3:45 PM PT -- Jon has just broken his silence on the situation ... saying he's "disappointed" in himself for letting people down.
UPDATE
Here's the full statement issued through Jon's rep Denise White:
UPDATE
"While we all work to understand and cope with stress and uncertainties surrounding the current state of our world, I want to express how truly disappointed I am that I have become the source of a negative headline again, especially during these trying times."
UPDATE
"I am disappointed for letting down the people I care about the most, my family, friends and my fans. This morning I entered into a plea deal with the Albuquerque DA's office. I accept full responsibility for my actions and I know that I have some personal work to do to which involves the unhealthy relationship I have with alcohol."
UPDATE
"I have dedicated so much time and energy to improve my community, and I will not allow this personal setback to hinder my work within the community when we need it most. I truly appreciate the support I have received from the community of Albuquerque and all my fans around the world. I very much look forward to putting this behind me."
UPDATE
"Thank you all for your continued love and support and please take care of yourselves."
UFC superstar Jon Joneshas pled guilty to driving while intoxicated stemming from a March 26 arrest in New Mexico, officials tell TMZ Sports.
The reigning UFC light heavyweight champ has struck a deal with prosecutors in which he agreed to 1-year supervised probation. The sentence has not yet been approved by a judge but that's just a matter of time at this point.
As part of the deal, Jones will serve 96 hours in a community custody program -- which is a form of incarceration, but not in a traditional jail cell. We're told it's similar to house arrest. He will wear an ankle monitor, which allows authorities to make sure he doesn't leave his residence unless he has permission.
Officials say Jones will be ordered to "complete a minimum of 90 day out-patient treatment, maximum fines and fees, community service and all other requirements of reporting to probation."
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials are allowing Jones to participate in the outpatient program via video conferencing.
As for the community service, Jones must complete 48 total hours.
Jones must also install an ignition interlock device in any vehicle he operates -- which requires him to complete a breathalyzer (to test for alcohol) before the car will start.
"His attorney and Mr. Jones have been made aware that if he fails to do this, the State will seek to impose the balance of any jail time without regard for any exceptional circumstances," officials say.
Get this ... officials WILL allow Jones to use marijuana during his probation, as long as he has a valid medical card.
As we previously reported, Jones was arrested around 1 AM on March 26 after cops responded to reports of gunfire in the Albuquerque area.
When cops found Jones alone in his Jeep, he appeared intoxicated and admitted to drinking earlier in the evening.
As for the other charges, which include negligent use of a deadly weapon and open containers, those will be dropped in exchange for Jones' guilty plea on the DWI.
Dallas Cowboys WR Ventell Bryant took at least 3 DUI tests prior to his arrest this month -- and cops say he bombed ALL OF THEM ... and it's all on police video obtained by TMZ Sports.
Bryant was pulled over in Tampa, Fla. at around 2:30 AM on March 11 after cops say he was driving his 2019 Dodge Charger without headlights on.
Officers say during the stop, the 23-year-old NFL player had bloodshot eyes, smelled like booze and admitted to having 3 margaritas before getting behind the wheel.
Cops got Bryant out of the car and onto the street ... and you can see in police footage, the Cowboys wideout went through a litany of tests to determine his sobriety.
Officers made Bryant -- who caught a TD pass from Dak Prescottlast season -- walk in a straight line, balance on one leg and touch his fingers to his nose while looking up at the sky.
In the video, it didn't seem like Bryant outwardly bombed the tests ... but cops clearly felt differently, 'cause they slapped the cuffs on him in a hurry.
"Arrested?" Bryant asks one of the officers. "I can't afford this, bruh!"
You can see Bryant's friends were NOT happy to learn of the football player's arrest ... and when one asked which sobriety test Ventell failed, the cop replied, "Every single last one of them!"
Bryant -- a rookie who was signed by the Cowboys just before last season and is expected to compete for a roster spot with Dallas in 2020 -- was charged with misdemeanor DUI.
He's due in court for a hearing on the matter later next month.
Post Malone is fighting coronavirus in the most Posty way possible -- he's rounding up his biggest celeb friends for a virtual beer pong tournament for the ages!!!
TMZ has learned ... the "Circles" singer teamed up with his good friend and fellow rapper, MIKE -- FKA Mike Stud -- to put on a huge Instagram Live event to raise money for COVID-19 relief, dubbed "The Ballina Cup."
So, how did this come to be?? A lot of the participants organically got involved after being guests on MIKE's "Ya Never Know: You Know What I Mean?" podcast hosted by Notorious.
