TMZ.com

Kanye West has hired yet another divorce lawyer, this time tapping into the same attorney who represented Melinda Gates in her multi-billion dollar divorce case with Bill Gates.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Ye's retained Robert Stephan Cohen of Cohen Clair Lans Greifer Thorpe & Rottenstreich LLP as his sixth divorce attorney in the back and forth with Kim Kardashian. Interestingly enough, Cohen is based in New York, and the Kim divorce is in Los Angeles, so Ye's also bringing on Nicholas A. Salick of Salick Family Law Group, APLC as his counsel in California.

Not only has Cohen represented Melinda, but he's also had clients like Rupert Murdoch, Chris Rock, Athina Onassis and more.

TMZ broke the story, Kim filed for divorce in November, and a judge declared her legally single back in March, after she filed docs stating, "I very much desire to be divorced." The couple still has to iron out custody and property details.

We know Kim and Kanye already had a prenup in place, so property shouldn't be an issue. As far as custody, that seems to be settled too, as Kanye recently said Kim's got the kids about 80% of the time and mostly raises them.

Two men have been charged in connection with an alleged armed robbery that took place in the middle of a church service which was stopped short while two men allegedly jacked some jewelry from the bishop during their live stream.

2 men from Brooklyn -- Juwan Anderson and Say-Quan Pollack -- were charged with armed robbery for their roles in the July 24 incident ... according to Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York on Tuesday.

Peace's statement reads, "As alleged, the defendants brought guns into a place of worship, stealing from two members of the clergy, and terrifying the congregation in the process" ... adding, "to commit such an act during a religious service is incomprehensible."

Peace notes a 3rd suspect is still at large.

The incident was caught on camera during the service's live stream ... showing Bishop Lamor Whitehead stopping mid-service and quickly getting on the ground -- as two men begin to take items off his person.

Whitehead tells TMZ ... "Today is the start of healing. We will let the justice system continue to work as I continue to do what God has called me to do."

Sean "Diddy" Combs is being sued by Kim Porter's niece ... who claims she was wrongfully terminated after she told him she got pregnant and needed to take maternity leave.

In legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a woman referred to as Jane Roe -- who identifies herself as Kim's niece -- is suing Diddy, Tri Star Sports, and others, claiming she became a full-time nanny to Diddy's twins after Kim passed away in November 2018. Jane says she was then fired 2 years later when she requested maternity leave.

She claims the day after Kim passed away, Diddy asked her to live at his estate and become a full-time nanny to his twins, Jessie James and D'Lila -- adding she "was responsible for the twins' 24/7 care."

Jane says she got pregnant in August 2020 and told Diddy she needed to take maternity leave ... but says Diddy was "infuriated" and terminated her employment around the time she was set to begin her time off.

Roe claims she was told through Diddy's reps she was canned because she was pregnant and unmarried -- which "purportedly set a bad example" for his daughters.

She's seeking unspecified damages.

TMZ broke the story ... Kim was found dead at her Toluca Lake home in 2018, it was later revealed she died from a form of pneumonia.

Shakira may soon have her day in court ... because a judge in Spain has given the green light for the singer to stand trial on tax fraud charges.

According to reports, the judge ruled Tuesday prosecutors can move forward with a trial for the singer on 6 counts of tax fraud -- Shakira is accused of not coughing up 14.5 million euros -- or about $13.9 million -- in taxes for income she earned between 2012 and 2014.

Prosecutors believe Shakira was spending more than half her time in Spain during those years -- meaning authorities believe she should've paid up, even though her official residence was in the Bahamas.

As we reported, prosecutors are hoping to get an 8-year prison sentence and a large fine if she's found guilty of the charges.

Shakira's denying having to pay up, though ... recently telling ELLE, "I've paid everything they claimed I owed even before they filed a lawsuit. So as of today, I owe zero to them."

She goes on to say she's confident she has enough evidence to prove she's innocent.

Shakira's also dealing with the fallout from her split with her ex, Gerard Piqué ... the exes recently went to their son's baseball game, but kept their distance from each other the entire game.

A rep for Shakira tells TMZ ... "Shakira has always cooperated and abided by the law, demonstrating impeccable conduct as individual and a taxpayer, and faithfully following the counsel of PriceWaterhouse Coopers, a prestigious and globally recognized tax firm."

The "Riverdale" actor convicted for murdering his mom could end up behind bars with the worst of the worst -- something he and his attorney find gravely concerning, considering he's a puny guy.

Ryan Grantham -- who was sentenced to life in prison in Canada -- is at risk of being brutalized, or worse, if he's forced to serve his time in a maximum security facility ... according to his lawyer, Chris Johnson.

