Drugs & Alcohol

Jeanie Buss is teaming up with Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck to launch a new tequila company ... but don't worry, Laker Nation -- she still wants to WHOOP that Boston ass!!!

The Lakers owner spoke with TMZ Sports at Catch Steak in NYC about the launch of their new tequila, Cincoro -- along with Michael Jordan and Milwaukee Bucks owner Wes Edens.

Buss says even though all the owners are gettin' chummy and bonding over Cincoro booze, they're all focused on destroying each other when the season comes around.

"Just because we created a tequila doesn't mean I don't wanna beat him on the court ... and that is the whole goal, is to always beat the Celtics," Jeanie says. "And, he knows that and he wants to beat me too!!!"

"This is what the world needs to know, that even the people that you compete with, at the end of the day, you can lay down your swords and come together and be friends and respect each other. It's always important to respect your opponent."

Aww ... that's touching as hell, Jeanie.

Ed Buck, the California Democrat megadonor accused of running a drug den, showed his face in court Thursday, the first time he's been seen since being busted on felony charges.

Ed appeared in court for the first time Thursday, wearing a blue jumpsuit, but he did not enter a plea. Buck is charged with 3 felony counts -- battery causing serious injury, administering methamphetamine and maintaining a drug house.

Before Buck's court appearance, the last time he was seen in public came when he was slumped in the back of a cop car and hauled away from his West Hollywood home during Tuesday's arrest, which occurred after another person OD'd at Buck's apartment.

As we've reported ... Prosecutors claim Buck injected a man with meth at his residence last week, causing a nonfatal overdose. Prosecutors also allege Buck wields his power to manipulate victims to participate in his sexual fetishes, often by administering them narcotics.

Buck's arrest came after months of public scrutiny, following two men's fatal overdoses inside his home. The men died 18 months apart, the first in July 2017 and the second in January 2019.

Ed's arraignment has been continued to next month.

Allen Crabbe just got hit with 2 DUI charges after getting popped by cops on the Sunset Strip this summer ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The NBA baller was busted back on June 25 after cops say the 27-year-old was "straddling lanes" around midnight on the popular Hollywood street.

You can see what happens next in the TMZ Sports video ... cops conducted a field sobriety test on the 6'6", 212-pound small forward.

While it didn't outwardly appear Crabbe bombed the test ... police arrested him on suspicion of drunk driving.

Now, we've learned the L.A. District Attorney has hit Crabbe with one count of DUI of an alcoholic beverage and one count of driving with a .08 BAC or higher -- both misdemeanors.

Crabbe could face time behind bars for the offenses -- and he'll have to fight the case in court. His arraignment hearing is slated for next week in L.A.

Artie Lange is days away from being 8 months clean and sober for the first time in decades, and he says the reason is ... he's finally facing the threat of prison.

The stand-up comedian joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday to talk about the long, dangerous road of addiction he's been on ever since getting busted for attempted bank robbery at 17-years-old.

He says things finally started to change after his arrest -- and sad mug shot -- earlier this year for a failed drug test.

Artie told us the judge placed him in drug court, which basically meant if he didn't stop violating probation and breaking laws, he would do hard time. He called it the first real consequence he's faced.

Lange says after spending 2 months in county jail, the possibility of going to prison was the wake-up call he needed to get clean. He also explained how his mom played a very important role.

Artie says drug court saved his life, and he's looking so much better than he did in January. Of course, his nose is still messed up, but like he told us ... there's a reason he's not in a hurry to get it fixed.

Ed Buck -- a California Democratic megadonor -- has been arrested and charged with operating a drug house after yet another person OD'd at his apartment ... fortunately this one survived.

TMZ's obtained video of Buck slumped over in the back of a cop car as he's hauled away from his West Hollywood home ... as cops and crime lab investigators made their way into his place.

Buck's accused of injecting a man with methamphetamine at his residence last week, causing a nonfatal overdose ... according to the L.A. County D.A.'s Office.

He's facing 3 felony counts -- battery causing serious injury, administering methamphetamine and maintaining a drug house. He's set to be arraigned Wednesday.

Buck's arrest comes after months of public scrutiny following the deaths of 2 men inside his apartment. Both men died from overdoses, 18 months apart, the first in July 2017 and the second in January.

