The Kid LAROI Sorry About My Dine & Dash Here's a $2,500 Tip!!!

The Kid LAROI wants to make things right and THEN some after bailing on a recent restaurant tab -- not only by paying the bill -- but by also including an extremely generous tip.

Sources close to LAROI tell us it was actually his security team who was supposed to provide a card for his meal Tuesday night at Dublin's Pass Irish Pub & Restaurant in Springfield, Missouri ... but somehow, they forgot to get things squared away.

Our sources say LAROI and his team realized the mistake after reading our story, and reached out to restaurant staffers first thing Thursday morning.

We're told not only did LAROI cover the $133.58 bill, he also tipped their server from the night, Monique, a whopping $2,500 for all the trouble.

TMZ broke the story, LAROI and a group of buddies went to the eatery after his show, and pigged out on wings, mac & cheese, brownies and more before taking off with an open bill.

We spoke to Autumn, the restaurant's manager, who tells us she's happy everything is settled and her staffer is getting paid.

Ed Sheeran Found Not Liable In Marvin Gaye Copyright Trial

UPDATE

11:01 AM PT -- Ed Sheeran just addressed the media outside the courthouse, taking some serious jabs at the Townsend estate, and accusing them of trying to alter his song in a way for the jury to believe it was stolen from Marvin Gaye's classic.

UPDATE

Ed says, "It's devastating to be accused of stealing someone else's song when we've put so much work into our livelihoods."

UPDATE
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BACK TO MUSIC
FOX
UPDATE

Before thanking his legal time, Ed concluded, "I'm just a guy with a guitar who loves writing music for people to enjoy. I am not and never will allow myself to be a piggy bank for anyone to shake."

The jury has spoken in Ed Sheeran's copyright trial -- he's been found not liable for ripping off one of Marvin Gaye's classics, "Let's Get It On."

The singer received the verdict on Thursday in a Manhattan federal court after a jury made the decision.

As we reported, the estate of Ed Townsend, co-writer of "Let's Get it On," slapped the lawsuit on Sheeran ... alleging the 2014 hit "Thinking Out Loud" ripped key elements of the 1973 Marvin Gaye classic -- claiming several aspects like the melody and even harmony were a match.

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SHEERAN GOES TO COURT
Freedom News TV

Sheeran was present in court for the legal battle, and even testified during the trial ... part of it in the form of a song! He pulled out his guitar and played the tune in question during his time on the stand as a way to show them his creative process.

He testified Marvin's song was nowhere near his or his co-writer Amy Wadge's minds when they brought his track to life ... claiming he doesn't really put a ton of time into crafting his tracks and just pulls inspiration from whatever's going down in his life at the time.

It was a move that some thought could go a long way -- having a star play for the super small crowd for sure had the potential to sway the jury. He also testified he'd be "quite an idiot to stand on a stage in front of 20,000 people" after ripping off a classic.

Sheeran claimed he'd quit music forever if he lost ... so the decision is good news for Ed's fans.

Originally Published -- 10:07 AM PT

Drew Barrymore I Refuse To Host MTV Award Show ... I Support Writers' Strike!!!

Drew Barrymore is going on strike ... she's backing out from hosting duties for the upcoming MTV Movie & TV Awards to show solidarity with the writers fighting for better pay.

The actress was supposed to host this weekend's award show, but announced Thursday she was pulling out.

Drew explained her decision in a statement to Deadline, saying ... "I have listened to the writers, and in order to truly respect them, I will pivot from hosting the MTV Movie & TV Awards live in solidarity with the strike.

She continues ... "Everything we celebrate and honor about movies and television is born out of their creation. And until a solution is reached, I am choosing to wait but I’ll be watching from home and hope you will join me."

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WRITERS WALK OUT
TMZ.com

As you know ... the Writers Guild of America started striking earlier this week, with writers going up against major studios for a bigger slice of the pie.

Drew's set to host next year's award show, and Deadline reports MTV is not going to replace her this weekend, instead opting to go without a host this year due to the strike.

The producers who put on the MTV Movie & TV Awards also sent a statement to Deadline, saying ... "We understand and deeply respect her decision. She's a legend – as a host and a fan – and we are excited to welcome her back in 2024."

See ya next May, Drew.

Lisa Vanderpump Pump Restaurant Closing Its Doors ... Blame Our Landlord!!!

Lisa Vanderpump's famous Pump Restaurant Lounge in West Hollywood is closing up shop.

The Pump Family tells TMZ ... "It's with heavy hearts that we announce that the lease at Pump Restaurant is expiring, and we will be closing its doors on July 5th, after 10 years of beautiful evenings under our olive trees."

