Legal

As rioters from Jan. 6 continue to get wrangled by authorities -- Trevor Noah wants ‘em to know he’s got their backs ... if they’re interested.

The ‘Daily Show’ host took out a full-page ad in the LAT and NYT, which just ran Thursday ... and it’s a bat signal of sorts for those who are still looking for a lawyer as the legal fallout from that day keeps piling up, even now. Fortunately, Trevor and co. are willing to help -- with their fake law firm.

Check out the newspaper insert for yourself -- they call themselves Trevor Noah & Associates & Sons (Patriot Attorneys) ... and they say they’re willing to fight an insurrectionist’s case for them and win. That, or say they won ... no matter what. 😅

It’s a tongue-in-cheek promotion for sure, but the folks running it went to extreme lengths for this gag, setting up a hotline for people to call 1-85-OOPS-JAN6 (1-856-677-5266). And yes, the damn thing works -- we won’t spoil the surprise, ring ‘em up and have some fun with their prompts.

There are more shots taken at those who stormed the Capitol 8 months ago -- Trevor says the lawyers will fight the charges like hell ... charges like “Attempted Vice Presidenticide,” “lectern theft” and more. It’s a hoot, we’ll give 'em that.

For what it's worth, Trevor and team did something similar last year, offering President Trump some assistance with his pending legal issues ... the advertisement featured a different phone number.

Ron Jeremy has just been indicted on a slew of sexual assault and rape charges ... and prosecutors say there are now a staggering 21 alleged victims.

The famous porn star is now facing more than 30 sexual assault counts for alleged incidents dating back more than 20 years ... according to an announcement Wednesday from Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.

Prosecutors say a grand jury returned the indictment Thursday and it's just now been unsealed.

Jeremy pleaded not guilty Wednesday to 12 counts of forcible rape, 7 counts of forcible oral copulation, 6 counts of sexual battery by restraint, 4 counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object, 2 counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious or asleep person and 1 count each of sodomy by the use of force, assault with intent to commit rape and lewd act upon a child under the age of 14 or 15.

Prosecutors are accusing Jeremy of sexually assaulting 21 women during a 23-year period dating all the way back to 1996 ... with the alleged victims ranging from 15 to 51.

Among the allegations, prosecutors say Jeremy stands accused of raping a 19-year-old woman during a photoshoot in the San Fernando Valley back in October 1996, raping a 26-year-old woman at a nightclub in 2000, and raping a 17-year-old girl at a home in Woodland Hills in 2008.

"Zoey 101" star Alexa Nikolas just accused her ex-husband, Michael Milosh, in a new lawsuit of preying on her as a minor, grooming her, sexually assaulting her and manipulating her into marrying him.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Alexa doesn't mince words ... claiming the lawsuit's "about a libertine musician who preyed on the innocence of a minor fan to manipulate and coerce her into succumbing to his repeated sexual assaults of her."

She adds that the Canadian singer-songwriter behind the pop group, Rhye, "utilized his power" and "years of sexual grooming" toward her when she was minor to "manipulate" her into trusting him ... which she claims ultimately led her to marrying him in 2012 when she was only 19.

In docs, Alexa says it all started when she reached out to him on MySpace when she was 16 and filming the TV movie, "Children of the Corn."

Alexa claims she didn't expect a reply but says Milosh replied almost immediately. He was 33 at the time. She claims their communication quickly became sexually explicit.

She claims they finally met in person right after she turned 18 ... when she claims Milosh sexually assaulted her after he "digitally began penetrating [her] in her anus.” She claims she told him to stop but he refused.

Sometime in 2010 or 2011 ... Alexa claims he coerced her into allowing him to record them having sex. She claims Milosh then used this audio throughout his entire album “Jetlag” several years later ... and claims a portion of the audio was used in the song “Don’t Call It” ... where she says she can be heard saying "no" in response to him anally penetrating her.

Alexa claims Milosh eventually convinced her to marry him so he could obtain a green card. They separated in 2016 and before finally getting a divorcing in 2019.

NFL star Michael Thomas says his offseason training program was severely disrupted by some nightmare landlords in L.A. ... and now, he's suing, looking for more than $1 MILLION in damages.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, the New Orleans Saints wide receiver says he agreed to rent a mansion in the Bel-Air area from Feb. 4 to April 5.

The place was awesome -- it had six bedrooms, eight bathrooms and an incredible gym, media room and pool.

Thomas claims the deal with the owner was simple ... he says he agreed to pay $60,000 a month in rent, as well as a $60,000 deposit.

Thomas says the owner promised to leave the NFL player alone too ... allowing him to train for the 2021 season without any interruptions.

Thomas claims he paid $120k for the two-month rental term, and also paid the $60k security deposit in full just before moving in.

But, Thomas says after he moved in, there was nothing but drama with the place.

