Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Sued by MeidasTouch ... Blocking Us is Unconstitutional!!!
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is getting hit with one of the side effects of holding elected office in the 21st century -- she's getting sued for blocking someone on Twitter.
The freshman Republican congresswoman from Georgia just got slapped with a lawsuit by a political action committee that's actually pretty popular online. It's called MeidasTouch, and they're known for criticizing politicians -- especially right-leaning ones -- and getting unique hashtags trending every now and then ... much like The Lincoln Project or Really American.
Expel her. Now. pic.twitter.com/7RTCl2WHuw
— MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch) January 31, 2021 @MeidasTouch
Anyway, according to the docs -- obtained by TMZ and filed by Ben Meiselas and Michael Popok -- Meidas says Greene blocked them at some point after Jan. 6 ... which they believe was in direct response to her being ticked off about their scrutiny/commentary of her for allegedly posting conspiracy theories.
As a result, Meidas says it's unable to view any of her tweets from her official account -- @mtgreenee from which she more often tweets personal views -- which they claim is unconstitutional, because she's a public political figure.
In the suit, Meidas claims she can't ice someone out just because she disagrees with them.
Marjorie is so on the fringe that she received a call from the leader of the party today to congratulate her on a job well done. pic.twitter.com/RmYj9Vdkso
— MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch) January 30, 2021 @MeidasTouch
It's interesting ... they cite another famous example of political Twitter blocking involving Trump ... who was sued a few years ago for blocking someone in a similar situation. In that case, the federal court ruled it was unconstitutional to block specific viewpoints in this way ... although Trump's lawyers are trying to appeal the case to the Supreme Court.
This isn't just a GOP issue, BTW -- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was also recently sued over this exact type of thing. Meidas is asking the court for damages and to force Rep. Greene to unblock them.
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Kyle Rittenhouse Prosecutors Say He's Not Taking This Seriously ... Hike Up His Bond, Judge!!!
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Kyle Rittenhouse, the teen charged with homicide in the Kenosha, WI killings, isn't complying with his bond ... according to prosecutors, who want him to pay $200k more.
The State of Wisconsin claims Rittenhouse is no longer living at the address listed with the court, and has failed to update it within 48 hours of moving ... which violates the conditions of his bond.
Prosecutors claim Rittenhouse has not lived where he claims he's living since at least mid-December -- based on an investigation by Kenosha PD -- and has failed to provide the court with his current address for weeks.
According to legal docs ... this means the court can't effectively monitor his whereabouts.
Further, the State claims Rittenhouse has no incentive to comply with his bond conditions because neither he nor his family had to come up with his $2 million bond ... rather the money came from a "dubious Internet fundraising campaign."
Prosecutors claim Rittenhouse, therefore, has no financial stake, and doesn't care to follow the rules ... which they say he demonstrated by hitting up a bar last month, allegedly hanging with Proud Boys members and flashing white supremacy hand signs.
The State of Wisconsin's asking the judge to increase Rittenhouse's bond by another $200k in an attempt to get him to take it more seriously.
As you'll recall ... Rittenhouse is charged over the killing of 2 protesters and wounding a 3rd during the civil unrest in Kenosha that exploded following Jacob Blake's shooting. Video allegedly shows him shooting 2 of the 3 people before walking right past police.
He's currently out of jail after posting the $2 mil bail, which as we reported ... was made possible by supportive donors, including actor Ricky Schroder.
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Morgan Wallen Denounced After Hurling Racial Slur Radio, Sirius, Label, CMT Shelve Him
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12:06 PM PT -- A spokesperson for Emmis Communications tells TMZ ... it's yanking Morgan's music from its only country-programmed radio station, Hank FM, in Indianapolis.
A spokesperson for Cox Media Group also tells us effective immediately his music and content will be removed from its country-brand station playlists.
10:49 AM PT -- A spokesperson for SiriusXM tells TMZ ... the satellite radio company has pulled Morgan's content from SiriusXM as well as the streaming service Pandora, which Sirius owns.
