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Andy Cohen has been hit with a lawsuit by former 'RHONY' star Leah McSweeney ... and she's alleging the same sorts of things as Brandi Glanville.

According to legal docs filed Tuesday, obtained by TMZ, Leah -- who also starred on the 'Housewives' spinoff 'Ultimate Girls Trip' -- claims the producers ... along with Bravo, NBC Universal Media and others created a toxic work environment where her mental health and alcohol use disorder were exploited all in the "name of selling drama."

She goes on to allege Andy and others were pressuring her to consume alcohol during her time on the show -- despite knowing of her addiction struggles. As one example, Leah points to a text message she says she got from 'RHUGT' costar Marysol Patton saying, "I wish you were still drinking" -- which Leah took as a clear reference to her newfound sobriety.

The reality TV alum also claims that the "Watch What Happens Live" host uses cocaine with other Housewives and Bravo stars -- and allegedly rewards those who participate in the drug use with good TV edits.

A rep for Andy Cohen tells TMZ … "The claims against Andy are completely false."

Leah is suing for unspecified damages, claiming the production discriminated against her based on her known alcohol problem and other issues and failed to make any accommodations during her time on the shows.

This lawsuit comes amid other 'Housewives' drama for Andy -- who has been accused of sexually harassing "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and 'RHUGT' alum Brandi Glanville.

ICYMI ... last week, Brandi's lawyers sent a letter to NBC Universal threatening a lawsuit -- in which the Bravo honcho was accused of inviting Brandi to watch him hook up with another Bravo personality over FaceTime.

Andy quickly responded to Brandi's claims ... writing on X that the whole thing was a joke that has been blown out of proportion. However ... he did acknowledge that the situation was inappropriate.

10:41 AM PT -- A spokesperson for Prince Harry announced he will appeal this decision.

Prince Harry has been waging war with the British government over the fact they yanked his publicly-funded security in the UK ... but a judge flipped him the bird once and for all.

A decision was made in the drawn-out case that's been going on since 2022 -- with the London High Court ruling Wednesday in favor of the Home Office after PH had attempted to overturn a decision made that downgraded his level of protection across the pond.

Remember ... when he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped down from their Royal posts -- the red coats turned their back on them too -- revoking top-level police officer security details a full-time working Royal might normally be afforded. Harry cried foul and sued over this.

Like we said, this has been going on for a long time ... but it's finally reached its conclusion -- and the Duke's walking away with an L.A. judge saying there was nothing unlawful or unfair about the way this conclusion was reached by the Home Office.

There doesn't seem to be much detail in terms of the rationale here -- all the judge reportedly said in the docs was that this move was reasonable and legal ... and that the alternative for Harry -- a tailored, less formal security detail if/when he's in the UK -- is also appropriate.

Mind you, Harry had already lost another battle on this security front -- he had tried arguing that he should be able to pay for high-level cop security ... but he got turned down there too.

Harry's whole gripe boiled down to him feeling like his family wasn't safe in the UK if they couldn't get the royal treatment in terms of security -- and now, it sounds like the government and the High Court are flatly telling him ... you're not a Royal anymore, bro. Deal with it. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Carmen Electra is bidding farewell to her birth name and embracing her iconic stage moniker for good ... 'cause her name change request has been officially granted!!

TMZ has confirmed that the iconic "Baywatch" actress/model was legally granted the name she sought about 2 months ago -- this according to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ.

Two months after she made her intentions known to the court, she's now legally recognized as "Carmen Electra" instead of her birth name Tara Leigh Patrick on government docs and all.

We broke the story ... CE made the filing on Dec. 29, 2023, and we were told at the time her reasoning boiled down to her wanting a fresh start for the New Year.

Of course, it's been absolutely ages since anyone's called her Tara as Carmen's been rocking her super cool moniker since bursting onto the scene back in the day.

If you didn't know the backstory to how she even got her stage name, it was actually late icon Prince who bestowed it upon her when she auditioned to be part of an all-girl group he was assembling in the early '90s.

Unfortunately, she didn't make the cut for Prince ... but she went on to blaze her own trail to stardom, making a splash on TV and beyond -- and obviously, the name Carmen stuck around.

Safe to say ... her cool moniker has become synonymous with her iconic status as a pop culture icon, so it's only fitting she made it the real deal.

