TMZ.com Home

"Slutty Vegan" founder Pinky Cole is serious about giving Black people, and all people in underdeveloped communities, better access to healthy food ... which is why folks are lining up for her very unique dining experience.

The restaurant owner joined "TMZ Live" ahead of her plant-based burger joint's grand opening in Brooklyn, NY -- which will be her 7th location, after launching with a single food truck in Atlanta.

Pinky tells us, she went vegan back in 2014, and noticed it got even more trendy once Beyoncé opened up about temporarily turning away from meat. Her business model? Make vegan food more enjoyable -- adding an experience to the nutritional value.

The name itself shows the creativity and inclination to attract all kinds of folks ... she merged two pleasurable things: sex and food!

Now, Pinky says she's expanding -- even more than the Brooklyn location -- and focusing on Black and brown communities ... sometimes right in the middle of gentrified neighborhoods.

Her main goal is to show folks how to reimagine food and eat healthy ... while giving access to great options.

Pinky seems super hopeful her restaurant will be the perfect way to help folks live healthier. She says 90% of the customers aren't vegan ... they're meat-eaters who simply want to get their grub on.

Kim Kardashian and Ray J's sex tape was a success right out of the gate, making more than a million bucks in the first 6 weeks after its release ... and according to an email sent to them, they were both making serious bank.

We've obtained an email from Vivid Entertainment honcho Steve Hirsch dated May 1, 2007, in which he informs Kim the tape made $1,424,636.63 in revenue, including the majority, $1,255,578.50, coming from DVD sales.

It's interesting ... the tape was released on March 14, 2007. Kim filed a lawsuit on February 21, 2007, against Vivid, claiming she didn't authorize the release of the tape. That case was dismissed -- presumably, it was settled -- April 27, 2007. Just 4 days later, Kim got the email from Vivid on sales numbers.

Ray J said over the weekend, Kim actually signed on from the get-go, and even produced his contract with a list of the sex tapes ... saying Kim wrote the inventory list. He also produced a letter from her and says it's the exact same handwriting.

Hirsch has openly talked about the deal in the past, calling it a "difficult deal to get done" because he says Kim truly did not want the tape out.

Ray J says their deal was that each would receive $400,000 plus 12.5% of the profits. Those figures are reflected in Hirsch's email to Kim and Ray J.

Ray also claims Kris Jenner actually looked at both sex tapes and chose the one where Kim looked the best. BTW ... we're told Kris' signature is not in the contract. Hirsch has also maintained Kris had no role in selling the tape.

As for the 2 sex tapes, Ray J says one was shot in Cabo and the other in Santa Barbara. The Santa Barbara tape has never been released.

Michelle Branch and Patrick Carney are giving their marriage another shot, because they're backing off their divorce, at least for now ... to try to work things out.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Michelle and Patrick are pressing pause on their divorce for at least 6 months, during which time they will try to reconcile.

After the cooling-off period, the singer and The Black Keys drummer will then decide if they want to dismiss their divorce entirely or move forward with the split.

The docs say, during the reconciliation effort, Michelle and Patrick may resume living together as husband and wife and participate in counseling sessions to help their marriage.

It's quite the turn of events for Michelle and Patrick -- she filed for divorce last month, on the heels of her arrest for domestic assault and allegations of infidelity on Patrick's part.

Michelle and Patrick have 2 young kids together and they've been married for more than 3 years.

MB cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for divorce ... but now it looks like they think there's at least a chance they might be able to iron out those differences.

Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver was just hit with a massive penalty after an extensive investigation into alleged workplace misconduct ... getting banned from the league for one season and forced to pay a $10 million fine.

The NBA released the findings of its investigation after interviewing 320 current and former Suns employees ... and determined Sarver said the n-word at least five times "when recounting the statements of others."

It's worth noting -- the league says Sarver's use of the n-word was not motivated by racial hate or prejudice.

The league also concluded Sarver did not treat female employees equally and made inappropriate comments about their appearance.

The NBA also states Sarver engaged in inappropriate physical conduct toward male employees.

"The statements and conduct described in the findings of the independent investigation are troubling and disappointing," NBA commish Adam Silver said in a statement. "We believe the outcome is the right one, taking into account all the facts, circumstances and context brought to light by the comprehensive investigation of this 18-year period and our commitment to upholding proper standards in NBA workplaces."

