Legal

Austin Metcalf's father, Jeff Metcalf, did NOT befriend Collins County District Attorney Greg Willis and Judge John Roach Jr. ahead of Karmelo Anthony's murder trial, despite speculation to the contrary ... TMZ can confirm.

There's a viral photo showing Jeff with four other people at a winter celebration, and folks on the internet are convinced it's Willis and Judge Roach, who presided over Anthony's case ... but we're told it's NOT them.

The chatter has people PO'd, 'cause this would be a major conflict of interest in the trial ... if it were true.

Karen Bass' own brother is now among those taking legal action over the devastating Palisades Fire ... he's suing the City of Los Angeles after the blaze reduced his Malibu home to ashes.

Kenneth Bass -- the L.A. mayor's brother -- and his wife joined a massive wildfire lawsuit last month ... alleging they suffered smoke inhalation injuries, emotional distress and other damages after the January 2025 blaze destroyed their longtime Malibu property.

According to court filings, first reported by L.A. Material, Kenneth and Cindy Bass are among a group of residents seeking compensation from a long list of defendants. The couple's home was listed in the lawsuit as a "total burn down."

Chris Brown scored a small victory in his legal battle with a former housekeeper suing him over an alleged vicious dog attack ... a judge ruled the housekeeper will NOT be allowed to bring up his past arrest for assaulting Rihanna at their upcoming trial ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, the judge granted Chris' request to exclude any evidence about the infamous Rihanna assault from being introduced to the jury.

Chris is being sued by Maria Avila, who claims in 2020 she was mauled by a large dog named Hades while taking out the trash at the singer's Los Angeles home.

Breezy's denied he's responsible for her injuries and previously argued Maria possibly provoked the dog.

Karmelo Anthony's staring down more than three decades behind bars after being convicted of murder ... but he's not doing time with the general inmate population ... at least not yet.

A rep for Collin County Jail -- where Anthony was sent after a jury found him guilty of murder -- tells TMZ ... the 19-year-old's being housed in a more secure area of the jail, separated from other inmates.

We're told the jail is taking appropriate steps to ensure the safety and security of all inmates in the facility ... but the rep declined to comment on why Anthony specifically is being kept in isolation.

Kanye West accuser Jenn An is speaking out about the moment Ye allegedly sexually assaulted her ... getting emotional on camera ... but he says she's got it all wrong.

The model sat down for a recent on-camera interview with a BBC reporter and shared her account of what she claims Ye did to her in 2010 while she was auditioning for a role in Ye's music video with musician La Roux.

The former "America's Next Top Model" contestant said she arrived in lingerie at NYC's famous Chelsea Hotel for a shoot with other models. She said after a couple hours of shooting Ye arrived and chose 3 models -- including Jenn -- to be in the video with him.

Jenn said Ye then ordered the other 2 models out of the room and told Jenn to sit down in a chair in front of him ... and that's when the alleged sexual assault began.

President Trump's administration says it won't tap out on UFC Freedom 250 -- the cage match set to take place on the White House lawn this weekend -- insisting a lawsuit seeking to block the event came in way too late to stop the fight.

Here's the deal ... earlier this week, two Virginia residents filed a lawsuit against the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior, hoping to get a judge to put the event in a chokehold and force a submission ... calling UFC Freedom 250 "deeply corrupt."

Now, the Trump administration has filed its response, which is mainly focused on timing ... pointing out the fight's been in the works for about a year and the plaintiffs waited until the last minute to file.

Austin Metcalf's father tore into convicted killer Karmelo Anthony ... making it clear he was full of equal parts rage and sadness over his teenage son's murder.

Yelling while slamming his fist into the podium during the victim impact statements ... Jeff Metcalf said a part of him was killed when his 17-year-old son was stabbed to death by Anthony -- and he demanded the 19-year-old look him in the eye, according to WFAA

Metcalf reportedly shouted ... "We were robbed! Don't look down! You can't look me in the eyes, but you can stab my f---ing son! You don't belong in this community!" Jeff also said the case was not about race, despite narratives ... it was about right and wrong.

Cardi B looks like she's blasting the Texas jury that found Karmelo Anthony guilty of murdering Austin Metcalf ... saying what happened in the courtroom was straight up disgusting.

The rap superstar went off on social media Tuesday night, hours after the verdict came in, expressing shock over the outcome and adding ... "This is not justice, this is trying to make an example!!!"

