Legal

The Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard trial is barely halfway done, but an enterprising coffee shop in WeHo has allowed customers to weigh in, in a very creative way.

Yep. There are Johnny/Amber tip jars at Dialog Cafe's ordering counter ... and folks are putting money down on who they believe.

Johnny holds the edge. We're told the Jonny vs. Amber tip jars have been displayed since the beginning of the week ... and Johnny seems to have come out on top in tips at the end of each day.

Mind you this is an unscientific process, but gotta say ... our TMZ polls -- You Be the Judge -- also have Johnny winning by a handsome margin, albeit the survey is unscientific as well.

As you know, Jonny Depp and his ex-wife are in the middle of a courtroom showdown ... and there have been some pretty explosive claims to come out, on both sides.

JD is suing Amber for $50 mil, claiming she lied when she accused him of physically abusing her. She is countersuing for $100 mil for defamation, claiming he coordinated a smear campaign against her.

Of course, this wouldn't be the first time the public has weighed in on ongoing beef. Some Starbucks locations across the U.S. brought out tip jars back in March during all the Pete Davidson vs Kanye West drama.

Amber Heard's career may already be suffering because of Johnny Depp's trial -- she reportedly has a significantly smaller role in 'Aquaman 2' ... amounting to mere minutes.

According to film journalist Grace Randolph -- who's known to get solid comic book movie scoops like this -- Amber will, apparently, be featured in less than 10 minutes of screen time in "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom."

No other context was offered, which is actually crucial to understanding this -- namely, whether Amber's supposed reduced presence is a recent development, or if it'd been written that way since the beginning. In any case ... it's interesting this news is surfacing now.

The film wrapped in January, with director James Wan posting a congratulatory IG with Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson (a new character) ... but strangely, not mentioning Amber at all. She was a huge part of the first film -- Jason's love interest -- and yet ... crickets.

Jason himself doesn't appear to have been tagging, posting with or mentioning Amber either on his social media these past several months -- so that, too, is kinda telling. He has been doing some promotional stuff for 'Aquaman' here and there ... but always solo, or with Pat.

BTW, Amber herself also doesn't seem to have been doing much, if any, promo for 'Aquaman 2.' Most of her IG activity centers around her personal life ... except for a snap in October, when she posted a photo of herself in signature Mera red hair, simply writing ... "Red-dy."

Of course, the film itself has also been bumped schedule-wise -- it was originally supposed to be released around the holidays this year ... but Warner Bros. pushed it back to March, citing COVID-related production delays.

The 'Aquaman' sequel has been in the works for a long time -- and Amber was announced as reprising her role from the get-go. The question ... is the trial actually affecting things??? Fact is ... us normies will never know for sure, unless someone higher up spills the beans.

These films are living, breathing entities subject to change until they're actually released. Assuming this report is true, WB could easily attribute sidelining Amber for story reasons as opposed to hanging it on the court revelations that have surfaced these past few weeks.

A youth softball umpire in Mississippi claims an irate parent assaulted her, allegedly punching her in the face, all 'cause the mom didn't like the way she was calling the game ... and now the parent has been arrested for assault.

Ump, Kristi Moore, tells TMZ Sports the alleged incident went down Saturday, April 9 ... when she was umpiring a 12 and under softball game between MVP and Southern Select in Laurel, MS.

Moore says the mother of a child on MVP named Kiara Thomas allegedly began yelling profanities at her, saying, "I will slap the f*** outta you bitch," as Kristi was calling the game.

Kristi tells us Thomas was asked to leave the field, but refused to, and told her she'd be waiting to confront her after the game was over.

And, according to Moore, the mom kept her word. The ump claims Thomas walked up to her and punched her square in the eye, causing a black eye, cuts and scratches under Kristi's eye.

Moore says she didn't immediately go to the hospital, but did seek medical attention the next day ... when she went to see a doctor for severe bruising she says she sustained during the altercation.

Thankfully for Kristi, she says a staff member at the softball field jotted down the license plate of the vehicle Thomas was driving after she left the field following the alleged attack.

And, according to police docs we obtained, 32-year-old Thomas was apprehended by authorities after they initiated a traffic stop ... and arrested for simple assault.

Moore bonded out the same night she was locked up, per the Laurel PD incident report.

