Developing Stories

TMZ has obtained an internal memo emailed to JetBlue inflight crew members, making it perfectly clear -- the airline is pissed at Steven Slater.

According to the memo ... before Slater went into high-drama mode, the plane was already parked, attached to the jetway and the passengers were in the process of deplaning. According to the memo, sent by Vicky Stennes, VP of Inflight Experience, "...the forward service door was purposely re-armed and the slide intentionally deployed, endangering lives and equipment."

The memo goes on: "Some media outlets are portraying yesterday's event as a humorous example of what individuals may consider doing at a point in their careers -- walking off the job in a very public fashion. However ... deploying a slide is a forceful event and yesterday's deployment endangered, and could have severely injured or even killed."

The rep just released a statement saying Fantasia ingested the medication after feeling "overwhelmed by the lawsuit and the media attention" surrounding her relationship with her on-again, off-again boyfriend Antwaun Cook ... who happens to be married.

The statement continues, "Last night, Fantasia was hospitalized. She took an overdose of aspirin and a sleep aid. Her injuries are not life threatening. She was dehydrated and exhausted at the time. Fantasia is stable now. She will be released from the hospital soon."

The rep also explains that Fantasia "believed" Antwaun Cook when he told her "he was not happy in his marriage [to Paula Cook] and his heart was not in it."

Here's the statement in its entirety:

Fantasia has always been an open book. Honesty, self-respect, and personal responsibility are values she wears proudly.

Fantasia believed Mr. Cook when he told her he was not happy in his marriage and his heart was not in it. She believed him when he told her he and Mrs. Cook separated in the late summer of 2009. She believed Mr. Cook when he told her he lived elsewhere.

TMZ just spoke with Mayor Verne Rupright, who's offering sound political advice to Levi -- after the 20-year-old announced he'll be running for Mayor of Wasilla next year as part of his new reality show.

Rupright tells TMZ his advice for Levi is, "Get your high school diploma and keep your clothes on"-- because, according to Rupright, "voters like it that way."

TMZ has obtained this exclusive photo of LeBron James in a business meeting earlier today with Rabbi Yishayahu Yosef Pinto ... a man known around New York as the "Rabbi to the Business Stars."

Sources involved with the meeting tell us LeBron had hired Rabbi Pinto for spiritual guidance for a "big merchandising meeting" that took place on a private yacht somewhere off the coast of NY just hours ago.

Rabbi Pinto -- a 37 year-old-man who speaks only Hebrew -- has met with all sorts of business moguls in the past ... and is considered by some to be a "spiritual guide" who consults on business matters.

We're told LeBron paid in the neighborhood of 6-figures to get Rabbi Pinto to sit in on today's meeting ... in which LeBron heard presentations from several "big time" retail execs.

It's been a big summer for the Jews -- with Amar'e Stoudemire meeting with rabbis in Israel ... and Shaq learning Hebrew.

It's only a matter of time before they start poppin' Manischewitz in the clubs!

We spoke with Cynthia Susanne -- who was married to Steven in the early 90s and remains "great friends" with him. Cynthia spoke with Slater's mom, Diane, yesterday for more than two hours. She says Diane, who also spoke with Steven yesterday, told her the passenger in question insisted on getting her luggage before the plane came to a complete stop.

As the plane taxied, Steven "politely asked the woman to close the overhead and sit." According to Diane, the passenger responded with an "f**k you" and began defiantly pulling her bag from the overhead. Slater told his mom he tried shutting the bin, when she "maliciously" pulled the bin down, striking Steven in the head.

Cynthia says Steven's mom was clear -- it was the bin, not luggage, that whacked Steven in the head, causing a cut.

The family is pissed off that a passenger on the plane is making the rounds on TV -- someone they say who was toward the back of the plane and never even saw the incident.

Our "A.I." spies tell us producers have never put Lopez, Tyler and Randy Jackson in the same room to see if they have the right chemistry. As one source put it, "It's ridiculous not to road test these people before committing ... it's insane."

We're told before choosing Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson, Exec Producer Nigel Lythgoe organized dinners with the three prospective judges, to see how they meshed. We're told Nigel even had Simon and Randy go to a few strip clubs together ... to see how they got along.
FOX, we're told, was adamantly opposed to Paula because the Network felt she was "washed up," but Nigel convinced the execs it was all about the "magic" between the three.

As TMZ first reported ... Oksana was grilled during her deposition last week about her finances. We're told Mel's lawyers spent time asking her about the trip she took in April, where she performed at a charity concert to help Chernobyl victims.

Our sources say Oksana felt "harassed" by the line of questioning and felt Mel's lawyers were harsh.

