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Hayden Panettiere's family is backing her ex Wladimir Klitschko as he seeks legal guardianship of their daughter Kaya, telling TMZ they believe he's a devoted father who has Hayden's best interests at heart.

Sources connected to the family tell TMZ ... the family is supportive of Wlad's efforts to take a greater role in the transition of Hayden's estate to 11-year-old Kaya, who is set to inherit all of her mother's assets.

We're told the family's POV is the court filing is just a legal formality, and they add, "Wlad is a great father and we are grateful."

Diddy's allegedly turned his prison stay into a VIP experience ... with massages, fancy meals, contraband booze and inmates doing his chores, according to a new report.

NBC News has obtained photos and videos from inside Fort Dix in New Jersey, where Diddy is being held, and spoke with anonymous sources who claim the scandalized star is living the good life behind bars.

According to multiple sources, Diddy has access to a contraband cellphone, which he allegedly uses to view nude photos of a former girlfriend.

Clavicular is using alleged texts sent by his alleged rape accuser to defend himself in court ... TMZ has learned.

The influencer submitted a series of alleged messages sent by Aleksandra Vasilevna Mendoza, who claims the Looksmaxxing content creator assaulted her in May 2025. She also claims he injected a drug named Aqualyx into her face and provided her with alcohol while she was underage.

The influencer was charged in Massachusetts with rape after Aleksandra filed a civil lawsuit in Florida.

Sunny Hostin is out on an island over the Cornell gang-rape case ... defending the seven accused frat bros and questioning how the story is being reported.

The "View" host said Tuesday she read the Jane Doe's original nine-page 2024 statement and believes prosecutors couldn't have brought a case based on that account.

Sunny -- who prosecuted sex crimes for 10 years -- said the woman described voluntarily drinking, using ketamine and consenting to sexual activity, including two threesomes. She also noted three of the accused men allegedly never touched her, and another told people to leave the room.

The Challenge's CT Tamburello is finally making progress on his divorce from OnlyFans model Catalina White as his relationship with 'RHOA' star Phaedra Parks grows stronger ... TMZ has learned.

The divorce case was at a standstill for months after CT filed back in June ... but according to new court docs, obtained by TMZ, the two are now scheduled to face off at a private mediation next month … to try to settle their issues.

As TMZ first reported, Catalina filed for divorce in January but dismissed the case months later, claiming she felt pressure from CT. The reality star then filed his own divorce.

Tyrese Gibson is asking for an arrest warrant against his ex-wife, Samantha Lee Gibson, after accusing her of interfering with his custody rights ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ ... Tyrese claims Samantha removed their minor child from the state and has not facilitated visitation.

Tyrese says Samantha's actions were "premeditated" and violated a parenting plan the former couple had agreed to the month before.

The alleged rape victim in the Cornell University scandal is set to meet with the District Attorney this week, TMZ has learned. 

The Tompkins County D.A., Matthew Van Houten, revealed he is in communication with Jane Doe's lawyer about an interview. 

Van Houten said he spoke to Doe's team about cooperating with the "grand jury process and what that looks like."

Lindsay Clancy could be headed for another courtroom showdown in Massachusetts ... but a former prosecutor says the District Attorney should think twice before running it back.

Jakson breaks down the case on TMZ's YouTube series, "In The Know," with former prosecutor Margaret McLean weighing in on what comes next after Clancy's 11-to-1 mistrial in her murder case.

McLean says the defense's push to have the judge find Clancy not guilty outright is a "real long shot" ... but says prosecutors should seriously reconsider another first-degree murder trial.

Caleb Flynn was just found guilty of murder in the death of his wife.

The "American Idol" alum's lawyers and the prosecution delivered closing arguments earlier today before the verdict was read.

As you know ... Caleb was arrested back in February after prosecutors accused him of shooting his wife, Ashley Flynn, twice in the back of the head and staging the crime scene to make it appear like a break-in had occurred.

