Legal

R. Kelly's former tour manager, Demetrius Smith, will testify on the singer's marriage to Aaliyah in one of his federal trials ... but he doesn't want to see Kelly thrown in prison.

Demetrius claims he purchased a fake ID for Aaliyah back in 1994, when she was only 15, so she would be able to marry Kelly ... but he tells us he doesn't want that to be the reason Kelly gets convicted.

As we first reported ... prosecutors say the fake ID purchase constitutes bribery, and they've added the allegation to the racketeering charge against Kelly in the Eastern District of New York.

The way Demetrius sees it, Aaliyah's parents have known about the allegation for over a decade -- Smith wrote about it in his book and spoke out about it in "Surviving R. Kelly" -- and they made their peace with it and moved on ... so he wants others to do the same.

Demetrius also says he hates to see Aaliyah's name getting dragged into Kelly's case all these years after her tragic death ... and he thinks prosecutors are just trying to lock Kelly up without looking at the bigger picture.

Instead of a prison sentence, Demetrius thinks Kelly needs to get mental help.

A teenager in Texas got busted for carving his name into his girlfriend's head -- this after he allegedly beat her to a pulp.

The alleged scumbag is 19-year-old Jackub Hildreth, who was arrested and booked in San Antonio this weekend for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon ... having allegedly attacked his 22-year-old girlfriend on Thursday at an apartment complex in the area.

The alleged victim spoke with KSAT about the incident ... telling the outlet she thought she was going to die in the moment. According to the arrest affidavit, she reportedly told cops Hildreth held her by the neck and punched her 10 times after an argument escalated.

After that, she claims he used a knife to etch his name across her forehead ... and then fled the scene. We won't ID the woman, but it appears Hildreth has her name tattooed across his own face ... plus other scribblings. Kinda David McCall-esque, if you've seen "Fear."

BTW, the guy has a lengthy rap sheet in Bexar County too -- with warrants for past domestic violence charges and at least one other weapons charge. He's in jail on $75,000 bond.

The California inmate accused of stabbing Sirhan Sirhan in prison has been hit with an attempted murder charge, but if he's convicted he won't lose any sleep over it.

We broke the story ... Robert F. Kennedy's assassin was attacked at California's Richard. J. Donovan Correctional Facility in August by an inmate, and his injuries were so bad he was removed from the state prison for treatment.

Sirhan claimed the assault was random, and the suspect came from behind and slashed him with a blade across the left side of his neck, right below his ear.

According to new docs, the attacker is -- just like Sirhan -- a lifer named Steven Maurice Miko.

Miko's already gonna be locked up for the next 4 centuries for a crime spree in 2000. Now his rap sheet will include 2 more charges ... attempted murder and assault by a prisoner serving a life sentence.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors say Miko tried to kill Sirhan by inflicting great bodily harm on him. If Miko's convicted he's facing ... well, it doesn't really matter what he'd face. He's only 17 years into his 432-year sentence.

As we told you ... Sirhan recovered from the stabbing and was placed back in the prison. He was convicted in the fatal shooting of RFK in 1968 during a campaign rally in L.A. He was initially sentenced to death, but that was later commuted to life in prison.

Kim K is doing exactly what she needs to in the collective fight for criminal justice reform -- no more, and no less ... so says the famed defense attorney who inspired 'Just Mercy.'

We ran into Bryan Stevenson Saturday in NYC, where he was doing press for the new flick about his real-life role in exonerating Alabama death row inmate Walter McMillian in the '90s. Michael B. Jordan plays him in the upcoming feature, opposite Jamie Foxx.

Seeing how he's a lifelong crusader for the cause, our photog asked what he made of Kim's efforts to help put a spotlight on prisoners she feels have been railroaded by the system ... including death row inmate Rodney Reed, who was recently granted a stay of execution.

You'll recall ... Kim was with Rodney when he heard the news, and according to her -- he praised Jesus in the moment. She and plenty of others had pled with Gov. Abbott to halt Rodney's execution and consider revisiting his case in light of new evidence.

As far as Bryan's concerned, Kim's doing a good thing by using her platform to bring attention to these cases ... but he stops short of saying she's a glorified savior of any kind.

If anything, it sounds like he's downplaying how she'll be remembered -- and based on his careful answer, he doesn't seem to believe her work is on his level ... not yet, anyway.

One of R. Kelly's longtime live-in girlfriends has had enough of the circus surrounding his myriad of federal and state legal battles ... so she's moved out of his Trump Tower condo.

