Money

Jay-Z and Jeff Bezos, two of the most successful men in America, are interested in buying the Washington Commanders, in light of owner Dan Snyder's interest in selling the NFL team, sources tell TMZ Sports.

And, we're told a partnership between the men is on the table.

On Wednesday, the team issued a statement announcing Snyder hired a major bank to investigate a possible opportunity to sell the team ... but made it clear he hadn't yet made a final decision.

Still, the move provided hope to droves of Washington football fans ... who after controversy after controversy and endless losing have long wished Snyder would sell.

We're told Jay, worth an estimated $1.3 billion by Forbes, has expressed serious interest in acquiring the team ... valued at $5.6 billion this summer.

Despite the rap legend and businessman's incredible fortune, we're told he'd look for a strategic partner.

Bezos, one of the world's richest people ($114 billion net worth), is also interested in the team.

Bezos has ties to the area ... he owns the Washington Post newspaper.

Amazon also owns Prime Video ... which recently inked a multi-year, multi-million dollar deal to broadcast Thursday Night Football.

Jay-Z is in business with the NFL ... signing a partnership deal in 2019 which gave Hov power over the halftime show, as well as social justice initiatives.

He also previously owned an NBA team, the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets ... before being forced to sell when he opened his sports and marketing agency, Roc Nation Sports, over a potential conflict of interest.

Byron Allen and Robert Griffin III, amongst many more, have also expressed interest in the team.

There's no shortage of suitors, but topping Bezos and Jay-Z would be a monumental task.

Kyrie Irving is acknowledging the hurt he caused the Jewish community when he promoted a movie containing antisemitic ideas, saying he "meant no harm" ... and to prove he's serious, the NBA star says he'll donate $500K to fight hate.

The 30-year-old Brooklyn Nets star Tweeted a link to "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!" last week ... and despite almost immediate backlash, Irving refused to back down, standing by his actions.

That is until Wednesday evening ... when the Brooklyn Nets and Kyrie released a statement apologizing and announcing the large monetary donation.

“I oppose all forms of hatred and oppression and stand strong with communities that are marginalized and impacted every day," Kyrie said.

"I am aware of the negative impact of my post towards the Jewish community and I take responsibility. I do not believe everything said in the documentary was true or reflects my morals and principles."

The 7x NBA All-Star continued ... "I am a human being learning from all walks of life and I intend to do so with an open mind and a willingness to listen. So from my family and I, we meant no harm to any one group, race or religion of people, and wish to only be a beacon of truth and light."

Worth noting -- Kyrie does not flat-out say "I'm sorry," or, "I apologize" ... which has some people saying his statement and donation isn't enough.

Irving stopped short of completely condemning the ideas in the movie ... but it's certainly a big departure from his previous position.

Prior to tonight's announcement, Irving was getting destroyed everywhere from on TV, to social media, and even at Barclays. In fact, a group of fans protested Kyrie earlier this week ... wearing shirts that read "FIGHT ANTISEMITISM."

Brooklyn is home to one of the country's largest Jewish populations.

As for the money, the Nets are also chipping in 500 grand ... bringing the total to $1 million. The organization says they'll divide the cash among "causes and organizations that work to eradicate hate and intolerance in our communities."

The team also says they'll work with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) -- which fights antisemitism -- to "develop educational programming that is inclusive and will comprehensively combat all forms of antisemitism and bigotry."

Jeff Bezos is going to court because one of his former housekeepers claims he racially discriminated against her, and forced her to work under conditions so bad ... just going to the bathroom was a nightmare.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Mercedes Wedaa says Bezos' team allegedly treated her and other Hispanic cleaning staff members much differently compared to the white employees ... claiming his household manager was "aggressive and abusive" to her, while being "respectful and polite" to the white staff.

Wedaa, who began working at Bezos' Seattle mansion back in 2019, claims she would often work 10-14 hour shifts, but was unable to take a break while Bezos and his family were on-property.

She claims she wasn't allowed to enter the home unless actively cleaning ... which is where going to the bathroom became a major issue.

According to the docs, Wedaa and other housekeepers "were forced to climb out of the laundry room window to the outside. Then run along the path to the mechanical room, through the mechanical room and downstairs to a bathroom.”

Wedaa's now seeking damages from Bezos and 2 companies that manage his properties.

Bezos' attorney, Harry Korrell, tells TMZ, "We have investigated the claims, and they lack merit. Ms. Wedaa made over six figures annually and was the lead housekeeper. She was responsible for her own break and meal times, and there were several bathrooms and breakrooms available to her and other staff."

