Money

The New England Patriots are helping 30,000 kids of military families prepare for the next school year ... with the team doing a huge giveaway with backpacks stuffed with supplies!!

Of course, coach Bill Belichick would be the first to admit preparation is a key element of winning ... so naturally, the team is making sure kids throughout the area will have all the tools to succeed in the classroom this fall.

Josh Kraft, the president of Kraft Family Philanthropies is pumped to give back to his community.

"With the support of our fans, 30,000 students will be well-equipped for the upcoming school year," he said.

The founder of the Massachusetts Military Support Fund, Don Cox, explained the importance to help children in the area ... especially those in military fams.

"Military children often face moving multiple times and changing schools or having a parent deploy. We are proud to partner with the Patriots, Revolution, Operation Homefront and Dollar Tree Stores to provide military children with the basic tools needed to participate in school."

"It is just one small way to show them they are supported by the community."

Barack Obama nixing his epic 60th birthday bash at the last minute is creating a potential nightmare for many out-of-town guests ... who might lose out on major dough.

We did some digging around Martha's Vineyard -- where the shindig was supposed to go down -- and as it turns out, a bunch of hotels in the area are not issuing refunds for ObamaFest guests who had rooms booked this weekend.

The reason, we've learned, is many of these hotels have strict cancelation policies -- especially at the Winnetu Oceanside Resort -- where you had to have canceled by February 1st to get any money back!!! 😩

A few of these places -- like The Charlotte Inn and the Vineyard Square Hotel have a 30-day cancelation rule ... so those guests are outta luck too.

Ditto for a hotel called Hob Knob (which can run $800/night), but they'll credit you for a future stay if you cancel within 72 hours. Now, a few ... like the Harbor View ($1,300/night) will let you off clean without fees within a 72-hour cancelation window.

The problem is some of Obama's party crew were arriving Thursday ... so the Wednesday morning change of plans -- due to the Delta variant COVID-19 surge -- left them out in the cold.

Not everyone's screwed though -- we did find a small number of lenient/reasonable hotels that allow cancelations within 48, or even 24 hours.

We know what you're thinking ... why wouldn't these places all be reasonable, considering the circumstances? It's all about timing -- our MV sources reminded us this is the busiest time of year there, so hoteliers don't tend to give up summer revenue.

Hotels aside, ObamaFest is also causing a bit of a worker shortage! The event -- originally planned for roughly 500 guests, and the talk of MV since late May -- was reportedly going to employ upwards of 200 locals.

People in the know on the island say that left other MV businesses short-handed. Also, we're told cab/rental car companies have been slammed and completely booked in anticipation of the party.

Bill Gates now deeply regrets having forged a relationship with the late Jeffrey Epstein ... but says it was something he did with good intentions.

The recently-divorced billionaire told Anderson Cooper he initially had several dinners with Epstein in hopes of getting billions of dollars from Epstein's wealthy contacts steered towards his global philanthropy efforts.

The Microsoft founder admits that when he realized that was never going to happen ... he says he ended the relationship with Epstein, who would ultimately be accused of child sex trafficking. Gates called the period a "huge mistake." Epstein took his own life while behind bars in August 2019.

There had been reports Melinda Gates hired divorce attorneys around October 2019 -- when Bill's relationship with Epstein became public -- because she was pissed about the Epstein tie, as well as allegations Bill had come on to different women.

As we reported, Bill and Melinda finalized their divorce earlier this week. It was an acrimonious divorce ... for obvious reasons.

A 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card -- arguably the most coveted sports card to ever exist -- is up for auction ... and is expected to sell for OVER $6 MILLION!!

Bidding for the super rare T206 card (only about 50-60 are known to exist) STARTS at $1 million ... but the experts at Robert Edwards Auction -- who are selling the Wagner -- tell TMZ Sports they predict it'll shatter that price.

In fact, we're told REA believes the collectible has a chance to topple the 1952 Mickey Mantle rookie card ... which sold for $5.2 million this year.

Wagner was an 8x NL batting champion and is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame ... but that isn't the only reason the card is so valuable.

Honus reportedly despised the card because it was made by a cigarette company ... American Tobacco Company.

ATC only made a handful of the cards ... creating huge demand.

