'Pushing the Line' Star Yes, I'm Kinda the Jackie Robinson of Slacklining ... Black People Can Do it Too!!!

OPEN TO ALL
TMZ.com

Slacklining, or highlining, definitely ain't for everyone -- the sport is high adrenaline and high risk, and one of its budding stars, Aaron Bray, knows it's not on the radar of most Black people ... something he wants to change.

Aaron joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday to talk about the new Discovery+ show, "Pushing the Line" ... which follows Aaron and 12 other extreme athletes busting tricks on long, narrow highlines over scenic canyons.

For the uninitiated ... slacklining's similar to tightrope walking, but uses a 1-inch wide strap that's less tensioned to allow for a bouncing effect. Think tiny, tiny trampoline.

Highlining, however, is a subset of slacklining and it's considered the peak of the sport. It's performed hundreds of feet above the ground or water ... and the mental toughness required is pretty damn unbelievable.

Aaron's been at it for 5 years now and he tells us he's one of the very few Black athletes in America who take part in the sport. He didn't shy away from our suggestion he's the Jackie Robinson of the sport -- in fact, he's embracing the responsibility.

Aaron says slacklining's always been seen as "more of a privileged white boy sport" but he's trying to shift that ... and hopes this new show helps people realize it's okay to break out of the norm.

Silento Judge Denies Bond ... You're a Huge Risk to the Community!!!

Silento's not getting out of jail, at least not for now ... a judge just denied his request to be let out on bond in his murder case.

The "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" rapper had a bond hearing Wednesday in DeKalb County, GA where the judge ruled Silento's history of mental health issues -- coupled with a history of not taking his meds -- made him too risky to be let out on bond while his case is pending.

The judge also cited concerns raised by the prosecutor about Silento's history of being in denial of his mental health issues, specifically noting that the rapper once left a mental health facility in California. The judge also mentioned there was no telling what could happen if Silento decides NOT to take his meds ... noting this would put the community at serious risk.

Prosecutors said even his grandparents argued in strong opposition to the bond.

Silento's legal team tried painting a more favorable picture ... calling him a local treasure who was once on the Governor's Blue Ribbon panel urging kids to stay away from drugs and alcohol. His team says Silento's problem stems from his bipolar disorder, and other mental health issues he's battled for years.

But, the judge didn't go for it ... and ordered Silento to remain behind bars.

TMZ broke the story ... Silento requested he be let out on a $25k bond and assured the judge he wouldn't be a flight risk. He was arrested in February and charged with felony murder for his alleged role in the death of his cousin, Frederick Rooks.

Philadelphia PD Cop Accused of Deleting Suspect's Phone Video ... While His Body Cam Rolled

ALLEGED TAMPERING

A Philly cop inadvertently busted himself pulling an illegal move ... at least that's the claim of a man who recorded his own arrest, only to see that video deleted -- allegedly by the arresting officer -- and now a lawsuit's coming.

According to the police report ... a Philly cop identified as Officer Burnett says he noticed a pickup truck idling for 10-15 minutes at a gas station back in March, so police ran the plates and it came back to Jacob Giddings.

Cops say Giddings had an active warrant for assault, so Officer Burnett asked him to step out of the vehicle, and when he "started to resist" ...  Burnett used force to pull him out.

However, Burnett's body cam was activated, and as you can see ... it captured Giddings apparently recording the incident on his phone from inside his truck. That fact is not mentioned in the police report.

Based on Burnett's body cam, it looks like Giddings lost his phone in the struggle. Later, after Giddings was in custody, the officer picked up the phone and appeared to gain access to the footage. He hits a few commands, but it's not clear from the footage what he did.

Giddings, from the police car's backseat, is heard asking Burnett if the video is still on his phone, and the cop says he doesn't know -- but Giddings believes Burnett deleted the vid.