As we previously reported, the judge in their child custody case had ruled that Jesse could take Sunny to Austin, so she could be closer to her former stepmom Sandra Bullock ... who has a close relationship with the 6-year-old.

But this morning in an Orange County courtroom, Janine's attorney announced that the former porn star intends to follow Jesse to Austin ... and wants some money to help with the transition.

Janine wants $9,000 a month in child support -- with $3,500 of that earmarked for Janine's living expenses. But she didn't get it .

For now, the judge ordered Jesse to pay Janine $50,000 for attorney's fees ... and set his child support rate at $2,000-per-month.

As for custody -- Janine will get Sunny on the weekends ... right after school lets out on Friday afternoons.

UPDATE: The judge just upped Jesse's child support payments to $3,000 a month. Outside of court, Janine told TMZ she considered today's hearing a "win" ... and that she's ready to head to the Lone Star State.

L.A. County Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore tells TMZ investigators are "nearing the end of the investigation," adding, "The goal is turning the case over two weeks from today."

We're told all of the interviews -- including those of Mel Gibson and Oksana Grigorieva -- have been completed and the Department is waiting to receive certain documentation.

Whitmore says the L.A. County District Attorney's Office has had "extensive involvement" during the investigation so the D.A. will not be in for any big surprises when the case is referred.

Whitmore says his Department will not make any recommendations as to whether Gibson should be charged with any crime. The investigation centers on three possible crimes -- domestic violence, assault with a deadly weapon and child endangerment.

Sources close to Johnston tell TMZ he signed a new reality deal this weekend, one that doesn't include everyone's favorite unwed teen mother from Alaska.

We're told Levi will actually begin shooting in Los Angeles on Monday and then cameras will follow him back to Alaska. No word yet on what the exact format will be, though several networks are said to be interested.

The engineer, whose first name is Jimmy, has told multiple sources (both professional and personal) close to Oksana the same story -- that he believes he is the "star witness" because he was with Oksana and Mel every day over a 10-month period.

According to the sources, Jimmy claims he frequently heard Gibson blast Oksana verbally -- using words like whore, slut, bitch, and c**t -- and that the rants were always fueled by jealousy when other men were around Oksana.

Jimmy does not say he ever saw Gibson physically abuse Oksana ... we're told. Also hugely important -- Jimmy says he was not present for the January 6 meltdown when Gibson allegedly struck Oksana.

We're told Jimmy gave Oksana's lawyers a written declaration that includes his "eyewitness account" of several alleged fights between Oksana and Mel. L.A. County Sheriff's investigators have not spoken to Jimmy yet.

Gibson's publicist could not be reached for comment.

Sources tell us Mel has been out of the country all week fishing with 2 of his sons. We've learned Oksana's laywers tried to schedule Gibson's deposition -- for the ongoing child custody battle -- right smack in the middle of his trip. The depo's been delayed since Mel is unavailable.

According to sources, Oksana's people think the delay is evidence that Mel is not committed to Lucia -- but we're told Oksana's lawyers knew Mel was away when they set the date.

Sources tell us Allred is now representing the Polish fitness model who reportedly claimed she had an affair with Gibson while Oksana Grigorieva was pregnant.

Kowal seems to be following the mistress handbook to the letter. She now has the same attorney as Rachel Uchitel ... and, we've learned, she has the same manager as Michelle "Bombshell" McGee.

It's unclear why Kowal needs legal representation at this point.

According to docs obtained by WCNC, Paula Cook filed for child support against her estranged husband Antwaun Cook last week and cited an alleged affair between Cook and Barrino. She claims the two met at a T-Mobile store and, beginning in August 2009, began their "covert adulterous affair."

Cook goes on to claim, "Throughout the course of their adulterous affair ... Defendant/Husband and Ms. Barrino have at times recorded their illicit activity."

Rumors of an affair between Barrino and Cook have been around for months -- and Barrino has always denied them.

Sources close to Rachel tell TMZ she checked into a transitional living facility in Malibu on Friday morning -- and this time, there are no cameras involved.

We're told Rachel has stopped drinking, smoking and taking pills -- and that she forked over $20,000 to stay there for 30 days. According to our sources, the biggest selling point about the facility for Rachel -- her dogs get to stay there with her.

TMZ has learned a federal judge is taking Jackson and his attorney Brian Oxman to task for failing to specify where two of the defendants -- health clinics where Dr. Murray practiced -- conduct their business. Without that information the judge can't determine if the federal court has jurisdiction over the case.

The judge has given Jackson one week to amend the complaint or have the suit tossed.