Brian Banks Denies Sexual Assault Claims Evidence Proves Allegations False

11:57 AM PT -- A rep for Banks tells TMZ Sports the allegations are simply not true -- adding, "Evidence exists that proves this false."

Ex-NFL player Brian Banks -- who was famously exonerated in a previous rape case -- is facing new allegations of sexual assault in a lawsuit ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Banks is being sued by a woman who claims the former Atlanta Falcons player hired her to clean his apartment in Feb. 2018 -- and while she went to work, he pulled out his penis and started masturbating in front of her.

In her suit, the woman claims Banks showed her porn on his computer and asked her to join in -- and when she refused, he got up and started forcing himself on her.

The woman claims Banks forcefully kissed her breasts and began groping her butt. She also claims Banks forced her to touch his penis while she "repeatedly" asked Banks to stop and let her go.

Eventually, the woman left -- and now she claims she was so traumatized, she can no longer clean homes out of fear she might be assaulted or raped.

She's suing Banks for $10 MILLION for assault, battery, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

We reached out to Banks for comment -- so far, no word back.

Brian's story is famous -- he was a high school football phenom when a classmate accused of him of rape in 2002. He eventually served 5 YEARS in prison.

But, after he was released, the accuser admitted she LIED -- and a judge overturned the conviction in 2012.

Banks resumed his football career and even signed a contract with the Falcons in 2013.

His story is being made into a movie that is scheduled to premiere in August 2019.

Robert Kraft Masseuses Claim Cops Leaked Naked Spa Video

The two women accused of running the Orchids of Asia Day Spa claim Florida officials have leaked the naked surveillance video of Robert Kraft ... and they want the leakers punished ASAP.

The lawyers for Hua Zhang and Lei Wang have filed new court documents calling for emergency action after new reports say the unblurred Kraft spa video is being shopped to various media outlets.

In court docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, the women claim the only agencies that had access to the video were the Jupiter P.D. and the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office.

The women claim the "logical conclusion" is that someone in one of those groups is responsible for the leak.

The leak would constitute a violation of the court order barring officials from releasing the video -- and the women want the judge to hold groups in criminal contempt.

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THE CASE AGAINST KRAFT
WPTV

The women claim release of the video would "egregiously jeopardize their rights to a fair trial." Kraft has previously argued the same point.

Unclear if/when a judge will rule on this issue -- but it should happen soon.

There's been a war over the video -- multiple media outlets have argued that officials are obligated to release the footage. Kraft, along with Wang and Zhang, claims the footage was obtained illegally and if released would taint potential jurors.

A judge is expected to rule on the release of a blurred version of the footage before the end of the month.

WWE's Lana Leaked Sex Tape Is NOT Her!

The leaked sex tape allegedly featuring WWE superstar Lana is NOT her -- sources connected to the wrestler tell TMZ Sports.

Multiple reports surfaced Thursday that Lana's personal Snapchat page was hacked -- with some scumbag leaking a private sex tape from the account in an attempt to publicly embarrass her.

But fortunately, sources close to Lana tell us she's adamant she's NOT in the video -- and neither is her WWE superstar husband, Rusev.

In fact, we're told the Snapchat account that published the video does NOT belong to Lana -- though, it was intentionally created to look like it does.

There's a female voice in the sex video -- but as one Lana source puts it, "The voice in the clip is clearly not her."

Bottom line -- sorry, perverts ... not this time.

We're told the WWE is investigating the situation.

Robert Kraft Prosecutors Won't Give Up Spa Video Evidence

Patriots owner Robert Kraft isn't buying what prosecutors are selling when it comes to the video police secretly recorded inside the Orchids of Asia Day Spa -- and ultimately it could determine if the video is ever released to the public.

Kraft filed a request for prosecutors to hand over all evidence about the "number of individuals who were recorded on video in the massage rooms while receiving lawful massages or were not charged."

Translation: How many innocents were caught in the crossfire during the 5 days cops continuously recorded video inside all the rooms at the spa?

Well, in docs obtained by TMZ, the prosecutors say Jupiter PD recorded 2 men and 2 women on January 20 and 21 who received "lawful massages."

TMZ broke the story ... prosecutors and Jupiter PD are now being sued by one man who says he was recorded in the spa, but did not engage in any sexual activity while there. He believes his civil rights were violated, and his attorney, Joe Tacopina, tells us his client isn't the only one. Tacopina says he's spoken to 17 people who went to the spa on the up and up during the time cops were recording.

Kraft's legal team also seems to think prosecutors are lowballing the number of people recorded getting legit massages. They're now demanding the state reveal how many people were recorded but "were not charged."

