The former couple has made the news several times in recent weeks. Most recently, Deion was awarded temporary custody of the children and a restraining order against Pilar during a May 7th hearing. Both of these decisions stem from the events surrounding Pilar’s late-April domestic violence arrest. Pilar allegedly attacked Deion in front of their children in his Texas home, which she is now barred from entering. The judge also ruled that the couple’s sons must undergo psychological counseling as a result of the attack and the tension caused by the Sanders’ divorce proceedings.

Deion and Pilar’s nasty divorce has been heating up over the last several months, and it seems as if the worst is far from over.

The youngest son of Martin Sheen and brother to actor Emilio Estevez, acting has always played a large role in Charlie Sheen’s life story. He made his first film appearance at the age of nine in 1974 and seriously began his career in 1984, when he appeared in Red Dawn. He is best known for his roles in movies such as Platoon and Wall Street and the television shows Spin City and Two and a Half Men

Arrests and probation

Sheen has been in trouble with law enforcement officers numerous times, most often for violence against women. His first domestic violence encounter came in 1996 after he beat then-girlfriend Brittany Ashland. Sheen pled no contest to misdemeanor battery charges from hitting Ashland, and was put on probation and ordered to pay a fine. He violated probation in 1998, when he nearly died from a drug overdose.

On Christmas Day in 2009, Sheen was arrested for assaulting then-wife Brooke Mueller and eventually charged with felony menacing, third-degree assault and criminal mischief. He pled guilty to third-degree domestic violence for attacking Mueller.

In 2010, Sheen was once again taken into police custody for trashing a New York City hotel room he was camped out in with adult film starlet, Capri Anderson. His present employer, CBS, had had enough, and it was announced in 2011 that Two and a Half Men would be suspended for the remainder of the season. The network put the blame clearly on Sheen’s conduct and the news sent Sheen into a drug-fueled rant. His antics in the following weeks contributed to CBS’ decision to fire him in March of 2011.

Divorce and child custody issues

Sheen’s family life has encountered many bumps over the years. His first marriage to Donna Peele lasted from September of 1995 to November 1996, during which time Sheen had to testify in court that he had spent somewhere around $50,000 on call girls. His second marriage to Denise Richards lasted from June 2002 to November 2006, with Richards filing for divorce while pregnant with their second daughter. His most recent marriage to Brooke Mueller lasted from May 2008 to May 2011, and the couple had twins together. His divorces from Richards and Mueller were well publicized and the source of extensive tabloid fodder.

Sheen has five children, the oldest being Cassandra Jade Estevez, born when Sheen was just 19. He had two daughters, Sam and Lola Rose, with Denise Richards, and twin sons Bob and Max with Brooke Mueller. Sheen has been involved in custody battles with Richards and Mueller. He lost custody of daughters Sam and Lola after he was arrested for assaulting Mueller in 2009, and lost custody of sons Bob and Max in March of 2011 during the middle of his very public meltdown.

Lawsuits

In 1995, Sheen was sued by an unnamed UCLA student who claimed Sheen hit her when she declined to have sex with him. The lawsuit was settled out of court.

In 2011, Sheen fired a wrongful termination lawsuit against CBS and Warner Bros. in response to being fired from Two and a Half Men. The suit was settled in September of 2011, but the terms of the settlement are confidential.

Though Sheen is not directly involved in the suit, his newest show is presently embroiled in an intellectual property lawsuit over who created the show. He is presently threatening to sue the New York City strip club Cheetahs Club over the club’s naming a VIP suite after him.

What the future holds

Sheen is ready to get back to television with his new show Anger Management. Slated to start in June 2012, the show’s name is a fitting title for a show based on his ongoing bad-boy persona. It may be possible that Sheen is taking small steps at managing his anger in real life too. After saying Ashton Kutcher “sucks” on Two and a Half Men, Sheen apologized.

Recent lawsuits filings

• Hillary Swank isn’t pleased with Robert’s Home Audio for using pictures of her from Million Dollar Baby in ad campaigns without her permission, so she’s filed suit against the company.
• He’s no longer on Trading Spaces, but, like Swank, Carter Oosterhouse objects to the use of his image in advertisements.Oosterhouse is suing World of Floors for using his likeness in ads outside what they had agreed upon. He’s seeking $500,000 in damages.
• CBS vs. ABC: two of America’s biggest networks are throwing down over Big Brother and Glass House, the show CBS claims is a rip off of the wildly successful Big Brother.
• John Travolta is being sued by two masseurs for sexual harassment. However, Travolta’s camp has proved that at least one of the unnamed plaintiffs is lying: Travolta was in NYC the day the plaintiff claimed his encounter with Travolta occurred…in LA.
• Nicky Hilton is suing her former clothing line partners for $5 million. She claims their poor business practices sunk the business, and says they never paid her salary.
• Brendan Fraser is suing the producers of The Legend of William Tell: 3D for more than $3 million due to the fact that the film in question has not been made yet and may now only be in 2D, not 3D. How very old school, right?
• Less than 24 hours before Beastie Boys legendary rapper MCA died, the record label TufAmerica filed suit against the Boys for illegally sampling tracks made by 80s band Trouble Funk on two different albums.
• Kelly Rutherford is being sued by a P.I. who says Rutherford owes him $58,000 for spying on ex Daniel Giersch during their nasty divorce proceedings.
• More than 25 years after it became a hit, Elton John is being sued for allegedly stealing “Nikita” lyrics from a song called “Natasha” by songwriter Guy Hobbs.

