Diddy I'm Holding GM Accountable ... Spend More on Black Biz!!!
Diddy is calling out General Motors ... saying the company needs to step up and open its wallet for Black businesses, claiming GM's promise to shell out big bucks has fallen short.
Diddy penned a scathing letter Thursday, opening with, "The same feet these companies use to stand with us in solidarity are the same feet they use to stand on our necks." Diddy says that his REVOLT network was an example of Black-owned media GM promised to support through advertising, but he doesn't feel the company has done enough.
In his letter, Diddy claims GM spent $3 billion on advertising in 2019 and by his estimation, only $10 million of that was invested in Black-owned media.
As for what he thinks needs to happen, Diddy says, "If the Black community represents 15% of your revenue, Black-owned media should receive at least 15% of the advertising spend."
He ends the letter with a threat, saying he and the Black community are willing to "weaponize our dollars," aka take their money somewhere else if GM and other companies don't step up.
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Howard Weitzman Michael Jackson, O.J. Attorney Dead at 81
Howard Weitzman, an influential and wildly successful attorney who represented some of the biggest names in Hollywood has died.
He died this week in Pacific Palisades, CA after battling cancer ... according to his family.
Howard spent over 50 years repping celebs, including O.J. Simpson, John DeLorean, Michael Jackson, Morgan Freeman, Magic Johnson, Marlon Brando, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sugar Ray Leonard, Justin Bieber, Ozzy Osbourne, Diddy, Ivan Reitman, Ron Meyer and countless others.
He represented Michael Jackson's Estate from the get-go, and also repped the singer in the civil lawsuit brought by Jordan Chandler.
Howard famously repped O.J. Simpson in the murder case, but only for a day. The video above was shot when Weitzman and Simpson left LAPD headquarters after O.J. was interviewed the day after the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Howard quit the case the next day ... the story goes his wife, Margaret, urged him to withdraw.
When he helped free DeLorean from a cocaine charge in 1984, Howard popularized those press conferences you see on the courtroom steps.
Howard was born and raised in Los Angeles, playing baseball as a kid and studying at Los Angeles City College and USC Law School before founding the law firm Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump LLP, where he was the lead trial attorney in over 300 criminal and civil jury trials.
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He also served as vice president of corporate operations for Universal Studios from 1995-98 and lectured at USC Law School, Harvard, Georgetown Law Center, UCLA and other law schools.
Howard often made the rounds as a guest on national TV, going on "CBS This Morning," "Good Morning America" and "Dateline."
He's survived by his wife, Margaret, and their children, Jed and Armen.
Howard was 81.
RIP
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Khloe Kardashian Speaks Out on Leaked Bikini Pic ... Everyone Has a Right to Be Happy
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Khloe Kardashian is speaking out after an unauthorized photo of her surfaced over the weekend, causing many on social media to comment, critique and bully her appearance.
Khloe looked great in an untouched, unedited video from her bathroom Wednesday, showing fans her unfiltered appearance ... she also included a lengthy statement.
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Khloe says, "When someone takes a photo of you that isn’t flattering in bad lighting or doesn’t capture your body the way it is after working so hard to get it to this point ... you should have every right to ask for it to not be shared - regardless of who you are."
The photo -- showing Khloe poolside in a bikini without any substantial photo edits or airbrushing -- was quickly pulled by Khloe's team, and publications were asked to take it down.
Khloe says the criticism she's faced her whole life, being called "the ugly sister," questions as to whether Robert was her real dad and accusations of weight loss surgery have taken their toll on her mentally.
She continues, "It’s almost unbearable trying to live up to the impossible standards that the public have all set for me. For over a decade now in photos, every single flaw and imperfection has been micro-analyzed and made fun of to the smallest detail and I am reminded of them everyday by the world."
In closing, Khloe says that while her family has been a tremendous foundation of support and positivity, "You never quite get used to being judged and pulled apart and told how unattractive one is, but I will say, if you hear anything enough then you start believe it."
