Fairly Legal

Doc Antle letting Chris Brown's young daughter take a joy ride on an elephant's giant noggin wasn't just dangerous and irresponsible, but illegal too ... at least according to PETA.

The animal rights org fired off a letter Tuesday to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, calling on it to investigate the 'Tiger King' star's operation of his Myrtle Beach safari ... alleging he's violating a number of regulations ... spotlighting the most recent incident with Chris' kid.

According to the letter, obtained by TMZ, PETA claims Doc has violated the Animal Welfare Act by allowing 7-year-old Royalty to swim with Bubbles, one of the elephants. The org claims it was super dangerous for the girl to dive off the animal's giant head.

PETA cites a reg requiring certain animals to be kept at a safe and reasonable distance from people with proper barriers to ensure the safety of visitors.

By letting Royalty jump around -- not to mention get lifted up by Bubbles' powerful trunk -- PETA says it's obvious Doc's screwing up ... and they insist it's just the latest alleged violation at the property.

They're asking for a full probe ... calling on the USDA to hold him and his cohorts accountable for what PETA deems dangerous and irresponsible behavior.

Doc tells us PETA sent a similar letter when Lil Pump visited, saying, "Not a thing came of that elephant complaint after USDA investigated it. Just a huge waste of time and resources for the federal veterinarians who have to check out these erroneous allegations. We are in no ways in violation of the animal welfare act. We have continuously perfect inspections. We are well aware of the USDA protocols to conduct this type of filming; as we have been involved in film work of this nature for decades, including more than 500 films, documentaries, television productions and advertisements."

He continues, "Animal Rights activists that are unfamiliar with USDA film protocols routinely report these regulated activities to federal and state regulators as if there has been a violation. Rest assured that we are in full compliance with all federal and state regulations. USDA is our partner in animal welfare and we share a passion and commitment to providing the highest possible care for our animal ambassadors at the preserve."

Tory Lanez has to fork over more bail money after prosecutors say he violated a court order to stay away from Megan Thee Stallion with his surprise appearance at Rolling Loud ... but at least he won't be behind bars.

Lanez was in an L.A. court Monday to learn his fate and he's gonna have to post a higher bail amount to stay out of jail while his criminal case is pending. The reason -- he violated a protective order requiring him to stay clear of Megan.

The judge also modified his bail conditions to specifically prohibit Tory from attending events where his alleged victim, Megan, will be present. The judge also said if this issue comes up again ... he will be remanded into custody. So, this was clearly his last warning.

Tory's bail was increased from $190k to $250k -- so he'll have to throw down a bit more dough to stay free.

TMZ broke the story ... prosecutors filed a motion earlier this month to hold TL in contempt for violating the restraining order. He made a guest appearance during DaBaby's Rolling Loud set, and he got within 100 yards of Megan, who also performed at the event

Charli D'Amelio is beefing with a media kingpin who says he can make anyone famous ... and he's warning the TikTok star not to poke the bear!!!

Here's the deal ... Charli, TikTok's most-followed star, was recently featured in an endorsement video for the "Fame By Sheeraz Masterclass," and now her lawyers are making a big fuss over it.

Charli's legal team fired off a legal letter to Sheeraz, obtained by TMZ, demanding the media guru scrub her portion from his promotional video and class.

As you can see in the clip, Charli looks into the camera and waves as she says, "Hi Fame By Sheeraz."

According to the cease and desist letter, Charli's lawyer says her inclusion in Sheeraz's promo "is not approved and will not be approved."

Sheeraz tells TMZ ... "Don't poke the media beast we control the paparazzi and media that promotes you and gives you FAME. That's why you endorsed FAME by Sheeraz."

Sounds like Sheeraz isn't having it.

Erika Jayne's elderly estranged husband, Tom Girardi, has moved out of his multi-million dollar mansion and into a senior living facility.

The 82-year-old -- who's currently going through a divorce from "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star along with a lawsuit for allegedly embezzling funds from families of plane crash victims -- was spotted by Daily Mail entering the Burbank nursing home Sunday.

Girardi -- who up until recently lived in an incredible $13 million mansion in Pasadena -- has been forced to give up his luxurious lifestyle due to his embezzlement scandal, his law firm filing for bankruptcy ... and health issues.

Safe to say it's not been a very good year for Tom, who once had an estimated net worth of more than $260 million. Along with the divorce, he's been disbarred, forced to auction off a lot of stuff from his law offices to cover legal costs ... and has been spotted out in public looking worse for wear.

Earlier this year ... he filed legal docs claiming he's been diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's, as he had his assets frozen as he's potentially been facing federal charges for months.

