Legal

All eyes were on Stefon Diggs today, as he took the field for the first time since his personal chef claimed he choked and slapped her over a salary dispute.

While the Patriots already clinched a playoff berth and their division going into Sunday, they still have something to play for. A win against the Dolphins could secure them the number one seed in the AFC, which is still up for grabs.

As we reported ... the bombshell allegations against Stefon were laid out in an incident report which was released last week.

According to the narrative, the female employee first went to police on Dec. 16 and stated she was working as a private chef on Dec. 2 when Diggs entered her unlocked bedroom to discuss an ongoing text exchange between the two over money she believed she was owed.

Tommy Lee Jones' daughter Victoria had a plea deal that demanded sobriety waiting to be signed ahead of her sudden death ... TMZ has learned.

As you know, she was found deceased at Fairmont San Francisco early Thursday morning, with the dispatch audio indicating it may be related to an overdose. We also told you she had multiple run-ins with the law over the years ... with a recent drug-related arrest in April.

And, according to court docs obtained by TMZ ... Victoria was offered a plea deal following the April incident, during which she was found to be in unlawful possession of cocaine -- and resisted arrest. The plea deal Napa County had offered would require her to plead guilty to resisting/obstructing arrest and possessing a controlled substance ... but would free her of the charge against her of being under the influence of a controlled substance. In return, she'd have to refrain from using drugs and submit to random testing.

"Uncut Gems" might just be a movie, but it looks like it nailed the volatile nature of the jewelry industry in New York ... because a couple of well-known jewelers got into a massive brawl Friday.

Here's the deal ... a jeweler named Maksud Agadjani, who owns TraxNYC -- and boasts more than 3 million Instagram followers -- confronted George and Freddy Akay of Akay Diamonds. He accused them of using his name to rip people off.

In the clip he posted, he goes crazy at the Akay booth ... screaming in a man's face and calling him a thief while shouting curses and other NSFW words at him.

10:30 AM PST --  President Donald Trump said Venezuela VP Delcy Rodríguez has been sworn in as the president of Venezuela -- when asked about her, Trump said, "She’s, I guess, the president" and said she was "picked by Maduro."

He claimed she will work with the U.S., adding ... "She had a long conversation with Marco [Rubio] and said we’ll do what you need. She had no choice."

She previously denounced America's military involvement and Maduro’s capture.

9:16 AM PST --  President Donald Trump has announced that he plans to "run" the country of Venezuela “until such time that we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” in a press briefing Saturday morning. His announcement comes after the U.S. military captured the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, who are being transported to America on drug and weapons charges.

Trump did not offer how the United States would oversee Venezuela but noted he has his eyes set on Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. He suggested American oil companies can rebuild the country’s energy infrastructure and consequently regaining rights to the oil there, adding ... "It’s going to make a lot of money."

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted on drug and weapons charges following their overnight capture by the United States military.

As you know, President Donald Trump said Saturday the pair was taken by U.S. troops and is currently on a warship en route to New York to face charges, which can carry a hefty prison sentence if found guilty.

The commander-in-chief also shared a photo of him in custody on the USS Iwo Jima looking quite comfy in a matching sweatsuit and a bottle of water in his hand.

In the indictment unsealed Saturday, Maduro and his co-conspirators have been charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machineguns and destructive devices and conspiracy to possess machineguns and destructive devices.

A Florida man has been accused of committing a robbery ... while wearing almost nothing  but his birthday suit.

Officers from the Lake City Police Department responded to reports about a robbery at a meat market Tuesday evening ... according to the arrest affidavit obtained by TMZ.

Authorities said Kobe Latrey Watkins walked into the meat market in the nude -- save for a covering on his face. He was also holding something wrapped in a cloth, which the store's employees believed was a weapon.

Watkins reportedly broke into the store's cash box and stole $1,000 before he took off. No one in the store was hurt during the incident.

Fivio Foreign didn't enjoy most of 2025 due to being in jail for the bulk of the year ... but the NYC rap star is ensuring that his 2026 will be sweeter -- by checking into rehab!!!

