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Bill Cosby has just filed legal docs railing on the trial judge in his sexual assault case for not giving him bail pending appeal, and claims the judge had a personal vendetta against a key defense witness.

Cosby's lawyers claim Judge Steven O'Neill was brutal toward Bruce Castor, the former District Attorney who investigated the case back in 2005. Cosby claims Castor gave him assurances when he was D.A. that he would not be prosecuted in the Andrea Constand case if he provided a sworn deposition in her civil case against him.

Cosby's lawyers just submitted a sworn statement by Castor, who claims he was treated with "tremendous animosity from Judge O'Neill toward me from the moment that I took the stand."

As for the animosity, Castor said in his declaration he ran against O'Neill for the Republican nomination for D.A. in 1998 and it got super dirty. Castor says O'Neill became incensed after a story came out that O'Neill had an extramarital affair and O'Neill felt Castor was behind it. Castor won the nom.

During Cosby's trial, Castor said on the stand he had indeed promised the comedian he would not be prosecuted, testifying, "I believed at the time that the allegation was made that there was insufficient evidence to convict Mr. Cosby on the facts as presented to me, something that time has shown was an accurate assessment."

Cosby's lawyers are asking to free their client pending appeal.

Nick Jonas might have been looking ahead when he dropped millions on a pad before popping the question to Priyanka Chopra.

Nick's the new owner of the swanky $6.5 million crib in Beverly Hills Post Office -- for all you out-of-towners, it's adjacent to Bev Hills and shares the same zip code -- who popped the question to Priyanka 3 months later.

The house is pretty incredible -- 5 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms sit on 4,129 square feet. The pad's an architectural masterpiece ... featuring expansive canyon views, a floating guest wing and an extended wood terrace that wraps around the swimming pool.

Fun fact -- there are lots of homes on L.A. mountainsides where the backyards are cantilevered and seem to be floating. They're super reinforced to withstand earthquakes ... hopefully.

Brian Courville from Pacific Union was the listing agent and Carl Gambino from Westside Estate Agency repped Nick.

Ben Affleck's immersing himself in a new role that ya might say came along at the perfect time -- because he's playing an athlete-turned-addict who's trying to make a comeback.

Cameras were rolling in L.A. Monday as Ben filmed a scene for his new film, "Torrance," in which he stars as a former All-Star basketball player who's battling addiction while taking a high school coaching gig at his alma mater.

You can see he's pretty beefed up for the part, which explains those recent shots of him hitting the gym and showing off an impressive set of guns.

Ben completed a 40-day rehab stint for alcohol earlier this month, and is currently in outpatient care dealing with his real-life addiction issues. We broke the story ... his ex, Jennifer Garner, took him to rehab after she staged an intervention.

9:26 AM PT -- A rep for Costume Agent, which originally created and distributed the controversial Caitlyn costume, tells TMZ they're not yanking it from their own site, and certainly not discontinuing it ... backlash be damned.

We're told the 'stume is one of their best sellers -- it's the #6 overall bestseller. Although they have received multiple threats over it this past week, they're standing by their product. The rep says, "It's a costume. It's funny."

A Caitlyn Jenner costume -- which harkens back to her Olympic glory days as Bruce Jenner -- is getting destroyed by critics who say it's insensitive to transgender people ... and it's already being yanked from at least one outlet.

The getup is called "I Am Cait" ... and features a decathlete's jersey with Bruce's number 935, a gold medal and those teeny tiny shorts -- all of that vintage Bruce from his 1976 decathlon victory. However, it also comes with a long-haired wig that's all Caitlyn.

eBay was flooded with criticism for selling the $44.95 costume -- several transgender charities are calling it out as mocking, instead of being an homage.

The caption for one online promo says, "Show your love for Caitlyn Jenner with this awesome adult costume."

The backlash has been enough for eBay to remove the costume, but as of now ... it's still available on Amazon.

Alex Rodriguez says enough is enough -- he's been paying his ex-wife a king's ransom for a decade, his income has plummeted, she's now rich and he wants his support payments drastically reduced.

Sources connected to A-Rod tell us, the former Yankee has been locked in a spousal/child support war with Cynthia Scurtis for months. He's been paying $115,000 a month tax free in combined spousal and child support since the couple divorced in 2008. They have 2 daughters, 13-year-old Natasha and 10-year-old Ella.

We're told the agreement was always meant to be adjusted when A-Rod retired from the Yankees. A-Rod claims his income has dropped by 90% ... from $30 million a year, while he was on the Yankees, to around $3 million a year.

Our sources say Alex is especially vexed because he claims Cynthia is now a rich woman with millions in the bank, 3 homes and multiple cars. He grouses she has a master's degree in psychology yet chooses not to work. He also says she has a new child and a fiance, and he feels he's now bankrolling all of them.

A-Rod says the expenses for his 2 kids are somewhere between $7k - $12k a month, yet he's willing to pay $20k a month plus expenses for the kids, including tuition.

