Legal

Paula Abdul's claims of sexual assault against 'American Idol' producer Nigel Lythgoe are wholly untrue, and they'll be fought off vigorously in court ... so says the man himself.

Nigel tells TMZ ... "To say that I am shocked and saddened by the allegations made against me by Paula Abdul is a wild understatement. For more than two decades, Paula and I have interacted as dear -- and entirely platonic -- friends and colleagues."

He adds, "Yesterday, however, out of the blue, I learned of these claims in the press and I want to be clear: not only are they false, they are deeply offensive to me and to everything I stand for."

NL finishes by saying ... "While Paula’s history of erratic behavior is well known, I can’t pretend to understand exactly why she would file a lawsuit that she must know is untrue. But I can promise that I will fight this appalling smear with everything I have."

Nigel doesn't elaborate on the "erratic behavior" he's referring to -- but it does seem to be a thinly-veiled jab at her alleged affair with ex-'Idol' contestant Corey Clark from way back in the mid-2000s ... which she's always maintained did not happen.

TMZ broke the story ... Paula filed her bombshell suit against Lythgoe Friday, alleging she'd been sexually assaulted by him on at least two occasions -- not to mention allegedly being harassed by him on others.

She claimed that in the early seasons of 'Idol,' Lythgoe grabbed her breasts and genitals in an elevator they were in while out on the road for regional auditions ... this while allegedly tying to kiss her. She also claims he forced himself onto her at some point during her judging stint on 'So You Think You Can Dance' after inviting her to his home to talk shop.

Welp, Nigel is denying all of it ... and says Paula's making the whole thing up. None of the other talent from either show has spoken up on this just publicly ... at least not yet anyway.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard has overstayed her welcome in Missouri post-prison, 'cause she's gotten the ol' GTFOH from cops ... dashing any hope of a Swiftie meetup, for now.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the recently-released ex-con -- who was cut loose into the wild Thursday from a state prison there in the area -- was recently notified by her parole officer that she and her loved ones needed to get outta Missouri.

The reasoning behind this is a bit unclear, but what we do know is that Gypsy was told local law enforcement officials spoke to the state corrections unit and notified them they wanted her gone ASAP. We're told this might be because of security risks her continued presence might present to the KC area ... where she's been hanging out for the past 24 hours or so.

It's true ... GRB has become a local celebrity during her brief time in town, taking photos with fans, and stopping/chatting with paps that have been hounding her. During the time she's been out behind bars, Gypsy has most certainly drawn a helluva lot of attention.

In any case, our sources tell us Gyspy's heard 'em loud and clear ... and is currently on her way to her husband's home in Louisiana -- which, of course, means she won't be at Sunday's Chiefs game.

We're told Gypsy is bummed about this development, as she and her hubby had plans to attend for a while now -- with tickets in hand dating back months and even some Chiefs merch ready to go that she got for Christmas. With that said, our sources say she gets it and is grateful to be freed.

As we reported ... Gypsy was hoping to meet Taylor Swift while at Arrowhead, with a Hail Mary shout-out that she hoped TS would see. Of course, it was a long shot to begin with.

Now, in terms of why Gypsy was allowed to roam around Kansas City to begin with -- we're told it had to do with the timing of her release (very, very early) which led MDOC to allow her to stay overnight in town at an Airbnb ... where her family partied.

Like we said, she's been living it up since getting back on the outside -- now, she'll just have to do it another state ... 'cause Missouri's told her to beat it, and she absolutely did.

Pretty crazy 48 hours for Gypsy, but it's nothing compared to her life story in general -- which, BTW, is going to be spotlighted in a new Lifetime special that's airing on Jan. 5.

The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard is a 3-night event that'll touch on the whole saga ... dating back to when she helped plan the murder of her abusive mother -- and it features a first-person perspective from GRB herself on her own newsworthy story.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard ha sobrepasado su estancia en Missouri luego de salir de prisión, porque los policías le han dicho que se vaya inmediatamente, frustrando cualquier esperanza de tener un encuentro con Taylor Swift, por ahora.

