Legal

Nick Hogan was working a bikini contest at his father Hulk Hogan's restaurant hours before being arrested for DUI in Florida.

TMZ obtained video from Friday's event at Hogan's Hangout in Clearwater ... and you see Nick working from the DJ booth, playing music and introducing some of the winners.

Hulk was one of the judges, and he was also hosting the bikini contest, which featured $5,000 in cash prizes to three winners ... with Nick serving as MC/DJ.

When the contest started, Hulk announced they were giving out free shots ... which is interesting because ... as we first told you, later that night Nick got busted on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Nick's yet to address his DUI bust ... which comes 16 years after a scary car wreck in Clearwater that left a passenger with severe brain damage ... but now we know what he was doing earlier in the night.

Es oficial. La demanda de Cassie contra Diddy, en la que alegaba que la violó e involucró en trata de personas, ha sido desestimada.

De acuerdo con documentos legales obtenidos por TMZ, el caso fue terminado a los ojos de la ley el lunes en Nueva York. El documento dice: "De conformidad con un acuerdo entre las partes, el demandante desestima esta acción, con perjuicio y sin costos u honorarios para cualquiera de las partes".

Como informamos, Cassie y Diddy anunciaron que habían llegado a un acuerdo el viernes. Cassie dijo: "He decidido resolver este asunto de forma amistosa en términos en los que tengo cierto nivel de control. Quiero dar las gracias a mi familia, a mis fans y a mis abogados por su apoyo incondicional". El comunicado de Diddy decía: "Hemos decidido resolver este asunto amistosamente. Deseo a Cassie y a su familia todo lo mejor. Con amor".

El acuerdo fue extremadamente rápido, teniendo en cuenta que Cassie solo había presentado su demanda el jueves.

Sin embargo, el abogado de Diddy, Ben Brafman, fue directo en decirnos: "Solo para que quede claro, la decisión de resolver la demanda, especialmente en 2023, no es de ninguna manera una admisión de delito. La decisión del Sr. Combs de llegar a un acuerdo en la demanda no socava en modo alguno su rotunda negación de las acusaciones. Se alegra de que hayan llegado a un acuerdo mutuo y le desea lo mejor a la Sra. Ventura".

Diddy fue visto el sábado fuera de su casa de Star Island en Miami con aspecto angustiado, por decir lo menos.

La demanda fue impactante, con afirmaciones que hablaban de tráfico de personas, consumo de drogas y violación, incluyendo un incidente de 2018 en que Diddy supuestamente fue a la casa de Cassie y la forzó a tener relaciones sexuales.

Cassie también acusó a Diddy de ser agresivo con ella físicamente, golpeándola y pisoteándola varias veces a lo largo de su larga relación.

It's official ... Cassie's lawsuit against Diddy -- where she alleged he raped her and was involved in human trafficking -- has been dismissed.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the case was ended in the eyes of the law Monday in New York. The document reads, "Pursuant to an agreement between the parties, Plaintiff hereby dismisses this action, with prejudice and without costs or fees to either party."

As we reported, it was Friday when both Cassie and Diddy announced they had settled the lawsuit ... Cassie stated, "I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control. I want to thank my family, fans, and lawyers for their unwavering support." Diddy's statement read, "We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love."

The settlement was extremely quick, considering Cassie had only filed her lawsuit Thursday.

However, Diddy's attorney, Ben Brafman, was direct, telling us ... "Just so we’re clear, a decision to settle a lawsuit, especially in 2023, is in no way an admission of wrongdoing. Mr. Combs‘ decision to settle the lawsuit does not in any way undermine his flat-out denial of the claims. He is happy they got to a mutual settlement and wishes Ms. Ventura the best."

Diddy was seen Saturday outside his Star Island home in Miami looking distressed, to say the least.

The lawsuit was shocking -- with claims of human trafficking, drug use and rape -- including one incident Cassie says happened in 2018 when Diddy allegedly came over to her home after she'd tried to break up with him and forced sex on her.

Cassie also accused Diddy of being physical with her, beating and stomping her several times throughout their long relationship.

