Music

Blues Traveler had a scary moment on its travels ... the band's tour bus crashed on an interstate and several band members were rushed to a hospital with minor injuries.

A rep for the band, Deborah Radel, tells TMZ ... their bus crashed Wednesday night in Minnesota on their way to Friday's tour stop, and the crash left everyone inside trapped until law enforcement and first responders arrived.

We're told the band was on the way to Rochester, MN and the single-vehicle crash left them shaken, while a few, including frontman John Popper, were injured and treated at a local hospital.

Minnesota State Police say the tour bus lost control on I-90 and crashed into the center median ditch, resulting in non-life threatening injuries for 3 passengers.

John was live-posting about the crash on Facebook, saying he injured his ribs and another bandmate suffered a dislocated shoulder.

Offset is joining his wife in defense of Lizzo ... he says the haters and online trolls need to back off and let her be great.

We got Offset in Beverly Hills on Wednesday and our photog asked if he's got a message for the folks coming after Lizzo on social media.

Offset says anyone who has a problem with Lizzo needs to stop judging her and giving off negative energy ... telling us it's time to just let women like Lizzo live.

The way Offset sees it ... celebs like him, Cardi B and Lizzo are just working hard to be entertainers for folks across the world, and people need to let them be.

As we first told you ... Facebook's deleting hateful comments directed at Lizzo from its social media platforms and removing troll accounts, after Lizzo broke down over all the hate and negativity coming her way and Cardi rushed to her side.

Eminem's a living legend with deep roots in Detroit ... and that's what makes him the perfect person to portray "White Boy Rick" ... according to the real-life guy himself.

Richard Wershe Jr., aka "White Boy Rick," tells TMZ ... it's an absolute honor the rapper will portray him in 50 Cent's Starz series "BMF." In fact, Rick tells us it's also perfect casting because Eminem was one of the first people who flirted with the idea of making a movie based on Rick's life.

For the uninitiated ... Richard earned his "White Boy Rick" handle in the 1980s during his drug trafficking trial. The FBI recruited him at just 14 years old to be an undercover informant, but, he went rogue and ended up getting busted for drug trafficking.

Rick was sentenced to life in prison in 1987, but was freed in July 2020 when he was granted parole.

Netflix dropped a documentary about him in 2017 dubbed "White Boy" ... and Richie Merritt portrayed him in the 2018 film "White Boy Rick."

Fiddy's new series will center around the real-life Detroit brothers Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory and Terry "Southwest T" Flenory ... power players in the city's drug trafficking -- their Black Mafia Family organization raked in nearly $300 mil selling cocaine in 11 states.

Eminem's cameo in episode 7 is directed by 50 himself. The show premieres September 26.

BTW ... Rick, who will be launching his own strain of cannabis called The 8th, gave us a short and sweet message for Em on the role.

The people who allegedly swiped jewelry from Swae Lee's hotel room -- along with the 4 suspects who smashed up Lil Pump's rides -- are going to get off scot-free ... unless police get some new info.

A spokesperson for the Miami Beach PD tells TMZ ... in both cases, all investigative leads were exhausted, and in the end, no arrests were made.

We're told the 2 separate cases are now considered closed ... unless cops receive additional leads which would then be reviewed.

We broke the story ... Swae Lee claims he had $300,000 worth of jewelry jacked from his room at the Mondrian Hotel in South Beach back in June, and he was suspicious of the cleaning staff.

About a month before that -- not too far from Swae's hotel -- Lil Pump had 3 of his luxury vehicles broken into and vandalized. According to the police report, 4 suspects were caught in the act on surveillance footage ... but it still apparently didn't lead to any arrests.

Britney Spears' boyfriend is as hopeful as her fans she'll return to performing, and seems to think it could happen soon ... but admittedly he's got his fingers metaphorically crossed.

Sam Asghari was leaving an intense and sweaty workout at Bas Rutten's Elite MMA Gym in L.A. Wednesday when he blurted out something that could send Brit's followers into a tizzy ... claiming she'll "absolutely" take the stage again soon.

His absolute statement was quickly followed up with a mumbled "hopefully" -- so it doesn't sound like there's any solid plan in place just yet.

As for recent developments in Britney's conservatorship case -- like her father Jamie agreeing to step down -- Sam has another brief response ... with some added muscle.

Speaking of which, Sam makes a quick pitch to the producers of 'Fast & Furious 10' for a role and he's certainly taking his acting and fitness goals seriously.

Garth Brooks is pressing pause on the remaining stops on his stadium tour ... and he says it's because of the resurgence in COVID-19 cases across the country.

The country music star announced Wednesday he's scrapping 5 upcoming stadium shows at football stadiums in Baltimore, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Nashville and Foxborough, Mass. ... and he says he was wrong about COVID being done.

Garth says ... "In July, I sincerely thought the pandemic was falling behind us. Now, watching this new wave, I realize we are still in the fight and I must do my part."

It's an about-face for Garth ... as we reported, just last month he played in front of a packed house of 68,000 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Ticketmaster says it will refund all tickets and Garth says he's hopeful the shows can be rescheduled "when this wave seems to be behind us."