Fuentes con conocimiento directo le dicen a TMZ que la ex-convicta, que fue liberada el jueves de una prisión estatal en la zona, fue notificada recientemente por su oficial de libertad condicional de que ella y sus seres queridos necesitan salir de Missouri.

La razón detrás de esto es un poco confusa, pero lo que sí sabemos es que los funcionarios encargados de hacer cumplir la ley local hablaron con la unidad correccional del estado, quienes les informaron que querían que Gypsy se fuera lo antes posible. Nos dicen que esto podría ser debido a los riesgos de seguridad que su presencia podría suponer para la zona de Kansas City, donde ha estado pasando el rato durante las últimas 24 horas más o menos.

Es cierto, Gypsy se ha convertido en una celebridad local durante su breve estancia en la ciudad, sacándose fotos con los fans y parando a conversar con los paparazzi que la han estado acosando. Durante el tiempo que ha estado fuera ha llamado mucho la atención.

En cualquier caso, nuestras fuentes nos dicen que Gyspy ha entendido el mensaje alto y claro y actualmente se encuentra camino a casa con su marido en Louisiana. Por supuesto, eso significa que no estará en el partido del domingo con los Chiefs.

Nos dicen que Gypsy está deprimida por como se dieron las cosas, ya que ella y su marido tenían planes de asistir desde hace un tiempo. Tenían entradas compradas de hace algunos meses e incluso algo de merchandasing de los Chiefs que ella había conseguido para la Navidad. Dicho esto, nuestras fuentes dicen que ella lo entiende y está agradecida de ser liberada.

Como hemos informado, Gypsy tenía la esperanza de conocer a Taylor Swift, mientras estuviera en el estadio Arrowhead y hacer un saludo que esperaba que Taylor Swift viera. Por supuesto, era una posibilidad remota para empezar.

Ahora, en términos de por qué se le permitió a Gypsy vagar por Kansas City, para empezar nos dicen que tenía que ver con el momento de su liberación (muy, muy temprano) que llevó al departamento de Correccionales a permitirle pasar la noche en la ciudad en un AirBnb, donde su familia hizo una fiesta.

Como hemos dicho, ella lo ha estado pasando bien desde su regreso al mundo exterior. Ahora, solo tendrá que hacerlo desde otro estado, ya que Missouri le dijo que se fuera y ella obedeció de inmediato.

Estas 48 intensas horas no son nada comparado con la historia de su vida, que, por cierto, va a ser el centro de un nuevo especial de Lifetime que se emite el 5 de enero.

'Las confesiones de la prisión de Gypsy Rose Blanchard' es un evento de 3 noches que tocará toda la saga y que se remonta a cuando ella ayudó a planear el asesinato de su abusiva madre y cuenta con una perspectiva en primera persona de Gypsy en esta historia.

Paula Abdul claims one of the "American Idol" executive producers, Nigel Lythgoe, sexually assaulted her multiple times while she was judging 'Idol' and "So You Think You Can Dance" ... according to a new lawsuit she's filed.

Paula filed the lawsuit Friday in L.A. County ... and in the docs, obtained by TMZ, she alleges the first assault happened during "one of Idol's initial seasons" while they were on the road for regional auditions. Paula claims she and Lythgoe got into an elevator at their hotel, and once the doors closed he shoved her against the wall and grabbed her genitals and breasts ... and tried to tongue-kiss her.

In the suit, Paula says she tried to push him away, and then ran to her room once the elevator doors opened. Paula says she immediately called one of her reps to inform them about the alleged incident -- but fearing she'd be fired in retaliation, she decided to keep quiet.

