Money

Lisa Vanderpump's barking up the RIGHT tree when it comes to raising money for her dog foundation ... 'cause she's using Cameo vids to raise big bank for the pups!!!

So, get this ... Lisa usually hosts a huge in-person gala for her Vanderpump Dogs Foundation but when the pandemic hit last year, those plans went kaput -- and that's when Lisa made a brilliant pivot.

The ex-'Real Housewives' star turned to Cameo to raise the money, and so far, after recording more than 1,100 Cameo shout-outs, we're told she's hauled in $215k ... with more to come.

All proceeds from her $275-per-video fee go straight to her non-profit dog rescue org to fund all kinds of necessities -- housing hundreds of dogs and getting them medical treatments.

We're told the foundation's executive director, Dr. John Sessa, and Lisa's daughter, Pandora, have also been instrumental in raising funds for the org outside of Lisa's Cameo gig.

Just to give you an idea of how much time LV's putting into this ... we're told, at one point, she recorded roughly 50 videos in one sitting. #GoodHooman.

And, those who are still new to her work with dogs will soon get a closer look.

Peacock, NBC's streaming service, just announced Lisa's new show, "Vanderpump Dogs" ... which will follow the stories and adoptions that go down at her foundation in WeHo.

A handwritten letter featuring Albert Einstein's famous theory of special relativity has sold for a bundle at auction -- fetching a 7-figure amount!!!

The one-page note was written by Einstein in 1946, and sent to fellow physicist Ludwik Silberstein ... who's said to have doubted AE's theories. Translated from German, the part about kinetic energy reads, "Your question can be answered from the E = mc2 formula, without any erudition." Reports say this is the 4th time Albert had mentioned the theory on paper, and it's supposedly the only one made available through a private collection.

It was put up for grabs last week by Boston-based auction house, RR Auction, which says it eventually sold for a cool $1.2 million ... this after an all-out bidding war between five parties that eventually became a two-horse race once it started creeping past the $700k mark.

On Thursday, the sale closed -- with one bidder prevailing ... but they're staying anonymous, only being ID'd as a document collector. A rich one at that, too.

Kendall Jenner had a splashy launch party for her 818 tequila, and she brought her family along for the celebration.

The Kardashians were out in force Friday night at The Nice Guy in WeHo ... Kim, Kylie, Kris, along with Katy Perry, Kate Hudson, Hailey Bieber and Stassie Karanikolaou.

818 was stacked almost from floor to ceiling as the fam celebrated in mostly skintight duds.

Before hitting up the party, Kim, Khloe and Kylie chowed down at Craig's in WeHo.

Kendall has been a master at pitching her booze ... driving a truck with 818 emblazoned on it to hawk her product. She took heat -- we say unfairly -- for an ad showing her at a farm in Mexico where the tequila is made.  Some folks called it exploitive, but that's ridiculous. This is where the tequila is made and men -- like Clooney, Gerber and The Rock -- who did exactly what Kendall did to promote their brand never got criticized. In other words, the criticism is BS.

Khloe, who had COVID earlier last year, was wearing a mask as she showed up to the party. The other Kardashians were mask-free.

"Rich Kids of Beverly Hills" star Dorothy Wang's in talks to jump from one rich show to another -- the incredibly wealthy squad over at "Bling Empire."

Sources close to the Netflix series tell TMZ ... Dorothy's been in communication with producers, who reached out to her because she's a close friend of 'Bling' star Christine Chiu.

We're told even though nothing's in writing yet ... Dorothy shot a couple scenes this week for Season 2 at Yamashiro Hollywood with Christine and co-star Kevin Kreider.

It's unclear if Dorothy will just appear in a guest role, or if she'll sign on to be a full cast member ... but it looks like the 'Rich Kid' is on her way to becoming a 'Bling' adult.

We actually got Dorothy out at Delilah in WeHo last week, and asked her about potentially joining the show. She played coy, but did admit it would be a lot of fun -- and expressed the importance of more shows giving exposure to Asian culture.

YG's giving away a new sneaker he says caters to the streets ... hooking up a group of former inmates who just got back to the streets.

The rapper hit up Amity Foundation House Friday in downtown L.A. to give away pairs of his Block Runner sneakers to men who have just been released on parole after serving their sentences. They're staying at the foundation while getting back on their feet.

YG tells TMZ ... it's important for these men to have the things they need to become contributing members of society again, and it starts with something folks use every day ... shoes.

It's a pretty grand gesture from YG ... his 4Hunnids footwear brand, The Flame, is selling the kicks for a cool $200 and he gave away hundreds of pairs ... worth more than $20,000 total.

A piece of movie history is going up for sale ... the iconic house from "Training Day" just hit the market.