Wale finds himself inserted in a rumor about Diddy dangling him over a balcony for working with Cassie against Diddy's wishes -- but Wale says it's a fairy tale derived from Robert Townsend's film, "The Five Heartbeats!!!

Wale's management tells TMZ Hip Hop the story, first started by DMV rapper-turned-YouTuber Ant Glizzy, is pure fakery and goes on to say, "It’s a shame that a complete fabrication has gotten this far and that we have to dignify it with a response."

They continue ... "It is a fantasy written by an outsider to exploit a viral story for clicks … the author must have watched "The Five Heartbeats" on basic cable and got inspired. They have never been in the same room as the people mentioned. Wale has never met Cassie or the author and was never involved in any type of altercation. He wishes peace for everyone involved in the settlement."

Wale's team is also warning any media outlets that continue posting the story would be spreading fake news, "and we appreciate any outlet dedicated to factual reporting.”

The 1991 film is loosely based on the Motown Hits era and features a crazed record label boss named Big Red hanging one of his artists over a balcony after they disrespected his office hours with an inquiry about his royalties.

Ant Glizzy has repeatedly made it clear in his videos that he has a bone to pick with Wale but also lingering beef with Shy Glizzy, who he also mentioned in the story.

Diddy looked gutted over the weekend after settling the explosive lawsuit Cassie filed, alleging rape, physical abuse and human trafficking.

La plataforma de X de Elon Musk está arrastrando a un grupo de vigilancia de los medios de comunicación a los tribunales, alegando que Media Matters está llevando a cabo una campaña de desprestigio contra él y su empresa.

El multimillonario siguió el lunes con sus planes previamente anunciados para demandar a Media Matters en respuesta a una historia recientemente publicada que sugiere anuncios pro-nazis se estaban ejecutando junto con el contenido orgánico de usuario, una afirmación que Elon afirma que es mentira.

De acuerdo con la demanda obtenida por TMZ, Media Matters "a sabiendas y maliciosamente a creado" mensajes que muestran anuncios junto a neonazis y nacionalistas blancos en su aplicación X, antes Tuiter.

X afirma que Media Matters está ahuyentando a los anunciantes de la plataforma de Elon haciendo pasar las imágenes por algo que el usuario típico de X podría encontrar en la aplicación, algo que Musk dice que está lejos de ser cierto.

Lo que es más, X alega que Media Matters hizo todo lo posible para manipular el algoritmo para crear situaciones en las que los mensajes pagados de grandes empresas aparecerían junto a contenido racista e incendiario.

X dice que Media Matters tomó capturas de pantalla de los puestos como la base de una historia negativa: "dejando la falsa impresión de que estos emparejamientos son cualquier cosa menos lo que realmente son: fabricados, inorgánicos y extraordinariamente raros".

La demanda dice que todo es parte de una amplia campaña de desprestigio que Media Matters está montando contra Elon y X, alegando que el grupo está empeñado en alejar a los anunciantes de la plataforma con el fin de destruir la compañía de Elon.

Como informamos, Elon anunció el viernes los planes para presentar una demanda "termonuclear" contra Media Matters por lo que dice que fue un "ataque fraudulento" contra su aplicación.

Hay muchas razones por las que Elon está enfadado, entre ellas el hecho de que el informe de Media Matters parece haber provocado un éxodo masivo entre las GRANDES empresas que se anuncian en X.

Sin embargo, Media Matters no está dando marcha atrás, su presidente, Angelo Carusone, le dice a TMZ: "Esta es una demanda frívola destinada a intimidar a los críticos de X en silencio. Media Matters respalda su información y espera ganar en los tribunales".

2:35 PM PT -- The judge just decided there's enough to take Rocky's case to trial. He'll answer to two counts of first-degree assault with a firearm ... arraignment on January 8.

Potentially huge development in the A$AP Rocky assault case ... prosecutors just showed what they claim is video of him holding a gun before allegedly shooting former fellow Mob member A$AP Relli.

The video was played in an L.A. courtroom Monday afternoon, and prosecutors say that's Rocky in the clip holding a gun during a physical altercation with Relli.

LAPD detective Frank Flores took the stand, and testified cops obtained the video during the course of their investigation. The prosecution also showed still photos from the footage to bolster their claim it's A$AP Rocky with a gun.