She says the second alleged encounter happened after she signed a new contract in 2015 to be a judge on 'SYTYCD' -- which was also executive produced by Lythgoe. According to the docs, at some point during her 2 seasons on the show, Lythgoe invited Paula to his house to discuss work opportunities ... and she says she accepted because she thought it was a professional situation.

However, she claims the evening ended with Lythgoe forcing himself on top of her while she was on a couch ... and trying to kiss her. In the suit, she says he was telling her they would make an "excellent power couple." Paula says she pushed him off of her, said she was not interested and immediately left.

Paula alleges there was another instance during her 'SYTYCD' that happened in 2015 -- she claims she witnessed Lythgoe grope one of her assistants.

Aside from the disturbing allegations of assault, Paula also claims Lythgoe "taunted" her by calling her at some point to say they should celebrate because it had been "7 years and the statute of limitations had run."

More broadly, Paula alleges she was the victim of harassment and discrimination -- in terms of compensation -- during her time judging 'Idol.'

She is suing Lythgoe, 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia North America for sexual assault and battery, sexual harassment, gender violence and negligence.

Paula says she's coming forward now due to California's Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act ... which gives plaintiffs a window to file claims that would otherwise be barred by the statute of limitations.

El conductor que estaba al volante del camión que atropelló fatalmente a Laura Lynch,  una de las fundadoras de The Dixie Chicks, la semana pasada está siendo investigado por posibles cargos criminales.

El sargento Eliot Torres, del departamento de Seguridad Pública de Texas, le dice a TMZ que debido a que se perdió una vida, están trabajando para determinar si el conductor estaba bajo la influencia de alguna sustancia en el momento del accidente.

Nos confirman que el conductor se hizo exámenes de sangre en el hospital para las pruebas de drogas y alcohol y que los resultados solo se darán a conocer por el hospital una vez que un juez firme la citación elaborada por los investigadores.

Si los resultados son positivos en drogas y/o alcohol, los investigadores potencialmente presentarían cargos contra el otro conductor.

El conductor también podría ser acusado de otros delitos como la conducción temeraria o arriesgado cambio de carril después de analizar la escena y hablar con los testigos, pero todo depende de lo que la investigación arroje.

Como hemos informado, un testigo ocular ya habló y detalló el momento en que el camión entró en el carril de Laura para intentar adelantar otros 2 carros. En esa maniobra, golpeó su vehículo de frente en la carretera 62 a las afueras de El Paso.

The driver behind the wheel of the truck that fatally struck Dixie Chicks founding member Laura Lynch last week is being investigated for potential criminal charges.

Texas Department of Public Safety PIO Sgt. Eliot Torres tells TMZ that because a life was lost, they're working to determine whether the driver was under the influence at the time of the accident.

They confirm the driver had their blood drawn at the hospital for drug and alcohol testing ... and the results will only be released by the hospital once a judge signs off on the subpoena drawn up by investigators.

If the results come back positive for drugs and/or alcohol, investigators will potentially seek charges against the other driver.

The driver could also be charged with other offenses like reckless driving or unsafe lane change after scene analysis and speaking to witnesses -- but it all depends on what the investigation yields.

As we've reported ... an eye witness has already spoken out ... detailing the moment the truck entered Laura's lane while trying to go around 2 other cars and struck her vehicle head-on on Highway 62 outside of El Paso.

Zac Brown is definitely out of the honeymoon phase -- 4 months after he and Kelly Yazdi tied the knot, they're now separated ... TMZ has learned.

Zac and Kelly tell TMZ in a joint statement, "We are in the process of divorce. Our mutual respect for one another remains. We wish each other the best and will always appreciate our time together. As we navigate this personal matter, we simply request privacy during this time.”

We broke the story that the pair secretly tied the knot on Aug. 31 in Coweta County, Georgia ... a little over a year after the model/actress was spotted wearing a giant engagement ring.

Speculation the newlyweds had split started when fans recently noticed Kelly had disappeared from IG ... and when she reactivated her account, she took Brown's name off her bio.

