Legal

Ashley Trowers, the daughter of “Love & Hip Hop New York” star Rich Dollaz, was arrested in Memphis after cops say she shot at her ex-boyfriend ... TMZ Hip Hop has learned.

According to the arrest docs we obtained, Ashley told officers she was on her first day at the job as security at a Kroger gas station around midnight on January 24, when her child's father Demiah Tatum, and another man named Mykel Yates approached her in a Cadillac ATS.

Ashley says she tried to flee, but when they caught up to her ... she fired two shots that struck the Caddy. She then called police, and informed them she has a restraining order out against Tatum and got scared when she saw him.

She was surprised he knew where she was because it was her first day on the job, and Ashley claims she thought she saw someone in the car reaching for a gun. Yates returned to the scene an hour later without Tatum, and told cops they were just trying to give her some money.

Ashley was arrested for aggravated assault and transported to Shelby County Jail before being released later on her own recognizance.

Interestingly, Ashley's mother, Miracle Kay Hall -- who's also been on 'L&HH' -- was arrested in 2018 for allegedly shooting her husband. She claimed self-defense and the aggravated assault case was eventually dismissed.

T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach are at an impasse with ABC and they will go into what promises to be a contentious mediation session with ABC Thursday -- a session that will almost certainly involve race -- sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ.

Our sources say ABC has made it clear to reps for the anchors -- they do not want the 2 of them back together on the same set. We're told ABC has not played its hand on whether they want one or both of them gone entirely. Our sources say once the network made it clear it doesn't want Amy and T.J. working together, their lawyers called for a mediation, and ABC agreed.

Our sources further say Amy and T.J. are coming to the mediation as a united front. It appears ABC views T.J. as more problematic than Amy, but we're told she will not accept a harsher outcome for T.J. than her own. We're also told their lawyers, Andrew Brettler (who reps Amy) and Eric George (who reps T.J.) have been working closely together.

We're told race "will become an issue" if T.J. is disciplined or fired ... especially if the punishment has no precedent with similarly situated white employees.

We're told Amy and T.J., along with their lawyers, will appear on zoom during the mediation.

The mediators' recommendations will not be binding, but it could end with some sort of resolution or compromise.

Stay tuned.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar says Ticketmaster's stranglehold on the concert tickets and venues is a longstanding problem -- but she gives full credit to Taylor Swift fans for pushing the issue over the hump.

The Senator from Minnesota joins us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to reveal why Swifties' making a historic fuss over the botched presale for Taylor's tour, directly led to Tuesday's Senate Judiciary Committee grilling of Live Nation, Ticketmaster's parent company.

Klobuchar dropped something that's always a bombshell in Washington -- the 'B' word ... as in, bipartisanship! She tells us the much-anticipated hearing had lawmakers in agreement about Ticketmaster's monopoly, and the need for the company to finally face the music.

Although Swifties got the ball rolling ... she says this issue goes well beyond Taylor's tour -- because Ticketmaster dominates the game by selling tickets, running promotions and even owning some of the venues.

The Senator says testimony from industry experts -- including some musicians -- makes it clear to her it's nearly impossible for competitors to drive down rising ticket prices.

She says bands have been sounding the alarm for years, including Pearl Jam back in the day -- but the dam broke in November, when Taylor's legion of fans got pissed off and even Taylor called out Ticketmaster.

Sen. Klobuchar says the tide's finally turning, and she expects real changes from Ticketmaster ... and quickly. You can see the full interview on Wednesday's "TMZ Live" ... check your local listings.

Kim Kardashian has been granted a temporary restraining order against a man who has allegedly come to her house multiple times, calls her his "wife" and even sent a ring.

The docs, obtained by TMZ, claim Jomonie Victor Zigler first made contact with Kim in December -- making multiple visits to her home (only to be stopped by security), posting explicit messages about her online and referring to her as his wife.

In the docs, filed by Kim's attorney, Shawn Holley, Kim claims Zigler has also sent items to her home ... including a diamond ring and keys to a hotel room.

What's equally scary -- Kim says Zigler has a criminal history that includes firearms and threats ... she says his actions have caused emotional distress.

Apparently, a judge agrees, because they signed off on the temporary restraining order against the 28-year-old until a hearing, scheduled for next month.

A woman claiming to be the mother of Mike Clevinger's 10-month-old daughter says the White Sox pitcher abused her -- strangling her on one occasion -- and now, the MLB is reportedly investigating the allegations.

The woman, Olivia Finestead, made the claims in a series of social media posts on Tuesday  ... alleging Clevinger terrorized her during their relationship.

In one of her posts, Finestead said the 32-year-old "threw an iPad at me pregnant." She also said "he strangled me." The woman also alleged Clevinger "threw chew spit on our baby."

