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Taylor Swift's swanky New York City apartment building had an unwanted visitor Friday -- cops arrested a guy who'd traveled from out of town, desperately trying to find her.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Patrick Nissen, a 28-year-old from Nebraska, was busted in the vestibule of Taylor's Tribeca apartment building and he's been charged with second-degree criminal trespassing, a misdemeanor.

Law enforcement sources tell us Taylor was not home at the time, and Nissen entered the building through an unlocked door. We're told a security officer in the building saw that Nissen didn't have permission to be in the complex and called 911. Nissen allegedly told cops he was in love with Taylor.

Cops say other men have tried to see Taylor at her Tribeca apartment, and this guy has pics of her on his Instagram page.

Our sources tell us Taylor was NOT home at the time and the guy took a bus from out of state to get to the Big Apple.

Taylor's properties are magnets for these kinds of incidents ... several men have been arrested outside her homes in Manhattan, Rhode Island and Beverly Hills.

Nicki Minaj and her husband, Kenneth Petty, are being sued by the woman he was convicted of trying to rape in 1995, who claims she's being harassed ... especially after declining Nicki's offers to change her story.

The woman, Jennifer Hough, was the victim in Petty's 1995 conviction for first-degree attempted rape -- the reason he has to register as a sex offender. You'll recall, he was charged with not registering and recently took a plea deal.

Hough claims in new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Nicki and Kenneth have directly and indirectly harassed her and threatened her to not speak about the incident, and she says they've inflicted emotional distress upon her as a result.

According to the docs ... Hough says this started after Petty and Minaj began dating in late 2018, with Minaj allegedly making comments about how Petty was "wrongfully accused" and claiming Hough had recanted her story back then ... something she denies.

Then, in March 2020 after Petty was arrested for failing to register as a sex offender ... Hough claims Minaj called her and offered to fly her and her family to L.A. in exchange for recanting her rape claims against Petty and helping him out.

Hough says she declined and within days, she and her family "suffered an onslaught of harassing calls and unsolicited visits." Shortly after, she claims Nicki had people reach out to Hough's brother and offer a $500k payment in exchange for a statement recanting her rape allegations against Petty.

According to the docs ... Hough says this was followed by Nicki sending lawyers to her home to try to pressure her into recanting her story, and she began to panic and feel unsafe because she was being harassed at home.

After one more alleged cash bribe offer of $20k and another alleged threat to her safety, Hough says she moved from her home in August 2020 ... and continues to live in fear.

She's suing Nicki and Kenneth for intentional infliction of emotional distress, harassment and witness intimidation ... as well as suing Petty for sexual assault related to the 1995 conviction.

Rihanna's fashion show nearly got a musical artist decapitated, because they played the wrong version of a song at a fashion show ... this according to a new lawsuit.

Rihanna's Fenty brand is being sued by a musician who claims RiRi's company reached out to use one of her songs during a Savage X Fenty show last fall, but screwed up by playing a version of the song that included a sample of sacred Islamic proverbs being chanted.

The artist, who's filed the suit as Jane Doe to protect her identity, claims she immediately got threats on her life when the fashion show was live-streamed to millions.

According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, the artist made it clear to Fenty reps one version of the song had the religious verses and one did not, and she warned them not to use the Islamic proverbs.

Despite a public apology from Rihanna following the immediate backlash, the artist claims she was forced into hiding after receiving a barrage of death threats over the song. She claims the constant threat of being decapitated and murdered led to anxiety and depression. The artist also tweeted an apology for unknowingly including the sample in her song.

Also of note ... we've learned that once Rihanna's team found out the song played during the Fenty show contained the offensive lyrics it was edited out of future viewings.

The artist says she still fears for her life and remains in hiding ... and she's going after Rihanna's business arm for more than $10 million in damages.

Jamie Spears has agreed it's time to step down as conservator of Britney's estate -- he just said so in new legal docs -- and he wants to work with the court on an orderly transition.

We've learned Jamie's lawyer is filing legal docs in which he says, "There are, in fact, no actual grounds for suspending or removing Mr. Spears as the Conservator of the Estate ... and it is highly debatable whether a change in conservator at this time would be in Ms. Spears' best interests."

And then, he lowers the boom ... "Nevertheless, even as Mr. Spears is the unremitting target of unjustified attacks, he does not believe that a public battle with his daughter over his continuing service as her conservator would be in her best interests. So, even though he must contest this unjustified Petition for his removal, Mr. Spears intends to work with the Court and his daughter's new attorney to prepare for an orderly transition to a new conservator."

The docs go on to say, "Regardless of his formal title, Mr. Spears will always be Ms. Spears' father, he will always love her unconditionally, and he will always look out for her best interests."

