TMZ.com Home

Tekashi 6ix9ine sees the light at the end of the tunnel, but before he can be truly free, he's gotta give back to the community ... and he wants to make sure he survives it.

T69's attorney, Lance Lazzaro, tells us his client will be released from home confinement by Saturday -- which will allow him to move into the next phase of his sentence ... community service. We're told 6ix9ine hasn't done a single hour since he's been stuck at home.

Now that he'll be able to get out again ... Lance says there's a new problem his legal team is circling -- namely, where the hell to put the guy so he can complete 300 hours of community service.

It's gonna take him a while to complete that, and his team's concern is Tekashi could be a sitting duck for anyone seeking revenge ... while he's doing good to make good on his sentence.

Luckily for him ... Lance and co. are already making arrangements to keep their client safe. One of the ways they plan to do that is by asking Tekashi's probation officer to let him do his time at a highly secured facility, like a VA hospital or even a learning institution of some kind.

Anywhere where there's lots of people and maybe even armed guards and/or cops around would be the ticket in their eyes.

We're told Lance feels the probation officer assigned will take these pleas into consideration and act appropriately -- otherwise, it could spell trouble for Tekashi.

Rosa Parks' handwritten letter remembering Martin Luther King Jr. as someone she admired and respected is going up for sale ... and as you'd expect, this kinda history won't be cheap.

Rosa honored her fellow Civil Rights icon in a letter she sent to an autograph collector way back in 1979 -- 11 years after MLK's assassination, and the high regard in which she held him is obvious.

The letter, a response to the autograph collector's question about what Rosa thought of MLK, has been sitting in a private collector's hands for the last 15 years, but now it's going up for sale through Moments In Time ... and being sold for a cool $54,000.

Rosa wrote in cursive ('memba that) ... "I admired and respected him as a truly great man committed and dedicated to freedom, peace and equality for all oppressed humanity."

She also remembered MLK as "the leader of the masses in Montgomery, Alabama and the nation ... a devoted husband, and father to his wife and children. A loving and loyal son to his parents."

MLK famously organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott after Rosa was thrown in jail for refusing to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man -- a violation of the city’s racial segregation laws.

Dana Stubblefield says he plans to fight his rape conviction -- claiming the COVID pandemic ruined his shot at a fair trial and now he plans to appeal.

As we previously reported, the ex-NFL player was found guilty of rape by force, oral copulation by force and false imprisonment stemming from a 2015 incident at his Northern California home.

Officials say Stubblefield had lured the victim to his home under the guise of interviewing for a babysitting job -- and then sexually assaulted her.

The victim -- 31-years-old at the time -- has developmental disabilities, according to prosecutors.

Stubblefield has denied the allegations for years -- and despite the conviction, his attorney Allen Sawyer tells TMZ Sports the former football star will continue to fight.

"He's going to fight to clear his name. He's innocent. He believes in the judicial system," Sawyer says.

"He's not happy where this is right now but he's going to keep fighting."

Currently, Stubblefield is facing 15 years to life in prison. He's due back in court for sentencing later this year.

But, Stubblefield's lawyer tells us the trial was "littered with errors" -- and he expects to win his appeal.

First, Sawyer says the COVID pandemic led to MONTHS of delays -- causing the trial to last nearly 9 months from start to finish.

"Once they halted the jury trial for months, we asked for a mistrial because how the jury supposed to remember evidence from a witness from 7, 8 months ago when they've had a 2 month break and other breaks?"

Sawyer explains ... "They started the trial and then the pandemic hit. We already had a jury, the government got to present a lot of evidence and then they halted the trial for 2 months because of the pandemic."

When the trial restarted, Sawyer says jurors were anxious and distracted by possible COVID exposures which led to more delays.

"Then they started letting witnesses testify remotely, we weren't allowed to sit next to our client. We continually asked for a mistrial because it wasn't a fair environment because of the COVID circumstances."

But, Stubblefield's requests for a mistrial were denied and he was ultimately convicted.

Sawyer says there were several other MAJOR flaws with the way the trial was conducted -- but he'll spell out those gripes in his appeal papers.

Before this ballin' young man was shooting hoops in the NBA, he was just another middle school athlete growing up in Melbourne, Australia.

