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George Carlin's estate is getting the law involved over the AI special, "George Carlin: I'm Glad I'm Dead" ... suing the creators for the "bastardization of Carlin's real work and legacy."

The copyright infringement lawsuit, filed Thursday in a California federal court, is accusing media company Dudesy of condensing 5 decades worth of the influential comic's standup routines to train an AI chatbot ... mimicking his voice and humor for the special -- without consent or compensation.

The docs also make it clear they're not happy with George's voice/likeness used for promo purposes -- rubbishing the special as a "piece of computer-generated click-bait which detracts from the value of Carlin's comedic works and harms his reputation."

They're asking for an immediate removal of the special and destruction of all copies as well as unspecified damages.

The hour-long special featuring a robot version of George doing standup has been available on YouTube since January 9th -- and the late icon's daughter Kelly Carlin-McCall has been the biggest denouncer of the project ... releasing a statement stating no technology could replicate her father's genius.

On "TMZ Live," she echoed the same sentiments ... telling us the AI program had her dad's name, but that's about where the comparisons end ... adding the computer botched her dad's comedic cadence and just didn't capture the magic like he once did.

Kelly's wish to have it removed could likely be granted if Tom Brady's recent legal win is anything to go by. The athlete successfully got his own AI-generated comedy special from the same platform removed from the internet.

Convicted killer Kenneth Eugene Smith was executed Thursday by the state of Alabama using a new deadly procedure, as his wife and pastor looked on in absolute horror at his excruciatingly painful reaction.

Smith was ushered inside the execution chamber at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, where prison staff put him in restraints and fitted a gas mask over his face to suffocate him with nitrogen hypoxia. He became the first ever inmate to be put to death utilizing this method.

Before the execution began at 8:07 PM CST, Smith made a heart sign with his left hand to his family who was present before saying his final words through his mask: "Tonight Alabama causes humanity to take a step backwards... I’m leaving with love, peace, and light."

The next 18 minutes turned into a nightmare for Smith and his two closest confidantes -- namely his wife, Deanna, and his spiritual guide, Jeff Hood, both of whom were in the witness box.

Hood later told the Daily Mail ... the execution was the "worst thing" he had ever seen, even causing prison officials to gasp while Smith died much slower than anticipated.

The pastor also said Smith started convulsing with his body popping up on the gurney after correctional officers pumped his mask full of nitrogen hypoxia, forcing him to inhale high concentrations of the gas.

At one point, Deanna cried out for her dying husband as he grabbed at his restraints, taking his last breaths before he suffocated. Smith was sentenced to death in 1996 for killing a preacher's wife, Elizabeth Sennett, as part of a $1,000 murder-for-hire plot.

He was pronounced dead at 8:25 PM CST.

Taylor Swift's stalker is going to get his head checked ... because a judge wants to see if he's mentally able to stand trial.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the guy who has been arrested multiple times outside Taylor's NYC townhouse this month is being sent for a psychological exam.

As we reported ... David Crowe -- the man who prosecutors say has been lurking around Taylor's NYC home for a while now -- was arraigned Wednesday on stalking and harassment charges. He was set free and then was arrested again 2 hours later after going back to Taylor's block.

Now, David's facing a new charge of contempt in the second degree for intentionally violating an order of protection. His defense wants him to get a psych exam before a potential trial, and a judge agreed.

Taylor's actually been in the Big Apple while all of this has been going down ... though it's unclear if she was ever home when David was getting busted outside.

The investigation into Michael B. Jordan's violent Ferrari crash is closed, and he won't face any criminal repercussions ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement tells us there's just not enough evidence to prove what happened during the December crash in Hollywood ... despite a video showing Michael racing another driver -- also in a Ferrari -- moments before Michael careened into a parked KIA.

Cops say the video is part of the puzzle of what happened during the accident, but it's not enough to complete it -- especially as it doesn't capture whether MBJ was behind the wheel.

