Money

Bethenny Frankel's divorce has dragged on so freakin' long that now she has to fork over $100k just to cover her soon-to-be-ex husband's legal fees -- even though they've yet to agree on terms for a divorce settlement.

According to court docs ... Frankel has to immediately hand over what amounts to an advance payment to Jason Hoppy's attorney. The docs stipulate the $100,000 will be subtracted from whatever financial settlement Jason ends up getting from Bethenny ... presuming they ever hammer out a deal.

Frankel filed divorce docs in Jan. 2013 ... and they've been battling over money and custody issues ever since.

Frankel sold the Skinnygirl brand for about $100 mil, so technically 100K is a drop in the bucket -- but since it's going to her ex's lawyer ... we doubt there's a smiley face on the check.

Master P's estranged wife wants a $67 million parting gift from her marriage -- claiming she deserves a HUGE chunk of the rapper's empire ... which includes a small city worth of properties, a fleet of expensive cars, and more.

Sonya Miller just filed legal docs in the couple's bitter divorce, estimating the total value of community assets from the marriage at $178,743,300 -- including 31 properties, 13 cars, 45 companies, and other stuff. She wants nearly 40% of everything.

According to the docs, the real estate properties are spread across Cali, Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, and Georgia -- she wants eight of them. She also wants one of their three large chandeliers (valued around $300,000 a pop).

Sonya estimates the value of Master P's businesses -- including No Limit Records -- at $136,101,000 ... and wants $54 million of that. She also wants $10 million of Master P's "Make 'Em Say Ughh!" energy drink company.

Other stuff -- Sonya wants her $28,000 wedding dress ... and ONE of Master P's 13 cars (the Escalade). Master P also owns a black Rolls, a green Bentley, a Porsche, a Jag, another Escalade, and several other ridiculous vehicles.

All told, Sonya is demanding $67,647,800 -- leaving Master P with a measly $111,095,500.

UGHH!!

Widespread panic in the rap world -- the high-end cough syrup that's become the lean of choice for Justin Bieber, Soulja Boy, and MANY other rap figures has officially been taken off the market ... all because of its reputation as a widely abused drug.

A rep for Actavis -- famous for the highly-refined cough syrup -- tells TMZ, "Given [recent media attention], Actavis has made the bold and unprecedented decision to cease all production and sales of its Promethazine Codeine product."

As we reported, Bieber loves the stuff ... as does Soulja Boy, who regularly posts pictures of Actavis bottles on his Instagram.

The Actavis rep adds, "This attention has glamorized the unlawful and dangerous use of the product, which is contrary to its approved indication."

Before Actavis pulled the plug on the product, the street value of a pint bottle hovered around $800 -- but sources familiar with the market tell TMZ, rappers are now offering insane sums to buy up whatever's left. We're told one prominent rapper has already offered his dealer up to $100,000 to get whatever he can.

Hilariously, being the dumbass he is, Soulja Boy posted a photo of SIX bottles on Monday referencing the Actavis shortage -- "Soulja got the juice. They say the streets dry. I say you gotta be kiddin me. I serve everybody."

News flash to Soulja -- As far as Actavis is concerned, its game's over.

The family that stiffs the landlord together, gets evicted together -- just ask Nic Cage's ex-GF and their son Weston ... whose landlord is suing to give 'em the boot, TMZ has learned.

The landlord, John R. Gifford, filed court docs to force Weston and his mom, Christina Fulton, out of their West Hollywood home ... because Gifford claims they stopped paying the $6k/month rent back in December.

Gifford says he served them an eviction notice in January, and gave them 3 days to pay up or get the hell out. Guess which one they chose?

Gifford is suing, not only for eviction ... but for the $12,000 in past-due rent.

This is one for the books. The woman who was suing Lisa Vanderpump for $5 million alleging sexual harassment at her Villa Blanca restaurant -- among other things, is now willing to settle for $40K if the restaurant acknowledges some ridiculous things.

