The Oscars

Jada Pinkett Smith says she and Will may have been completely dunzo by now, were it not for literally having some sense slapped into them ... indirectly, of course, because poor Chris Rock was the actual target.

Jada further opened up about the famous slap to Daily Mail, saying, "I nearly didn't even attend the Oscars that year, but I'm glad I did," adding, "I call it the 'holy slap' now because so many positive things came after it."

Jada said, "After all those years trying to figure out if I would leave Will's side, it took that slap for me to see I will never leave him."

As Jada revealed in her memoir, she and Will have been separated since 2016, but judging from their public statements since the book's release, they're back on track, although the scope of their relationship is still a mystery.

Will had previously cosigned on his wife's take, saying back in October ... “We have had a very, very long and tumultuous [relationship]. We call it ‘brutiful.’ It was brutal and beautiful at the same time.”

Johnny Depp no ha sido ampliamente abrazado por muchas estrellas de Hollywood desde su juicio con Amber Heard, pero una estrella le está dando la bienvenida con los brazos abiertos... Will Smith.

Los dos actores estaban en el Festival de Cine del Mar Rojo en Arabia Saudita la semana pasada y cada uno caminó por la alfombra por separado, al igual que otras grandes celebridades. Pero una vez que entraron, se encontraron y se mostraron realmente amistosos el uno con el otro.

Curiosamente, el propio Will publicó un par de clips que lo muestran a él y a Johnny abrazandos y charlando. Aunque el momento es fugaz como parte de su compilación más grande, queda claro que asistió al evento y se encontró con Depp.

Sin embargo, Will no mencionó explícitamente a Johnny ni habló de su encuentro en el pie de foto. Simplemente escribió: "¡Gracias, Festival de Cine del Mar Rojo! Habéis creado auténtica magia: ¡un oasis de arte y creatividad! ¿Qué será lo próximo? Me apunto".

En realidad tienes que ver el post en su totalidad para captar el hecho de que pasaron el rato, pero está ahí, y definitivamente es interesante, ya que parece que es la primera gran estrella en relacionarse de esta manera con Johnny, especialmente después del juicio.

El "regreso" de Johnny ha sido menos que tibio y ha aparecido en algunas campañas de alto perfil aquí y allá, pero no lo hemos visto participar realmente de nuevo en la escena de Hollywood de una manera importante. Lo mismo ocurre con su exesposa.

Como hemos dicho, Will parece ser el primer verdadero "superfamoso" que ha aceptado a Johnny de nuevo y por extraño que parezca, no parecen tener ninguna historia real. No hay películas juntos y no eran viejos amigos.

A pesar de todo, aquí está Will apretando fuerte a Johnny sin reservas. Teniendo en cuenta que el propio Will se ha convertido en el centro de la polémica últimamente, es bueno verlo relajado.

Will acaba de decir el otro día que está en un viaje de curación y tratando de ajustar su visión de la vida y parece que comienza con no juzgar a los demás que han sido etiquetados de cierta manera. Por cierto, la reputación de Johnny sigue siendo increíblemente divisiva, incluso después de su victoria en los tribunales.

Johnny Depp hasn't been widely embraced by very many A-listers in Hollywood since his trial with Amber Heard -- but one star's welcoming him back with open arms ... Will Smith.

The two actors were both at the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia this past week, and they each walked the carpet separately ... as did other big celebs. But once they got inside, it appears they not only crossed paths ... but brought it in for the real thing, all friendly-like.

Interestingly, Will himself posted a couple clips that show him and Johnny hugging and chatting -- and although the moment is fleeting as part of his larger compilation ... he didn't shy away from it, and he certainly didn't try to hide the fact he palled around with JD.

Now, WS didn't explicitly go out of his way to name Johnny or touch on their meetup in his caption. He simply wrote, "Wow! Thank You Red Sea Film Festival! You have created real Magic — An Oasis of art & creativity! What’s Next? I’m in."

You actually have to watch his post in full to catch the fact they hung out -- but it's there, and it's definitely interesting ... as it appears he's the first big-time star to deal with Johnny in this manner, especially post-trial.

Johnny's "comeback" has been less than lukewarm -- he's appeared in some high-profile campaigns here and there ... but we haven't seen him really splash back onto the Hollywood scene in a major, mainstream way. Ditto for his ex-wife, BTW ... she's at arm's length as well.

