Legal

Jay-Z and Robert Kraft are on a mission to thwart the rise of book bans by launching programs to reinstall teachings of slavery, the Holocaust and gender equality back into society.

TMZ Hip Hop has learned both Jay and Robert's organizations -- the Shawn Carter Foundation and the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism -- have donated $1 million to provide pro bono legal services to educators and librarians who've been targeted by local policies banning books.

The American Library Association reportedly documented nearly 1,300 demands last year to remove books -- most highlighting the Black and LGBTQIA+ communities, as well as religious minorities.

We're told the New England Patriots owner and Jay laid down the framework for underserved students to obtain scholarships and financial grants, and hopefully have their works turned into movies, plays, audiobooks, etc. to further the message.

There's also a plan to reprint banned books and have them circulated in adjacent learning centers.

The Brooklyn Public Library launched "Books Unbanned," a nationwide campaign that provides free books to kids, hassle-free, back in April 2022 ... and it's been wildly successful.

The BPL also unveiled Jay's new exhibit "The Book of HOV" on Friday, which showcases the Roc Nation rapper's legacy and written history in an elaborate fashion.

Kevin Costner's estranged wife Christine Baumgartner better think twice before removing a sofa or fridge from the family home, because we've learned a judge has just laid down the law.

The judge in the bitter divorce case just issued a ruling this morning -- Christine is permitted to remove and take all her clothing, toiletries, handbags and jewelry when she vacates the family beach club compound at the end of this month, but she shall NOT remove any other property without coming to an agreement with Kevin.

Among the things Christine can't take on her own ... furniture, furnishings, appliances and artwork. She also can't take it upon herself to remove items from their storage units.

TMZ broke the story ... Kevin claimed in legal docs Christine has been fleecing him by taking Kevin's property and cash post-split without his consent.

Among the things, he alleged ... Christine bought a fancy new car a month before she filed for divorce. Kevin's lawyer says it's curious because they only leased cars, and the lawyer believes Christine hatched a plan to get various items and cash even before she filed.

Horrifying details surrounding the arrest of "Teen Mom 2" star Nathan Griffith ... allegedly strangling his own sister before making suicidal statements.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, Griffith's sister called Vegas cops Wednesday night to report the incident. Officers say when they arrived, Nathan was outside the home yelling, saying he never touched his sister ... he also allegedly smelled like booze.

However, when cops made contact with Griffith's sister, they observed visible red marks on her neck and redness on her eyelids -- indicative of someone who had been strangled.

Cops say Nathan's sister was scared and frantic as she described what happened -- alleging Nathan got pissed when she called him out for his aggressive past with his family and significant others.

The sister says Nathan grabbed her by the throat, pushed her down onto the kitchen floor and got on top of her -- releasing his grip at times to give her some oxygen before tightening his grip again -- while allegedly stating, "You're going to submit to me."

The claims and evidence were good enough for officers ... who arrested Nathan for battery by strangulation.

However, they say during transport Nathan was banging his head into a rear window and making suicidal statements ... and screaming and yelling while he was booked.

Nathan and Jenelle Evans have one child together, a son, but called off their engagement years ago.

Former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy was found not guilty of rape and attempted rape at a retrial on Friday ... and the soccer star was overcome with emotion following the verdict.

The three-week process came to an end at Chester Crown Court in England, where Mendy broke down in tears after learning his fate.

The French footballer had been accused of raping a 24-year-old woman at his mansion in 2020 ... after she claimed he asked to see intimate pictures on her phone and told her to get naked. She said she made it clear she did not want to have sex, but when she went to get her phone off the bed, Mendy proceeded to rape her.

A 29-year-old woman also accused Mendy of molesting her in 2018, when she claimed he walked in on her while showering and tried to force her to have sex on his bed.

Mendy also faced serious rape allegations made by four women or teenagers ... but earlier this year, he was cleared of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault after a lengthy trial.

There's been a breakthrough in the Gilgo Beach murders case ... a suspected serial killer is now in police custody on Long Island.

Rex Heuermann, an architect from Long Island who works at a firm in New York City, was taken into custody Friday in connection with some of the killings from over a decade ago ... according to multiple reports.

