Controversial S#!T

Travis Scott, Drake, Apple, Live Nation and others will now need to answer to a massive $750 million lawsuit brought against them by more than 125 fans, including the family of one who died at the festival.

The suit, filed by Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, is the first of others to come and places the blame on Travis and concert organizers for negligence in failing to properly plan the concert, train security personnel and host a safe event.

Among the plaintiffs is the family of Axel Acosta, a 21-year-old who was allegedly crushed by an "incited, unruly and out-of-control crowd with such force that he could no longer breathe."

As for the staggering $750 million, the lawsuit claims it's to cover both physical and mental health injuries as well as the loss of life.

Buzbee says, "No amount of money will ever make these Plaintiffs whole; no amount of money can restore human life. But, the damages sought in this case attempts to fix, help, or make up for the harms and losses suffered by these Plaintiffs -- nothing more and nothing less."

Travis and Live Nation offered refunds almost immediately to concertgoers, and the lawsuit addresses that offer, calling it, "... a transparent and grotesque effort of the Defendants to limit their liability, after the fact, to the families of those killed or injured."

As we reported ... 10 people have now lost their lives as a result of the Astroworld Festival -- the most recent was a 9-year-old boy.

Law enforcement continues to investigate what caused the deaths, but those in the audience say a crowd crush trapped, trampled and suffocated fans.

Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic -- 2 of the greatest tennis players alive -- are speaking out on the disappearance of tennis player Peng Shuai ... who suddenly vanished after accusing a powerful Chinese politician of sexual assault.

"Hey everyone, not sure if you've been following the news but I was recently informed of a fellow tennis player that has gone missing shortly after revealing that she has been sexually abused," the 4x Grand Slam winner wrote on social media.

"Censorship is never ok at any cost, I hope Peng Shuai and her family are safe and ok. I'm in shock of the current situation and I'm sending love and light her way. #whereispengshuai"

The case is disturbing. Shuai -- formerly the #1 ranked doubles player in the world -- hasn't been seen in nearly 2 weeks after she claimed Zhang Gaoli, a powerful, retired politician sexually assaulted her around 3 years ago.

Gaoli was at one time the vice premier of the People's Republic of China ... making him essentially 2nd in command of all of China.

In Peng's post, the former Wimbledon and French Open winner accused Gaoli -- with who she admits to previously having a sexual relationship -- of inviting her to Beijing to play tennis with him and his wife. However, after the game, Shuai claims the situation took a frightening turn, alleging the 70-something-year-old politician pressured her into sex.

The disturbing post was removed shortly after it was posted by Peng. She has not been heard from since.

Stars from across the tennis world, including Billie Jean King and Chris Evert, have raised concerns over Peng's whereabouts.

Even Novak Djokovic, the world's #1 ranked tennis player spoke out, saying, "When I heard the story of Peng Shuai I was shocked. I hope she is well and that we can find her as soon as possible."

Rockmond Dunbar is OUT as an original cast member on "9-1-1" ... and it's all because of the TV show's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Rockmond, who plays Michael Grant on the FOX drama, saw his character suddenly written off in this week's episode.

Produced by Disney TV Studios 20th Television, the show reportedly requires all actors to be inoculated against the coronavirus ... and Rockmond was denied vaccine exemptions.

Rockmond explained his departure in a statement to Deadline, saying ... "I applied for religious and medical accommodations pursuant to the law and unfortunately was denied by my employer."

He adds ... "My sincerely held beliefs and private medical history are very intimate and personal aspects of my life that I do not publicly discuss and have no desire to start now."

Rockmond also told the outlet while he enjoyed his 5 seasons on "9-1-1" his acting gig comes second to his role as a husband and father to his 4 kids, and he's looking forward to what's next for him and wishing everyone on the show the best.

George Clooney is speaking his piece on the fatal shooting that claimed Halyna Hutchins' life -- and he's torching the entire "Rust" crew over the tragedy, especially the assistant director.

