Rob Lowe Joins Son In Writers' Strike ... Picketing Together At Paramount

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ROB FOR THE WRITERS
TMZ.com

Rob Lowe is not only showing the WGA his support during the writers' strike, but he's got his son's back, too -- picketing together outside Paramount and joining thousands of writers across the country to fight for fair wages.

Rob and his son John Owen were out in Hollywood Tuesday as the big strike went into effect, echoing the thoughts of many that film and TV writers are a true backbone in all content today.

The actor tells us he's extremely proud of his son for fighting alongside his colleagues, especially early on in his career -- for those unaware, John Owen and Rob are cocreators on Netflix's "Unstable," and the 28-year-old wrote on 33 episodes of his dad's series, "9-1-1: Lone Star."

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LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
TMZ.com

John Owen sends the love right back to his pops, too ... saying he's thrilled to have his support -- but couldn't help but get a great joke in about Rob's priorities.

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WE'RE A TEAM
TMZ.com

BTW -- Natasha Lyonne was outside Paramount, too ... and she made it a point that writing great projects really takes a village, and she thinks serious change is a necessity for getting the industry back to where it needs to be.

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MEET MODERN STANDARDS
TMZ.com

We also got actor and writer Michael Hitchcock at the same spot ... and he gives us the deets as to why streaming is crucial for this new contract -- and why banning AI from the industry is a must, too.

Jimmy Fallon 'Tonight Show' Staffer Claims ... You Don't Really Support Striking Writers!!!

Jimmy Fallon says he wouldn't have a late-night show without his writers, and he supports them in their strike, but a 'Tonight Show' staffer begs to differ ... claiming Jimmy's all talk.

Sarah Kobos, a senior photo research coordinator on Jimmy's talk show, ripped him Tuesday on social media as the writers' strike began, saying ... "He wasn't even at the meeting this morning to tell us we won't get paid after this week."

Sarah tagged Jimmy in her tweet, adding ... "@jimmyfallon please support your staff. Had fun bowling with ya last week, but a fun party won't pay my rent."

Jimmy, like all other late-night hosts, is scrambling to figure out how to handle personnel matters during the writer's strike, which will affect all employees -- including non-writers -- because all the network talk shows are shutting down.

Monday at the Met Gala, Jimmy was asked about the strike and told Variety, "I wouldn’t have a show if it wasn't for my writers, I support them all the way."

In follow-up tweets, Sarah says she's not a striking worker because she isn't a member of the Writers Guild of America, but again ... with all the shows airing reruns, her livelihood will be impacted nonetheless.

She adds 'Tonight Show' employees were told "NBC decided to stop paying us after this week and end our health insurance after this month if the strike is ongoing. They won't even tell us if we will technically be furloughed. Just active employees who aren't paid."

Fairly or not, Sarah also openly compared Jimmy to Seth Meyers, who hosts 'Late Night' on NBC ... saying she was told Seth was on a Zoom meeting telling his staff and crew he would try to take care of them financially "after NBC stops paying."

We reached out to Jimmy and NBC ... no word back yet.

Carrie Fisher Brother Upset Over Guest List Snub ... For Walk of Fame Ceremony

Carrie Fisher's getting her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but her only brother, Todd Fisher, says the family is shutting him out from attending ... and he considers it a slap in the face.

Carrie's bro tells TMZ ... "It's heartbreaking and shocking to me that I was intentionally omitted from attending this important legacy event for my sister, Carrie."

Todd, the son of late singer Eddie Fisher and late actress Debbie Reynolds, says the snub is ironic because he claims he's the one who got the ball rolling on getting Carrie a star on the Walk of Fame ... and he says he's worked tirelessly to honor and preserve the family's Hollywood legacy.

Todd says he and Carrie were inseparable for more than 60 years -- so, he views the guest list snub as "extremely hurtful and distressing as I was always a big part of everything my sister and mother did historically over their lifetimes."

Todd points out he went with Carrie to their mother's own Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony back in the day, as well as her handprint dedication at the famed Chinese Theatre. Fittingly, Carrie's getting her star Thursday, May the 4th (be with you) ... aka "Star Wars Day."

When Todd found out he didn't make the guest list cut, he says he had his team reach out to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which oversees the Walk of Fame plaques, for clarity ... and he says he was told the guest list was controlled by Disney.

Todd says Disney told him the final say came down to Carrie's family ... and he says he was told they had filled the 30 seats they were given and to not add anymore stress to his niece, Billie Lourd, over his snub.

Carrie's brother says the event is about her -- not him or his family -- but adds, "Frankly, it's a distressing situation and I don't deserve to be put in this position. As the only brother of the Carrie Fisher, being omitted from this special day is truly hurtful."

