Bruno Mars Doesn't Have $50M in Gambling Debt ... MGM Bats Down Story

Bruno Mars doesn't owe millions in gambling debt to MGM Resorts -- despite what a recent report claimed ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for MGM Resorts International tells TMZ ... the singer doesn't have a $50 million gambling tab on the books with them -- even though some recently alleged the opposite. Instead, MGM came to Bruno's defense ... calling the allegation he owes a massive sum completely false.

In fact, the Las Vegas hot spot is super excited to collaborate with the Grammy winner again in the future -- not exactly the tone someone would take with a dude who's got a fat bill.

They add ... "We’re proud of our relationship with Bruno Mars, one of the world’s most thrilling and dynamic performers. From his shows at Dolby Live at Park MGM to the new Pinky Ring lounge at Bellagio, Bruno’s brand of entertainment attracts visitors from around the globe. MGM and Bruno's partnership is longstanding and rooted in mutual respect. Any speculation otherwise is completely false; he has no debt with MGM. Together, we are excited to continue creating unforgettable experiences for our guests."

This update comes shortly after a report began circulating this past week that claimed MGM basically owned Bruno over an alleged gambling bill that was worth tens of millions. While Bruno has yet to address the gossip, MGM made it clear that there is nothing shady about their business relationship. BTW, Bruno's got an upcoming residency there at the resort.

Bruno previously opened up to James Corden in 2016 about being a card shark before hitting worldwide fame. In a "Carpool Karaoke" appearance on 'The Late Late Show,' he explained that he used to play poker to help pay his rent in L.A. ... so the dude does like to gamble.

Still, with that said ... MGM ain't about to send out the loan sharks -- he's good in their book.

DAN SCHNEIDER DENIES SEXUALIZING NICKELODEON CHILD STARS

Dan Schneider has again denied allegations of a toxic workplace while he was at Nickelodeon ... including claims that child actors were sexualized on shows he created.

A rep for the veteran TV producer -- the man behind hit Nickelodeon shows like "The Amanda Show" and "Drake & Josh" -- says there's no truth to the allegations floated in 'Quiet on Set' ... asserting that numerous adults were involved in overseeing all aspects of the shows, with everything being approved by the network itself.

The statement further clarifies that scripts for the shows underwent a rigorous vetting process, requiring approvals from both NYC and L.A. networks ... and if anything was found to be inappropriate it would've been flagged and blocked by multilayered scrutiny.

The statement reads in part ... "Remember, all stories, dialogue, costumes, and makeup were fully approved by network executives on two coasts. A standards and practices group read and ultimately approved every script, and programming executives reviewed and approved all episodes."

As well as ensuring the scripts were kid-appropriate ... parents, caregivers, and their friends would be on set every day watching filming and rehearsals, Dan's camp adds.

Schneider's statement comes after the first 2 installments of ID's doc, "Quiet on the Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV," premiered ... in which claims surfaced that some of his shows appeared to sexualize child stars like Ariana Grande and Jamie Lynn Spears in specific scenes.

The doc also delves deeper into claims of sexism, racism, and inappropriate behavior involving underage stars and members of the shows overseen by Schneider -- as well as allegations from crew members they were continuously asked to massage Schneider on set.

Dan's team did respond to those allegations ... previously saying, "Dan deeply regrets asking anyone for neck massages. Though they happened in public settings, he knows this was highly inappropriate and would never happen again."

Kim Kardashian's SKIMS Partners w/ College Hoop Stars ... Ahead Of March Madness

Kim Kardashian's SKIMS is getting deeper into basketball ... this time the brand is partnering with six of the top college hoopers in the world to serve as models for their men's line ahead of the NCAA Tournament!

The billionaire entrepreneur shared video on Instagram the day after Selection Sunday ...  announcing the campaign.

The clip features several of the best CBB players wearing Kim K's new Men's Terry loungewear, including Arizona guard Caleb Love, Paxson Wojcik from UNC, and Donovan Clingan ... who won a National title with UCONN last season.

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Hunter Dickinson -- who transferred to Kansas from Michigan this season  -- and Duke's guard Jared McCain are also involved.

It's just Kim K's latest foray into sports ... remember, she recently teamed up with stars from the NFL, NBA, and MLS, including Nick Bosa, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Neymar Jr.

Kim also featured Patrick Mahomes, Brittany Mahomes, and their two kids ... promoting their 2023 Christmas attire.

The first round of the tourney kicks off Thursday -- get your brackets (and SKIMS) ready -- it's March Madness!!!

