Kids

Before this cool kid turned into an absolute star, was dropping #1 albums and was touring all across the world, he was just owning the hockey rink ... showing off his skating skills and teaching himself dance moves in Canada.

This guy definitely puts purpose behind every note he hits, and he definitely knows how to own the stage. When he's not in the recording studio, you can find him on his Instagram repping his clothing line ... always with a smiling face.

Need one more hint? He joined Ariana Grande on the Coachella stage back in 2019.

Roddy Ricch found the perfect way to fill his downtime ahead of his performance for Post Malone's Twelve Carat Tour stop at Madison Square Garden tonight ... bringing inspiration to kids through a surprise appearance at their school!!!

Roddy made a notable detour Wednesday to the Middle School of Marketing and Legal Studies, and got a very loud and warm welcome from the students.

We're told Roddy spoke to the kids about staying in school, and assured them no dream is too big to accomplish if they put in the work.

New York State Assemblywoman Monique Chandler-Waterman also presented Roddy with a citation for his work in the community -- creating more positive imagery to inspire the kids.

The superstar rapper also took photos, and signed plenty of autographs ... setting off plenty of fanfare, judging from the group of kids who began to rap his diamond-selling hit "The Box" on the spot!!!

Alex Jones has been NAILED for perpetuating a lie about the Sandy Hook massacre, and some of the families of the children who were murdered have just gotten word from the jury ... that Jones must ante up nearly $1 billion.

The Connecticut jury just hit Jones between the eyes ... finding the emotional distress and trauma he caused by his campaign was so enormous ... justice required an enormous damage award.

The total verdict -- divided among the 8 families and 1 first responder -- adds up to $965M.

The families' lawyer, Chris Mattei, told jurors in last week's closing arguments that Jones lies to generate revenue for his site, while the parents in mourning received death threats and harassment from his fans.

Jones was on the air on his radio show when the verdict was read ... telling his listeners, "This must be what hell is like -- they just read out the damages, even though you don't got the money." Jones also said the case was a joke and asked his listeners for donations.

The legal battle started way back in 2018, when the families went after Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems.

Japanese manga artist Kazuki Takahashi -- best known as the creator of "Yu-Gi-Oh!" -- died while trying to rescue people from drowning, witnesses claim.

A report from Stars and Stripes -- the military's newspaper -- revealed the tragic details of how Takahashi lost his life as three strangers were engulfed in a strong current.

According to people at the scene, Kazuki -- the eventual inspiration for the "Yu-Gi-Oh!" trading card game -- dove into a riptide in hopes of bringing a woman and her 11-year-old daughter back to shore on July 4.

Major Robert Bourgeau, a 49-year-old U.S. Army officer and scuba diving instructor, also took action ... and while he personally did not encounter Takahashi during the rescue mission, multiple people say they saw the artist attempting to assist.

Bourgeau managed to save the 11-year-old girl and the mother ... but when he went to help a 39-year-old U.S. soldier who was also struggling in the water, he feared he would lose his life if he went on any longer.

Thankfully, Bourgeau was able to help yell orders to help the soldier navigate out of the rough waters.

Kazuki's body was found about 1,000 feet offshore two days later.

Bourgeau called Takahashi a "hero" ... saying, "He died trying to save someone else."

50 Cent's rocky relationship with his son Marquise Jackson is getting a lot of attention -- especially Marquise's attempt to buy Dad's love -- but buzzing rapper Symba says money shouldn't be the focus in this situation.

We caught the red-hot rookie walking into DASH Radio in Hollywood, and he doesn't agree with the notion a father, like 50, should automatically have to write massive child support checks simply because he's filthy rich.

Remember, Marquise went viral for claiming the $6,700 Fiddy paid monthly wasn't enough when he was growing up -- but Symba's question is how much would be enough? He says parents should pay based on the child's needs, not based on the parent's bank account.

