Felicity Huffman Getting a Jump on Community Service? ... Hits Teen Rehab Center

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Felicity Huffman might be trying to chip away at her court-ordered community service early and often -- but it's unclear if it'll be in vain or actually count toward her sentence.

The actress was seen visiting a rehab center focused on addicted, homeless youth and teens in the L.A. area Sunday with her daughter, Sophia, where they appeared to be doing some good Samaritan work ... both of them carrying in supplies and treats.

Felicity had a stack of notepads in her arm, while Sophia was bringing what looked like homemade cupcakes right behind her ... each wearing a big smile. BTW, Sophia is the one who ended up taking a rigged SAT test ... which had been paid for by mom.

Now, here's where this nice gesture may or may not end up helping Felicity with her recent sentencing -- part of which includes a mandatory 250 hours of community service, on top of her 14 days behind bars. You'd think she's getting right to it, but it's not that simple.

Fact is, Felicity's sentence is so fresh ... she hasn't even been officially assigned where she'll serve her prison time, although she has requested a pretty cozy facility in NorCal.

Felicity Huffman Exit
LEAVING THE SENTENCING

Seeing how Felicity's prison hasn't even been decided yet, we doubt the Probation Department overseeing her case has yet to issue a court-approved list of places where she can do her community service. It's possible that it's been signed off on, but unlikely.

If this rehab trip ends up being all for naught ... hey, at least she's scoring points with the man upstairs. That's gotta count for something, right?

'ANTM' Alum Renee Alway Arrested for Domestic Violence Year After Prison Release

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Renee Alway -- a finalist on cycle 8 of "America's Next Top Model" -- was arrested for domestic violence just over a year after she was released from prison.

The former model was busted by cops in Palm Springs, CA this past week on a laundry list of felony charges. According to her inmate profile, Renee was booked for assault with a deadly weapon (not a firearm), 2 counts of infliction of corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, terrorist threats, a prior felony conviction, and a violation of parole.

In case you'd forgotten ... Renee was released from custody in August of 2018 after having served 5 years of a 12-year prison sentence in California.

That prison sentence was from her June 2013 arrest, when she got into a 6-hour standoff with police after being spotted wandering around a vacant home while carrying a gun.

That became at least her fourth arrest that year, and it resulted in a gnarly mug shot, and later ... a shaved head in court. Renee's 'ANTM' season aired way back in 2007 -- she ended up placing 3rd behind Jaslene Gonzalez and Natasha Galkina, respectively.

The details of her most recent arrest remain unclear at this point, but we're working on getting more info. Renee appears to still be in custody as of this post.

John Legend Don't Get Mad at Felicity for Light Sentence ... Others Should Get Light Sentences Too

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John Legend had an interesting take on Felicity Huffman's 14-day sentence in her college bribery scandal case ... people are angry at the wrong thing.

John just said, "I get why everyone gets mad when rich person X gets a short sentence and poor person of color Y gets a long one. The answer isn't for X to get more; it's for both of them to get less (or even none!!!). We should level down not up."

Okay ... time for a few opinions. First, John's right, especially when you're talking about equivalent crimes. But, in some cases, long sentences are appropriate. They need to be handed down fairly, with equality for all.

Now the bigger issue ... a lot of people think prosecutors won the Felicity case. That's just ridiculous. Prosecutors suffered a blistering loss. When they announced they were filing 50 cases, they talked about how other prospective students were being denied admission because of bribery by rich parents. There was talk of years in prison ... even decades for wrongdoers.

The prosecution got shut down by both the probation dept. and the judge. As the probation dept. said in its sentencing recommendation, there was no "intended loss." Translation ... the law doesn't consider the possibility some other student was denied admission because Felicity had her daughter's SAT test rigged. You may not like that, but that's what the judge said.

The key is "loss," and the judge said there was none, and it undercuts the core of the prosecution's case. Prosecutors drastically lowered their sentencing recommendation to 1 month, and they didn't even get that.

Fact is ... 14 days behind bars is what someone gets for stealing a bottle of wine from a liquor store. Prosecutors in the college admissions scandal spent millions and now say the point is not the amount of time, but the fact the wrongdoers got some time. You will never hear those words uttered privately among prosecutors, because the amount of time DOES matter.

Felicity is paying for what she did, but she's got to be breathing a HUGE sigh of relief. And, guess who else is probably breathing a lot easier today given Felicity's sentence ... Lori Loughlin.

