Michael Jordan Signed 'Player Sample' AJ1's Up For Auction

UPDATE

7:42 AM PT -- 6/18 -- A rep for the auction tells TMZ Sports the kicks did not reach the reserve price set by the cosigner ... so the Jordans were not sold.

A true one-of-a-kind pair of Michael Jordan's Air Jordan 1's just hit the market and they're literally from before the start of all J's -- 'cause it's his sample sneakers!

Yes, a sample sneaker ... meaning these red, black and white kicks were specifically made for His Airness to test out before releasing 'em.

And, these samples are verified .. with the code "850204-TYPS" on the tongue which means these 1's were made between February and April in 1985 -- and TYPS is "Tong Yang Player Sample".

Another dope authentication check is the mismatched sizes .. 13 for the left foot and 13 1/2 for the right  -- 'cause MJ always wore a bigger size on his right foot!

Even though MJ never wore 'em, they were autographed by the then-rookie and it comes with the original NIKE shoebox.

The owner of the kicks got 'em back in the '80s -- when he was a director of communication for a gas and electric company and during his business meeting with a sports agent, he was asked 'what sports figure I admired'.

Jordan was one of them .. and then a few weeks later, he received the shoes in the mail!

The rare sneakers hit the market -- with RR Auctions -- 2 weeks ago with a current bid of $95,420 ... but are expected to sell for $250,000!!!

The auction comes to a close on June 16 ... so you still got some time to put in your bid!

Originally published -- 12:40 AM PT

Priyanka Chopra & Megan Rapinoe Join Victoria's Secret's Roster But Hold the Lingerie!!!

UPDATE

9:03 AM PT -- Tyra Banks, who was groundbreaking in so many ways with the brand, just gave the announcement a massive thumbs-up, saying, "To the new collective of badass ROLE models, I may have cracked that door open, but y’all are charging through. Keep on keepin’ on until we all LOSE COUNT of how many are breaking through behind you."

UPDATE

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Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Megan Rapinoe are going to rep Victoria's Secret but instead of flaunting their bods they'll be sharing their minds. Yup, times are changing.

The lingerie giant announced it's brought the actress and U.S. women's soccer legend on board as its newest spokeswomen. The company's rebranding to be more inclusive and appeal to a wider audience -- and it's hired the duo to spearhead the new VS mission: inspiring change and positivity.

The new marketing strategy doesn't call for Megan or Priyanka to put on Angel wings or skimpy lingerie outfits -- instead the duo will appear on a podcast and in other marketing materials.

Some of their guests, as the NY Post first reported, will include South Sudanese-Australian model Adut Akech, freestyle skier Eileen Gu, Brazilian transgender model Valentina Sampaio, plus-size model Paloma Elsesser and journalist Amanda de Cadenet.

It's slated to be a 10-episode podcast.

The women form what Victoria's Secret is calling the VS Collective ... a platform attempting to build deeper relationships with women of all backgrounds.

Priyanka's no stranger to advocating for women's rights ... like speaking on behalf of UNICEF, an org she's worked with since 2006. She also has a namesake foundation that helps sick children around the globe.

Megan's championed women's rights since finding stardom on the pitch. She's advocated for equal pay and LGTBQ+ rights ever since she's had a platform. In fact, earlier this year she testified before Congress, pushing for equal pay.

VS's rebrand comes nearly 3 years after the company's chief marketing officer made a controversial comment to Vogue about transgender models. He's since left the company.

Originally published -- 4:57 PM PT

Kanye West FourFiveSeconds from Heat Stroke ... Covers Up in Heatwave, Irina Stays Cool

Kanye West is burying his head in the sand bag when it comes to dressing for L.A.'s scorching heatwave -- and could probably learn something from his new girl.

Ye was rocking full balaclava headgear while tooling -- and sweating, we imagine -- around town Tuesday while temperatures ranged from 90 to over 100 degrees. Looks like he's got a few of these, because this one was kinda camo-colored, and we saw him in a blue one last week.