She also stopped following Zac on Insta, and took down all posts and photos that included him.

This was Zac's second stab at marriage -- he was previously married to Shelly Brown for 12 years until 2018, and they share 5 kids.

Slipknot está siendo llevado a los tribunales por su fallecido baterista Joey Jordison. La empresa que gestiona su patrimonio afirma que la banda está sacando provecho de las pertenencias de Joey, exponiéndolas en un museo itinerante.

Según los documentos obtenidos por TMZ, la empresa que gestiona la herencia de Joey está demandando a la banda, alegando que utilizó la muerte de Jordison en 2021 para aumentar las ventas de su álbum "The End, So Far", de 2022.

La demanda afirma que el álbum no se estaba vendiendo tan bien después de la muerte de Joey en 2021, por lo que los miembros del grupo, Corey Taylor y Michael Shawn Crahan le dijeron a los fans que el álbum estaba dedicado a Joey y que la "toma de conciencia de que Jordison realmente había fallecido 'se coló' mientras lo hacían".

Es más, la compañía afirma que Corey y Michael mintieron cuando dijeron a los fans que se pusieron en contacto con la familia de Joey para expresar sus condolencias tras su muerte.

Parece que la disputa se remonta bastante lejos aquí. La compañía afirma que los compañeros de banda de Joey abruptamente lo echaron del grupo a través de un correo electrónico mientras él estaba luchando contra la mielitis transversa aguda, una condición que le hizo perder el uso de su pierna izquierda.

Según la demanda, Joey y Slipknot acordaron posteriormente devolver todas las propiedades de Joey, incluyendo su equipo musical, pero la compañía afirma que eso nunca sucedió, diciendo que "al menos 22 artículos" permanecen en posesión del grupo, incluyendo cosas como las máscaras de Joey, su icónica batería Pearl y sus zapatillas Adidas.

La demanda dice que algunos de esos artículos son parte de la exposición en el museo itinerante de la banda, conocido como Knotfest.

Tras la presentación de la demanda, Slipknot respondió con sus propios documentos legales, negando las afirmaciones y pidiendo al tribunal que desestimara a demanda.

Slipknot is being hauled into court over its late drummer Joey Jordison -- the company managing his estate claims the band's cashing in off Joey's belongings by displaying them in a traveling museum.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the company running Joey's estate is suing the band, claiming it used Jordison's death in 2021 to boost sales for their 2022 album, "The End, So Far."

The lawsuit claims the album wasn't selling as well following Joey's 2021 death, so band members Corey Taylor and Michael Shawn Crahan told fans the album was dedicated to Joey and the "realization that Jordison had passed away really 'crept in' while making" it.

What's more, the company claims Corey and Michael lied when they told fans they contacted Joey's family to express condolences in the wake of his death.

It looks like the beef goes back pretty far here -- the company claims Joey's bandmates abruptly booted him from the group via email while he was struggling with acute transverse myelitis -- a condition that caused him to lose the use of his left leg.

According to the suit, Joey and Slipknot subsequently agreed to return all of Joey's property, including his musical gear and equipment -- but the company claims that never happened, saying "at least 22 items" remain in the group's possession, including things like Joey's masks, his iconic Pearl drum set and his Adidas sneakers.

The lawsuit says some of those items are part of the display in the band's traveling museum, known as Knotfest.

After the complaint was filed, Slipknot responded with its own legal docs ... denying the claims and asking the court to dismiss the lawsuit.

Jussie Smollett's legal troubles are far from over ... but it looks as though he's working overtime to get his career back on track.

The troubled actor was seen reuniting with "Empire" showrunner Brett Mahoney ... with the duo sharing a hug Thursday outside Crossroads Kitchen in Los Angeles.

The sighting triggered speculation of a possible future collab ... though any TV comeback is realistically a long way off for Jussie as he deals with his personal and legal worries.

