Legal

Henry Ruggs will officially be sentenced to 3-to-10 years behind bars later this summer ... after a judge formally accepted his plea deal on Wednesday morning.

The former Las Vegas Raiders star appeared in court to enter guilty pleas to one felony count of a DUI resulting in death and one misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter after reaching an agreement with officials earlier this month.

As part of the deal, prosecutors agreed to drop the rest of the ex-football player's charges stemming from his November 2021 car crash.

The judge asked Ruggs -- who was wearing a navy suit with a blue tie -- several questions during the proceedings ... before she ultimately accepted the parameters of the agreement.

Ruggs will now learn whether it'll be closer to three or 10 years in prison at a sentencing hearing on August 9.

As we previously reported, Ruggs had been facing more than 50 years behind bars after prosecutors had initially hit him with five total charges following allegations he drunkenly slammed his Corvette into the back of Tina Tintor's Rav4 ... killing her and her dog.

They alleged at the time that Ruggs had traveled 156 MPH just before the crash with a BAC of .161.

Ruggs' attorneys, David Z. Chesnoff and Richard A. Schonfeld said last week when the 24-year-old first agreed to the plea deal that it all was "a fair resolution to this matter."

Clark County district attorney Steven B. Wolfson said of the ruling Wednesday, "This outcome accomplished our three most important goals: (1) convict Henry Ruggs of the strictest charge allowed by Nevada law for drunk driving; (2) send Henry Ruggs to prison; and (3) eliminate his ability to appeal his conviction and prison sentence."

Wolfson added, "Tina's family members are the most important people in this process, and I met with them several times before reaching this resolution."

Two ice-cold lovebirds are currently getting dragged through the mud after bringing back an infamous and dangerous social media trend that left a bad taste in people's mouths.

Here's the deal -- content creator Tequan Hines recently uploaded a clip of himself and his boo, Asia, sticking their tongues deep in a carton of ice cream in a grocery store before putting it back and fleeing.

They've since taken the video down, but you know how the Internet works ... it's been recirculating online, including on Reddit, where folks are laying into the couple.

Angry commenters are all singing the same tune, more or less -- "A**holes like this should go to jail," and "Looks like they are also pretty proud of their act. F***ing idiots" ... were just a few expressing outrage.

One even wrote, "I'm so glad these people had the intelligence to film and upload themselves to the internet for the benefit of law enforcement."

If it rings a bell, that's because the same thing was going down in the summer of 2019 -- when people were seeking social media clout by licking ice cream out of containers and putting them back on the shelves.

Those looking for quick fame didn't get a happy ending at the time, BTW -- some got arrested and charged, like D’Adrien L’Quinn Anderson ... who pled guilty in 2020 to criminal mischief for licking some Blue Bell ice cream and was forced to do 30 days behind bars.

Britney Spears drinks caffeine drinks by the gallon, something experts say is not great but unsurprising for people with mental illnesses.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, which has produced a documentary that will air Monday, Britney guzzles Red Bull, Celsius, coffee, and dandelion tea almost nonstop. We're told she consumes so much caffeine, she'll sometimes stay awake for 3 consecutive days.

Experts, including Dr. Drew, tell TMZ, people with mental illnesses crave the high from these drinks, but it's not particularly healthy.

The documentary -- "TMZ Investigates: Britney Spears: The Price of Freedom" -- chronicles her life in the last 1 1/2 years since the conservatorship ended. The documentary details her relationships with her family, husband, and kids, in addition to other struggles that have caused concern among those closest to her.

The documentary reveals some of the recommendations people who were caring for Britney made at the end of the conservatorship.  One of the recommendations -- keep knives away from her.

George Santos has just been arrested for a variety of alleged misdeeds, including lying.

Santos has been charged with 13 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to the House of Representatives.

Santos was taken into custody by the FBI and is expected to be arraigned later today.

U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said when the indictment was unsealed, he "seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations," adding, "He used political contributions to line his pockets, unlawfully applied for unemployment benefits that should have gone to New Yorkers who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and lied to the House of Representatives."

Santos has been caught in a web of lies since his election victory last November. Some of his Republican colleagues wanted him expelled, but the leadership was radio silent on the issue.

According to the indictment, 2 of his supporters each transferred $25,000 to an account that was supposed to go to his campaign but was then transferred to a personal account. Santos allegedly used the funds to buy designer clothes and withdraw cash for personal debts.