While the flagship location at the corner of Santa Monica and Robertson in the heart of WeHo is closing, we're told Lisa is opening two more restaurants at Caesars in Las Vegas.

It appears a dramatic increase in rent is to blame, the Pump Family tells us ... "While we have loved our time operating Pump, to take on another 10-year lease with a huge increase in rent by the landlords, is not something we are ready to commit to. After successfully running 37+ establishments for many years, this type of rent is untenable."

Sources close to the family tell TMZ  … Lisa and her husband Ken Todd refused to commit to paying nearly $1 million in yearly rent, with the couple considering the figure to be ridiculous.

Our sources say high rent is also to blame for Lisa and Ken's former Beverly Hills restaurant, Villa Blanca remaining empty 3 years after the couple closed the restaurant because of a rent increase in 2020.

We're told Lisa wanted to keep Pump open through June, because it's Pride Month and she wants to "support the local community with one last hurrah."

Lisa and Ken still have a couple other restaurants in the area ... Sur and TomTom ... and the Pump Family says, "We look forward to welcoming you all to TomTom & Sur in the months following! Thank you for the past decade of support, we have loved our staff, our patrons and our time together."

Pump's been featured in many scenes on "Vanderpump Rules" over the years, and it's hosted tons of celebs ... including Lance Bass and Lady Gaga.

Cheers to a great run.

NYC Subway Rider Killed Protesters Violently Clash with NYPD ... Chokehold Death Fuels Outrage

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CLASHING WITH COPS
FNTV

New York City is a powder keg ... on the heels of a subway rider getting choked to his death, pissed-off protesters are going toe-to-toe with NYPD officers, and it's starting to get violent.

Demonstrations are going down on subway platforms and in the streets ... where cops attempted to detain one protester while several others rushed at the handful of officers who had to form a circle to fend off attacks.

The violence is simmering over the death of Jordan Neely ... a 30-year-old homeless man who was riding a subway train Monday afternoon when a Marine vet placed him in a chokehold for 15 minutes. The Medical Examiner has deemed Neely's death a homicide.

NYPD has said Neely appeared to be having a mental health episode, and had been pacing and shouting on the train. Cell phone footage shows the 24-year-old veteran wrestling Neely to the ground and applying the chokehold. He eventually went unconscious, and although paramedics transported him to a hospital, they could not resuscitate Neely.

Along with the protests, there's now a war of words between NYC Mayor Eric Adams and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

AOC is ripping Adams for not calling the incident a murder. The Mayor issued a statement purely focused on Neely's mental health without mentioning the actions of the Marine which led to Neely's death. The medical examiner has already ruled it a homicide.

The Marine has not been named or arrested ... which is prompting numerous protests demanding justice for Neely, and criticizing Mayor Adams' treatment of the city's homeless.

Kevin Costner Didn't Get 'Yellowstone' Set Member Pregnant Despite Social Media Rumor

Kevin Costner has become the target of nasty rumors since his wife filed for divorce, including one accusing the actor of getting a woman working on the set of "Yellowstone" pregnant ... a tale we're told could not be further from the truth.

Sources close to Costner say the latest bit of gossip surrounding the star is "total BS," and has been baselessly circulating online.

It's unclear who started the rumor, or even who Costner allegedly got pregnant, but the fake story has been buzzing on social media since his wife, Christine, filed for divorce Monday.

One Twitter user wrote, "I wonder now, if the drama surrounding Kevin Costner and Yellowstone 'scheduling,' was due to the rumor of him potentially getting someone on set pregnant?" Another said, "So it wasn’t Bentley who got a girl pregnant on the Yellowstone set ... it was Costner."

TMZ broke the story, Costner was blindsided by Christine's filing ... the actor's rep made that clear in telling us, " ... circumstances beyond his control have transpired which have resulted in Mr. Costner having to participate in a dissolution of marriage action."

We're told Kevin had no prior warning Christine was filing to end their 18-year marriage, and he's still in the dark.

In her divorce docs, Christine lists the date of separation as last month -- they got hitched back in 2004. Interesting, since sources say Kevin had no inkling the marriage was ending.

Costner filed a response to the divorce petition in which the prenup is referenced requiring  Christine to vacate Kevin's 3 homes.

The two have 3 kids together and both Kevin and Christine are seeking joint custody.

SF Giants P Logan Webb 75% Of Team Has 'The S**ts' 💩 ... After Mexico Trip

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ON THE GRIND
NBC Sports

Don't count on Logan Webb going to Mexico again anytime soon -- the Giants' pitcher says three-quarters of the team has "the s**ts" after their trip to Mexico City .... and he can't wait to be back home in the Bay Area!