Like we said ... Will looks to be the first real A-lister who's accepted Johnny back into the fold -- as a manner of speaking. And, strangely enough, they don't seem to have any real history ... no movies together, and they weren't old friends either from what we can tell.

And yet, here's Will squeezing Johnny tight with no reservations. Considering Will himself has become somewhat embattled of late -- perhaps it's not as crazy as we think.

Will did just say the other day that he's on a healing journey and trying to adjust his outlook on life -- and it would seem that starts with not judging others who've been labeled a certain way. FWIW, Johnny's rep is still incredibly divisive ... even after his in-court victory.

Will Smith is once again reflecting on the ups and downs of his life over the past couple years -- and he says he's a work in progress ... who shouldn't rely on outside validation.

The actor was onstage and addressing a crowd Saturday in Saudi Arabia for the Red Sea Film Festival -- where he talked about a number of things ... but perhaps most notably, he addressed his "many adversities" over the past couple years and how he's processed it.

Of course, he's very much alluding to his Oscars slap moment -- but he also seems to be touching on his personal life as well, especially as it pertains to his marriage with Jada Pinkett Smith. Check out what he says about the highs and lows of fame ... it's interesting.

It's a long-winded response he has here, but essentially ... it boils down to not needing the outside world to clap for him on any given thing he's doing, professionally or otherwise.

It sounds like Will has sought that as the years have gone on ... but he now says he has to teach himself to be content with himself/his mission regardless -- vowing to continue on the path of self-improvement and to not let outside influences affect him as much as they have.

On how he's reacted to setbacks, WS says he's "deeply human" ... and that is virtue is not perfected, although he hopes to sharpen it now going forward. His goal these days is to perfect his light, and to teach others about the craft of filmmaking/storytelling.

It might sound like a lot of mumbo-jumbo ... but there are kernels of wisdom in what Will's saying. From what we can glean -- he's essentially promising not to let the world get him down, or to rile him up ... regardless of what's being said, or who's saying it.

As you know, Will's been the subject of A LOT of chatter lately ... not so much for the slap these days, but for his relationship -- which was recently revealed to be less than traditional.

The other good news out of this weekend appearance is the fact he revealed 'I Am Legend 2' is a go ... and that Michael B. Jordan is going to be in it -- with a script now done.

Bradley Cooper says he'd trade away not one, not two -- but THREE Oscars in 2024 if it meant Jalen Hurts and the Eagles were this season's Super Bowl champions instead.

The A-list actor -- whose Oscar-worthy film, "Maestro," is set to drop next month -- made the stunning claim to Howard Stern earlier this week ... after the radio host posed a "Sophie's Choice" style question on-air.

"I really want you to answer this in a serious manner," Stern said to Cooper. "You win the Oscar not only for Best Director [for 'Maestro'] but Best Actor, and Carey Mulligan wins Best Actress."

"Or," Stern continued, "the Eagles have a Super Bowl victory."

Without hesitation, Cooper said, "Eagles Super Bowl victory. Eagles."

"I know," he added while shaking his head. "I'm sick."

When Stern asked if Cooper was lying, he repeated that he truly wasn't fibbin'.

It's an eyebrow-raising statement, to say the least ... considering Cooper's never won an Academy Award despite being nominated nine times -- and the Eagles just won a ring in 2018 (which he got to witness in person).

But, Bradley was adamant he'd still take a title for his beloved team over some golden hardware for his mantle.

Of course, it really might not be farfetched to think Bradley was telling the truth ... after all, he's been seen at Philly games regularly this season, including on Sunday, when he went crazy celebrating their overtime win against the Bills.

Will Smith y Jada Pinkett Smith estuvieron juntos de nuevo y sonriendo a la cámara para este Día de Acción de Gracias, aunque el modo en que lo compartieron difiere en una manera que puede ser significativa.

La pareja, que ha dejado claro recientemente que no tienen una relación o matrimonio tradicional, reunió a toda la familia, incluyendo sus hijos y sus padres, todos bajo un mismo techo para una sesión de fotos profesional.

Will y Jada subieron diferentes fotos en sus respectivas cuentas de Instagram, pero parece que Will expresó mucho más que Jada, particularmente por unas fotos bastante cariñosas entre ellos.

