Money

"The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star, Jen Shah, is in federal court eagerly awaiting her punishment for committing wire fraud -- and, as ya might expect, she's dressed to the nines for her big day.

Jen showed up at the courthouse in NYC wearing a cheetah print get-up ... so, the judge won't have any trouble spotting the defendant.

As we reported, Jen was arrested back in 2021 for targeting and scamming folks out of their money with an alleged telemarketing scheme ... she initially pled not guilty, with her lawyer saying she was "totally innocent."

That all changed in July, when she pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing ... and as part of her deal, prosecutors dropped one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The deal called for a sentence of up to 14 years in prison, and possibly being on the hook for around $9 mil in restitution to victims of the fraud. Jen herself has asked for 3 years.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the feds were gunning for a 10-year sentence against the reality star in December ... giving a laundry list of reasons why she's the "most culpable person charged in this case."

The sentencing is happening right now ... stay tuned for updates.

The suspect charged with murdering Migos rapper Takeoff is no longer behind bars.

Patrick Xavier Clark posted $1 million bond and walked out of Harris County Jail in Texas Wednesday night.

His initial bond was set at $2 million, but the court dropped the amount after his lawyers, Carl Moore and Letitia Quinones, argued it was excessive and, therefore, unconstitutional. Texas law requires that bond not be used to hold defendants (i.e. financially speaking) ... but rather to ensure their return to court. Clark surrendered his passport to the judge.

Now that Clark is out ... he must abide by the conditions of his release. According to court documents, he will submit to house arrest and have no contact with certain people connected to the case -- including Takeoff's family and music exec J Prince and his relatives. Clark is also barred from possessing deadly weapons and must wear a GPS monitor so law enforcement can track his movements.

As we reported ... Clark was arrested in December and charged with the murder of Takeoff. Police tied Clark to the crime mainly by using surveillance and cell phone footage to identify him.

TMZ broke the story ... Takeoff and his Migos collaborator, Quavo, were partying with about 30 people at a bowling alley in Houston on Nov. 1. Video shows some of the attendees getting into an altercation, which quickly escalated into violence.

Clark allegedly pulled a gun and squeezed off several shots ... Takeoff was fatally struck in the head and torso. What's worse ... the hip hop star was an unarmed innocent bystander, who had NO involvement in the initial argument.

The mastermind and architect behind the college admissions scandal is going to end up like Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman ... by spending time behind bars.

Rick Singer was sentenced to 42 months -- 3.5 years -- in federal prison for his role in the Varsity Blues scandal.

Remember ... the feds say Singer was the architect of a massive, decades-long fraudulent scheme to get high school students into elite colleges and universities across the country ... including the daughters of celebs like Lori and Felicity.

TMZ broke the story ... prosecutors were pushing for Singer to get 6 years behind bars, arguing he profited from the scheme more than anyone and therefore deserved a much longer sentence than the parents, college coaches and others received.

Singer's lawyers, meanwhile, asked for a maximum of 6 months in the big house.

It's worth noting ... more than 50 parents, coaches and associates of Singer's received sentences ranging from 30 months in prison to just probation. Lori was sentenced to 2 months behind bars, while Felicity got 2 weeks.

Singer was initially staring down a maximum sentence of 65 years behind bars ... but he ended up cooperating with the feds and was the key to convicting the parents and coaches. Prosecutors say Singer wore a wire at the government's direction to nail the targets, and also made hundreds of recorded calls.

Sasha Banks is back in the ring ... just not with the WWE.

The former women's champ officially joined New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), debuting as "Mercedes Mone" with the promotion.

Mercedes Varnado, who went by "Sasha Banks" during her tenure with the WWE, arrived at NJPW's WrestleKingdom 17 at the Tokyo Dome in front of a packed crowd.

Mone confronted Kairi, former WWE athlete and the current IGWP women's champion, setting up a showdown between the two at New Japan's Battle in the Valley event on Feb. 18 in San Jose, California.

"I am here in New Japan and Stardom to make more [history]," Varnado said on the mic after she attacked Kairi.

You'll recall ... last May, Mercedes, alongside WWE superstar Naomi, reportedly walked out of a taping of "Monday Night Raw." Neither wrestler appeared on any of the company's programming since the incident.

Sasha and Naomi were suspended indefinitely -- and Wrestling Inc. reported WWE released Banks in June.

Ahead of her NJPW debut on Wednesday, which was not publicized, Mercedes -- who spent ten years with the WWE -- thanked a host of individuals who helped her over the years, naming Vince McMahon, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, William Regal, and the WWE Universe.

