TMZ.com Home

Michael Costello's doubling down on claims Chrissy Teigen's bullied and traumatized him, and says her attempts to discredit him confirm "she remains the same bully."

The "Project Runway" star's responding to news that broke Thursday night -- Chrissy's team alleges the 2014 Instagram direct messages Costello shared earlier this week to show how she bullied him ... are fake, or at least manipulated.

Chrissy's side claims the purported DMs between Teigen and Costello contain technical inconsistencies suggesting they were altered.

As we reported ... Costello claims Teigen attacked him because she mistakenly believed he had posted something racist, and he says it led to a yearslong campaign to get him blacklisted from the fashion industry. He also claims Chrissy nearly drove him to suicide.

Though Chrissy's team is calling the DMs into question, Costello maintains that for 7 years he's been "a victim of trauma and bullying by Chrissy Teigen both online and offline" ... and points to public comments she posted as further proof.

He adds ... "When a victim feels like their only recourse is to speak up, and the abuser’s first move is to discredit the victim and shame him publicly, this perpetrates victim-blaming and it costs lives."

Costello also alleges he has emails and documents unreleased to the public that show Chrissy went beyond social media to blacklist him in the real world, "making him endure over seven years of suffering - mentally and financially."

A Foo Fighters concert was swarming with more than just fans, with a protest against the show's vaccine rules raging on outside the venue while the band raged on inside.

Anti-vaxxers showed up Tuesday night to the Canyon Club in the San Fernando Valley where they protested the Foo Fighters requiring vaccine proof in order to attend their show.

Several dozen protesters showed up, carrying signs that read "Foo Fighters fight to bring segregation back" as well as "event for vaccinated only, unvaccinated not allowed." Ricky Schroder -- who helped the Kenosha shooter post bail -- was also there, he's been very public in his stance against vaccines.

One protester reportedly said, "And what they’re doing is saying only vax people, separating humans is not OK. Those of us who have healthy immune systems should be able to enjoy these freedoms just like everybody else."

Concertgoers were not thrilled to see the protesters. One person took to Twitter and said, "Some real low-quality humans at the @foofighters show in agoura hills CA tonight." Someone else wrote, "This is what happens when you just want to attend a @foofighters concert at a small local concert hall and the next thing out know you’re a ‘Vaccine Segregationist.'"

The concert -- considered to be California's first full-capacity show since the lockdown -- went on without a hitch ... FF played some of their biggest hits in the 20+ song set.

Kim Kardashian admits she owes her ex-husband, Kris Humphries, an apology for the way she handled their 72-day marriage ... 'cause she "fully broke up with him in the worst way."

Kim made the revelation during Thursday's episode of "Watch What Happens Live" with Andy Cohen, which was really a 'KUWTK' finale reunion. When the convo turned to her short-lived 2011 wedding, she quickly copped to screwing up her exit.

As she put it, she handled it "totally the wrong way," because she didn't know how to deal with it and was nervous to break up with someone.

As you know by now ... they'd only been husband and wife for 2 months when Kim filed for divorce, which was finalized in 2013. But, even years later, Kim says Kris was still fuming from how it all went down.

Watch her describe a 2015 incident at the Beverly Hills Hotel when she ended up sitting at the table right next to him -- like we always say, it's a really small town!

Anyway, despite some pleasantries with his friends ... Kim says Kris "literally looked at me and wouldn't speak to me."

Kim also revealed she felt pressured to marry Kris because it was being filmed for 'KUWTK.' She ignored Kris Jenner's advice to back out, because she didn't want to be known as a runaway bride -- but when she felt "claustrophobic" during their honeymoon in Italy, she knew she'd "made the wrong decision."

Kim's little sis, Kylie Jenner, had a confession of her own ... about why she first made the decision to get lip fillers. Of course, it was a boy's fault -- but added that same teenage insecurity launched her career in the beauty biz.

Jessie J's condition with Ménière’s disease has been compounded exponentially ... now she's also suffering from major acid reflux that's causing nodules in her throat.

The singer revealed the new medical drama while explaining why she posted video of herself quietly singing her new single, "I Want Love." Jessie, who choked back tears during the  video, said her speech therapist asked her to record herself singing quietly so they could hear her voice and mark any progress.

Problem is ... Jessie said back in February she started feeling a constant burn in her throat. She said she ignored it and presumed it was fatigue from the studio -- but a doctor eventually told her she has major acid reflux and nodules in her throat.

She said the acid reflux was presumably caused, at least partially, by steroids she had taken to treat her Ménière’s disease, but the root cause is still not clear.

Jessie immediately went on anti-acids and a 2-week run of no talking -- but she says it didn't stop the nodules from forming. It's been an incredible ordeal ... she says 6 different doctors have had 8 cameras down her nose, had to adjust her diet to eat the same 6 foods for 3 months, plus blood work, acupuncture and massages.

All of that seemed to work because the nodules went away ... but she says doctors have told her if she continues singing, they'll come right back.

