Crime & Arrests

Drake will have to answer questions about XXXTentacion's murder, and the judge is threatening severe consequences if he misses a deposition.

Mauricio Padilla, the defense attorney for Dedrick Williams -- one of the 3 men accused of killing XXXTentacion -- persuaded the judge it's necessary for Drake to answer questions about his 2017 beef with the late "Look At Me!" rapper.

Drake was originally scheduled to be deposed on January 27, but failed to appear and now must sit for the deposition on February 24, via Zoom. If he misses that date, the judge says he better be in court on Feb. 27 or possibly be charged with contempt.

X and Drake have been intertwined through conspiracy theories for years -- mostly based on claims Drake bit some of his musical style, and one of X's IG stories. Four months before his June 2018 murder, X posted ... "IF ANYONE TRIES TO KILL ME IT WAS @champagnepapi IM snitching RN."

XXXTENTACION deleted the post and said he'd been hacked, but still ... Padilla's doing all he can to create reasonable doubt, and for now, the judge is allowing the far-fetched Drake theory to play out.

The trial began earlier this week as defendants Williams, Michael Boatwright and Trayvon Newsome all face life sentences for their role in killing XXX outside a RIVA Motorsports in June 2018.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi says she isn't hearing so much as a peep from across the aisle when it comes to apologies for Republican conspiracy theories about the attack on her husband, Paul Pelosi.

We got the former Speaker of the House Wednesday morning in D.C. on the heels of President Biden's State of the Union address -- where both Pelosis were front and center -- and asked if anyone in the GOP has shown contrition for fueling misinformation about her husband ... especially after the brutal body cam was released.

As it turns out ... nobody has, according to NP -- who also gave us an update on Paul's recovery in general. Sounds like things are looking up, and he's almost on the other side of this. He certainly looked good at the SOTU ... cozying up to Bono in the balcony seats.

When it comes to this apology, though -- it's telling that no Republican has circled back to correct the record, including Sen. Ted Cruz, who was one of those spreading fake news.

Back in October -- shortly after the attack -- he was one of several right-wing politicians suggesting things weren't as they seemed on paper ... even hinting Paul might have known the attacker, David DePape.

Of course, that has since been debunked -- it was nothing more than a break-in/assault which prosecutors say was politically motivated. And Paul was most definitely brutalized, as seen in the since-released video showing the moment officers came to the door.

But, Pelosi says none of that's moved her congressional comrades to offer the slightest mea culpa.

Ron Jeremy isn't going before a jury to face rape charges, because he's being shipped off to a mental hospital ... where he could spend the rest of his days.

The former porn star -- who'd been hit with a 30-count indictment alleging rape, sexual assault and other related crimes -- was committed to a state-run mental hospital in California ... this after being deemed unfit to stand trial.

A judge signed off on Jeremy's fate last month -- ruling that his cognitive ability was in a state of such decline that he couldn't facilitate his own defense.

He can be held for up to two years at the facility ... and there will be periodic checkups to see if his condition improves. The first hearing on his progress is scheduled for early May.

As we reported ... during a hearing last month the judge was informed, after a battery of tests Jeremy was diagnosed with dementia.

They left the door open to continue pursuing charges against him if his condition improves, but for now ... he'll remain at the facility.

Pretty Ricky's Baby Blue is now a free man, kind of, after serving a little over a year in his PPP fraud case, and his bandmates were there to greet him upon release.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons tells TMZ Hip Hop ... Baby Blue was released Tuesday from the Federal Correctional Institution Coleman Low in Florida.

The 38-year-old pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in August 2020, and was sentenced to 20 months in prison ... which he started serving in February 2022.

Blue was transferred to the BOP's Miami Residential Reentry Management Office, which oversees inmates transitioning back to public life. He will stay in community confinement -- either home detention or a halfway house -- until he is officially released from custody on April 4.

