Rob Kardashian NO SETTLEMENT OF REVENGE PORN CASE ... Blac Chyna Trial Looms

Rob Kardashian just struck out in his bid to end another legal war with his ex, Blac Chyna ... and now it looks like her revenge porn case is going to trial.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a judge just denied Rob's attempt to enforce a settlement he says he struck with Blac Chyna that would have made the case go away before trial.

TMZ broke the story ... Rob filed legal docs earlier this month claiming he struck a deal with Blac Chyna to drop her revenge porn lawsuit and claimed she was trying to back out on the alleged deal.

Rob said Chyna had agreed to drop the suit if Rob helped get her dropped from a separate lawsuit ... with Rob saying he agreed to hold up his end of the alleged bargain, and she should be held to her end.

RK asked the judge to enforce the alleged deal with Chyna ... but the judge just said no.

As a result, it looks like Rob and Chyna are heading for another legal showdown as the case was set to go to trial this month.

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ON THE HORIZON
BACKGRID

Remember ... the Kardashians soundly defeated Blac Chyna in their recent legal battle over the former couple's canceled reality show.

Now, the stage is set for a second fight.

Stay tuned ...

Roy Jones Jr. Working To Free Brittney Griner I'll Go to Russia, Accompany Her Home

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DOING WHAT I GOTTA DO
TMZSports.com

Roy Jones Jr., a dual United States/Russian citizen, tells TMZ Sports he's working behind the scenes to free Brittney Griner, even saying he's willing to travel to Moscow to escort the WNBA star home.

"Would I put my life on the line, take a chance to go to Russia to exchange prisoners? Yes, I would," the Hall of Fame boxer says, before explaining why. "Because if [Brittney] was my daughter, I would want somebody to do the same thing for me."

Of course, Griner's been locked up in a Russian jail for around 4 months, and could ultimately face a decade or more in prison ... all because authorities at an airport near Moscow claim the star hooper attempted to bring drugs (hash oil) into the country.

Enter the legendary fighter ... who although born in Florida, also became a Russian citizen in 2015, with the help of Vladimir Putin.

Roy -- who last week also sat down with "Best Womens Boxing Show PERIOD" for a wide ranging conversation about Griner and his career, amongst other topics -- believes the friends he's made in Russia over the years may be in a position to help Griner.

"I had a friend, a couple of my friends that I knew, I called and I asked him 'Is there any way we can try to facilitate?' because I don't do politics. I'm a sports figure and they love me as a sports figure. 'Is there any way we can use my sports influence to possibly can get anything arranged to help get Brittney home?'"

And, Roy says there is a path to bringing Brittney home ... via a "prisoner exchange."

"My friend called and he called me back and he said, 'yes, they said they'd be willing to do a prisoner exchange.' I said, 'Well it's probably rough because the prisoner exchange is probably a real prisoner.' She's not necessarily a person that's a real prisoner but I'm sure that maybe the U.S. will be understanding of this and get her back home because I'd be terrified if my kid was stuck in a foreign country in jail, you know?"

As for the identity of Roy's friend ... he says one of his buddies is very close to Putin.

"One of my guys is like -- he's the right-hand man to the office of Mr. Putin, so he's high up on the political scheme. He's a reporter and he usually does most of the reporting for Mr. Putin so he can go make direct contact with whoever necessary to help me."

FYI, much of the news media in Russia is state-owned.

How she gets home ... Brittney's family doesn't care. They just want their loved one back, ASAP. If Roy can help ... safe to assume his assistance is more than welcome.

Johnny Knoxville Files For Divorce From Second Wife

Johnny Knoxville is calling an end to his marriage … filing for divorce from his second wife, Naomi.

The "Jackass" star filed docs, obtained by TMZ, Thursday in Los Angeles. According to Johnny, he and Naomi have been separated since September 2021.

The two got married in September 2010 in Los Angeles. They’ve got two kids together, a 12-year-old son named Rocko and a 10-year-old daughter named Arlo.