The tournament will take place over 8 days starting next week ... with 2 matchups per night (from the comfort of everyone's homes. Remember, social distancing!!)
The winning team will go home with a dope trophy, wrestling belts and chains to commemorate the victory.
There are no betting odds on the tourney just yet, but remember -- MIKE and Post won $50k on a game in the past, so you know they got skillz.
We're told all the participants will chip in their fair share of dough to help those battling the coronavirus pandemic ... so it's not all just for getting lit during quarantine.
And that's what we like to call partying with a purpose.
Jon Jones told police he had vodka before getting behind the wheel of his Jeep Thursday morning -- and needed to get out of the house because he was going '"stir-crazy" during the coronavirus pandemic.
It's all on police body cam footage from Jon's DWI arrest in Albuquerque, New Mexico ... with the UFC superstar calmly trying to explain to officers why he drank and then drove.
"I literally just got stir-crazy," Jones said ... "I just wanted to have a drive. This is my first drive in 2 weeks. And, I saw these homeless guys. I was being nice to them, having conversation with them, treating them like humans.”
During the stop, Jon said he has "really bad" short-term memory -- and blamed it on the fact he's a UFC fighter who gets "punched in the head" for a living.
"My short-term memory is really bad."
Jones was given multiple field sobriety tests including balancing, counting and reciting the alphabet. It did not go well. He struggled mightily.
Jones was ultimately arrested and booked for aggravated driving while intoxicated, negligent use of a deadly weapon and possession of an open container.
As we previously reported, cops say he fired a black handgun at some point during the evening -- which is why they were called to the scene in the first place.
Cops say they found a gun and a half-empty bottle of booze in Jon's car while searching the vehicle.
While officers are putting Jon in the car, he's overcome with emotion and begins to weep -- telling the officers, "I'm scared for my family."
At one point, Jon tells one of the officers, "I love you guys so much. I actually wanted to be a police officer when I grew up."
The coronavirus pandemic is not stopping substance abuse centers from offering inpatient care ... but precautions are in place and one center is even testing for the virus.
Centers from across the country are all telling us the same thing ... they aren't turning folks away unless they have symptoms associated with coronavirus. They're also exercising their pandemic contingency plans, remaining cautious and have so far steered clear of the virus' spread.
Honchos at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, which has inpatient care at 5 residential sites across the country, tell TMZ ... they're screening anyone who comes in seeking help for substance abuse, and staff is monitoring patients' temperatures and checking for symptoms like coughing and shortness of breath.
If a patient shows symptoms common with COVID-19, they will be discharged with a bundle of resources and information to get the proper treatment for the virus.
Hazelden Betty Ford tells us they see this as fighting 2 diseases: addiction and COVID-19 ... and the vast majority of their patients are saying they feel safe despite the looming threat of coronavirus.
The residential sites are also making sure staff wash their hands, disinfect the clinics and maintain physical distancing. Auditorium lectures have been replaced with video streams, and a virtual outpatient program is launching soon.
Meanwhile, the main campus of Caron Treatment Centers in Wernersville, PA is running at close to max capacity with 150 in-house patients ... according to Dr. Joseph Garbely.
During recent screenings at Caron, we're told triage nurses isolated 3 patients who were coughing and doctors tested them for the virus, out of an abundance of caution, but the results all came back negative.
While awaiting results, we're told the patients were held in isolation and given iPads to stream group classes and work on group therapy. They were also monitored by nurses in full protective gear.
The main campus is also practicing CDC guidelines ... social distancing, hand washing and no sharing of toiletries. We're told doctors are using livestreaming to interact with patients.
One patient on Caron's Florida campus was in isolation after exhibiting a low-grade fever, but their test came back negative ... they participated in group therapy via iPad while awaiting test results.
John Finlay -- one of the stars of the hit Netflix docuseries 'Tiger King' and Joe Exotic's ex-husband -- has a nice new set of pearly whites ... that almost make him look like a different person.
John tells TMZ ... he actually got his teeth redone in July 2019 all at once -- they're dentures -- and he's a little miffed at Netflix and the filmmakers because they never showed it.
We're told there's plenty of footage and photos of John fixing his smile but for whatever reason ... none of it made the final cut of 'Tiger King.'
Finlay also wants to clarify something about his gnarly teeth -- they weren't the result of meth abuse. Though John admits meth was a drug of choice for him in the doc, we're told his teeth were messed up before that, due to genetic reasons. He told us he has not touched drugs in 6 years.
