Crime & Arrests

Jussie Smollett's going from "Empire" star to "punk ass bitch," IF it turns out he staged the homophobic, racist "attack" -- so says Reza Farahan who adds ... an apology won't be nearly enough payback.

We got the "Shahs of Sunset" star out Monday in L.A. and he didn't pull a single punch in his assessment of the latest Jussie news. Reza tore him to pieces as soon as we brought up the story TMZ broke -- that the Osundairo bros. told cops Jussie rehearsed the "attack" days before it all went down in Chicago.

Watch the clip ... Reza's anger came pouring out because he says he had passionately defended Jussie.

Jussie Smollett rehearsed the "attack" against him days before the incident and it was all staged for the camera, this according to what the 2 brothers told cops.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, Abel and Ola Osundairo told cops they got in a car with Jussie and scouted a location, settling on the one right outside the actor's apartment. The brothers said Jussie chose the spot because he believed a camera would have captured the action.

Our sources say the brothers told police Jussie said he wanted to make it a "physical thing," but not to the point he'd be seriously injured.

On the night Jussie says he was attacked, the brothers claim they showed up at the scene but were extremely nervous because, just as they played out the scene, a car drove by and they were worried they'd be ID'd.

Our sources say the brothers performed per the rehearsal -- they screamed out they recognized Jussie from "Empire" and then hurled the racist n-word and the homophobic f-word.

The brothers told cops they "made contact with Jussie's face" but it was "weak." They said they didn't know how he suffered the bruises but the staged fight was not designed to injure him.

Check out this video of Abel ... if he wanted, he could do a lot of damage.

TMZ broke the story ... when cops arrived, Jussie took them down to the area he said the "attack" went down and pointed to the camera, saying it was good the incident was captured on video. What he didn't know was that the camera was pointed in the wrong direction and didn't capture the incident.

4:02 PM PT -- A rep for Josie Harris tells us she's also not connected with the project.

10:31 AM PT -- Delicia Cordon also denies involvement with the show. Still, our production sources tell us producers still plan on moving forward with the project.

7:30 AM PT -- Evelyn Lozada's camp tells us she was contacted by producers and had discussions about joining the show, but ultimately turned down their offer to appear in the program.

The woman accusing LeSean McCoy of masterminding a violent robbery at her Georgia home is now trying to take her story to TV ... and she's not alone.

TMZ Sports has learned Delicia Cordon -- along with Evelyn Lozada, Josie Harris and Micaela Sanchez -- are all working on a TV project about surviving abuse.

Cordon is currently suing the NFL running back -- claiming he orchestrated the July 2018 incident when someone broke into her home and pistol-whipped her while stealing valuables. McCoy has denied all wrongdoing.

Evelyn Lozada married NFL star Chad Ochocinco in July 2012 -- but filed for divorce 6 weeks later when he headbutted her during an argument.

Josie Harris was attacked by her baby daddy Floyd Mayweather in 2010. Floyd was convicted and spent 2 months in jail for domestic violence.

Micaela Sanchez has a child with Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith. They're locked in a legal battle because she claims he's been violent towards her. He's adamantly denied her allegations.

We're told the series was partially inspired by "Surviving R. Kelly" -- and producers are still looking for other women to join the project. Sources tell us producers are currently speaking with TV networks and other digital media outlets in hopes of making a deal.

Cops nabbed a guy they say pulled the home invasion that forced Magic Johnson's daughter to run for her life.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... LAPD identified the suspect after reviewing surveillance video from the neighborhood where Elisa Johnson's friends were renting a house back in December.

We broke the story ... 2 armed men got inside the home and started terrorizing Elisa's friends, holding them at gunpoint and making off with a Rolex, cash and electronics. She was able to escape out of a sliding glass door at the back of the home.

Our sources say the suspect is a 25-year-old man with a long rap sheet. In fact, we're told he was at his parole office when cops picked him up. He's now facing multiple robbery charges for the home invasion and is being held without bail. We're told the 2nd suspect remains at large.

