'Sex And The City' Willie Garson's Estate Sells L.A. Home ... Almost 1 Year After Death

Willie Garson's former L.A. home is now officially off the market, his estate found a buyer nearly a year after his death.

The late "Sex and the City" actor's bungalow in Valley Village sold last week for $1.9 million, a jump from it's original $1.695 million listing price. The home was on the market for a month.

Willie bought the 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath home back in 2005 for just over a million dollars. The Spanish-style home features 10,399 square feet of living space and comes with a ton of charm.

The living room has beamed vaulted ceilings, built-in bookshelves and a fireplace. The backyard is very private, and the new homeowners can enjoy a pool and spa.

TMZ broke the story ... Willie -- who was famous for his role in the "Sex and the City" series and various movies -- died last September after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Bryan Abrams of Sotheby's International Realty held the listing.

What's The Big Frigin' Difference?!

You may have to improvise and just go with the flow to solve this frigin' difference of 'Parks And Rec' star Aubrey Plaza. Unlike a lazy intern ... if you have high hopes of finding the changes in these two similar shots ... you must pay close attention.

The on-trend comedian was recently taking a SoHo stroll in New York City and gearing up for the release of her newest film "Emily The Criminal." Go ahead and grab your clutch and make your way towards the differences in these images.

**HINT: There are THREE differences in the above Aubrey Plaza photos!**

Fernando Tatis Jr. MLB Superstar Suspended 80 Games ... Over Positive PED Test

Shocking news in the baseball world ... Fernando Tatis Jr. -- one of the best players in the MLB -- has just been suspended 80 games!

Commissioner Rob Manfred announced the ban on Friday afternoon -- after he and the league say the San Diego Padres' all-world shortstop tested positive for Clostebol, a performance-enhancing substance.

According to the MLB, Tatis' suspension will begin immediately.

The Padres, meanwhile, said in a statement that they were "surprised and extremely disappointed" to learn of the positive test.

The team added that they "fully support" MLB's joint drug prevention and treatment program and "are hopeful that Fernando will learn from this experience."

After sitting out all of this season with a wrist injury, Tatis Jr. was just about to return to the Padres within the next few days.

And, everyone in the org. was stoked for it -- because the team just added stars Juan Soto and Josh Bell at the trade deadline ... and figured the duo, plus Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and the rest of the roster, would then push for a World Series run.

Tatis Jr. will now be ineligible to compete in the postseason this year -- and due to the length of the ban, he'll have to serve part of the suspension in the 2023 season as well.

The Padres are currently 16 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West -- but currently hold one of the National League's available Wild Card spots.

Anne Heche Dead at 53

UPDATE

11:46 AM PT -- A rep for Anne's family tells TMZ ... "We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend. Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy. Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact."

Anne Heche has died from injuries she suffered last Friday after driving her car through a Los Angeles home ... her rep tells TMZ Anne is "brain dead" and under California law that is the definition of death.

The rep adds life support machines are keeping Anne's heart beating for the purpose of preserving her organs for donations, however, the rep made it clear ... Anne has no brain function.

The actress died Friday at an L.A.-area hospital ... she was rushed there in a coma, in critical condition and never regained consciousness. We're told she suffered a severe anoxic brain injury -- complete oxygen deprivation to the brain.

Anne had a long and successful career in Hollywood, getting her start playing Vicky Hudson and Marley Love in the soap, "Another World," winning a Daytime Emmy.

When Anne moved over to the big screen, she landed roles in some huge movies ... including "Donnie Brasco," "Volcano," "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Six Days Seven Nights," "Return to Paradise," the "Psycho" remake and "Wag the Dog."

Anne also starred in a number of TV shows, like "Men in Trees," "Hung," "Aftermath" and "The Brave" ... and she also did voice work for the animated TV series "The Legend of Korra."

During the first year of the pandemic, Anne was a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars."

Anne famously dated Ellen DeGeneres back in the day ... starting in 1997 until their highly-publicized split in August 2000 ... she ended up marrying cameraman Coleman Laffoon, whom she met on Ellen's stand-up comedy tour.

