NBA's Taurean Prince Arrested On Drug Warrant ... Rep Says Marijuana Related
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11:22 AM PT -- Taurean's rep, Cathy Cardenas, tells TMZ Sports the warrant was related to a traffic stop in Texas back in May ... when cops found a marijuana device in Prince's car.
7:46 AM PT -- According to police documents obtained by TMZ Sports, Prince is currently being held on no bond due to a charge involving "dangerous drugs."
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince was arrested in Miami on Thursday night ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.
Jail records show the 28-year-old was booked at 7:51 PM due to an outstanding warrant. A police spokesperson tells us it stems from an alleged drug-related incident in Texas.
Further details have not yet been released.
Prince -- who looked stern in his mug shot -- is still in custody, the records show.
Prince, a star at Baylor, was taken by the Jazz in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft, but was traded to the Atlanta Hawks just days later. He's bounced around the league since, but played well for the T-Wolves after being traded to the team last year.
He's since signed a 2-year, $16 million extension with Minnesota ... and is expected to be a key player on the team this season.
Originally Published -- 6:10 AM PT
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Charlie Sheen Settles HIV Lawsuit
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Charlie Sheen has decided to settle his lawsuit with an ex-girlfriend who claimed he exposed her to HIV ... putting to bed the case that's been simmering for years.
Legal docs, obtained by TMZ, show the stipulation was filed Wednesday in L.A. County Superior Court ... the actor agreed to settle with the woman for $120K -- which will be paid to her in $10K monthly installments over the next year.
As we reported back in 2017, the woman, who filed as Jane Doe, claimed she met the "confidential male defendant" and they quickly began having sex -- eventually unprotected sex -- according to the lawsuit.
She never mentioned him by name in the initial docs, but she did note the person she was suing announced his HIV status on national TV on November 17, 2015. That's the day Sheen went on "Today" and told his story, so she wasn't doing much to conceal his identity.
She claimed he dismissively told her to take pills to prevent transmission, but told her to not believe "the convenient rumors of the medical community," saying, "You don't need to be on all that f****** s***."
We've reached out to a rep for Sheen for comment ... so far, no word back.
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Richard Simmons Breaks Silence After TMZ Documentary ... Thanks Fans for All The Love
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Richard Simmons is feeling the love, more than 8 years after he disappeared from the public eye, thanking fans for their support and well wishes on the heels of TMZ's documentary about his life and his disappearance.
Simmons, who hasn't posted a message directly from himself on Facebook in years, broke that streak Wednesday, saying, "Thank you, everyone, for your kindness and love! ❤️ Love, Richard."
Richard's post comes just a couple days after the premiere of "TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons" on FOX and Hulu. An in-depth look into Richard's life, his success and his disappearance from public life.
We're told Richard watched the special and is extremely moved by the reaction of thousands of his fans who have sent well wishes.
While Richard's official Facebook account regularly posts old clips and workout vids -- usually getting a couple hundred comments -- the direct note from Richard clearly had fans excited, with close to 5,000 comments in less than 48 hours.
Many fans' comments included their photos with the exercise guru over the years with words of love and encouragement, with many emphasizing how important it is that he takes time for himself.
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Carson Wentz Buys Jay Gruden's Old Crib ... For $3.67 Million
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Jay Gruden's casa es Carson Wentz's casa now -- the Washington Commanders QB bought the former coach's Virginia home after being traded this offseason, TMZ Sports has confirmed.
The 7,280-square foot home sits on 3 acres in Leesburg -- an hour west of Commanders' FedEx Field stadium -- and we're told it's a popular area for pro athletes.
The crib -- detailed as a "magnificent French-Provincial estate" -- comes with 5 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, a chef's kitchen, a home gym and a 3-car garage.
There's plenty of space to watch some game tape -- from the Great Room (which has a fireplace) to the game room, where Wentz can sip on some wine from the cellar that holds over 300 bottles.
This amazing pad was listed by Bill Davis from Century 21 -- who confirmed Gruden used to hang his hat there.
Washington Redskins Fire Head Coach Jay Gruden
Remember, Gruden started coaching the Commanders in 2014 and was fired in 2019 after a 35-49-1 record with the franchise. He's currently the L.A. Rams' offensive consultant.
