Family

The war between Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend's brother is far from over, because the Amazon chief has just sued Michael Sanchez for allegedly hiding money to avoid forking over some serious cash.

As we reported, Lauren Sanchez's brother had sued Bezos for defamation for allegedly smearing his name by accusing him of leaking intimate text messages to the media before his relationship with Lauren became public. A judge threw out the case and ordered Sanchez to pay the legal bills of Bezos and his P.I., Gavin de Becker. That bill came to $254,404.

Apparently, that bill has not been paid ... so Bezos is now suing Michael, claiming he's intentionally secreting assets to avoid forking over the loot.

Bezos claims after Michael lost the case, he transferred ownership of his $2.5 mil home in WeHo to a shell company ... allegedly to avoid having the proceeds seized by the Amazon honcho.

Michael's rep told the Seattle Times that Bezos’ suit is classic “bullying.” Sanchez's Attorney, Tom Warren, tells TMZ "The world has been accusing Mr. Bezos of not paying his fair share of taxes, exploiting Amazon employees, and spreading fake conspiracy theories about the future king of Saudi Arabia. You can now add bullying his future brother-in-law to the list."

He continues "As Mr. Bezos well knows, Mr. Sanchez’ attorneys are aggressively pursuing an appeal of the anti-SLAPP judgment. If successful, Mr. Sanchez will owe Mr. Bezos nothing. Nevertheless, earlier this week, Mr. Sanchez authorized his team to coordinate with Mr. Bezos’ counsel concerning payment of the judgment. Had Mr. Bezos’ attorneys bothered to reach out to Mr. Sanchez’ counsel before filing a lawsuit against him, they would have known that to be the case."

Britney Spears is opening up even more on the heels of her shocking testimony -- she's apologizing to fans for pretending her life was perfect when she was actually struggling, but she's gonna do one thing to make it better.

Brit says, "I believe as people we all want the fairy tale life and by the way I’ve posted … my life seems to look and be pretty amazing … I think that’s what we all strive for!!!!"

Her IG post continues, "I apologize for pretending like I’ve been ok the past two years … I did it because of my pride and I was embarrassed to share what happened to me … but honestly who doesn’t want to capture their Instagram in a fun light."

If you've followed Britney over the years, you know she posts videos of herself dancing, painting and even answering questions from fans -- but Wednesday in court she said that was all masking her real pain.

Britney says, "Believe it or not pretending that I’m ok has actually helped" ... and posted this Albert Einstein quote, "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales."

She finishes her post in saying, "Instagram has helped me have a cool outlet to share my presence … existence … and to simply feel like I matter despite what I was going through and hey it worked … so I’ve decided to start reading more fairy tales!!!"

Speaking of sharing her presence, Brit's boyfriend, Sam Asghari, posted some vids of the couple on a private jet -- presumably taking a trip somewhere -- something the singer says she's been mostly restricted from ... so it's gotta be a good sign for fans.

The social media post comes just one day after Britney delivered stunning testimony in court on Wednesday ... comparing her alleged forced labor to sex trafficking, demanding her conservatorship end and she be allowed to get married and have children.

This is one of the sweetest videos you'll see today.

Philadelphia Eagles rookie DeVonta Smith just thanked his mother, Christina, in a HUGE way this week -- by gifting her a new home!!

The 22-year-old Heisman winner posted footage of the big reveal to his Instagram on Thursday ... saying, "To the world you are a mother, but to me you are the absolute world."

The vid is priceless -- Christine walks into the front door of her new digs and immediately bursts into tears ... giving her son a big hug.

Smith -- the #10 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft -- is giving back to his loved ones fresh off inking his 4-year deal worth $20.1 million with a $12 million signing bonus.

But, don't worry ... Smith previously said he's not really intending to make any other big purchases with his big payday ... telling reporters he's mainly going to keep it in the bank.

Smith was an absolute baller for Alabama ... earning 24 TDs with more than 1,800 receiving yards during his senior season.

Britney Spears railed on her dad and her management team during Wednesday's explosive court hearing ... saying she wants the conservatorship to end now, and she's so angry she thinks her family has abused her so much that she'd like to sue them.

