Controversial S#!T

Britney Spears is hoping it's "out with the old and in with the new" in her conservatorship -- a new hearing in the case is going down, and her new hand-picked attorney will have the spotlight.

The judge in Brit's conservatorship will hear arguments Wednesday in downtown L.A. on several issues -- the most important one to Britney -- is who will be her attorney going forward.

Like we first told you ... Britney's longtime lawyer, Sam Ingham, filed paperwork seeking to get out of the case, and she's already decided she wants former federal prosecutor Mathew Rosengart to be her new attorney.

TMZ broke the story ... Britney wants to hire Rosengart, of Greenberg Traurig, LLP, and he's expected to make an appearance before the judge to make his pitch for getting the job. We're told he'll argue she has a right to choose her own attorney on her own accord, without her father, Jamie, getting in the way as conservator of her estate.

Keep in mind, Jamie's probably a bit conflicted because Rosengart will likely seek to remove Jamie as conservator of Britney's estate.

We're told his plan is to explain how Britney has a constitutional right to Due Process ... which includes being able to select counsel of her choice. That certainly exists in a criminal case, and it’s likely Rosengart will argue that the conservatorship is similar to a criminal case because it deprives Britney of her personal liberty.

Remember ... the last hearing had all kinds of fireworks ... as Britney testified before the judge -- accusing her family of using her and controlling her life via the conservatorship, including allegedly forcing her to tour.

She claims she hasn't been able to get married or have any further kids -- which she apparently wants with Sam Asghari -- and made it clear ... she wants to be done with the conservatorship..

We're monitoring the proceedings as they go on, plus the commotion outside -- as there are #FreeBritney protestors who've gathered, like they have done for months now. There are also protestors gathered in D.C.

Stay tuned ...

Chrissy Teigen says she's the newest member of "cancel club" -- and it's been an awful experience she can't wait to end.

It's been a few weeks since Chrissy's publicly commented on her cyberbullying scandal, but she says she can't stay silent anymore and needs to mix it up ... because she's "tired of being sick with myself all day."

According to Chrissy ... it's "weird to pretend nothing happened in this online world but feel like utter sh*t in real life." She says, "Going outside sucks and doesn’t feel right, being at home alone with my mind makes my depressed head race."

So, it seems she's desperately trying to snap out of it by opening up about how she's feeling ... especially how she feels about being "canceled."

Chrissy says, "Cancel club is a fascinating thing and I have learned a whollllle lot. Only a few understand it and it’s impossible to know til you’re in it."

She adds ... "And it’s hard to talk about it in that sense because obviously you sound whiney when you’ve clearly done something wrong. It just sucks. There is no winning."

That said, it certainly appears like Chrissy is trying to get a W ... at least with her followers, who she says she just needed to have an "honest moment" with.

As you know ... Chrissy's been embroiled in controversy ever since Courtney Stodden revealed they were the victim of Chrissy's cyberbullying years ago. Then, more bullying claims from Michael Costello and a few others followed ... and she hasn't spoken about it since.

Joe Exotic just caught a potential break, and while he's not walking out of prison today ... he might get out a little bit sooner.

The federal appeals court in the 'Tiger King' star's case just upheld his conviction for murder-for-hire, but there's a silver lining ... his 22-year sentence has been vacated, and he'll be resentenced.

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the appeals court reviewed Joe's case and upheld the conviction, but determined the U.S. District Court for the Western District in Oklahoma City made a technical error by not grouping the 2 murder-for-hire convictions at his sentencing.

So, Exotic's original sentence will be tossed, and the case is getting sent back to the lower court ... where he'll likely receive a shorter sentence now.

That's the good news, but ... even after the grouping error is corrected, he's looking at a sentence in the range of 17-21 years. Joe was convicted of murder-for-hire after all.

Still, Joe's legal team is celebrating the W. His appellate lawyer, Brandon Sample, tells us he's pleased with the appellate court’s decision. He says, "I knew when I agreed to represent Joe that an appeal would be difficult, but I also knew that the law was on Joe's side."

Sample adds, "I am optimistic that the decision today is but one of many more victories to come for Joe—and his eventual freedom."

The guy who unleashed that racist tirade on his Black neighbor before getting hauled away by police will remain in custody ... a judge was convinced he's too dangerous to be on the streets.

Edward Cagney Mathews, the NJ man arrested over his viral racist meltdown, appeared Wednesday in Burlington County Superior Court, where the judge ruled Mathews poses a high risk to the community and ordered him to remain locked up ... at least for now.

The judge cited Mathews' extensive criminal history, including 20 prior convictions with one violent conviction ... siding with prosecutors who wanted Mathews to remain in custody.

