Legal

Deshaun Watson shut down any non-football related questions prior to his first start as a Cleveland Brown ... saying he was advised to not get into his suspension and the numerous sexual misconduct allegations made against him.

Watson met with reporters on Thursday -- the first time since his 11-game suspension ended this week -- and anyone looking to hear the quarterback address the controversy surrounding him was left without answers.

"I understand that you guys have a lot of questions, but with my legal team and clinical team, there's only football questions I can address at this time," Watson said at the Browns' facility in Berea.

Of course, many want to hear from Deshaun ... especially considering there have been new allegations made against him following his suspension.

Several accusers are slated to attend his debut at NRG Stadium ... but that's something he wouldn't really touch, either -- Watson simply said he was "not worried about the atmosphere" and his focus was being the starting quarterback.

The 27-year-old also declined to speak about specifics regarding his mandatory treatment.

Watson did show love for the Browns, his trainers, teammates and the fanbase for their support during his time away ... and gave a special shout-out to Jacoby Brissett for leading the team in his absence.

"I wanna thank, most importantly, Jacoby," Watson said. "The big brother he's been to me and everyone in that locker room. The passion, the grit, the leadership he has shown these past weeks, everyone done see it. He's the ultimate guy that everyone wants to follow."

Jay-Z made Bacardi an offer he thought it couldn't refuse -- he was willing to spend $1.5 billion just for the booze co.'s 50% stake in D'Usse, but still got rejected.

TMZ broke the story ... Jay's in a legal war with Bacardi, trying to force the company to buy him out of their 50/50 partnership in the luxury cognac brand. But, according to new docs, it was Jay who first tried to buy out Bacardi, back in December 2021.

Here's what's weird, months before his offer ... Jay says he and Bacardi exchanged valuations of the brand. They were light years apart -- Jay felt his half of D'Usse was worth $2.5 billion, and Bacardi thought it was only worth a measly $460 million!

According to the docs, Jay went back to the drawing board and then in December he offered to buy out his partner for the $1.5 bil ... which, keep in mind, would still be 3 times what Bacardi said it was worth. Sweet deal, right?

Apparently not to Bacardi, since it rejected the offer -- and that's why Jay-Z thinks there's something shady going on here.

In the docs, Jay basically accuses Bacardi of unduly influencing a third party that was called in to appraise the brand. It's unclear what number the appraiser came up with, but it's a fair bet it's closer to Bacardi's value than Jay-Z's.

We say that because Jay's now asking the court to modify the result of an arbitration both parties went through to settle the sale. As we've reported, Jay-Z is ready and willing to part ways with D'Usse ... he simply doesn't want to get cheated on the price.

Antonio Brown has found himself in more legal trouble ... an arrest warrant has been issued for the ex-NFL star -- after he was allegedly involved in a domestic battery incident earlier this week.

According to the Tampa Police Dept., Brown and the alleged victim got into a verbal altercation around 1:30 PM on Monday at a home in South Tampa.

The dispute, according to cops, later became physical ... when Brown allegedly hurled a shoe at the woman.

Brown then "also attempted to evict the victim from the residence and locked her out of the home" during the incident, cops said.

According to FOX 13, the woman shares children with Brown.

Records, obtained by TMZ Sports, show a warrant for Brown's arrest was put out on Thursday morning. The charge is listed as a misdemeanor domestic violence battery.

What's interesting ... court records also show the Tampa Police Dept. attempted to get a risk protection order against Brown on Tuesday, though a judge denied the petition.

We're learning more about the sickening triple murder of a 15-year-old girl's family and the possible fate she faced if her abductor would have gotten her back to his home across the country.

Real estate records reveal Austin Lee Edwards paid $80,000 for a 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom house in Saltville, VA on November 14 ... just 11 days before killing 3 people in Riverside, CA.

We spoke with neighbors who tell us Edwards almost immediately blacked out the windows of the home with car tint ... we've obtained photos showing it was next to impossible to see inside the home.

