Drugs & Alcohol

The results are in ... again ... confirming Medina Spirit did have a BANNED SUBSTANCE in his system when he won the Kentucky Derby.

Remember, Medina Spirit tested positive in the days following the May 1 event -- but trainer Bob Baffert had called for people to chillax until the 2nd sample (known as a split sample) came back from the labs.

Well, now the split sample has been analyzed at the University of California, Davis and it DID come back positive for betamethasone, a banned substance in horseracing ... this according to Bob Baffert's lawyer.

"In response to the inquiries, this will acknowledge that the Medina Spirit split sample confirmed the findings of betamethasone at 25 picograms," attorney Craig Robertson said in a statement.

FYI, betamethasone is a corticosteroid that can be used to numb joint pain in horses, which (in theory) can help them race better.

"There is other testing that is being conducted, including DNA testing. We expect this additional testing to confirm that the presence of the betamethasone was from the topical ointment, Otomax, and not an injection."

Baffert -- the most famous trainer in racing history -- has denied intentional wrongdoing ... saying he believes Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone after innocently taking a medication prescribed by a respected veterinarian.

"At the end of the day, we anticipate this case to be about the treatment of Medina Spirit's skin rash with Otomax. We will have nothing further to say until the additional testing is complete," Robertson added.

Now, it's very possible Medina Spirit will be formally disqualified from the Kentucky Derby, nullifying his victory.

Erik Cowie, the former 'Tiger King' head zookeeper, might have gotten himself in more trouble after failing to appear for sentencing in his DUI case ... this according to law enforcement.

We’re told Cowie no-showed in court this week where he was scheduled to be sentenced after previously entering a guilty plea last month for driving under the influence.

Our sources say Cowie was likely looking at just a year probation, fines and fees and a potential alcohol education program for his sentence -- as is customary in Oklahoma for first-time DUI offenders -- but his no-show could change that.

The maximum sentence is up to a year in county jail ... and we're told that's back on the table. After Cowie failed to appear, the judge issued a bench warrant for his arrest and set his bond at $2,500.

Jordan Bohannon -- the University of Iowa's all-time 3-point shot-maker -- was sucker-punched in a bar Sunday morning in a brutal attack captured on video.

Now, school officials say the 23-year-old is "recovering well" after suffering a "serious head injury" during the incident ... and police are now involved.

The video shows Bohannon hanging outside at DC's Sports Bar bar in Iowa City when suddenly he was blindsided with a brutal shot to the face.

You can see Bohannon sprawled out on the ground in the aftermath of the attack and his friends and other patrons try to figure out what the hell happened.

There was some pushing and shoving as Bohannon slowly picks himself up off the ground.

Police are investigating the incident -- but so far, it's unclear if they've identified the attacker or made any arrests.

Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery issued a statement on the incident saying, "Thankfully, Jordan is recovering well after being attacked by an individual he did not see coming at him."

"We were made aware of the incident immediately. We are grateful that friends who were with Jordan at the time kept the incident from escalating. His health is our number one concern."

Bohannon made headlines before the attack when he announced he would be returning to Iowa for a 6th season -- since the NCAA is allowing athletes an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID pandemic.

The basketball star was named Iowa's Mr. Basketball in 2016 -- and during his college career, he set the record for career 3-pointers with 364.

The NBA says LeBron James was not blocked from playing after violating the league's COVID protocol because officials decided he was NOT a risk to spread the virus.

In fact, the league says investigators determined everyone who was allowed at the May 17 event for LeBron's tequila company -- the event that triggered the violation -- was either vaccinated or tested negative for COVID before being admitted.

The event was attended by some massive celebrities including Michael B. Jordan and Drake.

There was some outrage after the league announced LeBron had attended the event -- with some calling for the NBA superstar to serve a mandatory quarantine before being allowed on the court out of fear he could infect someone else ... especially since he refuses to publicly confirm or deny if he's been vaccinated.

But, the NBA says there's nothing to fear ...

"LeBron James briefly attended an outdoor event last week where participants were required to be vaccinated or return a negative test result," a league spokesperson said Monday,

"Under these circumstances and in consultation with medical experts, it was determined that his attendance did not create risks related to the spread of COVID-19 and therefore no quarantine was necessary."

The NBA also says LeBron did NOT receive special treatment because he's a superstar.

"Over the course of this season, there have been numerous similar violations of the league's Health and Safety Protocols, which were addressed with the player's team in a similar fashion."

Then, the league added this line ... which makes it sound like Bron HAS been vaccinated.

