Controversial S#!T

Amber Portwood's making her priorities clear ... as she waltzed into an Indiana courthouse to learn if she would lose access to her one-year-old child in her domestic battery case, an MTV camera crew was there lapping it all up.

Amber was back in Marion County Court on Thursday ... with fellow "Teen Mom OG" cast members Catelynn, Maci and Cheyenne anxiously waiting outside the courtroom, and an MTV camera crew was capturing everything.

There was good news for Amber on the legal front ... her no-contact order was lifted, allowing Amber to have supervised visits with her 1-year-old son, James, following her domestic battery arrest. At least from the outside, it seemed like she was more concerned about camera time, though.

Also joining the "Teen Mom OG" stars in support of Amber -- Kristina, the new wife of Amber's ex, Gary. Looks like Kristina got chatty with the reality stars.

TMZ broke the story ... Amber was arrested for domestic battery on July 5 after her boyfriend, Andrew Glennon, contacted cops and claimed she hit him with a shoe while he was holding their child. She also allegedly wielded a machete during the incident.

As we reported ... Amber will almost certainly lose her 'Teen Mom' gig if she's convicted of going after her BF with a machete, because she's already on thin ice with MTV.

You're looking at the BIGGEST TENNIS PLAYER EVER!!!

... seriously, here's Reilly Opelka -- he's 6'11" tall and he just upset John Isner (the highest ranked American male in tennis) at the Atlanta Open!!!

So, what's the best part of being a GIANT on the court?

The 21-year-old stopped to talk to TMZ Sports about the pros and cons of being Shaq-sized ... and it's super interesting.

There's definitely one big advantage on the court ... and he put it on display during the Isner match.

Opelka was the 57th ranked player in the world going into the Isner match. Isner was #14.

Still, Reilly came out on the winning side of a tie-breaker in the final set and now, he's set to play Dan Evans in the quarterfinals on Friday.

Besides the tennis talk, we HAD to ask about the height! What's it like finding tennis clothes when you're a 7-footer? And, since he's got crazy athletic skills, was he recruited over to the basketball court?

We ran through it all with Reilly -- and the dude couldn't have been nicer.

One of the homes that became a gruesome murder site at the hands of the Manson Family has been sold ... appropriately to Zak Bagans, the star of "Ghost Adventures" ... TMZ has learned.

The house was owned by Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, the couple brutally murdered by Manson family members. Rosemary was stabbed 41 times ... Leno 12 times. The August, 1969 murders came the day after Manson Family members slaughtered Sharon Tate and 4 others. The murders sent shock waves through Los Angeles like never seen before.

We're told Zak jumped when he heard the home was up for sale for $1.98 million. He literally ran to check out the house, and made a close-to-asking offer. It'll close in early Sept.  He was smart to jump, because the realtor tells us there were multiple backup offers.

The news comes the day before the official opening of the Quentin Tarantino film, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," starring Brad Pitt and Leo DiCaprio. The sale will close JUST after the 50 year anniversary of the murders.

Zak tells TMZ, as a collector of dark culture, he was drawn to the home's history. It was such a gruesome scene ... after committing the murders, the Family members showered at the home before leaving.

Zak says almost everything inside is original, and that's one of the main things that attracted him.

The house is 1,600 square feet and has 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. It also has explosive city views.

Zak won't say what he plans to do with the house, but says it has a storied history beyond just the Manson murders. He says dogs have mysteriously disappeared from the property and occupants have been freaked out over what he says is paranormal activity.

Robert Giambalvo from Redfin realty has the listing.

A$AP Rocky has just been charged with a crime after spending weeks in a Swedish jail ... prosecutors just hit him with Assault Causing Actual Bodily Harm stemming from a street brawl in the country's capital ... and if convicted he could spend 2 years behind bars.

