Drugs & Alcohol

Former Angels staffer Eric Kay has just been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison ... this after he was convicted of providing the drugs that led to Tyler Skaggs' death.

A federal judge in Texas just announced the sentence.

Kay, 48, had been facing a minimum of 20 years ... and up to life behind bars.

The longtime L.A. media relations official was initially arrested back in 2020 ... after authorities alleged he had given pills laced with fentanyl to Skaggs -- which ultimately led to the pitcher's tragic passing.

Officials claimed they had text message conversations between Kay and Skaggs from the night of the pitcher's overdose -- which prosecutors used as evidence to show the two talking about drugs.

Kay was indicted in 2020 on 1 count of conspiracy to possess fentanyl with the intent to distribute and 1 count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death. He was found guilty of the charges in Feb.

As we reported, Skaggs passed away in his hotel room in July 2019 just before the Angels were slated to take on the Rangers in a series in Texas. Toxicology results revealed he died from a deadly mix of booze, fentanyl and oxycodone.

Shoreline rapper OhGeesy is free to go chase the bands again -- the Burbank prosecutor declined the gun and drug case he caught in September ... due to a lack of evidence.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... OhGeesy was a passenger in a car leaving a close friend's funeral in the L.A. area when cops pulled them over, and ended up arresting him and 3 others for a gun found in the vehicle.

The prosector's office tells us the 28-year-old is now in the clear.

Prosecutors also declined to move forward with charging OhGeesy for a bottle of codeine they claim was in his pocket. We're told the DA is still pursuing charges against some of the other individuals in the vehicle.

OhGeesy's attorney, Michael A. Goldstein, welcomed the change of fortune, telling TMZ Hip Hop ... “As stated previously, we were looking forward to OhGeesy’s day in court. I have an innocent client and the Prosecutor made the right call dismissing the case.”

OhGeesy just wrapped up his nationwide tour with fellow Cali rappers BlueBucksClan and we're told he's now laying out the blueprint for his next project, "Geezyworld 2."

Xzibit says he's super stoked to toke in light of President Biden pardoning weed possession inmates -- but says people should understand, it's just one small step in the right direction.

The Golden State rap warrior chopped it up with TMZ Hip Hop to add his 2 cents to the brewing cannabis conversation, and while he commended the Prez for cutting federal prisoners the break ... he says the majority of federal marijuana-related convictions will remain intact.

X says there's a lot more the feds -- and individual governors -- can do to ensure no one is incarcerated for Mary Jane.

Already one of hip hop's most trusted cannabis CEOs ... X kicked down doors with his previous company, Brass Knuckles, which blossomed into his current booming biz, Napalm.

We also asked him about his famous 420 shoutouts from 50 Cent's iconic hit "In da Club" off the diamond-selling "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" album .. and he tells us the nod followed him around for years.

Xzibit also revealed during the convo that after 4 decades of blazing mics, he's calling it a career at the top of next year with his final album, "King Maker."

X admits he still has love for the craft and culture of being an MC ... but at this stage of his life, he has other obligations -- including family -- that needs his time the most.

The crowd at Kushstock did exactly what they wanted to do -- get super stoned -- because one of the acts swapped out a simple fog machine for weed smoke that got blasted into the audience!!!

Rapper Chucky Chuck gave his fans an experience they'll never forget, though the memory might be a little foggy ... posting the vid from this weekend's festival in Adelanto, CA with a caption that says, "F*** a fog machine."

The artist says he worked with 2 custom cannabis creation companies to make the impossible possible -- building what looks like a leaf blower attached to a big pipe -- with a bunch of weed inside, of course.

It looks like the audience was loving -- and inhaling -- every second of it ... it's called Kushstock for a reason, people.

Tommy Chong sees President Biden's weed possession pardon as a big step forward in the world of cannabis ... but he isn't ready to celebrate until the government removes marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug -- pointing to his past legal trouble.

The comedian told us ... Biden's decision shows he's got the pulse of America ... but thinks a rescheduling would be a HUGE win for everyone involved in legitimate weed sales.

Tommy thinks marijuana sales will someday become the biggest industry in the world ... so rescheduling it could further validate the legitimacy of the biz.

