Drugs & Alcohol

7:40 PM PT -- Although police say Liam's behavior sounds consistent with that of "cristal" users, they still don't know if that drug was present in the room. We're told they're still waiting for test results on the narcotics and medications they recovered.

Liam Payne was potentially under the influence of a potent drug, known to cause psychotic attacks and hallucinations, when he died ... according to police in Argentina.

Cops in Buenos Aires tell TMZ ... their operating theory is Liam was high on a substance called "cristal," which police say causes users to experience extreme highs and extreme lows, often making them aggressive.

Photos from inside Liam's hotel room show the place trashed ... his TV was smashed and there was drug paraphernalia in the room, which was littered with broken objects.

Liam Payne was seemingly in a good place with his sobriety months before his tragic death in Buenos Aires ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the One Direction alum was very vocal about being sober in the late spring/early summer of 2024 ... telling people in his inner circle working with him that he was on the wagon.

We're told those around him saw no warning signs of either drug or alcohol abuse at the time.

Brooke Mueller is turning to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for help ... alleging she is the victim of extortion, TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Charlie Sheen's ex-wife says she's being blackmailed by her former drug dealer, who claims to have videos of her buying drugs and other compromising actions.

We're told the dealer told Brooke he'd go to the media or make the videos public to ruin her if she did not pay him off.

Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding is accused of running a massive and violent drug trafficking operation -- routinely shipping hundreds of kilos of cocaine and ordering people to be killed in the process ... and now he's wanted by the FBI.

Martin Estrada, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, said on Thursday Wedding and 15 others have been charged in a 16-count indictment.

43-year-old Wedding -- who used aliases like "El Jefe," "Giant," and "Public Enemy" -- and his accomplices are being accused of conspiring to ship huge quantities of cocaine from Colombia to Mexico and through stash houses in the LA area ... and then delivering it to couriers to be taken to Canada via semi-trucks.

Snoop Dogg gave the "TODAY" audience a 4-1-1 on clouds they may see coming their way, taking on the role of weatherman -- but, the cities getting their info were pretty specific.

The rapper appeared on the hit show during the weather report for a special segment focused on "Snoop Cities" ... basically, cities with marijuana innuendos in their names.

Watch the clip ... Snoop -- big smile on his face -- reads off the weather report for Mary Jane Falls, Nevada ... followed by Stoner, Colorado ... and then Blunt, South Dakota.

T.I. and Young Dro had to boss up against a guy in their own camp -- after Dro's testimony of battling drug addiction became the butt of all jokes!!!

The Hustle Gang rappers were recently in NYC on "The Breakfast Club" to discuss their musical future and recent $71 million OMG Girlz lawsuit win ... where Dro admitted he overdosed on drugs a few years back ... forcing him to check himself into rehab in order to save his life.

Their homie, comedian K-Dubb, in the background kept cracking jokes after telling the hosts the "Rubberband Banks" rapper OD'ed from a "bad pill."

Kanye West's ex-executive/personal assistant is adding to her previous claims about the mogul ... claiming not only was she sexually harassed by Ye -- but, she alleges the rapper drugged her at a studio session cohosted by Diddy, too.

Lauren Pisciotta -- who filed a lawsuit against against Kanye back in June claiming he fired her after sending vile sexual texts and and videos -- amended the lawsuit with several new claims ... including saying she attended a studio session with the "Donda" rapper and Diddy.

Pisciotta says she and her former artist management client -- who's name is not in the lawsuit -- were invited by Ye to the session he cohosted with Diddy.

Jabrill Peppers was arrested on Saturday after his girlfriend told cops he roughed her up, according to court documents obtained by TMZ Sports ... but the NFL player is adamant the claims are untrue.

Officials wrote in the docs that Peppers' GF alleged the New England Patriots safety got violent with her at around 4 AM ... after she got a phone call during intercourse with him that he didn't like.

Authorities say she stated he demanded she leave his apartment -- and pushed her out of the bedroom while they were both naked. Moments later, she claimed he "put his hands on her neck and pushed her head against the wall." The whole time, she said he appeared "out of his mind and had a serious expression."

New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers was reportedly arrested in Massachusetts early Saturday morning ... facing charges including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation and drug possession.

