Money

Megan Rapinoe and the U.S. Women's National Team got what they've been wanting for so long -- U.S. Soccer just announced both the men's and women's national teams will receive equal pay.

The org. just announced the groundbreaking deal on Wednesday ... saying World Cup earnings for both teams will be split equally between players on both teams.

"This is a truly historic moment," U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said of the deal. "In becoming the first federation in the world to solve the massive and vexing challenge of equalizing FIFA World Cup prize money, U.S. Soccer and our players have changed the game forever here at home, with the hopes of inspiring change around the world."

On top of the WC money, the teams will also receive the same appearance fees and game bonuses ... and share commercial revenue.

As we previously reported, the USWNT has been fighting for this since winning the World Cup in 2019 ... chanting for equal pay as they celebrated the win.

All 28 players on the USWNT filed a lawsuit against the USSF shortly after ... accusing it of engaging in "institutionalized gender discrimination" against the team.

Rapinoe also gave a passionate speech about equal pay at the White House in 2021.

The lawsuit resulted in a $24 million settlement ... which was contingent on the new deal.

The families of the victims killed in the Buffalo massacre are getting a lot of help in the wake of this tragedy -- both on the crowdfunding front ... but, possibly, on the civil side too.

Fundraisers have been organized in the aftermath of Saturday's mass shooting -- which claimed the lives of 10 people after 18-year-old Payton Gendron opened fire in a supermarket in an attack that was rooted in racial hatred.

One of the campaigns was organized by Keith Blakely, CEO of OnCore Golf Technology, and has already raised around $100k.

Blakely tells TMZ ... the money came in over the course of a few days, with more than 1,400 donors making contributions ranging from $5 to $5k. Blakely says the $100k goal seemed like a tall order at first, but now ... he's aiming to give each family $10,000.

Blakely says he's teamed up with the Mayor's Office to help distribute the money ASAP. He tells us celebs have chipped in, but won't say who ... but he tipped his hand and said athletes have really stepped up.

Other GFMs have been started ... one for the Tops store, another for the slain security guard, yet another for victims' families and a 4th for resource deliveries to victims and members of the community who might be affected.

While all that dough is great, there might be an even larger amount on the horizon thanks to Ben Crump and his team ... he's already been retained by the family of Ruth Whitfield -- one of the oldest victims killed in Saturday's massacre.

Sources tell us Crump is looking to represent as many families as possible ... which we're told may include suing the gun manufacturer of the weapon used in the attack ... an AR-15-style rifle with a high capacity magazine.

Yo Gotti isn't waiting around for gift cards for his 41st birthday, instead he's treating himself ... to more than a million bucks worth of super-luxury rides!!!

The Collective Music Group CEO recorded himself riding around with copious amounts of cash ... ultimately choosing to stunt on his haters with not one but two Rolls Royces off the showroom floor.

Gotti's birthday behavior is time-tested ... each year he splurges on lavish gifts ahead of his annual b-day celebration -- the star-studded Birthday Bash concert series at the FedEx Forum in Memphis.

This year's Birthday Bash 8 blowout is going down July 15 and while the guests haven't been announced, past years saw the likes of Lil Baby, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Master P, Polo G, T.I., City Girls, Monica, Boosie Badazz and many more perform.

CMG apparently has plenty of wealth to spread around. Gotti's latest signee, R&B singer Lehla Samia, was recently blessed with a pink Lamborghini Urus just for inking her name on the dotted line.

Sydney Sweeney broke an agreement with a swimwear brand to promote their products, then turned around and wore the suits on "Euphoria" ... this according to a new lawsuit.

The HBO star is being sued by the swim and lifestyle brand LA Collective for allegedly breaking her contract to model and promote the company's swimsuits.

According to docs obtained by TMZ, the fashion brand claims it reached an agreement with Sydney last year, where she would be the influencer for the launch of their new line, "Somewhere Swimwear."

The brand says Sydney initially appeared to be on board and approved all their designs and production prototypes ... but they claim her camp suddenly canceled the agreement without any explanation or cause, refusing to proceed.

And, get this ... the brand claims Sydney then appropriated the designs for her own use, wearing the swimsuits on at least 5 episodes of "Euphoria."

The swimwear company says they expected to sell more than $3 million worth of suits under the deal and want the actress to cough up big damages for backing out.

Travis Scott is making sure hundreds of Black college students walk across the commencement stage with their diploma ... with a seven-figure donation.

The rapper awarded $1 million in scholarships to 100 students at HBCUs who are on track to graduate in the Class of 2022 ... ensuring they cross the finish line and aren't affected by last-minute financial hurdles.

