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The college student who got a cease and desist from Taylor Swift for tracking her private jet ain't sweating a legal battle with her, 'cause he thinks she'll balk ... so says his attorney.

James Slater, the lawyer for Jack Sweeney, tells TMZ ... he and his partners don't see any realistic legal path for T-Swift and her attorneys to take if they wanna press this jet issue.

Now, Slater does say if there was any movement from Taylor's side -- namely, a lawsuit of some sort -- Sweeney's team would immediately respond with an anti-SLAPP motion ... a law that provides defendants a way to dismiss meritless lawsuits quickly.

JS adds to us the letter from Tay Tay's attorney, Kate Wright Morrone, had little legal substance, from his POV, and her assertation Jack committed stalking and harassing behavior by showing TS's flight path to the world was totally unfounded in the eyes of the law.

He basically blasts the whole thing as a big scare tactic ... asserting everything that needed to be addressed was written in the letter he sent to Swift's team -- and that nothing else really needs to be mentioned to make their point. Bottom line ... Sweeney ain't scared!

Quick recap ... things took off when TS' attorneys issued a legal threat to Sweeney in December, warning him that if he didn't stop putting their famous client's safety in imminent danger, he'd be subject to further legal action.

But Slater retaliated last month ... saying Taylor's camp cited no law supporting the cease and desist -- while also rebuffing the stalking claims ... saying it doesn't apply to his client whatsoever since Sweeney has never made a "credible threat" against Taylor through his words or actions.

He also pointed out the obvious ... Sweeney simply uploaded publicly available data from the Federal Aviation Administration to track Taylor's plane movements -- a point backed by aviation attorney Tim Loranger of Wisner Baum, who tells us this has been a longtime hobby for aviation buffs ... insisting there's no there-there to threaten a lawsuit or any legal action.

Loranger tells TMZ that whether aircraft owners like it or not ... their planes and jets have to be registered with the FAA and their registration numbers are displayed on their aircraft's side ...  making it pretty easy to be followed on flight tracking services.

We spoke to some more legal experts who weighed in on Swift vs. Sweeney -- and not everyone thinks he's in the clear. Civil attorney Tre Lovell of The Lovell Firm tells us that unless Sweeney can clearly describe the purpose for his actions ... he'd suggest Sweeney treads very carefully moving forward.

In contrast, Camron Dowlatshahi of Mills Sadat Dowlat LLP says TS has no legal standing in this matter -- but the one thing she's got is a whole lotta $$$ to bury JS in legal fees -- so, bottom line, he should probably watch his back.

Bottom line ... more people seem to think Jack's A-OK to keep tracking ... ball's in his court.

Machine Gun Kelly has unveiled his most dramatic tattoo yet -- a layer of solid black ink across almost his entire upper torso ... and yes, we've confirmed it's the real deal.

The rapper dropped his new look on IG Tuesday ... and you can see that the black ink saturates virtually half of his upper body ... with some of his OG inkings peeking through strategically placed paneled gaps down his arms and in between a cross symbol across his chest.

Machine Gun Kelly's decision to undergo this transformation was a deeply personal one, according to his tattoo artist ROXX who did this job for the artist -- and who tells TMZ that MGK had a "spiritual consultation". We're told he explained to her all his tatts were too chaotic for him now and he was seeking change and order in his life.

This is also something MGK makes clear in his IG caption ... explaining that the blackout cover-up was for "spiritual purposes only." FWIW, Kelly made sure no one could comment.

Oh, and if you're wondering whether it was painful ... ROXX praises him for being the toughest client she's ever had in 30 years. So, safe to say ... it hurt a lot.

Roxx tells us they started the process in mid-Dec with MGK coming to see her at her private L.A. studio 4 days a week for 13 six-hour sessions -- making it one of the biggest projects she's done in such a short time. She's not done yet either ... ROXX says she's got a bit more tattooing to do on him to finish the job.

Former Houston Rockets guard Robert Reid, an NBA star who spent 13 years in the league, died earlier this week following a battle with cancer.

