Elon Musk May Have to Risk $25B Being Taxed ... After Bizarre Twitter Poll

Elon Musk is about to lose a big chunk of his fortune, assuming he follows through on what he said he'd do ... namely, sell off a ton of stock based on nothing but public consensus.

The Tesla chief entertained a wild concept over the weekend ... the notion that he'd literally unload a crap ton of his company shares -- 10% of it, no less -- if Twitter users deemed it necessary for him to do so ... and then posting a 24-hour poll to that end.

He wrote, "Much is made lately of unrealized gains being a means of tax avoidance, so I propose selling 10% of my Tesla stock. Do you support this?" EM added ... "I will abide by the results of this poll, whichever way it goes."

Welp, the people have spoken ... and as it turns out, they're down for Elon to lower his net worth some -- with nearly 58% of the 3.5 million who voted deciding yes ... he oughta do it.

Elon doesn't appear to have responded to the results just yet ... but if he does, in fact, stay true to his word -- he stands to have at least $25 billion taxed, as that's how much 10% of his portfolio would be as it relates to Tesla stock. Word is ... he's got around 193 million shares, which makes up about $250 billion of his estimated $318 billion total wealth.

The funny part ... even if he unloaded 10% just like that -- and had a significant amount taxed -- he'd still be richer than Jeff Bezos, whose net worth is idling at around $200 bil. So, $25B is almost like chump change to Mr. Musk!

TAXES FIRST
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Part of the reason Elon appears to have even considered doing this -- assuming he's serious, that is -- is because there's a lot of chatter, especially on Capitol Hill, about enforcing a wealth tax on the uber-rich ... which would tax their sitting wealth as opposed to their income.  Elon notes in explicit terms ... he does not receive a salary or bonuses of any kind.

He says, "Note, I do not take a cash salary or bonus from anywhere. I only have stock, thus the only way for me to pay taxes personally is to sell stock."

Alec Baldwin Didn't Know Gun Was 'Hot' ... Retweets Shooting Story

Alec Baldwin is seemingly declaring his innocence in the accident that killed Halyna Hutchins by pointing out he was told it was a "cold" gun ... when it was actually loaded with a live round.

Baldwin retweeted an article Wednesday night about the most recent search warrant filed in the death investigation. The NYT story -- headlined, "Gun Handed to Alec Baldwin Was Not Thoroughly Checked" -- focused on the documents TMZ first told you about, which highlight several safety failures.

In the affidavit filed Wednesday, Assistant Director Dave Halls admitted to cops he had not thoroughly checked the weapon for live rounds before handing it to Baldwin.

While Alec hasn't said anything publicly since his first tweet the day after Hutchins was killed, his actions on social media speak volumes, retweeting multiple articles saying he was told the weapon was safe.

Head armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, told authorities prior to the scene, and during the movie's lunch break, the gun was locked in a safe and very few people had access to it.

The question that remains ... how did live ammo not only get on set, but into the gun's chamber? We spoke with several people from the set who told us outside of filming, the gun was sometimes used for recreational use and target practice.

GATHERING EVIDENCE

Both the Santa Fe Co. Sheriff's Office and District Attorney held a press conference Wednesday where they said charges are technically still on the table for everyone involved.

They also said they'll be looking into the history of Halls and Gutierrez-Reed in determining if any negligence took place.

Tyrann Mathieu I Didn't Tell Fans To 'Sit On A D***' ... After Chiefs Loss

Tyrann Mathieu says he did not tell Titans fans to "sit on a d***" after the Chiefs' loss Sunday ... calling the reports a straight-up "lie."

The Honey Badger allegedly unleashed the crass insult following K.C.'s 27-3 defeat at Nissan Stadium in Nashville ... with a local reporter tweeting he heard it loud and clear on the sidelines.

"I and another photographer heard him say those words as he turned around to some fans," K.C. sports anchor Harold R. Kuntz said.

Mathieu, though, was quick to deny the allegation ... writing on his own social media page (and then later deleting), "This is a lie!"

"I can’t believe this dude lied on me," Mathieu added in another tweet.

Kuntz said he talked with Chiefs staffers over it all ... and while he regretted tweeting about it and apologized to Mathieu over it -- he stood by his claims.

"I am standing by what I heard, but I should not have tweeted it, in hindsight," Kuntz said. "It was a frustrating game but should not have shared that info on social. For this, I apologize."

Mathieu recorded 6 tackles in the game ... but it wasn't close to enough to help K.C. lock down a win -- and the Chiefs are now just 3-4 in the season despite heading into the year with Super Bowl hopes.

