Movie Business

“The Rip” -- Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s movie inspired by a 2016 drug bust in South Florida -- trashed the reputations of some Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputies ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

According to reports, the suit was filed against Matt and Ben’s production company, Artists Equity, and claims their Netflix film unfairly damaged the reps of the real-life officers involved.

MDSO deputy Jonathan Santana told NBC 7News ... “When you rip something, you’re stealing something. We never stole a dollar.”

Blake Lively may be calling her legal settlement with Justin Baldoni a win ... but Baldoni's attorney says it's really a surrender before the spotlight got too hot.

Bryan Freedman tells TMZ the "real reason" Blake settled was because she was terrified of taking the witness stand and facing cross-examination at trial.

Freedman says ... "Part of the reason Blake settled is because she was scared to take the witness stand at trial. She did not want to face cross examination by anyone because that would require her to tell the truth."

9:40 AM PT -- Justin Baldoni's attorney Bryan Freedman tells TMZ ... “Let’s be clear, this is a win and total victory for the Wayfarer parties. The court had already dismissed 10 of Ms. Lively’s 13 claims, including every sexual harassment claim, every defamation claim, and all claims against the individual defendants. Ms. Lively voluntarily dismissed the rest. In our view, they settled because they knew they were going to lose in court. All that remains is a pending request for fees based on a very narrow issue that has been with the court since September 2025.” 

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's "It Ends With Us" legal war isn't over yet, after all ... she just filed docs seeking money from him under a California law, and Justin's already agreed to abide by whatever the judge decides on the matter.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Blake's attorneys say part of the settlement they hammered out this week, allows her to keep alive one remaining claim against Baldoni and co. for having filed a defamation suit against her.

Remember ... Baldoni filed that suit after Blake filed her sexual harassment complaint against him. In the new docs, her lawyers say California law entitles her to attorneys' fees, and compensatory and punitive damages.

Ultimately, the judge dismissed Justin's defamation suit, which allowed her to use the Cali law to seek these damages. There won't be a jury trial, though ... the judge will decide whether, and how much, Justin's side has to pay.

Blake Lively may have reached a settlement with Justin Baldoni ... but one actor from "It Ends With Us" says the damage done to his friend still lingers.

Check it out ... Adam Mondschein -- who played the doctor in the film's controversial birth scene -- appeared on "Piers Morgan Uncensored" Wednesday and accused Lively of hurting Baldoni throughout the explosive court fight.

"I have very firm feelings about the actions that she took," Mondschein said. "She hurt my friend and has been hurting my friend."

Melissa Barrera just slaughtered the "Scream" franchise ... because the actress went scorched earth on the series after she was fired for comments on the Gaza War.

In an interview with Variety ... Melissa didn't hold back when she was asked about the success of the most recent flick ... which was panned by critics -- but made a boatload of money. MB straight up accused Paramount of inflating the box office numbers ... saying there's no way the film did so well.

Important to note ... box office numbers are third-party verified -- so it's impossible for a studio to fudge them.

As you know ... Melissa was booted from "Scream 7" and left her talent agent after friction from her pro-Palestinian messages on social media when the war broke out ... comparing Gaza to a concentration camp.

Blake Lively’s team was spiraling privately as backlash grew amid the promo for "It Ends With Us" -- according to newly-uncovered documents from the now-settled case against Justin Baldoni.

TMZ obtained emails and text messages that Blake's team at her alcohol company, Betty Booze, said they were receiving from companies amid the drama surrounding "It Ends With Us."

On September 10, 2024, a member of Blake's team wrote to other team members about a convo with Kroger, the mega-supermarket, saying "I just got off the phone with the SGWS Kroger VP, and the first thing he mentioned to me was that Betty Booze was just discussed" and adding "there is a negative taste in Kroger's mouth based on the [Blake Lively] interview (press) from the movie, and they said they will be closely monitoring sales on the brand."

Blake Lively said under oath she never asked anyone to destroy raw footage from "It Ends with Us" ... but an email from an executive at Sony indicates that might not be true.

Here's the deal ... during Lively's deposition in the case on July 31, 2025 last year, she was questioned about whether she had asked "anyone from Sony to destroy the dailies."

For those who don't know ... a daily is a clip of short raw, unedited footage shot during a single day of film production. The footage is quickly processed and reviewed by directors to make sure the shots look correct and that there aren't any glaring issues.

Marlon Wayans’ 3-year-old daughter is already getting into the Wayans family business, TMZ has learned.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ, Marlon’s daughter, Axl July Ivory Wayans, signed a deal to appear in a movie titled “Hudson Avenue.” Axl played the role of Princess Axl.

The docs note Axl’s mom, Brittany Moreland, signed off on the agreement. Axl was paid a daily rate of $1,246.

