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The pilot who fell out of an airplane to his death last month was upset after damaging the landing gear during an aborted, hard landing ... and there's a strong insinuation he may have jumped out ... according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Charlie Crooks was co-piloting the plane that was being used for skydiving runs back on July 29. Crooks was trying to land the plane when it "dropped" on final approach. Crooks struggled to get the plane back up but it hit the runway hard, damaging the right main landing gear.

The chief pilot told investigators Crooks became "visibly upset" about the hard landing, according to the NTSB. The pilot says Crooks opened his side window, complaining he "felt like he was going to be sick and needed air."

The pilot says Crooks got out of his seat, apologized and went to the back of the aircraft and opened the ramp door. The NTSB describes it this way ... Crooks "apologized, and departed the airplane via the aft ramp door." The word "departed" is ominous. The NTSB says the pilot did not witness Crooks grab a safety bar 6 feet above the ramp -- to prevent someone from falling -- before exiting the aircraft.

As we reported, Crooks fell 3,500 feet to his death.

Battle rapper Pat Stay's public challenge to The Game for his Eminem-dissing "Black Slim Shady" song has backfired … resulting in Game blocking him on Instagram, which is not the expected outcome from the typically confrontational artist.

In a fiery Instagram post Tuesday, Pat Stay claimed the veteran rapper was looking weak for allegedly begging for Eminem's attention by dropping the 10-minute track. Pat, who is white, apparently thinks Game wanted Em to respond, but he did not.

Game groused in the song ... Eminem only became successful because he was white. Pat wanted to show Game that white rappers have game, so he offered to battle Game in his hometown of L.A. with lots of $$$ on the line.

Game didn't take the challenge ... rather, he just blocked Pat. It's curious, because Game recently said in a No Jumper interview he'd never block anyone -- because that would be like losing a fan.

Pat eventually gave up and told his fans to lay off Game ... he didn't want to start a war with the L.A. legend.

Jamie Foxx's 2016 project about two basketball fanatics has been sitting on a shelf for years ... and the actor thinks cancel culture is why it hasn't seen the light of day.

Jamie stars alongside Jeremy Piven in "All-Star Weekend" -- a flick about two superfans who snag tickets to the NBA event out in Los Angeles ... it was supposed to debut in 2019, but it still hasn't come out, and no official word on the holdup.

Jamie thinks he knows why the movie's been delayed, telling CinemaBlend that the material may simply not be woke enough for the current climate ... "It’s been tough with the lay of the land when it comes to comedy." The buzz ... it has to do with casting a white star to play a Mexican man.

He thinks the film could be a great way to ease the tension, noting "We're trying to break open the sensitive corners where people go back to laughing again."

The cast includes Benicio del Toro, Gerard Butler, and Eva Longoria ... as well as Robert Downey Jr. playing a Mexican man.

Jamie, who plays a white racist cop in the film among other roles, thought RDJ was the man for the role after he played a white man in blackface in "Tropic Thunder," but the actor apparently needed some convincing before signing on.

Jamie says he had to tell Robert, "You played the black dude and you killed that s***. We got to be able to do characters."

Swizz Beatz and Timbaland created a super popular rap battle show, and now they're doing legal battle with the company to which they sold their idea ... in the form of a $28 million lawsuit!

The big time music producers are suing Triller, claiming the video-sharing social networking service failed to pay up for the cash cow Swizz and Timbaland dreamed up -- Verzuz.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Swizz and Timbaland agreed to sell Verzuz to Triller back in January 2021 … but they say Triller defaulted on the deal after only two payments.

Swizz and Timbaland say they settled with Triller after the initial default, but they say Triller played the same game as before ... making one installment and then not paying up the remaining balance.

The music moguls are going after Triller for more than $28 million … plus interest.

We reached out to Triller ... so far no word back.

There was a slight breeze in Miami on Tuesday ... and it was all thanks to Jake Paul's batting practice before the Marlins game.

The Problem Child was the guest of honor at LoanDepot Park before the home team hosted the San Diego Padres ... and before his ceremonial first pitch, he took the batter's box to get in some swings.