The legendary actor weighed in while he was on Marc Maron's 'WTF' podcast and he didn't hold back one bit ... lighting up AD Dave Halls, armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and the producers at large, who he says clearly skimped.

GC's biggest gripe is the gun that was handed to Alec should never have been handled by Halls ... but rather, Hannah herself or the head prop master.

George says there's been strict protocol for gun use on every set he's been on, and notes ... the protocol was grossly violated on "Rust," going on to say he's never even heard of the term "cold gun" -- while labeling the whole saga "insane" and "infuriating."

Now, while Mr. Clooney stops short of criticizing Alec Baldwin directly -- whom he says he doesn't know well -- he does make a stark comparison in how he's dealt with guns on set, and how AB apparently did.

George explains that anytime he's used a gun on camera, he's always checked it himself -- and does so extensively too ... saying he opens it, examines the chamber, shows it to whoever he's pointing it too and even fires six times at the ground as a final safeguard.

According to Santa Fe authorities, Alec didn't do any of that -- and ended up pointing the gun at Halyna and director Joel Souza during a blocking setup, and firing.

There's more George touches on -- including the producers of this film allegedly cutting crucial corners that allowed for an unsafe environment to fester, which is unfathomable to him considering the tragedy that killed Brandon Lee in the '90s.

Miles Teller feels a little bullied by Taylor Swift fans who called him out for shooting a music video with TS and allegedly risking her well-being by being unvaxxed ... but Miles is calling BS.

Miles had a starring role in Taylor's video, "I Bet You Think About Me," with Blake Lively behind the cam in her directorial debut. Swift's fans were apoplectic ... one saying, "Why are so many people happy that Miles Teller is in the music video when he is a selfish jerk that isn't vaccinated?" Another groused, "Why would Taylor use Miles Teller? Isn't that dude a big anti-vaxxer who caused a movie set to be shut down because he refused to get vaccinated and then got f***ing COVID?"

Miles decided to shut them all up, saying, "Hey guys, I don’t usually feel the need to address rumors on here but I am vaccinated and have been for a while. The only thing I’m anti is hate."

Rumors had surfaced back in September, when Teller was shooting "The Offer," a series about the making of "The Godfather." Production was shut down after someone tested positive for COVID, and several media outlets claimed it was Miles, citing a source on the set. Teller's publicist said the reports were bogus, but never addressed who caught the virus.

Enes Kanter has a strong message for President Joe Biden -- ahead of POTUS' scheduled virtual summit with Chinese prez Xi Jinping -- do what you promised and "Prioritize Human Rights".

Joe and Xi will take part in a 2-day online summit, starting today. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the leaders will discuss relations between the countries, but added Biden won't avoid difficult topics.

"Throughout, President Biden will make clear U.S. intentions and priorities and be clear and candid about our concerns with the PRC," Psaki said.

But, the 29-year-old Boston Celtics center -- a 12-year NBA vet -- isn't so sure that'll actually be the case.

"@potus Stop playing games with bullies & do what you promised to the world! Prioritize Human Rights!" Kanter wrote on social media.

"Will Joe Biden ask about Uyghur Genocide or assault on Tibetans in Hong Kong?", continuing ... "Or will they pat each other on the back?"

It's interesting ... talking about China in an unfavorable way has become a third-rail issue for the NBA.

Daryl Morey, then Houston Rockets GM, was forced to apologize in 2019 after he tweeted support for protestors in Hong Kong. Even after saying sorry, Morey -- who now works for the 76ers -- is on China's bad side. The country doesn't feature Philadelphia's games or highlights for its 1.4 billion citizens.

But, Enes -- who has long been outspoken about human rights issues across the world -- clearly isn't intimidated.

Kanter specifically pointed to the Uyghur population in China ... a group of over 1 million mostly Muslims who have been kept in "re-education camps," according to the BBC.

He also raised human rights issues facing Tibetans.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson is following through on his promise to attend the Ahmaud Arbery murder trial, and sticking it to one of the defense attorneys ... who openly griped about "Black pastors" in court.

