Crime

Skrillex had an interesting take on R. Kelly and the movement to mute his music, and he says it's way more complicated than you think.

We got the EDM star Friday in WeHo leaving Equinox gym, and he begins by agreeing that Sony's decision to drop R. Kelly was the right thing to do.

But, when the convo turned to whether Jay-Z should yank his collabs with R. Kelly, he said it's way more nuanced. As he says, a lot of bad things happen in history and you can't just turn away from them and pretend they don't exist.

One of R. Kelly's bedrooms has him in serious trouble with Chicago officials ... but he insists they've got it all twisted, because his controversial studio has never been used as a home.

The Chicago studio, heavily featured in "Surviving R. Kelly," was swarmed this week by Chicago cops and the Cook County Building and Zoning Department -- and they ended up filing a complaint against Kelly.

The officials say there's evidence he's using the place as a residence, and had done renovations without getting permits.

Sources close to Kelly tell us that he's denying ever living in the studio. Although he admits having a bed in there, he says it was only there for extra long recording sessions -- 14 to 15 hours -- when he was too exhausted to make it home, or if there was a bad winter storm.

We're told he also points to the fact that he has a real residence at Chi-Town's Trump Tower.

As for the alleged renovations ... our sources say Kelly believes the studio is exactly as it was when he first started renting the space 3-4 years ago. He says the single bedroom area was already there, and he simply added furniture.

Fact is, Kelly's got bigger fish to fry than the building code violation. He and Sony, his longtime record label, just parted ways ... his ex-manager was arrested for making threats against Joycelyn Savage's family ... and he's still plagued by allegations of sexual abuse.

TMZ Sports has obtained surveillance footage which shows ex-Georgetown basketball star Victor Page attacking a 17-year-old girl during a 2018 incident ... and it's extremely disturbing.

First off, 43-year-old Page is currently locked up in a Maryland jail over the 2018 incident, and he's facing several serious criminal charges, including 1st and 2nd degree attempted rape.

We spoke to a rep for the victim's family who told us that they want the video to be out publicly -- and they're hoping Page is punished to the fullest extent of the law.

Here's the backstory ...

The victim was at her family's apartment in Camp Springs, Maryland on Dec. 30 when she claims Page tried to rape her inside the home.

She tried to run ... but as you can see in the video, Page follows her outside and eventually smothers her while she's on the ground for roughly 2 minutes.

Neighbors noticed the assault, and ran over to help pry Page off the girl. When they finally got him off, the girl ran away.

The victim went to authorities and Page was arrested a few days later. He's now behind bars at Prince George's County Detention Center awaiting a hearing on Feb. 1.

He's facing a bunch of charges including 1st and 2nd degree attempted rape, attempted sex abuse of a minor, 2nd degree child abuse and more.

We've reached out to Page's attorney for comment -- so far, no word back.

Page has a long, sad history with the law -- he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for 2nd degree assault in 2013, but he was released early.

Page played with Allen Iverson at Georgetown and was a key part of the '95-'96 Hoyas team that went to the Elite Eight in the NCAA tourney. He led the Big East in scoring in the '96-'97 season.

"90 Day Fiance" star Larissa Dos Santos Lima has been hit with a domestic violence charge after allegedly attacking her husband last week.

The charge is a misdemeanor and was filed Wednesday in Vegas. The criminal complaint -- obtained by TMZ -- states Larissa, "Did willfully and unlawfully use force or violence against or upon the person of her spouse."

TMZ broke the story ... Larissa was arrested last Friday after she allegedly punched her estranged husband, Colt Johnson, in the face. Colt suffered a bloody lip as a result of the attack.

Johnson told cops Larissa became enraged -- accusing him of cheating -- after she discovered he had purchased porn. According to the police report -- obtained by TMZ -- Colt said Larissa had downed half a bottle of antidepressants and was suicidal.

Larissa claimed Colt was the aggressor, scratching her in the face and on her torso ... but after their investigation, cops determined Larissa was the aggressor.