Upon his release, Blue was surprised by Pleasure P and Spectacular, Blue's actual brother, who both excitedly live streamed the moment as they promised to celebrate in various ways ... but Baby Blue isn't completely out of the woods yet.

Baby Blue has another 3 years of supervised release, and still has to pay $1,111,345.23 in restitution as part of his sentence.

According to court docs, he forfeited a 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia about a year ago, but that only knocked around $65K off his tab -- so he still owes well over $1 million.

"That's So Raven" star, Orlando Brown is going to get his head checked to see if he's fit to stand trial in his Ohio criminal case ... opening the door to a possible plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ, Brown's attorney is asking for a mental evaluation to see if the disgraced actor is mentally fit for trial.

Orlando's charged with aggravated menacing, a first-degree misdemeanor in Ohio, for his December arrest. The former Disney star previously pled not guilty, but the results of the evaluation could lead to Orlando changing that plea.

In the meantime, Orlando's on house arrest ... he was released from custody Friday after posting bond of about $25,000.

TMZ broke the story ... Orlando was busted back in December after cops in Ohio say they responded to a call about a fight in progress between 2 men.

Cops say the alleged victim told officers Orlando came at him in a threatening manner while wielding a knife blade and hammer.

NASCAR star Kyle Busch says he was detained by authorities in Mexico last month ... after he says they found a handgun in his bag at an airport.

Busch said it all happened following the conclusion of his vacation with his wife, Samantha, in late January.

According to the 37-year-old driver, he was going through airport security screening ... when he realized he accidentally brought his firearm in his luggage.

Busch claims he has a valid concealed carry permit for it -- but its discovery still alarmed authorities, who detained him over it all.

"I was not aware of Mexican law and had no intention of bringing a handgun into Mexico," he said in a statement on his social media page Monday.

"When it was discovered, I fully cooperated with the authorities, accepted the penalties, and returned to North Carolina."

Prosecutors in Quintana Roo appeared to address the incident in a statement released over the weekend. Officials said the defendant, ID'ed only as "Kyle Thomas 'B'" from the state of Nevada, was detained following the discovery of a firearm on Jan. 27. They noted that following an investigation, he was sentenced to three and a half years in prison as well as a fine.

Busch made no mention of a prison sentence in his statement Monday.

"I apologize for my mistake and appreciate the respect shown by all parties as we resolved the matter," Busch said. "My family and I consider this issue closed."

A police officer was blunt with Vontae Davis during his DUI arrest on Saturday ... telling the ex-NFL star straight up, "You almost killed somebody."

The stern chat with Davis was captured on Florida Highway Patrol dash cam footage, obtained by TMZ Sports, after officers said the two-time pro bowler had crashed his Tesla into another car during a wreck on a highway at around 7:50 AM.

In the video, you can see Davis appeared to be dozing in and out of consciousness as officers attempt to question him about the leadup to the accident.

They asked him where he had been, if he had been drinking, if he was injured, and if he'd submit to field sobriety tests. Davis answered some of the questions -- others not so much. He seemed to be slurring some of his words during his replies.

At one point, the video shows he told a cop he had been to a club and had consumed two "mixed drinks" prior to getting behind the wheel. He said he left the venue at around 2 AM, and had no recollection of a car crash.

Officers eventually told him he was under arrest -- and when Davis asked why, one of the cops didn't mince words.

"Your eyes are bloodshot," he said. "Your speech is slurred. You can barely stay awake. All right? You almost killed somebody."

When Davis said he "didn't almost kill nobody" -- the officer responded, "Yeah, man. They were in a truck on the side of the road. You took them completely out. And there was a father and son there on the shoulder."

Davis, who played 10 seasons in the NFL with the Colts, Dolphins, and Bills, was ultimately arrested and booked for DUI.

Former NFL cornerback Vontae Davis -- who last played with the Buffalo Bills in 2018 -- was arrested for DUI in Florida, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

A spokesperson for the Florida Highway Patrol tells us ... officers responded to a crash involving two vehicles on State Road 821 in Florida on Saturday, Feb. 4 around 7:51 am.

