Helicopter Crash

TMZ just turned 18, and yes -- we're ready to take you on an eventful stroll down memory lane that hits all the highlights, and the biggest stories we've broken over the years.

It's been quite the journey since we first launched in 2005, and we've changed a helluva lot too -- but the one thing that's remained the same throughout our nearly two decades is that we report big news about Hollywood ... and more often than not, we're first to do it.

Here's a recap of where we've been, the stories we've unearthed and where we go from here.

Mel Gibson's Antisemitic DUI Tirade (2006)

We'd covered some big stories before this, but breaking the Mel Gibson DUI story back in the summer of 2006 undoubtedly put TMZ on the map -- and for good reason ... what our reporting unveiled turned out to be absolutely nuts, not to mention very ugly.

TMZ got a hold of the original report taken by the arresting officer, and it detailed a wild scene when officers pulled Gibson over along the PCH near Malibu ... which erupted into a vulgar and antisemitic rant by the actor that targeted Jewish people over and over again.

Here's just a taste of what law enforcement heard that night ... "F*****g Jews ... The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world." He also asked of one officer, "Are you a Jew?"

The Sheriff's Dept. tried covering up the story, telling us there was no such rant. But then we obtained 4 pages of the arresting deputy's report, in which the rant was described in detail.

Michael Richards Uses the N-Word (2006)

Michael Richards' notorious stand-up set at the Laugh Factory in November 2006 will go down in history for all the wrong reasons ... 'cause he dropped the N-word repeatedly, and TMZ got the first video of this low moment.

The "Seinfeld" star absolutely lost it that evening while performing in front of a moderate-sized crowd -- this after he was heckled by some audience members, which triggered him to launch into a horrifically racist tirade ... screaming obscenities and racial slurs.

He apologized, but the damage was arguably done -- his career was never quite the same.

Britney Spears' Shaved-Head Umbrella Incident (2007)

Britney Spears started to unravel in late 2006, but all that came to a (shaved) head in early 2007 when she took clippers to her noggin and cut off her famous long locks ... going for a bald look. The manic move prompted a lot of concern about her state of mind and well-being.

Of course, everything hit the fan just a few days later when she attacked paparazzi who'd followed her to an L.A. gas station -- getting out of her vehicle and rushing them with an umbrella, all of which was captured on camera.

We were the first outlet to publish the chaotic scene .... and it marked the beginning of a downward spiral for Brit, which culminated with her being thrust into a court-ordered conservatorship about a year later. In 2021, she was finally released from the conservatorship -- cheered on and supported by hordes of her fans in the #FreeBritney movement.

Since then, her erratic behavior has worried people all over again -- but her problems are nowhere near what they were in the mid-2000s ... so for now, relatively speaking, she seems to be doing OK.

Kobe Bryant's long-awaited statue finally has a release date -- the Lakers legend's wife, Vanessa, just announced the five-time champion's tribute will be unveiled outside Crypto.com Arena on a special date -- 2/8/24.

"As you know, Kobe played his entire 20-year NBA career as a Los Angeles Laker," Vanessa said in a video from the team facility.

"Since arriving in the city and joining the Lakers organization, he felt at home here playing in the City of Angels."

"On behalf of the Lakers, my daughters and me, I am so honored that right in the center of Los Angeles, in front of the place known as 'The House That Kobe Built,' we are going to unveil a statue so that his legacy can be celebrated forever."

Feb. 2, 2024 is truly symbolic -- Kobe wore Nos. 8 and 24 during his Hall of Fame career ... and his daughter, Gigi, donned No. 2 throughout her time on the court.

There are rumblings Gigi may be honored in some capacity as well ... although renderings of the project have not been released.

Kobe will join fellow Lakers superstars like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal and more ... who have gotten their own statues outside the venue in years past.

Kobe and Gigi tragically died in a helicopter crash in Jan. 2020 ... and fans have been wanting a permanent tribute outside the arena for years.

