance to interview Kane, review the terms of his hiring, or consider alternatives.

Britney also says the move brings serious concern because Jamie's goal "is to introduce a new gatekeeper who admittedly has a major working relationship with [Jamie's] legal team."

Britney claims it's all part of Jamie's attempts to "retain full functional control of her assets, books and records."

Britney says she'll file a petition to remove Jamie as the co-conservator of the estate so that Bessemer can serve that role alone. Earlier this year she requested Jamie be removed as the sole conservator of her business affairs. At that point, she was fine with him staying on as co-conservator, but now she wants him out altogether.

Tekashi 6ix9ine Nine Trey Kidnapper Gets 24 Years in Prison

The guy who helped kidnap Tekashi 6ix9ine -- one of his then-fellow gang members in the Nine Trey Bloods -- just got the book thrown at him for that crime.

Anthony "Harv" Ellison was sentenced Wednesday in a federal court in NYC, where the judge gave him 24 years in prison for the racketeering, kidnapping, and assault charges for which he was convicted last October.

In addition to his time behind bars, Ellison was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. His sentence comes more than a full year after his trial -- where Tekashi infamously snitched ... taking the stand and identifying Ellison as his kidnapper.

The kidnapping was just the tip of the iceberg though -- federal prosecutors successfully nailed Ellison, with Tekashi's help, for various other crimes connected to the Nine Treys.

You'll recall ... Tekashi was initially tight with Ellison, until their relationship soured -- after which, Ellison planned out the kidnapping scheme to get revenge ... according to T69's testimony anyway. Tekashi was abducted, taken for a ride around town, pistol-whipped and extorted for money -- some of which was captured on camera and played for the jury at trial.

7/22/18
TEKASHI ABDUCTED

Tekashi's then-GF was actually seen on camera handing over a bag of goods in exchange for Tekashi's safe return. That, coupled with Tekashi's snitching, helped seal Ellison's fate.

It's one of the last pieces of fallout from Tekashi's infamous turn on his old pals. As you might recall -- Tekashi himself was released from prison somewhat early and allowed to finish out his time at home, with an ankle monitor.

Boxer Adrien Broner Thrown In Jail I'm a Broke Phony With $13 To My Name!

Adrien Broner is having a BAD week -- a judge tossed the boxer back in jail ... and then called him out for being a broke phony who fronts on social media.

"Where's all the money coming from that you're flashing around on Instagram? Whose money is that?!"

That's the JUDGE grilling Broner in court Monday -- demanding to know why he can floss on Instagram, but can't afford to pay his female assault victim!!

Remember, in December Broner was ordered to pay more than $800,000 to a woman he sexually assaulted in a nightclub back in 2018.

On Monday, the judge wanted to know why Broner had been missing deadlines and hadn't been paying the judgment.

Broner said in court documents filed last month he only had $13 in cash ... but the judge isn't buying AB's story and demanded he come clean about his finances.

In fact, the judge pressed Broner on Monday about an IG post from over the weekend in which he's showing off THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS in cash, spread on a table ... and bragging as if it belongs to him.

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Broner told the judge the money was "sent" to him from rich friends looking to help him out ... and he's not REALLY swimming in cash, like he wants his followers to believe.

The judge wanted to know WHO is sending Broner cash -- and why?!?!?

AB suggested his rich pals like boxer Gervonta Davis and promoter Al Haymon have been hooking him up.

"Listen, I got a big heart," Broner told the judge ... "and when I did have money and everybody asked me for money, I gave it to them and now they see that I need help."

The judge asked Broner what he did with the money. Broner claims he spent the money paying off bills.

Finally, the judge lost her patience with Broner and ordered him to jail for contempt -- saying, "Mr. Broner has continually defied every court order I’ve given ... the jig is up today."

The judge said in the courtroom Broner will have to sit in a cell until he and his lawyers are able to properly provide answers and documents that help lay out a plan for how Broner is going to pay off the judgment against him.

As we previously reported, a woman claimed Broner smothered her and shoved his tongue down her throat at a Cleveland nightclub on June 8, 2018.

