Google CEO Warnings About AI on '60 Minutes' ... We're Not Ready for This
Google now has an AI program to sell just like everybody else in tech -- but its own top dog is still giving a blaring warning to society regardless ... saying we need to brace for impact.
Sundar Pichai said as much Sunday on "60 Minutes," where he sat down for an interview and offered startling insights into the rapidly evolving technology that's taking Silicon Valley -- and the rest of the world -- by storm ... which is only going to get more jarring, he says.
Check out this snippet from the chat ... where Pichai is asked if he thinks society is ready for what's ahead. He's pretty frank, saying ... no, not really. But, there's some optimism too.
SP goes on to explain that while he doesn't think everyone's quite prepared to deal with how advanced artificial intelligence/machine learning already is and where it's headed -- he does note that the concerns about AI have been widespread and frequent early and often.
To him ... that means everyday folks can see the dangers ahead of time, and he hopes that'll spur some to act in our best interest -- namely, elected officials who pass laws on this stuff.
Ironically enough, Google was sorta plugging their own AI tech on "60 Minutes" here ... including Bard -- which is their answer to Microsoft's ChatGPT -- albeit, with seemingly more guardrails in place, for now, than what the competition is rolling out ... aka, smart robots.
Listen to this AI generated song featuring Drake & The Weeknd.
— Roberto Nickson (@rpnickson) April 16, 2023 @rpnickson
It goes so damn hard.
It's by "Ghostwriter977" on TikTok and it's blowing up on socials + streaming platforms.
UMG, which controls around 1/3 of the global music market, has already asked streaming platforms to ban… pic.twitter.com/roz2EfI48M
Pichai says Google's got other stuff they're tinkering with in this department -- but he promises to do so with humanity in mind ... while also calling on mass regulation of AI.
BTW, this issue goes way beyond just tech ... it's already starting to affect the music industry -- including big artists like Drake and others. It's bound to all come to a head in due time.
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Drake & Weeknd AI-Generated Song Goes Viral ... Startup Marketing Ploy???
A new AI-generated song featuring fake Drake and The Weeknd is taking the internet by storm -- but it might just be a tech startup behind this ... according to a deep Twitter dive.
The track is called 'Heart on My Sleeve' ... and it's all over TikTok/Twitter right now. Purportedly, this was created with nothing but the use of AI programming -- meaning there wasn't a human involved in the making of what sounds like a banger ... with what absolutely sounds like Drizzy and Abel. In other words, AI efficiency is getting scary good.
AI generated Drake & The Weeknd song.
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 16, 2023 @barstoolsports
We are so fucked. pic.twitter.com/Agwd4skLQP
Right from the beginning, you hear the familiar Young Metro intro ... which then goes into a bass-heavy club beat with Drake starting the opening verse. It's incredibly solid -- and it sure sounds like something Drake may have even written/rapped. Ditto for Weeknd's chorus.
On its face, you'd think this was a leak ... but Twitter sleuths are claiming it isn't, and that it's solely the work of a robot -- which is frightening if true ... especially for the labels.
This song is VIRAL on all platforms right now.
— Mitchell Cohen (@MitchellLandon) April 16, 2023 @MitchellLandon
But I think it's all a genius marketing stunt...
Not by Drake, but by a SaaS startup.
Here's a 30-second summary of the ai Drake song and my prediction of who's behind it. 👻 pic.twitter.com/puklgqjElZ
Now, as for who may have created this track and why -- as an AI program needs to be told to do something like this by a person somewhere along the line, unless we're already in 'Terminator' territory -- one man thinks he has the answer ... and he might be on to something. Shout out to Mitchell Cohen of AppSumo for doing the heavy lifting here.
He started a Twitter thread that did a lot of digging in the origins of 'Heart on My Sleeve' ... and it all seems to have started with a TikTok account by the name of ghostwriter977.
And the bio link goes to a Laylo page asking people for their phone #.
— Mitchell Cohen (@MitchellLandon) April 16, 2023 @MitchellLandon
That'd be a strange move from Drake.
Or a strange move from an ai ghostwriter wanting more streams. Why not just link it directly?
Also, what is Laylo?
