Tom Cruise Bert Fields Was More Than A Lawyer ... He Was My Dear Friend

BONDING WITH BERT
Video Courtesy Marmot Lane

Tom Cruise is remembering his late lawyer and friend, Bert Fields ... sharing an incredible story of how they first met.

The 'Top Gun' star recorded a video message for Bert's memorial service ... revealing how he first came across Bert -- at a dinner party with Dustin Hoffman.

Tom says he was seated next to Bert and they got to talking. It didn't take long for Tom to notice something different about Bert, remembering him as one of the most fascinating people he'd ever met.

The conversation was so compelling -- Tom says they talked history and swapped stories. Bert told Tom he was Dustin's lawyer, and Tom hired him on the spot.

The video message is pretty emotional ... with Tom explaining what made Bert such a wonderful guy to have around. It's clear Bert made a big impact on Tom's life, and not just as his attorney.

TMZ broke the story ... Bert died in August after a legendary career representing the likes of Michael Jackson, James Cameron, Warren Beatty, Mike Nichols, Jeffrey Katzenberg, David Geffen, Jerry Bruckheimer, The Beatles and Madonna ... just to name a few.

NOVEMBER 1993
DOCTORS DIRECTION

Bert filed some huge lawsuits against media outlets on behalf of Tom, including a $100 million suit in 2001 after a magazine claimed Cruise was gay, falsely claiming it had an X-rated video as proof. The case settled, with the mag admitting, "Tom Cruise does not appear on the videotape ... [He] is not and never has been, homosexual and has never had a homosexual affair."

Tom's video was played at Bert's Oct. 2 memorial service at Broad Stage in Santa Monica, where Dustin and Katzenberg gave in-person remarks.

Porn Star Adriana Chechik I Broke My back!!! Gnarly Landing in Shallow Foam Pit

10/8/22
DANGEROUS DIVE

Adult film star and Twitch streamer Adriana Chechik has a shattered back, but the injury didn't happen the way you think -- instead, she took a nasty jump into a foam pit -- one that reportedly wasn't deep enough to meet regulations.

Adriana was no match for the pit at TwitchCon in San Diego Saturday ... doing a victory leap off her platform after winning a foam jousting match against fellow streamer EdyBot.

The jump's pretty impressive, as seen from the convention's live stream ... but it's the landing that's rough -- she tries crawling out of the pit to no avail, which is when someone comes to her aid to find out what went down.

Adriana took to Twitter the next day, telling her fans, "Well, I broke my back in two places and am getting surgery to put a meter rod in for support today. Send your support."

Standard foam pits, used primarily for gymnastics, should have pit-liner foam, according to manufacturers -- this pit was reportedly less than 2 feet deep when AC had her accident.

She apparently wasn't the only one who got banged up in the pit -- someone else dislocated her knee, and tweeted ... "Be careful on this thing guys. I'm currently at the hospital seeing if I broke anything."

Feel better, Adriana -- taking 2 of these and calling in the morning won't cut it in this case.

LeBron James Rages With Travis Scott In L.A. ... For Bronny's 18th Bday

Le-Hype James

LeBron James went full Sicko Mode for Bronny's big 18th birthday party ... losing his mind and dancing during Travis Scott's surprise performance -- and it was LIT!!

The James Gang pulled out all the stops for the Sierra Canyon hooper's celebration ... renting out Harriet's Rooftop bar in West Hollywood for all his friends.

The highlight of the night came when La Flame grabbed the mic and performed for the crowd  ... doing his biggest hits like "Butterfly Effect," "goosebumps" and "Sicko Mode."

King James and Bronny were clearly feeling the show ... rapping along and jumping up and down.

It's another step forward for Scott ... who has slowly made his return to performing after the Astroworld Festival tragedy in November 2021.

While most ragers tend to include alcohol, word is all drinks were kid-friendly (maybe in 3 years, Bronny) ... and there was plenty of pizza and ice cream to go around, according to Daily Mail.

Rapper SoFaygo also took the mic at the party ... with Bronny standing on stage with him throughout his set.

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LeBron gave a special tribute to Bronny on Thursday ... saying, "I'm so proud of the young man you've become kid!" he said.

"Continue to be YOU throughout your journey because it's simply better that way! And I'll be right beside you whenever/however needed! Love you Young 🤴🏾"

JAMES FAMILY AFFAIR
TMZ.com

It might go down as one of the best 18th birthday parties ever ... which is only fitting for the heir to the throne.

Kushstock Festival Rapper Blasts Weed Smoke Into Crowd ... Take That, Fog Machine!!!

