Legal

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are pissed about a paparazzi shot of their son, Archie, which they say was snapped in their own backyard, so now they're suing ... TMZ has learned.

Harry and Meghan say they took extensive measures to ensure their privacy at their new home in the L.A. area -- including putting a large mesh fence around the property to guard against telephoto lenses. Still, according to the lawsuit ... an unnamed photog recently "crossed a red line for any parent" by shopping pics of Archie.

In docs, obtained by TMZ and filed by celeb lawyer Michael Kump, the former Royals say the photos are being shopped as if they were shot during a public outing in Malibu -- but they say Archie has not been anywhere in public, let alone Malibu, since they moved to Los Angeles. They say the photog is purposely lying about the location because the person knows "unsolicited photographs of a young child in the privacy of his own home are very much unlawful."

Sources connected to Meghan and Harry say the intrusion went down at Tyler Perry's Beverly Hills estate, where the former royals are staying. What makes that especially weird ... Tyler's house is in a gated community and he lives at the very farthest point from the front gate, making it especially hard for an intruder to go undetected.

But, Harry and Meghan say they do get intrusions by air. In the lawsuit, they say "some media outlets have flown drones a mere 20 feet above the house as often as three times a day." They also say helicopters do fly-overs, and some photogs have cut holes in their security fences.

Archie's Mom and Dad point out in the suit, it's their choice when and how they share photos of their boy -- and say they have posted pics of him on social media in order to reduce the "bounty" for paparazzi photos.

They're suing for invasion of privacy, and also want an order for the photog to turn over the photos. They don't know if anyone's purchased the shots yet, but they say they're putting all media on notice ... the photos were illegally taken, and not in Malibu.

A status hearing on Britney Spears' conservatorship never went down this week ... because a group of people who had nothing to do with the case refused to get off the Zoom call so the judge could conduct a confidential hearing.

The plan was routine -- every 3 months or so, the judge calls the parties into court to catch up on developments in the conservatorship. There are reports out there that Britney and/or others were trying to end it. Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... no one has EVER filed a motion nor has there ever been a court proceeding to end the permanent conservatorship in the 12 years it's been in effect.

As for the would-be status hearing this week ... we're told the judge was handling a bunch of non-confidential matters on Zoom, but then the judge "closed" the virtual courtroom by ordering everyone off who was not involved in Britney's case. We're told a group of people from the public got off the call, but then rejoined. The judge was ordering them off, but they refused to leave, so after more than 2 hours the judge pulled the plug and rescheduled the hearing.

Clint Eastwood wants CBD retailers to keep his name out their mouth ... and now he's suing.

Dirty Harry filed a pair of lawsuits Wednesday against CBD retailers, who he says are using his good name to hawk their cannabis products online and trick customers.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Clint says these CBD retailers are propping up their products by using fake interviews with him where he gushes over their marijuana merchandise. Clint says he's never sat down with any of these companies and doesn't endorse their products.

In one suit, Clint also claims CBD retailers are using his name to lure in consumers through Google searches. Yes, this 90-year-old is hip to metadata.

In the docs, Clint says he's being defamed by the lies out there about him using CBD products and says the companies have no right to use his likeness to hawk their products.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's son is now being sued after he was accused of stabbing his neighbor in June ... with the alleged victim claiming he suffered a skull fracture and brain bleed in the attack.

We broke the story ... back on June 9, cops in San Clemente, Calif. arrested 28-year-old Adam Abdul-Jabbar after they say he attacked his neighbor during an argument.

The neighbor -- ID'ed as 60-year-old Raymond Winsor -- claims in the new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, the whole incident went down after he urged Abdul-Jabbar to help his elderly grandmother with chores.

Winsor says Abdul-Jabbar exploded on him ... claiming in the lawsuit, Abdul-Jabbar told him, "Shut your f'**king mouth or I'm gonna stick this knife through your teeth and cut your throat out."

Winsor says Abdul-Jabbar then stabbed him seven times in the head, neck, back and side -- and caused MAJOR damage.