Wednesday, the "Big Drip" rapper made an Instagram PSA for his fans, introducing a woman he labeled his "wife" and their infant son to the picture ... while crediting them, his team and even his probation officer for pushing him to seek professional help.

We broke the story back in March after we discovered that Fivio had been locked up shortly after a New Year's Eve incident where he pulled a gun on a woman.

President Donald Trump told Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Mesa County District Attorney Dan Rubinstein to "rot in hell" in an incendiary message posted on Truth Social Wednesday.

Trump began his message with sympathy for Tina Peters, who was sentenced to nine years in prison last year after she was convicted of election interference on multiple charges following a security breach of Mesa County election equipment after the 2020 presidential election.

Peters let an unauthorized individual gain access to a secure system to help support false claims about the election being stolen, Newsweek reports.

Trump wrote Peters was "trying to stop the massive voter fraud that goes on in her State" and added it'd be difficult to wish her a happy new year.

He described Polis as a "scumbag" and called Rubinstein "disgusting" and a "RINO" -- abbreviating "Republican In Name Only."

Trump concluded his message by wishing Polis and Rubinstein "only the worst" and called for Peters' release.

Rubinstein told The Hill Trump didn't have facts or law on his side and was simply "pounding the table."

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel faced the media on Wednesday to address the recent allegations made against Stefon Diggs and Christian Barmore ... saying the team won't jump to any conclusions as the legal process plays out.

Vrabel spoke about his two players' current situations minutes ago ... and when he was asked how "disappointing" it was to deal with those distractions ahead of a matchup with the Miami Dolphins, he said that wasn't the case.

"I would say not disappointing at all," Vrabel said. "I think that these are allegations ... it's things that we have to handle and every day that there's distractions. Some are smaller than others. Confident that we'll focus on the Dolphins and those two individuals that you mentioned will be able to handle the ongoing legal process."

Three hikers have been found dead on Mount Baldy -- a mountain located about 50 miles east of Los Angeles -- after a winter storm covered much of the area with snow.

A search and rescue team responded to a call to locate an injured hiker Monday, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Dept.

The hiker apparently fell roughly 500 feet while hiking near the popular Devil's Backbone trail, which summits at more than 10,000 feet above sea level. A friend who was traveling with him was able to make it to an area with cell reception, called authorities and provided GPS coordinates.

An air search was launched, and the hiker was found along with two companions nearby ... but strong winds prevented the helicopter crew from completing the rescue.

An air medic was able to make it to the site Monday evening -- all three were dead. Severe winds delayed the recovery of their bodies, which were eventually retrieved Tuesday afternoon.

The hiker was identified as a 19-year-old from Seal Beach, a city about 60 miles southwest of Mount Baldy.

Days after the car crash that injured Anthony Joshua and killed two of his trainers ... the man behind the wheel has reportedly been discharged from the hospital -- and could face criminal charges for his role in the accident.

A police spokesperson told The Guardian Nigeria the driver, who was hired for the trip, has been speaking with officials to share his side of the story.

The outlet stated that he could be hit with reckless driving charges as a result of Monday's incident. The driver of the truck that Joshua's SUV smashed into fled the scene immediately after the crash ... and is now being hunted down by officials.

Mickey Rourke might have one less place to call home sweet home in the near future ... because he's looking at being evicted from his residence over unpaid rent.

The actor received a 3-day notice to either pay up or get out of a rented property in Los Angeles on December 18 ... but he ended up failing to comply, according to court documents.

And here's the kicker ... Mickey was apparently behind $59,100 in owed rent when the docs were filed. The homeowner's looking to be compensated for attorney fees and damages.

Although Mickey's monthly rent on the 3-bedroom home was initially set at $5,200 ... it later increased to $7,000 during his second month in the place.

The 3-day notice was posted on the property and mailed to Mickey because a "person of suitable age or discretion" wasn't found at the residence.

