Jovan Vavic Former USC Coach Found Guilty ... In Varsity Blues Scandal
Jovan Vavic -- a former USC water polo coach -- was found guilty by a federal jury on Friday for his part in the "Varsity Blues" college admissions scandal ... the same bribery case that put Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli behind bars.
As we previously reported, Vavic, USC senior associate athletic director Dr. Donna Heinel, ex-USC women's head soccer coach Ali Khosroshahin and ex-assistant soccer coach Laura Janke were all indicted in 2019 for taking money from rich parents to get their kids admitted into prestigious schools.
Vavic was accused of getting two fake recruits into USC, taking $250k and getting other coaches involved in the "Operation Varsity Blues" scandal.
The 13-time national coach of the year was arrested on March 12, 2019 and charged with fraud and bribery -- the only coach to stand trial rather than taking a plea deal.
His trial began three years later ... and on Friday, the Boston federal jury found the 60-year-old guilty of conspiracy to commit mail, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery.
Over 50 people have been charged for their involvement ... including Loughlin, who was sentenced to two months in prison while her fashion designer husband, Giannulli, received five months.
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Jesse Williams Child Support Payments Drastically Reduced ... Following His 'Grey's Anatomy' Exit
Former "Grey's Anatomy" star Jesse Williams is getting his monthly child support payments drastically reduced after his income plunged following his exit from the show ... according to new legal documents.
The docs, obtained by TMZ, say Jesse's original payments of $40,000 a month have been "temporarily modified" to $6,413 ... following last month's request from the actor.
As you'll recall, he asked for his monthly payments to be reduced since his switch from TV to Broadway profoundly affected his bottom line ... telling the court he was currently earning $1,668 per week on Broadway with the production "Take Me Out."
As we reported, Jesse and ex-wife Aryn Drake-Lee reached a child custody agreement at the end of February ... the judge denied her request to reduce his physical time with the kids.
This has been one of the bitterest divorces in Hollywood.
Once Jesse's show wraps in the summer, the two will be back in court to deal with the remaining issues in their case.
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OnlyFans Model Courtney Tailor 'I Only Date Rich, Black Guys' ... In clip 2 Weeks Before BF's Stabbing Death
The Instagram model covered in blood after her boyfriend's stabbing death proudly talked about needing to be in control of her relationships and only dating "rich Black men" just weeks before he was killed.
Courtney Tailor went on the "We In Miami Podcast" we're told just 2 weeks before Christian Tobechukwu Obumseli's death. A newly surfaced clip from the interview makes her taste in men pretty clear -- "Let me clarify, I only date rich Black guys."
As the interview goes on, she reveals she doesn't like being controlled in her life ... saying she never wants to be told what to do.
As we reported, cops responded to a domestic violence incident Sunday ... they found 27-year-old Christian with an apparent stab wound. Christian was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The footage, obtained by TMZ, shows Courtney handcuffed in her luxury apartment in Miami with her clothes are covered in blood after the event.
Police have yet to announce Courtney as the woman in the video, but Lee Merritt, an attorney working with Christian's family, says she's the one.
Local authorities have not arrested her at this time, she was taken into custody immediately after the stabbing for questioning -- but threatened to kill herself, and was hospitalized.
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'WALKING DEAD' MOSES J. MOSELEY Scholarship Started In His Honor
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The family of "The Walking Dead" star Moses J. Moseley has created the perfect way to honor the actor's legacy by starting a scholarship in his name.
Moses' sister, Teera Kimbro, tells TMZ … the MJM3 Fitness Scholarship came to be after she read the actor's journal after his passing. He had 5 goals written down for the year -- buy a condo, create a cartoon series, go to Germany for his birthday, start a fitness t-shirt brand, and create a scholarship.
She tells us Moses did a survey in college, trying to determine if student debt was a source of depression among college kids ... giving him the idea to create a scholarship and help with students' mental health.
After learning about his goal, Teera knew the idea had to live on, which is when the MJM3 fund was created -- the "3" comes from him being the 3rd child in the family.
The scholarship through Bold.org will provide 3 qualifying high school seniors or undergrads with $1,000 each to go towards their tuition. His family knows Moses would be proud that his legacy is making a difference in the world.
As we reported, Moses' body was found in his car back in January, and cops in Georgia started investigating his death as a possible suicide ... the cause of death couldn't be determined, however ... according to his death certificate.
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Captain America First Comic Sells For $3.1 Million
The first comic book ever to feature Captain America just sold at auction for a near-record price.
The winning bid for "Captain America Comics No. 1" came in Thursday at a whopping $3.1 million ... which is not far off from the $3.6 million someone shelled out in 2014 for the first comic with Spider-Man.
