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Jussie Smollett has just been hammered with a lawsuit the City of Chicago promised ... and he may effectively go on trial for allegedly staging the "attack" in January. All told, the City wants what will almost certainly be upwards of a half a million dollars.

The lawsuit -- to recover the costs of investigating the case -- outlines what the City claims Jussie did. It says Jussie and Abel Osundairo had been friends since 2017 -- socializing and exercising together. It says Abel assisted Jussie in obtaining recreational drugs.

The lawsuit claims Jussie told Abel shortly before the "attack," "Might need your help on the low."

The lawsuit claims, as we reported, Jussie scoped out the location for the "attack" with Abel and Ola 2 days before the attack and a dry run the day before. They agreed Abel would attack Jussie but would not hurt him too badly and would give Jussie a chance to appear to fight back.

The suit claims they also scripted the entire attack ... starting with the brothers calling Jussie "Empire f***** Empire n*****" -- referring to the homophobic and racist slurs.

They discussed the brothers placing a rope around Jussie's neck and pouring a liquid on him.

The brothers were also instructed not to bring their cellphones -- presumably, so they couldn't be tracked.

The suit says Jussie intentionally misled officers into believing his attackers were white, when he knew otherwise.

As we reported ... the city threatened to sue Jussie if he didn't fork over $130k to cover the cost of investigating a case it says was faked by the "Empire" star. The City of Chicago fired off a letter to Jussie's people earlier this month ... but his camp told the City to go pound sand.

The City says the cost of investigating the case was at least $130,000 in overtime alone, but it wants hundreds of thousands of dollars on top of that to cover attorneys fees and additional expenses. And then the City wants the judge to multiply that times 3, to punish Jussie.

Soulja Boy is behind bars after a judge ruled he'd violated his probation in several ways .. including having ammunition in his house.

Soulja walked into an L.A. courtroom Thursday for his hearing, but was taken into custody at the end. The judge said the rapper had failed to do his court-ordered community service ... and even conspired to falsify evidence that he had completed it.

But, the big no-no came during a raid at Soulja's Agoura Hills home in February. TMZ broke the story ... police went to his house to investigate a claim by one of his ex-girlfriends that Soulja had tied her up and held her captive in his garage.

According to the judge, cops found ammunition during the search ... which is a problem because Soulja's on probation for a weapons case that dates back to 2014.

Soulja was arrested back in March after going to see his probation officer, but was released that same day. As soon as he got out, he bragged he wasn't going out like Tekashi69.

This time he's being held without bail and will remain in custody until a hearing scheduled for April 30.

1:52 PM -- TMZ Sports has obtained footage of Fournette being arrested at the Easy Breezy Car Wash in Jacksonville ... where multiple cop cars responded to the situation.

A witness -- Kevonte Williams aka Kazethepharaoh -- tells us Fournette was driving a GMC Denali when he was pulled over by police.

When Fournette was taken out of the car, he was handcuffed and placed in a squad car while multiple witnesses shouted at the police, "Free Fournette!"

Eventually, Fournette was driven to a nearby station where he was booked. A friend of the NFL star drove the Denali away from the car wash.

NFL star Leonard Fournette was just arrested in Florida -- and it's all over an unpaid speeding ticket from back in November.

... A $204 TICKET!!!!!

Cops in Duval County were seen walking the Jacksonville Jaguars running back into a police station to be booked around 2:30 PM local time. He appeared to be in handcuffs at the time.

Fournette was initially pulled over Thursday for a routine traffic violation and when the cops ran his name, they noticed he was driving on a suspended license. There was also an outstanding warrant for his arrest stemming from the November citation, this according to WJXT.

The prior incident reportedly took place in Neptune Beach. Fournette was reportedly cited for going 37 mph in a 25 mph zone.

We pulled the records which show the penalty for the Nov. 17 incident was $204.00, which Fournette had 30 days to pay.

FYI, Fournette is currently in the middle of a 4-year, $27 MILLION contract.

The day after the Nov. speeding incident, Fournette rushed for 95 yards and a TD in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

After Fournette was booked Thursday, he was released on $1,058 bond at 3:04 PM ... according to jail records.

The Jaguars issued a statement saying the team is "aware of the situation involving running back Leonard Fournette and are continuing to gather more information. No further comment will be provided at this time."

Fournette is coming off a disappointing 2018 NFL season where he only rushed for 439 yards in 8 games.

