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Jussie Smollett will have his day in court over his appeal of his criminal conviction -- in fact, he'll be able to make his case in front of the highest court in the land ... of Illinois, that is.

The actor just scored a huge W Wednesday -- 'cause the Supreme Court of Illinois ticked his case off as one they are open to hearing ... in other words, his appeal to the State Supreme Court is approved, and the justices for this court will weigh in on this saga once and for all.

Remember, Jussie has been appealing his conviction pretty much ever since it came down way back in 2021 ... when a jury found him guilty of lying to cops about a hate crime he claimed he'd been victim to.

Taylor Swift's father, Scott Swift, won't be facing any legal trouble after his alleged altercation with a paparazzo down in Australia.

New South Wales Police Force confirmed to TMZ ... "Officers attached to North Shore Police Area Command have conducted an investigation following a report of an assault at Neutral Bay Wharf about 2:30 AM on Tuesday 27 February 2024."

No other details of the investigation were provided, but the bottom line is they didn't find enough evidence for this to go any further.

Christine Quinn's husband, Christian Dumontet, is trying to turn the tables -- this after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting her -- because he's running to court for protection.

Dumontet's attorney, Alexandra Kazarian of Geragos & Geragos just filed for a temporary restraining order that seeks to enforce a legal forcefield around him -- something he says is more than necessary considering what she's alleged against him to police ... including domestic violence, which Dumontet completely denies.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Dumontet tells a very different story over what allegedly occurred last week when he was hauled away by police officers in his bathrobe.

Diddy's alleged "mule" -- as described in a recent lawsuit -- was arrested Monday while Diddy and his crew were stopped by federal law enforcement agents ... TMZ has confirmed.

According to the affidavit, obtained by TMZ, 25-year-old Brendan Paul was booked on two separate drug charges after the feds intercepted Diddy's plane at the Opa Locka Airport in Miami -- namely, one count of possession of suspected cocaine and another of possession of suspected marijuana candy ... both of which are felonies in Florida.

In the paperwork, officers claim that while they were working in conjunction with Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection personnel ... they came across what they describe as the suspected drugs in Paul's travel bags, which they say he claimed.

On this episode of The TMZ podcast ...

Diddy's homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by Homeland Security following several allegations in recent months, including human trafficking. And, he was spotted pacing around Miami Airport as everything went down.

Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge completely collapsed with reportedly 8 people on the structure after a cargo ship collided with it, and it was all caught on video.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce packed on the PDA while going for a swim out in the Bahamas last week.

Plus, the infamous door that Kate Winslet's character laid on at the end of 'Titanic' recently sold as the priciest item at a film memorabilia auction.

2:52 PM PT -- The scene at Diddy's Los Angeles-area home appears to be winding down, and a new photo obtained by TMZ shows just how bustling it was with law enforcement activity.

Check out this picture ... which shows scores of agents and officers on the ground. Safe to say, they went in locked and loaded -- time will tell what, if anything, they've found.

1:42 PM PT -- TMZ has obtained extra footage of cops on the scene near Diddy's L.A.-area home -- and it looks like officers have shut down the entire area ... with helicopters swarming up above. There are at least two choppers in the area, and a lot of police on the ground.

Donald Trump's catching a bit of a break yet again ... his hefty multi-million-dollar bond in his New York civil case just got a major trim, and he may just be able to pay it off.

A NY appeals court sliced DT's civil fraud judgment bond from a staggering $454 million down to $175 million Monday ... plus they're tossing in an extra 10 days for him to rustle up the cash after his legal squad said they were hitting roadblocks securing the dough.

The ruling comes on the same day New York Attorney General Letitia James would've started trying to enforce the judgment against Trump in this case -- namely, by initiating the gears of attempting to seize his assets, including cash he might have and even properties.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann might not be having as many public explosions as last year ... but the divorce is still going on, with sources telling us the fighting never stops.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Kim & Kroy are still on the divorce track, even though there hasn't been much in the news about the soon-to-be exes.