Rev. Jackson was in the Brunswick, GA courtroom gallery Monday morning -- shoulder-to-shoulder with Ahmaud's family members -- showing the kind of support Kevin Gough complained about on Friday.

ICYMI ... Gough, defense attorney for William "Roddie" Bryan, said he wanted the judge to limit the number of Black pastors allowed in the courtroom because he feared it could be "consciously or unconsciously an attempt to pressure or influence the jury."

The embarrassing part for Gough -- he singled out Rev. Jackson for being in the courtroom, even though he'd never attended before today. Anyway, the judge denied his request.

Rev. Jackson's blasted Gough's motion as "unacceptable" because a "public trial involves public observation" ... and told us he planned to be in court.

Marilyn Manson is now accused of locking women in a small, soundproof space -- something he allegedly did to punish them for being "bad."

The rocker is facing a new round of allegations from women who spoke on the record to Rolling Stone ... claiming MM had this small booth in the corner of his West Hollywood apartment, where he'd allegedly throw his girlfriends and lock 'em up for hours on end.

The chamber, as it were, was apparently covered with foam and contained any noise emitted from inside -- and this is allegedly a tactic Manson used to psychologically torture women for any perceived transgressions.

The article refers to it as the "Bad Girls' Room" -- and a former assistant of Manson's told Rolling Stone it was common knowledge the room existed, but also said he never saw any women locked inside.

Manson himself appears to have mentioned the room in old interviews over the years -- and while some might have thought he was joking, a handful of accusers -- some of whom are suing him for sexual assault, among other things -- claim it was all too real.

His apartment itself is also discussed by Rolling Stone ... described by some of the folks they interviewed as a "meat locker" or a "black refrigerator" -- because he apparently kept the place super dark at all times, and the temperature no higher than 65 degrees.

Some of the women interviewed claim a lot of what they allegedly experienced at Manson's hands went down at this apartment -- all of which Manson has previously denied.

Add another record to Tom Brady's résumé-- shortest press conference ever -- 'cause the pissed off Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB fielded questions for a whopping one minute after a bad loss to the Washington Football Team on Sunday ... telling reporters to "make it quick."

Brady and the Bucs clearly weren't vibing in the 29-19 loss to the WFT ... with TB12 throwing two early interceptions that had Tampa Bay playing catchup for the rest of the game.

But, the 7-time Super Bowl champ wasn't ready to go in-depth with the media about what went wrong in the loss ... answering 3 total questions before storming off.

One reporter was shocked by Brady's quick exit ... saying, "That's it?!"

It's the second straight L for the Bucs, which probably played a role in Brady's mini temper tantrum ... but it's pretty interesting to see how the guy who seems to always win handle defeat.

Brady finished the game going 23-34 for 220 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions ... as Tampa Bay fell to 6-3 and the Football Team earned their third win of the season.

Halle Berry gave Cardi B a crown many feel belongs to Nicki Minaj -- and while Winnie Harlow vouched for the latter on live TV ... CB seems to want no part of the debate.

This is all started Saturday, when Halle and co. were hosting a premiere for her new flick, 'Bruised' -- a movie she directed and stars in ... and one that features a soundtrack full of female rappers, which was curated by both Ms. Berry and Cardi.

In fact, Halle shouted Cardi out by name ... but in doing so, also called her the "Queen of Hip Hop" -- something Nicki Minaj's fans didn't take very kindly to.

The "Barbz," as they're known, were swarming with fury about the title ... which has often been given to Nicki because of her many years in the game, and her undeniable influence in hip hop at large. Of course, many feel Cardi has emerged as a more influential figure in a shorter timespan ... and, apparently, Halle believes the same.

Fast-forward to Sunday, where during MTV's 2021 Europe Music Awards ... Winnie seemed to get into the fracas herself with what may be a little jab of her own while announcing the winner of the Best Hip-Hop winner. That winner, of course, was Nicki Minaj.

Winnie prefaced saying Nicki's name with ... "the one and only Queen of Hip Hop," which can interpreted as being in response to Halle's own remark. Who knows ... maybe it's nothing.