Jessie's trying to fight through it, though, saying, “I am doing all I can to mend whatever it is that is broken to be able to sing these songs live. I will not mime. I refuse."

"Storage Wars" star Jarrod Schulz is preparing to go to trial in his domestic violence case ... insisting he didn't rough up his ex, Brandi Passante, and saying he wants the whole case dismissed.

Jarrod's attorney, Benjamin Arsenian, tells TMZ ... Jarrod denies pushing or making any contact with Brandi, contrary to what prosecutors claim, and he has no plans on taking any plea deal unless it results in a complete dismissal of the case.

Sources connected with the case tell us prosecutors have not put a deal on the table, and the case is going to trial.

TMZ broke the story ... Jarrod is charged with 1 count of misdemeanor domestic violence battery stemming from an alleged incident with his ex back in April, when prosecutors claim he pushed Brandi twice during a heated argument inside an Orange County bar.

Our sources say there are conflicting witness statements about what went down ... we're told one witness says Jarrod didn't push Brandi but gave her a shoulder bump, while another says Jarrod was sitting on a barstool the entire time.

Law enforcement sources tell us Brandi did not need any medical attention after the alleged incident and there were no visible marks on her body.

Jarrod pled not guilty Monday and the trial is set for July 12.

John Paragon, famous for playing Jambi the Genie on "Pee-wee's Playhouse," has died.

The Riverside County Coroner tells TMZ John died back in April ... but at this point, his cause of death is unclear.

As Jambi the Genie, John's face would appear in a jeweled box whenever Pee-wee Herman wished for something. JP was dressed in blue makeup with a red and gold turban. John also voiced Pterri the Pterodactyl on the show.

In addition to playing 2 characters, John wrote several episodes for 'Playhouse' and worked with Paul Reubens in writing "Pee-wee's Playhouse: Christmas Special" way back in 1988, earning an Emmy Award nomination for Best Writing in a Children's Special.

John also made appearances on "Seinfeld" and acted in movies including "The Frog Prince," "Eating Raoul" and "Echo Park."

'Playhouse' was on CBS Saturday mornings from 1986 to 1991 and John reprised his role as Jambi the Genie in 2010 for the Broadway adaption of 'The Pee-wee Herman Show.'

Most recently, he was working with Walt Disney Imagineering, where he was an idea man for improv performances at the Disney theme parks.

John was 66.

RIP

Ever since the Los Angeles Lakers got eliminated from the playoffs, the hottest ticket in town has been to see the Clippers Sierra Canyon Trailblazers play ball.

Drake and Michael B. Jordan showed up Thursday night to watch Bronny James -- LeBron's 16-year-old son -- take on the Etiwanda Eagles in their regional semi-final basketball game.

They might as well have been watching the Lakers in the Finals though, as they were really getting into the action from their courtside seats ... cheering on Bronny and Sierra Canyon's other star -- UCLA commit, Amari Bailey.

At one point in the first half, Drake was seen giving Bailey a pep talk, and it must have worked, because he did his best to keep the Trailblazers in it, leading the team with 37 points.

Bronny didn't score much other than a late three, but it wasn't enough in the end -- Sierra Canyon got beat 82-76 and lost out on a place in the regional final to end their season.

Of course, this wasn't the first Bronny game to draw a star-studded crowd. Just last week ... his famous father attended and brought along some past teammates -- J.R. Smith and Jared Dudley. Drake was there for that one too.

That game was Bronny's first of the season after missing most of it because of a torn meniscus he suffered in February. It was also a loss, so it's worth noting ... Sierra Canyon was 0-2 this season when Drake was in attendance. Hmm ... maybe the curse is back.

Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker want everyone to know they are still very much into each other ... and seem to have a preferred PDA pose.

The reality TV star and the rock star found a new spot to hold each other and make out -- Travis' at-home music studio -- and Kourtney documented the occasion ... adding heart and fire emojis for extra measure.

The pics are reminiscent of the steamy shots of the couple kissing in the desert a couple months ago ... the main difference being that Kourtney's ass is much less visible.

There is one other difference too -- for this round of Kourtney & Travis PDA ... it seems Machine Gun Kelly was an innocent bystander.

In the second pic Kourtney posted, fans noticed the singer's in the background in a recording booth ... possibly laying down some new music. Now, he and Barker are buddies, but ya gotta wonder if MGK consented to bearing witness to their hookup.

BTW -- Travis replied to Kourtney's post with "My baby" ... along with his own heart and fire emojis.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez thinks it's pretty rich to see a billionaire seeking handouts from Uncle Sam while their ex-wife gives away billions of dollars -- so she's ripping Jeff Bezos.

We got AOC on Capitol Hill Thursday and asked how she feels about the Amazon and Blue Origin boss' ex, MacKenzie Bezos, recently donating nearly $3 billion of her roughly $37 billion.

AOC says it's interesting to see what the exes are doing with their boatloads of cash ... applauding MacKenzie for giving it away like candy and blasting Jeff for asking the government for $10 billion in taxpayer funds to help his aerospace company land on the moon.

