Legal

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro's kidnapping case has taken a turn -- law enforcement sources tell us the L.A. County District Attorney's Office will NOT hit him with a kidnapping charge ... but he's still not out of the woods yet.

TMZ's learned the "Jersey Shore" star's incident with his baby mama, Jen Harley -- where he allegedly dragged her on the ground against her will -- doesn't meet the DA's criteria for kidnapping, even though that's exactly what cops arrested him for. The maximum sentence is 8 years.

We're told the LAPD is strongly pushing for Ronnie to be hit with felony domestic violence instead ... based on the evidence and the alleged injuries to Harley. The max sentence is 4 years.

However, our sources say there's also the possibility Ronnie will only be charged with misdemeanor DV ... which would be an even bigger stroke of good fortune for him. The maximum sentence for this is 1 year in county jail.

We broke the story ... Jen allegedly suffered gnarly bruises and scrapes from the latest fight with Ronnie and there are photos of the injuries, but he denies inflicting them and tells a different story of how she got hurt.

The neighbor's surveillance video does not show any physical harm to Jen, although she's clearly in great fear. Law enforcement tells us she was injured at some point after the event caught on video.

Regardless, LAPD got an emergency protective order against Ronnie based on Jen's claim he said he was going to kill her, so he had to stay 100 yards away from Harley and their daughter, Ariana. That order has now expired.

However, he got some father-daughter time in at Disney World after it expired.

The volatile couple says this time ... they are broken up for good.

Fetty Wap just got hit with a battery charge stemming from his melee with security at a Vegas casino ... and surveillance footage shows the rapper landing some haymakers!!!

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Fetty is charged with one count of misdemeanor battery for striking the security guard in the head.

Ya gotta see the video from outside the Mirage Hotel and Casino where last month's fight went down ... you see Fetty connect with two punches as guards swarm and try to bring him down during a huge scuffle.

We broke the story ... Fetty Wap was busted in September after a fight broke out in the casino parking lot, and Mirage security made a citizen's arrest until Las Vegas Metro PD showed up and took him into custody.

The Game just lost his appeal for a new trial in a civil suit in which he was accused of sexual assault ... so he's still on the hook for more than $7 million in damages.

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the rapper was denied a new trial by a federal appeals court in Illinois.

As we've reported ... Game lost the lawsuit filed by Priscilla Rainey -- a former contestant on his 2015 reality show, "She's Got Game," who accused him of sexual assault -- and an Illinois court ordered him to pay her $7.13 mil.

Rainey claims Game was high on drugs and reached inside her dress, "forcefully reaching his hand inside her dress to rub her bare vagina and buttocks." Game called her "a thirsty Gatorade mascot of a transvestite."

Game appealed the initial ruling, but on Thursday the appeals court affirmed the lower court's ruling, slamming Game for blowing off the trial by not showing up and calling his conduct towards Rainey "deeply reprehensible."

Kanye West's crusade to corner the market for his Sunday Service gear just got shot down by the trademark gods ... of the U.S., anyway.

Ye applied for exclusive ownership of the mark, "Sunday Service," to slap it on clothing, dresses, footwear, headwear, jackets, loungewear, scarves, shirts, socks and tops. But, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office shut him down because, basically ... someone's already working that corner!!!

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, someone else already registered the name -- and therefore Kanye using it would likely cause confusion in the marketplace.

We broke the story ... Kanye applied for the trademark in July. He'd started selling gear even before that, on Easter Sunday, to coincide with his performance at Coachella. He was hawking hoodies for $165 and $225 a pop and socks for $50.

Since then, his Sunday Service events have become a weekly attraction all over the country -- from Wyoming to Queens, NY -- attracting big crowds and celebs.

Michael Strahan's not holding up his end of the child support deal he struck with his ex-wife, and it's going to take him more than half a mil to square up ... at least according to her.

Jean Muggli Strahan claims in legal docs ... the former NFL superstar's on the hook for some big-time equestrian expenses for their twin teenage daughters -- Sophia and Isabella -- along with owing hundreds of thousands in back child support.

Jean says a huge chunk of what Strahan owes her is to cover their daughters' horseback riding bills ... which she claims amount to $450,802 since 2017. According to the docs, Michael agreed to go halfsies with Jean but hasn't paid up ... so she's seeking more than $225k from him.