Winsor says he suffered a skull fracture and a subdural hematoma ... and was forced to stay in the hospital for three days after the altercation

Now, Winsor is suing Abdul-Jabbar ... claiming he's suffering from shock, anxiety, worry, sleeplessness, depression and much more -- and he wants Abdul-Jabbar to pay up for his medical expenses plus additional damages.

We've reached out to Abdul-Jabbar's reps for comment, but so far, no word back.

However, we're told multiple people connected to the situation have said Winsor has been "needling" Adam for a while -- and the tension had been building for "a long time."

We're also told Adam is the person who called 911 -- and was cooperative with police.

As for the criminal case against Abdul-Jabbar, no formal charges have been filed yet.

We reached out to law enforcement for an update on that process, but no word back yet there either.

A man out for a bike ride spit on a woman -- on camera -- and apparently called her a racial slur ... according to Canadian cops, who've tracked him down and arrested him.

The racist incident went down Saturday at a park in Calgary ... and video clearly shows the cyclist spitting on a woman passing him on a skateboard. You also hear the man hurl a racial slur against Asian people.

The Calgary Police Service says Justin Williams spit on other folks and used more slurs during his bike ride, and even threatened a witness with a weapon when confronted. Cops says he's been arrested and charged with 3 counts of assault and one count of possession of a weapon dangerous to the public.

Heather McDonald and former 'RHOC' star Jim Bellino are on the same page, legally speaking -- they've settled his lawsuit against her ... TMZ has learned.

According to a joint statement released by Jim and Heather ... they've "reached a settlement of the dispute on mutually satisfactory terms." The joint statement also says Heather "never intended to cause any of the damage" to Jim's reputation or that of his business.

Jim, the ex-husband of 'RHOC' star Alexis Bellino, sued the comedian in June 2019, claiming she "shamelessly dished and peddled unsubstantiated gossip" about his divorce with Alexis on an episode of Heather's podcast, "The Juicy Scoop."

Heather, who used to appear on "Chelsea Lately" before starting her podcast, previously secured a victory in the defamation suit back in March, when a judge granted her motion to dismiss the lawsuit ... but Jim appealed.

Johnny Ortiz -- who starred alongside Kevin Costner in "McFarland, USA" -- is currently sitting behind bars after being charged with premeditated attempted murder charges ... TMZ has learned.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Ortiz and another man, Armando Miguel Navarro, allegedly tried to kill a man named Brian Duke "for the benefit of, at the direction of, and in association with a criminal street gang with the specific intent to promote, further and assist in criminal conduct by gang members."

Navarro is the one accused of pulling the trigger, and while it's unclear exactly what role Ortiz played in the crime ... prosecutors felt it warranted the attempted murder charge.

Ortiz -- who starred as one of the cross country runners in the based-on-a-true-story Disney flick, "McFarland, USA" -- was arrested in late May, and remains behind bars. The judge set his bail at a whopping $1,120,000.

His family insists he's not guilty, and is trying to raise his bail through crowdfunding. They wrote on the site, "Johnny is everything to our family. Johnny does everything to help the community and the Hispanic community especially ... he is in jail fighting for his case that he is innocent on."

The actor's also appeared in "Ali," "American Crime" and "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie."

Donald Trump is not only losing to Joe Biden ... he's losing to Linkin Park.

Twitter has removed a video Trump retweeted, with the group's song, "In The End." The original tweet was from the account of Dan Scavino, the White House Media Director.

The video vanished Saturday, replaced with this message -- "This media has been disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner."

Trump has drawn the ire of Linkin Park before, and they underscored their contempt for the President Saturday, saying, "Linkin Park did not and does not endorse Trump, nor authorize his organization to use any of our music. A cease and desist has been issued."

Apparently, Twitter heard them.

Chester Bennington, who fronted Linkin Park until his death in 2017, vehemently opposed Trump, declaring, “Trump is a greater threat to the USA than terrorism!! We have to take back our voices and stand for what we believe in.”

