Money

The tricked out 1963 Chevy Impala once owned by Kobe Bryant is hitting the auction block -- and we're told it's expected to sell in the $250,000 range!

The car has a pretty famous and well-documented history. Kobe's wife Vanessa went to West Coast Customs (the "Pimp My Ride" people) back in 2006 and had them customize something special for Mamba ... so she could gift it to Kobe on Christmas morning.

The final product was pretty amazing -- the guys at WCC rebuilt the engine, installed hydraulics, gave it a custom paint job. There was also some major work done on the sound system.

And check this out ... the interior got some major work as well, as described by the Barrett-Jackson auction house.

"The interior was beautifully re-worked, with all new white leather upholstery studded with genuine Swarovsky crystals and offset by royal blue piping and carpets."

Damn.

Kobe got rid of the car around 2013 -- and it was later auctioned off by Barrett-Jackson in 2014.

Now, the car is changing hands once again -- with the folks at Goldin Auctions running the sale. The auction is live and there's already a $100,000 bid -- but Ken Goldin tells us he expects the car to sell in the neighborhood of $250k.

The seller's identity has not been revealed. All we know is the vehicle is located in Indiana and the winning bidder is responsible for picking the car up after the sale ends next Saturday.

Good luck!

Mariah Carey's estranged sister says she's suffered emotional distress from the singer's allegations about her ... so she's suing her for at least $1.25 million.

Alison Carey claims in new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Mariah presented no evidence to back up the accusations of abuse in her 2020 book, "The Meaning of Mariah."

According to the suit ... Mariah's book alleges Alison "gave her Valium, tried to pimp her out and threw a cup of boiling hot tea on her causing third-degree burns" when Mariah was 12. Alison disputes these allegations and claims Mariah hasn't provided any evidence to support them.

Alison goes on to accuse Mariah of making these outrageous claims despite knowing Alison suffers from trauma herself from the alleged abuse she suffered as a child at the hands of their mother.

Alison claims their mother subjected her to satanic rituals and sexual activity at a young age ... allegations she previously made when she sued their mother for sexual abuse last year.

Mariah's estranged sister also says she suffered a traumatic brain injury during a 2015 home invasion, and suggests Mariah ignored her vulnerabilities and "used her status as a public figure to attack her penniless sister" to promote her book.

You do right by Bills Mafia, they do right by you ... just ask left tackle Dion Dawkins, whose charity has been flooded with donations after coming to his QB Josh Allen's defense in the AFC Championship Game!!

You know the play -- K.C. Chiefs defensive end Alex Okafor sacked Allen late in the conference title game last month ... which led to the QB throwing the ball in his face out of frustration.

Okafor then taunted Allen by standing over his body after the play. That clearly didn't sit well with the Bills, 'cause Dawkins and teammate Jon Feliciano rushed over to kickstart a shoving match.

Dawkins and Feliciano were both hit with $10k fines for the pushing attack ... while Allen was hit with a $15k penalty for the throw.

Naturally, Bills Mafia -- which will stop at nothing to find a reason to pull out their wallets for good causes -- decided to band together to thank Dawkins for having their QB's back ... with donations piling into the O-lineman's Dion's Dreamers charity.

So far, WVIB reports the crazed fanatics have donated $3k to the charity, which mentors young men and women in underserved communities.

But, it's not the dollar amount that matters, it's the fact these fans are ALWAYS looking to make an impact -- after all, Bills fans donated over $1 million to John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo after Allen's grandmother passed away.

Lamar Jackson's charity also received over $360k from the Mafia after he suffered a concussion in their playoff game on Jan. 16.

Kevin Hart isn't letting that horrific 2019 car wreck hold him back from one of his passions ... he's about to add another souped-up whip to his collection, and it's a BEAST.

Sources familiar with the deal tell us Kevin recently bought a new muscle car from SpeedKore in Wisconsin, dropping several hundred thousand dollars on an old Dodge Charger that's been completely revamped.

