Kids

Former Phoenix Suns general manager Lance Blanks died by suicide ... his daughter revealed.

In an emotional piece that Riley Blanks Reed penned for ESPN on Tuesday morning ... she announced Lance killed himself last Wednesday.

"People will want more information," Blanks Reed said of her father's death. "But the fact is we will never truly know why. And we don't need to. All we need to do is remember him, honor him, celebrate him, and pour our love into the family that made him happy."

Lance was 56 years old.

In her letter, Blanks Reed reminisced on all the good times she had with her father ... remembering him as "my person, my idol, my teacher, my best friend and my confidant."

"He encompassed everything to me," she said.

Lance starred at the Univ. of Texas from 1988 through 1989 -- and had such a great two seasons there, he was inducted into the school's Hall of Honor in 2007.

Following his Longhorns days, Lance went on to have careers as a player and an exec in the NBA -- ultimately working for the Suns as their GM from 2010 to 2013 -- before he signed on to be an analyst for the Longhorn Network.

Blanks Reed said while all of his career accomplishments were incredible ... she knew him best for being "a leader and a guardian angel."

"In the darkness of my worst nights," she wrote, "he always picked up the phone."

Blanks Reed added, "Daddy, Lance, LB, my forever hero, has left a void that cannot be filled. And yet, I find solace in the promise to honor him with everything he left us. In the loving embrace of my sister, Bryn, I will remember that we are both forever connected to the remarkable man who was our world."

The marriage of "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann may be over, but that doesn't mean they're ready to completely cut ties, not yet anyway ... we've learned they're still living under the same roof.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kim and Kroy both continue to live in their Georgia mansion with their 4 young kids. It's the same home that went into foreclosure back in February. There's typically a grace period for homeowners to pay up and save the home. It's unclear where they are in that process.

It's also unclear how long they'll live there together, especially if things get nasty. Given they have 4 kids, they may want to cushion the blow of the divorce by staying in the same home ... at least in the short term.

As for what led Kim to file for divorce, we're told that's a mystery to everyone around the estranged couple, who thought all was good between the 'RHOA' star and Kroy.

In the divorce docs, Zolciak said the marriage was, "Irretrievably broken with no hope of reconciliation" ... but she didn't get more detailed.

Of course, the couple's recent financial struggles have been well documented. TMZ broke the story -- Kim and Kroy owe the IRS $1.1M in taxes, interest and penalties from 2013, 2017 and 2018 ... and also owe the state of Georgia $150,000 in unpaid taxes from 2018.

Lil Durk is all set to drop his new album "Almost Healed" on Friday, a therapeutic journey he says that couldn't have happened without the love of his family.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Durk out in Beverly Hills and asked about the clinical connotation of the project's title.

The Chicago rap star has endured some heavy times ... his brother OTF DThang and artist King Von were both killed by gun violence in recent years.

However, Durk tells us that his kids and girlfriend India Royale — who he affectionately refers to as his "wife" — have been his rock throughout it all and got him to the brink of a full recovery.

Durk also publicly feuded with NBA YoungBoy's camp following King Von's death ... with Akademiks recently reporting a truce on that beef, claiming to have integral knowledge.

We asked Durk about squashing things with YoungBoy and it was like he got hit with a neuralyzer from 'MIB' ... he had no clue who we were talking about!!!

He did, however, make sure to shout out his "Broadway Girls" collaborator Morgan Wallen.

Before these two beastly brothers lifting weights were selling some of L.A.'s finest pads, they were just growing up together in Palo Alto, California and gearing up to get their law degrees at Berkeley and UCLA.

If you're ever in Los Angeles, you can stop by their popular office on Sunset Blvd. or you can just hit up Netflix and see all the selling drama! They're used to getting into 'it' with their agents, but they never shy away from putting them in their places.

When they're not in the office, you can find them hanging with good friends Mary Fitzgerald and Romain Bonnet.

Antonio Brown can't help but put that s*** on, even if he's up to his eyeballs in controversy ... 'cause the ex-NFL star hit up an Albany bar and performed his hit song for a bunch of college kids Thursday night -- and TMZ Sports has the video!!

