Soulja Boy LAPD Can't Ruin My Birthday ... 'Cause Ray J Got Me a McClaren!!!

MAN OF THE HOUR
TMZ.com

Soulja Boy's birthday party didn't sit well with neighbors and especially the cops that shut it down ... but he was still ridin' high in a brand new McLaren that looked like a steroided-out bumble bee!!!

Soulja arrived late for his own birthday party -- in fact, so late cops already put the kibosh on the shindig before he roared up in his new ride courtesy of pal Ray J. He didn't seem to mind at all that guests were scattering left and right ... his attention was laser-focused on his screaming yellow whip.

SHUT DOWN
TMZ.com

It seems that rapper OG 3Three hosted the party, because he's the one who was imploring partiers to beat it before cops started writing tickets.

OG 3Three said cops told him the complaints were various -- noise, too many people and way too late at night. Police actually swarmed the area, both on land and in the air.

GIFT GIVER
TMZ.com

Ray J was no anonymous gift-giver ... he was more than happy to tell us he's the one who made Soulja's night with the McLaren. Ever the pitchman, Ray made sure the car had Raycon stickers, promoting his headphones.

BTW ... a McLaren starts at around $200k. Pays to have rich friends.

Simone Biles Thankful For Support After Withdrawal ... 'I'm More Than' Gymnastics

Simone Biles says she's grateful for all of the love fans have shown her since withdrawing from Olympic events ... explaining it's made her realize she's so much more than gymnastics.

Everyone from Michael Phelps to Ronda Rousey to even Justin Bieber has praised the gymnast for pulling out of Games events in order to focus on her mental health.

And, Biles said Wednesday the support has meant everything to her ... writing on her social media pages it's "made me realize I’m more than my accomplishments and gymnastics which I never truly believed before."

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As we previously reported, Biles withdrew from the gymnastics team finals in Tokyo on Tuesday after she said mental health issues wouldn't allow her to perform at her best.

Biles went on to pull out of Thursday's all-around final as well, saying she's still working on getting her head right.

USA Gymnastics praised her for the moves ... explaining, "Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many."

It's unclear if the issues will end Biles' run in Tokyo ... there are still some individual events next week the 24-year-old could return for if she feels right.

Gymnastics legend McKayla Maroney, however, said earlier this week she wouldn't be surprised if the issues sideline Biles for a long time -- perhaps even forever.

IT'S A NIGHTMARE

"I've had a lot of experience with these mental blocks," Maroney said. "They are miserable. They are a gymnast's worst nightmare and they can end your career."

USA Gymnastics says Biles' future at this summer's Olympics will depend on the results of her daily evaluations.

Jean-Claude Van Damme Draws Crowd, Paris Thief Escapes ... Les Oops!!!

Jean-Claude Van Damme is so damn famous, all eyes were glued on him instead of a nearby thief -- with great timing -- who made off with millions in jewels ... on a scooter.

So, get this ... a grey-haired man in a suit reportedly held up the high-end jewelry store Chaumet in Paris earlier this week. Cops say he pulled a knife during the robbery, and while no one was injured ... the suspect took off with a "monumental haul" in jewels and gemstones. Cops say he nabbed somewhere between $2.4 million and $3.5 mil.

What's shocking is the guy got away on a green, electric scooter ... which makes ya wonder how he was able to pull this off -- and that's where JCVD comes in.

Law enforcement says there were plenty of potential witnesses nearby, but they were all distracted by Van Damme ... who was inside a nearby optometrist's office.

The "Bloodsport" and "Street Fighter" star had inadvertently drawn the attention of just about everyone on the block ... allowing Scooter McJewelThief to make a clean getaway.

Well, nearly clean. Cops did have surveillance cameras, and we've confirmed they arrested 2 suspects in connection with the heist. We're told cops also recovered a substantial part of the stolen jewelry.

All's well that ends well ... and Van Damme didn't even have to lift a finger.

Billie Jean King Praises Naomi Osaka ... 'Just Getting Started!'

LET HER BREATHE!
TMZSports.com

Tennis legend Billie Jean King is singing Naomi Osaka's praises ... telling TMZ Sports she absolutely adores the 23-year-old superstar for her impact on and off the court.

Osaka has quickly become one of the most influential voices in all of sports -- using her platform to speak out on important topics like mental health awareness and social justice.

While she's continued to make an impact outside of competition, the #2-ranked pro shocked fans after getting booted from the Olympics in the first round earlier this week ... leaving folks wondering if she's lost a step on the court.