We're told the two are at each other a lot, with their on-and-off fighting persisting ... but, police haven't had to respond for a while, so it seems to be somewhat civil in the house.

Riley Strain's tragic death appears accidental with no foul play suspected at this time after a preliminary autopsy ... according to a new report citing local police.

On Saturday, the Metro Nashville Police Department reportedly confirmed to WKRN News 2 that the preliminary autopsy on Riley has been completed, and the death continues to appear accidental.

This seemingly supports the police's initial conclusions ... remember, after Riley's body was found Friday the police held a presser where they reiterated that no foul play was suspected.

Michael Jackson's mother has amassed a fortune since her son died -- to the tune of tens of millions, which is why she can pay for her own lawyers ... so claims MJ's estate.

A rep for the estate confirms to TMZ that they've filed legal docs in their ongoing dispute with Katherine Jackson over attorney's fees that she's trying to have the estate cover ... over a deal that the estate itself struck, which she's currently appealing.

TMZ has seen the paperwork ... and it lays out some financial info that, if accurate, is absolutely eye-popping.

In the filing, the estate claims there's a massive amount of cash and other benefits Katherine has received since Michael's death in 2009 ... with the executors of the estate alleging it all totals more than $55 million over the nearly 15 years.

A good chunk of that dough, the estate claims, comes in the form of a monthly allowance it says Katherine is afforded by MJ's estate, and totals more than $160k/month.

that allowance -- plus other cash payments -- amount to $33 million of the $55m total, according to the estate.

On top of that, the docs say Katherine is well taken care of by the estate ... which claims to have shelled out more than $15 million to buy and improve her luxury home, not to mention paying for her transportation and other perks -- like a private gardener, chef, and security.

The point of the estate executors laying this all out is to bolster their argument Katherine can afford to cover her own attorney's fees as she pushes forward with her appeal to fight a huge business deal the estate struck ... which she and Michael's son, Blanket, were fighting together until recently.

Unclear what exactly that deal is, but it appears to be related to the blockbuster deal the estate struck for Sony to buy half of MJ's music catalog for 9 figures.

We broke the story ... Blanket filed legal docs earlier this week that made clear he, too, felt Katherine should be covering her own attorney's fees for the appeal -- and that the estate shouldn't have to pick up the tab.

Blanket was on Katherine's side up until a judge ultimately ruled against them, and he decided it didn't make sense to go forward with an appeal of that ruling.

Blanket now says he wants out of the fight -- and that Katherine is on her own for the appeal.

Christine Quinn isn't sitting on the sidelines amid her husband's arrest for alleged assault with a deadly weapon -- she's going on the offensive and gearing up to ask for further protection ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the "Selling Sunset" star is actively speaking with attorneys right now -- as we're told she's prepared to lay out her history with Christian Dumontet ... something our sources say has been up-and-down through their marriage.

We're told that before she even entertains what to do with her marriage -- including the possibility of considering divorce -- protecting her and her son is her top priority right now ... which is why our sources say she wants a restraining order.

We're told Christine seems primed to make further allegations against Christian -- which is why she's meeting with lawyers ... because we're told there's lots to detail about what she claims went on behind closed doors, even before the incident that went down on Tuesday.

Our sources do tell us that, for now, Christine and Christian's relationship feels irrevocably broken -- but until a divorce filing is in ... you never know what might happen. All we know is that Christine is dead-set on getting an additional legal forcefield around her ASAP.

As we reported ... the emergency protective order provided to her by police lapses in 7 days -- so by Wednesday, Christine will need to file for a TRO if she wants additional legal protection.

Christian, of course, was arrested twice in 2 days this week stemming from an alleged incident that cops say involved him throwing a sack with glass at her .. and hitting their kid.

Karen Huger's scary Tuesday night crash seems to have left its mark on the area ... with the first photos from the scene appearing to show just how close Karen came to disaster.

The pics, obtained by TMZ, show where the 'Real Housewives' star swerved off the road in Potomac, MD -- leaving lots of skids and torn-up grass before slamming into a tree ... taking a big chunk of the bark with her. We've confirmed these were taken at the specific location mentioned in the court docket that laid out all of Karen's charges and traffic violations.