He goes on to attack Lynne Spears, saying she has had little, if any, involvement in the conservatorship, let alone Britney's life for the last 13 years. He says her credibility is undermined because Britney herself refused to even see Lynne when she was at a mental health facility in 2019.

He does say he essentially saved Britney when she was "in crisis, desperately in need of help" 13 years ago, adding, "Not only was she suffering mentally and emotionally, she was also being manipulated by predators and in financial distress. Mr. Spears came to his daughter's rescue to protect her."

In the docs, Spears' lawyer says Jamie had been working on a plan to leave the conservatorship with her then-attorney Sam Ingham.

He says he has never forced her to do anything, including performing.

We contacted Britney's lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, and he was unmoved by Jamie's decision to step down, telling TMZ ... "We are pleased but not necessarily surprised that Mr. Spears and his lawyer finally recognize that he must be removed. We are disappointed, however, by their ongoing shameful and reprehensible attacks on Ms. Spears and others."

Jake Paul is off the hook with the feds for roaming an Arizona mall as it was being looted by George Floyd protestors -- we're told he will NOT be prosecuted.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona tells TMZ ... prosecutors will not be pursuing federal charges against Jake for his conduct in the Scottsdale shopping center days after Floyd's murder.

As we reported, video shows Jake inside the mall while it was being looted back on May 30, 2020 ... and he was busted for trespass and charged with a criminal misdemeanor. The City Attorney didn’t pursue the case, but kicked it up to the feds, who launched an investigation.

As part of that investigation, federal agents later raided Jake's home in Calabasas and the famous Graffiti Mansion in Las Vegas. We know weapons were confiscated from both homes, but it remains unclear how, or if, they were connected to the Scottsdale incident.

In any event, the feds now say they didn't find enough evidence to charge him for anything.

Horatio Sanz allegedly groomed a young 'SNL' fan for sex and sexually assaulted her at an after-party when she was underage ... this according to a new lawsuit.

The former "Saturday Night Live" star is being sued by a woman in Pennsylvania, who claims he groped her breasts and her butt and digitally penetrated her without her consent at an 'SNL' party back in the day, in front of numerous NBC employees.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Horatio allegedly sexually assaulted the girl back in May 2002 when she was 17 years old, plying her with booze at a couple 'SNL' parties in New York City.

The accuser, who is suing as a Jane Doe, claims she started talking to Horatio when she was 15 and running an 'SNL' fan website. In the docs, she claims Horatio immediately started grooming her, being flirty and affectionate when they met in person and steering online conversations in an increasingly sexual direction.

In the docs, the woman claims Horatio knew she was underage when he allegedly sexually assaulted her and says NBC should have known but never stepped in.

In her suit, Horatio's accuser claims she became depressed and ashamed after the alleged sexual assault ... and she turned to "dissociative drugs" as a way of self-medicating and was eventually hospitalized for treatment.

She claims she ran into Horatio in 2019 at an NYC comedy event, where he admitted to having "cybersex" with her and masturbating during their online convos when she was underage. She also claims he later fessed up in text messages to feeling terrible about his actions and vowed that he was now a different person.

The woman's suing Horatio, NBCUniversal and 'SNL' Studios and is going after them for damages.

We reached out to Horatio and 'SNL' ... so far, no word back.

Kelly Clarkson's prenup has been validated by the judge in her divorce case, she found out the good news while she was on the set of "The Voice" and let out a scream, which then gave way to a celebration ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ...Kelly was filming the singing competition Wednesday when she got an email saying the hotly-contested prenup was upheld in full by the judge. We're told the prenup segregates all assets and income derived during her marriage to Brandon Blackstock.

Kelly accumulated the lion's share of assets, including the Montana ranch where Brandon is currently living. He was contesting the prenup and wanted their properties split, along with income she earned during their marriage, but the judge shut him down.

We're told the celebration on the set of "The Voice" got personal. Our sources say Blake Shelton had recently terminated his relationship with Blackstock, who managed him for years.

The other judges who were there, including Ariana Grande, participated in the celebration.

Clarkson's lawyer, Laura Wasser, had argued during the trial on the prenup, that there had to be accountability when someone signs a contract -- in this case, a prenup. The judge clearly agreed.

The divorce has been "bifurcated" -- meaning the actual declaration that the marriage is over has been separated from the property settlement and custody issues. The actual dissolution of the marriage should be finalized within days. Kelly has been awarded primary custody on a temporary basis, because Brandon moved to Montana. It seems by validating the prenup, most issues have now been resolved.

As for the ranch, because the prenup was validated, Kelly -- who purchased it -- now has the right to sell it.

