NFL's Tyrann Mathieu Targeted In $5 Mil Extortion Plot ... Officials Say

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NFL star Tyrann Mathieu was threatened by a relative -- "I want 1.5 million by Friday or I am going to kill all you all" -- this according to federal court documents.

Officials claim 21-year-old Geourvon Keinell Sears tried to shake down the Kansas City Chiefs safety in April by threatening to contact TMZ with fake allegations of sexual misconduct if Tyrann didn't come up with the money.

For the record, we were never contacted by Sears.

At first, Sears' demand was $1.5 million -- but he later raised the number to $5 million, according to the documents filed in U.S. District Court in Louisiana.

Officials say Sears contacted Mathieu by phone calls and also text messages. Mathieu's family members feared for their safety, according to the court docs.

Sears was arrested on an extortion charge but was later released on $25,000 bond. He's due back in court next month. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

Tyrann has reportedly made more than $31 mil in his NFL career and recently inked a 3-year, $42 million contract.

We spoke with Tyrann's rep, Denise White, who described the matter as a "very private and personal family issue."

"He's dealing with a family member who is dealing with a mental health issue. Tyrann is fine. His family is fine. They are getting through."

Aaron Rodgers Makes Surprise Prom Video ... 'Dance Your Ass Off!'

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A MESSAGE OF HOPE

"Good evening Paradise High School, I'm Aaron Rodgers ..."

Yeah, we know.

The Packers QB made a pretty cool prom video for the students affected by the NorCal wildfires -- touching on everything from sports to dancing ... even dating.

"Dance your ass off," Rodgers told the students ... "And, enjoy this special time in your life, especially you, seniors. Things will never be like this again."

"Cherish the friendships, the relationships, the sports games, the breakups, and all the amazing things that make up your high school years as you grow up and figure out this life."

Rodgers is from Northern California and previously donated $1 MILLION toward wildfire relief efforts.

In the clip -- part of a 35-minute video packed with huge stars -- Rodgers acknowledges how difficult rebuilding can be ... but essentially tells the kids to keep their heads up.

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"You've all been through a lot. But I hope you all know how much love and support you have had and will continue to have throughout the rebuilding process."

The video was put together by local mom Melanie Little -- who was inspired to do something after she saw all the loss the high school had suffered in November's devastating fires.

She got celebs like Imagine Dragons, Steve Carell, Ben Stiller and more to join Rodgers in wishing the students well ... and the vid turned out pretty amazing.

Ashley Massaro Died By Hanging ... Apparent Suicide

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Ex-WWE superstar Ashley Massaro was found hanging in an apparent suicide, multiple sources connected with the situation tell TMZ Sports.

The 39-year-old was found unconscious inside of her Suffolk County, NY home early Thursday morning -- and she was transported to a nearby hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

The death is being classified as "non-criminal."

She is survived by her daughter.

Massaro is being laid to rest in Suffolk County. The WWE honored Massaro with a full screen "In Memory" slate on Sunday during the "Money in the Bank" pay-per-view event.

CM Punk called into WMGM on Friday and had heard Ashley had taken her own life (the manner of death had not been publicly disclosed). He implored anyone listening who's struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts to get help.

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INCREDIBLY SAD NEWS

"Tremendously sad way to go," Punk said ... "thoughts obviously go out to her family, especially her daughter."

"It's May. It's Mental Health Month ... if you're depressed and things aren't going your way, there's no reason to feel alone," Punk added.

"Just reach out to somebody. Text a friend. Call somebody. There's hotlines. There's ways you can get help."

Here's a link to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.

The WWE had put out a statement on the former wrestler on Thursday saying, "We are saddened to learn of the tragic death of former WWE Superstar Ashley Massaro,"

"She performed in WWE from 2005-2008 and was beloved by her fellow Superstars and fans around the world. WWE offers its condolences to Ashley’s family and friends."

Ex-'Teen Mom' Star Mackenzie McKee Animal Control Took My Caged Dog ... And I'm PISSED!!!

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Another 'Teen Mom' star is in hot water for alleged mistreatment of her dog, but Mackenzie McKee is insisting the animal wasn't abused and animal control only stepped in due to the threat of tornadoes.

The former "Teen Mom 3" star tells TMZ ... her neighbor in Miami, OK unnecessarily reported her for leaving Hank, her Harlequin Great Dane, alone in the backyard while she went on a cruise in the Bahamas.

