Legal

Bonnie Somerville, famous for playing a detective on "NYPD Blue," had a run-in with real cops on the opposite coast ... police in L.A. say she was drunk behind the wheel.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops were getting calls around 10 PM Sunday night for a car stopped in traffic on the 405 near Inglewood, and when officers arrived, they say they found Bonnie pulled off on the right shoulder in a Mercedes-Benz.

Our sources say Bonnie told cops she simply ran out of gas, but officers say she reeked of booze and ended up bombing a field sobriety test.

We're told Bonnie, who played Det. Laura Murphy in the final season of "NYPD Blue," was cited for DUI and later released.

Erik Cowie, one of the "Tiger King" stars who you saw caring for the zoo's exotic animals, was driving drunk when he crashed into another car ... at least according to cops.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Cowie was busted for DUI in Oklahoma after cops say they responded to a two-car collision on an interstate highway.

We're told Cowie was driving one of the cars involved in the accident last month, and responding officers say he reeked of booze and bombed field sobriety tests.

Our sources say he admitted to having 2 beers before getting behind the wheel, and his blood alcohol content came in at 0.11.

Our sources also say, Cowie was put in handcuffs on the spot, and taken to jail where he was booked for driving under the influence. He's already entered a guilty plea and will be sentenced on May 25.

"Storage Wars" stars Jarrod Schulz and his ex, Brandi Passante, might be cordial on the show after their break-up, but behind the scenes, he's now facing criminal charges for allegedly roughing her up.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Brandi was hanging with friends at a bar in Orange County on April 30 when Jarrod showed up. We're told the exes got into a heated exchange and Brandi told Jarrod to bounce.

Our sources say Jarrod didn't, and that's when things took a turn for the worse. We're told at some point, Jarrod allegedly pushed Brandi twice ... while yelling at her and her group.

Cops were called to the bar, but we're told Jarrod had left by the time they showed up. A police report was taken ... and a few days later Jarrod talked to cops, and denied ever putting hands on Brandi.

Well, the Orange County D.A.s Office isn't buying his version of events, because it's now charged him with 1 count of misdemeanor domestic violence battery.

Jarrod and Brandi have appeared in all 13 seasons of the hit A&E show. They're dubbed "The Young Guns" because they're the youngest auction bidders in the main cast.

But, during the season 13 premiere last month, Brandi confirmed on-camera for the first time she and Jarrod split up 2 years ago. They have 2 kids together.

Rapper Mo Fayne's looking at serious time behind bars -- but less than he might have gotten -- after cutting a plea deal in his PPP loan fraud case.

The "Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta" star pled guilty to 6 counts of federal bank fraud after prosecutors say he funded a lavish lifestyle during the pandemic with a Paycheck Protection Program loan. Y'know ... the ones intended to help employees and small businesses hit hard by COVID.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Fayne was ordered to forfeit nearly $100k from several bank accounts as well as 8 of his 2015 Kenworth T680 trucks. Yes, he bought EIGHT trucks!!!

In exchange for his plea, the feds dropped 14 other charges and agreed to recommend Fayne get a 151-month prison sentence -- about 12.5 years -- and that's prosecutors going easy on him! Before the deal, he was staring down a possible max of 30 years.

As we reported ... Fayne was accused of using a PPP loan of over $2M to buy $85,000 worth of jewelry and pay off a bunch of personal debts, including child support.

Mo's been locked up since December for violating the terms of his bond, but he's now asking to be let out before the judge issues his sentence in September.

He argues he's NOT a threat to flee or a danger to the community. What's more ... Fayne says he wants out so he can see his doctor to treat a shoulder injury that required surgery last year, but was put on hold due to the pandemic.

Fayne also says, due to his history of asthma and use of an inhaler, he's in a high-risk group to contract COVID-19 while behind bars -- but that argument will probably be DOA in court. The feds have said all inmates will be offered vaccines.

A former prosecutor and super lawyer who reps celebs like Jay-Z and Mick Jagger now has a new client -- the family of Carole Baskin's first husband who wants him to crack the case.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Alex Spiro has been retained by the family of Don Lewis to investigate his disappearance back in 1997.

Our sources say Spiro's goal is to get to the bottom of the Lewis mystery before "Tiger King 2" drops.

Spiro has the chops to figure out what happened to Lewis. As a prosecutor, he was involved in the case of serial killer Rodney Alcala. He's also investigated the cold case of Robert Durst's first wife. His client list is long and impressive. Aside from Jay-Z and Mick, Spiro's clients include DeMarcus Cousins, Charles Oakley, Thabo Sefolosha and Julian Edelman.

We're told he's in the gathering evidence phase and has already interviewed a key witness who turned over information our sources call "key."

