Money

LeBron James -- a billionaire -- says Elon Musk can't get him to shell out $8 a month to keep his Twitter verification ... admitting he's simply too cheap to cough up the dough.

The new Twitter CEO recently announced major changes to his social media platform ... saying any "legacy" account that wants to keep its blue badge will have to pay starting April 1 -- with a few exceptions to major companies.

The move has been met with hesitancy for several reasons -- one, the date falls on April Fools Day, and Musk is known to be a troll ... so there's still speculation it could all be a stupid prank. Two, most people, LeBron included, don't think it's worth paying nearly $100 a year just to be verified.

"Welp guess my blue ✔ will be gone soon cause if you know me I ain't paying the 5," LeBron tweeted on Friday.

Of course, just because LeBron's filthy rich doesn't mean he's obligated to pay up ... but it's pretty interesting he doesn't care about maintaining his official status, considering he was targeted by trolls when Musk first decided to give blue checks to anyone who paid for Twitter Blue back in November.

The end result was an account pretending to be LeBron making a trade request from the Lakers ... which had NBA Twitter running wild for a split second.

Meghan Markle scored a big W in court Thursday after a judge gave her sister's defamation case the boot.

The Florida judge dismissed Samantha Markle's $75K lawsuit, ruling Meghan's opinion of her experiences growing up was just that ... her opinion, and that's not defamation.

Samantha had claimed Meghan's statement to Oprah that she grew up an only child and only met her half-sister a handful of times was not slander. Samantha argued the statement was false, malicious and humiliating ... but the judge wasn't buying what she was selling.

Meghan's legal team tried to get the case dismissed last month, saying their client was merely talking about her life the way she saw it -- and in the end that's the way the judge saw it, too.

Count this as a win for the Dutchess.

Kanye West and his Yeezy brand now have to contend with a lawsuit from a former employee, who claims the megastar rapper/designer owes her a cool $275K.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ Hip Hop ... Dora Szilagyi was hired to be Yeezy's "Director of Product Innovation" in June 2021, but only after Kanye convinced her to quit her role at Adidas and work for him full-time.

Dora claims she was promised a $275,000 severance payment if she was fired without cause after September 1, 2021 -- but she claims it was never paid to her when she was let go in mid-December 2021.

In the suit, Dora says she doesn't believe Kanye or his company ever intended to follow through on the severance package, and only dangled it to lure her from Adidas.

Dean Cain, who famously played Superman in the '90s, is selling his super snazzy Malibu pad ... TMZ has learned.

The 3,302 sq ft. home has been listed with a $7.25 million price tag ... and by L.A. standards it's well worth the price.

The single-level 4-bedroom, 5-bathroom pad sits along the Malibu coastline and has an amazing ocean view!!!

And, if the blue Pacific isn't enough ... there's a gorgeous pool and a waterfall spa.

The backyard has an expansive grassy yard, perfect for entertaining. There's also a lush garden filled with fruit plants.

Fans will best remember Dean as the famous TV superhero with an "S" on his chest from 1993 to 1997 ... of course, he's also racked up a ton of other acting credits over the years.

The home speaks for itself, but hey, it'd be pretty cool to say Superman handed over the new set of keys!!!

The fans involved in the tunnel altercation with Bradley Beal allegedly heckled the Wizards' star hooper multiple times during the Magic game, leading to the hat-slapping incident, and possible battery charges against the D.C. shooting guard.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... 29-year-old Beal got into it with fans in Orlando last Tuesday after one of the men told Bradley he lost him $1,300 on a bet, before BB confronted the guys, knocked a baseball hat off one of their heads, and exchanged in some verbal back-and-forth.

But, we're told the less-than-pleasant conversation in the tunnel was not the first exchange between Bradley and the guys ... 'cause sources say the men, who were sitting courtside, made multiple disparaging comments during the game.

FYI, the Wizards ultimately lost to the Magic, 122-112.

The new information may provide more insight into Beal's reaction ... the NBA vet didn't hesitate at all in the tunnel, making a beeline straight for the fans.

Bradley was reacting to one of the fans who told him ... "You f**ked me $1,300, you f**k."

Beal, who's averaging more than 23 points a game for the Wizards, has not yet been officially charged, but police indicated there's enough "probable cause" to file charges with the State Attorney in Florida.

If ultimately charged and convicted, a simple battery charge in Florida carries up to 1 year in jail.

