Crime

Taylor Frankie Paul's children were not removed from her custody after the 2023 incident captured on video, when she attacked Dakota Mortensen and, in the process, inadvertently struck one of her children with a barstool.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Utah's Division of Children and Family Services was notified of the incident. In Utah, there's a mandatory reporting requirement by police, and sources connected to DCFS tell TMZ that's how the agency learned of the incident.

As we reported, the police had the video TMZ posted Thursday -- they even reference it in the police report.

A source connected to the DCFS investigation tells TMZ why TFP's 2 children (she had a third child after the incident) were not removed from her home. We're told the agency has a policy of only removing children from their parents when there is an immediate danger. Our source says the video shows the child who was struck by the barstool was not the intended target -- it ricocheted and struck her.

"19 Kids and Counting" star Joseph Duggar -- one of Josh Duggar's brothers -- appeared in court in Arkansas for the first time since his arrest for alleged child sex abuse ... and he agreed to be extradited to Florida, the state where he allegedly sexually assaulted a 9-year-old girl.

The reality TV star appeared Friday in court via Zoom and waived his right to an extradition hearing ... and now authorities in Florida have 30 days to pick Joseph up from an Arkansas jail.

As you can see, Joseph is wearing a black-and-white-striped jail jumpsuit as he faces the judge.

TMZ Sports has obtained the probable cause affidavit that details Florida State football player Conor McAneney's arrest ... which states the responding officer punched McAneney in the kisser after the kicker attempted to pull him to the ground.

In the report, cops state the FSU sophomore was being removed from a local bar when he was actively resisting. Cops say they then stepped in to assist ... telling him to leave the bar area and the establishment -- but he still refused to leave, grabbing onto the barrier gates of the business.

From there ... McAneney allegedly escalated a minor incident into a serious offense.

Jail can be a dangerous place for people ... but not for Joseph Duggar, who's super safe behind bars, TMZ has learned.

The former "19 Kids and Counting" star was placed in a "secure" area of the Washington County Jail in Arkansas as he awaits extradition to Bay County, Florida, to face charges that he allegedly molested a 9-year-old girl, according to a supervising corporal at the detention facility. 

The corporal tells TMZ ... Joseph has absolutely no access to other inmates for his own safety due to his high-profile case. Our source says the jail staff is very aware of Joseph's notoriety, and they're keeping him "under constant watch," checking on him hourly if not more often. 

Jill Duggar Dillard and her family are "shocked and heartbroken" over her brother Joseph's arrest for child molestation.

The family shared their reaction on their blog Thursday ... one day after Joseph was taken to the clink in Arkansas and charged with two counts of child sex abuse stemming from an incident with a female minor in 2020.

The family wrote they "strongly condemn abuse" and "support the rule of law and hope that justice will be achieved" in the case, adding ... "Our hearts go out to the innocent juvenile victim of this unspeakable crime and her family. We pray God gives her strength, comfort and hope, and that she is able to get all the help and support she needs and deserves in the days ahead."

TMZ has learned ABC is pulling the plug on Taylor Frankie Paul's season of "The Bachelorette" amid fresh claims of domestic abuse, and the 2023 video of her fighting with her baby daddy.

A Disney Entertainment spokesperson tells us ... “In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of 'The Bachelorette' at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family.”

The network dropped the hammer Thursday on the upcoming season of the reality TV dating show ... only hours after TMZ published video of Taylor's brutal 2023 fight with Dakota Mortensen.

A source connected to "The Bachelorette" tells us no one at ABC had seen the video before TMZ posted it Thursday morning.

As we first reported, Taylor and Dakota have been ordered to undergo psych exams amid a fresh batch of spousal abuse claims ... and the Utah Division of Children and Family Services is investigating ongoing allegations of violence between them.

The newest season of "The Bachelorette" is toast, and ABC is turning to one of its other staples to fill the time slot after Taylor Frankie Paul's crash out ... at least for this Sunday.

Our sources confirmed a rerun of "American Idol" will play in place of "The Bachelorette" on March 22, but that's just the plan for this week. We're told the network brass hasn't yet figured out a permanent replacement for the remainder of the canned season.

TMZ broke the news ... Taylor's 'Bachelorette' season was canceled hours after we posted the 2023 video of her fighting with her baby daddy, Dakota Mortensen.

Taylor Frankie Paul repeatedly attacked Dakota Mortensen during the 2023 incident in which she pled guilty in abeyance to aggravated assault, and the video shows that one of her children was struck during the fight.

TMZ has obtained the video -- a copy of which was evidence in the case -- and it's hard to watch. Dakota struggles to record the altercation with his cellphone as Taylor puts him in a headlock. She backs off ... but then charges and tries to kick him.

The struggle turns violent as Taylor grabs a metal barstool and hurls it at Dakota. He screams at her -- "your daughter is sitting right there" -- but she persists, throwing 2 more stools at him. At that moment, you hear her child, who was curled up on the couch, begin crying.

The police report says the 5-year-old girl was hit and later had a "goose egg on her head."

Longtime Bachelor Nation authority Reality Steve is weighing in on 'Bachelorette' Taylor Frankie Paul's ongoing drama, giving a blunt take ... stay off TV!

