Mike WiLL Made-It ATL Proclamation For BDay ... T.I., Rae Sremmurd, More On Deck!!!

Published | Updated

Mike WiLL Made-It’s 34th birthday is one for the record books, literally ... at least in the ATL, where he's earned the city's Outstanding Citizen Award!!

T.I. and Philiana Williams, the director of mayor’s office of film & entertainment, presented the rap superproducer with a proclamation making March 23 "Mike WiLL Made-IT Day" in Atlanta … and plenty of his friends and fam were there to celebrate.

Rae Sremmurd, DJ Greg Street, Outkast’s Big Boi, Xscape’s Tiny, Sonny Digital, Tricky Stewart, ATL Jacob, Spence Lee and Soulex all rounded out the guest list Thursday at Hal’s Steakhouse.

The occasion also served as a birthday party for WiLL, so, appropriately, his parents Shirley and Michael Williams Sr. were also there to celebrate ... along with former City Councilman Kwanza Hall.

Mike just scored a couple of tracks on Miley Cyrusnew album and is prepping his own project with features from Pharrell, Future and J. Cole ... just for starters.

Not a bad way to mark 34 trips around the sun!

Pennsylvania Chocolate Factory Wild Video Shows It Explode ... 2 Dead, 5 Missing, 8 Injured

Published | Updated
032523_chocolate_factory_explosion_kal
THE TERRIFYING EXPLOSION
UPDATE

10:14 AM PT -- Turns out officials got ahead of themselves this morning and are now walking back the death toll.

UPDATE

Authorities have returned to the original number of 2 dead instead of 5. A rep for the Pennsylvania Emergency Management blamed numbers provided by “the county” for the screw up.

A Pennsylvania chocolate factory exploded in broad daylight Friday, killing two people and injuring eight others ... and the images of the blast are just INSANE.

Check out video, obtained by FOX 29 Philadelphia, showing the moment the R.M. Palmer Co. factory detonated as if a bomb went off during rush hour, while cars drove along a highway nearby. A thick cloud of smoke rose up in the air as large chunks of debris flew every which way. It almost looked like a scene out of a Hollywood movie.

West Reading Borough Police Chief Wayne Holben confirmed two people were dead and nine more unaccounted for. Firefighters were combing through the wreckage in the hopes of finding the missing people alive.

Eight victims were rushed to a local hospital. Five were released after treatment and two were admitted in fair condition. Another victim was taken to a different medical facility, but there was no word on that person's condition.

As of this morning, investigators were still looking into the cause of the explosion. Holben said residents were no longer in danger, but urged them to steer clear of the area around where the factory once stood.

Originally Published -- 5:27 AM PT

Lamar Odom Hooks Up African Hooper In Need ... Basketballs & Shoes!!!

Published

Lamar Odom played the role of Santa about nine months early this year ... deciding to send a bunch of gifts to a hooper in Africa -- after he was inspired by the way the man was training with beat-up gear.

The baller's name is Nkwain Kennedy, and he's gained hundreds of thousands of followers on social media the past year or so after posting inspirational videos of himself working out with destroyed basketballs and tattered kicks.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

A rep for Odom says the ex-LA Lakers star caught one of Kennedy's vids recently while scrolling through Instagram ... and he was so moved by the footage, he wanted to put together a care package for the guy.

hulu-kal
INVESTIGATING FLIGHT 23

Odom got in touch with Kennedy through social media, found out his shoe size and his Cameroon address and FedExed him a box full of goodies.

We're told the present included two Wilson basketballs, Reebok Allen Iverson and Nike Giannis Antetokounmpo kicks, some Nike socks ... and a handwritten note.

"To Nkwain," Odom wrote on the card. "Love the hustle. God bless."

Odom autographed the note as well.

We're told the gift is currently en route ... awesome stuff, LO!

What's The Big Frigin' Difference?!

