Diddy Feds Trying to Nail Me with Old, Racist Law!!!

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Diddy says the feds are trying to take him down purely because he's a successful Black man, and they're using a law that's been "racist" since its inception to do it ... according to new documents.

Diddy's attorneys filed docs Tuesday asking the judge to dismiss count 3 of the U.S. Attorney's case against him, which accuses him of "transportation to engage in prostitution" -- also known as the Mann Act.

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DIDDY DETAINED
TMZ.com

It's been on the books as a federal statute since 1910, and Diddy points out it's the same thing the government used to take down rock 'n roll legend Chuck Berry and boxer Jack Johnson ... who were both -- not coincidentally, Diddy says -- Black men.

In the docs, Diddy says, "No other person, and certainly no white person, has ever been prosecuted under the White-Slave Traffic Act for hiring male escorts from another State."

As we've reported, the feds allege Diddy hired male sex workers to attend his so-called "freak off" parties -- but Diddy believes "he is being prosecuted for conduct that regularly goes unpunished."

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ALTERING THE EVIDENCE???
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Diddy's attorneys say prosecutors have built their case "based primarily on allegations that Mr. Combs and two of his longtime girlfriends sometimes brought a third party -- a male escort -- into their sexual relationship."

He goes so far as to say the hiring of escorts is "common and indeed widely accepted in American culture today." Diddy claims the escort service related to his case is a legit business operating "out in the open."

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UNDER OBSERVATION???
TMZ.com

It's interesting ... Diddy's essentially copping to the crime, but accusing the government of only charging him because he's Black. According to the docs, his legal team believes the whole indictment is singling out Diddy due to race, but especially the Mann Act portion in count 3.

As for white people who've gotten away with this kinda thing ... Diddy holds up former NY Governor Eliot Spitzer, who was forced to resign in 2008 following his involvement in a escort scandal.

To Diddy's point, 4 people running the escort service in Spitzer's case were charged under the Mann Act, but Spitzer himself was not.

Lil Big Deals 👶 Amazon's Baby Sale Strollers, Car Seats & More!

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TMZ may collect a share of sales or other compensation from links on this page.

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Register here and shop some of the best deals below!

Disney Baby Minnie Mouse Simple Fold LX Travel System

Make travel time magical with the Disney Baby Minnie Mouse Simple Fold LX Travel System.

A$AP Rocky Assault Trial NOT GUILTY!!!

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CELEBRATION IN COURT

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6:05 PM PT -- Rihanna just reacted to Rocky's verdict on Instagram writing ... "The glory belongs to God and God alone!

She added ... "Thankful, humbled by his mercy!"

The verdict in A$AP Rocky's assault trial was just announced -- Rocky has been found not guilty.

Rocky's partner and mother of his two sons, Rihanna, was sobbing, and gave Rocky's defense attorney, Joe Tacopina, a big hug. As the jurors exited one by one, Rocky said to them ... "Thank you for saving my life."

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BLESSED TO BE HERE
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Outside the courtroom, Rocky thanked God and the jury for allowing him to be a free man ... telling reporters and fans he was happy to put the legal saga behind him.

Rihanna was there by Rocky's side, just as she was in court ... when he jumped into the gallery to hug her after the verdict was read. Rihanna did not talk to reporters and after some brief comments from Rocky, the couple meandered through a throng of reporters and escaped in their black SUV.

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GREETED BY THE FRENZY
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Joe held court after his client left and ripped the prosecution and its star witness A$AP Relli ... saying Relli, not Rocky, is the real criminal here ... claiming Rocky perjured himself multiple times during the trial and urging the D.A. to go after Relli next.

Tacopina said he was happy for Rocky, RiRi and their two kids ... relaying the family is ready to move on from the trial.

The Los Angeles jury began deliberations Tuesday morning after closing arguments were completed Friday afternoon ... the rapper was charged with two counts of assault with a semiautomatic weapon, and Rocky would have faced a possible 24-year prison sentence if he were found guilty.

A$AP Rocky -- legal name Rakim Mayers -- was arrested in 2022, accused of firing a gun at former associate and friend A$AP Relli outside a hotel in Hollywood in 2021. Rocky turned down a plea deal from prosecutors last month.

