TMZ.com

Chris Brown and Drake straight-up jacked another artist's work for their hit track "No Guidance" ... so claim a singer and producer in a new lawsuit.

Brandon Cooper, who goes by the stage name Mr. Cooper, and Timothy Valentine -- aka Drum'n Skillz -- are suing CB and Drake claiming "No Guidance" ripped off their work on a track called, "I Love Your Dress."

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Cooper and Valentine claim their song dropped 3 years before CB and Drake's "No Guidance" dropped in June 2019. Cooper and Valentine claim an analysis of the beat, lyrics, hook and rhythmic structure demonstrates that "No Guidance" was copied or, at the very least, principally derived from "I Love Your Dress."

Specifically, the singer and producer claim their track has the lyrics ... "She got it; she got it" repeated 16 times while CB's and Drake's has "You got it, girl; you got it" at least 11 times.

Cooper and Valentine claim even non-expert listeners can see and hear the similarities ... claiming Chris and Drake deliberately exploited "I Love Your Dress" and even taunted them with a lyric about "flew the coop," which Cooper claims is a play on his nickname, Coop.

Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband may want to make a quick phone call to his lawyer, because he may not be fully up to speed in their divorce.

Brandon Blackstock landed at LAX Tuesday and made a flat statement ... that the judge hasn't ruled on who gets the Montana ranch.

Fact is ... the judge HAS laid down the law. Brandon challenged the prenup he signed, and had the judge bought his argument, everything he and Kelly earned during the marriage -- and things acquired with those earnings -- would be community property.

But, after a trial, the judge ruled the prenup was valid, which meant Kelly's earnings and acquisitions were hers and hers alone.

In fact, according to the judge's order, which was signed Sept. 30, the judge specifically rejected Brandon's claims, saying, "The Court therefore rejects Respondent's [Brandon's] position that the Montana Ranch and other Montana properties are marital property owned 50/50 by the Parties."

TMZ broke the story ... Kelly is trying to get Brandon to leave the ranch, but so far he's staying put. A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ ... at this point Kelly views Brandon as a squatter and is figuring out how to get him removed.

Britney Spears' bedroom was secretly bugged, and a former security employee claims the idea was hatched by a woman named Robin Greenhill, but Robin had no interest in answering the allegation.

Greenhill said nothing to a photog at LAX Monday, where she was asked about the claim in the latest New York Times documentary, in which Alex Vlasov claimed Robin, who was a member of Britney's management team, came up with the idea of mirroring Britney's iPhone to monitor her messages and calls.

Robin works for the Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group, which denied the allegation.

Sources with direct knowledge of the conservatorship tell TMZ ... Robin was the key person who managed Britney day-to-day, and often allegedly blocked Britney from spending her money, even for relatively inexpensive items.  Some people involved in Britney's life/business say Robin had an iron grip on Britney, making onerous decisions that blocked her from vacations and various purchases.

Robin worked for Lou Taylor, who is a honcho at Tri Star whom Jamie Spears would often call "the smartest person in any room." We're told Jamie delegated a lot of day-to-day decisions to Taylor, who then delegated to Greenhill. We're told Jamie wouldn't hear criticism of the way Taylor or Greenhill were managing Britney ... what they said goes.

Shannen Doherty has prevailed in the lawsuit against her insurance company, which she claimed didn't want shell out money to build her a new home after a wildfire ... but it looks like they'll have to pay up now.

The '90210' actress just won her civil lawsuit against State Farm, which she filed last year ... saying the insurance giant refused to pay out enough money under her policy to restore her Malibu home from the ground up after it was damaged in the wildfires.

State Farm said her home had only suffered from residual smoke and simply needed a cleaning -- but Shannon begged to differ ... and after a trial, a jury agreed with her.

As for damages, her attorney, Devin McRae, tells us he'll be filing a proposed judgment consistent with the jury's verdict in the amount of around $6.3 million ... covering everything from the house rebuild itself to personal belongings she lost, as well as emotional distress and attorneys fees.

It's been a rancorous battle ... with mud-slinging back and forth, but especially toward Shannen, who said State Farm was trying to shame her for smoking in the past -- something she says she stopped after her cancer diagnosis.

The damage inflicted on the George Floyd bust in Union Square is already well on its way to being repaired -- and it's all thanks to some community members who stepped up, and who might continue stepping up to prevent this going forward.

Lindsay Eshelman -- co-founder of Confront Art, who teamed up with George's brother, Terrence, and his org We Are Floyd to produce the statues -- tells TMZ ... she and her team showed up shortly after news broke that the bust was vandalized, but were pleasantly surprised to see there were already at least 5 individuals working to clean up the mess.