Karina Bustillos -- who claimed a Villa Blanca manager sexually harassed her in all sorts of ways -- says she'll drop the suit if she gets $40K and the following promises from Villa Blanca:

-- not to serve catfish and claim it's the more expensive tilapia
-- not to serve canned fruits and veggies and call them fresh
-- teach employees not to eat food off customers' plates
-- order kitchen staff to wash their hands frequently

And there's other stuff too, which seems like it's designed to embarrass.

Scores -- a famous NYC strip club is going after a customer in court because he allegedly weaseled out of a HUGE tab ... claiming he was drugged by Scores employees.

Scores claims Dr. Zyad Younan ran up a $135,303 bill last year on his American Express card during FOUR visits to the club.

The gentleman's establishment says Dr. Younan was not a gentleman when it came time to pay ... challenging the charges by claiming he was not in his right mind when he racked up the bill.

According to the lawsuit, Dr. Younan told the credit card company he was drugged by club employees. The doctor also claimed he wasn't even there on the dates in question ... although the club claims it has him on video.

Scores is suing for what it is owed, plus interest.

"Meet the Parents" star Teri Polo has royally Focked herself -- at least in the money department -- because TMZ has learned ... she just went belly up.

Teri filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week, claiming she's buried in nearly a million dollars of debt -- most of which she owes to the IRS.

Teri claims she owes roughly $772,000 in back taxes and more than $36,000 in credit card debt.

She also says her landlord's going after her for $30,000 after she allegedly left an old apartment covered in dog crap and urine.

Bankruptcy ... you can't milk a cat, but you can milk the system.

Paige Laurie Dubbert filed a civil lawsuit against Patrick Bode Dubbert shortly after filing for divorce. In the lawsuit -- obtained by TMZ -- she claims Patrick funneled huge sums of money out of a business he was running -- a retail center in Malibu.

Paige says Patrick convinced her to let him hire his buddy as co-manager of the project. The 2 men allegedly then promptly made themselves the general contractors of the project ... bumping their fees from $15K a month to $70K a month.

Paige claims her husband and the other guy were totally incompetent to be general contractors, and it was simply a shameless money grab.

Paige said Patrick was also paying himself $250K a year to manage the project, on top of the other fees.

Jay Z should be THANKING the producer he's accused of extortion -- or so the guy claims, telling TMZ, if it weren't for him ... the recordings he's allegedly holding for ransom would have been lost or destroyed ... because Jay Z was an irresponsible pothead back in the day.

TMZ broke the story ... Chauncey Mahan was detained by police Friday after Jay Z's people accused him of stealing the master recordings for several big songs back in 2002 -- and then trying to hold them for ransom -- a $100,000 "storage fee."

But Chauncey insists the allegations are BS -- telling TMZ, he didn't steal jack ... Def Jam asked him to keep track of the recordings in 2002 because no one else was doing it. According to Chauncey, Jay Z "was a stupid kid smoking blunts" who was reckless with his intellectual property.

What's more, over the last 10 years, Chauncey says he's repeatedly notified Jay Z's people that he was in possession of the masters, and they blew him off. He says he finally asked for money last week when he could no longer afford to keep the masters in storage.

Chauncey says he asked for $100,000 to compensate him for keeping the recordings safe for 12 years. FYI, the masters are for Jay Z's "Volume 3" and "Dynasty" albums -- including huge songs like "Big Pimpin" and "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)."

And this is interesting: Chauncey says some of the masters sound awful ... which might explain why Jay Z is freaking out.

As we reported, police have since taken possession of the tapes until a judge can determine rightful ownership.

The heiress to the Walmart fortune is so rich she's asking a judge to allow her husband to take her to the cleaners.

Paige Laurie Dubbert -- whose mother inherited a multi-BILLION dollar chunk of the Walmart fortune -- just filed legal docs to end her 5 year marriage to Patrick Bode Dubbert.

Not surprisingly ... they signed a prenup, presumably protecting her fortune, but at the same time it gives her hubby the right to get spousal support if they divorce.

Well, almost 6 years of marriage, they're divorcing. In the legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Paige cites irreconcilable differences.

Apparently the spousal support won't put a dent in her wallet, because Paige says she's more than happy to write the check based on the amount agreed upon in the prenup.

She also wants to legally change her name back to Elizabeth Paige Laurie.