SUPER SMOKED

The crowd at Kushstock did exactly what they wanted to do -- get super stoned -- because one of the acts swapped out a simple fog machine for weed smoke that got blasted into the audience!!!

Rapper Chucky Chuck gave his fans an experience they'll never forget, though the memory might be a little foggy ... posting the vid from this weekend's festival in Adelanto, CA with a caption that says, "F*** a fog machine."

The artist says he worked with 2 custom cannabis creation companies to make the impossible possible -- building what looks like a leaf blower attached to a big pipe -- with a bunch of weed inside, of course.

It looks like the audience was loving -- and inhaling -- every second of it ... it's called Kushstock for a reason, people.

Good vibes by all ... profits at the food tents must've gone sky-high after this one!!!

Madonna I'm Gay(?) ... Seemingly Comes Out

Madonna appears to have declared herself as gay ... we think?

Madge threw up a TikTok Sunday that's got the world wondering ... a video that shows her throwing some panties at a trash can with the caption "If I miss, I'm Gay!" She falls short of hitting the bin ... and the camera cuts back to Madonna, who shrugs and walks away.

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Pretty big news ... assuming she's actually making some here. On the face of it, it looks like she might be coming out as lesbian -- or at the very least, bi -- but it's hard to say for sure.

Madge has signaled she may be into women ... not just with public comments, but with her actions too. She's locked lips with a few notable ladies over the course of her career -- including Nicki Minaj, but more memorably ... Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.

It was a highlight during the 2003 VMAs ... when she famously kissed both Britney and Christina onstage -- which she later explained as passing the Queen of Pop torch. Madonna kissed Britney again this year during her wedding, recreating the moment.

Of course, Madonna has only been in relationships with men ... as far as we know, anyway. She's been romantically linked to a ton of celebs over the years -- including Dennis Rodman, Tupac, Michael Jackson, Vanilla Ice and others.

She was also married to Sean Penn, plus Guy Ritchie ... with whom she had a kid. She's had children with other not-so-famous men too ... and has also adopted along the way.

Lately, she's been dating younger gents ... but we've never seen her confirm a relationship with a woman. That might all change now, though.

Buccaneers Vs. Falcons Child Taken Down By Security ... After Running On Field

A little boy who ran onto the field during an NFL game Sunday was grabbed by a security guard and slammed to the turf ... all while Tom Brady looked on from just feet away.

The incident happened early in the Buccaneers' game against the Falcons in Tampa Bay ... when a 10-year-old hopped the stadium railing and sprinted onto the playing surface.

The kid -- wearing a Brady shirt -- made it several yards down the sideline ... juking stadium workers who were trying to stop him.

Eventually, however, one staffer grabbed a hold of him and tackled him to the ground. Video shot by a fan in the stands shows the kid being taken down with force.

Authorities then slapped cuffs on the child, before hauling him into a holding area inside the stadium.

A spokesperson for the Tampa Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports the boy was issued a civil citation, given notice to appear in court ... and then released.

10/3/22
BOBBLED BY BOBBY
Courtesy of NFL

This is the second time in less than a week that a field invader has caused a scene at an NFL game ... last Monday, a smoke-bomb-toting protester was slammed by Rams star Bobby Wagner in the middle of "Monday Night Football" against the 49ers. He filed a police report over the incident. The case is ongoing.

As for how Brady and the Bucs handled their brief distraction ... none of them got involved -- and they clearly didn't let it bother them, beating Atlanta, 21-15.

'Rust' Actor Douglas Stewart Halyna's Family's Blessing Is Huge ... Let's Finish This Movie!!!

SO MANY MIXED EMOTIONS
TMZ.com

An actor in Alec Baldwin's "Rust" movie is on board with resuming production after Halyna Hutchins' tragic death ... thanks to now having her family's blessing.

Douglas Stewart, who plays the town father in the western flick, tells TMZ ... the biggest hurdle in finishing the movie was knowing whether Halyna's family wanted it done, and having her widower involved is what the cast needed to hear to move forward.

As we reported, Matthew Hutchins announced this week he's dropping the wrongful death suit against Alec, the producers and others ... having reached a settlement.

Alec is now going to finish in his lead role, alongside the OG "Rust" cast, with Halyna's widower becoming an executive producer on the movie.

Douglas says he has mixed feelings about completing the flick because of the tragedy, but says as a working actor who has a family to care for ... he ultimately feels it's the right move given heightened safety precautions and Matthew's involvement.

