Money

R. Kelly is a free man again -- it was total pandemonium as he walked out of jail -- and he'll have to pay off a 6-figure child support tab almost immediately if he wants to avoid getting locked up again.

Kelly's $100k bond -- 10% of his $1 million bail -- was finally posted Monday after he appeared in court and entered a not guilty plea to all 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse. As he walked out of jail, wearing his blue down coat, Kelly was swarmed by photogs and reporters.

There also seemed to be a number of protesters yelling at Kelly, calling him a pedophile and asking how he'd feel if someone urinated on his daughter -- but they used more colorful language.

Sources in Kelly's camp tell us he paid the bond with a bank cashier's check ... so, there won't be any issues with his check clearing.

Although Kelly's out, he's staring down another deadline. TMZ broke the story ... he has to pay about $160k in back child support to his ex-wife, Drea Kelly, by March 6. If he doesn't, it's right back to County lockup.

The Kelly sources tell us he plans to make arrangements to pay the child support by next week, so he can focus on his criminal defense ... and avoid jail.

It's possible he could be facing additional charges after attorney Michael Avenatti dropped an additional bombshell -- a NEW tape showing Kelly having sex with the same 14-year-old girl from the other tape. Avenatti has now turned over both tapes to Cook County prosecutors.

5:05 PM PT -- R. Kelly made a pit stop after leaving jail, stopping off at McDonald's for some quick eats.

We're told Kelly ordered a quarter pounder meal with BBQ sauce on the side, washing it down with a soda and some coffee. We're told Kels got cream and sugar with his coffee, but he went back to the counter and asked for more.

We're told the singer sat down and ate with his team inside the fast-food restaurant for about half an hour, and they left after a small crowd began to gather.

Advice to pro athletes ... if you wanna shot with Farrah Abraham, ya gotta come with courtside seats.

That's the message Farrah says she told Lakers' rising star Kyle Kuzma -- claiming he tried to get at her in her DMs ... but he wouldn't pony up for quality Lakers tickets.

The "Backdoor Teen Mom" star appeared on "The Hollywood Pipeline" podcast and spilled the tea about how she allegedly shot down the 23-year-old NBA player.

According to Abraham, Kuzma told her he would have to pay out of pocket $15,000 to sit her on the court next to stars like Leo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson ... and refused to budge.

So, Farrah says she told the guy to kick rocks.

Bad news for Kyle, Farrah moved on.

Good news for Kyle, so did he ... dude just wound up on a boat with Instagram model Katya Elise Henry and seems like he's doing just fine!!

By the way, can't really blame Kuzma -- dude is still in his rookie deal with the Lakers ... which only pays him $5 mil over 3 years ... which by NBA superstar standards is dirt poor!

11:47 AM PT -- According to court documents, Kraft paid for a threesome on Jan. 19 -- with two women taking turns "manipulating his genitals."

Once Kraft finished, the women cleaned him up and he gave them each a $100 bill.

11:17 AM PT -- Officials have described the case against Kraft in graphic detail ... saying his first incident occurred on Jan 19. The second incident occurred on Jan. 20, the day the Patriots were playing the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game.

As for incident #2 -- officials describe it in the following way:

"[employee] escorted Kraft to a room identified as JPPD Cam 2. There, the two hugged each other and Kraft took off all his clothing, laid face up on the massage table and [employee] hugged him again. At approximately 1102hrs. (Employee) began manipulating Kraft’s penis and testicles and then put her head down by his penis. This went on several minutes.”

"After a few minutes, [employee] wiped Kraft in the area of his genitals with a white towel, helped him get dressed and hugged him again. Kraft gave [employee] one $100 bill plus at least one other unidentifiable bill."

Officials say Kraft was only at the Asian massage parlor for a total of 14 minutes on January 20 -- and exited to a waiting 2015 blue Bentley.

Cops say Kraft was wearing a dark long-sleeved shirt, blue baseball cap and blue shorts.

By the way, Kraft then flew to Kansas City to watch the Patriots defeat the Chiefs 37 to 31 in an overtime thriller.

