TMZ.com

You could see this one coming ... Sesame Place Philadelphia has been hit with a $25 million class action lawsuit ... claiming the park and its employees have insulted and damaged black patrons, especially the youngsters.

The lawsuit lists a man named Quinton Burns, who says he and his family visited Sesame Place on June 18, 2022. Burns says he purchased tickets to the park for himself and his young daughter with the expectation they'd experience "Meet and Greets" with Sesame Street characters.

However, according to the docs, Burns says when he and his kid attended a "Meet and Greet" with costumed performers of Elmo, Ernie, Telly Monster and Abby Cadabby -- the characters refused to engage with them and other black guests as well.

Burns says the performers were more than happy to engage with white customers at the same event.

Of course, the lawsuit comes directly on the heels of the video that surfaced from the park showing character Rosita, not only refusing to hug, but shaking her head "no" at two young black girls who wanted to interact with her at a parade.

We've spoken with the mother of the girls and the family attorney, who says they've been in talks with Sesame Place to make their situation right, and have even floated the possibility of legal action.

Tichina Arnold is back on the market, legally speaking ... TMZ has learned her long and bitter divorce process is over.

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ ... a judge signed off on Tichina's divorce from longtime basketball coach DaRico Hines on July 15.

It's certainly been a long time coming. As we've reported, the "Martin" star made the announcement she'd be divorcing Rico way back in 2016 ... after she claimed there was a sex tape of him with another woman.

A rep for Hines, who currently works for the Toronto Raptors, declined to comment specifically on the allegations but acknowledged the couple was dealing with a "private and deeply personal matter" during that time.

But, it wasn't until August of last year that she finally went forward with filing the paperwork -- yeah, more than 5 years later. On the docs, she noted the usual irreconcilable differences, but did list the date of separation as January 12, 2016 ... about 3-and-a-half years after they tied the knot.

Britney Spears will not be grilled by Jamie Spears' lawyer in a deposition ... this was the ruling Wednesday in the conservatorship case.

The judge said whatever information Jamie Spears needs to defend himself against allegations of conservatorship abuse can be obtained from other sources, such as documents and, presumably, other witnesses.

Jamie's lawyer argued that his client's hands would be tied without allowing him to depose his daughter ... in order to defend himself against the various claims Britney and her lawyer made. Jamie's lawyer says his client will be vindicated, and did nothing wrong.

Britney's lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, told the judge ... Britney has been traumatized by Jamie by his actions for more than a decade. Rosengart said putting Britney under oath in a deposition would re-traumatize her.

As we reported, Jamie filed legal docs in June, asking a judge to force her to sit for a depo ... claiming she's been going on a campaign to trash him online, and in her upcoming memoir ... and he deserves a chance to question her under oath about the allegations.

A judge has already ruled Jamie will be sitting for the deposition.

Among the issues Jamie wanted to question his daughter about under oath ... allegations that she was forced to give 8 tubes of blood for medical treatment, was forced to participate in therapy and was not allowed to own pain-reliever meds.

While Jamie was gunning for the depo, Britney's attorney Mathew Rosengart filed docs, saying the battle will be won with documents, physical evidence, and the testimony of Jamie.

Rosengart says Britney's testimony would not be relevant to any legal proceeding and would only potentially traumatize Britney.

J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, two of the former Minneapolis police officers involved in George Floyd's death, were sentenced to prison on federal civil rights charges. Kueng was sentenced to 3 years in prison. Thao was given 3.5 years behind bars.

Kueng and Thao were convicted back in February ... remember, Kueng helped hold Floyd down as Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd for nearly 9 1/2 minutes, while Thao was on crowd control behind the police vehicle.

As we reported, Kueng and Thao were found guilty of all the charges against them ... including deprivation of rights under color of the law for failing to render medical aid to Floyd, plus failing to intervene in Chauvin's use of unreasonable force.

Kueng and Thao argued they didn't intend for Floyd to die under the circumstances and were deferring to Chauvin's seniority and experience in the situation.

Britney Spears may be singing again, but she won't be talking under oath ... at least that's what her lawyer is insisting.