The tributes are pouring in on what would have been Kobe Bryant's 45th birthday ... with the late Lakers legend's wife, Vanessa, sharing an emotional post.

"Happy birthday, baby. I love you always & forever. ❤️ #82378," Vanessa said on Instagram alongside several pics of the couple together.

Bryant's former teammates like Caron Butler and Carlos Boozer showed love in the comments ... as well as Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, who said, "A timeless and inspiring love story ❤️❤️❤️❤️."

Bryant has been the center of countless social media posts on Wednesday ... as many have been sharing their favorite memories.

Kobe and Vanessa first met on a music video set back in 1999 ... and were married 19 years before the five-time champion's death in 2020. They had four kids together -- Natalia, Gianna, Bianka and Capri.

Drake paid homage to LeBron James on Monday night, but on Tuesday, he tipped his cap to another Laker legend -- Kobe Bryant -- and the impromptu tribute to the Mamba was pretty cool.

Drizzy was performing yet another show at Crypto.com Arena as part of his "It's All A Blur" tour -- his sixth stop in the City of Angels this month -- and when someone threw a black, Bryant Lakers jersey on stage ... he paused his show to remember the Hall of Famer.

The 36-year-old rapper picked up the No. 24 uni and told the sold-out crowd at the venue where Bryant played almost all of his home games for his entire NBA career, "I'mma hold this up 'cause we got to show love to Kobe one time."

"Ya'll make some noise for Kobe at this time," he added.

The fans in attendance roared for several moments ... before Drake continued on with his performance.

It's the second time in as many days that Drake has urged his crowd to support the Lakers -- at Monday's show in Crypto, he featured James and the L.A. star's son, Bronny, a couple times during the concert.

Tuesday's tribute, though, was perhaps the most fitting ... considering this week is a special one for Bryant and his family.

Kobe Bryant will once again grace the cover of NBA 2K24, the video game maker announced ... the 4th time for the NBA legend!

2K -- first released in 1999 by Visual Concepts -- took to social media on Thursday, writing, "Sharing the Mamba Mentality with the next generation. Introducing our #NBA2K24 cover athlete, Kobe Bryant."

The game will come with two different covers ... a Kobe Bryant Edition and a Black Mamba Edition!

The KB version features a young Bryant, wearing number 8, flying through the air for a dunk. The BM edition features a veteran Kob, wearing his purple and gold away Lakers jersey.

"As we celebrate 25 years of NBA 2K with Kobe Bryant, we commemorate his legacy and the generational impact he has had on the game of basketball," the Prez of Visual Concepts said.

"While we mark the history of the franchise, NBA 2K24 also looks ahead to the future to bring an innovative leap in technology and the introduction of community-requested features like crossplay."

Kobe was last on the cover for the 2K21 edition ... following Bryant's tragic death in January 2020.

The NBA Hall of Famer was also featured on the special edition cover for NBA 2K17 ... and NBA 2K10.

Preorders for the game start Friday ... and the game drops at the beginning of September.

Vanessa Bryant was victorious in a lawsuit over one of the biggest investments Kobe Bryant ever made ... and in the process of winning, she exposed some pretty awful, racially-charged smack talk.

The background -- Kobe plunked down $6 million back in 2013 for a 10% interest in the sports drink company, BodyArmor. Several years later, the company sold to Coca-Cola for a whopping $5.6 BILLION. Kobe's investment reportedly netted him $400 million.

In 2019, six months before Kobe was killed in a tragic helicopter accident, the President of Kobe Inc., Molly Carter, claimed Kobe promised her 2% of his cut. Kobe called BS on her, saying he never made such a promise.

Molly sued, and Vanessa picked up the mantle and not only defended the case, she filed her own counterclaim, alleging Molly violated the duty of loyalty and the non-disparagement clause in her employment contract by trash-talking Kobe and his family.

As for the alleged trash-talking ... Vanessa claimed she referred to Kobe as an "asshole," a "douche nugget," and a "dick wad." She says Molly called her the "f***ing devil," "bitch" and PSYCHO," even mocking Vanessa's newborn as having "botox lips."

