Legal

Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, have gone on the offensive in the College Admissions scandal, claiming prosecutors are intentionally hiding evidence that proves the famous couple didn't intend to secretly bribe anyone.

Lori and Mossimo's lawyers claim in new legal docs ... their clients made "legitimate donations" ... "At trial, Giannulli and Loughlin will help establish their innocence by showing that they understood both sets of payments to be legitimate donations and did not understand or intent that either set of payments would be used to directly or indirectly bribe Heinel [former USC senior associate athletic director]."

The lawyers want to get info on whether USC knew of Rick Singer's activities with various parents and students. If there's evidence USC knew ... Lori and Mossimo will clearly argue this was not bribery ... that payments had become institutionalized.

Tekashi 6ix9ine's loved ones are going to bat for him, trying to convince the judge he's more than just a great snitch, but also a misunderstood, kindhearted and charitable kid ... worthy a much shorter prison sentence.

The rapper's mother, brother, girlfriend and bodyguard -- along with nearly 30 other people -- submitted letters to Judge Paul Engelmayer asking for leniency in his sentencing next week. In her letter -- obtained by TMZ -- Mama 6ix9ine, Natividad Perez-Hernandez, says her boy is humble and a good person, and not the guy he's portrayed to be in the media.

Natividad describes Tekashi -- sorry, Daniel Hernandez -- a sweet, God-fearing boy, and even says his fave Bible passage is Psalm 121 ("The Lord will keep you from all harm"). She also says he was a very athletic kid, so much so ... a baseball scout wanted to sign him!

Mom added, "Danny" provides for his entire family -- including her, his brother and his daughter. She calls locking him up as an "injustice" because the whole family needs him for financial and emotional support ... especially 6-year-old Saraiyah who "adores him."

Harvey Weinstein has gone under the knife in hopes of alleviating his severe back pain and is now recovering.

The disgraced studio mogul underwent what's called bilateral laminectomy surgery Thursday at an NYC hospital. We're told the procedure lasted around 3 hours. The surgery -- better known as decompression surgery -- enlarges the spinal canal to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves.

As we reported ... Weinstein could barely walk on his own when he headed to court last week. He needed help from 2 handlers. He's also needed assistance from a walker. You'll recall Weinstein's lead attorney said earlier this week HW would undergo surgery while also slamming haters who accused Weinstein of attempting to play the sympathy card.

Antonio Brown is gearing up for round 2 in his crazy condo trashing legal battle -- he's due in court for ANOTHER deposition -- and this time, he's leveling up his fashion game.

Just minutes before the deposition was scheduled to begin in Florida, Brown was showing off his expensive Gucci short suit at his home ... while wearing a super flossy gold chain.

The point ... Brown is trying to show he's cool, calm and collected for the deposition -- unlike the FIRST time when the opposition claims he acted like a "belligerent" lunatic.

As we previously reported, Brown is accused of going berserk at his luxury condo, causing thousands of dollars in damage, but never paying the bill.

The first deposition -- back in Sept. -- went so poorly, that a judge ordered Brown to appear at a Miami area courtroom for a do-over ... which should have started by the time this post is published.

So, how badly did things go the first time? Here are some snippets from court docs filed by the opposing attorney ...

"Antonio Brown was extremely noncompliant and flagrantly disorderly, to the point that he frustrated the totality of the proceeding."

And, there's more .... the attorney claims Brown's deposition was filled with "tumultuous tirades, defiant rants, use of profane language and refusal to comport himself in a civilized and grown-up manner."

"Once the deposition started, almost immediately, [Brown] was belligerent and pugnacious, refusing to answer the most routine of questions."

We'll see if he does better this time around. At least he looks good.

Elizabeth Smart's parents are putting 34 years of marriage in the rearview mirror ... 'cause they're officially divorced.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Ed and Lois finalized their divorce in Salt Lake County Court. The terms of the divorce -- the division of their property and financial accounts -- are not disclosed in the settlement.

As we reported, Ed revealed back in August that he's gay -- and also announced he and Lois were in the process of getting divorced. They hammered out the settlement pretty quickly -- by Hollywood standards, anyway -- and the judge has already signed off.

