TMZ.com Home

Michael Jackson's mother has amassed a fortune since her son died -- to the tune of tens of millions, which is why she can pay for her own lawyers ... so claims MJ's estate.

A rep for the estate confirms to TMZ that they've filed legal docs in their ongoing dispute with Katherine Jackson over attorney's fees that she's trying to have the estate cover ... over a deal that the estate itself struck, which she's currently appealing.

TMZ has seen the paperwork ... and it lays out some financial info that, if accurate, is absolutely eye-popping.

In the filing, the estate claims there's a massive amount of cash and other benefits Katherine has received since Michael's death in 2009 ... with the executors of the estate alleging it all totals more than $55 million over the nearly 15 years.

A good chunk of that dough, the estate claims, comes in the form of a monthly allowance it says Katherine is afforded by MJ's estate, and totals more than $160k/month.

that allowance -- plus other cash payments -- amount to $33 million of the $55m total, according to the estate.

On top of that, the docs say Katherine is well taken care of by the estate ... which claims to have shelled out more than $15 million to buy and improve her luxury home, not to mention paying for her transportation and other perks -- like a private gardener, chef, and security.

The point of the estate executors laying this all out is to bolster their argument Katherine can afford to cover her own attorney's fees as she pushes forward with her appeal to fight a huge business deal the estate struck ... which she and Michael's son, Blanket, were fighting together until recently.

Unclear what exactly that deal is, but it appears to be related to the blockbuster deal the estate struck for Sony to buy half of MJ's music catalog for 9 figures.

We broke the story ... Blanket filed legal docs earlier this week that made clear he, too, felt Katherine should be covering her own attorney's fees for the appeal -- and that the estate shouldn't have to pick up the tab.

Blanket was on Katherine's side up until a judge ultimately ruled against them, and he decided it didn't make sense to go forward with an appeal of that ruling.

Blanket now says he wants out of the fight -- and that Katherine is on her own for the appeal.

Ricky Martin says his dad was all for him living his truth out loud ... telling him he needed to come out publicly -- this while his professional team tried to talk him out of it.

The singer sat down for an interview on Sirius XM's "Andy Cohen Live" when he opened up about deciding to come out as gay -- and he says not everyone was in alignment on whether or not he should let the world know.

Martin told Andy his professional team told him it wasn't a good idea to reveal himself as an openly gay man ... in fact, he says they were quite certain it could kill his career.

But, Ricky goes on to explain his dad understood the importance of coming out and pushed him to tell the world after his two sons were born in 2008 ... with his pops saying RM couldn't start out by teaching his children it's better to lie than be yourself.

In any case, Martin says he took his time formulating a letter to tell the world he was gay and then tweeted it out ... and he said he felt instant relief -- sobbing tears of joy.

Of course, Ricky's since had some very public relationships with men ... including his high-profile marriage to Swedish artist Jwan Yosef from 2017 ... until their divorce last year.

Mark Ruffalo's calendar just opened up a bit ... 'cause a conference he was supposed to speak at just canceled his appearance, and his support for Palestine seems to be the key.

The actor was all set to speak at MTMP -- a conference for lawyers and their paralegals to discuss the ins and outs of class action lawsuits, etc. The conference is taking place in early April, but now ... it appears Ruffalo won't be there, 'cause they're nixing him from the lineup.

The event's organizers sent out a statement to the attendees this week saying Mark had been invited to speak at the conference after playing an environmental activist/attorney in the movie "Dark Waters" back in 2019 -- which touched on a lot of the things they already do in the real world ... so they wanted to have him show up and speak to the same issues.

Ruffalo -- an environmental activist himself -- was set to be a big-time guest for the conference, but the event said this was before Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7 ... and more importantly, before Ruffalo's very public support of Palestine, especially at the Oscars.

ICYMI ... Mark spoke with reporters at the Oscars and showed visible excitement while heading in over a Palestinian protest that delayed him. He also donned a pin representing Artists Call for Ceasefire Now ... so yeah, he was leaning into his pro-Palestine position.

It seems Ruffalo's stance is too controversial for the MTMP conference ... because organizers say they didn't want the event to be overshadowed by the war in the Middle East, and by Mark as well. Instead, they say they're canceling Ruffalo's appearance -- despite possibly losing their speaking fee in the process -- and asked the attendees not to boycott the event.

Ruffalo's been an outspoken advocate for a number of causes over the years, and that hasn't stopped since the surprise attack by Hamas on October 7 or the subsequent invasion of the Gaza Strip by Israel.