Wentz was traded to the Commanders in March ... and bought the place for $3,675,000 in July.
Congrats!!
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FN Meka Black Artist Behind AI Rapper's Voice ... I'm Glad Capitol Canceled Us!!!
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The voice behind Capitol Records’ very short-lived artificial intelligence rapper project is speaking out … and he’s actually thankful the label treated the contract like toilet paper.
Real-life rapper Kyle The Hooligan hit Instagram following Capitol’s decision to end its FN Meka deal and says the creators -- Factory New heads Anthony Martini and Brandon Le -- ghosted him after getting everything they needed to power the character … like the ability for it to use the N-word.
Anthony Martini and Brandon Le of the company "Factory New" are the brilliant minds behind the black mirror drill rapper "FN Meka" who says nigga and gets locked up for "not ratting". pic.twitter.com/15kYWkpHW8
— SADHUGOLD (@SADHUG0LD) August 23, 2022 @SADHUG0LD
Kyle says Factory New approached him with the idea with promises of equity and percentages, but then went M-I-A on their culture vulture mission.
He admitted to waiting for FN Meka to become a success before he could recoup massive damages ... but says he'll happily settle for performing at its funeral instead.
News of Meka's signing went wide on Monday, but by Tuesday the label backpedaled ... apologizing to the Black community for the obvious rapper stereotypes -- gaudy jewelry and glorifying prison life -- built into the character's appearance and lyrics.
Kyle is calling the cancelation karma … as are several other notable figures in the music industry.
August 2022
We spoke to hip hop superproducer Hitmaka Wednesday on "TMZ Live," and he blamed Capitol’s “capitalistic” mindset for letting FN Meka thrive. He added that if the label allowed its employees -- particularly those of color -- to speak up, it might not have this mess on its hands.
TMZ Hip Hop spoke to label insiders who blamed Capitol's lack of diversity at the executive label.
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Sylvester Stallone Wife Files for Divorce ... Claims Sly is Taking Marital Assets
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8:37 AM PT -- Sly's rep, Michelle Bega, tells TMZ Sylvester says the following ... "I love my family. We are amicably and privately addressing these personal issues."
Sylvester Stallone and his wife are calling it quits, she's filed for divorce after 25 years of marriage ... and is accusing the actor of moving assets from marital funds.
Jennifer Flavin filed docs Friday in Florida ... unclear exactly why she decided to pull the plug on their marriage, but some fans started to sense trouble thanks to a recent tattoo coverup -- the "Rocky" star removed an image of Jennifer's face from his arm.
Flavin wants exclusive domain over their house in Palm Beach while divorce proceedings wind their way through the courts.
She also made clear ... she believes Sly is hiding marital assets. In the divorce docs, obtained by TMZ, she says, "Upon information and belief, the Husband has engaged in the intentional dissipation, depletion and/or waste of marital assets which has had an adverse economic impact on the marital estate. Pursuant to Section 61.075, Florida Statues, equity dictates that the Wife be compensated and made whole by receiving an unequal distribution of the marital assets in her favor. Moreover, the Husband should be enjoined from, selling, transferring, assigning, encumbering, or dissipating any assets during the pendency of proceedings."
Jennifer wants to restore her last name -- Flavin. She also wants a judge to put the brakes on Sly moving assets from the marital pot. Closer Weekly first reported the split.
Stallone used to have a portrait of Flavin on his bicep, but recently got it covered by an image of his late dog, and "Rocky" costar Butkus.
When asked about the reasoning behind covering the ink of Jennifer, Stallone's rep told Daily Mail, "Mr. Stallone intended to refresh the tattoo image of his wife Jennifer; however, the results were unsatisfactory and, unfortunately, unfixable."
What's more ... Jennifer took to Instagram to post a photo with the three daughters she and Sylvester share, with the caption, "These girls are my priority <3 nothing else matters. The 4 of us forever."
Jennifer and Sylvester got married in 1997.
We reached out to Sly's rep ... so far, no word back.
Originally Published -- 8:00 AM PT
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FN Meka Capitol Boots AI Rapper!!! Insiders Say Label Has Diversity Problem
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Capitol Records is pulling the plug on its AI rapper FN Meka, and calling the unconventional and controversial signing an insensitive move on their part -- in retrospect, that is.
