Taylor Swift GoFundMe For Fan Picks Up Steam ... Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver After Concert
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Taylor Swift fans are rallying for one of their own, flocking to a GoFundMe page set up for a fellow Swiftie who was killed by a drunk driver after her Houston concert ... and it's garnering a ton of cash in just over 24 hours.
20-year-old Jacob Lewis and his sister April were leaving Taylor's Eras Tour concert early Saturday morning when their car broke down on a highway. As Jacob got out to push the vehicle, he was struck by 34-year-old Alan Bryant Hayes.
Jacob died at the scene, and a GoFundMe was started to help his family cover funeral expenses ... and it blew past the $60K goal in a little over a day -- with Swifties seemingly providing a good portion of that total.
Many TS fans chose to donate $13 each -- Taylor's lucky number. A lot of the comments on the fundraiser are references to the singer's music, too ... like "Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you… Long live, Jacob."
I cannot even describe the pain I feel at this moment for the loss of my brother. We loved you so much @taylorswift13. Thank you for making this our last memory together #JacobLewis https://t.co/cRHT5T54YT
— April Bancroft (@aprillovesbooks) April 24, 2023 @aprillovesbooks
FYI, Hayes allegedly fled the scene after getting out to help April pull Jacob out from under his tire. A heroic tow truck driver reportedly followed Hayes as he drove off, and it resulted in a foot pursuit by cops before he was taken into custody.
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Rae Sremmurd's Swae Lee Massive Coachella Brawl Backstage In Presence of Infant Son!!!
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Rae Sremmurd's Swae Lee's gotta be feeling pretty lucky ... an all-out royal rumble went down with security ahead of his Coachella performance, but he and his baby managed to dodge the blows.
TMZ Hip Hop obtained footage of Swae and his entourage attempting to enter the festival grounds at a security checkpoint behind the stage ... but their path was slowed by several security workers, and that's when things got physical.
You can see Swae actually get knocked back against some fencing as all hell breaks loose ... security guards swarm in like piranhas, pummeling another man in Swae's camp. All the while, one of Swae's guards makes sure his baby -- in a big car seat -- is safe.
Management for Swae tells us ... “As Swae Lee attempted to enter the festival with his newborn son and working crew, overzealous security guards confronted them. As 1/2 of Rae Sremmurd, he was due to perform on Coachella’s Outdoor Theatre stage at 5:55 PM. Security claimed not to recognize the talent and then aggressively initiated contact as they attempted to make their way to the stage."
They continue, "The security guards, which we presume are independent contractors, are seen clearly being the aggressors and then throwing gang signs at end of the video in a celebration."
Swae's team says his own security did a bang-up job protecting him, and more importantly, his baby boy. When the dust settled, Swae and his bro Slim Jxmmi got onstage as scheduled to rock the crowd.
The brothers Sremm just released their "Sremm 4 Life" album and fans will have plenty of time to see them live this year ... just without the WWE-style entrances, most likely.
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Rick Ross Kiss the $130K Gift of Bling 💍 ... I'm the Boss of Bud!!!
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Rick Ross is rocking a few shiny tokens of appreciation for recently headlining the High Tolerance 4/20 Carnival in NYC -- no biggie, just a ring, chain and pendant worth more than $100k!!!
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TMZ Hip Hop obtained video of High Tolerance CEO Manny bestowing the "Rich Forever" rapper with his icy new pieces of hardware, crafted exclusively by Mazza New York.
We're told the chain retails at $40k with more than 19 diamond carats ... and the pendant consists of 14k rose gold and costs over $30k.
The ring stands as Rozay's most detailed HT piece ... it boasts more than 22 carats of VS1 and f-colored diamonds and 14k gold with a retail of over $60k!!!
High Tolerance and Rozay are in business cahoots together and plan on blessing the world with his own brand of THC this summer.
TMZ Hip Hop broke the story, Rozay signed on board in March to flood the market with their "High Collins" cannabis strain, named after his old hood in Miami.
Business must be good if he's attracting this kind of bling!!!
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Aaron Hernandez's Brother Cuts Deal W/ Prosecutors ... Closes Out Reckless Driving Case
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Aaron Hernandez's brother, D.J. Hernandez, has just put one of his most recent legal troubles in the rearview mirror ... TMZ Sports has learned he cut a deal with prosecutors Monday to close out his reckless driving case.
