Bill & Melinda Gates Melinda Files for Divorce ... No Prenup
-
Exclusive Details
- 60.6K shares
2:42 PM PT -- TMZ has just obtained the divorce documents. Melinda filed, citing that the marriage is irretrievably broken. The doc asks the judge to rule the marriage ended "as of the date in the separation contract." That contract is not included in the divorce filing, but they apparently separated at some point earlier and signed a document to that effect.
The divorce docs makes it clear there is NO PRENUP. That's because according to the filing, the only written agreement that they say pertains to the divorce is the separation agreement.
Not surprisingly, Melinda is not asking for any spousal support. They are asking for a trial date in April 2022, but almost certainly this will be settled without a trial.
Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, are moving on to what's next ... they're getting divorced.
In a joint statement Monday, the couple announced they've made a decision to end their marriage, saying, "Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives."
They continue, "We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in the next phase of our lives."
Bill and Melinda began dating in 1987 after meeting at a New York trade show, and she'd go on to work in marketing for Microsoft and be appointed as General Manager of Information Products in the early '90s.
The couple wed on January 1, 1994 in Hawaii ... and Melinda left the company in 1996 to focus on starting their family.
Bill and Melinda have 3 adult children -- Jennifer, Rory and Phoebe -- and reside in their huge, earth-sheltered family mansion, dubbed Xanadu 2.0, overlooking Lake Washington in Medina, WA.
Along with being megarich, the 2 are widely known for their philanthropic efforts ever since launching the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000. It was estimated in 2014 that they had donated $28 BILLION to the foundation, a number that's only skyrocketed in recent years.
For instance, the Gates Foundation made a contribution of $250 million in late 2020 to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Gates' net worth is estimated at more than $130 billion.
Originally published -- 1:39 PM PT
related articles
Ronnie Ortiz-Magro Avoids Felony In Domestic Violence Case
-
Exclusive
- 2.2K shares
Ronnie Magro-Ortiz won’t be charged with a felony in his domestic violence case ... but he's not exactly out of the woods just yet.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the "Jersey Shore" star will NOT be charged with a felony in his latest domestic violence arrest involving his GF, Saffire Matos, because the L.A. County District Attorney's Office determined it didn't have sufficient evidence.
As a result, we’re told the case has been kicked down to the L.A. City Attorney's Office ... meaning if Ronnie gets charged at all, it'll only be a misdemeanor. That being said ... Ronnie still has a very serious potential probation issue.
Ronnie's attorney, Scott Leemon, tells TMZ, "If this reporting is true, as we said from the beginning, initial reports and unreviewed charges are often and; in Ronnie’s case, wrong. We are glad the DA’s office made this decision not to charge a felony. We will await a decision from the County Attorney’s office.”
As we reported ... Ronnie's no stranger to domestic violence cases. He went down this road before with his ex, Jenn Harley. He got probation in that case ... so this latest arrest could end up with a judge hitting him with a violation of that probation.
As we told you ... Saffire's the one who called police when an argument allegedly turned physical, which led to Ronnie's arrest. Saffire later took to social media to downplay the allegations ... telling fans not to believe reports of what had happened and that she and Ronnie were "fine."
related articles
Al Sharpton Speaks at andrew brown jr. funeral ... Release the Tape!!!
Andrew Brown Jr. is being laid to rest -- but even as his family says goodbye, they're still pressuring the county for the video of his death ... and Al Sharpton helped lead the charge.
Scores of people gathered Monday at the Fountain of Life church in Elizabeth City, NC for Brown's funeral proceedings, and Reverend Sharpton was one of the people who delivered a eulogy.
He made it clear that while Andrew was being buried ... his loved ones were NOT going to let go or let up in their fight for Pasquotank County to release body cam footage showing him being killed by cops.
He had an interesting analogy to the games he perceives are being played by the county right now ... likening their tactics to an NYC con artist dealing a three-card Monte hustle.
The reverend is pretty irate here ... as is the crowd. Of course, this all comes less than a week after officials said they wouldn't even entertain posting the video until at least a month from now, following a judge's ruling that it isn't necessary or prudent for the time being.
BTW ... speaking of noteworthy speakers, one of George Floyd's own sisters, Bridgett, showed up to Monday's service as well and delivered some remarks for the Brown family.
She got pretty choked up as she tried encouraging the fam that their pain and sorrow wouldn't last forever ... and acknowledged that what happened to Andrew, like George, wasn't right.
related articles
Caitlyn Jenner Wrong About Banning Trans Girls in Girls' Sports ... Says Trans Doctor/Athlete
-
Exclusive
- 19.6K shares
Caitlyn Jenner's take on banning trans girls from competing in girls' sports is unfounded and unjust ... so says Dr. Veronica Ivy whose view is the polar opposite.