Published

It's all about peace and love when it comes to these rad shots of comedy legend Adam Sandler. Do you have what it takes to find these tricky changes? Checking your coat at the door will definitely give you a leg up!

The hip father-of-two recently showed face on a number of talk shows -- doing press for "Murder Mystery 2" with costar Jennifer Aniston -- but all of a sudden button, the cameras snapped him throwing up a peace sign! Can you solve THIS mystery by finding the differences in the two shots?

**HINT: There are THREE differences in the above Adam Sandler photos!**

'Storage Wars' Gunter & Rene Nezhoda Go Through Unit ... One Last Time Before Death

Published

Gunter Nezhoda, the late "Storage Wars" star, will share the screen with his son Rene one last time in the show's upcoming season ... by inspecting a unit the only way they know how -- with some laughs.

The new clip, obtained by TMZ, gives fans a glimpse into the A&E series' 15th season, specifically Gunter and Rene as they go through one of their new units ... finding some pretty sweet items during their clean out.

Rene even jokingly tosses Gunter an old grenade he found in the locker -- something that Gunter reacts to with some warranted shock!

We're told the two filmed the scene last summer in Montebello, CA before his cancer diagnosis. The network hasn't announced an airdate yet for the new season.

032223_rene_nezhoda_kal
SHARING THE SAD NEWS

TMZ broke the story ... Rene's father died in his sleep Tuesday night in Utah as a result of lung cancer complications. Rene told us Gunter flew to Utah for emergency surgery after his chemo caused holes in his lungs, but doctors ultimately determined there was nothing else they could do.

Rene, Casey and their daughter took the time to thank their fans for the outpouring of love and support they have received after Gunter's passing ... joking that Rene's pops is lovin' all the attention right now.

'RHOA' Star Eva Marcille Tamar Handling Kandi Beef All Wrong ... I Got Roped into Drama!!!

Published
032323-eva-marcille-kal 3/25/23
DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA

"RHOA" alum Eva Marcille is definitely NOT here for the way Tamar Braxton went after Kandi Burruss ... saying TB's vague IG posts were messy, and misled fans into thinking Eva was part of the drama.

We got Eva at LAX and she got candid about the Tamar/Kandi feud ... which hit close to home for her because she got pulled into the mix when Tamar publicly claimed she had serious beef with an Atlanta housewife.

Eva's issue is Tamar was far from clear with her accusation.

ICYMI, Tamar posted a series of IG stories in December about an unnamed Atlanta housewife and her husband who had allegedly threatened her -- her only hint was that the husband was involved in politics.

Fans quickly speculated it was Eva because her husband is an attorney who has a hand in ATL politics.

However, the truth didn't come out until this week, when TB was on "Watch What Happens Live" and told Andy Cohen it was actually Kandi and Todd Tucker.

Eva says she did have a chance to talk to Tamar, who apologized for dragging her into the drama. Regardless, EM says it was a "funky situation" all around, and she told Tamar it all could have been avoided if she just went directly to Kandi months ago.

hulu-kal
INVESTIGATING FLIGHT 23

Since the 'WWHL' episode, Kandi's denied threatening Tamar ... and Tamar's doubled down. Still, Eva thinks there's hope for reconciliation, and has a few words of advice for them to move forward.

Ballin' Celeb Hot Shots ... March Madness!!!

Published

It's been a month swarmed with buzzer-beating shots from the stars -- making social media a packed venue. With hella traveling and lots of knockout IG posts, these celebs did not hold back from bringing their A-game!

Nearly breaking the scoreboard ... gymnast Olivia Dunne threw up a perfect 10 after snapping a poolside bikini pic, while Megan Thee Stallion hit a slam dunk from the sheets. And, it was a shirtless showdown between Dwayne Johnson and Jersey Shore's Vinny Guadagnino ... may the best man win!

Shoot your best shot into our gallery of stars who kept the benches quite warm and toasty all month long ... nothing but sweat!

