Crime

Alex Jones' lies are going to cost him $4.1M ... an amount to be paid out to parents who lost their kids during the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary.

The decision, made Thursday by a jury in Austin, TX was for plaintiffs Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, who first requested $150M in compensatory damages when the trial started. Punitive damages will be determined during another trial.

As we reported, Jones -- who essentially said the mass shooting was a hoax -- was grilled during the trial ... during one moment that's now gone viral, an attorney for the parents revealed Jones' own legal team accidentally distributed his text messages, catching Jones in an apparent lie.

Other standout moments included the judge chastising Jones for a number of things, like lying ... and even chewing gum.

Gabby Petito's mother says the organization formed in her daughter's name is making a huge donation to fight domestic violence, and adds ... she's not buying the story Brian Laundrie told in his journal.

Nicole Schmidt announced The Gabby Petito Foundation's $100K gift to the National Domestic Violence Hotline -- part of the org's "Hope Can't Wait" initiative -- while talking to Kate Snow Thursday on 'Today.'

She says she's certain domestic violence was the cause of her daughter's untimely death ... and wants to do good by Gabby and everyone else who might also be in her situation.

She was joined by the National Domestic Violence Hotline CEO Katie Ray-Jones ... who says their call center has been flooded with calls this summer -- nearly twice as many conversations compared to last year.

The huge donation comes in just under a year after Gabby was found dead near a Wyoming campground. As you know, a manhunt ensued for Brian, and a month later his remains were found along with his notebook.

Cardinals star Marquise "Hollywood" Brown spent his Wednesday morning in jail instead of getting ready for training camp practice ... TMZ Sports has confirmed he was arrested not long before the workout began.

According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Brown was stopped on State Route 101 in north Phoenix at around 7:05 AM, and was arrested for criminal speeding.

Bart Graves, a DPS spokesperson, tells us as of 10:30 AM, Brown was still in custody.

No further details surrounding the arrest were revealed.

Brown, who's been battling a hamstring injury this offseason, had been expected to be eased back into practice this week.

"We are aware of the situation regarding Hollywood Brown and have reported it to the NFL office as required," the Cardinals said in a statement. "We will comment further as appropriate."

Brown was just traded to the Cardinals back in April -- after starring for the Baltimore Ravens from 2019 to 2021.

Story developing ...

Daniel Seavey, a member of the band Why Don't We, has a tattoo of a person climbing into a window located on his arm ... an image that may have become the inspiration for one obsessed fan to make her way inside the singer's home and sleep in his bed.

LAPD sources tell TMZ ... the 23-year-old broke into Daniel's L.A. pad Wednesday night. We've obtained surveillance footage of the woman pacing outside his front door holding flowers -- it seems she was there to see him, but when she realized he wasn't home, she climbed through an unlocked window.

Sources close to Daniel tell us ... once inside, the woman rummaged through Daniel's closet, putting on a "Free Hoover" hoodie he got from Drake and Kanye's show back in December. From there, the woman got into Daniel's bed and fell asleep.

The woman woke up Thursday morning and made her way to Daniel's kitchen -- where she was again caught on video -- wearing the hoodie and digging through his cabinets, listening to "Can I Get It" by Adele.

Daniel checked his phone Thursday morning and saw home surveillance video of the woman digging through his cabinets and immediately called the cops. Police arrived and took the woman into custody. We're told she was not mentally there and was placed on a psych hold.

Our Daniel sources say the woman informed cops she had recently noticed the tattoo on Daniel's arm. We're told she said it did indeed inspire her to visit the singer, and she believed they were meant to be together.

Popular Louisiana rapper JayDaYoungan was fatally ambushed by 5 gunmen ... according to his father, who was there when his son was gunned down.

The slain rapper's dad, Kenyatta Scott, tells TMZ ... he and JayDaYoungan were sitting in the front yard of their Louisiana home Wednesday evening when a black truck pulled up and 3 people hopped out with guns.

Scott says he and his son tried running inside the house, but 2 more people with guns approached from the side of the property ... and then shots rang out.

JDY's father says he was armed too and shot back to defend himself and his son. Scott was shot twice in the arm, while JayDaYoungan was struck at least 8 times. Scott remains in the hospital.

TMZ broke the story ... JDY lost a lot of blood in the shooting and underwent surgery, but died in the hospital.

The rapper's dad believes his son's murder was the result of jealousy ... that he made it out of Bogalusa ... he thinks whoever was behind the shooting was envious of JDY's success.

Scott says his son didn't have beef with anyone, and he doesn't think it was gang-related. He does not think JDY knew the gunmen.

Bogalusa Police Chief Kendall Bullen tells TMZ ... cops are looking at all possibilities for a motive, including gangs and/or retaliation.

For some reason, cops think there was only one shooter ... police have not ID'd the suspect or made any arrests.

Polo G and the cops certainly didn't exchange any pleasantries during his arrest back in 2021, we've obtained additional body cam footage from the encounter, video his attorneys were pissed hadn't been released sooner.

