Fairly Legal

Susan Smith may've given a tearful plea before being denied parole this week, but many are left unconvinced she's completely changed her ways ... including yet another one of her former prison guards who knew her well behind bars.

Felicia Mungo, a former guard at Camille Graham Correctional Center in South Carolina, tells TMZ ... she isn't sold on Susan's tears, explaining to us that she felt the weeping during the hearing was a bit "disingenuous."

For those unfamiliar, Susan was arrested in 1994 after strapping her sons -- Michael, who was 3 years old,  and Alex, who was 14 months old -- into their car seats before pushing their vehicle into a nearby lake. She was convicted in 1995 and sentenced to life with the possibility of parole ... which she was first eligible for this week.

The guy who's hawking a Kim Porter book allegedly based on her diary is taking shots at her in his legal battle with Diddy and Kim's sons ... and telling the boys to screw off.

Courtney Burgess and his attorney Ariel Mitchell fired off a nasty response to Christian and Quincy Combs after the brothers sent Burgess and Mitchell a cease-and-desist over the alleged Porter tell-all.

In the legal response, obtained by TMZ, Burgess and Mitchell take issue with Christian and Quincy claiming he is trying to capitalize on Kim's hard-earned fame by selling "Kim Porter Tell It All" ... they say Kim was not an actor or entertainer and her fame was solely tied to being Diddy's "long time paramour."

Caleb Kennedy's working on new tracks ahead of his upcoming 8-year prison sentence ... and, his lawyer says he's hopeful the 20-year-old will still be able to pursue a career in music when he gets out.

We spoke with attorney Ryan Beasley, who tells us his client's been writing songs over the last few years ... adding that -- when all of this is behind him -- he's hopeful Caleb will find success in the industry.

As we told you ... Caleb was sentenced to 8 years -- 5 years in prison, 3 years of home detention -- followed by 5 years' probation. He will also have to go to counseling and fulfill other requirements as well.

Kanye West made a music video shoot more like a porn set ... according to model Jenn An, who claims he made her gag and choked her until she blacked out.

Jenn, who appeared in cycle 13 of "America's Next Top Model," filed a federal lawsuit against West, alleging the 2010 shoot for his and La Roux's "In For the Kill" music video took a horrible turn after he picked her out of a lineup of women.

He allegedly said, "Give me the Asian girl" ... and then started filming a scene at NYC's Chelsea Hotel which she found humiliating and dangerous.

Diddy's family is supporting him in court as he tries to get out of jail, while he awaits trial in his criminal case ... with 6 of his children making the trip to a packed Manhattan federal courtroom today.

Sarah Chapman, who shares a daughter with Diddy, was the first one to walk in ... with their daughter Chance not far behind in a second group of family members.

Also accompanying Chance ... Diddy's 17-year-old twin daughters, Jesse and D'Lila, who he had with the late Kim Porter. Quincy Brown, Kim's son who Diddy adopted, also walked in with Diddy's daughters.

Caleb Kennedy -- the former "American Idol" finalist who was arrested after a fatal DUI crash in 2022 -- has been sentenced to 8 years ... TMZ has confirmed.

Kennedy, who appeared on season 19 of the hit singing show, pled guilty to a felony driving under the influence where death results charge earlier this week. He'll also pay a fine of just more than $15K.

The 20-year-old singer will serve 5 years behind bars before serving the next 3 years in home detention. He's also required to serve 5 years of probation after his release, attend mental health and substance abuse counseling, and undergo random drug and alcohol testing.

9:46 AM PT -- Conor McGregor tells TMZ Sports ... he is planning to appeal Friday's decision.

In a statement, the UFC superstar said, "The judge's instruction and the modest award given was for assault, there was not an award for aggravated or exemplary damages. I am disappointed that the jury did not hear all the evidence that the DPP reviewed."

He added, "I am with my family, focused on my future."

Conor McGregor has lost his civil rape case in Ireland ... a jury just found him liable for assault.

Dee Devlin -- Conor McGregor's longtime partner -- showed up to an Ireland court on Friday to support the UFC superstar as he continues to fend off a sexual assault lawsuit.

The 36-year-old fighter has been facing his accuser, a judge and a jury in the civil case throughout November... as a trial over the allegations first began back on the fifth.

The case centers around a woman, Nikita Ni Lamhain, who alleges McGregor and another man had sex with her against her will following a holiday party back in 2018.

