TMZ Live

He's made his millions, but now, businessman Pete Kadens is taking on the U.S. wealth gap by storm through his nonprofit ... saying he's not paying it forward -- but backward.

Kadens joined "TMZ Live," to talk about his nonprofit Hope Chicago -- which is on its way to being the largest scholarship program in the U.S.

Pete tells us he started the org to send 4,000 high school grads in low-income communities to college -- debt-free. Now, that goal is to send 30,000 students to college with scholarships over the next decade.

Pete was able to retire at 40, after starting 5 companies --- one of which is the 2nd largest marijuana company -- which rakes in billions. He was motivated to not pay it forward, but backward, helping communities that don't have access to proper education ... a pillar in helping him succeed.

Pete recognizes he's made his millions in an industry built by black and brown people -- with a product that has put many behind bars -- and says it motivates him to help.

Pete's pledged $15 million of his own money -- a disproportionate chunk of his net worth -- and hopes other people will also do the same to give back.

Sean Paul is all set to release his new album "Scorcha" tomorrow, but he's also waving the flag for Jamaica's reggae artists, and demanding they get their due.

The legendary dancehall reggae hitmaker was on "TMZ Live" Thursday talking about his genre's prevalence now in hip hop and pop music. As we've all heard for years now platinum artists such as Drake and Ed Sheeran have adopted it, and, of course, Rihanna's infused the sounds she grew up with in Barbados.

Sean da Paul (ya gotta say it that way, right?) says Drizzy's never reached out personally, but he does give him credit for recording with Jamaican artists like Popcaan. However, when it comes to the awards shows, he says they tend to bypass his homeland of Jamaica and it's native artists. Translation: Where's the respect?

He also spoke on "bridging the gaps" of reggae and reggaeton by recording with current superstars such as J Balvin and Anitta.

The latest single combines the best of both worlds with legends Damian Marley and Nicky Jam assisting for the track "No Fear."

Even the "Kings of Pain" have a limit when it comes to voluntarily being bitten by poisonous animals ... telling us rattlesnakes are a no-go.

History Channel stars Adam Thorn and Rob Alleva joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and told us why they're down to keep getting bitten by animals whose poisonous venom is geared towards defensive purposes, and where the cutoff lies.

The guys puked and were hospitalized following a bite from a Mexican beaded lizard, and they say that's about as much as they can handle ... because if they were to cross into deadly venom territory, the stakes are obviously much higher.

The way Adam and Rob see it -- rattlesnakes, for example, are on the attack when they take a poisonous bite -- and those bites can have potentially life-changing consequences, or even result in death.

In the second season of their show, they're bitten by lizards, urchins, piranhas, lionfish, centipedes and this scary beast ... the tarantula hawk wasp.

Adam and Rob are all about pushing their boundaries ... but some animals are clearly out of bounds.

Lisa Vanderpump is going all out to celebrate some four-legged friends by hosting her 6th annual 'World Dog Day'!

The 'Real Housewives' star (and her pup) joined "TMZ Live" to give us the lowdown on this weekend's festivities in West Hollywood, which raises awareness about global dog abuse.

Lisa tells us, "World Dog Day' is a real feel-good factor ... especially coming amid some very tough times in America, around the world ... and even for Lisa's charity Vanderpump Dog Foundation.

From the sounds of it, it'll be a whole 'lotta fun ... Lisa says, they're doing it big for all the furry folks -- live music and a DJ, vendors with doggy treats ... also a dog water park, pie-eating contest and even a fashion show with dog models!

While the foundation puts on a great show for pleasure, it also gets down to business too. The org has rescued and adopted over 2,300 dogs domestically and hundreds internationally ... even more of a reason to celebrate!

This year's event is co-sponsored by WeHo as a part of the city's celebration of Pet Week.

Monkeypox may be less transmittable than COVID, but the virus is exploding and most folks aren't immune to its effects ... so says, Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding.

The World Health Network Epidemiologist joined "TMZ Live," Monday, to talk about the once-considered extremely rare disease and why it might not be so rare this time around.

