Crime

Stuart Townsend's facing a felony charge for allegedly getting physical with his wife and refusing to let her leave during an argument ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... the actor's neighbors called 911 complaining of loud screaming coming from his home in Santa Monica, and when cops showed up Townsend and his wife could be heard arguing from outside the house.

We're told the officers separated the two, but Townsend allegedly warned his wife not to say anything. Our sources say she complained of pain in her arms, but didn't need medical care.

Cops continued questioning the couple and learned they had a verbal fight that escalated. We're told Townsend allegedly grabbed his wife by the arms and at some point ... refused to let her leave when she tried.

The actor was arrested and booked for felony domestic violence. He's also facing 2 misdemeanor counts -- false imprisonment and dissuading one from reporting a crime.

He was released after posting $50k bail.

We got Stuart and his wife out Friday night and they brushed off the incident and walked out of a restaurant hand in hand saying everything's fine.

Townsend's best known for his role as Dorian Gray in the 2003 action flick, "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." Of course, he also dated Charlize Theron for 9 years until they split in 2010.

We reached out to Townsend and his wife. Stuart tells us they did have a loud argument, but claims they had already resolved their issues when police arrived. He adds, they both "look forward to this being resolved speedily and favorably and returning to their quiet lives as spouses and parents."

His wife tells us she asked cops not to arrest him and agrees -- she'd like the matter dropped so they can move on together as a family.

Felicity Huffman's time to face the music has arrived ... she just showed up to court to go before the judge and learn her fate after pleading guilty in the college admissions bribery scandal.

Felicity marched into court with her husband, William H. Macy. She looked stoic, but all signs point to an extremely light sentence ... and she could get no jail time at all.

Prosecutors want the "Desperate Housewives" star to spend a month behind bars for paying $15k to rig her daughter's SAT test. The Probation Dept. has suggested no time behind bars is appropriate, because no one suffered a loss as a result of Felicity's actions.

Our bet ... 30 days house arrest.

It's interesting ... prosecutors have retreated in a big way ... they initially wanted a minimum of 4 months, but reduced it to 1 in the face of the probation report. Prosecutors explained the change by saying the amount of time doesn't matter, as long as there's a message that similar wrongdoers will get some time. Even prosecutors don't believe that -- not the way it works.

Regardless of the sentence, it doesn't change the fact Felicity pled guilty to conspiracy charges for paying $15k to give her daughter a leg up on her college entrance exam. That means she's now a felon, which means at the very least she can't own a firearm.

Lori Loughlin, on the other hand, chose to fight the charges instead of copping a plea deal. Given Felicity's soft sentence and the Probation Dept. justifying it by saying there was "no actual or intended loss" ... Loughlin may now have the edge.

Mama June has been indicted by a grand jury on a charge of felony drug possession stemming from her arrest earlier this year ... TMZ has confirmed.

The charge relates to the bust at an Alabama gas station, in which cops say she was in possession of crack cocaine and a glass pipe. As we reported, her boyfriend, Geno, was also arrested on drug charges ... as well as domestic violence.

The grand jury also hit June with a misdemeanor charge for paraphernalia ... her boyfriend is facing the same charges.

Mama June was not at the Alabama courthouse Friday, but her sister was with a camera crew. We're told she hoped to stage an intervention with June ... but to no avail.

As we've reported ... Mama's life has seemingly gone off the rails in the recent months. Since her March arrest ... Honey Boo Boo and the rest of the fam already had one intervention for her and begged her to go to rehab.

She didn't, and has continued to stick with Geno. June and Geno held a bizarre garage sale and gutted her Georgia home before selling it and taking off for life on the road ... in an RV.

Sebastian Telfair is FREEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

... for now.

The ex-NBA star and former H.S. prodigy is out of prison just days after he was sentenced to 3.5 years in his gun case ... but there's a chance Telfair could end up back behind bars.

Here's the deal ... 34-year-old Telfair was convicted of possessing an illegal firearm stemming from a June 2017 incident where he was caught with an arsenal of weapons during a traffic stop.

He was facing up to 15 YEARS in prison for the crime ... but instead, on Aug. 12, a judge ordered him to serve 3.5 years.

Telfair and his legal team appealed the sentence ... and asked that while the process plays out, they let Telfair bail out of prison.

TMZ Sports has learned a judge agreed to those terms Thursday -- with an ankle monitor clearly a part of the deal -- and Telfair is now a free man.

Unclear how much Telfair's bail was -- we're working on it ... but we do know he was spotted with friends on Thursday.

Telfair -- who famously appeared on Sports Illustrated's cover as a high schooler -- played for several teams in the NBA from 2004 to 2015. He was a Trail Blazer's 1st-round pick in the '04 NBA Draft.