According to the police report, cops also found marijuana on Giddings and he was arrested and charged with one count of resisting arrest and one count of drug possession. During the bust he suffered minor cuts to his wrist from the handcuffs, and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

THE RECOVERED FOOTAGE

Giddings has lawyered up, and his attorney, Donte Mills of Mills &. Edwards LLP, tells TMZ ... they'll be suing Philadelphia PD for excessive force and assault, tampering with evidence, false arrest and malicious prosecution.

Mills says they later recovered Giddings' arrest video from his iCloud account. We're told Giddings is still being prosecuted, and he doesn’t believe Burnett has been disciplined.

According to Philadelphia Police, "This incident is currently under investigation with our Internal Affairs Bureau. The officer involved has been placed on administrative duty status pending the outcome of the internal investigation."

Morgan Wallen 'Enough is Enough' Billboards Go Up ... 'Loyal Fans' Want Him Back!!!

A group of loyal Morgan Wallen fans believe he's been punished enough since casually dropping the n-word back in January ... so they're deploying a new round of billboards to protest the country music biz shunning him.

The fan-funded billboards went up in Nashville this week, spearheaded by a woman named Darleen Ingram, and the message is pretty simple -- "The Fans Are Speaking / Enough Is Enough."

The timing of the 7 new billboards coincides with the CMT Music Awards, which air Wednesday night. Wallen's been banned from the awards and didn't receive any nominations.

That's apparently not sitting right with his loyal fans, as their billboards add ... "Music Industry, We Want to Be Heard!"

The billboards also reference the Bible verse Mark 11:25, which says ... "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

1/31/21
PROFANE GOODBYE
TMZ.com

We broke the story ... someone in Wallen's neighborhood shot video of him using the n-word after a night out partying with his friends, and the fallout was pretty swift. He was dropped by radio stations and his talent agency, suspended by his record label, and banned from several award shows.

However, his popularity still soared and he even managed to win awards at events from which he'd been banned. Morgan apologized and promised to work on bettering himself and stayed out of the public eye for months ... before returning to the stage last month.

Clearly, his loyal, billboard-funding fans want more Morgan ... and they're demanding country music let him back into the party.

Khloe Kardashian Rips 'Weirdo' Fan Who Called Her Out For Kanye Bday Tribute

Try as she might, Khloe Kardashian just can't help but clap back at people on the Internet who spout off ... especially when it's about her family.

Khloe responded to a fan who criticized her birthday tribute to Kanye West Tuesday -- she'd posted a pic of Kim and Kanye along with Tristan Thompson and herself, and captioned it ... "Happy birthday to my brother for life!!!"

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

This didn't sit well with one Instagram user, who called the tribute "too petty for me" and suggested that Khloe broke a sister bond. The commenter -- directing her message to Kim -- also wrote ... "Your divorce was so hard on you even the picture is just uncalled for."

Khloe didn't let it slide ... she called out the fan for talking smack when she knows nothing about the subject.

She said ... "You don’t think me and my sisters talk about one another’s feelings? We are with one another everyday. This is MY FAMILY. Not yours! Don’t comment as if you in the know unless you are actually in the know. Weirdo!!!"

For her part, Kim didn't seem too bothered by it all. She replied to Khloe's bday tribute to Kanye with a red balloon emoji ... then posted her own tribute to her estranged husband later in the day.

Peacocks Overrunning L.A. Towns ... The Cicadas of the West Coast!!!

While the East Coast is dealing with the cicada plague, some L.A. towns are dealing with their own shrieking nightmare ... hundreds of peacocks running amok!!!

The beautiful-until-they're-in-your-backyard birds are delivering sleepless nights for folks in the L.A. County cities of Arcadia, Pasadena and San Marino. If you haven't had the pleasure ... peacocks reliably sound off at dawn with a noise so piercing, some neighbors described it as babies being tortured ... next to a very large microphone.

The birds -- which often travel in packs -- are everywhere, from sidewalks and streets to yards and roofs ... and they're damaging cars and yards.

