Crime

Master P says the environment at Astroworld Fest was kosher ... while also acknowledging, no one saw this tragedy coming.

We got the rap mogul Tuesday in L.A. and asked for his perspective on the aftermath of what unfolded Friday night ... a day he actually performed himself, albeit much earlier before everything started going south.

Check out his breakdown of what he saw ... MP insists he never felt things got out of hand or weren't safe. Yes, he notes the young folks who went did, indeed, get hyped -- as it's customary at a festival of this nature -- but, nothing ever raised a red flag to him personally.

His main point here seems to be that people knew what they were getting into by coming to Astroworld Fest -- even going on to say an injury or two can realistically be expected.

With that said ... Master P offers his condolences to the families and loved ones of the 8 people lost, saying that's never something anyone ever really plans for, or is actively trying to encourage.

Of course, we had to ask who he thinks is mostly to blame here -- if he had to pick someone to point the finger at -- but he wasn't really in an accusatory mood, saying it'll be sorted behind the scenes while making sure to emphasize -- Trav ain't at fault.

NRG Park -- the venue that hosted the calamitous Astroworld festival -- has an insurance policy totaling $26 million ... nowhere near what the injured and families of the dead will be seeking.

TMZ has obtained the Certificate of Liability Insurance ... a document that was filed with the City of Houston. Proof of insurance is required for such events.

The policy provides for $1 million in primary coverage with a $25 million umbrella. With 8 dead and more than 300 injured, damages could go into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

If the policy doesn't cover the judgments, then NRG would be responsible for anything above the policy limit.

Now it's possible NRG has additional coverage, but there's no evidence of that from the documents.

We do not know what insurance policies are carried by Live Nation or Travis Scott, although it's certain they have some coverage. But, whatever it is, when you total all of it together, it's unlikely it will cover the enormous judgments that could be coming their way. If the injured and the families of the dead get judgments, the policies will cover them as far as the money goes, but once the limit is reached Travis and the various companies would be personally on the hook for the balance.

It's not that the policies were not written properly, because no one could have anticipated the scope of the disaster.

A woman who chucked soup right in a restaurant manager's face might think she got away scot-free, but the cops are hot on her ass ... 'cause the victim's gunning to press charges.

You might've seen this ... an irate customer who's arguing with what appears to be a staffer at a restaurant down in Temple, TX eventually gets so fed up, that she opens her to-go bowl of soup and throws it right onto the woman she's talking to ... hitting her square in the face.

We spoke to the soup-throwing recipient, Jannelle Broland, who's actually the manager at this Mexican joint ... and she tells TMZ, yes, she is pressing charges -- and hopes her assailant is brought to justice to serve some jail time.

As for how all this unfolded, Jannelle says the customer called in to place a to-go order on Sunday around 1 PM, picked it up and left ... and then called back about 10 minutes later.

She explains the woman was furious some plastic from the packaging was in her food, so she came back ready to talk to a manager about it.

Seeing as how Jannelle was the only manager working that day, she says she tried to handle it by apologizing and offering a full refund and/or a replacement item from the menu. That apparently wasn't good enough for the irate customer.

According to Jannelle, the woman cussed up a storm, demanded to speak to someone higher up on the totem pole, and when that didn't happen ... the soup went flying. She also claims the woman made a run for it with her hubby in tow, and some other workers followed her ... and were even able to get quick shots and video of her driving away from the scene.

Temple PD has said they're investigating this as a crime, and if they can track down the unidentified suspect ... Jannelle is more than willing to press charges. In the meantime, the woman's been banned from the establishment.

Cops have released terrifying video showing two men smashing into Dorit Kemsley's L.A. home and surfacing with hundreds of thousands of dollars in valuables minutes later.

The men, covered in masks and gloves use some sort of tool to smash through Kemsley's door before making their way inside. Law enforcement sources say once in, the two men confronted Kemsley, who begged for her life and the lives of her kids.

While we never reported the men were armed with guns, several other outlets did ... but the police statement does not indicate the men had guns or other weapons.

After about 15 minutes, the men can be seen outside the front of the home, dragging what police say was a large blanket filled with purses, watches and other jewelry.

The LAPD is asking for the public's help in identifying the two men -- described as black males between the ages of 20 to 30.

Shortly after the incident, Dorit issued a statement saying, “As you all know by now I have been through a terrifying ordeal, one that no parent or person should ever have to experience. My kids are unaware of what happened, they slept through it and I thank God for keeping my kids and myself from being physically harmed.”

We got Dorit and her husband, Paul, who was out of town at the time of the incident out last week who indicated they'd hired new security and were contemplating moving out.

The jury in the Ahmaud Arbery case looks more like the accused murderers than the victim, pigment-wise, anyway -- but that won't automatically affect the verdict, according to Chilli from TLC.