Once officers arrived on the scene, they noticed a black 4-door Tesla with heavy front end damage and a bronze pickup Toyota truck with heavy rear end damage.

According to police docs, Davis, who was identified as the driver of the Tesla, failed to maintain control of his vehicle ... and collided with the pickup truck.

The force from the collision caused the pickup truck to hit a nearby pedestrian ... who sustained multiple injuries and was transported to the hospital.

Law enforcement authorities say they observed Davis -- who played ten seasons in the NFL with the Colts, Dolphins, and Bills -- laying down sleeping on the right shoulder of the road.

When police were interviewing Davis, they say they noticed his eyes were bloodshot, and he needed to lean on the barrier to prevent himself from falling to the ground.

Police say they asked Davis if he had been drinking ... he replied, "Yes, I had two drinks. Two mixed drinks."

Officers say they asked Davis if they could administer a standard field sobriety test ... but the ex-NFL CB refused, saying, "No."

Ryan Grantham, who played Jeffery Augustine in "Riverdale", is being held in a prison hospital and is receiving counseling ... as he tries to cope with the guilt of murdering his own mother.

Grantham's attorney, Chris Johnson, tells TMZ ... "Mr. Grantham recently advised me that he’s doing well, getting the help he needs, and has gained some insight into what happened and why. He regrets what he did to his mother."

Sources with direct knowledge tell us, Grantham is getting counseling from the prison psychologist and is occasionally seen by a psychiatrist.

You'll recall, Grantham's attorney was extremely concerned the 24-year-old would be placed in a maximum security prison, as he could be "physically, psychologically and sexually intimidated" due to his frail stature.

Following the attorney's plea to have Grantham relocated, authorities decided to keep the "Riverdale" actor at a prison hospital in British Columbia, Canada, while they decide where he'll serve the remainder of his sentence.

Grantham seems to be taking his treatment seriously ... his attorney tells us, "He realizes that he has a lot of personal work to do, but he’s dedicating himself to that, so that he can hopefully be a mentally healthy and contributing member of society at some point in time in the future.”

Armie Hammer has broken his silence over the sexual assault allegations that have dogged him for 2 years, flatly denying he raped or sexually assaulted anyone, but conceding he was "emotionally abusive" to some of the women with whom he had sexual encounters.

Hammer, who has been categorically canceled since the allegations surfaced 2 years ago, said he not only contemplated suicide, he took action back in February 2021, shortly after the story broke. He says he was in the Cayman Islands and swam out as far as he could, hoping "that either I drowned or was hit by a boat or eaten by a shark. Then I realized that my kids were still on shore, and that I couldn't do that to my kids."

As you know, several women have claimed they were sexually assaulted by him during BDSM sex. One woman in particular, known as Effie, claimed he raped her and the LAPD has been investigating this case for more than a year and a half. As TMZ has reported, law enforcement sources say no charges will be filed, yet the case has languished at LAPD and has still not been referred over to the D.A. for a final decision.

As for the alleged rape, Hammer told Air Mail it was a rape "scene" ... all planned out in advance and fully consensual.  He says it was planned with every detail ... meeting at a Starbucks, following her home, walking in the open front door and engaging in a "consensual non-consent scene." He says, "Every single thing was discussed beforehand. I have never thrust this on someone unexpectedly. Never."

Hammer was asked if he was emotionally abusive to these women. He answered, "One million percent," adding, "I'm here to admit my own mistakes, take accountability for the fact that I was an asshole, that I was selfish, that I used people to make me feel better, and when that was done, moved on."

The allegations of BDSM fantasies and cannibalistic fetishism became a centerpiece for the streamer, "House of Hammer."  The actor was dropped by his talent agency, and publicist, dropped from film projects ... fully canceled.