She also said she wants to get married and have another baby but she's being blocked by the conservatorship. She says she has an IUD but the conservator will not let her have it removed.

Britney said she's "not here to be anyone's slave" ... which apparently is how she feels.

Britney said she does not want further medical evaluation. She wants out now.

She said her family did nothing to protect her. She was sent to a small home in Beverly Hills for rehab once and it cost $60,000 -- she says they were trying to hurt her and her dad "loved it."

She said the people who did this to her should not be able to get away with it. She wishes she could sue her family.

Britney says she was "forced" to do her Vegas residency. She said when she was doing the Vegas show, she told her management she didn't want to do it because it was too much. She said she was forced to do the tour and the next thing she knew they changed her medication, putting her on Lithium, which had a terrible effect on her. She said she was scared and her whole family did nothing.

Britney said even her therapist was uncaring. She says after she wanted to put an end to Vegas, the therapist said she was being difficult and not taking her meds. That's when she was put on Lithium. She said her family -- and especially her dad -- didn't care.

She says she pled for a break from Vegas after 4 years but wasn't heard. She said she was told she was uncooperative, which was absolutely not true.

As for why she's now asking to end the conservatorship, she said she didn't know she could until now.

She said she has absolutely no privacy and when she was at home there were times she couldn't see her boyfriend or kids. The caretakers of the conservatorship would violate her privacy and watch her change while she was naked.

She said she doesn't want to work for the people she pays, saying even if she's sick she's required to go to at least 3 meetings a week. She wants that limited to 1 therapy session a week.

Britney said she should be able to sue a conservator who threatens that if she doesn't do what they say in terms of therapy they can withhold her money and deny her a vacation in Maui.

Britney claims, "The conservatorship from the beginning ... it makes no sense. I pay people money and they control me. I worked since I was 17 years old and this conservatorship is abusive. I don't feel I can live a full life. I don't even believe in therapy. I always thought I could take it to God."

She repeated she wants the conservatorship to end. She says she is being hounded by paparazzi and the conservatorship is not protecting her or giving her any privacy.

Britney said she wants to end the conservatorship and doesn't want to be evaluated as a pre-condition.

Britney said, "They make me feel like I'm living in a rehab program and not my home. I will do therapy once a week because I do need it."

She continued, "I want to get married and have a baby. I wanted to take the IUD out and have a baby but the conservator won't let me because they don't want me to have a baby."

Britney stressed that it took a year during COVID for her to get self-care methods.

She says she's scared of people and doesn't trust people. Britney made a point that she's stuck going to therapy in Westlake, which is very public. She said the paparazzi saw her crying as she left therapy Tuesday.

Britney doesn't understand why she can't do therapy sessions at home -- and is upset with Jodi Montgomery, her personal conservator, who she says has become heavy-handed.

The judge thanked Britney and said it took a lot of courage to speak out.

Britney's lawyer was asked if he wanted to file a petition to end the conservatorship, but the lawyer said there were confidentiality issues. He said if Britney wants to file a petition he would do that, but she hasn't asked as of yet.

Lynne Spears' lawyer said in 2019 when Britney was in court she didn't feel she was heard, and it's important today that she be heard. Today is the day the court put an action plan in place to provide the relief Britney is asking for -- to end the conservatorship.

The judge said she would entertain any request to end the conservatorship and start the process of holding hearings.

The singer appeared live, via Zoom, in the Downtown L.A. courtroom, to voice her issues with her father, Jamie Spears ... who we now definitely know she wants removed as one of her conservators.

Earlier Wednesday, Sam Asghari seemingly provided some evidence on his t-shirt Britney would ask to terminate the conservatorship. He's the only person with day-to-day contact with Brit, and the "Free Britney" message emblazoned on his shirt was one big clue.

Britney called for this hearing and, as you'd expect, she had throngs of supporters from the #FreeBritney movement gathered outside the courthouse to support her.

Jamie already stepped down as co-conservator of Britney's person back in 2019 -- Jodi Montgomery is now her permanent personal conservator -- but we've been told Brit wants him out as the co-conservator of her estate as well ... so he can no longer manage her business affairs.