Attorney Mathew Rosengart filed legal docs in the ongoing legal battle against Jamie Spears, saying the battle will be won with documents, physical evidence and the testimony of Jamie. Rosengart says Britney's testimony would not be relevant to any legal proceeding.

Rosengart goes even further, saying he has no reason to call Britney as a witness if the case ends up in trial. He says the fact she would not be called as a witness "eviscerates" any reason why she would need to be deposed.

It appears Rosengart is zeroing in on alleged malfeasance on the part of Jamie that involves money. Although he hasn't played his hand, it seems he may be steering clear of some of the personal allegations Britney has made against her dad.

As we reported, Jamie has asked the judge to order Britney to sit for a deposition, arguing she has made numerous claims against him in court and on social media and some of these allegations go to his performance as a conservator. Jamie has disputed many of the claims Britney made in court a year ago in June.

A standard grooming appointment at a PetSmart turned into an emergency crisis -- one that resulted in the death of a pooch ... according to a new lawsuit.

AJ Ross is suing the pet store retailer over the 2020 death of her poodle, Kobe -- which happened after she dropped off her pooch for a nail clipping at a PetSmart in Pittsburgh, PA.

In the lawsuit, she lays blame directly at the feet of the store's employees -- and adds, the store's own surveillance video is the most compelling evidence supporting her case.

The footage is tough to watch. You see Ross drop the dog off with the staff, having already placed a muzzle on its mouth, and then leave. The workers then take it to the back and lift it onto a table.

That's where things get wild ... it appears the employees put 2 different harnesses around Kobe's neck -- one from the top and one from the bottom -- seemingly to keep the dog in place while they try to work on its paws.

Kobe thrashes around, and they eventually tip the poodle over on its side for easier access ... at least that's what Ross claims in her suit.

Soon enough, the dog goes limp and the workers try waking it up, to no avail. Ross says when she returned a mere 10 minutes later, she discovered her dog was dead -- and she believes the way the PetSmart employees harnessed Kobe during the nail clipping caused the dog to lose consciousness and die.

According to documents, Ashley claims PetSmart has allowed this to happen to other pets over the years -- upwards of 47 have allegedly been killed by PetSmart groomers since 2009 -- and now she wants damages.

A rep for PetSmart tells TMZ ... "All of us are heartbroken by and truly sorry for the loss of Kobe. Following this terrible accident in 2020, we immediately launched an internal investigation and cooperated with the authorities involved. In response, we terminated the associates who violated our pet safety policies and did not meet our high standards of care."

A Taco Bell manager poured scalding water on two customers who complained that the restaurant got their order wrong, sending them to the hospital with serious burns, this according to a recently filed lawsuit.

In their $1 million suit, Plaintiffs Brittany Davis and her niece, a minor identified only as C.T., claim they pulled up to a drive-thru at a Taco Bell in Dallas and placed a $31 order, but they didn't get what they wanted.

So they circled through the drive-thru 2 more times to rectify the situation, but the employee was having none of it.

The pair then allegedly parked their vehicle and tried to walk inside the fast-food joint, but it was already closed. An employee unlocked the door, allowing them to enter.

After the two asked for their order to be corrected, one of the workers allegedly challenged C.T. to a fight before the manager appeared, holding a bucket of piping hot water.

The manager then doused C.T.'s face with the boiling water, which splashed the chests of both plaintiffs, according to the suit filed July 13 by prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump.

Luckily, the two were able to escape before they could be attacked again by Taco Bell staff, who laughed and clapped as they drove away, the suit claims.

Davis says she suffered deep burns to her chest and stomach along with brain injuries, which have caused at least 10 seizures. C.T. says she sustained discoloring and scarring burns to her face, chest, legs, arms and stomach.

Dallas PD is investigating the incident, which occurred on June 17.

Crump tells TMZ ... "Not only did Brittany and C.T. Suffer physical trauma because of the burns but they will now live with the psychological trauma that comes with an attack like this. Corporations have a duty to employ quality and stable employees who hold safety as the highest priority.”

