Money

Kurt Cobain smashed his Fender Stratocaster back in the '90s, but the move only jacked up the price of the guitar ... going for a whopping 10 times the estimated amount at auction.

The late Nirvana frontman destroyed the electric guitar while recording the group's iconic 1991 album, "Nevermind," but the pieces were put back together and sold at Julien's Auctions this weekend in NYC.

The instrument was supposed to fetch between $60,000 and $80,000, but, as it turned out, it went for an earth-shattering $595,900. It was signed by Cobain and the other two band members, drummer Dave Grohl and bassist Krist Novoselic.

According to Julien's, Cobain gifted the guitar to Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan (also deceased) while Nirvana was touring in '92 ... but it's not clear who made the purchase at auction.

A woman claims she can't wear short sleeves anymore because her NutriBullet machine exploded and burned the skin off her arm ... and she says she has the graphic images of her injuries to prove it.

Gail Mitchell filed legal docs claiming she barely used NutriBullet's Original 24 oz. Single Speed Black Jar Blender for 60 seconds when the machine exploded ... sending the scalding hot contents onto her body, causing painful burning to her chest, arms, scalp, and face.

The photos of her alleged injuries look pretty gnarly ... Gail's arms are covered in burn wounds and her skin is now super scarred. She also claims the explosion left her kitchen a mess too.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Mitchell says the incident happened in November 2020 when she was whipping up a smoothie using turmeric, ginger, water, mango and split peas.

Mitchell says she was standing in front of her NutriBullet, looking for a cup to pour her smoothie into when the machine exploded less than 1 minute after she fired it up.

In the docs, Mitchell says the blender explosion made the contents of the smoothie scalding hot, leaving her with 1st, 2nd and 3rd-degree burns ... and she says she had to go to a burn center every week for a month for treatments.

She claims the device's design can cause contents in the blender to become heated to dangerous temperatures. She says the high-speed motor operating the blades creates heat that is transferred into the canister and its contents, sometimes heating the contents to dangerous temps. She also says the rapidly spinning blades create friction, creating heat that is also transferred to the contents of the canister, sometimes heating the contents to dangerous temps as well.

Mitchell says her burns, particularly the 3rd-degree burns on her arm, developed scars ... and she says she's already undergone three expensive laser surgeries costing $25K each and has a fourth coming up.

As a result of the scarring, Mitchell says she will never be able to wear short sleeves again ... and she says the injuries also make it tough to sleep.

She says the incident left her depressed, anxious and traumatized ... and now she's suing Nutribullet for her medical bills, lost earnings, and more ... and she wants punitive damages because she says the company knew about the risks and still failed to adequately warn customers.

Warner Bros. Discovery head honcho David Zaslav had a really tough time gettin' his words out at Boston University's graduation ceremony ... because the crowd was heckling him with a barrage of 'boo's -- over the ongoing writers' strike.

Zaslav was the commencement speaker Sunday for BU's class of 2023, but in the sea of caps and gowns, many grads gave him a piece of their mind as he tried to inspire ... talking about how to deal with difficult people.

The chant -- "PAY YOUR WRITERS" -- was deafening, to the point Zaslav had to push pause as the crowd roared its disapproval.

There were protests outside the venue and some of the demonstrators even made their way into the event.

The WGA is demanding fair wages and a ban on AI in writers' rooms. The strike's been going on for nearly 4 weeks with no end in sight.

We've seen a bunch celebs and food trucks show up at protests across the country ... and there was even a pretty funny anti-AI banner flying high in the sky -- directed at Zaslav and the other studio heads.

Looks like Adidas is trying to make good after getting skewered for failing to part ways with Kanye West during his antisemitic tirade ... because the company's donating a chunk of its upcoming Yeezy profits to the Anti-Defamation League and other charities.

Adidas says it's going to sell off some of its remaining inventory at the end of this month, adding a "significant amount will be donated to selected organizations working to combat discrimination and hate, including racism and antisemitism."

In addition to the Anti-Defamation League, the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change -- started by George Floyd's brother, Philonise -- will also benefit.

It's unclear how much will go to the charities, but as we reported, there's about $1.3 billion in Yeezy products left over after the company pulled the plug on Kanye back in October.

You'll recall, Adidas seemed slow on the draw when it came to Ye -- dropping him well into his antisemitic tirades, including his unforgettable post -- "death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE."

Ye also had some extremely controversial takes regarding Floyd's tragic death back in 2020.

