Legal

Riley Gaines says the Supreme Court may have settled some legal fights when it comes to transgender athletes ... but she's already looking toward the next battle.

One day after SCOTUS upheld state laws restricting transgender athletes from competing on girls' and women's school sports teams, Riley stopped by "TMZ Live" to weigh in on the ruling.

Riley says the ban is great for girls in many states, but not all ... so her work on their behalf continues.

Blaise Taylor -- a former scout with the Tennessee Titans -- has been convicted of murder for killing his pregnant girlfriend with a lethal dose of cocaine.

The 30-year-old was convicted on four counts ... two for first-degree murder and two for felony murder at the end of a trial that lasted 8 days. The jury deliberated for less than 3 hours before returning its verdict.

Prosecutors accused Taylor of giving Jade Benning a drink laced with cocaine back in February 2023 ... though his defense team argued Benning had a history of drug use.

Jade was 5 months pregnant when she died ... and prosecutors allege the baby was Taylor's.

Taylor Frankie Paul’s infamous barstool-throwing incident is back at the center of a legal battle ... this time in a custody fight with her ex-husband, Tate Paul ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the court proceedings tell TMZ ... the 2023 incident in which Taylor was captured on video attacking then-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen and throwing a metal barstool that struck her daughter, Indy, is being cited by Tate in court documents he filed Tuesday as part of his bid for sole custody.

We're told Tate did not seek sole custody back in 2023 because he says he was never allowed to see the video. According to our sources, Taylor repeatedly told him the barstool never hit Indy, and she also publicly stated on multiple podcasts that the child was not struck. Our sources say Tate only viewed the footage days before TMZ published it.

It looks like Taylor Swift doesn't want that 'Life of a Showgirl' trademark lawsuit hanging over her head during her wedding day … because she’s asking a judge to throw it out.

Taylor filed a motion on Tuesday to dismiss Vegas showgirl Maren Wade's trademark infringement suit ... according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ.

Taylor's lawyers also argue there's no plausible likelihood of confusion between Taylor’s record and Maren's "Confessions of a Showgirl" brand … since their goods and services are completely different, calling it "absurd" that consumers would confuse the two.

Harvey Weinstein recently had another major health scare in jail -- suffering heart failure, TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... the disgraced Hollywood film producer was incarcerated on Rikers Island in NYC about 2 weeks ago when he experienced heart failure due to pneumonia.

Weinstein was being held in the Queens jail complex, awaiting sentencing in September for a 2025 sexual assault conviction. He has had a bunch of health scares behind bars over the past few years.

Warren Sapp was investigated for an alleged battery at a senior living facility in Florida ... but prosecutors declined to charge the former NFL star with a crime ... TMZ has learned.

According to a police report, obtained by TMZ, the Apopka Police Department responded to the Solaris Healthcare facility on May 25 after a female employed claimed Warren got physical with her.

The employee alleged Warren came to Solaris asking for records and answers regarding their family members’ insurance ... due to issues with claims being denied ... and she said he "became verbally hostile."

10:00 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the Reuters report about the ransom notes being fake is not accurate.

The series of alleged ransom notes sent to media outlets about Nancy Guthrie's kidnapping are bogus, according to a new report.

Reuters published an article Tuesday, saying the Federal Bureau of Investigation determined the notes are fake, but did not say how investigators came to that conclusion.

TMZ and other news outlets received the notes, which were then turned over to the FBI for analysis. The 2 alleged ransom notes were sent early on in the case ... and Reuters references the separate notes from someone claiming to know the kidnappers' identities, which TMZ obtained.

A suspect in Oklahoma City should've let sleeping dogs lie ... because he's almost certainly nursing a sore leg -- and facing an extra charge -- after dragging a K9 unit with his truck in a shocking video.

Dramatic footage shows cops performing a traffic stop that goes from routine to chaotic in seconds ... when a suspect standing out his box truck suddenly makes a break for it.

The K9 unit -- named Dash -- runs after the guy as he runs to truck, opens the door and gets behind the wheel ... latching onto the guy's leg with his jaws as the man starts to drive away.