You may recall, the Gilgo Beach murders case started capturing national attention way back in 2010 ... when police discovered four bodies wrapped in burlap during a search for Shannan Gilbert, a sex worker who vanished on Long Island.

The bodies, known as the "Gilgo Four," were ultimately identified as Amber Lynn Costello, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Megan Waterman and Melissa Barthelemy. The woman were all reportedly sex workers in their 20s.

Police have long believed a serial killer was responsible for the women's deaths ... but the investigation never really turned up much over the years, until Friday's arrest.

In total, 11 sets of human remains have been found on Gilgo Beach ... including Gilbert's and those of Valerie Mack, a sex worker who had been missing for over 2 decades ... plus a man and a toddler.

Heuermann was arrested after being matched with DNA, according to the New York Post, and he's expected to be arraigned later today.

Police have cordoned off Heuermann's home in Massapequa ... and the place is crawling with law enforcement.

The district attorney is set to address the arrest around 4 PM ET Friday during a news conference.

Former Detroit Lions CB Stanley Wilson Jr. died from a pulmonary thromboembolism likely caused by deep vein thrombosis -- a blood clot in a deep vein -- according to an autopsy report obtained by TMZ Sports.

Wilson, who was 40 years old, was pronounced deceased at the Metropolitan State Hospital in Los Angeles County on February 1 ... after officials said he suddenly collapsed, never regaining consciousness.

Stanley's family, however, wasn't buying the explanation ... hiring an attorney who filed three lawsuits against the county in March, accusing them of being deceitful with the truth.

"The County has grossly misrepresented the cause and circumstances of Stanley Wilson Jr.'s death," the attorney said in the court filings at the time.

However, an autopsy conducted on February 4 by the medical examiner in L.A. concluded Wilson Jr. passed away naturally from a pulmonary thromboembolism.

According to the Mayo Clinic, that's a "blood clot that blocks and stops blood flow to an artery in the lung. In most cases, the blood clot starts in a deep vein in the leg and travels to the lung."

The report does mention "red abrasions" to the "forehead, right hand, and right knee" ... but they were described by the doctor as "superficial."

The report says Wilson Jr. was in a prescreening area of the hospital and complained of anxiety before he collapsed. Officials say medics responded to the scene, but unfortunately they weren't able to save Stanley.

Lisa Marie Presley died from small bowel obstruction ... this according to the L.A. County Coroner.

According to an L.A. Medical Examiner document obtained by TMZ ... the exact name of the condition is sequelae of small bowel obstruction. Translation -- Lisa Marie died of complications resulting from a small bowel obstruction.

This document is not the full report, and presumably, there will be toxicology results when that report is made public.

Since Lisa's death, there's been a lot of drama in the Presley household. Her mother, Priscilla, was in a war with Lisa's daughter, Riley Keough, over Lisa Marie's trust -- which has now been settled. Sources connected tell TMZ ... Lisa Marie's estate paid an undisclosed sum of money to Priscilla to settle the dispute. Our sources say it's in the millions.

Priscilla's attorney announced the settlement outside the courtroom after the hearing, saying ... "The families are happy. Everybody is happy and excited for the future."

As we reported, Lisa Marie was also taking weight loss meds and was fresh off of plastic surgery.

Lisa Marie passed away in January at a hospital in the L.A. area after suffering cardiac arrest.

SAG-AFTRA actors are facing a load of rules as the strike goes into effect ... and we're talking about everything, from acting on camera to even tweeting about projects.

TMZ has obtained a copy of the rigorous guidelines the 160,000 union members are required to follow until the strike ends ... and it cites the expected no-nos like acting, singing, and doing motion capture work in front of a camera.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg, because they also aren't allowed to do any voice acting, narrating, or re-recording their voice for a scene, also known as dubbing.

In addition, performers can't attend costume fittings, makeup tests, or rehearsals and they can't audition for upcoming projects.

There's also a ban on promotion, in every form -- they can't do interviews, tours, fan expos and conventions, podcast appearances, award shows or even post about a project on social media.

It appears pre-recorded promos are fair game for the studios, but SAG-AFTRA's asked publicists to add a disclaimer in front of pre-deadline press junkets so some actors don't come off as scabs down the line.

Stand-ins and background actors in the union are also forbidden from crossing that picket line ... leaving options incredibly limited for any shows or movies staying in production. Also, anyone not in SAG-AFTRA that crosses the line won't be getting future entry into the union.

