TMZ.com Home

Brittney Griner's signature locs are no more ... and, according to her attorney, it's all 'cause Russian prison temperatures were causing brutal hair freezing.

Maria Blagovolina, who repped the WNBA star in her trial in Russia, told ESPN on Thursday the 32-year-old got the haircut two Sundays ago ... after her 'do kept freezing following prison showers.

Blagovolina said rather than deal with the issue for an entire Russian winter, Griner elected to chop it all off.

"It's very cold in there and every time she washed her hair she got cold and would get a chill," Blagovolina said. "She should have waited until New Year's Day."

Griner had donned long hair for YEARS ... rarely ever letting the flow get shorter than shoulder-length.

The basketball player looked ecstatic nonetheless while leaving Russia on Thursday -- smiling with the new haircut while telling at least one person on her plane that she was "happy."

U.S. official John Kirby said Friday after Griner touched down in San Antonio that she's in "very, very good spirits" and "appeared to be, obviously, in good health."

Griner is now expected to be checked out by medical personnel in Texas ... before returning home to Phoenix.

Bam Margera is in a hospital battling a very serious case of pneumonia, complicated by COVID-19 ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the situation tell us Bam was hospitalized in San Diego earlier this week. He then tested positive for Covid while in the hospital ... and since then we're told doctors decided to put him on a ventilator. He's being treated in ICU, but his condition is stable.

As we reported, Bam's been in and out of rehab this year after he had completed a one-year treatment program for drug and alcohol abuse.

Our sources say during one of his stints in rehab, he befriended an attorney who convinced him he could get him out of the court-ordered treatment and "free Bam."

Since then, we've seen him partying it up in Atlanta in September, and hitting Las Vegas the following month. We're told Bam never completed his court order and many people close to him were concerned for the former 'Jackass' star.

Our sources say the so-called "Free Bam Movement" -- which was fueled by online speculation his family put him in a conservatorship similar to Britney Spears -- really confused Bam and hurt his recovery process.

We're told it got so bad, his family and temporary healthcare guardian -- who's a longtime family friend -- started receiving threats over the summer, and had to address it publicly.

ABC is pulling the plug on Christmas with the Backstreet Boys ... a late decision that comes immediately on the heels of Nick Carter being accused of sexual battery.

The band's special, "A Very Backstreet Holiday," was set to air on ABC next week, and featured all 5 singers -- Nick, Brian, Howie, AJ and Kevin -- but the network has canceled the airing ... TMZ has confirmed.

The special was shot last month in L.A., and, at this stage, would be complete and ready to air. ABC isn't offering any explanation for the last-minute cancelation, but with the announcement coming less than 24 hours after the lawsuit against Carter ... it's pretty clear.

TMZ broke the story ... Shannon Ruth sued the singer Thursday for sexual battery, saying she was 17 back in 2001 when was allegedly invited on his tour bus and given alcohol.

According to legal docs, Ruth -- who's autistic with cerebral palsy -- was then sexually assaulted by Carter ... and when she threatened to tell people about what he did, he allegedly called her a "r******* little bitch" who no one would believe. She says she contracted HPV after the incident and is now seeking damages.

Nick's attorney, Michael Holtz, told us the entire claim "is not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue" ... saying Ruth has been manipulated into making false allegations about Nick.

Some UK reporters are firing back at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry ... specifically about them claiming their royal engagement interview was rehearsed, and the media was out to destroy her.

BBC Radio 4 presenter Mishal Husain, who sat down with the couple in 2017 for their official engagement interview, responded to the staged claims with a bit of shade, saying ... "Recollections may vary."

Husain further explained she was "asked to do an interview and do said interview."

In their Netflix documentary, Meghan says the whole day -- including a photo session and the interview -- was like an "orchestrated reality show."

Lord Hall, the director general of BBC at the time of the couple's engagement, responded to the documentary noise, too ... saying Meghan's beliefs are "simply untrue."

BBC's Nicholas Witchell also shot down Meghan's most biting claim about the media: "No matter what I did they were still going to find a way to destroy me."

He says while part of her anger was pointed toward the royal fam, he believes some was aimed at the media, too. Witchell calls it an "absurd" claim, though ... adding it "simply does not stand up to proper and reasonable scrutiny."

Brittney Griner is finally home ... the WNBA star touched down on U.S. soil early Friday morning -- after officials successfully negotiated her release from Russian custody on Thursday.