But, BJK is having NONE of that talk ... saying, "She’s taking a break. She still has it. Are you kidding? She’s just getting started. She’s so young."

"No, she hasn’t lost a step. Not at all, no, no, no, no."

King can't say enough good things about Osaka ... adding, "I love her because she speaks out on social justice and things that matter like mental health and black lives matter and everything. I love her."

Remember, Osaka withdrew from the French Open and skipped Wimbledon earlier this year ... calling out the media for neglecting the mental well-being of athletes and opening up on her struggles with depression.

King applauds Osaka for speaking out ... but also said it's something her era also battled.

"But we actually did worry about it, we just didn’t talk about it. The WTA, the Women’s Tennis Association does worry about it."

King even shares a special message for Osaka ... and it's pretty incredible stuff from the legend.

Leslie Jordan DaBaby's Homophobic Rant Stupid Comments Torment LGBTQ Community

WORDS FROM THE WISE
TMZ.com

Leslie Jordan says ignorant, uninformed comments about HIV/AIDS from people like DaBaby are exactly why some gay people aren't comfortable being themselves ... so Leslie's slamming the rapper's homophobic rant as stupid and clueless.

We got Leslie outside Kings Road Cafe in L.A. Wednesday and he laid into DaBaby ... grousing it's a shame he's using his enormous platform to spew bigotry.

7/25/21
THE HOMOPHOBIC COMMENTS
Rolling Loud

ICYMI, DaBaby hit the stage at Rolling Loud Miami over the weekend, and went on a rant about HIV/AIDS. He later "apologized" twice but only made things worse.

Leslie says he's 66 years old and feels perfectly comfortable being a gay man. Problem is, he worries about those who are NOT yet comfortable in their own skin ... and DaBaby is doing great harm to those folks.

DABABY'S EXPLANATION

Leslie believes DaBaby will get his ... and repercussions are already coming his way. The rapper was in a collab with the clothing company Boohoo, but he's been unceremoniously dropped.

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Some famous folks have expressed outrage over DaBaby's homophobic rant ... notably Dua Lipa and Demi Lovato.

Slipknot's Joey Jordison Emotional 911 Call ... 'I Think He's Dead'

911 AUDIO

Here's the tragic 911 audio from former Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison's death, and while it starts off fairly matter-of-fact ... his ex-girlfriend ends up getting very emotional about what she's discovered.

In the audio, obtained by TMZ, the caller is a woman who says she's Joey's ex, and she tells the 911 dispatcher there are lots of signs making her think Joey's dead.

She says Joey's family hadn't heard from him in days, so she went to check on him at his home ... and she feared he was dead even before stepping inside.

As we reported ... Joey's family says the famous drummer died in his sleep and law enforcement sources told us no foul play is suspected and there were no illegal drugs found at the scene.

Joey's ex held it together at the start of the call, but once the operator asked for his full name and date of birth ... her emotions started pouring out, as she choked up and sobbed.

HE WAS A LEGEND
TMZ.com

The rock star's sudden death shocked the music world, with Korn guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer telling us he couldn't believe Joey was gone.

His ex is clearly going through the same thought process during this difficult phone call.

USA Gymnast Suni Lee Wins Gold In All-Around!!! ... Celebrates With Biles

ALL HAIL THE QUEEN
@simonebiles / Instagram
UPDATE

10:39 AM PT -- Lee is officially back at the team hotel ... and now it's time to party!!

UPDATE

Biles posted video with Lee jumping up and down with her shiny, new medal ... and you can tell the entire team is happy for her!!

UPDATE

8:53 AM PT -- Biles gave her teammate a special shout-out after the huge win ... saying, "CONGRATS PRINCESS 🤍✨✨ absolutely killed it!!!"

UPDATE

"OLYMPIC CHAMPION RIGHT HERE !!! So so so beyond proud of you!!!!"

UPDATE

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USA!!! USA!!! USA!!!

Team USA's Suni Lee just brought home the gold in the women's gymnastics all-around event at the Tokyo Games ... with teammate Simone Biles showing support from the stands!!

The 18-year-old star crushed her routines en route to the top Olympic honors Thursday night ... becoming the 5th-consecutive American to win the event with a score of 57.433.

Of course, Biles was the heavy favorite to win the event ... but the 4-time gold medalist backed out earlier this week to focus on her mental health.

