Kim Kardashian Skims Keeps Growing ... Now Worth $4 Billion!!!

Kim Kardashian's popular clothing line, Skims, has officially hit the $4 billion mark ... growing at a staggering rate -- at nearly $1B higher than last year's evaluation.

KK's brand recently grabbed another $270 mil in funding for the company -- according to The New York Times, which says helps catapult her into the new financial circle.

FYI, Skims was marked as a $3.2B company at the beginning of 2022 ... after another round of financing which brought in $240M. Kim's brand had a $1.6B evaluation just a year before that ... so clearly, things are moving up, and FAST.

What's more -- we're told the company is set to achieve net sales of $750M in 2023 -- up from the nearly $500 it hit in 2022.

In case ya forgot, Skims has only been in the game for 4 years, founded in 2019 by Kim, Emma Grede, and Jens Grede.

The shapewear line has been a staple of the apparel industry practically since it launched ... and the company even made it on TIME's List of 100 Most Influential Companies last year.

Despite the $4B evaluation, Kim's brand is still private ... but clearly, there's still plenty of money to go around!!!

Jason Aldean Controversial Song Climbing Charts ... As Outrage over Song, Music Video Continues

Jason Aldean's new song has been hit with loads of controversy for its lyrics and music video ... but apparently, fans are still digging it -- because it's a chart-topper.

"Try That in a Small Town" has been called out for being threatening toward people with anti-police and anti-American beliefs. The song was first released in May, but it's been climbing the charts on multiple platforms lately ... and hit the #1 spot Tuesday on iTunes for songs in the U.S.

It's also #9 on Amazon's Hot New Releases list -- and his recently released video's trending on YouTube, reaching #12 amongst all things music on the site. Remember, CMT pulled the video from its channel this week as anger ramped up.

As we reported, Jason's been getting called out for his track and the music video ... which was filmed in front of the Tennessee courthouse where an 18-year-old Black man was lynched almost 100 years ago.

Jason claimed there was no ill intention behind the lyrics, telling his fans it had nothing to do with race ... but instead was just about growing up in a tight-knit community.

Fellow singer Sheryl Crow let him have it Wednesday, saying folks in small towns are sick of the violence happening in our country -- adding his song only supports more hate in America.

We discussed the controversy surrounding the song on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Conor McGregor Storms Out Of Funeral In UK After Incident ... Cops Investigating

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Conor McGregor rushed away from a funeral in the UK on Tuesday evening following an incident at the gathering ... and now, cops say they're trying to figure out what exactly happened.

Footage shot from outside The Saddle Club in Birkenhead shows the UFC star, flanked by two security guards, made the swift exit after he had been inside the venue for services for a late family member.

The 35-year-old fighter looked perturbed in the clip ... as he urged some of his fans to move away from his car so he could bolt from the scene.

Club officials said McGregor had actually been jovial earlier in the day -- even sharing several photos of him smiling with other guests at the event -- but they said he "was upset by the actions of certain people attending the funeral" and left.

"Mr. McGregor's security detail decided it necessary to leave to avoid unnecessary speculation and attention," they added.

Merseyside Police, meanwhile, said they were called to the club at around 7:50 PM ... following reports of an altercation. No further details surrounding the allegations were released, however.

"Officers attended the pub and spoke to a number of people," cops said in a statement. "Further enquiries are being carried out to establish what has taken place but at this stage no complaints have been made and nobody has been arrested."

We've reached out to McGregor's for comment on the situation, but so far, no word back yet.

Story developing ...

Post Malone Meets Fan Who Suffered Brain Hemorrhage As VIP Concert Guest

Post Malone is a man of his word, fulfilling a promise made to a huge fan who'd gone through a life-altering medical episode, and we've got the pics from the super sweet face-to-face.

The whole thing started last year when Garrett Belanger's sister Taylor made a Tik Tok detailing his story and Post responded. Garrett, a longtime Post Malone supporter, suffered a brain hemorrhage in 2022 -- and he's been slowly (but surely) recovering following a coma.

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BACKSTAGE WITH POSTY
Taylor Belanger

Post actually sent Garrett a bunch of merch and a video last August -- not long after he came out of the coma -- telling him to hit him up whenever he was ready to come to a show and rock out ... and on Monday, he finally got that chance at Post's concert in Buffalo, NY.

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MASSIVE BOX OF MERCH
Tik Tok/@taylortheteacher0131

On Monday, Garrett, his sister Taylor, family and friends took Post up on his offer -- getting to enjoy the singer's show. We're told not only did PM get them regular tickets ... but he and his camp rolled out the red carpet for Garrett and his loved ones with VIP tickets and a backstage meet and greet.

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REACHING OUT TO GARRETT

The photos are pretty awesome -- you can see Posty and Garrett hugging it out, and Garrett looks absolutely stoked. While he can't talk or walk just yet ... Taylor says Garrett can communicate by blinking now, and he was more than aware he was meeting his idol.