Kraft believes police had no right to record video inside the spa. If they recorded scores of innocent people it could help his argument the video should not be released to the public. There's a hearing next week to determine whether that happens.

Chris Hardwick Calls BS on $606K Podcast Lawsuit You Owe ME Millions!!!

9:20 PM PT -- Hardwick's attorney just fired back at Cadence13, telling us, "Cadence13 is the only party in breach - the company owes Chris $3 million - and filing this lawsuit is their last ditch, desperate attempt to try and avoid fulfilling their obligations to pay him."

Chris' lawyer continues, "The truth is that Chris has delivered over 30 podcast episodes since October 2018 and hasn't been paid a dime, while Cadence13 has collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in ad revenue during that period."

In an interesting twist ... Hardwick's attorney says, "There is extraordinary irony in the fact that the law firm representing C13 in this action is the same one which conducted a comprehensive investigation and exonerated Chris of the baseless allegations (of emotional and sexual abuse) referenced in the filing."

"Chris and his team will take all appropriate steps to recover the millions of dollars which C13 contractually owes him."

Chris Hardwick is being accused of bowing out of a deal to produce a weekly podcast and failing to pay back the rest of his $1 million cash advance ... this according to a new lawsuit.

In legal docs, obtained by TMZ, podcast company Cadence13 claims Chris signed a two-year deal in early 2018 to create four podcasts per month ... but the company claims Chris stopped making new episodes in June of last year after an actress accused him of emotional and sexual abuse.

As we've reported ... Chris' ex-girlfriend, Chloe Dykstra, accused him of sexual and emotional abuse during their relationship. Hardwick denied the accusations.

In the suit, Chris' podcast partner claims it paid the comedian $1 million in advances, but claims he's yet to pay the full amount back after stopping his weekly "ID10T" podcast.

According to the docs, Cadence13 says it recouped about $394K in ad revenue -- but they're still going after for him the remaining $606K.

NYC Anchor David Ushery Check Out My 'Doggystyle' Snafu ... Co-Anchor Loses it!!!

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DOGGONE MISTAKE
WNBC

NBC4's David Ushery must have been listening to Snoop Dogg on his way into work today ... otherwise, he's got some explaining to do about this slip of the tongue on-air.

The NYC anchor was reporting Tuesday morning about a dog that was rescued 135 miles off the coast of Thailand. What David meant to say was "doggy paddle" ... but what came out of his mouth was a bit more, um ... sexual.

Check out the flub ... his co-anchor Stacey Bell's reaction says it all.

Bell couldn't stifle her laughter for long ... and Ushery knew he was screwed. To his credit, he owned it and made the situation even more hilarious with a perfect joke to wrap it up ... and through their LOL'ing they managed to get to a commercial.

Trained professionals.

Robert Kraft Day Spa Customer Sues Cops for Violation of Civil Rights ... You Had No Right to Videotape Me!

The Jupiter Police Dept. and Palm Beach prosecutors are being sued by a patron at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa ... claiming the secret videotaping inside the spa is a gross violation of the customer's federal civil rights.

The lawsuit was filed anonymously -- listing the plaintiff as John Doe. Doe was not charged with a criminal offense like Robert Kraft, but he was at the spa during the period where video cameras were rolling in every room. Doe says in the suit he did not engage in any sexual activity in the spa.

The lawsuit describes a crazy way in which the cameras were installed. According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, the Jupiter PD staged a false "suspicious package" warning on January 18 that triggered an evacuation of the spa. While everyone was outside, cops came in and installed secret cameras in the private rooms. Doe went in the next day to receive a massage.

Doe says in the lawsuit, filed by top attorney Joe Tacopina, that the secret recordings violate his civil rights ... especially since everything he did was on the up and up.

Doe claims the risk the videos will become public is high, because of the celebrities who have been snared in the case.

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THE CASE AGAINST KRAFT
WPTV

The lawsuit also says the cops were sleazy in the way they investigated ... sometimes following patrons who drove away and stopping them for minor traffic violations and grilling them about what went on inside the spa. The suit claims cops also rifled through trash to find napkins and tissues with semen.

He wants damages and an injunction, ordering authorities to destroy all videotapes.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court and Tacopina tells TMZ a dozen other plaintiffs will follow suit and this will become a class action.

Michigan Gymnastics Coach Sex Arrest Caught On Video ... 'This Is Awkward'

TMZ Sports has obtained police footage of the moment cops busted U. of Michigan gymnastics coach Scott Vetere for banging one of his gymnasts in public ... AND IT'S SUPER AWKWARD!!!

