Justin Baldoni PR Rep Files Counterclaims Against Ex-Boss ... Calls Out 'Bitter Revenge' Ploy
Justin Baldoni's PR rep Jennifer Abel is firing back at her former boss, Stephanie Jones, with her own lawsuit ... after being sued by SJ in December.
Abel has hired Baldoni's powerhouse lawyer Bryan Freedman, who accuses Stephanie of triggering the whole legal drama between Justin and Blake Lively involving their film, "It Ends with Us."
Freedman filed the counterclaims on Abel's behalf against Jones -- who's the CEO of the PR company Jonesworks, which still represents Justin.
Menendez Brothers Family Holds Rally Outside District Attorney's Office ... Reiterate Previous Points About Case
Erik and Lyle Menendez's family members held another rally to support the incarcerated brothers ... and, it touched on many of the same points they've been making in recent months -- and provided another forum to challenge L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
Family representatives for the Justice for Erik and Lyle Coalition spoke outside Hochman's office in Downtown L.A. According to a press release, the group was set to discuss Hochman's "relentless fixation on the past, as he continues to dismiss who Erik and Lyle are today" ... and, they certainly hit on that.
Before the press conference even began, citizens gathered on the street overlooking the area to show support for the brothers ... bringing signs and wearing shirts calling for justice for Erik and Lyle. One even showed a picture of D.A. Hochman with the words "you're the liar" scrawled across his face.
Sia Says See Ya To Husband ... Files For Divorce
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Sia is pulling the plug on her marriage ... because she just filed for divorce.
The "Unstoppable" singer beelined it to court Wednesday and filed to divorce her husband, Daniel Bernad, after only 26 months of marriage.
According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Sia lists Tuesday as the date of separation ... meaning she wasted almost no time filing to end things.
Diddy Lawsuits Buzbee Withdraws As Attorney ... From Slew of SDNY Cases
Diddy's legal archenemy, Texas attorney Tony Buzbee, is withdrawing himself from more than a dozen sex trafficking lawsuits filed against Diddy in New York federal court.
According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Buzbee is moving to withdraw as a representing attorney in 15 cases filed in the Southern District of New York.
Buzbee says he's backing out of the lawsuits until he is admitted to practice law in SDNY.
Justin Baldoni Ryan Tried to Destroy Me, Now He Wants Out?!?
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Ryan Reynolds is trying to run from the very firestorm he helped ignite by trying to get cut out of the legal battle between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively ... at least according to Justin's attorney.
Bryan Freedman is blasting Ryan for filing a request to dismiss Baldoni's lawsuit against him, telling TMZ ... "Mr. Reynolds’ exploitation of his enormous power in Hollywood continues, this time arrogantly asking to be dismissed from the case despite his publicly documented involvement extending far beyond just being a 'supportive spouse.' Mr. Reynolds was a key player in the scheme, defaming Justin around Hollywood, strong-arming WME into dropping Justin as a client, and trying to destroy Justin’s career however possible."
As we reported, Ryan filed the dismissal docs Tuesday, calling Justin "thin-skinned" for complaining the so-called "Nicepool" character from "Deadpool & Wolverine" was mocking him.
Hailey Bieber Exploring Legal Options Against Online Haters
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Hailey Bieber is fed up with some of the false narratives and rumors about her that are spreading online ... and she's exploring ways to fight back.
Sources close to Hailey tell TMZ … the latest disgusting narrative online tries to paint Hailey as a bully and stalker and she's considering taking legal action for the first time.
Just last week, there was a video making the rounds on TikTok alleging she liked a mean post about Selena Gomez's fiancé, Benny Blanco. Now, there's a 7-part series on YouTube claiming she stalked Justin Bieber and used her connections to get him to be her husband.
Ryan Reynolds To Justin Baldoni Your Lawsuit Against Me Should Be Tossed Out ... You're Just Thin-Skinned
Ryan Reynolds is asking a judge to let him out of the ongoing legal saga between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively ... and he's taking some shots at Baldoni in the process.
Ryan just filed a motion to dismiss Baldoni's defamation suit against him.
According to the legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Ryan says Justin is showing his true colors in filing suit against him ... claiming Baldoni took his "thin-skinned outrage over a movie character" and decided to go after Ryan in court ... a reference to the satirical, woke Nicepool character from the new 'Deadpool' movie, which JB thought was an obvious shot at him.
Diddy Now I Know Who's Accusing Me ... Feds Hand Over Names of 3 Alleged Victims
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Prosecutors in Diddy's case are revealing the names of the 3 alleged victims in his federal indictment, but only for Diddy's attorneys to see ... for now.
According to a motion filed by Diddy on March 6, the disgraced music mogul requested the names of the three anonymous accusers and witnesses listed in the government's letter outlining the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations case against him.
The judge reviewed Diddy's motion and ordered the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York to hand over the names to Diddy's defense by March 10.
Actor Gabriel Olds Exes Defend Him in Sexual Assault Case ... 'Best Sex I Ever Had'
Gabriel Olds, a character actor accused of 7 sexual assaults, is getting an odd -- and graphic -- show of support from ex-lovers who applaud his "intimacy" and prowess in the BDSM world.
The testimonials include lines like "best sex I have ever had" ... "He taught me about a world of intimacy beyond my experience" ... "such a gentle ass slapper," and other gushing words about Olds' sexual skills.