Enter Cardi herself ... who had some thoughts on the matter, and which may be the final say, for now. She writes, "I know how some of you girls like to tussle over this typa childish s***… but ntm on Halle Berry. Anyway her movie #BRUISED dropping THAT SHE DIRECTED HERSELF on Netflix on November 24th. The FIRST female rap movie soundtrack!! we produced together out this FRIDAY!"

Mr. T seems to be going from the A-Team to the B-Team in this pandemic -- and "B" is for booster shot ... something the man says he's now happily been injected with.

The actor announced Saturday that he'd been inoculated anew with a new round of the vaccine -- taking to Twitter to write ... "I am Blessed and I am Thankful. I just got my Booster Vaccination shot. My arm is a little sore but no pain. I Pity Pain! Thanks again to all the Doctors and Nurses…"

He adds, "Even though I am fully vaccinated, I will still wear my mask and keep my distance, thank you. #SaturdayThoughts."

Now, there are two very different reactions to Mr. T coming out as pro-vaxx -- a good handful of folks are praising him, of course, and calling him a true inspiration and hero ... like he portrayed on screen for so many years (minus that one time from "Rocky III").

Even guys like Dan Rather are singing T's praises for putting out a good message.

Then again ... there are others responding far differently -- suggesting Mr. T is acting as a proxy for the U.S. government to push the vaccine, aka propaganda ... a term we've been seeing a lot lately from folks on the right, including politicians like Ted Cruz.

You'll remember ... Senator Cruz slammed Big Bird, of all people puppets, after the Sesame Street denizen announced he, too, had been vaccinated -- which ticked off Cruz to no end.

The daughter of ex-NBA player Corey Benjamin was involved in another on-court fight just weeks before her viral sucker punch ... new video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

The violent altercation went down in mid-September in Del Amo, Calif. -- just two months before she sucker punched a girl during a youth basketball game near Anaheim last weekend.

In the footage, you can see the teenager was jockeying with another girl to try to gain position inside the key ... when she suddenly snapped.

Video shows Benjamin's daughter threw several punches at the girl -- before sprinting toward another girl on the court and throwing even more haymakers.

We're told officials later hit her with an indefinite ban from the venue over the altercation.

You'll recall, Benjamin's daughter was hit with a similar punishment following her actions during a game this past Saturday.

In that incident, the girl laid out her opponent after she felt she was fouled on a jump shot. The mother of the teenager who was punched tells us she has filed a criminal report against Benjamin's daughter over it all.

Benjamin has issued an apology over his daughter's actions, telling NBC L.A. this week, "As a father, I'm shocked and disappointed at my daughter's behavior as this is not a reflection of the values and standards that my family holds. Nor does it exemplify the values, character and spirit of sportsmanship that the game of basketball requires."

There's nothing foul about President Biden using the word "negro" when referring to the old baseball league ... at least according to the steward of the league, who's defending and applauding him for saying the word.

No doubt you've seen the clip of the Prez speaking on Veterans Day at Arlington National Cemetery and flubbing in a big way ... saying he'd "adopted the attitude of the great negro at the time." Cringeworthy, for sure, but to be fair Biden misspoke, and eventually cleared it up intending to call out the great Negro League player Satchel Paige.

Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, tells TMZ ... not only was it crystal clear to him what Mr. Biden meant to say, but it would have been "harmful" if he'd used any other word.

Bob says he was surprised at the online fallout -- people ticked off POTUS used such a dated term -- because he says there's a reason the word is still on walls of his museum. As Bob put it, they still use "Negro" to preserve the league's nearly 30-year history -- from 1920 to 1947. He compares it to the NAACP, which also hasn't changed its name, despite the fact (almost) no one uses the "C" word nowadays.

Further, he says "It was an honor that the President made a point to honor Satchel Paige, who happened to be one of the greatest pitchers" in the history of ANY baseball league.

Jim Hayford -- Seattle University's men's basketball coach -- has resigned from his position ... after he allegedly used the n-word on multiple occasions.