John is currently working as a welder and living in central Oklahoma with his fiancee Stormey. We're told she's the one with John at the end of the series when he's getting his Joe Exotic tattoo reworked.
As for why Finlay's shirtless the entire time he's being interviewed on 'Tiger King' ... our sources say that was the idea of one of the producers, and John went with it.
For more on Finlay, ya gotta watch 'Tiger King' on Netflix, and also check out the podcast "Joe Exotic: Tiger King" by Robert Moor on Joe Exotic's story ... including more with John.
UFC superstar Jon Jones was arrested for DWI and a gun charge in New Mexico Thursday morning, TMZ Sports has confirmed.
Cops say they responded to reports of gunfire in Albuquerque at around 1 AM -- and when they arrived at the scene, they found Jones inside a 2019 Jeep with the engine running and the car in park.
Jon denied firing a gun -- but officers say he appeared intoxicated (bloodshot, watery eyes and reeked of booze) and conducted a field sobriety test, which he allegedly bombed.
He also took a breathalyzer, twice, and registered over the legal limit both times.
During a subsequent search of the vehicle, cops say they found a black handgun and a half-empty bottle of tequila behind the passenger seat.
He was arrested and booked for aggravated driving while intoxicated, negligent use of a deadly weapon and possession of an open container.
We're told Jones was booked and released and has a bond arraignment court date set for April 9.
We're also told the probation Jon got in his strip club slap case had ended on Jan. 8.
Jones has been arrested for drunk driving in the past -- back in 2012, he pled guilty to DUI after crashing his Bentley into a pole in upstate New York.
Jon has spoken publicly about his issues with substance abuse -- including cocaine -- and it seemed like he was winning the battle.
Jones is widely considered the best MMA fighter of all time -- and he's the current UFC light heavyweight champion with victories over stars like Dominick Reyes, Daniel Cormier and Rampage Jackson.
Aging whiskey's cool and all, but not when there's a shortage of hand sanitizer ... enter Copper Fiddle Distillery.
The Lake Zurich, Illinois-based company has seen its whiskey, rum and bourbon sales dry up but it's stepping up in a huge way to help first-responders fight the raging coronavirus pandemic ... by turning its alcohol into some much-needed hand sanitizer, free of charge.
A state senator reportedly asked owner Andrew Macker last week if he'd be up to the challenge. So far, there have been more than enough donations made to help the company crank out the supply in droves.
Macker told The Daily Herald, they've so far made around 100 bottles with another batch coming hopefully by the end of the month. They reportedly used about 45 cases of unsold bottles of rum -- converting them from 80 proof to 160 proof -- to get the first batch done.
BTW ... tons of other distilleries across the country are also jumping in to help. Tito's Handmade Vodka also announced it'll do the same. Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff will also donate more than 500,000 gallons of neutral grain spirit that'll be converted into 8 million bottles of hand sanitizer.
Anheuser-Busch, the nation's largest beer company, is also getting in the mix ... with hand sanitizer being made at their breweries and distributed by the American Red Cross, among others.
NBA star-turned-marijuana mogul Al Harrington says his Viola company's sales are through the roof since the coronavirus scare took over the U.S. ... and now he's scrambling to meet the demand.
Of course, Harrington has turned into a highly successful weed advocate and entrepreneur in his post-playing days ... sharing the medical benefits for athletes, as well as, the average folk.
We spoke with Harrington about the insane demand for cannabis products right now -- after all, EVERYBODY is stressing out over COVID-19 -- and he says his sales have DOUBLED.
"The challenge is gonna be making sure that we can keep up with the demand at this point," Harrington tells TMZ Sports.
"Everybody is stocking up on their favorite brands. I feel like the 'canna-curious' is really steppin' up right now, especially when you're stuck in the house with your kids 24 hours a day."
Harrington says the weed industry is booming just like toilet paper ... with people stocking up and worrying about when they'll be able to get more.
Harrington says his employees are following all the restrictions and taking extra steps to make sure they're safe during the pandemic ... but hopes the government continues to allow them to stay open as an "essential" business.
"The main thing we have to make sure of is our government views it as essential, 'cause a lot of people use cannabis for medicine and it would be a travesty if they decide to take that off and not allow people access to cannabis."
Austin Seferian-Jenkins was high, drunk AND speeding when he was arrested for DUI last week ... this according to cops in new police docs obtained by TMZ Sports.
Oh, and cops also say he didn't have the ignition interlock device installed in his car, stemming from a court order from a previous DUI.
