Kodak Black is pissed at Walmart -- claiming the megastore is letting someone sell a knockoff version of one of his famous chains, and he's threatening a lawsuit if it doesn't stop -- but the retail giant is putting the blame on third-party sellers.
Here's the deal ... Walmart is getting dragged online because its website features a cheap chain that looks nearly identical to the Sniper Gang bling Kodak usually rocks.
Kodak’s attorney, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ ... "We have been aware of the situation and have prepared a cease and desist letter to Walmart and the seller on the Walmart website."
The rapper's legal team adds ... "If Walmart refuses to recognize that the seller is not a licensed authorized dealer of Sniper Gang products, we will be proceeding with a lawsuit against both Walmart and the unauthorized seller."
Kodak is currently serving a 46-month prison sentence for gun possession.
Kodak's protege, Jackboy, has also called out Walmart for selling the Sniper Gang chains ... and he too is threatening legal action.
It appears the company has gotten wind of Kodak's anger, they tell us they're taking steps to remove the knockoffs and the chains are strictly from a third-party seller.
Sniper Gang isn't the only rap label pissed off at Walmart... Lil Baby has also claimed the retail giant is selling a knockoff version of his 4 Pockets Full chain for the always low price of $24.99.
Brody Jennerhas a new girlfriend ... she's Louis Tomlinson's baby mama, and he's already introduced her to his ex, and gotten 2 thumbs up.
Briana Jungwirth is Brody's new girl, and theyhad a date night Saturday at Nobu in Malibu, but it was kind of a group thing ... Brody's ex, Kaitlynn Carter, tagged along with a few other friends in tow as well.
Our sources tell us the dinner was anything but awkward. We're told Brody and Kaitlynn are still very close, they are co-parenting dogs after all, and BJ really wanted Kaitlynn's approval on his new GF, which he got.
We're told Briana seemed cool with meeting a slice of Brody's past, and she totally understood the dog situation and the fact Brody and Kaitlynn will remain in the same circles. In August, the exes are scheduled to resume filming "The Hills" together.
From Brody's point of view, we're told he wanted to introduce Briana to Kaitlynn so she'd be comfortable with a situation that is anything but standard for exes.
Fortunately for all parties, the women got along and Briana even talked about her son with the former One Direction heartthrob.
In fact, we're told when Briana brought up her son, Freddie, at the dinner table, she mentioned he'd already met Brody. So, the budding relationship already sounds serious.
In the end, our sources say Kaitlynn felt Briana was very kind and with Brody for all the right reasons. Translation, they're a good match.
In 2024 ... 39-year-old Adrian Petersonwill STILL be running over defenders?!?!
The future Hall of Famer says he believes that's entirely possible ... telling TMZ Sports he's gunning to play FOUR more years in the NFL!!
"Man, why not four more years?" AD says. "Why not?!"
Of course, Peterson has never made it a secret he wants to play a whole lot longer than most running backs ever do ... but four more years is a big goal even for him.
Remember, back after the 2018 season, Peterson told us he only wanted to go "maybe two or three more years."
But, when we spoke with the Redskins star tailback over the weekend, he made it clear he wants to carry the rock until he physically can't anymore.
"I don't want to ever be in a position where I look back and say, 'Man, I should have played two more years,'" Peterson says. "'I should of played another year.' I want to enjoy it."
As for why, Adrian says he wants a Super Bowl ring badly ... but Peterson is only about 4,000 yards away from breaking Emmitt Smith's all-time rushing mark.
Seems with four more years of carries ... Emmitt might need to start sweating now??
By the way, we also spoke with Peterson about the Redskins prospects for the 2020 season ... and ya gotta hear how fired up he is for Washington's roster this year.
Before this spiffy kid in a shirt and tie was wearing many different looks as an actor, musician, Hollywood activist and all-around awesome guy he was just another cool kid growing up in Baldwin Hills, California.
While this young man (real name O'Shea Jackson) made his way to fame by expressing himself with his powerful lyrics and a ground-breaking attitude he ultimately traded in his birth name for something a little cooler.
With over 100 movie, television and production credits under his belt it's no surprise that this awesome young man was destined for stardom at a very young age.
Shout out to 3 Ohio cops who ended up playing football with a group of kids after someone called police to complain 5 black children had the nerve to be ... playing outside.
