Family

Vanessa Bryant wants a jury to know that the sheriff's deputy accused of taking helicopter crash scene photos of Kobe Bryant was involved in another scandal involving excessive force where a handcuffed inmate's head was allegedly knelt on.

But, L.A. County is fighting back, insisting the other incident is irrelevant, and would seriously prejudice the jury.

About a year after Kobe, Gigi, and seven others tragically died in a helicopter crash, there was an incident inside a county jail involving a deputy named Doug Johnson ... who's accused of kneeling on the head of a handcuffed inmate for several minutes. The March 2021 incident received national news attention.

The L.A. County Sheriff's Department allegedly attempted to prevent the details of the incident from going public ... believing it'd be a black eye for the department.

It's not the first scandal Doug Johnson's allegedly been involved in ... 'cause he's accused of being one of the deputies who took photographs of Kobe's remains at the crash site.

Photos were then allegedly shown to civilians -- without authorization -- in places like bars.

Now, lawyers for L.A. County are asking a judge to prevent Vanessa's attorney's from raising the issue during the defamation and negligence trial -- filed by the Bryant family in 2020 -- and set to begin in July.

The county, in documents filed on Friday, argues the jail incident is "entirely unrelated" to Vanessa's case. They argue bringing up such a hot button issue like excessive force could have a huge effect on the outcome of the trial.

Lawyers for the county reportedly asked Vanessa's legal team if they'd agree not to bring up the other incident ... but VB's attorney refused, according to the L.A. Times. That's when L.A. County filed the motion.

A judge is yet to make a decision on L.A. County's request.

As for the jail incident ... Johnson was captured on camera leading an inmate through a hallway, before the man, awaiting a murder charge, punched him in the face several times. Once Johnson got the 24-year-old inmate under control and handcuffed, he allegedly knelt on the inmates head for around 3 minutes.

Denise Richards is backing her 18-year-old daughter, Sami's, decision to join OnlyFans, despite grumblings from Sami's dad, Charlie Sheen.

In a lengthy post Friday, Richards said, "I wish I had the confidence my 18 yr old daughter has. And I also can't be judgmental of her choices. I did Wild Things & Playboy, quite frankly her father shouldn't be either. And to be able to ignore the negativity at her age? It took me many years & I still sometimes struggle."

The statement comes on the heels of a lot of hate directed at both Sami and Denise, with many saying she was too young to have created the account in the first place.

One of the people offering criticism, was Sami's dad ... Charlie Sheen told Page Six of the OF page this week, "I do not condone this, but since I’m unable to prevent it, I urged her to keep it classy, creative and not sacrifice her integrity.”

However, Denise's statement continues, "Is it so bad to control it & monetize it too? I'm sorry, but s*** if I can get paid and at my age? to see me in a bikini?!? God bless you. Perhaps I should open my own account.."

Jamie Spears has just gone full throttle, asking a judge to force his daughter to sit for a depo ... and it's largely over claims Britney made about him on social media.

Jamie just filed legal docs, obtained by TMZ, in which his lawyer says Britney is going on a campaign to trash Jamie on Instagram and her soon-to-be-published memoir, and apparently Jamie now wants to challenge her allegations.

Among the issues Jamie wants to direct at his daughter under oath ... allegations that she was forced to give 8 tubes of blood for medical treatment, was forced to participate in therapy and was not allowed to own pain-reliever meds.

Jamie is saying all of his daughter's allegations are relevant to whether he abused his role as conservator ... something Britney and her lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, have insisted happened.

He goes on to say Rosengart has refused to schedule a depo, saying Jamie's effort was "another tactic to bully, harass and intimidate his daughter -- his own daughter."

Vince McMahon is voluntarily stepping away from his duties as CEO and Chairman of WWE amid an investigation into alleged misconduct by the billionaire ... and his daughter, Stephanie, has been appointed interim CEO and interim Chairwoman.

WWE and its Board of Directors, of which Vince is a member, announced on Friday the 76-year-old will take a step back from his responsibilities as the org.'s honcho until the conclusion of the investigation.

