SALIVA Guitarist Wayne Swinny Dead at 59

Published | Updated

Wayne Swinny, founding member and guitarist of the band Saliva, is dead after suffering a brain hemorrhage.

A rep for the band tells us, "It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Wayne Swinny, the guitarist of Saliva. Wayne passed away this afternoon from a spontaneous brain hemorrhage while on tour."

The tragic news comes only hours after the band revealed Wayne was in the ICU after having the medical emergency.

Bobby Amaru, Saliva's lead singer, says, "I’m not even sure what to think or how to feel right now. My heart aches for Wayne’s family, his friends, and anyone who had the joy of being around him. My heart aches for his daughter Nikki. He loved that little girl so much ... He would go out of his way to make sure you had a good time. I’m grateful that I got to share almost 12 years of my life with Wayne on the stage and most importantly off the stage."

Amaru continues, "He was the older brother I never had. I learned so much from him and we had a f***ing blast together! I will cherish it all for the rest of my life! God Bless you Wayne. I know we’ll meet again!!"

As we reported ... Wayne had been battling for his life in the ICU. He was rushed to a hospital Tuesday and diagnosed with a spontaneous hemorrhage in his brain.

Wayne was one of Saliva's founding members, helping to start the band way back in 1996.

The wife of Saliva's former lead singer, Josey Scott, also posted about Wayne's death, saying the band is in "complete shock and heartbreak."

She says Josey referred to Wayne as his "musical soulmate" and she's remembering him for having a great sense of humor.

Wayne was 59.

RIP

'Vanderpump Rules' Ariana Madix I've Got a Vibrator Now ... Who Needs Tom?!?

Published | Updated

"Vanderpump Rules" star Ariana Madix knows how to keep herself satisfied following a messy split from her boyfriend ... because she signed a deal with a sex toy company.

Ariana made the announcement Thursday with a social media post, telling fans they can get a free vibrator by signing up for her giveaway.

The reality TV star is partnering with Bellesa Boutique ... and she says she's changing up her vibe following her breakup with Tom Sandoval.

As you know ... Ariana and Tom were together for a decade, until she recently found out he had been cheating on her with fellow cast member Raquel Leviss.

We haven't seen Ariana move on with any new romantic partners ... and with her new deal, she doesn't need to rush out to find a man for sex.

Boyfriends, who needs 'em ... vibrators don't cheat!!!

Tekashi 6ix9ine Video Shows Attackers Enter Gym ... Beeline It To Sauna

Published | Updated

The men allegedly involved in the brutal beatdown of Tekashi 6ix9ine appeared to have had a plan in place to get to the rapper ... as evidenced in new surveillance footage from the gym.

Check out the video, obtained by TMZ, showing one man already inside the South FL LA Fitness location chatting on his cell phone. The man approaches the front door of the gym to let another man in, and after a brief convo with the front desk employee, they beeline it to the gym's restroom and sauna area joined by a third man.

It certainly looks like the two men were in on some sort of plan ... but it's still unclear if they knew Tekashi was going to be at the gym all along, or if one man possibly saw 6ix9ine and called his buddy to help.

TMZ broke the story, Tekashi was rushed to a hospital Tuesday night after the attack, suffering from injuries to his face, back, ribs and jaw. Sources close to Tekashi tell us he's still receiving treatment in the hospital.

Video from inside the gym's sauna area shows a group of men punching, kicking and cussing out the rapper for being a snitch.

The rapper's attorney, Lance Lazzaro, tells us he's going to talk to the feds about potentially getting Tekashi some much-needed protection from future attacks.

Raquel Leviss Super Chatty After Airport Silence ... OK, Let's Talk Scandoval!!!

Published | Updated
032223_raquel_leviss_backgrid_kal 3/22/23
ALL WILL BE ANSWERED

Raquel Leviss must not find the airport to be too conducive for conversation -- 'cause while she was mum there about the drama ... she sang like a canary at a nail shop.

The "Vanderpump Rules" star was greeted by a photog Wednesday outside of Blush Nail Bar in Valley Village, CA -- just outside of North Hollywood. She was sitting there all by her lonesome ... and was certainly ready to answer questions, unlike earlier in the morning.

