Legal

10/29/24 6:52 AM PT -- Attorney Shawn Holley is strongly denying allegations Tory Lanez brought in an ethics complaint he filed with the State Bar of California last week.

TMZ has learned of a letter sent by Holley's counsel to the State Bar in November 2023 ... saying in no uncertain terms that Holley "has no relationship whatsoever with Roc Nation." The letter goes on to emphasize "Ms. Holley has never represented Roc Nation, nor has Roc Nation ever been a client of our law firm."

Good news for Erik and Lyle Menendez ... the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office tells us they're open to considering a change in conviction that would set the brothers free at the bang of a gavel.

Here's the deal ... L.A. County D.A. George Gascón has filed legal docs asking Judge William C. Ryan to resentence the Menendez brothers at a November hearing. If that happens, the brothers would be eligible for immediate parole, but that would require an affirmative ruling by the California Parole Board.

TMZ broke the story, we've learned Erik and Lyle's attorney, Mark Geragos, will ask the judge to change their conviction from murder to voluntary manslaughter ... and under a new law, the judge has the power to do so. If that were to happen, Erik and Lyle would be free men, because the maximum sentence is 11 years and they've served 35 years.

One of the most stunning Diddy allegations yet comes from an accuser who claims he was just 10 years old when the Bad Boy mogul forced him to perform a sex act to get his shot at stardom.

The new lawsuit was filed Monday in NY state by a John Doe accuser, and according to the suit, he flew to NYC with his parents in the summer of 2005 for an audition with Diddy. He claims Diddy said he wanted to meet him alone, before meeting his whole family.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, the plaintiff says he met Diddy at a hotel near Madison Square Garden, and he says he rapped several songs, which went well -- Diddy allegedly said he could make the kid a star.

Jay Johnston -- best known for the animated sitcom "Bob's Burgers" -- looks like he's going to spend just over a year behind bars for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot in Washington, D.C.

The comedian's lawyer told NBC News Jay was sentenced Monday to 12 months and a day in federal prison. As we reported ... Jay pled guilty back in July to one count of obstructing officers during a civil disorder.

Jay, who was facing up to 5 years in federal prison, was arrested in California last summer and initially hit with 4 charges ... though 3 were later dropped.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard is cutting through the confusion about her unborn child's paternity -- we're told she’s finally set to take a paternity test this week!

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ Gypsy isn’t questioning her boyfriend Ken Urker's paternity -- she’s doing this to give the public, and her estranged ex Ryan Anderson, some closure -- so he and everyone else can move on and know once and for all RA is not the baby daddy.

We’re hearing that Ryan hasn’t been clued in about the test because Gypsy doesn’t need his DNA -- she only needs Ken’s to confirm he’s the baby daddy. She’s confident it's him -- but if he's not, the results will clearly show he’s a 0% match.

Shyne completely distanced himself from his Diddy past after the Bad Boy mogul got arrested last month ... and it was all one big phony act, according to Funkmaster Flex!!!

The Hot 97 radio vet recently admitted he's been stewing over Shyne's claims that he was the fall guy in the infamous 1999 nightclub shooting that sent him to prison for 8 years, before being deported to Belize.

Shyne is currently promoting his upcoming documentary "The Honorable Shyne" ... but Funk Flex says he's capping, and raked him through the coals on the airwaves!!!

The Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York -- where music mogul Diddy is currently being held as he awaits his sex-trafficking trial -- was subjected to an "interagency operation" Monday ... feds confirm to TMZ. Investigators from several federal agencies arrived at the facility early this morning.

A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons tells TMZ ... the operation at the federal jail is a collaboration between the FBOP, the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, and other law enforcement partners as part of "intensive efforts to improve conditions" at the controversial facility.

The rep said the agencies' "interagency operation" was "designed to achieve our shared goal of maintaining a safe environment for both our employees and the incarcerated individuals housed at MDC Brooklyn."

Diddy's kids are sticking together during this challenging time ... with his sons showing up to celebrate their sisters at a high school football game.

Christian Combs posted a clip to his Instagram Friday night ... showing the crowd cheering for the cheerleading squad receiving some sort of honor on the field.

