Drugs & Alcohol

Ric Flair is preparing for his final wrestling match the only way the Nature Boy would -- by training his ass off and drinking every night leading up to it.

73-year-old Flair is slated to wrestle for the very last time (and first in-ring bout since 2011) on Sunday in Nashville ... teaming up with his son-in-law, Andrade El Idolo, and fighting Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett.

We spoke with Naitch leading up to the fight ... and he says he's faced plenty of challenges in training, but he never thought once about postponing or backing out.

Flair says he recently thought he had pneumonia or COVID-19 and dealt with plantar fasciitis ... but now, he's "good to go."

"I would never postpone it," Flair tells TMZ Sports. "They'd have to kill me for that. So many people have contributed their time and effort to make this happen. I just wanted to be at 100% of what I can be now."

Flair has dealt with numerous issues in the past -- he previously said it's a "miracle" he's alive after several serious health scares -- but he tells us he's beating all odds and training like a madman leading up to the match ... even doing 500 squats a day and crushing it on the stationary bike, despite having a pacemaker.

Ric says he's getting his heart rate much higher than he's expected to, and he's also drinking his fair share of adult beverages to make sure he's his true self.

"I guaranteed you that I'll be drinking every night," Flair told us. "I don't do good when I don't drink."

Flair says it'll be an emotional night to say the least ... and his whole family will be there to watch him perform.

As for whether he's guaranteeing a win, Flair's got a great perspective on the potential outcome.

Dave Chappelle was letting it rip this weekend -- smoking and singing songs next to Snoop Dogg up in Northern California ... and the guy's wife was in on the fun as well!

The comedian was on hand Friday night at the Blue Note Jazz Festival in Napa Valley, where he took the stage next to SD to not just tell jokes and talk ... but to actually flex his pipes a bit. Indeed, they were rapping and crooning together -- and it's pretty funny.

Of course, Dave was also kind of in scavenger mode -- smoking what appeared to be a blunt with Snoop -- and the Doggfather actually comments on it at the end of the clip.

Essentially, Snoop says Dave was transforming into himself right before his eyes the more weed he took in -- and he goes on to explain that's why he doesn't like toke up with that many people ... otherwise, there'd be a crap ton of Snoop Doggs running around. 😆

BTW, DC's wife, Elaine, was also there during the festivities ... and it looks like she was having a ball alongside her hubby. There's photos of the two of them hugging up on each other, but this shot here kinda captures the vibe of the night in full.

Brittney Griner says she was aware the U.S. government warned Americans traveling to Russia was dangerous ... but the WNBA star told a court in Moscow she decided to get on the airplane because she wanted to help her basketball team.

Griner's drug trial continued in Russia on Wednesday, and the 31-year-old hooper testified to the reason she returned to Moscow in February despite the travel advisory.

"It's the most important part of the season, after the break. It's playoffs. The whole season I worked, my team worked hard to get to a good position," Griner said, continuing, "There was nothing that was going to change that for me. I didn't want to let my team down.  I did know about the 'do not fly' advisory, but like I said, there was nothing that was going to change my mind on coming back and finishing my duty for my team."

Brittney's alluding to a "Do Not Travel" advisory issued by the U.S. State Department on January 23 ... where they warned of "the potential for harassment against U.S. citizens."

Of course, despite the fact Griner played several seasons in Russia (she's a 3x Russian League champ), she's an American citizen.

BG also addressed the reason for using cannabis ... years of sports injuries.

"Because of my injuries that I've had over the long career of basketball. From my spine, no cartilage in my knee. I was in a wheelchair for four months. I broke my ankle and I also sprained my knee really bad. So I was wheelchair-bound," Brittney told the court.

"The benefits from medical cannabis definitely outweigh the painkillers that they prescribe. The painkillers have really bad side effects. Medical cannabis, there are honestly no side effects that harm you."

Griner admits the cannabis was never supposed to wind up in her luggage ... and she still isn't entirely certain how it happened.

"I still don't understand to this day how they ended up in my bag. If I had to speculate, if I had to guess on how they ended up in my bags, I was in a rush packing. I was recovering from COVID, the stress of packing, making sure I had my COVID tests. Jet lag. And I was in a rush, throwing my stuff into my bag."

NHL star Bobby Ryan -- who's battled substance abuse issues in his career -- was arrested on Monday at an airport after cops say he appeared to be wasted inside a terminal.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, the incident happened at the Nashville International Airport in Tennessee ... after Ryan allegedly stole items from a store.

