TMZ.com Home

Talk about a thoughtful 25th birthday gift ...

Jordyn Woods celebrated Karl-Anthony Towns' quarter-century day over the weekend with a very special celebration -- complete with golf, gifts and some incredible tributes to his late mom.

FYI, the NBA star's mother, Jackie, passed away back in April after she contracted COVID-19.

KAT and his mother were extremely close and he was devastated when she died.

Woods decided she would use KAT's 25th birthday as an excuse to get him some very cool items to remember his mom -- including an unbelievable custom ring featuring the name "Jackie" decked out in gold and diamonds.

She also got him a fancy Louis Vuitton handbag with his mom's full name, "Jacqueline" painted on the side ... underneath a halo and a pair of angel wings.

Pretty touching gifts ...

There's more ... Woods also surprised KAT with a special golf outing at the legendary Torrey Pines course in San Diego.

She even got him a special golf-themed cake!!

The two have been dating for about a year -- and if you're wondering what KAT got Jordyn for her 23rd birthday back in Sept., those gifts weren't too shabby either!

We're talkin' 2 Birkin bags, a Chanel clutch and an autographed Michael Jordan jersey ... among other things.

Tory Lanez offered Megan Thee Stallion money in return for her silence after allegedly shooting her twice in the foot ... so she claims in a new interview.

The rapper says Tory begged her to stay quiet and tried to pay both her and her friend off shortly after the July incident ... for which Lanez has been charged with felony assault.

Megan tells GQ she was really scared because what happened with Tory went down during the middle of the national unrest and protests over police brutality and systemic racism. She says her response to Tory's offer was ... "I can't believe you even think I want to take some money. Like, you just shot me."

MTS goes on to call the incident and the weeks that followed the worst experience of her life, which as we reported ... included her first coming out publicly to address rumors and speculation, and then flat out accusing Tory of pulling the trigger.

Though Lanez has been charged with felony assault for allegedly inflicting great bodily injury on Megan -- and ordered to stay away from her -- he's defended himself by saying a charge is not a conviction ... and went even further on his new album.

Several of the tracks on the album seemingly profess his innocence ... and suggest Megan is a liar.

Barack Obama laid it all out on the table for "60 Minutes" -- offering advice to President Trump, dishing on how we can overcome systemic racism ... and giving rare insight into how pissed Michelle was at him for pushing for the presidency.

44 gave a wide-ranging interview to CBS's Scott Pelley, and the first order of business was Trump's refusal to concede the election ... despite a clear and decisive win for Joe Biden. Barack was asked what he might tell the sitting President in a time like this, and his answer was both meaningful and heartfelt ... this, to someone who by all accounts hates his guts.

Barack says if Trump wants at all to be remembered in any sort of favorable light -- even at this point -- the best thing to do is bow out gracefully and help Biden transition easily ... just like almost all administrations before him. Not only is it tradition -- it's the right thing to do, in BO's eyes anyway.

44 was also asked about systemic racism and police brutality -- specifically, about George Floyd and what he made of the video and the aftermath that followed. First, Barack said he had seen the clip -- which broke his heart. At the same time though, he also says he was heartened to see how many people, regardless of race or party, came out to decry Floyd's death and call it what it was ... murder.

As for what to do about police shootings on African-Americans, Obama said the issue will require more than just looking at how cops and police forces run -- although he said that needs to be reexamined and restructured as well.

In his mind, the police should be looking to get to the root of poverty, inequality and other issues in communities instead of just trying to "keep a lid on things," which he says so many officers in this country are trained to do. He also says that responsibility is on all of us, from the top down -- which extends to corporate America.

Lastly, Obama got brutally honest about how his political ambitions affected his family life -- especially as it pertains to his wife, Michelle, who told him she did NOT want him to run for President ... this according to Barack himself, as told in his new book, "A Promised Land."

Check out the clip to hear what she said to him -- it's clear the former First Lady wasn't totally on board with the White House stint, even after they'd won it. It also says a lot about Michelle's grace in general -- the fact we never saw this side in public speaks volumes.

Benny the Butcher is the latest rapper to suffer a gunshot wound below the belt this week -- this time, it happened out in Houston during what sounds like an attempted robbery.

Houston PD tells TMZ ... the New York rapper was in town Saturday and visiting a local Walmart with a couple friends in tow. While they were in their car in the lot, we're told a car with 5 guys inside pulled up next to them and whipped out guns ... demanding their chains.

Apparently, Benny and co. were moving too slow for the alleged robbers' liking ... and cops say one of the 5 fired a round into Benny's leg, which caused the crooks to flee. We're told Benny and his friends booked it too, but eventually pulled over and called the police.