The soon-to-be grads are each getting a $10,000 scholarship from Travis' previously-established Waymon Webster Scholarship Fund ... and the recipients finished their final semester with at least a 3.5 GPA.

Among the scholars ... Florida A&M University pharmacy major Nisha Encarnacion, who is from the U.S. Virgin Islands and paid her own way through college while supporting her mother and daughter, Fisk University computer science major Chisom Okwor, whose goal is to help transform developing countries in Africa, and North Carolina Central University broadcast journalism major Jordan Massey, who took on a ton of debt to get his communications degree.

Travis' sister, Jordan Webster, manages the scholarship fund ... and she recently graduated as well, with a degree from Howard University.

Travis' donations went to seniors at 38 HBCUs ... including Alabama A&M University, Central State University, Jackson State University, Morehouse College, Texas Southern University, Grambling State University, Xavier University of Louisiana, and Prairie View A&M University.

The $1 million worth of scholarships is part of Travis' Project HEAL, which as we first reported, was announced back in March and included $5 million in earmarks.

Remember ... Project HEAL was one of Travis' first public philanthropic since the tragic Astroworld concert last November, which saw 10 people die as a result of injuries sustained during Travis' set.

Lionel Messi -- arguably the greatest soccer player of all time -- is reportedly taking his talents to the United States after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain is up in 2023 ... as he's slated to join David Beckham's club, Inter Miami.

The 34-year-old 7-time Ballon d'Or award winner is expected to take a 35% stake with the MLS franchise, according to Front Office Sports.

Messi, who's currently playing for PSG, will sign with Inter Miami once his contract expires with one of France's top clubs.

On Monday, Beckham posted pics with several members of PSG's club -- Messi being amongst the group -- where he appeared chummy with the Argentinian player.

As we previously reported, Messi parted ways with Barcelona after the club said financial obstacles prevented them from offering him a suitable deal.

Starbucks in jumping into the Roe v. Wade fray by telling its employees the company will pay travel expenses for any staffer who has to travel more than 100 miles from home to get an abortion.

A Starbucks exec put it this way ... "Like many of you, I'm deeply concerned by the draft Supreme Court opinion related to the constitutional right to abortion that was first established by Roe v. Wade."

She went on ... "I know this is weighing on many of you, so let me be clear up front — regardless of what the Supreme Court ends up deciding, we will always ensure our partners have access to quality healthcare. And when actions impact your access to healthcare, we will work on a way to make sure you feel supported."

The coffee company pledged to its 240,000 employees it will cover all travel-related expenses "when accessing abortion or gender-affirming procedures."

A super rare, nearly 40-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sticker just hit the auction block ... and TMZ Sports has learned it's about to sell for a STAGGERING sum!!

We're told the piece -- which is a sticker/card from the 1986 Fleer set -- is currently sitting at $95,000 in the bidding ... and is expected to fetch several thousands more by the time the auction concludes later this week.

Officials at PWCC Marketplace -- the org. hosting the auction -- tell us the scarcity of this particular KAJ sticker is what makes it a must-have item.

The experts say out of the 2,484 Abdul-Jabbar fleer stickers that have been graded by PSA, only 14 of them received a perfect 10 -- and this sticker is one of them.

"It is extremely hard to find this sticker in this grade," PWCC exec. Jesse Craig said. "A gem mint version of this asset surfaces for sale so rarely at auction that collectors are moving very aggressively to secure it."

The previous record for the sticker -- which is also notable because it's from the same set as the famed Michael Jordan rookie card -- came back in May 2016, when a piece sold for $23,766.

KAJ was a dominant force at the collegiate level -- he won three straight national titles under John Wooden -- and that brilliance translated to the NBA, where his success continued.

Kareem made 19 All-Star teams, won 6 NBA titles to go along with 6 MVP awards ... and is regarded as one of, if not, the greatest big man in NBA history.

Kareem was also a key part of the Showtime Lakers with Magic Johnson, that won 5 championships in the '80s ... and Craig says that's another reason the sticker's value is exploding.

Craig tells us ... HBO's 'Winning Time' documentary, which highlights the players from the Showtime Lakers, has added to the intrigue of Kareem and this sticker.

"While it has been controversial," Craig said, "the show definitely reminded many of how impressive the 'Showtime' Lakers were."

"Kareem was a critical part of that era and that point is made clear in the dramatized retelling."

Randall Emmett is working to eliminate a major source of memories in his relationship with Lala Kent ... listing the house they once called home for sale.

The producer is parting ways with the 4 bed, 4 bathroom house he and his ex-fiancée used to live in together. Randall's asking $6.295 million for the home -- which comes complete with a swimming pool, entertainer's kitchen and pickle-ball court in the backyard.