Webb said a majority of the Giants squad has a severe case of the runs ... and he's blaming it on their two-game series against the Padres in Mexico City last week.

"The whole trip was very grindy," Webb told reporters on Wednesday. "It's been a mental grind. It's been a physical grind. I think three-quarters of our clubhouse has the s**ts."

"It'll be good to get back home for sure. Hopefully, the s**ts go away, and we'll be better in a couple [of] days."

In August 2022, Major League Baseball announced that the Giants and Padres would play in the first-ever regular season series in Mexico City as a part of MLB's World Tour.

The series between the two NL West teams took place on April 29 and 30 at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú stadium, the home of the Red Devils of Mexico in Mexico City.

The Padres swept both games against the Giants ... including a 16-11 win in what was a slugfest between the two teams.

Despite dropping both games in Mexico to their division rival, the Giants rebounded by winning two out of three against the World Series champion Astros in Houston.

Nevertheless, Webb and his teammates have had enough road trips. 😅

Ariana Madix to Tom Sandoval Why Would I Have Sex With You??? Drags Him Pre-Scandoval

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NO CONNECTION
Bravo

Ariana Madix ripping into her now-ex-BF Tom Sandoval about major sex life problems ... and, ironically, discussing those concerns with Raquel Leviss is the ultimate foreshadowing -- and that's about to play out for viewers.

The ill-timed convos were revealed in Wednesday night's "Vanderpump Rules" teaser -- where Tom tells Ariana he'd love to have more sex, and she bluntly responds, "I cannot have sex with somebody that feels like a stranger."

The real stunner is Ariana then telling Raquel about that argument -- a bad idea knowing what we know now! And, Raquel's response is wild ... telling Ariana that people who are dating "should want to have sex."

All shocking stuff ... considering how the Scandoval played out -- Tom having an affair with Raquel behind Ariana's back.

Unclear when exactly these scenes were shot, but we know Tom and Raquel's affair was already hot and heavy by this past January -- so, it's possible they were already banging when Ariana was confiding in Raquel.

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HEATING UP IN THE HOT TUB
Bravo

As we reported, a deleted scene from 'VR' had all signs pointing to an affair with all 3 sharing a hot tub together ... joking about being a throuple while Tom couldn't seem to take his eyes off Raquel.

THE KID LAROI DINES AND DASHES AFTER TOUR STOP

The Kid LAROI left his server hanging with a triple-digit bill after fleeing an Irish pub & restaurant -- that's what the pissed-off manager of the watering hole is claiming.

LAROI performed Tuesday night in Springfield, MO, and afterward, he and a group of buddies went to Dublin's Pass Irish Pub & Restaurant for some food and drink.

The joint's manager, Autumn Gray, tells TMZ ... the Aussie rapper was kind to all her staff and patrons at first, even posing for photos with some excited fans -- but, ultimately, they seated LAROI and co. in a private room.

Autumn says the group ran up their bill ordering chicken wings, mac & cheese, brownies and more ... and, although they stepped outside for smoke breaks during the meal, they assured their server they weren't leaving.

Of course, that's precisely what happened according to the restaurant. When their server tried to get a head start on bussing dishes from the table ... they discovered everyone had bolted.

As soon as the manager found out about the dine and dash, she says they searched the premises but TKL and his entourage were long gone.

The total bill was $133.58 and while Autumn acknowledges it might have been a careless mistake by LAROI, she points out servers make most of their money through tips ... so, it's messed up one of her employees did all that work for free.

Autumn says she tried contacting TKL, but hasn't gotten a response. We also reached out to a rep, and so far ... no word back.

Priyanka Chopra Opens Up About Botched Nose Job ... Fell Into 'Deep, Deep Depression'

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BOTCHED AND BUMMED
The Howard Stern Show/Sirius XM

Priyanka Chopra says she fell into a "deep, deep depression" after a botched nose procedure and thought her career in entertainment was totally over.

Chopra made the revelations during an interview with Howard Stern on his Sirius XM show, going into detail about the dark period earlier in her life.

The actress, who's married to Nick Jonas, told Stern that a physician recommended that she go under the knife to remove a polyp in her nasal cavity.

She followed the doctor's instructions and got the nose job, but, afterward, she says her face looked completely different, causing her to slip into a "deep, deep depression."

Not only did the surgery affect her physical appearance, but it negatively impacted her work. Chopra says she was fired from three films as a result of the bungled procedure, making her think that her career was “over before it started.”

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She says things got so bad that she didn't even want to leave her house at times, but her late father -- who was a doctor as well -- convinced her to get corrective surgery despite her misgivings.

