TMZ.com Home

Uncle Sam is getting involved in trying to figure out what happened during the Uvalde shooting that claimed 21 lives -- this as President Biden himself visits the town.

The U.S. Dept. of Justice Sunday announced they would be conducting a review into the police response that has come under major scrutiny in the past several days -- as new reports suggest officers on the ground waited for too long to engage the gunman.

DOJ says they're doing this at the request of Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, and it'll be a Critical Incident Review headed up by their Office of Community Oriented Policing.

They add, "The goal of the review is to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and responses that day, and to identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events."

The department notes it'll be impartial and fair to the facts of what exactly happened, and if any failures took place that the agency can improve upon next time. Of course, the community is outraged that 19 cops stood around for about an hour before a Border Patrol tactical unit took the gunman out themselves ... disobeying orders to stand down.

Joe and Dr. Jill Biden are in town Sunday to pay their respects to the families of the victims -- they visited the memorial at the front of the school and laid down flowers as well.

Cardi B is enjoying "that life" way more than the guy who owned a nearby yacht that sunk before her very eyes.

Cardi was hangin' on the beach during a vacay with Offset Saturday, when she spotted the yacht as it disappeared into the drink. Of course, she chronicled everything on video and posted it.

Cardi gives a dramatic play-by-play ... "What the f***?!!? It's sinking!!! Y'all see this?!!?"

And then the hilarious line ... "There ain't no big boat that could save it?!? She bid farewell in Cardi fashion ... "Bye-bye."

She says no one was on board the doomed vessel.

It's unclear where Cardi and Offset are ... but it looks super tropical. She posted photos of her and her hubby on a private jet en route to wherever they are.

A stampede erupted at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn after rumors began to swirl there was an active shooter in the arena.

At least 10 people suffered injuries just after midnight Sunday ... when people began screaming someone was firing shots. It wasn't true, but the crowd didn't know it.

It's unclear how the rumor first started, but it spread like wildfire. A security guard said the rumor was that someone was firing shots outside the arena. That caused people who were leaving the boxing match to make a mad dash back inside, and it became a madhouse.

Naomi Osaka was among those present ... she tweeted, that she heard "shouting and saw people running" and was then told "there was an active shooter and we had to huddle in a room and close the doors," adding, she was "petrified."

Madonna was also there for the championship match between Gervonta Davis and Rolando Romero. It's unclear if she was present during the melee.

One person who was there tweeted, "I watched a person get trampled nearly out cold."

The ten known to be injured were taken to a hospital and according to officials, they suffered only minor injuries.

Kanye West signed one of the greatest football players of all-time, Aaron Donald, to Donda Sports ... and the 7x All-Pro says a cleat collab could be on the way!

The 3x NFL Defensive Player of the Year sat down with Brandon Marshall, Adam "Pacman" Jones and LeSean McCoy for an episode of "I Am Athlete" ... where AD broke the big news he’d inked a deal with Ye’s company.

"It was an opportunity that came to us, me and [my wife], and it made sense. Hearing the whole spectrum of what they were going to be bringing, the whole family atmosphere that they got in Donda Sports. Not just me, but my wife being a part of that. For me it was a no-brainer," Donald told the guys.

"I think it's a helluva opportunity to open up a lot of different doors and a lot of different things outside of football that I wanna be involved in, that I wanna do, that my wife wanna do. So to be a part of that, and be one of the best first athletes to be a part of that, it's pretty dope. We're excited about it, and we're gonna see where this thing goes."

Kanye launched Donda Sports earlier this year.

As for the plan, Brandon asked Aaron if he might release a cleat with Ye.

"Ain't nothing in full circle, but we've been talking. We got a lot of different things that are planned."

But, it's not all business for the men ... Aaron says he hung out with Ye, and West even asked him to be in one of his music videos.

"He cool man. He real cool. A cool dude. Got to talk a little bit. Vibe. Was at one of his video shoots. He actually wanted me to get in one of the videos, but I was like, 'Naw.' I was out my element. But he was cool," Aaron told the guys.

And, Donald made it clear DS isn't a flash in the pan or a fad for West ... it's something Ye is committed to building.

The president of all things 'Star Wars' pissed off diehard fans when she said they were pivoting away from old characters and storylines -- but one of the OGs himself isn't trippin'!

