Legal

The gun handed to Alec Baldwin before the fatal shooting on the "Rust" movie set was loaded with a live round ... according to a warrant from the ongoing police investigation.

The warrant says an assistant director handed the gun to Alec and told the actor it was safe to use before the deadly incident ... according to the warrant obtained by the Associated Press.

The warrant says the assistant director didn't know the gun was loaded, but it doesn't mention who actually loaded the gun ... which may become the central issue.

Alec's blood-stained costume from the movie has been taken as evidence, as well as the gun that went off, plus other prop guns and ammo being used on set, according to the warrant.

The warrant says Halyna Hutchins was shot in the chest and Joel Souza was wounded as he was standing behind her.

A source working on the movie tells us gun safety has been a consistent issue on set, and just last weekend blank rounds were shot when they weren't supposed to go off.

As we reported ... Alec pulled the trigger on the gun and the accident resulted in the death of 42-year-old cinematographer Hutchins. She was struck and airlifted to a hospital, where she died. Director Souza was also hit, but has reportedly been released from the hospital.

Brian Laundrie's autopsy has been completed without answers, and now his bones will be shipped off to an anthropologist for further evaluation ... TMZ has learned.

Laundrie family attorney, Steven Bertolino, tells us the coroner just wrapped, and no matter or cause of death could be identified through his remains. Bertolino says the next step will be to send his bones to an anthropologist to be examined.

Bertolino tells us he's not sure why the anthropologist is getting involved, but online studies say the experts are brought into cases when bodies are too far along in the decomposition process to determine a cause of death using soft tissue.

As we reported, Laundrie's remains were first found off of a Florida trail Wednesday near his backpack and notebook. The FBI positively identified the bones found as Brian thanks to dental records.

Investigators say it appears Brian's body had been decomposing in the area for several weeks, and prior to their discovery, the remains had been in an area that was underwater.

NBA YoungBoy is about to get out of jail as he awaits trial in his federal weapons case ... TMZ has learned.

The rapper's attorneys, Drew Findling and Andre Belanger, tell us bail has finally been set for YoungBoy, but he has not yet been released. The judge gave him two options -- put up $1.5 million worth of property or $500k cash.

TMZ broke the story ... YoungBoy was busted in Los Angeles back in March on a federal warrant, with the FBI taking him into custody using a K-9 unit after he allegedly attempted to evade a traffic stop.

After the L.A. arrest, YoungBoy was transported to Louisiana and booked into a jail in St. Martin Parish, where he's remained behind bars.

NBA YoungBoy was previously indicted by a grand jury on charges of possessing a firearm as a felon and possessing a firearm not registered to him. The indictment came 12 days before he was busted in Cali.

Robert Durst will finally stand trial for allegedly murdering his wife, Kathie Durst, in 1982 -- that is, if he survives COVID-19 and his already incredibly frail condition.

A grand jury in NY state heard testimony last week, and the murder charge was filed Tuesday in Westchester County. The D.A.'s Office is confirming the charges were filed, but won't comment any further.

It's unclear when he would stand trial, but the former real estate tycoon -- featured in the HBO documentary, "The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst" -- is already at death's door. As you know, an L.A. jury convicted Durst last week for the murder of Susan Berman, and sentenced him to life in prison.

Two days later, 78-year-old Durst was placed on a ventilator after contracting the coronavirus.

Remember, Durst seemingly confessed on an open mic while recording an interview for 'The Jinx' ... saying, "What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course."

The hunt for Gabby Petito's fiance, Brian Laundrie, is officially over ... the FBI says dental records prove the remains found on a Florida hiking trail match those of the 23-year-old.

Brian's remains were found Wednesday at the Carlton Reserve in North Port, FL ... only hours after the FBI uncovered some of Brian's belongings during an initial search at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park.

The Laundrie family attorney tells TMZ, "Chris and Roberta Laundrie have been informed that the remains found yesterday in the reserve are indeed Brian’s. We have no further comment at this time and we ask that you respect the Laundrie’s privacy at this time."

