Legal

More legal drama on the set of “Matlock” ... this time, a staffer on the show is dragging the creator and a couple of writers to court for allegedly creating a hostile work environment.

TMZ has obtained a lawsuit filed Wednesday by John Lowe, who says he was hired back in 2023 as an executive story editor on the show. Lowe claims "Matlock" creator Jennie Urman Snyder and writers Nicki Renna and Jeffrey Lieber "fostered a writers room environment permeated by sexually explicit and discriminatory conduct” ... and he says much of it was directed personally at him.

In the filing, Lowe says he experienced "repeated racially and sexually offensive conduct" and claims he was ultimately fired in 2025 in retaliation for complaining about a particularly offensive comment.

Lowe, who's Black, claims when he asked last June if the show would be observing Juneteenth, Snyder responded by referring to the holiday with a racial slur, calling it ... "C***teenth."

Lil Nas X is giving fans a rare health update ... and by the sounds of it, he's in a much better place after a stint in rehab.

The rapper resurfaced on social media Wednesday and revealed he's spent the last several months focusing on himself .... going to rehab, therapy and working with a psychiatrist.

Nas also opened up about his bipolar diagnosis ... joking that being bipolar, Black and gay felt like God handed him a particularly challenging set of cards.

The Gilgo Beach serial killer, Rex Heuermann, will be spending the rest of his life behind bars.

The judge sentenced Heuermann to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Wednesday, calling him a "disgusting and despicable man," according to multiple reports.

The judge addressed Heuermann directly during sentencing, telling him straight up ... "You're a coward." According to PEOPLE, he then ordered the killer be removed from court, saying ... "Get him out of here."

12:22 PM PT -- Chris Cuomo joined us on "TMZ Live" today to talk about Luigi Mangione's newest defense.

Luigi Mangione wants to mount a seldom-used defense in his murder trial -- Extreme Emotional Disturbance -- and if the jury buys it, Mangione could become a free man one day.

Mangione appeared in court Wednesday with his lawyers, who informed the judge he will use the defense when he goes on trial for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

What's fascinating ... the defense would allow Mangione and his lawyers to effectively put UnitedHealthCare on trial, showing the company's conduct in denying claims was so egregious it upset Mangione to the point of meltdown. As TMZ has extensively reported, Mangione was extremely upset with the way corporate greed controlled the United States.

A federal judge accused of having sex inside a courthouse and attending a political event tied to Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis is stepping aside from a major Georgia election case.

U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross filed an order Monday recusing herself after lawmakers pushed for her impeachment and the Department of Justice sought her removal from the case -- a lawsuit the DOJ filed against Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

As we reported ... judicial investigation found Ross had sex with a high-ranking police officer inside the courthouse, attended a partisan event linked to Willis, and initially denied aspects of the misconduct when confronted.

Ian Ziering's legal drama is over ... because he and a motorbike rider who filed lawsuits against one another have both agreed to dismiss their claims.

Jacob Hernandez dismissed his lawsuit with prejudice Tuesday.

Ziering's manager -- Justin Deanda -- confirms to TMZ the two parties have "agreed to mutually dismiss the claims that each has against the other." Deanda adds both sides look forward to moving on.

Nicholas Brendon wanted everything to go to his brother and nothing to go to his ex ... this according to a handwritten will submitted to court by his brother.

Documents were filed Monday by Nicholas' brother, Kelton Schultz, seeking to administer the probate estate pursuant to the terms of a handwritten will.

The docs note Nicholas didn't have a spouse or children -- and there's no estimate for what the estate is worth at this time.

Megan Thee Stallion wants to make sure she can collect the judgment owed to her if an appeals court upholds a ruling against Milagro Gramz ... and she wants a judge to make sure she posts a hefty bond to guarantee it.

Here's the deal ... after Gramz filed paperwork asking the court to delay paying MTS a $75K judgment while she appeals the ruling -- claiming she lacks the money to pay it -- Megan responded to her request ... asking the judge to deny it and saying her pleas about not having enough money are exactly why she should have to post a bond to pursue the appeal.

