Money

No, Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner did NOT apply for unemployment benefits ... but some goon in Michigan managed to defraud the state out of thousands of dollars using the famous names.

So, check this out ... someone filed a couple of unemployment claims back in May 2020 under "Kimberly Kardashian" and "Kylie Jenner" with an address in Traverse City ... four hours northwest of Detroit.

Thing is ... nobody checked if the claims were legit before paying "Kimberly" and "Kylie" some 8 weeks of backdated unemployment pay ... to the tune of more than $7,000 each.

The payouts, BTW, hit the bank accounts just days before the state's fraud management software flagged the claims because the agency needed additional ID verification. But by then it was too little, too late.

Apparently, the unemployment agency's been rife with fraud. As the Detroit News first reported ... the agency approved thousands of claims at the height of the pandemic well knowing nearly 10% would be fraudulent claims.

So, why approve all the claims? Because if the agency had to sort through it all and ID fraudulent claims it would have held up thousands of legit claims.

And that's how this "Kardashian" and "Jenner" got paid ... not to mention some other goofball's fraudulent claim ... which included copies of a fake ID with a photo of "The Office" star John Krasinski.

17-year-old basketball sensation Mikey Williams is close to becoming one VERY rich high schooler -- the 2024 prospect just inked a historic management deal that could help him rake in MILLIONS!!!

Williams is one of the top-ranked players in his class ... and has earned a massive following on social media with 3.2 million followers on Instagram alone.

Now that the NCAA and most states allow college athletes to make money off their name, image and likeness, Mikey has followed up by becoming the very first high school athlete to sign a NIL deal -- teaming up with Excel Sports, an agency that works with superstar athletes like Tiger Woods, Nikola Jokic and Clayton Kershaw.

The deal will help the Vertical Academy junior guard secure endorsements and sponsorships WAY before he makes it to the college level ... and Excel VP Matt Davis tells ESPN the partnership "will generate millions of dollars for this young man."

Williams spoke about the monumental moment ... saying, "The NIL rules provide a new opportunity for someone like me who that has put in so much energy and effort into building a community."

"I am excited to be the first high school athlete to make this move. I love to hoop and I love engaging with my fans and look forward to continuing to share my journey with everyone."

FYI -- there are no laws in North Carolina that prevent high school athletes from making NIL deals, so it seems like Williams will not hit any roadblocks on the way to makin' serious coin.

It's a sign of what's to come for young athletes all over the country ... and ya gotta wonder if Williams' fellow Class of 2023 prospect Bronny James is next.

Rachel Uchitel says Seeking Arrangement dropped her like a bad habit as spokesperson for the dating site in the wake of the Matt Gatez scandal ... so she claims in a new lawsuit.

Tiger Woods' ex-mistress filed legal docs claiming Seeking Arrangement terminated her contract as the company's mouthpiece just 3 months into the deal ... claiming it only happened because the company ran scared after the congressman from Florida was linked to the dating service.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Uchitel says she and Seeking Arrangement entered into a 6-month deal back in February to be the company's spokesperson. She says the deal called for $20k per month in return for de-stigmatizing the sugar daddy concept.

Uchitel says she did her job just fine ... and got paid the first few months. But, then came Gaetz's investigation by the feds over allegations he paid young women for sexual encounters with an underage female ... linking him with Seeking Arrangement and alleging he's a member of the site.

Uchitel says she had no connection to Gaetz, and the honchos at Seeking Arrangement told her to stay mum on Gaetz during interviews. She says she was told the scandal was "a very serious crisis for the company."

She says the CEO asked her to get 4 young women who used the site to make videos attesting that the site wasn't exploiting them. She says she followed orders but was then told the company was going through a re-branding and that required terminating her contract.

Uchitel says 6 days after terminating her contract the company came back to her and said they would pay her in full if she signed an NDA.  Uchitel told them to pound sand, presumably because she didn't want in any way to become part of the Gaetz scandal.

