Anheuser-Busch Yes, We Still Support LGBTQ+ Community ... Despite Dylan Mulvaney's Criticism

Anheuser-Busch is defending itself against claims the company abandoned Dylan Mulvaney after the rollout of its transgender-influenced beer campaign crashed and burned.

AB issued a statement Thursday in response to Mulvaney, who claimed company executives failed to support her after she was dragged online by trolls in the aftermath of the ad blitz. She continued, "For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse than not hiring a trans person at all."

A spokesperson for AB says the brand is "committed to the programs and partnerships we have forged over decades with organizations across a number of communities, including those in the LGBTQ+ community."

The rep continued ... “The privacy and safety of our employees and our partners is always our top priority. As we move forward, we will focus on what we do best – brewing great beer for everyone and earning our place in moments that matter to our consumers.”

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LEFT HIGH & DRY

However, the company still doesn't seem to address Mulvaney's claim ... that the brand never reached out to her when the hate got so vile it was beyond her comprehension.

As we reported, Mulvaney posted an ad campaign for the Bud Light on her Instagram page which included a custom can with her face on it. The whole thing sparked a host of controversy nationwide -- causing the brewing manufacturer to lose a whopping $20 billion-plus in market value after conservatives vowed to boycott the brand.

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Mulvaney says the whole thing left her with, “a loneliness that I wouldn’t wish on anyone” and  it doesn't sound like she and the beer giant will be making up anytime soon.

French Prez Emmanuel Macron What, Me Worry??? Hits Up Elton John Concert Amid Riots

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PROTESTS? WHAT PROTESTS???

French Prez Emmanuel Macron got his groove on Thursday night in Paris, as rioters hit the streets protesting a police shooting that killed a 17-year-old.

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PROTESTS CONSUME PARIS
Storyful

Macron and his wife hit up Elton John's Farewell Tour in Paris, seeming at least on the surface unbothered by the explosion of violence in his country.

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THE FATAL INCIDENT

The riots were triggered by a confrontation Tuesday in the city of Nanterre, who French police fatally shot a driver in the chest ... after the 17-year-old tried to leave the scene.

Rioters hit the streets in several cities. So far more than 600 hundred people have been arrested for starting fires, looting and other crimes.

Macron has said the riots are just an excuse to commit crimes, calling it "an unacceptable exploitation of the adolescent's death."

Some rioters have compared the police shooting to the George Floyd murder.

The officer has been charged with voluntary homicide.

Lamar Odom I'm Super Worried Bam Ditched Detox ... But I Know How to Get His Attention

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WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS STAYS WITH YOU
MEGA

Lamar Odom is worried for Bam Margera ... worried he's keeping bad company.

As we first reported ... Bam was detoxing in San Diego earlier this month with Lamar's help, but he left early, and given Bam's track record, Lamar is concerned.

Lamar clearly thinks Bam is hanging with the wrong crowd, saying, "Who you surround yourself with is critical. We are the company we keep."

Bam actually stayed with Lamar last weekend after leaving the detox center, but he bounced and Odom thinks that's more than problematic.

Lamar thinks there's a card his friends and family can play that could get Bam's attention ... namely his ability to see is son, Phoenix.

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LET ME SEE HIM

Remember, Bam threatened to smoke crack until he died if he couldn't see his kid, so that could be a pressure point that works.

Lamar says he's going to try and track Bam down and encourage him to go to rehab at the Odom Recovery Group.

Stay tuned ...

John Fogerty You Can Buy His Home Down on the Corner for $20 Mil!!!

Legendary musician John Fogerty has put his stunning Westlake Village home on the market -- but any fortunate son would have to cough up $20 million.

John's 18,600-square-foot home sits on 22 acres in the Hidden Valley gated community and has breathtaking panoramic views of the mountains and nearby Pacific Ocean.

He's put a $19,995,000 price tag on it, and it comes with some cool features -- not 1, but 2 recording studios, a home theater, and a wine wall.

There's also some great landscaping, a courtyard, and the obligatory pool.

The Creedence Clearwater Revival founder and lead singer bought the place a decade ago, spending just shy of $9M. We're told his wife Julie completely rebuilt, redesigned and reimagined it to become the stellar property it is today.

Jordan Cohen of RE/MAX holds the listing.

Roy Jones Jr. Returning To Ring ... Fighting NDO Champ In Metaverse!

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THIS IS NOT A GAME
TMZSports.com

Roy Jones Jr. is one of the best boxers ever, but the legendary fighter is stepping back in the ring with an opponent like never before, massive bodybuilder and social media star NDO Champ!

