Money

Bo Jackson was notorious for snapping his baseball bat like a toothpick, and now the last piece of lumber he obliterated can be yours ... if you've got 20,000 bucks.

The bat's from April 6th, 1994 ... when Jackson's California Angels took on the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome. In the 4th inning, Twins pitcher Jim Deshaies -- who'd already K'd Bo in the 2nd -- struck Jackson out on 3 pitches.

Jackson -- the only player to ever make an NFL AND MLB all-star team -- stormed out of the batter's box and violently snapped his big Cooper C271 bat ... before tossing the shards of wood towards the dugout.

The '94 season was Bo's 8th and final in MLB ... and Goldin Auctions -- who has now offered the iconic bat at auction -- tells us this was the last bat BJ ever broke as a professional baseball player.

Goldin says the bat was photo matched to prove its authenticity ... and they expect the one-of-a-kind piece to rake in over $20,000 when the auction closes later this month.

BTW, it wasn't all failure at the plate for Bo on that April night in Minnesota. Jackson got some revenge during the later innings ... hitting a double and an RBI single.

The Twins won 4-1.

Justin Bieber started a trend with some cartoon Kobe Bryant tribute art ... and now Kobe's foundation is reaping a sizable benefit.

Here's the deal ... Justin bought some fresh Kobe-inspired artwork from Idiot Box Art owners Emily Bright and Tamara Martin, and then the artists started making and selling miniature versions for $200 a pop, with 24 percent of the profits going to the MambaOnThree Fund.

The cartoon Kobe art is pretty cool ... it's a teddy bear wearing a Mamba hoodie under Kobe's #8 Lakers jersey, palming a basketball and rocking some of Kobe's signature Nikes.

Justin dropped $1,200 for a bigger piece -- one of only 5 ever made -- and hung it up in his crib next to some skateboard decks.

Lots of folks apparently share Justin's eye for Kobe art ... because Idiot Box ended up selling 260 mini Mamba bears during a 2-day limited sale, which was enough to make a $12,480 donation to Kobe's foundation.

MambaOnThree was created to support the families of the 7 other victims, besides Kobe and Gigi, who died in the crash.

The Texas strip club where a dancer came crashing down from a 15-foot pole is taking no responsibility for the incident ... because the CEO says they didn't tell her to make the climb.

As you know ... exotic dancer Genea Sky went viral after seriously injuring herself over the weekend when she fell from a two-story pole on the main stage of XTC Cabaret in Dallas.

But, the club is calling it an accident, and there are no plans to remove stripper poles as a result ... Eric Langan -- CEO of RCI Hospitality Holdings Inc., which owns the club -- tells TMZ.

As we reported ... Genea says she fractured her jaw, sprained her ankle and cracked some teeth in the fall, and she underwent surgery for her injuries.

Langan tells us the club is looking into helping Genea financially. One thing's for sure ... she's not a full-time employee so she can't get worker's comp. It's unclear if she has health insurance. Langan says she should worry about her health first and money second.  Really???

Anyway, the club's position -- entertainers choose their own routine, and as a company, they exercise no control over a dancer's art form, so if they fall -- it's on them.

Justin Bieber and Quavo are helping shine a light on a good cause ... and their new music video is helping a shelter for homeless women.

Here's the deal ... the music vid for Justin and Quavo's collab, "Intentions," tells the story of a group of women in search of a better life in Los Angeles. The women are all living out of Alexandria House, a shelter for homeless women and homeless women with kids.

The video wraps with a special shout-out to Alexandria House ... Justin and Quavo say they donated $200,000 to the non-profit... and viewers are directed to a link where they can lend a helping hand.

The response has been pretty amazing ... since the video dropped at midnight Thursday, we're told the shelter has received more than $10,000 in donations.

It's pretty cool ... the money is flowing in from all over the world -- Italy, Romania and China, etc. -- and many of the donations are small, as in the $1 and $5 denominations. There've been a few large donations of $1,000 and $5,000, but it's mostly people chipping in what they can afford.

Alexandria House tells us its website is also seeing a huge influx of traffic ... as in, an 800 percent increase in traffic compared to the day before the video dropped.

Justin and Quavo spotlighted 3 women in the video, and we're told some of the funds are going towards their tuition and after-school programs for their kids, plus a one-woman show for the lady who does poetry.

The rest of the money, we're told, will aid the 30 current residents and some 200 former residents ... so they can buy textbooks, furniture for their new homes and even car repairs.

Ah, the power of Bieber and Quavo.

Colin Kaepernick's salary demands to play quarterback in the XFL were "exorbitant" ... so says new league commissioner Oliver Luck.

"We spoke with his representative," Luck said of Kap. "And the salary requirements that were broached in that conversation were exorbitant and certainly out of our range."

Luck claims the conversations with Kap's camp all went down about a year ago ... but he says talks with the QB after initial interest on the XFL's side never got far at all.