"This is an exciting time in our field, and I believe that timing is right for this card to become the most valuable card ever sold at public auction. This is the Mona Lisa of baseball cards, and it’s a statement piece of epic proportions,” Robert Edwards president tells us.

Gloria Vanderbilt -- the late mother of Anderson Cooper -- lived in a snazzy, one-of-a-kind Manhattan home for more than 2 decades before she passed ... and now it's on the market.

The CNN anchor's listed his mom's 3-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom apartment -- located in Midtown East -- for $1.125 million ... and it's truly a sight to behold.

We could mention how the property is located in one of NYC's most coveted locations with tree-lined streets and features a gorgeous view of the river -- or how it boasts spacious rooms and high ceilings -- but it's really all about the aesthetic.

The home's filled with family treasures and artwork, and Anderson's said her long residency -- she lived there from 1997 until her death in 2019 -- is a testament to her love for the place.

Gloria -- designer, artist and heiress to the Vanderbilt railroad fortune -- passed away from stomach cancer in 2019.

Kendall Jenner's being sued by a famous Italian clothing designer for only appearing in one of 2 contracted photo shoots -- but her management team says COVID's to blame, and the company refused to be flexible.

According to the suit filed by Liu Jo ... the company struck a deal with Kendall in early 2019 to pay her $1.5 million to appear in 2 shoots -- one for Liu Jo’s Spring/Summer 2020 campaign and the second originally intended to be used for its Fall/Winter 2020 campaign.

Liu Jo says Kendall fulfilled her obligation for the first shoot in 2019 and received more than $1.3 million by Feb. 2020 when it was time for the second shoot ... but then the coronavirus pandemic happened.

According to the docs ... the Italian fashion house offered to reschedule with Kendall for fall of 2020, but it claims she "ultimately turned down all of Liu Jo’s good-faith offers of compromise."

The company says it even tried to work with her to shoot in October 2020 in Italy when she was already going to be there shooting with another designer ... but Kendall allegedly told them it wouldn't work.

Liu Jo claims it became clear then, she had no intention of fulfilling her contract, so it had to sue ... and it's seeking at least $1.8 million in damages.

However, we're told Kendall's team tried to come up with a compromise to shoot in the U.S. during the pandemic, but it was unable to commit to that. Our sources say it's always her intention to complete every deal ... and it's unfortunate Liu Jo decided to go this route.

A spokesperson for The Society Management tells TMZ ... "This suit is without merit. The Society Management, on behalf of Ms. Kendall Jenner, has continually offered Liu Jo alternative dates and locations to fulfill an agreement that was forced to be delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic."

Micah Parsons is quickly checkin' things off his bucket list in 2021 ... first, he got drafted by the Dallas Cowboys -- and now, he's buying his mom a brand new home!!!

The rookie linebacker -- a first-round selection in April's NFL draft -- revealed the huge estate he bought for his mother, Sherese, on Tuesday ... and it looks GORGEOUS!!

Unclear where the property is located -- we're working on it -- but the home is LARGE ... featuring two stories and a ton of big windows.

"One goal after another!!" the 22-year-old said after making the purchase. "Going to be a great year!"

The gesture was so sweet ... Parsons' alma mater, Penn State, gave him an awesome shoutout on Instagram.

"Picture this: You’re 22 years old. You’re a Penn State grad. You were just selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. You finally get the chance to buy your mom a house like you’ve always dreamed to do. Life is good," the school said.

"Proud of you, @_MicahParsons11 👏"

Of course, this was all a big goal of Micah's ... you'll recall, back in the spring, he told BroBible he wanted to buy his mom a new home badly with his first NFL paychecks.

"I moved a lot when I was younger," Parsons said, "and if I could put me and my mother into our own home and have something to call ours, it would be amazing."

Rihanna's put in the work and she's got plenty o' Fenty money -- so much that she's officially a billionaire ... and then some!!!

According to Forbes ... the famous singer is now worth a whopping $1.7 billion -- making her the richest female musician in the world -- but most of it is not a result of her music.

Instead, Rihanna's 2017 launch of Fenty Beauty -- her real name is Robyn Fenty -- with a mission of being more inclusive of all women has been a huge success ... and grown into a cosmetics empire.

Forbes says the bulk of her fortune -- an estimated $1.4 billion -- comes from Fenty, of which she owns 50 percent. The rest is linked to her spin-off lingerie company, Savage x Fenty, and the remaining millions come from her music career.

