Family

Trina Braxton's family has had a lot of heartbreak lately, but she says the passing of her 24-year-old niece really struck a chord and made her realize something very important -- life's too short.

We got Trina at LAX Friday afternoon, and she talked about the tragic death of Lauren Braxton -- her older brother Michael Conrad Braxton Jr.'s daughter -- along with other hardships she and her family have had to endure.

As you may know, Trina lost her ex-husband to cancer in December, and recently dealt with the death of her aunt, as well. Trina says it's been trying, but everyone is holding up and supporting one another.

Regarding Lauren's death, Trina says the grieving process has opened her eyes to what truly matters in this world ... and it's not petty drama or holding onto grudges.

Trina also provides a beautiful acronym she says she keeps in mind during the difficult time after a loved one dies ... check it out.

We broke the story ... Lauren died last week in Maryland, and her father says it was related to a heart condition.

David Eason doesn't just abuse and kill helpless animals -- he's also allegedly abused his baby mama and fell way behind on child support payments ... and if he hasn't paid by today he could end up in jail.

Eason is currently under criminal investigation for animal cruelty. As we reported, earlier this week he savagely beat and then shot his French Bulldog which barely nipped at his 2-year-old daughter's face. The nip was so minor it didn't draw blood or even puncture the skin. We're told David repeatedly slammed the dog on the back porch before taking it to the backyard and killing it with a shotgun.

But, his troubles don't end there. Eason briefly dated a woman named Olivia Leedham in 2013 and the two had a son together. Leedham went to court, claiming Eason shoved her when she was 8 months pregnant and left her in the middle of the road at night when she was 7 months pregnant.

The two have been in a nasty custody battle for years ... and we've learned he's fallen thousands of dollars behind in child support. His deadline for paying it is today, and if he hasn't anted up he could end up in jail.

Animal Control officers were unable to talk with Eason during their visit Thursday because the family's pit bull was on his front porch and "No Trespassing" signs were posted on the property. Animal Control officers didn't feel it was safe to enter so they asked the Sheriff's Department to figure out the next move.

Tom Brady says there are TWO good reasons he's not the highest paid player in the NFL ...

1) He'd rather have the Patriots use the cash to pay other good players

2) HIS WIFE'S ALREADY SUPER RICH!!!

It's true ... TB12 explained the whole thing on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" when Jimmy pointed out that Brady (who's won more Super Bowls than any other QB ever) is the 18th highest paid QB in the NFL.

Don't worry, he ain't exactly poor -- Brady is slated to make $15 million in 2019.

But, Tom broke it down this way ...

"I think the thing I've always felt for me in my life, winning has been a priority. And, my wife [Gisele] makes a lot of money."

Brady continued ... "I'm a little smarter than you think. Actually, it's a salary cap. You can only spend so much and the more that one guy gets is less for others. And, for a competitive advantage standpoint, I like to get a lot of good players around me."

He's not kidding about Gisele ... she's made a FORTUNE over the years as the highest paid model on the planet.

According to Forbes, the Brazilian raked in $42 million in 2013 alone -- though that number has gone way down over the years.

She reportedly only made $10 mil in 2018.

HOW WILL THEY SURVIVE ON THAT MEASLY SALARY?!!?

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are about to add another kid to their growing family ... cuz Blake just arrived at the "Pokémon Detective Pikachu" premiere with a very visible baby bump.

Blake and Ryan showed up for Ryan's new flick Thursday in New York City ... and true to the movie's main character, Blake was decked out in a yellow dress.

It's interesting, Lively hasn't been seen often, or posted anything on Instagram since January 11 ... what better way to drum up some massive press for Ryan's movie.

You see them quickly moving through the crowd and it's no secret anymore, she's clearly pregnant.

The new bundle will be Ryan and Blake's third child together ... they already have 2-year-old daughter Inez and 4-year-old daughter James. They got married in September 2012 in Charleston, South Carolina.

Ryan was previously married to Scarlett Johansson from 2008 to 2011 and engaged to Alanis Morissette in 2004 ... but they never got hitched. Ryan is Blake's first husband.

We're guessing the kid's gonna do just fine in the gene department.

Todd Chrisley is urging Jenelle Evans to get herself and her daughter the hell away from David Eason in the wake of him killing the family dog ... because he's convinced the guy will snap again.