In docs he filed, Michael says he never agreed to such an arrangement.

On top of that, Jean claims Michael has underpaid child support since 2010 ... because the monthly amount he pays hasn't been adjusted for cost of living. The docs say she wants $321,654 in back support to make it right.

In his filing, Michael admits part of their agreement does call for cost-of-living adjustments -- but adds, the language about how to come up with that number is "vague and indefinite." Translation: We need to agree on a formula to come up with the correct number.

That being said, by Jean's current calculation ... she's looking to get more than $547k.

We broke the story ... the exes were in a Manhattan court last month to face off over their previous settlement.

Michael and Jean married in 1999 but split in 2006, and the judge eventually awarded Jean $15.3 million in their divorce and ordered him to pay $18k/month in child support.

However, that amount was decreased to just under $13k a month in 2009 ... according to the docs.

Jean claims his monthly income is way more now than it was in '09, due to his gigs on "FOX NFL Sunday" and "Good Morning America," among other projects ... so he can afford to increase his child support again. She wants him to pay $18,378 a month going forward.

The estate of Bernie Casey no longer has a legal cloud hanging over its head ... it's settled a lawsuit from a woman alleging he attacked her the week before he died.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the former NFL-star-turned-actor's estate has settled with Cheryl Castillo for a cool $250k. Cheryl had previously claimed she and Bernie were husband and wife but has since filed docs clarifying they were never married and only lived together.

In docs, the estate agrees to pony up the dough once it sells off Bernie's house. The settlement also allows Cheryl to live in the house until it's sold.

TMZ broke the story ... Cheryl sued the "Revenge of the Nerds" star back in June 2018 claiming Bernie violently tackled her to the ground just 1 week before his death in September 2017.

Cheryl alleged she got into an argument with Casey over their cars when he suddenly grabbed her by the arm and tackled her to the ground "as though [she] was a football player."

Casey -- who was U.N. Jefferson, the Tri Lambdas' leader, in 'Nerds' -- was a Pro-Bowl wide receiver for the L.A. Rams in the '60s.

Todd Chrisley tried to intimidate his daughter by accusing her of having an affair with a Georgia tax official, and warned her he had a sex tape of her -- at least that's what Lindsie Chrisley told Dr. Phil.

Lindsie spilled the tea on her dark meeting with her father, in which she says he tried to coerce her cooperation in his state tax case, but instead, ended up scaring her enough she went to cops.

Lindsie tells Dr. Phil she met with Todd thinking he wanted to reconcile, but instead he told her he had dirt -- proof of an affair with someone at the Georgia Dept. of Revenue's Office which was investigating him.

Separate from the Georgia tax man allegation ... Lindsie says her father told her he had nude photos and a sex tape of her -- allegedly purchased by her brother, Chase, for $5,000.

Dr. Phil asked if it was a veiled threat Todd might go to the media about her alleged affair and release the sex tape -- and Lindsie says that's exactly how she took it. She claims Todd wanted her to help him out out of legal woes. Lindsie says she opted to get her lawyer Musa Ghanayem involved and file a police report.

As we reported ... Todd and his wife, Julie, are suing Joshua Waites, the Director of the Georgia Dept. of Revenue's Office of Special Investigation, claiming he pursued a relationship with Lindsie in order to smear him.

In the lawsuit, Todd attached several texts between Waites and Lindsie. In one text, Waites writes, "So. Some stuff happened today. And we have a meeting the first of the year that is super big. And is all about Todd. Like serious. So. I want to know if you would be willing to talk about him or her."

Lindsie denies ever meeting Waites in person, but admits she communicated with him ... but only to protect her son. Todd and Julie recently settled the state tax evasion case, but are still dealing with a federal one.

As for that sex tape ... it became the subject of a federal extortion investigation in August, which is also still pending.

We've reached out to Todd's camp ... so far, no word back.

Joe Giudice is taking full advantage of no longer being held behind bars ... by cutting a rug with his mom and brother in Italy.

Joe's family recently held a celebration for him finally being out of prison, and the good vibes were flowing on the dance floor as everyone gathered around to watch the 3 show off their tarantella moves.

Joe's mom and bro made the trek from New Jersey so they could be there for him when he first arrived after his release from ICE custody last week.

