TMZ.com Home

1:40 PM PT -- NBA's attorney, Jimmy Manasseh, tells us the rapper was only taken into custody because of his social media post ... and says NBA was the victim of an assassination attempt. Manasseh says NBA didn't have a weapon and didn't commit any crimes ... calling the whole thing a terrible and tragic incident.

NBA YoungBoy has been playing with fire on social media, and now -- in the wake of his Miami shooting incident -- he got burned, because cops arrested him for violating his probation.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the rapper was taken into custody immediately following a hearing in East Baton Rouge Friday, and he'll be detained for at least 30 days.

District Judge Bonnie Jackson ruled his involvement in the Miami fatal shooting last weekend, along with a social media post about it, constituted a probation violation -- even though he was the target, not the shooter.

As we reported, YoungBoy and his crew were shot at on Mother's Day outside the Trump Beach Resort near Miami, and at least one person was killed. We obtained video of the wild scene inside the hotel following the gunfire, in which the rapper rushes to the side of his GF, Kay Marie, who was hit by a bullet.

In the vid, YoungBoy's seen applying pressure to her wound as he and others try to get her to the hospital. She was eventually taken by ambulance after authorities pulled over the SUV they got in to leave the hotel.

The judge ordered the rapper detained Friday, citing the shooting and a social media post in which it appears YoungBoy talks about the shooting and threatens retaliation.

The post violates his probation from an August 2017 sentence for aggravated assault with a firearm. The judge put him on probation for 3 years after giving him a suspended 10-year prison term, and one of the conditions was that he stays off social media.

The thing is, YoungBoy's been all over social media prior to the shooting ... so, it doesn't appear he's been sticking the rules, anyway.

He's been arrested twice since then -- in Florida in 2018 and in Georgia earlier this year for weed and disorderly conduct.

We reached out to the rapper's team ... no word back so far.

MTV is moving quickly as it seeks a fresh start on its "Teen Mom" franchise ... the network is already filming with Jenelle Evans' replacement, Jade Cline.

Sources close to production tell TMZ ... 'Teen Mom' producers will be filming Kailyn Lowry's podcast in New York this weekend, where special guest Jade will officially announce a pretty poorly kept secret ... that she's stepping in for Jenelle.

The podcast is called, "Coffee Convos with Kail Lowry & Lindsie Chrisley" ... and MTV cameras will be rolling as the hosts sit down for an interview with Jade.

Our 'Teen Mom' sources tell us, show producers felt the podcast was the perfect way to announce Jenelle's replacement ... because Kailyn will also be costarring alongside Jade!!!

We're told the reveal will air next week ... which lines up with the "Teen Mom 2" reunion.

As you know ... MTV severed all ties with Jenelle in the wake of husband David Eason killing the family dog as punishment for nipping at their 2-year-old daughter. The dog's brutal death was the last straw in MTV's often tumultuous relationship with the couple.

Jenelle has been an empty nester as of late ... now that authorities have removed all her kids from her and David's home in the fallout from the dog murder. Jenelle and David were in court Thursday, fighting to get her children back.

As for Jade ... the 21-year-old is a mother of one, and she recently split with her baby daddy, Sean Austin.

Teyana Taylor definitely saved a horse, and instead opted to ride and grind Iman Shumpert -- and this video might make her the G.O.A.T. of lap dancing!

Teyana performed at the Red Bull Music Festival at NYC's Manhattan Center, and brought her NBA player hubby onstage as a prop. We guarantee he had zero complaints about getting strapped into an inversion table.

Teyana quickly flipped him over and kicked off some steamy action -- with an assist from one of her backup dancers -- which the crowd ate up.

The Wednesday night performance was reportedly dubbed, Teyana Taylor: House of Petunia. In somewhat of an awkward moment ... Teyana performed the provocative dance with their 3-year-old daughter, Junie, sitting in the front row.

Anyway ... Teyana and Iman love their strippers. Seriously, they really do. So, Teyana's lap dance skills shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.

BTW ... Method Man and Fabolous also made it onstage ... but no lap dances for them.

Former WWE superstar Ashley Massaro -- who later competed on 'Survivor' -- has died, TMZ Sports has learned. She was only 39.

Officials tell us ... Massaro was transported from her home in Suffolk County, NY to a nearby hospital where she died early Thursday morning.

Officials would not reveal the cause of death at this point, but we're told it's being classified as "non-criminal."

