Drugs & Alcohol

Another man responsible for selling Mac Miller the fentanyl that contributed to his fatal overdose will be behind bars for a long time.

Stephen Walter, 49, was handed a 17.5-year sentence after pleading guilty to distributing the fentanyl that ultimately resulted in Mac's death back in September 2018.

Another man ⁠— 39-year-old Ryan Reavis ⁠— also pleaded guilty to a drug distribution charge and was sentenced to more than 10 years behind bars. The case against a third man by the name of Cameron Pettit remains pending.

As we reported, Miller died of a fatal concoction of fentanyl, cocaine and alcohol and Walter told the courts and Mac's family he was "truly remorseful" for his actions.

An April 2022 tweet from independent stats collector chart data claims Mac is the best-selling rapper of the decade so far, perhaps indicative that his popularity hasn't wavered with the fans.

A six-game suspension for taking performance-enhancing drugs will not cost DeAndre Hopkins his bust in Canton ... so says Larry Fitzgerald, who tells TMZ Sports the wideout will still be in the Hall of Fame one day.

Larry made the proclamation out at LAX less than two weeks after the NFL announced Hopkins' ban ... telling us he truly believes HOF voters won't hold the positive test over the Cardinals star's head.

Fitz added he doesn't believe the suspension will taint Hopkins' legacy, either.

"He'll still be a Hall of Famer," Fitzgerald said. "He'll work through it. It's just some adversity and, you know, he's a tough guy, resourceful, and he'll work his way through it."

Legendary West Coast spitter Xzibit -- aka Mr. X to tha Z -- chopped it up with "TMZ Hip Hop," dropping a plethora of updates ... including a few methods behind Dr. Dre's music-releasing madness.

Dr. Dre has been teasing new music on Instagram these past few months, posting up with several icons -- like Flavor Flav, Grandmaster Flash and Diamond D -- but hasn't announced an album ... which may or may not be called "Detox."

According to Xzibit, Dr. Dre's superpower lies in timing, and he has the intuition to know when to push the release button ... no matter how much fans clamor for new tracks.

As far as his business affairs go, X has been one of Hip Hop's leading cannabis entrepreneurs for years -- getting his feet wet with the Brass Knuckles brand, and booming again with his Napalm strains.

That's come with some controversy ... his Napalm brand got looped into the Stop Asian Hate movement (due to the infamous Vietnam War weapon), but X to the Z says that's all water under the bridge, and explained how he made good with the community.

He could make lots of new friends at the next Comic-Con, based on a few priceless Marvel collectibles he showed us. Trust us, Xzibit is all about "Wakanda forever" ... for real!!!

Make sure to check out "TMZ Hip Hop" on the following stations, or nationally on Fox Soul.

WWE legend Tammy Sytch has been thrown back behind bars ... a judge just revoked her bond at a hearing on Friday morning.

Sytch initially posted the bond on May 7 ... one day after she was arrested for allegedly killing a man while driving drunk in March in Florida.

Prosecutors, though, argued that Sytch should not have been given bond -- calling her a danger to the community -- and in a Volusia County courtroom Friday morning, a judge agreed ... revoking it and putting her back in jail.

Sytch is expected to remain behind bars until at least her next court hearing on May 31.

As we reported, Sytch has been hit with eight criminal charges -- including DUI causing death -- after officials accused her of drunkenly causing a fatal car crash on March 25.

According to court documents, prosecutors say she had a blood-alcohol level of .08 or higher when she crashed her car into a stopped vehicle on United States Highway 1 in Ormond Beach. Prosecutors say the collision ended up killing a 75-year-old man.

Bobby Shmurda can’t wait to unleash his new projects and products onto his adoring fanbase … and he joined us on "TMZ Hip Hop" to reveal what he's been cooking in the stu'.

The newly independent rap star -- who’s been heating up with his new song “They Don’t Know” -- had his undeniable Shmenergy as he told us about some huge collabs with fellow hitmakers. We're talking DaBaby, Rich The Kid, Quavo, Fivio Foreign and his day-one brother, Rowdy Rebel ... just to name a few.

Bobby says he's been loading up new music since amicably parting ways with Epic Records, and he explained why the move is gonna pay off for him in the long run.

The "Hot N***a" rapper's laid down so many new tracks, he plans to drop 2 different projects to dominate Summer 2022!!!

