Legal

Billionaire Stephen Cloobeck's surprising arrest is tied directly to the criminal case surrounding his fiancée, Adva Lavie ... TMZ has learned.

TMZ broke the story ... Cloobeck was arrested Tuesday in L.A. on a felony charge connected to discouraging a witness from testifying, and we're told investigators believe that witness was tied to Lavie's ongoing theft case.

Lavie -- a former Penthouse Pet -- is accused of targeting wealthy men through dating apps and social circles ... allegedly stealing luxury goods, cash and personal information. She has pleaded not guilty to multiple felony charges.

"The Hunger Games" actor Ethan Jamieson has been arrested yet again ... this time on a misdemeanor charge for allegedly violating a protective order by possessing a firearm ... TMZ has learned.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ, Jamieson was busted in Wake County, North Carolina on May 12, 2026 ... after authorities claim he violated a valid protective order that had been issued against him.

Nancy Guthrie is Khloé Kardashian's latest true crime obsession ... and doesn't understand how there are so few leads about her tragic disappearance.

On Wednesday's episode of her "Khloé In Wonder Land" podcast, the reality star sat down with true-crime podcaster Ashley Flowers to talk about Savannah Guthrie's missing mother.

Khloé said it's "mind-blowing" that police don't have any info about what happened, explaining that she was fascinated by the since-debunked theory that Nancy's son-in-law could have been involved in her abduction.

Rihanna is detailing the terrifying moment shots rang out at her L.A. home earlier this year ... reportedly screaming, "They're shooting at us!" to hubby A$AP Rocky during the chaos.

According to new court documents, Rihanna then shoved the sleeping rapper to the floor inside an Airstream trailer parked outside the couple's Beverly Crest mansion during the March attack.

Prosecutors say nearly 10 bullets struck the property while the couple's three kids and Rihanna's mother were inside the main house ... with the A$AP and RiRi later telling investigators they spotted bullet holes in their trailer's windshield.

Erik Fleming has been sentenced to 2 years in prison for his role in the death of Matthew Perry.

A judge handed down the sentence Wednesday morning at a United States District Court for the Central District of California Courthouse.

The sentencing comes after Fleming pleaded for mercy in a letter obtained by TMZ ... saying he’ll spend the rest of his life trying to make up for contributing to Perry’s death.

The arrest of "Street Outlaws" star Daddy Dave earlier today has an unusual twist, TMZ has learned ... Dave was caught on video planting a GPS tracking device on someone's vehicle, according to police.

Bath Village Police Chief Donald Lewis tells TMZ ... the street racer -- real name David Comstock -- was arrested Wednesday morning in Upstate New York and booked into the Steuben County jail on two misdemeanors -- stalking and criminal tampering.

Lewis said the trouble began late Tuesday night when the victim called police saying that someone tampered with his vehicle.

10:08 PM PT -- A spokesperson for Paris Jackson tells TMZ ... "Paris has always been focused on what's best for her family and this ruling is a massive win for them. After years of delay, the Jackson family will finally get the transparency and accountability measures Paris has fought for."

Paris Jackson scored a major win in her battle over money spent by the executors running her late father Michael Jackson's estate -- while the executors also received praise for their work ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, a Los Angeles judge ruled that $625K in bonuses -- paid by executors John Branca and John McClain to third-party law firms -- will have to be returned to the estate.

As TMZ first reported ... last year, Paris raised concerns about certain bonuses paid out to third-party law firms that worked on the estate in 2018. Paris claimed the bonuses were excessive and not approved.

8:47 AM PT -- South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson released a statement Wednesday, saying ... "While we respectfully disagree with the Court's decision, my Office will aggressively seek to retry Alex Murdaugh for the murders of Maggie and Paul as soon as possible. Let me be clear -- this decision does not mean Murdaugh will be released. He will remain in prison for his financial crimes. No one is above the law and, as always, we will continue to fight for justice."

Alex Murdaugh just caught a massive break behind bars ... with South Carolina's high court tossing out his murder convictions, and ordering a new trial.

The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that Murdaugh’s 2023 convictions for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, can’t stand because the jury process was compromised.

