Legal

Kyle Rittenhouse intends to sue LeBron James ... after he says the NBA superstar defamed him during his murder trial late last year to his 50+ million fans on social media.

And, he's not just going after The King ... he also says he's going after President Joe Biden and Whoopi Goldberg, among others.

As you know, 19-year-old Rittenhouse was charged with 2 counts of homicide, 1 count of attempted homicide, in addition to other charges, for shooting 3 people -- 2 fatally -- at a protest in Kenosha, WI.

During his trial, Rittenhouse took the stand ... and became emotional when talking about the events of August 25, 2020.

But, not everyone was buying the tears. Most notably, LeBron, who sent out a tweet mocking Rittenhouse's breakdown to his millions of followers.

Now, Rittenhouse -- who was found not guilty on all charges -- is fighting back.

During a lengthy sit-down interview with Turning Point USA, Kyle said he was going after all the people who defamed him before and during his criminal trial.

KR obviously saw Bron's message, and now he intends to sue the hooper.

Of course, recently, Rittenhouse reacted to LeBron's tweet, saying he actually used to be a fan of LeBron but has since said, "F*** him!"

As for Biden, Rittenhouse says the U.S. prez called him a white supremacist ... so he too can expect "papers," as Kyle phrased it.

Britney Spears is gearing up for a legal war with her former business managers at TriStar Entertainment -- a company heavily involved in her conservatorship, which she now outlandishly claims attempted to end her life.

The singer went off on TriStar Wednesday, especially its head honcho Lou Taylor and her righthand woman, Robin Greenhill -- 2 women who were allegedly an integral part of Britney’s life -- and she's accusing them of way more than just malfeasance.

Brit describes a meeting she says Greenhill and Taylor set up, and she claims Kate Beckinsale was also in attendance ... just to butter up Britney.

She says, "Ha those same bitches killed me a week later !!!! My dad worshipped those two women and would have done anything they asked of him !!!! I think they were trying to kill me … I still to this very day believe that’s EXACTLY what they were trying to do … but not a damn thing was wrong with me and I didn’t die !!!!"

She's never specific about HOW they allegedly tried to finish her, but Britney adds ... "Nobody else would have lived through what they did to me 🙅🏼‍♀️ !!! I lived through all of if and I remember all of it !!!! I will sue the shit out of Tri Star !!!! Psss they got away with all of it and I’m here to warn them every day of my precious life !!!!"

As we’ve told you, TriStar was hired by Britney’s father, Jamie Spears, early on in the conservatorship to handle her business affairs.

Britney could be alluding to when she was admitted into a mental health facility in 2019 after what we were told was her having a breakdown due to being distraught over her dad’s illness at the time.

During her stay, we’d been told doctors worked on getting her the right combination of medications to get her stable -- but she looked totally out of it during a day out with her BF, Sam Asghari.

As for Taylor and Greenhill, we got the latter out at LAX last year and tried to get comment on claims that she’d been part of the team that greenlit the alleged bugging of Britney’s room once upon a time.

She didn’t say a thing though ... remaining mum on all things Britney.

Now, it sounds like Britney's at least considering getting some payback in court. We've reached out to Lou Taylor and TriStar, but no word back yet.

Alec Baldwin might be regretting that ABC interview he did right about now -- because it seems to have, in part, triggered Halyna Hutchins' husband's wrath.

Matt Hutchins sat down for an interview with NBC's "Today" -- talking to Hoda Kotb -- which will be aired later this week ... and right off the bat in a new teaser, he's saying Baldwin's televised recounting pissed him off.

He says hearing AB talk about her death so publicly, so soon and in so much detail made him "angry," and not just that ... but the fact he denied responsibility over her death also didn't sit well with Matt at all.

As his wrongful death lawsuit had already spelled out -- and as his attorneys articulated thereafter -- Matt says it again here ... the idea that the person who held the gun that claimed her life isn't at fault is utterly absurd in his mind.

So yes, he does seem to think Baldwin is mostly to blame here. However, Matt also makes this clear ... there were other issues besides gun safety that led to his wife being killed, and it sounds like he's gonna get into all of that with Hoda.

As we told you ... Matt is suing Alec, among several other parties, for negligent and reckless misconduct that resulted in wrongful death, as well as loss of consortium. He’s asking for unspecified damages.