25-year-old Paul looked confident as hell before his first swing ... even calling his shot like Babe Ruth.

But, it didn't necessarily go as planned -- Paul whiffed not only his first pitch, but also the next three that came after ... before finally hitting a grounder to third base.

Of course, Jake was clearly just having fun with it -- he even claimed afterward that the video was edited to make him look bad.

Since he wasn't able to hit a real dinger, the team gave Jake a toy bat to show off what his home run celebration would look like ... and naturally, he hit the griddy!!

Paul eventually took the mound for the first pitch ... and despite being several feet in front of the mound, it was a solid toss.

It looked like Paul had an awesome time at the game -- the dude also got to try out some smelling salts in the dugout.

Motley Crue is known for their wild antics...but things really got out of control at their Indianapolis concert Tuesday night ... a fan was lying motionless on the ground after apparently falling from the upper level.

TMZ has obtained video of people at the show gathered around the man and tending to him as the legendary '80s rock band was belting out their classic, "Looks That Kill." A witness told us there was a puddle of blood around the victim.

The Indianapolis PD says they assisted an injured person, who was "awake and breathing." Cops confirmed they were investigating whether the man was extremely intoxicated, leaned over the railing and fell from the upper level to the lower level. His condition is currently unknown.

Motley Crue was headlining a classic rock concert with Def Leppard, hitting the stage at Lucas Oil Stadium around 9:30 PM. The fan took the spill from the upper level about 45 minutes into the band's set.

People in the crowd jumped to their feet and gasped as they realized what happened. Police and paramedics arrived quickly, placed the man on a gurney and wheeled him out of the stadium.

Motley Crue seemed oblivious, completing their set and walking off stage at about 11 PM. To be fair, the band may not have gotten word about what happened. The stage was pretty far away from where the alleged accident occurred.

The 12-year-old who suffered severe injuries in a fall from his bunk bed at the Little League World Series is showing encouraging signs of recovery ... with his family announcing Tuesday night his breathing tube is now out.

Easton Oliverson -- who pitches and plays the outfield for the Snow Canyon Little League team -- is still in a hospital bed and still being monitored, but the family called the removal of the breathing tube "a big step."

Oliverson's family also said he received results from an MRI scan that "came out very promising."

"Easton keeps proving himself to be the fighter we have always known he is!!" the Oliverson family said in a statement. "The prayers are working! Please keep them coming. We love you all!🤍"

Oliverson was initially injured on Sunday night -- shortly after he and his Little League teammates made it to Williamsport, Penn. for this week's World Series.

His uncle, Spencer Beck, told TMZ Sports Easton was sleeping on the top of a bunk bed when he suddenly fell out and hit his head. He suffered, among other injuries, a fractured skull -- and required emergency surgery.

The family has set up a Venmo account, @MiraclesForTank, to help cover his medical expenses.

His team, meanwhile, has said it will still play in its LLWS-opening game later this week.

A$AP Rocky is in hot water after being charged with assault for a shooting in Hollywood ... and the alleged victim couldn't be happier.

Jamal Tooson, the attorney for A$AP Relli, tells TMZ ... his client feels vindicated the justice system worked for him, despite the stature of Rocky.

Tooson says Relli's life was shattered by the experience ... Relli says even though he wasn't hit by a bullet, he came within inches of death, and the experience has had a profound psychological impact on him.

The lawyer goes on to say Rocky is so powerful in Hollywood and specifically in the music industry, Relli, who is a music producer, felt he would not be believed and drummed out of the business. He believed if he pressed the case, people would just dismiss it as a money grab.

Relli says his faith in the justice system has been restored, because both the police and the D.A. believed him enough to file 2 serious felony charges against Rocky.

Relli sued Rocky in civil court last week, claiming Rocky fired multiple shots at him with a semiautomatic firearm, resulting in injuries to his hand after being struck by bullet fragments that required medical attention. Relli's attorneys told us since the shooting he's been the victim of online harassment, including death threats.

Mama June can't seem to stay away from all the reality TV drama ... she's going on a live, courtroom show ... suing a former friend she claims screwed her over.