Miley Cyrus & Dolly Parton 'Rainbowland' Banned at Kids' Concert ... WI School Says Too Controversial

Published | Updated

Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton's duet is inappropriate for elementary school kids to sing ... at least according to a Wisconsin principal who's banning "Rainbowland" from a spring concert.

Here's the deal ... first-grade students at Heyer Elementary in Waukesha started the week preparing for their upcoming concert, with "Rainbowland" as part of the initial setlist.

The song was played in the first-grade class Monday, but by Tuesday the principal sent an email to the music teacher informing her Miley and Dolly's 2017 duet was no longer allowed.

Some parents say their children came home upset Wednesday after learning they couldn't sing it ... with the kids wondering why it was a big deal.

Superintendent Jim Sebert told multiple news outlets "Rainbowland" was dropped because it "could be perceived as controversial" according to recent school policies.

The song is from Miley's album "Younger Now" ... and she's said it was inspired by the paint in her recording studio. Dolly says the track is about "hope and positivity in dark times."

Some of the lyrics are, "Living in a Rainbowland/ The skies are blue and things are grand/ Wouldn't it be nice to live in paradise/ Where we're free to be exactly who we are."

While both singers have openly supported the LGTBQ community, neither has said the song has any intentional connection to it.

The superintendent told local news outlets, "The main question was is the song appropriate for the age level and maturity of the students."

Instead, the students will now sing Jim Henson's "Rainbow Connection" from the Muppets, plus "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles and "It's a Wonderful World."

Gwyneth Paltrow Trial She Thought Skier Collision was Sexual Assault

Published | Updated
032423-gwyneth-paltrow-kal MARCH 2023
IT WAS ASSAULT

Gwyneth Paltrow testified in her ski injury trial she initially thought the man whom she says came up from behind her and collided with her was committing a sexual assault.

Paltrow is on the stand, and gave the jury her account of the accident on a Deer Valley ski slope. She said she was going slowly when suddenly, she heard "a strange rustling noise" behind her.

She says the skier -- Dr. Terry Sanderson -- came up from behind and his skis went in between her legs, with his body pressing into her back. Gwyneth said she froze and got upset.

During her deposition, Gwyneth testified she thought she was being sexually assaulted, and Sanderson's lawyer picked up on that in court, asking "Did you know if it was an intentional assault of a sexual nature? Was he grinding or thrusting? What made you think it was a sexual assault?"

She answered, "It was a quick thought that went through my head. There was a strange grunting noise and a body behind me so I was trying to make sense of what was going on. My mind was going very quickly."

The lawyer then got specific ... "You said you went to the right and went crashing down together and your bodies were almost spooning and your knees splayed opened and you were in shock?" She answered, "Yes."

Sanderson's lawyer asked if Gwyneth would act out her description in court. Gwyneth's lawyer objected and after a bench conference, the idea was nixed.

Reese Witherspoon, Jim Toth Filing for Divorce

Published | Updated

Reese Witherspoon and her husband, Jim Toth, have decided to end their marriage, and we're told it's amicable.

Reese just posted ... "It is with a great deal of care and consideration that we have made the difficult decision to divorce. We have enjoyed so many wonderful years together and are moving forward with deep love, kindness, and mutual respect for everything we have created together."

She went on ...  "Our biggest priority is our son and our entire family as we navigate this next chapter. These matters are never easy and are extremely personal. We truly appreciate everyone’s respect for our family’s privacy at this time.

The couple married back in 2011. They share one child, 10-year-old Tennessee.

It's Reese's second marriage ... she was married to Ryan Phillippe from 1999 to 2008.

As for Reese and Jim, an actor/producer, our sources say it's truly a friendly end to their union.

Orlando Slingshot Ride Donates $100K In Memory of Tyre Sampson 1 Yr After Falling To Death

Published | Updated

Tyre Sampson was only 14 when he fell to his death from an Orlando amusement park ride, and now the company behind the attraction is making a donation in his honor.