The civil settlement is not affecting the criminal investigation -- authorities say some of the folks involved, including Alec, could be charged -- but Douglas says he doesn't think it will have an impact on finishing the film -- completing the film and any criminal case are separate issues.

One other related thing ... Douglas doesn't believe Alec is to blame, because it was the armorer, not Baldwin, who had the responsibility for ensuring safety.

Comedian Ariel Elias Heckler Throws Beer ... She Chugs It!!!

A comedian who was in the middle of performing in New Jersey was met with a handsy heckler -- who kept his hands to himself ... but let his beer fly in her direction.

Ariel Elias was recently doing a set at Uncle Vinnie's Comedy Club Point Pleasant Beach -- and while she was in the middle of a bit ... a woman from the crowd interrupted her to start talking politics ... specifically, musing on who she voted for and landing on Joe Biden.

Things were definitely tense, but Ariel kept her cool and rolled with the punches ... shutting the lady down by clowning her -- which somebody else nearby didn't take very well.

Unclear who exactly did this ... but someone straight up threw a semi-full beer can up onstage and in Ariel's direction -- which only barely missed her head ... splattering against the wall and hitting the ground. She was shocked, as was just about everyone else.

You can hear what sounds like a man saying he's never coming back again, and what seems like a staffer telling him he can't do that. Then, Ariel picks up the beer ... and pounds it!!!

There's more to the story ... whoever threw that beer is apparently going to pay for it, because Ariel says the club is pressing charges against him. Unclear if cops were called that night and if he was arrested, but it appears Uncle Vinnie's isn't letting this one go.

As you can imagine, AE is getting a lot of kudos from those in the comedy world for how she handled this. Not only did she turn a crazy situation on its head, but she did it with so much humor ... even in the face of violence.

Well done!

Ex-NFL Star Jamal Lewis Warns Tua Tagovailoa ... Head Injuries 'Can Haunt You For Rest Of Your Life'

Tua needs to be careful ...
TMZSports.com

Ex-NFL star Jamal Lewis says Tua Tagovailoa needs to be very, very careful with his health going forward after suffering a concussion last week ... telling TMZ Sports effects from similar head injuries that he's experienced in the past have lingered "for years."

"This is a silent creeper," Lewis said of post-concussion symptoms, "that can haunt you for the rest of your life slowly."

Lewis, unfortunately, knows all about head trauma -- the former Baltimore Ravens running back sustained several concussions in his career ... including one in 2009 that he says was a horrifying experience.

The ex-tailback says he was knocked out during a game, and didn't feel quite right following the hit for months. At one point while trying to recover, he says he "woke up not really recognizing myself."

The 43-year-old -- one of only eight people to ever rush for more than 2,000 yards in an NFL season -- is now telling Tagovailoa to use him as a cautionary tale ... and truly take care of his head before returning to the field.

"You gotta be more smart and understand that you might have a family," Lewis said, "that you have other people that are more important than this game."

Tagovailoa appeared to suffer a head injury initially against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 25.

After telling docs it was his back, not his head, that bothered him, he was allowed to return to the game and then play again four days later against the Cincinnati Bengals.

In that game, he was slung to the ground and knocked out for several moments. He was rushed to the hospital, and has since been away from the Dolphins recovering.

Lewis tells us he'd advise Tagovailoa to now sit out "for a while" to make 100 percent sure he's all right. He added, though, if Tua suffers one more big hit to the head again ... he should retire.

'SHAHS OF SUNSET' MIKE SHOUHED TAKES DEAL IN DOM. VIOLENCE CASE

"Shahs of Sunset" star Mike Shouhed is no longer facing a domestic violence charge for allegedly roughing up his fiancée ... that is, if he follows through with a few classes, including a gun safety course.

According to court documents, Mike cut a deal with prosecutors that got a slew of misdemeanor charges dismissed from his domestic violence arrest. Most notably, domestic violence, battery and unlawfully attempting to dissuade a witness were all dropped.

Per the docs, prosecutors agreed to let Mike enter into a diversion program to close out his case -- meaning he won't have to plead to any charges as long as he successfully completes the terms of the program.

Mike agreed to take anger management and parenting classes, along with performing community service and completing a gun safety course.

CHILLIN' IN CABO
TMZ.com

Mike was also facing a handful of weapons charges -- including criminal storage of a loaded firearm and possession of an assault weapon -- so another condition is he's now barred from owning or possessing any weapons during the 2-year diversion program.

As we reported ... Mike was arrested back in March for allegedly getting physical with a woman during a fight, who was later identified as his fiancée, Paulina Ben-Cohen.

