Valdosta PD Sued You Roughed Up the Wrong Guy!!! Claims Wrist Broken, Rights Violated

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MISTAKEN AND ATTACKED

Cops in Georgia slammed a man to the ground while arresting him, and he says they broke his wrist -- problem is, they had the wrong guy and now he's suing for excessive force.

Antonio Smith claims he was unjustly roughed up and had his rights violated back in February by the Valdosta Police Department as officers attempted to arrest him.

Video of the incident shows cops approach Smith for reported suspicious activity at a Walgreens nearby, but he insists he was waiting at the Western Union for money from his sister.

As Smith begged cops to look into it further, another officer arrived and abruptly bear-hugged Smith from behind and told him to put his hands behind his back. He then violently body-slammed him and told Smith he was under arrest for a felony warrant.

Smith was screaming in pain and in his lawsuit claims his wrist was broken as officers held him down. The video shows the cops were clearly confused about who they were supposed to arrest ... and they realized Smith did NOT have a warrant out for his arrest.

According to the lawsuit ... the officer "treated him less than a human being." Smith claims once he was released, he still feared "additional ill-treatment" from the law enforcement around him, so he refused medical care.

Valdosta PD has released a statement admitting they made an error with the felony warrant, but insists Smith was the suspect reported for suspicious activity.

Police Chief Leslie Manahan says ... "We did have the right guy stopped that was causing the problem at Walgreens, it’s just unfortunate he was not the one with the felony warrants."

However, in the video and in the legal docs ... Smith claims he was not doing anything illegal -- just waiting for a wire transfer at Western Union.

Smith is suing the City of Valdosta, the officers involved in the incident and the police chief for damages for the excessive and unnecessary police force in violation of his rights. He also wants his medical expenses covered for his broken wrist ... which he claims healed abnormally and may require surgery to fix.

Kodak Black To Walmart Stop Selling Knockoff Chains ... Or I'll Sue!!!

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Kodak Black is pissed at Walmart -- claiming the megastore is letting someone sell a knockoff version of one of his famous chains, and he's threatening a lawsuit if it doesn't stop -- but the retail giant is putting the blame on third-party sellers.

Here's the deal ... Walmart is getting dragged online because its website features a cheap chain that looks nearly identical to the Sniper Gang bling Kodak usually rocks.

Kodak’s attorney, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ ... "We have been aware of the situation and have prepared a cease and desist letter to Walmart and the seller on the Walmart website."

The rapper's legal team adds ... "If Walmart refuses to recognize that the seller is not a licensed authorized dealer of Sniper Gang products, we will be proceeding with a lawsuit against both Walmart and the unauthorized seller."

Kodak is currently serving a 46-month prison sentence for gun possession.

Kodak's protege, Jackboy, has also called out Walmart for selling the Sniper Gang chains ... and he too is threatening legal action.

It appears the company has gotten wind of Kodak's anger, they tell us they're taking steps to remove the knockoffs and the chains are strictly from a third-party seller.

Sniper Gang isn't the only rap label pissed off at Walmart... Lil Baby has also claimed the retail giant is selling a knockoff version of his 4 Pockets Full chain for the always low price of $24.99.

Michael Jordan Signed Baseball From '76 For Sale ... 1st Autograph Ever?!

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Michael Jordan's autograph is crazy valuable -- even with thousands of signatures floating around -- but imagine owning the very 1st ball MJ EVER SIGNED!!

Well, if ya got the dough, you can buy what's (likely) Jordan's first autograph ... signed when Michael was a 13-year-old youth baseball player.

Here's the deal ... in 1976, Jordan played on Parkers Food Stores (a local grocery store & team sponsor) Babe Ruth League youth baseball team in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Jordan, who wore #10 -- along with his teammates -- signed a ball to commemorate their 11-3 season ... which ended in a championship.

The team's manager, Dick Neher -- who was a co-worker of MJ's dad, James Jordan -- held on to the ball for over 25 years before selling it in 2002.

Now, Goldin Auctions has acquired the 1-of-a-kind piece ... where it's available for auction online.

FYI -- GA recently sold a similar Derek Jeter piece (Jeetz signed when he was only 8) for $36k.

