Legal

Nicki Minaj is being dragged to court over some alleged unpaid bills for custom jewelry ... but her attorney says she's not responsible, and claims the jeweler is just using her for publicity.

The rapper is being sued by a West Hollywood jeweler who claims they loaned out some bling to the rapper -- a pretty standard transaction for celebs, but the jeweler claims some of those pieces came back damaged ... which is not standard.

According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Nicki's stylist Brett Alan Nelson signed a contract with Roseark jewelry store, with Roseark agreeing to loan Nicki jewelry for a public appearance.

The store claims the contract called for Brett to return the bling within a week and pay for any damages the jewelry might incur under his watch.

In the docs, Roseark claims Nicki's stylist failed to return 66 pieces of jewelry by the agreed upon deadline, and, when Brett finally forked over the bling, there was noticeable damage to a set of earrings and a leaf ring.

A source close to Nicki tells us ... everything was returned on time as promised and it was only after items were in the jeweler's possession for some time that the store complained about a missing stone.

The jewelry store says it sent invoices to Brett for the damage, which it says totals $26,239.50 plus interest. The folks at Roseark claim they haven't gotten paid, despite their repeated attempts to collect.

So, Roseark is suing Nicki and her stylist for the money ... even though it appears Nikki never had any direct dealings with the jeweler.

In fact, Nicki's attorney, Jordan Siev, tells TMZ ... "We have not been presented with any evidence that any of the jewelry at issue was damaged by Nicki. This lawsuit appears to be nothing more than an ordinary insurance claim by the jeweler designed to generate publicity for itself and extract a payment to which it is not entitled. We will defend the lawsuit vigorously."

"General Hospital" star Haley Pullos is being sued over the car crash from her recent DUI arrest ... the driver she smashed into says it's her fault he went to the hospital.

According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, a man named Courtney Wilder claims Haley plowed into his car last month while driving under the influence of alcohol and marijuana.

Wilder says the car he was driving behind barely swerved to avoid Haley's car as she drove the wrong way on a freeway offramp ... but he claims he didn't have time to react when he saw headlights coming his way and crashed head-on into Haley. He says he ended up getting transported to a hospital in critical condition.

TMZ broke the story ... cops said Haley was driving on a freeway in Pasadena on April 29, when she swerved into oncoming traffic, colliding head-on with another car that cops say was going about 60 mph.

Police say they searched Haley's car and found weed edibles and mini-bottles of tequila ... and she was arrested for felony DUI when she was taken to a hospital. Cops said she reeked of booze, had watery eyes and slurred speech.

The lawsuit also references what we first reported ... cops said Haley hit a firefighter who was assessing her injuries and shouted, "This is a $400 f***ing shirt!" Wilder slams the comment, claiming Haley cared more about an "overpriced shirt" than the safety and well-being of the crash victims.

In the docs, Wilder claims Haley should have stopped driving when she got into a hit-and-run earlier that night ... and he says she never should have been behind the wheel after mixing alcohol with weed edibles.

Wilder says the crash caused lasting injuries to his body and severe damage to his car, which was totaled ... and he's going after Haley for damages.

Prince Harry didn't hold back during his first day of testimony in London's High Court, where he trashed the British press as he made his case over years-long alleged privacy breaches.

The Duke of Sussex was on hand, in the flesh, Tuesday ... where he hit the witness box early and reportedly read from a witness statement he'd prepared to discuss the allegations he's levied against the Daily Mirror -- the first tabloid case of his being heard.

His statement was reportedly 55 pages long, touching on everything from former associates/employees of Princess Diana -- including her ex-butler, Paul Burrell, whom he called a "two-faced s***" -- to voice mails of his that he claimed were accessed before he could ever hear them.

There's one compelling line about how he felt during the mid-2000s through the early 2010s ... the period of time at issue in the alleged phone hacking/spying case. Harry said, "Despite the common misconception, I was no more than 5% funded by the taxpayer while I was a working Royal in the UK, yet it felt as though the tabloid press thought that they owned me absolutely, and deserved to know everything there is to know about me, my life, my movements and the lives of those people who came into my orbit."

