Money

Marshmello is doing it BIG with his tricked out truck ... pouring in half a million dollars to make his ride feel like a Vegas nightclub!!!

The legendary DJ recently had his Ford Super Duty COMPLETELY redone by some of the best in the biz -- RDB LA -- and his new whip's an absolute beast. The ride is a whopping 26-feet long with 2 extra wheels for a 6x6 conversion -- 4x4s are for losers -- and a TRAIN HORN. Move bitch, get out the way!!!

The interior is giving us all the EDM feels ... with Marshmello opting for a Rolls-Royce Starlight Ceiling with 20 types of LED lights to keep the party going. In a super baller move, he got his name engraved in the headrests.

Everyone's gonna know who's behind the wheel ... the truck is covered in Marshmello logos on the doors and bumper. And, we gotta say, we're feeling the custom body flares and matte green wrap.

Marshmello hit up Mano and Vik at RDB LA for the custom job -- the music icon and his manager, Moe Shalizi, go way back with the shop owners and trust their work -- and the entire remodel took months to complete and cost $500,000!!!

As you can see ... it's a major upgrade from the Ford's $35k to $50k stock price.

WWE legend Michelle McCool -- a 2-time WWE Women's champion -- says she's STOKED women are main eventing Wrestlemania ... but she really hopes they're getting paid like the men.

McCool -- who's married to The Undertaker -- was raving about how far WWE has come from the days where women wrestlers had to fight and claw to get ring time.

Now, with stars like Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch main eventing Wrestlemania 35 on April 7 ... McCool says the next big step is making sure they're getting PAID like main eventers.

"I do think the women should get paid, a main event is a main event," McCool says.

"I hope they do and think they should."

McCool says she's grateful for the women who wrestled before her who paved the way -- and she's so proud of the women dominating right now ... who continue to kick down doors for future generations.

McCool retired in 2011 -- but laced up the boots to compete in an all-women's Battle Royale at the WWE Evolution pay-per-view back in October.

Rob Gronkowski isn't just saying goodbye to the Patriots -- he also just bid adieu to his incredible Boston condo ... for $2.3 MILLION!

The retired NFL legend only bought the place a few years ago -- but felt it was time to move, and we're told he made about $400,000 in profit after selling the place with Douglas Elliman agent George Sarkis.

It's got everything a Boston superstar could want -- a 2,100 square foot penthouse with a sick rooftop deck and BBQ area ... and it's in walking distance from bars and restaurants in the Seaport District!

Gronk's decor is pretty sweet, too -- the 29-year-old hung a ton of sports memorabilia on the walls that clearly meant a lot to him ... including the NFL jerseys of his brothers Dan, Chris and Glenn.

There's even a painting that shows Rob and his brothers in their football uniforms.

Don't put a fork in the Big Baller Brand just yet ... LaVar Ball says the brand is NOT folding -- despite the fact Lonzo Ball just covered up his BBB tattoo.

The Big Baller appeared on 98.5 KLUC in Vegas to promote his Big Baller Brand All-American Game, which he says is going on as planned this weekend.

"The game is definitely still happening," LaVar says ... though he wouldn't say if his sons Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo would be on hand for the event.

The issue ... LaVar claims BBB co-founder Alan Foster stole $1.5 million from Lonzo -- and the Lakers star was so pissed, he covered up his BBB tattoo and is rumored to be considering a shoe deal with Nike.

But, LaVar believes the BBB brand is still alive and well -- and vows to fix things after Foster's alleged thievery.

"I'm not gonna let one roodypoo guy come in here and do something bad and then be like the brand's not good," Ball said.

"The brand is good. It's just somebody did something bad to it ... We had a snake up in the thing, but you gotta understand this -- I'm a snake charmer. When you're a snake charmer, you're gonna get bit."

Ball said he treated Foster "like a family member" and feels incredibly betrayed -- saying, "Is it worth $1.5 million to leave a family?"

Lil Uzi Vert's return to music is now shrouded in controversy ... his new single is getting yanked from digital music services because he freestyled over someone else's beat.

