Drugs & Alcohol

The teenage son of Dr. Laura Berman -- the famous sex therapist on Oprah Winfrey's TV network -- has died after what sounds like an accidental drug overdose.

Dr. Berman made the announcement Sunday, saying her 16-year-old Samuel had recently passed away after what she describes as a shady drug deal on Snapchat ... which apparently led to her boy getting fentanyl-laced Xanax pills.

She writes, "Sheltering at home. A drug dealer connected with him on Snapchat and gave him fentinyl laced Xanax and he overdosed in his room." Dr. Berman says dealers lace their stuff with fentanyl because it hooks their buyers, but it can obviously kill people too if too much is taken ... as we've come to realize in recent years.

Her post goes on ... "My heart is completely shattered and I am not sure how to keep breathing. I post this now only so that not one more kid dies." Dr. Berman explains that, yes, she and her family watched Samuel closely, and that he was a straight-A student.

Still, one experiment with prescription pills went wrong ... and cost him his life. Sounds like this happened right under his parents' noses too -- she says the drugs were delivered to their house while they were quarantining ... and warns parents to monitor Snapchat heavily.

Dr. Berman's had her own program on OWN for almost a decade now -- not to mention a number of books she's written, and a radio show she hosts as well. She has 2 other boys, who are close in age to Samuel.

K.C. Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid -- son of head coach Andy Reid -- reportedly told cops he consumed alcohol and Rx medication before a bad 3-car crash Thursday night that left a 5-year-old in critical condition.

It's all spelled out in a search warrant obtained by KCTV ... in which officers say the 35-year-old reeked of booze and had bloodshot eyes in the moments after the accident.

According to the warrant, Reid ADMITTED to officers he had consumed 2 to 3 drinks earlier in the evening and was on Adderall, a prescription medication.

As part of the investigation, cops say they took 4 vials of blood from Reid to test his blood alcohol levels.

Plus, they note Red did not perform well on field sobriety tests.

Officials confirm the crash occurred around 9 PM -- just minutes from Arrowhead Stadium.

As for the crash, officials believe Reid was driving a pickup truck that slammed into 2 cars that were pulled over on the side of an on-ramp to the I-435 highway.

One of the cars had reportedly run out of gas and had called for another vehicle to assist -- when Reid's truck came crashing into both vehicles.

A 5-year-old in one of the vehicles sustained critical injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries.

A 4-year-old child was also in one of the vehicles but miraculously suffered only minor injuries.

The Chiefs released a statement Friday ... saying, "The organization has been made aware of a multi-vehicle accident involving Outside Linebackers Coach, Britt Reid."

"We are in the process of gathering information, and we will have no further comment at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved."

The Chiefs are preparing to play the Tampa Bay Bucs in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

The Chicago Sun-Times is now reporting Britt is NOT expected to travel with the team to Tampa Bay for the game.

Britt spent several months in jail in 2007 following multiple disturbing allegations -- including a road rage incident and crashing his truck in a parking lot while under the influence, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Andy Reid's oldest son, Garrett, also had issues with substance abuse -- he was sentenced to 23 months behind bars for a 2007 crash while he was high on heroin.

Garrett struggled with addiction for years and ultimately died of a heroin overdose in 2012 while in his room at the Philadelphia Eagles training camp, while his father was coaching the team.

A Virginia state senator is making a big stink about the perils of marijuana as her state's legalizing it ... but she's getting laughed out of the digital building over it.

State Senator Amanda Chase tweeted Friday that mortality rates and overdoses in Virginia were sky-high ... apparently all due to marijuana. She didn't cite a source for that info, but went on to plug her gubernatorial run in a stand against legalization.

She writes, "We have a drug problem in Virginia, and legalizing marijuana will only lead to more marijuana overdoses and deaths. Democrats want more marijuana deaths. As your governor I would never allow marijuana to be legalized."

Her lofty claims about weed came the same day the Virginia legislature passed a bill to legalize ganja for use and sale starting in 2023. It's heading to incumbent Governor Ralph Northam's desk next week, and he's already indicated he'll sign it into law.

Again, we don't know where State Senator Chase is getting her alleged overdose stats -- but a lot of folks online aren't buying what she's selling. The jokes started flying at her expense, with folks saying they overdosed on weed ... and were forced to eat as a result.

One guy wrote, "I once overdosed on the marijuana and it took 6 cupcakes and a bag of pistachio nuts to bring me back from the brink. I still get munchies. #survivor."