In fact, Brit's stated she will not perform again as long as Jamie is part of the conservatorship -- something she seemed to reiterate when she recently told fans on IG she has "no idea" if she'll ever take the stage again. Today's hearing could impact her decision.

Of course, all of this is why Britney's fans couldn't wait for what she had to say in court.

As we reported, Britney asking the judge to end the conservatorship is only the beginning, because the issue is whether she's able to safely care for herself.

For answers, the judge will look to a throng of doctors, psychiatrists and others who have evaluated her over the years. Our sources say, in the past, the medical professionals determined her condition made the conservatorship necessary -- and they have weighed in over the last 13 years in court.

The judge will no doubt hear from the doctors, and they believe she's now able to safely care for herself, the judge would/should end the conservatorship. If not, it's unlikely she'd win the day, although the judge could still make changes to the conservatorship.

Britney Spears' boyfriend may have tipped his hand on what will go down in court today ... not by what he said, but by what he's wearing.

Britney's boyfriend of 5 years, Sam Asghari, just posted a photo of himself wearing a "Free Britney" t-shirt as he looks sternly into his camera. It doesn't mean Britney necessarily feels that way ... but it sure seems that would be the case.

What's so significant about this ... is that Sam is the only person who interacts with Britney on a day-to-day basis. Translation -- he has her ear and she has his.

As we've reported, Sam made it clear ... he has major beef with Britney's dad, Jamie. Sam made it clear last February, he has contempt for Jamie ... calling him a "total dick." We know Britney wants her dad removed as co-conservator of her estate and at the very least, she will ask the judge to do just that when she testifies later today.

The t-shirt Sam is wearing, however, seems to considerably up the ante. If this isn't a signal of Britney's sentiment about the entire conservatorship, we don't know what is.

The hearing is set for 1:30 PM PT today, and we will be chronicling what happens in real time. We will also have a livestream analysis immediately after the judge slams the gavel.

Britney Spears has made it clear ... she wants the judge to hear her out over her long-running conservatorship, but even if she wants out, it's virtually certain that will not happen without a sign off by a team of doctors.

As you know by now, Britney will address the judge Wednesday at 1:30 PM PT, and there are plenty of fans who are praying she's cut loose from her conservatorship that has been in place for 13 years.

Up to now, she has never asked the court to end the conservatorship ... not once. Multiple sources tell TMZ, Britney has been at loggerheads with her dad, Jamie, for years. Jamie was once both her personal conservator and conservator of her estate. He stepped down as her personal conservator, and is now co-conservator of her estate with a financial institution.

One thing she's made clear ... she will NOT perform until her dad is out completely. That said, our sources say she has not taken any steps to plan for a return to the stage or the studio in the event Jamie is gone.

So, the question ... will Britney ask to end the conservatorship entirely? That is truly a wild card. What's different now is that she's in what appears to be a stable, fairly long-term relationship with her boyfriend, Sam Asghari. They started dating in 2016. It's certainly possible Britney feels Sam can care for her -- thus no need for a conservatorship.

That said, if Britney asks to end the conservatorship, that's the beginning of the saga ... not the end. She was placed in the conservatorship for medical reasons. Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... a team of doctors say she has a condition that prevents her from safely caring for herself. We're told the doctors have been in place for the entire conservatorship and have not changed their opinion.

It's pretty obvious ... if Britney wants out, the judge will want to hear from the doctors ... something the current and previous judges have regularly reviewed over the last 13 years. That is the core issue in the conservatorship -- Can Britney safely care for herself and others for whom she's responsible? If the answer is yes, then the judge should end the conservatorship, but if the judge believes the answer is no -- based on the testimony of doctors -- then she would almost certainly lose any such bid to terminate the conservatorship.

TMZ will cover all angles of the hearing today, and afterward we will live stream the analysis.

Boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. wasn't amused watching his son LOSE to Anderson Silva this weekend ... and he's now calling for JCC Jr. to hang up his gloves for good.

35-year-old Julio Jr. -- who's 52-6-1 a pro boxer -- lost to the MMA star on Saturday by split decision, despite the fact 46-year-old Silva hasn't had a pro boxing match in more than 15 years.