The photos and video we got give a clear indication of how serious the wreck was -- honing in on the point of contact where Karen went off the roadway -- which she says she did to avoid an oncoming car -- this after having a very emotional dinner with a friend of hers.

Police however tell a different tale ... with Montgomery County PD now offering another update on what they say went down after Karen had her accident.

As we reported ... cops had told us Karen hit the median and a street sign late Tuesday night while driving her 2017 Maserati -- and we're now told a security guard in the neighborhood saw the whole thing and called the police.

A MCPD rep says fire rescue and police officers responded to the call with an ambulance ... but, police say Huger refused to go to the hospital or be evaluated.

We're told KH was then taken into custody and transported to a district station ... with police telling us she was actually arrested and cited for DUI that evening ... but wasn't booked into their jail. Instead, they tell us she was released to her husband, Raymond.

Karen was also cited for other traffic violations before being released.

Huger hasn't addressed the DUI/DWI charges yet ... the only thing she mentioned to us Wednesday was a car going straight for her while she was driving ... which she says caused her to swerve to dodge it -- explaining she miraculously walked away without injuries.

Wendy Williams' guardian was unsuccessful in blocking the release of Lifetime's documentary about her -- and now, we know what they told a judge to get the court to take their side.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, A&E filed a response to what Sabrina Morrissey -- Wendy's court-appointed guardian -- submitted just days before their project was set to hit the airwaves a few weeks ago ... and the network stands by its decision to move forward with the release.

An executive producer on 'Where Is Wendy Williams?' named Mark Ford lays out in detail how the doc came together ... and who he claims was onboard, including Wendy herself -- who he says was willing and eager to participate as the subject -- as well as Wendy's guardian, Sabrina.

In a sworn statement to the court, Ford says Wendy had been signed on to this doc from the get-go -- but as time went on and it became clear she was battling health issues, although Ford claims he didn't become aware of her dementia diagnosis until filming was nearly complete. He insists Wendy "appears to feel most at home when she is able to continue sharing her life" with the public and says the dementia diagnosis became "part of the story she wanted to tell."

He cites the Britney Spears conservatorship and the larger conversations about legal apparatuses like that as a driving force behind their intention to weigh in on this important matter through the documentary.

More importantly, Ford says that he spoke with several people directly in Wendy's orbit who assured him that Sabrina was well aware of what was going on and what they were filming ... and that she never attempted to stop Wendy from participating, although Sabrina did not ultimately participate herself in the documentary.

That's exactly why he says he and everyone else at Lifetime have a hard time understanding why Morrissey tried to block the doc -- 'cause they say it was pretty clear what they were shooting for over a year. In the documents they speculate Sabrina saw the trailer and realized she might be criticized and tried to shut the documentary down.

As we reported ... the judge sided with A&E/Lifetime, and let the doc air. Morrissey, for her part, suggested Wendy had been exploited and that the angle Lifetime went with took her and Wendy by surprise ... claiming Wendy never got a peek at the final cut of the project.

Christine Quinn's husband was arrested for a second time this week -- this after cops say he showed up at their home despite the fact he was ordered to stay away ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Christian Dumontet was taken into custody again Wednesday night after cops say he arrived at his and Christine's house in the Hollywood Hills ... which spurred a 911 call and landed Christian in handcuffs for the 2nd day in a row.

We're told he was hauled away by officers and taken to jail, where he was booked on a charge of violating an emergency protective order. Photos of cops on the scene last night show at least one police cruiser at Christine's home ... but not shots of Christian himself.

Unclear who called the cops -- but sources with direct knowledge tell us Christine wasn't the one to alert police to Christian's presence, and more importantly ... we're told she wasn't even at the property at all.

Our sources tell us she hasn't been back to the home since heading to the hospital with their kid -- and is currently in a safe location with the child. Regardless ... we're told Christian being at the property is a no-go based on the legal forcefield afforded to Christine.