It'll be interesting how Speaker Kevin McCarthy deals with Santos now.

Donald Trump ripped into his perceived enemies Tuesday night after a jury found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation in the E. Jean Carroll civil trial.

The 45th President posted a series of videos to his Truth Social platform, condemning Carroll, the judge and jury in the case and New York City where the trial was held.

As you probably know, Trump was ordered to pay Carroll $5 million in damages for abusing her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the '90s and then defaming her years later by calling her a liar.

In the footage, Trump first directed his ire toward Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, labeling him a "Trump-hating, Clinton-appointed judge, who went out of his way to make sure that the result was as negative as it could possibly be."

The 2024 Republican presidential frontrunner also said the jury was from an "anti-Trump area," meaning NYC, a place where he could never get a fair trial. BTW ... the verdict was unanimous and quick.

Trump then said he would appeal the jury's decision because he doesn't know Carroll from a hole in the wall. He went on to say the trial was a "scam" and "political witch hunt" (No surprise there). He also said the verdict was a "disgrace to our country."

And he wasn't done yet. Trump described Carroll as a liar whose case was financed by Democratic operatives, but it wasn't clear who he was referring to. He also mentioned fighting back against “this stuff,” implying a rigged justice system, so the country doesn't fall into an abyss.

As for why the jury ruled against him ... jurors heard him via taped deposition say for a million years male celebs have groped women, adding "unfortunately or fortunately."

Of course, Trump's legal woes might only just be starting. Last month, he was criminally indicted in the Stormy Daniels hush money case in Manhattan.

He also faces possible criminal charges in two federal cases involving the January 6th riots and for allegedly pilfering classified government documents.

Lily Collins is the latest celeb to fall victim to a major theft ... cops say she had high-end jewelry and other goodies swiped during what was supposed to be a calming trip to the spa.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the "Emily in Paris" actress was at a West Hollywood hotel over the weekend and secured her belongings -- including her wedding band, engagement ring, and some electronics -- at the spa before going to enjoy some relaxation.

We're told she came out singing a completely different tune, once she found all of her stuff was gone!

L.A. County Sheriff's deputies are currently investigating, and we're told there was no sign of forced entry where Lily stored her belongings.

We're told cops are now looking over the building's security footage for leads.

The theft is classified as "over $10,000," as you'd imagine since the thief made off with Lily's wedding rings. So far, no arrests have been made.

There's been a handful of L.A.-based celebs burglarized, this year alone -- as we reported, cops pulled up to Drake's pad in January after a man took off with something from inside his home.

LAFC star Kellyn Acosta had his house broken into in February, losing out on a few watches -- and Miles Teller's place was ransacked that same month.

The loss for Lily -- Phil Collins' daughter, if ya didn't know -- is particularly tough, considering the sentimental value of her engagement ring. Anyone with info is asked to call the L.A. County Sheriff's Office.

We've seen some celebs opt for leaving their expensive jewelry and watches at home in the current environment.

E. Jean Carroll just released a statement, saying, "I filed this lawsuit against Donald Trump to clear my name and to get my life back. Today, the world finally knows the truth. This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed."

Donald Trump was found liable in his battery and defamation trial involving E. Jean Carroll.

The jury of 6 men and 3 women reached the verdict Tuesday after deliberating for a mere 3 hours. They found the former president liable for defaming Carroll and sexually abusing her ... but not liable for rape. As a result, Carroll was awarded $5 million in damages.

As you know ... Carroll sued Trump for battery and defamation, claiming Trump raped her back in 1996 in a Manhattan department store dressing room. She said she was attacked by Trump after they ran into each other at the store and shopped together.

Trump maintained Carroll's allegation was just a "hoax" and claimed he wouldn't have raped her because she wasn't his type.

As we reported ... Carroll's attorney grilled Trump about his general treatment of women when he sat for a deposition as part of the suit.

In the depo, recorded on video last October, Trump clarifies his hot mic comments during his 2005 interview with Billy Bush, where he infamously said ... "And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything, grab them by the p****. You can do anything."

Carroll's attorney asked Trump if that's indeed what he said, and without blinking he responded, "Well, historically, that's true with stars. If you look over the last million years, I guess that's been largely true."

Trump then shockingly adds ... "Unfortunately or fortunately."

While Trump never appeared in court during the trial, he ripped Carroll as a "whack job" and a "nut job" in his deposition.

