TMZ.com Home

Tristan Thompson has hired a legal gun to shoot down new cheating allegations from an Instagram model ... whom he calls a liar and is threatening to sue if she keeps yapping.

The Celtics star -- who's back in with Khloe Kardashian now -- had his attorney, Marty Singer, fire off a cease and desist letter to Sydney Chase ... who recently claimed she had sex with Tristan since he and Khloe reunited. She also claims to have salacious texts from him.

In the letter, obtained by TMZ, Singer calls her allegations "malicious defamatory fabrications," adding ... "Mr. Thompson had no relationship with you whatsoever and he never sent you any such texts."

Singer goes on to accuse Chase of making up quotes from Tristan and having no proof to back up her claims, and blasts her by saying, "It is obvious that you are a liar."

The letter concludes by saying if Chase doesn't stop "defaming" Thompson in the media or online, "you do so at your peril since you may find yourself in court attempting to defend your indefensible misconduct."

Thompson's attorney also sent a cease and desist letter to Adam22, host of the "No Jumper" podcast ... on which Chase initially blabbed the cheating allegations.

"No Jumper" has already removed the portion of Sydney's interview where she talks about the alleged fling. We'll see if Chase keeps quiet.

Matt James is keeping Rachael Kirkconnell very close by his side -- strolling around NYC -- as they attempt to bounce back as a couple after her racism scandal.

The former 'Bachelor' was hanging out Tuesday with Rachael in the Big Apple -- walking side by side on Manhattan's Lower East Side and even putting his arm around her back as they walked into a building.

Matt told People last week he was "focusing" on his relationship with Rachael, trying to make it work, and these shots show just how much energy he's pouring into it. An eyewitness tells us the couple was holding hands at one point.

He's still keeping a low profile, though, under a hoodie and sometimes a face mask. Kinda similar to what we saw a little more than a week after we saw them grabbing a beer with some friends in Santa Monica. Again, Matt was hiding out under a hoodie.

Despite all the public attention and pressure ... their NYC hangout sure looks like they're moving past the race issues. Even if 'Bachelor' nation hasn't since Matt rejected her during the 'After the Final Rose' ceremony.

As you know ... Rachael had posed for pics with sorority sisters at an antebellum-themed party, and also liked racially insensitive pics on IG, some featuring the Confederate flag.

Rachael made it clear she was still in love with Matt after the split, and all signs point to him being all-in for her as well.

A woman called a Latino cop a "murderer" over and over during a traffic stop -- seemingly afraid for her life ... until she spewed the racist venom she really wanted to get off her chest.

Check out this wild video showing a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy pulling a lady over in San Dimas last month, only to be insulted to his face repeatedly with one final sprinkle of racism for good measure. It's insane.

The guy has his body cam rolling, and right out the gate ... the woman is recording him as well with her phone, demanding to know why she was pulled over and insisting she'd done nothing wrong.

She's pretty hostile while the deputy, who is Hispanic, keeps his cool ... telling her he pulled her over for using her phone while driving. She says she did that because she wanted to capture any bad behavior -- but he points out you can't do that while driving.

Eventually, the woman asks him to get his supervisor on the scene over, which he did, but the deputy still calmly handed her a ticket. Once it was clear she wasn't getting off the hook, she really went off, calling the deputy a "Mexican racist" and then proceeding to tell him that he'll never be white and that he'll always be Mexican.

Basically, she tried taking cover under the police brutality blanket ... but really just seemed to hate the fact she was getting pulled over by a Latino cop, showing her true colors in the end.

Paul Phillips, the former lead guitarist for Puddle of Mudd, claims he could have trouble making music and making a living ... due to some shoddy care he allegedly got at a hospital.

Paul is suing Florida's Baptist Medical Center of the Beaches and a couple doctors for medical malpractice ... claiming their treatments left him with a brain injury and serious seizure condition that might affect his ability to rock out.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Paul claims his brain hasn't been the same since he was admitted to the hospital back in November 2019 after complaining about an altered mental status and possible seizure.

