Burning Man One Man Dead After Heavy Rains Hit Venue
Burning Man has been calamitous this year ... leading to a death.
The Pershing County Sheriff's Office confirms ... they are investigating a death that occurred as rain poured down over the venue. The Sheriff has not gone into detail, but by the description, it might be rain-related.
As we reported, the event -- which was being held in the Nevada desert -- was flooded Saturday, causing cars and campers to become immobilized. It got so bad, concertgoers were told to shelter in place.
Diplo and Chris Rock fled the event on the back of a truck. Diplo said he walked 5 miles to get the hell out.
It's not looking better for Sunday ... they're expecting even bigger storms with heavy rainfall and hail, as well as 40 mph wind gusts.
Unclear if the plug has been totally pulled ... the gates to Black Rock City are locked up tight. No one can drive in the area except emergency vehicles.
For more viral news, tune in to the TMZ Verified Podcast. Dropping every Thursday on all podcast platforms.
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Meghan Markle Month Away from Possible Tig Revival ... Path All But Cleared!!!
Meghan Markle might have flamed out on some business ventures lately -- but she's primed to take flight on the Internet with a familiar brand ... which could happen sooner than later.
Here's the deal ... everyone knows Meg had a personal blog she ran for a few years before she met and married Prince Harry -- it's called The Tig, and she posted a ton of stuff on there ... including recipes, travel tips and personal photos documenting her adventures.
She shut The Tig down in 2017, this as she was heading into Royal life as PH's then-fiancée. The website still has her farewell message to fans up as the main piece of content.
Flash-forward to 2023 ... and Meg/Harry are out to pave their own way and make their own money -- which they've attempted to do in a variety of forms ... some more successful than others. Now, it looks like Meg might be trying to get in on the wellness website world again, via her old blog ... The Tig. How we know that -- her team has filed trademarks for it anew.
There've been filings for "The Tig." through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office -- including one, being managed by an attorney, that bears the exact same logo Meg used before ... and which echoes what she was previously covering, only now with a wider scope.
This new "Tig" aims to feature content touching on "food, cooking, recipes, travel, relationships, fashion, style, lifestyle, the arts, culture, design, conscious living, and health and wellness." There've been rumors MM wants to offer an alternative to Gwyneth Paltrow's goop ... and based on the categories the revived Tig will host, that sounds about right.
Now, the latest on Meg securing the trademark to "The Tig." is that she's all but clear to get it -- she was granted a Notice of Allowance in April -- this after nobody filed an opposition to her trademark app -- but there's a couple steps she has to complete before it's official.
What that is ... a "Statement of Use," just showing that the site is live and that she's actively using it. She has until October to submit that -- and, as of now, there's no indication she has ... not yet anyway. If she does, though, before October ... The Tig is hers once more.
Here's the kicker on all this ... likely unbeknownst to Meg, there's already an existing site that has very similar branding to what she's trying to bring back -- namely, another "Tig" lifestyle page that's been in business since '07. The company's called This Is Glamorous -- but calls itself "Tig." And yes ... they, too, cover all things fashion, travel, food and wellness.
This site was up and running when Meg had her old blog -- but, frankly, she's way more famous now ... and it'll be interesting to see if this draws any comparisons or confusion.
Either way, it's too late now ... the Duchess has the green light to proceed. As you were!
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Burning Man 2023 Rained Out in the Desert ... Attendees Stuck in Mud
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It's pouring rain in the Nevada desert right now, which means Burning Man participants are stuck in a whole lot of mud ... and that the whole thing is kinda on pause.
The annual festival -- where folks make a pilgrimage to the middle of nowhere for music, activities and fun in the sun -- was met with a downpour heading into the weekend ... the last few days to enjoy Burning Man, which now looks to be all but ruined.
Check out these pics -- obtained by TMZ -- showing off the aftermath of a monsoon that came down in Black Rock Desert (where BM is being hosted this year). It's a sloppy mess.
As you can see, there are campers and vehicles parked all around ... but they all seem to be somewhat sunken into the ground on account of the mud that's formed after the rainfall, which had gotten started the night before and trickled into Saturday itself.
The rest of the landscape certainly doesn't look Burning Man-friendly -- and there isn't really a soul in sight either ... normally, everyone would be out and about enjoying themselves.
