Fairly Legal

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.

Michael Jordan's racing team is suing NASCAR and its CEO, Jim France ... alleging the guy and his organization are "monopolistic bullies."

His Airness' 23XI Racing -- along with Front Row Motorsports -- filed the lawsuit in federal court in North Carolina on Wednesday ... after the two teams say they refused to sign updated pacts with NASCAR over "unfair terms."

In the suit, the teams said they wanted more when it came time to extend their charter agreements beyond 2024 -- namely, a bigger piece of the revenue pie -- but France and NASCAR wouldn't budge.

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."

Kanye West stiffed a security guard out of his wages while he was keeping watch over Yeezy's multi-million dollar mansion in Malibu, and then handed the guy a pink slip when he made a fuss ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

Kanye is being sued by a man named Jonathan Monroe, who claims Ye hired him as a full-time security guard back in August 2021 and promised him $30 an hour to protect the Malibu home Kanye gutted during an ill-fated construction project.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Monroe claims he worked 36 to 50 hours a week until he was fired in October 2021, without being paid any of his wages.

Diddy is assembling a legal dream team, Britney Spears is recalling a near accident and Pete Rose is being remembered ... all this on today's TMZ TV Hot Takes.

First up on "TMZ Live," Harvey and Charles explain why Diddy is beefing up his legal team in an effort to get out of jail.

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.

Sarah Hyland is cutting out her former manager from his cut of her "Modern Family" paychecks ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

The "Modern Family" star is being sued by Richard Konigsberg, who claims he served as her personal and professional manager for 15 years and helped her land her breakthrough role on the hit sitcom.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Richard says Sarah unceremoniously fired him in April in what he believes is an attempt to get out of paying him his 10% commission on a couple lucrative projects he helped Sarah land.

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.

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.

Blac Chyna is being dragged to court by her ex, George Clooney is hyping up his wife, and Scottie Pippen is planning a Chicago Bulls documentary ... all this on today's TMZ TV Hot Takes.

First up on "TMZ Live," Harvey and Charles break down the new lawsuit against Chyna, which includes her ex claiming she beat the crap out of him while he was sleeping in their bed.

A restraining order requested against TikTok star OnlyJayus has been dissolved ... and it's the result of her ex not showing up for the court hearing, TMZ has learned.

We broke the news that Brittany Lee Dejardo was seeking court-ordered protection against Isabella Avila, AKA OnlyJayus ... claiming her ex kept coming around her home, was verbally abusive, and allegedly used her massive social media accounts to berate her.

Brittany beelined it to court earlier this month and asked a judge for a temporary restraining order ... but that was dismissed Thursday.

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."