Reid was 68 years old ... and had been battling an illness, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The Rockets announced the sad news on Tuesday, writing, "The Fertitta Family and the Houston Rockets are deeply saddened by the passing of former player, Robert Reid, whose contributions were instrumental in guiding the Houston Rockets to their first two NBA Finals appearances in 1980-81 and 1985-86."

Reid, a 6'8" guard/forward who was a second-round draft pick in 1977, averaged 11.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 blocks a game during his NBA career -- 10 seasons of which were spent in Houston, just a few hours from where he grew up in San Antonio, TX.

He also played for the Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Philadelphia 76ers.

Reid, who was teammates with the legendary Moses Malone, scored 10,448 points in 919 NBA games.

Current Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta also reacted to news of Reid's death, saying ... "It is with great sorrow that my family and I received the news of the passing of Rockets legend, Robert Reid. I have had the privilege of knowing Robert for over 40 years, and his presence always brought joy and positivity to any room he entered."

Reid was 68.

Larsa Pippen might be wearing a rock on a certain finger lately, but hold the wedding bells for now ... 'cause she ain't walking down the aisle just yet with Marcus Jordan.

The on-and-off-again couple has been at the center of speculation for over a week now -- and that was kicked into high gear on Valentine's Day when LP stepped out with Marcus in Miami with a massive diamond ring on her left ring finger.

Indeed ... it was very suspicious, but despite people thinking they might be engaged -- this after patching things up fairly quickly following a little spat -- sources with direct knowledge tell us it just isn't so. Instead, it's only a red herring ... a ring from Larsa's own jewelry line.

Now, even though it isn't an engagement ring -- that's not to say this bling isn't nice ... 'cause it is. We're told this ring features a 5-carat yellow diamond with other diamonds around it.

Anyway, in terms of where things stand between Larsa and Marcus at this point -- who very much so look back together and happy again ... our sources are saying they're continuing to work through their issues -- but they're definitely still in love and committed to being together.

Remember, they hit the town on V-day ... and certainly telegraphed all was well again.

Yes, it kinda feels like we're all getting kinda jerked around by these two -- but hey, that's love, we suppose. And on the issue of a possible engagement down the road ... Marcus and Larsa have already said they're considering it.

2:52 PM PT -- Tom Sandoval just addressed the backlash he's been getting for his remarks about George Floyd and O.J. Simpson ... and he's apologizing, while also clearing the air.

He writes, "My intentions behind the comments I made in New York Times Magazine were to explain the level of national media attention my affair received. The comparison was inappropriate and ignorant. I'm incredibly sorry and embarrassed."

Tom Sandoval apparently thinks his cheating scandal last year was comparable to huge moments in pop culture ... like George Floyd's death, or the O.J. Simpson murder case.

The "Vanderpump Rules" reality star made the stunning comparison in a new New York Times profile -- where he was asked why he thought the so-called Scandoval got as big as it did in 2023 ... when he was revealed to have cheated on his longtime girlfriend, Ariana Madix.

While Scandoval was definitely a major moment ... TS seems to think it transcended things to the point that it elevated to a George Floyd moment, or an O.J. one. Yes, seriously.

Here's what he said ... "I’m not a pop-culture historian really but I witnessed the O.J. Simpson thing and George Floyd and all these big things, which is really weird to compare this to that, I think, but do you think in a weird way it’s a little bit the same?"

The writer of this piece tries to lend him some grace, saying ... "I think I knew what he meant. He was trying to express the oddity of becoming the symbolic center of a nationwide discussion and a major news story; what he communicated instead was something more honest, which is just how much the experience had made him lose perspective."

There was another wild quote in this interview, where he likens himself to a now-disgraced "That 70's Show" star who's in prison. Tom says, "I feel like I got more hate than Danny Masterson, and he’s a convicted rapist."

There's another telling moment in the interview ... where Tom explains his rationale for cheating on Ariana with Rachel Leviss. He's pretty blunt about it and straightforward too.

Tom says, "I did what I did because I was in an unhappy place in my life. I got caught up in my emotions and fully fell in love. Like, for real." Tom apparently got up and went up to his room after this to get ready to go out.

His PR assistant is also quoted as saying ...  "Sometimes he says too much."