If a crime had been committed, we're told it would be street racing, and because that's a misdemeanor ... an officer would need to witness Jordan driving. That didn't happen as cops only responded after the fact.

Ditto for speeding -- we're told it isn't clear from the vid just how fast Michael's car was going as he apparently raced the other down Sunset Blvd.

So, when you put it all together ... just too many question marks to prosecute.

The Las Vegas teen accused of fatally mowing down a retired police chief is now facing an attempted murder charge in a totally separate case ... and prosecutors wanna lump this into his already-existing murder case.

18-year-old Jesus Ayala was charged for attempted murder earlier this month, with prosecutors in Nevada claiming he stabbed somebody in the Vegas area -- which they say went down two months before he allegedly ran over Andreas Probst.

The authorities say the alleged victim told them Ayala and another person approached him on the street and started to use brass knuckles and knives on him -- with the man claiming he sustained multiple lacerations to his torso as well as near his head.

Now, in light of this new info -- the state wants to add the attempted murder charge to Ayala's original case in a new indictment ... according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ.

Remember ... in the OG case, prosecutors claimed Jesus was behind the wheel of a stolen car when he ran over a bicyclist on the road back in August ... killing the guy on the bike, who turned out to be retired police chief Andreas Probst. There was another teen in the car who is accused of recording the incident. Video of the alleged incident surfaced as well.

Like we said ... prosecutors are now seeking to amend Ayala's original charges to add the attempted murder charge from the stabbing incident -- and their argument is ... it's related.

Alec Baldwin is getting major support from his union -- with SAG-AFTRA coming out swinging against prosecutors in New Mexico who are gunning for him yet again with new charges.

The actor wasn't named by SAG specifically, but he was most certainly alluded to in this new statement they put out slamming the decision to prosecute him twice in this case. The union made clear ... knowing how to handle firearms is NOT an actor's job, from their POV.

They write, "To the extent that the charges filed on January 19 are based on an accusation of negligent use of a firearm predicated on this or any actor having a duty to inspect a firearm as part of its use, that is an incorrect assessment of the actual duties of an actor on set."

Then comes a haymaker, with SAG adding ... "An actor’s job is not to be a firearms or weapons expert. Firearms are provided for use on set under the guidance of multiple expert professionals directly responsible for the safe and accurate operation of that firearm."

SAG goes on to say that the procedure for safe use of firearms on set is clearly laid out in their rules and guidelines ... but they explicitly point out that a performer is not and should not be tasked with making sure the weapons used are dangerous or live.

Basically, there are experts for that type of thing on set ... and SAG is making that clear in no uncertain terms. It's a huge win for Alec as far as optics are concerned -- he's been making this point all along, and now ... SAG-AFTRA is confirming he is, indeed, correct.

You'll recall ... Alec was hit with a new involuntary manslaughter charge in the 'Rust' case -- and he's supposed to answer for it in court on Feb. 1 during an arraignment. Alec and his attorneys already responded to that, noting he has a right to speedy trial ... and wants to exercise that in this case, not wanting to drag it out further.

Meanwhile, the armorer from that movie -- Hannah Gutierrez-Reed -- is facing her own criminal charges in the matter ... although she too has pleaded innocence/ignorance over what led to Halyna Hutchins' death.

Alec Baldwin just filed his first official response to the new charges being brought against him in the "Rust" case in New Mexico -- and the first thing out of his mouth is ... hurry up!

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the actor has been ordered to appear before a judge in NM to answer to the involuntary manslaughter charge being filed against him (again) ... and he's gotta do so on Feb. 1 at 11 AM through an official plea.

The paperwork notes that AB can show up to court via phone or video conference -- but he's gotta let the judge know one way or the other ... guilty or not guilty. Based on the last time this happened, something tells us Alec's gonna go with the latter.

In fact, his attorneys filed a response to this almost immediately -- submitting documents that make clear ... he wants to get this over and done with, stressing his constitutional right to a speedy trial.

