Bill Cosby Case Jury Awards Donna Motsinger $19M in Civil Suit ... Accused Comedian of 1972 Drugging, Rape
UPDATE
5 PM PT -- Later in the day, the jury added on $40 million in punitive damages.
Bill Cosby just took a huge loss in court today ... a jury reportedly awarded $19.25 million to Donna Motsinger after she alleged the comedian drugged and raped her in 1972.
Jurors reportedly found Cosby liable for sexual assault and sexual battery while awarding Motsinger $17.5 million for past mental suffering, and $1.75 million for future suffering.
According to Rolling Stone, the jury also left the door open for future punitive damages by determining Cosby acted with "malice, oppression, or fraud."
'SLOMW' Jessi Draper Estranged Husband Files for Restraining Order
The drama keeps on coming for "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" ... Jessi Draper's estranged husband, Jordan Ngatikaura, has filed for a temporary restraining order -- but it looks like Jessi is trying to fight it.
According to court docs obtained by TMZ, Jordan filed the TRO request Friday in his pending divorce case with Jessi, and she filed her opposition to the TRO the same day. No further details about the nature of the claims in the documents are available. The US Sun was first to report the news.
As you know ... Jordan filed for divorce Thursday after five years of marriage and two children together. The couple have separated before, but this time seems much more serious ...
Tekashi 6ix9ine Talking to GF on Phone From Jail ... as Trespasser Arrested Outside Florida Home!!!
Tekashi 6ix9ine was on the phone with his girlfriend, Aliday Alzugaray, from jail on Friday while Aliday was watching a woman allegedly trying to break into their home ... this according to a police report.
According to the report, obtained by TMZ, Tekashi was on the phone with his girlfriend, who was at his Florida home ... while he remains locked up in a federal detention facility in Brooklyn. Cops say his girlfriend was worried about a woman -- identified as Chanique Lambert -- who was allegedly armed with a gun, trying to get into the house.
Police say the family was already aware of Chanique, as they claim she had been trying to get onto the property for the past month and a half by using the same method -- arriving in an Uber and telling security she's Tekashi's cousin.
'AGT' Star Jourdan Blue Arrested for DWI in Louisiana
"America's Got Talent" standout Jourdan Blue was arrested Saturday on suspicion of driving while intoxicated ... TMZ has learned.
Arrest records from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana show not only was he nabbed for DWI -- he was also booked for allegedly driving on a suspended license, careless operation, and open container in motor vehicle. We're still trying to find out additional details of the arrest.
Fans will remember Jourdan as the street performer from New Orleans who earned a golden buzzer from judge Howie Mandel during the Season 20 premiere of 'AGT' in 2025. Jourdan ended up finishing in 3rd place on the reality TV competition show.
FKA Twigs to The Twigs Fine With Sticks and Stones ... But Stop the Legal Notices!!!
FKA Twigs says she's over being targeted by a band with a similar name ... so she's turning the tables by asking a judge to tell them to stop trying to take her to court over it.
According to a lawsuit obtained by TMZ ... FKA Twigs -- real name Tahliah Debrett Barnett -- wants a declaration from the judge to put an end to the indie twin-sister group The Twigs sending her cease-and-desist letters over their similar names.
Basically, FKA claims the sister act -- composed of Laura and Linda Good -- has been hounding her over the trademark to her name ... after she says they filed a trademark claim against her in 2014, before "voluntarily" dismissing the case and disappearing for a while.
Justin Timberlake DWI Arrest Jokes About Not Being White with Cops!
Even when arrested for a serious DWI charge ... Justin Timberlake was able to crack a joke with police -- namely, about his race!
Check out the body cam footage from the pop superstar's 2024 arrest in Sag Harbor, NY -- he acts confused that police labeled him as "white" when they handed him paperwork to review. He got some laughs when he told officers he was just playin' around.
The rest of the footage isn't a laughing matter -- you can see JT is shocked when he's told he must remain in his jail cell all night ... and totally disappointed -- even dropping his head -- when police confirm he's in custody for driving while intoxicated.
