Britney Spears Gets 3 Year Restraining Order Against Ex-Husband ... His Bail Set at $100K

UPDATE

4:34 PM PT -- We spoke with Britney's attorney, Mathew Rosengart, after the hearing who says he's pleased with how seriously the court is taking the case ... and hopes the harsh punishment will deter any future copycats from trying the same.

UPDATE
6/13/22
BE WARNED, COPYCATS
TMZ.com

Britney Spears' ex, Jason Alexander, cannot contact or bother the singer in any capacity for at least the next 3 years, a judge just issued a restraining order against Britney's ex-husband ... and also hit him with a felony stalking charge.

Alexander pled not guilty at his arraignment Monday on charges stemming from last week's wild incident -- in which he filmed himself sneaking onto the Ventura-area compound where she was set to get hitched ... only to be detained following a scuffle with security/law enforcement.

SERVING THE ORDER
TMZ.com

The judge also added a felony stalking charge to Alexander's case and set his bail at $100,000 ... and he'll have to surrender any firearms he may have in his possession.

6/9/22
WEDDING CRASHER

As we reported, cops say JA was armed with a knife during the episode, and an emergency protective order was issued on Britney's behalf -- ordering him to steer clear of her and Sam.

He was booked for trespassing, vandalism and battery, for which he could possibly enter a plea Monday. And, he still has another case against him from Northern California ... where he's alleged to have committed grand theft.

In that case ... a woman claims he jacked a pricey bracelet of hers while crashing at her pad in 2015, listed as being worth $2,000. The Napa County Sheriff's Office issued a warrant for Alexander's arrest shortly thereafter in 2016 -- but he's dodged it thus far, it seems.

After he was arrested at the wedding, the warrant popped up. So, he has to deal with that too. Unclear how the cases might be presented order-wise, but both are on the table.

Johnny Depp Wins Defamation Lawsuit Amber Wins Defamation Countersuit

6/1/22
RULING IN FAVOR OF DEPP
UPDATE

4:52 PM PT -- By the way ... Tuesday, Fox Network will air a TMZ documentary on the trial -- "Johnny vs. Amber: From Love to Hate," which chronicles how they met, how the relationship deteriorated, the trial and their future. It's on Fox Network Tuesday at 9 PM ET.

UPDATE
UPDATE

1:44 PM PT -- Depp's legal team just left the courthouse to thunderous applause, even though their client wasn't there ... it's clear to see where the crowd's loyalty stood.

UPDATE
FAN FAVORITES
UPDATE

12:23 PM PT -- The jury just found unanimously in favor of Johnny Depp on his lawsuit, that Amber Heard calling him a sexual abuser was defamation. The jury further found Heard's accusations in the Washington Post were malicious. The jury awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.

UPDATE

Now here's the thing ... Amber won her defamation countersuit and was awarded $2 million. The defamation was based on Johnny's lawyer accusing Amber and her friends of concocting a story for the cops under the direction of her lawyer and publicist.

UPDATE
HUGS ALL AROUND
UPDATE

The judge reduced the $5 million punitive damage award for Johnny, because Virginia law caps punitive damages in these cases at $350,000.

UPDATE

Net result -- Amber owes Johnny $8,350,000.

UPDATE

12:06 PM PT -- It appears the jury has ruled in favor of either Amber, Johnny or both on their defamation claims because the judge just instructed the jury to go back and determine damages. We await the verdict and will continue the live stream.

UPDATE
AWAITING THE VERDICT

The Johnny Depp-Amber Heard case is about to reach the finish line with a decisive winner, or maybe two potential losers -- and TMZ is streaming the announcement at 12 PM PT.

The jury reached its verdict Wednesday in Fairfax, VA -- where they've been deliberating for the past few days after a month-plus long trial ... with lots of twists and turns, but more importantly -- a mountain's worth of evidence and testimony.

FINAL STATEMENTS

They heard closing arguments on Friday, which saw attorneys for Depp and Heard plead their cases one last time in dramatic fashion. Camille Vasquez and co. told jurors to use their common sense, as did AH's lead lawyer, Ben Rottenborn -- albeit with a different spin.

Rottenborn said a decision against Amber will have devastating effects on DV victims -- sending a message to those who choose to speak their truths, but don't have the most convincing documentation of their trauma ... a category in which Amber seemed to fall.

THINK OF THE VICTIMS

Indeed ... while both Johnny and Amber had ample audio recordings of one another amid explosive fights -- it would appear only Johnny explicitly caught AH admitting to hitting him.

