Legal

Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate aren't worried about being on the radar of some powerful federal prosecutors in New York ... their lawyer's brushing off an SDNY investigation as "merely a formality."

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the Tate brothers' attorney, Joseph McBride, confirms the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York is investigating Andrew and Tristan ... and then said the probe is no biggie.

McBride claims he talked Monday with Assistant United States Attorney Jacqueline Kelly about the Tate investigation ... he says he asked Kelly whether Andrew and Tristan needed to come in for questioning and claims he was told they did not.

Tigers Assistant General Manager Sam Menzin quit his job with the ball club last Thursday ... just as the Tigers were about to fire the front office executive amid an investigation into claims he sent lewd photos to female staffers.

According to The Athletic ... they spoke with three women who claimed they received unsolicited photos of the now 34-year-old's genitals dating back to as early as 2017. Two of them worked for the MLB team, while the other worked in baseball, but not for the Motor City squad.

The pictures were allegedly sent via Snapchat -- which automatically deletes images after they're seen.

Russell Brand says sex is a big reason why he wanted to be famous in the first place ... and he claims he would never have sex with someone without their consent.

The British actor and comedian just went on a long rant on his Rumble show, "Stay Free with Russell Brand," doubling down on his denial of rape and sexual assault charges against him in London.

Russell notes the charges all stem from alleged incidents from 1999 to 2004 ... and he says back then he must have been "captured by some kind of darkness" because his life was all about sex, drugs and alcohol.

Russell Brand is being sued for sexual assault for an alleged incident on the "Arthur" movie set, and the studio behind the film is offering to turn over unseen footage from the production.

Warner Bros. Discovery told a court the company is ready to hand over outtakes from "Arthur" as part of a civil sexual assault case against Russell in New York ... according to a new report in The Times of London.

As we reported ... a woman sued Russell and WB in 2023, claiming Brand exposed his penis to her on set and then sexually assaulted her in a bathroom on the same day of filming.

Erik and Lyle Menendez say they finally have something to look forward to as they inch closer to a possible release from prison, and they're revealing how they've evolved during their 35 years behind bars.

The brothers tell us why they are -- for the first time since 1990 -- hopeful for the future in our new special, "TMZ Presents: The Menendez Brothers: The Prison Interview" ... premiering tonight on FOX.

Lyle says the word hope is new for them, and Erik says he's striving to be a better person every day and finally beginning to like himself -- but the key for them will be whether the California parole board finds they no longer pose a danger to society.

The Florida man who was arrested for threatening on Facebook to fatally shoot President Trump last week posed for a mug shot after cops cuffed him -- and he looks like an older surfer dude with a 5 o'clock shadow.

Glenn DeCicco, 73, got his 15 minutes of infamy by mugging for the camera as police snapped his booking photo Friday night in Jupiter, FL, where he lives.

Check it out ... DeCicco looks like your average beach-lover, with sandy hair and a bunch of stubble on his face. You would never guess that he'd be the guy responsible for posting assassination threats on social media.

Cassie plans on testifying during Diddy's upcoming trial -- and it won't be anonymous, TMZ has confirmed.

"Victim 1" is "prepared to testify under her own name" during the upcoming trial, where Diddy will defend himself against charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Cassie is the person known as "Victim 1." There are three other alleged victims who have requested their identities remain secret during the trial. Prosecutors say using pseudonyms instead of real names will prevent harassment and other adverse consequences for the alleged victims.

Scary situation at home for "Goliath" star Tania Raymonde ... cops say she told them a guy she doesn't know has been bombarding her with emails and things reached a head when he knocked on her door.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... Tania told officers she’s been getting emails from a guy who kept telling her he was going to be in town and that they should have a meeting and he would come over.

She told cops the guy followed through last Thursday when he showed up at Tania's Los Angeles area home and knocked on the door. She told them he was an older man over 50 years old.

Johnny Depp's saddling up for a new Dior commercial ... donning a cowboy hat and a Clint Eastwood-style poncho while shooting in the desert.