The prosecutor said A$AP will continue to be held in jail pending a trial ... and the trial date has not been set, although it could be today. A rep for the prosecutor tells TMZ the trial will be held within the next 2 weeks. The prosecutor expects the trial will last 3 days.

Two members of Rocky's crew have also been charged with the same crime and they will also be held pending trial.

The Swedish prosecutor just boasted he had access to more information than people on the internet. He said he's reviewed video and also talked to witnesses, and determined the claims by Rocky and his 2 crew members of self defense and provocation didn't hold water, despite the fact the alleged victim is the one who unrelentingly harassed and attacked Rocky and his crew first.

The prosecutor says he also considered the alleged victim's statement, which he says was supported by witness statements. We're told the alleged victim admits striking A$AP's bodyguard with a set of headphones, but only after the bodyguard lifted him off the ground by his neck, so the prosecutor viewed the headphones attack as self defense. BTW, the lifting by the neck is not on video, and interestingly, if the prosecutor really felt the bodyguard was the aggressor he would have been presumably charged ... and the bodyguard has already been cleared.

The charge has been 3 weeks in the making ... A$AP has been in jail alongside two of his associates since turning himself in to Swedish authorities earlier this month. Prosecutors inadvertently played their hand last week, announcing they were going to charge the Harlem rapper ... and on Thursday the hammer finally dropped.

The only good news for Rocky ... he and his crew will not be charged with Aggravated Assault, a more serious crime which carries a 6-year prison sentence.

As we reported ... the man who attacked A$AP's crew in the streets of Stockholm will NOT be prosecuted for any crime, even though he incited the violence and kept harassing Rocky until he eventually snapped.

In the initial video ... you hear A$AP attempting to diffuse the situation, playing peacemaker and saying no one wants to go to jail.

In video from the street brawl ... A$AP finally loses his cool, throwing his attacker to the ground and absolutely pummeling the guy.

The Swedish justice system is not bowing to pressure from the U.S. government ... with the Prime Minister essentially telling President Trump and the State Dept. to butt out after their attempts to free A$AP.

A$AP's mom thinks Sweden is out to get her son, and she believes it's because he's black ... even though A$AP himself says he won't make race an issue in his assault case.

Titans star O-lineman Taylor Lewan straight-up cried on camera Wednesday ... and it's all because he says he accidentally ingested a banned substance that could lead to an NFL suspension.

Lewan -- Tennesee's 3-time Pro Bowl left tackle -- is facing a 4-game ban after the NFL says he tested positive for ostarine -- a substance that essentially works like anabolic steroids.

Lewan made a video to explain the situation ... and adamantly says that while he did NOT knowingly take the substance -- he is responsible for it getting into his body.

"I want everybody to know that I've never taken this supplement knowingly and I've never cheated the game and I never will."

Lewan says he even took a polygraph test -- which he says he passed (and promised to share later on social media) -- to prove he didn't purposely take the drug.

Taylor then began apologizing to his team, and that's when he got emotional ... breaking down in tears.

"It's just hard," Lewan says ... "I'm sorry to the Tennessee Titans and the fans that I won't be there for 4 games."

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports there's still a chance Lewan could avoid suspension pending the results of further tests ... but Taylor was still apologetic, nonetheless.

Meek Mill is getting a second shot at justice -- his 2008 gun conviction was just thrown out ... and he's being granted a new trial AND a new judge to re-fight the charge.

A panel of judges handed down their decision Wednesday in Pennsylvania Superior Court -- saying Meek does in fact deserve a new trial, with a new jury ... and most importantly a new judge who ISN'T Judge Genece Brinkley ... who many believe had it out for him the first time around.

Meek celebrated the decision on social media, writing ... "As of right now I’m not on probation and I am not a felon anymore," adding a bunch of praying hands. He went on to say, "today was mega!!!"

As we reported, the key witness in the case turned out to be a dirty cop. Even the prosecutor wanted a new trial -- especially after Meek was released from prison over a year ago -- but Judge Brinkley wouldn't budge. This time around, a panel of 3 judges who were not previously involved in the case unanimously made the decision to throw out the conviction.

