Legal

Polo G's lawyer thinks cops in Miami did the rapper dirty by only releasing parts of his 2021 arrest that make him look like the bad guy ... but Miami PD is denying it released the bodycam footage.

Polo's attorney Bradford Cohen tells TMZ this is something he's never experienced in his decades of work ... law enforcement releasing what he calls "heavily redacted" body cam footage, and only "the parts that disparage the defendant."

Cohen says there are crucial moments in his arrest that were left out of the released video -- "They didn't show him getting slammed to the ground or the reason why was pulled over. Of course, they wouldn't show that."

The video does show Polo verbally berating one of the arresting officers, but Cohen says that is "part of being a police officer out in public, people are going to say things you are not going to like."

He thinks Miami PD was embarrassed because it had no probable cause to stop him or arrest him last June, and the case has been largely dismissed after Polo completed anger management classes.

Here's the wild card, though -- we asked Miami PD why it only released portions of the arrest, and a spokesman told us the department did NOT release the footage ... which first popped up Thursday on Twitter.

Derek Chauvin can't return to law enforcement after he serves his prison sentence ... and he can't even be a rent-a-cop ... at least for the 5 years he's on supervised release.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ, the former cop's supervised release specifically bars him from working as a law enforcement officer, corrections officer, or security officer while on his 5 years of supervised release after he's out from behind bars.

Chauvin will have to find a new career outside policing .. even Derek Chauvin the mall cop is off the table.

In addition, Chauvin can't contact George Floyd's family ... unless he gets prior approval from his probation officer.

As we reported ... Chauvin was recently sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison, plus 5 years of supervised release once he's out, for violating Floyd's civil rights.

Remember ... Chauvin was already found guilty of murdering Floyd and sentenced to 22.5 years behind bars in that case. The sentences will be served concurrently.

Famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump is imploring more NBA players to speak out about Brittney Griner ... clearly believing their voices could help bring the WNBA star back to the States.

The lawyer spoke with TMZ Sports out in D.C. earlier this week ... and he made it clear, if some of the Association's biggest names -- as well as others in the NFL, NHL, MLB and more -- keep raising awareness for Griner, it could help her in her drug case in Russia.

"I think the NBA players should be saying more," the 52-year-old said. "I think that the sports world should be saying more."

As we reported, BG is now facing 10 years behind bars after she pled guilty to drug charges in a Russian courtroom on Thursday.

Griner's legal team said they're hopeful that by taking responsibility for her actions, authorities would go easy on her when it came to sentencing.

Crump obviously isn't feeling super optimistic that will happen ... telling us he believes regardless of what goes down in the case, "She's being used as a political pawn."

He's now urging anyone with a platform to come forward, believing a large, public outrage could hopefully lead to a speedy return for the basketball star.

"It would be a travesty of justice for her not to come home soon," he said.

Amber Heard wants her insurance company to cover a portion of the verdict Johnny Depp won against her, but the insurance co. says Amber's own conduct allows them to tell her to pound sand.

Here's the deal. Amber had a $1 million liability policy with New York Marine and General Insurance Co. The policy covers all sorts of wrongful conduct, including defamation ... but there's a catch.

The governing law for the insurance policy is California, and under California law, an insurance company is not on the hook if the insured (Amber) committed wrongful, "WILLFUL" misconduct. New York Marine says not only did the jury find the defamation Amber committed was willful, it was malicious.

Amber Heard's lawyers have just filed new documents, further detailing their claim that one of the jurors deceived the court by pretending to be the person who was actually summoned.

The new docs claim a jury summons went to a Virginia home where 2 people with the same name reside. The document says the person summoned is 77 years old, but the person who actually showed up for jury service is 52.

Now the docs say both people share the same last name. It would seem they must also share the first name as well, because it would be a big red flag to the court if the first names were different. The document does not address the first name.

In any event, Amber's lawyers say this was a fraud on the court because the 52-year-old never should have served on the jury, but apparently wanted to do so.

As you know, that juror, as well as the others, all sided with Johnny Depp on his defamation claim ... in Virginia, a unanimous verdict is required.