Benny was taken to a hospital for treatment -- his condition is unknown at this time. Cops say the men who attempted to rob him are also still at large, and an investigation is underway.

You'll recall ... Boosie was also shot in the leg in the Lone Star state just a few hours away that same day. Somewhat different circumstances there, but same result ... he was left with a bullet hole in his leg as well. We've heard Boosie's gonna be alright, however.

We've reached out to Benny's rep for further comment ... so far, no word back.

A jetliner tragically hit a brown bear while landing in the dark of night, causing an alarming amount of damage to the jet -- but, thankfully, a nearby cub narrowly survived.

It was an Alaska Airlines plane that got caught up in the freak accident early Saturday morning, with the flight coming in from Cordova, AK and touching down at the Yakutat Airport before the sun had come out.

According to reports, all normal procedures were followed prior to landing -- airport personnel on the ground didn't see the mama brown bear and her cub crossing the runway ... this just 10 minutes after they'd done a scan and given the all-clear.

The plane struck the bear after it had landed and was coming to a stop, before taxiing to the gate. The aircraft's left engine hit the bear, and was clearly damaged afterward. Considering the size of a 737 compared to your average car ... you get a picture of just how dangerous an afternoon drive could be in Alaska.

No one on board the plane was injured, and a 2-year-old cub that was with its mom avoided the jet.

Jack Black's the hero 2020 needed ... getting down to the "WAP" challenge that'll make Cardi B proud.

The "Tropic Thunder" star threw on nothing but a red Speedo to pull off the hilarious challenge in a TikTok video he posted late Sunday night and captioned it, "Challenge accepted." The actor karate chopped, twerked and gyrated the hell out of the dance while getting soaked by a so-called "water technician."

Check out the video ... there's no way curiosity will let anyone not want to see the challenge -- which originated in August after the track dropped -- but beware ... because there's also no way to unsee it!!! It's worth it ... if starting the week off with a laugh is kinda your thing.

BTW ... the comments will also have ya rolling. One person responded saying Jack's dance looked like when a "fish accidentally jumps out of the bowl and lands on the floor." Robert Downey Jr. also implored, "Get it!!!"

New York could really use the COVID vaccine Trump's threatening to withhold ... the Big Apple's still seeing unsanitary practices in wet markets, and it's on video.

The latest gross-out spectacle was on full display in Queens, where folks with the animal rights nonprofit, NYCLASS, caught a glimpse of what's still going on in our domestic one-stop-shop slaughterhouses and live animal factories.

In the gnarly footage, you see an unattended dumpster absolutely overflowing with trash bags, which appear to be packed to the gills with cut-up animal parts ... you can see a severed chicken head in a bag at the top of the heap as the dumpster sits out in the open on a sidewalk.

Not only that ... check out the blood leaking from the dumpster and flowing into the street, filling up cracks in the pavement like a mini river and puddling up.

We're told the dumpster is outside the same wet market where a similar scene was filmed back in May, so it seems like nothing has changed.

NYC and the rest of the country are dealing with another COVID wave, so it's pretty harrowing to see these unsanitary conditions still in practice.

It goes without saying, this is a massive public health risk 8 months into the pandemic.

We've seen several of these wet market operations from coast to coast, like this stomach-turning scene in California.

Trump likes to talk about red states and blue states ... well remember, wet markets are also operating in ruby-red Texas.

Ya gotta wonder why these issues aren't being talked about on a national level ... this is supposedly how COVID got started in the first place, right? Seems most politicians don't wanna get near this, for whatever reason. So, the question is, why?

NYCLASS executive director Edita Birnkrant says she constantly files complaints with regulators and contacts politicians and health officials, but nothing ever happens.

Jeremih is fighting for his life, battling COVID-19 -- he's currently hospitalized in the ICU and the prognosis is bleak ... sources tell TMZ.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the R&B singer is being treated at a hospital for COVID-19. It's unclear how long he's been admitted, or how long he's had the virus ... but he is not doing well.

Word that he was seriously ill started percolating online Saturday -- with rappers like 50 Cent, Chance the Rapper, producer Hitmaka and others asking for prayers on Jeremih's behalf, but not necessarily saying what exactly was wrong with him at first.

Fitty was the only one who gave a bit more insight, claiming it was COVID-related -- while also saying Jeremih was hospitalized in his native city of Chicago.

50 wrote, "pray for my boy Jeremih he’s not doing good this covid s*** is real." He added, "he's in ICU in Chicago."

Chance also touched on the seriousness of the situation, writing ... "Please if you can take a second to pray for my friend Jeremih, he is like a brother to me and he’s ill right now. I believe in the healing power of Jesus so if you can for me please please say a prayer over him."

