Kids

The 4 kids who survived a fatal plane crash in Colombia and then somehow made it out alive after 40 terrifying days in the jungle are not out of danger ... because they are now prime targets for kidnapping.

TMZ has prepared a documentary on their incredible survival story that airs tonight on FOX at 8 PM ET, and the doc ends with the question -- Where do they go from here? Fact is, the kids -- ages 13, 9, 4 and 11 months at the time of the crash -- are now national celebrities.

People on the ground in Colombia who know the lay of the land tell us, ransom is currency in their country, and insurgents frequently target high-profile people for kidnapping.

As the kids recover physically and emotionally, government officials are trying to figure out who should care for them, and safety is a big factor.

You'd think their father would become the caregiver, but a bitter custody battle has exploded between the dad and the maternal grandparents. The grandparents claim the dad, Manuel Ranoque, was physically abusive toward the kids' mom, even striking her with a machete. The father tells TMZ he has never abused his late wife or the kids.

The four children who survived a plane crash in Colombia last month and then fended for themselves in the treacherous Amazon jungle for 40 days, actually hid from their rescuers ... TMZ has learned.

The kids -- ages 13, 9, 4, and 11 months -- were onboard a Cessna that crashed in a Colombian jungle nose first, killing their mom, the pilot, and another man. Their survival story is incredible, and the subject of a TMZ documentary -- "TMZ Investigates: The Miracle Children of the Amazon" -- which airs tonight on FOX at 8 PM ET.

TMZ has had boots on the ground in Colombia since June 9, when the kids were rescued. As we report in the doc, military GPS shows rescuers were in earshot of the kids days before they were rescued, but the children hid from them. We're told they feared the rescuers were actually insurgent forces that would kill them.

There are two survival stories here -- surviving in the jungle amid wild animals, snakes, poisonous bugs, and deadly fruit, and surviving the plane crash itself. As for how they survived the crash, three of them were in the back of the plane, which remained relatively intact. As for the infant, she was cradled by her mother, who cushioned the child during impact.

Before these two kids chilling in Wyckoff, New Jersey were front and center on the stage, they were just hanging around town with their other brothers, and from a young age ... they were hustling and jump-starting their careers in showbiz.

Yes, these guys have millions of fans who come and watch them perform on stage, but they never seem to get "jealous" of each other. And, even though their comical Disney days are no longer ... they still possess their goofy personalities on social media!

Need one more hint? "I'm A Sucker For You!"

TMZ has a new documentary probing the miracle in the Amazon that unfolded 2 weeks ago ... when 4 children survived a plane crash and fended for themselves for 40 terrifying days.

The special -- which airs Thursday on FOX at 8 PM -- "TMZ Investigates: The Miracle Children of the Amazon." We have boots on the ground in Colombia to not only chronicle the crash, the search and the rescue, but explore some very puzzling elements.

As you know ... four kids, ages 13, 9, 4 and 11 months, made it out alive after a fatal plane crash -- which killed 3 adults, including their mother -- and went on to fight for their lives for well over a month in the jungles of Colombia.

Some of the questions ... Why did the children hide from rescuers? Were they political pawns in a conflict between insurgent forces and the government of Colombia? Why did the President of Colombia announce the kids were found 2 weeks before the rescue, and then take it back? And why is there now a bitter custody war over the kids?

There's so much more here than meets the eye -- and TMZ has it all covered, with interviews with the father, grandparents, government officials and rescuers.

7:16 AM PT -- 6/20 -- KT Smith took to Instagram and shared that the dog, Legend, was dropped off to a new family that lives on a farm, where he will live out the rest of his life.

She wrote, "I couldn't have asked for a better family for him to be loved on by. and they're east Tennesseans so we can visit any time we need to. Thank you guys again, for helping but for also crying with me and lifting me up."

Morgan Wallen's son Indigo took a dog bite to the face ... and now the boy's mother is looking to rehome the pooch.

The country music star's baby mama, KT Smith, says her Great Pyrenees bit the two-year-old child she shares with Morgan, and the kid needed stitches.

Morgan's ex says the dog, Legend, is a rescue ... and she doesn't want to put the dog down, as some are suggesting.

KT, who lives in the Nashville area, says she is instead looking to rehome Legend with a family that has a lot of land and no small children.

The dog-biting incident happened Sunday and KT says her pup had never shown aggression before. Still, she says she just can't keep the dog in the house knowing her and Morgan's son may be traumatized.

As for Morgan's kid, Indigo's mom says he will be OK ... though he may come out of this with a scar.

"Imagine Dragons" frontman Dan Reynolds will do whatever it takes to show love to people who are battling cancer ... even if that means an impromptu performance of one of his band's biggest hits.

Dan was at a comedy show over the weekend in Hollywood with his girlfriend, Minka Kelly, when he serenaded 16-year-old cancer survivor Zoe Suder with a special tune ... and TMZ has it all on video.

