Legal

The hits keep coming for Britney Spears' first husband Jason Alexander ... after serving his sentence for crashing Britney's wedding, he's now facing felony charges for an old alleged crime.

The Napa County Sheriff tells TMZ ... Jason was booked today on an arrest warrant issued back in 2016 stemming from an alleged jewelry theft, and he's been charged with two felonies.

We're told Jason is charged with grand theft and buying/receiving stolen property ... and he was picked up Tuesday from Ventura County jail by Napa authorities after serving a 60-day sentence for crashing Britney's wedding.

TMZ broke the story ... Jason had a felony warrant out for his arrest in Napa County when he got busted in June at Britney's ceremony. Cops in Napa say Jason swiped a $2,000 bracelet from a woman there in 2015 when he was a houseguest.

As we first told you ... cops say Jason had been living in the woman's house for only a few weeks when she claims she noticed jewelry missing from her bedroom. Police say Jason later admitted to the woman he stole her diamond and sapphire tennis bracelet, valued at $2k, and pawned it off.

Now, the alleged theft is coming back to bite him.

R. Kelly's child pornography case from 2008 was front and center during opening statements in his new Chicago criminal trial ... something his attorney claims is a witch hunt.

Prosecutors kicked things off Wednesday in front of a jury, saying ... "The defendant, Robert Kelly, had sex with multiple children. He made videotapes of himself having sex with children," while also pointing at 2 co-defendants, ex-associates of Kelly's, whom they claim knew about it while it was going on and allegedly helped keep things quiet.

The woman at the center of the '08 case -- who was alleged to have been videotaped in sexual encounters with Kelly, at the age of 14 -- was mentioned too. She was referred to by prosecutors as "Jane" ... and they say she's going to testify in this case about what happened with RK.

According to prosecutors, Kelly went to incredible lengths to buy Jane and her family's silence at the time ... allegedly shipping them out of the country on his dime, and having his employees move mountains to conceal her identity or any connection to some tapes.

There are 4 tapes in play during this trial, and prosecutors say they'll have the jury watch three of them. At least one of those tapes appears to pertain directly to the alleged '08 victim, and the remaining ones might have to do with other alleged victims from over the years.

Prosecutors have accused Kelly of having sex with at least 4 minors, as well as rigging the '08 trial ... in which he was acquitted. Kelly's attorney, however, fired back.

Jennifer Bonjean, who's now repping Kelly, said her client was the victim of a mob mentality prosecution -- one that she says is way too late, and clearly intended to paint him as a monster, even though he's already been through this wringer once before.

She called his accusers "criminals" who have tried to extort Kelly, and who actually have immunity deals with these same prosecutors. Bonjean also said that one tape prosecutors have alluded to, but won't play, doesn't exist -- and leaned on the fact that the Jane Doe (who's the '08 alleged victim) has long maintained she is not on tape with Kelly.

A$AP Rocky has pled not guilty to felony firearms charges.

A$AP showed up at the Downtown L.A. criminal courthouse Wednesday all suited up for his arraignment. Arraignments are quick, and this was no exception. A$AP entered his plea to both charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.

A$AP walked confidently to the podium with his lawyer, Sara Caplan of O.J. Simpson fame.

His bond was set at $550k and the preliminary hearing was set for November.

As we reported, A$AP is accused of firing shots at A$AP Relli during a dispute in Hollywood back in November. Relli claims bullet fragments struck him, causing an injury to his hand. He is suing Rocky over the incident.

You'll recall ... he was arrested at LAX back in April after landing in a private jet with Rihanna.

Chris Brown and Lil Baby's show was at risk, though only for a short period of time, of getting canceled ... but a judge has decided the show will go on.

Ms. LaJuan Bailey, through her real estate company, filed legal docs asking the court to step in and block CB and co. from performing Wednesday at the Toyota Center in Houston ... a scheduled stop in his national 'One of Them Ones' tour, which is in full swing.

The paperwork, obtained by TMZ, is trying to achieve a few things -- first, filing a restraining order to prevent Chris from hitting the stage ... and second, asking Chris to address why he missed a charity gig in the area earlier this year.

We spoke to a source inside the courtroom who tells us the judge was quick to throw out the restraining order ... allowing Wednesday's show to happen.

As we reported, Bailey made a stink last month after claiming Chris bailed last minute on a hurricane benefit relief concert after Bailey claims to have shelled out $1 million to get Chris there.

Chris' camp denied her account, telling us there were contract stipulations that weren't met, and Chris gave at least a 2-day notice before canceling. He even tried forking over a 6-figure donation to make things right, but that apparently wasn't enough.

Swizz Beatz and Timbaland created a super popular rap battle show, and now they're doing legal battle with the company to which they sold their idea ... in the form of a $28 million lawsuit!

