Drugs & Alcohol

Israel Adesanya says his wonky pec at UFC 253 was NOT due to steroids or some sort of medical issue ... rather, the MMA star says it's simply 'cause he smokes too much weed!!!

"It might have just been unhealthy living a little bit -- like, smoking weed," the 31-year-old said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show this week. "That's what the doctor from the UFC said."

If you missed it ... while Adesanya picked apart Paulo Costa on Fight Island on Sept. 26, his right pectoral muscle flopped around far lower than his left one.

Viewers were concerned something might be horribly wrong ... and critics suggested it could be "juice" related.

But, Adesanya said he got everything checked out recently -- including getting an ultrasound and a mammogram -- and he claims docs told him everything was likely due to too much devil's lettuce.

"After a performance like that, I'd think I was on steroids too," Adesanya joked.

Adesanya says docs explained the disfigurement was nothing more than "a fat deposit" ... and he added he's now feeling -- and looking -- much better.

"It calmed down," Adesanya said. "Not as sensitive."

As for Adesanya's plans for weed now ... he says docs advised him to stop -- but he's laughing about that idea.

Folks in New Jersey have green on the mind -- they are eager to brush up on their marijuana skills after voting to legalize it, and their Google searches show it.

The term "how to roll a joint" saw a nearly 3,000% jump in the ultimate search engine during a solid 4 hours Tuesday evening as the Garden State overwhelmingly passed a ballot measure to make it legal to grow, smoke and sell herb starting in 2021.

Of course, like California, you'll have to be 21 to do all that ... and there's still some red tape they gotta go through -- like setting up the rules of this trade -- before anyone can partake. Still, a whole new batch of tokers are obviously itching to bust out rolling papers.

Also trending in Jersey ... the term "when will weed be legal in New Jersey." So, yeah, they're ready to burn.

Several other states are saying puff puff pass with Jersey, too -- Arizona, Montana and South Dakota also voted to approve pot measures.

Colorado, Washington, Cali, Oregon and Illinois have been leading the nation in cashing in on marijuana users ... having gone fully legal with it years ago.

This is GREAT to see -- Delonte West looking happy and physically active at his rehab center!!

Mark Cuban shared some pics of the ex-NBA star as he continues his treatment ... which now includes frisbee golf and kayaking!

Cuban, who was the driving force behind getting 37-year-old West into treatment, commented ... "Because we all want something to feel great about today, here is your Delonte West update."

He added, "It's still an uphill battle, but he is climbing."

As we previously reported, Cuban personally picked up West at a Dallas gas station last month and vowed to help out in any way he could after seeing pics of Delonte in late-September in bad shape, begging for money on the streets.

With the blessing of West's family, Cuban helped get Delonte -- a 2004 1st round NBA Draft pick -- into a treatment program ... and things have been going well ever since.

West started with a detox program -- and our sources told us he was "roughing it out" while getting all traces of drugs and alcohol out of his system.

Since then, he looks to be in a much better place -- he's been horseback riding and staying active ... taking it one day at a time!

Jon Lester's future in Chicago is uncertain ... but one thing is guaranteed -- Cubs fans are getting LIT on the ace's dime this weekend!!!

The 36-year-old pitcher is expected to get a $10 million buyout and hit free agency this offseason ... so he wanted to say "thank you" to his fans over the past 6 years by buying their "first round" of beers at several spots in the Windy City this weekend.

"Regardless of what's next I want to thank the fans for the past 6 years," Lester tweeted Friday morning.

"So this weekend (10.30-11.1) I'm buying y’all my favorite beer."

All fans gotta do is hit up Hopsmith Tavern, The Lodge, Butch McGuire's or She-nannigan's -- which are all on Division Street in Chicago -- and they get a free Miller Lite!!!

"Just tell em to put it on #JonsTab."

It's a very kind gesture on Jon's part, but don't worry -- dude's reportedly made more than $190 MILLION in his career ... so it's just a drop in the bucket keg.

Just remember to wear your masks, bar hoppers!!

Shawn Kemp admits he smoked marijuana during his days as an NBA superstar ... and flat out says he has zero regrets, 'cause weed is way SAFER than pain pills.

