The TMZ Podcast

The K-9 that subdued escaped prisoner Danelo Cavalcante -- to end a 2-week long manhunt  -- had a massive area to search, but one law enforcement expert says the pup is the perfect officer for the job.

Michael Gould used to train K-9's for NY police departments, and he joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" to explain the training thsese 4-legged officers go through to locate an escapee -- and he says Cavalcante's capture played out almost perfectly.

Michael says dogs go through a lot of training to learn to pick up on a human scent, and he tells us why Cavalcante waiting out in the woods for an extended period made it possible for the pup to sniff him out.

We also talked with Michael about the potential of a dog subduing a suspect like Cavalcante, and turning to deadly force if its trainer isn't nearby.

While he thinks it's natural for people to resist while being chomped on, a simple voice command from the trainer could call off a dog.

As we reported, Cavalcante, who is a convicted murderer, was arrested Wednesday morning by SWAT teams and a Border Patrol Tactical Unit in Pennsylvania after 14 days of hunting. The K-9 left a minor bite wound on his scalp while he tried to break free.

*NSYNC fans are already itching for a worldwide tour or new album from the group after their reunion at the VMAs ... but it just ain't gonna happen, TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... despite the group's iconic reunion Tuesday night, they have no plans to tour, do a residency, album, or any other pop-up reunions.

After the VMAs, we're told bandmates Justin Timberlake, Joey Fatone, JC Chasez, Lance Bass, and Chris Kirkpatrick -- along with their management team and close friends -- all went to dinner at Ambra in NYC ... which was a group close to 50 people.

Our sources say they all had some amazing conversations and laughs during the dinner, which had a menu with the band's name on it. We're told everyone was glad to be back under the same roof all these years later.

BTW, we've confirmed the rumors the group is featured on a song for the upcoming movie, "Trolls Band Together" ... which focuses on Justin Timberlake's character reuniting with his 4 brothers who were all part of a boy band in the past -- pretty meta.

So there might not be an album, but at least a new song is coming soon!

Tuesday night's appearance was the first time they've all been at the VMAs together since 2013. As we reported, a source connected to the group told us they wouldn't be performing but would only be presenting an award ... which ended up going to Taylor Swift.

Pennsylvania escaped prisoner Danelo Cavalcante has been captured ... this, after a massive, crazy two-week manhunt that put the entire state in fear.

Cavalcante, a convicted murderer, was arrested Wednesday without incident by Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) and SWAT teams in the same rural town where he broke into a home and stole a rifle after getting shot at by the resident.

His condition after 14 days on the lam was not known, but video appeared to show him conscious and alert while in custody.

At one point, a large group of the officers involved in his capture all gathered around Danelo to pose for a pic with the captured fugitive.

The footage also captured officers in military gear handcuffing Cavalcante and leading him into the back of a black armored truck. The truck then took off down the street with its red lights flashing.

The good news comes after a fugitive task force had been looking under every rock in Pennsylvania for Cavalcante. While there were a number of sightings, Cavalcante managed to elude capture ... until today.

Cavalcante made his getaway August 31 when he scaled a wall in the recreational yard at Chester County Prison. He climbed over razor wire, ran across a roof and jumped to the ground below, fleeing the area.

The real fun at the MTV VMAs started when the show was over ... as celebs like Cardi B, Taylor Swift, and many more hit up after-parties to keep the big night going.

It was poppin' at several post-VMA bashes Tuesday night -- a couple big ones in NYC, while the main ceremony went down in New Jersey.

Looks like the stars were divided in the Big Apple -- folks like Taylor, Selena Gomez, Cara Delevingne, Diddy and Ice Spice hit up the MTV party at The Ned NoMad Hotel, while other big names like Lil Nas X, Tiffany Haddish, and French Montana went to Cardi B's party at Somewhere Nowhere.

Of course, Cardi and Offset showed up together to their shindig -- the couple walked inside hand in hand looking like the king and queen of the prom.

Both spots were swarming with celebs ... other artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Saweetie, GloRilla, and Swae Lee were spotted having a blast, too.