We're told Cynthia is negotiating, but wants nearly $50k a month so the ex-couple is at an impasse.

We attempted to reach Cynthia ... so far, no luck.

Tyrese doesn't want to fork over another dime for childcare expenses unless his ex-wife can show him where the money's going ... TMZ has learned.

In new legal docs, Tyrese says he should not have to cover Norma Gibson's $25 per hour childcare expenses because -- for starters ... Norma has not demonstrated she is actually working or employed, and therefore shouldn't need childcare.

Tyrese says there's no way to know Norma's really paying the $25 per hour in childcare, or if a professional is taking care of their 11-year-old daughter, Shayla. According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Tyrese says the solution is for Norma to cough up receipts for the childcare.

He also says he shouldn't have to foot the bill for childcare if it's for Norma's personal reasons -- like going out to dinner without Shayla. In the docs, he says the court never laid out guidelines for WHEN he has to reimburse Norma for childcare, or how many hours she can put on his tab.

Tyrese wants the order to be voided or modified to prove she needs childcare.

The jig is up for Meghan Markle ... even loose-fitting outfits like this blue gown can't hide what she's got growing in her belly.

Meghan and Prince Harry are now in Fiji -- the second country in their 16-day autumn tour -- and they kicked off the visit with an official welcoming ceremony ... then headed off to a state dinner hosted by Fiji's Prez, Jioji Konrote.

Harry opted for the classic tux while Meghan slipped into a blue cape dress ... fashion tribute to Fiji. If it wasn't obvious before, it sure is now ... Meghan's really showing. We don't know exactly how far along she is ... the Palace has only said she's due sometime in the Spring.

Pregnancy looks great on Megs, no doubt. Ditto for those gigantic diamond earrings she was rocking ... which were reportedly borrowed from Queen Elizabeth.

A 21-year-old University of Utah track star was abducted and shot to death on campus late Monday night -- and her parents believe it was all because she discovered a horrible secret about the killer.

Lauren McCluskey -- a 2017 honorable mention Pac-12 All-Academic -- had been dating a man named Melvin Rowland for about a month ... until Oct. 9, when she found out he was a registered sex offender.

Lauren's parents say, while the two were dating, Rowland had lied to her about his name, his age and his criminal history, which included a 2004 conviction for attempted forcible sex abuse and enticing a minor over the internet.

Fast forward to Monday night at 8 PM when Lauren was talking with her mother on the phone while leaving campus ... and she was abducted in a school parking lot.

"Suddenly, I heard her yell, "No, no, no!" Lauren's mother says ... "I thought she might have been in a car accident. That was the last I heard from her. My husband called 911."

Lauren was found shot to death in her car. Witnesses report hearing several gunshots. Cops launched an all-out manhunt for the suspect and tracked him down outside of a church in Salt Lake City.

Cops say Rowland forced his way inside the building early Tuesday morning and shot himself to death.

School president Ruth V. Watkins announced all classes Tuesday have been canceled and an on-campus vigil is being set for Wednesday evening.

"As a campus community, we share grief over this tragic loss of life," Watkins wrote ... "Our deepest sympathy is extended to Lauren’s family and friends."

Kendall Jenner is once again in the crosshairs of controversy after Vogue featured her in a new photo shoot where she's rockin' an afro ... and the fashion mag blinked.

The supermodel appears in a new Vogue story that's running in November where she's wearing a variety of Brock Collection dresses ... and sporting a 'fro-style 'do. Her hair was frizzy and teased-out (nothing like her usual style) ... and some people got pissed, claiming cultural appropriation and questioning why Vogue didn't use a black model.

People flooded the comment section of Vogue's Instagram post showing off Kendall's puffed-out hairstyle, and openly speculated about the connotations and intentions behind booking a white girl for the gig ... with some calling the move racist and demeaning to black women.

Vogue now says Kendall's hair was simply reflecting the "Edwardian/Gibson Girl" style they were going for with the Brock Collection. FWIW ... a quick google search shows that women of that era did, in fact, have similar hairstyles.

Either way, Vogue eventually apologized, explaining it did not mean to offend anyone.

More huge mainstream stars are buying into the eSports biz -- with Drake and Scooter Braun buying an ownership stake in 100 Thieves, the brand founded by gaming legend Nadeshot.

100 Thieves has teams that compete in League of Legends, Call of Duty and Fortnite -- where there's big money to be made in massive gaming tournaments around the globe.

Nadeshot is a former Call of Duty world champ -- so, he knows what it takes to win and has proven to be a big draw for other up-and-coming gaming stars.

Along with the gaming side, 100 Thieves is also a lifestyle and apparel brand, which has already raised $25 million in investment money from other major players including Cleveland Cavs owner Dan Gilbert.

100 Thieves says Drake and Scooter will act as strategic advisors for the company.

Nadeshot points out that Drake has already collaborated with 100 Thieves on custom gaming stations he uses on his Scorpion tour.

