Legal

One of Post Malone's biggest hits, "Circles," was cowritten by a songwriter who gets zero credit, and even worse ... zero money ... according to the lawsuit he just filed.

Tyler Armes says he and Post hooked up to write a song in August 2018 -- at the encouragement of Post's manager. What they eventually created was a track that became the monster hit, "Circles" ... which went all the way to #1 last year.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Tyler claims he cowrote the chords and the bass line for the song ... and had input on other portions, such as the guitar melody. Clearly, his point is ... he did more than enough to earn a writing credit.

Instead, Tyler says "Circles" was released on August 30, 2019 ... without his name on it. According to the suit, he'd been negotiating with Post's camp earlier in the month -- he claims they offered him 5 percent of publishing royalties with no credit. Tyler says he pushed back for a bigger cut and a co-writing credit, but they told him to kick rocks.

In docs, he claims Post's manager had a written exchange with him about it, and that the manager even told him Post acknowledged Tyler's contribution.

That's nice and all, but as we think Tyler would say ... verbal acknowledgment doesn't pay bills. So, he's suing Post to get the co-writer credit and a fair cut of past and future royalties on "Circles."

He's also suing producer Frank Dukes, who does have a writing credit and, according to Tyler, was present for the 2018 jam session that birthed the track.

We've reached out to Post's camp ... no word back yet.

he says those comments were just about the crimes joe committed, so there's no reason to step away based on them

Joe Exotic wants a new judge to preside over his civil lawsuit, 'cause he says the robe has already shown he's a homophobe who has it out for your boy.

The 'Tiger King' star -- who's currently locked up -- filed a new motion this week asking Judge Scott Palk to recuse himself from a lawsuit Joe filed a few weeks ago against the feds.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Joe argues Judge Palk has already presided over other civil cases Joe's been involved in over the years -- and not just the ones depicted on Netflix between himself and nemesis Carole Baskin.

Joe claims Palk has a tainted view, and also hurls accusations at him ... saying Palk has proven he's a gung-ho animal rights activist and homophobic. JE pegged the judge's tone with him during proceedings as "hostile" and "agitated."

Specifically, Joe claims the judge told him ... "I will make sure you are never around another animal the rest of your life." Joe also alleges the judge said, "You were trying to broker a pair of lions to support your husband from jail."

Joe denies that, BTW, and adds even if it were true ... it'd be completely legal in Texas.

In any case, Joe seems to think Judge Palk -- who's currently set to weigh in on his newest lawsuit -- has a grudge against him, and he wants a fresh start with someone else.

The son of ex-"Real Housewives of Orange County" star Lauri Peterson says he was almost killed in jail ... and now he's suing.

Josh Waring just filed a lawsuit Monday against Orange County and two OC Sheriff's deputies assigned to the Orange County men's central jail ... Josh claims the sheriff's deputies tried to have him killed out of retaliation.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Josh claims guards inside the jail told him a razor blade attack against him was retaliation for prior complaints Josh made about sheriff's deputies.

As we first reported ... Josh was ambushed back in October 2019 at the Orange County jail in Santa Ana and brutally assaulted by another inmate wielding razor blades wrapped in towels. The attack was caught on camera, and Josh claims guards let it happen because he complained about his case.

Remember ... Josh was locked up for nearly 4 years while waiting for his trial following a July 2016 arrest when he was accused of shooting a man outside a sober living home. Waring initially pled not guilty.

In the suit, Josh details his harrowing time behind bars ... claiming one of the sheriff's deputies, Ever Zelaya, threatened to choke him out and warned him to watch out. He says Zelaya told him "You better watch the f*** out, I just killed the last guy who pissed me off and I got a paid vacation."

According to the docs, Josh claims Zelaya and another sheriff's deputy, Ryan Hansen, also tried to kill him when they entered his cell and unleashed several rounds of pepper spray balls.

Amazon's hit series, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," is ripped straight from the pages of a 6-year-old book with an eerily similar and struggling character ... at least according to the author.