We got the star of "Chrisley Knows Best" Thursday at LAX, and he went off on Jenelle's husband. Todd has some extra sympathy in this situation because he also owns a French bulldog named, Lilo. Not surprisingly, he called the slaying disgusting ... and insists Eason needs professional help.

Todd says his Frenchie is also around kids -- primarily his 6-year-old granddaughter, Chloe -- and suggests better parenting might have prevented the heinous act in Jenelle's home.

As we've reported ... Eason shot and killed Jenelle's French bulldog, Nugget, because it nipped at their daughter, Ensley.

Animal control wants to know exactly what happened to Nugget and where the body is -- but Todd firmly believes there's enough evidence that Eason poses a great danger to his family. He suggests Jenelle get out while the getting's good.

Tyreek Hill is adamantly denying he's ever abused his 3-year-old son ... and says his fiancee is the one who's gotten physical with the boy in the past -- and he has text messages to prove it.

It's all in a letter reportedly sent to the NFL on Thursday by Hill's attorneys, who say Hill has NEVER "punched" his son and was in no way responsible for the boy's recent broken arm.

As we previously reported ... Hill's fiancee, Crystal Espinal, accused the Chiefs superstar of abusing their son in leaked audio tapes ... but Tyreek strongly denied those allegations.

Now, Hill's attorneys -- per ESPN -- are not only saying Tyreek's never beaten his son ... they're alleging it's actually Espinal who's harmed the child in the past.

Per the letter, Tyreek has text messages from Espinal that read:

Tyreek: "Crystal you know I didn't cause any bruising or harm to [our son]. But for some reason I still may be charged."

Espinal: "I know you didn't. I did. I hurt [our son]. I'm the one that did it. I was hurt and mad at you so I blamed you for everything."

Hill's attorneys in the letter also say the only times Hill has ever put his hands on his son are to either calm him down or to play with him.

The attorneys also say Tyreek's son is by no means "terrified" of the Kansas City superstar ... saying they have eyewitness accounts that "[their child]'s eyes light up when he sees" Tyreek.

The attorneys add that Tyreek is currently going through both family counseling and individual counseling ... and is "looking forward to having the opportunity" to speak with the NFL regarding the allegations.

3:20 PM PT -- Jenelle spoke with US Weekly about the incident, saying, "He just took her and shot her in the woods, about two acres away from the house."

As we reported, local law enforcement said they won't act on the killing until Jenelle comes to them to report the crime ... one source we spoke to said media reports and social media postings aren't enough to trigger an investigation.

Jenelle also told US, "At this time, we are dealing with this rough situation. I want to focus on what's best for me and my kids."

9:45 AM PT -- Police went to Jenelle and David's house Tuesday night to perform a welfare check on Ensley. Officers found everyone, including Ensley, was okay.

As for the dog -- a law enforcement source tells TMZ ... David told cops Nugget was alive, although he would not let them see the dog. We're told cops have no evidence showing anything happened to the dog.

The Columbus County Sheriff's Dept. says it's contacted Animal Control, but as far as any further investigation from cops ... our source says Jenelle would need to make a report on her own. We're told officers won't act on "sensationalized media reports or social media posts." The source said it's irrelevant to cops what Jenelle says on IG.

Meanwhile, PETA says it hopes charges are filed against Eason if it's true he shot Nugget. They say, "People who abuse animals typically don't stop there."

"Teen Mom" star Jenelle Evans is heartbroken over the death of her dog, which was shot and killed by her husband ... who is defending his disturbing move in the name of protecting his family.

David Eason admits he killed the family's French bulldog, Nugget, because it bit the couple's 2-year-old daughter, Ensley. He shared a video that appears to show the dog snapping at Ensley as she's moving closer to its face for a kiss.

David explained his decision to put the dog down, saying ... "I dont give a damn what animal bites my baby on the face... whether it be your dog or mine, a dog is a dog and I dont put up with that s**t at all."

A photo of Ensley's face after the incident shows a red mark, but there's no apparent break in her skin.

Eason added ... "I'm all about protecting my family, it is my lifes mission. Some people are worth killing or dying for and my family means that much to me. You can hate me all you want but this isnt the first time the dog bit Ensley aggressively. The only person that can judge weather or not a animal is a danger to MY CHILD is ME."

Jenelle doesn't seem to be on the same page as her husband at all. She just shared a photo of Nugget sitting in the car with her, along with a message suggesting she believes they should have simply trained the dog to stop biting.

