Fairly Legal

Blac Chyna insists she was the victim, not the aggressor, in an altercation with her hairdresser -- which means exactly what you think it does ... Chyna's gearing up to sue her ass.

Sources close to BC tell TMZ ... her team has spoken to detectives about last weekend's hairdresser brouhaha and told authorities the woman "pulled a Jussie Smollett" by filing a false police report.

We're told BC's adamant she was the victim of an attack and not the other way around. She claims she suffered damage to her home and her Rolls-Royce when the hairdresser hurled soda cans. The house damage is a window ledge, we're told -- and the car damage is a banged-up bumper.

Might sound like much, but remember ...we're talking about a Rolls.

Chyna also denies pulling a knife during the incident, and as we've told you ... there's no video evidence so far showing she wielded a weapon.

Our sources say once Chyna is back from NYC -- where she's been hanging out with Wendy Williams -- she plans on getting with her legal team and filing a lawsuit against the hairdresser. She also has an appointment to get an estimate on the damage to her car and home.

As we reported ... Chyna is listed as a suspect in the police report for assault with a deadly weapon, and because her 6-year-old son, King, was at the house during the fracas, the L.A. County Dept. of Children and Family Services got involved.

Britney Spears may be in the eye of a social media firestorm, but her conservatorship is working 24/7 and it's business as usual.

Sources with knowledge of the conservatorship tell TMZ ... Britney and her dad, conservator Jamie Spears, talk at least 3 times a day, often at Britney's behest. There have been reports Britney and Lynne Spears have squeezed Jamie out of his daughter's life, but it's not the case. In fact, we're told she's actually calling him "more than usual."

As for how the conservatorship runs ... we're told it's the same way it's run for 11 years. Britney fills her day with massages, acupuncture, facials, hair appointments and caring for her 2 sons.

She's free to come and go as she pleases, with certain restrictions. Security follows Britney at all times, but they don't meddle unless there's a red flag. For example, we're told liquor stores are off limits. You'll recall, Britney had issues with alcohol back in 2008 when she went into a tailspin.

There are other restrictions that Britney doesn't like, but they're in place nonetheless and haven't changed. Most notably, she really wants an iPhone, but we're told Jamie has put the kibosh on that because of concerns over social media and people with ulterior motives contacting her. Britney has taken the issue up with the judge -- as recently as a week ago Friday -- but the judge sided with Jamie.

Britney and Kevin Federline still have 50/50 joint custody of their sons ... the actual time week-to-week has gone back-and-forth for various reasons, but the formal arrangement hasn't changed.

As one source put it, "Britney does what she wants. The conservatorship protects her, but with a few exceptions it doesn't restrict her in her day-to-day life."

Jay-Z didn't bother reaching out to a musician whose song he sampled on one of his most popular albums, and now the dude wants his all these years later ... according to a lawsuit.

Soul artist and guitarist Ernie Hines recently filed suit against Jigga, Roc-A-Fella Records, Sony Music and Timbaland -- who produced the track Ernie's griping about -- claiming they jacked one of his songs from back in '69 and used it on Jay's 1998 record "Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life" without his permission ... and without ever paying him.

Hines says his track "Help Me Put Out the Flame (In My Heart)" was sampled for the 'Vol. 2' song "Paper Chase" ... but he didn't even become aware of it until last year.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Hines asserts that he's a senior citizen -- he is, the guy's 81 years old -- and that he doesn't listen to rap music ... only learning about the alleged unauthorized use of his song in 2018. Presumably, that's his excuse on why he's doing this now, well past the statute of limitations.

Funny enough, 'Paper Chase' is listed on Tidal as having sampled 'Help Me' on a specific sampling page that lays out all the songs used to make that classic album. So, there's no question Timbaland used it to produce Jay's track.

There's more ... Hines claims Timbaland also used 'Help Me' on Ginuwine's 1999 album, "100% Ginuwine" -- once again without his permission or without any payment. Interestingly, Ginuwine isn't a defendant on the lawsuit.

One of R. Kelly's alleged victims secretly testified against the singer in front of a federal grand jury that could indict him for tax evasion and sex trafficking.

Sources close to the case tell TMZ ... Faith Rodgers recently testified for a grand jury convened by U.S. Attorneys in the Southern District of New York, and we're told more witnesses are expected to provide testimony against Kelly soon.

No way to know what Faith told the panel -- federal grand jury proceedings are notoriously top secret -- but she's previously alleged Kelly gave her an STD and sued him last year for false imprisonment and sexual battery.

