Crime

An arrest warrant has been issued for ex-NFL star Earl Thomas ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Court records show a judge in Austin, Texas signed the warrant on April 27. The document, per the records, alleges the former Seattle Seahawks safety violated a protective order two or more times in the last 12 months.

Trey Dolezal, Thomas' attorney, told the Austin American-Statesman on Friday that it all relates to Thomas "reaching out to his wife to see their children."

"They were consciously and collectively working together to see his kids," Dolezal said. "I don't really understand how he could be in violation by working together to visit with his children."

The protective order had been issued back in 2021. The Austin American-Statesman reports court documents show a woman told cops that Earl violated the protective order by sending her threatening text messages.

Jail records show Earl has not yet been booked.

Gabby Petito's mother, Nichole Schmidt, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the estate of her daughter's deceased killer, Brian Laundrie ... seeking around $30k in damages.

Laundrie's family attorney, Steven Bertolino, tells TMZ … the filing of the wrongful death lawsuit by the Petito family was fully expected and most likely will not be defended.

He says, "The Petitos will have gained nothing more than a piece of paper that tells them what everyone already knows - which is that Brian was responsible for Gabby’s death as indicated by the FBI."

According to the lawsuit ... Laundrie killed Gabby and her parents had to cover funeral and burial expenses. They also claim they've suffered a loss of care and comfort from their daughter.

As for why only $30k, when they could have sued for 7-figures for the murder of their daughter, we're guessing it's because the funds just aren't there.

As we reported ... Gabby's parents sued Brian Laundrie's parents, claiming they were aware their son murdered their daughter before Brian's body was found in October.

The man who charged at Dave Chappelle onstage will have to come up with $30,000 bail before he gets out of a jail cell.

Isaiah Lee made his first appearance in an L.A. courtroom Friday morning to face 4 misdemeanor charges -- and he looked very much worse for wear following the beatdown he got at the Hollywood Bowl.

Lee's right arm was in a cast and a sling when he entered the courtroom and entered a not guilty plea on all charges. He was represented by a public defender who told the judge, Lee had suffered a broken arm -- something that was painfully obvious as he was being hauled out of the Bowl on a stretcher.

If he's able to come up with bail, Lee will be under a protective order ... requiring him to stay at least 100 yards away from the Hollywood Bowl, Dave and any other venue at which the comedian performs.

As we reported, the L.A. County D.A., George Gascon, passed on felony charges for Lee and punted the case to the City Attorney, who charged Lee with possession of a weapon with intent to assault and unauthorized access to the stage area during a performance.

The man who killed Nicki Minaj's father, Robert Maraj, in a hit-and-run has pleaded guilty.

Charles Polevich pled guilty to one count of leaving the scene of an incident without reporting and one count of tampering with physical evidence ... both felonies.

He was facing up to 7 years behind bars on the felony count alone, but it looks like he won't get nearly that long of a sentence. Judge Howard Sturim committed to sentencing Polevich to no more than one year in jail, along with community service and suspension of his driver's license.

As we reported ... Robert Maraj died at the age of 64 ... after being struck in a hit-and-run accident back in February 2021.

Nicki later opened up about the tragedy on her website saying ... "I can say it has been the most devastating loss of my life." She added, he was very loved and will be very missed.

Cain Velasquez might be behind bars, but he's still finding a way to let his daughter know he's thinking about her on her birthday ... penning a sweet message to the 13-year-old from jail.

The UFC legend posted the note to his Twitter page on Friday ... while attaching several photos of the father and daughter enjoying past times together.

"Happy 13th birthday Coco!" Velasquez said. "I miss you so much! Te amo mucho."

As part of his note, Velasquez also said he was hoping to be released from jail at a hearing on Friday.

"I hope God grants us the ultimate gift for your birthday," Velasquez said, "for me to be home with you."