A Connecticut court official tells us ... D.J. pled guilty to one count of failure to drive in a proper lane and one count of failure to use traffic control signals. In exchange, prosecutors dropped the other charges against him -- which included reckless driving and engaging police in pursuit.
The court official said D.J. was ordered to pay $100 in fines ... and the matter is now considered closed. We reached out to D.J. for comment, but he declined.
Aaron Hernandez's Brother Had Bipolar Episode Days Before ESPN Arrest, Cops Say
We broke the story ... the 36-year-old was initially hit with the charges in late March after he had been involved in what police said was a wild car chase through Connecticut roadways on March 8.
According to cops, officers attempted to pull over D.J. for a routine traffic stop -- but he allegedly bolted, shaking cops as he traveled at a high rate of speed.
He was eventually stopped and put in custody following a brief foot chase, cops said. Officers wrote in police documents that D.J. told them he had been driving around the state in an effort to get arrested because "he no longer wanted to stay at his mom's house."
Cops said in the docs they believed he was having a bipolar episode.
Just days later, on March 23, D.J. found himself in more legal trouble ... after authorities accused him of throwing a large brick at ESPN's campus in Bristol.
He was hit with a misdemeanor charge over the allegations. That case, court records show, remains ongoing.
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Singer James Blunt 'Memba Him?!
British singer James Blunt was 31 years old when his song "You're Beautiful" propelled him to stardom back in 2005. The catchy song became his breakout hit, peaking at #1 on the Billboard chart for a week ... quite the accomplishment, especially back in the early 2000s.
Aside from the "You're Beautiful" music video racking up nearly 700 million views, Blunt continued making music with albums like "All The Lost Souls" and "Some Kind Of Trouble."
The talented singer is still making tunes, and just this month he dropped the song "Can't Forget You", collaborating with the band Ofenbach.
"You're beautiful, you're beautiful, you're beautiful, it's true!"
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AJ McLean I'm Working On My Demons During Separation ... Marriage Will Get Better!!!
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Backstreet Boys singer AJ McLean says he's using the separation from his wife to work on his own demons and become a better version of himself ... hoping they'll come back stronger than ever.
We caught up with AJ at LAX Monday and he got super candid on why he and his wife, Rochelle DeAnna McLean, decided to hit the pause button on their marriage.
AJ says he talks to Rochelle and the kids multiple times every day, especially when he's on the road ... and that'll never change.
TMZ broke the story ... AJ and Rochelle, who share 2 kids together, decided to temporarily separate ... telling us they wanted to work on themselves and their marriage.
AJ says he's fully committed to his 12-step program and is sober as can be ... something that's clearly essential to him in moving forward.
He's 45 now and wishes he would have seen the light earlier ... but hey, it's never too late and he sounds like a man on a mission to improve his life and his family's.
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Ye & Bianca Censori Sundae Funday at Cheesecake Factory
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Kanye West and his wife don't seem to be missing a beat with each other, and their latest QT came in the form of a Sunday date in a not-so-fancy spot.
Ye and and Bianca Censori hit up a Cheesecake Factory Sunday inside L.A.'s Topanga Westfield Mall. When it came time for dessert, they passed on the obvious choice -- cheesecake -- and, instead, opted for one bowl, 2 spoons.
The couple shared a big ol' ice cream sundae as they sat in a booth at the popular eatery -- sitting side-by-side like a couple a high school kids.
Despite the delicious dessert choice, it's not clear just how much fun they packed into Sunday funday.
They weren't exactly grinning from ear-to-ear, but, then again, they rarely do ... in public, anyway.
Of course, they were far more conspicuous the last time we saw them out. They hit up designer Jerry Lorenzo's Fear of God show at the Hollywood Bowl last week ... both fully covered in Ye's trademark full-head masks.
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Coachella Curfew Fines Cut in Half ... Lesson Learned Weekend 2
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The people who organize Coachella figured out how to work with those late night noise rules -- 'cause the fines they're paying for running long are about half of last week's.
