Moonbin Of K-Pop's Astro Dead At 25
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K-pop star Moonbin, of the popular boy band Astro, has died.
Astro's label Fantagio shared the tragic news with fans Wednesday ... saying the singer "left us and became a star in the sky." The company says it's "deeply mourning" the shocking death alongside his family, droves of fans, and fellow artists.
Fantagio says the family will hold a private funeral with close family, friends, and colleagues.
An official cause of death has yet to be revealed, but South Korean police reportedly found him dead in his apartment in Gangnam-gu, Seoul after allegedly not showing for a recent rehearsal.
Fans of Moonbin know he started working as a model in 2004 when he was just a child ... then transitioned into acting, first grabbing a role in 2009 on the Korean drama "Boys over Flowers."
He then debuted with Astro in 2016 with 5 others -- MJ, Jinjin, Rocky, Cha Eun-woo, and Yoon San-ha. They went on to come out with some hits, including "Candy Sugar Pop" and "Baby." Rocky left the K-pop group in late February of this year.
Moonbin took a brief pause from the band in 2019 due to health-related reasons but made his return the following year. The group had a concert scheduled for mid-May, but that's reportedly been canceled.
He was only 25.
RIP
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Tiger Woods Undergoes Surgery ... For Leg Injured In 2021 Accident
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Tiger Woods is still dealing with the aftermath of his horrific car accident -- the golf superstar just underwent yet another surgery on the leg he damaged in the crash.
The 47-year-old's team shared the update on social media just minutes ago ... saying Tiger had a subtalar fusion procedure to treat post-traumatic arthritis he's experienced after fracturing his ankle bone in the Feb. 2021 incident.
Woods' team says he went to Dr. Martin O'Malley at HSS Sports Medicine Institute in NYC ... and the procedure was a success.
"Tiger is currently recovering and looks forward to beginning his rehabilitation," the statement read.
It is unclear when Woods will be able to return to the golf course ... but he hasn't been 100% ever since the accident.
Tiger Woods. Painful to watch. 😬 pic.twitter.com/kMV9WxViQo
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) April 8, 2023 @Reflog_18
As we previously reported, Tiger suffered major damage to his right leg, which included comminuted open fractures to both his upper and lower tibia and fibula during the crash. All of it required several procedures to fix.
Most recently, Woods had to withdraw from the Masters in the middle of the third round due to plantar fasciitis.
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GloRilla Sued She Made 'Tomorrow' Hit By Stealing My Back-in-the-Day Song!!!
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GloRilla's gold-selling single "Tomorrow" is now at the center of a lawsuit from an artist who says the Memphis rapper and her producer Macaroni Toni sampled his nearly 30-year-old track to create their song ... but never got permission.
In docs obtained by TMZ Hip Hop ... Ivory Paynes of the NOLA-based rap group Dog House Posse is claiming Glo and Toni sampled his 1994 song "Street of the Westbank" to craft "Tomorrow" ... claiming it takes key elements from his song, like the piano, cello and drum tracks.
Glo's record home Collective Music Group and her publishing companies Warner Chappell Music and Sony/ATV Music are also named in the suit.
Her remix "Tomorrow 2" -- which features Cardi B -- is also listed, as that track also utilizes the same instrumental. Cardi is not listed as a defendant in the case.
We reached out to Glo's camp to get her side of the song's origin and production ... but, no word back yet.
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Tua Tagovailoa I Thought About Retiring From NFL ... After Concussions
Tua Tagovalioa just revealed he considered leaving his NFL career behind due to the numerous concussions he suffered last season ... but ultimately, he couldn't bring himself to retire.
The Dolphins QB -- who missed multiple games last season while battling head injuries -- told reporters Wednesday that the concussion that ended his season in December actually had him thinking about his future.
"I think I considered it for a time," Tua said. "Having sat down with my family and having sat down with my wife and having those conversations. But it would be hard for me to walk away from this game, with how old am I, with my son."
"I always dreamed of growing, playing as long as I could to where my son knew exactly what he was watching his dad do. It's my health. It's my body. I feel like this is what's best for me and my family. I love the game of football."
Full replay of the Tua (possible) concussion play. He got hit by Matt Milano and hit the turf with his head. pic.twitter.com/29dqNyJ45L
— René Bugner (@RNBWCV) September 25, 2022 @RNBWCV
Tagovailoa, 25, suffered what appeared to be his first head injury of the season against the Bills in September -- and then he suffered a devastating concussion just days later against the Bengals.
