Rape and Sexual Assault

"Boardwalk Empire" star Michael Pitt says the ex-girlfriend who accused him of sexual abuse had a rape and violence fantasy ... and he claims she even laughed about a time he tried to play along by sticking a finger in her butt while knowing she didn't like it.

Michael's attorney, Paul Townsend, is trying to get his bail conditions modified so he can travel internationally for work ... and just included a bunch of text messages in their legal papers, including one that appears to show the woman admitting to lying about certain allegations of sexual assault and violence.

Pitt was arrested in May and is now facing a 9-count indictment in New York, charging him with, among other things, assault, sexual abuse and strangulation based on alleged encounters from April 2020 through August 2021.

Former NBA player Ben McLemore was sentenced to 100 months in prison after he was convicted of raping a woman in 2021 when he was hooping for the Trail Blazers.

The more than 8-year sentence was handed down on Wednesday, a week after a jury found the former Blazers guard guilty of sexual assault and rape in a Clackamas County courtroom.

The incident happened in October 2021 at the home of former Blazer's player Robert Covington, where McLemore was accused of raping a 21-year-old woman during a party.

Diddy is on a roll, legally speaking ... because he keeps racking up wins in court ... after outfoxing federal prosecutors, he's now dealing a major blow to one of his sexual assault accusers.

Here's the deal ... a woman named April Lampros sued Diddy last year, claiming he raped her multiple times in the 1990s -- but those allegations are no longer part of her lawsuit.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the woman's claims for battery, sexual assault and negligent infliction of emotional distress have been dismissed.

Diddy's son Justin Combs lured a woman to Los Angeles with promises of getting her a job in entertainment, but when she arrived in L.A. she was kept in a house for days and ended up being raped by multiple men, including Diddy ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, the woman claims Justin initially contacted her through Snapchat in 2017 and they messaged back and forth, with the woman eventually sending Justin risqué photos at his request. She says after she sent the snaps, Justin offered to fly her to L.A. for a weekend.

The woman says she was interested in working in entertainment and told Justin as much in their conversations ... and she claims Justin told her a trip to L.A. would help her potential career, telling her if she came, he would get her a job using his and his famous father's connections.

The Menendez brothers want to have their day in court ... again ... they say they have new evidence backing up their defense that their father was sexually abusing them, but there's a new wrinkle involving a member of the '80's boy band "Menudo."

According to new legal docs filed by attorney Mark Geragos, and obtained by TMZ, Erik and Lyle Menendez cited recent allegations by former Menudo star Roy Rossello that he was sexually abused when he was 13 or 14 by Jose Menendez.

Rosello made the accusations against Jose -- a then-RCA record exec -- in a new three part Peacock docuseries, "Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed." In the series, two journalists dove into claims that the band's founder, Edgardo Diaz, brought Rosello to Jose's home in New Jersey to broker a deal between "Menudo" and RCA. But things took a dark turn when Jose allegedly drugged Rossello and then raped the teen.

Per the court docs, Erik and Lyle argued that Rossello's allegations of abuse by their dad only served to strengthen their original contention that they fatally shot Jose and their mom, Kitty, out of self-defense.

The petition also mentioned a letter Erik sent to their cousin, Andy Cano, months before the shootings ... where Erik accused Jose of sexual abuse.

In the letter, which the brothers claimed wasn't shown to the jury at trial, Erik says he wished he could tell his mom about the alleged abuse but says he can't risk it because he feared she would tell Jose. Erik also told Andy his father was continuing to molest him.

The Menendez Brothers say the letter was sent around 8 months before they murdered their parents, and they argued it supported their defense theory that Jose was sexually abusing them and warned them to not speak out about being molested, to the point where they became frightened of their father.

They say jurors never heard from Roy either, and they claimed if the jury knew about Roy's allegations and the letter, things might have turned out differently and they might have bought the defense's theory that the brothers were guilty of manslaughter, instead of murder.

Erik and Lyle filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in an effort to determine whether the new evidence was enough for the court to grant them a new trial or other relief.

Attorney Alan Jackson talked to us in April about the possibility of the Menendez brothers getting a new trial ... and he didn't seem to think it was likely, and told us exactly why.

Roman Polanski and his child rape victim, who's now an adult, are telegraphing just how tight they are now by posing for a very cheery photo ... almost 50 years after he drugged and molested her.

The infamous director posed with Samantha Geimer in a pic that was shared over the weekend by his wife, Emmanuelle Seigner ... who actually interviewed Geimer in a piece that ran in the French publication Le Point, where Geimer says she's over the whole saga.

In the article, Geimer said Polanksi has "paid his debt to society." She also says the encounter with Polanski in '77 -- when she was just 13 -- was "never a big problem" for her, and she laments it dragging on as a scandal for this long.