Vanessa says while Molly was working for the company, she was permitted to travel to an NBA All-Star game and on the jet she groused, there were "a lot of fancy-ass Black people" on the plane.

The case went to arbitration and Vanessa prevailed on both the lawsuit and her counterclaim and was awarded more than $1.5 mil in attorney's fees.

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.

Vanessa Bryant shared a touching tribute to her late husband, Kobe Bryant, on Tuesday ... posting a throwback picture together in honor of their 22nd wedding anniversary.

"Happy anniversary, baby. I love you @kobebryant ❤️ #22," Vanessa captioned the picture in Florence, Italy.

Of course, Bryant held Italy near and dear to his heart -- he spent his childhood there, spoke fluent Italian and would frequently visit with Vanessa.

Kobe and Vanessa got engaged when Vanessa turned 18 ... and the couple officially tied the knot on April 18, 2001.

Vanessa's close friends Ciara and Lala showed her and Kobe love by commenting on the post ... as well as New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu, who Kobe mentored.

Last summer, Vanessa penned a heartfelt birthday note on Kobe's 44th birthday, writing about how much she loves and misses him.

Kevin Garnett revealed he squashed his beef with former teammate Ray Allen because of Kobe Bryant ... saying the tragic and unexpected death of the NBA icon made him realize life's too short to be angry.

Quick refresher ... Allen, KG, and Paul Pierce were teammates with the Boston Celtics, where they won the NBA title together in 2008.

However, their Big 3 was split up when Ray left for the Miami Heat in 2012 ... a move that really pissed off KG, who felt some type of way when the 10-time All-Star chose their conference rival over him and Paul.

"What made the Ray situation so prolific with us is because the structure we built in Boston, the three of us built that," Garnett told Kevin Hart on his "Cold as Balls" show this week. "So if it was one team we had an issue with, it was Miami."

"I wasn't looking at it like, better business decision for Ray, [or] Ray has a chance to get another ring -- I ain't take on none of that! I was in my own feelings!"

But, when Kobe passed away on January 26, 2020, it changed Garnett's whole mindset ... culminating with the former friends turned enemies coexisting together, peacefully, at the NBA's 75th Anniversary event, as well as hugging it out at KG's jersey retirement ceremony in 2022.

“The passing of Kob and all of us getting older helped me understand that life is not given to none of us," the hooper said.

"It would have f***ed with me if something were to happen to Ray and I didn’t get a chance to amend this."

"I got off the bulls***."

Ex-NBA star Matt Barnes says LeBron James has done enough in a Laker uniform to be forever enshrined outside Crypto.com Arena ... but tells TMZ Sports they gotta focus on getting Kobe Bryant's statue up before they even think about it.

We spoke with Barnes weeks after James became the NBA's all-time scoring leader ... and we asked if the record, plus his one NBA title in L.A., is enough to get a monument at 1111 S. Figueroa Street.

The former Lakers forward says he's with it ... but not before Kobe, who has yet to get the treatment since his retirement in 2016.

"S***, they gotta worry about getting that Kobe statue up first," Barnes said at LAX on Wednesday.

The Lakers retired both Bryant's #8 and #24 in 2017 ... but as of right now, no details have been announced regarding his statue outside "The House That Kobe Built" -- aside from the fact it will happen eventually.

Of course, Bryant has been honored in many ways since his death in January 2020, including murals and themed basketball courts across the world. Sculptor Dan Medina, also placed a temporary statue of Kobe and his daughter, Gigi, at the crash site on the anniversary of their death.

The NBA also renamed their All-Star Game MVP trophy in his honor.

As for James, Barnes believes a King James statue in L.A. will still happen -- 'cause let's face it, he's "an all-time great."

"I'm sure they'll find a way to honor him with a statue," Barnes said.

If it happens, LeBron and Kobe will join fellow Lakers greats like Jerry West, Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and broadcaster Chick Hearn.