The scene in Cincinnati was scary ... he lost consciousness after hitting his head on the ground while getting tackled -- and had to be stretchered off the field. He was out of action the following two weeks before returning for the Dolphins' game against the Steelers in Week 7.
Tagovailoa then suffered another concussion against the Packers on Christmas, forcing him to miss the team's final two games. Some head injury experts like Dr. Bennet Omalu strongly urged him to retire.
But Tua was emphatic Wednesday it's just not going to happen now ... saying he's actually taking jiu-jitsu classes to ensure he learns how to fall safely.
Tua added that he's also been working with neurologists ... who have told the former Univ. of Alabama standout they are not concerned about CTE based on his situation.
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R. Kelly Appeals Federal Sex Crimes Case in NY ... Claims Gov't Didn't Prove Guilt
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R. Kelly has officially filed an appeal in his federal sex crimes case out of New York -- and he's got a laundry list of reasons why he thinks his conviction should be reversed.
According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the controversial singer -- who was found guilty in 2021 on 9 federal counts that included RICO charges as well as charges pertaining to sex crimes and human trafficking -- says he got a raw deal throughout the lengthy trial.
For starters, R. Kelly's legal team simply argues the government did not meet its burden of proof in court ... despite a jury convicting him on all counts. His lawyers have specific gripes about the jury and some of the evidence prosecutors were allowed to submit during trial.
For the jury, his attorneys say that at least 4 of the jurors selected have since admitted prejudging his guilt before handing down their official verdict -- and he says at least 2 of them had watched the "Surviving R. Kelly" docuseries, and should never have been seated on the jury.
As for the underage girls he's alleged to have groomed and molested ... Kelly seems to have an explanation for what happened in each case. He says some were, in fact, at least 18 years old when he met and engaged in sexual relationships with them -- despite prosecutors' insistence the alleged grooming started while they were still minors.
In the cases where Kelly is alleged to have met with actual minors ... his team claims he was misled by those girls at the time about their real age.
Now, on the evidence front -- his team claims there was a lot of stuff that was allowed in during the trial that shouldn't have been seen or heard by the jury ... and hurt his ability to get a fair trial.
For instance, he says details about his sex life and/or conduct and behavior with former partners or exes of his -- accounts of which dove into STDs, sexual preferences and behavior in the bedroom -- were not relevant to the crimes being alleged against him, and were simply a way for prosecutors to sway the jury.
He also pushes back on former employees/associates of his that were trotted out on the stand ... saying a lot of them falsely testified to things they had no real knowledge of and weren't privy to in their capacity as staffers.
He's asking the appeals court to reverse his convictions or, at a minimum, order a new trial. Of course, there's a second federal case in which he was also convicted out of Chicago. No appeal for that just yet
His attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, filed R. Kelly's appeal Tuesday. He's currently serving a 30-year sentence in this matter ... not to mention another 20 years for the Chicago case.
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Tyre Nichols Family Sues Cops for $550M, Memphis Over Death ... Beat Him Like Emmett Till
11:02 AM PT -- Attorney Ben Crump just announced the family is seeking more than $500M during a press conference.
Tyre Nichols' family is suing over his fatal beating at the hands of Memphis police ... drawing parallels with what happened to Emmett Till.
According to a new federal lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Tyre's family compares his death to the infamous 1955 killing of Emmett, saying Tyre, like Till, suffered a beating from the "hands of a modern-day lynch mob."
The Nichols family is going after the City of Memphis, Police Chief Cerelyn Davis and the officers involved in Tyre's brutal beating.
The suit claims Tyre's death was the "direct and foreseeable product of the unconstitutional policies, practices, customs, and deliberate indifference" from Memphis and its police chief.
As you know ... Tyre died in January, three days after a brutal beating at the hand of five Memphis police officers, all of whom were fired and charged with second-degree murder.
Tyre's family is also suing a sixth officer who was fired but not charged, plus three members of the Memphis Fire Department who responded to the scene but allegedly failed to render aid to Tyre.
The suit seeks a jury trial and damages, though there's no specific dollar amount.
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Southwest Freak-Out Man Goes Berserk Over Screaming Baby ... 'F*** You & Shut Up!'
9:11 AM PT -- A rep for SW wouldn't clarify when the flight happened, but did tell us, "We commend our Crew for exhibiting outstanding professionalism while handling a challenging situation, and we offer our apologies to the other Customers onboard who had to experience such unacceptable behavior."
Passengers on a Southwest flight were annoyed by constant screams on board ... but not just from a baby, these were from a grown-ass adult throwing a tantrum over a crying child, swearing up a storm as they were stuck in the air!!!
