TMZ.com Home

The wife of Nicki Minaj's dad has filed a $150 million lawsuit over his death.

The lawsuit, filed by civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, alleges Charles Polevich drove recklessly back in February and was inattentive when he fatally struck Robert Maraj, who was walking on a street in Long Island.  Police say after striking the 64-year-old, Polevich walked over to him, asked if he was okay and then fled the scene ... later concealing his Volvo in a garage at his residence.

Crump tweeted this after filing the lawsuit ... "Charles Polevich was not only irresponsible & negligent in hitting Maraj, but was more concerned about running away and hiding than seeking help." He went on ... "Polevich's behavior was criminal, cowardly, and immoral. We will hold him responsible for his reckless actions that led to Rober Maraj's death!"

Polevich was charged with 2 felonies -- leaving the scene of an accident that led to death and tampering with or suppressing physical evidence.

Polevich pled not guilty and is free on a $250,000 bond.

The rancor between Harry/Meghan and the Royals ain't going away anytime soon, and what really happened with Tiger's car crash? So we gotta ask ...

Now that old movies have warnings at the beginning so viewers can brace themselves for what people dared to do and say back in the day, Bill Maher decided to do some of his own handiwork with warnings ... and it's f***ing hilarious!!!

Maher mused on 'Real Time' Friday night how Turner Classic Movies have such warnings regarding racism, sexism, etc, so he decided to lend a helping hand.

"Sleeping Beauty" -- WARNING: "A prince kisses an unconscious woman without consent."

"The Wizard of Oz" -- WARNING: "A powerful woman of color is murdered by a rural white girl."

"Rosemary's Baby" -- WARNING: "Fails to present Planned Parenthood as a viable option."

And, you gotta see the "Braveheart" warning.

'Real Time' is the best political show on TV, and Friday night was maybe his best show in a long time.

Prince Harry has words for kids who lost a parent during the coronavirus pandemic, and he knows from where he speaks ... and it's emotional.

Harry penned the forward to a book -- "Hospital by the Hill" -- aimed at grieving children, and his words of empathy ring loud. As you know, Harry's mom, Princess Diana, was killed in 1997 when he was 12 years old. His mission -- showing the kids they're not alone in their struggle.

Harry wrote ... "When I was a young boy I lost my mum. At the time I didn't want to believe it or accept it, and it left a huge hole inside of me. I know how you feel, and I want to assure you that over time that hole will be filled with so much love and support. We all cope with loss in a different way, but when a parent goes to heaven, I was told their spirit, their love and the memories of them do not. They are always with you and you can hold onto them forever. I find this to be true."

He adds, "Now, I never met them, but I know this person was special to you, and they were someone incredibly kind, caring and loving because of where they chose to work. Helping others is one of the most important jobs anyone can ever do.

He goes on ... "You may feel alone, you may feel sad, you may feel angry, you may feel bad. This feeling will pass. And I will make a promise to you – you will feel better and stronger once you are ready to talk about how it makes you feel."

Don't let these two almost identical images of Natasha Lyonne have you starting to feel confused ... keep your focus and see if you can pick out the sneaky switches that have been made to this tricky pic!

The actress was recently seen in New York City on the set of her Netflix show "Russian Doll" ... and we have made a few changes to the original picture! Take a good look around both photos and see if you can figure out the differences between the two super similar snaps!

Joe Exotic says his life's been a living hell ever since Netflix unleashed him on the world ... and he's going scorched earth on Donald Trump, Carole Baskin, PETA, the feds and more!!!

Joe, through his attorney John M. Phillips of the Phillips & Hunt firm, tells TMZ ... "It has been a year of hell" since March 20, 2020, when Netflix premiered 'Tiger King' ... and he's not talking about the pandemic.

Exotic gripes the people for whom he opened his zoo and home -- "when their own families wouldn't help them" -- have turned their backs on him as he rots in prison. Joe doesn't name names, but says some of his ex-employees are out to "just collect money and talk s*** to get on TV" ... and he's pissed they're allegedly using his name "to profit off the hell I am living."