She's suing Seeking Arrangement for the balance owed, along with damages for tarnishing her reputation. She also wants money for emotional distress.

Jillian Michaels claims tens of thousands of dollars worth of stuff is MIA after a cross-country move, and other items were damaged in what sounds like a nightmarish experience with a moving company ... and now she's got the cops involved.

The fitness guru left L.A. for Miami in early June, and hired FlatRate Moving and Storage to make it happen.

She told cops lots of clothes, tools and outdoor furniture were nowhere to be found -- totaling $30,000 -- and 80% of the items that arrived in the Sunshine State were damaged because of careless packing. She claims the company picked up the items in late March, they stored them in a storage facility for a few months, and on delivery day a bunch of things never arrived.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Jillian filed the report with Miami Gardens PD this week, claiming FlatRate stored her stuff at its facility in Miami Gardens. It's unclear if she's claiming the property was allegedly taken off the truck en route or allegedly stolen at the storage facility.

Jillian's also lawyered up and plans to file a civil lawsuit against the movers.

As for the property she claims was stolen ... police are on the case.

We've reached out to FlatRate Moving and Storage and a rep tells TMZ ... "FlatRate Moving is grateful for all of the people and companies that continue to choose us to help them with their moves and privileged to be the moving company of choice for customers of notoriety such as Ms. Michaels."

The rep continued, "FlatRate Moving has been in constant contact with Ms. Michaels and her representatives and is confident that we will reach an amicable resolution."

Dillon Francis is imploring everyone to follow in his footsteps and get vaccinated. Yes, it can be a matter of life or death, but also ... it can save his and other people's jobs.

We got the famous DJ leaving Erewhon Tuesday in L.A. and wondered if he had any trepidation about the rising COVID-19 cases -- largely due to the Delta variant -- and how it could affect his upcoming tour dates.

For starters ... the "GO OFF (Nuthin' 2 It)" hitmaker tells us most of his scheduled gigs are outdoors. So, all good there. But, that being said, Dillon also didn't waste time urging anyone and everyone to get vaccinated because, as he put it ... "I'm trying to have a job."

He's not just looking out for numero uno, either -- Dillon says vaccination especially helps those in the service industry like servers and bartenders, whose livelihoods almost completely disappeared during pandemic shutdowns.

He tells us he got the shot as soon as he could -- and it's that kinda effort that undoubtedly helped reopen America and allow for packed concerts and restaurants to be a thing again.

Ben Crump says the huge stash of cash Jeff Bezos just donated to Van Jones could go a long way for a cause they both care about deeply -- helping Black people learn the law.

The civil rights attorney tells TMZ ... he plans to talk to his good friend Van about using some of that $100 million Bezos donation to help partially fund something Ben's been working on for a while ... namely, a one-stop-shop law facility in Florida.

It's called The Ben Crump Social Justice Law Center -- nestled in St. Thomas University College of Law in Miami Gardens -- and the aim is to bring underserved and underprivileged African-Americans the opportunity to study to become lawyers.

We're told the initiative is specifically targeting 1st-generation Black college and law students.

The startup is already underway, as Ben says they've been accepting donations for some time, but he adds Van's assistance could help put a bow on the work being done.

During Van's acceptance speech of Bezos' Courage and Civility Award he alluded to making sure the $100 mil got into the hands of grassroots activists.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is tearing Jeff Bezos a new one after he thanked Amazon employees and customers for footing the bill for his trip to space.

We got the Congresswoman Tuesday on Capitol Hill, and asked what she made of the richest man in the world giving major props to workers and online consumers for literally paying for his roughly 10-minute rocket voyage this morning.

ICYMI ... it was an awkward moment, and one Jeff didn't seem to realize came off as tone-deaf. There wasn't much context to his comment, but AOC thinks she has a good idea of what he meant -- as she says that's right up Amazon's alley (AKA, free rides on the backs of others).