We've all been a little annoyed with the crying baby thing, but this dude took it to a whole other level -- the freak-out was caught on camera as he loudly groused he paid for a comfortable flight and got this instead.
He says lots of wild stuff in the clip -- screaming at the top of his lungs, asking if the baby paid more for crying privileges. The flight attendants try pointing out he's yelling in the cabin, and the man responds "So is the baby!"
The attendant hits him back with the perfect response ... "You're a man!"
It doesn't end once the flight lands, BTW -- because he was greeted by cops at the airport and seemingly escorted out.
We've reached out to Southwest for comment ... so far, no word back.
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Drake Two New AI Songs Surface ... After UMG Takedown
Drake has more robot problems on his hands -- after his record label pulled the plug on one viral AI song that was using his voice ... two more, which are also solid, have cropped up.
The tracks are floating all over the internet and live on several platforms -- including YouTube and TikTok ... although it's unclear where exactly they first originated from. One is called 'winters cold' and another is labeled 'Not a Game.' Like we said ... both aren't half bad.
The first sounds like a pretty standard Drizzy track ... with a catchy beat and lyrics that slide without a hiccup, almost as if the human himself was rapping. However, if you actually listen to what the AI is saying ... it doesn't actually make too much sense. Still, it's catchy as hell.
This second AI song is a little more obvious as being a fake ... AI Drake's voice, in this instance, sounds a little off and the flow isn't quite as clean or varied as actual Drake's.
Again, though ... not a terrible reenactment of the real McCoy -- and Twitter's howling about how close machines have come to doing their best rendition of Aubrey. Remember, this all comes on the heels of yet another AI song that went viral this weekend that's been yanked.
Of course, we're talking about 'Heart on My Sleeve' ... which features both fake Drake and fake Weeknd. Universal Music Group apparently issued takedown requests of the song -- which was on Spotify and other streaming services ... and then slammed it to no end.
The label said, in part ... "The training of generative AI using our artists’ music (which represents both a breach of our agreements and a violation of copyright law) as well as the availability of infringing content created with generative AI on DSPs, begs the question as to which side of history all stakeholders in the music ecosystem want to be on: the side of artists, fans and human creative expression, or on the side of deep fakes, fraud and denying artists their due compensation."
UMG says they appreciate their publishing partners' help in getting these phony songs off the digital air ... but it sounds like they're going to be busy as time goes on.
These AI songs are all the rage right now ... and they're multiplying like baby bunnies.
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Lindsay Lohan Reunites with Whole Family in NYC Before ✈ Home for Birth
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Lindsay Lohan got to see her entire family for the first time in a long time -- and, ironically, it's also gonna be the last time she sees them for a bit before she pops ... TMZ has learned.
Sources with direct knowledge tell us the actress was in The Big Apple last week for business and pleasure -- the latter being a last chance to see her flesh and blood in person before settling down at home in Dubai, where she lives, and getting situated for her imminent birth.
We're told she and her husband, Bader Shammas, just had dinner plans Thursday with her dad, Michael Lohan, but the get-together turned into a full-blown family affair when he suggested they link up with Dina and the rest of her siblings too ... which they then did.
Our sources tell us that the whole Lohan gang chowed down at a restaurant called The Clocktower, which is inside one of the Edition Hotels right in the heart of Manhattan. Those in attendance included LiLo, Bader, Mike, Dina, as well as her brothers, Cody and Michael Jr. and her sister Aliana. It's the first time they'd all reunited like this in at least 7 years.
As you can see ... everyone's got a big smile -- so it seems the dinner went well. It caps off a great week for Lindsay, whom we're told also enjoyed a small baby shower over the weekend. Now ... she's off to Dubai again, where she'll remain ahead of her delivery date.
We still don't quite know when that is ... but sources say her mom will be there with her when the time comes. Her siblings, we're told, will also come visit within this window.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
While it's unclear how far along she is ... our sources say her pregnancy is going great.
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Yung Miami Diddy & I Are DONE Dating ... But We're Still Friends!!!
Yung Miami is confirming her whirlwind and very public relationship with Diddy is no more -- but not without clarifying a few things, including why she got "Pee Diddy" trending!!!
The City Girls rapper sat down with "The Cut" as its newest cover star ... claiming she and Diddy remain friends, even after ending their romantic entanglement.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
She also refused to put a formal title on their situation, which pretty much fizzled when it was revealed Diddy welcomed a newborn daughter last October.
The pair were inseparable at one point in time, frequently spotted together at award shows and parties, and Diddy also helped launch Miami's podcast career on his Revolt TV network ... which opened up speculation about their sex life.