Gwyneth Paltrow did NOT cause her Utah ski accident ... so says the jury in her ski accident case.

The jury deliberated for 2 1/2 hours before reaching its verdict, that Dr. Terry Sanderson caused the accident on the ski slope. The jury awarded her what she sought in her countersuit -- $1.

As we reported, Gwyneth got slapped with a lawsuit back in 2019 by Dr. Terry Sanderson ... who claimed she slammed into him at Deer Valley Resort in 2016. He says he suffered a concussion, broken ribs and brain damage.

Sanderson initially asked for $3.1M, but a judge ruled he could only get a maximum of $300K. Gwyneth filed a countersuit against Terry for one dollar ... claiming he's the one who hit her, not the other way around.

Gwyneth and Terry faced off this month in an 8-day trial. She claimed she initially thought she was the victim of sexual assault when they collided on the mountain, insisting he came up from behind and his skis went in between her legs.

Terry begged to differ, saying he heard a "blood-curdling scream" coming from behind him in the moments leading up to the crash.

Each side painted a very different picture of how the accident impacted their lives  -- during closing arguments, Gwyneth's attorney bizarrely pointed to his client's loss of family bonding time during the ski trip because of the crash.

As for Sanderson, he bizarrely told the jury celebs don't take accountability, invoking the name of Jeffrey Epstein. The judge told the jury to ignore that point.

Donald Trump has been indicted in NYC over his alleged involvement in the Stormy Daniels hush money case -- TMZ has confirmed.

The former President was indicted Thursday by a Manhattan grand jury. He will turn himself in, although we do not know the timetable.

The grand jury heard testimony from a slew of witnesses since January ... witnesses that included Trump's former attorney/fixer, Michael Cohen, who served prison time in connection with the Stormy Daniels case. Trump did not appear before the grand jury.

The precise charges have not been announced by Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg, but are expected within the next few days.

Trump is currently in Florida at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Trump will presumably fly to New York City to turn himself in. He has called for protests and the City is on high alert. He has even said there would be "death and destruction" if he were indicted.

It's quite a moment ... Trump is the first U.S. president or former president to be slapped with criminal charges.

Trump allegedly brokered a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election, when she was trying to go public about an affair she claims she had with him in 2006. Michael Cohen has said he was at the center of the deal and actually cut the check to Stormy ... he says he was later reimbursed by the Trump org.

45, of course, has denied all of it ... calling both Stormy and Michael liars. He has acknowledged relying on his counsel to resolve an alleged extortion effort, but he's insisted he did nothing wrong or illegal. And, he's already announced he's running for president next year, so it could throw the race for the Republican nomination into chaos.

This isn't the only criminal investigation he's dealing with. There's one underway in Georgia surrounding the 2020 election and Trump's efforts to overturn the results. And, the feds are looking into Trump's former handling of classified documents ... and based on developments this week, it looks like the special prosecutor has an eye toward filing charges.

Flo Rida's son Zohar was rushed to the ICU after falling out of a window 5 stories up, and the kid's mother is taking the building owners to court over it ... TMZ has learned.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the 6-year-old's mom Alexis Adams filed a lawsuit Monday against various entities she claims are responsible for her son's fall from the Jersey City, NJ building. The defendants include a construction company and a window installation company.

Flo Rida is not a plaintiff in the suit ... and DailyMail reported, back in 2018, that Flo hadn't even met Zohar. The current status of the relationship is unclear.

In docs, Alexis says the incident happened at the beginning of March ... and she claims the defendants' negligence led to Zohar's fall from the 5th-story window to the concrete pavement below, leaving him with serious injuries. The little boy reportedly suffered a lacerated liver, collapsed lungs, fractures to his feet and pelvis, and internal bleeding.

She points the finger specifically at "incorrect sized guards" on the windows, and told News12 New Jersey she was completely heartbroken by what happened, adding ... "This feels like a nightmare."

Alexis is now seeking damages, including money to cover Zohar's medical bills. We've reached out to Flo Rida for comment ... so far, no word back.

Economists who suggest California pay $800 billion in reparations to Black citizens are weighing a ton of factors beyond just ancestry ... and the Vice Chair of San Francisco's reparations committee says, all things considered, it's actually pretty fair.

Tinisch Hollins joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" Thursday, giving us a look at the many things reparations advisory committees take into account while coming up with estimates -- including things like the racial wealth gap, housing discrimination practices such as redlining and loss of property due to race.

