Crime

Lori Harvey is lucky she escaped a sneak attack in a parking structure -- and if not for her quick-thinking skills her car might have been jacked ... TMZ has learned.

Steve Harvey's daughter had just parked her 2020 Rolls-Royce Cullinan at an apartment complex in Atlanta Wednesday night ... and made her way to the trunk to grab some stuff. That’s when the suspect crept up and ran to jump in the driver's seat.

According to the police report -- obtained by TMZ -- Lori told cops the suspect was a young black guy who tried to steal her ride. We’re told Lori actually ran toward him and struggled with him as he was sitting in the SUV ... but he pushed her away.

Lori told cops that's when she realized she could just walk away with the key fob to thwart the attempted auto theft -- because it can't be put in drive without it. We’re told she simply walked away nonchalantly.

As she did, a second suspect pulled up in a getaway car, hopped out, ran to the back of her Rolls and grabbed a red duffel bag. Both he and the first suspect jumped in their vehicle and fled.

Clean getaway, but according to the report they didn't get much. The duffel bag was the only item stolen, and it only contained some clothing.

Cops say Lori didn't complain of any injuries and refused medical treatment. She told police she was returning from Whole Foods, so cops are looking to see if any surveillance cameras may have captured the suspects tailing her into the lot.

Miami Dolphins star cornerback Xavien Howard is off the hook in his domestic violence case ... TMZ Sports has learned his battery charge was dropped Thursday.

Howard's attorney, Michael C. Grieco, says it was announced at a short hearing in a Broward County courtroom that the case against the NFL player has been dismissed.

It's huge news for the 26-year-old, who was facing jail time after his fiancee alleged he roughed her up after an argument at their Davie, Fla. home on Dec. 29.

In the police report, obtained by TMZ Sports, the woman says Howard grabbed her, pushed her against a mirrored wall, and when he let her go, she fell on one of his crutches.

Cops say in the report they noticed visible scratches, redness and an abrasion on the woman's body ... and arrested the 6-foot-1, 200-pound cornerback.

What's worse ... in 911 audio from the incident, the woman -- who has three children with Howard -- insinuated the NFL player had repeatedly abused her in the past.

It's unclear what prompted the state attorney's office to not pursue charges this week ... we're working on it.

Howard -- who made the Pro Bowl in 2018 -- is still subject to NFL discipline under the league's personal conduct policy.

Bernie Madoff is too conniving to be let out of prison early and should continue rotting behind bars ... so says Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband.

As you know ... Bernie is begging a judge for mercy in the form of an early prison release, claiming he has terminal kidney failure and saying doctors are only giving him 18 months to live.

But Zsa Zsa's hubby and conservator, Frederic Prinz Von Anhalt, says not so fast!!!

The Prince says Madoff should remain behind bars for at least another 16 months if the 18-month timeline is indeed legit because he feels an early release is too sweet a deal for the 81-year-old Ponzi schemer.

Easy to see why Frederic doesn't have any sympathy for Madoff ... he claims Bernie robbed his wife and his investment firm of about $10 million ... and says Zsa Zsa would want Madoff to rot in hell!!!

Bernie Madoff, of all people, is begging a judge for mercy ... because he says he'll be dead next year, and wants to live out his final days outside his prison walls.

In docs filed Wednesday, Madoff reveals he has terminal kidney failure and the clock's ticking. He says doctors have given him less than 18 months. As if that's not enough, the 81-year-old Ponzi schemer says he's also battling hypertension, cardiovascular disease, hyperparathyroidism and a bladder neck obstruction.

On the less sympathetic side ... Madoff says he's got real bad acid reflux and insomnia.

The man who robbed his victims blind for $65 BILLION says he's confined to a wheelchair, with a back brace in the prison's comfort care unit.

Madoff thinks he deserves a "compassionate release" from the Butner Federal penitentiary in North Carolina because he poses no risk to the public. He also says his 150-year sentence is too severe in light of his terminal illness.