Como pueden ver, la foto en donde salen solos posando, él aparece dándole un beso en la cabeza a Jada. La versión de Jada de esa foto es un poco diferente... Ella publicó una imagen le acaricia su cabeza, pero la lanzó como parte de un collage más grande.

Obviamente, esto es leer entre líneas, pero bueno, teniendo en cuenta todo lo que ha circulado sobre estos dos en los últimos años, vale la pena analizar estas cosas.

A primera vista, parece que Will quiso presentar más a una pareja feliz y unida en sus fotos. Jada, en cambio, se centró más en la familia, lo que coincide con la forma en que ha hablado de Will, sobre todo últimamente.

Recordemos que Jada reveló hace algunas semanas que llevaban viviendo vidas separadas con Will hace años y que ya no estaban involucrados románticamente. También dijo que se sorprendió cuando Will se refirió a ella como su "esposa", tras abofetear a Chris Rock en los Oscar.

Las revelaciones de su libro de memorias ponen un nuevo foco en su dinámica, que ya había estado bajo el microscopio mucho antes de su libro y que se multiplicó más en los últimos días con la última afirmación.

A pesar de todo el drama, e independiente de si están en la misma página en las fotos que subieron de su familia, los Smith parecen estar disfrutando juntos estas vacaciones.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith were back together and smiling for the camera this Thanksgiving -- although their public evidence differs in what may be a significant way.

The couple -- who've recently made clear they don't have a traditional relationship/marriage -- got the whole fam together for the holiday ... which included themselves, their kids and their parents, with everyone coming together under one roof for a neat pro photo shoot.

WS and JPS uploaded different shots on their respective Instagram pages, but it appears Will threw up way more than Jada did ... notably, some pretty loving shots between him and her.

As you can see, the pic where it's just him and Jada posing together features him planting a kiss on her head. Her version of that photo is a tad bit different, though ... she posted one where he's nuzzling/cradling her head and threw it up as part of a larger collage.

Obviously, this is reading into the tea leaves a bit ... but hey, considering everything that's been circulating about these two over the years -- it's worth analyzing this stuff.

On its face, it would appear Will wanted to present more of a happy couple/united front vibe with his photos, and Jada seemed content with keeping her IG upload focused more on the family at large ... which kinda jibes with how she's spoken about Will, especially lately.

Remember, Jada revealed last month that she and Will had been living separate lives for years and weren't romantically involved anymore -- while also going on to say she was shocked when Will referred to her as his "wife" when he slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars.

Her memoir revelations put renewed focus on their dynamic, which had already been under a microscope well before her book -- and that was multiplied with the latest salacious claim.

Despite all that drama -- and regardless of whether they're on the same page with their family photo uploads or not -- the Smiths appear to be enjoying each other for the holidays.

Barbra Streisand's life didn't just inspire her hits -- it apparently led to others reaping the benefits of chart success ... including Aerosmith, which rode the coattails of her pillow talk.

According to Barb's new memoir, 'My Name is Barbra,' Steven Tyler and co. have her to thank for their hugely popular single "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" ... 'cause she says the inspiration from the song actually came from something her husband once told her in bed.

The way BS tells it ... she and her then-BF James Brolin were laying next to each other one night (sometime in the mid-'90s) not long after they'd first met/started hooking up.

She says they were staring at each other, when JB said ... "I don't want to fall asleep." She asked why and he replied, "'Cause I'll miss you.'" Barb adds ... "What a beautiful, poetic thing to say. And it captured a moment of complete bliss… physical, emotional, spiritual."

About a year after that, in 1997, Barbra says she was doing an interview with Barbara Walters on "20/20," during which she recounted that sweet moment ... something Diane Warren was also watching from home when this episode aired, so claims Barbra.

One thing led to another, and DW eventually wrote Aerosmith's first #1 hit in '98 ... which went on to be used in "Armageddon" and be nominated for an Oscar that year too.

After seeing how much success the song garnered, Barbra writes ... "It was so gratifying to see so many people responding to Jim's words. Well, no wonder… so did I!"

La vida de Barbra Streisand no solo inspiró sus grandes éxitos, al parecer también llevó a otros a cosechar beneficios en las listas musicales, incluyendo Aerosmith, quien se vio favorecido de una charla de almohada de Streisand.