It will be interesting to see if Trump references the verdict tomorrow during his CNN town hall.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann's divorce has telltale signs it's already super nasty ... with a war brewing over the estranged couple's children and broken finances.

We've now obtained Kroy's petition for divorce, and he wants sole legal and physical custody of the pair's 4 minor children. That in itself is an aggressive move, essentially cutting his estranged wife out of the child-rearing process.

Kim's legal docs also reveal things are not kumbaya. She's asking for sole physical custody with visitation for Kroy. When couples get along, they typically ask for joint legal and physical custody, but neither seems to want that.

There's also the couple's home -- which went into foreclosure earlier this year. Kroy's asking for possession of the home ... and that Kim be forced to vacate the property. Again, super aggressive.

TMZ broke the story, Kim and Kroy owe more than $1 million in taxes, dating back to 2013.

Kroy puts Kim on notice in his divorce petition, saying she must maintain all financial documents ... including all income records, tax records, expense records and more. This suggests a deep conflict over who was responsible for their financial woes.

Interestingly enough, both Kim and Kroy filed separate petitions for divorce, Kroy's was stamped on Monday ... and we're told Kim filed hers over the weekend. In other words, it was a race to the courthouse so each could say they filed first to end the marriage.

Jonathan Majors' big day in court turned out to be not so momentous after all -- because the charges he's facing remain in place ... something his attorney's not too happy about.

As you may have heard, the actor was due to appear before a judge Tuesday in what amounted to his first real chance to combat the criminal case that's been brought against him by the Manhattan D.A.'s Office -- but, in the end, nothing much came of it.

The D.A.'s Office tells us Majors' charges are still intact and unchanged from when they were first announced. For a refresher ... those charges include 3 counts of attempted assault as well as assault, a count of aggravated harassment and a separate count of harassment.

The D.A. says there'll be a future hearing to discuss a motion filed by Majors' legal team -- but it's unclear what exactly that's about. In any case, he's due back in court in June.

As for what happened -- or didn't, rather -- today ... Majors' defense attorney, Priya Chaudhry, tells TMZ ... she and her team forked over what they say is irrefutable evidence that supposedly exonerates their client ... but say the D.A. turned a blind eye to all of it.

She goes on to explain that the D.A. allegedly told her they would not "fix" their complaint against Majors based on what was submitted -- however, the attorney now says they recanted on that promise and changed the accuser’s story with her help. The attorney also says she has clear proof the alleged victim is lying about that night, and that Majors is the one who's being falsely prosecuted.

Chaudhry claims the D.A. is simply altering their approach to this case based on what she says is the woman's continuously changing story -- and that, she says, is a shame ... not to mention a classic witch hunt, which Chaudhry suggests might be racially motivated.

She says, "When Mr. Majors showed a white police officer the injuries the woman caused him, the white officer got in Mr. Majors' face and taunted him, saying that if the officer were to slap Mr. Majors, the officer wouldn't break his finger. None of the white officers present investigated the assault of Mr. Majors. Worse, the District Attorney has not indicated any intention to pursue charges against the woman, or even investigate the truth."

Chaudhry says this is an example of explicit and implicit bias that still exists in the criminal justice system -- as well as a glaring double standard JM was on the receiving end of that benefitted his accuser ... who, as his attorney has pointed out, is a white woman.

The attorney also claims to have obtained even more evidence that proves her client is innocent -- but says she's hesitant to share it out of fear of the D.A. tipping off the alleged victim to twist the narrative even further. We'll see what comes of this next month.

Britney Spears has had a fascination with knives, and as the conservatorship came to an end, those caring for her prepared a list of recommendations, including this one -- keep knives away from her.

Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... there were a number of recommendations as the conservatorship wound down, including not driving alone. But the one that sticks out involves knives.

We're told Britney viewed knives as a means of protection ... she has a constant fear of being re-institutionalized, something she's referenced in the past.

Given her mental struggles that sometimes resulted in manic and volatile behavior, the recommendation was cautionary.

TMZ has prepared a documentary on Britney's life in the year-and-a-half after the conservatorship ended. The documentary -- "TMZ Investigates: Britney Spears: The Price of Freedom" -- will air on FOX network Monday, May 15 at 9 PM ET.

Prosecutors say former Bills punter Matt Araiza couldn't have participated in a gang rape at a party back in October 2021 because they believe he wasn't even at the home at the time of the alleged incident.

