Current Events

Tyler Perry and Colin Kaepernick are stepping up to cover two huge expenses for Nolan Wells' family ... the funeral and an independent autopsy.

Attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Nolan's family, says Tyler is paying for the funeral and Colin is paying for the autopsy ... and at a Friday press conference, he thanked the celebs for their contributions.

Crump says the family requested an independent autopsy because they lack confidence in the ongoing investigation in Mississippi.

We spoke with Tyler Perry's team ... who confirmed he's paying for the funeral.

No, this is not behind-the-scenes footage of Spielberg's latest film "Disclosure Day" ... these are recently released files from the Pentagon showing unidentified aerial phenomena in our skies.

Check out the video ... bright balls of light and quick-moving shapes nearly avoid our radar as they zoom through clouds.

One of the photos released in the files appears to capture a moment where a UAP is approaching Earth from low orbit. The figure is small and bright, but seemingly headed our way!

Attorney Ben Crump says claims Nolan Wells drowned in Mississippi's Gulf Coast are highly suspect ... because Nolan definitely knew how to swim.

The civil rights lawyer who's representing Nolan's family tells TMZ ... Nolan took swimming lessons as a kid, and he'd been to Horn Island before, so he wouldn't have been lost or disoriented.

As you know ... Nolan disappeared during a Fourth of July celebration with friends on Horn Island, and 2 days later, he was found dead in the water off the coast of the island.

Tragedy in Kansas City ... 10-year-old Jackson Georgari was found dead in a pond, just a mile away from his home ... and cops say he was sleepwalking.

Jackson's body was found around 12:30 PM on Thursday, near Briarcliff Village ... and Kansas City Police says he wandered off from home in the middle of the night.

First responders pulled him out of the water and attempted life-saving measures, but could not revive the boy. He was declared dead at the scene ... according to reports.

The parents of Nolan Wells want a thorough investigation after their teenage son was found dead following a boating trip to a Fourth of July party spot.

Christine and Elmore Wonsley went on "Good Morning America" Friday and told host Michael Strahan they have a lot of questions and are demanding answers in a case that has captivated the nation.

As TMZ reported, Nolan's body was found Monday after he disappeared during a Fourth of July trip to Horn Island in Mississippi.

Biohacker Bryan Johnson has been looking to defy Father Time by aging as gracefully as a bottle of wine ... except now he's faced with biologically insurmountable odds.

Bryan sat down with TMZ's Charlie Neff ... he discusses his incurable autoimmune disease diagnosis -- which the longevity influencer revealed on social media last week -- but it's safe to say it hasn't wilted his spirit.

Despite the sheer irony of a man whose whole brand is defying age suddenly coming down with an incurable disease -- Autoimmune Gastritis -- Bryan's reaction to his diagnosis is "it's wonderous."

Camp Mystic -- the Texas camp where more than 2 dozen people died last year -- plans to reopen next year ... and it's still holding on to some deposits from parents who seemingly have no problem trusting the camp with their girls ... according to a new filing connected to its bankruptcy case.

Here's the deal ... Camp Mystic's proposed chief restructuring officer, Karen Nicolaou -- the authorized rep for the camp in the bankruptcy proceedings -- filed a document asking a judge to allow Camp Mystic officials authority to use existing cash management systems in order to facilitate an orderly transition in the early bankruptcy proceedings.

In the docs, Nicolaou notes that Camp Mystic currently holds "over $1 million in camper deposits and prepaid tuition" ... which she says some camper families have agreed to allow the camp to hold on to for a "hoped-for 2027 season" because the camp isn't open this year.

That's a bit shocking ... considering 28 people, including 25 young campers, died last year amid serious flooding in the area.

Attorney Ben Crump seems to think the state of Mississippi is trying to sweep the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells under the rug ... and he's not going to let that happen.

Ben joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday ... and the attorney was adamant the contradictions in Nolan's case can't justify investigators ruling out foul play ... especially because of Mississippi's history of "racial killings where no one was held accountable."

Ben ... as well as Nolan's parents ... decided to have Nolan's body flown from Mississippi to D.C. for an independent autopsy ... wanting to distance the case from MS authorities ... with the parents saying they "are not trusting people who are affiliated with Mississippi law enforcement."