Todd says Carrie would have wanted him to be there.

Teyana Taylor Crashes Met Gala With Chick-fil-A ... Usher & Pusha T Like 🤦🏿‍♂️!!!

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FANCY FEAST
Instagram / @kingpush, @teyanataylor

Teyana Taylor didn't even give herself a chance to hate the food at this year's Met Gala ... she brought her own meal to the deal, a full Chick-fil-A combo that turned heads at her table!!!

A brazen Teyana plopped the fried food on her supplied dinner plate and the evening's menu which included salmon, asparagus and baby vegetables in lemon crème fraiche ... yummy!!! 😝

The R&B singer was put on blast by her ex-Good Music labelmate Pusha T for her spread of chicken tenders and waffle fries paired with Polynesian Sauce. He jokingly (we think) quipped she was embarrassing the tribe.

Usher later popped up on the table and playfully concealed Teyana's unauthorized eats ... but she continued to munch on unbothered.

As Teyana sees it, the boys were jealous because they were left with a measly-looking pea porridge while the boneless and breaded goodness was all for her!!!

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MOCKING THE MET

Last year, Lizzo went on an epic rant about the 2022 Met Gala ... especially how terrible the food was. Teyana must've seen that and decided to control her own food destiny!

Tom Brady Workin' On Golf Game In L.A. ... What Met Gala?!?

Forget tuxes and red carpets, Tom Brady was more into tee boxes and fairways on Monday ... eschewing a spot at the Met Gala -- an event he used to attend regularly with Gisele Bündchen -- for a round of golf.

The newly retired quarterback was spotted roughly 3,000 miles away from his ex-wife and the bright lights of the famed New York fashion event ... getting in hacks at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.

Brady didn't seem to care much about missing the show that he's gone to multiple times over the last decade ... as he appeared ultra focused on improving his golf game.

The former Buccaneers and Patriots star could be seen hitting his wedges, irons, and driver -- while mobbin' around in a golf cart with his pal.

Of course, Gisele didn't seem to be missing Brady too much out in NYC either ... she rolled up to the event dateless -- and looked stunning.

The two used to attend Met Galas often ... hitting almost every single one from 2010 to 2019 -- and their looks over the years were iconic.

But, following their divorce in late 2022 ... most anticipated it would spell the end of Brady's time at the show -- and, at least this year, that proved to be the case.

'M*A*S*H's Eileen Saki Dead at 79

Eileen Saki, known for her work as bar owner Rosie on "M*A*S*H," has died ... TMZ has learned.

Family sources tell TMZ Eileen passed away Monday in Los Angeles, following a battle with cancer.

Fans remember Eileen as Rosie on a handful of episodes of the Korean War-era sitcom -- she was the owner of the self-titled "Rosie's Bar," a local spot for G.I.'s to take a load off. Eileen took over as Rosie following 2 previous actresses.

Some might also remember Eileen as Dr. Fujimoto from 1984's "Splash" with Tom Hanks ... and also had roles in "CHiPs" and Mel Brooks' "History of the World: Part I."

Eileen's career spanned decades, as she most recently had an appearance a few months ago in an ad for Uber Eats, getting some help crossing the street from L.A. Rams' defensive tackle, Aaron Donald.

Eileen's survived by her husband, Bob Borgen.

She was 79.

RIP

Antonio Brown Accused Of Threatening Arena League Coach ... Locking Players Out Of Hotel

UPDATE

4:14 PM PT -- Tom Menas -- who previously coached the Empire to two championships -- will return to his former position of head coach ... after initially being fired days before the season.

UPDATE

Brown tweeted about the move before quickly deleting it ... but it just goes to show he is still wearing his ownership cap despite all the chaos.

Antonio Brown's tenure as a football team owner is allegedly off to a horrific start -- the controversial former NFL star is being accused of running the organization into the ground ... making violent threats toward the ex-head coach and locking players out of their hotel rooms.

TMZ Sports spoke with two former members of the National Arena League's Albany Empire -- head coach Damon Ware and quarterback Sam Castronova -- and they both detailed their hellish experiences before leaving the team.

Ware said Brown's ownership was doomed from the beginning ... explaining it was a "hostile takeover" when the Super Bowl champ came on board in March, forcing other owners out by throwing money their way.

Ware said the main issue was getting everyone paid ... and his conversations with AB about the matter would get so bad, the receiver would resort to texting him violent threats.

According to Ware, Brown -- who now owns 95% of the team -- was a nightmare to work with ... as his ego got in the way of improving the squad and helping players move on to the next level.