Not only did Julio miss weight for the fight, but he looked completely outclassed and out skilled -- shocking considering Julio was the WBC middleweight champ back in 2011.

Julio even went the distance with Canelo Alvarez in 2017.

Speaking of Canelo, his younger brother, Ramon Alvarez, defeated Julio Jr.'s younger brother, Omar Chavez, on the same card on Saturday.

Now, Julio and Omar's legendary dad -- Julio Sr. -- is calling for both of his sons to retire.

"I prefer that they retire if they are not going to prepare correctly," Chavez Sr. said according to BoxingScene.com ... "They do not prepare in the best way possible to fight."

Britney Spears doesn't seem to be stressing over her highly anticipated court appearance this week ... she just keeps on dancing.

Just days after Brit told her fans she has "no idea" if she'll ever take the stage to perform again, she busted out some serious moves in a silver bodysuit ... grooving to Prince's "Sexy Motherf***er."

She posted that she was going on a boat for dinner Monday night and asked her followers if she should wear the bodysuit or go with a dress. Spears also revealed she just took a trip to Maui with her boyfriend, Sam Asghari, and didn't want to leave.

Britney had to leave though, because she's due in court Wednesday for her conservatorship case ... where she's planning to testify before the judge, instead of letting her lawyers do the talking.

As we've told you ... Britney's made it clear that she won't be on stage again until her father, Jamie, is no longer in control of the conservatorship, so it's interesting she's answering fan questions about it on IG.

She said, "Will I ever take the stage again? I have no idea. I'm having fun right now. I'm in a transition in my life, and I'm enjoying myself so, that's it."

It's unclear what she means by that, but our sources say as recently as a few weeks ago Britney was not making any moves to launch a tour or plan a show or anything.

VP Kamala Harris didn't rip Nina Simone's family from her estate, as the late singer's kin claim ... at least according to a business associate of Nina's, who claims Kamala was ensuring Nina's vision for her trust was realized.

Here's the deal ... Nina's daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly, and granddaughter, RéAnna Simone Kelly, are ripping Harris -- then-CA Attorney General -- for allegedly icing them out of Nina's estate, but legal docs seem to tell a different story.

According to Nina's will, obtained by TMZ, Nina put the bulk of her estate assets into a charitable trust to benefit the musical education of Black African children from Ghana, Liberia and South Africa.

The docs show Nina named South African singer Miriam Makeba as the trustee, and if Miriam was unable to act as trustee, MM could appoint a successor to continue to run the trust for the benefit of Black African children.

As you know ... Nina died in 2003, and Lisa was ultimately put in charge of her estate and trust. Later, in 2013, she was accused of misappropriating funds tied to the charitable trust.

That's when AG Harris and her office got involved. In the end, they reached a settlement where Lisa relinquished the rights to Nina's work and stepped away from the role.

While Nina's descendants are ticked off, the way the icon's business associate sees it ... Kamala played it by the letter of Simone's will, and carried out her very clear wishes.

Kendrick Lamar's humble home east of L.A. has hit the market, and unlike the properties of most celebs ... it can be yours for way less than a million bucks!!!

The rapper's owned the modest -- in hip-hop star terms -- 4-bed, 2.5-bath property in the Inland Empire city of Eastvale for several years ... as it's been a family home where his parents and siblings have resided.

As we told you, though -- Kendrick bought a $2.65 million crib in Calabasas a few years ago as an investment property, and his family got to move into that one ... leaving the Eastvale pad empty.

Though it's not as glamorous as might be expected, the home is a spacious 3,500-sq.-ft. that comes with a 3-car garage and a nice yard with a BBQ station.

It was built in 2006 so it's still very modern ... and it also boasts a swimming pool and spa.

Kendrick's listed the house at $800,000, so he's set to make a nice chunk of change when it sells because he paid $523,400 for the place in 2014.

Bobby Shmurda might not have any kids of his own -- but still wanted to make someone's dad feel special on Father's Day ... rolling out the proverbial red carpet for those in his own backyard who needed it most.

