Developing Stories

According to the affidavit, signed by Detective Terrence Blake and Detective Anthony Pasquarielao from the NYPD, they were seeking to search and seize "any and all computers and loose media, floppy disks, hard disks, cassette tapes, magnetic tapes, removable media, tape and/or data cartridges."

Cops were looking for correspondence, screenplays, treatments ... "regarding the demand for money in exchange for the non-disclosure of information pertaining to the personal and private lives of public figures."

According to the warrant, Letterman's lawyer received a package from Robert Halderman on Sept. 9, 2009, containing a demand letter and treatment for a screenplay and supporting materials including copies of a portion of a diary...

In the letter, Halderman states he needs to "make a large chunk of money" by selling Client #1 "a screenplay treatment."

We just got hold of the second Billy Mays autopsy report -- and it underscores how cocaine may have played less of a factor than first thought.

According to the full report, "there is no evidence that Mr. Mays' death was related to acute cocaine intoxication .... rather, the use of cocaine by Mr. Mays appears to have occurred at a remote time several days before his death."

The report also states there was no proof that Billy was a "chronic" cocaine user -- and only chronic cocaine use would have contributed to his cause of death ... occasional use would not.

The second medical examiner also claims there was no evidence that Billy "abused" prescription drugs -- as the levels in his system matched the amount he was prescribed to take.

Avril Lavigne has filed for divorce from Deryck Whibley.

She cites "irreconcilable differences."

According to the docs, Avril says they separated on Sept. 4th and were married 3 years and 1 month.

Avril is not asking for spousal support -- probably because she's the breadwinner -- and she also checked the box in the docs saying she doesn't want to have to pay Deryck any money.

The docs were filed last Friday in Britney's conservatorship case. The lawyers were asking the judge to restate an order, keeping various business records confidential.

But the first page reads, "In re the Conservatorship of the Person and Estate of BRITNEY JEAN SPEARS, Deceased."

While you were Twittering a few minutes ago about the "swift action" coming to Maria, your scofflaw wife was at it again -- jawing away on a handheld cell phone while driving in Brentwood.

But it gets worse ... while Maria was illegally yappin' away (the third time she's been photographed doin' it) she saw our cameraman catching the illegal activity on tape -- and that's when she dropped the phone in an attempt to cover it up! The tape does not lie....

Arnold, the fines are bad enough -- but do you have any idea what your Verizon bill is gonna look like?

Nothing in the document prohibits an employee from gettin' down with the host. In fact, the document -- which we're told was first distributed approximately five years ago -- does not prohibit sexual liaisons in the office, provided they're not "unsolicited and unwelcome."

The policy does make it clear it's inappropriate for a supervisor to offer a promotion, salary increase or any other type of bonus in exchange for "providing any form of sexual favor to or dating a supervisor."

If Letterman were held to CBS policies, he would have been required to notify a member of the CBS brass and declare his affair. But Letterman is not a CBS employee so that rule doesn't apply.

So ... as long as Letterman didn't reward his office "partners" with perks ... WWP would have no issues with him.

According to Kate's lawyer, Mark Momjian, "The remaining sum of $55,000, which Ms. Gosselin used for household bills and expenses relating to the children, will be subject to further determination by the arbitrator at a later date."

Jon is required to repay the loot by October 26 -- the next hearing -- or appear before the judge for a contempt proceeding.

The judge also ordered Kate to provide an accounting of past expenses -- also due by Oct. 26.

Kate says, "As difficult as this has been for me, I am pleased that the Court has ruled fairly on behalf of myself and my children. Now that this matter has been ruled on, I look forward to returning to private arbitration, as we have agreed to do, to resolve any remaining issues."

PETA says of Paris: "The Chihuahuas, ferrets, and kinkajous she's paraded through her home in the past were not accessories, and pot-bellied pigs aren't either."

The good news: Paris told us she doesn't think she'll get swine flu because she doesn't eat pork.

A Connecticut college has initiated a new program to keep David Letterman interns at arms length from the host.

A rep from Quinnipiac University tells TMZ:

"Due to recent circumstances we will have a discussion with those in charge of placing our interns at the David Letterman show in the future.

We will diligently oversee this internship program to ensure that our interns are out of harm's way."

David might be happy to know the college has no plans to end the program.

Michael Jackson's estate just got a partner it didn't bank on -- because we've just learned Paul Anka is now a 50% partner in the publishing rights to "This Is It."

Anka will get other profits as well, but the publishing rights are usually the big ticket item, and sources say Michael Jackson's estate has agreed Anka gets 50%.

It's amazing ... when Paul Anka woke up this morning he had no idea he'd get the same cut as Jackson's estate. Sadly for Sony ... they didn't know either.

We've learned Larry Birkhead will be called by the prosecution in the Howard K. Stern preliminary hearing that starts tomorrow -- and we're told his testimony will center on Anna Nicole Smith's drug use.

Birkhead has said in the past -- when he was at war with Stern -- that Howard K. helped fuel her drug addiction. What will be especially interesting is whether Birkhead backs off the story now that the custody battle is long over and he and Stern have an alliance and now work together managing Anna Nicole's estate.

As we first reported, under the trust, 40% of Michael's estate goes to Katherine. The kids get 40% and the remaining 20% goes to charity. But we've learned ... Katherine Jackson will not get 40% outright.

The trustees -- John Branca and John McClain -- decide what money should go to the beneficiaries. Katherine has no voice in those decisions. Whatever remains in Katherine's trust when she dies goes directly to the children.

We spoke to a member of the Ramada staff -- who told us ever since the hotel was linked to the Andrews case, housekeeping crews have had to remove all sorts of items taped to multiple peepholes -- from paper to Kleenex ... even Band-Aids.

Andrews' alleged Peeping Tom is currently under house arrest in Chicago -- so the only peephole anyone should really be worried about is the one at his house.

Kate filed the legal documents in Montgomery County Court in Pennsylvania last week -- around the same time she filed an emergency petition asking a judge to force Jon to return $230,000 she claims he raided from their joint bank account.

Sources tell TMZ Kate has not asked for a specific amount of child or spousal support.

Kate's lawyer says Jon and Kate are scheduled to meet with a court-appointed arbitrator on Tuesday.

Earlier this week, Kate claimed she couldn't afford to pay the family's bills.

Law enforcement sources tell us when officers arrived at the scene, Tameka Raymond was nowhere to be found.

Police later interviewed both Tameka and Usher -- but determined there was no evidence or witnesses to substantiate Usher's claim.

But the drama didn't end there -- law enforcement sources tell us Usher called the cops on Tameka a second time several days later, complaining that Tameka again got onto his property and wouldn't leave. By the time cops arrived, Tameka had already split.

Usher filed for divorce back in June ... but it hasn't been finalized just yet.

UPDATE: TMZ just received the following statement from Tameka's rep:

"This is just another attempt to disparage Tameka. It's simply an angry ploy that has no merit.

Tameka's own truck was scratched but it's not clear how. The truck is registered in her name, it's not even Usher's car. Why would she vandalize her own vehicle?"

Sources tell TMZ David Hasselhoff was indeed drinking at Simon Cowell's birthday party in London this past weekend.

According to The Sun, staff at the party had to help The Hoff leave through a back entrance after he spent two hours pounding booze. The Sun claims David was so wasted that, "he kept swearing ... he couldn't walk."

Sometime after the party, Hoff -- who has famously battled alcohol problems in the past -- allegedly got wasted again and punched a doctor at the British hotel he was staying at during the trip.