Mackenzie says it's total BS that anyone thought she abandoned Hank. She says her mom and other family members were tending to the dog every day and Hank's pen was cleaned out daily.

As for pictures that surfaced showing dog feces throughout the pen ... Mackenzie claims the picture was taken right after Hank pooped. On Monday, the neighbor called animal control, which removed the dog -- but Mackenzie says that was because there had been tornado warnings in the area.

We've called animal control to confirm Mackenzie's side of the story ... but we're waiting to hear back.

Witnesses, however, paint a very different picture. We're told the neighbors called animal control because there was a storm Sunday and felt bad for Hank. They claim he had been crying for 4 days and whimpering outside without any decent cover from rain. We're told the neighbors added a wood pallet so Hank would avoid sitting in mud.

This, of course, is the latest incident involving animal control and a 'Teen Mom.' As you know by now ... Jenelle Evans' husband, David Eason, is under investigation for animal cruelty for fatally shooting her French bulldog. The fallout since has been immense ... Jenelle's kids have since been taken away from her but she continues to stand by him.

Tyrann Mathieu Proposes To Longtime GF ... With Epic Diamond Ring!!!

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Honey Badger don't give a crap ... about ring prices -- 'cause Tyrann Mathieu just got a massive engagement ring for his GF that we're to is valued around $250,000!

TMZ Sports has learned the new Kansas City Chiefs safety decided to propose to his longtime girlfriend, Sydni Paige Russell ... so he hit up ZoFrost in Houston to get some ice for the big occasion.

The ring Mathieu decided on is epic ... it features a 6-carat emerald cut center stone with 3.35 carats on the band.

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HONEY BADGER'S HONEY

All totaled up, we're told it's worth a quarter of a million dollars!!

Of course, Mathieu can afford the bling ... the guy just inked one of the richest safety deals in the history of the NFL, signing for $42 MILLION!!!

As for Sydni -- who's the step daughter of former Jets head coach Todd Bowles -- she certainly seemed happy with the rock ... their proposal video is awesome!!!

Al Unser Jr. Drunkenly Rolled Down Embankment ... During DUI Arrest

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11:47 AM PT -- Unser was so drunk, he couldn't stand up straight and actually fell down an embankment during the arrest ... this according to court docs obtained by TMZ Sports.

The responding officer says he initially pulled Unser over when he saw the racing legend whiz by him in a black Volkswagen Beetle around 1:12 AM.

During the stop, the officer says Unser reeked of booze and couldn't keep his balance ... and the entire time Unser insisted he hadn't had anything to drink before getting behind the wheel.

At one point, the officer says ... "Unser Jr. walked onto the embankment, lost his balance, fell to the ground and rolled down the embankment."

Unser refused breath tests and other field sobriety tests so he was cuffed and taken to the station for a blood draw.

The officer says Unser was a pain in the ass during the entire ordeal -- "he was consistently verbally hostile" toward the cops involved in the situation.

No word on the results of the blood draw ... yet.

Well, this is bad ...

Racing legend Al Unser Jr. -- who won the Indy 500 TWICE -- was arrested for drunk driving in Indianapolis early Monday morning, officials say.

The 57-year-old was pulled over in Hendricks County -- and officers suspected he was drunk. He was hauled to a nearby station where Unser was booked around 3:20 AM.

Court records show he's facing 3 charges -- improper lane usage, speeding and operating while intoxicated.

If Unser doesn't seem fazed in his mug shot ... it's because it's the 3RD TIME he's been arrested for drunk driving.

He was previously popped for drunk driving in 2007 and 2011.

Obviously, Unser struggles with alcohol abuse. He was also arrested in 2002 after a booze-fueled altercation with his then-girlfriend.

Unser has spoken publicly about his issues and has tried to get help multiple times.

Unser retired from racing back in 2007 after a stellar career which includes an Indy 500 win in 1992 and again in 1994.

Originally Published -- 10:20 AM PT

Woodstock 50 Back On Track ... We $cored a New Financial Backer!!!

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Woodstock 50 is back on track after a legal victory helped it land a new partner and pump life back into the festival.