We know he's a designer extraordinaire, but there's gotta be a cooler way to ride out the summer!!

For instance, Kanye's supermodel GF, Irina Shayk, seems to know exactly how to beat the heat and still look great.

Irina's in New York City, where it's about 10 degrees cooler than L.A. but still hot, and she dressed for the weather Wednesday wearing a corset and blue jeans. She's definitely not the bag-over-the-head type, so please don't give her any ideas, Kanye.

As we first told you ... Irina and Ye have been dating in the wake of his divorce from Kim Kardashian. They jetted off to France last week for his 44th birthday, and we're told they've been seeing each other since at least April.

At least Kanye's not wearing his new $200 YEEZY Gap Round jacket in this heat -- but maybe the blue long sleeve tee he was wearing might be the next Gap piece to drop.

Stay tuned ... and stay cool.

Travis Scott & Kylie Jenner Back on 'Wifey' Terms at NYC Gala!!! But Stormi Steals Show

Travis Scott is publicly confirming what we knew -- he and Kylie Jenner are back together, and they're so tight he's calling her "wifey," and turning date nights into family outings.

Kylie and their daughter Stormi flew to NYC Tuesday and got all cozy with Travis while he was being honored at the 72nd annual Parsons Benefit for his contributions to fashion, design, entrepreneurship, the arts and social justice.

Stormi damn near upstaged her parents, smiling for cameras as the whole fam -- dressed to the nines, mind you -- headed into the event.

During his acceptance speech ... the rapper reportedly gushed and said, "Stormi, I love you and wifey, I love you." They also walked the red carpet together as a family ... and Kylie later posted a pic on IG with Travis fully embracing her with his arms wrapped around her.

By all reports, Travis and Kylie were all over each other during the evening ... holding hands and acting all lovey-dovey.

As we reported ... they recently rekindled things and went from simply co-parenting to full-on dating, but not exclusively. However, Travis calling her "wifey" again feels like they might be taking things to the next level.

They'd broken up in late 2019 but lately, we've seen them enjoying family hangouts ... like taking Stormi to Disneyland. Prior to that, they had a triple date night with the Biebers and Kendall Jenner and Devin Booker -- and Kylie flew to Miami to celebrate Trav's bday with him.

'Project Runway' Star Wishes No Ill Will Toward Chrissy ... Responds to Claims He Humiliated Singer

UPDATE

1:39 PM PT -- British singer Leona Lewis has now accused Costello of humiliating her at a 2014 charity event ... claiming Costello refused to alter a dress to fit her for a fashion show.

UPDATE

Lewis claimed she was relegated to sit in the audience after Costello, whom she says was assigned as her designer, didn't show up to a fitting the night before the show and offered no explanation. The singer says she doesn't discount Costello's experience but is speaking up because "the pot calling the kettle black in this situation doesn't sit right with me."

UPDATE

Costello tells TMZ ... he's confused because he says he's a huge fan of hers and her team has continuously reached out for him to dress Lewis, even as recently as May 17, 2021.

UPDATE

Costello said if she felt this way he wished she had spoken to him in the handful of times their teams have talked. As for the charity event in question, Costello says he left options with the charity team for her.

UPDATE

He says he’s reached out to Lewis on IG following the claims ... but she hasn’t responded.

Michael Costello says he's not out for revenge after claiming Chrissy Teigen's trolling nearly drove him to suicide, but he does want her to contact him if she's genuinely interested in expressing remorse.

The "Project Runway" star tells TMZ ... he's still waiting for Chrissy -- and anyone else who bullied him -- to reach out to him. He says if she truly acknowledges her past actions were wrong, he'd welcome her with open arms for a real conversation.

He said, "I want to be clear -- I do not wish ill on anyone. We are all works in progress and we deserve the opportunity to prove that we can do better. But progress takes time. We must show through actions that we have changed. After all, action speaks much louder than a 10-minute apology written on a notepad."

