TMZ.com

Erik and Lyle Menendez's relatives aren't saying much about their first meeting with the new L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman ... and he isn't either.

Hochman held a news conference Friday but he didn't get into any specifics of his conversations with Menendez family members ... only saying he felt the meeting was "productive."

While dozens of Erik and Lyle's family members -- who are also victims in the case -- support their release, Hochman says the number of relatives supporting their freedom doesn't matter ... it's more about the content of what they have to say, among other things.

Ice-T had a heated confrontation with a cop that escalated to the point the rapper called the officer a "f**king a**hole."

The incident went down in New Jersey last May, but the body cam vid was just released.

It begins with the officer having just pulled Ice over for expired plates ... expired since 2021! Ice-T tells the cop he was actually on his way to the DMV to make things current, but the officer challenged him, asking, "Do you have an appointment?" Ice's reply ... "I don't need one. They know me."

Zachery Ty Bryan is starting 2025 in the worst way possible, because the guy's got another arrest on his record ... this time for alleged domestic violence.

The "Home Improvement" star rang in the new year by getting busted in South Carolina for second-degree domestic violence ... according to online records.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... cops in Myrtle Beach responded to a residence on Jan. 1 for a domestic issue, and when police arrived they determined Zachery had gotten into a physical fight.

1/3 10:40 AM PT -- The divorce has been finalized.

"One Tree Hill" actress Sophia Bush has reached a settlement in her divorce from entrepreneur Grant Hughes.

Court documents ... obtained by TMZ ... show Sophia and Grant entered into a confidential settlement on December 30, 2024.

Bush filed for divorce in August 2023, and by October of that year was already dating recently divorced U.S. Women's National Team soccer star Ashlyn Harris.

Big day for Erik and Lyle Menendez ... relatives are set to meet with new Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman to discuss resentencing the brothers for the notorious murders of their parents decades ago.

Twenty family members of Jose and Kitty Menendez -- who were shot-gunned to death by their children in 1989 -- will sit down today with Hochman to ask the DA for a reduced sentence for Erik and Lyle.

As you know, the brothers were convicted of the slayings in their second trial in 1996 and sentenced to life without parole. Their first trial ended in a mistrial.

Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the terrorist who wreaked havoc on a New Orleans street early Wednesday, was arrested for theft and it's part of a timeline that shows money proved elusive for him.

Jabbar was arrested in November 2002 in Houston for theft involving somewhere between $50 an $500 ... this according to court records obtained by TMZ. The records do not get specific as to what or where he stole.

Jabbar pled guilty to the misdemeanor, paid a $100 fine and was sentenced to 9 months of community supervision. The docs say there were no controlled substances involved in the crime and no weapons were used.

Justin Baldoni is suing The New York Times for $250 million over the publication's bombshell article, in which they alleged the actor and others coordinated a smear campaign against his "It Ends with Us" costar, Blake Lively.

Baldoni, who directed and starred in the romance drama with Lively, was accused of sexual harassment by the actress in a legal complaint -- and subsequent lawsuit -- which was featured heavily in The Times' piece.

However, according to Variety, Baldoni has now accused the paper of libel, invasion of privacy, promissory fraud and breach of implied-in-fact contract over the article ... alleging the Times "cherry-picked" details and altered key communications to "deliberately" mislead readers.

Blake Lively has just filed a lawsuit making a formal demand for money, suing Justin Baldoni and others for mental pain and anguish, severe emotional distress, and lost wages.

The lawsuit mirrors the complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Commission -- but this action has been filed in federal court in New York.

In addition to Baldoni, Blake is suing Baldoni's crisis managers, Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, along with Wayfarer Studios, which produced the movie "It Ends with Us."

Simu Liu's 2024 is ending on a not-so-Marvel-ous note ... 'cause his house was broken into last week -- though we're told there may be a silver lining for the actor.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Simu's Los Angeles-area home was broken into Friday when someone smashed a glass door around 11 PM.

Security was alerted to the break-in at Liu's home and called police ... who searched the house for any suspects, but no one was inside.

Jennifer Lopez's ex-boyfriend Casper Smart had some unexpected visitors at his home two days before Christmas ... 'cause TMZ has learned cops showed up and searched the property.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops received a tip that Smart had a cannabis grow operation at his L.A. home. They obtained a search warrant and served it just before 9 AM on December 23. We're told Casper and a woman were home at the time.

