Crime & Arrests

Shawn Laval Smith, the man found guilty of stabbing UCLA grad student Brianna Kupfer to death in 2022, now has a permanent home behind bars ... Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced today Smith was sentenced to life in prison.

Smith was found guilty of one count of murder and a special-circumstance allegation of lying in wait on September 10 ... and a Superior Court Judge rejected his insanity plea ahead of sentencing him to life in prison without parole.

Back in January 2022, 24-year-old Brianna was working in a high-end furniture store by herself when Smith entered the building and stabbed her, and then fled the scene.

Things keep sounding worse for Diddy ... because we've learned the feds are seeing an uptick in accusers coming forward with more allegations, ever since he was thrown in jail.

Sources familiar with the Diddy investigation tell TMZ ... more alleged victims and witnesses are stepping up because they feel less intimidated now that Diddy is behind bars.

Our sources say the accusers are cooperating with federal investigators and providing information about what they know about Diddy's alleged criminal activities.

R. Kelly's daughter broke down in tears as she opened up about how she once looked at her dad with admiration ... but his multiple sex crime convictions later shattered her world.

In the trailer for "R Kelly's Karma: A Daughter's Journey," Joann Kelly admits there was a time when her father was her "everything" ... but when his convictions for possessing child pornography and engaging in sexual acts with underage girls came to light, it completely changed her life.

Joann notes no one wants to be the child of someone who hurt women and children -- adding her dad knows exactly why they can’t have the relationship she once hoped for.

Wendy Williams is finally weighing in on all the Diddy drama -- and her views are pretty much what you would expect from the former talk show host who was always judgmental of the Bad Boy Records CEO.

Wendy gave an interview Tuesday to the Daily Mail in which she said many people have approached her since Diddy's arrest about two weeks ago to give her credit for calling out the music mogul for his alleged criminal wrongdoing.

She said, "What is really weird is that I have been told by so many people -- 'Wendy you called it' -- including some people from my family who have said the same."

12:12 PM PT -- One of Diddy's attorneys, Erica Wolff, tells TMZ … "As Mr. Combs’ legal team has emphasized, he cannot address every meritless allegation in what has become a reckless media circus. That said, Mr. Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors. He looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation."

Diddy is about to be hit with lawsuits for sexual assault and abuse, and a Houston-based law firm representing 120 accusers is telling some of their stories for the first time ... including allegations Diddy sexually abused a 9-year-old boy.

Attorney Tony Buzbee says a wave of lawsuits will be filed against Diddy in the next 30 days, including from an accuser who claims he was only 9 years old when Diddy and others sexually abused him at the Bad Boy Records studio in New York City.

Former NFL star Eddie Lacy was thrown behind bars in Arizona on Monday night ... after cops claimed he was driving while wasted.

According to the Scottsdale Police Department, the ex-Green Bay Packers tailback was pulled over at around 10:40 PM -- after officers said they saw him committing several traffic violations.

He apparently elicited signs of being intoxicated during the stop ... as an SPD spokesperson tells TMZ Sports Lacy was ultimately arrested and booked on four separate DUI charges, including "Extreme DUI -- BAC .20 or more."

Rapper YG is facing legal heat ... cops say he's been arrested for a misdemeanor DUI in Burbank, California.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ there wasn’t any call about an incident -- we're told cops just happened to roll up on YG after he drove over a curb and was standing outside his car early Tuesday morning.

TMZ has also obtained a photo from the scene, which appears to show YG sitting on the curb with his head resting on his arms, just a few feet away from his car as a police officer stands in front of him.

Diddy is once again trying to get himself released on bond, 2 weeks after he was arrested ... and we're told he's building a powerhouse legal team to try to make it a reality.

New court documents show the rap mogul's lawyer filed to appeal the most recent order denying him bond ... the appeal will be his 3rd formal attempt to secure his release from behind bars as he awaits trial.

Sources close to Diddy tell TMZ ... the rapper has added 2 more attorneys -- Anthony Ricco and Alexandra Shapiro -- to the legal team working on his highly publicized criminal case. (For those wondering, Alexandra is not related to famed defense attorney Robert Shapiro).

