Legal

Sir Lucian Grainge finds it absolutely RIDICULOUS that Drake says he was behind a scheme to hurt one of his biggest artists when the label released Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" diss track ... the Universal Music Group CEO's says he's got way bigger responsibilities as head of the company, and he watched the beef unfold from the sidelines just like everyone else!!!

In a written declaration released Thursday evening, Grainge clapped back at Drake's recent filing, explaining he's much too busy running his multibillion-dollar corporation across nearly 200 markets to oversee day-to-day ops such as approving artwork or music videos.

Grainge goes on record that he had zilch to do with Kendrick's "Not Like Us" rollout ... calling the allegation "groundless and ridiculous" while noting it was Interscope Records (a UMG subsidiary) that finalized and released the record.

Tarek El Moussa's battery case in Las Vegas has been dismissed by a judge ... TMZ has confirmed.

The "Flip or Flop" star was facing a misdemeanor battery charge after being cited by police following a fight in a casino.

New legal docs show the case was dismissed August 5 after Tarek completed impulse control counseling and stayed "out of trouble." The charge was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be filed again.

This is why T-Hood's shooting death is being investigated as possible self-defense -- TMZ Hip Hop has obtained video showing him attacking his GF Kelsie Frost ... whose brother is the sole suspect in T-Hood's death.

This surveillance video -- inside Kelsie and T-Hood's Gwinnett County, GA apartment -- shows her lying down, while he paces around their bedroom. After about 25 seconds, T-Hood stands at the edge of the bed, staring at Kelsie ... and then violently pounces on her, seemingly trying to choke her.

Sources connected to the Frost family tell us this video was recorded earlier this year, and they claim it was not an isolated incident. We've also obtained photos of Kelsie with bruises and scratches on her face, neck and chest.

Sean "Diddy" Combs is on a heater, at least when it comes to tackling the mountain of lawsuits he's facing ... and now former "Making The Band" singer Sara Rivers is finding out firsthand what kind of roll he's on.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a judge just threw out the claims Sara made against Diddy and the other defendants in her lawsuit. They were dismissed with prejudice, meaning they cannot be filed again, although one is still up in the air.

Among the claims dismissed ... racketeering, assault and battery, forced labor, sexual harassment and false imprisonment.

As for the one outstanding claim, the judge wrote the "determination of whether to dismiss, with or without prejudice, Count 15 (the Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act claim) ... is hereby stayed pending" a ruling from an appellate court.

Prosecutors announced Thursday they have declined to file charges against Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins.

In a decline memo, obtained by TMZ Sports, the Broward State Attorney's Office said despite a woman alleging Judkins roughed her up during a July 8 ride from a Florida airport last month ... it had "no reasonable likelihood of conviction" in the case.

They stated Judkins -- through an attorney -- told them he and the woman had gotten into a dispute over the way he communicated about her to his family ... and she was the first to get physical. The docs state Judkins' lawyer claimed that after he pointed a finger at her, "she slapped his hand away, also punching him."

Jussie Smollett is trying to make a Hollywood comeback, but the hate crime hoax will always hang over his head if he doesn't come clean about what really happened ... at least according to the attorney for the brothers who say Jussie hired them to stage the 2019 attack.

Gloria Rodriguez reps Abel and Ola Osundairo -- the Nigerian brothers who claim Jussie hired them to beat him up on a freezing cold night in Chicago -- tells TMZ ... Smollett is making his comeback attempt harder on himself and wasting his talent by not being honest.

ICYMI ... Jussie recently told Variety the real "villains" in his alleged attack are the Chicago Police Department and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. He also told the outlet he was sticking to his original story that two MAGA hat-wearing Trump supporters in masks attacked him, doused him with bleach, put a noose around his neck and shouted racist and homophobic slurs.

Taylor Swift's new album is coming out October 3, the same day Diddy is set to be sentenced in his federal criminal case ... which is interesting, 'cause T-Swift once said she'd go to prom with the guy in a group!

A clip from a 2011 interview from "The Rachael Ray Show" has resurfaced in the aftermath of Swift revealing her album release date, where Taylor selects her ideal prom date from a choice of a group of celebs.

Taylor says she'd rather go with a group than a specific date ... picking up photos of Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Sheryl Crow -- and, finally, Diddy.

Wendy Williams' guardian is trying to shut down A&E's attempt to depose her early ... arguing issues need to be resolved in guardianship court before they do anything in the civil suit.

Sabrina E. Morrissey made the request in documents filed Wednesday ... basically arguing she could be stuck between a rock and hard place if the judge in the civil case orders something that runs in contradiction to an order by the judge in the guardianship case.

For example, Morrissey argues, the civil judge could decide on certain deposition conditions that the guardianship judge isn't cool with ... and, then she won't know what the heck to do.

7:53 AM PT -- While Jon Jones' leaving the scene of an accident case was dismissed on Wednesday, it turns out the UFC superstar is still facing charges related to the incident.

Bernalillo County prosecutors tell TMZ Sports ... "The officer filed the complaint in Metro Court twice, which generated a duplicate case." Only the duplicate has been dismissed.