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Donnell Rawlings is defending his Laugh Factory beef with fellow comic Corey Holcomb ... telling us that while he could've gone about it differently, his rival reeks of hypocrisy.

We got Donnell on "TMZ Live" Tuesday ... where he tells us the spat ensued 'cause he wanted to shield himself from CH's allegations that anybody in comedy who's done 3 movies or more has had to perform fellatio on someone in the biz -- something he outright denies.

DR also notes that according to IMDB, Corey himself has performed in 4 movies ... telling us he's literally guilty of his own joke. In other words, the attack itself didn't make sense.

In hindsight, Donnell admits he shouldn't have yelled at Corey, but he wanted to protect his integrity and those in comedy who've done over 3 movies.

He also had fury built up from Corey taking shots at his good friend Dave Chappelle for years ... so he also felt the need to stick up for him, too, 'cause he's loyal to his pals.

In general, Donnell doesn't understand the need for comics to create controversy by taking shots at others ... something that's been happening quite a lot lately in epic fashion.

Tony Ganios -- famous from "Porky's" and a ton of other cult classic films -- has died.

The actor's fiancée, Amanda, tells us Tony passed away Sunday at a NY hospital -- this after he was taken in on Saturday and was found to have been suffering a severe spinal cord infection. We're told he went into surgery, but suffered a fatal heart attack the following day as he was recovering.

Amanda says Tony was on his way to a dialysis treatment Sunday morning when he went into cardiac arrest ... and we're told he was experiencing organ failure too. Amanda says his death came so suddenly, and she's absolutely shattered right now ... explaining they were just planning their wedding last week. They'd been together for a couple for at least 9 years.

She posted a sweet tribute to Tony online, writing ... "The last words we said to each other were "I love you." Love is an understatement. You are everything to me.  My heart, my soul and my best friend. #I love you #tonyganios."

Tony will best be remembered for his lead role in the 1981 film, which went down as a fan-fave sex comedy flick and developed a cult following. "Porky's" also went on to churn out several sequels ... including "Porky's II: The Next Day" and "Porky's Revenge!" -- both of which he starred in.

Of course, fans know him as Meat Tuperello ... one of the guys trying to lose their V-cards at a brothel, and who ended up playing peeping Toms. The shower scene from the movie is probably one of the most iconic in the raunchy comedy category of movies.

While "Porky's" was arguably his biggest flick/franchise ... Tony was in a handful of other memorable films as well -- including 1979's "The Wanderers," in which he played Perry.

Other movies of his include "Back Roads," "Continental Divide," "Body Rock," "Die Hard 2," "Rising Sun," "The Taking of Beverly Hills" and more. TG had been in shows as well -- such as "The Ring of the Musketeers," "Wiseguy," "The Equalizer" and "Scarecrow and Mrs. King."

He appears to have left showbiz behind in the '90s ... but he certainly left his mark on pop culture. In fact, film producer Sean Clark had some kind words for Tony upon hearing about his passing.

SC wrote, "Sad to hear of the passing of Tony Gainos aka Meat from Porky's This photo is from 20 years ago with Tony and Porky's co-star Scott Colomby Although I had many business conversations with him over the years I would not say he was a friend."

He adds, "I did not know him well at all. However he was a nice guy and it's a shame he passed just 2 weeks away from the big Porky's reunion at Cult Classics Weekend in Bastrop TX in which he was supposed to attend. So with that said I'm sorry for OUR loss."

Amanda tells TMZ Tony had been working and active in the final years of his life. He was 64.

Two adults who've been linked to the Kansas City mass shooting are now facing murder charges and other serious counts ... something just announced by KC prosecutors.

Lyndell Mays and Dominic Miller were both hit with 2nd-degree murder charges Tuesday ... and they're also up against armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon charges on top of that. These guys are different than the two teens who were charged last week.

It's a stunning development, as we're just now learning about the fact that cops even had these two men in their custody. Last we heard ... they only had 3 people detained, including two juveniles.

Now, however ... we know there are at least 4 people total at this point being implicated in this crime. Prosecutors say they're not releasing mug shots yet 'cause these 2 men are still recovering in the hospital.