Chopra said, “I was terrified of that, but he was like, ‘I will be in the room with you. He held my hands through it and helped me build back my confidence.”

She says she got her career back on track with the help of Bollywood director Anil Sharma, and was grateful to him for giving her a supporting role in a movie, even though she was originally slated to play the lead. Chopra went on to star in several major Hollywood TV series, including Citadel and Quantico.

As for her marriage to Jonas, the two tied the knot in 2018 and had their first child via a surrogate in January. They named their little girl -- Malti Marie Chopra Jonas.

Timbaland Biggie's Born Again with AI ... On MY AI Song!!! 🤖

Timbaland is going against the grain of the music industry ... while most artists and execs push back against AI, he's actually embracing it with a new track featuring AI-generated Notorious B.I.G. vocals!!!

The mega-producer and Verzuz co-creator was bursting with Christmas Day excitement while introducing the song on IG ... and boldly tagged Jay-Z's engineer Young Guru, who's been one of AI's biggest opponents.

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Timbaland presented his Biggie bot production as the solution for the AI debate and gave fans a taste of the song.

After pushing play, Timbaland nodded his head furiously as AI Biggie rapped about the late rap icon's typical love for the finer things in life ... while also weirdly screwing with time and space by name-dropping Nipsey Hussle and Pop Smoke.

Both slain rappers came onto the scene decades after B.I.G. died, and Pop wasn't even born until 2 years after the fact.

Guru didn't attack Timbaland's track, but instead dropped a more general, and ominous, message ... warning humans that playing with AI is like playing with fire.

No telling if the track will ever be released as a single (or if Biggie's estate would even allow it), but the reactions to AI advancement have been a mixed bag so far.

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EMBRACE THE FUTURE
TMZ.com

Artists like Jojo, Grimes and LaRussell have spoken to AI's upside ... while UMG boss Lucian Grainge has been pulling out all the stops to kill it.

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THIS IS THE FUTURE
TMZ.com

Timbaland joined us for "TMZ Live" today and doubled down on the AI revolution. Only time will tell if he's right!

Travis Barker's Daughter Drags Critics Over Her Makeup ... I Look Better Than You!!!

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BARKER BITES BACK
Tiktok / @alabamabarker

Alabama Barker has no problem giving social media trolls a piece of her mind ... firing back at folks, especially older ones, who have something to say about her wearing a ton of makeup.

The 17-year-old daughter of Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler clapped back at her haters via TikTok ... after some people online shamed her for looking too grown for her age, specifically calling out her wardrobe and makeup.

Alabama posted a video with a full-beat face, lip-synching to the viral audio clip ... "I'd tell you what you look like but you won’t like it." Her caption read, "When Kathryn with 3 kids only waterline liner, 4 different colored blonde & Tom shoes, talk about my makeup or my age."

Of course, her TikTok only fueled more criticism in the comments ... things like, "I think people are just concerned about the over sexualization of youth in Hollywood/LA culture."

Alabama's response ... "Well I'm doing great thank u."

As you know, The Blink-182 drummer got married to Kourtney Kardashian last year and they've always publicly supported Alabama. Perhaps her stepmom's advising her on tuning out any negativity from critics.

Brandon T. Jackson Praying For Jamie Foxx ... As a Friend, I'm Scared!!!

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PROPER CARE AND PRAYER
TMZ.com

Brandon T. Jackson is sending up prayers for his friend Jamie Foxx, saying JF's hospitalization ... coupled with the pressure on comedians is starting to scare him.

We caught up with the actor/comedian Wednesday at LAX, and he offered up some words of encouragement to Jamie following the mysterious health condition that's landed him in a hospital for more than 3 weeks.

Brandon spoke directly to Jaimie, saying, "I love you. My prayers are with you and your family" ... and he actually took a moment to pray on camera.

He added, as a fellow comedian, he wants folks to understand the fast-paced lifestyle of the industry ... something that's starting to frighten him.

Of course, Jamie's ailment remains a total mystery and there's no word what he's battling or what caused it. Still, BTJ says it's important for entertainers to take care of themselves with healthy doses of sleep and moderation.

As we reported, Jamie suffered what his family called a "medical emergency" on April 12, and has remained in the hospital. He finally broke his silence Wednesday with an IG post, saying ..."Appreciate all the love!!! Feeling blessed."

Jackson left off by saying "faith without works is dead" ... reiterating he's hoping for a speedy recovery of his dear friend.

Menendez Brothers More Evidence Our Dad Sexually Abused Us ... Menudo Member Bolsters Our Claims

The Menendez brothers want to have their day in court ... again ... they say they have new evidence backing up their defense that their father was sexually abusing them, but there's a new wrinkle involving a member of the '80's boy band "Menudo."

