Money

Paul Hogan's had it with the crime and homelessness around his home in L.A. and is letting his frustrations be known ... by posting a warning on his front door.

The "Crocodile Dundee" star -- who recently told Australian news he's homesick and desperate to leave the U.S. and return Down Under -- reportedly stepped outside Sunday and pinned a note to outside his garage in Venice Beach that read ... "THIS IS MY HOUSE NOT YOURS."

Paul's since taken the sign down outside his $3.5 million property ... which does sit right in the middle of a neighborhood where the homeless crisis has become epidemic.

As you may know ... the Venice Beach area that was once a tourism hot spot in L.A. has become a hellscape of sorts during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Hogan's note seems to be directed to the many homeless camped out near his home.

Paul and his 22-year-old son, Chance, have reportedly been stuck inside his beachside mansion -- which locals describe as a fortress -- for months as the homeless crisis and crime has spiraled out of control in the area.

Hogan's stated he can't wait for the pandemic to be over so he can flee ... which echoes what many others have expressed about L.A. in recent months, as city and county officials have been criticized for not doing enough to address what's going on.

While the government may be coming up short in helping with the homelessness situation, there has been a movement among celebs, like Jon Cryer and Lisa Joyner, and organizations like Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission to provide those in need with shelter.

Charles Barkley's gotta do his best Oprah impression next time he visits his old high school -- 'cause the NBA legend is handing out $1,000 donations to every employee!!

The 58-year-old Alabama native gave back in a huge way for his alma mater Leeds City Schools during the COVID-19 pandemic ... donating laptops and WiFi hotspots for students learning from home.

On top of that, the school says Barkley wrote a check for $1,000 to each employee in the school district to help out during the tough times.

FYI -- that's reportedly 226 employees!!

ATTA JOB, CHUCK!!!

The school thanked Barkley for his continuous support over the years on Tuesday ... saying, "We are humbled and wish to express our sincere gratitude to Charles Barkley for providing a $1,000 gift to each and every Leeds City Schools employee for going the extra mile this school year."

The school adds Barkley has privately donated more than $3 million in scholarship money to Leeds graduates over the years ... and has remained supportive of the boys and girls basketball programs.

By the way ... Barkley was a superstar athlete for Leeds during his senior year ... helping the team reach the state semifinals in 1981.

"We are beyond thankful to know our hometown hero and benefactor, Charles Barkley, recognizes the hard work and dedication of the Leeds staff, even under the toughest of circumstances. Thank you, Charles!"

You down for a World Cup tournament every 2 years instead of 4?!

That's how Saudi Arabia wants to get down ... with officials formally proposing FIFA change the WC schedule -- for both the men's and women's tourney -- ASAP.

Don't get too excited ... even if the proposal is well-received Friday at FIFA's giant meeting of its 211 member federations, it could take YEARS to implement.

In fact, Saudi Arabia is first requesting FIFA launch a "feasible study" to see how shifting the World Cup to every 2 years would affect players, countries, and major soccer organizations around the globe.

The most compelling argument, it seems, is the money -- with the AP reporting the men's World Cup brings in around $6 BILLION in broadcasting and commercial deals.

Not too shabby!

Look, it's not the first time the 2-year plan has been pitched -- former FIFA president Sepp Blatter brought it up back 1999 ... and FIFA vice president Alejandro Dominguez brought it up again in 2018.

But, money talks ... and FIFA has been open to making significant changes lately.

Remember, FIFA agreed to expand the 2026 World Cup to 48 teams ... a big change from the usual 32.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's son already follows in his dad's footsteps when it comes to bodybuilding ... but now he's mimicking his pops in Hollywood.

Sources close to Joseph Baena tell TMZ ... on the heels of landing his first big acting gig earlier this year -- in the John Malkovich sci-fi flick, "The Chariot" -- he's hired a manager, Henry Penzi, and is booking more and more roles.

We're told Joseph just finished shooting an independent film called "Bully High" -- that's where these photos are from -- where he plays the school president ... one of the main characters. "Bully High" is directed by Bill McAdams Jr.

On top of that, our sources say Baena's set to appear in an upcoming project with Bruce Willis and another project with Cartoon Network. We're told there's lots of interest in booking him for other gigs, too.

Along with Joseph's professional life taking off in 2021, it's also been a big year personally. As we previously reported ... he was seen publicly hanging out with his half-brother, Patrick, for the first time in April.

Harry Potter fans can own some serious wizardry memorabilia ... but it won't be sold by Ollivander and it'll cost way more than seven Galleons.