The 32-year-old was spotted getting off a private jet in San Antonio ... at around 5:40 AM ET.

She appeared to be wearing the same outfit -- a red jacket and dark-colored pants -- that she wore when she crossed paths with Viktor Bout in the UAE after the U.S. agreed to trade the arms dealer to Russia in exchange for the basketball player.

White House National Security Council Communications Coordinator John Kirby told TODAY after Griner's arrival that those who traveled with her said she was in "very, very good spirits."

"[She] appeared to be, obviously, in good health," Kirby added.

Griner is now expected to undergo a myriad of testing at a local medical facility in Texas to make sure she's OK ... before she eventually returns to her home in Phoenix.

Griner had been detained in Russia since February -- after she was accused of bringing hashish oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport. In August, she was sentenced to nine years in Russian prison.

Following her release on Thursday, Griner was seen smiling on a plane as she made her way back to the States.

Her wife, Cherelle Griner, said at the White House hours after her release that she felt like her family was "whole" again.

"Today is just a happy day for me and my family," she said. "So, I'm going to smile right now."

There's growing suspicion T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach are pumping the brakes on their relationship while ABC investigates their romance ... but we're told the couple's going full steam ahead.

The 'GMA3' anchors have not been spotted together publicly since one week ago today when they signed off for the weekend, causing some to believe they've split.

Sources connected to both Amy and T.J. tell us they're still "very much together," but have chosen to keep a low profile to not bring any more attention to the situation than what's already happened.

Obviously, photos of them as a couple would only generate more buzz and conversation about the relationship -- exactly what ABC execs said they didn't want -- so, for now, they're staying out of the public eye until things get sorted out with ABC.

Amy was out solo on Wednesday walking her dog ... and before that, she was seen shopping last weekend, at a T.J. Maxx, no less.

Meanwhile, T.J. Holmes has remained totally out of sight since getting benched from the 'GMA3' desk.

TMZ broke the story, ABC's human resources and legal departments are digging deeper into all aspects of the couple's relationship to ensure there were no violations of company policies or their individual contracts.

Trevor Noah said his final farewell to "The Daily Show" Thursday night and on his way to the exit, he got pretty emotional talking about who he credits for his knowledge and success.

Trevor ended his 7-year run hosting the Comedy Central series by paying tribute to all the Black women in his life who took the time “to inform me, to educate me, to argue with me.” Specifically, he cited his mother, grandmother and aunt for having grand ideas that nurtured him.

As he put it, "I tell people if you want to truly learn about America, talk to Black women cause, unlike everybody else, Black women can't afford to f*** around and find out."

Trevor added, "Black women, in particular, they know what s*** is. They know what happens if things do not go the way it should."

He also gave props to several "brilliant" female Black leaders ... Roxane Gay, Tressie McMillan Cottom, Zoé Samudzi and Tarana Burke.

In his opening monologue, Noah thanked his fans for tuning in and got emotional as he went down memory lane, listing all the celebrity guests he had on the show since 2016, including Oprah, Issa Rae, Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton and Bill Gates.

Gayle King is weighing in on the T.J. Holmes/Amy Robach drama, calling the whole situation a "sloppy mess" -- but insists she's not gloating about her morning TV competition's crisis.

The "CBS Mornings" cohost dropped her 2 cents Thursday night on 'Watch What Happens Live' ... after Andy Cohen teed it up by asking what she thinks about "all hell breaking loose" at 'GMA.'

Gayle said, "I look at the situation and I say it's very interesting what's happening over there. It's just gotten very messy and very sloppy."

She gave ABC and 'GMA' execs props for their initial stance of letting 2 consenting adults remain on the air, but then added ... "The more you read, it's just very messy."

Gayle stopped short of accusing Amy and T.J. of cheating on their spouses -- an allegation they've denied -- but she did say, "I think, to me, it's just a sad situation because you've got kids involved, you've got families involved, and I keep thinking about that."

TMZ broke the story ... T.J. and Amy are still a couple one week after getting benched ... as ABC takes a deep dive into their romance, and whether they violated company policies.

Paris Hilton's ex-boo Chris Zylka is taking a second run at the altar -- we've learned he got down on one knee for actress Hailee Lautenbach.

Sources tell TMZ ... Chris asked Hailee to be his wife a couple of weeks ago, as they were en route to the Seattle marathon -- in which Chris was supposed to be running in.

