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Joe Biden has finally gotten into contact with the wife of Brittney Griner ... and, according to the White House, POTUS assured her they're doing everything they can to bring the WNBA star home.

The White House said in a statement that both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Cherelle Griner on Wednesday ... this after Cherelle had pled with U.S. officials to have Biden call her for the last several weeks.

"The President called Cherelle to reassure her that he is working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible," the White House said ... adding that Biden also read her a draft of a letter he was planning to send to Brittney later Wednesday.

In their statement, White House officials added that Biden told Cherelle they are currently pursuing "every avenue to bring Brittney home."

As you know, Brittney has been in a Russian jail since mid-February ... after she was accused of having drugs in her luggage at an airport in Moscow.

Cherelle has been very vocal about speaking with Biden in the leadup to Brittney's trial -- which began last Friday -- saying last Thursday that she "would love" for the President "to tell me he cares."

White House officials said Wednesday in addition to the phone call, Biden also "directed his national security team to remain in regular contact with Cherelle and Brittney’s family, and with other families of Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad, to keep them updated on efforts to secure the release of their loved ones as quickly as possible."

Hidden cameras in Airbnbs is a hot-button issue lately, but apparently, they're nothing new -- at least according to two renters, who say they were illegally taped by their host.

A couple is suing the host of an Airbnb rental property in Maine, claiming the guy installed a secret recording device in the main bedroom of an apartment they stayed in back in 2020 ... which they worry was rolling during hanky-panky!

In legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kayla DeCristofaro and Ian Kelly say they rented a pad from a guy named Peter Madden around mid-September in Westbrook, ME ... only to later learn the guy was later charged with seven counts of violating privacy using an inside device.

The couple claims they had no knowledge of this at the time ... not suspecting anything was amiss and carrying on with their stay like normal -- including getting busy in the bedroom, among other intimate moments in which they were undressed and/or having private convos.

Welp, about a month later ... DeCristofaro and Kelly allege they were contacted by the local police, which they say informed them that Madden had a camera hidden in a clock radio in the bedroom ... with a full view of the bed, and which was apparently filming.

The pair say they were never told about any cameras from either Madden or Airbnb, and insist they had a reasonable expectation to privacy in the home. They're suing Madden for violation of privacy and emotional distress.

Of course, this has echoes of a woman who just last month alleged there were not-so-secret cameras littered throughout a Philly Airbnb rental -- but the company shut her down, saying there was no truth to the matter ... a conclusion they say was reached by the authorities.

Bam Margera seemingly fell off the wagon after bouncing from a treatment center ... video shows him partying with a group of men while police and his family were desperately looking for him.

After Bam vanished from a Florida rehab facility on June 25th, we're told he met up with some folks at a sports bar Saturday in Pompano Beach and had a couple alcoholic drinks.

One of the people who say they were hanging with Bam tells us the "Jackass" star then asked to be taken to a hospital for an injured wrist, and the person says he drove Bam to the hospital and took a pic of him on a hospital bed on Bam's orders.

We're told Bam later left the hospital and went to a strip club in Pompano Beach ... though Bam told people around him to keep the dancers away from him because he loves his wife and kid.

After the strip club, we're told Bam went to a friend's house, and you can see in our video, he appears to lose consciousness before coming back around. A couple hours later, Bam was picked up by another friend.

The days of Dodger fans getting nuts thrown in their faces are long gone -- famous vendor Roger Owens has been banned from his traditional peanut bag-tossing routine ... with officials deeming the practice too dangerous.

79-year-old Owens -- who's famous for his theatrics when delivering a bag of nuts to fans at Dodger Stadium for decades -- claims he's been told by his bosses to refrain from his signature delivery while walking the aisles of the park.

The reason?? Levy Restaurants -- which is in charge of concessions at the stadium -- believes Owens' peanut pitching is a safety concern for spectators.

"I'm so heartbroken about this," Owens told the Los Angeles Times.

The vendor -- who was featured on the "Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson, as well as several movies and TV shows -- isn't going to fight the decision ... but says he's always been responsible with his craft ... and his goal has always been for the fans to be able to catch their purchases.

"They have time to see it coming," Owens told the outlet. "It’s not some bullet that goes straight through. I’m always wanting to make sure that whoever I am throwing to will catch the bag of peanuts."

