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Michael Avenatti's legal troubles continue mounting ... he's now facing a lawsuit from his former paraplegic client who claims Avenatti stole nearly $4 million from him.

Geoffrey Johnson is suing the lawyer claiming Avenatti took the vast majority of a $4 million settlement payment that Johnson scored years ago but Avenatti wired to himself in January 2015.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Johnson sued the L.A. County Sheriff's Department in 2012 claiming its deputies roughed him up during a wrongful arrest. Long story short ... Johnson scored a settlement but says all Avenatti's firm did was wire him meager $1,900 monthly payments.

Johnson's now suing for $9.5 million in compensatory damages ... which includes the $4 mil settlement and $5 mil in additional damages including severe emotional distress. Johnson, BTW, is the guy the feds mentioned in its 36-count indictment that could land Avenatti in prison for the rest of his life.

Avenatti's vehemently denied any wrongdoing telling TMZ ... "Mr. Johnson's claims are categorically false and frivolous, and his case will be thrown out of court." Avenatti explained, "He previously agreed on numerous occasions, including in multiple detailed writings which he reviewed, initialed and signed (after a different lawyer reviewed), that I conducted myself ethically at all times."

The guy who's famously had multiple girlfriends at once just got a BIG ASS BED ... and we think we know why.

L.A. Clippers star Lou Williams showed off the new centerpiece of his master bedroom on Wednesday ... and the thing is big enough to fit like, 4 Shaquille O'Neals.

Williams captioned his IG pic with "California wasn’t big enough" ... and he wasn't lyin' -- the folks at MAREE tell us he got a bed 4-feet-wider and 3-feet-longer than a regular California King sized bed.

Now, remember ... it was revealed back in 2014 that Lou Will was running the triangle offense with 2 different women -- Ashley Henderson and Rece Mitchell -- who were cool with him spreading the love.

Unfortunately, Lou and Ashley broke up last year, but things are still going strong with Mitchell ... so if another girlfriend happens to come along, there will be plenty of room for her!!!

12:02 PM PT -- TMZ just got a hold of video that features Cuba at the venue where he allegedly groped a woman's breast. This footage was filmed Sunday evening at the Magic Hour Rooftop Bar and Lounge in NYC -- the night and location in question.

Considering the 911 call was placed around 1 AM, we'd assume most of what we're seeing here was before the alleged incident.

You can see Cuba was having a good ol' time, singing karaoke with his pals and carrying a drink in his hand. Later in the clip, you see him standing by two women -- whose faces we've blurred -- and he tells one of them to hush by signaling for her to be quiet. He also seems agitated by the interaction as the woman tries talking to him.

It's unclear from the video if any of the people around him have anything to do with the alleged incident, but it's interesting for sure.

Cuba Gooding Jr. allegedly got handsy with a woman in NYC, and now cops are looking into it ... TMZ has confirmed.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... a woman called 911 early Monday morning to report the actor for allegedly forcibly touching her breast without her consent at a club Sunday evening. Our sources say she told cops Cuba groped her while they were socializing.

We're also told that she got into his face about it afterward, and the 2 of them had to be broken up by security. Our sources tell us Cuba eventually left the club, and by the time officers showed up on the scene ... he was long gone.

The NYPD is currently looking for Cuba and we're told the plan is to book him for forcible touching. We've reached out to his attorney for comment ... so far, no word back.

8:45 PM PT -- Bill's reps confirm he died Sunday evening surrounded by family at 9:35 PM in Houston. His publicist says plans are underway for a public memorial.

His son, Javon, tells TMZ ... Bill's final words were, "I will love you forever."

Bushwick Bill, real name Richard Shaw, was 52.

RIP

10:05 AM PT -- Bill's daughter says her father is "fighting for his life" and needs prayers and support. She also hinted at some friction between Bill and unnamed industry people. She said on IG, "Certain people have been so quick to write him off as dead so they can capitalize off it."

She stressed, "There is no Geto Boys without Bushwick Bill."

8:55 AM PT -- Bill's publicist tells TMZ he is "still alive and fighting cancer" in a hospital. She says she spoke to hospital staff to confirm, and says some of Bill's family members are by his hospital bedside right now. Others are on their way.

As for why so many of Bill's friends, including Scarface, are posting that he's passed -- the publicist says someone got incorrect information which is spreading like wildfire.

The rumors were likely stirred by Bill's absence from a Saturday night Dallas gig. He was scheduled to make a special performance, but was unable to make it because he was hospitalized.

His publicist tells us event organizers were notified ahead of the show that Bill was not well enough to make it.

