Family

Angela Bassett's son pulled a pretty mean prank on his mom to cap off the year -- telling her Michael B. Jordan had just died (not true) ... but he realized it wasn't a good idea.

The actress' 16-year-old, Slater, posted a since-deleted video to his TikTok account this weekend ... a quick 20-second clip showing him break some would-be tragic news to AB -- namely, that another one of her "Black Panther" costars had passed away.

He's obviously trying to get a crazy reaction out of Angela, and boy does he get it ... you see his mom freaking out, saying "no" repeatedly as she approaches to see what he's seeing.

It sounds like Slater might've said he was joking in the clip, and we don't get to see what Angela's reaction is once she realizes the death story is fake. But, we imagine it wasn't great ... because, like we said, Slater took the video down -- but he's getting dragged regardless.

His video was captured by folks and is spreading like wildfire on social media ... and the consensus seems to be -- dude, how could you do that to your mom?!? Even as a prank.

Of course, Angela has already experienced tremendous loss on this front with the passing of Chadwick Boseman. As everyone knows, both Chadwick and Michael starred in the original "Black Panther" ... and the latter made a cameo in the recent sequel. So, they're all tight.

Neither Angela nor Slater have addressed the joke-gone-wrong since it went up. But, in light of the backlash, it's probably best to leave these fake death announcements in 2022.

Lord knows we already got our fair share of real deaths this year, especially in these last few days. Considering everything the 'BP' family has gone through, something like this would be way too much.

A valuable lesson learned, indeed.

Heads up, baseball world ... another Sabathia is on the way -- and according to Momma Sabathia, the young infielder is itching to make a name for himself at Georgia Tech this year!!!

CC Sabathia's spawn, Carsten Sabathia, just arrived on GT's campus this year ... and he's expected to play right away as a freshman for the Yellow Jackets this season.

And, when we got his mom and dad out in New Jersey at a charity event earlier this month ... they both glowed about the kid -- with Amber Sabathia telling us Carsten is ready to inch out of CC's huge shadow while on the diamond in '23.

"Spring season hasn't started yet, so we've got some stuff to look forward to -- and he can really make a name for himself," Amber said. "I'm excited for that."

Carsten is a 6-foot-4, 240-pound giant who dominated so much at the dish in high school, he was named to play in the 2021 MLB All-American Game. As a senior this past year, he hit a staggering .363 and logged four home runs.

CC wouldn't give us a scouting report on his boy -- telling us Carsten actually hates hitting off of him -- but he did say he's "super proud" of his son nonetheless.

"It's more about him being happy in life than it is about the sport," CC said. "And he's in a good spot."

Coolio's family got a supercool headstone so they can pay their respects to the rap legend ... and it includes an homage to his most famous song.

The late rapper was cremated, but we're told his family wanted to make a headstone so they had a physical place to go to remember him.

The family enlisted Cemetery Tim, who has also done headstones for Nate Dogg, Eazy E and Anthony Johnson.

Cemetery Tim tells TMZ ...  he was put in touch with Coolio's girlfriend Mimi about making a headstone, and he delivered it this week to the family and it's since been set in the ground at an undisclosed location in Los Angeles.

As you can see, the headstone has a few images of Coolio plus a Hollywood Walk of Fame star ... and the bottom reads, "I'm home now in gangsta's paradise."

We're told Coolio's headstone is in a private area that's not open to the public, so the family can pay their respects.

Tim says he does a lot of headstones for folks who are cremated ... the reason being families like to create a marker or memorial for a loved one who isn't buried.

The woman who accused Gervonta Davis of assault is doing an about-face ... now claiming the star boxer "did not harm me or our daughter," saying the frantic 911 call she made was "unnecessary."

Vanessa Posso, mom to Tank's daughter, took to social media on Friday and seemingly did a complete 180, writing ... "These past days have been hurtful and extremely exhausting for all parties involved."

"I pride myself on being extremely private; this situation was the last thing I wanted to be made public. The state of our relationship has been in a fragile space, and Gervonta and I were both at fault for the argument."

Posso continued ... "Today, we have sought the help necessary to move forward with our lives. I am confident that we will succeed within our co-parenting dynamic with the counseling provided to us."

As we previously reported, 28-year-old Davis was arrested and booked in Broward County (Florida) on Tuesday on a battery domestic violence charge.