According to The Athletic, Finestead has been in contact with the MLB over the allegations. The outlet also reported that the MLB has launched an investigation into the claims.

Clevinger spent much of his career with Cleveland, but for the last 2.5 seasons he's been with the San Diego Padres. The Chicago White Sox signed him in free agency this off-season.

The Athletic reports the Sox were made aware of Finestead's allegations only after the signing.

Clevinger, who owns a career 3.39 ERA in his six MLB seasons, has yet to publicly comment on the claims. His agent, Seth Levinson, told The Athletic on Tuesday, "We need to fairly and thoroughly protect our client and at the same time be respectful of the White Sox and MLB. We need time before responding."

Shy Glizzy is defending his name after OnlyFans star Sky Bri accused him of slipping her a pill while they were shooting his "White Girl" music video.

The D.C. rapper addressed the allegation for the first time while he was on Akademiks' Spotify podcast, 'Off The Record' ... he denied doing it, and shot holes in her account of what happened on set.

Shy said, as an artist, he simply doesn't have any responsibilities on a music video set and therefore, wouldn't have been in a position to interact with Sky the way she described the shoot going down last year.

It might have been best for him to stop there, but Shy added ... he's too much of a player to get caught up and didn't feel the need to react to "false allegations."

Calling yourself a "player" is probably not the best choice in this situation, but Shy says fans haven't heard of any previous sexual misconduct allegations against him so he claims Sky's claim can't be true.

A 15-year-old boy pleaded guilty to attempted robbery in the shooting of Brian Robinson Jr., the Commanders running back who was shot twice while two teens -- both armed with handguns -- tried to steal his sports car last summer.

The teenager, whose name has not been released, appeared in a D.C. Superior courtroom this week ... the day before he was scheduled to go to trial on the charge, according to The Washington Post.

23-year-old Robinson, a rookie, was shot in his knee and hip on August 28 while two teens attempted to steal his Hellcat sports car.

Authorities said Robinson was approached while leaving a store by the two teens who wanted the vehicle. Brian fled, trying to get to safety, but the 17-year-old chased, and the two wrestled for the teen's gun. At this time, the 15-year-old shot BR twice, according to officials.

In addition to the attempted robbery charge, the teen also pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the fatal October 3 shooting of a 15-year-old boy, Andre Robertson.

Last week, the 17-year-old accomplice pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and carrying a weapon without a license, and will be locked up until his 20th birthday.

As for the 15-year-old's sentence, that'll be determined by a judge the second week of March. He could be held in D.C.'s juvenile hall until his 21st birthday.

George Foreman says a woman accusing him of sexual abuse 45 years ago -- when she was a minor -- is intentionally dragging his name through the mud and flat-out lying ... so, now he's going after her in court.

Foreman filed his countersuit Monday against the accuser, Gwen H., who had initially sued the ex-boxer last summer. TMZ Sports broke the story ... she, and another woman, claimed Foreman groomed, and eventually sexually abused them, when they were still underage.

In his docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, Foreman acknowledges that he can't sue Gwen for the allegations she wrote in her lawsuit ... but he says she stepped outside that protection when she held a news conference 3 months later.

During that news conference, she detailed her allegations, saying ... "He asked me to remove my clothes, and if I didn't then my father would be fired, so I complied."

According to his lawsuit, Foreman claims Gwen's allegations -- repeated in the news conference -- are "entirely fabricated" and she has "zero corroborating evidence in the form of documents, photographs, letters, or witnesses to support Gwen's false claims against Foreman."

He adds, Gwen is "hoping that the passage of time will excuse her complete lack of evidence."

Additionally, Foreman cites something he told us back in July 2022 -- even before Gwen sued him -- which is that she had allegedly demanded more than $12 million from him in order to stop her from going public with what he calls "her bogus claims."

Foreman says he's suffered "anxiety, sleeplessness, worry, shock and humiliation" since Gwen's news conference ... and he's suing her for unspecified damages.

Jay-Z and Yo Gotti's legal counsel at Team Roc are dismissing their lawsuit painting a Mississippi State pen as a deadly horror camp -- but they're also reminding the state they'll be back if prison conditions go south again.

The Parchman Farm penitentiary is still open, but it's undergone a string of renovations since Team Roc filed the suit calling out the state for several fatal stabbings, and unsanitary living conditions at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to NBC, the MSP received new stainless steel showers, toilets and sinks after the previous restrooms were crumbling and littered with rat feces. It also has new sports facilities for inmates to partake in basketball, flag football and boxing, and upgraded heating and air conditioning ventilation systems.

As a result, the lawsuit was dismissed, but without prejudice ... which basically means it could be refiled at any moment.