Trevor Arnold, attorney for the Orlando Slingshot, put out a statement Friday, which marks the one-year anniversary of Sampson's death ... saying we "will be establishing a $100,000 donation by contributing $20,000 over five years to the "Tyre ‘Big Tick’ Sampson Foundation," which was set up by Tyre's mom to support school athletic programs in his memory.

He continued, "We know this donation is a very small gesture compared to the unexplainable tragic loss of Tyre one year ago today. But, it is our hope that this contribution will bring some comfort to Tyre’s family and serve as a positive reminder of Tyre for those student-athletes it supports."

As we reported ... 14-year-old Tyre died last year after falling from the 430-foot-high Orlando amusement park ride at ICON Park. It appeared Tyre was too big for the ride, yet he was still able to get on.

He was a gifted athlete, with a promising future ahead of him. During a presser, his dad said his football team was number one in the country at the time of his death.

His family recently reached a settlement, according to reports ... after filing a wrongful death suit against the amusement park last spring.

CeeLo Green Horse Entrance Meant To Be Funny ... I Love All Animals!!!

Published | Updated

CeeLo Green is responding to backlash over his horseback entrance to a birthday party ... he says the idea was all in fun, and he meant no ill intent towards the horse.

The singer broke his silence Friday after being dragged for the horse incident, explaining ... "I felt like it could be fun and funny to make a grand entrance on this beautiful animal for a very special occasion."

032323_ceelo_horse_kal
CEELO'S SLIP

Remember ... CeeLo rode into Wednesday's party on a horse, with the animal looking nervous around all the lights and partygoers, jolting around and slipping on the tile floor ... causing the horse to buckle and sending CeeLo crashing to the ground.

PETA came out strong against CeeLo ... telling us, "It doesn’t take a genius to know that horses don’t belong at a noisy, crowded party, where slippery floors and strobe lights can agitate these vulnerable animals."

CeeLo says he was just trying to show love to his late friend Shawty Lo -- the party was in Shawty's honor -- and he's chalking it up to his sense of humor.

CG claims he "went through all the proper channels to make that happen with no ill intent towards the animal." But he admits, "It should've been short and sweet but some malfunctions happened and it is what it is but know that I'm ok and yes the horse is ok as well."

Despite getting dragged online, CeeLo says it's just another day in his life.

Tom Sandoval, Raquel Leviss Destroyed At 'VPR' reunion ... Almost Became Physical

Published | Updated

Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss were dragged through the mud at the "Vanderpump Rules" reunion taping Thursday ... and we're told the show got so bad, Andy Cohen had to separate 2 other cast members to prevent an assault and battery.

Sources close to production tell TMZ ... the taping became explosive within 2 minutes, and never let up for the entire 5 hours of shooting. NO ONE sided with Tom and Raquel. Quite the contrary ... they were annihilated by everyone, including Lisa Vanderpump and Andy Cohen.

One source described it this way... "It was like a nuclear bomb went off in the studio."

As for which cast members almost got in the fight ... we know it was not Tom, Raquel or Ariana ... we're told the instigator "is not someone you'd guess."

Andy asked Tom and Raquel how their affair started -- they didn't give a time frame but said they hooked up but didn't immediately dive into a relationship ... there was some period of time before they were all in with each other.

As for Ariana ... it's interesting. She was equally enraged with Tom and Raquel. We're told she did not go over the top, even though she cried at times. One source said the way she was speaking and what she was saying sounded like she's had some serious therapy.

We're told Tom, in particular, was just destroyed ... so much so, they all took a break to calm down, but when they came back it was just as intense.

We covered the Scandoval developments in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast.

And, there's this ... Andy asked Tom and Raquel if they're still together, and the takeaway is that yes, they still are. But, a source close to production tells TMZ, "That relationship is like on an egg timer. It's not gonna last."

Cocaine Bear Bumping Up Resume To Officiate Blowout Wedding

Published | Updated

There's a bear-y special ceremony on deck in Kentucky ... where the real animal inspiration behind the "Cocaine Bear" movie script is set to officiate a wedding.