Vanessa Bryant just received a heck of a lot more money from L.A. County after her initial $15 million win last year ... another $13 mil or so, in fact, which now accounts for her kids.

Kobe Bryant's widow has settled with L.A. County, amounting to a total of $28.8 million -- this according to her lawyer, who says this resolves both Vanessa's original complaint and subsequent award ... as well as any potential future claims from her surviving daughters.

Unclear when, but it seems Vanessa amended her initial lawsuit to add 20-year-old Natalia, 6-year-old Bianka and 3-year-old Capri. The settlement resolves all claims.

Vanessa's lawyer, Luis Li, says, "Today marks the successful culmination of Mrs. Bryant’s courageous battle to hold accountable those who engaged in this grotesque conduct." He adds, "She fought for her husband, her daughter, and all those in the community whose deceased family were treated with similar disrespect. We hope her victory at trial and this settlement will put an end to this practice."

You'll recall ... Vanessa actually went to trial over this, taking the stand with emotional testimony about how the thought of those photos of Kobe and Gigi's remains possibly being leaked out publicly tortured her -- something a jury agreed with in the end.

They awarded her $16M ... but a mil got knocked down afterward due to a clerical error. Vanessa and her team had previously said she'd be donating the money from this to her Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation -- and in light of this, there's more to go around.

The National Guard Bureau confirmed to CBS News that the helicopter involved belonged to the Tennessee National Guard, and was on a routine training mission.

A horrifying accident just went down in northern Alabama -- with a combat helicopter falling out of the sky and landing near a freeway ... and the whole thing's on video.

The tragedy occurred Wednesday afternoon in Huntsville, where eyewitnesses say that the military-grade chopper started to descend toward the ground out of nowhere ... only to slam and burst into flames along the median of Highway 53.

Fortunately, it doesn't appear any civilians were harmed in the crash -- but the Madison County Sheriff's Office says sadly, everyone onboard perished ... it's unclear how many exactly. Here's another thing, officials are now confirming this was, in fact, a Black Hawk -- which are normally designated for war zones. Some reports suggest it was a UH-60 model.

The moment the helicopter started to descend was partially caught on a Nest home security camera -- which actually caught the moment it collided as well ... which you can hear in scary detail. This was filmed from quite a distance, but it's incredibly jarring to watch.

Aftermath footage taken from a closer POV is just as distressing ... massive plumes of black smoke erupted from the scene -- and first responders were rushing to attend to the fire.

So far, there's no explanation for why a Black Hawk was in the area or how/why it crashed. An investigation is underway, and cleanup efforts have blocked off all surrounding traffic.

Julius Erving loves Kobe Bryant and even played with the Mamba's father ... but he tells TMZ Sports the NBA shouldn't retire the Lakers legend's numbers league-wide like it did with Bill Russell earlier this summer.

Most believe that following Adam Silver's decision to honor Russell by permanently hanging up his #6 following the Celtics legend's death -- he should do the same for Kobe, who tragically passed away in 2020.

But, Dr. J -- who called Russell a good friend of his -- clearly feels differently.

"I don't think he should be compared with the Russell situation," Erving said of Kobe out at LAX. "We're fresh into that but let's see how that works out. Maybe at some point in time. Bill was 86 years old, so address it like that to an 86-year-old -- multiple champions, multiple coaching champions, multiple on-and-off the court champion, or whatever -- there's no comparison."

"I wouldn't even try to compare Kobe Bryant to Russell."

Instead, Erving said he believes the posthumous honors that Bryant receives should be left up to his former L.A. team.

"It's more of a franchise situation with the Lakers," Erving said. "If they wanted to do it, which I think they already have, that makes sense -- but for the whole league to do it, probably not."

The sculptor who made the iconic Kobe and Gigi Bryant statue that was placed at the crash site earlier this year has made several replicas of the tribute ... and he tells TMZ Sports he's giving them out to fans in honor of Mamba Day.

