Diplo Sued by Ex for Sexual Battery ... He Calls it 'Campaign of Harassment'

The woman Diplo has filed a restraining order against and sued for stalking and harassing him has now filed her own lawsuit against the DJ ... claiming he pursued her when she was underage, had sex with her when she was an adult and never disclosed he had an STI.

Shelly Auguste claims in new legal docs, obtained by TMZ -- that Diplo first contacted her via Twitter when she was 17 and solicited nude photos of her ... while also sending her sexually explicit and vulgar comments.

She alleges they exchanged explicit photos before meeting in person for the first time in 2018, when she was 21. Auguste claims she later moved to L.A., and Diplo really began pressuring her for sex by sending unsolicited graphic photos of himself in sexual situations.

According to the docs ... Auguste says she heard a rumor Diplo had herpes and questioned him about it in late 2018, and he got angry and cut off all communication. However, she says they made up in 2019, and in April of that year, she claims she gave in to the pressure and lost her virginity to Diplo.

Auguste alleges Diplo recorded video of their sexual encounter despite her telling him she didn't want that.

Then, in July 2019, Auguste says she went to Diplo's show in Las Vegas, and claims afterward he tried to coax her into a threesome with a girl she believes was underaged at the time. According to the docs, Auguste says she was intoxicated and refused, but claims Diplo forced himself on her as she tried to fight him off.

Shortly afterward, Auguste claims she was diagnosed with chlamydia, and believes she got it from Diplo because she says he was her only sexual partner at the time. She claims he ignored her when she confronted him ... and their issues didn't stop there.

As for Diplo's side, his attorney, Bryan Freedman, tells us, "As has already been made clear in the restraining order we obtained against this individual, she has repeatedly stalked, defamed, threatened and attempted to shake down [Diplo] and his family."

Freedman continues, "These latest false claims are just part of that ongoing campaign of harassment, and we will not allow them to deter us from pursuing justice against her to the fullest extent possible under the law.”

As we first told you ... Diplo filed for a restraining order against Auguste in December 2020, not long after she made revenge porn claims against him. The DJ claimed their relationship soured that year, and she was the one posting his nudes everywhere.

Diplo then sued Auguste in April, alleging she was stalking and harassing him. Now, she's suing him ... for sexual battery, assault, defamation, infliction of emotional distress and fraud.

Gift of Gab Blackalicious Rapper Dead at 50

Rapper Gift of Gab -- one half of the famed Bay Area duo Blackalicious -- has died.

The rapper -- whose real name was Timothy J. Parker -- died last Friday ... according to the hip-hop collective Quannum Projects, which first told Rolling Stone. "Tim peacefully departed this earth to be with our ancestors on Friday, June 18, 2021."

The statement from the collective added, "He is survived by two brothers, one sister, many nieces and nephews, countless friends, and fans across the globe. We ask that the family's privacy is respected as we mourn the tremendous loss of our dear brother."

Gab had battled kidney failure in 2014 caused by type 1 diabetes ... forcing him to undergo dialysis several times a week. He reportedly got a kidney transplant in January 2020.

Xavier "Chief Xcel" Mosley -- Gab's partner and co-founder of the Bay Area group -- said, "Our brother was an MC's MC who dedicated his life to his craft. One of the greatest to ever do it. He's the most prolific person I've ever known."

He added, "He was all about pushing the boundaries of his art form in the most authentic way possible. He truly believed in the healing power of music. He viewed himself as a vessel used by a higher power whose purpose was to give positive contributions to humanity through Rhyme."

Xcel and Gab teamed up while studying at the University of California Davis. They released several EPs in the mid-90s but it was their 1999 full-length album "Nia" that brought them critical acclaim.

That same album included their iconic hit "Alphabet Aerobics" ... with Gab taking the spotlight thanks to his linguistic mastery of the alphabet with deft speed.

Daniel Radcliffe was a fan of the group ... and proved it with one helluva performance of 'Alphabet' in 2015 as a guest on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."

It was so well received ... Gab himself reportedly said Daniel "killed it." He went on to release 3 solo albums. He reportedly has almost 100 tracks for future releases.

Gift of Gab was 50.

RIP

Paris Hilton All Aboard 'Free Britney' Train!!! ... During Vegas DJ Set

Paris Hilton made it crystal clear where her allegiance stands in the whole Britney Spears conservatorship case ... she's with Britney, bitch.