As we reported ... Michael accused Chrissy of a yearslong campaign to get him blacklisted from the industry after she mistakenly thought he posted something racist back in 2014.

Michael says that post turned out to be doctored, and though he tried his damnedest to set the record straight with Chrissy -- he claims she instead used her power to get brands and companies to drop him.

Michael says he suffered so much from all of this, he thought about taking his own life. He adds, "Nothing takes away from the years of trauma being bullied and blacklisted in the industry has left me. I am not out for revenge. I only wish to only speak my truth because I have been silenced for so long."

Originally Published -- 12:40 PM PT

'Project Runway' Star Chrissy Teigen's Bullied Me So Much ... I Have Suicidal Thoughts

Michael Costello says he nearly took his own life because he could no longer deal with the trauma -- personally and professionally -- which he claims Chrissy Teigen brought down on him.

The "Project Runway" star's accusing Chrissy of a yearslong campaign to get him blacklisted from the industry, because he says she mistakenly thought he posted something racist all the way back in 2014.

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Costello claims no matter what he did to try to convince Chrissy the racism allegations were untrue -- he says Instagram proved it was a Photoshopped comment he didn't write -- she persisted, and told him his career was over.

He also posted screenshots of the alleged messages from Teigen, in which she says, "racist people like you deserve to suffer and die" ... and issues the veiled threat about his career.

Michael claims Chrissy, along with stylist Monica Rose, followed through with this by using their power to get brands and companies to not work with him.

The designer says he's suffered tremendously, and is opening up about it now in an attempt to set himself free from depression and suicidal thoughts.

Costello claims it's gotten so bad recently, he told loved ones he thought taking his own life was the best way out.

Of course, Michael's allegations coincide with Chrissy issuing a lengthy apology for her past behavior online ... which she called trolling, and attributed to her own insecurities and immaturity.

If true, it seems the Michael situation is a different beast with different context ... but it's certainly not any more tolerable.

We reached out to a rep for Chrissy ... so far, no word back.

Gunna Vows to Drop $500k for His Bday Soiree ... Fan Shoutout is Free, Tho!!!

6/14/21
BIRTHDAY FUN
TMZ.com

It's rare when a conversation about how to spend half a million bucks gets highjacked, but that's exactly what happened to Gunna when a hyped-up fan hilariously rolled by ... armed with compliments and a megaphone.

We got the "Dollaz On My Head" rapper leaving Dior in Bev Hills on Monday celebrating his 28th birthday. Dude did a ton of shopping ... as one might expect after Lil Baby gifted him a cool $100k.

Gunna was telling us how he was going to top Lil Baby's gift when it comes time to return the favor -- and just as Gunna was dishing deets on how much he was going to drop for his own bday weekend a car rolls up and steals the show.

Watch the clip ... the dude in the car paid Gunna tons of compliments. And, when our photog told the fan it was Gunna's bday -- well, ya gotta see how the fan leveled up.

FLASHY CASH

ICYMI ... Gunna said Lil Baby, who he refers to as his twin, gifted him $100k for his birthday.

Gunna says he hasn't spent all the dough ... at least not yet. No word if he's saving some of it for when he returns the favor. Lil Baby turns 27 in December.

Post Malone Drops $1.6 Mil on New Smile ... With Diamond Fangs!!!

Post Malone's got a million-dollar smile to show off ... and it's the envy of vampires everywhere.

The singer's teeth went through some serious reconstruction this past weekend, as he dropped $1.6 mil to upgrade to natural porcelain veneers framed with 2 diamond fangs.

When it was all said and done, we're told Posty's dental work included 28 units of ceramic restoration ... and the 2 diamonds amount to a total weight of 12 carats.

That's a lot of ice for one mouth. Just for comparison, the average engagement ring is a little over 1 carat. Then again, PM's no stranger to dropping a ton of cash on his drip ... among his other hobbies.