Harry Styles Reportedly Cast as Thanos' Brother ... In Marvel's 'Eternals'

Harry Styles is sharing his watermelon sugar high with the cast of the new "Eternals" movie ... because he's taking on the role of Thanos' brother.

The singer is getting back to acting in a big way -- getting on camera for Marvel, no less, in Chloe Zhao's forthcoming superhero offering -- which just had its world premiere Monday in L.A. Variety's Matt Donnelly broke the news ... and no other outlet has confirmed, which seems to be for a reason. Word is, Variety gave up a huge spoiler here. 😅

Donnelly says Harry has joined the MCU as Thanos' sibling, Eros ... who's younger than the 'Avengers' big bad, and apparently is a mischievous womanizer of sorts in the comics.

Sounds like perfect casting, eh?!?

Strangely enough ... Harry did not appear to be in attendance for the red carpet event -- which makes sense. As you may or may not know, the guy's on tour right now ... and he was halfway across the country doing his show in Cleveland Monday night. Seeing how he isn't part of the main cast ... something tells us his intro might be a surprise at the end.

Now, we know what you might be thinking ... are they gonna have Harry boy in a ton of CGI like they did for Josh Brolin to turn him into Thanos. Not necessary, as it turns out!

Eros, who also doubles as "Starfox" when in hero mode, looks more or less like a human ... so they might not need a full-blown Hollywood transformation for him.

Jorja Smith Singing Ability Questioned Online Fans Come to Her Defense

An old Jorja Smith cover has reignited a fierce debate among music lovers -- namely, whether she can actually sing or not ... but the evidence will make you shake your head.

The English singer-songwriter did her own rendition of TLC's "No Scrubs" in 2018, which for some reason resurfaced on Twitter this weekend ... and got folks chattering (again) about her pipes, or alleged lack thereof.

It's been an ongoing thing with her ... but there's really no question in our minds -- especially when you consider the full breadth of work and live performances, not to mention her background.

First, the claim ... people are taking this specific cover, as well as others she's done over the years, and suggesting her throaty, raspy vocals are a sign that she can't really carry a tune. Some argue this style of singing is one employed by a lot of modern-day singers/pop stars ... and that it's become the standard for what industry types look for. It's a running joke.

The "smoky" turn is something some folks claim Jorja has done a lot of lately ... but many more were quick to surface a plethora of clips that prove definitively -- she's a master of her craft.

Somebody posted a snippet of her performing live with the WDR Funkhausorchester orchestra from last year, and wrote ... "y’all can sit the F*** down and realize that Jorja Smith is and always will be a good singer…"

Others posted even more clips of her singing live, pointing out the range she has ... and the falsettos she can hit with ease. Of course, when you factor in the fact that she's a classically trained vocalist -- having gotten her tutelage at Aldridge and raised and schooled by her dad, who's a singer/musician himself -- it blows all allegations of bad singing out of the water.

One thing she may want to think about ... perhaps switching up her approach, as that's another critique often leveled her against her. Specifically, that even though she obviously CAN sing ... Jorja tends to dabble in the same types of riffs, runs and registers -- at least in some listeners' eyes, to the point where a lot of her crooning sounds repetitive or rehashed.

But, on the issue of ability ... case closed. This woman has cords like an angel!

'Free Britney' Movement Brit Gives Thanks ... I'm Almost Free Because of You!!!

Britney Spears is addressing her #FreeBritney crusaders for the first time since her monumental court hearing ... letting them know she knows what they've done for her.

Britney just went on Twitter -- Instagram's been down, if ya haven't heard -- and thanked all of her fans and supporters for helping her take a huge step closer to getting out of her conservatorship.

She wrote ... "#Free Britney movement … I have no words … because of you guys and your constant resilience in freeing me from my conservatorship … my life is now in that direction !!!!!"

Brit added she cried last night for 2 hours thinking about how her fans are the best.

Interestingly ... she also let everyone know she just got back from a trip to French Polynesia, which is apparently how she celebrated last week's victory in court. Well, that and posting some nudes.

As we've reported ... members of the "Free Britney" movement have been pivotal in drawing attention to her case, rallying public support against her father, Jamie, and pushing to end her conservatorship.

Finally, after last Wednesday's hearing, things appear to be headed in that direction very soon ... as Jamie was suspended as conservator and steps have been activated to end Britney's conservatorship once and for all.

And, after that, the movement will move on to Amanda Bynes ... or so we're told.

Lizzo Draws Online Ire for Chris Brown Vid ... Calling Him 'Favorite Person'

Lizzo's pissed a bunch of people off again, but this time it's because of her connection to someone some people don't like much ... Chris Brown.