As for why he felt his phone was being hacked ... he described getting notifications for new voice mails on his phone back then -- but then seeing the notification disappear before he could even hear the audio. He says this happened often.

There's more ... Harry said stories that ran during this time about him possibly having been fathered by James Hewitt were incredibly hurtful to him, and harmed his mental health -- sparking fears he'd be ousted from the Royal Family amid speculation.

And lastly, he took direct shots at Piers Morgan ... whom he alleged was the one signing off on the alleged spying/hacking, as the guy was top dog at Daily Mirror at the time. He also alleges Piers is behind recent Mirror attacks against him and his wife, Meghan Markle.

One final telling quote from Harry ... "How much more blood will stain their typing fingers before someone can put a stop to this madness?" When cross-examined on that remark, PH responded ... "Some of the editors and journalists that are responsible for causing a lot of pain, upset and in some cases, speaking personally, death."

There was further cross-examination, in which attorneys for the Mirror asserted the articles he's suing over had actually already been written by other outlets -- and that the Mirror was simply riding the news cycle at the time with their own versions.

Young Thug’s biological brother, and YSL artist, Unfoonk is behind bars for violating the terms of the probation put in place after his plea deal in the Georgia RICO case.

The judge in Fulton County officially revoked Unfoonk’s probation Monday, and sentenced him to 9 years and 6 months in prison after he was charged with firearm possession by a convicted felon ... among other offenses.

Judge Ural D. Glanville scolded Unfoonk during the sentencing ... reminding the Atlanta rapper of their conversation in May about the strict conditions of his probation, especially when it came to possessing a gun!!!

Back in December, Unfoonk (born Quantavious Grier) took a plea deal in the ongoing YSL RICO trial, in which he got credit for 2 years time served, and was placed on probation for the next 10 years.

World-class DJ Paul Oakenfold is breaking his silence after a former personal assistant sued him for sexual harassment, claiming he masturbated in front of her ... but, he says it didn't happen.

Paul addressed the allegations Monday on social media, saying ... "Let me be absolutely clear: I categorically deny any and all claims of improper conduct. Respect, integrity, and consent are values I hold dear, and I have always treated everyone with the utmost professionalism."

Oakenfold -- who many consider the godfather of electronic music -- adds ... "It is disheartening to see these baseless accusations, which appear to be nothing more than a calculated attempt to tarnish my reputation and extort money."

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, the woman claims Paul exposed himself and masturbated in front of her while she was on the job. She even claims he masturbated in her car and once pleasured himself in front of her 4 times in a single day.

The 24-year-old woman says she took a job at a management company and was assigned to be Paul's personal assistant in October, and she claims he pleasured himself in front of her on her first day ... and on 3 other occasions.

In the docs, the woman says she reported the alleged incidents to her bosses and was told she couldn't resume working if she didn't sign an NDA. She claims she eventually signed the NDA under duress and returned to work but says she was no longer assigned to Paul.

The woman claims she was given fewer hours and was ultimately laid off in March ... and now she's suing Paul and others for unspecified damages.

Paul's rep tells TMZ ... "Although she was not officially employed by him nor did she serve as his full-time assistant, it's important to note that Oakenfold had minimal contact with her, and they barely had any face-to-face interactions. He doesn’t even recall her name."

The rep also tells us Paul hasn't been served the court document.

Prosecutors have hit Tony Ferguson with a charge of DUI after he allegedly wrecked his truck in Hollywood last month, TMZ Sports has learned ... but we've also learned the UFC star is already fighting back in the case, pleading not guilty to the misdemeanor.

The 39-year-old entered the plea at his arraignment last week ... less than a month after authorities say he crashed his pickup truck into two parked cars outside of a Hollywood club just before 2 AM.

The scene was terrifying ... the truck ended up on its side following the collision -- though, somehow, no one was injured.

At the time, law enforcement sources told us Tony had refused to take a field sobriety test and was "very uncooperative" at the scene. They also said cops who eyeballed him claimed he reeked of booze and had bloodshot eyes.