No word on how long this rain-out sitch will carry on, but people on the ground tell us attendees feel quite trapped right now ... as the rain and mud have made moving around virtually impossible. and folks have been instructed to stay put until the conditions subside.
Water Man 2023. Burning man got rained out….. we’re all stuck here. Let’s pray it stops raining #BurningMan2023 #playalake #bm23 pic.twitter.com/xWHhfgXmYv
— Robbie Page (@robbie_page) September 2, 2023 @robbie_page
The worst part - this might be the reality for another day or 2, as it's expected to continue raining -- at least according to some forecasts. TBH, this sounds like an utter nightmare.
Here's hoping the Sun God comes to these free spirits' rescue ... Burning Man's almost over.
For more viral news, tune in to the TMZ Verified Podcast. Dropping every Thursday on all podcast platforms.
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Justin And Hailey Bieber Inspire Coco Gauff At US Open Phenom Wins Third Round Match
The Biebers served up some major star power at the US Open Friday night … prompting a shoutout from tennis great Coco Gauff -- and paving her way to victory.
Justin and Hailey were kicking back in their box seats at Arthur Ashe Stadium, watching Coco battle Elise Mertens in the third round of the women's grand slam tournament.
Hailey looked like her beautiful self in a trendy leather coat … but Justin stole the show with his funky pink glasses and polka-dot black cap turned back around.
The couple was clearly there to support Coco, jumping to their feet and cheering whenever she won points at critical stages in the match.
Coco went on to beat Mertens in three sets -- 3-6 6-3 6-0.
The 19-year-old phenom gave the Biebers credit for inspiring her to win by their very presence after she dropped the first set.
Coco told an ESPN reporter, "I definitely saw who was there. I thought, 'I cannot lose in front of Justin Bieber.' I didn't lose a game after I saw that."
She added, "I was definitely starstruck with Justin Bieber. And then Hailey coming, too. I guess it was a little date night for them which is really cool.
By the way ... Coco's favorite Bieber songs are "Never Say Never" and "Baby."
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Beyoncé Blows House Down At L.A. Show ... Meghan Markle, Prince Harry & Many More Attend
Beyoncé had true royalty at her Los Angeles show Friday night ... Prince Harry and Meghan Markle showed up to boogie down, but only one of them seemed to have a good time.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at the Renaissance World Tour night 1 in Inglewood! 🐝 pic.twitter.com/xHLhBDoJZL
— 🐝🪩 (@bluesbabysitter) September 2, 2023 @bluesbabysitter
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Megan's mom, Doria, were photographed in a VIP box at SoFi Stadium surrounded by thousands of crazed Bey fans.
While Megan and Doria were dancing and waving their arms, Harry seemed more subdued and distracted by his phone. Some observers even said Harry looked disinterested and dejected.
Despite this, the performance was a wild success. DJ Khaled opened the show with other featured artists ... 2 Chainz, Wiz Khalifa, Roddy Ricch, Coi Leray, Offset, and Lil Wayne.
Then Beyoncé hit the stage for the first of 3 nights at the stadium in Inglewood, part of her sold-out Renaissance World Tour.
Needless to say, Bey put on a killer performance for her screaming fans.
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Insane Dashcam Footage Michigan Police Save Choking Child ... As Family Goes Berserk
Michigan cops saved the life of a baby dying in the middle of a busy intersection ... and it was all caught on dramatic video.
The hero officers pulled over the tot's mom and uncle for speeding -- going 80 mph in a 45-mph zone -- in the city of Warren last Tuesday.
The family was driving fast to get to the hospital because their 18-month-old boy was choking and turning blue.
Police dashcam footage shows one cop jumping out of his patrol car at a traffic light and rushing up to the family stopped in their sedan.
The baby's mom and uncle are totally freaking out, screaming for help and begging to go to the hospital.
But there's no time ... the officer grabs the infant and starts patting him on the back, dislodging the object in his throat. The cop passes him to another officer, who drives the child to the hospital.
And the little one's now ok. All's well that ends well.