Veronica, a trans activist, athlete and associate professor of philosophy at the College of Charleston, appeared Monday on "TMZ Live" and said there's no evidence trans girls perform better in sports than cisgender girls.
Dr. Ivy says the whole thing about biologically-born boys having a competitive advantage over biologically-born girls has been disproven ... she says there is no evidence normal testosterone levels have any impact on performance.
The Doc does say there is undeniably a difference in performance between biologically-born boys and girls in the world of sports, but she says the reason is unknown ... it's either biological, sociological or a combination of both. She goes on to say the data that's available actually doesn't show trans girls have any real advantage over cisgender girls, but until there's proof to the contrary the default should be inclusion rather than exclusion.
Dr. Ivy points out, Caitlyn had a different take last year ... when she told the Outsports podcast "The Trans Sporter Room," "I think every trans person, if they’re into athletics, should have an opportunity to compete and to improve themselves."
Watch the full interview on "TMZ Live" (check your local listings).
related articles
Sacramento PD Using New Virtual Reality Training ... To Learn from Police Involved Shootings
-
Exclusive
- 498 shares
Cops in California's capital are using technology to improve their training in the wake of several deadly police encounters across the country -- and the hope is virtual reality translates to the real world.
Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn joined us Monday on "TMZ Live", and downloaded us on his department's new training tool ... a virtual reality headset capable of recreating real police encounters in different environments.
Hahn says the VR training blends hypothetical situations officers might face in Sacramento with lessons learned from the regular training program, like implicit bias and intervention ... telling us why it's proving to be an important training tool in the wake of George Floyd's murder.
The technology sounds incredible ... not only can instructors place officers in different parts of town, but they can also replay the virtual scenarios so other cops can see what worked and what didn't.
It's a pretty insightful conversation on what could be the future of police training after Derek Chauvin's murder conviction. You can see the full interview Monday on "TMZ Live."
related articles
Madonna Like a Soccer Mom ... Hey!!!
Madonna's just like any regular soccer mom ... attending a game to cheer on her son, accompanied by her boyfriend, who's a lot closer in age to the players on the field than he is to Madge.
The Material Girl and her family hit up the pitch Sunday in Hidden Hills, CA to support her 15-year-old son, David Banda ... and her 27-year-old beau, Ahlamalik Williams, appeared to revel in the role of soccer "parent."
It was a pretty rare public outing for Madonna, but she arrived in style with a black-and-white getup complete with a cowboy hat with a whale on it ... and it looks like they all had a whale of a good time.
At one point David came over to the sideline and shared a hug with Ahlamalik, so it's pretty clear they're cool too.
If ya didn't know ... Madonna began dating the professional dancer -- 35 years her junior -- about 2 years ago, and hasn't been shy about expressing her affection for him.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Just a week ago for his 27th bday, Madonna wrote ... "Happy Birthday My Love...... Thank you for opening my eyes. How can I explain how I feel? Let's get Unconscious........" referring to lyrics in her 1994 hit "Bedtime Story."
Strictly for frame of reference, Madonna's oldest daughter, Lourdes, is 24 ...not that it matters. She was not seen at the family soccer outing.
related articles
Quando Rondo Shot at in Georgia
-
Exclusive
- 5.2K shares
Quando Rondo and his entourage were caught in a hail of gunfire at a convenience store in Georgia, and one man in his entourage was wounded.
According to law enforcement sources, the shots rang out around 3:20 AM Sunday in Blackshear, while Quando and his crew were in a parking lot off the highway. Cops believe the shooter opened fire from across the road or from the highway.
Our sources say police aren't aware of any bullets striking Quando, because he was not at the scene when cops responded, but we're told he was in the parking lot before the shooting.
The rapper was traveling with a large entourage, and we're told one man in the group was shot in the hand and got treatment at a local hospital.
It's interesting ... law enforcement says it appears Quando and his crew weren't at the convenience store long before shots rang out, and cops believe they were making a quick stop when the shooting started.
As we reported ... cops say Quando Rondo's crew was involved in a November shootout with King Von's entourage outside an Atlanta nightclub, which left Von dead. One of Quando's crew members was arrested for felony murder.
