TMZ.com Home

Larry Flynt -- the famous and controversial publisher known for launching a porn empire -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Family sources tell us the mogul passed Wednesday morning in Los Angeles from heart failure.

For nearly 50 years, Flynt's been one of the biggest names in the adult entertainment industry. He launched "Hustler" magazine in 1974, which brought him fame and fortune as it skyrocketed in popularity ... and also brought countless legal issues.

Many of these First Amendment battles were chronicled in the Oscar-nominated 1996 film, "The People vs. Larry Flynt," starring Woody Harrelson.

Flynt's magazine and notoriety also led to him being shot in 1978 in a murder attempt by serial killer Joseph Paul Franklin. The shooting left Larry paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair, and he suffered from constant pain and other medical issues as a result.

Along with being the name behind the Hustler brand, Flynt's the president of Larry Flynt Publications ... which produces other magazines like "Barely Legal," pornographic videos and Hustler TV.

He also opened the famous Hustler Casino near L.A. in 2000.

Flynt dabbled in politics, controversially of course, by attempting a brief presidential run in 1984 and running for Governor of California in the 2003 recall election. He also weighed in during Bill Clinton's impeachment trial by offering $1 million for evidence of sexual transgressions to publish his "The Flynt Report."

As for his personal life ... Flynt was married 5 times. He married his current wife, Elizabeth Berrios, in 1998. He has 5 daughters and a son, along with many grandchildren and great-grandkids.

Larry was 78.

Tom Brady is such a VIP in the Tampa area, he gets a police escort on land and on water!!!

The Tampa Bay Bucs QB just arrived to the official Super Bowl boat parade which will take place on the Hillsborough River -- where players, coaches and staff will float around the Davis Islands before ending up at Sparkman Wharf.

Event organizers felt this was the safest way to celebrate the team since we're still in the middle of the COVID pandemic.

Boaters are allowed in the water but they must stay at least 50 feet from the vessels containing Bucs players and staff.

Tom is out in the brand new boat we told you about back in December -- it's a multi-million dollar state-of-the-art 40-foot vessel with all the bells and whistles.

It's named "Viva a Vida" -- which seems to be inspired by his wife Gisele's environmental conservation initiative.

By the way, Brady's teammates are showing big love to the QB who helped get them their championship ... with dudes wearing shirts that feature Tom's old draft picture on them!!

Head coach Bruce Arians, meanwhile, is already on the water holding the Lombardi Trophy. Other players are expected to arrive shortly.

story developing ...

Morgan Wallen's album sales are still rising -- despite the industry largely canceling him for using the n-word -- but that boost is actually helping the NAACP, financially.

The country music star's second album, "Dangerous: The Double Album," is still topping the Billboard charts and selling like hotcakes. That means more money in the pockets of Morgan and his songwriters ... one of whom, Jason Isbell, is handing over his share to the NAACP's Nashville chapter.

Jason wrote the song, "Cover Me Up," on the album ... and the 4-time Grammy winner says he's donating everything he's made from the track.

Morgan's been shelved by SiriusXM, iHeart Radio, County Music Television, Big Loud Records, Cox Media Group, Emmis Communications and the Academy of Country Music, among others ... but Jason wants fans to keep buying the album so he can keep paying it forward.

The President of the Nashville NAACP will likely appreciate Jason's gesture. As we reported, the org's already extended an olive branch to Morgan ... hoping to make this controversy a teachable moment for him.

G-Eazy just got some protection from a woman he claims keeps lurking outside his home ... but he was not able to get his ex, Ashley Benson, that same protection.

According to new legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- the rapper's been dealing with a woman he believes has had a "celebrity-fixation" on him for several months.

G-Eazy claims Monika Andrody has shown up at his Hollywood Hills home on several occasions, she rings the doorbell at his gate and paces in front of it. He says he always calls the cops, but she leaves before they arrive.

But, things got really bad in November 2020 when he says she started showing up at all hours of the night and ringing the doorbell ... and he claims she did it again as recently as January 15.

The rapper says he's afraid Andrody will show up at a public event and try to make physical contact, and insists her constant doorbell interruptions have wrecked his peace of mind while he's at home.

G-Eazy filed for the temporary restraining order last week, and at the time he asked the judge to extend the protection to his girlfriend, Ashley. However, at least until there's a hearing, the judge has only granted it for him.

