Jordan Belfort College Scammers Hunted Me Down ... I Said No Thanks
Jordan Belfort could have been linked to Lori Loughlin, Felicity Huffman and the other parents caught up in the college bribery scandal ... but he didn't take the bait.
The real-life "Wolf of Wall Street" was at LAX when we asked him about the admissions scandal involving schools like USC, Harvard, Yale, UCLA and Georgetown, and turns out ... he has a wild personal story about it.
Belfort tells us his son was applying to Georgetown and somehow, a shady character got his number and tried to rope him in ... but he and his son declined. He says the scheme went far beyond the old "wink wink" days of buying your kid's way into college with a donation too.
As for who was behind the recruitment process, Jordan speculates it could have been one of Rick Singer's "finders" ... but he's not certain.
As for Singer -- the ringleader of the scandal -- Belfort has some predictions on the legal ramifications of his crooked scheme ... and it goes beyond jail time.
As we reported ... Huffman, Loughlin and her husband are facing criminal charges for their involvement. Seems the 'Wolf' thinks they should be cut a little slack though.
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Kim and Kanye Buy Some Special Edition Yeezys ... Support A Good Cause
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian got ya covered if you're thirsty for lemonade and unreleased Yeezys ... and it's all to raise money for a great cause.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Kanye, Kim and Adidas partnered with families across the country Friday to create homemade lemonade stands hawking fresh drinks, and even fresher kicks ... and all the proceeds are being donated to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
The pop-ups are operating right now ... and if you run across one, you can cop an unreleased pair of the Yeezy Boost 700 V2 "Geode" for $300. The lemonade stands are up and running in Indianapolis, Texas, Ohio, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa and South Dakota.
Kim and Kanye are also busy building their own stand, which they'll set up in their community.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
If you're unable to make it to one of the custom stands ... you can still donate here.
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Tim Tebow I Have a 'Million Dollar' Show But My Greatest Joy is ...
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Tim Tebow has it all -- pro baseball career, 2 TV gigs AND an upcoming marriage -- but tells us what fulfills him the most has nothing to do with sports or being in front of a camera.
We had Tim on Friday's "TMZ Live" to talk about "Million Dollar Mile" ... his new competition show on CBS. He was just walking off the field from a spring training game with his NY Mets squad -- which got us wondering about which of his many, many jobs he finds more satisfying.
His answer was pure Tebow. You gotta see what he said about his Foundation and the work he's doing to change lives. Even if you weren't a fan from his NFL and U. of Florida days -- ya gotta admire him when ya see this.
Don't get it twisted, though, Tim's ALL IN for "Million Dollar Mile" too. The show, which premieres next week, is executive produced by none other than LeBron James -- and Tebow's not only the host ... sounds like he's head cheerleader. He explained why he needed some extra care during taping.
Gotta hand it to the guy -- he's juggling a lot professionally, and don't forget ... he also has to find time to plan a wedding with fiancée Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters.
That last one's a REALLY good problem to have.
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Cory Booker on Rosario Dawson My Boo's First Lady Material ... And Then Some!!!
Cory Booker says the future is very, VERY bright for him and Rosario Dawson ... and it'll be downright blinding if she joins him in The White House.
We got the Jersey Senator and presidential hopeful leaving NBC in NYC Friday, and when we ask him if his girlfriend will join him at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave in D.C. if he's elected Prez -- even if they're unmarried -- Cory goes into all-out dote mode.
It's hard to keep up with all the adjectives Booker drops to lovingly describe Dawson, but the bottom line -- he believes she'd be an amazing First Lady ... and the first of her kind.
We broke the story ... Rosario confirmed last week she and Cory are dating and in love, gushing about her man just as much as he does her. She didn't say much about becoming First Lady, but clearly ... the Senator can talk enough for the both of them about that.
BTW -- Booker and our camera guy apparently go way back ... and he's got his vote already.