Johnny’s asking for joint legal and physical custody of the kids, and lists irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.

Of course, Johnny and the "Jackass" crew are coming off the huge success of "Jackass 4.5" … he says in the divorce docs he believes he’s got separate property from Naomi, but it’ll be figured out later.

Sinjin Van Cleef in 'Victorious' 'Memba Him?!

American actor Michael Eric Reid was 17 years old when he was cast as Sinjin Van Cleef -- a stalker-ish Hollywood Arts High School student who had no shame in his game when it came to hitting on the popular girls -- in Nickelodeon's 2010-2013 sitcom "Victorious."

Michael was cast alongside Victoria Justice as the charming and optimistic popular girl, Tori Vega, Elizabeth Gillies as the jealous and mean girl, Jade West, Ariana Grande as one of Tori's best friends, Cat Valentine and Avan Jogia as the laid back and cool guy, Beck Oliver.

Guess what he looks like at 29 years old!

Nipsey Hussle Murder Trial Tight-Lipped Testimony from Other Victim

Nipsey Hussle's murder trial continued with testimony from another man who was allegedly shot by Eric Holder the day Nipsey was killed -- though he remained pretty tight-lipped on the stand.

Kerry Lathan was shot in the back during the same incident where Nipsey died. While prosecutors asked Lathan a variety of questions, he didn't seem to want to get into specifics -- especially when it came to identifying who was present and naming names.

At one point, prosecutors played a video purportedly showing Lathan arriving at Marathon Clothing that day, but Lathan wouldn't confirm it was him in the clip, saying, "I don't know nothing, don't see nothing."

He testified when the shooting started, he heard "a lot" of shots, but wouldn't identify who he thought pulled the trigger.

Prosecutors asked Lathan, "You don't want to testify about what happened?" to which Lathan responded, "That's right."

As we reported, Holder allegedly told Nipsey, "You're through" before killing the rapper. Lathan was asked if he heard anything said during the shooting, but replied with, "He wasn't talking to me."

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COLD-BLOODED

During opening statements Wednesday, prosecutors warned Lathan may not be very cooperative because of the involvement of Rolling 60's gang members in the case ... so his hesitation to be totally open about the events isn't totally surprising.

The trial will resume Monday.

Drake Surprise!!! Drops New Album 'Honestly, Nevermind'

UPDATE

9:05 PM PT -- Without further adieu, Drake has dropped off his 7th album "HONESTLY, NEVERMIND" — a 14-track affair with only one guest appearance: 21 Savage.

UPDATE

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Drake's got the music world buzzing again -- this time announcing a surprise album is on the way -- and it drops in just a few hours!!!

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Drake took to Instagram Thursday, banning comments from his latest post -- which serves as an announcement for his new album titled. "HONESTLY, NEVERMIND." Not only that, Drizzy says his 7th album drops at midnight ... an hour after his new SiriusXM show "Table For One" hits the airwaves.

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We've heard the album is mostly on the melodic side -- not much of a departure from his last album "Certified Lover Boy" -- which is still doing very well on the Billboard Charts at No. 13 nearly 9 months after its release.

We'll have more for you here when the full thing drops ... stay tuned!!!

FIFA World Cup Coming To 11 U.S. Cities in 2026 ... Including LA, NY & ATL!!!

FIFA just made official the 11 U.S. cities that will host World Cup games in 2026 ... dropping a list including Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, and even Kansas City.

The soccer association made the announcement on Thursday ... unveiling the 16 areas the tournament will be played in for their first-ever 48-team bracket (it was previously 32 teams).

60 of the games -- quarterfinals and semifinals -- will be played in the U.S. throughout 11 cities.

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Of course, the two largest cities in the U.S. -- Los Angeles and New York -- made the cut ... with Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle also getting picked.

KC Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was hyped the World Cup chose his city ... saying, "Let's show them why Arrowhead is the loudest stadium in the world!"

