Family

A Missouri radio anchor had to go live on the air to report on the St. Louis school shooting this week -- while knowing her daughter was inside the school, and being uncertain she was alive.

St. Louis-based reporter Debbie Monterrey -- who works for KMOX news -- received alarming texts from her 17-year-old, Caeli, who's a senior at the Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience ... notifying her there was an intruder on campus and she was hearing loud bangs.

Her texts read ... "OMG THERE’S AN INTRUDER IN THE BUILDING," while a couple others said, "OMG IT’S NOT A DRILL," and "OMG THE ALARMS ARE GOING OFF."

This was all happening while Monterrey was live on the air covering this exact incident as it was unfolding -- and she says there was actually a period of silence while she composed herself before she finally spoke again to continue her job ... keeping it together.

It sounds like she got through it, because later ... Monterrey recounted the surreal experience, saying she had to maintain her composure best she could in the moment ... adding she started crying when they cut to commercial, because she'd just learned her daughter was safe.

The 19-year-old gunman used an AR-15-style weapon to shoot and kill a student and a teacher ... while reportedly injuring seven others. He was ultimately killed by police during an exchange of gunfire.

George Floyd's brother isn't moving forward with legal action against Kanye West -- at least for now -- but that doesn't mean Ye's out of the woods just yet.

Lee Merritt -- who's repping Philonise Floyd -- tells TMZ ... Philonise is temporarily standing down on his original threat to bring a lawsuit against Ye, Candace Owens and others for pushing the narrative George died from fentanyl, as opposed to the actions of Derek Chauvin.

Remember, George's brother, and other family members, were incensed after those remarks were made on a "Drink Champs" episode ... and Philonise instructed Lee to research a possible lawsuit.

As for why he's standing down ... we're told Philonise is hitting pause, specifically pertaining to Kanye, because he just wanted Kanye to stop repeating that false narrative about his brother's death -- and that's exactly what's happened over the last week and change since the "Drink Champs" episode aired.

Lee points out the controversial episode in question has been yanked and the podcast host, N.O.R.E., has gone on an apology tour for letting Ye speak freely without pushback.

We're told that Philonise feels like Ye has complied with the demands made in the cease and desist letter sent on behalf of George Floyd's daughter, Gianna, last week -- although, he clarified that Philonise wasn't really part of that potential legal action in the first place, but supported it from the sidelines.

As for whether Gianna's lawyers might still move forward with a lawsuit -- one in which they said could seek more than $250 million in damages -- no word on that front at this time.

Now, when it comes to Candace ... Lee says that's a more difficult case to bring, because her role as a journalist presenting opinions in a documentary about BLM and the conviction of Derek Chauvin is very different from Ye spouting what Lee and Philonise see as lies about the Floyd case.

The 17-year-old teen shot by a cop in a McDonald's parking lot must now face another health battle, he's fighting pneumonia in the hospital.

Erik Cantu's family spoke out for the first time Tuesday, revealing he's got a ton of staples and tubes in his body. There's also a delicate balancing act between Cantu's medication and a breathing machine to keep him alive.

To make things worse, Cantu's dad, Erik Sr., says the teen is waking up with flashbacks -- raising his hands in the air and moving his foot like he's pushing a car pedal.

Erik's mom, Victoria, says there was a bullet by his heart -- and he was also shot in the stomach, diaphragm, lungs, liver, bicep and forearm.

As we've reported, Cantu was shot multiple times by police officer James Brennand while he was eating a burger in the parking lot of a McDonald's. Brennand was responding to the restaurant on an unrelated call.

Brennand was fired by the police department and is facing two felony charges of aggravated assault by a public official.

Celebrities usually like to hit up the club on Halloween wearing a costume that's too hot to handle ... but some take a different approach -- makin' the spooky season a family affair!!!

Ryan Lochte, Alec Baldwin, Kevin Jonas and more have teamed up with the rest of their fam in the past to pull off some killer group costume choices ... needless to say, they go ALL out.

