Legal

Trevor Bauer's potential road back to an MLB mound will be making a stop in Japan first ... the former Cy Young winner is signing a deal to play for the Yokohama DeNA Baystars this season.

According to Sanspo Sports, Bauer's contract with his new team will be for one year ... and right around $3 million. ESPN reported Monday afternoon the deal is expected to become official later Monday night.

Bauer was just released by the Dodgers in January -- after he was reinstated from a suspension that the MLB had hit him with following an investigation into allegations he sexually assaulted a 27-year-old woman during two encounters in 2021.

Initially, the ban was for 324 games ... but it was ultimately reduced to 194 games by an independent arbitrator, making Bauer eligible to play in the MLB this season.

But, following his release from LA, no team signed him ... prompting the move to the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization.

Bauer hasn't pitched professionally since June 2021 -- but when he was on the mound, he was as effective as any pitcher in baseball. In the '21 season before he was put on paid leave as the MLB kicked off its investigation, he had 2.59 ERA with 137 strikeouts in 107.2 innings pitched.

Bauer -- who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in his case -- has yet to publicly comment on the new deal.

Blueface is coming to the realization he might be expecting a kid with his on-and-off again girlfriend Chrisean Rock ... and the thought of new fatherhood is keeping him up way past bedtime!!!

The "Thotiana" rapper dropped off what he framed as a PSA after a night of performing and partying in Dubai. He focused on the never-ending debate around double standards between men and women, but he was clearly just wringing his hands over Chrisean's pregnancy.

Seems his rant was prompted by Chrisean posting a shot of her growing baby bump ... something he's definitely not celebrating. Instead, BF went on about women benefitting more than men from double standards ... claiming the power of their 'P' goes much further than men's.

What's not debatable is that Blue and Chrisean's relationship is as rocky as ever -- they exchanged disses on Twitter, but he remained firm in doubting he's the father of her child.

Blueface also praised Jaidyn Alexis, the mother of his 2 children, for the classy way she presented her last pregnancy, and for not having weird men around his kids.

On the other hand, he's labeling Chrisean a "MeToo Bitch" who runs the streets.

He eventually signed off and decided to live his best life this morning on a yacht, surrounded by a new crop of women to tickle his fancies.

It didn't take long for Chris Beard to land a new job -- the ex-Texas Longhorns head coach is taking the same position at Ole Miss ... one month after his domestic violence case was dropped.

The Rebels made the news official on Monday ... saying Beard will replace Kermit Davis, who was fired late last month.

"We thoroughly evaluated a number of outstanding candidates, and there is no doubt Coach Beard is one of the top coaches in the nation," Keith Carter, Ole Miss' Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics, said in a statement. "After conducting due diligence and speaking to a number of individuals on and off the court, it was evident he is the right person to guide our team to greatness."

Beard was accused of strangling, throwing and biting his fiancée, Randi Trew, in their home back in December. He was arrested and immediately suspended from coaching, but the woman later backtracked on her claims ... and said Beard was only acting out of self-defense.

Despite the woman's public apology over her initial accusations, Beard was fired from UT in January ... and his attorney stated the decision was "based on Twitter feeds and editorials -- and not the facts concerning a truly innocent man."

Beard's case was dismissed last month ... with prosecutors saying after investigating and speaking with the victim, "the felony offense cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt."

Beard -- who's 171-73 in his career as a head coach -- seems thrilled with the second chance at leading a sideline ... saying, "I am honored to be joining the Ole Miss family and excited to get started at this great university."

Tiger Woods claims Erica Herman is no victim of sexual abuse ... saying in new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, she's simply "a jilted ex-girlfriend."

Woods filed the docs on Monday morning ... in response to Herman saying a non-disclosure agreement she had with the golfing legend should be declared unenforceable under the federal Speak Out Act, which allows someone to get around an NDA if a dispute involving sexual assault or sexual harassment arises following the initial agreement.

Woods says in the docs Herman has no right to invoke the federal statute ... because she's never alleged in her filings Woods committed any sexual wrongdoing.

In fact, Woods says in the $30 million lawsuit she filed -- the one where she alleged Woods booted her from their home and broke an "oral tenancy agreement" they had -- she checked the box for "NO" when asked "does this case involve allegations of sexual abuse."

Woods claims Herman is just using the law as a way to litigate her claims publicly in court -- and get around the NDA that was supposed to force her disputes to be heard in a private arbitration hearing.

