Family

The Bella Twins are going back to their roots in their post-WWE careers -- the famous wrestling superstars will be known professionally by their birth names moving forward -- Nikki and Brie Garcia.

The duo announced their decision on "The Nikki & Brie Show" ... saying it was time to say goodbye to the Bella Twins moniker once their contracts with Vince McMahon's organization expired.

Nikki and Brie joined WWE in 2007 ... and were known as the Bella Twins throughout their rise and fame with the promotion.

Nikki explained the two are now so much more than wrestlers -- they're mothers, businesswomen, television producers and more ... and the name change will help them dive into their future endeavors.

"I just want to thank Brie Bella, the character, the name, all of it that I have been the last ... 16, 17 years," Brie said on the show.

"I am so excited to close that chapter on Brie Bella, put that book to the side, and open up a new one and see what Brie Garcia's going to do next."

"And I am so beyond grateful for Nikki Bella," Nikki added. "Nikki Bella, she powered me, she inspired me, she truly made me become fearless. And the road that she has paved, what she's done for women and the youth -- and will continue to do as Nikki Garcia."

"The Real Housewives of Miami" star Alexia Echevarria tells us she still isn't on speaking terms with her costar Adriana de Moura, after comparing her foot injury to Alexia's son's near-fatal car crash ... but she's still holding out hope the relationship can be repaired.

We got Alexia and her hubby Todd Nepola outside Il Pastaio in Bev Hills and she says Adriana hasn't reached out to her after filming their explosive reunion -- she was hoping she'd hear something from her costar.

Fans of the show know Adriana messed up her foot after castmates Guerdy Abraira and Kiki Barth fell on top of it on their Bahamas cast trip this season, and Adriana compared her foot injury to what Alexia's son Frankie faced in 2011.

Frankie was in a friend's car when they got into a serious crash ... resulting in permanent brain damage. Needless to say, the two events are not even close to comparable.

Adriana already attempted to repair the relationship a couple times on the show this season ... but Alexia still hasn't accepted an apology.

Stanley Wilson Jr.'s family claims the ex-NFL player didn't simply collapse and die while in police custody last month ... they believe he was actually beaten by law enforcement officials before he passed away.

The attorney representing Wilson Jr.'s family, John Carpenter, said at a news conference on Tuesday photos of Wilson Jr.'s body show the Detroit Lions cornerback was a victim of excessive force before he died suddenly at a Los Angeles County mental hospital on Feb. 1.

Carpenter said pictures of abrasions on Wilson Jr.'s head appear to show he was kicked or stomped. Images of markings on his wrist, meanwhile, seem to reveal he was cuffed at the time of the attack, Carpenter said.

Wilson Jr.'s mom, Dr. D. Pulane Lucas, said county officials had told her the former football player had collapsed and fallen out of a chair while going through the intake process at Metropolitan State Hospital before he died. But, Carpenter said the photos show a "stark contrast to what we've been hearing."

Carpenter filed three claims against L.A. County on Tuesday morning over it all -- one on behalf of Wilson Jr.'s mother, one on behalf of his father, and one on behalf of his estate -- asking for damages in excess of $45 million.

"The County has grossly misrepresented the cause and circumstances of Stanley Wilson Jr.'s death," the attorney said in the court filings.

Carpenter added during the news conference that he has yet to receive Wilson Jr.'s autopsy results.

As we reported, Wilson Jr. had been in custody following his vandalism arrest back in August ... but after he was declared incompetent to stand trial -- he was transferred from county jail to the Metropolitan State Hospital, where officials say he died.

Law enforcement sources told us at the time foul play was not suspected.

Lindsay Lohan and her husband Bader Shammas are starting a family ... she's got a bun in the oven.

Lindsay tells TMZ ... "We are very excited for our new family member to arrive and we are looking forward to this next chapter of our lives!"

This baby will be the first for Lindsay ... so this is a huge life milestone for the 36-year-old.

Lindsay was last photographed a little over a month ago, and she was wearing loose fitting clothes covering her belly.