"Saved by the Bell" actress Tiffani Thiessen sparked some magic with her husband Brady and their 2 kids ... dressing up as some beloved 'Harry Potter' characters.

Model Arianny Celeste struck a pose with her family ... going to infinity and beyond by dressing up as Buzz, Woody, and one of the Little Green Men from 'Toy Story.'

Michael Phelps just shared some heartbreaking news ... announcing his father, Fred, has passed away.

The Olympics superstar provided the update via Instagram on Monday ... saying, "You’ll always be my dad ... And I’ll always be your son ... Love you dad and I will miss you❤️❤️ rip dad."

37-year-old Phelps also posted several throwback pictures of his father ... including several snaps with his grandchildren.

Just like his son, Fred was an athlete -- he played college football and once tried out for the Washington Commanders in the 1970s.

Phelps previously spoke about the trauma he suffered after his parents got divorced in 1994 ... which temporarily affected his relationship with his father. Fred remarried in 2000.

If you've wanted to chat with a departed loved one while sippin' on a mimosa, then you should set your sights on Las Vegas ... because an upcoming event is giving you the opportunity to dine with the dead.

"Brunched By An Angel" is set to kick off next month at the Palms hotel, with a few shows going down each month until January ... and you won't believe what they've got planned.

At an event where "VIPs dine with the RIPs," the 272 guests will be greeted with a musical set and some brunch (of course) ... and are promised "the best odds for anyone that has ever hoped to get a reading from a celebrity medium."

The production's put on by Emmy Award-winning EP Shane Farley ... and is hosted by psychic mediums Reginald Lewis, Loriann Mans and Christopher Allan.

Guests are able to get some direct connections from the mediums ... and some seats will even be left empty for them to sit with certain groups to guarantee someone at that table can be read.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's newlywed bliss is showing again -- this time on a family shopping trip that's gonna leave the city slickers looking real country and western.

The couple hit the Sunset Strip Saturday, laser-focused on one item ... cowboy boots.

Jen's kiddo Emme was with Bennifer when they strolled into Boot Star -- pretty obvious what they sell -- and she was first in the group to get fitted for a red pair o' s**t kickers and matching shirt.

Ben was trying on a few different cowboy hats, which has us thinking a group costume might be in the works for the Afflecks' new blended family.

It is their first Halloween as Mr. and Mrs., so we wouldn't be surprised.

J Lo and Ben are a little more than 3 months into their marriage, and it shows -- the shopping spree included plenty of smiles and PDA.

Kim Kardashian's 42nd birthday is all about the fam -- family memories, family videos, a family-filled party ... and even a close encounter with her ex, Kanye West.

Kim capped off her big day Friday by throwing a low-key party at her office space in Calabasas -- Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker, Kris Jenner and Corey Gamble, Kendall Jenner and a few close friends all showed up to celebrate.

As for gifts ... we know she got a couple really sweet videos -- one from her mom. Kris posted vintage (aka VHS) footage of Kim from one of her 1st birthday parties ... and added a pretty complete montage that tracked Kim from a toddler, right up to present day.

She also got a pretty creative shout-out from her firstborn, North West.

Kim's daughter posted a TikTok of herself and her mama lip-syncing Becky Hill and David Guetta’s “Remember.” North included a pretty simple caption ... "Moms birthday tik tok."

Let's face it, even for a 42-year-old, your b-day ain't lit if it ain't on TikTok!!!

The only potential wrinkle on Kim's birthday came at North's basketball game. Before her party, Kim was courtside for the game, but so was North's papa, Ye.

Just as at previous games ... the exes weren't sitting far from each other, but they had no interaction. Sooo, birthday crisis averted.

The late Bill Paxton sadly won't be in the new "Twister" sequel, but his own flesh and blood is giving his seal of approval ... not just on the flick, but the fact there'll be a lady lead, too.

Bill's son, James Paxton, tells TMZ ... "Twisters" has his blessing and he's hopeful they make a great movie. He says he'd actually be open to being in the flick if producers were inclined and if they wanted to pay proper homage to his father -- who starred in the 1996 original.