Heche had a child with Laffoon, but their marriage ended in divorce. Her next relationship was with her "Men in Trees" costar, James Tupper, with whom she had her second child. They split in 2018 after 10 years together.

TMZ broke the story ... LAPD sources say Anne was under the influence of cocaine and possibly fentanyl on Aug. 5 when she committed at least 2 hit-and-runs before crashing through a home and causing a fire.

080922-anne-heche-kal 7/4/18
THE LAST TIME WE SAW HER
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Anne sustained significant injuries in the crash, including severe burns and lung damage.

Anne was 53.

RIP

Originally Published -- 11:19 AM PT

Kanye West Checks Out Malibu Pad With Mystery Chick

UPDATE

2:09 PM PT -- It appears the woman is OnlyFans model, Monica Corgan, who Kanye's been linked to in the past ... as we reported, the two were spotted at a movie together months ago.

Kanye West has a lot of construction going on at his Malibu home, and it's possible he's now working on a new relationship too ... after being spotted with a mystery woman.

Kanye and the brunette -- who did her best to keep her face hidden from cameras -- hit up Ye's nearly $60 million Malibu beachfront home. Unclear if the woman is just a friend, or something more, but she was decked out in tights, an oversized hoodie and possibly Balenciaga sunglasses.

Of course, if you know anything about Kanye and his recent girlfriends -- like Julia Fox and Chaney Jones -- they're almost always exclusively dressed in Balenciaga.

No word on how far along house construction is, Ye's completely gutted it ... but you gotta imagine it'll be quite the spectacle once finished.

As we've reported, Kim and Kanye have been on friendly terms as of late -- following her split with Pete Davidson -- but the home Ye bought next to Kim's remains unchanged ... so it doesn't look like he has any plans to actually move in.

Originally Published -- 1:25 PM PT

Shaq Breaks His Chair during Podcast ... 'I Broke The Damn Chair'

File under: Big man problems.

Shaquille O'Neal proved his size is no match for furniture ... 'cause the Big Aristotle broke his chair while giving relationship advice to women, and the viral moment was caught on video!!

The hilarious mishap happened on an episode of Shaq's "The Big Podcast" -- when O'Neal and his co-host, Nischelle Turner, were talking about what leads people to ghost each other ... when disaster struck!

Shaq offered his response ... leaning back and stretching then suddenly, you hear a crack and a look of concern on the face of the gentle giant.

"I broke the chair, I broke the damn chair," O'Neal said to Turner, who was in awe at what she just witnessed.

50-year-old Shaq -- who stands over 7 feet tall and weighs over 300 pounds -- laughed about the blunder. However, O'Neal knew the jokes would fly once the Internet saw the footage.

O'Neal admittedly struggled with his weight during the pandemic ... but the big fella has been making strides to get back on the right track, including exploring options like going vegan.

Despite the gaffe ... Shaq was a good sport about it, but, man, what a scare!! 😅

Whitney Houston Naomie Ackie Films New Scenes ... Hops In Porsche For Biopic

Naomie Ackie looks like she's enjoying the hell out of playing Whitney Houston for an upcoming biopic on the late singer ... tooling around town in a sportscar during filming.

The British actress couldn't hold back a huge grin as she shot some scenes Thursday in Los Angeles, riding shotgun in a Porsche and eating french fries. Honestly, it sounds hard to do without smiling.

Whitney's fashion sense looks like it will be on full display in "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" ... Naomie's wardrobe is straight out of the late 80s and early 90s ... those animal print shorts sure are something else.

We gotta say, Naomi looks a lot like Whitney ... she's definitely got the singer's trademark hair down.

Naomi's been shooting a bunch of scenes in L.A. this week, with filming locations also taking her down to the marina to film on a boat.

Like we said, Naomi's loving every minute of her job.

R. Kelly Lawyer Says Joycelyn Is Not Pregnant With His Baby ... Pushes Back Against Fiancée, Alleged Victim

UPDATE

5:26 PM PT -- R. Kelly's lawyer is denying claims he impregnated his fiancée.

