Drugs & Alcohol

South Dakota's anti-meth campaign featuring people appearing to admit they're addicted is already working ... according to Governor Kristi Noem, who says extreme shock was the intent of the tagline.

Gov. Noem launched the initiative Monday with the slogan "Meth. We're On It" ... which, at first glance, makes ya think the state's changing its name to Methopotamia -- but the Gov. tells TMZ ... she's cool with that kinda Internet buzz.

She's thrilled the campaign is trending and "sparking conversations around the state and the country." She says people are finally "talking about how they can be part of the solution and not just the problem."

The campaign includes a new TV ad, posters, billboards and a website, and is meant to raise awareness of the growing crisis in South Dakota -- as well as many other states -- and how to fight it. The state has reportedly spent nearly $500k on the campaign, so far.

Noem added, "This is a bold, innovative effort like the nation has never before seen. Over the next few weeks, this campaign will operate through various mediums to educate every person across South Dakota on signs of addiction, resources available to combat addiction, and strategies to engage communities in recovery."

In other words, the Governor fully believes South Dakota's on it!

Adam Carolla thinks Joe Biden is a bit of a dinosaur trying to roam the 2019 landscape -- and when he calls weed a "gateway drug" ... AC thinks Biden's making himself extinct.

We ran into the comedian Monday night in WeHo and asked him about something JB said recently on the campaign trail that's kinda having people -- mostly millennials, frankly -- rolling their eyes and looking at the former VEEP as an old-timer and out of touch.

ICYMI ... Biden was at a Vegas town hall this weekend and got asked if his stance on legalizing recreational marijuana nationally has changed. Apparently, Joe wasn't for it in the first place, and still isn't -- saying there's not "enough evidence" to pull the trigger.

Adam notes that the term "gateway drug" is incredibly antiquated, and then goes on to list a number of things and experiences in life that can potentially lead to some damage.

Watch ... he gets pretty introspective, and it kinda makes you think about it. It should also be mentioned -- Adam sits on a weed advisory board, so he's about that life.

Elliott from 'E.T.' got one helluva plea deal in his DUI case despite putting himself in serious danger ... although the deal does come with strings attached.

Henry Thomas pled no contest to driving under the influence and reckless driving following his Oregon arrest -- but according to docs, obtained by TMZ, the actor won't have to phone home or E.T. from jail.

Instead of time behind bars, Thomas will enter into a diversion program for 1 year, pay a $500 fine, attend a one-time victim impact panel and have an ignition interlock device installed in his car.

Like we said, sweet deal considering how he got busted. Cops say they found Thomas passed out behind the wheel in the middle of a residential intersection. He was booked for DUI and later released on his own recognizance.

The team that drinks super expensive, rare cognac together ... wins titles together??

Los Angeles Lakers hope so, 'cause LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo sipped on the $3,000 a bottle Louis XIII at a fancy L.A. hotel this weekend.

The All-Star studded private dinner went down Saturday night at Mr. C Beverly Hills ... and it was all to celebrate AD gracing the cover of Haute Living magazine.

H.L. and XO hosted the event and invited all AD's superstar teammates ... and his agent, Rich Paul.

There was (very, very expensive) booze ... but there wasn't any crazy turn up this time.

We're told the Lakers stars sipped on Louis XIII ... but all left before 10 PM 'cause they had a game Sunday night against the Hawks.

The Lakers -- 11-2 for the season and in 1st place -- won the game easily, 122-101.

Diddy had the bubbly overflowing this past weekend ... but it wasn't a Sunday Funday on the heels of his ex's death anniversary.

Diddy and his crew hit up BBCM on Sunset Blvd. in WeHo on Sunday and guzzled mimosas. It looks like he had a variety of flavors ... evidence the near-empty flutes on his table. He looked somber.

The mimosa fest came just 2 days after the 1-year anniversary of the death of his ex, Kim Porter. He paid a touching tribute to her over the weekend, saying, "I MISS YOU SOOOOOO MUCH. Every time I get sad I look at this video and it brings a smile to my face."

Diddy went on to say, "I thank god for the precious time he allowed us to have with you. I wish you were here with us right now and this was all a dream. I will never give up on that wish. Never!!!! Love you forever Kimberly Antwinette Goodwin Porter."