First off, police HEAVILY pixilated the video before they released it (you watching, Robert Kraft?) ... but you can still make out every bizarre moment ... from the second the cop arrives to the scene.

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THE AWKWARD POLICE VIDEO
TMZSports.com

It all went down in October when someone called the Ann Arbor Police Dept. to report two people having sex in a car in the middle of the day in a public parking lot.

You can hear the cop bang on the car door to announce his arrival -- and he tells the couple, "Well, this is awkward. Clothes please."

The officer proceeds to lecture the 39-year-old coach and the 18-year-old female student -- telling them how dumb their actions were.

"Do we even need to have a talk right now? Everything's crystal clear?" One officer tells Vetere ... "There's a lot I could say right now, and I'm not even sure that there's a point to it."

Both the woman and Vetere -- who was the 2000 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year back in the day --were hit with disorderly conduct charges for the incident.

Vetere later resigned from his coaching position at UM and left the school. He reached an agreement with prosecutors last month ... and got his charge reduced to a civil infraction. He paid off a fine and now the case is closed.

But, the best part of the video might be the end ... when the officer sends Vetere on his way and says, "You know what? Forgive me if we don't shake hands."

HA!!!

R. Kelly Feds Turn Up Heat in His Own Backyard ... Over Alleged Sex Trafficking

R. Kelly's virtually getting smoked out by the feds in his own backyard as prosecutors frantically look to interview Kelly's associates in connection with their sex trafficking investigation.

Sources close to the case tell TMZ ... federal prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois this week contacted parties closely associated with Kelly. We're told there was a sense of urgency to the calls ... prosecutors wanted to speak to them ASAP.

As you know ... there are 2 separate U.S. Attorney probes into Kelly -- one by the Eastern District of NY and another by the Southern District. Our sources tell us the Northern District of Illinois' investigation is unrelated to either of those other cases. This appears to be a third and entirely separate case that Illinois is building against Kelly.

Either way, it's bad news for him ... the feds are now in Kelly's own backyard looking into the singer. BTW ... Homeland Security is also looking into possible human trafficking ... so things are really piling on for Kelly.

We've reached out to the Northern District of Illinois for comment ... a spokesperson declined to comment.

Robert Kraft Lawyers Fight Spa Video Release ... Prosecutors Admit 'No Trafficking'

10:30 AM PT -- Prosecutors admitted during the hearing that despite their initial thoughts ... they have NO evidence of human trafficking at the Orchids of Asia spa. They also said there is no longer an ongoing investigation for any such evidence.

Kraft's attorneys have long argued cops knew all along there was no evidence of human trafficking.

The hearing is getting heated ... with Kraft's team insisting prosecutors are holding the threat of releasing the surveillance videos "like a sword" over Kraft's head ... in order to force him into taking a plea deal.

Robert Kraft's legal team marched into a Palm Beach County courthouse Friday morning prepared for war -- gearing up to argue why the Asian Spa video should NOT be released to the public.

Attorneys Alex Spiro (left), Jack Goldberger (center) and William Burck (right) arrived at the courthouse early Friday morning for the case with their game faces on.

As we previously reported, Kraft's team has been fighting like hell to keep the surveillance videos under wraps out of fear it could hamper his chances of getting a fair trial.

Several media outlets have filed court docs in the hopes of getting access to the video -- but Kraft thinks the judge has a duty to block it.

Cops say they recorded graphic footage of Kraft (and other men) inside the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida in January showing the 77-year-old receiving sex acts in exchange for money.

Kraft argued in several motions that the videos should NOT be released to the public ... saying they were not only obtained illegally -- but they'd do "irreparable harm" if they got out.

The judge is currently hearing arguments from both sides.

Originally Published -- 8:54 AM PT

Robert Kraft Releasing Spa Video Would Ruin Shot at Fair Trial

Robert Kraft is redoubling his efforts to block officials from releasing explicit video from inside the Orchids of Asia Day Spa ... claiming once the video's out, his shot at a fair trial goes kaput.

In new court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, Kraft's attorneys argue releasing the video -- which allegedly shows Kraft receiving sex acts -- would inflict "irreparable harm on Mr. Kraft before essential legal determinations and proceedings can run their course."

In other words, Kraft knows EVERYONE would watch the video and it would be impossible to get an impartial jury if the case goes to trial.

"If released, these ... videos are guaranteed to be broadcast all around the world, thereafter making it virtually impossible for Mr. Kraft to obtain a fair trial."

Kraft also argues that releasing the video would cause harm to the masseuses -- whom officials say might be victims of a sexual offense. In essence, Kraft claims he wants to protect them too.