Boosie Badazz is willing to die on Pied Piper hill with his firm belief that R. Kelly got screwed by a federal judge -- but the facts don't exactly support that argument.

The Louisiana rap legend's been pissed off ever since the judge hit Kelly with 30 years in federal prison. Remember, the singer was found guilty on a slew of sex crimes -- but Boosie insists none of them warrants such a stiff sentence.

He absolutely flipped out in a VladTV interview, claiming he knows of dozens of cases where killers and rapists were given just 10 years in prison -- and, to Boosie at least, Kelly's crimes amount to little more than manipulation of women.

As he so eloquently put it, "[Kelly] wasn't tying them to the bed. He was masterminding bitches!!! Older n****as do it all the time!"

This seems like a good time to remind Boosie, and others, R. Kelly was convicted of 9 federal sex crimes ... including human trafficking, obstruction of justice and kidnapping. That last count was for holding women against their will.

So, while Boosie thinks Kelly got the book thrown at him because he's Black and rich ... the jury clearly felt there was plenty of actual, and relevant evidence to convict him on ALL counts.

Perhaps the most offensive part of Boosie's rant was his suggestion Kelly should get a lighter sentence so he can return to society, and counsel women on how to avoid "predators."

Lizzette Martinez, one of Kelly's victims, has the total opposite take ... telling us he deserves a life sentence, because she doesn't believe he can be rehabilitated.

Kelly's attorneys have said they plan to appeal the case ... a move we're guessing Boosie fully supports. One thing he didn't discuss is the fact Kelly could be sentenced at least 2 more times when he stands trial in another federal case and a Minnesota state case.

Filmmaker Alex Holder thinks his upcoming Trump documentary paints a clear picture of how former President Donald Trump and his team incited a riot at the Capitol.

Alex joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday and says Trump and co. were a hostile bunch as he interviewed them in the months that led up to the January 6th insurrection -- using words like "belligerent" to describe their tone.

His interviews with the former President were filled with anger, and says he spoke to Trump months after Jan 6 at Mar-a-Lago, who still stuck to his story about "smart people" rightfully fighting for what they thought was right.

He says the series, which premieres Sunday on Discovery+, will follow a couple of storylines ... one about how Trump allowed the riots to take place, and another about the dynamic between DT and his kids -- something he finds just as interesting.

Vince McMahon -- longtime chairman and chief executive of WWE -- agreed to pay $12 million in "hush money" to 4 different women over a 16-year time period, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

The paper claims all of the women were formerly associated with WWE ... and all signed agreements with McMahon preventing them from discussing their relationship with the now 76-year-old billionaire.

One of the reported settlements included a $7.5 million payment to a former wrestler ... who according to WSJ, claimed McMahon coerced her into giving him oral sex. Ultimately, Vince allegedly declined to re-sign the wrestler to a new deal after she refused further sexual encounters.

In 2018, the wrestler and her lawyer allegedly approached McMahon and negotiated a $7.5 million settlement in exchange for her silence.

There were two other previously unknown, alleged payouts made by Vince to former female employees. Each of those women reportedly received around $1 million. Those instances reportedly occurred around 2006 and 2008.

The new report comes on the heels of another WSJ story which led to McMahon voluntarily stepping down from his post at the helm of the wrestling promotion. In that instance, Vince reportedly agreed to pay a former WWE paralegal $3 million after they had an affair following her hiring in 2019.

WWE's Board of Directors -- where Vince sits as the director -- recently hired an outside law firm to investigate the allegations. Despite being at the center of the inquiry, McMahon has said he's "committed to doing everything in my power to help the Special Committee complete its work."

It's unclear what the latest developments will mean for that investigation.

Meanwhile, Vince's daughter, Stephanie, is back with the company as interim CEO and interim chairwoman after briefly taking a leave of absence "to focus on family."

Derek Chauvin was just sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison for violating George Floyd's civil rights during his murder.

The former Minnesota cop took a plea deal back in December, admitting he kept his knee pinned on Floyd's neck when Floyd became unresponsive, and was sentenced on Thursday ... getting 245 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.

Chauvin was in the courtroom when the judge read the sentence, wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, and waved to his mother and friends in the gallery when he was brought in.