According to court docs, police say Davis "did actually and intentionally touch and strike" the woman "against her will" and "did intentionally cause bodily harm to her."

Law enforcement authorities also said Gervonta struck his accuser on the right side of her head with "a closed hand type of slap," causing the woman to suffer a facial injury and an abrasion on the inside of her upper lip.

However, the 27-0 (25 KO) boxer adamantly denied the accusations against him from the start, saying ... "I NEVER PUT MY HANDS ON MY CHILD MOTHER NOR MY F***ING DAUGHTER ARE YOU F***ING CRAZY!!" -- while insisting the whole ordeal was nothing more than a money grab by his accuser.

In fact, Davis contends the only reason the woman -- who claimed she was in fear for her life -- called the police in the first place was because she was pissed he wouldn't let her use his truck.

Nick Cannon is likely already reallllly good at changing diapers, but he's about to get even more reps in ... as he just welcomed baby number 12 to the world.

Alyssa Scott, who Cannon previously had a child with, broke the news Thursday -- revealing their daughter, Halo, was born on December 14. Scott says, "I will remember the sound of Nicks voice saying "it's a girl" and the look of everything we've been through flash across his face."

She continues, "I will remember the sound of her crying out with her first breath and feeling her heartbeat against mine. My sweet girl, I got my surprise!! We love you Halo Marie Cannon!"

Previously, Nick and Alyssa had a baby boy together named Zen, who died at only 5 months after brain cancer.

Scott remembered Zen in the announcement of Halo, writing, "Zen is in every breath I take. I know his spirit was with us in the room that morning. I know he is watching down on us. He shows me signs everyday. I will hold onto this memory forever."

Congressman-elect George Santos would not know the truth if it hit him in the face, because now it's come out he lied about his mom dying from the 9/11 attacks.

Santos saw a post last year about a ridiculous 9/11 conspiracy theory -- that it was a victimless crime -- and responded, "9/11 claimed my mother's life, so I'm blocking so I don't ever have to read this again."

Here's the thing ... five months after posting that, he posted this ... "December 23rd this year marks 5 years I lost my best friend and mentor ... Mom you will live forever in my heart."

So, in the latest tweet, he's saying his mom died in 2016, 15 years after the attack.

Santos claimed on his campaign website his mom was in the South Tower on Sept. 11, adding she survived but passed away "a few years later" from cancer. But, 15 years?

This is the latest in a string of fundamental deceptions by Santos, including lying that he went to NYU and Baruch for college yet they have no record of him. Ditto his claims he worked for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. And of course, there's the lie that he was Jewish and he explained it by saying he was Jew-ish.

Kim Kardashian sure does make motherhood look easy ... having fun with the fam at Universal Studios, just days after breaking down about her struggles co-parenting with Kanye West.

The SKIMS founder was spotted out at the huge theme park on Monday ... and she looked as cool as a cucumber, rocking a pair of black shades while on mommy duty. She also wore a pair of Yeezy sandals.

The whole gang was in tow ... North, Chicago, Psalm and Saint. Her friend Tracy Romulus also tagged along to brave the busy day of fun and adventure.

It seems like they all enjoyed spending quality time with mommy ... they were seen riding The Simpsons Ride and spending a lot of time in Fun Land. At one point, Kim and the kids hit up the VIP lounge for snacks.

The day of fun comes after Kim K opened up about her struggles co-parenting with Kanye ... telling Angie Martinez she's gone great lengths to keep all the drama with their dad away from the kids. Of course, she was referring to all the fallout with Kanye, including his antisemitic rants and multiple waves of controversy.

Remember, Kim got pretty emotional during the interview ... tearing up while reflecting on her dad, Robert Kardashian. She said she just wants to give her kids the same great memories Robert gave to her -- but admits it's tough.

A student nurse got trapped in her car during upstate New York's massive snowstorm this week, prompting her to send a series of text messages to her family, chillingly detailing her final moments before she died.

Anndel Taylor was heading home from work on Christmas Eve when her vehicle got stuck in the historic blizzard that engulfed Buffalo. As she waited for crews to rescue her, Anndel started texting her 3 sisters, becoming increasingly frustrated over many hours.

In one message, she wrote, "stuck in the f***ing blizzard." One sister later texted back, "You still out there Pookie," referring to Anndel, who responded, "Unfortunately."