Cops in the documents say Ryan was captured on CCTV taking the goods without paying for them, before he eventually put them on a counter and entered a bar nearby in the concourse.

According to the docs, officers made contact with Ryan -- who they say was trying to order a drink at the bar -- and claim he exhibited signs of intoxication.

The 35-year-old -- who most recently played for the Detroit Red Wings -- "was not compliant with officers, had slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, and smelled strongly of an alcoholic beverage," according to authorities.

In the docs, police say Ryan was eventually taken into custody, where they claim he was unable to stand on his own without support.

"Ryan was unaware of his location, the day or time and posed a danger to himself," cops said in the docs.

Eventually, the hockey player was booked on a public intoxication charge. Court records show the case has since been dismissed. No word yet on why, we've reached out to prosecutors, but haven't heard back.

Ryan has been open about his issues with substance abuse in the past -- he stepped away from the NHL in 2019 in order to get sober. He famously returned to the ice just a few months later for the Ottawa Senators and scored a hat trick in his first home game back. He was emotional both during the contest and afterward.

Ryan went on later that season to win the Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player who best demonstrates perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication.

The former Anaheim Ducks star did not play in the league last season.

More legal trouble for former Las Vegas Raiders first-round pick Damon Arnette ... he was just arrested again -- this time after cops say they found a cocaine-like substance in his pocket during a traffic stop.

According to police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, Arnette was pulled over twice in his gray Dodger Charger on Monday night/Tuesday morning in Miami Beach, Fl.

During the first stop, which police say occurred at around 8:56 PM on Monday, cops say in the documents they found Arnette had been driving on a suspended license -- and issued him a citation.

According to the docs, cops say they told him he was not permitted to drive the vehicle until his license was reinstated -- though they did say they "permitted another licensed driver to drive the vehicle from the traffic stop."

Cops, though, claim in the documents that hours later -- at around 12:48 AM on Tuesday -- they noticed Arnette driving the same car, so they pulled him over again.

During that stop, cops said in the docs as soon as they verified he was, in fact, the driver of the car -- they placed him under arrest and cited him for knowingly driving with a suspended license.

But, during the arrest, cops say they searched Arnette's person, and found a small baggie "containing white powdery substance consistent with that of cocaine" in his front pants pocket.

They say they also found a straw "that was cut into a small piece resembling a device that is common for cocaine usage."

Jail records show Arnette was booked at 3:09 AM on three charges -- possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving on a suspended license. It's unclear if he's bonded out yet.

Of course, this is not the first run-in with the law Arnette has faced since he was drafted into the NFL -- you'll recall, he was arrested in Vegas back in January 2022 after he allegedly threatened a valet with a gun.

Arnette was released by the Kansas City Chiefs immediately following that arrest. He had previously been cut by the Raiders in 2021 after a video appearing to show him holding guns while making threats had surfaced.

25-year-old Arnette has played in just 13 total games since he was drafted. He's currently an NFL free agent.

A couple of Red Sox fans turned Fenway Park into their own Octagon during Monday night's game ... with two men getting into a violent altercation on the ground -- forcing security to get involved.

The incident went down as Boston hosted the Cleveland Guardians ... and it all seemingly got started over a beverage.

The person who posted the altercation claims the man in red spilled a drink on the fan in white ... which led to both guys duking it out on the stadium floor.

The fan in white throws several punches as the man in red holds him down on the concrete ... before two security guards intervene and diffuse the situation.

No word on whether the guys were arrested -- the video cuts off as the guards swoop in and hold them back.

One fan is heard yelling, "let's f***ing go, woo!!" as the altercation unfolds ... with others watching the action in the distance.

Brittney Griner spoke with a media member on Tuesday for the first time since she was arrested back in February in Russia ... saying she had "no complaints" about her detention and adding that she wanted to wish her wife "good luck on the bar exam."

Griner -- who was back in court Tuesday for yet another hearing in her drug case -- spoke with an ABC News producer from behind bars inside the Moscow courtroom.

The outlet recorded the conversation, and in the audio, you can hear Griner calmly send the message to Cherelle Griner (who's been studying to become a lawyer) -- while adding she's "just waiting patiently" for a resolution in her drug case.

Brittney held up a photo of Cherelle minutes before the chat with the reporter. She also wore a sweatshirt that had "Black Lives Are Loved" written on it.

