Posted Nov 21st 2009 11:09AM by TMZ Staff
Howard K. Stern has settled his $60 million defamation suit against Rita Cosby ... TMZ has learned.
A dismissal was filed late yesterday. We know the case settled and the terms of settlement are confidential.
Cosby -- in her book "Blonde Ambition" -- said, among many other things, Stern and Larry Birkhead had a sexual encounter that was caught on video. Both Birkhead and Stern said Cosby made it up.
Birkhead did not file suit.
Thus another chapter in the Anna Nicole Smith saga comes to an end.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Anna Nicole Smith
Tags: anna nicole smith, anna nicole smith settlement, AnnaNicoleSmith, AnnaNicoleSmithSettlement, court, defamation suit, DefamationSuit, howard k. stern, HowardK.Stern, larry birkhead, LarryBirkhead, lawsuit, rita cosby, RitaCosby, settlement
Posted Nov 21st 2009 2:15AM by TMZ Staff
It doesn't get much dumber than this -- one of the chicks arrested in the Burglar Bunch case rolled into court Friday wearing one of the very necklaces the gang is suspected of stealing from Lindsay Lohan.
Didn't take Sherlock Holmes to notice -- investigators immediately confiscated the necklace from Courtney Ames' neck because it looked just like the one stolen from Lindsay Lohan's home ... in fact, we already did a story about Courtney wearing the same exact necklace last week.
Ames had already told TMZ that she bought the rosary beads for five bucks at some shop, but today she told authorities the charm on the necklace was given to her by another member of the bunch -- i.e. it may have been stolen from someone at some point.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Burglar Bunch
Tags: burglar bunch, BurglarBunch, court, courtney ames, CourtneyAmes, lindsay lohan, LindsayLohan
Posted Nov 21st 2009 12:50AM by TMZ Staff
DMX may have wanted to fix his fight to avoid an ass-beating, but now he's really cruisin' for a bruisin' -- legally -- because the promoters that hired X are suing him for chickening out last minute.
According to docs filed Friday in Birmingham, Alabama -- Thunder Promotions wants $1,000,000 from the rapper, claiming he's a fraud and led them on ... because as soon as they refused to fix his fight, he backed out.
The company says DMX's jitters really put them under the wire and cost them a ton of moolah because they had to switch gears late in the game and find a celebrity replacement.
But if you want our opinion -- DMX isn't half the man who's fighting in his place on December 12 ... because that man is Coolio!!!
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Tags: boxing, coolio, dmx, lawsuit, thunder productions, ThunderProductions
Posted Nov 20th 2009 6:25PM by TMZ Staff
The man accused of using a spy cam to film Erin Andrews naked in her hotel room has been ordered to surrender his passport and his bail was jacked through the roof because the judge fears he could be a flight risk.
Michael David Barrett's bail was raised from $20,000 to $100,000 after Andrews' lawyer argued that Barrett had probably spent $20k following Erin around the country.
A judge also ruled that Barrett can only use his cell phone to talk -- no texting -- and he's only allowed to call immediate family members. He's also been put on house arrest and electronic monitoring.
Barrett posted the bail and is about to walk out of court.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Erin Andrews
Tags: allleged stalker, AlllegedStalker, arrested, court, erin andrews, ErinAndrews, espn, hotel, michael barrett, MichaelBarrett, nude, peeping tom, PeepingTom, reporter, video
Posted Nov 20th 2009 6:00PM by TMZ Staff
A.J. Jewell's family is now demanding a second autopsy be performed on him -- so now Jewell's body is going to be exhumed in order for that to happen.
The first autopsy showed Jewell -- the former fiance of a "Real Housewives of Atlanta" cast member -- died after a fistfight last month due to complications related to sickle cell.
Jewell's family isn't satisfied with this explanation -- even though his death was still ruled a homicide -- and now the Fulton County District Attorney has "tentatively" agreed to let his body be exhumed so the second autopsy can happen.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Tags: a.j. jewell, A.j.Jewell, body, exhumed, real housewives of atlanta, RealHousewivesOfAtlanta
Posted Nov 20th 2009 5:16PM by TMZ Staff
We just got this shot of Erin Andrews' alleged Peeping Tom, Michael Barrett, heading into court -- where he's facing one count of interstate stalking.
Barrett will be in court for the first time -- charges will be read and conditions of his release could be discussed. He is free on $4,500 bond and scheduled to be arraigned Monday.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Talk Sports, Erin Andrews
Tags: erin andrews, ErinAndrews, michael barrett, MichaelBarrett, peeping, peeping tom, PeepingTom, stalking
Posted Nov 20th 2009 3:13PM by TMZ Staff
Joe Francis has cojones. He's taking on Uncle Sam in court over a small bill -- around $34,000,000.
