Drugs & Alcohol

'Deadliest Catch' star Nick McGlashan appears to have died from some sort of drug overdose ... according to police investigating his death.

Law enforcement sources tell us Nashville PD got a call to a Holiday Inn outside Nashville Sunday afternoon. We're told Nick had been discovered unresponsive in his room by a friend. We're told the evidence at the scene "indicated the possibility of drug involvement."

Authorities still need to wait for the results from a toxicology test before making a final ruling on Nick's cause of death.

McGlashan was a prominent figure on the show ... making appearances from 2013-2020. He started fishing at a young age, just 13, and made his way up to captaining boats like the Cape Caution and Summer Bay -- but he battled addiction with drugs and alcohol along the way.

Shia LaBeouf is in terrible shape and needs inpatient treatment for addiction and psychological issues ... and not just inpatient treatment ... but longterm treatment.

Shia's lawyer, Shawn Holley, tells TMZ, "Shia needs help and he knows that." Holley, who first told Variety about Shia's intentions, adds, “We are actively seeking the kind of meaningful, intensive, long-term inpatient treatment that he desperately needs."

This isn't happening in a vacuum. This comes shortly after ex-GF FKA Twigs sued him for physical, emotional and mental abuse.

She claims Shia once tried to strangle her after slamming her against a car. She says there were other incidents of violence ... she says he once pulled out a gun and told her he had killed stray dogs in the past because he wanted to know what it felt like to take a life.

Shia, who has struggled with addiction for years, had his name removed recently from a Netflix awards consideration page.

John Mulaney will be spending the holidays away from friends and family, he's checked into rehab to treat cocaine and alcohol abuse after relapsing ... TMZ has confirmed.

The comedian entered rehab this past weekend and will spend the next 60 days at a facility in Pennsylvania. John's reportedly not fighting rehab ... and his friends and family are happy that he's getting the help he needs.

According to Page Six, which first reported the news, John struggled to stay sober during the pandemic. John, who had been sober since he was 23, was no stranger to openly talking about his struggles ... admitting his dabbling with prescription and illegal drugs.

Just last year, he said he started drinking at just 13 years old ... and drank for attention. John said he didn't know how to act ... until booze made him hilarious again.

But, the struggles didn't end there. The 38-year-old comedian told Esquire for a September cover story that the drinking ultimately led to him using drugs. He said, "I never liked smoking pot. Then I tried cocaine, and I loved it."

Tony La Russa pled guilty to reckless driving Monday -- nearly a full year after he was arrested in February -- and now, the White Sox manager is expressing serious remorse over the incident.

La Russa was busted back on Feb. 24 after cops believed he had been drinking and driving.

In police documents, cops said the 76-year-old had wrecked his car in Phoenix, AZ -- and officers claimed he exhibited all the signs of being impaired when they questioned him.

Cops said La Russa smelled like alcohol, blew a .09 (the legal limit is .08) ... and then became combative.

In the docs, police said La Russa -- who admitted to drinking wine prior to getting behind the wheel -- told officers, "I'm legit. I'm a Hall of Famer, brother. You're trying to embarrass me."

Cops say bloodwork on La Russa ultimately showed he had a BAC of .095 ... and he was eventually hit with two misdemeanor DUI charges.

Courts records, though, show La Russa reached a deal with prosecutors Monday ... in which he agreed to plead guilty to a reduced charge of reckless driving.

In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop the other DUI charge.

As part of La Russa's sentencing, he was ordered to spend one day in jail -- though La Russa will be allowed to serve it via home confinement, according to his attorney, Larry Kazan.

Kazan also said La Russa will pay a $1,300 fine and do 20 hours of community service as part of his sentencing.

"Mr. La Russa knows he made a mistake last February and deeply regrets it," Kazan said in a statement. "He is embarrassed and concerned. He knows what he did was wrong."

People battling addiction or other health issues in need of a strong support system are mostly getting the short end of the stick during the pandemic ... so says Dr. Phil.

We spoke to the good doc Monday on "TMZ Live" and revisited a topic we'd discussed with him and others during the early stages of lockdowns -- the well-being of folks in AA, NA and other support groups as they have to navigate quarantining solo.

Phil was worried about this early on and tells us a lot of those fears have manifested as relapse rates and drug/substance usage is noticeably up throughout the U.S. Basically, Phil says virtual meetings lack a lot of factors that make in-person meetings so effective.

While he does note some upsides to being able to partake in support groups online -- like a greater degree of anonymity, and more options of where to drop in for a meeting -- he says the list of cons outweigh the pros.

Dr. Phil adds ... one of the issues for virtual support groups is Zoom-bombing -- essentially, hackers dropping in on chats they have no place being. That makes many people apprehensive because they can't see everyone in the room.

Russia's vodka industry is taking a major hit -- leaders over there are telling citizens to lay off the sauce when they get the coronavirus vaccine.

Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova says Russians who receive the Sputnik V vaccine -- which is administered in 2 phases 21 days apart -- must abstain from alcohol for 42 days ... because it's an immunosuppressant.