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Artificial Intelligence Social Media Says It's Racist ... After AI-Generated Images Of People From All 50 States
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Artificial intelligence relies on ethnic stereotypes and is completely racist ... that's the majority view on social media after computers imagined what someone from each state looks like.
Here's the deal ... one advanced AI model cranked out 50 images of what it imagined folks from all 50 states would look like, and real people are saying the results reek of racism.
Folks on Elon Musk's app are saying AI is playing into racist tropes when it comes up with images of minorities, and they're ripping the computer model for basically ignoring Black couples in favor of white or mixed couples.
One example getting a lot of attention is Mississippi ... the AI-generated image is a Black man dressed like he's been working in the fields, with tons of dirt covering his clothes.
The AI model had some fun with Florida though ... the person the computer thinks best resembles the Sunshine State has some oddly reptilian features.
So, yeah, this is what these computers are coming up with. Bizarre, right?!?
Lots of folks also have issues with the Alaska image being a "delicate looking white girl" ... and they point out all the white couples seem to be men with much younger-looking wives.
Bad sign for when AI takes over the world?!? 😅
For more viral news, tune in to the TMZ Verified Podcast. Dropping every Thursday on all podcast platforms.
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Miranda Kerr Oh Snap, Baby #4 Coming Soon!!!
Miranda Kerr's got another bun in the oven with her husband and Snapchat co-founder Evan Spiegel ... using her hubby's app to share the big news.
The model announced her fourth pregnancy Friday on Snapchat, sharing an adorable image of four pairs of shoes lined up in order from biggest to smallest ... with numbered blocks.
Miranda says she and Evan are adding a boy to the brood ... and this will be their third child together.
She teased the baby news on her Instagram and directed fans to her Snapchat account on the platform her extremely wealthy husband owns ... and she's already got a little baby bump showing.
Miranda and Evan have two other sons from earlier in their marriage ... and she also has a son with Orlando Bloom from a previous relationship.
Now, Miranda's preparing to bring another boy into the world ... no wonder she's saying she's a #boymom.
Congrats!!!
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Britney Spears Not Heading To OnlyFans ... Despite Stripper Pole, Sexy Videos
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Britney Spears isn't looking to cash in on OnlyFans -- despite the fact she's now a single lady who's really into showing off her naked body these days ... TMZ has learned.
There've been A LOT of people chirping these past few weeks about the prospect of Britney joining the exclusive, member-paying service -- which tends to host users' raunchy content, oftentimes with big bucks to follow -- but we're hearing that just ain't gonna happen for her.
Sources close to Britney tell us ... an OF account isn't going to materialize in Britney's future anytime soon -- even though we know Britney is aware there's a yearning for her to hop on.
Even before her estranged husband, Sam Asghari, recently filed for divorce -- folks assumed this might be something BS would entertain ... especially after her erotic pole dance routine went viral. BTW, we're told Britney only uses that thing for cardio and for strengthening her core ... not for actual stripping.
Alas, those would-be customers who'd die to see her bare it all are out of luck ... 'cause our sources are firm -- Britney is NOT interested in OF, as she doesn't want to be associated with the explicit side of the platform (aka, porn).
Yes, she is very free with her body -- as we've seen since Sam decided he wanted to end the marriage -- but she's clearly not cool with making that big jump and only shows what she's comfortable with on her own terms.
Here's the kicker on all this .... our Britney sources tell us OnlyFans actually reached out to Britney -- and did so prior to all this speculation. We're told they contacted her team about 6 months ago and kick-started some initial convos about her joining the site.
But, in the end, though ... she passed. Her fans will just have to settle for her IG posts.
As we've reported ... Britney is in a bit of a dicey place right now as she and Sam navigate the divorce -- we've learned her support system has all but vanished ... and she's incredibly isolated of late, which some feel isn't the best environment for her.
And yet, based on how she's been behaving ... you'd never think anything was amiss.
Britney's been putting on show after show after show in various forms -- and is powering through the split with a smile, and a lot of skin. That's all anyone's getting for now, though.
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Morgan Wallen I Got a Surprise for You, Pittsburgh ... Wiz Khalifa's in the House!!!
Morgan Wallen had a hometown surprise for Pittsburgh fans during his concert Thursday night ... Wiz Khalifa!