The "Truth Hurts" singer's taking heat for a video that circulated on social media over the weekend, in which she approaches CB backstage at a concert and fangirls out asking him for a photo.

Lizzo calls Brown "my favorite person in the whole f***ing world."

As you know ... Breezy's a controversial figure in the music biz with a problematic past, beginning in 2009 when he beat up his then-girlfriend, Rihanna.

Since then he's had numerous legal issues and alleged violent incidents, and as recently as 2019 he was arrested in Paris on rape and drug charges.

With all that in mind ... Lizzo fans aren't down with her getting giddy over a meeting with Breezy backstage during a stop on the Millennium Tour, and they let her know about it on Twitter ... with many saying she's better than this.

This wouldn't be the first time Lizzo's riled up folks online for one reason or another though. About a month ago she stirred the pot by dubbing Janet Jackson the "Queen of Pop," and before that she was unjustly the target of trolling ... which got so bad that Facebook started deleting hateful accounts.

We broke it all down on TMZ's new podcast.

Reacting to the footage, one Twitter user wrote: "lizzo, my baby, look at me. LOOK AT ME. this isn't you. i know the real you. listen, it's just me and you, okay? this isn't you. i know you better than that. please."

R. Kelly Alleged Net Worth Mocked ... -$2 Million?!?

R. Kelly is so deep in the red, a lot of people are claiming to be richer than him -- that is, if you believe a site's estimation of his net worth ... which has it pegged as a negative.

At some point this year, Celebrity Net Worth updated R. Kelly's page to list his overall value in assets as negative $2 million ... something the Internet appears to have just caught on to in the past few days or so, including one 42 Dugg -- who was howling over the news.

He posted a video showing himself cackling with his buddies, as they recorded different articles (all circling back to CNW) reporting on Kelly's latest alleged numbers.

Ditto for the rest of Twitter ... whose users are posting jokes about how they're technically wealthier than the one-time R&B icon -- who's in the middle of several criminal cases, as well as one that's about to wrap up, with jury deliberations having officially gotten underway.

As for how Celebrity Net Worth landed on the -$2 mil figure ... it seems they're simply citing a story we broke last year -- in which R. Kelly told a judge, via court docs, that he owed Uncle Sam nearly $2 million in back taxes ... which he cited as a reason why he wouldn't be a flight risk if released on bail. The court shot him down ... he's remained in custody since.

Now, whether or not R. Kelly actually has a negative net worth is pure speculation -- but one thing is for sure ... the guy does seem to be strapped for cash, and apparently has been for years now. He revealed as much himself in song back in 2018 ... calling himself "broke."

Of course, he's been struggling on the business side of things even before "Surviving R. Kelly" aired ... as different streaming platforms took down his music, and several venues refused to book him for concerts. And, with the addition of a cadre of attorneys who've been in and out for at least 2 years now ... you can only imagine the legal bills he's racked up.

Speaking of lawyers, we reached out to his current troop to see if they're handling this Brooklyn case pro bono, or if there's some payment that'll be due. No word back yet.

Shemar Moore Cameos as (Four) Framed Pictures .... In Woman's Viral Alize Post

Some folks can't get enough Shemar Moore -- even in 2021 -- and that goes for the younger generation too ... just ask this woman who's got the dude's shots hanging at her crib.

A gal named Aliyah Vallen has set the Internet ablaze after posting a photo of five Alize bottles sitting on a counter at her house -- of varying flavors -- and adding the caption, "THE ALIZE FREAK." As interesting as that title is ... it's not what people are noticing.

Check the background -- there are a couple framed photographs of Shemar in his prime hanging on the wall. Super caj too -- as if they were family portraits or something. So many questions and theories ... the biggest being, this has to be someone's auntie's place, because no one younger than 35 really knows the dude beyond 'Criminal Minds'/'SWAT' fame.

Well, that turned out to be false -- because Ms. Vallen appears to be a bona fide millennial (or even a Gen Z'er) ... who apparently REALLY appreciates Shemar's early work as a model. Also ... she revealed the truth about how many photos she has of him ... it's 4.

Her explanation for the Shemar shrine pretty much boils down to ... she just likes him, and she thinks the pics themselves are funny --- plus, they might make for some good conversation pieces as decor.

And, for those who are "concerned" about her decorative taste, Aliyah has a simple response ... "don't be. it's not your house." Well said -- how she chooses to style her pad is no one else's business but hers.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Now, it doesn't look like SM himself has taken notice of the viral name-drop yet -- he's a little busy down in Mexico, it seems ... plugging a new season of 'SWAT' while he's at it. But, something tells us if/when he catches wind of this, it'll make him feel pretty darn good.