The comic book, which introduced fans to Captain America and his trusty sidekick, Bucky, was published way back in 1941 ... and this one was in near mint condition.
The issue, sold through Heritage Auctions, is 45 pages and the cover features imagery of Captain America punching Adolf Hitler and fighting the Nazis.
Here's the top prices for other superhero comics ... the first appearance of Superman went for $3.2 million in 2014, while the first comic with Batman fetched $2.2 million in January 2021.
The $3.1 million sale price for "Captain America Comics" puts it in the top 5 most expensive comics ever sold.
This same issue has grown in value over the years ... it was previously sold at auction twice before, fetching over $25,000 in 2010 and $915k in 2019.
Comics ... they can be an investment.
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Chicago Cubs Opening Day Ukrainian Flags Fly At Wrigley Field ... Support War Victims W/ Raffle
The Chicago Cubs used Opening Day on Thursday to raise awareness for the war in Ukraine -- flying Ukrainian flags at Wrigley Field and donating raffle proceeds to victims.
Cubbies officials hung the Ukrainian flags all outside of the stadium ... with roughly a dozen of the flags being placed around the famous venue's facade.
Inside the stadium, Chicago donated proceeds from the 50/50 raffle to Ukrainian relief efforts.
Thank you to the Ukrainian American Youth Association Choir of the Mykola Pavlushkiv Branch in Chicago for joining us to sing the Ukrainian National Anthem. 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/8YGPvg82Pr
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 7, 2022 @Cubs
The team also had Ukrainian American Youth Association Choir hit the field before the game against the Milwaukee Brewers to sing the Ukrainian national anthem.
As we reported, Ukraine has been in need of support since late February ... after Russian troops invaded the country.
The Cubbies were able to pull out the victory while honoring Ukraine, beating the Brewers in a 5-4 thriller.
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Betty White Memorabilia Up For Auction Over 1,500 Unique Items!!!
A huge collection of Betty White's personal items are going up for auction, with pieces spanning over her 8-decade career.
The items are going on the block in September, courtesy of Julien's Auctions in Bev Hills, and the treasure trove includes signed scripts, wedding bands and her popular outfits.
The collection will be displayed in various countries around the world before ending up at Julien's ... countries like Chile and Ireland. The collection will also make its way aboard the Queen Mary 2's Transatlantic Voyage.
The auction house says, "We are honored to work with her Estate in this exclusive presentation of these precious artifacts and personal mementos from her storied life and career which will be offered for the first time at auction to the public, museum curators and her legions of fans worldwide."
As you know, Betty was about to celebrate her 100th birthday when she died of a stroke on New Year's Eve 2021 at home in LA. After her passing, Betty's team released a pre-recorded video of the actress thanking her fans for all the money raised for animals through the #BettyWhiteChallenge.
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Kanye West Left $8M Behind By Quitting Coachella
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Kanye West is already a very wealthy man, but his bailing on Coachella left an enormous amount of money on the table ... millions and millions of dollars.
Sources with direct knowledge of the deal tell us ... Ye's deal was $8 million for his 2-weekend-long Sunday headlining gig. We're told in addition to that, Coachella was dishing out $500,000 in production costs.
However, while Kanye and his team only alerted Coachella festival that he was backing out at the last minute, it appears he hadn't been serious about taking the Coachella stage for quite some time, if ever.
Our Kanye sources say Ye really hadn't seriously rehearsed for a performance that some artists take months to prepare for. We're told he did have a team in place that was actively talking to Coachella producers, but there was still a ton of work to be done.
We're told the Coachella producers were caught completely off guard, with no plan B.
TMZ broke the story -- Kanye's spot has been filled by The Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia. Our sources say The Weeknd will earn the same amount as Kanye.
Page Six was first to report the money.
The festival is set to kick off a week from Friday, with more than 100,000 people expected to hit Indio, CA for what has already been a dramatic build-up to one of the biggest music festivals in the world.
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Big Bust Two Men Nabbed with Enough Fentanyl To Kill 4.7 Mil People
Two men have been hit with several felony charges in Southern California, after police say they found enough fentanyl to kill 4.7 million people ... in one of the largest busts the county has seen in 16 years.
You read that right. Police arrested 36-year-old Edgar Alfonso Lamas and 53-year-old Carlos Raygozaparedes ... after authorities found 821 lbs of meth, nearly 190 pounds of cocaine and 20.5 pounds of fentanyl pills inside a minivan pulling out from an Orange County, CA home.
As little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl is a lethal dose. The Orange County DA previously warned it would be cracking down on drug dealers ... even saying murder charges would be on the table in cases involving drugs like fentanyl that all too often result in a person's death.
Both guys now face a list of felony drug charges and a max sentence of 37 years and 4 months, if convicted.
They've both pleaded not guilty and remain in custody, on a $5 mil bail.
