TMZ.com Home

The winner of "Squid Game: The Challenge" is still waiting to collect their massive prize ... claiming they haven't gotten a penny from the pot 10 months after filming wrapped.

SPOILER ALERT

In an interview with the Times, 'Squid Game' champ Mai Whelan -- a 55-year-old who escaped Vietnam as a young girl during the communist regime -- said, "I feel like Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire. Show me the money!" as she confirmed she still hadn't received the money.

Unclear why Whelan has yet to receive the cash, obviously Netflix isn't hurting for cash, but it's likely coming soon -- as the show's finale only just aired Wednesday.

Interestingly enough, many fans of the show wondered if Mai would share any of her prize money with fellow contestants, including the runner-up, Phil Cain, a 27-year-old scuba instructor. Turns out, the contract signed by players prohibits them from sharing the cash.

While she still hasn't gotten her prize money, Mai told the Times she splurged on a few items for the Netflix finale event ... including a new haircut, Jimmy Choo shoes and a Ralph Lauren dress. Choices she says still left her with buyer's remorse.

If it was even possible, Mariah Carey's sprinkling even more festive magic on the holidays -- surprising fans with an upgraded version of her classic, "All I Want For Christmas Is You" ... naming it the "Festive Lambs Edition!"

In case you've been under a rock ... The "Queen of Christmas" refers to her fans as "Lambs" or "The Lambily," and they were out in full force in the 4-minute-long clip Mariah shared Friday ... featuring unseen footage from her ongoing "Merry Christmas One and All" tour.

The video also features her 12-year-old twins, Monroe and Moroccan, up onstage with her -- and her celeb pal Miley Cyrus, who was snapped at one of her shows over the last few weeks.

Mariah posted the vid on X, and gushed ... "The best thing about being on tour is getting to celebrate the holidays with my lambily!!"

Mariah's tour started back on Nov 15 in Highland, CA ... and her final gig will be at NYC's Madison Square Garden on Dec 17.

10:47 AM PT -- The woman, Laneisha Shantrice Henderson, has been charged with attempted arson and interfering with government property. We've just obtained her mug shot.

A would-be arsonist tried to burn down the birth home of Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta -- but her plan was foiled by a bunch of tourists who filmed the ordeal and restrained her.

The 26-year-old woman was caught on camera Wednesday, holding a large plastic gasoline container and splashing the front of MLK's house with the flammable liquid.

Check out the video ... one of the tourists turns his camera on the woman and asks, "What are you doing?"

The woman turns to him and says, "What?" before waving him off and continuing to vandalize the historic home.

Two other people visiting the landmark grabbed the woman and held her down on the ground until Atlanta PD officers arrived and took her into custody.

The suspect, whose name was not released, was charged with criminal attempt arson and criminal attempt interference with government property.

She could also face federal charges since the house is operated by the National Park Service -- a federally run agency.

Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum gave credit to the good Samaritans, saying, “That action saved an important part of American history tonight.”

Atlanta Fire Department Battalion Chief Jerry DeBerry also pointed out the house could have been "engulfed in flames" within seconds if the witnesses hadn't come to the rescue.

The King Center -- established in 1968 to carry on MLK's legacy -- issued a statement on X, reading in part, "Tonight, an unfortunate incident occurred at the birth home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as an individual attempted to set fire to this historic property. Fortunately, the attempt was unsuccessful, thanks to the brave intervention of good Samaritans and the quick response of law enforcement."

Selena Gomez is comin' after those who think her relationship with Benny Blanco isn't the right move ... by defending her man and their status.

The singer/actress has been responding to folks online about her relationship with the music producer ... and declaring, "He is my absolute everything in my heart."

She didn't stop there ... Selena took time to reply to people's less-than-positive comments about her dating choice -- saying he's "the best thing that's ever happened to me," and adds he's "better than anyone I've ever been with. Facts."

Selena clapped back at another hater with, "I will never allow your words to guide my life ... If you can't accept me at my happiest then don't be in [my] life at all."