As we've previously reported, Kraft also believes the videos were illegally obtained because cops had no right to put hidden cameras into private massage rooms.

But, Florida officials beg to differ in new court docs ... saying there was an abundance of information on easy to find "Rub and Tug" online message boards justifying their sting operation on the Orchids of Asia Day Spa.

Officials say they found a TON of online reviews of the spa in which men bragged about getting sex services there.

And then, there's this ...

"The website Rubmaps.com is a forum based website which allows customers, which appeared to be all men from the reading of reviews, to post about their sexual experiences. There were specific postings with regards to the Orchids of Asia Day Spa."

Ex-'Smallville' Star Allison Mack Pleads Guilty in Sex Cult Case ... Facing Up to 40 years

10:47 AM PT -- The U.S. Attorney's office tells TMZ Mack is facing up to 40 years, 20 for each count.

Former "Smallville" star Allison Mack just entered a guilty plea to racketeering charges in her sex cult case ... and all signs point to her cutting a deal with prosecutors.

Mack, who starred as Chloe Sullivan on "Smallville," appeared in a Brooklyn courtroom Monday and pled guilty to 2 counts ... racketeering conspiracy and racketeering. Prosecutors say she was the pimp for the sex cult.

In court she sobbed and said, "I must take full responsibility for my conduct. I am very sorry for my role in this case. I am very sorry to my family and to the good people I hurt through my misguided adherence to [NXIVM leader] Keith Raniere’s teachings.”

It's unclear what the terms of Mack's deal are -- she had initially pled not guilty when she was indicted on sex trafficking charges for her role in running the sex cult led by Raniere. Prosecutors say she recruited and directed women, including other actresses, to have sex with Raniere, who was also busted.

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THE ARREST
Frank Parlato

You'll recall ... Mack was on the scene last March in Mexico when cops took Raniere into custody in Puerta Vallarta, where he was hiding out.

Mack was later arrested and extradited to the U.S., where she was outfitted with a GPS ankle monitor as a term of her bail.

Originally Published -- 10:19 AM PT

Mally Mall Accused of Human Trafficking ... By Nevada Prostitute

Mally Mall has been accused in a civil lawsuit of running a major sex/human trafficking operation out of Vegas.

The lawsuit was filed by 3 Nevada prostitutes, who are asking a judge to declare the State's prostitution law unconstitutional on grounds it violates the 13th Amendment which prohibits slavery.

The lawsuit was widely covered when it was filed several weeks ago, but buried in the documents are allegations against the famed record producer. One of the prostitutes who filed the case claims in 2006 she responded to an ad for a job posting by one of Mally Mall's employees.

The company was VIP Entertainment based in Dallas. She claims this is just one of a number of shell companies Mally Mall used to disguise escort services.

She says she was trafficked across state lines and came to Vegas to work as a prostitute for the company.

The woman says Mally Mall used "methods of fraud" to entice women into working for him by saying the work was glamorous and they were like Playboy Bunnies and he was like Hugh Hefner. She says she was also "forced" to perform oral sex on him.

She says initially she was allowed to keep 30% of the money she earned but eventually she had to give up 100% to Mally. She says she was booked to travel to Chicago and Boston for sex, where she was only given a small allowance to cover food and hotels.

The woman goes on to say at the time, "Mally Mall was entering the music industry and he was recognized as a major pimp in the illegal sex trade in Las Vegas."

Mally Mall's lawyer, Steve Sadow, tells TMZ, "This is simply a nonsense lawsuit, and as such, the allegations against Mally Mall are not deserving of further comment."

Nelly Off the Hook in UK Sexual Assault Accuser Stops Cooperating

Nelly will NOT face criminal charges for an alleged sexual assault in the UK, and it appears it's because the accuser's no longer talking to cops.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Nelly will no longer be questioned, and police have told him no further action will be taken. While the investigation is not officially closed, we're told detectives are not actively investigating. If new information comes to light, Essex Police could review it and go from there ... but, as of now, Nelly's off the hook.

As for the why? The accuser's attorney, Karen Koehler, tells TMZ ... "We told the Essex police we would no longer participate in their shoddy investigation and shifted our focus to the federal lawsuit where we will wait on the judge to decide that outcome." The accuser filed a lawsuit as Jane Doe back in November.

We broke the story ... Nelly's accuser put Essex Police on blast claiming they dragged their feet on the case while treating her like a suspect instead of a victim. She accused him of masturbating in front of her and forcing his penis in her mouth after one of his concerts in 2017.