Of course, Johnny wasn't left looking like an angel by any means -- the infamous kitchen rampage tape was played in court, which shows him throwing a fit and slamming cabinets ... all while pouring himself a "mega pint" of wine, and finally catching Amber recording him.

VIDEO SHOWN IN COURT

There were also vile texts Johnny sent about Amber, which were shown to the jury as well. Plus, Johnny's history of substance abuse was put under the microscope ... something he owned up to. And, then there are Amber's alleged injury photos, of which there were several.

Amber also got some of her friends to testify on her behalf, claiming they saw the alleged injuries after the fact ... and would often rush to console her after a blowout fight with JD.

5/25/22
DENYING THE PUSH

Speaking of one of those fights, a memorable moment -- and a total W for Team Johnny -- came when his ex, Kate Moss, took the stand virtually to bat down a rumor that Amber invoked when she was testifying about an alleged staircase tussle, where she said she thought Johnny would throw her sister down ... like he'd allegedly done to KM.

That turned out to be total BS though, as Kate herself said there was no truth to that story -- and it seemed to hurt Amber's credibility, as did other testimony ... a la the ACLU "pledge."

4/20/22
CRUEL AND GROTESQUE

There was also the matter of feces that was addressed early and often ... which made for a ton of meme fodder and jokes online, and almost always at the expense of Amber. As you know, Johnny seems to believe either she and/or a friend left it behind in their bed.

But, Amber herself denied it under oath -- blaming one of their teacup Yorkies, who she said had bowel issues ever since eating some of Johnny's weed. The jury is still out on that one.

5/26/22
LEAVE ME ALONE!!!

All the same, it's clear this trial and all the public backlash against Amber took its toll on her -- she cried throughout this trial, but was especially passionate toward the end ... saying she just wanted to get on with her life, and that she's been left virtually broken from all this.

Now, this matter is going to be settled once and for all in the form of a jury. Even if Amber wins, some feel like she'll be more hurt than Johnny going forward. Time will tell.

Johnny Depp More Vile Texts ... Barrage of Insults Aimed at Amber

JOHNNY'S CRUDE TEXT
UPDATE

12:12 PM PT -- More vile messages that Johnny sent about Amber were shown to the jury -- while AH's attorney, Ben Rottenborn, grilled JD on the stand for a second time ... he put up a screenshot of a text Johnny had sent to his ex-agent a few months after Amber's TRO.

UPDATE
UPDATE

Here's a just a taste of what Johnny had to say ... "She's begging for total global humiliation ... She's gonna get it ... But, she sucked Mollusk's crooked d*** and he gave her some s****y lawyers ... I have no mercy, no fear and not an ounce of emotion, or what I once thought was love for this gold digging, low level, dime a dozen, mushy, pointless dangling overused flappy fish market... I'm so f***ing happy she wants to go to fight this out!!!"

UPDATE

There's more explicit language he used to describe Amber, including calling her a "50 cent stripper" ... and it certainly compares to the "Let's burn Amber!" text he sent Paul Bettany.

UPDATE

10:44 AM PT -- Johnny Depp's last words on the stand might perhaps be his most impactful -- he was asked how Amber's claims made him feel ... and he had a laundry list of adjectives to describe the gut-wrenching effect they had on him, while going on to call them patently false.

UPDATE
HUMILIATING & PAINFUL
UPDATE

He also talked about being proud of coming here and telling the truth, regardless of what the jury decides. JD said some things get so out of hand, they must be addressed and corrected publicly ... which is what he says he's done here.

UPDATE

8:48 AM PT -- Johnny just discussed Amber's accusation that he took a handful of MDMA pills during the former couple's trip to Australia in 2015. Heard had previously testified he took 8-10 at once ... Johnny says he's only taken MDMA 6-7 times in his life total.

UPDATE
EXAGGERATING THE NUMBERS
UPDATE

Depp's attorney asked him directly if he's ever taken 8-10 pills at once, to which he replied, "No, I'm pretty sure I'd be dead, I think one would die, rather quickly."

Johnny Depp is back on the stand for questioning in the nasty back-and-forth trial between him and his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Heard's legal team just called Johnny back to answer a series of questions, as we reported, he already testified a few weeks back ... but Amber's accused the actor of additional things -- including assault -- which he will now get to answer to.

Johnny's return to the stand may cause the trial to go even longer than expected.

5/16/22
DOGGY DUMPS

As we've reported, the allegations leveled against both sides have been extreme ... during her testimony, Heard claimed Johnny had sexually assaulted her with a glass bottle.