This basketball kid showed off his sports skills at an early age, which made him the first-round pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2016 NBA draft at just the age of 22. The talent didn't stop there because he was also named NBA Rookie of the Year back in 2018.

You may recognize this famous face out and about with a Kardashian sister -- whom he dated on and off for about a year.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be recovering in a hospital bed for the rest of this week after undergoing another medical procedure.

RBG's office says she is resting comfortably at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City after undergoing a minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure Wednesday. Doctors revised a bile duct stent she got last August.

The famously tough cookie is expected to be released from the hospital by the end of the week, according to the Supreme Court, which says RBG's doctors point out stent revisions are common occurrences and the non-surgical procedure was performed to minimize the risk of future infection.

The 87-year-old's hospital trip is her second this month and comes on the heels of Ruth announcing her cancer returned and she recently completed a round of chemotherapy.

Dr. Dre just filed his answer to his wife’s divorce petition, and he revealed something she didn’t – there’s a prenup.

Dre’s wife, Nicole Young, filed for divorce on June 29, citing irreconcilable differences. She is asking for spousal support and a division of property.

Dre says in his answer, filed by Disso Queen Laura Wasser, that he’s fine paying Nicole spousal support but he says any distribution of property should be governed by their prenuptial agreement.

Nicole made no mention of a prenup in her petition ... and sources connected with her told TMZ there was no prenup. That is not the case.

As for the prenup ... Dre's estimated worth is $800 million.

There are no issues relating to child support or custody ... their 3 kids are all adults.

Dre lists the date of separation as March 27, 2020 ... just weeks after the coronavirus lockdown began.

The body of late congressman John Lewis arrived and is now lying in state at the Georgia State Capitol ... drawing long lines of constituents looking to pay their final respects.

The procession -- led by a score of police escorts -- weaved its way through downtown Atlanta Wednesday before making its stopping at the Gold Dome for an hours-long public viewing of the closed casket in the State Capitol's rotunda. Lewis, who'd been in Congress since 1987, is only the fourth Black person to lie in state in the Georgia Capitol -- the others being Coretta Scott King, Senator Leroy Johnson and civil rights icon/Lewis' longtime friend, C.T. Vivian.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms were among the dignitaries who greeted the honor guard that arrived with Lewis' body.

The Civil Rights leader will be laid to rest Thursday ... with his funeral taking place at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church beginning at 8 AM PT. Barack Obama will reportedly deliver the eulogy, and former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton are expected to attend.

The funeral will mark the end of a week-long memorial from the nation's capital to Selma ... where the procession traveled across the infamous Edmund Pettus Bridge. That's where a 25-year-old Lewis, and others fighting for voting rights in 1965, was brutalized by cops who fractured his skull.

Lewis and Obama walked hand-in-hand across the bridge back in 2015 on the 50th anniversary of the brutal assault.

Jeff Lowe is pissed off at PETA over a Joe Exotic Halloween costume ... and the animal rights organization is taking some major swipes back as their beef heats up!!!

Here's the deal ... PETA is hawking a "Joe Exotic Tiger Killer Costume" for $159.99 ... but Jeff isn't laughing at the funny costume and says he's owed a slice of the pie.

Jeff's lawyer fired off a cease and desist letter to PETA, obtained by TMZ, claiming he owns the rights to "Joe Exotic" and "Tiger King" and threatening a lawsuit if PETA doesn't pull the costume or come to the bargaining table to work out a licensing deal.

As you know ... Jeff now operates Joe's old zoo, The Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma.

PETA fired back with a letter of their own, which we also obtained, calling Jeff's claims "absurd" and claiming that, even if Lowe owns the trademarks, the costume is an obvious parody and doesn't violate any trademark.

The animal rights org takes some jabs at Jeff ... the letter advises, "We suggest Mr. Lowe focus instead on his serious legal problems in Nevada, Oklahoma and elsewhere, including the numerous recent federal Animal Welfare Act violations perpetrated against endangered big cats at his Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park."

Nothing like Halloween costume beef in July!!!

Malik B., one of the founding rappers of The Roots, has died.