54-year-old RJJ and 39-year-old NDO Champ -- who is 250 lbs. of solid muscle -- are fighting Friday night in the Metaverse (more on that later).

NDO Champ, government name Robert Wilmote, is an IFBB Pro bodybuilder who has over one million followers on Instagram ... and has gone viral a bunch of times. There's a good chance you've seen NDO's videos online.

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Much different than Roy's typical opponents ... which he concedes.

"It's much different than I'm used to. It's kind of like Godzilla versus King Kong. You know, King Kong being the gorilla, that's what he kind of reminds me of with all the muscles and he's such a big dark figure," Jones Jr. said.

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READY TO RUMBLE
TMZSports.com

But, RJJ has a strategy to deal with his powerful foe ... "be smart enough not to run into the foolishness." The "foolishness" being a big power punch.

As for how he sees the fight going, Jones Jr. says he'll win ... it's just a matter of whether it's by knockout or not.

"Depends how good of a punch he can take. He can't take good punch then he goes to sleep. All depends on what happens. I don't know, I've never been in the ring with him. I've never seen him box. There's no film on him. That's what makes it so different."

Roy continued ... "You don't know what he's bringing. You don't know if he's gonna be a Mike Tyson puncher or a guy with a lot of muscle that can't punch at all."

Champ, as you may expect, sees things playing out a bit differently.

"Listen, we don't train to lose. We don't train to come in there and play. If that's the case, I'll go back doin' something else, you feel me. No disrespect, I salute the OG, but it's wartime."

NDO continued ... "I'm not coming in there to congratulate you on all our successes, nah, you shouldn't have gotten in this ring with this man. You shouldn't have gotten in the ring with me. I'm a born stone killer!"

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CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY
TMZSports.com

There's more ... we also talked to the man behind the fights, Celebrity Boxing creator Damon Feldman -- about everything from the matchup, to the fight going down in the Metaverse.

Guess Who This Mini-Ballerina Turned Into!

Before this pretty ballerina in her white tutu turned into a television personality and actress, she was just exploring the concrete jungle with her three younger siblings, rehearsing for her dance recitals and growing up in Brooklyn, New York.

Kicking off her career in radio, she landed as a host on MTV's "Total Request Live" aka "TRL" during the early 2000s. She's also acted in movies like "Two Can Play That Game" with Vivica A. Fox and Gabrielle Union ... as well as "Think Like A Man" with Kevin Hart.

Need one more clue? Just ask her bestie Kim Kardashian!

Can you guess who she is?

Tom Sandoval Here's Why He's MIA From 'VPR' ... Shooting FOX's 'Special Forces'!!!

Tom Sandoval is out this week shooting his TV show ... but it's NOT "Vanderpump Rules!"

Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Sandoval has been in New Zealand shooting Season 2 of FOX's "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test."

As brutal as social media has been to Tom in the wake of Scandavol, it's nothing like what he's enduring in the bitter New Zealand cold. A group of diverse celebs try to survive brutal conditions and impossible challenges. A team of ex-Special Forces members put the celebs through their paces, until they give up or fail, one by one.

Season 1, which debuted earlier this year, became the top-rated unscripted series of 2022-2023.

Season 11 of "VDP Rules" started shooting Wednesday, but Tom was MIA. He's expected to start shooting when he returns. And he thinks New Zealand was tough!!!

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i wanna move on ... far, far away
FOX

BTW ... Sandoval's not the only one who participated in a competition show ... Tom Schwartz competed on another FOX show, "Stars on Mars."

No word on how Tom did on Special Forces.

Kevin Costner's Estranged Wife Christine Leaves Town With Kids ... Break From Divorce Drama

Kevin Costner's estranged wife is getting out of Dodge amid a swirl of allegations and counter-allegations in her bitter divorce ... and she's taking 2 of their kids with her.

Christine Baumgartner flew out of LAX Thursday, getting dropped off at the airport by a car service and walking into the terminal with a cup of coffee and some luggage.

It looks like the July 4th holiday weekend is coming at the right time for Christine ... the past two months have been rife with divorce drama, and now she's fighting Kevin over money and a place to live, among other things.

This has gotta be a quick trip ... she's got to be back in Santa Barbara Wednesday for a big court hearing, where Christine will contest the prenup.

TMZ broke the story ... Christine wants $248,000 a month in child support, but Kevin's accountant says those expenses include more than $100k for her own plastic surgery, in addition to boutique shopping, ATM withdrawals and more.

As we've reported ... Christine has now agreed to leave the family's beachfront home by the end of August and find a place of her own.