We're told these folks are simply activists/art lovers -- and included one tourist who just showed up to help. One of the other good Samaritans was Eric Garner's son, Eric Jr., whom we're told formed a close bond with Terrence through this entire ordeal. Lindsay and co. also chipped in ... running out to get supplies to restore the statue's bronze shine.

As for what to expect from here ... Eshelman tells us she and Confront Art are trying organize a watch group to look after the statue, otherwise known as "keepers" -- as there are 30 days left in the installation, and they're worried this might happen again.

The NYPD has apparently told them they're on their own in this regard, 'cause the police force won't step up security or patrols. We're told CA has a 7 AM to midnight shift in mind, to help keep things kosher after the park closes there.

The man who threw paint onto a bust of George Floyd in NYC is now in the crosshairs of a hate crime unit ... and can be seen clear as day on camera doing the deed.

The NYPD's Crime Stoppers division released surveillance video they say depicts the suspect -- a guy with a light complexion, medium build ... and who was wearing a green jacket, shorts and a hat of some sort, and who cruised by nonchalantly before vandalizing the statue.

Just as we told you before ... he's seen clear as day hanging out near the John Lewis statue in Union Square, shuffling about and looking around -- before he busts out what seems to be a small paint can, hopping on his skateboard and heading for the bronze Floyd effigy.

Sure enough, there are some people around who get a good look at him doing it ... but no one really springs into action. It all happens so fast -- the man is gone in a flash.

We're told the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force is investigating this ... for obvious reasons. So far, the alleged perp hasn't been captured -- but cops are asking for tips or any help.

This weekend's paint job actually served as the second act of vandalism since the statue was first unveiled earlier this summer in Brooklyn ... where it was also defaced, with none other than white supremacy logos and signage. And now, at its new, home ... something similar.

Clint Eastwood could see a LOT of green soon ... he's just been awarded nearly $6.1 million in his lawsuit against CBD retailers.

The legendary actor -- and the company Eastwood runs that owns rights to his likeness, Garrapata -- just scored a $6.1 million default judgment after the companies he sued failed to respond to his lawsuit.

You'll recall, Eastwood and Garrapata argued a Lithuanian CBD company falsely made it look like he endorsed their products and illegally tried to profit off his name, likeness, and goodwill. In addition to the damages, the CBD retailers were also permanently blocked from using Clint's name and likeness moving forward.

As we reported ... Clint sued in July 2020 after claiming several CBD retailers pimped their products by using fake interviews with him where he gushes over the weed merch.

The lawsuit claimed the CBD company made it look like Clint endorsed the CBD products on the "Today" show. The company took a photo of an actual interview Clint did on the show and flashed up words that appeared to be an endorsement.

Clint made it crystal clear in his pair of lawsuits -- he's never sat down with any of these companies and, under no circumstances, endorsed their products.

Audrina Patridge and her estranged husband Corey Bohan will be splitting time with their 5-year-old daughter ... this according to the judge's ruling in their final custody judgment.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Audrina and Corey share joint legal custody of their daughter. As for physical custody, Audrina will get the bulk of the time, while Corey gets 8 hours of visitation a week with Kirra.

The docs say Corey's visits with their daughter will be supervised, either by a professional or someone Audrina is down with ... and he's footing the bill for the sup.

And, get this ... the docs also say Audrina's ex can't be listed as the emergency contact for Kirra at her school or daycare ... but the exes will still have to work together on issues related to Kirra's education, health and welfare.

Kanye West has always been obsessed with Apple, and his latest possible venture could put Yeezy in direct competition with the tech giant.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Ye's company filed a trademark application on September 21 to slap the name "Donda" on a slew of tech line products. And, by the looks of things ... this line could be one helluva empire.

Ye is looking to lock up the rights to slap "Donda" on a bunch of electronics, including tablet computers, audio speakers and surround sound systems. It seems he took a page out of Steve Job's playbook over at Apple ... 'cause Kanye also wants to emboss "Donda" on wearable computers in the nature of smartwatches, smart glasses, wearable activity trackers and protective flip covers for tablet computers.

Dr. Dre may also be on his mind ... 'cause Kanye may also put his mom's name on earbuds, headphones, wireless headsets for tablet computers and wireless headsets for mobile phones.

If Kanye has his way ... he might do the same to wireless receivers in the form of jewelry and smart rings. It also looks like he wants "Donda" on downloadable electronic publications in the nature of books, magazines, journals, brochures, leaflets, pamphlets and newsletters all in the field of music and entertainment news.

Andrew Gallery -- one of Britney Spears' close confidants from early on in the conservatorship -- says the #FreeBritney crowd deserves a lot of the credit for where her sitch is today.