Of course, both have very different stories when it comes to the infamous bed poop incident. Depp claims it appeared to have come from a person, and Amber blamed Johnny's dog -- who had an irritated bowel after getting into his weed stash.

Depp's fans have come out in waves to support the actor through the trial, camping out and lining up outside the Virginia courtroom hours before court starts. Things got so crazy, the local sheriff had to create restrictions on just how early fans could show up.

Originally Published -- 8:19 AM PT

Andy Dick Arrested on Live Stream For Felony Sexual Battery

5/11/22
REMOVED AND SEARCHED
YouTube/ Captain Content's RV

Andy Dick is in custody after the trailer he's been living in was surrounded by cops, placing the actor in handcuffs and hauling him away ... and the whole thing was broadcast live.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Dick's been arrested for felony sexual battery after an adult male at the O'Neill Regional Park claimed the comedian sexually assaulted him.

The arrest was streamed on Captain Content's RV live stream Wednesday. You see several Orange Co. Sheriff's Deputies speaking with Dick before walking him to their vehicles, continuing the conversation and eventually cuffing him and taking him away.

Dick and a group of live streamers have been living at the site in RVs for some time now ... sheriff's deputies were seen entering Dick's trailer and searching it after he was placed into custody. They also asked to collect the male victim's pants as evidence.

SUSPICIOUS STREAM
Wappy Flanker

It's not the first time Dick's had a serious encounter on a live stream. TMZ broke the story, cops performed a welfare check at a home Dick was staying at in Vegas last month after a man he was hanging out with pulled a gun during an argument on a live feed.

Users believed Andy's life was endangered, but when cops showed up and talked to the actor, he said he was fine and wanted to stay ... so officers left.

Andy Dick Roomie Pulls Gun on Live Stream!!! Cops Make Welfare Check

SUSPICIOUS STREAM
Wappy Flanker

Andy Dick got a visit from cops after a guy he's living with angrily whipped out a gun while they were live on the web.

Here's the deal ... Andy's been staying with a YouTube personality in Las Vegas, who calls himself the Wappy Flanker, and things went awry over the weekend during their live stream. We're told a third man went over to Wappy's place, and an argument broke out.

That's when Wappy pulls out a gun, and threateningly tells the visitor to beat it. In the video, you hear Andy telling his host, "Don't shoot the gun."

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... police received a call from someone who was watching the live stream, and cops went to the home Saturday for a welfare check.

We're told police spoke to Andy and the man who pulled the gun ... and Andy told cops he was fine, and wanted to keep staying at the home. Officers left without citing or arresting anyone.

It appears this isn't the first time a gun has shown up in the live stream ... a day earlier, video shows the Wappy Flanker with a gun on his waistband while Andy shoos off a guy recruiting him to stream an RV trip.

The troubled comedian appears to be sleeping on a cot in the living room ... and the live stream is seeking donations for Andy. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Can't make this stuff up.

Ukraine's Zelensky Rousing Speech to Congress ... With Heartbreaking War Video

YOU UNDERSTAND OUR STRUGGLE
C-SPAN

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made his case to the United States Congress Wednesday for more aid in defending his homeland, and he zeroed in on the closest American equivalencies -- Pearl Harbor and 9/11.

Zelensky spoke by zoom to members who were not in the House Chamber -- where they usually have joint sessions of Congress -- they were all in the Capitol Visitors Center Congressional Auditorium. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced Zelensky with the same words she uses to intro our own Prez -- "It is my high privilege and distinct honor to present to you President Volodymyr Zelensky. She ended her introduction with "Glory to Ukraine." She tried to get members to chant the phrase, but they didn't.

Members were riveted as members heard Zelenksy's plea for aid. He presented a heartbreaking video of the toll the war has taken ... buildings bombed, civilians killed, buildings destroyed. It was difficult to watch, but it powerfully made his point.

ZELENSKY'S WAR VIDEO TO CONGRESS
C-SPAN

Zelensky also invoked the name of Martin Luther King Jr., by quoting from the "I Have a Dream" speech.

Just a side note ... Zelensky's background in the entertainment industry can't be ignored. Presenting a highly-produced, emotional video with a solemn music bed.

Zelensky, who initially spoke in his native language, switched it up and spoke English, as he explained his country was fighting not just for its own freedom but for the freedom of Europe. He made the point freedom is not always internal ... it depends on what goes on around you.

He made it clear ... his people will not give up.

3/15/22
A HERO'S OVATION

When Zelensky wrapped, members of Congress rose to their feet but the applause lasted only about 30 seconds, in sharp contrast to the reaction he got from members of the Canadian Parliament a few days earlier, where he got a 3-minute standing ovation.