Back in November, Ruffalo called out Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for referring to Palestinians in Gaza as "collateral damage" while also sharing a petition to end "child bloodshed" in the region the month before.

On its face, it seems not everyone who was planning to go to MTMP was happy with his recent comments ... and, it looks like it's affecting gigs of his, including this one.

Christine Quinn isn't sitting on the sidelines amid her husband's arrest for alleged assault with a deadly weapon -- she's going on the offensive and gearing up to ask for further protection ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the "Selling Sunset" star is actively speaking with attorneys right now -- as we're told she's prepared to lay out her history with Christian Dumontet ... something our sources say has been up-and-down through their marriage.

We're told that before she even entertains what to do with her marriage -- including the possibility of considering divorce -- protecting her and her son is her top priority right now ... which is why our sources say she wants a restraining order.

We're told Christine seems primed to make further allegations against Christian -- which is why she's meeting with lawyers ... because we're told there's lots to detail about what she claims went on behind closed doors, even before the incident that went down on Tuesday.

Our sources do tell us that, for now, Christine and Christian's relationship feels irrevocably broken -- but until a divorce filing is in ... you never know what might happen. All we know is that Christine is dead-set on getting an additional legal forcefield around her ASAP.

As we reported ... the emergency protective order provided to her by police lapses in 7 days -- so by Wednesday, Christine will need to file for a TRO if she wants additional legal protection.

Christian, of course, was arrested twice in 2 days this week stemming from an alleged incident that cops say involved him throwing a sack with glass at her .. and hitting their kid.

Prosecutors have charged a third man in connection to the death of Lisa Lopez-Galvan and injuries to more than two dozen others at the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl parade last month ... with officials tracking down the suspect using surveillance footage, social media and cell phone data.

20-year-old Kansas City native Terry Young was charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action for his alleged role in the tragedy ... after he was accused of pulling out a gun and firing several times during the shooting.

According to court docs, officials claim surveillance footage shows an individual brandishing a firearm during a verbal argument ... which led Young to reveal his own weapon, walk toward them, and pull the trigger.

Detectives were able to identify Young by scouring his social media profiles and YouTube videos ... which showed him wearing the same green and yellow teddy bear backpack he allegedly had during the parade.

Detectives also obtained search warrants for two other suspects' cell phones ... and discovered a group chat in which a number believed to be Young's sent a text that read "I dropped dat n**** first shot."

Officials got access to Young's Facebook, as well ... and they say it featured videos of him with firearms and other suspects in the shooting.

Young was arrested on Wednesday ... and prosecutors requested he be held on $1 million cash bond.

As we previously reported, Lyndell Mays, Dominic Miller and two juveniles have also been hit with charges stemming from the shooting.

Candace Owens' "Black Card" will not be revoked -- not today, at least -- as the political pundit went on "The Breakfast Club" and passed a culture quiz with flying colors ... red, black and green!!!

On Thursday, Charlamagne, Jess Hilarious and DJ Envy all surprised Candace with a pop "Black quiz" they'd compiled, and the proud, yet polarizing, Republican impressed the gang right off the bat by rapping much of the opening theme to Will Smith's "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air."

Candace also couldn't come up with Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's name ... but she did know what NOT to bring to the cookout, in terms of food.

Throughout the appearance, Candace maintained she wasn't against Blackness, but more so Black illiteracy and blamed public schools and celebrity worship in the community for holding folks back.

Her stance on education explains her recent reaction to Ice Spice's "Fart" hit ... where she declared the track single-handedly set American society back a few notches!

Speaking of fire songs, the quiz also revealed Candace needs a refresher on the "Good Times" theme.

It's been nearly three years since Floyd Mayweather threatened to "kill" Jake Paul ... but Logan Paul says his little brother is still taking the remark seriously, employing 24-hour security to this day.

Logan first explained to TMZ Sports back in 2021 that he and Jake were afraid Mayweather was being for real when he exclaimed "I'll kill you motherf***er" to the younger Paul following their now-famous "gotcha hat" encounter in Miami.

In a recent interview with Graham Bensinger, Logan said his brother is still so concerned over the words ... he's making sure a guard watches his back at all times.

"Jake has not been without a security guard since that moment," Logan said in a sitdown chat with Bensinger.

Logan said his brother's main worry was all the connections Floyd has in Miami ... alleging, "He's got goons who kill a man for $200."

The two didn't have any real issues, however, in the wake of the '21 incident -- at least, that was the case until 2023 ... when they both attended a Heat game in Miami.

You'll recall, Mayweather confronted Jake outside the arena following the tilt ... forcing the social media star to seek protection from cops.