The choice of the song, "In The End," is curious, with lyrics that include this ... “I tried so hard / And got so far / But in the end / It doesn’t even matter.”

The man who squatted on several potential new names for the NFL's Washington franchise says he's reached out to the league to offer up the trademarks for free ... and he's got the emails to prove it.

Martin McCaulay -- aka the "trademark hog" (that's what he calls himself) -- came under fire from Washington fans when it came out that he obtained the trademarks for a bunch of possible replacement names ... including the Washington Monuments, Americans, Veterans, Red-Tailed Hawks, Federals and more.

Most people assumed he would try to shake down the franchise for a big payday but McCauley says that's B.S.

In fact, McCauley tells us he reached out to the NFL via email on July 4 offering his 10 trademarked names for no charge!

"My email was dated July 4th, 2020 to the NFL trademark attorney and said 'free trademarks,' a list out of all my trademarks saying, 'you can have these for free' and they didn't respond."

"I didn't know how to reach anybody. I'm on Twitter, at the NFL, at the NFL commish. Take my trademarks, please! What do I have to do to get you to take these trademarks?"

As you know, Washington is on the hunt for a new name after FINALLY dropping "Redskins" ... following a scathing letter written by the National Congress of American Indians, an organization that reps over 5 million Native Americans.

So, Martin -- who believes the name change is long overdue -- even hired a lawyer to help pass along his registered trademarks.

"They won't take my offer of free trademarks so I hired an attorney to facilitate the transaction. His name is Darren Heitner," McCaulay says.

"He wrote a letter to Mr. Snyder with my offer, making it clear that I was trying to facilitate the name change. I do not want to be an obstacle. Please. If you want one of Mr. McCaulay's trademarks, or me, 'trademark hog,' as I like to go by, then just let us know what does he need to do to get out of your way? What is it?"

Antonio Brown ain't on an NFL roster yet ... but his personal QB tells TMZ Sports the former All-Pro is "ramping up" his workouts in anticipation of signing soon.

Peter Zamora -- the 17-year-old high school quarterback who's been Brown's throwing partner this summer -- says he's noticed a HUGE uptick in AB's training demeanor recently.

Zamora says Brown has requested more throwing sessions in the last few days and weeks ... this as NFL camps are set to kick off at the end of this month.

In clips from the duo's workout Wednesday ... you can see Brown in full pads getting after it -- running intense routes with purpose.

Zamora says the throwing session went on for about an hour -- focusing solely on short-range throws -- but Brown didn't stop there.

Zamora tells us AB brought the QB out AGAIN on Thursday for more work ... this time for another hour in blazing Florida heat.

"He's in excellent shape," Zamora said.

As we previously reported ... Brown's been angling HARD for months to get back on an NFL roster this season after he was let go by the Patriots amid controversy last September.

Brown has worked out with Redskins' Dwayne Haskins, Ravens' Lamar Jackson and Seahawks' Russell Wilson the past few months ... leading to speculation he could be a possible addition to all three teams at some point when camps begin in two weeks.

Of course, Brown is still under NFL investigation over a myriad of off-field issues ... including allegations he raped his former trainer, Britney Taylor.

A suspension, per multiple reports, seems likely.

The felony charges against NFL receiver Kenny Stills and 'Real Housewives' star Porsha Williams stemming from a Breonna Taylor protest in Kentucky have been dropped ... prosecutors say.

But, they're not in the clear just yet.

Stills and Williams were just 2 of the 87 people arrested on Tuesday for demonstrating on the front lawn of the home of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

The group was chanting for justice for Taylor -- they want the police officer who killed her to be arrested and charged with crimes.

All 87 people were initially charged with felony intimidating a participant in a legal process -- and 2 lesser misdemeanors.

The felony charge is a big deal -- if convicted, people face a minimum of 1 year behind bars ... and up to 5 if the judge wants to make a point.

But, on Friday, Jefferson County Attorney Mike O'Connell says he is DROPPING the felony for all 87 people, effective immediately.

