Money

Vanessa Bryant has settled a lawsuit filed by her mother, TMZ Sports has learned.

Sofia Laine had claimed she worked as a nanny for Vanessa and Kobe for nearly 20 years and said she was owed $200,000 ... computed at a rate of $96 an hour.

She also claimed Kobe promised to take care of her for the rest of her life. She says after Kobe died, Vanessa kicked her out of the home Kobe had allegedly bought for her.

Vanessa called the lawsuit "frivolous, disgraceful and unimaginably hurtful." She went on ... "My husband never promised my mother anything, and he would be so disappointed in her behavior and lack of empathy."

As for getting money for working as a nanny, Vanessa said, "I have supported her for nearly 20 years, and was never my or Kobe's personal assistant, nor was she a nanny."

Vanessa went on ... "In reality, she only occasionally babysat my older girls when they were toddlers," adding, "As of ten years ago, our kids were full-time students and athletes and I didn't have another child until 2016."

Huge news in the soccer world -- superstar Lionel Messi will NOT be returning to FC Barcelona ... the team announced Thursday.

The 34-year-old is now free to sign with the club of his choice ... and will undoubtedly come with a massive price tag.

The team released a statement ... saying both sides agreed to make a deal, but due to "financial and structural obstacles (Spanish Liga regulations)," there was no way to make it happen.

"As a result of this situation, Messi shall not be staying on at FC Barcelona. Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club will ultimately not be fulfilled."

Messi is one of the greatest soccer players ever -- he's won the Ballon d'Or a record 6 times -- and has spent his entire pro career with Barcelona.

The club added ... "FC Barcelona wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandisement of the club and wishes him all the very best for the future in his personal and professional life."

Messi was #2 on Forbes' highest-paid athletes list this year ... and in 2020, became the second player to ever have $1 billion in career earnings, behind Cristiano Ronaldo.

Britney Spears is sick of waiting for her day in court ... she wants some action now, to get her dad booted from the conservatorship.

Britney's lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, filed legal docs ... asking the judge to move up the hearing date on removing Jamie from late September to August.

Rosengart says every day Jamie continues to act as conservator of Britney's estate, she feels traumatized and loses sleep. Rosengart quotes Britney's personal conservator, Jodi Montgomery, who says, "Mr. Spears's removal as Conservator is critical to [Britney's] emotional health and well-being and in the best interests of the conservatee."

Montgomery also says, "I have had numerous, ongoing conversations with the medical team and we all agree that it would be best for Ms. Spears' well-being and mental health that her father stop acting as Conservator."

Rosengart says, "every day that passes is another day of avoidable harm and prejudice to Ms. Spears and the Estate."

He also says every day that goes by is a threat to Britney's financial health ... "There has been an evident dissipation of assets of Ms. Spears Estate, and that dissipation is ongoing."

Rosengart says Jamie's litigation counsel alone is asking for more than $1.3 mil in attorney's fees ... this for services performed between October, 2020 and June, 2021. He also says Jamie has submitted $541k for "media matters." He outlines what Jamie is making as Conservator and says it needs to stop now.

It's interesting ... he uses a quote from Lynne Spears ... "It is clear to me that James P. Spears is incapable of putting my daughter's interests ahead of his own on both a professional and a personal level ..." What's interesting is Britney seems to dislike Lynne as much as her dad.

Rosengart says if the court won't move up the hearing at a minimum the judge should suspend Jamie immediately from his duties.

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.