Tessica Brown, the woman who put Gorilla Glue in her hair, is on the final leg of her painful saga -- she's made it to L.A., where a surgeon's waiting to operate.

Tessica touched down at LAX bright and early Wednesday morning, flying in from Louisiana to see the Beverly Hills doctor who says he can fix her rock-solid hair with a lengthy procedure.

She's got her infamous hairdo hidden under a hoodie, which is a lot easier to do now that she's finally managed to chop off her ponytail.

Tessica says her scalp is still in dire straits ... and it's almost time for Dr. Michael Obeng to try and work his magic. Remember, he's offering to perform a $12,500 procedure for free, using medical-grade glue remover to rid her hair of Gorilla Glue once and for all.

Tessica's been to hell and back since substituting Gorilla Glue Spray Adhesive for her normal hair spray ... but now she's got a glimmer of hope.

Stay tuned.

Rebecca Black has passed hundreds of Fridays since the release of her viral hit song, and as releases a remix ... she's hopeful and thankful for the 10-year ride.

The "Friday" singer came on "TMZ Live" Wednesday -- 10 years to the day since the OG's release -- to discuss a new spin on her classic tune, which now features Dorian Electra, Big Freedia and 3OH!3.

RB herself's rocking a wild outfit in the video ... way different from the first version when she was just 13.

Of course, "Friday" blew up in 2011 ... but not for all the right reasons. It was mocked and ridiculed at the time -- as was Rebecca, but even in light of all that, Rebecca tells us she's happy to have gone through it and come out the other side.

She says while she's glad some folks have embraced the song as their end-of-week ritual -- Rebecca also believes those who put her through the wringer all those years ago have learned a lesson in humanity.

We'll let Rebecca explain for herself -- but long story short, the bullying she went through in the early 2010s simply wouldn't be tolerated today. It's just unfortunate it took damn near a decade for everyone to realize that.

All good, though ... Rebecca's keeping her chin up. Check out the remix too -- much of the same lyrics and beat, but it's a whole other vibe.

Lauren London is NOT pregnant contrary to a rumor that's running amok ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... there is no truth to a report from a weekly L.A. outlet "confirming" Nipsey Hussle's widow is pregnant.

That's backed up by J Roc, a close family friend who was also Nipsey's bodyguard, who is also shooting down the story -- calling it "fake news" -- and calling out those spreading the rumor.

Lauren has 2 children ... including Nipsey's son, Kross Ermias Asghedom.

The rumors, btw, started spreading after the L.A. Sentinel News -- which is headquartered in Nipsey's Crenshaw neighborhood -- claimed it "confirmed" Lauren was about to announce her pregnancy.

But, again ... our sources say it's just not true.

As for J Roc's social media reference to "What It Feel Like" -- that's the new track pairing Nipsey and Jay-Z for the first time. It's on the soundtrack to the new film "Judas and the Black Messiah," and drops later this week.

Bruce Springsteen is in the middle of a DWI case after he was busted in his home state ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the Boss was arrested on November 14 at Gateway National Recreation Area in Sandy Hook, NJ. Springsteen was cited for DWI, reckless driving and consuming alcohol in a closed area. He'll have a court appearance coming in the next few weeks.

We're told the rock icon was cooperative throughout the arrest. As far as we can tell, this is his first arrest for DWI.

The DWI news comes on the heels of a different first for Bruce -- he was featured in his first-ever commercial on Super Bowl Sunday for Jeep. The 2-minute ad featured Bruce in an unspecified middle America type town ... offering his patriotic vision and a message of hope.

We've reached out to Springsteen's camp for comment, but no word back yet.

Alleah Taylor is revealing the disturbing injury photos taken after she was brutally attacked by NFL lineman Chad Wheeler ... and she's explaining why he needs to be locked up in prison.

Taylor appeared on "CBS This Morning" and told reporter Jericka Duncan the injuries she suffered during the Jan. 22 incident at their Washington apartment will require treatment for the rest of her life.

"I still have to regularly get my concussion checked. I have bolts and a steel plate I'm gonna have forever in my arm. I'm gonna have to deal with this the rest of my life."

As we previously reported, Taylor claims Wheeler -- who played for the Seattle Seahawks at the time -- "snapped" and got violent with her in an apparent manic episode. They had been dating for roughly 6 months at the time.

