Drugs & Alcohol

Luann de Lesseps is no longer facing hard time ... because a judge just put the ol' stamp of approval on the plea deal in her drunken arrest case.

The 'Real Housewives of New York' star dodged a felony charge and will stay out of jail. We broke the story, she agreed to plead guilty to battery, trespassing and disorderly intoxication for the Palm Beach County arrest. She just needed the judge's John Hancock.

As part of the plea deal, Luann has to knock out 50 hours of community service and attend 2 AA meetings a week in her home state of New York. She also can't use drugs or alcohol, and must submit to random testing during one year of probation.

As we reported ... Luann was arrested on Christmas Eve for attacking a cop during her bust. There's video of Luann telling an officer she'd kill him if he continued to touch her.

The felony charge Luann was originally facing, resisting an officer with violence, was reduced to battery as part of the deal.

Johnny Manziel says he was initially EXCITED about being drafted by the Browns -- but when he finally got to Cleveland ... all he wanted to do was leave.

"Once I landed and went to Berea, Ohio for the first time, I was like, 'Can I go back to college?'"

"I don't know anybody, I don't know where I'm at. It's cold. I don't like it," Manziel told Kevin Hart while taking an ice bath on his show, "Cold as Balls."

Manziel opens up like a book to Hart -- talking about everything from his drug use in college to wanting kids with his new wife, Bre Tiesi.

On the drug topic, Manziel said while playing at Texas A&M he felt like "I was the guy who had to party to be able to play good."

Manziel said he later realized he didn't like who he had become and wanted to change his life for the better.

"I'm at a point now where I can look back, I can reflect and realize that I was one way -- that was wrong. What can I do moving forward? Because I can't change how I was."

"That's all I can do and just try to stack enough good days together and stack enough things together to get back to where I wanna be."

Johnny says he's determined to work his way back to the NFL.

He also farted during the interview.

Ice Cube was so fired up after Team Power won the BIG3 title over the weekend, he went to the locker room and kicked off the champagne-spraying party all by himself ... and TMZ Sports has the video.

Cube actually got to the locker room so fast, he beat some of the players to the celebration -- but when Corey Maggette, "Big Baby" Davis and "Birdman" Andersen arrived, they got the full spray treatment.

It all went down Friday night at Barclays Center, where Team Power took on (and beat) 3's Company -- comprised of players like Baron Davis and Drew Gooden.

Big Baby was particularly pumped up -- grabbin' everybody around him and soaking them in Luc Belaire champagne. Not even coach Nancy Lieberman was spared.

And, by the way ... did you know Nancy Lieberman became the first woman to coach a men’s pro team to a championship?

The man who supplied Demi Lovato with drugs the night she OD'd said she knew exactly the chance she was taking ... that she was ingesting "aftermarket pills," which made things risky.

Brandon Johnson told our photog Demi texted him at 4 AM, the morning she OD'd, and asked him to come over. He says he read between the lines and brought pills, which they freebased together.

He strongly insinuates the 2 of them did drugs together many times before and even had a sexual relationship. Our Demi sources strongly deny there was any sexual relationship.

As for the pills, Johnson says Demi knew they were not pharmaceuticals, but much stronger ... though he denies knowing they were laced with anything. TMZ broke the story ... Johnson notoriously got pills from Mexico, many of which were allegedly laced with fentanyl.

Johnson says he left at around 7 or 8 AM and Demi was sleeping with no sign of distress. An assistant found Demi in deep distress at around 11:30 AM on July 24 and called 911. She almost died and had to be revived by Narcan.

We broke the story ... Demi's OD was likely triggered by Oxycodone laced with fentanyl from the batch supplied by Johnson.

Demi's now out of the hospital and has entered an out-of-state rehab facility.

Various friends of Demi have told TMZ they knew Johnson was hanging out with her a lot and also knew he was "bad news," and will do everything in their power to keep him away from her.

Johnson was arrested back in March -- one month before he allegedly connected with the singer -- with a stash of guns, drugs and cash. When cops picked him up he allegedly had narcotics, a fully loaded semi-automatic handgun and $10k in his pocket ... and they discovered more guns, drugs and ammo at his home.

