TMZ.com Home

Aaron Carter is denying allegations he's abusing his dog, Nala ... and says he won't give the pug to a rescue org offering big bucks for the pup.

Here's the deal ... folks are accusing Aaron of abusing Nala by allegedly keeping her in a crate outdoors in 100-degree heat and locked in bathrooms for multiple hours a day. People are also alarmed over Aaron's new German Shepherds, worrying the big dogs could harm little Nala.

Some people even called Lancaster Animal Control on Aaron ... and Nala's got a trending hashtag, #SaveNala, which caught the attention of a pug rescue organization, The Pug Queen.

The org's founder, Izabella St. James, tells us she reached out to Aaron offering him $10,000 to rescue the pug and rehome Nala, but claims the singer threatened her with a lawsuit for defamation.

Aaron tells TMZ ... the abuse allegations are absolutely not true. He says he only had Nala in a crate for 15 minutes to separate her from his new guard dogs.

AC acknowledges animal control came to his house, but claims officers concluded he did nothing wrong ... and left after he explained he was simply separating his new pets.

"American Crime" actor Johnny Ortiz is facing a real-life attempted murder charge for his alleged role in an L.A. drive-by shooting ... TMZ has learned.

We broke the story ... Ortiz and another man, Armando Miguel Navarro, allegedly tried to kill a man named Brian Duke in a gang violence-related incident. Though Navarro's the one accused of pulling the trigger, prosecutors also hit Ortiz with an attempted murder charge ... now we know why.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... witnesses on the scene gave a description of the car, which was pulled over about an hour later in L.A. with 4 people inside, and Ortiz driving.

We're told all 4 were taken into custody, but the D.A. only charged Ortiz and Navarro ... the other 2 were released.

Our sources say prosecutors have some video evidence linked to the shooting.

Ortiz has also costarred in "McFarland, USA" with Kevin Costner, and with Aaron Paul in "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie." He was arrested in late May and is still locked up, being held on $1,120,000 bail.

Before this snoozing little girl was opening eyes as a mega model, writer and a twitter aficionado she was just another brunette little babe with a blanket taking a cat nap in Delta, Utah.

Although this angel has her eyes closed ... she's made a name for herself in the woke movement and uses her platforms as an ally to help shine a light on political and social injustices.

This little girl has grown up to be an awesome mom and has kids of her own ... a daughter named Luna and a son named Miles.

Dr. Anthony Fauci just threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the first MLB game of the season ... and oh, boy.

The COVID-19 expert was tapped to do the honors before the Washington Nationals hosted the New York Yankees on Thursday ... and as the saying goes, it was juuuuust a bit outside.

And then some.

FYI -- Fauci is a HUGE Nats fan ... and the team was thrilled to have him on board for the big moment.

"Dr. Fauci has been a true champion for our country during the COVID-19 pandemic and throughout his distinguished career," the Nats said.

"So, it is only fitting that we honor him as we kick off the 2020 season and defend our World Series Championship title."

Of course, the bigger picture here is that baseball is finally back for a 60-game season during the global pandemic ... and Fauci has been seen as a voice of wisdom through it all.

As for the players, both teams took a knee and held a black fabric before the national anthem to show solidarity ... and then stood for the rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner."

Morgan Freeman also contributed a powerful speech on social injustice ... and several players were featured in a video on Black Lives Matter.

The pitcher's mound also features "BLM" stenciled in black.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are pissed about a paparazzi shot of their son, Archie, which they say was snapped in their own backyard, so now they're suing ... TMZ has learned.

Harry and Meghan say they took extensive measures to ensure their privacy at their new home in the L.A. area -- including putting a large mesh fence around the property to guard against telephoto lenses. Still, according to the lawsuit ... an unnamed photog recently "crossed a red line for any parent" by shopping pics of Archie.