Oppenheimer & Co. has signed on to secure funding for the festival. A well-placed Oppenheimer source with knowledge tells TMZ, "We will gain financing from our clients and funds in the company." Translation ... some clients who invest with Oppenheimer will have a new addition to their portfolio ... Woodstock. We're told there will probably be other funding from other sources, but Oppenheimer is a game changer.

Another Oppenheimer source tells us ... the company has already ID'd some investors who will participate in the funding.

The news comes on the heels of a legal victory for W50 in which a judge put the brakes on Dentsu -- the previous financial backer -- attempting to cancel the event. As we reported ... a judge tentatively ruled Dentsu did not have authority to cancel the event.

The organizer, Michael Lang says ... "We look forward to putting on an incredible festival" and adds that he's incredibly appreciative of Oppenheimer for "joining with us to make W50 a reality."

Tickets are not on sale yet, and there are obviously still a lot of kinks to work out, but as of now ... the festival is scheduled for mid-August.

Ric Flair Surgery Postponed Due to 'Complications'

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Ric Flair is experiencing medical "complications" that have forced doctors to postpone a surgery that was supposed to happen on Friday ... this according to Ric's wife.

Wendy Barlow just issued a statement on the WWE legend's condition -- saying, "Ric's surgery has been postponed until Monday to address some complications that needed to be taken care of first.

"Thanks for all the well wishes."

TMZ Sports broke the story ... 70-year-old Flair was rushed to the hospital Thursday morning after experiencing a medical emergency.

Doctors planned on performing a procedure on Flair on Friday -- but now, Barlow says there are other medical issues that need to be addressed before Ric goes under the knife.

The specific procedure is unclear at this point but we've been told Nature Boy has had multiple heart surgeries over the past few months ... and that seems to be a concern as they move forward with his care.

On Thursday, Barlow said doctors expect Flair to make a "full recovery" after the procedure. Hopefully, that's still the case.

The good news ... Migos rapper Offset says he reached out to Flair on Friday and spoke with him on the phone.

"[Just] talked to my man. God is with him," Offset wrote.

"Don't wish death on my friend. He had a long life and he done it all. Some bad but majority good. He is a legend. God bless you Ric. Get well."

Flair has had medical issues in the past, including a very serious situation back in 2017 when he was placed in a medically induced coma for 11 days after he suffered a ruptured intestine.

Antonio Brown Fined $25 For Driving At Safe Speed ... .00005% Of New Contract

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Antonio Brown's bank account is now .00005 percent less than what it was yesterday ... 'cause the NFL superstar was just fined a whopping $25 in court after pleading guilty to "Driving at Safe Speed."

For real.

Here's the deal ... AB was busted back in November after cops say they caught his black Porsche going 100-plus MPH in a 45 just outside of Pittsburgh.

Brown was cited for reckless driving, and after he failed to show up for his court date in February ... he was found guilty of the charge and was sentenced to pay around $400 in fines and fees.

But, AB appealed the case ... and actually showed up for his new hearing Tuesday (he made a video from inside the courthouse!) -- and ended up pleading guilty to a lesser charge of "Driving at Safe Speed."

No, that's not a typo -- "driving at a safe speed" is an actual violation in Pennsylvania -- defined as driving "a vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions."

Brown's punishment for that? A staggering $25 fine plus other court fees.

Of course, chump change for the wide receiver ... the guy just signed a new $50,125,000 deal with the Raiders.

Yeah, still great to be rich.

Jenelle Evans Fallout from Dog Killing ... Jace and Kaiser Removed from Home

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Jenelle Evans' husband, David Eason, has alarmed Columbus County Child Protective Services to the point of 2 of the kids who were living in their house are now out ... TMZ has learned.

Our sources say Jenelle's 9-year-old child, Jace -- who she had with Andrew Lewis -- cannot come back to Jenelle's home to visit, per orders of CPS ... sources connected to Jenelle tell TMZ. Jenelle's mother has custody of Jace and Jenelle has visitation rights, but we're told CPS has put the brakes on visits to Jenelle's home because of the dog-killing incident earlier this month.

We're told CPS will not allow visits until its investigation is completed.

We've also confirmed Jenelle's 4-year-old son, Kaiser, was removed from the home Friday and is currently staying with his father, Nathan Griffith, and Nathan's mom. By the way, Kaiser was in the house when David beat and then shot the family dog, killing it.