The 28-year-old says there were issues with the pad's pool, garage doors and kitchen appliances. Thomas also says reps from the place "repeatedly" showed up to the home unannounced, interrupting Thomas' workouts.

To make matters worse, Thomas says the mansion's owner refused to give back any portion of his $60k security deposit after he moved out in April.

Thomas is now suing for breach of lease and more, and is asking for more than $1,000,000 in damages.

It's all VERY interesting ... considering the drama currently going down with Thomas and his Saints team.

Reportedly, New Orleans wanted Thomas to have surgery on his injured ankle following the 2020 season ... right around the time the receiver began renting the Bel-Air mansion.

But, Michael opted to try to heal the injury on his own ... and allegedly didn't communicate much -- if at all -- with the Saints during that process.

The baby from Nirvana's famous "Nevermind" album art is all grown up ... and now he's suing the band for child sexual exploitation.

A man named Spencer Elden claims he's the naked baby famously pictured in a swimming pool on Nirvana's groundbreaking 1991 album cover ... and he's suing the band, its surviving members and Kurt Cobain's estate, 30 years after the album dropped.

According to a new federal lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Elden claims he could not consent to his image being used on the album art way back in the day, because he was only a 4-month-old baby ... and says his legal guardians didn’t consent to it either.

Elden's going even further ... in his suit, he claims the image is actually child pornography. He also claims the band made a promise to cover his genitals with a sticker but it was never incorporated on the album cover.

According to the docs, Elden claims Kurt, Dave Grohl and the rest of the band failed to protect and prevent him from being sexually exploited ... and he says having his naked baby body plastered on a famous album caused him to suffer lifelong damages.

Elden's going after the band, Kurt's estate and others for damages ... and he wants them to each cough up at least $150,000.

We reached out to reps for Nirvana and Kurt's estate ... so far, no word back.

Kanye West is no more -- that is, if he gets his way, and a judge grants him an official name change ... to something much more to the point.

KW just filed legal docs in L.A. ... asking a court to give him a new moniker in the books -- going from Kanye Omari West to simply, "Ye." Yes, the nickname he's gone by for years and years now ... dude wants that to be what Uncle Sam knows him by going forward.

Unclear what might go into the review process for this ... but it seems pretty clear. If a judge signs off, then Kanye as you know him is a goner. It'll be all Ye ... all day.  Fact is, in California, unless there's evidence a name change is designed to commit fraud or other shenanigans ... the judge will approve it.  So, this will get a sign off by the judge.

It's interesting -- Kanye also wants to drop the "West" from his persona altogether too ... which is kinda odd, considering he's shown pride in his family heritage -- and has often even called himself (both in person and in song) Mr. West. That too will be nixed if he gets the green light.

Funny enough ... Kim still has "West" in her own surname -- this after the couple filed for divorce.

One of the two women interviewed by Gayle King back in 2019 is now on the witness stand in R. Kelly's criminal case ... and she's claiming he was controlling them right then and there during the interview.

The witness -- who's only being ID'd as Jane Doe right now -- testified Tuesday in a federal court in Brooklyn as his case gets underway ... telling the jury that Kelly was pulling the strings as Gayle asked both her and another live-in GF questions.

She says Kelly would cough on set that day to keep them on script as the taping went on -- all in an effort, she alleges, to make sure they backed his denials.

The woman also claims Kelly made sure they weren't allowed to watch the "Surviving R. Kelly" docuseries. She says they had to immediately change the channel anytime it came on TV.

Not just that, but the witness went on to testify Kelly promised to promote her music career when they first got together but offered nothing in the end. She claims he once punished her by making her have sex with a guy nicknamed "Nephew" as Kelly watched in the room. The woman says Kelly told her "Nephew" had been "groomed" from a young age too.

Megan Thee Stallion claims her own record label is trying like hell to block the release of her newest song ... and she's running to a court for help.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Meg claims her label, 1501 Certified Entertainment, and its honcho, former MLB star Carl Crawford, are doing everything they can to stop her from putting out a new song with BTS.

In the docs, MTS says she's the featured artist on a remix to the K-pop group's popular "Butter" track ... saying it's supposed to drop Friday, unless her label is able to block it.

Meg believes if released, "Butter" will help to expand her international fanbase, thanks to BTS' massive brand. She claims 1501 told her they don't believe the song would be good for her recording career -- but she says that excuse is just a cover -- and deep down the label is trying to shake her down for 6-figures and force her to pay them to sign off on the song's release.

Megan's been down this road before ... she's pissed about the contract she signed with the label back when she was only 20, and just last year she accused the label of blocking her from releasing new music because she wanted to renegotiate the deal.

She ended up getting an order from the court to prohibit 1501 and Crawford from blocking the release of her new music ... and she says they're violating that order.