SpeedKore calls the car the "Hellraiser" and it looks pretty sick, under the hood alone.

We're told Kevin's getting it delivered next week, so keep an eye out for the full unveiling. Unclear how much horsepower this one will be packing, but we know Kevin likes 'em fast.

As we first reported, Kevin was in the passenger seat, and a friend was driving, when they crashed in the Malibu Hills. Kevin's 1970 Barracuda was totally mangled. Ditto for his back ... KH needed spinal surgery, but fully recovered after a lengthy rehab.

Terry Crews' son, Isaiah doesn't need a side hustle ... because he's getting paid a small fortune for his role in "Side Hustle."

The 15-year-old actor is off to a strong start in the family business after landing a recurring role on the Nickelodeon series, "Side Hustle." According to his minors contract, obtained by TMZ, Isaiah is banking $15k per episode in the first season alone.

Looks like season one has 10 episodes ... which should net him a cool $150k. And, get this ... he'll see significant increases per episode if the show's a hit and gets picked up for new seasons ... he could earn nearly $20k an episode by season 6.

This isn't Isaiah's first role in Hollywood. He appeared as himself in his pops' short-lived reality show "The Family Crews" a little over 10 years ago. He's probably used to the cameras ... what with his father being a huge Hollywood star and all.

Reddit users messed with the bull, now it gets ... the tarp. That's how the saying goes, right?

We kid, but in all seriousness ... check out what Wall Street's Charging Bull looks like right now in Manhattan's Financial District -- the bronze sculpture is completely covered in a blue tarp, from horns to hooves.

There's no official explanation out as to why this happened, but the reason seems to be obvious -- especially considering what's been happening with the stock market this past week.

Of course, we're talking about the frenzy with Gamestop, AMC and other stocks that were restricted on exchanges like Robinhood ... which was seen as a corrupt move by normies who were making a bundle against hedge fund managers trying to bet on shorts.

There was widespread outcry online, with folks accusing Robinhood of being in cahoots with these hedge fund runners -- something Robinhood denied, BTW. The chatter wasn't just digital though ... it literally trickled into the streets with protests over the weekend.

People gathered at the Bull with signage that read "TAX WALL ST TRADES" among other messages. There are even photos circulating that show the Bull getting vandalized with blue tape, with phrases like "#HoldTheLine" and "WBC" etched in in permanent marker.

Basically, there's been a lot of activity there these past few days -- and it looks like the authorities have responded in kind ... both with man power and now ... with plastic.

Some small investors who have been blocked from making money on the Robinhood platform apparently still have enough money to hire a pilot to send a message -- "Suck My Nuts Robinhood."

The banner flew in the skies above San Francisco ... where the Robinhood headquarters are located.

The message, which is dripping in anger, is an above-earth response to the company's decision to restrict the trading of 50 stocks, including GameStop, AMC and BlackBerry.

Residents of San Fran saw the banner Friday afternoon, much to the delight of many ... especially those who now can't play the same game people on Wall Street have been playing for decades. Remember the late '90s ... when tech stocks were skyrocketing WAY beyond their worth?

The free-trade app got hit with a class-action lawsuit ... one day after Robinhood barred retail investors from continuing to buy stock in companies on the verge of collapse. It became an epic battle between Redditers and hedge fund managers.

Smart & Final's leaving workers twisting in the wind as the pandemic rages on ... the grocery chain put the kibosh on COVID sick pay before most employees could even get the vaccine.

Corporate blasted out an email to employees Thursday informing them supplemental sick days for COVID-related issues were no more.

We're told the feeling among employees is that it's a low blow after busting their butts for the company and risking exposure to the virus for 10 months and counting.

Like many other essential businesses, Smart & Final tacked on extra paid sick days early on in the pandemic, but now employees are being told they've gotta use regular sick days or even vacation days if they have to miss work because of COVID.