Taylor Frankie Paul's mom is going to bat for her in her custody battle with her ex, Tate Paul ... blasting Tate for trying to keep Taylor's children away from their mother.

Liann May took a shot at Tate on social media ... saying he knows darn well Taylor's a great mother, and keeping her kids away from her only hurts the children.

Taylor's mama says her grandkids "LOVE their mommy more than anyone or anything in this world."

Colleen Zenk failed multiple sobriety tests and tried fleeing the scene before her latest DUI arrest ... at least according to police in Florida.

"The Young and the Restless" star was booked on two DUI charges on May 15 after cops say she drunkenly crashed into a parked car in front of a Tommy Bahama store in Naples.

Police say a witness at the scene told them Zenk initially tried leaving the scene, but she was stopped a few feet down the road. The witness told cops Colleen was stumbling when she exited her vehicle.

Jermaine Jackson looks like he no longer has to cough up millions of dollars to his rape accuser ... a judge voided the $6.5 million default judgment against him because the woman did not use his legal name while trying to serve him the lawsuit ... TMZ has learned.

We told you all about it ... plaintiff Rita Butler Barrett sued Michael Jackson's older brother in December 2023, claiming he "violently" raped her. She said Jermaine unexpectedly showed up at her Encino, California home in the spring of 1988 and raped her for several minutes until he abruptly stopped, leaving her traumatized.

According to the filings, she and her attorney tried tracking Jermaine down to serve him the lawsuit -- even publishing a legal notice in the Los Angeles Times in August and September 2025.

Sexyy Red wrote an emotional letter to the judge presiding over late music producer Tay Keith's lawsuit over unpaid music royalties ... TMZ has learned.

Sexyy wrote the note, obtained by TMZ, on June 6, 2026 ... just days before Tay's death. He was suing her label when he died.

In her letter, Sexyy disputes the claims made in Tay's case and says she recently learned that she was named as a defendant ... adding, "I am appalled and furthermore hurt by the allegations made."

Chris Brown is on the hook for a massive judgement to his ex-housekeeper after a jury found him liable for her injuries from a dog attack on his property, TMZ has learned.

A jury came down with the decision on Tuesday after a lengthy trial between Chris and Maria Avila. 

Maria sued Chris claiming he was negligent in allowing the large dog to roam his backyard … which is where she claims she was mauled while taking out the trash. In his initial response to the lawsuit, Chris argued Maria provoked the dog and caused her own injuries. 

'Bachelorette' alum DeAnna Pappas scored a win in her battle over money with her ex-husband Stephen Stagliano … after claiming she was living off her savings to survive, TMZ has learned.

DeAnna and Stephen faced off in a L.A. courtroom, where the judge ended up siding with the reality star. 

The judge ordered Stephen to pay DeAnna $109k she claimed to be owed in their divorce settlement ... and $27,240 for legal fees.

Taylor Frankie Paul's ex-husband beelined it to a Utah courthouse seeking a restraining order and sole custody of their kids ... TMZ has learned.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Tate Paul filed the request Tuesday against "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star with the former couple's 2022 divorce proceedings.

Sources close to Tate tell TMZ ... he has also filed to seek sole custody of their two children ... Indy and Ocean.

The docs show Tate also submitted five exhibits and a declaration in support of his request. All of the filings are under seal, and as a result, it's unclear what prompted Tate to seek the restraining order.

A source close to Taylor tells TMZ the restraining order petition is a direct result of Dakota telling Tate lies about her. She feels Dakota will do anything to hurt her ... including using the children, but she is a survivor.

Lil Durk says the feds pulled a fast one ... claiming prosecutors completely changed their case against him just weeks before trial ... and now he wants the judge to either break apart the case into separate chunks or throw the whole thing out.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Durk says his lawyers have spent 19 months getting ready to fight the murder-for-hire case tied to the 2022 killing of rapper Quando Rondo's cousin in Los Angeles ... only for prosecutors to call an audible.

Durk's lawyers Drew Findling, Brian Steel Marissa Goldberg and Christy O'Connor, say prosecutors have suddenly piled on a bunch of new allegations and charges -- including drug trafficking, robbery, and an old Atlanta shooting -- turning the case into something entirely different.