Akon may sing about being "Locked Up," but the singer has no feedback for Diddy as he sits in jail ... telling us the justice system will work the situation out.

We caught up with the recording artist at LAX, where Akon avoided commenting on whether Diddy has been targeted for his success as a Black man ... a defense his lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, has made since the rap mogul's arrest.

Akon hinted the idea was all a "defense mechanism" -- but emphasized it wasn't his place to comment.

Damon Dash says there's a lot of things about Diddy that he didn't know, even though they go way back ... and a lot of what he's finding out now is unsettling.

The Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder was in New York on Monday when photogs asked him about Diddy's arrest, indictment, jailing and the mounting lawsuits.

Damon says a lot of the allegations facing Diddy are disturbing ... especially given the fact they've known each other for a long time.

8:46 AM PT -- Lil Reese's attorney Carl Moore tells TMZ … "Mr. Taylor vehemently denies these false accusations. We look forward to his day in court."

Lil Reese is in police custody nearly 2 weeks after an arrest warrant was issued over allegations he punched and strangled a former girlfriend … TMZ has learned.

According to arrest records ... the rapper was booked for aggravated assault of a family or household member in the early hours of Monday morning and was subsequently denied bond.

An eyewitness tells TMZ … the Chicago drill rapper swung by The Address nightclub in Houston, Texas Sunday evening, where LR had a run-in with authorities. We’re told officers were already at the club … though, it’s unclear why they were stationed at the hotspot.

While Diddy's still behind bars at a notorious NYC jail, photos from his old parties are receiving renewed interest ... including the ones celebrating another turn around the sun for the mogul.

Check out these pics of Diddy's birthday parties throughout the years ... the embattled music producer is front and center in all of them, cutting cakes and hanging with some huge stars.

Snaps from Diddy's 35th birthday show the star hanging out with Jay-Z and Jamie Foxx ... Puff grinning wide for the camera. Paris Hilton was at the same party, chatting with the Bad Boy Records founder.

Diddy could remain behind bars for a year or maybe more as he awaits trial, but that's not breaking his spirit ... it's quite the opposite, at least according to his lawyer.

Diddy's attorney, Marc Agnifilo, appears in a new TMZ Studios documentary -- "The Downfall of Diddy: The Indictment" -- which has just dropped on Tubi ... and we asked him about his client's state of mind in jail.

Agnifilo says Diddy's remaining remarkably positive and isn't letting the indictment weaken his resolve. Instead, Agnifilo says Diddy is so focused on his defense, it's actually giving him a form of strength and confidence that will help him deal with being behind bars for an extended period.

Diddy will fight his legal case to the bitter end ... because his lawyer says a plea deal won't fly with his client.

Diddy's attorney, Marc Agnifilo, appears in TMZ Studios' new documentary -- "The Downfall of Diddy: The Indictment" -- available to stream now on Tubi ... and, he says his client will fight this case not just for himself, but for others in a similar position.

Agnifilo says Diddy says he's innocent ... so, he sees no reason to take a plea deal -- even if prosecutors offer it.

Diddy's grand jury is still looking into the allegations against him ... hearing from at least one more sex worker about their alleged relationship with the mogul, and it's possible it could lead to new charges.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the grand jury is absolutely still convened, and this week it heard testimony from a male escort who said he's interacted with Diddy in the past.

We're told the testimony covered Diddy's alleged outreach to the escort and his willingness to participate in a "Freak Off."

A monster truck driver proved size really does matter ... at least when it comes to crushing cars -- 'cause new a video going viral online shows him dispersing a crowd with his vehicle and running over a couple cars on the way out.

The wild scene went down at Rednecks With Paychecks ... an adults-only festival held in North Texas over the weekend. From their online promo, it's a weekend full of big trucks, country music and nearly naked women.

However, it took a dark turn last Saturday when a man in a giant truck got into an argument with a crowd of people ... who appeared to throw objects at him.