One of the neighbors tells us they had a brief conversation with Edwards, who said he chose to move there to get out of Richmond, VA. They also say Edwards wore a trench coat when he went to the water department to turn on his utilities, which they thought was odd.

As for his possessions ... we're told Edwards didn't appear to have much -- barely any furniture. We know cops have been active on the property over the last few days, removing evidence bags as they searched his home.

Cops say Edwards killed the 15-year-old girl's mother and grandparents before setting their house on fire, and then abducted the young girl. He was later caught in a police chase -- after one of the grandparents' neighbors called 911 -- which ended in a shoot-out where Edwards was killed. Cops say Edwards connected with the girl after catfishing her, pretending to be a 17-year-old boy.

Erica Mena is advising all the haters invested in her child support drama with ex-husband Safaree to find a new hobby … because they're not paying her bills!!!

We caught Erica out in Miami a few weeks after her divorce dust settled and she says the single life is treating her well, basically calling it a relief to be wedding ring-free!

A recent “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” episode captured the moment Erica broke down in tears when she learned Safaree’s monthly support payout for their 2 children would be $4,305.

Of course that went viral, and Erica found herself the target of social media slander -- much the way Kim Kardashian's getting it now -- but she wants all her critics to know it takes 2 to tango ... and quite frankly, kids are expensive.

Erica says she's been happier following the divorce ... getting more time to spend with her children and focus on herself.

Danny Masterson was all smiles after leaving the courtroom, holding hands with his actress wife, Bijou Phillips, who was also grinning.

The actor was peppered with questions about the trial as he walked away from the courthouse, but he just smiled and kept it moving.

Danny and Bijou had a pep in their step ... and he clearly looks happy with the trial result.

His trial attorney Philip Cohen tells TMZ ... "l am so thankful for the incredible care and commitment that the jurors showed in this case. This trial was about nothing other than the credibility of the three accusers and that credibility could only be determined by comparing, contrasting and focusing on the ever evolving statements given by the women."

He adds, "The vote count says it all and it is a true testament to our justice system that the jurors were able to see through all the inflammatory noise and focus solely on what was truly important."

Danny Masterson's rape trial has come to an end ... a judge has declared a mistrial after a hung jury.

Masterson was in a Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday waiting to hear a verdict, when the jury announced it deadlocked. The judge then declared a mistrial.

The jury began deliberations 2 weeks ago after 4 weeks of testimony from alleged victims. They had a break because of Thanksgiving, and two jurors were replaced on Monday with alternates after testing positive for COVID.

It's unclear if prosecutors will decide to try the actor again.

He was facing a maximum sentence of 45 to life behind bars if found guilty of the charges.

As we reported, Masterson was charged back in 2020 with 3 counts of rape, with the alleged victims claiming the incidents occurred between 2001 and 2003 ... right in the middle of the run of his sitcom, "That '70s Show."

Masterson's former attorney, Tom Mesereau, told TMZ at the time ... "Mr. Masterson is innocent, and we’re confident that he will be exonerated when all the evidence finally comes to light and witnesses have the opportunity to testify."

The actor pled not guilty to the charges ... and while he never testified in his own defense, he and his legal team maintained that the incidents either didn't happen or were consensual.

Yasiel Puig will not plead guilty to lying to the feds during their investigation of an illegal gambling ring after all.

The former MLB star announced on Wednesday he's now pleading not guilty in the case -- saying in a statement, "I want to clear my name."

"I never should have agreed to plead guilty to a crime I did not commit," he added.

As we reported, Puig had initially agreed to plead guilty to one count of making false statements ... after federal prosecutors accused him of lying about participating in an illegal gambling business during an interview earlier this year.

Puig hoped to avoid jail time with the plea deal ... but now, he's decided to fight the charge and faces up to five years in prison if convicted.

Puig's attorney, Keri Axel of Waymaker LLP, said the course reversal came following the reveal of "significant new evidence" ... explaining that during Puig's interview with the feds, he was in essentially no condition to properly answer their questions.