Prosecutors went on to say that there might be other people arrested and charged in the case -- but for now, they're starting here. They note that the 2 juveniles are being prosecuted by a different court ... and their identities will not be released since they're underage.

It's unclear how old the two adult men are -- and it's also unclear when these two guys came onto the cops' radar. But something interesting officials noted is that these two dueling factions -- remember, they say this all started with an argument -- did not know each other.

Prosecutors note evidence suggests this heated exchange led to a firearm being drawn by Mays ... which then led to others pulling their firearms almost immediately afterward, including one by Miller. After the shots rang out -- prosecutors say Miller's weapon ended up being the one that hit Lisa Lopez-Galvan ... although they're pinning her murder on both guys.

TMZ broke the story ... there were teenagers caught on camera on the scene Wednesday just before shots rang out -- and eyewitnesses tell us they believe they were involved.

While our eyewitnesses say they never saw any of the teens open fire ... they claim the person or persons they were facing off with, off-camera, did unload the first shots.

Kansas City officials say the investigation is still ongoing, and that they intend to hold everyone who participated in the tragedy responsible. At the moment, this is where they're at.

A woman in Memphis was reportedly arrested after allegedly having her young daughter wax the vaginas of adult women -- something she appears to have posted online.

30-year-old Jasmine Moss was booked last week on child neglect charges after cops say they received complaints about her posting graphic images on social media that allegedly depicted her 5-year-old daughter working at her waxing business.

Screengrabs of posts that Moss allegedly threw up on her business account, @jasminedemiracle, quickly started to circulate last week ... and they caused quite a stir.

In two different photos ... you see a little girl standing in front of what appears to be two different women with their pants/underwear off ... and their legs spread wide open. One picture, which is incredibly graphic, shows the girl wearing gloves and applying wax to a lady's crotch area.

The purported posts have captions that seem to reflect she's proud of her little girl, saying "When I say I'm passing down Deed & LLCs to my creations I mean that!"

If they are indeed authentic, it's stunning because the mom appears to say she had the kid do this for a total of 24 different clients starting at 7:25 AM, and had her going for 8 hours.

DC Young Fly is graciously asking the person responsible for swiping his bookbag to return it pronto ... because its sentimental value outweighs the financial gain in this caper.

Apparently, DC had a gig at the Hollywood Improv last night but discovered his bag had gone missing following the let-out of the show -- and he suspects it got taken by a thief.

The comedian/actor hoped on IG this morning with a passionate plea for the bag to be returned to him ... and it's incredibly sad, because he says there was something inside that was of the utmost importance to him.

According to DC, no cash or jewels were taken but, as it turns out, the backpack actually contained the death certificate of his girlfriend, Jacky Oh!, with whom he had 3 children.

As we reported ...Jacky died last May due to complications from cosmetic surgery and like we told you, no foul play was suspected in her death. It was just a tragic accident.

DC's not asking for anything crazy here ... he literally just wants his bag back, and is hoping his message reaches the right people and that they'll do the right thing and return it.

11:14 AM PT -- Parma PD tells TMZ ... Kagney Linn Karter's mother is the one who called in to report the suicide, and we're told there was a note left at the home where this occurred -- although, cops say they don't know the contents of it.

We're told there's no sign of foul play, and no signs of drugs were found at the scene. It's unclear who the shotgun that was used belonged to.

Kagney Linn Karter's suicide was as horrific as one could imagine -- involving a self-inflicted gunshot wound ... from one of the most high-powered firearms around.

According to Cuyahoga County officials, the former porn star died by suicide last week -- and her official cause of death is listed as an intraoral shotgun wound. What that means in layman's terms ... she put a shotgun in her mouth and pulled the trigger.

No other details about her death have surfaced just yet ... but Parma PD is investigating.

The gruesome update is absolutely gut-wrenching for her loved ones and fans, no doubt -- and it appears to have come out of nowhere ... especially when you consider she'd posted a happy photo from a beach in Florida just a few days prior to the incident.

Of course, since leaving the porn biz behind ... Kagney had moved to Ohio, where she opened a pole dancing studio and had become friends with other people in the community.

Her friends started a GoFundMe for her mother, who's handling funeral arrangements.