The label went public with Meka's contract on August 12, but Tuesday it did a complete 180° … apologizing to the Black community for not thinking things all the way through.
Sources close to the situation tell TMZ Hip Hop ... Factory New, the company that concocted FN Meka, was virtually blindsided by the news, learning of their shredded contract just moments before Capitol announced it was cutting ties.
We’re also told by label sources ... some angry staffers blame Capitol’s lack of diversity for the deal getting a greenlight, in the first place. One source claims the label has very few senior-level Black executives running departments.
FN Meka -- an artificial intelligence rapper with computer-generated lyrics -- featured overly exaggerated African-American tropes ... which triggered a major backlash.
no one:
— karliehustle.nah (@THEkarliehustle) August 23, 2022 @THEkarliehustle
WHITE MUSIC EXECS LEFT IN A ROOM, UNSUPERVISED:
let's create an artificial rapper who says the n word & simulates our deepest fetishes & fantasies about blackness & materialism & he will never get arrested unless we want him to which is a fun storyline let's try that pic.twitter.com/9nDdqXdpbw
Many fans and pundits took issue with the AI entertainer (or its creators) using the n-word, and romanticizing run-ins with police.
The virtual rapper’s debut single “Florida Water” single actually features Gunna, who is currently incarcerated.
AUGUST 2022
We recently spoke to Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony about the situation ... who felt the dawn of the AI rapper is not only inevitable, but ultimately bad for human rapper job security down the line.
It appears their spots are safe ... for now.
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Hotboii Florida Gun Poss. Case Dismissed ... One Step Closer To Bond!!!
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Florida rapper Hotboii’s career stalled last year when he got caught up in a RICO case that authorities claim involved warring gangs … but he just scored a legal victory that may help his chances of being released on bond.
Hotboii’s lawyer, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ Hip Hop his client’s Miami gun possession case was dismissed on Tuesday … but the RICO case in Orlando remains open.
Hotboii's bond was revoked when he surrendered last month in Miami to deal with the gun case and Cohen thinks this dismissal could provide a silver lining to getting his bond reinstated.
Hotboii was also part of the 34-person indictment dubbed “Operation X-Force” … a concentrated effort to thwart the alleged crimes of rivals Army Gang and 438 Gang.
The 22-year-old rapper was riding high this past summer when Drake put the stamp of approval on his newly released “WTF” single … but saw the buzz fizzle when he surrendered to authorities last month.
His last album, “Blinded By Death,” was released at the end of July.
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Rapper Quando Rondo Caught In A Hail Of Bullets But He's "Ok"!!
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AUGUST 2022
10:37 AM PT -- A rep for Quando tells TMZ ... "Quando was present during a shooting yesterday evening which resulted in the untimely death of another young man's life."
The rep continued ... "He himself didn't sustain any injuries during the shooting and is safe. We ask that his privacy is respected at this time."
Quando Rondo got caught in the middle of a deadly shooting in broad daylight in L.A. on Friday ... triggering a freak-out from the rapper.
Videos circulating online show Quando CLEARLY upset while talking to a police officer in West Hollywood right after the bloodshed. In the videos, Quando appears very animated, flailing his arms and stumbling backward.
At one point, Quando sees the police drag a body out of a black Escalade and he promptly walks away, screaming in agony.
A rep for Quando tells us the rapper is "OK," but then clammed up on us.
Law enforcement tells TMZ ... several gunmen drove to a gas station in Beverly Grove and opened fire, hitting a young man.
His friends loaded him into the black SUV and drove about a mile to West Hollywood, where they were stopped by police officers responding to the shooting scene. This was where the videos of Quando were shot and it appears he's just a witness.
Cops gave CPR to the victim, who was breathing, but not conscious. An ambulance rushed the victim to the hospital, where he died.
Quando Rondo Shot at in Georgia
The suspects fled in a white sedan.
Quando is no stranger to gun violence. He and his crew were shot at in Blackshear, Georgia, back in May 2021. One of his handlers was wounded in that attack.
Then, in November 2020, King Von was shot dead at an Atlanta hookah lounge following a confrontation between his crew and Quando's entourage.