One of the reasons his legal team cites as wanting to get the show on the road here is because it'll "minimize public vilification and suspicion." Plus, he wants to "avoid the hazards of proving his innocence that often arise after a lengthy delay in prosecution."

Remember, Alec was slapped with new charges last week -- namely, involuntary manslaughter through negligent use of a firearm, or in the alternative ... involuntary manslaughter without due caution or circumspection. Before the charges were dropped the first time, he was facing something very similar ... and the entire time, he vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

Of course, this all has to do with the fact that Alec was using the prop gun on set -- which somehow fired and sent a live bullet through the late Halyna Hutchins, who was the DP.

Taylor Swift's stalker isn't getting the message -- 2 hours after he was in court over his last arrest for creeping around her home ... he was back on Taylor's block and getting busted again.

This video shows David Crowe smoking a cigarette Wednesday around 2 PM outside a McDonald's just 2 blocks from her NYC townhouse. However, witnesses say he eventually made his way back to Taylor's place ... and someone in the neighborhood sounded the alarm, calling 911 to report him.

Police arrived and arrested Crowe on a criminal contempt charge ... due to the fact an order of protection had just been issued during his arraignment Wednesday morning on 2 counts of harassment and 1 count of stalking.

This is now the third time Crowe's been arrested at or near Taylor's home -- the first time was Saturday, followed by a Monday evening bust.

Law enforcement sources tell us that during today's bust, Crowe told cops he was from Seattle -- which is true -- and he was going to take a flight home ... but police found no evidence of that trip.

What's more alarming about this arrest is we know Taylor is back in NYC -- she was out on the town Tuesday night with Brittany Mahomes and Cara Delevingne. It's unclear if Taylor was actually inside when Crowe was taken into custody today, but she had been out of town during the previous arrests.

One law enforcement source tells us ... Crowe is "aware of what he's doing and he's articulate. He is fixated on her and cannot keep away from where she lives. We are doing all we can to protect her."

Taylor Swift's alleged stalker just had his first day in court -- and prosecutors made a lot of troubling claims about him ... including the allegation he's gone to her pad dozens of times.

David Crowe -- the man who was cuffed and hauled away by cops twice in three days after numerous people said he was lurking around Taylor's NYC home -- was arraigned Wednesday on three separate charges ... including stalking in the 4th-degree and harassment in the 1st and 2nd-degrees.

We're told Crowe did not enter a plea during this court appearance -- but he was cut loose from custody ... with prosecutors requesting supervised release with strict conditions.

A judge granted their request -- so Crowe is technically back on the streets -- but the judge signed off on a protective order prohibiting him from trying to contact Taylor ... and prosecutors ran through some other disturbing details in court.

Law enforcement officials alleged in their complaint that they'd been informed Crowe had been spotted at Taylor's Tribeca home upwards of 30 times in the past 2 months.

Prosecutors claim that on a number of these drop-ins, Crowe asked to speak to Taylor. That's apparently why he's facing the stalking charge ... and why the court wants to keep a close eye on him upon release.

1/24/23 -- Madonna's management and Live Nation tell TMZ ... "Madonna's just completed, sold out 2023 Celebration Tour in Europe received rave reviews. The shows opened in North America at Barclays in Brooklyn as planned, with the exception of a technical issue December 13th during soundcheck. This caused a delay that was well documented in press reports at the time. We intend to defend this case vigorously."

Madonna performed last night in NYC at Madison Square Garden. It was the second night of 3 sold out shows at the venue.

Madonna may have to learn a lesson in punctuality the hard way ... two men just filed a class action against her for starting her concerts late.

According to the docs obtained by TMZ ... Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden are leading the charge against the legendary pop star and concert organizer Live Nation claiming they owe big damages after shows scheduled to start at 8:30 PM ET didn't end up starting until 10:30 PM.

According to the lawsuit, the late starts constitute a "wanton exercise in false advertising, negligent misrepresentation, and unfair and deceptive trade practices."

