Legal

Blake Lively may have shocked some when she stepped on the Met Gala red carpet last night ... but the actress being there wasn't a last-minute decision.

A Blake insider tells TMZ ... despite her attendance at the Gala turning heads since earlier in the day, her massive legal battle with Justin Baldoni was finally settled ... her presence had been planned for weeks, as she was an invited guest by Anna Wintour.

We’re told … the 11th-hour settlement was irrelevant -- BL was going to the Met -- no matter if there was a settlement, or the trial was still on the horizon.

Stefon Diggs' former chef claimed the NFL star attacked after she confronted him over missed payments ... but his finance team says the books show she actually got MORE than she was supposed to during her time on his staff.

Diggs' money manager -- PMG Private CFO employee Melissa Goddard -- took the stand on Tuesday ... and stated she did an audit of his payments to Jamila Adams in late 2025 after a "flag" was raised.

On Dec. 1, Goddard stated she received an invoice from Adams for three weeks of services for November and reimbursable expenses ... but knew it was incorrect because two of those weeks of pay had already been fulfilled -- so she launched the deep dive into Diggs' finances.

Michael Jackson's former doctor's life has taken a major twist, or rather his hair has ... because he's bunching it up in a ponytail these days.

We've obtained photos of Conrad Murray -- the doctor who served two years in jail for the manslaughter of the King of Pop -- sporting his new hairdo Tuesday morning outside a diner in Sunrise, Florida.

Check it out ... the new style seems in its nascent stages, but, it certainly looks like he's letting it grow, and letting his hipster flag fly.

"The Real Housewives of Atlanta" alum Brit Eady is fighting Bravo's attempt to dismiss her $20 million battle over alleged sexual harassment on set ... claiming even her costars were shocked by Kenya Moore's actions ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Brit is scoffing at Bravo's claim the contract she signed bars her from being allowed to sue them.

The producers said Brit -- who joined the show in Season 16 -- was not victimized and was warned that being on 'RHOA' meant she would be exposed to "stressful or emotionally challenging" moments. They say she nevertheless agreed to sign up for the show.

The director of a prominent Arkansas school has been ordered to spend 30 days in jail for running a fight club for children.

Cops arrested Mary Tracy Morrison -- the owner and director of The Delta Institute for the Developing Brain -- in 2025 ... after video showed a horrific gathering where a child was forced to sit on the floor in a circle of 18 other kids, including Morrison ... according to a KAIT-TV report on the probable cause affidavit.

Morrison told the other children to hit the child in the circle's center with an unknown object, and berated the victim while he was kicked by another student. She then reportedly high-fived that student after the beating.

Blake Lively went in like a lion when she sued Justin Baldoni, but she went out like a lamb ... because TMZ has learned she got no money in the settlement.

Sources with knowledge tell TMZ ... there was a lot of behind-the-scenes drama in the Lively camp in the days before a settlement was reached. We're told Blake brought in a new law firm -- Sussman Godfrey. The firm is a litigation powerhouse ... among their legal victories -- a $425 million verdict against Google, a $1.6 billion judgment against the Baha Mar casino resort, and a $1.5 billion in an A.I. copyright settlement.

It would seem the point of bringing the firm in would be to litigate the case, but the opposite happened. The settlement statement did not even include an apology from Justin.

Kim Kardashian's last call came in July 2025, we've learned ... because she stayed out of the bar exam room in February -- and she won't be there in July either.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Kim plans to wait until at least 2027 to retake the bar exam after failing the test a little less than a year ago.

We're told she plans on trying again ... though whether she will in February 2027 is unclear at this time. Kim has a lot of time to mull it over -- the final deadline to sign up for the February 2027 exam is January 4 next year.

Day 2 of the Stefon Diggs trial is underway ... and it didn't take long for it to go off the rails after the NFL star's team questioned Jamila Adams about an alleged $5.5 million demand.

In a Dedham, Massachusetts courtroom on Tuesday, Adams was asked whether her lawyer reached out to Diggs' camp with the lucrative demand ... and after a brief pause, she replied, "Mr. Diggs offered me $100,000 to recant my statement. That is the only --."

Adams was interrupted with a motion to strike before she could finish ... and the response was stricken from the record as non-responsive.

Chris Brown's baby mama drama is still going strong, it seems. He and Diamond Brown appear to be trashing each other on social media in the wake of her paternity suit.

