Controversial S#!T

Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara has just been charged with a felony ... after federal prosecutors say they discovered he stole nearly $20 million from the MLB superstar to, in part, pay off his massive gambling debts.

The United States Department of Justice just announced the filing ... saying at a news conference in Los Angeles on Thursday they were formally hitting Mizuhara with one count of bank fraud.

Prosecutors say he faces a maximum of up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

According to the DOJ, an investigation into allegations that Mizuhara had stolen from Ohtani revealed Ippei snatched some of the Dodgers star's funds via an account he had helped the two-way player set up back in 2018.

Authorities say Mizuhara illegally accessed the account after amassing a gambling debt. They said he then wired transfers from it totaling around $16 million to bookmakers. They added that from January 2024 to March 2024, he also used the account to buy roughly $325,000 worth of baseball cards.

The DOJ said during its investigation, they found Ohtani had no knowledge of what was going on.

"In an interview last week with law enforcement," the feds said in a statement, "Ohtani denied authorizing Mizuhara’s wire transfers. Ohtani provided his cellphone to law enforcement, who determined that there was no evidence to suggest that Ohtani was aware of, or involved in, Mizuhara’s illegal gambling activity or payment of those debts."

Prosecutors said they believe Mizuhara never made any bets on baseball.

For Ohtani's part, he's been adamant throughout this entire process that he committed no wrongdoing ... saying in a press conference last month, "I'm very saddened and shocked that someone who I trusted has done this."

Ron Goldman's father says he's not focusing on O.J. Simpson today -- instead, he says he's remembering his son, and using today to think about how long he's been gone.

Fred Goldman spoke with People Thursday, hours after news of Simpson's death broke, and he told the outlet he's only thinking about how Ron died nearly 30 years ago ... and, not about how the man acquitted of his murder has finally died.

Goldman says he's focused on all of the pain he's dealt with over the years since his son died ... and, added the only important thing is remembering Ron and Nicole Brown Simpson today.

El padre de Ron Goldman dice que no se está pensando en O.J. Simpson hoy, en su lugar, está recordando a su hijo y todo el tiempo que ha estado ausente.

Fred Goldman habló con People el jueves, horas después de que se diera a conocer la noticia de su muerte y les dijo que solo está pensando en la partida de Ron hace casi 30 años y no en la muerte del hombre que resultó absuelto de su asesinato.

Goldman dice que se está centrado en el dolor con el que ha lidiado desde que su hijo murió y añadió que lo único importante es recordar a Ron y a Nicole Brown Simpson hoy.

4/11 -- 6:38 AM -- According to the Lake Oswego Police Department, Ben McLemore was accused of committing the sex crimes in October 2021.

Cops say a woman told them McLemore -- who was a Portland Trail Blazer at the time -- sexually assaulted her while at a home in Lake Oswego.

Police added a grand jury formally indicted McLemore in February.

Former Kansas University men's basketball star Ben McLemore was arrested this week and booked on a charge of first-degree rape, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Jail records show the 31-year-old -- who played in the NBA from 2013 through 2021 following his Jayhawks career -- was taken into custody in Multnomah County, Oregon on Tuesday on an outstanding warrant. He was later transferred to Clackamas County Jail on Wednesday.

Records show he remains behind bars there ... as he's facing one count of unlawful sexual penetration and two counts of sexual abuse -- in addition to the rape charge.

Further details on the allegations surrounding McLemore were not made immediately available ... although more is expected to be released later Wednesday -- after the basketball player is arraigned in court.

McLemore was a superstar for KU in his one season in Lawrence -- helping lead the Jayhawks to the Sweet 16 in 2013. He went on to be picked by the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft.

In his career, McLemore logged minutes for Sacramento, Houston, Portland, Memphis and the Los Angeles Lakers. Following his career, he went on to play overseas.

Nashville bar owner Joey DeGraw's not happy about Morgan Wallen's alleged rooftop bar antics, 'cause while the tossed chair didn't hit anyone ... it could still ding the city's booming nightlife scene.

Joey and his brother, singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw, know all about Nashville's Broadway party scene -- they own one of the strip's hot spots -- and he tells TMZ ... he's annoyed Wallen allegedly chucked a chair from the 6th floor because it could've seriously hurt someone.

JD says he's not worried about Morgan and his drinking -- in fact, he thinks the incident might help his career -- but he is worried about how it might impact tourism on Broadway, Nashville's main attraction attraction.

JoJo Siwa is walking back her claim about wanting to create a new genre of music, called "gay pop" ... saying she didn't mean to snub the LGBTQ+ legends who came before her.

We caught up with the 20-year-old singer outside Studio Siwa in the L.A. area Wednesday ... where she told us she was simply misunderstood when she said in a Billboard interview she planned to invent gay pop with the release of her song "Karma."

She said her mission was to simply raise awareness regarding the genre of music, since many people are still unfamiliar with it. However, she did acknowledge she underestimated the public's familiarity with queer icons ... like Elton John, Freddie Mercury and Madonna, etc.

Van Cleef & Arpels is about to see if "take backs" are allowed in court ... 'cause the luxury brand wants $150k back from a mystery person it accidentally blessed with that dough!

According to legal documents obtained by TMZ ... the jewelry company -- with a famous Rodeo Drive storefront -- is suing unknown defendants for the money it says it mistakenly sent.

As one famous Rodeo Drive shopper once put it, "Big mistake! Big. Huge."