The longtime ump also says the USFA softball organization has banned Thomas and the team, MVP, from the league.

USFA has not directly confirmed the banning of MVP and Thomas.

As for Moore ... she tells us she's rescheduled her upcoming games in order to take a much-needed break, saying she isn't mentally ready to call games.

Rapper Pooh Shiesty won't be a completely free man even after he does his time for a wild shootout -- the artist will have some serious restrictions, according to legal documents.

Pooh's sentencing docs, obtained by TMZ, show he'll have to be on supervised release for 3 years once he completes his 63 months in prison, and the supervision comes with a bunch of rules attached.

During the 3 years, Pooh isn't allowed to associate with any of his co-defendants or gang members ... and his PO has permission to search Pooh and his property from time to time.

The rapper will also have to go through a treatment program for drugs and alcohol.

As we reported, he's currently serving the 5-plus year sentence over a South Florida shootout from back in October 2020.

DaBaby is facing criminal charges for a beatdown a man claims he suffered for trying to stop the rapper's entourage from shooting a music video on his property.

The rapper has been charged with felony battery by the L.A. County District Attorney's Office ... over an incident from early December last year ... which allegedly left a guy, Gary Pragar, with serious injuries.

There's another man named Thankgod Awute who's being charged as well. Prosecutors claim he was DaBaby's cohort in crime ... they hit him with felony robbery.

Pragar filed a lawsuit in February, claiming he was attacked for enforcing basic property rental rules at his place.

DaBaby and his team rented a massive pad that Pragar manages in L.A. ... and Pragar says he was told it was going to be a vacation place for DB and his pals. Pragar says he made clear ... there was a guest limit -- no more than 12 -- which he claims DaBaby's management team agreed to in a rental agreement.

During their weeklong stay ... Pragar says he became aware there were way more than 12 people at the property at any given time and complained to DaBaby's team ... getting assured, falsely he says, that they wouldn't be there for long.

Eventually, on Dec. 2, he says he paid a visit himself and realized they were shooting a music video there with an entire film crew and a ton of other people around -- upwards of 40, he says -- and Pragar tried to shut the whole thing down by talking to DaBaby.

That's when he claims he was attacked by someone in DB's crew, part of which was caught on video. He says DB ordered the guy off of Pragar, but then allegedly sucker-punched him in the face, knocking out his tooth ... this, per the lawsuit.

Sounds like Pragar went to the authorities after this, and now they're coming down hard on DB and co. Tough few weeks for DaBaby -- this is just the latest incident for him in a string of seemingly nonstop hiccups.

A third woman has come forward and accused Trevor Bauer of crossing the line during sex ... claiming the pitcher choked her unconscious and slapped her in the face without consent back in 2013 and 2014.

The accusations were published just hours after MLB handed Bauer a 2-year ban for violating the league's domestic violence and sexual assault policy. The woman claims she spoke with league investigators during its 10-month-long probe.

The woman claims she met Bauer on a dating app in April 2013 ... back when he was a member of Cleveland's minor league team in Columbus.

The woman makes it clear the sex during their relationship was always consensual -- but claims during intercourse, "things happened outside of my consent," according to the Washington Post.

Among the allegations, the woman claims Bauer choked her during sex, which she agreed to "to a certain point." However, she says in ensuing encounters, he grabbed her throat until she passed out, which she says she was against.

She claims Bauer choked her unconscious dozens of times ... and he would only stop if she "got pissed and was like desperate about it" or if she passed out.

The woman says on one of the occasions, after she regained consciousness, Bauer was anally penetrating her without her consent.

The woman says she actually has video of at least one of the alleged choking incidents ... 'cause Bauer allegedly recorded their sexual encounters with a GoPro camera either mounted on a tripod or strapped to his head.

The accuser is represented by high-powered attorney Joe Tacopina, who claims he has seen the video -- "She’s clearly struggling to breathe and tapping his arm to let go, and you see her skin color darkening," the attorney told the Post.

The allegations are similar in nature to that of Bauer's other accusers ... who say their sexual encounters all started consensually, but went to a place that was beyond their approval.

Bauer -- who hasn't pitched since June 2021 -- has vehemently denied any wrongdoing since the first accusations were made public ... and has vowed to appeal his 2-year ban from MLB.

