Legal

Britney Spears has a fan in Sofia Coppola ... she recalled the pop superstar's infamous umbrella incident back in the early aughts as a "punk moment," and a symbol of women's rights.

The renowned director applauded Brit during a new chat with Elle, fondly recalling the moment a bald Britney attacked a paparazzo's car with an umbrella in 2007. She raved ... "She’s become this symbol of women’s rights. That would never happen to a man."

Sofia did not specify what "that" means, but we all know the Princess of Pop went through it in 2007 ... with a series of public outbursts leading up to her former husband, Kevin Federline, winning custody of their two sons. And she was notoriously placed under a court-ordered conservatorship in February 2008, which lasted for 13 years. As for Britney now ...

Cesar Chavez -- the late labor leader and civil rights icon who cofounded the United Farm Workers -- is under fire after accusations surfaced he abused young women and minors … with celebrations honoring him now being canceled.

The UFW released a statement Tuesday saying it learned of "deeply troubling allegations" that Chavez "behaved in ways that are incompatible with our organization's values."

While some of the reports involve family issues ... the org says the "far more troubling" allegations involve abuse of young women and minors. Though UFW says it doesn't have firsthand knowledge of the allegations, it says they're serious enough that the org is taking "urgent steps" to learn more and help potential victims.

Chris O'Neal -- who played Kevin Reed in Nickelodeon's "How to Rock" -- was arrested Monday ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... deputies responded to a burglary call in Malibu at 5:45 AM. We're told the caller stated they viewed security camera footage and saw three adults inside the home.

According to our sources, officers were told the suspects entered through the rear, manipulating the cameras so that the caller couldn't see what happened afterward.

Dwight Howard's wife Amber Howard claims he pulled the rug out from under her ... allegedly canceling a TV show the couple was set to star in -- which she says would've scored her a massive payday.

In new body cam footage -- obtained by TMZ -- Amber vents to responding officers about the troubles in her relationship with the former NBA star. Moments earlier, she had called police claiming Dwight locked her out of their home following an argument ... while Dwight told officers she's gone "berserk."

Amber tells cops she has become financially dependent on Dwight after she says he told her he didn't want her appearing on the reality show she was on for four years -- presumably "Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta" -- and she claims he uses her financial dependence on him as leverage in their relationship ... but that's not all.

Afroman's day in court has finally come ... the rapper took the stand in his lawsuit filed against him by the Adams County Sheriff's deputies who raided his Ohio home back in 2022.

In the lawsuit, the deputies claimed Afroman used their likenesses -- which were apparently captured on his home security cameras -- without their permission in the songs and merch he's made about the raid.

But in a new trial video posted by WCPO-TV, the "Because I Got High" singer insists he was just exercising his "right of freedom of speech as an American."

In fact, he turned it back around on the deputies, saying on the stand ... "all of this is their fault."

The artist continued, testifying ... "If they hadn't wrongly raided my house, there would be no lawsuit. I would not know their names, they wouldn't be on my home surveillance system, and there would be no songs ... my money would still be intact."

In his testimony, Afroman said the deputies tore down his door and didn't pay for it. He also claims they still owe him money they seized in the search.

Here's where the deputies say they're having a problem ... after the raid went down, Afroman made the song "Lemon Pound Cake" about the ordeal and included his security footage in the music video.

Then there's his track "Will You Help Me Repair My Door" ... which consists entirely of various shots of the raid, as well as an alleged photo of the search warrant that seems to show it was issued for drug trafficking and kidnapping.

In court, Afroman stood by his use of the videos, testifying ... "I had to do what I had to do to repair the damage they brought to my house."

The rapper has posted several other music videos on YouTube, name-dropping the deputies he says were involved in his raid ... and it seems he's been continuing to post these kinds of videos as recently as yesterday.

Gunna got duped into performing at an X Games concert by shady concert promoters who lured him to Colorado with promises of a huge payday that never came ... this according to a new lawsuit.

In the suit, obtained by TMZ, Gunna's touring company claims it agreed to have the rapper perform at an X Games event in Aspen back in January ... and signed a contract guaranteeing him $500,000 the night of the gig.

The company claims the agreement called for an additional $250,000 payment if he didn't get the $500K by the first deadline ... but it claims Gunna hasn't seen a dime and has been getting the runaround ... despite the fact Gunna did his part and performed at the X Games event. And there are even more concerns about the promoters ...

Dwight Howard’s ex-girlfriend Tiffany Render rushed to court days after the former NBA star's estranged wife made shocking allegations against him ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Tiffany asked a Georgia judge to grant her temporary custody of their minor daughter, Layla. Us Weekly was the first to report the news.

Dwight was awarded primary custody of 15-year-old Layla in 2024 after a bitter back-and-forth in court.

"Love Island USA" star Huda Mustafa is firing back to a recent restraining order her boyfriend's baby mom filed against her.