Brandon Hanks is the most famous Syracuse PD officer -- having gone viral for playing hoops with kids years ago -- but shockingly, he's still on the force after superiors accused him of being a gang member ... prompting him to file a massive lawsuit.

Brandon joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday to discuss his $33 million suit against Syracuse PD ... a legal move he made after the brass denied him a promotion to a gang violence task force.

He says the only reason he was given was an allegation, from at least one superior, that he's a gang member who's selling drugs.

He denies the claims, saying there's no evidence, and also finds it bizarre he's still working his beat. Brandon pointed out the obvious ... if his bosses really thought he was up to no good, he'd be indicted.

He thinks the real issue is racism, and in his lawsuit, he accuses Syracuse PD of having a "Jim Crow culture."

Brandon told us Syracuse PD loved him when he was getting them national attention for challenging kids to basketball games as part of a community outreach program -- but, for some reason, that all changed when he tried to advance his career.

Aerosmith's not going to miss a thing -- at least when it comes to their masters -- because the legendary rock band's new deal with Universal Music Group means they'll soon have ownership of all their master recordings.

If you haven't heard ... UMG just announced it will be the home of Aerosmith's entire recorded catalog ahead of their 50th anniversary, and will house the band's future music projects and help develop other ventures to celebrate their history.

Since the group was founded in the early '70s, it's gone back and forth between the hands of Sony and Universal ... and it's slated to get all of its masters from Sony in 2022.

However, despite the huge news with UMG, there was no deal in place for the band to get their masters back from Universal, for songs recorded during their time with that record label ... tracks such as "Dude Looks Like a Lady," "Crazy," "Amazing," "Crying," "Janie’s Got a Gun" and "Livin’ On The Edge."

That's where Aerosmith's manager, Larry Rudolph, stepped up and made some expert negotiations with UMG to make it happen.

We're told he met with some execs there and worked out a deal where UMG would get the right to distribute the ENTIRE Aerosmith catalog -- including its Sony songs -- and in return ... Aerosmith will gain the rights to their masters from their time with Universal Music.

The upshot -- Aerosmith will make 3 times what they're currently getting for their catalog of hits.

Jackboy has always insisted he's innocent in his gun possession case, and now prosecutors at least agree he shouldn't be charged ... because they don't have the goods to prove he's guilty.

Jonathan L. Adams, the Monroe County D.A., tells TMZ ... his office decided not to move forward with charges against the rapper "due to our concern regarding being able to prove [Jackboy] had actual knowledge of the location of the firearms."

Adams pointed to the same issue cops identified in their initial report ... that a passenger in the backseat claimed to be responsible for the 2 guns found in the glove box.

Jackboy's attorney, Drew Findling, says, "We told you early this year that Pierre Delince (Jackboy) was innocent of these charges." He added, "We are very much appreciative of them making that important decision."

TMZ broke the story ... Jackboy was busted in March after cops pulled over a vehicle in which he was a passenger, because the driver had trouble staying in his lane.

When cops searched the Lambo SUV they said they found 2 unregistered handguns in the glove box next to Jackboy's seat.

Cops say the rapper told cops he didn't know there were guns in the whip. He was ultimately arrested and booked for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. But, prosecutors now say they don't have evidence Jackboy knew the guns were there.

Britney Spears' dogs fell seriously ill with one close to death, and her housekeeper believed the only way to save the animals was an emergency trip to the vet, which turned into the dogs being kept away from Britney entirely ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... one of Britney's two dogs has serious digestive issues and both dogs were supposed to be fed a special type of food. We're told the housekeeper became alarmed when she saw the dogs regularly being fed table scraps ... causing the pets to become very sick, especially the one with digestive issues.

The housekeeper also said both dogs were dehydrated from a lack of water ... which ultimately caused her to take them to the vet.

Our sources say after examining the dogs, the vet was alarmed, and Britney's dog sitter decided it would be best if she cared for the dogs instead of Britney.

As we reported ... Britney's dogs never came home after the vet visit, and she suspected her dad, Jamie Spears, had something to do with their disappearance. She called the cops August 10 and was prepared to file a theft report over the pooches, but changed her mind.

TMZ broke the story, the dogs' whereabouts triggered a heated argument Monday between Britney and the housekeeper ... during which we're told the housekeeper showed Britney cell phone photos she'd taken of the sick dogs.

Our sources said Britney became enraged, believing the housekeeper was sending the pics to Jamie Spears. She allegedly grabbed for the phone and, according to the housekeeper, struck her arm in the process. The housekeeper filed a police report for battery. We're told Britney denies touching the housekeeper ... and that all she did was grab the phone.

