25 minutes ago by TMZ Staff
TMZ has learned ... Mel Gibson has voluntarily arranged for an independent observer to be present when he visits with his daughter in order to protect him from ongoing, fresh child abuse claims by Oksana Grigorieva.
We've learned the observer has been in place for a week. Sources say Mel's lawyers wanted an independent observer for 2 reasons:
-- To refute ongoing allegations by Oksana ... sources say she keeps alleging that Mel is abusing their child.
-- To facilitate and speed up the investigation by the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services.
We're told the observer -- who is credentialed in the family law area -- is giving regular updates to DCFS. The observer was chosen solely by Mel Gibson's lawyers. Oksana's lawyers and the court were not involved.
Sources tell TMZ ... Mel has had the legal right to unsupervised visitation since the case began in March. The observer is Mel's doing alone and purely voluntary.
Filed under: Mel Gibson, Oksana Grigorieva, Celebrity Justice
5 minutes ago by TMZ Staff
"Girls Gone Wild" founder Joe Francis is on the war path over a "tell-all" book written by one of his former camera guys ... a book that allegedly details incidents involving drugs, sex and jail.
The dude who wrote the book is Ryan Simkin -- who began shooting naked, drunk chicks for Joe back in 2002.
In his lawsuit, Francis claims Simkin -- like all of his employees -- was required to sign a non-disclosure agreement, which strictly prohibited him from "writing and publishing any tell-all books about their work."
So, according to the docs, when Francis heard that Simkin has a book on the way -- he wrote up a little something of his own ... a breach of contract lawsuit.
Francis is also suing the publisher -- it's unclear how much cash Joe is hoping to collect.
Filed under: Joe Francis, Celebrity Justice
7/23/2010 2:09 PM PDT by TMZ Staff
Zsa Zsa Gabor is in critical condition after undergoing hip replacement surgery earlier this week ... this according to her publicist.
93-year-old Gabor broke her hip on Saturday -- after falling out of bed in an attempt to answer the phone at her Bel-Air home.
Gabor's publicist tells TMZ that Zsa Zsa's eyes are open, but she's not talking. We're told doctors are concerned that Zsa Zsa may have suffered a stroke.
Filed under: Zsa Zsa Gabor, Nurse!
7/23/2010 11:29 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
Halle Berry is such a zen person, it's not surprising she's into Gandhi ... but when he shows up at her house it's a case for the cops.
The face of Mahatma Gandhi mysteriously appeared on the front gate of Halle's L.A. home today -- in the form of teeny tiny pink graffiti.
We're told someone in Halle's house called police to report the vandalism. The cops came, but so far ... no suspects.
Peace out.
Filed under: Halle Berry, Celebrity Justice
7/23/2010 12:01 PM PDT by TMZ Staff
Short, sweet, and to the point -- Oksana Grigorieva flat out called Mel Gibson a liar this morning.
Oksana -- who denies her sister was the one who leaked the infamous tapes -- isn't nearly as long-winded as Mel is.
Filed under: Oksana Grigorieva, Mel Gibson, Celebrity Justice, Paparazzi Video
7/23/2010 7:05 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
There's a story circulating that Oksana Grigorieva told authorities Mel Gibson plotted to break the kneecaps of a "Hollywood figure." Well that story is about TMZ's Harvey Levin, spoon-fed by Oksana's people.
The story is much wilder than reported. Earlier this week, Oksana's rep, Steve Jaffe, told Harvey that Mel had described to Oksana a plot to kill Harvey. Jaffe said Oksana claimed Mel told her he was furious that TMZ broke the story about the anti-Semitic rant following Mel's 2006 DUI arrest. Jaffe said Oksana told him Mel had said he wanted the "blood of Jews" on his hands.
According to Jaffe, Oksana said Mel told her he had someone do "surveillance" on Harvey earlier this year, having him followed to the gym at 4 AM.
The plan, Jaffe said, was to "kidnap" Harvey, strip him, take him deep into the desert, break his kneecaps and leave him to die.
Jaffe told Harvey the story on the heels of complaining that a particular TMZ post was not favorable enough to Oksana.