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YOU AIN'T SLICK!!!

Rocky's defense attorney, Joe Tacopina, maintained his client could not have shot Relli -- legal name Terell Ephron -- because Rocky only carried a prop gun with him at the time. Relli testified his knuckles were scraped by a bullet.

Relli's testimony got heated at times ... with fireworks popping off between himself and Tacopina.

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PARDON THE INTERRUPTION

Rocky chose not to testify ... though his voice was heard in court when he yelled at his pal A$AP Twelvyy "Don't say!!!" when prosecutors asked him on the stand what "AWGE" stands for. AWGE is the name of Rocky's creative agency with "Fight Club"-level secrecy rules attached to it.

Rihanna played a background role in the proceedings -- prospective jurors were asked during the selection process whether they'd heard of A$AP or Rihanna, listened to their music, or downloaded any of their songs. A jury of seven women and five men were selected ... none of them Black.

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NOT ALLOWED!!!

Rihanna attended the proceedings several days over the course of the trial, sitting with Rocky's mother and sister in the courtroom gallery, even bringing the couple's kids one morning.

Playboy Model Ariane Bellamar Dead at 46

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Playboy model Ariane Bellamar died late last year at age 46 ... TMZ has learned.

Nevada's Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner tells TMZ they received a report of death for Bellamar on December 20th, 2024. The coroner did not have jurisdiction over her case, so no further details were available.

Ariane’s cause of death was a heart attack, according to a GoFundMe set up by her ex-husband, Tanner Slaught, who was raising funds to cover her funeral expenses.

Paris Hilton Baby's First F-Bomb!!!

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POTTY MOUTH
TikTok / @parishilton

Paris Hilton's two-year-old learned a new word ... and it's a four-letter expletive he just won't stop saying.

Paris just shared video of her son, Phoenix, dropping f-bombs left and right as he eats dinner in the kitchen ... and she can't help but laugh at her kid's potty mouth.

Mom says she was recording her son eating food in hopes of capturing a sweet moment ... but all she got was him repeatedly saying "f***" straight to her face.

The Jam Drummer Rick Buckler Dead At 69

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Rick Buckler, the drummer for the legendary rock band The Jam, has died after a brief illness.

His death in Woking, UK was confirmed on X by his former bandmates, with Paul Weller reflecting on their journey from bedroom rehearsals to achieving more than they ever dreamed -- saying what they created still stands the test of time.

Rick's other former bandmate, Bruce Foxton, called him a great drummer whose innovative beats helped shape their iconic songs, including "Going Underground" -- and he also expressed how grateful he was to have had the chance to work with him as much as they did.

Jason Kelce Taylor Swift's Changed Travis ... 'It's Been Staggering'

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TRAVIS EVOLUTION
Fitz & Whit

Jason Kelce says Taylor Swift has had a "staggering" impact on Travis Kelce ... revealing his little brother has grown up tremendously since he began dating the pop star.

Jason got candid about the Chiefs tight end's relationship with Taylor on Tuesday's episode of the "Fitz & Whit" podcast ... explaining to former NFL stars Ryan Fitzpatrick and Andrew Whitworth he's noticed a huge change in his bro since he began shacking up with Swift nearly two years ago.

"It's been staggering, honestly," he said.

Karen Read Judge Has 'Grave Concern' Over New Info ... Suddenly Suspends Hearing

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SHADY DEALINGS

New twist in the Karen Read case ... the judge just suspended an evidentiary hearing after voicing "grave concern" over new information from prosecutors.

A hearing in Read's retrial was moving along normally Tuesday when suddenly Judge Beverly Cannone called for a recess.

The swift change happened on the heels of special prosecutor Hank Brennan moving to exclude testimony from two crash reconstruction experts who were involved in the federal investigation into her case.

D.L. Hughley Trevor Noah's Integration Query Was So Stupid!!!

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REACHING THE WRONG CONCLUSION
TMZ.com

D.L. Hughley isn’t holding back on Trevor Noah’s recent podcast question about whether integration was the right move for America -- calling it "maybe the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

He broke it down on "TMZ Live" Tuesday, saying Black people are still at a disadvantage even after integration -- pointing to issues like "white flight" and underfunded Black schools.