Since then, it's been quiet ... although according to Logan, Jake's not taking any chances.

Logan also talked to Bensinger about potentially fighting Floyd again -- saying TBE actually offered him a rematch of their '21 bout in 2022 on short notice. But Logan said he didn't take it, knowing he'd need more time to prep.

Pete Davidson's bowing out of "Bupkis" -- bidding adieu to the planned 2nd season of his own show ... and it's all because he's turning his attention to the big screen.

The 'SNL' alum told THR Thursday that he was happy to have the opportunity to tell his story in his own words through "Bupkis," after having his every move and private life documented in the media.

He adds, "I do also feel that this part of my life is finished. I'm very excited for this next chapter and for you guys to see the work. Thank you to all who support me for I am forever grateful."

The publication went on to report that Pete's agent emailed Peacock earlier this week, breaking the news about him walking away from the show ... but apparently didn't tell the show's production company, Lorne Michaels' Broadway Video, until later. Once they caught wind of the situation, they rolled on with the cancelation.

Another point ... THR reports the end of the show has nothing to do with industry-wide budget cuts plaguing Hollywood right now ... it's all about Pete wanting to move onto greener pastures.

We now know what that new horizon looks like for Pete -- sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ he's got a huge new movie coming out, with none other than comedy legend Eddie Murphy, as well as Emmy nominee Keke Palmer, signed on to costar ... something he's been working on lately.

Our sources tell us that, generally, Pete has been focused on his stand-up and movie career -- and that he wants to keep his attention there. So on its face, no more TV for now.

That tracks with what Pete's been doing these past few years -- yes, he was working on "Bupkis" ... but he's been quietly building out his film resume behind the scenes with flicks like "Dumb Money," "Bodies Bodies Bodies," "The Suicide Squad," "Fast X" and others.

Of course, "Bupkis" will be missed -- as it had everyone buzzing last year with its 8-episode half-hour series which starred Edie Falco and Joe Pesci as Pete's mother and grandfather. It was very 'Dave'-esque.

It got picked up for a second season by Peacock in June, just 2 months after its debut with a strong reception from viewers and critics alike. With all that momentum, it seemed like the sky was the limit for the show. But now, Pete's pulling the plug and moving on.

Karen Huger's scary Tuesday night crash seems to have left its mark on the area ... with the first photos from the scene appearing to show just how close Karen came to disaster.

The pics, obtained by TMZ, show where the 'Real Housewives' star swerved off the road in Potomac, MD -- leaving lots of skids and torn-up grass before slamming into a tree ... taking a big chunk of the bark with her. We've confirmed these were taken at the specific location mentioned in the court docket that laid out all of Karen's charges and traffic violations.

The photos and video we got give a clear indication of how serious the wreck was -- honing in on the point of contact where Karen went off the roadway -- which she says she did to avoid an oncoming car -- this after having a very emotional dinner with a friend of hers.

Police however tell a different tale ... with Montgomery County PD now offering another update on what they say went down after Karen had her accident.

As we reported ... cops had told us Karen hit the median and a street sign late Tuesday night while driving her 2017 Maserati -- and we're now told a security guard in the neighborhood saw the whole thing and called the police.

A MCPD rep says fire rescue and police officers responded to the call with an ambulance ... but, police say Huger refused to go to the hospital or be evaluated.

We're told KH was then taken into custody and transported to a district station ... with police telling us she was actually arrested and cited for DUI that evening ... but wasn't booked into their jail. Instead, they tell us she was released to her husband, Raymond.

Karen was also cited for other traffic violations before being released.

Huger hasn't addressed the DUI/DWI charges yet ... the only thing she mentioned to us Wednesday was a car going straight for her while she was driving ... which she says caused her to swerve to dodge it -- explaining she miraculously walked away without injuries.

Josh Peck is speaking out on all the claims and horror stories chronicled in the documentary about Nickelodeon child actors ... and he says things have gotta change for the better.

The former Nick star broke his silence Thursday over 'Quiet on Set' -- this amid mounting pressure from fans, who were very vocally calling on him to say something as he continued to post things on social media without addressing it.

Josh writes, "I finished the Quiet on Set documentary and took a few days to process it. I reached out to Drake privately, but want to give my support for the survivors who were brave enough to share their stories of emotional and physical abuse on Nickelodeon sets with the world."

He continues, "Children should be protected. Reliving this publicly is incredibly difficult, but I hope it can bring healing for the victims and their families as well as necessary change to our industry."