Here's where it gets interesting... pic.twitter.com/6TxW0rnNZp
That account claims to have the full song at the link in their bio, but when you click it ... it takes you to a weird site that is then asking for your phone number, with the promise of sending you song that way. If it sounds fishy ... that's because it very well may be.
The site that the link takes you to is owned and operated by a startup company called Laylo ... and they tout themselves as being able to give creators more tools to reach more fans/subscribers ... via "drops." Anyway, this ghostwriter account also uploaded another AI Drake song a couple days ago ... where he's covering Colbie Caillat's 'Bubbly.'
Worth noting: the song is "Bubbly" lol and it also kinda bangs. pic.twitter.com/Nu0EQarUde
— Mitchell Cohen (@MitchellLandon) April 16, 2023 @MitchellLandon
Mitch stops short of saying it definitely is Laylo's doing ... but the company itself is feeding into the narrative that it is ... seeing how they retweeted his entire thread and responded with a cheeky ghost emoji. Because of this, Mitch and others feel like this a genius marketing ploy just to attract new users/customers to Laylo ... assuming it is, in fact, them.
As for Drake and Weeknd ... yeah, they might wanna get on this. 'Cause this song is too good to be out in the world without their sign-off.
Also, yes ... we're so, so doomed.
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E-40 Booted from Kings-Warriors Game ... Blames Racial Bias
E-40 got the boot at the Kings-Warriors game this weekend following an apparent argument with a fan that escalated into a shouting match with security ... and his eventual removal.
The Bay Area rapper -- who's a big Warriors fan -- was sitting courtside Saturday night in Sacramento's Golden 1 Center for Game 1 of the series ... but, somewhere around the 4th quarter, he appears to have gotten into it with a Kings fan who was sitting behind him.
E40: “tell me when to go”
— Reverend good doctor JB Applesauce (@VictorySlap4700) April 16, 2023 @VictorySlap4700
Security: “ok bet….that way sir…” pic.twitter.com/pMWr2QdKXF
Per reports, E-40 was standing up a lot and blocking the view of folks a row or two back -- who were complaining. After being issued warnings from Golden 1 Center staffers on hand -- security had to get involved at a point ... which then erupted into a full-blown scene.
As you can see, 40 wasn't happy about the situation ... and was even seen yelling at a Golden 1 Center security guard -- which was also snapped up close for a dramatic photo.
Eventually, the Warriors' guys had to step in and help cool things down ... escorting E-40 from the premises as he continued to chirp with security and fans -- who were mocking him and waving at him as he left. Pretty ugly situation ... and E-40's claiming racism here.
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He issued a statement to Shams Charania, saying the culprit was a white woman whom he claims was heckling him throughout the game. 40 says he finally turned around to address her directly, which then spurred security to jump in and only deal with him ... not the lady.
You can go read his full remarks, but essentially ... he says racial bias was at play -- and that despite his success ... he still got the short end of the stick as a Black man. 40 says he was humiliated and that the whole thing was jarring. He also thanks his fans for backing him.
The Kings and Warriors play again Monday in Sac ... unclear if 40 will be there or not.
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'Jimmy Kimmel Live' Star Guillermo Apologizes His Rescue Dogs Ended Up at Shelter ... Blames Family Miscommunication
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Jimmy Kimmel's late-night sidekick, Guillermo Rodriguez, is in the doghouse with a rescue agency that says two pups he adopted ended up at a shelter, but he says the whole ordeal started with a misunderstanding within his family.
Mutt Scouts, a dog rescue group based in SoCal, tells TMZ ... Guillermo adopted two chihuahuas -- Chase and Rey -- back in 2021 when they were just puppies. He was stoked about the addition to his family, posting pics of them on IG soon after getting them.
However, Mutt Scouts says they recently got a call from an animal shelter in the L.A. area ... saying the dogs were surrendered to them by an unnamed woman. The shelter called Mutt Scouts because both pups were microchipped and registered to the org prior to Guillermo adopting them.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Mutt Scouts provided TMZ a copy of the contract Guillermo signed before adopting -- which says the rescue would be the first point of contact to help rehome the dogs if he no longer wanted the dogs or couldn't care for them.
The org took to social media this week to call him out, and some 'Kimmel' fans were pissed and noted Guillermo's past post with the dogs is no longer on his page.