Remember ... Lindsay and Bader tied the knot last year, with the announcement coming on her birthday. The expecting parents started dating just before the pandemic shut down the world, and in November 2021 she announced their engagement.

Lindsay's been through all sorts of ups and downs over her three-decade career in Hollywood, and now she's going to be a mother.

Congrats!!!

Robert Blake getting left out of the Oscars "In Memoriam" tribute was a big mistake on The Academy's part -- at least, according to the late actor's son, who's also pissed his dad's death was a punchline.

Noah Blake tells TMZ ... people are allowed to have their own opinion about his father -- which obviously many have -- but he says when it comes to an annually anticipated segment like the Oscars Memoriam, opinions shouldn't be a factor.

He also points out his dad wasn't the only one left out ... as you know, stars like Tom Sizemore, Anne Heche, and Paul Sorvino were excluded from the broadcast. It's something that seems to happen every year, and Noah thinks it once again wasn't handled well.

Noah also gave us his thoughts on Jimmy Kimmel's joke about whether or not to include Robert in the segment -- obviously, he found it to be in poor taste. He also says it landed flat, because he was confused if the "interactive portion" was legit or just a gag.

For what it's worth, the audience laughed ... clearly getting it was a gag.

He adds he doesn't usually believe in jokes being "too soon," but points out the fine line Jimmy was walking on when he poked fun at the actor.

Noah tells us he's going to go live on Instagram at 5:30 PM PST Tuesday to talk about his dad and his life.

If the MMA awards ever add a "best son" category, just give the damn trophy to Derek Brunson ... the UFC star just bought his mom a new car!

39-year-old Brunson, the 8th ranked UFC middleweight in the world, surprised his mom with a brand-spankin' new 2023 car ... and it's pretty awesome.

"Got Mom a 2023 Nissan Sentra one of my. Best purchase so far. We’re almost even from changing my stinky diapers 😂❤️" DB wrote on social media.

Of course, Brunson's been in Dana White's organization since 2012. In his first UFC fight, Derek beat Chris Leben by unanimous decision.

Brunson's long been one of the ten best 185 lb. fighters in the promotion ... and has wins over beasts like Darren Till, Kevin Holland, Edmen Shahbazyan, and Lyota Machida, amongst many others.

Derek lost his last scrap at UFC 285 against Dricus Du Plessis ... and there's talk it could've been his last time in the Octagon.

It's actually not the first time Derek's bought mom a new whip. Back in 2020, he talked about the sacrifices his mother made for him, and explained why he made the big purchase for her.

"In 2004 my mom went into her bank account she worked super hard for and purchased my first car. 2020 I went in my bank account I worked super hard for and purchased her a car. Life is such a cycle. Take care of those who take care of you! ❤️"

Chadwick Boseman got a lot of love at the Oscars ... something his family was well aware of and super appreciative to hear during the big night.

Allen Boseman, Chadwick's cousin and the attorney for the Boseman family tells TMZ ... "It's been incredible how Chadwick has been received by the entire Hollywood family and how his legacy continues to live on."

He goes on to say ... "Even though he's physically gone his spirit remains in the hearts and minds of his peers and fellow actors and actresses on Hollywood's biggest stage. While he was a figurative king in the movie, he appears to be a real king to many others, including those in our family."

ICYMI, Danai Gurira, who starred alongside CB in "Black Panther", paid homage to Chadwick before Rihanna performed "Lift Me Up".

Ruth E Carter, who took home Best Costume Design for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" also made a moving tribute to Chadwick and her late mother during her acceptance speech ... saying "Chadwick, please take care of mom."

You'll recall Chadwick played King T'Challa in "Black Panther". He died in 2020 after a 4-year battle with colon cancer.

It's Tristan Thompson's birthday, and he's getting some major love from Khloe Kardashian -- who's got tons of praise and compliments for the guy -- while also showing off their baby boy.