The big time music producers are suing Triller, claiming the video-sharing social networking service failed to pay up for the cash cow Swizz and Timbaland dreamed up -- Verzuz.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Swizz and Timbaland agreed to sell Verzuz to Triller back in January 2021 … but they say Triller defaulted on the deal after only two payments.

Swizz and Timbaland say they settled with Triller after the initial default, but they say Triller played the same game as before ... making one installment and then not paying up the remaining balance.

The music moguls are going after Triller for more than $28 million … plus interest.

We reached out to Triller ... so far no word back.

A$AP Rocky is in hot water after being charged with assault for a shooting in Hollywood ... and the alleged victim couldn't be happier.

Jamal Tooson, the attorney for A$AP Relli, tells TMZ ... his client feels vindicated the justice system worked for him, despite the stature of Rocky.

Tooson says Relli's life was shattered by the experience ... Relli says even though he wasn't hit by a bullet, he came within inches of death, and the experience has had a profound psychological impact on him.

The lawyer goes on to say Rocky is so powerful in Hollywood and specifically in the music industry, Relli, who is a music producer, felt he would not be believed and drummed out of the business. He believed if he pressed the case, people would just dismiss it as a money grab.

Relli says his faith in the justice system has been restored, because both the police and the D.A. believed him enough to file 2 serious felony charges against Rocky.

Relli sued Rocky in civil court last week, claiming Rocky fired multiple shots at him with a semiautomatic firearm, resulting in injuries to his hand after being struck by bullet fragments that required medical attention. Relli's attorneys told us since the shooting he's been the victim of online harassment, including death threats.

Mama June can't seem to stay away from all the reality TV drama ... she's going on a live, courtroom show ... suing a former friend she claims screwed her over.

Production sources tell TMZ ... Mama June will be a plaintiff on A&E's "Court Night Live." She's suing ex-friend Adam Barta, a fellow content creator.

Mama June and Adam worked on a YouTube show together where they yakked about pop culture and created other social media content. She claims what started as friendly advice turned into daily consults and that he promised to pay her for her help but stiffed her, so she's suing on the A&E show for $5k.

Adam says he had a close relationship with June and they each did things for the other without any obligation of repayment. He says he helped June in her time of need and was there for her ... so they're even.

Judge Greg Mathis presides over "Court Night Live" with Vinnie Politan doing the hosting and retired Judge Vonda Evans providing analysis.

Stunning revelation in the courtroom during the Kobe Bryant photo trial case Tuesday ... a deputy testified that he sent another cop graphic pics from the crash site while the two were in the middle of a "Call Of Duty" gaming sesh.

Michael Russell -- an L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. deputy -- says the exchange of the photos happened shortly after the Lakers legend and his daughter, Gianna, perished in the tragic, Jan. 2020 helicopter crash.

Russell, who claimed he had initially received the photos from fellow deputy Joey Cruz hours after the wreck, said he joined a video game party with Santa Clarita deputy Ben Sanchez the following day.

While the two were playing the first-person shooter game, Russell testified he told Sanchez he had the photos, and then asked if he wanted to see them. When the cop said yes, Russell said he sent them over.

Russell admitted in court that he had no business doing that. He also testified that he received nothing more than a minor write-up as punishment.

Cruz, meanwhile, also testified in court on Tuesday ... and did admit to showing the photos to a bartender as well.

Cruz said he did it to relieve the stress he had been dealing with due to the situation -- and testified that he did feel remorseful over it all.

Vanessa Bryant, who is suing for, among other things, emotional distress, was present in court -- though she did leave the room for at least part of Cruz's testimony.

Angelina Jolie may be trying to run Brad Pitt's name through the mud all over again, because the information she's trying to obtain through the FBI and a FOIA request is allegedly info to which she was already privy ... sources close to Brad tell TMZ.

Puck published a story Tuesday, claiming to have seen the details of Angie's FOIA lawsuit against the FBI. In its report, Puck says it's viewed the suit -- which has since been sealed -- which claims Brad put hands on Angelina and poured beer on her while in flight.

The lawsuit was filed anonymously back in April, but there were signs the person who filed was Angelina. We've now confirmed she was indeed the one who filed the lawsuit.

Our Brad sources say AJ's had the info for years, and believe she's only filed the FOIA lawsuit to get the press talking about the allegations against Brad again.

The lawsuit reportedly claims Brad grabbed Angelina by the shoulders and shook her violently while yelling, "You're f***ing up this family." Of course, this was the same flight where Brad allegedly put his hands on the couple's oldest son, Maddox, in 2016. Angelina has claimed Brad struck Maddox, something he has denied.

We've obtained documents from the FBI investigation which clearly state that FBI agents met with reps from the U.S. Attorney's Office and state, "It was agreed by all parties that criminal charges in this case would not be pursued due to several factors."