Nia Long is "quietly fighting" Lionsgate over a pay discrepancy for her role in "Michael" ... at least according to a new report.

According to Puck News, the actress had a "favored nations" clause in her contract that ensured she'd make as much as her costars ... but she reportedly learned Colman Domingo and Miles Teller had higher payouts than she did.

So, Nia's reportedly "threatening to take the studio to mediation" for allegedly shorting her salary.

He just won an Oscar ... and then he was filing a missing-persons report on it.

Award-winning filmmaker Pasha Talankin -- who thought his golden statuette, which he won earlier this year for Best Documentary Feature -- vanished for good Wednesday after a TSA showdown at John F. Kennedy International Airport in NYC -- is finally breathing easier … because the missing award has been found.

Talankin was forced to check his Oscar after agents flagged the 8.5-pound trophy as a potential weapon before his flight to Germany -- despite him previously traveling with it without issue. When he landed in Frankfurt, the box carrying Hollywood's biggest prize was nowhere to be found … sparking outrage and a frantic search.

Now, the airline, Lufthansa, says the statue has turned up ... Talankin’s collaborator, David Borenstein, posted a statement on Instagram from the airline confirming the Oscar has been located, and the company is in contact with the owner to arrange a handover.

Evangeline Lilly's stepping up to defend the real superheroes behind the Marvel characters onscreen ... blasting parent company Disney for letting some high-profile crew go.

Here's the deal ... the House of Mouse recently laid off about 1,000 staffers amid some notable shakeups at the company -- including the exit of CEO Bob Iger -- and comic book artist Andy Park, who worked on 40+ Marvel movies, was one of them.

In a video posted to social media, Lilly says she reached out to her friend -- who helped bring her character's superhero costume to life, she says -- about the firings and a pivot toward A.I. ... and, she says Park confirmed her worst fears.

David Allan Coe might be gone ... but, fans will get to hear some of the last songs he ever recorded in just a few short months, TMZ has learned.

Ken Madson -- Coe's manager near the end of his career -- tells TMZ ... he owns the controversial country singer's final album and plans to release it on September 6, 2026, which would've been the star's 87th birthday.

Coe last recorded for the album back in 2017, Madson says ... and, it will feature some previously released songs as well as new material. One song on it is called "A Million Reasons" -- which Coe apparently referenced on his social media last year. A title for the album hasn't been finalized yet.

Corey Feldman says he thought his time at the "Michael" premiere was gonna be a thriller ... but a miscommunication prevented him from rocking with other attendees all night.

Here's the deal ... tons of stars -- from Magic Johnson to Martin Lawrence to Tori Spelling and more -- stepped out for the Hollywood premiere on April 20. However, Feldman, a longtime friend and defender of MJ, was conspicuously absent from the event.

A rep for Feldman tells TMZ ... the actor did receive an invite to the "Michael" premiere about a month before it went down, but his manager -- in the midst of dealing with a personal issue -- thought Corey's attendance was confirmed when they actually had to reach out and get him put on the list.

"Michael" biopic honchos were reportedly paid $25 million more than their original deal after the estate had to reshoot the third act, which featured sexual abuse allegations against the pop star, TMZ has learned.

Director Antoine Fuqua and producer Graham King were originally set to make $10 million and $6 million, respectively ... but according to Bloomberg, Fuqua was paid an extra $15 million and King an extra $10 million from Michael Jackson's estate after the allegations needed to be cut out and several scenes reshot.

As you know, Michael was first publicly accused of child sexual abuse in 1993, and he reached a settlement with the family of his accuser, Jordan Chandler, the following year.

A new report that "Rush Hour 4" might've already hit a big roadblock with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker wanting major dough -- and that they ain't getting it -- is being overblown, TMZ has learned.

Puck reported on Friday ... 'RH4' is in a messy place ... because the iconic star duo has not signed on after the initial offer of $8 million apiece was rejected. The pair got around $20 million each for the third film in 2007. According to Puck, this current impasse means delays ... and maybe even a project collapse.

A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ ... negotiations with the stars are ongoing, and this is all a completely normal part of the movie-making business. We're told confidence is high that an agreement will be reached -- and Chris and Jackie will be kicking back into action.

Inmates at the federal slammer in Atlanta are pissed about the "Superman" sequel being shot there ... but we've now heard from prison officials, who say that those bitching about the production should realize the Man of Steel is good for them!

TMZ broke the news ... inmates are mad because the "Man of Tomorrow" shoot is messing up their routines -- and more importantly, access inside the joint and at the commissary. Basically, while the flick is in production, we're told prisoners have to remain in their cells way more than under normal circumstances.

But the Federal Bureau of Prisons now tells TMZ ... they've heard nothing but positive feedback about the production from inside the joint ... and it's an honor for the facility to be a location for the DC movie.