Según el nuevo libro de memorias de Barb, 'My Name is Barbra', Steven Tyler y compañía tienen que agradecerle por su popular single "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" pues dice que la inspiración de la canción en realidad vino de algo que su marido le dijo alguna vez en la cama.

Según cuenta Barbra Streisand, ella y su entonces novio James Brolin estaban una noche tumbados uno al lado del otro (a mediados de los 90), poco después de que se conocieron y empezaron a salir.

Ella dice que estaban mirándose fijamente, cuando James dijo: "No quiero dormirme (I don't want to fall asleep)". Ella le preguntó por qué y él respondió: "'Porque te echaré de menos (Cause I'll miss you)". Barb añade: "Qué cosa tan hermosa y poética. Y capturó un momento de completa felicidad... física, emocional, espiritual".

Aproximadamente un año después de eso, en 1997, Barbra cuenta que estaba haciendo una entrevista con Barbara Walters en "20/20", donde contó el dulce momento, algo que Diane Warren también estaba viendo desde casa cuando se emitió este episodio, así lo afirma Barbra.

Una cosa llevó a la otra y Diane Warren finalmente escribió el primer éxito #1 de Aerosmith en el 98 que pasó a ser utilizado en "Armageddon" y a ser nominado a un Oscar ese mismo año también.

Después de ver el éxito que obtuvo la canción, Barbra escribe: "Fue tan gratificante ver a tanta gente respondiendo a las palabras de Jim. No me extraña, ¡para mí también fue así!".

Piper Laurie -- the Oscar-nominated actress -- has died ... this according to her team.

Her manager, Marion Rosenberg, confirmed her passing Saturday to some outlets -- with him telling Variety, "A beautiful human being and one of the great talents of our time." He further shared with THR that she'd been ill now for quite some time ... although an exact cause of death wasn't revealed.

Laurie was one of the last few stars from Hollywood's golden era -- having gotten her start in showbiz back in the '50s ... starring in movies alongside some very famous names, including Donald O'Connor, Tony Curtis, Rock Hudson, Tyrone Power and even Ronald Reagan.

Speaking of the late President -- with whom she acted in her breakout film, "Louisa" -- PL once claimed she'd lost her virginity to him ... and they even dated for a while pre-Nancy. Throughout that decade, she was on a tear ... but took a break until 1961, when she starred opposite Paul Newman in "The Hustler" -- for which she won a Best Supporting Actress nom.

After another long hiatus, Laurie came back to the big screen for her memorable role as Margaret White ... Sissy Spacek's mother in the horror classic, 'Carrie,' for which she won another Best Supporting Actress nomination. Ditto for 1986's 'Children of a Lesser God.'

One of her other very famous parts was in the show "Twin Peaks" ... where she played Catherine Martell AND Mr. Tojamura. The latter performance was iconic. She actually won a Golden Globe for her work on 'TP' ... not to mention an Emmy for a TV movie as well.

Laurie's career was long and prosperous ... having starred in other huge films such as "The Bunker," "Return to Oz" and more. Her TV appearance might've been even more prolific -- she acted in series like 'ER,' 'Skag,' 'The Twilight Zone,' 'Traps,' "Touched By an Angel," "Frasier," "Will & Grace," "Law & Order," "MacGyver" ... and so many others.

She was 91.

Jada Pinkett Smith's truth bombs continue -- now, she's claiming Tupac's bald look was no coincidence, nor was it a fashion statement ... but rather, just straight-up hair loss.

The actress's latest revelation comes courtesy of her People Mag interview ... which just dropped this nugget of news Saturday. In their sit-down with her ahead of Jada's new book, they have her quoted as talking about Tupac's baldness -- with her saying he had alopecia.

Jada says, "I don't think Tupac ever talked about the alopecia he suffered from," going on to explain that his hair started falling out around 1991 -- when he would've been about 20 years old -- shortly after he had a famous run-in with cops in NorCal.

She adds, "[H]is alopecia patterns were far more extreme than mine. I don't think Pac ever talked about his alopecia, but he also looked really good with a bald head. But that was during a time and during an era that you wouldn't -- he just wouldn't talk about it."

One thing she does firmly believe -- if Pac was alive today ... he'd probably talk about it openly.