As we reported, Elisa -- who appears on her brother EJ Johnson's E! reality show -- ran down the street and knocked on neighbors' doors, until she got someone to call 911.

A grand jury will hear the Jussie Smollett case early next week ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

Law enforcement sources connected to the investigation tell TMZ, the 2 brothers who were arrested and then released are staying somewhere around the Loop in downtown Chicago under the watchful eye of police so no one gets to them. We're told cops especially want to make sure Jussie does not contact the brothers.

We're told when police raided the home of the 2 brothers they found magazines with pages torn out, and authorities are now trying to determine if the missing pages are connected to the threatening letter that was sent to Jussie 8 days before the alleged attack.

Our sources say early on they asked Jussie if he'd sign complaints against the 2 men who attacked him and he was clear that he would. But, when he found out the 2 brothers were the ones in custody we're told he said he knew them, felt bad for them and declined to sign the complaints.

Our sources say although cops believe the brothers purchased the rope that was around Jussie's neck after the incident, there is no surveillance video at the hardware store because it erases after a week.

We're told the way they tracked the 2 brothers down was by their movements in arriving and leaving the scene around Jussie's apartment building. As we reported, they left in either a cab or a rideshare, but we're told cops tracked the vehicle and the 2 brothers got out on their way home and into another vehicle. As one source put it, "It was almost like a bad spy movie."

The sources say there were red flags from the get-go. Cops were extremely suspicious when Jussie took them out to the area where he said he was attacked and pointed to an obscure camera saying how happy he was that the attack was on video. Turns out the camera was pointing in the wrong direction. Cops thought it was weird he knew the location of that camera.

And, there's this. We're told investigators didn't believe the 2 alleged attackers screamed, "This is MAGA country," because, "Not a single Trump supporter watches 'Empire.'"

And, a few loose ends ... we're told when cops picked up the 2 brothers at O'Hare Airport, police were armed with 3 warrants for each man, one of which was to seize their phones.

We're also told there is no video of a "rehearsal" of the attack in the street.

Jussie and his lawyer have vehemently denied the attack was staged, maintaining this was a hate crime.

Anthony Weiner is no longer behind bars, but the disgraced ex-U.S. Congressman still has a few months in federal custody before he's freed ... still earlier than originally expected.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Weiner's been transferred out of a Massachusetts prison and into the custody of a Bureau of Prisons residential re-entry center in New York. We're told he's either in a halfway house or home confinement.

Weiner's now in pre-release status, which inmates often get as they approach the end of their federal sentence. The purpose is to prepare them to transition back into society.

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

We're told that is still his scheduled release date.

Weiner served his time at the Federal Medical Center in Devens, Massachusetts where they offer treatment for sex offenders. As you know ... Weiner has a long, scandalous history.

Weiner resigned from Congress after his first sexting scandal in 2011. He ran for NYC mayor but that bid was derailed in 2013 when he was found sexting Sydney Leathers under the infamous alias, "Carlos Danger."

The convicted sex offender saw his marriage fall apart the third time around. Huma Abedin filed for divorce just hours after Weiner struck a plea deal in the latest sexting scandal. Making matters worse ... Huma was a top aide to then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton when federal investigators found hundreds of thousands of Clinton's emails in Weiner's laptop ... forever changing the course of the 2016 Presidential election.

Ex-NFL star Larry Johnson is sick of watching young players like Kareem Hunt make the same STUPID mistakes he made as a player ... and wishes they'd "get their heads out of their asses" and reach out for help.

"I hope these guys will start realizing that there's nothing you've done that other players haven't done already," the former K.C. Chiefs running back told us.

Of course, Johnson was a STUD in his prime -- but, his NFL career was marred by off-the-field issues ... including violent incidents with a woman.

But, Larry says he's a changed man now -- he's learned the hard way -- and wants to make sure other talented players don't throw away their careers because they're too dumb to learn from his mistakes.