Originally Published -- 7:47 AM PT
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Trapboy Freddy Busted On Weapons Charges ... Feds Seize His Pet Tiger Cub!!!
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Dallas rapper Trapboy Freddy was arrested by cops for a weapons charge ... but it might've been a good idea for officers to bring a zookeeper along, too.
Officials say they discovered a tiger cub Wednesday caged inside Freddy's Oak Cliff house. Officials seized the cat, but at this time, he hasn't been charged with anything in relation to having the animal.
The Dallas rapper was charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and is due to appear in court on Friday.
As for the tiger, it was transported it to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
It wasn't exactly a secret that Freddy kept a tiger ... the rapper stunted in a Burberry fit with the cub on Instagram a couple of months ago.
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Cleveland Browns Replace Field After MGK Concert ... Org. Says It Was Planned
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The Cleveland Browns grounds crew rushed to plant new grass right after Machine Gun Kelly's homecoming concert at FirstEnergy Stadium on Saturday ... but it wasn't because the show got too rowdy -- TMZ Sports is told it was all part of the plan.
The Cleveland native played in front of a packed crowd this past Saturday ... giving a bloody performance that even included zip-lining throughout the stadium.
I went to the MGK concert in Cleveland on Saturday and this man zip lines across the browns stadium.. #machinegunkelly #mgk #Cleveland pic.twitter.com/OSXZfiWSCf
— Isabella (@isabellasbetter) August 16, 2022 @isabellasbetter
There's just one thing that had people concerned -- Cleveland hosts the Philadelphia Eagles for a preseason game on Sunday ... which means if the field were to have gotten damaged during the concert, the team could be in trouble.
As it turns out, we're told that wasn't the case at all ... because the Browns expected to replace the field after the show no matter what shape it was in.
The team tells us the "Mainstream Sellout" concert marked the end of the stadium's summer concert dates ... so after the rapper/rocker and fans left the place, it was the best opportunity to lay down some new sod for the start of the Browns' 2022 campaign.
There were rumblings the grass would simply not be ready in time for the 1 PM kickoff on the 21 ... but according to our sources, it won't be an issue.
Safe to say the hometown hero will be welcome back.
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R. Kelly Lawyer Says Joycelyn Is Not Pregnant With His Baby ... Pushes Back Against Fiancée, Alleged Victim
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5:26 PM PT -- R. Kelly's lawyer is denying claims he impregnated his fiancée.
Kelly's attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, says Joycelyn "is certainly not pregnant with R. Kelly’s child."
Bonjean also says Joycelyn's book is not a tell-all memoir and adds, "people are just insane."
R. Kelly's fiancée, and the woman the world believed was his victim, Joycelyn Savage, just dropped a bomb ... claiming to be pregnant with the singer's baby.
Joycelyn reveals in her upcoming book she's several months pregnant, learning she was expecting after the disgraced artist sent her an engagement ring. She says Kelly is "extremely excited about the news," but wishes he could be there for the birth of their kid.
The big hole, obviously, is she never explains how the child was conceived -- R. Kelly has been locked up for over a year.
A lawyer for Joycelyn's parents tells TMZ they're still processing the news, but aren't willing to make a comment at this time.
As we reported, Joycelyn revealed the two were engaged through a letter sent to the judge ahead of his sentencing, asking for him to get a lenient sentence while claiming, "I'm not the victim that the government has portrayed me to be."
In her book, she refers to Azriel Clary, one of Kelly's other live-in GF's as "the other girl" ... saying she became bipolar and eventually "smeared my name all over social media" after returning to her family.
JANUARY 2020
As you know, Azriel wanted out of the situation and tried getting Joycelyn to leave, too ... resulting in them landing blows on each other back in 2020.
Originally Published -- 1:00 PM PT
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Polo G & G Herbo Catch $300K Lawsuit ...You Took Our Concert Money And Ran To Another Show!!!
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Chicago rap friends Polo G and G Herbo are being sued by a concert promoter for allegedly double booking concert dates in Tampa and Atlanta ... and now, the promoter is looking for $300K in damages.
According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Polo and Herbo signed contracts with concert promoter Charles Potter of NoNaNi Entertainment to perform at a festival in Tampa.
