Legal

Zachariah Branch has had a pretty interesting career in sports, as he's taken his talents all the way across the country to play college football.

The wide receiver started out playing for one of the nation's most notable football teams before he pulled a complete 180 and switched coasts to pursue his interests.

We're going to take a look into the background of the college athlete and see what led up to his switch from one school to another.

Taylor Swift is officially back in Cali to celebrate Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco's nuptials ... though fans hoping to catch a full glimpse of her at the airport are sure to be disappointed.

The singer-songwriter arrived at Santa Barbara airport Friday afternoon ... but, before she deplaned, a ton of dudes ran out in front of her to cover up the stairs with umbrellas -- almost completely blocking the pop star from view ... aside from her superstar elbow.

Check it out ... it's a pretty effective disguise -- and one Taylor's used before, pulling a similar trick before Super Bowl LVIII in 2024. You can see just a hint of her maroon dress and her arm as well.

Rolling Ray's memory will forever live on rent-free in Bobby Lytes' mind ... the two Zeus Network stars had their clashes, but Bobby tells TMZ Hip Hop he misses his friend dearly.

We linked up with Bobby this week at 1 Hotel in WeHo, as he was heading to the taping of the "Baddies Africa" reunion special and got him to say a few words about the quick-witted social media star, who passed away just two days shy of his 29th birthday on September 3.

Bobby certifies he deems Ray a legend in life and death, and he definitely received a monumental in the world he thrived in ... Cardi B, Joseline Hernandez, William The Baddest, and more all mourned him publicly.

Makena White, the girlfriend of pro golfer Jake Knapp has died, according to her Instagram page.

A post that was shared on her account on Friday, which was apparently written by one of her friends, stated she passed away earlier in the week. A cause of death was not revealed in the message.

Her fans were encouraged to make donations to either the Bruyère Brain Health & Memory Clinic or the Griffin Bell Endowment Fund in her honor.

A Costco membership checker faced down Bryan Kohberger and lived to tell the tale ... 'cause new video shows a woman booting the quadruple-murderer from the popular wholesale chain!

New video has surfaced from November 13, 2022 -- mere hours after Kohberger butchered Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin -- and it shows the confessed killer strolling inside a Clarkston, Washington Costco as if nothing happened.

Kohberger gives a little head nod to the greeter at the front of the store, but she stops him and apparently asks for proof of membership. The greeter then seemingly tells Kohberger he needs to leave if he doesn't have one.

A Southern California-based dentist is under fire for making comments about giving different treatment to left-wing patients ... as if a visit to the dentist's office wasn't tough enough already.

A resurfaced video showing Dr. Harleen Grewal -- who's branded herself as the "MAGA Dentist" -- making controversial remarks during her appearance at the Republican Liberty Gala in 2021 has gone viral on social media, the Los Angeles Times reports. Although the video was taken down, it's since been reposted and reshared dozens of times.

She joked about reducing the flow of laughing gas on patients who appeared to disapprove of her political beliefs, and cracked wise about certain patients' reactions when they saw photos of Republican figures, including of President Donald Trump, in her office.

The resurfacing of the video resulted in more than 100 one-star reviews on the Yelp page of Skyline Smiles in Santa Clarita, California ... and the Instagram accounts for both MAGA Dentist and Skyline Smiles have since been disabled.

Dr. Grewal appeared to address the negative reaction to her comments in an op-ed for the Santa Clarita Valley Signal, where she claimed she was just joking when she made her comments at the gala.

The dentist also alleged an investigator from the California Dental Board had been sent to her office after an apparently fake claim about her being willing to "torture" patients with differing political beliefs was shared with the Board.

Hot Boys rapper Turk was unceremoniously booted from the Cash Money Millionaires' 30th Anniversary Tour after clashing with his groupmate B.G. ... but Turk says the promoters still owe him more than $300K on his contract, and he's taking legal action to get it!!!

TMZ Hip Hop obtained legal docs on Friday filed in Broward County, Florida, showing Turk is suing Artists By Artists Agency LLC and Dope Shows Inc. for breach of contract, unauthorized use of his name and likeness, and more.

According to the suit, Turk was booted from the tour in July after he was faced with a pay cut and refused to budge, citing the contract he previously signed ... he says the contract was for $400K and he wasn't going to walk away from the hundreds of thousands still owed to him under it.

Charlie Kirk's accused murderer, Tyler Robinson, has been hit with serious charges for allegedly murdering the right-wing commentator ... and if he's found guilty, there's likely going to be harsh consequences involved.

Kirk made a name for himself for his political views over the course of his life, and his opinions on the death penalty have resurfaced in the weeks since his killing.