As we reported ... Brian's parents led the FBI to the previously unexplored trail, where the feds found some articles of clothing and a backpack they believed might belong to Brian. The Medical Examiner went to the location, as well as the Pasco County Sheriff's Office's Human Remains Detection Team and a K-9.

The news comes about a month after authorities said the body they found in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park was indeed Gabby's body. The Teton County Coroner conducted an autopsy and ruled her death a homicide, with authorities saying she was strangled to death.

As you know by now ... Laundrie went on the run and had so far eluded the FBI and Dog the Bounty Hunter during a nationwide manhunt.

The Petito case, of course, gained national attention after Brian returned to his Florida home without Gabby on September 1 ... despite the fact they had taken a cross-country trip together and documented the trip on social media.

Adding fuel to the fire ... there had also been an alleged domestic disturbance while on the road in Utah and a public blowout in Wyoming that got so bad they were booted from a restaurant.

Gabby's parents said they had not heard from her since August 25 and they reported her missing on Sept. 11. Laundrie was named a person of interest just 4 days later but then came a huge twist -- he did not cooperate with authorities and his family reported him missing on Sept. 17 ... adding that they had not seen him in days.

Gabby's family called for Laundrie to turn himself in during an emotional news conference in her home state of NY.

Along the way, there were tons of alleged Brian sightings ... all over Florida and even as far as Canada. Someone alerted authorities they spotted a man on their trail camera that fit Brian's description ... albeit around 450 miles away from his North Port home -- which would be quite a journey on foot over 4 days.

The Okaloosa Co. Sheriff later said they searched the area where the image was taken but didn't find anything, or anyone, of interest. The FBI also paid Laundrie's parent's home a visit to collect some of his items for DNA matching.

Then there was this ... Dog joined the manhunt too, and he even alerted cops about a possible lead.

Paris Hilton is bringing her crusade against abuse at troubled teen camps to Capitol Hill and she says she's proud to be fighting on behalf of alleged victims like herself.

We got Paris heading into the Capitol and asked her about the feedback she's getting from her campaign to get laws on the books banning mistreatment at youth facilities.

Paris says the response has been amazing and she's honored to be the poster child for change in this area. She's also confident better days are ahead.

Paris, who recently helped get a law passed protecting teens in Utah, sat down with federal lawmakers Thursday, including Sen. Mitt Romney.

Seems Paris is making some inroads ... Romney says he's grateful to see Paris advocating on the federal level after getting things done back in Utah.

As we reported ... Paris says she endured years of abuse when she was a teen attending boarding school in Utah, and she got emotional earlier this year while laying out her case for reforms.

Here's what Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie looked like on one of their final road trip stops ... and the pictures might be the last photos of them together.

The images were snapped back on the morning of Aug. 10, when Gabby and Brian were touring the Delicate Arch in Arches National Park.

It's the same scenic outlook where Gabby posted a pic on social media showing her and Brian kissing on the famous arch.

As you can tell from the never-before-seen photos ... Gabby and Brian look to be having a good time as they walk down the base of the arch.

Brian's smiling as Gabby takes a drink from her water jug ... but we now know what happened later during their cross-country road trip.

Gabby posted photos from that day on her Instagram, including one of her and Brian kissing.

Brian infamously returned home without her and her body was found in another national park 3 weeks later, with authorities saying she was strangled to death.

Nikolas Cruz -- the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High mass shooter -- doesn't deserve a second chance ... according to his victims' families, who want him sentenced to death.

The fathers of 2 of Nikolas' 17 victims tell TMZ ... they're not buying the courtroom apology Cruz offered Wednesday, and they say he shouldn't get another shot as his trial looms.

Max Schachter, the father of 14-year-old victim Alex, says straight-up ... Cruz "is a sadistic murderer and he deserves to die." Max also says his plea for a second chance is "laughable" and believes he should get the death penalty.

Tony Montalto, whose 14-year-old daughter Gina was among those gunned down, doesn't accept Cruz's apology either, saying ... "If he wanted to do something for our families, he would've not killed our loved ones."

