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Cardi B has something to celebrate tonight ... she just kicked ass in a defamation case ... legally, that is.

TMZ broke the story ... Cardi and her sister, Hennessy Carolina, were sued by 3 people in NYC over a squabble in the Hamptons back in September, 2020.

Hennessy and her friends showed up a Smith Point Beach and ran into 3 other beachgoers, one of whom was wearing a MAGA hat. The 3 people claim Hennessy spit on one of them and engaged in insulting and threatening behavior. The lawsuit claims Hennessy called the group "racist, MAGA supporters."  They say the term "racist' hurled at them was defamatory.

Cardi, who was not there, tweeted a video of the altercation, claiming her sister and her friends were being targeted because they are Afro-Hispanic and gay. The video included Hennessy calling the 3 people racist.

The 3 beachgoers sued for defamation as well as assault and battery.

A New York trial judge just dismissed the case, and it's a solid win for Cardi and Hennessy. As for defamation, the judge said these were all just general insults that do not rise to the level of defamation.

As for spitting -- the basis for the assault and battery claim -- the judge said even if spit shot out from Hennessy's mouth -- there was no proof whatsoever she intended to target any of the plaintiffs. In fact, the judge noted the plaintiffs never even alleged that was Hennessy's intent.

Brandy Norwood's former housekeeper says the singer gave her the boot because she was too old, and still owes her for work she completed ... so she's filed a lawsuit.

The housekeeper, who says she's over 60, claims she was fired by Brandy's team in February. According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Brandy got rid of the employee because she no longer wanted an "older" housekeeper.

The housekeeper claims she wasn't paid for her last 2 days of work, and now she's suing for back pay and a whole lot more.

Additionally, the housekeeper -- who says she earned $125 a day at Brandy's Calabasas home for the past 20 years -- claims she didn't get her legally required breaks, either.

She's suing for more than $250K in damages, and it's yet another legal headache on Brandy's plate.

She and her stylist were sued back in January by a fashion designer and store owner over a ring Brandy was supposed to wear to the American Music Awards, but allegedly failed to return.

We've reached out to Brandy's rep regarding the housekeeper's lawsuit ... so far, no word back.

Amanda Bynes can now make personal and financial decisions on her own ... after a judge just officially put an end to her 9 year conservatorship.

As we reported, the judge issued a tentative ruling on Monday, saying that the conservatorship was "no longer required" ... and now it has been made official, at today's hearing.

Amanda's attorney, David A. Esquibias, tells us, “Amanda appreciates the love and support of her fans during this time. She thanks her family for never giving up. Now that the conservatorship has ended, she looks forward to completing her bachelor’s degree and living her life.”

The former child star filed the docs in L.A. in February ... asking for her mother to no longer serve as Amanda's conservator.

Amanda was placed under conservatorship back in 2013, when it became clear that she was struggling with her mental health. She had a string of bizarre episodes, including one when she set her neighbor's driveway on fire. AB attributed the episodes to bipolar disorder and also opened up about her addiction to Adderall ... but has since gotten help.

Amanda says, she's been sober for several years now, and she surely seems to be doing a whole lot better. She's gotten a degree from Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising and has also gotten engaged to her fiancé, Paul Michael.

On top of all her progress ... Amanda's petition for personal freedom was supported by her mom and dad ... so, this result comes as no huge surprise but is still a big win for AB.

Now, she's free to live her life and we know she has some big plans are in the near future ... like getting a place with her soon-to-be hubby.

Amanda's didn't appear in court, but her "All That" costars Leon Frierson and Christy Knowings showed up to support.

One of Young Dolph's suspected killers apparently has some enemies behind bars ... because he was recently attacked by another inmate.

Justin Johnson, who is in custody on a slew of charges including first-degree murder, was punched by a fellow inmate at Tennessee's Shelby County Jail while in the middle of a phone call Friday ... his attorney tells TMZ.

