Legal

Netflix wants Tyra Banks' "America's Next Top Model" documentary defamation lawsuit off the runway for good -- officially asking a judge Friday to toss it.

The filing, obtained by TMZ, basically laughs off the model's claims Netflix defamed her and represented her in a poor light in this year's "Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model" doc, arguing that she agreed to be interviewed and signed a release giving the filmmakers broad editing rights ... and can't just sue because she does not like how she was portrayed.

The filing further argues that when you take away Tyra's claims of "manipulation" and "surgical editing," it's reduced to a "request for more airtime and an edit more to her liking."

Da’Vine Joy Randolph is dragging her landlord to court … claiming she rented a luxury home for $17K a month … only to have to deal with pests and plumbing issues ... TMZ has learned.

The Oscar-winning actress is suing a leasing company, 421 NRD LLC, claiming its $5+ million rental turned into a nightmare with a whole host of problems.

Da’Vine said she leased a high-end 5-bedroom, 6-bathroom, 4,452-square-foot home in Los Angeles for $17,000 per month in September 2024.

Luigi Mangione seemed to finally feel the full weight of his crime in court, becoming emotional during the proceedings ... so says the sketch artist.

Christine Cornell -- who has sketched Luigi numerous times during his legal journey -- said on CNN he's always seemed distant in the courtroom ... listening intently to the hearings but not conveying any feeling.

She likens him to a husky ... a beautiful dog -- but it's impossible to tell exactly what they're thinking.

Nick Reiner is calling BS on the executor of his trust ... telling the court he didn't give any consent to withhold money from him he says was owed to him under the terms of the trust when he turned 30.

Reiner filed a new legal document on Friday in which he says successor trustee Jodi Pais Montgomery's claim that he told a past trustee he'd leave the money in the account as "trust property" isn't true.

He also says the claim that his mother, Michele Reiner, told a previous trustee that he knew he could take the money when he turned 30 and therefore was consenting to leave it in the account when he didn't remove it is also not valid consent ... because he didn't authoritze his mother or anyone to make such a statement.

Dr. Terry Dubrow has a whole different kind of "Botched" situation on his hands ... cybercriminals breached his plastic surgery practice and accessed sensitive patient information.

Terry tells TMZ ... cybercrooks have become so sophisticated with A.I. and other technology that "literally no business, big or small, is safe." He says he spent a tremendous amount of money and resources protecting his patients' data -- and stresses there's no evidence any of it has been misused or shared.

Terry's also trying to give patients some peace of mind ... telling us he has a $1 million cyber protection insurance policy for them and set up a free monitoring service going forward.

The California couple who are fighting their surrogate, McKenna West, for custody of their baby boy are slamming Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for helping out McKenna ... TMZ has learned.

In court docs filed in Texas, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, the parents fighting for their biological baby, called out Paxton for interfering in the case.

Nausheen and Omar say the state's request to intervene and get authorization for medical treatment for the child would deprive them of their "fundamental constitutional interest in the care, custody, control and medical decision-making for their child without constitutionally adequate notice, process, and opportunity to be heard … in violation of the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution."

Luigi Mangione's supporters are still throwing money at his defense ... even though he pleaded guilty to stalking charges this morning in his federal case.

We've learned that -- in the last few hours -- Luigi's GiveSendGo fund for his legal fees increased by about $1,000.

Fans are also sharing their love and support for Luigi in the comments section of the fundraiser ... leaving posts like, "He did what he had to do today, what he thought was best for him. We're still here with you, Luigi" and "You'll see the outside world again one day, I know you will. I'll keep writing to you."

'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star Dorit Kemsley scored a small victory in her nasty legal battle with her ex-husband, PK Kemsley, over their $6 million mansion ... TMZ has learned.

Sources tell TMZ … a hearing was held today on PK's emergency motion to list the 6-bedroom, 10-bathroom home Dorit is living in with their two kids.

Dorit's powerhouse lawyer, Samantha Spector, argued in court there was no emergency … and the court agreed. A hearing on the matter is set for August 26, when the judge will go over the matter once again.

Surrogate McKenna West says she knows a person who was born with the same heart defect as Baby Gabriel ... and she claims they are now a "thriving teenager."

According to court documents obtained by TMZ, McKenna says the baby was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, just like Gabriel ... and they underwent at least three surgeries.

The docs say McKenna's maternal-fetal-medicine specialist got in contact with the biological parents to explain to all three of them how approximately 70% of children with HLHS live beyond their fifth birthday.

