Scandals

The husband of a North Carolina woman who vanished while on vacation in the Caribbean says there appears to be no foul play ... and he claims authorities agree.

There's a website dedicated to finding Elizabeth "Liz" Waddell ... and her husband, Cailen Waddell, posted a message saying "family, local authorities, the U.S. Embassy, and others here in Grenada" all concur a crime likely didn't occur.

As we reported ... surveillance footage shows Liz swimming off Grand Anse Beach near her Airbnb in Grenada on July 22, while on a trip with her friend.

The OnlyFans model who is on the receiving end of a cease-and-desist letter from Nolan Wells' friend has a message for him ... bring it on!!!

Kymbra Li just responded to Bart Edmiston Jr.'s legal threat ... and pretty much laughed in his face.

The way Kymbra sees it, a potential lawsuit from Nolan's friend is only going to boost her profile ... and he's not going to squeeze any money out of her.

07/30/2026 2:53 PM PST -- A spokesperson in LASD’s Detective Division tells TMZ ... there are no investigations pending at LASD / SVB for Jared Leto.

Jared Leto is NOT currently under criminal investigation by the LAPD amid a wave of new sexual assault allegations ... and prosecutors previously reviewed a case involving one alleged victim and declined to file charges ... TMZ has learned.

LAPD sources tell TMZ ... there are currently no open cases involving Leto, and investigators did not find any sexual assault or sexual misconduct reports filed against him.

Our law enforcement sources also checked records connected to Leto's former L.A. home address, where a woman alleges he sexually assaulted her in 2006 ... and no corresponding police report was found tied to that address or allegation.

Nolan Wells' friend Bart Edmiston Jr. is putting his new attorney to work ... and the first order of business appears to be a legal threat against an OnlyFans model who is yapping about the investigation.

Bart's lawyer, Russell Latino, fired off a cease and desist letter to social media personality Kymbra Li Wednesday ... claiming she's been pushing false and defamatory statements about Bart on her social media channels.

In the five-page legal threat, obtained by TMZ, Latino claims Li is falsely claiming Bart helped cause Nolan's death and participated in a cover-up.

The father of one of Nolan Wells' friends is offering a hefty cash reward in hopes of shedding light on the mysterious circumstances surrounding Nolan's death, TMZ has learned.

Dr. Benjamin Hudson, the father of Warren Hudson, tells TMZ he's offering the reward for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Nolan's death -- laying a $50,000 reward on the table for information that leads investigators to whoever may be responsible.

The teen's father also makes it clear his family isn't pointing any fingers ... telling us, "We don't know that anyone had any involvement, but we care about Nolan and want to find out what happened."

The ex-wife of Jeremiah "Shawn" Duffey, who is accused of fatally shooting Sara Gilson before taking his own life, says there will be no funeral for him ... telling TMZ his own children decided he didn't deserve one.

Stephanie Ramsay tells TMZ ... under Oklahoma law, Shawn's children were considered his next of kin and were responsible for making decisions after his death ... revealing to us they ultimately chose not to hold a funeral due to his actions, including his child sexual abuse allegations.

Instead, Stephanie tells us Shawn will be cremated, and his ashes will be placed in a family plot at a funeral home.

Journalist Brandon Tatum says he had no prior relationship with Mississippi Chancery Court Judge Ashlee Cole or Warren Hudson's family before they reached out ... pushing back on claims he was chosen because of an existing connection.

The "Officer Tatum Show" host sat down with "TMZ In the Know" to discuss Nolan Wells' death and addressed speculation Cole sought him out because his conservative politics made him a friendly platform for Warren's family.

Tatum says he'd never spoken with Cole before she contacted him, adding it's only natural for a parent trying to tell a loved one's story to choose someone they trust to present it fairly. He compared it to Nolan's mom, Christine Wonsley, turning to attorney Ben Crump to advocate for her family after her son's death.

The ex-JPMorgan banker accusing his boss of sexual abuse admits he pinned his claims on another employer online ... but says he was only covering his tracks out of fear.

According to new court docs, obtained by TMZ, the banker is pushing back on a claim from Lorna Hajdini -- the JPMorgan exec he sued -- that he visited an online legal-advice site and accused a Morgan Stanley supervisor of similar misconduct, involving drugging, sexual assault, and rape ... as part of an alleged scheme for personal gain.

The banker admits he used the site and made the claims appear to involve Morgan Stanley ... but insists he was actually describing his alleged experience with Hajdini at JPMorgan and camouflaged the details because he feared retaliation.