DONALD TRUMP STRUGGLING TO POST $464M BOND ... To Appeal Civil Fraud Case

Donald Trump's legal saga is hitting another hurdle ... this time the ex-Prez says he's having a hard time securing help to pay a massive multi-million-dollar bond in his NY civil case.

DT needs to post a $464 million bond to satisfy the judgment against him -- he needs to do it soon ... by the end of the month, in fact. However, his attorneys say he's struggling to come up with the cash.

In a legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Trump's lawyers signaled Monday that they're hitting a roadblock in their efforts to find an insurance company willing to secure the substantial financial penalty ... describing the task as a "practical impossibility."

Trump's team explains they've unsuccessfully approached 30 underwriters to back the bond ... writing, "The amount of the judgment, with interest, exceeds $464 million, and very few bonding companies will consider a bond of anything approaching that magnitude."

The filing says their efforts include "countless hours negotiating with one of the largest insurance companies in the world" ... which they insist shows how obtaining an appeal bond in the full amount isn't feasible.

Trump's lawyers add that potential underwriters typically look for the bond to be backed by cash or cash equivalents ... which makes it practically impossible to use real estate assets to back the bond. His team says Trump would need cash reserves nearing $1 billion for an insurance company to come aboard -- and it sounds like they're saying DT ain't got it.

As a result, Trump's lawyers have petitioned the appeals court to stay the imposition of the massive monetary judgment without requiring the posting of the bond during the appeal ... which would essentially block New York Attorney General Letitia James from trying to enforce collection while the appeal is underway. A decision on his filing has yet to be made.

You'll recall ... Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron's ruling ordered Trump and his co-defendants to pay a substantial $464 million in damages after finding him liable for conspiring to manipulate his net worth. Trump was ordered to pay $454M of that total.

Tallulah Willis Reveals She Has Autism ... Diagnosed As an Adult

Tallulah Willis reveals she was diagnosed with autism -- something she says she came to learn fairly recently.

Bruce Willis' daughter shared the news with her over 400K Instagram followers on Friday ... as she wrote alongside a throwback video of herself and her A-list father, “Tell me you're autistic without telling me you're autistic."

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In the resurfaced footage, Tallulah can be seen rubbing her dad's bald head over and over again as he gave a red-carpet interview. Tallulah's older sister Scout responded to the video by saying the actress is "stimming" in the clip.

For those who may not know ... stimming is defined as the repetitive performance of a certain physical movement -- and is a common behavior in autistic individuals.

This is the first time Tallulah has discussed her diagnosis, which she explained she found out about over the summer ... something she says changed her life.

This revelation comes a month after Tallulah gave a candid update regarding her recovery from an eating disorder. Tallulah first opened up about her struggles with anorexia back in May 2023.

Nine months later, Bruce's daughter with ex-wife Demi Moore confessed she was "romanticizing unhealthy times" and wanted to share the update in order to feel less alone. She encouraged herself and her followers to remember that it is ok to not have everything figured out.

In addition to Tallulah's health journey, the Willis family has been rallying around Bruce after his frontotemporal dementia diagnosis. Bruce's wife -- with whom he shares daughters Mabel and Evelyn -- said in September that it's unclear what the actor knows about his condition.

The Willis family has a way of coming together amid tough times ... that much is certain.

Alicia Keys & Roc Nation Donate Big ... Help 12-Yr-Old Save Arts Program

Alicia Keys and Roc Nation came to the rescue of a 7th grader who's raising money for a NYC school's performing arts program ... and she's a lot closer to doing that now.

12-year-old Tennyson Artigliere got a huge boost from Alicia and co. to help out a GoFundMe she started in an attempt to keep the Professional Performing Arts School main program alive and kicking ... this amid budget cuts that threaten to close it for good.

The kid had a high goal of $102,000 -- which would help keep the Performing Arts Program open -- even if only for a little bit longer. Alicia -- who attended the school -- caught wind of the fundraiser, along with the rapper's entertainment company, and decided to intervene ... chipping in a whopping $60,000 toward her goal.

Alicia and Roc Nation's contribution adds to money they'd already raised ... around $50k.

Alicia and Roc Nation aren't stopping there -- as they have also vowed to help raise money for the program every year until the city is able to fund it themselves. Jeremy Allen White -- another alumni -- has also donated to the cause, pushing out the GFM link on his IG.

Tennyson couldn't be more grateful for the celebrity assistance, especially from such a notable alum like Alicia. Apparently, Tennyson's classmates couldn't believe it when she revealed that Alicia would be stepping in to save their performing arts program.

She added ... "We still talk about her legacy every single day."

So far, the GoFundMe has received over 600 donations ... and counting.