"It became all about him, not the football team," Ware said. "We built a wonderful organization over three years -- he came in and killed it."

FYI -- the Empire are back-to-back champions in the NAL, but are off to a 1-2 start this season.

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WELCOME TO THE TEAM
Albany Empire

We're told team members usually expect their game checks the week after each contest ... but once the money hadn't hit their bank accounts for their past two contests in April, players contemplated sitting out.

Eventually, the athletes agreed to suit up when they were shown what appeared to be a payment confirmation. But, following Sunday's game, Castronova said players were still without their check ... and several captains decided to confront team officials on their bus ride back from North Carolina.

Once they got to their team hotel, Ware, the captains, and several other players discovered their room keys no longer worked -- and hotel staffers told them it was Brown's doing.

In fact, they had to fight like hell just to get their belongings out of their rooms ... dealing with housekeeping in order to make it happen.

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THE CONFRONTATION

Even though the team has followed up with one missed payment so far, Ware, Castronova and several other key players say they are fed up with the team ... and they're already looking forward to restarting their careers elsewhere.

"It's a happy day for me to be out of this crazy situation," Ware added.

"Goodbye, good riddance."

We covered the drama in a recent episode of the TMZ Sports Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Originally Published -- 10:47 AM PT

STEVEN TYLER Lawyer Argues Woman Can't Sue Over Memoir ... Relationship With 16-Year-Old Is His Truth!!!

UPDATE

9:42 AM PT -- 5/3 -- Holcomb's attorney, Jeff Anderson, tells TMZ, “Out of all the crimes laid out in the lawsuit … sexual assault, grooming, coerced guardianship and more … he goes after the infliction of emotional distress. To me, this signifies that Steven Tyler is backed in a corner.”

UPDATE

He continues, “Steven Tyler also signed an affidavit saying that he didn’t intend to harm her, and he auctioned his memoir for millions of dollars. That assertion is absurd. That is like putting a stake in her heart and saying he didn’t intend for her to bleed out.”

Steven Tyler is firing back at the woman suing him for allegedly sexually assaulting her 50 years ago when she was 16 years old ... claiming she can't use his memoir as a weapon in court.

The legendary Aerosmith frontman says his accuser, Julia Holcomb, shouldn't be able to use his memoirs in which he discussed the relationship decades later to sue him for intentionally causing her severe emotional distress.

Julia sued Steven in December, accusing him of sexual assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

She claims he first had sex with her when she was 16 and he was 25, impregnating her when she was 17 and pushing her to have an abortion. They were in a relationship for 3 years.

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Steven claims the alleged distress Julia experienced back in 2011 was not a result of his memoir published that year, in which he used a pseudonym to describe their relationship from Tyler's perspective, but rather from a Star Magazine article published months before his memoir was released.

Tyler says he purposefully did not mention Julia by name in his memoirs when he wrote about them having sex back in the day, and he says she's got no problem using their relationship to promote herself in the media.

What's more, Tyler says she waited 11 years to sue him after his memoir was published ... and he says she's barred from suing him for intentional infliction of emotional distress because of a 2-year statute of limitations on such claims.

Tyler also claims his memoirs are a vessel to share his own experiences from his "newsworthy life" ... and he says her IIED claim is therefore barred by the First Amendment.

We reached out to Julia's camp ... so far no word back.

Originally Published -- 5/2 9:31 AM PT

Bad Bunny And Kendall Jenner Out And About Together In NYC ... Is It Official Yet?

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READY TO PARTY
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Bad Bunny and Kendall Jenner are without question an item ... the two were seen all around NYC together following the Met Gala.

The Puerto Rican rapper and the supermodel showed up arm and arm to a private soiree and then later returned to a swanky Manhattan hotel with Kendall's sisters, Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner.

Check out video, obtained by TMZ, which shows Kendall and Bad Bunny strolling side by side to the party with paparazzi in tow. KJ and BB were obviously enjoying each other's company, smiling and chatting with one another. By the way, KJ was dressed to kill in a sequined black bodysuit showing off her incredible physique.

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HITTING THE HOTEL
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When the two arrived back at their hotel after the Met, Kendall filed out of their ride first and walked inside the hotel with Bad Bunny several steps behind her. Although the two were not seen in the same frame, they did end up in the same place.

Same thing happened earlier in the day when they both arrived separately at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the Met Gala.

As you might know, the pair have been spending a lot of time together since February when they were first spotted with one another.

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DOUBLE DINNER DATE ??
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Since then, they have gone out to restaurants and supposedly went on a double date with Justin and Hailey Bieber. They also got close at Coachella, and most recently were seen getting in the same car after a Tyler, The Creator concert.

