Legal

Longtime Bachelor Nation authority Reality Steve is weighing in on 'Bachelorette' Taylor Frankie Paul's ongoing drama, giving a blunt take ... stay off TV!

We had Reality Steve on "TMZ Live" Thursday as developments were breaking ... and in his opinion, "She needs to not be in front of cameras for a while ... She needs help. I don't think she needs more cameras in her face."

Well, that's happening, Steve! "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" has already halted filming on Season 5 amid fallout from Taylor's legal issues with baby daddy Dakota Mortensen. And this season's 'Bachelorette' has now officially been canceled.

Over the years, we've seen a variety of Mystikal's mug shots, but one flew under the radar ... and now we've got our hands on it, and we think it's a perfect time to trot it out after the rapper recently pleaded guilty to rape.

Check out this never-before-seen 2010 photo of Mystikal -- real name Michael Tyler -- snapped by the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana. In the pic, Mystikal looks clean-shaven and baby-faced ... unlike his gritty appearance these days.

A rep for the sheriff's office tells us ... Mystikal was convicted of sexual battery of the infirm in June 2003 and incarcerated for several years until his release from prison in January 2010. After leaving prison, Mystikal registered as a lifetime sex offender, but his current status is "inactive" since he's once again incarcerated and not a danger to the community, the rep says.

Joseph Duggar -- who was arrested Wednesday for allegedly sexually abusing an underage girl -- once spoke out against his famous older brother Josh Duggar over accusations of child molestation more than a decade ago.

Back in 2015 ... Joseph weighed in on Josh's misconduct after Josh was accused of inappropriately touching five girls, including his own sisters, Jill and Jessa. Both brothers, of course, starred on TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting.”

Joseph commented on the scandal in a clip for TLC's spinoff "Jill & Jessa: Counting On" ... saying, "Whenever somebody you respect the most is willing to get up and proclaim what we believe as Christians, about being true to your wife, you'd never think that that's the person who's involved in it."

Kevin Spacey has reportedly reached a settlement with three men who filed civil sexual assault cases against him in London in 2023.

The Oscar winner avoided trial by coming to an undisclosed agreement with the three men, according to multiple reports, who accused Spacey of sexually assaulting them between 2000 and 2013, in Britain.

As you know ... Spacey has always denied any wrongdoing and a London court cleared him of nine sexual assault charges during a 2023 criminal trial. This followed a 2020 civil suit brought by former child actor Anthony Rapp which ended in Spacey being found not liable. But even with the courts deciding in Spacey's favor, his legal woes have taken their toll ...

Joseph Duggar from "19 Kids and Counting" has been arrested and charged in Florida with lewd and lascivious behavior, involving unlawful sexual activity with a minor ... TMZ has learned.

According to a press release from the Bay County Sheriff's Office, a 14-year-old alleged victim was interviewed and made claims about several incidents involving the 31-year-old Duggar that she said occurred during a family vacation in Panama City Beach, when she was 9 years old.

The Sheriff's Office says the alleged incidents took place in 2020 and the alleged victim said Duggar repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap, before later asking her to sit next to him on a couch, covering them with a blanket.

More legal issues for "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Kelli Ferrell's ex-husband ... he's been arrested on a theft charge ... and it's a felony.

Kelli's ex, Mark Ferrell, was arrested Tuesday and taken into custody in Georgia on a felony charge of theft by taking ... according to online records.

It looks like the alleged incident happened back in November … but we are still working on the details.

For the first time since being arraigned on a second-degree attempted murder charge ... TMZ Sports has learned that Antonio Brown is set to leave the state of Florida ... with the former NFL star heading out west to California.

According to court documents, AB's lawyer -- Mark Eiglarsh -- filed the motion on Tuesday. It asks the court to allow Brown to travel to Southern California "for a medical examination."

"Since his release, he has been fully compliant and has adhered to all terms and
conditions imposed by the Court," Eiglarsh said in the request.

'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ star Taylor Frankie Paul told a counselor she didn't recall much after drinking vodka during her alleged 2023 attack on her ex, Dakota Mortensen, and that counselor determined she was a "problem drinker" ... at least temporarily.

TMZ obtained a 2023 substance abuse and mental health assessment filed as part of Taylor’s criminal case. The counselor who interviewed the reality TV star said Taylor showed up on time and was “smiling and friendly.” The report said Taylor was willing to share information “about the event that brought her in for the assessment.”

Taylor denied having any past or present drug use or prescription drug abuse. The counselor noted, however, that Taylor’s score on an alcohol screening test indicated she was an “intermediate problem drinker.”

3:36PM PT -- A source close to Nicole tells us … Louis also agreed not to allow Huda to meet their son and that Nicole knew Huda was unstable and insecure from the very beginning.

We’re told Louis was living with Nicole and their son, and when she asked him not to allow someone who he just met to track their son’s whereabouts, Huda "went crazy on him." According to our source, after everything happened in February, Louis told Nicole she was right the whole time, down to her asking him not to let Huda know where his and Nicole’s lives.