Bushwick Bill, one third of iconic rap group the Geto Boys, is in bad shape ... but still battling with pancreatic cancer.

TMZ broke the story ... Bill was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in February. Just last month, he told us he was undergoing intensive chemotherapy, and had hoped to get back on the road.

Bushwick Bill, Scarface and Willie D became the Geto Boys in Houston back in 1988 and signed with J. Prince's Rap-A-Lot Records. The group was instantly controversial for its graphic lyrics which made radio airplay almost impossible. Their 1991 album "Can't Be Stopped" still went platinum, though, on the strength of classics like, "Mind Playing Tricks On Me."

Just a few weeks ago, the rap trio was trying to put together a reunion, but it fell apart at the last minute.

As we first reported, Bill had a falling out with tour organizers ... feeling like they were exploiting his cancer diagnosis to sell tickets. He was especially bent out of shape with the mini-tour's title, "The Beginning of a Long Goodbye: The Final Farewell."

Promoters pulled the plug on the tour on the eve of its launch. However, Bill told us he wanted to do a 20-city solo tour called "Phuck Cancer" ... and planned to donate a portion of proceeds to pancreatic cancer patients in each city.

Houston hip-hop icon Bun B paid tribute on Twitter, saying Bushwick "will always be a legend."

11:46 AM PT -- Jenelle and her mom, Barbara, just had a nasty little exchange outside the courthouse. Barbara insinuates the only reason Jenelle was hugging her daughter is for the cameras ... and Jenelle says Barbara -- who currently has custody of Ensley -- has blocked her number.

10:49 AM PT -- Jenelle just had an emotional moment with 2-year-old Ensley, hugging her daughter in the parking lot before Ensley left with Jenelle's mom, Barbara.

10:13 AM PT-- Jenelle and David just left court -- sans any of their kids -- we're told they were simply there to give the judge updates on their progress with parenting classes and couple's counseling.

Jenelle Evans and David Eason are back in court desperately trying to regain custody of their kids ... and at least one of the ex-'Teen Mom' star's kids was present.

Jenelle and David showed up together Tuesday to court in North Carolina in their ongoing Child Protective Services case ... but had nothing to say to our camera. As you know ... the troubled couple has been making court visits almost weekly since David shot and killed the family's dog.

Not long after Jenelle and David arrived, Jenelle's ex, Nathan Griffith, showed up with their 4-year-old son, Kaiser. It's unclear if any of Jenelle's other kids -- including 9-year-old Jace and 2-year-old Ensley -- made it to court.

As we first reported ... Jenelle and David enrolled in couples therapy in an attempt to get their kids back. David will also undergo a psych evaluation to determine what is at the core of his anger issues.

All of Jenelle's kids were removed after a judge decided there were serious issues with the couple that put the children at risk.

1:46 PM PT -- Young Thug has broken his silence about a video that shows his young daughter behind the wheel of a moving vehicle, and he seems to be putting the blame squarely on the adult his kid was with in the clip.

YT writes, "Never would I put my child's life in danger nor anyone else's life,i am out of town that video is clearly in Atlanta." He goes on to say, "I am a very safe man, especially when it come down to my kids. I am very smart, last thing I'm looking for is clout/fame I have both."

He finishes by adding, "Plus she (his daughter, we assume) wouldn't dare even ask me could she drive a car... But it'll be handled 'expeditiously.'"

It's unclear who his child was with during the joy ride, as Young Thug doesn't mention anyone specifically. Presumably, though, the kid was with her mom ... and it sounds like papa's gonna have a convo with someone about pulling stunts like this in the future.

8:50 AM PT -- A source close to Young Thug says his daughter was with her mother and driving just outside her home in Georgia. We're told no one else was in the area and she only drove for a short time ... less than 30 seconds. Young Thug was not aware of the situation.

One of Young Thug's young daughters -- who seems to be under 10 -- drove a car on a public road while an adult sat right next to her, recording the dangerous incident.

The video surfaced on social media, reportedly showing one of YT's children -- this one a little girl -- behind the wheel of the car, and slowly driving down a residential road. The child is IN the driver seat, NOT on someone's lap ... and is struggling to see above the steering wheel.

At one point, an adult hand reaches in to assist with steering, and that person is recording the video. There's no audio.

It's unclear who the adult is, but it appears to be a woman's hand and not Young Thug's.

Several celebs commented on the video after it was posted on The Shade Room. Tyrese said, "I'm almost sure DFCS is gonna see this." Ex-NBA star Matt Barnes chimed in, "Stupid" -- and 'Love & Hip Hop' star Milan Christopher simply said, "Oh he going to jail."