As for David and Jenelle's 2-year-old daughter, Ensley ... we're told she's still in the home, and partly because authorities believe it's treacherous to enter the property given David's temper combined with his firepower.

Blac Youngsta Charges Dropped in Young Dolph Shooting Case

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No Monday blues for Blac Youngsta ... he's celebrating all charges against him getting dropped in the Young Dolph shooting case.

According to the Charlotte District Attorney's Office ... the 6 felony counts of discharging a weapon into occupied property and 1 count of conspiracy were dropped because there's zero evidence Youngsta was driving the car that pulled up and shot Dolph's SUV in February 2017.

What's more ... the D.A. says BY told them he had a rock-solid alibi ... placing him in Durham, NC at the time of the shooting. The D.A. also says he was not ID'd by any witnesses and "there is no scientific evidence linking him" to the shooting.

You'll recall Young Dolph accused Youngsta of blasting more than 100 rounds into the SUV. At the time, Dolph said he thought Youngsta was targeting him in a jealous rage. Nobody was injured from the shooting ... mostly because Dolph spent $300k to bulletproof his SUV.

Youngsta and another man ultimately surrendered to authorities 3 months after the shooting. But, that's now all a thing of the past.

BY's attorney, Robert Corbett, tells TMZ ... "We provided an affirmative defense that proved that [Blac Youngsta] was not involved. We're thankful for the patience of our client in allowing this to work its way through the criminal justice system and to the District Attorney's Office in properly analyzing all of the evidence."

Youngsta was pretty psyched about the news ... taking to Instagram to write "it's time to celebrate a victory." He captioned the post, "I'M INNOCENT."

David Eason Faces More Legal Drama ... For 2018 Truck-Towing Stunt

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David Eason is quickly learning when it rains it pours ... 'cause in the wake of an animal cruelty investigation and child support case, TMZ's learned there's a looming court date over a stunt he pulled last year.

First, a little backstory ... Jenelle Evans' dangerous spouse got in hot water last December after the ex-"Teen Mom 2" star illegally towed a man's truck. The incident actually went down in June 2018 but, amazingly, cops weren't made aware until Eason uploaded a video of the incident on his YouTube page ... on Jenelle's 27th birthday, no less.

Eason captioned the video, "Learn the right way to deal with a$$holes who think it's cool to block you in a parking space." In the video, you hear Jenelle in the background laughing and egging him on.

The truck owner ultimately pressed charges, and Eason was charged with tampering with a vehicle and injury to personal property. He's due back in New Hanover County, North Carolina court June 3.

It's just the latest controversy that's practically forced Eason to have his lawyer on speed dial. As we reported ... the Columbus County Sheriff and Animal Control have launched a joint investigation into allegations of animal cruelty against him for shooting their family dog to death.

Eason, of course, also owed back child support to his baby mama, Olivia Leedham. He ultimately paid up but the hits kept coming as Jenelle proved to be collateral damage after she was fired from "Teen Mom 2" ... a spin-off show she'd been on since she was 19. She was first casted on "16 & Pregnant."

Sec. of State Mike Pompeo CHP Officer Hit By Car, Injured ... While Escorting Motorcade

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5/12 8:00 AM PT -- A Secret Service source tells TMZ, the motorcade did indeed stop for a minute as CHP officers assisted the injured deputy, who suffered minor injuries.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's trip through L.A. was almost interrupted by a driver who hit one of the local officers helping escort his motorcade -- we say almost 'cause the rest of the fleet kept on going.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a CHP officer on a motorcycle was broadsided Saturday while blocking traffic for Pompeo's motorcade, which was getting off the 405 freeway at the La Cienega exit. We're told a driver -- who was going about 20 MPH -- made an illegal U-turn and clipped the guy.

Video of the scene shows the officer lying on the ground and being tended to by fire personnel that responded. Our sources say the officer was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries and is expected to make a full recovery.

Meanwhile, we're told the rest of the motorcade continued on its way ... seemingly unaware of the accident that just occurred behind them. That, or they were in a hurry to get the SoS somewhere ASAP.

It appears the driver in question lost his bumper in the collision too, but got out of his car to survey the damage. It's unclear if any arrests were made on the spot.

No official word on what Sec. Pompeo was doing in town -- he's supposed to fly to Russia this week to handle some official diplomatic business, and is set to meet with Putin himself on Tuesday.