Sources close to Giudice tell TMZ ... he's "doing amazing" staying near Salerno with his extended family -- which includes his grandmother and cousins -- and is talking to Teresa and their kids daily on the phone and via FaceTime.

We're told they will be traveling to visit Joe the first week of November, as well ... and can't wait to be reunited. The trip would have come sooner, but we're told the kids' school schedules delayed it a bit.

The family lawyer, James Leonard, tell us ... "They can’t wait to see each other. They can’t wait to sit down and have dinner as a family for the first time in three and half years. They can’t wait to hug each other for the first time in almost a year and talk and laugh like normal people."

Other than celebrating, we're told Joe's been getting acclimated with his new surroundings and is planning to start the job hunt soon. He's down 55 lbs. from his time in detention thanks to a healthy diet and exercise ... so he's feeling great too.

Oakland Raiders star Trent Brown -- the highest paid lineman in the NFL -- is being sued for allegedly beating the hell out of his girlfriend, who says he's a repeat attacker.

The woman behind the suit is Diorra Marzette-Sanders, who says she has a 9-month-old son with the 26-year-old.

According to her suit, Marzette-Sanders says Brown first got violent with her at a restaurant in 2018 ... slapping her face during a heated argument and leaving her mouth bloody and face bruised. She also claims he left her at the restaurant to find her own way home at 4 AM.

She noted Brown is 6'8" and 350 pounds and extremely strong.

Marzette-Sanders describes a 2019 incident where she told Brown she was going to leave with their son ... and he replied, "I'll shoot yo ass in the f**king head before you walk out the door with my son."

Marzette-Sanders says Brown struck again in March 2019 ... "choking her out until she couldn't breathe" and leaving a "ring of bruises around her neck."

In April 2019, Marzette-Sanders says Brown slapped her in the face and punched her ribs.

She describes another violent incident in June 2019 where an argument over breakfast during physical and he allegedly slapped her in the face.

Marzette-Sanders says she finally called police and filed a report.

In her lawsuit, Marzette-Sanders included pictures of injuries she claims she suffered as a result of the alleged attacks.

In her lawsuit, Marzette-Sanders says Brown would often hold finances over her head -- saying things to her like, "Follow instructions or you won't be homeless."

Marzette-Sanders isn't just suing for assault and battery -- she also claims Brown misled her about his intentions to marry her and start a family.

In other words, Marzette-Sanders claims Brown told her from the beginning that he would take care of her for life ... but he's since kicked her out of their home and cut her off.

She's suing for unspecified damages -- but since Brown is at the beginning of a 4-year $66 million contract with the Raiders, you can assume she's looking for a BIG check.

We reached out to Brown's camp for comment and the Raiders -- so far, no word back.

Milla Jovovich's stuntwoman in the last 'Resident Evil' movie lost her arm while shooting a scene, but the film company says investigators determined she has no one to blame but herself.

Olivia Jackson is suing director Paul W.S. Anderson, the production company and others associated with the 2016 flick, "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter," after getting brutally injured in a motorcycle stunt while filming in South Africa.

In her suit, Jackson says the stunt called for her to ride toward an oncoming vehicle with a camera attached to a mechanical arm. She says the arm was supposed to lift up at the last second, but that didn't happen ... and the equipment ended up slicing her arm and shattering the bone.

Eventually, it had to be amputated, and Jackson says she was in a coma for 2 weeks.

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the production company -- Impact Pictures -- fires back, saying Jackson rehearsed the stunt twice before a final run-through, and she was given every opportunity to speak up if she was uncomfortable with anything. Impact says she did not.

IP also cites a report issued by a South African insurer which says Jackson was riding the motorcycle faster than rehearsal, and she could have avoided the collision with "a mere throttle-off or use of the excellent brakes." The company says it has footage to prove it.

Jackson blamed it on Paul and co. alleging their insurance policy wasn't up to snuff to cover her injuries. She also claims, in docs, the stunt was carelessly planned and last-minute tweaks -- including start times -- made it unsafe.

Lauren London has just gotten a judge's approval to manage her son's finances with an eye toward the 3-year-old inheriting half of his dad's estate ... and he's poised to get a cool mil.

London was in court Tuesday to get a guardianship over 3-year-old son, Kross's estate. It's a little misleading because an estate is created when someone dies, but this case is different. Lauren is the go-to person who will handle the financials that could set Kross up for life.

