TMZ Verified Podcast

Drake Bell is coming to the defense of child actors' parents whose kids might've been mistreated at Nickelodeon ... saying they too were just as exposed and naïve.

During a panel this week after a screening of 'Quiet on Set' ... DB spoke up on behalf of all the moms and dads who've been getting dragged through the coals in the aftermath of the docuseries ... with many saying they did a poor job of protecting their kids.

He says a lot of the parents who were in the mix back then were just as inexperienced as their children when it came to showbiz -- and were learning as they went too.

Drake Bell está defendiendo a los padres de los niños que podrían haber sido sufrido maltratos en Nickelodeon, diciendo que ellos estaban tan expuestos y desprevenidos.

Durante un panel de esta semana, realizado luego de la proyección de "Quiet on Set", Drake Bell habló en nombre de todas las madres y padres que han sido criticados a raíz de la docuserie por hacer un mal trabajo en proteger a sus hijos.

Él dice que muchos de los padres que estaban en el set eran tan inexpertos como sus hijos en lo que respecta al mundo del espectáculo y estaban aprendiendo sobre la marcha.

Ashley McGuire's the woman who went viral by asking Internet sleuths to locate her missing husband -- and now that she's found him, she's ending their marriage ... TMZ has learned.

Ashley tells TMZ ... she received a text from her estranged husband Charles after her Facebook plea blew up online. She says Charles, who also goes by Charlie, said he is willing to sit down and talk, after allegedly walking out on her and their kids last year.

Ashley has since taken down her viral Facebook post, explaining she no longer needs it up since she has Charles' new address -- courtesy of an online follower who tracked it down for her.

Ashley McGuire se hizo viral por pedirle a los apasionados usuarios de Internet que la ayudaran a localizar a su marido desaparecido y ahora que lo ha encontrado está poniendo fin a su matrimonio, según ha averiguado TMZ.

Ashley le dice a TMZ que recibió un mensaje de texto de su marido Charles después de que su petición de Facebook explotara en línea. Ella dice que Charles, que también va por Charlie, dijo que está dispuesto a sentarse y conversar, después de que supuestamente la dejara el año pasado, al igual que a sus hijos.

Ashley ha retirado su post de Facebook desde entonces, explicando que ya no lo necesita, ya que tiene la nueva dirección de Charles gracias a un seguidor que lo rastreó por ella.

A feisty raccoon crashed into a Pennsylvania theme park last week and caused utter chaos by attacking innocent bystanders -- and TMZ's got video of the whole thing.

The wild critter was looking pretty damn fierce Friday at Hersheypark -- opening day for the year, BTW -- where it terrorized a group of waiting riders who were in line for the SooperDooperLooper coaster  ... even biting a young girl and running off with her shoe!

Check out the clip ... it's pure pandemonium, and yes -- damn scary. Panicked screams are heard amid the frenzy as terrified onlookers scramble to get the hell away from this beast.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard's post-prison fairytale with her husband came to an end last week -- and now ... we know exactly what led up to the split.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ...  Gypsy has been telling family and friends that her estranged hubby, Ryan Anderson, had become super argumentative post-prison release and was constantly making her feel like she couldn't do anything right.

We're told one of the major sticking points in Gypsy and Ryan's relationship was his apparent jealousy over her spending time with her dad -- that's what our sources say Gypsy has been telling people anyway.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard isn't hooking up with her ex-fiancé, Ken Urker, despite getting matching tattoos with him -- but he does have her best interest at heart -- much more so than her husband ... so says Ken's mom anyway.

Raina Williams tells TMZ that Ken recently flew from his home in Texas to go hang out with Gypsy in Louisiana amid her ongoing separation from Ryan Anderson -- and the reason, we're told, is because he wanted to be there for support ... and serve as a rock for GRB.

Ken's mother says he told her he'd always be there for her, and even though they're not together anymore ... we're told Ken felt compelled to be with Gypsy during this hard time.

1:09 PM PT -- TMZ has tracked down Gypsy Rose Blanchard's private Facebook account, and she lists herself as being "separated" on her relationship status.

10:26 AM PT -- It sounds like whatever marital issues Gypsy may or may not be going through right now will be aired out on another TV venture ... and it's with the same network she already teamed up with.

A rep for Lifetime tells TMZ ... "Gypsy Rose Blanchard has openly shared her life with Lifetime and our cameras from the moment she was paroled.  Her story, including her relationship with Ryan, will continue to unfold on Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up, debuting this June on Lifetime."

Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Ryan Scott Anderson are reportedly dunzo.

Tana Mongeau is having a good laugh at the expense of fellow internet star JoJo Siwa  ... who's now trying to be "bad" after years of being cute, cuddly and kid-friendly.

Tana posted a video over the weekend mocking JoJo's new song "Karma" -- in which she's reciting some of the lyrics ... and then posing a question on whether JS is actually a "bad girl" now as she proclaims.

There's another video Tana posted that continued to poke fun at JoJo's song ... you can clearly tell TM's not taking JoJo seriously, and she thinks she's jumping the shark here.

While Drake Bell was living through a nightmare at Nickelodeon -- another fellow child star from a competing network says the Mouse House protected him during his own run.

Hutch Dano -- an actor who appeared in "The Suite Life on Deck" and "Zeke and Luther" in his youth -- sat down for an interview with TMZ Verified this week ... and he told us he never experienced any abuse while working for Disney, unlike Drake at Nick.

Dano says his heart goes out to the victims of abuse -- including Drake -- but he himself was never one of them ... something he says he'd absolutely admit if there was any truth to it.

HD described what his experience was like on set as a kid -- telling us he only worked with some of the best professionals in the biz on every project, adding he felt Disney did a good job keeping its actors safe. It's not a dig ... Dano's just recounting his own experience.

HD says he considers himself lucky -- as others in his position were obviously subjugated to terrible things ... and big picture, he says he's happy this issue is being brought to the light.

As we reported Drake is set to recount what happened between him and his one-time dialogue coach Brian Peck ... who was convicted of molesting Drake in the early 2000s. The full interview sharing Drake's story will air in full later this weekend ... and it's apparently brutal.

As you may know, Peck pled no contest to performing a lewd act with a 14 or 15-year-old and to oral copulation with a 16-year-old back in 2004 -- and Drake reveals the guy even had a lot of stars step up to bat for him and his character, both in person and in letters.

La estrella de TikTok Leah Smith ha muerto después de luchar contra el cáncer de hueso en etapa 4 y los fans que han seguido su viaje a través de sus redes están devastados.

Su novio Andrew anunció la triste noticia el lunes con una actualización a sus más de 500.000 seguidores en la que reveló que la creadora de contenido falleció esta mañana.

En el video, que ya ha acumulado millones de visitas, Andrew agradeció a los fans por todo su amor y apoyo durante toda la lucha de Leah contra el cáncer, la que ella documentó ampliamente. Otros TikTokers como Katylee Bailey, Issey Moloney, Miah Carter y Ami Charlize han expresado sus condolencias a los seres queridos de Leah.

A principios de 2024, Leah, que a menudo documentaba su viaje contra el cáncer, compartió que estaba pasando por un momento difícil en medio de su batalla de salud, ya que la enfermedad la había vuelto a dejar postrada en cama. En febrero, la estrella de las redes sociales volvió a ser ingresada al hospital debido al dolor extremo.

En ese momento compartió: "Ni siquiera puedo moverme para ir al baño".

Poco después de esta actualización, Leah confirmó que su cáncer se había extendido y que nuevos tumores habían crecido.

En la medida que su salud seguía empeorando, Leah insinuó que estaba llegando al final de su viaje, detallando el aplastante dolor que estaba experimentando desde que sus medicamentos habían dejado de funcionar.

El hermano de Leah, Liam, y su amiga Vikki se habían hecho cargo de las publicaciones de la estrella en las últimas semanas. De hecho, hace solo 3 días, la última actualización decía que Leah estaba "todavía aquí y luchando".

Desde entonces, Vikki ha confirmado que la página de Leah no será desactivada, sino que permanecerá en TikTok para preservar el legado de la estrella. Solo tenía 22 años.

Que en paz descanse.

TikTok star Leah Smith has died after battling stage 4 bone cancer ... and her fans who've followed her journey on the app are devastated.

The content creator's boyfriend, Andrew, announced the sad news Monday -- posting an update to Leah's 500,000-plus followers ... revealing she passed away earlier that morning.

In his video -- which has already amassed millions of views -- Andrew thanked her fans for all their love and support throughout Leah's tough fight with cancer ... which she documented extensively. Fellow TikTokers Katylee Bailey, Issey Moloney, Miah Carter and Ami Charlize have all expressed their condolences to Leah's loved ones.

At the start of 2024, Leah, who often documented her cancer journey, shared that she was struggling amid her health battle ... as her sickness had left her bedridden. By February, the social media star had reentered the hospital due to extreme pain.

