TMZ Live

Andre Rush's been a White House chef and successful author, but now he's dedicating himself to connecting with fellow veterans to reduce that community's alarming suicide rate.

Andre joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" to talk about his work with the BourBiz Network ... a nonprofit that aims to help military vets adapt and thrive in the civilian world. He's so committed to this mission that he starts each day with an incredible physical feat.

You've probably heard the sobering statistic -- 22 vets die by suicide every day ... and Andre says that's why he's made it a point to do 2,222 push-ups every day as a show of support, and to remind himself why his mission is so necessary.

He told us how long this takes him, and let's just say no one could ever question his dedication. Andre says the outpouring of support and appreciation he gets at speaking engagements makes it all worthwhile.

Andre served his time in the US army in the '90s and during the Iraq war. Eventually, he worked his way to the White House as a chef ... and has since had a successful career.

Right now, he's filming a new cooking show called "Chef In the City," and while he didn't want to give up all the details just yet ... he dished up a great tease for us.

As for his work with BourBiz ... Andre says his ultimate goal is to give vets resources and educate them about post-military challenges and mental health.

The author of "Call Me Chef, Dammit!: A Veteran’s Journey from the Rural South to the White House” knows what he speaks.

Pete Buttigieg feels people's pain when their flights get canceled last-minute ... and his team at the Department of Transportation wants people to know they're entitled to some serious green during those annoying situations.

The Transportation Secretary joined us on "TMZ Live" to chat about the DOT's new system, which is aimed at picking up the pieces for travelers when the airlines keep the deets vague regarding cancelations.

The soon-to-come dashboard will help customers determine if they're owed cash when their flight gets delayed or canceled -- something he claims airlines have failed to make obvious.

French Montana recently hit a big milestone with his song, "Unforgettable," but the artist isn't focused on that -- he's laser-focused on helping addicts by providing them with the privacy and help they need to recover.

French joined "TMZ Live" Friday ... talking about his partnership with Guardian Recovery Group to form NAQI Healthcare -- it's aimed at expanding access to in-home and private detox services to privacy-sensitive clients.

He's lost people over the years to addiction, in particular, his pal Mac Miller ... and doesn't want anyone to feel shame by seeking help before it's too late.

NAQI is offering up help in Florida, NY, and Cali, and will soon expand nationwide. The company's also donating a percentage of profits to MusiCares -- a charity that offers health, finance and rehab resources to musicians.

FYI -- French got his diamond-certified plaque for "Unforgettable" Wednesday ... not only is he the first African-born artist to go diamond (10 million units moved), but he's also the first artist from the South Bronx to hit the mark!!!

French is leveling up his rap stock even more with a joint album with Kodak Black and an upcoming doc in which Drake will serve as the executive producer.

For John Boyega, the best thing about acting is getting to play characters who are fundamentally different from who he is in real life ... and he only wants roles that fit the bill.

John joined us on "TMZ Live" and told us why he's not a fan of restricting who actors can and cannot play based on heritage, identity, sexual orientation, etc.

The way John sees it, actors are people who play other people ... and the profession was never supposed to be about portraying a character that is super similar to the actual actor.

While there's been some backlash recently about James Franco being cast to play Fidel Castro and Ana de Armas portraying Marilyn Monroe ... John says haters are getting it all wrong, and actors shouldn't let audiences define who they are.

John says he makes it a priority to find casting directors and producers who want him to transform into a role ... and he says his upcoming movie, "Breaking," is a prime example.

JB is returning to the big screen after taking a break from acting during the pandemic ... and explains why it's important for those in his profession to avoid burnout, and tells us why a hiatus is not as glamorous as it sounds.

Bun B is preparing for a big weekend behind the grill with his Trill Burgers franchise ... one part of a history-making food court at LL Cool J’s Rock the Bells festival.

The UGK rapper checked in with "TMZ Live" Thursday to shout out the good news about Trill Mealz Food Court … which will also feature restaurants owned and operated by Nas, E-40, Jadakiss & Styles P., Mia X and Ghostface Killah!

Like he originally told us, Bun floated the so-called hip hop food court idea by LL, and the rest is soon-to-be restaurant history. It'll be the first of its kind when RTB opens on August 6.

Bun says music festivals are a total win-win -- fans get to interact with their favorite artists’ side biz, and get to experience food they might not have access to back home.

In fact, he's so confident in his burgers' flavor profiles that he says customers won't be able to tell the difference between traditional meat and vegan options!

Bun’s self-endorsements are not served with a side of cap … a panel of chefs and celebs recently named his Trill Burgers tops in the land, and handed him a $10K check, too!!!