Mel B is getting ready to enter a therapy program to deal with PTSD from her long and bitter divorce battle ... and admits she's also had issues with alcohol and sex.

The 'AGT' judge said she discovered her PTSD issues earlier this month, and has decided to seek treatment in the next few weeks ... once 'AGT' is over.

Mel seemed carefree, at least outwardly, while she was out Sunday in Beverly Hills with Gary Madatyan ... who's rumored to be a new bf.

She told The Sun ... Stephen Belafonte stripped her of her "self-respect and self-worth" during more than a year of court battles.

During the divorce, she had been accused of abusing alcohol and dragging Belafonte into threesomes while they were married.

Rehab was clearly the right place for Demi Lovato, but it also meant her empty house could be a jackpot for criminals ... which we've learned was exactly the plan for some would-be burglars.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a group of thieves were arrested shortly after we broke the news Demi was out of the hospital and in an out-of-state rehab facility.

We're told the arrests were not related to Lovato, but upon investigation ... cops found electronic communications among the crew about hitting up her house while she was away.

Our sources say the LAPD was notified right away of the perps' plan and added extra patrols around Demi's house ... to keep an eye on any suspicious activity. So far, it's worked ... no break-ins or burglaries at Demi's place since she's been gone.

Our sources say the burglars were not targeting celebrities per se ... the victims included normies, but Demi was clearly on their radar.

We broke the story ... Demi suffered a near-death drug overdose last month and had to be revived with Narcan. Sources tell us her OD was likely triggered by Oxycodone laced with Fentanyl.

The singer went to rehab after being hospitalized for more than a week. She left rehab for a few days to see a mental health and addiction specialist in Chicago, but she's now back in the facility.

Hopefully her home will be untouched when she returns.

Steve-O is an expert on rehab and substance abuse ... and he's torn up over the recent troubles of his old friend and "Jackass" co-star Bam Margera.

We got Steve-O out in L.A.'s Franklin Village ... and he told us how he's broken up by news of Bam's relapse.

As we reported ... Bam was robbed at gunpoint during a super sketchy cab ride in Cartagena, Colombia ... and handled it by downing his first drink in more than 7 months.

Steve-O drops some insight into the struggles Bam and other alcoholics face on a daily basis -- with a spot-on metaphor for the whole situation. He also has an opinion on Bam's claim he had been sober since he went to rehab back in January following his DUI arrest.

If there's one person who can get through to Bam ... it's got to be Steve-O.

Prince's family is going after the doctor who prescribed pain pills for him, claiming he failed to properly treat him for opioid addiction so he's to blame for his death ... according to a new suit.

The family claims Dr. Michael Schulenberg last treated Prince on April 20, but failed to appropriately diagnose and treat the rocker's addiction ... which ultimately led to his fatal fentanyl overdose on April 21.

According to the docs ... the doctor's failure played a substantial part in Prince's death.

As you'll recall ... the family already sued the hospital that treated Prince's first opioid overdose, along with the Walgreens for dispensing narcotic prescription medications to him for an invalid medical purpose and failing to make sure he was using the drug properly.

This new suit also includes that hospital and Walgreens, along with Schulenberg. TMZ broke several stories about Prince getting various prescriptions filled from a Walgreens near his home in the days before he died. We posted a pic of Prince pacing the night before his OD -- looking frail and nervous -- as a member of his team got his Rx.

Surveillance video shows Prince visiting Dr. Schulenberg's office the day before he died.

Ben Affleck has had a rough time, and not just for a few weeks or months ... and the only thing that has spared him from a complete crash and burn is his children.

Sources directly connected to Ben tell us he has been fighting a losing battle with booze for 18 months. He's had periods of sobriety and then lapsed back deep into the bottle. TMZ broke the story ... it came to a head Wednesday when Jennifer Garner staged an intervention and drove him to a rehab facility.

We're told when Ben has been at his lowest over the last 18 months -- and there have been multiple times during that period when he hit bottom -- it seemed hopeless, and the only way he was able to pull himself out of the spiral was the love for his children and the realization of the consequences if something truly tragic happened to him.

Ben has had sporadic contact with the kids. Jen has been careful to protect the 3 children when Ben was in free fall, so there were periods when he regularly saw children and periods when he didn't.