"Ms. Herman's position is utterly meritless," Woods says in the docs ... before adding, "It is a transparent abuse of the judicial process that undermines the purpose of the federal statute and those whom the statute seeks to protect."

Woods is now asking a Florida court to force her to abide by the NDA's arbitration provisions.

As we reported, Woods split with Herman in October after around six years of dating. He claims he told her he was ending things with her, and that she was "no longer welcome" in his home. He said he did provide her with temporary housing and financial support following the breakup.

Herman, meanwhile, alleges Woods concocted a scheme to get her out of the house by promising her a "short vacation." When she got to the airport for the trip, she says Tiger's team told her she'd been "locked out" of the house and could not go back. She said it all violated an agreement they had, which was supposed to last five more years.

The Lufthansa flight from hell might never have become public if the airline had its way ... this according to a new report.

A passenger named Rolanda Schmidt told Insider ... when the plane plunged nearly 4,000 feet in extreme turbulence -- turning dinner service into what looked like a fraternity food fight -- a flight attendant got on the PA and asked everyone on the plane to delete photos and videos of the chaotic scene. The flight attendant allegedly made the request twice.

Schmidt said she and others were incredulous ...“I think we were all just like, ‘What?!'”

During the second announcement, the flight attendant reportedly said she was making the request to protect the privacy of those on board.

Schmidt says she's dealing with a concussion, a bruised arm and a possible fractured hip as a result of the 4,000 foot plunge.

Obviously, the flight attendant's request didn't take, and the images of the passenger cabin have littered the internet.

One of the passengers was Matthew McConaughey's wife, Camila Alves, who posted video with the caption, “To respect the privacy of those around me that’s all I am showing but the plane was a CHAOS And the turbulence keep on coming.”

Tiger Woods has fired back at his ex-gf, disputing her claim he had an oral agreement to let her live in his house and essentially support her for years ... in what is shaping up to be a hyper-nasty $30 million lawsuit.

Tiger's lawyers are challenging Erica Herman, who claimed in her lawsuit Tiger promised to support her and let her live in his house for at least 5 more years in return for services (she did not specify) -- this before he broke up with her a few months back.

According to legal docs, Tiger's lawyers said (BTW the house is partly owned by a trust)  ... "During their relationship, Mr. Woods invited Ms. Herman to live with him as his guest in the Residence. Mr. Woods never negotiated an oral tenancy agreement with Ms. Herman. Nor was there ever a written tenancy agreement between Mr. Woods or the Trust, on the one hand, and Ms. Herman, on the other hand. Mr. Woods never transferred to Ms. Herman any ownership interest in or rights of possession to the Residence."

Herman claimed in her lawsuit ... Tiger's people convinced her to pack a suitcase back in the fall for a "short vacation" -- without Tiger -- and drove her to the airport. Upon their arrival at the airport, Herman claims she was told the locks to the house were changed and she was out.

Tiger's lawyers claim the golfing legend did not throw Erica out in the cold ... rather, they say Tiger put her up in a luxury resort and gave her enough money for a new residence.

GloRilla and Finesse2tymes appear destined for a legal battle over that tragic stampede at their New York concert -- the family of one of the three people who died says they're lawyering up.

Brandy Miller was trampled to death in the chaos that followed the rappers' ill-fated Rochester show earlier this month ... and her sister, Michelle, tells us the family plans to sue Glo and Finesse2tymes, plus the promoters and Main Street Armory.

Michelle says her fam is in the process of retaining an attorney -- they've spoken to several since Brandy was pronounced dead on Monday, and aim to retain someone who's high profile  ... because the family "has no plans to back down."

Finesse and GloRilla had reportedly left the venue before the stampede. They've both expressed how devastated they are about the tragedy, and it doesn't appear either artist is under criminal investigation for the incident at this time.

When TMZ Hip Hop got Finesse in NYC this week, he scoffed at the idea he might be blamed, and flat-out told us he wasn't worried about potential lawsuits.

"The Challenge" star C.T. Tamburello and his estranged wife have agreed on who gets the house in the midst of their divorce ... and he won't be the one movin' out.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Lilianet "Lili" Solares filed back in December to get sole possession of their Florida pad -- but she has now agreed to move out and leave the marital home to C.T.