And, music isn't the only thing getting the proud New Yorker lit, as he just inked a deal with Elevate Cannabis Company to release 10 new weed strains.

Bobby's commentary wasn't all fun and games, however. Having served more than 6 years for criminal conspiracy, he shared some words of wisdom and encouragement for Young Thug, Gunna and the rest of YSL after their indictment.

Gunna's an innocent and charitable man, and the cops who busted him are wrong to use his music and lyrics against him ... so says the rapper's legal team.

We've just obtained a statement from Gunna's attorneys, who tell us, "Mr. Sergio Kitchens, known as Gunna, is innocent. The indictment falsely portrays his music as part of a criminal conspiracy."

They also point out some contributions Gunna has made for his community, including the first-ever local free in-school grocery and clothing store feeding over 400 children weekly, and nationally sponsored giveaways for victims of disasters and food shortages.

The legal team, comprised of Donald F. Samuel, John A. Garland and Kristen W. Novay tells us, "Mr. Kitchens has been an advocate for his community, and it is our privilege to advocate for him."

As we reported, Gunna turned himself in Wednesday, two days after Young Thug's home was raided and the rapper was arrested. Both have been arrested on RICO charges from a 56-count, 28-person indictment out of Fulton County, GA.

Among lyrics listed in the indictment, "I killed his man in front of his momma, like f*** lil bruh, sister and his cousin,” and “my trigger start itching" from Young Thug.

Both Gunna and Young Thug have been accused of gang activity, possession with intent to sell an array of drugs, and receiving stolen property.

Gunna was in court Wednesday, and will be held without bond.

Gunna is facing the music in a sweeping racketeering case reverberating throughout Atlanta – the guy's now in custody ... and his mug shot is one for the ages.

The rapper was arrested and booked into the Fulton County Jail early Wednesday morning on RICO charges -- -- stemming, of course, from the 56-count indictment levied against him and dozens of alleged YSL gang members this week.

According to jail records, Gunna surrendered and turned himself in to the authorities -- whereas his alleged co-conspirator, Young Thug, was hauled to jail by cops who raided his property on Monday.

Both MCs have been accused of possession and intent to sell a variety of narcotics, receiving stolen property, and for general street gang activity. They were also charged with being part of a larger criminal enterprise comprised of YSL associates who are alleged to have been involved in a bunch of crimes, including the attempted murder of rapper YFN Lucci.

Gunna is scheduled to make a court appearance Wednesday.

Selma Blair has struggled her whole life, with pain, alcoholism and now fighting through a battle with MS ... all topics covered in her new memoir.

Blair sat down with Savannah Guthrie Wednesday for an extremely candid interview with "Today." The actor's memoir, 'Mean Baby' talks about her entire life, Blair told Guthrie, "My first [time] drunk [was] when I was 7. I had my first drinks much younger."

Blair says even though she was young, she felt alcohol was a comfort ... and wonders if the physical pains she would feel throughout her life were early signs of MS.

According to "Today," Blair writes in her memoir, "Doctors thought I had leukemia. I didn't, but it was a constant high fever. … The ailments as a kid connected. I do know for sure I had it by the age of 23. It was definitely there for so long.”

The good news ... Blair tells Savannah she hasn't had a drink since a scary incident in 2016 when she lost consciousness on a plane with her 4-year-old son. She's also undergone chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant in an effort to help manage her MS.

Amber Heard's testimony has been accused of being contrived, lifted and, strangely, drug-laced -- but it seems only 1 of these might be close to true ... and the proof's in the video.

Here's the deal ... AH was on the stand for two days this week, detailing the alleged abuse she claims she suffered at the hands of Johnny Depp. Each day of testimony ran for several hours -- but rabid JD fans picked apart three specific moments that they say are damning.

First, a moment from Thursday's testimony where Amber is describing a time when Johnny was detoxing ... during which, she holds a tissue to her face for an extended period of time -- apparently aware she's being photographed right then and there -- and seemingly poses.

The clip going around on social media felt sorta doctored, but we found it in the raw feed -- and, indeed, Amber does look to hold this pose for what sounds like a camera flash.

People have criticized her for this -- perhaps rightly so -- but even more Twitter warriors have made what we would consider wildly outlandish claims that are far more sinister ... namely, that Amber was allegedly doing bumps of "cocaine" on the witness stand Thursday.

You've probably seen this clip making the rounds too -- it shows Amber blowing/wiping her nose with a handkerchief ... and people believe they see something more nefarious.