Fans of the 'Real Housewives of OC' started sounding the alarm when Shannon Beador was hanging with her ex-hubby David despite their tumultuous relationship ... and TMZ's learned their run-in came days after David once again filed to divorce his new wife.

Here's the deal -- Shannon posted a pic over the weekend of the 2 together, and while some took to the comments saying they were happy to see them still being pals, others shared some shock ... especially in light of their explosive 17 years together.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, David filed for divorce again from his new wife Lesley at the end of May -- apparently just days before the chummy picture ... citing 'irreconcilable differences' as the reason for the split and listing May 23 as their day of separation.

TMZ broke the story, David did this same song and dance last year, filing to pull the plug in September on his marriage to Lesley before asking to dismiss the whole thing a month later.

As for the new filing, it's mostly the same as last time -- he says there's a prenup and is asking to terminate the court's ability to award spousal support to Lesley.

Prince Harry skipped the opening day of a huge trial he's at the center of -- surrounding alleged privacy breaches via UK tabloids -- and, according to the judge, it's not a good look.

The Duke of Sussex was nowhere to be found Monday as day 1 of a trial in London kicked off, where he's the key plaintiff. Remember, this is the case pertaining to the Daily Mirror -- just one of several publications Harry is suing after years of what he claims were illegal tactics used to spy on him as a youth for consistent story fodder.

While Harry was officially expected to take the stand Tuesday, the magistrate in this case -- Judge Timothy Fancourt -- had actually instructed PH to be there from the jump ... just in case they got through opening statements quickly and could get to his testimony sooner than later. Fancourt reportedly said he was quite surprised by the Prince's absence.

As for why Harry bailed, his attorney told the court his travel arrangements were hindered by security requirements ... not to mention his daughter's bday party. Lilibet turned 2 over the weekend, and Harry is said to have hopped on a plane to London right after that.

Despite apparently being in town, Harry's lawyer says he wasn't able to appear in court -- something that the attorneys for the Daily Mirror scoffed at ... as they were prepared to grill him about the articles he claims they ran that allegedly stemmed from dirty journalism.

Yung Gravy is on the mend from a nasty nosedive that left him with multiple fractures, but the charismatic rapper isn't up in arms over the music festival accident ... even if that arm's currently in a sling!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked with Gravy at LAX, where he said he's got no beef with the Hangout Music Festival, the Alabama event, where he recently took the tumble while working the crowd.

Gravy says HMF is graciously covering his medical bills, and took the blame for him tripping over a wooden plank.

The fall was that much harder because the "Betty (Get Money)" rapper happens to be 6'6" -- and his height made it mandatory we get his thoughts on DDG proclaiming tall dudes are outta style in 2023.

Now, DDG's dating the 'Little Mermaid' herself, Halle Bailey, so he's brimming with confidence right now -- but surprisingly, Gravy agrees with him!

He told us he's happy to see the little guys get some shine after being overlooked ... although he does consider himself an exception in this circumstance.

On cue, Gravy did provide an exceptional musical update -- he tells us he's fresh off a trip from Cambodia and recorded music with one of the YSL rappers. 👀

Prince Harry's legal war with the British press over alleged phone hacking is coming to a head this week when a trial is set to start ... and where he might even take the stand early.

The Duke of Sussex is reportedly expected to appear in a London court this upcoming week, and the word is ... he might even testify as early as Tuesday. The case being heard stems from a lawsuit he and others have filed against the parent company of the Daily Mirror.

This is just of a handful of publications he's suing ... all of which revolved around allegations of phone hacking, invasion of privacy and, effectively, spying on him and other members of the Royal Family dating back several years -- something PH is trying to rectify now.

The Daily Mirror case is going to be hashed out in court first, and Harry's likely testimony could actually be historic -- as he'll be the first senior Royal (or ex, rather) to testify in court as a witness offering evidence like this in a long time.

The last time it happened was way back in 1891, when King Edward VII (before he was actually king) testified in a slander case.