According to Megan, the bond is the only fair way to delay payment while the appeal is pending ... because it essentially guarantees Megan payment if an appeals court upholds the previous decision in the case. If Gramz ends up winning the appeal and reversing the judgment against her, she could get her bond money back.

Floyd Mayweather is in deep trouble in Las Vegas -- the boxing legend is facing felony theft and intent to defraud charges after allegedly buying a $200K Audemars Piguet watch with a reportedly bogus check.

The 50-0 fighter is accused of stiffing Las Vegas shop Gold and Beyond in December 2024.

According to the complaint, filed earlier this year, Mayweather had "insufficient money, property, or credit" to pay for the jewelry -- and prosecutors believe he was aware of that when he used a check tied to a Wells Fargo account to pay for the item.

Blake Lively asked the judge in her lawsuit against Justin Baldoni for a little extra time to explain how much she will be seeking in attorneys’ fees in the case ... in part due to her busy schedule ... TMZ has learned.

The "Gossip Girl" alum’s legal team wrote a letter to the federal judge in the since-settled legal battle. Blake recently lost her attempt to get punitive damages but was awarded legal fees.

A deadline was set for June 22 to submit her papers, but Blake said she would like some extra time ... at least 7 days but up to another 30 days, which would push things out to mid-July.

Renowned streamer Clavicular is claiming to be owed serious dough from his ex-business partners ... and he's fired off a legal letter.

TMZ obtained paperwork sent to Hai Waknine and Christina Waknine, in the nightclub, Bacara, which is famous for being the first club where streamers can film content inside.

Clavicular's lawyer claims the influencer, who is only 20, invested $400K into the club in exchange for a 50% cut.

Rapper Mystikal was just sentenced to 20 years behind bars ... after pleading guilty to raping a woman.

The victim in the case described how the musician -- born Michael Lawrence Tyler -- brutally sexually assaulted her in his Louisiana home in 2022 ... and she asked the judge to levy the maximum sentence, according to WBRZ.

As we reported ... the rapper was originally arrested back in 2022 ... and entered a guilty plea to third-degree rape in a Louisiana courtroom last month, under a deal with prosecutors.

After the victim told the court Mystikal choked her, punched her and forcibly raped her, he stood up and said ... "If I did that to you, I deserve the max sentence."

A woman wanted in connection with a violent kidnapping investigation near the home of Savannah Guthrie's missing mom, Nancy Guthrie, has been arrested in Arizona.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department says 40-year-old Coral Michelle Smith was taken into custody Monday on an active arrest warrant tied to a May aggravated assault and kidnapping case.

According to authorities, Smith allegedly assaulted a woman who later died from her injuries. Detectives say the investigation remains ongoing.

Chris Brown showed up to court to defend himself against his former housekeeper’s claims she was viciously mauled at his L.A. home ... but the case was declared a mistrial shortly after it started ... TMZ has learned.

The trial started Monday after a jury was selected in the lawsuit brought by Maria Avila, the housekeeper who said she suffered emotional and physical injuries after a large dog attacked her while taking out the trash at Chris' home.

But shortly after the proceedings started, the judge declared a mistrial and excused everyone from the courtroom. Rolling Stone reported the decision was due to a juror searching for information about the case before the trial started and also sharing it with others.

Kendra Duggar is making a major real estate move as husband Joseph Duggar gears up for trial in his child molestation case ... listing the family's Arkansas home for sale amid their growing legal troubles.

The couple's home is in Siloam Springs ... it's 1,738 square feet with three bedrooms and is on the market for $407,900 ... according to real estate records. The estate sits on 1.14 acres.

The listing comes months after Joseph and Kendra discussed unloading the home during a jail phone call.

At the time, the pair weighed whether it made more sense to sell the property or keep it as a rental source of income if Joseph were to serve prison time.

Diddy might be trading a federal prison for a recording studio sooner than expected ... because the music mogul's projected prison release date has been moved up.

The music producer and rapper is now scheduled to be released from federal lockup on February 23, 2028 ... according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website.

This is an improvement for Diddy ... his previous prison release date was reportedly in April 2028 ... which had been moved up from June 2028.