We'll be honest ... this claim is absurd on its face, and nothing more than people reaching to connect dots that simply aren't there. Depending on what side you're on in this case, you'll probably see what you want to see ... but there's no smoking gun here whatsoever.

Finally, there's the 'Talented Mr. Ripley' claim ... which boils down to folks alleging that Amber lifted a part of her testimony Wednesday straight from the movie, and straight from Gwyneth Paltrow's character, Marge. As it turns out, that claim was also total BS.

A now-viral side-by-side quote was being circulated that suggested Amber had literally repeated lines from the movie, word for word, but after someone tracked down the actual video ... her real testimony was far from what GP said on film. Once again ... reaching.

Tammy Sytch -- also known as "Sunny," in the ring -- is behind bars over a fatal car crash from last month that cops say was caused by her being under the influence.

The former WWE star was arrested Friday night and hauled off to the Volusia County Jail -- where she was booked on a number of charges ... including felony DUI manslaughter, the most serious of the offenses. She was also rung up on 8 other charges, most being DUI related.

One charge she was booked on accuses her of driving on a suspended/revoked license, and then causing great bodily harm and/or death as a result. Her bond is set at over $220k total.

You'll recall ... this all ties back to an awful accident police say Sytch caused in late March -- although it's unclear why she's just being arrested for this now, more than a month later.

In any case ... the story is tragic. According to a traffic crash report, obtained by TMZ Sports, cops claim Sytch was traveling down a highway at a high rate of speed when she slammed into the back of another vehicle on the road that was stopped at a traffic light.

The driver was taken to a hospital but died from their injuries. That victim is reported to be 75-year-old Julian Lasseter.

If the top part of the Yankees' batting order looks a little sluggish tonight ... now ya know why!

New York stars Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo and DJ LeMahieu all attended the Rangers' playoff game against the Penguins on Thursday night -- and they were feelin' so good in their seats, they chugged beers together!!

The trio had on-the-glass spots for Game 2 of the Pittsburgh vs. NY series -- and when the Madison Square Garden cameras spotted them ... they pounded their drinks to get the crowd going.

None of the three were Tom Brady-level chuggers ... but it seems clear Rizzo won the drink-off.

As for how the beer-pounding played at MSG -- it seemed to fire up both Rangers fans and the actual team ... 'cause NY went on to score three more goals after the scene, winning the game 5-2.

But, don't fret about a potential hangover, Pinstripes fans, Yankees aren't slated to play the Texas Rangers on Friday night until 7 PM ET.

Amber Heard is testifying for the second day, telling the jury Johnny Depp called her a "nagging bitch" and a "c***."

Amber told jurors ... a year into their relationship, it was apparent to her Johnny had an extreme substance abuse problem ... passing out, getting sick and losing control.

She described an incident where she says Johnny tried to burn a painting, and how he accused her of having an affair with a musician. She says during that time, Johnny was strung out on cocaine, and not eating or sleeping.

She says in 2013, during a junket in Tokyo for "The Lone Ranger," Amber called him out on drinking in front of his kids, and she says he became upset that she was judging him. She says he screamed at her in the hotel room and called her a "nagging bitch" and a "c***."

Heard has experienced a range of emotions on the stand since her testimony began Wednesday ... from sadness and happiness to anger. She detailed claims of Depp searching her for drugs, times he allegedly got physical with her and even how they first met ... including their first kiss on the set of "The Rum Diary."

Depp arrived at court Thursday in rockstar fashion -- with fans greeting him and holding flowers and posters to show their support. Depp waved, touched his heart and thanked them as he went inside.

It's unclear exactly how long Heard will be on the stand ... but her time will almost certainly include more explosive testimony and allegations.

We'll be carrying the whole thing live.

Johnny Depp searched Amber Heard for cocaine once -- an inspection that apparently went in and around her body, including private areas ... at least according to a forensic psychologist, who claims Amber made the allegations during her evaluation of the actress.

Dr. Dawn Hughes was Amber's witness who took the stand Tuesday to combat what Dr. Curry -- JD's witness -- alleged about her last week ... namely, that Amber suffered from a couple different personality disorders and that she was making up symptoms of PTSD.

Hughes testified to the exact opposite ... telling the jury her evaluation of Amber -- which consisted of about 29 hours total -- made her believe she was, in fact, a victim of domestic abuse.