Prosecutors also pointed to previous allegations that he once smeared feces on a neighbor's car, shot out a window with ball bearing ammo and slashed car tires.

Prosecutors also say police installed a surveillance camera at Mathews' housing development but claim he intentionally avoided surveillance ... and they said he's ramped up attacks against neighbors by throwing rocks at cars and through living room windows.

Mathews' legal team wanted him released with certain conditions -- the judge shot that down, but noted he's got 7 days to appeal.

Sha'Carri Richardson is missing one golden opportunity at the Olympics, but that's now opened the door to a very green opportunity ... and yeah, that's a double entendre.

The good folks over at Dr. Dabber -- a vaping org specializing in all things weed -- have extended a cannabis-laced olive branch to the U.S. sprinting star ... it's a high-paying job that doesn't really require a whole lot of physical labor.

The offer is for Sha'Carri to become an ambassador of sorts -- or, more accurately, one of Dabber's "doctors."

Check out the offer, obtained by TMZ, which lays out the responsibilities ... and her whopping $250k compensation.

The company says, "Considering your talent and grace over these past weeks, we would love to offer you the opportunity to work with our team as a spokesperson for Dr. Dabber. This entails testing our award-winning dab rigs and vape pens as a resident 'doctor.'"

It's unclear how long of a partnership Dabber has in mind -- but either way, it's a sweet chance to make some easy dough ... and to kinda stick it to the Olympics for DQ'ing her over a positive THC test.

Win-win, really -- but no word yet if Sha'Carri will accept.

Andrew Brown Jr. was unarmed and posed no threat to law enforcement officers who fired their weapons and killed him earlier this year during an attempted arrest ... this according to a new lawsuit against the officers involved and their bosses.

Brown's estate filed suit against the Pasquotank County and Dare County sheriffs, as well as several of their deputies ... who were allegedly part of the cavalry that showed up on April 21 to execute a search warrant, and ended up shooting and killing ABJ. His aunt, Lillie Brown Clark -- who is also his estate's administrator -- says the killing was without cause.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, the estate says officers showed up to wrangle Brown at his home on suspicion of drug trafficking ... something for which an arrest warrant was issued. However, the estate claims the warrant was invalid because it lacked a signature from a judicial officer.

The estate says a small army of officers descended upon Brown unsuspectingly that morning -- and freaked him the hell out as he was sitting in his parked car in his driveway. Accordingly, the estate says Brown panicked and tried to escape ... and claims he did so without endangering any officers' lives.

The suit says Brown made sure to turn his wheel in an effort to avoid hitting any of the cops ... but the officers still unloaded a barrage of bullets at him and his vehicle -- with a fatal one striking him in the back of the head.

The main argument here is the shooting was completely unnecessary -- as the estate claims Brown was unarmed, posed no threat to officers and was fleeing. It's the same points the family has made in news conferences since his death.

You'll recall ... the family had been asking for the full body cam footage depicting the events leading up to his death, plus the fateful moment he was shot. Pasquotank County eventually released multiple angles of the full encounter.

The estate is suing for excessive force, assault and battery, wrongful death and more. They're asking for more than $30 million in damages.

Harvey Weinstein is officially free to date whoever he wants -- in prison, of course -- now that he and Georgina Chapman's divorce is a done deal.

Court records confirm the judge signed off on their divorce last week. As we previously reported, the disgraced studio mogul and fashion designer reached a divorce settlement way back in January 2018 ... which included divvying up their property, and hashing out a custody arrangement for their 2 kids -- India and Dashiell. The terms of the deal were confidential.

As we reported ... Georgina filed for divorce from Weinstein in 2017. She reportedly started dating Adrien Brody a couple of years later.

As you know by now ... Georgina and Adrien finally went public with their relationship last month when they attended the Tribeca Film Festival together -- and earlier this month they were hanging out in L.A. with Georgina's kids.

Meanwhile, Weinstein is still waiting to be extradited to L.A. to face a slew of sexual assault charges.

He's currently behind bars in NY following his rape conviction there, but as for the divorce -- his rep, Juda Engelmayer, tells TMZ ... "Harvey's only thoughts are happiness for his family and the hope that his children are always cared for and happy. He loves them hopes that they know it, and that one day soon, he can be closer to them."

'Ned’s Declassified' star Lindsey Shaw got sound advice from her "one Black friend" about how to handle her TikTok backlash for seemingly mocking Black creators -- but she went rogue, and now has a bigger mess to clean up.

Daniel Curtis Lee, who played Cookie, Lindsey's on-screen BFF on the Nickelodeon sitcom, tells TMZ ... Lindsey hit him up shortly after her inbox was flooded with hateful comments about her since-deleted video reaction to a TikTok dance trend.