Mama June Indicted By Grand Jury On Felony Drug Charge

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Mama June has been indicted by a grand jury on a charge of felony drug possession stemming from her arrest earlier this year ... TMZ has confirmed.

The charge relates to the bust at an Alabama gas station, in which cops say she was in possession of crack cocaine and a glass pipe. As we reported, her boyfriend, Geno, was also arrested on drug charges ... as well as domestic violence.

The grand jury also hit June with a misdemeanor charge for paraphernalia ... her boyfriend is facing the same charges.

Mama June was not at the Alabama courthouse Friday, but her sister was with a camera crew. We're told she hoped to stage an intervention with June ... but to no avail.

As we've reported ... Mama's life has seemingly gone off the rails in the recent months. Since her March arrest ... Honey Boo Boo and the rest of the fam already had one intervention for her and begged her to go to rehab.

She didn't, and has continued to stick with Geno. June and Geno held a bizarre garage sale and gutted her Georgia home before selling it and taking off for life on the road ... in an RV.

She's scheduled to be in court later this month.

Lori Loughlin In the Market for a Break ... In College Admissions Scandal

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Lori Loughlin's going about her normal routine ... just hours before getting an enormous clue about her fate in the college admissions scandal.
I GOT THIS IN THE BAG

Lori Loughlin's going about her normal routine ... just hours before getting an enormous clue about her fate in the college admissions scandal.

Lori was doing a little shopping Thursday at Ralphs in Westwood when a photog asked how she's doing, offering some words of support. Lori was mum, but there's reason for her to think things are looking up.

As we reported, in Felicity Huffman's case, the Probation Dept. wrote a report saying zero jail time would be appropriate since "There was no actual or intended loss." In other words, no one suffered as a result of Felicity paying $15k to rig her daughter's SAT test. What's so important here ... the Probation Dept. said there was no "intended" loss. Fact is ... even if she intended her daughter to get into a college and displace another student, the Probation Dept. doesn't think that's a "loss." That bodes well for Lori.

Felicity's sentencing hearing is Friday afternoon. If we are the betting kind -- and we are -- we'd put our money on 30 days of house arrest.

R. Kelly No-Show in Minnesota Sex Crime Case ... Arrest Warrant Issued

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UPDATE

3:06 PM PT -- Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg, tells TMZ ... "They never came to get him, wtf was he supposed to do, telepathically transport himself?"

R. Kelly has another big legal problem -- a Minnesota judge just issued a bench warrant for his arrest because he was a no-show Thursday for a hearing, but this time it's not the singer's fault ... it's because he had no choice.

Kelly's hearing was set for 1:30 PM at the Hennepin County Court Thursday. He's facing 2 charges -- engaging in prostitution with someone under 18, and hiring/offering/agreeing to hire someone for sexual contact.

The problem -- Kelly's incarcerated at the MCC Chicago prison on federal sex crimes.

The Minnesota D.A.'s Office tells TMZ ... prosecutors there are aware the federal authorities in the Northern District of Illinois are unwilling to give them access to Kelly until his federal case is resolved.

Still, the bench warrant was issued. At a point, how many times can you be jailed, right? When you're in once, you're in.

As we've told you ... Kelly's back in general population at the Chicago Correctional Center. This allows him more fresh air and freedom than solitary ... and more face time with his girlfriends.

Jeremy Renner Fires Back at Ex in Nasty Child Custody War I Want Sole Custody!!!

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Jeremy Renner is now in an all-out custody war with his ex-wife ... claiming that if anyone should be stripped of custody of their daughter ... it's her!!!

The actor filed new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, requesting sole legal and physical custody of their 6-year-old daughter, Ava. He also wants his ex-wife, Sonni Pacheco, to be limited to only monitored visitation rights.

TMZ broke the story ... Sonni recently filed nearly identical legal docs, claiming that she should be the one to get custody. Both Sonni and Jeremy are asking the court to change their previous agreement, which gave them joint custody. It's unclear what triggered her to make that move, but Sonni and Jeremy have had a tumultuous history.

You'll recall, in the past Sonni claimed Jeremy's gun collection put Ava at risk ... particularly because one of the weapons was out in the open, behind a bar. Jeremy called BS ... claiming his guns were always under lock and key.

This ongoing feud sounds like it could be going on a for a while.