The incident unfolded, of all days, on Juneteenth in Shaker Heights, Ohio ... where you can see on video the trio of officers stuck around to take a few snaps and play with the kids ... instead of arresting or sending them home.
One of the kids' mothers, Wendy Brown, reportedly said cops told her, "I don't know who would do it, but someone called police on the kids, they said they were playing in the street so we came by." Wendy said the cop also told her, "We used to play in the street as kids."
They obviously channeled their inner children to join the fun. It was a pretty awesome scene as one of the kids played QB and tossed a spiral downfield as 2 cops battled for the ball.
As Wendy told FOX8, "We encourage them to go outside and just be kids, so they were just playing football out in the street like they do any other time." She recorded the pickup game with the officers and the video is spreading like wildfire.
Easy to see why -- this is a great example of cops connecting, in a meaningful way, with the community they police. More of this, please.
The father of tennis' most famous female players is being sued by folks who claim they bought the rights to his life story before Will Smithproduced his own movie with himself as Richard.
Richard Williams, the father and coach of tennis superstars Venusand Serena Williams,is being sued, along with Warner Bros. Entertainment and Will's production company Overbrook Entertainment, by the competition, TW3 Entertainment and Power Move Multi-Media. TW3 and Power Move claim they locked up the rights to Richard's tale before WB and Will moved forward with a movie about him instead.
According to the lawsuit -- obtained by TMZ -- TW3 and PMMM claim they were cut out of the movie rights to the upcoming Warner Bros. biopic, "King Richard," which stars Will as Serena's pops.
In the docs, TW3 and PMMM claim they bought the rights to Richard's book "Black and White: The Way I See It" and life story back in 2017, an agreement they say barred anyone else from hitching a ride on his gravy train.
According to the suit ... Richard sold his rights to Warner Bros. for the movie for at least $1 million, which TW3 and PMMM claim WB knew would make their contract worthless.
In the docs, the production companies that claim they own the rights to Richard's story want an injunction requiring WB to put all the profits from the 'King Richard' movie, which is set for release this November, into a trust for their benefit ... and other damages too, of course.
We reached out to Richard's reps ... so far, no word back.
The MLB season is FINALLY set to begin next month ... with the owners and players agreeing to terms for a 60-game season on Tuesday.
The announcement comes after MONTHS of back and forth between both sides ... with the players demanding the owners stick to their word and pay the prorated salaries agreed upon in March.
It's nothing short of a miracle, considering MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said just last week he was "not confident" a season would happen.
The players have agreed to start training camp during the first week of July ... and games will follow with Opening Day on either July 23 or 24.
"Major League Baseball is thrilled to announce that the 2020 season is on the horizon," Manfred said in the league's official statement.
"We have provided the Players Association with a schedule to play 60 games and are excited to provide our great fans with Baseball again soon."
Worth noting, the Philadelphia Phillies just announced multiple cases of coronavirus after several players started training at the team facility in Florida ... so it'll be interesting to see what happens when more people enter the picture.
The last domino to fall -- an agreement on health and safety protocols, and ESPN's Karl Ravech says both sides have worked things out.
3:49 PM PT -- A video posted in Nov. 2019 appears to show the rope in question, hanging on the side of Garage #4.
UPDATE
The FBI says the noose found in Bubba Wallace's garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama had been there since 2019 -- and they've determined "no crime was committed."
In fact, NASCAR says the item in question is a "garage door pull rope fashioned like a noose" that had been positioned in the garage since last Fall.
NASCAR adds, "Bubba Wallace was not the target of a hate crime."
The FBI -- along with U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town -- just explained the situation.
"On Monday, fifteen FBI special agents conducted numerous interviews regarding the situation at Talladega Superspeedway. After a thorough review of the facts and evidence surrounding this event, we have concluded that no federal crime was committed."
According to the FBI, Garage #4 -- where the noose was found -- was assigned to Bubba Wallace last week.
"Although the noose is now known to have been in Garage #4 in 2019, nobody could have known Mr. Wallace would be assigned to Garage #4 last week."
The FBI and the U.S. prosecutors say the decision not to pursue federal charges is proper "after reviewing all available facts and all applicable federal laws."
"We offer our thanks to NASCAR, Mr. Wallace, and everyone who cooperated with this investigation."