TMZ Sports talked to the 50-year-old former hooper -- a 6x All-Star who played in the league from 1989 to 2003 -- about weed in the NBA ... and the "Reign Man" was honest when we asked if he blazed as a player.

"When I played, absolutely we smoked pot back in the day when we played. We was responsible with it but we definitely smoked," Kemp says.

Shawn tells us pro athletes put a ton of wear and tear on their body, and need pain relief ... and Kemp says pot is a much safer alternative than addictive and dangerous pain killers.

"For me, with arthritis and different pains in your body, [marijuana] is the perfect solution," SK says.

"Sometimes guys don't like to pop the pills, some guys, they don't wanna take those chances, so this is another way of taking care of yourself professionally, with doing it the right way."

BTW, Shawn knows what he's talking about when it comes to smoking.

Melvin Gordon issued an apology to his Broncos teammates and the entire city of Denver for his DUI arrest earlier this month ... saying straight-up, "I am sorry."

The running back was accused of drinking and driving back on Oct. 13 ... after cops say they pulled him over for doing 71 MPH in a 35.

In the police report, obtained by TMZ Sports, the arresting officer claimed Gordon had slurred speech, watery eyes and reeked of booze.

Gordon was eventually hit with 2 DUI charges and a speeding violation over it all ... and, when he spoke with reporters Wednesday for the first time since the incident, he apologized vehemently for the arrest.

"Because of legal things, I haven't been able to publicly go out and say what I needed to say just from me to you guys to put it out," Gordon said, "I am sorry that I was even in the situation."

"I don't want people to feel like, 'Oh, because Melvin didn't say anything or he didn't speak on it, he just don't care. He's not apologetic about the situation.' That's not the case at all."

Gordon continued, "To the people of Denver and everyone I just don't want anyone to feel like I just don't care and, you know, 'Oh, he got his money, he don't care.' I do and not happy that I was in the situation."

"But, it's something I just wanted to let you guys know that you could put out to the people for me."

Gordon -- who signed a 2-year, $16 million contract with the Broncos in March -- is now facing league discipline and could be hit with a suspension this season over the arrest.

George Clooney and Rande Gerber's famous Casamigos Halloween party's got a unique twist this year -- screw the lime, they've got a whole truck!!!

The founders of the famous tequila brand won't be putting on their annual Halloween extravaganza this year -- COVID strikes again -- but they're not killing off their party spirit. Instead, they've prepped a 26-foot, custom-wrapped truck featuring a Halloween-themed image of George and Rande, or ... Cloober, if you will.

The truck's gonna be making stops all over L.A. to visit FOCs -- friends of Casamigos -- who are having safe, in-home celebrations.

Fans of the brand who live in L.A. can get in on the action too. The grand prize winner will get a visit from the truck. To enter, fans must take a photo of themselves in their most creative costume, tag Casamigos in the photo and include the hashtags #CasamigosHalloween and #Contest.

Those not in L.A. can still give it a shot, but your prize will be a sweet swag bag instead. Sorry, Rande and George gotta watch mileage on the truck.

Casamigos legendary Halloween ragers have entertained Justin Timberlake, Kim Kardashian, Harry Styles, Jessica Alba, Kendall Jenner, Zoe and Lenny Kravitz and many more. Last year's had a scary number of celebs.

The Reign Man ... is now the Strain Man -- because ex-NBA star Shawn Kemp is officially in the marijuana business.

The 50-year-old Seattle SuperSonics legend is opening Shawn Kemp's Cannabis in Seattle on Oct. 30 -- a shop poised to become the first Black-owned dispensary in the city.

In fact, Kemp's even hosting former Sonics teammate, Gary Payton, at next week's grand opening.

"I'm looking forward to welcoming Sonics fans on a regular basis, starting with opening day," Kemp said in a statement.

"I hope that Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis will be an inspiration for people to get involved with the legal cannabis industry, especially people of color."

Oh, and if you have trouble finding the store ... it's the one with the giant mural of Shawn Kemp on the side!

Kemp isn't going at this alone ... he's got 2 partners who have already had weed success co-founding a business called Main Street Marijuana, one of the top pot shops in the area since 2014.

Kemp -- a 6-time NBA All-Star -- played for Seattle from '89 to '97 and was known for being one of the exciting players in the league.