Greg Hardy says he's a changed man -- telling TMZ Sports he's got a new attitude and a new perspective after dedicating his life to mixed martial arts.

You already know Greg's backstory ... the NFL star was accused of domestic violence against a woman back in 2014 and initially convicted. The conviction was overturned in 2015.

He was also arrested for cocaine possession in 2016.

Hardy was essentially blackballed from the NFL ... so he ultimately decided to train in MMA.

We're told he made a real effort to clean up his lifestyle and focus on the sport -- and so far, he's been incredibly successful in his new career ... racking up a 5-0 record in his first 5 fights.

Now, he's set to fight at UFC on ESPN+ on Saturday -- and acknowledges that his past has become an issue since the card also features Rachael Ostovich, a domestic violence victim.

Hardy tells us he's staying focused on his fight and trying not to be a distraction from all of the other fighters on the card ... since he knows how hard everyone worked to get to this level.

Hardy isn't getting into specifics about his legal past -- but says he's got a new lease on life and a new attitude and wants to be a respected professional moving forward.

As for his fight with Allen Crowder ... Hardy says he wants his opponent to know he's a "very dangerous man inside the Octagon and I'm very serious about what I do."

2:10 PM PT -- Mason has issued a statement, saying, "Unfortunately, my accusers and their representatives have been successful at manipulating the media and now the judicial system."

He continues, "My team and I will present facts soon that will discredit any and all accusations that suggest that I have engaged in any acts of bullying, harassment, or aggressive acts against my accusers." He insists that, not only are these accusations false, but he has been "instrumental in attempts to assist my accusers in their quest to re establish a relationship with their adult daughter."

8:40 AM PT -- The judge ordered Mason to stay away from Joycelyn Savage and her family, and have absolutely no contact with them ... according to the Henry County Court Clerk.

He was released on $10k bond and has also been told he can't leave the country unless he gets court approval first.

One of R. Kelly's former managers has surrendered to authorities on charges he made terroristic threats against a family of one of the singer's alleged victims.

As TMZ first reported, Joycelyn Savage's father told us James Mason called him in May 2018, and threatened, "I'm gonna do harm to you and your family, when I see you I'm gonna get you, I'm going to f***ing kill you."

The Henry County Sheriff's Dept. issued an arrest warrant last August for felony terroristic threats and acts and, Friday morning, Mason turned himself in.

He was released on $10,000 bond.

Joycelyn Savage has said she is not being held against her will, but her parents firmly believed their daughter has been brainwashed and they have mounted a full-court press to free her.

The lawyer for the Savage family responded to Mason's surrender, saying, "Let this be a message to R. Kelly's staff that we won't be bullied or threatened. We will continue to pursue legal action against any and all threats to the safety of the Savage Family."

He continued, "Our goal has always been to bring Joycelyn Savage home safely and we will not be deterred."

In the criminal justice system, traffic based offenses are considered especially costly -- even for Ice-T, who plays a cop on TV, 'cause his arrest at the George Washington Bridge just cost him a bundle.

TMZ has learned Ice had a court hearing Thursday for the bust that went down in October. As we first reported, Ice was hauled to jail after he drove through the bridge toll booth without paying the required $12.50.

Well, it ended up costing him a weeee bit more than that -- $707.50 in fines! He'd been issued 5 tickets the day of the arrest, but 2 of 'em got tossed and he ended up paying for disorderly conduct, toll evasion and failure to observe a traffic control device.

Shortly after he was released from jail, Ice told us the whole thing was an innocent mistake.

He was driving to work -- to the set of 'Law & Order: SVU' -- in his brand new McLaren sports car. It had just been delivered, and Ice forgot it didn't have an E-ZPass® New York transponder, which automatically pays the toll.

Chris Hansen's larceny arrest is no shocker to the people who funded his "To Catch a Predator" reboot -- they say Hansen came up short with them long before Johnny Law caught him.