Adidas eventually kicked Kanye to the curb and tried repurposing its remaining stock, selling the shoes without the Yeezy name ... which, by the way, fell flat.

It's nice to have options ... and that's exactly why Jay-Z and Beyoncé are going to hold on to their $100 million Bel-Air mansion, despite just shelling out $200 million in a historic purchase.

Sources close to the couple tell TMZ, as crazy as it sounds ... the brand new Malibu pad will serve as a weekend home -- in a sense -- at least for the time being. We're told the Bel-Air home, purchased for $88 million back in 2017 is still "home" ... close to the kids' schools and friends.

Eventually, our sources say, Jay-Z wants to move his family to the Malibu estate full-time ... but hasn't indicated whether that shift would also include selling Bel-Air.

TMZ broke the story ... the couple paid $200 million for the 30,000-square-foot mansion, setting a record in the state of California for the most expensive home ever sold. It sits on 8 acres on the Pacific Ocean in the Paradise Cove area ... aka Billionaires' Row.

What's also astonishing ... our sources say the home's previous owner and builder, William Bell, one of the biggest art collectors in the world, had a $1 BILLION art collection inside.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are clearly lovin' their vacation together ... so much, in fact, that he gave her a nice pat on the rear as they stepped onto dry land for some lunch!

The Amazon bigwig and his boo were spotted in the South of France Saturday, taking some time away from his $500M superyacht to get some grub at Plage Keller in Antibes. We're told as Jeff helped Lauren into the spot, he gave her a playful smack on the butt!

The 2 were all smiles as they strolled into the restaurant together, clearly havin' a blast while in full vacay mode.

As we reported, the happy couple's been enjoying their time out in Europe on Jeff's half-a-bil yacht, dubbed the Koru ... soaking in the sun together on the new vessel's maiden voyage.

There was also discussion on whether or not the ship's busty figurehead was made to look exactly like Lauren ... but folks online have been debating if it really resembles her.

BTW -- Jeff and Lauren are now just a 30-minute drive from Cannes ... unclear if they just happened to move the vacation towards the big festival as a coincidence, or if they're planning on making an appearance before it wraps next week.

One would think Jay-Z and Beyoncé would be living it up in their new $200 million Malibu estate -- the most expensive home sale in California history --- but nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, the power couple was thousands of miles away in London Friday night after news surfaced about their massive house purchase, which bested the previous record of $177 million in the Golden State.

Check out these photos, obtained by TMZ, which show Jay and Bey dressed to the nines as they leave Harry's Bar in Mayfair with their security in tow. We're told they climbed inside a Viano box van and were driven back to their hotel.

Our sources say the A-listers had dinner at Harry's with billionaire entrepreneur Nassef Sawiris and satisfied their taste buds with a "delectable soufflé."

Not a bad way to spend the night ... but it probably would have been cozier inside their mansion fit for a king or a queen or both in their case.

Of course, there's plenty of time for Jay and Bey to enjoy their 30,000-square-foot monstrosity in the heart of Malibu's Paradise Cove area ... aka Billionaires' Row ... overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

TMZ broke the story Friday morning about their eye-popping real estate transaction -- which would have been the largest ever residential purchase in the nation if not for someone having bought an NYC apartment for $238 million.

Still though, Jay and Bey's house is a true architectural masterpiece, created by master builder Tadao Ando, who is also designing the house Kanye West bought in Malibu.

Turns out this is Jay and Bey's second big housing purchase in the Los Angeles area ... back in 2017, the couple plunked down $88 million for a Bel-Air mansion and funneled millions more into the home to push it over the $100 million mark.

A customer lost his s*** and totally trashed a Chipotle Mexican Grill in D.C. -- and it was all because his tacos weren't made fast enough!!!

Fox 5 in Washington D.C. obtained surveillance video of the food fight, which starts off with the man standing at the counter waiting for an employee to prepare his food after he ordered the tacos.

It doesn't take long for him to go completely bonkers. He reaches over a glass partition and scoops up a pile of lettuce and other ingredients and hurls them at the worker, who ducks for cover in a room behind the counter.

But the unruly patron isn't done yet. He picks up a stack of trays, bags and napkins and throws them across the room. He even grabs a computer monitor and tosses it.

According to a police report, obtained by Fox Business, the man became furious simply because the worker failed -- in his view -- to serve the tacos at a more rapid pace.