So, what's Jordan's sig gonna sell for? Well, Jeter's a LEGEND -- but he's not MJ -- so Goldin expects the ball to go for around $50k.

Awesome, right?!

The Bail Project $15M in Donations and Counting ... Since George Floyd's Death

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George Floyd's death has not only sparked nationwide protests against police brutality and racism, it's also fueled donations to charities and organizations ... especially The Bail Project.

Joseph Pate -- spokesperson for the national nonprofit, which pays bail for people in need -- tells TMZ ... it has received more than $15 million from nearly 200,000 donors in the weeks since Floyd was killed by Minneapolis PD officers.

Other sources close to the organization tell us the support -- financially and otherwise -- has been pouring in from all over the world, including people looking to do volunteer work.

Several celebrities have also been chipping in big time. We're told the band, Wallows, held a fundraiser Saturday where they raised nearly $11k for The Bail Project from roughly 900 donations.

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On top of all this ... Nicki Minaj announced a portion of the proceeds from her "Trollz" collab with 6ix9ine will also be going to the org soon. Lil Baby's splitting money from his track, "The Bigger Picture," to Bail Project and a couple other causes related to the Black Lives Matter movement, as well.

The Bail Project has paid $26 million in bail for nearly 11,000 low-income people since 2018, and $11 mil of that has already been recycled to pay new bails.

We're told with the recent flooding of donations, the size of its National Revolving Bail Fund now stands at approximately $27 million, which allows it to secure freedom for thousands of people, but more importantly ... work to pass real bail reform.

Mark McGwire Makes Hall of Fame Case ... For 70th Home Run Ball!!!

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Mark McGwire
BELONGS TO THE HALL OF FAME

At least SOME part of Mark McGwire belongs in the Hall of Fame ... so says Big Mac himself, who believes his 70th home run ball should be in Cooperstown STAT!!

"Bottom line," McGwire said out at LAX this week, "it should have been put in the Hall of Fame."

Of course, the ball can't exactly go there at the moment ... Todd McFarlane -- a legendary comic book artist -- famously bought it for over $3 MILLION just a few months after McGwire made history in 1998.

And, despite the ball's plummeting value (experts tell TMZ Sports it's worth only around $300K-$400K), McFarlane doesn't seem at all ready to part with it, even for the Hall.

He told us last week he still loves his purchase and it would take a "stupid number" for him to give it up.

In other words, don't bet on it ending up in the Hall, even if it'd take it.

As for Mark, he said he's at peace with the ball not being worth millions anymore, adding, "It dropped when Barry [Bonds] broke the record." But, the Cardinals legend did say he wouldn't mind autographing it!!

There's more ... McGwire went IN on the MLB's plan to allow a DH in the National League in 2020 -- saying he believes the role should be punted from baseball altogether.

"If you can't put on a glove and go out and play defense," McGwire said, "you shouldn't be playing the game!"

Kevin Love $500k To UCLA Psychology Dept. For Mental Health Awareness

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Cleveland Cavs superstar Kevin Love is continuing his quest to raise awareness for mental health ... by donating a half a MILLION dollars to his former school's psychology department.

31-year-old Love -- who was a star for the UCLA Bruins in 2007-2008 -- has been outspoken about his battles with depression since 2018 ... and has been fighting to end the stigma against mental health disorders.

Love announced the $500,000 to UCLA on Monday ... one day after receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs.

"I hope one day we are able to erase the stigma around anxiety and depression, and we can only do that by improving diagnosis and treatment, fostering public conversations about mental health and encouraging people to seek help when they need it," Love said via Tom Withers.

Love's contribution is receiving praise from the university ... with Michelle Craske, professor in psychology, psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences adding, "When heroes like Kevin come forward and share their vulnerability, it shines a light on anxiety and depression, and that helps chip away at stigma."

"I want to thank Kevin for his leadership and his courage to share his personal story with the world. He has inspired and provided hope to many."

"Through his continued efforts, he is changing people’s lives."

Mustard & YG Buy L.A. Restaurants ... Team Up to Feed Community!!!

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Mega-producer Mustard just came up with one helluva remix ... not only delivering free meals to those in need, but making sure they're healthy meals.