Problem is ... the pandemic is far from over, and we're told many employees are upset with the change because they still aren't eligible for vaccination and they're in the dark about how to even go about getting the shots once it's their turn in line.

We reached out to Smart & Final ... so far, no word back.

Donald Trump's banned from Twitter, but he can still have a voice on Ja Rule's new app ... but Ja says he has a few ground rules, and the Proud Boys aren't welcome.

The rapper tells TMZ ... the ex-Prez can start a page on his celebrity booking app, Iconn, and start fresh with a clean slate ... which is more than almost every digital platform's willing to give him these days.

As you know ... Trump's permanently banned from Twitter because of the Capitol riots he's accused of inciting, and a bunch of other apps are keeping the former President in social media timeout.

Ja says Trump's welcome on Iconn, as long as he doesn't use it to rile up his base and do "crazy things." Ja says any funny business from Trump, like bringing in the Proud Boys, will get him booted.

Kevin Nealon's a victim in a home burglary that saw crooks get away clean with six figures worth of jewelry and other valuables.

The thieves broke into the "Weeds" and 'SNL' alum's place recently ... according to law enforcement sources, who tell us it looks like Kevin had been away for a few days.

We're told Kevin came home to discover the break-in, and that more than $100,000 worth of bling and handbags were gone.

Our sources say it doesn't appear the burglars specifically targeted Kevin ... and this was more likely a random hit. Cops still don't know exactly how the perpetrators managed to get inside the house.

Screw being a thorn in someone's side. Bella Thorne's embracing the sentiment with shiny diamond thorns around her neck.

The one-time Disney star hit up Avi Davidov from Pristine Jewelers at the start of the new year and commissioned him to hook her up with a Cuban link necklace with thorns. It's the first of its kind from Davidov.

We're told Bella dropped close to six figures for the 55 carats and 7 green stones. It's pretty intricate ... took him around 3 weeks to make.

It's one helluva piece of bling, and Davidov's no stranger to creating these beauties. He was the jeweler behind Cardi B's 7-figure diamond ring.

Robinhood conspired with the big Wall Street hedge funds to screw over the everyday folks who are suddenly striking it rich with investments like GameStop ... according to a new lawsuit.

The free-trading app just got hit with a class action lawsuit filed in federal court ... one day after Robinhood barred retail investors from continuing to buy stock in several companies in the battle between Reddit bros and hedge fund managers.

Melvin Capital and Citadel, 2 massive hedge funds, are also being sued ... as the suit claims they were shorting companies like GameStop and losing a lot of money as the stock prices went up. The allegation is the fund conspired with brokerages like Robinhood to block the purchase of certain stocks in order to stop their financial bleeding.

In the suit, filed by Larry Friedman and obtained by TMZ, a group of retail investors claims Robinhood's move to shut down buyers caused prices to plummet in favor of the big hedge fund investors ... while seriously hurting the finances of the little guys in the process.

The suit claims the problem isn't limited to Robinhood and the hedge funds -- Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade are also being sued.

The little guys are going after the Wall Street fat cats for at least $5 million in damages.

50 Cent says there's one guy he'd love to punch in the face -- Floyd Mayweather -- but he doesn't think Floyd would ever agree to throw down.

Everyone knows the backstory ... 50 and Floyd used to be super tight -- but they've had SEVERAL falling outs over the years and it seems like the relationship is still fractured.

So, when 50 appeared on V-103's "The Morning Culture" show Friday and was asked who he'd like to square off against in a celebrity boxing match, it wasn't too shocking when the rapper dropped Floyd's name.

"I'd fight Floyd," 50 Cent said ... adding, "I don't think I can make weight though."

50 pointed out Floyd usually fights around 150 lbs -- and the 45-year-old rapper says there's just no way he can slim down to match Floyd's weight.

50 claims the last time he dropped to 150, "I looked like a homeless person."

Instead, 50 says he thinks he could fight at 180 lbs ... which is closer in weight to Floyd's next opponent, Logan Paul, who fights around 190 lbs.