After making the mess, the suspect jumped on a scooter and drove off.

The Metropolitan Police Department has launched an investigation and is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the man's arrest.

Here's a chance for Tom Petty fans to step into the late singer's shoes ... and a lot more from his closet, as a treasure trove of items hit the auction block.

Tom's wardrobe from his former home in Encino, CA is going up for sale through RR Auction, including hats, jackets, vests, boots, shirts and shoes ... with some of the items even marked with his initials on the tags.

One standout piece is Tom's iconic black and white striped jacket, which he famously wore on the cover of the UK 12" single for his 1978 hit, "Listen to Her Heart." The jacket has wide lapels, flap pockets, a single vent on the back and 2 pearloid buttons.

The auction also includes Tom's black denim Lee "Easy Rider" jacket, which he famously wore during a 1987 tour with Guns N' Roses and a 1989 MTV Video Music Awards performance with Axl Rose ... singing "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Free Fallin'."

Tom wore many hats over the years, none flashier than his Burmese cap ... which is decorated with yellow floral designs and embroidered with two elephants.

The collection also includes his fedoras, baseball caps, Stetsons and a black cap he wore on Molly Meldrum's Australian TV show.

They say the shoes make the man, and Tom's footwear includes some fancy brown suede leather Chelsea boots.

He often wore boots on stage, and the collection features his size 9 black leather Zodiac boots, and sneakers of all different colors.

Adam Levine is adding to his multi-million dollar car collection ... he's driving a new Ford Bronco that's super hard to find ... and he looks super happy behind the wheel.

The Maroon 5 lead singer hopped in his 500-horsepower Bronco Hennessey VelociRaptor on Friday ... tooling around Santa Barbara, CA in the $70,000 whip.

Adam's living it up as the weekend nears ... he's got the windows down and the top off.

This version of Ford's new Broncos is not just sitting at any old dealer ... Adam's one of the first folks to get a set of keys ... so it's no wonder he looks so thrilled.

Adam's cruising solo here ... looks like he left the wife, kids and the family's new puppy at home.

The man's got a thing for rare and expensive cars ... Adam reportedly owns over $2 million worth of wheels, including a $685k vintage Ferrari.

Remember ... Adam is also suing a car dealer he alleges sold him a fake $1 million Maserati.

Bill Gates's new mansion is all set for move-in... and you gotta imagine his neighbors are happy the home's construction is finished after years of disturbances.

The Microsoft founder completely transformed the multi-million dollar pad in Del Mar, San Diego, gutting the whole thing, adding solar panels and a bunch of other luxury add-ons.

However, while rebuilding the home, Bill definitely ruffled some feathers with locals in the area ... with some neighbors reportedly complaining about the noise and disruptions from construction. So, it's likely a huge relief for them to finally see someone move in.

Gates and his now ex-wife Melinda originally snagged the beachfront estate for a whopping $43M back in 2020. The two pulled the plug on their marriage the following year ... which left BG with the San Diego pad.

Jay-Z and Beyoncé have just snagged one of the greatest architectural masterpieces in the country ... a 30,000-square-foot home in the prime area of Malibu ... and they paid a King's ransom.

Real estate sources tell TMZ ... the couple paid $200 million for the property, making it the most expensive home ever sold in the entire state of California ... eclipsing the previous record of $177 million. It's also the second most expensive real estate deal in the country -- the top being $238 million for an NYC apartment.

They actually got an unbelievable deal ... the home was quietly listed for a whopping $295 million.

The house sits on an 8-acre bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the Paradise Cove area ... AKA Billionaires' Row.

It's also an architectural jewel, designed by Tadao Ando, a Japanese master architect, who is also designing the house Kanye West bought in Malibu.

The house was owned and built by William Bell, one of the biggest art collectors in the world. It took Bell almost 15 years to build the all-concrete structure.

The home is the couple's second massive real estate purchase in the Los Angeles area that we know of ... back in 2017, they purchased a Bel-Air mansion for $88 million, and pumped millions more into the home to push it over the $100 million mark.

Paul Walker's brother says there are no surprise appearances from him in the final chapter (allegedly) of the 'Fast and Furious' franchise ... but he's happy another family member is getting her shine.

We got Cody Walker Thursday right after Ludacris got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame -- and we asked him about the new "Fast X" movie, and Paul's daughter Meadow Walker appearing in it.

First off ... while Cody says there are no secret cameos from him in "Fast X", he acknowledges there's always been talk of it, and doesn't completely shut the door.