"My name is on this company and I have worked hard to bring Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis to fruition," Kemp said. "I want to provide nothing short of the best selection, customer experience and prices in Seattle."

Peyton Manning hasn't missed a beat in retirement -- not only does he have abs now, but the 44-year-old's arm is lookin' accurate as ever ... by knocking beer cans off statues with his buddy, David Letterman!!

It may seem pretty random, but here's what we know ... the 2-time Super Bowl champ hit up the late-night legend to shoot a segment for his "Peyton's Places" show with ESPN ... and DL agreed to do it at his alma mater, Ball State University.

So, what's there to do in Muncie, Indiana?? How about throwing perfect dart passes at beer cans on campus statues!!

Of course, Peyton's practically been showing off in recent weeks -- he even flaunted a 6-pack while beachin' it up in Miami!

Peyton kept up the momentum on Tuesday, by showing off his pin-point precision while knocking the can off a statue draped in a custom Letterman Colts jersey.

Ball State football released a statement on their visit, saying, "It was an exciting day for our football program,” athletic director Beth Goetz said. "The team was thrilled to engage with these two Indiana legends for 'Peyton’s Places.'"

"We are grateful for the opportunity to help showcase our campus, as it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our student-athletes and coaches."

Hey ... Peyton's only 44. We sure he's retired for good??

Michelle Theriot -- who made her name as Gramma Mimi on the hit TLC show, "OutDaughtered" -- has been arrested for DUI ... TMZ has learned.

Mimi was busted last weekend in League City, Texas a little after midnight on her way home. Cops say Mimi's black Ford SUV was swerving while straddling the shoulder's solid white line.

Cops say when they tried pulling her over, Mimi was slow to stop and when they approached her, cops say there was a strong odor of perfume wafting from the SUV. Cops say they know the game ... people try to conceal certain odors with perfume or cologne.

Mimi was asked to produce her driver's license, and cops say she was lethargic. They also say Mimi's speech was slurred and she had bloodshot eyes. When cops asked if she had any booze, she told them she had 2 glasses of wine ... before changing her story later and saying she had no wine but 2 Michelob Ultra beers.

Cops say it got worse when Mimi stepped unsteadily out of the car ... swaying back and forth. According to cops, she also bombed several field sobriety tests and had to be stopped from trying to get back in her SUV. She was handcuffed and taken to jail.

Ex-Angels staffer Eric Kay has been indicted by a grand jury in Texas on two counts in the death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs, court docs show.

Kay -- who worked with the Angels in media relations for 24 years -- had previously been charged by prosecutors with distribution of the fentanyl that led to Skaggs' overdose death back in June 2019.

But, the case has since gone to a grand jury -- which has now handed down a 2-count indictment against Kay.

According to the documents, Kay was indicted on 1 count of conspiracy to possess fentanyl with the intent to distribute and 1 count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death.

Unclear why the case went to a grand jury after prosecutors had already announced a formal charge against Kay. We're working on it.

As we previously reported, prosecutors claim to have a text conversation between Kay and Skaggs from the night of the pitcher's overdose.

In the exchange, Kay asks "Hoe [sic] many?" ... to which Skaggs responded, "Just a few like 5."

Law enforcement officials have said they believe Kay and Skaggs were discussing drugs ... clearly implying the exchange proves Kay is the one who supplied the pitcher with the lethal dose of the pills.

Law enforcement also claimed Kay provided "30-milligram oxycodone pills" to Skaggs on multiple occasions.

Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in Southlake, TX in July 2019 ... hours before the Angels were set to play the Texas Rangers.

He was only 27.

Mark Cuban says Delonte West is taking serious steps towards getting better ... and even living it up by going SKYDIVING!!!

As we previously reported, the Dallas Mavericks owner personally tracked down the ex-NBAer in Dallas and put him in a hotel last month ... and offered to provide any treatment necessary to get West back on his feet.

Cuban joined Big Cat and PFT Commenter on Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" Wednesday to give an update on West's recovery ... and it sounds like he's doing well!!

"I just got a picture today, he was skydiving -- SKYDIVING," Cuban said.

"He's making progress. I just hope he stays with it. The first couple weeks are tough."

Cuban added ... "Going through rehab and dealing with addiction, that's not easy and dealing with mental illness, that's not easy. So, I hope he fights his way through it."

