Money

The man suing Jerry West and the Clippers for his alleged role in landing Kawhi Leonard says West left him a voicemail message in 2019 acknowledging their relationship and trashing the Lakers in the process.

Johnny Wilkes tells TMZ Sports ... West left the voicemail for him on July 1, 2019, around 2 PM ... "expressing concern that Kawhi would choose the Lakers over the Clippers."

Wilkes says, "In the same message, Jerry thanked me for all my efforts in getting Kawhi to sign with the Clippers."

TMZ Sports has obtained the voicemail -- in which a man who sounds like West says, "Hey there, this is Jerry calling. I really want to thank you a lot for trying to help. I heard this morning that everyone over in the Lakers camp thinks they're gonna get him."

"I just find it hard to believe that he would want to go to that sh*t show where he would not even be ... wouldn't even get his name in the paper and he wouldn't be the face of the franchise that's for sure."

"He might be the best player on the team, but hope things are well and again, I really really appreciate everything you've done."

The man believed to be West is seemingly referring to the fact LeBron James is with the Lakers -- and there's zero shot Kawhi would overtake him as the face of the team.

The man also seems to think Kawhi is a better player than LeBron, Anthony Davis and other members of the Lakers.

FYI, West is an executive board member with the Clippers. He's also considered one of the greatest Lakers players of all time.

The voicemail continues ... "I will keep you apprised of what's going on. But, I do want to get together with you privately and would love to take you to dinner and even Sam if he's around. So I can at least pay my respects to you guys for being so generous and helpful. Take care, talk to you sometime soon. Bye-bye."

We're told the "Sam" in question is Sam Watson -- who Wilkes claims was also involved in the effort to land Kawhi with the Clippers.

As we previously reported, West has DENIED any wrongdoing connected to the signing of Kawhi Leonard -- but when contacted about this specific piece of audio, neither West nor the Clippers would comment.

The Clippers previously issued a statement saying, "The lawsuit filed by Johnny Wilkes is replete with inaccuracies and the allegations are baseless. The Clippers are fully cooperating with the NBA in its investigation, which is standard when these types of allegations are made.

"[The Clippers] are providing the NBA with evidence that the allegations are false."

The NBA has launched its own investigation into allegations made against the Clippers and Jerry West in a new lawsuit, TMZ Sports has learned.

The allegations are spelled out in a lawsuit filed by Johnny Wilkes -- who says West promised him $2.5 MILLION for helping the Clippers sign superstar free agent Kawhi Leonard in 2019.

If the allegations are true, it would be a violation of NBA policy -- and West and the Clippers could be subject to league discipline.

For his part, West has DENIED the allegations -- telling TMZ Sports, "I deny engaging in any improper conduct in connection with the signing of Kawhi Leonard.”

In his lawsuit, Wilkes says he has close ties with Kawhi and Kawhi's uncle, Dennis Robertson -- and promised he had information that would give the Clippers an advantage in the battle to land the NBA's top free agent.

Wilkes says he also helped facilitate a deal between West and Kawhi's uncle ... in which West agreed to give Uncle Dennis a Southern California home and a travel expense account.

Kawhi ultimately signed with the Clippers -- but Wilkes says West never ponied up the $2.5 million fee ... so he filed a lawsuit for breach of contract and more.

Vanessa Bryant is lashing back at her mother -- claiming Sofia Laine only filed a lawsuit against her to "extort a financial windfall from our family."

Laine sued Vanessa earlier this week -- claiming Kobe Bryant had promised to take care of her for the rest of her life ... but after Kobe died in January, Vanessa left her out in the cold.

In her suit, Laine claims she worked as a nanny for Kobe and Vanessa -- and was "forced" to work around the clock for 18 years without proper meal or rest breaks.

Laine claims she was never paid for her work despite taking shifts on holidays and weekends.

She also claims Vanessa ordered her to move out of the home Kobe had allowed her to live in while he was alive.

But, Vanessa says her mom is lying -- saying, "I have supported her for nearly 20 years, and was never my or Kobe's personal assistant, nor was she a nanny."

"I have always been a stay at home mother and my husband and I were my daughter's full-time care givers."

Vanessa continues, "In reality, she only occasionally babysat my older girls when they were toddlers."

"As of ten years ago, our kids were full time students and athletes and I didn't have another child until 2016."

Vanessa says her mom's claims are "obviously false" -- and insists she repeatedly tried to "work things out with my mother" ... to no avail.

She concludes ... "This lawsuit is frivolous, disgraceful, and unimaginably hurtful. My husband never promised my mother anything, and he would be so disappointed in her behavior and lack of empathy."