The specialist made it clear McKenna would need to travel out-of-state to successfully deliver this child ... and that's exactly what she did.

McKenna West says she couldn't go through with terminating her pregnancy, despite Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed insisting she do so ... even though she previously stated she talked it over with a psychologist and was willing to do so if they wanted it done.

A new legal filing includes the surrogacy agreement the parties signed back in August 2025 ... and one section clearly states there "shall be a termination of the pregnancy for a fetal abnormality" upon request of Gilkar and Ahmed.

As we reported ... the baby, who West named Gabriel, was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome -- a congenital heart defect -- during the 20-week fetal scan.

The 13-year-old boy in Arizona facing a misdemeanor assault charge over a gym class dodgeball game says he never meant to hurt anyone ... but admits he's nervous about going to court.

Abel Schipper and his mom, Cecily, joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday ... and he insisted he never tried to hurt his ex-girlfriend when he and two friends threw foam dodgeballs at her during a warm-up.

Abel says the kids were throwing at random classmates before targeting his ex ... and denies they scrunched up the foam balls to make them hit harder. As for her large bruises, Abel says he has no idea how they got so severe.

Courtney Clenney is having a rough go of it in jail, getting into fights with other female inmates who have threatened her because she killed her boyfriend ... at least according to her lawyer.

Clenney's attorney, Frank Prieto, tells TMZ ... Courtney has received numerous threats from other female inmates, mostly Black women, in the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Center.

Prieto tells us the other inmates would start the fights, shoving Clenney and saying, "You killed your boyfriend ... I'm gonna f*** you up." Prieto noted the incidents never escalated into full-scale violence, but Clenney felt as if her life was in danger at times.

McKenna West claims she was facing the threat of a six-figure fine under her surrogacy contract if she didn’t abort the baby she was carrying for a California-based couple ... TMZ has learned.

We obtained the lawsuit McKenna filed against Worldwide Surrogacy over the baby she was carrying for Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed. As we've previously reported, the parents wanted the baby aborted due to health issues doctors found.

McKenna refused and gave birth on August 12 in Texas to a baby boy she named Gabriel ... which the couple says is not the child's name.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton spoke out in favor of McKenna ... and took steps to ensure two Texas hospitals would provide medical care.

Luigi Mangione just pled guilty to stalking in his federal case in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson ... a stunning move that could torpedo his upcoming New York state murder trial.

Mangione spoke to the judge, saying ... "After years of enduring pain from a broken back, I shot Mr. Thompson, and he died. I knew what I was doing was illegal." His lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said during a news conference, "He endured years of severe, debilitating pain, following a broken back, while struggling to navigate our health care and health insurance systems," adding, "He believed that the system had failed him and destroyed his life."

Agnifilo is previewing what she will argue before the judge when it comes time for sentencing ... that Luigi was so overwrought with pain and anger he was not fully in his right mind when he fired the shots that killed Brian Thompson.

Mangione said he tracked Thompson to a UnitedHealthCare conference, where he posed as an investor to get more info on who was attending. He said he used a gun he printed on a 3-D printer and affixed it with a silencer.

Mangione pled guilty to interstate stalking resulting in death and stalking through the use of interstate facilities resulting in death.

Thompson's family was in court to watch the dramatic turn of events. Afterward, the family said they are happy Mangione has been held accountable for "this heinous act," adding, "Now we look to the court to ensure that sentencing reflects the severity of this crime."

Abby Elliott's estranged husband wants her to cut him monthly checks ... as their bitter divorce heats up and they fight over finances.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Bill Kennedy filed a response to her divorce petition ... and he's requesting spousal support.

Bill, who was married to Abby for a decade, is also asking to block the court's ability to award spousal support to her. He also asks that Abby pay his attorneys' fees.

He wants joint legal and physical custody of their two children ... 5-year-old Edith and 3-year-old William Kennedy.

Influencer Brianna Olsen's baby dad, Santos Salazar, was taken into custody early Thursday morning for alleged attempted murder, TMZ has learned.

According to online records, Salazar was taken into custody at approximately 12:30 AM and booked around 4:40 AM. His bail was set at $1 million, and he is facing a felony charge.

LAPD tells TMZ ... Salazar was booked for attempted murder.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... LAPD responded to a domestic violence call to an address belonging to both Salazar and Olsen on Wednesday night around 9:40 PM.