UPDATE

Kelly's attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, says Joycelyn "is certainly not pregnant with R. Kelly’s child."

UPDATE

Bonjean also says Joycelyn's book is not a tell-all memoir and adds, "people are just insane."

R. Kelly's fiancée, and the woman the world believed was his victim, Joycelyn Savage, just dropped a bomb ... claiming to be pregnant with the singer's baby.

Joycelyn reveals in her upcoming book she's several months pregnant, learning she was expecting after the disgraced artist sent her an engagement ring. She says Kelly is "extremely excited about the news," but wishes he could be there for the birth of their kid.

The big hole, obviously, is she never explains how the child was conceived -- R. Kelly has been locked up for over a year.

A lawyer for Joycelyn's parents tells TMZ they're still processing the news, but aren't willing to make a comment at this time.

As we reported, Joycelyn revealed the two were engaged through a letter sent to the judge ahead of his sentencing, asking for him to get a lenient sentence while claiming, "I'm not the victim that the government has portrayed me to be."

In her book, she refers to Azriel Clary, one of Kelly's other live-in GF's as "the other girl" ... saying she became bipolar and eventually "smeared my name all over social media" after returning to her family.

Azriel Clary Fight JANUARY 2020
FACE TO FACE
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As you know, Azriel wanted out of the situation and tried getting Joycelyn to leave, too ... resulting in them landing blows on each other back in 2020.

Originally Published -- 1:00 PM PT

Kobe Bryant Photo Trial Leaked Crime Scene Pics An Issue Since O.J. Murder Case ... Ex-LAPD Officer Testifies

Cops circulating crime scene photos isn't unique to the Kobe Bryant crash -- it's been happening since the O.J. Simpson murder case -- with an ex-LAPD officer testifying he saw a polaroid of Nicole Brown Simpson's dead body.

Former Los Angeles Police Department officer Adam Bercovici, an expert witness hired by Vanessa Bryant's legal team, testified he and other cops at his station saw a close-up of Nicole's body following her June 1994 murder.

The former police officer testified illicit photos of human remains -- so-called "death books" -- are common among law enforcement ... and not something unique to the Kobe crash.

Bercovici testified there were no legitimate reasons for the deputies to take photographs of the remains.

Despite this being an issue that's painful for the family and friends of the deceased, Bercovici says not nearly enough has been done to end the practice.

Luella Weireter, wife of an LAFD fire captain also took the stand, testifying she witnessed a group, including another fire captain, view the photos at a local awards show about three weeks after the fatal crash.

Weireter, who says she did not look at the photos, overheard another man say "I can't believe I just looked at Kobe's burnt-up body and now I'm about to eat."

It's just one of the ghastly and gruesome moments from the trial ... which started earlier this week, and has been very emotional for Vanessa and her family.

Bryant sobbed in court Thursday during opening statements, when her attorney told the 10-person jury that 8 L.A. County Sheriff's deputies snapped pics of Kobe and Gigi's bodies at the helicopter crash scene for nothing personal use.

Vanessa's lawyer says she lives "in fear, anxiety and terror" that the pics will someday be released ... saying she will be forever haunted by the deputies' actions.

Lakers GM Rob Pelinka, who was Kobe's agent, took the stand Thursday and was barely able to speak when talking about his close relationship with KB.

On Thursday, the jury heard from a bartender in L.A. ... who testified a deputy showed him crash scene photos at his bar. Bryant's attorney showed screen grabs from surveillance video that appeared to show the bartender laughing after seeing the grisly photos.

In her lawsuit, Vanessa claims the deputies' conduct caused her severe emotional distress, saying the photos were an invasion of privacy. Lawyers for L.A. County say Vanessa's emotional distress is a result of the fatal crash, not the photos.

The trial is expected to go through next week.

Michelle Branch Arrested for Domestic Assault Amid Split from Husband

Michelle Branch was arrested for allegedly slapping her estranged husband, Patrick Carney, in the face ... this in the wake of her claim he cheated on her.