The NYC-based rapper -- who's fresh out of prison after a long six years -- gave back to the community Sunday ... namely, by helping out struggling dads from different men's shelters in his home borough of Brooklyn with free grub, haircuts by pro barbers (pro bono) and even toys for their own kiddos.

We're told Bobby made at least a couple stops on his Father's Day tour -- first hitting the Win Shelter ... and then moving on over to the CAMBA Men's Shelter after that, while serving up hot meals from a Caribbean-inspired brunch menu ... which had some sweet dishes to choose from.

Some of the food available included jerk salmon, curried chickpeas, stew chicken, mac and cheese, scrambled eggs, mixed veggies, fried chicken wings and even waffles. Good eatin', no doubt. BTW, Bobby's godchildren were on hand to assist with the hot food handouts.

Speaking of kids ... our sources say Bobby made sure to hook up the kids who were on-site as well, handing out gaming consoles, Hot Wheels sets, board games, action figures, footballs, jump ropes, princess-themed costumes ... and a whole Santa bag of other goodies.

Usain Bolt is not letting that surname of his go to waste -- especially as it pertains to his kids ... including the two latest additions to his family, who've got names that really lean in.

The Jamaican track star rolled out a bit of a Father's Day surprise Sunday, taking to IG to post a photo of his brood -- including his GF, Kasi Bennett, his daughter, Olympia Lightning ... and newborn twins, who go by Saint Leo Bolt and Thunder Bolt. One big Bolt-y family!

The two new kiddos kinda come as news to many -- as it doesn't appear a whole lot of people knew he and Kasi were expecting. All the same, friends and fans sent him well-wishes in his comments.

Kasi, meanwhile, paid tribute to Usain herself, throwing up another shot from the shoot and adding this caption ... "Happy Father’s Day to my forever love! @usainbolt You are the rock of this family and the greatest daddy to our little ones. We love you world without end!"

It's unclear when exactly Kasi gave birth to the babies -- but it appears to be somewhat recent. It also looks like the couple didn't waste much time getting busy for more children -- Olympia was born just last year ... so she's got her about 365 days on her siblings.

One last thing we should note ... it seems like UB is going to be able to enjoy fatherhood fully at the ripe age of 34. He isn't competing in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics ... as he retired from competing a few years back, this after an incredible run and many, many gold medals.

Chrissy Teigen just gave John Legend a shoutout for Father's Day -- but she also seemed to give some insight into her own state of mind ... and it sounds like she's drained, literally.

The embattled model and social media star -- who's been in a war of words lately due to her bullying scandal -- posted a sweet FD tribute to John, whom she snapped posing with both of their kids, Luna and Miles.

She captioned the pic, "There are no words. Only tears that I am fresh out of. To our everything, we love you forever." It's a nice sentiment, but also ... fairly revealing too.

As we're sure you're aware by now -- Chrissy's been fighting off accusation after accusation of bullying by folks like Courtney Stodden, Michael Costello and Farrah Abraham, just to name a few. Some came even after she issued her latest apology ... and it's gotten ugly.

Costello, specifically, alleged she bullied him to the point he entertained suicidal thoughts -- and he posted screenshots of DM's that he claimed showed Chrissy telling him to die. Chrissy, meanwhile, has accused him of doctoring those DMs ... calling them bogus.

DMX's fiancee posted a Father's Day message that is both incredibly sweet and heartbreaking.

Desiree Lindstrom shared a video of an incredibly touching moment between X and their son, Exodus, where dad was teaching the child his ABCs in song. The delight on Exodus' face is palpable.

Exodus was born in 2016 and captured the heart of his devoted dad.

Desiree also posted a message to her man ... "SCREAMING HAPPY FATHERS DAY ALL THE WAY TO THE HEAVENS ABOVE…! Earl you were such an amazing, protective, loving, inspiring, hands on, incredible father! I thank God that @exodus_simmons1 had a father like you! I appreciate every moment you had spent with Exodus… In my eyes you are the best father, a mother could of asked for when it comes to her child! Thanking God and you for all these memories of you being a wonderful father! I love and miss you so much… I know in my heart you are our guardian angel 👼 🙏! Please continue to watch over us!"