We also spoke to Symba about the growing trend of male rappers spilling their biz on wax -- something we've seen Quavo, DaBaby and Tory Lanez all do in lyrics lately. Symba, who's on tour right now with Joyner Lucas, says he doesn't plan on adopting that approach ... but he gets why some artists do.

He equates it to female rappers who've been spilling tea for years, and get this ... he says the ladies are currently out-rapping the fellas!

Former NBA star Ben Gordon allegedly punched his son in the face multiple times at an NYC airport after the 10-year-old boy dropped a book, a witness told police.

As we previously reported ... the 39-year-old former 3rd overall draft pick (2004) was taken into custody Monday night around 9 PM, and now we've learned more about the retired hoopers' alleged actions.

A witness -- an American Airlines employee -- told Port Authority PD they watched Gordon strike his minor son in the "face multiple times."

Police responded to the area ... and when they arrived, Gordon told them the boy was his son. The child was taken to a local hospital where he was examined. It's unclear if he sustained any injuries.

Cops say they attempted to put the 6'3" former professional athlete in handcuffs, but he refused, flailing his arms and twisting his body in an attempt to not be handcuffed. Gordon allegedly said, "I am not going with you guys."

In the struggle, two cops say they were hurt ... one sustained a knee injury, and the other an injury to their arm and wrist. Both officers were treated at the hospital.

To make matters worse for Gordon, he wasn't even supposed to be with his son in a different state ... 'cause there was a restraining order put in place by an Illinois judge in May 2018.

According to police, Ben was prohibited from "committing physical abuse" against his son, as well as from taking him out of the state.

The alleged incident happened in Queens, New York.

Gordon was hit with 9 charges.

- Assault in 2nd degree (2 counts)
- Criminal contempt
- Assault in 3rd degree
- Resisting Arrest
- Criminal Contempt in 2nd degree
- Endangering the welfare of a child
- Attempted assault in 3rd degree

It's not the first time the former NBA player, who also won an NCAA championship with Jim Calhoun at UCONN in 2004, has been in trouble with the law ... but Ben had seemingly kept his nose clean the last few years until the alleged airport incident with his son.

Gordon was arraigned Tuesday night in the Queens County Criminal Court ... he's due back in a New York City courtroom later this month.

Ex-NBA star Ben Gordon is in trouble with the law again -- the former Sixth Man of the Year was arrested at an airport on Monday after allegedly hitting his 10-year-old son.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... 39-year-old Gordon was placed in handcuffs around 9 PM while waiting for a flight from LaGuardia in New York to Chicago. Two officers were injured during the arrest, according to the New York Post, although further details surrounding the incident have not been released.

The 2004 third-overall pick in the NBA Draft was transported to the Port Authority police department for processing ... and an aunt took the son to a local hospital to get checked out.

Gordon won an NCAA Championship with Jim Calhoun at UCONN in 2004 ... and went on to average 15 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in his 11-year career.

He has had several legal issues off the court -- he was arrested in June 2017 for allegedly freaking out in an apartment building and pulling the fire alarms.

Five months later, he was arrested for allegedly roughing up a man in an apartment.

Gordon spoke out about his battles with depression in 2020 ... saying, "I was obsessed with killing myself," but sought help to better his mental health.

Before this flexible kiddo turned into the first female pro to grab the number one spot on 'DWTS' she was just a young ballerina practicing her dance moves and growing up in San Francisco, California.

This quick-stepper won her first Mirrorball trophy back in 2006 with her partner Drew Lachey and consecutively won with pro footballer Emmitt Smith in 2007. She also competed on the competition show "I Can Do That" alongside Joe Jonas and Nicole Scherzinger.

Need one more hint? She's currently partnered with weather anchor Sam Champion on this season's "Dancing With The Stars."

Fabolous wanted to wish his two-year-old daughter Journey a happy birthday ... but was quickly met with opposition from his estranged stepdaughter Taina Williams.