A rep for the City of Indio tells TMZ ... Goldenvoice was fined $51,000 for curfew violations racked up during Weekend 2. That might sound like a lot, but pales in comparison to the $117k they shelled out last week for the lengthy final sets that crept into the wee hours of the morning.
Here's the breakdown ... we're told Friday night's festivities went 2 minutes past the 1 AM curfew -- amounting to a $20,000 fine. Saturday, which also had a 1 AM curfew in place, didn't go over the line at all ... so no ding there. Sunday, however, went well past the slightly earlier 12 AM curfew ... at 16 minutes, and costing Goldenvoice $31k.
You'll recall -- the contract festival organizers have with the City calls for a daily fine of $20k for the first 5 minutes past curfew, with another $1,000 added for every minute thereafter.
Like we said ... $51k is nothing to sneeze at, but considering they got the fines down a significant amount compared to Weekend 1 ($66,000 in savings) -- it's not half bad.
The lineup changed a bit this week ... including the notable replacement of Frank Ocean, who had to bow out after injuring himself. Blink-182 stepped in to handle main stage duties at 9:20 PM, and then Skrillex and other EDM DJs filled the void later at 10:25 PM.
Skrillex B2B Fred Again B2B Four Tet was fkn nuts tonight 🔥🥵 #Coachella pic.twitter.com/WDipp69OsU
— GDE (@GlobalDanceGDE) April 24, 2023 @GlobalDanceGDE
Seems the swap worked out for everyone ... and kept things on schedule.
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Ice Spice & PinkPantheress Collab Pt. 2 ... As Kim K's New Skims Models!!!
Ice Spice's relationship with Kim Kardashian is leading her into a modeling career, as she's been handpicked to show off a new "Skims" line ... along with a few other artists on the rise!!!
The "Princess Diana" rapper joined her "Boy's a Liar Pt. 2" collaborator PinkPantheress and singers Nessa Barrett and Raye on Monday to model Kim's company's latest offerings ... which drop on April 27.
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Ice and PP's song is one of the hottest of the year -- the track reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was a clear favorite of North West, who invited Ice to her home earlier this year to make a TikTok when the song was burning up the charts.
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Meanwhile, Kim's celebrating the talent she's gathered, saying ... "Ice Spice, Nessa Barrett, Pinkpantheress, and Raye are super talented women and truly reflect our Skims community."
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Aaron Rodgers Jet-Setting To NY!!! ... Packers Trading Star QB
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Aaron Rodgers is finally getting his wish ... the NFL superstar is being traded to the New York Jets!!
The Packers will send the quarterback to NY in exchange for a bunch of draft picks ... according to Adam Schefter, the deal will include two second-rounders, one of which could turn into a 1st-rounder in 2024 if Rodgers plays 65 percent of the Jets' snaps this season.
Schefter reported Rodgers will switch from No. 12 to No. 8 when he officially arrives in New York.
The trade signals the end of a historic career in Green Bay for Rodgers, who after being picked in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft, piled up an insane resume.
He won four MVPs in 18 seasons, got a Super Bowl win, made 10 Pro Bowl teams, and earned All-Pro honors four times. He also piled up a career 147-75-1 record -- while throwing for 59,055 yards and 475 TDs.
His reign in Wisconsin, though, wasn't without drama ... he consistently butted heads with execs in the front office over personnel decisions and more -- especially at the end of his career ... leading to his eventual departure Monday.
But, New York players are no doubt thrilled he'll be wearing green and white this season ... because everyone from Sauce Gardner to Quinnen Williams to Garrett Wilson had been recruiting him like crazy this entire offseason.
If you're wondering, the Jets won't play the Packers in 2023 -- unless they meet in the Super Bowl ... fingers crossed!!
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NewsNation Interested in Both Don & Tucker ... After CNN, FOX Firings
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Don Lemon and Tucker Carlson are now without a work home -- but they could land at the same place in the near future ... and that might be NewsNation, which wants 'em both.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the television network -- which has been growing steadily over the past few years -- is interested in potentially hiring DL and TC and adding them to their growing roster of high-profile anchors.
“This is a bombshell that no one saw coming.”