The woman went to cops and Broner was eventually hit with charges over the incident. In 2019, he pleaded guilty to assault and unlawful restraint and was sentenced to probation.

The woman also filed a civil lawsuit in the case ... and Broner was ultimately ordered to pay around $800,000.

Broner -- who lost to Manny Pacquiao in his last fight in January 2019 and has been arrested twice since -- said in court Monday he's attempting to return to the ring for a fight in January 2021.

He said after that match, he's hoping to have enough cash to pay off the judgment.

Johnny Depp Loses Wife Beating Case ... Ruling Could Derail His Career

Johnny Depp just suffered a gigantic miscalculation ... he lost his libel lawsuit in the UK in which he tried to clear his name against allegations he abused his ex, Amber Heard, and this could have a seismic impact on his career.

The A-list actor got shot down in his claim against The Sun, one of its editors and its publisher, News Group Newspapers, for an article it published in 2018 where they flat-out called him a "wife-beater" referring to his marriage to Amber Heard in the mid-2010s.

The headline at the time read, "Gone Potty: How can JK Rowling be 'genuinely happy' casting wife beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?"

Depp filed suit, and multiple sources connected to Depp felt this was an enormous mistake because his career had been on the ropes during the Amber Heard divorce and once it was over it looked like he would get through it okay. For whatever reason, Depp lawyered up and filed the case, which again put allegations of wife-beating squarely on the table.

So, the case went to trial this year, with Amber Heard as The Sun's star witness, and she laid out her claims Depp physically abused her during their marriage. Apparently, she was convincing.

THE CRAZY VIDEO
TMZ.com

The judge who presided over the case tossed out Depp's claim after ruling that 12 of 14 claims of domestic abuse against Depp were "substantially true." In other words, the judge found evidence of spousal abuse.

Heard's legal team praised the decision, while Depp's lawyers vowed to appeal ... claiming the judge completely overlooked contradictory evidence. Of course, their turbulent relationship was well-documented ... including the infamous finger-tip incident, among other private moments -- which were secretly recorded -- that showed him raging at Amber.

Fact is ... this isn't Depp's only defamation case involving allegations of wife-beating -- he's still got a second case here in the U.S. against his ex-wife. He's suing her after she claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse -- without naming him -- in a WaPo column.

Now Depp is left with convincing studios to forget the allegations and hire him to star in movies. In today's climate ... that's a tall order.

BLM New York Chapter Co-Founder Hawk Newsome Arrested ... During Chaotic Protest

One of the co-founders of the Black Lives Matter chapter in New York was arrested this weekend ... and the takedown is on video.

Hawk Newsome was on the front lines of a protest in NYC Sunday, where BLM demonstrators were reportedly facing off with Trump supporters in the streets ... with cops in riot gear in the mix as well. At one point, Newsome came face-to-face with several officers.

In the clip, it looks like he has his hands up and isn't resisting or posing an immediate threat before a bunch of cops force him to the ground in an aggressive manner. After that, it appears a bunch of those same officers dog pile him while they try to throw on cuffs.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Hawk -- whose real name is Walter -- was arrested for misdemeanor obstructing governmental administration, as well as two counts of disorderly conduct. We're told police gave him multiple orders to disperse because he and his crew were allegedly blocking traffic, but he refused to do so.

Our sources say Hawk also allegedly pushed the officers and told them to get their hands off him, which is what ultimately triggered the arrest. He was given a desk appearance ticket and released.

These protests have been ramping up in the past few weeks, on both coasts actually. Doesn't seem to be a great sign of what's to come on Tuesday, or anything after that.

Jon Jones Video of Attempted Burglary Chases Perp with a Shotgun!!!

NOVEMBER 2020
ROBBERY GONE WRONG
Ring

Jon Jones' fists are as good a weapon as any, but when it comes to someone allegedly trying to steal his crap at home ... nothing gets the job done like a 12-gauge!

The UFC superstar posted security footage that he says was captured at his home -- presumably, in Albuquerque, where he lives -- that shows what appears to be a man sneaking around his driveway at night, peering into cars ... and trying to make a clean getaway.