The hip-hop group announced Malik's passing Wednesday with a tribute post that read, in part, "It is with heavy hearts and tearful eyes that we regretfully inform you of the passing of our beloved brother and long time Roots member Malik Abdul Basit."

They added, "May he be remembered for his devotion to Islam, His loving brotherhood and his innovation as one of the most gifted MCs of all time. We ask that you please respect his family and extended family in our time of mourning such a great loss."

It's unclear what caused his death ... neither the band nor Malik's family have released details.

Malik helped start The Roots with Questlove and Black Thought back in the late '80s, and appeared on four of the group's albums through the '90s before distancing himself in the 2000s. He was featured prominently on "Organix," "Do You Want More?!!!??!," "Illadelph Halflife" and "Things Fall Apart."

He reportedly departed from the Philly band during the recording of their 2002 album, "Phrenology," although he'd previously said he never quit and was never fired. Malik went on to be featured in a number of their songs afterward.

Black Thought -- the lead MC of The Roots -- posted a lengthy tribute to his partner in rhyme, saying ... "We made a name and carved a lane together where there was none. We ressurected a city from the ashes, put it on our backs and called it Illadelph."

He added, "In friendly competition with you from day one, I always felt as if I possessed only a mere fraction of your true gift and potential. Your steel sharpened my steel as I watched you create cadences from the ether and set them free into the universe to become poetic law, making the English language your bitch."

Malik was 47.

Barbie's new line of dolls meant to inspire all girls to raise their voices and get interested in public service quickly got political when Donald Trump Jr. got involved ... but the toy company's shutting him down.

Shortly after the Barbie 2020 Campaign Team -- made up of 4 diverse dolls including a candidate, a campaign manager, a fundraiser and a voter -- was unveiled to "expose girls to public leadership roles and pique their interest in shaping the future" ... Don Jr. used it to take a shot at Democrats.

Don tweeted ... "'Voter' Barbie must be a Democrat because she’s already wearing an 'I Voted' sticker and yet she’s got another ballot in her hand."

Not the most original joke, and according to the makers of Barbie ... it's also inaccurate.

A Mattel spokesperson tells TMZ ... "Barbie is not, and has never been, affiliated with a political party. Barbie has always encouraged girls to stand up for what they believe in and shows them they can be anything."

The Mattel rep adds ... "This doll set highlights a range of leadership roles to pique their interest in shaping the future and raise their voices – from the podium to the polls. This set also provides a tool to allow families to have conversations around important events and cultural moments through play."

Of course, Don Jr.'s joke comes as President Trump continues to push claims mail-in voting is fraudulent and will only benefit Democrats in the upcoming election.

Truth is, there are no facts to back that up ... just like Jr.'s jab at Barbie.

Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli unloaded their sprawling Bel-Air estate, but they had to slash the price to hammer out the deal.

Our real estate sources tell us Lori and Mossimo sold their massively expensive home to Tinder co-founder Justin Mateen, and he got quite a deal at $18,750,000.

TMZ broke the story ... Lori and Mossimo quietly put the property back on the market for $28,650,000 after previously listing it in 2017 for $35 million.

We'll spare you the math ... the Tinder honcho scooped up Lori and Mossimo's pad for $9.9 million less than their most recent asking price.

Justin didn't just get a reduced price, the house is pretty great -- 12,000-square-feet, 6 bedrooms, 9 baths and all the bells and whistles -- and, of course, he's now in one of L.A.'s most ritzy 'hoods.

Arvin Haddad, who is with The Agency and stars in CNBC's "Listing Impossible," held the listing while Josh Flagg of Bravo's "Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles" and Rodeo Realty repped the buyer.

Now, Lori and Mossimo will turn to their next home challenge. Remember, they've made a habit of selling their family home every 3 to 5 years ... and he's super talented at remodeling houses.

A former Buffalo State football player is fighting for his life after being shot during an altercation at a liquor store Monday ... and cops have released the shocking footage in hopes of catching the suspect.

NYPD officials say a fight broke out between Malachi Capers -- a former D-end at Buff. State -- and another man after the two bumped into each other inside 136 Deli & Grill in Queens.

