Legal

U.S. law enforcement's decision not to charge anyone in the death of Shanquella Robinson has her family outraged -- but they're not ruling out a lawsuit to seek justice in civil court.

TMZ spoke to the late North Carolinian's mother and sister -- Sallamondra and Quella, respectively -- who told us how they're feeling in the wake of last week's news that U.S. officials are closing the book on this case without holding anyone accountable.

As you can imagine, they're devastated, but, more than anything, they're confused ... as results of different investigations -- both here and in Mexico -- are vastly different.

As you might have heard ... there were 2 autopsies done after Shanquella died this past fall near Cabo San Lucas. The initial one was conducted by Mexican officials almost immediately after she was pronounced dead and, reportedly, her cause of death was "severe spinal cord injury" and instability of her vertebrae ... suggesting she'd suffered trauma.

Considering there's a widely-circulated video showing Shanquella taking a beating from a woman she was vacationing with at the time. Her family thinks it's a no-brainer to connect the dots and assume one thing might've caused the other -- namely, that the attack might've played a part in their loved one's death. Apparently, U.S. investigators felt differently.

Shanquella's family says the feds did their own autopsy -- once her body was embalmed and shipped -- and conceded there was swelling in her brain, but ultimately determined an official cause of death was inconclusive.

The fact the feds seem to be relying on their autopsy findings -- which are undoubtedly less accurate than the more timely Mexican one -- is a discrepancy that has yet to be properly explained ... according to the family's attorney, Sue-Ann Robinson (no relation).

Sue-Ann tells us justice wasn't done, because, she believes, U.S. prosecutors punted. She also says the family isn't giving up and will continue to seek ways to pursue criminal charges.

Sue-Ann says the family will keep pressuring elected officials -- including President Biden -- to do the right thing and force the U.S. Attorney's Office's hand in taking action ... as that appears to be the only thing they can do to reopen Shanquella's case, criminally. We're told the family was offered the option to exhume her body for a third opinion, which is still an option.

Of course, there's also the possibility of civil legal action ... something the family tells us they are absolutely considering. Fact is, they personally know the friends who vacationed with Shanquella, and they believe some of them know more than they've revealed.

Netflix and Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah -- the filmmakers behind the Kanye West touting 'jeen-yuhs' doc -- are defendants in a lawsuit from a Chicago woman who claims they exploited her with its release.

The suit was filed Monday by Cynthia Love, and according to documents obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, she originally made a cameo in Kanye’s 2003 music video “Through the Wire” ... which Coodie and Chike directed.

The vid served as Kanye’s breakout hit and opens with Cynthia dancing inside a restaurant … and she says she was paid $20 for that appearance.

Cynthia's issue is she claims she was in an "altered state and not capable of providing consent" at the time -- and she's upset an extended version of that moment was then shown in the 'jeen-yuhs' documentary on Netflix.

In the suit, she says it represents a part of her past she'd like to move past. She claims she's now been sober for nearly 18 years, has held down long-term jobs and repaired relationships with friends and family.

She says the doc revealed her dark past to many who were unaware of her background, forcing her to rehash bad memories.

Cynthia also claims Coodie told her son, via text message, he assumed she was dead instead of trying to contact her before the film's debut.

Cynthia alleges the footage has now caused her emotional distress and harmed her reputation.

Justin Hill, an attorney for Young Thug's YSL camp, has some serious cojones -- not only did he disagree with the judge in their RICO case, but he blatantly called "cap" on him in open court!!!

Hill was in court Monday when he was accused by Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville of not making a formal assertion before court started.

Although it was deemed a moot point, Hill stood his ground and basically told the judge he's an honorable fibber as the case proceeded.

Outside the courtroom, Hill, who represents YSL member Damone Blalock aka Bali, doubled down on his choice of words. He told reporter George Chidi he felt misrepresented during the proceedings, and using the word "cap" perfectly defined the moment.

Thugger's RICO case has been filled with unpredictable hijinks -- back in January, one of his codefendants attempted to pass him drugs as court was ongoing and several others, including Gunna, have since taken plea deals.

