Legal

Prince and Andy Warhol are hot topics at the U.S. Supreme Court in a case that has Justice Clarence Thomas making a Bill Clinton-esque confession!! Yeah, it's that kinda day.

Justice Thomas spoke out Wednesday during oral arguments for a case involving a Prince image Warhol created back in 1984. Thomas, who rarely ever speaks during SCOTUS arguments, said, "Let's say I was a Prince fan, which I was in the '80s."

The comment drew light laughter, and then Justice Elena Kagan added a punchline ... "No longer?" The whole court erupted in laughter at that point and Thomas replied, "Only on Thursday nights."

Okay, first of all -- Clarence Thomas ... Mr. conservative, Mr. overturn Roe v. Wade and gay marriage likes Prince??!!

More accurately, he specified he WAS a Prince fan, seemingly disavowing any love of the Purple One since 1990. Sorta like Clinton admitting he tried weed back in the day, but immediately insisting he didn't inhale.

NFL superstar Davante Adams was cited for assault for shoving a photog to the ground after Monday Night Football ... with court docs saying the victim suffered whiplash, a headache and possible minor concussion.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... Kansas City Municipal Court records show 29-year-old Adams -- listed as 6'2", 210 pounds -- received a citation on Wednesday for pushing Ryan Zebley using two hands.

We broke the story -- Zebley called cops and filed a police report following the incident ... claiming he had to go to the hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Adams has since apologized for his actions ... saying, "I wanted to say sorry to him for that because that was just frustration mixed with him literally just running in front of me."

"I shouldn't have responded that way, but that's how I initially responded. So, I want to apologize to him for that."

Raiders coach Josh McDaniels is backing Adams ... saying he knows he's a good person and doesn't believe there was any intent behind the push.

The cop who shot 17-year-old Erik Cantu at a San Antonio McDonald's has surrendered to authorities and has been charged with 2 felonies ... this as Cantu fights for his life.

25-year-old rookie police officer James Brennand has been charged with 2 counts of aggravated assault by a peace officer.

Cantu was eating a burger in the parking lot of Mcdonald's when Brennand spotted him and recognized his car ... Brennand said the driver had evaded police the day before the shooting.

Erik remains unconscious on life support ... according to his family. The family gave an ominous statement Tuesday, "There is no improvement in his condition. The last two days have been difficult, and we expect more difficulty ahead, but we remain hopeful."

Brennand approached Cantu's car, opened the driver's door and ordered Cantu out. Cantu put it in reverse and the cop began shooting multiple rounds, striking him several times.

Comedian Eric Andre certainly isn't in a laughing mood ... taking an entire county to court after allegedly getting racially profiled at an airport last year.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Eric and fellow comedian Clayton English are suing Clayton County, its police chief, and several individual officers ... claiming they both were singled out -- at separate times -- at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport while boarding their flights.

Eric says he was stopped in the jet bridge -- that narrow tunnel that connects a gate to the plane itself -- long after he went through his ticket check and TSA screenings.

Andre and Clayton claim the "target selections are unsupported by any legitimate cause or suspicion. There are no written policies or procedures governing the jet bridge program."

As we previously reported, Eric said he did not consent to the search and says he did not see any other Black passengers boarding with his group in the priority line. He believes the incident was a classic case of racial profiling in the so-called war on drugs.

Clayton County PD responded at the time, calling it a "consensual encounter" ... and saying Eric volunteered his travel plans and also offered officers the chance to search his luggage, but they did not.

Eric was quick to respond to Clayton County PD's statement, saying, "I did NOT volunteer to a search and I did not volunteer to talk. You guys flashed your badge and detained me with no probable cause except for racism. This is JIM CROW RACISM."

Eric and Clayton say the numbers don't lie and insist that people of color are disproportionately subjected to these kinds of screenings, adding the odds of it randomly occurring this way are "significantly less than one in one hundred trillion."

'RHOA' alum Cynthia Bailey and her husband Mike Hill have gone their separate ways ... splitting after two years of marriage.

A source close to the former couple tells us the two came to a cordial mutual decision to end things, after determining things just weren't working out and they were growing apart. Obviously, Cynthia's career has taken off since leaving 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' ... and we're told she will continue to grow. We're told the two have also filed for divorce, though we have not yet confirmed.