Recent lawsuits settled

• Bret Michaels has reached a settlement with Tony Awards producers and CBS regarding the injuries he suffered at the Tony Awards in 2009, when a piece of the set hit him. We don’t know the terms of the settlement, but chances are it was huge: the impact of the set piece broke Michaels’ nose, cracked his lip and caused a brain bleed.
• Lil Wayne has settled TWO lawsuits in recent weeks; the first was a $20 million suit for unpaid royalties for the song Lollipop, and the second was a $1.5 million suit over Love Me or Hate Me. Both suits were filed by producers, and both were settled out of court for undisclosed sums.
• Michael Jackson’s estate has reached a confidential settlement with Ola Ray—Jackson’s date in the legendary Thriller video—for video royalties.

Bean was arrested in London on May 9th for harassing British actress Georgina Sutcliffe, his fourth ex-wife. Sutcliffe had been receiving abusive text messages and phone calls, and British police arrested Bean after he voluntarily gave fingerprint and DNA samples as part of their investigation.

This is not the first time Bean has been arrested due to suspicious activity involving Sutcliffe. The two met in 2003, married in 2008 and divorced in 2010 following a separation then reconciliation. Bean was arrested for purportedly assaulting Sutcliffe a mere five months after their wedding, an incident which was later referred to as a “typical couple’s spat.”

Bean has not been officially charged for harassing Sutcliffe and was released on bail after speaking with the police.

Jennifer Hudson took the stand to testify for the prosecution last month, recounting the last time she saw her family members alive and stating that no one in the family wanted her sister to marry Balfour. Hudson stayed in the courtroom with fiancé David Otunga, a former lawyer turned WWE wrestler, for much of the trial, but left when particularly grisly evidence was shown.

For more details regarding the beginning days of the trial, see “The Murder Trial for Jennifer Hudson’s Family.”

Courtroom proceedings lasted from April 23rd until May 9th, when the prosecution and defense each presented their closing arguments to the judge and jury and deliberations began. Deliberations lasted until May 11th, when the jury convicted Balfour on all counts, including home invasion, aggravated kidnapping, residential burglary and possession of a stolen motor vehicle. As there is no DNA evidence linking Balfour to the crime, the prosecution had to show overwhelming circumstantial evidence to the court to prove his guilt. They called more than 80 witnesses to the stand to testify regarding Balfour’s moral character, his previous threats against the Hudson family and his connection to the murder weapon. In sharp contrast, the defense called only two witnesses to the stand to present their case. Their defense lasted just 30 minutes, and Balfour did not testify.

Due to the high profile nature of the trial, the jurors have been sequestered in an undisclosed hotel each night to keep them away from media coverage of the case. At the time when they made their decision, the jurors were unaware that Balfour was on probation at the time of the murders for attempted murder in the first degree.

Balfour now faces a mandatory life sentence in prison.

According to the first masseur, identified only as a John Doe, Travolta arranged for a private massage in a Beverly Hills hotel on January 16, 2012 and then began behaving inappropriately. The masseur claims Travolta stripped naked, initiated physical contact and made bizarre demands for sexual favors. Doe says he finished the session and went to his lawyers. The first accusation, filed with a $2 million lawsuit, charges Travolta with battery, sexual misconduct and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

A second accusation from another masseur was amended into the document days later. According to the second John Doe, he has “substantial documentation and numerous witnesses regarding the substance of Travolta’s actions,” and is represented by the same lawyer as the first John Doe, California-based attorney Okorie Okorocha. Okorocha claims they have evidence to support their case, and that more men will come forward in time.

Travolta in New York, not California, on day of supposed Beverly Hills massage

Travolta’s camp has fired back against the allegations, calling them “complete fiction and fabrication.” His camp has produced copious amounts of proof — including restaurant receipts, photographs and a flight plan — showing that Travolta was actually in New York City on January 16th, making it impossible for the first John Doe’s claim to be true. Witnesses have also come forward to attest that Travolta was in New York City.

“John intends to get this case thrown out and then he will sue the attorney and plaintiff for malicious prosecution,” they told the press.

Update: 5/16/2012: John Doe #1 has dismissed his lawsuit against Travolta following the barrage of evidence proving Travolta’s innocence.

