Joe Exotic Weed Line Package Earns Its Stripes ... Shows Off Its Pride!!!

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Joe Exotic has dubbed himself "The New King of Cannabis" ... it's front-and-center in the packaging of his new weed line and TMZ's obtained the first pics.

The colorful packet for his new cannabis line, Joe Exotic Cannabis, will be unveiled next week at the cannabis CHAMPS Trade Show in Las Vegas ... and TMZ has a first look at what Joe and his partners have been up to since announcing their new venture last month.

The packaging's got Joe's touches all over it ... from paying homage to his moniker as the so-called "Tiger King" ... to celebrating his sexual orientation with a display of the Pride flag at the bottom of the package.

There are tigers, lions and cubs drawings on the front of the package ... and Joe's smoking a blunt while sitting on his new throne. As we first reported ... Joe's team struck up a deal with Tango Hotel Charlie Group, LLC and Cannaxxs LTD to launch the line.

Even though Joe's behind bars, he's been pretty hands-on through calls and emails with his attorney, Brad Small.

Joe is working with Joshua Anderson, the founder of Tango Hotel Charlie Group. Joshua will be handling the distribution and brand development. They've partnered with Xotic Flavorz farm in Honeydew, CA to produce the cannabis.

And, get this ... Joe's line will also debut a cannabis seltzer at next week's trade show. The seltzer's name is aptly dubbed "Tiger Piss." Some of the flavors include tiger's blood orange and peach-mango.

CHUG!!! (responsibly) CHUG!!! (responsibly) CHUG!!! (responsibly).

Chris Brown My $100k Smile's Very Attractive ... Thanks to Magnets!!!

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Chris Brown's a magnetic kinda guy ... or at least his mouth is, after he dropped a fortune to get some unique dental work done.

The singer's got some shiny new gold grills -- 24 karat gold covering all 28 teeth according to his celeb dentist Thomas Connelly -- but that's not what makes 'em special.

Connelly says it's the magnetic retention design, where Breezy's back molars have magnetic gold crowns embedded on them so the grills fit and lock in the magnets with precision on the fronts of all his teeth.

This means CB's grills have no metal covering the inside of his teeth -- like conventional grills -- so he can basically speak and sing normally while wearing them.

Obviously, dental work this revolutionary doesn't come cheap, and we're told the cost for Brown's job was just under $100,000.

A lot for sure, but considering one of Connelly's other famous clients, Post Malone, dropped $1.6 million on his new diamond-fanged smile last month ... Breezy may have gotten a bargain.

Morgan Wallen I'm Leaving the Neighborhood ... Sells Home Where He Dropped The N-Word

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Turns out, Morgan Wallen is looking for a fresh start in more ways than one ... he's leaving the neighbors who called him a menace to the hood and heard him hurl the n-word after a late night out with friends.

According to real estate docs, Wallen sold his 4-bed 3-bath home in Nashville earlier this month for $835,000. The home is part of a duplex with updated features, a rooftop patio and a backyard perfect for privacy.

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PROFANE GOODBYE

It was on the driveway where Wallen was captured on a video calling a friend the n-word. When TMZ obtained the video of the incident, neighbors told us Wallen's late-night, rowdy antics were a problem ... and he routinely arrived home in the wee hours, making a whole lot of noise which pissed off everyone who was trying to sleep.

While it doesn't appear Morgan spent much time at the home since February -- he recently revealed to GMA he spent 30 days in rehab -- the neighbors won't have to worry about him anymore ... and vice-versa.

Morgan hasn't hit any big stages since the incident, but he did recently perform at a Nashville bar where the crowd went nuts ... you gotta imagine he'll have a massively successful tour when he makes a full return.

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BACK TO WORK

As for the house hunt ... his album spent 11 weeks on top of Billboard's Country Chart, so he'll have plenty of cash handy to land a new pad.

'RHOSLC' Star Jen Shah Accused of Orchestrating Telemarketing Scheme ... She Claims Total Innocence

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UPDATE

12:19 PM PT -- Shah's attorney, Priya Chaudhry, tells TMZ ... "The reality is -- she is totally innocent."

UPDATE

The lawyer calls the government's latest claim "absurd," and says it comes after a nearly decade-long investigation and a related trial in which Shah's name was never mentioned.

UPDATE

Chaudhry says ... "This is just their latest made-up allegation, and like all others, totally unsupported by evidence."

Jen Shah's fraud case just went from bad to worse, because the feds have lumped her into a group of suspects with "greater culpability" in the telemarketing scheme that allegedly targeted elderly people ... and accuse her of being one of the leaders of it.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star is one of 6 people in the U.S. Attorney's "Tier A" category for the alleged crimes.

The prosecutor claims these people -- 2 of which have already been sentenced to 78 months and 60 months in prison in the case -- were more "senior participants" in the scheme and continued to participate in it even when they knew criminal charges could be coming.

The U.S Attorney says the Tier A suspects were "responsible for orchestrating the broader scheme" and that Shah specifically "obtained leads directly from lead sources and provided them to, among others, coaching sales floors operated in Utah and Nevada."

Shah and her assistant, Stuart Smith, are also accused of owning and operating a sales floor in Manhattan that was a major part of the alleged telemarketing scheme ... and Smith is in Tier A as well.

As we reported ... Shah was arrested in late March for allegedly targeting and scamming people -- "vulnerable, often elderly, working-class people" -- out of their money.

She pled not guilty and was released on strict conditions.

We reached out to Jen's attorney ... no word back.