People are looking to profit off Damar Hamlin's tragic injury by creating fraudulent GoFundMe campaigns, advertised as helping the athlete who's currently fighting for his life ... but we're told the online company's already cracking down on anyone pretending to help the Bills player.

A spokesperson for GoFundMe tells TMZ ... there's only 1 verified fundraiser on the platform confirmed by Damar's family -- The Chasing M's Foundation Community Toy Drive, which has surpassed $4.7M since Damar's incident, as we reported.

We're told anything not authorized by the family is already being taken down in real-time.

For those unaware, several campaigns went live since Damar's cardiac arrest Monday night ... some saying the funds will benefit him directly while in the hospital, and others are exact replicas of his toy drive fundraiser.

It looks like the unauthorized campaigns didn't pick up a ton of steam ... one campaign was even created with the sole purpose of warning others about Damar-related scams.

It's worth noting that not all of these fundraisers appear to be malicious -- it seems some just want to help but didn't go through the proper channels to get it done properly.

A GFM spokesperson tells us the company's top priority is keeping people safe and to "protect the generosity of our donors" ... adding that it isn't uncommon for others to jump on the platform and try to help out. That being said, GoFundMe will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Vic Mensa is making the most of his co-headlining festival in Ghana this week -- he's also leading the charge on a project to bring clean water to 3 villages there!!!

Vic tells TMZ Hip Hop he was moved after seeing the desolate living conditions, including contaminated water, firsthand … and partnered with his father, a Ghana native, to launch their initiative.

The Chicago-born rapper says, "We're building 3 boreholes in different communities in Ghana to provide clean drinking water; the first being the Asokore Zongo in Koforidua where my family lives, which is already built."

Vic adds, "The other locations are a nearby community called Effiduase and then our ancestral village in the Volta Region, Amedzofe. Most people in communities like this in Ghana experience constant waterborne diseases."

We’re told Koforidua is home to around 200k people, Effiduase is estimated at 20k people and Amedzofe has a population of around 6k -- so, the project will make a significant contribution to the health and welfare of the region.

Barring any hiccups, drilling for the boreholes is said to take 3-4 weeks and includes 10-15 days of on-site drilling, followed by pipework and cable installations.

All the operations appear to be first class … water will actually be tested in a lab prior to human consumption, and we’re told the boreholes cost $45k to complete.

Vic will have his hands full pulling double duty, too. He’s slated to perform with Chance The Rapper, Erykah Badu and more on Saturday for the Black Star Line Festival ... which sounds like fun.

Dave Chappelle’s already having a ball in Ghana … and that was just at the airport!

Thousands have opened up their wallets in an effort to show love for Damar Hamlin following the Bills defensive back's scary collapse Monday night ... donating over $3 MILLION to the football player's toy drive fundraiser.

Hamlin initially started the charity effort back in 2020 -- in an attempt to gain funds so he could distribute toys to kids in need in Pennsylvania. His target goal was simply $2,500.

But, in the hours after Hamlin suffered a terrifying medical emergency during the first quarter of Buffalo's "Monday Night Football" game against the Cincinnati Bengals, donations flooded in.

It hit $1 million roughly an hour after the 24-year-old had been rushed to the hospital, and by Tuesday morning, it was at $3,496,590.

Several NFL players appear to have given to the cause, as 49ers stars Trey Lance and Christian McCaffrey's names were written on the donation list.

In his note on the Gofundme page, Hamlin encouraged those who couldn't contribute monetarily to still help the cause ... writing, "We are accepting donated toys at the Daycare Center or simply spread the word by sharing this fundraiser on your social channels."

As we reported, the Bills say Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest after he tackled Tee Higgins to the ground. The team said, thankfully, "his heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment."

"He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition," Bills officials added.

Hamlin joined the Bills in 2021 -- and had started 13 games for the team this season.

You don't know how it feels to be in escrow on Tom Petty's oceanfront home, but someone else does ... someone who's about to be the new owner of the Malibu property.

Our real estate sources tell us Tom's estate has accepted an offer for the singer's 3-bedroom estate along Escondido Beach in the 'Bu.

The crib hit the market Dec. 14 with a $9,850,000 listing price, and we're told Tom's estate accepted an offer on Christmas Eve, though the sale is not yet complete.

The beachfront property is 2,200 square feet, and there's a main home and a separate guest house Tom used as a recording studio.

The place served as the inspiration for "Something Good Coming" ... one of the last songs he wrote before his death in 2017.

TP bought the home way back in 2010 for $6.8 million and the primary suite has a fireplace, walk-in closet, ocean view bath and a private, beachfront deck.