11:16 AM PT -- Palm Beach State Attorney Dave Aronberg says Kraft is facing up to 1 year in jail if convicted on the 1st degree misdemeanor charge of soliciting another to commit prostitution.

A maximum sentence includes ... up to a 1 year jail, 100 hours of community service and completion of a class on the dangers of prostitution and human trafficking.

Prosecutors in Robert Kraft's prostitution case will be holding a press conference addressing the Patriots' owner's involvement in the scandal ... and TMZ Sports will be streaming it live.

Kraft is accused of soliciting prostitution at least twice in visits to the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida ... and the presser regarding his potential charges is set to begin at 11 AM PT.

Remember, investigators say they have surveillance videos from inside the massage parlor showing all of the men suspected of paying for sex acts at the massage parlor -- including Kraft -- and the footage is graphic.

It's all part of a massive sting operation which involved multiple law enforcement agencies including the Dept. of Homeland Security, the IRS, Jupiter P.D., the Indian River County Police and more.

Officials say the investigation took more than 8 months -- and exposed a massive human trafficking and prostitution ring operated out of Florida.

The 2 women suspected of running the operation are accused of essentially importing women from other countries -- mostly China -- and forcing them to work as sex slaves at various massage parlors in Florida.

Officials say some of the victims were forced to live at the parlors in terrible living conditions -- sleeping at the businesses and cooking their meals in the back areas.

Cops say they had obtained a warrant to put a covert surveillance camera INSIDE a massage room a the Orchids of Asia Day Spa which captured at least 25 men receiving sex acts in exchange for money.

Kraft has been named as one of the men captured on the surveillance video.

A spokesperson for Kraft has strongly denied the allegations -- saying, "We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further."

But, the day after the scandal broke, Kraft didn't seem bothered -- hitting up Barry Diller's pre-Oscars party Saturday afternoon in Beverly Hills.

As for the Day Spa, it's already become a tourist hot spot -- with all sorts of people flocking to the shop over the weekend ... including a naked man.

Originally Published -- 10:53 AM PST

Jerry Seinfeld is going after the classic car dealer that sold him what they claimed was a rare Porsche, because he thinks the car's certification wasn't legit ... this according to a new lawsuit.

In the suit, obtained by TMZ, Jerry says he bought what he thought was a 1958 Porsche 356 A 1500 GS/GT Carrera Speedster for $1.2 million in 2013 -- and the seller, European Collectibles, gave him a certificate of authenticity.

As we reported, Jerry auctioned the car off 3 years later for $1.54 million ... and the winning bidder, FICA FRIO Ltd, later challenged the car's authenticity, and sued the comedian for hawking a bogus Porsche.

So, now Jerry wants European Collectibles to pay up. In his lawsuit, Jerry says he relied on European Collectibles' certification when he bought the vintage whip, and had no clue it might be bogus until he got sued.

In the docs, Jerry says he doesn't know if FICA FRIO Ltd's allegation about the Porsche's authenticity is true, and he wants no part of the dispute. He says it should be sorted out between FICA FRIO and European Collectibles.

Jerry's suing to get European Collectibles to cover his damages if the court finds the car's certification is indeed bogus.

Jerry's attorney, Orin Snyder, tells TMZ, "Jerry has no liability in this matter, but he wants to do the right thing, and is therefore bringing this action to hold European Collectibles accountable for its own certification of authenticity, and to allow the court to determine the just outcome."

8:31 AM PT -- Sources close to R. Kelly tell TMZ that Williams' attorney tried to shake down the singer prior to filing the lawsuit. In a letter sent to R. Kelly's legal team -- obtained by TMZ -- Williams' attorney, Jeff Deutschman, says R. Kelly's lawyers should contact him if they want to resolve the matter outside of court. Deutschman also writes that no response from R. Kelly's camp would result in the lawsuit being filed.

Clearly, they didn't come to terms.