Lil Xan said he relapsed but what really scared him straight were the seizures he suffered ... the effects of quitting cold turkey in his attempt to beat his drug habit.

Rumors were swirling as to why the rapper had been out of the public eye for some time. But, Xan now tells TMZ he relapsed on pain killers -- specifically Xanax and hydrocodone.

He says he wanted to get back on track -- by quitting ... cold turkey. But, Xan says that was a TERRIBLE idea ... because the withdrawals resulted in several seizures while he was in the hospital getting detoxed.

The rapper says the seizures were a massive wake-up call. As we first reported ... Xan admitted last November he had an addiction problem. He vowed to kick the habit following the deaths of Mac Miller in September 2018 and Lil Peep in November 2017. Xan says he thought a lot about Peep as he was relapsing ... the late rapper's 2-year anniversary was fast approaching.

Xan ultimately went to rehab and got better ... until his recent setback. He says when rumors were swirling he wasn't ready to tell the world about him falling off the wagon.

Dan Bilzerian's dead set on running for President of the United States and winning, and to show he's serious ... he's willing to give up a few of his favorite things.

The popular playboy poker player tells TMZ ... he wasn't joking when he recently told us he plans to run for Prez in 2024, and he vows to go straight edge if he's elected -- no sex, drugs or alcohol -- and will abstain his entire time in office.

Dan says he'll be quitting those activities to both focus on the task at hand and prove to voters he means business ... consider it his major campaign promise.

As for what else he'll run on ... Bilzerian tells us he believes the world needs his help, there's too much corruption and too many laws, and saving the environment should be a top priority.

He also says he'll run as a Republican, but points out he has some traditionally liberal views too. For instance -- Dan's very pro-gun, but he's also pro-choice. He says he's pro-gay rights but doesn't agree with hormone treatments or sex changes for people under 18.

Bilzerian does give us a caveat -- he recognizes becoming a presidential candidate will drastically alter his life, so he says he might need more time to commit ... in which case he'll run in 2028.

Dan's already got one thing going for him -- he's pretty damn rich. With an estimated net worth of $150 million, he says he plans to use half his money for his campaign and the other half for philanthropy.

He tells us he plans on giving it his all and thinks he has a pretty good chance of winning. Of course, he seems to think he'll have an even better shot if Kanye West isn't one of his opponents.

The mother of the woman who died following an incident at Montae Nicholson's home is breaking her silence ... saying the Redskins DB "could have done more" to save the girl's life.

According to Nicholson's attorney, the NFL player found a 21-year-old woman unresponsive at a bathroom in his Ashburn, Virginia home late Wednesday night.

Nicholson and a friend took the woman to a nearby hospital ... but officials say she later died there, suspecting a drug overdose.

The deceased woman has since been identified as Julia Crabbe ... and when FOX 5 in DC spoke with her mother, Michelle, on Friday, she said Nicholson could have done more to save her daughter.

"I'm perfectly happy to sit down and talk with him," Michelle said, adding, "[Julia's] life was so much more than what happened Wednesday. So much more."

Nicholson has yet to comment on the matter ... but the Redskins said in a statement the 23-year-old defensive back and the team are cooperating with authorities.

Tyler Christopher -- best known for his appearances on "General Hospital" for 20 years -- got a break from the judge in his public intoxication case because the judge rejected the plea of a cop who begged hizzoner to put Tyler into a treatment program for alcoholism.

The Morgan County Prosecutor's Office tells TMZ ... Tyler pled guilty to 2 counts of misdemeanor public intoxication following his Monday night arrest in Martinsville, Indiana.

Tyler was booked Monday on his 47th birthday and stayed locked up until his release two days later.

Tyler was ordered to pay a $440 fine. He's got until next week to fork over the dough. And, that's it ... he didn't get probation and the judge did NOT order him to enter into an alcohol treatment program.

That's significant because according to the arrest report ... cops requested "the judge consider the possible sentence of a treatment facility for Tyler Christopher's alcohol issues, as well as consider restitution to [the Uber driver] for the damage to his vehicle from Tyler Christopher urinating in his back seat."

Tyler squared things up with the Uber driver. TMZ broke the story ... Tyler passed out in the back seat of an Uber driver's car and urinated himself on the night he was busted.