The artists had plenty to celebrate after some big VMA wins -- Ice Spice took home the award for Best New Artist, the show's emcee, Nicki Minaj, won Best Hip-Hop for "Super Freaky Girl," Stray Kids secured a W for Best K-Pop, and SZA got a Moonperson statuette for Best R&B.

Taylor Swift certainly came out of the event victorious ... collecting 9 wins overall, including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Show of the Summer.

In other words, a great year for Swifties.

With all of the big stars -- Taylor, Nicki, Selena and more -- do you think the MTV VMAs have gained credibility again? Vote below.

The man who escaped prison in Pennsylvania -- and who's currently on the run -- ain't no Robin Hood of the people, and he'll likely be caught soon ... so says a former U.S. Marshal.

We talked to Art Roderick Tuesday on "TMZ Live" and asked the veteran law enforcement official -- who's worked on cases like this one before -- if Danelo Cavalcante is primed to elude the authorities for good, considering he's gone uncaptured for almost 2 weeks.

Roderick tells us he does believe this fugitive will be brought to justice eventually, however ... he does acknowledge it's starting to look a little murky considering their ever-changing perimeters based on where this guy is spotted and where he might realistically be heading.

With that said ... Roderick is confident Cavalcante is going to be apprehended, and that it's just a matter of time.

Of course, the latest development is a concerning one -- Cavalcante snagged a rifle from someone's home in a small PA town. So, now, he's armed and dangerous ... which certainly ups the ante.

Roderick acknowledges the severity of the situation, but says he's confident this guy probably isn't out to hurt anyone -- in all likelihood, he's probably trying to flee the country.

On the question of whether locals might embrace his bandit-esque story -- in the vein of American antiheroes like D.B. Cooper -- Roderick halts that notion in its tracks, saying people in that area know damn well this isn't a good guy, and will not embrace him.

Hollywood's heavy hitters descended on New York City for the men's tennis final between Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev at the US Open Sunday ... but there were two locking lips.

The slew of A-listers -- Leonardo DiCaprio, Kylie Jenner, Timothée Chalamet and Nicole Kidman among them -- crammed into their box seats to watch Djokovic beat Medvedev 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 on center court at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens.

Speaking of whom, Kylie and Timothée couldn't keep their hands off each other -- or their lips apart -- as they were photographed kissing throughout the match.

The lovebirds made their romance official at Beyoncé's concert in Los Angeles last week. TMZ obtained video of Kylie and Timothée smooching all night with their arms wrapped around each other.

Coupled with the US Open, their relationship appears to be going full steam ahead.

Other bold-faced names included Nicole's hubby, Keith Urban, Matthew McConaughey, Jake Paul, Eva Longoria, Jon Hamm, Jerry Seinfeld and Martha Stewart -- but Kylie and her new beau, Timothée, grabbed most of the spotlight.

Enjoy, kiddos!!

Do you think Kylie and Timothée are the real deal? Vote below.

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have felt all the blowback to their apparent support of Danny Masterson as he was getting sentenced to prison ... and they're clearing the air.

The celebrity couple -- who both starred with Danny on 'That '70s Show' -- have been getting crucified online after it came out they each wrote letters to the judge in DM's sentencing hearing ... in which they said he was of good character, and deserved mercy.

Of course, a lot of people didn't take too kindly to that ... and it seems Ashton and Mila are fully aware of that, 'cause they just posted an apology video explaining their intentions.

Check out how they break this down for yourself -- MK and AK say their letters weren't meant to discredit the verdict reached against Danny, nor was it intended to push back against what his two accusers in this case had alleged against him ... namely, rape.

They say all they were trying to do was lay out who they personally knew Danny as, and what their experiences were like with him -- this after being asked by his family to do so.

Mila and Ashton say they advocate on behalf of victims of sexual abuse, and apologize to anyone who was hurt by their actions. This last point is interesting, Ashton specifically was getting called a hypocrite -- on account of his work combatting human trafficking.

His testimony to Congress a few years ago -- where he passionately laid out his mission to protect victims of abuse -- has been making the rounds anew ... and drawing side-eyes.

It'll be interesting to see how the public takes this mea culpa. Fact is, a lot of the dynamics of the show back then are under a microscope right now in the wake of Masterson's imprisonment -- including a look back at how Topher Grace was portrayed at the time.