James would actually be taken to the set way back when and hang in the famed red truck used on camera, we're told, so a cameo would go a long way for the Paxton family.

There's also this ... JP tells us his dad talked about doing a "Twister" sequel while alive and even liked the idea of a daughter character -- from his and Helen Hunt's characters -- taking on the mantle. James isn't sure if Bill's idea reached producers at the time ... but the idea's there now, because that's exactly the direction they're going in, with hopes HH comes back.

James says the OG is iconic, so whoever comes on board will have big shoes to fill -- adding, with the right people ... it can be special. He thinks "Top Gun: Maverick" is proof of that.

We broke the story ... Bill died suddenly in 2017 after suffering a fatal stroke after heart surgery. His death rocked Hollywood, especially since he was relatively young at just 61. BP left behind a storied career in films -- "Twister" being one of the biggest.

If there weren't enough proof the world has gone crazy and mental health is a critical issue for our survival ... check out this horrific story of a 23-year-old who allegedly stabbed his mother and dog with a samurai sword before he was Tased by police.

It happened Tuesday night in L.A. ... Eric Herrera is seen on video dazed, holding the sword as police implore him to drop it. In short order, a cop Tasers Herrera, and you see him fall to the ground.

Neighbors say the scene looked like it was right out of a horror movie, as they watched it all unfold. One neighbor says it appeared Herrera was in the midst of a mental health crisis.

The woman was pleading for help, screaming, "I'm your mother!"

There are conflicting reports about the fate of the family dog. The most recent report is that the dog seems to have survived the attack, but that's unconfirmed.

The mother's condition has not been released, but KTLA says a relative told the outlet the woman is in stable condition.

WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash's son, Tristen, who recently started working with his father's podcast, tragically passed away this week ... it was announced Thursday.

He was only 26 years old.

No cause of death has been revealed.

Sean Ross Sapp shared a statement on behalf of Tristen's parents, Kevin and Tamara, confirming the terrible news -- adding the family is asking for privacy during this difficult time.

Tristen's death comes seven months after Kevin lost one of his best friends in the wrestling industry, Scott Hall, who died earlier this year at 63.

Today actually would have been Scott's 64th birthday.

Rest in peace.

Festival organizers are working to put the legal fallout from Travis Scott's Astroworld tragedy behind them ... reaching a settlement with one victim's family, marking the first known settlement of all of the cases surrounding the deadly music festival.

Attorney Tony Buzbee, who reps the family of Axel Acosta, tells TMZ ... the family settled out of court after suing Travis, Live Nation and others.

Remember ... 21-year-old Axel died from injuries suffered at the November 2021 concert. Buzbee previously told us Axel traveled all the way from Washington to see the Houston festival and was a huge Travis fan.

Terms of the settlement are confidential, Buzbee says, and the family wants people to remember Axel as a "beloved son, brother and student" who was also "kind and loving" and is "greatly missed."

While Travis is done with the first of the many lawsuits against him ... the legal side is far from over. There were 10 people in total who died at Astroworld, and Travis is still dealing with lawsuits filed by others impacted by the tragic incident.

Steph Curry was so pumped for his bro-in-law's game-winner on Wednesday night ... he woke up everyone in his house -- and nearly everyone in his neighborhood, too!!

Curry spent part of his off-night from the NBA watching the Suns vs. Mavericks ... and when Damion Lee -- his former Warriors teammate and the husband of his sister, Sydel -- sank an improbable shot to give Phoenix the dub, he absolutely lost his mind.

The 4-time NBA champ and Golden State superstar let out a guttural yell ... before claiming he didn't mind that he was bothering his sleeping kids.

"Come on!!!!" he screamed as his wife, Ayesha, sat on the couch behind him. "Yeah, Dame! Stick with it! Stick with it! Stick with it!"

"The kids are asleep," he added. "I don't care! Stick with it!"

In the background, Curry's youngest child, Canon, could be heard crying -- but it still didn't stop Steph from praising Lee.

The two are obviously super close -- and have been officially family since 2018 ... when Lee married Sydel.