As we previously reported, Bubba didn't find the rope himself -- it was a member of his crew who discovered it on Sunday and immediately reported to NASCAR.
In the previous days, Bubba -- the only Black driver in NASCAR's top series -- had been very outspoken about removing the Confederate flag from all NASCAR events.
Timothee Chalamet has a new boo to call him by his name -- one Eiza Gonzalez ... who's quite generous with the PDA, especially when they're chillin' out in her homeland.
Timmy and Eiza -- a Mexican actress he now seems to be dating after breaking up with Lily-Rose Depp -- are down in Cabo San Lucas for a romantic getaway with some in friends in tow. It's clear they're together ... he laid a wet one on her at one point.
But, the romancin' didn't end there -- TC picked up a guitar while they were all hanging poolside and started jamming out for Eiza and co. New GF seemed to dig that gesture too.
Eventually, young Tim lost the shirt and joined Eiza for a dip in the water. They definitely look good together -- especially Eiza, who showed off her hot bod with a two-piece bikini.
BTW, he's 24 and she's 30 ... not a huge diff, and obviously ain't hurting their chemistry.
Protesting inside a restaurant with a megaphone and a baseball bat got a black man arrested in a scene that looked eerily similar to George Floyd... but this time police were way more patient and mindful.
The bust went down Tuesday in Madison, Wisconsin where a swarm of officers descended upon the guy who'd been using his megaphone to, as they put it, disrupt the peace. He also had a baseball bat on his shoulders as he yelled at customers and restaurant staffers from point-blank range.
It took as many as 5 officers to detain 28-year-old Devonere Johnson ... who was resisting arrest. It took several cops tugging at Johnson during the struggle before they ended up with 4 officers on his back and legs. Important to note, none of them were on Johnson's neck ... though he did complain he couldn't breathe before they hoisted him off the ground.
Vigilant bystanders -- including the outspoken man recording the scene -- demanded officers release him, as they claimed he'd done nothing wrong besides using his voice to exercise his First Amendment rights.
The cops weren't having it though, and eventually carried Johnson by his legs and torso and tossed him like a sack of potatoes into a patrol unit. Somehow, Johnson, who was now handcuffed, managed to escape out of the cop car ... before they pounced on him again.
Again, the bystander with the camera didn't give up, and continued pleading with several officers to let Johnson go free. They didn't and he was officially busted for disorderly conduct while armed, resisting arrest and attempted escape.
The cops add that 2 officers suffered minor injuries during the arrest, and Johnson had bruises on his arms and legs.
The question ... was there a more peaceful way to handle the situation? He had not physically harmed anyone and, according to police, was walking away from the restaurant when they arrived. Yes, customers did seem to feel threatened, so if ya gotta arrest him was this a prime case for de-escalating before manhandling? In fairness to cops, it's possible they did attempt to do that before the video started.
BTW, the scene was still bizarre even AFTER the arrest ... watch what happened when someone tried to get all Biblical.
Alex Trebekis not letting the coronavirus pandemic or his cancer battle slow down his DIY ways, but he is taking extra precautions.
The beloved "Jeopardy!" host and his wife, Jean, hit up a Home Depot in Van Nuys Tuesday afternoon ... and then busted out some cool, customized hard hats after their DIY shopping trip, and, of course, surgical masks. They made their way after to the construction site for a new homeless shelter in the San Fernando Valley -- where they took a tour, courtesy of the Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission.
If you didn't know ... Alex is a big fixer-upper guy, and seemed almost ready to get his hands dirty to help out the crew at the construction site! Appears he's still going strong doing all the handiwork himself ... coronavirus and cancer be damned. The work ethic on this guy!
Alex's son, Matthew, made it a family affair by tagging along to the hardware store, though he doesn't have an awesome customized helmet like mom and dad. Maybe he's still in his apprenticeship.
Bottom line ... looks like nothing's gonna stop Alex.
Jimmy Kimmel's issued a delayed apology for his infamous Karl Malone impression -- along with others -- in which he used blackface and insensitive racial language ... calling them "embarrassing" and "thoughtless moments."
The late-night talk show host has come under fire recently for his past sketches -- specifically, one in which he wore blackface and a bald cap to portray the former NBA star.
Kimmel says ... "I have long been reluctant to address this, as I knew doing so would be celebrated as a victory by those who equate apologies with weakness and cheer for leaders who use prejudice to divide us. That delay was a mistake."