One of the three men charged with selling the drugs that killed rapper Mac Miller has been released from federal prison, TMZ has learned.

According to a rep for the Bureau of Prisons ... Cameron James Pettit was sprung from the Federal Correctional Institution Mendota, California, on October 11 after he was arrested in 2019 and charged with conspiring to distribute controlled substances resulting in death. His two co-defendants, Stephen Walter, and Ryan Reavis, were also busted and indicted on the same federal charges.

Under a plea agreement with prosecutors, Walter and Reavis each copped to one count of distribution of fentanyl and were sentenced to around 17 years and 11 years behind bars, respectively.

The Osundairo brothers -- the two men who helped Jussie Smollett stage his hate crime hoax -- say they were taken aback ... not by his conviction being overturned, but because he never copped to what he did.

Abel and Ola sat down for an interview on "Fox & Friends" Friday morning ... and, they were asked about their thoughts on the Illinois State Supreme Court throwing out Jussie's conviction.

The two bros say they were taken by surprise initially ... 'cause, even though they understand Jussie has due process rights, he never actually admitted to his role in the hate crime hoax.

Jonathan Majors' legal drama with his ex, Grace Jabbari, is over ... 'cause she just dropped her defamation and assault lawsuit -- and, she can't bring it again.

According to documents filed Thursday, the parties filed a stipulation stating "all claims against Defendant in the above-captioned action are hereby dismissed with prejudice."

Basically, Grace agreed to drop the claims in her lawsuit ... and, by dismissing them with prejudice, it means they can’t be filed again.

Jesse James and his estranged wife, former porn star Bonnie Rotten, are getting a divorce ... and they are accusing each other of domestic abuse.

James -- Sandra Bullock's ex-husband -- filed for the restraining order Wednesday in response to Rotten's divorce petition and her own TRO request ... and he's asking the court to keep Rotten 100 feet from him and their child until a custody hearing can be held.

In the docs, James says the two married back in June 2022 ... but claims a few months before that, Bonnie -- real name Alaina Hicks -- attacked him and tried to break his finger.

Kim Foxx is feeling vindicated by the Illinois State Supreme Court's decision to overturn Jussie Smollett's conviction ... saying she still believes her office made the right call by offering him a plea deal.

The Cook County State's Attorney joined us on "TMZ Live" for an interview Thursday -- hours after Illinois' Supreme Court overturned Jussie's conviction because he agreed to a plea deal two years earlier -- and, she says she's not surprised by the court's decision.

Foxx says she took criminal procedure during her first year of law school ... so she understands double jeopardy -- and knew immediately Jussie's conviction in 2021 would be overturned.

Jussie Smollett's guilty in his hate crime hoax case, but the Illinois Supreme Court was still right to overturn his conviction ... at least according to the Osundairo brothers, whose testimony was critical in convincing a jury to convict him.

Abel and Ola's attorney, Gloria V. Rodriguez, tells TMZ ... the Osundairos respect the court's decision to reverse Jussie's conviction because the case was more about Jussie's deal with prosecutors than his innocence or guilt.

The brothers say the jury got it right when they returned a guilty verdict against Jussie ... and Abel and Ola stand by their sworn testimony.

The lawyer representing more than 120 alleged victims of Diddy has now himself been sued for assault ... TMZ has learned.

A woman, suing as Jane Doe, claims to have been a former client of Tony Buzbee. She has filed a lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, in which she alleges the attorney assaulted her while repping her in a divorce case.

The documents do not lay out specifics of the alleged assault, but a source connected to the woman tells TMZ ... she is alleging she was in a public place when Buzbee saw her, flew into a "fit of rage" and allegedly pushed a champagne flute into her face, chipping her tooth. She says she has both medical and dental records to prove her injuries.

Cuba Gooding Jr. understands what Jussie Smollett went through in his ongoing ordeal with the justice system after the Illinois State Supreme Court's ruling today ... pointing out how celebrities endure sensationalized treatment in the public eye.

The controversial actor stopped by "TMZ Live" Thursday to discuss Jussie Smollett's conviction being overturned today ... and, Cuba says Smollett's experience shows the climate we're in today.

Gooding adds he knows how tough it is to go into a courthouse as a celebrity ... pointing to the intense public reaction to every twist and turn of a trial before a final outcome is delivered, and in its aftermath.