While driving, Chris told Hailee he forgot his bib and made her start heading back to their Airbnb. When she turned down a particular street that was beautifully lit up, we're told he asked Hailee to pull over and step out of the car.

She thought he just wanted to take the wheel, but instead got down and proposed. She said yes ... even though he didn't have a ring at the time.

Frankly, we see that as a sign of true love ... it wasn't about a diamond!

A few days later, Chris and Hailee -- who met working on the same film in 2020 -- told her parents, who offered up her grandmother's diamond for Hailee's engagement ring.

We're told the couple designed the full ring together after that.

As you know, Chris and Paris got engaged pretty fast back in 2018, with her saying "yes" a little less than a year after making things official. They called things off close to a year later, and Paris eventually tied the knot with Carter Reum.

Olive Garden is saying arrivederci to a controversial restaurant manager who allegedly got so fed up with employees calling out for work they demanded proof even if a staffer's dog died.

A message reportedly sent from the disgraced manager to employees and obtained by KCTV read, "Our call-offs are occurring at a staggering rate. From now on, if you call off, you might as well go out and look for another job. We are no longer tolerating ANY EXCUSE for calling off. If you’re sick, you need to come prove it to us. If your dog died, you need to bring him in and prove it to us."

The manager, who worked at an OG location in Kansas, continued their rant by claiming they'd not taken a single day off in more than 11 years at the franchise.

Allegedly writing, "Do you know in my 11.5 years at Darden how many days I called off? Zero. I came in sick. I got in a wreck literally on my way to work one time, airbags went off and my car was totaled, but you know what, I made it to work, ON TIME.”

WNBA superstar Angel McCoughtry, who spent three seasons in Russia playing basketball, says she will NOT hoop in Russia anymore ... after Brittney Griner was held captive in a cell for nearly 10 months, and was only freed after a high-profile prisoner swap.

McCoughtry joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) ... and reflected on the release of 32-year-old Griner, Angel's friend and former Team USA Olympic teammate in 2016 (they won gold).

"Oh my gosh, today is a celebration. Brittney is back, she's on solid ground," Angel told us, elated ... adding, "Knowing Brittney, she's a big teddy bear. Her personality is so bubbly. I couldn't imagine the conditions she's gone through."

Of course, in August, Brittney was sentenced to 9 years in a prison labor camp after a Russian court convicted her of bringing hash oil into the country. That was until Thursday, when she was released in a prisoner swap for notorious arms dealer, Viktor Bout, also known as the "Merchant of Death."

Speaking about the conditions in Russia, Angel described her experience ... and she obviously wasn't under arrest or in a cell, and it was still difficult.

"I couldn't imagine the conditions she's gone through. I played in Russia for three years, and that was probably one of the hardest places I had to play."

"It was hard to make friends. People are introverted because of the weather. The sun doesn't come out. So, it's already kind of depressing being there, playing there. But, to be in that kind of environment, I'm so glad she's back. What an amazing feeling to wake up to that."

McCoughtry, the former #1 overall pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft, 2x WNBA scoring champ, and 5x All-Star, just to name a few accolades, spent two stints with Dynamo Kursk of the Russian Premiere League.

Many players travel overseas during the WNBA off-season because they can earn significantly more money than they do in America ... though the future is now uncertain.

"I mean, it's tough on us cause Russia was one of the places where we made the most money. I was making my WNBA salary in one month in Russia. My whole salary. I think girls are gonna go elsewhere and play, probably."

"We still have Spain and Istanbul, Turkey, different places, but, it definitely takes a toll on our game cause Russia, that was a place that had a lot of money for women to play, so it definitely hurts our game."

As for whether Angel would ever go back to Russia ... we asked the question with an obvious answer.

"No, I would not go back. I would not go back."

McCoughtry also talks about Griner's prospective return to professional basketball in the States, when she plans to reach out to BG, and much more.

Before this suave guy in his snapback turned into a singer and songwriter, he was just chilling on a boat with his famous dad, kickin' it with his two bros and trying to make a name for himself in Los Angeles, California.

After playing a small role on the comedy show "The Wonder Years," the lines were not blurred on whether he was going to make it big. When he's not working, you can find him beaming over his four kids on the 'gram.

Need one more clue? He famously twerked on stage with Miley Cyrus.

Barbara "Babs" Thore, known to many as Whitney's mom on "My Big Fat Fabulous Life," has died.

