2:15: PM PT -- Dave Merritt entered a not guilty plea in court on Thursday ... and he has since bonded out.
He's due back in court in June.
Former NFL player and current Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt was arrested for domestic battery on Wednesday ... after reportedly causing bodily harm to "a daughter."
The 54-year-old was arrested around 9 PM in Overland Park ... and was booked into jail without bond, according to the Kansas City Star.
A complaint was filed with the Johnson County District Attorney's Office on Thursday ... claiming Merritt "unlawfully, knowingly, or recklessly" caused bodily harm to a daughter -- a domestic violence offense, the outlet reported.
Ali Leiniö, a Finnish vlogger who posted videos of himself hiking, appears to have died doing what he loved ... because he was found dead in the wilderness.
Ali's body was found in Lapland, Finland earlier this month ... after suffering a fatal seizure while hiking the Käsivarre Wilderness area ... according to Helsingin Sanomat, a Nordic newspaper.
His remains were recovered April 10 ... a little over a week after he uploaded his final YouTube video to his nearly 88,000 subscribers.
Mike Vrabel's decision to skip out on Day 3 of the NFL draft for counseling isn't sitting well with one of the most popular Patriots fans alive -- Dave Portnoy says he's all for the coach getting help ... but it's the timing that has him irked.
The New England coach revealed Wednesday night he was seeking help to be "the best version of me" for his family and the team ... and he was getting the ball rolling this weekend after Page Six published more snaps from his time with Dianna Russini in Arizona last month.
The decision means the Pats will pick their new players in rounds 4-7 without their coach ... and the Barstool Sports honcho isn't too pleased about it.
Devin Booker went IN on NBA ref James Williams over a baffling technical foul call after the Suns' loss to the Thunder on Wednesday ... saying officiating has gotten so bad, fans are gonna start thinking they're watching WWE.
The Phoenix star was in quite the grumpy mood as he met with the media ... and it wasn't just going down 0-2 to OKC that had him pissed.
In a statement Wednesday, Vrabel said he would be headed to counseling this weekend while also spending time with his family outside of Massachusetts. As a result, Vrabel will miss Saturday's third day of the NFL draft.
In addition, Vrabel repeated his vow, promising to give his wife, Jen, their two sons, and the Patriots organization, "the best version of me that I can possibly give them."
Everyone knows Fernando Mendoza is going to be the first pick in the NFL Draft, but who's the best defensive player out of the bunch ... Arvell Reese says it's him!
"I think I'm the guy because I think I play with a relentless effort, and I play with a violent mindset," the 20-year-old former Ohio State star told TMZ Sports.
"I'm putting violence and relentless effort first."
Draft experts have the All-American slotted anywhere between the second and fifth pick ... with many believing he'll go to the New York Jets, who pick second, or the Arizona Cardinals, if Gang Green passes on Arvell.
Congress may be throwing elbows on Capitol Hill ... but once the suits come off, some lawmakers are apparently more focused on jump shots than cheap shots!
Our TMZ DC crew caught up with Rep. Shomari Figures and a few other congressmen, including Georgia Rep. Rich McCormick, in the aftermath of the Congressional Basketball Game Tuesday night ... where Democrats and Republicans hit the court together in a rare display of bipartisan teamwork.
Check out the clip ... Figures tells us the game came down to the wire and he gave props to fellow Representatives Suhas Subramanyam and Blake Moorefor balling out.
But when we asked what it’s like sharing the court with members of the opposing party amid all the political chaos in D.C. ... the Alabama Democrat pushed back on the idea that lawmakers are constantly at each other's throats.
"The Real Housewives of Atlanta" alum Kim Zolciak’s estranged husband, Kroy Biermann, is accusing her of neglecting their children, as part of his renewed plea for primary custody, TMZ has learned. Kim’s legal team adamantly denied the claims.
According to court docs obtained by TMZ, Kroy is asking the judge presiding over their never-ending divorce to grant him permanent physical and legal custody of their 4 minor children.
The current custody agreement allows 2 kids to be with Kim and 2 to be with Kroy – and then they swap and spend time with the other 2. “The children were rarely together as a group under this parenting plan,” Kroy said.
He claimed Kim “acts in ways that are harmful to the children and contrary to their best interests.”
It’s no longer a question of “Who’s the baby daddy?” … because Paul Pierce is admitting he fathered Princess Santiago’s child.
According to court docs obtained by TMZ, the NBA legend told the court he was the biological dad to 2-month-old King Rafael Santiago Pierce. He asked for joint legal and physical custody.
As we’ve previously reported, she’s asking for sole legal and physical custody -- plus a hefty $29,811 per month in child support, $100K in legal fees, and nearly $19K in pregnancy-related expenses. Santiago filed a paternity suit in California back in January.
