Kids

Barbara Evans is concerned for the well-being of her grandson -- who she had custody of for more than a decade -- and believes Jenelle Evans' decision to take him off ADHD meds might have led to his runaway incident.

Barbara tells TMZ 14-year-old Jace was put on the medication 7 years ago, and was regularly seeing a behavior specialist ... which had seemingly been working well for the teen.

However, Barbara says when Jenelle regained custody of Jace, back in March, Jenelle not only took him off the medication, but also ended his sessions with the behaviorist.

Jenelle denies part of Barbara's claim though, telling us, "Barbara has not been in contact with Jace since Monday. I have cut off contact with her as of 3 weeks ago. Barbara doesn't have any idea what is going on inside my home. Jace had a therapist appointment today on zoom at 10:30am … she hasn't even attempted to speak to Jace directly."

It's not clear if Jenelle booked the therapist appointment as a result of Jace's runaway, or if it was already planned.

TMZ broke the story, cops in North Carolina put out a runaway bulletin Tuesday for Jace after he took off from school. Luckily, he was found safe hours later, but the situation was scary for all involved.

Jenelle told us, "Jace, got in trouble at school, we decided to take his phone away and that's when he decided to run off, Jace is a good kid and we're not dealing with anything that most families don't deal with while raising children."

Barbara says Jenelle's not talking to her, so she doesn't have any more info about why her grandson ran off -- but she squarely blames his issues at school on the lack of medication and therapy.

Before this baby sitting at his high chair turned into an actor, he was just stickin' his tongue out at his two famous parents, stepping in as president for his school's movie club and growing up in Los Angeles, California.

Making his film debut in "The Hunger Games" back in 2012, he would reprise his role the following year alongside Jennifer Lawrence in "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire." And, he took the lead role as Hughie on the action series "The Boys." Lately, he's been quite active on Instagram sharing his support for the SAG-AFTRA strike.

August Keen, Jenelle’s manager tells us, "Jace has been found, and is safely at home with Jenelle and his family, thank you to the Brunswick Co. Sheriff's Department and to everyone else for their concerns.”

The Brunswick Co. Sheriff's Department says Jace has been located safe.

Jenelle Evans tells TMZ, "As a boy mom, kids can act up and rebel as I'm sure the majority of us all once did as kids too. Jace, got in trouble at school, we decided to take his phone away and that's when he decided to run off, Jace is a good kid and we're not dealing with anything that most families don't deal with while raising children, this has absolutely nothing to do with my situation with David, we do not argue in front of our children or fight in front of our kids. This is a teenage boy being a teenager mad that we decided to take his phone away."

A scary situation for "Teen Mom" star Jenelle Evans, as cops are currently looking for her 14-year-old son, Jace, who has been reported as a runaway ... TMZ has learned.

Deputies with the Brunswick Co. Sheriff's Department in North Carolina put out an alert for a runaway juvenile. Officers say Jace was last seen leaving school around 2:45 PM Tuesday, wearing a gray sweatshirt with the writing "Classical Charter Schools of America."

Cops say Jace could also be wearing a navy shirt if he's no longer wearing the sweatshirt. Anyone with information in the area is asked to call 911.

Unclear what happened to cause Jace to run away, but we spoke to Jenelle's mom, Barbara, who tells she had a conversation with him Monday night and he seemed totally fine.

Barbara says she also reached out to Jenelle earlier Tuesday to see how she was doing -- Jenelle's been publicly feuding with her husband, David Eason -- but Jenelle allegedly told Barbara she didn't want to talk and to leave her alone.

It was back in March when Jenelle got full custody of Jace from her mother, Barbara. Barbara got custody of Jace when he was much younger and Jenelle was unable to support him on her own -- with personal and legal issues.

Katharine McPhee and David Foster's son's nanny died after an elderly woman at a Toyota dealership ran her over with an SUV.

Our sources say the nanny, Yadira Calito, is the woman who died last week in an incident at a San Fernando Valley car dealership.

The fatal accident happened Wednesday morning at Hamer Toyota when an 84-year-old woman behind the wheel of a Toyota RAV4 crashed into the customer reception area.

Kat's nanny was pinned under the SUV and dragged for about 20 feet before eventually being freed from under the car. She was rushed to a hospital in critical condition, and later pronounced dead.

Police say the elderly driver was taking her car in for service when she hit the gas instead of the brakes ... sending her car from the service bay driveway into the customer reception area. The driver has not been arrested.

Two men working at the Toyota dealership were also injured in the crash ... but both are expected to make full recoveries.

The white apartment manager in North Carolina on video hitting a Black 11-year-old and pouring soda on him is being taken to court by the kid's parents.

Robert Eury and Joella Lee-Eury filed a federal lawsuit against Kimberly Jennings, claiming she got physical with their son and 8-year-old daughter because they were using the pool at the apartment complex she manages.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, the parents claim their kids were swimming in the pool at an apartment complex where their friends live when Jennings ordered them out of the water.