Their deaths were found to be accidental methamphetamine overdoses. Though Buck wasn't charged in either incident, the mother of the first victim has filed a wrongful death suit against him.

Prosecutors reportedly allege in court docs that Buck uses his power to manipulate victims to participate in his sexual fetishes ... including injecting them with narcotics.

Prosecutors want bail set at $4 mil.

You come at the Claw, you best not miss!!!

"Bar Rescue" star Jon Taffer is releasing his own line of hard seltzer to compete with White Claw -- and tells TMZ he spotted a major flaw with WC ...the flavors are weak!!!

Taffer just launched Taffer’s Mixologist Sparkling Craft Cocktails -- clearly hoping to capitalize on the hard seltzer craze that led to a national shortage of White Claw.

FYI, hard seltzer sales have reportedly crossed the $1 BILLION mark over the past year (mostly due to White Claw sales) -- and Taffer saw the perfect opportunity to jump in.

"I've been working on this for a year," Taffer told TMZ in New York ... "perfect time to bring my hard seltzer to the marketplace."

So, how the hell can a new brand compete with such a monster in the space? Taffer says White Claw has a major Achilles heel.

"I think they had a good viral hit. I think they got into the space nice and early. But, I also think there are some weaknesses in that brand, flavor profiles and things like that."

In other words, Taffer thinks White Claw tastes like White Crap.

"So, what I did after 185 Bar Rescues, I came into this with flavors! Things like Cucumber Jalapeno and Strawberry Basil ... so I really came at this with a flavor mentality, not just a money mentality."

Jayson Williams was a rich, famous NBA star ... but he tells TMZ Sports, his job running an addiction treatment center is the most fulfilling thing he's ever done.

"This is the best job I ever had."

It's no secret that Jayson -- an All-Star who played 9 years in the league for the 76ers and Nets -- struggled with alcohol abuse for years, leading to tragedy off the court ... before buddies, Curtis Martin, Charles Oakley and Chris Mullin convinced him to enter rehab back in 2016.

Williams got sober (he's going on 30 months now) ... and the experience made such an enormous impact on his life, the 50-year-old founded his own treatment program called Rebound in Jupiter, FL.

"I'm no guru to this. I'm just a guy who's there telling my story, who's surrounded with a great 9-acre, 105-bed facility with the best doctors, the best psychiatrists, psychologists."

The program -- which treats everything from alcohol and drugs to food, sex and gambling addiction -- ain't your prototypical rehab center ... it's an adventure-based curriculum that uses paddle boarding, wave running, hydro boarding, scuba diving and even skydiving to beat addiction.

"We do probably 19 different activities that you have never done in 30 days, and we do that to breakdown barriers, overcome anxiety, build self-esteem and break up the monotony."

Jayson says friends often tell him to leave Rebound behind and "go coach St Johns, get outta that, it's too much, it brings you down" ... but he says they're all wrong.

Aaron Carter is sticking to his guns ... meaning he won't give up his myriad of firearms -- which he keeps loaded -- despite a rash of apparent mental health disorders and a new attempt to place him on a psychiatric hold.

Aaron was on "TMZ Live" Monday and told us cops showed up at his home Sunday night with the intent of taking him away on a 5150 hold. The singer says he warned deputies he had loaded weapons scattered around his home -- but also convinced them, and a mental evaluator, he was not a danger to himself or others.

Aaron says he doesn't know who sent the authorities to his home -- though he believes it was someone really close to him -- but he's adamant about one thing ... he ain't giving up his guns.

Aaron got super defensive when we asked if he disclosed his bipolar diagnosis when he applied for his firearms. He says he's not bipolar, seemingly refuting what he revealed earlier this month on "The Doctors."

He also insinuated the clip from that show was somehow edited to make it seem like he was diagnosed with a slew of mental disorders ... when he actually is not. For the record, producers for "The Doctors" say it "was not edited in any way."

Watch your back Patron, Michael Jordan's in the tequila business ... and he partnered up with a bunch of super wealthy NBA owners to launch the liquor.