She says everyone, including her, should have the right to remove a photo they might not like, and to post what makes them feel happy, saying, "I have realized that we cannot continue to live life trying to fit into the perfect mold of what others have set for us. Just do you and make sure your heart is happy."
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'The Rock' for President Early Poll Promising ... Nearly Half Back the People's Champ!!!
If Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson does indeed run for U.S. President as he's hinted he might, he nearly has all the votes needed to win already ... at least based on a new poll.
The former WWE superstar turned Hollywood A-lister has the support of 46 percent of adult Americans if he were to make a Presidential run in 2024 ... according to a recent online poll of 30,138 potential voters between April 2 and April 4.
The same poll found 29 percent would support dual campaigns by The Rock for POTUS and Matthew McConaughey for Texas Governor ... something the actor's also suggested he's considering.
Other notable poll results include 30% support for Angelina Jolie for Prez, 27% for Oprah ... and a shockingly low 22% for Tom Hanks.
Overall though, nearly 2 out of 3 adults polled said they believe celebs make good politicians if they have a good team and possess "political aptitude."
As ridiculous as that may seem to some, it also makes sense. Ex-Prez Donald Trump still has major support in the Republican party, and several other past Hollywood stars went on to make big political splashes ... Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura, Al Franken and Ronald Reagan, just to name a few.
As for the Rock ... he's been floating the idea of a White House run since 2016, and added fuel to the fire on 'Ellen' in 2017 and 'The Late Show' in 2018 by continuing to say he's seriously considering it.
More recently, he told a reporter he'd run for POTUS "if that's what the people wanted." Well, Rock ... it looks like you have your answer.
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World's Longest Fingernails She Clips Them After 29 Years ... Nothing Cuticle About It!!!
The woman who's been taking care of her keratin for nearly 3 decades said so long to her world record fingernails ... but she needed a power tool to do it!
Ayanna Williams HAD been the Guinness World Record holder for longest fingernails on a pair of female hands since 2017 -- when they nearly measured a combined 19 feet -- but she turned in her title for a much-needed manicure ... and it's pretty insane to see.
Williams went to Dr. Allison Readinger of Trinity Vista Dermatology in Texas earlier this month to get her fingernails sawed off with an electric rotary tool, after revealing she'd been growing them for about 29 years.
She told the doc she had "mixed emotions about my babies going" but said the time had come, because she'd grown tired of them ... for obvious reasons, we think.
After the procedure, Williams said she felt a lot of relief and her knuckles seemed to really loosen up. BTW, her chopped-off nails are on their way to Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum in Orlando.
No word if Ayanna plans to start growing her fingernails again, but she might have to go 40 years if she wants to set the women's all-time record -- it's 28 feet and 4 inches, set by Lee Redmond before she reportedly broke her nails in a car accident in 2009.
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Killer Mike DMX All About Spreading Joy ... I Saw it in a Waffle House!!!
Killer Mike's had some awesome run-ins with DMX over the years, and says his fellow rapper taught him, and others, great lessons about love and vulnerability ... while making great music.
We got the ATL rapper and activist Wednesday in Bev Hills and he made it clear ... he's still pulling for a miracle that keeps DMX with his 15 children and other loved ones. That being said, Mike recalled his first run-in with X ... a gambling showdown that ended up costing one of them a few racks.
He also remembered the last time he saw DMX, and told us he was spreading happiness in a Waffle House by singing Christmas carols. We gotta imagine X was doing his classic version of 'Rudolph' for some late-night customers.
We covered one other topic with Mike ... and that was Cher's apology for saying she could have saved George Floyd if she were in Minneapolis on that fateful day.
Mike says he's not the one to hand out "forgiveness passes" for Cher, but he did say it's obvious to him she has a level of "care and concern" that he wants to encourage in all Americans ... especially "white, powerful women."
You gotta see what he has to say about that demographic's influence on real change in America.
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Ron Paul Who Wears Short Shorts? This Guy!!!
Ron Paul's proving that age is just a number ... at least when it comes to wearing a tight pair of Daisy Dukes.