The Sheriff in the area where Don was last seen is convinced he was killed and has been investigating, but so far, no results.

Our sources say Lewis' family wants Spiro to identify a possible murderer and turn the information over to prosecutors.

As you know by now, a lot of people think Carole Baskin was involved in Don's disappearance ... something she has strongly and consistently denied. Don's assistant told TMZ the day he disappeared he told her he was filing for divorce and moving out of the country.

Floyd Mayweather says the Logan Paul fight was supposed to go down in Dubai -- but the org. he teamed up with to put on the event dropped the ball ... and now his company is suing for more than $120 MILLION!!

TMZ Sports obtained the lawsuit, filed by Mayweather Promotions, alleging a company called PAC Entertainment Worldwide approached them about hosting the event in Dubai at an undisclosed date in 2021.

Mayweather Promotions claims PAC claimed to have "numerous business contacts in Dubai" and "had the financial wherewithal and capability to host a fight of this magnitude."

Most importantly, Mayweather Promotions says PAC "presented financial projections estimating the fight could generate guaranteed amounts for each participant, plus result in the promoters earning more than $100 million in profits after covering all purses and expenses."

Mayweather Promotions admits it was impressed with the pitch and claims it ultimately signed a deal requiring PAC to pay a minimum guaranteed amount of $110 MILLION on a "prescribed payment schedule."

Mayweather Promotions claims the 1st payment of $30 million was due on March 25, 2021 -- but the money never came.

Mayweather Promotions claims the missed payment triggered a clause allowing MP to terminate the deal while still requiring PAC to fork up the full $110 million.

In the suit, Mayweather Promotions claims they were left scrambling to make new fight plans -- and ultimately worked out a deal to move the fight to Miami on June 6.

Mayweather Promotions is suing for breach of contract -- and demanding at least $122.6 million in damages.

At least Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, are heading to Mexico after doing their time ... or at least that's their hope, but first, they need approval from a federal judge.

The famous couple's legal team filed new docs asking the judge in their college admissions scandal case for permission to boogie down to San Jose del Cabo for a family vacation.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Lori and Mossimo say they want to travel to Cabo for about a week in June to be with their family, and they claim they've been complying with the terms of their supervised releases.

Lori and Mossimo also claim their probation officers are cool with them saying "adios" to America -- just for the vacay, of course -- so, now they just need the judge to give his blessing.

As we first told you ... Lori finished her 2-month prison sentence in December and flew back home in a private jet.

Mossimo, meanwhile, was sprung early from prison last month and recently finished home confinement ... so, he's finally free to leave his crib.

Amazon's desperately trying to get to the bottom of how a bunch of nooses mysteriously appeared at one of its warehouses under construction in Connecticut.

The e-commerce giant kicked in another $25k to double the $25k initially put up by developer RC Anderson LLC ... for any information about the menacing discovery on the construction site. It's now been weeks since police were first called to the Windsor, Conn. location to investigate a noose left at what will eventually be an Amazon fulfillment center.

Cops say a supervisor at the construction site spotted the "hangman's noose" dangling from a steel beam on the second floor back on April 27. Employees were informed about the incident and the company immediately held an anti-discrimination training class.

Just a couple of days later police were called back to the site when 5 more ropes "that could be interpreted as nooses" were found scattered across the facility.

Cops took the ropes and they're currently at a crime lab. The FBI is also reportedly aware of the incident but it hasn't joined the investigation yet. So far, there are no suspects and cops can't determine whether anyone at the site was specifically targeted.

Tamika Mallory is urging activists and allies in the fight for social justice to keep their eyes on the prize in the wake of Derek Chauvin's conviction for murdering George Floyd.

The Until Freedom founder, who's led and organized countless protests in the last year, joined us Friday on "TMZ Live," and admitted she's worried protestors will take a collective breather after the Chauvin trial ... as some might feel the movement's crossed the finish line.

Tamika tells us that's exactly why she keeps reminding folks now is NOT the time to let up.

The way Tamika sees it ... the Chauvin trial was one small form of accountability for law enforcement, but adds folks can't fall into the trap of believing it guarantees justice in all the police-involved killings we've seen since Floyd.

The one-year anniversary of Floyd's death is fast approaching in 11 days ... and Tamika says the one thing activists and demonstrators cannot do is become complacent. That's one of the messages in her new book, "State of Emergency: How We Win in the Country We Built."

Just when it appeared Antonio Brown's legal troubles were behind him ... he's now being sued again, this time for allegedly assaulting a moving truck driver, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to the lawsuit, Anton Tumanov claims he was the moving company driver that initially accused Brown in February 2020 of assaulting him during a violent encounter outside of the NFL star's mansion in Hollywood, Fla.