He's a fan of Biden, and says he'll gladly vote for him again ... but he thinks the Prez can do more, especially regarding anti-paraphernalia laws, which got Tommy locked up back in 2003.

Tommy was sentenced to 9 months in a federal lockup, after pleading guilty to selling bongs through a family-owned business. He tells us he had no choice but to cop a plea.

Aljamain Sterling wholeheartedly believes TJ Dillashaw is juicing, telling TMZ Sports he's "100%" confident the former champ is cheating!!

"I'm excited, man. I can't wait to be standing across the cage and hear Bruce Buffer just go, 'two-time UFC former bantamweight champion Pill.J DillaRoid,' and I'm just gonna be like 'Yeah I'm gonna f**k this guy up!'"

The 33-year-old bantamweight champion is fighting the #2 ranked fighter at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi on October 22.

You may remember ... TJ was suspended for 2 years for using EPO, a banned substance, during his title fight with Henry Cejudo. TJ admitted to what he did, apologized, and vowed to never again cheat.

But, Aljo ain't buyin' it.

"I think this is a legacy fight for myself to beat a guy like this who's been cheating for years and beating a lot of people for years. I think it does a huge boost to my stock and just go out there and have a good performance. The rest will take care of itself."

We asked Sterling ... you really think TJ's still doping?

"100% man! That guy knows the ins and outs of that whole thing," Aljamain said.

There's much more ... we also talked to Aljamain about the fight, and how he sees himself getting the win.

Jim Jones agrees with Wiz Khalifa ... President Joe Biden's move to pardon marijuana convicts is right on, but if you ask the Harlem Capo, it's the first thing 46 has done right in a long time.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the Dipset legend as he conducted boss business around NYC. He's stoked over Biden's move, especially since he's the CEO of his own cannabis co. -- Saucey Farms & Extracts.

Jim co-founded the company with his partner, celebrity jeweler Alex Todd, in 2018 and says at the time there was moderate opposition to them getting things off the ground.

He now sees New York as a completely different place -- recreational cannabis was legalized in 2021 -- but he's warning up-and-coming weed entrepreneurs that the government will still make it hard for average hustlers to get a slice of the pie.

Jim thinks marijuana will become ubiquitous ... and the government will buy up all the farming -- effectively squeezing out the 'lil guy.

He's urging anyone with a stake in the cannabis game to get their licenses and permits because he says no one will be able to match U.S.A.'s bankroll.

Speaking of cigarettes, the celebrated rapper is diversifying his portfolio with the addition of a tobacco company he runs with his fellow Dipsetter, Juelz Santana.

President Biden's decision to pardon all federal prisoners convicted of simple marijuana possession is sitting very well with rappers like Wiz Khalifa ... who tells us he hopes it's just the first step towards more pro-weed legislation.

Referring to Biden's announcement, Wiz tells TMZ Hip Hop ... “It’s awesome to see things are moving in the right direction. Cannabis laws have negatively impacted people for way too long.”

The Prez outlined his plan for marijuana reform this week ... speaking to that negative impact, and there's widespread hope that the next move could be federal decriminalization of cannabis ... if not outright legalization.

Outside of Snoop Dogg, Wiz is arguably rap music's smokiest cat ... and has been perfecting his own Khalifa Kush brand for some time now.

In addition to his KK and Khalifa Mints strains, he also sells supported merch and delves heavily into the art of cannabinoid science ... through hits of a Taylor Gang-branded, gravity-infused bong!!!

The White House says the Justice Department is actively working to make legalization a reality, but has yet to reveal any sort of timetable.

President Biden is making a big change in how the feds view marijuana ... because he's going to pardon thousands of folks with federal convictions for simple possession of weed.

Biden made the landmark announcement Thursday, calling it an end to what he sees as our nation's failed approach to ganja.

POTUS says he's pardoning all prior offenses for simple possession of marijuana under federal law, a decision the White House says will affect at least 6,500 people, and he's calling on governors to do the same at the state level.

Biden is also urging the Attorney General and the Department of Health and Human Services to review how marijuana is scheduled under federal law ... currently, weed is classified in the same category as heroin and is considered more serious than fentanyl, which, Biden says makes no sense.

POTUS says there still needs to be limitations on trafficking, marketing and underage sales of marijuana.

Biden says the pardons will help folks get education, housing and jobs ... but there's not a clear timeline for when the pardons will occur. The White House says the Justice Department will create a process for making it happen.