"I am hopeful that the NBA community will use this opportunity to reflect on what this great game means to people everywhere and the values of equality, respect and inclusion that it strives to represent. Regardless of position, power or intent, we all need to recognize the corrosive and hurtful impact of racially insensitive and demeaning language and behavior."

"On behalf of the entire NBA, I apologize to all of those impacted by the misconduct outlined in the investigators’ report. We must do better."

During Sarver's suspension, he must complete a workplace conduct course. He will not have any access to the team or its facilities during the ban.

FYI -- the $10 million fine is the absolute most the NBA is allowed to hand down.

The Suns will now have to hire an outside firm to advise on issues like workplace training, hiring and compensation.

Steph Pappas' father was killed by a suspected drunk driver in Ohio this weekend -- and her mother was also injured ... this according to law enforcement.

John Pappas was pronounced dead on the scene Sunday night in Stark County after he and his wife, Kristine -- both parents to the 22-year-old YouTube star -- were struck by a driver traveling westbound ... who cops say veered into the Pappas' vehicle.

Jackson Township PD tells TMZ ... the driver is believed to have sideswiped the Pappas' car after veering off the centerline, and that there was heavy damage to the driver's side door.

First responders rushed to the scene, but officials from the Coroner's Office found John had succumbed to his injuries. Kristine was rushed to the hospital -- her condition is unknown.

Cops are saying drugs and/or alcohol are believed to be a contributing factor to the crash, however ... no arrests have been made yet. Jackson Township won't tell us what obvious signs of impairment they observed, but they do say they're investigating and collecting samples to present to prosecutors ... which they believe will lead to criminal charges.

Steph has a massive following as an up-and-coming influencer -- she has 1.4 million subscribers and hundreds of thousands of IG followers as well. She's acknowledged her father's passing online, saying she "wants my dad back."

Other influencers, like Shane Dawson, have sent their condolences.

John was 53.

Jimmy Kimmel has come under some serious fire online after many believe a skit he and Will Arnett performed as presenters stole the spotlight from winner Quinta Brunson.

Arnett and Kimmel presented the award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series at Monday night's Emmy Awards. Arnett dragged a "passed out" Kimmel onto the stage and laid his body out next to the microphone stand while he explained the late night host had too many margaritas backstage.

Once Arnett called Brunson's name as the winner, and she came to the stage, Kimmel continued to carry on with the gag -- even after Brunson jokingly exclaimed, "Jimmy, wake up. I won."

Jimmy laid super close to Brunson as she gave her speech, making it nearly impossible for the show's directors to get a shot of her without him in it.

Twitter exploded after the moment, with users pointing out how disrespectful Kimmel's decision came across, including, "Jimmy Kimmel owes Quinta an apology but the messed up part is every image of her accepting her award has his ass in it. White men really are insufferable."

Another said, "White male privilege is laying on the ground & expecting a Black woman to just step around you while she accepts her hard-earned award."

Cassadee Dunlap's father was shot this week ... this after there was reportedly a mix-up on whose home he was in.

The Netflix star -- who appeared on the second season of "Cheer" -- hasn't publicly addressed the incident, but we've learned the man identified by authorities after Saturday's shooting, Ronald Dunlap, is in fact Cassadee's dad.

According to reports, cops say he's in critical condition after he somehow made his way into someone's apartment in Little Rock, seemingly by mistake, in the middle of the night ... and was shot by the homeowner.

It's unclear how or why this unfolded the way it did, but the person who shot Dunlap told authorities they heard someone banging at their door around 3 AM and then -- thinking there was a stranger in their kitchen -- fired several rounds, striking Dunlap.

Dunlap's brother, David, says he's still in the hospital and fighting for his life.

A neighbor's door was apparently also hit by bullets, but no other injuries have been reported. It does not appear any charges have been filed thus far either.

Yeah, the Emmy Awards are all about taking home one of those statues, but it's not a total loss if ya don't get one ... 'cause there's always the after-party!!!

Netflix hosted their Emmy night affair at Milk Studios and some of the winners who pulled up to celebrate included Julia Garner and Jason Bateman from "Ozark" and Kim Ji-yeon and Oh Young-soo from "Squid Games".