The way Tony sees it ... Cruz didn't give his daughter a chance when he shot her 4 times, so why should he get a second chance at life???

As we reported ... Nikolas changed his plea to guilty Wednesday and told the families of his victims he was sorry and he loved them, while begging for a second chance and making it clear he doesn't want a death sentence.

Tony, who was in court to listen to Cruz, says the mea culpa was "ridiculous" and "painful" ... and he wants Cruz prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law as a way to deter future mass shootings.

Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli are gunning to head south of the border once more -- only this time, its for a wedding ... but first, they'll need to get the all clear from court.

The convicted couple just filed legal docs asking for permission to take a week-long trip down to San Jose del Cabo next month ... where they say they plan to be in attendance for someone's nuptials. Lori and Mossimo say they'd be gone from Nov. 5 to Nov. 12.

As for why they should be allowed to go, the pair note they've been compliant with the terms of their supervised release since getting out of prison. Lori cites the $150k fine she had to fork over as part of her sentence and says she's done with her community service.

Mossimo, for his part, says he's paid his $250k fine and says he's making progress on the community service. In other words ... we've paid for our college admission scandal sins.

Worth noting, this is is the exact same reasoning as last time -- remember, they went to Cabo back in June, and cited the same rationale, which a judge approved. So, ya gotta figure they'll be given the green light again.

Lori and Mossimo also claim their probation offices have their back in the ask -- which should help get it approved.

The judge has yet to rule.

Dr. Dre's divorce has been extremely contentious, and something happened Monday that punctuates the bitterness ... a process server for his ex-wife attempted to serve him with legal docs at the cemetery where he buried his grandmother.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Dre was at a Los Angeles cemetery Monday to put the woman who helped raise him in her final resting place.

There's a dispute over where exactly Dre was confronted by the process server. Sources connected to Dre tell TMZ ... a process server came up to him at the burial site as Dre was standing by his grandma's casket and tried serving him. Sources connected to Nicole Young tell TMZ ... Dre was served in the cemetery's parking lot after the burial.

Either way ... we're told Dre recoiled in anger and wouldn't take the documents in hand. Our Dre sources claim the process server dropped the documents by the gravesite. Our Nicole sources say they were dropped in the parking lot.

The papers involved payment of Nicole's attorney's fees. There's a dispute over how much he was supposed to pay. The music mogul paid $325,433.  The judge signed an order that he owed a total of $1,550,000. Dre believes that amount is in error and he paid the full fee. Nicole says the order is clear ... Dre owes a balance of $1,224,567. The legal docs that were served included the judge's final order of $1,550,000.

Either way ... this divorce is about as acrimonious as it gets.

Nikolas Cruz, the gunman responsible for killing 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, just made an impassioned plea to the victims' families ... he wants a 2nd chance.

Cruz addressed the families from a Florida courtroom Wednesday after changing his plea to guilty ... he says he's sorry for what he did and loves them.

In the video, Cruz says it's tough living with the consequences and he has nightmares and can't live with himself sometimes ... but he says he's trying to keep pushing through.

It's kind of bizarre ... Cruz then goes on a mini-rant about people smoking marijuana and doing drugs, which he says is "causing racism and violence out in the streets." He also says he can't bring himself to watch TV anymore.

Cruz is facing life in prison or the death penalty after pleading guilty to 34 counts -- 17 premeditated murder and 17 attempted murder -- but he says it should be up to the victims' families to decide if he gets a death sentence.

The reality is ... the jury will decide Cruz's fate at his trial.

Prosecutors in the YNW Melly double murder case could help prove their case against the rapper -- that is, if they can get their hands on his saliva and match it to DNA at the scene.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors are asking a Broward County judge to force Melly to submit an oral swab ... because they want to check if his C's, A's, G's and T's match up to DNA samples they found on a key piece of evidence collected during the investigation.

That evidence is a yellow jacket ... which prosecutors say already has DNA that matches Anthony Williams, one of the 2 people killed in the shooting.