The decision is most likely to prevent a lawsuit in case an unsuspecting fan gets hit with an errant toss ... but the Dodgers' 2022 ticket agreement seems to cover the team's ass in that event.

The alleged Highland Park shooter appears to have slipped through the cracks that Congress recently tried patching up with new gun legislation ... with his dad helping him to obtain a gun, even with a ton of warning signs he wasn't fit to own one.

Authorities say Robert Crimo received help from his father in obtaining a gun permit in 2020, who allegedly sponsored his then 19-year-old son for a FOID (firearm owners identification) card, which he needed to buy the semi-automatic weapon, despite alarming incidents just months earlier.

Authorities revealed Tuesday that they’d had a couple run-ins with Crimo in 2019 — one in which he threatened to kill himself, and another where he threatened to kill his own family. Cops say the latter resulted in him having multiple weapons (knives) temporarily taken by law enforcement after his parents refused to press charges and Crimo told them he wasn't a danger to himself and others.

Cops say Crimo was able to get his hands on the weapon used in Monday’s killing because there was technically no reason to deny him. No charges had been filed from the 2019 incidents — which might’ve otherwise barred him — and the only thing on his record in 2020 was a minor ordinance violation.

Plus, he had his old man’s sign-off … nothing outwardly stood out, at least on paper, telling anyone not to treat him like anyone else. Of course, there have also been reports of his disturbing social media activity -- which some say should've been caught and flagged, but wasn't. Sadly, all of this seems to have led to a massive tragedy … leaving at least 7 dead and several others injured.

Crimo’s parents issued a statement, saying they empathized with everyone affected and that their thoughts and prayers were with the victims’ families.

This exact type of scenario — where Crimo was able to legally purchase a weapon despite the past incidents — is one that a gun safety bill that President Biden just signed into law is supposed to address and fix.

The bipartisan effort significantly tightens up red flag laws and background checks for would-be gun buyers … and if mental health issues are found, it disqualifies that person. It seems the bill was too late though — Crimo apparently had this gun for a couple years before allegedly carrying out his act.

Hayden Panettiere is opening up for the first time about a secret addiction to opioids and alcohol ... saying it took a huge toll on her life and career.

The "Nashville" star, in an interview on "Good Morning America," says she struggled with substance abuse, as well as a battle with postpartum depression after having her 7-year-old daughter, Kaya, saying, "I was on top of the world and I ruined it."

Hayden says at one point, her addiction to alcohol got so bad that she was hospitalized, suffering from jaundice, and the docs warned her liver was going to give out. Now, she says, trauma therapy and inpatient treatment over the last year has brought her to a place of peace ... but it's taken a lot of work.

As a childhood star, she says someone on her team gave her "happy pills" before she appeared on red carpets, "They were to make me peppy during interviews. I had no idea that this was not an appropriate thing, or what door that would open for me when it came to my addiction."

She says as the addiction got worse, she did have one place of sobriety, "My saving grace is that I couldn't be messy while on set and working ... But, things kept getting out of control [off set]. And, as I got older, the drugs and alcohol became something I almost couldn't live without."

Is it Michael or a Michael imposter? That ongoing debate about 3 of Michael Jackson's posthumously released songs is behind the sudden disappearance of the tracks from major streaming services.

The songs -- "Monster," "Keep Your Head Up" and "Breaking News" -- were all on the "Michael" album, released in 2010 ... the year after Jackson's death. But, ever since they came out some fans, and even Michael's family members, have questioned whether they feature legit MJ vocals.

The songs vanished from Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal streaming services last week, which many fans saw as confirmation that's not really MJ singing on them -- however, a rep for the official MJ website says that's not exactly the case.

The rep confirms the songs "are no longer being made available by Sony Music for purchase or streaming but I should point out that the removal of these three songs has nothing to do with their authenticity. The Estate and Sony Music believe the continuing conversation about the tracks is distracting the fan community and casual Michael Jackson listeners from focusing their attention where it should be -- on Michael’s legendary and deep music catalog."

One fan who probably isn't buying that explanation is Vera Serova, who filed a lawsuit in 2014, accusing Sony Music, the Jackson Estate and the producers of the songs of lying to consumers. She lost the case in 2018, but is now appealing to California's Supreme Court.