You gotta watch her go off here ... it's beyond scathing, this is downright brutal -- calling Bezos out for allegedly overworking employees, busting unions and, of course, avoiding paying taxes via loopholes in the law.

We asked her if there was a silver lining in the fact that Bezos made a $100 million donation to Van Jones and organizations/causes he sees fit -- but it sounds like she thinks it's mostly an empty gesture.

One of Donald Trump's allies -- who also happened to scoop up Neverland Ranch after Michael Jackson lost it -- is facing federal charges for acting as an agent of a foreign government.

Thomas Barrack was busted Tuesday in L.A. after the feds accused him of acting and conspiring to act as an agent of the United Arab Emirates between April 2016 and April 2018. The 7-count indictment also charges Barrack with obstruction of justice and making multiple false statements during a June 2019 interview with the FBI.

Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of NY Jacquelyn Kasulis says Barrack, who chaired Trump's 2017 inaugural committee, "abused his access to government officials to illegally advance the interests of foreign governments."

There are 2 other defendants whom the feds claim capitalized on Barrack’s friendships and access to Trump and other high-ranking officials to advance their goals without disclosing their true allegiances.

According to court docs, Barrack informally advised senior U.S. government officials on issues related to U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East as early as January 2017. Prosecutors also say Barrack sought appointment to a senior role in the U.S. government, including the role of Special Envoy to the Middle East.

Barrack, who founded Colony Capital, is the former owner of Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch. He purchased it for $22.5 million a year before MJ's death. Barrack ultimately sold the property in December 2020 for $20 million to the billionaire Ron Burkle.

Tarek El Moussa flipped out on his "Flip or Flop" costar and ex-wife, Christina Haack, for letting him know it was time to film ... sources close to the show tell TMZ.

According to our production sources ... Tarek's eruption went down on the set of the popular HGTV series last Wednesday, after he apparently didn't like the way she signaled to him that she and the crew were ready to begin shooting.

We're told Tarek immediately lost his cool and went on a verbal tirade directed toward Christina ... which allegedly included him comparing her to his fiancee, Heather Rae Young, and saying Heather is hotter and richer than Christina.

Our sources say Tarek boasted that he "made" Christina and called her a "washed-up loser," and exclaimed that he enjoys watching her fail.

We're told he also yelled "Look at me, look at me, look at me. It’s called winning" and capped off his rant by screaming at her ... "The world knows you're crazy!"

According to our sources ... this isn't the first time Tarek went on a tirade against Christina on set. We're told after the latest incident, production stopped filming them together for the rest of the day ... and simply shot their scenes separately.

A source close to Tarek tells us his anger toward Christina stems from her recent admission she smoked toad venom -- before meeting her new boyfriend -- and his main concern is for the safety of their two children. At the end of the day, both Tarek and Christina are show execs, and our source says there's going to be tension from time to time, this was one of those incidents.

We reached out to reps for Tarek, Christina and HGTV ... so far, no word back.

As you may know ... Christina's made headlines as of late for following up her divorce from Ant Anstead by revealing she's in a new relationship with Joshua Hall -- something that came about after she says she smoked toad venom.

Jeff Bezos is putting his money and his ass, quite literally, on the line for his Blue Origin aerospace company's first crewed mission into space at 6 AM PT ... and TMZ will be live streaming.

The richest man in the world and 3 others are hopping into the autonomous New Shepard capsule for the highly-anticipated journey into sub-orbital space. His fellow astronauts-to-be are Jeff's brother, Mark Bezos, test pilot Wally Funk and recent HS grad Oliver Daemen.

The entire thing -- from takeoff to landing -- is expected to last around 11 minutes. The capsule will take off from a remote area near Van Horn, Texas ... about 2 hours southeast of El Paso. It'll land in the Texas desert, after being slowed by parachutes.

When they reach the edge of space -- an altitude of around 65 miles -- Bezos & Co. will experience several minutes of weightlessness. For comparison ... Richard Branson's V.S.S. Unity only got up to about 53 miles. FYI, the FAA and Air Force recognize space at an altitude of 50 miles.

