Legal

Mackenzie Shirilla’s aunt tried to defend her niece in her murder case ... telling the judge Mackenzie was in "very much in love" with her boyfriend before the fatal car crash ... TMZ has learned.

TMZ obtained court docs filed as part of Mackenzie’s appeal of her sentence. She made the case that prosecutors failed to prove she had a real motive to kill her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, and his friend, Davion Flanagan.

Prosecutors used forensic evidence to show Mackenzie was driving a car that was going 100 mph and didn't apply the brakes before it slammed into a wall, killing Dominic and Davion, on July 31, 2022.

Matthew Perry’s assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, is asking for some leniency at his upcoming sentencing ... telling the judge he could not "simply say no" when it came to feeding Perry's drug habit ... TMZ has learned.

In new court docs, obtained by TMZ, Kenneth, who is set to be scheduled on May 27, disagreed with prosecutors’ claim he could have told the "Friends" star “no” when he asked for ketamine.

As TMZ previously reported, Kenneth is facing years in prison for securing ketamine for Matthew and even injecting him with the drug on the day he died. Matthew died on October 28, 2023, from the acute effects of the drug.

Carl Welch -- the person who prosecutors claim "No Jumper" podcast cohost Ant Jefe murdered -- died of blunt force trauma in a parking lot ... TMZ has learned.

Prosecutors filed legal documents formally charging Jefe -- real name Maurice Shelmon -- and another man named Johnnie Gray with Welch's murder ... and the L.A. County Medical Examiner listed the cause of death and a few other details on their own site.

Prosecutors allege the crime went down on or about January 31 of this year ... and they also listed a series of previous charges for which Jefe was arrested -- including robbery.

Mackenzie Shirilla is "literal hell on wheels" -- at least that's how the judge felt about her role in the fatal car crash that killed Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan in 2022 -- but who is she, exactly?

Whether you've been following Mackenzie's case for years or are just now hearing the hype over Netflix's new documentary, "The Crash," we've rounded up everything you need to know.

Mackenzie was driving her then-boyfriend Dominic, and her friend Davion home around 5 AM on July 31, 2022 when she crashed her car into the brick wall of a building in Strongsville, Ohio.

Former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick is preparing for a different kinda court over some fake news ... saying anyone who reported she was joining OnlyFans will be hearing from her legal team.

The fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft sent social media into a frenzy this week ... when she claimed a "link" would be added to her bio in 24 hours.

"Link in bio," of course, is a popular phrase used by adult models on X or Instagram (or so we're told) ... leading some folks to think this meant she had created an account on the sometimes X-rated subscription-based platform, especially since she shared the news with a sexy pic.

Gabbie Gonzalez, her dad, and her boyfriend wanted proof Jack Avery was dead, prosecutors claim ... and allegedly asked for it in the form of his pinky finger.

The influencer accused of conspiracy to commit murder appeared in court for her arraignment Thursday ... where prosecutors laid out the grisly claim.

As you know ... Gabbie and her father Francisco were arrested earlier this week after cops say they tried to orchestrate the murder of Avery, with whom Gabbie was locked in a nasty custody dispute.

5/23 -- 1:47 PM PT -- Sources close to Bam tell us the roll-on product in question was CBD and doesn't contain any cannabis in it.

Bam Margera's ex is asking a judge not to change their custody arrangement ... claiming Bam's been in and out of their son's life in recent months -- and alleging in the order that he gave their son a roll-on device from his cannabis line, "BAM THC."

Nikki Boyd filed the documents in court earlier this week in response to Margera asking a judge to grant joint legal custody of their 8-year-old son, Phoenix ... telling the court that Bam hasn't been as present a father in the last six months as he's led them to believe.

Nikki's order states that Margera had 48 weekend days during which he could spend up to 4 supervised hours with Phoenix ... but she says he only visited on 7 of the 48 weekend days ... and only once stayed the full 4 hours!

11:13 AM PT -- We've obtained dashcam footage from Britney's March 4 arrest ... which shows cops questioning her after pulling her over for allegedly swerving through lanes.

Britney Spears allegedly told cops she'd taken Prozac and Adderall on the day of her shocking DUI arrest and told an officer she could drink four bottles of wine and still take care of him ... this according to the police report.

An officer laid out Spears' March 4 arrest in great detail in the report, starting from when he says he saw a car crossing into another lane multiple times before he turned on the sirens to pull the car over.