As of Friday afternoon, the dogs were still not back at Britney's home and the police investigation had not wrapped. The police findings will eventually be sent to the district attorney's office to review the matter for possible misdemeanor battery charges.

Celebrity chef Jet Tila let his dangerous dog bite a young child on the nose and now she's scarred for life ... at least that's how the kid's parents see it, according to a new lawsuit.

The famed chef and Food Network regular is being sued by the young girl's folks, who claim his dog, Halo, viciously attacked their daughter when she went up to say hello to the pooch.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Jet rented out a playground at the preschool his kid and the girl attend for an event the day after Christmas, and had his dog leashed to a table.

The docs say Jet's wife "chose to relinquish personal control" of Halo and that's when the girl "gently went up" to the Belgian Malinois and the dog started barking and attacked, biting her and leaving a gash on her nose.

The child's family says she was rushed to the ER, and they claim her injuries will permanently disfigure her face.

In the suit, the parents also claim Jet knew his dog was capable of being "aggressive, vicious, and excessively dangerous."

"American Idol" finalist Syesha Mercado and her partner have a huge reason to smile ... they've been reunited with their infant daughter.

Syehsa's partner, Tyron Deener, posted video Friday, presumably during their car ride home, with baby Ast sound asleep in a child safety seat. Syesha had a huge grin on her face and Tyron couldn't look prouder to have their daughter back.

He thanked everyone for helping them get the resources they needed to get their daughter back from Florida's Child Protective Services. He said, "We still got work to do to get 'Ra back. Thank you, because of y'all we had the proper support to get the best attorneys in the country."

Remember ... the couple started a GoFundMe to help cover the legal costs and raised more than $400k. Syesha's joy was evident in her caption -- “AST IS HOME!!!! #BringRaHome POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!!!”

As we reported ... Syesha sobbed as the Manatee County Sheriff's deputies took Ast from her earlier this month. She reluctantly handed over the infant in accordance with a family court judge's order.

The couple's toddler son, Amen'Ra, was put in foster care back in March after a doctor claimed the boy was malnourished. Deputies told the couple they were taking Ast because they didn't tell authorities she'd given birth to Ast during the ongoing legal battle for Ra.

Arizona Cardinals LB Zaven Collins -- a 1st-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft -- just cut a deal with prosecutors in his criminal case ... pleading guilty to speeding in order to close it all out.

Collins was arrested in Scottsdale, Ariz. back on June 20 after cops say they caught him going 76 MPH in a 35 MPH zone.

Body camera footage from the arrest showed Collins begged officers to let him off ... but he was taken to the station and ultimately charged with speeding and reckless driving.

TMZ Sports, though, has learned ... in exchange for pleading guilty to the speeding charge, prosecutors dropped the reckless driving count.

Court records show as punishment, Collins was hit with over $500 worth of fines and fees.

The case is now listed as closed.

Of course, it's a big load off Collins' shoulders ... the charges loomed over the rookie's head for the entirety of his first-ever training camp with the Cards this month.

Britney Spears' dogs were taken from her earlier this month -- this after her dog sitter and housekeeper believe the pets were being neglected -- and that's what triggered the confrontation between Britney and her housekeeper that led to a criminal investigation.

Sources directly connected to Britney tell TMZ ... around 2 weeks ago one of her dogs became sick and the housekeeper took that dog and Britney's other dog to the vet. The dogs never came home, and our sources say Britney's dog sitter -- who is also a nurse -- kept and took care of the dogs because she believed they weren't safe at Britney's home.

We're told on August 10 Britney called the Ventura County Sheriff's Dept. to report a theft, but when cops arrived at her home she backed off and sent them away -- this was first reported by Page Six. Our sources say she was prepared to file a theft report over the dogs but apparently had a change of heart.

Fast-forward to this past Monday morning. Britney still did not have her dogs and didn't know where they were, but suspected her dad had something to do with their disappearance.

Britney confronted her housekeeper and demanded to know where her dogs were and why they were taken away. Our Britney sources say the housekeeper expressed concern that the dogs had been neglected and showed Britney photos she had taken on her cellphone of one of the dogs that had just thrown up.

Britney believes the housekeeper -- who gets paid by Jamie -- sent Jamie the photos and he then called the dog sitter and told her to take the dogs away. Sources with direct knowledge say Jamie is "totally in the dark on what goes on in her home," adding, "He's been shut out."