Zoe's mom, Leslie, tells us her family was celebrating Zoe finishing 8 months of chemotherapy for stage 4 metastatic bone cancer -- they rented out a lounge area Friday night at the Bourbon Room on Hollywood Blvd.

During his set, comedian Anthony Jeselnik shouted out Zoe, and when Dan caught wind of their celebration ... he went over to her group and sang "Whatever It Takes."

As you can see, Dan shocked Zoe when he came over, said he was super proud of her ... and shared how he's lost friends and family to cancer.

Dan helped launch the Tyler Robinson Foundation after the Imagine Dragons super-fan passed away at 16 from a rare form of cancer. The foundation helps families who have children fighting cancer.

Zoe's got a pretty inspiring story ... she was diagnosed when she was 15, but she's beating the disease and fighting hard to get back to playing soccer, following her dream to one day play in college.

21 Savage spent his Father's Day being a wholesome father figure to dozens of kids at a youth basketball clinic hosted by his own org ... and with plenty of celeb assistance!!!

The "Her Loss" rapper recruited NBA ballers like Nassir Little of the Portland Trail Blazers, Jay Scrubb and Kevon Harris of the Orlando Magic, London Johnson from the NBA G League Team Ignite and NCAA champ Flau'jae Johnson.

They were all there to coach the kids on the basketball skills needed to get to the next level.

21's Leading By Example Foundation camp partnered with the nonprofit Freedom Is a Choice Inc to launch the camp, held in his hometown neighborhood of Dekalb County, GA.

The event was designed to help kids who grew up just like him -- the player's ages ranged between 10 to 13 years old ... and all have fathers who are currently incarerated.

21's got a lil' game himself ... he's been in the lab with Lethal Shooter perfecting his jumper.

Ronda Rousey was brought back to earth for an emotional moment during her time on "Mars" ... with the UFC legend breaking down in tears during a video conversation with her daughter.

Ronda and other big names were completely separated from the real world for weeks as they competed on the Fox show, "Stars on Mars" ... and in the latest episode of the series, all the remaining contestants appear to be struggling with their living conditions.

In an emotional clip, Ronda is shown FaceTiming with her 1-year-old, La'akea, and her husband, Travis Browne ... and she can't help but cry as she looks at her daughter's smiling face.

"Hi, my beautiful angel!!" Ronda said ... with Travis replying, "We love ya."

Ex-NFL star Richard Sherman also shared his issues with being away from his loved ones ... admitting he felt like he was experiencing "space madness."

Lance Armstrong said the competition is no joke ... adding, "The long game here is brutal. The mental side of this is torture."

Before this cutie pie firmly holding onto her Annie doll was starring on sitcoms like "The Big Bang Theory" and "Night Court", she was just hanging by the piano, staying warm in her turtleneck and growing up with her family of four in Marlboro Township, New Jersey.

Aside from her working at The Cheesecake Factory on "The Big Bang Theory", she's landed other notable roles on shows like "True Blood" with Anna Paquin, and shared a hospital room with Pam Beesly played by Jenna Fischer on "The Office."

Need one more clue? She hopes you have the best week ever!

Hollywood hearts mom -- but they also love their daddies ... and that couldn't have been more pronounced than on Father's Day -- when celebs showed love to their #1 men.

The stars were in a warm, fuzzy mood Sunday ... a day to celebrate Dad, and that's exactly what they did on their social media pages. As you can imagine, the tributes were pouring in from all over ... with A-listers either shouting out their old man, or shouting out their kids.

Just a handful of celebs who were highlighted this weekend -- Bruce Willis (who got doted by his ex-wife Demi Moore), David Beckham (via his wife, Victoria) and Kurt Russell (courtesy of Kate Hudson, who was raised by KR and her mom, Goldie Hawn).

Other notable salutes to Papa Bear ... Kaley Cuoco honoring Tom Pelphrey, Mindy Kaling giving it up for her father, Catherine Zeta Jones laying it down for Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow thanking Chris Martin ... and, of course, Kris Jenner praising all the dads in her extended family.

These are far from the only Father's Day tributes that got posted ... just about anyone who's anyone was pretty much giving thanks to their dads today. And for good reason, obviously.

Like we told you ... Tom Brady reflected on fatherhood as well, making it clear that he's loving the newfound quality time he's discovered after retiring from the NFL.

Just about everywhere you look ... somebody in Tinseltown was toasting their pops. Heck, even J Lo -- who doesn't have kids with the guy (yet) -- shouted out Ben Affleck in some steamy mirror picks.

They have a blended family -- as do several other stars in showbiz -- and she's clearly letting him know what she thinks of his papi skills.

Tom Brady left football, in part, so he could focus on being a more-present dad -- and on Father's Day ... that's exactly what he was reflecting on, in touching terms no less.

The now-retired QB great threw up a sweet tribute to both his own father as well as his kids on Instagram Sunday -- and it's all about what being a good Papa Bear means to him personally ... and how he was raised by an awesome one in his pops, Tom Brady Sr.