She shared at the time ... "I can’t even move to go to the toilet."

Shortly after this update, Leah confirmed that her cancer had spread and that new tumors had grown.

As her health continued to worsen, Leah hinted that she was reaching the end of her journey ... detailing the crushing pain she was experiencing since her meds had stopped working.

Leah's brother Liam and friend Vikki took over posting for the star in recent weeks. In fact, just 3 days ago, the latest update read that Leah was "still here and fighting."

Vikki has since confirmed that Leah's page will not be deactivated ... but will remain on TikTok to preserve the star's legacy. She was only 22.

RIP

Charlamagne Tha God quiere que Nardo Wick contrate guardias de seguridad confiables en lugar de la pandilla con la que está acostumbrado. Esto, después de que su equipo protagonizara un brutal ataque a un fan.

El jefe de 'Breakfast Club' conversó con TMZ Hip Hop esta semana en la cumbre de la United Justice Coalition Summit, donde destacó las muchas razones por las que Nardo debería viajar con un equipo de fiar de ahora en adelante.

TMZ publicó la historia, el rapero de "Who Want Smoke" se situó en el centro de la controversia después de que dos miembros de su séquito se rebelaran y golpearan brutalmente a un fan que buscaba sacarse una selfie. El chico quedó inconsciente después del show en Florida y su familia ha pedido un abogado.

Charlemagne nos dice que el trabajo de seguridad no consiste en golpear a la gente, sino en tomar decisiones sabias en momentos de peligro y amenaza, y esto solo se puede hacer con una adecuada formación que la tripulación de Nardo claramente carece.

CTG continuó haciendo hincapié en que los artistas necesitan auditar a sus séquitos para asegurarse de que todos cumplan un rol real y un propósito en lugar de ser propensos a causar problemas o demandas, que de seguro es lo que se viene para Nardo.

Cuando le preguntamos por el tema el año pasado, DJ Envy de "Breakfast Club" también abogó porque los artistas cuenten con equipos de seguridad de primera categoría, sobre todo cuando se trata de proteger objetos de valor o incluso la vida.

Nardo parece estar abierto a todos los consejos. Se disculpó varias veces con la víctima y su familia. Solo el tiempo dirá si esto será suficiente para mantener las denuncias fuera de los tribunales.

Charlamagne Tha God wants to see Nardo Wick hire legit security guards instead of the homegrown posse he's used to ... this after his crew unleashed a beating on a fan.

The 'Breakfast Club' chief chopped it up with TMZ Hip Hop at the United Justice Coalition Summit this week where he highlighted the many reasons why Nardo needs to travel with a legit team from here on out.

TMZ broke the story, the "Who Want Smoke" rapper became the center of controversy after two members of his entourage went rogue and brutally knocked a selfie-seeking fan unconscious following a show in Florida. The victim's family has since lawyered up.

Charlemagne tells us security's job isn't to beat people up -- it's to make wise, on-the-spot decisions in times of danger and threats and can only do so with the proper training -- which Nardo's crew clearly lacks.

CTG goes on to stress how artists need to audit their entourages to ensure everyone has an actual role and purpose as opposed to being prone to causing trouble ... or lawsuits, which he's sure will be coming Nardo's way.

'Breakfast Club's DJ Envy also advocated for top-notch security artists when we quizzed him on the topic last year, especially when it comes to protecting valuables such as jewelry ... or even your life.

Nardo appears to be open to all advice that could pull him out the hole. He apologized several times to the victim and his family. Only time will tell if it'll be enough to keep the complaints outta court.

Olivia the Corgi -- known as 1/2 of the famous doggy duo "Hammy & Olivia" -- has died ... this according to her owner, Chris, who broke down in tears telling fans about her recent health emergency.

Chris got extremely emotional in Wednesday's video, telling people Olivia passed peacefully after an emergency -- saying she was unable to empty her kidneys and he and his partner, Sarah, made the tough call to put her down ... adding, "We just didn't want her to suffer."

He rightfully says the family is "crushed" by the sudden death ... adding she was his best friend, and is urging his fellow pet owners to love their furry friends a bit extra today.

Olivia and Hammy rose to viral fame in 2020, gaining traction for their hilarious videos together -- getting decked out and hilarious costumes and even barking in a handful of comedic sketches, too.

Their stardom didn't end online, however ... because the pups -- along with Chris and Sarah, of course -- made it onto shows like "Access Hollywood" and several L.A. local news programs to talk about their recent dog food cookbook, "Barkcuterie."

Olivia was only 8 years old.

RIP