NoNaNi claims Polo got $105K and Herbo got around $43K in deposits.
NoNaNi claims to have dropped nearly $200K to pay for the venue, soundstage, lighting, advertising, promotion, and hosts such as Million Dollarz Worth Of Game hosts Gillie Da Kid & Wallo, Tonio Skits and Glo Jenna.
According to the lawsuit -- Polo G then booked and promoted an entirely different event in Tampa around the same time as the NoNaNi gig ... and G Herbo booked a different event in Atlanta that directly conflicted with the date of the NoNaNi show in Tampa.
NoNaNi claims both Chicago rappers also failed to promote the NoNaNi event on their social media, even though they agreed to do so in their contracts.
Eventually, NoNaNi claims it had to cancel the event and is now suing the rappers for $300K in damages.
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Michelle Branch Splits with Husband
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Michelle Branch is calling it quits with her husband, Patrick Carney, 3 years after the couple tied the knot.
The singer tells TMZ, "To say that I am totally devastated doesn’t even come close to describing how I feel for myself and for my family. The rug has been completely pulled from underneath me and now I must figure out how to move forward. With such small children, I ask for privacy and kindness.”
The news comes on the heels of an ominous tweet Branch posted last night, accusing Patrick -- the drummer for The Black Keys -- of cheating.
Michelle Branch Files For Divorce ... Goodbye to You
Patrick was Michelle's second husband, the two married in April 2019 in a ceremony in New Orleans. They have two small children together, including a 6-month-old daughter. Branch was previously married to Teddy Landau from 2004 to 2015.
It doesn't appear she's filed divorce docs at this time ... but if her statement is any indication, you can assume the papers will be coming soon.
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We've reached out to a rep for Patrick regarding the allegations of cheating ... so far, no word back.
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Cops: Frank Gore Dragged Naked Woman By Her Hair ... In Atlantic City Incident
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Frank Gore grabbed a naked woman by her hair and dragged her across a hotel room's hallway during an altercation in Atlantic City, N.J. last month ... according to new, bombshell court documents obtained by TMZ Sports.
Cops say the incident between the NFL legend and a 28-year-old woman happened in the early morning hours of July 31 on the 59th floor of the Tropicana Casino's Havana Tower.
According to the docs, Gore "forcibly" gripped the woman by her hair ... before "violently dragging her nude person along the floor of the 59th hallway."
As we previously reported, Atlantic City Police said officers were initially called out to the scene at around 8:11 AM on the 31, but did not make any arrests after they said the woman "did not exhibit signs of injury."
Gore, though, was ultimately charged days later with simple assault after cops said they further investigated the allegations.
Gore, according to records, is due in court for a hearing in the case in October.
He's yet to publicly comment on the accusations.
Today was a great day!!!
— Frank Gore (@frankgore) May 15, 2022 @frankgore
Want to thank my team for all the hard work‼️🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/k5Y2n5Nhh7
The former 49ers star is considered one of the greatest NFL running backs of all time -- after rushing for 16,000 yards in his 16-season career. The 39-year-old has since become a boxer, winning his last fight in May over Yaya Olorunsola.
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Marshawn Lynch Car Had Missing, Flat Tires ... During DUI Arrest
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Marshawn Lynch's car appeared undrivable by the time cops arrived and busted him for DUI on Tuesday ... with one tire completely missing, and at least one other flattened.
TMZ Sports has obtained pictures of the 2020 Shelby GT500 cops believe Lynch was driving prior to his arrest ... showing the front-left wheel's rim resting on the pavement, with no tire in sight.
Witnesses tell us they saw Lynch parked at the scene around 5:45 AM -- roughly two hours before his arrest -- and claim at one point, the running back exited his car to sit on the curb with the driver-side door wide open.
We're told Lynch remained at the scene until cops arrived ... who ultimately determined he was impaired and arrested him for driving under the influence.
We're told Lynch left a trail of damage on the road until his car reached its resting point ... with visible marks on the pavement and curbs. As we previously reported, sources say Lynch was driving into roadside curbs prior to the arrest.
Lynch was taken to jail and booked for DUI -- he's also facing charges of failure/refusing to surrender proof of security, unregistered vehicle and failure to drive in a travel lane.
His court date has been set for December.