9:39 AM PT -- The hits just keep on coming for Morgan -- now, his own record label has put him on the shelf ... saying his contract with them is on a freeze, for now.
Big Loud -- an independent label based in Nashville -- says "In the wake of recent events, Big Loud Records has made the decision to suspend Morgan Wallen’s contract indefinitely." They go on to say Republic Records -- which distributes his music -- is fully onboard too, adding ... "such behavior will not be tolerated."
It's unclear what an indefinitely suspended contract means big picture -- but it sounds like they're stopping short of dropping Morgan from their roster, and just putting any music biz of his on pause for a time.
CMT -- Country Music Television -- is also pulling the plug on him, saying they're removing any appearances or performances of Morgan's on their platform ... as they don't tolerate that type of language which contradicts their core values.
9:01 AM PT -- You can now add iHeartRadio -- the nation's largest radio chain -- to the list of platforms yanking Morgan's music. iHeart announced Wednesday it's pulling the plug on airing the disgraced country star's music in wake of his using a racial slur.
A spokesperson for the company, which has nearly 1,000 radio stations in the U.S., said, "In light of Morgan Wallen’s recent actions involving the use of a racial slur, we have made the decision to remove his music and content from our stations effective immediately."
7:45 AM PT -- Country star Mickey Guyton -- one of a small handful of well-known Black singers in the genre -- just spoke her piece about Morgan's situation ... and she gives some poignant insight, including an olive branch for Morgan himself.
She writes, "When I read comments saying 'this is not who we are' I laugh because this is exactly who country music is. I’ve witnessed it for 10 gd years. You guys should just read some of the vile comments hurled at me on a daily basis. It’s a cold hard truth to face but it is the truth."
Mickey goes on to say that she's often questioned why she fights to stay in an industry that has shown it hates her at times because of the color of her skin, but goes on to explain that she does so because of the proverbial bright-eyed artist ... who aspires to contribute to what Mickey characterizes as a beautiful style of music, and for whom she wants to fight.
She also wrote in a huge list of country stars she's aware of who she says are actually great people and ambassadors of the genre -- including Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley, Kacey Musgraves, Carrie Underwood, Kree Harrison, Chris Young, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban and many, many more. Mickey finished her thoughts with a rebuke of "cancel culture" too.
MG says people need to be given a chance to change, including Morgan -- and hopes he sees the error in his ways ... adding that tossing someone out permanently isn't a solution.
Morgan Wallen is feeling an immediate backlash after using the n-word -- music platforms are dropping him left and right, and fellow country artists are also condemning his behavior.
The singer's music was reportedly banned from Cumulus Media overnight, which is one of the biggest radio chains for country music across the nation. A directive from the station's brass told all their affiliates to scrub anything Morgan for Wednesday's slate of programming.
The memo, obtained by Variety, reads ... "MORGAN WALLEN — EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. Team, unfortunately country music star Morgan Wallen was captured on video Sunday evening using a racial slur. Effective immediately we request that all of Morgan Wallen’s music be removed from our playlists without exception. More to follow."
Many of his own peers are decrying his use of the racial slur too -- but there seem to be differences of opinion on whether this is an isolated incident or a bigger problem that's just coming to light now.
For example, country star Kelsea Ballerini wrote ... "The news out of Nashville tonight does not represent country music," to which Maren Morris responded ... "It actually IS representative of our town because this isn’t his first “scuffle” and he just demolished a huge streaming record last month regardless. We all know it wasn’t his first time using that word. We keep them rich and protected at all costs with no recourse."
JANUARY 2021
Despite that, nobody appears to be watering down Morgan dropping the slur ... or excusing it. So, there's a united front there.
TMZ broke the story ... Morgan was filmed by a neighbor Sunday night getting rowdy with his friends, and then dropping the n-word as he made his way inside, seemingly telling a buddy to rough somebody up.
He issued an apology, saying there were no excuses for his behavior ... and promising to do better. It might be too little too late though -- which is a shame for him, because MW was the king of country this past month ... breaking streaming records, and getting tons of love.