Washington Redskins safety Montae Nicholson is cooperating with authorities who are investigating the death of a 21-year-old woman, TMZ Sports has learned.

Here's what we know ...  law enforcement has confirmed a "death investigation" is underway after an unconscious and unresponsive woman was brought to an E.R. in Ashburn, Virginia on Thursday around 1:30 AM.

The victim was pronounced dead in the emergency room. We're told officials believe the woman died from a drug overdose.

Cops tell us ... "The two males who brought her to the emergency room immediately left the area but have since been identified and located."

Multiple sources connected to the situation tell us one of the men is Montae Nicholson.

Nicholson has NOT been arrested or charged with a crime. However, cops say the case is being actively investigated by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office and it's likely they'll speak with Nicholson as part of the probe.

Nicholson was NOT at Redskins practice on Thursday and we're being told his absence is due to this situation and not his ankle injury.

We reached out to the Redskins and a rep told us, "We’ve been made aware of the tragic event and extend our deepest sympathies to the family who lost a loved one."

"Our team has alerted the league office and is cooperating with local authorities. We fully support law enforcement and respect their process as they investigate the matter."

Nicholson was arrested back in December 2018 after cameras caught the NFL player in a late-night street brawl with a civilian.

The video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows Nicholson (in a red hoodie) wrestling with a man in a jean jacket before he eventually lands a violent knockout blow.

Montae was arrested and charged with assault and battery and public drunkenness ... but prosecutors eventually dropped the case citing insufficient evidence.

Tyler Christopher -- best known for his appearances on "General Hospital" over the course of 20 years -- may have had too much fun celebrating turning 47 ... because he ended up in jail.

The soap star was arrested in Martinsville, Indiana Monday night -- on his 47th birthday -- and booked for public intoxication. According to Morgan County Jail records ... he's being held on $225 cash and $1,000 bond.

As far as we can tell ... Tyler hasn't been released yet.

Based on his mug shot, Christopher's changed his look quite a bit since he left his role on another popular soap opera, "Days of Our Lives," earlier this year ... and not for the better.

Tyler played Stefan DiMera on 'Days' from December 2017 until leaving the series this past March. Before that, he played Nikolas Cassadine on 'GH' off and on from 1996 to 2016.

All that pales in comparison to the best fun fact about Tyler though -- he was married to Eva Longoria from 2002 to 2004.

Happy birthday, bud?

Three homes the Mexican government confiscated from Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman -- including one he used as a hideout -- have sold at auction, but unlike his cartel ... the casas did not make big money.

According to reports ... Mexico raked in nearly $228,000 by selling 3 of the 6 homes it confiscated from Chapo, but failed to unload his most expensive residence. As a result, home sales fell well short of the $1 million expectations.

One of the sold homes is kinda famous in El Chapo lore because it was known for being a hideout spot for El Chapo after his first prison escape in 2001. Even so, it sold for a meager $107,530,

He was at the house when the Mexican military showed up to arrest him in February 2014, but he was able to escape via a tunnel ... hidden under the bathtub.

The escape allowed him to evade capture ... but only for another week. Of course, he escaped from prison again more than a year later ... only to be caught again in early 2016.

The 2 other homes sold at auction went for $64,589 and $55,725, the latter of which was also a place of refuge while El Chapo was on the lam.

BTW -- the expensive home that didn't fetch a buyer is valued at $587k ... it's a lavish 3-story residence El Chapo reportedly bought for the mother of his son, Ovidio Guzmán López.

The Miami Heat has suspended Dion Waiters without pay after he reportedly overdosed on weed edibles ahead of a crucial game against the Lakers this week.

The team made the announcement Sunday in a statement, saying they were disappointed in their star guard's actions this season ... including the "very scary situation" from Thursday night, adding they were grateful that the outcome wasn't worse.

They went on, "There have been a number of instances this season in which Dion has engaged in conduct detrimental to the team. Accordingly, he will be suspended without pay for 10 games, including the Lakers game last Friday, and will be eligible to return" Nov. 29.

The Heat continued ...  "We are proud of how our players have started the season. We expect all of our players, including Dion, to conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards, and to show professionalism and respect for their teammates, the team, the fans and the NBA community." The Heat lost Friday's game, BTW ... they're 6-3 now.

