Family

Jerry Springer was laid to rest in a private ceremony this weekend among family and friends, with plans in place for a public celebration of life in the near future ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the legendary talk show host -- who died last week after a battle with pancreatic cancer -- was buried Sunday in a suburb of Chicago. We're told there was a relatively small group of people in attendance for the ceremony.

We're told the burial also entailed a religious service -- which our sources say followed traditional Jewish customs.

It might sound like a modest send-off for the late, great Springer -- but our sources assure us his fans will get their own chance to say goodbye as well in the near future. We're told a tribute is being planned -- which, for now, is scheduled to go down on May 16 in Cincinnati.

Our sources tell us it'll be a free ticketed event open to the general public. Right now, organizers are planning how many people can attend -- for now, we're told they're anticipating letting around 500 people inside the venue.

As for what folks can expect during this upcoming ceremony ... our sources say it'll be a good overview of his life and legacy in and out of work -- which touched communities from all walks of life, from politics to entertainment and just about everything in between.

We're also told some famous faces are expected to roll through, but the list is still being worked on. Our sources say videos will be played, guest speakers will talk and music will be performed -- so it's gonna be a big deal. We're told the plan is to stream this as well.

While there'll, no doubt, be a celeb factor at the public service -- we're told the main focus here will be on normies being able to get in and bid Springer a proper farewell. Our sources say more details are forthcoming and that tickets are going to be made available soon.

Vanessa Bryant is remembering her daughter on what would have been her 17th birthday ... penning an emotional tribute to Gigi on social media.

"Happy 17th birthday, baby girl," Kobe's widow wrote on Instagram. "I love you and miss you so much, sweet Angel."

Bryant also shared several snaps of Gigi ... showing her smiling from ear to ear at Disneyland and other vacations.

"Te Amo Mambacita ❤️," she added. "We love you to the moon and back infinity +1. Forever & Always. ❤️."

Vanessa's friends showed love as well ... including Candace Parker, La La, Taraji P. Henson and more.

Gigi's birthday marks the release of the Kobe IV Protro "Mambacita" ... a special colorway of the NBA superstar's signature shoe that will benefit the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation.

Shaquil Barrett -- a linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- just suffered an unimaginable tragedy ... his 2-year-old drowned in their pool, just days after her birthday.

The news was confirmed Sunday by Shaq's football team, which released a statement expressing condolences to him and his family. The Bucs write, "Today’s tragic news is heartbreaking for all members of the Buccaneers family."

They adds, "Our thoughts and prayers are with Shaq, Jordanna, and the entire Barrett family during this unimaginably difficult time. While no words can provide true comfort at a time such as this, we offer our support and love as they begin to process this very profound loss of their beloved Arrayah."

The police confirmed it as well -- saying Shaq's daughter, Arrayah, was transported to a hospital Sunday morning after a call came in for a child who'd fallen into the water. Despite life-saving measures, cops say the child was pronounced dead a short time later.

It's unclear what led to the accident -- but cops are saying the circumstances don't appear to be suspicious in nature. An investigation is ongoing ... Shaq hasn't commented.

An even more gut-wrenching detail here is the fact that Arrayah just turned 2 on April 19. Shaq posted an adorable tribute to his kid, writing ... "Happy 2nd bday to my cutie girl. So sweet and cute. You made our family complete. I love you baby girl."

Shaq and his wife, Jordanna, are raising three other children together ... the rest of whom are older at ages 11, 9 and 8.

Tish Cyrus is ready to be a bride again -- she just announced she's engaged ... and the husband-to-be is someone who's pretty famous himself on the small screen.

Miley's mom broke the news Sunday, taking to IG with a photo of her and "Prison Break" star Dominic Purcell -- specifically, though, a shot of their hands interlocked and her ring finger on display ... with a giant rock sitting on top. She writes, "A thousand times .... YES"

The couple's been together for what seems like less than a year at this point -- but ever since they went public in 2022 ... they've been all over each other's feed in loving photos.

This is Dominic's 2nd marriage. He was previously with producer Rebecca Williamson for 10 years, and the exes share 4 children together. Tish, of course, was previously married to Billy Ray Cyrus for nearly 30 years ... before they filed for divorce almost a year ago to the day.

As we well know ... they had five children together -- including Miley, Noah and all the rest. While they got the legal process started last year, it's unclear if the divorce is finalized.

Rihanna wore quite the getup in New York last night -- one that was all fur and all high fashion ... from head to toe.

The singer was photographed out and about in the Big Apple Saturday, where we're told she was grabbing dinner ... although there's no sign of her partner, A$AP Rocky. What we can see, though, is RiRi wearing this wacky ensemble ... which all starts with a big hat.