We've reached out to Young Thug's camp for comment on the disturbing video ... but no word back yet.

Fergie wants to go back to the way things used to be ... and be called Stacy Ann Ferguson.

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Fergie's asking the judge to restore her former name. She made the request in divorce docs where she also asks that the judge terminate the court's ability to award support for both her and Josh Duhamel.

TMZ broke the story ... she legally switched to her stage name -- Fergie Duhamel -- back in August 2013. At the time she had been married to Josh for nearly 5 years.

As we first reported ... Fergie filed for divorce on Friday. It came as no surprise at the time ... they've been apart publicly since September 2017 when they announced they were breaking up. According to the new docs ... the couple lists the date of separation as April 1, 2017.

Fergie's also asking for joint and legal custody of their 5-year-old son, Axl.

Cardi B's strip club beatdown case just got way more serious for her -- potentially, anyway -- because of a grand jury ... a sign prosecutors want her to face stiffer charges.

The rapper was decked out in pink as she arrived Friday at the courthouse in Queens. Inside the court, the judge revealed Cardi's case is now being heard by a grand jury. That's a big deal because she was only facing misdemeanors -- for assault and reckless endangerment -- but with a grand jury on the case, the charges could be upgraded.

Prosecutors tell TMZ ... they decided to present the case to a grand jury after "further investigation." They would not say what was uncovered during the investigation.

As we've reported, Cardi's accused of ordering an attack on sisters Jade and Baddie Gi last August. The women were bartenders at a strip club, and say they were attacked by Cardi's people because Cardi thought Jade had slept with Offset.

As we reported ... prosecutors offered Cardi a plea deal in April, but she swiftly shut it down. The offer was to plead guilty to a single misdemeanor. She would have dodged jail time, but agree to a conditional discharge and avoid trouble for some period of time. She wasn't having it.

Cardi was arrested and booked in October for her alleged role in the strip club incident.

Kodak Black is gonna have to make himself at home in a Florida jail cell, 'cause he's gonna be there at least until September ... according to the judge in the federal case.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the judge ruled Wednesday, saying Kodak must remain behind bars until his trial gets underway.

You'll recall, Kodak requested to be let out on bail -- but under strict supervision -- so he could travel to South Carolina and deal with a sexual assault case. The feds, however, said he's too dangerous to be let out at all before trial.

Looks like the judge agreed with prosecutors. The Dept. of Justice says the court deemed the rapper to be a danger to the community. Kodak is scheduled to go on trial in Miami for lying on federal gun applications.

Prosecutors are also linking him to a March shooting, in which firearms he allegedly purchased through those applications were used.

So, a bunch of LAPD officers were conducting roll call in Sherman Oaks, California on Tuesday -- when all of a sudden Magic Johnson walks out of a supermarket and starts high-fiving the cops!

It all went down in front of a Gelson's -- where cops from the Van Nuys station met up for their morning briefing before hitting the streets.

Magic had been inside the store doing some shopping and had no idea the cops would be gathering that morning ... but we're told once he saw the officers he dropped everything to go hang out.

One source tells us he chatted up everyone, thanked them for their service and posed for a bunch of pics.

As one officer put it, "It made our day!"

And get this, despite an ESPN report that came out Tuesday morning which painted Magic as a "bully" during his time as an exec with the Lakers, he didn't seem fazed ... we're told he was in a great mood and couldn't have been nicer.

One of the shops featured on "Storage Wars" was broken into over Memorial Day weekend -- costing its reality TV star owners a few thousand dollars and a crappy day of cleanup.

Rene Nezhoda -- who runs the Bargain Hunters Thrift Store with his wife, Casey -- tells TMZ ... a thief, or group of thieves, smashed through the front glass doors of his San Diego-area business early Saturday morning around 4 AM ... and made off with some of their goods.

We're told the culprits jacked around $2,000 worth of rare coins Rene and Casey had in their possession, and ended up doing about another $2,000 of damage to the store in total.

All in all ... the Nezhodas are looking at a minimum set back of $4,000.

Rene and Casey posted a video of the aftermath later in the day, and it's clear they were pissed about the break-in. Rene goes so far as to call the culprit "the lowest scumbag out there." Check out his tour of how the burglars got in and out ... it's a pretty entertaining breakdown, even if it's a crappy financial situation for them.

Luann de Lesseps felt the cold steel of handcuffs Thursday, but she's NOT going back to jail for violating her probation by downing a couple of mimosas.