The former host launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2015 to start a new show about himself catching predators. His goal was $75k and he offered tiered prizes to anyone who donated.

Some of those prizes included the custom mugs and shirts Hansen got from the vendor in Connecticut -- and allegedly tried to pay for with 2 bounced checks ... leading to his arrest this week.

As it turns, out ... he apparently failed to deliver on the goods to a handful of his donors too, many of whom are furious. Chris' Kickstarter page is flooded with comments -- dating back years -- complaining about getting partial prizes, delayed prizes, or just bupkis.

$89k had been raised.

A rep for Kickstarter told us their policy is clear -- anyone who's got issues with a fundraising campaign has to take it up with the creator, and it's ALL on the creator to make things right.

Translation: Got beef? Talk to Hansen.

Boxing superstar Sergey Kovalev has been charged with felony assault for allegedly punching a woman in the face back in June -- but he claims he's not guilty ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Here's what we know ... the Russian fighter was arrested in Big Bear, CA on June 9 after a woman told police the former light heavyweight champion socked her in the face, causing serious injuries.

Sources connected to the case tell us ... the woman is claiming Kovalev had hit on her at a party earlier in the evening but rejected his advances. She claims Sergey and a friend followed her back to her cabin and that's where the alleged attack occurred.

We're told the woman claims she suffered major injuries including a severely broken nose, a concussion and a displaced disk in her neck.

FYI, Kovalev earned his nickname "Krusher" for his devastating punching power. 28 of his 32 wins have come by way of knockout.

Cops tell TMZ Sports ... they began searching for Kovalev immediately and arrested him a short time later.

He was charged with assault by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury -- which carries a maximum sentence of 4 years in prison.

Kovalev appeared in court and entered a not guilty plea.

What's interesting ... Kovalev fought Eleider Álvarez in August -- just 2 months after the arrest -- and lost in a shocking upset.

Kovalev is due back in court in March. He also has a rematch with Alvarez lined up for Feb. 2.

MMA fighter Sergio Da Silva has been found GUILTY of robbing a bank in New York back in August 2017 ... and now he's facing up to 7 years behind bars.

The 32-year-old was convicted of 3rd-degree robbery after jurors viewed surveillance footage of the incident ... where Da Silva is seen jumping on the counter and demanding cash.

As we previously reported ... bank workers claimed Da Silva threatened to shoot them as he demanded cash at the Astoria Citibank.

Da Silva was facing 2 felony robbery charges. Since the security footage couldn't prove he had a gun, he was found not guilty of 1st-degree robbery ... which carries a maximum 25-year prison sentence.

Da Silva's attorney, David Fish, tells TMZ Sports his client is planning to appeal.

Fish also said, "Thanks to the insight of the jury, he walked out of court a free man Thursday and was not convicted of any violent offense."

The man convicted of killing Morgan Freeman's step-granddaughter is going away for 20 years ... TMZ has learned.

E'Dena Hines' killer, Lamar Davenport, was sentenced Thursday in NYC ... according to Manhattan D.A. Cyrus R. Vance, Jr.

Davenport was convicted of manslaughter last May. As we reported, he killed Hines -- who was his girlfriend at the time -- in August 2015 outside of their NYC apartment. Witnesses said he repeatedly stabbed her as he screamed about religion.

Davenport was acquitted of second-degree murder after his lawyer argued he was messed up on PCP when he attacked E'Dena. However, a judge subsequently found him guilty of first-degree manslaughter.

After he's released from prison, Davenport will be placed under post-release supervision for 5 years.

Chris Hansen's appears to be having a rough time, at least financially -- he's getting booted from his home in Manhattan ... TMZ has learned.

According to legal docs ... the former host of "To Catch a Predator" last paid rent in August 2018, but was $400 short, and stopped sending checks altogether after that. So, the owner of the pad went to court in October and filed paperwork to have Chris evicted.