While the $800B number was suggested for the state, San Fran is considering a separate payment -- possibly $5 million per eligible person -- and she acknowledges the big dollar figures create "sticker shock" ... for everyone, whether you're pro or against.

As we reported, Gov. Gavin Newsom's been pushing this for a few years, looking to determine how much Black CA citizens could potentially receive in reparations.

Tinisch says it's also important to remember the numbers reflect value, not necessarily cash payouts -- she gave us a couple other ways it could be distributed.

Steph Curry and Under Armour have just entered into a new agreement ... one that could keep the NBA superstar locked in with the apparel company for the rest of his life!!

Curry and UA announced the massive extension on Thursday ... and while dollar figures of the new pact have yet to be released, the deal could reportedly end up being worth more than what he's made in his entire NBA career -- which, to this date, is over $300 MILLION.

As part of the extension, UA named the 35-year-old Warriors point guard the "President of Curry Brand" -- a title that will give Curry a say in how the company produces products related to basketball, golf, women, youth, and "sportstyle."

"What we want to do, is win every single day," UA founder Kevin Plank said of the new contract. "If we do that, this will be a lifetime deal."

Octagon founder Phil de Picciotto, whose agency helped negotiate the new agreement, added, "Done right, this partnership is forever."

"Curry Brand is now cemented into the Under Armour universe," de Picciotto said. "He's not just an ambassador. He's not just an endorser. This isn't just a deal. He will be leading a business."

The deal appears to be similar to the lifetime one that Curry's pal, LeBron James, inked with Nike in 2015.

Curry, who first signed with UA in 2013, said Thursday he was pumped for it all.

"Belief is a big part of who I am on and off the court," Curry said. "I believe in Curry Brand and Under Amour, the team now in place, and what we're doing together."

NFL wideout Chris Conley loved his Rivian EV pickup so much his wife copped one for herself, and now the couple has "his and hers" models!

Brianna showed off the whip Wednesday -- she was super psyched -- parking it right alongside her hubby Chris' pickup-style model, and they look dope!

"His and hers Rivians," Brianna wrote in the caption.

The Rivian R1S is one of the hottest cars of the moment and comes equipped with some cool features. Despite being electric, they can drive through more than 3 feet of water (according to the company) and have a range of up to 390 miles.

The Rivians have some serious pep, too, going 0 to 60 MPH in just 3 seconds! Insane for any car, and especially an SUV.

"All my fears of not liking it as much as the Range were wrong and Chris was right, again," Brianna said. "🤪🙌 They're great."

The SUV starts around $79K and can go upwards of $90K a piece, but Conley can afford it. He made just over $13 million in 8 NFL seasons.

The wideout, currently a free agent, played for the Chiefs, Jaguars, Texans, and most recently the Titans, totaling 2,853 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns.

Ice Spice is not the victim of a chain-snatching, but rather the target of a big ol' attempt at clout-chasing for Internet fame!!!

Video of a man claiming to have possession of Ice's icy "Queen" necklace made its rounds across social media Wednesday -- and while many fans reacted with concern for Ice, the whole drama was merely a TikTok user looking to make a viral breakthrough.

The TikTok user fended off a wave of backlash ... we mean, he was bragging about robbing a woman for her chain 😐 ... and a source close to the "Munch" rapper doubled down against the shenanigans, assuring TMZ Hip Hop that Ice has never even owed such a piece.

"Queen" branding actually belongs to Nicki Minaj ... and a closer dive through Ice's jewelry box reveals the Bronx-bred rapper rocked her custom "Isis" name pendant the past couple of years as her star power grew.

In January, she dropped her "Like..?" EP and upgraded to her current $100k chain and showed it off when she pulled up on Kim Kardashian and North West ... for an authentic viral TikTok moment.

Los Angeles' controversial new "mansion tax" is about to kick in, forcing sellers to pay more money than ever before if their property sells for at least $5 million ... and Barbara Corcoran thinks it's a bad idea.

We got the "Shark Tank" star and real estate mogul Wednesday in NYC day and asked her about measure ULA, which goes into effect Saturday, and she told our photog it's "not good for the country."

The new law, which passed on the ballot back in November, slaps a 4% tax on homes selling for $5 million and up, and places a 5.5% tax on properties selling above $10 mil.

Barbara's prediction is the housing market will slow to a crawl ... with rich people choosing to buy homes in cities and states with friendly tax laws on the books, particularly down south.