He continues, "The evidence will show that Ms. Wedaa was terminated for performance reasons. She initially demanded over $9M, and when the company refused, she decided to file this suit. Given their backgrounds, the suggestion that Mr. Bezos, Ms. Sanchez, or Northwestern LLC discriminated against Ms. Wedaa based on her race or national origin is absurd."

If you've ever wanted to grab lunch with Paul Rudd, Zoom chat with Jason Sudeikis or go to work with Ben Stiller, here's your shot -- all those things are up for grabs, and all to our support veterans.

A ton of celebs are teaming up with Homes For Our Troops in honor of Veterans Day -- it's an annual online auction raising funds for injured vets, and this year's lineup is amazing.

A-list celebs like Whoopi Goldberg, Bryan Cranston and Jake Gyllenhaal are offering you a chance to link up for an online chat ... or maybe you'd prefer an in-person experience.

You could grab lunch in NYC with Rudd or Jake Tapper, or get a one-hour tennis lesson from Andy Roddick!

If memorabilia is more your thing ... bid on George Clooney's Omega luxury watch in an autographed case, Jennifer Aniston's designer Louis Vuitton bag and/or Kenny Chesney's autographed guitar. There's so much more you can peruse on their site.

The best part of this particular auction is 100% of proceeds go to Homes For Our Troops, which builds and donates custom homes for severely wounded post-9/11 veterans.

This is the 6th year of the Veterans Day Celebrity Auction -- bidding opens today and runs through November 13.

Kanye West could dig himself an even bigger hole if he tries to sell his "White Lives Matter" shirts in America ... because that phrase has already been trademarked -- and guess what? It's owned by 2 black men.

Ramses Ja and Quinton Ward, hosts of the radio show Civic Cipher, legally got rights to the phrase last month ... telling CNN it's all about making sure it doesn't end up in the wrong hands.

The trademark covers the right to sell clothing with those words displayed.

The trademark was acquired by an anonymous listener of Ramses and Quinton's racial justice show ... filing it the same day Ye wore his controversial outfit at Paris fashion week.

The listener transferred ownership over to their show a few weeks back.

Ramses and Quinton said it was a tough call to take the trademark ... but added, “Once it was clear that someone stood to gain significant profit from it, because as you’ve seen, even though (Kanye) says some really hurtful, divisive and sometimes crazy things, he has a bit of a zealot following and every time he releases something, it sells out.”

Elon Musk got into a big 'ol Twitter fight with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, trading jabs over the billionaire's intent to charge verified users a fee to maintain their status on the social media platform.

Musk -- Twitter's new owner -- announced this week he would implement a policy charging an $8 monthly fee for users to keep their blue check badges to prove their accounts are authentic. He originally set the price at $20, but then lowered it. It's unclear when he plans to make the $8 fee official.

This didn't sit well with many critics and AOC, who sent out a flurry of Tweets Tuesday/Wednesday, giving Musk a piece of her mind.

"Lmao at a billionaire earnestly trying to sell people on the idea that 'free speech' is actually a $8/mo subscription plan," the New York congresswoman tweeted.

AOC followed up with another zinger ... "One guy's business plan for a $44 billion over-leveraged purchase is apparently to run around and individually ask people for $8. Remember that next time you question yourself or your qualifications."

She even complained that her Twitter notifications weren't working properly.

Musk then got into it with her. The Tesla/SpaceX boss tweeted a photo of an AOC sweatshirt selling on her website for $58, seemingly defending his $8 subscription fee by showing she, too, is trying to monetize her business.

But, the Democratic lawmaker wasn't having it, tweeting ... "My workers are union, make a living wage, have full healthcare, and aren’t subject to racist treatment in their workplaces. Items are made in USA."

Musk fired back ... "Your feedback is appreciated, now pay $8." AOC landed the last punch, though, declaring she had "gotten under a certain billionaire's skin" next to a laughing emoji.

Chief Keef is in legal hot water ... a California judge issued a bench warrant after the rapper failed to show for a court date.

Chief Keef was MIA from a Wednesday court hearing relating to his DUI case, so the judge issued a $10K bench warrant.

Things seem to have been unraveling for Keef, legally speaking, since his arrest for DUI back in June 2021.

According to our sources, there was an outstanding warrant in that case from missing a court hearing. Law enforcement sources tell us cops were running plates during a routine traffic stop last month and pulled Keef over for driving on a suspended or revoked license. That's when officers saw an active warrant in the system from the DUI case, and Keef was booked and released without bail.

Our law enforcement sources tell us Keef was ordered to appear Wednesday in court but never showed, which led to the new warrant being issued.