Police and the district attorney investigated claims made by Bauer's first accuser in California ... but officials opted not to file charges. This week, Bauer filed a lawsuit against her, claiming she tried to ruin his career.

Travis Scott has another fellow artist supporting his decision to resume his music career following the Astroworld tragedy that left 10 people dead.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Tinashe at LAX, and the R&B starlet feels it's prime time for Cactus Jack's comeback. While she acknowledged the festival was indeed a "sensitive subject," she doesn't feel Travis should be banned from performing ... provided additional security measures are in place.

The singer -- who just fired off the deluxe version of her "333" album -- actually collaborated with Travis on her 2014 debut album "Aquarius" and echoed much of what T-Pain told us earlier this week.

As for the various Astroworld lawsuits still hanging over Travis' head ... both sides have accused each other of "tainting" the jury pool

Attorneys for victims have criticized Travis for his charitable initiative, Project Heal, calling it a thinly-veiled attempt to get into a jury's good graces -- while reps for La Flare claim a new documentary, "Concert Crush: The Travis Scott Festival Tragedy," is a cash grab, and one that could potentially taint a jury.

Blac Chyna's jury is still deliberating whether the Kardashians are on the hook for tanking her reality show, but Kim Kardashian has already scored a major victory.

The judge just tossed out Chyna's defamation claim against Kim, ruling KK made no defamatory statements against Rob's ex.

Chyna's lawyer argued even if Kim didn't directly make false statements against Chyna, she essentially co-signed slanderous and libelous statements allegedly made by other members of the Kardashian fam.

Well, the judge begged to differ, saying there was ZERO evidence Kim took a "responsible part" in the various statements that have become the centerpiece of Chyna's case.

Translation -- Chyna's lawyer tried to sell a theory that Kim somehow winked or otherwise gave credence to statements made about Chyna's predilection for violence toward Rob. Chyna's lawyers also argued Kim was a co-signer on others who allegedly trash-talked Chyna to E! execs.

That all said, there's plenty for the jury to still consider. There are other defamation claims against various members of the Kardashian klan, as well as a claim they intentionally derailed her reality show.

Chyna was asking for $40 million for that claim.

Trevor Bauer just got hit with one of the longest suspensions in MLB history -- the ace was suspended 2 years without pay after Major League Baseball concluded its investigation into claims of sexual assault.

MLB launched a probe in June 2021 after a woman accused the Cy Young winner of going too far during two sexual encounters in April and May 2021 ... allegedly punching and choking her unconscious ... resulting in bumps, bruises, scratches and other injuries.

The league concluded after an extensive investigation, he did, in fact, violate the league's joint policy on domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.

Bauer -- who has adamantly denied any wrongdoing -- says he will appeal the punishment and expects to win.

"In the strongest possible terms, I deny committing any violation of the league's domestic violence & sexual assault policy," Bauer said in a statement.

"I am appealing this action and expect to prevail. As we have throughout this process, my representatives & I respect the confidentiality of the proceedings."

Bauer's suspension comes two months after it was determined he would not face criminal charges over the allegations.

"After a thorough review of all the available evidence, including the civil restraining order proceedings, witness statements and the physical evidence, the People are unable to prove the relevant charges beyond a reasonable doubt," the district attorney said at the time.

Bauer went on to sue his accuser and her attorney ... claiming she fabricated her accusations in order to ruin his career and extract money from him.

Bauer hasn't pitched since June 2021 ... and if the suspension holds, will be almost 34 when he will be able to step on the mound again.

Bauer is in the middle of a 3-year, $102-million deal ... and was slated to make more than $30 million in 2022 and 2023. In other words, if the suspension holds, he will lose more than $60 million.

Christina Haack wants everyone to know, she's NOT a bad mom -- despite what her ex-hubby, Ant Anstead, has claimed -- filing docs in hopes of poking holes in his allegations.

In legal papers, obtained by TMZ, Christina says despite what Ant has said, she sees their 2-year-old son much more than "9 full days each month." Christina also has an issue with the fact Ant believes she has essentially used their son for social media clout and sponsored posts.

Christina writes in her declaration, "I have never once commercialized, been paid to use, or used Hudson as a prop or a promotional tool for any television program or product." In fact, Christina claims, Ant's the one who uses Hudson for commercial gain ... she also includes some example posts from Ant to help support her point.

