Legal

Fans applauded Luigi Mangione's lawyers Karen Friedman Agnifilo and Marc Agnifilo as they left court Tuesday morning after a judge threw out 2 state murder charges related to acts of terrorism.

We caught them exiting the New York City courtroom ... they remained nearly tight-lipped about Luigi, though Marc let us know he's feeling "positive" as Sean "Diddy" Combs' sentencing quickly approaches. Remember -- his federal sentencing for his conviction on 2 counts of transportation to engage in prostitution is scheduled for October 3.

Marc was a bit chattier than his better half ... letting TMZ know today's hearing with Luigi is a "big win" and "the first of many."

Luigi Mangione scored a legal victory Tuesday ... 2 New York state charges against him have been dismissed.

The judge tossed out murder in the first degree in furtherance of an act of terrorism and murder in the second degree as a crime of terrorism. In his ruling, the judge cited precedent saying, "The [terrorism] statute cannot be interpreted so broadly so as to cover individuals or groups who are not normally viewed as 'terrorists.'"

The judge went on to distinguish Mangione's case from other cases involving terrorism ... "The defendant's targeted killing of one individual -- although abhorrent and despicable -- is not comparable."

Damon Dash is back on his own accord and he's looking the part in a fresh-tailored suit, new outlook on business and BRAND NEW TEETH!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Dame in NYC leaving "The Breakfast Club" in full-blown "Dapper Dan" mode ... he let us in on his plans to develop a TV show to help teach urban youth financial literacy.

The veteran music mogul was backed by his longtime afficionado and Harlem-bred OG, Daniel Dnieko, and they had quite a few choice words for the haters who counted them out ... including Josh Webber.

President Donald Trump has sued The New York Times for $15 billion ... alleging they defamed him while serving as "a full-throated mouthpiece of the Democrat Party" during the 2024 election.

The suit, obtained by TMZ, was filed in Florida on Monday and also claims "industrial-scale" libel, slamming the NYT as a "leading, and unapologetic, purveyor of falsehoods against President Trump on the legacy media landscape."

Trump names several articles -- including the Times' "deranged endorsement of Kamala Harris" -- plus a book written by two of the publication’s journalists, "Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success" -- ahead of the election as supporting evidence for the revered company "engaging in election interference."

Aaron Phypers says Denise Richards is lying about him being a domestic abuser as a way to stop him from getting spousal support.

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Aaron responds to Denise's request for a domestic violence restraining order and says, "I believe this entire domestic violence proceeding is merely a ruse to try to cut me off from being able to obtain spousal support."

Aaron filed for divorce in July and requested spousal support ... and Denise later accused him of domestic abuse, which he's repeatedly denied.

Maurene Comey, the lead prosecutor in the Diddy federal criminal case, is suing the U.S. government -- and specifically President Donald Trump -- to reclaim her position after getting fired by 47's Department of Justice, according to court documents.

Comey claims in the docs she wants her job back because she was canned unlawfully and her firing was a violation of the U.S. Constitution's separation of powers.

In the docs, Comey lists a bunch of high-profile defendants she's suing, including The Office of the President, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the DOJ.

Marcus Jordan -- Michael Jordan's son -- has entered into an agreement with prosecutors to close out his DUI case ... and part of the deal includes a stipulation where he must write an apology letter to one of the cops he berated during his arrest.

Court documents TMZ Sports has obtained show on Sept. 12, Marcus signed a pretrial intervention contract in Orange County, Fla. with the goal of having his criminal charges dismissed.

According to the docs, Marcus must meet multiple conditions over the next 12 months ... and if he does, prosecutors have agreed to enter a nolle prosequi on the three charges -- possession of ketamine, resisting officer without violence and DUI -- they hit him with stemming from his now-infamous February run-in with police.

One of the most prominent women's organizations in the country is demanding the NFL suspend Tyreek Hill ... as Roger Goodell's league investigates the latest domestic violence allegations against the Dolphins superstar.

National Organization for Women president Kim Villanueva told TMZ Sports this week she's livid that despite Keeta Vaccaro's claims against Hill, the Miami wide receiver will still be allowed to suit up against the New England Patriots later Sunday.

"Tyreek Hill should not be playing while these charges are being investigated," Villanueva said. "The NFL itself proudly proclaims that forty-seven percent of the NFL audience is women, and women are watching to see where the league stands today."

Tyler Robinson -- the 22-year-old suspected of killing Charlie Kirk -- is currently being evaluated by jailhouse staff in a Special Housing Unit ... TMZ has learned.

Utah County Sheriff's Spokesperson Sergeant Raymond Ormond tells TMZ ... tells us Tyler's in the SHU under "Special Watch" while they work to determine if he's a danger to himself or others -- with mental health pros evaluating whether or not he's suicidal.

We don't know if he's made any comments which could indicate he's considering suicide in jail ... though law enforcement sources told us earlier Friday that Tyler allegedly indicated to his father he'd rather die by suicide than turn himself in to police.