Lil Uzi Vert's new song, "Free Uzi," is no longer available on Tidal and Apple Music -- for streaming or purchase -- because of licensing issues and copyright concerns. The single features a beat that was previously used in a G Herbo song.

Our music sources tell us Lil Uzi's single isn't an original production -- and he didn't clear the sample -- so he can't make money off of it.

The timing is interesting, considering Uzi is beefing with DJ Drama and Don Cannon's label, Generation Now. However, honchos at the label tell us they weren't the ones pushing for the song to come down, and there's no bad blood between the two sides.

In fact, we're told Uzi decided to drop the song after Drama and Cannon said they'd support him releasing music ... it just backfired due to the copyright.

"Free Uzi" hasn't been completely scrubbed from the internet ... you can still listen to it on YouTube and SoundCloud.

His label, Atlantic Records, had no comment on the song being pulled.

Jussie Smollett may have just been checkmated by the City of Chicago, and it could cost him his "Empire" job.

The City is now demanding he pay $130k for the overtime required to investigate the now-infamous "attack." A City official sent Jussie a demand letter, but his people have already rejected the request, saying the only person owed anything is Jussie -- as in, an apology from the Mayor and Police Superintendent.

This has now set up a courtroom showdown, and sources connected to the Mayor tell TMZ ... they will absolutely file a civil case to get the money. Under the law, the City can actually collect 3 times the actual amount owed as a penalty -- meaning around $390,000.

If Jussie fights it in court, his "attack" case will be fully litigated. A judge will have to decide if the attack was fake before deciding whether Jussie is required to pay. What's more, the judge would only have to rule that it's more likely than not -- 51/49 percent -- that Jussie faked the attack. That's a much lower standard of proof than a criminal case, which requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt for a conviction.

Now here's the hard part for Jussie. If a judge rules the attack was fake, it gives the honchos at "Empire" all the ammo they need to say he's fired, despite the fact the State's Attorney has dismissed the criminal case.

And, to add insult to injury, if Jussie loses the case but refuses to pay the judgment, the City can execute on the judgment, and that would include garnishing wages and freezing bank accounts -- including his "Empire" salary.

Lil Pump is joining his buddy Quavo in the grillz department ... because he just threw down a truckload of cash on some matching chompers.

We're told Lil Pump plunked down 6 figures on a new set of custom grillz ... spending a whopping $250,000 to fill his mouth up with ice!!!

The "Gucci Gang" rapper hit up celebrity jeweler Johnny Dang for the chilly new look, and Johnny tells us it's the first 18-carat, rose gold, baguette grill he's ever made.

Here's what ya get for a quarter million dollars ... a flawless baguette made of 165 hand-picked diamonds -- each 16-carats and cut to fit a specific tooth -- set in a rose gold, baguette grill.

If Lil Pump's frozen smile seems familiar ... it's because Johnny also designed a similar look for Quavo with the same price tag.

Johnny's getting super efficient ... it took him 6 months to finish Quavo's grill, but he tells us he only needed 1 month to hook up Pump.

Esskeetit!!!

Kimora Lee Simmons couldn't resist taking a shot at Lori Loughlin after her daughter got accepted to Harvard all on her own.

Russell Simmons' ex-wife just shared a video of their daughter, Aoki Lee Simmons, reading her acceptance letter into the Ivy League school ... with Kimora adding some not so subtle jabs at Lori and all the parents swept up in the college bribery scandal.

Kimora says she's proud of Aoki for getting accepted to Harvard on the strength of her own merit ... and not because she was on a bogus rowing team.

As we've reported ... Loughlin and her husband are facing criminal charges for allegedly paying $500,000 to have their 2 daughters designated as recruits for the crew team at USC -- despite the fact they did not actually participate in crew. Lori's daughters left USC after the scandal broke, and they could be banned from campus for life.

6:37 PM PT -- Donald Trump Jr. just threw some major shade at Avenatti at his father's political rally in Michigan, joking that Michael's presidential ambitions took a serious hit this week.