While Branson went up first -- winning the so-called billionaire space race -- Bezos' flight will make history in several other ways.

If successful, Jeff's space voyage will be the first to be unpiloted with a civilian crew. Wally and Oliver would also set records as the oldest and youngest to reach space at 82 and 18, respectively.

Wally, BTW, was one of the original Mercury 13 women who took part in training back in the 1960s to show women could meet NASA's standards to become astronauts.

The launch comes 9 days after Branson's successful launch and perfect landing in New Mexico.

Biz Markie had a partner in rhyme pulling for him and his family up to the very end -- it was none other than Fat Joe, who provided emotional support like you wouldn't believe ... TMZ has learned.

The recently deceased MC's wife, Tara Hall, tells us that out of all the scores of people who reached out while Biz was ill ... Joe was the one who was always there, from the moment Biz entered the hospital last June due to complications from diabetes.

Tara says as soon as Joe heard the news, he was on the phone every single week with her -- checking in on Biz, on Tara and the rest of their loved ones to see if they needed anything, and to let them know he was there for them ... financially or otherwise.

She tells us Joe was literally willing to open his own wallet to whatever Biz's family needed during his hospital stay -- one which was fairly isolated due to COVID-19 regulations that really only allowed Tara to be by her husband's side, day in and day out.

Even now, after his death, Tara says Joe has offered to cover memorial or funeral costs -- however, she's politely turned him down each time, saying they don't need the dough ... but that she appreciates the gesture.

Joe's admiration for and dedication to Biz and his family are a sign of how beloved and respected he was in NYC's hip-hop community -- and while he's one of the few who went above and beyond, we're told several others were keeping tabs on the sitch.

Tara says other icons like Doug E. Fresh, Big Daddy Kane and Treach similarly checked in on their friend.

Conor McGregor's got 99 problems, but a ship ain't one -- the UFC superstar finally received his beloved Lambo yacht this week ... and the thing looks incredible!!

As we previously reported, the Notorious purchased a Lamborghini Tecnomar 63 -- referred to as a "Supercar of the Sea" -- for (at least) nearly $4 MILLION back in October.

Worth noting, that number might be even higher ... 'cause there's a chance the boat has even more bells and whistles. After all, this is Conor we're talking about.

The shiny, new toy couldn't have come at a better time for McGregor -- the guy is recovering from a devastating snapped leg at UFC 264 against Dustin Poirier ... and now he has a ton of space to rest up on the water.

Conor's yacht is 63 feet long, weighs 24 tons, can reach up to 60 knots and has a 4,000 horsepower engine.

The yacht is one of just 63 made available to the (superrich) public ... with Conor getting the 12th in honor of his Proper 12 whiskey.

Remember, the dude was the highest-paid athlete in 2020 with $180 million -- due in large part to the booze biz -- so it's only right he pays tribute with the green boat.

Conor previously said it'll take about 6 weeks on crutches to recover from his injury ... and now we know where to find him if we need him.

T.J. Watt CLEARLY knows diamonds are forever ... 'cause the NFL superstar went all out for his fiancée's massive engagement ring -- scoring a piece of ice worth $100,000!!!

The Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker popped the question to his longtime GF Dani Rhodes at a beautiful waterfront spot last week ... and the ring he used for the occasion is AWESOME!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 26-year-old hit-up celebrity jeweler Moe Diamonds for the bling, and he spared no expenses.

We're told the ring features a 2.5-carat flawless colorless triple EX graded diamond -- which is very rare -- and has 18k of white gold with 1.33 carats of VVS-flawless diamonds in the band.

All total, we're told the ring is valued at $100K!!!

And, what's even more interesting about the ring ... we're told Watt hit up Moe way back in June 2020 for the piece -- so he's been planning this for over a year!!!

"It still feels like I’m dreaming," Rhodes said on Instagram the day after saying "yes."