Felicity Huffman Probation Dept. Says No One Was Hurt ... So No Big Deal

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UPDATE

1:33 PM PT -- We just got the Probation Dept's sentencing report, and the reason the Department thinks no time behind bars is fine is because there is NO VICTIM. The report is clear ... no one lost a penny as a result of Felicity hiring someone to rig the SAT test. The Dept. repeatedly rebuffed prosecutors who claim various forms of loss, including emotional distress, harm to the reputation of the schools, etc.

UPDATE

This may be the most important sentence, especially for defendants like Lori Loughlin -- "There was no actual or intended loss." The word "intended" is significant, because presumably Felicity wanted to get her daughter into a university -- something that could displace another applicant -- yet the Probation Dept. didn't feel that was an INTENDED loss. This could help Lori argue there was no loss in her case as well.

Felicity Huffman wants to make it clear to the judge sentencing her -- what she did in the college case didn't hurt anyone, and therefore there's no precedent to put her in prison for even a day.

Sources directly familiar with Felicity's case tell TMZ ... the "Desperate Housewives" actress and her defense team have 2 arguments for her to spend no time behind bars, despite prosecutors recommending a 1-month sentence.

We're told Felicity and co. are pointing to the Probation Department's findings that she should get as little as zero months, because nobody suffered any loss due to her actions. You'll recall, Felicity pled guilty to conspiracy charges for paying $15k to give her daughter a leg up on her college entry exam.

Obviously, Felicity agrees with that "no loss" argument put forth by the probation department. However, in new court docs obtained by TMZ, she also says the prosecution is drawing unfair comparisons between her and other defendants in the case.

According to team Felicity ... the prosecution has cited 2 dozen old cases in which prison time was often handed down to the ring leaders. Felicity says she wasn't the big fish in this scheme, and shouldn't be sentenced like one. In short, she was just a customer of Rick Singer, not a mastermind of his plot.

She cites one case the prosecution is attempting to use as precedent ... where a guy got prison time for hacking a university's system. Felicity says that's an apples to oranges comparison.

Bottom line ... Felicity is hoping the judge recognizes she didn't harm anyone -- especially because her kid didn't even end up attending college this year.

Originally Published -- 9:50 AM PT

Tekashi 6ix9ine Family Scared for their Lives ... No-Shows in Court

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Tekashi 6ix9ine will be testifying in front of pretty much everyone except those to whom he's closest -- his family -- because we've learned they're so scared of retaliation, they won't go near the courtroom.

The rapper's immediate family members have decided it's just too risky for them to show their faces when a trial begins for the two men who allegedly had a role in his kidnapping last year. The reason is simple ... Tekashi will be snitching, and they know what happens to snitches.

The fam is especially concerned about members of the Nine Trey Bloods, some of whom will be attending the trial.

We're told his family thinks, at the very least, they'd be harassed, but more likely followed back to their home ... or even outright attacked by Nine Trey members.

Remember, Tekashi was already scared for his family's lives -- despite hiring extra security to guard them -- and it looks like he's following through on that concern now that the day is right around the corner.

As we reported ... prosecutors laid out what Tekashi's going to say on the stand next week, when he'll supposedly name names, connect people to certain incriminating messages ... and implicate himself and other Nine Trey Bloods to a plot on hurting rival rapper Casanova.

Presumably, he'll also get into detail about how he was bankrolling his fellow gang members -- something prosecutors revealed in court docs.

There's obviously a lot on the line ... and Tekashi wants to protect his brood. So, he's going in solo come crunch time.

 We reached out to 69's lawyer, Dawn Florio, who declined to comment.

'Forever In Your Mind' Band Member Sues Former Manager Claiming Rape

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Ricky Garcia -- an ex-member of the boy band "Forever In Your Mind" -- claims his former manager is a pedophile who groomed and seduced him before raping him ... this according to a new lawsuit.

Garcia is suing Joby Harte and his company, Hot Rock Media, claiming Harte raped and sexually assaulted him dozens of times throughout his teenage years ... beginning when he was just 12.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

The singer, now 20, claims Harte used the "well-worn pedophile playbook of grooming and seduction." Garcia claims it started with Harte promising him the world ... before showing him porn and then allegedly sexually assaulting him.

In the docs, filed by attorney Ben Meiselas of Geragos and Geragos, Garcia -- who auditioned for season 3 of "The X Factor" and joined the boy band at Simon Cowell's invitation -- claims on multiple occasions Harte got him blackout drunk. Garcia claims he'd wake up naked the following mornings next to Harte.