Josh's post is coming at just the right time ... his name has been trending all week in the wake of the doc airing -- with lots of people wondering if/when he was ever going to speak. Josh obviously wasn't featured in 'QOS,' but he was one of the biggest Nick stars back then.

Of course, his connection to Drake Bell -- with whom he starred on a massive show in "Drake & Josh" -- wasn't lost on anyone ... especially after Drake revealed he was abused as a teen.

The one thing Josh doesn't pinpoint in his statement is whether he ever experienced anything unseemly himself -- or if he was privy to what was going on with Drake at the time -- but based on his words, it seems safe to presume he was probably in the dark about it.

As we reported ... Drake came out Wednesday to defend Josh amid the backlash, notifying the public that his one-time costar had already reached out, and told people to lay off.

Conor McGregor got fully naked for his role in the new "Road House" movie ... and we can't even front -- the dude has a nice ass.

The UFC superstar's cheeks make a brief cameo in the new Prime Video project that dropped on Thursday ... when at one point, Conor shows up wearing nothing but a smile on his face.

We're not going to reveal any spoilers -- the flick literally just dropped -- but considering Conor has talked about the nude scene in the promo tour leading up to the release, it's fair game to talk about the dude's peach.

It's pretty funny -- Conor previously stated he had no idea his "Knox" character would be shown in the buff ... but his dedication to the role kept him from turning down the opportunity to lay it all on the line.

Of course, "Road House" is a re-imagining of the 1989 cult classic ... and the late Patrick Swayze also shows off his tush in the original, too -- so apparently it's become quite the tradition for dudes to show skin in these flicks.

There's been a ton of hype around the Jake Gyllenhaal-led movie -- not only does Conor have a big role, but Post Malone also shows off his acting chops as well.

Wendy Williams' guardian was unsuccessful in blocking the release of Lifetime's documentary about her -- and now, we know what they told a judge to get the court to take their side.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, A&E filed a response to what Sabrina Morrissey -- Wendy's court-appointed guardian -- submitted just days before their project was set to hit the airwaves a few weeks ago ... and the network stands by its decision to move forward with the release.

An executive producer on 'Where Is Wendy Williams?' named Mark Ford lays out in detail how the doc came together ... and who he claims was onboard, including Wendy herself -- who he says was willing and eager to participate as the subject -- as well as Wendy's guardian, Sabrina.

In a sworn statement to the court, Ford says Wendy had been signed on to this doc from the get-go -- but as time went on and it became clear she was battling health issues, although Ford claims he didn't become aware of her dementia diagnosis until filming was nearly complete. He insists Wendy "appears to feel most at home when she is able to continue sharing her life" with the public and says the dementia diagnosis became "part of the story she wanted to tell."

He cites the Britney Spears conservatorship and the larger conversations about legal apparatuses like that as a driving force behind their intention to weigh in on this important matter through the documentary.

More importantly, Ford says that he spoke with several people directly in Wendy's orbit who assured him that Sabrina was well aware of what was going on and what they were filming ... and that she never attempted to stop Wendy from participating, although Sabrina did not ultimately participate herself in the documentary.

That's exactly why he says he and everyone else at Lifetime have a hard time understanding why Morrissey tried to block the doc -- 'cause they say it was pretty clear what they were shooting for over a year. In the documents they speculate Sabrina saw the trailer and realized she might be criticized and tried to shut the documentary down.

As we reported ... the judge sided with A&E/Lifetime, and let the doc air. Morrissey, for her part, suggested Wendy had been exploited and that the angle Lifetime went with took her and Wendy by surprise ... claiming Wendy never got a peek at the final cut of the project.

Sydney Sweeney's everyone's new favorite it girl in Hollywood --  but for anyone who's forgotten, she's engaged ... something she made loud and clear this week with her fiancé.

The actress was out and about in NYC Thursday, walking hand-in-hand with Jonathan Davino -- to whom she's been engaged for about 2 years now, and dated even longer going all the way back to 2018.

As you can see, they're 2 peas in a pod ... and SS flashed a big smile with her man. He was looking pretty happy too -- and who wouldn't be with someone like Sydney at your side?

Sydney's blown up over the past year as an A-list star, and she continues to turn heads at just about every event she shows up to -- for good reason, too, as she's absolutely gorgeous and is probably one of the biggest blonde bombshell actresses we've seen in a long time.

While everyone seems to be thirsting over her lately, Davino is often tucked away in the background -- and yet, he's clearly confident in the relationship ... as is Sydney, it seems.

Remember, there was a lot of speculation last year that something might've been going on between her and her costar Glen Powell ... but she and Jon weathered the storm, and they're going strong. He even accompanied her to the Oscars a couple weeks ago.