Christina also mentions Ant's concern she ingested hallucinogenic toad venom as an attempt, "to smear my good name and tarnish my image."

As for the COVID situation, where Ant says Christina returned Hudson to his care after her entire family had exposed the two-year-old to the disease ... Christina says she was the only person who actually had COVID, and was asymptomatic.

She tells the court there's no need for an emergency order to grant Ant full custody of Hudson ... and so far, the judge has agreed.

TMZ broke the story ... Anstead went OFF on Christina in docs filed Thursday -- accusing her of being an absent mother, putting Hudson at risk and not providing for him in necessary ways.

He also pointed to an example of Christina driving Hudson in a golf cart without a seatbelt as an example of her reckless behavior ... but Christina submitted a pic of Hudson wearing one around his waist.

At the time, Christina told us, "What Ant is doing deeply saddens me. If this was really about Hudson, as he says, this should have been handled privately with a private judge or mediation, as myself and my attorney have suggested. I have had my share of ups and downs but I am a good mom and I love my children with all my heart and I will always protect them."

Tennis legend Boris Becker was just sentenced to 2.5 years in prison after being convicted last month on charges he moved a large sum of money after declaring bankruptcy ... in an effort to hide the funds.

As we previously reported, 54-year-old Becker -- a 6-time Grand Slam winner -- was convicted by a jury earlier this month on multiple charges under the Insolvency Act in Britain ... including charges he concealed assets and debts.

Becker was also found guilty of transferring hundreds of thousands of dollars (well, pounds) from his business account to other accounts after declaring bankruptcy in 2017.

The judge who handed down the sentence said the former #1 ranked tennis player will have to serve half of his sentence, according to CNN.

And, it could've been much worse for Becker ... who was facing up to 7 years behind bars after his conviction.

The judge didn't spare the 3-time Wimbledon champ from taking a verbal beating during sentencing ...  the judge ripped into Boris as a remorseless criminal.

"I take into account what has been described as your fall from grace. You have lost your career and reputation and all of your property as a result of your bankruptcy," the judge said, according to the Press Association.

"You have not shown remorse, acceptance of your guilt and have sought to distance yourself from your offending and your bankruptcy."

The judge continued ... "While I accept your humiliation as part of the proceedings, there has been no humility."

As for Becker ... he seemed somewhat remorseful at times, even saying during his trial that he was embarrassed over the bankruptcy scandal, and even offered to part ways with his wedding ring to help satisfy his debts.

"American Idol" winner Laine Hardy has a warrant issued for his arrest ... but the allegations remain a mystery.

The 2019 'AI' is under "active investigation" by the Louisiana State University Police Dept. ... Ernie​ Ballard, a rep for the University tells TMZ. The rep declined to elaborate on the allegations.

Ditto the 21-year-old country singer ... who said on social media Thursday, "I understand that my career has thrust me into the public spotlight, and I embrace that wholeheartedly as my entire world belongs to my music and my fans."

Hardy, who says he's "fully cooperative" with the PD, added ... "due to the sensitive nature of this allegation, I humbly ask for privacy at this time. I have the utmost respect for the law and will assist in their investigation as needed moving forward."

It's unclear when Hardy will turn himself into authorities.

Travis Scott's team is coming out swinging against the creators of a documentary that takes aim at the tragic events of the Astroworld music festival ... calling it a pathetic money grab.

The "propaganda piece," as Scott's reps have dubbed it, is called "Concert Crush: The Travis Scott Festival Tragedy" and started screening in Texas on Friday.

The movie's director, Charlie Minn, told the AP the project isn't intended to be a hit piece against Travis, but rather a recounting of the devastation from that day.

Clearly, that's not what Travis' team thinks, calling it a, "... farce financed by and containing content from members of the plaintiff's legal teams, who, weeks after a tragedy, sought to exploit and benefit financially from it, with the clear goals of making money and swaying future juries and public opinion."

Interestingly enough, attorney Ricardo Ramos, who represents plaintiffs in multiple Astroworld cases is a producer for the film, and actual plaintiffs from the lawsuits are also featured in the film.

They also go in on Minn, saying, "It's a profit play and a publicity stunt, with no support from the film industry, no distribution, and from a director with no respect from his field who has been termed a "trauma pornographer."