Witnesses tell us AB arrived at Wolff's Biergarten unannounced shortly after midnight Friday ... and the whole crowd was shocked over the surprise appearance, but loved every bit of it.

Once AB was in the bar, we're told he walked right up to the DJ booth and told him to -- well, this is confusing to say -- put "Put That S*** On" on.

Our video shows the Super Bowl champ standing on a platform above the patrons ...  getting the students hyped before starting his viral song.

We're told AB stayed for close to an hour before dipping ... but he didn't leave folks empty-handed -- witnesses say he was passing out free Empire tickets to anyone in attendance.

After the bar, AB seemingly hit up a frat house ... where he crowd-surfed as more students freaked out over his presence.

AB's impromptu concert comes right on the heels of accusations he's an owner from hell for the National Arena League's Albany Empire ... with former coaches and players claiming they weren't paid and lost access to their team hotel rooms, among many other issues.

Brown denies the accusations.

On top of that, Brown has been sued by his jeweler for $1.1 million ... and a judge ordered cops to arrest him over unpaid child support payments, which he claims he made.

Ralph Yarl, the boy who was shot in the head after ringing the wrong doorbell, is still dealing with health complications ... so much so, we're told he still hasn't been able to rejoin his pals at school.

Lee Merritt, attorney for the Yarl family, tells TMZ ... Ralph met with his doctor Monday to see if he had the green light to return to classes, but it was determined he's still not well enough to go back.

Ralph's been dealing with a traumatic brain injury after being shot by Andrew Lester -- and the part of his brain that deals with emotion and stress was damaged, so his doc didn't find it fitting to put him back in an environment requiring social interactions.

We're told Ralph's continuing to get his school assignments brought to him at home for the time being.

He also had an invite from Ahmaud Arbery's mom, Wanda, to join her at a 5K race for Ahmaud this weekend, but the Yarls didn't think it was a good idea for him to go to that ... for the same reasons his doctor said no to school.

Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde are firing back at their former nanny -- the same woman who has allegedly been going after them for a while -- ripping her for airing dirty laundry in the media and seeking to have her lawsuit against them moved to a private arbitrator.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Jason and Olivia say Ericka Genaro's civil suit never should have been filed in a California court. If she wanted to sue them, they say she should have taken up her beef in a private arbitration in New York.

Jason and Olivia tell TMZ ... "It is unfortunate that this private matter continues to play out in the press. Our focus has been and will continue to be to steadfastly protect our family in the face of harassment of any kind. We are confident that the evidence brought forward will affirm our position to summarily dismiss this case and bring our family peace."

TMZ broke the story ... the nanny took the ex-couple to court back in February, claiming they drove her to her wit's end and then some.

Genaro says she worked for Jason and Olivia from 2018 to 2021, claiming she had a ton of extra duties dumped on her plate when Olivia started dating Harry Styles.

Jason and Olivia say the issues only started after Genaro wanted her salary doubled again and to be paid tax-free.

In her suit, the nanny also claimed Jason would vent to her about Olivia and Harry, adding to an already stressful job. Genaro says medical professionals told her to take a break from working because of stress and anxiety, and she claims when she told Jason she was going to step away, he fired her on the spot. She claims she was wrongfully terminated and says Jason and Olivia violated other California labor laws.

But, Jason and Olivia say not so fast.

In their filing, JS and OW claim Genaro was generously paid, even had her salary doubled at the end of 2020, was regularly given raises and was well taken care of by the family.

What's more, Jason and Olivia say Genaro broke her contract by blabbing to the media, claiming she threatened their family by saying she "can be ruthless" and advertising her willingness to "dish" about her time as their nanny.

Jason and Olivia say Genaro resigned and wasn't fired ... and they say they paid for her and her dog to stay for weeks at the Rosewood Hotel in London even after she resigned, footing the bill for over $22,000 worth of in-room food and alcohol charges.

They say she was also reimbursed for $17,000 worth of charges for travel arrangements from London to the U.S.

