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3:11 PM PT -- Jabbar made a series of recordings just hours before the attack in which he said he was planning to kill his family. This makes the story below way more ominous. According to CNN, which got the information from an FBI source, Jabbar pivoted and decided to conduct the terrorist attack in New Orleans in the name of ISIS, because he wanted to kill.

The terrorist who killed at least 10 people in a violent attack in New Orleans early Wednesday had a divorce that was acrimonious enough that his then-wife got a restraining order against him.

Shamsud-Din Jabbar, seen above in a video he had posted, was in the throes of a divorce during the pandemic, when his wife, Shaneen Chantil Jabbar, went to court to get a restraining order.

We do not have a copy of the wife's petition, but we do have the order of the judge who granted the restraining order. It says, among other things, "both parties are prohibited from "threatening the other party or a child of either party with imminent bodily injury."

A Former wife of Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the terrorist at the center of the New Year attack in New Orleans, is in disbelief ... but recounts a marriage she says was "abusive" -- and this is a different wife from the one who got a restraining order against him.

The ex-wife, Tiera, tells TMZ … she was married to Shamsud-Din for about 5 years before they divorced in 2016. She says their union was unhappy, saying Shamsud-Din abused her ... though she would not get specific.

Still, Tiera tells us she didn't think he was capable of mass murder and had no clue how such hatred washed over him.

It is going to be quite the New Year for Gypsy Rose Blanchard ... who is now a new momma!

Gypsy and partner Ken Urker tell TMZ ... she gave birth Dec 28 in Louisiana to Aurora Urker ... and that exact date just so happens to be on the one-year anniversary of Gypsy’s prison release date.

Ken added ... "Aurora is healthy and we are so happy."

Justin Baldoni is suing The New York Times for $250 million over the publication's bombshell article, in which they alleged the actor and others coordinated a smear campaign against his "It Ends with Us" costar, Blake Lively.

Baldoni, who directed and starred in the romance drama with Lively, was accused of sexual harassment by the actress in a legal complaint -- and subsequent lawsuit -- which was featured heavily in The Times' piece.

However, according to Variety, Baldoni has now accused the paper of libel, invasion of privacy, promissory fraud and breach of implied-in-fact contract over the article ... alleging the Times "cherry-picked" details and altered key communications to "deliberately" mislead readers.

Blake Lively has just filed a lawsuit making a formal demand for money, suing Justin Baldoni and others for mental pain and anguish, severe emotional distress, and lost wages.

The lawsuit mirrors the complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Commission -- but this action has been filed in federal court in New York.

In addition to Baldoni, Blake is suing Baldoni's crisis managers, Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, along with Wayfarer Studios, which produced the movie "It Ends with Us."

Joe Budden was charged earlier this month ... after authorities claimed his neighbor saw him outside their apartment on Ring Camera footage -- completely naked.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ ... Budden was charged on December 4 in Edgewater, New Jersey for lewdness.

The Edgewater Police Department released a statement on December 30 about the incident after news of the charge broke online ... explaining officers were called to an apartment complex in the area at approximately 7:21 AM.

Robert Brooks died allegedly at the hands of New York State Corrections employees -- and perhaps even more shocking is that some of the officers rake in whopping six-figure salaries ... TMZ has learned.

Brooks -- an inmate at Marcy Correctional Facility in upstate NY -- died of asphyxia due to compression of the neck during the December 9 attack by the guards and other prison workers, according to a preliminary autopsy report.

Bodycam footage worn by staff showed the violent attack on Brooks, during which the inmate was viciously beaten while restrained and gagged. Before his death, Brooks was serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault.

Dana Stubblefield is on his way to being a free man -- his rape conviction was overturned last week -- and according to the former NFL star's attorneys, his first order of business when he gets out will be a bunch of family time.

Kenneth Rosenfeld and Allen Sawyer sat down with TMZ Sports just days after a California appellate court vacated Stubblefield's prison sentence ... and they said he's "euphoric" over the decision -- and is now looking forward to hanging with his loved ones.