Tons of others were on the same tip. Here's the thing though ... weed can apparently kill a person. We looked into it, and according to studies by the National Institutes of Health's NCBI -- which tracks this type of stuff in the U.S. -- marijuana has been linked to deaths ... although the numbers are hazy.

Scientists say ingesting too much -- as in edibles -- in one sitting can cause overdoses/death, especially in kids. Other deaths are related to the effects of marijuana ... for instance, car crashes or work accidents.

But, again, these instances are rare, and those stats wouldn't be relevant to the alleged marijuana scourge happening in Virginia ... according to Chase, anyway.

Jamaica's experiencing another unfortunate effect of both climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic ... there's a severe weed shortage.

It's mostly affecting the Caribbean nation's illegal market, which is reeling after last year's hurricane season wrecked marijuana fields and the ensuing drought made it even worse.

On top of all that ... a strict 6 PM curfew, put in place because of the coronavirus, prevented farmers from taking care of the crops at night, which is vital to production.

And, while supply is low, consumption and demand have remained high because ... well, there's a pandemic, and this is Jamaica.

Panic! At The Disco's original bassist is in a heap of trouble out in Sin City -- because the guy's facing multiple felonies for drugs and possession of a gun.

According to a Las Vegas Metro PD report, obtained by TMZ, Brent Wilson was pulled over on Jan. 22 after cops say he crossed 3 lanes of traffic without a turn signal, cutting off oncoming traffic.

During the stop, the officer says he saw a bag with a white substance inside sitting out in the open in Wilson's center console.

Ya know what that means ... time for a search, and cops say they discovered substances consistent with coke and heroin in his pockets and in the car, as well as a scale and a lot of little baggies.

On top of that, the police say they found a loaded handgun too. Plus, they say Wilson was already on probation for a previous offense. They hauled him off to jail, and he's been charged with possession with intent to sell and possession of a gun by a prohibited person.

His attorney, Dustin Marcello, tells us it's too early to make a call on the merits of the case.

Lamar Odom has agreed to fight Aaron Carter in a celebrity boxing match in June, TMZ Sports has learned ... and the training is already underway!

41-year-old Odom will take on the 33-year-old Carter at the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City on June 12 in a 3 round exhibition, Celebrity Boxing honcho Damon Feldman tells us.

Besides the age difference ... there's a significant height differential -- Odom is 6'10" and Carter is 6'1".

Odom obviously has a background as a professional athlete -- playing 14 seasons in the NBA.

He nearly died in 2015 from an overdose at a Nevada brothel -- and subsequently suffered several strokes and heart attacks. Some doctors didn't believe he'd fully recover.

Miraculously, Odom beat the odds and returned to the basketball court during a short stint with the BIG3 league in 2019.

Now, he's turning to boxing ... where he hopes to put a beating on Aaron Carter, who's also struggled with addiction. He sought treatment in 2017.

Both men have been busting their asses in the gym and we're told they're taking the fight very seriously ... no one wants to be the next Nate Robinson!

Sure, Aaron might appear to be the underdog -- but Carter tells TMZ Sports he "grew up street fighting" and he's ready for the challenge.

Damon Feldman -- who's been behind a ton of celebrity boxing events over the years -- says this fight has real potential to be the best one yet.

Miya Ponsetto, infamously known as "SoHo Karen," is off the hook for one of her arrests last year -- the one at the Peninsula Hotel in Bev Hills ... before she made national headlines.

The 22-year-old caught a break during her hearing Thursday in L.A. County Court, when her case was dismissed. Prosecutors decided to drop the charge against her after Miya's attorney argued it was an isolated incident and claimed she had no criminal history in California at the time of that arrest.

Miya's lawyer also told the judge her client would not go back to the hotel. Now, Miya's mother, Nicole, was also in court for her arrest in the same incident ... but she didn't get off as easy.

Nicole pled no contest to battery on a police officer, and was given 100 hours of community service and entered into a 12-month diversion program. If she puts in her hours and stays out of trouble for a year, her case will also be dismissed.

Remember, long before Miya's SoHo hotel incident ... she and her mom were arrested last February at the Peninsula. They were allegedly drunk and belligerent, refusing to leave when asked by hotel staff. Cops say they both threw tantrums when officers responded.

Earlier, we erroneously reported the judge had given Miya the same 100 hours community service that her mom got.

Of course, Miya's had several other legal issues since then ... in California and New York.

Most recently, the Manhattan D.A. slapped her with a string of charges -- and extradited her -- for the December incident at the Arlo Hotel in SoHo. She tried to snatch a phone from a Black teen she falsely accused of stealing hers.