Olds, who's appeared in shows like "NCIS," "Boardwalk Empire" and "Six Feet Under," was arrested last year in L.A. after 6 women accused him of sexual assaults dating back to 2013.
Wendy Williams Dodges Court Questions During NYC Dinner Outing
Wendy Williams was living it up during a night out on the town in the Big Apple -- but when it came to her court hearing earlier in the day, she left us all hanging.
Check it out ... Wendy was all smiles as she rolled into Zou Zou’s restaurant at the Pendry Hotel in NYC Monday night on her mobility scooter, looking as glamorous as ever -- and her team was right by her side, helping her inside and later escorting her back to the car.
But Wendy wasn’t in the mood to chat about her court hearing when photogs pressed her -- staying tight-lipped and seemingly focused on the moment as she was helped out of the scooter and into a waiting car.
Karen Read New No-Holds-Barred Doc Dives Into Retrial Prep ... Accused of Murdering Boston Cop BF
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Karen Read is at the center of a new documentary series offering intimate access as she and her legal team gear up for her retrial in the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe -- and TMZ has your exclusive first look at Tuesday's upcoming episode.
In Investigation Discovery’s "A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read," Karen opens up her Mansfield, Massachusetts home to cameras and questions, insisting the allegations against her don’t add up.
Prosecutors allege in 2022, Read got into a heated drunken argument with O’Keefe before backing up and hitting him with her SUV, killing him ... then fleeing the scene, leaving him to die in a friend's snow-covered front yard.
Porn Star Gigi Dior On Legal Loss to Christian Dior ... 'Used To Being Shafted By Big D'
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Porn star Gigi Dior is reacting to a recent defeat in court at the hands of Christian Dior ... telling TMZ it's no sweat off her back because she's used to Big D giving her the shaft.
The adult film actress just finished a years-long legal dispute with the French fashion house after she tried to trademark her stage name ... Dior sued her, and now she won't win the rights to "Gigi Dior."
Gigi tells TMZ ... she knew the odds were against her in her legal war with one of the richest people in the world, Dior owner Bernard Arnault, and while she doesn't agree with the court's decision, she respects it and is taking it in stride.
Drake Only Suing 'Cause He's a Sore Loser!!! UMG Rips 'Not Like Us' Suit
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11:58 AM PT -- Drake's lead attorney Mike Gottlieb tells TMZ ... “UMG wants to pretend that this is about a rap battle in order to distract its shareholders, artists and the public from a simple truth: a greedy company is finally being held responsible for profiting from dangerous misinformation that has already resulted in multiple acts of violence. This motion is a desperate ploy by UMG to avoid accountability, but we have every confidence that this case will proceed and continue to uncover UMG’s long history of endangering, abusing and taking advantage of its artists.”
Drake's trying to have his cake and eat it too ... according to his music label UMG, which says his whole lawsuit over "Not Like Us" is really just sour grapes because Kendrick Lamar buried him in their rap beef.
Universal Music Group filed docs Monday in federal court, calling out Drake for his part in the diss track battle that surrounded the release of "Not Like Us." According to the label, "Drake encouraged the feud. For example, when he felt that Lamar was taking too long to respond, Drake released a second recording in which he goaded Lamar to continue the public rap battle."
Remember, Drake is suing his label for releasing the track, claiming it did so knowing its "certified pedophile" line was false and defamatory.
Michael Lohan Back in Jail for Probation Violation ... Alleged Domestic Violence Against Ex
Michael Lohan is waking up in a South Florida jail ... after cops busted him on a probation violation related to his estranged wife Kate Major.
Sheriff's deputies picked up Lindsay Lohan's dad Sunday evening in West Palm Beach on an arrest warrant obtained by his probation officer following a February incident in Harris County, Texas.
As we reported, Lohan was arrested there last month on the charge of Continuous Violence Against the Family -- he allegedly went to the home where Kate lives with their sons, and assaulted her.
Diddy Feds Say They Have A Recording Of OG Cassie Beating Video
Federal prosecutors just revealed in court they have two videos of Diddy beating Cassie in a hotel hallway in L.A. ... including a recording of the original hotel surveillance footage.
Diddy was in court Friday for a pretrial hearing in his federal criminal case when his lawyers started sparring with the feds over the Cassie beating video.
A 2016 surveillance video obtained by CNN shows Sean "Diddy" Combs violently grab, shove, drag and kick his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura during an altercation in a hotel in California. https://t.co/qgD40mRPtQ pic.twitter.com/1u7qJgn3mC
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) May 17, 2024 @cnnbrk
The judge asked the prosecution if they had the original security video and the Assistant United States Attorneys revealed the feds have the CNN version ... and a recording of the original footage.
Gene Hackman Kids Not Mentioned in Will, but ... There's a Really Interesting Twist
Gene Hackman's will has been unveiled -- and the two-time Oscar-winner left every penny of his fortune to his wife, Betsy Arakawa -- but there's a big twist.
The Hollywood legend made Betsy his sole beneficiary back in 1995, according to the docs, obtained by TMZ.
What's interesting is that his three children -- son Christopher and two daughters Leslie and Elizabeth -- are not named in the will. It was all supposed to go to Betsy ... but, the timing of their deaths could change where the money goes.