Cassidy is scoffing at people who are upset at R. Kelly for his sex crimes, but don't hold the same anger toward the average Joe who they observe doing the exact same thing.

The battle-tested Philly rapper spoke his mind on a recent episode of the Street Starz podcast and expressed his belief that people have a right to be upset over R. Kelly ... but should keep the same energy when it comes to seeing people in their neighborhood scoop up younger girls!

According to Cassidy's recollection, he observed plenty of middle and high-school-age girls dating older guys his entire life and feels all hoods have similar scenarios. He also didn't say anything about reporting anyone so he may be just as culpable if true 🤷🏽‍♂️.

Cassidy and Swizz Beatz scored a Top 5 Billboard Hot 100 hit back in 2003 with assistance from Robert Sylvester several years before the sexual abuse allegations poured in.

Incredible gesture from Luka Doncic ... the NBA superstar is paying for the funerals of the victims who were killed this week in a mass shooting at an elementary school in Serbia, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The tragic incident happened Wednesday morning ... when officials say a 13-year-old student opened fire inside Vladislav Ribnikar primary school, killing eight children and a security guard.

Six other children and one teacher were also injured. The alleged shooter was arrested.

Doncic -- whose father is from Serbia and still has family in the area -- was so moved by the tragedy, a rep for the basketball player told us on Thursday he's covering the funeral costs for the victims as well as providing grief counseling for classmates and school staffers.

"I am heartbroken by the tragic school shooting in Serbia and the loss of lives, including those of innocent school children," Doncic said in a statement. "My thoughts are with the families and the entire community affected by this tragedy."

Before this serious kiddo with wavy hair turned into a big-time Hollywood star, she was just an only child -- born in Jerusalem but growing up in Long Island, New York -- who started her acting career when she was just a young and mighty teen!

The cute kid posing in this black and white photo famously played a black and white swan next to Mila Kunis. Everyone at Coachella who sports space buns should step aside because no one does space buns like this beautiful queen!

Need one more clue? Her lightsaber is green!

Chanel Iman is gonna be a mom again ... 'cause the Victoria's Secret model just revealed she's having a child with her NFL player boyfriend, Davon Godchaux.

Iman -- who has two kids with estranged husband Sterling Shepard -- broke the news to her 3.4 million Instagram followers on Wednesday ... sharing pics from an intimate, all-white photo shoot with the Patriots defensive tackle.

"God is great!" Iman said in the caption. "It’s all been a blessing 🙏🏽."

"Our family is growing and we are so excited to meet our new little one 👼🏽."

This will be the couple's first child together -- Godchaux has a son from a previous relationship ... and Iman has two daughters, Cali and Cassie, with Shepard.

As we previously reported, Shepard filed for divorce after three years of marriage in June 2021.

Iman and Godchaux -- who signed a 2-year extension with the Patriots last July -- went IG official shortly after her separation from Shepard ... and the two have been inseparable since.

The couple is very public about their love for each other ... and have taken a bunch of family trips together.

The Royal Family is gearing up for King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla's coronation ... so, the next in line to the throne is front and center with his brood practicing their part in the ceremony.

Prince William and Kate Middleton were at Westminster Abbey Wednesday morning -- with Prince George, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte in tow for one of many run-throughs before Saturday's ceremony.

William and 9-year-old George have some big parts to play in this weekend's coronation ... with William pledging allegiance once Charles is crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and George taking on the role of one of the Kings' 4 Pages.

Can't have the kid messing up, so these rehearsals are crucial!

The man and woman of the hour, King Charles and his Queen, were also on hand Wednesday -- apart from them, Charles' sister Anne was in the building, too ... all a part of the not-so top-secret rehearsal.

As we reported, Prince Harry -- despite all the bad blood -- will be attending his father's big day. He was not at the family run-through, and it's unclear how involved he will be in the coronation itself.

Meghan Markle got an invite too, but won't be heading overseas with her hubby.

