We've seen activity for the first time in the Bitcoin account listed in the first ransom note which was sent to us here at TMZ, and also to 2 TV stations in Tucson. For various reasons, we are not going to reveal the amount, but the activity happened in the last 25 minutes.
Potentially big development in the Nancy Guthrie abduction ... our law enforcement sources say whoever kidnapped her from her Arizona home is also from the Tucson area.
Multiple sources involved in the investigation tell TMZ ... the operating theory is that the ransom notes were written by the kidnapper, and those notes provide clues on where the abductor lives.
TMZ has focused for several days on the alleged kidnapper's choice of media outlets to receive the letters. The first letter was sent to 2 Tucson TV stations and TMZ. The second letter was sent to only one of the Tucson stations.
Our law enforcement sources believe the person who wrote the ransom note was very familiar with the local stations ... so much so that it leads them to believe the Tucson area is the abductor's home.
Jill Zarin suffered a huge own goal today ... the original "The Real Housewives of New York City" cast member was fired from E! reunion show "The Golden Life" following a wild tirade against Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Blink49 Studios -- the production company behind "The Golden Life" -- issued a statement to TMZ, writing ... "In light of recent public comments made by Jill Zarin, Blink49 Studios has decided not to move forward with her involvement in ‘The Golden Life.’ We remain committed to delivering the series in line with our company standards and values.”
A source close to the situation tells TMZ ... the cast had been warned not to say or do anything controversial, and while the women were initially excited about the show, Jill's actions have dampened the mood though the other women understand why she was fired.
Britney Spears just signed a massive new music deal ... one that sells her rights to her extensive music catalog ... TMZ has learned.
According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Britney sold her ownership share of her catalog to Primary Wave, a music publisher.
It's unclear how much Britney was paid for the music ... the exact dollar amount is not in the documents, but our sources described the agreement as a "landmark deal" in the ballpark of the $200-million deal Justin Bieber signed when he sold his music.
Teddy Riley is ridin' hard for Chris Brown-- telling TMZ there’s nothing shady about Breezy's comment on Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance and, in his book, he did nothing wrong!
We caught up with Teddy in NYC Tuesday, and he straight-up co-signed Chris’ IG post -- "I think it’s safe to say … they need me!" -- agreeing Brown absolutely belonged on that iconic stage.
Watch the clip, 'cause Teddy makes one thing clear: he’s not anti-BB. He gives the performance its flowers. But -- and it’s a big but -- he says when it comes to events like the Super Bowl, ratings matter.
Sophie Rain's enjoying some well-deserved R&R after making bank on OnlyFans last year ... soaking up the sun in a tiny bikini on a Mexican beach.
The influencer lounged around the beach in the Cancun area over the weekend ... wearing a couple cheeky 2-piece bikinis which left little to the imagination.
Rain's thong-style, multicolored numbers clung to her curves while she pulled back her silky brown locks and even went down to the sand for a few glam shots.
Charlie Woods is stepping out of his father's footsteps and onto his own fairway … committing to Florida State.
Tiger Woods’ son verbally pledged on Tuesday to play college golf for the Seminoles -- a major milestone for the junior golf star and a clear sign he’s carving out a path that looks very different from his dad’s legendary journey through Stanford.
Charlie -- who turned 17 on Sunday -- is expected to join Florida State’s 2027 recruiting class after a rapid climb through the junior golf ranks, where he’s gone from famous last name to legitimate contender in his own right.
The new cast of "Vanderpump Rules" completely took over "TMZ After Dark," led by breakout stars VenusandNatalie, who made passengers feel like they were on an actual episode of the show!
The duo took us back to the early, raunchy days of 'Vanderpump.' And with DJ Nyla DJing the bus, the energy was high from the start as Venus and Natalie jumped right in -- dancing, hyping up the crowd, and setting the vibe for the night.
The first stop was the Rainbow Bar & Grill, where party girl Natalie was already familiar with the manager and staff, and the pair handed out the bar's signature “Woohoo” shots, cheers-ing to the wild night ahead.
The night continued at Saddle Ranch, where the manager welcomed the group with unlimited chicken (original and buffalo) and famous pink gummy shots, followed by Venus riding the mechanical bull and nearly making it through the full ride before being thrown off in an epic fall.
Big names like Teyana Taylor, Timothée Chalamet, and Kate Hudson showed up and showed out at the Beverly Hilton in L.A. Tuesday morning ... turning the daytime 98th Oscars Nominees Luncheon into a full-blown fashion flex!
The men came suited, booted, and dangerously handsome ... with Jacob Elordi and Leonardo DiCaprio leading the pack like it was a red carpet rehearsal.