Massaro famously won the WWE's "2005 Raw Diva Search" -- which included a $250,000 1-year contract.

She went on to become a valet for WWE tag team champions Paul London and Brian Kendrick.

Her most high-profile matches including a WWE Women's Championship against Melina at Wrestlemania 23 in 2007 ... and a Playboy BunnyMania LumberJill match at Wrestlemania 24 the following year.

Massaro appeared on "Survivor: China" in 2007 -- but she was voted off on the second episode of that series.

She also appeared on the April 2007 cover of Playboy Magazine, which she revealed on an episode of "Smackdown."

She later cut ties with WWE in 2008. She later returned for a stint with a lesser known pro wrestling company in 2017.

"We are saddened to learn of the tragic death of former WWE Superstar Ashley Massaro," WWE said in a statement.

"She performed in WWE from 2005-2008 and was beloved by her fellow Superstars and fans around the world. WWE offers its condolences to Ashley’s family and friends."

WWE stars from all generations have reached out to share their heartbroken feelings on Massaro's death, with Torrie Wilson saying, "I can’t even begin to explain how devastated I am to hear about @ashleymassaro11 - legit one of the sweetest people I’ve ever known."

Melina Perez added, "I am gutted by the news of Ashley’s passing and my brain doesn’t want to believe it. How can this be real? It’s difficult and awful news to take in."

Trish Stratus, who says she was Ashley's first-ever suplex in the ring, said, "I’m having a hard time processing this news of my friend, a fellow worker, a fellow mom. I’m both sad and mad ... Rest In Peace baby girl,take in."

The Bella Twins, Nikki and Brie, wrote on their Twitter page, "We are so saddened to hear the news of Ashley Massaro. She had such a tender heart and sweet soul. We will always remember her of that. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family. RIP Ashley"

Even legendary wrestler Mick Foley offered his condolences, saying, "She lived in the same town as me...I loved seeing her around. She was always so nice...and now she’s gone."

A ton of other stars -- including Rikishi, The Iron Sheik, Bayley and TAZ -- also shared their thoughts and prayers for Ashley and her family on social media.

The world is a little less grumpy ... because a cat with a real sourpuss attitude has sadly bit the dust.

Grumpy Cat -- government name Tardar Sauce -- died Tuesday. She passed "in the arms of her mommy, Tabatha," the woman who's owned the critter since birth.

As for the cause of death, according to the feline's official Twitter page, "Grumpy encountered complications from a recent urinary tract infection that unfortunately became too tough for her to overcome."

"Besides being our baby and a cherished member of the family, Grumpy Cat has helped millions of people smile all around the world," the message continues.

Grumpy Cat became a marketing sensation, with countless products bearing her sour visage sold around the world ... She appeared in commercials for Friskies and Honey Nut Cheerios and even starred in her own 2014 movie, "Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever" on Lifetime.

TMZ got video of Grumpy leaving Pitfire Artisan Pizza restaurant in L.A. with a full entourage ... on its way to the MTV Movie Awards. BTW ... Grumpy's owner said the cat was a baller, only flying first class.

Fun, furry fact ... aside from 9 lives, the first 2 cat years is roughly equivalent to 25 human years, after which each year equates to 4 cat years. So, by human standards, Gumpy lived to a middle-aged woman of 45.

RIP

One of R. Kelly's alleged victims secretly testified against the singer in front of a federal grand jury that could indict him for tax evasion and sex trafficking.

Sources close to the case tell TMZ ... Faith Rodgers recently testified for a grand jury convened by U.S. Attorneys in the Southern District of New York, and we're told more witnesses are expected to provide testimony against Kelly soon.

No way to know what Faith told the panel -- federal grand jury proceedings are notoriously top secret -- but she's previously alleged Kelly gave her an STD and sued him last year for false imprisonment and sexual battery.

Faith was also featured in the Lifetime docuseries "Surviving R. Kelly" ... and afterward she claimed Kelly posted private photos of her and sent a notarized letter threatening to reveal details of her sex life in retaliation for her talking publicly.

As we've reported, there are 2 Kelly probes currently underway in New York -- one by the Eastern District and another by the Southern District -- which is in addition to another case the feds are building in Illinois.

We're told next week witnesses will testifying for a federal grand jury in Illinois, where Kelly is being investigated for tax evasion, obstruction of justice and sex trafficking.

We reached out to the U.S. Attorney's Office, but it declined to comment. Faith's attorney, Gloria Allred, would not confirm or deny her client testified.

