Fairly Legal

R. Kelly was present during the Isley Brothers' musical showdown with Earth, Wind & Fire -- or he was in spirit anyway, because the disgraced singer's music was part of the IB's set.

Ron and Ernie Isley faced off against three members of EW&F Sunday night in a highly anticipated "Verzuz" battle -- with none other than Steve Harvey hosting in an extravagant Easter getup.

Everything was moving along smoothly, with each group taking turns back and forth to perform some of their greatest hits. It was great ... that is, until Ron and Ernie decided to start crooning some of their later tracks from the 2000s, including some R. Kelly tracks he either produced/wrote or was featured in, like "Contagious" and "Busted."

They did "Contagious" first ... which a lot of folks watching from home were NOT happy about. Thankfully, the duo had the wisdom not to include R. Kelly's featured verse, which is sprinkled in toward the end. Still, the guy wrote and produced the whole thing.

Ditto for "Busted," which didn't feature R. Kelly's vocals directly ... but was also written and produced by the guy. Fans felt it wasn't a good look ... for obvious reasons.

Remember, R. Kelly is currently in prison awaiting trial on several different criminal charges -- both federal and state ... which involve sexual assault, sexual trafficking, abuse of a minor, racketeering, obstruction of justice and more. He's pled not guilty to all of the charges.

It's clear he doesn't have much goodwill left among music lovers, past or present -- the only question ... do the Isleys care??? They seemed pretty comfy up there with the Kels tracks.

"Friday Night Lights" and "Glee" actor LaMarcus Tinker and his wife Brittany, are dropping back and punting on their marriage.

According to court records from Washoe County, Nevada ... LaMarcus and Brittany on Wednesday filed a joint divorce petition. It's unclear what led to them calling it quits, but it's the end of a 5-year run as husband and wife. The estranged couple has 2 minor children together.

LaMarcus -- best known for playing Dallas Tinker on the hit NBC series -- has been down this road before. As we first reported, he and his previous wife, Shari Butler, also filed a joint petition to end their 2-year marriage back in 2014.

Back then, LaMarcus was earning around $2,100 a month, just in royalties from previous acting gigs. Besides appearing on 'FNL' ... he played Kevin on the ABC sitcom "Cougar Town" -- and also had the recurring role of Shane on the third season of "Glee."

With marriage #2 coming to an end, this might be a good time for a throwback to that classic 'FNL' mantra -- "Clear eyes, full hearts ... can't lose."

Keep your head up, LaMarcus.

"OutDaughtered" star Michelle "Mimi" Theriot should be able to get the stink of her DUI arrest off her ... if she can obey court orders for a year.

Mimi's entered a diversion program stemming from her October DUI bust in Texas. It's 1-year community supervision for first-time offenders ... and Mimi's happy with it.

According to Theriot's agreement with the DA ... she can't drink alcohol or use controlled substances for a year. In fact, she has to stay clear of bars. She must also complete 24 hours of community service, along with a DWI education program.

And, there's more. Mimi must submit to random drug testing. And, the kicker ... she can't break any laws. If she checks all the boxes, her case will be dismissed.

We broke the story ... Grandma Mimi got arrested in League City, TX after cops say she was swerving on the road and was slow to stop when they tried pulling her over.

During the stop, cops say there was a strong odor of perfume wafting from her SUV ... something cops say is common for people trying to conceal odors.

Lori Loughlin's husband, Mossimo Giannulli, has been sprung from prison early as the dust settles on the college admission scandal -- the only question now ... is he at home, or is he holed up in a halfway house?

Federal prison records show that Mossimo is, indeed, now "located" at a facility called RRM Long Beach -- which is a residential reentry management field office that oversees inmates transitioning back to public life.

RRMLB itself does NOT appear to be a halfway house, but it does regulate inmates who stay at halfway houses. It's also where inmates released to home confinement have to check in routinely until their actual release date -- per our law enforcement sources. In Mossimo's case, that won't be until April 17. In other words, this place is literally just an office ... not where he'll be staying.

So that raises this pickle ... if Mossimo isn't behind bars anymore, where the heck is he? It's possible he could be staying at a halfway house nearby until his deadline -- it's also just as feasible he's been sent home to serve out the remaining days of his 5-month sentence.