Ahmaud Arbery Murder McMichaels Sentenced to Life Without Parole ... Bryan Gets Possible Parole

SENTENCED TO LIFE
FOX 30

The fate of the 3 men responsible for the murder Ahmaud Arbery has been decided, 2 will spend the rest of their lives behind bars and the third has a possibility of parole.

FAMILY'S FULL STATEMENT
FOX 30

The Brunswick, GA judge just sentenced Travis and Gregory McMichael to life in prison without parole, while William "Roddie" Bryan has the possibility of parole down the road. The judge decided to cut Bryan a slight break as he was unarmed and had showed some remorse for being involved in the incident from the beginning.

Each of the men sat solemn while their sentences were read, faces covered with masks, and neither made any sort of statement to the court.

After the sentence was read, the prosecutor asked the judge to prohibit each of the 3 men from being able to make any money from the case -- whether it be through book deals, interviews or promotional material ... a decision the judge has not yet made.

DEMANDING A LIFE SENTENCE
FOX 30

During the victim impact statements, Ahmaud's mother, Wanda Cooper Jones, gave an emotional testimony to the life of her son ... saying raising him was the greatest honor of her life.

Wanda went on to describe her son as a curious, loving and thoughtful child -- she had asked the judge for life without parole for each of the 3 involved.

11/24/21
THE FINAL VERDICT
Fox News

While all 3 men were convicted of murder and several other charges back in November ... only Travis, the son of Gregory, was convicted of malice murder. Travis is the one who pulled the trigger on his rifle, killing Ahmaud.

FEBRUARY 2020
IN COLD BLOOD

Under GA law, each of the men are required to serve 30 years in prison, so for 52-year-old Bryan ... even with the possibility of parole, he could still die behind bars.

All 3 are still scheduled to stand trial in federal court next month for hate crimes related to Ahmaud's murder.

Golden Globes 2022 No Audience, Celebs in Attendance Show Will Highlight Plan to Improve Diversity

The Golden Globes are, indeed, happening this year -- but there'll be some major changes ... including where you can catch it, and who will (or won't, rather) be there to bear witness.

A release Tuesday states the Globes are going to be livestreamed this year, where winners will be announced for their respective categories. The big difference, of course, is that NBC will not be carrying the broadcast ... nor will any other major network.

There also won't be a large audience or any celebs in attendance.

You'll recall ... the NBC decision came down last year after some diversity controversy caused by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which many felt hadn't done enough by 2021's show to nominate more people of color -- something they vowed to fix and work on going forward. It even became a running (awkward) gag throughout last year's ceremony.

2021
LET'S DO BETTER
NBC

They've made some strides since then ... but not nearly in enough time to find another home.

During the show, Kyle Bowser, Senior Vice President of the NAACP Hollywood Bureau will break down the "Reimagine Coalition," a movement to increase diversity across the entertainment biz. The coalition is a five-year initiative.

Of course, there will still be COVID precautions in place for the few who are able to attend and present, including proof of vax AND booster as well as a negative PCR test.

Besides that, we're told it'll be host-less and spectator-less ... this despite the fact there are some huge names up for awards. Some notable ones ... Leonardo DiCaprio, Denzel Washington, Mahershala Ali, Nicole Kidman, just to name a few.

However, the main focus of the show will be on the orgs the HFPA has worked with and sponsored over the years.

You see, there's a lot of licensing money HFPA gains from broadcasting the program, which it then dishes out to different charities. Because that won't be happening in 2022, we're told HFPA brass is banking on people's generosity so they can continue helping others.

Michael Strahan Blasts Off into Space with Blue Origin

WE HAVE LIFTOFF
Blue Origin

Michael Strahan just went where no news anchor has gone ... to the edge of space!!!

It was a flawless flight after a short hold at 15 minutes. Blue Origin hurled into space with Strahan and 4 other astronauts on board, including Laura Shepard Churchley, the oldest daughter of America's first astronaut, Alan Shepard.

The capsule was atop the New Shepard rocket ... named, of course, after Alan.

When they experienced weightlessness, the astronauts were giddy with excitement ... you can hear the joy as they floated in space.

FLOATING IN ZERO G
Blue Origin

The New Shepard rocket was originally supposed to take off for the 10-minute flight on Thursday but Bezos gave it the yellow light, due to high wind.

This Blue Origin flight is the third launch with people on board. Astronaut Strahan and others had lots of training before they boarded. The TV host says he went to the Blue Origin facility for a week-and-a-half training prior to today's launch.