At the time, Ed said he would no longer live a lie and insinuated he contemplated suicide while he kept his secret. Ed spoke out publicly Monday for the first time and talked about being gay, telling Gayle King on "CBS This Morning" ... "There is no cure. This is absolutely not a choice. And, I wish my wife knew that. I wish that, more than anything."

Glen "Big Baby" Davis just pled no contest to felony battery stemming from an April 2018 incident at a West Hollywood nightclub -- but he ain't going to jail, TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story ... the former Boston Celtics player was accused of beating the hell out of a man outside Factory nightclub -- causing major injuries.

In fact, the victim was hospitalized for fractures in his face and ribs as well as a broken tooth.

Sources told us ... it all started when Davis almost hit the man with his car -- when the man confronted the NBA player, Davis allegedly picked him up and slammed him on the concrete.

Davis was initially charged with felony assault with intent to cause great bodily injury and faced up to 7 years in prison -- but Wednesday, he cut a deal with prosecutors that will likely keep him out of the big house.

We're told Davis agreed to plea no contest to felony battery -- and in exchange, the assault charge was dropped.

As part of the deal, Davis must complete 320 hours of community labor by the end of 2020 and must pay $104k in restitution to the victim.

If Davis completes those terms, he'll be formally sentenced -- and the judge will decide if he'll get probation. The battery charge will also be reduced to a misdemeanor.

Disney's got trust issues ... it's being sued for straight-up jacking a battle cry that a breast cancer awareness company says has been theirs for more than a decade.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ...  Trust Your Journey -- a Nevada-based company formed as a result of a personal fight and victory over breast cancer -- is suing the Mouse House claiming the company's illegally slapping its slogan, "Trust Your Journey," on "Frozen 2" merch.

If you've seen the movie, you know that's basically Anna and Elsa's theme. But, in the suit, Trust Your Journey says Disney's slapped the slogan on t-shirts, posters, jewelry and tons of other stuff ... despite its trademark on the phrase.

The female reporter who had her butt slapped by a man live on-air while she was covering a River Bridge Run in Georgia on Saturday is pursuing sexual battery charges ... TMZ Sports has learned.

According to a police report obtained by TMZ Sports, WSAV's Alex Bozarjian was reporting from the River Bridge Run in Savannah, Georgia when a runner named Tommy Callaway "approached from behind her and smacked her on the buttocks."

Bozarjian describes the incident as a "smack and grab" -- "advising that he also grabbed her buttocks in the same motion."

Bozarjian says she felt a "sharp sting" and it caused her to pause during the live broadcast -- which you can see in the video.

The 23-year-old -- who was later outraged by the actions, calling them on social media "violating" and "embarrassing" -- says Callaway reached out to her station a few hours later to try to apologize ... and offered to come to the station to do it in person.

Bozarjian says she has not spoken to Callaway -- but the phone calls and messages were relayed to her.

For his part, 43-year-old Callaway has lawyered up -- and his attorney issued this statement.

"While we regret the situation, Mr. Callaway did not act with any criminal intentions."

Andy Dick was sentenced to 14 days in jail for his sexual battery case, but is already out after only serving one night behind bars.

Dick was hit with 2 misdemeanor charges for the incident -- one for sexual battery and one for simple battery. A judge ordered him to complete community service, which he failed to complete, so he got the 14 days in L.A. County Jail.

Lucky for Andy, he only had to serve one night -- checking in on December 6 and out on the 7. He caught the break due to jail overcrowding.

We broke the story ... the troubled comedian was charged after a woman filed a police report claiming he squeezed her butt twice as he walked past her on a sidewalk in April 2018.

As we've reported ... this isn't the only recent legal problem for Andy. He pled not guilty to one count of misdemeanor sexual battery for allegedly groping his Uber driver, also in April 2018. The male driver claimed Dick reached over from the back seat and grabbed his crotch.

Andy was involved in a bizarre street fight with an Uber Eats driver in October as well, which resulted in him being slammed to the ground and his head hitting the pavement. However, because he allegedly started the altercation by trying to take some food from the delivery guy ... he was named a suspect in a battery investigation.

Juice WRLD's movements had been under the microscope of federal agents since at least last month ... and TMZ has learned it started with another private jet search.