Sources close to Azriel Clary tell us she recently got her own place in Chicago and is no longer living with Joycelyn Savage. We're told Azriel wanted to distance herself from the ongoing Kelly saga -- including Joycelyn's fake Patreon page -- and focus on her life.

Our sources say Azriel does still support R. Kelly ... but being in the condo with Joycelyn and being immersed in the drama at all times became too much. We're told Azriel is making money to support herself through a TV project and modeling gigs.

Azriel's main focus is now on her singing career, something she put a lot of effort into before meeting R. Kelly. She has plans to document her daily life, showcase her singing and start acting.

Azriel's father, Angelo, told us back in July he would do anything to get his daughter out of Trump Tower ... including pay for her own apartment. The move certainly seems to be one in the direction of reuniting with her family.

It was just this week when TMZ obtained a video of R. Kelly's other girlfriend, Joycelyn Savage, making a statement in full support of the singer. Savage claimed she wasn't the one behind the pay account that claimed to have info on Kelly ... and that she and Azriel still fully supported him.

Elon Musk just won his trial against the British diver in the Thailand cave rescue he infamously labeled a "pedo" -- a jury just decided Elon did not defame Vernon Unsworth.

The jury wasn't convinced Elon went too far with his tweet after Unsworth helped rescue the 12 boys trapped in a cave with their soccer coach back in 2018. It didn't take 'em long to reach their verdict Friday in federal court in L.A. -- a mere 50 minutes of deliberation.

Elon even took the stand this week to testify ... and while on the stand he apologized to Unsworth and said he didn't actually believe the guy was a pedophile.

As we reported, Unsworth sued Elon for defamation after the Tesla and SpaceX CEO called him a "pedo guy" while they were beefing on social media.

Unsworth ripped Elon's efforts to build a mini-submarine to help with the rescue ... calling it a "PR stunt" with "absolutely no chance of working" and telling Elon to "stick his submarine where it hurts."

Elon lashed back at Unsworth on Twitter, saying, "Sorry pedo guy, you really did ask for it."

Harvey Weinstein can't run from the law ... in fact, he can barely walk on his own.

Weinstein struggled to walk out of a New York City courtroom Friday after his bail hearing, needing assistance to make it down some steps and into his waiting SUV.

Weinstein's defense attorney, Donna Rotunno, tells TMZ ... Harvey's having health issues, including a back problem that's only getting worse. We're told Weinstein's seeing a doctor for treatment on his back, and he's in A LOT of pain.

As you know ... Weinstein is scheduled to go to trial in January after pleading not guilty to charges he raped a woman in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and performed a forcible sex act on another woman in 2006.

Despite his physical weakness, we're told Weinstein remains mentally strong and is ready to defend himself at trial.

Johnny Football could become Johnny Spousal Support ... at least, that's what his estranged wife Bre Tiesi is going for.

TMZ Sports has obtained Bre's divorce petition in which she specifically asks the judge to award her spousal support ... despite separating after only a year.

379 days to be exact.

In the docs, Bre says they got married on March 10, 2018, and she lists the date of separation as March 24, 2019 ... which is interesting.

We've learned ... Bre was in Bali on a girls' trip with friends on the date of the split -- and Bre has publicly accused Manziel of "breaking vows."

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what she's implying ... that he cheated on her while she was away. In the docs, she cites "irreconcilable differences."

So, let's get down to the money ...

Obviously, Bre doesn't have a claim to any of the NFL cash Manziel made BEFORE they were married ... but she could be entitled to the money he made during their union.

Remember, Johnny played in the Canadian Football League after he tied the knot -- from May 2018 until he was cut and banned from the league in Feb. 2019.

Unclear how much cash Manziel made in the CFL, but that could factor in to a potential settlement and possibly into a spousal support deal.

Tiesi will likely argue she became accustomed to a lavish lifestyle -- and she believes Manziel should fork over money so she can continue to live that way.

Will a judge agree? Maybe, maybe not ... but this could get very interesting.

Oh, and Bre also wants Johnny to pay her attorney's fees.

Stay tuned ...

R. Kelly's now facing a new allegation in one of his federal cases, and it involves his 1994 marriage to Aaliyah.

According to federal docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors say around Aug. 30, 1994 ... Kelly and others paid money to a public official for "the creation of a fraudulent identification document for Jane Doe #1." The significant part of the allegation is the date.

