Posted May 12th 2008 7:39PM by TMZ Staff
The hired help at Mr. Chow's L.A. restaurant claim the restaurant eats its own.
According to the court papers filed at LA's Superior Court this afternoon, the Chow-lings claim the big bosses have pilfered their tips, shortchanged them on OT and wouldn't even let them chow down during lunch.
So check this out. The help claims Chow kept the ship tighter than a shrimp dumpling -- docking them every time they screwed up. Looks like Chow is the ultimate micro-manager, and we're not just talking height. Cue rim shot.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted May 12th 2008 4:29PM by TMZ Staff
Rocker Scott Weiland checked himself into jail today to begin serving his sentence for DUI.
Weiland is supposed to serve eight days jail -- but he could end up doing a lot less.
Stay tuned ...
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted May 12th 2008 3:00PM by TMZ Staff
We got the whole Dennis Farina arrest going down at LAX over the weekend. We broke the story that Farina was busted yesterday after he allegedly tried to clear airport security with a loaded, unregistered .22 caliber pistol in his briefcase. He's been booked on felony charges.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted May 12th 2008 12:04PM by TMZ Staff
Raffaelo Follieri, who has been dating Hathaway for almost four years, will not be prosecuted for allegedly passing a bad check.
Follieri was arrested last month for allegedly writing a check for nearly a quarter mil that he couldn't cover. A spokesperson for the Manhattan DA says Follieri fully reimbursed John Morrongiello for the check, and Morrongiello doesn't want to pursue it further.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted May 11th 2008 8:42PM by TMZ Staff
Alec Baldwin vented on "60 Minutes" about the voice mail message to his daughter which TMZ first published. He also trashes Kim Basinger's lawyer.
In the segment, which airs tonight, Baldwin says, "You get so frustrated, and you realized, number one, and it's wrong. It's totally wrong ... that I was really speaking to someone else when I left that message. I was pissed. I had been putting up with this for six years."
As for calling his daughter a "thoughtless little pig," Baldwin thinks the real damage is that the voice mail went public.
Baldwin's venom was targeted at Basinger's lawyer, Judy Bogen. When asked about his comment that she resembled "a 300 pound homunculus with a face like a clinched fist," he said he was being "kind" and that it was not abusive given what she put him through.
Tonight, Bogan's law partner, Neal Hersh, blasted Baldwin, saying, "His personal attacks were socially and morally unacceptable, not to mention inaccurate. He defended his actions rather than take responsibility."
BTW, a homunculus is "a miniature adult that in the theory of preformation is held to inhabit the germ cell and to produce a mature individual merely by an increase in size."
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, TV, Alec Baldwin
Posted May 11th 2008 4:50PM by TMZ Staff
TMZ has obtained photos of Suge Knight, minutes after someone knocked him out cold at a Hollywood club.
As we first reported, Suge was at Shag nightclub when he began arguing with a man he had been talking with. Our spy overheard Suge say, "I want my money!" Suge and his peeps beat the guy to the ground, but the man landed a right hook on Suge's face, knocking him out for around three minutes.
We obtained these photos of a bloody Suge just after the incident.
Suge was taken to the hospital where LAPD officers arrived, but he refused to file a report.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Music
Posted May 11th 2008 1:20PM by TMZ Staff
Sources tell TMZ actor Dennis Farina was arrested at LAX this morning after trying to get through security with a loaded gun.
It happened at around 8 AM. Farina was flying out when he was nabbed at the security checkpoint. Sources say he told cops he had forgotten that the gun was in his carry-on luggage. It was a .22 caliber, semi-automatic pistol.
Farina was taken to LAPD's Pacific Division. He was booked on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon.
Farina, 64, is in the movie, "What Happens in Vegas..."
UPDATE: Farina told cops he had the gun in his briefcase when he drove from Arizona to L.A. and forgot it was there. He was taking a flight from LAX to his home in Chicago. Farina was apologetic and cooperative with cops, telling them he was a retired Chicago Cop with 19 years on the job. But he had no apparent authority to carry a loaded pistol at the time of his arrest.
We're told the FBI interviewed Farina but declined prosecution because the locals were handling it.
Farina was booked for carrying a loaded firearm in a public place, a misdemeanor. His bail is set at $25,000. He's still in custody.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted May 11th 2008 12:39PM by TMZ Staff
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ after Suge Knight was knocked out at a club last night, he refused to deal with cops.
