Legal

Lady Gaga just won a legal case over her huge dog reward offer that a woman was trying to claim -- 'cause a judge just told her ... ya can't have your stolen cake and eat it too.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a judge tossed Jennifer McBride's lawsuit against the singer ... in which she was attempting to get a court to force Gaga to fork over a $500k reward that she promised to anyone who helped recover her stolen pets in 2021.

The judge said one major problem with McBride's lawsuit -- she was actually convicted in connection to that crime ... namely, pleading no contest to knowingly receiving stolen property.

Hizzoner makes it clear in the ruling -- saying allowing McBride to pursue the claims "would allow her to benefit from her admitted wrongdoing."  Lady Gaga has called it ridiculous ... now, a court agrees. AKA, uh ... duh!  The judge did say McBride would have 20 days to try to amend the complaint, but it's not clear how she could find a way around the ruling.

You'll recall ... Gaga's 2 Frenchies were jacked in plain sight out in Hollywood -- being taken at gunpoint, no less, and with some injury sustained by LG's dog walker, Ryan Fischer. He was shot at the time and hospitalized, but eventually (and thankfully) made a full recovery.

G Herbo has a new heaping of legal trouble after Chicago cops arrested him Sunday evening in connection with a gun bust ... TMZ Hip Hop has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Herbo was busted around 5:45 PM near North Wabash Avenue and East Ontario Street, where cops say they found a gun. Herbo's Chi town fans will recognize those streets as he frequently mentions them in his songs.

According to cops, Herbo was arrested and booked for misdemeanor unlawful use of a weapon in a public place.

We're told Herbo has since bonded out and will have to appear in court at a later date, which could cause another setback in his rap career.

Herbo's latest arrest could potentially impact him deeply ... the drill rapper is still dealing with fraud charges he caught following a December 2020 arrest.

50 Cent is forecasting a grim future for Los Angeles over its no-bail policy ... going so far as to say the City is "finished."

The New York rapper posted the biting message on Instagram, writing, “LA is finished watch how bad it gets out there. SMH [shaking my head].” He accompanied his one-liner with a Fox 11 Los Angeles post detailing the reinstatement of the policy two months ago.

Per the reg, the L.A. County Sheriff's Department will no longer detain people accused of battery, vandalism, theft, narcotics use and other non-violent offenses. Plus, anyone arrested for these crimes will automatically be released without paying bail and before arraignment.

You may recall ... during the COVID pandemic, L.A. imposed a no-bail rule to prevent overcrowding in jails for fear of spreading the virus. In July 2022, the policy expired ... but now it's back.

Clearly, Fitty is no fan ... and he certainly isn't mincing words.

"Snowfall" star Damson Idris' home was subject to a burglary earlier this month ... but we're told the damage the thieves caused in the home outweighed what they got away with in goods.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... the alleged thieves broke into Damson's L.A.-area house July 3, smashing a glass door to get inside.

We're told they eventually left with Damson's small safe, but the joke's on them -- because our sources say it only held about $500 worth of stuff ... though it's not totally clear what was inside.

What's more, we're told the suspects did more damage breaking in and stealing the safe than what they took home -- telling us it's about a $2K bill to fix what was busted.

LAPD is investigating the incident -- we're told cops will be reviewing the security cameras in the house and will be checking out neighbors' videos too. So far, no arrests have been made.

Jussie Smollett is carrying on with his life with good pals in his corner like Taraji P. Henson -- even though, in reality, he's far from out of the woods in the legal world.

The embattled actor was in L.A. Saturday with his ex-'Empire' costar during what appears to have been a hike -- or at the very least, something active. In any case, they hit up a little pop-in restaurant right after ... and then parted ways with a sweet little hug goodbye.

A couple of takeaways here ... one, Taraji is continuing to stand by Jussie's side -- which she's done from pretty much the beginning of this saga. So, her support is unwavering.