He's now apologizing to those he hurt or offended by "the makeup I wore or the words I spoke."
Kimmel goes on to explain he began doing his Malone impression for LA's KROQ radio in the mid-90s, and it continued on TV on "The Man Show." He says ... "I never considered that this might be seen as anything other than an imitation of a fellow human being," and that he's done impressions of several celebs, including Snoop Dogg and Oprah.
He says ... "In each case, I thought of them as impersonations of celebrities and nothing more. Looking back, many of these sketches are embarrassing, and it is frustrating that these thoughtless moments have become a weapon used by some to diminish my criticisms of social and other injustices."
Kimmel says he believes he's evolved and matured over the past 20-plus years and he's going to continue speaking out, adding ... "I won’t be bullied into silence by those who feign outrage to advance their oppressive and genuinely racist agendas."
He concludes by saying his current summer vacation has been planned for more than a year and is not related to his current racism controversy.
As we reported ... Kimmel's backlash comes shortly after another late-night host, Jimmy Fallon, faced his own backlash for a blackface sketch he did in 2000, in which he played Chris Rock.
It was business as usual for Tom Brady on Tuesday ... the GOAT continued workouts with his new teammates -- this despite a COVID-19 outbreak on the Bucs roster.
TB12 got in the sweat sesh with about two dozen Tampa Bay players down at Berkeley Preparatory School in Florida for around two hours ... according to the Tampa Bay Times.
And, as you can see in a pic from the workout, TB12 was all smiles ... even though some of his new squadmates (presumably the ones NOT at the workout) have recently contracted coronavirus.
Over the past week, the Bucs confirmed several players and coaches tested positive for COVID-19 ... and the NFL warned teams to be careful about going through private workouts amid recent surges in positive cases.
Unclear what social distancing steps Brady and the Bucs took to limit possible exposure at their Tuesday practice ... but what we do know is Tom is at least very aware of the pandemic.
Remember, Brady was booted from working out at a closed public park at the beginning of coronavirus lockdowns ... and he's since helped donate SERIOUS cash to those affected by COVID-19 with his famous All-In Challenge.
As for how the Tuesday work went, regardless ... Brady posted about the effort on social media afterward, talking all about his sweat-soaked shirt.
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12:16 PM PT -- Another profound speech was just given by Ebenezer Baptist's own minister, Raphael Warnock, who said what happened to Rayshard Brooks was just a small piece of a much larger issue in America ... namely, mass incarceration, which he likened to modern-day slavery.
UPDATE
The reverend gave a powerful eulogy for Rayshard, in which he invoked the story of Moses telling Pharaoh to let his people go, and how African-Americans are in a similar situation now. Warnock then said police brutality is not the end all be all -- he said the criminal justice system at large was the beast that needed to be fed ... and police killings were simply a byproduct to that end -- the feeding of the machine, if you will.
Warnock then got to Rayshard's situation itself, noting that the possible reason he might've tried running before getting shot was because he himself was on probation ... and figured making a run for it would be better than falling right back into the system he'd just escaped.
UPDATE
The reverend then pivoted to the concept of records, saying that people with a record -- criminal or otherwise -- are often used by God, which the Bible documents well.
UPDATE
Rev. Warnock, like Bernice King, called on people to continue protesting for justice ... but also made sure to urge people to make the biggest statement come Nov. 3 -- by hitting the voting booths.
UPDATE
Rayshard's funeral service came to an end shortly thereafter with a prolonged musical performance from the choir ... capping an incredibly well put-together event that properly honored the man from start to finish.
UPDATE
11:15 AM PT -- Dr. Martin Luther King's daughter, Bernice King, just delivered a powerful speech at Rayshard's funeral -- this after friends and family delivered remarks as well -- and she says his death will NOT be in vain, going on to call on protests for Black Lives Matter to continue until the movement's demands are met and true justice is achieved.
The reverend began by saying Rayshard did not have to be killed, and that the officers could have simply let him go home. She went on to point other historic dates in history that also fall on June 12 -- the day Rayshard was killed -- and then connected the dots personally ... saying she, too, knew the pain of losing a father to racial violence.
UPDATE
She went on to say that MLK himself said the Brooks family's struggle was, in fact, everyone in the community's struggle ... and that his word of "No justice, no peace" still rings true even today -- even in the city of Atlanta, which she said is considered a black Mecca.