He even says there's a precedent for his release -- namely, the Lockerbie, Scotland bomber ... who killed 270 people aboard Pan Am flight 103. Madoff says Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi was released after 8 years due to suffering terminal prostate cancer.

In the docs, Madoff acknowledges he has no money and, if released, will have to live with an unnamed friend. He says he will live off his Social Security and Medicare benefits.

Yeah, that's right ... you're paying for his care. Ain't that a kick in the pants.

Unbelievable moment at the Chiefs' Super Bowl parade Wednesday ... a car blew through barriers and led cops on a wild police chase before it was ultimately halted by a PIT maneuver.

The crazy scene just went down minutes ago in Kansas City ... where, according to witnesses, a silver sedan plowed into the parade route and drove through it at high speeds.

You can see in the video, at the end of the chase, the beat-up car was hopping curbs and avoiding officers ... until one cop car finally stopped him with an epic PIT move.

The scene was chaotic ... 'cause once the driver's vehicle was disabled -- DOZENS of officers ran to rip the suspects from the car.

According to at least one witness, the driver was cuffed on the scene. Kansas Police says two suspects are now in custody.

"As far as we can tell, there are no injuries," a spokesperson for the police dept. says. "Great work by our officers!"

The championship celebration parade is expected to begin in just a couple hours.

Lyssa Chapman, the daughter of Dog the Bounty Hunter, has now been charged with 2 counts of harassment after her arrest in Hawaii.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, each count Lyssa is charged with relates to a different person -- one man and one woman. The woman, according to Lyssa, is her girlfriend. It's unclear what her relationship is to the man she allegedly harassed.

Both counts are misdemeanors.

As we first reported ... Lyssa was arrested in Honolulu last Thursday. At the time of the arrest, Lyssa told us cops were called because she was having a fight with her GF.

Lyssa added that when officers arrived, she put her hand up in order to stop them from entering her room. She said she plans to file a report for police misconduct against the officers for the way they arrested her. She claims a cop grabbed her by the arm.

Danny Masterson is firing back at his rape accusers over their stalking lawsuit against him and the Church of Scientology ... calling BS on the whole case.

The "That '70s Show" star filed new docs -- obtained by TMZ -- asking a judge to toss the case on grounds the women, according to Danny, haven't specified what they're accusing him of doing.

You'll recall ... 4 women filed suit against Danny and the Church claiming they conspired to stalk them and invade their privacy. They cited multiple incidents of being followed, having their homes surveilled and their property damaged ... which they believe was in retaliation for going public with rape claims against Danny, who is a Scientologist.

In the new docs, filed by attorney Andrew Brettler, Masterson claims the 4 women -- two of whom filed as Jane Does -- are engaged in a "shameful money grab." He says the women are ex-girlfriends who are trying to humiliate him and the Church but doing it anonymously to avoid scrutiny.

He'd already denied all of their claims, but now ... he's doing it again in court docs. He says there was a criminal investigation 2 years ago, and no charges were filed.

Danny says he wants a judge, at the very least, to force the women to disclose their names publicly and, more importantly, he wants them to specify what he allegedly did wrong. He claims they're far too general with their allegations, and he's demanding they get specific.

There's a hearing on the matter scheduled for March, at which point the court is expected to issue a ruling.

The Philadelphia Flyers mascot did NOT assault a 13-year-old boy ... according to Philly police, who just announced Gritty has been cleared after a weeks-long probe.

As we previously reported, a man claims his young son was punched in the back by the mascot at Wells Fargo Arena during a Nov. 19 photo shoot fan event.

Chris Greenwell -- the father of the alleged victim -- says Gritty "took a running start" and "punched my son as hard as he could" after he alleges the kid "playfully patted" the mascot on the head.

Greenwell says his son suffered real injuries from the altercation ... and required a trip to the chiropractor for treatment.

But, cops say after they received a report of the alleged assault on Dec. 21 ... they found no evidence saying Gritty committed a crime.

"That investigation, which has been completed and is no longer active, determined that the actions of the individual portraying the Flyers' mascot did not constitute physical assault as alleged," cops said Monday in a statement to TMZ Sports.

