TMZ.com

Comedian Mike Epps could be facing serious legal trouble -- TMZ has learned authorities in his home state say they found a loaded gun in one of his bags at an airport.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, police responded to a firearms investigation Sunday at the Indianapolis Airport ... with cops being told TSA found the gun while Mike was going through the checkpoint

The docs say the comedian mentioned being in town for a show, and forgot the piece was in his bag. Upon investigation, police say they found a .38 Special Airweight with 4 rounds loaded, but none in the chamber.

The gun and ammo were all taken as evidence.

Officials for the Indianapolis Airport police tell TMZ ... Epps wasn't arrested, but the report was forwarded to the Marion County Prosecutor's Office to determine if charges should be filed.

Protesters in Atlanta who are against a so-called "Cop City" being built in their backyard took their fight straight to the police this weekend ... a clash that erupted in violence and flames.

APD says several of their officers were forced to respond to dozens of demonstrators Sunday -- who they say departed a music festival to descend on a construction site in a wooded area of neighboring Dekalb County, and they unleashed mayhem when they arrived.

The construction site is part of a massive, 85-acre police academy/training facility that city officials have been trying to build for years -- and which is already partially in use.

A lot of people in Atlanta have opposed its presence and have protested on and off for about a year or so -- one protester was even shot and killed earlier this year. Things had simmered down since then ... until Sunday evening.

Check out this video Atlanta PD released, which they say shows some of the attack they were under ... it's pretty insane. You see people dressed in black throwing items at officers as they scramble to close gates.

Cops say these protesters -- who they paint as agitators -- were throwing Molotov cocktails, setting off fireworks and chucking rocks and other projectiles in officers' direction. Soon enough, fires did start breaking out on some of the police equipment ... utterly wild scene.

Eventually, enough backup arrived to drive the protesters away ... and at that point, cops spread out into the surrounding woods to look for stragglers. APD says they detained upward of 35 individuals, but unclear if any of them were arrested or if they'll be charged.

Pete Davidson went from beachside lounging one day to a collision in the streets of L.A. the next ... and his girlfriend was with him for both occasions ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Pete and Chase Sui Wonders were involved in a car accident Saturday night around 11 PM. Our sources say he was behind the wheel of a Mercedes and driving at a high rate of speed through the Flats neighborhood of Bev Hills.

For some reason, we're told he lost control of the vehicle ... which hopped a curb, took out a fire hydrant and then proceeded to slam into the side of a nearby house ... dragging across the lawn and leaving skid marks on the grass.

Based on photos of the crash site, obtained by TMZ, it doesn't appear Pete went into the property ... but our sources say he did strike it and caused damage. Thankfully, nobody was hurt -- be it outside or in the home. Cops were called, however, and they responded.

We're told the preliminary view is that drugs and alcohol were not involved here, but an investigation is currently underway. Our sources also say no arrests were made on the spot, and that Pete and Chase were not cited either ... at least not for now, anyway.

Unclear what sorta interaction the two stars might've had with the homeowners, but ya gotta imagine insurance is gonna get involved for this ... at the very least. We've reached out to both of their reps for further comment ... so far, no word back.

It's pretty wild that Pete and Chase were back in L.A. in such a short turnaround ... remember, they were literally just photographed in Hawaii earlier that same day (Saturday) enjoying the beach together -- and they didn't seem to be in a rush getting back.

They must've left almost immediately after getting snapped by paps, 'cause a flight from the islands to L.A. takes a good 5 hours or so. Seems they were eager to be out and about as soon as they touched down. Pete even presented at the Kids' Choice Awards last night!

"The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Crystal Kung Minkoff is gettin' sued ... along with her filmmaker husband and her brother over a car accident they allegedly caused.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Candice Shahandeh-Rad claims she was stopped on the off-ramp of an L.A. freeway last November in her Audi when she was "suddenly and violently" rear-ended, causing her to hit the car in front of her.

The docs say Crystal's brother, Jeffrey Kung, was behind the wheel at the time of the crash.  Candice claims Jeffrey got out of the Mercedes-Benz and "admitted he was distracted" ... although the lawsuit doesn't go into further detail about why or how.