"At the time of his January 2022 interview, Mr. Puig, who has a third-grade education, had untreated mental-health issues, and did not have his own interpreter or criminal legal counsel with him,'' Axel said.

"We have reviewed the evidence, including significant new information, and have serious concerns about the allegations made against Yasiel.''

The scooter rider who fatally struck "Gone Girl" actress Lisa Banes in a hit-and-run accident will do hard time ... a judge just sentenced him to at least a year behind bars.

Lisa's killer, 27-year-old Brian Boyd, was sentenced Wednesday to 1 to 3 years in prison in New York County Supreme Court.

Boyd had been awaiting sentencing since September, when he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and leaving the scene of an incident resulting in death without reporting it to authorities. Prosecutors were seeking a 3 to 9-year sentence.

As we reported ... back in June 2021, Lisa was using a crosswalk in NYC when she was struck by Boyd, who was riding an electric moped.

Boyd then left the scene. Lisa was taken to a hospital for her injuries, but died 10 days later.

Cops arrested Boyd a couple months after Lisa's death ... and prosecutors say he was barreling through a red light on the moped when he struck her.

Lisa, famous for her roles in "Gone Girl" and "Cocktail," was 65 when she was killed.

Balenciaga's looking for a scapegoat after the backlash against its child BDSM-themed campaign, and that's the real reason it's suing a marketing agency for $25 million ... so says a source close to that agency.

Sources connected to the controversial photo shoot tell TMZ ... the agency, North Six, has worked with Balenciaga in the past, but wielded no creative power on this particular photo shoot. Instead, we're told its employees only dealt with logistics like crew, equipment and locations.

More specifically, we're told the company had absolutely nothing to do with the set design for the shoot ... which featured young models posing in a cluttered office with a desk that appeared to have legal docs regarding a Supreme Court case dealing with child pornography.

Our sources also say North Six staffers weren't present at the time of final staging, but we're told the agency did hire a 3rd party set designer, Nicholas Des Jardins. He's also listed as a defendant in the lawsuit, but it's unclear if Balenciaga is directly blaming him for placing the child porn document on the desk.

We've reached out to Nicholas for comment ... so far, no word back.

Another source tells us Balenciaga is just slamming outside parties like North Six as a way to deflect negative attention from letting this happen. Remember, Kim Kardashian -- who's long partnered with the brand -- condemned the design house and demanded it takes action to avoid this kind of scandal in the future.

We're told many believe there's no way a brand as big as Balenciaga wouldn't have seen the photos before approving the campaign.

As we reported, the luxury fashion brand sparked outrage and calls for a boycott after the ads were released ... showing children gripping teddy bears wearing what many saw as S&M gear.

The prosecutor in charge of the Idaho quadruple-murder case says there's been a misunderstanding when cops said this crime was targeted -- apparently, they meant the house itself was in somebody's crosshairs ... not necessarily any individuals themselves.

Bill Thompson -- who's overseeing the investigation in Moscow -- told NewsNation using the word "targeted" to characterize this was probably wrong ... conceding it could've been interpreted to suggest one or more of the four victims were in the killer's crosshairs. But, Thompson now says that's not necessarily the case.

Instead, he said this home was actually what the murderer was laser-focused on, but he never explained what he means ... or why cops might think that.

Thompson does say they're still looking into whether any of the victims may have been the target, but for now ... it doesn't sound like they've uncovered anything to connect that dot. He also says nothing strange - like symbols are markings -- were left behind.

He goes on to say he's not aware whether the doors to their rooms were locked, and also can't say for sure whether they were all sleeping at the time of the killings. BT also says law enforcement has no reason to believe this was drug-related ... so not much clarity.

Cops have stumbled a lot since the murders, making statements, then taking them back, creating confusion in the community and anger among families of the victims.

Another update ... all 5 cars parked at the house at the time of the murders have now been towed. Cops say they're storing them somewhere long-term for evidence gathering.