Biles' absence cleared the way for Lee -- she edged out Brazil's Rebeca Andrade, who took silver with a 57.298 score.

It was quite the nail-biter leading up to the final round -- Lee actually trailed Andrade before the floor routine ... but once it was all over, it was the Red, White, and Blue at the top of the podium.

Biles and the rest of the USA gymnasts cheered on their teammate from the crowd ... and Lee's parents and family went completely BONKERS after Lee won it all!!!

ALL SMILES FOR SUNI
@Gia_Vang / KARE 11

USA's Jade Carey also competed in the event ... finishing 8th.

Congrats to Lee ... now time to celebrate!!!

Originally Published -- 6:33 AM PT

Rep. Adam Kinzinger Wishing Cop's Death for Being Honest?!? ... It's Awful!!!

DEMANDING THE TRUTH
TMZ.com

Rep. Adam Kinzinger says the voicemail D.C. cop Michael Fanone got wishing him death is awful ... but he's glad the cop shared it to the public so they can hear the vitriol directed at heroes who simply tell the truth.

We got the Illinois Congressman on Capitol Hill Wednesday and he didn't mince words ... the state of the Union is, well, not great ... and the hateful voicemail left for Fanone is further evidence we are in trouble as a nation.

THE HATEFUL VOICEMAIL

ICYMI ... the person who left the voicemail wished death on Fanone and other Capitol officers in a racist, homophobic rant. The caller suggested the insurrection was fake. As for Fanone's testimony, the caller said, "You want an Emmy, an Oscar? What are you trying to go for here, man? You're so full of s*** you little f****t f**ker."

VIOLENTLY ATTACKED
C-SPAN

The rant continued, "That was s**t on the God damn Capitol. I wish they woulda killed all you scumbags. They stole the election from Trump and you know that, you scumbag."

Fanone and many other police officers were badly beaten on January 6. He suffered a mild heart attack and a concussion. He was also repeatedly shocked by a stun gun. Fanone, a Republican, said, "This is what happens to people that tell the truth in Trump's America."

And, Kinzinger agrees.

NutriBullet Sued Your Blender Exploded, Burned & Sliced Me!!!

UPDATE

3:02 PM PT -- A rep for the company tells us, "Every day, millions of NutriBullet customers worldwide blend nutritious smoothies from fruits, vegetables and nuts in their NutriBullets. NutriBullets are safe. There is no risk if the NutriBullet is used to blend room temperature or cold ingredients for less than a minute."

UPDATE

They continue, "The claims made by plaintiffs’ attorneys are simply not possible – NutriBullets cannot defy the laws of physics. As billions of consumer blend cycles, numerous tests and studies have proved, including those performed by an independent university, NutriBullets cannot “hyper-heat” room temperature ingredients in a short period of time, as alleged."

UPDATE

Finally saying, "NutriBullet is dedicated to the safety of its consumers and is of course sorry to hear when anyone is hurt. However, the fact remains that NutriBullets obey the laws of physics and that these injuries are caused by people misusing NutriBullet products by not following instructions and warnings that clearly state: “NEVER BLEND HOT LIQUIDS OR FOOD OR CARBONATED BEVERAGES. NEVER BLEND FOR MORE THAN ONE MINUTE.”

Another one of NutriBullet's customers claims the machine damn near turned her into a smoothie mess when it exploded ... and did some serious damage to her body.

Folana Jackson filed legal docs claiming she barely used a NutriBullet 900 blender for 1 minute before the thing went haywire ... resulting in gnarly injuries that required surgical repairs, and then Oxycodone to treat her pain.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Jackson says she was preparing a juice in May 2020 -- garlic, ginger, sliced lemons and water ... if you're curious what she was whipping up. But, in the suit, she alleges friction and heat from the spinning blades caused a pressure build-up in the canister.

She claims things went south when the blender made a weird noise, and she turned it off -- as she placed her hands near the bottom of the canister, it allegedly separated from the blade and exploded off the motor base.

According to the suit, the still-spinning blades came in contact with Jackson's left hand ... causing severe, deep, lacerations. She claims it got even worse when the contents of her juice splashed onto her breasts, neck and arms ... causing serious burn injuries.

Jackson says she went to the ER for treatment and claims she needed surgery to repair lacerations and torn ligaments in her left ring and pinky fingers ... both of which now have limited mobility and constant nerve pain.

She claims NutriBullet has known about the defective devices for years, and that the blenders have caused more than 100 burns and lacerations since 2014. At the very least, we know Jackson is far from the first to sue the company over such gruesome injuries.