Mike and Paulina, who have been engaged since 2021, went to Los Cabos for a getaway only a few weeks after his arrest ... with Mike showing tons of affection to Paulina's kids during a day on the beach.

Mike's attorney, George Mgdesyan, tells TMZ, "In this case, the DA didn’t bring this case because they saw the facts like I did. If this case was brought to trial, the prosecution would not be able to prove it. All my client’s guns were legal, in his bedroom that was locked with a keypad. No one was allowed in the master bedroom."

He continues, "It was unfortunate that there was one weapon registered to my client before laws changed, and it was a technical violation. However, the City Attorney’s Office charged him with gun charges. In light of the offer, he was not convicted and will earn a dismissal that’s in his best interest because the domestic violence charges were dismissed. If the domestic violence charges were not dismissed, we would proceed to trial. It was a no brainer."

Mike's due back in court in January for a progress report.

Doofy In 'Scary Movie' 'Memba Him?!

American actor and comedian Dave Sheridan was 33 years old when he was cast as Doofy -- the assistant at a local sheriff's department who disguises and keeps his bad boy image under wraps ... only to end up being the main antagonist -- in the OG comedy and parody film "Scary Movie."

Sheridan shared the big screen with Anna Faris as the sweet and innocent, Cindy, Regina Hall as Cindy's upbeat and animated best friend, Brenda, Marlon Wayans as Brenda's not-so-responsible older brother, Shorty and Shawn Wayans as the jock and Brenda's boyfriend, Ray.

Guess what he looks like today!

Arnold Schwarzenegger My Personal Training Rate is $150K a Sesh!!! ... Benefits School Charity

GETTING PUMPED WITH ARNOLD
TMZ.com

Arnold Schwarzenegger may be the most expensive personal trainer in the land, because Sunday he worked out 2 crews that each plunked down $150,000 ... all for an incredible cause.

Arnold was at Gold's Gym in Venice, which he made world-famous, and made good on a charity auction at his home Saturday night.

HIRED GUNS

Morris Flancbaum from Florida and his fam bid the $150k to get a good pump under Arnold's tutelage. Morris and his sons got pointers from The Terminator as a crowd formed to watch. Another $150k auction winner was there as well, getting fit with Arnold.

The charity -- After-School All-Stars -- is fantastic. Arnold created it 30 years ago to benefit school kids around the country. It provides after-school programs and exercise for 100,000 kids in 60 cities.

MORRIS' MESSAGE
TMZ.com

This time around folks donated $5.2 million, of which $1.75M came from the auction. In addition to a training session, Arnold auctioned off clothes, humidors, art and a ride in his tank!!!

Guests paid $50k a head to attend the event. Sylvester Stallone, Danny DeVito and Dolph Lundgren, along with the costars of Arnold's new Netflix show, "FUBAR," all showed.

EXPENSIVE EXERCISE

And this part's amazing ... the charity just opened a school program in Uvalde, Texas, at the request of the City. It only took 45 days to get the program up and running.

Congrats Arnold and co. Awesome!!!

Plano, TX Hooters Attacked by Youths in Crazy Assault ... Supposedly Over Chocolate

HOOTERS BEATDOWN
UPDATE

1:17 PM PT -- Plano PD tells TMZ ... witnesses say this group of guys was selling chocolate in the Hooters parking lot, and when they were approached by a manager and asked to leave -- things allegedly got violent. We're told a couple of them attacked the manager and left with him a broken arm, and at that point ... things spilled inside, where a customer was hurt too.

UPDATE

PPD says they're investigating this as an aggravated assault case ... but so far, no arrests have been made. They'll be looking at this video as part of the evidence.

A Hooters in Texas came under intense assault this week -- with a group of youths going crazy on the establishment and their customers ... supposedly, because of some candy.

Video from the altercation first surfaced on Thursday -- when the incident appears to have happened -- but started making the rounds this weekend ... and the footage is absolutely wild. You see a bunch of young guys, some of whom are shirtless, losing their minds.

They're beating up what appear to be patrons in the vestibule of the restaurant ... wailing on one guy in particular who falls to his knees. Some of the employees -- including at least one Hooters girl -- also seem to get roped into the action ... with complete chaos unfolding.

One person filming says something to the effect of ... "all over chocolate," and you even see a chocolate bar on the ground at one point. Welp, as it turns out -- that's exactly what allegedly sparked this whole thing ... according to a Hooters manager who spoke to TMZ.

ANOTHER ANGLE OF CHAOS

We're told these guys are door-to-door salesmen and that they came around that night trying to hawk their goods, only to be turned away over a no-soliciting policy Hooters has -- which is apparently what set them off.

