TMZ.com Home

"Love is Blind" contestant Jeremy Hartwell says the producers behind the Netflix reality show plied contestants with booze, deprived them of food and water, and paid them less than minimum wage ... and now he's suing.

Jeremy, who appeared on season two of the popular reality dating show, is going after Netflix, production company Kinetic Content and casting company Delirium TV with a class action lawsuit.

According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, the show manufactured drama by forcing the contestants to film while they were drunk, starved, sleep-deprived and underpaid.

Jeremy claims the only drinks regularly provided to the cast were alcoholic beverages, energy drinks, soft drinks and mixers ... he says water was strictly limited during long days on set.

He claims producers would sometimes even withhold hotel room keys so contestants couldn't get sleep, while directing hotel staff not to provide the cast with food.

Jeremy says the combination of sleep deprivation, isolation, lack of food, and an excess of alcohol contributed to inhumane working conditions on the show ... and says it made cast members hungry for social connections, altering their emotions and decision-making.

In the show, contestants go to separate pods to meet their dates, flirting and conversing through speakers while unable to see the other person. In order to meet in person, two contestants have to first get engaged.

Jeremy says he left the show feeling like a zombie and realized he was open to emotional manipulation during production.

As for the pay scale ... Jeremy says producers paid the cast a flat rate of $1,000 per week and forced them to work up to 20 hours a day, 7 days a week, working out to as little as $7.14 an hour ... well below L.A. County's $15 minimum wage.

Jeremy, who wants more contestants from 'Love Is Blind' and other reality shows to join his class action suit, is going after Netflix, Kinetic and Delirium for money, and he wants them hit with civil penalties for labor code violations.

Former Denver Broncos defensive back Brendan Langley is breathing easier today ... his airport assault case has been dismissed, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to a court official, the case was dropped on Wednesday.

Langley's attorney, Halim Dhanidina, tells us the reasoning is because officials determined Langley "used force that was reasonably necessary" during the now-famous May altercation at Newark Liberty International Airport.

"We are grateful for the Court’s decision which puts an end to this ordeal that began nearly two months ago when Mr. Langley was assaulted then wrongfully arrested and charged for exercising his rights under the law," said Dhanidina, who works for Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP.

As we reported, Langley was initially arrested and charged with simple assault after he socked a United Airlines employee during a May 19 argument at the airport's ticket counter.

Langley -- who hit the guy so many times, he forced him to bleed -- said afterward through his attorney that he was simply defending himself. Langley's rep told us that the United employee had harassed the former NFL player, called him names, and got physical first.

Langley, a Broncos third-round draft pick in 2017, had just signed on to play wide receiver for the Calgary Stampeders, who initially decided to suspend him indefinitely over the fight. No word yet if they're now reinstating him following Wednesday's decision in court.

More trouble for MTV and its new 'Jersey Shore' project, as things have already come to a halt less than a week after production started ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to "Jersey Shore 2.0" tell us the new cast of housemates was ready to let loose in Atlantic City -- a house was already fitted with cameras, lighting and a security guard -- when everything suddenly came to a stop.

We've spoken with multiple people connected to the show who say one of the only explanations to pull the plug so suddenly would be an issue with the cast, either they just don't vibe or there was a behavioral issue. We are being told by one source production details are being worked out.

What's more, we got photos outside of the home from Friday showing black SUVs and the production equipment, but over the weekend, our sources say it was all packed up and taken away. So, whatever went wrong, it was sudden.

MTV will only confirm production has been "paused."

What's interesting ... MTV still hasn't announced who was going to be on "Jersey Shore 2.0" -- which is supposed to feature a younger crew than the OGs of Snooki, Pauly D, The Situation, JWoww, Vinny, Deena and Angelina.

Speaking of the OGs, they're probably pretty thrilled '2.0' has hit the skids ... they've made it VERY clear, they hate the concept.

When MTV announced the new venture, the 'Jersey Shore' stars bashed the network, saying, "... we are not in support of a version that will exploit our original show, our hard work and authenticity to gain viewers."

Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello are selling their old digs in Beverly Hills for something bigger and better in the same area ... but first, they're looking to sell their current spectacular estate for close to $20 million.

The "America's Got Talent" judge and her hubby just put their 7-bedroom home, complete with a brand-spankin' new chef's kitchen on the market for $19.6 million ... a nice possible profit for the pair considering Sofia bought the place for $10.6 million in 2014.

