Posted Aug 20th 2008 2:20PM by TMZ Staff
November rain came three months early, as Guns 'N' Roses drummer Steven Adler broke down in court this AM after pleading "Not guilty" to drug charges.
Adler -- who told us he's already used up his scratch from "Sober Living" to pay for rehab and lawyers -- was busted last month for allegedly being high as a kite.
The judge said Adler must stay in the Pasadena Recovery Center -- and that clearly pissed Adler off.
So after court, our guy told Adler the BEST THING EVER -- he hoped Steven's sobriety would come before Chinese Democracy.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Music
Posted Aug 20th 2008 1:33PM by TMZ Staff
The guy who plays Darryl on "The Office" has just copped a plea in his hardcore drug case.
We've learned Craig Robinson has just entered a "tentative guilty plea" to possession of ecstasy, a felony. The other charges against him were dismissed outright. Cops said he had meth and ecstasy on him and had cocaine and amphetamines in his system when he was busted in Culver City in June.
Robinson will enter a drug counseling program and if he completes it in 18 months, the guilty plea will be withdrawn and dismissed and he'll be back to work at the Scranton Warehouse. And he won't have a conviction on his record.
Robinson really dodged a serious bullet, thanks to Blair Berk, who could win gold if lawyering were an Olympic sport. We learned Robinson was on probation for a DUI he got in 2006. But here's the deal ... since he's already completed the terms of probation for that case, it's highly unlikely prosecutors will go in for the kill and ask the judge in that case to drop the hammer.
Berk told TMZ, "Mr. Robinson really appreciates and takes seriously the opportunity which has been given to him by the court and the prosecution to have all of the charges against him dismissed, upon successful completion of a counseling program."
That's what she said.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 20th 2008 8:15AM by TMZ Staff
Damon Dash could be homeless in Tribeca -- kinda sorta.
Eastern Savings Bank says the hip-hop mogul owes $78K in mortgage payments for two Tribeca apartments, and is suing Dash to get the jack. According to the lawsuit, he hasn't paid up since January on the combined $7.3 million mortgage.
The suit also points out Dash has had judgments against him for back taxes, both Fed and state, and rent to the building that houses his company.
We contacted his lawyer, but haven't heard back yet.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 20th 2008 6:00AM by TMZ Staff
Convicted pedophile Gary Glitter is in terminal condition -- he refuses to get on a plane to get shipped back to the UK, but Thailand doesn't want the perv in its backyard.
So Glitter is now sitting in an airport lounge in Bangkok and Thai cops sound like they're going to force him on a plane back to London whether he likes it or not. "We are barring entry to Paul Francis Gadd [Glitter's real name] and will be deporting him ... even if he does not wish to board the plane," said the po-po.
Glitter claimed a heart condition prevented him from flying -- but as of this morning he's been cleared to clear out.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 19th 2008 5:43PM by TMZ Staff
Actress LisaRaye laughed off questions about a reported tussle between her and her husband Michael Misick, the premier of the Turks and Caicos, but take a gander at these pics.
According to Essence.com, the photos show a bruised LisaRaye, taken after a fight between her and her hubby, along with members of both of their security teams. A source close to the premier says it was someone in Misick's posse that actually did the damage.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 19th 2008 1:39PM by TMZ Staff
One day, you're shooting chicks and their boobs -- and then all of a sudden you're the freakin' A-C-L-U?
Apparently that's what Joe Francis thinks: He's going after the judge who threw him into jail last year for filming underage girls (a charge to which he plead no contest), and he's calling his crusade "an important First Amendment battle."
Joe insists what happened to him could happen to you, too. You mean, like, making hundreds of millions of bucks by videotaping drunk floozies? Sign us up!
We called the people he's ranting against -- haven't heard back.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 19th 2008 8:29AM by TMZ Staff
Chicago cops want to know if NBA nomad Antoine Walker's b-day had anything to do with a fatal shooting yesterday morning.
A man was killed around the corner from the club where Walker had his birthday party Sunday night and the popo are investigating whether the shooting stemmed from a gang fight, possibly inside the club. The Chicago Sun-Times reports 'Toine's party was at club Excalibur.
Walker himself hasn't been connected to the shooting as yet.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Talk Sports
Posted Aug 18th 2008 6:52PM by TMZ Staff
So you thought Larry Birkhead's legal bill was sky high? The lawyer who repped Britney Spears for a grand total of four months wants more than $481,000 in attorney's fees -- and she didn't even go out for lobster.
Attorney Stacy Phillips filed a declaration, claiming her $481,627.37 bill is a bargain, since she graciously discounted her fees by more than $126,000.00.
In court docs obtained by TMZ, Phillips whines she was completely put out by repping Brit, moaning that she was called back from her "pre-honeymoon" to attend a hearing in "non-Court attire." We're wondering if that was the day we saw her appear before the judge, wearing a sleeveless cocktail number.
Phillips says in her declaration that her rate is $700 an hour, similar to what Richard Gere paid Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman."
Now compare Phillips' bill to that of disso-queen Laura Wasser, who settled the whole case after Phillips was fired. Wasser's two-month bill is $59,700.
