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Russell Brand is now facing rape and sexual assault charges for 4 separate alleged incidents, dating as far back as 1999.

The comedian was hit with with one count of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of oral rape and 2 counts of sexual assault ...  this according to London's Metropolitan Police Service.

Detectives began investigating the comedian after a series of allegations were made against him in 2023 ... and, they now allege Brand committed a series of assaults between 1999 and 2005.

Justin Baldoni is clapping back at Blake Lively's attempt to get his lawsuit against her tossed out of court, while once again accusing her of trying to destroy his career, according to new court documents.

Baldoni just filed his response to Blake's motion to dismiss his lawsuit in federal court -- giving several reasons why the judge should not let the actress off the hook.

In the docs, Baldoni accuses Blake of orchestrating, participating in and directing a smear campaign "designed to ruin the reputations and careers of the Wayfarer parties."

Mel Gibson is having his right to bear arms restored ... and his support for President Trump sounds like it's playing a big role.

Trump's Justice Department is going to allow Mel to own guns again despite him pleading no contest in 2011 to a battery charge involving his former girlfriend, a legal issue that made it impossible for him to buy firearms ... according to the New York Times.

Mel is one of 10 people with convictions who are getting back their gun rights, the NYT reported Thursday, and Mel's inclusion sparked a fierce debate at the top of the Justice Department ... a disagreement that allegedly resulted in a couple firings.

Young Thug is not going back to jail ... the judge says his repost revealing the identity of a cop testifying in a murder trial did not violate his probation.

Judge Whitaker said Thug's social media post on Tuesday -- reposting a blogger's photo of the police investigator on the stand, and adding the caption, "biggest liar in the DA office" ... was not wise, but not enough for him to get locked up again.

The judge said "having reviewed the terms and conditions of Defendant's probation imposed by this Court, the Court declines to revoke Defendant's probation based on the violation asserted."

Wendy Williams has a new legal mind on her side ... 'cause famed attorney Joe Tacopina says he's serving as her personal attorney.

Tacopina -- who has represented big stars like President Donald Trump, former Yankee Alex Rodriguez, and most recently A$AP Rocky -- appeared on "TMZ Live" Thursday to talk about it.

Check out the vid ... he confirms he is representing Wendy -- though, as of right now, it's strictly as her personal attorney. Tacopina says he will be at her guardianship case, but guardianship attorneys have to be approved by a judge, so he's still going through that process.

Young Thug's freedom is gonna be short-lived if prosecutors get their way -- they want him locked up again for revealing a witness in a murder case on his social media.

Fulton County prosecutors filed a motion Wednesday asking the judge to revoke Thug's probation for putting law enforcement in danger by reposting a blogger's image of a police investigator who was testifying in a gang-related murder.

According to docs, the judge in that case ordered the media not to show the witness on TV, but the blogger defied that order ... posting a pic of the cop with the caption, "She doesn't want to be shown on screen? Well, here she is."

An Illinois teacher accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old student she tutored allegedly began messaging him using a digital school platform, which prosecutors say ramped up into flirtatious texts ... and a sexual encounter inside a classroom.

Christina Formella first got together with the student in 2023 when she was his freshman soccer coach at Downers Grove South High School ... this according to court documents, obtained by TMZ.

The docs say Formella started tutoring the alleged victim after he broke his collarbone ... and they began messaging each other on a school platform. From there, prosecutors say, Formella then gave him her number so they could play "8-Ball Pool" on their phones. The pair then allegedly exchanged provocative texts, followed by a FaceTime meeting between the student and Formella.

Christina Fulton says her son's headed for a diversion program instead of jail ... but, he still hasn't apologized for allegedly assaulting her.

We caught up with the actress in Downtown Los Angeles Wednesday while she was leaving a courthouse where she read a victim impact statement in court to tell her son how the beating she suffered affected her.

Fulton says her son's been ordered to participate in a "mental health diversion" ... a program where Weston Cage will presumably go through mental health counseling to avoid prison time.

Paul Rodriguez is going to war with the Burbank Police Department ... bracing for an ugly legal battle over his recent arrest for drug possession, TMZ has learned.

The legendary actor-comedian and Burbank law enforcement sources traded accusations in separate statements to TMZ, turning Paul's misdemeanor drug possession case into a wild drama.

On Friday night, Paul was arrested with a female friend after cops pulled them over -- she was driving, he was in the passenger seat -- and conducted a search, eventually finding drugs in the woman's purse. Paul told TMZ the cop slapped him -- and Paul's attorney, Bobby Samini, later said the officer's actions constituted a civil rights violation.

