UGLY KID JOE BASS PLAYER BUSTED ON FELONY CHARGE ... For Driving Stolen Moving Van?!?

Cordell Crockett, the bass player for the rock band Ugly Kid Joe, says he was just trying to move when he got arrested for a felony ... cops say he was behind the wheel of a stolen rental van.

According to the Burbank Police Department, Cordell was arrested May 11 and booked for felony possession of a stolen vehicle. We're told cops pulled him over for driving a car that was reported stolen.

Police say Cordell told officers he borrowed a van from a friend to move items into a storage facility ... but cops say the van was a rental from Home Depot that had been reported stolen after it wasn't returned as scheduled.

Cops say Cordell told them he didn't know the van was stolen ... and he wasn't the one who rented it.

And, there's this ... we're told Cordell was also booked on an outstanding arrest warrant stemming from a ticket he got for allegedly driving on a suspended license.

Police tell us Cordell is no longer in custody ... he's been released, and next month he's due in court.

We reched out to Cordell for comment, all he had to say was, "F*** the police."

Rob Kardashian I Struck Deal with Blac Chyna in Revenge Porn Case ... Now She's Trying to Back Out!!!

UPDATE

3:32 PM PT -- Chyna's lawyer Lynne Ciani tells TMZ ... "Under California law, settlement discussions are confidential. Rob Kardashian has violated California law by revealing alleged details of ongoing settlement discussions."

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"Chyna is permitted under California law to disclose that settlement discussions regarding her revenge porn case against her ex-fiancé are ongoing. When and if a confidential settlement is reached on this case, Chyna will alert the court first and then the media."

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"Regarding the earlier trial in April 2022, a Los Angeles jury soundly rejected Rob’s testimony that Chyna had physically abused him. The jury found that Chyna, in fact, had not physically abused Rob."

Blac Chyna's trying to pull the plug on a deal she made with her ex, Rob Kardashian, to end their legal war over revenge porn ... at least according to Rob, who now wants a judge to make her stick to the deal.

In new docs filed Monday by Rob's attorneys, he says his ex agreed to drop her lawsuit against him for revenge porn, IF he helped get her dropped from a separate lawsuit. As we reported, one of BC's exes, Pilot Jones, filed suit against Chyna and Rob, claiming they'd outed him as gay, and thereby exposed him to public threats.

According to Rob, the deal between Chyna and himself was that he would get her out of that Jones lawsuit without it costing her a cent ... and she would drop the revenge porn case. Rob says he accepted that deal last month, but now Chyna's trying to get cute.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, he says Chyna is threatening to push forward with a trial in the revenge porn case ... exactly what he had hoped to avoid when he struck the deal with her.

Rob says she needs to drop the case altogether, because he accepted the terms of the deal. As a result, he's asking a judge to enforce that contract.

Gotta imagine, Rob's really doesn't want another drawn-out public trial with the mother of his daughter ... having just gone through one over their reality show getting canceled.

Remember, the Kardashians soundly defeated Chyna in that one, but in the docs, Rob says she's itching for a second fight ... in court. The revenge porn trial is scheduled to begin next week.

The judge has yet to rule on Rob's request, but he wants an emergency hearing to address the matter.

Originally Published -- 2:49 PM PT

Tito Ortiz Safe Stolen, House 'Ransacked' ... In Burglary

More details are emerging about the burglary at Tito Ortiz's Southern California home ... cops say people at his residence claimed thieves "ransacked" the UFC legend's house, and stole a safe.

According to police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, a caller reached the Huntington Beach Police Dept. at around 9:54 AM on Friday ... claiming Ortiz's home had been burglarized.

The docs show the person alleged the home was "ransacked" and that a "safe is missing." The person also said a window on Ortiz's balcony had been broken.

As we reported, multiple officers were seen at Ortiz's Huntington Beach home for hours on Friday investigating the scene.

No word yet on if any arrests have been made -- but we're told Ortiz was not home at the time of the incident, and is safe.

In the documents, cops say Ortiz's neighbors told them they would review their surveillance cameras with the hopes of helping them catch the culprits.

Ortiz -- who grew up in Huntington Beach and fought in the UFC under the nickname "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" -- provided us a short and sweet comment on the situation.

"Welcome to Biden's America. Beware, it's going to get worse."

Carrie In 'John Tucker Must Die' 'Memba Her?!

