Crime & Arrests

Diddy’s legal team is gunning to blow up a major moment from Kid Cudi’s testimony -- asking the judge to strike everything about the disgraced rapper’s Porsche firebombing … claiming it’s all based on suspicion, not proof.

TMZ has obtained the legal docs filed in Diddy’s criminal case -- where his lawyers argue Cudi’s claims about Diddy’s alleged involvement in his 2012 car explosion are nothing but opinion and shouldn’t be allowed in court. In short ... they’re saying Cudi thinks Diddy did it, but there’s no hard evidence, no confession, no receipts.

As we reported, KC told the court last week he 'knew' Diddy had something to do with the Molotov cocktail attack on his Porsche after ending things with Cassie -- but admitted there were no witnesses, fingerprints, or proof linking Diddy to the arson.

The man suspected of kidnapping and torturing an Italian man over a crypto dispute suffered his own indignity when he was arrested -- his bathrobe came undone.

Photographer and street vendor Ciaran Tully was minding his own business Friday when John Woeltz was removed from his fancy NYC apartment wearing only a robe.

As he was escorted down the stairs, Tully says his robe came undone, so cops spared him the embarrassment and bundled him back up.

Andrew Zimmern has a strong opinion on some juicy testimony from the Diddy trial ... namely, a revelation that Diddy likes to put apple sauce on his cheeseburgers.

We got the celeb chef at LAX and our photog asked him about Diddy's unique burger topping.

Andrew says it's an example of learning the most interesting things in the most horrible situations ... and while he doesn't want to make light of any of the serious allegations regarding Cassie, he's calling "yuck" on Diddy's "yum."

Olympic sprinter Fred Kerley -- once considered the fastest human alive -- has pleaded not guilty to hitting his ex-girlfriend in the face earlier this month.

TMZ Sports has learned that Kerley's lawyer, Richard Cooper, notified the court in Broward County last week, indicating the 30-year-old Olympic silver medalist wanted to fight the misdemeanor battery charge in front of a jury of his peers.

Fred hasn't spoken much about the alleged incident, but he did release a statement shortly after his arrest, saying ... "While there was a physical altercation, my arrest was not due to any criminal act. Rather, it resulted from my decision to remain silent until my legal counsel was present."

The cryptocurrency investor who allegedly tortured a man for two weeks in a New York City apartment was arrested in just a bathrobe ... and, TMZ has obtained video of the whole shocking scene.

John Woeltz -- a 37-year-old from Kentucky -- was arrested Friday in New York City after cops say a man told a police officer Woeltz had kept him trapped in a SoHo apartment for weeks.

Officers responded to the house ... and pulled Woeltz from it in nothing but a bathrobe -- without even shoes on.

A cryptocurrency investor has been arrested and charged in New York City after he allegedly tortured a man for weeks -- with reports claiming he was trying to obtain passwords related to cryptocurrency.

John Woeltz -- a 37-year-old Kentucky man -- was arrested Friday after a 28-year-old man allegedly escaped a house in the city's SoHo neighborhood. NYPD tells TMZ he told a police officer he'd been held captive and tortured for weeks.

According to reports ... Woeltz allegedly lured the man -- who is believed to have had prior business dealings with Woeltz -- to a house on May 6.

From child stardom to a troubled adulthood, American actor Haley Joel Osment's life has taken over the headlines -- and not just because of his exceptional acting skills, but also his misconduct and alleged illegal activity.

A day in the life of a child star may look like a glitzy walk in the park, but the flashing lights can be quite troublesome, and lead to cuffs and cop lights. Follow along as we take you down Osment's ups and downs ...

Born in 1988, Osment landed a Pizza Hut commercial in '93 ... and soon after made his feature film debut at just 5 years old, playing opposite Tom Hanks in the award-winning film "Forrest Gump."

The man prison officials say stabbed Tory Lanez multiple times says he thought the rapper was coming to take his life, claiming Tory put a price on his head ... and he simply acted in self-defense.

We had a prison phone call with Santino Casio, who was already serving a life sentence when the Tory attack went down ... and, while he's not denying the stabbing, he says it's not as simple as some might think.

Casio told us he heard rumors through the prison grapevine that Tory had a bounty on him ... and, shortly after, Casio ran into him and thought he saw a suspicious lump in Tory's pocket.

"Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, has been released from prison.

Hannah was serving 18 months after being convicted by a New Mexico jury ... and the state's Department of Corrections tells us she was let out of prison on Friday morning.

Authorities tell TMZ ... HGR will be on parole for one year as part of her "Rust" sentence and she has 18 months of probation on a separate firearms charge.

Young Thug needs to brush up on his definition of snitching, because what Kid Cudi did with Diddy does not make him a rat ... at least according to Touré.

The music journalist joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday and we asked him about Young Thug labeling Cudi a "rat" for testifying against Diddy in court.

Touré says Young Thug's got it twisted when it comes to what is and isn't snitching ... and he schools us too.

Kim Kardashian is grateful that French authorities took her case so seriously ... showing deep gratitude to those who secured convictions of several men who robbed her at gunpoint.

The reality star and mogul thanks authorities in the country and tells us, "The crime was the most terrifying experience of my life, leaving a lasting impact on me and my family. While I’ll never forget what happened, I believe in the power of growth and accountability and pray for healing for all. I remain committed to advocating for justice, and promoting a fair legal system.”

Her legal team -- consisting of Michael Rhodes, Léonor Hennerick, and Jonathan Mattout -- also released a statement... saying their client appreciates the court's decision -- and lauding her for her courage in confronting the people who held her captive all those years ago.

It's judgment day for the "Grandpa Robbers" gang of suspects accused of stealing $10 million worth of jewelry from a tied-up Kim Kardashian in Paris in 2016 ... 10 defendants received their verdicts Friday.

Eight people have been found guilty, and two were acquitted. The accused ringleader, 69-year-old Aomar "Old Omar" Ait Kedache received an 8-year prison sentence, with 5 years suspended ... three others received 7-year sentences, also with 5 years suspended. With time served in pretrial detention, none of the guilty individuals will be sent to prison, The Associated Press reports.

Two men wearing police uniforms and masks overpowered a concierge outside Kim's Hôtel de Pourtalès apartment, broke into her room, bound her with zip-ties and tape, and left her in the bathroom, before absconding with her jewelry -- including a $4-million diamond engagement ring from her then-husband Kanye West.

Jussie Smollett is speaking out after striking a pretty sweet deal with the Windy City to close his hate crime hoax situation there ... and he's ready to put this behind him, while getting a few parting shots in.

The "Empire" star says ... "What I have to do now is move forward. I will continue creating my art, fighting passionately for causes I hold dear and defending my integrity and family with the name of truth."

TMZ broke the story ... Jussie donated $50,000 to charity to settle a civil lawsuit the City of Chicago filed against him seeking restitution for the expense of investigating his 2019 hate crime hoax.

Jamie Foxx is once again addressing the wild conspiracy theory that Sean "Diddy" Combs tried to kill him in 2023 -- when he suffered a serious medical emergency he later confirmed was a stroke.

The actor and comedian spoke on the rumor during a Hollywood Reporter roundtable Thursday, confirming the disgraced music mogul -- who is currently in the middle of a sex trafficking and racketeering federal trial in NYC -- did not try to off him.

However ... he admitted he did "flip" over one theory -- that doctors were trying to clone him, but make him white, so he could "sell better overseas" -- while he was hopped up on a mix of doctor-prescribed drugs.

Diddy's defense team just entered a bunch of glamour shots of Cassie as evidence in the criminal trial ... and their point is her career wasn't hurt by the Diddy freak-offs, as Cassie and prosecutors have claimed.

Check out the photos ... Cassie's all glammed up doing photo shoots, working on music videos, going to events and rubbing elbows with major celebrities.

Diddy's defense is using the photos to rebut prosecutor's claims and some of Cassie's testimony ... where she said she spent all her time doing freak-offs and recovering from the sex romps that her career was stifled.

The second week of testimony in the Diddy trial is in the books ... and prosecutors continued to try and prove their racketeering case against Diddy, with the help of Kid Cudi.

Cudi took the stand Thursday and told the jury about a couple incidents from his 2011-12 love triangle with Cassie and Diddy ... including a break-in at his home and a Molotov cocktail dropped in his Porsche.

Kid Cudi said Diddy broke into his home and rummaged through his Christmas gifts after finding out he was dating Cassie ... and he said he was convinced Diddy had something to do with his Porsche getting torched too.