Rihanna's baby daddy was in court as prosecutors made their case against him ... wearing a dark blue suit, black glasses and black facemask, remaining stoic throughout the explosive testimony against him.

Prosecutors also played a separate clip of what they say are 2 gunshots ... though there's been no video of the alleged shooting itself. Relli claims Rocky shot his hand.

Police body cam video was also shown in court ... and it shows at least 7 officers arriving at the scene of the alleged shooting and canvassing for evidence ... they never find the weapon.

As we reported... Relli claims he had beef with Rocky leading up to the alleged incident, and he testified Rocky put a gun to his stomach during a heated exchange.

Relli previously testified Rocky didn't shoot right then and there, instead claiming the bullets started flying shortly after they separated. He says Rocky took off running and left him on the street after firing about 4 shots.

While cops say they didn't find any shell casings, Relli claims he came back to the scene later that night and recovered a pair of 9mm shells. Rocky's lawyers grilled him over the claim, asking how he could easily find casings when the cops could not.

Worth noting ... no fingerprints were recovered from the shell casings Relli provided to law enforcement.

We covered the story on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Shakira decided not to fight the fight in a courtroom in Spain ... she has settled her tax fraud case with the government and agreed to pay millions in fines.

She cut a plea deal in the case after failing to pay $15.8 million in taxes between 2012 and 2014 -- the singer is set to receive a suspended 3-year sentence and a fine of $7.6 million ... as well as the taxes, plus interest. All told, she's in for about $19 million now.

Shakira showed up for the trial Monday in Barcelona, but before anything official happened the parties announced a settlement.

The fine is actually somewhat of a victory for the singer ... prosecutors wanted more than double that. Also, she can certainly afford it ... her net worth is significantly north of $200 million.

Shakira seemed upbeat when she entered the courthouse ... blowing kisses to her fans.

As for why she settled, she said in a statement it was "to spare my children seeing their mother sacrifice her well-being."

She went on ... 'I admire tremendously those who have fought these injustices to the end, but for me, today, winning is getting my time back for my kids and my career."

She's still pissed, going after the Spanish government for targeting athletes and other high-profile folks.

The judge asked her if she accepted the charges against her and she simply said, "I do." The judge said the fine would end the case ... i.e., no prison time.

Shakira decidió no luchar en un tribunal en España. Ha resuelto su caso de fraude fiscal con el gobierno y acordó pagar millones en multas.

Ella llegó a un acuerdo en el caso después de no pagar 15.8 millones de dólares en impuestos entre 2012 y 2014, la cantante está programada para recibir una sentencia suspendida de tres años y una multa de 7.6 millones de dólares.

Shakira se presentó al juicio el lunes en Barcelona y las partes anunciaron un acuerdo rápidamente.

La multa es en realidad una especie de victoria para la cantante, los fiscales querían más del doble. Además, sin duda puede permitírselo, su patrimonio neto es significativamente superior a $200 millones.

Shakira parecía optimista cuando entró al palacio de justicia, soplando besos a sus fans.

En cuanto a por qué llegó a un acuerdo, dijo en un comunicado que era "para evitar que mis hijos vean a su madre sacrificar su bienestar".

Ella continuó: "Admiro tremendamente a aquellos que han luchado contra estas injusticias hasta el final, pero para mí, hoy, ganar es recuperar mi tiempo para mis hijos y mi carrera".

Ella sigue cabreada, yendo a por el gobierno español contra deportistas y otras personas de alto perfil.

El juez le preguntó si aceptaba los cargos que se le imputaban y ella se limitó a decir: "Los acepto". El juez dijo que la multa pondría fin al caso, es decir, no iría a la cárcel.

Kim Zolciak has been sued yet again for not paying her bills ... this time by Bank of America, which claims she's delinquent on more than $50,000.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kim had a $50,000 line of credit over at B of A, and then racked up a bill that reached the limit. B of A claims it sent periodic notices, demanding payment, but got zippo.

With interest and penalties, the balance is now $56,224.07 and growing. So B of A is now the latest in a long line of creditors who have resorted to the legal system to get Kim and Kroy to fork over cash.