A rep for Team Roc explained that while they're pleased with the new additions, they'll be monitoring Parchman to make sure the facility doesn’t backslide on the improvements.

Donald Trump just hired one of the country's top trial attorneys, Joe Tacopina, to go after a former Manhattan prosecutor for allegedly defaming him, TMZ has learned.

In his first order of biz as 45's new legal eagle, Tacopina fired off a letter Monday to lawyer Mark Pomerantz, claiming Pomerantz falsely stated Trump was "guilty of numerous felony violations" and that it was a "grave failure of justice not to hold [Trump] accountable by way of criminal prosecution."

Pomerantz's statements appeared in his 2022 resignation letter to Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg, which Tacopina says was later leaked to the New York Times.

In his letter, Tacopina's particularly incensed Pomerantz is about to publish a book, "The People vs. Donald Trump," which, Joe believes, will contain even more libelous remarks about DT.

That's why Tacopina's issuing a legal threat to Pomerantz, writing ... "I strongly admonish you to take these next words seriously: If you publish such a book and continue making defamatory statements against my client, my office will aggressively pursue all legal remedies against you and your book publisher, Simon & Schuster."

Tacopina added, "Trust me, I will zealously use every possible legal resource to punish you and your publisher for the incredible financial harm that you have caused my clients to suffer."

As we reported, the Manhattan D.A. has conducted an ongoing 2-year probe into the Trump Organization's business practices.

Pomerantz was one of the senior prosecutors on the case before he resigned, allegedly after Bragg wouldn't let him pursue a criminal indictment against Trump.

So far, Bragg's investigation has led to the recent conviction of Allen Weisselberg, former CFO of the Trump Organization who pled guilty and was sentenced to 5 months behind bars for various financial crimes.

Bragg has expressed concern Pomerantz's upcoming book could derail his investigation into the 45th president, who announced his 2024 run for the White House in November. Tacopina says in the letter Trump is leading all potential candidates in the most recent polls.

A new XXXTENTACION song titled "I'm Not Human" has surfaced from the late rap icon's estate in celebration of what would've been his 25th birthday, and fittingly features another hip hop alien himself ... Lil Uzi Vert!!!

The official XXXTENTACION account dropped the message Monday which read, "A gift from Jah…Thank you #liluzi 1.23.23.”

The melodic acoustic guitar ballad is a departure from X's trademark rager records, and speaks to his versatility.

Uzi pops up later in the song to add more harmony to X's crooning, working wonders on the posthumous collab.

A heartfelt message -- along with several throwback photos -- was also posted onto X's story ... thanking X for his musical contributions to the world and saluting the fans for keeping his memory alive since his June 2018 murder.

Jury selection for 3 of X's murder suspects began last week in Broward County, FL -- Michael Boatwright, Dedrick Williams and Trayvon Newsome all pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and armed robbery charges, and face life sentences if convicted.

Alec Baldwin will not be charged with the shooting of "Rust" Director Joel Souza, despite the fact he was hit by the same bullet the D.A. says was fired recklessly and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins ... and now we know why.

The Santa Fe District Attorney's Office tells TMZ … there's just no crime when it comes to the Souza incident.

The D.A. says the only way to characterize the shooting of Souza is an "unintentional battery," and no such thing exists. A battery requires intent, and even the D.A. says Baldwin had no intention to hurt anyone. The case against Baldwin is rooted in alleged recklessness.

There's been lots of criticism against the D.A. in the wake of the announcement Baldwin will be charged with manslaughter for the death of Halyna. Actor Douglas Stewart, who shot a scene in "Rust" before the fatal incident, appeared on "TMZ Live" Friday and said he's been on movie sets with guns for decades, and NEVER has an actor checked the chamber of a gun ... in fact, he says they're prohibited from doing so. Stewart says they rely on the experts -- the armorer.

If the case goes to trial, it's certain Baldwin's lawyers will argue the actor merely followed long-standing custom, so that would in no way constitute recklessness.

There's also criticism the D.A. will be charging Baldwin because of his Executive Producer role in the movie. Stewart says Baldwin was not running the show -- his E.P. credit was really just so he could get back-end profits.

Baldwin is expected to be formally charged for Halyna's death by month's end.

Cyndi Lauper's son Declyn, AKA Dex, is a full go on his rap career, already stacking up credits with some big-name rappers ... and, of course, he can't forget mom!

We caught Dex at LAX touting his own "F*** You Gumbo" cannabis brand, but what he's most excited about are the collabs he scored with Trippie Redd and G-Eazy for his upcoming album, especially after appearing on the latter's "Scary Nights" project.

The 25-year-old also revealed he managed to nab 3 songs with his pop star mother, but only after he earned her respect, as an artist ... not just her son.