Joe's still claiming his innocence too ... he grouses the prosecutors and witnesses who helped put him behind bars lied under oath. Exotic's confident "the truth will come out ... come hell or high water, they will all answer to perjury at some point."

Trump and Don Jr. are also contributing to Joe's hell, and it sounds like he's still bitter over his failed attempt at a presidential pardon. Exotic says the Trumps "used me for advertisement and then left me here."

As we first told you, Joe's not giving up hope on a pardon from POTUS, and now he's lobbying the Biden Administration.

Joe tells us he has "more faith in President Biden and VP Harris to do the right thing, not just for me, but for the thousands serving long sentences for non-violent crimes such as conspiracy."

The way Joe sees it ... "I'm a political prisoner in America for an animal rights agenda" and he's lashing out at PETA for allegedly enforcing the Endangered Species Act on Jeff Lowe and his former zoo.

"Bling Empire" star Kane Lim says Asian-Americans deserve respect, not hate and racism, because they've played key roles in making our nation what it is today.

We got Kane at the Waldorf Astoria in Bev Hills and asked him about the mass shooting in Atlanta, which killed 6 Asian women.

Kane isn't buying the shooter's version of the attack -- that he wasn't motivated by race, but by sex addiction. He calls that a big load of BS, and says it's on law enforcement to investigate and find the truth ... rather than accepting Robert Long's word.

The way Kane sees it, Asian-American people are pillars of our society and they deserve respect from everyone, including the police ... telling us why the Georgia sheriff's flip remark about the shooter saying he was having a "bad day" doesn't sit well with him.

Talk about making a statement ... These bold babes have shown up in their bright bikinis and are ready to make a splash by adding some eye-popping colors to their swimsuit styles!

Celebs like Lais Ribeiro, Chantel Jeffries, Corinne Olympios and a bunch more hotties have been heating things up with their sexy swimsuits in crazy colors ... And we're putting their hyper-color hot shots on display just for you!

Pete Davidson just got court-ordered protection from the woman who falsely claimed they were married ... because she’s now been charged for allegedly showing up inside his NYC home.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Pete was granted an order of protection against Michelle Mootreddy, who cops arrested Thursday at Pete's Staten Island crib. She's now been ordered to stay away from Pete and 3 other people who live in the home -- and she's barred from contacting them in any way and from showing up at the home or their jobs.

TMZ broke the story ... Mootreddy was nabbed by cops in Pete's house, with police saying she slipped inside through an open side door and took a seat at his kitchen table.

Mootreddy was arraigned Friday and is charged with burglary in the second and third degree, both felonies, as well as 2 misdemeanor counts of stalking, 2 misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass and harassment.

Remember, law enforcement says Mootreddy is the same person who blasted out a press release Tuesday falsely stating the 'SNL' star was launching a production company with her after they'd gotten married.

Gary Owen's wife is waving the white flag on their marriage after nearly two decades together ... because we've learned she just filed for divorce.

The comedian's wife, Kenya Duke, filed divorce docs Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court ... according to online records.

Gary and Kenya tied the knot way back in 2003 and they have two sons and a daughter together. It looks like the kids are all adults now ... the docs say they have no minor children.

Gary's famous for his stand-up comedy, and he's also appeared in several movies ... including "Daddy Day Care," "Think Like a Man" and "Ride Along," just to name a few.

A crew member died on the set of ABC's "The Conners" while the show was wrapping production ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us the crew member was up on the catwalk on Stage 22 at the CBS Studio Center Thursday when he suffered some sort of medical emergency.

We're told studio medics were called, but were unable to resuscitate the man ... he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A source with knowledge tells us the show was on one of its final days of production at the CBS lot, our sources say the man was in his 50s or 60s.