Our real estate sources tell us Joe and Sofia put a bunch of money into renovating the home, which features over 11,000 sq ft of living space, and has soaring ceilings and hardwood floors throughout.

Not to mention, it's got a full-sized gym, pool with a spa, movie theater and even a wine room to store plenty of bottles.

As for their plan moving forward ... we're told the couple's been renovating a bigger home in the area for a couple years now that's almost at completion, so that'll be where they call home next.

Horrifying moment on a Little League baseball diamond over the weekend ... gunshots rang out near the field, sending kids and coaches running for cover.

The terrifying scene happened on Sunday in North Carolina ... when South Durham's 8U Orange All-Star team and Wilmington's 8U Machine Pitch squad were playing at the Gillette Athletic Complex in Wilson, NC.

Video shows three gunshots -- appearing to be VERY close to the action on the field -- went off, forcing the 7 and 8-year-old players, along with coaches, umps, parents and spectators to hit the ground and sprint away in a panic.

Thankfully, cops say no one was hurt in the incident ... though, according to WITN, a minivan's window that was parked near the field was struck by the gunfire.

Despite everyone making it out physically unscathed, the two teams have since pulled out of the tournament -- with South Durham officials saying it was best for the kids.

"It was a terrifying situation for all involved," the team said in a statement. "Video shows coaches bravely covering players with their bodies and crawling off baseball fields."

"No child or parent should ever experience anything like this."

The Wilson Police Department, meanwhile, said in a statement that it is investigating the shooting ... but added there's currently "no evidence that this situation was an active shooter incident."

Elon Musk may think he's getting out of this Twitter deal scot-free, but Senator Elizabeth Warren thinks he might be setting the table for a healthy helping of crow.

The Massachusetts legislator gave us her two cents on the situation Tuesday on Capitol Hill, where she seemed to be in a hurry (per usual). Still, she shot us a little insight of her read into EM trying to pull out of the $44 billion mega-deal ... and she kinda laughed at him.

Watch ... sounds like SEW is team Twitter, saying the Tesla chief may think the rules don't apply to him -- but that he's in for a big surprise as the bird app prepares to fight back.

As you know ... Elon has said he's halting the buy-out because he claims Twitter hasn't handed over the info he wants on suspected bot accounts, among other things, which he claims gives him the right to kill the whole thing.

Twitter, meanwhile, is now taking him to court ... and seems dead set on forcing him to pay what he's agreed to, even though the price in Twitter stock has dropped drastically. The company says Elon is only trying to drop out because the stock market took a big drop after he signed the deal in April ... and both his personal and Twitter's value dropped too.

Elon sounds confident he'll win in front of a judge, but Sen. Warren isn't so sure -- although she stops short of saying why she might feel that way. We know she's no fan of his (or billionaires in general), so maybe she's simply telegraphing what she wants for an outcome.

Mickey Rourke stands in strong defense of his pal Johnny Depp after his legal war ... saying he's been in the same position as him, and he thinks Amber Heard is nothing but a gold digger.

Mickey joined Piers Morgan for an interview on Britain's Talk TV Tuesday, admitting he knows what it feels like to go through what Johnny did, claiming he's also been blamed for something he didn't do.

He says he went through a costly battle, giving him a bad reputation, and it wasn't until he'd lost tons of work that the "truth came out" ... allowing him to land roles once again.

Unclear exactly what Mickey feels he was blamed for -- he didn't get specific -- but it is true he seemed to be blacklisted in Hollywood in the '90s.

As for Amber Heard, MR says he sees right through her -- he refers to her as "some gold digger" ... Piers asks if he truly believes that, to which he responds, "Abso- f***ing-lutely."

As we reported, Amber filed legal docs last week claiming one of the jurors in the defamation trial was fraudulently empaneled -- saying a man was summoned to be a juror for the trial, but his son appeared instead. She believes that's grounds to throw out the verdict and have a new trial.

Fake Drake will get his wish to fight in the Celebrity Boxing arena ... just not against the man to whom he owes his livelihood.

Damon Feldman of Celeb Boxing tells TMZ Hip Hop that Lamar Odom -- AKA ex-NBA champ, husband to Khloé Kardashian -- has agreed to square off against Frake ... and this one feels a little personal.

Lamar dropped a prefight video while rocking a Nipsey Hussle shirt ... and he seemed pissed Fake Drake was trying to drag the real deal into the ring. So L.O. promised to help his friend and lay out the impersonator once and for all.