BMW just won a case against Kroy over non-payment of a Rolls-Royce. A judge ordered this month that he return the $400,100 SUV to the car company.

Kim and Kroy have also been ordered to pay Simmons Bank approximately $230,000 for defaulting on a home equity line of credit.

Kim was sued back in August by SAKS/CAPITAL ONE for $156,080 ... again, failing to pay her credit card bill.

And Kim was also sued by Target for $2,400 for failing to make good on her credit card bill.

Kroy was sued by Sky Warrior over a gambling debt -- $52,500 -- over a bad run at a casino in the Bahamas.

They've also teetered on the edge of foreclosure.

Tyrese Gibson está siendo demandado por presuntos daños a un alquiler de Airbnb por hacer "alteraciones excesivas", pero él se está defendiendo diciendo que los cambios que hizo no son un gran problema.

La administradora de la propiedad, Tracy Wolf, le dice a TMZ que Tyrese firmó un contrato de arriendo de 6 meses para una finca de 5 dormitorios en Woodland Hills por $20.000 mensuales a partir de febrero, y ella dice que comenzó a añadir estructuras a la casa justo después de mudarse.

Wolf afirma que Tyrese causó daños en toda la propiedad mediante la alteración de los paneles eléctricos, la adición de tomas de corriente que no estaban permitidas, la pintura de una chimenea de mármol en un color metálico de oro brillante y el cierre de puertas y ventanas, causando daños a las unidades de HVAC.

TMZ obtuvo un video de Tyrese mostrando algunos de los cambios en el interior de la casa, dice que bloqueó algunas puertas y ventanas por razones de privacidad y afirma que los materiales que utilizó no están unidos a las estructuras existentes de la casa y todos los cambios son temporales.

El administrador de la propiedad dice que Tyrese les dijo que no había cambios permanentes en la casa, pero insisten en que los cambios están lejos de ser temporales y, en cualquier caso, causó daños a la propiedad.

Es más, la administradora de la propiedad afirma que Tyrese intentó que el jardinero del propietario retirara 22 plátanos del terreno y cuando el jardinero se negó, dice que Tyrese intentó contratar a otra empresa, sin embargo, el equipo de administración de la propiedad se lo impidió.

Wolf también afirma que Tyrese permitió que un equipo de construcción perforara un montón de agujeros en la puerta de hierro forjado de la casa y flamante exterior de estuco y hemos obtenido video que muestra el supuesto daño.

La administradora de la propiedad dice que a Tyrese se le pidió en repetidas ocasiones no hacer ningún cambio sin el consentimiento por escrito de los propietarios, pero ella afirma que hizo caso omiso de la solicitud y realizó cambios cada vez que quería.

Wolf dice que la dueña de casa, Tiffanique Webb, trató de ser paciente con Tyrese y le dio varios meses para restaurar la casa, pero dice Tyrese dejó de responder a las llamadas, textos y correos electrónicos, y este es el porqué de la demanda.

Webb va detrás de Tyrese por más de $25.000 en daños y perjuicios.

Tyrese Gibson is being sued for allegedly damaging a rental property by making "excessive alterations" ... but he's on video saying the changes he made aren't a big deal.

The property manager, Tracy Wolf, tells TMZ ... Tyrese signed a 6-month lease for a 5-bedroom estate in Woodland Hills for $20,000 per month starting in February, and she says he started adding structures to the home right after he moved in.

Wolf claims Tyrese caused damage throughout the property by altering electrical panels, adding electrical outlets that weren't up to code, painting a marble fireplace in a shiny gold metallic color, closing off doors and windows, and causing damage to the HVAC units.

TMZ obtained video of Tyrese showing off some of the changes inside the home ... he says he blocked some doors and windows for privacy concerns and claims the materials he used aren't attached to the home's existing structures and all the changes are temporary.

The property manager says Tyrese told them there were no permanent changes to the home ... but they insist the changes are far from temporary and, in any event, caused damage to the property.

What's more, the property manager claims Tyrese tried to get the homeowner's gardener to remove 22 banana trees on the grounds ... and when the gardener refused, she says Tyrese tried to hire another company ... but got thwarted by the property management team.

