Drugs & Alcohol

More trouble for Mario Edwards Jr. ...

The Chicago Bears defensive lineman has been handed a 2-game ban by NFL commish Roger Goodell on Friday ... but we're told it is NOT related to an alleged domestic violence incident in October.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... a woman claims 26-year-old Edwards got violent with her in a North Carolina hotel room on Oct. 17 (the day before playing against the Panthers) ... after she turned down his sexual advances.

The woman claims she was pregnant at the time of the incident ... and required medical attention for injuries sustained during the alleged attack.

Edwards, though, has STRONGLY denied any wrongdoing ... claiming he was the victim and the woman was the aggressor.

While that incident remains under investigation, we're told Edwards' punishment Friday is due to a violation of the league's performance-enhancing substance policy ... resulting in the 2-game ban.

Edwards showed serious promise in 15 games for the Bears this season ... racking up 4 sacks in 15 games.

Kyle Rittenhouse -- the teenager charged with homicide in the Kenosha, WI killings -- needs to stop drinking and flashing white power symbols ... at least that's what prosecutors want.

The Kenosha County D.A.'s Office is asking a judge to modify Rittenhouse's bond conditions to bar him from boozing, going anywhere alcohol is served, making white supremacist hand gestures in public, or hanging out with groups like the Proud Boys ... according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ.

In the docs, prosecutors claim Rittenhouse was hanging out with Proud Boys members inside a Wisconsin bar last week, with the Proud Boys serenading him and posing for pictures chock full of white power symbols.

However, Rittenhouse claims he's not a member of the Proud Boys, or any other white nationalist groups, and believes prosecutors are just trying to inject race into his case.

Remember ... Rittenhouse is charged with killing 2 protesters and wounding a 3rd during the civil unrest in Kenosha that exploded following Jacob Blake's shooting. He was 17 at the time, and video allegedly shows him shooting 2 of the 3 people before walking right past police. He's currently out of jail on $2 million bail.

Las Vegas Raiders star Josh Jacobs is breathing easier today ... he won’t be hit with a DUI charge stemming from his car crash in Las Vegas last week -- according to his attorneys.

David Z. Chesnoff and Richard A. Schonfeld, who are repping Jacobs in the case, say the 22-year-old running back was only charged with failure to exercise due care by the district attorney on Monday.

"Josh appreciates the district attorney's thorough and complete review of the accident," Jacobs' attorneys said, "and we would like to thank the EMS and law enforcement at the scene."

FYI, failure to exercise due care is generally regarded as a minor offense ... usually punished with fines and community service.

It's obviously great news for Jacobs and his attorneys -- they clearly were effective in convincing the DA not to charge Josh with DUI after he wrecked his car near the airport at around 4:42 AM in Vegas on Jan. 4.

As we previously reported, cops say they had suspected Jacobs of drinking before getting behind the wheel ... claiming the NFL star smelled like alcohol when they questioned him shortly after the crash.

Jacobs and his attorneys, though, were adamant Josh did NOT drink and drive, saying at the time, "there are no blood test results to support a suggestion of impairment."

As for the injuries Jacobs suffered in the crash, his mug shot showed he suffered a huge gash on his forehead ... but it appears the running back will be fine going forward.

Kyle Rittenhouse -- the teenager charged with homicide in the Kenosha, WI killings -- seems to be flaunting the fact he's no longer in jail as he awaits trial ... based on his t-shirt anyway.

Rittenhouse -- who just turned 18 -- hit up a bar in Mt. Pleasant, WI earlier this week with his parents and enjoyed a beer ... according to our sources. As you can see ... he was sporting a shirt with the phrase, "Free as F***."

If you're wondering how he was allowed to drink alcohol, you're not alone ... but it's actually allowed per Wisconsin law if a person under 21 is with a parent, guardian or spouse of legal drinking age.

Nonetheless, it seems someone was concerned about Rittenhouse's presence in the bar, because the Mount Pleasant PD tells us they got a call about him being there. We're told the caller believed it may have been a violation of his bond agreement.

Cops say they looked into it and learned Rittenhouse was at Pudgy's Pub on Tuesday afternoon with a parent, and relayed the info to the Kenosha County DA's Office. We're told an investigation determined he had not violated his agreement.

As we reported ... Rittenhouse was released from custody in late November on $2 million bail. The money was raised mostly by donors -- including actor Ricky Schroder -- who have lauded the teenager as a patriotic hero.

State of the nation got ya down? Here's a video that'll help pick you back up ...

A Green Bay Packers fan finished his last round of cancer treatments ... and to celebrate, he rang a ceremonial bell -- AND THEN SHOTGUNNED A BEER!!!

The amazing footage was posted on Twitter on Wednesday ... showing a guy in an Aaron Rodgers jersey attacking a Busch Light like a true champ after achieving the incredible feat!

"Ever shotgun a beer in a hospital?" Twitter user @blomdotcomm captioned the video. "Done with chemo. Done with cancer!"

He later added, "Had to celebrate the milestone in an epic fashion."

The clip was so awesome, it caught the attention of former NFL punter Pat McAfee -- who wrote of the vid, "Feel like the world needs some feel good right now... this feels good. Congrats BOSS."

Several airlines are stepping in to help keep things calm after the Association of Flight Attendants called on President Trump's supporters to settle the hell down on commercial flights.

American Airlines has banned booze and United's increased staffing to-and-from D.C. flights in the wake of Wednesday's attempted coup by Trump supporters -- many of whom reportedly terrorized passengers on flights to the nation's capital.

As we reported, Senator Mitt Romney was on the receiving end of "traitor" chants during his Tuesday flight from Utah.