Kim & Kanye Surrogate Gives Birth ... Baby #4 is Here!!!

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9:36 AM PT -- Sources close tell us baby #4 was born Thursday and weighed 6 lb. 9 oz.

5/10 9:05 AM PT -- The new baby West has arrived. Kim just tweeted, "He's here and he's perfect!" She continued, "He's also Chicago's twin lol I'm sure he will change a lot but now he looks just like her."

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are about to be the proud parents of a brand spankin' new baby boy -- their surrogate's in labor!!!

Kourtney and Kris Jenner taped an episode of 'Ellen' Thursday with all of the Kardashian kids ... including Kim and Kanye's. Kourtney acknowledged Kim was supposed to be on the show but couldn't make it because there were urgent matters to attend to ... i.e., labor! And, get this, we're told Kris didn't even know.

Our sources say Mom and Dad were at the hospital Thursday night with the surrogate. Don't know for sure if they'll be in the delivery room, but she was the last time around for the birth of Chicago.

As we reported ... KW and KK hired a new surrogate to carry their fourth kid to term -- not because they were dissatisfied with the last one ... she was simply unavailable. The woman -- who was in her early 20s -- had her own child this past December ... less than 12 months after popping out baby Chicago. As a result ... the couple had to go with another surrogate.

This new surrogate's profile never became clear ... but ya gotta imagine Mom and Dad went with someone who was equally capable.

Kim and Kanye used a leftover embryo they created to bring this newest baby to life. He'll join three siblings -- North, Saint and Chi -- as the sixth member of the family.

As you know ... Kim's got a full plate. Aside from studying to become a lawyer and running of beauty empire, she's dedicating much of her time to prison reform, helping first free Alice Marie Johnson and Matthew Charles. Just last week, she helped free a man given a life sentence.

We'll keep ya posted on when baby #4 pops out ... but here's an early CONGRATS!!!

Originally Published - 5/9 7:05 PM PT

50 Cent 'Power' Ending After Season 6 ... I'm Going Out On Top!!!

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50 Cent is dropping a bombshell, revealing he's shutting down "Power" after its upcoming season, but on-set drama is not to blame -- he just wants to ride off into the sunset on a high note.

Sources close to production on the hit series tell TMZ ... 50 wants the show to go out on top, because he's seen too many other series run themselves into the ground. "Power" is still hugely successful as it enters its 6th season on Starz.

While there's speculation that drama between Fiddy and Randall Emmett is behind the decision to pull the plug ... we're told that's simply not the case, and there's no lingering beef between the fellow executive producers.

You'll recall ... Fiddy's character, Kanan Stark, died last season, and we're told that's no coincidence ... because 50 wanted more time to get started working on other projects, including "Power" spin-offs, which are already being developed.

As we first told you ... 50 inked an 8-figure deal with Starz back in 2017 to bring 3 more projects to life, and the contract runs through this September.

Bottom line ... the final season of "Power" just got even more interesting.

Donald Trump Praises Red Sox Ignores No-Show Star Players

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Donald Trump heaped TONS of praise on the Boston Red Sox at the White House -- calling out individuals like Chris Sale and J.D. Martinez ... while leaving out the key players who didn't show up.

As we previously reported, Sox manager Alex Cora boycotted the trip because he doesn't "feel comfortable" with Trump over the way POTUS handled the hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico.

Other Red Sox players who refused to attend include Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, David Price and Red Sox legend David Ortiz.

Betts was the A.L. MVP last season and Price CRUSHED IT during the playoff run -- but got NO LOVE from Trump since they didn't show up to the White House on Thursday.

Same with Alex Cora.

Trump had glowing remarks for Chris Sale -- complimenting his World Series performance and the fact he struck out 14 batters Wednesday night in a regular season game against the Orioles.

Trump also invited the Red Sox players and staff in attendance to a personal tour of the Lincoln Bedroom -- a room that's supposed to be off-limits to the public.

TMZ Sports shot footage of some of the key execs arriving at the White House before the ceremony -- including VP of Baseball Operations Tony La Russa, owner John Henry, President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski and others.

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RED VISITS WHITE

Earlier Thursday, the Red Sox visited the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the D.C. area -- where they visited patients.

Originally Published -- 11:42 AM PT