Crime

Alec Baldwin just got a great result in his criminal assault and harassment case, after prosecutors realized the surveillance video created huge problems for them.

Baldwin appeared in an NYC courtroom Tuesday and prosecutors revealed they were willing to not only lower the charge to harassment in the 2nd degree, but they also cut a deal in which Baldwin would take a few anger management courses and the whole thing would just go away.

The case involved a parking dispute back in November between Baldwin and another man outside the actor's NYC apartment. Baldwin felt the guy underhandedly swept in and took his spot. The guy claimed Alec punched him in the jaw and filed a police report.

TMZ broke the story that the surveillance video did not show Baldwin punch the guy. Rather, it showed the 2 men shoving each other, which is consistent with mutual combat.

Prosecutors told the judge after reviewing the surveillance video and speaking with witnesses, a lower charge was appropriate.

Chris Brown is going on the offensive after his arrest for allegedly raping a woman in Paris, because he's going to sue her for defamation.

Chris' Parisian lawyer, Raphael Chiche, says, "Chris Brown is free. No lawsuits were filed against him. He vigorously challenges the charges against him. A complaint for slanderous denunciation will be filed tomorrow with the public prosecutor of Paris."

As we reported, Chris claims he was set up by the 24-year-old model, who claimed Chris took her to his hotel in Paris and violently raped her. Chris called BS, saying he was never alone with the women. We're told he insists he was playing music off his iPhone in the living room of the suite with 20 people around him the entire time.

Vinny Guadagnino made his pitch that fellow "Jersey Shore" star Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino could do way more good if he weren't behind bars ... and he made the pitch to Kim Kardashian.

We got Vinny Tuesday at LAX, and he said his buddy is doing fine behind bars. He was worried, but he's been assured by Mike's wife, Lauren, he's doing great.

After some talk about getting jacked in prison, Vinny makes his pitch to Kim, who's batting 3-0 in her effort to free certain inmates.

5:40 PM PT -- Sipes' attorney -- Colin Jones, a partner at the Wilshire Law Firm -- tells TMZ, "We gave the defendant's months to settle this claim without litigation, but when they failed to be accountable for their actions, we were left with no choice but to file suit to seek justice for our client."

Drake, Odell Beckham Jr. and Kourtney Kardashian's ex are being sued by a guy who claims he was viciously beaten by a gang of thugs and Drake and Beckham were behind it.

Bennett Sipes claims in a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, he was at Delilah nightclub in WeHo when there was a confrontation inside between himself and the defendants. When he attempted to leave the VIP area, he says Drake gave the "throat slash" hand gesture.

As he was attempting to enter the restroom, he says he was attacked by Younes Bendjima, Kourtney Kardashian's ex, along with members of Drake and Beckham's entourage.

The video shows the brutal fight. Sipes says he continues to incur medical bills and suffers "extreme mental anguish and physical pain."

As TMZ first reported, a source at the club told us Sipes "talked smack" as he approached the group.

Sipes filed a police report, but changed his mind and dropped it ... at least criminally.

1:20 PM PT -- French prosecutors tell TMZ Brown is free to leave France. He was released on his own recognizance, without bail.

1:08 PM PT -- We've confirmed Brown and the other 2 men who were detained have been released. The prosecutor's office tells TMZ, "The investigations, which are not closed at this stage, will continue under the authority of the Paris prosecutor's office."

12:33 PM PT -- A source close to Chris tells us he and his team were just released from police custody. Chris just took to Instagram to seemingly address the situation, saying, "This Bitch Lyin'." He continues, " I WANNA MAKE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR...... THIS IS FALSE AND A WHOLE LOT OF CAP! NNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEERRRRRR!!!!!!"

"FOR MY DAUGHTER AND MY FAMILY THIS IS SO DISPRESPECTFUL AND IS AGAINST MY CHARACTER AND MORALS!!!!!"

Chris Brown allegedly raped a woman in a hotel dressing room for 25-30 minutes and it was "brutal and violent" -- so says Closer Magazine, which posted an article claiming to have interviewed the alleged victim.

Closer, which broke the story Brown was being investigated for rape, calls the woman by a pseudonym -- Karima -- a 24-year-old model who told the mag she met Brown at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Paris on January 15 at around 10:30 PM and then went to a nightclub.

Karima told Closer at 4 AM Brown and his crew wanted to return to the hotel, and she said she was tired but they convinced her to go back to the Mandarin with a group of people.

