Drugs & Alcohol

Sorry to kill all the fun, but Cleveland Browns player Martin Emerson, Jr. was NOT walking around with a bunch of weed during Saturday's preseason game ... as it turns out, it was a bag of sunflower seeds.

Shocker, right?!

Of course, some folks and/or trolls on Twitter tried to take a grainy picture of the Browns vs. Chicago Bears broadcast ... and play it off like Emerson was holding a bag of weed on the bench.

The pic quickly made rounds on social media ... with users cracking their "typical Browns" jokes for retweets and favorites, and playing it off like the players were getting ready to toke.

But, one intrepid account decided to find a much clearer image of the alleged weed ... and yeah, it's definitely a bag of seeds.

If you don't believe your eyes, our sources confirm it's not marijuana and there were several players clearly chewing in the same clip that made its rounds online.

FWIW, the NFL has softened its stance on weed recently ... but sunflower seeds, however, are not banned.

Tekashi 6ix9ine's girlfriend was arrested this weekend after a dustup in Miami ... an altercation that's on video.

Rachel Wattley -- who goes by Jade -- was busted Sunday night on a battery charge related to domestic violence. She's been held on $1,500 bail at Miami-Dade County Jail ... where 69 tells us he's actually trying to bail her out.

Unclear what exactly precipitated this, but in footage obtained by TMZ -- you see Tekashi facing off with Jade and a group of women on the streets, this while they were all outside of a club. At one point, you see one of the ladies apparently try and swing on the rapper.

Eventually, Tekashi retreated to a luxury ride as people encircled him -- and it sounds like that's when cops finally showed up to break up the scene and find out what's what.

Per the police report, officers saw Tekashi and Jade being escorted outside and engaging in a verbal argument. Like our video shows, Tekashi left ... but when asked by a cop what had happened, he apparently told 'em Jade had hit him. They also say they saw marks on him.

The officers note they spoke to witnesses, who claimed Jade had struck 69 while inside and even grabbed at his chain. Although cops say they saw Tekashi with visible injuries on his face, they also say that in the end ... he didn't want to cooperate with them whatsoever.

Still, they had enough to cuff Jade and take her to the slammer. The cops say this whole thing was caught on tape from surveillance video inside ... plus all the other evidence.

6ix9ine himself tells us ... Jade, who's been his GF for 4 years, attacked him for some reason -- and he believes her friends were swaying her. He also says he thinks she was drunk. Tekashi adds, "I’m gonna get her out jail -- she attacked me in front of the police I told them, 'You have to evaluate her she’s obviously under the influence I don’t plan to press charges ... I’m the one trying to bail her out."

Antoine Dodson, who went viral in 2010 for his "hide yo kids, hide yo wife" interview, is getting into the adult beverage business ... crafting a beer based on his famous sign-off.

Antoine partnered with his local craft brewer, Straight to Ale Brewery, to come up with an American Lager called "Run N Tell That" ... it's being released Sept. 24 at a huge party, and we're told AD will be filming a commercial.

The craft brewery is in Antoine's hometown of Huntsville, AL and we're told one of Antoine's friends set up the partnership.

Remember ... Antoine closed out his hilarious "hide yo kids, hide yo wife" interview by issuing this warning to an alleged rapist, "run and tell that" ... and now the phrase is on the beer can artwork, along with a drawing of Antoine in the same outfit from his TV spot.

Straight to Ale is really going all in on beers commemorating local viral videos ... the brewery is also releasing an American Pale Ale called "Struttin That Ale" based on another viral moment from Huntsville.

Weddings can be a trippy thing ... especially these days, when the wedding party gets all psychedelic with shrooms!!!

There's a super interesting trend -- trading mushrooms for booze. Lots of folks -- especially millennials -- don't want that awful champagne hangover the next day, so they're choosing to party with mushrooms .... usually in the form of tasty chocolates.

Yeah, it's a hallucinogen, but it's become very common to relieve anxiety and depression and for lots of folks it's just a pleasurable experience ... within limits. Beats getting drunk.

A 35-year-old wedding guest told The Times, '"I think it is a combination of no weddings for two years and the younger generation moving away from getting really p*****, which can make people get quite angry. With this, everyone was having a great time."

The rub, of course, is that when someone is trippin' in a big crowd, it could cause chaos, and that's a real thing as well.

Paul "PK" Kemsley, the husband of "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Dorit ... won't be hit with DUI charges following his arrest last year ... because we've learned the case has been rejected.

The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office tells TMZ ... they reviewed PK's case but rejected it back in April based on an "insufficiency of the evidence."