He says he specifically advised her that if she was going to respond to racism accusations, it would be best if she dealt with it in a lighthearted way. Instead, Daniel says Lindsey chose the "crying route," which he says only triggered a feeding frenzy.

As we reported, Lindsey said the backlash was so intense it drove her to quit social media altogether. She posted a tear-filled vid, saying the hate was too much to handle.

Lindsey also said that the intent of her initial video was to point out generational differences between millennials and Gen Zers ... nothing racial.

Daniel says, simply put, his friend of 20 years gave a non-tasteful take, but he does NOT see the 9 words she uttered as racist.

That being said ... Daniel says her reaction video clearly offended people ... and he offers advice (AGAIN!!!) on how she can best handle this going forward.

A woman who's being labeled "Victoria's Secret Karen" broke down in tears and pretended to pass out as she was being recorded by another woman ... who claims the 'Karen' tried to hit her.

This incredible breakdown happened at a Victoria's Secret in Millburn, NJ ... and the woman holding the camera, Ijeoma Ukenta, claims the blonde nearly attacked her right before she started recording.

Ijeoma, who is Black, claims as soon as she started rolling, the woman's behavior changed in an instant -- going from alleged aggressor to playing the full-blown victim. The switch is pretty wild to observe: she falls to the ground and starts crying, complaining Ijeoma is recording her, repeatedly demanding she stop and even chases her around the store at one point.

Interestingly, some shoppers came to the so-called Karen's defense, as Ijeoma continued to record ... something she said she was doing to protect herself from any false claims the woman might make to police. Hilariously, Ijeoma also repeatedly said she was just there for a free panty deal VS was running.

Police eventually showed up, and the woman reportedly told police she was upset about the recording because she was worried the video would be shared online -- it has gone viral -- and she might face repercussions ... such as potentially losing her job.

In the end, neither woman were arrested, but Ijeoma's unhappy with how cops on the scene treated her -- as if she was the aggressor -- and she plans to file a complaint.

Former President Donald Trump threatened to sue over the new book detailing his alleged praise for Adolf Hitler ... according to the author, Michael Bender, who says he was summoned to Mar-a-Lago for a one-on-one.

Bender joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" to discuss, "Frankly, We Did Win This Election: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost" -- and he told us how Trump tried at first to gently spin the content of his book ... before taking a more hardcore approach.

The WSJ reporter says Trump twice invited him to Mar-a-Lago after leaving office ... and while the ex-Prez was gracious with his time, Michael says there was also threatening language involved.

As we reported ... Bender's book claims Trump was visiting Europe in 2018, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI, when at some point during the trip Trump turned to his then-Chief of Staff, Gen. John F. Kelly and allegedly said, "Well, Hitler did a lot of good things." Kelly allegedly pushed back.

Bender claims Trump's response to the alleged Hitler conversation was to call it defamatory during their face-to-face meeting ... which he took as signaling a potential lawsuit if it ended up in the book.

Of course, he did include it ... and told us why he was supremely confident, despite the threat.

Britney Spears wants to be able to pick a new attorney for herself -- an idea with which multiple disability rights organizations agree, and are now putting in writing for a judge.

Attorneys repping 27 different entities -- dabbling in things like AIDS advocacy, civil liberties, autism support, aging assistance and much more -- have filed new legal docs, telling the judge Britney should be allowed to have the ultimate say in who her lawyer(s) will be next.

According to the filing, obtained by TMZ, groups such as Choice in Aging, Disability Rights California, Autistic Self-Advocacy Network and others are pleading their case to the court -- namely, laying out reasons why Brit shouldn't be deprived of being able to make this selection on her own.

The groups say Britney has a right to due process ... which includes selecting her own attorney to help her make informed decisions and communicate effectively in the conservatorship case -- something they say she's specifically asked for in text messages to people like Jodi Montgomery.

Roy Moore just got his ass laughed out of court in his lawsuit against Sacha Baron Cohen ... with the judge essentially telling him he agreed to participate and telling his wife she couldn't win her case because the show segment was so clearly a joke.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the federal judge in the Southern District of New York said Sacha's stunt for his Showtime special "Who is America" was clearly satire, and that no reasonable person would interpret the stunt as asserting fact.

In docs, the judge said the former U.S. Senate candidate gave up his right to sue when he signed a waiver prior to the interview. Even though his wife didn't sign the waiver, the court basically said the stunt was akin to a political cartoon or caricature ... which is protected speech under the First Amendment.

As we reported ... Moore sued Sacha back in September 2018 claiming the comedian portrayed him as a pedophile on national TV. Moore, who insisted he's not a sex offender, said Sacha's prank amounted to defamation and wanted at least $95M in damages.