On her Instagram story Monday, Diamond re-posted a video of TikToker William Last KRM lip-syncing to "Do You Ever Get Tired" -- an A.I.-generated song from King Willonius, who also generated the infamous "BBL Drizzy" sample.

The lyrics go ... "I got a question 'cause I really need to know, do you ever get tired of being a bitch-ass n****?"

An hour later, CB shared a story of his own, writing ... "Once you're an opp, this s*** don't stop!" The text appears alongside the lyrics of Crime Mob's "Knuck If You Buck."

Lindsie Chrisley's ex-boyfriend David Landsman is begging the court for his own temporary restraining order against her -- days after she got one against him ... TMZ has learned.

In his petition, obtained by TMZ, David presents a much different version of events on what went down on April 10, the day he was arrested for assault.

David said they had a verbal fight, which led to her packing her things. He claims he told her not to contact him, which led to her allegedly punching him in the face.

"General Hospital" star Steve Burton is back in court with his ex-wife Sheree Burton -- claiming she is interfering with his custodial time with their 11-year-old daughter -- TMZ has learned.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Steve is asking a judge for help getting Sheree to comply with their custody settlement. He says they share joint legal and physical custody from their divorce judgment back in 2023.

The soap star says Sheree has refused to honor the deal by refusing to give him their daughter, Brooklyn, in July. He said his ex has "engaged in a pattern of unilateral decision making and deliberate obstruction that has effectively stripped Steve of his court-ordered parenting time.”

"Vanderpump Villa" star Marciano Brunette is making moves to get his hands on unaired 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' footage ... to help prove his case against cast member Demi Engemann and the production company that made the show.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ, Marciano is fighting the effort of Jeff Jenkins Productions -- the producers behind 'Mormon Wives' -- to have his defamation lawsuit thrown out of court.

Marciano said he's been asking producers to fork over the unaired show footage related to Demi's allegations of sexual assault. In addition, he wants to see the producers' internal communications about the sexual assault narrative and its editorial decisions.

Marciano insists there's no way his lawsuit should be kicked out on summary judgment before he has a chance to see all the evidence the producers have in their possession, which might be relevant to proving his case.

The man who fatally struck Nicki Minaj's father Robert Maraj with his vehicle 5 years ago has settled the wrongful-death battle over the incident after attempting to drag the rapper into court ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Nicki's mom Carol Maraj and Charles Polevich -- who served time behind bars for 65-year-old Robert's death -- hashed out the deal in early March, which will bring an end to their legal war. In her lawsuit, Carol had asked the court to award her damages for losing out on Robert's companionship.

The settlement comes months after Polevich was working to subpoena Nicki for a deposition.

Blake Lively is getting real colorful to celebrate the end of her "It Ends With Us" legal battle with Justin Baldoni.

The actress hit the Met Gala red carpet Monday night looking anything but stressed ... rocking a long, pastel gown that screamed springtime fantasy. The dress, with a dreamy blend of pinks and blues, gave off straight up cotton candy energy. Playful, light, and yes downright jovial ... a noticeable shift considering the drama she's been dealing with.

We broke the story ... Blake and Justin officially agreed to a settlement in their bitter "It Ends With Us" legal battle earlier in the day Monday ... pulling the plug just weeks before things were set to explode in court.

A rainy-day excuse from JPMorgan Chase exec Lorna Hajdini turned into something way more loaded -- at least according to new details in the bombshell lawsuit filed by a former employee.

According to the complaint, obtained by TMZ and formally entered Monday on the docket, the ex-JPMorgan banker -- identified as John Doe -- points to a pair of May 2024 exchanges he claims set everything in motion.

He says, after he declined drinks because of the weather, Lorna, his supervisor, pivoted ... inviting him into her Uber and allegedly dropping a one-liner: "Come with me ... I don’t like the rain, but I do like getting wet."

He claims that wasn't the first time she hit him with a "wet" reference ... alleging the harassment started when they began working together earlier that month -- and Hajdini made her first move on him.

5:38 PM PT -- Blake Lively showed up to the Met Gala with a smile on her face just hours after settling her legal battle.

It ends with a settlement ... Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively have finally ended their legal war ... TMZ has learned.

Our sources tell us Justin and Blake have agreed to a settlement.

Both sides released a statement ... "The end product -- the movie 'It Ends With Us' -- is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life. Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors -- and all survivors -- is a goal that we stand behind."