While searching the property, our sources say officers found a small- to medium-size grow operation at the home.

Donald Trump is not getting off the hook for the $5 million a jury awarded E. Jean Carroll in 2023 after they found Trump liable for sexual abuse ... 'cause a federal court just upheld the judgment.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit made their decision Monday ... explaining the judge did not abuse his discretion when ruling on the evidence of the case.

The court has also denied Trump's request for a new trial. According to CNN, the court also ruled that even if the judge had made mistakes, it's unlikely to have swayed the case enough to warrant a new trial because of the strength of Carroll's evidence.

A Texas teenager has been charged with animal cruelty  ... this after cops say she poisoned another student's show goat.

Aubrey Vanlandingham was arrested late last month and charged with cruelty to livestock animals ... after police say they saw security footage of her giving toxic pesticide to a classmate's goat using a drench gun -- a tool generally used to administer medicine to goats and other farm animals.

Prosecutors say the goat -- named Willie -- died about a day after he was allegedly given the toxic pesticide ... experiencing symptoms like convulsions and respiratory distress before ultimately passing away. They allege Vanlandingham did "intentionally and knowingly torture a livestock animal."

12/30 12:24 PM PT -- James Miller, rep for NYS Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association tells TMZ ... "NYSCOPBA’s Executive Board has reviewed the video footage released by the Attorney General regarding the death of Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility.  What we have witnessed is reprehensible. It is clear to all of us that these actions are a disgrace to our profession and have put everyone inside our facilities at risk. As correction officers and sergeants, we have a duty to protect every person inside a correctional facility. At all times, we must be ready to stop those seeking to do harm, and that includes fellow staff. We, as an organization, stand in complete defiance of the callous disregard for the suffering that we have all witnessed on this video. NYSCOPBA will continue to fulfill its legal obligation to defend all members from all administrative charges, regardless of severity or public outcry. However, as more information becomes readily available, NYSCOPBA must continue to focus its efforts on advocating on behalf of those members who dutifully come to work every day and act with the professionalism and selflessness demanded of them."

Body cam footage of corrections officers brutally beating a restrained inmate -- who died hours later -- has been released by the New York State Attorney General ... showing officers hitting the bloodied man repeatedly.

The video shows Robert Brooks -- an inmate serving a 12-year sentence for first-degree assault -- repeatedly being punched and kicked ... and, one man appears to gag him with a towel.

Videos released by the attorney general's office show one officer repeatedly striking Brooks in his midsection with a shoe as other officers hold him down with his arms behind him. At one point, the officers lift Brooks up by his neck ... he's got blood all over his face and he can't even hold up his own weight.

New technology could transform the way our legal system works ... because a judge in Florida put on a virtual reality headset to get a better sense of a defendant's testimony.

Attorney Ken Padowitz is using VR to defend his client in a criminal case, and he joined us on "TMZ Live" to explain how the fancy tech is being introduced to the legal system.

Ken's client is Miguel Albisu ... the guy owns a wedding venue in Florida and is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Albisu brandished a gun at a wedding reception, but says he was acting in self-defense after some of the attendees started getting rowdy.

Whitney Cummings may not know Justin Baldoni personally ... but that sure didn't stop her from opining that she knows his type -- and she thinks there were clearly warning signs that align with allegations in Blake Lively's recently filed complaint.

Here's the deal ... Blake sued costar Baldoni for sexual harassment and alleged he took part in a coordinated effort to destroy her reputation ... all stemming from their work together on "It Ends with Us."

Since news of the shocking complaint broke ... Justin has been dropped by his talent agency ... and a number of stars -- including SAG and Sony Pictures -- have expressed strong support for BL.

Luigi Mangione is locked up in a notorious NYC federal detention center known for its horrible conditions -- and TMZ has been given the lowdown on his life behind bars.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... Mangione is tucked away in "administrative segregation" at MDC Brooklyn -- with a group of inmates separated from the general population because they require heightened security.

In the case of Mangione, he became infamous after being arrested for the high-profile murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson -- so he could be a target for other inmates. Hence, the extra security.

Our sources say Mangione's locked up in a single cell -- nobody's rooming with him. But, the cells are close together and inmates frequently talk to one another.