You'll recall ... Meek has been through the ringer over the past two years in Philly. He was thrown back in prison back in the fall of 2017 after Judge Brinkley found that he'd violated his probation on at least two occasions from recent arrests ... one for allegedly getting into a fight at an airport, and another for reckless driving.

Despite both cases being dropped, Judge Brinkley found that the arrests alone were violations of his probation from his '08 case ... and harshly sentenced him to a 2-4 year prison sentence.

Meek was locked up for a little while -- with many people fighting for his freedom from the outside -- until finally in April of 2018 ... he was cut loose by the Supreme Court of PA, which overruled Judge Brinkley, who refused to let him out. He walked out of prison and straight to a Philadelphia 76ers game right afterward, with his entire journey documented from helicopter.

Meek just said, "I'd like to thank the Pennsylvania Superior Court judges for their wisdom and their transparency in reviewing my case, unanimously overturning my conviction and granting me a new trial. The past 11 years have been mentally and emotionally challenging, but I'm ecstatic that justice prevailed."

He goes on ... "This positive outcome wouldn't have been possible without the support of my family, my attorneys, Jay Z, Desiree Perez, Michael Rubin, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office and my supporters who have stood with me through the ups and downs."

Meek makes it clear, not everyone is this lucky ... "Unfortunately, millions of people are dealing with similar issues in our country and don't have the resources to fight back like I did. We need to continue supporting them. I'm committed to working with my team at the REFORM Alliance to change these outdated laws and fix our broken criminal justice system."

Meek's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, who has been a stalwart in the fight to overturn the conviction, says, "In this case although justice was delayed it was not denied!"

The Cleveland Browns are once again standing by Kareem Hunt -- saying they investigated an incident at a Cleveland nightclub involving police ... and feel confident the RB did nothing wrong.

TMZ Sports posted video of Kareem speaking with police officers outside of the Barley House party spot on June 29 ... after witnesses say Hunt was involved in a "small argument" with a friend.

Hunt was neither arrested nor detained that night and left without incident -- but it was a concerning video for Browns fans considering Hunt is on very thin ice following a string of violent incidents in 2018, including a physical altercation with a woman.

With Browns training camp opening up on Wednesday, GM John Dorsey and head coach Freddie Kitchens were asked about the most recent incident ... and they both expressed support for the 23-year-old star.

"Freddie and I both had a chance to sit down with him," Dorsey said. "He understands there's no guarantees in life. He is going about exactly what he has been going about. He is working his fanny off on the field as well as off the field as well.

Kitchens echoed Dorsey's backing ... and even seemed sympathetic towards Hunt.

"You know, it's never been harder to be a player in the National Football League. Everything they do is under a microscope."

"With the advancements of social media and all that kind of stuff, every little thing -- it doesn't matter how little or how small -- it's always gonna be made into a bigger deal."

"Kareem's always gonna have our support, we're going to continue to support him just like we do every player that we have."

Dorsey believes the league has considered the matter to be resolved ... essentially saying he doesn't expect any punishment to come from the incident.

Kareem was released by the Kansas City Chiefs back in November after we published video showing Hunt getting violent with a woman at a Cleveland hotel.

The "Big Brother" house sounds a lot like a breeding ground for racism ... a white houseguest is in hot water after a racially charged joke about an Asian houseguest was caught on camera.

In a clip that was captured on the live feed inside the 'BB21' house this week, you hear Jack Matthews crack a joke about "rice pudding" in reference to Isabella Wang, who is Asian.

The other houseguests who heard the joke -- they are all white, BTW -- don't seem at all bothered by the clearly racist reference ... but people on social media are OUTRAGED.

In another clip captured on the live feed this week, you hear Jack talking about his "rice pudding" comment with another houseguest ... and it seems pretty clear Jack got a stern talking to from show producers. However, he says his joke was misconstrued ... he doesn't explain how.

