Legal

Offset is taking a cue from Taylor Swift, because he's beefing with his own label over ownership of his solo recordings.

The Migos rapper is the middle of a bitter legal war with Quality Control Music, and according to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, the saga began in 2013 when Offset agreed to produce solo records for the label.

Things were well and good until 2015 when Offset claims Quality Control entered into a separate deal with Capitol Records -- the result of which was QC ended up owning 100% of any future Offset solo records created between 2018 and 2023. We'll come back to that.

In a response, filed by his attorney Bryan Freedman, Offset claims everything changed in 2021, when he and QC broke up and hammered out a new deal where he regained control of his solo work for everything he produced from January 2021 forward.

However, Quality Control says not so fast ... the label claims it still holds the rights to Offset's solo music based on the prior deal with Capitol Records, an argument Offset now insists is ridiculous.

The way Offset sees it ... QC walked away from the rights to his music when it cut the new deal with him in 2021, and he alone controls his solo masters from that point on.

Obviously, there's a ton of money at stake in this dispute, which is working its way through the courts ... and it's hard not to compare the situation to what we've seen in the past with Taylor fighting her old record label.

Carson Briere is no longer a member of the Mercyhurst Univ. men's ice hockey team -- the program just gave him the boot ... less than a month after he was seen on video shoving a woman's wheelchair down a flight of stairs at a local bar.

The school announced the move in a statement on Monday afternoon ... saying the 23-year-old had been "removed" from the team. It's the second time in his college career that he's been kicked off an ice hockey roster -- he was previously dismissed from Arizona State's team in 2021 after the program said he violated rules.

Briere had initially been suspended from the Mercyhurst squad days after the March 11 incident at Sullivan's Pub and Eatery in Erie, Penn. ... with the school saying at the time it was investigating the matter.

It's unclear if any new findings in the probe led to the decision Monday -- the school declined to comment further on it all in its statement.

Briere is still facing criminal charges in the case -- he was hit with one count of criminal mischief, one count of disorderly conduct, and one count of conspiracy to commit criminal mischief ... after a police report claimed he seriously damaged the chair that had been purchased for $2,000 in 2022.

Briere is due in court for a hearing in the case next month.

Donald Trump's lawyer thinks there's a benefit to the former President getting indicted in New York City ... she says it puts him on par with Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G.

Trump's attorney, Alina Habba, drew the comparison on "The Benny Show" podcast, claiming the indictment is going to boost Trump's profile similar to other celebs who went to jail ... like Pac and Biggie.

Personally, Alina says Trump is more like Biggie Smalls than Tupac ... but it sounds like there's an East Coast bias at play.

Anyway, the way Team Trump sees it ... Donald is his own brand and "he is everything" ... so the indictment will only make him more popular.

Trump's attorney believes the Pac and Biggie effect is already happening ... Alina says her boss is way up in the polls and she's calling on other Republican presidential candidates, like Nikki Haley, to drop out of the race now and get behind Trump.

Meanwhile, Trump just left Mar-a-Lago and is on his way to NYC, where he's facing more than 30 counts of business-related fraud ... stemming from his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, allegedly paying porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to shut her trap about a supposed affair.

We covered it all in a recent episode of The TMZ Podcast.

Pras Michel has his game face on as his federal conspiracy case kicks into high gear in Washington D.C., with some huge names -- including Leonardo DiCaprio -- set to take the stand.

We caught The Fugees rapper just as he arrived at the courthouse with his defense lawyer ... ahead of what could be a crucial day. Leo is a key witness, and he testified Monday morning after the court allowed him to use a side entrance to avoid the media.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story back in October ... Leo is just one of the many high-profile witnesses who could take the stand before it's all said and done.

Former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, and ex-U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions are all named on the defense's witness list in the saga.

Pras is facing 22 years for his alleged role in a money laundering scheme with Malaysian fugitive Jho Low ... where Low's accused of acting as an agent for the Chinese government.