While most of the back and forth has since been deleted, people were claiming Benny was a downgrade in terms of BF material for Selena. You'll recall, she's been linked to guys like Justin Bieber, Taylor Lautner and Nick Jonas.

In terms of her previous relationships, Selena simply told one commenter, "I'm not going to be with a f***boy ever again."

No, she was not specific as to whom she was referring with that remark.

Shannon Beador is making strides in her sobriety journey ... choosing not to be tempted by any alcohol during a celebratory night out on the town.

Witnesses at the season 2 premiere Wednesday night of Amazon's "Hollywood Houselift with Jeff Lewis" tell TMZ ... the "RHOC" star held onto a clear cup filled with water as she mingled in a crowd of more than 100 guests at the Sunset Tower Hotel.

They also say Shannon seemed to be in great spirits, with no man in tow ... only her girlfriends.

Remember, we broke the story ... Shannon vowed to get some treatment following her DUI bust in Sept.

She was arrested over an alleged drunken car ride ... zipping through a Newport Beach residential area before crashing into the property, which was all caught on surveillance footage.

Cops booked her on 2 misdemeanors, and sources close to Shannon told us she was taking responsibility and accountability for her arrest by enrolling in an outpatient behavioral wellness program with an alcohol component.

The world-famous Hollywood Sign has officially stood tall for a century ... so take a look at how the Los Angeles landmark has aged over the past 100 years!

The SoCal icon first lit up the Hollywood Hills on December 8, 1923, originally displaying the word "Hollywoodland" ... and built by L.A. Times publisher Harry Chandler for $21k as a larger-than-life billboard for his real estate development company.

The original letters were 30 feet wide and 43 feet tall, with the metal squares held together by a frame of pipes, scaffolding, wires, and even telephone poles.

Since then, the Hollywood Sign has etched its way into showbiz lore ... and it even followed the Hollywood A-lister model by getting a few facelifts as time passed!

It's also been subject to some temporary makeovers -- including the infamous "Hollyweed" look in 2017 or the "Rams House" switch-up by the city last year after the football team's Super Bowl victory -- although that appearance didn't win folks over.

Post Malone has become so synonymous with the Dallas Cowboys -- he's now joined the famed "88 Club" group text that includes Drew Pearson, Michael Irvin, Dez Bryant and CeeDee Lamb!!!

Pearson revealed the eyebrow-raising fact to TMZ Sports this week ... saying Post has demonstrated so much love to Dallas over the past few years that he and other Cowboys legends have now opened their arms -- and their text messages -- to the "Congratulations" crooner.

It's, of course, a huge deal ... because the "88 Club" has long been limited to Dallas players who have starred while wearing jersey No. 88 -- and only those players.

But, Pearson explained Post has just become that good of a friend and that big of a fan.

"Our honorary guy on the '88 Club' is Post Malone," Pearson said.

Pearson then told us Post actually chimes in on their group chat during games ... saying, "You know he's going crazy!" while watching the action on his TV screen.

"He's on the group text with us," Pearson reiterated. "He's a big fan."

Post has professed his love for the Cowboys for years -- but most recently, he's really kicked things up a notch. In October, he opened up a Dallas-themed Raising Cane's ... and a month later, he helped design a Cowboys clothing line as well.

American actor Devon Graye was 19 years old when he first started playing the teenage version of Dexter Morgan -- the serial killer who enjoys shooting and hunting with his rifle -- on Showtime's "Dexter" back in 2006

Michael C. Hall who is living a double life as a serial killer and a blood spatter analysis for for the Miami Metro Police Department, Dexter, Jennifer Carpenter as Dexter's competitive sister and police officer, Debra, and David Zayas as Dexter's friend and PD Sergeant, Angel.

Graye is also known for his portrayal of the second trickster in the superhero TV series "The Flash."

Hunter Biden has been charged with 9 crimes in connection with the DOJ's investigation into his alleged tax evasion.