The 85-year-old former Congressman and Presidential candidate accidentally revealed his interesting wardrobe Wednesday night in the final seconds of his YouTube interview ... when he backed away from the camera a little too soon.
The well-known Libertarian was discussing the future of personal liberty on Zoom with Doug Casey, and turns out he took some liberties with his interview outfit by matching his suit jacket and dress shirt with a pair of short jean shorts.
What's interesting is ... back in 2015, Ron's Senator son, Rand Paul, was running for Prez himself when he ruffled some GOP donor's feathers by wearing jeans with a blazer to a major fundraising event.
Maybe dress pants just don't run in the Paul family.
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Paris Hilton Teaming Up with Danielle Bregoli On Troubled Teen Campaign
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Paris Hilton is linking up with none other than Danielle Bregoli -- AKA Bhad Bhabie -- over an issue that's near and dear to both lately ... alleged abuse at troubled teen camps.
Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ, Paris has been in contact with Danielle recently about the prospect of teaming up and working together to spread awareness about Breaking Code Silence -- an organization advocating for survivors from these types of facilities.
We're told Paris DM'd Danielle shortly after DB released her own testimonial about what she claims she experienced at Utah's Turn-About Ranch -- a youth facility she went to after her time on Dr. Phil's show way back in 2016 ... which she described as a nightmare.
ICYMI ... Danielle claimed she was subjected to cruel treatment and what she describes as child abuse via alleged sleep deprivation, malnutrition, unsanitary conditions and more. Danielle went on to allege other teens went through similar issues at Turn-About, including a girl who filed a lawsuit claiming she'd been sexually assaulted by the staff.
Of course, Paris has been beating the same drum -- having partaken in a documentary alleging abuse at Utah's Provo Canyon boarding school, and recently testifying in support of a Utah state bill to ban mistreatment at youth facilities.
That bill was signed into law, and Paris was there for that as well. So, with that in mind ... it makes sense she'd want to get on board with Danielle's campaign too.
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As for exactly how they're going to work together, we're told that's still being discussed. However, Paris is making it clear she fully backs Danielle, telling TMZ ... "I support all survivors who share their personal experiences within the Troubled Teen Industry and I am proud of Danielle for using her voice and her platform. It is wonderful to see more public voices take on this Industry."
Paris also supports Danielle's efforts to get Dr. Phil not to place kids at Turn-About Ranch. She says, "People look up to Dr. Phil and I want to make sure the show is accurately portraying these residential facilities to desperate families and not continuing to spread the false narrative that these places heal kids."
Phil addressed Danielle's claims a few weeks ago when he was on Ashleigh Banfield's show. He said if Danielle has an issue with her treatment at Turn-About, she should file a complaint with law enforcement. Danielle released a video Wednesday responding to Phil's interview.
BTW, we've reached out to Turn-About regarding Danielle's claims ... so far, no word back.
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Master P DMX OD Could've Been Prevented ... Rappers Need a Union!!!
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Master P is keeping DMX in his prayers, and he can't help but think X's drug overdose could have been prevented -- and his idea is for rappers to do a better job looking after their own.
We got Master P in Los Angeles Thursday and our photog asked him about DMX's legacy ... as he remains on life support in a New York hospital.
Master P says he hates how the hip-hop industry waits until something bad happens to one of their peers before offering love and support. He thinks the industry needs to form some type of union to help artists going through tough times, especially when drugs are involved.
TMZ broke the story ... DMX suffered a drug overdose Friday night, leaving his brain deprived of oxygen for nearly 30 minutes, and now he's in a coma and we're told the prognosis does not look good.
While Master P wants hip-hop to unionize much like the NBA Players Association, he says the best thing the industry could do to prevent the next tragedy is educating the next generation.
Interesting conversation and concept ... and Master P tells us why, right now anyway, the prospects for artists after hip-hop are pretty bleak. It's something he wants to change.
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Tiger Woods Crash Report Spells Out Golfer's Injuries ... Fractures, Bruises and Jaw Laceration
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The first responders who tended to Tiger Woods in the moments after his crash detailed the gruesome injuries in a newly released incident report ... and Tiger was even more banged up than we initially thought.