We spoke to the filmmaker this week in L.A. and asked for his thoughts on how things landed this week during Brit's conservatorship case ... which saw her father, Jamie, get the boot and her conservatorship at large possibly on the chopping block next.

The dude is obviously happy for her -- makes sense, he helped create her tell-all doc way back in 2008, and is considered someone who got really close to her, and who's been dropping hints that she's wanted out for a long time now. But, watch who he shouts out.

AG gives it up for the fans who've relentlessly hit the streets in protest, and who've shined a very public light on this whole saga. He says without them, much of this might not have been possible.

Andrew also weighs in on whether Britney needs to remain in the conservatorship -- telling us it's clear to him that she doesn't meet the requirements of someone who does. That's to be determined by the judge, obviously -- she's gotta decide if Brit needs a mental evaluation or not before being cut loose.

In the meantime, though, Andrew has some suggestions on what she should do going forward ... namely, whatever the hell she wants.

One last interesting question we fired off about why he thinks it might've taken this long for changes to come for Britney -- and he takes aim at the deluge of lawyers and business people who've been in and out of overseeing the conservatorship over the years ... some of whom were brought up by name in the past few Britney Spears docs on Hulu and Netflix.

Kelly Clarkson is now poised to boot her ex-husband from the Montana ranch they once shared, because a judge just made it clear ... it's all hers.

Brandon Blackstock argued the ranch -- where he's living now -- is "marital property" -- meaning it's as much his as hers. But, the judge begged to differ, saying the ranch falls within the prenup, which essentially means whatever Kelly bought with the money she earned is hers and hers alone.

BTW ... she's the sole titleholder for the ranch.

TMZ broke the story ... after a trial on the validity of the prenup -- something Brandon was hotly contesting -- the judge ruled it was valid. As such, any money Kelly earned during the marriage is hers ... and that's a lot. She rakes in around $1.9 mil a month!

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Kelly wants Brandon off the ranch, but he's not moving. We're told Kelly believes Brandon is pretty much just a squatter at this point, and she's contemplating action to get him out.

G-Eazy's gotta be careful the next time he goes out for a drink in NYC -- he's been ordered to keep away from the guys with whom he allegedly brawled with in a nightclub.

The rapper just left a Big Apple courtroom where he was charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly punching a guy in the head at the Boom Boom Room at the Standard Hotel.

The judge ordered G-Eazy to steer clear of his alleged victim, plus the man who claims G's entourage smashed a glass bottle over his head in last month's altercation.

G-Eazy was released without bail, and was in no mood to talk when we got him leaving the courthouse.

TMZ broke the story ... G-Eazy was arrested in September after he and his crew allegedly got violent with another group of guys in a bar.

Gabby Petito told a Utah police officer that Brian Laundrie hit her during their August 12 dispute in Moab, but then quickly walked it back and said he actually grabbed her face after she hit him first.

New bodycam footage from a second police officer sheds new light on the incident, in which Gabby and Brian were separated after cops were called because they were seen fighting in public.

The new video is far more audible than the one released earlier ... and this one provides a much more detailed account by Gabby ... the key moments can be clearly heard.

The officer notices various marks on Gabby -- on her face and her arm, and gently asks what happened.

Listen for yourself -- when the cop asks Gabby bluntly if Brian hit her, she says "I guess, yeah, but I hit him first." She then explains he grabbed her face and demonstrates how his fingernail may have scratched her cheek.

Gabby says Brian did not punch or hit her in the face, though.

As we reported ... two 911 callers did report that Brian struck Gabby's face. However, in the initial police report released a couple weeks ago ... police wrote that both Gabby and Brian claimed that she began slapping him first, and he grabbed her face and pushed her away.

There's another eerie video ... where 2 cops involved in the incident try to determine if it rises to the level of domestic assault, but ultimately seem to decide on the spot that it doesn't.

One of the officers even implies that Brian may be the one at risk of becoming a "battered man" ... but he doesn't think that's the case.

Kylie Jenner's $40M mansion became the epicenter of an unplanned and unwanted fireworks display after cops say one man set them off in the street and hopped her fence!!!

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ cops were called to Kylie's L.A. property around 10 PM Wednesday because a man was buzzing her security and asking for Kylie. We're told Kylie's armed guards told the man to get lost -- which he did at first -- but returned a short time later.

When he came back, our sources say the man started setting off fireworks outside her property, and then jumped the fence. Luckily, cops were quick to arrive and apprehend the man before he could make it within the inner perimeter of her security barriers.

A source with direct knowledge tells us the man kept reaching into his pockets to simulate he may have had a weapon ... Kylie was not home at the time of the incident.