Rashee Rice is now officially a wanted man in Texas ... cops just announced they've issued an arrest warrant for the Chiefs star after he was involved in that massive car crash in Dallas last month.

Officials from the Dallas Police Dept. said in a statement Wednesday Rice is facing one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury, and six counts of collision involving injury ... this after he admitted to driving one of the cars -- a matte black Lamborghini -- that caused a huge pileup on a highway on March 30.

Theodore Knox -- the man accused of driving the other car, a Corvette -- was also issued an arrest warrant ... and faces the same charges as Rice.

Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter could be booted from the NBA for LIFE if the league finds the gambling allegations made against him are true ... with commissioner Adam Silver calling the bombshell accusations a "cardinal sin."

Porter -- who hasn't played since the claims were made public last month -- has been under fire over two games in particular this season ... when sportsbooks noticed some head-scratching activity on prop bets involving the big man.

The 24-year-old left both games early due to either injury or illness ... meaning folks who hammered the under on any Porter bets would be in for a big payday.

Porter could be in a world of trouble if the NBA determines he had anything to do with the betting activity ... 'cause Silver made it crystal clear he's not taking the claims lightly.

"I have enormous range of discipline available to me," Silver said at the league's board of governors meetings this week. "It's cardinal sin what he’s accused of in the NBA."

"The ultimate extreme option I have is to ban him from the game. That’s the level of authority I have here because there’s nothing more serious."

Joe Budden's name quickly became a trending topic following J. Cole's apology to Kendrick Lamar for his "7 Minute Drill" diss ... fans were eager to hear JB unload on the situation -- and unload he did!!!

JB hails from the East Coast battle space, and seems willing to accept Cole just ain't cut from that same cloth -- but Joe told his podcast crew that Cole building up the diss ... to then turn his back on supporters was nasty work.

Budden couldn't stomach watching Cole's apology, yet he still applauded the "Middle Child" rapper for what he calls a rare mature look for hip hop.

But, in the next breath, he rips Cole for faking like he was "the one" all this time -- Budden says thanks to the apology, Kendrick's "Like That" bars have now turned immortal!!!

Even worse, he says Cole was cosplaying as a rapper who wanted the throne, because he's too damn quick to crown not only Kendrick ... but Drake, too!!!

Budden might think he washed his hands with the Cole situation, but Ari Lennox -- the 1st Lady of Dreamville -- isn't letting him off the hook.

A Colorado bus aide was arrested after disturbing footage emerged showing her beat up a nonverbal, autistic boy she was tasked with watching ... and the injuries are jarring.

28-year-old Kiarra Jones is facing 2 counts of crimes against at-risk children in Denver after she got busted on April 4 ... when a little boy's parents reported he came home with bruises one day -- this after months of inexplicable injuries that would surface on his body.

Cops say they got their hands on the bus surveillance footage -- which has been making the rounds online ... and it's best to watch at your own discretion, as it shows a brutal attack.

Hundreds of Black and non-binary artists are rallying around Francesca Amewudah-Rivers in the wake of the racial abuse she's facing since being cast opposite Tom Holland in "Romeo & Juliet."

An open letter -- initiated by Susan Wokoma and Somalia Nonyé Seaton -- was signed by almost 900 performers and published Wednesday in The Guardian ... where they praised Francesca as a rising star in London's West End theater district.

However, the note also addressed the racially charged abuse Francesca faced after being revealed as the romantic lead in the new production of the Shakespeare classic.

Diddy has a new defender in Hollywood -- and that would be Jason Derulo ... who says the guy shouldn't be persecuted by the public until all the facts are in, and they're just not yet.

We talked to the singer Tuesday in NYC while he was out and about, and our photog asked JD head on ... should innocent until proven guilty apply here for Puff???? Considering Diddy actually helped Jason break into the industry way back when ... his answer is telling.

Jason says he agrees with the old adage ... and that Diddy should be afforded that grace until more evidence surfaces, if any does at all, that implicates him in something nefarious.

BernNadette Stanis is weighing in on the controversy surrounding the new "Good Times" cartoon ... and yeah, she isn't real happy with this one.

We got the original 'Good Times' star -- who played Thelma Evans on the OG show -- and she came on 'TMZ Live' Tuesday to tell us how she felt about Netflix's rebooted animated series ... which many have called somewhat backwards in its portrayal of a new generation.

Check it out ... BernNadette says she was actually approached about being involved in the show when she first told about it -- but in the end, it doesn't sound like it came to fruition.

A woman who appeared on "The Howard Stern Show" once upon a time got into an ugly tussle with her boyfriend while driving ... something she live streamed and got arrested for.

Elisa Jordana -- a singer/model/writer who appeared with Howard Stern and co. back in the early 2010s -- had a live video of herself up and running Monday ... which showed her in the car with a guy who went on to tell police he was her boyfriend.

In the video, which was live-streamed for several minutes, Elisa and this dude in the passenger seat could be seen bickering back and forth ... and eventually, things turned violent.

Aoki Lee Simmons has already called it quits with her much older boyfriend ... TMZ has confirmed.

The exact reason for their split remains unclear -- but we're told Aoki isn't planning on dating restaurateur Vittorio Assaf beyond the time they've already spent together in St. Barts ... where they've been canoodling for the past several days.

While we know Russell was supportive of the relationship -- People Mag reports that Aoki's mom was not approving at all ... in fact, they say KLS was "concerned" about the age gap.