If taking a trip to space isn't already a good enough incentive, apparently all passengers get some sort of stipend... and Strahan says he is donating his to The Boys & Girls Club.

SUCCESSFUL TOUCH DOWN
Blue Origin

In October, William Shatner made headlines and history as the oldest person ever to go to space.

'Rust' Shooting Sheriff, D.A. Speak on Probe Charges on Table for All, Armorer/AD History to Be Considered

GATHERING EVIDENCE

The local sheriff and D.A. investigating the fatal shooting on Alec Baldwin's "Rust" movie set are speaking for the first time about the case ... and they made clear, criminal charges are still on the table for all involved, and the armorer and AD's work history WILL be considered.

Santa Fe County Sheriff, Adan Mendoza, and Santa Fe District Attorney, Mary Carmack-Altwies, were in front of cameras Wednesday to discuss the probe and potentially answer questions -- and while they insisted the investigation was still ongoing, they did offer clarity on what they're looking at in weighing potential criminality ... when they get there.

Mendoza said his deputies recovered about 500 rounds of ammo, which included a mix of blanks, dummies and live bullets. He didn't specify how much of each was found. He also said a whopping 600 pieces of evidence were seized in total, including the gun itself.

The Sheriff said they are still in the process of interviewing people who were working on set -- about 90 people total -- even though he said there was a small crew in the immediate vicinity of the shooting. He also said they want to re-interview a number of people ... including Baldwin, the director, the assistant director as well as the armorer in charge of weapons.

Speaking of those latter two -- who are at the center of this whole drama -- the Sherriff and D.A. noted without ambiguity ... they will take Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and David Halls' rumored incidents and/or conduct on previous sets into account as they consider whether to charge anyone over this. They're encouraging anyone with info to contact them, STAT.

The D.A. also made a point to say ... nobody has been ruled out at this point when it comes to potential charges, and that includes Baldwin himself -- who fired the fatal round.

911 AUDIO

As you know, Alec pulled the trigger, firing the fatal live round of ammunition that killed director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, and injured director, Joel Souza.

Assistant director Dave Halls handed Alec the weapon used in the scene, and told him it was a "cold gun" ... meaning it was not loaded. Clearly, it had not been adequately inspected beforehand. As we first told you, some crew members were using the same gun for target practice with real bullets.

The movie's chief electrician, Serge Svetnoy, recently shared what he says is the last photo of Hutchins on set, and he's blaming her death on Halls and the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

Now it sounds like we'll have to wait to find out if the authorities have evidence of criminal negligence.

William Shatner Makes History!!! As Oldest Person in Space

WORDS CAN'T DESCRIBE
@blueorigin / Instagram

Life has officially imitated art as William Shatner made history by becoming the oldest person ever to go to space.

Captain Kirk and crew hopped on Blue Origin's New Shepard capsule Wednesday morning and successfully blasted off into space ... never mind a couple of delays due to "vehicle readiness." Shatner himself said he got more nervous with each delay.

10/13/21
BOLDLY GOING TO SPACE
Blue Origin

The 90-year-old and the other 3 crew members experienced 4 minutes of weightlessness before the capsule ultimately parachuted and landed safely in the west Texas desert at exactly 9:59 AM CT. Shatner gave a thumbs up before exiting the capsule.

ABSOLUTELY BEAMING
Blue Origin

Jeff Bezos opened the hatch, poked his head inside the capsule and greeted the newest astronauts. Shatner was second to exit and he said "Wow" before hugging Bezos.

Shatner started describing his experience to Bezos but he was briefly interrupted when Bezos popped open a bottle of champagne. Shatner turned down the bubbly. He later became visibly emotional and poetically described the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

COMMEMORATIVE COIN CEREMONY
Blue Origin

He said, "What you have given me is the most profound experience I could imagine. I'm so filled with emotion about what just happened. It’s extraordinary. I hope I never recover from this. I hope I maintain what I feel now. I don’t want to lose it. It’s so much larger than me, and life." Shatner also urged Bezos to make this experience widely available ... even if it means using 3D technology.

Shatner's crew included Blue Origin’s vice president of mission and flight operations Audrey Powers, former NASA engineer Chris Boshuizen and software mogul Glen de Vries.

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE
Blue Origin

We got our first look of Shatner in the space suit moments before liftoff ... and though the suit wasn't as silky smooth as what he wore on the Enterprise all those years ago, he still looked pretty damn good. He's seriously 90?!?!

Bezos drove the space travelers to the launch site in a Rivian electric pickup truck, Shatner was stuck with the middle seat, but didn't seem to care.