Originally Published -- 6:39 AM PT
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'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' James Marsters Getting Divorced
James Marsters -- best known for his role in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" -- is about to be single again ... his wife has filed for divorce.
According to court records ... the actor's wife, Patricia Jasmin Rahman, filed divorce docs Wednesday in L.A. County Court. Their split comes 10 years after the couple tied the knot in a private ceremony in L.A.
Patricia and James had what used to be called a May-September relationship -- he's 23 years older than her -- but that's not all that uncommon in Hollywood these days. They didn't have any children together.
James -- who played the British vampire Spike and who also appeared in the 'Buffy' spin-off "Angel" -- has been down this road before. He'd previously married Liane Davidson back in 1989. They got divorced in 1997, and have one son.
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Teen Killed By PA State Troopers Ben Crump Filing Federal Lawsuit ... Mother's Emotional Plea
The Pennsylvania State Troopers who shot and killed a suicidal teenager are about to be sued ... and his heartbroken mother has a question for the cops who killed her only son.
Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Devon Jacob are representing Christian Hall's family, and they just announced plans to file suit and are calling for an internal investigation into his death at the hands of law enforcement.
As we reported ... PA State Troopers responding to a call about a suicidal man on a highway overpass in Hamilton Township back in December ended up shooting him dead during a standoff that played out before horrified drivers watching from below.
Police say 19-year-old Hall was holding a handgun when troopers arrived and initially obeyed orders to place the weapon on the ground ... but cops say he later reached for the weapon, started walking toward troopers and pointed the gun at them, so they opened fire.
Crump says Hall was having a mental health crisis at the time and was crying out for help, but instead of de-escalating the situation, troopers settled it with a gun.
Hall's mother got super emotional as she wondered why her son was killed by those who were supposed to help him ... and she asks the troopers how they would feel if their child suffered the same fate.
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Morgan Wallen Hurls N-Word After Rowdy Night Out Apologizes, 'I Promise to Do Better.'
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JANUARY 2021
Morgan Wallen returned home Sunday from a rowdy night with friends, and as he walked up his driveway he hurled the n-word and other profanities, it's all on video and Wallen is remorseful.
The country star and a group of buddies had just spent a night out in Nashville. When they arrived at Morgan's home at around midnight, they were extremely loud ... honking horns and talking loudly ... loud enough to piss off neighbors. One of the neighbors began recording the antics.
As Morgan appears to stumble toward his house, he tells someone to watch over a guy in his group. He says ... "take care of this "p****-ass mother******" -- and then goes on to say, "take care of this p****-ass n*****" ... before finally heading in.
JANUARY 2021
Video from a neighbor's doorbell cam shows the scene before Morgan hurled the profanities and racial epithet, and it's apparent why neighbors looked outside.
The video (above) was recorded Monday morning -- again by the same neighbor ... more clearly showing Morgan as he left his home with a friend.
As for Sunday, it's unclear exactly where Morgan went, but we do know he made at least one stop at Luke Bryan's restaurant, 32 Bridge, where he jumped on stage for a quick performance.
This is just the latest incident with Morgan. You'll recall days before he was slated to appear on "Saturday Night Live," video surfaced of him partying it up in a bar without a mask and interacting and kissing several women. He was axed from the 'SNL' show but given another chance a few weeks later.
Wallen tells TMZ, "I’m embarrassed and sorry. I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back. There are no excuses to use this type of language, ever. I want to sincerely apologize for using the word. I promise to do better.”
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Lamar Odom Fighting Aaron Carter In Celeb Boxing Match ... 'Gonna Be a War'
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Lamar Odom has agreed to fight Aaron Carter in a celebrity boxing match in June, TMZ Sports has learned ... and the training is already underway!
41-year-old Odom will take on the 33-year-old Carter at the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City on June 12 in a 3 round exhibition, Celebrity Boxing honcho Damon Feldman tells us.
Besides the age difference ... there's a significant height differential -- Odom is 6'10" and Carter is 6'1".