"Woke up today feeling so incredibly happy and blessed that I get to marry my best friend🤍 I can’t wait to love you FOREVER."

Watts and Rhodes have been dating since 2016 -- when they met at the University of Wisconsin.

They're both professional athletes ... Watt is entering his 5th season with the Steelers and Rhodes just signed with the Throttur Football Club, a soccer team in Iceland.

In fact, Rhodes is former teammates with J.J. Watt's wife, Kealia -- the two actually played together on the Chicago Red Stars women's soccer team.

Dua Lipa's vacation rental in Mexico City pays homage to an Aztec serpent god, which explains why it has such a ... unique design.

The pop star posted up in the capital city inside an Airbnb that's been officially dubbed Quetzalcoatl's Nest ... named after the mythical culture hero, Quetzalcoatl. The name translates to "feathered serpent" or "plumed serpent."

The rental -- which is just outside the city in a wooded area -- is a 4 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom home that features a snake-shaped structure and twisting, cave-like walkways. Perfect for the budding herpetologist in you.

The place sleeps as many as 10 but make sure you bring friends who are in search of serenity because this place offers peace and quiet thanks to a park with botanical gardens, a cave of minerals and lakes as well.

There are quirky sitting areas to enjoy inside but the jaw-dropping views are better enjoyed outside ... thanks to sprawling green space. And, Dua did exactly that ... while rocking her abs and orange sunglasses with some friends.

Normies can book the incredibly affordable space for just $359 per night, assuming it isn't completely booked.

Jennifer Lopez is taking a very hands-on approach to finding her new home, 'cause it's not every day you see J Lo scaling ladders on construction sites.

Jennifer and her crew hit up an under-construction home Saturday in Bel Air -- this pad is actually a stone's throw away from her current home. It's unclear if the unfinished product's a project she'll take over to add the finishing touches, but she seemed very interested in the property.

You can see she's climbing ladders and talking to folks onsite -- including developer, Ardie Tavangarian, of the ARYA Group -- and looking perfectly comfortable in the dusty element ... all while looking like she just stepped out of a photo shoot for a fitness mag. Talk about nailing it.

As you know by now ... J Lo and her BF Ben Affleck have been all over town looking for potential residential landing spots for her. He tagged along last week as she checked out a stunning $65 million estate in L.A.'s upscale Holmby Hills neighborhood.

The pad was a whopping 31,000-square-foot palace with 8 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms. It even has its own bowling alley.

Not long after that visit ... Bennifer was at it again in an upscale Santa Monica neighborhood and not too far from Ben's Pacific Palisades digs. Only this time, Jennifer's kiddos, Emme and Max, got to offer their input.

Jeff Bezos says he wants his virgin trip to space to become something everyday people can do on the regs -- almost like catching an airline flight ... which his company is aiming to do through their shuttles.

The richest man on Earth made the morning media rounds Monday, including a chat with Michael Strahan of 'GMA' -- who went down the line, introducing the 3 others accompanying Bezos to space Tuesday and hyping their launch.

82-year-old astronaut Wally Funk said she felt like her life dream was coming full circle; 18-year-old Oliver Daemen said he hoped he could serve as an inspiration for the youth, and Mark Bezos said he was excited to go on yet another adventure with his sibling ... with this trip obviously being the ultimate.

Standard pre-maiden trip to space kinda stuff -- but Jeff also dropped some new insight into Blue Origins plans with their shuttles -- namely, that they're planning to turn the spacecrafts eco-friendly by making them reusable for repeated voyages going forward.

He compared it to commercial airliners that zip back and forth in the skies now -- explaining that he and BO hope to get to that type of efficiency in the near future. So ... that's neat.

The implication (we think) is that it hopefully won't cost folks an arm and a leg to get up there one day. No telling what type of eventual price tag Bezos has in mind -- but if they're serious about the rinse and repeat approach ... maybe there's a future Groupon coming???