Faith was also featured in the Lifetime docuseries "Surviving R. Kelly" ... and afterward she claimed Kelly posted private photos of her and sent a notarized letter threatening to reveal details of her sex life in retaliation for her talking publicly.

As we've reported, there are 2 Kelly probes currently underway in New York -- one by the Eastern District and another by the Southern District -- which is in addition to another case the feds are building in Illinois.

We're told next week witnesses will testifying for a federal grand jury in Illinois, where Kelly is being investigated for tax evasion, obstruction of justice and sex trafficking.

We reached out to the U.S. Attorney's Office, but it declined to comment. Faith's attorney, Gloria Allred, would not confirm or deny her client testified.

Kelly's crisis manager, Darrell Johnson, says ... "Mr. Kelly feels like the devil is working overtime in effort to try to destroy his musical legacy for selfish, personal enrichment. We feel everything will line up right on track when it is all said and done."

Jenelle Evans and her husband, David Eason, showed up in court Thursday to fight a judge's order that removed her 3 kids from the family home. About 15 minutes before Jenelle and David left, several kids with blankets over their heads were placed in a CPS vehicle and driven away.

Jenelle and David were in no mood to speak as they left the courthouse in Columbus County, North Carolina.

As we reported ... Ensley was the last of Jenelle's 3 kids to be removed from the home she shares with David. Ensley was removed just days after a judge ordered that 4-year-old Kaiser be removed from the home and 9-year-old Jace as well. Jenelle has visitation rights with Jace -- her mother, Barbara, has custody -- but the judge doesn't want Jace near Jenelle's home.

The removal came on the heels of CPS launching an investigation after David brutally killed their dog ... after it nipped at Ensley.

Our sources say as of Wednesday Jenelle was still living with David. She is not the target of the CPS probe ... it's all about David and his violent temper.

11:36 AM PT -- A family source tells us Ensley is "out of the house."

Jenelle Evans and David Eason's 2-year-old daughter, Ensley, is at risk ... at least that's how a North Carolina judge sees it, and has now taken action in the wake of David killing the family dog.

Law enforcement sources tell us the Dept. of Social Services -- which includes CPS -- served a judge's order Tuesday directed at Jenelle and David.

As we reported, CPS was in the process of removing Ensley from the family home -- and she might be gone already, but we haven't been able to confirm that.

This follows the stay-away orders imposed on two of Jenelle's other kids, 9-year-old Jace and 4-year-old Kaiser. Jace is currently with Jenelle's mom, Barbara ... while Kaiser is with his father's family.

CPS has had its concerns about all of the children ever since learning David brutally killed their dog when it nipped the little girl a couple of weeks ago.

There were delays in getting the children, though, because the agencies were afraid to go on Jenelle and David's property due to David's violent history.

Kylie Jenner is officially trying to get her hands on just about everything under the sun ... filing docs to take over the hair industry.

Jenner has applied for a trademark for "Kylie Hair" -- a line to include hair care products -- shampoos, conditioners, oils, gels, mousse and dye. Kylie's plans don't just stop at what to put in your hair, she's also trying to lock down products to style it too ... dryers, curling irons and brushes.

Kylie's older sister, Kendall, also recently filed docs to trademark bags, clothing and hair accessories under her own name.

Kylie Cosmetics is already a giant brand -- it's made her a billionaire -- and Kylie Skin is set to be a massive success as well.

TMZ broke the story, Kylie filed to trademark "Kylie Baby" earlier this week ... a line to include strollers, cribs, bouncers, bottles and a whole lot more.

The Kylie Empire continues to spread its wings.

NBA legend Paul Pierce is being sued over an altercation with a security guard in the stands at the Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov fight ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The man behind the suit is Christopher Mostello -- who was working security at the T-Mobile Arena on Oct. 6, 2018, for UFC 229 when he got called over by a supervisor to respond to an incident involving Pierce.

Mostello claims he rushed over and was told Pierce had gotten aggressive and physical with the security supervisor -- a woman -- because she had asked for his ticket before allowing him back to his seat.

Mostello claims he was told Pierce grabbed the woman by the arms and pushed her to the side -- so he stepped in front of Paul to try and stop him.

But, Mostello claims Paul didn't stop -- instead Paul screamed "F*ck you" and accused Mostello of being a racist.

Footage of the altercation was captured by other fans in the stands and posted on TMZ Sports -- where you can clearly hear Pierce call the man a racist.

Mostello claims he's NOT a racist -- and he only engaged Pierce in the capacity of doing his job.