"Squid Games" star Lee Jung-jae took a moment to flick it up with Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos ... while still clenching his Emmy for Best Male Actor in a drama, the first Asian actor to do so.

"Stranger Things" creator Matt Duffer and star Charlie Heaton were also at the Netflix bash, even though most of the show's cast skipped the award show.

The HBO Max after party, held at San Vicente Bungalows, was just as popping.

"Succession" star Nicholas Braun and "White Lotus" producer David Bernad hit up the reception ... as well as Maude Apatow and Sydney Sweeney from the hit series "Euphoria".

Braun's costars -- Jeremy Strong and Matthew Macfadyen were also looking to cut loose ... after all the "Succession" cast scored the Emmy for Best Drama.

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" stars Larry David and Cheryl Hines also made sure to celebrate the night with HBO.

Teddy Gentry, a founding member of Alabama, one of the great country bands, just learned a hard lesson ... marijuana laws are still a thing.

Teddy was busted Monday morning in Cherokee County, Alabama just after 10:30 AM for unlawful possession of weed and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.

Recreational marijuana is strictly prohibited in Alabama. Teddy was released 30 minutes after he was booked and freed on his own recognizance ... i.e., without bail. Both charges are misdemeanors.

In case you're not familiar, Alabama was formed all the way back in 1969 ... it's original name was Wild Country, but it changed to Alabama in 1977. Some of their hits .. "Tennessee River," "Mountain Music," "Dixieland Delight," "The Closer You Get," "Song of the South," "Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)" and a bunch of others.

Rapper PnB Rock has died after he was shot while eating at Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles with his girlfriend.

The "Selfish" rapper was pronounced dead at an L.A. area hospital Monday, where he was rushed just minutes after the shooting.

TMZ broke the story ... PnB Rock was shot Monday afternoon while dining with his GF and mother of his child, IG model Steph Sibounheuang, at Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles restaurant. A source connected to the restaurant tells us the shooter appeared to have targeted PnB in a robbery ... he posted video of himself wearing expensive jewelry earlier in the day.

The suspect is still on the loose. We're told there's surveillance video that may help police identify him.

PnB Rock moved to L.A. from Philadelphia after signing a record deal with Atlantic Records following his 2014 debut mixtape. His stage name refers to a street corner in the Philly neighborhood where he grew up, Pastorius and Baynton.

Over the years, PnB Rock has collaborated with artists including Ed Sheeran, Chance the Rapper, Wiz Khalifa, 2 Chainz, Kodak Black, Young Thug and A Boogie wit da Hoodie.

In addition to his numerous mixtapes, PnB Rock released two studio albums ... 2017's "Catch These Vibes" and 2019's "TrapStar Turnt PopStar."

PnB Rock is survived by his two daughters, Milan and Xuri, who he shared with Steph.

He was only 30.

The 2022 Emmys are over, and it's clear a memo went out before the affair kicked off -- wear black or white, and most of the attendees fell in line.

We're joking about the memo, but it's true celebs were all smiles Monday night at the Microsoft Theater in downtown L.A., and also all kinda matchy.

Those on theme included Reese Witherspoon and Laura Linney, Sydney Sweeney and Zendaya, Matthew Macfadyen and Nicholas Braun, Andrew Garfield and Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez, Hannah Waddingham and Brett Goldstein, Seth Rogen and Julia Garner ... and a lot more.

A lot of the gents in the room wore simple black and white tuxes -- so in many ways, it was a pretty traditional fashion affair, but the number of people in straight-up black and white definitely caught the eye.

Everyone looked great, and obviously brought out their best 'fits. It just seems they all hopped on a conference call together, 'cause very few people broke the unofficial dress code.

Jennifer Coolidge punked the Emmys in spectacular fashion Monday night ... when she defied the orchestra that was trying to get her off the stage and turned the whole thing into a dance party!!!

Jennifer won the richly-deserved award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series and at first, seemed a little flummoxed ... she says she swelled up after taking a lavender bath ... so much so she barely got into her Emmy getup and had trouble speaking.

She was hysterical ... seemingly rattled as she ticked off the people she wanted to thank.