Nathan Apodaca -- the viral Fleetwood Mac "Dreams" skateboarder -- can add a new title to his long list of monikers ... HOMEOWNER!!!

According to sources familiar with the deal ... Nathan paid $320,000 in cash for a 5-bedroom, 3-bathroom crib in his hometown of Idaho Falls. We're told Nathan gets the keys to the house next week and he's still in shock over the purchase.

Remember ... before taking social media by storm after posting a video of himself drinking Ocean Spray juice and vibing to Fleetwood Mac on his skateboard, Nathan was living in an RV with no running water. The RV was parked in front of his brother's house, where he'd use the shower and toilet.

Not long after racking up more than 11 million views on his TikTok vid ... donations started pouring in from strangers all over the place. His merch also started selling like crazy. He had said he wanted to save up for a new ride and RV ... but after Ocean Spray gifted him a truck, it changed his plans for the better, which now includes a new home.

We're told Nathan liked the house because it's got enough room for him and his family ... his new fiancée, Estela Chavez and his 2 daughters and stepson -- 15-year-old Angelia, 14-year-old Makyla and 15-year-old stepson Andreas Chavez.

As if Nathan wasn't already raking in 2020 ... the dude's got even more reason to grin after recently getting new veneers worth a whopping $40k, courtesy of Dr. Aamir Wahab.

Amazing news from Demario Davis -- the Saints linebacker says his 1-year-old daughter is cancer free after being diagnosed with a rare eye disease earlier this year.

Carly-Faith Davis was diagnosed back in May with Retinoblastoma -- a disease that caused a tumor to form behind her left eye which required the eye to be surgically removed.

Carly-Faith -- who now has a custom prosthetic eye -- has recovered well and tests show the cancerous threat is gone!

TMZ Sports spoke with the 31-year-old about his daughter's recovery ... and Demario says his family is truly blessed.

"I'm a person that just never try to take anything for granted and to know what she's been through, even to the point of having to lose her eye, but her body is free of cancer," Davis tells us.

Demario says his youngest has maintained her joyful personality despite her challenging journey ... and even danced and cheered the Saints' most recent win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

"We're able to use her story and bring awareness to a lot of families that probably wouldn't of known about it if it wasn't for us going through it."

Davis says he is grateful for the doctors and resources his family was able to use during treatment ... and hopes their story will help others going through similar challenges.

"So, we're just anxious as parents to see if God is gonna take her eye what is He gonna restore her with, what is He gonna give her because we know He's not just gonna take something without giving a double portion back."

"It's exciting! That just seeing that video is just a reminder of so many blessings that we have around us."

Ledisi's giving Jussie Smollett a rave review as a first-time director, but more importantly -- she's going to bat for him as a human being ... regardless of what everyone else thinks.

The R&B artist and actress is starring in Smollett's upcoming movie, "B-Boy Blues," and she has nothing but glowing words for his debut behind the camera ... telling us she had a very fun time filming.

Ledisi also says she didn't think twice about signing on with Jussie -- and doesn't believe other actors did either -- because she loves him and he's always been there for her. She adds ... "He's a good human. He means well with everything he does."

Of course, we had to ask if she hesitated ... remember the January 2019 incident in which he allegedly staged a hate crime.

Though Ledisi clearly supports Jussie, she doesn't say he DIDN'T do what he's accused of. Instead, she tells us ... "He does good work. People make mistakes, and they do things around the wrong people."

She goes on to say Smollett's doing the right thing now by focusing on his work and insists his heart's in the right place.

Ya gotta think Jussie will appreciate his star's kind words, but he might take issue with her implication he made a mistake. As we've reported ... he still insists the "attack" was not a hoax, and says he has new evidence to back it up.

Before this pint-sized kid with a parasol was making people laugh on Comedy Central, she was just another little runt waiting for rain to fall in Cincinnati, Ohio.

This little lady brought the thunder and lightning when she performed her hilarious stand-up on stage at the popular Comedy Central roasts -- including The Roast of Alec Baldwin, Rob Lowe, and Bruce Willis. She is known for not being safe when it comes to telling jokes ... as she has proved with her own sketch comedy show, which was short-lived and only lasted 1 season.

You may also recognize her from her cameos in multiple Amy Schumer films.

SpaceX and NASA are about to once again send astronauts into space -- laying even more groundwork for what might become a regular thing ... and we'll be streaming the event live, with lift-off slated for 7:27 PM ET.

Elon Musk's shuttle program is embarking on yet another launch Sunday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida -- where the SpaceX team is firing its famed Dragon capsule into orbit ... only this time, it's carrying a few more helmeted cadets on the mission.

Three American astronauts are signed up for this job -- NASA's Mike Hopkins, Shannon Walker and Victor Glover -- and so is a Japanese astronaut named Soichi Noguchi. Check out their suits, BTW ... super sleek compared to what they used to rock back in the day.