The future is bright for Future when it comes to his real estate portfolio ... because he just dropped 10 figures on an island paradise.

Real estate sources tell TMZ ... the "Mask Off" rapper just bought a $16.3 million home on Allison Island in Miami Beach.

The place is absolutely palatial ... it's 8,897 square feet of pure luxury, as the 7-bedroom home features picturesque water views from the super exclusive island.

The master bedroom has a full wet bar and wine fridge, plus two huge walk-in closets and a private balcony spanning the entire length of the home.

Future's new crib has a backyard that sounds straight out of a tropical resort ... there's a pool and a spa, plus multiple dining areas and even a place to park a yacht. Miami living at its finest.

Jordan Karp represented Future in the sale, while Dina Goldentayer of Douglas Elliman repped the sellers.

Jay-Z wants to sell his D'Ussé cake and eat it too ... at least according to Bacardi, his partners in the top-shelf liquor, who now claim he's trying to double the brand's value and make a bundle.

Bacardi's subsidiary, Empire Investments, responded to Jay's lawsuit, and in the docs it says both parties actually had a "handshake deal" last December ... in which Empire agreed to buy  Jay's 50 percent stake in the cognac line.

But the company alleges Jay "abruptly reneged on its agreement and doubled its demanded valuation."

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... Jay's company, SC Liquor, exercised an option last year for Bacardi to buy him out. They had been 50/50 partners in D'Ussé since its inception in 2012. Bacardi doesn't disagree with that, but takes issue with Mr. Carter's attempt to "outrageously inflate" the price ... in their words.

In the new docs, Empire/Bacardi doesn't say what, if any, price they'd agreed upon when they made the handshake deal -- much of the document is redacted as we're guessing neither side wants any valuation of D'Ussé to be made public at this point.

As we reported, Jay thinks Bacardi is trying to lowball him on the price, and that's why he filed the lawsuit.

As for his demand for his partners to open up the books ... the company says it already handed him more than 800 pages of financial records, and says any further documents he wants are not for his eyes, because they involve Bacardi data ... which they see as entirely separate from the D'ussé venture.

Xavien Howard is firing back at his accuser in new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports ... calling the woman "a scorned ex-lover" -- and insisting her STD lawsuit against him is "the epitome of a shakedown."

The Miami Dolphins star filed the docs on Friday -- one day after the woman, who filed her suit anonymously as Jane Doe, claimed he negligently gave her genital herpes.

In the documents, Howard argued the woman's suit should be thrown out ... and he says the woman has stalked him, threatened him with violence, and tried to extort him for cash.

In the docs, Howard claims he has text message proof that showed the woman is "nothing more than a scorned ex-lover who has elected to prey on [Howard's] public status for the purpose of obtaining a financial windfall without right or claim."

The cornerback even included texts that he says show the woman calling him curse words ... before threatening to "come to your job tomorro and cause a whole scene."

More than a century later, a game-used bat from Ty Cobb's 1905 rookie season is up for auction ... and already has a bid of $236K, TMZ Sports has learned.

The piece of wood was manufactured by Hillerich & Bradsby ... and is 34.5 inches long and weighs 36.6 ounces. The ash bat has ball marks on the right and back barrel and a slight crack on the upper handle, according to Grey Flannel Auctions.

The lumber was graded a perfect 10 ... and is accompanied by a Letter Of Authenticity from  PSA/DNA, guaranteeing the legend used the wood during his rookie campaign.

Nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Tigers -- serving as the team's player-manager for the last six -- where he won 12 batting titles with the franchise.

Cobb finished his career with a stellar .366 batting average -- and led the league in hits on eight separate occasions.

A winner of the 1909 Triple Crown Award and 1911 MVP award, Cobb was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, where he received an impressive 222 of 226 possible votes.

Simply put, he's one of the greatest baseball players to ever grace a diamond.

There have already been 10 bids ... with a high mark of $235,798.

Kanye West has folks trying to help him regain billionaire status via crowdfunding -- but his haters have responded with just as much passion.

Here's the deal ... at least one GoFundMe page (possibly more) popped up this week with the goal of making Kanye a billionaire again, soliciting donations ... apparently carried out by people who felt he'd been done dirty amid his antisemitism.

It doesn't sound like any of those campaigns were successful ... reportedly only making a few bucks before they were taken down entirely. More on why they were yanked later.

In response to that nonsense ... even more silliness. Ye haters have rallied in opposition with their own GFMs that are apparently trying to keep him from hitting 10-digits with an interesting strategy -- namely, asking that *they* be made billionaires instead. 😅

The pages are popping up en masse, it seems, with tons of people laying out their logic as ... hey, Kanye sucks and he doesn't deserve to be a billionaire again, but I sure do!!!