"We have some pretty significant salary restrictions, you know," Luck said in an interview with NPR over the weekend. "We're a start-up league, so we want to make sure that we can be fiscally responsible and fiscally prudent."

"And the, you know, salary requirements that some folks, you know, shared with us were in our case exorbitant, so we, you know, couldn't go down that path."

Of course, Kaepernick made over $40 MILLION in his 6 NFL seasons. Reportedly, the average salary for XFL players is roughly $55,000.

Former 112 singer Quinnes "Q" Parker is rocking with old label mate Mase when it comes to challenging Diddy over unfair contracts, and says their old boss should do more and talk less.

Q was out in Washington, D.C. when he gave us his take on Mase putting Diddy on blast -- calling him a hypocrite for his Grammys speech about demanding the record industry treat black artists better.

Of course, Q's group 112 got its big break on Diddy's Bad Boy Records in the late '90s -- and he told us he signed an identical contract like the one that has Mase so heated.

On the one hand, Q -- who left 112 in 2018 -- warns all artists about putting pen to paper on all contracts. He even admits, legally speaking, Puffy (he still uses the '90s nickname) did nothing wrong to 112 or Mase in getting them to sign deals that were pretty standard back then.

Buuut, check out why he also sees Mase's argument. As we reported ... Diddy called on black artists to take back control of their art. Mase fired back, claiming Diddy keeps his own artists "enslaved."

Sneakerheads are gonna love this ... Dez Bryant just got a custom pair of Air Jordan 1s from one of the top shoe artists on the planet -- complete with 24-karat gold paint!

The NFL wideout hit up SWithADot -- who's worked with stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Miley Cyrus and more -- and asked for a special pair of kicks, unlike anything he's ever seen.

S delivered in a big way -- spending more than 133 hours creating a hand-painted masterpiece for Dez. The shoes were delivered to Bryant earlier this week.

Each shoe has a hand-painted image of Bryant -- which took 35 hours per portrait to complete. Plus, we're told S used real 24-karat gold paint to make the kicks shine!

So, how much are these things worth? A lot. We're told shoes like these from S can usually run up to $10,000 per pair.

Dez is obviously stoked -- he raved about the shoes as soon as he got them (following a workout on Thursday).

Lori Loughlin says the government has withheld key evidence proving her innocence in the college admissions scandal, but the government has just fired back ... sarcastically responding that the so-called exculpatory evidence was a statement that the witness had not even made when Lori started complaining.

TMZ broke the story ... Lori and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, claimed the U.S. Attorney intentionally withheld evidence showing they were giving money to USC and unaware any of the $500,000 was used to bribe University officials.

The government just responded, saying there is no such evidence being withheld, and then doubling down, saying, "the absence of such evidence is a result of their criminal conduct, not any government disclosure violations."

And, now prosecutors get nasty. They say some of the information that was just handed over -- evidence Lori claims was wrongly withheld -- is from interviews conducted with witnesses very recently. Prosecutors say in the legal docs ... "The government has broad powers, but they do not include mental telepathy or time travel. The government cannot disclose witness statements before the witnesses make them."

'Dukes of Hazzard' star John Schneider is one stingy son of a gun, according to his ex-wife ... who claims he owes her 7 figures and she's taking extreme measures to get it.

John's ex, Elvira Schneider, claims the actor owes her more than $1 million in unpaid spousal support, dating back 4 years ... according to new docs obtained by TMZ.

All in, Elvira says Bo Duke's shorted her $1,115,824. And, you thought Boss Hogg was pissed?!? BTW, that massive figure includes a previously agreed-upon 10 percent interest rate.

As we first reported, John was ordered to pay $18,911 per month back in September 2016, while they were still hammering out the divorce. They finally reached a settlement last August, and his monthly nut jumped to $25,000.

John's ex thinks he should have no problem squaring up -- she claims he's raking in $172,777 PER MONTH!

Louis C.K. just called off 4 shows at the Houston Improv and is offering refunds to everyone who bought tickets ... or they can wait for him to reschedule.

TMZ's learned the comedian postponed the gigs -- starting tonight and going through Sunday -- due to an "unforeseen family emergency." Those who were planning on attending have been informed they can keep their tickets and exchange them for the rescheduled dates in May, or return them and get their money back.

According to the email sent to ticket holders, anyone who bought tix to Louis' postponed shows will also score a free ticket to see the replacement act this weekend -- comedian Joe Machi. Even those who chose to get a refund can take advantage of this offer.

It's unclear what family emergency C.K. is dealing with.

As we've reported ... Louis has been back on the stand-up circuit for the past several months, making a comeback of sorts after admitting in November 2017 to years of sexual misconduct and abusing his power in the comedy world.

His return has been met with a mix of criticism and support, but one thing he hasn't stopped doing is offending people.

Awesome gesture from PGA Tour star Justin Thomas -- the golfer is auctioning off his custom Kobe Bryant wedges ... and says the proceeds will go to the families affected by Bryant's tragic helicopter crash.

