Posted Aug 21st 2008 2:34PM by TMZ Staff
A member of Earth, Wind & Fire claims his condo could do him in.
Maurice White has filed a lawsuit against the Beverlywood West Homeowners Association, claiming the plan to fumigate the complex with Vikane gas could ruin his health. White suffers from Parkinson's disease, which attacks the nervous system.
White claims he's asked the homeowners association to find a different way to eradicate the termites that have infested the complex. He says the association has threatened and intimidated him with a lawsuit if he doesn't roll over.
White's celebu-lawyer, Ed McPherson, wants an injunction to stop the Vikane.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 21st 2008 11:32AM by TMZ Staff
How do we know Swizz Beatz is a pretty big deal in the music biz? He's baller enough to owe almost $900K in taxes.
The IRS records show there's a tax lien of $842,644.52 against Swizz (real name Kasseem Dean) and his estranged wife, Mashonda. By comparison, former NFL legend Bernie Kosar owes $228K, and Mini-Me has a $300K lien.
We put in a call to Violator Management, but haven't heard back yet.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 21st 2008 10:47AM by TMZ Staff
With a name like Matt Hoover, you'd expect that the "Biggest Loser" champ would suck at personal training. Well, if you believe a new neck-breaking lawsuit, he's an even bigger loser than you thought.
Clarissa Sanford claims she hired Hoover in 2006 to tone her ass up at Vision Quest Sports and Fitness in King County, Washington. She says Hoover not only was late and careless, but also, instead of spotting her, he walked away while she was bench pressing 40 pounds of weight. Sandford says by the time he returned the weight crashed down on her neck.
As a result, Sanford says she suffered "serious neck injuries which ultimately required a five-level fusion surgery from the C3 through C7 levels of her cervical spine."
She's suing Hoover and VQS for unspecified damages.
Hoover and club couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Reality TV
Posted Aug 21st 2008 8:31AM by TMZ Staff
Nikki Blonsky and her dad are going all out to defend themselves in that Turks and Caicos bitchfight with Bianca Golden.
We've learned the Blonskys have signed up Stephen Braga, a big-time DC litigator who just got Martin Tankleff off a murder rap in New York after 17 years in prison -- a very big deal in NYC. And get this -- they've even got a P.I. involved, Jay Salpeter, who helped Braga win the Tankleff case.
All this for a little airport slapfight? We're told Eleine Golden, Bianca's mom, who was injured in the fight, is prepared to go crazazy after the Blonskys and they want to dig up all the dirt they can. They'll be back in court in December.
Reps for Golden couldn't be reached for comment.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 20th 2008 7:16PM by TMZ Staff
Turns out Salma Hayek is her brother's keeper -- and now that a bitter employee filed a lawsuit against his investment venture gone wrong, Salma might have to end up paying through the nose.
A guy who used to co-manage a company owned by Salma (who has less than a 1% stake) and Sami Hayek has filed a nasty lawsuit against the siblings after after their investment hit the skids -- but this one gets really personal.
In the suit, filed moments ago in L.A. County Superior Court, Alejandro Artigas claims Sami, "has been guilty of ... fraud, mismanagement, and/or abuse of authority."
Alejandro is asking a judge to dissolve it and appoint a receiver to run the company.
No one is talking. Bottom line: Someone's really pissed at Salma Hayek.
Sami's attorney, Bob Weiss, released this statement: "It was an investment deal that was no good for anyone, and we'll fight the lawsuit vigorously."
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 20th 2008 2:20PM by TMZ Staff
November rain came three months early, as Guns 'N' Roses drummer Steven Adler broke down in court this AM after pleading "Not guilty" to drug charges.
Adler -- who told us he's already used up his scratch from "Sober Living" to pay for rehab and lawyers -- was busted last month for allegedly being high as a kite.
The judge said Adler must stay in the Pasadena Recovery Center -- and that clearly pissed Adler off.
So after court, our guy told Adler the BEST THING EVER -- he hoped Steven's sobriety would come before Chinese Democracy.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Music
Posted Aug 20th 2008 1:33PM by TMZ Staff
The guy who plays Darryl on "The Office" has just copped a plea in his hardcore drug case.
We've learned Craig Robinson has just entered a "tentative guilty plea" to possession of ecstasy, a felony. The other charges against him were dismissed outright. Cops said he had meth and ecstasy on him and had cocaine and amphetamines in his system when he was busted in Culver City in June.
Robinson will enter a drug counseling program and if he completes it in 18 months, the guilty plea will be withdrawn and dismissed and he'll be back to work at the Scranton Warehouse. And he won't have a conviction on his record.
Robinson really dodged a serious bullet, thanks to Blair Berk, who could win gold if lawyering were an Olympic sport. We learned Robinson was on probation for a DUI he got in 2006. But here's the deal ... since he's already completed the terms of probation for that case, it's highly unlikely prosecutors will go in for the kill and ask the judge in that case to drop the hammer.
Berk told TMZ, "Mr. Robinson really appreciates and takes seriously the opportunity which has been given to him by the court and the prosecution to have all of the charges against him dismissed, upon successful completion of a counseling program."