The actor shot the spot in the hills of Villaspesa, Spain -- the same country where ex Amber Heard lives now, BTW -- looking rugged against the dry countryside.

Johnny took direction -- not a problem for a veteran actor like him -- from the director ... and, he even waved to a few onlookers, all smiles on location.

Bri Stern -- Andrew Tate's ex-girlfriend who is suing him for allegedly attacking her during sex -- is now speaking out against the self-proclaimed misogynist ... saying while their relationship was initially loving, it took a dark turn.

Stern sat down for a full interview with the Daily Mail, published Friday ... and, she opened up about the early days of their relationship, noting everything was wonderful early on.

Stern says a mutual friend hooked her up with Tate ... describing him as a "big teddy bear" -- claiming she knew nothing about his controversial internet comments before meeting him and his brother Tristan Tate in Romania.

7:25 AM PT -- Joseph McBride, lawyer for the Tate brothers, is blasting the investigation ... telling TMZ it's a "pathetic delay tactics by a group of weak lawyers running from a fight in the Florida Defamation Case, because they know the evidence is overwhelmingly on our side."

He adds ... "The SDNY is subject to Washington. Washington is not involved. We are not worried. Nothing changes. Our march to victory continues."

The Tate brothers' legal issues in the U.S. are piling up -- federal prosecutors are now investigating them ... according to an attorney involved in a civil suit with them.

President Trump's no-nonsense Attorney General Pam Bondi has made it clear she wants Luigi Mangione executed for allegedly committing murder — and, if she gets her way, the 26-year-old Ivy League grad faces a torturous fate, TMZ has learned.

TMZ interviewed University of Richmond Law Professor Corinna Lain, who provided us with a road map of what Luigi can potentially expect if he is federally convicted of stalking and murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

The federal prosecutor presents aggravating factors to the court after a conviction, and the jury must unanimously agree on those factors before the judge decides whether to impose the death penalty. In federal cases, the death penalty typically results in lethal injection.

Terrence Howard just gave a glimpse into what he said was the dark side of Hollywood ... and one example he used from his personal experience was none other than Diddy!

The film and TV actor was a recent guest on Patrick Bet-David's "PBD Podcast" ... where he claimed he was targeted by Diddy for sex under the guise of coaching.

TH doesn't say exactly when this alleged attempt by Diddy occurred ... but claims he was invited to Diddy's place when the music mogul asked Terrence for acting lessons.

The Connecticut donut shop under fire -- mostly by trolls -- after Blake Lively worked a shift without wearing a hairnet is cleared of any health code violations, TMZ has learned.

According to a Wilton Health Department document, which TMZ has seen, Rise Doughnut -- a small mom-and-pop biz -- was investigated after an "anonymous" complaint, and officials found zero violations. No fine was issued and the case is officially closed.

The department visit was trigged after people online were pissed Blake didn't put on a hair net, hat or tie back her hair while working and serving up the treats -- and as a result, they trolled the shop's Yelp page. And, at least one person filed an official complaint.

2:22 PM PT -- Diddy's legal team tells TMZ ... “These are not new allegations or new accusers. These are the same individuals, former long-term girlfriends, who were involved in consensual relationships. This was their private sex life, defined by consent, not coercion.”

Diddy is facing new criminal charges in his federal case in New York ... because federal prosecutors just hit him with their third superseding indictment.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the feds are tacking on two additional charges ... one for sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and another for transportation to engage in prostitution.

The feds say the new charges stem from allegations against Diddy from 2021 to 2024 and relate to an individual the feds simply refer to as "Victim-2."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn't wanna go toe to toe with Lamar Jackson over a trademark for the number eight ... with the racing superstar announcing he's making changes to his brand to appease the NFL MVP.

Dale Jr. attempted to file papers for a stylized version of the digit he used for the majority of his on-track career recently ... which was later protested by Jackson's legal team, as the Baltimore Ravens quarterback owns several trademarks related to the number.

Jackson's crew claimed granting Dale Jr. the trademark could hurt his business ... as his fans might mistakenly buy the NASCAR Hall of Famer's merch instead of his if approved.