Legal

Chicago drill rapper Lil Reese is being accused of punching and strangling a woman said to be a former girlfriend inside a Texas nightclub last week -- and authorities are on the hunt for his whereabouts!!!

According to docs from the Houston Police Department, Lil Reese and the woman interacted inside The Pinkhouse fka Barbie Nightclub ... she was on her way out around 6:30 AM as he was on his way into the building.

The woman claims she and Reese ended their relationship a month ago ... after dating over a period of 2 months, and says she rejected him several times as he attempted to kiss her flirtatiously.

Sean "Diddy" Combs is now a criminal defendant in a sex trafficking, racketeering and kidnapping case after a grand jury indicted him ... this according to official documents.

Diddy has been charged with 3 counts -- racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

According to the indictment, from 2008 to the present, members of the Combs enterprise allegedly engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, coercion and enticement to engage in prostitution, narcotics offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.

According to the indictment, the purpose of the Combs enterprise was to operate a global business in the media, entertainment, and lifestyle industries. The purpose also includes preserving Diddy's power and fulfilling his personal desires, especially in relation to his sexual gratification, including through the exploitation of women and the use of commercial sex workers.

The indictment mentions the now-famous "Freak off" parties ... calling them "elaborate and produced sex performances that Combs arranged, directed, masturbated during, and often electronically recorded."

The indictment alleges Combs lured women into his orbit under the pretense of a romantic relationship and then used force, threats of force, and coercion, to cause victims to engage in extended sex acts with male commercial sex workers.

After the freak offs, Combs and the victims typically received IV fluids to recover from the physical exertion and drug use.

The indictment does not include details on the kidnapping allegations, other than they occurred in California, as did arson and bribery.

As for the drug charges, they allegedly involve the intent to distribute narcotics, including cocaine, oxycodone, Xanax, GHB -- the "date rape" drug -- MDMA and ketamine.

The indictment references what was seized during the raids at Diddy's homes in Beverly Hills and Miami -- various freak off supplies, including narcotics and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant. They also seized firearms, including 3 AR-15s with defaced serial numbers and a drum magazine.

The indictment also includes allegations of violence against women. He's alleged to have assaulted women by striking, punching, dragging, throwing objects at and kicking them. It references a March 2016 incident at an L.A. hotel captured on video, and this is clearly referencing the Cassie incident.

There's more ... prosecutors say in late 2023, following public allegations of the crimes, Combs and his associates would pressure victims and witnesses, including through attempted bribery, to say silent.

Tuesday morning, Diddy's son's King and Justin were in lower Manhattan, outside Federal court, awaiting their father's appearance before a judge.

If convicted on all counts, Diddy faces decades in prison.

His lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said going into the courthouse, he will "fight like hell" to get his client released on bail. Agnifilo said his client is not only not guilty, but outright innocent.

Diddy will appear before a judge Tuesday morning where the charges will be read.

TMZ broke the story ... Diddy was arrested Monday night at the Park Hyatt hotel in midtown Manhattan, where he had been staying. Law enforcement sources told TMZ ... the arrest was supposed to go down Tuesday but something happened to accelerate it.

Aubrey O'Day, who had a contentious relationship with Diddy during filming of "Making the Band," tells TMZ, "I never thought I would see this day. We all buried this inside of us in order to be able to keep going. And not just me, but victims you don't even know yet. We are all processing what that type of vindication can actually feel like now. Every conversation I've had with victims last night has been beyond moving on all levels."

Diddy never seemed happier than on the streets of his hometown of New York Monday night -- a scene that offered no hint the music mogul would soon end up in federal custody facing a criminal indictment.

TMZ obtained new video of Diddy interacting with several excited fans on a darkened street in Midtown Manhattan approximately 30 minutes before federal agents arrested him at the Park Hyatt hotel nearby.

Check out the footage ... Diddy was having a very friendly chat with four dudes -- and everyone was wearing bright smiles on their faces. Diddy was so energized he gave a handshake to one of the guys who bowed and started laughing.

The Secret Service is once again facing heat after the agency's acting director Ronald Rowe Jr. admitted the West Palm Beach golf course wasn't searched prior to the 2nd assassination attempt on Donald Trump's life.

Rowe -- who stepped into the role after Kimberly Cheatle resigned following the July shooting at Trump's Pennsylvania rally -- spoke with reporters Monday, and confessed an extensive search of the grounds was not conducted during 45's visit to the Trump International Golf Club in Florida Sunday ... defending the visit was "not on [Trump's] official schedule."

He added ... "The president wasn’t even really supposed to go there ... and so we put together a security plan -- and that security plan worked."

Aubrey O'Day is weighing in on Sean "Diddy" Combs' arrest in NYC ... posting a cryptic message online about "justice" to her followers, and sharing her reaction with TMZ.

The Danity Kane singer took to Instagram Monday amid the news of Diddy's booking in the Big Apple, where she shared a message about the "purpose of justice."

She wrote ... "The purpose of justice is to provide an ending and allow us the space to create a new chapter. Women never get this. I feel validated. Today is a win for women all over the world, not just for me."

8:05 PM PT -- Just a couple hours before Diddy got busted, he was confidently strolling around NYC with his son Christian "King" Combs. He even stopped to greet some fans and take selfies.

7:13 PM PT -- A law enforcement source tells TMZ ... Diddy's arrest was scheduled for Tuesday. But something happened that caused the feds to move in a day earlier.

However, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams says federal agents took him in based on a sealed indictment filed by the Southern District of New York.

Diddy was just arrested and taken into federal custody in New York Monday night ... TMZ has learned.