Dex and Cyndi have endured a rocky relationship over the years -- he grew up in Harlem, estranged from her -- so he's totally not vibing with the ongoing "nepo baby" debate. Much like Diddy's son, King, told us ... Dex says he's put in enough work that his mother now loves his music. 🥰

He also provided us with an update on his arrest from last summer when, as we first reported, he was popped in NYC for felony unauthorized use of a vehicle.

Dex tells us he was simply attending a candlelight vigil for a slain 14-year-old friend when, in his eyes, NYPD harassed him.

He admits to sitting inside the stolen Mercedes-Benz ... but says he refused to go out "like 6ix9ine," and took the charges without telling officers who actually stole the vehicle.

The path is now clear for Lisa Marie Presley's ex-husband, Michael Lockwood, to get full custody of their twins following the death of Lisa Marie, despite the former couple's contentious divorce ... sources connected to the family tell TMZ.

Sources tell TMZ ... 14-year-olds Finley and Harper have made it clear ... they want to live full-time with Michael following their mother's death. We're told the twins have been living with Michael since Lisa Marie died, and they are comfortable with the new arrangement.

There had been talk among the family over the last week ... Danny Keough, Lisa Marie's ex who is Riley's dad, might make a play for custody. Fact is ... since their son Benjamin took his life more than 2 years ago, Danny moved back into Lisa Marie's house to support her and has been there full-time with the twins.

Under California law, however, Danny wouldn't be in a position to obtain custody. Michael already had joint custody with Lisa Marie, and the only way he could be denied full custody is if there were a finding of unfitness on his part. Since the judge already found him fit enough for joint custody, that chapter is essentially closed.

We're told the family is good with Michael having custody, and the intention is that Riley will continue to have a relationship with her half-sisters. We're also told Priscilla Presley has been spending time with the twins since Lisa Marie's death, so it appears she will also have a presence in their lives.

Our sources also confirm Michael will be going to Graceland for Lisa Marie's small, private service -- for close friends and family -- before the public funeral on Sunday.

A source connected to Michael told us days after Lisa Marie's death, "It'll be a cold day in hell before he gives up custody of those children" ... but it seems like there won't be a battle.

Alec Baldwin was in no mood to talk Friday as he arrived back at his NYC apartment building ... mum over the announcement he'll be prosecuted for involuntary manslaughter in connection with the fatal "Rust" shooting.

Baldwin shielded his face as he beat a hasty retreat inside. His lawyer has made it clear ... Baldwin will fight the charges, saying his client relied on professionals on the set and therefore the criminal charge is a gross miscarriage of justice.

Baldwin has some support from his fellow actors. Douglas Stewart, who shot a scene for "Rust," says in all of his experience in show business, actors have never been the ones to inspect the chamber of a gun. In fact, he says it's routinely prohibited ... and the actor's union has cosigned on that procedure.

Baldwin could face years in prison if convicted, but the D.A. hedged the other day when asked if prison time would be appropriate ... merely saying she wanted "accountability."

Baldwin is being charged both as an actor and an executive producer. But, Douglas Stewart told us Baldwin's E.P. title was really in name only, so he could get paid on the back end -- he did not have day-to-day responsibility over the set, which clearly had problems.

There's a lot of criticism over the charges, although Matthew Hutchins, the widower of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins who was fatally shot, is down with the prosecution.

"Rust" actor Douglas Stewart is adamant about who's in charge of firearms on film sets, and says Alec Baldwin's getting a raw deal ... because actors are not typically responsible for gun safety.

Douglas shared his thoughts Friday on "TMZ Live" about the announcement Baldwin will be charged with involuntary manslaughter for the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the "Rust" set.

Douglas says whenever he's been on a set with guns there have been strict procedures in place -- procedures that clearly state a stage manager or armorer is responsible for preparing and handing guns to actors.

As an actor, he says he's never been allowed to check a gun or open the chamber ... whether for TV, film, or stage play.

Most importantly, Douglas also says that's the industry standard -- that actors trust the professionals when it comes to firearms.

If so, that could become a crucial part of Baldwin's defense, should his case go to trial.

As for Baldwin's role as an executive producer ... Douglas says his understanding is that he was not involved in safety or day-to-day production in a hands-on way -- instead, he thinks Baldwin's title was more about finances and his compensation.

Douglas also told us the charges against Alec won't change his approach on film sets -- he still won't take it upon himself to check a weapon, but will ask the armorer to double-check in front of him.

He says he simply has no choice, but to be super cautious.

The filming of "Rust" with AB and the rest of the cast is set to resume this month with Halyna's widower Matt Hutchins now listed as an EP -- one of the terms of the settlement of his wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin.