Jimi Hendrix Early Days Guitar Goes On Sale For More than a Mil!!!

An incredibly rare piece of Jimi Hendrix's music history could be yours ... that is if ya have a fortune!

The legendary musician's 1961 Epiphone Wilshire guitar is up for sale through Moments in Time, and the mahogany-bodied instrument has a $1.25 mil price tag attached to it.

The piece holds a lot of significance ... when Jimi was discharged from the army back in 1962; he traded in his Danelectro for the Wilshire -- only paying $65 bucks for it.

Jimi played the Wilshire in his early days with his group, The King Kasuals ... marking it as one of the first guitars in his professional career!

The guitar was last seen on the open market back in 2008, and now Moments in Time is selling it on behalf of a private collector.

If you're a big Hendrix fan and have a huge chunk of change set aside, now's your chance.

Anna On 'The O.C.' 'Memba Her?!

American actress Samaire Armstrong was 22 years old when she first started playing the role of Anna Stern -- the cute comic book reader from Pittsburgh with a witty personality -- in the teen drama series "The O.C." back in 2003.

Armstrong was part of an ensemble cast including Mischa Barton as the pretty and troubled teen, Marissa Cooper, Adam Brody as the nerdy comic book guru and Anna's love interest, Seth Cohen and Rachel Bilson as the materialistic and at times judgmental, Summer Roberts.

Most recently, Samaire ran for mayor of Sedona, Arizona.

Guess what she looks like now!

Lisa Vanderpump Work Crews Tear Down Restaurant ... Ahead of Closing Date

Lisa Vanderpump's self-named restaurant in L.A. is finally shuttering -- and it seems like the work crews are getting a jump on tearing it down before the official close date.

TMZ has obtained photos taken Tuesday which show PUMP pretty damn empty and abandoned ... albeit for some dudes who were busy throwing crap into a moving truck -- including some pieces of a gate that once lined the outside of the establishment.

As you can see, there's a lot being done ahead of Wednesday ... which is the day LV has said PUMP is closing its doors for good. Clearly, no one is dining there on the 4th.

Remember, the place was absolutely packed just a couple days ago ... which seems to have been the last time PUMP would serve anybody. The "Vanderpump Rules" cast and crew were there as well, and yes -- cameras were rolling to capture one last hurrah at the joint.

It's the end of an era for sure -- Lisa opened this place more than a decade ago amid her successful stint on 'Real Housewives' ... which went so well, she got her own show out of it.

When it comes to why PUMP is closing at all -- good old-fashioned cold-blooded capitalism, which Lisa and her husband, Ken Todd, were on the receiving end of year after year. Of course, we're talking about increasing rent prices ... which were tipping into a million bucks.

Lisa and co. have been waving people to their other restaurants in town ... including SUR and TomTom -- which she co-owns with Sandoval and Schwartz. Here's hoping you got your fill while you could ... 'cause PUMP's gone, baby. No more orders here, unfortunately.

Happy times, good memories. 🫡

Elon Musk Zings Zuck's New Twitter-Like App ... Days Before Set to Launch

Mark Zuckerberg's new Twitter-like app is just days away from taking flight -- and it seems Elon Musk's not happy about the competition ... further fueling the two techies' beef.

In case you've forgotten ... the reason Mark and Elon are talking about fighting each other (for real) is because of this new service that Meta is rolling out called 'Threads -- which is said to be the "new" Twitter, if you, will ... only, it'll be rolled out under Mark's watch.

When Elon caught wind of MZ's new toy last month, he jokingly said he was willing to battle the guy -- and now, it's full-steam ahead on negotiations as they prepare to duel.

Welp, the impetus for this all came full circle Monday ... with word of Threads' supposed launch date being revealed as July 7 -- with the option to pre-order it now available on Apple's app store. There's more info as well as to what sorta data it's going to harvest from users ... something EM couldn't help but comment on Monday, taking a swipe.

In response to all the ways Threads is going to manage personal data (mining a helluva lot, frankly), Elon replied ... "Thank goodness they're so sanely run." That carries significance.

Reports have suggested that a Meta executive told staffers recently that Threads would be "sanely run" compared to Musk's wild west on Twitter lately -- but it sounds like Elon's scoffing at how much freaking user data they're going to control in order to do so.

Of course, you could argue Elon's probably a little worried about this new foe on the market -- especially in light of his absolutely hated decision to limit Twitter users' daily tweet count ... as far as being able to see new content. He's upped the count since the debacle this weekend -- but folks are still pissed and certainly looking for an alternative for news.

A reaction of his own doing, really -- but as far as Threads goes, even more reasons for Elon to wanna punch Mark's face in. Like we've reported ... the fight's being worked out now BTS.

Bennifer's 4th of July In a Pickle ... Hamptons Rallying!!!

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PICKLED FUN
TMZ.com

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's East Coast weekend getaway is shaping up to be a ball ... of the pickling variety, specifically.

The couple is out in the Hamptons right now, where they seem to have settled in to ring the 4th of July -- but before the fireworks, it looks like they were in the mood to get active ... namely, by hitting up a public pickleball court in Sag Harbor and whacking away.

Check out this footage, obtained by TMZ, which shows Bennifer hitting a ball back and forth out in the open. This was in a public space, BTW, so they weren't trying to lie low.

As you can see -- they're on the side of the court ... and we're told there were two children on the other end who were playing with them. No word on whether it was either of their kids or not, but ya gotta figure it might've been ... the brood rolls together a lot these days.

Now, when it comes to their game ... well, let's just say Jen looked to be a little more engaged (and dressed for the occasion) than her hubby did. She's out there in straight-up tennis gear (pickleball is like mini tennis, FWIW) and Ben's in ... jeans and a tee.

He also comes across as a little more lackadaisical here, half-heartedly using his paddle -- but hey, they're playing against young'ns. Can't really knock the dude for takin it easy.

Remember, the two of them had just gone to Michael Rubin's White party the day prior -- so it's possible they're a little pooped and soaking in the holiday with a chill back-and-forth.

Happy Independence Day, y'all.

In-Flight Freakout Woman Claims to See Something ... Which Isn't Actually There

070423-airplane-kal JULY 2023
I swear, i saw It!
TikTok / @texaskansasnnn

update

2:27 PM PT -- Carrot Top was apparently on the same flight with this woman, and he's writing her off as a wacko who did this just for thrills.

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AIRLINE CHAOS

The dude documented the whole thing on IG -- and he says she reacted this way over a lost earbud but didn't really elaborate on what he meant. What he did expound on was the fact that everyone did, in fact, have to deplane over this ... and that it left him sour.

He says they eventually made it back on and hit their ultimate stop in Orlando -- but not before a lot of drama and hand-wringing. He also seems to suggest this woman was actually dealt with by the authorities -- but it's unclear if she actually got hauled away or anything.

A woman started channeling "Final Destination" vibes during a wild meltdown, -- this after storming off a flight before it took off ... claiming to see something that nobody else could.

This happened Sunday on an American Airlines flight leaving the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, -- unclear where it was heading exactly. In any case, before the plane took off ... some lady sitting toward the back made a big scene in what can only be described as a freakout.

Watch ... the woman makes her way up the aisle and is cussing up a storm, saying she's getting off the aircraft for a reason -- namely, there's an imaginary man onboard.

She points toward the rear, seemingly ID'ing someone she believes is there, and insists ... the invisible dude isn't real. Then comes a scary statement -- the woman says the rest of the passengers can stay onboard if they want, but she's not gonna die with the rest of them.

Nobody is escorting her out in this clip, and word is ... she did end up getting off the plane without any further incident, including an arrest or mental evaluation. Of course, everyone was confused by what the heck she was talking about ... but it sure spooked the cabin.

Reports say that the OG poster of this video -- who appears to have deleted their account -- claimed the flight was evacuated and that the trip was delayed a whopping three hours over this. Sounds like the crew took her concerns seriously enough to see what was what.

In the end, though, it appears the plane took off without any issues -- which is a relief.

Of course, what came to mind for many after seeing this was the OG horror film -- where the main character has a premonition of a plane blowing up ... which manifests. Freaky ... 💀

Originally Published -- 12:04 PM PT

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Joey Chestnut Wins Again ... After Nearly Being Nixed

070423-joey-chestnut-kal
business as usual
ESPN

update

11:45 AM PT -- Joey Chestnut easily won the hot dog-eating contest (again) for the 16th time, and while his performance this year was solid ... it still wasn't as good as years past.

JC ate 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes, which secured him the victory and the belt. Like we said, he's eaten more before -- but it's impressive, nonetheless. Congrats, bud!

Chestnut and the rest of the hot dog-eating machines WILL gorge themselves this year after all on a Fourth of July tradition, -- despite Mother Nature trying to torpedo their plans.

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest was almost canceled Tuesday at Coney Island ... all on account of a massive thunderstorm that rolled through, which dumped a ton of rain and lightning onto the area -- and sent patrons running for cover.

Footage taken by journos on the ground shows swarms of people looking to get out of the rain any way they can ... and some got creative, standing on outdoor tables under umbrellas.

It got so bad that the NYPD actually pulled the plug on the rest of the competition -- the men's race, specifically -- out of an abundance of caution. But Nathan's organizers waited it out a bit and decided to proceed once the storm cleared -- which it eventually did.

It's unclear when exactly the contest will get underway, but the legend himself is waiting in the wings and clearly ready. JC was seen walking around mingling with onlookers who stuck around -- and he was hyping himself up as they chanted his name.

Indeed, the guy's back to defend his title ... last year he ate 63 hot dogs and won, but that wasn't anywhere near his record set the previous year at 76 franks -- which he hoped to topple in 2023.

070422_nathans_hot_dog-kal
THE GLIZZY CHAMP
ESPN

The glizzy champ wants another bite at the apple, er, wiener. At this point, it's looking like he'll get his chance -- and seeing how he's the odds-on favorite to win ... people will be counting the dogs he downs as the true marker of victory.

Go get 'em, kid!

Originally Published -- 11:06 AM PT

White House Cocaine Possibly Found in West Wing ... Fire IDs It as Blow

Cocaine may have been found inside the White House this weekend -- and it appears to have been discovered in an area that President Biden frequents a lot on the job.

The Secret Service says it discovered a white powdery substance Sunday night in the West Wing during routine rounds. It's unclear where exactly in the West Wing it was found -- but a spokesperson for the agency will only say agents stumbled upon it in a "work area."

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DISPATCH AUDIO

The SS rep also notes any notion the substance might've been found in the executive mansion is false. While Secret Service won't disclose where the alleged coke lay, it appears DC's FEMS let the cat outta the bag ... reportedly relaying via dispatch it was in the library.

POTUS was not at the White House during this entire ordeal, BTW.

The discovery of the unknown powder prompted an increased security alert and a brief evacuation of the premises, and tests are being done to decide what it might be. WaPo, citing sources familiar with the matter, says preliminary tests suggest it is, in fact, blow.

Speaking of that dispatch audio from earlier ... it seems a firefighter who was on the ground firmly believed cocaine was the culprit, -- telling the department's hazardous materials team that a test they conducted indicated "cocaine hydrochloride." No ambiguity at all.

Officials are saying the substance did not pose a threat, and an investigation is underway as to how it made its way into the White House ... and, obviously, who brought it in.

Biden and his family left the White House Friday and returned Tuesday. The White House punted in a response to us -- saying they're deferring to the Secret Service on this.

Michael Rubin A True Patriot!!! July 4th White Party Packed with Stars, Sans Stripes

Just as sure as they'll be fireworks over the East River on Independence Day, Michael Rubin was true to tradition, throwing an insane July 4th white party bash that was, as per usual, the hottest ticket in town.

JLo and Ben Affleck were all decked out as they sauntered into the Hampton's soiree Jay-Z loaded up his whip with some pals and drove inside Rubin's gates.

Winnie Harlow was all that as she waved to the crowd, Evita style, and Emily Ratajkowski ... well, the photo says it all -- incredible!!!

EmRata showed off the goods, as Travis Scott -- who was just cleared of criminal charges in the Astroworld tragedy -- chilled with some buddies.

Justin Bieber and his wife Hailey mingled among the crowd, as Kendall Jenner and friends mugged for the cam.

Kelly Rowland looked fantastic, and Tom Brady was multi-tasking as he sipped his drink and texted away.

We're not even close to done ... Jack Harlow, Corey Gamble, Druski, Dixie D'Amelio, Fabolous, and a bunch of other members of the Rich-and-Famous Club all had a blast.

Happy 4th!!!

Stassi Schroeder Rushes 2-Year-Old Daughter To Hospital ... Difficulty Breathing

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ROAD TO RECOVERY

Stassi Schroeder's 2-year-old daughter was rushed to a hospital during a medical emergency ... and a frightening video shows the little one having trouble breathing.

The former Vanderpump Rules star's husband Beau Clark uploaded the clip to his Instagram page Monday night, and it's truly heartbreaking watching Hartford huffing and puffing in bed.

Clark's caption reads, "This was this morning. If you see your child breathing like this. Take them to the hospital ASAP!!!!"

In another IG clip, Clark is doing breathing exercises with Hartford, who stands there coughing.

The couple says they drove Hartford to the emergency room after seeing the child "breathing very fast and hard."

They explained Hartford looked like a zombie and her respiratory issues were apparently caused by high asthma, mucus in her lungs, and a high fever. Hartford was placed on a ventilator twice to pump air into her lungs.

Beau added, "Now we're just waiting, hoping this works the second time [using the ventilator]. It's super scary seeing your kid like this." He also shared a photo of his hand holding a small breathing device with an oxygen mask.

Let's hope Hartford gets better fast. Fingers crossed.

Bronny James, Shareef O'Neal Denied at Saweetie Birthday Party ... Dads' Pull Doesn't Translate!!!

UPDATE

10:22 AM PT -- Sources with direct knowledge …. Bronny was denied entrance because he’s 18 years old.

A couple of Nepo babies just got a taste of the limits of family fame ... because Bronny James and Shareef O'Neal were unceremoniously rejected from a hot Hollywood party.

Bronny, who's about to play at USC, and his pal Shareef showed up at Poppy Monday night, for Saweeties' birthday bash. You'd think they'd be a shoo-in given their famous fathers -- LeBron and Shaq, but it was embarrassingly not the case.

The 2 didn't get through the front door ... denied, denied.

On the other hand, it's possible their status isn't what torpedoed them. They were with a bunch of friends and no one got in.

Well, lots to do in Hollywood, so we're guessing their party went on.

Originally Published -- 6:32 AM PT

Adele Warns Fans ... 'I'll F**king Kill You' If You Throw Crap at Me!!!

070423-adele-kal 7/3/23
ANGRY ADELE

Adele has had it with everything from cellphones to ashes being hurled on stage at singers during their concerts, and she has threatened her fans with death if they follow suit!!!

The famed singer seems to have a new schtick .... stopping the concert to talk about stuff that's bubbling up in pop culture. The latest ... a spate of incidents that have actually caused injury.

Adele was in the middle of her Vegas residency at Caesar's when she dared the audience to toss any item in her direction.

She groused, "Throwing s**t on stage, have you seen them? I f**king dare you. I dare you to throw something at me. I'll f**king kill you!"

Turnabout, however, seems to be fair play in Adele's world, because she fired off her t-shirt cannon into the crowd.

As you know, Bebe Rexha was badly hurt recently when a fan pitched a cell phone at her that landed smack on her face, cutting an area above her eye. She was forced to stop the show.

bebe phone face 6/18/23
PHONE TO THE FACE
Twitter / @rossbernaud

And someone bizarrely tossed a bag of her mom's ashes on stage during a Pink concert.

062723-pink-kal 6/26/23
ASHES TO ASHES
Twitter / @jomas__

Adele has clearly had it with the trend, although to be fair, singers have kind of encouraged some of it by taking selfies with cell phones that have been thrown on stage.

A good fad to stop dead in its tracks.

Robert De Niro Filmed Heading To Funeral Home ... After Grandson's Apparent Overdose Death

Robert De Niro was pictured for the first time since news broke of his grandson Leandro's apparent overdose death ... and the images captured him heading to a Manhattan funeral home.

The legendary actor left his Upper East Side townhouse with a newspaper clutched in his hand, before getting into an SUV, which then chauffeured him to the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel nearby, according to photos taken by the Daily Mail.

The footage also showed De Niro walking into the funeral home with Leandro's parents, De Niro's adoptive daughter, Drena, and her ex-husband, Carlos Rodriguez. De Niro then returned to his Manhattan home after making funeral arrangements for Leandro, who was only 19.

As we reported, 19-year-old Leandro was found dead inside an NYC apartment Sunday when a friend went to check on him after not hearing from him for a while. NYPD detectives discovered what appeared to be narcotics and drug paraphernalia at the scene, leading them to believe Leandro's death was an overdose. The medical examiner will make the final determination on how he died.

De Niro issued a statement, mourning Leandro's passing, "I’m deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo. We’re greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo."

Kyle Richards & Mauricio Umansky Call BS On Rumors They're Divorcing ... Stop Planting False Stories!!

Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky are firing back over rumors they're divorcing after the longtime couple announced their separation Monday.

In their first public statement on the matter, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills stars posted to Instagram it was categorically untrue they were ending their 27-year marriage.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

They continued, “However, yes, we have had a rough year. The most challenging one of our marriage. But we both love and respect each other tremendously. There has been no wrongdoing on anyone’s part.”

The couple ended by saying they're working through their issues and urging everyone not to speculate and write bogus stories about the status of their marriage.

People magazine first reported Kyle and Mauricio separated a while ago, but they're still living under the same roof and remain friends.

The two tied the knot in 1996 and have 3 daughters together -- Sophia, Alexia, and Portia. Both have been appearing on RHOBH since 2012, while Mauricio is also a real estate agent with his own Netflix reality show, "Buying Beverly Hills."

Kevin Spacey Sex Assault Trial Accuser Compares Him To 'Se7en' Psycho Killer ... Creepy, But Not As Bad

Kevin Spacey was compared to the psychotic killer he channeled in the film, "Se7en," by one of his alleged sexual assault victims during his London criminal trial.

The Oscar-winning actor was back in Southwark Crown Court Monday to listen to a pre-recorded interview police conducted with Spacey's accuser, which was presented as evidence to the jury.

In the recording, the accuser, identified only as a man since British law prohibits the release of his name, described in graphic detail how Spacey touched his private parts a dozen times while slapping his butt.

The man told cops, “[Spacey's] character in "Se7en," he’s a bit like that. A bit creepy. Maybe not quite as bad.”

"Se7en" was one of Spacey's most famous -- and freakiest -- flicks. The 1995 movie, also starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, follows the police manhunt for a demented serial killer, played by Spacey, who's obsessed with the seven deadly sins.

As we reported, Spacey is on trial for allegedly sexually assaulting four men from 2001 to 2013 in London. Prosecutors have charged Spacey with 12 counts of sexual assault, indecent assault, and other offenses. Spacey has denied any wrongdoing.

Fourth Of July In D.C. National Mall Fireworks Show ... Nearly $270K To Light It Up!

Washington, D.C. isn't skimping on this year's annual fireworks extravaganza at the National Mall -- and we've learned America's dropping a nice chunk of change to make it happen!

According to federal records, obtained by TMZ, the big fireworks show put on by the National Park Service will cost taxpayers $269,000 ... with Garden State Fireworks once again getting the honor of lighting up the D.C. sky.

But before ya start waggin' your finger at the 6-figure price tag, this is in the same ballpark as years past -- TMZ broke the story, the price tag was $278,500 back in 2021 for the patriotic bash.

Garden State Fireworks got a big bump -- we paid them $320K when former President Donald Trump wanted to beef up the show.

And FYI -- the highest price in recent years appears to be 2020's show which cost around $350K ... when the pandemic forced a move to Mount Rushmore.