Shatner became the oldest person to ever go up into space ... beating out 82-year-old test pilot Wally Funk ... who joined Bezos, his brother, Mark, and recent HS grad Oliver Daemen, when they took Blue Origin's New Shepard capsule up for its premiere launch in July.

7/20/21
WE HAVE LIFTOFF!!!
Blue Origin

As you'll recall ... that initial crew went up to space for about 15 minutes, reached an altitude of 66.5 miles, floated around for a bit in zero-gravity while playing with ping-pong balls ... then came back down for safe landing.

7/20/21
BEZOS' BALLIN IN ZERO GRAVITY
Blue Origin

Shatner's civilian flight will be very similar, but our sources say the mission will be also filmed for a documentary. Any moment now we'll have video of Shatner & co. inside the capsule.

Stay tuned.

Gabby Petito Strangled to Death Laundrie Family: It's a 'Tragedy'

CAUSE OF DEATH ANNOUNCED
UPDATE

12:15 PM PT -- The Laundrie family attorney, Steve Bertolino, told NewsNation Now correspondent Brian Entin that "Gabby Petito's death at such a young age is a tragedy."

UPDATE

The family added, "While Brian Laundrie is currently charged with the unauthorized use of a debit card belonging to Gabby, Brian is only considered a person of interest in relation to Gabby Petito’s demise. At this time Brian is still missing and when he is located we will address the pending fraud charge against him."

UPDATE

11:34 AM PT -- The Teton County Coroner kept the presser brief, revealing Gabby died by strangulation ... while maintaining her death is a homicide. He also estimates the time she was killed might've been 3 to 4 weeks before her remains were found.

UPDATE

As for why it took so long to come to this conclusion ... the coroner says they were waiting on toxicology, as well as for certain specialists -- like an anthropologist, who was apparently consulted for this -- to weigh in ... saying they wanted to be exact and get it right.

UPDATE

The coroner also noted ... Gabby was NOT pregnant.

Gabby Petito's cause of death is about to be revealed after weeks of waiting on a coroner's findings -- and TMZ is streaming the highly anticipated results live.

The autopsy report is being discussed Tuesday during a press conference and comes several weeks after investigators found her remains at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming last month.

As you know by now, the coroner ruled her death a homicide.

Now, the last pieces of the puzzle in this tragedy are finally coming together -- and may very well back up what her family suspected all along ... that she was brutalized, and left out in the wilderness to perish.

Of course, the one answer that remains elusive ... who's responsible, and obviously why? The prime person of interest is Gabby's fiance, Brian Laundrie, who has gone missing and for whom a manhunt has been launched.

Laundrie remains unaccounted for, despite a handful of alleged sightings in different parts of the country.

There was a suspected sighting nearly 500 miles away from where he was living in North Port, FL -- with a man claiming to have spotted somebody on his deer cam who looked like Brian -- but cops have said they have no reason to believe, for now, Brian's in the area.

Most recently a hiker claimed to have seen Brian on the Appalachian Trail ... but nothing concrete there either. Dog the Bounty Hunter also joined the nationwide manhunt.

As we reported ... Dog's hitting the pause button on his search -- this after injuring himself on the job.

10/3/21
DOG DOWN IN THE SWAMPS
@duanedogchapman / Instagram

As for Laundrie's family ... they say he went hiking sometime in mid-September, but never returned. This follows an already incredibly suspicious return back to Florida without any trace of Gabby. Her family's blasted Brian and his family for clamming up on providing answers.

The feds issued an arrest warrant for Laundrie but NOT for Gabby's death -- it was for Use of Unauthorized Access Devices. Prosecutors claimed Laundrie used a Capital One Bank debit card from August 30 to Sept. 1 to purchase stuff totaling at least $1,000.

The feds haven't said it was Gabby's card, but that doesn't seem like much of a leap.

8/12/2021
INTERACTION WITH MOAB POLICE
Moab Police Department

Just a few days later ... the FBI visited the Laundrie residence to retrieve some personal items in hopes they might have his DNA on them.

One thing we do know about Gabby and Brian's recent past is that they had a confrontation in Utah ... something that was briefly investigated by a police officer, who recorded one of the final images of her alive, and crying.

REPORTING A DISTURBANCE
Fox News

And, a witness called 911 shortly before Gabby's disappearance, telling the dispatcher he saw Brian slap and hit Gabby during an argument.

Now, we're going to learn what happened to her after that ... once and for all.

Originally Published -- 11:00 AM PT

GABBY PETITO Family Calls For Brian To Turn Himself In

HONORING GABBY
Fox 5 New York

Gabby Petito's family is speaking out about her death and the ongoing manhunt for her fiancé, Brian Laundrie ... and they want Brian to turn himself in to law enforcement.