Originally Published -- 10:32 AM PT

Julie Bowen Making Modern Moves ... Buys One Home, Sells Another!!!

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Julie Bowen's unloaded her mid-century modern home just weeks after listing it, and it seems she benefitted from the housing surge ... because she got way above asking price.

The "Modern Family" star sold her pad in the Hollywood Hills -- a stylish 4-bed, 4-bath designed by Thornton Abell -- for $4.2 million ... after putting it on the market in June for $3.85 mil.

Add that to the fact Julie purchased the glass-walled house in late 2018 for just over $3 million ... so she clearly made a pretty penny.

The buyer is movie producer Wicks Walker -- best known for "Spring Breakers" ... he was repped by Carl Gambino at Compass, while Julie was repped by Beth Styne at Coldwell Banker.

Bowen's been busy in the real estate world ... just last week she just scooped up Meghan Trainor's 7,100-square-foot, 5-bedroom house in Toluca Lake for a cool $6 mil.

There's definitely enough room in that one for all the Dunphys.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer We Tax Legoland Tickets ... So, Tax Billionaires for Space Tourism!!

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Space tourism shouldn't be a tax-free joyride for Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson and other billionaires ... so says Rep. Earl Blumenauer, who's ready to do something about it.

We got the Oregon Congressman on Capitol Hill Thursday and wanted to get more deets about the House bill he said he plans to soon introduce. In fact ... Blumenauer announced his plans on the same day Bezos and Blue Origin launched into space.

Blumenauer's bill is pretty simple ... he wants the wealthy going to space for the sole purpose of tourism to pay a luxury tax. He says anyone on a commercial flight on a trip NOT focused on scientific research should pay the price.

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ALL SMILES

The Congressman says it's just like when a family goes to Legoland ... the theory being the ticket price includes taxes.  To be accurate, Legoland charges what it wants and is responsible for paying taxes on profits. Maybe it's more like an airline or cigarette tax.

The congressman says he's not opposed to space innovation. He just has strong feelings about the wealthy galavanting in space for their own entertainment without, as he says, supporting the public good.

As we reported ... the world's richest man had an awkward moment when he thanked workers and customers for footing the bill for his 10-minute rocket voyage. The comment drew the ire of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ... who tore Bezos a new one.

NFL's Mychal Kendricks One Day In Jail, 3 Years Probation ... For Insider Trading

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Ex-Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks is cleared to resume his football career -- the NFLer was just sentenced to one day behind bars in his insider trading case on Thursday.

The 30-year-old pled guilty in 2018 for handing over cash and NFL tickets to a Goldman Sachs analyst for private info that made him $1.2 million in profit ... and was facing up to 25 years in prison.

After sentencing was pushed back multiple times in 2019 and 2020, Kendricks finally learned his fate -- according to FOX NFL's Jay Glazer, he was handed one day in jail, 3 years supervised release, a $100k fine and 300 community service hours.

The sentence means Kendricks is able to resume his NFL career as early as tomorrow.

The former linebacker has been in the league since 2012 -- logging in 19 sacks, 7 forced fumbles and 4 interceptions ... plus winning the Super Bowl in 2018 with the Eagles.

He's also played for the Browns, Seahawks ... and last signed with the Washington Football Team in December 2020.

'Kim Kardashian' & 'Kylie Jenner' Bilk Michigan for Thousands of $$$ in Unemployment Fraud

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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.

For what it's worth, the U.S. Attorney's Office has cracked down already ... charging at least 13 with scheming the state's unemployment system. The state Attorney General said it's investigating dozens of other cases and the unemployment agency has fired 10 employees.

Mikey Williams H.S. Hoops Phenom Signs NIL Deal Poised To Make Millions!!!

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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.

Get PAAAAAAAAAAID, Mikey!! Get paid.

Rachel Uchitel Sues Seeking Arrangement You Fired Me Over the Matt Gaetz Scandal

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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.

We reached out to Seeking Arrangement ... so far, no word back.

Jillian Michaels Reports Moving Company to Cops ... Claims $30k in Property Missing!!!

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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."

We reached out to Jillian Michaels who tells us FlatRate has made zero effort to locate or replace any of the missing items and have been utterly non-cooperative in arriving at any solution on all fronts.

Dillon Francis For the Love of Artists, Bartenders & Servers ... GO. GET. THE. JAB!!!

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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.

We asked him if anti-vaxxers are to blame for the resurgence in cases. Dillon wouldn't go that far, but his message is crystal clear. Get the jab.

Ben Crump To Pitch Van Jones on Law Center ... After Bezos' $100M Gift

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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.

It sure sounds like Ben's project could be right up his alley ... as Crump's worked tirelessly, for more than a year now, with grassroots activism groups across the country.

AOC on Bezos' Space Trip Of Course He Loves the Free Ride!!! Par for the Amazon Course

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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.

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YOU PAID FOR THIS

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.

If it's a choice between the $100M gift and Amazon paying up to benefit the rest of us ... the decision is easy in the Representative's mind.

Ex-Neverland Ranch Owner Trump Ally Thomas Barrack Busted ... Charged w/ Acting as Agent of UAE

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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.

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ROB AND THOMAS TOGETHER

We got Barrack out with Rob Lowe in L.A. back in 2010 just before the two became investors in Miramax ... they didn't talk about it much, but certainly appreciated the words of encouragement from our camera.

'Flip or Flop' Tarek Allegedly Erupts on Christina ... I'm Winning!!!

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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.

El Moussa and Haack were married from 2009 to 2018 and have 2 kids together ... plus one very tense house-flipping reality show.