Johnson tells TMZ that Grantham is small in stature and slight in build -- standing a mere 5'2" and weighing about 100 lbs. While the guy is 24, we're told he passes for a teenager ... and looks exactly like the frail characters he's played in movies and on TV.

Johnson is concerned his client could be "physically, psychologically and sexually intimidated" if he's locked up in a max security prison. Basically, he feels Grantham doesn't belong there, not just because of his physicality ... but because, in his mind, the setting for the punishment doesn't fit this specific crime under these particular circumstances.

Johnson tells us his age, size and mental state during this saga should be considered by prison officials -- suggesting even if the crime fits the bill for someone to be thrown in a maximum security prison ... anyone with eyes can see he simply wouldn't fare well.

We're even told the judge who presided over the murder case actually recognized the potential concerns if Grantham ended up in a max security prison, and even recommended a medium security facility.

Thing is, Johnson says the judge has no final say about where he's sent ... it's up to correctional authorities.

Elon Musk's legal team was all set to grill Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal Monday -- but it never happened, and now EM's team is considering filing action to hold Agrawal in contempt.

Sources with direct knowledge of the case tell TMZ ... Elon's attorneys flew out to the west coast Monday to conduct Agrawal's deposition in Twitter's lawsuit against Elon for backing out of his purchase of the company. Sources close to Elon say Parag unexpectedly no-showed, but folks at Twitter say that's BS.

Our Twitter sources say both sides agreed on Sunday that Monday's deposition would be rescheduled for personal reasons, and will, instead, happen later this week.

Now, our Elon sources say his legal team might ask the judge to hold Parag in contempt for missing the depo ... which, if successful, could mean consequences even before the trial, which is set to begin Oct. 17.

Other reports suggested Elon was also supposed to sit for a depo Monday in Delaware, but Elon's attorney, Alex Spiro, tells TMZ, "It's a lie." He also insists the Parag's depo was still scheduled to go down Monday in San Francisco.

Remember, this is all about Twitter trying to force Elon to buy the company like he said he would ... only to then reverse course when he claimed Twitter wasn't being forthright about spambot data and security-related problems with the platform.

Poppy Montgomery and her husband are allegedly stiffing their former housekeeper ... and now she's suing.

The "Without a Trace" star and her hubby, Shawn Sanford, just got hit with a lawsuit from their hired help, who says working for the couple was anything but a dream job.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, the housekeeper claims she worked for Poppy and Shawn in their Pacific Palisades home from 2014 until May 2022, and she says the couple still owes her a bunch of money.

Poppy and Shawn's housekeeper says they kept her so busy cleaning, cooking and taking care of their kids, she often couldn't take her legally required breaks ... claiming the couple owes her more than $48,250 for missed meal and rest periods.

The housekeeper also says Poppy and Shawn owe her more than $36,000 in unpaid wages plus nearly $7k in overtime.

On top of all this, she's looking for thousands more in various penalties under California's labor laws.

Alec Baldwin could be facing criminal charges in connection to the fatal 'Rust' shooting -- because the D.A. is asking New Mexico for help in financing several potential prosecutions.

District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies reportedly filed an emergency request last week, asking the New Mexico Board of Finance for extra funds to assist in bringing up to four possible criminal cases that may materialize from her office's investigation into the death of Halyna Hutchins.

Carmack-Altwies got half of what she wanted --  according to the Santa Fe New Mexican, she was awarded $317,000 in relief ... although she had asked for $635k -- which is what her office estimated it would cost to handle the would-be cases.

The D.A. has since said that she'll be seeking the remainder of the dough through a special appropriation request -- which suggests she may actually need the full amount to bring any charges related to the fatal incident on the 'Rust' set.

Now, while the D.A. isn't definitively naming names in any potential charges -- her office is explicitly saying Baldwin could be on the chopping block. The docs they filed, cited by SFNM, reportedly say ... "One of the possible defendants is well known movie actor Alec Baldwin."

It's unclear what sort of charges he (or others) might face, but the D.A. told local media she was considering all homicide statutes as well as gun statutes under the NM criminal code.

Baldwin has maintained that Halyna's death was an accident, and not his fault in the slightest ... deflecting blame to other crew members, whom he says should've checked the gun to make sure it wasn't loaded and was functioning properly. He claims he didn't pull the trigger, but rather ... that the gun went off on its own after he pulled back the hammer.

A couple things to note about the D.A.'s move here -- Carmack-Altwies says she's expecting the final report from the Sheriff's Office soon ... but it sounds like she's been in the loop along the way, because she's already signaling the exact number of possible defendants. Her request also notes this is urgent, and the cases would need to be dealt with immediately -- hence her emergency request for a ton of cash.