The hitmaker hopped on "TMZ Live" Monday to talk about his latest venture ... teaming up with his pal, YG, to buy up 7 L.A.-based Fishbone Seafood restaurants. But, the partnership doesn't end there. The L.A.-native ballers also partnered with Postmates to give back to their community ... delivering $100k worth of free food to L.A. residents and community organizations.

Check out the video and the pics ... Mustard said he wanted to lead by example and give back to his community, never forgetting his roots. The producer says he's not doing this for the praise. Far from it. It's about showing kids that those who make it out have a responsibility to give back.

Mustard -- who BTW, earned the stage name because his first name is Dijon (as in Dijon mustard, get it?) -- is also looking much different these days. Dude tells us being locked up in quarantine is what triggered the transformation ... with an assist from one of his camera guys.

Mustard says he hates to see pics of himself from back in the day 'cause he doesn't recognize that person. But, gotta say ... it's one helluva transformation.

Tory Lanez Helps 100 Ex-Inmates Celebrate ... 1st Father's Day Since Release

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Tory Lanez made a huge difference this Father's Day, helping 100 black men recently out of incarceration celebrate with their families for the first time on the outside.

The rapper and his Dream City Fund launched 100 Black Fathers with Van Jones and Cut50. The initiative is a partnership with Amazon Music, Door Dash and criminal justice reform organization Dream Corps to provide free dinners and gifts for the former inmates and their loved ones.

The 100 fathers were released from incarceration during the pandemic, so the food deliveries were of course "contactless." Their children got their hands on some Amazon gift cards codes, and gave them to their dads, no doubt leading to some hugs and huge smiles.

Tory is pretty passionate about the project ... he wrote an open letter to each of the fathers offering his support and empathy, because it's not every day you're released from prison straight into a pandemic and period of social and civil unrest.

TL wrote, in part ... "You're with your family. You deserve to enjoy today! I’m grateful to be a very small part of it. I know as a Black father raising Black children in this world, things aren’t easy."

MLB's Carl Crawford Sued For Over $1 Million ... Over Drowning At Texas Mansion

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UPDATE

1:09 PM PT -- Crawford's attorney Rusty Hardin ... "It's not unexpected that people are going to seek compensation when a tragic accident occurs."

UPDATE

"Carl was not at the pool when it happened. He was upstairs in his house. A couple of other adults were out at the patio watching the children. Little boy went down the slide and was in distress -- lady jumped in to help and she tragically drowned as well."

UPDATE

"Carl has made it clear to everyone how horrible he feels about this tragic accident. He deeply regrets that someone is trying to seek money for what is a tragic accident."

The mother of 1 of the drowning victims at Carl Crawford's Texas mansion last month says the former MLB star is responsible for her son's death ... and now, she's suing for over $1 million.

It's all spelled out in new court docs obtained by TMZ Sports ... in which Liban Hersi claims 38-year-old Crawford didn't do enough to prevent tragedy from striking on May 16.

In the docs, Hersi says her 5-year-old son was visiting Crawford with a family friend for a party at the former L.A. Dodgers outfielder's mansion in Harris County, Texas.

Hersi claims Crawford has a massive pool on the property ... but says it has no fencing around it -- and adds Crawford didn't take steps to protect her child from getting into the pool.

Hersi says her son fell in ... and when another partygoer jumped in after him -- they both tragically died.

Hersi claims Crawford could have done MUCH more to prevent the double drowning ... saying he had no alarm system set up for the pool and claimed the swimming hole's design was "unreasonably dangerous."

Hersi is now suing for wrongful death -- asking for over $1 million in damages.

Crawford spoke about the incident days after ... writing in a statement on social media, "My Hearts Heavy. The tragic events that occurred at my home will be with me forever. I'm at a loss for words I've struggled all week to manage my emotions and I keep thinking of the families of those who've passed and their grief, I know they have it the hardest."

He continued, "They are the first and last thing I think of these days. Please keep them in your prayers, I know they will always be in mine."

We've reached out to Crawford's reps for comment on the new lawsuit ... but, so far, no word back yet.

Originally published -- 7:44 AM PT

Pokemon Ultra-Rare Card Hitting Auction ... Could Fetch $100K!!!