Diddy was accused of sharing a sex tape that allegedly showed Stevie J with another man -- but a gay porn star is coming forward to say it's actually him seen in the now-viral image.

The photos that have been circulating online -- which show a Black man apparently having sex with another guy, and who was purported to be Stevie -- were included in Rodney Jones' lawsuit against Diddy that he filed Monday ... but adult film star Knockout is taking credit.

Knockout hopped on Twitter -- this amid mass sharing of the image and a lot of gossip/speculation about Stevie's name being invoked -- and he cleared the air definitively.

He wrote, "This is not him it's me yall really be trying it." Knockout has also been reposting/retweeting people responding to the images ... all of whom are pointing out this is from a well-known porno he was in from years ago, and which has been around for a while.

Knockout has also clarified that he was NOT at any of Diddy's parties -- as described in the lawsuit -- and he also adds that he doesn't appreciate Rodney using his image to make a salacious claim. He also retweeted someone who claims this image of Knockout has often been used to try and smear Stevie's name ... something Knockout appears to acknowledge.

Remember ... Rodney claimed in his suit that Diddy had shared this video with him and allegedly said it depicted Stevie -- with the whole point of this allegedly being Diddy attempting to "groom" Rodney ... something Diddy has come out and vehemently denied.

Stevie J, for his part, has also denied Rodney's allegations ... calling them false. He also seemed to allude to future legal action against him for roping him into this whole mess.

Reesa Teesa's ex is telling his side of a viral TikTok saga that's taken the internet by storm -- and while he's been painted one way, he's got a different story ... which might end in court.

Jerome McCoy -- who goes by "Legion" on Reesa's now-infamous 'Who TF Did I Marry?' video series, which is at least 50 parts deep at this point -- tells TMZ ... everything Reesa, whose real name is Teresa Johnson, declared about him in her lengthy video series is false.

While Reesa made many allegations against Legion -- including claims that he fibbed about his career, family and wealth, etc. -- he's hitting back with accusations of his own.

Legion claims he and Reesa were having trust issues at one point -- and goes on to claim she attempted to reconcile with him while allegedly threatening to "expose" him if he did not comply ... and he suggests him not budging is why this is all coming out.

It goes without saying ... Reesa's ex is feeling the backlash of the TikToks going viral and claims it's hurting his job in PR -- which he says he does for a hospital. Amid all this attention, Legion tells us he met with attorneys Monday at work to discuss taking legal action against Reesa -- on its face, it seems his company believes they mighta been damaged by her storytelling. Legion says he's supportive of any moves they might make.

Unclear if he's considering private counsel for himself at this point ... but he's certainly mulling his options right now. Bottom line ... Legion tells us the way he's been portrayed by Reesa is NOT who he is at all -- and he feels he's been wronged by the tale she's told.

There's no denying that Reesa's videos have been a huge hit online ... with one video garnering over 11 million views on TikTok. Reesa's account also boasts nearly 32M likes.

Actress Danielle Pinnock -- from the TV show 'Ghosts' -- has already pitched herself to play Reesa if the viral saga ever gets a small screen adaptation ... and something tells us this thing might just get made into a movie or show down the line. Indeed, it's that wild.

Kim Kardashian does great work in criminal justice reform -- but in trying to shed light on one important case ... she mistakenly highlighted a guy who's got nothing to do with this.

The reality star flubbed Monday when she posted the wrong photo of death row inmate Ivan Cantu -- accidentally uploading an image of Ivan A. Cantu ... a project manager from New York.

TMZ spoke with Ivan about the social media mix-up -- and the planner tells us he learned of the error from his family. Understandably, he initially thought they were kidding ... as it's his 60th birthday. We're sure this wasn't the birthday surprise he expected!

In any case ... Ivan says he understands that someone from Kim's team likely shared the incorrect image by mistake ... although, he wouldn't say no to an apology since his photo was sent out to Kim's 364 million followers -- that's what he told us anyway.

The SKIMS founder has since taken down the mistaken post and replaced it with a local newspaper op-ed shedding light on the case. The mother of four has spoken out in support of the imprisoned Ivan -- who is currently incarcerated in Texas -- on more than one occasion.

Back in January ... Kim shed light on Ivan's case -- highlighting that the prisoner has always maintained his innocence in the 2000 murders of his cousin, James Mosqueda, and his cousin's fiancée, Amy Kitchen.