After recuse crews still hadn't arrived, Anndel texted her sisters again, saying, "Imma sleep here Idk how long this gas will last. I'm livid bro my door damn near covered." Things became so grim Anndel texted that city officials didn't "gaf" --short for give a f***-- about her being stuck.

Anndel apparently died later that night, but her body was not removed from the car until the next day, although it's not clear why. Her mom seems to think Anndel died of carbon monoxide poisoning from snow covering her exhaust pipe as she slept with the engine running.

Anndel's family has set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs.

She was 22.

Former Kanye West collaborator Theophilus London has vanished without a trace, so says his family ... who's now pulling out all the stops to lock down his whereabouts.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Hip Hop that London's relatives filed a missing person report with the LAPD on Tuesday ... and cops are now investigating the situation.

According to London's family, the last time the Trinidad and Tobago-born artist was heard from was July. They said they flew into L.A. this week to file the police report.

"Theo, your Dad loves you, son," London's father said in a statement this week in the hopes of locating the 35-year-old. "We miss you. And all your friends and relatives are searching for you. Wherever you are send us some signal."

"No matter what we will come get you son."

London's family described Theophilus -- who was famously front and center in the creation of Kanye's "Donda" album -- as 6'2", 175 pounds, with dark brown eyes. Of course, his likeness can be found all over YouTube from the millions of views his music videos amassed over the years.

Tristan Thompson and Khloe Kardashian have their differences, but something clearly binds them ... their daughter, True.

Tristan posted this video of 4-year-old True, dancing up a storm in a kitchen. It's unclear if this was shot in Tristan or Khloe's house, but either way ... pretty cute.

They're dancing to "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back." Watch ... True shows off her vocals!

It's unclear what the child custody arrangement is ... but clearly Tristan was able to spend some holiday time with his daughter.

Our sources say Tristan and Khloe are getting along ... despite the fact she learned he had gotten another woman pregnant while lobbying her to go for a second child via surrogate -- which they did.

The adopted daughter of MLB Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley was arrested in New Hampshire for leaving her baby in freezing temps for over an hour after prematurely giving birth, TMZ has confirmed.

Alexandra Eckersley is facing serious charges ... endangering the welfare of a child, falsifying physical evidence, assault and reckless conduct. Eckersley was arraigned Tuesday and held on $3,000 bail.

Eckersley delivered her baby boy about 3 months early inside a tent in a wooded area of Manchester, NH ... according to NBC Boston. She reportedly was 4 to 5 months pregnant.

Eckersley called police to report she had just given birth, but she initially lied to officers as to the baby's whereabouts -- sending them on a wild goose chase. She was apparently embarrassed she was homeless and living in an encampment with her boyfriend.

As a result, the baby was left inside the tent for 73 minutes in 15-degree weather. Eckersley finally gave the right coordinates and cops found the infant alive, but struggling to breathe. EMS workers performed life-saving measures on the child and rushed him to a hospital, where he was intubated to assist his breathing.

Officials believe Eckersley was high on drugs at the time, although she denies it. When asked why she lied, Eckersley reportedly told cops, "What do they tell when a plane goes down? Save yourself first." Her boyfriend, who was with Eckersley when police first arrived, may also face charges.

Bob Marley's grandson, reggae artist Joseph 'Jo' Mersa Marley, has died.

Sources tell TMZ Joseph, known in the music world as Jo Mersa, passed away Tuesday due to asthma-related conditions ... although the specifics surrounding his death are unclear.

Joseph, son of Stephen Marley, took to Miami Dade College and studied audio engineering after spending his early years in Jamaica.

He went on to drop an EP in 2014 called "Comfortable" ... which held some tracks like "Rock and Swing" and "Bogus." He also released the hit single, "Burn It Down," in 2016 -- and put out a 2nd EP, "Eternal," last year.

He was only 31.

Cherelle Griner can finally breathe ... something most people do without effort or thought, but something that was elusive to her during the 10 months her wife, Brittney Griner, was held captive by the Russian government.

Cherelle, who finished law school during her wife's captivity, tells PEOPLE ... "It was almost as if somebody just punched you in the stomach and you inhaled. You never get to breathe out."

She admits it was hard to hang on to hope ... "I was hopeless a lot of days. You try and stay grounded, but I'm human. Still, I would never completely give up hope on my wife's life."