UFC Legend Mark Coleman 'Healing Up' ... Discharged From Hospital After Saving Parents

SO GRATEFUL
Instagram / @markcolemanufc

Mark Coleman has been released from the hospital after nearly dying in a huge house fire last week ... the UFC legend provided an update to his many fans just days after saving his mom and dad.

"God is great 👊❤️🙏," the 59-year-old retired fighter said on Monday via IG video caption, writing, "I am healing up very well."

"My lungs are sore. My eyes are burnt but I’m very much alive and well. I feel so blessed it’s in my higher power's hands. He wants me to move forward today and I am."

Coleman -- who was hospitalized with smoke inhalation after saving his parents from a house fire in Toledo, Ohio, early Tuesday morning -- thanked all his fans for their prayers, especially for his late dog, Hammer, who sadly perished in the blaze.

Mark also said he hopes the incident encourages people to make the most of life ... before it's too late.

"I'm one of the luckiest men in the world," the UFC Hall of Famer said.

"I can't thank you enough. I'm just grateful. I'll continue to motivate people to move forward and be a better version of themselves. You never know when you're gonna need it, so let's go. Let's start today. Tomorrow's not promised. Get moving!"

BTW, his loyal fans stepped up in a big way, including financially, making over 2,600 donations to a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses ... raising over $121k!

Speedy recovery, Mark!

CHRIS APPLETON BEACH DATE With New Fling ... Splash Around in Ocean!!!

Chris Appleton and his new man are kicking things up a notch as we officially head into spring -- hitting the beach together and showing off their toned bods ... water included!

The newly-divorced celeb hairstylist and his hunky new fling, Federico, hit up the beach along Santa Monica Sunday -- ringing in St. Patrick's Day by soaking up some sun and losing their shirts in the process.

Chris and Federico got into the water as well ... and yeah, it was pretty hot to see. And as if the dip in the ocean wasn't refreshing enough ... Chris grabbed a popsicle from a vendor along the beach for him and his date.

TMZ broke the news ... Chris and Federico have recently linked up and are casually dating on the heels of CA's divorce with Lukas Gage.

Chris' heart found exactly what it needed in Federico – a refreshing change of pace after the whirlwind with his ex-hubby. And with his friends giving Federico the seal of approval, sounds like this new chapter is off to a promising start.

As we reported ... Chris called it quits with "The White Lotus" star in November, just 6 months after their quickie Vegas wedding at the Little White Chapel officiated by Kim Kardashian.

Chris listed "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split.

Kanye West at Rolling Loud Fans Get in Huge Brawl Alleged Trans Woman Beaten Up

BRUTAL BEATDOWN

Kanye West's appearance at Rolling Loud appears to have sparked a massive brawl that roped in an alleged transgender woman ... who took a serious beating.

This footage from Ye's set on Thursday is making the rounds, and it shows a person -- alleged to be a trans woman -- getting into a fight with a guy, which then blows up into an all-out melee with other concert attendees. Effectively, it turns into a violent mosh pit.

You can see this person taking fists to the face -- and the hits leave them completely bloodied and battered. And yet ... they keep coming back for more, holding their own.

There's a mix of bystanders watching and cheering it on ... and others who are seemingly trying to break it up. Another group even appears to push this person to continue fighting -- encouraging the chaos and shouting "WorldStar."

As the fight goes on ... this person continues to get more and more pummeled -- not only being punched constantly, but getting flipped over and thrown onto the ground a lot too.

Like we said ... they don't retreat, only continuing to come at the initial aggressor, a guy.

Eventually ... the fighting seems to come to a stop with everyone coming together to dance to the music Ye and co. were playing -- and even the battered victim here appears to let it all go and partakes in the festivities. It goes from incredibly violent to incredibly musical instantly.

Ugly scene obviously -- and it's unclear if any arrests were made. The extent of this person's injuries are also unknown ... but as you can imagine, the hurtful comments are flying.

Hot-Air Balloon Death Man Falls 1,500 Feet Into Neighborhood

A hot-air balloon flight turned tragic this week after a passenger fell 1,500 feet to his death from the basket ... and it looks like cops went out of their way to cover up the aftermath.

A male passenger fell without warning from a commercial hot-air balloon Monday -- which took off from Melbourne -- less than 30 minutes into his ride. The body reportedly landed in a residential area with the hot-air balloon making a safe landing many miles away.

According to local eyewitnesses ... many residents in the suburb didn't realize what had occurred until sirens were heard. In fact, a loud bang was heard before emergency responders arrived.

The incident caused several powerlines to go down and a large police presence to block off the local street from morning traffic.

While the tragedy is not being treated as suspicious, cops are speaking with the other occupants in the balloon to try and deduce what exactly caused the unexpected fall.