In docs, obtained by TMZ and filed by celeb lawyer Michael Kump, the former Royals say the photos are being shopped as if they were shot during a public outing in Malibu -- but they say Archie has not been anywhere in public, let alone Malibu, since they moved to Los Angeles. They say the photog is purposely lying about the location because the person knows "unsolicited photographs of a young child in the privacy of his own home are very much unlawful."

Sources connected to Meghan and Harry say the intrusion went down at Tyler Perry's Beverly Hills estate, where the former royals are staying. What makes that especially weird ... Tyler's house is in a gated community and he lives at the very farthest point from the front gate, making it especially hard for an intruder to go undetected.

But, Harry and Meghan say they do get intrusions by air. In the lawsuit, they say "some media outlets have flown drones a mere 20 feet above the house as often as three times a day." They also say helicopters do fly-overs, and some photogs have cut holes in their security fences.

Archie's Mom and Dad point out in the suit, it's their choice when and how they share photos of their boy -- and say they have posted pics of him on social media in order to reduce the "bounty" for paparazzi photos.

They're suing for invasion of privacy, and also want an order for the photog to turn over the photos. They don't know if anyone's purchased the shots yet, but they say they're putting all media on notice ... the photos were illegally taken, and not in Malibu.

A status hearing on Britney Spears' conservatorship never went down this week ... because a group of people who had nothing to do with the case refused to get off the Zoom call so the judge could conduct a confidential hearing.

The plan was routine -- every 3 months or so, the judge calls the parties into court to catch up on developments in the conservatorship. There are reports out there that Britney and/or others were trying to end it. Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... no one has EVER filed a motion nor has there ever been a court proceeding to end the permanent conservatorship in the 12 years it's been in effect.

As for the would-be status hearing this week ... we're told the judge was handling a bunch of non-confidential matters on Zoom, but then the judge "closed" the virtual courtroom by ordering everyone off who was not involved in Britney's case. We're told a group of people from the public got off the call, but then rejoined. The judge was ordering them off, but they refused to leave, so after more than 2 hours the judge pulled the plug and rescheduled the hearing.

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi are victims in a home burglary -- crooks hit their Montecito estate ... TMZ has learned.

According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office ... the theft went down on July 4, and cops believe their residence was "targeted due to the victim’s celebrity status."

No word on the value of what was taken but cops say some of the stolen items include high-value jewelry and watches.

The Sheriff's Office says it's working with other law enforcement agencies, as part of an extensive investigation, to see if this incident is connected to other recent celeb home burglaries.

It's unclear at this point if Portia and/or Ellen were home at the time of the break-in.

Ellen purchased the massive 8,188-square-foot, Balinese-style home in early 2019 for a whopping $27 million ... and it's easy to see why it comes with that price tag.

Cops offered up some free advice to other residents in the area -- which includes several celebrity estates -- to avoid social media posts about being on vacation and leaving lights and TV on while away.

Kim Kardashian and Larsa Pippen just aren't as close as they used to be ... and that's what triggered a conscious unfollowing between them.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... Kim quietly stopped following Larsa on Instagram at the end of last year when she made a decision to unfollow EVERYONE, and bring her following count down to zero.

We're told Kim felt she needed a fresh start, social media-wise, and wanted to start over by following only accounts of her family and childhood friends -- all to reduce her feed, and keep a clear headspace.

Most folks thought Kim and Larsa were still super close -- until they noticed this week they weren't following each other anymore -- but our sources say the ladies' friendship simply grew apart over time because life got in the way.

We're told there was no drama between Kim and Larsa -- and the rumors floating around LP messed around with Kanye West or Tristan Thompson are not true.

Our sources say Kim is focused on getting Kanye healthy, her 4 young kids, law school and juggling her 3 business. Larsa, meanwhile, says she's focused on her kids, her new fitness line and her "relationships in real life."

Our sources say Kim and Larsa are just in a different place in their lives, and while they're not as close as they used to be, they have no ill will and still stay in touch. Case in point ... we're told Larsa recently visited Kim in Los Angeles.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez just ripped into a colleague who allegedly called her a "f***ing b*tch" after a heated debate over a crime bill, saying she is someone's daughter and by not squarely apologizing, he is not a decent man.