The reality star posted on her Instagram story a picture of a punching bag, along with the text ... "I'm aware of what's being said and it's not true. I'm handling everything the right way by letting legal take care of it. I appreciate everyone who continues to support me."

As we reported ... Nicole Olivera -- the mother of Louis Russell's child -- claims Huda showed up at her L.A. apartment and forced her way into the building last month

Dwight Howard and his wife Amber Howard’s messy home life is now on public display ... with new police body cam footage showing the two trading jabs during a tense encounter at their Georgia mansion.

The new footage -- obtained by TMZ -- was recorded March 6 and shows Amber waiting outside the front gate of the Howards' estate, complaining that Dwight locked her out after getting upset ... something she says he does frequently.

Amber tells officers it's actually the fourth time cops have been called to the house in the past year. BTW, this footage is connected to 911 call audio we obtained last week ... in which Amber told dispatch he kicked her out of their home.

Amber says CPS took Dwight's daughter -- from a previous relationship -- away from him the night before, adding Dwight was angry with her for not defending him during that situation. FWIW ... Dwight’s rep tells us CPS never took the child and didn’t even visit the home.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's time in Hollywood has been anything but a fairytale ... their partnership with Netflix seems to be going so poorly that co-CEO Ted Sarandos reportedly won't even talk to Meghan on the phone without a lawyer.

Variety reports two sources say Ted insists on having legal representation present if he were to jump on a call with Meghan ... although, both a Netflix spokesperson and a Sussex attorney have denied this claim.

Lawyer Michael J. Kump told Variety ... "This is blatantly false. In fact, Meghan texts and speaks with Mr. Sarandos regularly, and has been to his home, sans lawyers."

"Love Island USA" contestant Cashel Barnett got a year behind bars in Utah for getting sexually violent with his ex-girlfriend in front of their kid ... but she says the sentence feels like an "injustice."

The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office tells TMZ … Cashel has been sentenced to one year in jail with credit for time served, after pleading guilty to one count of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse, one count of third-degree felony aggravated assault, and one count of third-degree felony domestic violence in the presence of a child. He began serving his stint in county jail on January 12.

After he completes his time behind bars, we're told Cashel will be put on probation ... and there's a protective order in place that bars him from going near his ex or their child.

Mustard is on a roll! The famous DJ and music producer just scored a big win against his ex-wife, Chanel Thierry, in their nasty custody battle ... TMZ has learned.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ, Mustard -- legal name Dijon McFarlane -- will be able to make final educational decisions for their 3 children until August 2026, after he complained in papers that Chanel was making disparaging comments about him online.

In the papers, the judge determined that at least some of Chanel's recent social media posts were in direct violation of a previous order to refrain from speaking in a "negative, disrespectful, or derogatory manner to or about the other parent in a child's presence or within hearing distance of the child." As a result ... Mustard has now been awarded tie-breaking authority over educational decisions concerning their kids -- Kiylan, Kauner and Kody.

TMZ Sports has learned that Dillon Brooks had a run-in with law enforcement not long before his DUI arrest earlier this month -- the Phoenix Suns player was cited for reckless driving and exceeding the speed limit.

According to an incident report, an officer claims he spotted Brooks traveling 85 miles per hour in a 45 zone shortly after midnight on January 12 ... hours after the Suns beat the Washington Wizards. In his report, the officer wrote that he grew "concerned about the extreme risk of a catastrophic collision or the vehicle striking a pedestrian."

"Several businesses in the area were open and operating," the report stated. "A collision at such speeds could have resulted in multiple fatalities or serious physical injuries."

Sarah Michelle Gellar was knocked down, but not out, after the 'Buffy' reboot got shelved ... and she was spotted looking amazing on her way to dinner in New York yesterday.

The Emmy-winning actress dressed warmly for the night at popular hotspot The Polo Bar ... seen with security right after revealing why she believes fans won't be getting a 'Buffy' reboot anytime soon.

Earlier in the day, People published an interview where Sarah called out a Hulu executive "who was not only not a fan of the original, but was proud to constantly remind us that he had never seen the entirety of the series and how it wasn't for him."

'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' star Jessi Ngatikaura is weighing in on the ongoing drama surrounding Taylor Frankie Paul ... shutting down one floating theory about tension on set.

As you know ... production for the reality show has been shut down after an alleged domestic violence incident involving Taylor and her baby daddy, Dakota Mortensen -- both have been ordered to undergo psychological evaluations.

The situation has social media buzzing ... with fans and commentators floating their own theories about what’s really going on behind the scenes.

Candiace Dillard Bassett’s got Wendy Osefo on her mind ... and she’s sending prayers as her 'Real Housewives of Potomac' costar stares down a serious legal mess with husband Eddie.

We caught Candiace in NYC Monday, and she kept it classy, saying she’s hoping for the best as Wendy and Eddie deal with the fallout.

Watch the clip -- Candace makes it clear she’s worried, especially for their kids, and just wants the family to come out okay on the other side.