Kids

David Eason doesn't just abuse and kill helpless animals -- he's also allegedly abused his baby mama and fell way behind on child support payments ... and if he hasn't paid by today he could end up in jail.

Eason is currently under criminal investigation for animal cruelty. As we reported, earlier this week he savagely beat and then shot his French Bulldog which barely nipped at his 2-year-old daughter's face. The nip was so minor it didn't draw blood or even puncture the skin. We're told David repeatedly slammed the dog on the back porch before taking it to the backyard and killing it with a shotgun.

But, his troubles don't end there. Eason briefly dated a woman named Olivia Leedham in 2013 and the two had a son together. Leedham went to court, claiming Eason shoved her when she was 8 months pregnant and left her in the middle of the road at night when she was 7 months pregnant.

The two have been in a nasty custody battle for years ... and we've learned he's fallen thousands of dollars behind in child support. His deadline for paying it is today, and if he hasn't anted up he could end up in jail.

Animal Control officers were unable to talk with Eason during their visit Thursday because the family's pit bull was on his front porch and "No Trespassing" signs were posted on the property. Animal Control officers didn't feel it was safe to enter so they asked the Sheriff's Department to figure out the next move.

Kodak Black's trying hard to get back in karma's good graces ... by doling out cash for kids in need.

We're told the rapper heard about a teen's quest to get a notebook in the hands of all 7,600 students in the Cleburne Independent School District in Texas. 14-year-old Paige Cook had a successful first campaign last year ... collecting 40k pencils.

Paige's mom, Angel, tells TMZ ... her daughter upped her game this year with the notebooks AND 60k pencils. But, with such an ambitious goal, it was clear she was gonna need some help. Enter, Kodak.

Bradford Cohen, Kodak's attorney, tells us the rapper picked up the tab -- a cool $12,500 -- for the notebooks. The items will benefit a school district where a majority of its students come from low-income communities.

Kodak's no stranger to taking on a good cause ... he's played Santa before and donated cash for early childhood education. At the time, he said he was focused on making a positive impact.

3:20 PM PT -- Jenelle spoke with US Weekly about the incident, saying, "He just took her and shot her in the woods, about two acres away from the house."

As we reported, local law enforcement said they won't act on the killing until Jenelle comes to them to report the crime ... one source we spoke to said media reports and social media postings aren't enough to trigger an investigation.

Jenelle also told US, "At this time, we are dealing with this rough situation. I want to focus on what's best for me and my kids."

9:45 AM PT -- Police went to Jenelle and David's house Tuesday night to perform a welfare check on Ensley. Officers found everyone, including Ensley, was okay.

As for the dog -- a law enforcement source tells TMZ ... David told cops Nugget was alive, although he would not let them see the dog. We're told cops have no evidence showing anything happened to the dog.

The Columbus County Sheriff's Dept. says it's contacted Animal Control, but as far as any further investigation from cops ... our source says Jenelle would need to make a report on her own. We're told officers won't act on "sensationalized media reports or social media posts." The source said it's irrelevant to cops what Jenelle says on IG.

Meanwhile, PETA says it hopes charges are filed against Eason if it's true he shot Nugget. They say, "People who abuse animals typically don't stop there."

"Teen Mom" star Jenelle Evans is heartbroken over the death of her dog, which was shot and killed by her husband ... who is defending his disturbing move in the name of protecting his family.

David Eason admits he killed the family's French bulldog, Nugget, because it bit the couple's 2-year-old daughter, Ensley. He shared a video that appears to show the dog snapping at Ensley as she's moving closer to its face for a kiss.

David explained his decision to put the dog down, saying ... "I dont give a damn what animal bites my baby on the face... whether it be your dog or mine, a dog is a dog and I dont put up with that s**t at all."

A photo of Ensley's face after the incident shows a red mark, but there's no apparent break in her skin.

Eason added ... "I'm all about protecting my family, it is my lifes mission. Some people are worth killing or dying for and my family means that much to me. You can hate me all you want but this isnt the first time the dog bit Ensley aggressively. The only person that can judge weather or not a animal is a danger to MY CHILD is ME."