AOC took to the House floor Thursday with an impassioned speech on the impact the words of Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Florida) had on her, her family and other women.

The congresswoman choked up when she said she's glad her dad, who is not alive, did not hear Yoho's comments. But, she says, her mom did, and what Yoho said cuts to the core.

Yoho offered an apology -- of sorts -- Wednesday, saying he regretted "the abrupt manner of the conversation," but never apologized for the words attributed to him by others. He had earlier denied saying it, but some people on the floor say they heard it, loud and clear.

AOC offered this ... everyone says things they regret from time to time, but when the words go beyond decency, a decent person apologizes, and Yoho did not.

She also took issue with Yoho's comment that he has 2 daughters. AOC said she's someone's daughter too, although Yoho didn't seem to care.

Drake's plans over the last several days of his not-so-quarantined life have been consistent -- ball, beach and boat ... and it looks to be working out wonderfully.

As he slides into his second week of vacation with his entourage down in Barbados ... the rapper and friends were living it up Wednesday onboard a yacht off Nikki Beach.

Drake's summer bod's on full display, and he took a leap off the watercraft to cool off ... before chilling even more.

As we've reported ... Drizzy's been taking a break on the island since last week, when he was first spotted playing hoops and meeting with local fans, and was later seen shirtless on the beach with his buds.

Marlon Wayans is remembering his late mother on what would have been her 82nd birthday, and revealing the Wayans family matriarch, Elvira, has died.

We're told Elvira passed away a couple weeks ago, but Marlon waited until her birthday to share the somber news. He posted a touching tribute to his mother Thursday, on what is usually a very special day for them ... they share a birthday, and Marlon says it's hard to celebrate another year knowing his mom is gone forever.

The comedian wrote ... "Losing you shattered me into 1000 pieces. I'm putting my life back together piece by piece. You will always be my glue. Miss you. Today I celebrate for the both of. In the midst of this hurt... i just love you ma."

Marlon adds ... "i accomplished so much, made you so proud... but now i got angel to lift me. #loveofmylife #bdaygotl s*** ma, i gave you all my bdays... wth do i do now 😂 millions of weetahs sugtas and homies #myfirstmylastmyeverything rest well."

Damien Wayans also commented on his uncle's post ... "1,000,000 weetahs Indeed!"

Let's face it, Hollywood owes Elvira a debt of gratitude ... the woman brought 10 Wayans children into the world, giving birth to one of the biggest and most successful families in show biz.

Elvira's kids -- Keenan, Damon, Shawn, Marlon, Dwayne, Kim, Nadia, Elvira, Diedre and Vonnie -- have written, directed, produced and starred in countless movies and TV series, including "The Wayans Bros.," often working together on their content.

Elvira was 81.

Kim Kardashian and Meek Mill's prison reform chat -- along with philanthropist Clara Wu Tsai -- looks like it was exactly that, plus some grub ... based on a photo of the meeting that really upset Kanye West.

Here's the photographic proof ... Kim and Meek really did have a meeting on prison reform in 2018 at the Waldorf Astoria restaurant in L.A.

Kanye tweeted Tuesday he didn't believe the meeting was legit and insinuated Kim was there to hook up with Meek. The photo makes it clear ... this was a meeting, and nothing more.

What's unclear is Kanye saying he's been trying to divorce Kim ever since. Remember, during his off-the-rails campaign rally in South Carolina Sunday ... he raised the issue of divorce several times.

Of course, the photo just backs what we already knew and what Meek himself stated on Twitter when he wrote about Kanye's allegations ... "Sh** is cappp cmon ....." In other words ... it's all BS.

We broke the story ... friends and family are deeply upset and concerned about Kanye because they believe he's in the grips of a bipolar episode.

Kim broke her silence earlier this week by publicly acknowledging he's in the middle of a serious mental health issue, describing how "incredibly complicated and painful it is to understand" ... but also voiced her continued support of her husband.