Paul, who played in the band from 2001 to 2005 and 2009 to 2011, claims initial tests showed he was suffering from low sodium levels, but he says doctors did a poor job monitoring the situation and gradually bringing the levels back to normal, claiming the levels rose too quickly during his time at the hospital.

In the docs, Paul claims he was discharged from the hospital before being rushed back 3 days later due to a seizure. He says MRI exams on his brain showed brain damage, which he claims was caused by the treatment he received during his prior hospital stay.

Paul, who is being repped by Morgan & Morgan, claims he's still having seizures and other neurological issues, which he says are requiring treatment at the Mayo Clinic. He claims the brain issues will continue indefinitely and says it's hurting his ability to make a living.

Caitlyn Jenner's first political ad in her attempt to recall and replace California Governor Gavin Newsom is heavy on her Olympic glory, but completely ignores her reality TV fame and her Kardashian daughters.

Candidate Caitlyn brands herself a "dreamer" and a "compassionate disruptor," in the 3-minute video in a clear attempt to distance herself from "career politicians" ... but also seems to distance herself from her own family.

Not only is there no mention of the TV show that made Caitlyn a household name for the younger generation of California voters, but she also chose to omit the name Jenner along with Kardashian ... her slogan is simply, "Caitlyn for California."

As we first reported, Caitlyn's kids aren't thrilled with her candidacy and her daughters are making it clear they won't campaign on her behalf -- so, using 'KUWTK' clips would have been awkward.

Of course, the ad is also chock full of typical political mudslinging despite her attempt to be viewed as a non-politician. Caitlyn includes the notorious clips of Rep. Nancy Pelosi at the hairdresser, and the shot of Newsom -- who she dubs an "elitist" -- at a French Laundry dinner party ... both events happening during pandemic lockdowns.

"With him being that upset shows me just how weak he is."

Terry Bradshaw is straight-up PISSED over the way Aaron Rodgers is handling his beef with the Packers ... and the Hall of Famer is growing so tired of seeing it, he's now urging the NFL MVP to just retire.

Bradshaw dropped the passionate criticism while appearing on WFAN's "Moose & Maggie" this week ... repeatedly calling Rodgers "weak" for beefing with the Pack.

"For him to be upset, my God, I don’t understand that," Bradshaw says.

"Who the hell cares who you draft?" Terry added. "He's a three-time MVP in the league and he’s worried about this guy they drafted last year [Jordan Love]?!"

Bradshaw says if he were running the Packers, he would NOT give into Rodgers' trade demands ... and would simply just let the quarterback walk if he's truly that upset.

"Here’s what I would do: I wouldn’t budge," Bradshaw said of how he'd handle running the Packers through this drama.

"Let him gripe. Let him cry. Retire. You are [37]. Go ahead and retire. See you later. I’m really strong about stuff like that. It just makes him look weak."

Bradshaw continued, "Probably he should just retire and go do 'Jeopardy!' That's the way I look at it. But, I wouldn't budge. I'm strong about stuff like that. I wouldn't budge a bit."

Bradshaw says back when he was with the Steelers ... he embraced when his team would draft other QBs to try to replace him -- explaining, "I wasn’t worried about those guys."

"They didn’t scare me a bit. So, I don’t understand why he is so upset at Green Bay.”

For his part, Rodgers has reportedly been mad at the Packers for months ... upset over his contract and some of the team's personnel decisions -- including when GB picked Love in the 1st round of the 2020 NFL Draft instead of selecting a top wide receiver.

Packers brass has said repeatedly it will not trade the disgruntled star ... with GM Brian Gutekunst saying last week, "I do think he'll play for us again."

Marilyn Manson getting sued for sexual assault has investigators in L.A. planning to reach out to the alleged victim to determine if Manson should also face criminal charges.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the lawsuit filed by "Game of Thrones" actress Esme Bianco last week against the shock rocker is definitely on the L.A. County Sheriff's Department's radar -- and it could become part of an ongoing criminal probe.

As we reported ... Bianco claims she was drugged, tortured and raped by Manson over a period of time from 2009 to 2011, and her allegations include him cutting her with a "Nazi knife" during sex, without her consent.