On the 2nd anniversary of Kobe and Gigi's death, Dan Medina made a 160-pound bronze statue of the NBA legend and his 13-year-old daughter ... and brought it to the Calabasas location on January 26.

That monument was only temporary (since the city of Calabasas told us a permanent one won't be installed anytime soon) ... but Medina created four miniature ones just like it for a special giveaway that started on 8/24 -- AKA Mamba Day.

"I will be giving away 4 Bronze sculptures in the near future," Medina tells us.

"The designs are 12 inches tall and are an exact replica of the larger design I displayed last January 26."

The replicas all sit on black granite and each one has a different finish -- bronze patina, polished gold, Black Mamba patina and stainless steel.

"I'm genuinely humbled by my opportunity in keeping their legacy alive," Medina says. "The world needs this."

To be eligible, Medina fans have to donate $24 or more to the Mamba and Mambacita Foundation starting on Mamba Day ... and after following instructions from his Instagram account, he will randomly pick 4 winners by January 2023 -- which marks the third anniversary of the tragedy.

"My plan is when anyone donates a specified dollar amount they will need to input an email that puts them in a pool, then I will randomly choose a winner," Medina said.

Vanessa Bryant is sinking the $16 million she won from L.A. County into the cause near and dear to her late husband Kobe Bryant -- she says it will all be donated to the Mamba & Mambacita Foundation.

Bryant and co-plaintiff Chris Chester won their lawsuit against L.A. County over the distribution of photos taken at the helicopter crash scene in Jan. 2020 ... with the jury awarding Vanessa the $16 mil, and $15 million to Chris.

Vanessa's attorney Luis Li tells TMZ, "From the beginning, Vanessa Bryant has sought only accountability, but our legal system does not permit her to force better policies, more training or officer discipline."

Li's statement, first posted by the L.A. Times, continues ... "Those measures are the responsibility of the sheriff’s and fire departments -- responsibilities that Mrs. Bryant’s efforts have exposed as woefully deficient, even giving amnesty to the wrongdoers. Mrs. Bryant was courageous and never faltered, even when the County attempted to force her to submit to an involuntary psychiatric examination. She is deeply grateful to Ralph Mendez and Luella Weireter, the good Samaritans who brought to light the decades old practice of taking and sharing photos of accident and crime victims for no legitimate purpose."

Li says Vanessa hopes this case will help to change the "callous behavior" of the sheriff and fire departments' first responders.

She also wants the $16 mil to "shine a light on Kobe and Gigi's legacy."

As we reported, during closing arguments in the trial Chester's attorney proposed the jury should award Chris $32.5 million, but Vanessa's team did not suggest a dollar amount during their closing.

Vanessa Bryant has won her lawsuit against Los Angeles County ... after a jury of ten decided she has suffered and will continue to suffer severe emotional distress as a result of the death scene photos captured on the cell phones of 8 L.A. County Sheriff's deputies -- photos she fears will someday surface publicly. That fear was the basis of her lawsuit.

The jury awarded Vanessa $16 million. Chris Chester -- who lost his daughter and wife in the helicopter crash -- was awarded $15 million.

Chester's attorney, Jerry Jackson, tells TMZ ... "Grateful to a jury and judge that gave us a fair trial."

Vanessa broke down sobbing when the verdict was read. The jury was polled and Vanessa looked at them one by one in approval.

The verdicts were against both the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. and the L.A. County Fire Dept.

The deputies not only took the photos but shared them with friends, family and even strangers at a bar. The photos were even shared at a party with fire officials.

Lawyers for the County had argued the photos have never surfaced and they have been deleted from the cell phones in question ... so there was no cause for alarm that they might leak.

During closing arguments, the lawyer for Chester asked for up to $32.5 million. Bryant's attorney did not ask for a specific amount ... rather asking the jury to award what's right.

The trial lasted two weeks and was at times so laden with graphic descriptions, Vanessa cried and periodically left the courtroom.

Kobe and Gigi Bryant, along with Sarah and Payton Chester, were killed along with 5 others in the January 26, 2020 crash.