Beto O'Rourke got a rise out of an elected official from Texas when he said during Thursday's presidential debate that he wants to take assault weapons away from everyone who possesses them ... in the form of a not-so-veiled death threat.

O'Rourke gave a stirring answer to a question about assault rifles, saying, "Hell yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47," adding, "If the high-impact, high-velocity round, when it hits your body, shreds everything inside of your body because it was designed to do that so that you would bleed to death on the battlefield."

Well, that was enough for Texas Republican State Rep. Briscoe Cain, who fired back on Twitter, "My AR is ready for you Robert Francis."

O'Rourke stated the obvious on twitter, calling it a "death threat." What's more ... his team reported Briscoe to the FBI.

Antonio Brown should pack his bags ... the WR is expected to travel to Miami and play for the New England Patriots on Sunday, despite facing very serious rape allegations.

Brown practiced with Pats on both Wednesday and Thursday (and worked out at Tom Brady's TB12 facility) ... and now NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says all signs are pointing to AB being active.

"Generally with Bill Belichick, the way it works is if you practice on Wednesday, then you are preparing to play," Rapoport says.

Earlier this week, Belichick wouldn't commit to an answer when asked if AB would play on Sunday ... telling the media the team was taking things one day at a time.

But, as Ian pointed out, AB wouldn't be getting reps at practice if he wasn't expected to play -- that's just the Belichick way.

As for as his eligibility, neither the NFL nor New England has said Antonio CAN'T play ... despite a new lawsuit that was filed on Monday in which Britney Taylor alleges AB raped her in Miami back in 2018.

In her suit, Taylor also accuses Brown of inappropriate sexual acts in 2017 ... including one incident where she says Brown "began masturbating near her without her knowledge and ejaculated on her back."

For his part, Brown -- through his attorney, Darren Heitner, and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus -- has strongly denied the allegations.

Since the case is civil, and NOT criminal -- NFL officials didn't rush to place Brown on the Commissioner's Exempt List, which would almost certainly have happened had charges been filed.

Rapoport reported Friday morning if Brown doesn't play -- it'll likely be due to football reasons and NOT the new accusations against the embattled wide out.

Remember, the guy is still dealing with injured feet due to a cryotherapy mishap.

"Nothing has stepped in and stopped Antonio from being eligible to play," Rapoport said. "It certainly seems like that is the direction things are going to go in New England."

The Patriots square off with the Dolphins in Miami at 10 AM PT ... and inactives lists are due a couple hours before game time, so things won't be official either way until early Sunday.

Lori Loughlin's going about her normal routine ... just hours before getting an enormous clue about her fate in the college admissions scandal.

Lori was doing a little shopping Thursday at Ralphs in Westwood when a photog asked how she's doing, offering some words of support. Lori was mum, but there's reason for her to think things are looking up.

As we reported, in Felicity Huffman's case, the Probation Dept. wrote a report saying zero jail time would be appropriate since "There was no actual or intended loss." In other words, no one suffered as a result of Felicity paying $15k to rig her daughter's SAT test. What's so important here ... the Probation Dept. said there was no "intended" loss. Fact is ... even if she intended her daughter to get into a college and displace another student, the Probation Dept. doesn't think that's a "loss." That bodes well for Lori.

R. Kelly has another big legal problem -- a Minnesota judge just issued a bench warrant for his arrest because he was a no-show Thursday for a hearing, but this time it's not the singer's fault ... it's because he had no choice.

Kelly's hearing was set for 1:30 PM at the Hennepin County Court Thursday. He's facing 2 charges -- engaging in prostitution with someone under 18, and hiring/offering/agreeing to hire someone for sexual contact.

The problem -- Kelly's incarcerated at the MCC Chicago prison on federal sex crimes.

The Minnesota D.A.'s Office tells TMZ ... prosecutors there are aware the federal authorities in the Northern District of Illinois are unwilling to give them access to Kelly until his federal case is resolved.

Still, the bench warrant was issued. At a point, how many times can you be jailed, right? When you're in once, you're in.

Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino will be greeted by family, loved ones and a healthy scattering of his closest reality star friends on his way out of the big house.

The Sitch has been locked up in federal prison since January for tax evasion, and will finally regain his freedom Thursday. Our "Jersey Shore" sources tell us several members from the cast hopped on flights Wednesday and were prepping to record the events leading up to, and including Mike's release.

He could be released anytime after 12 AM Thursday, and it's unclear if the cast will meet Mike at the prison gates, or if they'll wait for him to travel to them.

However, on Tuesday there were several production vehicles hauling equipment into the same house where Snooki, Ronnie, Vinny, JWoww and Mike shot scenes for "Jersey Shore Family Vacation."