In the docs, Megan claims her label is putting up roadblocks to stifle her artistry and hurt her career ... and she wants a judge to step in so she can release the track on time.

Doc Antle letting Chris Brown's young daughter take a joy ride on an elephant's giant noggin wasn't just dangerous and irresponsible, but illegal too ... at least according to PETA.

The animal rights org fired off a letter Tuesday to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, calling on it to investigate the 'Tiger King' star's operation of his Myrtle Beach safari ... alleging he's violating a number of regulations ... spotlighting the most recent incident with Chris' kid.

According to the letter, obtained by TMZ, PETA claims Doc has violated the Animal Welfare Act by allowing 7-year-old Royalty to swim with Bubbles, one of the elephants. The org claims it was super dangerous for the girl to dive off the animal's giant head.

PETA cites a reg requiring certain animals to be kept at a safe and reasonable distance from people with proper barriers to ensure the safety of visitors.

By letting Royalty jump around -- not to mention get lifted up by Bubbles' powerful trunk -- PETA says it's obvious Doc's screwing up ... and they insist it's just the latest alleged violation at the property.

They're asking for a full probe ... calling on the USDA to hold him and his cohorts accountable for what PETA deems dangerous and irresponsible behavior.

Doc tells us PETA sent a similar letter when Lil Pump visited, saying, "Not a thing came of that elephant complaint after USDA investigated it. Just a huge waste of time and resources for the federal veterinarians who have to check out these erroneous allegations. We are in no ways in violation of the animal welfare act. We have continuously perfect inspections. We are well aware of the USDA protocols to conduct this type of filming; as we have been involved in film work of this nature for decades, including more than 500 films, documentaries, television productions and advertisements."

He continues, "Animal Rights activists that are unfamiliar with USDA film protocols routinely report these regulated activities to federal and state regulators as if there has been a violation. Rest assured that we are in full compliance with all federal and state regulations. USDA is our partner in animal welfare and we share a passion and commitment to providing the highest possible care for our animal ambassadors at the preserve."

Tory Lanez has to fork over more bail money after prosecutors say he violated a court order to stay away from Megan Thee Stallion with his surprise appearance at Rolling Loud ... but at least he won't be behind bars.

Lanez was in an L.A. court Monday to learn his fate and he's gonna have to post a higher bail amount to stay out of jail while his criminal case is pending. The reason -- he violated a protective order requiring him to stay clear of Megan.

The judge also modified his bail conditions to specifically prohibit Tory from attending events where his alleged victim, Megan, will be present. The judge also said if this issue comes up again ... he will be remanded into custody. So, this was clearly his last warning.

Tory's bail was increased from $190k to $250k -- so he'll have to throw down a bit more dough to stay free.

TMZ broke the story ... prosecutors filed a motion earlier this month to hold TL in contempt for violating the restraining order. He made a guest appearance during DaBaby's Rolling Loud set, and he got within 100 yards of Megan, who also performed at the event

Charli D'Amelio is beefing with a media kingpin who says he can make anyone famous ... and he's warning the TikTok star not to poke the bear!!!

Here's the deal ... Charli, TikTok's most-followed star, was recently featured in an endorsement video for the "Fame By Sheeraz Masterclass," and now her lawyers are making a big fuss over it.

Charli's legal team fired off a legal letter to Sheeraz, obtained by TMZ, demanding the media guru scrub her portion from his promotional video and class.

As you can see in the clip, Charli looks into the camera and waves as she says, "Hi Fame By Sheeraz."

According to the cease and desist letter, Charli's lawyer says her inclusion in Sheeraz's promo "is not approved and will not be approved."

Sheeraz tells TMZ ... "Don't poke the media beast we control the paparazzi and media that promotes you and gives you FAME. That's why you endorsed FAME by Sheeraz."

Sounds like Sheeraz isn't having it.

Erika Jayne's elderly estranged husband, Tom Girardi, has moved out of his multi-million dollar mansion and into a senior living facility.

The 82-year-old -- who's currently going through a divorce from "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star along with a lawsuit for allegedly embezzling funds from families of plane crash victims -- was spotted by Daily Mail entering the Burbank nursing home Sunday.

Girardi -- who up until recently lived in an incredible $13 million mansion in Pasadena -- has been forced to give up his luxurious lifestyle due to his embezzlement scandal, his law firm filing for bankruptcy ... and health issues.

Safe to say it's not been a very good year for Tom, who once had an estimated net worth of more than $260 million. Along with the divorce, he's been disbarred, forced to auction off a lot of stuff from his law offices to cover legal costs ... and has been spotted out in public looking worse for wear.

Earlier this year ... he filed legal docs claiming he's been diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's, as he had his assets frozen as he's potentially been facing federal charges for months.