Production sources tell TMZ ... Mama June will be a plaintiff on A&E's "Court Night Live." She's suing ex-friend Adam Barta, a fellow content creator.

Mama June and Adam worked on a YouTube show together where they yakked about pop culture and created other social media content. She claims what started as friendly advice turned into daily consults and that he promised to pay her for her help but stiffed her, so she's suing on the A&E show for $5k.

Adam says he had a close relationship with June and they each did things for the other without any obligation of repayment. He says he helped June in her time of need and was there for her ... so they're even.

Judge Greg Mathis presides over "Court Night Live" with Vinnie Politan doing the hosting and retired Judge Vonda Evans providing analysis.

"If you're a Green Bay Packer, a lot doors open up for you. If you win a championship, all doors open up, but when you're in the Hall of Fame, football heaven opens up for you."

That's newly minted Pro Football Hall of Famer, LeRoy Butler ... who tells TMZ Sports the opportunities have been rolling in since his enshrinement in Canton.

"My assistant is getting a lot of phone calls," the 54-year-old former Packers star says, adding ... "Some of them are just to feel you out, but some of them are stuff that I always wanted to work on."

And, there's one very special project in the works.

"I'm doing a documentary that my daughters are writing about my life story."

Still, as great as the money and business opportunities are, it's not the most important part for LeRoy.

"I was very excited for my family, man. My kids. I love my kids more than myself, and they really enjoyed it."

We also talked to Butler about a comment fellow HOF'er Deion Sanders made -- where Primetime said too many players were inducted into the Hall ("the Hall of Fame ain’t the Hall of Fame no more") -- an assertion which the former Packers DB disagrees.

"See that's confusing me. I'm assuming he knows there's only 362 guys in there. And maybe 170 living. But see, when you make it first ballot, it's not that big of a deal," LeRoy said, alluding to the fact that Sanders was an absolute lock to be inducted.

Butler says it's different "when you have to wait 16 years."

The Hall of Fame was the last unchecked box in what was a historic career for LeRoy. The Super Bowl 31 champ was a 4x first-team All-Pro who was named to the NFL's 1990s All-Decade squad.

American actress Lindsay Sloane was 22 years old when she was cast as Big Red -- the captain cheerleader at Rancho Carne High School who tends to be bossy, full of herself and guilty of stealing cheers from other schools -- in the 2000 cheerleading film "Bring It On."

Lindsay shared the big screen with Kirsten Dunst as the new team captain, Torrance Shipman, Gabrielle Union as Torrance's rival cheer captain, Isis, Eliza Dushku as the new student and gymnast turned cheerleader, Missy Pantone and Jesse Bradford as the electric guitar player and Torrance's crush, Cliff Pantone.

Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul are forever enshrined in bronze in the city of Albuquerque -- something conservatives there are up in arms about, claiming the statues glorify meth.

Late last month, Mayor Tim Keller unveiled 2 statues to honor the 'Breaking Bad' stars -- they're now on display at the Albuquerque Convention Center -- after a ceremony where BC and AP were actually on hand to pose with their metal counterparts.

It was a kitschy, fun thing that seemed fairly innocent -- as a shout-out to the actors and show for putting a spotlight on their city and state -- but now, some Republicans in the state are fuming over the honor.

Conservative radio host Eddy Aragon and state representative Rod Montoya say the statues send the wrong message about who should be glorified in the community.

Montoya says "meth dealers" shouldn't be the shining example in Albuquerque, and Aragon adds ... "It’s not the type of recognition we want for the city of Albuquerque, or for our state."

Aragon goes on to gripe about how city officials tore down a controversial statue of Albuquerque's first Spanish governor, Juan de Onate, because he was a conquistador ... but now turn around and throw these two fictional characters as proverbial beacons.

This sort of backlash was actually expected, Mayor Keller warned of this when they were first getting unveiled, saying he understood, but defended having Jesse Pinkman and Walter White statues because of the cautionary tale they represented, and the jobs they gave to NM.

KSI is taking on not one, but TWO challengers when he steps in the ring on Aug. 27 ... and his rival Jake Paul is crapping all over the idea -- saying the whole thing sounds like a setup.