You'll remember, Mike's 'JS' buds were there to support him during the tax evasion court proceedings, and even made a pitiful -- yet comical -- attempt to persuade President Trump to let him out early.

Stephen Jackson is saying what a lot of people are thinking ... he doesn't understand why Antonio Brown's accuser would continue to work with the NFL star after he allegedly sexually assaulted her, TWICE.

"At the end of the day, if you still work with someone that's been sexually assaulting you, how is that sexual assault?"

Jackson is referring to the timeline in Britney Taylor's lawsuit against AB -- in which she claims she continued to work with Brown as his personal trainer after he allegedly exposed himself to her on two separate occasions in 2017.

As we previously reported, Taylor says weeks after the first incident, Brown snuck up from behind and masturbated onto her back while she was watching a church service on her iPad.

Despite the alleged incident, Taylor says she continued to work with -- and hang out with -- Brown until he allegedly forcibly raped her in May 2018. She didn't file her lawsuit until Sept. 2019.

"I don't know what's going on but at the end of the day, I just don't understand the timing of it," Jackson told TMZ Sports on his way out of a Viola Lifestyle event in L.A.

"There's a lot of stuff that's been going on with AB and she decides to come out with it 3 years later, around the time AB's going through all this other stuff. Like, it's kind of tricky."

"But, at the end of the day, I'm on the side of the athlete until he's proven guilty. So, shout-out to AB. Ya'll know how I rock."

For her part, Taylor says the incidents nearly destroyed her life ... but in her lawsuit, she doesn't specifically explain why she didn't go to police or come forward with allegations sooner.

Of course, there's a ton of research about why rape victims don't come forward right away -- from the fear of not being believed to retaliation from the accuser and others.

The New York Times wrote a piece about it in 2018.

Brown has adamantly denied the allegations and says he will fight the case.

Jackson he will "ride with AB" until/if he's found guilty -- but the problem is, Brown isn't being prosecuted right now. The lawsuit filed against him is a civil matter, with Taylor seeking a financial award.

Felicity Huffman wants to make it clear to the judge sentencing her -- what she did in the college case didn't hurt anyone, and therefore there's no precedent to put her in prison for even a day.

Sources directly familiar with Felicity's case tell TMZ ... the "Desperate Housewives" actress and her defense team have 2 arguments for her to spend no time behind bars, despite prosecutors recommending a 1-month sentence.

We're told Felicity and co. are pointing to the Probation Department's findings that she should get as little as zero months, because nobody suffered any loss due to her actions. You'll recall, Felicity pled guilty to conspiracy charges for paying $15k to give her daughter a leg up on her college entry exam.

Obviously, Felicity agrees with that "no loss" argument put forth by the probation department. However, in new court docs obtained by TMZ, she also says the prosecution is drawing unfair comparisons between her and other defendants in the case.

According to team Felicity ... the prosecution has cited 2 dozen old cases in which prison time was often handed down to the ring leaders. Felicity says she wasn't the big fish in this scheme, and shouldn't be sentenced like one. In short, she was just a customer of Rick Singer, not a mastermind of his plot.

She cites one case the prosecution is attempting to use as precedent ... where a guy got prison time for hacking a university's system. Felicity says that's an apples to oranges comparison.

Bottom line ... Felicity is hoping the judge recognizes she didn't harm anyone -- especially because her kid didn't even end up attending college this year.

Tekashi 6ix9ine will be testifying in front of pretty much everyone except those to whom he's closest -- his family -- because we've learned they're so scared of retaliation, they won't go near the courtroom.

The rapper's immediate family members have decided it's just too risky for them to show their faces when a trial begins for the two men who allegedly had a role in his kidnapping last year. The reason is simple ... Tekashi will be snitching, and they know what happens to snitches.

The fam is especially concerned about members of the Nine Trey Bloods, some of whom will be attending the trial.

We're told his family thinks, at the very least, they'd be harassed, but more likely followed back to their home ... or even outright attacked by Nine Trey members.

Remember, Tekashi was already scared for his family's lives -- despite hiring extra security to guard them -- and it looks like he's following through on that concern now that the day is right around the corner.

As we reported ... prosecutors laid out what Tekashi's going to say on the stand next week, when he'll supposedly name names, connect people to certain incriminating messages ... and implicate himself and other Nine Trey Bloods to a plot on hurting rival rapper Casanova.

Presumably, he'll also get into detail about how he was bankrolling his fellow gang members -- something prosecutors revealed in court docs.

There's obviously a lot on the line ... and Tekashi wants to protect his brood. So, he's going in solo come crunch time.

Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino better carb-load before he gets outta prison this week ... 'cause his wife's hinting at what she's got in store for him, and it might be pretty physical.