Remember, she was caught on camera at LAX not too long before this ... and was radio silent on the cheating controversy, only giving courtesy nods and waves to paps.

Here, though, she's fully opening up about ... well, everything. It's interesting to hear her perspective -- the first time we're really getting her side of the story, and how things stand.

Check out the convo ... RL addresses everything from taking accountability for her actions -- which she says she's prepared to do at the reunion taping tomorrow -- to an attempted reconciliation between herself and Ariana Madix, which doesn't sound like it went well.

Of course, she's teasing the big reveal ... which will undoubtedly be aired on Bravo in the near future. But even with the obvious promo involved, she's quite transparent here.

Raquel touches on where things are with her and Tom Sandoval -- and one line of hers is revealing ... she says they're not labeling things and not sure if they'll stay together. At the moment she says they're on a "break" ... and they'll see where they go from here.

hulu-kal
INVESTIGATING FLIGHT 23

Another topic that's addressed ... the alleged attack from Scheana Shay, which Raq seems to be implying did in fact happen -- if the scar on her eyebrow is to be believed.

There's more Raquel dives into ... Tom Schwartz and his rumored knowledge about all this included. Give it a watch -- it's fascinating how much she actually spills on camera.

The gang's all here for the big showdown on Thursday -- sparks are sure to fly!

Jake Paul, Lindsay Lohan, Soulja Boy Settle With SEC Over Crypto Promotion

Published | Updated

The Securities and Exchange Commission is cracking down on Crypto companies ... and some big-name celebs -- including Jake Paul, Lindsay Lohan and Soulja Boy -- who praised the currency companies while getting paid without disclosing it ... and they've agreed to cough up some dough to make it all go away.

Jake and Lindsay are among the celebs named in the SEC's filings Wednesday ... they're charged with illegally touting Tronix and BitTorrent. Others charged include Lil Yachty, Ne-Yo, Austin Mahone, Kendra Lust and Akon.

The SEC says these celebs failed to disclose they were getting paid for promoting these companies.

Almost all of the celebs agreed to pay a total of $400K to settle the charges.

We've reached out to Jake and Lindsay's reps for comment ... so far, no word back.

Raquel Leviss Flyin' into LAX Ahead Of 'VR' Reunion

Published | Updated

Raquel Leviss has touched back down in Los Angeles ahead of the big "Vanderpump Rules" reunion ... likely bracing herself to take the scorching heat that is all but certain.

Raquel was at LAX Wednesday, the day before the cameras are set to roll -- she's been in Arizona recently, which is known for its heat, but it's nothing compared to what's in store for her tomorrow.

She doesn't have a lot to say ... no word on whether she's talked with any of her 'VR' peeps. We're guessing producers have told her and the other cast members not to blab ... they're saving it for the reunion.

hulu-kal
INVESTIGATING FLIGHT 23

Raquel shot only 1 scene since the Scandavol broke, and there was a real question on whether she'd even show up for the reunion show, but she just revealed she will be there -- front and center.

Production sources tell TMZ ... Scheana Shay will also be there ... and it's super complicated since Raquel has a restraining order against her, so where they're gonna sit seems a little problematic. We talked to Scheana who wouldn't spill on how it'll be handled.

Ariana Madix was asked Tuesday about Raquel  ... she deflected questions -- again, the money is in the studio.

'Rick and Morty's Justin Roiland Domestic Violence Case Dismissed ... Following Adult Swim Firing

Published

The criminal case that put "Rick and Morty" co-creator Justin Roiland out of a job has just been dismissed.

The domestic violence case against Roiland was dismissed Wednesday morning in Orange County. A spokesperson for the District Attorney tells us it was dismissed because there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond reasonable doubt.

Justin says, "I have always known that these claims were false – and I never had any doubt that this day would come. I’m thankful that this case has been dismissed but, at the same time, I’m still deeply shaken by the horrible lies that were reported about me during this process."

He continues, "Most of all, I’m disappointed that so many people were so quick to judge without knowing the facts, based solely on the word of an embittered ex trying to bypass due process and have me “canceled.” That it may have succeeded, even partially, is shameful. However, now that the legal case has ended, I’m determined to move forward and focus both on my creative projects and restoring my good name.”