Quando Rondo had his first show since the King Von situation but it was a lil empty. pic.twitter.com/e7L0kIDoTu
— Rap Alert (@rapalert3) May 2, 2021 @rapalert3
Sunday morning's shooting happened about 10 minutes from the nightclub where Quando performed Saturday night, and we're told the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is on the case.
related articles
AAU Basketball Asian Teen Punched In Face During Game ... Allegedly Called 'C***k'
-
Breaking News
- 14.6K shares
An Asian teenage basketball player was socked in the face during a game this weekend after allegedly being called a racial slur -- and video of the violence was all captured on video.
The altercation went down on Saturday in Oakland, Calif. during an AAU game between the South Bay Snipers and the San Francisco Generals.
At one point during the action, Snipers player Evan dove to the floor to try to take a loose ball from one of the Generals' players, but that's when things turned ugly.
Evan was pushed by the Generals' player on the ground, and then he was shoved to the floor by another Generals' player.
That Generals' player then took a swing at Evan, barely missing ... before he threw a second haymaker just seconds later that landed flush on Evan's jaw.
You can see in the clip, Evan was visibly wobbled ... and to make matters even more disturbing, Evan's parents allege that just before the melee, Generals players had called him and his teammate's anti-Asian slurs.
"They did use the 'C' word -- c***k word," Evan's mom, Lennie, told KPIX -- not revealing their last name out of fear of retaliation.
"Two-thirds of the team are Asian," Evan's dad, Eduardo, added.
The parents say Evan sustained a concussion from the punch.
Tournament officials banned the attacker from the Generals' game on Sunday, but Evan's father said, "The worst part is no one apologized."
Evan's parents say they are planning to go to police over the incident.
We've reached out to the Snipers' coach, but he declined to comment. No word back yet from cops, the Generals, or tournament organizers.
related articles
Kylie Jenner Flies to Miami ... To Celebrate Travis' Birthday!!!
-
Exclusive Details
- 33.3K shares
Kylie Jenner made a big gesture for her baby daddy, Travis Scott -- flying across the country to be by his side as he celebrates his birthday.
She zipped over to Miami Sunday, and joined Trav for a group dinner at Komodo. Our sources tell us they rolled through with their entourage and security detail ... and broke bread at a private table.
She was on hand for the post-dinner clubbing too, and didn't try to hide her appearance either.
In fact, she captured some flirtatious horseplay between them both ... which, at first glance, suggests something's up.
On her IG Story, Kylie recorded Travis dancing up near her ... and her playing footsie with him. He dished out some affection too, grabbing a hold of Kylie's leg and giving her several love taps.
You could see all this and think ... yeah, they're fully back together. Or it could all be friendly -- it's hard to really say at this point.
If they are back, though ... it doesn't look like they're trying to be low-key about it at all, and folks inside LIV definitely noticed.
related articles
Robert Kraft Magic Kingdom Adventure ... For Mournful Frontline Worker, Daughter
-
Exclusive
- 654 shares
Robert Kraft riding Space Mountain is gonna draw a lot of attention -- which is why a lot of folks at Disney World noticed his mission to help a mournful little girl and her mother smile over the weekend.
Sources inside the Magic Kingdom tell us the Patriots owner and his GF, Dana Blumberg, were all over the park with a woman and her 8-year-old daughter -- the four of them were seen taking snapshots ... one of which caught the attention of a Patriots great.
Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett actually posted one of the group's pics Sunday, saying how proud he was of Kraft and the Patriots organization -- and now we know why.
Our sources at the park tell us the woman they were with is a frontline worker from Long Island whose husband -- himself an essential worker -- caught COVID and died in recent months. The little girl had been struggling with the loss, and we're told Dana and Robert wanted to do something special for her.
From what we're told, they succeeded ... as the group spent 2 days at Disney World and they all stayed at the Grand Floridian -- all on Kraft's dime, we're assuming.
We hear the group got the full VIP treatment ... Fast Passing it on about 20 different rides. We've reached out to Kraft's camp, but haven't heard back.
If anyone's got a shot of RK screaming his face off on Space Mountain, we're in the market!
related articles
Boxer Felix Verdejo Charged in Horrific Death of Pregnant Woman ... and Unborn Baby
-
Breaking News
- 24.4K shares
Pro boxer Felix Verdejo -- who competed in the 2012 Olympics -- has been hit with multiple criminal charges connected to the killing of a 27-year-old pregnant woman and her unborn child.
Verdejo surrendered to authorities in Puerto Rico on Sunday evening -- roughly 24 hours after the body of Keishla Rodriguez was found in a lagoon.
Officials say her body was in such bad shape, they needed to use her dental records to verify her identity.
