Legal

The face of Trivago ads compared all his options after getting busted for a DWI and, apparently, chose wisely -- his case has been dismissed.

Tim Williams -- the actor in the ads for the popular hotel search engine -- successfully completed a pre-trial diversion program ... although he did it overseas, despite the fact he was arrested last year in Texas.

Williams lives in Germany, and prosecutors allowed him to take the necessary classes over there, and he was prompt about it.

Nathan Beedle from the Harris County D.A.'s Office tells TMZ ... "Mr. Williams took his Harris County case seriously by diligently completing programs in his home country that were comparable to our mandatory classes, and even did more than he had to in order to make sure he was complying."

Extra credit never hurts.

As we reported, Williams was busted last April after cops say they found him passed out at the wheel with his foot on the brake while on the road. He was booked for DWI after bombing a field sobriety test and submitting a blood test.

Rapper Yella Beezy is being accused of opening a can of whoop-ass on a guy tied to another rapper with whom Beezy's got serious beef.

Brandon Rainwater is suing Yella claiming he and his crew beat him to a pulp outside the hotspot strip club, V Live in Dallas ... this according to docs obtained by TMZ. We're told the alleged beatdown left Rainwater with a dislocated hip.

Surveillance video taken across the street from the club appears to show the fight in progress.

In docs, Rainwater claims he showed up to the club last month but when he tried getting inside he was told by security to wait. Rainwater manages Dallas-based rapper Mo3 ... who has a history of beefing with Yella. Anyway, Rainwater claims a security guard approached him with a gun in his left hand and Yella standing behind him.

Fearing trouble was about to go down, Rainwater claims he ran out of there but Yella and his crew chased him down and beat him up. Rainwater claims after the dust settled, Yella and his crew headed back to the club's parking lot and bragged about the alleged assault.

Rainwater says he was taken to the hospital that night and is undergoing physical therapy following the assault. He's also suing V Live for inadequate security. He's suing for assault and claims he's owed up to $1 million in damages.

A former MLB relief pitcher says the Houston Astros RUINED his career by cheating to get hits off him in 2017 ... and now, he's suing for a ton of cash.

The man behind the lawsuit is Mike Bolsinger, a former Toronto Blue Jays reliever, who says the 'Stros cost him a chance at an extended MLB career in a game in Houston on Aug. 4, 2017.

Bolsinger claims during the game, the Astros illegally stole signs off him and his catcher by filming them and relaying the pitches to batters via a "banging" sound from the dugout.

Bolsinger -- who gave up 4 hits, 3 walks and 4 earned runs in the .1 innings he pitched that game -- says as a result of his disastrous outing, the Jays cut him and no other MLB team wanted him.

The 32-year-old says he was forced to pitch in Japan the past two seasons ... calling the Aug. 4 appearance "the death knell" in his MLB career.

But now, that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has found the Astros DID, in fact, cheat during the 2017 season ... Bolsinger is looking for justice.

In his lawsuit, Mike says he wants the Astros to pay for the damages he suffered as a result of the outing.

Bolsinger also wants the 'Stros to give up all of their 2017 World Series post-season bonuses -- which he says are valued at $31 MILLION -- to charity.

Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli's youngest daughter has quite the list of accomplishments in rowing -- at least her resume made it seem that way to USC.

Federal prosecutors released some of the documents Olivia Jade submitted to USC, allegedly to make it seem like she wanted a coveted spot on its crew team ... and it's packed with a list of events and some impressive finishes. Remember, Olivia never really competitively rowed a day in her life.

However, according to the docs, from 2014 to 2017 ... Olivia earned 2 gold medals, 2 silvers and 2 bronzes as a coxswain for her high school team. She didn't do so well in the prestigious Head of Charles race in Boston, though. In 2016, her team came in 11th, and the next year they came in 14th.

BTW, the resume was clearly drawn up by someone who doesn't have deep crew knowledge. It's missing key stats about Olivia's participation, and while her high school really did compete in these events ... the finishes don't match the real results.