Cody Bellinger's season may be over, but the star Dodgers outfielder has a big reason to be happy -- he's having another baby with his model girlfriend, Chase Carter!!!

Bellinger's GF shared the exciting news on Wednesday ... posting a photo showing off her baby bump alongside Cody, Junior (the family's dog), and their daughter, Caiden, writing, "Sibling on the way."

Cody, 27, and Chase, 25, welcomed their first bundle of joy to the world last November ... with the Dodgers org. posting photos of Bellinger sleeping alongside his daughter.

Cody and Chase have been dating since 2020 ... and the couple seems more than thrilled about the newest addition to their growing family.

In July, the lovebirds celebrated their second anniversary ... posing for a pic with Caiden on the field at Dodger Stadium.

"2 years and many more," Cody captioned the pic.

Bellinger and Carter are one hot couple -- the MLBer has made nearly $40 million on the field during his career ... and the model has been featured in several magazines, most notably the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and Maxim.

Bellinger's season may have ended in disappointment ... but this news is sure to put a smile on his face.

Candace Owens just responded to what Gianna's legal team told us, saying, "What I love so much about George Floyd family's lawyers is how they keep talking to TMZ about "lies" in my documentary but keep neglecting to specify what the lies were! My documentary told NO LIES. They are simply angry that we exposed theirs and are running PR for BLM."

She continues, "The George Floyd story was the greatest lie ever spun by our media. My documentary successfully exposed their lies and people are understandably shocked at how twisted and sick our media is in their commitment to control the masses."

There may be more people who have to answer for what Kanye West said about George Floyd ... Candace Owens, N.O.R.E. and Diddy's Revolt TV could soon be in the legal hot seat, too.

The legal team repping Floyd's young daughter, Gianna, tells TMZ any and all possible defendants are on the table as they continue to explore their options in what will be a mega lawsuit regarding comments made on "Drink Champs."

One of the attorneys, Kay Williams, says Candace is an obvious would-be codefendant -- as the remarks Ye made were a direct reflection of stuff she put out in her new documentary, 'The Greatest Lie Ever Sold.' Williams says there are blatant lies mentioned in the film.

Nuru Witherspoon, another lawyer on the case says Ye's comments have retraumatized Gianna all over again, as she's being exposed to the new content.

Witherspoon notes that while they mentioned suing for defamation in their press release -- the actual suit would be rooted in intentional infliction of emotional distress and misappropriation ... because you can't legally defame a dead person, and Ye didn't mention George's family.

Still, both Williams and Witherspoon make it clear ... it's open season on anyone who perpetuated lies about George Floyd -- Candace and Kanye are the clear targets.

However, you have to imagine the folks behind "Drink Champs," REVOLT TV included, could be in their crosshairs as well.

One final member of the team -- attorney Pat Dixon III -- gets into even more detail about what exactly Gianna is going through emotionally, not to mention her mother. He tells us they're going down this road to preserve George's legacy for both him and his family.

Like we said, the suit hasn't been filed yet -- but Gianna's lawyers have already signaled an amount of money they want ... at least $250 million. FWIW, REVOLT TV has removed the controversial episode in question entirely -- and N.O.R.E. has attempted to apologize.

Olivia Wilde may not love the family dog, but she sure loves her children.

The actress was spotted being a good mom Tuesday on the heels of reports she upset the family by allegedly getting rid of the family pooch, Gordon, to spend more time with Harry Styles.

Olivia was having what appeared to be an emotional goodbye with her two children, Otis and Daisy, making sure to shower them with hugs and kisses before they climbed into a waiting limo.

The kids were traveling with backpacks and luggage ... which is interesting because their father, Jason Sudeikis, is across the pond in London.

As you know ... Olivia and Jason's ex-nanny is continuing to make nasty allegations against the estranged couple, even though they teamed up to call the nanny a liar. The latest salvo included claims Olivia gave up her dog within weeks of meeting Harry, allegedly so she could free up time to spend with the singer.

The nanny also claims Jason once told her Olivia only had the pup to keep up appearances and rarely looked after the pooch.