Kenny 'The Jet' Smith Inside The PDA ... Another Beach Date With Aline Bernardes

Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley are gonna love this -- Kenny "The Jet" Smith has landed back on the beaches of Miami ... and he brought along the stunning Aline Bernardes for another relaxing day in the sun.

The "Inside The NBA" cohost and his lady first made waves back in May when they were spotted out in Florida together ... which, naturally, had his TV buddies cracking jokes left and right for the next few days.

Luckily for Smith, the NBA season is over ... so he can enjoy his free time with the model without worrying about the guys cracking jokes in front of a national audience.

Smith and Bernardes appear to be really into each other -- they were closer than ever as they rocked their swimsuits and went for a soak in the water on Thursday.

While their first trip to the beach was pretty chill, there was more PDA this time around -- Aline wrapped her arms around the NBA champ as they walked deeper into the ocean.

It looks like the return to the beach was entertaining for both ... they smiled from ear-to-ear throughout the day.

Enjoy your summer, Kenny ... but you may wanna mute that "Inside The NBA" group text for a few days, just in case.

Michael Eric Dyson Rips Supreme Court ... For Outlawing Affirmative Action

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LEARN TO PLAY THE GAME
TMZ.com

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson's is livid six justices have upended affirmative action in this country, saying Black people are getting screwed all over again.

The Vanderbilt University professor joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and ... excoriated Chief Justice John Robert's and the 5 justices who joined him, ruling affirmative action violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution.

Dr. Dyson argues Black people have always been denied opportunities in America, specifically because of their race, so there's no way to right that wrong without taking race into consideration.

The impact of the SCOTUS decision is seismic ... private and public universities can no longer consider race as a factor in admissions. Many supporters of affirmative action fear white and Asian students will now be significantly favored in higher education, at the expense of other minority groups. The decision will clearly have repercussions in the workplace.

Dr. Dyson's also got a message for folks in the Asian community who are applauding the ruling.

Madonna Still Too Sick To Get Out of Bed ... Opening Tour Dates Uncertain

Madonna is not out of the woods after being hospitalized for a serious bacterial infection ... we're told she's still bedridden and people around her think she's in no shape to kick off her world tour.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Madonna's been vomiting uncontrollably since being discharged from the hospital, and the infection is still wreaking havoc on her body.

We're told Madonna is still too sick to even get out of her bed at her New York City apartment ... where she's been recovering since Wednesday night, when she was released from the hospital following a multiday stay in the ICU.

When Madonna was taken to the hospital Saturday with a serious bacterial infection, we're told she was metaphorically "kicking and screaming" ... protesting the decision to send her there.

Our source say Madonna's assistant was with her when she collapsed last Saturday, and that's when the uncontrollable vomiting began.

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As we previously reported ... Madonna was dealing with a fever for more than a month leading up to her hospitalization, keeping it a secret from everyone. We're told she was afraid if she sought medical care, it might jeopardize the tour, which she's been working so hard to prepare for and posting behind the scenes shots of. The delay made the infection far worse.

Madonna's longtime manager Guy Oseary is already hinting her upcoming tour will be delayed -- her first concert was scheduled for July 15 -- but we're told no final decision has been made by her manager or agent.

For her part, our sources say Madonna wants the tour to go on as planned ... but everyone close to her is advising she press pause and allow her body to recover.

Stay tuned ...

Anwar Hadid In NYC With New GF ... After Slew Of Alarming Social Media Posts

Anwar Hadid was spotted holding hands with a new GF during a New York City outing ... this after posting troublesome messages last month, which folks thought were all over the breakup with his ex, Dua Lipa.

Gigi and Bella Hadid's little bro stepped out Thursday ... and his hands were locked with what appears to be fellow fashion model, Sophia Piccirilli.

The 2 were clearly in great spirits -- a stark contrast to Anwar's online presence last month.

As we reported, Anwar was in a pretty dark space when he posted some cryptic -- and alarming -- comments on his IG story ... "Trying not to find him and kill him," "I hate the way you say his name," and "I can't breath[e]."

He never called out Dua directly, but it was around that same time the singer was at the Cannes Film Festival with her BF, director Romain Gavras ... so fans connected the dots.

Anwar took issue with the take fans and others had about his rant, posting a profanity-laced response ... though he never clarified if Dua was the subject.

The 2 were linked in 2019, but eventually split a couple of years later.

Regardless, it looks like Anwar's moved on.

Travis Scott No Criminal Charges for Astroworld Tragedy

UPDATE

2:05 PM PT -- A rep for Travis Scott tells TMZ, "Travis Scott will not be charged with criminal charges or any wrongdoing for his involvement with Astroworld festival."