As for Brittney's release ... Cherelle says her reaction surprised her ... "I had thought about that moment a thousand times, and I thought I would be full of tears, but I was overwhelmingly happy. It was the first time I was able to finally exhale."

Reuniting in San Antonio, where Brittney flew for medical observation and treatment, Cherelle said, "We were both just instantly crying. I was standing there full of tears and someone ran over and handed me a handkerchief. I definitely needed it."

She then described their embrace ... "I couldn't stop touching her facer. I was like, 'Is this really you?' It did not feel real. It was chilling, and warm. I was just holding on tight. I couldn't let her go."

Their first night together was sleepless ... "We just talked all night long and all morning." And then she reflected -- "I had all my freedom. I had my bed. But when you have your family overseas in a situation like that, time zones play a factor. Every night, that's the only time I could talk to her attorneys and I could handle things. And so I just hadn't slept."

Nev Schulman grew up Jewish, but his wife has him all-in on Christmas ... but Hanukkah also has a special place in his heart.

We got the "Catfish" host at LAX and he told our photog he celebrates both December holidays with his wife and kids ... the Schulman household seems pretty fun.

Nev says he loves Christmas morning and all the stories and songs surrounding the holiday ... not to mention the presents.

Hanukkah's a little bit different ... Nev explains why folks would be wise not to assume the Jewish holiday is just their version of Xmas.

For Nev, he says he likes the historical and religious significance of Hanukkah ... it's clear it means a lot to him.

Akon says Nick Cannon should keep on making babies, even if he has to miss a recital or two ... because, from his POV, that's something only white folks care about anyway. 😅

The singer sat down for an interview this past week with Zeze Millz that's making the rounds now online ... and for good reason. What Akon says here is pretty wild -- basically suggesting that Nick doesn't have to be at every one of his kids' events to be a good father.

But, the way he phrases it is ... interesting. Check it out -- Zeze asks Akon if he sees a problem with Nick potentially being spread too thin as he has more and more children -- especially if that manifests in him possibly not being able to be there for all of them at crucial moments, like a dance recital.

To that, Akon says ... NBD, because "that's a white man thing." He hits the point home by saying, "Who gives a f*** about a recital" -- and goes on to list what he sees as the tenets of being a solid dad, using his own 9 children as examples.

In Akon's eyes, as long as a man can provide for his family and teach them fundamental values/morals ... all the little stuff in between doesn't really matter. That's certainly what it sounds like based on what he's saying here -- and, of course, not everyone agrees.

Akon also says if the baby mamas are on board, what difference does it make? He's kinda got a point there -- everyone seems to have an opinion on Nick Cannon's loins ... when, in reality, the only ones who are part of the equation are him, his BMs and the kiddos.

Funny enough ... we actually got Nick during the holiday season, and he somewhat spoke on this exact issue. According to NC, he's able to see all of his 11 children the same way Santa Claus gets around -- Christmas magic!

Aaron Carter's memory will be honored this holiday season -- thanks to his fiancée, Melanie Martin, who's keeping his spirit alive with a number of tributes as Christmas fast approaches.

Sources close to Melanie tell TMZ ... she is still very much mourning the death of her fiancé, and that this first Christmas without him is, no doubt, going to be incredibly difficult -- especially since last year's was so full of joy as they shared time with their son.

With that said, we're told Melanie is going to pay tribute to her son's father in a variety of different ways during the holiday -- via gifts, decorations and even a home-cooked meal.

For starters, we're told Melanie has put together a scrapbook full of pictures of Aaron, herself and their kid ... which, while not totally complete, will be placed under her tree for him. Speaking of presents, she also got something for young Prince -- with AC in mind.

It's a child-sized dirt bike, which Melanie gave to Prince early this year ... and which has a direct tie to Aaron -- who loved to ride himself. Our sources say Melanie believes Aaron would've given Prince something like this at some point ... so no better time than now.

On top of that, we're told Melanie was gifted a custom ornament in honor of Aaron that she's putting on her tree as well -- a wing-shaped trinket with Aaron's name engraved on it.

There's also the matter of food, which we're told was big for Aaron around this time of the year. In 2021, our sources say he cooked up a feast for Melanie and her family -- which included Kobe beef ... so this year, we're told, she's preparing a similar meal as a tribute.

As we reported ... Melanie has been able to regain custody of Prince in the wake of Aaron's sudden passing -- and it sounds like she's doing everything she can to cope with his loss.

He was 34.