"After careful review of the law, I am dismissing the felony charge of Intimidating a Participant in the Legal Process against the protestors arrested on Attorney General Cameron's property on July 14, 2020."

"While we do believe the LMPD had probable cause for the charge, in the interest of justice and the promotion of the free exchange of ideas, we will dismiss that charge for each protestor arrested this past Tuesday."

The bad news for Stills, Williams and the 85 other people -- O'Connell says the misdemeanor charges are still in play ... at least for now.

"We continue to review the misdemeanors and violations for prosecution at a later date."

The man accused of sucker punching Dallas Goedert in the face at a bar last month is officially fighting back in his assault case -- pleading NOT GUILTY to the charges Friday, a court official tells TMZ Sports.

30-year-old Kyle Hadala allegedly clocked the Philadelphia Eagles tight end during a bar brawl on June 19 in South Dakota ... and the video of the incident did NOT look good for Hadala.

In the clip ... you can see Hadala uncorks a right hand to Goedert's temple, knocking him to the ground. Prosecutors eventually hit Hadala with two counts of simple assault over the incident.

But, a court official tells us Hadala's attorney appeared in court for his client on Friday ... issued not guilty pleas to both charges, and requested a trial date.

As we previously reported ... Hadala claims he only got violent with the 25-year-old NFL player because he thought Goedert and his crew were threatening his friends and co-workers.

"They picked out my smaller colleague from the group, got in his face, and made very threatening remarks toward his personal well-being," Hadala said.

"Then one of his crew told my other colleague, and I quote, 'You’re just a fat f**king pussy. I'll beat the s*** out of you.'"

Hadala says after those comments, Goedert put his hands on one of his friends ... and that's when Hadala says he jumped in with the right hand.

Hadala claims he was attacked by Dallas' crew shortly after throwing the punch ... and suffered multiple cuts and lacerations as a result.

Joey Lawrence is throwing in the towel on his second marriage ... he just filed for divorce.

The former "Blossom" star filed Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court to divorce Chandie Lawrence as they approached their 15-year wedding anniversary.

Joey and Chandie met at Disney World way back in 1993, when he was 16 years old and on vacation. Joey says he invited her on an ice cream date at the Mouse House when they first met and joked about getting married at the theme park.

After Joey's first marriage to Michelle Vella ended in divorce in 2005, he quickly wed Chandie in July and their teenage wedding fantasies became reality as they tied the knot at Disney World.

It's not clear what led to the split, but Joey and Chandie will have to settle child custody and/or support issues -- they have 2 minor daughters, 14-year-old Charleston and 10-year-old Liberty.

Despite Disney's best efforts ... no fairytale ending this time.

The 3 men charged with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery entered not guilty pleas in court and one of the defendants wants potential jurors to be asked probing questions in a private setting.

Gregory and Travis McMichael, along with William "Roddie" Bryan, all pled not guilty Friday in court. Bryan's attorney also requested bond for Bryan, but the judge denied the request citing a slew of concerns, including a sex crimes investigation by the GBI at the request of the Glynn County Police Department. That investigation is active and ongoing.

Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, and Arbery's father, Marcus Arbery Sr., gave statements requesting the court deny bond.

Bryan's attorney had brought up the coronavirus pandemic as another reason why his client should get bond ... claiming Bryan's in the high-risk category. Prosecutors countered saying the Sheriff's doing his part keeping things safe behind bars. The hearing's currently in a recess.

Bryan's attorney also filed a motion to submit certain questions to potential jurors in an attempt to weed out biases.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Bryan's attorney submitted a list of more than 50 questions for potential jurors to answer ... including: "What in your opinion is the principal cause of crime in America today?"

Another question ... "What steps do you think people who are frightened about crime should take to protect themselves?" as well as "Have you ever heard the statement, he looks like a cirminal? If yes, do you think that if someone 'looks like a criminal' they are probably guilty if they are arrested for a crime? Why/why not?"

Bryan's attorney wants everyone examined separately and privately, claiming there are "sensitive and potentially embarrassing questions exploring the prospective juror's bias and prejudice, especially with respect to matters of race."