The second case, though, remains ongoing. He's actually facing two charges there -- one count of leaving the scene of an accident, and one count of use of telephone to terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass, annoy or offend.

Jones is due for a hearing next month.

Big win in court this week for Jon Jones ... the UFC star's leaving the scene of an accident charge was dismissed.

Priscilla Presley's lawyer is firing back at the former business partners suing her and alleging she let Lisa Marie Presley die so she could take control of Graceland ... telling us their lawsuit is one of the most shameful, ridiculous, salacious and meritless things he's ever seen.

Priscilla's attorney, Marty Singer, tells TMZ ... the lawsuit against Elvis Presley's ex-wife is "nothing more than a sad and vicious attempt to falsely tarnish the reputation of an eighty-year-old woman."

Singer says Priscilla's legal foes here are on their fourth different set of lawyers and he says the lawsuit is a "disgusting publicity stunt."

David Geffen is firing back at his estranged husband ... he says the guy's claims that Geffen promised to financially support him for life are bogus and a textbook shakedown attempt.

The billionaire just responded to a lawsuit filed by his estranged husband, David Andrew Armstrong (AKA Donovan Michaels) ... and Geffen flat out denies ever making assurances to take care of Armstrong financially for the rest of his life.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Geffen says Armstrong's claims are ludicrous and part of a contrived attempt to humiliate Geffen in public and extract a financial settlement.

3:48 PM PT -- Bri Stern's lawyer Tony Buzbee tells TMZ ... "As expected, Andrew Tate filed a counterclaim against Brianna Stern. This follows the lawsuit Ms. Stern filed against Tate in March for violent sexual assault. The tone of Mr. Tate’s counterclaim isn’t a surprise. He has openly proclaimed himself a woman-hater. He had the audacity to tweet: 'Literally everything females say is r******d.' Tate brags about how he treats women. This is a quote from him: 'Slap, slap, grab choke, shut up b*tch, sex.' When they were together, Tate told Ms. Stern 'If you don’t start being good, . . . I will f***ing rape you. Because that’s what you deserve.'

"He also told her 'if you ever f*** with me, I will f***ing kill you. I mean it. I will kill you.' Tate’s delusion is that he’s so important that he’s above the law. He isn’t. His counterclaim is junk and will be dismissed. More importantly, I can’t wait to get him in front of a Los Angeles jury.  He will finally be held accountable for his years of his outrageous and harmful conduct. Although Tate has attempted to scrub his social media, unfortunately for him, we have it all. Tate is nothing more than a big mouthed bully, but this time he picked the wrong person. Ms. Stern won’t be bullied."

Andrew Tate is going on the legal offensive against his ex-girlfriend Bri Stern ... he's now countersuing her, claiming she defamed him with what he says are fabricated allegations of sexual assault and abuse.

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Andrew claims Bri orchestrated a deliberate smear campaign against him based on false claims that he choked her during sex despite telling him to stop.

Andrew claims Bri spread the false allegations in the media and online ... and he says she was out for profit, fame, and the destruction of his reputation.

Priscilla Presley exploited her own daughter's health crisis to gain control of the Elvis Presley Estate, allegedly yanking life support from Lisa Marie when her heart stopped, according to a new lawsuit -- but Priscilla strongly denies the claim.

Elvis' ex-wife is being sued by her former business partners, and in the $50 million lawsuit, they lay out serious allegations -- claiming "Priscilla pulled the plug within hours of Lisa being admitted" in January 2023 after suffering cardiac arrest.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, the plaintiff's claim Priscilla made that fateful decision before Lisa Marie's daughter, Riley Keough, was able to get to the hospital -- and, despite Lisa Marie having signed a directive to "prolong her life."

Wendy Williams' lawyer is challenging the alleged test results that reportedly prove she has dementia and aphasia ... insisting those spreading the claim are acting out of self-interest.

Joe Tacopina tells TMZ ... Wendy's leaked medical diagnosis is "false" -- and, it's "being spread by a party with a vested interest in keeping Wendy trapped under this excessive and restrictive guardianship."

He adds the leaking of the alleged diagnosis is a total violation of Wendy's rights as a human being.

The wife of former Maroon 5 bassist Mickey Madden is pulling the plug on their marriage, because she just filed for divorce ... and the filing comes on the heels of her alleging he beat the crap out of her after she says she discovered he was sexting teenagers about a rape fantasy.

Kate Bowman beelined it to court Wednesday and filed to divorce Mickey after only 3 months of marriage ... according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ.

She does not list a date of separation and is going with the usual "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split. She's seeking spousal support and checked the box to terminate the court's ability to award Mickey spousal support. They did not have any kids, so no child custody or support to hash out here.

Wendy Williams took a series of cognitive tests this week ... and, a new report states that the results back up her original diagnosis.

The former talk show host's official test results have not been released ... but, People reports Wendy was again diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia. She was first diagnosed with both diseases in 2023.

We told you about the legal filing made by Williams' court-appointed guardian, Sabrina E. Morrissey, earlier this month in which her lawyers wrote, "Medical specialists have formed an opinion concerning [Wendy's] current neurological condition and diagnosis, including whether she has the ability to make decisions."