She wrote ... "Nugget... I'm crying everyday. I love you so much and I'm so sorry. I'm speechless," and added, "You still had a lot to learn and a lot to grow from your lessons."

Jenelle says she's heartbroken and distraught, and there are reports she fled their home after the incident.

11:42 AM PT -- According to our NYPD sources, Octavia is now a person of interest and wanted for questioning in the case.

Sebastian Telfair's estranged wife claims the NBA star's sister threatened to "kill my kids and cut my face" ... all because she testified against Sebastian in his NYC gun case.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... the LAPD responded to a call last week from Samantha Telfair, who claims Octavia Telfair called her roughly 52 times making various threats ... including a threat to "Slice [her] face and kill [her] children."

Samantha told cops Octavia was furious that Samantha took the stand earlier this month and told prosecutors she had seen Sebastian with multiple weapons, including the gas-operated submachine gun he was allegedly carrying when he was arrested in June 2017.

Sebastian -- a former NBA prodigy who flamed out -- was convicted in his gun possession case last week and now faces up to 15 years in prison when he's sentenced in June.

Samantha lives in L.A. which is why the LAPD is involved. We're told officers took a criminal threats report and the LAPD is now investigating.

We're told Octavia is believed to live in New York -- and sources tell us the NYPD is also involved in the investigation because Samantha filed an aggravated harassment report in New York as well.

Attempts to reach out to Octavia for comment were unsuccessful.

As we previously reported, Telfair -- a 33-year-old former high school phenom who spent 12 seasons in the NBA -- was arrested in June 2017 in Brooklyn when cops found several weapons during a traffic stop.

Officials say Telfair had 3 pistols and what appeared to be a semi-automatic rifle along with a ton of ammo and a bulletproof vest ... as well as some weed.

John Singleton had a plan in place for his death, because TMZ has learned he left a will, and that's a monumental development in what appears to be a family war that erupted while he lay dying in the hospital.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, John's mother, Shelia Ward, is in possession of the will and it will soon be filed with the probate court. Shelia handled all of John's business affairs, which includes the last will and testament.

As we reported, last week Cleopatra, one of John's 7 children, accused Shelia of trying to corral his assets and squeeze out his kids. Cleopatra launched her attack after Shelia filed legal docs last week to get a temporary conservatorship while John was unable to make decisions. The legal fight ended when John died.

If the 51-year-old, famed director had died without a will, Shelia would get nothing from his reported $35 million estate, because under California law the assets would be divided equally among his 7 children. But, since there's a will, John decides who gets what, and who gets nothing.

Given the business relationship between John and Shelia, it's a safe bet she's the executor of the will, which surely would not please Cleopatra.

It's unclear when John signed the will, but it's not out of the question someone might try and mount a challenge that the will should be invalid because of undue influence or mental incapacity -- this came up after Michael Jackson died. Important to note ... most of these challenges fail.

Tyrann Mathieu only signed with the Chiefs a few weeks ago -- but he ain't afraid to speak his mind about his new teammate, Tyreek Hill ... saying he's very disappointed after hearing the disturbing audiotapes.

The Honey Badger appeared on SB Nation Radio when the topic turned to Hill ... who was expected to be one of the focal points of the K.C. Chiefs offense in 2019.

But, the Chiefs have suspended the star WR in the wake of audiotapes which recorded Hill arguing with his fiancee, Crystal Espinal, about the child abuse case involving their 3-year-old son.

During the argument, Hill told Espinal, "You need to be terrified of me too, bitch."

So, how does Tyrann feel about the situation?

"I think it's sad, man. Obviously, very disappointing," Mathieu told SB Nation.

"I came to the Chiefs with the hopes that I can watch him play football and watch him run back punts and catch long bombs and outrun everybody."

When asked specifically about the audio -- in which Espinal accuses Hill of breaking their son's arm -- Mathieu says, "It's very disappointing. Not only from a teammate standpoint but I'm a father as well.

Hill has denied breaking his son's arm.

Mathieu says he's only been with the Chiefs for a few weeks and doesn't know Hill that well -- so he can't vouch for Tyreek's character.

Even Travis Scott's birthday shindigs know how to get into SICKO MODE ... where else ya gonna find a party with a Hennessy Slurpee machine and tattoo station?!