This is something Geimer has repeated publicly for quite a while now -- however, she did sue Polanski over the rape back in the '90s, which was reportedly settled out of court.

In the years that followed, Geimer has said the rape doesn't define her ... nor does she think Polanski should continue to be dogged over it, let alone be wanted by the authorities here in the States. He's attempted to get the fugitive warrant revoked, but it hasn't worked out.

As you might know ... Polanski pled guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor at the time, but fled the country before he could be sentenced, and has never returned. He has won Oscars since then, though.

Andy Ruiz's ex got a temporary restraining order against the star boxer earlier this month ... claiming he raped, abused and terrorized her throughout their relationship, TMZ Sports has learned.

But, Ruiz strongly denies the allegations ... and is adamant he is actually the victim in the case.

Julia Lemus filed for the domestic violence restraining order in San Diego back on April 6 ... alleging Ruiz "sexually, physically, and psychologically abused me, making me feel like feel like I had to walk on eggshells around him" while they were dating.

The 26-year-old -- who was with Ruiz from 2015 through 2022 -- added that Andy physically and emotionally abused their two children as well.

In the documents, she also accused Ruiz of abusing both alcohol and illicit drugs ... causing her to "fear for my life and safety and the lives and safety of my children."

Lemus described several instances of alleged abuse from Ruiz in her restraining order application ... saying the 33-year-old began to get physical with her in 2019 after he beat Anthony Joshua for the heavyweight title.

"He began grabbing me by my upper arms and physically yanking me in order to move me wherever he wanted me to go," Lemus said in the docs. She added he also began to "jokingly" punch her in her arms and legs, leaving her with bruises. She attached photos of the alleged injuries to her application.

Lemus claims in the docs ... earlier this year, Ruiz purchased several guns in Las Vegas and wanted to show them to her -- but when she became uncomfortable with all the firearms around, she said he "proceeded to point an AK-47 at my face." She claimed in the docs that after she told Ruiz to stop, he "told me to 'shut the f*** up,' and then noted that the guns did not have bullets in them and mocked me by telling me I was being dramatic."

Lemus then said beginning around February 2023, Ruiz began to sexually assault her -- forcing himself onto her on at least six occasions.

A temporary restraining order against Ruiz was granted shortly after the application was filed on April 6. It ordered the pugilist to stay at least 100 yards away from Lemus. It also prohibited him from owning any firearms. The court also ordered Lemus to have sole legal and physical custody of the couple's children ... at least until a court hearing scheduled for Monday.

Ruiz, however, filed a response to Lemus' docs in court on Thursday ... saying he "categorically denies that he ever has abused Julia Lemus or his children."

He said in the docs there "is no just reason to separate Ruiz from his" kids -- while adding Lemus is the one who's been violent in the relationship.

The boxer said in February 2020, Lemus stabbed him with a knife -- and attached a photo of the alleged injuries he suffered in the incident. He also said in April 2020, Lemus "entered my hotel room with a loaded gun in her hand, and screamed, 'everybody get the f*** out of here.'" He alleged in the docs Lemus hit one his friends in the head with the gun during the altercation, and then broke furniture in the room.

Ruiz also said in the court docs Lemus slapped, punched, and grabbed him "on multiple occasions."

"Not once did I ever engage in any physical response to Julia's assault," Ruiz said.

Ruiz also accused Lemus of stealing $250,000 worth of jewelry from him last month ... and said in the docs that he had made a report of the theft with police in San Diego.

We've reached out to Ruiz, a 35-2 fighter who's rumored to be Tyson Fury's next opponent, for comment ... but so far, no word back.

The Menendez brothers getting a new trial because an ex-member of Menudo is accusing their father of rape is no slam dunk ... it's more of a Hail Mary, according to a criminal defense lawyer.

Attorney Alan Jackson joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and we asked him what Lyle and Erik Menendez should be expecting from Menudo member Roy Rosselló's explosive revelation about their father, Jose Menendez.

Alan believes the chances are remote the Menendez brothers get a new trial based on Roy's accusation.

Still, Alan says Lyle and Erik's defense team will try to get the accusation before a judge and present it as new evidence in hope of overturning their convictions -- because even if it's a long shot, it's something.

The way Alan sees it ... Roy's claim is unlikely to change anything for Lyle and Erik, who were convicted in 1996 of murdering their parents, despite arguing their father sexually molested them for years and they only killed him out of fear.

Alan says Roy's accusation -- that music executive Jose drugged and sexually assaulted him in the Menendez family's New Jersey home -- isn't directly connected to the evidence pointing to the brothers murdering their parents with shotguns.

The Menendez Brothers case is back in the news now that an ex-member of Menudo is now backing their claim that their father was a pedophile.