In the docs, Tumanov says he was hired to move some of Brown's belongings from California to Florida ... but he claims when he arrived at Brown's home on Feb. 11, the receiver snapped.

Tumanov says after a dispute over payment ... Brown and his trainer, Glenn Holt, beat the hell out of him, damaging his truck and other people's belongings in his truck in the process.

Tumanov reported the incident to police, and in his 911 call, you can hear he told dispatch he thought Brown was "high."

32-year-old Brown was eventually arrested and hit with 3 criminal charges for his alleged role in the incident ... though he later cut a deal with prosecutors in June 2020 to put the case behind him.

Brown agreed to probation and other stipulations, including community service hours and an anger management course, to have the case dropped.

According to Tumanov's suit, he's now suing Brown AND Holt for damages in excess of $30,000.

As we previously reported, Brown had appeared to have cleared up all of his legal issues in recent months, including settling a civil lawsuit with his rape accuser, Britney Taylor.

And, they're off ... bettors are already suing Bob Baffert over the Kentucky Derby, claiming he knowingly cheated and screwed gamblers out of serious cash.

Baffert has been hit with a class-action lawsuit by several gamblers who claim they had money on the Kentucky Derby ... and feel Baffert cheated them out of their winnings by running a "drugged horse."

As we previously reported, Baffert -- the most famous trainer in the history of the sport -- trained Medina Spirit, which won the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

After the race, Medina Spirit tested positive for the banned substance betamethasone, an anti-inflammatory steroid.

Officials are currently awaiting the results of a 2nd test (known as a split sample) to confirm the betamethasone -- those results are pending and should be released in the next few weeks.

Baffert has DENIED using the substance to gain a competitive advantage -- instead saying he believes it got into the horse's system through a skin medication prescribed by a veterinarian.

In other words, Bob insists it was an accident -- nothing intentional.

But, the gamblers ain't buyin' Bob's excuse ... and in a new lawsuit filed in federal court in California, they claim Bob is a serial doper who is part of a larger horseracing conspiracy.

The Plaintiffs claim there are conspiracies "between Baffert and other owners and or trainers to commit the above-described acts to engage in illegal gambling and/or horse doping through a pattern of racketeering activity."

"For example, on May 1, 2021, Defendants entered a doped horse, Medina Spirit, into the 147th running of The Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky and won $1,860,000.00 as part of a horse-doping scheme in thoroughbred racing."

The gamblers in the lawsuit claim they had bet serious money on the horse that finished in 2nd place, Mandaloun -- and if not for Baffert's dirty horse, they would have won a fortune.

One plaintiff, Michael E. Beychok, says he bet nearly $1,000 on Mandaloun, which went off at 26 to 1 odds ... and if Mandaloun would have won the race, the payout would have been anywhere between $10,000 and $100,000.

Another plaintiff, Justin Wunderler, bet $2,000 "and would have provided a minimum potential payoff of at least $40,000."

"Plaintiff Wunderler’s wagers would have won, but for the illegal, drug-induced win by Medina Spirit. Thus, Plaintiff Wunderler is entitled to bring a civil action against Defendants."

There are more plaintiffs involved with similar stories ... and attorneys are actively looking for more angry bettors to join the suit.

Terrence Howard's hired some big legal guns to wrestle with producers of his new movie, "Triumph" ... claiming they don't have his consent to use him in the film, which has already been released -- and that's a problem.

TMZ's obtained a cease and desist letter sent by Howard's legal team to employees at Cinemark, Digital Ignition Entertainment, Argonaut Entertainment Partners and others, alleging the actor's name, image and likeness have been used in connection with the feature film without his permission.

According to the letter, signed by attorney Michael Saltz ... Howard's involvement with the movie -- which co-stars RJ Mitte of "Breaking Bad" playing a high school wrestler with cerebral palsy -- was "conditioned upon the satisfaction of material monetary and non-monetary promises made by the producers, which never happened."

Howard's attorneys claim these producers acknowledged as recently as April 15 that Howard's consent had not been obtained and "Triumph" could not come out until they got a signed release ... but the movie was theatrically released on April 30 anyway.

On top of that, Howard's heavily featured in promos for the film ... which makes sense since he plays the wrestling coach.

The letter goes on to threaten Argonaut with legal action if it continues involving Howard with "distribution, advertising, promotion, and/or exhibition of 'Triumph' in any manner" ... claiming it's a violation of his publicity rights.