We're told neither Crystal or her hubby Rob Minkoff -- a director of several hit films for Disney -- were in the Benz, but the plaintiff believes they own the car and/or employ her brother as a driver.

Candice says she suffered injuries from the crash, not to mention damage to her car, too. We got pictures of what we're told is the aftermath of the accident, and it shows the smashed front end of the Mercedes.

Andrew Tate is getting dragged after claiming he's grown a "full head of hair" while behind bars ... but his rep says people should focus on him getting justice instead of hair issues.

A rep for Tate tells TMZ ... "The peculiar online fascination with Andrew's hair has proven, as a society, we care less about the potential dangers of false accusations and more about how people look."

You'll recall, Tate's been spending the last few months in a Romanian jail after being accused of rape and running a human trafficking ring ... and his recent tweet at the end of February has been picking up steam.

He wrote about being shocked by his reflection, adding "I barely recognized myself A long beard, a full head of hair" ... but a recent pic of him overseas with thinning hair had people going hard on his claims.

One Twitter troll says he's stretching the truth, while another jokes Andrew might've seen the reflection of his brother Tristan, who's also been arrested, and just got confused.

He's been in his feelings a lot lately online, even tweeting about when he "almost cried" while behind bars.

Alex Murdaugh, who was sentenced to life Friday morning, already has a different look as he heads to prison ... with a completely shaved head.

The new mug shot was taken just a few hours after he was in a South Carolina courthouse to hear his sentence for murdering his wife and son.

Murdaugh had a full head of hair as the judge gave him 2 life sentences ... so they clearly put the razor to him shortly after he was walked out of court in handcuffs. We're told that's S.O.P., so it's not like he had a choice in the matter.

As we reported, a jury convicted him Thursday of 2 counts of murder and 2 counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. They reached the verdict after less than 3 hours of deliberations.

As you know, Murdaugh's wife Maggie and 22-year-old son Paul were found dead back in 2021 on the family property in Islandton, SC -- they'd been shot with 2 different guns.

Murdaugh was indicted last summer for their murders, but always maintained he was innocent and had an alibi ... but that was blown up when prosecutors presented video and audio proving he was on the property moments -- within earshot of Maggie and Paul -- before the murders.

Alex Murdaugh will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the murders of his wife and son ... and the judge seemed to say the death penalty might have been more appropriate.

The life sentence was handed down Friday in a South Carolina courthouse ... the sentencing comes a day after the jury convicted him of two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime -- a verdict reached by the jury after less than three hours of deliberations.

Before the judge handed down the sentence, Murdaugh maintained he did not commit the murders. The judge said it was heartbreaking for him to see Murdaugh going from a grieving husband and father to a killer. The judge noted prosecutors could have sought the death penalty, and seemed to say the death penalty may have been the right punishment.

After Murdaugh said he didn't commit the crime, the judge said he agreed it might have been an alter ego ... the monster within.

Murdaugh’s legal team told TMZ ... "We are disappointed in the jury’s verdict but we will not have any further comment until after sentencing."

Murdaugh's 22-year-old son Paul and his wife Maggie were found dead back in 2021 at their hunting property in Islandton, South Carolina. Murdaugh was originally described by authorities as only a "person of interest," largely because he claimed to have an airtight alibi.

During the trial, however, prosecutors introduced video and audio evidence showing that Alex’s alibi evidence was not credible, and placed him at the scene of the crime at about the time of the killings

Murdaugh later admitted on the stand that he had lied to authorities about not being at the property, but nevertheless insisted he had not killed his wife and son.

Ron Jeremy is unable to make serious legal decisions on his own, so his sister is stepping in, asking a judge to get him a conservator STAT.

Ron’s sister, Susan Billotte, filed a petition — obtained by TMZ — to appoint attorney Ellen Finkelberg as his conservator, requesting Ellen be given authority to make decisions regarding the former porn star’s finances and health care.