Ellen DeGeneres may no longer live in California, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have some legal issues in the Golden State ... the comedian is facing a new lawsuit involving an alleged car crash in her former town.

In new court documents obtained by TMZ ... a driver claims Ellen ran a stop sign and hit another female driver in a vehicle dust-up that took place in October 2023.

Per the lawsuit, the woman was driving her Tesla in Santa Barbara County when she approached an intersection with stop signs posted in all directions. She says she stopped at her stop sign, and even made sure to check for oncoming traffic.

The shooting of Charlie Kirk on the Utah Valley University campus in September 2025 sparked a wide range of reactions across the country ... including an intense manhunt for the political commentator's killer.

The media figure's fans didn't have to wait long before authorities arrested Tyler Robinson, who's been accused of firing the single rifle shot that took Kirk's life.

We're going to look into the personal background of the accused murderer and see what led up to the harrowing events of September 10th.

Robinson's originally from Washington County, Utah ... located roughly 260 miles from the site of the shooting.

The murder suspect reportedly performed well during his high school years, and his mother made a post on her Facebook page to announce he'd earned a 4.0 GPA and scored highly on his ACT.

He received a scholarship to attend Utah State University, although he only went there for one semester.

Robinson, who was raised with two younger brothers, had no criminal record prior to the alleged shooting.

Robinson was unaffiliated with a political party, and while he was registered to vote at the time of the shooting, voting records listed him as "inactive," meaning he hadn't cast a ballot in the last two general elections.

His parents, however, were both registered as Republicans, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Robinson's family recently told investigators he had become increasingly interested in politics prior to the shooting, and the murder suspect described Kirk as being "full of hate."

He allegedly left inscriptions on several bullet casings, one of which included a reference to the song "Bella Ciao," which was dedicated to Italian resistance against Nazi fascists during World War II.

Robinson was taken into custody on the evening of September 11, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.

The murder suspect allegedly confessed his role in the shooting to his father, who urged his son to turn himself in. Robinson initially refused -- saying he'd rather commit suicide -- but later changed his mind. His father then contacted a youth pastor for assistance, and the pastor called authorities.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox went on to thank the individuals "who did the right thing" at a press conference regarding the murder suspect's arrest.

Kelley Wolf’s in hot water again … this time, authorities say she broke a protective order by reaching out to Scott Wolf and her son.

According to new legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Scott got a temporary protective order back on August 28 … barring Kelley from any direct or indirect contact with him or their three kids.

But just two days later -- after a judge signed off -- Kelley allegedly violated the order by reaching out to Scott with a friend’s phone … and is accused of even trying to contact her 12-year-old son through a friend’s kid.

3:33 PM PT -- An attorney for Devyn LaBella tells TMZ ... "It's disturbing to see the defendants continue to 'mansplain' to Devyn what her own experience was on set. She has sworn under oath to the truth and has produced contemporaneous proof to back it up. Ms. LaBella's claims have never wavered or changed since the day she first reported this terrible incident to production in May 2023, right after it occurred."

Kevin Costner's lawyers want the lawsuit alleging he made a stuntwoman participate in an unscripted rape scene dismissed ... because he says the stuntwoman suing him has changed her story ... essentially admitting she lied in the original complaint.

The actor's lawyers filed more legal docs in the case ... and, now they're pointing out Devyn LaBella -- a stuntwoman on "Horizon 2" -- previously claimed she was thrust into the movie's rape sequence without any discussion beforehand.

However, they point out she now admits another individual -- stunt coordinator Wade Allen -- "met with her in advance and explained the shot to her in advance."

Taylor Swift would very much like to be excluded from this narrative ... she's making it clear she has "no role" in the Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni legal battle.

In a letter obtained by TMZ and addressed to the judge overseeing the case ... attorneys for the Grammy winner clarify that Swift has NOT agreed to give a deposition in the "It Ends With Us" lawsuit saga.

Instead, her camp agreed to provide her availability ... only in the case she's forced to give testimony.

11:00 AM PT -- Utah County attorney Jeff Gray plans to file charges on Tuesday September 16, 2025. The first court appearance for Tyler Robinson will be 3:00 PM MDT the same day.

Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old suspect in the fatal Charlie Kirk shooting, has been arrested and booked for aggravated murder and weapons charges ... according to the probable cause affidavit.

Robinson has been booked on aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and obstruction of justice. These are all state charges.

As mentioned by officials multiple times the past 2 days, the death penalty is an option in the state of Utah.

Akon's wife has apparently had enough -- she just filed for divorce!!!

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Tomeka Thiam, who says she married the rapper/musician back on September 15, 1996, is pulling the plug on their marriage -- citing the usual irreconcilable differences.

Akon has been cryptic on how many "wives" he's had in the past, but Tomeka says she shares a 17-year-old child with Akon.