Florida-born actress Arielle Kebbel was just 21 years old when she was cast as Carrie -- the beautiful, smart and overachieving high school student plotting against the popular boy -- in the 2006 teen romantic comedy film "John Tucker Must Die."

Arielle shared the big screen with Jesse Metcalfe as the attractive jock who can get any girl, John Tucker, Brittany Snow as the cute, new girl, Kate, Sophia Bush as the promiscuous popular chick, Beth and Ashanti as the cheer captain, Heather.

Kebbel was also in the popular films "American Pie Presents: Band Camp" and "Think Like A Man."

Guess what she looks like now!

Ryan Clark On Chris Brown CB's 'More Talented' Than Michael Jackson ... Immediately Gets Ripped

If Ryan Clark's goal for Monday was to stir things up, mission accomplished ... the former NFL star just kicked a hornet's nest by saying Chris Brown is "more talented" than the legendary Michael Jackson!

Oh, he was immediately ripped for it ... the ex-safety received all sorts of mean comments from Twitter users after he tweeted the controversial statement.

"Chris Brown is more talented than Michael Jackson," Clark said, "there I said it! Have a great week."

"I do not care!! You out CB and MJ in the talent Olympics Chris Brown wins."

The responses RC got were hilarious -- from GIFs to some fans asking Clark if he was drunk or high ... 'cause they couldn't believe a sober mind could come up with such an analogy.

"Drinking early this morning??" one fan said while another said, "Whatever you're sippin on, I need it for later 😂 😂"

Another fan thought Ryan needed a Snickers candy bar ... saying, "I trust you and highly respect you but maybe you are hangry or something! Stay happy!"

Clark -- who currently works for ESPN -- even got ripped by his colleagues ... Marcus Spears hit him with the classic 'how?' GIF. Cowboys writer Clarence Hill Jr. even got in on the fun, responding, "get your boy man".

😬😬😬😬😬

Disclaimer: Zero shade goin' Chris' way ... he's obviously suuuuuper talented.

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Baby Lilibet's 1st Bday Bash ... Seen in New Photos

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daughter is ringing in her first year with a very eventful week ... and now we're getting a look at exactly how Lilibet got her party on in the UK!

Harry and Meghan invited close family and friends to a casual, but intimate, backyard picnic in Windsor to celebrate Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor's very first birthday ... which was Saturday, June 4, smack in the middle of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

This is our first close-up look at the baby, and these shots -- captured by photographer Misan Harriman -- show she was all smiles for the festivities.

Prince Harry and Meghan were amazed to learn people around the world made donations amounting to more than $100K to the World Central Kitchen in Lilibet's honor.

As we've reported, Lilibet met her great-grandma, Queen Elizabeth, for the first time ever during the Jubilee celebrations. Of course, the intro came amid high tensions between Prince Harry, Meghan and their estranged royal family.

They weren't seen publicly after Friday's church service, and flew back early Sunday before the end of the Jubilee celebrations. Luckily, Lilibet's too little to get into all that mess and seems pretty damn chipper about turning 1.

Chris Evans Be My Date To My Movie Premiere!!! VIP Giveaway for Charity

Chris Evans has a can't miss fundraiser going -- he's giving all of his fans a shot at being his date for his next big Hollywood event, and it's all for a good cause.

Chris has teamed up with Omaze to put together the incredible prize package -- those who donate to the charity will be entered in a drawing to get flown out to the premiere of his upcoming blockbuster, "The Gray Man."

Not only is the flight covered, but the winner and a friend will stay in a 4-star hotel, walk the red carpet and get to snap some pics with Chris!

Of course, they'll also be one of the first to see the film which costars Ana de Armas, Ryan Gosling, and Billy Bob Thornton.

Chris' sweepstakes, which is open until June 26th, is helping raise funds for Christopher’s Haven, Inc., which offers temporary, low-cost housing for pediatric cancer patients and their families while receiving treatments away from their homes at Boston hospitals.

Omaze is no stranger to working with celebs for some great charity opportunities ... it's backed by high-profile investors, including Bono, Kerry Washington, Tom Brady and Alexis Ohanian.

Bradley Cooper & Matt Bomer 2 Heartthrobs Locking Lips On Set

Bradley Cooper is living life through the late Leonard Bernstein's eyes while he shoots a movie about the guy's life -- which translated to a kissing scene with Matt Bomer this week.

The two actors locked lips on set Monday in NYC, where they're shooting this new Netflix biopic about the legendary conductor -- titled "Maestro" -- and it seems the smooching went well ... 'cause BC was all smiles during the scene, as was Matt.