The clip captured Christian hanging out with his big brother Quincy -- Kim Porter and Al B. Sure!'s son who Diddy legally adopted back in the day.

Zachery Ty Bryan has been arrested ... with cops booking the former "Home Improvement" star with DUI and driving without a license -- and, the whole interaction was caught on police cameras.

According to the arrest docs, the former child star was approached by Oklahoma police at approximately 6:47 AM on Friday ... when cops say they made contact with Bryan who was fast asleep in the back seat.

Officers say they spoke briefly to Bryan before leaving him be ... but, later saw him driving. At that point, cops say they conducted a traffic stop, pulling him over to the side of the road where he told the officer he was intoxicated.

10/25 -- 4:27 PM PT -- Leah Remini is one step closer to being officially single as a judge has signed off on her divorce from Angelo Pagán ... TMZ has learned.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ ... a judge put his John Hancock on Leah and Angelo's divorce filing Friday -- the former flames signed off on their settlement earlier this month.

Per the docs, Leah and Angelo's single status will officially be restored in March 2025.

David Eason is in the clear after his ex, Jenelle Evans, accused him of trespassing and theft while she was out of the state ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for the Columbus County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina tells TMZ ... the case was investigated after Jenelle accused David of violating a court order and trying to steal the "Teen Mom" alum's motorbikes while she was out of town, but officers determined nothing was taken that he wasn't allowed to take. We're told the case has now been closed.

As we reported, David was the one who called for the authorities to do something called a civil standby ... which the sheriff's office said was done to make sure the stuff he took didn't violate the no-contact order.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón is trying to get the Menendez brothers out of prison to score some quick political points ... so says his opponent in November's election.

We spoke with Nathan Hochman, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney General who is running to replace Gascón as L.A. County's D.A., on "TMZ Live" Friday ... and, he tells us he finds the timing of GG's announcement "incredibly suspicious."

Hochman points out the habeas writ was filed last year in May, and the motion for resentencing was filed in February ... so, if D.A. Gascón really thought Erik and Lyle deserved to get out of jail, Hochman asks, why did he wait to advocate for it?

The Menendez brothers' prison is taking no chances with security threats following the major update in the infamous siblings' case ... TMZ has learned.

A source within the California Department of Corrections tells TMZ ... prison security has been beefed up after L.A. County D.A. George Gascón's announcement, in which he confirmed he would ask a judge to resentence Erik and Lyle -- who are currently serving life without the possibility of parole sentences for the 1989 murders of their parents, Kitty and José Menendez. Gascon filed the document officially asking a judge to resentence them Thursday evening.

We're told guards are working overtime to keep everyone safe inside the prison ... as well as outside the facility, given the likelihood that lookyloos will descend upon the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego County.

Lil Durk is being named by the feds as the top mastermind behind the murder-for-hire plot conspiracy in the attempt on Quando Rondo's life that left his cousin dead ... and may have been trying to flee the country when he was arrested!!!

TMZ Hip Hop obtained the federal complaint against Durk, which hits him with a conspiracy charge related to the alleged murder-for-hire.

The complaint comes on the heels of the previous indictment of 5 of his alleged Only The Family gang members, who prosecutors say were on the scene of the August 2022 shooting of Saviay'a Robinson, AKA Luh Pab.

The judge who will decide the fate of Erik and Lyle could do way more than what the D.A. is asking for ... he could free them the very day he hears their case.

As we reported, L.A. County D.A. George Gascón has filed legal docs asking Judge William C. Ryan to resentence the Menendez brothers. Based on a new law, the judge could change their sentence -- life without the possibility of parole -- to the possibility of immediately winning parole.

Thing is ... for Gascón to get his way, the Parole Board would have to hold a hearing and then decide if Erik and Lyle have been rehabilitated and are no longer a threat to society.

The Menendez brothers may have just caught a break in their resentencing ... because the judge in their case is notoriously liberal -- and, local attorneys say he's letting them out.

Judge William C. Ryan of the Los Angeles County Superior Court has been assigned the Menendez case ... and, we've talked to a number of prominent attorneys who have argued before this judge and personally know him, and they all highlight his fairness and open-minded nature.

We're told he's smart and fearless ... and supervising judges like to assign him sensitive cases other judges would be afraid to handle.