That's not all -- Russians planning to get the vaccine are also supposed to give up drinking 2 weeks before their first injection. So, that's about 2 months of sobriety for people living in the nation known to be one of the world's leading alcohol consumers.

Anna Popova, head of Russia’s consumer watchdog agency, says beer and liquor are a strain on the body, adding ... "If we want to stay healthy and have a strong immune response, don’t drink alcohol." Smoking cigarettes is also being discouraged.

So far, Russian officials estimate 100,000 have received the Sputnik V vaccine.

Would you really have expected anything else from His Airness?!

Michael Jordan's golf course in Florida features flying drones that deliver food and booze straight to the fairways ... and video captured by tennis star Caroline Wozniacki at the place this week shows it's all AWESOME!!!

The course -- which just opened in 2019 after YEARS of planning, developing and constructing -- is insane ... it's called The Grove XXIII and it's built on a huge plot of land in Hobe Sound, FL.

The holes are super sleek, and the club has a dope 15,000-square-foot clubhouse ... but the coolest part has got to be the drones!!

MJ replaced beer carts with flying ships that bring alcohol and snacks to golfers ... and in videos that show the whole process, you can see just how cool it is.

Wozniacki -- who was getting in some run on the course this week -- filmed the whole thing ... as did others, and you can see it's really freakin' cool.

The problem for you normies looking to experience it? MJ's club is SUPER EXCLUSIVE -- it reportedly has less than 100 members!!

Morgan Wallen has a plan to make sure he's not booted from his second crack at 'SNL' ... but his strategy already has some gaping holes of his own doing.

We got the country music star in New York City Friday and our photog asked him how he's planning to stay COVID safe ahead of his big 'SNL' performance.

Morgan tells us he "ain't leaving the damn hotel" ... as he's literally walking out of said hotel.

As you know ... Morgan is getting a second chance at 'SNL' 2 months after the show axed him from an earlier, planned gig. He got the boot after he was seen taking shots in a crowded bar and kissing women during some maskless partying down in Alabama. Y'know, stuff that's NOT COVID safe.

Morgan's thanking the Lord for another shot -- at 'SNL,' not the bar -- and says he'll do things differently this time. As for leaving the hotel, maybe he's going to 30 Rock for rehearsals.

Good on Morgan for wearing a face-covering as he climbs into a waiting SUV with his masked-up team.

The show should be pretty funny, with host Jason Bateman already in fine form.

NBA legend Paul Pierce is being sued over an alleged marijuana deal gone bad -- accused of screwing over the guy he hired to build and run his grow house!

"The Truth" is being sued by Kenneth Johnson -- who's been described as a "master grower" when it comes to cannabis.

In his suit, Johnson claims Pierce hired him back in 2016 to "design and develop a warehouse to cultivate cannabis from inception to completion."

Johnson claims Pierce offered him $10,000 per month -- and required him to move out to L.A. ... not a bad gig, right!?

But, soon after they got started, Johnson says Pierce cut his pay to $4,000 -- claiming they couldn't afford the full rate until after there was product to be sold.

Johnson claims things got worse from there ... claiming Pierce and his company "cut corners" and didn't even get the weed plants into the warehouse until late 2018.

Even then, Johnson claims Pierce refused to pay him his promised $10,000 monthly rate -- insisting they wouldn't have the funds until after the first marijuana harvest.

Things finally came to a head in Nov. 2019 -- Johnson claims he still wasn't getting his full pay so he left the company ... while Pierce's operation still owed him more than $42k in unpaid wages!

Now, Johnson's suing for back pay -- plus unpaid overtime, missed meal period violations and more.

The weed biz ... it ain't all fun and games!

Ex-Michigan State basketball star Keith Appling -- who led the Spartans to the Elite Eight in 2014 -- was sentenced to 18 months probation, stemming from a heroin arrest back in February.

Cops say the 28-year-old was stopped in Warren, Michigan on Feb. 8 after officers spotted his car weaving all over the road.

After he was pulled over, cops say Appling appeared sweaty and woozy -- so they searched the vehicle, and turned up 19 grams of heroin (about the size of a golf ball) in a sandwich bag.

Prosecutors believe Appling intended to sell the heroin.

The former hoops star was charged with "delivery or manufacture of less than 50 grams of a controlled substance" -- and pled guilty to the charge back in October.

Appling appeared in court Monday over Zoom -- where he was sentenced to 18 months probation.

The terms of his probation include no drugs or alcohol, he must be employed 30 hours a week and must complete a treatment program, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Appling was one of the best high school basketball players in the country back in the day -- he was named Michigan's "Mr. Basketball" in 2010 as the state's top player.

A Staten Island bar's ripping a page from Seattle protesters' playbook by declaring an "autonomous zone" that's defying New York's COVID-19 restrictions ... and its patrons seem willing to go down fighting.

Sheriff's deputies raided Mac's Public House and shut it down Tuesday night for defying coronavirus health orders ... it was continuing to serve customers indoors. One of the owners, Danny Presti, was arrested for not cooperating during the raid -- and his loyal customers are pissed.