They've been roaming the towns since a pair were brought back from India in the 19th century by a wealthy man named Lucky Baldwin. It's unclear exactly how many birds are in the area now, but their numbers have grown exponentially during the pandemic.

Things are so out of control, neighbors have reportedly gotten into heated arguments over how to deal with the birds.

The L.A. County Board of Supervisors is trying to get a handle on this ... beginning with drafting an ordinance that would prohibit feeding the peacocks.

Of course, it could be worse ... just ask President Biden how he likes those pesky cicadas swarming the East Coast after a 17-year hiatus.

Joe Biden Swats Away Cicada from His Neck ... Press Has to Grapple Too

cicadas take the capital
CNN

President Biden kept his cool while having every right in the world to bug out ... this as a creepy-crawler tried making itself at home smack dab on his head!

46 was at Joint Base Andrews Wednesday AM ahead of his international trip to Europe -- where he's slated to meet with other world leaders, including Vladimir Putin -- and before takeoff ... the guy had to play defense against a freakin' cicada, brushing it off his neck.

The gross-out moment was caught on camera as JB talked to one of the men in uniform -- as was Biden's grossed-out face after he flicked the little bastard onto the ground ... where it belongs.

Joe trotted over to the press afterward and confirmed ... cicadas were around, and that he'd just taken care of one personally. His warning did NOT go unheeded -- as the folks following him around had to deal as well. Reports say the press plane was chock-full of cicadas.

Apparently, a swarm of the insects found their way into the engine area of the aircraft ... and actually caused a delay Tuesday night before they could hit the skies.

These buggers are all over D.C. ... CNN's Manu Raju had to fend for himself during a live shot from Capitol Hill. He reacted a little more frantically than ol' Joey here did.

Siiiiiiiick...adas. Absolutely disgusting!

Megan Thee Stallion Roc's School of Music is On Me ... Donating 4-Yr. Scholarship, Guest Lecturing Too!!!

Megan Thee Stallion's about to be known as MTE -- Megan Thee Educator -- 'cause she's footing the bill for a full-ride scholarship, and will even serve as a lecturer at Long Island University.

Not that Megan's looking to get tenured, but she's definitely all in for Roc Nation's School of Music, Sports and Entertainment. Jay-Z's management firm -- where Megan is a client -- had already announced its partnership with L.I.U. would begin in Fall 2021, but now Megan is stepping up to cover 4 years of tuition for one lucky student to enroll in the Roc program.

Megan is still taking classes at Texas Southern University. Even after achieving superstardom, the Grammy winner's remained committed to graduating with a degree in healthcare administration and wants others to get a shot at higher education.

Meg says, "If I can use my resources to open doors and create opportunities for at least one student, then it's a victory. It's important that we encourage our students to pursue their passions and put them in positions to become the next game changer in whichever fields they choose."

In addition to hooking up a student, we're told MTS will actually participate as a guest lecturer for L.I.U.'s "Industry Expert Speaker Series." As for what she'll be discussing -- we're told that's TBD, but the success of hits like "Hot Girl Summer," and "W.A.P." has to be a potential topic.

We're sure she'll be wearing more on campus than the wardrobe she recently teased for her soon-to-drop "Thot S**t" music vid. Pretty sure, anyway.

Students can apply for Megan's scholarship giveaway through L.I.U.'s website. With college costs soaring, it's a savage deal.

Golf Champ Angel Cabrera Extradited to Argentina Accused of Assaulting 3 Women

PGA champ Angel Cabrera -- who won The Masters in 2009 -- has been extradited back to his home country of Argentina ... where he's set to face charges of attacking 3 different women.

The 51-year-old golf star -- nicknamed "El Pato" -- was arrested in Brazil back in January after officials say he was considered to be a fugitive of justice after bailing on a meeting with prosecutors.

The women accusing Cabrera include 2 ex-girlfriends and his ex-wife.