Leo's not a defendant, but he's been subpoenaed because the feds claim he's one of several celebs who received gifts from Low.

Former President Donald Trump's indictment should go down in history -- literally, as a national holiday ... at least, according to "Veep" actor Reid Scott.

We got Reid at LAX Friday, and we chatted with the former (fake) Deputy Director of Communications about Trump's legal trouble ... and he says he's on cloud 9 about the news.

Reid is concerned, however, about all the good it could do for D.T., with some speculating the attention pointed back could actually help mobilize his supporters and grab him a ton of votes. Regardless, Reid explains why he thinks Trump is more than deserving of getting indicted.

As we reported, Trump didn't look too bothered -- albeit a little preoccupied -- as he strolled out of Mar-a-Lago after dinner on Thursday following news of the indictment ... but Reid seems to think he's got reason to worry, and he tells us exactly why.

ICYMI -- Trump's facing more than 30 counts of business-related fraud -- stemming from his former lawyer Michael Cohen allegedly paying porn star Stormy Daniels $130K to keep her quiet about a supposed affair.

Travis Scott has cleared one major hurdle in the nightclub dispute where he allegedly damaged equipment and assaulted a sound engineer ... and while the criminal investigation remains open, we're told charges are unlikely.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Travis settled with honchos at Nebula in NYC as well as the sound engineer he allegedly attacked. It's unclear how much Scott had to pony up, but the equipment he damaged was worth at least $12k.

While the settlement marks at least one victory for Travis, a spokesperson for the NYPD tells us, "This remains an active investigation." However, another law enforcement source says the alleged victim has stopped cooperating, which poses potential issues for the case going forward.

Of course, there's always a chance cops could use video of the alleged incident to go after Travis, though that's unlikely given the lack of cooperation from a victim.

It was last month when Travis lost his cool at Nebula, allegedly getting pissed at the sound engineer for turning down the volume during his DJ set. The sound engineer claims Travis punched him in the face and destroyed a video board during the performance.

As for the sound engineer, he did an interview from the hospital shortly after the incident, saying, "My neck is f**ked up. My arm is tingling. I have pins and needles going down it."

The body of Stephen Smith -- the 19-year-old whose death was called a hit-and-run for years until information in the Alex Murdaugh case changed everyone's tune -- has been exhumed ... TMZ has confirmed.

Smith was found dead on a dark road in Hampton County, South Carolina back in July, 2015. The deputy coroner who did the autopsy ruled the death a hit and run, but that never made sense. Stephen had a gash in his head from either a bullet or some object, but no injuries below the torso -- something that would make no sense in a car accident. There was no debris from the car on the road, and there are other factors clearly pointing to homicide.

Stephen's mom, Sandy Smith, has waged a campaign for years to reclassify the case, and now she has commissioned a private autopsy to determine what really happened to her son. Authorities have already reclassified the case as a homicide.

Buster Murdaugh went to school with Stephen and rumors swirled around town. Buster has denied any involvement and now there are 2 persons of interest -- not part of the Murdaugh family -- who have captured the interest of police -- this according to Fitsnews.

Many twists and turns in this case, including why Randy Murdaugh was so quick to offer help to the Smiths after Stephen's death, even before his body was officially identified.

No word on when autopsy results will be made public.

"Saturday Night Live" had a hysterical cold open ... Donald Trump singing for legal defense money.

James Austin Johnson nailed it as the former prez, beginning with Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero" and introducing himself.

He started with what seemed like a shocker ... “Well folks, it happened. I got indicted, or as I spell it: indicated. Frankly, it’s time that I come clean, admit that I broke the law and go quietly to prison. April Fools! That was a prank. I was doing a Jim from Office.”

Then he touted his song from the J6 choir, 'Justice for All,' bragging it beat Miley Cyrus on the charts for a nanosecond. So, he says, if that song can raise money for his legal defense, how 'bout an entire album of songs!  The album, titled "Now That's What I call My Legal Defense Fund," or "Trump Bopz," is what he hopes is a goldmine.