Sources say Phillips is ready to sue Britney, because her peeps are refusing to pay the bloated bill.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Britney Spears
Posted Aug 18th 2008 6:51PM by TMZ Staff
One of the stars of "Dr. 90210" has a patient who claims he doesn't have the stomach to bear what Dr. David Matlock did to him.
TMZ obtained a lawsuit, filed today in L.A. County Superior Court, in which Kevin Hawkins claims Dr. Matlock verbally promised that he could give Hawkins a V shape waist and a flat stomach after undergoing liposculpturing.
Hawkins says the results were not even a possibility because he had "macerate fat" behind his intestine.
Hawkins is asking for a refund: $8,500 in surgery costs, $150 for blood work, $163 for prescriptions, $1,851 in hotel costs, $386 in plane fare, and $3898 in post appointment care. Grand total -- $14,992.98.
Hawkins says as a result of the surgery "he endured pain ... as well as substantial psychological trauma from his disappointment." He's asking for $500,000 in pain and suffering. And we're asking him to give us that amount for having to read about his intestines.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 18th 2008 6:50PM by TMZ Staff
Chris "Big Black" Boykin -- Rob Dyrdek's bodyguard in "Rob and Big" -- can't even protect himself from getting jumped by his own business people.
In a vicious lawsuit filed today in L.A Superior Court, "Big Black's" management team -- JKL Worldwide -- slams the MTV reality star as a "low level of celebrity" who stiffed them out of a serious commission check.
But it gets even nastier -- JKL claims they only helped get Big a $9,250 raise per episode for "the possibility of synergy with Mr. Dyrdek." They also say Big owes them for the deal that scored the giant a $25k bonus.
Now JKL is demanding at least $16,750 for their troubles -- and we're guessing they're not gonna let him work it off.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 18th 2008 5:15PM by TMZ Staff
Looks like the Donnie Wahlberg divorce is nastier than we first thought.
We broke the story a few hours ago that Wahlberg's wife, Kim Fey, filed for divorce last Wednesday. Right after the story went up, Donnie's rep contacted us and said Donnie actually filed the divorce papers, not Kim.
So here's where it gets good. We did more digging and we're right ... she filed for divorce in L.A. County Superior Court. The clerk stamped the papers at 1:29 PT. And then we found that Donnie filed his own divorce papers in Ventura County Superior Court the same day, at 3:46 PT.
So is this race to the courthouse a sign that each wants to make the point they're leaving the other? We're thinkin' so.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 18th 2008 2:25PM by TMZ Staff
A New Kid on the Block is officially gonna be hangin' tough by himself for a while, because his wife has filed for the big D. And we got footage of the dude celebrating this weekend at JET nightclub in Las Vegas.
Donnie Wahlberg's wife of eight years, Kim Fey, filed for divorce in L.A. County Superior Court. They have two kids, ages 7 and 15.
She cites irreconcilable differences. She's asking for sole custody, giving him visitation. She also wants spousal support.
The couple separated last January.
UPDATE: A rep for D. Berg called to say he filed against her first in Ventura County ... so THERE!
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 18th 2008 1:23PM by TMZ Staff
Josh Flagg, the star of "Million Dollar Listing," who preys on dead friends to get listings, will not be prosecuted for allegedly stealing Picasso and Chagall paintings from his clients.
Law enforcement sources tell us the Los Angeles County District Attorney has rejected the felony grand theft case against Flagg on grounds of insufficient evidence. Cops busted Flagg for allegedly stealing wildly expensive paintings from the estates he was handling.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 18th 2008 11:44AM by TMZ Staff
And you thought Paul McCartney got sucked dry by Heather Mills.
Phil Collins' ex-wife, Orianne Cevey, definitely has a leg up on Heather, milking a $46 mil divorce payday from the soft-rocker, according to the Brit tabs. It's the biggest payout of its kind ever in the UK, beating Heather's payout by a cool $2 million.
Note to Phil -- being single sucks less. He's paid out more than $80 mil in support for his 3 divorces.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 18th 2008 10:41AM by TMZ Staff
The puppeteer who won "America's Got Talent" last year just struck a deal to make a fortune, but not before allegedly firing his manager because he wasn't "a bastard."
According to the suit just filed in a Las Vegas courthouse, Terry Fator was eeking out a living as a painter until he met John Raymond. But according to the suit, after Raymond signed on as manager, Fator's fortunes changed dramatically. After getting lots of gigs and getting noticed, he was a contestant on "America's Got Talent" last year and won.
Now here's the most shocking news -- maybe ever. According to the suit, Fator has just inked a 5 year, $100,000,000 deal with the Mirage. And of course, Raymond claims Fator showed his gratitude by firing him as manager, claiming he was "too nice" and Fator needed a manager who was "a bastard."
Raymond, who says he's entitled to 20% of everything Fator pulls in, is suing for unspecified damages. Eat your heart out, Geppetto.
Fetor's rep told TMZ, "John Raymond was never involved with negotiations for Terry Fator and his upcoming 5 year contract with the Mirage Hotel. Raymond was terminated, and we are looking forward to resolving this matter in court."
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