What Harry's suing over, in this particular case, is 33 of 150 stories about himself that the Daily Mirror published between 1995 and 2011 -- a period of time from which he claims these stories were produced via illegal tactics in Britain ... like alleged phone hacking, etc.

The Mirror has actually conceded in court docs that Harry and co. have a point about some unethical tactics they've employed over time, but they haven't fessed up on these specific stories he's citing. As such, he's dragging them into court to have it heard before a judge.

You'll recall ... Harry showed up across the pond back in March for another case he's pursuing against yet another tabloid parent company -- namely, Associated Newspapers, which publishes and distributes the Daily Mail, among other publications.

In that case, Elton John is a plaintiff as well ... as are other celebrities taking up Harry's cause in solidarity.

Like we said, he's suing a bunch of them -- and seems determined to take them all down ... one by one. If he's testifying for the Daily Mirror case, presumably he'll testify in others.

All eyes on Harold. 👀

The Fugees came together this weekend during Lauryn Hill's headlining set in Philadelphia ... and it might be the last time we see them as a unit for a good long while.

The 3 ex-band members reunited Saturday during the Roots Picnic music festival ... where she was one of the last acts of the night to take the stage. It was a big deal, as she's celebrating the 25th anniversary of her album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill."

It seems Wyclef Jean and Pras realized the significance as well ... 'cause at one point during her performance, they joined her onstage and began performing as The Fugees again.

Indeed ... it was a very cool moment. They performed at least one song of theirs -- "Ready or Not" -- and the crowd was rocking with them. It's unclear if they did any other tracks ... but they certainly had plenty to choose from. The Fugees have tons of hits under their belt.

Sounds like the show went off without a hitch, and the festival's key organizer -- Questlove -- was certainly grateful. He took to IG with a throwback post of one of The Fugees' first gigs, noting this may well be one of the final times they join forces like this in this setting.

He wrote, "@MsLaurynHill did us a solid by letting us not only letting us celebrate with her the classic #MiseducationOfLaurynHill but she also made a moment by bringing together her bredren @WyclefJean & @PrasMichel ... I’m giving all the gratitude for making this miracle of a night happen."

Part of the reason The Fugees might not reunite like this again for quite some time is because Pras is likely going to prison after he was convicted in his illegal foreign influence scheme case ... and he faces up to 20 years behind bars. He hasn't been sentenced yet.

Elon Musk says a Vermont high school student and her family are getting a raw deal ... as they've been punished for demanding a biological male student -- who identifies as female -- be barred from the girls' locker rooms.

Former University of Kentucky swimmer, and now political activist, Riley Gaines amplified the Allen family's battle on Saturday -- tweeting Blake Allen had been suspended from school, and her father had been fired from his job.

Those were the consequences for the Allens who said Blake and some of her volleyball teammates were uncomfortable undressing in front of a fellow student who identifies as female ... but was born male.

Elon replied to Riley's tweet, "Incredibly unjust." Blake got a 2-day suspension and was reportedly told she couldn't return to school before apologizing for her feelings. Meanwhile, her father -- a middle school soccer coach -- had been suspended without pay because he publicly defended Blake, according to the Daily Signal.

The Allens did win some relief in the form of a lawsuit they filed against the school district ... which was recently settled. They'll reportedly get $125k in damages and attorney fees, plus Blake's suspension has been scrubbed from her record, and her father got back his coaching job.

As we reported, there's a similar legal battle at the University of Wyoming, where Kappa Kappa Gamma sisters are suing their sorority for allowing transgender Artemis Langford into the group.

A federal judge in Tennessee has found that the state's anti-drag law -- the first of its kind in the country -- is unconstitutional ... and the timing couldn't be better for supporters of Pride.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker handed down his ruling Friday, arguing the law is too vague and overly broad ... also saying it encouraged discriminatory enforcement. Parker says the law violates Americans' First Amendment right to free speech/freedom of expression.

Parker did make a distinction about obscenity -- which proponents of the law thought would help keep it intact -- but the judge struck that down, explaining ... "There is no question that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment. But there is a difference between material that is ‘obscene’ in the vernacular, and material that is ‘obscene’ under the law."