Check it out ... as the alleged burglar hears the garage open, he makes a run for it. Little does he know that JJ is a professional athlete. Not only that, he was locked and loaded!

You can see Jon give chase with what he says is a shotgun he owns, and he was catching up to the dude pretty quickly on foot. Both men run off camera, and you don't get to see what happened after ... but Jon broke it down in detail in a follow-up IG caption.

He says he ended up tapping on the driver-side window of this guy's vehicle with the muzzle of his firearm -- to us, that means he caught the dude and held him up at gunpoint and presumably waited for cops to arrive. Jon adds, "Next time you try to rob someone, make sure you’re fast enough to out run them."

Jon went on to say he's smart enough not to gun someone down who's retreating, while also warning young people that material possessions aren't always worth your own life.

Lori Loughlin She'll Serve Full Sentence ... Unless COVID Spreads in Prison

Lori Loughlin will not be sprung early from her 2-month prison sentence in the college admissions scandal, but she does have one possible early out.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, Lori will be isolated for the first 2 weeks of her stay at Dublin Federal Prison in Northern California. That's normal, because prison officials are extremely concerned about the spread of coronavirus behind bars.

There have been federal prisoners who have gotten out early because of COVID -- notably Michael Cohen, who's serving the remainder of his sentence under house arrest -- but given the judge in her case, he's unlikely to spring her early. The judge has made it clear ... he wants her to serve the entire sentence.

The Board of Prisons does have the ability to release her early if COVID spreads at the facility, but so far that's not even on the table.

You may have heard that federal prisoners only have to serve 85% of their sentence, but that doesn't apply to Lori. The 85% rule applies only if someone is serving a sentence longer than a year. That's why you see some sentences that are 1 year and a day, because that makes the inmate eligible for early release. Again, not the case with Lori.

One thing we know ... she didn't vote in the Presidential election ... because she's now a felon.

Beverly Hills Election Lockdown Cops Use Billy Clubs Against Pro-Trump and Anti-Fascist Demonstrators

10/31/20
A Bad Omen
TMZ.com

Beverly Hills may be an omen of what's coming next week, because things got crazy on the streets and cops started swinging their billy clubs at both Anti-Fascist and Pro-Trump demonstrators.

SWAT teams, local police officers and private security were deployed all throughout Bev Hills Saturday in anticipation of major unrest over the next few days. City officials had already announced they'd be doing this -- along with shutting down ritzy Rodeo Drive -- but it appears they wanted to get the muscle out well ahead of time to set a tone.

Check out these shots we got of armored trucks lining the streets, with officers in full tactical gear ... ready to rock and roll if s*** hits the fan. Not only that, but several different shops, storefronts and boutiques along Rodeo were doing a full board-up blitz as well.

Might've been a good move to get the ball rolling on this, because as it turns out ... there are dueling protests happening nearby right now, and violence appears to already be breaking out between anti-fascists and Trump supporters. The former were seen marching toward the latter near the famous Beverly Hills Sign in Beverly Gardens Park. Apparently, these clashing demonstrations have become a regular thing around there, especially lately.

We've got eyes on the ground ... and we're told cops are already breaking up some of the fights, which is leading to more aggressive behavior and violence by default. One of our brave photogs, Melanie, even got shoved to the ground by a cop -- which you see in our clip -- this just seconds after they declared the protests unlawful assemblies and started dispersing the crowds.

If this is any indication of what's to come in the next few days ... we're all in for a world of hurt.

Lori Loughlin Welcome to Prison ... Make Your Bed, Be on Time, but Have Some Fun!!!

Lori Loughlin's started her 2-month stint of hard time, and while the place she's incarcerated in certainly ain't the Ritz-Carlton ... it doesn't sound TOO terrible.

As we reported ... Aunt Becky surrendered Friday to begin serving her sentence at California's FCI Dublin -- a low-security prison -- and we've obtained its handbook outlining what her day-to-day will be like.