President Biden's just declared monkeypox a public health emergency, and while it's already having a huge impact on gay communities, it could quickly spread outside that bubble ... according to a doctor on the front lines.

Dr. Anne Rimoin, a UCLA professor of epidemiology, joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" and revealed there's already been a spill-over between communities in the U.S., and that won't stop unless we take appropriate action.

She explains "an infection anywhere can be an infection anywhere" -- meaning, it's time for ALL Americans to draw the line before the virus becomes more prevalent in society, in general.

The World Health Organization's put Dr. Rimoin on its Emergency Committee to tackle the monkeypox crisis, and she says this virus has been a simmering problem for years in Africa ... where she's been doing research since the early 2000s.

She recalls a 2017 outbreak in Nigeria and the symptoms were different from the ones she'd seen prior, showing how it can mutate over time.

Killer Mike is sticking to his guns -- Atlanta is the best U.S. city for Black-owned clubs and small businesses, but warns that status is in jeopardy if the City Council gets its way with a pending bill.

Mike was on "TMZ Live" today ... still crunk from addressing the Council during a debate on whether to launch the so-called "nuisance" bill that could potentially cut into operation times for all sorts of establishments in ATL.

Mike tells us cities like NYC and L.A. don't have the cultural connection to the clubs like ATL does, and he openly challenges anyone to show him an equal amount of Black ownership like his hometown.

Mike was front and center at Monday's hearing -- where 2 Chainz introduced him -- and the Run The Jewels MC drove home his points with force!!!

Nick Bostic, the heroic pizza delivery guy who saved 5 kids from a burning house, says fate had him in the right place at the right time ... and he's so thankful he was able to save lives in a situation that could have become an unimaginable tragedy.

Nick joined TMZ Live Wednesday to talk about the incident from earlier this month, telling us his natural instincts took over during the moment ... and he acted quickly to get everyone out.

Of course, Nick says he's grateful to be alive ... and thinks it was God who led him to the burning house.

As we reported, Nick was driving through Lafayette, Indiana July 11 when he spotted a house engulfed in flames and without any help outside.

Nick barreled into the home, first saving 4 people, before realizing there was a 6-year-old girl still inside. Nick tells us it's not in his DNA to give up, and when he heard there was one more life to be saved, he didn't hesitate ... jumping from a second-story window with the little girl in his arms to save her life, and falling on his arm to cushion the fall for her.

Nick says he's got a memory of his dad carrying him as a child and slipping on ice, twisting his body to protect Nick ... an instinct Nick believes helped him to protect the little girl.

Pete Buttigieg's ex-communications chief, Lis Smith, says President Biden should, and probably will, run for reelection in 2024 -- but if he doesn't, she's got thoughts on replacements.

The veteran Democratic political strategist -- who helped Buttigieg make a solid presidential run in the 2020 election cycle -- told us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" ... she thinks Biden is definitely gonna go for it again, and encourages him to do so. But, amid questions about his age, she offers up 3 types of candidates who might enter the campaign.

She suggests a governor or 2, and although Gavin Newsom supporters might think he's a shoo-in ... Lis thinks the Cali guy isn't the ideal choice to win over moderate Dems in purple states like Ohio or Pennsylvania.

Check out who she did name though ... some people who aren't necessarily national players yet, but could probably appeal to a wider base.

Remember, Lis worked wonders for Mayor Pete once upon a time, so her picks certainly carry weight. She recounts her storied professional and personal life in politics in her new book, "Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story."

Ne-Yo just dropped his first album in 4 years, and he says the hiatus is largely because COVID took a massive toll on his emotional state and creativity.

The R&B singer joined "TMZ Live" to talk all about his 8th studio album, titled "Self Explanatory" ... an album that was put on the back burner when the pandemic hit. Ne-Yo says music was not on his mind nearly as much as survival -- the survival of his family.

He says even after quarantine was lifted, it took time getting the "funk" removed from his psyche.

The album does not reference COVID ... he says he has nothing new to offer since we all went through it. Ditto the Black Lives Matter movement ... he says it has been so well-documented that the album would not move the ball forward.

The album is much more about his personal life ... especially the ups and downs he experienced with his marriage. We get into all of that, and more, in the full interview, which airs on Monday's "TMZ Live."

Ne-Yo has been in an on-again, off-again marriage to his wife, Crystal Renay. You'll recall, the two got remarried in Vegas back in April ... nearly 2 years after she filed for divorce and then withdrew the petition.

LOX rapper Styles P thinks he should've handled things differently when cops took down a woman outside his Yonkers, NY business -- but he adds, some cops in the neighborhood are more about control than protection.