The rapper celebrated turning 28 on Tuesday night at Universal Studios where Kylie Jenner hosted a gas station-themed birthday party. Kendall, Kim, Kanye and a bunch of others turned up ... as Travis looked in awe walking into a room decorated to look exactly like a gas station all about him.

The coolest part ... definitely the Hennessy Slurpee machine. There was also a Nike booth and Travis' Jordan 1s were hanging all over the party. Travis and Kylie were all lovey-dovey before and after inking their bodies. You gotta check out the vid ... it was truly an epic party.

After the bash ... the crowd made their way over to Bootsy Bellows in WeHo where tons of other celebs came out. Quavo, 21 Savage, G-Eazy and NFL star Todd Gurley were among the attendees.

Nipsey Hussle's sister has filed for legal guardianship of one of his children ... TMZ has learned.

Samantha Smith filed legal docs in L.A. County Superior Court asking for guardianship of 10-year-old Emani Asghedom.

Sources say Samantha believes the child's biological mother is unable to care for the child.

We're told Nipsey cared for Emani before his death March 31 after being gunned down at his L.A. clothing store.

Samantha says she has assisted in the care of Emani throughout her life and wants "to ensure the continued stability for Emani and ensure that she will be able to maintain her current and ongoing relationship" with Nipsey's family.

Nipsey had another child, 2-year-old Kross, with Lauren London. Kross is not the subject of the conservatorship. Kross lives with Lauren.

On April 2, Samantha posted in her Instagram account a tribute to Nipsey, and in it she says, "I got Emani."

Michael Blackson lost a brother when John Singleton suddenly died ... that's how much the famed director meant to him.

We got Michael out Monday night leaving Toca Madera in WeHo and asked him about the "Boyz n the Hood" director's death Monday -- at only 51 -- after suffering a massive stroke. No doubt Michael's devastated by the loss of his friend.

Check out the clip ... he talks about John and his GF, Rayvon, having a baby a year ago, making things even sadder. He tells us how he first met John and the huge plans they had about working together.

Michael also tells us which of John's classics is his favorite flick. Remember, Michael's a comedian ... so that's your first clue.

Brazilian model Caroline Bittencourt leaped into action when her dogs fell off her sailboat ... but, sadly, she drowned while trying to make the rescue.

The deadly accident happened Sunday in Sao Paulo ... where Caroline was on a catamaran with her husband, Jorge Sestini, and their 2 dogs. While out at sea, a huge storm -- with reported winds over 60 mph -- rocked the boat and knocked the pooches off the catamaran into the rough water.

Bittencourt jumped in after the dogs and her husband soon followed, but he couldn't find her. It's unclear if the dogs were ever found. Sestini was rescued a few hours later and Bittencourt's body was found late Monday near a beach.

Bittencourt's 17-year-old daughter, Isabelle, confirmed the death on social media, saying, "We are grateful for the support and affectionate messages we have received from Carol's friends and fans. This energy drive fills our hearts with so much love."

Tamar Braxton's learning the hard way lending money to family is not always wise ... especially when they filed for bankruptcy.

Tamar's older sister, Towanda, hit a rough patch ... filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy -- that's the serious kind. In the docs, you have to list your various debts -- and that includes owing Tamar a cool $35k for a personal loan. And, to add to her problem, Towanda says she's only bringing in an average of $4,692.50 in monthly income but estimates her monthly expenses at just over $6k.

And, it's just the tip of the iceberg. According to docs ... Towanda's on the hook for $547,056.39 but only has $277,650 in assets. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the math doesn't add up in her favor.

Kurt Russell is a huge fan of his latest film ... busting out a super cool piece of swag from the Quentin Tarantino flick he stars in, while hitting up a classic Hollywood haunt for celebs.

We got these pics of Kurt shopping at the Farmers Market at The Grove over the weekend with his grandkids ... no big shocker -- until we got the rear view. He was rocking a jacket with the "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" logo on the back!!

Kurt's one lucky dude ... costarring with Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie in Quentin's 9th film. As a Hollywood vet, he obviously knows the game -- it's NEVER too early to start promoting and pumping up that box office!

The movie -- about Hollywood in the days of Charles Manson murders -- lands on big screens in July, but it's mostly been shrouded in secrecy. Quentin won't even say who Kurt's playing.

It's kinda fitting ... Kurt stopped by Magee's House of Nuts while proudly displaying the jacket. The stand has been a staple at the Farmers Market for decades, and once upon a time, it was beloved by President Eisenhower and The Beatles.