Hayford was initially placed on administrative leave last week ... after Stadium Basketball Insider Jeff Goodman reported that the coach had used the racial slur during a scrimmage.

According to the report, Hayford -- who is white -- said the n-word last Thursday after a player had used it.

Goodman reports this was not the first time Hayford had been accused of using the term around his team.

Hayford reportedly apologized to his squad over it all on Nov. 6, but according to Goodman, some players refused to accept the mea culpa, and ultimately vowed to never play for him again.

Seattle U's Athletic Director, Shaney Fink, issued a statement Thursday announcing Hayford's resignation, saying, "It is clear to me that coach Hayford is no longer able to effectively lead this team."

"The top priority within the Athletic Department is, and always will be, to support the wellbeing and success of our student athletes -- in and out of the classroom and in their chosen sport."

Fink continued, "We are committed to advancing an athletic community that is inclusively excellent. We will take additional steps to ensure any concerns within the program are addressed and that all our student athletes are seen, heard, and supported."

Jon Gruden is accusing the NFL and Roger Goodell of conducting a "malicious and orchestrated campaign ... to destroy [his] career and reputation."

It's all spelled out in a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, filed in a Nevada court on Thursday ... in which Gruden says the Goodell and the NFL obtained his private emails with his friend and former coworker Bruce Allen.

The former Raiders head coach accused the NFL and its commish of holding the emails for months ... only to leak them when they could cause maximum damage to Gruden.

Gruden characterizes this as a "soviet-style character assassination."

In the docs, Gruden points out that the NFL uncovered hundreds of thousands of emails as part of a larger investigation into sexual harassment allegations against the Washington Football Team ... but the only emails that he claims the NFL leaked are the ones that implicate Gruden.

The 58-year-old, meanwhile, says Goodell and the league have kept all of the other ones under wraps.

Gruden also claims the NFL initially only released a single email -- the one containing the reference to NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith's lips -- and immediately began pressuring the Raiders to fire him over it.

But, when the Raiders refused, Gruden claims the NFL then released a batch of other emails, saying the league "weaponized" them, and ultimately caused the Raiders to pressure Gruden into resigning.

Gruden notes in the suit that the NFL has historically tried to appear transparent, by issuing written reports on a host of past investigations, including Deflategate, the Ray Rice incident, and the harassment allegations against the Miami Dolphins.

The former coach says the leak is an attempt to distract from the NFL's failure to properly handle the sexual harassment allegations against the WFT.

Gruden is suing for unspecified damages -- including punitives -- claiming the NFL's actions caused him to lose his sponsorships and recognition (including his place in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Ring of Honor).

It should be noted -- nowhere in the documents does Gruden deny sending the offensive emails.

For its part, the NFL has denied Gruden's allegations ... saying in a statement they "are entirely meritless and the NFL will vigorously defend against these claims.”

Andre Iguodala believes Kyrie Irving is the 4th greatest point guard of all time ... and you can keep your comments to yourself, 'cause he says it's not up for debate!!

The Warriors forward recently told The Athletic that in his mind, Kyrie has cemented his spot as one of the top 20 NBA players EVER -- and on top of that, he's cemented his spot on the Mount Rushmore of point guards in NBA history.

"Magic (Johnson), Steph (Curry), Isiah Thomas. They're the only guys that I will allow you to say are better than Kyrie," Iggy said, adding he's open to the idea of adding Chris Paul to the mix ... but makes it clear his pick is Uncle Drew.

The list of greatest point guards is always a topic of discussion ... but Iggy is leaving out some legends that will certainly have some folks up in arms over the comments.

We're sure Jason Kidd, John Stockton, Oscar Robertson, Steve Nash, Allen Iverson and many more would like to have a word with Iggy ... 'cause they didn't make the cut.

It's possible Dre is speaking from recency bias or personal experience ... 'cause he knows firsthand just how skilled Kyrie is ... his ridiculous crossovers and scoring ability make him one of the most exciting players in the NBA.

After all, he got to witness up close and personal in the 2016 NBA Finals.