As we previously reported, one of the women accused the golfer of punching her in the face, making threats and trying to run her over with his car in '16.

Another woman, Cabrera's ex-wife, Silva Rivadero, also reportedly filed two charges against the golfer ... including assault and threats.

Cabrera is already in custody in Argentina -- and his trial is reportedly slated for July.

And, get this ... Cabrera's defense isn't that he didn't attack the women, it's that the incidents weren't really that bad.

SERIOUSLY, THAT'S HIS DEFENSE!

Cabrera's attorney, Carlos Hairabedian, told TN Todo Noticias, "The accusations come from long ago ... and he was not in jail because the facts attributed to him are insignificant. They are light injuries."

WHAT?!?

Cabrera won the U.S. Open over Tiger Woods in 2007 and the Green Jacket in 2009 ... and narrowly lost in a playoff against Adam Scott in the 2013 Masters.

Waka Flocka I'm the Virtual Grad Speaker ... For Chicago High School

Waka Flocka Flame is getting the next generation ready for their next step by delivering the commencement address at a Chicago high school graduation ceremony.

The "No Hands" rapper will appear virtually at Chicago's Soldier Field when graduates from Innovations High School get their diplomas after a challenging school year that required them to learn virtually while overcoming a pandemic.

Waka Flocka Flame tells TMZ ... he's honored to be speaking to the kids, and plans to let them know how proud folks are of them for graduating despite a rough and very abnormal year.

The charter school's executive director, LaShaun Jackson, tells TMZ ... Waka's the right speaker for this graduating class because he's a success story from the streets, and his life has been all about overcoming adversity.

Remember, Waka got a lifetime achievement award for his charitable efforts before former president Donald Trump left office ... and in October he got his honorary doctorate degree in philanthropy and humanitarianism from the Bible Institutes of America.

Waka tells us his message during the June 21 ceremony will be about continuing to push, climb and strive for greatness ... something Jackson says will resonate with and inspire the grads.

'Floribama Shore' Star Gus Deletes IG After Fight With Fan ... Taking Social Media Break

"Floribama Shore" star Gus Smyrnios wasn't "banned" from IG after an online feud with a fan -- but he is voluntarily taking a much-needed break from any further social media interactions.

The reality star's manager, Joseph Fazio, tells TMZ ... Gus deactivated his Instagram after a nasty war of words between himself and two people -- a husband and wife -- who he challenged to meet up and fight, and mocked their appearance.

That's putting it lightly, BTW, you gotta read his posted replies to them.

Much of the interaction was captured and reposted ... after which, his account went blank -- leading many to believe Zuckerberg's IG cops had stepped in. However, Smyrnios shut himself down after realizing he let the drama get the better of him.

We're told Gus responded so ferociously because he felt legitimately bullied by the couple, who were apparently harassing him and telling him to kill himself.

Fazio says, "As we all know, Gus doesn’t hold back his thoughts nor does he back down from a fight but he acknowledges that he should’ve handled this situation differently. He is genuinely apologetic for the things he said but is not apologetic for standing up for himself."

All of this back and forth was over the latest episode of the MTV show. Fans were apparently fed up with Gus' antics and pot-stirring, seemingly forgetting that's his job. Everyone plays a role, even on reality shows.

Anywho ... we're told Gus is going to be taking time off the 'Gram to focus on real life.

He's already started some self-reflection and tells us, "As a society we need to stop rewarding those who blatantly and aimlessly attack people (famous or not) simply because they feel like it. There is a double standard and it makes me sick. I just want it to stop."

Gus added, in his defense, "I’m not a violent or negative person by nature but when someone attacks me something triggers inside of me."

Rapper Pooh Shiesty Arrested for Allegedly Shooting Security Guard

UPDATE

6:39 AM PT -- 6/9 -- The arrest warrant affidavit lays out exactly what the alleged victim claims happened the night he was shot ... and it sounds like he was actually trying to prevent Pooh from potentially firing at others.