We're told the suspect -- a pretty big dude, around 6'4" and 240 lbs. -- carried a suitcase containing a hammer, rubber mallet, a lighter and fireworks. Cops say he did about $1,200 in damage to Kylie's security gate ... and they booked him for felony vandalism. He's being held on $20,000 bail.

The incident comes just weeks after another scary arrest at Ariana Grande's home, in which a man allegedly brandished a knife and threatened to kill the singer. And, of course ... the entire Kardashian crew's all too familiar with cases like this as well.

Now that it appears Britney Spears will probably not be living under a conservatorship by year's end, members of the #FreeBritney movement say their focus will shift to the second-most famous conservatee ... Amanda Bynes.

TMZ spoke with several "Free Britney" supporters this week as they held a rally for her outside the L.A. courthouse amid the monumental hearing in her case.

As they celebrated Britney's father Jamie being removed from the conservatorship, we asked what they will put their energy toward once Brit's case is over, and the response was unanimous -- freeing Amanda.

Though we received varying explanations from the Britney fans on why they'll rally for Bynes next, it's clear many of them feel she's stuck in a similar, unfair situation ... even if there are different circumstances.

Further, the #FreeBritney movement has fired up folks to raise awareness about conservatorship pitfalls ... and Amanda's case seems to be the next logical move.

Megan Radford, one of the #FreeBritney organizers, tells TMZ the movement will definitely help Bynes next and similarly fight to end her conservatorship ... but also aims to keep educating the general public on conservatorship abuse with events and rallies.

However, Radford says her group also wants to help anyone who's experiencing conservatorship abuse ... and makes it clear they're still focused on Britney until she's officially free.

As we have reported, Amanda was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. She was in desperate shape before the conservatorship was put in place. At one point she doused her dog with gasoline and almost lit it on fire. Her parents have worked as conservators over the years, and by all accounts, she is doing much better.

Scarlett Johansson is no longer at war with Disney over her "Black Widow" bottom line ... the actress and the Mouse House reached a settlement, sources confirm to TMZ.

The exact terms of the settlement are unclear, but Scarlett says ... "I am happy to have resolved our differences with Disney." In a statement that sounds very much like an attempt to mend fences, she adds she's proud of the work she and Disney have done, has enjoyed their "creative relationship" and looks forward to collaborating further.

Disney Studios honcho Alan Bergman is also making nice after the explosive suit ... saying he's pleased with the settlement, appreciates Scarlett's role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and looks forward to working with her on upcoming movies, like "Tower of Terror."

Translation: Let's make nice and get back to making movies.

As we reported ... Scarlett sued Disney back in July, claiming the simultaneous release of "Black Widow" in theaters and on Disney+ violated her contract and cost her big money.

Things quickly turned ugly, with Disney responding to the suit with a blistering statement, attacking ScarJo and her suit for what the studio called a "callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic."

Scarlett's agent shot back, ripping Disney for announcing she'd made $20 million for the movie, and accused Disney of attempting "to weaponize her success as an artist and businesswoman."

Jamie Spears says his ousting from Britney's conservatorship will only hurt his daughter, and having a stranger take his place in her life is the complete opposite of what Britney needs.

Jamie's lawyer, Vivian Thoreen, goes after the judge for suspending Jamie and appointing CPA John Zabel in his place to temporarily manage her estate.

But, Thoreen then bores in on the attacks against Jamie, saying he was the one who stepped in 13 years ago when no one else would ... noting Britney agreed to establish the conservatorship. Thoreen says, "This included helping her revive here career and re-establish a relationship with her children."

As for Britney's anger toward Jamie, Thoreen says, "For anyone who has tried to help a family member dealing with mental health issues, they can appreciate the tremendous amount of daily worry and work this required."

Of course, Jamie was hammered by the public, Britney's attorneys and even his own daughter in court ... saying he controlled, mentally abused and even prevented her from being married or having kids. Thoreen says Jamie made the choice to keep his mouth shut during the "false, speculative and unsubstantiated attacks."

And, then the attorney went after Britney's lawyer, saying Jamie -- not Mat Rosengart -- was the one who actually asked the judge to end the conservatorship immediately. She says Rosengart objected to pulling the plug now.

As we reported, Rosengart wanted 30-45 days to review the books to determine if there was misappropriation of assets or other abuse ... and presumably he wanted the judge to retain jurisdiction toward that end.

Thoreen says flatly, "Mr. Spears loves his daughter Britney unconditionally ... Mr. Spears will continue to look out for the best interests of his daughter and work in good faith towards a position resolution of all matters."

TMZ broke down everything that happened during yesterday's hearing on our new podcast.