Under the section labeled "describe injuries," the first responders listed in graphic detail what they saw on Feb. 23 when they came upon Woods.
"Knocked unconscious, laceration to the lower front jaw, bruised right and left rib cage, fractured right tibia and fibula, possible right ankle injury."
Later in the report, there is more detail about the injury to Tiger's right leg -- "open fracture, mid shaft on his right leg, below knee."
As we previously reported, Woods was transported to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center for emergency treatment.
He was ultimately diagnosed with comminuted open fractures in his right leg -- meaning the bone was shattered in at least 2 places and broke through the skin.
Doctors used a rod, screws and pins to stabilize the injuries, according to Tiger's medical team.
Tiger's doctors also noted, "trauma to the muscle and soft-tissue of the leg required surgical release of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling."
Woods was eventually transferred to Cedars Sinai in the weeks following the crash -- and was finally discharged and allowed to go home in mid-March.
Tiger has reportedly been recovering at one of his homes in Florida ever since.
As for his golf career, that's still up in the air -- some experts believe he can make a full recovery and play again. Others aren't as confident.
Tiger says he's "getting stronger every day" -- and it seems like he's focused on making a comeback at some point.
Fingers crossed.
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O.J. Simpson Settles Defamation Suit W/ Vegas Hotel
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O.J. Simpson can put his beef with The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in the rearview ... because we've learned he's settled his defamation lawsuit with the hotel.
According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, The Juice and the Cosmo agreed to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice, and the judge signed off. Usually, that points to some type of settlement, though neither side is talking details.
O.J.'s lawyer, Malcolm LaVergne, tells TMZ ... "The Simpson/Cosmopolitan matter has been resolved."
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As we reported ... Simpson sued the Cosmopolitan over a Nov. 8, 2017 incident in which he was kicked off the property following an alleged drunken episode at a hotel bar.
Following the incident, hotel staff told TMZ ... O.J. was wasted and became disruptive, getting angry with hotel employees ... resulting in broken glasses at the bar.
O.J. denied the allegations, saying the story humiliated and embarrassed him ... and in 2019 he filed his defamation suit against the Cosmo.
Most recently, the Cosmo said O.J.'s reputation as a violent convicted criminal is already so tarnished, there's no way his rep could take a hit from allegations of drunken shenanigans.
But, now it appears the two sides worked something out to make the case go away.
We reached out to the Cosmo ... so far, no word back.
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Babe Ruth Handwritten Letter To Mistress Sells For $201K At Auction!!!
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Babe Ruth secretly penned a handwritten letter to his mistress -- behind his wife’s back -- nearly 100 years ago ... and now the super unique item just sold for a fortune at auction, TMZ Sports has learned.
An undisclosed buyer dropped $201,851 on the letter at SCP Auctions ... which was discovered years ago in the scrapbook of Nell Wilson -- Ruth’s alleged woman on the side.
Ruth wrote ... “Dear Nell, Very sorry but my wife jumped over on me without me knowing it this is the first time she ever did that she is watching me so don’t get mad and I will see you Monday night."
Bambino continued ... "The club is watching so the only way I will be able to see you all night is for you to stop in at the Aldine Hotel and I can see you. Babe”
After signing his name, Ruth -- the most famous baseball player in the world -- terrified of his wife catching him, wrote ... “Nell, don’t call me up.”
Ruth married as a 19-year-old in 1914 -- tying the knot with Helen Woodford -- a waitress he met at a Boston coffee shop during his rookie season with the Red Sox.
Over the years, the Sultan of Swat picked up a reputation as a hard-partying womanizer ... which obviously caused serious problems in his relationship.
But, Babe and Helen were devout Catholics ... so divorce wasn’t an option
The letter -- written around 1922 -- shows proper wear on the edges, and contains a signature authenticated by PSA ... important for collectors.
The piece originally sold back in 2004 for $86k ... but like the rest of the collectibles market, the value exploded!
Ruth's letter isn’t the only awesome piece of Yankees history that recently sold ... SCP unloaded a one-of-a-kind signed photo of the '27 Bronx Bombers -- aka Murderers Row -- for $444,031.