Specifically, Garcia alleges Harte organized a 2-night "songwriting session" back in 2014 for the band without parents at Catalina Island. Garcia says Harte got him drunk on tequila and vodka before he blacked out. Again, Garcia says he woke up naked on Harte's bed.

When Garcia asked what happened, he says Harte told him he undressed him and bathed him because he was covered in vomit after blacking out.

For his 17th birthday, Garcia claims Harte got in his shower stall at a hotel resort and forced him to masturbate Harte until he ejaculated. Garcia says he never told anyone about the alleged sexual assaults because he was afraid of losing his career.

Garcia is also suing two other men, claiming one former agent sucked his toes after a 2014 hangout with Harte ... and accuses a manager/producer of grabbing his penis during a 2016 concert in WeHo.

Garcia -- who also costarred in over 30 episodes on Disney Channel's "Best Friends Whenever" -- says he and his mother finally confronted Harte ... claiming the ex-manager had no visible reaction but did not deny it. Garcia claims Harte admitted he "did not behave like an adult."

We've reached out to Harte for comment ... so far, no word back.

Ex-'Survivor' Producer Early Release from Mexican Prison ... Unrecognizable in L.A.

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UPDATE

1:13 PM PT -- Bruce Beresford-Redman was just spotted in L.A. Wednesday after being released early from a Mexican prison, and boy ... does he look different. He's got a super short buzzed haircut, and a new beard too. He was wearing sunglasses as well.

UPDATE

Safe to say ... the guy's unrecognizable from the clean-cut, corporate look he used to rock prior to his imprisonment. Jail ... it changes ya.

Bruce Beresford-Redman -- the ex-producer on 'Survivor' -- who was convicted for murdering his wife in Mexico, has been released early ... just 4 years into a 12-year sentence.

Beresford-Redman was released two months ago from the Quintana Roo jail in Mexico, and is reportedly already back home in his Southern California home. He was found guilty of murdering his wife, Monica Burgos Beresford-Redman, while they were on a 2010 vacation with their kids in Cancun.

Monica's body was discovered in a sewer, and authorities found she'd died by suffocation and had suffered bruising on her face and head. Beresford-Redman had gone home to California, but was eventually extradited to Mexico in 2012, and convicted for Monica's murder in 2015.

Now, just 4 years into his sentence, he's a free man again. His attorney told KNBC-TV, Mexican prisoners are eligible for release after they complete 60 percent of their sentence.

It appears Beresford-Redman was given credit for time served before his conviction -- which amounts to 7 and a half years -- because 4 years definitely ain't 60 percent of his 12-year sentence.

Bruce also produced shows like "Pimp My Ride," "The Contender," "The Restaurant" and "Breakthrough with Tony Robbins."

Originally Published -- 7:17 AM PT

Jamie Spears Still Conservator of All Thing$ Britney

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It's been widely, widely reported Jamie Spears is temporarily out as Britney's conservator, but we've learned that's not entirely true.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Jamie is still ensconced as the conservator of Britney's estate, meaning he has total control over her investments, business deals, check-writing, etc, etc ... all things money.

What Jamie temporarily relinquished -- the conservatorship over Britney's "person." Yep, there are actually 2 conservatorships -- one for the estate and one for the person. The latter is taking care of Britney, making sure she gets proper medical care and on and on.

Jamie said he was relinquishing temporary control because of a medical condition. We've learned he's having ankle surgery that will bench him for 10 weeks. It's undeniable, however, that there was a big problem ... Jamie is prohibited from having any contact with Britney's kids after he allegedly put his hands on 13-year-old Sean.

The judge in the conservatorship case will get a critical report next week from a court-appointed evaluator who will determine if Jamie and the team have done a good job.

Tekashi 6ix9ine Snitch Testimony Revealed by Prosecutors

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Prosecutors have just played their hand in the Tekashi 6ix9ine snitching case ... laying out precisely how the rapper will turn on his former gang cohorts when their trial begins next week, and the details are pretty shocking.

The U.S. Attorney in Manhattan sent a letter to the judge in the case, outlining their strategy, which includes key testimony from the rapper who's behind bars after striking a plea deal ... and the key to unlock his cell is snitching on his partners in crime.

According to prosecutors, Tekashi is expected to testify and name names in various alleged crimes, including the July 2018 robbery and kidnapping of Tekashi himself.