During one of the last games of the season, Fournette got fed up with a heckler and threatened to beat the guy's ass. Fournette later claimed the heckler had been shouting racial slurs at him.

Jussie Smollett is living it up on the beach in Hawaii like a guy with no problems at all -- not at all like a guy who's staring down an impending legal battle with the City of Chicago that could cost him dearly.

The "Empire" star is on vacay right now with his family, laughing it up and catching some rays in paradise. Dude's even going boogie boarding!

It's about as far away from Chicago as he could be, mentally, anyway. The other shoe could drop any day now ... remember, the City of Chicago says it's about to slap him with a civil lawsuit to recover the $130k cost of investigating the alleged homophobic and racist attack.

For now ... Jussie and his fam are snacking, catching waves and having a blast.

We got Jussie over the weekend in Woodland Hills where he was mum about the suit. His lawyer, Mark Geragos, insists Chicago is maliciously defaming his client, hinting the actor might file a lawsuit of his own.

12:15 PM PT -- According to the divorce docs, obtained by TMZ, Wendy says "irreconcilable differences" led to the end of the couple's marriage. The docs state a "breakdown" of the marriage over a period of at least 6 months. She wants the court to determine an "appropriate amount" of child support ... even though their son, Kevin Jr., is over 18.

11:46 AM PT -- A personal rep for Wendy tells TMZ, "Kevin is supportive of Wendy and they are working through this process together."

Wendy Williams is finally calling it quits on her marriage, amid tons of cheating rumors -- she just filed for divorce from her husband Kevin Hunter ... TMZ has confirmed.

Sources on Wendy's talk show tell us ... Kevin was served with the divorce papers Thursday morning at the studio. We're told extra security was on hand in case Kevin got enraged about the split, but he didn't.

The split comes after nearly 22 years of marriage, and most recently ... Kevin's alleged mistress, Sharina Hudson, having a baby.

Wendy is already ditching her wedding ring ... she wasn't wearing the massive rock during Thursday's episode of her show, although she made no mention of filing for divorce.

It's quite a change of tune for Wendy. Remember, it was just a few weeks ago when we got her out in NYC and she was flashing her ring and brushing off questions about Kevin's alleged affair.

Wendy's been going through a rough patch lately -- living in a sober house and getting round-the-clock help to deal with addiction issues.

As we first told you ... Wendy and Kevin were still working together on set, and while it was super awkward for some people on the show, the couple were amicable with one another and showing no overt signs of hostility. But clearly, she reached a breaking point.

Wendy and Kevin first met at an ice skating rink in 1994, getting hitched 3 years later. They have one child together, son Kevin Hunter Jr.

4/12 -- Trivago tells TMZ, "At this stage, we do not have the full details of the situation, but we want to make clear that Trivago treats such incidents very seriously and strongly condemns drinking and driving which poses a risk to others and goes against the Trivago culture."

The guy whose name you don't know but face and voice you definitely recognize from those Trivago commercials has been busted for drunk driving.

The actor's name is Tim Williams and cops say they found him passed out at the wheel Wednesday around 3:15 PM in Houston. Cops tell us Williams was found with his foot on the brake while on the road.

We're told he was given a field sobriety test, which he bombed. He was taken to Harris County Jail and charged with driving while intoxicated. While in jail, we're told Williams submitted a blood test. Cops wouldn't tell us if he took a breathalyzer test. Williams is no longer in custody after posting bond.

Williams has been acting for a long time now ... since the mid-'90s. He's had a ton of minor roles ... like on "Law & Order," "The Sopranos" and the movie "Valkyrie." But, Williams burst to fame in 2014 as the face of the popular hotel search engine site.

Ray J has a new lead on who the culprit is behind his missing pup -- he says a dognapper made off with his beloved Boogotti, and he is willing to do anything to get his pooch back.

As we've reported ... Ray J and Princess Love are offering a $20,000 reward to anyone who finds their missing Maltese, who disappeared earlier this week from the Ray's parents' Calabasas home. Ray says Boo didn't innocently wander off their property either.

He tells us Boogotti escaped through a gate on the property, but then he claims a white dude, in his early 20s, pulled up in a Dodge Charger, grabbed the pup off the street and bolted!!!

Ray J tells us losing Boogotti is like losing a family member ... and he's pleading with the alleged dognapper to return him to his home. He's also willing to pay a ransom, if necessary. His manager, David Weintraub, tells us the entire family is worried sick.