Ask we previously reported, the photo contains sigs from Ruth and Lou Gehrig.
Speaking of “The Iron Horse” ... one of the last bats ever used by the dying superstar sold for $715k.
So, go ask grandma if she ever dated a legendary baseball player.
Might just get rich! 💰💰💰
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Little Wesley on 'Mr. Belvedere' 'Memba Him?!
Long Beach local Brice Beckham was only 9 years old when he landed the life-changing role as the youngest of the Owens family, Wesley -- who often looked to the butler for advice and comic relief -- in the classic '80s family sitcom "Mr. Belvedere."
Brice shared the small screen with an awesome list of actors in the Owens brood including Rob Stone and Tracy Wells as the older siblings, Kevin and Heather, Bob Uecker and Ilene Graff as the busy parents, George and Marsha ... and of course Christopher Hewett as the boss butler, Mr. Belvedere.
More 'Memba Thems!
Kim Kardashian I Won't Be Fam's Last Billionaire!!!
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Kris Jenner is gonna love this ... Kim Kardashian says her family will have even more members joining the triple comma club in the future!!!
We got Kim at The Grove in Los Angeles Wednesday and our photog asked about her latest accomplishment, making it onto Forbes' official list of billionaires.
Kim says she's feeling blessed to have finally reached the milestone, thanks in large part to her KKW Beauty and SKIMS brands, and she sounds pretty confident she and Kylie Jenner won't be the only billionaires in the fam when the dust settles.
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Kim was at the outdoor mall, btw, promoting SKIMS ... so, she's not taking her foot off the gas just because she's got a billie in the bank.
We asked who she thinks will be next up in the club for the Kardashian-Jenners, and she gave it some good hard thought. We suggested her mom, Kris, or maybe Kendall Jenner -- but Kim's thinking bigger, and says the bucks won't stop with those two!!!
No pressure or anything for Khloe, Kourtney and Rob. Not to mention North, Saint, Chicago, Psalm and -- well, we're not gonna run down ALL her nieces and nephews too. You get the point.
Success breeds success ... that's the family plan, anyway.
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George Clooney & Ben Affleck Batter Up!!! Playin' Ball on Set
George Clooney stepped into the batter's box in between takes on the set of his new movie, taking hacks while Ben Affleck tried shagging balls in the outfield ... and for one of them, it didn't go so smoothly.
George took a break from directing "The Tender Bar" Wednesday in Boston for a little batting practice on the softball field where they were filming ... and he was swinging for the fences.
The Red Sox probably won't come calling if any of their scouts see this video, but at least George makes contact and looks like he's having a helluva time.
Ben, meanwhile, tried tracking down George's deep fly balls in the outfield ... and well, let's just say the sun didn't play ball. Error, Affleck.
After struggling in the field, Ben took the mound while the cameras were rolling. As you can see, his orange softball uniform reads, "The Dickens," the name of the bar where his character works in the film.
Check out the videos ... lotta star power, even if the action isn't exactly All-Star caliber.
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Dr. Dre Abuse Claims are BS Nicole Just Wants My $$$!!!
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Dr. Dre is denying his estranged wife's abuse claims -- claiming she's making it all up as part of her strategy to try to get out of the prenup he insists is still in place.
The mogul just filed new legal docs in his nasty divorce case with Nicole Young, claiming her abuse allegations are false and they're making the split super stressful for him.
In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Dr. Dre also accuses Nicole of bringing up abuse claims to squeeze money out of him. He says she didn't even raise the allegations until after she filed for divorce and realized the prenup prevented her from staking claim to half his wealth.
According to the docs, Dre claims Nicole's allegations are "appalling" and false. Likewise, he shoots down her claims he abused her before they got married, including the night before their wedding
As for her claiming he "forced" her to sign the prenup -- Dre calls BS on that too.
As we've told you ... Dre and Nicole are at odds over the validity of the prenup, which is one of the biggest issues in what's become of Hollywood's most contentious divorces.