He is currently set to be executed on Wednesday after a prior execution date in April 2023 was canceled amid an appeal -- so obviously, this is a very serious matter.

Brandi Glanville is laying into Andy Cohen for his apology over her sexual harassment claims -- saying he hasn't really made it right with the one person who matters ... her!

The ex-'Real Housewives' star hopped on X Monday to slam the Bravo honcho -- who oversees all things 'Housewives -- over his tweet last week that addressed her allegations of once sending her an inappropriate video ... which he characterized as just a joke.

She wrote ... "I have not received a personal apology from anyone. I saw an apology that Andy posted TO HIS FANS for his mistreatment of me and inappropriateness."

You'll recall ... last week we revealed Brandi's lawyers had sent a demand letter to NBC Universal threatening a lawsuit on her behalf after claiming they mistreated her. In the doc, Brandi made some serious claims against Andy ... saying he was straight-up boasting about plans to hook up with another Bravo star in 2022 while inviting her to watch the whole thing via FaceTime.

Andy promptly responded to Brandi's claims ... writing on X it was a joke that she'd blown out of proportion. He even stated Brandi's initial response seemed like she was in on the joke, but he still went on to say sorry for the whole thing being inappropriate.

Meanwhile, sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ that Brandi's attacks against Andy seem to be coming out of the blue -- as she hadn't said anything for 2 whole years. We're told that it was only when she found herself caught up in harassment accusations from Caroline Manzo that she seems to have flipped the script on Andy ... almost out of nowhere.

We're told there are many in the Bravo world who feel like Brandi's whole case against Andy is a personal vendetta ... especially since not too long ago she was singing his praises in public interviews. That's the feeling by some, anyway.

Of course, the drama all goes back to the infamous "Girls Trip: Morocco" debacle ... which was the primary basis of Brandi's demand letter written up by Mark Geragos and Bryan Freedman -- some of Hollywood's biggest hotshot lawyers.

Brandi's lawyers didn't hold back ... spelling out exactly why she was considering taking legal action -- saying she's been nothing but loyal to NBCU, but in return, claiming all she's received in return is mistreatment.

Alec Baldwin's trial for the "Rust" shooting has been calendared -- and it's coming sooner than he might've expected ... a date's been set for mid-summer, and it'll go for a week-plus.

Court proceedings for the actor's manslaughter trial are scheduled to begin with jury selection, which will start on July 9. After that ... the trial kicks off the next day on July 10, and New Mexico officials say he'll be in the hot seat for the following 9 days.

The trial is expected to run through at least July 19 ... and that doesn't seem to factor deliberations afterward. All in all, Alec will be spending a good portion of his summer there in Santa Fe as prosecutors attempt to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that he was legally responsible for the death of Halyna Hutchins -- which Alec has pled not guilty to, formally.

There's gonna be a bunch of pretrial motions that'll be heard in the months ahead of the trial date -- and best believe Alec and his lawyers will be preparing their best defense.

Mind you, the on-set armorer for the doomed film is currently on trial herself -- and she, too, is being prosecuted on manslaughter charges. It remains to be seen how that'll shake out.

As we reported ... this is the 2nd time AB has been accused of manslaughter by the state -- the first time around, they ended up dropping the charges ... but in the months since, they've dug up more evidence that they believe implicates him in a crime and went after him anew.

A grand jury handed down another indictment against him earlier this year ... a decision that many were expecting based on the way officials were talking about the case of late.

Alec has long insisted ... he had no idea there was a live round in the gun he used during a rehearsal, and he's also said clearly -- making sure it was safe wasn't his responsibility.

12:25 PM PT -- TMZ obtained legal docs spelling out the reasoning behind denying Sabrina's TRO request -- and the court cited unconstitutional prior restraint ... which courts tend to frown on, generally speaking.

A woman claiming to be Wendy Williams' legal guardian is s*** out of luck as it pertains to this Lifetime documentary -- despite her 11th-hour efforts, we've learned it's still coming out.

A rep for the TV network tells TMZ ... "Lifetime appeared in court today (Friday), and the documentary 'Where is Wendy Williams?' will air this weekend as planned." The doc is slated to drop on Saturday, and based on what they're saying here ... it's moving forward.