"Love After Lockup" stars Monique Robinson and Derek Warner are proving why they're perfect for this reality show ... telling us they're sticking together even after his latest arrest.

Monique and Derek tell TMZ ... they are stronger than ever and she even bailed him out of jail after he was busted in Ohio for felony assault.

Derek says the arrest stems from an incident he had with a fellow inmate in 2021 when he was behind bars ... claiming he was indicted after an investigation wrapped.

While there was some speculation Monique would break up with Derek, she says he's her man, and she won't leave him over his legal issues because they're in love.

Monique tells us it was a pretty easy decision to bail Derek out of jail ... and he says he'd do the same for her were their roles reversed.

Derek has a court date next week, and says the case won't stop them from remaining on the WE tv series.

Gwyneth Paltrow's attorney was getting superstar treatment after his big victory in court this week ... and even Katie Couric was taking notice of his Clark Kent-like appearance.

Paltrow's lawyer, James Egan, was being compared to the bespectacled heartthrob protagonist, better known as Superman, by Couric and many others on social media.

As you know, Egan scored a major win for Paltrow in her civil case against retired optometrist Terry Sanderson after their 2016 ski collision in Deer Valley, Utah. A jury voted in favor of the actress and awarded her $1, as well as full reimbursement of her legal expenses. Both parties sued each other over the ski crash.

Couric, the former "Today" host, took to Instagram to reveal she had the hots for Egan. She wrote, “He’s cute,” accompanied by a photo of Egan wearing his Clark Kent glasses.

Her company, Katie Couric Media, also posted a dramatic reaction to Egan's handsome looks: “Good GOD.” But it wasn't clear if Couric had made the remark or one of her workers.

Fashion columnist Evan Ross Katz was also enamored by Egan, sharing a picture of the lawyer on Instagram with the caption: "Gwyneth's attorney James Egan? I think we should have that conversation."

After the trial, Extra's Billy Bush asked Egan how he felt about his fans falling head over heels for him. Egan responded, "I have heard that. It's weird." He added that he was headed home for quality time with his one-year-old son.

Social media users called Egan “law daddy,”  “hottie” and “smoke show." One person asked, “Can he be held against me in a court of law?” Another said: “I’d let him ski directly into my effing back.”

Gwyneth Paltrow scored a major W in court in her ski crash trial, but it may not be totally over ... as we've learned the doctor who alleged she injured him is considering an appeal.

Robert Sykes, attorney for Dr. Terry Sanderson tells TMZ ... "We sincerely disagree with the outcome and will consider all options moving forward .... including a motion to the court for a new trial or a possible appeal. All of those things are on the table."

Sykes says he believes there were a number of errors made in the case that could form the basis of an appeal. He says one issue is that the judge allowed Gwyneth's lawyers to dig into Terry's past, which they insist was "totally unrelated" to the collision on the mountain but didn't allow his lawyers the same with respect to Paltrow's past.

As we reported, the jury reached a verdict Thursday in the trial ... saying it was Sanderson who caused the accident with GP on the ski slope -- and not the other way around -- as he had claimed.

The actress was awarded $1 in damages, the amount she demanded in her countersuit.

Sanderson sued Paltrow back in 2019, blaming her for slamming into him on the slopes at Deer Valley Resort in Utah back in 2016. Sanderson said he suffered a concussion and broken ribs as a result of the crash.

His initial lawsuit asked for more than $3 million in damages, however, the judge later ruled he could only get a maximum of $300K.

As far as the timeline of any of this, we're told Terry's team isn't making any moves just yet ... instead, they are considering their options and will take their time before making a final decision.

Andrew Tate has been released from a Romanian jail ... after spending 3 months locked up for sex trafficking allegations, TMZ has confirmed.

The Bucharest Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Andrew and his brother Tristan Tate on their latest appeal of a recent 30-day extension for their time behind bars. The two have filed unsuccessful appeals on previous occasions.