Kirk was recorded discussing capital punishment in a video shared on Turning Point USA's YouTube account earlier this year ... and he said he believed in the death penalty "under most" conditions for individuals convicted of violent crimes.

The right-wing media figure received a lot of attention for a 2024 episode of his "Thoughtcrime" discussion show, when he argued for executions to be televised publicly, according to Newsweek.

Kirk argued children should be allowed to watch executions, and described the potential experience of viewing one as an "initiation."

The conservative commentator added the events should be "taken in a holy way," though acknowledged watching an execution could be "heavy."

Celeste Rivas ran away from home multiple times in 2024 ... but, it seems she didn't always disappear without a trace ... because security camera footage captured one time she left.

TMZ has obtained video from a liquor store just down the street from Celeste's family home ... taken just after 7 AM on March 19, 2024 in Lake Elsinore, CA ... in which a person in a black hoodie and white pants -- identified by her family as Rivas -- is striding down the street.

Another angle shows Rivas jogging around a corner ... alternating between a walk and a run before disappearing from frame.

Elon Musk may have nearly gone to Epstein Island back in 2014 ... 'cause a line on the disgraced financier's personal schedule indicates they had a date picked out for a visit.

Democrats on the U.S. House Oversight Committee released new documents Friday ... including what appears to be a copy of Jeffrey Epstein’s itinerary from 2014 ... which says, "Reminder: Elon Musk to island Dec. 6 (is this still happening?)"

Musk has previously said he declined invites to the island over the years ... so, it's unclear whether they had any real plans to meet up ... or if Epstein thought a plan was in place that wasn't.

JaNa Craig is buzzing thanks to her appearance on "Love Island" and new collaboration with Truly Hard Seltzer, but we had to know what's up with her and Key Glock after she popped up in his music video!!!

Turns out, nothing but daps and hugs ... Jana told TMZ Hip Hop she and the Paper Route Empire rap star are just "homies" during the launch of her own Truly custom flavor at the meet and greet yesterday in L.A.

Fans of couples may be a bit dejected after we broke the story that they were spotted hanging out in NYC ahead of the release of Key's "She Ready" video ... but he's one of rap's most eligible bachelors, so we're sure his female fanbase is breathing a sigh of relief 😮‍💨

Ice Cube is sold on the upcoming "Anaconda" film starring Paul Rudd and Jack Black ... even if the studio royally failed to give the OG star a callback!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Don Mega at LAX on Thursday afternoon, signing merch and memorabilia -- his 12th album, "Man Up," has been resonating with his core fans, and that includes our cameraman, Jake!!!

Cube has 5 decades of making Hip Hop music under his belt and certifies the pioneers need to keep pushing no matter what.

The gunman who killed multiple people at the NFL's headquarters in New York earlier this summer has been diagnosed with CTE.

The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner said in a statement on Friday that after testing Shane Tamura's brain tissue, they discovered "unambiguous diagnostic evidence" of the disease.

Tamura, of course, believed he was suffering from the ailment prior to his July 28 rampage ... and mayor Eric Adams said he was actually targeting the NFL over it.

Tekashi 6ix9ine copped to violating the terms of his probation once again, this time for pleading guilty to assaulting a man in a mall who called him a "snitch" ... and now he's been placed on supervised release with an ankle monitor.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained legal docs handed down in federal court in NYC on Friday, ordering the rainbow-haired rapper to adhere to home confinement with an electronic monitor, barring the usual exceptions for getting out of the house ... like for religious services, medical and mental health treatment, and court-ordered appearances.

The altercation went down in August at the Palm Beach County Mall in Florida after 6ix9ine and another man were accused of knocking a third man down to the ground, then kicking and punching him until they realized he was armed, and fled the scene.

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Daymond John says Las Vegas has taken a big hit recently ... but, hotels and casinos in the area may just hit the jackpot with a new game plan and a fortuitous schedule next year.

We caught up with the "Shark Tank" star on "TMZ Live" Friday ... and, we talked about Sin City's well-documented downturn ... with many avoiding the city because of high prices.

John tells us the USA isn't as welcoming as it used to be ... which he thinks could be leading to a decline in international tourism to the area. Plus, the younger generation isn't drinking as much ... so, there's less incentive to go to a place like L.V.

Loyola University's got plenty of fans out there, and we're thinking Sister Jean's got to be one of the Ramblers' most loyal supporters.

The chaplain of the school's basketball team announced her retirement in September 2025 -- not long after she turned 106 years old.

We're going to take a look back at what the Sister Jean accomplished during her time with the Ramblers and see what led up to her eventual retirement from the school's official activities.