Guillermo tells TMZ ... this all started when he was asked to take care of his grandmother's large dog because she's battling dementia. At the same time, he went in for knee surgery ... so his stepsister had to watch Chase, Rey and grandma's big dog.
He says his stepsister panicked the big dog was going to harm the two chihuahuas, and that's when she decided to take them to the shelter. When Guillermo found out, he says he immediately told her she'd make a big mistake. He knew they should have gone to Mutt Scouts and says he contacted the group on Friday and said he "was sorry from the bottom of his heart."
Mutt Scouts tells us they hope Guillermo's case is a teachable moment for anyone looking to adopt a pet. It's standard procedure for adopted animals to be returned to the rescue agency if the owner can longer care for them.
Chase and Rey are now with Mutt Scouts, which is hoping to find a new home for them. Mutt Scouts tells us Guillermo made a $5k donation to help them care for the pups in the interim.
If you're interested in giving Chase and Rey a new fur-ever home ... Mutt Scouts says visit their website and fill out an application.
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'RuPaul's Drag Race' Star Jack Daniel's Not Afraid of Boycott ... Haters Are 'Whiny Babies!!!'
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Manila Luzon's two-year-old campaign for Jack Daniel's -- which features drag queens -- is drumming up outrage anew ... and she says those who are boycotting can cry in their corner.
The former 'Drag Race' star responded to the latest wave of indignation over an LGBT-friendly ad that the whiskey brand ran a full two years ago ... back in 2021. Apparently, some are just catching wind of it now -- and dramatically pouring their JD down the drain.
In one viral instance, a guy actually poured his Jack into a firepit ... and torched the sauce.
Luzon tells TMZ ... the fact these iconic American brands have been teaming up with the LGBTQ+ crowd to reach a new demographic is nothing new -- and she's eye-rolling over the fact that certain folks are just now figuring it out and screaming at the sky about it.
She makes a couple good points here. For one, ML says these companies have entire departments dedicated to market research ... and since they're pivoting toward inclusivity, ya gotta figure they know it's good for their bottom line to reach out to a new customer base.
In Jack Daniel's case ... that actually bares out in the numbers. Their parent company, Brown-Forman, reported huge boosts in sales of the famed liquor last year. Hard to say if that's due to their drag queen ad, specifically, but something's working for them dollarwise.
All the @JackDaniels_US drinkers should take note. pic.twitter.com/W0d9lMoSxq
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) April 6, 2023 @Travistritt
The other takeaway here is this ... there's options in America. If you're not happy with a brand, for whatever reason, you don't have to buy it anymore. Plain and simple.
Luzon notes, though, that if these people wanna boycott every company that runs an LGBT-leaning ad or campaign -- they might be out of products in the near future. She says this is the way the world is going ... and they can either get onboard, or be left behind.
Manila has teamed up with a bunch of other "RuPaul's Drag Race" stars to launch the Drag Isn't Dangerous campaign to combat anti-drag politics. They are holding a telethon next month where all the proceeds will go to charities that support the LGBTQ community and drag performers.
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Nashville Walgreens Worker Shoots Pregnant Woman ... Claims She Was Shoplifting
A pregnant woman was shot at a Walgreens after one of the workers claims to have chased her into the lot following alleged shoplifting ... which then spurred a premature delivery.
Per local reports, cops say 21-year-old Mitarius Boyd -- who's reported to have been working as the team lead on Wednesday when this horrific incident unfolded -- shot 34-year-old Travonsha Ferguson while trying to stop what he says was an active theft in progress.
Pregnant woman shot by Walgreens employee in East Nashville https://t.co/d6Vm60O55I
— WKRN News 2 (@WKRN) April 13, 2023 @WKRN
Boyd reportedly told investigators that he fired his weapon at both Ferguson and another woman she was with after pursuing them to their car ... where he claims they were trying to unload a bunch of stuff they'd allegedly just jacked from inside the Walgreens.
According to him, he felt his life was in danger when one of the women started to spray him with mace -- as he says he didn't know if they had a dangerous weapon on them. In other words, he's claiming self-defense here ... and has not been arrested at this point.
A woman who was shot during the altercation was pregnant and had to have an emergency C-Section operation.