The 3-bedroom home, tucked away on a cul-de-sac near Dodger Stadium, is up for sale at a cool $1,149,000 ... and it's where memorable scenes for the movie starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke were filmed.

If you've seen "Training Day" you'll remember Roger's home ... there are a few scenes inside, most notably the ones where Denzel's character, Alonzo, shoots Roger in his own living room and tries to frame Ethan's character for the murder.

The kitchen's the setting for another scene, where the dirty cops dig up the floor and steal a ton of cash. Dr. Dre's character is involved in both iconic scenes, which we're told were shot on location inside the home.

The home is 1,700 square feet and it has great views of the downtown L.A. skyline ... along with exposed beam ceilings and oak floors. There's also a separate studio guest house with its own deck, and a big yard.

Dana White says he won't hold up the UFC's heavyweight division to wait around for Jon Jones -- telling TMZ Sports the company is "moving on."

Jones -- arguably the greatest MMA fighter ever -- had expressed interest in fighting Francis Ngannou for the heavyweight title ... but hasn't been able to make a deal with the UFC.

It's obviously a huge fight that fans would love to see ... but Dana tells us the two sides are at loggerheads and he's gotta keep the business moving.

"Yeah, I've absolutely moved on," White says ... "Listen, I put on fights every Saturday. We have a window where we try to build some fights and make some things happen. If the fights don't happen within that window, we move on, and realistically, I mean I've been saying it since the beginning, Derrick Lewis is the guy who should be getting the title shots. He beat Francis Ngannou. He's next in line, he's coming off of great performances and that's a wrap. We're moving on."

So, is Jon Jones' run in the UFC done for good?

"That's up to Jon," White said ... "He could absolutely fight again at 205 lbs. He said he wouldn't fight [Stipe Miocic] and now Derrick and Francis are fighting so we'll see how that fight plays out."

"There's nothing wrong with going out on top either -- Jon Jones is undefeated, he's never been beat."

"For those people that don't know, you see that 1 loss on his record, he didn't lose that fight he won that fight in dominant fashion like most of his fights. It was a time when the Nevada Athletic Commission was at its weakest and there was a referee that shouldn't have been in there and he stole that fight from Jon Jones. So, it wouldn't be a bad thing for him to go out on top."

Meanwhile, White is also focusing his energy on "The Return of the Ultimate Fighter" -- the 29th season of the UFC's iconic reality competition show.

The new season, which airs every Tuesday at 9 PM on ESPN+, features Brian Ortega and Alexander Volkanovski as coaches -- working with 16 up-and-coming fighters, all of whom are battling to make the UFC roster.

The series has been a springboard for superstars like Kamaru Usman, Forrest Griffin, Nate Diaz, Tony Ferguson and more ... and Dana clearly feels there's serious talent in this class as well.

Jake Paul is following in the footsteps of boxing legends like Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao ... he just signed a multi-fight deal with Showtime Sports.

Both Jake and the network have confirmed the deal -- which also means Paul's run with Triller is over for now.

No word on how much money Paul will pocket from his new contract with Showtime -- or when he's expected to get in the ring.

But, ESPN's Marc Raimondi reports the two sides are in "advanced talks" about locking in Paul's next opponent -- as well as a date and location.

Also, no word on how much cash Paul will make from the contract.

But, it's huge news for the 24-year-old YouTube sensation who's been destroying opponents like Nate Robinson and Ben Askren since turning his focus to the sweet science a few years back.

Paul -- who's now 3-0 as a pro -- was the main event for the Triller Fight Club PPV event on April 17, when he knocked out Askren in the 1st round.

Paul bragged the event pulled in more than 1 million PPV buys -- which is massive ... begging the question, why would Triller let him walk?

Triller honcho Ryan Kavanaugh told The Athletic's Mike Coppinger there were NO plans for Paul to headline a card moving forward and the April event was simply a novelty.

"Paul being anything other than an undercard for us would change it from novelty to unacceptable,” Kavanaugh told Coppinger.

He also commented on Showtime signing Paul -- "Imitation is the ultimate form of flattery."

As for Jake, he's fired up about the move -- saying, "BOUTTA PUT ON ANOTHER SHOW."

Heather McDonald thinks Melinda Gates will be gettin' it now that she's divorcing Bill, but she can't understand why she gave him that hall pass in the first place.

The former "Chelsea Lately" star hit up Craig's in WeHo Wednesday night and she actually laid some of the blame at Melinda's doorstep, saying, "You don't allow this weird s*** to happen on day 1." Heather's referring to Melinda giving Bill a pass to spend a weekend once a year with his ex-GF. As Heather says, if Melinda thinks they were reading science books, she's fooling herself.

Heather's awesome ... funny but really thoughtful. She thinks Melinda hatched her divorce plan long ago ... possibly around the time Bill had an affair around 2000 with a Microsoft engineer.

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."