We got Billy Dee Williams -- who famously played Lando Calrissian in the initial trilogy back in the '70s -- out in L.A. this week ... and we asked about all this hubbub in the 'Star Wars' universe after Lucasfilm honcho Kathleen Kennedy made some controversial remarks.

ICYMI ... Kennedy said they were packing up all the Skywalker stuff and moving it to the shed, as they look forward to new plots and heroes. She also said they were never going to cast new actors as original fan faves in the wake of 'Solo' ... a prequel/origin story of sorts.

That was taken as a shot at the actors who portrayed Harrison Ford's beloved character, as well as Billy Dee's ... but if you watch our interview with him here, you can tell the dude isn't stressing nearly as much as some of the fanboys are.

Far from it ... in fact, BDW seems to be siding with Kennedy about the notion of moving to bigger and better things -- wisely pointing out that nothing lasts forever, even in a galaxy far, far away.

HBO is being dragged to court over a fire that destroyed a set on a show ... because the folks who live next door claim the blaze ruined their homes.

HBO and the star, Mark Ruffalo, are being sued over the May 2019 fire that destroyed an upstate New York car dealership being used as a filming location for the miniseries, "I Know This Much Is True."

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, a handful of folks who say they live near the burned down property claim the fire exposed them to harmful toxins and carcinogens, and damaged their homes.

What's more, the neighbors say the production team and HBO haven't done much to clean up the site of the blaze ... they say it's remained an "uncovered and unabated debris pile, toxin spill and wind-driven dust and gaseous dispersion."

The neighbors say HBO and Mark, who also serves as an executive producer are to blame for the fire ... claiming the film set was a powder keg due to kerosene, heating oil and other flammable materials being stored at the filming location.

In the docs, the neighbors say they suffered and continue to suffer physical and emotional injuries ... and they're seeking millions in damages.

A super-rare item from LeBron James' legendary high school career is about to hit auction -- a basketball signed by the King and his teammates from St. Vincent-St. Mary ... and it could come with a big price tag!!

Of course, James was one of the biggest hoops stars as a high schooler ... and his accolades tell it all -- 2-time Mr. Basketball USA, 2-time Gatorade National Player of the Year, 3-time Ohio Mr. Basketball, McDonald's National Player of the Year and a 2003 national title to top it all off.

Before all that, the squad from LBJ's 2000 season all teamed up and scribbled their Hancocks on a ball ... and anyone who followed LBJ since day one will recognize some names.

Besides LBJ's autograph -- which received an 8/10 grade -- you can see his teammates Dru Joyce, Sian Cotton and others inscribed on the ball.

In fact, right next to James' signature is Maverick Carter ... who is currently business partners with the Lakers superstar and one of the founders of LRMR Ventures.

The ball -- that hits Heritage Auctions on June 4 -- has 11 overall signatures and is expected to sell for over $5k!!

Hidden behind this squished snap is a hot momma bear of two, who is often seen embarrassing her two daughters on TV but makes up for it with her top-knotch 'mommagering' skills.

This soap actress frequently posts dance vids on her Instagram, which display her toned bod and her Harry hubby. Need one more clue on who this 'rich honey' could be? She will forever be known for her famous tagline, "I'm just an asshole with iconic hair and big lips."

Lil Pump may have inspired more than one fan when he invited them up on stage to dance ... possibly showing an entire community all things are possible.

The now-viral video is pretty awesome. Pump was performing at the Metro Metro Festival in Montreal earlier last week when he invited fan Woody Belfort on stage. Woody, who is in a wheelchair, took full advantage of the opportunity, getting out of his chair and doing some impressive dance moves ... including flips! He also busts some moves right in the chair.

We spoke with Woody -- who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a kid -- and says he's already gotten a ton of support from the disabled community since the video was posted.

Woody's got big plans for the future, saying he's going to use his video to empower others to embrace their entire selves -- regardless of their disability.

Woody says he always felt like an outsider, and it wasn't until high school when he started to do sports and train his body that he finally began to feel a part of a community and connect with others.

TikTok star, Bryce Hall, will NEVER be friends with Tayler Holder ... so says Bryce, who believes Tayler is guilty of some serious allegations.

We caught Bryce leaving Bradley Martyn's Zoo Culture Gym in Woodland Hills, Tuesday night, and he went off on Tayler Holder and their never-ending beef.

Bryce says Tayler's interview with TMZ was absolute BS, especially when he claimed he didn't know Bryce. He adds, Tayler was actually the undercard for his Professional boxing event and they've collaborated, despite not being friends.