The "Circles" singer's smile was a collaborative effort by celeb dentist Thomas Connelly, cosmetic dentist Naoki Hayashi and Isaac Bokhoor and his team at Angel City Jewelers.

Stay tuned for the next blingy thing Post sinks his teeth into ...

Serena Williams' Daughter Rocks Mom's Iconic Fit To Tennis Practice ... My Mini-Me!!!

It looks like tennis genes weren’t the only things Serena Williams passed down to her daughter Alexis Olympia ... the mini-Serena also clearly got her mom’s sense of style too!!!

Olympia -- who was on the court Thursday for tennis practice -- rocked the kid’s version of the 1-legged pink, red and black catsuit Serena wore at February's Australian Open ... and it's freakin' adorable!!

Serena's hubby, Alexis Ohanian, posted the photos onto the tot’s social media account, and it got tons of love -- 'cause look how stinkin' cute it is!

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But, Serena wasn't exactly happy with it ... in fact, she seemed downright jealous -- explaining in the comment section that she wanted to be there in person to see the fit!

"Awwwww mannnnnn I asked you to save this post until I was next to her side by side in my same outfit," the 39-year-old tennis G.O.A.T. said to her husband.

"Oophhh I guess I’ll have to pull the plug from your phone tonight. And you wake up wondering why you have no battery. LOL."

While Olympia wore it as a tribute to her mother, Serena actually originally wore it as a tribute to another sports legend -- track star Florence Griffith Joyner.

Serena explained her choice to wear the outfit back in February in Australia, saying, "I was inspired by Flo-Jo, who was a wonderful track athlete, amazing athlete when I was growing up."

Florence, or Flo-Jo as she became famously known, was one of the greatest sprinters of all time ... winning 3 gold medals at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

We'd say "no pressure" on Olympia here ... but she's Serena's daughter -- of course she ain't feeling any of that!

Kanye West Traffic Crashes Gap Website ... $200 Blue Jacket With No Zipper!!!

UPDATE

6:01 PM PT -- The Kanye effect was in full effect on the Gap website ... so many folks were clamoring for the jacket, the webpage crashed.

UPDATE

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... there were over 50,000 users on the site within the first 30 minutes of launch, overwhelming the website.

UPDATE
UPDATE

We're told lots of folks tried, and failed, adding the jacket to their shopping carts ... with many users getting error messages.

UPDATE

Our sources say Gap didn't anticipate flood of website traffic ... and Yeezy helped bring in the most traffic in the site's history.

UPDATE

The immediate interest is pretty amazing, considering the release wasn't preceded by any official announcements ... the jacket went live online the same time QR codes were displayed in big cities like Chicago and Los Angeles.

The first offering Kanye West and Gap are putting out to the public is a jacket -- one you can't really bundle up in ... but it'll still cost you a couple Benjamins, plus tax.

The YEEZY Gap Round jacket has officially arrived ... the inaugural article of clothing from Ye's fashion company and the iconic American retailer that's now available for pre-order. Its debut comes on a notable date ... Mr. West's 44th birthday.

As for the structure of it, it's pretty simple. Like we said ... it's a coat -- a puffer with some billowy heft to it, made of recycled nylon material ... and, as you noticed, screams bright blue. Unclear if it'll come in any other colors, or if this is it.

The other feature folks are pointing out ... you can't zip or button the damn thing up, like at all. So, this thing's clearly just for fashion, and is clearly a shift for Gap. Oh, and it retails for $200.

Regardless of what you *thought* YEEZY/Gap gear would cost when they first announced this partnership ... here's an early indication of what may come, so ya better start saving up if you were expecting traditional Gap prices. YEEZY comes at a bit of a premium, folks.

BTW, Ye himself has been rocking this puppy lately ... he was seen wearing the puffy jacket earlier this week, no doubt teasing its forthcoming release. So we gotta ask ... you coppin'???