Roiland's attorney T. Edward Welbourn tells TMZ ... "I commend the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for conducting a thorough review of the facts and deciding to dismiss the case against Justin. I’m thankful justice has prevailed."

For those unaware, Roiland got in hot water earlier this year after NBC News revealed he was arrested and charged back in 2020 ... although the details leading to his arrest are unknown. Officials only noted there was an incident with an unnamed woman he was dating at the time.

After his case came to light, other people came forward to allege they too had been victims of Roiland -- including 1 anonymous Twitter user who claimed he joked around with them while they were underage about going into sex slavery.

Netflix Sued 'Outer Banks' Reads A Lot Like My Book ... Stole My Characters, Plot!!!

Published

Netflix straight up jacked the characters and plot for its hit show "Outer Banks" from an already published book ... at least according to the author of a novel, who's now out for some legal revenge.

The streaming giant is being sued by Jeff Wilson, who claims there are way too many similarities between a book he wrote, "Queen Anne's Revenge," and 'OB' for it to be pure coincidence.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Wilson says in 2013 he published his novel, which follows 4 friends on a treasure hunt from a famous shipwreck near the outer banks of North Carolina.

Wilson says his book was even promoted by Discovery and History Channel, and he claims the 'OB' creators have even confessed ... they relied on other books and authors for inspiration to write the scripted series.

The author claims his book was drawn from heavily ... he says the main cast and their character arcs are almost identical to his novel ... and he says the plot points and settings are eerily similar, too.

hulu-kal
INVESTIGATING FLIGHT 23

Wilson is suing Netflix for copyright infringement ... and he wants the streaming giant to fork over any profits they've made from infringing on his novel and an injunction stopping Netflix from distributing or advertising "Outer Banks."

It's worth noting ... another novelist, Kevin Wooten, previously sued Netflix and the 'OB' creators, claiming they ripped off his 2016 book ... but the suit was dismissed after a judge didn't find sufficient similarities between the two.

We reached out to Netflix about this latest suit ... so far no word back.

WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss Reveals Skin Cancer Diagnosis ... Recovering After Removal

Published | Updated

Scary news for Alexa Bliss ... the WWE superstar says she was recently diagnosed with skin cancer, and now she's urging everyone to "get your skin checked!"

Bliss revealed the diagnosis this week, saying she had a biopsy done on a spot on her face that'd "gotten worse," and the test showed it was basal cell carcinoma.

FYI, an estimated 3.6 million cases of basal cell carcinoma are diagnosed each year, according to the Skin Care Foundation. SCF says the cancer is curable if detected and treated early.

Bliss says she then had a "quick and easy procedure" to remove the cancer. Alexa says doctors also discovered squamous cells, another form of carcinoma, which is often the result of too much UV light, according to Mayo Clinic.

"Dear younger me," Bliss wrote on social media after the procedure, "you should have stayed out of tanning beds."

hulu-kal
INVESTIGATING FLIGHT 23

But, in the end, it's good news for Alexa!

"All clear now though! Thank you @americanskininstitute for taking care of me!

Bliss also reassured fans she'll be fine and back in no time ... writing, "Don’t worry, short healing time. Always get your skin checked! Esp if you are in the sun or use tanning beds! Lol"

Bliss hasn't been seen on WWE programming since she lost to Raw Women's Champion Bianca Belair at the Royal Rumble in January ... but Alexa has denied rumors she's on a hiatus from the company.

"Tired of seeing these tweets," Bliss tweeted on March 10. "I am not on a hiatus. They know where to find me."

Get well soon, Alexa!!

Austin Butler, Kaia Gerber Descansando at Heartbreak Hotel After Striking Out at Oscars

Published | Updated

Austin Butler's 'Elvis' movie went 0 for 8 at the Oscars -- and while it's unclear if the King himself is feeling down, we do know things have gone south (of the border) for him.

The actor was hanging in Cabo San Lucas with his GF, Kaia Gerber, last week -- photographed lounging poolside at their fancy hotel. They were in swimwear -- both looking smoking hot, no doubt -- but there doesn't seem to be too much heartbreak.