San Diego deputy district attorney Trisha Amador made the claim during a 100-minute meeting with the alleged victim last year, according to court documents obtained by Yahoo Sports.

In the docs -- which Yahoo Sports reported was a 200-page transcript of the sit-down with the girl -- Amador told the teenager that Araiza "wasn't even at the party anymore."

She added when talking about a timeline of the alleged events, according to the report, "All I know is that at that point, suspect Araiza is gone from the party."

Araiza -- a former punter for San Diego State University who was picked by Buffalo in the 6th round of the 2022 NFL Draft -- was initially accused of the sexual misconduct in a lawsuit in August 2022, when a woman identified only as Jane Doe said the NFL player and two other men gang raped her at a Halloween-themed party at Araiza's San Diego home.

Doe, who said in the suit she was 17 years old at the time, alleged she and Araiza had sexual intercourse outside of the home ... before he led her to a room in the house where he and two of his SDSU teammates sexually assaulted her for over an hour.

But, according to Amador and the district attorney’s office, Araiza simply couldn't have participated in the alleged rape ... because their evidence showed he left the party at 12:30 AM -- an hour before the alleged incident occurred.

As we reported, the San Diego County District Attorney's Office initially announced in Dec. 2022 it would not file criminal charges against Araiza, saying, "There is no path to a potential criminal conviction."

22-year-old Araiza, who was cut by the Bills days after the girl's allegations were made public, had adamantly denied the claims from the start. He's remained an NFL free agent.

Kim Zolciak is pulling the plug on her marriage, filing for divorce from Kroy Biermann on the heels of the couple's financial struggles.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, The 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star lists April 30 as the date of separation between her and the former NFL star ... the two were married for 11 years and had 4 kids together during that time.

Kim says she's filing because the marriage is "irretrievably broken with no hope of reconciliation." She's asking for primary physical custody of the kids and joint legal custody ... Kim also wants spousal support and to legally restore her maiden name.

TMZ broke the story ... Kim and Kroy owe $1.1 million to the IRS in unpaid taxes, interest and penalties from 2013, 2017, and 2018 ... and they also owe the state of Georgia $15,000 for unpaid taxes from 2018.

Remember ... Kim and Kroy's massive country club mansion in Alpharetta, GA -- which was heavily featured on multiple reality shows -- entered foreclosure in February ... though Kim's daughters, Brielle and Ariana, denied their home was heading to the auction block.

Kim and Kroy met at a charity event way back in May 2010, when he was playing with the NFL's Atlanta Falcons. Their relationship was featured on 'RHOA' and they tied the knot on Nov. 11, 2011, at their former estate in Roswell, GA.

Their four minor children ... 11-year-old Kroy Jagger, 10-year-old Kash Kade and 9-year-old twins Kaia Rose and Kane Ren. Kroy also adopted Kim's daughters, Brielle and Ariana -- they took his last name.

It's the second divorce for Kim, who was previously married to Daniel Toce from 2001 to 2003, and the first for Kroy.

Kim Zolciak of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" fame and her former NFL-star husband Kroy Biermann are deep in the hole ... owing a TON in unpaid taxes -- some of which has built up from a decade ago.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the couple owes a whopping $1.1M to the IRS for unpaid taxes, interest, and penalties from 2013, 2017, and 2018 -- they also owe the state of Georgia $15K for unpaid taxes for 2018.

As we reported, this news comes after their massive country club mansion in Alpharetta, GA -- which was heavily featured on 'RHOA' -- entered foreclosure in February ... with Truist Bank hiring a law firm to handle the process.

Kim's daughters, Brielle and Ariana, denied their swanky pad was heading to the auction block ... saying they were still hunkered down in the estate with no plans to get out of there.

It appears the family's still posting on social media from inside the GA home, so it looks like authorities haven't yet moved in to secure the property.

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Tiger Woods' public split with Erica Herman is getting nastier ... the golfer's ex is now specifically accusing him of sexually harassing her on multiple occasions during their relationship.

Herman made the allegations in new court documents that were filed on Friday ... claiming Woods initially sexually harassed her shortly after she began working for his Florida restaurant, The Woods Jupiter.

Herman says in the docs Woods personally hired her in 2014, and then developed a romantic relationship with her. In 2017, she claims he then "forced her to sign an NDA ... or else be fired from her job."

"A boss imposing different work conditions on his employee because of their sexual relationship is sexual harassment," Herman's attorneys wrote in the court filing.