Jodi Parmley just sued Amazon Studios for allegedly jacking several different creative elements from her 2014 book, "F.I.F.I. Financial Infidelity F**k It: The Mistress of the New Millennium" ... and applying them, nearly beat for beat, to their show.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Jodi says she wrote this book, and then adapted a screenplay from it. She says she shopped it around to lots of different studios and execs who were supposedly interested.

Jodi doesn't specifically say she met with Amazon's bigwigs, but it seems like she's implying word eventually got around to them. Once she saw 'Marvelous' debut, Jodie claims she was a carbon copy of her own work.

She claims Amazon ripped off the plight, stand-up routine, general plot points and character traits the Amazon's Miriam Maisel lives out -- like seeking financial independence, leaving her crappy hubby, etc.

As a result, she's suing ... and, naturally, wants the profits Amazon made off the show -- which has garnered critical praise and gone on to win several awards.

Hans Zimmer, one of the most famous film composers, has filed for divorce ... TMZ has learned.

The German-born composer, who won an Oscar for his 'Lion King' score, filed docs Friday in L.A. Superior Court to divorce from Suzanne Zimmer ... according to court records.

Suzanne is Hans' second wife. He was previously married to Vicki Carolin. They divorced in 1992. He started seeing Suzanne shortly thereafter. Hans has an adult daughter, Zoe, with Vicki and 4 kids with Suzanne, but only 2 are minors.

Hans is the guy whose name you hear almost annually come Oscar night. He's been nominated for 11 Academy Awards. He won Best Original Score for Disney's 1994 hit animated film.

United Airlines customers are pissed the airline is only giving them travel vouchers for flights that were canceled due to coronavirus ... so they're suing.

Jacob Rudolph filed a class-action lawsuit Monday against United Airlines, claiming the air carrier is only offering travel vouchers instead of cash refunds, which he says does nothing to help people who need the dough back for basic necessities during the pandemic. It's especially galling because the airlines will receive a boatload of cash from the feds.

According to new docs, Rudolph claims he shelled out over $1,500 for 3 United Airlines flights scheduled for April and when UA canceled the flights because of the virus, he requested a refund and was denied.

In the suit, Rudolph says United told him he did not qualify for a refund and instead only offered to rebook his flights or give him a travel credit good for one year from the date he initially purchased the tickets.

According to the docs, Rudolph says United is being unfair, unjust and downright deceptive by refusing to issue refunds to passengers for coronavirus related cancellations ... and he says what's most galling is UA isn't forking over refunds even though the airlines are getting bailed out by the taxpayers to the tune of $58 billion.

Rudolph's suing for passengers to get their money back plus damages. We reached out to United, no word back so far.

YNW Melly is begging a judge to let him out of prison ... because he says he's on the verge of dying from COVID-19.

The rapper's lawyer, Bradford Cohen, filed legal docs, obtained by TMZ, claiming the rapper -- in prison awaiting his murder trial -- is suffering from severe chills, heavy labored breathing, headaches and body aches since he tested positive for the coronavirus.

Cohen says Melly weighs 114 pounds and has NOT been monitored by medical personnel every hour like they're supposed to. And, there's this ... Cohen claims Melly's been holed up in a cell with another inmate who also has COVID-19 ... and there's fear "if the virus can be mutated or passed reoccurring between individuals."

Cohen claims the there's a lack of preparedness by the jail for this type of epidemic ... as "they have not given them masks, or cleaning supplies that would be beneficial regarding his recovery. This is against all recommendations of the Surgeon General and CDC."

Mike Postle played some of the best poker known to man -- to the point where it made him a poker god -- all because he underhandedly knew what cards his opponents were holding ... so claims one of them, fellow pro player Marle Cordeiro, in a new lawsuit.

Cordeiro claims over a series of games on the Stones Live Poker broadcast beginning in 2018, Postle won more money than any other player and was often the winningest player on the show on any night he participated ... because she says he cheated using his cell phone.