First of all, it's still prison -- so there's a very strict schedule for wake-up time (5 AM), quiet hours (9 PM to 5 AM), and inmates must be in their cells for daily counts at 4:30 AM and 9 PM.

According to the handbook ... Lori has to make her bed every day and can be disciplined if she doesn't keep her cell tidy, and the same goes if she sleeps in late or misses meal time.

She'll be in government attire only -- no personal clothing -- and will have to maintain a regular job assignment ... which might include clerical work, cooking, baking, food prep, dishwashing or general cleaning.

OK, so what about the good stuff? Well, Lori and her fellow inmates can listen to music on an approved radio or mp3 player -- as long as it's nonwork hours -- and there's a TV ... but nobody's allowed to change the channel.

The real perks seem to be in the leisure activities and programs provided by FCI Dublin ... including hobby craft classes, wellness classes, structured exercise, sports leagues and holiday events.

Prize bags, treats and certificates are even awarded for participation in health education and exercise ... and the sports opportunities are endless.

For example, Lori can get involved in basketball, volleyball, track, softball, and tennis at the prison's outdoor facilities ... or partake in bingo or a ping pong tourney indoors. Or, she can just workout.

However she decides to pass the time, she's still got 2 years of supervised release after she does her prison time.

Lori Loughlin Officially Starts Prison Sentence for College Bribery Scandal

Lori Loughlin has surrendered to authorities to officially begin her 2-month prison sentence for her role in the college admissions scandal.

The "Full House" star reported to FCI Dublin in California on Friday, nearly 3 weeks before her November 19 deadline to do so ... bringing her one step closer to finally closing a dark chapter in her and her family's lives.

As we previously reported ... Lori and her husband, Mossimo, agreed back in May to plead guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Mossimo also agreed to plead guilty to honest services wire and mail fraud. You'll recall Lori and Mossimo were accused of paying $500k in bribes to get their daughters into USC and faking a photo that made it look like the girls were college-caliber rowers.

Lori also must pay a $150k fine and will be on 2 years of supervised release when she gets out. She also has to perform 250 hours of community service. Mossimo will serve 5 months in prison with a $250k fine and 250 hours of community service.

Remember ... the fact that Lori's now headed off to prison is a massive about-turn after vowing to fight the charges. As for why they had a change of heart ... they were facing multiple felonies and potentially decades behind bars.

Lori's the latest celeb to serve time for their role in the college bribery scandal. Felicity Huffman was sentenced to 14 days behind bars but ultimately was released after 11 days.

Tamar Braxton's Ex-BF Car Attack Vid is Un-Releasable ... You Smashed Up the Damn Thing!!!

Tamar Braxton challenged her ex to release video allegedly showing her attacking him in his car, but he's saying he can't -- 'cause Tamar busted the camera to pieces.

A rep for David Adefeso -- who recently got a TRO against Tamar over this -- tells TMZ her recent plea on "The Tamron Hall Show" for him to show his cards as far as evidence is moot ... because she knows damn well she destroyed his camera, ensuring there's no video evidence.

Not only that, but the rep tells us David's dashcam only captured front and back views from the car ... it didn't record anything inside the vehicle, something we're told Tamar would know if she had just asked before jumping to conclusions and acting hastily.

The rep says the destruction of David's property after the alleged attack ended up costing him upwards of $1,600. In fact, he's now claiming he had to shell out more than $7,500 total for other damage she allegedly caused in the violent episode this past August.

You'll recall ... David ran to court seeking protection in September, claiming Tamar punched him in the throat while he was driving ... almost causing him to crash. David also alleges she's threatened violence on him via goons from her ex-husband. A judge granted the TRO.

Since then, Tamar went on the 'Tamron Hall Show' to give her side of things -- claiming there was no violent act captured on David's camera or an audio recording she made in the moment.

David's rep tells us he feels Tamar and her fam twist the truth to fit whatever narrative best suits them -- basically dismissing her emotions on Tamron's show as crocodile tears. One last thing, the rep claims reality star Malika Haqq saw this whole thing go down, but has refused to cooperate with cops whatsoever. She hasn't commented on at all thus far.