R. Kelly is now facing a lawsuit from a new accuser who says he sexually abused her when she was 16 years old.

Heather Williams filed the suit in Cook County, Illinois ... and in the suit, she says she met R. Kelly in late May of 1998 while she was walking down a street in Chicago. She says the singer was driving by, and stopped and spoke to her ... then sent his people to meet her and her family at a restaurant.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, R. Kelly's associate told Heather and her fam ... that R. Kelly wanted her to come to her studio and appear in one of his videos. She admits she was "starstruck."

She claims in June, R. Kelly began sexually abusing her. She's not specific about where it happened but says they had sexual intercourse and oral sex. In her suit, Heather says the sexual abuse continued until she was an adult.

Heather says she was seeing a therapist in June 2015 when she "broke through her repressed memory" and could finally speak about the alleged abuse. She says she's suffered shame, guilt, self-blame and depression -- and she's suing the singer for at least $50,000.

2/24/19 -- Sources connected to R. Kelly tell us the singer could be behind bars until at least Tuesday, if not Wednesday. The reason ... the slow-moving wheels of bureaucracy. We're told R. Kelly's lawyers plan on heading to the Child Support Bureau on Monday to figure out exactly how much their client owes in back pay. Once they do that, they'll head to the bank, pull out the necessary funds and pay off his bail and child support payments in one shot. That technically would lift the hold on his bond, but our sources say it could take 24 to 48 hours to process the paperwork. In other words ... Kels might be sitting in a jail cell 'til mid-week.

7:30 PM PT -- R. Kelly reportedly failed to post the $100k bond by the cutoff time of 9 PM in Chicago, so he'll have to spend the night in jail.

2:10 PM PT -- We're told until R. Kelly makes bail, he's being held in a holding pen by himself because the jail doesn't want him interacting with other inmates for safety reasons. R. Kelly's considered a "high profile individual," and if he doesn't bond out tonight he'll be placed in his own cell.

TMZ's also obtained video of Joycelyn and Azriel leaving the courthouse. Neither woman had anything to say about Kelly's case or their relationship with their parents.

1:15 PM PT -- As we told you ... Joycelyn Savage and Azriel Clary were both in the courtroom for R. Kelly, and were reportedly sitting in the first row reserved for friends and family during his hearing. The women are allegedly the singer's "sex slaves," but both have denied that. They were seen holding hands entering court together.

12:25 PM PT -- TMZ's obtained a courtroom sketch of R. Kelly and his lawyer, along with the State's Attorney, in front of Judge John Fitzgerald Lyke Jr.

12:00 PM PT -- R. Kelly's lawyer just had a heated exchange with a reporter, who called him out for allegedly misquoting one of the victims. The lawyer shot back and accused the guy of trying to sell books, and that's when it got really testy ... and an F-bomb was dropped.

Greenberg also says R. Kelly should be able to bond out, but it might take a while because his financial situation is complicated ... and it's Saturday. As far as R. Kelly's defense, Greenberg says he's not ready to divulge info about that yet because he's in the process of reviewing all the evidence.

He did raise eyebrows at the end of his Q&A, though, when he said about R. Kelly -- "He's a rock star, he doesn't have to have nonconsensual sex."

11:35 AM PT -- Cook County District Attorney Kim Foxx just gave more details of the alleged sex crimes to the press outside the courtroom, and says 2 of the 4 alleged victims turned in physical evidence -- shirts with R. Kelly's semen on them -- to prosecutors.

Avenatti also spoke to reporters and started by blasting R. Kelly's lawyer, Steven Greenberg. Avenatti says Greenberg has referred to all of the alleged victims as "liars" and insists the new sex tape is the same as the one from 2008, which Avenatti says is a lie.

He also claims R. Kelly's handlers were at the courthouse to keep Azriel Clary's parents away from her and believes Azriel has been brainwashed.

R. Kelly just appeared before the judge, who set his bail at $1 million ... meaning the singer can be released -- but only if he can afford it.

Prosecutors laid out the details of R. Kelly's 4 separate indictments Saturday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Cook County, and requested the R&B singer not be granted bail ... but the judge disagreed and set bail at $250k for each indictment.

The judge also ordered Kelly to surrender his passport.

R. Kelly's lawyer reportedly said the singer's finances are a mess, so he can't bond out just yet. However, a source close to Kelly tells us he'll be able to gather up $100k soon and post bail. If he does, he'll be released from jail ahead of his trial.