Fab posted a fairly cryptic message on Instagram Monday to celebrate the child's big day, speaking in codes about having faith while adding up her birthdates to establish symbolism for her life.

His original post got love from several of Fab's rap friends such as Busta Rhymes, Jadakiss, Ludacris and more ... but Taina would hear none of it and proceeded to scold him for allegedly being an absent daddy-o these last couple of years.

Fabolous and Emily B, Tania and Journey's mother, ended their longtime relationship earlier this year after nearly four years of marriage ...but according to Taina's tea, he's just gaslighting the situation and only keeps up his relationship with her brothers because the male-bonding is perfect for manipulation.

Fab and Emily infamously hit a rough patch in 2018 ... when Fab was accused of knocking out two of her teeth during a dispute that brought both sides of the family.

NeNe Leakes' 23-year-old son is lucky to be alive after a frightening medical emergency sent him to the hospital, and on a long road to recovery.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Brentt Leakes was in Atlanta earlier this month when he suffered both a heart attack and a stroke. Luckily, we're told Brentt was quickly transported to a local hospital for medical attention.

Our sources say while Brentt was hospitalized for several days, he's now out and rehabbing ... and everyone is hopeful he will make a full recovery.

It was last year when NeNe's husband, Gregg, who is also Brentt's father died after a long battle with cancer. Brentt was featured on 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' throughout NeNe's time on the show with his brother Bryson.

NeNe has not yet publicly commented on her son's situation.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have suspended Ian Cole ... after the defenseman was accused of grooming and sexually abusing a woman when she was a minor, the team announced Sunday.

"Our organization takes these allegations very seriously," Lightning officials said in a statement. "While we continue to gather more details, we have decided to suspend Ian Cole pending the results of an investigation."

"No members of the organization, including players, will comment further at this time."

On Friday, an anonymous Twitter user posted a lengthy statement alleging that Cole had emotionally and sexually abused her when she was in high school.

The accuser claimed Cole "was very well aware of my age and that I was a teen in high school," and said the hockey player had pressured her to have sex with him and to "do things without my consent, that I had made clear to him I was not ok with."

Cole -- who's played in the NHL for 15 seasons -- adamantly denied the allegations in a statement released Sunday night.

"I take the allegations made against me today in an anonymous tweet very seriously," he said.

"I completely deny these allegations and will fully cooperate with the NHL and the Tampa Bay Lightning, their offices, and legal departments in the forthcoming investigation."

According to ESPN, the suspension is considered paid leave.

A little boy who ran onto the field during an NFL game Sunday was grabbed by a security guard and slammed to the turf ... all while Tom Brady looked on from just feet away.

The incident happened early in the Buccaneers' game against the Falcons in Tampa Bay ... when a 10-year-old hopped the stadium railing and sprinted onto the playing surface.

The kid -- wearing a Brady shirt -- made it several yards down the sideline ... juking stadium workers who were trying to stop him.

Eventually, however, one staffer grabbed a hold of him and tackled him to the ground. Video shot by a fan in the stands shows the kid being taken down with force.

Authorities then slapped cuffs on the child, before hauling him into a holding area inside the stadium.

A spokesperson for the Tampa Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports the boy was issued a civil citation, given notice to appear in court ... and then released.

This is the second time in less than a week that a field invader has caused a scene at an NFL game ... last Monday, a smoke-bomb-toting protester was slammed by Rams star Bobby Wagner in the middle of "Monday Night Football" against the 49ers. He filed a police report over the incident. The case is ongoing.

Arnold Schwarzenegger may be the most expensive personal trainer in the land, because Sunday he worked out 2 crews that each plunked down $150,000 ... all for an incredible cause.

Arnold was at Gold's Gym in Venice, which he made world-famous, and made good on a charity auction at his home Saturday night.

Morris Flancbaum from Florida and his fam bid the $150k to get a good pump under Arnold's tutelage. Morris and his sons got pointers from The Terminator as a crowd formed to watch. Another $150k auction winner was there as well, getting fit with Arnold.