— NewsChannel 5 (@NC5) April 14, 2023 @NC5
The District Attorney's office will determine if the store employee will face charges after MNPD investigates the incident.https://t.co/OzQ32WtSS8
Cops say Ferguson -- who's reported to have been 7 months pregnant -- was hit 8 times ... twice in each leg and four times in the stomach. She and her friend made it into the car after the gun went off, and the friend is said to have dropped her off at the ER on her own.
Doctors attended to her immediately, and she underwent 3 surgeries. During those procedures, reports say an emergency C-section was done to take out the baby ... who was miraculously not hit during all this. Both she and her child are now in critical condition.
As a store employee he had no right to chase her. pic.twitter.com/gtbOaO3dDW
— Shea (@nichpic) April 15, 2023 @nichpic
The case is under investigation, and the D.A. is reviewing the Walgreens employee's claim -- namely, that he had to shoot in order to protect himself from imminent danger.
As you can imagine, this has gotten a big reaction online -- especially from those citing Walgreens' well-known "no chase" policy ... in which workers aren't supposed to go after suspected shoplifters. Walgreens doesn't appear to have commented on the situation yet.
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Jennifer Connelly Gets Labeled a '7' by Twitter Troll ... Who Tried Shaming Zendaya
Jennifer Connelly (in the '90s) was way more attractive than Zendaya is today -- and she was considered pretty mid on the hotness scale ... so suggests this weekend's Twitter doofus.
Here's the deal ... a troll on the bird app has everyone fired up over a ludicrous tweet he posted Friday -- in which he tries to shade Zendaya by comparing her to Connelly ... but he inadvertently shaded JC too in the process -- and folks are stunned by his measuring stick.
Any zoomer who thinks right pic is above average attractive doesn't understand that in the 90s, a "7" looked like left pic.
— Sun Optimist (@CristusVictor) April 15, 2023 @CristusVictor
"Above average" meant something else back then. There'd be like ten girls
as or more beautiful than Connelly working at every chain restaurant. pic.twitter.com/rjg9ZPU2g5
This fella writes, "Any zoomer who thinks right pic is above average attractive doesn't understand that in the '90s, a '7' looked like left pic." In his tweet, he's got a photo of young Connelly next to an unflattering pic of Z ... so already, Sun Optimist is off to a biased start.
He ends with this wild statement, "'Above average' meant something else back then. There'd be like ten girls as or more beautiful than Connelly working at every chain restaurant."
In other words, this guy is saying that young women in the '90s were simply much prettier, on average, than your everyday hottie in 2023 -- and he's using Jen as an example ... by claiming you could find a million Connellys anywhere in America back then. Again, he's also saying Jen wasn't even considered a true dime in this regard ... a few notches below, in fact.
Two things ... he's a jerk for pitting these two beautiful women against each other -- but also ... a lot of people think he's dead wrong about Connelly, specifically. Many say, she IS a 10!
Zendaya is no slouch either, of course, so his entire premise is absurd. In a follow-up tweet, he says the modern "zoomer" thinks heavier-set women are the cream of the crop ... so he clearly has a bone to pick with the conversation about modern beauty standards, etc.
Not to fan the flames on this or anything, but considering Zen and Jen are knockouts in their own right ... we are somewhat curious who the public considers the lovelier dame here.
So, we gotta ask ... who'd you rather -- Connelly or Coleman??? 👀
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Donald Trump Jr. Guys, I Know Bud Light Screwed Up But They Back Republicans
Donald Trump Jr. is trying to put the fire out on the Bud Light outrage after they teamed up with a transgender person -- and his rationale is ... they actually support the GOP.
The ex-Prez's oldest son made his pitch on his podcast, "Triggered with Donald Trump Jr.," where he opened Thursday's episode with a plea aimed at the MAGA crowd ... and, presumably, anyone else who's vowed to cut Bud Light out of their beer-drinking regimen.
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He says he gets the indignation ... noting that, in his mind, Anheuser-Busch did indeed screw up by polarizing their key demographic with a stunt like this -- but he also says they deserve forgiveness considering some new intel he says he and his team have stumbled upon.
DTJ says Anheuser-Busch has actually donated a ton of money to Republican-led campaigns over the years -- including Speaker Kevin McCarthy's bid for Nancy Pelosi's job last year.