Chris Cornell's estate -- which is run by his widow, Vicky -- appears to finally be on the same page, legally, with his old band, and it seems like there's even new music on the way.

A statement was issued through Chris's official IG page, and it reads ... "Soundgarden and Vicky Cornell, on behalf of the Estate of Chris Cornell, are happy to announce they have reached an amicable out of court resolution."

It goes on ... "The reconciliation marks a new partnership between the two parties, which will allow Soundgarden fans around the world to hear the final songs that the band and Chris were working on. The two parties are united and coming together to propel, honor and build upon Soundgarden's incredible legacy as well as Chris's indelible mark on music history."

The update comes after years of acrimonious legal battles between Vicky and the band since Cornell's death.

From what we know ... she'd actually sued Soundgarden twice -- once in 2019 over royalties and 7 unreleased tracks and again in 2021 regarding the value of his stake in the band ... and there were even complaints to a judge about COVID protocols amid all this drama. It's been a lot.

Now, it seems like they've all buried the hatchet -- which presumably means both lawsuits have been settled. And that's gotta be great news for Chris' fans around the world.

Brazilian soccer star Dani Alves -- who's been detained in Spain since January when a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her in a club -- testified Monday he didn't assault anyone, but rather had consensual sex with the alleged victim.

According to the Associated Press, Alves testified there was a mutual attraction between him and the woman he's accused of sexually assaulting at a Barcelona nightclub on Dec. 30.

Alves initially denied any wrongdoing when the allegation was first made ... saying he didn't have sex with the woman, apparently fearing the admission would jeopardize his marriage.

"I would like to deny everything first," Alves said at the time. "I was there, in that location, with more people, having a good time. Everybody knows that I love to dance. Having a good time, but without invading the space of others."

"I'm very sorry, but I don't know who that young lady is. I don't know who she is. I've never seen her in my life," he said at the time.

But, Alves has since changed his story ... and now claims he did have sex, but it was consensual.

During a pretrial hearing, a judge denied his request to be released on bail, believing Alves to be a flight risk.

Judge Mathis says he has no hard feelings after going back and forth with 50 Cent earlier this month ... but he's still going forward with his own "BMF" project regardless!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with hizzoner at LAX, where he explained he and 50 haven't spoken since their social media disagreement over Mathis' upcoming biopic, "The First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story."

The TV judge is executive producing the film and 50's ex, Vivica A. Fox, is the director ... but 50 was more concerned with Tonesa being labeled a "BMF associate," because he says her ties are more with Detroit's 263 Crew ... a gang that preceded BMF.

Regardless of what the title says, JM tells us he's a proud Detroit native looking to get Tonesa's story out in the open, which will debut on BET+ later this year.

He also doesn't mind 50's ribbing because he says they're both from the same walk of life!!!

50 infamously got shot 9 times before his rap career skyrocketed, while Mathis says he was shot twice and even showed his bullet wounds!

Joan Cusack got written up by cops in Chicago this weekend after she slammed into another car ... this after allegedly peeling out of her place of business.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ that the actress -- who's John Cusack's older sister, and who runs a tchotchke shop there in Chi-Town -- was issued a citation Saturday after an accident unfolded that police apparently felt Joan had caused.

We're told the ticket was for driving too fast for the conditions -- although it's unclear exactly what that means. What we do know is that the aftermath was caught on camera.

Based on this video, obtained by TMZ, you can see four young women being attended to by first responders alongside their Honda -- which definitely looks dinged up -- and Joan standing by next to her pickup truck ... looking pretty annoyed by the whole thing.

The people who shot this seem to think they know what happened ... essentially, it looks like a T-bone collision -- but, again, we don't know for certain how this went down. The cops are saying that Joan was simply trying to enter a parking space when she struck a sedan.

Chicago PD doesn't offer much more of a description beyond that. The only other observation was that there weren't any serious injuries, and that Joan was the one who got dinged, legally.