The concert was packed when Wiz, who grew up in Pittsburgh, appeared on stage and sang "Black and Yellow," as fans went wild. The optics were pretty spectacular ... flames shooting up in the air with yellow lights surrounding the venue.
Morgan and Wiz embraced as they left the stage. Seems Wiz is a Morgan fan ... he's hit up several of the country star's concerts.
If you checked our site earlier, you'll know the concert went down at PNC Park ... it's where some women got into a pretty epic porta-potty brawl the day before!
Wiz pulled up to the Morgan Wallen concert at PNC Park pic.twitter.com/UM76CyjcUX
— Cale Berger (@cale_berger) September 1, 2023 @cale_berger
Here's what's unsurprising ... Morgan's sold out 2 nights at PNC Park. The venue holds around 40,000 fans.
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Morgan Wallen Girls Get In Wild Porta Brawl At Concert ... Inside MLB Stadium
Several girls got so upset with each other while in line for a porta potty at Morgan Wallen's show Wednesday night ... they straight up beat the snot out of each other -- and the wild fight was all captured on video.
The incident happened inside the Pittsburgh Pirates' stadium, PNC Park ... and while it's unclear what sparked the melee -- it appeared a dispute over who could use one of the toilets is what set everyone off.
PORTA POTTY WAR pic.twitter.com/LcjRrDaPXv
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) August 31, 2023 @barstoolsports
You can see in the footage, two girls were arguing next to a porta-potty ... before they began pushing and shoving each other.
Eventually, the two's tussle spilled into one of the open Johns ... and despite the gross conditions, they still continued to pound on each other.
One of the girls' apparent acquaintances then came in to break it up -- and that's when things turned way more violent.
The girl in the blue romper and white cowboy boots pulled one of the combatants out by her hair and threw punches. She then swung on another girl, before kicking her.
Ultimately, cooler heads prevailed.
Morgan Wallen rocking that @Pirates jersey for Night 1 in Pittsburgh 😎⚾️ pic.twitter.com/UvI4lzQJB4
— 100.7 STAR (@StarPittsburgh) August 31, 2023 @StarPittsburgh
No word on if any arrests were made or if anyone suffered any serious injuries ... but the Wallen show ended up going off without a hitch otherwise -- with the country star even donning a Pirates jersey to pay homage to the city he was playing in.
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Daniil Medvedev Blows His Stack At US Open Crowd ... Tells Them 'Shut Up!!'
Daniil Medvedev could use a refresher course in tennis etiquette after twice flying off the handle at the US Open Thursday night.
The tennis star first lost his cool after he blew several match points — one by double-faulting — in the third set of his second-round match against Christopher O’Connell in Louis Armstrong Stadium.
O’Connell went on to win the set, prompting an angry Medvedev to lash out at a camera person filming him during a break.
In the fourth set, Medvedev acted up again, yelling at crowd members chatting and walking back to their seats as he was about to serve. He screamed, “Can you shut up guys? Are you stupid or what?”
The audience booed Medvedev, but he still went on to victory, beating O’Connell 6-2, 6-2, 6-7 6-2.
Ranked No. 3 in the world, Medvedev is known for his fiery on-court personality and has previously come under attack from the U.S. Open crowd after throwing a tantrum during his 2019 match against Feliciano Lopez.
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Kyle Larson NASCAR's Making Strides In Safety ... Thankful Preece Is OK
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NASCAR star Kyle Larson tells TMZ Sports he's relieved to see Ryan Preece escape serious injury after Saturday's terrifying crash ... praising the organization for taking necessary steps over the years to improve driver safety.
Preece's No. 41 car flipped multiple times during an accident in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona last weekend ... leaving many shocked he was able to walk away from the scene.
Of course, superspeedway racing is the most dangerous in the circuit ... with cars reaching their limits at insane speeds.
Larson's wife, Katelyn, shared her hatred for the style of race on X shortly after the Preece crash ... and while Kyle said he wasn't aware of her post, he admitted superspeedway events can really get the nerves going.
"I'm not sure what she said, but I just know that we're all thankful that we were able to see Ryan get out of that car and walk away from that wreck," Kyle said. "That was a very scary accident."
"It's definitely a style of race in that it's really the only time I'm ever a little bit nervous in a race car. I have been caught up in a lot of big accidents at those style tracks."