TMZ has obtained legal docs Francis filed in federal court, asking a judge to order the feds to release his money the government has frozen.
The IRS issued a tax lien against Francis earlier this month to the tune of $33,819,087.14. According to the new docs, the government went in and froze Joe's accounts over at UBS and Morgan Stanley. Joe told TMZ the accounts total $100 mil.
The "Girls Gone Wild" chief wants the judge to release the money, stat.
Joe says the frozen accounts have put him on the brink of bankruptcy.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Exclusives, Joe Francis
Tags: girls gone wild, GirlsGoneWild, joe francis, JoeFrancis, lein tax, LeinTax, uncle sam, UncleSam
Posted Nov 20th 2009 1:27PM by TMZ Staff
Miley Cyrus won't have to find $4 billion to pay off all the Asians in Los Angeles -- a judge officially let the singer off the hook in a lawsuit over that offensive "Hanoi Montana" photo she took earlier this year.
This morning, a judge threw out the case filed by an Asian woman named Lucie Kim -- on behalf of all the Asians in L.A. -- who claimed the photo was offensive and Miley should have known the media would get its collective hands on it.
After the photo went public, Miley apologized a bunch of times and then went on a campaign of sushi dinners.
Kim claims she's considering filing an appeal to the judge's ruling.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Miley Cyrus
Tags: hanoi montana, HanoiMontana, lawsuit, lucie kim, LucieKim, miley cyrus, MileyCyrus
Posted Nov 20th 2009 12:39PM by TMZ Staff
Britney Spears' paparazzo ex boyfriend was just sentenced to 45 days in county jail after pleading no contest last month to leaving the scene of an accident.
But it's not as bad as it seems ... Adnan Ghalib gets ONE day credit for time already spent behind bars. Score!
Ghalib will also be placed on formal probation for 36 months, has to complete 52 weeks of anger management classes and 45 days of Caltrans (hard labor).
This all stems from an incident back in February, when Ghalib allegedly ran over a process server with his car. Ghalib was initially charged with three felonies: assault with a deadly weapon, battery and hit-and-run, but the first two charges were dropped as a part of his plea deal.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Britney Spears
Tags: adnan ghalib, AdnanGhalib, britney spears, BritneySpears, jail, paparazzi
Posted Nov 19th 2009 7:09PM by TMZ Staff
Eddie Cibrian is suing "Life & Style weekly" for more than $1 million, for allegedly defaming him over his relationship with LeAnn Rimes.
According to the suit ... obtained by TMZ ... Cibrian claims the stories the mag published "falsely portray Eddie as being unfaithful to Ms. Rimes, as currently being in a romantic relationship with Ms. Jancan, and as having abandoned his children."
Scheana Jancan is an aspiring actress and according to the mag she and Eddie were hooking up. The title of the article: "Eddie is Cheating on LeAnn Already."
story developing
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Exclusives
Posted Nov 19th 2009 6:43PM by TMZ Staff
James Caan has filed for divorce from Linda -- for the second time.
James had filed back in 2005, but called off the divorce a month later, claiming they had patched things up.
Now, James has filed again in L.A. County Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences.
They have two minor children together.
James is no stranger to divorce -- Linda is his 4th wife.
James' rep just gave us the following statement: "We have two beautiful kids together and will remain great friends. Everything will be fine."
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Tags: divorce, james caan, JamesCaan, linda caan, LindaCaan
Posted Nov 19th 2009 5:00PM by TMZ Staff
Chris Brown is in court today for a progress report hearing.
Brown pled guilty to assaulting Rihanna back in June -- and was sentenced to 180 days of hard labor plus a bunch of other stipulations, including one year of domestic violence counseling.
UPDATE 2:10 PM PT: All done -- the judge is satisfied -- next progress report hearing is scheduled for February 18.
UPDATE 2:08 PM PT: Brown has also completed 7 of his 52 domestic violence classes.
UPDATE 2:05 PM PT: Brown's progress report was just handed to the judge, which showed he has completed 100 hours of community service already.
UPDATE 2:04 PM PT: Here we go!
UPDATE 2:03 PM PT: Brown and one bodyguard are now sitting in the courtroom.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Chris Brown
Tags: chris brown, ChrisBrown, court, hearing, progress report, ProgressReport, rihanna
Posted Nov 19th 2009 4:40PM by TMZ Staff
Chris Brown is about to show up in court for his probation progress report in the Rihanna case.
Sources say Brown will tell the judge he's on track with his community service -- performing 4 days of it every week. We're told he'll also say he's attending one anger management course a week.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Chris Brown, Exclusives
Tags: anger management, AngerManagement, chris brown, ChrisBrown, community service, CommunityService, rihanna