A pregnant woman was shot at a Walgreens after one of the workers claims to have chased her into the lot following alleged shoplifting ... which then spurred a premature delivery.

Per local reports, cops say 21-year-old Mitarius Boyd -- who's reported to have been working as the team lead on Wednesday when this horrific incident unfolded -- shot 34-year-old Travonsha Ferguson while trying to stop what he says was an active theft in progress.

Boyd reportedly told investigators that he fired his weapon at both Ferguson and another woman she was with after pursuing them to their car ... where he claims they were trying to unload a bunch of stuff they'd allegedly just jacked from inside the Walgreens.

According to him, he felt his life was in danger when one of the women started to spray him with mace -- as he says he didn't know if they had a dangerous weapon on them. In other words, he's claiming self-defense here ... and has not been arrested at this point.

Cops say Ferguson -- who's reported to have been 7 months pregnant -- was hit 8 times ... twice in each leg and four times in the stomach. She and her friend made it into the car after the gun went off, and the friend is said to have dropped her off at the ER on her own.

Doctors attended to her immediately, and she underwent 3 surgeries. During those procedures, reports say an emergency C-section was done to take out the baby ... who was miraculously not hit during all this. Both she and her child are now in critical condition.

The case is under investigation, and the D.A. is reviewing the Walgreens employee's claim -- namely, that he had to shoot in order to protect himself from imminent danger.

Drake Bell's brother is the one who first got police involved in his missing person case ... telling cops Drake was threatening suicide in response to child custody issues with his estranged wife.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, Drake's brother, Robert, called Orlando PD Wednesday night to say Drake was making suicidal statements about wanting to hang himself and not wanting to be alive anymore.

Drake's brother told police Drake was in Winter Park, FL to visit Janet, his estranged wife, and discuss their custody agreement for their son. Drake and Janet separated back in January.

Drake's brother told cops Drake was "distraught and made suicidal statements" in texts to their mother. He allegedly said he didn't want to live anymore, was going to drink excessively and hang himself.

He says he tried to make Drake come to his senses but he wasn't receptive ... so, Robert decided to call police.

TMZ broke the story ... Drake was reported missing Thursday, with police in Florida saying he was MIA and "considered missing and endangered."

On a 911 call from the case, an Orlando officer called another department for help locating Drake, characterizing the situation as a "possible attempted suicide." He repeated what Robert had told them about Drake's suicidal texts to family members on the West Coast.

As we first reported, we know Drake was hanging out with his son Tuesday at SeaWorld in Orlando. It's unclear what the custody issues are between Janet and Drake.

As you know ... Drake was ultimately found safe and sound shortly after being reported missing. Hours later, on Thursday evening, he tweeted, "You leave your phone in the car and don't answer for the night and this?"

Despite that attempt to make it seem like this was much ado about nothing, law enforcement tells TMZ ... deputies took action Thursday to ensure Drake receives a mental health evaluation.

Drake's attorney had no comment.

Victoria Principal's private home became an unwanted open house this week -- courtesy of a couple of alleged trespassers who claimed they saw the place was for sale online and were told they could take a tour ... this according to law enforcement.

Cops say officers were called to the "Dallas" star's Malibu property Monday after a man and woman were spotted by security on surveillance cameras breaking through a gate and wandering onto the grounds.

Our sources say Principal's security lost sight of the pair, which made them think they might've broken into the home -- so we're told the call was upgraded to a possible burglary.

When cops arrived, they found the couple ... and cops say their explanation to officers was that they thought the crib was for sale -- claiming they'd seen an ad for it online and thought they'd pay the place a visit in person for a closer look.

We're told they even showed cops something they said was proof of a conversation between the couple and an unknown person on Craigslist trying to sell the home ... even giving instructions on how to get in.

The celebrity jeweler who's suing Antonio Brown over $1 million worth of diamonds that he says the NFL star took from him tells TMZ Sports everything would be forgiven if AB would just send the stuff back.

Shuki International opened up to us on Thursday out in Los Angeles about the lawsuit he filed against the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver this week ... and he explained he has absolutely no bad blood with the 34-year-old at all.