"Under current NBA rules, vaccinated players are permitted to engage in outside activities including their individual commercial arrangements, such as sponsor appearances or ad shoots."

Bam Margera says his "Jackass" family betrayed, abandoned and rejected him ... so now he's on his own in Florida, where he says he's getting the help he needs.

The "Jackass" star ripped into his movie co-stars in a lengthy rant Sunday night, specifically going after Johnny Knoxville and director Jeff Tremaine, claiming they've treated him horribly.

Bam, as we first reported, was axed from the upcoming 'Jackass 4,' and says Johnny and Jeff "strung me along like a puppet" before a messy exit.

Steve-O is trying to get through to Bam, though ... he says Johnny and Jeff bent over backward to get Bam in the movie and all Bam needed to do was "not get loaded," but couldn't stay sober.

As we first told you ... Bam says his most recent rehab stint made his life much worse and he felt like he was going to die from an overdose or suicide.

The lead singer of the music group that won the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest did NOT use drugs live on air during their celebration ... according to an official investigation.

As we told you ... Damiano David of the Italian band Maneskin -- which took top honors at the singing competition -- was accused of snorting a bump of cocaine after video showed him lowering his head toward a table where the group was gathered.

However, the European Broadcasting Union that organized the event says it conducted a review of the footage and facts -- while also claiming David took a voluntary drug test that came back negative, and determined ... "No drug use took place in the Green Room and we consider the matter closed."

The EBU added that "inaccurate speculation leading to fake news" tarnished this year's event and unfairly impacted Maneskin ... which the organization congratulated again for winning and wished them success.

As we reported ... David claimed the reason he was looking down by the table in the video clip was because a bandmate had broken a glass, and insisted to reporters he doesn't do drugs.

One of the members of the winning band for this year's Eurovision stands accused of taking a bump during the live broadcast ... but he's denying it, saying it's not what it looks like.

Damiano David -- the lead singer of Maneskin, which took top honors at the singing competition -- could be seen at one point during the broadcast in what looked to many like a compromising position. In the now-viral video of the bizarre moment, you see him leaning down face-first toward the table in front of him, hovering for a bit ... and surfacing again.

There's a giant bowl blocking the camera from seeing what's right below in that shot -- but many saw it as it happened live Saturday, and immediately thought he was doing drugs.

Yeah, at first glance ... it does look like he might be doing a line. But, then again, it's hard to tell what the hell's actually going on down there. Some have also noted there are no visible signs of drug residue as he comes back up -- namely, white powder ... aka, cocaine.

The European Broadcasting Union -- which organizes the Eurovision show -- has said it's aware of the video, and that they're looking into the matter with an investigation of their own. Apparently, they tried getting an on-the-spot drug test done for David right then and there, but weren't able to get it together in time before the band flew out for the night.

However, David and his bandmates say they're more than willing to submit to voluntary drug tests ASAP ... as they insist there was zero drug usage by the singer or anyone else nearby.

Kendall Jenner had a splashy launch party for her 818 tequila, and she brought her family along for the celebration.

The Kardashians were out in force Friday night at The Nice Guy in WeHo ... Kim, Kylie, Kris, along with Katy Perry, Kate Hudson, Hailey Bieber and Stassie Karanikolaou.

818 was stacked almost from floor to ceiling as the fam celebrated in mostly skintight duds.

Before hitting up the party, Kim, Khloe and Kylie chowed down at Craig's in WeHo.

Kendall has been a master at pitching her booze ... driving a truck with 818 emblazoned on it to hawk her product. She took heat -- we say unfairly -- for an ad showing her at a farm in Mexico where the tequila is made.  Some folks called it exploitive, but that's ridiculous. This is where the tequila is made and men -- like Clooney, Gerber and The Rock -- who did exactly what Kendall did to promote their brand never got criticized. In other words, the criticism is BS.

Khloe, who had COVID earlier last year, was wearing a mask as she showed up to the party. The other Kardashians were mask-free.

Lil Mosey is being ordered to stay the hell away from his alleged sexual assault victim after being charged with second-degree rape.

The "Blueberry Faygo" rapper has been hit with a sexual assault pre-trial protection order ... according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ.

The order, issued in Lewis County, Washington, bars Lil Mosey from contacting the alleged victim in any way and requires him to stay at least 500 feet away from her at all times while he awaits trial for rape.

TMZ broke the story ... Lil Mosey was charged with rape last month for the alleged incident back in January. Mosey's pled not guilty.