"WWE and its Board of Directors take all allegations of misconduct very seriously," the statement read. "The Independent Directors of the Board engaged independent legal counsel to assist them with an independent review."

"In addition, the Special Committee and WWE will work with an independent third-party to conduct a comprehensive review of the company's compliance program, HR function and overall culture."

They added ... "The Company and the Board do not expect to have further comment until the investigation is concluded."

The investigation into Vince stems from a claim that he allegedly agreed to pay a former employee $3 million over 5 years after the two had an affair.

The woman alleges that Vince paid her $1 million in advance ... and was expected to dish out the remaining $2 million in "hush money" over 5 years.

The Wall Street Journal reported that a preliminary investigation into Vince revealed Vince made a payment to the ex-employee using "personal funds."

Vince said in the statement Friday that he will cooperate and support the investigation by the Special Committee ... and he will accept the findings and outcome of the probe once it's over.

“I love this company and am committed to working with the Independent Directors to strengthen our culture and our Company; it is extremely important to me that we have a safe and collaborative workplace," said Vince, who is expected to appear on 'SmackDown' on Friday night.

"I have committed to doing everything in my power to help the Special Committee complete its work, including marshaling the cooperation of the entire company to assist in the completion of the investigation and to implement its findings."

As a result, Stephanie, who recently stepped away from her role as the chief brand officer of WWE to be with her family, is back with the company as interim CEO and interim Chairwoman.

Russell Wilson and Ciara have only been in Denver for a couple months, but they've already clearly adopted the city's hockey team ... going crazy for the Avs after their overtime win Wednesday night!

The couple hit up Ball Arena with their kids for a family date night ... and they immersed themselves in the Stanley Cup Finals action quickly.

Russ, Ciara, Future Zahir, Sienna and baby Win were all spotted cheering their faces off as the Avalanche took on the Lightning in Game 1 of the series.

After every goal, the Wilsons -- all decked out in Avalanche jerseys -- waved towels and screamed ... and during breaks, Mom and Dad enjoyed the adorableness of their kids taking in the sights and sounds (and popcorn!) at the arena.

Russ and Ciara then lost their minds for a bit after Andre Burakovsky buried a goal in the first few minutes of OT to give the Avs a 1-0 series lead ... cheering with the packed house wildly.

It's all a good sign for Broncos fans ... because it's clear the Wilsons have made the move from Seattle seamlessly.

U.S. Rep. Sean Casten is opening up on the sudden death of his 17-year-old daughter, Gwen ... he says she went to bed Sunday night and never woke up.

The Congressman from Illinois posted a touching tribute to his late daughter Wednesday, revealing the moments leading up to her tragic and unexpected death.

Rep. Casten says Gwen went out for a few hours with some friends Sunday night after having dinner with the family, returned home, said goodnight to her parents, texted a friend and didn't wake up the following morning.

Sean says the only thing the family knows about Gwen's death is that it was "peaceful." Casten's office announced Tuesday Gwen had died, but details at the time were scarce.

Gwen had recently graduated from high school and was getting ready to enroll at the University of Vermont, where Rep. Casten says she was going to study environmental science.

Rep. Casten says Gwen's sudden death offers a powerful lesson -- savor every moment with loved ones.

Rafael Nadal is going to be a father -- the tennis icon and his wife, Mery Perello, are expecting their first child together, according to reports.

Spanish publication Hola! confirmed the news this week ... after weeks of rumors surrounding the couple.

Mery was spotted wearing "loose-fitting" clothing as she cheered on 36-year-old Nadal ... who won his 14th French Open and 22nd Grand Slam at Roland Garros earlier this month.

Mery also showed off what appeared to be a baby bump while on vacation with Rafa.

The #4-ranked player in the world has been with Mery for a long time (nearly 17 years) ... and the two got married in 2019.

Nadal, who's currently ahead of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic for most Grand Slam titles ever, previously told Hola! of his plans to expand his family one day.

"Obviously, I intend and want to form a family," Nadal reportedly said in 2018. "I love children and I would like them to do what they want in life."