Let's get serious ... everyone would watch Floyd vs. 50 -- especially since 50 has real boxing training under his belt and reportedly stays in solid shape.

Remember, the two used to be super tight -- 50 famously walked Floyd to ring when he fought Oscar De La Hoya back in the day.

But, they've since beefed about everything from Floyd's reading skills to 50's financial situation ... and the hatchet appears to be far from buried.

Jon Stewart's so pissed about the Robinhood controversy, he's doing something he's never done before ... all to stand up for the little guy against Wall Street big wigs.

The comedian and host fired off his very first tweet Thursday night to say "This is bulls**t" that Robinhood blocked the Reddit investor group in the GameStop-Wall Street beef.

Stewart joined Twitter -- @jon_actual -- specifically to share his take on the hottest story in the country ... saying the subReddit WallStreetBets isn't cheating at all. As Jon put it, "They're joining a party Wall Street insiders have been enjoying for years."

As you've heard, the trading app Robinhood blocked investors Thursday from buying stocks in failing companies like GameStop, AMC, Nokia and BlackBerry ... after investments from WallStreetBets helped them surge astronomically.

Robinhood was immediately blasted for the move, which was seen as protecting Wall Street's established hedge fund managers and screwing everyday folks. Friday morning, it reopened "limited buys" and of course ... GameStop stock is surging again.

Jon made it clear the Redditors are simply beating Wall Street at its own game. He said, "Don't shut them down ... maybe sue them for copyright infringement instead!!!"

You can tell fans have missed the ex "Daily Show" host -- he's already got over 700k followers -- and he promised, "to only use this app in a sporadic and ineffective manner."

GameStop's wild stock market ride is all the rage in the investment world, but to employees at the brick-and-mortar stores ... it's had little impact on their workday, unless they happen to work in Cleveland.

TMZ reached out to GameStop locations in 20 major U.S. cities to see if they've seen an increase in customers due to the frenzy caused by the WallStreetBets group on Reddit.

Sixteen stores -- including those in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Dallas, Houston, Memphis, Nashville, Portland, Phoenix, Seattle, San Fran and San Diego -- said it was status quo as far as customers.

One thing hedge fund managers, and even WallStreetBets founder Jaime Rogozinski, agree on is GameStop's future isn't bright. Hell, 3 stores -- in Miami, Philly and NYC -- told us biz has been slower than usual. Miami had a whopping 8 customers Thursday.

However, Cleveland is the exception, where they say sales are up 100% compared to last week. We're told several customers at that branch credited the stock surge story for inspiring them to visit and support GameStop ... so it doesn't go under.

On the flip side ... the manager of a Minneapolis location tells us he got an angry call from someone upset they couldn't trade GameStop shares on Robinhood.

As we've reported ... the stock-buying frenzy of GameStop, AMC, BlackBerry and a handful of other companies resulted in Robinhood shutting down trading for them, which pissed off retail investors who believe the move only benefits hedge funds.

Ja Rule is going nuclear on Robinhood for shutting down retail investors in the GameStop stock craze ... and he thinks the free-trading app revealed its true colors.

The rapper, and apparent day trader, tells TMZ ... Robinhood made a big mistake when it blocked customers from buying more stock in companies like GameStop, AMC and BlackBerry -- and as a result, he's having second thoughts about sticking with the service.

The way Ja sees it ... Robinhood rigged the system against everyday folks who were taking on Wall Street's establishment and winning, so it's time for retail investors to take their trades elsewhere.

While Ja's steaming about the Robinhood setback, he might want to take some stock advice from Jordan Belfort, who's suggesting a different way for normies to win in the market.

As we reported ... Robinhood says it will allow trading Friday for GameStop and all the other securities it blocked Thursday, but only for "limited buys" as it continues to monitor the situation.

But, listening to Ja go off, it sounds like Robinhood won't be able to mend fences that easily.