Johnson's lawyer, Juni Ganguli, says JJ was on the phone in the jail's visitation area when an inmate walked up and socked him. We're told there is no word on a motive and Johnson was not severely injured.

A rep for the Shelby County Sheriff's Office tells TMZ ... there was an incident Friday involving Johnson and another inmate, and it's under investigation. We're told there were no reported injuries.

Remember ... Johnson was named as a suspect in Young Dolph's murder earlier this year, and in January he was captured and arrested by U.S. Marshalls. He claims he is innocent.

Starbucks usually gives its customers a caffeine jolt, but one guy says he perked up for entirely different reasons ... claiming the coffee giant poisoned him with a cleaning solution.

A man named Matthew Mitchell is suing the green mermaid company for what he claims was a reckless display from management when he allegedly downed a black coffee ... which turned out to be blue, and NOT any type of java in the slightest.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Mitchell claims he ordered a simple coffee beverage from a Connecticut location last August ... which was promptly served, and which he threw down the hatch without even thinking twice.

Almost immediately, however, Mitchell says when he drank what turned out to be a witch's brew, he immediately felt a burning in his throat and chest. He looked down in his cup and saw a blue liquid ... turns out it was a chemical substance -- causing his stomach to turn upside down within seconds. Mitchell alleges the staff told him a new employee had screwed the pooch ... not realizing they were brewing coffee in a machine that had just gotten a Urnex treatment.

If you're unfamiliar ... Urnex has a product called Urn and Brewer Cleaner, which Starbucks uses to purify its brewing machines. Problem is, according to Mitchell, Starbs has a crappy system to alert employees when the cleaning is going on -- an upside-down cup and nothing more, he says -- leading novice workers to serve customers like him tainted cups of Joe.

Mitchell says this system is BS -- insisting a more thorough process should've been in play to prevent the nightmare -- and hits the point home, claiming Starbucks was cutting corners here ... which caused great pain and suffering on his part. As a matter of fact, Mitchell claims at least 2 other alleged poison victims sued Starbucks for the exact same thing in the past.

While he was treated for the alleged poisoning, Mitchell says he continues to deal with the fallout -- including what he says is heightened anxiety and fear about the long-term effects of the Urnex ... not to mention medical bills, etc.

For all this trouble, Mitchell says Starbucks is completely responsible ... and he's asking a judge to award him a boatload of cash in damages, laid out in explicit terms by his dynamo attorney, Joe Tacopina.

We reached out to Starbucks, who said, "Our baristas take great care in crafting beverages and providing a safe experience for our customers. We take this obligation seriously and are reviewing Mr. Mitchell's claims."

Amanda Bynes is less than 24 hours from personal freedom -- a judge just set the stage for the end of her conservatorship.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ, the judge for the case issued a tentative ruling Monday saying Amanda's conservatorship is "no longer required."

While it's a tentative ruling, there is a court hearing scheduled for Tuesday morning and it's almost a certainty the judge will make it official ... because no one is objecting to Amanda's petition to end her conservatorship.

Remember ... the former child star was placed under a conservatorship back in 2013, following a string of bizarre episodes brought on by what she has said is bipolar disorder. Amanda says she's been sober for several years now, thanks in part to getting support through AA.

She filed the docs last month to end the 9-year conservatorship, a move her father and mother -- who is Amanda's conservator -- fully support.

Amanda Bynes' former "All That" castmates, Leon Frierson and Christy Knowings are making sure she knows they still have love for her -- voicing their support -- and Leon will even be in court for her conservatorship hearing.

Leon tells TMZ ... he will be at the L.A. courthouse this Tuesday, March 22 -- and we're told Leon convinced Christy to get involved in showing support for Amanda too.

While Christy can't be there in person -- she has auditions -- she says, "If it were me, I would want people to support me. Amanda's a very different person today from the person she was back then, as we all are."

Christy admits she and Leon haven't spoken to Amanda in years, but also says they've never forgotten her. In fact, you could say Leon and Christy have been inspired by her.