Kevin Costner says his estranged wife is fleecing him in a big way in the wake of their divorce ... buying personal items and taking cash out with credit cards from the staff that runs the family house ... and Kevin's lawyer believes there's evidence she hatched this plan well before filing for divorce.

Costner filed legal docs Thursday, claiming Christine Baumgartner "has shown a disturbing propensity in the last several months, both before and after separation, to take [Kevin's] property without his knowledge or consent, especially since this case was filed."

The new docs allege Christine paid a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer $25,000 from Kevin's separate property funds, without his knowledge. As for why she needed a criminal defense lawyer ... no explanation for that.

The docs also say she paid her divorce lawyer, Susan Wiesner, "on the credit card of an employee which is traditionally used for Costner family house charges and paid by [Kevin].

There's more ... Costner's lawyer alleged Christine took cash advances on various credit cards that were not issued to her but to members of the house staff.

And, the allegations continue ... months before they separated, Christine bought an expensive vehicle -- something out of the ordinary because they have always leased, not purchased cars. What's especially interesting ... the prenup says she's allowed to take her personal vehicle with her, so the claim is she upgraded by buying a new one before she split.

The allegation regarding the car is telling, because Kevin's lawyer says it's evidence she "had been planning her exit long before she told [Kevin] in April 2023."

The filing includes a laundry list of household items Christine plans to take with her -- everything from artwork to pots and pans -- but Kevin's attorney reminds his ex, "She has plenty of money to buy furniture, pots and pans and dishes" ... a reference to the $1.5 million lump sum Kevin has already paid Christine.

According to the new docs, Kevin's lawyer asked Christine for an agreement that she would not loot the residence before she leaves, and she refused to sign it.

Chael Sonnen has put his Las Vegas hotel fight case behind him ... TMZ Sports has confirmed the UFC legend struck a deal with prosecutors Wednesday to close it all out.

The former fighter, according to court records, agreed to plead no contest to a lesser count of breach of peace ... and in exchange, officials dropped the rest of the charges it had levied against him.

As part of his sentencing, Sonnen was ordered to pay $750, records show.

The 46-year-old was originally facing double-digit charges in the case -- including one felony -- after authorities alleged he had a complete meltdown at the Four Seasons Hotel in LV back in Dec. 2021.

Officials claimed he beat up several men and one woman in a fit of rage while inside a hallway at the establishment.

According to a police report, Sonnen told officers at the scene he had no recollection of his alleged actions -- saying he had taken a sleeping pill and "could not recall" anything after that.

We've reached out to the Clark County District Attorney's office for comment on the case ... but so far, no word back yet.

Jimmie Allen is countersuing the woman accusing him of sexually assaulting her ... claiming their encounter was consensual, and she even agreed to do it on camera.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the country music star says during their Las Vegas tryst, the woman told him she was "fine" with him setting up his phone to record their romp.

Jimmie is being sued by a Jane Doe who claims they met on a flight to Nashville in May 2022, started messaging each other for the next few months, and ultimately met up at his Sin City hotel ... where she claims he sexually assaulted her and secretly recorded the encounter.

In his countersuit, Jimmie cops to everything she says about how and where they met and eventually ended up in the Vegas hotel room. As for the encounter, he says they were kissing on the room's balcony, when he asked her if he could set up his camera ... and he claims she agreed.

He says they went inside and had consensual, unprotected sex, and the camera was always in plain view on a shelving unit at the foot of the bed.

He says he fell asleep after they had sex, and when he woke up, the woman and his phone were gone. Jimmie believes the woman took the phone, and mailed it to police and he still doesn't have it back ... so he's going after her for damages.

Whoever left their coke in the White House can smile ... they're not gonna get busted for it, because the Secret Service has no video evidence to nail a suspect.

The Secret Service says it closed its investigation into the bag of cocaine that was found July 2 in the West Wing -- and, absolutely stunningly, they've been unable to identify who left it.

The agency says there was "no surveillance video footage found" that revealed who made the coke drop. Further, the Secret Service says the FBI lab couldn't find any fingerprints or DNA it could use to compare with the "known pool of individuals" ... such as White House staffers.

