Kendall Jenner Shots No Longer Fired ... Settles 818 Tequila Lawsuit

Kendall Jenner does not have to change her area code in hawking her tequila brand, because she's just settled the lawsuit that had her booze on the rocks.

Kendall's company was sued by the owners of Tequila 512 ... ICYMI, 512 is the area code for Austin, TX. Kendall's spirits are called 818 Tequila, a nod to the San Fernando Valley where her fam put down roots.

512 claimed 818 is a blatant rip-off, and to add insult to injury, the labels have similar color schemes and layouts.

512 was also pissed off that Kim's app -- Kim Kardashian: Hollywood -- was promoting 818 but 512 claimed their bottle was actually featured in a prominent image of KK clutching tequila.

Well, now we've learned the 2 area code companies have settled their beef, and both can use their respective digits.

CEO of Tequila 512, Nick Matzorkis, tells TMZ ... "Tequila 512's lawsuit against 818 Tequila has been resolved. The parties have agreed that they will each have the right to use their existing names and they will both make changes to their labels to clarify that they are not related to each other. Tequila 512 has dismissed its case."

Under the terms of the settlement, 512 will add "Est. 2012" to its label. No word on what changes 818 will make.

Bottoms up!!!

Nancy Grace Rips New Casey Anthony Doc ... It's a Money & Fame Grab!!!

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MONEY, MONEY, MONEY
TMZ.com

Nancy Grace says the upcoming Peacock docuseries on Casey Anthony is a sham ... she says Casey will lie her way through the series and laugh all the way to the bank.

The queen of true crime joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and we asked her why Peacock is coming out with a series on the woman Nancy called the "most hated mom in America" during the trial for her daughter Caylee's murder.

There's already tons of outrage over Peacock's three-part doc, "Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies," and Nancy says the only thing the network and Casey care about here is making money.

Nancy, who famously dubbed Casey the "Tot Mom," says she was actually invited to sit down with Casey for an interview as part of the docuseries ... but she says she refused when she was told she couldn't grill Casey the way she would in a court of law.

Translation: Nancy wasn't down for a bunch of softball questions.

As you know, Casey was acquitted of murdering her 2-year-old daughter back in 2011 during a trial that got wall-to-wall coverage on cable news ... especially from Nancy, who was convinced Casey was guilty.

The Peacock series is the first time Casey is giving an on-camera interview since her trial ... and a teaser for the doc was released Tuesday, sparking the backlash.

Despite the series' title, Nancy predicts it will offer very little truth and certainly won't bring justice for Caylee's death -- and, instead, it'll be nothing but a "money and fame grab" ... for Casey.

Nikita Dragun Arrested At Miami Hotel ... Allegedly Naked at Pool

Nikita Dragun left a swanky Miami Beach hotel in handcuffs ... after cops say she was walking around the pool in the nude before dousing officers and security guards with water.

The transgender influencer was arrested Monday night on a felony charge of battery on a police officer ... and it sounds like she was having too good a time at The Goodtime Hotel.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, cops responded to a report of someone causing a disturbance and being extremely disorderly at the hotel. Police say when they got there, hotel security told officers Nikita had been causing a disturbance for a long period of time and walking around the pool area naked.

Cops say security also told them Nikita ignored demands to stop causing the disturbance and at one point intentionally threw water on hotel staffers.

Once officers arrived on scene, they say they went with security up to Nikita's room, where they heard loud music being played.

Police say Nikita opened the door after several knocks, but when security explained to Nikita she needed to cut it out or she'd be asked to leave the hotel, Nikita slammed the door in their faces.

A few moments later, cops say Nikita opened the door again and asked security, "Do you want more?" Officers say Nikita then swung an open water bottle, causing water to hit and spill on both the security guard and the officer, resulting in her arrest.

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Nikita was booked for felony battery on a police officer, misdemeanor disorderly conduct and misdemeanor battery. She was booked at Miami-Dade County's Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on $5,000 bond.

We reached out to Nikita's camp ... so far no word back.

Megan Thee Stallion Drake, Doubters Will Look Silly After Shooting Trial, Says Her Atty

Megan Thee Stallion's lawyer says hip hop artists -- like Drake, apparently -- who side with Tory Lanez in the shooting case are gonna look like fools, and he adds there's already plenty of evidence backing her up.

Meg's lawyer, Alex Spiro, joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" to remind everyone ... she's the victim here, but instead of fellow artists having her back, he says too many are calling BS.