As we reported ... R. Kelly surrendered to police in Chicago Friday night, turning himself in at a police station after being charged with sexual abuse of 4 girls, at least 3 of whom were minors.

Prosecutors hit R. Kelly with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse Friday morning, and 9 of the 10 counts involve alleged victims ranging in age from 13 to 16 years old. There are 4 alleged victims in total, and according to the criminal complaint ... the graphic allegations include oral and vaginal sex with a girl between the ages of 13 and 17.

Attorney Michael Avenatti -- says he's representing at least 1 of the alleged victims in the R. Kelly indictment -- was on hand for Saturday's court hearing. He arrived with the parents of Azriel Clary, one of R. Kelly's alleged sex slaves.

Both Azriel and Joycelyn Savage -- another one of R. Kelly's alleged sex slaves -- were inside the courtroom for the hearing ... but it's unclear if they had any contact with their parents.

As we reported ... Avenatti also claims the new sex tape he turned over to prosecutors shows R. Kelly engaging in sex acts with a 14-year-old girl. He released images from the video Friday, showing what appears to be R. Kelly.

Jussie Smollett has hard evidence to support his claim the Chicago Police Superintendent got it wrong when he told the media the actor paid $3,500 to Abel and Ola Osundairo to stage an attack.

TMZ has obtained documents that on the surface back his claim the $3,500 check he wrote to Abel was for training. The check was written to Abel on January 23, 2019, six days before the "attack." The memo line reads, "5 week Nutrition/Workout program Don't Go."

Sources connected to Jussie tell us, the reference to "Don't Go" is a song for which Jussie was going to shoot a music video ... featuring himself shirtless. The sources say Jussie had gained weight -- he was 192 lbs and needed to lose 20 pounds for the shoot, and that's why he hired Abel ... whom he says he calls "Bon."

There are various texts starting from January 20 between Jussie and Bon. On January 28 -- the day before the "attack" -- Bon wrote, "I know you're traveling today, make sure you get at least 45 mins of cardio."

Another text on January 20 outlines a menu for the day, including chicken thigh, StarKist Tuna, Eggs and Smucker's peanut butter. And, a text on January 25 reads, "This is the meal plan and the breakdown of macronutrients. Also includes projected fat loss."

You also see a text showing a calendar where February 23 is marked "Don't Go." The sources say that's the date of the music video shoot.

There's another screenshot from Sept. 27, 2018, presumably showing Jussie has paid Ola in the past. It's a Venmo payment of $100 to Bola (Abimbola aka Abel) for "Training."

Sources connected to Jussie say the $3,500 breakdown is as follows -- $600 a week for the workout plan for 5 weeks, and $100 a week for the nutrition plan for 5 weeks.

As we reported, Ola and Abel also told the grand jury the payment was for training.

This is not proof the attack wasn't staged, but in a trial, all the defense has to do is create reasonable doubt, and we're told the Police Superintendent's pronouncement will become a defense weapon if the case goes to trial.

The Police Superintendent also said during the news conference Jussie himself sent the racist letter 8 days before the attack. Federal law enforcement sources tell us they have not concluded who wrote the letter ... at least not yet.

NFL yacht wars are in full effect ... 'cause just like Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder, the mega-rich owner of the Atlanta Falcons, Arthur Blank, just bought a superyacht -- for $180 MILLION!!!

The brand spankin' new 240-ft. yacht -- with 11 cabins holding 23 guests plus 33 crew -- is named DreAMBoat (AMB are Blank's initials) ... and it's insanely beautiful.

There's a swimming pool and hot tub on the ship's deck -- plus a bunch of other bells and whistles -- and Blank's private quarters also has its own private hot tub.

A luxury yacht company called Oceanco built the boat ... and we're told 76-year-old Blank was VERY involved in the process -- flying to the Netherlands several times to meet with the ship makers.

DreAMBoat just touched the water for the first time earlier this week ... and will soon undergo sea trials -- where they'll make sure she's seaworthy. Dutch Yachting got footage of the action.