Remember, Mossimo was doing his time at FCI Lompoc, which is just outside Santa Barbara -- about a two-hour drive north of L.A. He checked himself in back in November, sporting a new bald look -- which had all the markings of a tough guy heading to the pokey.

MG got the stiffer sentence between him and Lori for their roles in the admissions scheme -- having paid Rick Singer upwards of $500k to help get their daughters into USC ... under elaborate and false pretenses, of course. After initially pleading not guilty, the couple eventually caved ... and copped a plea deal as pressure from prosecutors mounted.

Lori ended up getting just a couple months behind bars, and served a majority of that time ... getting released in December, just 2 days shy of her official release date. Mossimo, however, got three more months on top of that, and has been dealing with COVID/solitary issues.

You'll recall ... Lori was brought home in a jet -- but we wouldn't expect Mossimo to get the same treatment. He's in L.A. County, and it wouldn't make too much sense to fly him back to their home in Hidden Hills. Lori was coming all the way from the Bay Area, so flying her in (private, no less) was definitely the move.

Still, nothing says "Daddy's home!" like wheels up, we suppose.

Mark Grudzielanek -- a former MLB All-Star and Gold Glove winner -- has been accused of child abuse ... and he's now under police investigation, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Police documents show Grudzielanek is alleged to have committed the crime at around 10:30 PM on March 16 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

In the docs, Grudzielanek -- a 50-year-old who played in the MLB from 1995 to 2010 -- is listed as an "offender" ... and the alleged victim is described as a 12-year-old boy.

Details of the alleged incident are unclear ... but a source close to the case tells us the allegations stem from a physical altercation.

We've reached out to Grudzielanek for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

Grudzielanek broke into the Big Leagues in 1995 with the Expos ... and he was named an All-Star the following year.

Titus Welliver can roar off into the sunset in the saddle of his motorcycle as the dust settles in his divorce -- and his ex-wife will be galloping away ... TMZ has learned.

The 'Bosch' star just finalized his divorce from Josepha Theodora Stemkens -- to whom he'd been married to since 2014 -- and the judge has now signed off on exactly who gets what in the division of their assets.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Titus gets to keep some property in Connecticut, some bank accounts, residuals and royalties from his TV and movie work. Now for the fun stuff -- he's taking some sweet rides for a cruise around ... including a Mini Cooper and a 2014 Harley Davidson.

As for Josepha ... she was also left with a pretty nice whip -- a 2017 Range Rover, and some equine mobility too. She's getting their 6 horses, named Kimba, Kid, Chief‚ Aslan, Jackson and Little Martha Grace.

She's also keeping her businesses and personal accounts, plus jewelry and furniture that's already in her possession.

Titus was also ordered to pay Josepha around $27k a month until the end of 2021, in addition to a lump sum of $50k to equalize the property split. The couple also came to terms on child custody -- Titus has a 14-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, and Josepha legally adopted her during their marriage.

The man who cops say went swimming naked in Kendall Jenner's pool and then showed up at Kylie's house is back in jail ... he's been busted on more charges related to his alleged skinny dip.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... LAPD arrested 27-year-old Shaquan King Friday on a warrant related to the Kendall incident, just as he was being released from jail following his felony stalking arrest for the Kylie incident.

We're told the District Attorney sent the Kylie case back for more investigation, paving the way for King's release, but LAPD was waiting for him and arrested him again.

This time, our sources say King was arrested on 2 trespassing charges, plus a count of disorderly conduct.

TMZ broke the story ... Kendall got a temporary restraining order Thursday against King, claiming he made it onto her Beverly Hills property Sunday morning, banged on her windows, took off his clothes and tried to get into her pool before her security detained him. Police eventually showed up and arrested him for trespassing -- which turned out to be the first of what is now THREE arrests this week.

The Houston Police Department says it's now launched a criminal investigation into Deshaun Watson ... this after a complainant formally filed a report against the NFL star on Friday.

Cops did NOT say the nature of the allegations against the QB ... and it's unclear if they're related to the claims of sexual assault that Watson is facing in a multitude of civil lawsuits.

In a statement Friday, though, Watson's attorney implied they may be.