He also claims that -- according to some reporting he says he saw -- the whole Dylan Mulvaney move was actually the result of a rogue marketing employee at the company ... and that the higher-ups had no idea about it. In fact, Don says Anheuser-Busch is usually not as "woke" as its corporate counterparts -- and that they shouldn't be punished for this.
It's interesting that he's going to bat for the beer company, because they've actually taken a somewhat significant hit in the wake of all this -- reports suggest their market cap has fallen by as much as $5 billion in recent weeks ... although it's hard to say why exactly.
Some think it's a no-brainer -- the Bud Light ban appears to be working, and it's hurting their bottom line. Because of that, it seems, Don Jr.'s telling folks to stand down and buy again.
Time will tell if people will listen to him or not ... they're pretty fired up about this one.
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Bill Maher Trump Indictment Will Backfire ... It's Just a Sex Case
Bill Maher feels VERY strongly ... Trump's indictment in the Stormy Daniels case will backfire on Democrats, and they have hard proof right before their eyes -- the saga of Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.
The 'Real Time' host made it clear ... although the Manhattan D.A. indicted Trump on falsifying campaign documents, it's really about having sex with a porn star and trying to cover it up, and that just doesn't land with most Americans.
So Bill took viewers down memory lane -- to the '90s -- when Clinton's affair with Lewinsky unraveled before the public. A special prosecutor had been looking for ANYTHING to nail Clinton, zeroing in on a land deal, but there was nothing.
So the special prosecutor pivoted to one Paula Jones, which eventually led to Lewinsky. Clinton was shamed, allegedly lied about it under oath and was ultimately impeached by the House. And guess what happened in the end -- his approval rating soared to 73%!!!
As BM says in Trump's case ... "No matter what the underlying legalism, it's all about sex. Law is boring."
Bill thinks if Trump is indicted on the really serious, democracy-threatening matters -- like January 6th or election fraud -- it's not going to resonate as much with the public, because they'll have already seen Trump indicted on something else.
Food for thought.
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Tommy Lee Posts Transphobic OAN Clip ... Getting Slammed Online
5:39 AM PT -- Tommy Lee pulled his post down, saying, "I deleted my 'controversial' post because I am in no way transphobic or agains the LGBTQ+ community or any f***ing community ... s**t, I'm the gayest motherf***er."
Tommy Lee is stirring up controversy on his social media page ... because he reposted a transphobic clip from far-right news network OAN.
The Mötley Crüe drummer posted the One America News Network clip on his official Instagram account Friday afternoon ... and it's being met with mixed reactions from celebs and Average Joes.
In the clip, OAN anchor Liz Wheeler is going on a rant about transgender, transracial and transabled people ... trying to get a rise out of folks with a segment light on facts and heavy on drama ... ticking off all the things she fantasizes could happen down the road.
Tommy added the caption, "Where does it end people?!?!"
The post quickly caught the attention of Questlove, who replied ... "Oan tho? #unfollow."
Tommy's friend, Criss Angel, rushed to his defense ... commenting, "100%."
The rest of the replies and comments are mostly from people condemning Tommy, but he does have some supporters out there.
OAN is known to stoke controversy ... and the network has been dropped by most major cable carriers in the United States.
But, it seems Tommy's still tuning in.
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LaRussell Music AI Doesn't Scare Me 🤖 ... I Offer the Real Deal!!!
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LaRussell has zero fear of AI rap recordings blocking his shine amid his breakout season ... and that's because he's confident AI can't recreate the human experience!!!
TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the Oakland rapper on the music video set of his "Hell of a Feeling" collab with Symba ... who stressed to us why both hip hop culture and the Bay Area need the track.
The thought of AI made LaRussell LOL as we gauged his thoughts on the industry's hotly debated topic ... and turns out he has no concerns, despite major labels putting up roadblocks!!!
Universal Music Group recently sent out demands to Spotify, Apple Music and all the top streaming services to block AI companies crawling their platforms ... and Drake was none too pleased hearing his AI mimicked vocal rapping Ice Spice's hit "Munch."
Universal Music Group has told streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple, to block artificial intelligence services from scraping melodies and lyrics from their copyrighted songs https://t.co/wSvrnVjUH9
— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) April 12, 2023 @FinancialTimes
LaRussell makes his bread as an independent artist and thinks AI can only increase his cash flow if used correctly.