The English YouTuber is slated to fight both rapper Swarmz AND Bulgarian pro middleweight Ivan Nikolov (3-16-2) at the O2 in London ... which is not the first time a boxer has had more than one opponent in a night.

In fact, George Foreman took FIVE fights in one day back in 1975 ... but as Jake points out, it wasn't necessarily a great experience for the fans.

"George Foreman fought 4 people in 1 night and it was an awful showing," Paul said on Twitter minutes ago.

"At first it seemed like a good idea but eventually it actually pissed the fans off because they realized all the opponents were put in to lose. It was was basically a stunt, not worth the price of admission."

Jake's assessment isn't wrong -- reports from the night claim fans were booing by the time Foreman showed up on the scene.

Even though he doesn't mention him by name, it's obvious Jake is talking about KSI's new announcement ... which promoters are hoping will keep fans interested after Alex Wassabi had to pull out due to a concussion.

Stunning revelation in the courtroom during the Kobe Bryant photo trial case Tuesday ... a deputy testified that he sent another cop graphic pics from the crash site while the two were in the middle of a "Call Of Duty" gaming sesh.

Michael Russell -- an L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. deputy -- says the exchange of the photos happened shortly after the Lakers legend and his daughter, Gianna, perished in the tragic, Jan. 2020 helicopter crash.

Russell, who claimed he had initially received the photos from fellow deputy Joey Cruz hours after the wreck, said he joined a video game party with Santa Clarita deputy Ben Sanchez the following day.

While the two were playing the first-person shooter game, Russell testified he told Sanchez he had the photos, and then asked if he wanted to see them. When the cop said yes, Russell said he sent them over.

Russell admitted in court that he had no business doing that. He also testified that he received nothing more than a minor write-up as punishment.

Cruz, meanwhile, also testified in court on Tuesday ... and did admit to showing the photos to a bartender as well.

Cruz said he did it to relieve the stress he had been dealing with due to the situation -- and testified that he did feel remorseful over it all.

Vanessa Bryant, who is suing for, among other things, emotional distress, was present in court -- though she did leave the room for at least part of Cruz's testimony.

Christian Slater's Florida home didn't last long ... selling way above asking price after just 3 days on the market!

Real estate sources tell TMZ the "Mr. Robot" actor sold his 4-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom pad in Miami's Coconut Grove neighborhood for $4.258 million ... which was 10% above the $3.950 million asking price.

The Italian-inspired home comes with all the bells and whistles, with an oversized primary suite with a balcony and a huge rooftop terrace. There's also a detached guest suite with an entertaining area, bedroom and full bathroom.

Of course, the backyard comes complete with a pool for the Florida heat.

Rick Ross and his family are under fire in Mississippi for allegedly skimming money from the wages of their Wingstop workers -- and now they've been hit with fines.

The U.S. Department of Labor says they hit Boss Wings Enterprises LLC -- Rick Ross's company -- with a $114,427 fine for back wages and other penalties after the agency determined their franchises were violating labor laws.

Unclear what period of time this covers exactly, but the DOL claims that after an investigation into 5 locations -- all owned and operated by Boss Wings -- they found many of the employees were taking home less than $7.25/hour after factoring in all the deductions --  a big no-no under the minimum wage laws on the books.

The reason ... DOL alleges the owners of these specific franchises were forcing workers to pay for uniforms, basic safety training, background checks and cash register shortages.

The department also claims the bosses at these 5 restaurants were, in many instances, working their employees to the bone ... making them work overtime without properly compensating them and not keeping clean time records on hand.

Not just this, but DOL claims they found one instance when a 15-year-old employee worked past 10 PM several times in June 2021 -- which the agency claims ran afoul of a law prohibiting workers that young from working past 7 PM.

All in all, the DOL hit Boss Wings with $51,674 in back wages/damages for 244 workers -- and additional fines of nearly $63,000.

A labor official says, "Restaurant industry employees work hard, often for low wages, and many depend on every dollar earned to make ends meet. The law prevents Boss Wing Enterprises LLC from shifting operating costs to workers by deducting the costs of uniforms, cash register shortages or training expenses, or to allow a worker’s pay to fall below the minimum wage rate."