"Hopefully young guys will start reaching out to older players who have been in these situations before they get themselves in these situations," Johnson said.

"I wish these young players will get their heads out of their ass and really use the veterans to help them stay away from these issues."

8:15 PM PT -- Jussie's lawyer just responded with this ... "As a victim of a hate crime who has cooperated with the police investigation, Jussie Smollett is angered and devastated by recent reports that the perpetrators are individuals he is familiar with. He has now been further victimized by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack. Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying."

6:15 PM PT -- Chicago PD's Chief Communications Officer confirms the case has taken a turn based on details provided by the brothers, saying ... "The information received from the individuals questioned by police earlier in the Empire case has in fact shifted the trajectory of the investigation."

He adds that police have reached out to Jussie's attorney to request a follow-up interview.

Jussie Smollett has turned from a presumed victim to suspect in the criminal investigation into the alleged racist, homophobic attack, and sources say there is mounting evidence the 2 brothers who were arrested and subsequently released were acting at Jussie's behest and reportedly paid.

Our sources say the brothers -- both of whom worked on the "Empire" set -- "completely cooperated" with Chicago cops during their interrogation over the last few days.

One law enforcement source tells TMZ at least one of the brothers turned over his phone and there is a call between him and Jussie in the vicinity of the "attack," but before it happened.

CNN is reporting the brothers purchased what looks like the rope Jussie had around his neck at a Chicago Ace Hardware store. CNN is also citing law enforcement sources saying Jussie paid the brothers to orchestrate the phony assault.

Various sources in the Chicago PD have told TMZ almost from the beginning there was wide sentiment Jussie's version of events were false, despite the party line that he was the victim of a crime.

As we told you ... the Nigerian brothers never fit the profile of Jussie's alleged attackers, even when they were arrested for battery. Not only are they not white -- which contradicts Smollett's claims from the beginning -- but "Empire" cast and crew sources tell us they're very close to Jussie ... and they're pro-LGBTQ and anti-Trump too.

Chicago PD released Abel and Ola late Friday night due to "new evidence" gathered from their interrogation ... and said they're no longer suspects.

The brothers' lawyer, Gloria Schmidt, says her clients were released based on the key info they gave the cops ... and they have a story to tell "when the time is right."

The lawyer for the 2 men who were arrested and then released in connection with the alleged attack on Jussie Smollett says the new evidence that has changed this case is something her clients told cops.

Attorney Gloria Schmidt was at the Chicago police station Friday night, after her clients, Ola and Abel Osundairo, were released from custody. Schmidt said the "new evidence" that triggered the release of her clients was something they knew and presumably told cops.

Our photog asked Schmidt flat out if the "attack" was staged, and she answered obliquely, saying there were moving parts and she didn't want to speculate.

As we reported, Ola and Abel both worked on "Empire," and Abel was especially friendly with Jussie.

And, something else interesting ... she wouldn't answer why her clients went to Nigeria the day of the alleged attack, but added it was a "great question."

The 2 men who were arrested, then released Friday night, in the Jussie Smollett case are pro-LGBTQ and anti-Trump, which has people on the "Empire" set scratching their heads.

We've spoken with "Empire" cast and crew, and they say Ola and Abel Osundairo do not fit the profile of racists and homophobes -- not even close. As we reported, both men have been extras on "Empire" for years and both are friendly with Jussie, and Abel is especially close to him. We're told Jussie would frequently approach the brothers on set and chat about health and fitness.

Our Empire sources say Abel especially is an ally of the LGBTQ community, and neither have ever said anything positive about Trump. They're both big Obama fans.

We're told Abel worked as an "Empire" extra as recently as a month ago. They're considered family on the set ... well-known and well-liked by cast and crew.

The folks we've spoken with say they find it impossible to believe Ola and Abel have the DNA of criminals who would carry out the acts that Jussie describes -- and obviously cops now believe that as well.