Then there's this ... Bryan's attorneys also want to inspect all of Arbery's probation docs, any medical or mental health records, any juvenile court records, any DCFS records and any board of education records.

The issue of citizens arrest was also brought up in docs ... Bryan's attorney claims there was enough evidence to establish probable cause that Arbery had committed the offense of criminal attempt to commit burglary. According to the docs, this allowed McMichael to attempt a citizens arrest and then, when Arbery fought back, to defend himself.

Bryan's attorney also argues someone running in an attempted burglary case allows you to presume criminal intent ... and he notes that Arbery was running. Bryan's attorney also claims Arbery knew he was a convicted felon on probation for shoplifting ... so an objective observer would have reason to believe he was trying to commit a burglary when he ran from the house.

As we reported ... the men were all indicted by a grand jury for Arbery's murder on June 24. They are each facing 9 felony charges -- 1 count of malice murder, 4 counts felony murder, 2 counts aggravated assault, 1 count false imprisonment and 1 count criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.

The 3 defendants have been in custody since their arrests in May, and last appeared in court in early June for a probable cause hearing ... where a judge concluded there's enough evidence to move forward with the case.

During that hearing, a GBI detective testified he found no evidence Arbery stole anything from the construction site he walked through before he was shot and killed. Gregory McMichael had claimed Arbery matched the description of a burglary suspect, which is why they were after him.

Gregory's son, Travis, fired the fatal shots during a struggle with Ahmaud on February 23. The GBI detective also testified Bryan told cops he heard Travis refer to Arbery as a "f***ing n*****" right after he shot him.

Travis and Gregory were arrested and charged with murder on May 8. Authorities allege Bryan -- who recorded the incident -- was working with the McMichaels to trap Arbery. He was arrested and charged 14 days later.

These coffee beans are GUARANTEED to wake you up.

Italian police thwarted drug-smugglers who sliced hundreds of coffee beans open, stuffed them with cocaine and carefully encased them with dark brown tape.

The perps might have gotten away with it too ... if it wasn't for that darn John Wick.

According to police, they became suspicious of the package containing the coffee beans when someone noticed the name on it was Santino D'Antonio ... a mafia boss villain in "John Wick: Chapter 2" as well as the third film in the franchise.

The coked-up beans were shipped from Medellin in Colombia to Milan's Malpensa airport, and all in all ... the 2kg package contained 150g of cocaine powder via about 500 beans.

The package was addressed to a tobacco shop in Florence, and cops busted the 50-year-old man who came to collect it.

Italian police named their operation "Caffe' Scorretto" -- which means Improper Coffee, which plays off the name of the country's popular drink, '"Caffe' corretto" ... corrected coffee.

Hayden Panettiere's allegedly abusive ex-boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, is now facing serious criminal charges in California ... this, days after Hayden got an order of protection against him.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Hickerson was charged Thursday in an 8-count complaint that includes domestic violence charges, assault charges. Seven of the 8 charges are felonies.

Panettiere recently reported her ex-BF to the Teton County Sheriff in Wyoming -- along with the Santa Monica police and LAPD -- for multiple incidents involving extreme domestic violence against her during their year-and-a-half relationship.

The former "Nashville" star tells TMZ ...  “I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me with the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve. I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again. I’m grateful for my support system, which helped me find the courage to regain my voice and my life."

Hayden's attorney, Alan Jackson, says ... "After suffering for years as the victim of psychological, emotional and severe physical abuse, Hayden Panettiere has begun the process of taking back her life. Hayden has found the strength and courage to share the truth about her abuse and her abuser, and she intends to assist the prosecution to see that justice is served. As a survivor, she recognizes that her arduous journey of healing has just begun."

As we reported ... Panettiere recently got court-ordered protection from Hickerson in  Wyoming, and a California judge just granted her that same protection in the Golden State.

Hickerson was arrested for domestic violence on Valentine's Day in Teton County, Wyoming -- after Hayden told cops he'd roughed her up after an argument and punched her in the face.