Law enforcement tells us PK went from blowing a .081 in the field to a .076 at the police station -- the legal limit's .08. We're told the level change ultimately led prosecutors to decide not to charge him.

Back in December, PK's attorney, Alan Jackson told TMZ his client "regrets the fact he did not take alternate transportation home that evening."

Dorit ran into paps after word spread about PK's arrest ... she said he wasn't necessarily smashed, but he probably shouldn't have been behind the wheel in the first place.

As we reported, CHP said they pulled PK over after seeing his grey Bentley weaving in traffic on L.A.'s 101 freeway. If he had alcohol in his system and he was driving erratically the City Attorney could still charge him with DUI, even if he blew under a .08, but prosecutors say there was insufficient evidence.

Buffalo Bills Punter Matt Araiza -- accused of gang-raping a 17-year-old girl while in college -- has been released by the team, the organization announced Saturday.

As TMZ Sports previously reported, 22-year-old Araiza was sued in San Diego County Superior Court earlier this week.

Araiza, nicknamed the "Punt God," is accused of gang-raping a 17-year-old woman, only identified as "Jane Doe" in the suit, at a Halloween party at his house on October 17, 2021.

The woman, who says she was inebriated upon arriving at the party, says Araiza gave her a drink that she later believed contained "other intoxicating substances."

Doe claims the two engaged in sexual acts outside of the punter's home. She says Araiza then led her inside, and threw her onto a bed. She claims he gang raped her with two of his Aztecs teammates -- Nowlin "Pa'a" Ewaliko and Zavier Leonard -- who are also named as defendants in the lawsuit.

The woman claims the sexual abuse went on for about an hour and a half, before the party was eventually shut down. In the suit she says she "stumbled out of the room bloody and crying."

Doe is suing Araiza, Ewaliko and Leonard for unspecified damages.

Araiza, shortly after the allegations came to light, adamantly denied the claims, saying ... “The facts of the incident are not what they are portrayed in the lawsuit or in the press. I look forward to quickly setting the record straight.”

The Bills initially issued a statement saying they were aware of the allegations, saying they “conducted a thorough examination,” but couldn't comment further due to the active suit.

However, after sitting Araiza (the team's starting P) during Friday night's preseason game, the Bills, a Super Bowl favorite, announced Saturday afternoon they were parting ways with the league's most talked about punter.

Buffalo GM Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott briefly met with the media, telling reporters the situation was bigger than football, adding Matt must deal with the serious issue.

As for specifically when the organization learned or the incredibly troubling allegations, Beane said the following.

"I know it's a question of when did we hear this or what was the timeline -- late July from her representative spoke to [Bills attorney Kathryn D'Angelo] and laid out some of the things that they were accusing Matt and others of. At that time, our process, we tried to be thorough and thoughtful. Not rush to judgment, and I would say it's not easy. You're trying to put facts around a legal situation, sometimes with limited information. So, ultimately that's where we're at today with the decision."

Araiza was selected in the 6th round of the 2022 NFL Draft ... and recently went viral after he boomed an 82-yard punt during his first game.

Araiza has not been arrested or charged with a crime.

President Joe Biden canceling student debt could win him and other Dems votes in November and beyond -- something Senator Ted Cruz is well aware of ... in hilarious terms.

The legislator from Texas was firing away on his podcast, "The Verdict with Ted Cruz," over JB's decision to dish out upwards of $20k for free to people with outstanding loans -- under certain parameters, of course ... saying it could have a significant impact politically.

Watch ... TC says, yeah -- it could get a certain demographic of the Democratic party off their asses and out at polling places for the midterms ... but he makes that point with some jabs.

He says the "slacker baristas" who wasted years at college with nothing to show for it now are probably ecstatic over this news -- and he worries they may even pay Joe back in key votes for both 2022 and 2024 ... assuming they put the bong down and remember to do it.

It's pretty funny that this is who Cruz thinks this will be affected ... hippy-dippy losers working at Dunkin' -- it's just such an outdated caricature. Anyway, his point is well taken.

While Biden's student loan forgiveness is being celebrated by many, it's also receiving a lot of criticism ... with some noting that the financial burden it creates falls on tax payers, not to mention screwing people who, in the past, already paid their debts fair and square.

He and his cabinet members, including the Sec. of Education Miguel Cardona, addressed that last week -- with their argument essentially boiling down to ... tough luck, this is for the greater good.

Boosie Badazz was popped for speeding in Fulton County on Friday … but instead of flying off the rails like last time, he performed an impromptu concert on the spot!!!

Deputy Chief for Fairburn PD, tells TMZ Hip Hop ... Boosie was pulled over for going 73 in a 55 zone ... but before the stop, an unknown object was tossed from the vehicle.