She claims Wheeler had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder before the attack but had recently stopped taking his medicine.

During the attack, Taylor says the NFL player demanded she "bow down" to him -- and when she refused, he beat and choked her within an inch of her life.

Cops eventually arrived and subdued Wheeler after an intense physical struggle. He was arrested and hit with multiple domestic violence charges.

When asked if she thinks Wheeler's actions were triggered by a mental health episode, she told CBS, "To be honest, I don't know."

She continued, "He went and ate dinner after he did this to me. And he didn’t take the same approach with the cops as he did with me."

Wheeler is facing up to 12 years in prison if convicted on domestic violence charges.

Taylor was asked if she thinks Wheeler should do time and replied, "Yes, I definitely do think that he should."

Taylor says she's "beyond grateful" to be alive -- and feels god blessed her with a second chance at life.

"I want to try to use the time I've been blessed with to help other people and to get this story out and to make sure people don't feel alone and to make sure this doesn’t happen again."

Kevin Federline is not taking Sam Asghari's lead -- he has no plans to get involved in Britney Spears' feud with her dad because, for him, everything's working just fine.

Kevin's not seeing anything that would cause him to take action opposing her conservatorship or Jamie Spears ... according to his powerhouse attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan.

K-Fed's attorney tells us Kevin would obviously be concerned if there was something going on between Britney and Jamie that could harm their sons, Jayden and Sean -- but Kevin does not feel the conservatorship is negatively impacting his children.

As you know ... Britney's BF is beefing with her father, calling him a "total dick" who meddled in their relationship. There's also a new Britney documentary ripping Jamie and the conservatorship.

We're told Kevin doesn't want to get caught up in any internal family conflicts ... and remember, Jamie hasn't seen the boys since 2019, when he allegedly broke down a door and put his hands on Sean.

Interestingly, Jayden also called his grandfather a "dick" last year, but we're told, despite all that past drama, 15-year-old Sean and 14-year-old Jayden are doing well, and Kevin's enjoying watching them grow.

Kim Kardashian sent a flowery token of appreciation to hospital staff who've been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic for nearly a year now.

Sources with knowledge tell TMZ ... Kim had a photoshoot earlier this week for an upcoming project, with an abundance of gorgeous flowers on a set designed by celeb florist Jeff Leatham.

Instead of just tossing the flowers out after the shoot was over, we're told they whipped up dozens of bouquets and delivered them to frontline workers at the USC Verdugo Hills Hospital ... along with a thank-you note.

Hospital CEO Keith Hobbs presented the early Valentine's Day gifts to his staff, including RN Catherine Pradt and several others.

The historic Krispy Kreme donut shop in Atlanta -- which is owned by Shaq and has ties to Martin Luther King Jr. -- was "gutted" in a massive fire Wednesday morning ... but the NBA legend has vowed to repair it.

The fire broke out at the Ponce de Leon Ave. location just after midnight while 2 employees were still inside the shop.

Both staffers were able to escape without injury, but the structure took heavy damage before Atlanta Fire Rescue was able to extinguish the blaze.

"A fast moving fire gutted the building this morning just before 1 am," Atlanta Fire Rescue said in a statement.

Video of the blaze is wild -- it's a miracle no one was hurt. 11Alive's Joe Ripley reports the back of the structure was badly damaged and the famous giant donut menu was melted.

Shaquille O'Neal bought the shop back in 2016 -- noting its importance to the community ... and to the country.

It first opened in 1965 -- one of the first Krispy Kreme shops outside of the company's headquarters in North Carolina.

In fact, after Martin Luther King, Jr. died in 1968, that specific shop donated 150 boxes of donuts to locate churches to feed the mourners who flocked to Atlanta to pay their respects.

Bruno Mars' "24K Magic" became a $100k nightmare for one Texas woman, who told cops she was hoodwinked into forking over a fortune to someone passing as the singer.

The alleged victim was 63 when she told cops in Houston she made an IG account in 2018, and connected with someone claiming to be Bruno. She says the person developed an online relationship with her and eventually asked for cash.

Of course, as is oftentimes the case with these stories, she says she cut a couple of checks and put 'em in the mail, as instructed -- one for $10k, and another $90k.