They're both doing a reality show called "Child Star Reboot" ... a sort of "where are they now" look at young actors. Also, Leon hosts the "Prime Nostalgia Podcast" which shines a light on a lot of the issues Amanda has faced.

Christy says they have no ulterior motives in publicly voicing support -- they simply want Amanda to know they genuinely care about her. As she put it, "I know Amanda's a sweet person and loved working with her."

As you know, Amanda was placed under a conservatorship in 2013 after a string of bizarre episodes. She's since gotten support through attending AA, and has been sober for several years.

She filed docs in late February to end her 9-year conservatorship, and the judge is expected to issue a decision during Tuesday's hearing.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are going back to court to settle who defamed who once and for all -- and their witness list includes a ton of A-listers ... who'll have to take the stand.

With the trial set to kick off next month in Virginia, just about all the legal docs are filed for witnesses and exhibits ... and reports say the likes of James Franco, Elon Musk and Paul Bettany, among others, are going to be dragged into court and be forced to testify.

Franco and Musk are on Amber's witness list -- this after Johnny alleged she'd had affairs with each of them during their marriage -- and they'll presumably speak on that. Both guys are said to be beaming in via video link ... so they won't be there in person.

"Animal Kingdom" actress Ellen Barkin is also on Heard's witness list, as are reps for huge orgs like Disney, Warner Bros, WME the ACLU and even the LAPD ... which will mostly offer records that she finds pertinent to help make her case.

For his part, Depp has Marvel actor Paul Bettany testifying on his behalf -- Bettany was also roped into the U.K. libel case that JD lost ... having old text messages they once exchanged read aloud in court. Ya gotta imagine they'll get into that again here.

There's more to be unearthed, including correspondence between Heard and her "Aquaman" costar Jason Momoa, director James Wan, director Zack Snyder and CAA chief Bryan Lourd. There are also emails between Depp and J.K. Rowling and Jack White that'll be addressed.

In case you need a refresher ... both exes are suing each other for defamation, and it seems the judge is going to hear each of their claims in one fell swoop, which is probably why there are so many witnesses/submitted evidence -- they're trying to bury this at long last.

This specific claim of defamation got started after Johnny sued Amber for $50 million following a WaPo op-ed piece in which she characterized herself as a victim of domestic violence ... without ever saying his name. Still, he felt that was enough to take her to court over.

Amber countersued for $100 mil, and despite each of them filing to have the other person's case tossed ... both cases have been given the green light to proceed.

Remember, this all follows a major blow JD suffered across the pond ... where he lost a libel case after a newspaper labeled him a "wifebeater," which a judge ruled was mostly true.

In spite of that, he's forging ahead in similar territory here in the States ... all in an attempt to clear his name and get his career back on track. As you know, he's claimed that Hollywood has blacklisted him in the wake of the U.K. ruling ... all while maintaining his innocence.

The TikToker who went viral after claiming a disastrous chemical peel left him with serious facial burns has now lawyered up, and he wants a boatload of cash.

Neyo White's attorneys, Fisher, Klein & Wolfe LLP, have fired off a demand letter to Diamond Facez Skin Care Bar in Atlanta, GA -- laying out their case in pretty simple terms ... pay up, or get ready to fight it out in court.

In the correspondence obtained by TMZ, White's lawyers say their client suffered 2nd-degree burns as a result of a botched procedure ... which they blame entirely on Diamond Facez.

FK&W say White has had to travel to L.A. to meet with dermatologists in hopes of repairing the damage, which they say has been costly and painful on a physical and emotional level.

Because DF allegedly screwed up, White and co. are asking for $10,000.

You'll recall ... White recounted his ordeal to us, saying he was reassured by the staff at the time that all would be well in the end -- and yet, he claims it turned out to be anything but that.

It's no surprise things are getting litigious ... Neyo had already told us he planned to sue, and now -- it seems he may end up following through on that. We're told he also plans to fly to LA to visit Dr. Jason Emer, where he hopes to correct the burn damage.