The event will also hit Canada and Mexico -- each hosting 10 games -- and they will be played in Toronto, Vancouver, Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey.

This will be the first time in FIFA history that three different countries will host the matches ... and the first time in the U.S. since 1994.

Summer 2026 is "For the Game. For the World."

Kim Kardashian Didn't Damage Marilyn Dress ... Says Ripley's Museum

Kim Kardashian caused quite the stir when she donned Marilyn Monroe's iconic dress to the 2022 Met Gala ... but she did NOT cause any damage to the gown.

A recent photo floating around on social media allegedly showed the dress before and after Kim K took it out for a spin. However, a rep for Ripley's Believe It or Not! -- who bought the dress for $4.8 million in 2016 -- is coming to Kim's defense.

The rep tells us, "A report written on the dress’s condition in early 2017 states, “a number of the seams are pulled and worn. This is not surprising given how delicate the material is. There is puckering at the back by the hooks and eyes,” among other instances of damage."

Clearly, the "before" photo was taken before Ripley's even acquired the piece.

The rep tells us since the purchase of the dress, Ripley's has displayed it around the world -- a process that has also put the piece at risk for potential damage.

Amanda Joiner, Ripley's VP of Publishing and Licensing -- who was with Kim and the dress the entire day of The Met -- says, "From the bottom of the Met steps, where Kim got into the dress, to the top where it was returned, the dress was in the same condition it started in."

The dress is the exact same one Marilyn famously wore way back in 1962 for President John F. Kennedy's birthday when she sang for the Prez. Kim lost 16 pounds to fit into the piece after first being denied permission by Ripley's.

Kim had also been gifted a piece of Monroe's hair, and one of the accounts accusing her of damaging the dress also said the hair was fake ... that claim too, has been debunked.

Kim's obviously taken a lot of heat for the alleged damage, but Ripley's is making one thing clear ... her haters can back the hell off.

Ex-NHL Star Sean Avery Convicted Of Attempted Criminal Mischief ... In Road Rage Case

Ex-NHL star Sean Avery has just been convicted of attempted criminal mischief ... after he was accused of slamming his scooter into a car in a road rage incident back in 2019.

A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office tells TMZ Sports ... Avery was found guilty of the misdemeanor charge on Thursday, following a short bench trial this week.

According to the spokesperson, Avery was sentenced to time served. The judge in the case also issued full orders of protection for the victims.

42-year-old Avery was initially charged back in 2019 ... after a businessman said the former New York Rangers center damaged his car following a dispute over a New York bike lane.

The man claimed Avery's outburst left a small hole in his vehicle's door, near where his 4-year-old daughter had been sitting during the incident.

Avery -- who, according to the New York Post, turned down several plea deals from prosecutors -- had been facing up to three months behind bars.

Florida Men ARRESTED FOR ALLEGED ATTACK ON BLACK TEEN ... Near Trayvon Martin Site

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ROCKY REACTION

Two white men in Florida are facing criminal charges for allegedly attacking a Black teen who claims he was racially profiled in the same town where Trayvon Martin was killed.

The men, Howard Hughes and Donald Corsi, are accused of throwing a large rock through a rear window in the car the teen was driving in and striking the teen with a large cone.

Footage from the incident's aftermath, posted on social media by the boy's father, appears to show the men angrily shouting at the teen ... using profanities and telling him he doesn't belong in their Sanford, FL neighborhood.

The video also appears to show the damage to the teen's car, which he told cops was from a large rock hurled into the back seat. You can see the busted out window and broken glass all over the seat. There are also accusations about someone having a gun overheard in the video and on the 911 audio from the incident.

Police were called to the scene and the two men were arrested and booked on criminal charges.

The police report, obtained by TMZ, says the teen told cops the men were making verbal threats as they approached the car with a large road cone, using the cone to smash a rear door, causing damage and leaving a large dent under the window.

Cops say the teen also told them one of the men threw a large stone with sharp edges through a car window while the teen was behind the wheel.