Of course, Rihanna's beauty brand aspect makes you think of Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner, who also reached billionaire status thanks to their cosmetics and fashion lines. Though, Kylie's story came with a little more controversy.

Either way, Rihanna's blown past them both, and according to Forbes is the world's second-richest female entertainer ... just behind Oprah.

Pamela Anderson is out of the 'Bu ... because TMZ has learned she just sold her Malibu estate.

The house -- located in the celebrity-riddled Malibu Colony -- sold for $11.8 million. Turns out the sale may now be in the record books for the Colony. The price breaks down to more than $4,000 a square foot.

The house is 2,700 square feet and the best part may be the incredible backyard with a great pool and guest house. The house has 4 bedrooms and the entire house is sustainably sourced -- courtesy of Pam.

Tomer Fridman from Compass had the listing.

As for the buyer, well, if you're familiar with Kreiss furniture ... the heir to that fortune scooped it up. The new owners -- Loren and Kate Kreiss -- were repped by Sandro Dazzan from The Agency.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez popped into a jewelry store during their romantic European getaway -- trying on some serious pieces -- but there's no ring in play, yet.

The shopping trip went down last week at Faraone Mennella jewelry store in Capri, and a store spokesperson tells us J Lo tried on a number of expensive pieces, including necklaces and earrings.

We're told J Lo tried on a $41,000 green tourmaline necklace ... plus a series of colored hoop earrings ranging from $1,800 to $2,850.

One thing we're told the couple did NOT check out, however, was a ring.

The spokesperson tells us Ben and J Lo took a series of photos together inside the jewelry store, where they were flirty and having fun, and J Lo also took a few selfies with the jewelry she tried on before leaving with their entourage.

The couple didn't officially purchase anything, but the rep says most celebs call in later to have items shipped back home.

TMZ broke the story ... Bennifer 2.0 walked hand-in-hand through the quaint alleyways of Capri, shopping and taking a ton of pics.

As we reported, Jen was spotted in Portofino, Italy over the weekend -- after Affleck left -- wearing a necklace with Ben's name on it and there was also a diamond hanging from the chain.

The family of the man who Terry Kennedy allegedly murdered is now suing the skateboarding star for wrongful death, TMZ Sports has learned.

In new court docs, Josiah Kassahun's estate claims Kennedy beat the hell out of Kassahun at a Comfort Suites in Illinois on July 27, and did nothing to help him afterward.

Kassahun's family says Kennedy hit Kassahun, which caused him to fall to the ground and land on his head.

The family goes on to say in the docs that Kennedy kept hitting Kassahun while he was on the ground, and then did not get him medical attention after he had finished the attack.

Kassahun's family says Kassahun later died on July 31 from injuries he suffered in the altercation.

The estate is suing Kennedy and says the damages exceed $50,000, the docs show.

As we previously reported, Kennedy was charged with first-degree murder on Monday over the alleged incident.

In charging docs, prosecutors say Kennedy punched Kassahun in the head, and then kicked him in the torso while he was on the ground. They claim the strikes ultimately led to Kassahun's death.

Kennedy could face up to life behind bars if convicted.

It's still unclear why Kennedy allegedly attacked Kassahun, though social media postings appear to show Kassahun and Kennedy were friends at one time.

Jail records show 36-year-old Kennedy is still behind bars.

Miley Cyrus sure knows how to party in the USA ... 'cause right on the heels of killing it at Lollapalooza, she hit the Hamptons for a crypto billionaire's private rager.

The singer performed over the weekend at the home of Mike Novogratz ... CEO of Galaxy Investment Partners. Miley wore a red leotard, black heels and messy blonde hair during her set for Mike's soiree -- keep in mind, he's not just known for his business acumen, but also for being a serious party animal.

While Mike was hanging out with his guests, including Bobby Shmurda ... MC belted out some of her best hits, including "Party in the USA" and "Wrecking Ball." According to Page Six ... she also covered Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U."

The private bash apparently had a Coney Island mermaid parade theme. Get this ... there was even a pop-up of Nathan's complete with a hot dog eating contest and an appearance from the 76-hot dog crushing man himself, Joey Chestnut.

There were also tents offering partygoers booze and food ... plus ice cream stands throughout, and one of those "silent disco" areas, where everyone listens on headphones.