Ladies and gents continue to be in awe of his killer good looks ... like fine wine, as they say.

Darryl Strawberry Missing Granddaughter Found Safe ... 'Forever Grateful'

UPDATE

6:48 PM PT -- Great news ... Darryl Strawberry's granddaughter has been found, and she's now safe, with her mom.

UPDATE
UPDATE

Diamond, Straw's daughter, thanked everyone for getting the word out and finding her daughter, writing ... "MyLisa was found safe!!!! Thank you everyone for helping me find my baby!!!! I couldn't have done it without you!!! I am forever grateful 💜💜💜😭"

Former MLB superstar Darryl Strawberry says his teenage granddaughter went missing Wednesday in Nevada ... and the 8x All-Star is pleading for help finding her, and prayers to keep her safe.

59-year-old Strawberry took to social media to get the word out, writing ... "This is our granddaughter MyLisa who is missing right now! Please Please Pray for us as we desperately need your prayers! Thank You!"

MyLisa -- who was born in 2007 according to an online bio -- was last seen on September 22 around 7:15 AM. She was wearing all black at the time ... with a pair of white Jordans.

MyLisa's mom is Darryl's reality TV star daughter, Diamond Strawberry.

Diamond also went to Instagram to ask for help.

"PLEASE REPOST!! PLEASE SHARE!!!! Please help us bring MyLisa home!", she wrote, along with a description of MyLisa.

If you have any info on MyLisa's whereabouts, the Strawberry's are asking people to please call the Henderson Police Department at (702) 267-4555.

Originally Published -- 4:33 PM PT

Lana Del Rey I Quit (Social Media) After Many Controversies

GOING OFFLINE
@lanadelrey / Instagram

Lana Del Rey is hanging it up -- online, that is ... announcing that she's unplugging from everything social media, which might be for the best considering her rocky history.

The folk singer announced Sunday that she's deactivating all of her social media platforms starting Monday -- and her reasoning is that she's starting up some new stuff in her life that apparently require the utmost privacy and transparency. Unclear what that even means.

Anyway, check it out ... LDR explains she's still going to be cranking out music, writing poetry and all the other creative products she puts out in the world -- she just won't have a Twitter/IG handle anymore to supplement it. Or to respond to her seemingly endless critics.

As she puts it ... "For right now, I think I'm going to just keep my circle a little bit closer and continue to develop some other skills and interests."

People who've followed her trajectory might be letting out a sigh of relief right now after hearing this -- because they know Lana's been embroiled in one too many controversies since splashing onto the scene in the 2010s ... many of which didn't fare well for her.

From accusations of cultural appropriation accusations and glamorizing rape/sexual assault ... to wrongly speaking up on behalf of Black people/their culture, LDR has been through it all. And, just as often, she's defended herself in ways many considered hostile and tone-deaf.

Even during the pandemic, she was getting ripped -- some might recall her wearing that mesh mask at the height of COVID last year, which she rocked while interacting with fans. It was a bad look -- one of many she owned over the years, sometimes unapologetically.

Of course, not all of the criticism hurled at her was warranted -- but Lana still had to bat off the haters ... and it seems, now, she's throwing in the towel on bird app sparring matches.

See ya on the other side, kid.

Comedian Josh Denny Former Food Network Star Rails on Women ... Over Texas Anti-Abortion Law

The Food Network wants to make it clear ... it has NO relationship anymore with the former FN host who went on a rant over the Texas anti-abortion law and the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to punt.

Josh Denny -- a comedian who hosted Food Network's "Ginormous Food," and has described himself as a "canceled" comedian -- went on a tear over the Texas law, telling women to "calm down." He also took issue that most women would have no idea they were pregnant in the first 6 weeks, saying in disgusting fashion ... "Only whores wouldn't know for 6 weeks."

People on social media tore into Denny, who responded with this ... “Your freedom to be offended is commensurate to my freedom to offend you.”

Food Network went out of its way to distance itself from Denny, saying, “For those asking: Our working relationship with Josh Denny ended years ago and we removed all episodes he hosted at that time,” adding, “His views do not reflect our company values and we regret giving him a platform.”

Mark Hamill Twitter 'Likes' His Name ... Confirms Viral Theory Vastly True

People sure do love them some Mark Hamill -- even if it just means the guy's name getting mentioned ... by either him or anyone else, which is turning into a viral game of sorts.

The "Star Wars" vet is trending right now ... and it's all because he name-dropped himself in response to a Twitter user suggesting (or daring?) that he could garner well over a thousand "likes" on the platform by merely writing "Mark Hamill." That's how much he's adored.