Wolf also claims Tyrese allowed a construction crew to drill a bunch of holes in the home's wrought iron gate and brand-new stucco exterior ... and we obtained video showing the alleged damage.

The property manager says Tyrese was repeatedly asked not to make any changes without written consent from the owners ... but she claims he disregarded the request and made changes on a whim whenever he wanted.

Wolf says the homeowner, Tiffanique Webb, tried being patient with Tyrese and gave him several months to restore the home ... but she says Tyrese stopped responding to calls, texts and emails ... leading to the lawsuit.

Webb is going after Tyrese for more than $25,000 in damages.

We reached out to Tyrese ... so far no word back.

GoFundMe has suspended a fundraiser appearing to benefit the family of the Las Vegas teen who was beaten to death earlier this month, and his family claims the solicitation for money is fraudulent.

The fundraiser is titled "Jonathan Lewis Family," and raised nearly $2k since going live last week. The main photo isn't of 17-year-old Lewis, but instead of another man ... a man who according to Jonathan's dad, has no connection to Lewis.

According to the description, the alleged organizer, Cole Charles, is looking to raise funds for Lewis' family ... but it's all pretty vague.

A spokesperson for GoFundMe tells TMZ ... "Our Trust & Safety team has reached out to the organizer for more information. All funds raised on the fundraiser remain safely held by our payment processors while our Trust & Safety team conducts its review."

To be clear, the person running the questionable fundraiser doesn't have access to the cash that's been raised, and it will maintained by GoFundMe until they complete their investigation.

Also ... there's an existing, verified fundraiser that's on the site benefitting the Lewis fam and has raised well over $100,000. Protecting the GoFundMe community is one of the platform's top priorities, and they have a dedicated team reviewing all fundraisers related to this incident.

As we reported, footage from the brutal incident showed Lewis at the center of a beatdown near a Las Vegas high school -- cops said the attack stemmed from stolen headphones and possibly a vape pen ... with everyone agreeing to meet in an alley after school to fight.

GoFundMe ha suspendido una recaudación de fondos que parece beneficiar a la familia del adolescente de Las Vegas que fue golpeado hasta la muerte a principios de este mes, y su familia afirma que la solicitud de dinero es fraudulenta.

La recaudación de fondos se titula "Jonathan Lewis Family" y recaudó casi 2.000 dólares desde que se puso en marcha hace dos días. La foto principal no es del chico de 17 años de edad, Lewis, sino de otro hombre. Un hombre que, según el padre de Jonathan, no tiene ninguna conexión con Lewis.

Según la descripción, el presunto organizador, Cole Charles, está buscando recaudar fondos para la familia de Lewis, pero todo es bastante vago.

Un portavoz de GoFundMe le dice a TMZ: "Nuestro equipo de Confianza y Seguridad se ha puesto en contacto con el organizador para obtener más información. Todos los fondos recaudados permanecen retenidos de forma segura por nuestros procesadores de pagos mientras nuestro equipo de Confianza y Seguridad lleva a cabo su revisión".

Para ser claros, la persona que está ejecutando la recaudación de fondos cuestionable no tiene acceso al dinero en efectivo y se mantendrá por GoFundMe hasta que completen su investigación.

También hay una recaudación de fondos verificada que está en el sitio en beneficio de la familia Lewis y ha recaudado más de $100.000. La protección de la comunidad GoFundMe es una de las principales prioridades de la plataforma y tienen un equipo dedicado a la revisión de todos los recaudadores de fondos relacionados con este incidente.

Como informamos, imágenes del brutal incidente mostraron a Lewis recibiendo una paliza cerca de una escuela secundaria de Las Vegas. La policía dijo que el ataque se derivó de los auriculares robados y posiblemente un vaporizador con todo el mundo de acuerdo en reunirse en un callejón después de la escuela para luchar.

El hermano de Polo G, Trench Baby, es acusado de matar a un hombre en un tiroteo en Los Ángeles y actualmente está en una celda de la cárcel después de ser acusado de asesinato.