KK threw up an IG in Tristan's honor, wishing him well as hits the big 3-2 ... and showering him with sweet words that certainly paint him as a great dad and family man. She writes, "Happy birthday @realtristan13. You are truly the best father, brother & uncle."

She continues ... "Your love, attention, silly dances, hugs, carpool rides, bed time rituals, the way u show up for them. All of the above means more than you’ll ever know to your family of littles."

And finally, Khloe has a bit of a message for Tristan ... which seems to touch on his repeated cheating fails over the years. She writes, in earnest, "My birthday wish for u is that u continue to crave change, healing, and transformation. Be strong, be kind, be patient, be free. Continue to Make your soul and your mommy proud. Happy birthday baby daddy."

By the sounds of it ... Khloe seems convinced that Tristan is on a good path, and that he's dedicated to doing better. What that means for them romantically, well, hard to tell.

We know Khloe and Tristan hang out a lot because of their 2 kids -- but she also appears to be at his side for unrelated reasons too ... including the death of his mother, for which she flew out and attended the funeral. Of course, they were out this weekend too.

Remember, Tristan tagged along for the Haqq sisters' birthday bash, Khloe's BFFs ... so maybe they're working toward a reconciliation after all. In any case, Khloe's still got warm feelings for TT.

WWE star Ridge Holland -- who inadvertently broke Big E's neck during a match last year -- says he's received death threats and been called "racist" ... one year after the tragic incident occurred.

Remember, Holland and Big E were fighting on SmackDown last March ... when E's neck was broken after a belly-to-belly suplex went wrong. The WWE Superstar later said doctors told him the injury could've killed him.

Big E has been out of ring action ever since ... and fans appear to be pissed at Ridge over the injury to the former WWE champ.

"Death threats. Threats to my family. Lobbying for me to lose my job. Being labeled as racist. Great stuff keep ‘em coming," Holland tweeted.

TMZ Sports recently spoke with E -- who's been sidelined as he rehabs his neck injury -- and he told us he doesn't know if he'll ever compete in a ring again, adding I "want to make the best decision" on his future with the company.

"I gotta see what the scans say," E said. "Talk to doctors, and then go from there." "Right now, before I know anything, I'm not going to make any rush to judgments or anything. See how everything looks."

GloRilla and Finesse2tymes appear destined for a legal battle over that tragic stampede at their New York concert -- the family of one of the three people who died says they're lawyering up.

Brandy Miller was trampled to death in the chaos that followed the rappers' ill-fated Rochester show earlier this month ... and her sister, Michelle, tells us the family plans to sue Glo and Finesse2tymes, plus the promoters and Main Street Armory.

Michelle says her fam is in the process of retaining an attorney -- they've spoken to several since Brandy was pronounced dead on Monday, and aim to retain someone who's high profile  ... because the family "has no plans to back down."

Finesse and GloRilla had reportedly left the venue before the stampede. They've both expressed how devastated they are about the tragedy, and it doesn't appear either artist is under criminal investigation for the incident at this time.

When TMZ Hip Hop got Finesse in NYC this week, he scoffed at the idea he might be blamed, and flat-out told us he wasn't worried about potential lawsuits.

Shakira put her breakup with longtime partner Gerard Piqué into a song -- one that's taken over the music industry ... and which just won her a crap ton of world record awards.

The Latin pop star hit 'The Tonight Show' Friday night, where she and DJ Bizarrap -- who collaborated with Shakira on 'Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,' a song that's been a chart-topper since January -- chopped it up with Jimmy Fallon about all the success and praise.

Shakira didn't shy away from the fact that this track is, by and large, an FU to her ex ... going on to say that much of her personal life, including the nasty split, motivated her to create an anthem for women everywhere.

As she puts it ... her fan base has now become a sisterhood, one she says she recognizes has had to put up with a lot of "crap," just like she's done the past year and change.

Of course, she's referring to the fact that Piqué has moved on with a much younger woman -- 23-year-old Clara Chia Martí ... with whom GP went public last year. According to reports, she's a PR student who works for Pique's production company and who handles his events.