MJ -- with NBA owners Jeanie Buss (Lakers), Wes Edens (Bucks), Wyc Grousbeck (Celtics) and Wyc's wife, Emilia Fazzalari -- just dropped Cincoro, a new premium tequila.

Yes, the people who run the Celtics and Lakers -- one of the most heated rivals in sports -- are now in biz together.

Cincoro has 4 tequilas -- blanco, reposada, anejo and extra anejo -- and it ain't cheap. The anejo costs $130, and the extra anejo -- aged for around 3 1/2 years -- costs $1,600!!

The grand plan for the tequila started to come together in 2016 ... when the owners -- in NYC for NBA meetings -- met at a restaurant and started choppin' it up over their love of tequila.

The seed was planted ... and 3 years later, the tequila is available in several markets across the country -- with a nationwide release coming early next year.

The launch also answers an important age-old question ... why the hell was His Airness walking through NYC last summer holding a tequila bottle in his hand?

MJ -- who we're told was involved in everything from designing the bottle to tasting the product -- was coming from a Cincoro meeting ... and he left with a bottle.

Artie Lange is more than 7 months sober and looking happy and healthy, and interestingly ... he says his messed up nose is partly to thank for keeping him clean.

The comedian and "Crashing" star tells TMZ ... he likes his pancaked nose because it's a helpful reminder of 30 years of drug abuse and all the terrible places it led him. Seriously terrible -- like accidentally snorting glass -- and much more Artie's not afraid to share.

Of course, this January mug shot following his arrest for a failed drug test while on probation painted the sad picture of how low he'd sunk.

Artie says he wants his story -- and his nose -- to be a cautionary tale for young people to not follow his path, and that fame and fortune don't make you immune to the perils of addiction.

Lange admits it got so bad for him he accepted he was going to die alone in a hotel room and become another victim of drug abuse like some of his comedian buddies before him. Fortunately, Artie says God had another plan for him.

He's in recovery now, and shared a photo of himself on Twitter this week at the 7.5-month sober mark. He tells us staying focused on comedy and writing is helping him stay clean ... along with sticking to the 12-step program and going to meetings.

As for his gnarly nose ... Artie tells us he caught wind of our interview with "Botched" Dr. Paul Nassif while he was in jail, when the Doc said he'd fix Lange's nose if he could kick his drug habit.

Kurupt relapsed and got so wasted on alcohol at the 'Marriage Boot Camp' house, he was rushed to the hospital ... and now booze is banned from the reality TV show.

Sources close to production tell TMZ ... Kurupt turned up with the rest of the cast inside the 'MBC' house, and the rapper drank so much he ended up needing medical treatment. We're told Kurupt missed 2 days of filming while he was hospitalized from his boozy night.

Kurupt's bender is having serious repercussions for him and his costars. Our sources say production told cast members there will be no more alcohol in the house for the remainder of this season, and the plan is to ban booze from future seasons.

Before Kurupt's dangerous relapse ... we're told every adult beverage imaginable was available in the 'MBC' house ... but now the home is completely dry.

Ya gotta feel for Kurupt ... the rapper's trying to recover from a drinking problem and stay sober, but he was living in a house stocked with vices.

Ex-MLB great Doc Gooden says he's found his sobriety again after his recent relapse and is crediting a lot of people -- including his friend Darryl Strawberry -- for helping him out of the dark.

Gooden has struggled with cocaine addiction for years and pled guilty to 3rd-degree drug possession last week after he was arrested in New Jersey during a traffic stop in July.

Doc was ordered into rehab by the courts, and when we got him out in NYC this week, he says the process is working, and he's feeling healthy and focused again.

"I'm feeling great," Doc says. "I appreciate all the support I've been getting. It's overwhelming, it's good to have."

"Things are going great, spirits are good, I've found my sobriety. Good to be back."

As for how he got to that point, Gooden says he had a lot of people come out to support him ... including his ex-Mets teammate, Strawberry.

"Daryl prayed with me -- he's a good man," Gooden says.

Gooden and Strawberry took the MLB by storm in the '80s as members of the '86 NY Mets championship team, and Doc says they used that same teamwork to help him kick his habit this time.

Oakland Raiders tight end Darren Waller says he's GLAD the world knows about his battle with substance abuse ... because he's inspiring others and it "feels like I'm living with a purpose."