Jenelle doesn't seem to be on the same page as her husband at all. She just shared a photo of Nugget sitting in the car with her, along with a message suggesting she believes they should have simply trained the dog to stop biting.

She wrote ... "Nugget... I'm crying everyday. I love you so much and I'm so sorry. I'm speechless," and added, "You still had a lot to learn and a lot to grow from your lessons."

Jenelle says she's heartbroken and distraught, and there are reports she fled their home after the incident.

Jim Belushi just pulled a 180 on his divorce case, filing for it to be dismissed in court ... TMZ has learned.

Jim filed legal docs requesting the case to be dismissed and the judge has signed off on it ... this according to court records. As we reported back in March 2018 ... Jim's wife, Jennifer Sloan, filed for divorce after almost 20 years of marriage.

She had previously cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for their separation. They had already had an existing custody arrangement in place for their 17-year-old son, Jared.

Ezekiel Elliott saw a kid get hit by a hockey puck at the Dallas Stars playoff game on Monday ... so he jumped into action and raced over to make sure the little boy was okay.

Don't worry, the kid appears to be fine -- and now he's got selfies with Zeke!

Unclear exactly when the kid was hit by the puck -- or how serious the impact was -- but Elliott (who's been a regular at the Stars games) made his way over to the boy in the 3rd period to check in on him.

The Dallas Cowboys superstar thought snappin' a pic with the youngster would help sooth the oncoming bruise ... and guess what?? IT DID!!

You can see in the video ... the boy cracks a smile as Zeke daps him up and busts out the phone for a few pics. His family seemed happy with the gesture too.

Elliott also made sure another fan who was hit by the puck ricochet got some love as well.

It's not like Zeke works for the Stars and was sent over by management to diffuse the situation -- just a famous guy who was trying to help out. Seems like it worked.

Rep. Tim Ryan is pushing a new approach to educating America's kids, and it's not just about making them smarter ... it's about avoiding deadly school shootings.

The Democratic candidate for President was on "TMZ Live" Monday, and told us he wants to become the education Prez -- and job 1, for him, would be teaching students socially AND emotionally.

Congressman Ryan calls the program SELF -- social and emotional learning for families -- and he explained the benefits go way beyond better grades. Ryan points out there's an all too familiar call for new gun control laws after school shootings -- but says not enough is being done to prevent students from ever wanting to open fire on classmates.

Take a couple minutes and watch what he's proposing. For Ryan -- who's serving his 8th term in Congress while running for Prez -- the key is removing the "fight or flight" instinct from kids ... at least while they're in school.

Kurt Russell is a huge fan of his latest film ... busting out a super cool piece of swag from the Quentin Tarantino flick he stars in, while hitting up a classic Hollywood haunt for celebs.

We got these pics of Kurt shopping at the Farmers Market at The Grove over the weekend with his grandkids ... no big shocker -- until we got the rear view. He was rocking a jacket with the "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" logo on the back!!

Kurt's one lucky dude ... costarring with Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie in Quentin's 9th film. As a Hollywood vet, he obviously knows the game -- it's NEVER too early to start promoting and pumping up that box office!

The movie -- about Hollywood in the days of Charles Manson murders -- lands on big screens in July, but it's mostly been shrouded in secrecy. Quentin won't even say who Kurt's playing.

It's kinda fitting ... Kurt stopped by Magee's House of Nuts while proudly displaying the jacket. The stand has been a staple at the Farmers Market for decades, and once upon a time, it was beloved by President Eisenhower and The Beatles.

More proof LeBron James is a lifetime member of the #GetBetterGang (shout-out Stephen Jackson) 'cause here's video of the King getting a little shooting practice in at his son's hoops game.

Bronny had a run this weekend at the Elite Youth Basketball League in Atlanta, and during a little down time in the action, his pops took the opportunity to get some shots up.

The L.A. Lakers star drained two shots (not exactly NBA range), all while the players were off the court. BTW, we also got video of LeBron rebounding while the kids shot around ... dude's a team player.

As for Bronny, a hoops superstar himself ... he had a very special guest in attendance to watch him hoop ... Duke's Mike Krzyzewski was in the building.