Sources told us just before Xmas ... Jussie was still in the midst of a rehab stint for substance abuse ... after checking himself into an outpatient facility in back in October.

He recently lost his appeal after being convicted for lying to cops about the fake Chicago hate crime attack back in 2019.

Jussie's lawyers say they'll continue their fight in the Illinois Supreme Court, although there's no guarantee the Court will hear the case.

If the Court turns thumbs down on hearing the case, Jussie could return to jail as soon as January to complete his 150 day sentence ... he's only served 6 days.

El estado de Nevada está tratando de evitar la solicitud de Duane "Keefe D" Davis de salir de la cárcel antes del juicio, pues insisten en que el presunto asesino de Tupac Shakur es demasiado peligroso.

Para aquellos que no lo saben, los abogados de Keefe D le pidieron a un juez la semana pasada que lo liberara de la custodia en su propio reconocimiento antes del juicio, que actualmente está programado para comenzar en junio, y si el tribunal no lo permite, están pidiendo en su lugar establecer una fianza no superior a los $100k.

De acuerdo con los nuevos documentos obtenidos por TMZ, los fiscales dicen que la solicitud de Keefe D es absurda y entregan varias razones de por qué no debería estar en libertad antes de su juicio. Por ejemplo, dicen que es un ex miembro de alto rango de la South Side Compton Crips y que ha confesado en varias ocasiones su participación en el asesinato de Tupac en los últimos años.

Los fiscales también afirman que Keefe le hizo amenazas creíbles a los testigos mientras estaba encerrado.

También aseguran que tienen montañas de pruebas, incluyendo las propias palabras de Keefe D, que apuntan a Keefe como la persona que orquestó el asesinato de Tupac en 1996, a pesar de que Keefe se ha distanciado de esas antiguas declaraciones.

El estado le está pidiendo a la corte que lo mantenga tras las rejas hasta la fecha del juicio en junio, y cree que hay razones más que suficientes para hacerlo.

The state of Nevada is pushing back on Duane "Keffe D" Davis' request to be let out of jail ahead of the trial ... because they insist Tupac Shakur's alleged killer is just too dangerous.

For those unaware, Keffe D's lawyers asked a judge last week to release him from custody on his own recognizance before his trial, which is currently set to start in June ... and if the court wouldn't allow it, asking instead to set his bail no higher than $100k.

According to new docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors say Keffe D's request is absurd, and they provide several reasons why he shouldn't get to walk free until his trial. For instance, they claim he's a former high-ranking member of the South Side Compton Crips, and has confessed multiple times to involvement in the Tupac murder over the years.

Prosecutors also claim Keefe's made credible threats to witnesses while being locked up.

They also continue to claim they have mountains of evidence -- including Keffe D's own words -- pointing to Keefe orchestrating Tupac's murder back in 1996 ... despite Keefe now distancing himself from those previous statements.

The state's asking the court to keep him behind bars until his trial date ... and believes there are more than enough reasons to do so.

10:07 AM PT -- Kathy didn't wait long to respond to the news breaking, writing on X, "Well...s***. This sucks."

Kathy Griffin doesn't seem too nostalgic about anniversaries ... because she's decided to end her marriage, just as she and Randy Bick would have celebrated their 4th.

Kathy filed divorce docs Thursday in L.A. County, citing irreconcilable differences. According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, she and Randy have a prenup ... which she wants the court to enforce. Translation: no need for the judge to grant spousal support.

Randy, who's a marketing exec, and Kathy didn't have any kids together ... so, no issues with child support either.

Whatever went wrong, the breaking point was recent -- in the divorce petition, she lists Dec. 22 as their date of separation.

The soon-to-be exes tied the knot in a surprise wedding on New Year's Day 2020, and Lily Tomlin officiated the ceremony. Although they wed in the middle of lockdown, you can't really call it a pandemic marriage.

Kathy and Randy had been together for a long time before that -- they started dating in 2011, broke up in 2018 and then got back together the next year. This will be her second divorce.