Junior jokes that Michael went from "Avenatti 2020 to Avenatti 20 to 25" ... clearly hoping his foe is going to prison for his role in the alleged extortion plot.

Michael Avenatti was loaded for bear Wednesday night, proclaiming his innocence in the extortion case, proclaiming that the R. Kelly case would be unaffected by the extortion case and proclaiming it's only a matter of time before top Nike execs would be led away in handcuffs.

We got the embattled celeb attorney in WeHo Wednesday night ... and we strolled along with him on a long, long walk ... where he unpacked his outrage.

Avenatti said all the talk that his indictment will torpedo the R. Kelly prosecution is BS ... because the evidence is the evidence is the evidence.

And then, he talked Nike. As you know, he's been accused of trying to extort the shoe co. for more than $20 million in return for keeping his silence on alleged misdeeds -- specifically, Nike secretly paid off the families of star high school basketball players in order to direct them to Nike-sponsored colleges.

He goes after Nike execs with a vengeance, saying they are corrupt to the core and it will be exposed. He also insists any money he may have demanded was not a quid pro quo for his silence. Avenatti says he was going to expose Nike regardless of whether the company paid him or not.

The U.S. Attorney claims he has a videotape from a March 21 meeting between Avenatti and Nike attorneys in which he allegedly says, "If [Nike] wants to have one confidential settlement and we're done, they can buy that for $22.5 million and we're done."

President Trump heard the outrage loud and clear, 'cause he just announced that he will NOT seek to cut nearly $18 MILLION in funding from the Special Olympics.

Trump's Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos proposed cutting nearly every cent of funding to the organization earlier this week ... and people were PISSED.

TMZ Sports even spoke to WWE legend and Special Olympics ambassador -- Big Show -- who called the idea "bulls**t."

Now, Trump is putting an end to all that talk ... telling reporters at the White House that he's given the order to fund the organization -- like was originally planned.

“The Special Olympics will be funded," Trump said ... "I just authorized the funding of the Special Olympics. I have overridden my people.”

WWE superstar Jimmy Uso just caught a HUGE break in his disorderly conduct case -- he's essentially off the hook after allegedly squaring up to fight a police officer.

As we previously reported, Uso and his WWE superstar wife, Naomi, were pulled over in downtown Detroit on Feb. 13 after cops say Naomi was driving the wrong way down a 1-way street.

Cops say Naomi reeked of booze so they ordered her out of the car -- but Jimmy was allegedly trying to restrain her and prevent her from leaving.

Eventually, Naomi got out ... and Jimmy followed -- with cops saying the wrestler eventually took off his shirt and jacket and squared up as if he was about to fight.

Jimmy was eventually arrested and booked for disorderly conduct and obstruction of justice.

But, we've learned Uso and his attorney, John Freeman, struck a deal with prosecutors in which he agreed to plead no contest to interfering with a govt. employee -- and in exchange, he was ordered to pay $450 in fines.

That's it. Case closed.

It's a big deal considering Uso was facing jail time if convicted of disorderly conduct.

As for Naomi, she was neither arrested that night nor charged with a crime.

Jimmy Uso is a big deal in the pro wrestling world -- his father is WWE legend Rikishi and his cousins are The Rock and Roman Reigns.

Jason Alexander is looking at Krispy Kreme's connection with Nazis through a positive lens, or at least a hungry one ... he wants a cut of the reparations, but he'll settle for a box of donuts.

We got the actor in Larchmont, L.A. Wednesday afternoon and our photog asked him about the owners of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts donating $11 million to charity after discovering their Nazi family ancestors used slave labor in German factories during World War II.

Jason, the son of Jewish parents, jokes about wanting a taste of the money, or at least some delicious treats ... then gets a bit serious and tells us it's noble for the Reimann family to try and make amends and take accountability -- even though he doesn't blame them for their ancestors' actions.

Speaking of reparations, Jason has some thoughts on how our country should come to terms with its slave history. Check out the clip for a lighthearted take on some heavy topics.