We're told Sofia is planning to issue a response to Vanessa's statement soon.

Tisha Campbell's nasty divorce from Duane Martin is finally a done deal ... she's not getting any support payments but she gets to keep a home and a car.

Tisha and Duane got the judge's final stamp on their divorce Wednesday, and the judgment reveals neither party is getting any child or spousal support from the other.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Tisha's keeping a leased property and a leased 2020 BMW. Duane's also walking away with a leased place and some cars, including a 2014 Bentley, BMW scooter, and a Kawasaki motorcycle.

The financial details are interesting ... remember, in an interview earlier this year, Tisha claimed she had $7 to her name after their split.

The exes also hammered out a visitation schedule for their minor son ... they're getting joint legal custody and sharing physical custody, with each parent getting the kid on alternating weeks.

Move over Rob Kardashian ... Holly Sonders is the latest celeb getting in the card game -- the famous sports reporter just pulled a SICK Larry Bird card this week that could be worth $25K!

TMZ Sports has learned ... Holly linked up with Vintage Breaks on Wednesday to do a little box breaking for a live stream.

And, Holly -- who's beginning to dip her toes into the card world after her famous ex-boyfriend, Vegas Dave, sold his Mike Trout rookie card for nearly $4 MIL -- scored BIG on one of her pack openings.

Sonders and Vintage Breaks' Leighton Sheldon tore through a 1981-82 Topps pack ... and in it, a Larry Legend piece that could be worth a small fortune stared back at them!

Leighton couldn't believe it ... because the card is pretty rare. FYI -- Larry's rookie card was a split with Magic Johnson, so this piece was his first-ever standalone NBA card.

It's so rare, in fact, that if it grades out as a perfect PSA Gem Mint 10 -- which Sheldon says is VERY possible given the centering of the picture -- it could be worth $25,000!!

We spoke with Holly after the awesome pull ... and she told us the whole experience was pretty damn thrilling.

"[My agent] Darren almost jumped out of his f*cking chair over here!" Sonders said ... "It's fun for me just to see the joy that it brings other people and the idea that something could be worth $25,000, you know? Somebody can buy a new car with that piece of cardboard!"

"It's just mind-blowing to me."

As for what Holly's plan for the card is now? She says she's sending it off to get graded -- and she'll gift it to her agent, Darren Prince (who's a HUGE card nut), for Christmas when it comes back.

Sean Kingston's jewelry issues are now worse than ever -- this time there's a warrant out for his arrest due to an allegedly unpaid tab ... TMZ has learned.

The singer and songwriter's been charged with grand theft ... according to court records. Our law enforcement sources tell us Sean had some jewelry delivered to him, but has yet to pay for the goods. Stop us if you've heard this before.

It's interesting ... our sources tell us cops don't plan to actively track down Sean, but the warrant is in their system. Basically, he better not get pulled over.

As we've reported over the years, Sean's had a lot of issues with jewelers -- he's been sued several times for allegedly receiving bling and not paying.

We reached out to Sean's camp ... so far, radio silence.

Membership has its benefits -- people who participated in Pfizer's vaccine trial, but only got the placebo, now have the chance to get the real vaccine earlier ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Pfizer notified study participants earlier this week about the shift in policy -- giving people who got the placebo the chance to get the shot as early as Friday.

We're told some study participants, who got the placebo, were upset they had put their lives on the line, but were getting no benefit. In fact, Pfizer says 162 placebo patients ended up later coming down with COVID-19. By comparison ... of the participants who got the vaccine, only 8 got infected later.

Pfizer emailed instructions this week to the study group about when they can get the vaccine. As with the general public, healthcare workers and nursing home residents will go first ... as soon as Friday.

Others will get the opportunity in January or February ... about 6 months after they got their second placebo shot.

We're told no one during the study was told whether they'd gotten the placebo or the vaccine -- but they all figured it out pretty easily. Those who got the vaccine felt ill -- a normal reaction to the shot -- while placebo patients were fine.

Mariah Carey's plan to safely get from L.A. to Aspen for her annual Christmas vacay without risking COVID-19 exposure can be summed up with two words ... ROAD TRIP!!!

Diehard MC fans know the singer's known for taking this yearly trip with the kiddos, but with the pandemic still raging out of control ... the singer wanted to find a safe way to make the trip without taking to the sky. The solution? Hitting the road in a luxury RV.

We're told she kept the yearly tradition alive by renting a 2020 Prevost RV through Outdoorsy.com -- it's like the Rolls Royce of RVs -- and decking it out with Christmas decorations like wreaths and poinsettias before embarking on the 5-day trek. They ventured across a must-see scenic route that included stops in Red Rock Canyon and Zion before arriving Wednesday in Aspen.