Dr. Feigl-Ding tells us, the virus may be less contagious than Covid-19, but we're in the early stages with numbers exploding all over the world.

He says, generally speaking, the big problem is most folks under the age of 50 have no immunity to the virus. On top of that, the incubation period is much longer than other viruses -- starting from 10 days up to 21.

Because of this, many folks can be further along before they realize they may have it ... and could potentially transmit it to more people.

Doc says we have to be careful, because Monkeypox didn't always transmit like this -- maybe a few cases here and there. Now, he hopes reluctant Americans will wake up and realize that wearing a mask might be a bonus to protect against all viruses like COVID and Monkeypox.

BTW, he says some folks still debate whether it is airborne or not, but no matter what, he says it's a huge issue.

Nancy Armstrong is changing the narrative about ADHD in a new documentary ... telling us the disorder can actually be a secret power.

The Executive Producer joined "TMZ Live" to talk about the new doc, titled "The Disruptors" and the upside for folks who have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which she says is heavily misunderstood.

She tells us she wanted to do this documentary because there is a disconnect between what the public thinks and what scientists know about ADHD from decades of research and endless studies.

On a more personal note ... she's a mother of 3 children with the diagnosis, so she understands how overwhelming and challenging it can be for families.

However, she makes it clear -- while ADHD has some challenges that need to be managed, it also has some pretty impressive strengths. She adds understanding how to balance both can actually be a huge asset.

For example -- on the flip side of things like distractibility, hyperactivity and impulsivity, there are some positives -- such as curiosity, energy and creativity.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, which affects 10% of kids and a rising number of adults in the U.S. The doc follows the challenges of 5 families and sheds light on the beauty behind it all.

Bobby Shmurda is dancing for joy ... literally, now that the New York State Senate has signed off on the "Rap Music on Trial" bill.

The newly proposed law prevents cops and prosecutors from using rappers' lyrics against them in court cases. The bill has been championed by the likes of Jay-Z, Killer Mike, Fat Joe, Kelly Rowland and several other artists.

Although the new law would be too little too late for Bobby -- he served 6 years in prison for weapons possession -- the topic hits close to home for him. The lyrics of his big 2014 hit record "Hot N***a" made him a target for law enforcement.

While Bobby is excited for things to come, he really hopes to see the rest of the country adopt similar measures ... especially in Georgia, where Young Thug, Gunna and 26 other YSL members are fighting RICO gang charges.

Legal matters aside, Bobby's extremely hyped -- you really gotta see his energy -- about having a lock on hip hop this summer. He doubled down on what he'd previously promised during a chat with the "TMZ Hip Hop" crew.

His new visual for "They Don't Know" is out now and his EP that's dropping next month will feature his GS9 Records brother, Rowdy Rebel. On top of that, he has an LP coming later in the summer.

Master P says no one should be behind bars for low-level marijuana offenses, and he's not just blowing smoke ... he's actively trying to get people freed from prisons across the U.S.

The music icon joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and told us about his upcoming benefit concert for Friday's "Cannabis Freedom Day" ... and why more states need to change their drug laws.

Master P says there are way too many people locked up for possession of as little as $5 to $100 worth of pot -- in his home state of Louisiana and elsewhere -- and he says it's unfair and is wreaking havoc on entire communities.

To bring awareness to "Cannabis Freedom Day," Master P's No Limit Reunion Tour is performing in Norfolk, VA ... where he's taking the stage along with Mystikal, Silkk, Mia X, Fiend, Mr. Serv-on, Choppa Style, Mercedes and Juvenile.

Master P says he wants to put more pressure on states, like Louisiana, to follow California's lead and release people incarcerated for cannabis convictions while changing laws in the process. There have been over 60,000 people released in Cali, and with weed becoming decriminalized in 34 states, Master P wants to see more offenders get a second chance.

Rick Ross has a parade of hot wheels rolling into the Atlanta area this weekend -- hosting a massive car expo at his own crib ... and hyping it up as a come one, come all extravaganza.