— NewsNation (@NewsNation) April 24, 2023 @NewsNation
NewsNation contributor @ColbyHall reacts to Tucker Carlson and Fox News agreeing to part ways. Hall says the recent Fox News/Dominion lawsuit may not have been the sole reason
READ MORE: https://t.co/vECOKXAKs3 pic.twitter.com/vrAmp1E7WK
We're told the announcements of their oustings Monday came at a perfect time for NewsNation -- which just started running 24-hour programming starting this week.
Plus, we're told the fact both of these guys are huge, recognizable names in the news game is appealing to NewsNation honchos -- who feel like they both could bring in big swaths of a diverse audience on both the right and the left ... with NewsNation being the hub.
Our sources tell us NewsNation is aware that Don and Tucker each come with their own baggage -- but we're told the execs feel like they could manage it. BTW, the idea of bringing both of them on would not be a replacement move ... but a supplemental one, where they'd simply be expanding their talent and creating new shows for the air.
Now, on the issue of money ... there could be a hurdle, seeing how our sources tell us NewsNation would not pay either guy anywhere close to what they were making. In Tucker's case, we're told he's been making $20 million per year at FOX of late.
For Don, our sources tell us he's closer to $7 million/year -- and if they were gonna work at NewsNation, they'd have to be comfortable with a pretty big pay cut ... as we're told the org wouldn't be able to come anywhere close to either number. Still, though, our sources tell us their potential salaries would be fat nonetheless ... in the millions for both.
One final note ... we're told NewsNation is serious about this -- and that their executive team flew to NYC Monday to discuss this internally. So, it sounds like they might just pursue this plan -- as they clearly feel it could work out.
Chris Cuomo is a good example of that -- he was booted from CNN a couple years ago. It's actually interesting, because we're told Cuomo, who was close to Don back in the day, feels Don betrayed him after he was booted.
The fact NN has studios in big markets like D.C., Chicago and NYC, we're told, also makes the team feel like they might have a shot at hooking these 2 big fish. Of course, there are reports Don and Tucker have retained the same entertainment attorney, Bryan Freedman.
So, before they move on ... they might have unfinished business with their former networks.
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Bam Margera Allegedly Beat Up Bro ... And Threatened to Kill Family
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9:21 AM PT -- TMZ has obtained the police report describing what allegedly happened in the lead-up to Bam Margera fleeing into the woods -- and it's a shocking account.
According to cops -- who say they spoke to the alleged victims, who happen to be Bam's family members in this case -- the former 'Jackass' star started banging on his brother Jesse's bedroom door around 8 AM on Sunday ... and left an ominous note behind.
Jesse told police the signed letter from Bam read, "If you even f***ing think of calling the police on me I will officially f*** you up." Jesse goes on to say he then went downstairs to find Bam peeing into the kitchen sink, at which point ... a fight allegedly broke out.
In the docs, Jesse claims Bam wailed on him and struck him multiple times in the head -- and cops make a note of this in their report, noting visible injuries they say they observed.
After the brawl, Jesse goes on to allege that Bam said, "I'll kill you. I'll put a bullet in your head." Jesse also told police that Bam allegedly said he'd also kill everyone in the house ... the occupants of which, at the time, included his dad Phil and two other women. Jesse told police that Bam fled into the woods behind their house after this ... and cops say they came up short when they went looking for him.
Bam Margera is a wanted man in Pennsylvania on a slew of criminal charges -- this after cops say he got into an altercation ... and made a getaway into the woods.
The Pennsylvania State Police tells TMZ ... State Troopers responded to a reported disturbance Sunday morning around 11 AM ET near Pocopson Township -- which resulted in an alleged victim accusing Bam of being involved in some sort of physical confrontation.
The only problem ... by the time cops showed up, Bam had fled the scene of the incident into a nearby wooded area, and as of now hasn't been found.
Now, a warrant has been issued for his arrest ... and the PA State Police are actively searching for him -- asking the public for any help on info regarding his whereabouts. The charges he's facing sound pretty serious ... although, we're told they're all misdemeanors.
While we still don't know what exactly happened here -- or who the alleged victim is -- we know BM's facing 4 counts of terroristic threats with intent to terrorize another, one count of simple assault and a final count of harassment while subjecting another to physical contact.
As you know ... Bam's been going through a lot of issues in his personal life of late -- most of which seem to stem from his addiction and substance abuse issues ... not to mention his partying lifestyle.