TMZ also confirmed that there's been some major updates on this case in just the past 24 hours. According to new legal filings, obtained by TMZ, Sabrina Morrissey -- the one who filed suit -- has already filed an appeal ... this after requesting injunctive relief just yesterday.

What this seems to mean -- we don't know for sure since the case is under seal -- is that a decision was reached on granting her request to halt this ... and it appears to be one she didn't like, since she's already appealing and asking for another judge to take a look at her argument. That tracks with Lifetime moving forward ... sounds like the court sided with them.

We broke the story ... Morrisey ran to court Thursday on behalf of Wendy -- claiming to be her temporary guardian -- and said it was urgent she be granted a TRO to prevent the doc from releasing. She also wanted this all under seal, and like we said ... it is at the moment.

No word on whether Morrissey's appeal will be heard before tomorrow -- there's no new movement on the case that we can see ... so for the time being, it's full-steam ahead.

We've continued to try and reach out to Morrissey ... so far, no word back.

11:27 AM PT -- According to the divorce docs, obtained by TMZ, Porhsa and Simon have a prenup.

Porsha Williams and Simon Guobadia are reportedly parting ways just over a year after getting hitched ... though it's apparently not over his recent legal issues.

According to People, Porsha filed for divorce from Simon Thursday in Atlanta ... interesting timing given there is a lot of talk online about Guobadia being deported to his native Nigeria. A source told the outlet the divorce is unrelated -- but, it's hard to imagine Porsha didn't consider it before filing.

The reported filing seems to mark the end of a whirlwind romance for the couple, who got engaged just one month after they started dating in 2021. The engagement lasted longer than the marriage ... with Porsha and Simon tying the knot in November 2022.

The timing comes just a few weeks after Porsha signed up to return to "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" after a two-season hiatus ... and ya gotta imagine producers are gonna jump on her reported divorce for a storyline.

Bravo announced she was returning to the show under her married name Porsha Williams Guobadia ... unclear if she'll change her mind on that moniker before the new season launches production.

As for Simon ... he's reportedly dealing with immigration issues as he tries to apply for naturalization. Not really bothering the dude it seems based on his most recent IG post -- where he smoked a cigar while chilling in a golf cart on a huge estate.

We'll have to wait and see what sorta developments arise as the couple seemingly splits ... for now though, it appears the 15-month marriage has run its course.

A video of N3on getting pulled over has gone viral online ... but TMZ has learned what exactly led sheriff's deputies to stop the social media star mid-stream -- and it's wild.

N3on -- who's a streamer/YouTuber popular with the Gen-Z crowd -- was recently featured in a video posted to Kick ... which shows the internet-famous 19-year-old and his entourage getting stopped by deputies in West Hollywood.

Check out the vid ... N3on opens the door and starts shouting questions at the cops about why they're handcuffing his associate -- before officers told them not to move and then commanded him and his friends to put their hands on the headrests in front of them.

A member of N3on's entourage can be heard yelling from outside the car ... a move one of the officers said is "making it worse." It's dramatic -- and we finally got to the bottom of what the hell happened here ... and it's pretty silly, 'cause it basically amounts to a clerical error.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... N3on and his crew were pulled over because their vehicle was apparently reported stolen, which plate-readers in the cop car picked up on and flagged.

We're told Officers ordered N3on out of the car at gunpoint as part of a felony car stop -- standard operating procedure -- and that's when N3on told officers the car had recently been stolen and then recovered by LAPD. In other words, it was jacked and found before they were aware of the update.

Our sources tell us deputies verified N3on's story and found out the car just hadn't been taken out of the system. We're told they explained this to N3on -- who our sources say was understanding -- and released him without further incident.

Video N3on posted seems to confirm this account ... although, we're told officers made clear his security inflamed the sitch by interfering while they were trying to do their jobs. N3on cracked an NSFW joke at the end too -- one we'll let you listen to for yourself.

Wendy Williams' guardian just filed a lawsuit against Lifetime's parent company -- and the timing is nothing short of suspicious, 'cause there's a doc about her from them coming out.

A woman named Sabrina Morrissey -- who says she's acting in her capacity as temporary guardian of W.W.H. (presumably Wendy Williams Hunter) -- just filed suit against A&E Television Networks, but she did it under seal ... meaning the public can't peep what exactly she's running to court for.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, there are a few clues that could indicate what this might be about ... and all signs seem to point to some connection with the 'Where is Wendy Williams' 2-part doc that's dropping Saturday.