Chris Brown scored a huge victory in his legal battle with his ex-housekeeper over a vicious dog attack … with the judge giving him a new trial on damages if she doesn't agree to reduce her award by millions ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge granted the singer's request for a new trial on damages in the case brought by Maria Avila … but only if Maria doesn't sign off on her award being reduced from $12.9 million to $9.5 million. 

The judge found there was "insufficient evidence of permanent nerve damage and of the value assigned to future pain and suffering" in reaching the ruling that the jury's award to Avila was excessive.

Diddy just got another chunk shaved off his federal prison stint ... his release date moved up another month ... and he could be a free man just three weeks into 2028.

According to Federal Bureau of Prisons records, Sean "Diddy" Combs is currently scheduled to be released from FCI Fort Dix on Jan. 21, 2028.

That's another move in Diddy's favor. As TMZ previously reported, his release date had most recently been set for Feb. 5, 2028, after previously landing on Feb. 20.

His projected release has bounced around several times since initially being listed in June 2028.

One of Nick Carter's sexual assault accusers may need to find a new lawyer as she continues to fight the pop star in court ... her legal team is asking a judge to let them out of the case due to a breakdown in communication with their client ... TMZ has learned.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the lawyers representing Shannon Ruth in her case against the Backstreet Boys singer are asking permission to withdraw as her counsel.

The attorneys say they could "no longer adequately represent [Shannon]" due to a "breakdown in communication on fundamental issues of the case."

10:18 AM PT -- Cops say J.R. Smith was arrested Monday after an automatic license plate reader flagged the vehicle he was driving and alerted officers to an active warrant.

Smith was pulled over and taken into custody on the family violence assault warrant before being booked into the Hunt County Detention Center. His brother was with him and took possession of the vehicle.

Former NBA star and two-time champion J.R. Smith was arrested in Texas on a family violence charge.

According to Hunt County jail records, Smith was booked on a charge of assault causing bodily injury family violence.

Smith remains in the Hunt County Detention Center, and jail records show no bond has been set.

Sunny Hostin is doing some cleanup after internet sleuths dug up old newspaper clips that seemed to blow a hole in her story about being the holdout juror who helped acquit a cannibal in a famous NYC murder trial.

The 'View' cohost sat down with executive producer Brian Teta for the show's "Behind the Table" YouTube series to explain exactly what happened during the 1991 trial of Daniel Rakowitz -- the man charged with murder for killing, dismembering, and cannibalizing Monika Beerle.

Sunny claimed last week she had been the holdout juror who pushed the panel toward finding Rakowitz not criminally responsible by reason of insanity -- saying she slowly won over the other jurors after initially facing major resistance.

Lindsay Clancy's legal team is now making a dramatically different argument than it did at her murder trial ... claiming there's no evidence she killed her three children at all.

Clancy's attorney Kevin Reddington told Judge William Sullivan Tuesday she never admitted to doing anything and argued the evidence doesn't establish that she was the one who killed the children -- a major shift from the defense at trial, when her lawyers argued she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and lacked criminal responsibility.

Prosecutors are pushing back and asking for another trial, arguing there was enough evidence for a jury to find Clancy criminally responsible. A Nov. 2 hearing is now on the calendar, when the court could potentially set a date for a retrial.

Reddington also accused President Trump and Rep. Nancy Mace of helping turn the case into a media circus, pointing to Trump's public comments and Mace's interview with TMZ DC, telling Jacob that Clancy should be publicly executed.

Milania Giudice is getting some more time to fight her domestic violence case ... with her lawyers successfully pushing her next court date back more than two months ... and it seems like it's all because of an alarming airport incident.

The 20-year-old's hearing, which had been set for late September, is now scheduled for Dec. 1, according to Page Six.

Milania previously pleaded not guilty to a simple assault charge stemming from her May arrest following an alleged domestic dispute at her mom Teresa Giudice's New Jersey home.