The folks over at Prop Store will hold one of the world's largest live auctions of film and TV memorabilia in L.A. ... and leading the way are the glasses and wand used by Daniel Radcliffe in the 2010 and 2011 films 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.'

Radcliffe used the wand in Part 1 and the glasses in Part 2. And, whoever wants to cop these will need more than wizard currency. We're told each of the items is expected to fetch between $30k and $50k. That's cold hard cash, homie.

Prop Store, one of the world's leading film and TV memorabilia companies, will stream the auction online between June 29 and July 1. Not a Harry Potter fan? Don't fret.

There will be more than 1,200 rare and iconic lots up for grabs during the 3-day event. Such as ... the fedora Harrison Ford used in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom." The fedora should pull in anywhere between $150k to $250k.

'Star Wars' fans can snag the R2-SHP remote control droid from "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." That beaut could fetch as much as $120k. 'Batman' fans with $10k in disposable income can have Michael Keaton's utility belt.

Need something for the kids? Statler and Waldorf puppet heads from "The Muppets" can be yours for anywhere between $30k and $50k.

Matt Barnes was a tough guy on the court, but he's looking to make people laugh it off ... with the ex-NBA forward landing his own comedy series with Showtime!!!

41-year-old Barnes has reportedly struck a deal with the TV network and Lionsgate to develop "The Education of Matt Barnes," a half-hour scripted comedy series loosely based on his life postretirement, according to Deadline.

The show will be a "story of how a single dad from Encino balances home, business, activism and relationships while navigating the temptations of the celebrity-centric, Instagram and TikTok universe of LA," the report says.

The project is backed by writer and creator Matt Pyken, who most notably worked on "Empire" ... and "Blackish" director Pete Chatmon is on board for the pilot.

Remember, Barnes told us back in 2017 he had big plans in the entertainment industry ... and the dude wasn't kidding -- he'll act as co-executive producer alongside the Tannenbaum Company for the project.

There will be plenty of storylines to use from Barnes' memorable 14-year career in the NBA ... as well as his life as a father of 3 kids.

A man who says he bought a "This Smells Like My Vagina" candle from Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop company claims it could have killed him when it exploded ... and he's now filed a class-action lawsuit about it.

According to the legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the guy suing is a Texas resident named Colby Watson, and he says he purchased the 10.5-ounce 'Vagina' candle online in January.

Watson claims he lit the candle for the first time in February and placed it on his nightstand -- a level surface -- and insists there was nothing close to touching the candle and no open windows or drafts in his bedroom.

Watson claims, after burning for "an estimated three hours or less," the candle became engulfed in high flames and exploded soon afterward ... and the room was filled with smoke.

Watson alleges the candle also left a black burn ring on his nightstand and says the jar is charred and black.

According to the docs, Watson acknowledges the candle comes with a "limited warning" on Goop.com -- including cautioning not to burn the candle for more than 2 hours at a time -- but he says that warning is insufficient.

Watson claims Goop fails to warn that the candle could cause significant injuries when it explodes, and he calls the 'Vagina' candles "inherently dangerous."

Soulja Boy wants credit for being the "first" rapper to plug Icebox bling -- but the shop couldn't care less ... especially since they say there's dough he still owes.

A rep for the famed jewelry and diamond store tells TMZ ... Soulja's viral tweet from the weekend doesn't mean diddly squat to them -- in light of the (alleged) fact that there's an unresolved lawsuit they have out against the guy, which they claim he's been ducking.

Icebox sued Soulja back in 2013 for an open tab of over $60k they say he never paid -- and now tell us they haven't been able to collect ... even all these years later. At this point, Icebox says the debt has ballooned to around $200k, and of course ... they want the money they believe is long overdue.

In other words ... Soulja getting Twitter love for seemingly being ahead of the curve doesn't do anything for their bottom line -- despite him getting his flowers by using their name.

BTW, Icebox tells us they even dispute the notion that Soulja was the first rapper they'd worked with in Atlanta ... clarifying that while he was one of the initial big artists to get them on YouTube way back when, he was far from the first MC to cop some ice there.

Icebox's message to Soulja is quite simple ... screw the street cred -- just crank that credit card, and pay us through the phone -- or however else you want, bro.

Kurt Cobain's golden locks are worth more than gold ... a few strands of his hair just sold for five figures at a rock and roll auction.

The winning bid for the late Nirvana frontman's hair came in at a cool $14,145 ... and that's just for 6 strands!!!