"The Conners" started in 2018 with the remaining cast members from 'Roseanne' after the show was canceled following a racist tweet from the show's star, Roseanne Barr, about former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett, saying, "muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes."

A rep for Werner Entertainment tells us, "With heavy hearts we regret to confirm that a member of our technical crew suffered a fatal medical event today. He was a much loved member of The Conners and Roseanne families for over 25 years. As we remember our beloved colleague, we ask that you respect the privacy of his family and loved ones as they begin their grieving process."

RIP

Mama June's got her work cut out for her as she tries to stay sober ... telling us it's an everyday struggle to stave off her addiction as she tries to repair her relationship with her family.

The reality star joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" for an uplifting conversation about how she's turning around her life after her astronomically expensive drug addiction. Not only did she temporarily lose her family, but it also cost her nearly $1 million ... the amount she says she and her BF Geno dropped on drugs in the year before they got clean.

June tells us she's got to stay patient in her fight to get back in the good graces of her children, and while she admits it's been hit and miss so far ... she's not letting that discourage her from staying present and keeping in touch.

Honey Boo Boo's mom says she and Geno entered rehab in January 2020, and they've been sober ever since -- but she says battling their addiction when they got out was complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

June explained how she used social media to hold herself accountable for her sobriety while coping with life in quarantine.

One more thing ... she's back on TV -- "Mama June: Road to Redemption" premieres Friday night on WeTV, but June says she's focused on her daily battles ... for sobriety and family.

Saweetie wants the world to know she and Quavo are no longer a couple ... and she's strongly suggesting it's because he was unfaithful.

Fans had recently started to speculate the pair were donezo after Saweetie unfollowed Quavo on Instagram, and he did the same. She put the speculation to an end Friday, saying, "I’m single. I’ve endured too much betrayal and hurt behind the scenes for a false narrative to be circulating that degrades my character."

It's not entirely clear what narrative Saweetie is referring to, but she does drop some more hints, saying ... "Presents don’t band aid scars and the love isn’t real when the intimacy is given to other women."

What's more, Saweetie was recently on the "Respectfully Justin" podcast repeatedly saying she doesn't like liars in relationships ... but didn't specify if that meant Quavo.

The two first got together in 2018 after Quavo says he slid into Saweetie's DM's on Instagram. It's a good bet there will be others doing the same now that she's declared herself single.

We reached out to Quavos' rep for comment ... so far, no word back.

Nathan Apodaca has some dreams he'd like to sell, but Stevie Nicks just won't let it happen ... so says the skateboarder who went viral for vibing to her hit song.

A rep for Nathan, AKA Doggface, tells TMZ ... Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" is part of the Warner Music Group catalog, so they reached out to see if they could include the track on the famous 23-second TikTok clip of Nathan skateboarding to it while sipping on cranberry juice ... which he wants to sell as a non-fungible token (NFT).

We're told Doggface's team offered Stevie -- who wrote the song -- 50 percent from the sale ... but she shot it down.

Nathan's rep says he feels slighted because Stevie never acknowledged him after his "Dreams" video went viral -- unlike some other members of Fleetwood Mac did -- even though it helped give her song a major boost.

We're told Doggface thinks her rejection of his NFT offer shows she wants nothing to do with him or his video.

We broke the story ... Nathan's still going ahead with selling the NFT of his original video, but it will be without the music since they couldn't secure the rights.

The NFT will now go up for sale March 27 with opening bids set at a whopping $500,000, so Stevie might regret her decision ... IF someone buys it for that much.

Willow Smith says she's being stalked by a man who trekked from Oklahoma to L.A. to try to get into her home ... according to new legal docs she filed to get a restraining order against him.

In the docs, Will and Jada Pinkett's daughter claims 38-year-old Walter James Whaley climbed a fence to get onto her property around Christmas and appeared to be looking for a way to enter her house.

According to Willow ... her security called police and they showed up right away but Whaley wasn't apprehended at the time. However, she says cops found a Greyhound bus ticket indicating he'd traveled there from Oklahoma just a day before.

