Legal

Punk rock legend Johnny Rotten says he has an obsessed stalker in his midst who's been hitting him up on his phone and even coming to his house.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... the Sex Pistols singer told L.A. County Sheriff's deputies a fan started harassing him last month by dropping letters in Johnny's mailbox -- and he says she picked up the pace, FAST.

Johnny said the woman took it to the next level by trespassing onto his Los Angeles-area property and strolling around his backyard. He says he even came face-to-face with her, and told her to scram.

That's when Johnny claims he started getting phone calls from her -- and that's when he decided to file a stalking report with the sheriff's department, which is now investigating.

Michael Imperioli isn't happy with the Supreme Court's decision in further allowing business owners to turn away customers from the LGBTQ+ community ... making his outrage clear.

The former "Sopranos" star took to social media this weekend to blow off some steam over the mega-ruling that came down Friday -- with a majority of the justices siding with a web designer who refuses to work on a gay couples wedding sites on religious grounds.

In the end, they said she has every right to refuse gay couples her services ... on account of the First Amendment. Remember, another ruling for a wedding cake shop owner also seemed to back that up ... albeit in not nearly as clear terms as this one was. In any case, MI's pissed.

He posted a photo of the web designer in question with a headline attached, and then added this commentary ... "i’ve decided to forbid bigots and homophobes from watching The Sopranos, The White Lotus, Goodfellas or any movie or tv show I’ve been in."

Mike adds, "Thank you Supreme Court for allowing me to discriminate and exclude those who I don’t agree with and am opposed to. USA ! USA!" He went on to say hate and ignorance were not a legitimate POV ... and America was becoming dumber by the minute.

The response he's getting to this is interesting ... seems like a lot of people who agree with the high court's decision are not on board with his take, and many appear shocked he was this passionate about the topic.

Welp, Michael's made no bones about where he stands on this -- and considering that conservatives appear to be boycotting anything they consider "woke" ... ya gotta wonder if they'll take him up on his suggestion and stop watching his TV shows and movies.

Tyler Perry is coming to the rescue of a 93-year-old woman so she can keep the South Carolina home her family has owned since the Civil War era.

The actor/filmmaker jumped into a legal battle between Josephine Wright and the Bailey Point Investment Group over her Hilton Head home. Simply put, Bailey Point reportedly wants to buy Wright's land, but she doesn't want to give it up so now BP filed a lawsuit to seize control of her property.

Well, that didn't sit well with Tyler who fired off a message on Instagram, quoting Wright, '''I've pretty much been a fighter all my life' said 93-year-old Josephine Wright. Well, that makes two of us. Ms. Wright, please tell where to show up and what you need to help you fight."

Not clear if the two have connected yet or what their potential plans are ... but Wright gave an interview to a local news org, WSAV-TV, calling the lawsuit "frivolous" that Bailey Point filed against her.

She told a reporter BP got approval from the town to develop 29 acres of land behind her home and the company offered to buy her property, but she turned them down. That's when, Wrights says, BP started harassing her and filed the suit to rip away her family's crown jewel.

Wright says the property has been in her family since the Civil War began in 1861, adding that her relatives escaped slavery and were freed by the Union soldiers.

Cupid's arrow won't hit the Target bullseye any time soon -- the megastore is getting hit with a lawsuit from a guy who claims some missing marshmallows tanked his Valentine's Day.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Donte Cross is comin' after the retailer for false advertising, which he says traces back to a bag of S'mores Bark Crisps -- a $4 online item.

Cross says he picked up the sweet treat for a loved one, but "discovered the absence of visible marshmallows" when the bag was opened -- adding the grub didn't resemble or taste like what was described on the packaging.

He claims his loved one was filled with disappointment and chucked the bag at Cross ... telling him, "This has no marshmallow."

Cross says the sticky situation upended his Valentine's Day celebration, not to mention the embarrassment it caused. He feels deceived by what he says is Target's false advertising.

The unhappy customer says he's suffered emotional distress over the whole ordeal and is coming after Target for unspecified damages.