Well, it looks like Rafa is getting his wish.

The NBA could be in serious trouble in 16 years ... 'cause Stephen Curry's 3-year-old son is already following in his papa's footsteps and showing off his incredible dribbling skills!!

Steph's wife, Ayesha, posted the clip on Tuesday ... with Canon mimicking Steph's iconic pregame ritual.

"Canon Jack out here stuntin like his daddy 😍😆 @stephencurry30" Ayesha said on Tuesday

Of course, Steph goes through a rigorous pregame warmup before every contest ... which has drawn fans to show up early to check out the spectacle.

Steph has previously talked about giving his son shooting advice but hilariously admitted the toddler isn't too fond of listening to the 3-time champion's help.

It should come as no surprise Canon's got natural talent -- after all, his dad, uncle and gramps all made it to the league.

Dolph Lundgren's daughter, Ida Lundgren, got a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend after he allegedly threatened her family ... TMZ has learned.

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ ... a judge ordered Ida's ex, Jack Eaton-Morris, to stay at least 100 yards away from Ida, Dolph, and other family members.

Ida claims on June 1, 2022, Jack took her phone and her passport to prevent her from leaving a London hotel, and also grabbed her face. She says cops were called, but Jack had fled -- she claims he'd driven off drunk.

And, according to Ida, Jack's flown off the handle like this at least 10 times before ... once even threatening to blow up her mom's car, and another time he threatened to kill himself.

BTW, Ida noted she has now broken things off with Jack, but he refuses to accept it.

Post Malone is officially a father to a little baby girl ... and he's gonna become a husband too!

The "Better Now" rapper shared the big life updates Monday, appearing on Howard Stern's radio show and subtly dropping the news into an answer about what time he woke up to go to the recording studio. We've learned she was born in Los Angeles last month.

TMZ broke the story ... Posty told us last month his girlfriend was pregnant and he was the happiest he's ever been in his life and it was time to take care of his body, family and friends.

Post also clarified to Howard that his girlfriend is now his fiancé. PM has yet to reveal his partner's name publicly ... remember, we're told she's not someone who has spent any time at all in the spotlight, and the couple has been building their relationship, and family, in private.

It didn't take long for Prince Harry to get back on the polo field after his trip to the U.K., but things didn't go so smoothly ... cuz he ended up on the ground.

The Duke of Sussex competed in a match at Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club over the weekend while friends Katharine McPhee and David Foster looked on. PH took a tumble at one point, but apparently, it wasn't so bad, as he chatted up David and Katharine on the sideline just minutes later.

As you know, Harry's trip to the polo field comes shortly after he, Meghan Markle and their children flew to Britain for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Meghan and Harry ended up leaving before the final Jubilee events, but the family divide was pretty evident the whole time.

It's reported Prince William and Kate didn't attend a first birthday party for Harry and Meghan's daughter, Lilibet. Queen Elizabeth got some facetime with her great-granddaughter for the first time, but didn't allow photos of the meeting.

ZZ Top's frontman Billy Gibbons was thrilled when he heard Dusty Hill's estate was going up for sale ... until he learned his family had nothing to do with it.

We got Billy at LAX, and he says he had some cool finds he was hoping to contribute to this weekend's estate sale, but was turned off once he found out there's a random person -- with deep pockets -- behind the event.

Billy tells us an anonymous buyer snatched up Dusty's house after he died last July ... and they went through the place, taking any cool memorabilia they could find and turning it into this weekend's big sale.

He finds the whole thing a major bummer ... he was excited to contribute his personal stuff to the estate of his comrade-in-awesome-beards -- hoping true ZZ Top fans would be interested -- but now he thinks folks should steer clear.

As for what's actually up for sale -- his guess is it's not exactly Rock and Roll Hall of Fame quality items.

Britney Spears' mom is weighing in on her daughter's wedding to Sam Asghari ... even though she didn't score an invitation to the affair.