"We welcome this long overdue development," Rusty Hardin said. "Now we will learn the identity of at least one accuser. We will fully cooperate with the Houston Police Department."

A police investigation into Watson does NOT mean he's facing criminal charges at the moment.

The HPD will investigate the allegations and likely then turn over its findings to prosecutors, who will then need to make a charging decision. That all could take weeks, if not months.

The interesting part is now that law enforcement is involved ... will the NFL step in and put the Houston Texans star on the commissioner's exempt list and bar him from playing games until the probe concludes?

The league had previously said it was already investigating the QB over the allegations made against the 25-year-old in the civil cases.

As we reported ... Watson is accused of being sexually inappropriate with at least 21 female masseuses in at least four different states over the past few years.

Jen Shah has pleaded not guilty to the charges in her telemarketing scam case ... and it seems she prepped for it by getting her hair done.

"The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star appeared in a federal court in Manhattan on Friday via video conference call with her lawyers, and entered not guilty pleas to both charges -- conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

As we previously told you ... Jen was released on strict conditions after her arrest, and on Friday the judge granted her continued release on a $1 million personal recognizance bond.

The judge said there is a flight risk with Shah but gave her 2 weeks to fork over a $250k secured bond in cash or property in order to remain out of jail until her trial ... which is set for Oct. 18.

In other news ... Jen apparently spent the evening before her arraignment getting her hair silk-pressed and just chilling out.

BTW -- Shah's assistant Stuart Smith, who was arrested with her and is facing the same charges in their alleged fraud scheme, also pleaded not guilty and was granted continued release on a $1 mil personal recognizance bond.

No word if he got a fresh cut or style for court.

The iconic Hollywood sign has a new neighbor mooving in ... because there's a giant cow in the middle of the landmark.

As you can see, the sign was vandalized Friday with an image of a dairy cow taking over the middle of the first 'O.' Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... 3 people have been arrested for trespassing, with a police helicopter helping officers track the suspects as they made their way back down the hill.

We're told the alteration to the sign was done as a joke, and not as a protest for or against bovines.

There's a band out of Los Angeles, called Junior Varsity, appearing to take credit for the vandalism. JV just released its debut single, "Cold Blood," which features a dairy cow as the cover art and their social media accounts have been telling folks to "Look for the signs."

It's the second time in as many months the Hollywood sign is getting an illegal makeover ... back in February, model Julia Rose was arrested for altering the sign to read, "Hollyboob."

Ya might say folks are milking the poor sign for all its worth.

Takeoff will not face charges for allegedly raping a woman at a party last year ... TMZ has learned.

The L.A. County District Attorney's office tells us it's declining to prosecute the Migos rapper for the sexual assault allegations made against him in August 2020 due to insufficient evidence.

Takeoff's lawyer, Drew Findling, says his office spent countless hours investigating the case and concluded the same thing as prosecutors. He tells us, "The allegations were patently and provably false."

We broke the story ... a woman filing as Jane Doe sued Takeoff for sexual battery and assault, claiming he made her extremely uncomfortable at an L.A. party and later raped her in a bedroom. We then learned the LAPD was investigating the incident.

It turns out the man who was arrested after swimming naked in Kendall Jenner's pool had his sights set on Kylie as well -- showing up at her home after his release from jail -- and it's all laid out in terrifying court docs.

Kendall got a temporary restraining order Thursday against 27-year-old Shaquan King. In legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Jenner states King made it onto her property early Sunday morning, removed his clothes and got into her pool before her personal security ordered him out, detained him and cops came to make an arrest.

What's more frightening, Kendall says a day-and-a-half after his release -- which was only 6 hours because of jail COVID protocols -- King made his way to Kylie's gated community and was arrested Tuesday for felony stalking.

Kendall also details King's alleged criminal history in the docs, claiming he's been busted for kidnapping and has photos of her on his social media pages ... she says he's left her in fear for her own safety.

The restraining order also protects Kylie and Kris Jenner ... and orders that King stay at least 100 yards away.

TMZ broke the story, Kendall has since hired more armed security and left her home, we're told she has no plans to ever return.

We had previously been told King only attempted to get in the pool, but Kendall states in the new court docs that he actually got into the water.