Willow included photos of the alleged incident that appear to show Whaley on her property, and she says this is frightening because it shows he "will do whatever possible to make physical contact with me."

According to the docs ... even before this all happened, Whaley had been hitting Willow up with social media posts saying he wanted to marry her and have kids with her.

She also says a private investigator she hired did some digging and determined Whaley is a convicted sex offender.

There are now TWELVE women making sexual misconduct allegations against Deshaun Watson -- with 10 more accusers being vetted, according to attorney Tony Buzbee.

Buzbee represents the 7 women who have already filed lawsuits against Watson -- and at a news conference on Friday, he announced 5 more lawsuits are in the works.

"We are now representing 12 women and we will file 5 more cases in due course. We have spoken to more than 10 additional women, 22 women," Buzbee said.

To clarify, Buzbee said the additional 10 women all have similar stories to the first 12 ... but he's still gathering information before filing lawsuits on their behalf.

Of the 12 accusers, Buzbee says the women did NOT know each other before coming forward with their allegations.

The women come from different racial backgrounds -- 7 of them are Black, 2 Hispanic and 3 are Caucasian.

Additionally, Buzbee says he's been contacted by the Houston Police Dept. -- which is now looking into the allegations.

Buzbee says none of the accusers had gone to police before contacting his firm -- but says the "next step" is to submit a "package" of information to police, presumably to help launch a criminal probe.

During his news conference, Buzbee also shot down conspiracy theories that the Houston Texans were driving the lawsuits as a result of a standoff between Watson and Texans ownership. Buzbee says he lives near the family that owns the Texans but does not know them personally.

There's more ... Buzbee also notes that one of the accusers claims Watson assaulted her AFTER Buzbee had already been in contact with Watson's agent to inform him about a claim from another woman.

Buzbee says he's been personally sitting down with each accuser to vet their stories -- explaining he "wanted to make damn sure" the women were truthful.

Buzbee says the first accuser's story "certainly passes the smell test" and praised her as a brave and truthful person.

Earlier in the day, Deshaun's agent, David Mulugheta, broke his silence about the allegations against Watson -- doubling down on the notion the women are making up the accusations for "financial gain."

"Sexual assault is real. Victims should be heard, offenders prosecuted," Mulugheta said in a statement Friday morning.

"Individuals fabricate stories in pursuit of financial gain often. Their victims should be heard, and those offenders also prosecuted."

"I simply hope we keep this same energy with the truth."

In other words, Mulugheta strongly believes the accusers are lying and he's extremely confident Watson will be vindicated in the end.

TMZ Sports has obtained all 7 of the lawsuits filed against Watson -- and they're all very similar.

Each of the women claims Watson reached out seeking a massage -- most of the women claim he first contacted them on Instagram.

But, when they met for the massage therapy sessions, the women claim Watson became aggressive in pursuit of a sex act.

One of the women claims Watson forced her to perform oral sex on him, against her will.

All of the accusers say they never consented and felt violated. They're all suing for civil assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Buzbee claims he has text messages and DMs from the QB which back his client's allegations ... including an apparent apology from Deshaun after a massage session gone bad.

The first woman who filed her lawsuit against the Houston Texans QB claims Watson became aggressive during a treatment in March 2020 ... which ended after he allegedly repeatedly tried to direct the woman to massage his genitals.

In her suit, the woman claims a fully-erect Watson exposed his penis and "purposely touched [Jane Doe's] hand with the tip."

The woman claims she ended the massage immediately and began to cry. Afterward, she claims Watson sent her a text message apologizing for his behavior.

On Friday, Buzbee went public with the alleged apology text from Deshaun.

"Sorry about you feeling uncomfortable. Never were the intentions. LMK if you want to work in the future. My apologies."

For his part, Watson adamantly denies the allegations -- and claims he's the victim of a shakedown by an attorney looking to score a cash grab from his lying clients.