Shannon Price: I Was Gary's Common-Law Wife
Gary Coleman's ex-wife, Shannon Price, just filed legal docs claiming she wants to be appointed special administrator of Gary's estate ... on grounds she was Gary's common-law wife -- and she's submitted a handwritten document purportedly from Gary making her the sole beneficiary.
Shannon has submitted a copy of what she claims is a handwritten addendum written by Gary Coleman in 2007, which says Shannon is the "sole heir of any and all monies, properties, bank accounts, earnings, model trains, vehicles, cars, toys, games, electronics, homes, other inheritances if any, all things physical and/or intellectual."
And this is interesting ...in the handwritten document, it says, "This I have done because of my personal selfishness and weakness and I Love her with all my heart."
The handwritten addendum modifies a will written in 2006, which states, "I revoke all previous wills. I specifically disinherit my biological parents and siblings." But here's the catch. The 2006 will was never signed by Gary.
In the docs, Shannon says the most pressing matter right now is the "disposition of the body."
Shannon's lawyer claims in the docs, "Shannon and the decedent continued to have a romantic relationship and engage in romantic and sexual relations."
As for why Price claims she was Gary's common-law wife, her lawyer says they had joint bank accounts, incurred debt jointly, filed joint tax returns, celebrated holidays and other important days together and "they fought on occasion."
We checked and Utah is one of the few states that does recognize common-law marriage -- however, the law requires that the couple "request to have a common-law marriage recognized" during the relationship or within one year after the end of the relationship.
Shanon's lawyer also filed a letter from a pension department which says she is listed as the "primary beneficiary to receive the benefit."
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Lindsay Lohan's Assistant I QUIT!!!
Lindsay Lohan needs all the assistance she can get ... no, really ... her assistant just quit.
Sources tell TMZ Lindsay's right-hand woman, Eleonore, quit Wednesday. Eleonore only lasted a few months and we're told she was "exhausted" and "had enough of Lindsay's demands."
We're also told Eleonore never had any time to herself and Lindsay would often force her to stay with her for days on end ... and then blame her when things went wrong.
Just one last warning for anyone interested in the gig -- we're told the job didn't pay much either. So here's how we're guessing the help wanted ad might look ...
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Lawyer for Michael Jackson's Dad Targets AEG
TMZ has learned ... Joe Jackson's lawyer is now gunning to make AEG one of the bad guys in Michael Jackson's death.
TMZ has learned Brian Oxman, Joe's lawyer, will file two complaints with government agencies -- alleging AEG abused Jackson in a way that led to his death.
Sources tell us ... Oxman plans to lodge a complaint with the United States Attorney General, alleging AEG violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. Specifically, we're told Oxman's theory is that AEG knew Michael was a drug addict and was effectively disabled, yet he was pressured to keep a grueling and dangerous work schedule to prepare for the London concerts.
We're also told Oxman plans to file a complaint with the Medical Board of California, alleging AEG was dictating Michael's medical treatment to the point it became the unauthorized practice of medicine.
Sources say Oxman will soon file a wrongful death lawsuit against Dr. Conrad Murray, alleging he was responsible for Michael Jackson's death. We're told Oxman will not name AEG when he files, but may add the company as a defendant if the discovery process unearths evidence that AEG is culpable.
Attorney Charles Peckham, Dr. Murray's lawyer, would not confirm the story, but tells TMZ, "Mr. Oxman has some questions with regard to AEG's participation in the last days of Michael Jackson's life and he should ask those questions."
We spoke with Michael Roth from AEG, who had no immediate comment.
UPDATE: Brian Oxman tells TMZ the complaints with the Attorney General and the Medical Board of California will both be filed before the anniversary of Michael's death -- June 25.
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Michael Jackson Doc: Where are the Docs?
Sources tell TMZ Dr. Conrad Murray will ask the judge in the Michael Jackson manslaughter case to delay the preliminary hearing, because prosecutors still have not anted up all the investigative files.
L.A. County District Attorney spokesperson Sandi Gibbons tells TMZ ... her office has turned over approximately 3,100 pages of discovery, including all of the expert medical reports.
Gibbons says, "Everything we have to date, they have." Gibbons says discovery is an "ongoing process," and as material comes in it's forwarded to the defense. Gibbons added the defense would be getting more discovery on Monday.
Gibbons would not say if her office has received the entire LAPD investigative file -- but our sources say the D.A. got it last December.