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Mark Wahlberg Bev Hills Estate for Sale ... For Nearly $90 Million
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Mark Wahlberg is getting out of Beverly Hills -- his massive estate there just hit the market ... and he is going to turn a HUGE profit considering what he first paid for it way back when.
The actor has listed his BH compound -- which includes a main mega-mansion with 12 bedrooms and 20 baths, plus a separate guest house -- for a whopping $87.5 million ... he first bought the land in 2009 for $8.25 mil and spent years building the home.
Overall, it's 30,500 square feet of living space ... covered in European limestone.
No matter what amount Mark settles for, he's obviously coming up big in the black ... we're talking tens of millions of dollars based on nothing but good old-fashioned real estate appreciation. Not bad!
As for the property itself ... it's literally Los Angeles luxury defined. It's got a full-blown library/study room, a waterfall pool, a grotto, tennis court, basketball court, a private spa, a 5,000-bottle wine cellar, a fully-equipped gym, a movie screening room -- and even separate quarters for any hired help, plus a media entry space!
There are other amenities that you should see for yourself ... seriously, this place rocks.
Like we said ... Mark's been soaking in this palace for well over a decade. Now, he seems ready to move -- because it's for sale and up for grabs. Whoever the new owner will be is someone that's gotta have deep pockets ... because this purchase is no walk in the park.
The house is listed by mega-realtor Kurt Rappaport.
Good luck, y'all!!!
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Kirsten Bloom Allen Ballerina Helps Ukrainian Dancer-Turned-Soldier 'Artists Helping Artists'
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Ballerina Kirsten Bloom Allen is pulling off the near-impossible ... getting life-saving supplies to a fellow dancer in Ukraine, who's been forced to put aside his true passion so he can defend his country.
Oleksii Potiomkin says he wanted to help his fellow Ukrainians and protect his family at all costs, but supplies were scarce. When he and Kirsten joined us Wednesday on TMZ Live, she explained why she refused to sit by idly while a fellow dancer was in need.
Kirsten tells us she reached out to Oleksii online -- they knew each other through dance -- and they created a list of things needed for the Hospitallers, a volunteer paramedic group he joined that tends to Ukraine's wounded soldiers.
Kirsten says she shipped the supplies to another ballet dancer in Amsterdam, who took them through Poland and to Oleksii in Ukraine. Now, she's launched a fundraiser, hoping to get more supplies into the country such as medical supplies and food.
Oleksii tells us this war is forcing people from all walks of life to step up and fight for the cause. He started helping people on his own with medicine and aid, even before joining the Hospitallers.
Heroic and inspirational -- both fitting words for what Oleksii and Kristen are doing to protect Ukraine, and to help others heal.
Kirsten is asking anyone wanting to donate to head to her website, kirstenbloomallen.com
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YK Osiris Paying for 'Orlando Free-Fall' Victim's Funeral ... 'I Know I Had To Help'
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YK Osiris is in talks with the family of the 14-year-old who fell to his death from an amusement park ride, saying he wants to do his part by covering funeral expenses.
We talked to YK Tuesday at LAX, where he told us he's already talking through the process with Tyre Sampson's family. The rapper says he'd also like to be in attendance for the funeral, if they'll have him.
YK says he decided to get involved when ICON Park in Orlando, FL wasn't acting fast enough, in his opinion, so he wanted to make something happen for the family.
As we reported, 14-year-old Tyre was visiting ICON Park a few weeks ago when he fell to his death from the "Orlando Free-Fall" ride. The attraction, which just opened in December, reportedly plummets at 75 mph.
"I'd like to extend my deepest condolences to the family of the young man who lost his life late last night after falling from the Orlando Free Fall attraction. We can't imagine the pain and anguish that his family must be going through."- OCSO Sheriff John Mina pic.twitter.com/a6tRdVn9PC
— Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) March 25, 2022 @OrangeCoSheriff
Florida officials say Sampson was wearing his safety harness and it "was still in a down and locked position when the ride stopped." His family has reportedly raised concerns he was too big for the ride ... or so they believe after checking the ride's safety manual.
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Justin Bieber Free Therapy For My Fans, Tour Crew ... 'We All Need Help'
Justin Bieber is offering free online therapy to his millions of fans and the hundreds of folks working on his world tour ... and he's dropping millions to pull off the grand gesture.
The Biebs just announced his partnership with online therapy platform BetterHelp, with Justin saying ... "The one thing I've learned over the years is that we all go through our ups and downs, and we all need help sometimes."
Justin says his fans can get one free month of online therapy for themselves, or share it with a friend or family member in need ... and he's also offering 18 months of free therapy for his 250+ person touring crew.