The plaintiffs are suing for unspecified damages and taking aim at all three nights Madonna showed up late to Barclays Center in December -- but they say Madonna has a long-documented history of not starting on time (more on that later).

Another interesting note ... the plaintiffs acknowledge Madonna had a health issue which caused the concert to be pushed from July to December but don't think that's a sufficient excuse for kicking off the actual shows 2 hours late.

These guys also list their pricey tickets ... listing the dollar-amounts at $155.90 and $292.50, respectively. In their mind, that's money down the drain considering how late Madge was.

Remember... a serious bacterial infection put Madonna in the hospital, and sources told us she was fighting a fever for about a month before she finally collapsed. Obviously the tour was postponed ... finally kicking off in October.

We knew people were pissed about Madonna's tardiness BTW ... when the NYC shows went down back in December, fans took to social media to voice their displeasure at waiting for the Queen of Pop. (FWIW, a source at the time told us the delay was due to sound issues.)

If you think Madonna's sweating the lawsuit, think again ... cause this ain't the first time she's been sued over her late starts!! She was sued back in 2019 and in 2020 for pulling up late to her shows and -- in the case of the 2019 suit -- Madonna gave a G.O.A.T.ed response you gotta hear to believe.

Hugh Hefner's famous last name isn't doing much good these days for his widow Crystal ... and now that she's written a book about their marriage, she's done with the Hefner name.

Crystal says she doesn't want to be a Hefner anymore... and feels she needs to change her name back to what it was before she met the Playboy founder ... Crystal Harris.

Hugh's 3rd and final wife was on Rachel Uchitel's podcast Miss Understood when Rachel asked Crystal if the Hefner name helped her or hurt her.

Crystal, who was married to Hugh when he died in 2017, says Hef's secretary quickly changed her last name to his after their 2012 marriage ... telling Rachel it was all done at Hugh's behest. Crystal says she really had no involvement in the process.

It wasn't until Crystal started writing her new memoir, "Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself," that she says she started thinking about how she felt about being a Hefner.

Nia Long just got what she wanted in her custody battle with Ime Udoka -- a judge made it so she'll get monthly support ... plus, a majority of the parenting time for their child.

The actress and NBA coach -- who split up in 2022 amid claims of infidelity -- came to terms in court Monday ... with a judge signing off on a custody agreement that hashes out who's paying who, and who their son will live with/spend most of his time with.

Per the docs, obtained by TMZ, it's actually Nia who'll be receiving monthly child support -- and even though the court said she might be entitled to upwards of $56k ... the 2 parents ended up landing on about half of that, with Ime agreeing to pay her $32,500/month.

The couple went through their financials -- as did the court -- and found Ime makes way more money coaching the Houston Rockets right now than Nia does ... noting he's got more than $400k in net monthly disposable income, whereas she's only got about $20k.

Now, in terms of custody ... they'll continue to share joint legal custody -- but Nia will get sole physical custody with reasonable visitation for Ime as time and scheduling permits.

They note in their docs that Ime is constantly traveling with the team, and this arrangement works better for everyone. Everything else pertaining to their kid, Kez, is pretty even-Steven.

Remember, Nia had filed for pretty much exactly this situation back in August -- and earlier this month, she and Ime had come to these exact terms in a settlement. Now, she's got it all in writing with a stamp of approval ... with the court entering the judgment, making it official.

"Home Alone" star Devin Ratray's domestic violence trial has been delayed ... after his lawyers informed the judge he was hospitalized "in critical condition."

A family member tells TMZ ... Devin -- best known for his role as Buzz McCallister -- has now been released from the NYC hospital and is back home resting on doctor's orders.

No word as to what landed the 47-year-old in the hospital in the first place, or even when -- but court records do note he was out of state when his medical emergency went down.

The actor's medical nightmare triggered a hold-up in his DV case as jury selection was set to begin Monday in an Oklahoma courtroom ... but now, the whole thing's been reset for pretrial next month, all 'cause of the hospitalization.