Juice's initial run-in with the feds went down on November 18 at LAX ... according to our law enforcement sources. The rapper and his entourage were boarding their flight bound for Sydney, Australia, when Customs Agents conducted the search.

We're told drug-sniffing dogs were all over Juice and co. and their luggage. It's unclear if agents found anything -- we do know the plane was eventually allowed to take off with Juice on board.

TMZ broke the story ... Homeland Security agents, operating under an FBI task force, searched Juice WRLD's private jet early Sunday morning when it landed at Chicago's Midway Airport.

As we reported, cops confiscated 70 lbs. of marijuana and 3 handguns after searching the plane. We're told Juice suffered his seizure -- which turned out to be fatal -- as agents were conducting their search. Our sources say someone in his entourage told cops he had taken several "unknown pills."

As for why the feds were so keyed in to his late-night flight to Chi-Town? It's possible it had something to do with the intel they'd gathered during the LAX search. Additionally, we're told the pilot had reported Juice's bodyguards for having handguns -- a no-no if they're not packed properly, or if the bodyguard doesn't have a permit.

We've reached out to the FBI for more detail on last month's search, but so far ... radio silence.

Bill Cosby's effort to get his sexual assault conviction overturned has been denied ... because the appellate court wasn't buying what he tried to sell.

According to new legal docs ... Cosby's claims about unfair testimony in the Andrea Constand case were ruled invalid. Cosby felt the testimony from 5 other women was bogus because their allegations were more than 15 years old, and too different from Constand's allegations.

The appellate court ruled the testimony from the women was warranted because it established Cosby's "unique sexual assault playbook" ... and spells out exactly what it was.

According to the docs ... Cosby would target women substantially younger than him, invite them to hang out, get them to trust him because of his celebrity status, ply them with intoxicants and then sexually assault them while they were not fully conscious.

The appellate court ruled the trial court in Cosby's case did nothing wrong, and the testimony established the disgraced comedian's predictable pattern of behavior.

The court also rejected additional arguments by Cosby, including his long-held stance that he had a deal with the D.A. not to prosecute him.

As we've reported ... 82-year-old Cosby was sentenced to 3 to 10 years for sexually assaulting Constand at his home his 2004.

Cuba Gooding Jr.'s facing a slew of accusations from 7 more women, ranging from forcible kissing and touching to comments about urinating on him ... according to new legal docs.

The new allegations bring the total number of women who have come forward to accuse the actor of sexual misconduct to 22.

According to docs ... one woman claims Gooding began to kiss her without consent while they were hanging out at Sundance Music Festival in January 2009. She says she pushed him away and reminded him he's married, but he touched her butt and forced his hand on her crotch area, "placing his fingers on her anus" and ripped her tights.

The woman claims he only stopped because she bit his cheek and took off.

Another woman alleges he groped her in Atlanta in 2011 and when she confronted him, he replied ... "I know you want to be an actress; I can ruin you."

And, there's yet another incident in which Cuba allegedly demanded a woman pee on him -- this time in Malibu in 2018, according to the docs. He allegedly told a woman, "You're going to sit on my face, pee in my mouth and pee all over me." She claims these pee comments happened on 3 separate occasions at the same bar over the course of 2 years.

As we reported, Cuba's been accused of this before ... another woman previously claimed he told her in February 2011 to "Sit on my face, pee in my mouth."

The new allegations are part of Gooding Jr.'s current case in Manhattan, in which he's been indicted on criminal charges stemming from 3 separate alleged incidents in NYC. He's not charged for any of the claims by the 7 new accusers ... but prosecutors want to use them to strengthen their case against the actor.

As we've reported ... Cuba wants the indictment tossed.

Gooding’s lawyer, Mark Heller, says his client “has and does deny all allegations of criminal conduct.” He says ... “Unfortunately, people come out of the woodwork, making false allegations against Cuba, as often times happens when a celebrity is accused by the District Attorney’s Office in a Public Forum."

Justin Hartley's estranged wife thinks the almighty dollar destroyed her marriage.

Sources connected with Chrishell Stause tell TMZ, the "Selling Sunset" star is privately calling BS on the date of separation Justin listed in his divorce filing. TMZ broke the story ... Justin claims in his docs he and Chrishell separated July 8, 2019. By contrast, she says they were together right up until the day he filed ... November 22, 2019.