UPDATE
Reverend Bernice then said it clearly ... the next step to healing this nation is NOT more diversity or inclusion, it is acknowledging directly that Black Lives Matter -- and that a revolution of values is absolutely essential to make things right going forward.
UPDATE
Bernice said that the demonstrations happening should not and will not cease until true equity is reached, and true reform takes place. She also called for reparations and an end to voter suppression -- ending by saying righteousness will prevail one way or another.
UPDATE
She received a standing O for her words, which sounded eerily similar to those once spoken by her own dad. Like father, like daughter ... no doubt.
Rayshard Brooks is being laid to rest with a home going ceremony in one of Atlanta's most historic churches ... and TMZ is streaming the service live.
The procession is getting underway Tuesday morning at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once served as co-pastor for years. Rayshard's casket actually arrived at the church on Monday for a public viewing ahead of Tuesday's funeral service.
His golden casket was brought in by pallbearers wearing "Here 2 Serve" t-shirts. During the viewing, his casket was open, and his widow, Tomika Miller, reached out to touch her husband at one point.
As for Tuesday's ceremony, it's meant to be a more private affair with some noteworthy speakers ... including MLK's daughter, Rev. Bernice A. King, as well as Rev. Raphael G. Warnock -- the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist, who's supposed to deliver the eulogy.
On Friday, June 12, Rayshard was approached by two APD officers after he was found asleep in his car and partially blocking the line at Wendy's drive-thru. After a lot of cordial back-and-forth interaction, for about 30 minutes, the cops tried to handcuff Rayshard place him under arrest.
When Rayshard resisted, a struggle ensued, and he broke free with one of the officers' tasers ... which he pointed back at them as they gave chase. Officer Garrett Rolfe then opened fire and struck Rayshard twice in the back. He also allegedly kicked him after he was down.
Rayshard later died from his injuries -- and the Wendy's where and the officers tussled was burned to the ground the next day as intense protests sprung up in Atlanta.
The Fulton County D.A. announced murder charges against Officer Rolfe. His partner, Devin Brosnan, faces less severe charges ... aggravated assault, specifically. Both men have since turned themselves in for booking. Brosnan, for his part, has denied wrongdoing.
If Rolfe is convicted, the death penalty would be on the table for sentencing.
Former adult film star Ron Jeremy is now accused of raping 3 women and sexually assaulting a fourth ... after the L.A. County D.A. announced the charges.
District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced Tuesday her office had charged Ron Jeremy with 3 counts of forcible rape, 3 counts of forcible penetration by a foreign object, 1 count of forcible oral copulation and 1 count of sexual battery. The charges relate to 4 separate incidents dating back to 2014.
According to the D.A.'s office ... a 25-year-old woman claims Jeremy forcibly raped her at her home in WeHo back in May 2014. Prosecutors also say Jeremy allegedly sexually assaulted 2 women on separate occasions at a WeHo bar in 2017.
A 30-year-old woman claims Jeremy forcibly raped her at the same bar in July 2019. Arraignment has been set for later this afternoon, and prosecutors want his bail set at $6.6 million.
If convicted, the 67-year-old faces a possible maximum sentence of 90 years to life in state prison.
Malcolm Gladwell says the George Floyd killing is a tipping point for changing police culture in America ... but the solutions won't be simple, they will be long and hard.
"The Tipping Point" and "Outliers" author joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" and explained why simple solutions won't be enough to change the way police work is conducted in this country. He agrees, as many have said, Floyd's death was the catalyst Americans needed to stand up against police brutality -- but he warns fixing the problem won't be as easy as firing cops or reducing their budgets.
Malcolm also says it's not enough for good cops to simply step in when they see bad cops doing something wrong. Changing the "chain of command" culture is a theme he addressed in "Outliers" with a brilliant look at Korean airline pilots and what caused a series of crashes.
MG -- who just debuted a new season of his "Revisionist History" podcast -- says tackling policing issues will require a much harder look at deep cultural questions.
He reminded us there are 18,000 police departments across the country ... and in order to fix police culture on the whole, ya gotta visit each department and work with officers to help them be better at their jobs.
The good news, Malcolm says ... is that the nationwide activism in response to the George Floyd case has been a long time coming.