Braun issued a statement saying, "With Matt's [aka Nadeshot] experience, talent and vision as a professional gamer he and his team have built one of the most authentic brands in the ever-evolving gaming space."

Ron Jeremy says he's pretty sure his good friend, Dennis Hof, died a happy death ... but discovering his body was definitely tough.

We got Ron Monday night on the Sunset Strip in front of the Rainbow Room and asked about finding the famed Bunny Ranch owner dead in his bed. Ron tells us he's spent many a day waking Dennis up all over the world, but something was definitely amiss last week.

The daughter of former Washington Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke has pled guilty to disorderly conduct stemming from an incident where she allegedly attacked a man after hurling an anti-Jew comment.

Jacqueline Kent Cooke appeared in an NY courtroom on Tuesday -- where she was sentenced to 3 days of community service for the incident.

As we previously reported, Cooke -- whose father owned the NFL team from '61 to '97 -- allegedly hurled anti-Semitic language at a 77-year-old woman while leaving a fancy Manhattan restaurant on New Year's Eve.

The victim claims Cooke was being aggressive at the coat check -- so her son confronted her outside and she struck him with her glass purse, causing 2 lacerations on his head.

There's video of the aftermath -- and Cooke appears to be a boozy mess while the two parties cuss each other out on the street.

Cooke is due back in court in January.

Tracy Chapman is going after Nicki Minaj, saying she straight-up stole her song, "Baby Can I Hold You," when she recorded "Sorry."

Chapman says in June 2018, Minaj and her reps made multiple requests to license "Baby Can I Hold You" and all requests were rejected.

So imagine Tracy's surprise when "Sorry" came out in August 2018 ... it was supposed to be featured on Nicki's album, "Queen." Tracy says her song comprises half of the lyrics and vocal melody of "Sorry."

According to the suit, Funkmaster Flex played "Sorry" on Hot 97 and lots of Internet users picked up the song and sent it around. It was also played on "The Breakfast Club" with Charlamagne Tha God.

The day the track was played, Nicki tweeted, "Sis said no," which, according to the lawsuit, refers to Chapman's denial to her request to use "Baby Can I Hold You." Nicki and crew pulled the song from "Queen" and tried to make it disappear, but Tracy says the damage was done.

The LAPD has reached out to several L.A. Dodgers stars -- including Yasiel Puig, Justin Turner and Clayton Kershaw -- to make sure their homes are protected during the World Series ... unlike last year.

Remember, Puig's home was hit by burglars during Game 7 of the 2017 World Series -- and cops have said the suspects specifically targeted the place because they knew he'd be at Dodger Stadium at the time.

L.A. Rams wide receiver Robert Woods was also hit by burglars during a Rams game this year -- cops believe the suspects are the same crew of burglars that hit Puig.

Even though cops made multiple arrests, they still believe some of the suspects are on the loose, and they're concerned about copycats and other crime crews. Bottom line -- they don't want to take any chances this time around.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... LAPD officials have reached out to MLB security, agents for the players, personal assistants and other personnel in the hopes of protecting the homes of Dodgers players and staffers.

We're told cops are working with the players to make sure home security systems are up to snuff and, in some cases, additional security personnel are watching their houses.

And, cops will continue to make extra patrols in the neighborhoods where the players live.

Police were dispatched to billionaire Democratic philanthropist George Soros' home after an explosive device was found in his mailbox ... and there's suspicion the culprits may be part of right wing extremists.

The Bedford Police Department got a call from one of Soros' employees ... saying an explosive device was found Monday at his home in a suburb north of NYC. Cops say the employee opened the package and discovered the contraption.

A flood of local and federal agents responded to the scene -- including folks from ATF and the FBI -- and bomb squads were reportedly able to disarm it by proactively detonating it.

Soros was not home at the time ... and the FBI is on the hunt.

The well-known Dem has incurred the ire of many extreme right-wing groups, and has also been target of anti-Semites. He donates lots of money to Democratic candidates and progressive causes ... as well as more than $18 billion to his Open Society Foundations to promote democracy worldwide.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry won't set foot on U.S. soil anytime soon, as previously scheduled, and it's all because of the royal bun in the oven ... TMZ has learned.

Sources tell us the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are pushing back their U.S. tour from Spring 2019 until Fall 2019, in light of Meg's pregnancy. We're told she's due sometime in the Spring, and they want to give her time to adjust to motherhood before hitting the road again.

Makes sense ... Meghan's already had to pump the brakes on some appearances this month, amid their 16-day tour through Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji.

There's a silver lining here for those dying to see the American princess. We're told when they do arrive stateside ... Meghan and Harry plan to bring their baby with them. He or she would be roughly 6 months old by then.

One more fun fact ... Meghan will still be an American citizen when she does visit -- she's still going through the process of becoming a British citizen. So, she'll be a true American princess in her homeland.

As for their baby? We broke the story ... there's a way the kid, a potential British monarch, could also become U.S. Prez. Think that'll draw a crowd?