Kelly's crisis manager, Darrell Johnson, says ... "Mr. Kelly feels like the devil is working overtime in effort to try to destroy his musical legacy for selfish, personal enrichment. We feel everything will line up right on track when it is all said and done."

Beto O'Rourke is one loyal son of a gun ... and a great tipper according to his barber who says they go back almost a decade.

Beto's barber, Manuel Corral, tells TMZ ... he's been cutting Beto's hair for 7 years at his joint Chema's Barber Shop in El Paso, Texas. Manuel, who doesn't speak English, says Beto's haircut costs a modest $12 but Beto leaves a $25 tip every time.

ICYMI ... Beto pulled up to Chema's earlier this week and livestreamed his haircut after spending several days on the campaign trail. Things even got nasty when Manuel cut some of the hair outta Beto's ears.

Anyway ... Beto's been getting ridiculed for livestreaming the haircut (Beto's calling it an impromptu town hall meeting) ... with someone joking "Is the live mani/pedi tomorrow." Someone else joked, "I'm holding out for the colonoscopy." Beto's no stranger to livestreaming his random errands.

Back in January, he livestreamed going to the dentist. At the time, he hadn't announced his candidacy yet and this haircut episode comes on the heels of a media blitz as he tries to inject life back into a campaign that's lost major steam as of late. He's also fallen badly behind in the polls.

But, Manuel says he stands firmly behind Beto, whose kids also get their haircuts at Chema's. When Beto shows up once a month, they converse in Spanish and talk U.S. and Mexican politics.

Mama June still has the gambling itch ... so much so, she's allegedly shacking up in an Alabama casino with her boyfriend.

The reality TV star was spotted again at the Wind Creek casino in Montgomery, and she apparently hit the jackpot, because folks who were there, last Friday, tell us Mama June was cashing out a $1,000 ticket!!!

And, get this ... we're told Mama told a fellow gambler she lives at the casino, and has been staying on the property for the past few months.

June isn't alone in her casino hotel room though -- we're told her boyfriend, Geno Doak, came down to the casino floor and spoke with her a few times.

This is the 3rd time Mama's been spotted hitting up an Alabama casino since her March arrest for crack cocaine ... and it's the 2nd time we've seen her try her luck at Wind Creek.

We broke the story ... Mama and Geno are in the market for a new lawyer for their crack cases, after the guy who was defending them quit.

Sammy Sosa says it's time to finally come back to Chicago ... the legendary Cub tells TMZ Sports he's looking to return to Wrigley after a 12-YEAR hiatus!!!

Of course, Sosa's been missing from the historic ballpark since he quit playing back in the 2000s ... mostly because team chairman Tom Ricketts has created an icy situation with the ex-superstar.

And, why? Ricketts has said multiple times over the years he wants Sosa to come clean about his alleged PED use before the Cubs will officially welcome him back.

Unclear if Sosa is ready to meet those demands ... but he tells us he's ready to return to Chicago nonetheless.

"I haven't gone back to Chicago yet, but I will," Sosa says.

Sammy -- who says he's still a HUGE Cubs fan -- tells us he's been happy living out his life in Miami in the meantime ... saying that's actually the reason why he's yet to make an Illinois return.

"I haven't had the time to go to Chicago, but I will."

South African born athlete Nick Price gained international fame as a great golfer in the early '90s after he won two PGA Championships -- the first in 1992 at Bellerive Country Club ... and the second in 1994 at Southern Hills Country Club.

Nick Price's other major championship win was also in 1994 at the Open Championship where he squeaked out a one-stroke victory over Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik.

Price was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in back in 2003.

Fun Fact: The winner's share for the 1992 PGA Championship was $280,000 ... while the winner's share for this year's championship is close to $2,000,000.

Schwing!!!

Kanye West's former friend and G.O.O.D. Music associate, Malik Yusef, is being sued for allegedly forging Ye's signature and making millions of dollars in the process.

Gentle Monster -- a Korean-based fashion brand known for its eyewear -- claims Yusef scammed the company out of $2.5 million by promising Kanye would create a video for the company. GM says Yusef even set up a meeting between Kanye and a rep for the brand, making it seem like Ye was on board for the whole thing. Kanye allegedly had no clue there was any type of business deal in place.

According to the lawsuit -- obtained by TMZ -- Kanye wasn't the only celeb Yusef promised to deliver ... he also claimed Pharrell, Jaden Smith and others would help out with the project.