She's suing for unspecified damages. We've reached out to NutriBullet, so far no word back.

Originally Published -- 6:25 AM PT

Rapper Riff Raff 'Memba Him?!

Houston hip hop artist Riff Raff (real name Horst Christian Simco) shot to fame after his brief appearance on the second season of MTV's "From G's to Gents" catapulted him into the limelight and opened up doors for him to release his breakthrough album "Neon Icon" ... which included the bangers "Tip Toe Wing in My Jawwwdinz" and "Aquaberry Dolphin" featuring Mac Miller.

Riff Raff, AKA Peach Panther, AKA Jody Highroller, AKA Iceberg Simpson, AKA Sapphire Stallion, AKA Pink Python, AKA Ultraviolet Pirate, AKA The Braidy Bunch, AKA Lamborghini Leg Lock continues to tour and make music for his dedicated rap fans around the world.

Guess what he looks like now!

Bob Odenkirk Suffered 'Heart-Related' Medical Emergency ... Unconscious but Awake Now

Bob Odenkirk was hospitalized for a "heart-related incident" ... sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, and it was touch-and-go for the last day but it looks like he's now out of the woods.

Bob is awake inside an Albuquerque hospital and we're told he's stable and on the rebound, but when he was rushed to the hospital Tuesday after collapsing on set it did not look good. We're told he was not conscious during the early hours in the hospital, although he's now lucid.

Bob's rep tells TMZ, "Bob and his family would like to express gratitude for the incredible doctors and nurses looking after him, as well as his cast, crew and producers who have stayed by his side."

The rep goes on ... "The Odenkirks would also like to thank everyone for the outpouring of well wishes and ask for their privacy at this time as Bob works on his recovery."

TMZ broke the story ... Bob was rushed to a New Mexico hospital Tuesday night after collapsing on the set of his show "Better Call Saul."

Production sources told us Bob and the rest of the cast were shooting when the incident happened, with Odenkirk going down and being immediately surrounded by crew members as they called an ambulance.

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By Wednesday morning, Bob's close friend from his "Breaking Bad" days, Bryan Cranston, was calling on fans to send positive thoughts and prayers Odenkirk's way, saying he was anxious to learn his pal was hospitalized.

Morgan Wallen I'm Back in the Swing of Things ... Golf First, Music Next???

Morgan Wallen's loyal fans are gonna love this ... he's out and about, taking a golf trip with buddies -- but it's another strong sign he's getting ready to come out of hiding.

Morgan and friends were on the links Wednesday down in Puerto Vallarta, so there's a good chance the country music superstar is gonna be getting sand in his boots again. Whether that's on a beach or in a bunker ... who knows?

The way he was grinning while riding around in his golf cart -- he stands out in that hot pink trucker cap -- we'd guess Morgan was hitting 'em straight during this round and generally having a good ol' time.

It's been a while since he's had reason to smile.

7/23/21
IT'S PLAYFUL
ABC

The trip down Mexico way comes on the heels of Morgan's sit down with Michael Strahan ... where he finally spoke out about the night he casually dropped the n-word to friends at the end of a drunken night out in Nashville. He apologized, said he'd been to rehab and got council from Black leaders about the pain associated with the epithet.

He'd previously said he wasn't planning any tour dates this year, while he took time to work on himself -- but the more he's seen out enjoying life again ... ya gotta think it's just a short matter of time before he's back on stage.

J Lo & Ben Affleck Yachts of Fun on the Amalfi Coast

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's adventure at sea continues -- especially now that they're back on a vessel ... and clearly getting lots and LOTS of sun along the way.

Bennifer were spotted floating on a yacht Wednesday, taking in the gorgeous views of the Amalfi Coast spanning Italy's shores. Jen was showing off her tan in a skimpy striped crop top --- offset by some comfy, loose boat pants (for balance).

Ben was around there somewhere as well ... he was photographed at one point sitting next to his boo and chatting her up. He, too, is taking in the rays -- perhaps more harshly than J Lo. Dude's face is looking like a fire engine here ... bring this man some SPF 50!

Anyway, check out the photos for yourself. It's more of Jen lounging and chillin' than anything -- which is interesting, considering she was working up a sweat in this exact setting almost 3 years ago to the day.

You might recall ... she and her ex, A-Rod, also hit the Amalfi Coast together right around this time in 2018 -- but they were way more interested in maintaining their fitness regiment than all the canoodling Ben and Jen have been doing these past few days ... or so it seemed, anyway.