We reached out to Taco Bell ... so far no word back.

A 22-year-old man suffered a gruesome death on his Mykonos vacay when he was struck by helicopter blades ... and authorities looking into it think it could be a case of a photo op gone tragically wrong.

Jack Fenton and his 3 friends were recently getting off their hired black Bell 407 helicopter, coming back from the Greek isle, according to a report from The Sun.

They were taken away from the vehicle and to a private lounge as they waited for a plane to take them back to London, but Jack headed back toward the helicopter at a fast pace ... as others shouted at him to come back.

Witnesses who spoke to Greece’s committee for aviation accidents say he had a phone to his ear as he went toward the back of the helicopter, where the blade was still spinning -- he was stuck in the head, killing him instantly.

Those who saw the incident could only describe it as "horrifying. The pilot of the helicopter, who was "deeply traumatized," was arrested ... along with 2 ground technicians.

Cops are looking into every possibility, which reportedly includes "the possibility of the boy going there to take a selfie in the excitement of the moment."

Lana Del Rey claims she has a stalker on her hands, one that's very interested in her car as well -- this according to LDR herself, who just got court-ordered protection against this guy.

The singer was granted a temporary restraining order in Los Angeles County, where she claims she's been getting harassed by some guy named Eric Everardo -- who she says has visited her home on at least 2 occasions ... and allegedly jacked a vehicle there too.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Lana says Everardo first visited her residence without permission in February of this year ... when she claims he made off with one of her rides, a Jaguar, and was eventually criminally charged for that.

That wasn't the end of it though. Lana goes on to claim Everardo came back to her crib earlier this month and left a bag at her gate with a disturbing letter inside relaying his desire to see her again. LDR claims he also texted her sister a couple times between February and July, but it's unclear how he got her number.

In any case, Lana says she doesn't know this man and fears for her safety, and the safety of her family members. A judge signed off on the TRO and set a hearing on the matter for next month.

For "Shahs of Sunset" star Mike Shouhed, 13 is especially unlucky -- that's the number of criminal charges he's now facing following his domestic violence arrest.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the Los Angeles City Attorney hit Mike with a slew of misdemeanor charges, most notably domestic violence, battery and unlawfully attempting to dissuade a witness.

Mike's also facing a couple of weapons charges ... including criminal storage of a loaded firearm and possession of an assault weapon.

Remember, Mike was arrested back in March for allegedly getting physical with a woman during a fight. Cops did not identify the alleged victim, and it's unclear if Mike's fiancée, Paulina Ben-Cohen, was involved. The new charging docs do not name the alleged victim either.

TMZ broke the story ... Mike and Paulina went to Los Cabos for vacation only a few weeks after his arrest, with Mike showing lots of love to Paulina's kids during a day at the beach.

Mike and Paulina, who have been engaged since 2019, are still together.

Shanna Moakler and boyfriend Matthew Rondeau have another thing to deal with when it comes to their rocky relationship ... criminal charges from his domestic violence arrest.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the Los Angeles City Attorney charged Shanna's man with misdemeanor domestic violence, battery and vandalism.

TMZ broke the story ... Matthew was busted back in February for allegedly getting physical with Shanna during an argument.

Remember ... Mathew's arrest came on the heels of him posting an aggressive video on Shanna's social media account, insinuating she cheated on him and vowing to never get back together with her.

Shanna said they were done after his arrest ... but a few days later she announced she was pregnant with Matthew's child. They've since turned to Dr. Drew for couples counseling and have been spotted together on several occasions.

We spoke to Shanna who tells us, "I'm not pressing charges, I'm hoping the city attorney respects my wishes and drops everything as well. I will be supporting Matthew 100%. This has disrupted our lives enough. We have both learned from this experience we never wish to have been public and we would like to move forward in a positive and peaceful manner."

Kate Moss opened up about her critical testimony in the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial, and she says it's as simple as honoring your duty to be a truth-teller.

As you know, Kate shot down rumors that Johnny had pushed her down a flight of stairs when they were dating years ago.