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Wanna add the Holy Grail of Pokemon cards to your childhood collection?

Hope you've got the cash ... TMZ Sports has learned a SUPER rare Trainer card is hitting the auction block -- but it could fetch over $100,000!!!

We're told the No. 1 Trainer promo card is one of the rarest pieces in the history of Pokemon ... with only seven known in existence.

According to the guys over at Heritage Auctions ... the card was handed out to winners of regional Pokemon tournaments as a sort of entry ticket into an exclusive tourney in Tokyo in 1999.

The piece -- graded out as a perfect Gem MT 10 -- features art of Mewtwo and we're told it reads, "The Pokémon Card Game Official Tournament's champion is recognized here, and this honor is praised."

"By presenting this card, you may gain preferential entry into the Secret Super Battle.”

With only seven copies ever created ... we're told the card is even rarer than the legendary Pikachu Illustrator card -- which has sold for over $50K in the past.

The auction is set to close in a little over two weeks ... happy bidding!!

Post Malone Everyone's Popping My Bottles ... Wine Flying Off Shelves!!!

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Post Malone is adding digital bartender and sommelier to his ever-growing resume ... because his new line of French wine is already a huge hit!!!

The "Better Now" rapper officially released his own French rosé, Maison No. 9, and it's already in high demand ... we're told Posty sold 50,000 bottles in 2 days during its pre-sale, wiping out the first round of inventory in a flash.

Post's fans sure are thirsty ... we're told Vivino, the sales platform hawking the booze, crashed on the first morning of the pre-sale because it couldn't handle the flood of orders.

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The rosé is flying off the shelves at $21.99 a bottle ... it's named after Post's favorite tarot card (yes, he has one), the Nine of Swords. This is no cheapo novelty wine, either ... the drunk good folks at Wine.com rated it a 90 overall.

If you missed the pre-sale rush, chill. Post's rosé will be available online Monday in almost all states.

As if Post needs another reason to pop bottles. Cheers!!!

Rayshard Brooks Widow Gifted Car ... Life Insurance, College Tuition for Kids

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Some of the good people of Atlanta are pitching in to help Rayshard Brooks' wife and kids ... with some very generous and useful gifts.

Rayshard's widow, Tomika Miller, was surprised with a new car Friday, plus life insurance for their 3 children and full rides for them to attend Clark Atlanta University.

Some of the good people of Atlanta are pitching in to help Rayshard Brooks' wife and kids ... with some very generous and useful gifts.
YOU'RE NOT ALONE

Tomika's new ride is a Ford Escape, and it's already paid for ... she got the keys at her lawyer L. Chris Stewart's law firm.

A couple of Atlanta restaurant owners are picking up the tab on the car, life insurance and college tuition ... Slutty Vegan owner Pinky Cole, and Big Dave's Cheesesteaks owner Derrick Hayes.

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NEW SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE

As we reported ... Rayshard was shot in the back and killed by Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe last weekend in a Wendy's parking lot.

The Brooks family had an emotional memorial service this week, and Rolfe is now in custody and facing multiple charges including felony murder.

Rayshard left behind his wife and their kids ... 8-year-old Blessing, 2-year-old Memory and 1-year-old Dream. He also had a stepson, 13-year-old Mekai.

KKW Beauty Co. Sued Don't Reveal Our Beauty Secrets!!!

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Kim Kardashian West's makeup line is on the verge of giving up a treasure trove of beauty secrets to another cosmetics company ... or at least that's what one company fears.

KKW Beauty is being sued by Seed Beauty, a company that claims there's a concrete threat KKW will disclose Seed's metaphorical secret sauce ... if Kim's company gets bought out.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Seed Beauty says it went through this with Kylie Jenner's old parent company, King Kylie, back in 2016 when Seed used its valuable trade secrets to grow that brand ... which was acquired by Coty in 2019. In the suit, Seed says it warned Kylie not to disclose trade secrets during that deal, but didn't get much reassurance.

Now, with Coty seemingly on the verge of acquiring Kim's beauty line, Seed Beauty says it's again deathly afraid Coty, the competition, will gain Seed's precious intel from KKW.