It's another example of what people are calling rampant racism in the 'BB' house ... former houseguest Kemi Fakunle, who is black, says she was "disgusted by the behavior" in the house ... and some viewers have pointed out 3 minority houseguests got the boot on the same night.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is alive and hilarious!!!

RBG appeared on NPR Wednesday and addressed the deep concerns millions of Americans have expressed over her health and the possibility Donald Trump will get another swing at stacking the court with ultra-conservative justices.

Justice Ginsburg, who was on the ropes late last year with another cancer bout, said, "There was a senator, I think it was after pancreatic cancer, who announced with great glee that I was going to be dead within six months ... that senator, whose name I have forgotten, is now himself dead, and I am very much alive."

BTW ... the politician was Kentucky Republican Senator Jim Bunning, who died in 2017.

Wale says what's happening to A$AP Rocky is an injustice ... and he's defending the rapper from those who think it's actually a dose of karma.

We got Wale leaving Bootsy Bellows in WeHo late Tuesday night, and he spoke his mind on Rocky's situation in Sweden. He says it's totally unfair, and everyone the Swedish government is screwing over in the process deserves some payback ... especially A$AP.

Wale also goes out of his way to praise A$AP's character, which some have called into question since the rapper was arrested for assault early this month. He says he has a good heart and is a caring person ... and he's important to their culture.

If you don't know ... some fans are still pissed at Rocky for distancing himself from the Black Lives Matter movement and the Ferguson protests in an interview a few years back, along with claiming Bill Cosby's innocent.

But, Wale says he knows A$AP is one of the good ones -- despite not choosing his words carefully sometimes and speaking on impulse -- and he wants him back in the U.S.

R. Kelly's crisis manager says he was NOT canned for going on national TV and saying he would never leave his daughter alone with an accused pedophile ... he says he left his post to deal with a family emergency.

Darrell Johnson tells TMZ ... he's stepping away from R. Kelly's defense team so he can spend time with a family member he claims is on their deathbed. Darrell is adamant he was NOT fired, and he's leaving the door open on a potential return as Kelly's crisis manager.

Darrell's removal from Kelly's defense raised eyebrows, because it came on the heels of him telling CBS' Gayle King he would not leave his 21-year-old daughter alone with someone who was convicted or accused of pedophilia.

As you know ... R. Kelly is back in jail and being held without bond after being arrested on 2 federal indictments alleging he made sex tapes with underage girls.

Darrell is walking back his pedophile comments ... he tells us his answers were taken out of context and he says he would have no problem leaving his daughter alone with Kelly.

Beyonce's omission of any Kenyan artists on her 'Lion King' album is a slap to the face and a damn shame -- so says a famous East African, who helped coin "Hakuna Matata."

John Katana -- the frontman of the Chakacha Kenyan band, Them Mushrooms -- tells us he and a bunch of other Kenyans noticed Bey didn't include ANY local artists (big or small) in her new 'Lion King' album, "The Gift" ... a self-described "love letter" to Africa.

While the Disney folks tapped tons of other African artists that are hot and poppin' in their own countries -- for example, Nigerian pop star WizKid, Ghanaian producer Shatta Wale, Nigerian singer Burna Boy, South African artists Busiswa and Moonchild Sanelly, Nigerian stars Tekno, Yemi Alade and Mr Eazi -- they excluded Keynans.

Considering a lot of the scenery, culture and language used in '94's and 2019's "The Lion King" appears to come straight FROM Kenya (or at least East Africa) ... John says he and lots of other Kenyan creatives found it puzzling not one of 'em made the cut for "The Gift."

John and music critics alike have noted the omission, and he's super bummed about it ... especially since he says no one from Disney even reached out to the "Hakuna Matata" OGs.