He has spent time in the Caymans ... selling timeshares to pass the time and make some money.

Hammer says he's done a lot of work to regain sobriety and peace, referring back to what he says started him down a bad path. He says he was molested by a youth pastor when he was 13, explaining, "What that did for me was it introduced sexuality into my life in a way that it was completely out of my control."

He went on ... "I was powerless in the situation. I had no agency in the situation. Sexuality was introduced to me in a scary way where I had no control. My interests then went to, I want to have control in the situation sexually."

Howard Rosenman, a producer on "Call Me By Your Name," also appeared in the Air Mail story, saying "All of [the allegations are] just pure bulls**t, and yes, he deserves a second chance."  He called the reaction to the Armie story, "kink shaming."

Meanwhile, the LAPD still has the case. A law enforcement source told TMZ they were having trouble with some "3rd party witness" that was resisting cooperation. We're told that 3rd party is a company, not a person. We asked our sources why they didn't just get a subpoena to get whatever it needed from the company, but we did not get an answer.

We have asked our LAPD sources when the case will be wrapped up and sent to the D.A. but never got a clear answer. One source who formerly worked closely with Hammer but no longer does tells TMZ, "The fact that LAPD has had this case for 2 years and still hasn't cleared him is f**king insane."

Bryan Kohberger -- the man charged with the University of Idaho student massacre -- is already getting the bizarre affection from women obsessed with alleged mass murderers.

Brittney Hislope has written a series of Facebook posts professing her love for the accused murderer of 4 college classmates, gushing that Kohberger is the “perfect man” for her.

In one post, Hislope said, “My love interest … is named Bryan and is accused of murder, and I just wish to connect with him above anyone else.”

She added, “One way to describe my feelings for him over the last week or so … is kind of like being lovesick.”

Hislope started posting her passionate letters to Kohberger January 4 ... just a few days after the former PhD criminology grad student had been arrested at his parent's home in Pennsylvania for the murders.

The single Kentucky mom, who has a 16-year-old son, pointed out she and Kohberger shared some things in common, such as their astrological signs — both are apparently Scorpios. She also claimed they have similar birth charts, making Kohberger her “divine masculine counterpart.”

In another IG post, Hislop referenced the strange love scene between Jason Patric and Jamie Gertz in the 1987 vampire movie, "The Lost Boys." She said, "Although it’s not very explicit, I’d want to be with my love interest Bryan in those ways.”

Preston Hemphill, the white Memphis police officer involved in the Tyre Nichols arrest who is heard on body cam footage wishing Tyre harm, has just been fired.

The Memphis Police Department announced Hemphill's firing in a Friday news dump ... and he has not been criminally charged in connection with Tyre's death.

Hemphill was one of the first officers to confront Tyre during the fateful January. 7 traffic stop ... and he's alleged to have used his Taser on Tyre.

Hemphill's body cam footage shows him chasing Nichols on foot ... and he's twice heard saying, "I hope they stomp his a**."

As you know ... Tyre was later confronted by 5 Black cops, who used pepper spray and beat him so badly he complained of shortness of breath and ended up in a hospital, where 3 days later he died.

The 5 Black officers ... Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith ... were fired before Hemphill, and they've been charged with second-degree murder.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Tyre's family, has been questioning why Hemphill is not being prosecuted.

In a statement, Memphis PD says they conducted a thorough review of Tyre's arrest and determined Hemphill violated multiple department policies, including personal conduct, truthfulness and not using his Taser properly.

Meanwhile, a 7th Memphis PD officer who was involved in the arrest is on administrative leave ... but the officer's identity has not been publicly revealed.

Marquise Brown pleaded guilty to an excessive speeding charge on Wednesday ... six months after cops accused the NFL star of going 126 MPH in a 65 MPH zone.

The Cardinals receiver showed up to an Arizona courtroom to enter the plea ... and you can see in video of the hearing, obtained by TMZ Sports, he was wearing a black sweatshirt and black pants for the proceedings.