DMX, who is survived by his 15 children, died in April.

He was 50 years old.

Bindi Irwin is celebrating Father's Day and showing love for 3 men who are pillars in her life, but there's someone else who is causing her great pain ... her own grandfather.

Bindi posted a heartfelt tribute Sunday ... "Appreciation post for the three most incredible fathers in my life. My dad, my husband and my father-in-law. My dad taught me the importance of strength when standing up for what I believe in and to have empathy for all living beings. My husband amazes me every day with his kind and steadfast heart, his love for our daughter is infinite. My father-in-law works tirelessly for his family and is always there with a word of encouragement. These extraordinary men inspire me and I love them so very much."

She showed love and appreciation for her late father Steve, her husband, Chandler and father-in-law Chris -- but she opened up about what she calls her "abusive relationship" with her grandfather, Bob Irwin, saying he has shown "no interest" in her or her family.

Bindi got specific ...“He has returned gifts I’ve sent him after he opened them, he has ignored my correspondence and from the time I was a little girl he has ignored me, preferring to spend time doing anything else rather than being with me.”

And, it got even more heartbreaking ... “He has never said a single kind word to me personally," adding, “It breaks my heart but it is not healthy to engage in an abusive relationship.”

She says her mom, Terri, has persisted, trying to make their relationship with Bob work ... even sending him Xmas gifts, but they have been met with silence.

Bindi says the estrangement has taken its toll ... "I have struggled with this relationship my entire life and it brings me enormous pain."

The last time they were photographed together was in 2007, at a memorial for Steve.

VP Kamala Harris was once AG Kamala Harris -- and it was during that time that she ripped Nina Simone's family from her estate ... so claims the late singer's own flesh and blood.

The Veep is under fire by Nina's daughter and granddaughter -- Lisa Simone Kelly and RéAnna Simone Kelly, respectively -- for what they say was Kamala's role in deciding how Nina's estate is now managed, and more importantly ... who's managing it (or not, rather).

The Daily Beast outlined the drama quite well -- noting it all started with RéAnna praising Chloe Bailey's rendition of Nina's song "Feeling Good," which she put out to celebrate Juneteenth. However, it caught some flak ... supposedly for being over-sexualized.

RéAnna defended Chloe, though, by saying ... "Everyone’s coming at @ChloeBailey for her performance of my grandmother Nina Simone’s song “Feeling Good." She added, "But what y’all don’t understand is that grandma was a free spirited woman herself!! She would’ve loved that performance  as much as I do! Relax. Chloe killed it. #NinaSimone"

Chloe seemed to appreciate the shout-out. But, things took a hard left turn, as someone asked RéAnna in her comments why her family would create a Twitter account for her grandmother, who passed away in 2003. That set off a looong stream of bashing.

RéAnna wrote this in response ... "Nina’s granddaughter here. My family doesn’t run her estate anymore. It was taken away from us & given to white people. Our family name was DRAGGED in the media. We get NO royalties, nothing. Wanna hold someone accountable?Ask Kamala Harris why she came for my family #NinaSimone."

You can check out the rest of the thread yourself to get into the nitty-gritty -- but essentially, RéAnna blames Kamala for barring her fam from access to Nina's estate ... not to mention rights to her image/likeness, royalties, creative decisions with the IP and everything else.

RéAnna says Kamala and co. gave all those powers to "white people" ... and she feels like her heritage and ties to her grandmother have virtually disappeared, all because of what Kamala's office decided when they were overseeing this estate/charity case back in 2013.

A bit of backstory -- RéAnna's mother, Lisa, was made administrator of Nina's estate upon death ... but some time later, she was accused of misappropriating funds that were tied to both the estate and a charity set up in Nina's name. That's how Kamala's office got involved -- and in the end, they reached a settlement ... the terms of which RéAnna is shedding light on now ... not to mention Lisa herself, who praised her daughter for "speaking her truth."

As part of the settlement, Lisa was prohibited from associating herself with Nina in what seems to be any capacity -- be it familial or otherwise ... in addition to a de facto gag order forbidding her from talking about Nina. That's why RéAnna is speaking up on the issue.