BetterHelp, the world's largest therapy service, says the mental health services being offered are worth up to $3 million ... and folks can visit betterhelp.com/justinbieber for the opportunity to receive a free month of therapy.
3/8/22
Justin's performing nightly on his Justice World Tour, and he's been sharing messages that it's okay to not be okay sometimes ... telling crowds even the world's biggest celebs have their own personal struggles.
When he performed last month in L.A., Justin told the crowd ... "What this tour is about is about unity, it's about collectively coming together and saying I love you no matter what you look like, no matter where you come from ... and I just think there's so much power in that."
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Kourtney & Travis No Prenup, No Problem ... Postnup Will Do
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8:34 AM PT -- A source at the chapel where they had the ceremony tells us they'll only perform it with a marriage license, but a source close to Travis and Kourtney tells us they hadn't gotten a license, which wouldn't make it legal.
Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker were determined to get married, even if the financial aspect of their relationship wasn't quite ironed out.
Sources connected to the two tell us ... prior to Sunday night's Vegas wedding, the two had started working on a prenup, but nothing had been signed. We're told the plan now will be for a postnup -- and should be handled without issue.
Kourtney is reportedly worth around $65 million and Travis around $50 million ... so there's a lot of money on the line.
Prenups and postnups at this level typically separate earnings during the marriage ... that's the way Kim and Kanye handled it. What they bring into the marriage stays as separate property.
TMZ broke the story -- Kourtney and Travis beelined it to a Vegas chapel Sunday night after the Grammys for an Elvis-themed wedding ceremony. We're told they didn't allow the venue to take any photos, bringing their own photog instead as well as their security team.
What's more ... we're told the two came prepared with a marriage license -- which they presented to the chapel's owner -- so while it may have seemed impulsive, there was still some planning behind the scenes.
Our sources say Kourtney and Travis are planning on something more elaborate in the future with close friends and family.
Originally Published -- 8:30 AM PT
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Aaron Donald Lists Cali Mansion For $6.2 Million ... Amid Retirement Rumors
Aaron Donald might be dropping a hint about his NFL future -- the Rams superstar just listed his incredible California mansion for more than $6 million ... amid rumors he could retire.
TMZ Sports has learned ... the pad is located in a gated community in Calabasas (45 minutes west of downtown Los Angeles) and sits on nearly an acre of land.
The 7,036 square-foot home has six bedrooms, six and a half bathrooms, a huge kitchen and a 4-four car garage ... but there's a ton of awesome additional features to the place.
The mansion has a huge game room, an outdoor basketball court and a resort-like zero-edge infinity pool ... as well as an outdoor kitchen for pool parties.
The best part?? The new owners will always have a fresh cut ... 'cause there's a private barbershop inside the home with a huge mural of #99 himself.
The Donald crib -- listed with Jordan Cohen of RE/MAX -- was just put on the market this week ... and comes with a $6,250,000 price tag.
The listing may come as a sign the Super Bowl champ is either retiring or leaving the Los Angeles area ... but Donald's made more than $90 million in eight seasons in the league, so it's entirely possible he could be upgrading.
In other words ... take a DEEP breath, Rams fans.
Donald is one of the best defensive players of all time -- on top of his Super Bowl win, his accolades include 3-time Defensive Player of the Year and most career sacks (98) in Rams history.
Worth noting -- buying Donald's home won't make you an NFL superstar overnight ... but it WILL make you feel like a champ.
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UNC Vs. Kansas Title Game Ticket Prices Plummet ... After Duke Gets Eliminated
The North Carolina Tar Heels and Kansas Jayhawks are hours away from facing off in the NCAA National Championship on Monday ... and anyone looking to catch the game in person is in luck -- 'cause ticket prices are torpedoing.
TMZ Sports has learned ... ticket prices have been steadily dropping since the title game matchup was announced.
According to Gametime -- an app for last-minute tickets -- fans can purchase seats starting at just $22 ... a far cry from Saturday's lowest asking price of $123.
Before UNC upset Duke and Kansas topped Villanova ... the top-priced seats for the big game were a whopping $9,423 per ticket.
But now, fans will have to cough up $5,561 per ticket for a premium seat in the building -- which is nothing to scoff at, but not nearly as much as they would have paid before perennial powerhouse Duke got eliminated.
There's a logical theory behind the price change -- many fans had hopes of seeing Coach K and the Blue Devils go out on top in the title game ... as Krzyzewski previously announced this season would be his last.
Coach K -- who's won 5 national championships with Duke -- was seeking that elusive 6th title ... but the Tar Heels, led by stars Caleb Love and Armando Bacot, and coach Hubert Davis had other plans.
8-seed UNC -- who's an is underdog by 4 points -- looks to pull off another upset tonight ... the Heels take on 1-seed Kansas in the final game of March Madness.