In the GFM description, Kagney's inner circle claims she'd battled mental health issues for years -- something her immediate family hasn't commented on or confirmed. If true, though ... it would certainly help explain the tragedy. On the face of things, she seemed OK.

On a grim note, word of Kagney's suicide happens to fall on a noteworthy date. Tuesday marks what would've been Kurt Cobain's 57th birthday ... and he, too, died by suicide under similar circumstances. Kurt took his own life, and also used a shotgun to the head.

A purported autopsy report circulated last month claiming to have the full gory details of Kurt's death scene. We haven't been able to confirm the authenticity of it, but it looks real.

In any case ... it's absolutely terrible to hear, and counts as yet another high-profile suicide.

RIP

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

The 21-year-old who lost his leg during a car accident involving Haywood Highsmith earlier this month is now suing the NBA player ... claiming the hooper's careless driving caused the entire tragedy.

Alekxei Pino filed the lawsuit on Friday in Florida ... alleging he was helping assist a stranded motorist on Feb. 6 in Miami when Highsmith barreled into him in his 2021 Audi A5 at a high rate of speed.

Pino claims in the suit Highsmith was going over the roadway's legal speed limit before he hit him ... causing an above-the-knee amputation.

Pino also claims he suffered other significant injuries in the crash ... and has since undergone numerous medical procedures to address the damage.

Pino's attorney, Manuel Dobrinsky, said in a statement this week his client is actually still in the hospital recovering ... "with a very long road of rehabilitation ahead of him."

Pino and his lawyer are asking for unspecified damages but estimate it will be in excess of $50,000.

Pino's family, meanwhile, has also set up a GoFundMe, hoping to raise $100,000 to help him with the recovery process.

As we previously reported, cops said in a police report Highsmith was traveling 45 MPH in a 40 MPH zone before the accident a short time after the Heat beat the Orlando Magic at the nearby Kesaya Center.

Cops stated in the docs they believed drugs and alcohol were not involved ... though they did say Highsmith may have been distracted by unknown circumstances. They ultimately cited him for careless driving.

The Heat said in a statement following the crash that their "hearts go out to those who were injured."

Highsmith sat out of the Heat game the night following the wreck ... although he returned to the floor on Feb. 11 against the Celtics, and played 23 minutes.

Dramatic body cam footage shows the chilling moment a Florida sheriff deputy rescued an infant from a mangled car wreck -- and her survival is being attributed to his CPR.

As you can see in the footage, Charlotte County Deputy Sgt. Dave Musgrove was cruising along the state highway near Englewood on the night of Feb. 8 when a motorcycle sped past over 100 mph and crashed into another vehicle up ahead seconds later.

Upon arriving at the scene ... Musgroves wastes no time removing the toddler from the booster seat, handing the child over to the passenger of another vehicle he flags down -- this as the baby's mother pleads for him to help her kid.

He then gets to work removing the six-month-old infant from the car seat ... but it proves more of a challenge with the motorcyclist wedged directly on top.

Of course, the situation is every parent's worst nightmare ... evident by the panicked background shrieks of the mother asking whether her child is alive or not.

It quickly becomes clear the baby isn't breathing -- and once he officially gets the baby out of the car, Deputy Musgroves begins performing chest compressions on her in a race against time ... and thankfully, there's soon a pulse!!

Fort Myer's WBBH reported that the baby is now in ICU at a St. Petersburg hospital with a brain injury. The baby's mom, Kayleigh Foley, praised Musgrove as a hero, gushing to the publication, "He is such a genuine person."

Sheriff Bill Prummell also praised Musgraves ... saying in a statement, "The actions of Sgt. Musgrove are to be commended. His poise and calm demeanor in a scene of chaos and tragedy ultimately saved the life of a beautiful child."

Dakota Johnson's new superhero movie bombed at the box office -- but she's not trippin' ... 'cause the water in Mexico is fine, especially with her boyfriend right next to her.

The actress stripped down to a white halter neck-style swimsuit as she cooled off with her man Chris Martin in the beachy waters of Puerto Vallarta Sunday -- continuing her IDC tour by proving not even a major film flop was gonna ruin her good time.