On one episode of her award-winning "Caresha Please" series, Miami fawned about her love for golden showers in the bedroom ... but, in the interview, she says that didn't necessarily mean it was the Bad Boy mogul who was raining over her.
And while she and Diddy are over, Miami says she plans on making "Caresha Please" a household name like Rihanna's Fenty.
Can't stop, won't stop!!!
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NHL's Morgan Barron Needs 75+ Stitches After Skate To Face ... Returns To Game
Here's more proof hockey guys are the toughest people out there -- NHL center Morgan Barron took a skate to the face that resulted in 75+ stitches on Tuesday ... but somehow, he managed to return and finish the game!!
It all went down at the T-Mobile Arena ... when Barron suffered the injury in the first period in Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round series between the Winnipeg Jets and the Vegas Golden Knights.
Morgan Barron required 𝟳𝟱 𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗦 after being cut in the face by a skate …
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 19, 2023 @BR_OpenIce
AND HE CAME BACK INTO THE GAME
Hockey players are different 😳 pic.twitter.com/XH87wHoTDF
A scrum for the loose puck ensued by the net ... and as players from both teams converged, Vegas goalie Laurent Brossoit's skate inadvertently cut Morgan's face, causing him to bleed.
The 24-year-old -- who got hurt with 10:43 left in the first period -- emerged from the tunnel and returned to the game with 13:24 left in the second.
After the game, Barron told reporters the injury wasn't as bad as it looked, adding the medical staff did an excellent job of fixing him up.
"I was trying to figure out if the puck went in because it was pretty close," Barron said. "I saw the skate coming. It was an unlucky play. The first thought was that I could see out of the [right] eye was the main thing."
Given the magnitude of the matchup, Barron said there was no doubt he would return ... and felt that as long as he was stitched up well enough, he could help his team's chances.
In the end ... the Winnipeg Jets won the game 5-1 over the Knights, and Barron earned his peers' respect for his grit.
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'Rust' Production Set To Resume This Week W/ Alec Baldwin & OG Cast
Alec Baldwin and the cast and crew for the "Rust" movie will all be back on set tomorrow, more than a year after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed during production.
A spokesperson for the film tells CNN everything will be back underway Thursday at the Yellowstone Film Ranch in Montana -- a place meant to honor Halyna's legacy.
"Rust" originally began filming on set in New Mexico back in 2021 before Halyna was fatally shot on set with a prop gun Baldwin was holding. Director Joel Souza was also shot and injured... bringing production to a screeching halt.
It wasn't until earlier this year the production company behind the movie locked in a new church as the backdrop for the film ... which BTW, looks really similar to the original one.
As we told you, Matthew Hutchins, Halyna's widower, reached an undisclosed settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit filed against the actor and production companies back in October ... greenlighting filming for the movie to resume with the original principal players and Matthew as the Executive Producer.
Of course, Alec is still dealing with a ton of suits including one by his crew members. You'll recall, AB and “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed were charged with involuntary manslaughter and he pled not guilty in February ... days after the Santa Fe County D.A. dropped the gun enhancement charge against him.
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Four Oklahoma Officials Facing Backlash For Lynching Comment ... Governor Demands Their Resignations
Four white Oklahoma officials were secretly recorded talking about murdering journalists, lynching black people and joking about someone dying -- and now they're all in very hot water.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt called for the immediate resignations of McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy, Sheriff's Captain Alicia Manning, Jail Administrator Larry Hendrix and District 2 Commissioner Mark Jennings after the recordings were published by a local news outlet.
In addition, the Oklahoma Sheriff's Association held an emergency meeting Tuesday and voted unanimously to suspend the three cops -- Clardy, Manning and Hendrix -- from the membership-only union.
According to the McCurtain Gazette-News, which broke the story, Manning, Jennings and Clardy were the primary culprits captured on various recordings -- obtained by The Oklahoman -- discussing their evil plans, while using racist rhetoric. Little did they know that their conversations were being taped by an anonymous person.
In one recording, they discussed killing reporters Bruce and Chris Willingham, whose family owns the McCurtain newspaper. Jennings allegedly told Clardy and Manning that he knows where "two deep holes are dug if you ever need them." Clardy reportedly responded, 'I've got an excavator." Jennings allegedly added that he's acquainted with "two or three hit men" who would "cut no f***ng mercy."
Manning then reportedly chimed in, saying her dad would have physically assaulted Chris Willingham and "used him for toilet paper" before killing him.
On another recording, the trio allegedly lamented how their jobs have changed and chatted about potential candidates for the sheriff's position.