The Flyers -- who previously adamantly denied the accusations -- added in a statement, "We are pleased that the Philadelphia Police Department concluded there was no merit to the alleged claim."

DaBaby better get da lawyer on the phone ... he's just been slapped with a lawsuit by the guy claiming he and his crew beat him up.

Concert promoter Kenneth Carey just filed suit against DB, his entertainment company and a bunch of the goons that were with him that day ... alleging the rapper not only illegally battered him but also turned his back on a deal they'd struck to host an event.

Long story short ... Kenneth now claims in legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- that he and DaBaby agreed to have the latter host a party where another artist, Stunna 4 Vegas, had been booked to perform at. Ken says he and DB agreed on a flat rate ... $20k, no more.

In his lawsuit ... Ken says when DaBaby and co. arrived in town, he arranged hotels and cars for them via a rental company -- and alleges one of those vehicles was returned damaged.

Fast-forward to the day Ken was supposed to pay DB, and he claims the guy asked him for an additional $10k on the spot to cover the damage to the car, which apparently got billed to DaBaby and his crew. Ken says DaBaby insisted it was the least Ken could do ... seeing how he agreed to do the hosting gig for way cheaper than he normally charges.

Ken says he refused to pay another $10k, and that's when the alleged ass-whooping -- part of which was caught on camera -- went down. The promoter says DaBaby and at least 4 other guys pulled his pants down, beat him up and poured apple juice all over him.

He also claims the crew jacked him of his phone, money and credit card that he had on hand. Adding insult to injury, Ken says neither DaBaby or Stunna showed for the event. The suit was filed by Jonathan May of The Lions' Den law firm in Miami.

Of course, DaBaby was later arrested and charged for battery in connection to this case ... but he later sprung himself from jail and defended himself online, denying the account.

Harvey Weinstein rape accuser Jessica Mann claims he began manipulating her as soon as he met her, forced himself on her multiple times and finally raped her ... and she said it all under oath.

The former actress took the stand and gave emotional testimony Friday, breaking down in tears as she described her history with the disgraced movie mogul ... including alleged sexual assaults.

Mann testified she met Weinstein at a party about 7 years ago, and he quickly took interest in her and began offering her work. Mann claims she had several meetings with him to discuss her career, but he asked her for a massage at an early meeting ... and forced oral sex on her at a later meeting in which she thought she'd be discussing a movie role.

Mann testified she faked an orgasm to get out of the situation.

Weeks later, Mann alleges Weinstein raped her at the hotel in Manhattan after injecting his penis with erection medication. She testified that he physically blocked her from leaving the room and made her undress. She says ... "I gave up at that point."

Mann says about a year later, Weinstein told her "She owed him one more time" after she informed him she had a boyfriend ... and claims he had intercourse with her.

Weinstein's side has argued the 2 had a consensual relationship that lasted years after the alleged sexual assault, and have pointed to several emails Mann sent to him in which she expressed affection and love.

Gunshots rang out at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida when an SUV led authorities on a wild car chase after breaching 2 security checkpoints.

It all went down Friday morning in Palm Beach, when a black SUV heading toward the main entrance breached both checkpoints, leading Florida Highway Patrol on a pursuit that ended with officials firing shots.

The Palm Beach Sheriff's Office says the car chase is over and 2 people are now in custody. The Sheriff says they're still figuring out which agency pulled the trigger. A police helicopter was also involved in the pursuit.

It's pretty crazy ... President Trump and Melania are scheduled to depart the White House for Mar-a-Lago later this afternoon, but it's unclear if the shooting will affect their travel schedule.

The FBI says it's aware of the incident and agents are responding.

The FAA says it will DROP THE HAMMER on drone fliers at Super Bowl LIV in Miami this weekend ... threatening $30,000 fines if people are caught flying the toys near the Big Game!

Drone-flying has become a super popular hobby in America ... especially in Miami where there's a whole hell of a lot of stuff to record from the sky.