As you can see, Kurt's blonde hair is preserved under plastic about the size of a trading card, and the auction house, Iconic Auctions, says the longest strand checks in at about 2.5 inches.

These few slivers of music history come from a 1989 haircut Kurt got while Nirvana was on the famous "Bleach" tour.

The winning bidder's also taking home these pictures of Kurt's haircut. He got the trim from his friend, Tessa Osbourne, and posed for a smiling snap with the scissors still in her hand.

Kurt's hair has been on quite a journey ... the haircut happened in Birmingham, England and Tessa kept the locks in a bag until she gave it to Seattle artist Nicole DePolo after Kurt's death.

DePolo passed the hair along to John Reznikoff, who has a Guinness world record for "largest collection of historic hair," and it finally hit the auction block this month.

Kylie Jenner wants everyone in the pool this summer, provided they're wearing a certain type of swimwear.

Kylie filed legal docs to trademark "Kylie Swim" and "Kylie Swim by Kylie Jenner."

It appears Kylie's looking to market sunglasses, swim goggles, beach bags, swimwear, cover-ups, headwear, footwear and even towels and outdoor blankets. Basically ... everything you need for a bitchin' beach day.

It's nothing new for Kylie, of course ... you'll recall she did something very similar in early 2020 with "Kylie Body" ... and her expanding empire also includes "Kylie Baby" and "Kylie Hair."

A Florida doctor's insane card collection -- featuring ultra-rare Babe Ruth items -- is hitting the auction block following the doc's tragic COVID death ... and experts say it could all sell for around $20 MILLION!!!

Dr. Thomas Newman -- who had been collecting cards since the 1980s -- had amassed the WILD assembly of pieces before he passed away in January at 73 years old due to complications from coronavirus.

The collection is stunning ... there's famous Ruth and Mickey Mantle rookies -- and it also features cards from Honus Wagner, Ted Williams, Cy Young and more.

Newman's family says it's enlisted Memory Lane Auctions in Tustin, CA to help facilitate the sale of the pieces after the doctor's passing ... and experts there anticipate record-breaking prices for the cards.

In fact, one of the Ruth items -- a 1933 Goudey #53 -- could sell for over $5 MILLION, so says auction house president JP Cohen.

"[It] is the finest known of its kind," Cohen said, "and we expect it to break the record of $5.2 million for any sports card."

The Mantle rookie, a 1952 piece with a near-perfect PSA 8 grade, meanwhile, is expected to fetch over $1 million on its own as well.

Auction officials say bidding on the cards is set to begin on June 21 ... and close on July 10.

Janet Jackson screams cash ... $125,000 in cold, hard cash!!!

The outfit Janet wore in the "Scream" music video just fetched $125k at auction.

It was part of Julien's Auctions event, titled, "Iconic Treasures From the legendary Career and Life of Janet Jackson."  Janet turned over 1,000 items from her life to Julien's, and it coincided with her 55th birthday.

As for the getup ... we'll use the auction's description -- "A black circular "bubble" textured fabric long-sleeve shirt by Dexter Wong, a pair of black patent leather pants, and a pair of black patent leather over-the-ankle chunky low-heel boots."

The outfit was featured in the 1995 music vid which was a huge hit.

Compassion International, an org that fights child poverty, will get a cut of the action.

Other treasures brought in big bucks, like her floor-length metallic silver coat with lambskin shearling lining, cuffs and collar ... which sold for $50,000.  And there was her silver strink bikini and matching pants which commanded $25,600.

And there's more ... Her jacket from the 1990 Rhythm Nation Tour and 1814 cap and black satin gloves fetched $81,250. And get this ... a pair of earrings Oprah Winfrey presented to Janet Jackson at Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball in May 2005 were up for auction. The earrings are in a sterling silver case engraved "A Bridge to Now" on the top and "JJ" on the front and housed in a red leather presentation box.

A piece of Janet's life sure ain't cheap, but clearly worth it.

Rapper Mo Fayne's looking at serious time behind bars -- but less than he might have gotten -- after cutting a plea deal in his PPP loan fraud case.

The "Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta" star pled guilty to 6 counts of federal bank fraud after prosecutors say he funded a lavish lifestyle during the pandemic with a Paycheck Protection Program loan. Y'know ... the ones intended to help employees and small businesses hit hard by COVID.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Fayne was ordered to forfeit nearly $100k from several bank accounts as well as 8 of his 2015 Kenworth T680 trucks. Yes, he bought EIGHT trucks!!!