Dr. Murray's people tell us they still have not received the full LAPD file and everything else that's available. In fact, they think it's "suspicious" that they were initially told there were "hundreds of thousands" of pages of discovery -- something the D.A.'s office says was an error. Murray's team says there is no way they can be ready for a preliminary hearing when they don't know the facts.
Murray's prelim is supposed to start on June 14 ... and Murray will be in court.
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Jesse James Lawyer -- A Fair Trial Will Be Tough
Jesse James is going to have "a really difficult time" getting an impartial jury to judge him -- so says his lawyer Joe Yanny.
Jesse -- who's being sued by a manufacturer over a planned clothing line for Walmart -- is in the middle of jury selection, and Yanny tells TMZ it's not going well.
Yanny says, "So many prospective jurors are talking about what they've read or heard, saying 'I don't know if I can be impartial.'"
Yanny complains that many people on the jury panel have shown prejudice, "over totally unrelated issues and mostly untrue accusations."
Several people have said they could not give Jesse a fair shake, given the stories about his infidelity.
And, Yanny says, it's pretty clear some of the prospective jurors are not saying what they really feel.
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Jesse James Jury Panel -- Cheating Talk
Prospective jurors in Jesse James' civil trial aren't pulling punches on the subjects of cheating and divorce.
Jury selection is going on right now and one member of the panel said out loud, "I have a strong opinion about cheating on someone, my parents are divorced."
The judge has already ruled that Jesse's personal issues -- namely Sandra Bullock, their divorce, and his alleged affairs -- can't be used during the trial, but it's permitted during jury selection to figure out if potential jurors have irreversible biases.
UPDATE: One prospective juror said he was a Christian "and I'm all for doing what's right and forgiving someone."
Jesse's lawyer keeps bringing up TMZ, asking the jurors if they see the site or show. Some of them do ... go figure.
UPDATE: A moment of levity -- a perspective juror said he has a friend who's "into trucks" ... but attorney for the plaintiff thought he said "drugs." Everyone, including the judge, burst into laughter.
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Jurors to Jesse James -- We Know Who You Are
If Jesse James didn't know it before -- he's famous ... at least according to prospective jurors in a lawsuit over his clothing line.
Jesse is being sued by Fortune Fashions Industries for allegedly reneging on a contract.
Prospective jurors were just asked, "Do you know who Jesse James is?" Ten out of 12 raised their hands.
Potential jurors will now be questioned one by one -- we're in court ... it should be interesting.
UPDATE: Only in Hollywood ... one of the prospective jurors is a production designer on "Criminal Minds," and another is a P.A. on "Water for Elephants."
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Coleman Executor -- Give Back Gary's Truck!
Gary Coleman's ex-wife has pilfered Gary's truck, video game system, and lots of other stuff ... and now the police are involved ... so says the executor of Gary's estate.
Dion Mial tells TMZ Shannon Price entered Gary's digs and took, among other things, a 2005 Dodge pick-up, a cargo trailer, computers, telephones, musical instruments and furnishings.
Chief Dennis Howard of the Santaquin PD tells TMZ last night his officers accompanied a locksmith who changed the locks at Gary's house, per Mial's request. And the Chief says, Monday night cops went to the house as Shannon's family was loading Gary's stuff onto a truck. Howard says his officers convinced Shannon's dad to return the load to Gary's house, but Mial says that was just the tip of the iceberg -- Shannon had already cleaned Gary out.
Mial tells TMZ he's told Price she's prohibited from entering the property again and is demanding the return of everything she's taken, or else he'll seek criminal charges.
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Ray Allen -- Victim of the SteakGate Curse!
Boston Celtics superstar Ray Allen was ice cold in last night's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers -- missing practically every single shot -- but there's only one logical explanation for his terrible performance ... SteakGate!!!!
SteakGate began back in 2008 -- when Paul Pierce had a fancy steak dinner before a big NBA Finals game ... and then choked (his performance, that is) the very next night.
Now, the curse has struck again ... because Allen feasted on a delicious buttery steak from Ruth's Chris in Beverly Hills on Sunday night -- hours after he set the record for hitting the most 3-point shots in a Finals game -- and then tanked the following game!!!
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The Next 'Jersey Shore' -- Rednecks Wanted
The masterminds behind "Jersey Shore" are looking for a new stereotype for a new reality show -- keg tappin', mud ridin', Skynyrd lovin', God fearin', honky tonkin' Southern folk.