President Joe Biden's son was charged with failure to pay taxes, evasion of assessment, filing false or fraudulent tax returns, among other charges.

The new case from special counsel David Weiss stems from Hunter's business dealings overseas. Prosecutors claim Hunter at one point owed $2 million to the IRS, which he apparently paid back in 2021 ... with a loan from a friend.

As we reported, Hunter was also indicted on gun charges back in September -- charged with one count of making false statements in connection with the purchase of a firearm, one count of making false statements to a federal firearms licensed dealer, and one count of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.

"Supernatural" star Mark Sheppard is out of the hospital after suffering 6 heart attacks and miraculously avoiding death ... flashing a smile on his way home.

The 59-year-old actor was spotted heading out of the Los Angeles-area hospital Thursday, grinning from ear to ear and dishing out some hugs to the hospital staff.

Mark appears to still have some post-op drains connected, which are commonly used to drain excess blood and fluid after surgery ... a small and temporary price to pay for the terrifying ordeal he faced less than 1 week ago.

As we reported, Mark claimed to have suffered a series of "massive heart attacks" after collapsing in his kitchen Friday, with EMTs bringing him back to life 4 times.

Mark had a total blockage in his left anterior descending artery -- otherwise known as a LAD.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are scoping out the social scene around Miami ... as they get ready to put down roots in the Sunshine State.

The billionaire Amazon founder and former TV anchor arrived hand in hand Thursday at Art Basel Miami Beach ... an outing that comes after last month's announcement they're relocating to Miami.

The engaged couple were matching in denim jeans as they perused art installations ... and Lauren showed off some skin with a halter neck top and cool shades. Yeah, she's gonna do just fine in Miami.

The duo was joined by Lauren's son Nikko Gonzalez ... heading inside to check out the pricey artwork while rubbing shoulders with the city's elite on day 1 of the prestigious art event.

Weeks earlier, Jeff revealed on IG their plan to relocate to Indian Creek Island in Miami Beach ... ending his time in Seattle, the birthplace of his mega tech company.

He's been making significant preps since then -- like docking his $500-million dollar vessel in Ft. Lauderdale -- though he has yet to confirm when they actually plan to move.

Ginuwine's throwing water on at least one story from Britney Spears' memoir -- because he has no recollection of Justin Timberlake wiggin' out when they all ran into each other back in the day.

In "The Woman in Me," Britney claimed that JT royally her embarrassed when they were dating by throwing on a "blaccent" for Ginuwine -- going full-blown "fo shiz" with his slang. 🙈

Well, Ginuwine has a different memory of things ... telling People he's the same 'ol G he was back in the early 2000s, so he would've remembered Justin trying too hard to fit in, and would've questioned him on the spot.

Now, Britney also claimed *NSYNC intentionally mingled with Black artists, while the Backstreet Boys positioned themselves as a white group.

Justin hasn't responded to any of Britney's allegations about him -- but his *NSYNC buddies made it clear they have his back this year. They even returned to the Billboard charts with their new song "Better Place" for the 'Trolls' movie.

The divorce drama between Iman Shumpert and Teyana Taylor is heating up ... he's now calling BS on her claim he made her feel endangered when she was with him.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ, Shumpert says Teyana never proved he made her feel endangered, despite making the claim in recently filed divorce papers. Iman wants the court to take action, and to remove Teyana's accusations from the documents.

To get specific, Teyana put something called "cruel treatment" as grounds for the couple's divorce, which is defined as "willful infliction of pain bodily or mental ... [that] reasonably justifies apprehension of danger to life, limb, or health."

Iman says that's nonsense, and the only grounds should be "irretrievable broken bond." He wants the "cruel treatment" grounds thrown out.

What's more, Iman says despite Teyana's claims, he's never been irresponsible when it comes to the care of their two daughters, seven-year-old “Junie” Tayla, and three-year-old Rue Rose.