Police say the money found its way into the bank account of one Chinwendu Azuonwu -- a local man who was taken into custody on money laundering charges, along with an alleged accomplice, Basil Amadi, who's facing similar charges. Both men were in court this week.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, 2 cashier's checks were made out to "Chi Autos" at the behest of the fake Bruno, to cover “tour expenses” ... that's what he told the woman, anyway. She says he also told her he was leaving the tour to come be with her.

Cops told local news outlets they believe these men may be low-level crooks working for scammers overseas -- and are hoping they cooperate to help uncover a potentially bigger criminal ring.

The guy who streaked at Super Bowl 55 hit the strip club after he was released from custody -- and worked the pole so hard, he was DRAGGED off the stage!!!

... while still wearing his thong bathing suit!

31-year-old Yuri Andrade rolled into the Penthouse Club in Tampa where he was cheered on by patrons ... including Tampa Bay Bucs superstar WR Mike Evans.

But, the craziest moment came when he broke away from security and rushed onto the main stage ... where he grabbed a pile of money and made it rain before jumping on the pole and trying out a few moves.

Eventually, security rushed in and apprehended him -- though it looks to us as if the club was in on the joke, since they posted footage with the guy on their social media page afterward.

Andrade is getting the hero treatment in Tampa after claiming he made $370,000 by allegedly betting a ton of money that a streaker would hit the field at Super Bowl LV ... and then taking matters into his own hands to seal his victory.

The worst part of the whole stunt ... Andrade claims the cops who detained him at the stadium wouldn't let him pick his wedgie from the thong bathing suit.

Hoobastank's "The Reason" is all the rage with kids today ... is something you haven't heard since 2004, but the band wants to capitalize on its newfound 2021 fame.

We spoke to lead singer Doug Robb about the surge in popularity for one of his group's most famous tunes on TikTok -- which is the theme for a new challenge, where people list things they've screwed up ... using "The Reason" to wash away their shame.

The track has been used hundreds of millions of times in recent months as people post their own versions -- and of course, that's got Doug and co. thinking about how best to ride the wave ... without being cringe-y.

Check out what he says about the prospect of cranking out new tunes now that he and the band's back in the spotlight -- Doug's feeling inspired, but also explained why they won't pander to new OR old fans.

All this viral success creates a conundrum ... Doug says he doesn't wanna be the guy that milks this opportunity to the point of exhaustion, but he still wants to make the most of it.

So far, they've made a few of their own #NotAPerfctPerson renditions on TikTok -- all of which have been funny and original -- but Doug's apprehension on diving in is a phenomenon a lot of older artists are experiencing due to TikTok.

Fact is, a whole new generation is being introduced to their music for the first time -- kinda like what Fleetwood Mac went through recently with the viral skateboarder -- and it puts pressure on the OGs themselves ... to either cash in, or enjoy it for what it's worth.

Imagine the greatest quarterback of all-time handing off to one of best running backs ever in 2021 ...

That's a scene Adrian Peterson is trying to make happen for real ... 'cause the future Hall of Fame RB tells TMZ Sports he wants to play with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay in 2021!!!

"That would definitely be something I'm interested in," Peterson says ... explaining "If they want me to be a part of it, I'll be a part of it for sure. Because I'm definitely trying to add a trophy to my resume."

Peterson is slated to be a free agent this offseason after his 1-year contract with the Detroit Lions expires ... and there could be some interest from the Bucs in him.

After all, Bruce Arians did trade for A.P. back in 2017 when he was the Arizona Cardinals' head coach -- and Peterson performed well there in limited playing time.

Now, Peterson tells us he really wouldn't mind running it back with Arians in Tampa ... saying "Playing with Tom Brady, that by itself is enticing."

The two would be a hell of a backfield duo ... Tom at age 43, has 14 Pro Bowl selections, while Peterson, at age 35, has seven.

Also, for as good as Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones were in the Super Bowl ... neither has fully established themselves as Tampa's bell cow, leaving the door wide open for Peterson touches next season.

So, what do ya say, Bruce?!

By the way, in between preparing for the offseason and trying to link up with Tom next year ... Adrian is doing some amazing charity work, putting on an auction to help former NFL player Chester Pitts give back in Houston.

Peterson and his wife, Ashley, are donating gowns, sports memorabilia and so much more to help out Pitts' Carson Parke org. that was put in place by the ex-NFLer to assist underserved and at-risk foster youth.