More alleged financial issues for Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann ... Target says she hasn't paid a relatively puny credit card bill, so now they're going after her in court.

According to new legal documents, obtained by TMZ, the bank which handles credit cards for Target claims the former 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star failed to pay off a $2,482.24 balance.

Target National Bank claims Kim opened a credit card at the retailer way back in 2007, but says she only recently defaulted on the payments ... claiming she hasn't made a payment since September, when she paid $500.

In the docs, the bank says it's demanded payment from Kim ... but she's failed to settle the bill.

Kim and Kroy, who are going through a nasty divorce, allegedly owe tons of money ... including an alleged $1 million to the IRS.

TMZ broke the story ... Kroy was sued just this week for allegedly failing to pay back a line of credit he used at a casino in the Bahamas, and he's also being sued for allegedly missing lease payments on a Rolls-Royce.

'Rust' armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed allegedly ditched a bag of cocaine, handing it off to another person in the hours after Halyna Hutchins was killed ... this according to prosecutors.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors claim to have a witness who says Gutierrez-Reed transferred a "small bag of cocaine" to them on October 21, 2021 ... after she sat through an interview with police following Hutchins' on-set death.

They say the alleged handoff demonstrates that Reed was trying to avoid prosecution and hide evidence that would further implicate her involvement in the fatal shooting.

Prosecutors say the witness had concerns about coming forward ... telling them, "I will never be able to work in the film industry again." Prosecutors are now asking for a protective order, keeping the person off any publicly-available witness lists and barring Gutierrez-Reed's camp from releasing the witness' identity.

As we reported, Gutierrez-Reed's been charged with tampering with evidence in relation to the alleged passed-off cocaine.

"Vanderpump Rules" is already shooting Season 11, but the person who is the centerpiece of all the drama -- Raquel Leviss -- just began negotiating with Bravo this week, and there are complications in sealing the deal ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Bravo, production and Raquel's team began talking about a new contract just 3 days ago. We don't know the specifics of what was discussed, but it's standard operating procedure in the entertainment biz to make salary item #1.

Whatever terms they have already discussed, it appears none were deal-breakers, because the negotiations are continuing.

Now the problems.

Our sources say Bravo did not want to even begin negotiations while Raquel was getting treatment in the mental health facility she's called home for more than 2 months.

The reality -- if Bravo jumps the gun, makes a deal and brings her back too early, they could face legal peril if she backslides.

So, you ask ... why did they begin negotiating THIS week? The answer -- because our sources say, Raquel will leave the facility "soon." That gives production the green light to start the negotiations.

Now here's the practical problem ... the longer 'VPR' rolls cameras, the harder it's gonna be to integrate Raquel into the storylines. No one wants to pressure her to come back too early, but they want a show with lots of drama. A source connected to the show tells us ... production is ready when she is ready.

Stay tuned ...

Kevin Spacey was a 'sexual bully,' according to prosecutors in his sexual assault trial.

Spacey's trial began Wednesday in London, and prosecutors laid out their allegations, including one where a man claims he passed out while drinking and smoking with Spacey, only to wake up hours later with Spacey allegedly on his knees, performing oral sex on him.

They also say one of Spacey's drivers complained about him being very "touchy-feely" while sitting in the passenger seat.

The driver claimed Spacey got more inappropriate over time, touching his leg and rubbing his neck and eventually groping him "in an aggressive way."

The jury was also told Spacey allegedly manhandled a man backstage at the Haymarket Theater in the West End ... adding he was grabbed "with such force it was painful."

Spacey has denied committing any of the 12 sexual assaults with which he's charged involving 4 men.

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson's is livid six justices have upended affirmative action in this country, saying Black people are getting screwed all over again.

The Vanderbilt University professor joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and ... excoriated Chief Justice John Robert's and the 5 justices who joined him, ruling affirmative action violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution.

Dr. Dyson argues Black people have always been denied opportunities in America, specifically because of their race, so there's no way to right that wrong without taking race into consideration.

