Money

The Eagles are setting the tone for the upcoming benefit concert for Los Angeles wildfire victims with a massive first donation ... pledging over seven figures.

TMZ has learned ... the famous rock band is donating $2.5 million.

It's unclear if the huge donation means the Eagles are among the acts performing later this month at the FireAid benefit concert.

1:00 PM PT -- A spokesperson for Universal Music Group tells TMZ … “Not only are these claims untrue, but the notion that we would seek to harm the reputation of any artist -- let alone Drake -- is illogical. We have invested massively in his music and our employees around the world have worked tirelessly for many years to help him achieve historic commercial and personal financial success.

"Throughout his career, Drake has intentionally and successfully used UMG to distribute his music and poetry to engage in conventionally outrageous back-and-forth ‘rap battles’ to express his feelings about other artists. He now seeks to weaponize the legal process to silence an artist’s creative expression and to seek damages from UMG for distributing that artist’s music.

"We have not and do not engage in defamation -- against any individual. At the same time, we will vigorously defend this litigation to protect our people and our reputation, as well as any artist who might directly or indirectly become a frivolous litigation target for having done nothing more that write a song.”

Drake is not backing down in the war against his own label, in fact he's now upped the ante by suing Universal Music Group for spreading the "false and malicious narrative" he's a pedophile ... TMZ Hip Hop has learned.

Drake filed the defamation case Wednesday morning in federal court in NYC ... ripping UMG for releasing and promoting Kendrick Lamar's vicious diss track, "Not Like Us." In the docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Drake says UMG knew full well Kendrick's lyrics, and images in the music video, referring to Drake as a pedophile were false and dangerous.

In the suit he calls Kendrick's hit -- filled with "inflammatory and shocking allegations"-- was a "gold mine" for UMG ... and he says they had an ulterior financial motive in promoting it.

1:01 PM PT -- Police say, at this time, there is no indication that the break-in at Evgeni Malkin's home is related to other burglaries involving sports stars ... though they added they are still investigating the matter.

Another sports superstar's home has been broken into ... this time, a residence belonging to NHLer Evgeni Malkin was hit -- and his Stanley Cup rings were stolen in the heist, TMZ has confirmed.

The burglary happened on Jan. 11 in the Sewickley Heights-area of Pennsylvania -- right around the time Malkin's Penguins were playing the Ottawa Senators at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

MrBeast, one of social media's biggest stars, has the chance to become a part-owner in one of the world's most popular social media platforms.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Jimmy Donaldson, AKA MrBeast, and his team are in convos with multiple parties who've expressed interest in buying TikTok.

We're told the way wealthy investor groups see it ... if they end up acquiring the U.S. operations of TikTok, they'll need someone to help maintain and expand the business. With MrBeast's unique success on social media, he could be a great partner.

Travis Scott is ready to ride through life’s rough patches -- dropping major cash on a custom Apocalypse Omega Rex truck, TMZ has learned.

A SoFlo Customs rep tells TMZ Travis snagged the last of the limited edition Hemi Hellcat V8 Horsepower Apocalypse Omega Rex trucks, with 717 horsepower  -- setting him back a staggering $160K.

Apocalypse Manufacturing crafted this 4x4 beast to handle the end times -- meaning Travis is officially doomsday-ready.

Folks have donated nine figures to victims of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires thanks to online crowdsourcing ... with some of Hollywood's biggest names among those opening their wallets.

TMZ has learned GoFundMe has raised more than $100 million to directly support families, communities and businesses who have lost everything in the fires.

We're told the money is also going to non-profits like World Central Kitchen, Salvation Army and Baby2Baby ... who are providing critical aid to impacted residents.

Tough times for a middle-aged French woman who got scammed out of $850K, fooled into thinking she was dating Brad Pitt after being duped by manipulated images of the actor.

53-year-old Anne, married to a millionaire at the time, fell for the scam in 2023 ... at one point sending a large chunk of money to the scammer who claimed they needed money for cancer treatment -- complete with faked hospital bed pics to seal the con.

How’d she have that cash to send? Oh, just her divorce settlement after trading in her millionaire hubby for her fake movie star boo, according to French network BFM TV.

Eva Longoria is making a seven-figure donation to help folks displaced by the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles ... with an assist from a billionaire.

The actress and her foundation pledged a $1 million donation to help wildfire victims ... and the money is coming from the $50 million Bezos Courage and Civility Award she earned.