Our Brad sources say he was cleared because there was not a shred of evidence to support the claims made by Angelina.

The Australian actress whose family claimed she went missing after going on a date with someone she met online has been found ... turns out, cops say she's been in jail the whole time!!!

Here's the deal ... Laura McCulloch, an actress and singer in Los Angeles, scared the crap out of her family back in Australia when she seemingly fell off the grid after going on a first date.

Laura's family cried to Australian news outlets over the weekend, saying she was last seen Friday at a restaurant in Santa Monica, then failed to show up to her day job and yoga class. The family says they became concerned when they couldn't reach her by phone and reported her as missing to the LAPD.

But, here's what really happened.

Santa Monica Police tell TMZ ... Laura was arrested Friday night in Santa Monica after police got a call to the popular 3rd Street Promenade for a reported battery.

Cops say when they got to the scene, they were told Laura threw a drink at a fellow diner and their kid.

It doesn't sound like Laura is getting a second date with her mystery man ... police say when they approached her, she showed obvious signs of intoxication and charged at the officers while shouting expletives.

Cops say they tried to calm her down, but Laura continued being aggressive ... and when police went to detain her, officers say she became physically combative, kicking at officers and biting a cop on the shoulder.

Laura was booked into Santa Monica Jail early Saturday morning for public intoxication and resisting arrest, and we're told she spent the weekend behind bars and did not contact anyone she knows.

We're told the actress went before a judge Tuesday and is still in custody.

New video from the scene of Anne Heche's fiery car crash shows a house in shambles ... it looks like a bomb went off inside the home where Anne's car barreled through.

TMZ obtained this footage from the Los Angeles home Anne smashed into with her Mini Cooper, and you see firefighters examining the charred remnants, trying to piece together what happened.

After looking at the video, it's incredible the woman living in the home, Lynne Mishele, was not killed when Anne came plowing through.

We're told Lynne had just walked into another room to do some chores when the house was suddenly the scene of a scary crash ... and the area Lynne was in, fortunately, did not collapse or immediately catch fire, unlike other parts of her home.

While Lynne survived, we're told she's having a hard time dealing with the fallout ... suffering from physical and mental injuries.

Lynne has attorney Shawn Holley on her side to help with next steps, like handling insurance claims and helping pick up the pieces of her life.

Holley tells TMZ ... "I am only here to help Lynne go through the process of dealing with insurance companies so that she can start rebuilding her life. This was never about lawsuits or making money. She has lost everything and is so appreciative of all the love and support she has received."

We broke the story ... Anne was behind the wheel in a horrific car crash August 5 when she drove into a home, igniting a blaze. Anne was very badly burned in the accident and lost consciousness shortly after, never came out. She was declared brain dead Friday and taken off life support Sunday evening.

The FBI is wrong about Alec Baldwin pulling the trigger on the set of 'Rust' -- so says the actor's attorney, who thinks the Bureau's report is flawed.

Luke Nikas, AB's lawyer, gave his take to Fox News Monday -- this as Halyna Hutchins' death was officially deemed an accident the same day -- saying the feds are incorrect to conclude Alec pulled the trigger ... because the testing they did doesn't show that.

Nikas says, "The FBI report is being misconstrued." He adds, "The gun fired in testing only one time -- without having to pull the trigger -- when the hammer was pulled back and the gun broke in two different places. The FBI was unable to fire the gun in any prior test, even when pulling the trigger, because it was in such poor condition."

Essentially, Nikas seems to be suggesting either the report's findings are misrepresented -- seeing how they've only been reviewed/reported on by ABC -- or the FBI simply misstated what they actually did in the lab to get to the bottom of this. Either way, he claims it's bunk.

You'll recall ... the FBI, per ABC, said there was no way the gun Alec used went off without him pulling the trigger, as they tried firing it by just manipulating the hammer -- which is what Alec said he did. They insisted ... when the gun's working properly, that's impossible.

While it was unclear from ABC's report (and the language cited from the report) whether the FBI had actually tested the old revolver in question, Nikas appears to be implying they did.

Here's another thing ... Nikas says the FBI's report on the gun doesn't even matter, big picture, because the Santa Fe Medical Investigator's Office came back with its own pivotal finding over Halyna's death ... and they've officially deemed it an accident.

Nikas says, "The critical report is the one from the medical examiner, who concluded that this was a tragic accident. This is the third time the New Mexico authorities have found that Alec Baldwin had no authority or knowledge of the allegedly unsafe conditions on the set, that he was told by the person in charge of safety on the set that the gun was ‘cold,’ and believed the gun was safe."

All of these findings -- the FBI's and the medical investigator's -- have been sent off to New Mexico officials for further consideration. The D.A. has yet to make a decision on criminal charges.

Alec, of course, has already been dragged into court civilly ... but denied any responsibility.