David Dobrik says he shouldn't be held responsible for any injuries suffered by a YouTuber in a social media stunt gone wrong ... claiming the guy knew what he was signing up for.

The influencer just responded to Jeff Wittek's lawsuit against him, with David claiming Jeff knowingly assumed the risks involved with the stunt and can't collect any damages from David just because he got hurt when it went sideways.

TMZ broke the story ... Jeff sued David back in June for more than $10 million, claiming David should have never been behind the controls of the massive excavator used in the stunt, which saw YouTubers being swung around from a rope attached to the excavator shovel.

Jeff says when it was his turn, David started swinging him around too quickly before abruptly slowing down, causing Wittek to slam into the side of the excavator, resulting in broken and fractured bones, plus a torn ligament.

Todd Chrisley is continuing to spew lies about a woman who investigated him for tax evasion ... this according to a new lawsuit.

The "Chrisley Knows Best" star is being sued for defamation by Amy Doherty-Heinze over remarks she says he made on his popular podcast about the former Georgia Department of Revenue investigator.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Amy claims Todd continues to defame her on his podcast, "Chrisley Confessions," by falsely accusing her of various criminal conduct related to the investigation into his finances.

In a podcast episode last September, ADH claims Todd "maliciously" accused her of breaking laws during the investigation, mentioning her twice by name, calling for her to be prosecuted and making her out to be corrupt and dishonest.

Amy previously sued Todd back in June 2021 for defamation -- that separate lawsuit is still pending -- but she says Todd has not only refused to retract his statements about her but has instead doubled down, prompting her to file another lawsuit.

As we reported ... Todd and Julie Chrisley were found guilty in June of bank fraud and tax evasion. The couple is awaiting sentencing and are facing up to 30 years in federal prison.

Todd's talked about the case at least a few times on his podcast ... recently asking listeners to send thoughts and prayers.

DeMario Jackson, a former "Bachelor in Paradise" contestant, says the rape allegations against him are costing him six figures in brand deals ... and he's vowing to clear his name.

The reality TV star tells TMZ ... the day after he was sued for sexual assault by two women, he lost 10 deals worth $25,000 ... with brands he's worked with for years quickly severing ties.

DeMario straight up says it "sucks" to be dealing with another sex scandal -- back in 2017 'BIP' production shut down after he and Corinne Olympios hooked up in a swimming pool -- and he says his life's been a living hell since the lawsuit.

DJ tells us he feels like it's his 2017 nightmare all over again ... saying he hasn't been able to sleep and feels trapped in his home.

TMZ broke the story ... DeMario was sued Tuesday by two different women, who claim they went on dates with him that both ended with DeMario forcing them into nonconsensual sex.

DeMario's attorney, Walter Mosley Jr., says LAPD already investigated the alleged incidents and the investigations did not lead to criminal charges ... and he says DJ has evidence that will exonerate him in court.

For his part, DeMario claims he maintained a good relationship with his accusers over the years -- he says they even had plans to meet up the day after they went to the police with their allegations. His attorney characterizes the suit as a shakedown.

Ryan Grantham, known for playing Jeffery Augustine in "Riverdale," has been sentenced to life behind bars for killing his own mother.

The 24-year-old was sentenced Wednesday in British Columbia, Canada Supreme Court -- approximately 6 months after pleading guilty to a second-degree murder charge for the death of his mom, Barbara Waite, back in 2020.

Prosecutors say the disgraced actor recorded his confession and the aftermath of the tragic ordeal with his own camera at the time -- in the clip, he admitted, “I shot her in the back of the head. In the moments after, she would have known it was me.”

Justice Kathleen Ker described the case as heartbreaking, tragic, and life-shattering while giving him the sentence.

According to prosecutors, Grantham shot his mother in the back of the head while she was playing the piano at home -- the following day he loaded his car with guns, ammo, Molotov cocktails, and directions to Rideau Cottage -- where Canadian PM Justin Trudeau lives.

Detectives investigating the case say Grantham later confessed he was attempting to kill Trudeau and wrote about his goal in a journal.

The grocery store clerk charged with smacking Rudy Giuliani on the back won't even receive a slap on the wrist ... if he keeps his nose clean for the next 6 months.

Daniel Gill appeared in an NYC courtroom Wednesday for allegedly roughing up ol' Rudy in a ShopRite on Staten Island, where Gill was working at the time in June. He was charged with felony assault, menacing and harassment.

Prosecutors recommended an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal, and Gill gladly took it. The ACD only requires him to stay out of trouble for 6 months for his case to be dismissed and expunged from his record. Gill must also steer clear of Rudy per a protection order issued by the judge, but he will NOT have to plead guilty to a crime as a part of a deal.

The D.A.'s Office said they would have had a tough time proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Gill had intended to physically harm Rudy, so the ACD was their best option.