Roy Rosselló -- who was part of the uber-popular boy band from the '80s -- is the subject of a new docuseries that's being aired by Peacock ... titled, "Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed," which teases a big bombshell that Roy says he's ready to share with the world.

He claims Jose Menendez drugged and sexually assaulted him before Menendez was brutally killed alongside his wife by their sons, Lyle and Erik.

Unclear how exactly Roy claims to have known Jose during the time of the alleged incident -- but it's not outside the realm of possibility ... remember, Menendez worked as an executive in the music biz during the '80s and '90s -- and was tight with the Latino community.

Rossello's story is scheduled to stream May 2 ... but from the trailers/promos released this week, there's no doubt he's leveling a serious allegation that seems to jibe with what the Menendez Bros. also claimed about their dad in the '90s ... namely, that he'd allegedly sexually abused them for years during their childhood.

You'll recall ... the lynchpin of the brothers' defense essentially boiled down to telling the jury they lived in fear from the abuse and only killed their parents after claiming their dad threatened them when they said they would expose what he'd done.

It's unclear for now if Rossello's new assertion -- which seems to be the first time anyone has publicly backed the notion that Jose Menendez might've sexually abused minors -- will have any impact on the Menendez brothers' case, as their lawyers have tried for years to secure a new trial with several unsuccessful appeals.

Nick's attorney, Liane K. Wakayama tells us, "Melissa Schuman has been peddling this tale for many years, but her allegation was false when she first made it back in 2017 - and it still is. A judge in Nevada recently ruled, after reviewing the extensive evidence we laid out, that there are strong grounds for Nick Carter to proceed with his lawsuit against Ms. Schuman for plotting to damage, defame and extort Nick, his associates, his friends and his family."

Liane continues, “In light of our progress in Nevada, this kind of response is at once both predictable and pathetic. But this PR stunt won’t shake Nick from his determination to hold Ms. Schuman and her co-conspirators to account for the immeasurable pain and suffering their extortionate conduct has caused.”

Nick Carter is being taken to court by singer Melissa Schuman, more than 5 years after she pushed for him to be criminally charged for allegedly sexually assaulting her.

Here's the deal -- Schuman is suing the Backstreet Boys singer, claiming he sexually assaulted her in 2002 in Santa Monica ... when she was 18 and he was 22. In the suit, she alleges he forcibly performed oral sex on her, and made her do the same to him.

Schuman, who was in the girl group Dream, claims Carter then took her virginity, despite her telling him she was saving herself for marriage.

She originally accused him of this back in 2017 ... she filed a police report and wanted Carter to face criminal charges, but the D.A.'s office declined to prosecute.

Schuman now believes a new bill amending the statute of limitations for civil actions revives her claim, which is why she's looking to take it all to a judge.

Nick has denied all of her allegations, and, in fact, sued Schuman for $2.3 million earlier this year ... claiming she had been trying to extort money from him for years. That suit was part of his ongoing litigation against Shannon Ruth, who's also accused Carter of sexual assault on a tour bus.

Jarryd Hayne -- a former NFL running back and professional Australian rugby league footballer -- has reportedly been convicted of rape after standing trial for a third time.

According to BBC News, Hayne, who starred as a winger for the Parramatta Eels of Australia's NRL, was found guilty ... after being accused of performing non-consensual sexual acts on a woman at her Newcastle home in Australia in 2018.

The prosecution argued that the woman told Hayne she did not want to have sex with him after she realized a taxi was waiting for her outside.

35-year-old Hayne and his legal team, however, insisted their encounter was consensual.

In 2020, Hayne's first trial in the case resulted in a hung jury. Hayne was then convicted in 2021 and sentenced to five years and nine months in prison, but he appealed, and a three-panel judge ordered a new trial.

A sentencing date has not yet been revealed.

Hayne transitioned from the NRL to the NFL in 2015 ... where he spent one season with the San Francisco 49ers, rushing for 52 yards on 17 carries in eight games.

While Jarryd was playing for the 49ers ... police investigated another accusation of sexual assault but ultimately did not charge Hayne with any crime.

The woman claimed she had been heavily intoxicated during their alleged encounter ... and filed a lawsuit against Hayne in 2017.

Rapper Lil Mosey has just been found not guilty in his rape case, TMZ has learned.

Lil Mosey, AKA Lathan Echols, was cleared of all charges by a jury Thursday ... as we reported, he pled not guilty and has maintained from the start he didn't do anything wrong.

We're told he passed a polygraph test with flying colors, too. He was potentially looking at a max sentence of life in prison if convicted.

You'll recall, Echols was charged with rape after a woman claimed she and a girlfriend were both raped in 2021 by him and another man after going to see them at a cabin.

The affidavit, obtained by TMZ, said one of the women consented to have sex with Echols while in a car but blacked out after drinking ... and claimed she later woke up to him and the other man forcing themselves on her.