Herman then claimed in the docs Woods sexually harassed her again in 2022.

She alleged that because their sexual relationship had ended, he kicked her out of their home -- which she claims is clear sexual harassment.

"The landlord made the availability of her housing conditional on her having sexual relationship with a co-tenant," Herman's attorneys wrote in the docs. "That conduct amounts to sexual harassment under federal and Florida fair housing laws."

Woods has yet to address the new, specific sexual harassment claims -- though he adamantly denied any sexual misconduct with Herman in court documents that were filed in March. In part of his denial, Woods called Herman "a jilted ex-girlfriend."

In her filing Friday, Herman addressed the remark ... calling it "consistent with his harassing behavior."

"That peevish response is taken from the classic playbook of powerful men accused of sexual harassment who respond by belittling and insulting their victims," Herman's attorneys wrote in the filing.

Herman argued in the docs, once again, that an NDA she had with the golfing legend should be declared unenforceable under the federal Speak Out Act, which prohibits the enforceability of an NDA agreed to before a dispute arises involving sexual assault or sexual harassment.

Amber Heard is still in Spain, which is only a big deal now since it's being claimed she's relocated there ... this after supposedly putting Hollywood in her rearview.

The actress was photographed over the weekend in Madrid, where she's been since last year ... when her defamation trial against Johnny Depp wrapped, which she largely lost. As you see ... she's with her young daughter, Oonagh, enjoying a day out on the town.

Not anything we haven't seen before ... Amber's been seen in this kind of setting for several months now. She's always with the kid, and they're always playing or something.

The difference now ... Daily Mail claims to have inside knowledge about her life sitch -- namely, she's apparently putting roots down there in Spain. Per reports, she's also bought a new home ... and is happy raising her daughter there too, just the two of them.

Not just that, but DM says Amber's in no hurry to return to L.A. for work -- at least not until the right role comes around at the right time. She's got 2 films in post-production now, with nothing completely new on the horizon from what we can see. Unclear how she's earning a living these days ... Amber strongly suggested she was tight on cash in the wake of the trial.

Of course, Amber was completely vilified during the court proceedings -- and that's because the public, by and large it seems, didn't buy what she was selling ... and ditto for the jury.

As you can imagine, her reputation has taken a major hit since -- so her fleeing to Europe isn't all that surprising. Word is, she's fluent in Spanish and appears to be getting on quite well with her little girl ... the father of whom nobody knows the identity of at this point.

Enjoy the tapas, AH. We hear Spain's lovely this time of year.

As Jonathan Majors continues to fight his DV case, it appears the internet has already settled on a possible replacement in the MCU ... another bad guy in a new superhero movie.

We're talking about Chukwudi Iwuji -- who made a splash this weekend in the third 'Guardians of the Galaxy' flick as the big bad, the High Evolutionary ... and who left audiences and comic book fans more than impressed with his epic performance.

While HE meets his grisly demise in the end (spoiler) ... a lot of folks on the bird app are nominating Iwuji as the next would-be Kang the Conqueror if things go south for JM.

There's chatter about how Iwuji's take on his supervillain is how Kang should've been portrayed in the 'Ant-Man' film that recently featured him ... namely, over the top and downright ruthless -- which is certainly how Iwuji's High Evolutionary comes across.

As the comparisons continue to fly ... a good handful of Twitter users are also straight-up saying Iwuji should be considered to step in as Kang if Disney decides to ultimately drop Majors -- which they have not done yet, and which may be premature at this point.

This "what if" speculation seems to be a mix of praise for Iwuji and jumping the gun on Majors' MCU future. Frankly, ever since he was arrested -- a lot of names have been floated as possible stand-ins ... but now, it would seem Iwuji's at the front of the line in fans' eyes.

Again ... there's been no indication from Disney that they're considering cutting Majors loose just yet -- despite the fact that he's been dropped from other projects and organizations.

As we've reported ... his team has repeatedly denied he did anything wrong from the beginning and has even suggested he was the victim here -- while also claiming to have evidence that they say will exonerate him. We've seen surveillance footage of the woman in question out partying after the alleged incident ... and she appears to be fine/uninjured.

Of course, he'll have his day in court soon enough. The guy's scheduled to appear before a judge on Tuesday -- where his team will undoubtedly push for the charges to be dropped.

Like everyone else, we're sure Disney will be monitoring ... as Majors is a key figure in their Marvel plans, with scheduled appearances in several more films and TV shows as Kang.