Sadly for Velasquez, a judge didn't grant him bail at the hearing ... instead, the matter was continued and pushed back to May 16 -- which means he'll be locked up for at least another 10 days.

The 39-year-old has been behind bars since February ... when he was arrested for allegedly shooting at a man who had been accused of molesting one of his family members.

Dave Chappelle took the stage Thursday night and revealed something shocking ... he spoke to the man who attacked him at the Hollywood Bowl, and the guy told Dave why he did it.

Dave says he convinced Bowl security Tuesday night to let him speak to Isaiah Lee before he was taken away. Dave says, "I needed to talk to him" to find out why he attacked. Chappelle says Lee told him this was all about getting attention for his grandmother ... who he said had been forced out of her neighborhood because of gentrification.

Dave was at the Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip, and there were lots of celebs in attendance, including Kim Kardashian, Diddy, Jeff Ross and Chris Rock. Chris joined Dave on stage and they joked about both being attacked during a performance.

At one point Dave said, "At least you got smacked by someone of repute. I got smacked by a homeless guy with leaves in his hair!" Chris's response ... "I got smacked by the softest n**** that ever rapped."

Dave ended the show with this as he gazed at Diddy ... "I am in the place where you sat in the car with Biggie Smalls as he died," adding, "I hate this city."

42 Dugg's patented "Free Dem Boyz" slogan now applies to himself as well. The Detroit rapper -- who's signed with Lil Baby and Yo Gotti -- was reportedly arrested the moment he got off a plane from Memphis.

Dugg, whose government name is Dion Hayes, failed to turn himself in to a West Virginia federal prison camp last month to serve a 6-month sentence for illegal firearm possession ... according to The Detroit News.

The 27-year-old rising star, who was just named to XXL's 2021 Freshman list, hasn't exactly been living like a man on the run. In April, he released his joint album "Last Ones Left" with Collective Music Group labelmate EST Gee, and has been shooting plenty of music videos for it.

Like Pooh Shiesty -- who just got a 63-month sentence -- such legal drama could disrupt what was shaping up to be a promising rap career.

Dave Chappelle's attacker seemingly committed a crime, but it won't be enough to charge him with a felony ... so says the district attorney.

The L.A. County D.A.'s Office made the announcement Thursday, saying they've turned the case over to the city attorney, adding, "After reviewing the evidence, prosecutors determined that while criminal conduct occurred, the evidence as presented did not constitute felony conduct."

Our LAPD sources tell us they pushed for a felony charge when they submitted their findings, but the D.A. clearly disagreed.  There has been a war brewing between the LAPD and L.A. County D.A. George Gascón, who has decided not to file charges in cases traditionally have been filed.

As we reported, Isaiah Lee was arrested and booked for assault with a deadly weapon after the attack. Law enforcement sources tell us he pointed a replica gun with a knife attached to the barrel at the comedian as he rushed the stage.

Lucky for Dave, his team jumped into immediate action, restraining the attacker and pummeling him in the process.

DaBaby claimed self-defense when he shot a man who randomly breached his North Carolina property -- and it looks like prosecutors agree with the rapper -- he won't be charged.

In legal docs obtained by TMZ, the Iredell County D.A. says it reviewed the case and has made the decision not to proceed with any charges.

TMZ broke the story back in April ... a man scaled DaBaby's estate walls and was eventually shot in the leg after exchanging words with the superstar rapper.

The eerie 911 call also showcased a cool, calm and collected DaBaby instructing cops of what had taken place ... with the man hollering in the background.

The Laugh Factory, one of the meccas of standup comedy in Los Angeles, is beefing up security ... and it's in response to the attack on Dave Chappelle and the Oscars slap.

Honchos at the famous comedy venue on Sunset Blvd. tell TMZ not only have they put up a sign in support of Dave, but they're also going to great lengths to protect comics after what happened during Dave's set Tuesday night at the Hollywood Bowl.