Bianco's suing for sexual assault and sexual battery, but her suit didn't say if she reported the alleged abuse to authorities ... but our law enforcement sources say they are going to speak with her now about it.

As we first told you ... cops began digging into abuse allegations against Manson in February following his ex, Evan Rachel Wood, going public with her claims of abuse and manipulation. Up to this point, Manson has not been charged with any crime.

The 6-year-old student from Florida who took a paddling -- with her mom watching -- is still shaken up from the incident ... and is getting professional help.

Brent Probinsky, the family's lawyer, tells TMZ that the girl's mother calls him twice a day with distress about the school beating that happened on April 13 ... telling him the kid can't sleep, cries constantly and feels generally terrorized by what happened.

As you can imagine, we're told her parents are also overcome with emotion ... especially the mom, whom Probinsky tells us is riddled with guilt from watching it all unfold. We're told the family now has a therapist ... and their first appointment should be this week.

BTW, the attorney shed some light on why the mom just stood by instead of stepping in -- he says she and her husband are undocumented immigrants from Mexico, and she was afraid she'd get deported if she reported it. You can see her hesitation first-hand in new video that we've obtained, showing the principal take an authoritative tone right from the jump.

Luckily, the mom reported it anyway ... and now it's being handled by authorities. Probinsky says the case is being reviewed by the state attorney's office, as well as the school district and the Florida Dept. of Education. Probinsky insists this was aggravated battery -- he's pushing for officials to strip the principal and her clerk of their education licenses ... so they can't teach in Florida ever again.

A metro train in Mexico City careened off the tracks and fell after a railroad bridge collapsed ... a deadly moment that was captured on video.

It happened late Monday night in the southeast area of town. The mayor, Claudia Sheinbaum, told reporters it appeared a support beam on the track gave out as the train went over it.

That caused the entire structure to topple ... and sent the rail car careening to the street below, where cars were zipping by. Surveillance video captured the exact second it happened, and it looks like something straight out of a movie -- a horror flick, in this case.

So far, officials say at least 23 people were killed in the tragedy -- including an unspecified amount of children -- and dozens more were hospitalized with varying degrees of injuries.

Justin Bieber's fortunate there were no birds around as he headed in for his dinner date with Hailey, or they might have tried to set up shop on his new 'do -- a pulled-back take on locks.

The Biebs and his wife hit up Craig's restaurant in WeHo Monday night, arriving with very contrasting styles -- Hailey dressed to the nines, while JB had a more chill teen look ... at least it matched his bird's nest-like hair.

Speaking of that new coif, Justin partially covered -- or wrapped -- his locks with a black bandana, and umm ... pulled them back into pigtails. Ya can't say he's half-stepping into the new look.

Justin rounded out his ensemble with sneakers, jeans and a baggy red sweatshirt ... and seemed to be in his own world on his phone.

Lamar Odom is mourning the death of his father, Joe -- explaining the two clashed at times, but ultimately loved each other dearly.

The ex-NBA star had announced his father's death back on April 20 -- and Monday night, he thanked everyone who had reached out.

"Thank you to everyone who extended love and prayers to me during my time of bereavement," Odom said ... "I appreciate every single one of you for sending me good energy."

Lamar continued, "Life is not promised. My pops and I had our differences but at the end of the day I knew he loved me and I loved him and that’s really all that matters."

Joe and Lamar had a rocky relationship for years -- in 2013, Lamar quit paying his dad's rent when Joe publicly criticized the Kardashian family.

In 2015, Joe rushed to the hospital to be with Lamar after the NBA star's drug overdose ... but claimed Khloe Kardashian was blocking him from visiting his son.

However, Lamar and Joe seemed to have reconciled over the past few years -- and Lamar is telling his followers to learn from their relationship.

Anna Nicole Smith's daughter Dannielynn Birkhead not only looks like her late mom, she's also getting the same attention from Hollywood ... but she keeps passing on movie and modeling offers.