It's been more than 2 weeks since Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Ethan Chapin were stabbed to death in the middle of the night ... and the suspect/suspects are still at large. Several theories have been floated as to what may have led up to the crime, but so far ... nothing seems to be panning out into anything concrete.

Naturally, the public has grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of answers.

Dwyane Wade is going after his ex-wife again over her decision to try to block their daughter's name and gender change ... this time calling Siohvaughn Funches-Wade's objection to the court petition both "libelous" and "nonsensical."

Wade spelled it all out in new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, saying his 15-year-old daughter, who is transgender, should be allowed to legally change her name and gender ... despite Funches-Wade's objection filed earlier this month.

Wade argues in the docs it's all in Zaya's "best interest" ... saying, "A court order affirming her identity will allow Zaya to live more comfortably and honestly in all aspects of her life -- from simple introductions and food orders, to applying for a driver's license and filling out college applications."

He added in the docs, "This petition is about allowing Zaya to take on the milestones of being a young adult with confidence and joy."

Earlier this month, Funches-Wade argued in court documents that the move should barred ... alleging, among other things, that Dwyane "may be pressuring our child to move forward with the name and gender change in order to capitalize on the financial opportunities that he has received from companies."

Dwyane called the allegations B.S. in a social media post shortly afterward ... and he expounded on that opinion further in Tuesday's filing.

"Siohvaughn's allegations are libelous at their core, and are, at best, nonsensical," Wade's attorneys wrote in the docs. "Dwyane filed this Petition because Zaya asked him to."

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have settled their divorce ... TMZ has learned.

The former husband and wife have resolved both child custody and property-related issues.

According to the settlement, Kim and Kanye will get joint custody with "equal access" to their 4 children. Although the docs say equal access, sources with direct knowledge tell us Kim will have the kids the lion's share of the time. Even Kanye has acknowledged Kim already has the kids 80% of the time.

According to the settlement, Kanye will pay Kim $200,000 a month in child support. Our sources say Kanye's not footing the full bill for child support -- that's just his share. In addition, he's responsible for 50% of their kids' educational expenses, including tuition. He's also responsible for 50% of their children's security expenses.

Now, this is interesting ... if there's ever a dispute regarding the children, Kim and Kanye agree they will participate in mediation. If one of them fails to participate, the other gets to make the decision in a dispute by default. Not hard to read between the lines.

As for the $200k ... it's due the first day of each month and must be wired into her account.

As for property, the division of assets is in accordance with their prenup. And, according to the prenup, both Kim and Kanye waived spousal support.

Our sources say Kim has walked a tightrope over the last year, with Kanye going off the rails and refusing to participate in resolving the divorce. As we reported, he's gone through half a dozen lawyers and has blown off depositions. As one source put it, "Kim's patience was tested, but she handled things calmly and ultimately Kanye came around."

The secret weapon in settling -- Disso Queen Laura Wasser, who played Henry Kissinger (Google it) ... going back and forth to resolve the outstanding issues.

TMZ broke the story ... Kim filed for divorce in February 2021 after 7 years of marriage. The divorce stalled because Kanye refused to engage, and Kim went to court last March to get an official decree ending the marriage, with both custody and property to be resolved at a later date.

The settlement came Monday, on the eve Kanye was scheduled to have his deposition taken in case the matter went to trial next month.

The book is now closed on the marriage of Kim and Kanye.

Kanye West spent $4.5 million to buy the house next door to Kim Kardashian after she filed for divorce, and now he's decided to give it up in their settlement.

According to the divorce settlement, obtained by TMZ, Ye will transfer the title of the 3,650 square foot, 5 bedroom home to Kim -- and she'll now be responsible for all expenses related to the property. The home borders Kim's lot, so she'll likely just tear it down -- as it needs a ton of work -- and add to her acreage.

Remember, Kanye said he bought the house in order to be close to his kids, but the divorce settlement states they'll have equal access to the kids -- so he'll still be able to see them whenever he'd like.