We got Rozonda Thomas -- aka, Chilli -- at LAX and asked for her take on the outrage over the jury's racial makeup ... namely, the fact 11 white folks and one Black person were selected to hear testimony in the murder trial, which just started on Monday.

The obvious assumption fueling the uproar is that white jurors might have an inherent racial bias, and end up siding with the father and son defendants, Gregory and Travis McMichael, based on nothing more than skin color.

Of course, that is NOT a foregone conclusion whatsoever -- despite many making that leap -- and Chilli echoes that, saying we have to assume the jurors (black or white) are reasonable people who are out for the truth and justice.

Check out her rationale ... Chilli is optimistic and sees hope for the best in people, a mentality she's applying to this case. Naturally, a lot of people are more cynical -- but Chilli's encouraging folks to have faith in humanity.

Dan Bilzerian claims someone jacked his luxury timepiece right off his wrist during the Canelo Alvarez boxing match in Las Vegas ... and now the cops are involved.

The playboy poker player tells TMZ ... he was wearing a Richard Mille watch, valued between $950k and $1 million, to the Canelo fight and at some point, he noticed it went missing from his wrist.

Dan says he was taking a bunch of photos with fans as he walked toward the ring, and thinks someone may have slipped it off his wrist in the scrum because the carbon fiber watch is very lightweight and doesn't have a lock on the clasp.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... police took a larceny report and cops will investigate.

Dan says he filed the police report right after the fight Saturday night, and now he's offering a $50,000 reward for any folks who can provide information leading to the watch's return.

DB tells us he didn't have the watch insured and the fight venue wasn't able to pull any surveillance footage from the fighter walkout area, which is where he believes the watch was taken.

G-Eazy just struck a deal in the NYC case where he's accused of brawling in a bar ... and he's going to avoid time behind bars.

The rapper appeared in a courtroom in New York City Monday, pleading guilty to disorderly conduct -- lower than his original charge of misdemeanor assault -- and was assigned to a diversion program ... according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

We're told G-Eazy must complete 3 Manhattan Justice Opportunities sessions ... which are an alternative to incarceration and basically involve meetings with social workers and case managers designed to put people back on a positive path.

TMZ broke the story ... G-Eazy was arrested back in September after he and his crew were accused of getting violent with another group of guys at the Boom Boom Room at the Standard Hotel.

G-Eazy was eventually charged with misdemeanor assault, and ordered to steer clear of the alleged victims. We're told the protective order will remain in place.

Boxing star Rolando Romero -- accused of sexually assaulting multiple women -- is breaking his silence on the disturbing allegations, telling TMZ Sports the claims against him are straight BS, and he will clear his name.

We ran into the 26-year-old, 14-1 boxer leaving the MGM Grand in Las Vegas after Canelo Alvarez knocked out Caleb Plant ... and we asked him to address the allegations.

"If my lawyers not here, I'm not allowed to talk about that, but let's just say it like this, that's some bulls**t. Simple as that," Romero told us.

Rolando later added ... "I am innocent."

Of course, Rolly was scheduled to fight rival Gervonta "Tank" Davis on December 5 ... but was pulled from the Showtime PPV fight after the allegations came to light.

Romero was accused of sexually assaulting multiple women ... including a 24-year-old woman at his Las Vegas apartment in 2019.

He has not been charged criminally in any of the cases.

We also asked Romero if he still wishes to box Tank ... and again, he makes it clear he wants to scrap with Davis ASAP.

"No s**t I wanna fight [Tank]. I can see why none of his f***ing opponents say anything, because the second I say anything miraculously I'm not there anymore."

It was just a few weeks ago, after Wilder-Fury III, that we again got Rolly leaving the arena ... and he predicted a first-round knockout.

Las Vegas Raiders star Darren Waller says he was stunned by the news of Henry Ruggs' car crash last week -- calling the tragedy "shocking."

"Henry is somebody everybody liked," Waller said Sunday after the Raiders lost to the New York Giants -- Vegas' first game without Ruggs this season.

"Not just because he was the fastest person you've ever seen run on the field. But he was a good person and a respectful person."

Waller spoke with reporters for the first time since Ruggs was involved in a horrific wreck in Vegas last Tuesday ... and the tight end made it clear he and the rest of the Raiders were disappointed to not have Ruggs around the team anymore.

Waller called the 22-year-old "somebody you liked being around on a daily basis" ... and said Ruggs' situation -- coupled with the Jon Gruden email scandal earlier this year -- have taken a toll on the team.

"It is shocking," Waller said. "And it does hurt a little bit."

As we previously reported, Ruggs was cut by the Raiders just hours after he was accused of speeding and then slamming his Corvette into the back of Toyota -- killing a woman and her dog.