Floyd's brother, Philonise, gave a victim impact statement ... saying George was murdered in broad daylight for the world to see, accusing Chauvin of using excessive force that went against his police training.

George's brother also remarked how George would not be there to see his daughter grow up ... and Philonise said George's life mattered.

Chauvin's mother, Carolyn Pawlenty, also spoke in court ... telling her son she would visit him often in prison and hoping she would still be alive when he's released.

Gunna's come up short again -- denied bond for the second time, because the judge believes his involvement in the Young Stoner Life camp could lead to witness intimidation.

Judge Ural D. Glanville once again rejected all of Gunna's attorney's motions ... leaving the rapper stuck in his Fulton County Jail cell at least until his case goes to trial in January 2023.

Gunna's attorney Steve Sadow tells TMZ Hip Hop, "Sergio Kitchens a/k/a Gunna and the defense team are very disappointed in the denial of bond. Gunna produced substantial evidence that bond was warranted for him. The prosecution again produced no evidence at all; instead, it chose to rely on vague and non-specific allegations and speculation through the statements of the prosecutor alone."

He added "justice isn't being served" by repeatedly denying Gunna bond on his way to an inevitable not guilty verdict.

Prosecutors asked the court to block access to addresses and contact information of witnesses from defense attorneys until 30 days before the trial.

Gunna has been going hard for his freedom ... penning an open letter to the U.S. Constitution on his birthday this year, which was capped by his No. 1 album "DS4EVER."

Brittney Griner is back in court in Russia as her trial continues onward ... but this time, she made sure to bring a very personal item with her -- a photo of her wife.

Cameras captured the WNBA superstar walking into a Moscow courtroom for another hearing in her drug case on Thursday morning ... and you can see in her hand, very clearly, was a photo of Cherelle Griner.

The picture appears to be a screen grab from one of Cherelle's recent television interviews ... and next to it, there was also a photo of Brittney holding a basketball.

Brittney seemed to want to make sure cameras snapped her holding the pics ... as she held out the paper and stared at photogs camped inside the halls of the courthouse on her way inside.

The 33-year-old hooper wore a red Crenshaw T-shirt, red sweats ... and had a stern look on her face.

The loud-and-clear message from Brittney comes just one day after both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Cherelle about Brittney's case.

White House officials said Biden and Harris assured Cherelle on the call they're pursuing "every avenue to bring Brittney home" and promised that they're "working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible."

Cherelle said in a statement shortly after the call she was "grateful" for the U.S. officials' contact ... but added at a rally for Brittney at the Footprint Center in Phoenix hours later that she "honestly can't rest until" Brittney is back on U.S. soil.

As we reported, Brittney is facing up to 10 years behind bars in Russia after she was accused of having drugs in her luggage at a Moscow airport back in mid-February.

Megan Rapinoe's in Washington D.C. to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, but while the soccer star's physically at the White House, it's clear her thoughts are very much with Brittney Griner in Russia.

Just hours after the Phoenix Mercury star pled guilty in a Moscow court, the Olympic gold medalist shared a photo of her outfit for Thursday's ceremony at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave ... and it features the WNBA star's initials stitched into the suit.

In addition to the "BG" ... there's also a flower stitched onto the lapel of the pearl-colored blazer.

"The most important part of today," the 37-year-old said.

Rapinoe is on her way to the White House where she'll be presented with the medal ... the highest honor a civilian can receive from the government.

President Biden -- who recently spoke with Griner's wife, Cherelle, about Brittney's imprisonment -- will present the medal to Rapinoe.

"The President called Cherelle," the White House said on Wednesday, "to reassure her that he is working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible."

Macy Gray's performance on the "Today" show was supposed to include a Brittney Griner protest ... but the singer and her keyboardist says network honchos wouldn't let it happen.

Billy Wes arrived at NBC Studios in New York City on Thursday morning rocking a black tee shirt with bold white letters reading, "FREE BRITNEY GRINER" ... but when he was on-air, the message was mysteriously hidden.