Megan Thee Stallion is ripping into Tory Lanez, after he called her a liar, by posting what she claims is proof he begged for forgiveness for shooting her.

Tory was supposed to be in court Wednesday regarding the 2020 shooting incident that left Megan Thee Stallion seriously injured, but the date was pushed to April. After the hearing, he tweeted ... "u can't buy and tweet your way out of this one ..not today" -- seemingly referring to Megan.

Well, she quickly, and strongly, responded on Instagram.

The post, which she's since deleted, included alleged text messages from Tory ... showing him apologizing.

Megan added in her caption ... "Lie yo way out of this … if you aint do s*** what you was apologizing for? THEY GOT YOU RECORDED ON THE JAIL PHONE TALKING TO KELSEY APOLOGIZING BEGGING US NOT TO TALK."

Kelsey is the former friend of Megan's who was also in the SUV the night of the shooting.

Tory didn't seem to back down from this feud, tweeting his explanation for the apology -- "Good D**k had me f***ing 2 best friends .... and I got caught 🤷🏾‍♂️ ... that's what I apologized 4."

Translation: He allegedly had sex with Megan and Kelsey, and they were the ones arguing over him.

You'll recall ... Tory, Megan and Kelsey were party hopping in Hollywood when police responded to shots fired in their vehicle. After Megan got out with a bloodied foot -- and cops finding a weapon under Tory's seat -- he was arrested and eventually charged with possession of a concealed weapon and assault with a firearm.

Sam Hunt's wife had an almost instant change of heart after filing for divorce, because the same day she accused Sam of adultery she withdrew her petition to end the marriage.

Hannah Lee Fowler had filed legal docs Friday to end her marriage to Sam, not only citing infidelity but revealing she was pregnant and wanted primary custody of their child due in May. She had also asked for spousal and child support.

But, then she filed a document the very same day saying the divorce petition was "voluntarily nonsuited without prejudices." Translation ... she's withdrawing the divorce case but is reserving the right to file again in the future.

The couple married almost 5 years ago and were together for years before ... they began their relationship when Sam was a QB at Univ. of Alabama, Birmingham.

A judge had yet to sign off on the filing, but that's just a housekeeping thing.

"Dancing with the Stars" pro Cheryl Burke is waving the white flag on her marriage to actor Matthew Lawrence ... because she just filed for divorce.

The dancer and TV host beelined it to a Los Angeles courthouse last week and filed divorce docs after nearly 3 years of marriage.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Cheryl lists the date of separation as Jan. 7 of this year ... and the estranged couple has a prenuptial agreement.

Cheryl and Matthew, who is most famous for his roles in "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Boy Meets World," tied the knot back in May 2019 in San Diego ... but they never had any kids together.

The pair first met in 2006, when Matthew's brother, actor Joey Lawrence, appeared on 'DWTS.'

Cheryl and Matthew began dating in February 2007, breaking up in 2008 and eventually reuniting in 2017. They got engaged in May 2018, when Matthew proposed on Cheryl's 34th birthday.

Rapper Slim Jxmmi's battery case has been dropped ... after the alleged victim recanted her allegations ... TMZ has learned.

According to new legal documents -- obtained by TMZ -- prosecutors in Florida say they do not have a good faith basis to file any battery charges against the rapper. Prosecutors say Slim's girlfriend backtracked on her initial battery claim, quickly saying it wasn't true.

You'll recall ... law enforcement sources told us Slim was arrested late January in Miami-Dade County, FL after his girlfriend called the cops, claiming he was upset with her and allegedly ripped hair extensions from her scalp.

But, according to the docs, not long after his arrest, Slim's GF took back her statement, saying he never put a hand on her.

The men who chased down and murdered Ahmaud Arbery committed a hate crime in the process of their fatal actions ... and they've all just been convicted of that offense.

The 12-jurors in the federal hate crime trial reached their decision Tuesday after a weeklong trial ... in which prosecutors argued the motivation behind the murder was hatred toward Arbery because of his race. As such Travis, Gregory McMichael and William 'Roddie' Bryan were all convicted.

All three men faced one count of interference of Arbery's civil rights, plus attempted kidnapping. The McMichaels were also charged with using, carrying and brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.

Travis -- the one who actually shot and killed Arbery on the road -- was also hit with a count of using a firearm in relation to a violent crime. The feds alleged these acts were racially motivated ... hence, why the case fell within the purview of federal hate crime laws.