A driver for "Grey's Anatomy" is accusing LAPD of racial profiling after officers pulled him over at gunpoint and arrested him in front of the cast and crew ... only to discover they had the wrong guy.

Ernest Simon Jr., who is Black, says he'd just dropped off crew members near a Tarzana, CA set in March 2021 when he got pulled over. In a lawsuit filed Thursday, he says officers told him an automated license plate reader linked his vehicle to a stolen BMW sedan, which was pretty shocking to Ernest ... because, at the time, he was driving a Ford van rented by Disney.

Ernest says the parking lot attendant where he'd pulled over told the cops Ernest was part of the 'Grey's' crew ... still, with guns drawn, they made him lie face down on the asphalt, and even called for backup. In the suit, obtained by TMZ, he says no fewer than 7 cop cars raced to the scene ... and he claims they also called for helicopter support.

Other crew members recognized what was happening, and Ernest says they tried explaining to cops they had the wrong guy -- but in docs, he says cops only yelled at them "Get out of the line of fire." He says that, combined with the fact he was Black, had him terrified he was about to get shot.

Now handcuffed, while still lying on the ground ... Ernest claims the crazy scene went on for about 30 minutes. According to his lawsuit, it only ended when a white male co-worker reiterated to officers they had the wrong guy -- which is the same story he claims a Black male co-worker had already told cops, but to no avail.

At that point, cops took off the cuffs and released Ernest, but he doesn't think it's a coincidence this happened in Tarzana -- an L.A. suburb, where he points out the population is 70.7 percent white, and only 3.6 percent Black.

Jussie Smollett is going free -- at least for now -- while he tries to get his sentence for the hoax attack overturned.

The appeals court ordered Jussie's release during the appeal process. He's being released from Cook County Jail on his own recognizance, but if he misses any future hearings it'll cost him $150,000. It's unclear when exactly he'll be walking free.

Clearly, the state isn't happy with the decision ... its response to the ask for release reads, in part, "Rather than attempt to meet his burden of showing good cause for his immediate release, Mr. Smollett makes only cursory, woefully undeveloped arguments. Each fails to demonstrate good cause to stay his jail sentence."

As you know, Jussie had begun serving his 5 months last Thursday -- and immediately after the judge sentenced him he was defiant ... shouting he was innocent and raising his fist in the air as he was taken out of court in handcuffs.

His defense team and family members never stopped pressing for his release, though ... claiming Jussie was in physical danger while behind bars. They cited racist and homophobic threats they'd received, and also said Jussie was immunocompromised ... and highly susceptible to contracting COVID-19 while in jail

Story developing ...

Jussie Smollett is out of the psych ward at Cook County Jail ... something his brother believes only happened because fans applied public pressure.

Jocqui Smollett thanked people Monday night on social media for their support in the "Free Jussie" movement. He says Jussie's removal from the psych ward is a big step forward ... and gets him out of a restrained bed and into a normal one.

He adds, "Cook County doesn't really move until they get bad publicity ... keep continuing to call Cook County Jail checking in on him and keep saying that you believe he should be free."

Jocqui says the pressure added on the county is what got Jussie moved, and he thinks continued force can make him a free man once again.

As we've reported, Jussie was put in the ward because the area houses high-profile inmates, according to law enforcement sources. Jocqui expressed concern immediately, saying official paperwork stated his brother was at risk of self-harm ... something he thinks is B.S.

Jussie even explained, repeatedly in court, that he is not a suicidal person. He was immediately taken to jail after his sentencing to start his 150 days.

Jussie was ordered to be placed under protective custody while serving his 5-month sentence -- something requested by Jussie's team. In addition to jail time, he also was given 30 months of felony probation, $120K in restitution, and $25K in fines.

Kanye West has now lawyered up to handle custody issues in his divorce, and we're told this will end up before a judge, unless he reaches some agreement with Kim Kardashian.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, Kanye's lawyer, Samantha Spector, is making custody job #1. As we reported, Kanye groused over the weekend again that Kim is not letting him see their kids when he wants.

