Drugs & Alcohol

A Chicago news anchor is crying discrimination -- claiming she was fired for being drunk on the air, while other big-name journalists, like Elizabeth Vargas, got TLC for their alcoholism.

Edna Schmidt is a well-known Spanish-language journalist who made a name for herself while covering big national stories, including 9/11 and Obama's first election.

Schmidt claims in a new lawsuit she was recruited at Telemundo by people who knew about her struggles with alcohol ... and they knew it had been her downfall at another network.

Schmidt claims her bosses only cared about ratings and disregarded her disability. She says she was fired 2 months into the job ... after showing up drunk and unable to finish a newscast.

Schmidt names other journalists in her lawsuit who've admitted to drug or alcohol problems -- including Vargas and ABC anchor Dan Harris. Schmidt says they got compassion from their bosses ... and were allowed to get help and keep their jobs.

Schmidt says Telemundo made no attempt to get her treatment.

Schmidt points out alcohol dependence is recognized by the federal government as a disability. She claims Telemundo not only breached her contract ... but violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Amanda Bynes' cry for employment has been answered -- an L.A. bar is offering her a high profile bartending gig ... right in the heart of the Sunset Strip.

Chad Weiner, the managing partner of State Social House in West Hollywood, tells TMZ ... he's got an apron and a bottle opener with Amanda's name on it ... all she needs to do is say yes.

TMZ broke the story ... Amanda wants to live a "normal life," and make some money -- and she thinks bartending is the way to go.

Chad says his spot on the Strip is perfect for Amanda, since his staff knows her and would love to teach her the ropes. As for her schizophrenia ... Chad has a pay it forward attitude -- telling us he'd like to give Amanda a second chance, because he once got one when he was battling substance abuse.

Amanda Bynes has a plan ... she wants to sling drinks.

Sources connected to Amanda tell TMZ ... she wants "a normal life," and she believes working in a bar would achieve that goal.

Amanda says she's well aware of the obvious impediment -- she attracts so much attention it would be hard to function as a bartender.

As for why Amanda is even thinking of getting a job ... she desperately needs money. She doesn't have access to her $5.7 million fortune because of her conservatorship, and only gets between $50 and $100 a day. As for what she wants to do with the money, aside from getting an apartment, she wants plastic surgery because she thinks she's ugly.

We know 2 people from The Canyon Treatment Center -- where Amanda went for rehab -- have reached out to her and offered her a place to stay.

Vince Neil and ex-NBA baller Chris Herren know far too much about drug and and alcohol addiction, but found a way to put their experiences to good use ... for a NJ rehab center.

Sources tell us the Mötley Crüe front man and Herren were instrumental in raising more than $100K for Turning Point ... a drug and alcohol rehab facility that hosted a big charity gala last month.

Herren -- who documented his battle with drugs in his book "Basketball Junkie" -- was guest of honor at the gala ... and talked about how he overcame addiction.

We're told Neil helped raise cash by donating a pair of floor seats and backstage passes for the Crüe's final concert in NYC ... which were auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Vince didn't perform at the gala, but he did introduce the band Going Dark and some up and coming local rockers.

Tiger Woods just lost one of his precious golf titles ... to a golfer with cocaine issues.

Our links spies tell TMZ ... Dustin Johnson shot a 61 last Tuesday at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks. That beats Tiger's record score at Sherwood by 1 stroke.

Tiger held the Sherwood record since 2007 and hit that mark again last year.

Here's the coolest part. Dustin -- who's engaged to Wayne Gretzky's daughter Paulina -- broke the record while shooting the round with Wayne and his wife. Under USGA rules, the score must be signed by a witness, and Wayne did the honors.

Dustin took a leave of absence from the PGA in July after he tested positive for cocaine.

Congrats on the golf score ... and for banging Paulina.

Cross crack pipe off the list of possible reasons Ashley Greene's apartment went up in flames -- according to Sheriff's investigators who sifted through the burned out pad right after the fire.

TMZ broke the story ... Ashley's building manager says a cleanup crew claimed to have found a glass crack pipe in Greene's unit. But we got hold of a report filed by the Sheriff's Arson/Explosives Unit ... and there's no mention of a crack pipe.

That could mean there was NO pipe, but it could also be that investigators just missed it. According to the docs ... there was also no sign of arson.

Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura in the '60s TV version of "Star Trek," did better on spaceships than planes because her travelling companion was busted at LAX after meth fell out of his suitcase ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

We've learned the 81-year-old actress was with a male companion in his 20's at the American Airlines terminal. We're told he had attached his luggage to hers and her name tags were on his bags.

Here's the rub: Law enforcement sources tell us, his suitcase fell to the ground, opened and a bag of meth and drug scales spilled out.

The guy was arrested for drug possession. The unsuspecting Nichols was in the clear and allowed to make her flight.

The NY Knicks are the Lakers of the East Coast ... and not just because they suck -- they drew some of the biggest stars in the world to their home opener last night.

Everyone from Justin Bieber to Spike Lee to Ben Stiller was there ... but the winner of the celebrity showdown was clearly Taylor Swift -- who sat courtside with a hot lingerie model friend.