Remember ... she was granted an emergency protective order that's in place for 7 days after what allegedly happened between her and Christian on Tuesday -- and if she wants additional protection, she'll have to file for a restraining order.

As we reported ... Christian stands accused of trying to get violent with Christine during an argument -- having allegedly thrown a bag full of glass at her, but missing and allegedly striking their 2-year-old son instead. 911 was called, and Christian was led away by police.

We're told Christian was released from jail early Thursday morning on bond. We've reached out to Christine's camp ... so far, no word back.

Michael Jackson's family is involved in a complex legal battle ... and they're not all on the same side in this one -- 'cause MJ's son Blanket is trying to stop his own grandmother from using estate money in her ongoing fight.

Here's the deal ... Blanket -- MJ's youngest son, whose real name is Bigi Jackson -- filed documents this week, obtained by TMZ,  asking the court not to allow his grandmother Katherine to use Michael's estate money to fund an appeal of a previous ruling.

Basically, Blanket and his grandmother were recently working together to stop the executors of Jackson's estate from going through with a huge business transaction that they were very much so against.

The docs don't say exactly what the transaction was -- it's been shrouded in mystery throughout this saga -- but, based on recent reporting, it seems like it may be related to the deal the estate made with Sony to sell about half of Michael's music catalog for $600M.

Blanket explains he and his grandmother presented their arguments opposing the deal ... but ultimately the court ruled against them -- seemingly bringing the legal issue to a close.

However, Katherine's decided to appeal the ruling ... a move Blanket says he doesn’t want any part of -- and, more importantly ... he doesn't want his father's estate paying for her legal bills. As you know, he's an heir to the estate ... so that cash is pretty important to him.

The way Blanket explains it in the docs ... the appeal has little chance of winning, and he says he doesn't think it truly benefits the beneficiaries of the trust to continue the fight -- so, he simply doesn't want the estate to foot the bill for it ... something Katherine wants.

Blanket's also asked the court to use its best judgment to grant Katherine reasonable attorney's fees incurred from the pre-appeal battle -- which he agrees she's entitled to ... at least to a certain extent.

It's unsurprising Blanket's filing against Katherine ... just yesterday, executors of Michael's estate reportedly claimed that she receives a seven-figure allowance for the year -- money Blanket presumably would rather she use for the appeal instead of the estate's dough.

Uncle Sam is taking Apple to court -- claiming they have a monopoly on the smartphone business and that the interconnected nature of their products is a little too anti-competitive.

The Dept. of Justice filed a federal lawsuit against Tim Cook's company Thursday, which makes a lot of allegations against the tech giant ... including that their whole business model is inherently gatekeeping, and has a stranglehold on the industry.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, the feds say the ecosystem of all things Apple -- including the iPhone, their Apple Watch and other apps and features connected to Apple's mainframe -- has created a "moat" that's unfairly shutting out rival companies and their own customers.

The lawsuit states, "For many years, Apple has built a dominant iPhone platform and ecosystem that has driven the company’s astronomical valuation. At the same time, it has long understood that disruptive technologies and innovative apps, products, and services threatened that dominance by making users less reliant on the iPhone or making it easier to switch to a non-Apple smartphone."

The feds add ... "Rather than respond to competitive threats by offering lower smartphone prices to consumers or better monetization for developers, Apple would meet competitive threats by imposing a series of shapeshifting rules and restrictions in its App Store guidelines and developer agreements that would allow Apple to extract higher fees, thwart innovation, offer a less secure or degraded user experience, and throttle competitive alternatives. It has deployed this playbook across many technologies, products, and services, including super apps, text messaging, smartwatches, and digital wallets, among many others."

In addition to their products -- which the feds allege are created to work only within Apple's system -- the suit claims Apple has gone out of its way to shut down apps/programs people have attempted to use to make communicating on iPhones easier with non-iPhone products. Essentially, they're alleging Apple has made it impossible to interact with Apple products/users if you're not also using an Apple product ... and they say that violates federal law.

The lawsuit also says this ... "If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly ... This anticompetitive behavior is designed to maintain Apple’s monopoly power while extracting as much revenue as possible."