That's what she said.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 20th 2008 8:15AM by TMZ Staff
Damon Dash could be homeless in Tribeca -- kinda sorta.
Eastern Savings Bank says the hip-hop mogul owes $78K in mortgage payments for two Tribeca apartments, and is suing Dash to get the jack. According to the lawsuit, he hasn't paid up since January on the combined $7.3 million mortgage.
The suit also points out Dash has had judgments against him for back taxes, both Fed and state, and rent to the building that houses his company.
We contacted his lawyer, but haven't heard back yet.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 20th 2008 6:00AM by TMZ Staff
Convicted pedophile Gary Glitter is in terminal condition -- he refuses to get on a plane to get shipped back to the UK, but Thailand doesn't want the perv in its backyard.
So Glitter is now sitting in an airport lounge in Bangkok and Thai cops sound like they're going to force him on a plane back to London whether he likes it or not. "We are barring entry to Paul Francis Gadd [Glitter's real name] and will be deporting him ... even if he does not wish to board the plane," said the po-po.
Glitter claimed a heart condition prevented him from flying -- but as of this morning he's been cleared to clear out.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 19th 2008 5:43PM by TMZ Staff
Actress LisaRaye laughed off questions about a reported tussle between her and her husband Michael Misick, the premier of the Turks and Caicos, but take a gander at these pics.
According to Essence.com, the photos show a bruised LisaRaye, taken after a fight between her and her hubby, along with members of both of their security teams. A source close to the premier says it was someone in Misick's posse that actually did the damage.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 19th 2008 1:39PM by TMZ Staff
One day, you're shooting chicks and their boobs -- and then all of a sudden you're the freakin' A-C-L-U?
Apparently that's what Joe Francis thinks: He's going after the judge who threw him into jail last year for filming underage girls (a charge to which he plead no contest), and he's calling his crusade "an important First Amendment battle."
Joe insists what happened to him could happen to you, too. You mean, like, making hundreds of millions of bucks by videotaping drunk floozies? Sign us up!
We called the people he's ranting against -- haven't heard back.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 19th 2008 8:29AM by TMZ Staff
Chicago cops want to know if NBA nomad Antoine Walker's b-day had anything to do with a fatal shooting yesterday morning.
A man was killed around the corner from the club where Walker had his birthday party Sunday night and the popo are investigating whether the shooting stemmed from a gang fight, possibly inside the club. The Chicago Sun-Times reports 'Toine's party was at club Excalibur.
Walker himself hasn't been connected to the shooting as yet.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Talk Sports
Posted Aug 18th 2008 6:52PM by TMZ Staff
So you thought Larry Birkhead's legal bill was sky high? The lawyer who repped Britney Spears for a grand total of four months wants more than $481,000 in attorney's fees -- and she didn't even go out for lobster.
Attorney Stacy Phillips filed a declaration, claiming her $481,627.37 bill is a bargain, since she graciously discounted her fees by more than $126,000.00.
In court docs obtained by TMZ, Phillips whines she was completely put out by repping Brit, moaning that she was called back from her "pre-honeymoon" to attend a hearing in "non-Court attire." We're wondering if that was the day we saw her appear before the judge, wearing a sleeveless cocktail number.
Phillips says in her declaration that her rate is $700 an hour, similar to what Richard Gere paid Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman."
Now compare Phillips' bill to that of disso-queen Laura Wasser, who settled the whole case after Phillips was fired. Wasser's two-month bill is $59,700.
Sources say Phillips is ready to sue Britney, because her peeps are refusing to pay the bloated bill.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Britney Spears
Posted Aug 18th 2008 6:51PM by TMZ Staff
One of the stars of "Dr. 90210" has a patient who claims he doesn't have the stomach to bear what Dr. David Matlock did to him.
TMZ obtained a lawsuit, filed today in L.A. County Superior Court, in which Kevin Hawkins claims Dr. Matlock verbally promised that he could give Hawkins a V shape waist and a flat stomach after undergoing liposculpturing.
Hawkins says the results were not even a possibility because he had "macerate fat" behind his intestine.
Hawkins is asking for a refund: $8,500 in surgery costs, $150 for blood work, $163 for prescriptions, $1,851 in hotel costs, $386 in plane fare, and $3898 in post appointment care. Grand total -- $14,992.98.
Hawkins says as a result of the surgery "he endured pain ... as well as substantial psychological trauma from his disappointment." He's asking for $500,000 in pain and suffering. And we're asking him to give us that amount for having to read about his intestines.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted Aug 18th 2008 6:50PM by TMZ Staff
Chris "Big Black" Boykin -- Rob Dyrdek's bodyguard in "Rob and Big" -- can't even protect himself from getting jumped by his own business people.
In a vicious lawsuit filed today in L.A Superior Court, "Big Black's" management team -- JKL Worldwide -- slams the MTV reality star as a "low level of celebrity" who stiffed them out of a serious commission check.
But it gets even nastier -- JKL claims they only helped get Big a $9,250 raise per episode for "the possibility of synergy with Mr. Dyrdek." They also say Big owes them for the deal that scored the giant a $25k bonus.
Now JKL is demanding at least $16,750 for their troubles -- and we're guessing they're not gonna let him work it off.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