An Illinois teacher accused of sexually assaulting one of her 15-year-old students was caught on video telling cops she was going to throw up while being arrested for the alleged crime.

Newly released police body cam footage shows Christina Formella weeping and hyper-ventilating in the backseat of a patrol car after she was cuffed by an officer in Downers Grove, Illinois, on March 16.

The officer secures Formella's seatbelt and asks her if she wants a tissue. Formella responds that she feels sick and the cop offers to get her a barf bag, calling in the request over the radio. Formella continues to cry in the back seat, turning hysterical right before our eyes.

5:22 PM PT -- D.A. Nathan Hochman tells TMZ ... “Based on a review of the evidence to date, the District Attorney’s Office has not filed charges against Kim Delaney or James Morgan. Should additional evidence or witnesses emerge during the course of the investigation, this decision may be reconsidered.”

Former "NYPD Blue" star Kim Delaney won't face any charges after her recent arrest for felony assault ... L.A. prosecutors declined to file any charges against her and her husband, TMZ has learned.

The actress appeared in L.A. County Superior Court this morning after she was arrested Saturday for assault likely to cause great bodily injury against her husband, James Morgan. Morgan was also arrested for misdemeanor domestic violence.

But, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office decided not to file any charges, telling TMZ they didn't have sufficient evidence to move forward against either of them. It's a bit surprising after our law enforcement sources say the first incident between the couple popped off Friday night when Kim filed a domestic violence report with police after Morgan left the scene.

Cops are pressing on with their investigation into Andrew Tate after his ex-girlfriend Bri Stern accused him of sexual assault and filed a police report.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Andrew's attorney, Joseph McBride, spoke Tuesday with the Beverly Hills Police Department, which is handling the criminal probe.

Our sources say Tate's lawyer and cops discussed the ongoing investigation and police told McBride that at some point in the future, Andrew needs to give a statement on the alleged incident.

A doctor who allegedly tried to kill his wife by pushing her off a cliff in Hawaii harbored "extreme jealousy" and once accused her of having an affair ... at least according to his spouse.

Gerhardt Konig -- a 46-year-old anesthesiologist who works on Maui -- is accused of trying to murder his wife Arielle last month during a scenic stroll on Oahu.

He was charged Wednesday with second-degree attempted murder -- prosecutors say he attacked his wife at the famous Pali Lookout -- and on Thursday she filed for court-ordered protection.

10:40 AM PT -- Luigi Mangione's attorney Karen Agnifilo tells TMZ ... “By seeking to murder Luigi Mangione, the Justice Department has moved from the dysfunctional to the barbaric. Their decision to execute Luigi is political and goes against the recommendation of the local federal prosecutors, the law, and historical precedent. While claiming to protect against murder, the federal government moves to commit the pre-meditated, state-sponsored murder of Luigi.

By doing this, they are defending the broken, immoral, and murderous healthcare industry that continues to terrorize the American people. We are prepared to fight these federal charges, brought by a lawless Justice Department, as well as the New York State charges, and the Pennsylvania charges, and anything else they want to pile on Luigi.

This is a corrupt web of government dysfunction and one-upmanship. Luigi is caught in a high-stakes game of tug-of-war between state and federal prosecutors, except the trophy is a young man’s life.”

Bad news for Luigi Mangione -- U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is pushing for the death penalty in his case.

In a statement Tuesday, Pamela reminded everyone of Mangione’s alleged crime -- the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson -- calling it a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.

Pamela's now ordered Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky to pursue the death penalty ... saying it aligns with President Trump’s agenda to crack down on violent crime and "Make America Safe Again."

2:02 PM PT The legal docs also state the photos of the bodies will remain sealed, and the autopsy and toxicology report can only be released if there are no photos of the bodies included.

Everything else, like pics of the dog and inside the property, are allowed.

Gene Hackman's mother-in-law is fighting to block the public release of police body camera footage from the investigation into the late actor's death.

Gene and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their New Mexico estate last month and Betsy's mother, Yoshie Feaster, says the public spectacle and media coverage surrounding their death is traumatizing, and she wants to grieve in peace.

In legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Betsy's mom says Gene and her daughter considered personal privacy of the utmost importance, and she doesn't want the media getting their hands on photos and videos showing Gene and Betsy's living space, and their corpses.

The Diddy trial is going to spend a lot of time on his "Freak Off" parties, and the issue here is consent ... his defense says the encounters were consensual, and the prosecution needs to prove otherwise.

TMZ examines the legal strategy surrounding the Freak Offs in our new documentary, "The Downfall of Diddy: His Defense," available now on Tubi.

Criminal defense lawyers who have won some of the most high-profile celebrity criminal cases in America break down how consent will play a big role in Diddy's trial.