Brandon Hanks is the most famous Syracuse PD officer -- having gone viral for playing hoops with kids years ago -- but shockingly, he's still on the force after superiors accused him of being a gang member ... prompting him to file a massive lawsuit.

Brandon joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday to discuss his $33 million suit against Syracuse PD ... a legal move he made after the brass denied him a promotion to a gang violence task force.

He says the only reason he was given was an allegation, from at least one superior, that he's a gang member who's selling drugs.

He denies the claims, saying there's no evidence, and also finds it bizarre he's still working his beat. Brandon pointed out the obvious ... if his bosses really thought he was up to no good, he'd be indicted.

He thinks the real issue is racism, and in his lawsuit, he accuses Syracuse PD of having a "Jim Crow culture."

Brandon told us Syracuse PD loved him when he was getting them national attention for challenging kids to basketball games as part of a community outreach program -- but, for some reason, that all changed when he tried to advance his career.

Aerosmith's not going to miss a thing -- at least when it comes to their masters -- because the legendary rock band's new deal with Universal Music Group means they'll soon have ownership of all their master recordings.

If you haven't heard ... UMG just announced it will be the home of Aerosmith's entire recorded catalog ahead of their 50th anniversary, and will house the band's future music projects and help develop other ventures to celebrate their history.

Since the group was founded in the early '70s, it's gone back and forth between the hands of Sony and Universal ... and it's slated to get all of its masters from Sony in 2022.

However, despite the huge news with UMG, there was no deal in place for the band to get their masters back from Universal, for songs recorded during their time with that record label ... tracks such as "Dude Looks Like a Lady," "Crazy," "Amazing," "Crying," "Janie’s Got a Gun" and "Livin’ On The Edge."

That's where Aerosmith's manager, Larry Rudolph, stepped up and made some expert negotiations with UMG to make it happen.

We're told he met with some execs there and worked out a deal where UMG would get the right to distribute the ENTIRE Aerosmith catalog -- including its Sony songs -- and in return ... Aerosmith will gain the rights to their masters from their time with Universal Music.

The upshot -- Aerosmith will make 3 times what they're currently getting for their catalog of hits.

Jackboy has always insisted he's innocent in his gun possession case, and now prosecutors at least agree he shouldn't be charged ... because they don't have the goods to prove he's guilty.

Jonathan L. Adams, the Monroe County D.A., tells TMZ ... his office decided not to move forward with charges against the rapper "due to our concern regarding being able to prove [Jackboy] had actual knowledge of the location of the firearms."

Adams pointed to the same issue cops identified in their initial report ... that a passenger in the backseat claimed to be responsible for the 2 guns found in the glove box.

Jackboy's attorney, Drew Findling, says, "We told you early this year that Pierre Delince (Jackboy) was innocent of these charges." He added, "We are very much appreciative of them making that important decision."

TMZ broke the story ... Jackboy was busted in March after cops pulled over a vehicle in which he was a passenger, because the driver had trouble staying in his lane.

When cops searched the Lambo SUV they said they found 2 unregistered handguns in the glove box next to Jackboy's seat.

Cops say the rapper told cops he didn't know there were guns in the whip. He was ultimately arrested and booked for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. But, prosecutors now say they don't have evidence Jackboy knew the guns were there.

Britney Spears' dogs fell seriously ill with one close to death, and her housekeeper believed the only way to save the animals was an emergency trip to the vet, which turned into the dogs being kept away from Britney entirely ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... one of Britney's two dogs has serious digestive issues and both dogs were supposed to be fed a special type of food. We're told the housekeeper became alarmed when she saw the dogs regularly being fed table scraps ... causing the pets to become very sick, especially the one with digestive issues.

The housekeeper also said both dogs were dehydrated from a lack of water ... which ultimately caused her to take them to the vet.

Our sources say after examining the dogs, the vet was alarmed, and Britney's dog sitter decided it would be best if she cared for the dogs instead of Britney.

As we reported ... Britney's dogs never came home after the vet visit, and she suspected her dad, Jamie Spears, had something to do with their disappearance. She called the cops August 10 and was prepared to file a theft report over the pooches, but changed her mind.

TMZ broke the story, the dogs' whereabouts triggered a heated argument Monday between Britney and the housekeeper ... during which we're told the housekeeper showed Britney cell phone photos she'd taken of the sick dogs.

Our sources said Britney became enraged, believing the housekeeper was sending the pics to Jamie Spears. She allegedly grabbed for the phone and, according to the housekeeper, struck her arm in the process. The housekeeper filed a police report for battery. We're told Britney denies touching the housekeeper ... and that all she did was grab the phone.

As of Friday afternoon, the dogs were still not back at Britney's home and the police investigation had not wrapped. The police findings will eventually be sent to the district attorney's office to review the matter for possible misdemeanor battery charges.