The Petito family and their attorney held a press conference Tuesday in New York, announcing a foundation in her name and calling on Brian to emerge from wherever he is and give himself up.

As we reported ... Dog the Bounty Hunter is hot on Laundrie's trail, alerting cops to a Florida campsite possibly linked to Brian and his parents.

The Petito family are welcoming Dog's help, and asking everyone to help find Brian just like folks helped find Gabby's body.

8/12/2021
INTERACTION WITH MOAB POLICE
Moab Police Department

Laundrie's been missing for weeks and he's officially a wanted man after the feds issued an arrest warrant last week and charged him with unauthorized use of a credit card right around the time Gabby went missing.

There have been a few potential Brian sightings, like the trail cam footage in Florida and doppelganger sighting in Canada ... but so far nothing concrete.

The Petito family isn't expecting any help from the Laundrie family in locating Brian ... saying the Laundries didn't help them find Gabby.

As you know ... Gabby was found dead in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park earlier this month. Her family held a candlelight vigil this past weekend and also laid her to rest with an emotional funeral service.

As for the foundation, the Petito family says the goal is to help other missing persons and their families, and keep Gabby's memory alive.

Jeff Bezos Space Mission Accomplished!!!

7/20/21
WE HAVE LIFTOFF!!!
Blue Origin
UPDATE

6:33 AM PT -- Success!!! Jeff and company made their way into space -- reaching an altitude of 66.5 miles -- and made their way back to Earth ... floating to a pretty soft landing just moments ago.

UPDATE
7/20/21
ALL SMILES
Blue Origin
UPDATE

Everything went according to plan, and it sounds like the 4 astronauts were truly feeling on top of the world. Jeff stepped out of the capsule and hugged his mother, Jackie Bezos, his oldest son, Preston ... and then his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez.

UPDATE
7/20/21
BEZOS' BALLIN IN ZERO GRAVITY
Blue Origin
UPDATE

Blue Origin also released footage from inside the spacecraft of the 4 giddy passengers floating around ... and playing catch with ping pong balls. Incredible stuff!

Jeff Bezos is putting his money and his ass, quite literally, on the line for his Blue Origin aerospace company's first crewed mission into space at 6 AM PT ... and TMZ will be live streaming.

The richest man in the world and 3 others are hopping into the autonomous New Shepard capsule for the highly-anticipated journey into sub-orbital space. His fellow astronauts-to-be are Jeff's brother, Mark Bezos, test pilot Wally Funk and recent HS grad Oliver Daemen.

The entire thing -- from takeoff to landing -- is expected to last around 11 minutes. The capsule will take off from a remote area near Van Horn, Texas ... about 2 hours southeast of El Paso. It'll land in the Texas desert, after being slowed by parachutes.

When they reach the edge of space -- an altitude of around 65 miles -- Bezos & Co. will experience several minutes of weightlessness. For comparison ... Richard Branson's V.S.S. Unity only got up to about 53 miles. FYI, the FAA and Air Force recognize space at an altitude of 50 miles.

While Branson went up first -- winning the so-called billionaire space race -- Bezos' flight will make history in several other ways.

If successful, Jeff's space voyage will be the first to be unpiloted with a civilian crew. Wally and Oliver would also set records as the oldest and youngest to reach space at 82 and 18, respectively.

7/11/21
BRANSON BREAKS BARRIERS
Virgin Galactic

Wally, BTW, was one of the original Mercury 13 women who took part in training back in the 1960s to show women could meet NASA's standards to become astronauts.

The launch comes 9 days after Branson's successful launch and perfect landing in New Mexico.

Originally Published -- 5:30 AM PT

Richard Branson Great Morning to Go to Space!!! 'Virgin' Launch, Landing a Huge Success

7/11/21
BRANSON BREAKS BARRIERS
Virgin Galactic
UPDATE

12:25 PM PT -- Virgin Galactic released the footage from inside the cabin that didn't come through on the live feed, and it's worth the wait. Check out the look on Branson's face as the rocket engine ignites, shooting them toward space at 3 times the speed of sound.

UPDATE
7/11/21
TIME TO LET GO
Virgin Galactic
UPDATE

The zero gravity moments are really cool too. Kinda gets ya fired up to go to space, right? That's if you have the roughly $250k it currently costs. Maybe there's a groupon.

UPDATE

8:42 AM PT -- The V.S.S. Unity made a remarkably smooth and, seemingly, perfect landing. That's it ... space travel is now, officially, a real possibility for the general public.