Amber fueled the rumors on the stand, which opened the door for Kate's virtual testimony, in which she said not only did Johnny NOT push her, but after she fell he was an angel, carrying her back inside their hotel room and calling for help.

Kate told the Desert Island Discs, "I know the truth about Johnny. I had to say that truth."

Moss went on to say "fairness and justice" is what it's all about, so it wasn't difficult to take the oath and tell her story.

Johnny and Kate had dated for 3 years back in the '90s. There were rumors maybe they had rekindled their romance -- ala Ben and J Lo -- but that's not the case.

Hailey Bieber is legally cleared to launch Rhode -- her new skincare line -- after a judge shot down a NY company's claim she's stealing its trademark, and she's wasting no time in using it.

TMZ broke the story ... a clothing company called Rhode NYC filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Hailey in an attempt to block her new biz venture. Hailey, whose middle name is Rhode, argued her company is strictly dealing with skincare ... and not clothing, so there would be no confusion for the public.

Well on Friday afternoon, a federal judge sided with Hailey ... denying Rhode NYC's motion for a preliminary injunction.

Shortly after the emergency hearing, Hailey released a behind-the-scenes documentary called, "The Making of Rhode" on her YouTube channel.

Her lawyers submitted the documentary to the court -- after the clothing co. filed a complaint with the court over its release -- but the judge saw no reason to shut down the film's debut.

This is a huge victory for Hailey -- Rhode NYC lost its battle to immediately shut down her company. While the clothing co. can still make arguments that she's causing market confusion ... it's gonna be an uphill battle, now that Hailey's biz is up and running.

"Two and a Half Men" creator Chuck Lorre is closing the curtain on his third marriage ... filing for divorce.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, "The King of Sitcoms" is ending things with Arielle Lorre after about 3 and a half years of marriage. The docs state the two have a prenup in place, and Chuck will pay spousal support as well as attorney's fees.

Chuck, repped by "Disso Queen" Laura Wasser, lists irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.

The two got hitched in October of 2018, and according to Chuck, ended things in May of 2022. They do not have any kids together.

Lorre is a TV legend ... not only did he create "Two and a Half Men" -- he also created "Dharma & Greg," "The Big Bang Theory," "Mom," and "Young Sheldon." Forbes says he's worth an estimated $650 million.

Zac Efron and Netflix are tarnishing a health and wellness brand's good name with their streaming series ... according to a new lawsuit.

The actor and streaming giant are being sued over "Down To Earth With Zac Efron" by a company called Down To Earth Organics, which claims the Netflix travel show is hurting their biz.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, DTE claims they locked down the rights to "Down To Earth" for media and entertainment purposes well before Zac and Netflix premiered their show.

DTE says the Netflix series, which follows Zac around the globe to find healthy, sustainable ways to live, is trying to create a new "Down To Earth" wellness brand ... and the company says it's hurting their bottom line by confusing customers.

What's more, DTE says the Netflix series' advice on wellness "has been widely ridiculed" and is pushing "damaging false nutrition claims." ... and they're not fans of Zac using the show to cross-promote Nature Valley snack bars on social media, because DTE says they offer their own healthy snacks with the trademark.

DTE is going after Zac and Netflix for damages ... and they want an injunction prohibiting Zac and Netflix from infringing on their "Down To Earth" trademarks.

Ricky Martin is now speaking out about his nephew's claims that they had a sexual relationship and he stalked him, saying the last 2 weeks have been horrendous.

Ricky appeared on a video, obtained by TMZ, in which he expressed how he's been feeling over the last few weeks since the claims surfaced.

He says he needed to talk in order to start the healing process. Martin says he was muzzled by Puerto Rican law until the case concluded. TMZ broke the story, Ricky's nephew dropped the restraining order Thursday morning in court.

Ricky says it's been painful not just for him but for his family and friends. As for his nephew, "I wish him the best and I wish he finds the help so he can start a new life filled with love and truth and joy and that he doesn't hurt anyone else."

Ricky says his therapy will be music and he's anxious to jump back on stage ... btw, he's performing at the Hollywood Bowl this weekend.