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THE FACTS ARE THE FACTS
TMZ.com

Alex strongly believes prosecutors have built a case that proves Meg is telling the truth about Tory shooting her in the foot back in 2020 ... and, for that reason, he says Meg's doubters are gonna be eating crow.

As we reported, Drake is apparently the latest to say the H-Town Hottie is lying about getting shot in the foot while in an SUV with Tory.

There is another view of Drake's verse on "Circo Loco," which is that he was really rapping about thick women (stallions), in general, lying about getting "shots" for BBLs ... AKA Brazilian butt lifts.

Meg definitely didn't take it that way, and clapped back on Twitter shortly after his album dropped Friday -- calling out Drake and other rappers for ganging up on her simply because she said "one of y'all homeboys abused her."

Alex tells us he's never seen such a strong amount of support against a woman who got shot, and he offers up a couple of reasons why that might be happening.

Takeoff Cops Piecing Together Beef That Led to Fatal Shooting

Cops are trying to piece together the argument that escalated to the point of gunfire in the fatal shooting of Takeoff, and the triviality of the whole thing is just mind-boggling.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... angry words were exchanged between Quavo and others after he lost in a dice game at the bowling alley. We're told they took the argument outside, and somehow they begin jawboning over who could beat who at basketball.

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TEMPERS FLARE
TMZ.com

That lines up with video obtained by TMZ, in which you hear Quavo become increasingly frustrated ... talking about basketball and assuring the group he'd win.

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TRIVIAL AGRUMENT
TMZ.com

From there is when things hit a breaking point ... Quavo begins to walk away and then, our sources say, a punch was thrown. Suddenly, at least 10 shots ring out. It appears multiple weapons were fired, striking 3 people -- Takeoff fatally.

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FLASHING HIS GUN
TMZ.com

No arrests have been made, and cops haven't publicly named a suspect. However, in another video obtained by TMZ, you see one man in the group holding and then raising his gun. Cops tell us he's currently a person of interest.

Takeoff's Migos groupmates have not yet made public statements about his death.

'Arrow' Star Stephen Amell Not Backing Down in Kennel Battle ... I Want Peace & Quiet!!!

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PEACE & QUIET PLEASE
TMZ.com
UPDATE

2:14 PM PT -- While Stephen may have issue with the rescue, we've seen some declarations filed by other neighbors to the property that say there's never been an issue with loud yelping, excessive barking or the smell of animal waste.

UPDATE

What's more ... one of the declarations states Stephen is the mean neighbor, even once allegedly getting into it with a neighbor's gardener.

Stephen Amell is confident a judge will have his back after slapping his neighbors with a lawsuit over their kennel biz ... saying he loves dogs, but his family needs some peace.

We got the "Arrow" star Thursday at LAX and he fired off, for the first time publicly, since filing suit. Stephen told us there are just some things you should not be able to do in a residential zone.

His point is there just have to be some limits, for the sake of residents, and in his eyes this is one.

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As we reported, Stephen and his wife Cassandra took their neighbors Kristen Stavola and Jeremy Gardiner to court over their company called Rescues Rock Inc., claiming it's an unpermitted animal adoption biz ... one that's super loud and super stinky!

He and his wife have already lost one battle in the suit -- a judge denied the Amells' request to shut down the rescue and move it from its current location.

Despite this, he's not backing down... telling us he's pretty sure he and his wife are right and ultimately believes they'll come out on top.

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TAKIN' IT TO COURT
TMZ.com

Stephen doubled down on the fact he tried to be neighborly and squash the beef before having a showdown in court -- but that's where it is now, and he's still feeling good about his chances.

NYC Fugitive Nabbed at Disney World!!! Accused Of PPP Loan Fraud

There's no magic at the Magic Kingdom, not for an NYC fugitive who successfully dodged the law for a year ... only to be captured at the so-called happiest place on Earth!!! 😂

Quashon Burton was reportedly kicking it at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom park in October when federal postal inspector Jeff Andre spotted him.

Eagle-eyed Jeff identified Burton by a distinctive "H" tattoo on his neck, and reported him to cops ... who caught up to Burton about an hour later. They reportedly found him with 2 family members while they were sitting at a bus stop in the park.

Cops say Burton wouldn't produce any ID and resisted arrest, so they took him down to the ground ... and later ID him with fingerprints.