"SpongeBob SquarePants" honchos have a major problemo with a restaurant that sounds a lot like the spot where SpongeBob works ... and they're ready to fight in court about it.

Viacom's suing the company that recently opened The Rusty Krab restaurant in downtown Houston, claiming it's a blatant rip-off of the The Krusty Krab featured in the cartoon ... according to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ.

Rusty Krab's accused of infringing on Viacom's 'SpongeBob' trademarks by using names, images, characters and re-creations from the show throughout its restaurant and on its menu, and according to the suit ... even advertises the place as "Houston’s VERY FIRST Spongebob Squarepants Inspired Pop Up Restaurant and Bar!"

Viacom claims all of Rusty Krab's marketing is geared toward kids and SpongeBob fans to deceive the public into thinking it's officially affiliated with the show ... only to leave parents who paid high ticket prices disappointed with the inauthentic experience and "purportedly unsanitary conditions and unsafe food."

Among the many alleged infringements, Viacom says Rusty Krab's drink menu uses numerous well-known hallmarks of 'SBSP' -- like "Pineapple Under the Sea," "Bikini Bottom," "Secret Formula" and "I’m Ready" -- to sell alcohol, which Viacom claims would violate its licensing policy for the trademarks on its kid’s show.

Viacom's wants the restaurant to hand over any profits it’s made, so far, and is also suing to block it from doing further business.

The judge overseeing Britney Spears' conservatorship case isn't just unpopular with Britney's fans -- the woman is having her life threatened ... a scary development that's now on law enforcement's radar.

The #freebritney crowd's outrage started bubbling over after Judge Brenda Penny's ruling last week ... you'll recall she decided against immediately suspending Jamie Spears from the conservatorship, and denied Brit's request for an emergency hearing on the matter. We're told scores of death threats against Judge Penny were posted online ... with many people calling for her to lose her life and "die."

As a result, our law enforcement sources tell us the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. is keeping an eye on the online activity -- as we're told they've seen some of the posts and indeed found them to be concerning.

It looks like some of the comments were vague, while others were more direct -- like one user who wrote, "I have a feeling this judge Brenda Penny is going to have a horrible mysterious death #freebritney." There've also been some racial slurs hurled at the judge, who is Black.

The hashtag #BrendaPennyIsCorrupt was also trending after her rulings.

We're told none of the posted threats appear to rise to the level of criminality -- not yet anyway, but LASD will continue monitoring.

As for the ruling that apparently angered many people, Judge Penny didn't give any specific reasoning, but, logically, it seems -- based on what's been filed in court -- she didn't see an urgent need to call the hearing on Jamie's future as conservator of Britney's estate.

Peloton, the fitness co., is trying to bigfoot another company with the same name -- but in a much different biz -- at least according to a new lawsuit.

Peloton Cold Brew, LLC filed suit against Peloton, Interactive -- the indoor exercise bike maker -- and says it got its trademark to use the P word for coffee drinks back in 2017, but Peloton didn’t get around to officially opposing it until 3 years later.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Peloton Cold Brew claims the bike maker didn't make a peep, failing to file any objection when PCB filed for its trademark.

PCB claims the bike company finally filed a complaint in October 2020 -- but the coffee crew says their founders are avid cyclists, and they have every right to use "Peloton" for beverages made of coffee ... which has nothing to do with the exercise bike biz.

According to the docs, PCB says Peloton the bike maker's trademarks -- which cover things like "computers and downloadable software" -- don't come close to coffee.

Peloton Cold Brew's asking the court to declare it has the right to the trademark in the coffee space, even if Peloton the bike company has rights in the bike space.

Mama June's boyfriend won't enjoy his usual freedoms over the next year and change ... because he was sentenced in his crack cocaine case in Alabama.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Mama's BF Geno Doak was sentenced to 16 months in Macon Community Corrections after copping a plea deal. We're told that while Geno is registered as an inmate, he will not be physically behind bars, but has a set of rules to follow. If he messes up, he'll be locked up.

TMZ broke the story ... Mama and Geno were both busted outside an Alabama gas station back in March 2019 and charged with felony drug possession and misdemeanor unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. The drug paraphernalia charge was dismissed as part of the deal.

According to the docs, Geno will be placed on probation for 2 years after he serves his 16 months. He also has to complete a substance abuse evaluation/treatment as part of the deal.

Yella Beezy is in police custody in Texas, where he's been arrested on weapon and drug charges ... TMZ has learned.

The rapper was busted Wednesday for possession of a controlled substance and unlawful carrying of a weapon ... according to records. The drug charge is a felony and the weapons charge is a misdemeanor.