AB and Kaia looked fairly neutral as they took in the sunshine ... with just a little bit of PDA.

After a bit of R&R, Austin and Kaia hopped on a golf cart and rolled on over to another part of the resort ... paps snapped the model leaning her head on her boo thang's shoulder as he handled steering duties.

While we're sure Austin/Kaia are enjoying themselves, ya gotta imagine the guy is somewhat bummed about getting iced out of any statuette glory for the most important award show of his life. He had a lot of buzz and momentum behind him ... but so did Brendan Fraser.

Of course, the latter ended up taking home gold for his role in 'The Whale' ... and as we all saw, 'EEAAO,' swept just about everything else -- clearing the deck on all the big categories.

hulu-kal
INVESTIGATING FLIGHT 23

Here's the question ... is Austin still doing the accent? Suspicious minds may never know. 😅

Saliva Guitarist Wayne Swinny in ICU ... After Suffering Brain Hemorrhage

Published

Wayne Swinny, founding Member and guitarist of the band Saliva, is currently battling for his life in the ICU after suffering a brain hemorrhage ... TMZ has learned.

The group shared the news Wednesday, with a statement saying, "Our dear brother Wayne Swinny was discovered Tuesday morning in medical distress and paramedics were called."

The statement continues, "He was transported to a hospital where he was diagnosed with a Spontaneous Hemorrhage in his brain. He is currently in the ICU as we await further news."

hulu-kal
INVESTIGATING FLIGHT 23

Wayne is an original member of the rock band -- founded in 1996 --  which now also consists of Bobby Amaru, Brad Stewart and Sammi Bishop.

His current condition is unclear, but the band is asking fans to keep the guitarist in their thoughts and prayers.

Boosie Badazz & Chief Keef Tekashi 6ix9ine's Gym Beating Is One Big Laughing Matter!!!

Published | Updated

Tekashi 6ix9ine's enemies are rejoicing in the fact he was savagely beaten inside a gym sauna ... with Boosie Badazz and Chief Keef both leading the LOL charge.

Boosie pounces at the chance to target all snitching activity within rap and called for the start of a GoFundMe account for 6ix9ine's still unidentified attackers.

"Lmao SNITCHES GET STITCHES," the Lousiana rapper beamed on Twitter while sharing the video, before adding "real ones" deserved to be rewarded.

Chief Keef also found the situation humorous ... amassing over 1 million views with his reaction to 6ix9ine's attack with a pair of laughing emojis.

hulu-kal
INVESTIGATING FLIGHT 23

Unlike Boosie, the Chicago drill pioneer has a direct beef with Tekashi ... Kintea "Kooda B" McKenzie — a former associate of the rainbow-haired rapper — was released from prison early on March 17.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Kooda plead guilty to assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering for his connection to the 2018 Chief Keef shooting attempt in Times Square in 2020 ... and Almighty Sosa obviously hasn't forgotten about it.

TMZ broke the story ... Tekashi was rushed to the hospital after the gym ambush and his attorney Lance Lazzaro tells us he's currently exploring federal protection options.

Amanda Bynes Psych Hold to Be Extended ... Wandered Streets for Days

Published | Updated

Amanda Bynes will likely spend an extended period of time getting the psychiatric care she needs, and we've learned more about the days leading up to her walking naked through L.A. streets.

Sources close to Amanda tell us they're still putting the pieces together, but at this point believe she could've been living on the streets for several days. We're told Amanda's car was towed on March 15 in Long Beach, about 40 miles from her home ... and 25 miles from downtown L.A., where she popped up Sunday.

032123_amanda_bynes_kal MARCH 2023
WALKING THE STREETS

From Long Beach, our sources believe Amanda hitchhiked or took public transport to get around. She was spotted in Hollywood on March 18, appearing out of it but still clothed.

At one point, we're told, Amanda got a ride to Beverly Hills from a stranger but then asked to return to Hollywood.

hulu-kal
INVESTIGATING FLIGHT 23

We're also told since she was first brought to a mental health hospital early Sunday morning, she's started to make improvements ... but the expectation is she will likely be committed at least another week before she'll be well enough for discharge.