One of R. Kelly's former tour manager's, Demetrius Smith, spoke out in "Surviving R. Kelly" and said he purchased a fake ID for Aaliyah, who was 15 at the time, so she would be able to marry Kelly.

Smith says they got a marriage license, which listed her age as 18, and they did indeed get married. It's been widely reported the wedding took place on Aug. 31.

According to prosecutors, that fake ID purchase constitutes bribery, and that allegation's been added to the racketeering charge against him in the Eastern District of New York.

Kelly's lawyer, Steven Greenberg, tells TMZ they will review the indictment, but "at first look it does not appear to materially alter the landscape." And, Kelly's other attorney, Doug Anton, claims "the charge is ridiculous and it smacks of the same desperation as the entire case."

Former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal insists she did not extort Donald Trump ... as Fox News host Tucker Carlson repeatedly claimed, so now she's suing the network.

You'll recall, McDougal went public last year claiming she and Trump had a 10-month affair, beginning in June 2006. Carlson covered the alleged affair on Dec. 10, 2018 ... and according to the suit said, McDougal "approached Donald Trump and threatened to ruin his career and humiliate his family if he doesn't give [her] money."

She says Carlson continued, "Now that sounds like a classic case of extortion."

McDougal, 1998's Playmate of the Year, says Carlson repeatedly mentioned the "extortion" as "undisputed fact" during the broadcast, but she says that's completely false. In the suit, she says she never threatened Trump over his career or his family -- and no one involved in the payments Trump allegedly made to McDougal ever accused her of trying to extort Trump.

According to the docs, she never had any communication with Trump about money -- instead, she claims it was Trump's confidante and former National Enquirer honcho, David Pecker, who negotiated with her lawyers in the summer and fall of 2016.

She says AMI ultimately paid her $150k in exchange for her life story. She also claims former Trump attorney Michael Cohen and Pecker admitted the reason they were paying her was to "suppress McDougal's story" so it wouldn't derail Trump's campaign.

McDougal is suing Fox News Network for defamation and unspecified damages.

Kaskade's no longer dropping beats at Las Vegas' club Kaos ... he's just dropping lawsuits on them for, in his eyes, screwing him out of a 2-year deal.

The world-famous DJ is suing FP Holdings, the company behind the Palms Casino Resort ... where Kaskade was hired to spin at Kaos -- a massive indoor/outdoor dayclub and nightclub. Problem is, Kaos closed almost as quickly as it opened.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Kaskade signed a 2-year deal with the casino to perform 30 gigs in 2019, and 30 more in 2020. He did 20 this year, through September, but then the company canceled Kaskade's 3 October performances ... and apparently never mentioned anything about closing. However, it did pay him for those 3 shows.

Kaskade says he offered the club alternate dates when he could make up those dates -- but on Nov. 5 the casino announced Kaos was closing its doors for good. He asked the casino for alternative locations to perform, but says he didn't get a response.

As they say, Kaskade ain't got no time for sympathy -- just because the club closed, he says he's still got a deal, and he's suing to get the money he's owed under that contract.

The woman who accused Luke Walton of sexually assaulting her in a hotel room in 2017 has officially dropped her lawsuit against the NBA coach, TMZ Sports has learned.

Kelli Tennant -- a former sports reporter -- had sued Walton claiming he forced himself on her in a Santa Monica hotel room while he was an asst. coach with the Golden State Warriors.

In her lawsuit, Tennant claimed Walton forced kisses on her neck, face and chest -- and despite telling to stop, he held her down, groped her breasts and groin, and rubbed his erection on her leg.

Tennant claimed she was "in shock and fear. She was afraid she was about to be raped," the suit states.

Walton, who now coaches the Sacramento Kings, had adamantly denied wrongdoing -- claiming Tennant, was the person who initiated their meet-up, insists it was "platonic" and nothing sexual ever occurred.

Now, Tennant has filed new court docs calling off the suit -- asking a judge to dismiss with prejudice, which means she can't refile it.

Unclear if Walton and Tennant struck a settlement -- but it's not uncommon in situations like this.

We reached out to Tennant's attorney for comment, so far, no word back.

The NBA also investigated the allegations -- but decided NOT to punish Walton and noted Tennant did not cooperate with their probe.

After she filed the lawsuit, Tennant held a press conference -- and said she did not go to law enforcement because she feared it would jeopardize her career.

We asked if there was any video or photo evidence to help prove Tennant's case, and her attorney essentially told us no.

Tekashi 6ix9ine deserves a much lighter prison sentence due to his cooperation -- AKA snitching -- according to federal prosecutors who are officially asking the judge for leniency.

In legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... the U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York lays out the reasons for a reduced sentence for the rapper. They say his assistance was "incredibly significant and extremely useful" in prosecuting and convicting 2 members of the Nine Trey Bloods.

Even the feds acknowledge Tekashi's testimony in open court put a target on his back and endangered his family. In the docs, prosecutors say, "There's no question that the defendant's life will never be the same because of his cooperation in this case." They add he and his family will need "extra safety precautions" at all times to avoid a revenge attack.

The feds say 6ix9ine walked them through his social media posts to provide context for the criminal actions of the gang -- which they say the defendants, Anthony "Harv" Ellison and Aljermiah Mack, claimed was all a hoax to promote Tekashi's music. They say his testimony convinced the jury otherwise.

As we reported ... Tekashi copped a plea deal after pleading guilty to racketeering, firearms offenses, conspiracy, narcotics trafficking and other crimes. 6ix9ine agreed to be a cooperating witness, and without that would be facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 47 years in prison.

Jason Mraz won't hesitate no more ... to go after the brewing giant he says used one of his hit songs without permission.

The singer-songwriter's got a major legal battle on tap for MillerCoors -- he's sued 'em for a Coors Light advertisement he spotted on Instagram. According to Jason's lawsuit, the ad contains an unauthorized clip of him performing "I'm Yours" live.

In the suit, obtained by TMZ, Mraz says the clip was from his performance at the BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, CA back in May -- and 13 seconds of footage were included in the summer-themed ad.

Mraz points out the spot also features his image along with the Coors Light logo and a can of the beer prominently displayed. He says he gave MillerCoors a heads up it was committing copyright infringement, but it failed to seek his permission and has "never acknowledged the wrongfulness of the use."

It's unclear if MillerCoors is holding out for Jason to look into his heart and find love for their ad ... we've contacted the company to find out.

For now, Mraz wants the Coors Light ad killed and he's suing for damages.

George Zimmerman is going after Trayvon Martin's family, claiming they defamed him and created a conspiracy in an attempt to convict him of murder.

Zimmerman's suing Trayvon's parents, along with prosecutors and a book publisher, for $100 million in damages. In the suit, he alleges false evidence was used against him during his trial and cites a documentary that accuses the Martin family of engineering a phony testimony.

As you'll recall, Trayvon was visiting his father in Sanford, Florida on Feb. 26, 2012, and was returning from a store with candy when he was killed by Zimmerman, who had reported him to cops as suspicious.

According to the docs, Zimmerman claims the Martin family and prosecutors lied about the true identity of the woman Trayvon was talking to on the phone at the time of the shooting, In his suit, Zimmerman alleges they presented Rachel Jeantel as the witness during the trial, but he claims it was actually Brittany Diamond Eugene on the phone.

Of course, Zimmerman was eventually found not guilty in 2013 of second-degree murder in the 17-year-old's fatal shooting. Still, he's suing for defamation and conspiracy. He's also suing the state of Florida for malicious prosecution.

The shooting of Trayvon remains a lightning rod, as Zimmerman has maintained he was attacked by Martin and was defending himself ... but police, prosecutors and much of the general public viewed it as an unjustified killing of a kid in a hoodie.

Zimmerman's named Harper Collins and author, Ben Crump, as defendants due to their recent release of "Open Season: Legalized Genocide of Colored People."

Chris Brown is now banned from monkey business -- like, real monkeys -- for the next 6 months ... after making a deal with the D.A. in his illegal pet case.

Chris' attorney was in court Wednesday morning, as the judge placed him into a diversion program for the case of the Capuchin monkey he bought back in 2017.

The terms prohibit Chris from buying any monkeys until June 6, 2020. He also has to pay $35,000 to the monkey retreat facility where his old monkey is now living. If he sticks with the program, all charges will be dropped after June 6. The judge also left it up to the monkey retreat to decide if Chris can have visitation with his ex-pet.

TMZ broke the story ... CB claimed he didn't own the monkey, Fiji. The L.A. City Attorney had charged him with 2 counts of having a restricted species without a permit.

Brown was adamant the video showing Royalty playing with the monkey was NOT taken at his L.A. home. He claimed the video was actually shot in Vegas, where the monkey lived with a relative who was the real owner.

As we reported ... Chris took major heat for posting the video of his then-3-year-old daughter playing with the exotic pet. People were freaking out that she was in danger because the monkey's a wild animal. Chris told everyone to take a chill pill.