Legal

Pete Buttigieg isn’t just laughing off Tucker Carlson’s wild claim he’s not actually gay -- he’s reveling in it ... saying his amusement comes from surviving the very raw journey of owning his truth.

On Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan, Pete got real -- saying most of his 20s were spent convinced coming out would kill his future career ... and he was in such a dark headspace, he admits he might’ve even tried conversion therapy if it meant not being gay.

Pete -- President Joe Biden's Transportation Secretary, and the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana -- said it finally clicked during his military deployment ... if he made it back home alive, he had to come out, career be damned.

Steven Crowder ain't takin' any chances after what happened to Charlie Kirk ... the conservative podcaster is putting on a bulletproof vest and bringing an army of security guards for his new college campus speaking tour.

Crowder released a 1.5-hour-long vlog showing him getting prepped Tuesday for his student debate as part of his well-known series, "Change My Mind," at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. It was his first campus debate in years after shooting to fame going from college to college promoting conservative views to students, before Kirk made that his mission.

In the vlog, Crowder is filmed putting on his body armor before addressing the crowd, while also claiming The Left is responsible for his comeback because of political violence.

Judge Mathis is weighing in on Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner's defamation lawsuit against Ray J, saying the sex tape -- and all the money they made off it -- makes it tough to sue him now.

We caught up with Judge Mathis in Wednesday in NYC, and he thinks Kim's gonna have a tough time building a case against the guy who -- as the Judge sees it -- helped her launch her career.

You gotta see the full clip ... he claims KK would be better off trying to get a gag order or a cease-and-desist -- but he doesn’t see a defamation case.

Jay Cutler's brief time behind bars has come to an end ... TMZ Sports has learned he's been released from jail.

Records we've obtained show the ex-NFL star got out of a Williamson County, Tenn. jail late Wednesday evening. He had been in custody since Monday morning.

Cutler was supposed to stay four days in the clink as part of his sentence for pleading guilty to misdemeanor DUI ... but he ultimately only spent about two and a half.

Diddy’s ex-stylist is finally speaking out after filing a lawsuit against the disgraced music mogul -- saying he feared for his life the entire time he worked for him.

In a teaser for his full "CBS Mornings" interview dropping Friday, Deonte Nash -- who worked with Diddy from 2008 to 2018 -- alleges Diddy strangled him multiple times ... and he even told others on his team he’d end up killing them.

Deonte said he always kept a "go-bag" ready ... rattling off every item of clothing and cash he had packed so when push came to shove, he'd be ready to go into hiding.

A pair of Delta Airline jets crashed on the taxiway at NYC's LaGuardia Airport Wednesday night -- but, miraculously, there was only one injury.

The planes were involved in a "low-speed collision" with the wing of one airline smashing into the cockpit windows of the second aircraft, according to Delta authorities.

Officials said the second aircraft flew in from Charlotte, North Carolina, with 57 passengers, touching down minutes before its nose slammed into the first plane about to take off to Roanoke, Virginia.

At least two people were killed outside a Manchester, UK synagogue in a vehicle ramming and stabbing attack ... carried out on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

Authorities say the Thursday morning attack has left several others injured, including three in serious condition.

Police say the suspected attacker was shot by police officers and is believed to be dead -- his condition has not been confirmed due to "suspicious items on his person."

A bomb squad was also dispatched to the scene.

Courtney Stodden went under the knife for her second nose job ... and she tells TMZ this time it was more than a cosmetic procedure.

Here's the deal ... Courtney posted a red-hot bikini thirst trap on Wednesday to highlight her surgery and ongoing recovery.

Courtney tells us ... she was not happy with her first nose job -- and she could not breathe as well as she expected afterward ... but that all changed after this operation.

Shouting out her surgeon -- Dr. Gary Motykie -- CS says she can breathe easier thanks to the breathing correction that accompanied the rhinoplasty and some facial fat grafting.

Turk of Cash Money's Hot Boys recently filed a comprehensive lawsuit after he was unceremoniously removed from the legendary label's 30th anniversary tour -- but wants the world to know he has no issues with the group -- and yes, that also means his frenemy, B.G.!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Turk on Wednesday and doubled down on his claims in the suit that he successfully completed several shows ... until promoters Dope Shows Inc. and Artists By Artists Agency LLC revealed they didn't have enough cheddar to fulfill his contract.

Once he refused their low-balling, Turk says he was kicked off permanently, no ifs ands or buts about it!!!

It looks like Megyn Kelly's gonna be skipping Super Bowl LX's halftime show ... because she just slammed the NFL's decision to pick Bad Bunny as the annual event's headliner.

The conservative commentator made her remarks on Tuesday's episode of SiriusXM's "The Megyn Kelly Show," and described the singer's presence at the event as "a middle finger to MAGA and conservatives" throughout the United States, according to The Daily Beast.

Megyn also claimed Bad Bunny -- born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio -- wouldn't tour in America because he "hates the United States so much."