The resume also suggests Olivia could be a very successful coxswain in one of USC's 4 boats. Interestingly, she points out her older sister, Isabella, is already on the school's roster as coxswain for boat #4. The resume ends by boasting Olivia is "highly talented and has been successful in both men's and women's boats."

The feds are obviously including the resume as an exhibit to show how extensively they believe the Giannullis lied and plotted to get their daughters into USC. Prosecutors say USC associate athletic director Donna Heinel submitted Olivia's rowing resume to the athletics sub-committee without referencing any donations her parents made to the university.

The feds claim this shows USC, with the exception of Heinel, was defrauded.

The doctor who was charged but acquitted in the death of former 3 Doors Down guitarist, Matt Roberts, is in hot water once again ... and at risk of having his medical license revoked.

Dr. Richard Snellgrove's been hit with an administrative complaint by the Alabama State Board of Medical Examiners, and he's facing wide-ranging allegations that span a decade from 2006 to around the time of Roberts' death in August 2016 ... according to the docs.

It should be noted these aren't criminal charges, but the Board is bringing 7 counts against Snellgrove, which include prescribing controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose, unprofessional conduct: conduct detrimental or harmful to patients, exposing patients to unreasonable risk or harm, and gross/repeated malpractice.

According to the docs ... the conduct detrimental or harmful to patients count alleged Snellgrove committed unprofessional conduct that resulted in the death of Patient 1, but it's unclear if that refers to Roberts.

Snellgrove has voluntarily surrendered his controlled substances certification while the board conducts its investigation.

If the Medical Licensing Commission of Alabama agrees with the Board ... Snellgrove could lose his medical license.

We broke the story ... Roberts died of an overdose in Wisconsin in 2016. Snellgrove was indicted months later for improperly prescribing controlled substances to Matt leading up to his death, but was found not guilty.

Lori Loughlin says the government has withheld key evidence proving her innocence in the college admissions scandal, but the government has just fired back ... sarcastically responding that the so-called exculpatory evidence was a statement that the witness had not even made when Lori started complaining.

TMZ broke the story ... Lori and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, claimed the U.S. Attorney intentionally withheld evidence showing they were giving money to USC and unaware any of the $500,000 was used to bribe University officials.

The government just responded, saying there is no such evidence being withheld, and then doubling down, saying, "the absence of such evidence is a result of their criminal conduct, not any government disclosure violations."

And, now prosecutors get nasty. They say some of the information that was just handed over -- evidence Lori claims was wrongly withheld -- is from interviews conducted with witnesses very recently. Prosecutors say in the legal docs ... "The government has broad powers, but they do not include mental telepathy or time travel. The government cannot disclose witness statements before the witnesses make them."

Shannen Doherty claims State Farm is engaging in a smear campaign against her, and exhibit A is a cheap shot it took about her tobacco use ... which she calls way over the line.

The former '90210' star filed new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, claiming State Farm is invading her privacy and making false claims about her smoking habits. As a result she wants a judge to punish the insurance giant with crippling sanctions.

Shannen says State Farm got it totally wrong when it claimed, in docs, she was smoking cigarettes up until March 2019. Total BS, according to Shannen, who says she kicked the habit back in 2015 ... after her original breast cancer diagnosis.

Of course, her recent stage 4 cancer diagnosis is at the center of her legal beef with State Farm. They're haggling over her home repair costs following the devastating California wildfires.

In the docs, Shannen says it's utterly ridiculous State Farm is attempting to smear her image by raising her tobacco use in the lawsuit.

What's more, Shannen's also pissed her insurer included her medical records and street address in other legal filings -- 2 things she's worked hard to shield from the public.

Jordan Belfort's not showing Bernie Madoff any sympathy following his request to get out of prison early, due to a terminal illness ... and he doesn't think the judge will either.

The "Wolf of Wall Street" has some history with the notorious Ponzi scheme mastermind, but he tells TMZ regardless of that ... the notion of Madoff getting released -- when he was sentenced to 150 YEARS -- is utterly ridiculous.