The Boss gave us the scoop Wednesday on "TMZ Live" about the car and bike show going down at his Fayetteville, GA estate Saturday ... where he'll not only be showing off his own luxury/novelty vehicles -- including a tank and firetruck, among dozens of other sweet whips -- but actually scoping out tons of others that'll be on display from different owners as well.

It's essentially going to be the automobile event of the year -- at least from what Renzel is describing to us here -- and indeed ... RR says he might be looking to buy himself.

If you follow Rick on social media ... you're probably well aware of his eclectic collection, so this type of get-together makes sense for the guy. As he explains to us, this is gonna be a who's who of car aficionados -- with gear heads from all over the world -- but not just that ... there'll even be a chance for some friendly competition and prizes!

Watch how Rick breaks down the contest ... he says he's going to extreme lengths to make sure it's fair and credible -- and even shows off what's up for grabs, besides bragging rights.

Congress is holding a hearing about unexplainable objects in the skies from experts who say they are baffled .... finally, after over 50 years, our government is taking UFOs seriously.

A House panel is hearing from experts Tuesday on 144 UAPs -- Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, aka UFOs. This comes after years of silence, cover-ups and retribution against Defense Dept. officials and others who dared to express the belief ... something is out there.

Rep. Andre Carson expressed a sentiment shared by many experts over the years ... that UAPs represent a serious national security threat and must be treated as such.

Carson echoed what TMZ presented in a FOX Network documentary ... profiling Navy pilots who said they were hesitant to even report these UAPs because they feared they'd be laughed at and viewed as wackos ... possibly compromising their position in the military.

Carson said, "For too long, the stigma associated with UAPs has gotten in the way of good intelligence analysis. Pilots avoided reporting or were laughed at when they did. DOD officials relegated the issue to the backroom or swept it under the rug entirely, fearful of a skeptical national security community," Carson said. "Today, we know better. UAPs are unexplained, it's true. But, they are real. They need to be investigated. And, any threats they pose need to be mitigated."

The Pentagon's UAP Task Force released a report last year, concluding more than 140 objects they analyzed could not be explained.

Pentagon officials say the number of UAPs has now surged to over 400 since last year's report was published.

Originally Published -- 8:34 AM PT

The black family targeted by a young white boy who showed up at their front door with a whip are afraid it could happen again ... telling us the cops never seized the weapon.

Dee and Carissa Nash -- who captured the shocking incident on their home surveillance -- joined "TMZ Live" Monday. They tell us the 9-year-old boy had been aggressive toward other kids recently, but had for the most part, not directly gone after their daughter.

Obviously, that changed ... when the boy showed up on their front doorstep with a whip, smacking the door and allegedly doing damage to their car.

The Nash family -- who lives just outside Dallas -- called the cops, but tell us officers never confiscated the whip, and wouldn't talk to the young boy directly without his dad present. When Dee decided to take matters into his own hands, and talk to the boy's dad, the man pulled a gun and fired a shot, leading to his arrest.

'Bling Empire' star, Kane Lim, says he's not really here for all the drama, but he might have some convincing to do ... on not one, but two reality shows.

Kane Lim joined TMZ live Friday, and talked about the new season of the hit Netflix show, "Bling Empire" ... as well as joining the cast of "Selling Sunset".

Kane tells us, he's finding himself in the middle of a lot of heat from folks on social media ... stemming from 'Bling Empire's new season. Regardless, he says he's just rolling with the punches and hopes he'll warm up to people on the Internet.

Kane also acknowledged his arch-nemesis, Dorothy Wang, who is on "Bling Empire" now ... and as expected, he didn't give her glowing reviews.

In case you didn't know, Kane recently joined The Oppenheim Group as a real estate developer ... so he'll be making appearances on "Selling Sunset."

Tiffany Haddish says she's a coy person, so she's really trying hard not to spill the beans about a rumored music project with Beyonce ... but there's a lot of smoke that could lead to something fire!

The "Girls Trip" star joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday and hinted at an upcoming collab with Queen B ... and even though she was coy and bashful about possibly getting in the studio with one of her music idols, there's enough between the lines to believe it may be happening, or it already went down.