Prosecutors pointed to racist messages they claimed had been posted or exchanged by the defendants -- specifically zeroing in on Travis McMichael, who allegedly once said Black people needed to be made examples of in white vs. Black confrontations.

Prosecutors also claimed the men had used racially charged language -- be it in writing, or verbally -- at one point or another. In addition to this, the feds claim Bryan himself told cops he'd heard the McMichaels use a racist epithet to describe Ahmaud after he'd fallen to the ground.

The men, meanwhile, insisted they weren't racist, and that the chase wasn't motivated by race.

Obviously, the jury didn't believe them.

The so-called "Tinder Swindler" isn’t the only one who got a bad rep from the Netflix documentary -- his bodyguard thinks he did too, and now he's threatening legal action.

If you’ve seen the doc, you know we’re talking about Piotr -- who was prominently featured as the personal security guard for Simon Leviev ... and some people think the doc makes it seem like he was in on Leviev's alleged scams.

That’s what’s he and his team are saying anyway -- and they think it's hurt Piotr's reputation and ability to work, so they’ve fired off a cease-and-desist letter to Netflix. Much like Simon dealing with one of his GFs ... they have a lot of demands.

In the letter, obtained by TMZ, attorney Joanna Parafianowicz says she wants Netflix to yank the 'Swindler' doc altogether.

Not just that, she's demanding Netflix publish an apology to Piotr on its official websites.

Of course ... Piotr is also asking for money due to what he characterizes as irreparable harm to his reputation and career. All in all, he's asking for 5 million Euros (about $5.6 mil).

His rationale for all this is ... Netflix never got permission to use his image or likeness, nor did it include his side of things. Piotr’s attorney says the current depiction of him as it stands -- namely, that he knew what Simon was doing -- is completely false. They insist Piotr was completely out of the loop on that front.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed -- the head armorer on the set of Alec Baldwin's "Rust" -- isn't handling firearms for her new job, but she'll still be around guns ... the tattoo kind!!!

Hannah's working at Belton Tattoo shop in her hometown of Bullhead City, AZ ... and was seen stepping out for a recent lunch break. According to the photo agency, she's the shop's receptionist. It's the first time she's been seen in public since the family of Halyna Hutchins filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her and several other people ... including Baldwin.

You'll recall ... the lawsuit alleges the hiring of inexperienced armorers -- like Hannah -- and having her split time as an assistant props master played a factor in Halyna's death.

Back in November, Hannah's attorney claimed the entire tragedy is a setup, with the goal of framing her -- adding "We believe that the scene was tampered with as well before the police arrived."

The D.A. has scoffed at the claim, saying no such evidence has surfaced.

It's unclear if tattoos are a new passion for Hannah, or if she's just waiting until the legal dust settles before returning to the film industry. After the "Rust" disaster, you gotta wonder if she can even get work on a movie or TV set.

Sam Hunt's wife has filed to end their 5-year marriage, citing infidelity as the reason.

Hannah Lee Fowler claims in her legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Sam is "guilty of inappropriate marital conduct," and she goes on ... "guilty of adultery."

The boilerplate code section Hannah cites reads, "The husband is guilty of such cruel and inhuman treatment or conduct toward the spouse as renders cohabitation unsafe or improper."

Sam and Hannah had not announced she was pregnant, but in the docs, she says she's due in May.

The docs were filed in Tennessee, which isn't a no-fault divorce state. She's asking for alimony. She also wants primary custody of their soon-to-be-born child. And, she wants child support as well.

It's unclear if they have a prenup, but indications are that they do because she asks "the parties be awarded their respective separate property."

As for alimony, Hannah wants, "transitional alimony, rehabilitative alimony, and alimony in future."

What's interesting ... the docs say they separated at the time she filed with the court, which was last Friday.

Alec Baldwin has an important ally in the "Rust" shooting, because the D.A. may be onboard with his story that he never pulled the trigger of the gun that killed Halyna Hutchins.

Santa Fe D.A. Mary Carmack-Altwies told Vanity Fair, "You can pull the hammer back without actually pulling the trigger and without actually locking it. So you pull it back partway, it doesn’t lock, and then if you let it go, the firing pin can hit the primer of the bullet."

This aligns with what Baldwin told ABC News back in December ... insisting he did not pull the trigger. He said, "I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them, never."