A$AP Rocky is now facing criminal charges for an alleged shooting in Hollywood, where he's accused of firing multiple shots at a former friend.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Monday his office has charged the rapper with two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.

Prosecutors say Rocky pointed a gun at a man during a heated discussion in Hollywood back in November ... and during a follow-up confrontation, Rocky pulled the trigger and fired two shots in the direction of the alleged victim.

Remember ... Rocky was arrested for the alleged shooting in April at LAX, where cops were waiting for him to get off his private jet with Rihanna.

Rocky is also being sued for assault and battery by former A$AP Mob member A$AP Relli, who says he is the alleged victim in the shooting. Relli says he was hit with bullet fragments and suffered injuries.

Kim Zolciak's daughter, Ariana, denied drinking and driving after crashing into another vehicle ... but cops say she did admit to vaping the night before.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, the 20-year-old reality star denied drinking any alcohol during her DUI bust over the weekend. Officers informed Zolciak they could smell alcohol on her breath and she allegedly stated the smell could be coming from her clothing.

Cops say Ariana admitted she "smoked a THC vape pen the night before but did not drink." During the back and forth, she maintained she had not been drinking -- but cops say she had a "noticeable sway" during field sobriety tests.

TMZ broke the story -- Ariana was arrested in Forsyth County, GA, Saturday, and booked on 3 charges ... misdemeanor DUI, misdemeanor improper/erratic lane change, and misdemeanor underage alcohol possession/purchase of alcohol.

The whole thing happened after she allegedly hit another vehicle.

Ariana's attorney, Justin Spizman tells us, "Despite Ariana’s constant invocation that she was upset and anxious from the minor accident, the officer incorrectly concluded she was impaired by alcohol. That was not the case. She wholly denies these allegations and intends to fight these charges because she is not guilty of them.”

A former LACFD member claims he was ordered to take photographs of the Kobe Bryant crash scene ... this according to new testimony in the trial.

Brian Jordan -- an ex-captain with the Los Angeles County Fire Department -- testified that while he doesn't recall being at the actual site of the crash due to memory issues, he clearly remembers being told to take pictures by high-ranking officials.

"I followed many instructions that day but was told 'take pictures, take pictures, take pictures,'" Jordan said. However, a Chief from LA Co. FD vehemently denies instructing Jordan to capture images from the scene.

Jordan -- who retired from LA Co. FD in 2021 in part due to the mental anguish he suffered as a result of this ordeal -- needed to leave the courtroom multiple times at different points as he was probed with hard-hitting questions surrounding the specifics of the trial.

When asked if any of the pictures he captured contained images of body parts, Jordan said, "Thank you, now I see intestines in my head." Brian was so distraught over the proceedings that, at one point, he turned and said to the judge, "I don't want to hear this drama."

Raul Versales, a deputy with the LA Sheriff's Department, testified that he never made it to the crash site ... adding that he received approximately 30 photos from Deputy Doug Johnson. As we previously reported, Johnson said during the trial he had no regrets about taking photos of the remains, claiming higher-ups with LACFD ordered him to do so.

Versales told the courtroom that none of the photos were close-up body parts ... but did say there's a possibility arm could be visible in the distance. An investigation by the Sheriff's Dept. determined that there were violations of the use of communication protocols in Versales' cell phone.

Still, he did not receive discipline, nor was he suspended for his actions.

Rafael Mejia -- another member of the LA Sheriff's Department -- testified that he was sent the sensitive photographs and sent them to Versales. Mejia sent approx. 15-20 photos to Versales, according to his testimony.

As previously reported, Vanessa Bryant is currently embroiled in a contentious lawsuit with the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. among others .. after she learned 8 deputies took photos of the remains of Kobe and her late daughter, Gianna, and shared them with family, friends, co-workers, and even strangers.

Michelle Branch has filed for divorce from Patrick Carney, a move that comes just days after cheating allegations and the singer's domestic assault arrest.

Branch filed divorce docs in Tennessee Friday, obtained by TMZ, she states irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.

Michelle and Carney, who is the drummer of The Black Keys, have two young kids together. She's asking for child support and for custody ... but to allow for Patrick to have time with the kids. Branch is also requesting Patrick pay legal fees.

The estranged couple is also required to complete a parenting court, which the judge orders in all cases out of that specific court.

TMZ broke the story, Michelle and Patrick split last week just hours after she tweeted out accusing him of cheating. At the time, Michelle told us, "To say that I am totally devastated doesn’t even come close to describing how I feel for myself and for my family. The rug has been completely pulled from underneath me and now I must figure out how to move forward. With such small children, I ask for privacy and kindness.”

However, we learned shortly after the tweet, cops were called to Patrick and Michelle's home -- where the singer admitted to striking her husband one or two times in the face -- she was arrested for domestic assault. She was released from custody shortly after the arrest because she's breastfeeding their infant daughter.