According to docs out of Nashville, obtained by TMZ, on Thursday at around 2 AM police were called to their home for a possible domestic disturbance. Michelle admitted she had slapped Patrick in the face "one to two times," according to court docs.

Patrick did not have any visible injuries and Michelle was taken into custody. Her bail was set at $1,000 ... and it appears she was released from custody early because she's breastfeeding the couple's 6-month-old.

TMZ broke the story, Branch and Carney are splitting after 3 years of marriage. She told us Thursday, "To say that I am totally devastated doesn't even come close to describing how I feel for myself and for my family. The rug has been completely pulled from underneath me and now I must figure out how to move forward. With such small children, I ask for privacy and kindness.”

The split announcement came just hours after Michelle tweeted accusing Carney of cheating.

Michelle was previously married to Teddy Landau from 2004 to 2015, but married Carney in 2019.

We reached out to Michelle's rep ... so far, no word back.

Anne Heche Not Expected to Survive ... Suffered Severe Brain Injury

Anne Heche suffered a catastrophic brain injury in the moments following her crash into a home, and as a result, the actress is not expected to survive ... according to her rep.

In a statement released Thursday night, Anne's rep tells TMZ, "Unfortunately, due to her accident, Anne Heche suffered a severe anoxic brain injury and remains in a coma, in critical condition. She is not expected to survive."

Plans have been put in place to possibly donate Anne's organs, the rep continues, "It has long been her choice to donate her organs and she is being kept on life support to determine if any are viable."

They say, "We want to thank everyone for their kind wishes and prayers for Anne's recovery and thank the dedicated staff and wonderful nurses that cared for Anne at the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills hospital."

TMZ broke the story ... Heche committed at least two separate hit and runs Friday in her Mini Cooper before crashing into a home and causing a fiery blaze. LAPD sources tell us a blood test determined the actress was under the influence of cocaine and possibly fentanyl at the time of the crash.

Her rep finishes, "Anne had a huge heart and touched everyone she met with her generous spirit. More than her extraordinary talent, she saw spreading kindness and joy as her life’s work --especially moving the needle for acceptance of who you love. She will be remembered for her courageous honesty and dearly missed for her light."

Author Salman Rushdie Attacked On Stage Stabbed in Neck

UPDATE

9:41 AM PT -- A spokesperson for the NY State police tells TMZ Rushdie was stabbed in the neck, he also suffered a minor head injury His condition is not yet known.

Novelist Salman Rushdie, who has received death threats for years because of his work, was just attacked and possibly stabbed during an event.

The author, who was formerly married to "Top Chef" host Padma Lakshmi, was set to give a speech Friday at the Chautauqua Institution in New York. Reports say Rushdie was on stage, when someone jumped up and struck him multiple times. Reports say Rushdie was stabbed during the incident.

His current condition is unknown, but the attacker has reportedly been taken into custody.

Rushdie's novel, "The Satanic Verses," sparked tons of controversy in the 80's ... with the book getting banned from Iran for being deemed blasphemous, as it had references that mocked the Prophet Muhammad and Islamic culture as a whole.

In 1989, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini called on Muslims to kill the Indian-born writer and his publishers because of what he wrote.

Originally Published -- 9:05 AM PT

Rihanna & A$AP Rocky Date Night in NYC ... What Shooting Lawsuit???

If A$AP Rocky and Rihanna were at all concerned about his current legal battle, they certainly didn't show it during date night in NYC.

The new parents hit Emilio's Ballato Thursday, looking cool and casual. A$AP had what appeared to be a joint in his mouth, clutching a bottle of his Mercer & Prince booze.

RiRi showed off her legs with a black dress, white shirt, heels and sunglasses.

The outing comes on the heels of legal troubles for A$AP. As we reported, the "Fashion Killa" rapper is being sued for assault and battery by Terell Ephron AKA A$AP Relli ... over the alleged shooting that led to his arrest back in April.

Relli claims Rocky set up a meeting in Hollywood and pulled out a gun during the November confrontation ... firing multiple shots. Relli says he was hit by bullet fragments.