Belfort says Madoff got a life sentence for a reason -- because his crimes were horrendous, staggeringly affected people's lives and resulted in suicides ... including his own son's. Jordan doesn't see any justifiable reason to let a guy like that off the hook, even if Madoff claims he only has 18 months to live because of kidney failure.

As for their personal beef ... Belfort reminds us Madoff went after him when Bernie was the chairman of NASDAQ. Jordan admits that was justified, but says Madoff was just diverting attention from his own heinous crimes ... the ultimate hypocrite move.

The Newport Beach surgeon and his girlfriend, who were charged with drugging and raping women and facing decades in prison, are breathing a huge sigh of relief Friday ... the charges against them will be officially dropped.

Dr. Grant Robicheaux and his GF, Cerissa Riley, have been in the crosshairs of a former O.C. prosecutor for a year-and-a-half ... for allegedly using their good looks and drugs to lure women to their home and rape them in an unconscious or semiconscious state.

Robicheaux was charged with 17 felonies, including 5 counts of rape. Riley was charged with 13 felonies, including rape. The prosecutor who filed the charges -- Tony Rackauckas -- claimed at the time he filed the charges there were thousands of photos and videos to support his case and claimed there could be as many as a thousand victims.

But, the D.A. who defeated Rackauckas -- Todd Spitzer -- claims the prosecution was bogus and there was no evidence of sexual assault. Spitzer says not a single video shows any evidence of an unconscious victim or sexual assault, adding this was a shocking and transparent attempt by Rackauckas to win reelection.

Today Spitzer will formally drop all charges against the couple. The alleged victims may be allowed to testify during the hearing.

The couple has maintained their innocence from the start, and Riley told "Good Morning America" the decision by O.C. District Attorney Todd Spitzer to drop the charges has allowed her to "breathe again" and she feels like she's finally awoken from a nightmare.

Robicheaux says they're still in a state of shock and disbelief this happened to them, and they both insist they never even thought they were crossing a line with any of the women they had sex with.

Despite their relief, Robicheaux and Riley feel their lives have been ruined by the allegations and the story going nationwide ... and it's going to be a struggle going forward for quite some time.

Aerosmith's hoping to get back in the saddle with its original drummer after a couple weeks of awkward tension and not-so-sweet emotions ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the rock band tell us ... Joey Kramer has been working with Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton and Brad Whitford the past several days to help him return to his spot on the drums, but he's not quite there yet.

We're told Joey's been practicing to get his skills back to where they were before his absence, and once Kramer proves he's up to the task ... the fellas will let him back in to start beating the skins again.

Our sources say the other 4 band members never intended to push Kramer out, and never wanted him to feel that way -- they're all trying to make amends after the recent drama.

We broke the story ... Joey sued Aerosmith for making him audition in order to come back for a couple once-in-a-lifetime 50th-anniversary events over Grammy weekend -- something he claims no other member ever had to do.

He says the band blocked him from returning because he lacked the proper energy, and things got even more awkward when Joey was turned away from a rehearsal by security -- and the judge rejected his request to rejoin the group for the Grammy performances.

Still, Joey kept his head up and was with the other guys when they accepted an award last week ... and we're told they're all getting along great. Kramer's even been with them at their recent Vegas shows -- just not playing yet -- and he has dismissed his suit against the band.

Our sources say he could be back on stage soon too -- the band just wants Joey to nail one final audition ... and he'll no longer have to miss a thing.

Antonio Brown just took a HUGE loss in his condo-trashing case ... the former NFL All-Pro was found liable for the damage done to his pricey apartment after an April 2018 incident.

... and now the only question is, how fat will the check be that Brown will be forced to write??? (insert "Whole Lotta Money" joke here).

As we previously reported, Brown is being sued after his former apartment complex, The Mansions at Acqualina in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., accused him of destroying his fancy pad.

Attorneys for the complex claim Brown threw cushions and a vase off his balcony in an April 24, 2018 incident ... and trashed his apartment during the fit of rage as well.