A spokesperson for Andrew and Tristan tells TMZ ... "They will be placed under house arrest while the investigation continues," adding their team is ecstatic about the news. We're told both brothers are excited to be reunited with their families once again, and are thanking their supporters for standing by them.

Andrew and his bro posted a cryptic tweet on Wednesday, simply pointing to Friday ... although it's unclear if either were aware of their upcoming release.

As we reported, The 2 were arrested in December -- Andrew was accused of rape and running a human trafficking ring. The noise surrounding his arrest came directly after he got into a Twitter beef with environmental activist Greta Thunberg.

People were also poking fun at Andrew while locked up ... after saying he saw himself with "a full head of hair" in his reflection -- around the same time a shocking image of him with really thin hair started to make the rounds.

Bam Margera's wife Nikki Margera is looking at possibly filing for some legal protection against him ... this after his recent arrest for public intoxication, TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Nikki's considering filing for a restraining order against the former "Jackass" star, which she hopes would protect her and their 5-year-old son, Phoenix.

Meanwhile, Nikki tells us Wednesday's incident "was scary for me and even more scary for Phoenix," calling it a shame because "the visitation that Bam had with Phoenix the prior day in Hollywood went reasonably well."

She claims Bam arrived Wednesday intoxicated and belligerent -- adding "This is the umpteenth time that Bam takes one step forward and ten steps back."

Nikki's attorney, David Glass, tells TMZ ... they've been trying to work with Bam on setting up regular visitation. However, Glass says that's all contingent on Bam staying sober and treating Nikki with respect -- something he says just hasn't happened.

Meghan Markle scored a big W in court Thursday after a judge gave her sister's defamation case the boot.

The Florida judge dismissed Samantha Markle's $75K lawsuit, ruling Meghan's opinion of her experiences growing up was just that ... her opinion, and that's not defamation.

Samantha had claimed Meghan's statement to Oprah that she grew up an only child and only met her half-sister a handful of times was not slander. Samantha argued the statement was false, malicious and humiliating ... but the judge wasn't buying what she was selling.

Meghan's legal team tried to get the case dismissed last month, saying their client was merely talking about her life the way she saw it -- and in the end that's the way the judge saw it, too.

Count this as a win for the Dutchess.

Oscar Pistorius will remain behind bars for the foreseeable future ... the former Olympic sprinter and convicted killer was denied parole in South Africa on Friday.

Pistorius had hoped to get an early release this week ... after he served more than half of the 13-year, 5-month sentence that he was given for shooting and killing his girlfriend, 29-year-old Reeva Steenkamp, in 2013.

But, at the proceedings in Pretoria, officials said he had actually not served the minimum requirement to get parole. Officials said there was some sort of miscalculation of when his formal sentencing actually began, and the hearing would need to be pushed.

Pistorius now will have to wait until August 2024 to reapply for the early release.

Steenkamp's parents attended the hearing to argue Pistorius should remain in prison. According to Sky News, Steenkamp's mom, June, told reporters outside of the venue that she believed the 36-year-old was not remorseful for his actions.

She added that she didn't believe he was rehabilitated either.

The Steenkamps have repeatedly said he belongs behind bars for life.

For his part, Pistorius, a double-amputee nicknamed "Blade Runner," has claimed he never meant to shoot his partner ... saying he thought she was an intruder.

Kanye West and his Yeezy brand now have to contend with a lawsuit from a former employee, who claims the megastar rapper/designer owes her a cool $275K.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ Hip Hop ... Dora Szilagyi was hired to be Yeezy's "Director of Product Innovation" in June 2021, but only after Kanye convinced her to quit her role at Adidas and work for him full-time.

Dora claims she was promised a $275,000 severance payment if she was fired without cause after September 1, 2021 -- but she claims it was never paid to her when she was let go in mid-December 2021.

In the suit, Dora says she doesn't believe Kanye or his company ever intended to follow through on the severance package, and only dangled it to lure her from Adidas.