Fact is, it wouldn't be much of a secret if he told us!

As far as possible CGI scenes of Paul's character, Brian O'Conner ... Cody says he's not involved in those decisions. He does tell us Paul is referenced in it, as you'd expect.

As we reported, Meadow does have a small role in "Fast X" ... and she says it's a blessing to be able to honor her father's legacy.

Cody tells us he's stoked and it makes total sense his niece is taking the torch from her father for her first appearance in a 'Fast' flick.

The new movie is in theaters this week and is expected to make a ton of money at the box office ... which is no surprise to Cody. He tells us why Paul would have been pleasantly surprised at the franchise's direction since starring in the OG film back in the day.

Cody's still big on the car scene -- just as Paul was -- his FuelFest will be at Irwindale Speedway, outside L.A., on June 3 ... and he says the accompanying car show will showcase the top custom exotic cars from around the globe.

Add live music, drag races, and drifting and ya got the perfect party for diehard "FF" fans.

Cody sounds like he's fine with not joining the franchise, preferring to leave the acting up to his niece.

Jake Paul is going to have to take a break from boxing soon to do some serious unboxing ... 'cause TMZ Sports has confirmed the fighter just bought a mega-mansion in Puerto Rico -- off of ex-MLB star Yadier Molina!!!

The Problem Child, according to a rep for The Caribbean Realty Group, scored the San Juan-area palace on Wednesday for $15,750,000 ... and it's insane.

The two-story property has eight bedrooms, eight full bathrooms, two 1/2 bathrooms, a fitness center ... and a luxury pool.

It's also got an elevator, a wet bar, a dry bar, a 6-car garage ... and over 12,000 square feet of living space.

No word on why the newly retired Molina gave up the place -- which was built in 2021 -- but Paul landed a great deal on it nonetheless.

The Caribbean Realty Group reports the house was initially listed at $19,995,000 ... before the former Cardinals catcher and Paul worked out the new price this week.

Jake and his brother, Logan, initially moved to Puerto Rico a couple years ago ... after the two brothers claimed the region gave them the ability to train for fights without distractions.

Jeff Bezos isn't dropping half a billion on a superyacht without including a sexy homage to his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez ... or, at least, that's what the internet thinks he did with a beautiful sculpture on the front of the ship.

Check out the wooden carving on the prow of Bezos' new nautical toy -- it shows a busty woman with long hair in a flowing gown and angel wings.

Some observers see a whole lotta Lauren in the figure's face, while others think it's a stretch to say it's a shrine to his boo.

Whether it's her or not ... Lauren was rocking a pink bikini -- not featured on the sculpture -- aboard the swanky ship, dubbed the Koru, this week with Jeff.

This is their maiden voyage aboard the Koru ... which has plenty of room for them to stretch out and soak up some rays.

As they vacay, the debate continues about Jeff's lady of the sea, so the question must be asked ...

If you're trying to cop a pair of Ja Morant's signature sneakers, you'll have to look somewhere other than Nike's website, 'cause the NBA superstar's kicks are nowhere to be found in the online store days after his 2nd gun incident.

The Ja 1 athletic shoes were released on April 19, and have been very popular. However, when we looked on Nike's site Thursday morning, the Morant sneakers were not available. In fact, outside of a few t-shirts, there isn't anything Morant-related.

But, Nike hasn't totally erased Morant's sneakers. There's a new mismatched 'Hunger' colorway that's scheduled to be released on May 25 ... and it still appears in the "Upcoming" section of Nike's SNKRS app.

Other retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods, and secondary resellers like StockX and Flight Club still have Ja 1s for sale.

Morant signed a multi-year deal with Nike in May 2019, but could be in jeopardy of losing his endorsement with the world's largest athletic apparel company ... after the 23-year-old was seen holding a gun on IG live, sitting shotgun in a car, listening to music.

This comes just two months after the 2x All-Star flashed a pistol inside a Denver strip club ... again while on Instagram Live.

Ja was suspended for eight games after the March incident.

This time, the penalty will be much more severe. Morant's already been suspended from all team activities, though it's the offseason for the Grizzlies.

The back-to-back gun incidents have fans confused and even pissed off, including Michael Wilbon, who said he won't let his son wear Ja's shoes.

If retailers continue to pull the Ja 1s, even people who want to wear Morant's kicks may soon have trouble tracking down a pair.