As we told you, it was early morning March 19 when Bynes was spotted wandering the streets near Downtown Los Angeles -- waving a car down for help and calling 911.

Bynes was placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold, which typically lasts at least 72 hours.

Today, March 22, marks exactly one year since Amanda's conservatorship was terminated. At this time, sources close to Amanda tell us her parents don't plan to bring the conservatorship back into play.

Tekashi 6ix9ine Brutally Attacked In Florida Gym... Rushed to Hospital

Published | Updated
UPDATE

9:03 PM PT -- Video has surfaced showing a portion of the attack, you see one man continuously hit Tekashi while the rapper does his best to defend his face.

UPDATE

Tekashi 6ix9ine was savagely beaten by a group of men inside a South Florida gym ... with injuries so bad the controversial rapper was rushed to a hospital by ambulance.

6ix9ine's attorney, Lance Lazzaro, tells TMZ ... the rapper was inside the sauna Tuesday at an LA Fitness when all of the sudden he was attacked by several guys without warning.

Lazzaro says 6ix9ine tried to fight off the combatants, but there were too many of them, beating him to a pulp before fleeing. Lance notes 6ix9ine did not have security with him at the time of the attack.

Gym staff heard the commotion and immediately notified a manager. Police and EMS were then called to the scene, and he was transported to a hospital by ambulance.

We've obtained a photo of Tekashi taken from the hospital where you can see the damage to his face -- with gashes and swelling. We're told he also suffered injuries to his jaw, ribs and his back.

The next step, Lazzaro says, is he plans to call the Feds to make sure 6ix9ine gets the protection he clearly needs. Remember, he was granted early release from federal prison after cooperating with authorities to land several of his gang member cohorts behind bars.

It's currently unclear if the gym attack had anything to do with Tekashi's cooperation.

Gene Simmons Unloads Las Vegas Mansion for $11M

Published

Gene Simmons can officially close a very expensive chapter in his Las Vegas life ... finally closing the deal on his massive Las Vegas home.

Real estate sources tell us the KISS rocker sold the glass palace Tuesday for $11M, a discount from the $15 million he originally listed it for in 2021.

As for what $11 million gets you in the desert, the 11,000 sq ft. home comes with a ton of cool features and amenities -- including 6 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, retractable glass walls, a koi pond and more.

There's also plenty of views of the Strip ... and he even snagged the property next door and planted 137 trees on the land. Of course, the home wouldn't be complete without a gorgeous pool.

If the new homeowner is into cars, they'll have an 11-space garage to fill up.

hulu-kal
INVESTIGATING FLIGHT 23

Ivan Sher and Evangelina Duke-Petroni of IS LUXURY held the listing.

120921_gene_simmons_kal_1
PRETTIEST PAD IN VEGAS

You'll recall, Gene told us while he loved his house, his family didn't like living in Vegas ...  especially given the heat and the strippers being down the street.

'Succession' Premiere Party Cast Rocks Out to 'Call Me Maybe!!!'

Published | Updated

Odds are, you'd never expect to see the cast of "Succession" -- especially Brian Cox -- jammin' to a Carly Rae Jepsen hit ... but that fantasy became reality Monday night.

The faces of the hit series hit up the Jazz at Lincoln Center in NYC ... this as the final season is about to premiere on HBO. Some of the main characters formed a dance circle, with Brian in the middle.

Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin, Alan Ruck, Alexander Skarsgård, and Justine Lupe were just a few in the mix -- clearly having an absolute blast.

Kieran implores someone to "Dance, bitch!" -- unclear who he was signaling, but he's obviously a lot more like his character than we thought.

As you know, the 4th and final season begins Sunday ... and the reviews have been pretty spectacular.

Lots of questions about Waystar Royco's future have gone unanswered, and the ever-growing tension between Brian's Logan Roy and his family is at an all-time high -- but hey, still looked like a fun night!

FYI, Jeremy Strong, AKA Kendall Roy, was notably absent from the dance party ... unclear why -- maybe he's still planning a takeover of his TV dad's company.