That's certainly not the way Kim sees it ... she has welcomed her ex-husband's involvement in their kids' lives and wants him to spend time with their 4 children, and claimed he picked them up for school Monday.

What's more ... our sources say Kanye's spent 3 days with the kids in the last week -- the first time he's been in L.A. since the Super Bowl. Kanye also had 3 of the kids with him at the Donda 2 event in Miami last month -- we're told Kim kept North in L.A. because she had a test at school she'd been studying for that she didn't want to miss -- so Kim made school the priority.

Here's the issue. Up until now, there has been no formal arrangement for custody. They have tried working it out amongst themselves. When Kanye's in town and wants to see the kids, she's game, unless the kids are in the middle of something else.

But, there's clearly a conflict, and it's getting worse. We're told Spector will first try to establish something more formal between Kim and Kanye, but if that doesn't happen she'll go to court and ask a judge to impose ground rules for custody and visitation.

Here's the rub. Kanye travels frequently outside of L.A., and it's hard to formalize a custody arrangement when schedules keep changing.

As we reported, Kim has been doing everything she can to keep things peaceful, but Kanye's so angry over her relationship with Pete Davidson as well as custody issues, the notion of reaching an out-of-court agreement seems unlikely.

"Alaskan Bush People" star Bear Brown has been arrested for domestic violence and is now in the Okanogan County Jail ... as the show kicks off its 13th season.

34-year-old Solomon Isaiah Freedom Brown -- AKA "Bear" -- was booked Friday for 4th-degree domestic violence. He was released Monday without bail.

Brown married Raiven Adams in January of this year, after getting engaged in August 2019. Just 2 weeks after their engagement he said they "made the difficult decision to part ways as a couple."

The day after their split, they announced Adams' pregnancy, and decided to give their relationship another shot. They separated again, before reconciling once more. Brown held his son, River, for the first time at 6 months old.

"Alaskan Bush People" is currently in its 13th season on the Discovery Channel ... the show follows the Brown family that considers themselves a "wolf pack" -- isolating themselves from civilization for months at a time, attempting to survive in the wilderness.

The Sun was first to report the arrest.

We have reached out to Bear's reps, Discovery Channel, and the Sheriff's Office that made the arrest ... so far, no word back.

Taraji P. Henson thinks there's a parallel between Jussie Smollett and Emmett Till -- and wouldn't you know it ... the late teen's own family agrees.

Emmett's cousin, Deborah Watts, the co-founder of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, tells us Taraji's heart is in the right place -- namely, that Black people and other POC are unfairly treated in the criminal justice system.

Taraji made the point while Jussie is serving jail time for a crime that wasn't violent ... nobody did any time (or was even found guilty) in Emmett's case all those years ago, suggesting race was at play in how Jussie was sentenced.

Watts doesn't quite make that leap -- not wanting to comment on the fairness of Jussie's conviction.

Big picture ... she absolutely agrees that BIPOC are disproportionately incarcerated compared to white people for the same sorts of offenses -- something she says is proven in data ... and something she thinks Taraji was trying to spotlight.

To that end ... Watts tells us she appreciates TPH's support and for getting Emmett's name back into the public, because his case was never officially solved.

Freddie Gibbs doesn't have much sympathy for Jussie Smollett ... he says Jussie belongs behind bars for breaking the law, plain and simple.

We got the rapper at Cookies on Melrose and asked about Jussie's 5-month jail sentence, which the "Empire" star just started serving in Chicago.

Freddie says Jussie should be in jail just like anyone who fakes being the victim of a crime.

It's in sharp contract to Taraji P. Henson ... who is solidly behind Jussie, demanding he be released from jail and comparing Smollett's case to that of Emmett Till.

Freddie thinks Jussie should be set free ... in about 3 to 5 years ... and isn't buying Smollett's view the judge handed down a harsher sentence because he's Black.