The sad story ... his alcohol issues have consumed his life for the last year and a half, but hopefully this stint in rehab will get him back on track.

Ben Affleck wanted to get back on the sober train -- badly -- days before his estranged wife staged an intervention and drove him to a rehab facility ... TMZ has learned.

Turns out, Ben had been attending wellness classes at a Los Angeles wellness center as recently as a week before checking into a live-in facility.

The center specializes in "Buddhist ethics" ... meaning meditation with a focus on a healthy body, mind and spirit. Our sources say Ben went on his own accord several times last week ... well aware he had fallen off the wagon and into a downward spiral.

We broke the story ... Ben's estranged wife, Jennifer Garner, staged an intervention Wednesday at his Pacific Palisades home and drove him to an L.A. County rehab facility where he will live for at least 30 days. We're told Ben didn't need much convincing because he knew he was in desperate straits.

We're told the trigger for Jen was on Monday, when she saw this pic (below) of Ben accepting delivery of a box full of beer and hard liquor.

The actor has been open about his struggles with sobriety over the years. After Ben completed his second stint at a rehab facility last year, he said, "I want to live life to the fullest and be the best father I can be. I want my kids to know there is no shame in getting help when you need it, and to be a source of strength for anyone out there who needs help but is afraid to take the first step."

He continued, "I'm lucky to have the love of my family and friends, including my co-parent, Jen, who has supported me and cared for our kids as I've done the work I set out to do."

Here's the reality ... most addicts relapse. It doesn't mean they can't eventually stay sober, but it's a long, difficult road and falling off the wagon is not necessarily game over. The most important thing ... it's clear Ben realized he had a problem and sought help, even before Jen staged the intervention.

8/23 -- The photo above is Affleck at Jack in the Box, where he stopped before arriving at the rehab center.

8/22 7:20 PM PT -- We've learned Ben has arrived at a live-in rehab facility and will check in for an extended period of time.

Jennifer Garner has staged an intervention to help Ben Affleck, and TMZ has learned Ben wanted the help and agreed to go to rehab.

Jennifer went to Ben's Pacific Palisades home Wednesday afternoon to sit down with her estranged husband, begging him to get help. We've learned Ben didn't need begging ... he knows he needs help and was receptive.

Jen and Ben drove off at around 6 PM PT from the house ... and sources say the destination is a rehab facility. Our sources say Ben will enter a facility in L.A. County. We just found out they stopped at a Jack in the Box en route to the rehab place.

We're told Ben fell off the wagon a while ago, and has gotten progressively worse.

Our sources say the tipping point came 2 days ago when Jen saw a pic of Ben grabbing a box from a delivery man ... a box filled with beer and liquor.

Ben has been to rehab before ... back in 2001 for alcohol abuse. He also went back to rehab last December.

Jen filed for divorce in April, 2017 ... 2 years after they announced their split. The former couple remained close -- partly for their 3 kids -- and they are still not officially divorced.

Ben showed signs of excessive drinking when he took his date Playboy Playmate Shauna Sexton to Nobu in Malibu last week. His face was blotchy and he looked disheveled.

Jonathan Davis says his wife Deven was very sick for the past decade, and suggests her mental illness led to her addiction ... and it's to blame for her death.

Korn's lead singer shared a message on Instagram Wednesday night to address what happened to his estranged wife. He said, "Over the past decade, my wife has been very very sick. She had a serious mental illness and her addiction was a side effect. I loved her with ALL of my being."

He goes on to say Deven was an amazing wife, mother and friend ... and he tried for a long time to hide what was going on with her in order to protect her.

Davis says Deven's the reason he has advocated so passionately for people struggling with mental illness, and hopes her story will help inspire change. He also mentions their 2 children, saying ... "I promise I'll do everything in my power to raise our precious boys the right way, teach them the good values you wanted them to have so badly, and break the cycle of abuse we both experiences as kids."

We broke the story ... Deven died Friday, and the news came on the heels of Jonathan's request for a domestic violence restraining order on her. Jonathan alleged Deven was deep into drugs and her drug use was causing emotional harm to their 2 sons.

According to the legal docs, Deven had been in a sober home but went AWOL a week before she died.