He's not 100% sold, though, which is why he always plans on having at least one human overseeing the operation.
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Alexi Lalas on USWNT Arguably Greatest Team Ever ... w/ 3rd Straight World Cup
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Ready to watch the FIFA World Cup 2026? Start planning your viewing schedule on FOX One now. Start your free trial today.
Alexi Lalas is heaping a ton of praise (and perhaps a little pressure) on the U.S. Women's National Team as they close in on a chance to make history at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup this summer ... telling TMZ Sports they'd arguably be the greatest team of all-time if they secure a historic third straight win!
The U.S. soccer legend and great FOX Sports analyst told us the USWNT is already in rarified air with their 4 World Cup titles (1991, 1999, 2015, and 2019), but winning 3 in a row, which has never been done before, "would certainly put them in the conversation of the greatest team ever."
Lalas likes the USWNT's chances in the event -- which features 32 teams (eight more than in 2019) -- and will be held in Australia and New Zealand, but says other countries are looking to "spoil the party," so winning it all won't be an easy task.
"The rest of the world has started to catch up," Lalas said. "They are putting more resources in. That's a good thing. Competition is a good thing. You have the likes of England, France, and Germany and our friends up to the north, Canada, and the Netherlands.
"Yes, we want to win every single game," Lalas said. "Yes, we want to win more World Cups, but we want it to be competitive. I want the U.S. to win, but I might want England not to win it even more. Anybody but England winning, I'll be cool with."
Despite the competition gap closing, Lalas believes USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski has enough to win it all because of stars like Alyssa Thompson, Dennis Rodman's daughter, Trinity Rodman, and Julie Ertz, who happens to be married to NFL tight end Zach Ertz.
FYI, the U.S. are slight favorites to win the whole tourney.
Tuesday marked the 100-day countdown to the world's biggest soccer tournament, airing on FOX Sports and FS1.
Let's gooooo!!!!! ⚽
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Bhad Bhabie Here's an Ink-ling I'm in Love ... Me and My BF Have Matching Tats!!!
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Bhad Bhabie is really in love with her BF ... she even got his name tattooed on her chest.
TMZ obtained photos of Bhad Bhabie's new ink, which reads "Le Vaughn" in red cursive script, on the left side of her chest ... between her shoulder and breast.
Bhad Bhabie, aka Danielle Bregoli, didn't stop there ... she also got "1111" tattooed in red ink on her neck to cover up a previous tattoo, just above her boyfriend's name, in another nod to her man.
The "1111" tattoo appears to reference Le Vaughn's birthday, because he posted a pic of Bhad Bhabie's new ink on his social media with the caption "Scorpio 11:11 iykyk" ... Internet slang for "if you know, you know."
Bhad Bhabie's boyfriend also got her first name and middle name tattooed on his neck ... he went with black ink and cursive script letters spelling out "Danielle Marie."
It's interesting ... Bhad Bhabie's been defending their relationship and the tattoos on social media, saying ... "I love that man whether y'all like it or not, yall gonna talk regardless."
Remember ... Bhad Bhabie celebrated her 20th birthday just three weeks ago, twerking and lap dancing on her mother during an intimate gathering at her home.
Bhad Bhabie's got lots of other tattoos ... and now you can catch her boyfriend's name among her ink.
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Dallas Mavericks Fined $750K For Resting Players ... Trying To Lose
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The Dallas Mavericks season may be over, but the team's still making headlines -- the NBA fined the organization $750K for resting several key players like Kyrie Irving vs. the Bulls in the second-to-last game of the season, with the league accusing the team of losing on purpose.
The league announced the hefty punishment Friday ... explaining the Mavs violated the league's player resting policy on April 7 in the game with Chicago to improve their chances of keeping their first-round draft pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd confirms sitting players is a managerial decision, but he’s confident the team could win two play-in games on the road.
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) April 7, 2023 @GrantAfseth
While things could change based on tonight’s outcome, Kidd expects Luka Doncic’s season to be done after the 1st quarter. pic.twitter.com/gPSYSeNsAA
NBA executive VP Joe Dumars condemned Dallas for the move ... saying the team's actions "undermined the integrity of the sport," adding their actions "failed our fans and our league."