In fact, he told us he still loves the guy, considers him a great friend ... and plans on hitting a rap stage with him soon.

But, Shuki says AB has really put him in a bind over some of the diamonds he lent him back in 2022 ... and now, he wants Brown to either pay him for them or return 'em.

"This is just a wakeup call," Shuki said of the lawsuit against Brown. "Call me. Bring back the baby."

According to Shuki's lawsuit, the jeweler gave several items to Brown last year -- including two diamond fingers that he said were worth $500K apiece.

Shuki told us on Thursday that when he handed them over to Brown ... he expected the former football player to wear them for a little bit before giving them back so Shuki could ultimately sell them.

The jeweler, though, said when he recently tried to get Brown to return them ... the dude straight-up ghosted him.

Now, Shuki -- who's designed pieces for many high-profile clients, including Floyd Mayweather -- is pleading with Brown to get in contact with him so they can resolve everything.

"He's just got to rotate the jewelry," Shuki said. "You cannot just hold it, you know what I mean? It's mine. I gotta look good."

Shawn Kemp has been charged with first-degree assault ... a charge stemming from that March parking lot altercation where the NBA legend was seen shooting a gun.

The case had been in limbo until this week. Authorities in Washington initially arrested the SuperSonics legend, before deciding they needed more time to investigate. All the while 53-year-old Kemp claimed he acted in self-defense, saying his actions were "reasonable and legally justified."

Unfortunately for Shawn, that's not the way prosecutors ultimately saw it, and they've now hit him with a first-degree assault charge. If convicted, the charge can carry a life sentence.

We broke the story last month, Kemp -- wearing a red vest -- approached a vehicle and pointed his gun, appearing to yell something before firing at least one shot outside a Tacoma, Washington shopping mall around 2:00 PM on March 8.

Kemp claimed he was simply trying to locate his phone, which was previously stolen, when things took a violent turn, and he was forced to defend himself.

Fortunately, no one was injured.

At the time of the confrontation, witnesses told us they heard multiple gunshots before pulling their phones out to record the incident, suggesting SK wasn't the only person shooting.

Moments later, the video also seemingly captured Shawn dumping his firearm in a bush.

Witness footage also showed police locating the weapon minutes later.

Now, barring a plea, Kemp's going to have to fight for his freedom in front of a judge ... and fight is exactly what his attorney says he's going to do, saying he'll plead not guilty to the charge.

Odell Beckham Jr.'s on a roll ... days after securing a lucrative one-year contract with the Ravens, a judge denied Nike's request to dismiss OBJ's lawsuit against the sportswear giant, ruling the case can go forward.

Nike initially filed docs claiming there were no grounds for the case and asked a judge to throw out the suit on February 28. After reviewing the motion, a circuit court judge in Multnomah County, Oregon (where Nike's headquartered) denied the motion to dismiss, according to court records.

Of course, it doesn't mean OBJ has won the case. A defendant asking the court to throw out a lawsuit is pretty standard, and it's a difficult motion to win, but the bottom line is it's a win for the star WR.

We broke the story in November ... 30-year-old Odell accused the Swoosh of screwing him out of millions of dollars by suppressing shoe sales that would've triggered an automatic lucrative contract extension.

Beckham Jr. also said Nike withheld money he was rightfully owed for what they deemed footwear and glove violations (customizing Nike products).

At the time he filed the lawsuit, Odell issued a statement to us, reading in part ... "Unfortunately, Nike did not honor its commitments. Throughout our partnership, I have kept my promise and fulfilled my obligations to the brand. I am extremely disappointed that I’ve had to take these measures to ensure Nike fulfills their obligations and promises."

Beckham Jr. continued ... "Today, I'm taking a stand not just for me, but to set a precedent for all athletes who have dedicated their life to the sport they love – especially those who don't have the means to stand up for themselves. We are held responsible for fulfilling our obligations under our contracts, but we also have to hold powerful companies like Nike accountable for honoring their commitments too."