Docs say Lili will move into a rental property ASAP ... but C.T. will be responsible for the $7,200 deposit for her new place. Lili's only allowed to enter the marital home to get her stuff -- including furniture and personal items, as well as some of their kid's things.

C.T.'s required to pay $761 a month for temporary child support ... and they agreed to stick to a schedule when it comes to taking care of their little one, Christopher Jr.

TMZ broke the story, C.T. filed for divorce last November, putting an end to their tumultuous marriage. No word on what led to the decision, but their relationship issues were front and center on "The Challenge: Double Agents" -- where he revealed they separated back in 2020, before eventually getting back together.

Edwin Castro, the recent winner of the $2.04 billion Powerball prize, grew up in Los Angeles and was once a prominent Boy Scout and high school athlete ... TMZ has learned.

Our sources tell us 30-year-old Edwin rose all the way to Eagle Scout during his time in the scouts, and he attended Crescenta Valley High School in La Crescenta, CA ... not far from Joe's Service Center in Altadena, where he purchased the winning lottery ticket.

In addition to being a Boy Scout, we're told Edwin played football and baseball in high school ... our sources say he grew up in a "wholesome family" that frequently took fishing trips.

Our sources say Edwin, who studied architecture at Woodbury University in Burbank, is a quiet guy with a kind heart.

Since striking it rich, Edwin's already used some of his new money to buy a swanky $25.5 million pad in the Hollywood Hills ... one month after claiming his lump sum payment of $997,600,000 before taxes.

Edwin's new crib has all the bells and whistles, including a home gym, garage parking for seven cars and a motor court ... and we're told he has a passion for classic cars and fitness.

As we reported, Edwin was being sued by a man who claimed the winning lotto ticket was actually stolen, claiming Edwin was involved in the alleged theft ... but the lottery says they have the utmost confidence Edwin's the rightful winner.

One source told us, "Winning the lotto couldn't have happened to a better guy."

Tiger Woods is a single man ... and the oddsmakers are taking bets on who he'll date when he goes back on the prowl -- with Tom Brady's ex-wife Gisele Bündchen being the favorite to be his next partner.

Tiger called things off with Erica Herman late last year ... and their split has been nasty -- with his girlfriend of six years filing a $30 million lawsuit over how things ended.

BetOnline is wasting no time looking into the future ... throwing out odds for who Woods will date next -- and there are a ton of interesting names on the list.

Gisele comes in on top at +2500, which means the oddsmakers think there's an outside chance she moves from one G.O.A.T. to another ... and Kim Kardashian is right behind at +3500.

Shakira -- who recently went through her own rough breakup with Gerard Piqué -- is listed at +5000 if she decides to give it a shot with another athlete.

There seems to be a bit of a "messy breakup" trend here ... as Amber Heard is also an option at +15000.

Golf influencer and model Paige Spiranac also made the cut ... coming in at +25000.

And for Ss and Gs, there are a few adult film actresses like Mia Khalifa, Lana Rhoades, Riley Reid and Mia Malkova on the list ... and their odds are set at +50000, which are surprisingly the same as Tiger's ex, Lindsey Vonn.

YouTuber Adin Ross has been the victim of repeated swatting pranks ... and now L.A. cops are taking steps to change how they respond to calls involving his house.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... someone tried to swat Adin again earlier this month -- LAPD says they got a call about a shooting. It was all made up.

Cops say pranksters have phoned police numerous times when Adin was live streaming so cops would show up and interrupt his stream.

We're told LAPD will now take a different approach -- police will first contact Ross' security team to make sure it's not a prank before they send out patrol cars and helicopters.

Buffalo Wild Wings is duping customers into believing they are chowing down on wing meat when they order boneless wings, when in reality it's essentially just chicken nuggets ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

The nationwide restaurant chain is being dragged into a class-action suit by a man named Aimen Halim, and he's got a serious bone to pick here. Sorry, we had to do it.

In the suit, obtained by TMZ, Halim claims Buffalo Wild Wings' boneless wings are not deboned wings at all, as they would have customers believe, but rather slices of breast meat deep fried like wings with a composition more akin to nuggets than wings.

He says he fell victim to what he describes as deceptive marketing.

Taste and transparency aren't the only issues for Halim ... he says BWW is misleading customers to sell a cheaper product for more than it's worth, and he accuses the chain of knowing it's engaging in false advertising and refusing to change its ways.