We covered it all in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms!
Originally Published -- 6:35 AM PT
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Taylor Swift Nasty Gash on Hand Explained ... My Bad!!!
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Taylor Swift fans can breathe a sigh of relief after learning their favorite singer is gonna be A-OK after getting a nasty gash on her hand during her Eras tour.
Taylor broke it down on social media Monday, taking 100% of the blame for the injury, saying she tripped on her dress at one of her Houston shows and "fell in the dark backstage while running to a quick change."
She says she braced her fall with her palm -- sort of a blessing and a curse. She goes on to mention she's all good, though ... and thanks Houston again for "3 insane shows."
For those unaware, fans started sharing concerns online after a TikTok went viral Sunday, where she appears to have a chunk out of her hand while performing. The whole thing was wrapped up in medical tape later on in the show.
Many were confused as to how she could end up with the "chunk" missing -- others called her a serious trooper for not canceling the show amid the apparent crisis.
As you know, Taylor's been rocking the stage nonstop during her Eras tour ... starting last month and pushing straight through the summer. She's scheduled for 3 nights in ATL this weekend.
Gotta hand it to her, she's pretty tough for keeping things going.
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Arsenal Women's Soccer Team Plane Catches Fire On Runway
Terrifying moment for the Arsenal women's soccer team on Sunday evening ... their plane caught on fire just before it was set to take off -- but, thankfully, no one was injured, and the squad made it home safely Monday.
The horrifying scene went down just after Arsenal played Wolfsburg in a Champions League match in Germany ... when, according to multiple reports, a bird flew into one of their plane's engines just before it was set to take the players back to London.
A photo obtained by German media outlet BILD shows the impact caused a big blaze on one of the aircraft's wings ... sparking panic.
Pilots immediately aborted the flight, however ... and, fortunately, officials were able to get everyone off the ride and onto the ground without further issue.
Arsenal said in a statement hours after the incident that the team stayed overnight after the plane's problems -- but made it home just fine Monday.
"We would like to thank the staff onboard the aircraft and on the ground at the airport for their assistance," the team said.
Arsenal had quite the day leading up to the scary moments on the runway -- the team made a huge comeback from down 2-0 to earn a 2-2 tie against Wolfsburg.
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50 Cent Ha Ha, Irv Gotti ... Nelly's Got Your Girl!!! 😁
50 Cent is stomping all over Irv Gotti's broken heart in light of the fact Ashanti and Nelly appear to be an item once again!!!
On Monday, 50 reposted Ashanti and Nelly's weekend touchy-feely performance in Vegas but fixed his commentary and jeers on Irv ... with whom the G-Unit rapper has a long-running feud.
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Irv told the world last year he had been secretly dating Ashanti way back in the day, but lost his former artist to Nelly years ago ... and embarrassingly found out while watching TV.
Gotti ain’t over it 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/7eLW6RF0ou
— N.O.R.E (@noreaga) August 2, 2022 @noreaga
Aside from the Sin City performance, Nelly and Ashanti were spotted ringside at the Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia fight over the weekend, holding hands at that.
Let's go ahead, and consider 50's taunts the final nail in the coffin for Irv's chances with Ashanti.
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Don Lemon Terminated by CNN
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10:16 AM PT -- A statement from CNN disputes Don's claim he was blindsided, "Don Lemon's statement about this morning's events is inaccurate. He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter."
Don Lemon is out at CNN, after 17 years at the network, a move he says he was never given any heads-up was happening.
In a statement Monday, Lemon said, "I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned. After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly."
He continues, "At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network. It is clear that there are some larger issues at play."
Finally saying, "With that said, I want to thank my colleagues and the many teams I have worked with for an incredible run. They are the most talented journalists in the business, and I wish them all the best."
Don was on air Monday morning, without a hint that anything might be off, and ending his show with the words, "Bye, everyone."
The move comes just 2 months after Lemon was benched briefly for sexist comments he made about Nikki Haley, when he said she was no longer "in her prime" at age 51.
He was also recently caught on a hot mic making comments about Jon Stewart ... however, it seemed those incidents had both cooled off with the network.
Unclear if there was something more happening behind the scenes.
We covered it all in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.