The parents say their kids were attempting to leave when Jennings approached their son and "poured soda over his head and struck him in the face multiple times all because him and his little sister was swimming in a pool at the property she manages."

In their suit, the parents claim Jennings also pulled their daughter's hair and hit her after ordering the kids out of the pool. The parents even claim Jennings told their son "he was acting like a real n*****."

Jennings was later arrested on an assault charge, but the parents say their kids are still reeling from the pool incident ... so now they're suing for discrimination, assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Bunk beds at the Little League World Series are out for good ... the tandem sleeping units will be permanently removed from the prestigious event going forward after a player was seriously injured in one of them last year.

Little League officials said in a statement to the Associated Press on Monday ... the decision was made after Easton Oliverson suffered a fractured skull and brain bleed while falling from a top bunk inside the LLWS' dormitory complex in Williamsport, Penn. in 2022.

"Out of an abundance of caution," the officials said, "we placed all beds individually on the floor during last year’s World Series, and in preparation for the 2023 Little League International Tournament, Little League decided to provide its participants with single, one-level beds for all of their player housing at each of its tournament locations, including those in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where the dormitories can accommodate all 14 single beds."

This year's version of the event is slated to begin later this week.

As we previously reported, Oliverson nearly died following a fall at last year's LLWS ... with his family saying the 12-year-old tumbled from a top bunk to the floor while he was asleep.

Oliverson was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery ... but, thankfully, he survived.

The player's family went on to sue Little League Baseball over the fall, alleging the beds were not safe. Little League officials never publicly commented on the allegations in the suit.

Before this kid in his red swim trunks was starring in Hollywood classics like "Dazed And Confused", he was just growing up in Uvalde, Texas with his two bros, enjoying a summer popsicle and working towards having a 1,600-acre ranch!

He may not know how to plan a wedding ... but as long as he's got Jennifer Lopez by his side ... he's set! And, there's no question this University of Texas alum remains a huge fan of the Longhorns as he's often seen on the sidelines to this day.

Need one more hint? Kate Hudson in the yellow dress!

Wander Franco will not play baseball for the Rays while MLB investigates a claim made on social media that he had an inappropriate relationship with a minor.

"The Tampa Bay Rays and Wander Franco have mutually agreed that he will go on the Restricted List and take leave from the Club for the duration of the current road trip," the team announced in a statement Monday morning.

A player on the Restricted List is still part of the team, but is not eligible to play.

Major League Baseball has launched an investigation into Rays star Wander Franco ... after social media posts emerged over the weekend that allegedly showed him in an inappropriate relationship with a minor.

Franco did not play during Tampa Bay's game on Sunday as the posts on X went viral. Fans at Tropicana Field 14 and younger had received Wander Franco Snapback Hats as part of the pregame promotion.

His coach, Kevin Cash, said the afternoon off was simply a routine rest day for the shortstop -- though the manager told reporters he "was aware of the speculation" surrounding the 22-year-old.

The Rays, meanwhile, said in a statement they're taking the allegations against Franco "seriously."

"During today’s game, we were made aware of the social media posts that are circulating regarding Wander Franco," the org. said. "We take the situation seriously and are in close contact with Major League Baseball as it conducts its due diligence."

Franco was in the team's dugout during its 9-2 loss to the Guardians ... though he left in the fifth inning. According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, he did not get on the team plane as the squad headed to San Francisco on Sunday evening for its upcoming series with the Giants. Passan added Franco could be placed on the restricted list as the probe continues.

Franco is considered one of baseball's brightest young players -- he signed an 11-year, $182 million deal with Tampa in 2021 ... and made his first-ever All-Star team this season.

Tiffany Gomas, the woman from the viral in-flight freak-out, is apologizing for her epic meltdown ... telling us she let her emotions get the best of her.

Addressing the viral video for the first time on camera, an emotional Tiffany tells TMZ ... there's no excuse for freaking out on a plane full of people and causing everyone to have to deplane and be delayed.

Tiffany also says her rant could have done without the excessive profanity -- she infamously screamed, "That motherf**** back there is not real" -- and she's especially sorry to all the parents onboard who were left to explain the situation to their kids.

While Tiffany says she's laughed at all the memes being spawned from her worst moment, she says it feels invasive to have her lapse in judgment captured on camera and broadcast for the entire world to see.

Before this ecstatic little girl holding her shoe turned into a singer and songwriter, she was growing up in London, England hittin' the stage at open mic nights (and her father's pub) and dropping song covers on YouTube.

Her YT videos caught the eyes of DJ Fresh who featured her on his song "Hot Right Now." And, it wasn't too long before she was opening for Drake's UK Club Paradise Tour ... She also played Mia Grey in the movie "Fifty Shades of Grey."

"Gonna love you, gonna love you like a black widow, baby!"

Before this child actor with her pink visor on backwards turned into the talented actress and singer she is today, she was just goofing around with her dad at his office and growing up in sunny Los Angeles, California.

Perhaps she's most known for her starring role on Nickelodeon's iCarly with other child stars like Nathan Kress and Jennette McCurdy, but she was also the little sister of "Drake and Josh" and loved nothing more than playing pranks on set.