It's worth noting, there was never a dispute between Lauren and Nipsey's family when it came to Kross.

A bizarre ending in the Jon Jones strip club vagina slap case -- the UFC star pled no contest to disorderly conduct ... but officials say they couldn't prove Jon actually did what he's accused of doing!!!

Remember, a waitress at TD's Eubank Showclub in Albuquerque told cops Jones had slapped her in the vagina during a wild April 19th night out with his NFL star brother, Chandler Jones.

The woman claimed Jon came up from behind her that night and put her in a "tight rear-naked choke hold" and then lifted her up in the air in what felt like a "wrestling match."

Once he put her down, the woman claims Jon slapped her right in the genitals.

Jones was initially charged with misdemeanor battery -- though he ADAMANTLY denied all wrongdoing and pled not guilty at the time.

Cops investigated the allegations and interviewed "numerous independent witnesses" -- but NOBODY could corroborate the woman's allegations.

In fact, cops say they tried to work with the accuser -- but she stopped cooperating with law enforcement during the investigation.

Ultimately, the Bernalillo County DA's office tells TMZ Sports, "There was not enough evidence to proceed with the petty misdemeanor charge of battery under New Mexico state law."

Mama June's crack cocaine possession case in Alabama is finally moving along ... she and her boyfriend, Geno Doak, both pled not guilty.

The couple wasn't present at the Macon County Courthouse Tuesday morning for their arraignment, but their lawyer entered a not guilty plea for them ... according to the D.A.'s office. They're both facing charges of felony drug possession.

Once again, the We TV production crew was on-site hoping to catch June and film her ... but came up empty.

We broke the story ... June and Geno made a loud entrance to face the judge last month, with Geno yelling out a homophobic slur as soon as he got out of their SUV and telling our photog to "f**k off."

Their plea hearing was postponed, but Geno declared "Not guilty!" anyway as they left. June was quiet and covered up under a hood while entering and exiting the courthouse, even refusing to talk to her sister ... who's been trying to get her help, to no avail.

Jeremy Renner claims his ex has aimed to humiliate him by sending his nudes to their custody evaluator ... and her obsession with sex makes him question whether she's fit to parent their 6-year-old daughter.

According to new legal docs ... the 'Avengers' star and Sonni Pacheco exchanged nude photos while they were married, but he says over the course of their custody battle she submitted uncensored pics of his genitals to their lawyers and the evaluator "for no other purpose than to cause me extreme embarrassment."

Renner claims Pacheco failed to mention to the evaluator she sent nudes to him first and requested that he return the favor. He says she conveniently failed to send her nudes to the evaluator. He also says she threatened to sell the pics of him to the media.

The docs allege Sonni is obsessed with Jeremy's sex life and the sex lives of those in his orbit, including one of his nannies. The actor claims she tracked down racy internet photos of the nanny and sent those to the evaluator and his lawyers.

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro is making the most of the time he has left before his baby mama gets extended protection for her and their daughter -- and not a second too soon either.

The "Jersey Shore" star is at Disney World in Orlando right now, where he's riding rides with his 1-year-old, Ariana, and cheesing for the camera with her. Ronnie posted a video of him and Ariana riding Dumbo together ... and she looked happy to be out with dad.

The timing is nothing short of perfect. Up until now, Ronnie wasn't permitted to go near Jen Harley -- who's been caring for Ariana lately following Ronnie's arrest -- due to an emergency protective order cops issued ... which just expired Friday.

In other words ... no harm, no foul here. Ronnie's not in violation of anything by being with Ariana. However, we were told he'd steer clear of the family pending his arraignment.

Joe Giudice just had a bittersweet taste of freedom .... he's out of prison, but also he's been forced out of the United States.

Joe's daughter, Gia, just posted this pic of Joe on his way to the airport outside Washington, D.C., where he boarded a plane Friday at Dulles, bound for Rome.

The pic shows Joe in the car on the way to the airport.

As we reported, Joe convinced a judge to let him go to Italy while immigration officials decide his fate. The feds are in the middle of their effort to deport Joe ... this after his conviction for conspiracy to commit wire and bankruptcy fraud.

Joe served 36 months and was released in March, but he was then held by ICE while he fought deportation.