You can see in surveillance footage of the incident ... Capers brushed up against the man's shoulder -- and then the two exchanged words.

Eventually, fists started flying ... and that's when the former football player tackled the guy to the ground outside the store.

When the man was able to free himself from Capers' grasp ... you can see in the video, he pulled out a firearm and shot the 20-year-old in the stomach.

Capers is now reportedly in the hospital battling critical injuries.

Now, the NYPD says it's looking for the gunman -- who officials ID'ed as Jeffrey Thurston -- and is asking for any help in finding his location.

Buffalo State head coach Christian Ozolins, meanwhile, released a statement to multiple media outlets regarding the shooting ... saying, "Malachi was a well-liked member of our football family during his freshman year in 2018 and has remained a friend to many in our program as he has continued his education at Buffalo State after leaving the team due to on-going injury issues."

"We have him in our thoughts as we wish for a speedy and full recovery."

Tracy Morgan is pulling the plug on his marriage ... he and his wife, Megan Wollover, have split and he says they're heading for a divorce.

In a statement, Tracy tells TMZ ... "Sadly, after nearly five years of marriage, Megan and I are filing for divorce. This is a challenging time for all involved."

Tracy and Megan met way back in 2011 and their relationship started with a blind date. They announced their engagement later that year at the Emmy Awards, and had their first child, daughter Maven, in July 2013.

Tracy and Megan finally tied the knot on Aug. 23, 2015.

Megan stuck by Tracy's side through his painful ordeal with Walmart, when a truck driver slammed into his limo in June 2014, killing his close friend James McNair and leaving the comedian in a wheelchair for several months.

As we reported ... Tracy settled his lawsuit with Walmart and the settlement was allegedly for a whopping $90 million.

Tracy and Megan walked down the aisle 14 months after his horrific crash.

It's not clear what led to the split, or if they have a prenup.

Georgia Senator David Perdue has pulled an ad that made his Jewish, Democratic opponent's nose look bigger -- claiming it was a flub and not an anti-Semitic trope.

The Facebook ad featured photos of both Jon Ossoff, who's running in Georgia to take Perdue's seat -- as well as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (who's also Jewish) -- with the slogan, "Democrats Are Trying to Buy Georgia!"

In other words, a Jew with an artificially big nose is trying to buy an election. But, Perdue says no anti-Semitism here.

Ossoff responded, saying ... "Sitting U.S. Senator David Perdue's digital attack ad distorted my face to enlarge and extend my nose. I'm Jewish. This is the oldest, most obvious, least original anti-Semitic trope in history. Senator, literally no one believes your excuses."

For his part, Sen. Perdue said the ad was made through a third party, and that any distortion to Ossoff's appearance was an accident. They removed the ad this week.

His campaign added, "Anybody who implies that this was anything other than an inadvertent error is intentionally misrepresenting Senator Perdue's strong and consistent record of standing firmly against anti-Semitism and all forms of hate."

Talk about perfect timing -- an L.A. musician who happened to be in New Mexico saw a meteor light up the sky, and caught the stunning footage on video.

Amber Coffman posted this awesome video Tuesday night showing the moment a meteor streaked across the sky over Taos, creating a spectacular fireball. She captioned it perfectly saying, "A meteor for the ages!"

The footage was a hit on social media, where it was quickly shared by Amber's followers. She replied to one person's excited tweet, saying ... "Absolutely stunned amazement! Elation! I feel high."

Another user suggested Amber could jump from music to astronomy -- "How did you start getting video so quickly? Really amazing and something I would think would be of great value to science."

Apparently, there was a meteor shower visible over much of New Mexico last night ... there were similar tweets from Albuquerque.

More great news from the NBA ... a 2nd straight week with ZERO positive COVID-19 tests from players and staffers inside the bubble.

While MLB, NFL, and other sports are scrambling to figure out how to proceed safely -- the NBA seems to have it down.

The league claims that 344 players were tested and NONE of the tests came back positive for coronavirus.

There have been some issues with the bubble -- some players have violated the rules to get things like delivery food and strip club chicken wings -- but so far, the league has been able to avoid an outbreak.

There are strict protocols in place for breaches -- mandatory quarantine periods -- and judging by the numbers, it's effective.