Jeffrey Epstein's infamous compound where he sexually assaulted many of his young victims is now on the market ... if anyone actually wants it, at any price.

The late, disgraced financier and convicted sex offender's Palm Beach crib is up for sale at a whopping $21,995,000. The mansion, of course, is heavily featured in the Netflix docuseries, "Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich" ... but not in a good way.

The 6-bedroom, 7.5-bathroom house sits on just a tad over 8,000 square feet. The compound -- which is about a mile away from President Trump's Mar-a-Lago club -- has waterfront views in the prestigious Estate Section on El Brillo Way. The Tarpon and Everglade islands are part of the westerly views.

All that sounds great, if this were a normal real estate listing, but this one comes with a massive dark cloud.

Remember, this is the house where Epstein recruited girls for the sole purpose of sexually assaulting them. He initially pled guilty in 2007 to state prostitution charges, and though he was sentenced to 13 months in jail, critics say he got off easy considering the trove of evidence found at the Palm Beach compound.

That being said ... Corcoran Group's Kerry Warwick, who has the listing, says she doesn't think Epstein's crimes will affect the price. She told The Real Deal, "I believe the past ownership of the property will bear no relationship to its future. The location and what can be done with it is really what matters."

Translation: It's a $22 mil teardown?

As we reported ... the house was recently vandalized when someone painted "Gone but not forgiven" in bold red letters on the front gate. Epstein faced federal charges for sex trafficking when he committed suicide inside his Manhattan jail cell.

On the same day the Palm Beach crib hit the market, Epstein's massive Manhattan townhouse also hit the market for $88 million. Other properties -- including Epstein's ranch in New Mexico, apartment in Paris and even his private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands -- are also reportedly expected to hit the market soon.

MIKE TYSON JUST BOOKED HIS FIRST COMEBACK FIGHT -- AND IT'S AGAINST ROY JONES JR.!!

The 54-year-old boxing legend has been training his ass off to get back in the ring ... and now, we've learned his first opponent is one of the greatest fighters EVER!

"Iron" Mike will take on Roy Jones Jr. on Sept. 12 in an 8-round exhibition being called Frontline Battle -- available on Pay-per-view and on the social media platform, Triller.

We're told the fight will take place in California -- and will be sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission.

The event will include an undercard and live musical performances from top artists -- and since Triller is backed by big stars like Snoop, Lil Wayne, Future, The Weeknd, Pitbull, Marshmello and more -- the entertainment should be pretty solid!

FYI, Triller is a rapidly growing social media platform that's gunning to take over the TikTok crowd -- and while it's previously focused on music (including partnerships with major labels) it's now making a concentrated foray into live events including sports.

Tyson has been talking about a comeback for months and got some massive offers -- so, we're guessing Triller shelled out some big bucks to land the rights to his first comeback fight.

There's more ... we've also learned Triller locked up the rights to a 10-part docuseries featuring Mike and Roy preparing for their fight ... with 2 episodes dropping every week until fight night, streaming on the platform.

As for the combatants, RJJ is 51 -- and held titles in 4 different weight classes ... middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight.

Roy most recently fought in Feb. 2018 -- but he's been training constantly and feels he can compete with Tyson.

Of course, Tyson hasn't had a pro fight since June 2005 ... and battled substance abuse and weight issues after he stepped away.

But now, Tyson says he's made health and fitness a priority again -- and wants to get back into the ring to help raise money for charity.

Tyson had previously told us his sights were set on Evander Holyfield in a comeback fight ... and we're told that's still a possibility down the road -- but first up is Roy.

RJJ has had 75 pro fights -- with an unreal 66-9 record. He's got victories over guys like Antonio Tarver, Felix Trinidad, James Toney, Bernard Hopkins and Vinny Paz.

Tyson was 50-6 as a pro -- with victories over guys like Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks, Trevor Berbick and more.