Rocky's camp has not yet commented on the lawsuit, but A$AP certainly doesn't appear to be sweating anything.

Jason Alexander Cops Plea in Britney Wedding Crasher Case

Jason Alexander seemed ready to fight the day of Britney Spears' wedding, but he threw in the towel Thursday in his felony trespass case, pleading no contest to some of the charges.

Jason, who was married to Brit for a grand total of 55 hours in 2004, was charged with 4 crimes, including felony stalking after he gained entry to Britney's home -- the site of the wedding last June -- and got within feet of the bride, who was inside her bedroom. Jason was armed with a knife. He fought 2 security guards before being subdued and arrested.

060922_jason_alexander_break_in_kal 6/9/22
WEDDING CRASHER

He plead no contest to two charges -- aggravated trespass and battery, both misdemeanors.

Two charges were dismissed -- felony stalking and misdemeanor vandalism.

Alexander was sentenced to 128 days in the Ventura County Jail. He's already served 64 days since being arrested and he will not serve the entire balance, which is protocol.

There's a protective order that requires Jason to stay clear of Britney until August 11, 2023.

A hearing will take place in November which will determine if Alexander can possess weapons, including firearms.

The Game Shreds Eminem & 50 Cent Bow To Black Slim Shady!!!

The Game's failed to get Eminem on a Verzuz battle ... so now he's trying to bait Slim Shady into responding with a diss track.

Game released his long-delayed "DRILLMATIC: Heart vs. Mind" album with 31 tracks ... but the song everyone is talking about on social media is the 10-minute Eminem diss song "The Black Slim Shady."

The Hit-Boy-produced track mostly comes off slapstick with the West Coast rapper using silly voices ... akin to Eminem's classic "Stan" track but Game does pepper the song with several personal attacks.

Disrespectful topics range Em's past pill-popping addictions, his songs only get played within white America and how Game believes Big Sean and 6ix9ine are better rappers.

50 Cent -- who also has been ignoring Game's Verzuz challenges -- also catches a few strays on the track ... mainly for his lack of rapping output these days.

Of course, Em is one of the biggest artists of all time -- actually the 2nd highest-selling -- behind Garth Brooks, but Game says his beef is for the spirit of hip hop culture ... which just celebrated its 49th birthday yesterday!

Chuck should be careful what he wishes for, though. In 2019, Eminem happily railroaded Fat Joe's "Lord Above" song with Mary J. Blige -- just to fire back at Nick Cannon.

Slim has nothing but time on his hands to fire back!

Trump vs. Justice Dept. Nuclear War Games Trump Wants Search Warrant Made Public

Donald Trump and the Dept. of Justice may be playing a nuclear game of chicken, because Trump has just taken the Justice Dept's offer to advocate for the release of the Mar-a-Lago search warrant ... this after a Washington Post report that some of the documents secreted at the Florida estate contained information related to nuclear weapons.

Trump said late Thursday ... he wouldn't object to the release of the warrant. As you probably know, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday he would go back to court and ask the judge who signed the sealed warrant to make it public, citing, among other things, intense public interest.

Trump said on his social media Thursday, "Not only will I not oppose the release of documents related to the un American, unwarranted, and unnecessary raid and break-in of my home in Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago, I am going a step further by ENCOURAGING the immediate release of those documents."

Given that both parties are now on board, it would seem likely the judge would unseal the warrant.

Garland was under pressure to release the docs after Republicans questioned the legitimacy of the raid, suggesting it was more political than legal. The A.G. took the highly unusual step Thursday to call for the release of the warrant, but even if that happens it may not fully answer all the questions. It's unclear if the judge will also release the affidavit attached to the warrant would establish probable cause that a crime was committed. That information could fill in the blanks.

That said, the search warrant should at least mention the scope of the search and the documents that are being sought. All eyes will be on a reference to documents related to nuclear weapons if that indeed was part of the raid.

There are reports the documents placed in the wrong harm could create "grave" danger to the U.S.

If true -- that Trump had such documents -- the question is why?