Thomas paid tribute to the Black Mamba often this past weekend at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Ariz. ... even rocking a Bryant high school jersey while playing.

But, his best Mamba ode came courtesy of the clubs he used to shoot ... 'cause each of Thomas' wedges had some cool Kobe-isms etched into the iron.

"Mamba Mentality," "Black Mamba," "Kobe Bean Bryant" and "81 Points" were inscribed on his Titleist Vokeys for the four-day tourney.

Now, Thomas -- who finished third in the event -- says a lucky fan can have them for a price ... and says all the money will go toward The MambaOnThree Fund.

Of course, that's the charity Vanessa Bryant set up to help the families of those killed in the tragic helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif. on Jan. 26.

Thomas was particularly hit hard by the tragedy ... he's been a noted HUGE Kobe fan throughout his career, famously yelling "KOBE!" before tough shots in the past.

Here's what you get for the man that has everything ...

Cristiano Ronaldo was surprised by his smokin' hot GF with a brand-new Mercedes for his 35th birthday ... and TMZ Sports has learned the whip cost nearly $1 MILLION!!

The insane present was given to Ronaldo after a dinner date in Italy on Wednesday night ... and CR7 -- a dude who's worth a BAJILLION dollars -- seemed legit stunned by the gift!!

The ride -- reportedly a 1-of-10 vehicle -- was draped in a red bow ... and Ronaldo's friends helped him celebrate it by dousing him in confetti and a rendition of "Feliz Cumpleanos."

Ronaldo's longtime GF, Georgina Rodriguez, said of the present in Spanish, "Congratulations to the man of my life! I can't wait to transport our love with your gift."

The ride is seriously insane ... it's got 800 horsepower, goes 0-to-60 in 2.9 seconds, and reportedly costs around $875,000!!!

Of course, Ronaldo is a huge car collector ... the dude reportedly owns around 20 super fancy rides -- so Georgina definitely won this bday.

Future's not about to let his son be put through the legal system with some government-appointed briefcase -- he's getting the best attorneys for the kid and has his back 100%.

Sources close to the Future tell TMZ ... the MC and his baby mama are well aware of their oldest son, Jakobi, getting recently caught up with the law down in Georgia ... but they're already knee-deep in working on his case, including funding his defense.

Jakobi was arrested in a gang bust down in Georgia last month ... where he's reportedly facing charges of criminal gang activity, trespass and the altered ID of a firearm. He was allegedly found in possession of a gun with the serial number scratched out.

The kid's 17 years old, BTW, but could face up to major time behind bars if he's convicted because GA tries 17-year-olds as adults. In the court docs, he reportedly listed himself as indigent and in need of a public defender, but we're told that ain't gonna happen.

Future's definitely got the dough to help his son, and we're told he absolutely intends to by hiring the best lawyers to be there for his own flesh and blood. Dad's covering legal fees.

Bernie Madoff is too conniving to be let out of prison early and should continue rotting behind bars ... so says Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband.

As you know ... Bernie is begging a judge for mercy in the form of an early prison release, claiming he has terminal kidney failure and saying doctors are only giving him 18 months to live.

But Zsa Zsa's hubby and conservator, Frederic Prinz Von Anhalt, says not so fast!!!

The Prince says Madoff should remain behind bars for at least another 16 months if the 18-month timeline is indeed legit because he feels an early release is too sweet a deal for the 81-year-old Ponzi schemer.

Easy to see why Frederic doesn't have any sympathy for Madoff ... he claims Bernie robbed his wife and his investment firm of about $10 million ... and says Zsa Zsa would want Madoff to rot in hell!!!

Bernie Madoff, of all people, is begging a judge for mercy ... because he says he'll be dead next year, and wants to live out his final days outside his prison walls.

In docs filed Wednesday, Madoff reveals he has terminal kidney failure and the clock's ticking. He says doctors have given him less than 18 months. As if that's not enough, the 81-year-old Ponzi schemer says he's also battling hypertension, cardiovascular disease, hyperparathyroidism and a bladder neck obstruction.

On the less sympathetic side ... Madoff says he's got real bad acid reflux and insomnia.

The man who robbed his victims blind for $65 BILLION says he's confined to a wheelchair, with a back brace in the prison's comfort care unit.

Madoff thinks he deserves a "compassionate release" from the Butner Federal penitentiary in North Carolina because he poses no risk to the public. He also says his 150-year sentence is too severe in light of his terminal illness.

He even says there's a precedent for his release -- namely, the Lockerbie, Scotland bomber ... who killed 270 people aboard Pan Am flight 103. Madoff says Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi was released after 8 years due to suffering terminal prostate cancer.

In the docs, Madoff acknowledges he has no money and, if released, will have to live with an unnamed friend. He says he will live off his Social Security and Medicare benefits.

Yeah, that's right ... you're paying for his care. Ain't that a kick in the pants.