The footage shows the aftermath of Polo G's "Hall Of Fame" album release party in Miami, where the Chicago rapper is in handcuffs and stuffed into a police cruiser. Polo was allegedly first pulled over for window tints and got combative when he was asked to roll down his window.

In the body cam footage, Polo G demands to be seen by paramedics and complains of both police brutality and having issues breathing inside the police cruiser.

Polo was eventually taken to a hospital, but his transporting officer first has issues finding the clasp on his $15,000 chain and later admits he's never even heard of him, spawning a debate with the younger cops, who were familiar with Polo G and his new album.

As for how the case ended ... Polo completed anger management classes, and charges for going after the officer were eventually dropped.

Mozzy's having a big week -- on the heels of releasing a new album, he's now officially on the inside ... turning himself in to begin a one-year prison sentence for a federal gun charge.

Court documents obtained by TMZ Hip Hop include Mozzy’s self-written letter to the judge where he calls the case a “wake-up call,” and says he's cleaned up his drug use. More relevant to the case, though, he highlights the fact a lot of Black rappers make headlines for being murdered.

Mozzy, who just inked a deal with Yo Gotti, says ... "My lawyers also told me there is a recent study that proves the number one cause of death among black rappers is murder (specifically by gunfire).” He says he's afraid his kids will end up fatherless, and that's his primary reason for carrying a gun without a permit.

He adds, “It is a fear that all black rappers carry with them, all the time. I know that does not legally justify me possessing a firearm. But I took some comfort in the fact that I knew with certainty I was not going to use that gun for illegal purposes. I wanted it solely for self-defense in case of an attack against me or my family.”

That concern echoes many of the fears French Montana warned everyone about when we talked to him shortly after Lil Tjay was shot in NJ.

Mozzy was pulled over in January 2021 in L.A., and cops found a Glock 26 plus 16 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

Shakira will do more than 8 years in a Spanish prison ... if prosecutors get their way.

Prosecutors in Spain said Friday ... if a jury convicts the "Hips Don't Lie" singer for bilking the government out of $15 million in taxes, they'll ask the judge to throw the book at her -- 8 years and 2 months behind bars.

Shakira is being prosecuted for tax fraud ... accused of paying zippo in taxes between 2012 - 2014, during which she allegedly spent more than half the year in the country.

A rep for the singer told People, “Shakira has always cooperated and abided by the law, demonstrating impeccable conduct as an individual and a taxpayer, and faithfully following the counsel of PriceWaterhouse Coopers, a prestigious and globally recognized tax firm.”

They continue, “Unfortunately, the Spanish Tax Office, which loses one out of every two lawsuits with its taxpayers, continues to violate her rights and pursue yet another baseless case. Shakira is confident that her innocence will be proven by the end of the judicial process.”

Authorities are out for blood ... in addition to prison time, they want her to cough up $15 mil in unpaid taxes, plus a whopping $24 mil in fines.

Shakira's reps say this is just pure vindictiveness ... a violation of her basic rights. They say the singer has already paid what she owes in taxes, plus $3 million in interest. The way her reps see it, Shakira has fully "abided by the law, demonstrating impeccable conduct as an individual and a taxpayer."

She apparently was offered a settlement from prosecutors this week but turned it down. It's unclear the terms of the proposed settlement. Instead, Shakira elected to take her chances at trial.

Dua Lipa's concert in Toronto featured some unplanned effects, thanks to some fans who somehow snuck fireworks inside the venue, lighting them, and injuring a few fans.

The singer took the stage at Scotiabank Arena Wednesday night when a series of fireworks were set off from the floor seats. In video from the show, you see multiple explosions of different colors as Dua and dancers perform.

A rep for Toronto Police Service tells TMZ they got a call to the arena just before midnight for fireworks at the end of the show.

We're told at least three people suffered minor injuries, but fortunately, no one needed to be hospitalized ... the specifics on the injuries was not clear. There was also no damage to the arena, a lucky fact given the possibility of fires.

At this time, cops are working with the security staff at Scotiabank Arena to review surveillance footage to determine how the fireworks were brought inside and who is responsible for setting them off.

Popular Louisiana rapper JayDaYoungan is currently hospitalized, battling injuries sustained when he was shot outside a home in his home state ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for the Bogalusa PD tells us they received a call just before 6 Wednesday night for a shooting at a home on Superior Ave. Cops say one victim had been transported to a local hospital by someone on scene, and another victim -- who was critically wounded -- was treated by paramedics and rushed to the hospital for treatment.

A law enforcement source tells us JayDaYoungan is in critical condition, and a source close to the rapper tells us he's lost a lot of blood and is currently in surgery. Online reports say the second victim is a relative of the rapper, potentially his father.

We've obtained video taken from outside the home where the shooting happened ... you can see the rapper's blue sports car parked outside.

Cops tell us about an hour after the shooting JDY was involved in, another shooting occurred in which a vehicle was struck ... officers believe it's possible the two shootings are related. We're told no one was injured in that shooting.

The rapper first found success when he signed to Atlantic Records in 2017 ... and has gained a steady following thanks to his mixtapes.