A rundown of his legal woes ... Devin was arrested following accusations he beat up his ex-GF during a drunk altercation in December 2021 ... with the ex-GF telling cops he pushed her, punched her in the face, and pressed his hands against her throat and mouth.

TMZ obtained the probable cause affidavit at the time ... in which Lisa told authorities Devin said, "This is how you die."

He was booked for felony domestic assault and battery by strangulation, as well as misdemeanor domestic assault and battery. He was later released on $25K bond.

'Cheer' star Monica Aldama's son, Austin Aldama, has been arrested and charged with possession of child porn in Texas -- and the allegations authorities lay out are disturbing.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Austin was arrested and booked last Thursday in Navarro County on an open warrant for his arrest ... which references a grand jury indictment against him with 10 counts of possession of child pornography.

Specifically, Austin (who's 27) was booked into the county jail, posed for this mug, and was released on bond with certain conditions ... including having to submit to random drug testing and other stipulations, like submitting to voluntary searches of his phone and computer. He's also prohibited from viewing pornographic images by any means.

We should note that in docs -- prosecutors cite evidence they say they have including several videos with file names describing children engaged in sex acts that are under the age of 10.

Austin doesn't appear to have been arraigned yet, so he hasn't entered a plea thus far.

It's obviously shocking news -- made even stunning by the fact that the 'Cheer' community there in Navarro -- prominently featured in the Netflix show -- has already been rocked by a child porn scandal ... namely, from one of the stars in the Netflix series, Jerry Harris.

You'll recall ... Jerry was also hit with child porn charges, and he ended up getting convicted in his case -- now, he was hit with a 12-year sentence back in 2022.

At the time, Monica said she was "shattered" by the allegations against Jerry -- noting in a statement, "Our children must be protected from abuse and exploitation, and I'm praying hard for the victims and everyone affected."

Sarah Palin's eldest daughter, Bristol Palin, has been hounded by stalkers for years -- and after little help from the criminal justice system ... she's taken matters into her own hands.

We talked to Bristol for a new documentary airing Monday at 9 PM ET/8 Central on FOX -- delving into the horrors of famous people who've had to battle obsessed fans ... to the point their lives have been put at risk, including BP here -- whose history with this is well-documented.

The incidents for Bristol date back to the mid-2010s ... and they were all harrowing.

In the years since, Bristol hasn't shied away from the fact that she exercises her 2nd Amendment right to bear arms -- something she touches on here in our sit-down with her.

Check it out ... she describes the anxiety she lives with in the aftermath of everything she's gone through -- and explains why she feels protecting herself, her home and her family is absolutely essential in her daily life going forward.

Part of the reason she feels she needs to go to these extremes is because the law itself is simply too lenient when it comes to stalking -- and doesn't do enough to deter them.

We get far more into the topic in the doc itself -- titled 'TMZ Investigates: Obsessed and Dangerous: Hollywood’s Stalker Crisis' -- and cover more stars who've dealt with this.

Taylor Swift's NYC townhouse got an unwanted visitor Saturday ... and police arrested him on an unrelated warrant, TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... cops received a 911 call in the afternoon for a "disorderly person" and responded to Taylor's fancy Manhattan neighborhood, where the pop superstar owns some pricey real estate.

When they arrived, the officers encountered the unruly man and soon learned he tried but failed to access Taylor's building, our sources say.

Whether he knew it was Taylor's crib or not is anybody's guess, but we've obtained photos of the guy standing right outside the front door of her building. Creepy!!!

Other images show NYPD cops cuffing the dude and shoving him into the back of a police cruiser.

We're told police ran a background check on the unnamed suspect and arrested him on a 2017 warrant for failing to answer a court summons in Brooklyn. It was unclear what the warrant was for. NYPD officials have not indicated whether they will recommend charges for this latest incident.

We've reached out to Taylor's team ... so far no word back.

TS' got more than enough reason to be nervous about people showing up at her place ... she's got a long, documented history with stalkers -- one was arrested less than two years ago for trying to get into her Manhattan home.