During the hearing, according to Reuters, Griner's legal team argued the WNBA star had used medical cannabis to help deal with her injuries -- and was not using the drug recreationally.

As we reported, Griner has pled guilty to charges that she brought hashish oil in her luggage to a Moscow airport back in February -- though she said she had no intention of breaking Russian law.

Texas A&M star receiver Ainias Smith might not make his scheduled appearance at SEC Media Days this week after all ... he was just arrested for DWI, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Records show Smith was booked into Brazos County, Texas jail on Wednesday on three charges -- unlawful carrying of a weapon, driving while intoxicated, and possession of marijuana.

Smith took a mug shot at the station with what appeared to be a blanket wrapped up around his shoulders. According to a jail official, the 21-year-old has yet to bond out.

No further details regarding the arrest have been released ... we've reached out to the Texas A&M Police Dept., but so far, no word back yet.

Smith, one of the Aggies' most explosive players the past three seasons, was expected to represent TAMU at SEC Media Days in Atlanta on Thursday with two of his other teammates.

Since 2019, Smith has piled up 1,321 receiving yards, 373 rushing yards and 19 total TDs for the Aggies.

Kodak Black claims he had a perfectly good reason for having several oxycodone pills when he was busted last weekend … his legal team insists he needs them to deal with serious pain.

Kodak's attorney Bradford Cohen tells TMZ ... the "Super Gremlin" rapper has battled chronic pain after getting shot in February during a scuffle in L.A. over Super Bowl weekend. Cohen says Kodak was prescribed pain pills to take as necessary to deal with that injury.

What's more, prior to the shooting, Kodak alleged he was assaulted by guards during his stint in a Kentucky federal prison, before Donald Trump commuted his sentence and released him. We're told he suffers ongoing pain from the attack and the meds help with that pain.

Cohen says he's handed over proof to prosecutors that the pills were legally prescribed, in an effort to resolve the matter STAT.

Nolan Neal, a contestant on both "America's Got Talent" and "The Voice," has died.

Nolan passed away Monday according to the medical examiner ... Nolan's cousin Dylan Seals tells TMZ he was found dead in his apartment in Nashville.

No official cause of death has been determined, but the singer has talked openly about his struggles with substance abuse. During an interview with WBIR in 2020, he admitted that he was still struggling with addiction while he was competing on "The Voice."

Dylan tells us Nolan lived with him for 4 months prior to the pandemic ... when Nolan was clean, jamming out and making music with him.

Nolan was featured on season 15 of "AGT" ... making it all the way to the quarterfinals where he performed an emotional original piece, "Send Me a Butterfly."

During his audition for the show, he sang a song called "Lost," which he said was the first thing he wrote after getting clean. The performance got a standing ovation from the crowd and all 4 judges.

Nolan also blew everyone away on season 10 of "The Voice," getting picked to be on Adam Levine's team, and making it to the knockout round before he was eliminated.

A Nolan Neal fan page posted Tuesday morning about his death, saying, "I can't believe you're gone from us" ... the caption ends with "Heaven just got a new music director."

Nolan was 41.

RIP

Curt Schilling clearly has no problem seeing Brittney Griner's detention in Russia drag on ... the ex-MLB star said Sunday night he believes the WNBA player should "pay the penalty for breaking another country's laws."

Schilling wrote the controversial statement on his Twitter page -- in a response to LeBron James' plea to bring Griner home.

"I know this may seem like a stretch," the 55-year-old said. "But something like 300 million people understand 'OBEY THE F***ING LAW', why is that such a challenge?"

"And why on earth should she NOT pay the penalty for breaking another country's laws?"

Griner has been locked in a cell in Russia since mid-February, after authorities said they found hashish oil in her luggage at an airport in Moscow. At a hearing in the case earlier this month, Griner pled guilty to the charges ... telling a judge at the time, "I didn't want to break the law."

Schilling obviously believes her plea and subsequent statements are justification for her to remain behind bars as long as Russia sees fit.

"She, as far as I know from every quote of hers," Schilling said, "has NEVER denied committing the crime, not once."

The United States government, meanwhile, has classified Griner as "wrongfully detained" and is in the process of negotiating with Russia to bring her home.

Kodak Black's weekend is off to an unfortunate start … the "Super Gremlin" was arrested after cops say they found a bunch of oxycodone pills in his car.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Kodak was traveling in a Dodge Durango Friday in Ft. Lauderdale with what cops believed was an illegal window tint.