Coincidentally, Kathy's going back on the road in 2024 ... her new standup show is called "My Life on the PTSD-List."

10:07 AM PT -- Kathy no esperó mucho para responder a la noticia, escribiendo en X, "Bueno...mi***. Esto apesta".

Kathy Griffin no parece muy nostálgica con los aniversarios porque ha decidido poner fin a su matrimonio, justo cuando ella y Randy Bick habrían celebrado su cuarto.

Kathy presentó los documentos de divorcio el jueves en el condado de Los Ángeles, alegando diferencias irreconciliables. Según los documentos obtenidos por TMZ, ella y Randy tienen un acuerdo prenupcial que ella quiere que el tribunal haga cumplir. Traducción: no hay necesidad de que el juez conceda manutención conyugal.

Randy, que es un ejecutivo de marketing, y Kathy no tenían hijos juntos, por lo que no hay problemas con la manutención de los hijos tampoco.

Lo que haya sido que salió el mal, sabemos que el punto de quiebre es reciente. En la petición de divorcio, ella data el 22 de diciembre como la fecha de su separación.

Los que pronto serán ex se casaron por sorpresa el día de Año Nuevo de 2020 y Lily Tomlin ofició la ceremonia. Aunque se casaron en pleno encierro, no se puede decir que fuera un matrimonio pandémico.

Kathy y Randy llevaban mucho tiempo juntos antes: empezaron a salir en 2011, rompieron en 2018 y volvieron a estar juntos al año siguiente. Este sería su segundo divorcio.

La estrella de "Bling Empire" Jessey Lee acaba de anotarse una gran victoria legal sobre su ex esposa. Ella lo acusó de abusar de ella y sus hijos, pero la solicitud de una orden de restricción ha sido desestimada.

De acuerdo con nuevos documentos legales obtenidos por TMZ, la solicitud de Crystal Hoang Lee de una orden de restricción contra Jessey ha sido desestimada.

TMZ publicó la historia, la ex esposa de Jessey presentó una orden judicial de protección contra él a principios de este mes, entregando impactantes acusaciones de violencia contra él.

Crystal, que una vez estuvo casada con Jessey y tiene dos hijos con él, afirmó que golpeó a uno de sus hijos porque el niño no se iba a dormir. También le acusó de haberle provocado un aborto involuntario, pero sus documentos no entraban en más detalles sobre esa acusación. Al final, el juez desestimó todas las acusaciones por falta de pruebas.

En su solicitud de orden de alejamiento, Crystal también acusó a Jessey de golpearla, de abandonar a su familia para irse a jugar y de desarraigar a los niños. Debemos mencionar que un juez de Texas ya le había concedido la custodia temporal completa a Jessy antes de que Crystal solicitara la TRO.

El juez denegó la solicitud de Crystal de una orden de restricción temporal y fijó una audiencia para la semana pasada y ahora el juez la ha desestimado por completo.

"Bling Empire" star Jessey Lee just scored a huge legal victory over his ex-wife... she accused him of abusing her and their kids, but her request for a restraining has been tossed.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Crystal Hoang Lee's request for a restraining order against Jessey has been dismissed.

TMZ broke the story ... Jessey's ex-wife filed for court-ordered protection from him earlier this month, leveling shocking allegations of violence against him.

Crystal, who was once married to Jessey and has 2 children with him, claimed he hit one of their kids because the child wouldn't go to sleep. She also accused him of causing her to suffer a miscarriage, but her docs didn't go into further detail on that allegation. In the end, the judge dismissed all allegations for lack of evidence.

In her restraining order request, Crystal also accused Jessey of hitting her, leaving their family to go off and gamble, and uprooting the kids. We should mention, a Texas judge had already awarded temporary full custody to Jessy before Crystal even filed for the TRO.

The judge denied Crystal's request for a TRO and set a hearing for last week ... and now the judge has dismissed it altogether.