Welp, he caught wind of her theory ... and decided to put it to the test, which ended up in staggering results -- not to mention others getting in on the fun as well.

Dude quote-tweeted this chick and did exactly what she said ... writing simply, "Mark Hamill." As of right now ... that same tweet is on its way to 100k likes, and over 4k retweets!!!

Sure enough, the Internet took notice ... and wanted to try it out themselves -- almost like a Candyman thing, where if you say his name ... Twitter likes will appear. Some are finding success -- like George Takei, who did the same and has racked up over 4k likes.

Ditto for actor Ken Olin ... who openly wondered if the rule would apply to any Schmo who tried this -- and yes ... his "Mark Hamill" tweet is also taking off, with well over 3k likes.

Of course, normies (AKA, non-blue checkmarks) are having a harder time getting the "like" love on their own timeline ... which just goes to show, a little Twitter notoriety goes a long way. Followers help too ... but it seems this "challenge" is reserved for the bird app elite.

As for the OG poster for this trend ... she's basking in the Hamill glory, especially since he digs her "Star Wars" memes and mega-fandom. He's even commenting on her other tweets.

And you thought tagging your fave celeb was a waste. Never know, they might be reading!

Peppa Pig Trolls Kanye West After Better Album Review

Peppa Pig is rubbing her music review in Kanye West's nose ... trolling him because his new album came in with a lower score than an animated farm animal's album.

Here's the deal ... Peppa Pig's recent music offering, "Peppa's Adventures: The Album," earned a 6.5 out of 10 score from Pitchfork, slightly higher than the 6.0 rating for Kanye's "Donda."

Peppa Pig, the massively popular British TV series for preschoolers, is making sure Kanye and his fans know who got the better review, with the show's official Twitter account throwing shade at Ye.

Peppa Pig quote-tweeted an image showing the differing album reviews and said ... "Peppa didn't need to host listening parties in Mercedes-Benz Stadium to get that .5" higher score.

Oooh, burn! And, Peppa even did the ol' tweet and delete ... so, you know she meant it!

7/22/21
WORKIN' THE CROWD
TMZ.com

As you know ... Kanye had several "Donda" listening parties at football stadiums in Atlanta and Chicago before last Friday's album drop.

Peppa's walked some of the trash talk back, but she's still responding to her own fans who are still trolling Kanye.

Smell that ... it's not bacon, but BEEF!!!

Sha'Carri Richardson Runner's Twitter 'Likes' Offensive Tweet ... About Jamaicans

Sha'Carri Richardson seems to be bitter about the heat she's gotten after coming in dead last over the weekend -- at least according to her Twitter account ... which just "liked" an offensive tweet about Jamaicans.

The 21-year-old track star competed in the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon on Saturday ... losing to the 3 Jamaican runners who won gold, silver and bronze at the 2020 Olympics.

Richardson -- who finished with a time of 11.14 seconds -- brushed off the L and welcomed any haters to "talk all the s*** you want to" ... and some Jamaican fans have taken her up on that offer by talking a lot of smack on Twitter.

Of all the jokes and jabs, one user in particular came to Richardson's defense ... firing back with a pretty offensive comment.

"Not y’all Jamaicans still talking s*** when y’all gotta walk barefoot to your coconut stand everyday for a living," the post says.

Whoever is running Sha'Carri's verified account co-signed the distasteful response ... hitting the "like" button on the tweet.

It's worth noting -- there's no telling whether the runner intentionally liked the tweet, accidentally liked it, or if she's even running her account ... but as of this post, it still shows up under the "Likes" tab on her page.

Mitch Trubisky My Friend Sent 'Kiss T*****s' Tweet ... I Swear!!!

Mitch Trubisky is making it clear -- he did NOT send a tweet about kissing boobs back in 2011 ... explaining it was his friend who posted it to his account as a prank!

The Buffalo Bills QB finally publicly explained the origins of the infamous social media post this week ... saying it all started while he and some pals were on the road for a basketball tourney a decade ago.

"So, you're in the hotel with your buddies, and you're just messing around on each other's phones or whatnot," Mitch told Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" podcast.

"And then, eight years later, I found out that somebody tweeted out that."

Mitch didn't reveal the friend's name ... though he did say the guy is now part of the Chicago White Sox's organization.

You'll recall, the tweet was met with some backlash after it resurfaced during Trubisky's draft night in 2017 ... but the 27-year-old says it's hardly had any effect on his life or career since.

"I actually gained a lot of fans from that," Trubisky joked. "So, it was, like, positive in a way."

Hey ... there are worse things to tweet -- right, Josh Allen?

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