According to the docs, Lil Mosey is also prohibited from obtaining or possessing a firearm, other dangerous weapons or a concealed pistol license and must surrender any firearms to the Sheriff's Office.

Newly released body cam footage shows a father in Illinois getting super emotional as cops searched an urn thinking they'd found his stash of meth -- only to discover it was actually his daughter's ashes.

In the video, the cop tells the man -- who's already 'cuffed in a police car -- they tested the contents of the small container, and believed it was drugs. Immediately, you can hear the anguish in the father's voice as he explains it's his daughter's remains and pleads for the officer to hand it over.

The Springfield, IL cop closed the door on the man -- during this April 2020 traffic stop -- and then seemed to laugh as he tells other officers about the situation, and says the substance tested positive for meth.

The cop opens his trunk -- apparently planning to do a retest -- and you can hear the father yelling from the backseat how important the urn and the ashes are to him.

You gotta see the video, because there was an interesting pow-wow between all the cops as they tried to decide what to do. They ended up handing over the ashes to his father, who was also on the scene.

Elyes Gabel -- who starred in all 4 seasons as the computer genius on "Scorpion" -- allegedly flew into a violent rage ... after cops say his girlfriend accused him of shoving and choking her in a profanity-laced argument that turned violent.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Gabel’s GF told cops she and Gabel got into a verbal argument last week after he returned to their room at the Bowery Hotel at around 3 AM ... following a night of drinking.

We're told at some point things turned physical ... with Gabel allegedly spitting at her face and threatening her saying, "c*** f***ing bitch. I'm going to punch your f***ing face in."

Our sources say Gabel’s GF claims Gabel grabbed her phone, flung it to the ground and cracked it before shoving her onto the couch. She told cops he then wrapped both hands around her neck and squeezed. We're told she didn't lose consciousness but did suffer substantial pain and redness around her neck.

Here’s what's interesting ... our sources say cops weren't called until 1 PM later that day. Unclear why.

We’re told the GF refused medical attention but Gabel eventually was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault, criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, aggravated harassment, attempted assault and harassment.

Gabel was later released without bail and our sources say a judge issued a temporary order of protection for the GF against Gabel, who is also known for playing Rakharo in seasons 1 and 2 on "Game of Thrones."

We've reached out to Gabel for comment and his attorney, Stacey Richman, tells TMZ ... Gabel vehemently denies the allegations.

Kendall Jenner's new tequila ad has a lot of people up in arms, claiming the supermodel is taking advantage of Mexican culture to push her new beverage ... but truth is, many male celebs have done the same thing without criticism.

KJ is featured in the new promotional spot for her 818 Tequila on an agave farm in Jalisco, Mexico ... where her operation is running. The video and pics feature a lot of native farmers -- with Kendall alongside them rocking pig tails, as well as what some describe as traditional Mexican garb.

Online critics almost immediately chimed in, calling it cultural appropriation/tone-deafness/colonizing/exploitation ... you name it. It's all being sent her way right now.

It should, however, be noted that celebs like George Clooney, Rande Gerber, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, LeBron James and Kevin Hart have all launched tequila brands of their own without criticism. In fact, The Rock recently posted a video of himself with Mexican farmers very similar to the one Kendall put up.

The biggest criticism, it seems, is that Kendall is hijacking Mexican culture and trying to wear it as a costume for a photoshoot she went down there for ... and that she's being disrespectful for trying to pass as a "ranchera."

However, most critiquing Kendall just plain have it wrong, we're told the focus of the ad was to highlight the farmers doing the actual work to make the product. Kendall has created jobs, and those involved are grateful for that.

Our sources say Kendall has been very passionate about 818, putting in the work, doing the research and making sure she works with farmers to put out the best project possible.

Perhaps there's some merit to come of the criticism, but other quibbles that have surfaced are absurd ... like at least one person claiming she's modeling a "chic migrant worker look," while another person said they could "see the pain in this old man's eyes" -- referencing one of the dudes in the clip.

For starters, this took place IN Mexico ... so the migrant worker critique is BS. Also, to assume this man is being exploited/mistreated by working on the farm is about as ignorant as Kendall is allegedly being by posing with the workers.

Bonnie Somerville, famous for playing a detective on "NYPD Blue," had a run-in with real cops on the opposite coast ... police in L.A. say she was drunk behind the wheel.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops were getting calls around 10 PM Sunday night for a car stopped in traffic on the 405 near Inglewood, and when officers arrived, they say they found Bonnie pulled off on the right shoulder in a Mercedes-Benz.