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Robert Durst Sued You Killed Your Wife to Cover Up Wrongdoing ... Wrongful Death Suit Filed
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1:19 PM PT -- Durst's attorney, Dick DeGuerin, tells TMZ, "All you have to do is file a lawsuit -- but you have to prove it. And that's where they are going to have their problem."
He also stands firm, "Bob Durst did not have anything to do with Kathy Durst's disappearance and he did not kill Susan Berman and he doesn't know who did."
Robert Durst has just been sued for wrongful death in connection with the murder of his wife.
The Estate of Kathleen Durst is suing Robert, who is currently on trial for the murder of his good friend, Susan Berman, claiming he murdered Kathleen January 31, 1982. According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, the Estate believes based on Durst's alleged M.O. ... after shooting her in the back of the head, he cut her body into little pieces and disposed of the remains ... which have never been found.
The Estate believes the primary motive was his then-lover, "Dear Prudence" Farrow, gave him an ultimatum ... if he didn't divorce Kathleen she would end their affair. The Estate says Kathleen was threatening a divorce and a cut of their fortune. There was also worry she would expose illegal business practices of the Durst companies.
Durst is currently locked up in downtown L.A. where he is awaiting trial in the Berman case.
Durst arguably confessed to both murders on an open mic during filming of the HBO documentary, "The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst." You hear him muttering, "You're caught ... What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course."
Originally published -- 11:14 AM PT
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Vinny & Pauly D Ripped & Ready to Rumble On The Beach in Mexico
"Jersey Shore" stars Pauly D and Vinny Guadagnino just got some serious G & T in on the beach ... soaking up the sun and looking ripped in the process.
The two reality star BFFs are in Cancun, Mexico working on their tans for their upcoming dating show. Pauly and Vinny first took a stroll through the sand before tearing up some serious waves on a jet ski ... all while showing off their tatted torsos.
As for their new show -- it's called "Double Shot at Love with DJ Pauly D & Vinny" -- and it recently got the green light from MTV. The show will feature 20 women looking to find love with the reality show bachelors.
Both men have been super busy lately -- having booked shows around the world -- and Vinny continues to be a major part of the 'Jersey Shore' franchise.
Their trip to Mexico was a little bit of business mixed in with the bro time and surf -- they are shooting MTV's "Spring Break" which will air next week. Whatever the reason, each guy certainly looks ready to play the field, sandy or otherwise.
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Kylie Jenner So Over It with Jordyn Woods
Kylie Jenner and Jordyn Woods still aren't talking much, and at this point ... Kylie's given up on making up and is moving on.
Sources close to the former best friends tell TMZ ... the two haven't made any real progress in mending their fractured relationship over the past few weeks, and have been mostly incommunicado since Jordyn's appearance on "Red Table Talk."
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We're told Woods' interview with Jada Pinkett Smith -- in which she denied actually cheating with Tristan Thompson -- had the opposite effect of winning Kylie back. Instead, Kylie was more steadfast than ever that Jordyn wronged Khloe ... and their friendship would never be the same.
Our sources say Jordyn's stuff is still at Kylie's guest house ... but Kylie's certainly not going to stop her from coming to pick it up soon so they can officially go their separate ways.
Kylie's still open to being amicable with Jordyn in the future, we're told ... but their bestie days are a thing of the past.
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'L&HH' Star Erica Mena Ex-BF Killed in ATL Club Shooting ... Erica Speaks Out
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3:11 PM PT -- Erica is continuing to post about his death, saying, "Please love me while I'm still here. Nothing is promised. Appreciate life."
1:23 PM PT -- Erica just posted a message about Dixon's murder, saying, "We all deal with so much. You dealt with a lot. I'm so sorry this happened, you didn't deserve this. Rest in forever peace. Watch over your blood sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews and your mommy. I know they are so broken right now."
9:04 AM PT -- Cops now say Dixon had just arrived at the location and was standing in the parking lot when he was shot multiple times. Cops still haven't said where Dixon was hit. The death is being investigated as a homicide.