Originally Published -- 6:53 AM PT

LeBron James Reveals Space Jam-Inspired 'LeBron 19' ... They're Looney!!!

LeBron James will be rockin' some brand new kicks when the Tune Squad and Goon Squad face off in "Space Jam: A New Legacy" ... and he's finally revealing the special sneaks to the public!

King James and Nike shared the first images of the "LeBron 19" sneaker on Tuesday ... and the folks at the Swoosh say the design is inspired by the new flick starring the hooper and Bugs Bunny.

The shoes have an eye-popping colorway, which matches the orangish-yellow-blue scheme of the new Tune Squad jerseys ... with an Air Max heel and Zoom Air forefoot.

Designer Jason Petrie spoke about the look ... saying, "In designing the LeBron 19, we were definitely guided by what was happening in the film."

"We wanted to give LeBron a brand-new feeling that was synonymous with an otherworldly, space-age kind of look."

In addition to the sneaks, Nike is also releasing a bunch of merch, game jerseys and Looney Tune-inspired LeBron 18s ... with color schemes inspired by the classic cartoon showdowns between Bugs and Marvin the Martian, Tweety Bird and Sylvester and Road Runner and Wile. E. Coyote.

The shoes and other SJ items are set to drop next month -- right around the July 16 debut of the flick.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES
TMZSports.com

No word on how much the shoes will set you back -- but no doubt these things will fly off the shelves and hit the re-sale market QUICK.

Prince Harry OOPS!!! HRH Title Removed From Diana's Wedding Dress Exhibit

Prince Harry is feeling the effects of his break with the Royals, because his title was removed at the Princess Diana Wedding Dress Exhibition at Kensington Palace.

There's a panel under the wedding dress with the following engraving ... “Lent by HRH [his royal highness] the Duke of Cambridge and HRH the Duke of Sussex.”

The HRH title was quickly 86'd ... officials cited an "administrative error." Administrative ... really? Harry and Meghan were allowed to retain their HRH status, but they agreed not to use it. It makes the removal from the exhibition all the more revealing.

The exhibition -- Royal Style in the Making -- includes Diana's 1981 bridal gown. Hard to forget the 25-foot train which followed her as she entered St. Paul's Cathedral.

Diana's dresses are actually the property of Harry and William ... they loaned it out for the exhibition.

It's especially interesting that Harry is part owner and yet the HRH was quickly removed. It just underscores the divide between Harry and his family. As we reported, the Royals are reeling and angry over Harry and Meghan going public with life at the Palace, discussing what they view as racism and heartlessness in the family.

Vanessa Bryant Outraged Over Apparent Nike Shoe Leak 'Not Approved To Be Made'

Vanessa Bryant says Nike shoes she designed to honor Kobe and Gianna have been leaked ... and she's outraged over it, claiming they should have NEVER been made.

VB explained the situation early Thursday morning ... saying during recent talks with Nike, she helped create a version of the Kobe 6 Protro that was meant to honor her two loved ones who tragically died in a 2020 helicopter crash.

Vanessa says the shoes featured a black and white colorway, Gianna's #2, and other specific marks like a butterfly, wings and a halo.

The problem? Vanessa says after her split with Nike this spring, approval for the shoes to be made was NOT given -- but she claims they've somehow been leaked anyway and posted a photo of someone holding the shoe in their hand!

"Nike has NOT sent any of these pairs to me and my girls," Vanessa said in a statement.

"I do not know how someone else has their hands on shoes I designed in honor of my daughter, Gigi, and we don't. I hope these shoes did not get sold."

Vanessa added she wanted the shoes to be sold "to honor my daughter with ALL of the proceeds benefitting our @mambamambacitasports foundation."

Vanessa then asked her followers to track down the shoes ... writing on social media, "If someone can share how they have these shoes in their possession, that would be great because my daughters and I don’t have any of Gigi’s MAMBACITA shoes."