A sheriff's deputy in Texas is under investigation after he was captured on camera threatening to beat the crap out of a teen ... and then actually did punch him in the face.

The disturbing incident went down last Friday in Harris County where a 16-year-old named Carlos and his buddy had just pulled into a gas station on their ATVs. The deputy beelined it for Carlos and asked him for ID, and things went south real quick.

You can see in the video, shot by Carlos' friend, the deputy initially tells Carlos to turn around put his hands behind his back. He started to do that, but took one step away, prompting the deputy to grab him and yell, "Don't run from me boy, I will beat your (expletive) right here."

Carlos appears to panic at that point and the deputy barks out, "Turn around and put your hands behind your back before I beat the (expletive) out of you. Don't be (expletive) stupid."

And, then ... bam, the deputy squarely punches Carlos in the head, knocking him to the ground. The deputy didn't let up either ... you can see him unload a few more punches while they're both on the ground. He eventually arrested Carlos for evading arrest.

Carlos told KTRK-TV he and his friends may have previously driven away from deputies -- you hear the cop reference that -- but adds, he didn't think getting gas would lead to a violent encounter with law enforcement.

Ex-NFL WR Kenbrell Thompkins -- who famously caught TDs from Tom Brady in 2013 -- is now facing over 10 years in prison after he allegedly committed identity theft and fraud.

Federal prosecutors in court docs say the 32-year-old former Jets, Raiders and Patriots wideout stole identities to illegally obtain cash that was intended for people who were financially reeling from the coronavirus pandemic.

In the docs, prosecutors say Thompkins used personal information from multiple people to apply for financial aid in California in Aug. 2020.

Investigators claim when the requests were granted, Thompkins was sent the money in the form of debit cards. Prosecutors claim they then caught the ex-NFL player on surveillance video using them to withdraw cash at Florida Bank of America locations.

Investigators say in total, Thompkins' "scheme involves approximately $300,000 in California unemployment insurance funds credited to the fraudulent debit cards." Of the $300K, investigators claim Thompkins withdrew around $230,000.

Court records show Thompkins has been hit with 1 charge of use of one or more unauthorized access devices and 2 charges of aggravated identity theft.

If convicted on all counts, Thompkins is facing over 10 years behind bars.

Thompkins broke into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with New England in 2013 ... and he had a solid rookie year, tallying 32 catches for 466 yards and 4 TDs.

Lil Nas X's "Satan Shoes" likely won't be on the feet of any of his fans soon, because Nike got a judge to shut down the selling of the controversial footwear ... at least temporarily.

The court granted Nike's request Thursday for a temporary restraining order against MSCHF -- the company producing the shoe inspired by the rapper -- which blocks it from fulfilling any orders.

As we reported ... Nike sued MSCHF earlier this week, claiming it has no connection with Lil Nas X's Satan Shoe and did not authorize the production of it.

Nevertheless, the devilish shoe still reportedly sold out of its 666 pairs produced within minutes Monday ... even at the hefty price tag of $1,018.

Due to the restraining order, MSCHF will not be allowed to ship them to customers awaiting the shoe that the creative agency put their blood, sweat and tears in ... literally blood!

FYI ... judges grant temporary restraining orders of this type when there's a high probability they will win when there's a full-blown hearing.

Britney Spears fans are coming for her social media manager's head because they think Brit's reaction to the new doc wasn't authentic ... but they have it all wrong.

Here's the deal ... the pop star broke her silence on 'Framing Britney Spears' Tuesday, criticizing the documentary ... saying she was embarrassed by the portrayal and cried for weeks, but some folks think Britney's social media manager, Cassie Petrey, is the post's real author.

However, sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Cassie did NOT craft Britney's statement about the Hulu documentary, and she wasn't even aware of Brit's plan to express herself until the IG post was published.

As you see, Cassie's catching lots of online heat ... with keyboard warriors calling for her to resign from Britney's team.

Our sources are adamant ... Britney wrote the caption herself and it was posted the day she wrote it. We're told Brit does indeed feel deeply embarrassed by the documentary, which she's made clear to those closest to her.

Our sources tell us no one on Britney's team prompted her to break her silence, and it was all her decision.