UPDATE

According to the document, obtained by TMZ, the security guard in question -- who alleges he was shot by PS -- told police who arrived on the scene that as he was trying to escort Pooh out of the building following his show, someone started grabbing at stray bills in the dude's back pocket ... which the guard claims pissed Pooh off, who went back on stage to find out who'd gotten handsy with him.

UPDATE

The security guard claims he then saw a gun that was clearly visible from Pooh's waistband ... and that he tried telling Pooh to hide it and not take it out. The guard says he, again, tried escorting Pooh from the building safely ... but then, on the drop of a dime, Pooh allegedly turned around and fired one shot back into the area ... which the guard says hit him in the ankle. He also says he jumped out of the way when it happened -- which he thinks might've saved his life. The guard claims Pooh handed the gun off to someone ... and they all split.

UPDATE

The police say they determined Pooh had fled the state of Florida, and after having the alleged victim point him out in a photo lineup as the alleged perp ... they started the process of extraditing him. Obviously, they were successful in wrangling him back in.

Rapper Pooh Shiesty has just been arrested over a shooting that went down at a Miami club ... where cops say a security guard ended up getting shot in a dispute over money.

According to Miami-Dade County Corrections records ... the rapper was taken into custody Tuesday around 2 PM on a warrant for his arrest for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon ... a felony.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, Miami-Dade PD was called out to the King of Diamonds nightclub back on May 30 around 4 AM for a reported shooting.

Cops say witnesses told them security staff was escorting Pooh out of the building when, out of nowhere, there was an altercation between Pooh and security staff. Cops say the security manager told them the beef was over money that had apparently fallen out of Pooh's pants.

It's unclear how much, if any, money fell ... but apparently, it was enough to set off Pooh 'cause cops say they were told the Memphis MC took out his gun and fired off a round toward the ground.

Cops say one of the security guards ended up getting hit in the right ankle and was taken to a hospital. By the time cops showed up at the scene, they say Pooh had already bounced.

There were rumors going around social media that someone jacked $40k from Pooh, but the rapper put those rumors to bed, saying on IG ... "false allegations nothing never been took from me."

But, according to cops ... money is at the center of this particular incident, which resulted in one person getting shot.

Pooh Shiesty's best known for his hit track "Back In Blood" ... which has more than 154M views on YouTube. He's signed to Gucci Mane's 1017 Records. We reached out to Pooh and a rep had no comment.

Originally Published -- 6/8/21 1:31 PM PT

Young Ricky in 'Boyz N The Hood' 'Memba Him?!

California native Donovan McCrary was only 12 years old when he played the young athletic version of Ricky -- who's college football dreamz are cut short after being murdered by gang members his senior year of high school -- in the 1991 drama "Boyz n the Hood."

DM shared the big screen with some A-list actors including Ice Cube as the gang-affiliated friend, Doughboy, Morris Chestnut as the grown-up version of Ricky ... and of course Cuba Gooding Jr. and Laurence Fishburne as the father and son duo, Tre and Furious.

Fun fact: Donovan's older brother is Darius McCrary who is best known as Eddie Winslow in the TGIF classic "Family Matters."

Guess what Donovan looks like now in his 40s!

Kanye West Traffic Crashes Gap Website ... $200 Blue Jacket With No Zipper!!!

UPDATE

6:01 PM PT -- The Kanye effect was in full effect on the Gap website ... so many folks were clamoring for the jacket, the webpage crashed.

UPDATE

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... there were over 50,000 users on the site within the first 30 minutes of launch, overwhelming the website.

UPDATE
UPDATE

We're told lots of folks tried, and failed, adding the jacket to their shopping carts ... with many users getting error messages.

UPDATE

Our sources say Gap didn't anticipate flood of website traffic ... and Yeezy helped bring in the most traffic in the site's history.