There weren't more details provided, but the Hooters manager says they've resumed business and that a criminal investigation is ongoing.

We've reached out to the local authorities, including Plano PD, to see if anything further came from this ... so far, no word back.

Originally Published -- 12:53 PM PT

William Shatner Space Isn't All It's Chalked Up to Be ... BO Flight was a Drag!!!

William Shatner called Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space flight a profound experience upon landing back on Earth -- but now, he's saying ... it was actually a huge bummer.

The 'Star Trek' OG has a new book coming out -- titled "Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder" -- and Variety obtained an excerpt this week ... which sheds light on how WS actually felt as he was shooting up into the great beyond above our stratosphere.

Here's the quote everyone's mentioning -- it starts off with Will saying he thought rocketing into space would be a huge catharsis and illuminating ... thanks to Hollywood's portrayals.

Instead, however, Captain Kirk had the exact opposite feeling -- saying, "I discovered that the beauty isn't out there, it's down here, with all of us. Leaving that behind made my connection to our tiny planet even more profound."

There's more ... William says his space flight made him incredibly distraught with sorrow. He says, "It was among the strongest feelings of grief I have ever encountered. The contrast between the vicious coldness of space and the warm nurturing of Earth below filled me with overwhelming sadness." He says the idea of us humans destroying that filled him with dread.

Will adds, "My trip to space was supposed to be a celebration; instead, it felt like a funeral."

ABSOLUTELY BEAMING
Blue Origin

Remember, Will was visibly emotional when they touched down ... but as he was trying to relay something to JB, the dude sorta interrupted his thought by popping some champagne.

Later, Will certainly made it seem like it was a positive moment -- calling the Blue Origin flight "profound" and "extraordinary."

Now, though, it appears that was just him putting on a happy face for the cameras ... 'cause, as it turns out, he was actually pretty damn depressed!

Michael J. Fox at NYCC Wait a Minute, Doc ... Give Me a Hug Man!!!

Marty McFly and Doc Brown are tearing up the space-time continuum again -- and it's just as emotional as ever ... especially all these years later.

Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd reunited Saturday in the Big Apple during a 'Back to the Future' panel at New York Comic Con ... and when the two former costars met onstage, they greeted each other with a big hug, which got thunderous applause from the fans.

Check out the clip ... you see MJF out there by himself at first, taking a seat on the couch then he pops back up when Chris walks out, and wraps him up with open arms.

It's a super cool moment, and you can tell it meant a lot to both of them -- especially by the way Mike went in for the embrace. Afterward, they sat down and chopped it up ... reportedly going on to tell old stories about the trilogy, but particularly about Pt. 1 (the classic).

Michael reportedly said at one point ... "You guys have given me my whole life," adding a poignant nugget about his Parkinson's. Mike said, "The best thing that happened in my life was this thing. Parkinson's is a gift. I've said to people it's a gift and they say, 'You're nuts.' I say, 'Yeah, but it's the gift that keeps on taking.' But it's a gift and I wouldn't change it for anything ... It's not about what I have, it's about what I've been given."

BTW, there's a 'BTTF' musical that's coming to Broadway next year. Word is ... it's great.

Lizzo Responds to Kanye's Comments ... During Toronto Show

Lizzo acknowledged the fact Kanye West name-dropped her on primetime television to decry obesity -- but it sounds like she's taking the high road ... straight to Canada, apparently.

The singer was performing at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena Friday when she stopped at one point in the show to address Ye's comments about her during his appearance on Tucker Carlson's show this week -- and her response was to seek refuge there up north.

OCTOBER 2022
I'M STAYING!!!

Lizzo says everyone in America has something to say about her, this while she just minds her business. She prefaced that with "fat, Black, beautiful" to hit her point home.

She then asks if she can stick around, to which the audience cheered. Lizzo openly wondered if she could marry someone for dual citizenship ... and got a good laugh.

THEY'RE TRYING TO TAKE US OUT
Fox News

She didn't mention Kanye explicitly ... which is a similar approach she took when Aries Spears recently trashed her. There, too, she didn't really lay into him ... but simply said she'd let her success do the talking -- despite people wanting her to "clap back." Ditto for Ye, it seems.

Remember, Kanye used Lizzo to make a point about folks supposedly booing the notion of bettering themselves through weight loss ... something he called "demonic" and the "genocide of the Black race."

LEAVE ME ALONE
TMZ.com

He didn't elaborate further, but Lizzo clearly disagrees.

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