The RV's pretty sick ... with 2 bedrooms. a spacious living area, full kitchen and multiple bathrooms. This kind of RV usually rents out for $150k a month ... so you know it's top of the line and very much Mimi-approved.

Mariah's been going to Aspen for a long time ... telling GQ last year she goes because she loves a snowy environment, gazing at the mountains and spotting shooting stars. The kiddos also interact with live reindeer and even Santa Claus pays a visit.

As if losing the election wasn't enough, folks can stick it to Donald Trump again by pushing the button to blow up one of his old casinos.

Here's the deal ... the former Trump Plaza casino in Atlantic City is scheduled for demolition next month -- pretty close to when Trump leaves the White House -- and for the right price, someone gets to bring down the joint.

The auction is doubling as a fundraiser benefiting the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City, and the mayor's hoping the big prize hauls in over $1 million.

Yeah, politicians think people hate Trump that much -- and there are roughly 80 million people who'd agree with that.

Trump's former casino opened its doors way back in 1984, when AC was actually popping, but it shuttered in 2014 and the property has descended into such a bad state that demolition work is already underway.

The rest of the crumbling structure will be demolished Jan. 29 -- 9 days after Trump's Presidential run comes to an end. Boy, January's gonna suck for him.

Atlantic City's got a love-hate relationship with Trump ... the mayor remembers some of the city's iconic moments happening at the Trump Plaza casino, including tons of big boxing matches, but he also didn't forget Trump mocking AC on his way out of town ... so the auction makes sense.

Finally, THE ROCK has come back to the football card world -- because a super rare Dwayne Johnson card just sold for $14,000!!!

Remember, before Dwayne Johnson became "The Rock" -- he was a college football player at the University of Miami.

And, during his 1994 season, Bumble Bee -- the tuna company -- produced a set of cards featuring some of the team's best players ... including Ray Lewis and Warren Sapp!

Bob Marley's son Rohan Marley was also included (he was a linebacker at The U).

Legend has it ... the 24-card sheets were handed out at the Orange Bowl during a game that season, but it was a rainy day and most people didn't save the cards.

In fact, there are reportedly less than 50 of the Dwayne Johnson cards from that set in existence today!

So, when the folks at PWCC auctions got their hands on a mint condition (PSA 10) card of the future WWE superstar ... they knew they had a banger.

Final gavel price on the online auction which closed Wednesday night -- $13,988!!

It's a huge jump from the price in 2014 when a similar Dwayne Johnson PSA 10 sold for $4,228.

The husband of one of the victims in the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash is suing the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. for invasion of privacy over crash scene cellphone pics, TMZ Sports has learned.

Matthew Mauser -- who lost his wife, Christina Mauser, in the Jan. 26 crash -- claims Sheriff Alex Villanueva did a poor job securing the area in the wake of the crash, which led to emergency responders taking unauthorized photos of the tragic scene.

In fact, Matthew claims he has reason to believe members of the L.A. County Fire Dept. photographed the remains of his wife -- and then shared them with people who had no involvement in the investigation.

"These facts show that Sheriff Villanueva had a special duty to ensure that the scene of the crash was given the highest caliber security his department could employ," Mauser claims in his suit.

Matthew claims he -- along with the couple's 3 daughters -- now suffer severe emotional distress, humiliation and anxiety "from the realization that photographs of their mother and wife were wrongfully taken, shown and discussed."

Mauser is suing for invasion of privacy, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and more. He's seeking unspecified damages in excess of $25,000.

Christina Mauser was only 38.

The mystery buyer who dropped $3.7 MILLION on a rare Honus Wagner card is revealing himself ... and it's real estate mogul Kurt Rappaport!

The card is the legendary 1909-11 T206, which Rappaport describes as "the HOLY GRAIL -- the rarest and most desired of all sports cards."

The purchase -- handled by Heritage Auctions -- makes Rap's Wagner card the 2nd most expensive baseball card ever purchased ... behind a rare Mike Trout card that sold for $3.9 million back in August.

There are less than 60 Wagner cards in existence -- but what makes Rap's card extra special is the fact it's in such great condition.

Professional Sports Authenticator (known in the industry as PSA) graded Rap's card as a 3 -- which is pretty good for a card that's more than 100 years old.

"Just to put it into perspective, 3 means very good condition," Rappaport told the guys on "TMZ Live."

"The 50 or 60 that exist in the world, this is one of the Top 5. There's only 4 other cards that have graded any higher than this. These don't come up to sale and I had the opportunity to buy it and I did."