As we first reported, Suge and his peeps beat up a guy at an L.A. club last night, but the victim landed a punch that caused Suge to go Knighty night. We're told after Suge was taken into a nearby SUV, a woman got in the driver's seat, pulled forward and hit a car, then put it in reverse and hit another car. She was taken from the car by security, and someone else drove Suge away from the scene.
Suge was taken to a hospital, and LAPD officers arrived shortly thereafter, but Suge was uncooperative and refused to file a police report.
Wonder if it had to do with the "money deal" that apparently triggered the fight.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Music, Wacky and Weird
Posted May 10th 2008 11:38AM by TMZ Staff
Former "Deal or No Deal" model April Scott is suing a strip club in Las Vegas that used her picture to promote their joint. Sorry to disappoint, boys.
According to documents filed yesterday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Scott, who also played Daisy Duke in a straight-to-video "Dukes of Hazzard" movie, claims Deja Vu, Inc. used her pic -- without her permission -- in promoting their club, Little Darlings. Can ya blame 'em?
Scott is seeking damages in excess of $25,000. A call the Deja Vu corporate office was not answered.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted May 10th 2008 9:34AM by TMZ Staff
The Rev. Al Sharpton may need to reach further into his pockets to pay his debts. A whopping 1.5 mil!
Government records obtained by the AP suggest that the Rev and his business entities owe nearly $1.5 million in overdue taxes and associated penalties.
The U.S. attorney is investigating his nonprofit group. Sharpton's lawyers and the staff of his nonprofit group, dispute the size of the debt under investigation and have been negotiating with the federal government. The group has also been trying to pay off tens of thousands of dollars it owes for failing to properly maintain workers compensation and unemployment insurance.
The Wesley Snipes school of tax evasion may have another graduate!
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted May 9th 2008 5:18PM by TMZ Staff
For his first meal in jail, Nick Hogan will be getting the same slop Kiefer Sutherland ate when he was locked up.
For din din, Nick will be munching on chicken a la king with turkey gravy, rice, bread, and peas and carrots. The Ivy this ain't!
Since he's the only juvenile in the joint, Nick will be housed at the Inmate Healthcare Facility of the Pinellas County Jail in a single cell. Table for one!
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted May 9th 2008 4:49PM by TMZ Staff
Nick Bollea fun fact: He is the only sentenced juvenile in the juvenile population of the Pinellas County Jail. All of the 56 other juveniles are pre-trial -- some on violent felony charges.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted May 9th 2008 3:43PM by TMZ Staff
Nick Hogan threw himself at the mercy of the judge today in Clearwater, FL in his felony reckless driving case -- and he got just a lil' bit. Hogan was sentenced to eight months in jail, five years' probation and 500 hours community service, and the judge yanked his license for three years.
His victim -- and once best bud -- John Graziano's family had asked for a year in the slammer, but the judge didn't go quite that far. Nick apologized to the family in his statement, which, according to the Grazianos, would've been the first time he'd ever done so.
John's sister and girlfriend gave particularly heart-wrenching testimony -- the latter told the judge how she had to feed him and how they have to watch movies together in the comfort ... of his hospital bed.
Click here... it's not over yet
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted May 9th 2008 2:20PM by TMZ Staff
DMX was busted again this morning at his home in Arizona -- and the sheriffs tell us he barricaded himself in his bedroom when they came to get him!
DMX was arrested at 3:00 AM at his home in Cave Creek on seven misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and four felony drug possession charges. During a search of his home, cops found more than they bargained for -- including a number of weapons and drugs, as well as five pit bull puppies -- and filed additional charges against him.
According to Sheriff Arpaio, DMX attempted to barricade himself in his bedroom at the time of the search warrant but eventually came out, offered no further resistance, and was booked. And how's this for weird? The dogs were taken to the First Avenue Jail, where they will remain under the care of female inmates.
Story developing ...
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Posted May 9th 2008 2:10PM by TMZ Staff
To the surprise of no one, Tila Tequila's skanky "Shot at Love" season one makeout partner, Brandi Ryan, was arrested last night. Drinks to that!
OC Sheriffs popped the sapphic skeeze for felony possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Paging Dr. Drew!
Brandi, whose MySpace page lists her occupation as "loan processor," also had a warrant out for having a suspended license and was cited for having no insurance.
UPDATE: Ryan was a passenger in a car that was pulled over for having illegal tinted windows. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ that when they searched the car, Brandi tried to hide a meth pipe -- in her crotch.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Reality TV