Sources tell TMZ ... Homeland Security swooped into a midtown hotel late Monday where Diddy was staying and they arrested him. We have unconfirmed reports the feds are searching his hotel room.

We're told Diddy was taken to the federal building in lower Manhattan.

It appears the action was taken in connection with the ongoing criminal investigation into alleged sex trafficking and other offenses that led to search warrants being issued and executed at Diddy's homes in Beverly Hills and Miami. As we reported, a grand jury has been hearing testimony from various accusers over the last few months.

Miley Cyrus copied a popular Bruno Mars song for her hit "Flowers" ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

The singer is being sued for copyright infringement by Tempo Music Investments, a company claiming it owns a share of the copyright for Bruno's song "When I Was Your Man."

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Tempo Music claims there are so many musical similarities between Miley's "Flowers" and Bruno's "When I Was Your Man" that it's obviously the result of Miley "intentionally copying" Bruno.

Team USA gymnast Jordan Chiles is moving forward in the fight to get her bronze medal back -- filing an appeal in Swiss court to overturn the controversial ruling surrounding her Olympic floor routine results.

Chiles' legal team released a statement on Monday ... saying they're looking to get the Court of Arbitration for Sport's decision reversed once and for all by filing docs in the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland.

Chiles' reps claim there are two major issues with the handling of the decision -- the first being the CAS not honoring her "right to be heard" by refusing to watch video that will prove the initial inquiry into her score was submitted within the permitted timeframe.

Ryan Wesley Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course, once exposed himself to a woman who hired him to do construction on her home ... TMZ has learned.

We obtained a photo of a shirtless Ryan with his penis poking out of his fly ... and the woman who took the photo says she snapped it in December 2020, when he was building a loft at her home in Hawaii.

The woman tells TMZ ... she found Ryan on Facebook and paid him $4,000 for a 4-day home construction job ... only to find out he was a "bit of a pervert," as she described him.

Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev are tag-teaming quality time with their son, Matteo ... weeks after the "Dancing With the Stars" pro was arrested for domestic violence.

The retired WWE star came into contact with her estranged husband in Napa Valley on Sunday ... marking the first time the exes have been photographed together since their drama at home.

Their exchange was all business, as Artem arrived at the house he previously shared with Nikki for some one-on-one time with 4-year-old Matteo ... when he briefly crossed paths with his estranged wife in the front yard.

The semiautomatic rifle the Secret Service says they spotted scoping out Donald Trump on a golf course has been taken away as evidence ... and the weapon looks big and powerful.

New photos show police carrying the gun away from Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach in an evidence box Sunday ... and loading it into the back of a Palm Beach County Sheriff's crime scene van.

Law enforcement says the weapon, an SKS-style rifle with a scope, was loaded when it was recovered ... and the gun's serial number was "obliterated and unreadable."

Final messages from the doomed Titan sub were revealed during a public hearing on the deep-sea implosion that tragically claimed the lives of all 5 crew members last year.

An animated recreation of the Titan’s journey was shown in the South Carolina hearing, and among the final messages sent by the crew ... a 3-word text appeared on screen -- "all good here."

The Titan crew had been in text-message communication with the support vessel, Polar Prince, which had requested "better comms" after they briefly lost contact -- just before the crew sent that message.

9:30 AM PT -- The U.S. District Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida released an affidavit ... in which an FBI agent claims Routh’s public Facebook post from July 10 urged followers to contact him via WhatsApp and points out records apparently placing the phone near the golf course from 1:59 AM to 1:31 PM on September 15 ... suggesting he was scouting the area before the attempted assassination.

The affidavit also notes Routh was seen fleeing in a Nissan SUV, which was later stopped by police. Routh was the sole occupant and acknowledged knowing why he was pulled over, according to authorities.

The Nissan’s license plate was apparently registered to a stolen Ford truck, and the agent says a witness near the golf course identified Routh at the vehicle stop as the person they had seen fleeing the scene.

Ryan Wesley Routh, the man suspected of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course Sunday, made his first appearance in Florida court Monday morning.

Routh was charged with 2 counts -- possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

Routh will be back in court Monday, Sept. 23, for a formal detention hearing, and is set to be arraigned on Sept. 30.

Nikki Bella isn't just a former WWE Superstar ... she's a super-mom too -- spending some quality time with her four-year-old Matteo after filing for divorce.

The former wrestler stepped out in Napa Valley Friday ... taking her son to his dance class with a big smile on her face.

Check out the pics ... both Nikki and her son look ready to work out -- twinning in all-black, sporty outfits.

Cher and her son Elijah Blue Allman are putting her request for a conservatorship behind them, according to several reports.

The lawyers representing both the singer-songwriter and her son appeared over Zoom Friday to announce the two sides had come to a mutually agreed upon deal.

According to Rolling Stone, Cher's lawyer Gabrielle Vidal told the judge the two sides met with mediators outside of court and have privately resolved the matter. Allman's lawyer, Steven K. Brumer, reportedly told the court the deal had "most definitely" been agreed upon.

"Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta" alum and Diddy-Dirty Money member Kalenna Harper says she never saw Diddy getting abusive with Cassie ... contrary to claims in a new lawsuit.

Here's the deal ... Kalenna's Diddy-Dirty Money bandmate Dawn Richard sued Diddy this week, claiming she and Kalenna witnessed Diddy throw Cassie against a wall, choke her, hurl a scalding pan of eggs at her and drag her up a flight of stairs at his L.A. home.

Kalenna is mentioned 33 times in Dawn's lawsuit -- filed Tuesday -- and now she's breaking her silence ... saying, "While I fully respect Dawn's right to recount her experiences, I want to emphasize that her account reflects her personal perspective and should not be interpreted as a universal truth applicable to everyone involved."