The 'Jersey Shore' star's wife, Lauren Sorrentino, was out Wednesday in NJ, and a pap asked about any special plans she has for Thursday. That's when Mike gets released from prison after serving an 8-month sentence for tax evasion.

Remember, they got married last November and only had about 2 months to live as husband and wife before he checked into prison. They tied the knot at the ritzy Legacy Castle in Pompton Plains, NJ in front of family, friends ... and, of course, the whole 'Jersey Shore' gang too.

Fast-forward to now, seems Mike's 'GTL' sessions will have to take a backseat to Mrs. Sitch's plans ... cause she's ready for LOTS of quality time.

Read into that what you will. It's been a long time coming.

Former college football star Ryan Mallett was arrested for driving while intoxicated on Tuesday ... after the ex-NFL quarterback crashed his car in Arkanas ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Officials say 31-year-old Mallett was involved in a 2-car collision in Springdale around 6:30 PM. We're told his car crossed over the center line while driving.

Cops tested his blood alcohol level ... and he blew a .08, jail officials tell us.

Along with the DWI, Mallett was also cited for careless prohibited driving for swaying over the center line.

So far, no official comment from Mallett. We're working on getting more details about the arrest.

It couldn't be worse timing for the former New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens QB -- who recently accepted an invite to the XFL Draft being held in October.

Remember, Vince McMahon famously said he would ban any players with a criminal record from playing in his league during a media event in 2018.

So, the question ... will Vince stick by his guns and uninvite Mallett -- or will he reconsider his stance?

Cops in Miami and Hollywood, FL, as well as Pittsburgh, PA, tell TMZ Sports they have NO records of Antonio Brown's rape accuser ever filing a criminal complaint with officers.

A woman named Britney Taylor alleges the NFL superstar sexually assaulted her twice in the Pittsburgh area in 2017 ... and claims Brown raped her in the Miami area in 2018.

When we spoke with officials from the Hollywood Police Department in Florida -- where Brown has a residence -- they told us they have no records of a complaint ever filed by Taylor.

A spokesperson from the Department of Public Safety in Pittsburgh says they have no records of a complaint either, adding, there are "no active investigations into" Brown at this time.

As for the Miami-Dade Police Department, a spokesperson there tells us, "The Special Victims Bureau does not have any records of a sexual assault reported by the alleged victim, nor any reports where Antonio Brown is subject."

Of course, none of this means a crime DIDN'T happen ... rather, it simply means Taylor did NOT go to police prior to filing a civil lawsuit against Brown in federal court Tuesday.

We reached out to Taylor's attorneys multiple times about the situation, but so far, no word back.

For his part, Brown has denied all of the allegations against him ... with his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, saying Wednesday, "These allegations are false. [Brown] denies every one of them."

Rosenhaus added, "I am very confident that his legal team has facts that will prove this."

Ricky Garcia -- an ex-member of the boy band "Forever In Your Mind" -- claims his former manager is a pedophile who groomed and seduced him before raping him ... this according to a new lawsuit.

Garcia is suing Joby Harte and his company, Hot Rock Media, claiming Harte raped and sexually assaulted him dozens of times throughout his teenage years ... beginning when he was just 12.

The singer, now 20, claims Harte used the "well-worn pedophile playbook of grooming and seduction." Garcia claims it started with Harte promising him the world ... before showing him porn and then allegedly sexually assaulting him.

In the docs, filed by attorney Ben Meiselas of Geragos and Geragos, Garcia -- who auditioned for season 3 of "The X Factor" and joined the boy band at Simon Cowell's invitation -- claims on multiple occasions Harte got him blackout drunk. Garcia claims he'd wake up naked the following mornings next to Harte.

Specifically, Garcia alleges Harte organized a 2-night "songwriting session" back in 2014 for the band without parents at Catalina Island. Garcia says Harte got him drunk on tequila and vodka before he blacked out. Again, Garcia says he woke up naked on Harte's bed.

When Garcia asked what happened, he says Harte told him he undressed him and bathed him because he was covered in vomit after blacking out.

For his 17th birthday, Garcia claims Harte got in his shower stall at a hotel resort and forced him to masturbate Harte until he ejaculated. Garcia says he never told anyone about the alleged sexual assaults because he was afraid of losing his career.

Garcia is also suing two other men, claiming one former agent sucked his toes after a 2014 hangout with Harte ... and accuses a manager/producer of grabbing his penis during a 2016 concert in WeHo.

Garcia -- who also costarred in over 30 episodes on Disney Channel's "Best Friends Whenever" -- says he and his mother finally confronted Harte ... claiming the ex-manager had no visible reaction but did not deny it. Garcia claims Harte admitted he "did not behave like an adult."