A Gig Harbor PD officer claims the NFL free agent was doing 48 MPH in a 30 in Gig Harbor, Wash. on March 9 at around 1 AM ... when the former Tampa Bay Buccaneer began driving erratically.
According to the officer, ASJ was swerving in his 2016 Dodge Charger ... and nearly turned onto a wrong-way offramp before he cut across multiple lanes of traffic without a blinker.
The officer eventually pulled over Seferian-Jenkins ... and says in the report, the tight end told him he was just headed toward a local McDonald's for some late-night grub.
But, the officer says he noticed ASJ reeked of booze and burnt weed ... and also claims the 27-year-old's eyes were red and bloodshot.
The cop says when Seferian-Jenkins got out of the car, he was swaying in circles when he was standing still ... and after the NFL player refused field sobriety tests, the officer arrested him on the scene, claiming he believed ASJ was both drunk and high.
Seferian-Jenkins was eventually hit with 3 charges ... 1 count of DUI, 1 count of driving with a suspended license, and 1 count of operating a vehicle without an ignition interlock device, which tests the driver's breath for alcohol before they can start the vehicle.
The order for the device likely stems from a previous DUI arrest -- Seferian-Jenkins has been busted for DUI twice before ... once in 2013 and again in 2016.
ASJ was also issued a civil infraction for speeding and improper lane change ... and was arraigned on the charges on March 11.
Seferian-Jenkins signed with the New England Patriots last offseason but was cut before the 2019 season began. In his career, he has 116 catches for 1,160 yards.
No one's gonna call the coronavirus pandemic good news -- but folks in the legal marijuana biz will at least say there's a silver, or green, lining for them.
THC Design, one of the largest cannabis suppliers in the game, tells TMZ ... they saw a 300% increase in sales this week -- a spike they attribute completely to the outbreak.
THC Design supplies 275 dispensaries and 20 delivery service platforms in Cali, so yeah ... they're in high demand.
Despite the huge consumer demand, THC Design says it's not hiring new employees ... at least not yet. Sorry to burst your bubble, recently-unemployed stoners.
As for its current workforce, THC Design tells us it's taking extra steps to keep the workplace safe -- the main facility in Downtown L.A. has a new sterilization procedure for all employees entering the building.
Among the new safety procedures -- handwashing with isopropyl alcohol to completely sterilize, separating the workforce and allowing office staff to work from home, scrapping communal lunches, and making everyone enter from the same entrance to make sure they're sanitized.
Which reminds us ... wash your hands AND your bongs, too!!! Oh, if Dr. Fauci would only say that at the next White House briefing.
Alcoholics Anonymous is a lifeline for thousands and thousands of people struggling to keep their addiction in check ... and the org is adapting to the drastic changes brought on by the coronavirus pandemic ... AA meetings are going virtual thanks to some pretty cool tech.
People across the country have relied on AA as their daily gut check for years, but traditional meetings have fallen by the wayside due to the outbreak ... and luckily, local chapters are now holding meetings online.
Here's how it works ... AA chapters are using services like Zoom, allowing members to have video chats at their regularly scheduled daily times. There are also dedicated phone numbers for folks to call into.
AA's General Service Office in New York City, which serves thousands of people, has already been closed to visitors and tours because of COVID-19, making these virtual meetings a much-needed support system for folks to stay sober.
Lots of people in AA also have sober buddy systems, which they can't use right now, so online forums and video chats are a huge help.
Being forced to stay home for long periods of time ain't exactly great for anyone's sanity ... so it's good to see AA doing everything it can to keep people on the wagon.
The coronavirus pandemic is causing folks to get more of their essentials delivered to their homes ... and one major marijuana company is seeing green.
Select Cannabis, one of the biggest retailers of cannabis oils and concentrates, is raking in the dough from deliveries ... the company's marketing reps in Los Angeles tell TMZ the coronavirus has business booming.
The cannabis giant tells us it's seeing 4 times as many delivery orders than normal since the COVID-19 outbreak -- yes, you can get dank delivered in Cali -- and there's also been a 50% increase in customers purchasing vape products. The most popular items -- edible gummies and vape pens.
It's kinda funny, and a telling sign of the times ... Select Cannabis tells us they're pushing a new motto to encourage users to keep themselves safe in the face of a deadly and contagious virus ... "Puff, puff, no pass."
'Mighty Ducks' goalie Shaun Weiss is inching closer to getting the help he desperately needs ... he'll soon be released from jail and go straight to rehab.
On Tuesday, a judge in Yuba County, CA approved a motion to release the child star from jail ... according to the D.A.'s Office there. Shaun's being released specifically so he can check in to a recovery facility.