FYI, the singer stated he'd be skipping out on touring throughout the U.S. over concerns for his fans' safety after ICE raids started becoming more common in a September interview with i-D.

The sentiment apparently wasn't shared by Megyn, who referred to the singer as a "very unattractive female-looking thing" after sharing videos of him performing in drag.

Oh, and she openly wondered if the example set by Bad Bunny's pick would mean Diddy was a forerunner for next year ... he's in a bit of a messy legal situation, though, so we wouldn't count on it.

Rudy Gobert's ex, Julia Bonilla, penned an emotional message to her future child on Wednesday ... saying despite their family's drama, "You are proof that even after betrayal, after storms, after pain, life can still grow in light."

Bonilla posted the note on Instagram alongside a black and white photo exposing her growing belly ... making it clear no matter where things stand between mom and dad, the baby was "wanted," "chosen," and "meant to be."

TMZ Sports broke the story back in May ... our sources said Gobert abruptly ended things with Bonilla shortly after they learned they would be welcoming a second child together, telling her to move out of their home in the process.

Geoffrey Owens has officially upgraded his hustle ... years after Trader Joe’s, he’s now been spotted working at a much-loved swanky NYC bar.

Check it out -- former "Cosby Show" star Geoffrey Owens was looking spick and span Tuesday, working the floor at Manhattan’s White Horse Tavern ... handing out menus, serving water, and even sweeping up outside to keep the corner bar looking sharp.

Clearly, all these extra details show just how hardworking Geoffrey is -- he respects and enjoys the hospitality biz, something he previously said folks didn’t quite get when they saw him manning the cashier at a New Jersey Trader Joe’s back in '18.

Paul Skenes appears to be on track to win the Cy Young AND Boyfriend of the Year honors this season ... as Livvy Dunne just revealed her MLB star BF showered her in gifts for her birthday.

The former LSU gymnast showed on her Instagram page on Wednesday that the Pittsburgh Pirates ace went all out for her 23rd ... throwing her a bash that featured balloons, cake and flowers.

There was also a sign on the wall that read "It is your birthday" -- an apparent reference to "The Office" -- and Livvy showed that some of the balloons even had real cotton candy buried inside of them.

The NFL just announced Bad Bunny will perform at the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show ... and now ICE is announcing their planned appearance -- well, according to Donald Trump’s former campaign manager.

Check out Corey Lewandowski's appearance on Benny Johnson’s "The Benny Show" -- he's confident the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will make their presence known at Super Bowl LX next year.

Corey, who worked on Trump's 2016 and 2024 presidential campaigns, even seems to offer a threatening message, warning ... "There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else."

Joshua Allen danced his way into the hearts of "So You Think You Can Dance" fans and established himself further through his work in TV and film.

But the performer's story wasn't entirely straightforward, as he spent time behind bars prior to his death at the age of 36 in 2025.

We're going to take a look into the background of the dancer and see what went down in his personal life before his death.

Joshua got his start by appearing on "So You Think You Can Dance" Season 4, and he came out on top of the other competitors -- including Stephen "tWitch" Boss, with whom he became close friends.

The dancer's work was later featured on the big screen, as he was a featured performer in the 2010 film "Step Up 3D."

Joshua ended up being brought on as a dancer and choreographer during the second season of the Oxygen show "Dance Your A** Off," which aired in 2010.

He also had a brief stint in scripted television, as he appeared on an episode of "American Horror Story" in 2011.

Joshua's story wasn't entirely clean, as he spent time in jail after he was involved in several altercations in 2016, according to Deadline.

The performer's legal troubles began that January, when he picked up a conviction for willfully injuring a girlfriend.

He reportedly attempted to strangle the same individual four months later, and he apparently chased her into a coffee shop before he got into a fight with a customer and threw a glass vase at another patron.

Joshua was later convicted of willfully injuring a girlfriend after a prior conviction and assault with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to a year in county jail, and he had to serve five years of probation and attend a year of domestic violence counseling.

Joshua died after he was struck by a train near his residence in his home state of Texas, his family told TMZ.

There's currently an ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding the professional dancer's death.

We spoke to one of Joshua's family members shortly after his death, and they stated the performer's family was requesting "privacy and prayers."

Morgan Wallen didn't fess up immediately to tossing a chair off a rooftop bar ... instead telling officers he has no idea why he was being detained in newly released body cam footage.

The new footage from his April 2024 arrest shows Wallen attempting to leave Chief's on Broadway shortly after the furniture fell several stories down to the busy sidewalk below ... but, once he reaches the street, police officers tell him not to go any further.

A man who identifies himself as Wallen's bodyguard says he didn't see the country star throw anything off the roof ... while Morgan seems content to let everyone around him talk out the incident -- and, he tries to walk off again. An officer puts his hand on Wallen's chest and tells him he's straight-up not free to leave the area.