Digital Ignition Entertainment tells us, "The producers made this film with a mission to help advance awareness of Cerebral Palsy and to do our part to promote inclusion in film.  We couldn’t be more proud of the job our cast and crew did to highlight the remarkable accomplishments of the writer of the film, who has Cerebral Palsy, and the lead actor of the film, RJ Mitte, who is also diagnosed with cerebral palsy."

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro says he's stepping away from 'Jersey Shore' in the wake of his domestic violence arrest ... he says he's seeking treatment for mental health issues.

Ronnie says he talked with honchos at MTV and they all agreed ... Ron needs a break to seek treatment for issues he says he's ignored for too long. He says he's finally ready to face his struggles head-on ... and he says his top priority is to be healthy so he can be the best man and best father he can be for his daughter.

TMZ broke the story ... Ronnie won't be charged in his recent domestic violence case, but his arrest for the alleged incident with his girlfriend could trigger legal problems because he's on probation.

You'll recall ... Ronnie's GF, Saffire Matos, called the cops following an argument that allegedly turned physical, but after his arrest she went on social media to downplay the allegations.

Ronnie also has a long history of domestic violence issues with the mother of his child, Jenn Harley.

Ronnie filmed scenes for the upcoming "Jersey Shore: Family Vacation" reality show, but it appears he was not included in the trailer. It's unclear if his scenes will be cut, and the series is set to premiere June 3.

Ronnie Magro-Ortiz will NOT be charged in his domestic violence case ... but his arrest for the alleged incident with his girlfriend, Saffire Matos, is triggering a different legal problem for him.

A rep for the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office tells TMZ ... they will not charge Ronnie with a misdemeanor, but instead will move to violate his probation and will hold a hearing on the matter next month.

As we reported ... Ronnie didn't get charged with a felony in the case because the L.A. County District Attorney's Office determined it didn't have sufficient evidence to convict him. That's how his case ended up in the City Attorney's Office.

Now, the one issue remaining -- his potential probation violation. Remember, Ronnie's on probation for a domestic violence case involving his ex, Jenn Harley. He could find out his fate during next month's hearing, and, yes ... jail time is a real possibility.

As we first reported ... Saffire called the police following an argument that allegedly turned physical. Following Ronnie's arrest, Saffire took to social media to downplay the allegations.

Ronnie's attorney, Scott Leemon, tells TMZ ... "“We are very happy that after further investigation both the LA County District Attorney’s office and the LA City Attorney’s office determined that criminal charges were not warranted against Ronnie related to the incident that occurred in April."

Carole Baskin's stepping up to try to rescue the tiger that got loose in a Houston neighborhood last weekend ... and punish the people allegedly involved in the transfer of the exotic animal, said to be a male named India.

The 'Tiger King' star's Big Cat Rescue in Tampa is offering a $5,000 reward "to the person responsible for the immediate, safe hand over of India the Tiger to a sanctuary that is accredited by the Global Federation of Sanctuaries."

Carole tells TMZ she's very worried about the tiger's well-being considering "the owners of the tiger have shown a serious lack of responsibility so far."

Baskin stipulates that in order to get the cash reward, whoever has India and turns him in must work with law enforcement, and those efforts must be "sufficient to convict both buyer and seller involved in the transfers of the tiger."

She adds that India would not be coming to her Big Cat Rescue, but another accredited big cat sanctuary that would provide lifetime care.

As we reported ... police arrested a man named Victor Hugo Cuevas for evading police after they say he's the guy who was seen on video wrangling the tiger Sunday -- after it was nearly shot -- and later hauling it away in a white SUV.

However, Cuevas' lawyer denies his client is the tiger's owner and claims they don't know where India is ... and says Houston PD's made some false assumptions about the situation.

Victor's lawyer also stated they believe the true owner of the tiger is a man in his mid-30s, identified only as "Deandre" or "D."

"Seeking Sister Wife" star Dimitri Snowden is divorcing his third wife ... another chapter in what's been a problematic last few weeks between the two, which included accusations of domestic abuse.

Dimitri filed for divorce from Christeline Peterson Tuesday in Los Angeles. The two do not have any children together.

Dimitri's divorce filing comes on the heels of Christeline's attempt at getting a restraining order against him, claiming he was physically abusive during their relationship over the past year.

As we first told you ... Christeline claimed Dimitri slammed her head into the headboard of their bed back in January, and she said he was abusive during sex. She claimed he choked her during sex, even though she told him not to, and claims she's suffered bruises, scratches and redness around her neck from the alleged choking.

We broke the story ... Dimitiri and Christeline were in court last month for a hearing on the matter, and a judge tossed the case, saying Christeline did not meet the burden of proof ... so the temporary restraining order was dissolved.

Christeline came to the United States from South Africa to be courted as Dimitri's third wife on the TLC reality show ... but that was then -- now he's calling it quits.