Now, Mostello claims his reputation has taken a serious hit and he's been subjected to public embarrassment, harassment and ridicule.

In the suit, filed by attorney Jesse Sbaih, Mostello accuses Pierce of defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He's demanding more than $15,000 in damages plus attorney's fees and other costs.

Britney Spears ex-manager isn't letting a little restraining order stop him from sounding off about her conservatorship ... and Sam Lutfi firmly believes she's getting closer to freedom.

Lutfi walked into LAX Tuesday and was immediately peppered with questions about his former client and her conservatorship. As you know, Britney was in court last week asking a judge to give her more control of her life. Although the judge denied her, for now, Lutfi says he thinks it's just a matter of time.

As for the restraining order -- which requires him to stay 200 yards away from Britney and her family -- Lutfi insinuates here that Brit's dad, Jamie Spears, got it simply because he has a "personal" beef with him.

It's no secret ... Britney's family blames Lutfi for taking her down a bad path back in 2008 when she spiraled out of control and had her breakdown.

But, watch the video ... Lutfi is under the impression that, these days, he and Lynne Spears just might be on the same page when it comes to Britney's well-being.

As Britney's camp stated in the restraining order ... they believe Lutfi's been a key figure in stirring up the #FreeBritney campaign. He certainly seems to be leading the cheers in this clip.

Nipsey Hussle's family and the woman who gave birth to his daughter had an emotional showdown in court ... which left his baby mama in tears.

Nipsey's sister, Samantha Smith, and his brother, Blacc Sam, appeared in L.A. County Superior Court Tuesday for a hearing on the guardianship of the rapper's 10-year-old daughter, Emani Asghedom. Emani's mother, Tanisha, was at the hearing as well and broke down crying when she saw her daughter for the first time in what she said was months.

The courtroom was cleared for 20 minutes while Tanisha and Emani spent some time together. However, the hearing was pushed until Friday when a final decision is to be made on custody and finances.

We broke the story ... Samantha filed legal docs requesting guardianship last month because our sources say she believes the child's biological mother is unable to care for her.

Nipsey took care of Emani before he was killed, but Samantha says she's helped raise her too and is seeking legal guardianship "to ensure the continued stability for Emani and ensure that she will be able to maintain her current and ongoing relationship" with their family.

Nipsey's brother, Blacc Sam, has also filed a declaration in support of Samantha getting guardianship of their niece. Meanwhile, Sam's in a legal fight of his own to take control of his brother's estate ... including $2 million worth of assets.

As you know ... Nipsey was gunned down on March 31 outside his Marathon Clothing store in Los Angeles. The suspected murderer, Eric Holder, pled not guilty in April ... but he needs a new lawyer after Christopher Darden quit the case.

Elon Musk says the British diver he referred to as "pedo guy" already got an apology and wasn't harmed by the comment ... but he claims the guy's still milking it for a payday.

According to new legal docs ... Musk's attorney, Alex Spiro, says Vernon Unsworth was a nobody until he got himself involved in the effort to save the 12 boys and their soccer coach who were trapped in a Thailand cave last year. He adds that Unsworth ignited a feud with Musk by attacking and ridiculing the tech mogul for his efforts to help.

The Tesla honcho admits he responded poorly to Unsworth's insults with the "pedo" tweet, but he immediately took it down and retracted it publicly.

He also says Unsworth's reputation didn't take a hit, and in fact ... he actually got good publicity from the media, AND the Queen of England made him a member of the Order of the British Empire for his help in the rescue.

Spiro says in docs, Unsworth suing him for defamation is nothing more than a "devious desire to milk the media coverage over what he instigated to reap a financial windfall from Mr. Musk, despite the absence of any injury."

Tiger Woods is breaking his silence on a lawsuit that claims his restaurant is responsible for a man's death ... telling media members Tuesday, "It was a terrible, terrible night."

We broke the story ... the parents of Nicholas Immesberger just filed a lawsuit claiming their son was overserved booze at Tiger's, The Woods, restaurant in Jupiter, Florida ... and they say that led to his 2018 drunk driving death.

Tiger was asked about the incident during his PGA Championship press conference ... and Woods said, "We're all very sad that Nick passed away. It was a terrible, terrible night."

"A terrible ending and just we feel bad for him and his entire family. It's very sad."

24-year-old Immesberger worked as a bartender for the restaurant ... and his parents say he knew Tiger personally. In fact, they claim it was Tiger's girlfriend -- restaurant general manager Erica Herman -- who recruited him herself.