Going forward though ... Bryce makes it clear he would NEVER be friends with Tayler, "after the s*** he's done," referencing rumors about sexual allegations against Holder. He says Tay should worry about the "lawsuits on his name," instead of contacting the media and promoting his music -- which he gave a pretty damning review.

ICYMI, Tayler sat down on "TMZ Verified Podcast" and denied any, and all, sexual assault allegation rumors against him. During the interview, he also claimed he didn't know Bryce.

Ricky Martin's stage looks over the years are seemingly fuego!

Here's the 26-year-old version of the Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and dancer performing at Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim back in 1998 (left). This was just one year before the release of his first English-language studio album ... featuring one of his most popular hits "Livin' la Vida Loca!"

And, 24 years later the now 50-year-old father of four continues to own the stage, showcasing his good looks and even better moves, recently performing at the "Movimiento Tour" at Foro Sol this year (right).

Upside, inside out ... Come on!

The question is ...

Lance Bass is shedding a light on one of the Uvalde victims whose wish was to go viral on TikTok -- something her family is hoping to achieve in the wake of her tragic death.

The NSYNC singer reposted a clip Saturday to his IG Story showing a TikTok video originally published by a man who says he's the uncle of 10-year-old Tess Marie Mata -- one of the 19 children slaughtered Tuesday by a crazed gunman at Robb Elementary School.

In the video, you see Tess dancing to Don Toliver's 'No Idea' -- a track of his which has been used a lot in different challenges, and which has become a fan fave lately among TikTokers.

Tess, clearly, was no exception ... as she had her own version to the dance -- something her uncle here says she was hopeful would translate to a little internet fame one day. He makes the plea to his followers ... can we honor her wish in death and make her go viral?

Lance was clearly on board, posting this on his own page ... and also commenting, "breaks my heart," to which the uncle thanked him -- saying Tess was a big fan of the boy band.

This child is just one of many whose life was cut short ... but it's videos like these that show, they had personalities and dreams -- all adding to the devastation, especially in light of reports that cops were slow to the draw and could've stepped in to help sooner.

People are rightly outraged over the fact current gun laws allow for weapons of war to be in the hands of ordinary citizens, but the videos of parents being held back and/or arrested in the moment while officers just stood around should, perhaps, cause as much indignation.

Dave Chappelle and others -- like Ricky Gervais -- are free to make all the jokes they want on Netflix, including ones about transgender people ... again reaffirmed by its top dog.

The streamer's CEO, Ted Sarandos, tripled down in his defense with the NYT, saying that he views the airing of such specials -- such as DC's 'The Closer' or Gervais' new "SuperNature" -- as freedom of expression ... a value he thinks is lost in American society.

He says, "I think it’s very important to the American culture generally to have free expression," going on to add -- "We’re programming for a lot of diverse people who have different opinions and different tastes and different styles ... We want something for everybody but everything’s not going to be for everybody."

Sarandos went on to say the decision to back Dave actually wasn't difficult -- seeing how he's the comedian of our generation, and that he discusses the issue in a nuanced and thoughtful way. Of course, that's up for debate ... those offended might argue otherwise.

In the wake of Chappelle getting tackled at the Hollywood Bowl, Netflix sent a memo to their staff -- basically saying, if you find some of our content so offensive, beat it.

You can tell Netflix is sticking to their guns on this issue -- not only have they allowed 'The Closer' to stay on their platform, but they've inked even more deals with Dave. And Sarandos even said the backlash over not censoring DC is oddly different than it once was.

He says, "It used to be a very liberal issue, so it’s an interesting time that we live in ... I always said if we censor in the U.S., how are we going to defend our content in the Middle East?" BTW, these comments also apply to Gervais who caught flak for his own trans jokes.

George Shapiro -- one of the most famous talent managers, who repped stars from Jerry Seinfeld to Andy Kaufman, not to mention a mega TV producer in his own right -- has died.

The one-man band of showbiz passed away from natural causes Thursday at his home in Beverly Hills -- this according to Deadline. No other details of his death were released.

Shapiro cut his teeth in entertainment by working as a hungry talent agent -- surrounding himself with some of the biggest names in entertainment at the time ... including Elvis Presley and Carl Reiner, the latter of whom he went on to represent/manage personally.

Eventually, he started his own business -- and while he continued to manage certain talent, like Kaufman, most of his work seemed to focus on producing hit TV shows ... some of which include "The Steve Allen Show," "That Girl" and 'Gomer Pyle.'