Our source says Mike only wishes the best for Cynthia, and will continue to further his own career. Mike and Cynthia tied the knot back in 2020, but there have been recent reports that the two were struggling in their marriage.

Cynthia has dropped his last name on her Instagram ... no longer going by Cynthia Bailey-Hill. What's more, their two-year anniversary was supposedly on Monday, but neither seemed to acknowledge it on social media ... naturally raising eyebrows of some curious fans.

ICYMI, the former couple exchanged vows in a lavish wedding at Governors Towne Club in Georgia, and some of the events around the extravaganza were aired on season 13 of the Bravo series.

Their pair do not share any children together.

Police have finished their investigation into the youth football game fight where LeGarrette Blount threw punches at a man ... and they've now kicked over the case to prosecutors, who will decide if the ex-NFL player will face criminal charges.

A spokesperson for the Gilbert Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports ... cops turned the case over to the Town of Gilbert Prosecutor's Office for review in the last few days.

It's unclear if the GPD recommended any charges in that handoff.

Prosecutors now have a choice -- file criminal charges against Blount ... or let him off. We've reached out for comment, but so far, we haven't heard back yet.

As we reported, cops initially began their investigation into Blount on Oct. 1, after he was involved in a huge fracas following the conclusion of a 12-year-old-and-under football game in Gilbert, Arizona.

Video, obtained by TMZ Sports, appears to show the three-time Super Bowl winner -- a coach for one of the teams involved in the game -- getting ticked off by something someone said in the postgame handshake line.

In the footage, Blount appears to sprint after somebody -- before throwing two punches at a man.

Cops say they were called to the scene, but the fight had concluded once they arrived. They said no injuries were reported.

Blount eventually apologized for his role in the incident, saying in a statement, "As a leader, coach, father and a role model I understand my actions are unacceptable. I hope and pray for your understanding and forgiveness and plan to continue to be a positive impact in the lives of our youth."

Former Angels staffer Eric Kay has just been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison ... this after he was convicted of providing the drugs that led to Tyler Skaggs' death.

A federal judge in Texas just announced the sentence.

Kay, 48, had been facing a minimum of 20 years ... and up to life behind bars.

The longtime L.A. media relations official was initially arrested back in 2020 ... after authorities alleged he had given pills laced with fentanyl to Skaggs -- which ultimately led to the pitcher's tragic passing.

Officials claimed they had text message conversations between Kay and Skaggs from the night of the pitcher's overdose -- which prosecutors used as evidence to show the two talking about drugs.

Kay was indicted in 2020 on 1 count of conspiracy to possess fentanyl with the intent to distribute and 1 count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death. He was found guilty of the charges in Feb.

As we reported, Skaggs passed away in his hotel room in July 2019 just before the Angels were slated to take on the Rangers in a series in Texas. Toxicology results revealed he died from a deadly mix of booze, fentanyl and oxycodone.

Shoreline rapper OhGeesy is free to go chase the bands again -- the Burbank prosecutor declined the gun and drug case he caught in September ... due to a lack of evidence.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... OhGeesy was a passenger in a car leaving a close friend's funeral in the L.A. area when cops pulled them over, and ended up arresting him and 3 others for a gun found in the vehicle.

The prosector's office tells us the 28-year-old is now in the clear.

Prosecutors also declined to move forward with charging OhGeesy for a bottle of codeine they claim was in his pocket. We're told the DA is still pursuing charges against some of the other individuals in the vehicle.

OhGeesy's attorney, Michael A. Goldstein, welcomed the change of fortune, telling TMZ Hip Hop ... “As stated previously, we were looking forward to OhGeesy’s day in court. I have an innocent client and the Prosecutor made the right call dismissing the case.”

OhGeesy just wrapped up his nationwide tour with fellow Cali rappers BlueBucksClan and we're told he's now laying out the blueprint for his next project, "Geezyworld 2."

Adnan Syed will stay a free man, after all -- prosecutors in Baltimore are dropping the charges for the alleged murder of his ex-girlfriend ... after releasing him from prison last month.