Big Boy says he was THIS close to laying the smackdown on the EXTREMELY drunk driver who rear-ended him in Calabasas.

The legendary radio DJ tells us ... he was SHOCKED to learn the man who smashed into his ride Tuesday was a prosecutor on leave with the L.A. County D.A.'s Office.

Big Boy says he tried to attack the drunk driver, Michael Pettersen, before cameras and police arrived ... but he was held back by his friend as cooler heads prevailed.

The video is wild ... Big Boy says he was in disbelief when the driver took a pull from a VODKA BOTTLE after a half-hearted sorry while still in the driver's seat.

The unbelievable scene unfolded Tuesday afternoon ... when a BMW barreled into the back of Big Boy's Nissan Armada. When cops finally got the drunk driver out of his car, his pants fell down ... and he hit the ground next.

8/22 -- We've learned the drinking driver is Michael Pettersen, a prosecutor with the L.A. County D.A.'s Office who's been on a leave of absence since January 1, 2017.

It looks like a joke -- but this was very real.

Legendary radio DJ Big Boy was rear-ended by a VERY drunk driver in Calabasas ... and when he confronted the man, the guy pulled out a VODKA BOTTLE and started chugging while still behind the wheel.

It all went down Tuesday at 2 PM -- Big Boy was driving his Nissan Armada when he was smashed from behind.

The DJ appeared to be okay -- but couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the other guy pull out the bottle.

"He just crashed into me and he's in the car drinking," Big Boy said ... "He is still in the car, still drinking!"

A bystander told the driver to put the booze down -- but he refused.

Cops ultimately got to the scene and pulled the man out of his BMW -- his pants fell down ... and then he did, too.

We're told the man was transported to a local hospital where he was being checked for injuries and most likely undergoing blood alcohol tests (though you can guess what they're gonna show).

The area where the collision occurred is right near The Oaks -- one of the most prestigious, elite communities in L.A. where stars like Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian own homes.

Lamar Odom says it's a miracle he's alive -- revealing he had 12 strokes and 6 heart attacks while he was in a coma from his 2015 drug overdose.

Th ex-NBA star spilled his guts about the incident to Kevin Hart while sitting in an ice bath for KH's YouTube show, "Cold as Balls."

"All my doctors that see me say I'm a walking miracle," Odom said while shivering in the ice tub next to Hart.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Odom was rushed to a hospital on October 13, 2015 after he was found unconscious at Dennis Hof's Love Ranch South in Pahrump, Nevada.

Blood tests showed Odom had cocaine in his system at the time of his overdose. There were times doctors didn't think Odom would survive -- but somehow, he managed to pull through.

Since recovering, Odom has been to rehab and says he's now fully sober and over his addiction.

In fact, Odom told Kevin Hart he feels grateful to be alive -- joking about how it beats the alternative.

During the "Cold as Balls" segment, Odom also joked about the brothel and opened up about how much he appreciated Khloe Kardashian stepping up and handling his care while he was unconscious.

"It was big," Odom said about Khloe.

Odom -- who was legally married to Khloe (but separated) at the time of the overdose -- had tried to get back with her after he got better ... but she had moved on.

Give Shaun Weiss this -- he's got a helluva sense of humor. Check out how the guy who played Goldberg in "The Mighty Ducks" announced checking into rehab.

Shaun posted an emotional but also hilarious message Tuesday on Facebook announcing he's checked into a long-term rehab center. TMZ broke the story ... Shaun was busted earlier this month for public intoxication. Shaun spent a few hours in the drunk tank and, though he wasn't cited, his arrest did produce this incredibly sad mug shot that had his fans feeling bummed for him.

Shaun wrote, "At this time, in an effort to break free from the self destructive patterns of behavior and drug abuse that have landed me at rock bottom, (to be real... BELOW rock bottom. Even rock bottom is like 'holy sh!t, how'd you get all the way down there?') I have checked in to a well reguarded, long term rehabilitation center. I have surrendered to the reality that without immediate treatment my life is in eminant danger. My spirit was until recently depleted, weak and shrouded by darkness has been renewedby the overwhelming out-pouring of love and support from fans of my early work as an actor."