Garth and his band are vaccinated, as are his tour crew, but he previously said he would not require concertgoers to be vaccinated or show proof of a negative COVID-19 test. The stadium shows were expected to follow local COVID protocols.

YK Osiris has something in common with Trippie Redd -- the singer will also avoid prosecution for an alleged assault case in Atlanta.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the Fulton County D.A.'s Office says even though Atlanta PD had probable cause to arrest Osiris in November 2019 ... the D.A. has decided NOT to prosecute at this time.

We've reached out to prosecutors to find out why they're not moving forward. If this all sounds familiar it's because the Fulton County D.A.'s office also decided this week not to pursue Trippie Redd's case.

As we reported ... the "Worth It" singer was arrested after he allegedly beat up his GF at his birthday party in September 2019. At the time ... we were told he was busted in Atlanta on a felony charge of aggravated assault by strangulation.

According to the police report ... the singer's GF told cops he had choked her and bit her face.

Bhad Bhabie's got beef ... but it's not with another rapper. It's with Airbnb.

The "Gucci Flip Flops" rapper is pissed off at the vacation rental company to the point she's threatening to file a lawsuit. Her problem? BB's pissed Airbnb will let an 18-year-old like her sign up for an account on the site but NOT let her book a rental.

She posted a series of messages Tuesday morning on her Instagram Story, which have since been deleted, lashing out at Airbnb. In one story she wrote, "F*** @airbnb ya’ll are weird asf not renting to me Bc I’m 18 FYI I’ve never thrown a party in my life believe it or not . Ya’ll will b hearing from my lawyer bitches."

In a separate Story, she asked, "Why am I able to sign up then???" Good question. But, Airbnb sources say it's nothing personal. They also point to Airbnb's age requirements policy.

The policy strictly says that "in some locations, people under age 25 with fewer than 3 positive reviews can't book entire home listings within their local areas" but "they can still book nearby private rooms and hotel rooms. Outside the local area, they can book any type of listing."

Facebook is stepping in to scrub hateful comments directed at Lizzo from its social media platforms ... and some trolls are even getting their accounts removed.

Sources at Facebook tell TMZ ... the company's already removed a number of comments left on Lizzo's recent Facebook and Instagram posts, and FB will continue reviewing reports of hateful comments on an ongoing basis.

As we reported ... Lizzo broke down on video over the weekend, crying over being the subject of fat-shaming and racist comments. She said she noticed people go out of their way to rip her and she couldn't make sense of it, and all the hate was getting to her.

Our Facebook sources also tell us they're removing accounts of users who continue breaking community guidelines around hate speech, harassment and bullying -- so, any trolls going after Lizzo could soon get the ax.

Paul Anka's got a simple but effective blueprint for planning his tour during a pandemic ... hope for the best, plan for the worst.

The legendary singer joined "TMZ Live" on Tuesday and broke down how he's gone about launching his tour this fall. Remember, his tour was upended last year due to COVID-19 raging out of control across the country. And, while things are ratcheting up again ... Paul's praying things settle down.

In any event ... Paul's "Anka Sings Sinatra" tour -- kicking off October 23 in New York -- is sold out. What's more ... Paul says the venues he's playing in will have some sort of requirement for those who want to attend. He didn't specify ... but tons of venues are now requiring vaccination proof or proof of a negative test.

Paul essentially says all he can do is worry about what's in his control ... like the logistics. He's done just that ... the rest is up to fate. In the meantime ... Paul says between now and his tour he'll be working on his next album, "Paul Anka: My Christmas 2021."

And, speaking of albums ... the crooner just dropped his new album "Making Memories," just weeks after he celebrated his 80th birthday. You'll recall practically all of Hollywood and beyond showered Paul with some touching tributes.

"Making Memories" will feature duets with Olivia Newton-John, Michael Buble, Il Divo and Andrea Bocelli.

"American Idol" finalist Syesha Mercado broke down in tears describing how she's been missing out on precious moments with her babies since child protective services took them from her.

Syesha held a news conference Tuesday to explain how she's been deprived of holding and feeding her newborn daughter, Ast ... while also missing her toddler son, Amen'Ra, who was put in foster care back in March. Syesha said she's also upset about her kids not getting to meet.

She was joined by the babies' father, Tyron Deener, who said they are law-abiding citizens who live a life of service and can't understand why someone with no criminal background is being hounded by the police.

As we reported ... Syesha sobbed as she reluctantly handed over Ast to Manatee County Sheriff's deputies last week in Florida. The department has since said they picked up the baby by order of a family court judge.

Amen'Ra was taken from her following a hospital visit where a doctor claimed the boy was malnourished. Last week, deputies told Syesha and Tyron they were taking Ast because they didn't tell authorities she'd given birth during their ongoing legal battle for their son.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump has now gotten involved in Syesha's case ... calling out the deputies for making a spectacle out of a Black family and "publicly dehumanizing them." He vows to help Syesha and Tyron get their kids back.