Syed, who's case gained national attention on the "Serial" podcast, had served 22 years in prison for the 1999 murder of his then ex-GF Hae Min Lee when State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced the previous prosecutors on the case had failed to pursue 2 other possible suspects in the case.

As a result, Adnan was set free ... but Mosby made it clear he could still be retried for Lee's murder. In fact, she appeared on "TMZ Live," and said it was likely a new trial would be scheduled.

Adnan has always maintained his innocence ... and now he'll remain a free man.

Tom Cruise is remembering his late lawyer and friend, Bert Fields ... sharing an incredible story of how they first met.

The 'Top Gun' star recorded a video message for Bert's memorial service ... revealing how he first came across Bert -- at a dinner party with Dustin Hoffman.

Tom says he was seated next to Bert and they got to talking. It didn't take long for Tom to notice something different about Bert, remembering him as one of the most fascinating people he'd ever met.

The conversation was so compelling -- Tom says they talked history and swapped stories. Bert told Tom he was Dustin's lawyer, and Tom hired him on the spot.

The video message is pretty emotional ... with Tom explaining what made Bert such a wonderful guy to have around. It's clear Bert made a big impact on Tom's life, and not just as his attorney.

TMZ broke the story ... Bert died in August after a legendary career representing the likes of Michael Jackson, James Cameron, Warren Beatty, Mike Nichols, Jeffrey Katzenberg, David Geffen, Jerry Bruckheimer, The Beatles and Madonna ... just to name a few.

Bert filed some huge lawsuits against media outlets on behalf of Tom, including a $100 million suit in 2001 after a magazine claimed Cruise was gay, falsely claiming it had an X-rated video as proof. The case settled, with the mag admitting, "Tom Cruise does not appear on the videotape ... [He] is not and never has been, homosexual and has never had a homosexual affair."

The Tampa Bay Lightning have suspended Ian Cole ... after the defenseman was accused of grooming and sexually abusing a woman when she was a minor, the team announced Sunday.

"Our organization takes these allegations very seriously," Lightning officials said in a statement. "While we continue to gather more details, we have decided to suspend Ian Cole pending the results of an investigation."

"No members of the organization, including players, will comment further at this time."

On Friday, an anonymous Twitter user posted a lengthy statement alleging that Cole had emotionally and sexually abused her when she was in high school.

The accuser claimed Cole "was very well aware of my age and that I was a teen in high school," and said the hockey player had pressured her to have sex with him and to "do things without my consent, that I had made clear to him I was not ok with."

Cole -- who's played in the NHL for 15 seasons -- adamantly denied the allegations in a statement released Sunday night.

"I take the allegations made against me today in an anonymous tweet very seriously," he said.

"I completely deny these allegations and will fully cooperate with the NHL and the Tampa Bay Lightning, their offices, and legal departments in the forthcoming investigation."

According to ESPN, the suspension is considered paid leave.

"Shahs of Sunset" star Mike Shouhed is no longer facing a domestic violence charge for allegedly roughing up his fiancée ... that is, if he follows through with a few classes, including a gun safety course.

According to court documents, Mike cut a deal with prosecutors that got a slew of misdemeanor charges dismissed from his domestic violence arrest. Most notably, domestic violence, battery and unlawfully attempting to dissuade a witness were all dropped.

Per the docs, prosecutors agreed to let Mike enter into a diversion program to close out his case -- meaning he won't have to plead to any charges as long as he successfully completes the terms of the program.

Mike agreed to take anger management and parenting classes, along with performing community service and completing a gun safety course.

Mike was also facing a handful of weapons charges -- including criminal storage of a loaded firearm and possession of an assault weapon -- so another condition is he's now barred from owning or possessing any weapons during the 2-year diversion program.

As we reported ... Mike was arrested back in March for allegedly getting physical with a woman during a fight, who was later identified as his fiancée, Paulina Ben-Cohen.

Mike and Paulina, who have been engaged since 2021, went to Los Cabos for a getaway only a few weeks after his arrest ... with Mike showing tons of affection to Paulina's kids during a day on the beach.

Mike's attorney, George Mgdesyan, tells TMZ, "In this case, the DA didn’t bring this case because they saw the facts like I did. If this case was brought to trial, the prosecution would not be able to prove it. All my client’s guns were legal, in his bedroom that was locked with a keypad. No one was allowed in the master bedroom."