In any event, we're told Britney became extremely upset and told the housekeeper she was not allowed to take photos in her house. Then we're told a struggle ensued and Britney knocked the phone out of the housekeeper's hands. Our Britney sources say she merely hit the phone, but law enforcement sources say the housekeeper alleged Britney struck her arm, which then caused her to lose her grip over the phone.

As of Thursday afternoon, Britney still did not get her dogs back, but she was hopeful that was about to happen.

TMZ broke the story ... the housekeeper filed a battery report with the Ventura County Sheriff's Dept. and the agency is investigating. A Sheriff's Dept. official tells TMZ when the investigation is complete the file will be sent to the D.A. to review for a possible misdemeanor battery charge.

Jenn Harley's officially facing 2 charges following her June domestic violence arrest for allegedly threatening to pull the trigger on a gun she'd pointed at her boyfriend.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... the prosecutors in Nevada charged Ronnie Ortiz-Magro's ex with one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon constituting domestic violence, and one misdemeanor count of battery constituting domestic violence.

As we told you ... Harley was arrested in Las Vegas on June 19 after a fight with her now ex-boyfriend, Joseph Ambrosole. He told cops she dropped the n-word while pointing a gun at him and threatening to kill him.

About a month after the incident, Jenn checked herself into a Las Vegas rehab facility to seek treatment for alcohol dependency.

Her rep told us she made the decision because she wants to be the best parent she can for Ariana, her 3-year-old daughter with Ronnie.

We're told Jenn recently completed her 28-day stint and is looking forward to a fresh start, but her legal issues aren't going away easily.

Azriel Clary -- one of R. Kelly's former girlfriends -- remains steadfast in testifying against him in his federal sex crimes case ... despite what her family describes as attempts to scare her away from going through with it.

Azriel's father, Angelo, tells TMZ ... nobody's forcing his daughter to testify -- it's her decision based on her belief that what Kelly did to her and others is wrong, and she wants to do it for the sake of justice and to show what a monster he truly is.

Problem is, this apparently doesn't sit well with many of the singer's fans. We're told Azriel and her family are the frequent targets of online threats and attacks ... including people posting their contact info and even harassing them at work.

Even scarier ... Azriel's car was set on fire last year, and just months ago a man pled guilty in the case.

For all these reasons and more ... Angelo says his daughter's stress level is high as she prepares for her testimony, but he's adamant Azriel will not back down.

We broke the story ... in early 2020 -- after a falling out with Kelly's other girlfriend at the time, Joycelyn Savage -- Azriel fully removed herself from Kelly's corner and began working with the feds against him.

Now, the time is almost here for her to take the stand, and we're told Azriel's looking forward to showing her strength and telling her truth ... with Kelly watching.

A judge just ruled the woman accusing Trevor Bauer of sexual assault will NOT be allowed to have a permanent restraining order against the MLB star.

The decision came down Thursday morning in an L.A. courtroom after three-plus days of proceedings ... with a judge ordering the temporary restraining order against Bauer must be dissolved.

In announcing her order ... the judge said Bauer "did not exceed limits" that his accuser had set before their two sexual encounters in April and May.

"If she set limits and he exceeded them, this case would be clear," the judge said in the courtroom, according to L.A. Times reporter Steve Henson. "But he did not exceed limits she set."

The judge added, according to Henson, that the injuries the woman suffered during the sexual encounters were "not the result of anything she told [Bauer] she objected to."

The judge also said, per Henson, that Bauer did not pose any potential future threat to the woman.

The decision is obviously a huge win for Bauer -- who's been away from the Dodgers on administrative leave since the temporary restraining order was granted back in June -- though it remains unclear what it means for his potential future in the MLB.

Despite Thursday's ruling, Bauer is still being investigated by the Pasadena Police Dept. to see if he committed any criminal offenses during his encounters with his accuser.

Nicki Minaj's husband, Kenneth Petty, says having his name on New York's Sex Offender Registry has caused him a lot of problems, and the worst part is he never got his day in court to challenge it ... according to new legal docs.

Petty's suing the State of New York and its Criminal Justice Services division to have his name removed from the sex offender's registry, because he claims he never got notice of a hearing about it back in October 2004 while he was incarcerated.

According to the legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... the hearing offered an opportunity to challenge the risk level assigned to him -- he was categorized as a level 2 sex offender at the time -- but problem is, Petty claims he never actually got notice of it.

Petty claims the notice of the hearing was sent to an address where he didn't live -- because he was in prison at the time -- and alleges the "Kenny Petty" signature on the bottom is a forgery.

Petty claims whoever did it also answered that he would not be attending the hearing. So, according to the new suit, Petty claims he never got his constitutional right to due process to challenge the risk level assigned to him.