Cliff Dixon, ex-boyfriend of 'Love & Hip Hop' star Erica Mena, is dead after getting shot in Atlanta ... while out celebrating his birthday.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Cliff, a close friend of NBA superstar Kevin Durant, was partying at SL Lounge when an apparent lone gunman opened fire in front of the club around 1 AM Thursday. Cops are investigating but it's unclear if Dixon was targeted.
He was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
According to an incident report, obtained by TMZ, an officer says he was in his patrol unit outside the club when he saw a black male wearing all black with a black skull cap fire at the victim.
The cop says he saw the suspect take off as others gave chase but lost him. It's unclear how many times Dixon -- who earlier Wednesday posted video of himself singing in his car -- was shot.
Dixon's friends have taken to social media to offer condolences. One wrote, "Rest in heavenly peace bro. U ain't deserve what happen to u."
Erica and Cliff dated for about 10 months, but their relationship was undoubtedly rocky. You'll recall they both got arrested last October after getting into a huge fight. Erica ultimately moved on ... getting engaged to Safaree a few months later.
Cliff had been childhood friends with KD and was reportedly part of the hoops star's inner circle.
He was 32. RIP.
Originally Published -- 7:49 AM PT
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Hilary Duff & BF Matthew Koma Face Off with Intruder ... Police on the Hunt
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Hilary Duff's home once again attracted an unwanted visitor ... but luckily she and her BF were home to scare his ass away.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Hilary and her baby daddy -- music producer Matthew Koma -- were home Tuesday night in the kitchen of her Beverly Hills home when, at around 8:30, they noticed a man lurking around their backyard.
It's unclear exactly how but we're told Hilary and Matthew managed to scare away the intruder before calling police. Cops showed up and, while doing a perimeter search, they noticed a window screen had been removed, though the intruder never actually made it inside the house.
Our sources say cops dispatched extra patrols around the area but cops continue to investigate since the man's still on the loose. Unsettling for sure, especially after what happened to Hilary back in 2017.
As we first reported ... someone broke into the same pad and the thief or thieves made off with bling worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Goes without saying ... Hilary and Matthew are more worried about an even more precious treasure in the home ... their 4-month old daughter.
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Elizabeth Holmes Family Insists Deep Voice Isn't Fake
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Elizabeth Holmes is being outed as a fraud of epic proportions in the business world, but there's nothing deceitful about her curiously low voice ... so says her family.
Elizabeth, the disgraced Silicon Valley hotshot, is the subject of a new HBO documentary chronicling the meteoric rise and spectacular fall of her company, Theranos ... all the result of Elizabeth falsely claiming she discovered a way to revolutionize blood testing.
Elizabeth wowed world titans like Bill Clinton, George Schultz and Henry Kissinger, partly with her intoxicating pipes. But, a Stanford professor featured on the doc and others say even Elizabeth's voice was BS ... they say she faked it. Viewers of the doc made "voice" the buzzword for fraud.
Her family, however, is calling BS on the doubters.
Elizabeth's family members tell us her voice is naturally low. We're told most people in the fam have low voices, including her grandmother, and Elizabeth will occasionally change her pitch to a higher octave -- especially when she gets excited or passionate.
As for Elizabeth's fraudulent business practice ... her family tells us they're standing behind her and remaining supportive.
Her company went from being valued at more than $9 billion to below zero. She's also been indicted for allegedly defrauding investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars and deceiving hundreds of patients and doctors with the bogus blood test. She's pled not guilty.
By the way, there's a new movie about Elizabeth called "Bad Blood." She's being played by Jennifer Lawrence ... and that's on the nose.
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'Orange Is the New Black' Star Adrien Broner's An A**hole ... Condemns 'Hate Speech'
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Adrien Broner is a homophobic "a**hole" -- and should be charged with a crime for threatening to shoot gay people ... this according to "Orange Is the New Black" star Lea DeLaria.