Tiffany's been making new music with the likes of Trina and Jada Pinkett Smith, and we've been hearing she was also recruiting Beyonce, Snoop Dogg and Lil Wayne to the project.

One thing is for certain ... Tiffany really admires Beyonce's work, and let's be honest, who wouldn't want to get with Bey in the studio?!?

It's interesting ... Tiffany says her original plan was to only use the music in movies and TV shows she's producing but not acting in, but she tells us why the financials might cause her to change course and drop the music publicly first.

Tiffany's a jack of all trades in Hollywood ... she just released a new book about bullying and being yourself, "Layla, the Last Black Unicorn," which she hopes helps kids who are going through some tough times.

Dr. Myron Rolle says it was always in the back of his head to become a neurosurgeon once his NFL playing career was over ... and he credits Ben Carson with planting the seed.

The football defensive back turned brain surgeon joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and told us how he made the extremely rare transition from the football field to the medical field.

Myron was always gifted in school, he spent a year abroad studying at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar after earning a degree as a star player at Florida State, but he says Ben's 1990 book "Gifted Hands" got him thinking about neuroscience.

Understanding careers in the NFL are fleeting -- Myron's lasted about 3 years after being drafted by the Colts -- Rolle says he always had it in his mind to have a plan for after football, and he became a neurosurgeon because he wanted to help save lives.

Myron's still got a connection to football ... telling us his work as a neurosurgery resident at Massachusetts General Hospital allows him to operate on football players, and others, with brain injuries from concussions.

Myron says much of his success is also thanks to a mindset he developed from one of his FSU coaches, where the goal is to break large goals down to smaller tasks and get a little better each day ... and he's got a book coming out about it called "The 2% Way: How a Philosophy of Small Improvements Took Me to Oxford, the NFL, and Neurosurgery."

Gabriel Iglesias is gearing up for some record-setting gigs at his beloved Dodger Stadium, and, in the wake of the Dave Chappelle incident ... he's not worried about getting got by violent hecklers.

Gabriel, AKA Fluffy, joined "TMZ Live" to talk about being the first comedian ever to perform at the iconic home of the L.A. Dodgers, as a part of the "Netflix Is A Joke" 12-day festival.

Fluffy tells us he wanted to go big or go home, and sure enough ... this is the biggest venue he's ever played. He's filling more than 45,000 seats this weekend, making it the 3rd biggest comedy show ever ... and the biggest ever in Los Angeles.

Of course, the attack on Chappelle is on the mind of all comedians -- many are ramping up security measures -- but Gabriel says he's not worried at all.

He broke news with us about someone jumping on his stage last week in Seattle ... revealing his security team -- which he calls the best -- immediately took down the guy. But, "professionally," he says.

Brian Dunkleman says he was "suicide adjacent" after quitting his hosting gig on "American Idol" ... but looking back, he says his fears and depression were unnecessary, and he's finally in a great place.

Brian, who co-hosted with Ryan Seacrest in season 1, joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and told us why he was in such a dark place when he left the smash hit show, and why he later found out things weren't as grim as he originally thought.

The way Brian tells it ... he was left twisting in the wind without a contract after season 1, and started abusing drugs and alcohol because he was severely depressed.

Brian feared he made a massive mistake when he quit the show to pursue an acting career, and the decision haunted him for years -- Howard Stern famously compared him to Pete Best, who left the Beatles before the band got huge.

But, BD says when he co-hosted the 'Idol' series finale (on FOX, anyway) back in 2016, he ran into one of his former bosses, and learned the network was going to drop him for season 2, anyway ... a huge weight lifted from his shoulders.

Now, Brian says he's cleaned up his act, he's doing standup comedy and improv, and he thanks his new documentary on Amazon Prime, "Dunkleman," for helping him heal from past traumas ... which, as he explained to us, go way beyond 'Idol.'

Now, he's not only glad he never followed through with his darkest thoughts, but he also has an important message for anyone fighting to overcome depression.