Not to be outdone, Fake Drake shot a training vid of his pugilistic skills -- although he's mainly ducking punches.

He's gonna need some serious evasive techniques -- Lamar stands at 6'10, won championships with Kobe Bryant annnd has already beat up J Lo's ex-husband and knocked out Aaron Carter in Celeb Boxing matches so ... good luck Fake Drake.

While they're still deciding between Atlantic City or Miami, we're told the fight is definitely on for October 15.

Hasim Rahman Jr. says he knows where Tyron Woodley went wrong against Jake Paul -- leading to a brutal knockout -- telling TMZ Sports he will absolutely NOT make the same mistakes as the future UFC Hall of Famer.

"Bro, [Jake's] a little boy, and I'm gonna treat him like one. That's what Woodley didn't do. Woodley gave him too much respect, and he sat back with his hands down and he got caught," 31-year-old Rahman Jr. bluntly said when we asked where Tyron went wrong when fighting 25-year-old Paul.

And, 6'3" Rahman Jr. -- who has previously fought north of 260 pounds -- believes he has another advantage ... size!

"All of Jake's opponents have been smaller than him. All of them have been much smaller. This is the first time he's going to be in there with someone that's walking him down and much bigger than him."

Paul -- who's 6'1" and was 191 pounds when he fought Woodley (T-Wood weight 189 for 2021 rematch) -- has faced fighters who all stand under 6 feet (Gib, 5'9". Robinson, 5'8". Askren, 5'11". Woodley, 5'9").

Rahman Jr., 12-1, just fought April 29 ... where he suffered his first loss, via TKO. But, that didn't stop the son of the former 2x heavyweight champ from accepting the Paul fight when Tommy Fury dropped out ... even though Hasim claims Jake made him accept strict rules meant to diminish the heavyweight boxer in the ring.

Hasim says although the fight will be contested at 200 pounds ... he'll only be permitted to rehydrate to 210 pounds just hours before the bell rings. A guy Rahman Jr.'s size could typically gain 15, 20 or more pounds in between making weight and the fight.

"If you really wanted to make a statement you would've came up to heavyweight and fought me. But you didn't. You wanted to bring me down, and stack the deck against me, so you could actually have a fighting chance. He knows he has no chance against me had it been at my weight class," Hasim says.

We also talked to Rahman Jr. about Logan Paul advising his brother to not take the fight, and much more.

New video shows the horrific scene inside the Uvalde school where a gunman murdered 19 children and 2 teachers, and you see the police try and approach the shooter and then run for cover when the gunman shoots at them.

KVUE TV obtained the surveillance video ... 3 minutes after the shooter entered the school and began firing rounds into 2 classrooms, you see the police enter the hallway inside the school and approach the door outside the classroom where the shooter was firing rounds at the children.

The shooter then begins firing rounds outside the classroom, presumably at the cops. The police then flee the immediate area and retreat a distance away ... looking for cover in the hallway.

Two cops touch their head and neck area, as if to see if they were shot.

For the next 45 minutes, you see reinforcements arrive ... but they never try to breach the classroom. They eventually set up right outside the classroom but don't attempt to enter for another 30 minutes. That's when they enter a classroom and they see the shooter emerging from a closet and a Border Patrol cop shoots him dead.

LeBron James says Brittney Griner's been in captivity for way too long without the U.S. bringing her home, so if he were the WNBA star, he'd question returning to America.

Bron made the comments during a recent taping of "The Shop" ... when the conversation apparently turned to the incarcerated American hoops star.

"Now, how can she feel like America has her back? I would be feeling like, 'Do I even want to go back to America?'"

It's clear -- at least from the short trailer that was released -- that LeBron doesn't believe the U.S. is doing nearly enough to bring BG home.

Of course, Griner was arrested in a Russian airport near Moscow in mid-February ... after Russian authorities said they found vape cartridges with cannabis oil in her bag.

Initially, the American public wasn't made aware Griner was arrested ... which was strategic on the part of America. With the Russia-Ukraine war waging, the U.S. knew Griner could be used by Russia to gain leverage against the West.

But, that strategy only worked for a couple of weeks. Eventually, the news got out, and it's been one of the biggest stories since.

Griner's case has consistently been covered in America, and across the world.

Brittney's wife, Cherelle Griner, recently spoke with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

(Note: in fairness to LBJ's point, "The Shop" episode seems to have been filmed before Cherelle spoke to the president.)