The socialite made it known Thursday night during her DJ set for the grand opening of the newest casino on the Vegas strip ... Resorts World Las Vegas. Paris -- who donned an outfit eerily similar to Britney's 2003 wardrobe for the "Toxic" music video -- said 6 little words that had the whole place going berserk ... "We love you, Britney. Free Britney."

Paris and Britney, of course, go wayyy back. Who can forget the "Holy Trinity" outing from 2006? So, it should come as no surprise Paris is on the "Free Britney" train.

Paris said as much in September 2020 ... telling Andy Cohen on his SiriusXM Radio show, "I just love her so much. I feel like if you are an adult, you should be able to live your life and not be controlled."

As we've reported ... Britney's in the fight of her life as she continues her battle to get out from her conservatorship. She railed on her dad, her management, her therapist, lawyers and everyone else in the case during Wednesday's explosive court hearing.

Britney also said she's so angry she thinks her family has abused her ... to the point she'd like to sue them.

What's more ... Britney said she wants to get married and have another baby but the conservatorship has denied her wishes. She says the control is so intense the conservator will not let her have an IUD removed. She said she's "not here to be anyone's slave."

Doja Cat All About 'Her' ... Famous Friends Attend Album Release Party

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ALL EYES ON DOJA
TMZ.com

Doja Cat brought her world to Hollywood ... with a lavish bash to celebrate her new music.

The rapper threw a star-studded party Thursday night to mark the release of her album, "Planet Her" ... and some of the biggest names in the biz were there, looking just as out of this world as the party itself.

It all went down late Thursday and into Friday morning at Goya Studios, and the celeb guest list was massive -- Saweetie, French Montana, Chloe Bailey, Normani, Ryan Destiny, Ty Dolla Sign, Winnie Harlow, Diplo, Joey Bada$$, Tyga and Swae Lee ... just to name a few.

We're also told The Weeknd made an appearance ... he's featured on one of the album's tracks.

The event looked awesome, with laser ceiling lights, a floating LED screen, a photo booth and all the decor done by Wife of the Party. Doja Cat also got sponsors for her shindig -- Ketel One Botanical, Amazon and Beats ... because it's her planet.

Fashion Nova CEO Vehicle Targeted in Hollywood Hills Shooting ... One Person Dead

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HOLLYWOOD SHOOTING
BACKGRID
UPDATE

9:40 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell us the suspects ordered 2 men who were traveling in the Rolls with Richard to the ground and took jewelry. Richard had already gone inside his home. We're told Richard's security came out of the home and that's when the shootout started.

UPDATE

8:41 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ the 3 suspects tailed a Rolls-Royce containing Fashion Nova CEO Richard Saghian into the hills. We're told it's unclear if they were aware Saghian was traveling in the vehicle, or if they only followed it because of the Rolls' value.

UPDATE

Our sources say once the vehicle parked, the 3 suspects jumped out and that's when the shooting happened. A source close to Saghian tells us he had already made it inside his home when the shots rang out ... we're told he was NOT injured.

UPDATE
UPDATE

Law enforcement sources tell us they're working to connect this incident with similar cases that have happened recently in the area.

A possible robbery off the Sunset Strip at a multi-million-dollar house erupted in gunfire early Friday morning and ended in a car chase ... one person is dead and at least 3 others were shot.

It was a chaotic scene at around 2 AM, starting at a home on Blue Jay Way, a famed street deep in the Hollywood Hills. Witnesses say they heard around 10 gunshots.

We're told the chaos started when 3 men drove up to the house in an Audi and began firing. A security guard was shot but returned fire and struck 2 of the suspects, killing one of them.

We're also told when police arrived they found the security guard under a Range Rover at a nearby house. Our sources say the guard was a retired sheriff's deputy. We're told he was shot in the stomach and taken to a hospital.

The Audi then fled down Blue Jay with a flat tire and LAPD cornered the car just outside the border of Beverly Hills. The suspect who died was still in the car. Cops say another suspect who was wounded was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The third suspect in the car was uninjured.

There were multiple 911 calls from different addresses on Blue Jay, and cops are still sorting this all out.

Originally Published -- 5:35 AM PT

Miami Building Collapse First Lawsuit Claims it was Preventable ... Seeks Over $5 Mil in Damages

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THE TERRIFYING COLLAPSE
WSVN

The collapse of a 12-story Miami condo building has left 4 people dead and more than 150 feared dead as search and rescue efforts continue ... but a lawsuit's already been filed over the disaster.