The allegations of her killing are extremely disturbing ...
Officials say the FBI has been working with a witness who claims to have "firsthand, personal knowledge” of the incident -- because the boxer had "requested his help to terminate the pregnancy."
The witness says he and Verdejo abducted Rodriguez on Thursday evening in a black SUV -- where the boxer proceeded to punch her in the face and inject her with a "syringe filled with substances."
After that, Verdejo allegedly bound the woman's hands and feet, tied a heavy block to her body and threw her off the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge, into the San Jose Lagoon.
That's not all ... the witness told officials Verdejo then pulled out a gun and began firing at her in what appears to be a final horrific effort to ensure her death.
Authorities say cell phone data appears to sync up with the witness account -- confirming the locations where Rodriguez had been traveling before her death.
Also, officials say they have surveillance video showing a dark SUV -- similar to the one Verdejo had been spotted with -- on the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge.
Verdejo is now facing multiple criminal charges including kidnapping resulting in death, carjacking resulting in death and killing an unborn child.
If convicted on all counts, Verdejo could face the death penalty.
Verdejo is 27-2 as a pro boxer and famously fought for Puerto Rico in the 2012 Olympic Games.
He had been signed with Top Rank Boxing which issued a statement on the situation on a Saturday.
"The thoughts and prayers of Top Rank are with the family and friends of Keishla Marlen Rodríguez Ortiz, and with the people of Puerto Rico in this moment of mourning."
"We are profoundly disturbed by the news and will continue to monitor the evolution of the case as it progresses."
Neither Verdejo nor his legal team have commented publicly about the allegations.
related articles
The Kardashians Targeted by Man Asking to See Them ... Busted for Trespassing
-
Exclusive
- 453 shares
The security guards at the Kardashians' exclusive gated community are working overtime ... 'cause TMZ's learned they caught another man who showed up looking for them before he was corralled and arrested.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... at around 11 PM last week a 33-year-old man drove up to the gates that lead to the exclusive neighborhood in the Calabasas area. We're told the man told the guards he wanted to see the Kardashians, but didn't specify which one.
Didn't matter ... 'cause they shooed him away. Problem is ... a short time later the man was walking inside the gated community. It appears he hopped over a wall or fence to get inside.
It didn't take long for security to zero in and detain him while they waited for police. The man was arrested for trespassing and booked by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department.
If there ever was a silver lining to these stories it's this ... our sources say the man never made it close to any of the Kardashians' residences. And, btw, we're told the 33-year-old man who was arrested is NOT one of the two previous trespassers that recently drove Kendall away from her home.
As we reported ... Kendall needed not one but TWO restraining orders after 2 different men showed up to her pad. One of the men allegedly went for a naked swim while the other allegedly threatened to gun her down.
Kendall's since beefed up her security.
All that said ... what's the deal with these gated communities where so many trespassers are able to enter?
related articles
Vax Live Concert Prince Harry Speaks, Huge Acts Perform in L.A. Let's End This Pandemic!!!
Nothing says things are getting back to normal in the U.S. like a packed concert in Los Angeles ... where Prince Harry helped drive home the point of the night: ending the worldwide pandemic.
The visual is a little jarring at first -- thousands of people, all fully vaccinated, gathered Sunday night at SoFi Stadium for Global Citizen’s "Vax LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World" charity show. The Duke of Sussex got a huge ovation as he delivered an impassioned speech about everyone working together in this "defining moment" to end wipe out COVID-19.
Harry and Meghan Markle are serving as campaign chairs for Vax Live, and teamed up with some huge musical acts to put on the free charity concert for 47,000. Some of the performers included Foo Fighters, Eddie Vedder, J Balvin, H.E.R. and Jennifer Lopez ... who was joined on stage by her fully-vaxxed mom for a loving embrace.
Harry, making his first appearance back in America since Prince Philip's funeral in England -- told the crowd, "Tonight is a celebration of each of you here, the vaccinated frontline workers in the audience and the millions of frontline heroes around the world."
President Biden also addressed the audience -- via recorded message -- and other special guest speakers included Ben Affleck, Chrissy Teigen, Jimmy Kimmel, Sean Penn and David Letterman.
According to Global Citizen, Vax Live "aims to inspire vaccine confidence worldwide and help get the COVID-19 vaccines to everyone, everywhere" ... and Sunday's taped fundraising event will air May 8 and be hosted by Selena Gomez.
related articles
Chris Hemsworth Star-Studded White Party Damon in the House!!!
Chris Hemsworth threw one helluva soiree down under ... and got his pals like Matt Damon to dress right white for the occasion.
