Crime & Arrests

Aries Spears makes a living speaking his mind even when the public doesn't agree -- but he's not hopping on the Diddy joke train before all the facts have been displayed!!!

We caught up with the comedian at LAX Thursday en route to his upcoming Apollo gig, and he's siding with Dr. Umar Johnson's recent viral comments ... Diddy's an innocent man until the courts rule that he's guilty!!!

Johnson has set ablaze several fiery rants in favor of Diddy, questioning the lack of evidence while claiming America is running a successful Black man through the wringer to distract from the presidential election.

Interest in the 35-year-old Menendez brothers murder case has skyrocketed thanks to the wildly popular Netflix series ... and neighbors on the affluent block of the infamous family home are livid about it!

Beverly Hills authorities tell TMZ ... police have received a slew of calls from irate neighbors who are tired of the influx of foot and car traffic on their block ... and they want cops to intervene.

Calls to police have been coming in for more than a week ... and it all started after "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story" dropped on the streamer, we hear -- so it's pretty clear what's happening.

Diddy and Justin Bieber are seen together in a resurfaced 2011 video ... and their little hangout sesh on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" will totally shock you.

Check out the clip from February 2011 ... Diddy was sporting dark shades and sitting side by side with the much younger Biebs, with host Jimmy Kimmel parked behind his desk, chatting with the famous duo.

The convo started off with Jimmy asking Diddy and Justin what their relationship was about and if they were collaborating on music.

Erik and Lyle Menendez were glued to the screen as prosecutors made a major announcement in their murder case ... watching it all unfold from behind bars.

Sources with knowledge of the situation tell TMZ ... the Menendez brothers watched Thursday's press conference live from prison, tuning in to see L.A. County D.A. George Gascón announce prosecutors would be reviewing new evidence.

Gascón says his office is reviewing Erik and Lyle's claims that their father, Jose Menendez, molested them before they killed him ... and he said he would decide if the brothers should get a new trial or if prosecutors should go for a new sentence -- presumably manslaughter -- which could set them free.

George Lopez doesn't buy the idea that Melania Trump is a pro-choice supporter one bit, gauging from her choice in picking Donald Trump as a husband -- but he isn't giving the same scrutiny to the ongoing Diddy saga!!!

TMZ caught up with GL in NYC and the comedian couldn't help but scoff at Mrs. Trump's grand revelation that there should be no restrictions against abortion in the U.S. -- which totally contradicts DJT's ongoing presidential campaign.

Switching gears, George says he doesn't side with the nonstop wave of Diddy jokes on social media since the allegations started ... well, sort of.

Ashton Kutcher is said to be concerned about getting dragged into the Diddy criminal case, but federal investigators do not have him in their crosshairs ... TMZ has learned.

Multiple sources with direct knowledge of the Diddy probe tell TMZ ... Ashton in no way is a target of the federal criminal investigation involving Diddy.

Additionally, a source close to Ashton tells TMZ ... "This narrative has got to stop. Ashton has nothing to do with this. Zero involvement. Zero knowledge of these [Diddy's] activities. Ashton like everyone else in Hollywood attended a Diddy party 20 years ago."

Diddy’s every move is being dissected following his recent bombshell indictment -- and now a bizarre resurfaced video shows him calling out Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Simpson over their skincare endorsements.

In the resurfaced clip from the early 2000s, a rambling Diddy rants about how LL and JS don’t deserve props for their Proactiv collabs, claiming he was onto the skincare brand 7 years before they ever did their commercials -- so, in his eyes, they were late to the game.

It's a seriously cringe-worthy clip, with Diddy going on about how his "silky smooth cocoa butter skin" was courtesy of Proactiv long before Lindsay and Jessica made it trendy in the beauty scene.

After a tremendous amount of controversy, Alec Baldwin's film "Rust" is finally getting its moment in the spotlight -- it's set to premiere next month at Poland’s EnergaCAMERIMAGE International Cinematography Film Festival.

Three years after the tragic accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins -- a bullet fired from a loaded prop gun killed her on set -- "Rust" will hit the big screen in the city of Toruń. The event will also feature a special panel to honor her life.

Director Joel Souza, who was hurt in the 2021 set accident, will helm the panel. Joining him will be cinematographer Bianca Cline, who stepped in to finish the film, and Stephen Lighthill, one of Halyna's film school mentors.

The ex-porn star accusing Diddy of sex trafficking her at his White Parties is likely about to be in need of new legal representation ... because the lawyer handling the case is asking a judge to cut her loose.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Adria English's attorney Ariel Mitchell-Kidd wants to withdraw from the case, claiming Adria is giving her conflicting instructions that make it impossible for her to represent Adria.

Mitchell-Kidd also says there's been a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship. She claims there are irreconcilable differences between them, and says Adria's "tone and lack of respect and [her] continued behavior and self-destructive activities" have made it impossible for Mitchell-Kidd to continue representing her.

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.