UPDATE

The immediate interest is pretty amazing, considering the release wasn't preceded by any official announcements ... the jacket went live online the same time QR codes were displayed in big cities like Chicago and Los Angeles.

The first offering Kanye West and Gap are putting out to the public is a jacket -- one you can't really bundle up in ... but it'll still cost you a couple Benjamins, plus tax.

The YEEZY Gap Round jacket has officially arrived ... the inaugural article of clothing from Ye's fashion company and the iconic American retailer that's now available for pre-order. Its debut comes on a notable date ... Mr. West's 44th birthday.

As for the structure of it, it's pretty simple. Like we said ... it's a coat -- a puffer with some billowy heft to it, made of recycled nylon material ... and, as you noticed, screams bright blue. Unclear if it'll come in any other colors, or if this is it.

The other feature folks are pointing out ... you can't zip or button the damn thing up, like at all. So, this thing's clearly just for fashion, and is clearly a shift for Gap. Oh, and it retails for $200.

Regardless of what you *thought* YEEZY/Gap gear would cost when they first announced this partnership ... here's an early indication of what may come, so ya better start saving up if you were expecting traditional Gap prices. YEEZY comes at a bit of a premium, folks.

BTW, Ye himself has been rocking this puppy lately ... he was seen wearing the puffy jacket earlier this week, no doubt teasing its forthcoming release. So we gotta ask ... you coppin'???

Originally Published -- 6:53 AM PT

Armie Hammer Checks into Rehab Facility For Drugs, Alcohol, Sex

Armie Hammer's checked himself into an in-patient facility in Florida to get treatment for several addiction issues ... amid several months of sexual abuse allegations against the actor.

Hammer checked himself in at a rehab facility outside of Orlando on May 31 and has been getting treatment since then. According to Vanity Fair, which first reported he was getting help, Hammer's agreed to stay as long as it takes to get healthy.

VF sources say Hammer contacted his estranged wife, Elizabeth Chambers, in late May to inform her he was leaving the Cayman Islands -- where he'd been staying for months -- to seek treatment for drugs, alcohol and sex. Elizabeth and the family are reportedly supportive of his decision.

As for what led up to this -- Armie's been in a custody battle in his and Elizabeth's ongoing divorce, and he's been embroiled in a sexual assault scandal since January.

As we reported ... several women accused the actor of emotional abuse, manipulation and sexual violence on social media, leading to his exit from a Jennifer Lopez movie that started filming in February.

At the time he responded by calling the allegations "bulls**t claims" and "vicious and spurious online attacks against me" ... and so far, that's all he's said publicly about them.

EFFIE'S EMOTIONAL STATEMENT

Then in March, Hammer was accused of rape ... something he's denied, but police are investigating the accuser's allegation.

Billionaire Hedge Fund Exec Buys $44 Mil L.A. Mansion ... With Insane Custom Kobe Bryant Court

Ever wonder what it'd be like to have a golf simulator AND an insane Kobe Bryant themed-court at home?!?

For billionaire hedge fund exec Jeffrey Feinberg, that just became a reality ... 'cause the dude just bought a $44 million mansion in Los Angeles -- THAT COMES WITH BOTH!!!

Feinberg just purchased the property recently, the house’s developer, Ramtin Ray Nosrati, told The Wall Street Journal -- and it's one of the most ridiculous places you'll see.

There's 7 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, it's 54,885 square feet AND it sits on over 1.2 acres of land.

But, the best part of it? It's got a custom Kobe court that would make NBA arenas jealous.

Check out pics of the place ... it's got Kobe's signature, his jersey numbers and his famous Mamba logo emblazoned on it.

There's also pictures of NBA legends like Michael Jordan and LeBron James surrounding it -- and Feinberg, a huge basketball fan, actually told the WSJ it was a key reason he bought the place.

As for the rest of the crib ... it's got it all -- a room devoted to a golf simulator, an indoor pool and spa, a bar and so much more.

Still great to be rich, ain't it?

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