She says once inside his suite, she went to the bathroom, Brown followed her and "catches me by the right arm. He makes me enter a sort of dressing room. He closed the door ... it lasted 25-30 minutes."

She describes the alleged rape as "brutal and violent." She says she was then "abused" by one of Brown's friends and a bodyguard.

Karima says she went to cops 2 days later, adding she was scared but ultimately decided she didn't want Brown to "be able to do the same things to other girls."

Someone connected to Brown tells us the singer was never alone with the alleged victim and says Chris' girlfriend, Ammika Harris, was in the hotel room the whole time. He says there were more than 20 people in the room "hanging out" and listening to music Brown was playing on his iPhone.

We have reached out to Brown's U.S. lawyer for a response, but so far no word back.

Thinking about suing the NFL over the blown call in the Saints-Rams game Sunday??

Anthony Barr says don't do it ... 'cause that's dumb -- and people just need to MOVE ON!!!

"Sorry," the Vikings star tells TMZ Sports ... "Take your L and keep pushing. It happens. It's unfortunate, but it's the world we live in. It's not perfect."

One Saints fan clearly disagrees ... a guy actually filed a lawsuit Tuesday suing Roger Goodell and the NFL for not taking action over the non-P.I. call in Sunday's NFC Championship Game.

But, Barr -- who says he certainly understands the pain -- tells us court action is taking things way too far ... and says everyone in NOLA just needs to let it go.

"You can't replay a game after the results are in."

12:20 PM PT -- According to R. Kelly's attorney Melvin L. Sims III ... despite the violations, the judge sided with the singer and rejected the City of Chicago's motion to shut the building down completely.

Kelly's legal team argued the problems with the studio did not mount to an "Emergency" situation, so instead, repairs were ordered along with the removal of personal items. Sims says the studio is still open for business as a studio during normal working hours.

R. Kelly is in serious trouble with Chicago officials because the city is going after him for a laundry list of building violations at his studio ... and it could end up costing the singer a ton of cash!!!

The Chicago studio, heavily featured in "Surviving R. Kelly" was slammed with 66 building code violations, most notably for using the place as a residence and not obtaining permits to build a sauna, steam room and a bar ... this according to legal docs.

In the docs, each violation comes with a fine ranging between $500 to $1,000 for each day the violation goes unaddressed ... and with 66 violations, R. Kelly could be looking at a fine between $33k to $66k per day!

The court has already ordered R. Kelly to remove all personal items from the premises and he can only use the space as a recording studio from 9 AM to 5 PM.

As you know ... R. Kelly's studio was swarmed last week by Chicago cops and the Cook County Building and Zoning Department -- and they ended up filing a complaint against R. Kelly.

Sources close to R. Kelly deny he's ever lived in the studio and R. Kelly believes the space is exactly as it was when he first started renting it 3-4 years ago.

2:33 PM PT -- Depp's lawyer, Adam Waldman, tells TMZ, "The dozens of Eastern Columbia Building security camera video files we recently obtained, coupled with multiple newly obtained eyewitness affidavits and sworn depositions taken in 2016, leave no doubt that Amber Heard faked the abuse claims that underpin the Sun's defamation against Mr. Depp." Again, Heard maintains Depp struck her with a phone and his hands.

Johnny Depp has just filed legal docs citing new evidence that he never beat then-wife Amber Heard ... a claim she made during their acrimonious divorce.

Depp filed the docs in the U.K., where he's suing The Sun for defamation in connection with an article calling him "wife-beater." The article referenced an altercation between Depp and Heard on May 21, 2016 at their downtown L.A. home. Amber says he threw a phone at her face and then pummeled her and she took photos of her injuries.

Depp's new documents include witness statements, saying they saw Amber in the apartment building on May 21 and saw no red marks or bruising on her face. One witness says she didn't see the mark until 6 days later.

Amber also took photos of broken glass in the apartment, claiming Johnny hurled glass and shattered it in the unit. One of the witnesses states in his declaration, "There was no smashed glass that I noticed in the apartment at the time."

Amber has adamantly stuck by her version of events, and Johnny has implied she injured herself after the fact and took pictures.

He also cites in the documents 2 cops who responded on May 21 and gave 2 depositions stating they saw no injuries on Amber. The cops claim Amber said nothing had happened.