American and United's response comes a day after the union repping almost 50,000 flight attendants called on airlines and law enforcement to act after "the mob mentality behavior" on several flights ... which it says "threatened the safety and security" of all passengers and crew members.

American already wasn't serving booze in its main cabins because of COVID, but now it's banned alcohol throughout, including first class. The ban's in effect until at least Thursday night. Both American and United are increasing staff at D.C.-area airports.

Flight attendants, for example, had complained Trump supporters on a Tuesday flight from Texas to D.C. projected a pro-Trump message on the cabin.

The union's fed up, and wants law enforcement to take things up a notch, saying ... "Acts against our democracy, our government, and the freedom we claim as Americans must disqualify these individuals from the freedom of flight."

TMZ Sports has obtained dashcam footage of Rashard "Hollywood" Higgins' recent traffic stop ... which shows cops ordering the Cleveland Browns receiver to destroy an alleged marijuana joint on camera.

As we previously reported, Higgins and teammate Jedrick Wills were cited for drag racing in Ohio at around 9:30 AM on Tuesday.

In video of Higgins' traffic stop ... you can see a Westlake PD responding officer ask the 26-year-old about his car smelling like weed.

The player told the officers he had smoked in the car the day before ... but in video, you can see one of the cops says he found a joint in Higgins' pocket.

What happens next is crazy ... one of the cops mentions getting busted for weed could be "bad for press" -- so he ordered the player to crush the joint with his foot and kick it into the sewer.

"You guys are celebrities around here, so you don't want that hittin' the news, OK?" the officer said ... adding he'd only hit Higgins with a ticket for drag racing.

Higgins compiled throughout the stop ... and even admitted to cops he's "better than that."

As for Wills, his interaction with officers was much less eventful.

A cop scolded the 21-year-old for the alleged racing ... and Wills admitted he and Higgins were "just being d*ckheads."

Both Higgins and Wills are due in court later this month.

Mahlon Reyes, a deckhand on one of the "Deadliest Catch" crab fishing boats, died from a drug overdose ... TMZ has learned.

Mahlon's cause of death is listed as acute cocaine intoxication ... according to Flathead County Sheriff and Coroner, Brian Heino. He also tells us the death has been ruled accidental.

TMZ broke the story ... Mahlon died in Whitefish, Montana back in July, after suffering a massive heart attack and going on life support. His wife told us his death came as a complete shock to the family because he had no known existing health conditions.

Mahlon's death came while he was rehabbing a torn Achilles, suffered while crabbing, and we were told he was working his butt off to make it back to Alaska for another crab season.

Miya Ponsetto, the SoHo Karen who falsely accused a black teen of stealing her iPhone and then attacked him, went wild on cops when she was arrested last year for DUI.

As we reported, Mia and her mom, Nicole, were charged with another crime last year which involved being drunk in public -- more on that in a minute. But, THE DAY AFTER Miya was charged, cops spotted her in Malibu driving erratically and pulled her over.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Miya copped to being in an altered state, saying she had taken a Xanax and had some wine. Cops asked her to step out of her Range Rover, and that's when the craziness began.

We're told when she got out, cops said they wanted to perform a field sobriety test, which she flat out refused and cops say she was downright belligerent. Our sources say cops tried slapping handcuffs on her, but she resisted and they then took her to the ground.

At that point, cops say Miya threw a tantrum, kicking the ground, thrashing her body and even knocking her head on the pavement.

As we reported, she was taken to jail and booked for DUI. She pled no contest and received 3 years probation, 30 hours of community service and she's required to take a 9-month alcohol/drug counseling program.

As you know, Miya was at a fancy NYC hotel last month when she realized she didn't have her iPhone and immediately zeroed in on the 14-year-old son of Grammy-winning musician, Keyon Harold, who was holding an iPhone, accusing the child of stealing her phone. She attacked Keyon Jr. and New York cops now want to talk to her.

Turns out she seems to have issues with hotels, because early last year she and her mom were at the Peninsula hotel in Bev Hills where employees asked them in vain to leave after they appeared inebriated. The cops came, Miya's mom, Nicole, allegedly pushed and kicked an officer. The mom was arrested for battery on an officer and being drunk in public. Miya was arrested for being drunk in public as well. They pled not guilty and have a hearing next month.

Lil Tjay couldn't avoid getting arrested this time -- 4 days after NYPD searched him and found nothing, cops pulled him over again ... and now he's facing some serious charges.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the rapper was busted Wednesday afternoon in Brooklyn and booked for criminal possession of a weapon, marijuana possession and grand larceny.

We're told Lil Tjay was in a vehicle with 4 others when cops pulled them over for switching lanes without signaling. Our sources say the officer smelled weed in the car, which resulted in a search and the discovery of 4 loaded handguns and a large amount of marijuana.

We're told neither the rapper nor anyone in the vehicle took ownership of the firearms or the weed, so they were all hit with possession charges. It's unclear why they're also facing the grand larceny charge.

Sir Elton John is sticking to his sobriety -- unlike a lot of folks navigating life in the pandemic -- and he says Zoom is a huge reason why he's still on the wagon.

The Rocket Man says attending virtual Alcoholics Anonymous meetings has "been a lifesaver" over the last 9 months. A recovering alcoholic, Elton tipped his cap to Zoom while appearing on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's new podcast, "Archewell Audio."

He says the video conferencing platform has allowed him to keep up with friends and sober buddies in AA.

As we first reported ... AA chapters across the globe turned to services like Zoom when the outbreak exploded back in March, providing a much-needed support system for folks in the program.

Elton, who reached 30 years of sobriety in July, says attending his AA meetings every Sunday, from his home in England, is keeping him on the straight and narrow.

'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.