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HEAR ME OUT...
What Now? with Trevor Noah

D.L. doubled down that integration was necessary because Black schools were severely underfunded -- but once schools did start integrating, white kids left, taking resources with them ... basically canceling it out.

Kevin Spacey To Guy Pearce Grow Up, You're No Victim!!!

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GROW UP, GUY

Kevin Spacey is vehemently denying Guy Pearce's allegation he was "targeted" by Spacey on a movie set back in the day ... and Kevin's taking shots at Guy too.

The "House of Cards" star just posted a video response to some recent comments Guy made about him ... telling Guy straight up he's not a victim.

Kevin says Guy's claim that Spacey targeted him when they were filming the 1997 movie "L.A. Confidential" is bogus ... and he's ripping Pearce for coming after him in the media.

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban L.A. Home Burglarized

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An unsettling situation for Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban ... cops say an intruder broke into their home.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Nicole and Keith are the latest A-listers to become crime victims, now that their Los Angeles-area home has been burglarized.

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L.A.'S LATEST VICTIMS
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Our sources say Nicole and Keith were not home at the time, but one of their employees scared the person off.

NSFW Topless Babe Guess Who!

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It’s that time again -- another day, another topless stunner for you to guess! And trust us, this one’s an absolute scorcher!

This smoke-show is cleverly using other parts of her body to keep things just barely PG while serving the ultimate mirror selfie. So, any guesses on who’s absolutely nailing this NSFW moment?

We’re all about equality over here -- so if you wanna give your brain (and eyes) a little more action, we’ve got a whole gallery of studs rocking their skivvies just for you. Enjoy!

Brittney Griner Pulls Out of Speaking Engagement ... Horrified By 'Gay Baby Jail' Note

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Brittney Griner backed out of a planned speaking engagement this week ... after she found a note in her hotel room that she took as a threat.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the WNBA superstar was slated to talk at the Women Grow Leadership Summit in National Harbor, Md. -- but bolted from the event on Monday morning after discovering a piece of duct tape near her entryway that had the words "Gay Baby Jail" written on it.

We're told Griner -- who is gay and was, of course, once imprisoned in Russia for marijuana possession -- was mortified at the message ... and immediately canceled her scheduled appearance to return home.

Lil Tjay Banned From MSG For Hawking Loogie At Security Guard

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Lil Tjay's days roaming inside Madison Square Garden have come to an end, TMZ can confirm.

The Bronx-bred rapper spewed a batch of juicy "hawk tuah" in a guard's face during the WBO lightweight champion bout between Keyshawn Davis and Denys Berinchyk on Friday -- and the world-renowned venue says he can't come back!!!

Madison Square Garden tells TMZ ... “Our policy is that patrons that engage in confrontational and disruptive behavior will be escorted out and banned from all MSG properties.”

Zak Bagans Saddam's Clothes Are In My Museum ... Bagged 'Em From Baghdad

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Zak Bagans just bagged some historical artifacts for his famous museum ... a couple of Saddam Hussein's belongings, courtesy of "The Sheriff of Baghdad."

The "Ghost Adventures" star tells TMZ ... retired U.S. Army Special Operations Sergeant Major John "Shrek" McPhee brought him Saddam's hat and sweater all the way from Iraq.

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SENDING IT OFF!!!

John obtained Saddam's clothing directly from Hussein's tailor in Baghdad, before U.S. forces captured Saddam in 2003.

Nicole Scherzinger ... 'Don't Cha' Like My Lil' Blue Bikini?!

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Nicole Scherzinger's over the NYC chill, so she’s reflecting on her recent time in Hawaii, where temperatures were through the roof!

The singer was smokin' hot in her blue bikini, flaunting her envy-inducing toned figure as she dropped some sizzling IG snaps, posing up a storm on the beach.

It wasn’t just a photo op for Nicole -- it was a full-on spiritual experience. In her caption, she explained she was carrying the serenity of the moment with her while in freezing NYC.