Larson said NASCAR is doing a great job at taking the proper measures to keep all the drivers out of harm's way ... adding, "On the flip side of that, our sport has gotten so much safer in the last couple of decades that allows a guy to flip that violently to get out, walk away, go see his family at home is pretty remarkable."
"Our sport can always be safer, but it's come a long way and we're all thankful for that."
As for Preece, he posted after the accident ... vowing to return.
We also spoke with Larson about a great cause ... helping raise $50,000 for the Phoenix Children's Hospital at the NASCAR Championship Ignition Luncheon earlier this week, and he said it's rewarding to use his platform to give back to the community.
"I'm excited to be a part of it," he said. "I'm a new resident here in Arizona, so good to be a part of the event, help raise money but also raise awareness to our sport and our playoffs that are starting soon."
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Joey Chestnut I Wanna Be The Wing King Again!!! Seeking Redemption At Chicken Contest
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Joey Chestnut is looking to destroy as many drums and flats needed to secure a victory this weekend ... telling TMZ Sports he's got his sights set on reclaiming the chicken wing championship!!
Jaws is slated to compete in the U.S. Chicken Wing Eating Championship in Buffalo on Saturday ... going up against some of the top competitive eaters in the world, including the past two winners of the event -- Geoffrey Esper and Miki Sudo.
Joey -- who's won the contest six times over the course of his career -- says he's focused on taking back what's his ... admitting he's frustrated he hasn't won since 2018.
Chestnut hints at the awesome vibes and bars in Buffalo as one of the reasons he's come up short in years past ... saying he might love the city TOO much.
"When I go in there early -- and the people are so nice -- it's hard to not have a good time there," Jaws says. "So this year, I need to go in there and I need to control myself a little bit and make sure I don't have too much fun when I get in to Buffalo."
Chestnut -- who once ate 413 wings in a 12-hour span -- says he's felt so much support from the fans over the years ... while also acknowledging there's a little bit of pressure that comes with having all eyes on him.
There's more -- Joey also tells us his favorite wing spot in Buffalo ... and reveals how he'll celebrate if he comes away with the win.
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Donald Trump Rap Artist Hi-Rez Says 'First Day Out' is Non-Political
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Rapper Hi-Rez, who created the now-viral Donald Trump AI rap track, says he had no political agenda while making the former prez's out-of-prison song ... he just wants to put a smile on people's faces.
Hi-Rez joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday, taking us through the process of making "Donald Trump - First Day Out" -- something he put up online for fun after Trump's mug shot made the news. The song has become a hit, charting #2 on iTunes with north of 3 million views.
In case you didn't know, rappers who get out of jail often put out a "first day out" song, talking about where they're at after becoming free once again ... and when his buddy suggested Trump would be a perfect subject, Rez jumped right to the AI tools to start cookin'.
He tells us he wrote the song in half an hour with no political bend -- his mission was actually bringing the warring sides of America together for a laugh.
As for what's next, Rez tells us why he's gonna be pumping out more parody bangers.
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Man Driving a Bull Pulled Over with Huge Passenger ... Mind the Horns!!!
This is 100% no bulls*** ... besides what was left all over a modified taxi pulled over by cops because of the suspicious passenger riding shotgun -- a massive bull out for a joyride in Nebraska!
Norfolk Police got a call Wednesday morning about a man driving down a highway with a cow ... and while officers expected to see a calf -- it is Nebraska, after all -- footage from News Channel Nebraska shows they grossly underestimated.
Check it out -- it looks like the driver modified his ride so the big Watusi breed of cattle, named Howdy Doody, can cruise down the road right next to him instead of gettin' towed.
It looks like the driver, named Lee Meyer, and Howdy were in a state parade over the weekend ... because a banner on Lee's car read, "Nebraska’s Big Rodeo Parade: Best Car Entry.”
One thing, though, looks like Lee's driving scared the you-know-what outta Howdy, and he dumped all over the ride!!! Hope they've got BIG carwashes in Nebraska.
Don't worry, Howdy didn't get cuffed or hoofprinted at the police station -- cops let 'em both head home after the traffic stop. Just another day for Howdy and Lee, we're guessing.