FYI -- a Buckingham Palace ballroom had reportedly been recently turned into a mock version of the Westminster Abbey location where people have been able to work through the layout and rehearse on a more private scale.

Stephen "tWitch" Boss' widow says some of her kids still don't understand their father is never coming home ... a question that gets asked a lot in the aftermath of death.

Allison Holker Boss sat down for a televised interview with "Today," in which Hoda Kotb got her to open up about how she and her family are coping with tWitch's passing ... which happened just before the holidays, when he took his own life.

As you can imagine, it's emotional ... but one of the more heartbreaking moments comes when Hoda asks her about the three children she shared with tWitch.

They had a 14-year-old, a 7-year-old and a 3-year-old ... Allison says at the younger ones, Maddox and Zaia, still can't comprehend their dad is gone forever -- asking their mom if he'll eventually come home.

Allison says the conversations she's had with them these past several months are something she doesn't wish on anybody.

She also talks about the stigma of mental health -- a hurdle tWitch was privately battling. She wishes he would've felt comfortable to share his struggles.

As we reported ... tWitch left a suicide note alluding to past challenges, but Allison now says there was no outward indication she saw to suggest he was struggling or considering suicide.

Child actor Brett Ambler, aka The Kazoo Kid, was only 5 years old when he starred in the kazoo sing-along/play-along video -- which featured a young boy (Brett) playing the kazoo to his audience, later giving him the confidence to play, sing and dance with the other kids -- back in 1989.

After being uploaded to YouTube in 2011 ... the classic video resurfaced and several techno remixes were shared to SoundCloud, increasing Brett's popularity. The sing-along also brought in a couple million views on Facebook, and The Kazoo Kid's meme went viral!

"And you too can kazoo!"

The man accused of shooting five of his neighbors "execution-style" in Texas has been apprehended after a nationwide manhunt.

Senior law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Francisco Oropeza was taken into custody Tuesday by law enforcement.

Remember ... Oropeza is accused of shooting his neighbors Friday night in Cleveland, Texas after they complained about him firing off rounds for target practice on his property.

Oropeza's alleged rampage killed 5 people in the home next to his ... including an 8-year-old child. Cops say he was intoxicated on alcohol and/or drugs and used an AR-15-style rifle in the slayings.

Police say Oropeza was shooting his rifle in his yard late Friday night when his neighbors walked up to the fence dividing their properties and asked him to stop shooting his gun because their baby was trying to sleep.

Cops say Oropez grew annoyed, telling his neighbors ... "I'll do what I want to in my front yard." Police say he then marched over to the neighbor's house, went inside and started shooting.

There were at least 10 people inside the home when Oropeza opened fire, police said, and most were killed at super close range and from the neck up.

Oropeza was reportedly caught on a Ring doorbell camera entering the home ... and 3 kids were discovered without physical injuries inside the house. They were found drenched in blood in what was sure to be a traumatic experience. The women who were killed were using their bodies to shield the kids.

A Texas judge issued an arrest warrant for Oropeza after the shootings, and he went on the run. Investigators thought he may have fled the country, and the FBI joined police in a manhunt.

The firearm Oropeza allegedly used in the deadly rampage has since been recovered ... along with some of his clothes and his cell phone.

Trans TikTok star Jesse Sullivan says KISS singer Paul Stanley's criticism of kids transitioning is misplaced ... Jesse says those who are transitioning aren't just doing it as a fad.

We got Jesse and Francesca Farago Monday at LAX and asked him about Paul's controversial comments, where the rocker claimed kids are being encouraged to transition at a young age.

Jesse says anyone who is considering transitioning is doing it because they know deep down who they truly are ... and he says the process is anything but fun. During his transition, Jesse says he lost family and he explains why the process is hard on the body and mind, not to mention the social changes.

Jesse acknowledges it's a hot-button issue right now ... but he thinks trans kids need real support because there's a lot for them to fear in this climate.

We also asked Jesse and Francesca about Dwyane Wade's decision to move his family out of Florida because of the state's LGBTQ policies ... and they tell us they actually skipped an event in Florida for the same reasons.