He also packaged a number of specials for huge variety show hosts at the time, like Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore and Carol Channing. But, his biggest contribution to TV would come in the '90s. Of course, we're talking "Seinfeld," for which he served as an EP.

Jerry and George remained very close after the sitcom's epic run -- GS even went on to produce a number of standup specials for Jerry, and memorably appeared in the 2002 doc "Comedian" ... where Jerry tries his hand at comedy again in the wake of "Seinfeld."

As involved as he's been with Jerry over the years -- including continuing to produce for JS's recent projects, like "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" -- Shapiro was equally devoted to the late, great Kaufman ... going through the rollercoaster of his notoriety back in the day.

Their relationship was dramatized on film in 1999's 'Man on the Moon,' where Jim Carrey infamously went method to portray Kaufman, and with Danny DeVito playing George.

In short, Shapiro had worked with the best of the best ... and leaves behind a storied career. He's survived by his lifelong partner and mother of his children, Melody, his kids and his many grandchildren. He was 91.

Camila Cabello put on a great performance before the UEFA Champions League Final this weekend -- pristine in presentation ... but exactly the opposite of what was unfolding outside.

The singer was tapped for the opening ceremony show at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis just north of Paris -- where Real Madrid was facing off against Liverpool in a huge showdown between Europe's best soccer teams ... a must-see match fans were dying to see.

That might even be literal, because tons of prospective gamers were outside the stadium shortly before kickoff -- while Camila was doing her gig -- and desperately trying to get in by any means necessary ... with several of them hopping gates and having run-ins with security.

Some of these videos are absolutely insane -- people are climbing over each other and risking it all just for a chance to get inside. Unclear if these are people who purchased tickets and were turned away, or if they're simply hooligans trying to take it in for free.

At any rate, the cops and security officers on hand weren't having any of it ... pepper spraying people who were trying to rush the gates and who wouldn't back down. There are some reports (and videos) of minors getting tear gassed as well.

Even the cops themselves were trying to wipe the residue from their eyes ... that's how much they fired off, it seems.

As for Camila ... it appears she was completely oblivious to the pandemonium happening just a couple hundred feet from her on the pitch -- and paid it no mind, doing what she was there to do ... sing. Even if she knew what was going on, it's not really her problem.

BTW, she killed it during the show ... performing for a packed stadium and putting on an elaborate spectacle with backup dancers and a grand entrance to set everything off.

While no one is faulting her for continuing on with the ceremony, some are pointing out it's funny that the contrast here is so stark -- and frankly, it is. A lesson learned ... get to your seats early and often. Also, Euro soccer fans are low-key bonkers for the beautiful game.

Bo Hopkins -- famous from "American Graffiti" and other '70s cult classic films -- has died.

His wife, Sian, shared the sad news with THR Saturday ... saying BH had passed away a few weeks ago at a hospital in Van Nuys, CA after suffering a heart attack.

Hopkins had some legendary roles throughout his 7-decade career ... mostly carving out a rep as a supporting actor and a great on-screen villain/scoundrel, especially in 'AG' -- where he played Joe, the leader of the Pharaohs' greaser gang at the center of the flick.

'Graffiti' certainly helped put Hopkins on the map, but he'd already been making a name for himself in earlier films -- including a standout performance in "The Wild Bunch," where he played one of the zany outlaws looking to pull a big heist.

There were several other movies in which Hopkins left his mark -- including "Midnight Express," "The Getaway," "The Killer Elite," "The Nickel Ride," "The Only Way Home," "The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing," "Posse," "A Small Town in Texas" "Tentacles" and "White Lightning" -- just to name a few.

He also had a lot of TV roles as well -- having appeared in hit shows such as "Doc Elliot," "Hawaii Five-O," 'Mod Squad,' "Bonanza," "Gunsmoke,"  "Manhunter," "Barnaby Jones," "The Rockford Files," "Charlie's Angels," "The Fall Guy," "Dynasty," "Murder, She Wrote," and others.

Hopkins kept working well into the 2000s -- sometimes even doing voice acting, but for the most part, stuck with gun-slinging characters -- and his last job was in 2020's "Hillbilly Elegy" opposite Glenn Close and Amy Adams.

All in all, he's got over 130 acting credits under his belt ... and is regarded as one of the great supporting actors of his time.

Bo was 80.