Yodel Kid's absence at Stagecoach this weekend was a huge bummer ... but he's got a fix to cure your blues ... 'cause TMZ's learned he's gearing up for a massive fall tour!!!

12-year-old Mason Ramsey -- the boy who became famous after yodeling at a Walmart in Illinois -- will announce next week a 30-date fall tour set to kick off October 3. We're told his yodeling will echo across all major markets ... including NYC, Nashville, Philly and L.A.

Mason's about to wrap up his 11-date How's Your Girl and How's Your Family tour, which he launched back in March. His final show went down Saturday in Milwaukee and he's been killing it everywhere. Check out the clip ... Mason surfed the crowd on an inflatable horse earlier last week in Ohio ... and the crowd ate it up.

Mason's enjoyed incredible success since video of him yodeling Hank Williams' "Lovesick Blues" in 2018 at a Harrisburg, IL Walmart blew up. It led to an appearance on 'Ellen' and gigs at Coachella and Stagecoach ... where he actually upstaged Florida Georgia Line. Mason's truly a global superstar ... his single, "Famous," has racked up nearly 40 MILLION streams on Spotify.

In short ... the kid's legit and clearly, he's in hot demand.

True Thompson is growing up right before our eyes ... because Khloe Kardashian's baby girl is taking her first steps, and it's all on video!!!

Khloe posted these super cute clips to her Instagram story on Sunday, cheering on True as she starts walking for the first time all on her own!

The family milestone went down in Khloe's house, with True booking it through the living room and the playroom. Guess it helps to have an NBA superstar for a father. Tristan Thompson's kid is already walking tall.

True is the youngest member of the Kardashian-Jenner family ... with Khloe and Tristan putting their recent relationship drama aside earlier this month to celebrate True's 1st birthday party.

It's a huge weekend for the Kardashian-Jenner klan ... also on Sunday, Kim threw a CBD-infused baby shower celebrating the arrival of her 4th child with Kanye West.

But, this moment is all about True and we can already feel our hearts melting!

Kids ... they grow up so fast.

Joseph Baena just graduated from college ... and his old man is beaming with pride.

Arnold Schwarzenegger shared the news Saturday along with a happy photo of the 2, saying ... "Congratulations Joseph! Four years of hard work studying business at Pepperdine and today is your big day!"

He added ... "You have earned all of the celebration and I’m so proud of you. I love you!"

Arnold and Joseph have been tight the past several years -- even working out together -- but as far we know, Arnold's kids with Maria Shriver -- Katherine, Christopher, Christina and Patrick -- have never had a relationship with him.

Doesn't look like any of them were at the graduation either ... but that's not going to spoil the moment for father and son.

Kylie Jenner's letting all of L.A. know her man's birthday's coming up ... and she and Stormi want him to have a happy one.

Travis Scott got a huge bday shoutout from Kylie Friday in the form of a billboard on the corner of one of the busiest intersections in West Hollywood -- Santa Monica and La Cienega.

The billboard features a huge headshot of their 1-year-old daughter along with another pic of her and Mom, with the message ... "Happy Birthday Daddy." It's signed, "Love, Mommy & Stormi XO."

As if this was not enough, Kylie also threw Travis an 'Avengers'-themed bash Thursday night, which included a private screening for 'Endgame.'

Scott's actual birthday isn't until Tuesday, April 30 ... but who is keeping track? He'll be 28.

BTW -- Travis' bday billboard is directly across the street from another one with a giant face on it ... Taylor Swift's. As we reported ... she's got something important she want's to advertise, as well.

Kelly Stafford is back home with her NFL husband and their kids after a complication from her recent brain surgery landed her back in the hospital ... and boy is she glad to be home!

Matt Stafford's wife returned to the hospital Wednesday due to severe pain following a 12-hour procedure to remove a tumor from her brain.

She had initially been released from the hospital before Easter Sunday -- but the pain became too much to handle and she was readmitted to the E.R.

But, good news on Friday ... docs allowed Kelly to return to her home where she immediately snuggled up with her fam.

She's not 100% -- far from it -- admitting the surgery has messed with her ability to balance and when she moves her head a certain way, she feels like a drunk person.