Mets ace Jacob deGrom says he's got 137 MILLION reasons to thank Noah Syndergaard ... 'cause the star pitcher tells TMZ Sports his teammate helped him seal the deal on his new contract!!

Of course, deGrom had been fighting for a new deal for months after winning the Cy Young last year ... even reportedly threatening to put a cap on his innings this season if a contract didn't get done.

Enter Syndergaard ... who told Mets ownership "pay the man already" -- and when it worked to the tune of 5 years, $137.5 MILLION -- Jacob was super thankful.

"It was cool," deGrom says when we got him out in D.C. on Wednesday ... "We're out there fighting together and seeing him pulling for me, I appreciate it."

As for what deGrom did after inking that mammoth contract ... he tells us there were no steak dinners or fancy parties ...

"I had to get a physical and then I get to pitch tomorrow."

Lil Wayne is demanding the return of a notebook filled with his old lyrics, but the guy trying to sell it for $250k says the rapper's just gonna have to buy it like anyone else off the street.

We broke the story ... Weezy's 1999 notebook is being sold by Moments in Time for a quarter-million dollars, and the dude claiming ownership says he found it lodged in a car that once belonged to Cash Money Records.

Now Wayne's trying like hell to get his work back ... his attorneys fired off a warning letter to Moments in Time, claiming Wayne's the rightful owner, and the broker doesn't have permission to sell or transfer the notebook to anyone.

In the letter, obtained by TMZ, Wayne's legal team says he never abandoned his notebook -- he simply misplaced it and is thrilled it's been found. Weezy's team claims the guy who found it "absconded with the notebook" and hid it for years ... waiting to cash in.

Gary Zimet, the owner of Moments in Time, is firing back ... he says if the Young Money honcho wants the notebook, he'll have to pony up, because the guy who found it "has crystal clear title."

11:59 AM PT -- We just got Congressman Joseph Kennedy III -- whose family STARTED the Special Olympics -- and he echos Big Show's feelings on DeVos' proposed budget cuts.

"It's a terrible idea. It's a horrible policy ... it's never gonna happen," Rep. Kennedy told us out in D.C.

"And, I don't know why this administration continues to try to pick the fight with some of the most vulnerable people in our country."

Kennedy adds, "In our country, everybody is supposed to count."

WWE superstar Big Show is a Special Olympics ambassador -- and to say he's pissed at Betsy DeVos for trying to cut ALL govt. funding for the games is a TREMENDOUS understatement.

"She's like Cruella De Vil," Big Show tells TMZ Sports ... "I'm appalled."

DeVos -- the U.S. Secretary of Education -- has proposed major budget cuts for the upcoming fiscal year ... including axing ALL of the roughly $18 million the government has allocated for Special Olympics.

"This is like the most ridiculous budget cut, one-sided bullsh*t that could ever be done," Big Show says.

"The message she's sending is that people with special needs, children with special needs, aren't important enough to be part of society."

Big Show says he's worked with tons of special needs athletes and their families, and knows firsthand how the Special Olympics can positively affect so many lives.

"It's not about kids running and competing for medals," Big Show says ... "It's not like that."

"These kids are seen by doctors. There are so many education things, group programs, things that help them improve their quality of life ... and to take away that opportunity, it's just a horrible, callous, insensitive decision."

Ellen DeGeneres is selling yet another home -- this time it's in Beverly Hills.

The comedian just listed her 90210 home for nearly $18 million, a move that comes just 6 months after she purchased it. Ellen bought the place back in September for $15 million ... now she wants $17.95 mil.

Our real estate sources say Ellen spent $1 mil fixing the place up a bit with some modifications. The house is a beaut, located in the upscale Trousdale Estates neighborhood which is riddled with celebs.

This marks just the latest in a number of real estate moves Ellen and her wife, Portia de Rossi, have made over the past couple years.

They snapped up a sweet beachside estate in Carpinteria back in 2017, slashed the price of their Santa Barbara home a month later ... and then bought another home a month after that, sharing a property line with the one and only Oprah.

Just weeks later in December of that year, Ellen and Portia took a loss on the sale of their Beverly West condo.