But, the FAA is deeming Hard Rock Stadium as a NO-FLY ZONE for this weekend's 49ers-Chiefs matchup ... and if people are caught flying anyway, the punishment is pretty severe.

The FAA says fines could not only reach $30K ... but criminal prosecution is on the table as well.

Yeah, better put those drones in the closet for the weekend.

As for the official rules of flying near the game if ya wanna push it ... the FAA says no drones will be allowed without permission within a roughly 34-mile region around the stadium.

But, good news ... the drones can be broken out shortly after the game -- the FAA says the temporary flight restriction will be removed at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Offset has been detained by cops after a report of a person with a gun at an L.A. shopping center.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ a call came in just before 8 PM of a person with a gun inside the parking structure at The Grove shopping center. We're told the person who had the weapon allegedly fled the scene, and Offset and members of his entourage have been detained.

It is NOT clear if Offset or anyone he was with actually had a weapon, and police are currently investigating the situation.

In video -- obtained by TMZ -- Offset can be seen in a yellow hoodie asking officers why he's been cuffed ... the officer pushes the Migos rapper up against a wall.

We are told Offset is currently being held near the security station of The Grove.

The woman Soulja Boy describes as a bitter ex-GF is suing him over the alleged kidnapping and assault case that led to him doing time last year.

Kayla Myers says she was partying with Soulja and co. at his Malibu home on Feb. 1, 2019 when she decided to leave at 2 AM. She admits her exit didn't go smoothly -- as she backed out, her car went off the driveway ... which pissed off one of Soulja's female assistants and sparked an argument between Kayla and the woman.

In her lawsuit, Kayla claims she was knocked to the ground, and then Soulja came over to kick her in the stomach and bash her in the head "with a large gun" -- and then told her she was going to die as he held the gun to her head.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, she claims Soulja directed the assistant to drag Kayla to the garage, tie her up with duct tape and give her a shower. That sounds bizarre, but Kayla claims he wanted to clean her up from the ass-kicking she'd just suffered in the dirt outside the house.

Later, Kayla claims she was being held captive -- tied up with an extension cord -- in the garage when a male assistant offered to release her if she performed oral sex. In the suit, she says she felt she had no choice and did it. After that she was released at 8 AM ... she says with one final indignity -- Soulja allegedly said, "Now get this bitch outta here before I knock her down the stairs."

Kayla claims she suffered 3 fractured ribs and a bruised face. As we reported, she reported all of this to police, who conducted a raid at Soulja's house, where they found guns ... a probation violation. As you know, Soulja ended up doing time in L.A. County jail last summer.

Some crook thought he'd be a big shot breaking into Billy Joel's house -- which would've been bad enough -- but trashing the piano man's beloved motorbikes too ... just makes him a heartless prick.

Nassau County PD tells TMZ ... a burglary took place sometime between Saturday and Monday morning at a Long Island home, which sources tell us belongs to Billy. The cops say 12 motorcycles and a home office on the property had been vandalized.

The extent of the damage is unclear, but even a little is gonna sting Billy badly ... 'cause the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer absolutely LOVES his motorcycles.

He's a notorious gear head and owns a local bike shop with even more vintage motorcycles on hand. So, it's no secret around his native Long Island that he's got crazy love for his street machines.

Cops say it appears the burglar or burglars smashed through a glass door leading into the garage.

We don't know if Billy was home during the break-in, but we know he discovered the damage Monday morning and called cops.

Nicki Minaj's brother was just sentenced to 25 years to life in prison following the guilty verdict in his child rape trial.

Judge Robert McDonald sentenced Jelani Maraj in a New York court Monday ... several months after the verdict been reached.

As we reported ... Maraj was found guilty of predatory sexual assault against a child and endangering the welfare of a child in a trial that lasted less than 3 weeks. At the time of the verdict, the Nassau County D.A. told us, "We hope that today's verdict will help the family in the healing process."

Back in 2017, Nicki visited her brother while he was locked up. We were told she only went to support her mother.