Like we said, it's all pretty goofy ... but the fact these GoFundMes are being created as quickly and widely as they are -- from different parts of the world -- just speaks to how angry Kanye has made folks in the wake of his controversial remarks/fall from grace.

FWIW, these new anti-Ye pages are falling flat. None have raised more than $25, and a majority are in the $5 - $6 range.

In other words, Kanye's fans and haters alike have a better chance of winning the lottery than striking it rich from donations. Sources familiar tell TMZ ... GFM's terms of service may explain why the pro-Kanye campaigns were yanked and the anti-Ye ones are still live.

The ACE family has a new estate to call home ... we've learned they've been renting out a $5 million dollar mansion in Hollywood and their monthly payment is five figures.

Our real estate sources tell us Austin and Catherine McBroom have been leasing the 5-bedroom home for $20,000 a month.

The newly constructed farmhouse is 4,900 square feet and it's got a home theater with leather recliners and a pool. The family room, living room and main suite all have fireplaces, and there's a firepit in a covered lounge next to the pool.

The main suite also has a walk-in closet, spa shower and a private deck and balcony ... and the home is outfitted with all the latest built-in technology.

Renting a multi-million dollar mansion is a change of pace for the ACE family ... remember, Austin and Catherine used to own a mega-property in Woodland Hills, but it was foreclosed on in 2021 and sold to another pair of YouTube stars ... Alan and Alex Stokes.

Trey Songz is no longer facing a civil suit for an alleged rape in 2016, because the case has been dismissed after legal documents show the statute of limitations ran out on the allegations.

The docs, obtained by TMZ, show Songz's suit was thrown out Monday after Trey's legal team successfully argued the statute of limitations expired long before the woman -- who filed anonymously as a Jane Doe -- filed her complaint.

As we reported, the woman filed the lawsuit earlier this year -- claiming she had a consensual sexual relationship with Songz, but alleges the singer suddenly turned into a "savage rapist" on March 24, 2016.

The statute of limitations in CA is currently 10 years -- but that wasn't made official until 2019 -- prior to that it was 3 years ... but the woman filed 6 years after the alleged rape.

Hold the Almond Joys ... the Crenshaw Cougars youth football team got something wayyy better than fun-size candy bars this Halloween -- the kids were treated to nearly $45,000 worth of rare kicks like Jordans and Off-Whites!!

33 players, all 10 years old and younger, received brand new sneakers from Cool Kicks ... courtesy of their coach Big U, a community leader who runs Developing Options ... a non-profit aimed at keeping young kids off the streets.

And, we're not just talking about your standard pair of athletic shoes.

The sneakers cost anywhere from several hundred to over three thousand dollars(!!!) ... and included several Jordan 1 x Travis Scott, Brooklyn Off-White Air Force 1's, and many other incredibly rare pairs. The bill cost an astonishing $44,697.90.

To make the "Trunk or Treat" event a reality, U teamed up with Jas Mathur ... who along with pal Jona Rechnitz, helped hand out the sneakers at Crenshaw H.S.

The kids also got candy and an up-close look at some really cool cars ... courtesy of Hood Muscle Cars (HMC) car club. Many of the cars were decked out in spooky Halloween decorations ... complete with skulls, spiderwebs, and gravestones.

Heidi Klum's annual party brought out all the big celebs, but none were more in the spotlight than Elon Musk ... who had everyone seeing red.

The new Twitter chief showed up Monday night to the Moxy Hotel in NYC, where Klum was hosting her 21st annual gala of getups. He was dressed as some sort of warrior with pretty intricate crimson armor.

His mom was there too ... Maye Musk showed up at one point near Elon, dressed in goth-themed garb. A lot of eyes were on them, without a doubt -- the Twitter buy-out is top of mind these days, and EM's stunts have thrust him to the front of many conversations.

Anyway, the rest of the costumes were pretty sweet too ... including the one worn by the host. She was transformed from head to toe (and even beyond) as a fishing hook worm, with incredible attention to detail ... right down to the ribbing along the body.

Her husband, Tom Kaulitz, was dressed as a fisherman ... and Heidi was his oversized bait. At one point, though, she lost the worm suit and showed off her figure underneath.

Other stars who showed up dressed to impress -- Ice-T and Coco, Heather Graham, Julia Fox, Chloe Kim, Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness, Kim Petras, Questlove and more.

The costumes were certainly impressive ... and cap off a packed weekend that was full of famous monsters and ghouls who did back-to-back-to-back nights in parties -- with Heidi's obviously being the last stop.