Waller's story is incredible ... the 26-year-old is insanely talented but almost watched his career go down the toilet after multiple violations of the NFL's substance abuse policy over the years.

The Raiders gave him a shot in late 2018 and now he's become a key part of the Oakland offense ... catching 7 passes for 70 yards in the Week 1 win over the Broncos.

Waller's addiction issues were featured on the HBO series "Hard Knocks" -- and Darren tells TMZ Sports the reaction has been amazing.

"A lot of people are reaching out relating to my story and that’s the kind of stuff that makes me feel like I’m living with a purpose," Waller says.

"When I go out there, I kind of try and do it for them."

Waller says he still makes it a point to attend AA meetings and other support groups regularly -- even when the team is on the road.

And, get this ... Waller says he never expected a second chance in the NFL, but now that he's got it -- he's determined to make the most of it. He's making sure to use all resources available to him to stay sober, understanding it's a constant battle.

As for the football side of things, Waller says he ain't surprised by the Raiders' performance in Week 1 -- even without Antonio Brown -- saying the guys busted their asses all offseason and don't want to let the fans down!

Former college football star Ryan Mallett was arrested for driving while intoxicated on Tuesday ... after the ex-NFL quarterback crashed his car in Arkanas ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Officials say 31-year-old Mallett was involved in a 2-car collision in Springdale around 6:30 PM. We're told his car crossed over the center line while driving.

Cops tested his blood alcohol level ... and he blew a .08, jail officials tell us.

Along with the DWI, Mallett was also cited for careless prohibited driving for swaying over the center line.

So far, no official comment from Mallett. We're working on getting more details about the arrest.

It couldn't be worse timing for the former New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens QB -- who recently accepted an invite to the XFL Draft being held in October.

Remember, Vince McMahon famously said he would ban any players with a criminal record from playing in his league during a media event in 2018.

So, the question ... will Vince stick by his guns and uninvite Mallett -- or will he reconsider his stance?

Aaron Carter's a mixed bag ... and so is the assortment of prescription medication he says he's on for a variety of mental health disorders.

The singer claims he's been officially diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, manic depression and anxiety. Aaron says his mental illness means taking a laundry list of pills ... and he's not hiding anything.

Carter's reveal is just part of a 2-part interview on "The Doctors" this week. We're told along with focusing on his health, the segments will include Aaron's mom and her struggles with alcohol.

Aaron will also be taking a drug test to prove to the docs he's sober as he insists, but as you can see in the clip ... his admission to opioid use after a dental procedure already has eyebrows raised.

"The Doctors" interview comes on the heels of a tumultuous month for Carter -- despite him boldly telling us his mental stability has been "infinite" throughout.

It started in early August with him facing accusations of flipping rescue dogs for profit, then a few days later ... cops were called to his home over fears he was suicidal.

After a nasty, allegedly violent breakup with his girlfriend that resulted in a restraining order, Aaron was spotted buying guns ... and more guns.

All of this and more will be discussed on the 2-part interview airing Thursday and Friday. And, by the way, Aaron's 'Doctors' visit won't be his first ... his dependency on prescription drugs was also the topic 2 years ago.

Tennessee Titans defensive back Logan Ryan is PISSED at a Cleveland Browns fan who splashed him -- and his teammates -- with beer after a TD ... and now he's calling on the NFL to punish the guy.

It all went down in the 4th quarter of the Titans blowout victory over the Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland ... right after Tenn. star Malcolm Butler scored on a pick-6.

You can see Butler, Ryan and other Titans jump into the stands to celebrate with a Titans fan -- when a guy in a Browns jersey starts throwing his beer on all of the opposing players.

It looks like Ryan tried to swat the guy's beer away when he saw what was happening -- and early Monday morning, he tweeted about the situation -- tagging the NFL, the NFL Player's Association and the Browns in the hopes that something will be done.

"They can pour beer on us because we’re just athletes right? We’re just entertainment & since they purchased a ticket they can act how they want?"

Remember, just last season the New England Patriots banned a fan for LIFE for throwing a beer at Chiefs star Tyreek Hill after a long touchdown run.

In fact, the Pats say they worked with law enforcement to help get the fan prosecuted.