Then, the dreaded orchestra started to play her off, but Jen wasn't having it. She made it clear this could be a "once-in-a-lifetime" moment and wasn't about to go quietly.

The band then pivoted to more lively music, and rather than taking the hint, she busted a move that sent the audience into an uproar of laughter. It was Ferris-Bueller-like as other celebs in their seats started to feel the beat in solidarity!

Jason Sudeikis thanked his kids at the Emmys -- reminding folks he's in a nasty custody battle with Olivia Wilde, perhaps unintentionally.

The actor was delivering an acceptance speech Monday after his show, "Ted Lasso," won for Outstanding Comedy Series ... and toward the end, he name-dropped his young son and daughter, Otis and Daisy.

It sorta flew under the radar, as not everyone knows his children's names by heart -- but it was there ... and if you've been following along, it may run deeper than a simple shout-out.

As you know, both Jason and Olivia have been at war lately over where their kids should live, and how much time they spend with each parent -- a case that's not yet settled, but which has had a lot of bumps along the way ... including a public serving of documents earlier this year.

A process server, acting on Jason's behalf, dropped legal docs at Olivia's feet while she was presenting for her new movie at CinemaCon -- something she later called "vicious."

JS denied having planned it to happen that way deliberately, but OW thinks otherwise. In the end, Olivia walked away with a win ... getting a judge to side with her that their custody case should be heard in L.A. and not New York, which is where Jason wanted to hash things out.

None of that drama was on display, though, when Jason was speaking ... he was all smiles with his cast onstage, and didn't further allude to the fight with Olivia whatsoever. Although, he might have been wondering if he was about to get served.

BTW ... Jason took his good vibes and carried them on outside the venue. We ran into him on the street after the show, and the dude was totally engaging with fans ... snapping selfies and signing a ton of autographs. He even gave 'em some life advice.

Gisele Bündchen admitted she had "concerns" over Tom Brady's unretirement this offseason ... saying she expressed them to her NFL star hubby "over and over again."

The supermodel told ELLE in a recent interview that she was worried about the violence of football. She said she also wanted Brady to "be more present" around the house and their kids.

"I have definitely had those conversations with him over and over again," she said to the outlet. "But ultimately, I feel that everybody has to make a decision that works for [them]. He needs to follow his joy, too."

ELLE reports Gisele made the comments several weeks before she and Brady reportedly entered into a "rough patch" in their marriage -- a rift that supposedly got so bad, she briefly stopped living with the football player.

The outlet claims it reached back out to Gisele this month over the reports, but she "declined to comment on the speculation."

Of course, Gisele has said publicly that she's wanted Brady to call it quits for at least the last half-decade -- wishing he'd spend more time with the family. She's also said she doesn't believe he has anything left to prove on the field.

She did, though, appear to extend an olive branch to the quarterback before his season-opening game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, tweeting, "Let's go @TomBrady ! Let's go Bucs !"

Rapper Famous Dex is taking another shot at battling his addiction issues, and this attempt comes right on the heels of his latest stint in jail.

Sources close to Dex tell TMZ ... the RichForever rapper was released from L.A. County jail last week, and went straight into a rehab facility for his overall wellness ... and to get himself right for the world again.

Dex had been thrown back behind bars in January and then in June for violating a protective order his ex-girlfriend got against him.

This is his second rehab stay, and we’re told his plan is to remain in treatment until November.

In December 2020, he voluntarily admitted himself for treatment after publicly denying he had any issues with drugs -- that was despite his infamous 2018 IG Live session where he passed out, sparking concern from fans.

Right now, he's trending in the right direction -- in June, Dex announced he'd gone 5 months without a relapse.

Lorde's little sis is following in the singer's footsteps ... because she's gearing up to release her first ever track -- and it's already sounding like a certified hit.

23-year-old Indy Yelich is releasing her song, "Threads" on September 16th ... and it's the first piece of music she's ever officially put out -- needless to say this is a BIG deal for the young artist.

Clearly musical talent runs in the family... but the sisters even have a similar music style -- just take a listen.

It's unclear if Indy's signed with a label yet, but she's got the chops for the big leagues ... maybe her big sister can pull some strings and get her a deal!!!

Indy teased the track a few weeks ago on social media ... posting a clip of her singing the song while playing the piano.