Prosecutors claim there are 3 other potential DNA profiles on that jacket ... and seeing as how Melly is one of the people charged with the murders -- prosecutors wanna see if his DNA is also on the jacket.

As we reported, prosecutors allege Melly and his pal, Cortlen Henry, gunned down their buddies, Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr., and then hatched an elaborate plan to make it seem the men had died in a drive-by.

Kellogg's is trying to pull a fast one by hyping up the strawberries in some of their Pop-Tarts, because there's very few of the actual berries inside ... this according to a new lawsuit.

The breakfast food giant is being sued in a new class-action ... alleging Kellogg's is misleading consumers about what they're really eating when they bite into the toaster pastries.

A New York woman named Elizabeth Russett is leading the crusade against Kellogg's ... in her suit, she claims the fruit filling in Kellogg's Whole Grain Frosted Strawberry Toaster Pastries is mostly other fruits.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, the Pop-Tarts in question are actually heavier on pears and apples than strawberries ... which she insists is not enough to provide the berry's nutritional benefits, let alone a strawberry taste.

Russett claims Kellogg's is using their packaging to fool folks who want a snack packed with more strawberries ... she says the damages exceed $5 million and also wants to see Pop-Tarts labeled more accurately.

Flavor Flav landed in jail after being arrested for a domestic violence incident earlier this month in Nevada ... TMZ has learned.

According to law enforcement ... the Public Enemy co-founder was booked on a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery on Oct. 5 by the Henderson PD.

We're told cops responded to a call about a domestic disturbance and when they got there Flav was placed into custody and taken to the Henderson Detention Center.

According to the criminal complaint, obtained by TMZ, Flav allegedly poked his finger on the alleged victim's nose, grabbed her, threw her down and grabbed a phone out her hand.

The City Attorney tells us Flavor Flav is officially charged with misdemeanor battery constituting domestic violence.

Flav's attorney, David Chesnoff, tells TMZ ... "in alleged domestic violence cases, there are often 2 sides to the story and we will explain our side in the courtroom and not in the media."

We recently got Flav out at LAX, where he laid out his demands for Chuck D and what it would take for a Public Enemy reunion.

Aaron Carter can finally close the book on his DUI case from 4 years ago in Georgia -- and he's gotta be pretty happy, because he's walking away without doing a day in jail.

A court clerk from Habersham County tells TMZ ... Aaron struck a deal with prosecutors, agreeing to plea no contest to reckless driving for the 2017 stop where he refused to submit to a breathalyzer test. The DUI charge goes away.

We're told Aaron will be placed on 12 months of probation, while also having to complete 40 hours of community service and take some DUI risk reduction classes ... plus, shell out around $1,500 in court fees and fines. AC will also be subjected to a drug and alcohol evaluation, and has to comply with whatever other treatment is seen as appropriate.

Assuming all goes well during his probation, he won't have to spend any time behind bars -- which was technically on the table as a possibility when he got arrested.

You'll recall ... Aaron got pulled over in Habersham while cruising with his then-girlfriend, Madison Parker, but declined to submit to the breathalyzer when cops suspected he was under the influence.

Now, the case is officially over and done with.

So, what's next for Carter? He previously told TMZ Sports he's eyeing another celeb boxing match after losing his first one to Lamar Odom.

Kanye West knows a business opportunity when he sees one -- which is why it looks like he's jumping into the face mask game ... and slapping his new name on it, front and center.

The rapper/producer/designer's company filed legal docs to trademark the "Ye" for use on "sanitary masks for protection against viral infection." However, it sounds like these might be slightly more stylish than the blue medical masks ya find at CVS.

In the docs, there's also a reference to branding "fashion masks" with the same moniker -- and knowing Kanye ... they'll likely be elaborate, and chock-full of the Yeezy aesthetic.

We've seen a lot of Kanye lately in varying types of masks, but more recently, they've looked like they were part of a Halloween costume.

The news comes on the heels of the guy legally changing his name to Ye ... sans any last name or anything else. A judge recently signed off on his request -- which means Kanye Omari West is now a thing of the past ... even though folks will probably continue to call him that.