Another fun fact ... they're in business together -- she and Jon co-produce projects under her production company, Fifty-Fifty Films ... so, they're obviously very tight and in lockstep.

Unclear how exactly they first hooked up ... but Jon's been in the picture pretty much all throughout Sydney's meteoric rise in Hollywood. Despite her growing fame, the dude doesn't appear to be bothered one bit ... and ditto for Sydney.

What's also interesting is that she and Jon are incredibly private ... not much is really known about him or their dynamic. In any case, she's smitten with the guy.

Lots of dudes out there may or may not be aware of the fact she's off the market -- but if you didn't know ... here's a reminder -- there's no chance of shooting your shot with her, 'cause she's happily taken!

Beyoncé's ride-or-die isn't here for Erykah Badu's copycat shade -- she's firing back with receipts proving Miss "Cowboy Carter" has always rocked the braids Erykah claims she jacked from her.

Bey's longtime publicist Yvette Noel-Schure entered the chat to respond to EB, and wasted no time posting a full-blown scrapbook of Bey wearing the braided hairstyle throughout her career ... some snaps even appear to be dated in her childhood!!!

Yvette captioned the post with ... “She slays. She slays. Now. Then. Always. act ii COWBOY CARTER 3.29 #criticswithoutcredentials.”

So, yeah ... totally a direct shot at Erykah.

As we reported, the "Mama's Gun" singer is under the impression Beyoncé is leeching off her style flair -- last year, Bey's hat selection during her "Renaissance" tour made EB see red as she's also donned the oversized derby for years in her own concerts.

Planet Fitness seems to be going through the exact same thing Bud Light did last year -- and yes, it's once again all about a transgender person ... who's got a certain group fired up.

You've probably heard about this by now ... a woman in Alaska posted a photo of a trans woman in the women's locker room at her Fairbanks location -- accusing the company of allowing men in a space that she thinks should be exclusive to cisgender women.

The original pic appeared to show the trans woman in question shaving over a sink in the locker room, and the lady who took it ranted and raved on a video that went viral afterward.

In the aftermath ... her local Planet Fitness reportedly revoked her membership, and let the unidentified trans woman stick around -- who has continued using the locker room. Planet Fitness has also explicitly defended the transgender member, saying their policy allows people with certain gender identities to use the locker rooms that they see fit.

With that said, they also say people can't act in bad faith on this ... or they'll get booted.

Now, more photos of this trans woman have been taken and circulated in the days since all this first kicked off ... and as you can imagine, it's drummed up a lot of outraged reactions.

Specifically, a lot of folks on the right have been blowing this story up over the past week or so -- and they've been calling on people to cancel their Planet Fitness memberships nationwide ... and on its face, it would appear a good handful of members are doing so.

The reason that seems apparent ... PF's stock price has taken a somewhat big hit, and their market value has also plummeted -- with the stock going from $66 to about $56 over the course of 12 days or so, the amount of time that's passed since this firestorm has taken off.

As a result of the stock dip, their market cap has also fallen around $400 million -- going from about $5.3 billion to about $4.9 bil over the course of 5 days, starting last week.

Christine Quinn's husband was arrested for a second time this week -- this after cops say he showed up at their home despite the fact he was ordered to stay away ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Christian Dumontet was taken into custody again Wednesday night after cops say he arrived at his and Christine's house in the Hollywood Hills ... which spurred a 911 call and landed Christian in handcuffs for the 2nd day in a row.

We're told he was hauled away by officers and taken to jail, where he was booked on a charge of violating an emergency protective order. Photos of cops on the scene last night show at least one police cruiser at Christine's home ... but not shots of Christian himself.

Unclear who called the cops -- but sources with direct knowledge tell us Christine wasn't the one to alert police to Christian's presence, and more importantly ... we're told she wasn't even at the property at all.

Our sources tell us she hasn't been back to the home since heading to the hospital with their kid -- and is currently in a safe location with the child. Regardless ... we're told Christian being at the property is a no-go based on the legal forcefield afforded to Christine.

Remember ... she was granted an emergency protective order that's in place for 7 days after what allegedly happened between her and Christian on Tuesday -- and if she wants additional protection, she'll have to file for a restraining order.

As we reported ... Christian stands accused of trying to get violent with Christine during an argument -- having allegedly thrown a bag full of glass at her, but missing and allegedly striking their 2-year-old son instead. 911 was called, and Christian was led away by police.

We're told Christian was released from jail early Thursday morning on bond. We've reached out to Christine's camp ... so far, no word back.