Jennings allegedly said ... "I'm gonna tell you something. If it was back in the day, when that Alan Marshton would take a damn black guy and whoop their ass and throw him in the cell? I'd run for f****** sheriff." He continued: "Take them down to Mud Creek and hang them up with a d**n rope. But you can't do that anymore. They got more rights than we got."
Another recording purportedly featured Clardy and Hendrix joking about someone who died in a house fire, comparing the victim to a slab of "barbecue meat.
Governor Stitt was so appalled by the recordings that he called for the resignation of all four officials and ordered the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to look into whether any illegal conduct had occurred.
The McCurtain County Sheriff's Office also launched a probe, but the agency appeared to circle the wagons. In a statement, the office said it was a violation of the law to make the secret recordings, which were also illegally obtained by the news agency.
The three officers are still on full active duty. As for District 2 Commissioner Jennings, he, too, remains on the job ... for now.
Stay tuned.
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Two-Time 'Survivor' Contestant Keith Nale Dead At 62 ... After Bout With Cancer
Keith Nale, a two-time contestant on the "Survivor" TV series, has died after a bout with cancer.
His wife, Dana, tells TMZ ... Keith passed away Tuesday in his home in Keithville, Louisiana after he discovered that he had the disease in January. Dana said it was unclear what type of cancer he had.
His presence will definitely be missed. Keith was beloved by his fellow contestants from the "Survivor" franchise, whose producers isolate a group of strangers on an island where they compete in endurance challenges to avoid elimination through voting until one person is left victorious.
Keith and his son, Wes, appeared on 2014's "Survivor: San Juan del Sur," where Keith reached the final four competition before getting the boot. The following year, Keith returned to an alternate version of the show — Survivor: Cambodia — where he nearly made it to the finals again, but he got voted off.
Some of Keith's fellow contestants paid homage to him on social media.
Jeremy Collins, who won "Survivor: Cambodia" in 2015, tweeted his condolences to Keith's family, noting that he and Keith were both firefighters by trade.
Ex-contestant Kelley Wentworth recalled that Keith had the "purest heart" and a good sense of humor when everyone really needed some laughs.
ET was first to report his death.
Keith was 62.
RIP
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Draymond Green Suspended 1 Game ... For Stomping On Sabonis
The Warriors will be without Draymond Green for their crucial playoff game Thursday night ... the NBA announced late Tuesday the Dubs star has been suspended for Golden State's contest against the Kings for stomping on Domantas Sabonis earlier this week.
In revealing their ruling, league execs explained Green was receiving the ban "based in part on Green's history of unsportsmanlike acts."
It did not appear the 33-year-old will be allowed to appeal -- meaning the Warriors will have to try to avoid going down 0-3 in the series with Sacramento without one of their best players.
Sabonis is down after Draymond stepped on him. pic.twitter.com/6MwsNLT2Pj
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 18, 2023 @BleacherReport
The controversial incident happened in the fourth quarter of Game 2 on Monday night ... after Sabonis and Green got tangled up while trying to fight for a rebound.
Draymond Green Stomps On Domantas Sabonis' Chest, Ejected From Game
Sabonis hit the floor, and while he was down, he grabbed Green's right ankle. In response, Draymond stomped on the Sacramento center's chest.
Sabonis was given a technical -- and Green was booted from the game.
While Sabonis was not suspended for Game 3, there is a chance he might miss it after all ... he's dealing with a sternum injury due to Draymond's kick that could force him to sit out.
Tip-off for the pivotal game at Chase Center in San Francisco is slated for 7 PM PT.
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Sean Garrett Let's Chill On the AI... Humans Gotta Lead the Charge!!!
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Sean Garrett is more than a little leery about adopting AI in the studio, because if it comes down to us versus the machines -- as many fear it eventually will -- he's always riding with us.
We caught up with the prolific producer/songwriter Tuesday in NYC, and he admits he's curious about using the artificial software, but not to the point where it overshadows the human contribution.
Sean's been a part of some huge records -- such as Usher's "Yeah," Nelly's "Grillz" and multiple Beyonce jams -- and doesn't think that success could have been duplicated with a ghost in the computer.
Or as he puts it, "If it ain't from the soul, that s**t ain't real."
This is NOT Drake & The Weeknd
— Altcoin Daily (@AltcoinDailyio) April 17, 2023 @AltcoinDailyio
This is AI. pic.twitter.com/T9N82iE2Zw
Universal Music Group recently enacted the takedown of an AI-generated Drake and Weeknd track that had millions of views before its removal from streaming services, but more songs -- several from AI-Drizzy -- keep springing up like weeds!!!