We checked the "kneecap" story out and determined it was false. For starters, Oksana had the wrong gym. More telling ... Oksana never mentioned a word of this to any of her lawyers while she tried negotiating a $15 million package in May during the mediation, using the tapes as her secret weapon. One person involved in the mediation laughed, saying Oksana brought out every piece of ammunition imaginable to score a financial package, so why was this story mysteriously absent?
Oksana claims to have told the Sheriff's Department the story. It seems deputies took it so seriously ... they never even contacted Harvey to give him a heads up that someone wanted him dead ... allegedly.
UPDATE: Sheriff's Department spokesperson Steve Whitmore tells TMZ, "We categorically deny that any such information was ever given to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department."
Filed under: Mel Gibson, Oksana Grigorieva, Harvey Levin, Celebrity Justice
7/23/2010 10:45 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
Luke Wilson's new movie "Middle Men" contains an insane orgy scene that makes "Eyes Wide Shut" look G-rated -- but don't count on seeing it in theaters ... because producers have already cut the scene out.
The guys behind the movie -- a semi-biopic about the first Internet porn moguls -- tell TMZ the orgy scene would have pushed the R-rated film into "NC-17" territory ... so they simply dropped it.
The scene has already leaked to a website called PornHub.com -- we're guessing it'll wind up on an unrated version of the DVD too.
Filed under: Luke Wilson, Movies
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7/23/2010 10:35 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
We took your questions on everything -- including Oksana Grigorieva calling Mel Gibson a liar, the sexual harassment claim against David Boreanaz, and Lindsay Lohan in jail.
Plus: Rod Blagojevich's brother on trial.
Filed under: Lindsay Lohan, Oksana Grigorieva, Mel Gibson, TMZ Live, TV, Rod Blagojevich, David Boreanaz, Gloria Allred, Celebrity Justice
7/23/2010 10:30 AM PDT by Johnny Lopez
Ione Skye is best known for playing opposite John Cusack in the 1989 film "Say Anything." Guess what she looks like now!
Filed under: Ione Skye, Beauty, Memba Them, Movies
7/23/2010 9:00 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
Michael Lohan is hoping to visit his daughter Lindsay Lohan in jail this weekend -- but if Lindsay refuses to see him, he'll ask for assistance from a higher power.
Papa Lohan tells TMZ that if Lindsay won't approve him as a visitor, he'll reach out to the jail's chaplain to help broker some kind of meeting. There is of course the possibility the chaplain could refuse to meet with him too.
It's one thing for your daughter to turn you away, it's another thing when JC's spokesperson does it.
Filed under: Michael Lohan, Lindsay Lohan, Celebrity Justice
7/23/2010 8:00 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
Troy Aikman isn't disappointed that his old NFL coach Jimmy Johnson is now a pitchman for a "male enhancement" product ... he's just bummed that Jimmy hasn't hooked him up with a free sample!
The Dallas Cowboys legend was leaving STK in L.A. last night when we asked him about Johnson -- who's currently in Nicaragua to compete on the next season of "Survivor."
Besides some friendly smack talk -- Troy also weighed in on everything from Kim K's effect on his former team ... to the Madden Curse ... and even chicken wings.
Filed under: TMZ Sports, Troy Aikman, Kim Kardashian, Miles Austin, Jimmy Johnson, Drew Brees
7/23/2010 12:48 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
Lindsay Lohan has yet another drinking problem -- she can't get a glass of water to save her life.
Sources at the Lynwood Correctional Facility explain the problem to TMZ this way ... inmates can order food and drinks from the commissary on Mondays, and pick it up on Tuesdays. Lindsay didn't check in until Tuesday, and the jailers are making her wait until next Monday before she can order anything.
The girl wants a drink of water, but the only thing that's available -- as one source puts it -- is "water from that nasty sink in her cell." Lindsay just can't stomach it.
So on Thursday, Lindsay asked jailers several times for water, but they wouldn't budge. One jailer told her, "Just drink the milk from the day before."
Apparently, there's a vending machine somewhere in the jail, but no one has offered her the option.
Filed under: Lindsay Lohan, Michael Lohan, Shawn Chapman Holley, Judge Marsha Revel, Celebrity Justice
7/23/2010 6:45 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
Tracy Morgan loves Michael Jackson so much, that he bought one of MJ's gloves for $14,000 at an auction -- can you guess what activity Tracy uses the glove for????
Filed under: Tracy Morgan, Michael Jackson
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