SB claims it started working with KKW Beauty about a year after it started working with Kylie Cosmetics.

Now, Seed Beauty is asking the judge for an injunction blocking KKW from revealing its trade secrets and business practices to Coty ... and other damages.

Travis Scott Drops $23.5 Mil on Resort-Like Pad ... Straight Cash, Homie!!!

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Travis Scott's new home looks more like a vacation destination, and one he paid all cash to get ... because that's just how the "Astronomical" rapper rolls.

Travis is the newest resident in Brentwood -- one of L.A.'s ritzier neighborhoods -- after dropping $23.5 million on the epic, 16,700-square-foot mansion ... which could double as the Getty Center museum, if needed.

Seriously, this pad is almost out of this world, with 7 bedrooms, 11 baths, 3 full floors of ultra-modern living space ... and it sits atop a hill with panoramic views over the city.

And, get this ... he got it for a bargain! The mansion was first offered last summer at nearly double the price -- $42 mil -- before undergoing 2 big price chops. That's when Scott swooped in and covered the entire purchase price in cash ... which is still one of the biggest in L.A.'s luxury real estate market.

Along with what you see, the property also boasts a 20-car "auto gallery" of a garage. Other highlights include a gym, bar, sauna, 15-seat theater, wine closet, massive pool and a lot more. Check out the gallery and you'll see ... this house is more like a resort.

Trav's new home's not far from LeBron James' either.

Of course, the rapper still has a $13.5 million mansion in L.A. -- which he co-owns with Kylie Jenner -- so that might be on the market soon. Or, who knows ... maybe he'll keep both.

Seems like he can afford it.

XXXTentacion Half Bro Sues XXX's Mom for $11 Mil ... She Jacked MY Cut!!!

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UPDATE

11:36 AM PT -- Bernard's attorney, Michael Simon, tells TMZ, "The lawsuit filed by XXXTENTACION’s half-brother, Corey Pack, against XXXTENTACION’s mother, Cleopatra Bernard, is completely without merit. Contrary to the allegations of the complaint, a court has already determined that Corey Pack is entitled to nothing from XXXTENTACION’s estate or trust.

UPDATE

Cleopatra has not only paid Corey’s living expenses and purchased him a car, but she has gifted to him and his mother, Jodi Kavney, a mortgage free home and paid the current year’s real estate taxes.

UPDATE

We are confident that the courts will conclude, for a second time, that Corey Pack is entitled to nothing from XXXTENTACION’s estate or trust.

XXXTentacion's been gone for 2 years, but there's still fresh family drama brewing -- his half brother's suing XXX's mom, and accusing her of stealing.

Jodi Kavney, the mother of XXX's half brother, Corey Pack, claims XXX's mom, Cleopatra Bernard, concocted a plan to siphon off millions of dollars from her own son's trust -- money the late rapper set aside for Corey ... according to legal docs obtained by TMZ.

Jodi, who's suing on behalf of Corey, says in docs, XXX left behind assets in excess of $50 million ... including a trust that lists Corey as 1 of 3 beneficiaries. She claims the breakdown is supposed to be 50% to Cleopatra, 25% to XXX's brother, Aiden Kerr ... with Corey getting the remaining 25%.

But, in the lawsuit, Jodi claims Cleopatra cut a deal with XXX's baby mama which helped her cut Corey out of his portion of the estate. Jodi's now seeking to recover assets she claims were "improperly and surreptitiously transferred" by Cleopatra to herself.

Jodi's suing for $11 million in damages and may try to triple that amount ... if she can prove this was intentionally done. She also claims Corey's entitled to ownership rights to XXX's record label, Bad Vibe Entities.

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SCENE OF THE SHOOTING

Jodi's attorney, Natasha Shaikh, tells TMZ ... they originally sent a demand letter to Cleopatra seeking the $11M but says that fell on deaf ears ... so they filed the lawsuit to let the court decide. We reached out to Cleopatra for comment ... so far, no word back.

TMZ broke the story ... XXX was gunned down back in June 2018 while shopping for motorcycles at a South Florida dealer. Four suspects were arrested and indicted for the rapper's murder.

Originally Published -- 12:15 AM PT