The Estate tells TMZ ... taking down the songs was "the simplest and best way to move beyond the conversation associated with these tracks once and for all." Instead, the Estate wants fans to focus on the Tony-winning Broadway production, "MJ: The Musical" and other projects celebrating his catalog. The rep added, "Nothing should be read into this action concerning the authenticity of the tracks."

A scary moment for Carlos Santana and his fans, as the legendary musician collapsed onstage during one of his concerts.

Santana was performing at Pine Knob Music Theater, outside Detroit, Tuesday night, when a concertgoer tells us the medical emergency happened. We're told Santana was bout 4 or 5 songs into his set, and started to sing a song called "Joy."

Realizing something was wrong, we're told Santana sat down in front of the drums, and then collapsed backward. From there, many staffers, including EMTs rushed to his aid.

You can see in video from the show, a black tarp was brought out in order to shield Santana while officials were working on him.

Thankfully, Santana came back around, and was seen waving to the crowd as he was wheeled off the stage.

It's currently unclear what caused Carlos to collapse, but it appears he was taken to the hospital for further evaluation.

Brad Pitt has pissed off a lot of people, so he says, because he fails to recognize them ... but Brad says he believes he suffers from a medical condition called face blindness.

Brad has talked about this struggle in the past ... he just can't recognize people by looking at their faces -- even family members.

The condition is called prosopagnosia ... in lay terms, face blindness. About 2 and a half percent of the population suffers from it in varying degrees. Some researchers have theorized the condition is brought on by underdevelopment in the womb.

Brad has said over the years he's taken a lot of heat by people who felt he was aloof and self-absorbed ... because he didn't care enough about other people to remember them. Brad tells GQ, "Nobody believes me!"

The 58-year-old actor says he's never gone for an official diagnosis, but he's confident he has the condition.

As for how people with the affliction deal ... they use other markers to ID friends, family and associates ... it could be the way they walk, their voice, etc.

Brad told Esquire back in 2013, "So many people hate me because they think I'm disrespecting them."

Brad was brutally honest about lots of things in the interview, including the heartache he felt after the collapse of his marriage to Angelina Jolie and the bitter divorce that followed. He said, "I think all our hearts are broken ... I always felt very alone in my life, alone growing up as a kid, alone even out here, and it's really not till recently that I have had a greater embrace of my friends and family."

Brad is clean and sober, having spent 18 months in AA. He's also cut out cigarettes.

Jayland Walker's older sister says she's not ready to watch her brother getting gunned down by cops ... and believes the story officers are giving of the moments that led up to his killing has been planted to put him in a bad light.

Jada Walker was understandably emotional as she recalled her brother's life during an interview with ABC News Wednesday, saying the Jayland she knew isn't the one depicted by officers of the Akron, OH police department ... she also says she never knew him to own a gun.

Jada says she can't bring herself to watch the body cam footage, choosing not to remember her brother in such a horrific manner. She also thinks the photo that was circulated showing a gun in Walker's vehicle was staged.

As you know, body cam footage was released Sunday that showed Jayland Walker being hit by gunshots at least 60 times, killing him. The shooting happened shortly after a traffic stop turned into a car chase throughout the city, ending in a foot pursuit.

Warren Jeffs, the subject of a popular new Netflix documentary -- "Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey" -- has been closely watched for his own protection for the past decade while locked away, TMZ has learned.

A rep for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice tells TMZ ... Warren has been in protective custody since he arrived at the Louis C. Powledge Unit in Anderson County back in 2011.

The area is designed to provide the ultimate protection for inmates ... he stays in his cell for 22 hours each day ... even his meals are brought to him. He's given some rec time, but isn't allowed to interact with other inmates.

An inmate is placed in protective custody when there's been a serious, direct or proven threat to their safety. The circumstances surrounding his confinement have not been made public.

As we reported, Warren took his new mug shot Thursday ... as his Netflix doc continues to do big numbers. The series examines his controversial church ... where polygamy reigned supreme.

From gunslinging in a helmet to ... word-spewing in a headset???

Brett Favre says that is now a real possibility ... telling TMZ Sports he's starting to open up to the idea of joining a big network to broadcast and analyze NFL games.

"I would consider it," the 52-year-old Green Bay Packers legend said.