Before that, she was busted for DUI this past October in Ventura County -- which came 5 months after another DUI in Los Angeles. And you thought you had a bad 2020.

Shaun Weiss -- famous for playing Goldberg in "The Mighty Ducks" -- is damn near unrecognizable again, but in a great way ... and that's because he's now 1-year sober.

His friend, Drew Gallagher, tells TMZ ... Shaun officially hit the milestone yesterday. He says Shaun chose to delay his Christmas as part of the celebration ... waiting to open presents on the day he celebrated his sobriety.

There's more good news ... remember the full dental sponsorship he got back in September to address his need for new teeth? Well, his permanent pearly whites -- top and bottom -- are almost done. He's wearing temporary dentures for now.

Shaun, who is still at a sober living house in Tarzana, CA, is getting ready for his next steps in life. We're told he's working on his comedy chops and doing some scriptwriting.

John Gilbert Getty -- one of the heirs to the Getty fortune -- died from complications related to a fentanyl overdose ... TMZ has learned.

The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office in Texas tells TMZ ... John died of cardiomyopathy and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease -- heart disease and COPD, in layman's terms -- complicated by fentanyl toxicity.

The M.E. also says the overdose was accidental.

As we reported ... John died back in November after he was found unresponsive in a San Antonio hotel room.

It was a tumultuous 2020 for the Getty family. Just 2 months before John died ... his mother, Ann, died from a heart attack. John's other brother, Andrew, died in 2015 from meth intoxication.

John Gilbert, of course, was one of several descendants of J. Paul Getty -- the oilman whose art collection was central to the famed Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

UFC legend B.J. Penn was arrested for drunk driving in Hawaii over the weekend, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

A spokesperson for the Hawaii Police Dept. says the 42-year-old MMA fighter was taken into custody on January 23 in Honokaa, which is on the Big Island.

Cops have not released the details surrounding Penn's arrest -- however, there is a video circulating on social media that appears to show Penn ranting at cops while being taken into custody.

The Hawaii PD is aware of the video -- but would not clarify if it was related to the Jan. 23 incident.

Penn's personal life has been a mess over the past few years -- he's been in multiple street fights ... and was even knocked out during an incident at a Hawaii bar in 2019.

In February 2020, Penn crashed his truck and was subsequently investigated by the police for DUI -- but that case is still pending.

We've reached out to Penn's camp for comment but so far, no word back.

Penn is one of the original UFC superstars -- beating legends like Matt Serra, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez and Matt Hughes before going on a 7-fight losing skid to cap off his career.

Charlie Balducci -- best known for his time on the MTV reality show, "True Life" -- died from a drug overdose ... TMZ has learned.

The New York City Medical Examiner's Office tells TMZ ... Charlie's cause of death is acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone and alprazolam. The manner of his death has been ruled accidental.

TMZ broke the story ... Balducci was found unresponsive in his bed back in July and paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. When we spoke to his mom, she told us his death came unexpectedly since he hadn't exhibited any kind of sickness.

For the non-hardcore reality TV aficionados out there ... Balducci is known as a trailblazer of sorts in the reality TV world after appearing in "True Life: I'm Getting Married." He allowed MTV cameras to follow him for 4 months before marrying Sabrina ... which ultimately produced one of the most infamous rants ever caught on TV.

Awesome step in the right direction for Delonte West -- the ex-NBAer is now employed by the same rehab facility he received treatment from late last year!!

As we previously reported ... Mark Cuban personally tracked down the 37-year-old at a Dallas gas station in September 2020 and helped the hooper reconnect with his mother.

Together, West's mom and Cuban convinced the former Dallas Maverick to seek treatment at the Rebound therapy center in Florida ... as an attempt to bounce back from hard times.

The progress was clearly visible -- with West smiling from ear-to-ear during activities like horseback riding, frisbee golf and kayaking as he took steps towards recovery.

Now, The Athletic's Shams Charania reports West will continue to surround himself within the Rebound family ... this time, as an employee.

The report also states West has maintained contact with Cuban and his family as he continues to work on his health.

Of course, West was the 24th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft ... playing for the SuperSonics, Mavs, Cavs and Celtics.

The guard fell on hard times in the years following his hoops career ... and members of the NBA community -- including Cuban, Doc Rivers and Jameer Nelson -- have been focused on trying to get West back on his feet.

The recent updates have been positive -- West was even spotted working on his jumper back in November ... and it's clear he has a strong support system behind him.

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.