Rappaport doesn't consider himself a hardcore card collector -- just a guy who appreciates rare cards ... comparing them to classic art pieces.

Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony will be covered by a security company, that Uncle Sam is paying handsomely, to keep the President-elect safe -- and by the looks of everything they're equipped to do, he'll be in good hands.

TMZ obtained federal procurement docs that show the Secret Service has hired a company called Showcall Security Services to help out with the inauguration in January. The company scored a $7.5 million contract for the job ... and it sounds like they'll be worth every dime of taxpayer money.

Turns out, a division of Showcall, named Checkmate, is what'll be deployed here -- and a glance at their specialties shows why they cost a pretty penny. Checkmate boasts "temporary deployable security assets" that create "hardened perimeters," which can stop vehicle-borne threats and attempted weapons hand-offs of people who get past checkpoints

Checkmate also notes they design and provide "robust access control programs and cutting edge surveillance and threat detection systems" that use data analytics -- so top-notch stuff.

But, wait ... there's more.

Other services Checkmate offers for large-scale events include (but aren't limited to) ... anti-scale fencing, a mobile command post, all types of tactical barriers, golf carts and gators, light towers, traffic control, mobile power generation, tenting and perhaps most useful of all ... portable bathrooms!!!

Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo are celebrating a partnership with Ferrari that raised 6-figures for Save the Children, and raised Adam's heart rate with a thrilling test-drive.

The Maroon 5 frontman recently took a spin in Ferrari's new coupe, the Roma, and posted a series of videos showing just how psyched he was behind the wheel ... as he should be, and not just because of the car.

Adam and his supermodel wife teamed up to bring one of the first Romas to the United States for a charity auction. The stunning whip has a price tag around $220,000, but it went for $750,000 in the Sotheby's auction!!! All proceeds went to Save the Children.

Adam owns a bunch of classic and exotic cars, but was NOT the lucky buyer at auction. However, Ferrari did let him and Behati experience the Roma during what looks like a ride around SoCal.

The Roma has 611 horsepower and a top speed of about 200 mph, and Adam put those ponies to work ... getting up to 182 km/h, or about 110 mph.

As for the charity auction, Save the Children has worked tirelessly during COVID-19 to make sure underprivileged kids have books, supplies and virtual learning tools -- so the money is certainly going to a great place.

Struggling to make plans for New Year's Eve? Mariah Carey's got ya covered with this SICK dome up for grabs through Airbnb.

The vacation rental company is offering this unbelievable 1-night stay under the New Year's Eve Ball at Times Square. The lucky person who books this, along with their guest, will stay on Nasdaq's outdoor terrace ... where they'll sleep and chill inside their very own geodesic dome, with panoramic views of the crystal ball and the Big Apple for that matter.

But, wait ... there's more!!!

Mariah's virtual hosting duties include her serenading the lucky guests. Plus, there's also a $5,000 shopping credit for shops along Fifth Avenue or local Times Square shops.

And, while the world counts down to the end of an awful 2020, guests will enjoy access to an indoor lounge where they can relax, drink some bubbly and watch the world celebrate on TV. Dinner will be provided by a private chef. And, how's this for a cool memento ... a sparkly piece of the crystal featured in this year's Waterford Crystal Times Square NYE Ball design.

This all sounds incredible, for sure. The 1-night booking's just $21 ... but there's a catch.

It's on a first-come, first-serve basis but only open to guests who can prove they're NYC residents. They must also currently live in the same household and must meet COVID health and safety criteria ... like documentation proving they're COVID free.

Jerome Bettis is putting on his Superman cape this Christmas ... 'cause the NFL legend is rushing to the rescue after someone allegedly stole a bunch of goods intended for kids in need from a charity.

A rep from Family Resources -- an org. Bettis is helping fundraise for this year -- tells TMZ Sports that at around 9:30 AM Tuesday morning, they realized a TON of gifts had been taken from their headquarters in Pittsburgh.

The rep says everything, from toys to coats to clothes, intended for around 400 victims of child abuse were all gone when officials checked in a conference room.

In total, the rep claims around $1,900 worth of items were taken in the heist.

But, after Bettis learned of the problem Tuesday ... he raced in to help -- offering up some cool gifts to fans on social media in exchange for donations to the charity.

"We can't let the Grinch steal Christmas," Bettis tweeted out on Tuesday -- adding he's now giving away some signed Steelers jerseys to help raise funds for the kids.

A rep for Family Resources says Bettis' shoutout has already yielded tremendous results ... with $2,000 worth of contributions already pouring in Tuesday.

The rep also says Pittsburgh Steelers star Stephon Tuitt is expected to hand over a large check to the org. soon as well.