Stark contrast in couple-y activities, at least in our eyes. One looks like they're putting on a HIT seminar for paps, and the other ... well, looks like they're on a proper bae-cation.

Happy sailing, guys!

Marilyn Manson Dismiss Esme's Rape Suit, Judge ... She Plotted This for Years!!!

Marilyn Manson says Esme Bianco's rape claims are not only bogus, but also come years too late for her to sue him ... this according to new legal docs.

The embattled singer just filed to dismiss the 'GoT' actress' claims of sexual assault -- and the crux of his argument is that she's way past the statute of limitations to go running to court over this, and as a result ... her claims should be tossed before they're heard by a jury.

There's also this, though -- in the court filing, obtained by TMZ, Manson's attorneys write that Bianco's claims are part of a "coordinated attack" among multiple women who he says are "cynically and dishonestly seeking to monetize and exploit the #MeToo movement."

Manson doesn't deny having sex with the women, but describes all the encounters as "consensual" relationships.

Manson's team goes further, saying Bianco "spent months plotting, workshopping, and fine-tuning" her story into "twisted tales that bear no resemblance to reality." They also say the accusers, Bianco included, are trying to publicly conflate his shock rock image with fabricated/horrifying claims of abuse.

Bianco's rape claims against Manson include allegations he had tied her down, whipped her, electrocuted her and cut her with a knife. However, Manson has denied any wrongdoing, and his attorney added Bianco's claims are "provably false."

Ron Popeil Infomercial King Dead at 86

Ron Popeil, the Renaissance man who created the Pocket Fisherman and Hair in a Can, has died ... TMZ has learned.

Family sources tell TMZ, Ron experienced a severe medical emergency Tuesday and died early Wednesday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. He was surrounded by his family.

Popeil created the famous Showtime Rotisserie & BBQ and coined one of the most iconic catch phrases ever -- "Set it and Forget it!!!" The product grossed more than $1 BILLION in domestic sales, shattering QVC and other sales records.

Ron was born in New York City in 1935. His first entry into business was with his dad at his manufacturing facility in Chicago, where they sold kitchen products. It obviously made an impression on him, because Ron learned and then perfected the art of kitchenry.

Ron created the famed Chop-O-Matic in 1959 and it sold like crazy -- 2 million units. He followed that up with the Veg-O-Matic and another great catchphrase ... "But wait, there's more!!!" And that one's become an infomercial industry standard ... reused by product after product.

Popeil also created the Rhinestone Stud Setter, which later became the Bedazzler. And, it doesn't end there ... he created Mr. Microphone and the Inside the Eggshell Egg Scrambler.

Popeil formed his own company -- Ronco -- in 1964 and marketed hundreds of products to global TV audiences.

He also made dozens of cameos in TV and film ... and was famously parodied by Dan Aykroyd on 'SNL' in 1976.

The last time we got Ron on camera was 2017, when he talked about the new fad, Fidget Spinners.

WAIT THERE'S MORE!!!
TMZ.com

Ron amassed a fortune estimated at $200,000,000.

Ron had a collection of friends and they referred to themselves as "The Rontourage."

Ron is survived by his wife, Robin, 4 daughters and 4 grandchildren.

Ron was 86.

RIP

Tiger Woods Putting Weight On Surgically Repaired Leg ... During Trip To L.A.

Positive update from Tiger Woods ... the golf star is now putting significant weight on his surgically repaired leg -- just five months after the limb was nearly lost in a car crash.

El Tigre was seen in Los Angeles this week with his girlfriend, Erica Herman, and while he's still crutching around and wearing a protective sleeve ... the 45-year-old showed he's clearly able to put most -- if not all of -- his body weight on the leg.

Woods was spotted outside of his Beverly Hills-area hotel standing on the leg, and even appearing to walk a bit on it as well.

Of course, it's great news for Tiger ... 'cause after his rollover crash in L.A. on Feb. 23 -- many wondered if he'd ever be able to use his right leg properly again.

Woods suffered comminuted open fractures during the accident, and needed a rod, screws and pins to repair the damage.

Woods has spent most of his time recovering in Florida ... though he has now made at least two return trips to L.A. since the accident.

It's unclear where Woods stands in his recovery process or if he ever plans to play golf again ... but seeing his apparently improved movement this week is obviously a great step in the right direction for the golf legend.

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