Biden also wrote a letter to Brittney ... which she recently received.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has regularly fielded questions from reporters at the WH about all topics Griner-related.

The United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has also been in communication with the Griner family. U.S. Congressman Colin Allred, a former athlete at Baylor (like Brittney), has also spent countless hours working to free Griner.

Politicians aside, everyone from fellow athletes to regular people have been touched by the Griner case ... and have prayed for her safe return.

In fact, supporters of other prisoners locked up abroad, particularly in Russia, have been peeved by how hard the U.S. government has seemingly tried to get BG back, while other families believe the same level of effort isn't being paid to the cases of their loved ones.

As for her release ... unfortunately, nothing looks imminent.

After months of sitting in a Russian cell, Griner recently appeared before a judge and indicated her desire to plead guilty to the drug charge.

Griner has not yet been sentenced. She could face 10 years in prison.

Full "The Shop" ep. drops Friday on HBO.

A surfer beat the crap out of a younger bodyboarder after they crashed into each other while riding the same wave ... and the brutal attack is all on video.

The dustup happened at a popular surf spot in Gold Coast, Australia ... where punches started flying after a wipeout.

The surfer was the clear aggressor, swimming over to the bodyboarder and landing several blows to the face.

Other folks in the water race over to get the surfer away from the bodyboarder ... with at least one onlooker telling the surfer his target was half his age and only a kid.

The surfer seems frustrated, throwing up his hands as the video ends ... and it seems he was set off by colliding with the bodyboarder inside a nice barrel.

American actress and fashion designer Michael Michele was 36 years old when she was cast as Judy Spears -- the smart and sassy advertising representative who mysteriously attempts to humiliate and set up her coworker -- in the 2003 romance/comedy film "How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days."

Michael shared the big screen with big stars including Kate Hudson as the independent and intelligent journalist, Andie Anderson, Matthew McConaughey as the hot advertising guy, Benjamin Barry, Kathryn Hahn as the desperate girlfriend, Michelle Rubin and Adam Goldberg as one of Ben's sidekicks, Tony.

Chris Rock's new relationship with actress Lake Bell is heading for new waters, quite literally ... the two are on a romantic trip overseas.

Chris and Lake were living it up in the town of Trogir in Croatia Tuesday ... holding hands as they walk along the boardwalk -- as massive yachts dock nearby. Unclear if the trip was for work, pleasure, or a combo of both ... but we're told the two were definitely enjoying each other's company.

We've seen the couple get pretty close as of late ... hitting up baseball games, getting dinner and even taking a nice romantic stroll on the beach.

We spoke with Chris' brother, Tony, at LAX this week, who jokingly told us he's happy his bro's love life is finally the talk of the town.

Twitter's delivering on its promise to sue Elon Musk for backing out of what they say was his promise to buy the platform -- and they want a judge to force him to follow through.

In the lawsuit, Twitter says it's clear that Elon's only backing out because the stock market tanked right after he signed the deal in April to purchase for $44 billion. The company says that dip reduced Musk's wealth by $100 billion, and Twitter's value also slumped ... making his offer even more over the company's market value.

Translation: His offer suddenly looked ridiculous, and that's the only reason he wanted out.

According to the suit, Twitter's not buying his excuse about the platform being riddled with bot accounts ... calling that a "model of hypocrisy." As Twitter puts it ... Elon had very publicly said one of the reasons he wanted to buy Twitter was to "defeat the spam bots."

NASA's very high hopes for the James Webb Telescope go way beyond those stunning, out-of-this-world images you've seen -- astronaut Mike Massimino says it could literally redefine the universe for us.

Mike joined TMZ live Tuesday, shortly after NASA released even more impressive photos of galaxies and stars forming billions of light-years away from Earth. He says scientists hope the telescope will achieve 2 major goals.

The first is trying to look back into stellar history as far as possible -- about 13.8 billion years ago -- to see the very first light created at the moment of the Big Bang!!! Meaning, it would no longer just be theory.

Mind-blowing, right???

Mike says the J-dub Telescope could also help us find other habitable planets. Now, he says there's no need to pack your bags -- we won't be able to hop on one of Elon Musk's rockets to get there, even IF we find such a planet.

As we've told you, NASA released 4 new shockingly clear space images Tuesday, after unveiling an initial image on Monday ... which the space agency called "the deepest, sharpest infrared image of the universe ever.⁣"