Dannielynn's dad, Larry Birkhead, tells TMZ ... the 14-year-old's been offered a bunch of acting and modeling jobs over the years, but Dannielynn is simply not interested.

Larry says last week, before Dannielynn bore a striking resemblance to her mom at the Kentucky Derby, he got a call asking if they wanted to be in an upcoming horror film. They haven't officially declined the offer, but it sounds like they will -- Larry says acting just isn't Dannielynn's thing.

Another sign Dannielynn's not seriously considering the offers pouring in from movie producers and major corporations asking her to be in films and advertisements ... dad says she doesn't even have a manager or modeling portfolio.

As you know ... Dannielynn gets compared to Anna Nicole everywhere she goes, but her dad says it can get tiring even though she takes it as a compliment. He says Dannielynn just wants to be her own person, not her mom.

Larry tells us he's not sure if the offers are related to Dannielynn's resemblance to her mom, or the fact she's Anna Nicole's daughter ... but she's turning them down all the same.

Although a future in Hollywood is there for the taking, Larry says the high school freshman is focused on getting her homework done, and she's interested in art, animation and drawing. Dad says she flashed acting talent in a school play a few years back, but decided to step away from theater.

Terrell Davis is issuing a stern warning to Saquon Barkley ... saying if the injured running back returns too early from his ACL injury, it could have DIRE consequences.

The Hall of Famer explained it all to TMZ Sports ... with Davis telling us when he rushed back early from a knee injury following the 1999 season -- it cost him A LOT.

"For me, I tell players coming back from an injury is sometimes you have to protect yourself from yourself," Davis says. "And, what I mean by that is we're very competitive and we want to come back and beat the timeframe."

"So, if the doctor says it's a six-week or six-month recovery -- whatever it is -- our minds is, 'I'm coming back in half that time. I'm coming back in three weeks or three months.'"

Davis continued, "I remember coming back and I thought I was ready to play and I was really trying to get back on the field but I think long term it hurt me."

Davis says if he had just taken the extra time to ensure he was 100 percent, the ending of his career could have gone MUCH differently.

"I always tell players," Davis says, "'Listen, I understand you feel like you're ready to come back, make sure you're sure. Make sure that you're ready to come back because you can do more damage if you come back prematurely than if you wait.'"

Barkley tore up his knee back on Sept. 20, 2020 ... and he's been rehabbing and training like a mad man to get back on the field ASAP.

In fact, the 24-year-old just posted video of some of his workout sessions last month ... showing he's already jumping off his injured leg.

It's all a great indicator that Barkley should be ready for the Giants' season opener in September ... but Davis is making it clear, Saquon NEEDS to listen to his body fully before he straps on the pads again.

Brooklyn born actor Carl Anthony Payne II has taken on a bunch of awesome television roles throughout his killer career but was only 23 years old when he landed the most notable role as the kooky character Cole Brown -- who is best friends with the title character and the boyfriend to Shanise McGillicuddy -- on the iconic '90s television comedy "Martin."

Carl Anthony Payne II shared the small screen with some epic actors including Tisha Campbell as the gorgeous love of Martin's life, Gina Waters, Thomas Mikal Ford as the wise friend, Tommy Strawn  ... and of course Martin Lawrence as Martin Payne, Sheneneh Jenkins, 'Ol Otis and Mama Payne.

Olivia Wilde can breathe a sigh of relief ... a judge just granted a permanent restraining order against the man she claims keeps showing up at her home, believing he was her lover.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... 30-year-old Eric Nathanial Fuhs must stay away from Olivia for the next 3 years. We're told the restraining order also protects her ex, Jason Sudeikis, and their kids.

TMZ broke the story ... Olivia sought protection against Fuhs last month after claiming she had security footage showing him showing up to her crib on multiple occasions to leave notes for her and Sudeikis, with the guy falsely claiming he was dating Olivia.

The documents had initially stated Olivia and Jason still lived together, but sources later said that wasn't the case.

The actress, who is now with Harry Styles, also said Fuhs left an ominous note saying he's "struggling to stay sane."

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.