Of course, her eyewear gives away what she's rocking here ... it's Chanel, and it seems she was feeling a little Cruella de Vil-ish with the black-and-white theme.

Speaking of that, it's unclear if this is real fur or not. We know PETA recently reached out to her and tried sending her some faux fur stuff -- but we have no idea if she entertained it. In any case, Rihanna was feeling herself ... which probably translates for her new kiddo too.

Mercedes Moné is no longer the IWGP Women's Champion ... but the wrestling star already knows how she wants to get over the devastating loss when she returns to the United States -- by smoking a blunt with her cousin and WrestleMania 39 host, Snoop Dogg.

"I cannot wait to come back to the U.S.A. so I can roll up a big one, smoke one, roll one again, and go to Long Beach, baby, where you can go to my cousin's house, Snoop Dogggggggggg," Mercedes told Dean "Mojo" Muhtadi during an interview with TMZ Sports.

Moné lost her IWGP Women's Championship to Mayu Iwatani at the Stardom All Star Grand Queendom event in Tokyo, Japan. Still, despite dropping the title, Mercedes told us that wrestling fans in Japan treat her like royalty.

Mercedes -- formerly known as Sasha Banks in the WWE -- told us she got rocked early into her contest with Iwatani, resulting in her having difficulty seeing, and described the fight with Iwatani as the "hardest-hitting" match of her 13-year career.

"I got this big ass balloon on my face in the first five seconds, and I just couldn't believe it," Moné said. "But I told myself, 'Mercedes, you have to finish. You're in Japan. The fans are chanting for you.' This balloon in my eye, I couldn't f****** see. That's why I couldn't kick out."

Mercedes told us she has one match left on her contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) on May 21 in Long Beach at Resurgence, meaning she'll be a free agent again and have to decide where she wants to continue her wrestling career.

When we spoke to Mercedes in March, "The Mandalorian" TV star told us she recently inked a deal with United Talent Agency (UTA). Since then, Mercedes says her success inside the squared circle has translated outside the ring, and things are aligning for her as an actress.

A dangerous challenge on TikTok landed a North Carolina teen in the hospital with serious burns over nearly 80 percent of his disfigured body.

Grisly photos of Mason Dark have gone viral after the 16-year-old was dared by a group of TikTokers to make a torch out of a spray paint can and a lighter.

The TT users often meet online to create mini-flamethrowers, but this time their makeshift project went awry as Dark was engulfed in flames after the can exploded.

Dark ran to a river near his Wake Forest home and dove inside to put out the flames. When he emerged from the water, he had third-degree burns over 76 percent of his body, including his face.

His mom, Holli, told Fox affiliate WRAL News, “He is unrecognizable, unrecognizable." She also said her son was rushed to a burn center, where he has already undergone skin grafts, which are surgeries that replace damaged skin with healthy skin from unaffected areas of the body. Dark is expected to stay in the hospital for at least 6 months.

Holli went on to say her son's flaming, bunched-up T-shirt was seared into his skin while he was trying to remove it at the riverbed.

She added that his physical appearance has only worsened since the accident last week, explaining, “The way he looked when those kids saw him when he first came in, to what he looks like now, it’s 100 times different."

Bam Margera didn't lose his appetite after surrendering to police to face charges for allegedly assaulting his brother ... getting right back to normal life with his girlfriend and her kid.

TMZ obtained these photos of Bam breaking bread with his chick and her 8-year-old daughter Thursday afternoon in West Chester, PA ... only hours after turning himself into cops and a subsequent court appearance.

Folks who were there say Bam hit up a restaurant called Stove & Tap ... with his group chowing down on french fries, plus macaroni and cheese.

We're also told Bam was very respectful to restaurant staff, generally coming off as being very mellow ... and ducking outside a couple times to smoke some cigarettes.

Bam was right back to normal life after being on the run from police for a few days ... as we reported, he had a warrant out for his arrest after allegedly getting into an altercation with his brother, with police claiming Bam threatened to put a bullet in his sibling's head.

Bam's brother, Jesse, also claimed the former "Jackass" star has been using meth, making the allegations on social media ... and the judge ordered Bam to stay away from Jesse and complete a drug and alcohol assessment.

Friday, Bam posted a series of photos on Instagram, claiming he was finished drinking alcohol and saying he'd recently taken a drug test to prove he wasn't on meth. Bam also vowed to get Jesse removed from a home he's allegedly been renting from Bam.

TMZ broke the story ... Bam allegedly called his family while on the run, accusing them of stealing money from him and telling them how much he hated them for putting him in a treatment center.

Former Kentucky star Will Levis didn't have his name called during the first night of the NFL draft ... but there's a bit of a silver lining for the quarterback -- 'cause he was in the presence of his smokin' hot girlfriend!!