The way Barbara sees it ... people, rich or not, hate paying extra taxes for buying or selling a house. She says it makes them feel like the government's taking advantage of them.

Remember, the selling point to voters who supported the tax was the money raised would fund affordable housing construction to alleviate L.A.'s unprecedented homeless crisis. Some predictions say the "mansion tax" will bring in $1 billion annually.

Barbara actually agrees with the sentiment of the tax -- she says the wealthy have an obligation to help people less fortunate -- but she thinks this tax is the wrong way to do it, because ultimately it will reduce L.A.'s tax base.

If you're going to MLB Opening Day on Thursday ... ya better bring your appetite -- 'cause several teams are rollin' out some new food items for the season -- and most are absolutely massive!!

Nearly every club will kick off 2023 with new and intriguing menu options ... including the Texas Rangers -- who recently unveiled a two-foot-long burger that's topped with onion rings and chili called, "The Boomstick Burger."

Not to be outdone, the Miami Marlins showed this week they'll be offering a 34-inch "Cubano Gigante" -- a huge sandwich that features sliced ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard and a secret sauce.

The New York Yankees, meanwhile, chose to honor Aaron Judge yet again with a food item ... after handing out the "62" bacon cheeseburger in last year's playoffs, they're now selling the "99 Burger," which comes with eight ounces of Wagyu beef. There is a caveat, though -- the team says it'll only sell 99 per game!!

The Rays and the White Sox are also hockin' some big dishes for their fans to consume -- Tampa's offering a half-pound pretzel dog, while Chicago's doling out a half-pound weiner called "The Champagne of Dogs."

Lamar Jackson says he did NOT sit out games last year as a negotiating tactic, and if anyone suggests he did, the NFL MVP most definitely will not hesitate to check fans online.

That's what happened Tuesday night as fallout from news of 26-year-old Jackson's trade request continues, with some now accusing Lamar of intentionally missing games as a way to either protect his health, or show his value, and in turn receive a huge new contract.

Something Lamar says is absolutely not true.

"I don’t remember me sitting out on my guys week 1 vs jets To week 12 vs Broncos. How come all of a sudden I sit out because of money in which I could’ve got hurt at anytime within that time frame," Jackson said on Twitter.

"When we know the Super Bowl been on my mind since April 2018."

Jackson added, "Let’s get real. I rather have a 100% PCL than go out there and play horrible forcing myself to put my guys in a bad situation now that’s selfish to me."

Of course, LJ missed the last five games of the 2022 season and the Ravens' Wildcard game against the Bengals after spraining his PCL on December 4.

The Ravens were 8-4 in games Lamar played, and 2-3 without him. They finished the season 10-7.

One fan Tweeted back at Lamar, reminding him he previously said he wanted to be a billionaire, to which Jackson responded, "Who doesn’t want to be a billionaire? Whattttttt."

Not everyone's going at Jackson. Deion Sanders reached out to the former first-round pick and advised him to ignore the haters.

"Stop explaining Yourself to fools and allow fools to be fools," Sanders said in a retweet on Wednesday.

"A brother trying that's strong, believes in himself and willing to stand for what he believes will always be misunderstood & judged by fools of all ethnicities."

As far as Jackson's trade request, Ravens HC John Harbaugh told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero it's all business and he hasn't reached out to him about the tweet yet.

"Lamar's got a good heart," Harbaugh said on Monday. "If he needs me, I'm here for him."

Meanwhile, Robert Kraft says he got word from Meek Mill that Jackson wants to be a Patriot.

Stay tuned!

Big celebrities are pitching in to help victims of the Nashville elementary school shooting ... by donating thousands of dollars.

GoFundMes have been set up for the families of the six people killed and others wounded in Monday's shooting ... including one for the Kinney family, whose 9-year-old son, William, was one of the three children murdered by 28-year-old Audrey Hale.

The Kinney family received a $2K donation from former Bears QB Jay Cutler, who lives in Nashville. Donations have been pouring in to benefit the Kinney family ... the fundraiser is already well past its $50K goal.

Former 'Bachelorette' star Kaitlyn Bristowe donated $1K to a campaign that goes to all six families as well as those wounded. Jena Sims, actress and wife of star golfer Brooks Koepka, also put $1K into the fund.

John Carter Cash, son of singer Johnny Cash, donated $2K.

A slew of stars have expressed their outrage over the massacre on social media ... demanding politicians strengthen gun safety laws.