Yella Beezy posted video on social media Tuesday night appearing to show law enforcement searching a car. The video shows flashing red and blue lights and cops digging into the trunk and passenger door of an SUV pulled off on the side of the road. YB captioned the video, "They stay fwm."

It's the second arrest for Yella Beezy in 6 months ... as we first reported, he was busted on weapons charges in Dallas back in February, but he claimed it was a setup.

Joel Kinnaman is being investigated by Swedish authorities for allegedly raping a woman -- a probe that's in its early stages -- but Kinnaman insists there's no truth to it.

The actor is now the subject of a criminal investigation ... prosecutors in Sweden announced Wednesday they were looking into a claim of rape that we're told is related to the recent restraining order Joel got against the woman ... who he claims is extorting him.

A rep for Kinnaman tells us the woman only went to police after he got the restraining order.

The Public Prosecutor's Office notes an actor had been reported to local authorities for an alleged rape, and their investigation is now in its infancy.

Joel, for his part, has made it quite clear what he thinks this is really all about. He says the accuser is Gabriella Magnusson ... a Swedish model he hooked up with a couple times back in 2018 ... who then allegedly started blowing him up when he cut off contact.

He claims she began threatening to go public with false claims -- specifically, that he had sex with her against her will -- unless he met her demands.

Joel's detailed the alleged demands ... saying she asked for money, biz connections, a work visa and more. He says he refused to get shaken down ... adding that his agent went to meet Gabriella, and her brother allegedly pointed a gun at him.

His spokesperson tells TMZ Kinnaman has also filed a police complaint in Sweden against her. We're told Kinnaman and co. think she only went to cops after he got the restraining order against her.

Erica Mena is copping to ruining some of Safaree's property, but says she only went HAM after finding out he was sleeping around ... allegedly.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the 'Love & Hip Hop' star admits she damaged her now estranged husband's personal items toward the end of her pregnancy, but she blames her anger on "numerous acts of infidelity."

You'll recall, Safaree alleged she trashed some of his gear, including his expensive shoe collection.

Erica's already trying to clean up the mess she caused -- in the docs, she says she's already sent Safaree a cool $4,000 to cover at least some of the damage.

Something tells us he won't be satisfied with that dollar figure though. As we first reported ... Safaree claims Erica did $30,000 worth of damage by pouring bleach on his high-end sneakers, and cutting the laces. He said she went off while she was 8 months pregnant, and 2 days after she'd filed for divorce.

While Erica's now admitting to wreaking some havoc, they're clearly oceans apart on just how much damage was done ...  and therein lies the legal battle.

Netflix and Ava DuVernay will continue to battle Linda Fairstein's defamation lawsuit over her portrayal in "When They See Us" ... a judge just denied their bid to toss the suit out of court.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... a federal judge in Manhattan ruled Monday Linda's defamation suit plausibly alleged defamation in 5 scenes of the critically acclaimed series about the Central Park 5 case.

Remember ... Linda was the woman who helped prosecute the now-vindicated Central Park 5, and Felicity Huffman plays her in the Netflix series.

The judge ruled several scenes depicting Linda as racist while directing a police roundup of potential suspects in Harlem, withholding DNA evidence from the defense and coercing confessions could prove to be defamatory and can't be tossed out at this stage of litigation.

As we reported ... Linda sued Netflix and the series director for defamation back in March 2020, claiming the show portrayed her as a "racist, unethical villain who is determined to jail innocent children of color at any cost."

Netflix initially called the suit frivolous and without merit and tried to get it tossed by arguing the series is protected by the First Amendment. Although some of Fairstein's claims were tossed, the judge ruled the case could go forward on her claims concerning some critical scenes in the series.

Prince Andrew sexually abused a teenage girl he met through Jeffrey Epstein ... this according to a new lawsuit.

Queen Elizabeth's son is being sued for sexual assault in federal court by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who claims she was a victim of Epstein's sex trafficking scheme for powerful men, including Prince Andrew.

According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, Andrew is accused of sexually abusing Giuffre in NYC when she was a minor ... at the invitation of Epstein and his alleged co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Giuffre claims she was only 17 years old when Prince Andrew committed sexual assault and battery against her ... and she says the alleged abuse left her with severe and lasting emotional distress.

As we reported ... Prince Andrew was not cooperative with FBI and federal prosecutors in 2019 and 2020, when law enforcement was looking to talk to him about Epstein.

In the wake of Epstein's arrest and death in his jail cell, Prince Andrew went on "BBC Newsnight" and claimed he couldn't remember meeting Giuffre, despite a 2001 photograph where he's apparently posing with her.

Prince Andrew resigned from all public roles in May 2020 over his ties to Epstein.