Of course, the offer would have to be right -- Favre said he's looking for a "great deal" and perhaps a Monday night or Thursday night broadcasting gig -- but he, nonetheless, said he'd seriously ponder it all.

Favre joked though, the nation would have to get used to his "country accent" and "aw-shucks mentality."

As for another quarterback legend who's already committed to broadcasting games in the future -- Tom Brady -- Favre said he's not surprised at all the guy received a $375 MILLION deal to talk ball on TV.

"If anybody's worth it," he said, "it's Tom Brady."

It looks like it's back to business for Travis Barker 'cause he's getting back into the studio ... after being released from the hospital.

Travis was spotted Tuesday behind the wheel of a Mercedes G Wagon, heading into a Calabasas studio to make some musical magic.

Clearly, the Blink-182 drummer is feeling a whole lot better and looked pretty healthy, sporting black shades and a "D.O.A." T-shirt as he emerged from his vehicle in the studio's parking lot.

Travis was anything but dead on arrival, though. In fact, he greeted the studio operator with an energetic fist bump, before heading inside.

We're told several other musicians arrived at the studio about 30 minutes later along with Travis' assistant, who went on a food and coffee run for the entire crew. Whatever Travis and Co. are cooking up from behind those walls must be good ... they've been rocking out for hours, we're told.

Of course, this comes after Travis was rushed to the hospital last week. TMZ broke the story ... he had a colonoscopy that triggered pancreatitis, which is a serious health issue that kept him in the hospital bed for days as he was being treated.

Travis told folks on social media, "During the endoscopy, I had a very small polyp removed right in a very sensitive area, usually handled by specialists, which unfortunately damaged a critical pancreatic drainage tube. This resulted in severe life threatening pancreatitis."

This isn't the first time we've seen Travis out since the health scare. Travis and Kourtney were also spotted taking a joyride in a vintage truck on July 4th, with Penelope and Reign cruising in the back.

Scoring anything Janis Joplin owned would be cool, but an instrument that belonged to Janis AND Jimi Hendrix is a whole new level of rock memorabilia.

We're talking about a hand-painted mandolin that fetched a whopping $281,250 after 29 bidders battled it out. The history on this item is pretty cool, so that price could be considered a steal.

Up until now, it has never been up for auction, and had been a part of a private collection for 20 years after it was acquired from the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.

More importantly, guitar god Jimi was the last famous owner ... having received it from Janis as a gift.

Besides just being a cool instrument to own, the mandolin represents the friendship between 2 of the most iconic rock stars of all time. It's painted with flowers and phrases such as "love thy neighbor," "Janis Joplin & B.B.H.Co," and "Jimi Hendrix."

The new owner got themselves 2 Rock and Roll Hall of Famers for the price of one.

BTW, the Johnny Depp motorcycle from "Cry-Baby" was a part of the same auction ... but its reserve price wasn't met. Instead, GWS auctions say it has several museums interested and currently vying for it.

New York City local Rochelle Aytes was 28 years old when she was cast as Denise Porter -- a local New York news reporter, reporting at a charity fashion show in The Hamptons -- in the 2004 Comedy "White Chicks."

Rochelle shared the big screen with comedy brothers Shawn Wayans as Agent Kevin Copeland ... and Brittany Wilson, and Marlon Wayans as Agent Marcus Copeland .. and as Tiffany Wilson, Busy Philipps as the dancing and love-seeking friend, Karen and Terry Crews as the muscular pro-basketball player and lip singer, Latrell Spencer.

A 2-year-old child was left to fend for himself after both of his parents were killed during Monday's mass shooting at the July 4th parade in Illinois.

37-year-old Kevin McCarthy, and 35-year-old Irina McCarthy, both died after a 21-year-old armed with an assault rifle opened fire on the unsuspecting crowd.

The McCarthy’s son, Aiden, was reportedly separated from his parents and got lost in the chaos.

Apparently, a couple found the young boy in the midst of Monday's mayhem and brought him to the local fire department.

Reports say the 2-year-old was eventually reunited with his grandparents at a hospital.

As we've reported, 7 people have died and at least 30 were injured during Monday’s massacre. The shooter fired off close to 70 rounds.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help support Aiden, who is now without both parents. The creators of the page wrote, "We took him to safety under tragic circumstances, came together to locate his grandparents, and prayed for the safety of his family."