Drugs & Alcohol

Korn co-founder James Shaffer got real with us Wednesday about addiction, the difficulty of staying sober on the road, and the tragedy that befell Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.

We got James at LAX and asked about temptations when a band is touring, and he says it's a constant problem. James, who has been sober for a dozen years, says he still feels the pull of addiction when others around him want to party with drugs and booze.

He says rock stars always have folks offering stuff, and that makes sobriety difficult.

Our photog asks about Taylor Hawkins' recent death, and James says he's still heartbroken over it, and feels enormous sympathy for Taylor's family and Dave Grohl.

James has an interesting take on how his fellow musicians can manage the pull of addiction as well as mental health struggles ... by creating a community within his profession. James says musicians are sensitive people, so getting support from like-minded people is essential for the well-being of his community.

No, Luka Doncic is not poundin' cold ones before Dallas' huge playoff game against the Warriors ... the Mavericks tell TMZ Sports the photo of the star with a beer making its rounds on social media on Wednesday is an old pic.

Luka, according to a Mavs spokesperson, has been in the training room all morning gearing up for the first game of the Western Conference Finals -- not getting a buzz on at a restaurant.

"I can tell you this wasn't taken today," the spokesperson said.

Unclear when the photo of Luka holding a beer was actually snapped ... but seems Dallas fans can now go back to presuming the point guard will be completely sober for Game 1 against the Warriors.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is assisting the WNBA in its efforts to get Brittney Griner home -- revealing on Tuesday he's working with the White House and even hostage negotiators to get her out of custody in Russia.

Silver said before the NBA Draft Lottery in Chicago that he's "working side-by-side" with WNBA commish Cathy Engelbert, who's made bringing Griner back to the U.S. a top priority.

"The league -- and by that, both the WNBA and its brother league, the NBA -- we have a huge responsibility to Brittney Griner as one of our players," Silver said.

"Cathy Engelbert, the commissioner of the WNBA, is on this issue every single day. I'm working side-by-side with her."

Silver says both leagues have gone above and beyond for the Phoenix Mercury star ... getting "in touch with the White House, the State Department, hostage negotiators -- at every level of government and also through the private sector as well."

"Our No. 1 priority is her health and safety and making sure that she gets out of Russia," Silver added.

Griner has been in custody in Russia since February after she was allegedly found with hash oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport.

The 31-year-old was denied house arrest by a judge last week and will be forced to stay in jail for at least another 30 days.

Former Cincinnati Bengals star Rey Maualuga has pleaded guilty to two felony charges in his DUI crash case ... but TMZ Sports has learned he was not sentenced to any more time behind bars.

Instead, according to court documents, Maualuga entered into a pre-trial diversion program ... meaning if he keeps his nose clean for the next five years, and completes several other conditions, the charges will be dismissed.

It's a pretty sweet deal for the 35-year-old -- considering he was facing up to 10 years behind bars after he had been accused of drunkenly crashing his Mercedes through mailboxes and front yards in a wild accident in Villa Hills, Kentucky on Aug. 11, 2021.

You'll recall, Maualuga -- who was an All-American at USC before playing nine years in the NFL -- was charged with felony first-degree wanton endangerment, felony first-degree criminal mischief, and misdemeanor DUI -- third offense, after cops say he admitted to drinking "a few" alcoholic beverages before the crash.

Prosecutors tell us Maualuga spent 120 days in jail after his arrest and completed an in-patient substance abuse program ... which they said factored into their decision to agree to give Maualuga a pre-trial diversion program after he pleaded guilty to all three charges at a hearing in late March.

In addition to keeping his nose clean, Maualuga must also complete 100 hours of community service, pay some fines and restitution, and submit to random drug testing as part of the program.

Former MLB star Matt Harvey -- who just recently signed a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles -- has been suspended by the league following his bombshell admissions while on the stand in the Tyler Skaggs trial.

Harvey has been banned 60 games, dating back to April 29 -- the MLB just announced.

The league says the 33-year-old right-hander participated "in the distribution of a prohibited Drug of Abuse" -- which violated the league's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

The suspension comes three months after Harvey admitted in a courtroom that he did give Skaggs Percocets while the two were teammates together with the Los Angeles Angels.

During his testimony -- which was part of the trial related to the 2019 death of Skaggs -- Harvey also admitted to taking painkillers while in the clubhouse. He also said he had previously been a user of cocaine.

Bam Margera just reached a major milestone ... completing a 12-month treatment program for drug and alcohol abuse.

The 'Jackass' star tells TMZ ... he just finished the year-long program in Florida, and for the next couple months he's going to continue attending outpatient treatment classes.

Bam says he's living near his rehab center in Boca Raton, and his wife Nikki and son Phoenix recently moved in with him because he's now able to live in an apartment outside of the treatment center while he attends classes.

It's a significant step for Bam, who didn't let a slip-up derail him from completing his program. As we first reported, Bam popped up at a Florida casino back in September and got a ride back to his rehab facility in the back of a cop car.

Bam's also working out again as part of his rehab ... and last month his "Viva La Bam" costar Brandon Novak told us it's the closest Bam's been to the person he was when they were growing up together on the skateboard scene.

Sounds like things are on the up and up for Bam after he got booted from the latest 'Jackass' movie due to a failed drug test. Bam sued and recently reached a settlement, and now he says he's happy with the outcome and feels vindicated.

Amber Heard says she isn't to blame for the poop found in Johnny Depp's bed ... instead blaming the actor's dog, who Heard claims was experiencing some serious bowel issues after eating weed.

Amber's back on the stand Monday, after a week-long break, and her defense team just brought up the infamous incident. Heard says the dog, Boo, who was a puppy at the time had gotten into Johnny's marijuana stash.

Heard says before she and her girlfriends left for Coachella, the dogs were up on the bed, and that's when Boo crapped in the bed.

Of course, Johnny had a much different explanation of what he believed had happened -- saying the doo-doo was too big for his tiny dog to produce. He says it looked like it was from a human, and it was, "so outside, so bizarre and so grotesque that I could only laugh."

Starling Jenkins, who worked as a driver for Depp around the time of Coachella, claimed Heard had told him she was involved in a prank gone wrong ... but Amber just testified saying that's just not possible, because she wasn't in a pranking mood, she was in the process of leaving her husband.

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.