In the eviction docs, the landlord says Chris owes $400 for August, plus $3,600 for September.

Hansen was ordered out of the apartment last week by a judge and given 10 days to vacate. The official eviction day is Friday, and city marshals are set to perform removal services then.

As we reported, Hansen was arrested Monday in Stamford, Connecticut for larceny -- he allegedly bounced a couple checks to cover a $13k tab for a bunch of merch he bought.

UFC fighter Rachael Ostovich says she's "grateful" to be fighting on Saturday night -- after a domestic violence incident in November nearly derailed her MMA career.

"I'm feeling so grateful to be here," Ostovich told us in NYC ... "There was a point where I wouldn't have been here."

As we previously reported, Ostovich suffered a broken orbital bone when she was allegedly attacked by her MMA fighter husband in their Hawaii home on Nov. 18.

Ostovich initially pulled out of her fight with Paige VanZant due to the severity of the injuries -- but after she was cleared by another doctor, she asked Dana White to be put back on the card.

Ostovich says she's received a ton of support from a bunch of UFC fighters -- including VanZant.

"She's an amazing person and she's been very supportive and I love that," Ostovich said.

We also spoke with Paige who says she has a TON of respect for Ostovich -- but the bottom line, when the cage door closes ... they're going to war.

Former "Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta" star Benzino has copped a plea deal in his felony drug case out of Georgia, and avoided jail time as a result ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for the Cobb County District Attorney's Office tells TMZ ... Raymond Scott (Benzino's real name) pled guilty to all 3 charges he was facing Thursday morning. We're told he was sentenced to 2 years probation and fined $500 ... plus surcharges.

We broke the story ... the music producer was arrested in January 2017 after cops raided his ATL apartment and found drugs inside. He was charged with felony possession of THC oil gummies (22 grams), felony possession of 6 MDMA pills, and misdemeanor possession of less than an ounce of weed.

We talked to Benzino about the case last month, and he told us the search warrant cops used to get into his pad was illegal ... even though a judge signed off on it. He was adamant that racist police officers were behind the trumped-up charges, and at the time ... told us he was gonna fight it in court.

Jacob Stockdale, whose family was featured on "Wife Swap," is pleading not guilty to the murders of his mother and brother because he says he was out of his mind.

Stockdale entered the not guilty by reason of insanity plea Thursday in Stark County, Ohio -- and told the court he might not be competent to stand trial. His attorney is requesting the judge appoint a doctor to evaluate Stockdale's mental state.

His case is particularly gruesome -- Stockdale was arrested for shooting and killing his mother, Kathryn, and his younger brother, James, in 2017. He then shot himself in the head, but survived after months of extensive surgery to reconstruct his face.

The Stockdale family appeared on the ABC reality show back in 2008 ... and were memorable for being extremely religious and living by strict rules.

Cops in Park City -- site of the annual Sundance Film Festival -- will be utilizing a hotline to combat sexual assault again this year ... after it was established in 2018 in the wake of allegations against Harvey Weinstein.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Park City PD and the Utah Attorney General's Office are reopening the "code of conduct" hotline, and spreading the word for festival attendees to utilize it and report any signs of sexual misconduct.

We're told the AG's Office is staffing the phone lines while cops will handle any investigations. Park City officers also held a meeting with hotel managers and event security staff last week to go over proper protocols and reinforce their motto -- "if you see something, say something."

Our sources say flyers will also be put up around busy Sundance spots to promote the hotline and the importance of reporting sexual assault and other crimes during the film fest.

The hotline was launched during last year's festival in wake of the Weinstein scandal, which included Rose McGowan accusing the film producer of raping her at Sundance in 1997. Weinstein was also sued in December by a woman claiming he sexually assaulted her at the Waldorf Astoria in Park City in 2013 after meeting her at Sundance.

We're told the hotline was deemed a successful and effective tool in curbing incidents of sexual misconduct last year. It also reportedly led to an investigation of an alleged incident from the '90s.