Our sources say Bonnie told cops she simply ran out of gas, but officers say she reeked of booze and ended up bombing a field sobriety test.

We're told Bonnie, who played Det. Laura Murphy in the final season of "NYPD Blue," was cited for DUI and later released.

Ryan Leaf says his battle with prescription drugs all began back in 2004 ... when he was booed and jeered so loudly at a big boxing event, it sent him into a deep, downward spiral.

The former San Diego Chargers quarterback opened up about his struggles with addiction on Rex Chapman's "Charges with Rex Chapman" podcast this week ... explaining in detail the horrible night that hooked him on Rx pills.

Leaf says he was at a fight in Las Vegas (he claims it was a Mike Tyson tilt, though it seems he has his boxers mixed up because Tyson didn't fight in Vegas in '04) ... when the PA announcer began rattling off the list of celebs in attendance.

"They announced Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Charles Barkley, Dr. Dre," said Leaf, who was 27 years old at the time and had just retired from the NFL.

"The audience cheered and clapped. And, then the MC there at the MGM Grand announced my name and like the whole auditorium just booed and hissed."

Leaf continued, "My addict brain heard not only are you a terrible football player but you are an awful human being."

Ryan says that negative reception had a huge impact on him ... and when he was offered the prescription pain killer Vicodin to mix in with his booze later in the evening, he jumped at the opportunity.

And, that's when he says his fight began.

"This would be the first time I abused it and ... I didn't feel that judgment, I didn't feel that fear, I didn't feel that less than," Leaf said. "I didn't feel anything."

"I didn't feel better but it turns out I was just searching for that feeling of not feeling any of the feelings that I had been feeling for so long. I just wanted to numb out. And, that night changed."

Leaf says he went on to fight an addiction with the prescription pills for the next EIGHT years ... as he says he was "chasing that initial high from that night."

Kendall Jenner is rolling up her sleeves to launch her tequila brand -- actually getting behind the wheel of a big ass truck with a shipment of her booze for an L.A. debut.

We got the model/booze runner rolling up to Mel & Rose Wine, Spirits and Gifts Monday in WeHo, where she was hand-delivering a load of her new 818 tequila ... which is now officially for sale to the public.

It was pretty surreal watching her pull up in the green monster of a rig branded with her 818 logo. Let's face it, you don't really see supermodels doing that everyday, but fact is ... she seemed to handle the machine pretty well, all things considered.

KJ eventually made it inside for some photo-ops with fans and the store's owners ... but not before giving us a quick response on her fave 818 flavor.

After the hand-shaking was all done, Kendall was on her way again ... meaning, she hopped back into the driver's seat of the delivery truck -- which looks more like a food truck on a second glance -- and hit the road once more.

Another Bob Baffert bombshell ... the legendary trainer has been temporarily suspended from horseracing in the state of New York pending a full investigation into doping allegations.

... which means Baffert will likely be blocked from entering a horse in the prestigious Belmont Stakes on June 5, which is HUGE.

The New York Racing Association made the announcement on Monday -- saying Baffert is currently suspended from "entering horses in races and occupying stall space at Belmont Park, Saratoga Race Course and Aqueduct Racetrack."

"During the temporary suspension, NYRA will not accept entries or provide stall space to any individual employed by Bob Baffert Racing Stables."

NYRA says the suspension stems from Baffert's horse, Medina Spirit, testing positive for a banned substance following his victory at the 2021 Kentucky Derby ALONG with the fact several other Baffert horses have flunked drug tests over the years.

Baffert has reportedly had 5 horses test positive for banned substances since May 2020 ... and the NYRA clearly believes something fishy might be going down behind the scenes.

"In addition to the ongoing investigation into Medina Spirit’s victory in the Kentucky Derby, NYRA has taken into account the fact that other horses trained by Mr. Baffert have failed drug tests in the recent past, resulting in the assessment of penalties against him by thoroughbred racing regulators in Kentucky, California, and Arkansas."

As for the length of Baffert's suspension, the NYRA says they will wait to see the results of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's probe into Medina Spirit before making a final decision. No word on how long that could take ... maybe days, maybe weeks.

For his part, Bob has denied intentional wrongdoing -- saying he believes Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone after taking a medication prescribed by a veterinarian.

NYRA President and CEO Dave O'Rourke issues a statement on the matter -- saying, "In order to maintain a successful thoroughbred racing industry in New York, NYRA must protect the integrity of the sport for our fans, the betting public and racing participants."

"That responsibility demands the action taken today in the best interests of thoroughbred racing."