As we've reported ... a petition was started last year that called for Disney to drop its trademark over "Hakuna Matata," which is a well-known Swahili phrase that John and co. claim to have popularized in their '80s platinum hit, "Jambo Bwana."

Wendy Williams says rappers should absolutely follow the money if it leads them to Sweden ... she says there's no point in turning down shows in the country because of A$AP Rocky.

We got Wendy out in New York City Tuesday and she told us she's totally against the proposed rap industry boycott of Sweden ... because it's money over everything.

The beloved talk show host says rappers have to do what's best for them, and if that means booking shows in Sweden, so be it ... after all, she says they've got to pay their bills by any means necessary.

Wendy's stance on the potential boycott is opposite Slim Jxmmi's position ... the Rae Sremmurd rapper said Monday there's no reason for artists to perform in Sweden as long as A$AP is rotting in a Swedish jail.

Wendy wants A$AP freed, and she feels like he was baited into the street brawl that landed him behind bars ... but she doesn't see the sense in others hurting their bottom lines as a show of support.

Anderson .Paak feels bad for A$AP Rocky, not just because he thinks the rapper's getting royally screwed by Sweden ... but because he's losing something priceless -- time.

We got the "Bubblin" rapper out in NYC Tuesday, and he's among the choir in the U.S. who are outraged that A$AP's still sitting in a jail overseas ... awaiting charges for his role in a fight that -- according to video -- he didn't seem to start.

Anderson says he got angry just watching the video of the guy harassing and allegedly attacking Rocky's crew ... so he can't imagine what it must have been like dealing with it.

A$AP's still dealing with it too -- 3 weeks later -- and .Paak says that's the true outrage of it all. We broke the story ... Sweden might be on the hook to pay Rocky back millions if he's found not guilty, but Anderson tells us that's beside the point.

According to him ... the travesty is A$AP's missing out on valuable time with family and friends and losing experiences he'll never get back.

Boxing star Zab Judah has launched his own investigation into his June 7 fight with Cletus Seldin which left Zab hospitalized with a brain bleed ... with Zab calling for drug test results.

Zab -- a 6-time world champion -- suffered numerous injuries including an intercranial hemorrhage in a TKO loss to Seldin which required emergency surgery after the fight.

Judah is doing much better now ... but he's also really pissed off and looking for answers.

In fact, the 41-year-old has hired the Elefterakis, Elefterakis and Panek law firm to investigate "all circumstances involving the fight."

As part of his investigation, Judah is requesting Seldin's pre-fight urine drug screening sample results so he can see for himself if Seldin was truly clean during the fight.

For the record, Seldin has NOT been flagged for a violation as far as we know.

Judah's attorney wants to be clear that he is making "no formal accusations of misconduct" ... but rather doing their due diligence in the "investigatory stage."

In a statement Judah's attorney says, "To date, our firm contacted the Oneida Gaming Commission as well as the promoter of the fight to obtain the results of the pre-fight urine drug screening. No results have been provided to the Judah camp as of yet."

Lindsey Graham says it SUCKS Tom Cruise's iconic bomber jacket got tweaked just to please the Chinese.

We got the Senator on Capitol Hill Tuesday and asked him about the brewing controversy surrounding "Top Gun: Maverick." ICYMI ... hawkeyed fans noticed in the new trailer that the back of Tom's jacket no longer includes 2 flags from the original 4-flag pattern -- Taiwan and Japan.

If you look closely, the new pattern is replaced by two obscure symbols with similar color schemes. This led to speculation it was done to please China ... given that Chinese tech giant Tencent is one of its film's financiers.

The issue with Japan and Taiwan on the iconic jacket? China's got a tense relationship with Japan in recent years over their fight for islands in the East China Sea. China's also got a complicated relationship with Taiwan ... which the Chinese used to control before Taiwan separated in 1949.

The senator tells us he's still gonna watch the movie cause he's a huge fan -- who isn't?! -- but thinks it sucks China's got this much power in the modern world.