He didn't speak much while in court, though he and his attorney did tell the judge he was changing his initial plea of not guilty and pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of excessive speed.

Brown is now facing a fine of up to $500, 30 days in jail, and/or 1 year probation as punishment. He'll learn his fate at a sentencing hearing next month.

The 25-year-old was initially pulled over on Aug. 3, 2022 ... after cops say they caught him going 61 MPH over the speed limit in a 2020 Mercedes on a highway in Maricopa County.

Brown was arrested and booked into jail.

At practice in the days after the incident, Brown apologized for his actions ... calling them "disappointing."

Kelly Clarkson's alleged stalker is now facing a slew of criminal charges after the singer claimed the woman keeps showing up at her home ... even with a restraining order against her.

The L.A. City Attorney's Office tells TMZ ... Huguette Nicole Young was charged last month with one count of stalking, four counts of violating a protective order, and one count of trespassing.

We're told Young pled not guilty and bail was set at $26,000 ... with the court ordering Young to stay the hell away from Kelly, which, frankly, hasn't seemed to work very well in the past.

TMZ broke the story ... Kelly previously got a restraining order against Young, but the woman has since been accused of violating the terms of the restraining order a bunch of times.

As we first told you, Young was busted outside Kelly's San Fernando Valley mansion Jan. 25 after Clarkson's security called 911 after cameras appeared to show the woman meandering around the singer's property. Police raced to the scene and arrested her.

It's super strange ... Clarkson claimed Young was repeatedly showing up to her property at exactly 8:59 PM, and there's still no explanation for the time or significance.

Kelly is concerned, though, because sources connected to her told us she won't allow her kids outside the gate at night.

Young's history with Kelly apparently dates back over a decade. She allegedly first tracked Kelly down at her Nashville estate before the incidents in California. Clarkson says Young sometimes even leaves unwanted gifts outside her home.

"Euphoria" star Chloe Cherry is in some hot water back in her hometown after allegedly stealing a blouse from a local store and getting caught.

Cherry was charged with misdemeanor retail theft in January for an incident that reportedly happened back in December in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

According to sources with direct knowledge of the case, Chloe entered the Building Character shopping complex on December 27 and took a $28 blouse into a dressing room ... she then held onto the blouse and left without paying.

We're told Chloe paid for other items using a credit card, but is accused of not paying for the blouse. At some point, the police got involved, and cops say Chloe admitted to taking the blouse -- giving it back to an officer.

Chloe's rep, however, has a different take on what happened ... telling us, "In December, there was confusion over a blouse that wasn’t properly charged to my client’s credit card. In no way did she 'admit' to taking the blouse, since that was not the case. This story seems to be more about a local store trading on a celebrity’s name more than anything else.”

Lancaster Online was first to report the story.

Chloe is most famous for her role as Faye on "Euphoria" but has modeled and worked in adult films as well.

Of course, she's not the first celeb to become entangled in alleged shoplifting shenanigans. It was back in 2001 when Winona Ryder was accused of stealing more than $5,000 in designer items from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills.

A warrant has been issued for Bengals star running back Joe Mixon's arrest in Cincinnati ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to court records, the warrant is for a count of aggravated menacing -- which is described as when a person knowingly leads another to believe they will physically harm them or their property, unborn child or member of their immediate family.

Aggravated menacing is a first-degree misdemeanor, according to Ohio's State Laws and Regulations. If convicted, Mixon could face up to 180 days in jail and a fine.

Mixon, 26, just completed his sixth season in the NFL ... and the Bengals were eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday.

As a member of the Oklahoma Sooners football team in 2014, Mixon was charged with misdemeanor assault when he punched a woman after she shoved him in the chest. He entered an Alford plea ... admitting there was enough evidence to convict him. He got 1-year probation, 100 hours of community service and behavioral counseling.

We reached out to Mixon's rep for comment ... so far, no word back.