Officials say Burton ran from his home in Brooklyn last year after fraudulently obtaining over $150K in forgivable PPP loans from the government, and allegedly used multiple identities to get cash out of an ATM at an NYC post office.

He's being held without bail, as NY prosecutors believe he's an "extreme" flight risk.

The lesson here -- even the mouse house can't protect ya from the feds!!!

Elon Musk Mass Firings At Twitter ... Half of Staff Reportedly Cut

UPDATE

10:52 AM PT -- Reports state Twitter has lost about half it's staff in the cuts ... with some stating around 3,700 people have been let go.

Elon Musk is sharpening his knives at Twitter...'cause he's planning to wipe out half the workforce to put the company on the right path, or so he claims ... but employees have fired back with a preemptive lawsuit.

The new Chief Twit, as Musk anointed himself after his $44 billion purchase of the social media giant, fired off a chilling memo to his 7,500 employees Thursday.

The email -- which was only signed "Twitter" -- informed workers to stay away from all offices Friday as Musk begins to clean house, the New York Times reported. An exact head count was not provided in the email, but the NYT says half the staff is set to be fired.

The email leaves no doubt ... "In an effort to place Twitter on a healthy path, we will go through the difficult process of reducing our global workforce. We recognize that this will impact a number of individuals who have made valuable contributions to Twitter, but this action is unfortunately necessary to ensure the company’s success moving forward."

Twitter staffers read the tea leaves and filed a class action lawsuit late Thursday, asking a judge to declare any firings now would be in violation of California and federal law, in part because there was insufficient notice.

After receiving the ominous note, employees took to Slack -- the company's internal messaging service -- posting heart and salute emojis. Some workers were cut off from the internal computer system -- a sign their heads were on the chopping block.

Musk has already gone on a mini-firing spree after inking the deal to buy San Francisco-based company Oct. 27. As we reported, the world's richest man promptly gave walking papers to several top Twitter executives, including former CEO Parag Agrawal. Since then, Musk has reportedly chosen 50 engineers from his other businesses to pore over layoff lists of Twitter employees.

All sounds pretty ugly. Good luck.

Originally Published -- 6:19 AM PT

Johnny Depp I Shouldn't Have to Pay Amber $2 Mil ... Appeals Defamation Verdict

Johnny Depp wants total victory over Amber Heard, and he's just filed an appeal trying to get it ... claiming the jury got it wrong when it ruled in favor of his ex-wife on a single count of defamation.

You'll recall, Johnny was the big winner, by far, when the jury came back in their landmark trial, saying Amber had defamed him and had to cough up $10.35 million dollars -- but it also ruled Amber was defamed, and awarded her $2 mil.

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RULING IN FAVOR OF DEPP

In docs filed Wednesday in the Virginia Court of Appeals, Johnny says the jury had erroneously ruled in favor of Amber ... when it said one of Johnny's attorneys, Adam Waldman, defamed Amber by telling a media outlet she had lied while describing a blowout fight that ended their marriage.

Waldman said, "So Amber and her friends spilled a little wine and roughed the place up, got their stories straight under the direction of a lawyer and publicist, and then placed a second call to 911."

In the appeal, Johnny makes the point that his lawyer said that, not him, and he shouldn't be held responsible for Waldman's remarks. He also says Amber's team failed to prove Waldman made those comments with malice ... a requirement to win a defamation claim.

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DATING DEPP

Johnny wants the court to overturn the jury on that single count. Remember, Amber has also filed an appeal of the counts she lost.

So, scoreboard review: Amber's $10.35 mil check to Johnny is on hold and, likewise, his $2 mil check to her is on hold.

Gabby Petito Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit ... Cops Should've Saved Her!!

The family of Gabby Petito is taking the Moab City Police Department to court, filing a wrongful death suit, claiming officers could've saved her life in the weeks leading up to her death.

Legal docs, obtained by TMZ, say Moab PD failed to protect Gabby when police investigated the reported domestic violence incident roughly 2 weeks before she was killed by Brian Laundrie.

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WORKING WITH GABBY
Moab Police Department

You'll recall, officers interviewed Gabby and Brian on the side of the road with one officer acknowledging she was crying uncontrollably and had cuts on her face and arm.

Still, Brian told officers Gabby had just been under distress -- and officers simply separated them for the day.

The suit claims police didn't probe hard enough on Brian's side of the story ... and even claims the officers treated Brian as if he were the victim, rather than the perpetrator, of domestic violence.