The couple could be seen recharging on a sunlounger ... before Dakota dried off with a towel after a refreshing dip in the ocean.

Now, some may argue that DJ, perhaps, fled to Mexico to avoid all the 'MW' noise after it tanked this weekend. However, given her unbothered promo tour -- where she even admitted she hadn't watched the film much to the dismay of comic book fans -- something tells us she probably didn't even register how poorly it was received ... by fans and critics alike.

Safe to say ... Dakota didn't really put her best foot forward promoting the film -- at least on the face of it -- and the figures speak for themselves. Whether she's to blame for any of it though ... well, that's anyone's guess.

The running total for the six-day holiday weekend -- beginning Valentine's Day and ending on President's Day -- was just $25.8 million domestically and about the same amount globally ... definitely not up to par for a major superhero flick opening.

In fact, The Hollywood Reporter put it down as the worst opening for a Sony movie featuring Spider-Man-related characters ... and the consensus seems to be the same across the board.

12:27 PM PT -- Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains tell TMZ they're "proud of the Girl Scouts at the booth for handling this situation safely and appropriately."

They continued, "Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains will ensure the troop is not financially impacted by this loss. For those interested in supporting Girl Scouts, please find a cookie booth near you by entering your zip code at gs-top.org/findcookies. By purchasing Girl Scout cookies, you are supporting Girl Scouts with their goals of travel, camp, and community service."

A Girl Scout in Texas got her cash stolen by a thief who pulled a quick snatch-and-grab in front of a Walmart ... and the crime was caught on video, with cops on the case.

This awful incident went down last week in Fort Worth, where a young girl who was working a Girl Scouts booth with an adult who was briefly distracted while manning her table ... only to have some dude walk out the front door and grab her money bag in one fell swoop.

The guy makes a run for it, and by the looks of this video ... he got away in the moment.

You can tell the poor girl is absolutely stunned as she realizes what just happened -- wandering into the Walmart ... presumably to ask for help and get some answers. No word on how much money might've been in her bag -- but GS cookies can pull in a solid haul.

Anyway, Forth Worth PD is aware of this ... and they're asking the public for help in ID'ing the suspect -- a photo of whom they posted, and who they describe as a young man.

Obviously, it's a crappy situation ... but luckily, no one was hurt. Doesn't sound like the Girl Scouts org at large has addressed this yet ... however, ya gotta figure they're helping her out.

Like we said, cops are working the case and they're soliciting any tips or info to help track this guy down. Anyone with any insight is encouraged to contact a FW detective ... and they even cite the case number, #240311437. The suspect is still currently at large.

BTW, if you're wondering just how lucrative Girl Scout cookie sales are -- the org says they've raked in about $800 million a year nationally ... so there was probably a nice bundle in that little girl's purse.

Pretty crappy, indeed.

Jon Stewart is standing by his roasting of Joe Biden in the opening monologue for his 'Daily Show' return last week ... while also mocking everyone who clutched their pearls.

In his second show back for the Comedy Central series Monday night, JS managed to find humor in even the most savage of online messages ... noting that those on X get worked up on anything at the drop of a dime -- even telling labradoodles to "go f*** themselves." So yeah, he's not exactly gonna be crying over the criticism.

Ex-MSNBC star Keith Olbermann and Mary L. Trump particularly took offense to Stewart's roasting of Biden and Donald Trump -- the latter even going as far as to label him "a potential disaster for democracy" as seen in the tweets displayed on the screen.

But JS fired back at the absurdity of the outrage surrounding his monologue ... "It was one f***ing show! It was just one f***ing show! It was 20 minutes. I did 20 minutes in one f***ing show! But I guess, as the famous saying goes: 'Democracy dies in discussion.'"

He sarcastically concluded ... "It was never my intention to say out loud what I saw with my eyes and then brain. I can do better!"

You'll recall ... JS marked his 'DS' return by discussing the upcoming 2024 election -- in particular, his biting commentary was aimed at POTUS' age and mental state.

JB's opponent wasn't let off the hook so easily -- Trump was also roasted for being unable to remember basic stuff ... which is a pretty key trait to have if you're running the country.