Dog the Bounty Hunter is getting dogged over a lawsuit he lost back in the day, and the financial cloud hanging over his head has traveled from Mexico to California ... and now to Hawaii.

Here's the deal ... we're told Dog was arrested in Mexico in 2003, and hired a lawyer who ended up helping the reality TV star out of a jam, but they got into a disagreement over the fees. Dog ended up suing, the lawyer sued back, and it became a big mess.

At the end of the day, Dog took the 'L' -- he was hit with a judgment in 2013 for around $880,000. That was filed in California, but according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the lawyer is still trying to collect and now he's filed docs in Hawaii -- where Dog has a home -- hoping to chase down the money.

According to the docs, Dog now owes $880,916 plus interest ... so it's no wonder he's getting hounded.

Michelle Pfeiffer and David E. Kelley have taken advantage of the blazing hot housing market by unloading their Pacific Palisades home in a flash ... TMZ has learned.

The couple listed the estate in July and it only took a week to get a solid offer. The house was listed at $25 million and our real estate sources say they got close to asking.

It's an eye-popping amount of loot, but it's by no means a bonanza for them. They paid $22,250,000 in January 2020 ... so with carrying costs, upgrades and realtor fees ... it's probably around the break-even mark.

The house is just over 10,000 square feet, with 7 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. It's right up against the Riviera Golf Course, which is prime real estate in the area. In addition to overlooking the golf course, it has ocean views as well. Of course, it has the requisite pool -- an infinity pool, no less.

The house was listed by Cindy Ambuehl at Compass.

Bill and Melinda Gates are each officially a very eligible bachelor and bachelorette ... because their bitter divorce is now a done deal.

Court records confirm the judge signed off on their divorce Monday ... talk about a way to start your week.

As we reported ... Melinda filed for divorce back in May after 27 years of marriage, and there was no prenup. Bill's net worth is estimated at more than $130 billion, so the divorce settlement could leave Melinda over $65 billion.

Melinda's been cashing in on the split for months ... remember, Bill lined her pockets with nearly $2 billion in stocks the day she filed divorce docs, and the following day, he hooked her up with 25 million shares of Mexican Coca-Cola.

The judge's signature ties a bow on an acrimonious divorce. As we reported, Bill's family was extremely upset with him earlier this year, when everyone BUT Bill went to a private island when they thought news of the divorce would be made public.

We're told the family is upset over allegations he was coming on to different women ... some of whom worked at his company.

Dolly Parton threw down major dough she collected off the success of one of Whitney Houston's biggest hits -- a rendition of Dolly's, no doubt -- into a Black Tennessee community ... something that doesn't appear to have been known, until now.

The singer made the revelation this week during an appearance on 'WWHL' with Andy Cohen, where he asked her ... what was the best thing she'd invested in with the royalties she's collected from Whitney's version of 'I Will Always Love You' ... originally sung by DP.

Dolly gave a pretty incredible answer ... as it appears it's something no one's ever bothered to ask, but she was happy to share. Check out her response for yourself in the clip.

She tells Andy that of the money she'd gotten from the royalties -- a reported $10 million or so, in the '90s -- she ended up investing a decent amount into an office complex/strip mall "off the beaten path" of 16th Avenue in Nashville (a famous street near downtown).

More importantly, Dolly notes it was a part of town where mostly Black folks lived -- and she felt there was no better place to be, as it was among Whitney's people ... and Dolly's people, too, as she points out. It's unclear if Dolly developed more down there over the years ... but in any case, she almost certainly left some sort of economical impact big picture with her outlay.

It's unclear where exactly Dolly's property resides ... but it sounds like she still might be using it all these years later. And, crazier yet -- she never really piped up about this until Andy asked her about it, it seems. As many are pointing out -- that's just Dolly for ya.

One more thing worth mentioning re Whitney and Dolly -- during a Q&A segment from fans, one person asked if there were ever plans for Dolly to perform 'I Will Always' alongside Whitney, like in a duet version or something ... and it just never happened. Very good question, as Andy notes.

Her answer is both stunning, and kinda annoying ... if you're a fan of either artist.

Long story short, Dolly simply says ... no, because NO ONE EVER ASKED HER TO DO IT, even though she adds she would've happily agreed to belt out the tune next to Whitney, assuming anyone approached her about it. Talk about a missed opportunity, huh???