All told the Pro Bowler says Nike shorted him around $20 million ... and Odell wants his cash, and now it looks like his attorneys will get their day in court.

On the field, Odell is the newest member of the Baltimore Ravens, signing a contract worth between $15 and $18 million earlier this week.

The argument between Cash App founder Bob Lee and the man accused of stabbing him to death allegedly centered around the suspect's sister ... according to prosecutors.

In court docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors say Lee and Tech start-up owner Nima Momeni had a spat before the stabbing ... and a witness says it was about whether Momeni's sister, Khazar, was doing drugs or anything inappropriate.

Prosecutors say the witness claims Lee tried to talk Momeni down and reassure him about Khazar. According to the witness that convo happened at some point in the afternoon or evening of April 3.

From there, investigators have pieced together the events leading up to Bob's death using videos. According to the docs, Bob left his apartment at 12:31 AM on April 4 ... and took an 8-minute walk to Khazar's apartment. Around 2 AM, Nima shows up at Khazar's apartment, and, a few minutes later, he and Bob leave together in Nima's car and drive to a secluded area.

When they get out of the car, Nima allegedly uses a kitchen knife to stab Bob 3 times ... once directly in the heart. Again, prosecutors say they have video of the stabbing. As we've reported, surveillance video -- obtained by Daily Mail -- shows Bob at 2:35 AM, injured and bleeding and desperately looking for help.

The docs say Khazar even texted Lee after the argument, making sure he was ok -- writing "Nima came wayyyyyy down hard on you."

She added, "Thank you for being such a classy man handling it with class Love you Selfish pricks."

As we reported, Momeni was arrested Thursday for the murder of Lee ... and it turns out Momeni has a history of arrests -- including a DUI in 2004 and illegal possession of a switchblade in 2011.

The man charged with fatally stabbing Cash App founder Bob Lee has a history of brushes with the law, and was once arrested for illegal possession of a knife, according to court docs obtained by TMZ.

Nima Momeni was busted Thursday for the April 4 murder of Lee, which cops say happened after they got into a heated argument while driving in Momeni’s car in San Francisco. Cops say the men knew each other, although no motive's been disclosed yet.

Momeni, the owner of a Tech start-up company called ExpandIT, was previously arrested in 2011 for allegedly carrying a switchblade, again while driving in his car.

Momeni ended up pleading no contest to driving on a suspended license in exchange for a dismissal of the knife charge.

In a separate incident from 2004, Momeni was arrested for DUI.

In the less violent/criminal department ... Momeni's also, apparently, a liar.

On his LinkedIn page, he claims he attended UC Berkeley, but a University spokesperson denies that, asserting the alleged killer never attended the prestigious school.

Momeni is scheduled to be arraigned Friday afternoon for Lee's murder.

Everything really is bigger in Texas ... including prison sentences, because a man is potentially going to spend the rest of his life behind bars for spitting at police officers during his arrest.

A Lubbock jury handed down the headline-grabbing punishment Wednesday for 36-year-old Larry Pearson ... who was found guilty of 2 counts of harassment of a public servant.

Prosecutors say Pearson spit at 2 Lubbock PD officers who arrested him in May 2022 on domestic violence charges after a woman told cops Pearson hit her in the face.

According to prosecutors, Pearson was upset the alleged victim was not arrested instead, and started kicking at the doors in the cop car where he was being held ... and he spit at the officers when they opened the car door.

Prosecutors say the spitting didn't end there ... claiming Pearson kept hocking loogies upon arrival at the Lubbock County Detention Center.

During the trial's closing arguments, prosecutor Jessica Gorman asked jurors to consider a sentence that would "send a message" to not only Pearson, but also society ... and he ended up getting 70 years.

Pearson also had prior convictions for family violence and aggravated robbery, and, as a result, the minimum sentence the jury could impose was 25 years.

The guy's no angel, for sure, but there's a huge gap between 25 and 70 years! And, for a crime like spitting ... that seems extreme. Even in Texas.