6ix9ine 7/23/18
HERE'S HOW IT HAPPENED

The big thing ... he will identify which Nine Trey Blood members are attached to various aliases used in incriminating texts, social media posts, DMs, and other communications. This is critical evidence for prosecutors, since they have to prove the messages were sent by the various defendants.

According to the letter, Tekashi will implicate himself and other gang members in a conspiracy to harm a rapper -- Casanova -- who wrote lyrics they felt were critical of 6ix9ine.

He will also testify ... another member of Nine Trey -- SEQO -- sent out a message if any rival bloods were to come across Tekashi they were to "fire on him."

What's also interesting ... the letter essentially says Tekashi was the bank for the gang ... one of his roles was to make money for the gang and then distribute it among members. Our sources say lots of friction was created when Tekashi turned off the cash spigot. Our sources say that's why the kidnapping/robbery went down ... as retaliation.

As we reported, Tekashi faced a minimum of 47 years in prison, but he could now get out in a matter of years in return for his full cooperation. It's all but certain he would become a member of the witness protection program, but that may be problematic given his distinctive tattoos.

Jeremy Renner Ex-Wife Files for Sole Custody

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Jeremy Renner's ex-wife has filed legal docs to strip him of all child custody ... and even require a monitor for visits.

Sonni Pacheco filed legal docs seeking to change their previous agreement, which gives them joint custody over 6-year-old Ava. Pacheco does not say what triggered her move, but the 2 have had a long, difficult history.

Sonni has claimed in the past Jeremy's gun collection put their daughter at risk. She said one of the weapons was out in the open, behind a bar. Jeremy claimed at the time the guns were always under lock and key.

They have fought over property and child support over the years. He once responded to her request, "Get a j.o.b." Our sources say Jeremy did indeed pay support.

'Lights Out with David Spade' Viacom Sued Over Drunken Staffer ... Allegedly Killed Pedestrian After Premiere Party

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The company that owns Comedy Central, which produces David Spade's new late-night show, is being sued after one of the staffers allegedly left the launch party drunk, and killed a pedestrian.

Here's what happened, according to a new lawsuit. Viacom was hosting the party at Nightingale Plaza nightclub in WeHo back in August, celebrating the premiere of "Lights out with David Spade."

The suit claims Jacob Gralitzer, who worked on the show, got drunk at the party and no one stopped him from driving. The suit characterizes Gralitzer as "severely intoxicated." It says he got drunk "with the permission and knowledge of one or more of his supervisors at Viacom."

According to the lawsuit, Gralitzer went to the valet, provided by Viacom, and the valet gave him the keys and he drove away.

The suit claims Gralitzer was driving on Melrose at excessive speeds and ran into another car which careened onto the sidewalk, striking and killing 24-year-old Noah Benardout.

Gralitzer was arrested and booked for gross vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence.

According to the lawsuit filed by Benardout's estate, Viacom is responsible because it had authority over Gralitzer and could have stopped him from excessively drinking and driving. The suit claims by providing valet service the company was encouraging employees to drive to and from the party.

David Spade is NOT being sued.

We reached out to Viacom ... so far, no word back.

Kylie, Kim and Kanye Hit By Prowler ... Caught on Video

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Kylie Jenner had an intruder prowling around her property Monday, and the guy wasn't finished with the family because he beelined it over to Kim and Kanye's house.

TMZ has obtained this surveillance video shot from Kylie's security cam at one of her Hidden Hills homes. It shows the prowler around 5 AM rooting around the BBQ area -- possibly looking for a hidden key.

Kylie Jenner Attempted Break-in
THE ATTEMPTED BREAK-IN

The guy apparently didn't find what he was looking for and bailed, without attempting to break inside.

Our sources tell us the guy went straight to Kim and Kanye's nearby home and somehow got inside their mailbox, located outside the residence. He didn't get far, because security eyed him and the guy beat a hasty retreat.

Our sources say someone from Kylie's team saw the surveillance vid and called the cops.

Mind you ... Kylie, Kim and Kanye all live in a gated community, yet somehow this dude -- and others before him -- was able to make it into Kylie's backyard and the entrance to Kim and Kanye's home.

Police have stepped up patrol in the area, but the bigger question ... what's going on with security for the gated community? As we reported, Kris Jenner and Scott Disick also had intruders who made their way into the gated community. Kendall Jenner also had an intruder scale the mountainside in her gated community and ended up in her backyard and a second time on her porch.

BTW ... Kylie's home is the one she rented to Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna back in 2016.