Odom obviously has a background as a professional athlete -- playing 14 seasons in the NBA.
He nearly died in 2015 from an overdose at a Nevada brothel -- and subsequently suffered several strokes and heart attacks. Some doctors didn't believe he'd fully recover.
Miraculously, Odom beat the odds and returned to the basketball court during a short stint with the BIG3 league in 2019.
Now, he's turning to boxing ... where he hopes to put a beating on Aaron Carter, who's also struggled with addiction. He sought treatment in 2017.
Both men have been busting their asses in the gym and we're told they're taking the fight very seriously ... no one wants to be the next Nate Robinson!
Sure, Aaron might appear to be the underdog -- but Carter tells TMZ Sports he "grew up street fighting" and he's ready for the challenge.
Damon Feldman -- who's been behind a ton of celebrity boxing events over the years -- says this fight has real potential to be the best one yet.
"It's gonna be a war, man. It's gonna be a knockout, no doubt."
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Drake Champagne Partner Sues Retailer ... Claims Bigotry Against Rapper
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A champagne company in which Drake's heavily invested claims it got screwed by a distributor that's treating its luxury product like cheap booze ... and it thinks "racial bigotry" is involved.
Mod Selection is suing the retail store Total Wine & More for allegedly conspiring with the distributor Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits to destroy the brand ... and claims the distributor was downright racist when it came to marketing the champagne.
According to docs, Mod entered an agreement with Southern in 2018, but claims the distributor failed to market the high-end champagne the right way ... and it all comes back to the famous rapper.
Drake -- who's not suing or being sued, but is described in the suit as an investor and brand ambassador for Mod Selection -- was holding a bottle of it on stage in 2019 when he accepted his Billboard Music Award for Best Male Artist.
In the docs ... Mod says Drake permitted the company to use his name, image and likeness to promote and market their champagne, but Mod claims Southern Glazer damaged that relationship when it "repeatedly subjected [Drake] to browbeating and dismissive treatment."
Mod claims Drake considered this treatment to be motivated by "racial bigotry" ... and says he was also angry Southern marketed Mod as a "black" or "rapper's" champagne ... suggesting racial insensitivity. Attorneys for Mod tell us they have texts from Drake calling out Southern.
All of this led to Southern terminating its deal with Mod in 2019, but Mod alleges the distributor twisted the knife one last time ... by dumping its remaining Mod supply at Total Wine & More locations for as low as $49-149 per bottle -- when it should be selling for $300-400.
Drake's high-powered attorney, Larry Stein, says he doesn't know if Drake sent angry texts to Mod Selection -- but says he's been involved in all the negotiations and had no idea Mod was even filing this lawsuit.
He adds, Drake is not involved with the suit, and at no point did Drake or his team raise any issue of racial bias.
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T.J. Osborne Comes Out as Gay
T.J. Osborne is coming out as gay, and it's a milestone for country music ... he's the first and only openly gay man signed to a major country music label.
The Brothers Osborne frontman came out in an interview with Time Magazine, becoming one of the only country music stars to share their truth in their prime.
While T.J. is making history here, he says coming out isn't too big a deal for him even though he had a few reservations about industry reaction ... telling Time, "I'm very comfortable being gay."
The Brothers Osborne signed to EMI Records Nashville back in 2012, and they've since released 3 studio albums with 7 singles in the country music Top 40 ... despite the success, T.J. says he's curious how he'll be received the next time he performs in a rural town at a county fair.
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T.J. says he knew he was gay at young age, and found being closeted isolating and lonely, so he started pouring his emotions into his music. He says he's been out to his friends and family for years, and coronavirus lockdown made him decide it was finally time to come out publicly.
Fans and other country music artists are already showing their support ... and T.J. says he's proud to come out, and believes it will help his relationship with fans, family and himself.
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Dr. Fauci Cancel Your Super Bowl Parties! ... 'Lay Low And Cool It'
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Watching Patrick Mahomes vs. Tom Brady WITHOUT a party could help save lives ... so says Dr. Anthony Fauci, who's urging people to "lay low and cool it" for this year's Super Bowl.