The D.A. had her investigators perform a test in her office ... to see if a mechanical malfunction could have resulted in an accidental firing. The result -- she says the hammer could have caused the gun to discharge a bullet.

Some experts have claimed there's no way the gun could fire without pulling the trigger, but the D.A.'s own analysis is critical, given she's mulling over whether to charge anyone with criminal negligence.

The investigation into the shooting death of 'Walking Dead' actor Moses J. Moseley just took a dramatic turn ... although cops believed he took his own life, new evidence suggests otherwise ... possibly foul play.

Moseley's body was found in his car January 26, with a bullet wound to his head and a gun sitting in his lap. Cops were investigating the death as a possible suicide.

Captain Randy Lee of the Stockbridge, GA PD tells us, "During the preliminary investigation, the potential of the death being a suicide was considered while not ruling out any other possibilities. As investigators progressed their investigation and more evidence was processed, reviewed and analyzed, other possibilities have presented themselves including accidental."

We spoke to a family member of Moseley ... they say investigators pointed to evidence of blood splatter, the way the bullet entered Moses' skull and his grip on the gun as not necessarily aligning with suicide.

The family member tells us the bullet entered below Moses' eye and never left his skull, whereas people who shoot themselves usually will put the gun to their temple (and the bullet exits on the other side) or in their mouth. He also had a "loose" grip on the gun, as if someone had put it in his hand.

TMZ broke the story, Moseley's family believed there was something fishy about his death from the get-go ... thinking it was possible he had been kidnapped and murdered.

Brian Flores is suing the NFL, but he'll still be getting paychecks from the org. in 2022 ... 'cause the ex-Miami Dolphins head coach has been hired to join the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff.

As we previously reported, Flores is in the middle of a messy legal battle with the NFL ... claiming its hiring process is rooted in racism -- even using texts from Bill Belichick to make his point.

While the 40-year-old's priority is facing off against the league in court in hopes of bringing change, he'll also be setting his focus on the AFC North ... as Flores will be the senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach for the Stellers next season.

Mike Tomlin spoke about the hire ... saying, "I am excited about Brian Flores joining our coaching staff given his history of developing and teaching defensive players during his time in the NFL."

"Brian's resume speaks for itself, and I look forward to him adding his expertise to help our team."

Flores was 24-25 in his 3 seasons with the Dolphins ... but many were puzzled with his firing in 2021, as it appeared he was finally hitting his stride in Miami.

Kanye West could soon find himself charged for allegedly attacking a fan outside an L.A. hotel ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops have nearly completed their investigation into the case, and will soon ship their findings off to the L.A. City Attorney's Office, who will decide on whether to file any criminal charges against Kanye.

We're told between the paparazzi video evidence, and witness statements, cops think there's enough evidence to charge Kanye with a crime. We know cops wanted to interview Ye, but our sources say it never happened ... citing a busy schedule.

As we've told you ... Kanye is under investigation for allegedly punching an autograph seeker near the Soho Warehouse in DTLA ... and video shows the man laid out on the street as Kanye rages at folks who apparently work for him. We were told at the time Kanye broke the guy's nose.

The way it works in L.A. ... the City Attorney has 3 options -- file charges, reject the case, or call the involved parties in for an informal office hearing where they could impose certain conditions for the case to go away ... conditions like attending anger management classes.

Passengers who witnessed a woman jump overboard to her death on a cruise ship have been left traumatized, and they want the cruise line to do some kind of a make-good.

Rhonda Turner, a 28-year-old from Booneville, MS, was enjoying her time on the Carnival Valor with her husband and two children ... before chaos erupted after a woman jumped off the balcony into the ocean.

Rhonda and her family rushed to where a large group of passengers was gathered. Rhonda says the scene was horrifying. She saw the head of the woman who jumped bobbing in the water. The woman was not decapitated, but all Rhonda could see was her head.

The woman jumped Wednesday afternoon after she was subdued by security. She had gotten into an altercation with a man in the hot tub.

Rhonda says the chaos left her and her family reeling, as helicopters hovered over the ship, trying to locate the woman. Her small children were bewildered and upset ... unable to understand the scope of what had happened.

Rhonda says it's time for Carnival to pony up ... at the very least she wants credit for another cruise. She's so traumatized she's considering counseling.