Dispute settled out of court

Lakshmi and Dell began a romantic relationship in November 2007. Sometime after the summer of 2009, the relationship of the couple became strained. On February 22, 2010, Lakshmi gave birth to a daughter, Krishna. Because Laskshmi had also been involved with another man—financier Ted Forstmann—at around the time she became pregnant, uncertainty surrounded the identity of the father.

While a paternity lawsuit eventually revealed that Dell is indeed the father (Forstmann, in the meantime, passed away last November), Lakshmi made it clear that she did not want Dell to be a part of her daughter’s life. This prompted Dell to file another lawsuit for custody of Krishna, who is now two years old. The case was finally settled out of court in March 2012. The settlement resulted in “improved visitation and custody rights,” according to a source for the New York Post, in addition to a new last name for the little girl: Lakshmi-Dell.

As a Knoxville child custody attorney can tell you, there are several unique legal challenges in situations where unmarried couples have children. This is especially true if there are questions involving paternity. If the parents are furthermore estranged, determining the rights of each in regards to the child may be even more complicated.DNA tests must prove whether a male, in this case Dell, is the father before the mother can seek support or the father can seek visitation rights.

The out-of-court settlement of this case seems to bode well for Krishna’s future relationship with both her parents: even if Dell and Lakshmi are no longer together, at least they can see eye to eye when it comes to co-parenting their daughter.

Lindsay Hartley filed for divorce from husband Justin Hartley after nearly 8 years of marriage last week.

Looks like Lindsay and Justin Hartley’s marriage is coming to an end. Lindsay Hartley cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for their divorce when she filed paperwork at the Los Angeles County Superior Court last week.

The Hartleys married back in 2004 after meeting on the set of the short-lived (comparatively speaking, considering the shelf life of some soap operas) show Passions. They had a daughter in 2004, and Lindsay’s petition requests that the couple share joint and physical custody of 7-year-old Isabella. A TMZ report from May 6th said Justin had not yet responded, so there is no news on whether or not he agrees on the proposed custody split.

The law differs from state to state, but responding to a divorce petition is an act that must be done regardless of your geographic location. In this situation, a Westchester County divorce attorney would most likely advise Justin to respond to the divorce petition within the 30-day window of time available to him so discovery can begin. If Justin does not respond, the court will proceed with the divorce without his participation. Doing so may put him at a disadvantage when the time comes for custody decisions to be made as his wishes would not be known.

While Lindsay has gone on to make guest appearances on The Weakest Link, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and The Other Half since leaving Passions, her other reoccurring roles have both been on soaps. She played Arianna Hernandez on Days of Our Lives from 2009 to 2010, and Cara Castillo from All My Children from 2010 to 2011.

Justin’s career took a different path after his departure from Passions—he joined the cast of Smallville as the Green Arrow in 2006 and stayed with the show until its conclusion in 2011.

Fox was taken into custody Friday shortly after 3:23 a.m.—the time of his citation—and subsequently released later that day. He is currently living in Bend, Oregon with his wife and two children, daughter Kyle and son Byron.

If Fox is convicted of drunk driving in Oregon, he could face prison time, the loss of his license and more. It is highly likely Fox would contact an attorney to protect his interests during a DUI case. While the penalties differ on a state-by-state basis, a criminal lawyer in Orlando with a client in the same situation as Fox would try to have the charges reduced or dismissed.

This is not Fox’s first time appearing in the news for an alcohol-related incident. In August of 2011, Fox was in the news for purportedly assaulting a female Cleveland bus driver when intoxicated. While Fox was not charged with assault or battery, there is a pending civil suit against him for those offenses as well as inflicting emotional distress. Fox is countersuing the bus driver for damage to his reputation and ability to obtain work.

This wouldn’t be Busey’s first time playing a caricature of himself on television—he made memorable guest appearances on Entourage during 2004, 2005 and 2007.

Busey’s Chapter 7 filing

Busey indicated he was anywhere between $500,000 and $1,000,000 in debt when he filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on February 7th, with less than $50,000 in assets. TMZ reported that Busey owed money to a wide range of creditors, including UCLA Medical Center, Wells Fargo, L.A. County Waterworks Districts and the IRS.

What happens next

While each state has slightly different concerning what assets you are allowed to keep, bankruptcy law is determined on the federal level and therefore follows similar policies in every part of the United States. Busey has already completed his debt education course, but his attorney will most likely continue to work with his creditors until his nonexempt debts are fully paid off, a process that typically takes several months. A Passaic bankruptcy attorney would follow this same pattern for a client in their area.

Here’s hoping Busey’s pilot is picked up and Busey receives a pay increase if the show takes off! His current salary is $4,500 a week—which sounds like a sweet deal for us average individuals—but it will still take Busey years to get out from under his debt on his present pay scale.