Here's what TB12 had to say about the special holiday ... "On this Father’s Day, all I can think of is how grateful I am to have been raised by the world’s best Dad, and to now have three beautiful angels of my own who I have the joy of watching grow up."

Tom adds, "Being a Dad is the best thing in my life. I have learned so much about what it takes from my Dad and to be able to pass that on to Jack, Benny and Vivi means the world to me. They have taught me how to be present (still working on this daily 🤣)and cherish every moment (mostly😂) that we have as a family, because that’s what matters most."

And finally, he finishes with this ... "Their love for others and constant selflessness makes me so proud to be their dad, and I know those traits come directly from everyone who is part of their life. Thank you Dad, for being you, and thank you to my three amazing kids, for giving me the pleasure of being your Dad." Super thoughtful ... and clearly from the heart.

It's pretty obvious that Tom's loving retirement at this point -- as we've seen up close, it has most definitely allowed him to spend quality time with his children ... which he's said had been somewhat lacking throughout his football career.

There's been speculation he might just un-retire (again) and get back on the gridiron ... but seeing how much he's enjoying his family, something tells us that probably ain't happening.

Lately, the dude's been sailing the high seas/living the yacht life -- with his kiddos coming along, of course. Of course, he's also proven that he could certainly hop back into the game if he really wanted to ... 'cause the dude can still toss the pigskin like nobody's business.

Dozens of statues Michael Jackson displayed at his Neverland Ranch are going back up for grabs ... but instead of a package deal this time, the art is up for sale individually.

Noble Art Lovers tells TMZ ... the private collector who owns 28 pieces from the singer's infamous California estate is still trying to sell the art, and is no longer seeking $2.5 million for the collection as a whole.

Instead, the entire collection is being sold separately, with most of the statues going for five figures ... shipping not included.

Michael's bronze statues include several images of children ... one such art piece is called "Kids and Tree Swing," and it's going for $150,000. Ditto for another one depicting kids, called "Follow the Leader."

TMZ broke the story ... Noble Art Lovers put the statues up for sale back in April 2021 as a package deal for $2.5 million ... and we're told some affluent potential buyers showed interest, but no one closed the deal.

Noble Art Lovers, based out of Dubai, hopes the separately priced statues will give more folks a chance to own a piece of Neverland.

Kodak Black was both star and sage to a group of South Florida children, whose spirits were clearly boosted at a pretty cool charity event.

TMZ Hip Hop got this footage of Kodak putting down his platinum raps at the Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Teen Leadership conference, where scores of young men and women were in attendance.

The event went down Wednesday night at the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood, FL, and was put together by the org's Greater Fort Lauderdale Chapter to honor its top recruits.

We're told Kodak didn't give the crowd a skimpy performance, either. He rapped about 10 songs and, at the end, he stuck around and answered questions posed by the teen leaders about alternative careers ... and his own inspirations.

Kodak's on a tear right now ... his latest album "Pistolz & Pearlz" made for a Top 20 release and he also celebrated his 26th birthday this week.

Born in London, England ... this brunette kiddo with big brown eyes was just getting cozy up in her PJs, cuddling with her black cat and growing up in San Diego, California ... all before she turned into a supermodel.

This gorgeous gal is also an actress ... she started her career when she was just a youngin' appearing in a couple of episodes of Nickelodeon's "iCarly," and in most recent years she acted alongside Ben Affleck in "Gone Girl" as well as in Amy Schumer's "I Feel Pretty."

Need one more clue? Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" music video!

The guy who accused Megan Fox of child abuse for letting her kids wear whatever they want is now getting an earful from the paparazzi agency that owns the pic he used to call the actress out ... and they're not happy.

Backgrid -- the agency that owns the rights to the photo in question, showing Megan with her three sons -- fired off a legal letter Tuesday to ex-GOP congressional candidate Robby Starbuck who used the pic this past weekend to claim MF was forcing girl clothes onto her boys.

The correspondence, obtained by TMZ, accuses Starbuck of infringing on their copyright to the picture -- which they say Starbuck did not purchase or license before he published it.

Backgrid shuts down any potential claim to "fair use" ... a legal doctrine that allows third parties to use copyrighted works without permission in certain limited circumstances.

They say Starbuck can't argue the pic was for political purposes, which was clearly his intent here, and does not meet the legal standard to qualify as fair use ... on multiple fronts, in fact. Bottom line -- they say his fair use claim ain't flying.

Backgrid is now demanding Robby comply with their demands -- saying the photo he posted has been viewed by millions of people, without them seeing a dime -- or else.

Before this sun-kissed kid floating through life turned into a notable comedian and a talk show host, he was just splashing away the summer break, riding bikes with his sis and growing up in Saugerties, New York.

If you didn't watch him on "Saturday Night Live," you may have seen him in films like "Taxi" with Queen Latifah or "Fever Pitch" with Drew Barrymore. He's also one of the most popular late-night talk show hosts out there!

Need one more hint? He filmed a cameo for the movie "Almost Famous" back in 2000.