There were some disturbing things Dr. Hughes claims Amber told her ... including allegations of Johnny kicking her in the back, pushing her, slapping her and alleged instances of sexual violence, much of which she says occurred when JD was under the influence.

One other bombshell claim from Dr. Hughes, based on what she says Amber told her ... Johnny, at one point, allegedly subjected Amber to a "cavity search," poking around on the inside of her vagina to see if he could find cocaine he believed she was hiding from him.

Another disturbing alleged tale ... Dr. Hughes claims Amber told her that Johnny penetrated her with a bottle once, and that the whole time she was worried it might be broken and cut her up inside.

She relayed even more of Amber's claims ... including that Johnny was incredibly jealous, allegedly contacting male costars of hers to say he had eyes on the set ... which Hughes says made Amber incredibly anxious that he'd show up on set at any given moment.

'Mighty Ducks' star Shaun Weiss has made a major comeback ... and the latest milestone is opening for Russell Peters at a comedy show.

Shaun tells TMZ ... he opened for Russell Friday, performing for 10 minutes at Oxnard Levity Live Improv. Russ actually advised him to make stand-up his new passion, something Shaun hasn't done in years.

It's pretty spectacular how things have come full circle for Shaun. Three years ago when he was homeless, he bumped into Russell in an alleyway behind a Deli in Santa Monica and Russell gave him $100.

It wasn't until a few weeks ago he reconnected with the Canadian comedian to thank him ... and that's when RP offered him an opening spot at the Improv.

Shaun says he had the crowd laughing, especially when he made fun of himself and referenced something involving an ex-GF back in 2014 that was really bad ... nevertheless, Shaun used it as material during his set.

You'll recall, SW has battled drug addiction for several years ... causing him to have many run-ins with the law and lose most of his teeth from drug abuse.

Well, that's all a thing of the past ... cause he has since turned his life around and has been sober for over 2 years. As we've told you, he got a new set of pearly whites and a huge new acting gig, starring in "Jesus Revolution".

Lil Xan is not only doing much better, but he's taking extra precautions to make sure he stays sober when he returns to life on the road.

We caught up with the rapper this weekend at BOA Steakhouse ... where he told us about his progress and how he plans to stay on track in the future.

Xan says, he is 40 days clean, after doing 30 days in a detox center and 30 days in a rehab facility. He tells us he's feeling better than ever, and blessed to finally be sober.

One element of his sobriety will be controversial to some people -- Xan says his rehab facility allowed patients to smoke weed, which he says helped him. That approach has been called "California sober," something Demi Lovato said worked for them ... until it didn't.

For now, LX is in great spirits and even showed off his GF while opening up to us about his new lifestyle. He's also looking forward to going on tour May 25 -- but, he's gonna be extra careful this time ... planning to bring a sober companion to make sure everything goes well and he isn't tempted to relapse.

As we've previously reported, Xan checked himself into a hospital in March and got 51/50'd  ... he said he was experiencing a mixture of exhaustion, dehydration and depression from things he was seeing online.

He ended up spending 3 days in the psychiatric ward before getting the green light to check into a part of a facility focused on mental health.

Despite becoming the target of some politicians, drill music is no phase or fad ... so says heavyweight hip hop producer Hit-Boy, who knows a thing or 2 about making beats that stand the test of time.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the Grammy Award-winning producer -- who's made gold with JAY-Z, Kanye West, Nas and Nipsey Hussle -- as he launched his "Hit-Boy OG" hybrid strain of cannabis.

When asked about the longevity of drill music, today's hottest sound in rap music, Hit-Boy didn't mince his words and certified the bass-heavy subgenre is here to stay. HB's comments are timely and right on cue, too.

On Friday, up-and-coming London rapper JNR Choi decided to upgrade his TikTok viral "To The Moon" single by enlisting UK, Chicago and Brooklyn drill features from M24, Russ Millions, G Herbo and Fivio Foreign, respectively.

BTW, we got Hit-Boy while he was at the Lemonnade Van Nuys dispensary -- owned by Bone Thugs & Harmony manager Steve Lobel -- so, it was the perfect time for him to reveal the one track that blew his mind, while his mind was blown ... "Rare" by Nas.

Originally released as the lead single for 2021's "King's Disease II" album, the explosive piano medley infamously switched into an old-school break-beat for Nas to lyrically demolish.

Makes you wonder what they have in store for "Part 3." According to Hit, he and Nas have already started vibing on it.