We're told he could be released as early as Thursday and will head to a hospital in Orange County where his treatment will begin with one week of detox. The plan is for him to spend 90 days in a SoCal rehab facility.
Our sources say that will be followed by an intensive outpatient/partial aftercare sober-house program before Shaun goes to a sober-living home.
All of this, of course, is expensive treatment and Shaun will not go at it alone. We're told a prominent TV show reached out to Shaun's team and introduced them to the rehab facility, which will sponsor his recovery.
As we first reported ... friends said they were desperate to get the troubled child star help before it's too late. Shaun had been living on the street and dealing with several life-threatening problems before his meth and burglary bust.
The shocking arrest prompted a wave of support ... from friends and even those who didn't know him, like Michael Lohan. As we first reported ... Michael, who is no stranger to rehab, pulled some strings and got a rehab facility in Texas to sponsor Shaun's recovery.
Nice gesture, for sure -- but, it looks like he'll get the help he needs in Cali.
1:33 PM PT -- According to police docs ... cops were called to Jones' residence for a family disturbance. When they arrived, his wife claimed they had a verbal altercation that "was physical" earlier in the day. She allegedly told the officer Jones took off in his car and was possibly drinking.
UPDATE
Cops caught up with him shortly afterward -- sometime after 10 PM Monday night -- and pulled him over. The arrest report says the officer detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from Jones.
UPDATE
Jones allegedly admitted he drank a bottle of sake while he and his wife were at a sushi restaurant a couple hours earlier, and they got into an argument. Jones told the officer he walked home, but the argument continued there ... so he left to go to another residence to get away from her.
UPDATE
According to the report ... Jones demonstrated some impairment during field sobriety tests, such as swaying and losing his balance, but he did blow slightly below a .08 on the Intoxilyzer -- twice.
UPDATE
It should be noted ... it's unclear who the "wife" is in the report. Jones divorced his previous wife in 2015, and as far as we know ... he has not remarried.
Alex Jones has a fresh DWI case deep in the heart of Texas ... the former "InfoWars" host was busted early Tuesday morning in the Austin-area.
Jones was booked around 12:30 AM ... according to the Travis County Sheriff's Department. He was back on the streets by 4 AM, after posting a $3,000 bond -- and as you might expect, Jones is telling his own version of events.
He went on his "Alex Jones Show" podcast and said he blew under the legal limit of .08 ... so he thinks the whole charge will go away. "InfoWars" is already floating a conspiracy theory, saying Jones was caught in a DWI sting ... aimed at increasing the Sheriff's Department's number of arrests.
INFO WARS
So far, the Sheriff's Department isn't saying what Jones' BAC was when he was arrested. Worth noting that in Texas you can be arrested for DWI even if you're under the limit IF the officer thinks your driving ability is impaired.
The run on toilet paper and wet wipes has nothing on seriously hard alcohol -- 'cause people fearing a full coronavirus outbreak are snatching up booze to cook up their own sanitizer.
Everclear, the potent 190-proof grain alcohol college kiddos traditionally use for Jell-O shots, is in crazy demand now that enterprising DIYers know it's one of few alcohols potent enough to kill nasty bugs like COVID-19.
The craze for the specialty booze is coast-to-coast. The good folks at Seattle's Downtown Spirits tell us they're fresh outta Everclear. A clerk says customers aren't hiding their intentions -- "They're buying it for the sanitizer." The price tag's a mere $20, but he told us it wasn't a commodity until this week.
We're told they sold 40 bottles in 2 days -- more than twice what they normally sell.
Ditto for Broadway Spirits in Manhattan's posh TriBeCa 'hood where they've had customers calling in to make sure Everclear's still in stock. A clerk there told us it's about to go on backorder.
As you know, brand-name germ killers like gels and wet wipes are vanishing from stores -- and the homemade craze started when the World Health Organization released a few recipes to help out newbie chefs.
They suggest folks pull isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide and glycerin (if you have it) from cupboards and start whisking to attempt a homemade Purell, if you will. Everclear would come in handy if you're short on isopropyl A.
The Center for Disease Control prefers washing hands. But if soap and water aren’t “readily available” the agency suggests using a hand sanitizer containing “60% alcohol.” Grain alcohol to the rescue!!!
Buyers should carefully read the label because some spirits don’t pack enough punch. Tito’s Handmade Vodka admitted on social media it "does not meet the current recommendation of the CDC."
Translation: we'll get ya drunk, but killing viruses ain't our game.