Cordeiro alleges Postle was able to consistently make the right moves "by engaging in a pattern and practice of using one or more wire communication mechanisms to defraud his opponents by gaining knowledge of their Hole Cards during the play of poker hands."

For the uninitiated -- hole cards are the cards only an individual player can see and are unknown to the other players at the table, but for the purposes of television ... cameras are able to reveal the hole cards to the viewing public.

In the suit, Cordeiro claims Postle was somehow able to get this camera feed to his cell phone ... so he could view their hole cards. She believes he was also "aided by one or more confederates," but she's not sure who they are yet.

Cordeiro claims as evidence, Postle was regularly seen looking down between his legs at his cell phone during gameplay ... and he cashed in 94 percent of the games while playing in the Stones Live Poker games -- an unheard of statistic in the poker world. She says he hardly played in any other tournaments besides Stones, either ... which she claims is odd for a poker star.

According to the docs ... Cordeiro claims Postle also slipped up during an interview and mentioned that the broadcast only showed 2 out of 4 of the players' hole cards during one hand of pot limit Omaha -- something he would not have known unless he had access to the broadcast.

Finally, Cordeiro claims during one no-limit hold 'em hand she went against Postle in a September 2019 game, she would have profited thousands of dollars against him had he been playing legit poker ... but she claims he folded instead, because he could view her cards.

Ed Orgeron is calling things off with his wife, Kelly ... the LSU head coach filed for divorce a little more than a month after he led the Tigers to a National Championship.

The 58-year-old filed the court docs in Louisiana back on Feb. 26, according to The Advocate ... and in them, he says he and Kelly officially split on Feb. 24.

The two had reportedly met on a blind date in 1996 ... and were married shortly after on Feb. 19, 1997, the docs say.

Orgeron and Kelly raised three sons together ... including twins that they had on Feb. 9, 1998.

Orgeron had praised Kelly several times during LSU's championship run this past winter ... and had called her an inspiration multiple times in the years leading up as well.

In fact, the two were inseparable during Orgeron's victory celebration over Clemson on Jan. 13, sharing kisses and hugs as confetti rained down at the Superdome.

In the divorce filing, Orgeron says he wants exclusive use of the couple's home in Baton Rouge ... and claims to have no objection to letting Kelly have their house in Mandeville, La. until court proceedings mete out their situation.

The 'Tiger King' leading man, Joe Exotic, was done dirty by vultures and snakes in his inner circle, and shouldn't be the only one suffering ... so says his role model, Doc Antle.

We talked to the owner and founder of Myrtle Beach Safari -- heavily featured in the documentary -- and he gave us his hot take on how everything played out for Joe ... his one-time friend and comrade in cats.

Doc tells us Joe was taken advantaged of and set up by Jeff Lowe and his cronies, who came into the picture once Joe was desperate amid ongoing lawsuits between himself and his nemesis, Carole Baskin. He says that was a bad idea, 'cause it ended up with the 'King' himself paying the price, while everyone else walked away clean.

Doc says, yes, Joe ultimately achieved what he wanted -- fame and glory -- but he can't even enjoy it while behind bars. He also says others were just as bad, or worse, than Joe and shouldn't be let off the hook just because they ratted out their buddy.

On a lighter note, we also asked about his, um, lifestyle ... ya know, the multiple wives thing and the commune, of sorts, he's set up for himself. Doc says he's been getting BLOWN UP by people wanting to join, men and women alike.

Unfortunately for them -- and all three of his wives, apparently -- Doc says his heart belongs to one woman and one woman only ... and she ain't even human. Sorry, folks ... the harem is closed.

Thousands of inmates in California prisons will be released early as officials fear overcrowding could spark a deadly outbreak of the coronavirus.

The move comes in the middle of a pandemic as the nation desperately tries to get a handle on how to stem the disease. Fact is ... jails and prisons are breeding grounds for the virus, with conditions that are often filthy and way too many people packed inside.

Officials hope accelerating parole dates for 3,500 inmates serving terms for nonviolent crimes -- and people due to be released within 60 days -- will help slow the spread of COVID-19, not just to inmates, but those who work within California's 35 prisons. And the other reality ... if inmates get infected, get released and then interact with others ... well, you know the rest.