Nelly has fired back ... saying her BS story's hurting real sexual assault victims.

R. Kelly Legal Team Wants Foxx-Avenatti Communication

8:03 AM -- The hearing's now over and, as we reported, Greenberg's requested all communication between Foxx and Avenatti. As for Kelly's request for approval to travel ... that motion's been withdrawn. Greenberg said he understood Kelly's chances to travel were "slim" considering the matter wouldn't be taken up until the next court hearing May 7. Kelly had previously said he needed to travel to Dubai later this month, but the Dubai government said Kelly had no business there.

BTW ... Kelly was not at the hearing, citing an illness.

7:40 AM PT -- Kelly's legal team is already raising Avenatti's federal charges for extortion. According to the motion filed Monday morning, Greenberg says Avenatti bragged about his ability to put public pressure on Nike ... at least, according to federal prosecutors.

Greenberg also points out Avenatti has publicly talked about multiple convos with Foxx regarding the alleged sex tape. In docs, Kelly's lawyer says Avenatti has "acted as a de facto prosecutor."

Greenberg also calls out Foxx in the motion ... saying the Jussie Smollett case shows she is "able to be influenced and wowed" -- a clear reference to Foxx's communication with Tina Tchen. Foxx ended up recusing herself as a result of that communication.

Greenberg is concerned Avenatti might have "bullied or just simply manipulated" Foxx.

Avenatti's response to the motion is, "[Greenberg] is now trying to distract attention away from the clear guilt of his client by raising bogus arguments about me and Kim Foxx. The evidence is the evidence. Multiple witnesses/tapes, plus DNA. R Kelly will be convicted for his sexual abuse of girls."

7:25 AM PT -- Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg, wants to know more about Michael Avenatti's relationship with Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx.

Greenberg spoke to the media before the hearing, and said he is going to request all records of Foxx and Avenatti's communications. You know, of course, Avenatti came forward with 2 sex tapes he claims show Kelly having sex with a 14-year-old.

The tapes are part of the new evidence that prompted the 10 count indictment.

R. Kelly's looking for the judge to give him the green light to travel outside the U.S., and he could get an answer when he shows up in a Cook County courtroom ... where TMZ will be streaming live.

The singer and his legal team will be in court for a hearing that had originally been scheduled for May, but it was pushed up to Monday. It's unclear exactly what the judge will cover, but we know there are a couple of unsettled issues from last week's brief hearing.

As we reported ... Kelly's legal team asked prosecutors to hand over copies of the sex tapes it claims to have as evidence. Also, their request to travel was continued but it could be brought up once again.

Kelly's side had previously said he needs permission to travel to Dubai in April for a few scheduled concerts. Problem is ... the Dubai government says Kelly's got no business there whatsoever.

Monday's hearing is set to begin at 7:30 AM PT.

Stay tuned ...

Originally Published -- 6:54 AM PT

R. Kelly Accuser He Forced Oral Sex and Spat on Me During Alleged 2003 Assault

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WHY ME
CBS

R. Kelly was a sexual deviant who wouldn't take no for an answer ... so claims his former hairdresser who spoke publicly for the first time about the alleged sexual assault.

Lanita Carter -- a woman ID'd as "L.C." in the 10-count indictment against Kelly -- says he pounced on her after she denied his request for a head massage. Lanita described the alleged attack, from February 18, 2003, telling "CBS This Morning" the singer was undeterred when she told him she doesn't do massages.

She said, "He pulled my braid down by him. And he say, 'Suck it for daddy, suck it for daddy.' And I said, 'No.'" Lanita claims Kelly then began spitting, several times.

After the incident, she says she immediately went to police ... and claims officers found semen on her shirt. Although no charges were filed, she ultimately settled a lawsuit against him for $650k. She claims she got another $100k from Kelly when he released a 2009 track about having sex with a woman who braids his hair.

Lanita says she went to the Cook County State Attorney's Office when prosecutors put out the call earlier this year for victims to come forward.

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RAW EMOTIONS
CBS Morning News

Of course, Kelly vehemently denied the allegations in the indictment during his interview with Gayle King. You'll recall, he got up and started shouting, "I'm fighting for my f***ing life!"

We reached out to Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg, shortly after Carter's interview and he tells TMZ ... "Chicago police did an extensive investigation. The State's Attorney's office decided not to charge up. I think that speaks volumes about the strength of the case. And that decision was made not withstanding the scientific testing."

Greenberg adds, "The experienced prosecutors concluded that they could not prove a crime had occurred so they did not bring charges. Nothing has changed except pressure from her lawyer [Michael] (Avenatti)."