Miles Teller may see some justice after all -- the guy who allegedly clocked him in a bathroom has officially been charged with assault.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Russell Nielsen got hit with one count of 3rd-degree assault in the County of Maui. Prosecutors say he intentionally, knowingly or recklessly caused bodily injury to Miles.

Now, MT didn't look too roughed up or bothered in the immediate aftermath of the tussle earlier this year -- but it looks like he did bring home a shiner from it, which was clearly visible in photos of him once he touched down in L.A. again. So, yeah ... it would appear prosecutors feel Nielsen left enough of a mark to move forward here.

TMZ broke the story ... Miles says he was confronted by two guys in the bathroom of a restaurant while out dining with his wife, Keleigh, which then allegedly escalated into violence. Miles initially made it out like he'd been cornered and jumped by complete strangers ... as did Keleigh.

Of course, since then ... some of the pieces have fallen into place over what exactly happened and why. We've heard from people familiar with the matter Nielsen knows the Tellers through his own wife, who owns a wedding planning company -- and who apparently worked on Miles and Keleigh's ceremony at one point or another in 2019.

Our sources told us Russ was confronting Miles over money he believed they still owed for wedding planning -- some $60k worth ... and after some talking, allegedly took a swing.

We've gotten video of Russell and his wedding planner wife in other heated situations with folks in the past -- and there, too, he appeared to fly off the handle with his boo egging him on.

Blueface is a wanted man -- there's a warrant out for his arrest, related to the on-camera beatdown of a nightclub bouncer ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us felony arrest warrants were recently issued for Blueface and 2 other men who allegedly carried out the brutal attack of the bouncer, back in September in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley.

We're told Blueface and his pals have each been hit with 2 felony charges ... one for assault, and another for robbery. Our sources say the robbery charge stems from an accusation that one of the men took a chain from the bouncer.

TMZ broke the story ... video captured the brutal incident, which appears to show Blueface and 3 other men stomping, kicking and punching the doorman.

The man had to be taken to a hospital by ambulance, and needed stitches.

We obtained photos of his alleged injuries -- the guy looked to have been beaten pretty badly -- and we knew the police had taken a battery report after the incident.

Now cops will be on the lookout to arrest Blueface and co. ... if they don't surrender on their own.

Kylie Jenner echoed the sentiments of her partner, Travis Scott, saying they're heartbroken over the Astroworld tragedy that claimed 8 lives and injured hundreds -- insisting Travis was not aware of the severity of the situation when he was performing as the crowd surged.

Kylie said, "Travis and I are broken and devastated. My thoughts and prayers are with all who lost their lives, were injured or affected in any way by yesterday’s events."

She went on to address criticism that Travis stayed on stage performing for 40 minutes after the tragedy unfolded ... "And also for Travis who I know cares deeply for his fans and the Houston community, I want to make it clear we weren’t aware of any fatalities until the news came out after the show, and in no world would have continued filming or performing."

Kylie -- who's pregnant with her and Travis' second child -- along with 3-year-old Stormi were at the venue but far away from the crush of people. Kendall Jenner was also with them.

Earlier Travis posted, "I'm honestly just devastated ... We're actually working right now to identify the families so we can help assist them through this tough time.

As for Kylie, she ended with words of sympathy ... "I am sending my deepest condolences to all the families during this difficult time and will be praying for the healing of everyone who has been impacted."

Jenner was criticized online for leaving up Instagram stories of the crowd, which appeared to show an ambulance trying to make its way through.

The festival is getting severely criticized for not stopping the concert, despite emergency responders declaring the scene a "mass casualty" event as they tried resuscitating some of the victims.

Travis Scott was mostly oblivious to what was going on around him Friday night during his Astroworld set -- including the fact people were dying around him ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Travis is utterly devastated over what transpired Friday, and he's beside himself over it. We're told he's been crying since it all happened, and he's an emotional wreck.

We're told he wasn't aware of the extent of what was happening around him -- people going into cardiac arrest, etc. -- and thought what few people he did see being attended to were folks who'd simply passed out from dehydration.

It's not uncommon for that type of thing to happen ... especially at a packed festival like this.

We're told Trav did, in fact, stop the show a few times to check on people who appeared to be unconscious or in distress, alerting security and other personnel over to them for assistance. But, our sources say he simply didn't realize how bad it actually was.

Not just that, but we're told neither he nor his camp were even informed about deaths or hospitalizations until after the show was done. As we reported ... a total of 8 people have died thus far, and dozens more were injured and hospitalized, including several minors.

As for Kylie ... our sources say she too is quite upset, and is trying to console Travis as best she can by being there for him.

Like we first told you, there were sightings of at least one person getting jabbed in the neck with a needle ... something Houston PD confirmed as accurate. It's unclear if that may have led to all of the cardiac arrests, or just one or a few -- but it'll certainly be looked at as part of the wider probe.