UPDATE

8:34 AM PT -- Branson and co. have successfully reached the zero-gravity of sub-orbital space. Unity's release from the mothership and rocket launch was smooth, and the crew enjoyed a few minutes of floating around the cabin.

UPDATE

The only thing that went wrong was the live feed from onboard the ship. But, it's going smoothly, mechanically, as they glide back to the runway.

Richard Branson is pulling out the big guns for his first trip to space ... as in Stephen Colbert, who's hosting the live stream of Virgin Galactic's first space flight with its boss onboard.

Branson's company is launching its SpaceShipTwo -- dubbed the V.S.S. Unity -- into sub-orbital space Sunday morning from Spaceport America, New Mexico ... and we'll be streaming it here. The launch is set for 7:30 AM PT.

If all goes as planned, the British tycoon will become the first billionaire in space ... just edging out Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who's scheduled to make a similar flight on July 20, aboard his Blue Origin spacecraft.

The launch should be pretty spectacular. Unity will get a boost of sorts ... it will be attached to a specially designed airplane that takes off traditionally from a runway, and carries Unity about 9 miles up. At that point, Unity will separate from the plane and fire rocket engines to reach an altitude of 55 miles!

David Mackay and Michael Masucci will pilot Unity through the mission, while Branson and 3 other Virgin Galactic employees evaluate the weightless experience ... which is expected to last only about 5 minutes. After that, the ship returns to Earth, much like NASA's space shuttles -- gliding to a runway landing.

The whole mission's expected to take about 2 and a half hours.

Branson founded Virgin Galactic in 2004 with the intent of leading so-called space tourism. The idea is to start taking paying passengers up to experience zero gravity while getting to see Earth from the edge of space.

In addition to Colbert hosting, Branson lined up Khalid to perform once the crew lands safely. Grab your coffee and a muffin ... the show launch should be pretty amazing.

Originally published -- 7:18 AM PT

Derek Chauvin Sentenced To 22.5 Years in Prison

THE SENTENCING
Fox 9
UPDATE

3:25 PM PT -- Chauvin will end up serving 15 years behind bars in accordance with Minnesota law ... according to Minnesota Department Of Correction officials.

UPDATE

We're told the law states inmates in Minnesota, like Chauvin, have to serve two-thirds of their sentence in prison and the rest under supervised release.

UPDATE

In Chauvin's case, we're told he will be eligible for supervised release for the final 7 1/2 years of his sentence.

Derek Chauvin just got sentenced for the murder of George Floyd ... with the judge giving him 22 1/2 years in prison.

The former Minneapolis police officer learned his fate Friday in Hennepin County court, where the judge in his murder trial handed down the sentence ... some 2 months after a jury found Chauvin guilty on all 3 counts, including 2nd-degree murder.

Chauvin is getting credit for the 199 days he's already served ... and the 270-month sentence is short of the 360-month sentence prosecutors wanted but, as the judge notes, is 10 years longer than the presumptive 150-month sentence.

5/25/20
EXCESSIVE FORCE
Facebook/ Darnella Frazier

Judge Peter Cahill found Chauvin abused his position of trust and treated Floyd with particular cruelty ... but the court said while children were present during Chauvin's fatal interaction with Floyd, it wasn't a substantial and compelling reason for a heavier sentence.

Prosecutors also argued Chauvin and a group of cops ganged up on Floyd, but the judge saw it differently and said that argument wasn't enough to justify more years behind bars.

Chauvin's defense attorney, Eric Nelson, asked for a much shorter sentence, suggesting his client get time served and probation for the manslaughter and murder convictions.

A MESSAGE FROM GIANNA
Fox 9

Before the judge announced the sentence, Floyd's daughter, brothers and nephew gave their victim impact statements. In a video played in court, 7-year-old Gianna said she misses her dad and she wishes she could play with him.

ADDRESSING THE FLOYD FAMILY
Fox 9

Chauvin was in court listening to everything, wearing a gray suit with a blue medical mask and a buzz cut, and he briefly spoke ... offering condolences to the Floyd family and suggesting some info will come out down the line that might give the Floyd family some peace of mind.

Chauvin's mother, Carolyn Pawlenty, also spoke to the court ... saying her son's replayed the fatal interaction with Floyd over and over in his head.

TODAY IS A TURNING POINT
Fox 9

Floyd's family and their legal team quickly reacted to Chauvin's sentence ... expressing relief the former cop was held accountable and saying it brings the nation one step closer to healing.

Originally Published -- 11:15 AM PT

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