An Instagram user, brandon1an, who originally posted professional photos of the "Mambacita" shoes nearly 3 weeks ago, claims Nike is the one responsible for the shoe leak.

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"I just want to make it clear that I don't own a pair of those Mambacita Kobes," the IG user said in a statement Thursday morning.

"The pictures I posted are official product pictures from a Nike authorized retailer."

The user continued, "Unfortunately for [Vanessa Bryant], Nike clearly sent pairs to this retailer (as well as others) with the intent of selling pairs."

We've reached out to Nike to get an official comment on the situation, but so far, no word back yet.

YouTuber Austin McBroom I Shut Down Rodeo Drive!!! And I'm Gonna Bash Bryce Hall's Face In!!!

CREATING CHAOS
TMZ.com

YouTube star Austin McBroom staged a wild event in Bev Hills Saturday ... and he had a target in mind -- fellow TikToker Bryce Hall.

Austin told his fans on social he'd meet up with them on Rodeo Drive at around 4 PM. There was no question hundreds of fans would flock to the pricey stretch of road ... and that's exactly what they did.

The scene was crazy ... Austin displayed a piñata with Bryce Hall's face on it ... and there's a reason. Austin and Bryce are going to square off in a fight June 12 in Miami at Hard Rock Stadium, and it's clear they're both out for blood.

5/18/21
TIK TOK TUSSLE
TMZSports.com

You may have seen ... the 2 got into it in what turned into a massive brawl earlier this month at Fred Segal's in L.A.

As for Rodeo Drive ... they hoisted the pinata with a rope, but before they could go to town cops showed up ... because the crowd had essentially shut Rodeo Drive down. The crowd dispersed without incident.

Boxing has taken a hard left ... and gotta say, it's kinda interesting.

Kanye West Baggin' it in L.A.

Kanye West is very much a single man ... just check out his hands, sans a wedding ring.

Ye was spotted in L.A. -- or at least parts of him -- tooling around with a super snug, cloth bag around his head. A fashion statement? ... for sure.  Uncomfortable? ... undeniable.

Kanye hasn't been seen much since his estranged wife, Kim Kardashian, filed for divorce. Last we heard, they were hardly speaking, but we're told the divorce is still rolling along.

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Despite the divorce filing, many thought Kanye was wearing his wedding ring as recently as last month -- when DJ Khaled posted a pic of him rocking the band. Now, even though Khaled threw that up in April, we're told the photo was actually taken sometime in 2019, well before the filing.

With that said, it's unclear when exactly Kanye 86'd the ring. What we know for sure though is ... it ain't there now.

Although Kanye was in L.A., it's unclear if he'll bail on the city and make his Wyoming ranch home base. Complicating matters, of course, is the fact he has 4 kids who will be living in the City of Angels.

Jay Cutler, Kristin Cavallari Divorce Hold-Up ... I Want Half of Her Company!!!

Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler seemed to be moving along nicely with their divorce, but it's stalling ... and we're told it's because he wants a piece of her company.

Sources close to the ex-couple tell TMZ ... the reason it's taking a while to finalize their divorce is because Jay's seeking 50 percent ownership of Uncommon James, Kristin's chic jewelry and apparel line.

We're told Cutler's insisting he should get a stake in UJ because Kristin launched it while they were married ... and well before he filed for divorce in April, 2020.

Our sources say Kristin doesn't feel she owes him anything from Uncommon James, however, because she says Jay didn't put any of his own money into the company. She claims she funded it ... and is pushing back hard.

Whether or not that's true, we do know Cutler was at the opening of Cavallari's Chicago location for support ... because it was featured on her reality show.

As we've reported ... after the divorce filing last year, things got contentious between Kristin and Jay for a while, but they seemingly worked it all out, agreeing to 50/50 custody of their 3 kids. They even hinted they were getting close again in January.

Sure seems like some of that contentiousness is back on. We reached out to Kristin and Jay's reps for comment ... so far, no word back.

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