Dana White -- an absolute Las Vegas legend -- tells TMZ Sports moving to Sin City is not the reason for the Raiders' off-field woes ... explaining bad things happen in every major city.

The UFC honcho -- who's called Vegas home for years -- told us out in NYC this week he does not believe moving from Oakland to Nevada has contributed to the problems with the Raiders.

"People are going to make mistakes," White said, "and bad things happen every day, no matter what city you're in."

Dana's not wrong -- but the Raiders have had more notable issues than any team since they made the trek from NorCal to Vegas before the 2020 season.

Star running back, Josh Jacobs, was arrested and charged with DUI in January. Star receiver, Henry Ruggs, was hit with a DUI charge after a fatal car crash this week. And, cornerback, Damon Arnette, has been accused of injuring a woman in a 2020 car crash as well.

White does admit Vegas "is a rough city" to try to keep your nose clean in ... but he still believes there are more places in the U.S. that players can find similar trouble in.

"Listen, Vegas is a tough city and so is L.A.," White said. "Go spend a weekend in L.A. It's the same thing. It is what it is."

Travis Scott's first night of his Astroworld concert in Houston turned into a horrific tragedy Friday night ... leaving 8 people dead and more than 300 injured, and there were signs of trouble even before the concert began.

50,000 people filled the sold-out venue, when, at around 9 PM people began surging toward the stage. People started getting crushed and panic ensued. According to Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena, "People began to fall out, become unconscious and it created additional panic."

At least 8 people died in the stampede. 11 people went into cardiac arrest and were rushed to the hospital. More than 300 fans went to the field hospital near the venue.

Someone working the festival tells TMZ ... people were hopping on camera platforms, begging concert staff to end the show after the stampede erupted. They said, "Anything climbable was climbed." They also say there were several thousand pairs of shoes left behind as people fled. When the concert shut down, they said a stage manager said the venue was now "a crime scene."

The scene was chaotic ... medical personnel could not handle all the injured. There is video showing some of them performing CPR.

One concertgoer named Madeline, a nurse, tells TMZ, she was there with her boyfriend when Travis took the stage. During the first song, people started pushing toward the stage and she says she began to feel light-headed, telling us, "I passed out from the constant pressure on my chest and was one of the first people to be carried," adding, "They threw me on top of other people and crowd surfed me to other people, who lifted me over a fence where security was waiting." She says "security guards were bringing bodies from that area to the VIP area," as Travis kept performing, adding, "I see security carrying people who are not moving." She says once she regained her senses, she began administering first aid to others.

A slew of ambulances rushed to the scene ... which became direr every minute.

Before chaos erupted, Travis stopped the show several times during his 75-minute set ... after noticing some of the fans in the front seemed in distress. He told security to make sure they weren't hurt. At one point Travis asked for security to help a specific individual.

Shortly before the surge, Drake had performed with Travis ... and there was no indication the crowd would try to rush the stage.

However, there were some signs of trouble even before the show. A slew of fans knocked over barricades and rushed into the venue.

Kylie Jenner was on hand for the festival as the chaos erupted. She was there with her and Travis's daughter Stormi. As far as we know, they're fine. They were not sitting near the crush.

A reunification center was set up at a nearby hotel, so family members of concert-goers could reunite.

The Medical Examiner is in the process of determining the cause of death of the 8 fatalities.

This was the first night of what was supposed to be a 3-day festival. The second night has already been canceled.

Donald Trump believes Alec Baldwin may have had more to do with the "Rust" shooting case than his obvious pulling of the trigger -- baselessly suggesting he might've loaded it too.

The ex-Prez shared his unhinged thoughts on the "Rust" shooting that claimed Halyna Hutchins' life this past week on the 'Chris Stigall Show' podcast -- where he called Alec a "troubled guy" and then went on to recklessly theorize he may have put the live round in there in the first place ... something we know definitively is NOT true in the slightest.

It's a wild hypothesis, and one that doesn't seem to be grounded in any facts or reality. And yet, DT did it anyway -- while Stigall didn't bother correcting him.

In any case, there's more Trump had to say on the situation ... recounting Alec's past run-ins with paparazzi and reporters -- some of which were tense and leaned toward aggression -- and went on to connect that to what happened here ... again, not really fair at all.

What Trump couldn't wrap his mind around was the idea that Alec, for some reason, thought it'd be okay to point the gun at someone who was not in the scene with him and pull the trigger. That's actually reasonable criticism ... a lot of people don't get it either, as it violates one of the biggest rules of onset gun safety -- keep folks out of the line of fire.

Trump did get the placement wrong on where this happened -- he says it was outside, but it was obviously inside a church, as we've reported.

Still, he notes that whether the gun was improperly managed before it got to Baldwin -- which appears to be the case based on everything we've seen thus far -- DT says it still shouldn't have been aimed at anyone ... let alone a cinematographer who was off-camera.