The other observation one can glean from this is that Jussie truly is trying to move on and put the whole Chicago case behind him by hunkering down on the West Coast ... this despite the fact that there's an ongoing appeal, which he may very well lose once it's heard in court.

As you may remember, Jussie was convicted in December 2021 for lying to police about the hate crime he claimed was committed against him -- and he was sentenced to 5 months in jail.

He'd actually started serving that time, but was quickly sprung pending his appeal ... which his team filed almost immediately. Since then, he's been free to roam around, it seems, and the case is still dragging on -- with a recent hearing just last month ... but no real update.

No word on when exactly we're going to get some closure on that matter, but in the meantime ... Jussie's been busy working on movies and whatnot. In fact, he was recently seen on a film set with none other than Vivica A. Fox -- yet another defender of his.

Manson family killer Leslie Van Houten's recent whiff of freedom will not be snuffed out by California Gov. Gavin Newsom ... he says he won't appeal her upcoming parole.

Newsom's office announced the decision in a Friday afternoon news dump, saying the governor would not challenge an earlier appeals court decision clearing the way for Van Houten's release.

73-year-old Van Houten has been in prison for decades ... after being convicted for the August 1969 stabbing murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.

Newsom's office says he's reversed her parole grant three times since taking office and he's disappointed the appeals court ruled for her to be granted parole. The governor claims he would be unlikely to succeed in challenging her release this time.

Remember ... Van Houten claimed she was immature and brainwashed by Manson as a 19-year-old when she stabbed the LaBiancas to death in their Los Feliz home.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann have pulled off the seemingly impossible ... calling off their divorce despite weeks of nastiness between the two.

According to court docs -- obtained by TMZ -- both Kim and Kroy filed Friday to dismiss their petitions for divorce.

Our sources say the two are really getting along well at the moment, and want to figure out how to make things work out ... especially for the sake of their 4 young kids. We're told love was never an issue between the two, and they've got a solid core.

The filing comes only days after Kim, Kroy and their kids were seen attending church in Atlanta.

As we reported ... the divorce has been seriously contentious. Kroy's accused Kim of having a gambling problem, and she's said she feared for their kid's safety around Kroy because he smokes weed.

TMZ broke the story -- Kim and Kroy fell under serious financial hardships just before the initial divorce filing -- with a more than $1M bill to the IRS.

Britney Spears was extremely agitated after getting slapped by a security guard protecting NBA phenom Victor Wembanyama ... according to an eyewitness and photos obtained by TMZ.

TMZ broke the story ... Britney was outside Catch restaurant at the Aria Hotel Wednesday night when she saw Victor and made her way to him for a selfie. She says she tapped him on the back -- he says she grabbed him -- and Victor's security guy backhanded her across the face. Metro police are now conducting a criminal battery investigation.

An eyewitness who was dining at Catch when Britney walked in tells TMZ ... as she walked in she said in a "very animated voice" that the security guard "punched" her in the face, as she pointed at the guy who was sitting at another table.

The eyewitness says Britney's security guy went over to Victor's security and asked the guy to come over to her table and apologize. The eyewitness says the guy walked over and said "I'm sorry," and said something to the effect he didn't know it was her when he made contact.

Britney seemed in shock, according to the eyewitness, and angry. She said she couldn't believe it happened and beelined it for the bathroom.

We've learned so far ... neither Victor nor anyone else from the San Antonio Spurs has reached out to Britney, and she is not pleased.

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

Kevin Costner's estranged wife is fighting for more child support ... scoffing at the $51,940 monthly figure he's currently offering, saying it's not even close to enough dough.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Christine Baumgartner calls Kevin's child support proposal "completely inappropriate" ... saying he apparently expects their kids to live well below his means when they're with their mother.

Christine claims Kevin spends $240,000 a month on himself and the kids when they're with him ... a huge contrast to the $51,940 he's expecting her to need to take care of the kids when they're with her.