According to the report -- first obtained by Us Weekly -- when Spears finally pulled over, after the officer says she initially did not react to his emergency lights, the officer smelled the "distinct odor of an alcoholic beverage" and allegedly observed a wine glass in the car's cupholder.

Chrishell Stause just took some nasty jabs at Katharine McPhee on the heels of her and husband David Foster endorsing Spencer Pratt for Los Angeles mayor ... but sources close to Katharine and David are firing back.

A source close to the couple tells TMZ ... Chrishell needs to focus more on herself ... and less on attacking other women just to grab headlines.

As we reported ... the "Selling Sunset" star popped off about the movie and Broadway star ... writing in a TikTok comment on a video about McPhee's dating history that she's still struggling to find her inner confidence ... and she won't find it until she's "disregarded enough times by the problematic men she backs."

Jack Avery just spoke out for the first time since the mother of his daughter was charged with trying to get him killed ... and he had plenty to say.

The singer said in a lengthy Instagram message ... he's relieved his ex, TikTok influencer Gabbie Gonzalez, is in custody ... and he's been patient for the past few years as the legal process unfolded.

Jack said his daughter is with him and she is safe ... he also thanked law enforcement for their hard work and dedication to the case ... and also his fans for the support.

Addison Rae's dad, Monty Lopez, is pulling the plug on his latest marriage ... 'cause TMZ has learned he's filed for divorce amid a whirlwind of legal drama with his wife.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Monty filed for divorce from Kaitlyn Lopez on Monday. The docs say the two got married in Las Vegas on October 25, 2025, before separating less than a month later on November 15.

As TMZ first reported ... cops responded to Monty's home on April 23. Then, on April 28, Monty was arrested on a felony charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

Just days later, Monty filed for a protective order against Kaitlyn, alleging she had a gun during a recent altercation and claiming there had been multiple physical conflicts throughout their relationship. Kaitlyn denied the gun claim and told us the situation affected her sense of safety, finances, and her ability to function.

WWE star Ludwig Kaiser landed in a heap of trouble ... after cops say he and his girlfriend couldn't keep their sex drives in check. 

Kaiser (real name Marcel Barthel) was arrested Wednesday for battery after he got physical with his neighbor inside a luxury building in Orlando, Florida, where the two men live, according to a police report obtained by TMZ.

The report says the incident popped off on the night of April 23, when the neighbor stepped inside an elevator along with Kaiser and the woman he was with. 

Tiffany Haddish's Georgia DUI case is still dragging on ... but, she won a minor legal victory Wednesday when a judge ruled the results of one field sobriety test and statements she made to cops at the time can't be presented at trial.

A Fayette County Court judge ruled Wednesday that the officer who arrested Haddish incorrectly administered the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus -- or HGN -- test ... the well-known field sobriety test where an officer asks a suspected impaired driver to follow a light or finger with just their eyes.

The judge says Haddish told the officer at the time she had a lazy eye ... but he didn't ask any questions about it and administered the test without considering how it might affect the results. As such, the court found the test was not applied in a reliable manner so the results can't be used in the case against her.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' massive New York dream home is sitting unfinished ... while more than $2 million in contractor debt claims have reportedly piled up behind the scenes.

According to multiple outlets, five contractors and subcontractors have filed mechanics liens against the couple's 110-acre Lewisboro, New York property in April ... claiming they're owed a combined $2.1 million for unpaid work on the sprawling estate. TMZ has confirmed the existence of the liens against the property.

The luxury compound has reportedly been under construction for years and was supposed to include a 14,500-square-foot main home, pool house, gym, geothermal systems and other high-end features.

Matthew Perry’s sister, Caitlin Morrison, trashed his assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, as she suggested he serve hard time in prison for his role in the late actor’s death, TMZ has learned. 

Caitlin wrote a letter ahead of Kenneth’s sentencing, saying she doesn’t have “sympathy” for the assistant. 

In her message, Caitlin said, “No matter what happens in the case, my big brother … will be dead.” 

Donald Trump is as corrupt as they come … according to 2 police officers who say they defended the Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection -- who are now suing the Trump administration.

D.C. Metropolitan Police officer Daniel Hodges and ex-U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn are suing the Trump administration for creating a $1.8 billion “slush fund” to reward insurrectionists … on taxpayers’ dimes.

In the suit filed Wednesday, the two men say the "Anti-Weaponization Fund" is the “most brazen act of presidential corruption this century."