That's technology, baby!!! Also ... fashion.

The 4-person crew is heading to the International Space Station, where they'll conduct scientific research for NASA. This is the second time this year that SpaceX has sent up humans in partnership with NASA -- in May, they sent up astronauts Doug Hurly and Bob Behnken to the ISS for a couple months ... now, they're upping the manpower. It's the first SpaceX commercial crew trip to the ISS.

This latest mission is a huge milestone -- it marks a huge pivot away from our reliance on Russian space travel -- something the U.S. has been heavily reliant on in recent years.

The fact SpaceX is helping with these types of trips more regularly proves it's a leading company for a lot more travel in the near future -- which could open the door for space tourism. The possibilities are endless, really.

The launch is scheduled for 7:27 PM ET. Houston, we have lift-off ... hopefully.

Kellyanne Conway seems to be on her way out at the White House, but she could still ride the coattails of her 16-year-old daughter ... who might be the next "American Idol!"

Claudia Conway just teased the fact that she's trying out for the reality singing competition show -- posting a video on TikTok in which she says she's about to audition and was in the process of filming her confessional. Claudia also says she's already met Seacrest 👀.

In her brief clip, Claudia turns the camera around and sure enough ... there's a film crew there. You can also see the 'Idol' logo behind her in what appears to be a soundstage setting -- so yeah, it seems legit. Word is 'AI' is, in fact, filming right now -- out here in Cali, no less.

A couple things about this ... for starters, welcome back to TikTok, kid!!! Remember, it looked like Claudia got grounded from using the app a little while ago after spilling alleged tea on Trump's COVID diagnosis, which her mom did NOT like ... as we saw first-hand.

Looks like Claudia's been back online for a minute now -- but the other question this brings up ... who the hell knew she could sing?!? While we mostly see Claudia lip-syncing and dancing to songs on TikTok -- like so many other users -- she actually has some videos of herself where she shows off her pipes. We gotta say ... she ain't half bad!!!

Now that she's 16 and meets the minimum criteria to try out ... it seems Claudia's gonna get some face time with Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Katy Perry soon enough here. Considering her rebellious streak, you also gotta wonder if mama bear knows about this 😅.

Anyhoo, something tells us she's got a TV career in the making -- and we might very well be seeing her get some air time when the new 'Idol' season kicks off next year. Stay tuned!

'Good Bones' star Karen Laine's home is the perfect place to drop one's pants and leave a mark -- at least that's what a brash burglar thinks ... since they've already done it twice.

The HGTV home renovator had her Indianapolis home burglarized recently, which made for the third time her house had been broken into and the 2nd time someone left behind a piece of crap as a f*** you -- that's what Karen's saying anyway, according to local media.

She told FOX59, "It's sort of an epithet to say I poop on you." Laine told another outlet that she thinks this is personal, because whoever deuced has done so twice now in the same place (the garage) where she says there's an obvious bathroom right there for the using.

As for what was taken -- Laine says her hubby's bike got jacked, her purse and some other stuff. Fortunately, Laine is a former prosecutor ... so as soon as she noticed her credit cards being used, she jumped on the case and started hitting places up for surveillance video.

Cops are looped in too, obviously, and she feels like they'll be able to catch the crook soon -- especially since they're apparently going to test the caca for DNA.

Donald Trump has just shockingly conceded the election ... or did he?

Trump manically jumped on twitter Sunday AM, grousing, "He [Biden] won because the Election was Rigged. NO VOTE WATCHERS OR OBSERVERS allowed, vote tabulated by a Radical Left privately owned company, Dominion, with a bad reputation & bum equipment that couldn't even qualify for Texas (which I won by a lot!), the Fake & Silent Media, & more."

Trump was reacting to FNC's Jesse Watters, who said, "There’s something that just doesn’t feel right about this. Joe Biden didn’t earn it, he didn’t really even campaign. He thought was going to lose, you could see it. He ran a losing campaign. So 10 days after the election, how’s he ahead?"

Twitter was quick NOT to cut Trump a break, flagging his tweet as "disputed."

Trump later took back/clarified his "concession," saying, "I concede NOTHING! We have a long way to go. This was a RIGGED ELECTION!"

Trump's protestations have, so far, amounted to nothing. He and his team have been thrown out of court over a dozen times, because they presented no evidence of voter fraud.

As for why Trump won't concede ... well, the easy answer is that he just can't admit defeat, but the core answer is different. Trump will NEVER concede. He will convince his supporters he was robbed and he will continue beating that drum for 4 years. He will beat the drum on TV, radio and online. He will announce his run for 2024, almost like a leader in exile who makes a play to return to his country.