She’s also made sure to highlight Pierce’s massive NBA earnings -- claiming he pulled in close to $200 million during his career -- as justification for the sizable monthly ask.
Princess Santiago tells TMZ ... “For nine months, I went through this pregnancy alone — no financial support, no in-person presence from Paul. Now that the DNA test confirms he’s the father, he’s seeking joint custody?”
WrestleMania has become a pressing matter on Capitol Hill ... 'cause one senator asked WWE exec Nick Khan when the Grandest Stage of Them All would make its way to Ohio -- right in the middle of a hearing on Wednesday.
The silly moment went down as a Senate Subcommittee met with the WWE president and other big names in the combat sports business -- including Oscar De La Hoya and Nico Ali-Walsh -- to discuss proposed changes to the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act.
While they, of course, discussed the topic at hand ... Sen. Bernie Moreno from Ohio had to take advantage of his opportunity to pitch WM to his turf in the future.
Jerry Joneswas holding court at a pre-draft press conference on Wednesday when things took a wobbly turn ... the president almost fell in front of the president!
The 83-year-old owner of America's Team stopped speaking mid-answer as his face suddenly lit up, pointing to the door, and saying, "The President is here to say 'hello.'"
Reporter is asking a question during Jerry Jones' presser. Jerry interrupts, points toward the front door of The Star and says, "The President is here to say hello." Five seconds later, Bill Clinton walks in. Jerry trips getting up to greet him, then they spoke, and The Star is a… pic.twitter.com/IPuJ8GD7XQ@JeffDarlington
Cue Bill Clinton, who suddenly appeared in the briefing room at the Cowboys facility in Frisco, TX.
Angels legend Garret Anderson's cause of death has been revealed ... with officials stating the World Series champion passed away due to complications with his pancreas.
The 53-year-old's tragic death was due to "acute necrotizing pancreatitis." Gallstone disease and alcohol use are the two leading factors for the complication, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
As TMZ Sports previously reported, Anderson suffered a medical emergency at his home in Newport Beach, CA on Thursday ... and dispatch audio detailed an unconscious male amid the request for service.
Hulk Hogan was taking life-threatening amounts of fentanyl to manage his physical pain during his time with the TNA following his divorce from his wife, Linda Hogan.
The wrestling pioneer detailed his reliance on the drug in the new Netflix docuseries "Hulk Hogan: Real American," which served as his final interview before his sudden death in July 2025 from a heart attack.
Hulk said he signed up for the TNA (Total Nonstop Wrestling, the second-largest wrestling group behind WWE) after he gave "everything" to Linda during their 2009 divorce... and needed the cash. But, it wasn't long before he and TNA realized he was in no shape to compete at the level he'd been contracted to, so he turned to the opioid to help his severe pain.
Andy Cohenhad some surprisingly nice things to say about Spencer Pratt’s mayoral campaign -- but the second Joe Rogan got brought up, the conversation went completely off the rails.
During Tuesday's episode of "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen," Kristin Cavallaritold Andy she initially thought Spencer’s run for Los Angeles mayor was a joke ... but now she says she truly thinks he could actually pull it off.
She pointed to growing support around him and casually mentioned that Rogan had already endorsed him last week on his podcast ... saying he’d vote for him if he lived in L.A.
It was cloudy with a 100% chance of glass at the Avalanche vs. Kings playoff game on Tuesday ... when some rowdy fans got so excited over a penalty shot save, they broke a glass panel behind the bench!!!
The chaos went down early in the second period ... right after Colorado goalie stopped L.A. right winger Quinton Byfield's penalty shot in its tracks.
THIS IS INSANE: THE FANS IN COLORADO WERE SO HYPED FOR THE PENALTY SHOT SAVE THAT THEY SHATTERED THE GLASS BEHIND THE KINGS BENCH 😱🤯 pic.twitter.com/WYMgGZCQgl@BR_OpenIce
The folks sitting feet away from the Kings celebrated by pounding on the glass barrier ... and seconds later, it completely shattered and crumbled to the ground.
WrestleMania 42 didn’t just deliver inside the ring -- it shattered records, making it one of the biggest events in WWE history!
WWE says the two-night spectacle at Allegiant Stadium was a hit across the board ... in ticket sales, sponsorship, merchandise, and even VIP experiences.
Mania drew 106,072 fans from all 50 states and nearly 70 countries, making Las Vegas the center of the wrestling world for the weekend, attracting a ton of big celebrities, who showed up for the action.
The action matched the hype, too. Roman Reigns defeated CM Punk in Sunday night’s main event to win the World Heavyweight Championship, while Cody Rhodes retained his Undisputed WWE title against Randy Orton on Saturday -- despite early interference from Pat McAfee.