Need one more clue? Her "iCarly" days were so iconic they were recently turned into a reboot!

"Barbie"s worldwide box office domination has expecting parents thinkin' plastic when it comes to baby names ... because folks are interested in naming their kids after the popular dolls.

BabyNames.com tells TMZ ... their site has seen a 300% uptick in searches for "Barbie" in the month of July. "Ken" has also blown up, with searches increasing by 200% in the same month.

Not as much as Barbie, but that holds up -- he's just Ken.

We're told a handful of users are also adding the titular names to their favorites list. According to the website, Barbie means "stranger," while Ken means "handsome." Barbie peaked in popularity in 1964, while Ken peaked in 1963.

As we reported, the Greta Gerwig flick has been crushing it in theaters -- it pulled over $162 mil in the U.S. alone in weekend one ... and it's already passed $1B worldwide.

The fan-favorite character, Allan -- played by Michael Cera -- has had a positive outcome on the Mattel reseller game ... because eBay listings for the rare doll have skyrocketed after the movie's release.

Sadly, we're told there's been no search increase for the name "Allan" when it comes to baby names. Sorry, dude.

Quavo recently pushed his "Rocket Power" album back a bit, but he's still busy hosting his 2nd "Ultimate Back 2 School Giveback" ... which benefitted 270+ Atlanta local families!!!

The event, held at The Gathering Spot in Atlanta, was bittersweet with the absence of his late nephew Takeoff ... but Quavo and the family honored the fallen Migos rapper with commemorative "94 Rocket Power" jerseys, referencing the year of Take's birth.

Fellow Atlanta-bred artist 6LACK also showed up to support the Quavo Cares and Tender Foundation collab. No child went home empty-handed ... backpacks, notebooks and pencils were all dished out and 2 kids even won iPad Minis!!!

Quavo's giveaway served grades pre-k all the way to high school and kept the youth busy with apparel giveaways, popsicles for the hot weather, a live DJ, a sensory station, and more games.

Ne-Yo is pulling back on his controversial comments about parents who allow their kids to be transgender ... claiming he's always been an advocate for inclusiveness.

The singer said Sunday night, "After much reflection, I’d like to express my deepest apologies to anyone that I may have hurt with my comments on parenting and gender identity."

He also said he's "always been an advocate for love and inclusivity in the LGBTQI+ community, so I understand how my comments could’ve been interpreted as insensitive and offensive."

As we reported, Ne-Yo had folks pretty ticked off by a Saturday interview with VladTV's Gloria Velez, in which he condemned parents who affirm their child's gender identity.

He said he grew up with only 2 genders, and has no problem with others identifying however they want -- but added, "It becomes my business when you try to make me play the game."

He told Gloria, "I feel like parents have almost forgotten what the role of a parent is. If your little boy comes to you and says, ‘Daddy, I want to be a girl.’ And you just let him rock with that? He’s 5. He can’t drive a car yet, but he can decide his sex?"

In his Sunday night mea culpa on X, Ne-Yo added ... gender identity is "nuanced," and he plans to "better educate myself on the topic, so I can approach future conversations with more empathy."

Originally Published 6:59 AM PT

Before this kid with blonde hair and blue eyes was singing and grooving on stage, he was just infatuated with outer space, growing up with his older sister in Mississippi and dreaming of being a performer one day...

His fans never get 'sick and tired of hearing all' the tunes he and his fellow boy banders sing. And outside of his acting and singing career, he's appeared on reality television ... most famously ordaining the marriage of Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright.

Need one more clue? When he's not on Daddy duty, he may be sippin' on some sangria with LVP!

Ne-Yo says parents shouldn't be letting their kids transition genders ... suggesting minors don't know any better, but that adults should.

The singer spoke his mind in a recent VladTV interview, where he was talking to Gloria Velez. They touched on a number of topics, but eventually ... landed on transgenderism, especially as it relates to children.

He says he feels like a lot of people have lost sense of the definition of parenting -- because, in his mind, it boils down to being wiser than your kid ... and knowing when to put your foot down and say no. In this case, he believes affirming a child's gender identity is wrong.

Ne-Yo's rationale comes down to this ... transitioning genders is a life-altering decision, and he argues children (especially young ones) truly don't know what the hell they want, or on this particular topic ... what they even mean when they say they want to be a boy or a girl.

He hit his point home by saying this ... "I just personally come from an era where a man was a man and a woman was a woman. And there was two genders and that's just how I rocked. You could identify as a goldfish if you feel like, that ain't my business, it becomes my business when you try to make me play the game. I'm not gonna call you a goldfish."

One last thing ... Ne-Yo references California legislation, which he (somewhat mistakenly) says will make it so parents lose their kids if they don't affirm their child's gender identity.

It's not quite what he's describing -- but there is, in fact, a bill working its way through the CA legislature right now (AB 957) that would require a judge in custody disputes to consider whether a parent is affirming their kid's identity in determining who they stay with.