The "Thor" star and wife Elsa Pataky showed off what looked like an incredible shindig Sunday in Australia's hot town of Byron Bay. The star-studded affair was a white-themed party, so everyone showed up in their best duds.
That included Matt, who showed up in a white hoodie and white jeans. Matt's in Australia filming alongside Chris in the new 'Thor' film.
Chris' other famous brother, Liam, was also there ... in tow with his model GF, Gabriella Brooks. Elsa posted video of her and Chris arriving at the party busting moves as they walked into the bash. She captioned the video, "With those dance moves how could I say no! #whiteparty."
The Melbourne folk band The Teskey Brothers provided the night's entertainment.
Chris' other brother, Luke, also showed. Ditto Luke's wife, Samantha and Matt's wife, Luciana Barroso. It should come as no surprise an invite was extended to his personal trainer, Luke Zocchi. Chris' stunt double, Bobby Holland Hanton, also hit up the party.
No word if the party pissed off Chris' neighbors. Pissed they didn't get an invite ... maybe.
related articles
'Club Kids' Michael Alig Died of Fentanyl, Heroin Mix
-
Exclusive
- 2.4K shares
Michael Alig -- one of the ringleaders of the Club Kids -- died from an overdose of several hard drugs ... TMZ has learned.
The Office of Chief Medical Examiner in NYC tells us ... Alig's cause of death was acute intoxication by fentanyl, acetylfentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine.
We broke the story ... Alig -- the notorious club promoter who was the subject of the 2003 Macaulay Culkin movie "Party Monster" and the 2015 documentary 'Glory Daze' -- was found dead in his NYC home on Christmas.
Law enforcement sources tell us ... a friend discovered Alig unconscious and unresponsive on his bed and called 911. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
We're told cops found 2 to 3 small bags of heroin and other empty bags near his body ... prompting their suspicion he'd died from an OD. The Medical Examiner says it was an accidental overdose.
54-year-old Alig, known as the "king of the Club Kids," pled guilty to first-degree manslaughter in 1997 in the killing of fellow Club Kid, Andre "Angel" Melendez. He served 17 years before his release in 2014.
related articles
NFL's Mark Walton Insane Pizza Hut Arrest Caught On Police Video ... 'I Can Pee On Myself?'
-
Exclusive
- 417 shares
NFL free agent Mark Walton argued with Pizza Hut employees, yelled at cops, got violent with his cousin, and then peed on himself before being arrested last January ... and the entire, wild scene was all caught on police video obtained by TMZ Sports.
It all went down back on Jan. 31 ... when around 11:24 PM, the 24-year-old running back got into a tiff with workers at a Miami Pizza Hut shop.
In the police footage, you can see officers rolled up to Walton while he was in a heated dispute at the pizza joint's ordering counter.
In the clip, Walton says he was pissed at employees because after they canceled one of his orders ... he claims one of them called him a "f*** n***a."
Walton says he personally came to the store to confront them over it ... and that's when all the drama began.
Cops say Pizza Hut employees claimed Walton was "banging on the windows" prior to their arrival ... and you can see in video, Walton was yelling at the employees when the officers showed up.
Mark continued to bicker with the Pizza Hut staffers while cops were present ... and eventually, he became combative toward the officers themselves.
At one point, as the cops tried to get him to calm down and leave the area, Walton screamed at an officer, "You don't know who I am! I don't care! I'm about money!"
Walton eventually walked away from the scene with his cousin -- though the two didn't get very far, because they ended up in a physical altercation at the back of the Pizza Hut.
You can see in footage, when cops turned the corner to check in on the two ... Walton was standing over his cousin, who appeared to be knocked out while bleeding profusely from his forehead area.
Cops ordered Walton to the ground at taser-point ... and while they put him in handcuffs, the NFL player told them his cousin had fallen after grabbing him during their dispute.
While detained, Walton argued with officers more ... and then asked them if he could "pee on myself." When cops said yes, Walton let it go.
Eventually, Walton admitted to an officer on video that he had been drinking earlier in the day.
Walton was ultimately hit with 2 charges over the incident, misdemeanor trespassing and misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
But, court records show he reached a deal with prosecutors last month to have the case closed ... though we're working on the specifics of that agreement.
Walton was a Cincinnati Bengals fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft ... but he was eventually cut by the team in 2019 following multiple arrests.
Walton eventually signed on with the Dolphins in '19 ... but they too cut him after he ran into more trouble with the law.
The current free agent has rushed for 235 yards on 67 carries in his two-year career.