'The Bachelorette' Taylor's Suitors Mull Lawsuit Against ABC, Warner Bros. Discovery
Taylor Frankie Paul's ill-fated season of "The Bachelorette" has pissed off some of the suitors to the point they're now considering a lawsuit.
Sources with knowledge tell us ... 5 contestants who were competing for a rose from Taylor are mulling over legal action against ABC and Warner Bros. Discovery.
Harvey and Mark Geragos get into it on the latest episode of "2 Angry Men." Fact is, some of these men put their lives on hold, quitting their jobs or foregoing financial opportunities in exchange for the promise of pop culture visibility.
We're told the 5 contestants also feel like Warner Bros. Discovery -- which produced the show -- created an unsafe working environment by allowing Frankie Taylor Paul -- who has clearly shown flashes of violence in the past -- to interact with them in intimate settings.
Jeffery Epstein Guards Caught slackin' on night of death ...
Newly surfaced surveillance footage from the night of Jeffrey Epstein’s death ... and it appears to show prison guards hanging out just steps away from his cell during the suspected timeframe he had taken his own life.
In the video, first reported by the NYPost, correctional officers Tova Noel and Michael Thomas can be seen around 3:15 AM in the Special Housing Unit at Manhattan’s Metropolitan Correctional Center -- writing on paper, pacing, and chatting on the phone -- instead of carrying out the required checks, according to footage included in a recently released batch of DOJ documents.
Epstein was incredibly close to where this encounter was captured ... as he was housed in the first cell on the block, just down a short flight of stairs behind the officer station on the ninth floor.
Michael Jackson’s Estate Fires Back at Paris Jackson After She Rips Biopic
Paris Jackson slammed the two executors running Michael Jackson’s estate and trashed some of the production decisions behind the upcoming biopic in the process … but a lawyer for the estate scoffed at her complaints and called them “without merit.”
According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Paris has been fighting with John Branca and John McClain -- the principal figures managing MJ’s estate since the pop star died in 2009 -- over financial matters ... and now she's blasting them over the upcoming biopic Michael.
Paris has spoken out about the film in the past, and it seems she is not over her gripes with it. MJ’s daughter says she wishes those involved in the film well, but “that does not change potential concerns” she has with the estate’s involvement. She claims Branca used his position as producer to cast A-list actor Miles Teller to play himself, but questioned the move, saying it's "unclear how this peculiar and presumably costly casting decision will result in commensurate box office receipts."
She also says Branca’s lack of experience producing' films “may be the root of reports that the estate has had to fund tens of millions of dollars in reshoots after the terms of a well-known settlement agreement prevented the production from using substantial amounts of footage already shot.” Paris said she was concerned it was a “botched production on a” 3.5-hour biopic “which the estate has reportedly invested at least some, if not all of the $150 million budget, is troubling, to say the least.”
Luka Doncic My Ex is Fighting in Wrong Court ... Our Kids Live in Slovenia
Luka Doncic is calling a technical foul on his ex-fiancée, essentially telling the court she should consult a map before filing legal docs over their 2 children ... TMZ Sports has learned.
The Lakers superstar filed docs Friday asking an L.A. County judge to dismiss Anamaria Goltes' request for child support and attorneys fees, because she filed it in California ... when she knows the kids live in Slovenia.
In the docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, Luka and his attorney Laura Wasser point out he is not a California resident, and neither are their daughters. He says he's been trying for months to get Anamaria to move to Cali with their kids, but she's refused, since moving back to Slovenia last May. As we reported, that distance is exactly why he says he pulled the plug on their engagement.
Joseph Duggar's Wife Kendra Duggar Arrested in Arkansas
Joseph Duggar's wife Kendra has been arrested in Arkansas, TMZ has learned.
A warrant was issued for Kendra Friday … police went to the Duggar family compound in Washington County, Arkansas earlier Friday with a warrant for Kendra's arrest ... but she was not there.