Elizabeth made headlines in 2005 ... when she surrendered her degree from USC ... after school officials learned she paid someone to write her term paper.

A collection of Jay Z master recordings -- valued between $15 and $20 MILLION -- is at the center of an alleged theft and extortion plot ... and TMZ has learned, police have already nabbed the tapes.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a producer named Chauncey Mahan -- who worked with Jay Z from 1998-2002 -- was questioned Friday in connection with the alleged plot.

Here's the backstory ... Jay Z's Roc-A-Fella Records recorded a boatload of master recordings between 1998 - 2002. We're told in 2002 the masters went missing -- Jay Z and his people assumed they were lost.

Fast forward to this past Friday. Mahan apparently had a number of the masters in his Northridge, CA storage facility. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Mahan allegedly contacted Live Nation -- which has a joint venture with Jay Z called Roc Nation -- and said he would either let the tapes go up for auction or give them the tapes for a $100K "storage fee." We're told Mahan eventually agreed to take $75K.

We're told on Friday Mahan went to the storage facility to seal the deal with Jay Z's people. Little did he know the LAPD had been contacted by Jay Z's people and showed up. We're told cops then detained Mahan and he agreed to come into the station for questioning. He also agreed to let the LAPD take possession of the tapes until a judge determines ownership.

The "Love & Hip Hop" sex tape has overtaken the Kim Kardashian skin flick in popularity -- in fact it's already the most pirated sex tape of all time .... according to the porn company behind its release.

The full length L&HH sex tape was officially released at midnight -- and a rep for Vivid tells TMZ ... in just 9 hours, the company sent out more than 1,200 cease-and-desist letters to websites that were illegally hosting it.

Vivid honcho Steve Hirsch isn't messing around either -- telling us, "If you even try to illegally download this tape we will come after you full force. We have three full-time attorneys prepared and ready to go."

As we reported, the anticipation leading to the tape's release has been insane -- pre-sale numbers were through the roof ... totaling roughly $400,000.

Since the release at midnight, we're told Vivid's website has been raking in new memberships -- averaging 15 new joins every MINUTE.

Eliza Coupe should have known this was a possibility when she married a puppeteer ... TMZ has learned she's been ordered to pay her ex spousal support and a six-figure lump sum to boot!

As TMZ first reported, Randall Whittinghill filed for divorce from the "Happy Endings" star last July after five years of marriage (literally -- the date of separation on the divorce docs is listed as their five-year anniversary).

According to divorce docs obtained by TMZ ... Whittinghill and Coupe have come to agreement on how to divvy things up ... and Whittinghill made out quite well. The docs say Coupe has to fork over $7,000 a month in spousal support as well as a lump sum payment of $306,000.

The gravy train comes to an abrupt halt in 2 years or when Whittinghill gets re-hitched ... whichever comes first.

In January, USA picked up Eliza's next show to series ... so she won't be hurting too bad.

Birdman has some big remodeling plans for his Miami mansion. How big? Try $5 million big.

TMZ obtained loan docs connected to Birdman's sick Miami mansion -- the one he bought for $14.5 million in 2012 -- and he's taking out the $5 mil against the house to do "interior remodeling" that will require construction, painting ... and lots of marble and stone work.

He's already posted renderings on Instagram of some of the work he has planned, including a shot of a $250,000 chandelier.

One last super baller part of this deal -- Birdman has ONE YEAR to repay the loan. Enjoy your 30 year mortgage!

There might be a new queen of sex tapes ... TMZ has learned the tape starring Mimi Faust from "Love & Hip Hop" is one of the hottest pre-sellers Vivid has ever seen.

Vivid Entertainment honcho Steve Hirsch tells TMZ ... they've made more than $400,000 in pre-sales ... just off the trailer. Hirsch says Vivid has never seen pre-orders at this level.

"Mimi & Nikko: Scandal in Atlanta" is set to drop Monday in full on Vivid.com and Hirsch says he's expecting sales to be massive.

General admission tickets to the annual festival cost around $400 bucks ... but V.I.P tickets -- which we're guessing they bought -- run for $800.

Must be nice.