The settlement also states Kanye will keep his $60 million home on the beach in Malibu, 2 ranches in Wyoming, 300 acres in Calabasas, a home in Belgium and his childhood home which he bought in Chicago.

Kim will retain property she owns in Idaho and of course, the $60 million Hidden Hills estate that she and the kids call home.

TMZ broke the story, Kim and Kanye were supposed to go to trial next month -- nearly two years after she first filed for divorce -- but hammered out a settlement Monday night. Kanye will pay $200k/month in child support and they'll split education and security expenses for the kids.

Cops investigating the murder of a 15-year-old girl's grandparents and mother don't believe the teen was complicit in their killings in a stunning catfishing case ... and are urging other possible victims of the man responsible to come forward.

Riverside PD Officer Ryan Railsback tells TMZ his department has no reason to believe the publicly unidentified teen who came into contact with Austin Lee Edwards last week is anything other than a victim at this time given her age and the evidence they've gathered.

RPD won't yet say whether the teen was abducted or went voluntarily with Edwards, as they don't have enough information.

As for Edwards -- a cop from Virginia who's said to have driven cross-country to meet the girl -- Railsback doesn't believe it was his first time committing a catfishing-type crime.

We're told the cops think there could be some pattern of behavior from his past that could help explain things ... so they're investigating any digital fingerprints that he may have left on his phone, computer, or any social media sites he used.

At the moment, we're told cops don't know how Edwards first connected with the teen, or what may have caused him to kill her family and set their home on fire.

Edwards was involved in a shootout with cops Friday after a 911 call came in about a distressed teen in his car ... he was killed in the gunfire, and the teen was uninjured.

Autopsy results have not yet been released regarding the girl's mother's and grandparents' cause of death.

Kanye West says Donald Trump credits him with freeing former federal prisoner Alice Marie Johnson ... but Alice doesn't see it that way.

Alice tells TMZ ... she's convinced she'd still be behind bars if it weren't for Kim Kardashian lobbying the White House on her behalf. That's not to say Kanye deserves no credit, but Alice is steadfast ... Kim was her angel.

Alice says Kim leveraged her relationship with longtime friend Ivanka Trump to strategically make a case for Alice's freedom. Kim knew Ivanka's husband, Jared Kushner, carried unique power and influence, and spent hours on the phone and in person with Jared, making her case.

Once Jared was on board, Kim was more than game to meet Trump in the Oval Office to lobby for Alice's release. What's more, Kim knew she'd be criticized by lots of her friends and fans for interacting with Trump, but she believed in Alice and did so anyway.

It worked ... just days after that meeting, Trump announced he would commute Alice's sentence. Short story -- Alice would probably be behind bars were it not for Kim.

Alice was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 1997 on drug conspiracy and money laundering charges -- her first offense.

Alice says Ye could have very well influenced Trump's decision... but Kanye and Alice did not speak while she was incarcerated -- she only spoke with Kim. She says Kanye was on her side, and when they met shortly after her release he was in tears.

The boos for Deshaun Watson will be a bit louder when the Browns star takes the field in Houston Sunday ... ten of his accusers will be in the building to watch the controversial QB play his first game since his suspension ended.

Around ten women, along with their attorney, Tony Buzbee, will be inside a suite at NRG Stadium for the 1 PM eastern game, according to The Athletic ... pitting 27-year-old Watson against his old organization, the Texans, who drafted him in 2017.

“I will be there to welcome Deshaun back to Houston,” Buzbee told The Athletic, saying he'd be there with "bells and whistles on."

It's unclear which of the more than two dozen women who sued Watson (almost all have settled) will be attending the game.

Buzbee says he invited all of his clients, but some declined.

As for why they'd go watch him play, Buzbee wishes to send Deshaun a message ... “You think you put us behind you, but we are still here.”

Of course, Deshaun was suspended 11 games and fined $5 million this offseason after scores of female massage therapists accused him of acting improperly during sessions.

He hasn't seen NFL action since January 3, 2021.