For the uninitiated ... Sacha disguised himself as an ex-Israeli intelligence officer and waved a wand that could supposedly detect enzymes secreted by pedophiles. The wand went off like crazy when he scanned Roy.

"The Bachelorette" boldly went where it hasn't gone before, and while many fans aren't having it ... it's causing a master debate on what makes for good TV.

On Monday's night's episode, Katie Thurston -- the leading lady trying to find love this season -- came up with an idea for a challenge that "Seinfeld" fans know all too well ... she asked her suitors to withhold from pleasuring themselves.

Co-host Kaitlyn Bristowe presented the challenge to the fellas by calling it "Operation: WOWO" ... which stands for "week off whacking off." Or, as the show dubbed it on Instagram, the "WHOA!!! WHOA!!!" challenge.

As you can see ... Katie's suitors appear incredulous by the turn of events, but likely no more than 'Bachelorette' viewers who had to watch as Kaitlyn spelled it out for them. Or tried to, anyway.

One of the guys, Connor B., rattled off about a dozen euphemisms for masturbation, some of which we've never heard before, and one -- Downtown Lester Brown -- that's inaccurate ... according to an online definition.

Regardless, the WOWO Challenge has caused a notable controversy, with some fans calling it immature and stupid and claiming it flies in the face of Katie's sex-positivity.

Remember, she's the one who brought a vibrator with her when she was introduced to Matt James on his season of "The Bachelor."

"Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide" star Lindsey Shaw is getting dragged for seemingly mocking Black creators on TikTok ... so she's tearfully quitting social media altogether.

Lindsey was in full breakdown mode -- tears streaming down her face -- as she said the flood of hateful comments in her inbox, reacting to a recent TikTok, was too much to handle.

The outrage is over her clip, where she questions -- if not outright mocks -- a new dance trend on the app, and she says a lot of folks are taking issue with the fact she's making fun of Black dancers.

In her TikTok, Lindsey asks ... "Hey, are we okay, what the f*** is this?!?" ... then mimicks the dance.

Lindsey says her critique wasn't about race ... it was simply her playing into the Millennial versus Gen Z trends. Still, she apologizes for offending people, and says she wasn't intending to belittle anyone.

Sha'Carri Richardson won't race in the Olympics ... but she has committed to running again in August -- and she says she's now gunning to put on "a show" at the event.

The 21-year-old -- who was left off the Team USA roster this month due to a failed weed test and subsequent suspension -- will compete in the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon on August 20-21.

The event will likely be the first she runs in following the conclusion of her ban -- which formally ends on July 28.

And, Richardson is hoping to prove she's still one of the most elite runners in the world at the venue ... saying in a statement Monday, "I'm looking forward to running fast and putting on a show."

Event organizers say Richardson has signed up to compete in the 100 and 200-meter races.

As we previously reported, Richardson had been a favorite to medal at the Tokyo Olympics later this month ... but she was suspended 30 days after she tested positive for marijuana following last month's Olympic Trials.

Richardson explained she had consumed the drug to help her cope with losing her biological mother.

USA Track and Field officials, though, still left her off the team, saying, "All USATF athletes are equally aware of and must adhere to the current anti-doping code, and our credibility as the National Governing Body would be lost if rules were only enforced under certain circumstances."

Wendy Williams made light of the murder of TikTok star Swavy on her TV show -- something for which his mother and brother say she now needs to apologize ... because she painted him in a bad light and outright disrespected him too.

We spoke with Swavy's mom and older sibling -- Chanell Clark and Rahkim Clark, respectively -- about the segment Wendy did earlier this week on-camera ... where she introduced Swavy to her audience by comparing social media followers, and throwing up a not-so-flattering photo of him -- this before getting to the lede ... namely, him being killed.

You can see the clip for yourself ... and it's obvious why Chanelle and Rahkim are upset -- not to mention scores of people who watched this at home, who were outraged by her handling of such a sensitive topic. The Millers are in the same boat, as it turns out.

Check out our interview ... Rahkim takes the lead on explaining why Wendy's words were so hurtful. As he points out -- this isn't just another celebrity news gossip story she may normally cover in her day-to-day lineup ... this is their own flesh and blood, and it's real life for them.

As angry as he is, it's probably nothing compared to Chanelle -- whom, BTW, says she saw her son get shot in Delaware Monday, and was actually with him during his last breaths. She flat out tells TMZ ... Wendy owes her/the fam a huge sorry for discussing her boy that way.

The Millers say they felt Wendy misrepresented Swavy as a thug or as someone who dabbled in the street, and that couldn't be further from the truth. So, they're demanding a full mea culpa ... and a correction for good measure.

Fact is ... the young man was already blowing up online, but his mother and brother feel she exposed him to a whole new demographic in the worst possible way -- tarnishing his legacy.