The estate sits on a 16,691 square-foot lot ... with 66 feet of beach frontage, and picturesque views of the coastline from almost every room in the house.

Britney Spears wanted to start fresh in a brand-spankin' new home to celebrate her freedom from the conservatorship ... but turns out, the grass ain't always greener, and she's planning on unloading the pricey pad.

TMZ broke the story back in June ... Britney and her hubby, Sam Asghari, plunked down $11.8 million back in June for a massive 11,650 sq. foot home on 1.6 acres in Calabasas. In fact, the home was located in the same neighborhood as Brit's ex, Kevin Federline.

However, sources close to Britney tell us she just hasn't fallen in love with the new home, and is planning on selling it in 2023.

But, don't worry, Britney won't be homeless, she still owns the Thousand Oaks mansion she bought back in 2015 for $7.5 million -- the same place that boasts one of the most iconic living room backdrops on social media ... thanks to Britney's Instagram videos.

Unclear if Britney will decide to start searching for another new home, or if she'll just stay in the OG crib ... but she'll have plenty of money free up once she unloads the new crib.

Leslie Jordan fans are eager to get their hands on the place he was just about to call home ... hoping to buy the new condo he purchased right before he died.

The condo was listed a few weeks ago, and fans have been flocking to the property ... so says Eric Ronjoy, the listing agent. He says some fans are even reaching out just to tour!

We're told some folks inquiring about the pad are self-proclaimed Leslie Jordan fans ... who feel a connection to the property since he bought it right before he passed and would have been the first property he ever owned.

Eric tells us ... out of 30 groups who have recently toured, half are lookie-loos who just wanted to see where Leslie was planning to live. Others are people interested in purchasing. One potential buyer even toyed with the idea of turning the condo into a Leslie Jordan memorial.

Some of you might remember the heartwarming video he posted back in August ... and he was over the moon about his new home.

TMZ broke the story ... Leslie died in October after suffering a medical emergency ... crashing his BMW into the side of a building.

In addition to the Leslie Jordan hook, the 2-bedroom pad has a lot of cool amenities ... including a rooftop pool, tennis court, gym and a balcony.

Before he died, Ronjoy says LJ ordered around $500K worth of new furniture. Fortunately, the purchases were canceled after he passed.

So far, no one has made an offer ... but with all the interest, it should only be a matter of time.

Brande Roderick is loving her experience with OnlyFans, because it's giving her something she's never had in her modeling career -- final say over what images get out to the world.

The former Playboy model recently joined the subscription-based platform, and while she tells us the financial benefits are great as a single mom ... she says the real treat is being able to have complete control over her own pictures and videos.

Brande, who famously dated Hugh Hefner back in the day, says she never had that kind of creative power when she was posing for Hef's magazine ... or when she was working with various other photographers.

While Brande says Playboy typically did a great job with the photos that made the magazine, she says she had tons of problems with the hundreds of other images snapped during photo shoots. They didn't make the final cut, but still ended up getting leaked or sold online.

With OnlyFans, Brande says she's able to call all the shots and carefully craft her image ... a big deal for a 48-year-old with 2 kids at home.

BTW, Brande's pretty upfront about what subscribers will get to see on her page, or more importantly, what they won't -- you gotta see her lay out the ground rules!!!

Sam Bankman-Fried reportedly held 4 meetings with members of President Joe Biden's cabinet in 2022 before his FTX empire collapsed, leading to his arrest on federal fraud charges.

The disgraced "Crypto King," who is at the center of one of the largest financial frauds in U.S. history, sat down with senior White House advisor Steve Ricchetti on September 8, according to a new report by Bloomberg.

Sam allegedly had 2 follow-up meetings with Ricchetti on April 22 and May 12. He also reportedly met with Biden's deputy chief of staff, Bruce Reed. It's not clear what was discussed in any of the get-togethers.

As we reported ... Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas on Dec. 12. He was federally charged in New York with eight counts of wire fraud, securities fraud, money laundering and a campaign finance violation. He faces up to 115 years in prison if convicted.

The Bloomberg report is but another example of Bankman-Fried's deep ties with the Washington D.C. establishment before Sam was accused of stealing $1.8 billion from investors in his cryptocurrency scheme. And it's no secret that Sam has donated millions to the campaigns of prominent politicians, including Biden.

Ready to watch the FIFA World Cup 2026? Start planning your viewing schedule on FOX One now. Start your free trial today.

Pele was paid $120K by a major sneaker company to bend down at midfield and tie his shoe before a 1970 World Cup match ... giving birth to a bitter feud between Puma and Adidas!