Halim claims other restaurants selling boneless chicken, like Papa John's, are being careful not to market it as wings ... and he's howling mad BWW doesn't even mention in fine print anywhere on the menu the meat is really from the breast and not the wing.

Naturally, the guy's going after Buffalo Wild Wings for money.

Lisa Marie Presley's ex-husband Michael Lockwood has filed legal docs to allow him to represent the interests of their twins in an upcoming critical hearing that involves millions of dollars.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Lockwood is asking a judge to appoint him guardian ad litem -- giving him authority to speak for his 14-year-old girls in a hearing over Lisa Marie's trust.

TMZ broke the story ... that trust became flush with cash when Elvis's only child died January 12. As we reported, Lisa Marie had 2 life insurance policies -- one for $25 million and another for $10 million.

Sources connected to the family tell TMZ ... there's a lot of behind-the-scenes drama over who will administer and control the trust. As we reported, Priscilla Presley was a trustee but Lisa Marie booted her from that position several years before her death, and made her oldest daughter Riley the trustee in Priscilla's place.

Our sources tell us Priscilla is going to challenge the validity of the trust, claiming the change in trustees was not properly made. Riley, we're told, does not want Priscilla to take the reins, and this set up a family battle.

As we reported, the beneficiaries of the trust are Riley and the twins, Harper and Finley.

A Black couple's hoping their recent settlement of a lawsuit becomes a game changer in real estate -- one that forces appraisers to quit lowballing home values for Black and brown homeowners.

Paul Austin and Tenisha Tate-Austin made headlines a few years ago when an appraisal firm valued their Northern California at $995K. Feeling like that number was too low, they asked a white friend to pretend they lived in the house ... and suddenly, the appraisal came in at $1.48 million.

That $500k difference prompted the Austins to sue the appraisal firm for discrimination.

The couple joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" to discuss their settlement in the case, for an undisclosed amount, and said their goal was always to hold folks accountable for what they saw as clear racial bias.

Paul and Tenisha pointed out POC have been cheated out of real estate wealth for generations ... largely due to systemic racism -- be it conscious or unconscious -- despite the fair housing law being passed in the '60s.

Going forward, they hope to be a cautionary tale for home appraisers -- letting the industry know there could be consequences for perpetuating these historical biases.

Robert Blake, the actor whose life was just as talked about off the screen as it was on, has died.

According to a statement released to the Associated Press on behalf of Blake's niece, Noreen Austin, Blake died Thursday from heart disease at home surrounded by loved ones.

Blake was infamously charged with the murder of his second wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, after she was found dead outside Vitello's restaurant in Los Angeles in 2001. Bakley had been shot in the head while sitting in Blake's vehicle.

Blake told investigators he had gone back inside the restaurant to retrieve a pistol when Bakley was shot and killed. It was later determined his pistol was not the murder weapon.

Blake's trial lasted about three months, but he was eventually found not guilty of murder and not guilty of one of the two counts of solicitation of murder ... the second solicitation of murder charge was also eventually dropped.

Blake's career in Hollywood spanned more than 50 years, starring in movies like "In Cold Blood," "Lost Highway" and "Treasure of the Sierra Madre." He also played Tony Baretta in "Baretta" ... a role that won him an Emmy in 1975.

"Vanderpump Rules" star Scheana Shay isn't holding back on Raquel Leviss after she accused her of punching and injuring her ... calling Leviss a "liar and a cheat who has betrayed everyone close to her."

Scheana's attorney, Neama Rahmani, sent out the blistering statement Thursday, telling us, "This case is a fabrication by a known liar and a cheat who has betrayed everyone close to her. Scheana never punched Rachel [Raquel], period."

TMZ broke the story, Raquel was granted a restraining order against Scheana earlier this week, accusing Scheana of punching her in the head, leading to injuries around her eye.

Rahmani addressed the photos Raquel included in her court filing of the alleged injuries, saying, "The supposed dark markings around her left eye have been there for months."

As for what led to the alleged attack, Raquel says Scheana lashed out after the 'VPR' cast learned Tom Sandoval had cheated on Ariana Madix with Raquel. The judge granted a temporary restraining order until a hearing later this month.

Rahmani continues, "Neither Scheana nor other cast members want anything to do with Rachel going forward. The judge has only heard a one-sided account of what happened, and we look forward to presenting the full and true story at the March 29 hearing."