This is fascinating for a couple reasons ... for starters, it would seem to explain Tupac's bald look in the latter years of his life, when he was most famous. While he was younger and on the rise, he rocked notable 'dos -- particularly in the film "Juice."

It's also interesting because alopecia was apparently at the center of the whole Oscars slap last year -- when Chris Rock cracked a joke about Jada, spurring Will Smith to get up there and slap him.

Alopecia proved to be a touchy subject, and even now ... Jada thinks Chris took a low blow by referring to her condition. Still, Jada says she couldn't believe Will did what he did ... especially when he called her his "wife," a term she says they hadn't used in years.

BTW, this new Tupac news follows yet another big headline from earlier in the week -- namely, Jada calling the late rapper her "soulmate" ... but insisting they never banged.

Jada Pinkett Smith es una de las muchas personas que se alegra de tener a alguien rindiendo cuentas por el asesinato de Tupac Shakur, y así se lo ha hecho saber a sus millones de seguidores.

La actriz utilizó su Instagram el viernes por la noche para subir una reacción corta, pero concisa de las noticias sobre Pac, a saber, el hecho de que Duane 'Keefe D' Davis fue detenido y acusado de asesinato en relación con el caso que sigue abierto en Las Vegas y que se había ido enfriando con los años.

Jada escribe: "Ahora espero que podamos obtener algunas respuestas y tener algún cierre. Que en paz descanses, Pac".

Como hemos dicho, es un mensaje bastante simple de su parte, pero muy significativo, teniendo en cuenta lo mucho que Tupac significaba para Jada y cuán seguido se refiere a él, incluso hasta el día de hoy.

Muchos están familiarizados con la historia de Jada con Pac. Ambos eran muy amigos en los años 80 y 90, época en la que crecieron juntos y se enredaron en la edad adulta.

Jada ha insistido durante mucho tiempo que nunca fue una relación romántica, pero algunos especulan que podría no ser así. De nuevo, ella ha hablado largo y tendido sobre él y recordado su relación públicamente, a tal punto que algunos han levantado una ceja, especialmente después de la bofetada.

El punto es que Tupac, obviamente, significa mucho para Jada y que ella parece aliviada de que este capítulo podría estar llegando a su fin después de años de misterio e intriga.

Como informamos, Keefe D fue acusado de un cargo de asesinato abierto esta semana, solo un par de meses después de la aplicación de la ley que allanó su casa de Las Vegas, como ejecución de una orden de registro.

Jada Pinkett Smith is one of many who are happy to have somebody being held to account over the murder of Tupac Shakur -- and she made it known to her millions of followers.

The actress took to Instagram Friday night with a short but concise reaction to the Pac news -- namely, the fact that Duane 'Keefe D' Davis was arrested and charged with murder in connection to the open case out of Las Vegas ... which had seemingly gone cold for years.

JPS writes, "Now I hope we can get some answers and have some closure. R.I.P. Pac."

Like we said ... a fairly simple message on her part, but it's quite meaningful considering how much Tupac meant to Jada -- and how often she references him, even today.

Many are familiar with Jada's history with Pac ... they go way back, and were very close friends back in the '80s and '90s when they grew up together and mingled into adulthood.

Jada has long insisted they were never romantic, but some speculate that might not be the case ... again, she's spoken at length about him and has reminisced about their relationship publicly, to the point some have raised an eyebrow in retrospect -- especially post-slap.

That's neither here nor there ... point is, Tupac obviously means a lot to Jada -- and she seems relieved this chapter might be coming to a close after years of mystery/intrigue.

As we reported ... Keefe D was indicted on an open murder charge this week, just a couple months after law enforcement raided his Vegas-area home upon executing a search warrant.

Sean Penn arremetió contra Will Smith y los Oscar, al preguntarse por qué él tuvo que ir a la cárcel por agresión mientras que Smith solo recibió aplausos tras abofetear a Chris Rock.

Penn todavía está molesto porque a Volodymyr Zelensky no se le permitió participar en la ceremonia de los Oscar de 2022.

El actor dijo enfadado a Variety: "El productor de los Oscar pensó: 'Oh, él [Zelensky] no es lo suficientemente divertido'. Bueno, ¿adivinen qué tienen en su lugar? ¡Will Smith!. No conozco a Will Smith. Lo vi una vez. Parecía muy agradable cuando lo conocí. Estuvo tan jodidamente bien en "Rey Richard".