Morrissey is also seeking a temporary restraining order in her action -- again, that's often the mechanism used when someone wants a judge to step in and halt the release of a film or television project. Considering the doc's release date is just a couple days away ... that would make sense, although it's impossible to tell for sure with the docs being under seal.

Now, what's interesting in the docs here is that the judge actually ordered all the docs to remain temporarily under seal -- and set a hearing date for next week to determine whether they should stay that way as the case plays out.

Of course, the Wendy doc drops this weekend ... and while the hearing on the sealing issue falls after the release date -- it's possible the court will rule on the merits of what Morrissey's asking for ... namely, injunctive relief against A&E -- while the docs are temporarily sealed. No word yet on a ruling on that front.

Andy Cohen just responded to Brandi's claim about the video she says he sent her -- and he now says she's blowing it out of proportion.

He writes, "The video shows Kate Chastain and I very clearly joking to Brandi. It was absolutely meant in jest, and Brandi’s response clearly communicated she was in on the joke.  That said, it was totally inappropriate and I apologize."

Brandi Glanville is putting Bravo's parent company and others on notice that she's prepared to take them to court over this whole 'Girls Trip' drama she's been roped into ... and lays out her grievances in no uncertain terms in a letter that her attorneys just fired off.

The 'Real Housewives' star has lawyered up with the likes of Mark Geragos and Bryan Freedman -- big shot lawyers in Hollywood -- and they sent NBCUniversal a demand letter Thursday that threatens a lawsuit on behalf of their client ... and they're telling the network to preserve all potential evidence as Brandi prepares for what could be a messy legal battle.

The letter, obtained by TMZ, spells out exactly why Brandi is considering suing here -- and according to her legal team ... she feels like she's been chewed up and spit out by Bravo and all other parties involved in producing and airing a show that makes them millions.

They're strong, writing ... "Over the past year, Ms. Glanville has been subjected to a vicious media campaign based on false allegations of sexual misconduct. The false narrative, which NBC and Shed Media have apparently decided to foment, arises from Ms. Glanville’s experience on 'Ultimate Girls Trip: Morocco.'"

Her attorneys add ... "While the experience has been a nightmare for Ms. Glanville, it is far from the first time Ms. Glanville has been used and abused by NBC, Bravo, Warner Bros., and Shed Media. Indeed, Ms. Glanville has long been taken advantage of by the institutions with which she is indelibly tied personally, professionally, financially, and in the public mind."

Brandi's lawyers claim that while she's been loyal to NBCU over the years ... she's only received mistreatment in return -- including this latest saga with fellow 'Housewife' Caroline Manzo, who recently sued Bravo claiming she was the victim of sexual misconduct from Brandi during the filming of 'Girls Trip: Morocco,' but BG defends herself here.

Long story short ... Brandi's attorneys say that Caroline's narrative of being forcibly kissed and groped by Brandi during the filming of that show was actually consensual -- with Brandi's team claiming Caroline was inviting that sort of behavior, which she also alleges was facilitated and even encouraged by producers during the filming.

There's another salacious allegation that Brandi's attorneys float in this letter they sent -- evidence for which is not attached in their correspondence -- that invokes the name of Andy Cohen.

Brandi's team claims that in 2022, Andy subjected Brandi to sexual harassment by sending her a video -- one in which she claims he boasted of his intent to sleep with another Bravo star that night ... and allegedly inviting her to watch it all via Facetime.

Her attorneys characterize her role in all this one of a "sacrificial lamb," and they say Brandi isn't going to take it anymore ... so she's telling Bravo and co. to get ready to go to battle.

She hasn't sued just yet ... but it sounds like she's ready to go to war if they can't resolve things outside of court. We've reached out to NBCU for comment ... so far, no word back.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's manslaughter trial kicked off Thursday, and both the prosecution and defense have revealed their hands for the court battle ... with the prosecution laying the blame squarely on HGR while the defense is pointing to a broader institutional failure.

The "Rust" armorer -- who was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins -- appeared in a New Mexico court, and the opening statements took place not long ago.

The prosecution started the whole trial by first saying they believe it was Gutierrez-Reed's fault the live round that killed Hutchins ended up on set in the first place.