Of course, Bernstein was openly gay -- so it's no surprise/NBD the lead star is making out with a dude for the flick -- if anything, it was 100% expected. Bomer just happened to be the lucky man to land the role of romantic interest ... and fun fact, Matt's gay in real life.

What's been getting way more buzz as it pertains to the film is how unrecognizable Brad looks as Lenny ... it seems he'll be playing the Maestro at different life stages, including in old age, and some of the shots of Brad in costume and makeup have gotten double-takes.

There's also been some controversy ... it's been noted that Brad's using a prosthetic to make his nose look longer than it really is, which many have called anti-Semitic -- as they see this as clear "Jew face," as it's been dubbed by some.

Brad isn't Jewish himself, which is one thing, but to elongate his nose to match that of an actual Jewish man's is problematic, to say the least. Time will tell if Academy members care or not though when the flick is out ... 'cause this thing's got Oscar-bait written all over it.

'Tiger King' Star Doc Antle Indictment Unsealed ... Allegedly Laundered $500k+

UPDATE

7:32 AM PT -- 6/7 -- Doc's attorney Ryan L. Beasley tells TMZ ... "The government appears to be grandstanding on the issue of bond because of all the media coverage.

UPDATE

"I have never in my 20 years of practicing federal law witnessed the government move for detention on a case such as this. He should have been offered something. Asking for Detention is inappropriate under the circumstances."

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"The government agreed to an unsecured bond for one of the codefendants in this case who is facing the exact same penalties.  Codefendant: William “Bill” Dallas. He got a $75k unsecured bond."

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"Doc has no criminal record, has lived in SC with his family for decades, and owns/operates a thriving business in SC that employs over 22 people on any given day. There is no reason to believe that he is a flight risk or danger to the community. This sounds like PETA pulling the strings of the DOJ."

Doc Antle has been mixed up with some shady business dealings involving huge sums of cash that crossed over into illegal territory -- at least according to federal prosecutors.

The 'Tiger King' star's federal indictment was unsealed Monday -- this after he was arrested by the FBI last week in South Carolina -- and his charges are spelled out clear as day. He's facing 2 money laundering counts ... and is accused of having laundered upwards of $500k with an employee/business partner of his who was in on the alleged plot.

Per the docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Doc and this employee, Andrew Sawyer, were soliciting people as early as 2019 to help launder money through a check-writing scheme in which they'd get cash upfront and write a check back to the person ... minus a fee for helping clean the money.

The feds allege Doc and Sawyer had a 15% washing fee ... and that the guys laundered around $505,000 between February and April of 2022. The FBI says they had 2 undercover informants working the case -- and claim to have tons of incriminating audio recordings and tapes of both men.

We'd already been told his bust had to do with alleged money laundering, but now we're getting the full breadth of the case -- and it's pretty insane. They make Doc sound like a regular white collar crook ... albeit one who lives in a lot of greenery.

As you know, Doc runs a wildlife preserve down in Myrtle Beach ... where he houses a ton of different animals in a zoo-like environment. Unfortunately for him, the operation there has also been the subject of much scrutiny since he was put on the map via 'Tiger King.'

In fact, Doc had previously faced criminal charges on the state level for alleged wrongdoing at the Myrtle Beach Safari -- Virginia's AG hit with an indictment of their own, alleging he was trafficking lion cubs across state lines ... which Doc denied at the time.

He's also gotten heat from PETA for letting celeb guests swing by and interact with the animals on a very personal level. Still, PETA never had any real power to make him change his practices.

Doc's due to show up in court on Monday to hear the charges against him -- although, it's unclear if he's going to enter a plea or not. The first count carries a max sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

Originally Published -- 6/6 12:44 PM PT

Boxer Simiso Buthelezi In Coma After Scary Boxing Incident ... Fighting Invisible Opponent

UPDATE

2:48 PM PT -- Troubling news about the condition of boxer Simiso Buthelezi. The fighter is reportedly in a coma, according to his trainer, Bheki Mngomezulu.

UPDATE

The news was shared by South African reporter, Thabiso Mosia.

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"There's no change in his condition, he's in a coma, he's not talking, moving or doing anything right now. The doctors say there could be a blood clot on the brain due to a blow to the head," the trainer said.

UPDATE

Mngomezulu also added Buthelezi's family is devastated by the accident ... and is looking for answers.