Once stopped, police say they smelled weed, prompting a search of the car.

In an apparent act of defiance, Boosie decided to rap his classic song “Set It Off” … y’know the one that starts off with him being annoyed? 😬

During the search, cops say they found a small amount of weed, but didn't cite him for it. The same couldn’t be said for Boosie’s driving habits  ... cops say they issued the Louisiana-born rapper speeding and littering citations before letting him go on his way.

Check out the video -- at one point, Boosie strikes up a convo with an officer -- offers him a new job ... and dangles $30k in “pocket change” in the cop’s face!!!

Boosie tells the cop the gig comes with, um, unconventional benefits. The cop didn’t seem to bite so maybe the pocket change will just go towards paying the speeding ticket.

French Montana recently hit a big milestone with his song, "Unforgettable," but the artist isn't focused on that -- he's laser-focused on helping addicts by providing them with the privacy and help they need to recover.

French joined "TMZ Live" Friday ... talking about his partnership with Guardian Recovery Group to form NAQI Healthcare -- it's aimed at expanding access to in-home and private detox services to privacy-sensitive clients.

He's lost people over the years to addiction, in particular, his pal Mac Miller ... and doesn't want anyone to feel shame by seeking help before it's too late.

NAQI is offering up help in Florida, NY, and Cali, and will soon expand nationwide. The company's also donating a percentage of profits to MusiCares -- a charity that offers health, finance and rehab resources to musicians.

FYI -- French got his diamond-certified plaque for "Unforgettable" Wednesday ... not only is he the first African-born artist to go diamond (10 million units moved), but he's also the first artist from the South Bronx to hit the mark!!!

French is leveling up his rap stock even more with a joint album with Kodak Black and an upcoming doc in which Drake will serve as the executive producer.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince was arrested in Miami on Thursday night ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Jail records show the 28-year-old was booked at 7:51 PM due to an outstanding warrant. A police spokesperson tells us it stems from an alleged drug-related incident in Texas.

Further details have not yet been released.

Prince -- who looked stern in his mug shot -- is still in custody, the records show.

Prince, a star at Baylor, was taken by the Jazz in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft, but was traded to the Atlanta Hawks just days later. He's bounced around the league since, but played well for the T-Wolves after being traded to the team last year.

He's since signed a 2-year, $16 million extension with Minnesota ... and is expected to be a key player on the team this season.

NBA stars Nikola Jokić and Boban Marjanović went all out for Bogdan Bogdanović's 30th birthday party ... raging their faces off with their national hoops teammates -- and the vid is nuts!!

The Serbian trio hit up the Lafayette Cuisine Cabaret Club in Beograd for the festivities .. which included live music, dancing, singing and chugging out of massive champagne bottles.

The party scene was captured by Jokić's wife ... showing the back-to-back Most Valuable Player drinking his face off throughout the night -- having an absolute blast to celebrate Bogdan's 30th.

7'4" Boban was also getting into it ... hopping around as music blared in the background.

Hotsport says the hoopers' Serbian teammates Miloš Teodosić and Pero Antić were also in attendance ... as well as a number of celebrities to keep the party going.

On top of Bogdan's cake day, Jokić has a lot to celebrate ... he just inked a five-year, $264 supermax extension this offseason, which is the richest contract in NBA history.

Tennis star Nick Kyrgios is being sued by the woman he had booted from his Wimbledon match for allegedly getting wasted and distracting him ... with the fan instructing her attorney to file a defamation lawsuit in court!

Anna Palus, a fan who was ejected from Nick's July 10 finals match in London, released a statement Tuesday, saying she plans to take the 27-year-old Australian to court for what she claims was a damaging characterization.

As we previously reported, Kyrgios complained to the refs during his match against Novak Djokovic, saying Anna looked "drunk out of her mind" and kept talking to him while he was playing.

When asked by the chair umpire to identify the woman who was distracting him, Kyrgios famously said, "She's the one who looks like she's had 700 drinks."

Anna claims she and her family suffered "very substantial damage and distress" due to the incident ... and now, they're going after Kyrgios for the alleged harm he's caused.

"During the course of the final, Nick Kyrgios made a reckless and entirely baseless allegation against me," the statement read. "Not only did this cause considerable harm on the day, resulting in my temporary removal from the arena, but Mr. Kyrgios’s false allegation was broadcast to, and read by, millions around the world."

"The need to obtain vindication and to prevent [the] repetition of the allegation are the only reasons for taking legal action. Any damages recovered will be donated to charity," the statement continued.

Kyrgios lost the final to Djokovic in four sets.

Ultimately, Anna says she hopes Kyrgios will reflect on the harm he's caused her and her family and offer a "prompt resolution" to address the situation.

Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul, just pled guilty to a DUI charge stemming from his May car accident and arrest.

According to court records, obtained by TMZ, Pelosi pled guilty to one count of DUI. He was sentenced to three years probation and 5 days of jail time, with credit for time served.

As part of the probation terms, Pelosi has to complete 8 hours of a court work program, do a three-month drinking and driving course and put an ignition interlock device on his car for a year. He also has to pay a $150 fine.

TMZ broke the story ... Pelosi was involved in a car accident the night of May 28 near wine country -- cops said he was driving a 2021 Porsche when it was struck by a Jeep in a 2-vehicle crash.

The CHP officers who responded say Pelosi had "objective signs and symptoms of alcohol intoxication" -- watery eyes, slurred speech and a "strong odor" of alcohol on his breath.

According to the police report, Pelosi handed officers his "11-99 Foundation" card when they asked him for ID ... the foundation provides financial assistance and scholarships to CHP officers and their families.

He was charged with 2 misdemeanors the following month -- Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol Causing Injury, and Driving with .08% Blood Alcohol Level or Higher Causing Injury. Cops say his BAC was .082%, just over the legal limit.

Pelosi's attorney Amanda Bevins entered not guilty pleas for him at the beginning of August on both charges.

Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin has proved she can have the time of her life AND stay clean -- because her drug test has come back negative.

The 36-year-old PM's office revealed the results of her test Monday ... confirming there were no traces of narcotics found in her system.

As we reported, Marin found herself in hot water after a video leaked last week ... showing her going hard at a party with musicians, TV stars, and fellow politicians.

The clip caused quite the stir -- Finnish Member of Parliament Mikko Kärnä called her out on her party animal behavior ... being one of the first to insist she take a drug test.

Afroman's weekend was capped off by a lot of police activity -- his house was raided by law enforcement ... who were apparently on a drug hunt, and came in guns drawn.

The rapper -- who's originally from Palmdale, CA -- tells TMZ ... the Adams County Sheriff's Dept. burst into his property Sunday with their weapons drawn and orders being shouted. We're told they were in search of narcotics ... but in the end, came up empty-handed.

Afroman says he's not sure why they thought he was stashing illicit substances ... because all he had on hand, he insists, was a jar of hemp and a vape pen ... nothing else.

Afroman says he wasn't home at the time -- he was in Chicago -- he was notified by his neighbors, who got video and photos of the raid. Afroman tells us the believes this attempted bust is complete BS ... suggesting he was profiled over his music.

As you may know ... Afroman has a long history of rapping about weed and other misadventures. It's weird though -- his most famous songs are from back in the day, so if this music theory holds up ... it doesn't quite explain why cops thought something was amiss.

We've tried reaching out to the Sheriff's Dept. multiple times this morning to get an explanation on what exactly led to this and what they say they found, if anything. So far they haven't responded.

Afroman himself is outraged ... he took to IG to offer a bit more context on why this may have happened. According to him, it could have to do with him checking on a police report regarding a burglary at his home -- something ACSD apparently wasn't pleased with.

He writes, "One time my house got burglarize while I was on tour. For home insurance purposes I tried to fill out a police report. The cop came out three days later he told me they was really busy. He took my report. I would call every day and see if there was any progress being made. The Adams county sheriff department threaten to arrest me for checc-ing up on the case too frequently."

Afroman adds, "I excepted the fact that the police department is not necessary here to protect and serve me a blacc man in America so I just took my loss and never called bacc. Now here they are kicc-ing in my door looking for weapons of mass destruction and 100,000,000 pounds of weed lol wow Donald Trump calls these investigations witchhunts."

Fetty Wap will be sentenced to at least 5 years behind bars after pleading guilty to a federal drug charge.

Fetty was in court Monday where he pled guilty to one count of intent to distribute controlled substances including cocaine, heroin and fentanyl for his arrest back in October.

Two of his co-defendants, Robert Leonardi and Anthony Cyntje pleaded guilty to the same count, in addition to firearms charges.

According to a rep for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York ... the 31-year-old rap star faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. Officials are estimating he’ll serve anywhere between 87-108 months … but he can't get less than the 5-year minimum. We're told Fetty is currently in custody.

TMZ broke the story … Fetty was traveling for Rolling Loud New York when feds apprehended him and his co-defendants and accused them of using USPS trucks to smuggle drugs. Over the course of their investigation, feds say they uncovered $1.5 million in cash, 16 kilograms of cocaine, 2 kilograms of heroin, fentanyl pills and several guns.

Fetty also has another case pending ... for allegedly making death threats during a December 2021 Facetime call.