The Mavs were tied with the Bulls for the tenth-best lottery odds heading into the matchup ... and would have owed the Knicks their first-round pick if they beat Chicago, going back to terms agreed on during the Kristaps Porzingis trade.
Jason Kidd literally put it on wax so this investigation should be quick lolpic.twitter.com/PxRqn8vrjJ
— Josh Buckhalter (@JoshGBuck) April 8, 2023 @JoshGBuck
The NBA launched an investigation after Dallas rested several key players -- Kyrie Irving, Christian Wood, and Tim Hardaway Jr. -- even with the team's play-in tournament hopes still alive. Luka Doncic played the first 12 minutes and 35 seconds but missed the rest of the game.
Dallas head coach Jason Kidd seemed to confirm the idea of resting their players in the crucial game came from upper management ... but said he agrees with his bosses' decision.
The short-handed Mavericks took Chicago down to the wire ... but ultimately lost their final two games, finishing the regular season with a disappointing 38-44 record after reaching the Western Conference Finals last season.
But, they kept their draft pick. What they didn't keep ... was the $750,000.
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Drake This Means War, AI!!! Pissed About 'Drake Bot' Doing Ice Spice Track
Drake isn't going for AI technology mimicking his vocals to rap Ice Spice's "Munch" ... and now his label, Universal Music Group, aiming to take down ALL AI versions of its artists.
On Friday, Drizzy drew the line in the sand after his faux Ice Spice mashup surfaced ... calling it the "final straw" in a haystack of artificial art.
Drake's reaction aligned with the new report that UMG demanded Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal and all streaming platforms block AI versions of their artists and their copyrighted songs.
Universal Music Group has told streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple, to block artificial intelligence services from scraping melodies and lyrics from their copyrighted songs https://t.co/wSvrnVjUH9
— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) April 12, 2023 @FinancialTimes
UMG is calling the clean-up a "moral and commercial" responsibility to the industry, but not everyone shares the same pessimism on the topic.
We recently caught up with Bu Thiam, an exec at Columbia Records who said AI could be a cutting-edge tool artists can use in the future. He also shared the harsh reality it might be too late to put the genie back in the bottle at this point!!!
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Raquel Leviss Checks into Mental Health Facility After 'Scandoval' Exposed
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4:18 PM PT -- Lisa Vanderpump says folks need to ease up on Raquel, and she's concerned about Raquel's mental health.
We got Lisa in Los Angeles on Friday and our photog broke the news to her about Raquel checking in to a mental health facility.
Lisa says she's going to get on the phone to make some calls about the situation, and in the meantime she's hoping folks back off ... because the "Scandoval" seems to be taking a toll on Raquel.
11:50 AM PT -- Scheana Shay's attorney has inserted Scheana into the situation, telling TMZ, "We’re happy that she [Raquel] is getting the treatment she needs but none of this changes the fact that she abused the justice system to put forth false allegations against Scheana and she has never to this day publicly come out and apologized for all her lies.”
“We obviously recognize mental health is an important issue and wish Rachel all the best in her recovery, but we’d also like her to own up to her false allegations and publicly come out and acknowledge that she lied.”
Clearly the drama between these two runs deep.
Raquel Leviss is getting treatment at a mental health facility on the heels of her affair with Tom Sandoval going public.
TMZ has confirmed the "Vanderpump Rules" star recently checked herself in.
ET, who was the first to report the story, says Raquel made the decision with her family to seek treatment. What's interesting is ... she reportedly made that decision before the so-called "Scandoval" became a thing.
A source claims she had planned to start the treatment before the reunion taping last month, but decided to officially wrap up the season before going. It's unclear what kind of treatment she's getting, but a rep for Raquel tells TMZ ... "she isn't there for rehab, but rather mental health and trauma therapy."
TMZ broke the story ... Raquel and Tom were together behind Ariana Madix's back for quite some time, but it all came to the surface last month when Ariana found sexual texts exchanged between the duo.
Since then Tom and Raquel have been dragged through the mud, in public, and at the taping for the 'VR' reunion ... and as we reported, things were so tense things almost got physical between some cast members.
We've also learned Raquel spent time with Tom in his hometown around the holidays -- while he was still dating Ariana, which is why his family didn't want to meet her.
Originally Published -- 9:02 AM PT