The yacht company expects to deliver the boat to Blank in time for this Summer.

Blank is just the latest NFL owner to drop hundreds of millions of dollars on a mega yacht ... Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder threw down $100,000,000 on a 305-ft. yacht that has its own freakin' IMAX theatre.

Not to be outdone ... Cowboys owner Jerry Jones dropped $250 MILLION on a 357-ft. yacht with 2 helipads, steam room, full gym and a massage room -- which he named after his wife of over 50 years and counting, Gene Jones.

Now, add Arthur to the NFL owners yacht club.

Blank amassed his reported $4.8 BILLION (according to Forbes) by co-founding Home Depot in 1978 ... making him one of the wealthiest owners in the NFL.

He purchased the Falcons for $545 million in 2002 ... and they've made the playoffs (and 1 Super Bowl) since he assumed control of the organization.

The Falcons have quadrupled in value and are now estimated to be worth $2.1 BILLION.

Farrah Abraham's got beef in Texas, but we ain't talking brisket -- she's getting sued for breaking a couple of leases and skipping out on more than $100k in rent.

The company that runs the Oaks at Lakeway Mall in Travis County says Farrah signed two 5-year leases in 2016 for her F&S by Farrah and Sophia Laurent Boutique. Biz was not good, though ... in docs, obtained by TMZ, the mall says Farrah closed her doors in September 2018, and stopped paying rent.

Obviously, that pissed off the mall, and according to the suit ... they fired off a notice for Farrah to pay up. In docs, the Oaks at Lakeway says an attorney repping Farrah's boutique responded that they have "no intentions on making any further payments under the lease agreement."

Translation: kick rocks.

Now, it's true it's Farrah's company that signed the leases ... however, the mall points out Farrah is the guarantor. So, she's on the hook as far as the mall's concerned.

The landlord says Farrah's in the hole for at least $101,212.50 ... and they're not about to let her slip out the backdoor without paying.

For her part, Farrah's under the impression everything was squared away last October when the mall kept her deposit.

The Chicago PD claims Jussie Smollett paid Ola and Abel Osundairo $3,500 to fake an attack, but sources connected to the case tell TMZ that's just not the case.

Our sources say the brothers made a deal with Jussie to train him for 5 weeks so he could get in shape for an upcoming music video. Jussie had said to Ola that he wanted abs like his. Both Abel and Ola agreed to train Jussie, and also give him a 5-week nutrition plan.

Our sources say Jussie told the brothers he would pay them for their services, but no specific amount was discussed.

A few days before the "attack," Jussie wrote the brothers a check for $3,500. The memo line read, "5 weeks training nutrition plan."

Our sources say Ola and Abel told the grand jury they were paid for the 5-week program and not for the "attack." One source connected with the brothers did say Ola and Abel felt the amount was "a little high" but no one ever specifically said anything about any of the money being part of a scheme.

Charles Barkley's not the only one getting laughs at Jussie Smollett's expense -- Trevor Noah's team spoofed the "Empire" star hard ... and it's pretty hilarious.

"The Daily Show" put together a fake movie trailer mocking Jussie's "attack" -- which Chicago PD now believes was a publicity stunt -- and how it came to be ... featuring the show's newest star, Jaboukie Young-White, as Smollett.

The trailer for "Jussie's Lie" has it all -- from the actor allegedly being dissatisfied with his "Empire" salary and getting pissed when his hate letter didn't receive enough attention ... to planning the "attack" with Nigerian brothers, Abel and Ola.

And, they don't forget about the 2 AM trip to Subway for some grub, either.

In the end, Jussie (Jaboukie) looks at the camera -- rope in hand -- and pronounces ... "I'm the gay Tupac."

Jussie Smollett might have gotten the idea to stage his own attack after Lee Daniels talked about his cousin getting assaulted because he's gay ... at least that's what some members of the "Empire" cast think.

Sources close to the "Empire" production tell TMZ ... some cast members think Jussie's gears started grinding in his head days after Lee posted a video on Instagram on January 10 calling out homophobia. In that same post, the "Empire" creator captioned it, "This past week my cousin was beat up for being gay and I am sick of hearing these stories."