Hughes is charged with damaging property and battery. Corsi is charged with damaging property and for allegedly throwing the stone at the car.

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911 AUDIO

While the folks from the video who live in the area told the teen they didn't like how he was driving on their street ... the kid says he was just there to visit a friend.

You'll recall ... Sanford, FL is the same town where Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman.

Ben Crump No Doubt, Black Folks 'Will Win War For Equality' Talks New Netflix Doc 'Civil'

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KEEP PUSHING FOR EQUALITY
TMZ.com

Ben Crump says Black people in America have overcome the most dire of circumstances, and he has no doubt the community will continue to progress in the future ... no matter how concerning things appear today.

The high-profile civil attorney joined "TMZ Live" Thursday to talk about the overall state of civil rights and equality in America ... ahead of the release of the new Netflix documentary, "Civil: Ben Crump."

Ben tells us, he has no doubt Black people will win the war against inequality. He says, no matter how it feels today, "we are far better than we were yesterday, and we are going to be better tomorrow."

As you know, Ben has been involved in the country's most high-profile civil rights cases -- including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Andre Hill -- and he continues to shine a light on police violence ... now the leading cause of death for Black men.

The documentary -- which drops on Sunday, Juneteenth -- follows Ben through 2020 as the nation faced a reckoning on race and equality in the wake of George Floyd's murder.

Ben says, he's grateful for those who blazed a trail for him, and he hopes to inspire the next generation of civil rights attorneys and activists. He spoke to us about the 2 legal icons who inspired his own career and life philosophy.

Catch the full interview on Thursday's "TMZ Live."

Mets' Darwyn Encarnacion Ex-Minor Leaguer Dead At 21 ... After Horrific Car Crash

Former New York Mets prospect Darwyn Encarnacion died following a horrific car crash in the Dominican Republic this week.

He was just 21 years old.

According to MLB insider Hector Gomez, Encarnacion was driving an SUV on Wednesday when it tumbled off a bridge and crashed into a ditch below it.

The former outfielder, according to multiple reports, had somehow survived the initial impact, but died at a local hospital a short time later.

A Mets academy executive in the Dominican Republic confirmed Encarnacion's tragic passing to Gomez ... saying, "He was a great human being, very disciplined, respectful and polite. He played with us for just one year, in 2019. He was even using his scholarship that the team gave him when he signed and was currently studying at university."

Encarnacion signed a minor league contract with the Mets in March 2019 ... and, a few months later, played for their Dominican Summer League team.

He logged 113 at-bats in 35 games ... tallying one home run, 10 steals and a .248 batting average. He was eventually released by the team in Oct. 2020.

RIP

Britney Spears See ya, Instagram ... Account Disappears Again

UPDATE

12:44 PM PT -- A source at Instagram tells us they didn't remove Britney's account ... it was all her doing.

Oops, she did it again ... Britney Spears' Instagram account has disappeared for a 2nd time.

Fans of the newlywed aren't going to find any dancing or twirling videos when heading to her page ... instead, they'll be met with the classic "Sorry, this page isn't available" message.

The singer's been really active on the platform lately -- expressing her opinions about her family, her recent marriage, and the conservatorship -- but that's all coming to a screeching halt. It's still unclear if she pulled the plug, or if the platform shut her page down.

As you'll recall, the same thing happened back in March, again, without warning ... in the heat of her brutally honest posts about her time in the conservatorship. While fans speculated Instagram was the one that pulled her from the platform, our IG sources said it was all Britney's decision.

She eventually returned to the app, getting back into her old habits of posting pics, eyes locked on the camera -- she never explained her reason for departing last time, but still got tons of fans welcoming her back.

Who knows how long we'll be missing Britney's posts -- only time will tell if this leave is permanent.

Tom Hanks Fuming After Fan Trips Wife ... 'Back the F*** Off!!!'