Fuentes policiales le dicen a TMZ Hip Hop que Trench Baby (nombre real Taurean Bartlett) ha sido acusado por el asesinato de Dashaun Berry, de 20 años. Nos dicen que Berry fue asesinado en un tiroteo la madrugada del 10 de junio en un estacionamiento de North Hollywood.

Nos informan que los paramédicos declararon muerto a Berry en la escena cuando lo encontraron a la 1:30 AM con heridas de bala.

La policía cree que el incidente fue solo el primero de una serie de crímenes que Trench Baby supuestamente pasó a cometer en los meses siguientes.

También ha sido acusado de robo en primer grado por un incidente 15 de agosto y se enfrenta a un cargo adicional de disuadir a un testigo por la fuerza o amenaza el 10 de septiembre.

Se nos dice que ambos cargos implican el mismo hombre.

TMZ Hip Hop publicó la historia, poco después del presunto robo de agosto, la policía irrumpió en Polo y TB en su casa de Los Ángeles y los detuvo.

Polo y TB también fueron investigados por un presunto altercado en un estudio de Burbank con una mujer que dijo que la había sido golpeada en la cara, pero los fiscales dijeron que no había pruebas suficientes para presentar cargos por eso.

11/22 -- 6:32 AM PT -- Trench Baby aka Tauren Bartlett’s attorneys Bradford Cohen and Zoey Aron are speaking out for the client and tell TMZ Hip Hop …"The case against Mr. Bartlett is an example of the Los Angeles State Attorney's Office trying to charge a young man with very little physical evidence and a lot of hearsay. No murder weapon, no motive, his cell phone does not place him on the scene, no gunshot residue, and there is no eye witness identifying him. He was actually given a 2 mill dollar bond, but once he made the bond, the State attorney, who has spoken about justice reform, went back and pulled the bond.

"We expect to move this case forward and demonstrate why this incident could not have been Tauren and is most likely one of the several other suspects that police have questioned regarding the incident."

Polo G's brother Trench Baby is accused of killing a man in an L.A. drive-by shooting ... and is currently sitting in a jail cell after getting charged with felony murder.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Hip Hop ... Trench Baby (real name Taurean Bartlett) has now been charged for the murder of 20-year-old Dashaun Berry. We're told Berry was killed in a drive-by shooting in the wee hours of June 10 in a North Hollywood parking lot.

We're told paramedics pronounced Berry dead at the scene when they found him at 1:30 AM with gunshot wounds.

Cops believe the incident was just the first in a string of crimes Trench Baby allegedly went on to commit in the following months.

He's also been charged with first-degree residential robbery for an August 15 incident -- and faces an additional charge of dissuading a witness by force or threat on September 10.

We're told both of those charges involve the same man.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... shortly after the alleged August robbery, police swarmed in on Polo and TB at their L.A. home and arrested them.

Polo and TB were also investigated for an alleged altercation in a Burbank studio involving a woman who said she had been punched in the face ... but prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence to file charges for that one.

Trench Baby is being held without bail.

Nick Hogan's fresh DUI arrest is opening some old wounds for the family of the man who was severely injured in the guy's 2007 crash -- and they think Nick hasn't learned his lesson.

TMZ talked to John Graziano's mother, Debra ... who says she isn't surprised over Nick's latest bust -- telling us he appears to have been as careless now as he was almost 20 years ago when he got into another car wreck as a teen -- which changed her son's life forever.

While it remains to be seen if Nick will be formally charged in this new case ... Debra says she believes his past incident with John -- who suffered severe brain damage in '07, riding passenger alongside Nick at the time -- should be factored into whatever happens here.

To Debra, the fact Nick got popped again all these years later shows a "total lack of respect for what (he) did to another person’s life and you’re still driving reckless."

She adds, "I can only pray that at some point in his life, while he still has the chance, that he turns his life around. Until then I hope no one else gets hurt." Debra goes on to say that the '07 accident and the saga that followed continues to take its toll on her/her loved ones.

Debra says, "I grieve the virtual loss of my son on a daily basis. I thank God daily that at least I have John here with us at home." She says while John has lost most of his ability to function normally, she's grateful he's alive and surrounded by people who care about him.