Remember ... an attacker jumped on stage and lunged at Dave, slamming him to the ground before running around the stage and eventually catching a beating. The guy had a replica gun with a real knife attachment.

We're told the new security plan at the Laugh Factory features more security guards both inside and outside the venue, including plainclothes guards in the crowd tasked with preventing anyone from rushing the stage.

Somehow, Dave's attacker got the gun/knife into the Hollywood Bowl and past metal detectors, and we're told the Laugh Factory is now using a metal detector at the front door for the first time ever.

The Chappelle attack also prompted a staff meeting at the Laugh Factory ... with leadership blaming the incident on the Will Smith slap at the Oscars, seeing it as some sort of copycat effect, combined with a lack of criminal charges for Will.

This photo shows how scary it must have been for Dave Chappelle Tuesday night at the Hollywood Bowl, because the gun/knife that was thrust toward him looked like it could have fatal consequences.

The knife is affixed to the barrel of the gun, like a bayonet. As we reported, the gun was a replica but the knife is real ... real deadly if the attacker had actually used it when he jumped on stage and lunged at Dave, slamming him to the ground.

The big question ... how on earth did the 23-year-old assailant get the gun/knife past the metal detector? Our LAPD sources say there was one entrance area where the metal detector could be circumvented. That itself is a HUGE problem.

As you know, a bunch of people, including Jamie Foxx and Busta Rhymes, pounded on the guy ... who was injured and taken to the hospital. He was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon.

Dave continued his show and was uninjured, but he was clearly shaken up.

The moment Dave Chappelle was attacked on stage in front of thousands of fans was crazy as hell ... so says former NFL star Marcellus Wiley who tells TMZ Sports he was in the building for the whole thing!!

We spoke with the star of FS1's "Speak For Yourself" ... who wasn't the only celeb in attendance, and he told us the scary incident unfolded right in front of his own eyes.

"Yea, I was in the building man, and it was crazy to be there," Wiley said. "Lot of stars in the building, but the moment it occurred is crazy 'cause it was time to leave. Dave was leaving the stage and coming back for an encore."

Wiley says he was eagerly awaiting the musical act Chappelle was introducing, Black Star, when suddenly, a guy from the crowd rushed the stage and attacked the comedian.

"Now, I'm gonna say he missed his moment, too, because he missed that tackle," the ex-NFL star said. "As a former football player, he could have got a lot cleaner hit, but he's not a former linebacker. But, he tackled Dave, and then next thing you know, the dude gets up, takes off running thinking he Barry Sanders."

He continued ... "And boy, that's when security started working. About 50 people -- including Dave, Jamie Foxx -- you just saw everyone just bum rush this dude in the corner right in the back. It took about 3-5 minutes to finally get the dude out of there. It was a lot of elbows, a lot of stomping, and a lot of people who were upset at that moment."

Of course, we had to ask Marcellus if he initially believed the attack was fake ... a skit of sorts aimed at poking fun at Will Smith's attack on Chris Rock at the Oscars.

"In the moment I was like, 'Yo, that's crazy,'" Wiley said. "Then I was like 'Yo, that's some Will Smith stuff.'" Wiley admits he thought Chappelle was making light of the Smith incident, but quickly realized that wasn't the case when he saw the beatdown the attacker was receiving.

Despite the chaotic scene, Marcellus told us the craziest part of the night wasn't even the guy getting hammered after the failed ambush attack.

The Kidd Creole -- a rap pioneer from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five -- just got a lengthy prison sentence for his conviction in the stabbing death of a homeless man.

Manhattan D.A. Alvin L. Bragg Jr. announced the rap legend's sentence Wednesday ... 16 years in state prison, followed by 5 years of post-release supervision.

As we reported ... The Kidd Creole was convicted of first-degree manslaughter last month, for fatally stabbing a homeless man with a steak knife.

The incident went down in August 2017, when prosecutors say The Kidd Creole was walking past the man on the street and they exchanged words, with TKC walking past the man before turning back, confronting him face-to-face and stabbing him twice in the torso.