IG MODEL DEYANA MOUNIRA Sues Over Aroused Dog Photo Shoot

April 2018
DOGGYSTYLE

Instagram model Deyana Mounira claims her career was derailed by a photo shoot with an aroused pooch humping her leg ... and she's seeking legal payback against its owner.

Deyana just filed suit against Tony Toutoni, the guy who owns the Russian royal terrier seen on video humping the bikini-clad model by a pool.

According to the new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Deyana claims her promising career hit a major speed bump when Tony lured her to the April 2018 photo shoot, which she says turned out to be a scam.

In the docs, Deyana says the shoot was a bait and switch for a perverse stunt, which saw Tony encouraging his pooch to "f*** her" on camera in order to get content for his IG account ... which she labels "misogynistic."

You'll recall ... Deyana was initially sued by Tony, who claimed she sexually aroused the pooch, named Hef, by playing with its genitals. Deyana claimed she was the real victim, and said Tony was the one sexually harassing HER.

In her suit, Deyana also claims Tony falsely reported her to the FBI ... and tried to grope her while attempting to get in her in bed at the shoot location.

Deyana, through her attorneys Ben Meiselas and Dev Das, is going after Tony for money and other relief.

BTW, Tony's lawsuit was eventually dismissed, but Deyana says she racked up a hefty legal bill for her defense.

Felicity Huffman I'm Free as a Bird ... Your Turn, Lori

Felicity Huffman has finally put the college admissions scandal firmly in her rearview mirror ... and she's reached the finish line before Lori Loughlin even got started.

The 'Desperate Housewives' actress is officially off supervised release, and her legal team says she's completed all other aspects of her punishment -- including her 2-week prison stint in the Bay Area and 250 hours of community service.

So, that's a wrap for Felicity on Operation Varsity Blues.

Felicity's got a reason to celebrate now ... and as we first told you, the first thing on her list is getting her passport back so she can leave the U.S.!!!

Of course, her travel options are limited due to the coronavirus pandemic ... but hey -- or should we say, hola -- there's always Mexico! There are also countries like Canada that won't let her in since she was convicted of a felony.

With Felicity finishing her sentence, all eyes are on Lori ... the 'Full House' star has to surrender to the Bureau of Prison's by Nov. 19, but we're told she's expected to turn herself in beforehand to begin her 2-month sentence behind bars.

Offset Cuffed, Released After Bev Hills Run-In with Trump Crowd

UPDATE

6:56 PM PT -- Bev Hills PD says they've arrested Marcelo Almanzar, Cardi's cousin, for possession of a concealed loaded weapon. Offset was only detained, but has been released. His camp says he's on his way home now.

UPDATE

Meanwhile, we're told Cardi is, understandably, concerned about her cousin.

Offset was just put into handcuffs in Los Angeles, this after apparently having some sort of run-in with Trump supporters, who were out and about in force.

The Migos rapper was detained by cops Saturday in Beverly Hills, where he actually live streamed a good majority of the encounter on Instagram. The video starts with Offset having a conversation with some officers who pulled him over. He tells them he's not getting out of the car, and he's not removing his hands from his steering wheel either.

According to him, it sounds like officers might've had their guns drawn ... because somebody claimed Offset had actually waved firearms at people from his own vehicle. Offset disputes that on camera, and says somebody was following him on the street.

Eventually, he's pulled out of the car and put in handcuffs. It's unclear if he was arrested -- we're being told by people directly in his camp that he was NOT, but was detained. Another twist to this ... we're told Offset's car was actually attacked by Trump supporters, which seems to be backed up in video Cardi B posted.

In her video, she and Offset were cruising together in L.A., when they came upon some sort of a caravan going on in support of the President. Cardi captured tons of pick-up trucks with Trump flags and American flags flying ... which she said was freaking her the hell out.

SCARY SITUATION
@iamcardib / Instagram

Cardi also recorded what appeared to be a few Trump supporters near their car in some sort of alleyway, covering their faces and flaunting water guns. We're working on getting more details now from the police.

Originally Published -- 6:09 PM PT

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