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BUGGIN' BUDDIES
SplashNews.com

Tom Hanks was seeing red when his wife Rita Wilson was almost knocked to the ground by a pack of his fans ... and the guy who's normally Mr. Cool let 'em know he was pissed off!

Tom and Rita were heading to their car Wednesday night in NYC when the swarm of fans scrambled around for autographs and selfies -- the crowd got so big, one fan bumped into Rita and made her trip.

TH was having none of it -- he rushed to her rescue, then put his hand on one guy and yelled to the rest, "This is my wife, back the f*** off!!"

He gave them quite the death stare for a few seconds before storming off to their car. In the wake of Tom losing it, the finger-pointing started among the fans ... with one guy claiming someone else pushed him into Rita.

Hey, they didn't get pics or an autograph, but the "Elvis" star definitely gave them a night they won't soon forget.

Toledo Basketball Player Helps Save Ref's Life With CPR ... After Man Collapsed Mid-Game

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POWER OF PEOPLE
Colleen Cali
UPDATE

11:05 AM PT -- We spoke to Myles Copeland, the basketball player who heroically saved the refs life, about everything from what was going through his mind, to the current health status of John Sculli.

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SPRINGING INTO ACTION
TMZSports.com

A Toledo basketball player turned into a hero during a game last weekend -- performing successful CPR on a referee who had collapsed in the middle of the contest.

The scary incident was caught on video ... when during the Toledo Glass City's game against the Jamestown Jackals on June 11 -- a ref wobbled, and then crumpled to the floor.

You can see in the footage, referee John Sculli lay motionless for several moments ... before Glass City's Myles Copeland raced over to help out.

Copeland -- who's also a firefighter -- told ESPN he didn't feel Sculli's pulse or see him breathing when he got to the man ... so, he started CPR with the help of another ref until paramedics arrived.

And, thanks to his efforts, Sculli -- who's been officiating for almost 40 years -- survived -- and is now expected to have surgery this week to fix his health issues.

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"It was kind of instinctual," 25-year-old Copeland said of it all. "It surprised me how quick I was able to switch into that mode, especially being in a basketball game."

"But, with being a firefighter, when you're off the job, you're really not off the job. You still got to keep an eye out for the community and what's going on around you."

He continued, "I didn't feel like I went out of my way to do anything special. It's just what I was put here to do. God was able to work through me. I feel like other people see me differently as a hero, but I don't see myself any different."

FYI, Copeland drove to NY for the playoff game after working a 24-hour shift as a firefighter -- and his team ultimately won the game, 96-93.

Heroes don't always wear capes.

Juror in Depp/Heard Trial We Didn't Buy Her 'Crocodile Tears'

A juror in the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial says they just didn't buy what he says were Amber's emotional swings, from "crying" to "ice cold."

The juror, who wanted to stay anonymous, spoke to 'GMA' Thursday, saying he took umbrage at Heard's post-verdict statement that the jury ruled the way it did because of Depp's star status.

The male juror seemed to be swayed in no small part by Amber's demeanor on the stand, saying jurors were "uncomfortable" by what he seemed to say were dramatic outbursts they just didn't buy, saying ... "The crying, the facial expressions, the staring at the jury, all of us were very uncomfortable." He says some of the jurors called her sobbing "crocodile tears."

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GETTING EMOTIONAL

He went on to say the jury felt Amber was more the aggressor than the victim ... "A lot of her story didn't add up. The majority of the jury felt that she was the aggressor. She would answer one question and she would be crying and two seconds later she would turn ice cold."

He went on to say the jury felt Amber and Johnny were mutually abusive, but "he just seemed a little more real in terms of how he was responding to questions. His emotional state was very stable throughout."

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AGGRESSIVELY SEARCHED

As for Heard's comments on "Today," that Johnny won because he was a bigger star and more likable -- the juror insists they reached their decision based on evidence ... full stop.

He also took issue with the claim social media guided the verdict, saying at least 3 of the 7 jurors didn't even use Facebook or Twitter.