The 'Real Housewives of New York' star went before a Florida judge and during the hearing they put her in cuffs ... but the State's Attorney for Palm Beach County State tells TMZ ... she was not taken to jail ... contrary to several reports.

As we've reported ... Luann recently told her probation officer she had "2 glasses of mimosas after a performance" in Chicago. That's a major no-no because she's supposed to stay away from booze for a whole year under the plea deal she struck in her drunken arrest case.

We're told the court didn't believe she was taking her probation seriously -- so the judge ordered additional probation conditions for Luann. They include keeping a breathalyzer in her car, weekly telephone counseling, monthly in-person meetings with a psychiatrist and taking the prescription drug Antabuse ... which treats alcoholism.

Britney Spears' dad is taking no chances ... he's just filed legal docs stating his intention to make his conservatorship over his daughter valid in 3 key states.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Jamie Spears is giving notice to the California judge who has been handling Britney's 11-year-plus conservatorship that he intends to file the docs declaring him conservator in Florida, Louisiana and Hawaii.

We're told Britney has no plans to visit the 3 states in the immediate future, but our sources say Jamie knows what's up and believes there are people out there in social media pulling the strings in the "Free Britney" movement who might attempt to wrestle her away if she leaves California.

Our sources say in the next 2 hours Jamie will file his conservatorship docs in the 3 states. We're told these are the 3 states that Britney likes to visit.

NFL star Tyrann Mathieu was threatened by a relative -- "I want 1.5 million by Friday or I am going to kill all you all" -- this according to federal court documents.

Officials claim 21-year-old Geourvon Keinell Sears tried to shake down the Kansas City Chiefs safety in April by threatening to contact TMZ with fake allegations of sexual misconduct if Tyrann didn't come up with the money.

For the record, we were never contacted by Sears.

At first, Sears' demand was $1.5 million -- but he later raised the number to $5 million, according to the documents filed in U.S. District Court in Louisiana.

Officials say Sears contacted Mathieu by phone calls and also text messages. Mathieu's family members feared for their safety, according to the court docs.

Sears was arrested on an extortion charge but was later released on $25,000 bond. He's due back in court next month. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

Tyrann has reportedly made more than $31 mil in his NFL career and recently inked a 3-year, $42 million contract.

We spoke with Tyrann's rep, Denise White, who described the matter as a "very private and personal family issue."

"Good evening Paradise High School, I'm Aaron Rodgers ..."

Yeah, we know.

The Packers QB made a pretty cool prom video for the students affected by the NorCal wildfires -- touching on everything from sports to dancing ... even dating.

"Dance your ass off," Rodgers told the students ... "And, enjoy this special time in your life, especially you, seniors. Things will never be like this again."

"Cherish the friendships, the relationships, the sports games, the breakups, and all the amazing things that make up your high school years as you grow up and figure out this life."

Rodgers is from Northern California and previously donated $1 MILLION toward wildfire relief efforts.

In the clip -- part of a 35-minute video packed with huge stars -- Rodgers acknowledges how difficult rebuilding can be ... but essentially tells the kids to keep their heads up.

"You've all been through a lot. But I hope you all know how much love and support you have had and will continue to have throughout the rebuilding process."

The video was put together by local mom Melanie Little -- who was inspired to do something after she saw all the loss the high school had suffered in November's devastating fires.

Ex-WWE superstar Ashley Massaro was found hanging in an apparent suicide, multiple sources connected with the situation tell TMZ Sports.

The 39-year-old was found unconscious inside of her Suffolk County, NY home early Thursday morning -- and she was transported to a nearby hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

The death is being classified as "non-criminal."

She is survived by her daughter.

Massaro is being laid to rest in Suffolk County. The WWE honored Massaro with a full screen "In Memory" slate on Sunday during the "Money in the Bank" pay-per-view event.

CM Punk called into WMGM on Friday and had heard Ashley had taken her own life (the manner of death had not been publicly disclosed). He implored anyone listening who's struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts to get help.

"Tremendously sad way to go," Punk said ... "thoughts obviously go out to her family, especially her daughter."

"It's May. It's Mental Health Month ... if you're depressed and things aren't going your way, there's no reason to feel alone," Punk added.

"Just reach out to somebody. Text a friend. Call somebody. There's hotlines. There's ways you can get help."

Here's a link to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.

The WWE had put out a statement on the former wrestler on Thursday saying, "We are saddened to learn of the tragic death of former WWE Superstar Ashley Massaro,"

"She performed in WWE from 2005-2008 and was beloved by her fellow Superstars and fans around the world. WWE offers its condolences to Ashley’s family and friends."