Our sources say Lee then showed up to the set and shared more about the story. Everyone was visibly upset that Lee's family had gone through this horrific ordeal. The sources now say this might have been where Jussie got the idea to take matters into his own hands ... and become an LGBT hero.

The Chicago PD Superintendent says Jussie's motive was money -- he felt he was underpaid on the show. Interesting ... because Lee Daniels is the guy in charge of the cash register.

As you know by now ... cops say Jussie's "attack" was a hoax and allege the actor paid 2 Nigerian brothers $3,500 with a personal check. Jussie's been charged with felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report.

If Robert Kraft would have paid for sex acts in Nevada instead of Florida (allegedly), he wouldn't be facing criminal charges ... and now one of the biggest legal brothels in the country is inviting him over.

The women at Sheri's Ranch Brothel in Pahrump, Nevada are offering to work with Kraft -- because they don't think prostitution is a bad thing ... when it's done legally.

The brothel says ... because the sex industry is regulated in Nevada, human trafficking isn't an issue with the working girls -- unlike in Florida.

By the way, the Ranch spokesperson is Jeremy Lemur -- a former NFL Films staffer who was a previous member of the NFL's Diversity Council.

A rep for Sheri's also says, "Legal prostitutes are tested weekly for sexually transmitted diseases. No customer of Sheri’s Ranch has ever contracted an STD or HIV as a result of an encounter."

And, with officials in Florida saying they have surveillance footage of Kraft inside the illegal parlor -- Sheri's says there's no risk of being captured on police video at their place because "none of our patrons are committing a crime."

Sheri's is also offering prostitution consultation services to NFL owners and players -- essentially educating them on how to legally pay for sex.

Wanna ball out like a Florida billionaire?? The late Wayne Huizenga's incredibly massive Fort Lauderdale mansion is hitting the auction block ... and it's going to the highest bidder!!!

The former Dolphins, Marlins and Panthers owner -- who died last year -- owned the 20,653-square-ft estate on the riverfront ... and it was previously listed at a whoppin' $27 million.

The 10-room pad is sick ... complete with a personal gym, workshop, theater (after all, dude co-founded Blockbuster), billiards room and a kitchen with a pizza oven.

The whole property has five different buildings ... and there are multiple safe rooms throughout the place.

If that ain't enough ... there's enough water room to store a 135-ft megayacht.

The auction kicks off next month through Concierge Auctions and will sell without reserve.

Nike and Zion Williamson are gonna be just fine ... AFTER about 80 million apologies ... so says Dan Le Batard, who thinks ZW's shoe explosion is gonna lead to a money explosion.

Williamson's left Nike disintegrated in the first MINUTE of the much-ballyhooed matchup between Duke and North Carolina earlier this week, injuring Zion, and embarrassing the company.

It was a PR disaster for the shoe giant, prompting a company-wide freak-out, and making some wonder if they'd blown their shot at landing Zion for an endorsement deal whenever he decides to go pro.

We got Dan at LAX and he thinks things between the Swoosh and prodigy will be A-okay ... after the dollars come into play.

"When they give Zion Williamson the $80 million sneaker contract they'll try and make good by him."

Interestingly enough, Dan actually thinks Nike's #1 employee is to blame for Zion's shoe disaster, telling our guy Michael Jordan was the mastermind behind it all, and giving us reasons.

If R. Kelly wasn't about to surrender to police, he might end up in jail anyway ... because a judge is fed up with his failure to pay a ton of child support to his ex-wife.

A Cook County judge found R. Kelly in contempt earlier this month -- according to docs obtained by TMZ -- because he owes Drea Kelly $169,996 in support. The court says he was supposed to be paying her $20,833 per month as of January 2009 -- but he's obviously fallen off schedule in the last year.

The court order states R. Kelly needs to pay up by March 6, or he'll be locked up in County Jail. Obviously, the singer may see that as a moot point ... after he was hit with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse on Friday. As we reported, Kelly is expected to surrender Friday night.

Make no mistake, it's no longer just raining ... it's an all out downpour in his world.