Anyhoo, Shakira gave the people what they wanted on 'Fallon' ... performing the hit song and getting the whole audience on their feet and dancing. It's clear ... they're on her side.

At some point during her appearance, she also posed backstage with all the Guinness World Records she's broken since the song came out -- a whopping 14 of them, in fact, as the single continues to do numbers and cements her in the history books of music/pop culture.

Among the titles she now holds as a result ... most streamed Latin track on Spotify in 24 hours, the most viewed Latin track on YouTube in 24 hours, the fastest Latin track to reach 100 million views on YouTube, and the most streamed Latin track on Spotify in one week.

There are more ... but you get the gist. The song is absolutely killing it, once again putting Shakira on top -- a testament to her staying power and how beloved she is worldwide.

The fallout from her and Pique's uncoupling has been pretty rough, and for good reason -- they were together for 11 years and share two kids ... Sasha and Milan. A lot of people feel the way he ended things with Shakira was unceremonious ... and fairly scandalous too.

Shakira seems to be doing just fine now, though ... and is still looking pretty fine, at that.

Gangsta Boo’s estate is making sure her upcoming posthumous album is airtight with slaps … with Latto, Skepta, La Chat, Crunchy Black and Run The Jewels all pitching in for the late Three 6 Mafia rapstress!!!

Sources close to the project’s creation also tell TMZ Hip Hop they’ve locked in beat contributions from Drumma Boy, Nick Hook and RTJ's El-P … and are planning for an August 7 release date, which would have been GB's 44th birthday.

While DJ Paul and Juicy J are still in mourning, we're hearing they're in talks to provide some production heat, as are Metro Boomin and BeatKing.

GB’s mother, Veronica Mitchell, tells us she can still smile knowing her daughter touched millions of listeners -- which started when she was just performing at home for her parents.

Veronica says, “My daughter Lola was my only baby girl. I was so proud when she would rap as a little girl. She became the Queen of Memphis and God brought her home to be with her daddy Cedric and her brother Derron. I miss her but I know she’s happy with them."

Mom added, "I’ll always remember telling her GO GET THEM DOLLAS, but I had no idea how many people would love my baby girl. I’m grateful all y’all support my daughter. Thank you.”

Earlier this week, GB’s estate launched a new merch website with 10 percent of the proceeds going to Stax Music Academy in her hometown of Memphis.

The veteran rapper was laid to rest back in January after a purported drug overdose.

Lisa Marie Presley's ex-husband Michael Lockwood has filed legal docs to allow him to represent the interests of their twins in an upcoming critical hearing that involves millions of dollars.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Lockwood is asking a judge to appoint him guardian ad litem -- giving him authority to speak for his 14-year-old girls in a hearing over Lisa Marie's trust.

TMZ broke the story ... that trust became flush with cash when Elvis's only child died January 12. As we reported, Lisa Marie had 2 life insurance policies -- one for $25 million and another for $10 million.

Sources connected to the family tell TMZ ... there's a lot of behind-the-scenes drama over who will administer and control the trust. As we reported, Priscilla Presley was a trustee but Lisa Marie booted her from that position several years before her death, and made her oldest daughter Riley the trustee in Priscilla's place.

Our sources tell us Priscilla is going to challenge the validity of the trust, claiming the change in trustees was not properly made. Riley, we're told, does not want Priscilla to take the reins, and this set up a family battle.

As we reported, the beneficiaries of the trust are Riley and the twins, Harper and Finley.

Kanye West's bringing his wife Bianca Censori around at least one of his children ... because they took his daughter North with them to a theme park.

Ye and Bianca spent some quality time with North at Universal Studios Hollywood on Thursday, the first time we've actually seen Kanye's new wife with any of the children he shares with Kim Kardashian.

The trio stopped by the carnival games at the park ... and played one of the basketball games.

Kanye bringing Bianca around his oldest kid is a sign their relationship is growing ... remember, when Kim was dating Pete Davidson he was spending time with North as well.