Eva won the award back in March and she has a decade to use the funds on charitable causes ... so she's already putting the money to good use.

Spencer Pratt says he feels like a ghost after losing everything he has in the Pacific Palisades wildfire ... and the weight of starting life from zero and figuring out a way to provide for his family is hitting him hard.

The reality TV star joined us Monday on "TMZ Live" and he opened up to us about watching his life literally go up in smoke ... and it's emotional.

Spencer was born and raised in the Palisades and he says losing his house, all his possessions and his parents' house makes him feel empty and hollow.

Jason Oppenheim isn't just "Selling Sunset" -- he's opening up his wallet for the Los Angeles Fire and Police Departments ... writing a hefty check amid the disastrous wildfires ravaging the city.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... the Oppenheim Group boss made a donation of $100K to split between the LAFD and the LAPD in the wake of the wildfire damage in L.A.

Jason tells TMZ ... he's motivated to draw attention to the fundraising needs of these key first responders. He tells us the city of L.A. needs to refocus its budget plans ... noting there's nothing more important than prioritizing the safety of the community, especially when the money is going to fruitless passion projects.

Spencer Pratt literally fled his Pacific Palisades home before it burned down with just the shirt on his back ... which is evident from the new video obtained by TMZ.

Spencer and his wife Heidi were at Marshall's in Santa Barbara Sunday, wearing the same shirt he was wearing last Tuesday when the massive fire erupted in his neighborhood, torching the family house he shares with his wife, Heidi Montag, and their 2 kids.

Spencer and Heidi lost everything in the fire, and he's already moving to rebuild their lives. He's trying to get Hulu to do a show with his family, which will help with the enormous cost of rebuilding and restoring.

Beyoncé is reminding people to BeyGOOD ... by shelling out a hefty chunk of change through her foundation to support the Los Angeles wildfire relief effort.

The singer's foundation, BeyGOOD, which launched back in 2013, posted on IG Sunday they're "taking action by announcing the LA Fire Relief Fund with a donation of 2.5 million dollars" ... with the specific goal of helping those impacted by the Eaton Fire -- a blaze still burning in the northeast area of L.A.

The foundation noted ... "The fund is earmarked to aid families in the Altadena/Pasadena area who lost their homes, and to churches and community centers to address the immediate needs of those affected by the wildfires."

California Governor Gavin Newsom just called out Elon Musk, accusing him of exposing his own lies about a water shortage amid the L.A. wildfires -- saying it all went down during Elon's own live-streamed briefing with a fire command member.

Musk initially went off on X, blaming the massive loss of homes in the L.A. wildfires on "bad governance at a state and local level that resulted in a shortage of water." But, Newsom shared a clip of Musk talking to a firefighter, captioning it, "@ElonMusk exposed by firefighters for his own lies."

Newsom's clip shows Musk asking a firefighter, "What about water availability, was water availability -- I understand that was not an issue in Malibu, is that correct?"

Tyler Perry's sick to his stomach watching coverage of the L.A. fires ... and, he finds insurance companies ability to cancel policies on a whim "appalling."

The actor-producer posted to Instagram early Sunday morning ... writing a video of a woman staying in a mandatory evacuation zone to try and save her parents' home because their fire insurance was canceled rocked him to his core.

Perry asks if anyone else finds it "appalling that insurance companies can take billions of dollars out of communities for years and then, all of a sudden, be allowed to cancel millions of policies for the very people they became rich on?"

Kim Kardashian wants more recognition -- and money -- for some real heroes fighting the Los Angeles wildfires ... calling on the government to pay inmates fighting the fires more.

The reality star and mogul posted to her Instagram Story late Saturday night ... tagging Governor Gavin Newsom and pointing out hundreds of incarcerated individuals are helping with the efforts -- working long hours in dangerous conditions for basically no money.

Kim says inmates only get paid $1 an hour to fight the fires ... and, that's not nearly enough for people who are helping quell the dangerous blazes.

Jason Oppenheim says L.A. landlords are Screwing Sunset instead of selling it ... calling them out for price gouging amid the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles.

The reality television mainstay sat down for an interview on the show BBC One's "Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg" ... and, he talk about how he sent a client to a landlord in L.A. who tried to overcharge them.

Oppenheim swears this landlord originally tried to rent the place for $13K a month ... but, when his client went and offered $20K after the fires began, the landlord demanded $23K -- a mark up of nearly 100% over original asking.