HBO is denying reports it yanked its Michael Jackson documentary off the air, and adds ... "Leaving Neverland" isn't leaving it's lineup any time soon, partly because of its popularity with celebs.

Rumors circulated this week that HBO had removed the 2-part documentary from its programming -- there were very few listings of it on the lineup, but HBO tells us that's standard ops for its documentaries.

It says 'Neverland' will stay on its TV cable service for another week, and then it will only be available for streaming on HBO On Demand, HBO GO and HBO NOW for months to come.

HBO also told us it's continuing to get very vocal support for 'Neverland' from celebs like Ellen DeGeneres, Sia, Bill Maher, Judd Apatow, Eve, Rosie O'Donnell and Gayle King.

Since its March 4 premiere on HBO, part 1 of 'Neverland' has pulled in 7.5 million viewers ... according to HBO, which it says is second only to a Scientology documentary it aired.

Move over Steph Curry -- robots have officially taken over basketball -- 'cause there's literally a 3-point shootin' machine coming for your job ... and it's cool and terrifying as hell at the same time.

Toyota has been working on this "CUE3" robot hooper for "fun" ... but really, all it's doing is making us question what's gonna happen when these things take over the sports world.

The robo baller -- who even has its own jersey -- made an appearance at the Japanese B.League's Alvark Tokyo game on Thursday ... taking a spot near half court, pulling up and draining a deep 3-pointer with ease.

Here's Farrah Abraham cutting it up on a beach in Mexico ... stretching, squatting and even scissoring con su amiga. Dios mio!!!

The ex-'Teen Mom' star slipped into a hot pink bikini Wednesday for a super sexy beach workout in Tulum, and as you can tell ... Farrah's smokin' hot body is extremely flexible. It ain't exactly yoga, but it's definitely hot!

Farrah never forgets to flaunt her bodacious bum bum ... it's kinda her thing. By the way, Farrah's workout buddy is her GF, Carissa Rossi. Looks like they're really comfortable with each other.

Mr. Wonderful ain't exactly shy when it comes to his opinion ... and the "Shark Tank" star just let Magic Johnson know why the NBA legend done MESSED UP by quitting the Lakers.

Kevin O'Leary wasn't disrespectful -- in fact, he likes Magic a lot -- but he thinks the guy made a huge mistake Tuesday night by suddenly stepping down as Pres. of Basketball Operations.

"He made a decision which I think was the wrong one," Kev told us on his way out of ABC Studios in NYC.

"The Lakers are in chaos. The opportunity is to stay onboard during chaos and fix it ... and I think he should have done that."

O'Leary -- who's also close with Mavs owner Mark Cuban -- believes LeBron James played a role in Magic's decision to leave.

"I'm speculating like everybody else is ... but [Magic] probably had a disagreement between a very influential player and other management."

Ultimately, Kevin thinks the breakup is as nasty as they come -- comparing the split to a marriage falling apart.

T.I. has a new warning for Kodak Black in the wake of his way-outta-line remarks about Lauren London -- karma's a bitch, young man ... but in a slightly more threatening tone.

We got T.I. at LAX and he immediately put Kodak on blast ... saying he wishes no harm on him, but ultimately "the laws of reciprocity are in order at all times." You really have to see how Tip said it, though.

Rough translation: keep talking s**t, and the universe (or someone in it) will fix your ass.

As you know ... Kodak's the rapper that's got everyone shaking their damn head after his disgusting comments about Lauren London less than a week after Nipsey Hussle was brutally murdered.

Kodak -- whose mouth knows no bounds -- apologized but the damage was done. It's pretty clear T.I. at this point doesn't care what else Kodak says because, as he puts it, the respect of a non-respectable person has no value to him.

9:11 AM -- Avenatti vehemently denies any wrongdoing. He said, "Any claim that any monies due clients were mishandled is bogus nonsense." He tweeted what he says is a testimonial from the paraplegic client he's accused of stealing millions from ... saying the client signed the doc less than a month ago attesting to his ethics.

Avenatti added he looks forward to proving his innocence.

8:52 AM -- TMZ's obtained the indictment and it's pretty damming. He's being indicted on 36 counts of fraud, perjury, failure to pay taxes and other financial crimes. According to docs ... Avenatti allegedly stole millions from a mentally ill paraplegic on disability who had scored a $4M settlement from L.A. County. The money had been wired to Avenatti in January 2015 and he allegedly hid the dough for years.