Emma Stone was back in familiar territory, while other heavy hitters like Elle Fanning and Michael B. Jordan also pulled up, proving awards season is already in full swing.
The trophies haven’t been handed out yet, but the fashion drip definitely has. Scroll through the gallery and catch all the nominee-level glam!
Jelly Roll is sharing the secret sauce ... 'cause it looks like running and exercise are a big part of why he's been able to shed a couple hundred pounds and keep the weight off.
Check out this video of the "Bloodline" singer out for a jog Tuesday morning in Hollywood ... it looks like he's working up quite the sweat and getting his heart rate up.
If this is a preview of what's to come on Valentine's Day, then sign us up! Can you guess which famous rapper put her rockin' bod on full display in this eye-popping shot?!
These sizzlin' shots were snapped in Atlanta, Georgia ... A few of her well-known songs include “Pound Town,” “SkeeYee,” and “Get It Sexyy.”
Hit the gallery for the reveal -- and then test your rap knowledge with this fun Bubble Pop game!
Well, this is certainly an Olympics cheating scandal no one saw coming -- Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Laegreid won his first medal at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games -- and confessed to cheating on his girlfriend after one of the biggest accomplishments of his career!!
We're serious -- it happened after SHL won the bronze in the 20km individual biathlon on Tuesday ... when he opened up on his personal life.
As he began to discuss the amazing accomplishment with Norwegian broadcaster NRK, Laegreid was suddenly overcome with emotion -- and it wasn't because of the medal.
Looks like Andy Dick may finally be pumping the brakes after his terrifying overdose ... 'cause he was spotted looking healthy and happy during a bike ride around L.A.
TMZ obtained this clip of Andy not long after wrapping up a 50-day rehab stint -- he was cruising through the L.A. streets Tuesday morning, putting his health first with a spot of cardio.
Andy appeared upbeat and relaxed, chatting it up with a buddy as they rode through a quiet residential neighborhood ... a pretty stark contrast from where we last saw him.
Justina Emmanwori’s Super Bowl learning curve is officially complete -- ’cause the proud mom says she went from barely knowing what a touchdown was … to fully embracing the game after watching her son help deliver a championship.
Fresh off the Seahawks’ win over the Patriots, the mother of rookie safety Nick Emmanworicouldn’t hold back her emotions when TMZ Sports caught up with her postgame … admitting she entered as a total newbie but left the night feeling deeply connected to the game and the team.
“I am so proud,” she told us. “Before, I said I don’t know anything about football -- touchdown, yay! But now, it’s big. I know what football is all about.”
Mike Epps went too far ... according to his own take on an off-color joke he told at Nicki Minaj's expense.
The comedian apologized to the "Super Bass" rapper after footage from a recent stand-up set went viral. In the clip, he ribs Nicki about her newfound MAGA obsession, joking she had a "train ran on her by Donald Trump and them."
Mike Epps was recently spotted roasting Nicki Minaj during his stop in Louisville, Kentucky, on the “We Them Ones Tour.” pic.twitter.com/BxOTRmSvcf
Now, in a video uploaded to Instagram, he's backtracking on the comments, saying, “Sometimes I get on that stage, and I have a little drink, and I go wild ... I’m non-filtered. Just wanted to apologize.”
The investigation into the shooting of Keion White just took a wild turn ... because of what reportedly happened between the 49ers DE and rapper Lil Baby before the shots rang out just hours after the Super Bowl.
According to The San Francisco Standard, which says it's seen the police report, 27-year-old White and Baby got into an argument after the Grammy-winning rapper and his friends were turned away from the third-year pro's private event at a local SF lounge.
Per the outlet, a witness told police he saw the verbal argument and went to get help from bar staff ... before he heard two gunshots ring out. When the witness returned, he discovered White had been shot in the ankle area.
Rihanna might have a billionaire price tag attached to her name ... but she’s still clocking in for regular-degular grocery runs just like the rest of us!
Check the video ... RiRi rolled into an L.A. supermarket Monday dressed head-to-toe in black, yet somehow still impossible to miss. Case in point ... an elderly shopper behind her was so mesmerized she accidentally grabbed Rihanna’s cart, thinking it was her own!!
Rihanna shared a giggle with the woman over the incident ... proving she had no chip on her shoulder, especially since her priority at that moment was shopping for potatoes.
That said, this wasn’t exactly a solo grocery store run. Rihanna was closely tailed by her bodyguard and even had her personal chef in tow -- presumably on standby for dinner inspo while she also grabbed scallions, grapes, bananas and more.
So yeah, she’s out there like any busy mom ... just with a security detail, a personal chef, and someone else hauling the groceries while she casually struts a single flower pot to the parking lot!