Britney Spears is opening up about the flood of topless photos she's posting, claiming that baring her boobs is all about lightening her load ... and freeing herself from pain of the past.

As you probably know, Britney started sharing a series of revealing shots on her social media just days after she was granted permission to hire her own lawyer for the first time under her conservatorship, and she hasn't let up -- including a Monday evening gallery of shots with a strategically placed rose.

This has led to some concern from her fans -- and some advice from her peers to "be cautious" online -- but Britney explains that going naked on IG is for her own good ... and has made her feel better lately.

She says the meaning of her topless posts is her attempt to reclaim her body after years of feeling self-conscious and embarrassed about how she looked while performing.

Britney says she's felt the weight of the world on her shoulders and wants to "see myself in a lighter way," adding ... "I am a woman …. a beautiful … sensitive woman who needs to look at myself in my purest form !!!"

It all connects to the "Free Britney" movement too, according to Brit, who says ... "There’s a way deeper meaning to the movement than you can ever imagine … my fans have always been so damn amazing and I love you all."

Lil Uzi Vert looks like he'd give the Lil Uzi Hurt in the ring ... 'cause the superstar rapper just shared footage of his most recent boxing sesh -- and the dude has HANDS!!!

The 26-year-old Philly native showed off his serious skills while hitting the accuracy pads with a trainer ... saying, "Becoming a better me."

Of course, the timing of the video is interesting -- Uzi called out YK Osiris for a fight last year ... and most recently, Soulja Boy said he'd take on any rapper in the game in a boxing match.

FYI -- Osiris, who is 5'9", previously said he would not fight the 5'4" Uzi due to his height.

Uzi may have to wait in line if he wants the "Pretty Boy Swag" rapper, though -- as we previously reported, Aaron Carter told us last week he'd love to fight Soulja ... even going as far as to say he would "rip him apart."

TMZ Sports has learned Celebrity Boxing has even reached out to Soulja in hopes of making the fight happen.

The celeb fights have really started to take off recently -- with Blueface saying Tekashi 6ix9ine is too scared to fight him shortly after his big win at BKFC 19.

Lil Wayne's never forgotten "Uncle Bob" -- the former New Orleans police officer who saved his life when he attempted suicide at age 12 -- and he's told him he's got his back for life if he ever needs anything.

"Uncle Bob," whose real name is Robert Hoobler, tells TMZ ... he saw Lil Wayne in 2019 when the rapper was in NOLA for a radio show, and that's when Wayne offered to provide Bob with financial support if he ever needed it, telling Bob all he has to do is say the word.

Bob says he hasn't taken up Weezy on the generous offer, but there have been talks about him joining Weezy's team in some sort of administrative capacity ... it's still TBD.

If you don't know ... Lil Wayne recently opened up about his mental health struggles as a kid and the incident with "Uncle Bob" when he was 12.

Lil Wayne now admits he intentionally shot himself in the chest -- for years, it was believed to be an accidental shooting -- and Bob was the cop who came to his rescue, refusing to let him die.

Now, all these years later, Wayne's still trying to pay back Bob. It's not the first time he's tried either -- you may recall his 2015 track "London Roads" in which he rapped about Bob saving him, and suggested the ex-cop had died.

But, Bob was still alive ... and says he got in touch with Wayne to let him know all reports or rumors of his death were greatly exaggerated.

Rapper Trippie Redd can breathe a sigh of relief ... we’ve learned he won't be prosecuted in his assault case..

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the Fulton County D.A.'s Office says even though Atlanta PD had probable cause to arrest the rapper -- way back in 2018, BTW -- prosecutors have decided NOT to prosecute Trippie at this time.

We've reached out to the D.A.'s Office to find out why they came to this decision. In any event ... Trippie's attorney, Drew Findling, is thrilled about the decision. He tells TMZ ... his law firm has worked tirelessly for over 3 years to prove the rapper was innocent of the aggravated assault allegation.

Findling says Trippie is now looking forward to the release of his new album -- "Trip At Knight." Gotta love it when your lawyer doubles as a hype man.

Lady Gaga's dog walker is trekking across the country to try and heal his emotional wounds from the horrifying shooting ... and he says he's fallen on hard times.

Ryan Fischer says he's 2 months into a 6-month journey across America, which he's calling a sabbatical, but now he's crowdfunding ... because he says his van broke down and he needs money for travel expenses.

He says he's been relying on donations after blowing through his savings, and he's not just looking for money ... he's also asking folks to recommend retreats for trauma, plus queer spiritual leaders and healers.

Ryan says he's felt scared, lonely, abandoned and unsupported during his first 2 months on the road ... adding that he's had long bouts of depression, doubt and self-pity.

TMZ broke the story ... Ryan was shot back in February as robbers made off with Lady Gaga's French bulldogs, Koji and Gustav ... leaving Ryan bleeding on the sidewalk and screaming for help.

The dogs were ultimately found unharmed, and the LAPD later arrested 5 suspects for the attempted murder and dog heist.

Ryan says he had to get out of Hollywood, where he "fought for my life and mobility" after getting shot, and now he's devoted to strengthening his emotional and mental health.