Henry Ruggs Agrees To Spend 3-10 Years In Prison ... Judge To Decide Next

Henry Ruggs has agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors in his DUI case ... and now, he could spend the next decade of his life behind bars if a judge signs off on the agreement.

Ruggs and his attorneys revealed the details of the deal at a hearing in a Nevada courtroom on Tuesday morning ... explaining the former Raiders star receiver will plead guilty to one felony count of DUI resulting in death and one misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter stemming from the fatal car crash in Las Vegas that he was involved in back in November 2021.

In exchange for the guilty pleas, prosecutors said they will drop the rest of the charges against the former NFL player.

As part of the agreement, Ruggs' attorneys also told the courtroom the 24-year-old would accept a sentence that included prison time of anywhere from 3 to 10 years.

Ruggs spoke briefly at the hearing, saying he agreed to all of the details of the outlined deal.

A judge is now expected to rule on the agreement at another hearing next week. If the judge does not agree to the stipulations, Ruggs' attorneys said the deal allows for his client to withdraw the guilty pleas and move forward with a trial.

"This is the first step toward a fair resolution to this matter," Ruggs' lawyers, David Z. Chesnoff and Richard A. Schonfeld, said following the hearing, "and we look forward to closure for all the parties involved."

As we reported, Ruggs was initially hit with four felonies and a misdemeanor in the case ... after prosecutors say he drunkenly slammed his Corvette into the back of Tina Tintor's Toyota Rav4, killing her and her dog.

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THE AFTERMATH
TMZSports.com

According to prosecutors, Ruggs was traveling at 156 MPH just before the crash ... with a blood alcohol level that was twice the legal limit.

Ruggs, the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, was cut by the Raiders immediately after the accident ... and hasn't played a down in the NFL since.

We covered it all in a recent episode of the TMZ Sports Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Met Gala 2023 Celebs Bring The Fashion To The After-Parties!!!

The 2023 Met Gala was packed to the brim with stars rocking some incredible outfits ... but they didn't pack it in once the show was over ... they flocked to of the biggest after-parties of the year!

A few shindigs went down after Monday night's festivities, and the big names were spread out ... with some going to Zero Bond, others hitting up the Standard Hotel, while folks like Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny partied it up at a private residence -- and yes, those 2 went together. 👀

Dua Lipa was spotted out at one of the many bashes -- all smiles after being one of the Gala's cohosts, and shocking the crowd with a massive 100-carat diamond necklace!

Olivia Rodrigo went for an Audrey Hepburn look on the carpet ... but took to the Standard afterward to have some fun with other stars like Lil Nas X, Lea Michele, Nick Jonas, and Priyanka Chopra.

The celebs were all having a blast during fashion's biggest night -- Lizzo was twerkin' up a storm and Brian Tyree Henry was cutting loose behind the scenes!

And in case ya missed the celebs debuting their impressive Met Gala fits, we got you covered ... from Pedro Pascal to Kim Kardashian, and EVERYTHING in between!

We covered it all in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms!

Deontay Wilder Arrested In L.A. ... Booked On Gun Charge

UPDATE

10:02 AM PT -- Deontay Wilder appeared to address the arrest on Twitter ... saying, "I’d rather be safe than sorry. The End."

Deontay Wilder spent part of his Tuesday morning locked behind bars ... TMZ Sports has learned the star boxer was arrested in Los Angeles following a routine traffic stop.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Wilder was pulled over in Hollywood at around 1:15 AM after LAPD officers claimed his Rolls-Royce's windows were illegally tinted and his license plate was obstructed.

During the stop, cops say they smelled an odor of burnt marijuana coming from his ride -- so they searched the car. Our sources say they then found weed and a 9mm in the vehicle, and put Wilder into custody. We're told the 6-foot-7 fighter was cooperative and nice throughout the whole ordeal.

Our sources say the 37-year-old was booked on a charge of possession of a concealed weapon. Jail records show he bonded out at 6:34 AM.

Wilder -- a 43-2-1 fighter with 42 knockouts on his resume -- has been rumored to be the next opponent for Anthony Joshua ... with the heavyweight superfight expected to go down at some point in 2023.

It's unclear if Tuesday's arrest will have any impact on the fight's negotiations.

Originally Published -- 9:00 AM PT

Diddy at Met Gala Sweatin' Bullets Over Yung Miami 😅 Is it the Fit or the Questions?!?

Diddy and Yung Miami are turning heads once again ... showing up at the Met Gala together, and shocking everyone, because the City Girls rapper just said their dating chapter had come to a close!!!

On their way inside, La La Anthony asked Diddy about his fashionable reunion with Miami, and the Love Records mogul could barely speak. Flustered and out of breath -- with Miami standing right there -- he had to wipe down his brow before finally saying, "We definitely go together, real bad!"

Mind you, the sweat was still pouring down on his face.

To be fair, Diddy had just climbed the gala's famed staircase while wearing a very heavy ensemble. As expected, Diddy went all out to honor both Karl Lagerfeld and André Leon Talley in a custom, king-sized Sean John robe created by June Ambrose.

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After catching his bearings, Diddy explained to La La that he and Miami don't want to put labels on their situation, but he called her his "best friend" and said he was "blessed" to have her as his date.

Then he asked for a cloth to mop up his perspiration.

Diddy and Miami were very much in the public eye together until last October when the hit-making producer welcomed a baby daughter with another woman ... a moment Miami admitted fractured their union.

Hope -- and Love, apparently -- springs eternal!

Kim Kardashian Runs Into Ex Pete Davidson At Met Gala ... No Tension, Good Vibes

Kim Kardashian could have had an awkward moment when she bumped into her ex Pete Davidson at the 2023 Met Gala ... but the former lovebirds seemed to be in a good space.

Kim and Pete were photographed hanging out with singer Usher at the celebrity-studded event, which kicked off Monday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.

One picture showed Kim chatting with Pete whose eyes were totally transfixed on the reality star. In another photo, Kim shared a light moment with Usher and Pete, who cracked a broad smile. Clearly, there were good vibes.

All three were dressed to the nines, but Kim was the epitome of glamour. In fact, she looked like a starlet in her corseted Schiaparelli gown with pearl necklaces wrapped around her neck.

But, later she seemed to be dropping pearls ... and we don't mean wisdom. The lower part of the dress was falling apart as she returned to her hotel after the festivities.

Meanwhile, Kim's little get-together with Pete was a coming home of sorts. The two made a splash at last year's Met Gala when they were pictured sharing a kiss on the museum steps while still in a relationship.

As you might recall, Kim started dating Pete after they hit it off on the set of "Saturday Night Live" in October 2021. At the time, Pete was a comedian on the show and Kim hosted one of the episodes.

But their romance fizzled after 9 months due mainly to their busy work schedules, which made it hard for them to see each other.

Pete is now seeing actress Chase Sui Wonders and the two seem to be going strong. Kim, on the other hand, is currently single.

Leo DiCaprio & Gigi Hadid Fancy Meeting You at This After-Party!!! No Connection, Though

Leonardo DiCaprio and Gigi Hadid strolling into the same event after the Met Gala might scream total rendezvous, but the night did not end with a love connection ... not between them, anyway.

Gigi and Leo both hit up the Zero Bond after-party Monday night -- the same spot where the likes of Margot Robbie, Olivia Wilde, and another of Leo's exes, Gisele Bündchen, chose to have some fun.

Of course, Leo arrived in his usual 'fit -- hat pulled down low with a face mask -- but once inside, we're told no one saw them hanging out. They certainly weren't photographed together ... and they bounced at separate times, too.

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CHECKIN' OUT
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Alas, there would be no rekindling in NYC ... that notion was totally debunked by Leo exiting the party as only he could.

He walked out alone and got into a limo van ... and seconds later 4 models followed him into the said van. The Pied Piper of models, this guy!

As you know, he and Gigi were first linked together in September but the spark reportedly went out earlier this year ... although, they were spotted leaving the same restaurant in Milan during Fashion Week in February amid breakup rumors.

Unclear where they stand today, but it looks like Monday night's after-party bump-in could be chalked up to coincidence.

Keanu Reeves Cops: Knock Knock, Who's There? Umm, It's Me ... KEANU!!!

Police knocked on Keanu Reeves' front door after getting a call for a welfare check on a  woman ... but when the actor answered, they discovered it was apparently all a mix-up or a prank.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... cops recently responded to Keanu's L.A.-area home after someone called police, worried about a 27-year-old woman.

Police say the caller told them they hadn't spoken to their female friend in a while, and they were concerned about her ... even providing her full date of birth, and what kind of car she was driving.

We're told the caller requested police do a welfare check to make sure the woman was all right -- but when cops got to the home and knocked on the door, they were surprised to see Keanu answer.

Police say they told Keanu how they ended up on his doorstep, but the "John Wick" star had no knowledge of the woman in question ... and told cops she certainly didn't live with him.

It's unclear if the caller honestly had the wrong address or was looking for attention by pulling a prank -- but we're told Keanu was super nice and easygoing with the officers, living up to his rep.