A class-action suit has been brought against the Champlain Towers Condominium Association following Thursday's tragedy in South Florida, seeking to "compensate the victims of this unfathomable loss."

According to the legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... "repair needs had been identified" concerning certain structural elements with the building, but allegedly those repairs were not done.

The condo association is accused of failing to protect the people and property "through the exercise of ordinary care, safety measures, and oversight" that could have prevented the catastrophic collapse.

The suit seeks more than $5 million in damages.

As we reported ... the building's collapse destroyed at least 70 units of the 135-unit structure. At least 4 people were killed, and as many as 159 people are unaccounted for.

So far, the authorities have not released a possible cause for the collapse, but there are reports that the building has been sinking into the ground since the '90s.

Other experts believe the salty ocean air could have led to the erosion of the building's support system, but so far ... these are just theories.

Britney Spears Conservatorship Testimony Inspires ... Others Want Out Too!!!

Britney Spears' decision to speak out against her conservatorship is inspiring others in California who are feeling trapped in similar situations ... and they want out too.

It's pretty incredible ... the day after Britney's impassioned court testimony, a California lawmaker spearheading legislation to change the way conservatorships operate tells us his office started getting flooded with calls from folks feeling burdened by their own conservatorship issues ... and they're feeling energized by Britney.

Assemblyman Evan Low tells TMZ ... the citizens reaching out said they were afraid to share their own conservatorship horror stories until Britney spoke out, and they feel her testimony helps to legitimize their claims and concerns.

Low says there are a lot of recurring themes between what folks are reporting to his office, and the conservatorship struggles Britney highlighted in court.

For example, we're told a 60-year-old woman and her husband want to end her mother's conservatorship, and they've spent about $3 million fighting in court to no avail.

Others have been even less fortunate ... we're told a woman told Low it's already too late for her mother, who took her own life after her conservator allegedly put her in isolation and started draining her finances. Before her death, we're told the woman stressed the need for conservatorship changes ASAP.

As we reported, Britney railed on her dad and other conservators Wednesday, saying she wants to end the conservatorship that's been in place for 13 years, and expressed anger at her family for the alleged abuse she's suffering.

In theory, Low’s Assembly Bill 1194 would benefit Britney and others in the same boat ... the bill would revoke licenses for conservators who are not acting in their client's best interest, prevent conservators from hiring businesses in which they have financial stakes and prohibit conservators from being paid by the estate while defending their rates in court.

Joseph Baena Arnold's Twin in Flex Mode!!!

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LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

Joseph Baena's looking like he wants to compete in Mr. Universe ... 'cause his sculpted bod's the muscular spitting image of Arnold Schwarzenegger, and he's even striking similar poses.

Joseph pumped some iron Thursday and showed fans what it takes to get those gains. He was in the middle of doing chest flies with 50 lb. dumbbells ... and, after finishing a set, dude took down his Gold's Gym tank to put on a pec-tacular show.

The way he's flexing, it's impossible not to compare his workout sesh to the ones his pop mastered as the world's most-famous bodybuilder.

Joseph no doubt looks ripped but he's put in lots of work to get there.

We saw him a few years ago jacking up 120 lb. dumbbells on the incline press. At the time, Joseph had more of a swimmer's bod than a bodybuilder's, but fast forward to now and he's JACKED!!!

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Just last month ... Joseph and Arnold hit up an outdoor gym, where pops suggested Joseph pump out some "forced reps" for the rest of that workout. Joseph said, "You have to go all out and absolutely NO cheating when you train with him, so you know I'm going to be hurting tomorrow."

He said the training regimen was a fantastic way to build size and strength ... and it shows.

Travis Scott New Collection with Dior ... This One's for Pop Smoke!!!

Travis Scott's releasing another collab outside of the music biz ... but this one includes a tribute to his friend and fallen hip-hop star, Pop Smoke.

The rapper's Cactus Jack brand has entered a partnership with the popular French fashion house, Dior -- which is also the name of a popular Smoke track -- and Travis revealed the first item in the collection is all about Pop.

It's a t-shirt with the late rapper's face emblazoned a little off-center on the front ... with lyrics from his song on the back. Travis wrote, "U CANT SAY POP AND FORGET THE SMOKE. NOW U IN ALL THE STORES 4 EVER."