Kevin's estranged wife says the almost $52K simply isn't enough to provide for the kiddos ... pointing out it's well below the $65,000 per month she says Kevin was getting for renting out a guest house at his $100 million beachfront compound, where the family lived together.

Christine says there's just no way she can give their kids the life they're accustomed to on $52k a month ... claiming it's not enough to find similar housing or keep up their lifestyle.

In the docs, Christine says at the current figure the kids would be in for a big step down once she moves out of Kevin's home ... she says the kids are used to living at the beach and in a gated neighborhood, two things she doubts she will find at $52K a month.

Christine says she needs the money for more than just rent ... rattling off a bunch of other expenses like utilities and TV bills.

Kevin's estranged wife says the kids are used to having a team of people hired to maintain the home and the property ... including assistants and helpers who handle schedules, grocery shopping, food prep, cleaning and cooking.

Remember ... Christine's requested $248k for child support, with Kevin's accountant saying some of her expenses include more than $100k for her own cosmetic procedures and boutique shopping.

Druski thought his Coulda Been Records label was set to get a boost after taking an IG meeting with Birdman ... but their one-on-one left him thinking otherwise.

The Cash Money Records head honcho didn't appear to be in character when he turned the tables on Druski, accusing him of toeing the copyright infringement line with his CBR imprint, which Birdman says sounds too close to the Cash Money Brothers slogan of "CMB."

The logo similarities are also too sus for the mogul's liking.

The comedian attempted to plead his case by name-dropping Lil Wayne and Drake, but didn't sound like he was sticking to a script as he stammered in Birdman's stone face.

Birdman lightened the mood a bit when he referenced his infamous Breakfast Club interview, and told Druski to put some "respek" on his name ... but also made an offer it doesn't sound like Druski has the option to refuse.

Birdman proposed for Cash Money Records to be Coulda Been's owner and financier in exchange for Druski's elevation.

The rapper also sent a stern warning to Kevin Hart for unspecified issues ... and promised to deliver him the smoke in due time.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann are still doing things as a family despite their extremely bitter divorce ... taking their children to worship and break bread together.

The former 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star and former NFL player went to church as a family last Sunday in Atlanta, bringing their 4 minor children with them to the service.

Afterward, Kim and Kroy took the kiddos out to eat ... and there were even a few smiles among the family.

Frankly, it's a bit unexpected to see the estranged couple together with their kids in tow ... the divorce has just been that acrimonious.

As we've reported, Kim called the cops on Kroy just last month, because he allegedly accused her friend of kidnapping their son. She also allegedly punched him during a different argument that led to a police response, and she's accused him of being mentally abusive.

Financially, Kim and Kroy allegedly owe $1 million to the IRS and they're both being hounded in court for allegedly falling behind on payments for everything from Target purchases, to fancy cars and gambling trips.

Kevin Costner just won big in court today, and the implications for his bitter divorce from Christine Baumgartner are even bigger ... because it looks like the judge is inclined to rule their prenup is valid.

The judge enforced a provision of the prenup which says, in the event a divorce petition is filed, Christine has a certain number of days to vacate the family home -- that date is July 31.

Christine's lawyers have argued the date is unfair because she doesn't have enough time or money to find an adequate place to live. Her attorney asked for an extension to August 15.

Kevin's attorney, disso queen Laura Wasser, has taken the position a deal is a deal, and it's right there in the prenup. Today the judge agreed.

There's an even bigger consequence to the judge's ruling. A hearing on the validity of the prenup is set for November, and given the acrimony in this case, Christine and her lawyers are expected to wage legal war to have the prenup declared invalid.

The judge's ruling today is squarely predicated on language in the prenup, so it seems the judge is inclined -- perhaps more than inclined -- to enforce the prenup, which would be a huge win for Kevin.

Armie Hammer is now a single man, because the judge just signed off on his divorce settlement with Elizabeth Chambers, and it seems they've resolved all conflicts.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Armie and Elizabeth share joint legal and physical custody of their 2 children.