Police arrested the brothers for battery Friday after cops raided their home Wednesday and seized a long list of items, including several bottles of bleach. However, late Friday Chicago PD released the brothers due to "new evidence" gathered from their interrogation ... and said they're no longer suspects.

7:30 PM PT -- Cops are releasing the Osundairo brothers and they won't be charged.

Chicago PD says, "Due to new evidence as a result of today's interrogations, the individuals questioned by police in the 'Empire' case have now been released without charging."

Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi added that detectives have "additional investigative work to complete."

Police have now arrested 2 men in the Jussie Smollett investigation -- 2 men with ties to "Empire" -- and TMZ has learned they were booked for battery.

The men are brothers from Nigeria named Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, and Chicago cops are now calling them "potential suspects" ... as opposed to persons of interest. We know it was their home cops raided Wednesday and seized a long list of potential evidence ... including several bottles of bleach.

As we reported ... cops picked up Ola and Abel, their nicknames, on Wednesday night at O'Hare Airport.

A Chicago law enforcement source tells us the next step may be a lineup in which Jussie will be asked to identify the culprits. This raises a potential problem because, as we first reported, Jussie initially said his attackers were white and yelled "MAGA country."

The Osundairos, from Nigeria, just don't fit that profile.

As you know, Jussie has stated the men in the dark, grainy image released last month are definitely his attackers. Police are not confirming the Osundairo brothers are the men in that photo.

Ola played a prison inmate on season 2 of "Empire." It's unclear exactly how well they know Jussie, but we know Jussie follows their joint Instagram account. Abel also says he's worked on "Empire."

Both brothers describe themselves online as actors and models.

Jaylon Ferguson -- the projected 1st-round pick who was disinvited and then reinvited to the NFL Combine -- ain't sweating the drama one bit ... telling TMZ Sports, it's only gonna HELP his draft stock.

Here's the backstory ... the 23-year-old Louisiana Tech pass rusher was reportedly arrested for fighting at a McDonald's during his freshman year. He was later convicted of simple battery.

Per NFL rules ... if a player is found guilty of a misdemeanor or a felony involving violence -- their Combine invite will be pulled.

Since Ferguson went on to become the NCAA's all-time career sack leader (with 45) -- NFL teams are VERY interested in him. Which makes the Combine drama even more interesting.

Ferguson's story has blown up on social media -- where people are arguing Ferguson deserves an opportunity to attend the Combine if only to explain his side of the story to GMs ... and on Friday, the NFL caved.

Jaylon still won't be able to work out at the annual event ... but, he's at least now able to go and interview with teams -- and he says he's JACKED for the opportunity.

But, Ferguson also says this whole drama is only going to HELP him get picked higher in April's NFL draft.

"Now that I got my name out there more, more people know me. More people heard of me."

As for the fighting incident ... Jaylon says it's a non-issue, telling us, "I'm not even the same person."

Ex-"Deadliest Catch" star Jake Harris is sitting behind bars -- and has been for more than 3 weeks -- after he was arrested for felony DUI and drug possession ... TMZ has learned.

The incident went down back on January 23 in Skagit County, Washington where cops say the 33-year-old wouldn't identify himself to park rangers, who tried pulling him over. Harris took off with his RV, forcing state troopers to chase him down and force him to stop ... according to docs obtained by TMZ.

Cops say the trooper noticed signs of drug use once they pulled over Harris -- pinpoint pupils, bloodshot eyes and pale face. They also say he could not stand still ... shaking the entire time and talking fast. Meanwhile, a K-9 alerted cops to drugs in the RV.

Cops say they found a half ounce of heroin and other paraphernalia associated with the selling of drugs. Cops say they also found a shotgun Harris claims he bought from someone for $150 and a "ball" of heroin. Turns out it was stolen.

He was arrested and charged with 4 felonies -- DUI, possession of a controlled substance, maintaining a vehicle or premises for drug trafficking and possession of a stolen firearm. They also hit him driving on a suspended license.