Then there's this ... the state has blocked the transfer of county jail inmates to prison, according to the L.A. Times. That decision alone will keep 3,000 additional people out of the state's prison system. What's more ... nearly 600 inmates will be moved out of dorms -- home to bunks with close proximity and shared sinks/showers -- and moved to other prison facilities.

As we first reported ... jail inmates feared the worst as early as March 6. An inmate getting out of L.A. County Men's Central Jail said he experienced deplorable conditions while locked up for carjacking. Another inmate told us no one from the jail told the inmates anything about coronavirus or how to prevent it. A lot has changed in a matter of weeks.

Ellen Barkin may have been in the mood to flip off a photographer but she had ZERO right to tweet the image ... so claims the photographer now suing her.

Steven Hirsch is suing the actress claiming she posted his copyrighted photograph of her flipping the bird on her Twitter account. In docs, obtained by TMZ, Hirsch says he's a professional photog who is in the business of licensing his photographs to online and print media for a fee.

The photo in question is from January when Ellen attended the second day of Harvey Weinstein's criminal trial in NYC. She was there to support her friend and Weinstein accuser, actress Annabella Sciorra.

Hirsch says he licensed the pic to a NY outlet but never gave Ellen permission to use the photo. Ellen then tweeted the photo on January 23 -- it hasn't been taken down -- with the caption "mood" ... and it racked up more than 1,000 retweets and 15,000 likes.

The photographer is now suing her for damages. We've reached out to Ellen for comment, so far no word back.

"Tanked" star Heather King fears her life is in danger if her ex is allowed anywhere near her ... so she wants a judge to order him to stay away.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Heather beelined it to court and requested a protective order against her estranged husband, Wayde. She claims he's been physically abusive to her for YEARS ... from allegedly slamming her against the wall to damn near knocking her unconscious.

In docs, Heather points to an incident earlier this month when she says Wayde came home and "told me to get the f*** out" before allegedly pushing and hitting her. Heather claims things got so bad their daughter had to yell at Wayde to get him to stop assaulting her.

Heather claims this is just one example of a pattern of abuse ... and she claims to have photos of her alleged injuries to back. Some of the photos show bruises and scratches allegedly suffered at the hands of Wayde, who she is in the middle of divorcing.

She alleges Wayde physically assaulted her on several occasions last year ... like when he allegedly strangled her in November and broke her finger in July. She claims Wayde "threw me against a wall so hard that he almost knocked me out." She says she was scared he was going to kill her.

The incarcerated Joe Exotic has one new champion in his corner -- and it's someone with a big voice and a major platform ... one Cardi B, who says she wants him freed.

The NY rapper went on a Twitter rant late-Friday night, with a bunch of messages in support of the 'Tiger King' star -- who's currently locked up for allegedly attempting to facilitate the murder of his onscreen nemesis, Carole Baskin, who Cardi doesn't like either.

She wrote of Baskin -- who runs a big cat animal rescue out of Florida, seemingly on the up-and-up -- with contempt, saying ... "Carol you think you slick bitch 😑😑😑😑." CB went on to say, "Who you think is more wrong? Narcissist joe? Or Greedy Carol? And Why?"

Very Trump-like, eh? BTW, Cardi also retweeted a meme that perpetuated a theory floated throughout the entire docuseries ... that Carole might've had her multi-millionaire husband killed and fed him to the tigers they had. She's vehemently denied that several times, and no evidence ever suggested she did that. No arrests were ever made in the case either.

The biggest vote of confidence, however, came when Cardi tweeted that she was itching to start a GoFundMe account for Joe, adding ... "He shall be free." Seems like she sympathized with his side of the story -- even though he was convicted and ultimately jailed.

As we reported ... Joe filed a $94 million lawsuit from prison pretty recently, accusing different governmental agencies of railroading him and allegedly discriminating against him with the animal cruelty charges he got slapped with and for which he was convicted.