TMZ has learned Doron Ofir Casting is looking for "12 lucky guys and gals who are keepin' it country and want to party their asses off" to star in a new reality show called "Party Down South."
According to DOC, there will be a casting RV that'll slow ride through Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennesse, Kentucky and West Virginia -- and hopefully land a crop of rednecks wild enough to make "Jersey Shore" look like "Hey Dude."
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Jesse James -- Web Company Ripped My Image
Jesse James is going on the attack -- suing a company he claims cheated him out of more than $150,000 and used his image without permission.
Jesse filed the the lawsuit today in L.A. County Superior Court, and in the papers he says he signed a deal in 2009 with a company called ViewPartner ... which streams video on the web.
In the documents, Jesse claims ViewPartner never paid him $155,000, as contracted -- and he also alleges the company used unauthorized footage of him from the Baja 500 race for promotions.
Jesse's suing for the 155K plus unspecified damages for fraud and wrongful use of his image.
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Jesse James -- Character Not An Issue
The judge in a civil lawsuit against Jesse James that goes to trial tomorrow just ruled Jesse's character cannot be used in the case.
Fortune Fashions Industries is suing Jesse over a clothing line deal.
Jesse's lawyer, Joe Yanny, filed a motion last month asking the judge to prohibit the opposing lawyer from talking about anything related to Nazi memorabilia, Bombshell McGee, Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side" or anything referring to Jesse being "the most hated man in America."
The judge in the case just ruled ... none of the above can be used to besmirch Jesse's character during the trial.
Jury selection begins tomorrow.
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Cincinnati Bengals Star Gives Life After Death
It's the ultimate gift someone can give -- a heart -- and when Chris Henry passed away last year, his vital organs were donated to someone else in need.
TMZ has obtained the NFL star's autopsy report, which shows that the 26-year-old's heart, lungs, liver, spleen, pancreas and kidneys were donated in the wake of his death on December 16, 2009.
As we previously reported, Henry's cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma -- the result of falling off the back of a moving pick-up truck that was being driven by his fiancee'.
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Heidi Montag Files for Legal Separation
TMZ has learned Heidi Montag just showed up at the Santa Monica Courthouse and officially filed for legal separation from Spencer Pratt. She lists irreconcilable differences as the reason for separation.
Heidi did not file divorce papers. The legal significance of legal separation is that her earnings will become her separate property from the date of separation. Heidi lists the date of separation as today, June 8.
Interesting ... under the section, "community assets and debts," Heidi wrote, "No such assets or debts." It's unclear if Heidi and Spencer have a prenup which keeps their assets separate, or if they're broke.
Heidi tried filing in Malibu -- of course -- but the Malibu courts don't do divorces.
Heidi filed the legal docs in her own handwriting. There's no evidence she has a lawyer.
Story developing...
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NFL Star Rookie in Shady Donut Shop Debacle
Seattle Seahawks rookie wide receiver Golden Tate had an encounter with police this weekend, but this story has a serious twist ... because it all went down inside a donut shop.
TMZ has learned the former Notre Dame football star was caught trespassing inside a Top Pot donut shop in Bellevue, Washington at 3 AM Saturday morning.
Cops would only confirm that Tate was given a "trespass warning" -- and was not arrested -- but they wouldn't expand on why the 21-year-old was inside the store while it was closed.
We spoke to the manager of the Top Pot shop ... who said he would not be commenting on the matter. On a related note, Top Pot recently inked a deal to become the official coffee and donut partner of Qwest Field -- home of the Seattle Seahawks.
Calls to Tate's rep have not been returned.
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Paula Deen -- Our Maid Robbed Us Blind
Food Network chef Paula Deen says her maid cleaned her out of more than $10,000 in jewelry and other expensive stuff before she fired her and had her arrested.
According to a police report filed by Paula's husband, Michael Groover, and obtained by TMZ, Mary Alice White stole jewelry and other precious metals during a fairly long period of time -- August, 2009 to May, 2010.
Groover claims the maid did not have a sex bias ... she stole men's and women's jewelry -- allegedly.
Groover told cops when he found some of the missing jewelry in White's possession, he and Paula fired her immediately. Funny the way that happens ...
White was arrested on May 5 and arraigned on charges of felony theft.