We had Reality Steve on "TMZ Live" Thursday as developments were breaking ... and in his opinion, "She needs to not be in front of cameras for a while ... She needs help. I don't think she needs more cameras in her face."

Well, that's happening, Steve! "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" has already halted filming on Season 5 amid fallout from Taylor's legal issues with baby daddy Dakota Mortensen. And this season's 'Bachelorette' has now officially been canceled.

Florida State University sophomore Conor McAneney, a kicker for the school's football team, was arrested early Wednesday morning in South Florida, where he posed for a mugshot ... and it looks like he went through a 12-round fight.

Fort Lauderdale police tell TMZ Sports that McAneney was arrested around 2:30 AM, taking him into custody after a "trespassing incident" near the popular Elbo Room Beach Bar ... where a minor incident that took a nasty turn, according to cops.

"While FLPD officers were attempting to detain McAneney, he became uncooperative and violent. He was arrested and charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting with violence and trespassing."

Over the years, we've seen a variety of Mystikal's mug shots, but one flew under the radar ... and now we've got our hands on it, and we think it's a perfect time to trot it out after the rapper recently pleaded guilty to rape.

Check out this never-before-seen 2010 photo of Mystikal -- real name Michael Tyler -- snapped by the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana. In the pic, Mystikal looks clean-shaven and baby-faced ... unlike his gritty appearance these days.

A rep for the sheriff's office tells us ... Mystikal was convicted of sexual battery of the infirm in June 2003 and incarcerated for several years until his release from prison in January 2010. After leaving prison, Mystikal registered as a lifetime sex offender, but his current status is "inactive" since he's once again incarcerated and not a danger to the community, the rep says.

A driver has been charged in the collision that killed "Marvelous Ms. Maisel" actor Wenne Alton Davis in New York last year.

According to the WPIX-TV, MD Abdul Shomuz was booked Monday and charged with a misdemeanor -- failure to yield to a pedestrian.

As we reported, cops say Wenne -- who used they/them pronouns -- was crossing Broadway on foot at West 53rd Street when Shomuz took a left, hitting them. Shomuz, who wasn’t injured, stayed at the scene.

Wenne suffered severe head trauma after being struck by the 2023 Cadillac XT6 authorities say Shomuz was driving. The actor was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital but succumbed to their injuries.

In addition to playing a cop on “Marvelous Ms. Maisel,” Wenne also had credits on “Girls5Eva,” “New Amersterdam” and “Blind Spot.”

Wenne was 60.

A wallet belonging to James "Jimmy" Gracey -- the University of Alabama student who went missing in Barcelona, Spain, on Tuesday -- was reportedly found in the ocean near where he vanished.

A Catalan Police aquatic unit scoured the water in search of the 20-year-old American spring breaker and came up with James' wallet off Somorrostro beach -- just a few hundred feet from the popular nightclub Shôko, where James was reportedly last seen -- according to Alabama's WBMA-TV.

As we told you, James' mother, Therese Gracey, asked for help finding James in a Facebook post, writing that James "didn't make it back to the Airbnb" but cops have his phone.

Kevin Spacey has reportedly reached a settlement with three men who filed civil sexual assault cases against him in London in 2023.

The Oscar winner avoided trial by coming to an undisclosed agreement with the three men, according to multiple reports, who accused Spacey of sexually assaulting them between 2000 and 2013, in Britain.

As you know ... Spacey has always denied any wrongdoing and a London court cleared him of nine sexual assault charges during a 2023 criminal trial. This followed a 2020 civil suit brought by former child actor Anthony Rapp which ended in Spacey being found not liable. But even with the courts deciding in Spacey's favor, his legal woes have taken their toll ...

"19 Kids and Counting" star Joseph Duggar -- the brother of Josh Duggar -- is looking serious in his newly released mug shot for his arrest for alleged child sex abuse.

TMZ obtained his booking photo from his arrest in Arkansas Wednesday -- he's got no expression on his face -- a stark contrast to his brother's fully smiling 2021 mugshot taken after he was found guilty of receiving and possessing child pornography.

But now Josh is no longer the only Duggar offspring to be booked for child-related crimes ... we told you all about it -- a 14-year-old made authorities aware of "several incidents" with Duggar that she said occurred during a family vacation in Panama City Beach, FL in 2020 when she was 9 years old, according to the Bay County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators say the victim accused Duggar of repeatedly asking her to sit on his lap and sit next to him on a couch. At one point on the couch, he placed a blanket over them and allegedly "manipulated the victim's underwear and grazed her genitals" and rubbed his hand on her thighs.

The girl's father confronted Duggar about these allegations on Tuesday, and according to the Bay County Sheriff's Office, he admitted his actions and was subsequently arrested.

He is charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older.

More legal issues for "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Kelli Ferrell's ex-husband ... he's been arrested on a theft charge ... and it's a felony.

Kelli's ex, Mark Ferrell, was arrested Tuesday and taken into custody in Georgia on a felony charge of theft by taking ... according to online records.

It looks like the alleged incident happened back in November … but we are still working on the details.