As we reported, Gill spotted Rudy milling about the ShopRite and came up behind him, calling him a "scumbag" and slapping him on the back. Video of the alleged assault surfaced, sparking an online debate over whether Donald Trump's former attorney was really smacked.

Rudy complained he was almost knocked over by the blow and could have been killed, but many were skeptical, including some in law enforcement.

Tiffany Haddish says she's without a single job after being accused of molestation -- even though a lawsuit alleging that has been dismissed.

We got the comedian/actress Wednesday at LAX, and talked with her about Jane Doe dropping her claim TH and Aries Spears allegedly roped her and her brother into inappropriate sexual skits as children ... with an about-face statement to boot.

While it could certainly be viewed as Tiffany clearing her name, it doesn't seem she sees it that way -- because she tells our photog she's lost everything in the wake of this.

Another photog asked how she was feeling now that the saga is over ... and she said she was relieved -- noting her main concern here was the actual accuser herself, as well as her brother.

As for Aries ... Tiffany is clearly creating distance, saying she doesn't speak for him -- nor does she affiliate with him anymore.

The photog also asks if she's worried more people might come after her with allegations, and she seems defiant ... telling him if anyone does, whatever they might say is fake.

You'll recall ... Tiffany and Aries were accused of including these kids in filmed sketches -- one in which Tiffany allegedly had the girl imitate fellatio on a sandwich and another in which her brother was allegedly the subject of a pedophile's fantasy, played by Aries.

Diplo has emerged victorious against a woman he claimed was harassing him and his family -- and could walk away with over a million bucks for it ... once the judge signs off.

The DJ's case -- which dates back to last Spring -- went to arbitration after he sued Shelly Auguste for allegedly hounding him with threats of revenge porn ... not to mention what he claims was an incessant badgering of his baby mama and other relatives.

According to new court docs, Diplo is asking the Los Angeles Superior Court to confirm the monetary award that was greenlit for him by the arbitrator ... a cool $1.2 million and change -- which covers damages, attorney fees and other costs.

Diplo's legal team is clearly viewing this as a decisive win, calling her an "obsessive and unstable fan" who was out to exploit a one-time consensual relationship with their client for as much money as possible ... adding, "Her fifteen minutes of fame are now over."

You'll recall ... this all started in 2019, according to Diplo, when he hooked up with this lady -- only for things to fizzle out the following year. He claimed that she wouldn't let it go, though, and pestered both him and his brood with provocative messages and his nudes too.

Diplo was so overwhelmed by the situation, that he says he had to sell his house just to get away from all this -- that is, until he filed suit and took her to court. He also took out a TRO against Auguste -- and she did the same, only to later have it tossed -- and it's finally over.

Diplo's attorney, Bryan Freedman, tells TMZ ... "We are all extremely pleased for Wes (Diplo) and his family. What happened here is simple. The arbitrator looked at all the facts. She evaluated the evidence impartially. And justice prevailed."

The family of Hae Min Lee -- who was allegedly killed at the hands of Adnan Syed -- would've been all good with his release ... but they say they haven't seen any solid evidence pointing at anyone else -- at least not yet.

Attorney Steve Kelly, who's repping the Lee family, tells TMZ ... Hae Min's brood simply doesn't think what prosecutors submitted to cut Adnan loose was convincing, adding they don't consider it real evidence that actually points to another killer or killers.

Kelly says the Lee family was told for 20 years by the Baltimore State's Attorney's Office Adnan was their man -- responsible for Hae Min's death -- something a jury at the time agreed with when they convicted him of murder and sentenced him to life in prison.

Now we're told they feel they've had the rug pulled out from under them. Kelly tells us the Lee family would've absolutely consented to springing Adnan out of prison, IF they actually bought the arguments prosecutors made in their recent court motions.

FWIW ... prosecutors pointed to notes and/or letters from at least one potential suspect -- who was apparently known to cops from the jump and who apparently wrote they wanted to make HML "disappear" and "kill her." The problem, according to prosecutors, is the notes were not handed over to AS's defense team during the trial, which is a big no-no because any evidence that potentially exonerates AS should've been handed over.

Not just that, but prosecutors are also now saying a key witness -- Jay Wilds -- gave inconsistent accounts to cops.

Apparently, much of this stuff wasn't disclosed to Adnan's team ... and prosecutors are saying it all warranted throwing out his conviction. As we reported ... a judge agreed Monday and ordered Adnan be cut loose ... although he'll remain on house arrest for 30 days while prosecutors evaluate whether to retry him.

While some say this is significant evidence and more than enough to raise reasonable doubt  ... the Lee family believes there's not enough info to persuade them Adnan should go free.