The impact of the SCOTUS decision is seismic ... private and public universities can no longer consider race as a factor in admissions. Many supporters of affirmative action fear white and Asian students will now be significantly favored in higher education, at the expense of other minority groups. The decision will clearly have repercussions in the workplace.

Travis Scott is in the crosshairs of a Texas grand jury ... facing possible criminal prosecution for the deadly Astroworld tragedy.

The rapper's lawyer, Kent Schaffer, tells TMZ ... the Harris County Grand Jury is meeting now, to decide whether his client should be prosecuted for continuing to perform at the 2021 festival as thousands of people in the crowd stampeded ... causing 10 people to die and an untold number injured.

Travis' attorney tells us the rapper will NOT be testifying and his team remains hopeful the jurors will agree Travis did not commit any crime.

Travis has maintained from the beginning he had no idea there was a stampede and points to the fact many police officers in the crowd who were responsible for the safety of the fans were clueless as well. In fact, you see in the videos some cops dancing as Travis performs.

The deadly concert sparked a number of civil lawsuits against Travis and the festival's organizers ... but he has never been criminally charged.

We reached out to the Harris County District Attorney's Office ... and they declined to comment.

Kevin Costner's estranged wife says she will pack up and move out of their home under one condition ... he's got to pony up more dough.

According to new legal docs, obtained by RadarOnline.com, Christine Baumgartner says she will move out of the beachfront home in Carpinteria, CA on August 31 ... as long as Kevin provides financial support as determined by the court.

Christine claims Kevin wants her to find a new place to live ASAP without a financial plan in place ... and with three kids, she says it's not in their best interests for her to move into a new place until she knows how much money she's going to be getting from Kevin.

Remember ... Kevin says Christine has so far refused to move out of the home he insists he owns, and he says their prenuptial agreement makes it clear Christine had 30 days to vacate the home when she filed for divorce on May 1, a deadline she's already missed.

Kevin, as we've reported, already says he's shelled out $1 million for Christine to find a new place to live ... and he's been asking the court to get her out of the home, claiming she's using her position as leverage to make him agree to her financial demands.

In docs filed earlier this month, Christine asked a judge to force Kevin to pay $248,000 a month in child support ... a figure Kevin says amounts to highway robbery.

There's a court hearing coming up July 12, and Christine says when she finds out then how much she's getting from Kevin, she'll have a better handle on where she can move and will be out of the home by the end of August.

Kroy Biermann took out a line of credit for a gambling trip in the Caribbean and never paid the money back ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

The former reality TV star and NFL player is being sued by Sky Warrior, which apparently handles the credit lines at the famous Baha Mar Casino in the Bahamas.

According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, Kroy obtained a $100,000 line of credit for use at Baha Mar Casino in advance of a November 2021 trip, and he ended up using $52,500 to gamble.

Sky Warrior claim Kroy agreed to pay back any money he gambled and promised that he had the money in his SunTrust bank account ... but they say he drew $52,500 in chip markers at the casino and didn't repay the amount before leaving.

The suit alleges Kroy still hasn't settled up ... and Sky Warrior say they have been unable to get the money from Kroy's bank account.

It's more financial trouble for Kroy ... he and estranged wife Kim Zolciak allegedly owe the IRS north of $1 million, he's being sued for allegedly missing lease payments on a Rolls-Royce and he's claimed Kim has a gambling problem in their nasty divorce.

Sky Warrior is going after Kroy for the $52,500 they say he owes ... plus interest and attorney's fees.

Armie Hammer's closed the book on a lot of drama in his life -- and now, he's turning the page with a little summer getaway ... with a new woman in his life.

The actor -- who has mostly remained out of the public eye for the past 2 years -- was spotted out in the Italian city of Santa Margherita Wednesday ... where he was dressed in a breezy outfit, and rocking sandals to boot. He also had company ... of the mysterious blonde variety.

The pair walked down the street, side by side. There weren't a whole lot of other people around -- and doesn't seem like anybody really recognized/bothered 'em.