BTW, it's worth noting ... Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp -- who played Red and Kitty Forman, respectively -- also wrote letters to the judge on behalf of Danny ... but haven't received nearly as much backlash as Ashton and Mila did over the past 24 hours.

The other prominent cast members -- including Laura Prepon and Wilmer Valderrama -- have remained silent.

Topher Grace was once labeled an outsider on the set of 'That '70s Show' -- but after Danny Masterson's imprisonment this week ... many are saying he was right to steer clear.

There have been a lot of reactions in the wake of DM getting sentenced to 30 years behind bars Thursday -- this after he was convicted of raping 2 women back in the early 2000s ... and one of those is a re-examination of Topher's rep as a cast member on their sitcom.

This was well-documented at the time -- especially on E!'s True Hollywood Story ... essentially, it was known that Topher simply wasn't all that close to the boys in the cast. While Ashton Kutcher, Wilmer Valderrama and Danny would hit the town together once cameras stopped rolling ... TG kept to himself, and would just go home after work.

The way he was portrayed back then was ... not that great. Topher was often painted as a snob and it sounds like people thought he felt he was too good for Danny and co.

Now, though, after his one-time costar is being sent to the slammer ... Twitter/X is making Topher trend all over again -- pointing out he was, perhaps, wise to keep his distance.

A lot of people also seem to find it funny that him being a mere introvert -- and maintaining a work-life balance -- was met with raised eyebrows by folks on the production ... as if that was abnormal. In 2023, it appears more people can relate to his 9-5 attitude than back then.

Of course, the Topher analysis is also being held in stark contrast to what Ashton and his wife/costar, Mila Kunis, did in this whole saga ... namely, going to bat for Danny in court.

You'll recall -- it was revealed they wrote separate letters to the judge ahead of Danny's sentencing hearing, explaining why he was such a great guy ... and asking for leniency. Take a look online, and you'll see they're getting crapped on big time for sticking by him.

Now, while Topher has yet to publicly comment on the Masterson scandal -- it appears his feelings are being telegraphed elsewhere ... specifically, from his wife Ashley Hinshaw.

She took to IG and wrote, "To every rape victim that is [re-traumatized] by witnessing society debate and focus their attention on what is going to happen to the RAPIST...I see you." Seeing how they're in the same household, it's safe to say Topher might feel the same.

Things sure do come full circle, don't they?

Danny Masterson had 2 of his "That '70s Show" costars in his corner ahead of his sentencing ... Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis wrote letters of support for the actor.

The letters, obtained by Tony Ortega, were sent to Judge Olmedo before Masterson received his 30-year to life sentence in L.A. -- and both outlined the long-running friendship they've shared with the actor, going back to them working together on the sitcom.

Ashton says, "Danny has been nothing but a positive influence on me. He's an extraordinarily honest and intentional human being." He goes on to gush over Masterson's ability to be there for him over the years, citing Masterson as the reason why he never slipped into the "typical Hollywood life of drugs."

He even recalls a time when Masterson came to a random woman's defense as she was getting berated by her boyfriend at a pizza parlor, ending the letter by saying, "having his daughter raised without a present father would [be] a tertiary injustice in and of itself."

Mila echoed Ashton's claims, adding it has been a "privilege" to be a part of Masterson's life ... and saying his role as a dad and husband has been "nothing short of extraordinary."

As we reported, Masterson was sentenced to three decades behind bars on Thursday for his two rape convictions.

His team told us they spotted "a number of significant evidentiary and constitutional issues" in the trial and will be bringing up these arguments on appeal. We also learned he's being watched like a hawk while locked up for signs of mental distress.

We covered the story on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Do you believe 30 years is a fair sentence for Danny Masterson? Sound off by answering the question in our game below.

Las cartas —obtenidas por Tony Ortega— fueron enviadas al juez Olmedo antes de que Masterson recibiera su sentencia de 30 años a cadena perpetua en Los Ángeles. Ambos destacaron la larga amistad que han compartido con el actor, la cual se remonta a cuando trabajaban juntos en la comedia.