"I can’t turn my head right without feeling college drunk," Stafford said.

"I’m talking end of the night, cant put one foot in front of the other, knowing you’ll be sleeping on the bathroom floor, college drunk."

"I have to rework my brain to know that it can only rely on my left side, which will take time, a good amount of time."

Kelly says she's using their 3 children -- Sawyer, Chandler and Hunter -- as motivation during recovery ... so she can get back to spending more time with them.

"I miss them so much, but I’m so grateful I got that time today and now I have my inspiration to keep on pushing!"

John Singleton's stroke triggered what appears to be a family war over his condition and care, because one of John's daughters has just effectively called John's mother a liar.

Cleopatra Singleton claims in new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, that her dad is NOT in a coma and claims he's getting better everyday. This is in stark contrast to the legal docs filed just yesterday by John's mom, Shelia, who claimed he was in a coma and had suffered a "major stroke."

We broke the story, Shelia wanted to establish a conservatorship to handle John's business dealings while he lay incapacitated.

Cleopatra says Shelia is up to no good, claiming she's abused her position as John's personal and business manager, especially when it came to supporting his 7 children. Cleopatra, a college sophomore, says in the docs that Shelia has stated her intention to liquidate John's assets and leave his kids with nothing.

Cleopatra attacks Shelia, saying, "My father's allowed his mother to stay in that position out of fear and obligation to her as she's bullied and abandoned my father since he was a small child, leaving him emotionally defenseless."

John suffered a stroke last week as he was being treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. as a patient for a problem with his leg.

Cleopatra says her father is breathing on his own but is in a medically sedated state. She says he responds to stimuli and has even smiled on many occasions. She adds, doctors have told her John could be out of ICU in 5 days.

Britney Spears will have a big reunion today ... with her kids.

Britney and Kevin Federline have joint custody of 13-year-old Sean and 12-year-old Jayden. The arrangement has been that she gets them 3 days, he gets them 3 days, she gets them 3 days, he gets them 3 days, and so on.

Britney has had less than the agreed-upon 50/50 custody for several months leading up to her stay at the mental health facility. While she was doing poorly, the kids would visit, but Kevin had the kids most of the time.

So, Britney begins her 3 days with the kids today, but there's still significant concern about her mental state. Our sources say the 30-day stay at a mental health facility -- which ended Wednesday -- put her in a better place, but there are still issues with her judgment, and it goes beyond medication.

As we reported, doctors continue to struggle, trying to find the right combination of meds to stabilize Britney. The meds she had been taking lost their efficacy, and creating a new cocktail is fraught with problems. Britney had stopped taking the new meds earlier this year when they were doing more harm than good.

We're told progress is being made, but there's another big unresolved factor. The meds will stabilize her, but there are more fundamental mental health issues that go to judgment and perspective, and that requires intensive therapy ... something she has been and will continue to receive.

Short story ... she's doing better, but she's not right, at least not yet. It's something her dad, Jamie, has been dealing with for nearly a dozen years as her conservator, trying to give her the space she needs to live her life, and at the same time steer her away from disaster.

Elisa Johnson, Magic Johnson's daughter, says she suffered "intense scarring" on her stomach while escaping a terrifying home invasion back in December ... and now she's sharing the pics.

We broke the story ... Elisa was at a home in the San Fernando Valley on Dec. 2 when 2 armed men broke in and began terrorizing the 10 people inside.

We're told they held people at gunpoint and shoved people around while stealing cash, jewelry and electronics.

Elisa was able to escape through a sliding glass door at the back of the home and ran down the street.

TMZ obtained surveillance video from a neighbor's home which showed two men lurking on the block a few hours before the home invasion. We don't know if either of these guys are the suspect, but we know neighbors were suspicious

Now, the 24-year-old says she was injured at some point during the incident -- suffering damage to her abdomen.

"Months ago, I escaped from a home invasion and in the process I was left with intense scaring on my stomach," Elisa says.

"Until now I’ve been so afraid to show these scars, and incredibly insecure about the way I look. But I now realize these scars are a part of my journey, and tell the story of who I am."

Elisa says she loves her body and "I am proud to be in the place I am today. #selfhealing."