The National Commercial Hot-Air Ballooning Industry and the Australian Ballooning Federation have spoken out about the tragedy, assuring people that hot-air balloon baskets are designed to prevent passengers from falling out ... so it's unclear what may have caused this.

They say the operator will be arranging for psychological support and counseling for the witnesses affected.

This marks the second hot-air balloon tragedy this year. Remember, four people were killed in Arizona in January after a hot-air balloon went down during a skydiving outing. A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board later said the envelope was already deflated and the burner still on before the hot air balloon collided with the ground.

Just goes to show ... hot-air ballooning can be dangerous.

'24 Paris Olympics Lift Intimacy Ban ... 300k Condoms Available!

Sex isn't prohibited at the Olympics this time around ... the intimacy ban has been lifted, and Olympic Village will be stocked with 300,000 condoms!!!

Remember, bangin' was banned at the Tokyo Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic where athletes had to practice social distancing -- and to enforce the rules, jimmy hats were provided, but they were told not to use them (and to keep them as souvenirs).

But, coronavirus regulations have largely been lifted, giving competitors the green light to get busy this summer.

"It is very important that the conviviality here is something big," village director Laurent Michaud said.

The village -- which will house 14,500 athletes and staff -- will give out 300k condoms ... enough for each person to have sex multiple times per day ... in addition to other amenities.

"Working with the athletes commission, we wanted to create some places where the athletes would feel very enthusiastic and comfortable," Michaud said.

With all the sex and competition, the village is making sure to provide beds that can support [550+ lbs.] and a lot of food.

Speaking of the grub, the Village director says they'll have near 400 yards of buffet, stocked with food from across the world.

"I'm sure that the athletes will be very happy to have some French specialties made over here," Laurent added.

"But the variety will first respond to the athletes' needs for their nutrition and their performance," the director said.

FYI, condoms have been given out at the Olympics since the 1988 Games in Seoul ... in an effort to raise awareness about HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Safety first!!!

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Kate Middleton Reportedly Spotted Visiting Farm Shop No Photo Evidence or Proof

Kate Middleton supposedly surfaced in public this weekend near her home -- but the weird thing is ... there's no photo evidence to back it up, just a report citing alleged eyewitnesses.

The Sun floated this story Sunday, claiming the Princess of Wales was out and about Saturday at a local business called the Windsor Farm Shop -- which is about a mile from her family's Adelaide Cottage home.

The shop in question sells a variety of products -- including plants and flowers, baked goods, meats, wines and spirits and more ... basically, it's a little grocery store, only more quaint.

According to the outlet -- which cited anonymous onlookers -- claims these people saw looking "happy, relaxed and healthy" as she was apparently joined by Prince William. The Sun goes on to claim they spent the morning watching their kids playing sports ... noting the three little ones weren't with them as they hit the market.

One alleged eyewitness says they were stunned to see Kate there, on account of the whirlwind of rumors surrounding her health and whereabouts ... but also pointed out the fact that she was walking around proved she was well enough to get out of the house.

Of course, the one problem with this whole story is ... there's no evidence to prove it -- and at a time like this, when misinformation is all over, ya gotta take it with a grain of salt.

Aside from 2 pics that purport to show Kate in the past few weeks -- one of her in the car with her mother and another of her and PW in a car, both of which have come under scrutiny amid the Mother's Day photo fail -- there's no other evidence of Kate out in public.

So, with this in mind, it's hard to believe nobody snapped a photo of her and Kate for this outing ... assuming they actually took it. With all the fervor and speculation -- photograph of KM looking "healthy" is worth its weight in gold right now, and everyone knows it.

Kate isn't expected to resume her Royal duties until at least after Easter -- but no hard date has been set, and no engagement of hers has been announced either.

Remember, Kate underwent abdominal surgery in January and has been sidelined every since. The longer she's been out of the public eye -- the more gossip has kicked up ... and Kensington Palace has been nothing but mum over just about all of it.

Anything short of a video of Kate hopping on camera and addressing the public probably won't tamp down all the rumors about what might be going on. In the meantime, everyone is just left to guess.

Orlando Magic Delete Anthony Black, Gradey Dick Jersey Swap Pic ... Over NSFW Phrase

The Orlando Magic realized it made a huge mistake on Sunday ... after its social media team posted what it felt was an innocent jersey swap between Gradey Dick and Anthony Black -- before catching on to the wildly inappropriate message the exchange spelled out.

The two rookie hoopers met up on the court to show love to each other following the Magic's 111-96 win over the Toronto Raptors ... and after talking for a bit, it appeared a lightbulb went off in both Black and Dick's heads.