Rumors began circulating that Scott and Dior were teaming up on something after he was seen wearing a brown, heavy-duty work jacket with a large Dior logo fused with his Cactus Jack logo, and sure enough ... the rumors are true.

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Dior announced a joint Spring-Summer 2022 collection will be revealed in full on Friday at one of Paris Fashion Week's few in-person runway shows.

As you know ... Pop Smoke was shot and killed by 4 masked gunmen back in February 2020 in what appeared to be a home invasion robbery at a rental pad in the Hollywood Hills.

Four people were arrested in July 2020 for the murder -- 3 were minors at the time of the shooting -- but none have stood trial yet.

T.I. Rips Woman Suing Him for Defamation ... Toss Her Suit, Judge!!!

T.I. is legally lashing out at the woman who alleges he put a gun to her head and threatened to kill her, and he wants her defamation lawsuit against him thrown outta court.

Sabrina Peterson's suing T.I. and Tiny for defamation, but in new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... T.I. claims her reputation is already so horrible, it's basically impossible to inflict even more damage to it.

As we first told you, in her suit filed earlier this year, Peterson claims T.I. and Tiny smeared her good name with public statements and social media posts in the wake of her allegation against T.I.

The rapper's lawyer, Andrew Brettler, claims Peterson "is an adjudged liar, a convicted felon with a lengthy rap sheet for crimes involving dishonesty and violent assault, and has a reputation for being unscrupulous" ... and he says there's no way T.I. and Tiny could make her rep take a hit.

According to Peterson's suit ... Tiny referred to her on social media as "strange," and added, "everybody know you been special." Peterson claims she's since become the target of online harassment and threatening messages, but T.I. claims she can't sue over those comments because they are just opinions.

Bottom line ... T.I. says Peterson's defamation suit is nothing more than a publicity stunt, and he wants a judge to give it the old heave-ho.

Richard Branson Inches Closer to Winning Space Race ... Gets FAA Clearance

Richard Branson just cleared one huge hurdle in his quest to beat Jeff Bezos into sub-orbital space ... the FFA just gave Virgin Galactic the green light to fly passengers.

The Virgin Galactic honcho got the all-clear Friday after the Federal Aviation Administration reviewed extensive data gathered from his aerospace company's May 22 test flight. The review reportedly confirmed the flight performed well.

BTW ... it's the first time the FAA has licensed a spaceline to fly customers. Huge deal.

Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier said, "We’re incredibly pleased with the results of our most recent test flight, which achieved our stated flight test objectives. The flight performed flawlessly, and the results demonstrate the safety and elegance of our flight system."

He added, "Today’s approval by the FAA of our full commercial launch license, in conjunction with the success of our May 22 test flight, give us confidence as we proceed toward our first fully crewed test flight this summer."

It should be noted, there were reports Branson was going to be traveling in one of his rocket-fueled flights over the July 4 weekend -- but the company has not announced any plans yet to do so -- aka, it almost certainly won't happen in that timeframe.

If it did takeoff ... that would edge out Bezos' Blue Origin flight by a couple of weeks.

The May 22 test flight was Virgin's third crewed spaceflight ... and the first one ever from Spaceport America, New Mexico. The flight achieved a speed of Mach 3 ... 3 times the speed of sound at 2,300 MPH.

Henry 'Nacho' Laun 'Wahlburgers' Star OD'd on Cocaine ... Death Certificate Shows

Henry "Nacho" Laun -- the extreme eating star of "Wahlburgers" and one of Mark Wahlberg's OG entourage members -- died after a cocaine overdose ... according to his death certificate.

TMZ has obtained the doc from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and it lists "complications of acute cocaine intoxication" as the immediate cause of death. The manner of his death is listed as accidental.

Nacho died on June 1 at 2:33 PM at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth, MA. He's listed as never married and his occupation as "TV Personality/Entertainment." The death certificate also shows Nacho was cremated on June 19.

TMZ broke the story ... Nacho was found unconscious in his vehicle at a gas station while on a road trip from Boston to Cape Cod in mid-May. While at the hospital he had been placed on life support because he couldn't breathe on his own.

Family and friends were holding on to hope he'd pull through after showing some signs of recovery ... but unfortunately, Nacho passed away.

Nacho was a fan favorite on the hit A&E show, known for never shying away from an eating challenge. In fact, Mark once brought Nacho with him to an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" ... where he drank Tabasco sauce and ate wasabi, to everyone's horror and delight.