According to new legal docs filed by attorney Mark Geragos, and obtained by TMZ, Erik and Lyle Menendez cited recent allegations by former Menudo star Roy Rossello that he was sexually abused when he was 13 or 14 by Jose Menendez.

Rosello made the accusations against Jose -- a then-RCA record exec -- in a new three part Peacock docuseries, "Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed." In the series, two journalists dove into claims that the band's founder, Edgardo Diaz, brought Rosello to Jose's home in New Jersey to broker a deal between "Menudo" and RCA. But things took a dark turn when Jose allegedly drugged Rossello and then raped the teen.

Per the court docs, Erik and Lyle argued that Rossello's allegations of abuse by their dad only served to strengthen their original contention that they fatally shot Jose and their mom, Kitty, out of self-defense.

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TEARFUL TESTIMONY

The petition also mentioned a letter Erik sent to their cousin, Andy Cano, months before the shootings ... where Erik accused Jose of sexual abuse.

In the letter, which the brothers claimed wasn't shown to the jury at trial, Erik says he wished he could tell his mom about the alleged abuse but says he can't risk it because he feared she would tell Jose. Erik also told Andy his father was continuing to molest him.

The Menendez Brothers say the letter was sent around 8 months before they murdered their parents, and they argued it supported their defense theory that Jose was sexually abusing them and warned them to not speak out about being molested, to the point where they became frightened of their father.

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A NEW ACCUSER
NBC

They say jurors never heard from Roy either, and they claimed if the jury knew about Roy's allegations and the letter, things might have turned out differently and they might have bought the defense's theory that the brothers were guilty of manslaughter, instead of murder.

Erik and Lyle filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in an effort to determine whether the new evidence was enough for the court to grant them a new trial or other relief.

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TAKING THE SHOT
TMZ.com

Attorney Alan Jackson talked to us in April about the possibility of the Menendez brothers getting a new trial ... and he didn't seem to think it was likely, and told us exactly why.

It appears the Menendez Brothers are still going for it nonetheless.

NFL Prospect Michael Jefferson Suspected Of Being Under Influence In Crash ... Cops Say

Cops in Alabama say their initial report of Michael Jefferson's car crash was wrong ... telling TMZ Sports on Wednesday they now believe the 2023 NFL Draft prospect was the one who was impaired on the night of the tragic wreck last month.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency says it somehow mixed up the drivers of the two vehicles in its first report of the fatal car accident on April 9 in Mobile County, AL.

Initially, the ALEA claimed Jefferson was driving a 2019 Chevrolet Impala ... before Charles Dunn slammed head-on into it in his 2014 Dodge Charger.

Now, however, the ALEA says Jefferson was actually driving the Charger -- while Dunn was in the Impala.

That means, according to the crash report, cops suspect Jefferson was the one who was under the influence of both alcohol and drugs at the time of the accident -- not Dunn.

It also means, per a diagram of the crash in the report, that Jefferson (labeled Unit 1) is the one who was traveling in a southbound lane before moving into Dunn's northbound lane, headed in the wrong direction, before colliding with the 55-year-old (labeled Unit 2) head-on.

As we reported, Dunn died as a result of the crash. Jefferson -- a former star wideout at Louisiana who was in line to get drafted last month before the wreck -- sustained significant injuries that required several surgeries.

Police told us an investigation into the crash remains ongoing. According to the report, the 23-year-old's blood was taken following the crash, but the results have not yet come back.

Meanwhile, Jefferson's attorney, Brad Sohn, told us on Wednesday he had "absolutely no reason to believe that Michael Jefferson is under criminal investigation or has ever been under investigation."

Dunn's family told us in a statement they now want a public apology from Jefferson and his representatives ... adding, "Charles Dunn never drank or smoked in his life and we would like for his name to be cleared."

Jefferson was considered to be one of the 30 best available receivers in the 2023 NFL Draft prior to the accident ... though he ultimately went unpicked. Sohn previously said the wide receiver was optimistic he'd play football again despite the severity of the injuries he suffered.

Guess Who This 'Star Wars' Kid Turned Into!

Before this serious kiddo with wavy hair turned into a big-time Hollywood star, she was just an only child -- born in Jerusalem but growing up in Long Island, New York -- who started her acting career when she was just a young and mighty teen!

The cute kid posing in this black and white photo famously played a black and white swan next to Mila Kunis. Everyone at Coachella who sports space buns should step aside because no one does space buns like this beautiful queen!

Need one more clue? Her lightsaber is green!

Can you guess who she is?