We asked Milly what happened after the show ... and he told us "Today" honchos told him he couldn't wear the shirt and made him turn it inside out. Macy stopped to talk to us, saying Brittney's situation is really a sad one, and says the plan was for Wes to wear the shirt.

Milly wouldn't tell our camera what explanation he was given as to why he couldn't wear the shirt on-air ... but you can tell he was bummed out.

As we reported ... Brittney pled guilty in Russian court to drug possession and smuggling charges on the heels of President Biden saying he was ramping up efforts to secure her release.

Kanye West rented a bunch of clothes from a famous fashion rental service but didn't return over a dozen items and is now skipping out on a six-figure bill ... this according to a new lawsuit.

Ye is being sued by the David Casavant Archive for over $400,000 ... with the fashion rental service claiming Kanye owes them for years of unpaid fees on unreturned items.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Kanye stopped paying rental fees back in 2020 for 13 "rare, esteemed pieces" he never returned to the archive, which says their other celeb clients include Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga, Tom Brady, Pharrell, 21 Savage and Solange.

The David Casavant Archive says they've been working with Kanye since 2014 but this is the first issue they've had with him ... claiming he rented 49 pieces in February/March 2020 and returned 36 with no issues. According to the DCA, at the end of October 2020, Ye stopped paying the weekly fees on the remaining 13 pieces.

Kanye is allegedly holding on to and no longer paying for designer items from Helmut Lang, Raf Simons and Ann Demeulemeester ... including hoodies, capes, cargo pants and a $50,000 parka, just to name a few.

The archive says Yeezy owes over $221k in unpaid rental fees and would need to fork over an additional $195k in replacement fees for the 13 items ... and they're going after him for the money.

Amber Heard's getting a small shot at redemption -- not in court, but in a wrestling ring where, you guessed it ... Mini Johnny Depp squares off against Mini Amber!!!

Yeah, they might be testing the limits of the world's fascination with the bitter exes, but Wednesday night the good folks at Micromania M****t Wrestling put on their version of the defamation trial at the Whisky A Go-Go ... complete with a Mini Camille Vasquez in Johnny's corner.

Ya can't knock the theater of it all -- Amber entered the ring to the Buckcherry hit, "Crazy Bitch," and Johnny swashbuckled in to the "Pirates of the Caribbean" theme.

As for the ring action ... well, you really just gotta see it, but here's a short summary: Both minis get in their shots, with Amber delivering the most humiliating blow. As the ring announcer so eloquently put it, "She wiped s**t on his face! What the f**k?!?"

Poetry.

Anyway, just like in the Fairfax courthouse, Johnny came out on top ... delivering a Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka finishing move, and then pinning Mini Amber. Mini Camille even got in a parting shot.

Travis Scott stopping a concert for a rowdy crowd is backfiring -- 'cause the family of one of the Astroworld victims thinks it shows him picking and choosing when he puts fan safety first.

Alex Hilliard, an attorney representing Ezra Blount's family, tells TMZ ... Scott's actions at the July 4 Coney Island show don't prove the rapper is compassionate and willing to keep order. If anything, it depicts the exact opposite ... at least according to the lawyer.

Hillard says, "He knows exactly how to keep his fans safe during a concert, but the problem with that is he didn't just learn about the fact that he has control over the entire crowd."

His implication is Travis has known he wields this power all along, including at Astroworld, but simply refused to exercise it to settle things down. Travis has denied that.

Hillard goes on -- "There are 10 people that would still be alive today, including young Ezra Blount, if Travis realized his responsibility as an artist goes further than just trying to rile up his crowds, and it reemphasizes the rule of 'if you see something say something.'"

In the immediate aftermath of the Coney Island performance, one of Travis's reps came out and said ... "Travis is committed to doing his part to ensure events are as safe as possible so that fans can have fun," adding that he encouraged fans to listen to security so everyone could be safe and enjoy themselves.

It might leave TS feeling like he's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't -- but Hillard just isn't buying the compassionate Trav version of events.

He hits back rather fiercely ... telling us, "The problem Mr. Scott has is his when we call him to the stand to swear him in and cross-examine him the judge will not allow his paid spokesperson to sit in the witness chair and answer questions for him."