R&B singer Lyfe Jennings is fending off critics after revealing he once serenaded former cellmate, Jeffrey Dahmer ... but he's got a pretty odd defense.

Lyfe responded to the backlash Thursday with a declaration he must have borrowed from his pal, Captain Obvious ... he pointed out drugs have taken more Black lives than Dahmer -- who, for the record, killed 17 people -- that police know of, anyway.

Lyfe had previously posted, rather glowingly, about his time in an Ohio jail with Dahmer. He referred to the serial killer/cannibal as "the homie" and admitted singing Mint Condition's jam 'Pretty Brown Eyes' at Dahmer's request.

The trip down memory lane angered many of Lyfe's fans -- most of them Black -- who felt like he was capitalizing off the moment created by the immensely popular new Netflix series ... not to mention romanticizing his brush with evil.

Lyfe says he isn't backing down from cancel culture and nonstop trolling on his IG page and is exercising his right to think outside the norm.

His words sound similar to Kanye's BFF Candace Owens ... who recently argued Black people should be more upset about obesity and gun violence than the "White Lives Matter" shirts she and Kanye wore this week.

Lyfe's comments probably aren't sitting well with Boosie Badazz ... who angrily called for all Black people to boycott the Netflix series.

The show's been criticized for being sympathetic to Dahmer, who preyed upon young men of color, and -- according to the show, at least -- got several passes from police who were allegedly racist and/or homophobic.

Brittney Griner's wife says the WNBA star has hit the lowest moment of her life while locked up in Russia ... saying the basketball player has told her, "I feel like my life just doesn't matter."

Cherelle Griner nearly came to tears while discussing the state of her wife with Gayle King this week ... explaining she's never seen Brittney reach such a dark place before.

"BG's at her absolute weakest moment in life right now," Cherelle said. "She's very afraid about being left and forgotten in Russia. Or just completely used to the point of her detriment."

Brittney was arrested in February after she was accused of bringing hashish oil in her luggage to a Moscow airport. She later fessed up to the crime, and was sentenced to nine years in prison over it all in August. She is appealing the ruling, though she's expected to lose that at a hearing later this month.

And, Cherelle said the last time they were able to speak on the phone, she sensed something was very wrong with her wife.

"It was the most disturbing phone call I had ever experienced," Cherelle said. "And I've known BG 11 years. So I'm like, that was the most disturbing conversation."

Cherelle said Brittney has told her things like, "My life just don't even matter no more," and, "Am I just nothing?"

Cherelle added that she's very worried Brittney could ultimately be moved to a labor camp following her appeal hearing on Oct. 25.

"My brain can't even fathom it," she said.

Brittney Griner's wife, Cherelle, is speaking out for the first time since the WNBA star was sentenced to nine years in prison in Russia ... saying it feels like her partner is being held as "a hostage" in the foreign country.

Cherelle sat down for an interview with Gayle King this week -- and explained she's absolutely "terrified" of what's going on with Griner, her trial, and the negotiations to get her out.

"It's like a movie for me," she said. "In no world did I ever thought our president and a foreign nation president would be sitting down having to discuss the freedom of my wife."

Griner -- who's been married to Cherelle since 2019 -- was arrested in February in Russia after she was found to have hashish oil in her luggage while at an airport.

During her trial, Griner admitted to having the substances in her bag, but she told a judge that she packed it by mistake and had no intentions of breaking Russian laws. She was eventually found guilty -- and sentenced to nine years behind bars.

She is appealing the ruling, and the date for a hearing on that matter has been set for Oct. 25.

Cherelle says it's all been a horrifying experience for her.

"As much as everybody's telling me a different definition of what BG is, it feels to me as if she's a hostage," Cherelle said. "It terrifies me."

Cherelle told King she has legitimate worries that she may never see her wife again.

"When you watch movies," she said, "sometimes those situations don't end well. Sometimes they never get the person back."

Angelina Jolie is rehashing her infamous plane fight with Brad Pitt in their winery dispute ... we will explain.

As we have reported, Angelina claimed Brad got physical with one of their kids and her on a private jet back in 2016 ... something she says triggered their divorce. She repeated the allegations recently when she filed a lawsuit against the FBI to release the file on the plane incident.