"He's going to be with his family," Sawyer said of Dana's immediate plans. "If there's one thing that Dana misses the most, it's being with his family."

Ex-WWE Superstar Eva Marie has filed for divorce from her husband of 10 years, Jonathan Coyle, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to court records, the "Total Divas" television show star -- real name Natalie Eva Marie Nelson -- filed papers earlier this month ... which stated they got hitched back on October 20, 2014.

The docs state the two initially separated in October 2023 ... and the reason for the split was listed as irreconcilable differences.

Jay-Z's attorney says there are a bunch of holes in the rape lawsuit against the rapper ... and he's looking to have the case thrown out.

In new court documents obtained by TMZ ... Alex Spiro, the lawyer representing the rap mogul, says he's gearing up to file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit against Jay-Z ... claiming the statute "Jane Doe" is suing under didn't even take effect until after the alleged sexual assault ... and can't be applied against the rapper retroactively.

As Jay-Z's attorney puts it ... the statute was enacted in December 2000 -- 3 months after Jane Doe claimed she was sexually assaulted by Jay-Z and Diddy at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party.

Simu Liu's 2024 is ending on a not-so-Marvel-ous note ... 'cause his house was broken into last week -- though we're told there may be a silver lining for the actor.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Simu's Los Angeles-area home was broken into Friday when someone smashed a glass door around 11 PM.

Security was alerted to the break-in at Liu's home and called police ... who searched the house for any suspects, but no one was inside.

The FBI is warning pro athletes to be vigilant ... confirming Monday groups of organized thieves are targeting stars' homes in search of high-priced valuables.

The feds issued the alert just a couple days after NBA superstar Luka Doncic became the latest A-lister to have his place broken into ... explaining criminals are hitting residences belonging to big-time players while they're on the road or at games.

"These homes are targeted for burglary due to the perception they may have high-end goods like designer handbags, jewelry, watches, and cash," FBI officials said, according to ABC News.

Jennifer Lopez's ex-boyfriend Casper Smart had some unexpected visitors at his home two days before Christmas ... 'cause TMZ has learned cops showed up and searched the property.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops received a tip that Smart had a cannabis grow operation at his L.A. home. They obtained a search warrant and served it just before 9 AM on December 23. We're told Casper and a woman were home at the time.

While searching the property, our sources say officers found a small- to medium-size grow operation at the home.

Donald Trump is not getting off the hook for the $5 million a jury awarded E. Jean Carroll in 2023 after they found Trump liable for sexual abuse ... 'cause a federal court just upheld the judgment.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit made their decision Monday ... explaining the judge did not abuse his discretion when ruling on the evidence of the case.

The court has also denied Trump's request for a new trial. According to CNN, the court also ruled that even if the judge had made mistakes, it's unlikely to have swayed the case enough to warrant a new trial because of the strength of Carroll's evidence.

A Texas teenager has been charged with animal cruelty  ... this after cops say she poisoned another student's show goat.

Aubrey Vanlandingham was arrested late last month and charged with cruelty to livestock animals ... after police say they saw security footage of her giving toxic pesticide to a classmate's goat using a drench gun -- a tool generally used to administer medicine to goats and other farm animals.

Prosecutors say the goat -- named Willie -- died about a day after he was allegedly given the toxic pesticide ... experiencing symptoms like convulsions and respiratory distress before ultimately passing away. They allege Vanlandingham did "intentionally and knowingly torture a livestock animal."

The disturbing trend of celebrity athletes having their homes broken into continued over the weekend ... as Luka Doncic's Dallas-area residence was burglarized.

According to the Mavericks superstar's business manager, Lara Beth Seager, the break-in occurred on Friday night ... as the Mavs were in Phoenix for a game against the Suns.

Thankfully, Seager said in a statement, no one was home at the time of the incident ... and "Luka and his family are safe."