We know the 2 were seen out in public together multiple times between July and November, so the early separation date is puzzling. We're told Chrishell doesn't think it's all that puzzling ... that the tea leaves point to some sort of deal Justin may have and she believes he just doesn't want her to get a piece.

As we reported, both Justin and Chrishell acknowledge they were having problems, but she says they never called it quits until she learned from TMZ he filed to end the marriage.

And, as we reported, Chrishell's lawyer, Samantha Spector, is asking Justin to pay her client spousal support ... something he made clear he does not want to pay.

Juice WRLD might've made a fatal decision as law enforcement searched his private jet -- swallowing a bunch of painkillers in an attempt to hide them from the feds.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the pilot who was flying Juice's private plane alerted authorities on the ground that the rapper's entourage had guns on them -- a big no-no in air travel. When they landed, FBI and FAA agents were waiting for Juice and company.

We're told at some point between the plane landing and the feds conducting their search ... Juice was seen swallowing several Percocet pills in what people believed was an attempt to hide them. Our sources say the pills might've contributed to his death in a possible OD.

An autopsy was performed on the rapper Monday, but additional testing, including toxicology, cardiac pathology and neuropathology is still needed before determining an official cause.

The relationship between Chris Cornell's widow and his former band is in black days, to say the least ... because she's suing over money and the rights to 7 unreleased recordings.

Vicky Cornell filed legal docs, claiming the remaining members of Soundgarden are withholding hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalties owed to her and Chris' minor children.

She calls the move an "unlawful attempt to strong-arm Chris' Estate into turning over certain audio recordings created by Chris before he passed away."

The rights to those recordings -- some of Chris' final ones -- are the crux of the dispute between Vicky and the band. According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, she says the 7 tracks were "solely authored by Chris; contain Chris' own vocal tracks; and were bequeathed to Chris' Estate" for the benefit of her and their kids.

Vicky claims she's offered to share the recordings with Soundgarden, so they can be released in a way that respects Chris' wishes -- including having his producer involved -- but she says the band refused.

She also accuses lead guitarist Kim Thayil of putting her family in harm's way by suggesting she's the main obstacle to Soundgarden putting out another album.

In the docs, filed by powerhouse attorneys Marty Singer and James Sammataro, Vicky says those comments are intentionally misleading to Soundgarden's "loyal, rabid fan base" ... and she believes Thayil knows Chris worked on the music solo.

However, Soundgarden is claiming Chris and the other members had been "working on the files in a collaborative effort." In a letter to Vicky, they say ... "The entire band was feeling very positive about their rekindled artistic energy and creativity" before Cornell died.

It also lists various members as co-songwriters along with Chris on 5 of the 7 disputed recordings.

Vicky's not buying it, and wants the judge to declare Chris' estate the sole owner of the unreleased tracks ... and force the band to fork over the alleged unpaid royalties.

NBA legend Paul Pierce has been ordered to write a $100,000 check to a security guard he called "racist" at the Conor McGregor vs. Khabib fight ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story ... a security guard at the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas sued Pierce for defamation and other things over an altercation they got into during UFC 229 in Oct. 2018.

Long story short ... Pierce called security guard Christopher Mostello "racist" -- claiming Mostello (who is white) gave him a hard time while trying to get to his seat.

Pierce's "racist" allegation was captured on video and posted by TMZ Sports.

In his suit, Mostello claimed it was Paul who was acting inappropriately that night -- saying Pierce had gotten aggressive and physical with a female security supervisor -- and Mostello was only doing his job.

Mostello claimed his reputation took a serious hit because of the altercation and Pierce's accusations -- and he's been subjected to public embarrassment, harassment and ridicule.

The case went in front of a judge who ordered Pierce to either respond to the lawsuit or face a default judgment ... and since the court never heard from Pierce, the judge ordered him to pay up.

Pierce isn't out of moves yet ... he can ask the court to set aside the judgment but that's usually reserved for someone who didn't have the means to fight in the case in the first place.

Bottom line, it's an uphill battle for Pierce and it would probably cost him more than $100k to go that route anyway.