Las Vegas police say they have no sexual assault reports involving Jared Leto ... following a new BBC documentary featuring a woman who alleges the actor assaulted her in the city when she was 17.

A spokesperson for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department tells TMZ ... "There have been no sexual assault reports filed against this individual in LVMPD’s jurisdiction."

In the Vegas allegation, a woman claims Leto sexually assaulted her inside a motel bathroom after they met at a local store in 2002.

Nolan Wells' friend Bart Edmiston Jr. handed investigators a list of potential witnesses and opened up his digital life as authorities probed the 18-year-old's death ... according to a new statement from his family.

The Edmistons say Bart sat for interviews, answered every question and shared his full recollection of July 4. They say he also let investigators view his phone, provided requested photos and videos, and allowed inspections of his boat and GPS device -- all without an attorney, warrants, or hesitation.

His family adds that Bart compiled a witness list -- including passengers aboard his boat. They believe more than 20 people spread across two vessels saw him help another boat that was taking on water near Horn Island.

Brooklyn Beckham's billionaire in-laws should have taken stronger precautions after their family dog was accused of attacking a household worker ... at least according to the attorney representing its latest alleged victim.

Nelson and Claudia Peltz -- parents of Brooklyn's wife, Nicola Peltz Beckham -- are now facing a second lawsuit involving Houdini, their pit bull gifted to them by Nicola.

Attorney Michael Steinger of Steinger, Greene & Feiner tells TMZ ... the first case should have put the couple on notice, saying ... "Everyone can understand a tragic first incident. A second attack raises a far more serious question: what changed after the first one?"

Celeste Rivas was not pregnant when prosecutors say D4vd killed her ... clearing up a lingering question after an amendment to her death certificate created confusion.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office confirmed the finding Wednesday to PEOPLE ... saying the 14-year-old was not carrying a child at the time of her April 2025 death.

The clarification comes days after prosecutors laid out an 18-month trail of deeply disturbing texts between Celeste and D4vd -- real name David Anthony Burke -- during his preliminary hearing.

A Massachusetts couple is getting a hefty payout after ex-eBay employees allegedly sent them cockroaches, a bloody pig mask, and a funeral wreath.

The online marketplace has agreed to shell out $46 Million, and and additional $6 Million in charitable donations, to Boston couple David and Ina Steiner who say they were cyberstalked and harassed by the company's former employees back in 2019 ... according to settlement details posted on the couple's website EcommerceBytes.

That spring, Ina had been writing articles for their site that had pissed off eBay execs ... to the point that chief executive Devin Wenig allegedly told his communications chief, "Take her down," according to the New York Times.

A friend of Nolan Wells is lawyering up amid a wave of online speculation ... denying a viral photo shows him with a woman some social media users are attempting to link to Nolan's death.

Attorney Russell Latino says the old high school photo does show Bart Edmiston Jr. with a young woman -- but insists she is not Katie McCormick, a woman social media users have attempted to romantically link to both Bart and Nolan.

Latino says Bart has never dated Katie and did not even know who she was before Nolan’s death.

The young Georgia mayor stripped of his city perks while under investigation is fighting back saying he has nothing to hide and it’s the City Council -- not him -- who has broken the law, according to his lawyers.

In a statement to TMZ, Gerald Griggs and Robert Kenner, the attorneys for 22-year-old Stockbridge Mayor Jayden Williams, tell TMZ they welcome a fair, independent, and impartial review of the allegations that have been publicly raised by the city.    

The attorneys emphasize, “Mayor Williams has nothing to hide and remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.”

A wife was allegedly murdered alongside her 6 kids ... 2 years after posting online that her husband was having an affair with a younger intern.

According to law enforcement, Kristopher Karolkiewicz shot and killed his wife, Amanda "Mandy" Karolkiewicz, and their 6 children on July 24 in their home in Grand Haven Township, MI. They say he then set their home on fire before shooting himself.

The Detroit News reports that a Reddit account they independently verified was linked to Mandy -- based on matching details about marriage dates, kids, ages, jobs and where they lived -- reveals the couple had a rough relationship, and once accused Kristopher of cheating.

The account for username "MandyK1179" mentioned her husband's alleged affair back in 2024, commenting in a thread ... "He was divorced and older than me … fast forward ten years and five kids, he was cheating with the intern again -- the same age I was when I was the intern."