Dramatic bodycam video shows NYPD rescuing the distressed woman who scaled the Brooklyn Bridge and threatened to jump.

In the footage, the officer tells the woman ... "I want to help you, that's why I'm up here right now ... the strongest thing you can do right now is accept help."

Their conversation continued for nearly an hour before the NYPD's Emergency Service Unit was able to pull her back from the edge of the bridge's support beam and bring her to safety.

Attorney Ben Crump is raising concerns over the disappearance and death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells ... saying there are certainly "contradictions" in the stories being told that he plans to get to the bottom of.

The civil rights and catastrophic injury attorney appeared on ABC News Wednesday night, saying there are so many questions left unanswered, noting ... "All we know is Nolan is dead."

Ben explained the family has "concerns" about the state of Mississippi investigating his death, and the fact that he was the only Black kid in a group of white teens, who could potentially have "culpability."

Furthermore, Ben said there are conflicting accounts from witnesses about whether Nolan said he was staying behind with a girl or planned to get back on the boat with his friends to continue their July 4th celebrations.

A tiny West Virginia town is without a police force because every officer was fired from their department after their evidence room was allegedly broken into.

The Barrackville Police Department announced the eyebrow-raising news in a Facebook post Tuesday, saying, "Effective immediately, the entire Barrackville Police Department has been relieved of duty by the Mayor and City Council."

Former Barrackville officer Sgt. Hunt told 12 News he came into work Tuesday morning and discovered the evidence room had seemingly been broken into. He took the news directly to Mayor Tom Straight and the Barrackville Town Council to discuss the situation, and suggested a member of the council may have had something to do with it.

Videos circulating around social media claim Egypt fans were singled out for extra security before a FIFA World Cup match in Atlanta ... but reps for the stadium are calling foul.

A spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz Arena tells TMZ ... footage showing soccer fans entering the stadium for Tuesday's Round of 16 match between Egypt and Argentina is being misconstrued.

While social media users claim Egypt fans were stopped for pat downs while Argentina fans were waved through, the stadium rep says the Egypt fans were part of a supporter group, and as such, they were patted down for fireworks and other banned items before entry through their gate.

We're told the reason Egypt fans were stopped while Argentina fans were sent on their way is that the Argentina fans in the video were not part of a supporter group... just general fans, and they were being waved toward a different gate, where they went through security ... the same as everyone else.

Nolan Wells' death has sparked a flood of theories online ... but the Mississippi sheriff overseeing the case tells TMZ detectives haven't found evidence of a crime at this point.

Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter tells TMZ ... investigators have interviewed several of Nolan's friends and other witnesses as detectives work to piece together the 18-year-old's final hours.

Ledbetter says everything investigators have gathered so far indicates no crime has taken place. That said, he cautions the investigation remains active ... and tells us that assessment could change if new evidence comes to light.

Nolan Wells' family wants answers after he was found dead ... and they're bringing in the big guns to try and get them.

Nolan's family hired prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump and is calling for a "thorough and transparent investigation" into the teen's death, according to a press release.

Crump said in a statement ... "Nolan Wells was a beloved son, teammate and friend who went out to celebrate the Fourth of July and never came home. His family deserves answers. They deserve the truth."

Another child allegedly got out of a log on Disneyland's Tiana's Bayou Adventure over the weekend, marking the second reported incident on the waterfall ride in about a month ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the incident happened Saturday night, when a cast member monitoring the attraction on CCTV saw the child leave the log and immediately initiated an emergency ride stop.

We're told the ride was temporarily shut down following the incident.

Our sources say the employee's quick response allowed the ride to be halted before the situation could escalate further.

Nolan Wells' friends are grieving his devastating loss ... flooding social media with touching tributes to the teen.

As you know, the 18-year-old's body was found in the water near Mississippi's Horn Island Monday ... he'd been missing since Saturday, when he and some pals took a boat out to the island.

And now, his friends are mourning his tragic death online, sharing sweet snaps and meaningful messages about what Nolan meant to them.