Interestingly, authorities say the coke was found in a "receptacle used to temporarily store electronic and personal devices prior to entering the West Wing."

You'd think there are security cameras blanketing nearly every inch of the President's residence -- especially in the West Wing, which hosts so many visitors, journalists and staffers each day. If ya buy what the Secret Service is saying here ... that's, apparently, not the case.

The Secret Service says it's closing the investigation "due to a lack of physical evidence."

Nathan Griffith can't seem to keep his hands off other people ... because he was just arrested AGAIN for a violent offense.

The former "Teen Mom 2" star was busted Wednesday in Las Vegas and booked into the Clark County Jail for battery by strangulation.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Vegas cops received a call around 9:15 PM and responded to a home where Nathan was staying. After conducting an investigation, officers placed Griffith in handcuffs for allegedly committing the battery against a family member.

Nathan is no stranger to the criminal justice system. He's been arrested before for serious crimes, such as domestic violence and domestic battery by strangulation.

From 2013 to 2015, Nathan appeared on the reality show, "Teen Mom 2," and was best known for his tumultuous relationship with cast member Jenelle Evans.

The two had a child together and got engaged, but the marriage was called off because of the friction between them.

Kevin Spacey testified Thursday at his London sex assault trial calling one of his accusers a backstabber -- and described their intimate moments as purely consensual while claiming he’s just a "big flirt."

The Oscar-winning actor took the stand in Southwark Crown Court and went down memory lane, laying out his relationship with one of the 4 men he’s accused of sexually assaulting.

Spacey described the man as funny, charming and flirtatious -- and their relationship as "romantic" and "somewhat sexual." Kevin also testified, "I liked him greatly. We had a good time together. We laughed a lot."

Kevin continued, "I never thought that (the man) I knew would … 20 years later stab me in the back," which Spacey says "crushed" him emotionally.

Spacey then testified he was the dominant partner in their relationship, adding, "I'm a flirt, I'm a big flirt." He categorically denied molesting the man, saying it was all consensual.

"It didn’t happen in a violent, aggressive, painful way," Spacey told the jury, explaining, "It was gentle and it was touching and it was, in my mind, romantic."

Kevin also testified they never actually had sex because the man made it clear he didn’t want to take it to that level. "And I respected that," Spacey testified, while dismissing the other allegations against him because, in his view, they made "no logical sense."

Spacey further testified his accusers were simply retaliating against him after they regretted getting intimate with him.

Spacey has pleaded not guilty to 12 criminal charges, including indecent assault and causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

Adam Carolla and his ex finally have a financial agreement as their divorce plays out ... and it will have him shelling out close to $50K each month.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Adam agreed to pay Lynette at least $17K a month in base child support for their 17-year-old twins, Santino and Natalia. That's an interim number, and additional child support might be ordered in the future depending on Adam's income.

The exes also agree to split the cost of their children's extracurricular activities, including things like college test prep fees, cell phones, and tutoring ... but Adam will solely cover the kids' health insurance.

In the docs, Adam also agrees to pay Lynette an additional $30K each month for spousal support. The payments actually started at the beginning of this year, so that means Adam's already dropped $329K for the first half of 2023.

As Kevin Costner would no doubt tell Adam ... divorce ain't cheap!

Adam announced he and Lynette were divorcing in 2021, saying they'd already been separated for a few months. They'd been married since 2002.

Meek Mill isn't trying to explain away his call to "Free Tory Lanez" from prison ... instead, he's standing on that statement, even if it's rubbing some fans the wrong way.

The Dreamchasers rapper made the rallying cry during his headlining performance at Rolling Loud Portugal on July 7 ... right before performing "Litty Again," his 2016 collab with Tory.

Meek and Tory have recorded several tracks together over the years and naturally built up a friendship.

But, that bond isn't making fans forget Tory was convicted of shooting Megan Thee Stallion several months ago -- so, Meek's now fending off angry supporters of the "Savage" rapper ... and there are a lot of them!!!

Meek told the mob his wishes to see Tory's freedom extend to other incarcerated rappers too -- like Young Thug, YNW Melly and YFN Lucci -- and he suggested fans shouldn't engage with artists, if they're just going to "smear" them later.

The Philly superstar also distanced himself from any role model responsibilities  ... maintaining he doesn't have a "controlled voice."