Avenatti's also accused of using $2.75 million in proceeds from another client's legal settlement to buy a private jet. Avenatti allegedly concealed that settlement too. The infamous lawyer is also accused of owing millions of dollars in back taxes and making false statements to the IRS.

Michael Avenatti's under a mountain of legal trouble now -- the IRS and the Department of Justice say he's been hit with a 36-count indictment that could land him in prison for life ... but he's already calling it BS.

A federal grand jury in California handed up the indictment Thursday, and if 36 charges sound like a lot ... it is. He faces up to 335 years in prison if convicted!!!

Avenatti says he intends to fully fight all charges and plead not guilty. He added, "I look forward to the entire truth being known as opposed to a one-sided version meant to sideline me."

As you know ... Avenatti was arrested and charged last month for allegedly trying to extort millions out of Nike. That case was brought on by the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York -- and on the same day, the U.S. Attorney's Office in L.A. announced a separate case against him for wire fraud.

If you're keeping score, that's 3 federal cases and dozens of charges.

As we reported ... Avenatti allegedly siphoned off a $1.6 million settlement he scored for a client in 2017 and hid it in a personal bank account he controlled in the wire fraud case. He's also accused of defrauding a bank for millions of dollars worth of loans by submitting fake tax returns between 2011 and 2013.

Oprah needed just 3 words to explain why she picked Apple TV+ over her OWN network for her new series with Prince Harry ... and it makes TOTAL sense.

We got O leaving "The Daily Show" Wednesday night in NYC ... where she was greeted by a throng of fans on her way out. It took a while ... but eventually, our guy asked Oprah what everyone wants to know ... why choose a fledgling streaming service over an established network with her friggin name on it?

Check out the vid ... she hints that Apple TV+ has a bigger reach than OWN, which was launched in 2011 in just over 80 million homes. And therein lies the answer ... OWN's reach is only in the millions.

As you know ... she teamed up with the Duke of Sussex to co-produce a new series focusing on mental health. It's slated to debut next year on Apple TV+. It's an issue that hits close to home ... so reaching a much bigger audience for such an important topic proved paramount.

Dwyane Wade's NYC retirement party turned into a good Bye-Bye-Bye Bash Wednesday night ... when Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel stopped by to celebrate D-Wade's career!

The party was crazy -- a '70s-themed rager at Catch NYC with costumes and great music and basketball stars ... including Wade's good friend, Carmelo Anthony!

TMZ Sports obtained video from inside the party where you can see D-Wade, Gabby and Justin all gettin' down on the dance floor!!

Earlier in the evening, Wade posted a triple-double as the Miami Heat lost to the Brooklyn Nets 113-94.

A ton of Wade's friends were in the Brooklyn crowd -- including LeBron James, Carmelo and Chris Paul ... the entire Banana Boat crew.

Wade also gave his jersey to Carmelo after the game.

So, this is it ... Wade has finally closed the book on his 16-year NBA career that features 3 NBA championships, an NBA Finals MVP, 13 All-Star appearances, he won an Olympic gold medal for Team USA and he was also the NBA scoring champ in 2009.

He was also named to 8 All-NBA teams during his run.

So, what's next for Dwyane? Dude's got options in everything from fashion to TV announcing to acting ... and also helping his superstar sons as they get ready to play at the college level.

Nipsey Hussle's family and friends mourned the late rapper during a private viewing ... one day ahead of the Staples Center celebration of his life with tens of thousands of fans.

Close loved ones packed the Angelus Funeral Home Wednesday afternoon on Crenshaw Blvd. Nipsey's brother, Samiel Asghedom, was among the attendees at the super secret service. We're told security was tight ... several men had a checklist to make sure only invited guests -- Nipsey's inner circle -- were allowed entry.

There were also armed guards standing outside the building where Thursday's procession will end.

That procession will be preceded by Nipsey's Celebration of Life, hosted at Staples Center for 21,000 fans, family and friends. As we reported ... the free tickets were gobbled up within minutes and AXS, which handled ticket distribution, says it's cracking down on scalpers.

The event will be heavily guarded ... with help from LAPD, members of the Nation of Islam as well as Staples Center personnel.

Meanwhile, tons of fans have continued paying tribute outside Nipsey's Marathon Clothing store ... leaving candles, flowers and messages in the parking lot.