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"This is very tough to take, especially for his family. Simiso has just graduated two weeks ago at UniZulu in Zoology and Botany. The family can't understand why this had to happen because Simiso has a bright future"

UPDATE

8:45 AM PT -- Dr. David Abbasi, orthopedic surgeon and ringside doctor, sent us a video analyzing the scary situation involving Simiso Buthelezi. Dr. Abbasi says the ref made the right decision immediately calling off the fight.

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MADE THE RIGHT CALL

Terrifying moment involving a professional boxer in South Africa ... the previously unbeaten fighter became disoriented and started punching air, as if he saw a fighter that didn't exist.

Video of the incident hit social media on Sunday ... showing Simiso Buthelezi fighting Siphesihle Mntungwa for the WBF African lightweight title. In the 10th round of the fight, Simiso was easily winning, when something went very wrong.

A few seconds into the final round, Mntungwa falls through the ropes. When he gets up, the ref tells the men to continue fighting.

However, Buthelezi turns to the referee, and squares up to him, as if he is the opponent. Seeing this happening, the ref shuffles to the side.

Buthelezi then advances to the corner of the ring and starts throwing punches at the air ... as if he were fighting an invisible opponent.

The ref did a great job, sensing something was wrong ... and immediately ended the fight.

Buthelezi was taken to a local hospital where he is reportedly in stable condition.

As for why he had the reaction he did ... that's currently unclear.

Most importantly ... get well soon, Simiso.

Originally Published -- 7:36 AM PT

Dave Chappelle Donating Buffalo Show Ticket Sales To Families of Mass Shooting Victims

Dave Chappelle is giving back following his weekend performance in Buffalo, NY ... making what will be a sizeable donation to families of victims who were killed in that city's recent mass shooting.

Chappelle hit the stage Sunday at the Shea's Performing Arts Center, and we've confirmed he's giving all the money from his ticket sales back to the Buffalo community directly affected by the May 14 tragedy.

It's a 3,000-seat venue, so the final check Dave cuts for the families should be impressive. The decision to do the stand-up gig in Buffalo was last minute -- Dave announced it on Wednesday and the tickets sold out within an hour.

As we've reported, at least 10 people were killed, most of whom were Black ... after a man opened fire with a semi-automatic weapon at a Tops Friendly Market grocery store.

The 18-year-old gunman drove several hours across NY state to the predominately African-American neighborhood. He not only went live on social media during the attack, but beforehand he'd posted a manifesto declaring himself a white supremacist.

He was taken into custody, and has since pleaded not guilty. The FBI is investigating the case as a federal hate crime.

Steve Harvey I Should Do All My Breakups On IG!!! Jokes About Lori & Michael B. Jordan Split

0606-steve-lori-harvey-audio-art-tmz-ig JUNE 2022
FIGURING IT OUT
The Steve Harvey Morning Show

Steve Harvey didn't wait too long to start crackin' jokes about his daughter's breakup with Michael B. Jordan ... and admits he might've learned a new way to avoid another costly divorce.

Steve talked about his daughter Lori Harvey parting ways with MBJ on his morning show Monday ... and can't help himself from getting in a laughing mood while doing so.

He says his kids are teaching him to "get out early" from relationships ... and even thinks a breakup on social media is the way to go -- citing court costs as a dealbreaker. Don't forget, the guy's been divorced 2 times, and had quite the fight in court back in 2018.

Steve's ex-wife Mary sued him for $60M over mental anguish, saying she was suicidal in the wake of their 2005 divorce. The judge just threw out her case, because it belonged in front of a judge in Texas ... where the divorce was handled.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

As we reported, Michael and Lori reportedly split after being together for over a year ... the reason is still unknown, but the two hadn't posted about each other online in months.

Lori seems to have scrubbed her socials, removing any trace of MBJ ... so, yeah.

Wild Video Cowboys Lasso Loose Cow ... On Busy OKC Highway

Absolutely wild scene in Oklahoma City on Monday ... a cow got loose on a busy highway -- and two cowboys (not the ones from Dallas!) had to wrangle it in with horses and lassos!!

A news crew's camera in the sky captured the entire incident ... from the pursuit to the moment the cowboys captured the escaped animal.

Two people using vehicles attempted to pin the cow to a fence near the road ... but once that failed, a cowboy riding on his horse sprang into action and took off after the cow with a rope in hand.

The cowboy then threw the lasso out ... and hooked the beast around its neck. A second cowboy came in and lassoed the cow's feet, mercifully bringing the wild chase to an end.