The 2023 lottery picks decided to gift each other the jerseys off their backs as part of the common NBA tradition ... but it was clear they had an elaborate plan to crack a quick joke using their surnames.

The broadcast cameras caught Black running over to a photog to make sure they captured the swap ... and when he posed alongside Dick, he positioned himself to his left so their last names read ... well, you get it.

Black had a smirk on his face as he held Dick's jersey ... and his buddy was also smiling from ear to ear.

The Magic innocently published a shot of the exchange on X ... but after a bit, it was deleted due to the influx of users reacting to the viral moment.

Black finished the contest with two points and Dick had 10 of his own ... but they both went home the winners of the night in the internet's eyes.

AYO EDEBIRI, PAUL MESCAL Get Cozy For St. Paddy's Day ... But Just Pals

update

8:38 AM PT -- Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Ayo Edebiri and Paul Mescal are just friends.

Paul Mescal and Ayo Edebiri took a photo together to celebrate St. Patrick's Day -- and there's two takeaways ... she's committed to her Irish bit, and they may possibly be a thing.

The "Bear" star has her hand on the Irish actor's shoulder in this picture she threw up on IG to celebrate St. Paddy's Sunday -- and he's pretty into it, with his arm casually draped across her lap.

The grin on Ayo's face kinda says it all ... she's more than comfortable in PM's company.

Fans certainly felt the same vibe ... going into overdrive with speculation that they may be dating. Some called them a cute couple, others said they looked good as friends too.

While the rumor mill is in full swing, this could obviously just be pals hanging out -- as there's no explicit signs of PDA to suggest this is anything romantic. If anything, this might just be Ayo continuing to lean into her "Irish" heritage ... a bit she's been into for a year or so now.

Long story short ... Ayo goes around insisting she's Irish and that she was in "The Banshees of Inisherin" -- and because of her love for Ireland, Ireland seems to love her right back.

Paul, of course, is Irish himself ... and he's known to be friends with Ayo -- so in all seriousness, this is probably just him helping his bud keep the gag going.

Originally Published -- 7:32 AM PT

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Turkish Soccer Angry Fans Brawl With Players ... After Storming Field

Absolute chaos broke out following a Turkish soccer game on Sunday ... when angry fans stormed the pitch in frustration with the final score -- just to get their asses kicked by the players!!

It all went down at Trabzonspor's home 3-2 defeat at the hands of Fenerbahce ... when the losing team's supporters got so upset over the Super Lig result, they started attacking the opposing players.

But Fenerbahce ended up getting two victories on the day ... 'cause players like Bright Osayi-Samuel and Michy Batshuayi put a beating on intruders -- and it was captured on video.

Batshuayi used his feet for more than footy -- kicking a fan who was approaching him.

Osayi-Samuel was also shown throwing a punch at two fans at once.

Security tried like hell to break up the brawl ... but not before even more spectators made their way to the pitch.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino released a statement on the ugly scene ... saying, "The violence witnessed after the Turkish Super Lig match between Trabzonspor and Fenerbahce is absolutely unacceptable -- on or off the field, it has no place in our sport or society."

"All players have to be safe and secure to play the game which brings such joy to so many people all over the world."

He added ... "I call on the relevant authorities to ensure that this is respected at all levels and for the perpetrators of the shocking events in Trabzon to be held accountable for their actions."

Turkey's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya also addressed the incident ... saying so far, 12 have been detained in connection to the fight.

Venice Beach Madness Driver Plunges Into Ocean With 2 Dogs

SPLASHY EXIT
TNLA / Citizen

A BMW driver and her two Boston Terriers were filmed careening into the ocean off Venice Beach during a police pursuit, sparking a dramatic rescue operation that remarkably ended with no one seriously injured.

The woman and her two dogs were zooming down the 10 Freeway in downtown L.A., Saturday night when patrol officers clocked her going way beyond the speed limit and tried to pull her over. But she refused to stop, instead leading police on a wild chase through L.A. to Venice Beach.

Suddenly, the woman turned onto the beach and raced across the sand, heading directly for the water. Several videos posted online showed the car plunging into the Pacific Ocean and later submerged on its side in the water.

Police and lifeguards responded after the woman swam out of her car, abandoning her two pooches inside.

She tried to wade deeper into the ocean as a police boat sailed up beside her and a cop tossed her a life preserver. She was eventually pulled onto the boat and taken into custody.

Cops recused her two dogs from the car and turned them over to Animal Control.

Miraculously, everyone except the driver walked away without a scratch, including the doggies! The motorist was briefly treated at a hospital for minor injuries before she was arrested and now she faces criminal charges.

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