UPDATE

The rep continues, "Today's decision by the Harris County District Attorney confirms what we have known all along - that Travis Scott is not responsible for the Astroworld tragedy. This is consistent with investigative reporting by numerous media outlets and federal and state government reports that have squarely placed the onus for event safety crises on organizers, operators and contractors -- not performers."

UPDATE

The rep concludes, "While waiting patiently for the District Attorney’s decision to not file charges, Travis Scott has been inaccurately and wrongly singled out, despite stopping the show three separate times and being unaware of the events as they were unfolding. Now that this chapter is closed, we hope for the government efforts to focus on what is most important - stopping future heartbreaking tragedies like Astroworld from ever occurring again."

UPDATE

12:22 PM PT -- Sources close to Travis expect he won't be charged.

Travis Scott is in the crosshairs of a Texas grand jury ... facing possible criminal prosecution for the deadly Astroworld tragedy.

The rapper's lawyer, Kent Schaffer, tells TMZ ... the Harris County Grand Jury is meeting now, to decide whether his client should be prosecuted for continuing to perform at the 2021 festival as thousands of people in the crowd stampeded ... causing 10 people to die and an untold number injured.

Travis' attorney tells us the rapper will NOT be testifying and his team remains hopeful the jurors will agree Travis did not commit any crime.

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POLICE PRESENCE
Adekunle Adetomiwa/@Kun.Lens

Travis has maintained from the beginning he had no idea there was a stampede and points to the fact many police officers in the crowd who were responsible for the safety of the fans were clueless as well. In fact, you see in the videos some cops dancing as Travis performs.

The deadly concert sparked a number of civil lawsuits against Travis and the festival's organizers ... but he has never been criminally charged.

We reached out to the Harris County District Attorney's Office ... and they declined to comment.

Originally Published -- 11:58 AM PT

'Price Is Right' Gwendolyn Osborne Vanna's Right To Fight For More $$$ ... She's the Gold Standard!!!

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SETTING THE TONE
TMZ.com

Gwendolyn Osborne is applauding Vanna White for holding out for a bigger slice of the TV game show pie ... telling us the "Wheel of Fortune" staple deserves way more money.

The former "Price Is Right" model joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and we asked about Vanna's salary demand -- at least half of the salary Pat Sajak gets -- $7.5M.

Gwendolyn is fully on board, saying Vanna deserves it, and in the process, she's helping lots of other women.

But, then we asked, what if Sony says final offer -- $4.5M -- should Vanna take it or walk? Watch the wheels turn in Gwendolyn's head.

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COSTARS ALL THE WAY
ABC

TMZ broke the story ... Vanna has made $3 million a year for the last 18 years, without a single raise, and wants a big payday when Ryan Seacrest comes aboard as the new host.

As we reported, Vanna and Sony are still far apart, with one insider calling the deal "very difficult."

Thailand Airport Accident Woman Loses Leg After Getting Trapped In Moving Walkway

Losing luggage at the airport is bad, but losing a leg is worse ... and that's what happened to a woman in Thailand.

The painful incident went down Thursday morning at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, where a woman lost part of her leg after getting caught in a moving walkway.

The victim, a 57-year-old Thai woman, reportedly suffered the grisly injury while trying to make a 9:45 AM flight ... her foot became trapped in the moving walkway in Terminal 2 and horrified onlookers rushed to hit the emergency off switch as her leg became mangled.

As you can see, the woman's foot is trapped beneath the belt at the end of the walkway ... and a medical team had to amputate her leg above the knee to get her out. Ouch.

The Associated Press reports the woman is trying to get her leg reattached ... and she's been taken to two different hospitals for treatment.

Airport officials say they will pay for the woman's medical bills ... and she may get a bigger payday too.

Naomi Campbell I'm a Mom x2 at 53!!!

Naomi Campbell is proving it's never too late to be a mother ... lettin' her fans know about her brand new baby she's welcomed at 53 years old!

The model shared the exciting news on social media Thursday, writing, "My little darling, know that you are cherished beyond measure and surrounded by love from the moment you graced us with your presence. A True Gift from God 🙏🏾, blessed ! Welcome Babyboy."

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She ended the heartfelt post by saying, "It's never too late to become a mother."

She was spotted last week without a baby bump, but it's unclear whether she carried the pregnancy or used a surrogate.

For those unaware, Naomi announced the birth of her first kid back in 2021 -- calling her a "beautiful little blessing" ... although she's been relatively private when it comes to her daughter, only sharing glimpses of her.

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She was featured on the cover of Vogue in 2022 with her firstborn, however, and was met with a TON of good vibes and warm responses ... and she's getting the exact same thing for baby #2.

Congrats, Naomi!