Pele's death has unearthed all kinds of stories about the soccer legend, who died Thursday at the age of 82, following a lengthy battle with colon cancer ... including when the greatest player ever was paid the equivalent of $1 million (in 2022 w/ inflation) to tie a Puma soccer cleat, according to Joe Pompliano, who told the story.

It all started in 1924 when Adolf and Rudolf Dassler started a shoe company, Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory. The shoemaker was successful, and Jesse Owens even wore their brand during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, where Owens dominated in front of Hitler, winning 4 gold medals.

But, by 1948, the brothers had a falling out and decided to go their own way ... each starting a sneaker company of their own. Adolf created Adidas and Rudolf, Puma. The brothers swore to never do business with one another.

Things changed in the late 60s when the brothers buried the hatchet and began communicating again, all in the interest of self-preservation. Adolf and Rudolf made a "Pele pact," an agreement that both companies would stay away from Pele, the biggest sports star in the world, fearing a sponsorship negotiation could bankrupt both companies.

Unfortunately for Adidas, Puma didn't exactly abide by the pact. Prior to a World Cup quarterfinal match in 1970 between Peru and Pele's Brazil, Puma paid the soccer superstar $120K to walk toward midfield just before the start of the game, bend down, and tie his Puma shoe.

Of course, Puma wanted to capture the moment on video ... so to ensure they didn't miss the moment, the shoewear company reportedly went as far as to pay the cameraman!

Brazil beat Peru ... and ended up winning the entire World Cup. It was Pele's record third.

The Pele-Puma partnership didn't come to an end with the '70 WC ... the deal was a smash success for everyone involved.

Christmas came early for Travis Etienne ... the Jacksonville Jaguars running back copped himself a necklace of his own custom logo ahead of the holidays -- made with 60 carats of diamonds!!!

TMZ Sports is told the former Clemson star wanted to turn his personal symbol into a wearable piece ... so he hit up his go-to guy Ari The Jeweler for the job.

After one month of crafting the new bling, Ari delivered -- right before Christmas!!!

The massive chain and pendant feature Etienne's initials with his jersey number layered on top -- an exact replication of his clothing brand emblem.

Of course, Etienne has a knack for fashion -- he spends a lot of time working on his clothing brand ... which has everything from T-shirts, hats and activewear.

We're told the heavy piece is filled with VVS diamonds and 450 grams of white rose gold.

Unsure what TE put up for the iced-out set ... but we're told something like this would usually cost $100K+.

FYI -- the 23-year-old was drafted by the Jags in 2021, and signed a 4-year deal worth almost $13 million. In other words, he's good for it.

The person who concocted, recruited and ultimately turned on scores of parents who tried bribing their children's way into good colleges is about to get sentenced, and prosecutors say he's the worst of all and should be sentenced to 6 years.

Rick Singer will be formally sentenced next week, and TMZ has obtained a copy of document prosecutors just filed, saying Singer "was the architect of a massive, decades-long scheme to use fraud and bribery to secure admission of high school students to elite colleges and universities across the country."

Prosecutors say Singer profited from the scheme more than anyone and therefore deserves a much harsher sentence than the parents, coaches and others received.

As for comparisons ... more than 50 parents, coaches and associates of Singer's received sentences ranging from probation to 30 months.

Lori Loughlin received 2 months, and Felicity Huffman 14 days.

Prosecutors want an additional 36 months of supervised release, and restitution to the IRS in the amount of $10,668,841. They want millions more in other penalties.

Here's the thing ... 6 years ain't so bad, because the max was 65 years behind bars.

As for why the relatively light sentence ... Singer cooperated and was the key to convicting the parents and others. The docs refer to Singer making hundreds of recorded calls at the government's direction. He wore a wire as well to nail the targets. Prosecutors say if it wasn't for Singer, most of the parents who were convicted would have gotten off.

Where in the world is Kanye West?

Ye's ex-business manager says Kim Kardashian's ex has been playing a cat-and-mouse game for weeks, all over a lawsuit.

The biz manager, Thomas St. John, is suing Ye for $4.5 mil and is frustrated because he can't serve him with the necessary legal docs, this according to the US Sun.

The suit, over unpaid fees, can't move forward until Kanye gets served, either directly or through other means. St. John says he can't find a legit address on Ye.

Kanye has been spotted several times in the last 2 weeks ... both times in L.A.

TMZ broke the story, Kanye's been leading a nomadic life for months, traveling here and there and not really having a home base.

As for St. John and Kanye, that relationship blew up last January, according to St. John, when Ye screamed at him in aggressive fashion and pulled the plug on their relationship.