Here's the deal ... a museum in Lexington, KY is the current home of the infamous Cocaine Bear, a 175-pound black bear that died from a cocaine overdose way back in 1985, and a Kentucky couple chose him to pronounce them husband and wife.

The wedding's going down Monday at the Kentucky for Kentucky Fun Mall, where the Cocaine Bear will preside over and affirm the union of Alexandra and Armando.

Also known as Pablo Escobear, the black bear infamously stumbled upon 40 containers of cocaine in Georgia's Chattahoochee National Forest. The drugs were dropped from a plane piloted by convicted drug smuggler Andrew Thornton ... and the museum says the retired medical examiner who performed the bear's necropsy told them the bear's stomach was packed to the brim with cocaine when it died.

Cocaine Bear was stuffed by a taxidermist and it changed hands over the years, going from Georgia to Tennessee to Nevada before ending up in a Kentucky museum, where it's now a huge tourist attraction.

The museum's cofounder, Griffin VanMeter, was recently quoted in Roadside America saying, "As long as you feel that the person marrying you -- like Cocaine Bear -- has the authority, then that marriage can be binding here in Kentucky" ... and one couple took him seriously.

The museum says the place is going to be decked out with flowers and glowing hearts for Monday's wedding ceremony ... and the couple is inviting anyone and everyone to bear witness.

Memphis Women's Basketball Player Charged With Assault ... Over Handshake Line Punch

Published | Updated
032423_elissa_brett_kal
CHAOS ON THE COURT

The Memphis women's basketball player who socked an opponent in the face during a handshake line following a game Thursday night has been charged with assault, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to Bowling Green State Univ. officials ... Tigers senior guard Jamirah Shutes was hit with the criminal charge on Friday morning -- roughly 12 hours after she punched BGSU player Elissa Brett during an incident following their game in the women's NIT.

The two had gotten into a verbal argument after BGSU's 73-60 win ... which led to Shutes sucker-punching the woman in the face.

Brett crumpled to the court in pain, and was later seen in tears. According to police documents, cops noticed swelling in her right eye. The school said Friday, though, she is "recovering and doing well."

It's still unclear what sparked the altercation. A police investigation is ongoing, the university said.

BGSU added in a statement that it's also "conducting its own review" into the matter ... saying, "Violence is never acceptable and our priority remains the health, safety and support of our student-athlete."

Neither Shutes nor Brett has publicly commented on it all.

Memphis Univ. did release a statement on the matter on Friday morning, calling the incident "extremely unfortunate and certainly not consistent with, or representative of, our expectations for our programs and student-athletes."

The school said it is "cooperating fully" with authorities.

Chaka Khan Bday Bash Stevie, Tiffany Tell Her Something Good!!!

Published | Updated

Chaka Khan's celebrating her 70th birthday, and she can still turn up like her heyday in the '70s and '80s ... and she did with an assist from fellow icon, Stevie Wonder!

Chaka held court for her celebration Thursday night at Vortex recording studio in Hollywood, partying with a couple hundred guests who joined Stevie in singing happy birthday -- his version, of course.

Once Stevie got behind the keyboard the party was in full swing -- he and Chaka did her hit, "Tell Me Something Good" ... and then they belted out one of his Motown classics, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered."

Looks like Mr. Wonder worked up quite the appetite during the festivities ... we hear from folks inside the event, he brought in Chick-fil-A for his entourage, which he definitely enjoyed.

Joni Mitchell's another legend who came out to honor Chaka ... along with comedian Mike Epps, and later in the night Tiffany Haddish jumped on stage too.

Tiff got the band fired up to play "Proud Mary," as she belted out the lyrics and even attempted some of Tina Turner's moves.

We hear the party continued well past 1 AM -- so, Chaka ... your friends are definitely still feeling for you, and there's no doubt they love you!!!