The Attorneys say Brown did everything from cracking mirrors, to breaking tables, to staining couch cushions ... and they provided pictures to the court of the alleged damage.

Brown fought the case in court throughout the past year and a half (remember, he famously caused headaches during the case's depositions), claiming it was actually his former trainer who did the damage.

But a judge just ruled Brown IS responsible for it all, regardless ... ruling in favor of the apartment complex this week.

Ex-WWE superstar Adam Bomb is facing several serious drug-related criminal charges stemming from multiple incidents in 2019 ... but he's calling BS on the whole thing.

The 55-year-old wrestler -- real name Emmett Bryan Clark Jr. -- is being prosecuted in Maricopa County, AZ where he's accused of conspiracy, illegal control of enterprise, transporting or selling narcotics, drug possession and possessing a weapon during a drug offense.

Bomb was busted alongside Dennis Miccolis -- keyboardist for the 1960s band, The Buckinghams -- who faces conspiracy, illegal control of enterprise and transporting or selling narcotics charges.

Both men have pleaded not guilty ... and Bomb's attorney Robert Jarvis says the whole thing is a case of fake news.

"The police report contains alleged facts that have been grossly misconstrued and are incorrect," Jarvis said, according to Arizona Republic. "This includes incorrect allegations relating to medication and its use."

As for the weapon charge, Jarvis says it's a family heirloom -- a Korean War pistol that's stored at his home.

Jenna Dewan is looking to erase all traces of Channing Tatum after their divorce ... because she's asking a court to go back to her maiden name.

In the eyes of the law, Jenna is known as Jenna Tatum ... but according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ, she wants to have her legal name restored to Jenna Dewan.

We broke the story ... Jenna and Channing finalized their divorce and became legally single back in November ... but their settlement didn't include anything about a name change for Jenna.

The exes are moving on from each other in more ways than one ... as we reported, Jenna recently moved into a new house with her boyfriend and baby daddy, Steve Kazee, and Channing is back together with his former flame, Jessie J, and the reconciliation is Instagram official.

There's still a few balls in the air as far as the divorce is concerned ... Jenna and Channing are locked in a nasty custody battle and are hashing out a property settlement agreement.

Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino says he's making sure his tax woes are behind him ... by leaving things to the professionals.

The Sitch was at LAX Wednesday night with fellow 'Jersey Shore' star Deena -- who was all masked up to protect from the coronavirus -- when he got asked about his first tax season since getting out of prison.

Mike says everything is going to be up-to-date this time around -- clearly, he's not going to risk landing behind bars again for tax evasion.

Speaking of possibly ending up behind bars ... Mike and Deena also touched on the tumultuous times between their friend, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, and his baby mama, Jen Harley.

They both agree they have Ronnie's back no matter what and are rooting for him, and Mike adds ... "The comeback is greater than the setback."

As we've reported ... Ronnie and Jen are mixed up in a nasty domestic violence case, but he didn't let it keep him down last weekend in Miami, where he was spotted leaving the club at 6 AM with 2 hot chicks.

Future's not about to let his son be put through the legal system with some government-appointed briefcase -- he's getting the best attorneys for the kid and has his back 100%.

Sources close to the Future tell TMZ ... the MC and his baby mama are well aware of their oldest son, Jakobi, getting recently caught up with the law down in Georgia ... but they're already knee-deep in working on his case, including funding his defense.

Jakobi was arrested in a gang bust down in Georgia last month ... where he's reportedly facing charges of criminal gang activity, trespass and the altered ID of a firearm. He was allegedly found in possession of a gun with the serial number scratched out.

The kid's 17 years old, BTW, but could face up to major time behind bars if he's convicted because GA tries 17-year-olds as adults. In the court docs, he reportedly listed himself as indigent and in need of a public defender, but we're told that ain't gonna happen.

Future's definitely got the dough to help his son, and we're told he absolutely intends to by hiring the best lawyers to be there for his own flesh and blood. Dad's covering legal fees.