As for child support, the docs say Armie will pay $1,500 a month in support. The docs go on to say he does not currently have an income, so presumably, that's why the support settlement is modest.

The parties both agreed to waive spousal support.

There was one conflict when it comes to social media. Armie did not want the kids to be included in either his or Elizabeth's social media posts. Elizabeth disagreed. They came to a compromise each parent could post using their discretion, in a "careful, appropriate and discrete manner."

And, there's this ... they agreed on candy! According to the docs, "It's not in the minor children's best interest to consistently have candy," so they agreed to lay off the sweets.

And, the docs say neither Armie nor Elizabeth shall introduce their kids to "a new romantic interest unless he or she has been in a significant and exclusive relationship with that person for at least 6 months."

The felony child pornography charges against Jalen Kitna have been dropped, TMZ Sports has learned ... after the ex-Univ. of Florida quarterback reached a deal with prosecutors on Wednesday.

Jalen, the son of ex-NFL star quarterback Jon Kitna, appeared in an Alachua County, Fla. courtroom to enter a guilty plea to two misdemeanor counts of breach of the peace, disorderly conduct ... and in exchange, the five felonies he was facing were dismissed.

Jalen spoke in court after making the plea ... apologizing to his family and friends -- while adding, "The valuable lessons that I’ve learned through this whole deal have been very helpful. I’m looking forward to applying those things and moving forward.".

Judge Susan Miller-Jones placed Kitna on six months' probation for each count but did not levy a fine.

As we previously reported, the 20-year-old former college football player was initially hit with five counts of possession of child porn back in November 2022 ... after authorities alleged he had shared images of exposed pre-pubescent females on a popular social media messaging platform.

Jalen, according to his rep, had insisted throughout the case that he believed the females in the images were of legal age.

Jalen's attorney, Ron Kozlowski, said in a statement following Wednesday's plea deal that it was all "a correct and fair result in this case, and the state clearly agrees."

We've reached out to prosecutors for comment ... and a spokesperson for the state attorney's office told us they're "happy we've come to this conclusion based on the law."

Allison Mack is a free woman after serving 2/3 of her prison sentence -- and she should count herself lucky ... seeing how her ex-sex cult leader has a very long time to go.

The former 'Smallville' star was cut loose from a federal prison in California Monday -- this according to online records. It seems she was let out quietly, and it's taken some by surprise, as she was only 2 years into a 3-year sentence.

The facility where Mack was serving her time -- which began in September 2021 -- is the same place where Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman went for their roles in the college admissions scandal. In other words, it's a low-risk prison for non-violent offenders.

You'll recall ... Mack was convicted on racketeering and conspiracy charges as a result of her ties to the infamous self-help group, Nxivm -- whose top dog, Keith Raniere, was accused of recruiting/abusing women ... not to mention running a criminal enterprise in his ranks.

He was ultimately convicted as well, and had the book thrown at him ... a 120-year prison sentence. During Mack's criminal proceeding, she ended up catching a major break in terms of punishment after federal prosecutors asked a judge to go light on her because of her substantial assistance in nabbing Raniere and others in the sex cult.

Mack -- who was said to have been a key head hunter for Raniere during his reign -- has expressed remorse about her involvement in the cult ... which forced members to brand themselves, have sex with the guy and pledge blind allegiance to him in his operation.

The Oscar-winning actor was back in Southwark Crown Court Monday to listen to a pre-recorded interview police conducted with Spacey's accuser, which was presented as evidence to the jury.

In the recording, the accuser, identified only as a man since British law prohibits the release of his name, described in graphic detail how Spacey touched his private parts a dozen times while slapping his butt.

The man told cops, “[Spacey's] character in "Se7en," he’s a bit like that. A bit creepy. Maybe not quite as bad.”

"Se7en" was one of Spacey's most famous -- and freakiest -- flicks. The 1995 movie, also starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, follows the police manhunt for a demented serial killer, played by Spacey, who's obsessed with the seven deadly sins.