Lea -- who famously plays Big Boo on the show -- was leaving the Rolling Stone: Women Shaping the World event in NYC ... when we asked for her reaction to Broner's vile video.
And, since Lea is openly gay ... the issue of violent homophobia seemed deeply personal.
"How do I feel about someone using those kind of slurs? I have a bigger issue with anybody who's threatening gay people with violence simply for being themselves."
"F*ck all the slurs. I'll use any f*cking slur I want. What I'm talking about is that a**hole is talking about hurting gay people."
Of course, Broner made the hate-filled video during a spat with Andrew Caldwell -- a viral video star who claims the boxer had made passes at him.
During his rant (which he posted to social media) Broner said ... "If any f*g, punk-ass n**ga come run up on me, trying to touch me on all that gay sh*t, I'm letting you know right now if I ain't got my gun on me, I'm knocking you the f*ck out."
Lea says Broner's language should be considered "hate speech and should be a crime."
"Freedom of speech comes with responsibility," Lea added ... "You should not be allowed to incite people to violence against other people."
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Danielle Bregoli Happy 16th Bday, Kid ... Here's Your First Rolex!!!
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Danielle Bregoli just hit a milestone of wealth and success at a very young age -- she's now the proud owner of a Rolex watch ... the perfect way to ring in her 16th birthday.
Sources tell us Bhad Bhabie received her first Rolex ever Tuesday in NYC as an early birthday gift to celebrate her sweet 16, courtesy of her managers, Adam Kluger and Dan Roof. We're told Danielle has always wanted a Rolex but hasn't gotten around to snagging one.
The diamond-encrusted watch is a beaut, and it's custom too.
Our sources say this is a Mother of Pearl Rolex, and it comes fully loaded with 15.38 carats of VS diamonds around the band, and 1.5 carats of VS diamonds on the Roman numerals lining the face dial. All in all ... we're talking about a $42,000 value.
We're told the watch was commissioned by Joel the Jeweler in L.A.
We got Danielle out in NYC Tuesday and she was already sporting her new gift ... but she says there's still one more present that'll make her bday perfect.
Danielle certainly deserves it -- she's been riding a wave of success so high for so long now that it's somewhat surprising she hadn't copped one of these before. From smash hit songs to her own reality show on Snapchat, she's come a long way from her "Dr. Phil" days.
Happy birthday, kid.
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Conor McGregor Nate Diaz Trilogy Fight Will Happen ... 'I Owe It To Him'
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Conor McGregor says he OWES Nate Diaz a third fight -- purely out of respect -- and states definitively, "The trilogy will happen."
McGregor was standing on the bar at Binny's Beverage Depot in Chicago when he told a bunch of his fans why the rubber match NEEDS to happen. TMZ Sports has the video.
"He fought me, he beat me. He gave me a rematch at the exact same weight, there was no hesitation, that's a true fighter right there," McGregor said.
"I have nothing but respect ... I owe him the trilogy now and the trilogy will happen."
Of course, Conor first fought Diaz at UFC 196 in March 2016 -- where was choked out and submitted in a legendary, bloody brawl with the fighter from Stockton.
Diaz agreed to a rematch at UFC 202 in August 2016 -- where Conor emerged victorious in a 5-round major decision.
There's been talk of a third fight for years -- but Conor has been chasing bigger money fights with guys like Floyd Mayweather and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Conor still has a TON of options -- he's only 30 years old and wants rematches with Floyd and Khabib ... but it seems a trilogy with Nate is high on his priority list.
The UFC has gotta be excited about it too ... considering McGregor vs. Diaz I is the 3rd most bought pay-per-view fight in UFC history ... and McGregor vs. Diaz II is the 2nd biggest.
The #1 PPV of all time? McGregor vs. Khabib.
Conor recently talked about how he NEEDS to get the Khabib rematch too ... and famously posted a post-fight breakdown pointing out what he did wrong -- but many people think he needs to get a win under his belt before he steps back in the Octagon with The Eagle.