The artist and community leader joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" and said the violent arrest this week makes it clear the vibe isn't great between citizens and officers -- and he's especially upset the 2 male cops got so rough with a woman.

Styles offered up a self-reflective question about the woman's race too, and how that might have played a factor in how she was arrested.

As for his approach in intervening, getting right in one cop's face -- he thinks there were better ways he could've handled himself, and really wants young people to get that message.

Still, he isn't discounting the impact PTSD -- from being a Black man in America -- influenced his response.

As we reported, Styles jumped in the middle of the heated arrest Tuesday outside Juice For Life ... the juice bar he owns with Jadakiss.

NASA's very high hopes for the James Webb Telescope go way beyond those stunning, out-of-this-world images you've seen -- astronaut Mike Massimino says it could literally redefine the universe for us.

Mike joined TMZ live Tuesday, shortly after NASA released even more impressive photos of galaxies and stars forming billions of light-years away from Earth. He says scientists hope the telescope will achieve 2 major goals.

The first is trying to look back into stellar history as far as possible -- about 13.8 billion years ago -- to see the very first light created at the moment of the Big Bang!!! Meaning, it would no longer just be theory.

Mind-blowing, right???

Mike says the J-dub Telescope could also help us find other habitable planets. Now, he says there's no need to pack your bags -- we won't be able to hop on one of Elon Musk's rockets to get there, even IF we find such a planet.

As we've told you, NASA released 4 new shockingly clear space images Tuesday, after unveiling an initial image on Monday ... which the space agency called "the deepest, sharpest infrared image of the universe ever.⁣"

Filmmaker Alex Holder thinks his upcoming Trump documentary paints a clear picture of how former President Donald Trump and his team incited a riot at the Capitol.

Alex joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday and says Trump and co. were a hostile bunch as he interviewed them in the months that led up to the January 6th insurrection -- using words like "belligerent" to describe their tone.

His interviews with the former President were filled with anger, and says he spoke to Trump months after Jan 6 at Mar-a-Lago, who still stuck to his story about "smart people" rightfully fighting for what they thought was right.

He says the series, which premieres Sunday on Discovery+, will follow a couple of storylines ... one about how Trump allowed the riots to take place, and another about the dynamic between DT and his kids -- something he finds just as interesting.

Travel influencer Jessica Nabongo is the first Black woman to visit every country on this planet ... and her new book shows off some of the most exciting parts of her years-long journey!

We talked to the author on "TMZ Live," and she concedes some places were more welcoming than others ... she's been to more than 190 countries during her journey -- needless to say, she's got her favorites -- and some to which she won't return.

She's been in North Korea, which was an eerie experience ... her Ugandan passport got her in -- the U.S. isn't allowing people to travel to NK.

Pyongyang was weird for her, just because of how normal things felt ... it was nothing like it seems in movies.

Sammy Hagar makes most of his money from booze, books and bars ... which he says is the precise reason he enjoys rocking out with his band. We will explain.

The Red Rocker joined us on "TMZ Live" and we asked if he made more money outside of music ... he does, and he tells us how his success in the business world benefits his art.

Sammy says the only reason he's still playing shows with his band, The Circle, is because he doesn't have to play music to pay the bills ... a big bonus for a 74-year-old rock star.

The former Van Halen frontman says whenever he plays a show nowadays, it's for fun and not about the paycheck. His wealth allows him to pay his band more, making everyone happy and giving him the feeling they're just like a good ol' garage band.

In addition to being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Sammy's a savvy businessman ... with legendary restaurants like the Cabo Wabo Cantina, where he sells his own lines of spirits. He also writes books, including his latest, "Sammy Hagar's Cocktail Hits: 85 Personal Favorites from the Red Rocker."

A brand new summer camp in Ukraine is going strong even though the war rages on ... and it's all about giving the kids something to look forward to in uncertain times.

Co-founders Yulia Grechka and Oxana Volzhina joined us on "TMZ Live" to talk about their summer program, the 7Fields Eco Camp -- located in a safe part of the region of Kyiv.

The mental toll put on the children of Ukraine has been overwhelming ever since Russia began invading their borders -- Yulia and Oxana knew something had to be done.

Their camp aims to provide 300 refugee kids with fun activities and psychological aid at no cost to the families before the summer's over. They've been working educational programs into the camp's activities, too -- the older children will be able to attend anti-corruption lectures.

Since the camp is free, the team is looking to get donations for the program ... those chipping in will get a letter sent to them, with info about the child they helped give a memorable summer to.