In the family's eyes -- all signs pointed to Brian, and they say the cops "egregiously misinterpreted" the situation.

Her family also calls out the department for failing to train its cops for situations like this -- characterizing this case as a "vehicle for systemic change and a reckoning about how the police enforce the State's domestic abuse laws." They are seeking $50 million in damages.

The city of Moab tells TMZ ... "We feel profound sympathy for the Petito and Schmidt families and the painful loss they have endured. At the same time, it is clear that Moab City Police Department officers are not responsible for Gabrielle Petito’s eventual murder."

The city says it will defend itself against the suit.

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LAWSUIT FILED

As we reported, Gabby's family filed a notice of complaint in August, informing police they were planning to sue.

Denzel Washington Movie On-Set Movie Caterers Arrested In Cocaine Bust

There's apparently a cocaine problem amongst employees working on a new Denzel Washington movie ... two caterers working on set were arrested after cops in Italy say they seized a bunch of coke following a man's death.

Italian paramilitary police say they seized 120 grams of cocaine during a Tuesday afternoon raid at a hotel on the Amalfi coast, near where Denzel and Dakota Fanning are filming "The Equalizer 3."

Cops say the drug bust was in response to the sudden death of the movie production's head of catering, a 55-year-old man who reportedly collapsed leaving a bar and died of a heart attack. Police say they found several bags of cocaine in the man's pockets, leading to suspicion of more drugs on the 'Equalizer' set.

A couple of catering workers from Italy were placed under house arrest on suspicion of drug dealing after cops say they seized cocaine from their hotel room during Tuesday's raid. They were reportedly detained by police away from the movie set.

And, get this ... a different caterer was allegedly in possession of a small amount of cocaine, reportedly for personal use.

Italian police say they also searched for drugs at a local port, which is serving as the main staging area for the movie Antoine Fuqua is directing ... but the sweep didn't turn up any cocaine.

A rep for Denzel said there will be no delay in production.

Jeff Bezos Sued Ex-Housekeeper Claims Racial Bias ... Source Says She's Full of It

UPDATE

11:36 AM PT -- A source close to the couple tells us Wedaa had access to multiple restrooms and 2 breakrooms that were not only stocked with food -- but included air fryers and coffee machines. We're told when Jeff and Lauren were not home, staffers also had access to the family kitchen.

UPDATE

11:36 PM PT -- The source tells us Wedaa was well compensated, and worked largely unsupervised, though we're told at least one of her supervisors was also Hispanic.

UPDATE

11:36 AM PT -- Interestingly enough, another source says Wedaa's daughter was very recently, or still could be an employee at the home.

Jeff Bezos is going to court because one of his former housekeepers claims he racially discriminated against her, and forced her to work under conditions so bad ... just going to the bathroom was a nightmare.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Mercedes Wedaa says Bezos' team allegedly treated her and other Hispanic cleaning staff members much differently compared to the white employees ... claiming his household manager was "aggressive and abusive" to her, while being "respectful and polite" to the white staff.

Wedaa, who began working at Bezos' Seattle mansion back in 2019, claims she would often work 10-14 hour shifts, but was unable to take a break while Bezos and his family were on-property.

She claims she wasn't allowed to enter the home unless actively cleaning ... which is where going to the bathroom became a major issue.

According to the docs, Wedaa and other housekeepers "were forced to climb out of the laundry room window to the outside. Then run along the path to the mechanical room, through the mechanical room and downstairs to a bathroom.”

Wedaa's now seeking damages from Bezos and 2 companies that manage his properties.

Bezos' attorney, Harry Korrell, tells TMZ, "We have investigated the claims, and they lack merit. Ms. Wedaa made over six figures annually and was the lead housekeeper. She was responsible for her own break and meal times, and there were several bathrooms and breakrooms available to her and other staff."

He continues, "The evidence will show that Ms. Wedaa was terminated for performance reasons. She initially demanded over $9M, and when the company refused, she decided to file this suit. Given their backgrounds, the suggestion that Mr. Bezos, Ms. Sanchez, or Northwestern LLC discriminated against Ms. Wedaa based on her race or national origin is absurd."

Originally Published -- 9:45 AM PT

Nikolas Cruz Sentenced To Life Without Parole

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SENTENCED TO LIFE
Fox 13 Tampa Bay

Nikolas Cruz, the monster who murdered 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.

The 24-year-old's sentencing was made final Wednesday ... following an emotional couple days of victims' parents and loved ones addressing Cruz directly.

