Drugs & Alcohol

Joe Exotic has a new venture that could put him in high spirits -- he's launching his own cannabis line all while doing hard time in federal prison.

The 'Tiger King' star cooked up the idea last July and the wheels have been in motion ever since. His attorney, Brad Small, tells TMZ ... they have a deal locked for Joe to partner with Tango Hotel Charlie Group, LLC and Cannaxxs LTD to launch Joe Exotic Cannabis.

We're told Joe's been directly involved in the biz through calls and emails with his attorney. The deal includes the various companies ponying up the dough with Joe's name attached to the products.

Small tells us the products include CBD edibles and will be sold in dispensaries throughout California, Colorado and Oklahoma. While recreational THC is legal in Cali and Colorado, only medicinal is kosher in Joe's old OK stomping grounds.

We're told part of the reason Joe's doing this is to help people who need cannabis to ease their pain from various ailments.

Small says the launch will happen within weeks, and a share of Joe's profits will go towards captive tiger care. As we reported ... Joe said in the year since the Netflix docuseries 'Tiger King' dropped his life had been a living hell.

El Chapo's wife is following his footsteps to a federal prison ... she's pled guilty to drug trafficking charges.

Emma Coronel Aispuro appeared in federal district court Thursday in Washington D.C. and pled guilty to 3 charges, including money laundering and conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana.

According to the judge, Emma could receive a maximum sentence of life in prison -- just like Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman -- and the drug trafficking charge alone carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years behind bars. So she's looking at hard time.

As we reported ... El Chapo's wife was busted at Dulles International Airport back in February and the feds charged her with conspiracy to distribute 5 kilos or more of cocaine, 1 kilo of heroin, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 1,000 kilos or more of marijuana for importation into the U.S.

El Chapo, meanwhile, is rotting in prison as part of his life sentence ... so he may never see his esposa again.

Shock G died in a Tampa hotel room from a deadly mix of drugs and alcohol ... according to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner.

A rep for the medical examiner's office tells TMZ ... the Digital Underground rapper died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, ethanol (alcohol) and methamphetamine.

We broke the story ... Shock G was found unresponsive in his hotel room in April, and there were no outward signs of trauma. Shock was last seen the day before he died, by a hotel manager ... who then found him in the room on April 22.

The manager had grown concerned after Shock -- famed performer of the 'Humpty Dance' -- missed check-out time, and immediately called 911.

The Hillsborough County ME says Shock G was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:20 PM ET.

Armie Hammer's checked himself into an in-patient facility in Florida to get treatment for several addiction issues ... amid several months of sexual abuse allegations against the actor.

Hammer checked himself in at a rehab facility outside of Orlando on May 31 and has been getting treatment since then. According to Vanity Fair, which first reported he was getting help, Hammer's agreed to stay as long as it takes to get healthy.

VF sources say Hammer contacted his estranged wife, Elizabeth Chambers, in late May to inform her he was leaving the Cayman Islands -- where he'd been staying for months -- to seek treatment for drugs, alcohol and sex. Elizabeth and the family are reportedly supportive of his decision.

As for what led up to this -- Armie's been in a custody battle in his and Elizabeth's ongoing divorce, and he's been embroiled in a sexual assault scandal since January.

As we reported ... several women accused the actor of emotional abuse, manipulation and sexual violence on social media, leading to his exit from a Jennifer Lopez movie that started filming in February.

At the time he responded by calling the allegations "bulls**t claims" and "vicious and spurious online attacks against me" ... and so far, that's all he's said publicly about them.

Liam Payne says he was going through an addiction hell while he was a member of One Direction, and he's also opening up about suicidal thoughts.

The singer was on Steven Bartlett's "Diary of a CEO" podcast when he said there was a time while the band was on tour that he was heavy into alcohol and prescription drugs.

He points to pictures of himself on a boat where he looks bloated ... calling it his "pills and booze phase." Liam added, "My face was 10 times bigger than it is now. The problem was, the best way to secure us was to lock us in a room, and what is in the room? A minibar."

Liam said that environment quickly lent itself to throwing a huge party for 1 "that seemed to carry on for years." When asked if the drinking and drugging led to suicidal ideation, Liam admitted ... "Yeah. There is definitely some stuff I have never spoken about to do with it. It was really, really severe."

Liam was 16 when he joined One Direction ... which became the biggest boyband in the world after their 2010 launch on "The X Factor." They split up in 2015.

JoJo Siwa's extravagantly fun Pride Party took a dark turn when cops were called for a possible overdose.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops and paramedics responded to the call to JoJo's home in the San Fernando Valley a little after 8 PM Wednesday. We're told someone reported a male around 30 years old might have OD'd on LSD.

Sources connected to the party claim the guy showed up to the party high, and in pretty rough shape. We're told the person was transported to the hospital, and police determined there was no crime committed.

That person's health status is unclear at this time. We've reached out to Siwa's rep for more ... no word back so far.

As we reported ... JoJo threw a huge rainbow-themed bash at her house attended by her GF and a bunch of fellow influencers, including Tana Mongeau. The party featured a bounce house, a decked-out pool and kitchen, a bedazzled piano and a whole lot more.

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.