The charity -- After-School All-Stars -- is fantastic. Arnold created it 30 years ago to benefit school kids around the country. It provides after-school programs and exercise for 100,000 kids in 60 cities.

This time around folks donated $5.2 million, of which $1.75M came from the auction. In addition to a training session, Arnold auctioned off clothes, humidors, art and a ride in his tank!!!

Guests paid $50k a head to attend the event. Sylvester Stallone, Danny DeVito and Dolph Lundgren, along with the costars of Arnold's new Netflix show, "FUBAR," all showed.

And this part's amazing ... the charity just opened a school program in Uvalde, Texas, at the request of the City. It only took 45 days to get the program up and running.

Rep. Sean Casten is revealing how his daughter died unexpectedly earlier this summer -- saying her heart simply gave out ... without any explanation whatsoever.

The U.S. congressman from Illinois broke the sad news Friday -- elaborating on his earth-shattering post from June ... when he told the world his 17-year-old, Gwen, had passed away suddenly. At the time, he didn't share any details ... but now, he's shedding some light.

Casten says Gwen died of a cardiac arrhythmia -- adding, "[S]he was fine, and then her heart stopped. We don't know what caused the arrhythmia, and likely never will."

The Representative says his daughter was a healthy teen who got regular checkups, exercised, ate well, didn't suffer from any behavioral health issues and had strong relationships with her friends and family. He notes ... she was also fully vaccinated.

Casten says Gwen came home one night after a night out with friends, and didn't wake up the next morning -- something doctors haven't been able to make sense of ... and ditto for the family. He says they're completely heartbroken and devastated -- exacerbated by such a freak thing with no real rational reason behind it. This is rare, he says, but it happens.

He ends his thoughts with a poignant remark ... "None of us know when our last heartbeat will come. The best we can hope for is when our loved ones do pass, we will have no regrets about the time we were lucky enough to share."

Casten finishes with this -- "So hug the folks you love a little harder today. Be present in their lives. And spread your love a little farther. Because in the end, it's all that matters."

Master P is helping a child blinded by gun violence achieve a dream to become a published author ... with the announcement of his new line of books.

The No Limit Records colonel tells TMZ Hip Hop he was directly inspired by the perseverance of Malachi Roberts ... a Kentucky-born kid who tragically lost his sight at age 5. Malachi and his mother were innocent bystanders, shot in a December 2002 drive-by while they were in their own home.

Now, 7 years old ... the prodigy's launching his own series of children's books in collaboration with Master P and Snoop Dogg's developing Snoop Loopz cereal brand.

The pioneering rapper recently made the trek to Louisville for the grand announcement ... the first book, "Adventures with Malachi: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work" will feature characters from Snoop's cereal.

P says the goal of Snoop's Broadus Family Foods is to help all kids like Malachi be able to overcome adversity ... especially those rooted in issues impacting their neighborhoods.

He's confident that planting seeds of diversity in the children's minds -- and grocery stores -- will help them go on to become future leaders in society.

P says the books will be dropping in 2023 and, naturally, they will be available in braille.

Coolio will remain near and dear to his children's hearts -- and not just figuratively -- because they're designing jewelry to keep his ashes close.

According to the rapper's death certificate, obtained by TMZ, Coolio's body will be cremated ... and, we're told that's prompting his 7 kids to come up with the idea for some special bling.

Coolio's rep tells TMZ ... each of his children will get a pendant to hold the ashes, along with a necklace.

A few other close family members will get them as well.

We're told each of his sons and daughters will get to pick customized inscriptions for their jewelry.

The rest of Coolio's ashes will go into an urn once all the necklaces are distributed.

Coolio's always loved being a dad, according to Vanilla Ice -- who got pretty emotional when he told us how much Coolio always had family on his mind ... even in his final days.