The 24-year-old has collabed with artists like Latto, Moneybagg Yo, Lil Durk and Boosie Badazz.

Story developing ...

Angie Everhart's getting accusations hurled at her, claims she trashed a neighbor's apartment with eggs following an argument over a dog's late night barking ... a claim the actress' rep calls ridiculous.

Angie's neighbor, Christina Savar, tells TMZ ... Angie was yelling at Christina's kids earlier this month about their dog being too loud, and waking her up.

Christina says she confronted Angie about it in the hallway, and it turned into an argument. She claims Angie was recording her, and claiming Christina was threatening her.

The neighbor claims later that night someone rang their doorbell around 1 AM, but she didn't go to answer. The next morning, Christina claims she found her front door and balcony covered in egg yolk and shells.

Believing it to be Angie, Christina called cops to the scene.

Law enforcement tells TMZ they spoke to both parties about the incident, but no arrests were made and no report was taken. Cops say there have been no more calls made about either person since then.

Christina tells us she's planning on moving out because her family no longer feels safe.

Angie's rep tells TMZ ... "Obviously she had nothing to do with this, which is why police didn't even file a report. Angie would never do anything to set a bad example for her son. This woman was served an eviction notice today by the building, because she has had problems consistently with many of the neighbors."

The Secret Service barely made it out of the Capitol January 6th along with Vice President Mike Pence ... and never-before-seen video shows just how close they came to calamity.

The January 6th presented video Thursday night showing a portion of the frantic 13 minutes in which the Secret Service tried to snake its way through the riot-torn building and bring the Veep to safety.

You hear and see the sheer desperation as one of the agents says if they don't get out now they may lose their ability to leave the building. They were literally feet from the mob, which was chanting "Hang Mike Pence."

An anonymous White House official testified how grim the scene was -- there were agents asking home base to contact their families to say goodbye. It was that desperate, and you hear and feel it.

Bo Jackson's heart is clearly as big as his muscles ... the two-sport legend just revealed he donated to Uvalde shortly after May's horrific shooting, helping pay for the victims' funerals.

The former NFL and MLB player told The Associated Press on Wednesday he felt the need to lend a helping hand after having been to the city multiple times throughout his years of traveling through west Texas.

"It’s just not right for parents to bury their kids. It’s just not right," said Jackson, whose donation had previously been made anonymously.

"I know every family there probably works their butts off just to do what they do. ... The last thing they needed was to shell out thousands of dollars for something that never should have happened."

Jackson told the AP he and a close friend quietly flew to Uvalde three days after a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary ... and gave a $170,000 check to Gov. Greg Abbott, and offered then to pay for the funeral expenses.

"In a truly selfless act," Abbott said. "Bo covered all funeral expenses for the victims’ families so they would have one less thing to worry about as they grieved."

Added Jackson, "Uvalde is a town that sticks in your mind. Just the name."

Thomas Lane, one of the former Minneapolis police officers involved in the death of George Floyd, has been sentenced to 2 and a half years in prison on a federal civil rights charge.

Lane was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson following his conviction in February -- as you'll recall, Lane held Floyd’s legs as Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd for nearly 9 1/2 minutes back in 2020.

Federal prosecutors had asked for a sentence of up to 6 1/2 years.

Lane's attorney had requested a little over 2 years for his client, insisting Lane had the least to do with Floyd's death and pointing out Lane asked the other officers twice if Floyd should be turned on his side instead.

The Uvalde massacre has traumatized the entire community ... and now we've learned the U.S. government is stepping in to offer mental health services -- to some members of law enforcement.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection earmarked a little over $15,000 for a mental health specialist to counsel Border Patrol agents who were present during the shooting.

The agency hired trauma expert Carrie A. Elk -- who runs a practice out of Florida. She'll be providing "psychological health training in response to the Uvalde TX School Shooting for Government personnel"... this according to federal procurement docs obtained by TMZ.

The exact amount USCBP dropped to bring Dr. Elk in ... $15,450. This will cover 6 days of therapy.

We spoke to Dr. Elk ... who wouldn't comment on specifics, but did tell us that she's often contracted by Border Patrol and the military to provide counseling after events like Uvalde.

It's unclear if Elk is doing one-on-one sessions with folks at Border Patrol -- whose agents ended up being the ones to take out the shooter in the slow-moving raid -- but she does say she'll often teach techniques to agents about how to identify emotional triggers, how to process painful memories and how to cope with trauma they experience on the job.

Trina's family is reeling after the devastating loss of her niece, who was shot and killed in Miami ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Trina confirmed with TMZ that her niece, who the rapper endearingly referred to as Baby Suga, was killed Tuesday night ... telling us she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Law enforcement sources say it appears the teen was visiting the area, they're still investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting to determine if the attack was random or targeted.

Suga and 2 other women sustained gunshot wounds during the incident ... the condition of the other 2 is not currently known.

A rep for Trina tells TMZ, "We kindly ask that everyone please respect the privacy of Trina and her family at this devastating time."

Baby Suga, whose real name was Toni Chester, was only 17.