Prosecutors say Hannah didn't always adhere to safety protocols on set ... for example, they claim she didn't offer to show the actors the rounds inside the weapon or have the gun inspected in front of them -- a protocol prosecutors insist she was supposed to follow.

Hannah not following protocols was common on set according to the prosecution, which claims they'll provide several witnesses who will testify about Gutierrez-Reed not adequately performing her duties.

They say she regularly left guns and ammo just lying around the set ... and even allowed live ammo to make its way on set. They even claim Hannah couldn't recognize a live round when it was sitting in her lap.

In Hannah's defense, her lawyers say she was tasked with multiple jobs on set when she was just 24 -- both armorer and prop assistant -- which was a lot to ask her to do. Her team claims Hannah's age and relative anonymity make her an ideal scapegoat for the tragedy.

And, they're also saying she did her job well ... noting she even asked the production manager for more armorer days -- because she was splitting time between jobs and wanted to focus on her responsibilities in that domain. Her lawyers say her request was ultimately denied by the production.

In addition, the defense says OSHA -- a government agency in charge of health and safety for workplaces -- found numerous mistakes in the production overall that can't just be pinned on Reed individually. The defense added OSHA fined the production ... a fine they say was one of the largest in New Mexico's history.

Alec Baldwin was also mentioned ... with Hannah's layers saying he violated the most basic gun safety rule -- don't point a gun at someone unless you want to shoot them. They say he either had his finger on the trigger or pulled it ... but either way, it wasn't Hannah's fault.

The trial's supposed to run through March 8 ... filled with what we imagine will be a ton of twists and turns.

Danny Masterson is settling into his third prison in two months ... and TMZ has learned why he's been on the move so much.

Despite reports claiming concerns for Danny's "well-being" were behind his recent transfer from one of California's worst prisons to a more humane facility, we're told that's not quite the reason for the move.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... there was no attack on Danny at Corcoran State Prison, nor were there any credible threats against the ex-"That '70s Show" star. There've been a lot of rumors/speculation that something might've happened to him -- but it's all BS.

As we reported ... Danny started the year at North Kern State Prison, a medium security detention facility in Delano, before being transferred at the end of January to the maximum security CSP, the same penitentiary that once housed the late Charles Manson.

After a couple weeks at Corcoran, Danny was transferred to the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo, a medium to minimum-security prison.

Like we said ... all the shuffling around he's been doing between different prisons lately had some folks wondering why Masterson was being moved around ... and now we know.

As it turns out ... we're told North Kern is just a reception center where inmates are processed into the California prison system ... so it's literally a starting point, and wasn't ever going to be his permanent facility.

Our sources tell us Masterson had a primary prison and a secondary prison designating where he would be sent after being processed at North Kern ... the primary prison was California Men's Colony, and the secondary was Corcoran.

But, when it was time for Masterson to leave North Kern, we're told there was no space for him at CMC ... so he was sent to the backup option -- the infamous CSP. Unclear if these were prisons Masterson himself chose, or if it's just where officials put him down on paper.

His latest move was explained to us this way -- after a couple months at maximum-security Corcoran, we're told there was an opening at California Men's Colony ... so the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation sent Masterson there, since that's where he was supposed to be all along.

So there you have it -- he's been getting moved around because of logistics ... not for any other reason.

A sexual assault lawsuit against Steven Tyler has been dismissed because a judge says the alleged incident did not present a serious risk of harm to the plaintiff ... TMZ has learned.

Here's the deal ... last year the singer-songwriter was sued by Jeanne Bellino who alleged Steven kissed, groped and began "humping her pretending to have sex" twice one night in 1975 when she was 17.

Bellino brought the lawsuit against Tyler just last year via New York City's Victim of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act -- a law extending the statute of limitations for certain alleged sexual misdeeds, in some cases from decades past, to finally be heard in court.

But, to take advantage of the longer statute of limitations, the judge said the alleged act needed to meet certain criteria ... including "presenting a serious risk of physical injury" -- a box the judge in Bellino's case says this alleged incident does not check.

Basically, what the judge said in the decision handed down Wednesday is that Tyler allegedly forcibly kissing and dry-humping Jeanne -- as she claims -- might be distressing, but didn't rise to the level of presenting any risk of serious injury, so he tossed the suit.

It's a pretty noteworthy decision, and unclear what future ramifications the precedent set by the judge today may have on other cases filed in New York City under the same provision.