Angelina now claims she was forced to sell her interest in the Chateau Miraval winery they own because of the divorce. They are currently in a legal dispute over whether she had a right to sell her interest to a third party without Brad's approval.

As for why she's bringing up the plane incident again in the winery dispute ... it's simply unclear, except for the fact that it relates to the divorce that made her want to sell her interest in the winery.

Fact is ... whatever happened on the plane will almost certainly have no impact on the legal claims she's making in the winery lawsuit.

As for those claims, however, Angelina details again what she says happened on the jet, but this time she says Brad got physical with two of their children, not just one. She says Brad choked one of the kids and struck another in the face. Brad has denied the claim.

She also says Brad poured beer on her, and beer and red wine on the kids.

And there's more ... she says by 2019, she did not want to be in an alcohol-related business with Brad given his past alcohol problem.

Mark Cuban says despite a rehab stint and some recent positive updates, Delonte West is still struggling to get on the right path.

The Dallas Mavericks owner told TMZ Sports out in NYC this week that he's been keeping in contact with his former player ... and, sadly, he said West is continuing to fight to get healthy.

"It's a struggle for him," Cuban said. "I mean, addiction is awful. And mental illness is awful. He's at the point in his life where he's got to want to be helped."

West has battled substance abuse issues in his past -- and has been spotted panhandling in the streets several times in the last few years.

But, back in 2020, Cuban helped him check into a rehab facility. And, this past June, West landed a flooring gig -- and appeared to be getting back on his feet.

Cuban, though, said West still has a long way to go.

"You know, he's got to want to help himself first," Mark said. "I've tried. I know it's tough on him, but I wish him nothing but the best."

Navy SEALs are apparently using performance-enhancing drugs en masse -- a phenomenon under the microscope after a recent death -- and now ... the branch is cracking down.

This all came under increased scrutiny after 24-year-old SEAL trainee Kyle Mullen died suddenly earlier this year while he was participating in the training program ... specifically, during Hell Week, where would-be SEALs are put through extreme conditions.

While Mullen's mother denies her son was on any type of steroid/PED that could've adversely affected his health -- paraphernalia found in his car shortly after his death has caused concern among Navy brass, spurring them to request more testing to detect this stuff.

There's a list of banned substances -- including PEDs -- that the Navy doesn't want its recruits using ... even though, in reality, it seems many of them are. Mullen's mother told CNN that her son relayed this to her while he was alive ... that more often than not, prospective SEALs were juicing up for competitive advantages in the elite program.

Officials believe this problem goes beyond just human growth hormone, BTW -- the PED problem is said to be rampant and wide-ranging ... which is obviously worrying, seeing how much this stuff has been found to be bad for the average person's health, increasing heart rate and blood pressure levels beyond normal -- and that can lead to death.

After Mullen's death, other cadets were ordered to undergo urinalysis to test for PEDs, but the Navy wants blood testing approved (and funded) because they believe this issue needs to be weeded out and strictly forbidden.

A Naval senior officer told CNN ... there is "beyond a reasonable doubt that a significant portion of the candidate population is utilizing a wide range of performance-enhancing drugs."

Harrison Bader took a page out of Stone Cold Steve Austin's playbook on Tuesday night -- chugging three beers at once to celebrate the Yankees winning the AL East title ... and it was EPIC!!!

The New York outfielder -- who's only been a member of the Pinstripes for a few weeks after being acquired by the team in a trade with the Cardinals last month -- was seen hitting the party trick in the locker room following NY's 5-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

The 28-year-old nabbed three Bud Heavies, cracked 'em all open, then proceeded to pour each one down his face. At one point, one of his teammates even threw ANOTHER beer into the mix!!

Following the initial chug, Bader let out a burp -- and then went back for more!

Of course, he wasn't the only Yank gettin' after it following the big victory ... the team's MVP, Aaron Judge, was also spotted in the locker room enjoying a face full of champagne.

Judge didn't hit any homers in the contest -- he walked FOUR times and still remains one dinger shy of tying Roger Maris' 61 mark -- but he clearly didn't care ... even opting to sip on a Bud later in the celebration.

No word when the guys finally wound down the celly -- but it had to have wrapped up sooner than later ... they've got a game Wednesday at 4 p.m. PT.