As Presti was being hauled out of his pub, a dozen or so patrons gathered outside in protest ... chanting "Hands off Mac's Public House."

As the unrest grew outside the bar, State Sen. Andrew Lanza showed up in an attempt to play peaceful mediator between Presti's lawyer, angry supporters and the authorities ... while also trying to get an explanation why Presti was arrested.

It doesn't seem like it came to a satisfactory conclusion though, especially for one fan of Mac's who's trying to rally a massive demonstration Wednesday night.

The guy posted his call to action as the raid was going down, pointing out what he feels is the hypocrisy of the new lockdown rules, and says he wants a thousand people lined up in front of Mac's to protest. Referring to the government, he shouted, "If they fear you, they won't f**k with you!!!"

Things definitely could get interesting tonight in Staten Island, which by the way ... is a state-designated coronavirus hot spot.

Irene Bedard, the actor who voiced Pocahontas in the Disney film, is way too familiar with the back of a police car after what cops call 2 wildly-drunken incidents over 3 days.

Her first arrest went down at Irene's ex-husband's house in Beavercreek, OH -- where cops responded to a possible domestic violence situation on Friday night. According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, officers found the actress with a belt in her hand.

Police claim Irene, who is Native American, said something to the effect of, "Look, they sent the white man to come get me!" The report also says she appeared incredibly intoxicated, reeked of booze and had trouble standing straight.

Her ex told cops Irene showed up pounding on his door and when he let her in, she started yelling at their 17-year-old son ... and allegedly kicked him as he tried to restrain her. Cops claim that continued as she kicked and screamed while they tried to get her into their cruiser.

BPD notes her son didn't want to press charges and just wanted his mom to get help -- but they took her to the station and booked her for domestic violence, assault and resisting arrest.

She posted bond ... but a few days later, on Monday, Irene was arrested again when Beavercreek PD was summoned to a hotel where Irene was allegedly harassing the front desk clerk.

The officer on that case says he tried talking Irene down, but again she appeared wasted and was combative. So much so, he claims she charged at him, and he had to pin her down to cuff her. Cops also say it took several officers to drag her into jail.

The second time around, Irene was only booked for disorderly conduct before she was released, once again, without bail.

Erik Menendez is off the hook for the package of marijuana that arrived for him at his California prison ... because prison officials say he had nothing to do with it.

We broke the story ... the Menendez brother was placed in isolation at the R.J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego in October after he received some weed in the mail. The shipment triggered an investigation behind prison walls.

Our sources told us the pot package was intercepted by prison staff and the big question ... was it something Erik solicited? They wanted to know if he planned on distributing or trading the drugs or keeping them for personal use.

Turns out -- it was none of the above. A rep for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation tells us ... "The investigation is complete and the allegations against him were unfounded."

We're told Erik was transferred out of isolation in the Administrative Segregation Unit and back to his regular housing unit.

Forget Skittles, Marshawn Lynch says he would shoot Hennessy in the locker room before NFL games ... claiming he would use his backpack to sneak the booze in.

Beast Mode revealed his secret pre-game ritual during an interview with Peyton Manning ... playing off his pre-game drinking routine as no big deal.

"My superstition was that I needed to have maybe a shot … a shot and half ... before every game," Lynch said on ESPN's "Peyton's Places."

Peyton asked Marshawn to clarify -- saying, "[A shot] of ... ???"

"Hennessy," Lynch replied ... "Whatchu mean 'of?'"

Manning asked where Lynch where he would get the booze -- maybe from a bar in the stadium during his run with the Seahawks?

"Nah, the bar's in my backpack," Lynch said.

The NFL has long banned alcohol from locker rooms -- so, if Marshawn is telling the truth (and there's no reason to suggest he's lying), it seems the boozy ritual would violate the NFL's policy.

But, as Marshawn also pointed out during the show, he got fined so much during his playing days, the NFL would send him a weekly invoice!

Lynch wasn't the only NFL player drinking Hennessy before games -- Clinton Portis has said he would share the H with Santana Moss and Sean Taylor during their time with Washington back in the day.

A woman went ham inside a UK supermarket ... obliterating the liquor shelves.

She apparently was acting erratically while waiting in the checkout line, and when one of the shoppers told her to calm down, she went nuts and started breaking more than 500 -- THAT'S FIVE HUNDRED -- bottles of booze.

The tantrum went on for 5 long minutes, according to The Sun. At one point she slips and slashes her right hand, but continues her rampage with her left.

The lady was arrested and taken into custody. A police spokesperson said she was taken to a hospital for treatment of her injured hand.

It's not exactly following President Trump's musings about drinking bleach, but it's in the ballpark ... 7 people are dead after drinking hand sanitizer ... because they ran out of booze.

It happened in Russia, where 9 people were apparently partying, and when the alcohol ran dry, they pulled out an antidote for coronavirus. But, these folks weren't interested in cleaning their hands ... they wanted a swig or 2.

The victims ranged in age from 28 to 69. Two more victims are in the ICU, in a coma.

The Russian government warned its citizens not to drink the sanitizer, which is manufactured inside the country.