Whitney broke the news to fans Thursday ... saying her mom died Wednesday "just as the credits rolled on her favorite movie." She says the time she passed -- 10:32 PM -- was also the exact time Whitney was born back in 1984.

Whitney says her mom suffered from cerebral amyloid angiopathy ... an unfortunately untreatable condition that can cause brain bleeding, strokes and dementia. She says Babs had been having strokes since 2017.

She goes on to share her love for her mom, and her pain about the tragic loss -- she ends the post directed at the fans, "We are unbelievably thankful that we've been able to share her with you and it is our hope that her memory will continue to be a source of comfort and happiness for the rest of your lives ... I love you, mommy."

Fans of the show remember Babs in all 10 seasons of the TLC show ... as the series progressed, a portion of the show began focusing on her health struggles with her condition.

The 10th season saw Babs' road to recovery, and release from the hospital after suffering one of her strokes. TLC has yet to announce whether the hit series will return for the 11th season.

Babs is survived by Whitney, as well as her son, Hunter, and her husband, Glenn.

She was 76.

Two Kansas high schools say they've launched an investigation after several students at a recent basketball game allegedly yelled the n-word -- while waving around a Black doll.

The incident went down Saturday -- when the Topeka H.S. boys basketball team took on Valley Center H.S. in Valley Center, KS.

During the contest, according to Topeka players, several VC students hurled racial slurs and offensive language at them. They also say some of the spectators taunted them with a Black baby figurine.

One video shot by a Topeka student shows the doll being held up by some fans in the stands as the action was unfolding on the court. Another clip appears to show students calling one of the players a "p***y."

Topeka head coach Geo Lyons said in a change.org petition that despite the "racial slurs, threats and disgusting taunts" -- Valley Center officials "did not address any of these actions while play was taking place although they were very aware."

On Tuesday, Valley Center officials said they hadn't found any evidence of racist language being used at the game ... but on Wednesday, they, along with Topeka admins, released a joint statement explaining they've launched a probe into it all -- and investigations are ongoing.

"As both districts work in a unified manner to investigate matters related to the athletic events on Saturday, we as superintendents are both committed to ensuring a safe and respectful climate at school events," the statement read.

"Incidents that occurred when individuals did not conduct themselves in ways that reflect our commitment to supporting students have been handled, and there are investigations that are ongoing. We will work together to ensure the appropriate individuals are held accountable and work together to prevent such incidents in the future."

The American Girl doll brand is standing its ground after getting a ton of backlash for a book that encourages young girls to explore their identity, and offers info about transitioning.

The company tells TMZ, "We value the views and feedback of our customers and acknowledge the perspectives on this issue. The content in this book, geared for kids 10+, was developed in partnership with medical and adolescent care professionals and consistently emphasizes the importance of having conversations and discussing any feelings with parents or trusted adults."

AG continues, "We are committed to delivering content that leaves our readers feeling informed, confident, and positive about themselves."

The franchise is known for promoting self-esteem among young girls, but it had a lot of folks up in arms for selling its book, "A Smart Girl's Guide: Body Image Book". Some social media users accused the company of promoting puberty blockers to children ... and convincing them they're born the wrong way.

One of the specific sections that got a lot of pushback reads, "If you haven't gone through puberty yet, the doctor might offer medicine to delay your body's changes, giving you more time to think about your gender identity."

Brittney Griner and Viktor Bout crossed paths on a UAE airport tarmac in the hours after the United States and Russia agreed to a prisoner swap ... and the moment was all captured on video.

The footage, shot by Russian state media outlet TASS, was released on Thursday afternoon.

In the clip, you can see Griner, wearing a red jacket, walking along with officials outside of private planes ... before coming into contact with Bout.

The men in the video all shook hands once they got within feet of each other. It's unclear if Griner and Bout did the same -- the video cut out as the WNBA star appeared to step toward the arms dealer.

In the footage, you can clearly see Griner's signature dreadlocks have been cut off. The last time we saw her at a court hearing in late October, her hair had still been long.

Further video released on Thursday shows Griner was in great spirits after the trade between the two countries was made ... telling someone on a plane that she was "good" -- and "happy."

Griner had been detained in Russia since February -- following allegations she brought hashish oil in her luggage to a Moscow airport. In August, she was sentenced to nine years behind bars in the case.

Her wife, Cherelle Griner, said Thursday morning at the White House she was ecstatic her wife was on the way home ... explaining she felt her family was "whole" again.