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JUDGE SCHERER'S PERSONAL MESSAGE
Fox 13 Tampa Bay

Before the sentencing was handed down, the judge spoke directly to the victims and families -- reminding them that they're a part of a strong community -- adding those they've lost will never be forgotten.

As we reported, the jury recommended life in prison for Cruz in October -- they were unable to unanimously decide on the death penalty. At the time, Family members of Cruz's 17 victims were very obviously angry sitting inside the courtroom -- many shaking their heads and crying in disbelief. Cruz sat expressionless.

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SENTENCING DELAYED
FOX

You'll recall, Cruz pled guilty last year to 34 counts -- 17 charges of murder and 17 charges of attempted murder.

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ADDRESSING THE FAMILIES
Law & Crime Network

In the sentencing phase, multiple witnesses took the stand to describe the pain and horror they endured as a result of the massacre. There were cell phone videos jurors saw ... showing students hiding in fear as gunshots rang out.

Aaron Paul Petitions To Change Name With Wife & Son ... We Should All Be Pauls!!!

Aaron Paul, his wife, and their kid are all goin' Paul ... because the actor and his wife just filed a petition to change all their names -- and Aaron's included in the makeover.

Legal docs, obtained by TMZ, show that Aaron, whose last name is actually Sturtevant, is looking to legally change his last name to Paul ... a name he's obviously gone by in the industry for years.

His wife Lauren also wants to change her last name to Paul... and they want to change their kid's name -- currently Casper Emerson Paul -- to Ryden Caspian Paul. Yes, the kid's last name was already Paul, even though his parents didn't officially share that name ... but they're changing the youngster's first and middle name. They've been using the new name on social.

The reason Aaron and Lauren give for their name changes ... they say they want to conform to AP's professional name and keep the family name consistent.

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In the docs, Aaron and Lauren explain they were required to give a name at the hospital and went with Casper Emerson ... but later came up with a name they liked better. It's only now that they're legally making the switch.

So Aaron Paul is now ... Aaron Paul. Fun!

Aaron Carter Pulled Over In RV For Suspicion of DUI ... I'm In The Clear!!!

Aaron Carter has certainly had his fair share of run-ins with cops ... but his latest one might be one of the more bizarre, and ended in the pop star clearing his name.

Law enforcement sources with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department tell TMZ ... deputies pulled the singer over Tuesday around 10:45 AM while he was driving an RV, after they got a call about a driver weaving in traffic and possibly driving under the influence.

Officers say they didn't even know the guy was Aaron Carter until they pulled him over. Once they did, we're told they conducted field sobriety tests and determined Aaron wasn't under the influence.

We're told it was a very windy day in the Antelope Valley ... which, possibly made it easier for the RV to get blown around and cross over the traffic lines.

You can see in the pics, Carter locked his keys in the RV and had to access the vehicle through a roof hatch.

Our sources say, it's not clear who made the 911 call but did note Aaron's off-again GF Melanie Martin, was driving behind him at the time in a white Range Rover.

Aaron posted on Instagram about the incident, saying "When you do the right thing, you don't get in trouble. Do the right thing, that's what you do."

As we've told you ... cops recently showed up at his house for a welfare check after fans got worried he might have been doing drugs on IG live. He later said it was all a joke and police found no drugs or criminal activity when they arrived.

As for this incident, it seems like no harm, no foul.

Disney Sued Taken To Court Over 'Frozen 2' Song ... Hey, That's My Track!!!

Disney and 2-time EGOT winner Robert Lopez are being taken to court by a songwriter that claims his 2001 track was stolen and used in "Frozen 2" ... and he allegedly came to the conclusion while in the theater with his kid.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, musician Daniel Grigson first heard the song "Some Things Never Change" while watching "Frozen 2" in theaters at the end of November 2019 ... and as the song was being performed, he says he got up out of his seat in shock.

The docs say the track's beat, rhythm, feel, theme, and words caught him off guard -- because Grigson claims it's basically IDENTICAL to his song, "That Girl," from decades ago.

Grigson says his eyes were wide open while standing in the theater -- once he sat back down with his head in his hands, he claims his 11-year-old daughter leaned over to him and said, "Dad, Disney took your song."

Grigson says he hired an analyst to compare the 2 tracks -- coming to the conclusion that not only do the songs sound alike, but both are also similar on a technical level.

He now wants Disney and Lopez to fork over profits made from the song ... and for the company to stop using the track.