The new filing from Iman is just another chapter in what's already become a nasty custody battle. As we reported, Teyana first filed the divorce docs using only the couple's initials in an attempt to keep everything private from the public.

However, Iman blew the lid off the secret when he filed a motion asking the court to attach their full names to the documents ... and allowing the public to know what was going on.

Former NFL running back Willis McGahee is opening up on the dark place he was in after his career ended in 2013 ... revealing he contemplated taking his own life "a couple times" as he struggled to find his purpose off the gridiron.

42-year-old McGahee -- who played in the NFL from 2003-2013 -- detailed his issues adjusting to life after football in an interview with The Athletic on Thursday ... saying, "When it’s gone, you really have nothing to fall back on."

"It’s just a lot coming at you, man, and it gets mentally tough."

McGahee was a stellar running back, but his career was plagued by countless injuries. Despite his recurring ailments, he managed to earn more than 8,400 yards and 65 touchdowns on the ground ... adding over 1,300 yards and another five touchdowns receiving.

Even though he felt like he could still play following the 2013 season, the league felt otherwise ... and he was forced to move on -- something he said he really struggled with in the years following.

McGahee said he has gotten better with his mental health struggles by going to therapy and focusing on his 10 children -- but his physical pain continues to this day, and he claims the NFL is abandoning players like him who need help through its disability benefits.

While McGahee said he is receiving line-of-duty benefits for substantial disability due to NFL activities, he said he is continuously getting shut down from collecting any sort of assistance for neurocognitive impairment -- which led to a lawsuit.

"It’s not benefiting the players who are really, actually hurt and going through stuff in life," McGahee said. "They’re not taking care of us. It’s a sham. I’m tired of it. Somebody has to step up and do something about it."

McGahee explained he would do it all again if he could ... but ultimately, a decision he'll have to deal with moving forward.

"I don’t regret it," McGahee said. "But it’s something I’ve got to deal with now."

Kodak Black is behind bars after getting arrested for cocaine possession ... and cops say he tried to hide the evidence right in front of them.

According to the report, cops in Plantation, FL say they spotted a black Bentley SUV blocking a roadway Thursday morning ... which, obviously, they saw as an accident waiting to happen.

Plantation PD says the SUV's window was halfway down, and they found Kodak asleep in the driver's seat ... with a strong odor of cannabis coming from inside the vehicle. They say Kodak admitted there was weed in the SUV, but when the officer noticed a Styrofoam cup that reeked of alcohol ... he told Kodak to exit the vehicle.

The officer says he noticed Kodak turned his back to him, and saw white powder falling on the ground next to Kodak ... as he was standing in front of the patrol vehicle's beaming headlights.

According to the report, the officer then noticed Kodak's mouth full of white powder, and later observed several white rock-like objects on the ground ... which Kodak allegedly said was Percocet.

However, the officer tested the powder on the scene and says it came back positive for cocaine. Kodak was ultimately arrested for possession, tampering with evidence, and violation of his existing probation. On the lesser end, he got a traffic violation for obstructing the road.

His Bentley SUV was towed and cops say the ride looked like it had been in an accident, noting damage to the bumper and door.

Mariah Carey might be the queen of Christmas, but she's still a good sport ... sending Brenda Lee flowers after the singer topped the chats with her holiday hit, 65 years after it was recorded.

Brenda, known for her classic Christmas track, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," shared Mariah's gesture on Instagram Thursday, showing off a bouquet with a handwritten note from Mariah -- one that wishes her a Merry Christmas and a big congrats for her "historic #1."

As we reported, Brenda's holiday tune became a star on the top of Billboard's Hot 100 list Monday -- the first time it's had the honor since its release back in 1958. Shockingly, Brenda was only 13 when she recorded the hit.

The song has been creeping its way up to the top in recent years ... and the 78-year-old singer finally put out a long-overdue music video for the song last month.

She also sang her track while taking to the skies -- much to the delight of her fellow airplane passengers!