The takedown was heroic -- considering there were cars zooming by at a high rate of speed on the opposite side of the road just feet away.

Still no word yet on how the cow broke loose ... but, fortunately, it appears all parties involved came away from the scene OK.

Phew.

Johnny Depp Dropping $$$ on Indian Food!!! Celebrates Big Win

Johnny Depp broke the bank on Indian food while overseas ... spending the night with his closest friends to celebrate his massive win over his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Johnny and co. hit up Varanasi -- a restaurant in Birmingham, England -- Sunday night, and they did way more than just order a few apps to share. The joint's Operations Director Mohammed Hussain tells TMZ Johnny's bill was in the neighborhood of 50,000 British pounds, or about $60k.

We're told Johnny was joined by pal Jeff Beck and 20 other hungry friends, and the place was closed down to the public so they all could dine in peace.

Mohammed says he was shocked Johnny was stopping by his place, and says the actor was an extremely humble guy ... the two even chatted it up for a while in his private office.

060422_johnny_depp_kal 6/3/22
HERO'S WELCOME!
TMZ.com

As you know, Johnny's been livin' like a rockstar in the U.K. after his big W in court ... missing the verdict but taking his time overseas to celebrate.

Johnny has said the jury gave him his life back, and a big part of his life has been music. In fact, when Johnny came to Hollywood, his goal was to become a rock star, not an actor.

'Top Gun: Maverick' Paramount Sued Over Film Rights That Story Is Our Family's!!!

Tom Cruise never would've been flying high in 'Top Gun' or its sequel if it wasn't for a story that the films are based on, the rights to which have lapsed ... this per a new lawsuit.

Die-hard fans might already be aware of this -- but the original 'Top Gun' from '86 is based on an article written by a guy named Ehud Yonay ... who wrote a very detailed piece in '83 about fighter pilots in the Navy. Yonay says Paramount snapped up the rights at the time by brokering a deal with him ... and it's well-known the film is based on his story.

That copyright claim Paramount secured at the time had an exclusive ownership period of 35 years ... Yonay's widow and son say they sent Paramount a notice that terminated the studio's rights to the story in January 2020.

The family alleges that Part 2 -- which they insist contains elements of their late dad/hubby's original tale -- wasn't technically completed until May 2021, and they claim it's clearly derivative of Yonay's story.

The timing here is key -- several reports suggest filming for 'Maverick' wrapped in 2019 ... but it will be interesting to see if Paramount claims post-production was completed before January 2020, which the Yonays assert was the cut-off date if Paramount wanted to crank out another 'TG' based on the old license.

Anyway, due to the box office success of the sequel -- upwards of hundreds of millions, globally -- the family is now suing for an injunction to stop Paramount from infringing on the story and, of course, damages. We reached out to Paramount, no word back.

Tom isn't being sued personally.

Amber Heard Sister Posts Message of Support

Amber Heard’s sister has no regrets about the outcome of the Johnny Depp trial -- putting on a united front even in defeat.

Whitney Henriquez shared her support for her “sissy” on IG, this a few days after a jury ruled in favor of her ex-brother-in-law. She didn’t mince words … saying she’d do it all over again. The photo attached was just a hashtag -- #istandwithamberheard.

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WH says, “I still stand with you, sissy. Yesterday, today and tomorrow I will always be proud of you for standing up for yourself, for testifying both here in Virginia and in the UK, and for being the voice of so many who can’t speak to the things that happen behind closed doors."

She adds, “We knew that this was going to be an uphill battle and that the cards were stacked against us. But you stood up and spoke out regardless."

Whitney says she knows what she saw, and would get on the stand for Amber a “million times over.” She also says she still stands with AH — as do others, despite the outcome.

You'll recall, Whitney was one of a handful of witnesses for Team Amber in the 6-week trial down in Virginia — and she was key, because she was the only person who could say they’d seen a physical fight with their own two eyes. Whitney claimed Johnny struck her first, and then went on to pummel Amber at the top of a staircase … aka, the “Kate Moss moment."

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FROM LOVE TO HATE

The opportunity to testify once more on Amber’s behalf might come sooner than later … assuming her sibling actually follows up with appealing the verdict like she’s said she will.

BTW, FOX Network is airing a new TMZ-produced special this week about the case -- it's called "Johnny vs. Amber: From Love to Hate," and it airs Tuesday at 9/8 CT.