Of course, neither Kanye, Bianca or North are smiling in these pics ... guess Bianca is no Ice Spice.

The family theme park outing with North capped off a busy day for Kanye and Bianca ... as we told you, they went shopping earlier in the day on Melrose Place with a famous fashion designer.

Ja Morant was investigated by cops for assault after allegedly clashing with a high school student back in September ... TMZ Sports has learned -- but the NBA star was never charged over the incident.

According to a Germantown Police Dept. report, the interaction between the teenager and the Memphis Grizzlies point guard happened at Houston H.S. in Tennessee on Sept. 22 at around 7:10 PM.

In the docs, police say at an after-school volleyball game, Morant's sister -- who attends Houston H.S. -- got into a verbal argument with another student.

Witnesses on the scene, according to the docs, told officers both parties had called each other "bitch" -- prompting Ja's sister to contact Ja about it all.

A short time later, cops say Ja, Ja's mom and dad, Ja's baby daughter and "a group of" adult males all came into the gym together. According to the documents, most of the group -- excluding Ja's father -- went to confront the student in the stands at the game who had been quarreling with Ja's sister.

"Which one of ya'll called her a bitch?" Jamie Morant, Ja's mother, allegedly said.

Cops say in the docs they told Jamie she "can not come upstairs and confront the students and they did not need to make a scene at the school." But, officers say while they were talking, one of the men with Ja moved past police and walked toward students.

According to the report, witnesses on the scene said the man slapped a phone out of a student's hand who had been attempting to take a picture of Ja in the stands ... and then said, "I don't care about none of that, I will beat y'alls ass."

A witness later said that man "was about to pull a gun" -- though cops on the scene said in the documents they never observed a firearm during the incident.

Police say everyone eventually left the gym without further problems.

The next day, cops say the mother of the student who had been in the spat with Ja's sister wanted to press charges against all parties, including Ja, for intimidation and harassment. Cops say Jamie Morant also wanted to press charges against the student who had been in the tiff with her daughter for threats and intimidation.

Cops investigated Ja for simple assault, intimidation -- no physical contact, but no charges were ever filed.

The mother of the student, meanwhile, tells TMZ Sports her son was also investigated, but did not end up being charged either.

According to the police report, the Grizzlies' head of security -- ID'ed as Kevin Helms in the report -- came to the school to discuss the incident with authorities. Cops say Helms "was asked to give a verbal trespass warning to all parties per the request of the Principal."

We've reached out to the Grizzlies for comment on the situation, but so far, no word back yet.

The situation was one of at least three times in the last calendar year that Ja has been investigated by cops. In the summer, police probed into allegations that he roughed up a teenager during a pickup basketball game at his home. Earlier this week, cops looked into video he posted where he brandished a gun at a Denver-area nightclub. He was not charged in either incident.

Ja -- a 23-year-old, two-time All-Star who's considered one of the best young players in the NBA -- is currently away from the Grizzlies in wake of the gun video.

Robert Blake, the actor whose life was just as talked about off the screen as it was on, has died.

According to a statement released to the Associated Press on behalf of Blake's niece, Noreen Austin, Blake died Thursday from heart disease at home surrounded by loved ones.

Blake was infamously charged with the murder of his second wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, after she was found dead outside Vitello's restaurant in Los Angeles in 2001. Bakley had been shot in the head while sitting in Blake's vehicle.

Blake told investigators he had gone back inside the restaurant to retrieve a pistol when Bakley was shot and killed. It was later determined his pistol was not the murder weapon.

Blake's trial lasted about three months, but he was eventually found not guilty of murder and not guilty of one of the two counts of solicitation of murder ... the second solicitation of murder charge was also eventually dropped.

Blake's career in Hollywood spanned more than 50 years, starring in movies like "In Cold Blood," "Lost Highway" and "Treasure of the Sierra Madre." He also played Tony Baretta in "Baretta" ... a role that won him an Emmy in 1975.