The D.A. says a group of tourists found the man bleeding in the street ... he was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Unreal scene in San Francisco on Tuesday morning ... a daredevil is climbing up the city's tallest skyscraper -- with no ropes or safety nets.

The urban climber began his ascent on the Salesforce Tower in the middle of downtown S.F. shortly after sunrise -- and as of this posting, he's nearly made it to the top of the 60-floor, 1,070-foot tall building.

Videos shot by bystanders outside of the building are breathtaking ... showing the guy scaling the structure seemingly without any issues at all.

In footage shot from people inside of the skyscraper, you can see the climber was calm and cool -- and even smiling -- as he made his way toward the top.

Authorities in San Francisco are on the scene ... and are condemning the man for the stunt.

"This person is placing firefighters' lives and the public's safety at risk," S.F. Fire Dept. officials said in a statement. "AVOID THE AREA and join us in condemning this action."

No word on who the climber is yet or if he's facing arrest if/when he makes it down.

The man that was allegedly beat up by DaBaby and his crew was apparently throwing the N-word around during his confrontation with the group ... at least according to new video.

The North Carolina rapper posted the footage himself Saturday, which appears to show Gary Prager pacing back and forth on the grounds of the mansion where the alleged beating took place in December ... and sure enough, you hear him scream "n*****s" in a rage.

DB's caption reads, "On today's episode of 'Let's Make DaBaby Look Like a Bad Person'" ... going on to accuse Prager of being a "PROUD white supremacist" ... adding that he (Prager) was "lying to TMZ & LAPD. Not knowing that he's caught on camera."

Later it reads, "These are the type of people y'all validate & let assassinate DaBaby's character." DaBaby also says Prager spat in his face, but the vid doesn't seem to show that.

For starters, nobody lied to us about this story -- DaBaby has, in fact, been charged with felony battery as it relates to this case ... so his beef is actually with Prager and law enforcement officials. DaBaby will have a chance to confront Prager's claims in court.

As for the guy screaming out the slur ... yeah, that's bad. It's unclear if him saying this occurred before or after the alleged assault -- but we suppose it doesn't really matter ... no excuse for invoking racism in any event.

DaBaby apparently thinks this will help make him look better in the public's eye -- but he seems to have bigger issues beyond just this one event, if we're being honest.

Trevor Bauer just got hit with one of the longest suspensions in MLB history -- the ace was suspended 2 years without pay after Major League Baseball concluded its investigation into claims of sexual assault.

MLB launched a probe in June 2021 after a woman accused the Cy Young winner of going too far during two sexual encounters in April and May 2021 ... allegedly punching and choking her unconscious ... resulting in bumps, bruises, scratches and other injuries.

The league concluded after an extensive investigation, he did, in fact, violate the league's joint policy on domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.

Bauer -- who has adamantly denied any wrongdoing -- says he will appeal the punishment and expects to win.

"In the strongest possible terms, I deny committing any violation of the league's domestic violence & sexual assault policy," Bauer said in a statement.

"I am appealing this action and expect to prevail. As we have throughout this process, my representatives & I respect the confidentiality of the proceedings."

Bauer's suspension comes two months after it was determined he would not face criminal charges over the allegations.

"After a thorough review of all the available evidence, including the civil restraining order proceedings, witness statements and the physical evidence, the People are unable to prove the relevant charges beyond a reasonable doubt," the district attorney said at the time.

Bauer went on to sue his accuser and her attorney ... claiming she fabricated her accusations in order to ruin his career and extract money from him.

Bauer hasn't pitched since June 2021 ... and if the suspension holds, will be almost 34 when he will be able to step on the mound again.

Bauer is in the middle of a 3-year, $102-million deal ... and was slated to make more than $30 million in 2022 and 2023. In other words, if the suspension holds, he will lose more than $60 million.