Taylor and Victoria's Secret stunner Karlie Kloss drank beers and Diet Cokes as they cheered on the Knicks ... who got crushed by the Chicago Bulls.

Of course, Taylor became the new Global Welcome Ambassador for New York after buying a $20 million apartment earlier this year ... so watching the Knicks play seems like it would be a job requirement.

Mike Tyson says he and Robin Williams battled drug addiction TOGETHER -- and bonded over the fact they bought drugs from the same "lowlife dealer."

Mike appeared on "The Howard Stern Show" on SiriusXM Radio and opened up about his issues with substance abuse and mental illness in a very candid interview.

The boxing legend says he would go to meetings with Williams -- and revealed they would confide in each other.

Mike also says it always blew his mind that someone so beloved and respected as Robin could be connected to the same bad people as him.

As Howard put it ... "The world of drugs makes you go to the lowest common denominator."

Ashley Greene's apartment that burned to a crisp last year had one remnant ... a crack pipe, according to a sworn statement by the building manager.

TMZ broke the story ... Ashley, her boyfriend and her brother were all sleeping in the unit when a fire broke out after a burning candle ignited some nearby fabric. All 3 fled, but one of her dogs died.

The fire did extensive damage to a number of units and a number of tenants/owners are suing the "Twilight" star.

The manager, Adrian Mayorga, is also suing, claiming he suffered permanent respiratory damage. According to his sworn deposition -- obtained by TMZ -- Mayorga says one of the men who cleared out the unit after the fire told him he found a glass crack pipe.

Mayorga said, he was the first person in the hallway after the blaze broke out and says he saw Ashley and the others "disoriented ... they looked like they were drunk or under the influence of something."

Mayorga also says in the depo ... "The only people I saw getting treated was Ashley Greene, her brother Joe Green, and her -- the current boyfriend, Ryan Phillippe."

Sources connected to the case tell TMZ ... Phillippe submitted a sworn declaration to Greene's lawyer this week, saying not only was he not in the apartment the night of the fire ... he has never been in her unit at that building.

We contacted Greene's people but did not get a response.

Scary Kids Scaring Kids singer Tyson Stevens died from a drug overdose, possibly heroin ... that's what his mom and girlfriend told cops.

Stevens died Monday and the official cause of death is unknown. But law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... there's smoke. The girlfriend and mom say Stevens had struggled with heroin addiction for a long time, although he was recently clean.

Our sources say Stevens' body had "old track marks" that had scabbed on his inner right ankle. We're told there was no heroin in the house where he died, but cops did find weed and pipes.

Lil Za's new record is looking good ... well, his criminal record anyway -- because the L.A. County DA just reduced his drug possession charge to a misdemeanor.

TMZ broke the story ... Za was charged with felony drug possession -- after cops found ecstasy near him during their raid in January at Justin Bieber's house.

Za completed 12 drug classes, 160 hours of community service and passed multiple drug tests with flying colors. He also paid $7K in restitution and fines ... including $600 for the phone he broke in jail -- and the judge commended him on a job well done.

Elizabeth Pena -- who became famous playing Ritchie Valens' brother's baby mama in "La Bamba" -- died from complications from alcohol abuse.

According to the death certificate -- obtained by TMZ -- Pena suffered from cirrhosis of the liver "due to alcohol." She had the disease for months, but it became acute shortly before her death.

The death certificate says the 55-year-old had acute gastrointestinal bleeding hours before her death, which caused her heart to stop.

Pena died October 14th at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A.

Sarah Palin's kids ain't afraid to throw down with anyone ... which they proved during a drunken house party brawl. Now we've got audio of Bristol Palin giving cops the blow-by-blow of the whole fight.

Extreme violence, thongs, even camouflage dresses -- yep ...definitely the MOST EPIC FIGHT ever!

Lindsay Lohan says she has a good reason for supporting a presidential candidate in Brazil ... she says her "Brazilian contacts" like the guy -- a guy whose company owned a chopper filled with tons of coke.

Lindsay tweeted, "I support @aecioNeves, for presidential candidature. His platform brings positive changes in Brazil."

Lindsay took a beating for getting involved in anyone's politics for obvious reasons. But a source connected with LiLo tells TMZ, she's supporting the guy because "she has plenty of contacts there and has several business trips to the country." The source also says she has a "good contact" in Brazil who likes Neves a lot.

Here's what Lindsay's 8.5 million followers need to know. Neves owns a company that owns a helicopter that was seized by the federal police ... seized because it was carrying 4.5 TONS of cocaine.

It's unclear if Lindsay supports Neves because he's a good guy or just throws a good party.

Bristol Palin hysterically told cops during the epic drunken Palin family brawl in Alaska last month ... that some guy knocked her down and called her a f**king c**t.

Bristol's conversation with cops outside the party near Anchorage was recorded by the officer and TMZ obtained a copy. During the convo ... Bristol explains the fight was triggered by an "old lady" who shoved her younger sister, Willow.

Listen carefully ... you can hear Sarah Palin in the background telling Bristol not to cuss during her statement.

As we reported ... police broke up the massive melee, but no one involved wanted to press charges.