According to the suit, Immesberger finished a shift on Dec. 10, 2018 -- but stayed at the restaurant for hours where he was served alcohol to the point of "severe intoxication" before he was sent out to his car to drive home.

Immesberger crashed on his drive home and died in the accident. His blood alcohol level was a .256, more than 3 times the legal limit.

Now, at a press conference of their own Tuesday morning ... an attorney for Immesberger's estate and his parents believe Woods' restaurant DESTROYED video evidence showing Nick drinking at the bar for hours after his shift.

Immesberger's attorneys want Tiger, Erica and The Woods restaurant to be held responsible for the tragedy ... saying they all personally knew Immesberger had a problem with alcohol but allowed him to be overserved anyway.

Anthony Weiner is officially a free man, after doing the remainder of his time at a halfway house for prison inmates ... and he's elated.

The disgraced former Congressman walked out of a residential re-entry center in NYC Tuesday morning, where he's been since February after transferring there from a Massachusetts federal prison.

Weiner, who was barely holding back a smile, said it's good to be out, adding ... "I hope to be able to live a life of integrity and service. I'm glad this chapter of my life is behind me."

Now that he's free, Weiner will be under supervised released for 3 years and will have to register as a sex offender. He's also on the hook for a $10k fine.

Stan Lee's former business partner and friend has been charged with several counts of elder abuse.

Keya Morgan was charged Friday in Los Angeles court with 5 separate counts of elder abuse ... charging docs state the incident happened in June of 2018. We've learned a judge also issued a warrant for Morgan's arrest.

It was back in July when Lee's legal team filed docs requesting a restraining order against Morgan. In the docs, Stan's attorneys claimed Morgan mishandled more than $5 million of Stan's money and he had suffered severe physical and emotional injuries because of Morgan. The docs also claimed Keya tried to isolate Stan from his family and moved him to an undisclosed location.

The order was eventually granted by a judge.

At the time, Morgan told us, "For over 10 years I have shown nothing but love, respect & kindness to Stan Lee, & his wife, a fact he has repeated countless times."

He continued, "This is a witchhunt by his daughter and her lawyer against me because she cannot stand the fact Stan likes me so much. I will 100% prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the allegations against me are false. The truth will come out."

Remy Ma and Safaree derailed a benefit concert after allegedly breaking 2 simple rules -- but it's enough to get 'em sued.

The Circle Foundation -- which mentors Chicago-area youths -- is suing the rappers, saying they signed to perform at a fundraising concert back on April 21, 2018, at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago. According to docs, obtained by TMZ, the Foundation was forced to cancel the show after the rappers breached their contracts.

The Foundation claims their contracts specifically stated Remy and Safaree could NOT perform within 60 miles of the arena for 30 days before the event. It's called a "performance exclusivity" clause, and it's a common practice promoters use to make sure their concerts remain in hot demand.

In the suit, the Foundation says the rappers agreed and signed the deal ... with Remy getting a $35k deposit payment and Safaree getting $7,250.

The problem, according to the docs, is Remy performed on April 8 at the Black Women's Expo in Chicago -- and Safaree played the Rockin' Horse Saloon & Grill on April 14 in a Chicago suburb.

As a result, The Circle Foundation says it asked Remy and Safaree to return the dough but got the cold shoulder. It's now suing to get its money back, plus damages.

Remy's attorney Eric Sanders tells us she is "unaware of any purported legal action filed but, if such action is initiated she will respond accordingly."

R. Kelly's ongoing criminal case and assortment of legal issues aren't stopping him from getting action ... at least according to several callers who want it to be known.

Sources close to the case tell TMZ ... the hotline Kim Foxx set up in January for the Cook County State's Attorney's Office -- so alleged Kelly victims could report their claims -- is being exploited by folks who want to report something else -- their sexual experiences with him.

We're told the hotline has gotten dozens of calls from mostly women, who phone in to inform prosecutors they slept with Kelly ... with some bragging about it or detailing multiple trysts.

Our sources say some men called in as well ... to gossip about women they know that allegedly banged Kelly.

We're told the volume of calls coming in from people with R. Kelly sex stories has been staggering to some involved with the case, but at the end of the day ... they are irrelevant.

Obviously, a person can have lots of consensual sex and still be guilty of sexual assault charges. Still, it's just another strange and unexpected aspect of Kelly's ongoing legal drama.

As we reported ... he just avoided another trip to jail by ponying up the back child support he owed his ex-wife Wednesday, and he's getting a do-over in a sexual abuse lawsuit he initially lost by not responding.

Of course, all of this is going down as he waits to stand trial on 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse involving underage girls.