He adds, "Simply put, no majority of the Supreme Court has held that sexually explicit -- but not obscene -- speech receives less protection than political, artistic, or scientific speech."

In other words, it ain't illegal for adults to talk sex or dress in drag in front of kids ... which is exactly what this law was all about in the first place. As you'll recall, this law banned public drag/cabaret performances where children could see them, and that might've created problems with the Pride demonstrations going on throughout the state this weekend.

It's interesting ... the judge -- who's Trump-appointed, BTW -- brought up a hypothetical example of a woman dressing as/impersonating Elvis ... and said a situation like that could be prosecuted under this law. While Parker did say the State had an express and righteous interest to protect its minors, he said putting a law like this on the books isn't the way.

As you know ... local Pride organizers there in Tennessee have reported receiving threats from various hate groups in recent weeks as they were planning their parades and events.

Danny Masterson won't be like all the regular folk behind bars while he awaits sentencing ... we've learned he'll be in the same area where some high-profile inmates stayed in the past.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... the "That '70s Show" actor is not in lockup with the general population at the L.A. County Men's Central Jail, as he waits to be sentenced for his rape conviction. Instead, we're told he's being kept in "administrative segregation" for his safety.

Our sources say he's in the same unit where some very famous inmates once stayed ... including Suge Knight and O.J. Simpson.

As we reported, DM was found guilty on two rape counts he was facing ... the jury was deadlocked on the third count. The verdict was reached this week in Los Angeles ... after his first trial ended in a mistrial.

There's no TV in his cell, but he'll have books from the jail's library, and will be allowed out of his cell for 2 hours each day, at which time he can go to the day room and have access to a phone and TV.

He'll get time for recreation 3 hours a week. He's able to shower every other day ... unless he's going to court, and then he can shower daily.

Here's Bam Margera without a care in the world the day after threatening to smoke crack until he dies ... laughing and arm wrestling while out at lunch.

TMZ obtained this video of Bam having an absolute blast Friday at Teca Restaurant in West Chester, PA. He's also sporting a bunch of new tattoos on his neck, face and legs.

Bam's pretty energetic in the footage ... laughing, smiling, joking and trying like hell to win an arm wrestling match -- using two hands against his opponent's one.

Folks who were there say the former "Jackass" star was super chatty, and told people he was getting lunch before hopping on a private jet to fly back to California and start rehab.

Bam was accompanied by a friend and a giant stuffed lion, for some reason.

His behavior here stands in stark contrast to the day before ... when he posted an emotional rant on social media threatening to smoke crack until he's dead unless he could see his son, Phoenix.

Remember ... Bam is desperate for a relationship with his kid, but his camp says Bam's estranged wife Nikki won't let him see their boy.

While he was at the restaurant, we're told Bam also talked about his son, Nikki, his current girlfriend and mixed in stories about going out the night before to a strip club. In other words, Bam was all over the place.

Kroy Biermann aced a good parenting test in the midst of his nasty divorce with Kim Zolciak ... and turns out he completed the course before she finished a similar one.

The former NFL star completed a mandatory course in Georgia -- "Parent Education For Separating/Divorcing Families" -- last month and he scored 99% on the quizzes and final exam.

Kroy filed a certificate of completion with the court, obtained by TMZ, and he got his work done before his estranged wife did.

As we reported ... Kim completed a seminar on "Navigating Family Change" on May 25 ... but Kroy's certificate shows he finished his online course May 17, a full week before Kim. BTW ... the course is mandatory for couples with kids seeking a divorce.

Remember, Kroy is asking for sole custody of the estranged couple's four kids ... Kim's asking for primary physical custody, so this is a full-on dogfight.

The course focuses on helping parents make divorce easier on children ... and it sounds like they need to apply the skills they learned.

The divorce has been exceedingly nasty ... with Kroy ripping Kim for what he says is a gambling addiction, while she claimed he's a pothead who needs to take a drug test.