The docs state, Ron is “concurrently incarcerated at the Twin Towers-Mens Central Jail. He has been found incompetent to stand trial in a criminal case due to a diagnosis with symptoms of Lewy body dementia and has a pending transfer to a state hospital.”

According to the docs, there is urgency to get a conservator now so Jeremy can get to a “private secured perimeter facility specializing in treatment of dementia.”

In other words, his sister says he’s in desperate need of a conservator but is unable to make the call due to his deteriorating health.

Alex Murdaugh has been found guilty in the double murder trial of his son and wife.

The jury took less than 3 hours to reach a verdict Thursday, announcing it in a South Carolina courthouse.

As we reported, Murdaugh's wife Maggie and 22-year-old son Paul were found dead in 2021 at their hunting property, and investigators say they were shot with 2 different guns.

Murdaugh was originally a person of interest for more than a year but claimed he had an alibi. Still, a grand jury heard enough evidence last July to indict him for the murders of Maggie and Paul.

During the trial, which started back in January, Murdaugh's supposed alibi was blown up when prosecutors introduced a bombshell piece of evidence -- video from Paul's phone recorded at 8:44 PM in the family's dog kennel ... minutes before the murders.

In the video, Paul's father is heard in the background, meaning he actually was nearby when Paul and Maggie were murdered.

When Murdaugh took the stand last month he broke down as he recalled finding his wife and son dead -- however, due to Paul's video -- he was forced to admit lying to authorities about not being on the property when they were murdered.

Under cross-examination, prosecutors grilled Murdaugh over stealing millions from his law clients, and his decades-long addiction to prescription pills.

The trial hit one procedural snafu on Thursday -- Judge Clifton Newman said one of the jurors discussed her opinion about evidence with 3 people outside court ... so, she was replaced by an alternate juror.

James "Tim" Norman, star of the reality series "Welcome To Sweetie Pie's," has been sentenced to life in prison for his murder-for-hire plot against his nephew.

Norman was handed his sentence Thursday, according to legal docs obtained by TMZ -- this after being found guilty in September of setting up his 21-year-old nephew Andre's slaying back in 2016.

As we reported, Norman was convicted of murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Prosecutors said he tried cashing a life insurance policy on Andre worth $450K after working with a woman named Terica Ellis to pull off the killing.

FYI -- Ellis was charged with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and has pled guilty -- getting sentenced in January to 3 years behind bars.

The boyfriend of Alana Thompson -- AKA Honey Boo Boo -- has been arrested for DUI ... following a police chase with Alana riding in the same vehicle.

21-year-old Dralin Carswell was cuffed Tuesday in Monroe County, according to police ... who says 17-year-old Alana was in the car with Dralin when the tags on his Dodge Charger were run by police, which showed the owner of the vehicle had outstanding warrants.

Monroe County Lt. John Thompson says an officer then attempted to do a traffic stop on Dralin, but instead was led on a chase that went about 3 miles -- ending in a pit maneuver, spinning the car out.

Officers say they found marijuana and Dralin was arrested for DUI and fleeing from cops, as well as outstanding warrants out of Wilkinson County. Another passenger, Julian Malik Divon Williams, was also arrested for outstanding warrants.

Alana reportedly wasn't taken into custody, and was later picked up by her sister, Pumpkin. Monroe County Reporter first had the story.

"Real Housewives of Potomac" star, Michael Darby is taking Candiace Dillard Bassett to court for defamation ... after she claimed he offered up cash to have sexual relations with another man.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Ashley Darby's hubby is suing Candiace over comments she made during the latest season of the reality series -- where she didn't hold back during one of her many arguments with Ashley.

On the show, Candiace tells Ashley, "Your husband likes to leave you and go to a man named [censored]'s house and suck his ****." She never says who the guy is, but Candiace later claimed Michael paid for sex.

Michael's calling BS on all of it ... adding he sent her a cease and desist earlier this year regarding her comments -- but claims she has yet to retract any of her allegations.

He wants $2 mil in damages to make things right.

Fans of the show know Candiace and the Darbys have had long-standing beef ... with her calling Michael and Ashley out numerous times. Looks like the latest incident took things too far, though ... at least according to Michael.