The infectious disease expert appeared on "Good Morning America" on Wednesday and pled with the nation to cancel SB LV parties ... fearing big gatherings for the big game could lead to the spread of coronavirus.
"The one thing you don't want to do, you don't want to be somebody that's putting a damper on anything," Fauci said, "but you don't want parties with people that you haven't had much contact with."
"You just don't know if they're infected."
Instead, Fauci suggested watching the game at home by yourself or with your housemates.
"Enjoy it," Fauci said. "Have a party in your house with your family with the people who were there."
Fauci's plea comes just days after the CDC also recommended the cancelation of large Super Bowl parties.
In their guidelines for safe Super Bowl watching, CDC officials said, "Gathering virtually or with the people you live with is the safest way to celebrate the Super Bowl this year."
"If you do have a small gathering with people who don’t live with you, outdoors is safer than indoors. This year, choose a safer way to enjoy the game."
Kickoff for the Bucs vs. Chiefs matchup is 3:30 p.m. PT on Sunday. Please mask up and be safe!
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John Travolta Recreates Iconic 'Grease' Dance ... For New Super Bowl Ad
John Travolta has been reborn to hand jive ... he's bringing back his famous dance from "Grease" in a fun new Super Bowl ad with his daughter ... and ya gotta see their moves!!!
The "Grease" star and his 20-year-old daughter, Ella, re-imagined an iconic scene from the '70s classic in an ad for ScottsMiracle-Gro ... and while John struggles with a selfie stick, the 66-year-old can still dance his face off.
John brings back the famous "Sha Na Na - Born to Hand Jive" choreography from "Grease" ... only this time he's swapping out OG dance partner Olivia Newton-John for Ella, and they totally nail the routine!
Yeah, lots has changed since John played a T-Bird, but his dance skills are a constant.
The bit is chock full of celebs ... Martha Stewart gives John props for his hand jive, while Carl Weathers, "The Office" star Leslie David Baker and NASCAR stud Kyle Busch also make some hilarious appearances.
It's a pretty expensive homage to "Grease" too ... 30-second ads running during Superbowl LV on CBS are going for at least $5.5 million.
Worth it!!!
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Ja Rule Put It On Me, Harvard!!! Check Out My Biz Certificate
Dave Chappelle once famously asked, "Where is Ja?!?" -- and for now, the answer is ... on the graduating side of Harvard's online program for biz wizzes.
The rapper and businessman posted the results for his enrollment at Harvard Business School Online Certificate Program ... and it says clear as day -- Jeffrey Atkins (Ja's government name) has successfully completed it.
Looks like there's a focus he was specializing in too ... Entrepreneurship Skills. The description reads ... "This certificate program introduces a framework -- People, Opportunity, Context, Deal -- to evaluate opportunities, manage start-ups, and finance ventures."
Ja Rule was humblebragging about the accomplishment, tweeting ... "I ain’t the sharpest knife in the drawer buuuuut..." OK, we see ya, JR! And, we gotta say, the timing's kinda perfect.
Remember, Ja's got a few things in the oven on the tech and start-up front -- including a new app he's launching called Iconn, which facilitates celeb bookings. He gave us the rundown on it not too long ago, and even invited former Prez Trump to join.
No Proud Boys -- or Proud Boy hate-mongering -- is allowed though, as he made clear in our interview.
And, of course, we know Ja's big into finance -- as he recently weighed in on Robinhood's controversial limiting of trades amid the crazy surge of GameStop dealing. So yeah, things are a-cookin' for him ... and even more so now that he's got a Hahvahd education.
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Dustin Diamond Working on a Comeback Before Cancer ... With Screech's Robot!!!
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Dustin Diamond was working on a "Saved by the Bell" reboot of his own before he got sick and tragically passed ... bringing back Screech's sidekick for a series of insurance ads.