Nacho was 54.

Devin Booker Broken Nose Procedure Was Gruesome ... 8 Shots & 'They Break It Again!!!'

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TOUGH BREAK
Courtesy of NBA

"Like eight shots to numb it up and then they go in there and put it back -- they break it again. They break it back in place."

That's Devin Booker describing the straight-up horror show he had to go through after breaking his nose earlier this week ... and yeah, it feels like a miracle the Suns star was able play Thursday night!!

The 24-year-old broke it all down for reporters after struggling in Phoenix's loss to the Clippers in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals ... saying the procedure he went through Wednesday to fix his facial issues was GNARLY.

"It's a procedure that they usually say they put you under [anesthesia] for," said Booker, who broke the nose in 3 places after clashing heads with Patrick Beverley in Game 2 on Tuesday.

"But we had a flight out a couple hours later, so they just numbed it up -- all over the place, it felt like."

Booker called the surgery "probably the worst part" of his entire injury process ... but, shockingly, he said he felt okay about 24 hours later while playing in the game.

"The nose feels fine," Booker said. "We just lost the game."

Booker -- wearing a clear, plastic mask to protect the injury for the night -- was just 5-for-21 in the game ... and scored just 15 points in 40 minutes.

He swore, though, the mask and injury were NOT a problem ... saying it all didn't affect his play one bit.

"He got the mask; he's fine," Booker's teammate, Chris Paul, said. "We're not one of those teams looking for excuses and all that stuff. Give [the Clippers] their credit -- they played really well tonight."

"We'll get ready for Game 4."

Bobb'e J. Thompson 'Role Models' Kid Busted for Gun Possession

Bobb'e J. Thompson -- known for playing the foul-mouthed, trouble-making kid in "Role Models" -- is in some real-life trouble ... for allegedly having a stolen gun.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the actor was going through security at LAX when a Glock firearm was found in his baggage. We're told the gun was loaded too, but did not have a round in the chamber.

Our sources say during the airport police investigation, cops learned the gun was stolen ... and Bobb'e was arrested and taken to the station.

According to police ... Thompson -- also known for roles on "That's So Raven," "30 Rock" and 'House of Payne' -- was booked for felony possession of a stolen firearm.

He was released after posting a $35,000 bond.

We don't imagine he called any of the officers Ben Affleck. Funny as hell in the movie, but not so much when you're getting arrested.

Blueface Inked Bare-Knuckle Boxing Deal ... Fighting In July!!!

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NOT MY FIRST TIME
TMZSports.com

"I never boxed. I'm a gang member, so I just fight a lot."

That's hip-hop star turned bare-knuckle boxer (yes, you read that right) talking about why he decided to take a real-deal fight -- NO gloves -- later this summer.

Blueface joined "TMZ Live" and made the blockbuster announcement ... revealing he will make his BKFC debut on July 23.

FYI, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is the most popular bare-knuckle fighting org ... with people like Paige VanZant and Paulie Malignaggi mixing it up in their cage.

It's unclear who Blueface will take on ... but he says it'll likely be another celeb.

"I'm pretty sure it's either gonna be some type of YouTube or TikTok-er or something of that nature," Blueface says.

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FISTS OF FURY

And, even though the "Thotiana" star doesn't have a traditional boxing background ... don't think he isn't taking the fight seriously.

"I've only been eating grilled and baked stuff lately. Yeah, I'm on a diet and everything. I ain't been smoking, drinking, nothing."

Of course, celebrities and social media stars fighting (Jake & Logan Paul, Bryce Hall, etc.) has become all the rage lately ... something Blueface believes he helped start.

"I don't know if you guys seen but me and YK Osiris was actually boxing in the backyard for fun, kicks and giggles, and that's really how all of this celebrity boxing came about, in my opinion."

Bob Pinciotti on 'That '70s Show' 'Memba Him?!

New York City native Don Stark has had a long and impressive career in the entertainment biz with TV and movie credits going back to the actual early '70s ... but Don's best known for his role as the free-loving father Bob Pinciotti -- who raises his daughter with a few blonde bombshells -- in the Fox sitcom "That '70s Show."

Stark shared the small screen with some classic actors including Laura Prepon as Don's daughter and girl-next-door crush, Donna Pinciotti ... and of course Tanya Roberts as Don's stunning on-screen wife, Midge Pinciotti.

Guess what he looks like now in the 21st century!