A source familiar with the situation tells us Randall is simply looking for a bigger home for his family ... he bought it several years ago and remodeled a lot of the home, so he should definitely make a decent profit.

TMZ broke the story -- the two ended their 3-year engagement back in October -- with Lala moving out of the home. While the couple had several ups and downs in their relationship, we were told the October split was the final straw ... and that's proven true.

Randall had 2 children from a previous relationship, but he and Lala had welcomed a daughter, named Ocean, together in the months before their split.

While the couple's relationship was heavily covered on "Vanderpump Rules" things got pretty messy near the end, with allegations of cheating. Clearly, there were trust issues between the two as well, Lala recently said on her podcast, "The only truth I feel that existed in my relationship was me and my daughter Ocean. That is where the truth ended. That is a hard pill to swallow.”

T-Mobile caused one of its customers to lose 3/4 of a million bucks, and the guy who's out the money is now suing the phone company, claiming its security sucked so bad, someone just up and stole his money.

Calvin Cheng claims T-Mobile violated Federal laws that impose security regulations to ensure against hacking and outright stealing.

Cheng claims he's a customer of a company called Iterative ... a hybrid investment fund focused on crypto trading. He says in 2018 T-Mobile was the victim of a SIM-swap -- where a criminal third party convinces a wireless carrier to transfer access from one of its legitimate customers to a SIM-card controlled by the criminal.

Cheng alleges in 2020 ... T-Mobile allowed one of these criminal third parties access to Iterative's founder. The criminal third party, posing as the Iterative founder, convinced Cheng to send 15 Bitcoins to a digital wallet ... which he believed was controlled by Iterative. He was expected to cash it in for U.S. dollars but never received them.

He seems to be pegging the price of Bitcoin at the time of the fraud at $50,000 a pop -- hence the $750k in damages -- although now its value has plummeted to just under $30,000 a coin.

Cheng says T-Mobile's security lapses were a direct cause of his loss.

In addition to the $750,000, Cheng wants punitive damages and other costs.

UFC legend Cain Velasquez was just denied bail again ... after the man he's accused of shooting back in February claimed he suffered serious injuries in the alleged attack.

A Santa Clara County judge denied Velaquez's request for bail in a courtroom on Monday ... following a nearly one-hour-long hearing.

During the proceedings, Velasquez's attorneys argued -- according to reporter Nolan King -- that the 39-year-old should be granted bail ... and said the former fighter would be willing to post $1 mil as well as have full-time supervision and/or electronic monitoring while out from behind bars.

But, prosecutors claimed Velasquez shouldn't be granted it ... saying Cain is still a threat to the alleged victims in the case.

Later during the hearing, one of the alleged victims, Paul Bender -- the stepfather of Harry Goularte, who's accused of molesting one of Velasquez's family members -- claimed he suffered nerve damage and more after Cain shot at him while he and Goularte were driving on the road.

Bender -- appearing via a video conference call -- claimed a bullet injured him so badly, he has damage to his fingers and can no longer work.

"I am fearful for my life as well as the lives of my family," Bender told the courtroom, according to King.

Ultimately, following the testimony, the judge at the hearing denied Velasquez's request for bail. Cain is now slated to remain behind bars until at least June 10.

As we reported, Velasquez -- who was also previously denied bail at a hearing in March -- has been in jail since he was arrested for allegedly firing multiple rounds at Goularte and Bender in a fit of anger.

If Jerry Jones for some reason ever got the itch to sell the Dallas Cowboys -- he said he could get more than $10 BILLION for the team!!!

Jones made the eyebrow-raising claim to Peter King last Friday ... saying he truly believes his franchise is worth that much cash.

But, breathe easy, Cowboys fans ... he said a sale will never go down.

"Let me make this very clear," Jones told King. "I'll say it definitively. I will never do it. I will never sell the Cowboys. Ever."

Jones' comments were spurred by the upcoming sale of the Denver Broncos. The Colorado org. is in the process of getting a new owner -- and the price tag that's been kicked around for the team is $4.5 billion.

Because of the Cowboys' global popularity, Jones clearly believes his team is worth more than double that figure ... and told King that he expects that number to potentially grow even more exponentially over the next few years.

"The NFL, in my mind," Jones said, "the visibility, the volume, the overall passion, you frankly can’t get it anywhere else. That’s why all these people want a piece of it.”

Bills safety Micah Hyde is helping the Buffalo community after a mass shooting left 10 people dead and three others injured ... by committing to donate proceeds from his charity softball game over the weekend.