The house has a bit of history to it, too -- renowned crime novelist Raymond Chandler briefly lived at the property in the mid-1940s, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Authorities in Texas discovered a body on Tuesday during their ongoing search for 19-year-old Camila Mendoza Olmos, who disappeared after leaving her home on Christmas Eve, police said.

Bexar County Sheriff deputies and FBI agents were scouring a field near Olmos' house Tuesday afternoon when they stumbled upon the corpse, according to Sheriff Javier Salazar.

Salazar said the Medical Examiner will identify the remains over the next couple days and determine a cause of death.

Stefon Diggs' former personal chef claims the Patriots star slapped her and tried to choke her out over a salary dispute ... with the bombshell allegations being laid out in a newly released incident report.

According to the narrative, the female employee first went to police on Dec. 16 and stated she was working as a private chef on Dec. 2 when Diggs entered her unlocked bedroom to discuss an ongoing text exchange between the two over money she believed she was owed.

The woman claims during the conversation, Diggs became angry and smacked her across the face. She said she attempted to push him away, but he then "tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck."

She claims Diggs was behind her with his arm wrapped around her ... and she felt like she had trouble breathing and "could have blacked out" -- when she tried to pry herself away, she claims Diggs tightened his grip.

9:48 AM PT -- Attorney David Meier released a statement on the Diggs allegations ... saying they "are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never investigated -- because they did not occur."

"The timing and motivation for making the allegations is crystal clear: they are the direct result of an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee's satisfaction."

"Stefon looks forward to establishing the truth in a court of law."

New England Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs has a lot more than the playoffs to worry about -- the NFL star is facing strangulation and assault charges in connection to an alleged incident earlier this month ... but he is denying any wrongdoing.

Diggs has been charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery stemming from an altercation in Dedham, Massachusetts on Dec. 2.

The Patriots beat the New York Giants on "Monday Night Football" a day prior on Dec. 1. Diggs had three catches for 26 yards in the 33-15 win.

Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton must really be feeling the baby love right now ... because they just welcomed a second child!

The "Loki" star confirmed the news in a recent interview with GQ and described welcoming a child as the "most beautiful, profound, earth-shattering, life-altering" experience he's ever been through.

Even though he was pretty open about how crazy welcoming a kid is, he didn't reveal his new baby's name or gender ... hey, some things just have to stay private!

FYI ... Tom and Zawe met in 2019 while starring in the same play, and they made their red carpet debut as a couple two years later at the 2021 Tony Awards ceremony. The happy couple's engagement was confirmed the following year, according to People.

Zawe revealed she was planning on starting a family with Tom when she showed off her baby bump in 2022, and she gave birth the same year ... but she kept the kid's arrival private, reports Us Weekly, and neither Zawe nor Tom have shared any info about their first child either.

Zawe confirmed she was pregnant for the second time during an interview with Vogue back in June, and she revealed the baby arrived last month in an Instagram post discussing working through "postpartum recovery."

Richard Smallwood, a singer whose work in the gospel genre brought him several Grammy nominations throughout his life, has died.

The performer died at a nursing center in Sandy Spring, Maryland, on Tuesday. His publicist announced the singer died after suffering complications from kidney failure, The Washington Post reports.

Smallwood was born in Atlanta, and he moved to Washington, D.C. when he was just 10 years old. He founded his first gospel group the following year, and he studied under singer Roberta Flack at Browne Junior High.

He later studied music at Howard University, where he obtained a master's degree in musicology and piano. He founded the Richard Smallwood Singers in the late 1970s; they received a Grammy nomination for their work on their 1984 album "Psalms."

Smallwood went on to receive seven more Grammy nominations throughout his life, and his most recent nomination was issued in 2012, when he was up for the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song.

The performer's songs were covered by numerous artists, including Destiny's Child, Stevie Wonder, and Whitney Houston, who recorded his anthem "I Love the Lord" for the soundtrack of the 1996 film "The Preacher's Wife."

Smallwood never married or had children. He's survived by two brothers and three foster sisters.

He was 77 years old.