Y entonces, dio el puñetazo: "¿Por qué mierda te escupiste a ti mismo y a todos los demás con esa estupidez? ¿Por qué fui a la puta cárcel por lo que tú mismo hiciste? ¿Y tú sigues ahí sentado? ¿Por qué todos están de pie y aplaudiendo su peor momento como persona?".

Penn se está refiriendo a su condena de 1987 por agredir a un extra en el plató de "Colors", por la cual estuvo 33 días en la cárcel.

Sean cree que si Zelensky hubiera estado en los Oscar, el tono habría sido diferente y Smith no se habría atrevido a cruzar esa línea. "Esta mierda no habría ocurrido con Zelensky. Will Smith nunca habría abandonado su silla para ser parte de esa violencia estúpida. Esto nunca habría ocurrido".

Sean se angustió tanto con la situación que tuvo ganas de destruir sus Oscars: "Pensé, bueno, a la mierda, ¿sabes? Se los daré a Ucrania. Se pueden fundir en balas que pueden disparar a los rusos".

Penn acabó entregando a Zelensky sus propios Oscar durante una visita en noviembre de 2022. A cambio, Penn recibió de parte de Zelensky la Orden del Mérito.

Sean Penn went nuclear on Will Smith and the Oscars, wondering why he went to jail for assault while Smith got nothing but applause after assaulting Chris Rock.

Penn is still hot under the collar that Volodymyr Zelensky was not allowed to appear at the 2022 Oscars ceremony.

Penn angrily told Variety ... “The Oscars producer thought, ‘Oh, he’s [Zelensky's] not light-hearted enough.’ Well, guess what you got instead? Will Smith!. I don’t know Will Smith. I met him once. He seemed very nice when I met him. He was so f***ing good in ‘King Richard."

And then, Sean delivered the punch ...  "So why the f*** did you just spit on yourself and everybody else with this stupid f***ing thing? Why did I go to f***ing jail for what you just did? And you’re still sitting there? Why are you guys standing and applauding his worst moment as a person?”

Penn is referring to his 1987 conviction for attacking an extra on the set of "Colors," for which he served 33 days in jail.

Sean thinks had Zelensky appeared at the Oscars, the tone would have been different and Smith wouldn't have dared to cross the line ...“This f***ing bulls*** wouldn’t have happened with Zelensky. Will Smith would never have left that chair to be part of stupid violence. It never would have happened.”

Sean was so distraught, he wanted to destroy his Oscars, saying "I thought, well, f*** it, you know? I'll give them to Ukraine. They can be melted down to bullets they can shoot at the Russians."

Penn ended up presenting Zelensky with his own Oscars while on a visit in November 2022. In turn, Penn was presented with the Order of Merit by Zelensky.

Quinton Aaron -- the man who played Michael Oher in "The Blind Side" -- is furious with those clamoring for Sandra Bullock to lose her Oscar over the new Oher drama ... telling TMZ Sports the actress has absolutely nothing to do with any of it.

The cry for Bullock to be stripped of the award gained steam on X on Tuesday ... with a bunch of users on the app saying following Oher's claims that Leigh Anne Tuohy lied to him and exploited him -- the woman who played her in "The Blind Side" should now face punishment.

As crazy as the opinion sounds -- the cries grew louder and louder throughout the day ... but Aaron told us he hopes all of that dies down quickly.

"To make a statement like that doesn't make any sense," Aaron said. "Sandra Bullock didn't have anything to do with the real story that we're reading as of right now."

Of course, Bullock earned the honor back in 2010 ... after she played the role of Aaron's fictitious mom in the 2009 hit flick. And, Aaron says she couldn't have been more deserving of the praise at the time.

"She gave a brilliant performance," Aaron said. "And that shouldn't be tarnished for something that had nothing to do with her."

Aaron also spoke with us about all of the new allegations surrounding the Tuohys ... and while he said he hasn't talked to them since the movie came out, he didn't get a vibe that anything nefarious was happening with regards to their relationship with Oher.

"I got a good sense from all of them," he said. "They were real cool to me."

As for where things stand now with the Tuohys and Oher ... it's all gotten super ugly, as the family has now accused the former football player of trying to shake them down for $15 million.