Dustin's friend, Dan Block of Insurance King, tells TMZ ... they've been working on building their very own Kevin -- Screech's A.I. creation on the original series -- over the past year.
We're told the plan was to shoot a series of commercials with Dustin and Kevin ... where he introduces the robot he built to help save money on car insurance.
Dustin did a bunch of ads for Insurance King already over the years, but this was going to be a new campaign. Sadly, he got sick and passed away before the robot was complete and filming was set to begin.
On the bright side ... Dan says the robot will be complete in the next week, and he wants to offer it to "Saved by the Bell" producers to use in the reboot.
As we've told you ... despite Dustin's desire to be included in the 'SBTB' reboot, he was never asked to join the cast for season 1. However, his rep tells us they were in talks with producers in November 2020 about possibly reviving some Screech storylines for future episodes.
Sadly, that won't be possible with Dustin now, but thanks to his pals at Insurance King ... Screech's sidekick Kevin still might be able to provide an homage.
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President Biden, First Lady Pay Respects to Slain Capitol Officer ... Lies in Honor at Rotunda
FEBRUARY 2021
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are among the dignitaries paying respects to Capitol PD Officer Brian Sicknick ... who was killed during the Jan. 6 insurrection.
The Bidens arrived, unannounced, Tuesday night at the Capitol and walked up to the table where Sicknick's remains were placed in the Capitol Rotunda -- the hallowed ground the officer was defending when he was killed.
The President's somber visit stands in stark contrast to his predecessor -- as former President Trump is about to stand trial in the Senate for inciting the very riot that cost Sicknick his life.
Several members of Congress -- including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer -- also paid their respects. Sicknick died in a hospital on January 7 from the injuries he'd suffered during the failed coup.
He is just the fifth private citizen to lie in honor at the Capitol. Two other Capitol cops -- killed in the line of duty in 1998 -- along with Rosa Parks in 2005 and Billy Graham in 2018 also got the honor.
Sicknick's remains will be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
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Silento Family Rallying Behind Him ... After Charge for Cousin's Murder
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Silento's family is banding together on the heels of his arrest for allegedly murdering his cousin ... and they’re addressing reports the rapper's been battling mental health issues.
A rep for Silento, Chanel Hudson, tells TMZ ... the family's trying to move forward as a close-knit group. As we reported, the rapper's facing a murder charge in Georgia for the fatal shooting of his cousin, Frederick Rooks.
We're told the family is reeling from both events -- Rooks' death on Jan. 21, and then Silento's arrest 11 days later.
Hudson claims Silento's been suffering from a "series of mental health illnesses" for years, including depression and we're told the family echoes her concern about his well-being.
Silento is being held without bail in DeKalb County Jail and his entertainment attorney, Bernie Lawrence-Watkins, tells TMZ ... he needs a psychiatric evaluation ASAP and should be watched closely.
She told us they don't think he would take his life behind bars, but admits "anything is possible," and they want to make sure the jail is taking proper precautions.
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Silento had an opportunity to get mental health treatment in 2019 after he appeared on "The Doctors" to talk about depression -- however we're told he never followed through. Folks on his team feel that's when things started to unravel.
The 23-year-old was arrested twice last year ... once for allegedly doing 143 MPH, and another time for threatening people with a hatchet.
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Gene Simmons I Wanna Pack and Move All Night!!! Unloads H'Wood Hills Pad
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Gene Simmons has officially kissed his Hollywood Hills crib goodbye ... selling it for a cool $2 million.
The rock star sold his 3-story pad that sits in Laurel Canyon for just a tad under the $2.2 million asking price. The house, and its views, are a beaut ... with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and iconic 180-degree views of downtown L.A., the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Park Observatory, Beverly Hills and the Pacific Ocean.
As we reported ... the house offers a spacious deck and tons of living space ... with 2,345 square feet that's perfectly suited for any rock star.
As for his other crib ... the KISS singer and bassist's Beverly Hills estate remains on the market, but the price on that one is a tad higher ... at $22 million. That one's way more house!
Lisa Young and Kennon Earl of Compass held the listing.