The docs say there's security camera footage on the 4 days immediately following the alleged attack, showing Amber's face. Presumably, Depp's lawyer is saying the footage does not show any injuries.

Again, the new filings were in connection with his defamation lawsuit against The Sun. Depp says "They must have made a positive decision to present a totally one-sided picture, leaving out my side of the story and pretending it either did not exist or was not worth considering."

5:45 AM PT -- A longtime Parisian criminal defense lawyer tells TMZ, Chris has effectively been arrested. Within 2 days he must either be released or appear in court, where a prosecutor can ask the judge to either keep Brown in custody pending trial or let him go free with "obligations." If Brown's released with obligations, we're told he could be required to surrender his passport to French authorities and would remain in Paris pending trial, which typically takes a year.

The lawyer adds Brown could be required to go to the police station every 2 weeks to ensure he's still in France.

Chris Brown and two members of his team have been arrested by French police after a woman claims she was raped by the singer in a hotel.

French authorities confirm to TMZ Brown has been detained and is in custody for alleged aggravated rape and narcotics offenses. Authorities went on to say he is being processed, which is the French version of being arrested and booked.

The woman says she met Brown overnight between January 15-16 at club Le Crystal and then headed back to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel with the singer where she claims to have been raped.

Investigators have two days to decide to file preliminary charges or to let Brown go.

Chris was spotted at Le Cirque Club in Paris Saturday night -- just three days after the alleged rape -- with Ammika Harris, a woman who he is reportedly dating.

Brown was prosecuted for felony assault and making criminal threats after he brutally attacked Rihanna in Los Angeles. The beating left Rihanna with visible facial injuries to her eyes and mouth which required hospitalization.

Brown later pled guilty to a felony and was sentenced to community service, 5 years probation and domestic violence counseling.

Brown was sued back in May by a woman who claimed she was raped at a party at the singer's home. The woman claimed Brown supplied party attendees with Molly, cocaine and weed and that it was one of his friends who raped her.

The LAPD investigated the woman's claim after she filed a report, but could not determine if the sex was forced or consensual. The lawsuit is ongoing.

Ex-Minnesota Vikings receiver Cayleb Jones just cut a deal in court in his domestic violence case -- but he's still facing serious jail time ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The 25-year-old was facing 3 pretty serious charges -- including felony theft by temporary control -- after he allegedly beat the crap out of his girlfriend at a Minnesota hotel back in August.

Officials say the 6'3", 209 pound WR roughed up his GF and when she tried to escape in an elevator to call 911 ... Jones intercepted her, stole her phone and fled before cops arrived.

Cayleb was in court Tuesday to face the charges ... but we're told he cut a deal -- and instead, only pled guilty to interference with an emergency call -- a gross misdemeanor.

In exchange, we're told his two other charges will be dismissed.

Cayleb -- who's already served 5 days of jail time -- still faces up to a year in jail and a $3,000 fine when he returns to court for his sentencing hearing in April. It's unlikely he'll be ordered to serve more jail time unless the judge really wants to throw the book at him.

It's been a rough year for the WR -- as we previously reported, Cayleb tried to restrain his brother, Buffalo Bills WR Zay Jones, after he allegedly tried to jump from a 30th story window in an L.A. building last spring.

Cristiano Ronaldo was ordered to pay a $21 MILLION fine as punishment in his tax fraud case -- but the good news for the soccer superstar, he won't have to serve a 23-month prison sentence.

And, for a guy who reportedly earns around $90 MILLION per year, that's a pretty good deal for him!

The 33-year-old appeared in court in Spain on Tuesday morning smiling and holding hands with his girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez ... almost like he knew it was not a big deal.

And, the reason? CR7 had previously agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors ... so Tuesday's court date was just a formality to make it official.

CR7 had been accused of hiding around $16.7 MILLION income he made from his image rights in Spain between 2011 and 2014.

He was facing a 23-month prison sentence -- but hammered out a deal to pay the fine and move on with his life.

It also helps that in Spain, a 1st-time offender sentenced to less than 24 months in prison can serve probation instead of being locked up.

The fine is really no big deal for a guy like Ronaldo -- Forbes reports he pulls in around $93 mil from pro soccer and endorsement deals.

Of course, Ronaldo has other legal issues -- he's being sued in the United States by a woman who claims he raped her in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009.

Ronaldo has denied wrongdoing. Cops are still investigating.