Hyde, a member of the Bills' org. for five seasons, had originally planned to host the softball game at Sahlen Field -- the Buffalo Bisons' minor league stadium -- to benefit his Imagine for Youth Foundation.

But, Micah almost canceled the event due to the horrific shooting at a Tops supermarket on Saturday ... although he ultimately decided to still hold it, and use it as a way to help victims of the tragedy.

Before the game, Hyde's org. received a $200,000 check from the event's sponsors ... and he announced a portion of those proceeds would go to victims' families.

Additionally, Hyde said money raised from a silent auction at the event would also support the loved ones of those who died in the mass shooting.

The 31-year-old Bills defensive back said he couldn't believe what happened ... and expressed one of the ways to eradicate hate in the world is by showing love to the youth and the community, like what he's doing with his charity softball game, which saw over 10,000 people attend.

The Bills tweeted out that they were praying for the Buffalo community ... and would be meeting Monday to discuss ways the team can help those affected by the senseless violence.

During an interview at the event Saturday, Bills star quarterback Josh Allen said he was "sick to his stomach" and that the incident "hits home" for him and his teammates.

Amber Heard's team is lashing out at Johnny Depp as she braces for cross-examination, saying she expects Johnny's lawyer to do classic victim shaming.

Heard is finishing up her direct testimony, but before Johnny's lawyers have their chance, her team tells TMZ, "Today, we expect Depp's attorneys will instead pound away on the victim. We fear it will be equal parts shameful and desperate. And, the overwhelming evidence -- the truth -- is not on Depp's side."

They continued ... "The one thing we suspect Depp's attorneys will avoid is the central issue of this trial: does Amber or any woman have the First Amendment Right of freedom of speech."

The freedom of speech argument is a little off, because this is a defamation case, and the law is clear ... if someone lies bout someone else and that lie causes damage to a person's reputation, it's not protected speech. That's the issue before the jury.

The case was put on ice for a week ... unusual since it was in the middle of Amber's testimony.

Kevin Samuels' family says an imposter is behind a GoFundMe created to raise money for his funeral expenses, and even though they were offered the cash ... they won't accept the money.

Social media was buzzing after the fundraising page popped up, many calling Kevin's family hypocrites for seeking financial help ... as he always preached a message of financial independence without handouts.

However, a source with direct knowledge tells us they reached out to Kevin's family to verify the account and learned the family did NOT create it ... so GoFundMe scrubbed the fundraiser from its platform.

Not only that, our sources say GoFundMe offered Kevin's family the few hundred bucks raised on the fake page ... but they refused to accept it, so it was returned to donors.

TMZ broke the story, the woman Samuels was with desperately tried to save his life -- performing CPR as she dialed 911 -- but unfortunately, he didn't make it. It's believed Kevin suffered a heart attack.

New York Knicks legend Willis Reed's warmup jacket from Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals -- one of the most famous moments in basketball history -- is about to hit the auction block, and is expected to sell for a huge chunk of change!

TMZ Sports has learned the infamous jacket Reed wore during the "Willis Reed Game" ... as he limped onto the Madison Square Garden court for the deciding contest against the Los Angeles Lakers will soon go to the highest bidder.

Remember, Reed tore his thigh muscle in Game 5 of the series against L.A., and missed Game 6 because of the serious injury.

With Willis out, Wilt Chamberlain went off, dominating the Knicks, and forcing a deciding game 7.

The Knicks appeared to be in big trouble ... as almost no one expected Reed to play in game 7, despite the Knicks being just 4 quarters from a title.

But, after receiving medical treatment on his torn thigh, Reed somehow hobbled onto the court at MSG ... and fans couldn't believe it.

Reed, who was severely limited during the game, scored just 4 points and collected 3 rebounds ... but it was about more than just his contribution to the box score.

Willis, now a College and Basketball Hall of Famer, inspired his teammates with his heroics, leading the Knicks to a game 7 win and an NBA championship.

Fellow Knicks legend Walt "Clyde" Frazier scored 36 points, and dished 19 assists in one of the finest game 7 performances of all-time.

Throughout the historic night, from the time he ran on the court to while he sat on the bench and watched the game, Reed wore his NYK warmup.

Now, that jacket is soon to be available at Grey Flannel Auctions ... with a starting bid of $10K.

The closing price will be significantly more money.

GFA tells us the warmup jacket has been photo-matched to ensure its authenticity. Experts examined several images of Willis in the jacket, including stills from his interview with legendary broadcaster Howard Cosell during the team's championship celebration.

The size "48" and "L" jacket has the Knicks' "NY" logo in orange and blue on the left chest ... and the words "New York" are on the back in the same colors as the front.

Reed's iconic jacket officially goes up for auction on May 16.