Eyewitnesses tell us they hit up a little pizzeria that was mostly secluded and tucked away. By the looks of it -- they kinda had the space to themselves. We're told they sipped coffee and chitchatted with one another ... looking totally comfortable and relaxed. They also shared a kiss and held hands so, yeah, it's romantic.

Armie recently settled his divorce with Elizabeth Chambers and the judge is expected to sign off on the divorce soon.

Armie's been cleared after the LAPD investigated him for almost 2 years after a rape allegation, but the case went nowhere. The D.A. turned thumbs-down for lack of evidence, so he's clearly getting on with his life.

Kevin Spacey's sexual assault trial kicked off Wednesday ... but the Oscar-winning actor looked more like he was arriving at an awards show, smiling and waving at the crowd.

Spacey rolled up in a taxi to London's Southwark Crown Court, got out in a navy suit and pink tie and greeted a throng of people assembled outside, cordially saying, "Good morning." He then casually walked inside the courthouse as media from around the world covered his every move.

The four-week trial could have major implications for Spacey given that he faces a maximum punishment of life in prison if convicted.

As we reported, Spacey was accused of committing a dozen sexual offenses against four men from 2001 to 2013 in the capital of England. Prosecutors charged Spacey with 12 counts of sexual assault, indecent assault and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent. Spacey has pled not guilty.

"General Hospital" star Haley Pullos has been charged by the L.A. County D.A. ... this after getting cuffed after a near-fatal DUI.

Haley's been charged with one felony count of DUI causing injury, one felony count of driving with a .08 BAC or higher, and one misdemeanor count of hit-and-run.

The actress pled not guilty and a preliminary hearing is set for next month.

TMZ broke the story, Haley was arrested in April after cops say she was driving the wrong way on a freeway and collided head-on with another car that was going about 60 mph.

Cops said Haley was also involved in a hit-and-run before the crash ... and officers say they found edibles and mini-bottles of tequila during a search of the vehicle. Police claim she showed clear signs of intoxication.

Nicki Minaj is fully in the corner of the Chicago 14-year-old who shot and killed a man to protect his mom while she was being attacked, saying she's willing to help him go to college.

The rapper chimed in on the viral case, which has spurred a lot of conversation online over the past week or so. She took to IG to sound off, and it's clear she believes the 14-year-old and his mother did absolutely nothing wrong here ... even if it cost a life.

Nicki passionately writes, "That 14-year-old boy that backed dat hammer out when that grown ass man was punching his mother in the face as if she were a MAN; is a true hero."

She continues ... "If he wants to go to college, I'd love to help. It's what ANY son should've done for their MOTHER. She raised a dope kid & should be so proud. Also, God knew b4 she knew; that she'd be attacked that day & made sure they had protection on DECK."

NM finishes with a simple message, "God is GOOD." Now, as for her offer of assistance for higher education -- she didn't really elaborate ... but ya gotta figure she's talking about cash here. If the kid sees this, it'll be interesting to see if he takes her up on it.

As for the case itself ... it's a doozy. Carlishia Hood and her son were charged with first-degree murder after the teen shot and killed 32-year-old Jeremy Brown on June 18 at a restaurant ... this after an argument ensued inside, and Brown was filmed repeatedly punching Hood in the head.

Right as he's wailing on her, her son enters the restaurant from outside and opens fire on Brown. Cops say Brown then fled, but allege that Hood ordered her son to finish the job and continue shooting him outside ... which he then did. Brown died from gunshot wounds.

Amid a lot of uproar, Cook County prosecutors dropped all the charges against the mother and son ... saying they didn't have enough evidence to proceed with a prosecution. Since then, Hood has sued the City of Chicago and a few cops too ... claiming she was unjustly arrested/charged -- and that the whole ordeal has caused a lot of emotional distress.

Her legal team has been echoing what a lot of others have argued -- namely, that the use of deadly force here was justified and that Hood/her son were simply defending themselves.