At the center of the decision is former court clerk Becky Hill ... who was accused of making anti-Murdaugh comments to jurors and influencing deliberations during the nationally televised trial. The court said the misconduct was serious enough to blow up the verdict entirely.

Caitlyn Jenner is facing a new class action lawsuit over her $JENNER meme coin ... with investors claiming they got burned in a celebrity-fueled crypto cash grab.

According to the explosive 97-page filing, obtained by TMZ, a man named Lee Greenfield claims Jenner and her manager, Sophia Hutchins, orchestrated a crypto pump and dump after hyping up a token pair -- promising the project was a long-term play while encouraging fans to buy in.

The suit claims Jenner repeatedly told followers she was "solely focused" on the coin, pushed slogans like "We’re sending this coin to the moon!!!" and even tied the token to Donald Trump and MAGA messaging to attract buyers. The filing includes a bunch of screenshots of Jenner’s tweets and promo posts.

Tiffany Haddish says her Georgia DUI case has been stuck in legal limbo for so long, it's now messing with her ability to travel the world and cash checks ... so she wants the whole thing tossed out.

According to new court docs, obtained by TMZ, Tiffany has filed a motion to dismiss the case ... claiming the court violated her constitutional right to a speedy trial after letting the matter drag on for more than 4 years.

The comedian was arrested back in January 2022, but she claims the case has stalled because the judge still hasn't ruled on key motions -- including her motion to suppress certain evidence that was argued in court way back in May 2024.

Brandon Clarke's body has officially been cleared to be released to his family ... but the mystery surrounding his sudden death remains unclear.

According to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner's website, the ME has declared the NBA star's body ready for release, however his cause and manner of death is currently deferred ... pending additional testing as authorities investigate.

As we previously reported, Clarke’s death came just days before he was due in court to face multiple criminal charges, including trafficking a controlled substance and felony fleeing.

The Los Angeles Fire Department PIO confirmed to TMZ Sports they responded to a medical emergency call around 5 PM on Monday ... and when paramedics got to the scene, the 29-year-old male was declared deceased.

TMZ Sports confirmed his death is being investigated as a possible overdose ... with officials finding drug paraphernalia inside the home the Memphis Grizzlies player was staying at.

A handyman who claims he was injured at Lisa Vanderpump's $14 million mansion is now demanding a hefty sum in court ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Eric Nieto filed a lawsuit back in November against Lisa and Ken Todd over an alleged incident at the couple's 5-bedroom, 8-bathroom, 8,801-square-foot mansion in Beverly Hills on November 25, 2023.

Nieto claims he was hired to perform handyman work at the home and says he was required to use an interior stairway leading down to the basement.

D4vd looked more like he was waiting on a delayed flight than fighting a criminal case Tuesday morning ... casually slumping in his chair during a court hearing while his lawyers and prosecutors deliberated over the case's timeline.

The artist -- born David Burke -- appeared in Downtown Los Angeles for a status conference tied to his upcoming preliminary hearing ... rocking an orange jail jumpsuit and appearing unusually relaxed throughout the proceedings.

A sketch shows him entering the courtroom in restraints as he faces first-degree murder and mutilation charges tied to the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez ... whose dismembered remains were found inside a Tesla registered to the singer last year. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges after his April arrest.

Kim Zolciak was grilled on video in court by lawyers for her boyfriend Kyle Mowitz's estranged wife -- and now Kim's estranged husband, Kroy Biermann, is working to get a copy of the recording ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Kroy's lawyer issued a subpoena to obtain the transcript and video of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star's deposition ... during which the reality star was questioned about gifts and trips that Kyle purchased for Kim.

Kyle's estranged wife, Jillian Green, dragged Kim into the divorce fight last year ... where $100 million is reportedly on the line.

Prosecutors will get the chance to see Tiger Woods' prescription drug records, a judge has ruled.

In a hearing at Martin County Circuit Court in Florida on Tuesday, the judge granted the state's request to subpoena records of Tiger's meds as part of their DUI investigation.

The judge gave prosecutors permission to access his prescription records on file at Lewis Pharmacy in Palm Beach ... following his arrest in Florida earlier this year.