While Cardi B never mentioned Karmelo by name ... she retweeted other posts supporting the teenage convict.

Karmelo Anthony posed for a new booking photo hours after being convicted of murder.

Anthony, 19, posed for his fresh mug shot at the Collin County Jail after he was sentenced Tuesday to 35 years in prison for fatally stabbing Austin Metcalf, 17, at a track meet in Frisco, Texas.

A Collin County jury found Anthony guilty of murder following four days of testimony, in which Karmelo's attorney failed to convince jurors his client acted in self-defense.

Emotions were running high outside a Texas courthouse while Karmelo Anthony was inside awaiting his fate ... and Anthony wasn't the only one who left in handcuffs.

According to the Collin County Sheriff's Department, one person was arrested for public intoxication Tuesday while another was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant for unlawful carrying of a weapon.

Authorities say they're still gathering information and have not yet released the identities of either individual.

The arrests came as supporters of both Anthony and stabbing victim, Austin Metcalf, gathered outside the courthouse during the trial and sentencing hearing.

Karmelo Anthony will spend 35 years behind bars for murdering Austin Metcalf, a judge has ruled.

On Tuesday, the jury found the Texas teen guilty of murder, for stabbing Austin to death at a high school track meet last April. The death penalty was off the table because Karmelo was a minor.

The jury rejected Anthony's claim he acted under "sudden passion" in the fatal stabbing. Anthony will be required to serve at least half of the sentence before he can be considered for parole.

'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star Drew Sidora wants her estranged husband, Ralph Pittman, to cough up over $400K to cover legal bills she racked up in their divorce battle ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Drew, who was married to Ralph from 2014 to 2023, said the "hostility" shown by her ex during the divorce has been "continuous and unrelenting."

Drew claims Ralph is dragging out the divorce in an attempt to destroy her while "seeking to maintain a certain level of clout for having been married" to her.

Soulja Boy emailed his baby mama's lawyer and told him "f*** you" ... at least according to new court documents.

The docs, obtained by TMZ, include an alleged email Soulja sent to Jackilyn Martinez's legal team ... and it's laced with profanity.

Per the alleged email thread, Jackilyn's team contacted Soulja after he called her to discuss the paternity suit she filed against him.

Her lawyer wrote Soulja, "Based on your conversation with Jackilyn, it sounds like you both want to resolve the [lawsuit] amicably, expeditiously, and privately." The attorney also told Soulja to have his lawyer call her.

According to the docs, the rapper replied, "F*** you" and then added ... "Stop emailing me, you dumb bitch. There will be no litigation or settlement idk who the f*** u think u talking to."

Michael Turner’s baby mama wants the ex-NFL star to be found in contempt of court for allegedly failing to comply with a judge's order in their child support battle ...  TMZ has learned.

Michael’s ex, Rasheeda Walker-Williamson, asked the court to find him in contempt for failing to pay his share of medical bills and to properly set up certain financial accounts.

Michael and Rasheeda share a daughter, born in 2009, and a son, born in 2011. The ex-NFL star has been paying $2,500 per month in child support, according to Rasheeda.

Francisco Gonzalez -- the Florida attorney accused of helping bankroll an alleged murder-for-hire plot targeting his daughter Gabbie's baby daddy Jack Avery -- says prosecutors are trying to keep him locked up without bail based on speculation, not evidence.

According to new court documents, obtained by TMZ, Francisco is asking the judge to reject the state's request for no bail and instead release him on a $2M bond with strict conditions. His lawyer argues prosecutors have failed to show he's a current danger to Jack, witnesses or the public.

As TMZ previously reported ... Gabbie was released from custody on a $2M bond shortly after last month's arrest.

Francisco, however, remains behind bars as prosecutors continue pushing for a no-bail order.

The jury has spoken in the Karmelo Anthony murder trial ... and they found him guilty of murder, rejecting his claim of self-defense.

A Collin County jury returned the verdict Tuesday after hours of deliberation in Anthony's trial for the fatal stabbing of fellow teenager Austin Metcalf at a Frisco, Texas track meet in April 2025. Anthony faces between 5 and 99 years in prison.

The case centered on a confrontation under a team tent that ended with Metcalf being stabbed once in the chest. Prosecutors argued Anthony turned a dispute into a deadly encounter ... while the defense maintained he acted in self-defense.