Drew Sidora is laying out exactly why she's calling it quits with her estranged husband, Ralph Pittman, accusing him of cheating, abuse and messing with her finances.

In an amended divorce complaint, obtained by TMZ, Drew says she simply cannot take Ralph's "continued blatant disrespect and mental abuse any longer."

She goes on to accuse Ralph of being a serial cheater during their marriage -- even claiming some of the women he's allegedly had affairs with have rubbed it in her face -- sending her screenshots of their "sexts" with Ralph.

That's not all ... Drew also says Ralph has recently gotten physical with her, claiming last month he grabbed her phone out of her hand, causing her to fall to the floor. She says Ralph yelled at her, saying he pays the cell phone bill so the phone belongs to him.

She says when Ralph got physically aggressive, she even considered leaving Atlanta and flying with her 3 minor children to Chicago where they'd feel safe.

She also says at one point, he withdrew a "large sum of money" from her account.

Drew says she and Ralph tried counseling, but it didn't work. In fact, she states after leaving a counseling session, Ralph asked her to give him a "heads up" before filing for divorce and that no matter what happened, he'd let her file first.

Interestingly enough, both Drew and Ralph filed for divorce on the same day -- February 27 -- she beat him by just one hour in filing.

Drew's asking for primary physical and joint legal custody of their 2 kids.

Travis Scott is the suspect in a police investigation into an alleged assault at a NYC nightclub ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us around 3 AM Wednesday the rapper got into it with someone at Nebula, a club on 41st Street. We're told Scott allegedly punched that person and damaged property -- possibly a cell phone.

At this time, cops want to talk to Travis and his reps, but the official report is for an assault and criminal mischief.

As for why he was in town, it appears Don Toliver had a show in NYC Tuesday night, bringing out Travis -- much to the delight of fans.

Travis is set to headline Rolling Loud California in Los Angeles Saturday night ... unclear if that appearance will be impacted at all because of the investigation.

We've reached out to Travis' team ... so far, no word back.

The woman accused of beheading her boyfriend who attacked her lawyer in court two weeks ago has a new attorney representing her now ... go figure.

Taylor Schabusiness was appointed a new public defender Monday in her Wisconsin murder case -- this after her original attorney, Quinn Jolly, withdrew. You'll recall ... he was the dude who came under her wrath in court in a wild attack.

A judge signed off on his request, reportedly saying ... "I am satisfied based upon the assertions and obviously I was here in court for the last hearing, I saw the events that transpired." She added, "[M]akes a great deal of sense to me.”

As for what exactly Jolly cited when filing to take his name out of the mix ... he called it an "irretrievably broken state of the attorney-client relationship" after the Valentine's Day mishap.

It's unclear what exactly set Schabusiness off at the time. Jolly was actually successful in buying her more time before she went before a jury on murder charges -- after allegedly mutilating her boyfriend during sex -- and having her mental competency tested.

As soon as a judge agreed, she lunged at Jolly and deputies had to get involved.

Like we said, the presiding judge had no issue letting Jolly out. She also concurs that the swap won't adversely hurt his one-time client's chances at a fair trial. The judge says, "My understanding is that by that time, the new attorney the public defender is appointing will have a chance to meet with Schabusiness and be ready to give the court some direction as to when they will be ready to move forward."

Rick Singer, the mastermind behind the infamous college admissions scandal, just checked himself into prison ... where he was sentenced to spend the next 3 and a half years behind bars.

A rep for the Federal Bureau of Prisons tells TMZ ... Singer arrived at the Federal Prison Camp Pensacola in FL Monday to begin serving his 42-month sentence.

As we reported, Singer was the man behind countless parents spending big bucks to grease the wheels for their kids to get into high-end colleges ... including big names like Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman.

He was given his 3.5-year sentence at the beginning of the year, although prosecutors had been gunning for 6 years in prison -- saying he profited off the scheme more than anyone else involved and should get hit with a heavier sentence.

Regardless, his sentence was nothing like what it could've been ... because he initially was looking at a max sentence of 65 years, although it's clear his cooperation with the feds helped shave some time off.