After pulling the rapper over, cops say they smelled a strong odor of marijuana and eventually searched the car. Officers claim they found 31 oxycodone pills and $74,960 in cash during the search.

Our sources say Kodak's license and tags were also expired.

Kodak was then arrested and hauled off to Broward County jail.

Blake Jenner, one of the stars of "Glee," has a legal battle on his hands after cops hauled him in for an alleged DUI ... TMZ has learned.

The Burbank Police Department tells TMZ ... officers pulled over the 29-year-old actor when they noticed he failed to stop at a red light around 11:30 PM.

During the traffic stop last weekend, officers felt Jenner -- no relation to the you-know-whos, BTW -- was showing signs of intoxication, so they put him through the paces of field sobriety testing.

That didn't go so well for him, according to cops at least. Blake was arrested and booked for misdemeanor DUI. He was released shortly thereafter with a citation, and will have to appear before a judge at a later date.

Brittney Griner, wearing a Nirvana T-shirt, was back in court Friday, where the WNBA star's attorney told the judge BG, who's being tried on a drug charge, was prescribed cannabis for medical use ... the same substance she was caught carrying.

Griner's lawyer, Maria Blagovolina, told the court on Friday, "The attending physician gave Brittney recommendations for the use of medical cannabis."

"The permission was issued on behalf of the Arizona Department of Health," she added.

Blagovolina also submitted tests to the court ... showing 31-year-old Griner underwent testing to ensure she complied with anti-doping regulations, and the results revealed the hooper didn't have any prohibited substances in her system.

Griner appeared in court last week, bringing a photo of her wife, Cherelle, to the proceeding ... where she plead guilty to drug possession.

While addressing the court, Griner told the judge it wasn't her intent to break the law ... she simply packed hastily, and forgot about the cannabis.

Griner faces up to 10 years in prison ... but reps for the Phoenix Mercury star told us they're hopeful her guilty plea will be the beginning of getting Griner freed from Russian custody.

For now, Brittney's detention has been authorized to go through Dec. 20, according to the Associated Press, and although she plead guilty at last week's court hearing, Russia's justice system differs from the United States ... meaning the trial is to go through the beginning of August.

Griner's next hearing is scheduled for July 26.

Boosie Badazz ended up in handcuffs during a Georgia traffic stop, which threw him into a rage, and we've obtained the wild body cam footage of the incident.

According to cops, Boosie was the passenger in a black Cadillac SUV on Wednesday morning with a 19-year-old man named De’Shun Lawrence … when they got pulled over for heavy window tint and concealed tags.

Cops claim they smelled marijuana, so they searched the vehicle and found a large bag of cash and a bag of weed ... and that's when they cuffed Boosie and Lawrence and told them to stand on the side of the ride.

It looks like Boosie reached his breaking point while waiting for the cops to finish up, and honestly, if not for the handcuffs … he might have broken something for real!

He barked at the officers, telling them he was only living in rural Georgia to get AWAY from police activity and he was a lover, not a fighter. He then fumed about the nearly 6 years he lost in prison -- before being found innocent -- and promised to raise hell ... be it with his fists, his spit or legit legal action.

Things also took a bizarre turn when he ranted about having 35 women at his house, at that very moment, performing sex acts. Yeah, Boosie was on one!

The intensity finally came down when Lawrence claimed ownership of the weed -- he was cited, and then he and Boosie were released. You can see Boosie’s mood lighten instantly.

Hard to tell who's "winning" the war on drugs in a Colombian town that's now completely shrouded in marijuana smoke, and it's all because the cops lit up a huge pile of pot at the wrong time.

Puff, puff, NO pass is in full effect for residents of Bello ... a suburb of Medellin, which of course is best known for a different drug, but we digress. This citywide hotboxing was set in motion 2 weeks ago, when cops and soldiers started to seize weed from local dealers ... eventually snatching up 1.5 tons of sticky icky from the streets.

Score one for law enforcement, right? Well, on Tuesday some genius decided to torch the confiscated ganja without doing a weather check. Big mistake. Huge.

When the winds shifted the pot cloud started drifting over Bello, and not shockingly residents started reporting a tremendous smell of marijuana. Sounds funny, but officials reportedly had to evacuate several towers in the area, while reassuring citizens there was no danger from fire.