The 23-year-old QB prospect -- who was expected to be picked early in Thursday's event -- spent his entire evening in the green room, patiently waiting for his phone to ring.

As the night went on, television cameras continued to cut to Levis and his group of loved ones ... which included his parents, sisters, and girlfriend, Gia Duddy.

Naturally, social media erupted over Levis' lady ... with many tweeting about her whenever she'd make an appearance on their screens.

FYI -- Will and Gia went Instagram official back in 2021 ... and based on her posts, she was his biggest cheerleader throughout his college career.

But, it wasn't just Gia who was getting a lot of love -- Levis' sister, Kelley, was also the center of a bunch of posts from football fans.

The good news for those watching the draft?? Night two is just a few hours away ... and we're sure the whole crew will be back to support Levis when his name finally gets called.

Bam Margera says he's sworn off drinking on the heels of several concerning incidents in his personal life ... stating he's also tested clean for meth, after his brother accused him of being hooked on the dangerous substance.

Bam put out a series of statements Friday, first saying, "Well my brother made false accusations of me being on meth. But when I wear to god and Phoenix the wolfs life I’m not, I went with my lawyers to urgent care. Guess what Jesse margera. The results are negative. Now you will be evicted from castlebam sooner than later. Get your f***in s*** out HOMOner. Oh wait… not no more"

Jess accused Bam of being on meth and hallucinating earlier in the week when he was still on the run from cops ... a claim that's clearly gotten under Bam's skin. Bam denied these allegations and threatened to sue him for defamation and evict Jess from his home.

Bam also says for the sake of his son, Phoenix, he's done drinking, saying, "I have been through official termoil with my family."

What's more ... he praises his current girlfriend, Jessica, for having his back through his recent drama, saying, "For once I am not dating a hot dog strutting floozy." Also praising Jessica for helping him retain attorney Michael van der Veen in helping him with his ongoing case with his brother.

Finally, Bam takes a shot at his ex-wife, Missy Margera, who he believes tried to help the cops in finding him when he was on the run this past week.

As we reported, Bam turned himself in Thursday after 4 days on the run from the cops after his brother claimed Bam not only assaulted him, but threatened to shoot him dead.

Two California high school baseball teams got into a massive brawl during a game earlier this week -- and it grew into such a large melee on the diamond, cops tell TMZ Sports they're now investigating it all.

The fight erupted after Norwalk H.S. beat Mayfair H.S., 3-2, on Wednesday in Lakewood, which is about 25 miles south of downtown Los Angeles.

The victory meant the Norwalk Lancers swept Mayfair and would advance in the playoffs ... and in order to celebrate the occasion, one of the Lancers' players brought a broom to the postgame handshake line.

Fans in the crowd, though, didn't appreciate the sweep taunt ... and you can hear in footage from the scene, one person yelled, "Put your broom in the dugout! Respect the game!"

Mayfair players clearly didn't like it either ... and seconds later, an all-out brawl between both teams erupted.

At one point, parents even got in the middle of it ... with some calling players on the field derogatory names.

A different angle of the fight shows several players threw punches in the skirmish ... and on Friday, the Lakewood Sheriff’s Department told us officers did ultimately respond to the scene and an investigation is now underway.

The California Interscholastic Federation and officials from the two schools said they're still gathering information on the unfortunate incident ... and a punishment could come down at a later date.

Jerry Springer and his family chose to keep his cancer battle hidden from the public so his health struggle wouldn't become a burden to many of those who cared so deeply about him ... TMZ has learned.

Jene Galvin, a rep for the Springer family, tells us Jerry was sick for months, running through a series of tests, but only recently found out just how dire his pancreatic cancer diagnosis actually was.

Galvin says Jerry's always been a fairly private person, but he and his family thought it was especially important to keep his cancer private, as they didn't want to worry other people. Instead, Jerry's family shifted their entire focus to aiding with his care, which became extremely time-consuming.

We're told Jerry knew his time was limited -- given the severity and type of cancer -- so he made a point to spend as much time with his loved ones as possible.

Jene says there was only a small circle of people outside of family -- including Jene and Jerry's friend Louis Beck -- who knew about the cancer.

As we first told you, Jerry's longtime friend and partner on TV, Steve Wilkos, told us he and Jerry shared a cigar and some memories about a month ago. Steve says he had no idea Jerry was sick, but looking back on the moment -- he believes it was Jerry's way of saying goodbye.

While Jene tells us Jerry had not designated a specific organization he wanted fans to donate to after his death, he believes a place like The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is doing good work toward finding a cure.