In case you hadn't heard, Dion had a medical emergency while flying from Phoenix to L.A. on Thursday with the rest of his teammates. He was found unconscious when the plane landed, and when he was finally woken up ... he reportedly had a seizure.

According to ESPN, Waiters had consumed edible gummies that were infused with THC.

Adding insult to injury, he had already been suspended for several games prior to this latest disciplinary action. According to reports, he got into it with head coach Erik Spoelstra.

This latest suspension could hurt Waiters more than he might realize ... affecting his bottom line. He's reportedly gonna miss out on a $1.2 million bonus written into his contract if he missed 9 more games than he already had. He signed a $52M contract extension in 2017.

Drake + Weed = GREAT FOR EVERYONE!!!

... So says Al Harrington, the former NBA player turned marijuana mogul who tells TMZ Sports a superstar like Drake is HUGE for the entire pot community.

As we previously reported, Drake is launching the More Life Growth Company ... hoping to cash in on the crop craze by selling everything from vapes to pipes, rolling papers, hookahs and more.

Harrington has been in the weed game for a while -- he created Viola Extracts Inc. after retiring from the NBA and it's been growing like crazy.

Now, with Drake entering the space ... we asked Al if he viewed Drake as a competitor or an ally.

"I hope he win, bro! I need him to win because then I'll win," Harrington said.

Harrington says Drake's foray into the ganja biz is "amazing ... a huge announcement for the industry."

Oh, and Al says if Drake wants to team up and collaborate on a product ... HIT HIM UP!!!

O.J. Simpson has belatedly fired back at the Cosmopolitan in Vegas ... suing the hotel claiming it defamed him by banning him in 2017 after falsely accusing him of being drunk and disruptive.

The incident in question went down just weeks after Simpson was released from prison. Simpson -- who had been frequenting the hotel in the days prior -- allegedly got into an altercation on Nov. 8 at Clique Bar after flying into a drunken rage.

Sources told us ... glasses were broken during the melee and the ex-NFL star was eventually told to leave, given a trespass notice and told to never come back.

But, in his lawsuit, Simpson is adamant he was NOT drunk, he was NOT belligerent and did NOT break any glasses. In fact, he says earlier in the evening a manager at the steakhouse in the hotel actually thanked him for being a gracious guest.

O.J. says when he was leaving for the night ... someone from the hotel handed him a trespass notice and repeatedly said it was private property and he was not welcome back ... ever.

Simpson says he was shocked by the move, claiming he was never involved in an incident that night that could warrant a permanent ban.

Simpson says his parole officer saw our story and visited him at his residence the next day and gave him a drug and alcohol test ... which both turned up clean.

Simpson claims the PO also went to the Cosmo to investigate and told Simpson there was no evidence he did anything that would violate his parole.

In fact, in his suit, Simpson refers to himself as a "model parolee with perfect performance."

Reality is ... Simpson is WELCOMED at many famous spots all over town and regularly poses for pics and signs autographs. In a way, he's become a draw.

Shortly after the incident, Simpson spoke on camera and he said he had no clue what happened.

Simpson was released from prison on Oct. 1, 2017, after spending years behind bars for an armed robbery conviction.

Since he's been out, O.J. has been a regular on Vegas golf courses and fancy restaurants. He's also joined social media where he often talks about fantasy football topics.

Chris Brown's massive yard sale attracted a huge crowd looking for great deals on high-end and vintage items ... and one customer definitely got more than what she bargained for.

A woman, who says she bought a hoodie at the Wednesday sale at Brown's Tarzana, CA residence, claims when she got home and checked the pockets ... she found a pill bottle containing marijuana.

The weed canister is labeled "Panda Smoke" ... and we're unclear if the flower inside is an indica or a sativa. We're looking into it 😏.

As we told you ... many people walked away satisfied with the bargains they got at Breezy's sale, including a couple of guys who spent $500 for thousands worth of clothing and shoes, including Jordans.

The event also went down without incident ... despite the extra attention and pushback it got from the LAPD, which Brown's side feels was harassment.

Law enforcement officials have told us they met with Brown's rep to go over the rules of throwing a big garage sale ... but denied any harassment that took place.