Ashton dice: "Danny no ha sido más que una influencia positiva para mí. Es un ser humano extraordinariamente honesto y bien intencionado". Continúa elogiando la capacidad de Masterson para estar a su lado a lo largo de los años, citando a Masterson como la razón por la que nunca cayó en la "típica vida de drogas de Hollywood".

Incluso recuerda una ocasión en la que Masterson salió en defensa de una mujer cualquiera que estaba siendo reprendida por su novio en una pizzería, y termina la carta diciendo que "criar a su hija sin un padre presente sería una injusticia terciaria".

Mila hizo eco de las afirmaciones de Ashton añadiendo que ha sido un "privilegio" ser parte de la vida de Masterson, y diciendo que su papel como padre y esposo ha sido "nada menos que extraordinario."

Como informamos, Masterson fue sentenciado a tres décadas tras las rejas el jueves por sus dos condenas por violación.

Su equipo nos dijo que habían detectado "una serie de importantes problemas constitucionales y de pruebas" en el juicio y que plantearán estos argumentos en la apelación. También nos enteramos de que está siendo vigilado como un halcón mientras está encerrado para detectar signos de estrés mental.

Danny Masterson is being kept under constant surveillance behind bars ... just in case he starts to show any signs of mental distress after being sentenced to 30 years in prison.

The "That '70s Show" star is in jail as he awaits a transfer to a California state prison, where he'll serve out the 30-year to life sentence for his rape conviction.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Danny is under 24-hour video surveillance, and deputies come by his cell every 30 minutes to check on him ... with the goal of keeping tabs on his mental state and making sure he's safe.

Should Danny show any signs of mental distress or tell his team or a deputy about a mental health issue, we're told he would be taken for a mental health exam, STAT.

Danny's certainly got a lot on his mind. As we reported, he was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in prison after being convicted on 2 rape counts.

Shawn Holley, Danny's lawyer, tells TMZ ... the actor is mentally strong and feels confident his conviction will be overturned on appeal, based on his meetings with several top appellate attorneys.

Danny's already familiar with life behind bars ... as we first reported, he was kept in L.A. County Men's Central Jail for months as he awaited sentencing, staying in the same area as other high-profile inmates, including Suge Knight and O.J. Simpson.

Do you believe 30 years is a fair sentence for Danny Masterson? Share your thoughts by answering the question in our game below.

Danny Masterson has finally been sentenced, months after he was convicted on 2 rape counts, to 30 years to life behind bars.

The "That '70s Show" star was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in a Los Angeles court. He was facing 30 years to life after being found guilty on 2 of his 3 counts ... so the sentence isn't all that surprising.

As we reported, he was convicted on the 2 counts in May, but the jury was hung on the 3rd count. He was first charged back in 2020, with the 3 women saying the incidents went down between 2001 and 2003 -- as he was working on his comedy series.

Remember, Masterson had a trial last October, but it ended in a mistrial a month later after the jury was unable to reach a decision. The actor's team tried to get it dismissed, but he was eventually retried and convicted.

His attorney, Philip Cohen, told us after Masterson's mistrial that the case was "about nothing other than the credibility of the three accusers and that credibility could only be determined by comparing, contrasting and focusing on the ever-evolving statements given by the women."

After being found guilty, we learned Masterson wasn't put in lockup with the general population at the L.A. County Men's Central Jail -- where he's been awaiting his sentence -- but instead was in "administrative segregation" ... where high-profile inmates like O.J. Simpson and Suge Knight have stayed in the past.

Beyoncé celebrated her birthday with another packed L.A. concert ... one that was filled to the brim with celebs, and came with a surprise performance from the legendary Diana Ross.

The Beyhive was out in full force Monday night at SoFi Stadium to celebrate the singer's 42nd birthday -- with Kim & Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Corey Gamble, 10-year-old North, and 11-year-old Penelope Disick all showing up as one happy family.

The sold-out crowd, and perhaps Beyoncé, got an exciting surprise when Diana Ross hit the stage to sing "Happy Birthday" ... along with all the fans. Bey was rightfully emotional after Diana's gift -- shouting out, "Give it up for the queen!"