In exchange for his plea, the feds dropped 14 other charges and agreed to recommend Fayne get a 151-month prison sentence -- about 12.5 years -- and that's prosecutors going easy on him! Before the deal, he was staring down a possible max of 30 years.

As we reported ... Fayne was accused of using a PPP loan of over $2M to buy $85,000 worth of jewelry and pay off a bunch of personal debts, including child support.

Mo's been locked up since December for violating the terms of his bond, but he's now asking to be let out before the judge issues his sentence in September.

He argues he's NOT a threat to flee or a danger to the community. What's more ... Fayne says he wants out so he can see his doctor to treat a shoulder injury that required surgery last year, but was put on hold due to the pandemic.

Fayne also says, due to his history of asthma and use of an inhaler, he's in a high-risk group to contract COVID-19 while behind bars -- but that argument will probably be DOA in court. The feds have said all inmates will be offered vaccines.

President Biden is just like us -- meaning, the guy sends quick cash to his friends and family on Venmo, which might sound like no big deal ... but it really might be, big picture.

Joe's private Venmo account was tracked down in a rather quick fashion Friday by BuzzFeed, which says it only took them about 10 minutes or so to find it after an NYT article went up earlier in the day saying he sends his grandkids money on the peer-to-peer money app.

The outlet reports all they used were in-app features to quickly find associates to Joe's -- and before they knew it, they landed on 46 ... plus a small network of his immediate family, like his wife and children (Jill and Hunter), extended family (grandchildren) and senior White House officials.

They weren't able to see his transaction history itself -- since it was set to private, which is NOT the default setting for Venmo -- but they say some in Biden's extended Venmo network weren't private ... and they could see what they'd been up to in recent days on there.

Here's the problem, as BFN points out ... a hacker/troll and/or a freakin' adversary spy could easily locate these people and harass them, or even attempt to infiltrate Biden's inner circle -- potentially posing as someone while gathering intel and activities and patterns.

The clock is now ticking for NBC to choose the successor to Ellen DeGeneres' coveted time slot, and although they have a star in their pocket, a lot has to go right to make it work.

Sources at the network tell us -- long before COVID -- NBC honchos launched the Kelly Clarkson Show as the heir apparent to Ellen's syndicated hour. They knew back then Ellen was probably going to pull the plug on the show, and Kelly seemed like a likely successor.

The thing is ... Kelly's show struggled during COVID. Producing the show with guests joining remotely was challenging and the ratings slumped -- but that was the case with most shows through the pandemic. We're told a lot depends on the next few months ... whether the show experiences a surge in popularity as production comes back full force.

If that doesn't happen, NBC may well look beyond its current lineup to find a replacement, and a name that's been bandied about is one Tiffany Haddish. There are many reasons why Tiffany's name has bubbled up to the surface ... one of which is that she has guest-hosted for Ellen with considerable success.

The fact is ... Tiffany would probably kill in the timeslot, but we did some checking and no one in her camp is willing to say if she would even entertain the idea of doing a Monday-thru-Friday talk show, which is a real grind.

If she were interested, given the unbelievable number of projects Tiffany has, it would take the contents of a bank vault to seal the deal.

Floyd Mayweather says the Logan Paul fight was supposed to go down in Dubai -- but the org. he teamed up with to put on the event dropped the ball ... and now his company is suing for more than $120 MILLION!!

TMZ Sports obtained the lawsuit, filed by Mayweather Promotions, alleging a company called PAC Entertainment Worldwide approached them about hosting the event in Dubai at an undisclosed date in 2021.

Mayweather Promotions claims PAC claimed to have "numerous business contacts in Dubai" and "had the financial wherewithal and capability to host a fight of this magnitude."

Most importantly, Mayweather Promotions says PAC "presented financial projections estimating the fight could generate guaranteed amounts for each participant, plus result in the promoters earning more than $100 million in profits after covering all purses and expenses."

Mayweather Promotions admits it was impressed with the pitch and claims it ultimately signed a deal requiring PAC to pay a minimum guaranteed amount of $110 MILLION on a "prescribed payment schedule."

Mayweather Promotions claims the 1st payment of $30 million was due on March 25, 2021 -- but the money never came.

Mayweather Promotions claims the missed payment triggered a clause allowing MP to terminate the deal while still requiring PAC to fork up the full $110 million.

In the suit, Mayweather Promotions claims they were left scrambling to make new fight plans -- and ultimately worked out a deal to move the fight to Miami on June 6.

Mayweather Promotions is suing for breach of contract -- and demanding at least $122.6 million in damages.