According to local reports, Braintree Police were dispatched to a home on the morning of October 5 ... after receiving a call regarding a disturbance.

EMS treated an alleged victim at the scene ... and after an investigation, Peppers was arrested.

1:18 PM PT -- Matthew Binninger, Dr. Mark Chavez’s attorney, tells TMZ … Mark has accepted responsibility for his actions by entering his guilty plea, he is cooperating with the government, and he has begun the process to surrender his medical license.

“The factual basis from the plea agreement will be used as the basis for the medical board to issue a complaint against him, requesting the surrender of his license. We will agree with that conclusion, and at that point, his license will be revoked. I cannot give you an exact timeline about when that will happen because it is up to the medical board, but the wheels are in motion, and now that the guilty plea has been entered it should happen sooner than later.”

One of the doctors charged in connection with Matthew Perry's ketamine death is one step closer to prison ... because he just copped to a crime.

Dr. Mark Chavez, one of 2 physicians busted in the Perry case, appeared before a judge in federal court Wednesday in Los Angeles and pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

As we reported ... Chavez quickly cut a deal with the feds after a slew of arrests were made in connection with Perry's death. Now, he's formally entered his plea.

Rich Homie Quan died from a toxic mix of several different drugs, including fentanyl ... TMZ has learned.

According to the Fulton County Medical Examiner in Georgia, the late rapper died from the combined effects of fentanyl, alprazolam, codeine and promethazine ... and his death is being ruled an accident.

The Medical Examiner's report, obtained by TMZ, also notes Rich Homie Quan showed no signs of trauma when his body was found dead and examined.

Akon may sing about being "Locked Up," but the singer has no feedback for Diddy as he sits in jail ... telling us the justice system will work the situation out.

We caught up with the recording artist at LAX, where Akon avoided commenting on whether Diddy has been targeted for his success as a Black man ... a defense his lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, has made since the rap mogul's arrest.

Akon hinted the idea was all a "defense mechanism" -- but emphasized it wasn't his place to comment.

Kim Richards has been shut out by her entire family ... TMZ has learned -- but it's a case of tough love because we're told she's fallen off the wagon and was placed on a psychiatric hold earlier this month, but that hasn't ended the drama.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... they showed up at a home Kyle owns in the L.A. area Wednesday night after a neighbor called them in hopes of getting Kim removed from the house. Apparently, the neighbors were concerned about Kim's behavior in the past.

We're told Kyle had let Kim live in the house but she moved out a while back ... but Wednesday Kim showed up again. Law enforcement says Kyle told them she did not want Kim in the house, because the family had cut all contact off in hopes it would shake Kim and get her sober again.

Crazy Town singer Shifty Shellshock's manager nailed his cause of death as an overdose ... but the medical examiner's now revealing it was a mix of several different narcotics.

According to the L.A. County M.E. Shifty -- whose real name was Seth Binzer -- died back in June from the effects of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine ... and the manner of his death is accidental.

As we reported at the time of his death, Seth's manager told us the singer had suffered an OD after mixing prescription drugs and street drugs.

Matthew Perry relied on doctors to fuel his addiction, and turns out that's just the tip of the iceberg.

TMZ Studios has a new documentary -- "TMZ Investigates Matthew Perry and the Secret Celebrity Drug Ring" -- which drops today, Tuesday, on Hulu.

Several celebrities, including Kelly Osbourne, talk about how it's common knowledge in Hollywood that doctors provide specific drugs to celebrities. For her part, Kelly was able to score Vicodin and Oxy from various Hollywood doctors. And get this ... she was 13 at the time and the doctors never told her mom and dad what they were prescribing their daughter.

Matthew Perry went to rehab scores of times but it never stuck, and a new TMZ documentary explores how some of these facilities can do addicts way more harm than good.

TMZ Studios has a new documentary -- "TMZ Investigates Matthew Perry and the Secret Celebrity Drug Ring" -- which airs on FOX Monday night at 9 PM ET and drops Tuesday on Hulu.

The documentary exposes how a ring of doctors, enablers and rehab centers fuel the addiction of celebs, who pay them all a fortune for services that are the opposite of helpful.