Our source tells us Louis stayed with Nicole for the whole week after this incident. We’re told Nicole made sure Huda never met their son and that Louis encouraged Nicole to file the restraining order and sent Nicole texts between Huda and him.

Louis Russell was on "Too Hot to Handle," not "The Ultimatum" ... but he says his ex gave him one concerning their kid -- break up with Huda, or you can't see your son!

In court documents, obtained by TMZ, Louis claims his ex-girlfriend, Nicole Olivera, has "unreasonably" cut off all contact between him and their son, Luka ... despite Louis saying he agreed not to have his girlfriend Huda Mustafa with him during their visits.

According to the papers, Louis alleges Nicole is using Luka "as a bargaining chip" and has threatened to move out of state. He expands further ...

Bravo is firing back at former 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star Brit Eady’s $20 million battle over alleged sexual harassment, TMZ has learned.

The network called Brit’s complaint "an attempt to rewrite history -- and her own contractual commitments, because she no longer likes the consequences of joining a popular and long-running reality series well known to feature authentic, unscripted dialogue, conflict, drama, and confrontation, along with many other dynamics of a group of women.”

Bravo said Brit was not misled, and “she certainly was not victimized by” them. As we previously reported ...

Rebel Wilson says she's dealing with multiple lawsuits ... and now she's firing back at the man she says is funding them.

Rebel went OFF in a series of posts on her Instagram Stories, slamming billionaire Sir Len Blavatnik, alleging he neglected to help her when she called out what she deemed to be bad behavior on set.

Remember ... Gregor Cameron, Vince Holden, and Amanda Ghost -- producers on Rebel's directorial debut "The Deb" -- filed a defamation lawsuit against Rebel after she claimed they embezzled $900,000 from the film's budget and said Ghost sexually harassed the film's lead actress, Charlotte MacInnes. Sources close to Ghost adamantly deny these claims.

Rick Ross respects hustle ... but he's saying Remy Ma has gone too far! The Biggest Boss is going after Remy and her network for a movie that he says rips off his nickname and music.

ICYMI ... Remy is planning to release a film called "The Biggest Boss" on her platform, The Remy Network. Now -- according to a letter sent by Ross's attorneys and obtained by TMZ -- Rick is claiming the project features the unauthorized use of his music and trade name and demanding they halt the project from going forward.

Not only that ... Ross says it's confusing fans into thinking he has something to do with the movie, citing comments on social media.

Emotions have been running high in the civil trial brought by the Ohio sheriff's deputies who raided Afroman's home back in 2022.

On Monday, sheriff's deputy Lisa Phillips broke down in tears while being shown a music video Afroman made titled "Licc'em Low Lisa" ... that appears to feature an actor portraying the officer simulating oral sex on another woman.

In courtroom footage, Lisa is seen visibly crying while the 13-minute video played. Afroman's lawyer had objected to playing the video, but the judge ultimately allowed it.

The court also played Afroman's 2022 music video "Why You Disconnecting My Video Camera," where he raps "Lieutenant Licc'em Low Lisa ate my ex-wife just like pizza" as home security footage seems to show Lisa walking through his house during the raid.

Jesse James' wife Bonnie Rotten received what she may view as a rotten bunch of bail conditions that'll keep her under tight restrictions, requiring her not to threaten or attack her husband -- according to new court documents.

TMZ obtained the docs from Hays County Court in Texas, and they lay out the conditions while Bonnie is out of custody on $3,000 bond ... which she must fully comply with if she wants to stay out of the clink.

In the docs, Jesse is listed as a "protected individual" -- and Bonnie is expressly prohibited from committing any "family violence, indecent assault or abuse, stalking or trafficking against [him]." There's more.

Neo had nothing to hide when he appeared before the L.A. County grand jury, which is hearing evidence on the death of Celeste Rivas ... we've learned he never pled the 5th.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Neo answered all the questions posed by L.A. County D.A. Beth Silverman, who is presenting evidence to the grand jury.

TBH ... it seemed to us he took the 5th, because he only appeared for 40 minutes. And remember, Silverman had him arrested in Montana and hauled back to L.A. because he had failed to appear and testify. In addition to that, law enforcement sources were suspicious that Neo may have accompanied D4vd on that mysterious, middle-of-the-night trip to a remote area of Santa Barbara last Spring. Our sources now say Neo was not in the car. And there's more ...

Patrick Beverley is speaking out on his status with Barstool Sports ... saying he was stunned to find out the podcast he helped build moved on without him after he sorted out his November arrest -- but he insists there's no bad blood.

The NBA guard dropped the first episode of his new "Pat Bev Show" on his own YouTube channel Wednesday ... and he kicked things off by addressing the elephant in the room -- why he's not on the "Hoopin' N Hollerin'" podcast, which was previously named after him and cohost Adam Ferrone.

Beverley -- who was forced off the show as he dealt with his legal issues -- said he was ready to get back to work after a grand jury declined to indict him in his assault case ... but as he started to make calls, he was given the runaround.