He continues, "It was unfortunate that there was one weapon registered to my client before laws changed, and it was a technical violation. However, the City Attorney’s Office charged him with gun charges. In light of the offer, he was not convicted and will earn a dismissal that’s in his best interest because the domestic violence charges were dismissed. If the domestic violence charges were not dismissed, we would proceed to trial. It was a no brainer."

Actor Ray Buffer is being accused by a San Diego comic book store of stealing some pricey comics ... and the store says security footage appears to show him stuffing 'em up his shirt.

Southern California Comics in San Diego alleges it has Ray on video stealing $600 worth of comic books, and the store filed a police report with SDPD and is handing over evidence to police, including their security footage.

SDPD tells TMZ police took a report for petty theft and are investigating the incident.

The comic book store says it got even more evidence -- which it will be turning over to police -- after warning other stores about Ray in a Facebook post before he had been identified.

The owners tell us Metropolis Comics in L.A. sent them some eerily similar security footage from when Ray was there. In that video, the owner confronts him after seeing him pull the same move, and this time he puts the comics back and leaves as the owner threatens to call police.

Ray, who has appeared in TV shows like "ER" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm," deleted all of his social media accounts after the comic book store posted the video online.

Bookstores are always on edge about this kind of theft, because some comics are worth a lot of money -- we've reported about rare comics getting auctioned off for large sums. That's why most stores have such great security cameras.

Judge Mathis thinks Kanye West is degrading African-American with his antics -- and by extension, he believes Ye makes Adidas look bad too ... giving 'em every right to break up.

The TV magistrate went scorched earth on KW Friday in L.A. where he told our photog what he thought of the shoe company looking into its options as it pertains to their relationship with Ye ... and according to him, they likely have the legal ground to kick him to the curb.

Of course, nobody but Adidas and Kanye know the specific terms of whatever contract they have -- so all of this is totally speculative. Still, based on his experience ... Mathis says there's likely a morality clause that gives the 3-stripe honchos an out if they choose.

The reason ... most of these agreements, per JM, have something in them that says the individual (in this case, Kanye) can't make the company look bad and/or exhibit behavior antithetical to their principles/mission statement -- often written vaguely to give them cover.

Considering all of Kanye's anti-Black rhetoric this week -- not to mention over the last few years -- Mathis believes Kanye's crossed that line more than enough times for Adidas to pull the plug and cancel their partnership ... even if that means no more Yeezys.

A San Antonio police officer is out of a job after shooting a teenager who was eating a meal in a car parked outside a McDonald's ... and the incident is all on video.

The shooting went down Sunday night at a Mickey D's, but police just released bodycam footage showing the cop firing multiple shots into the car.

The officer walked up to a parked car, opened the driver's door and the teen behind the wheel freaks out in between bites of a burger. The kid then reversed to drive away and the cop started shooting.

Several gunshots ring out as the car drives off into the night, with the officer giving chase.

As it turns out, San Antonio PD says the officer was at the fast food joint for a disturbance call unrelated to the vehicle from the shooting.

Cops say the officer approached the car because he thought it was the same vehicle that allegedly evaded police the day before.

The teen reportedly suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. He was initially charged with evading detention and assault on a police officer but those charges have since been dismissed, and the case is closed.

Gisele Bündchen left Tom Brady recently, declaring their marriage was over, but TMZ has learned this was NOT the first time.

Sources connected to Gisele tell TMZ ... Gisele has separated from Tom and threatened to divorce him several times over a period of years ... and it was all over football.

Our sources say the sticking point for years has been that Gisele wanted Tom to get out of the game ... and although she's publicly talked about her fear he would develop CTE, she's been very upset with his NFL schedule ... which takes him around the country for 6 months out of the year. We're told she simply hates it.

We're told Gisele has threatened divorce in the past -- each time over football -- but they were able to work things out. This time, however, we're told it's different.

Both have hired high-profile, family law attorneys in South Florida ... and her lawyer has repped a number of celebs in high-profile divorces. Our sources say the lawyers are already working on terms, including a property settlement.