GM says Yusef's scam was elaborate -- spanning over 9 months -- and included forged signatures from Kanye and phony invoices made to appear like they were sent from legit talent agencies.

The lawsuit claims GM became suspicious of Yusef's plan when he finally submitted a video to them in February 2019 that barely reflected any of the brand's wishes. The ending credits allegedly said both Kanye and Pharrell wrote and produced the music.

Gentle Monster released the project -- touting Kanye's involvement -- and to the brand's horror, Kim Kardashian tweeted her hubby had nothing to do with it ... causing GM to pull the video.

Colton Underwood thinks Kelly Ripa is too far removed from modern-day dating to understand "The Bachelor" ... and her criticism proves just how out of touch she really is.

We got this year's Bachelor couple, Colton and Cassie Randolph, Thursday at LAX and got their response to Kelly's comments from earlier this week, when she ripped the show as creepy and insisted the idea of dozens of women fighting over one guy is disgusting.

As 2 people with a unique perspective, Colton and Cassie tell us Kelly's critique is way off ... and they feel she just doesn't understand how dating works for younger generations growing up with Tinder and other dating apps.

Colton says the 'Bachelor' is just like Tinder, only it's on national TV ... and he thinks Kelly just doesn't know what it's like to have countless dating options.

Kelly's been married to Mark Consuelos since 1996 ... so she ain't swiping left or right.

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro's baby mama, Jen Harley, has been arrested for a New Year's Eve incident when she allegedly threw an ashtray at the reality star ... TMZ has learned.

Harley was arrested in Vegas early Thursday around 3 AM on a warrant that was issued last month. Law enforcement sources tell us ... Jen actually called the cops early Thursday morning and said someone had a gun. Cops responded, came to the house and when they did a background check found she had an outstanding warrant.

TMZ broke the story ... Ronnie filed a battery report against Harley on January 3 after the two got in a blowout fight at a Vegas club on New Year's Eve. At some point during their argument, Harley allegedly hurled an ashtray at Ronnie, striking him in the face, and cutting his nose, lip and forehead.

We obtained video from the club that night which showed Ronnie leaving and bloodied.

The fight didn't just end there ... when Jen got home that night, she allegedly found her home ransacked ... accusing Ronnie of smashing a flat-screen TV, picture frames and a vase. He was also recorded smashing the security camera at her front door back in December.

3:25 PM PT -- TMZ Sports just received a statement from Ric's wife, Wendy Barlow, who says she expects the WWE legend to make a "full recovery."

"Due to ongoing health complications, Ric was taken to the hospital and is expected to undergo a procedure tomorrow morning, after which he expects to fully recover."

Ric Flair was rushed to a hospital Thursday morning after suffering a medical emergency, TMZ Sports has learned.

We're told Flair was in the Atlanta area when something went wrong. The 70-year-old WWE legend was initially taken to the emergency room to be treated.

The specifics are unclear at this point -- but we're told the situation is "very serious."

We reached out to Ric's camp for comment -- so far, no word back.

Flair had a previous medical scare back in 2017. He was placed in a medically induced coma for 11 days after his intestine ruptured. Flair was in critical condition and on the verge of dying.

But, "The Nature Boy" pulled through -- and a year later, he married his longtime girlfriend Wendy Barlow ... who stuck by his side throughout the entire medical scare and subsequent recovery.

Ric had been doing great recently -- and had a massive star-studded bash for his 70th birthday back in February ... with a guest list that included Todd Gurley, Charles Barkley, Jeff Hardy, Triple H, Evander Holyfield and Dennis Rodman.

I.M. Pei -- the famed Chinese American architect best known for his work at one of the most famous landmarks in Paris -- has died.

Pei died Wednesday night, according to architecture critic and writer Paul Goldberger, who says he got the news from Pei's son.

Pei -- who launched his career with a New York real estate developer in 1948 after graduating from Harvard -- is best known for designing the glass and steel Louvre Pyramid ... which serves as the entrance to the Louvre Museum. It was completed in 1989.

His other major works in his long and illustrious career include the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in D.C. in 1978 as well as the JFK Library in Boston and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland in 1995.

All in all, Pei designed over 50 projects in the U.S. and internationally -- including in France, China, Japan, Luxembourg and Qatar -- many of which won awards for their excellence.

Goldberger says his buildings in Boulder, Colorado are among his best and most underrated.

Pei was 102.