Cuban also gave a breakdown on how he was able to track down West in Dallas ... which shows just how hard he was willing to work to help.

West has been showing strong signs of improvement this month ... and was horseback riding with a smile from ear to ear last week.

Somebody sent notorious prisoner Erik Menendez some herb from the outside -- and now, officials are trying to figure out if he was in on it ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... Menendez was moved into isolation Monday at the R.J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego -- where he's currently incarcerated -- after some mail arrived for him ... a package containing a bunch of weed. The area where he's being housed is called the Administrative Segregation Unit.

We're told the package of marijuana was intercepted by prison personnel. Prison officials have launched an investigation ... and we're told one of the things they want to know is whether Erik planned on either distributing the weed or using it as currency, or whether it was just for his personal use.

Our sources say Menendez was siloed away in a separate wing, away from other inmates. Prior to the incident, he could interact with fellow prisoners in the yard, but for now, pending the investigation, he's all by his lonesome.

If prison officials conclude Erik had someone from the outside send him the weed, the matter would be referred to the D.A. for prosecution.

Ryan Leaf's domestic battery arrest was NOT substance abuse-related ... so says the ex-NFL QB's attorney, who tells TMZ Sports the former San Diego Charger is still "100% sober."

There had been some concern after 44-year-old Leaf -- who has battled drug and alcohol problems in the past -- had suffered a relapse that led to his arrest on May 22.

But, when we spoke to David Greenberg of the Law Offices of Soda & Greenberg ... he told us that just wasn't the case at all.

"He is 100% totally sober," Greenberg said of Leaf, "and spends a good part of every day over the last five years helping other people remain that way."

In fact, Greenberg says the whole alleged incident was nothing more than a "minor dispute."

"Nobody was injured," Greenberg said. "There was no allegation of any kind of weapon or anything like that."

"This was a couple that had a small minor dispute and it's unfortunate that it ended up in the criminal justice system."

We broke the story ... Leaf was booked on a domestic battery charge at around 2 p.m. on May 22 -- and was formally hit with two misdemeanor charges by prosecutors this week.

But, Leaf cut a plea deal in court Friday ... and ultimately avoided further jail time in the case.

Greenberg said Leaf and his family are happy to have all this now behind them ... adding Ryan is still committed to helping people with substance abuse problems daily.

'Bad Girls Club' alum Judi Jai gave fans quite a scare with a series of alarming and suicidal tweets, but police have checked on her and she's fine ... though she says she's avoiding boxed wine from now on.

It's no laughing matter -- Judi's tweets, including one where she said she was going to cut her throat, sparked serious concern from her followers. A Fulton County Police spokesperson tells TMZ ... it also prompted 2 calls to her Georgia residence in the early morning hours Friday.

We're told officers responded to both calls -- one for a possible suicide situation and one reporting a person acting irrationally -- and cops concluded things were ok.

About 6 hours after her disturbing tweets, Judi tried to explain her erratic behavior by saying she drank too much wine from a box.

She added ... "Y’all I am so sorry for scaring y’all like that. I am ok. Thank u guys for the sweet tweets, calls and messages. I woke up to a ton of love."

Judi -- AKA "The Voodoo Vixen" -- was a star 'bad girl' on seasons 7 and 13 of the long-running reality show.

Incredible update on Delonte West -- Mark Cuban says the ex-NBAer is doing much better on his road to recovery ... sharing a quick snap of him smiling while horseback riding.

As we previously reported, the Dallas Mavericks owner personally picked up West at a Dallas gas station last week ... and vowed to help the 37-year-old get off the streets.

West entered a treatment facility with the help of his mother and Cuban last week ... and the billionaire says the process is just getting started but is going well.

"Ladies & Gentlemen, I present to you, Delonte West," Cuban said on Twitter on Friday. "A long, long, long way to go, but he has taken the first steps and shared these with all of us as a thank you for the love and support."

Sources close to West told us the ex-NBA player entered Phase 1 of his recovery earlier this week -- detox -- and was "roughing it out" while getting all traces of drugs and alcohol out of his system.

West has received an outpouring of support in recent weeks ... with ex-MLB superstar Darryl Strawberry -- who battled his own substance abuse issues -- offering to work together to stay clean when he finishes his treatment.