Other faces in the crowd included couples like Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, and Justin and Hailey Bieber -- and Adele, Winnie Harlow, Vanessa Bryant, Tom Sandoval, Scheana Shay, Keke Palmer, Zendaya, Chris Rock, Queen Latifah, Kerry Washington and even Meghan Markle all showed up for the big gig!

Beyoncé also brought out Kendrick Lamar to perform the remix of their collab, "America Has a Problem."

As we reported, Kylie Jenner and  Timothée Chalamet were also at the concert -- goin' public with their relationship by packing on the PDA while in the VIP section.

Beyoncé celebró su cumpleaños con otro concierto en Los Ángeles, repleto de famosos y la actuación sorpresa de la legendaria Diana Ross.

Los fanáticos de Beyoncé estaban a todo pulmón la noche del lunes en el estadio SoFi para celebrar el cumpleaños número 42 de la cantante, con Kim y Kloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Corey Gamble, North, de 10 años y Penélope Disick de 11, juntos como una familia feliz.

El público, que agotó las entradas, y tal vez Beyoncé, se llevaron una emocionante sorpresa cuando Diana Ross subió al escenario para cantar feliz cumpleaños, junto con todos los fans. Bey se emocionó con razón con el regalo de Diana, exclamando: "¡Un aplauso para la reina!".

Entre la multitud, también se vieron los rostros de celebridades como Jeff Bezos y Lauren Sánchez, Justin y Hailey Bieber, Adele, Winnie Harlow, Vanessa Bryant, Tom Sandoval, Scheana Shay, Keke Palmer, Zendaya, Chris Rock, Queen Latifah, Kerry Washington e incluso Meghan Markle, todos quisieron estar presentes para el gran concierto.

Beyoncé también invitó al escenario a Kendrick Lamar para interpretar el remix de su colaboración, America Has a Problem.

Como ya informamos, Kylie Jenner y Timothée Chalamet también estuvieron presentes en el concierto, haciendo pública su relación y mostrándose muy cariñosos en la sección VIP.

A Delta passenger sprayed diarrhea everywhere aboard a midair flight, forcing the plane to turn around and go back to the airport to deal.

The holy s**t moment occurred Friday as the Delta flight was headed to Barcelona, Spain after taking off from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia.

While the jet was over Virginia, the passenger's gastrointestinal issues exploded out in the open ... giving everyone on board a front-row seat to the disgusting aftermath.

The flight captain radioed Air Traffic Control to report the incident and he seemed pretty calm under the circumstances.

You can hear him on the recording say, "It's just a biohazard issue, we had a passenger who had diarrhea all the way through the airplane so they want us to come back to Atlanta."

People on the flight were horrified and complained about it on social media.

One person wrote, "My partner was on that flight! It was pretty bad. It was dribbled down the aisle, smelled horrible."

Another said, "The vanilla scented disinfectant used on it only made it smell like vanilla s***."

A third called it "a mess," but praised the pilot for making the right decision to turn back around and land.

Delta issued a statement, "Our teams worked as quickly and safely as possible to thoroughly clean the airplane and get our customers to their final destination."

No word yet on the condition of the passenger.

50 Cent went all Cardi B during his concert in Los Angeles, throwing his broken microphone in frustration into the crowd ... hitting a fan smack dab on the head.

The rapper hit the stage at Crypto.com Arena Wednesday night as part of his "Final Lap" tour 2023 ... and, during the performance, he was handed several mics that didn't work, which was clearly triggering.

Check out the video ... Fitty struts out onstage with a mic in hand to join YG, who is belting out a song. Suddenly, Fitty turns to one side of the stage and hurls the mic, striking a woman in the head.

Sources who were present tell TMZ ... Fitty wasn't targeting the woman, but still, he beaned her good. A source connected to 50 says the woman wasn't supposed to be in the restricted area ... but unlike the mic, that argument doesn't fly.

Photos of the victim surfaced on Instagram, showing a gash in her forehead and bloody towels wrapped around her neck.

We've reached out to Fitty's camp ... so far, no word back.

You may recall ... Cardi B was involved in a similar incident in which she angrily tossed her mic at a fan, who threw a drink at her during a Las Vegas show. The mic ricocheted off something and hit another person standing nearby. That person filed a police report, but Cardi was cleared.

Originally Published -- 6:18 AM PT