Harris was skipper of the Cornelia Marie before leaving "Deadliest Catch" in 2012, and has struggled with drugs.

His bail's been set at $200k.

Glen "Big Baby" Davis won't go to jail after he was allegedly caught with a quarter-pound of weed ... TMZ Sports has learned the ex-NBA star cut a deal in his case and is officially off the hook.

The former Celtics PF was busted back in February 2018 after cops say they found 126 grams of marijuana on him along with $92,164 in a briefcase at his Maryland hotel.

He was arrested and hit with 7 charges -- including a felony count of drug possession with intent to distribute ... which carries a maximum of FIVE YEARS in jail.

But, Davis reached an agreement with prosecutors last month to avoid time behind bars ... agreeing to pay the maximum fine of $15,000 in exchange for having the charges dropped.

Technically, the case was placed on the "Stet docket" -- which, in Maryland, means the case is essentially inactive, but not entirely erased. The case can be reopened if Davis missteps in the next 3 years. It's NOT a conviction. Davis did not have to enter a plea.

Davis' attorney, Margaret Mead, tells us it was a "reasonable resolution" to the case ... adding, "He wants to make a comeback and he's certainly not a drug dealer. He's not any of those things."

Davis played in the NBA from 2007 to 2015 -- winning a ring with the Celtics in 2008 -- and piled up 4,111 career points.

8:40 AM PT -- When 21 Savage turned himself in Friday morning at the Liberty County Sheriff's Dept, he was booked for theft by deception.

He was released on his own recognizance and will get his day in court to face the charge. Unless, as we expect, he settles up the $17,000 tab with the club promoter.

21 Savage is facing a felony warrant, just days after he was released from ICE custody ... TMZ has learned.

We've learned in 2016, 21 was booked to play a club gig in Southern Georgia. We're told 21 got a $9,500 advance from the promoter and got the $7,500 balance when he showed up at the club.

For some reason, 21 bailed without taking the stage, but still left with the money. In all, the promoter claimed she was out $17,000.

The promoter went to cops in October 2016, filed a police report and then filed paperwork to get a felony warrant for theft by deception. The warrant was issued, but sat for more than 2 years.

Our sources say, after 21 was picked up by ICE on Super Bowl Sunday, the club owner decided to pursue the criminal case. The promoter called the sheriff's office to pick 21 up on the warrant.

21 showed up at the Sheriff's Dept. Friday in an attempt to clear up the matter ... presumably by repaying the promoter and having the matter go away.

21's lawyer, Abbi Taylor, tells TMZ, "Mr. Joseph has committed no criminal offense. We look forward to an amicable resolution between the parties in the near future with no criminal implications whatsoever."

It's obviously critical that the case is dropped, because a felony could torpedo 21's chances to stay in the U.S.

Comedian Russell Peters got involved in a serious situation at a jewelry shop, when he hopped to action and helped take down a wannabe thief ... and it's all on the security footage.

In the vid, obtained by TMZ, Peters is seen walking around the NYC Diamond District store Tuesday scoping some bling with one of the workers, while a man in a dark stocking cap is being attended to nearby by another employee.

All of a sudden, the guy in the cap gets up and darts away but gets stopped at the door ... which gets Russell's attention. The employee appears to try to apprehend the man, who gets physical and tries to make a break for it, but Peters and the other worker quickly grab him and hold him down before an officer shows up.

Law enforcement sources tell us the 27-year-old perp attempted to make off with a ring valued at $150,000 before he was apprehended by witnesses. Peters is listed on the police report as one of those witnesses.

If you're surprised the funny man is such a badass, don't be. Russell's trained in jiu-jitsu for years under famous black belt Jean Jacques Machado, who also trains Joe Rogan.

Basically, the suspect's lucky Russell only slapped an armbar on him!

Cops have charged the man with robbery and criminal possession of stolen property.

Our sources say Russell was at the store because he's friendly with the owner, and it's safe to say ... his friends and family discount just went up a little bit.