Ex-Dallas Cowboys running back Darren McFadden was arrested in Texas early Monday morning after officials say he was driving drunk at a Whataburger ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Sources tell us the 31-year-old was asleep behind the wheel of a 2019 GMC Yukon in the drive-thru at a Whataburger in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

During the incident, cops say McFadden was resisting officers. Multiple sources tell us McFadden's driver's side and passenger windows were smashed during the incident.

Cops responded to the scene and arrested McFadden. He was taken to a nearby station where he was booked for DWI and resisting arrest. He was released on bond a short time later.

McFadden was a star during his college days at Arkansas and was selected by the Oakland Raiders with the #4 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

After spending 7 seasons with the Raiders, McFadden later signed with the Dallas Cowboys, where he played until 2017. He retired after that season.

Despite never making a Pro Bowl, McFadden got PAID during his 10 seasons in the league -- reportedly earning roughly $50 MILLION during his career.

Story developing ...

Manny Pacquiao's Los Angeles home was burglarized less than 24 hours after the boxer defeated Adrien Broner.

Law enforcement sources tell us they got a call Sunday from someone on Pacquiao's team regarding the crime. We're told there were signs of forced entry and the home was ransacked.

Pacquiao was not home at the time ... he was still in Las Vegas. Pacquiao beat Broner by unanimous decision Saturday.

At this time, it is not known what all was taken from the boxer's home. Cops do not have any suspects.

Manny's victory over Broner improves his pro record an impressive 61-7-2. Pacquiao won the fight via unanimous decision and he looked pretty good.

Now, the question is ... will Manny and Floyd Mayweather work out a deal for a rematch? Remember, both fighters had been teasing a 2nd fight for months but so far, no deal has been made.

The last time Manny and Floyd fought, both guys made a TON of cash -- Floyd raked in around $300 MIL and Manny's haul was around $100 MIL.

Tom Sizemore could be taking a long trip, and not to a sunny tropical island, either -- he's staring down the possibility of a year in jail after his recent drug bust ... TMZ has learned.

The Burbank City Attorney has charged Sizemore with 2 counts of possession of heroin, and 2 counts of possession of medication without a prescription. We broke the story -- the actor was pulled over in Burbank a couple weeks ago for expired tags and a missing front license plate, but he got arrested after cops say they found meth and heroin in the car.

Now, luckily for Sizemore all 4 charges are misdemeanors ... so he won't go to prison if convicted. In addition to the year in jail, he could also get hit with a $1,000 fine.

Lionel Richie's only son, model Miles Brockman Richie, had a run-in with cops at a U.K. airport after allegedly claiming he had a bomb and then slugging a security guard ... TMZ has learned.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police in London tell us a 24-year-old man "accepted a caution" Saturday for "communicating false information causing a bomb hoax and battery following an incident at Heathrow (Airport) Terminal 5."

Our law enforcement sources say it was Miles who was issued the caution. We're told he was detained, later accepted the caution from police, and then released.

As far as what went down, eyewitnesses tell us Miles was trying to get on a flight, but for some reason wasn't allowed. He became angry and allegedly claimed he had a bomb in his bag, which he'd detonate if he wasn't let on to the plane.

We're told security showed up and Miles allegedly punched one of the guards. That's when police intervened, detained him, and issued him the caution on site.

According to Metro, accepting a caution in England is essentially the same thing as accepting responsibility for an offense.

When a caution is issued, the person who receives it is not booked or charged with a crime. They also don't need to appear in court. The caution does, however, go on their permanent record. It's a way to keep low-level crimes out of court and a means of unclogging the criminal justice system.

Joey King isn't only thinking about movie critics reviewing her role as convicted murderer Gypsy Rose Blanchard -- she's worried about the way Gypsy will perceive it when she gets outta prison.

We got Joey at LAX where she told us all about her upcoming Hulu series, "The Act," which tells the story of Gypsy's highly disturbing upbringing ... and eventual murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard in 2015.

She fully committed to the complicated role ... even opting to shave her head instead of using makeup and a bald cap.

Gypsy and her mother's tragic story was already the subject of the popular HBO documentary, "Mommy Dead and Dearest."

If you missed it, Dee Dee suffered from Munchausen by Proxy -- a mental disorder where a parent fabricates illnesses in their child for sympathy or attention.

Gypsy pled guilty to murdering her mother and is currently serving 10-years in Missouri.