The other issue with Conor ... he says he wants OWNERSHIP shares of the UFC before he takes another fight.
What will the UFC do? It's a great question ...
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'Y&R' Star Kristoff St. John Died from Heart Disease ... Triggered by Alcohol Abuse
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11:48 AM PT -- According to the autopsy report -- obtained by TMZ -- St. John was discharged from a mental health facility just 2 days before his death. The report says he was admitted after threatening to hurt himself.
Kristoff St. John died from heart disease and alcohol abuse ... according to a report from the L.A. coroner's office.
The 'Young and the Restless' star's official cause of death is listed as hypertrophic heart disease and is categorized as accidental, according to the report obtained by TMZ. The disease makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood and often goes undiagnosed.
As for the "accidental" label -- that's because Kristoff was apparently on an alcohol binge at the time of his death.
We broke the story ... 52-year-old Kristoff was found dead last month at his home in the San Fernando Valley. Law enforcement sources say one of the actor's friends went to check on him and found his body. Police and paramedics responded, and we're told Kristoff was pronounced dead on the scene.
As we reported ... a source close to Kristoff tells us the actor checked himself into UCLA Medical Center in January for depression issues, and he had just been released a few days before his death. We're told Kristoff's depression was partially linked to his son, Julian's suicide in 2014. It also seems to be the likely trigger for Kristoff's heavy drinking at the time of his death.
As you know, around the 3-year anniversary of Julian's suicide in 2017, Kristoff allegedly threatened to take his own life with a gun ... and cops placed him under a 72-hour hold for psychiatric evaluation.
Kristoff had played Neil Winters on 'Y&R' since 1991 -- earning 9 Daytime Emmy Award nominations for the role. He also won 10 NAACP Image Awards.
Originally Published -- 9:38 AM PT
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'Bachelor' Alum Lauren B. Flaunts Ripped Bod ... Maui Vacay with BF Chris Lane!!!
'Bachelor' alum Lauren Bushnell and her country star BF are putting their bods on display and, perhaps, sending a message to their fans: skip Taco Tuesday, get your ass ready for summer!
Lauren B. and Chris Lane are soaking up some rays while on vacay in Maui. They played a little corn hole and looked every bit the perfectly fit couple. She wore the hell out of a navy blue bikini ... and laughed it up with the "Take Back Home Girl" singer, who kept it cool with board shorts, shades and a cap.
BTW ... Chris most definitely looks familiar to 'Bachelor' fans. He performed his hit song, "For Her," on Nick Viall's season.
Lauren, of course, was the winner on Ben Higgins' season but they split back in May 2017. A little over a year later, she started dating Chris, whose previous GF was Lauren Barr ... another 'Bachelor' hopeful from Ben's season. Yeah, Chris has a type.
He and Lauren started dating last November and it looks like they're still going strong.
Just like their bods.
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'Ray Donovan' Star Pooch Hall Plea Deal in DUI, Child Abuse Case
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"Ray Donovan" star Marion "Pooch" Hall will not do any jail time for his alarming DUI ... which ended with him wrecking his car while his baby was in the back seat.
Hall struck a deal with prosecutors -- he entered a no contest plea to misdemeanor DUI and to child endangerment. For the DUI his sentence is 3 years probation and a 3-month alcohol program.
TMZ broke the story ... Hall was charged with felony child abuse and DUI back in October after a witness saw him driving with his toddler in his lap and holding the steering wheel. He blew a .25 ... more than 3 times the legal limit.
He eventually swerved off and smashed into a parked car. One eyewitness said he saw the child crying in the front seat and saw the car seat laying among the junk in the backseat. The car seat was not installed.
Still, he won't do any time for the child endangerment. The deal calls for Hall to complete a one-year parenting class, and if he does ... the charge will be dismissed.
This didn't appear to be an isolated incident.
Pooch put his kids in danger when he recorded himself while behind the wheel ... showing one of his sons on video standing in the back seat and clearly not wearing a seatbelt.