Lynne Spears is obviously keeping a close eye on Britney's social media, as she left a comment on her Friday IG post about the "fairytale" ceremony. Lynne said, "You look radiant and so happy!"

TMZ broke the story ... when Brit and Sam decided to tie the knot last week at their Thousand Oaks, CA home, Britney's mother, father and sister, Jamie Lynn, were all left off the guest list.

Still, mama Spears gushed in her comment, "Your wedding is the 'Dream' wedding! And having it at your home makes it so sentimental and special!” Lynne added. "I am soooo happy for you! I love you!"

The only family member Britney invited was her brother Bryan, and although we saw him all dressed up with his date hours before the wedding ... he ended up no-showing.

As we've reported, Britney's been on the outs with her parents and sister since her battle to end the conservatorship heated up last year. The singer has threatened to sue all of them -- and her attorney, Mathew Rosengart, is currently trying to get Jamie Spears to sit for a deposition.

With that backdrop, it seems unlikely Britney would be thrilled about her mother's reaction to her wedding. If you're a glass half full person, though, it could be seen as an olive branch.

Even though Ryan Garcia's 3-year-old daughter, Rylie, has boxing in her DNA, the chances of her becoming a pugilist in the future are zero to none ... according to the baby's mother, Catherine Gamez, who tells TMZ Sports the fighter doesn't want it to happen.

"I don't think her dad will let her," Gamez said. "No, no."

Apparently, there's no harm in Rylie watching the sport, though ... Gamez tells us Garcia is allowing the youngster to at least catch his fights in person.

In fact, Gamez -- who split with Garcia following Rylie's birth in 2019 -- said Rylie had ringside seats at her dad's most recent bout in April.

"She attended her first boxing match actually at his last fight in Texas," Gamez said. "We planned it, and she had a lot of fun."

Gamez says Rylie will likely be at her dad's next match too -- when the 22-0 lightweight boxer takes on Javier Fortuna (37-3) on July 16 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Captain John J. Sax, son of Dodgers great Steve Sax, was one of five U.S. Marines killed when their aircraft went down during a training exercise in southern California on Wednesday.

He was 33 years old.

The cause of the accident, which occurred about 150 miles from San Diego, is still under investigation.

John, who served the corp. for over five years and was awarded The National Defense Service Medal, was identified as one of the occupants on board the aircraft at the time of the fatal crash. His father confirmed the tragic news in a statement on Saturday.

"It is with complete devastation that I announce that my precious son, Johnny was one of the five US Marines that perished on Wednesday, June 8, in the Osprey Military crash near San Diego," Steve said to CBSLA-TV.

"For those of you that knew Johnny, you saw his huge smile, bright light, his love for his family, the Marines, the joy of flying airplanes and defending our country! He was my hero and the best man I know, there was no better person to defend our country."

Steve, 62, won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1982 and the Silver Slugger award in 1986.

Sax, who played eight seasons with the Dodgers (he also spent time with the Yankees, White Sox and A's), made five All Star teams. He also won two world championships with Los Angeles ... in 1981 and 1988.

Sax retired in 1994.

Major League Baseball released a statement on the passing of Steve's son ... saying, "Today we remember the lives of John Sax, the son of former All-Star Steve, and four fellow Marines of the Purple Fox family who perished in a tragic aircraft accident."

"With gratitude for their service to our country, we send our deepest condolences to their families and friends."

Stephen Amell's family just got a little bit bigger, because we've learned he and his wife, Cassandra Jean, have welcomed their second child into the world.

Sources tell us Bowen Amell was born in L.A. last month -- this is the second child for Stephen and Cassandra. The couple had their first, daughter Maverick Alexandra Jean Amell, back in 2013.

It seems Bowen was born via surrogate, as Cassandra didn't appear to be pregnant at a music festival in April ... just a month before Bowen came into the world. The whole family also attended an event just days before the baby's birth.

Back when Maverick was born, the "Arrow" star posted a sweet pic with his baby girl watching Mom and Dad's show from a hospital room with the caption, "She came just in time for Amell Wednesdays."

No celebratory shots yet of Bowen, though.