For what it's worth, Minn has been critical of Travis' actions during the festival in the past, telling the Houston Press, "I think he'd be a lot more nervous if he didn't know the mayor and police chief. The police had all the authority to stop things, and the show should have been stopped by the third song. It was a dangerous, evil joke."

The documentary features several concertgoers from that day, most blaming Travis for not seeing what was happening in the crowd.

TMZ broke the story, several Houston Police officers were seen watching Travis and Drake perform while things got worse in the crowd -- apparently unaware of the severity of what was going on.

As we reported, 10 people died from "compression asphyxia" as a result of the events at Astroworld. The investigation continues as to who or what was responsible for the deaths ... but several lawsuits have pointed the finger at Travis and promoter Live Nation.

Pete Davidson joined Kim Kardashian and the rest of her famous fam inside the courthouse for the closing arguments in the Blac Chyna defamation trial.

The 'SNL' star slipped into the back of the courtroom Friday, sitting in the back row and wearing a black long sleeve shirt and pants. Kim and the rest of the brood sat in the front row.

Pete let out a laugh and put his head down to keep the chuckles to himself when the Kardashians' attorney said Chyna smashed a gingerbread house during an argument with Rob.

The lawyer's line that elicited a giggle from Pete ... "Why break a gingerbread house? It's like the happiest thing."

When Kris Jenner left the courtroom following closing arguments, she seemed very excited to see Pete and almost looked surprised, opening her mouth, smiling and hugging him.

Kylie Jenner also came up to Pete, hugging him just like her mother did.

Pete met Kim in the hallway ... where they shared an embrace and a kiss before being whisked away through a back exit, escorted by Sheriff's deputies.

Pete's been hanging out in L.A. this week ... driving one of Kim's luxury cars around Malibu ... but this is the first time he's shown up to court.

Amanda Bynes is in a potentially dangerous environment, with growing concern among friends and family over her fiance's inability to control his temper ... they worry the relationship could end in violence.

Sources familiar with the situation tell us ... people close to Amanda have witnessed Paul Michael's anger firsthand, saying he flies off the handle way too much.

Our sources say Paul has a history of outbursts, including an incident a couple weeks back when he allegedly vandalized his mom's house. We're told Wednesday night's fight between Amanda and Paul escalated because of his temper. She called police to express concerns for her safety, and then he called.

As you know, Amanda's parents recently agreed the actress should be freed from her conservatorship. We're told her parents still stand by their decision, as Amanda continues to do well on her own, but the concern is now over Paul.

TMZ broke the story ... cops were called to Amanda's home early Thursday morning after a dispute. Neither was arrested, but Amanda went to social media and claimed Paul was watching "Mom and Son" porn and doing crack. She later walked those allegations back.

Ant Anstead believes "Flip or Flop" star Christina Haack has created a dangerous environment for their son -- putting him at medical risk and using him as a social media pawn -- so he's asking a judge for full custody.

In explosive docs, obtained by TMZ, Ant says Christina has been mostly absent from 2-year-old Hudson's life -- spending an average of "9 full days each month" with him over the last 20 months.

Not only that, Ant claims when Christina does have Hudson in her care, she blasts him all over social media, including in paid posts, and he wants the judge to make it stop.

Ant says earlier this month, after spending time with Christina, Hudson came back with an awful sunburn that was so bad it left him crying in pain ... Anstead claims when he texted Christina about it, she responded, " ... it didn't feel hot. Give him some Tylenol im sure it will be better tomorrow."

Ant also says back in January, she returned Hudson to him without disclosing her family all had COVID. He says, "At the time my partner (who we know is Renée Zellweger) was filming her new project and her covid diagnosis placed the whole production on pause."

Then he gets into Christina's escapade with hallucinogenic toad venom. As we reported, she revealed back in July she had taken the drug ... Ant uses it as another example of Christina's ability to be an unsafe parent.

Ant says they currently have a shared arrangement for Hudson, but he's now asking for full custody -- with Christina getting alternating weekends ... he also wants the judge to prevent her from posting Hudson in any "commercial endeavor" unless he agrees to it.

Christina tells us, "What Ant is doing deeply saddens me. If this was really about Hudson, as he says, this should have been handled privately with a private judge or mediation, as myself and my attorney have suggested. I have had my share of ups and downs but I am a good mom and I love my children with all my heart and I will always protect them."