AOC's beef with Jeff is an offshoot from Sen. Elizabeth Warren ... remember, she told us last week Bezos' space ambitions are a slap in the face to taxpayers, who she says are essentially funding his missions because JB doesn't pay his fair share in taxes.

Heeeeeeeeeeeere's Karen!!!

Actually, it's Taryn Manning as the much-hyped, titular "Karen" in the upcoming thriller from Coke Daniels ... a role meant to represent a blend of all the notorious "Karens" who've gone viral for the worst reasons over the past couple years.

The "Orange is the New Black" star plays a racist, entitled white woman in the South who terrorizes her new Black neighbors, and based on TMZ's exclusive first look at the movie ... she nails it.

Taryn previously told us she embraced the role because she's sick of the behavior of the so-called Karens of the world, like Central Park Karen, Manhattan Beach Karen, Drive-Thru Karen, Radio Host Karen, Old Lady Karen, Bagel Karen and Spray Paint Karen ... to name just a few lowlights. TM's hopeful the movie, and her role, can help put an end to it.

Likewise, director Daniels says his intention with Manning's character is to highlight how her outrageous micro-aggressions lead to racism, hate and violence.

Taryn added that she wants viewers to hate her in the film ... because that means they're on board with a societal change and embracing racial equality.

Before this playful little guy was performing all around the world as a hip hop superstar, he was just another kid going down the slide in Compton, California.

This talented star is a big fish in a small pond of notable music personalities -- he has worked with some of the most popular artists today including collaborations with Billie Eilish, Tyga and even Hans Zimmer.

Back in 2015, he was featured on the cover of XXL magazine as one of the ten talented up-and-coming rappers for the year ... an honor titled as the "2015 Freshman Class."

Daredevil Alex Harvill -- a famous motorcycle stuntman -- died Thursday after crashing during a world-record jump attempt.

He was just 28 years old.

The scene was absolutely horrifying ... Harvill was trying to launch his bike off a ramp 351 feet at the Moses Lake Airshow in Washington -- when he came up short and crash-landed into a dirt mound.

Harvill was thrown over his handlebars, and tumbled dozens of feet before he finally came to a stop.

According to the Grant County Sheriff's Office, Harvill later died from the injuries he suffered during the accident.

The Sheriff's office added Harvill's family has been notified ... and said an autopsy will be conducted on Friday to determine the cause and manner of his death.

"Our deepest sympathies go out to Alex’s family, friends and loved ones," the Sheriff's office said.

The Airshow, meanwhile, had vowed to donate all of the proceeds from Harvill's jump Thursday to help pay his medical bills.

Harvill -- who just welcomed his second baby into the world last month -- was a very experienced stuntman ... he had previously set a world record in 2013 when he jumped from one dirt ramp to another 297 feet away.

La La and Carmelo's Anthony's marriage has been through a separation, a reconciliation, and years of speculation -- but now they've amicably decided to officially call it quits.

La La filed divorce docs Thursday in New York, 11 years after tying the knot with the NBA star, and cited irreconcilable differences.

Sources close to the former couple tell TMZ ... they've been separated for awhile but remain friends, as always, after 16 years together, and everything about the divorce is amicable.

We're told they both wanted to take time to ensure a private and smooth transition in their relationship for their 14-year-old son, Kiyan -- who's always their top priority -- and they remain fully aligned as parenting partners.

As we reported, Melo and La La split in 2017 after 7 years of marriage amid rumors he cheated on her, but by late 2018 it seemed they were working things out.

We even saw La La in Portland to support Carmelo as he made a transition in his career after getting signed by the Trail Blazers. It appeared things were on track.

Heidi Ferrer -- a Hollywood writer known for her work on the hit WB series "Dawson's Creek" and ABC's "Wasteland" -- has died by suicide following a long battle with COVID-19 ... TMZ has confirmed.

A family member tells us Heidi took her own life after fighting covid for more than a year, she died on May 26.

She contracted the virus when the pandemic was raging in late April 2020, and her symptoms worsened month after month. She was bedridden a couple of months after she first fell ill ... suffering from severe fatigue and neurological tremors.

Heidi wrote a blog post back in September detailing exactly how COVID knocked her down -- she called the recovery process the hardest thing her body's ever had to go through.

She said, "In my darkest moments, I told my husband that if I didn’t get better, I did not want to live like this. I wasn’t suicidal, I just couldn’t see any quality of life long term and there was no end in sight."

Her condition went through a steady decline this year as she battled long-haul COVID symptoms -- and last month, more than a year after contracting the virus, she was bedridden again before her death. Nick called long-haul COVID "a public health crisis that must be addressed quickly."

Heidi made a name for herself as a writer who, without a college degree, sold her first spec, "The C Word," to Oscar-winning producer Arnold Kopelson. She remained a member of the Writer's Guild of America for 24 years.

Heidi's survived by her husband, 13-year-old son, mother and 2 sisters. She was 50.