But, now she's been taken into custody, according to the Washington County Detention Center. She was wanted for allegedly endangering the welfare of a minor and false imprisonment.
Josh Duggar's Brother Joseph Facing Child Endangerment, False Imprisonment Charges ... With Wife Kendra
Josh Duggar's brother Joseph is in jail for child molestation charges -- but now, he's facing additional charges for child endangerment and false imprisonment along with his wife, Kendra.
The "19 Kids and Counting" star, who was arrested Wednesday, is now facing 4 counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor, as well as 4 counts of second-degree false imprisonment ... The Tontitown Police Department in Arkansas tells TMZ.
Joseph's wife Kendra is facing the same charges, and a warrant for her arrest has been issued. Local outlet KARK-TV says police arrived at the Duggar family compound in Washington County Friday with a warrant for Kendra's arrest ... but she was not home. Police say the Duggars' Arkansas charges are unrelated to Joseph's Florida case, according to KARK.
Taylor Frankie Paul Temporarily Loses Custody of Son with Dakota
Dakota Mortensen just had a major legal victory against Taylor Frankie Paul -- his request for a temporary protective order has been granted ... and Taylor won't be seeing their son, Ever, until April.
According to court docs obtained by TMZ, Dakota will have temporary custody of their 2-year-old until at least April 7, when they're due in court.
Until then, the fired "Bachelorette" star must also stay 100 feet away from Dakota, which includes his home. She also can't own any weapons.
We told you all about it -- Dakota went to court earlier this week to start the process of getting a protective order against Taylor ... and happened to be there at the same time as Taylor's ex-husband, Tate.
Dakota filed Thursday and told the court about a "chaotic" and "frightening" incident during which she recently choked him.
We broke the news -- just last month, Taylor allegedly choked Dakota, ripped a necklace from his neck, and scratched his neck during two altercations that occurred with their son in the same residence.
We also obtained video of the 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' star physically attacking him ahead of her 2023 arrest for assault. As you know, ABC cut her season of "The Bachelorette" just hours after the video was released.
Taylor has maintained she's not the aggressor in the relationship ... and has confirmed her truth will come out.
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Amy Duggar King On Joseph Duggar Child Molestation Bust Is No Surprise
Amy Duggar King says she is "not surprised" that her cousin, Joseph Duggar, got arrested for allegedly molesting a 9-year-old girl.
In a statement to People, Amy says ... "In light of the recent allegations involving my cousin, Joseph Duggar, I am sickened, heartbroken and deeply angry."
Amy continues ... "My first thoughts are with the victim, a child who deserved to be safe, protected and surrounded by people she could trust. The courage it took for her to come forward, especially after years of carrying something so heavy, cannot be overstated. That bravery deserves to be honored above all else."
Ted DiBiase Jr. Found Not Guilty In Fraud Case ... 'Thankful That It's Over'
Former WWE Superstar Ted DiBiase Jr. is having a great start to the weekend ... 'cause a jury found him not guilty on all charges related to a Mississippi welfare fraud case.
DiBiase Jr. -- son of WWE legend Ted DiBiase -- was acquitted by a federal jury on several charges ... one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, six counts of wire fraud, two counts of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and four counts of money laundering.
If he would have been found guilty, he faced a maximum sentence of 185 years in federal prison.
Joseph Duggar Life With Wife Kendra Before the Pedo Accusations
Joseph Duggar from "19 Kids and Counting" brought even more drama to his family's already scandal-ridden name by admitting to having an inappropriate encounter with a minor ... as we wait to find out his fate, we're taking a look back at the 31-year-old's life with wife Kendra in much happier times.
Joseph and Kendra tied the knot in 2017 and share 3 children together -- 7-year-old son Garrett, 6-year-old daughter Addison and 5-year-old daughter Brooklyn.
It was three years after their wedding that Joseph's alleged actions took place ... which, as we reported, is shocking.