Bonnie Chapman, the biological daughter of Dog the Bounty Hunter and the late Beth Chapman, is going through another tragedy ... she just lost her home in a fire.

Bonnie tells TMZ ... she and her boyfriend Ismael were at work Tuesday when they got a call that their rental house in Fishersville, Virginia was burning down.

She says she rushed home, hoping the information was wrong ... but when she got there the house was up in flames.

Bonnie says she lost just about everything in the blaze at the home ... including 3 cats, a dog, a gecko and a pet snake. The animals died from smoke inhalation.

Some possessions were salvaged ... Bonnie says Beth's ashes survived, and that was one thing she was terrified to lose.

As for the cause of the inferno ... the fire department believes an electrical issue ignited the blaze.

The 2023 NFL Draft is finally here ... and the biggest prospects are bringing their incredible fashion sense to Kansas City -- with some amazing 'fits and iced-out accessories!!

Texas Tech linebacker Tyree Wilson made quite the statement in a two-piece black suit ... which features a ton of blue and pink flowers splattered all over it.

The 22-year-old also paid homage to his school with the TT logo stitched inside the jacket!!

Boston College receiver Zay Flowers also had a custom jacket for his big night ... and honored his fam with photos inside the jacket. USC wideout Jordan Addison is bracing for his impending NFL money ... 'cause he got pictures of $100 bills stitched in his blazer.

Bryce Young -- who's projected to be the no. 1 overall pick to Carolina -- arrived with his parents and had on an expensive Dior jacket that might look familiar if you watched Travis Kelce's Saturday Night Live gig.

"You wait for this moment for so long and it's finally here," the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner said. "As a little kid, you know, you always dream of moments like this."

Some soon-to-be NFL rookies kept it simple and sweet ... like Alabama's Brian Branch, who wore an all-white fit, and Texas Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson, who elected to go all black.

Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba and C.J. Stroud looked sharp as hell, too ... especially thanks to their massive diamond chains.

Lindsay Lohan is proud of her pregnancy ... showing off her baby bump for the first time.

The actress just posted a photo dump on her Instagram page, with several images of her growing belly.

Lindsay's surrounded by friends and family in most of the photos, and she says ... "So grateful for all of the wonderful people in my life!"

It appears the photos are from Lindsay's recent stop in New York ... as we first reported, LL and her husband reunited with her family in the Big Apple earlier this month before flying to Dubai, where she lives, to get situated for her imminent birth.

Lindsay's parents, Dina and Michael, are in the photos ... as well as her brothers, Cody and Michael Jr., and her sister, Aliana. It's the first time they've been together as one in at least 7 years ... and everyone looks happy.

Remember ... Lindsay and her hubby, Bader Shammas, revealed in March she was pregnant with her first child ... an announcement that was met with tons of support from her famous friends.

Bam Margera is no longer on the run in Pennsylvania, surrendering to face charges for allegedly assaulting his brother ... and speaking out with details of how he says it all went down.

Bam turned himself in Thursday, days after cops in PA put out a warrant for his arrest. It was Sunday when Bam allegedly got in an altercation with his brother, where cops say he threatened to put a bullet in his head.

The Pennsylvania State Police tells TMZ ... Bam appeared in court for his first appearance and his bail was set at $50,000. He's due back in court at the end of May.

According to court docs, the judge ordered Bam to complete a drug and alcohol assessment. He was also ordered to stay away from his brother and the other victims and his brother's house. The judge said Bam has to get permission from the Pretrial Services Department if he wants to leave the state of Pennsylvania.

Upon turning himself in, Bam shared a photo of himself in front of the courthouse on social media and captioned it, "I just got out of the courthouse with my lawyers. Everything went great and the false accusations of what my brother says are not true and he will be sued for defamation as well as being evicted from castle bam sooner than later. The reason I lost my cool is because I read his phone saying he wants me back in California and he wants to find a way to 302 me. F*** him"

Bam's attorney Michael van der Veen tells TMZ... “He was arraigned and entered his plea of not guilty. He was released on an unsecured bail. Mr. Margera enjoys all of his constitutional rights, including the presumption of innocence. The wild rumors regarding his behavior this week are absolutely false. He is in good health and in good spirits.”

TMZ broke the story ... cops were called to a home in Pocopson Township, PA Sunday where Bam's brother, Jess, claimed Bam attacked him, hitting him multiple times in the head. Jess said Bam was enraged, allegedly saying, "I'll kill you. I'll put a bullet in your head".

Jess said Bam fled into the woods after the alleged attack.

TMZ broke the story ... Bam allegedly made phone calls to his family while on the run, seemingly intoxicated, telling everyone how much he hated them for putting him in a treatment center last year and accusing them of stealing money from him.