In addition to the meet-and-greet ... the family brought Post a Garrett's Army shirt that he put on while posing for the pictures. Considering how long this has been in the works ... it's truly full circle.

Garrett's family has started a GoFundMe to help with his care and recovery.

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HEARTFELT GESTURE

Pretty cool!

Sheryl Crow Jason Aldean's New Song Is 'Lame' ... You're Promoting Violence!

Sheryl Crow is coming after Jason Aldean -- saying his heavily-criticized new song spews nothing but violence -- echoing what many online have been up in arms about.

The "All I Wanna Do" singer didn't hold back on Twitter Wednesday morning about Jason's single, "Try That In A Small Town" ... which talks about bringing anti-police and anti-American views to a small community, saying "See how far ya make it down the road."

Sheryl, who says she is from a small town, thinks people in places like that are also tired of the rise in violence in the country ... calling the song "lame."

She adds, "You should know that better than anyone having survived a mass shooting."

For those unaware, Sheryl's referring to the horrifying 2017 Las Vegas shooting at the Route 91 Harvest music festival -- Jason was performing when Stephen Paddock opened fire on the crowd from Mandalay Bay.

As we reported, Jason's been receiving hate over this track ... and he responded to the communal noise Tuesday, saying the idea that it has racist and hateful undertones is BS.

Folks were pissed about his music video, too -- which was shot in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Tennessee ... the same place where 18-year-old African-American Henry Choate was lynched in 1927.

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

Gilgo Beach Serial Killer Escort Recounts Scary 'Date' With Suspect ... Close Call, But Survived

The suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer got off on talking about the slayings and provided obscure details only the assailant would know, this according to a former escort who says she survived an encounter with him.

Rex Heuermann went on a "date" with former prostitute, Nicole Brass, first meeting her on the escort website, BackPage, which was similar to how the victims crossed paths with the Gilgo Beach murderer, Brass told the New York Daily News.

The two reportedly arranged to have dinner at Steamroom seafood restaurant in Port Jefferson, Long Island, during the height of the deadly rampage about a decade ago. While the conversation started off normal, Brass recalled it soon took a scary turn.

Brass said, "He asked me if I’m a true crime fan ... We talked briefly about other serial killers, then he said, "Have you heard of the Gilgo Beach murders? That’s when he got real weird."

She claimed Heuermann brought up the Gilgo murders, which she had been following at the time, and he became enthusiastic while revealing details of which she was completely unaware.

Brass said Heuermann specifically discussed one victim she didn't know about and "it seemed like he was talking about it from experience, not a point of view."

She continued, "It didn’t seem like somebody who feels bad when he talked about the victims. It seemed like somebody who really wanted to brag about what they did, but couldn’t."

Brass went on to say Heuermann's body language changed while he discussed the crimes, appearing as if "he was visualizing it in his head and getting off to what he was saying."

Of course, Brass wanted to get the hell out of there, so she cut the dinner short, but Heuermann insisted on her leaving with him in his car to go to a hotel room he booked. Luckily, she was able to break away from him and split.

Brass said she never reported the incident to police because she was on parole at the time for a felony drug conviction.

As for Heuermann, prosecutors identified him as the Gilgo Beach killer last week, charging him with the murders of 3 sex workers and eyeing him in a fourth slaying. Heuermann has denied any wrongdoing.

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

Carlee Russell Cops Clarify Details No Child Reported, She Walked Home

Cops are clarifying some things after Carlee Russell was recovered following a 48-hour period of her having gone missing ... and it sounds like they, too, have more questions.

Hoover PD issued a new statement with a handful of details they say they can elaborate on as the investigation continues -- the most important of which, it seems, is the fact that even now ... they say they haven't gotten any further reports about a wandering child.

Remember, this was at the crux of the case from the beginning -- Carlee called 911 on the night she disappeared ... telling dispatchers she saw a toddler walking by itself along a local highway at night, and reiterated that to family members as well before pulling over.

After that, she vanished ... only to turn up 3 days later, with not very many answers as to what happened to her -- other than her loved ones claiming she was kidnapped, that is.

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There's more info HPD is relaying in their new remarks ... including the fact that they say there's residential surveillance footage that apparently shows Carlee walking down the sidewalk in her neighborhood alone -- this before she showed up to her parents' front door.

The police are also clarifying reports -- citing dispatch chatter that went over the airwaves -- of Carlee having been transported to a hospital in an unconscious state. They say that's not true ... all that happened is that somebody called 911 reporting she was unresponsive -- but they say she was, in fact, awake and speaking when paramedics actually arrived.

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One last important detail ... HPD says it's waiting for Carlee to be made available for a follow-up interview, claiming they've only been able to obtain a preliminary statement from her.

On its face, it sounds like they're somewhat suspicious themselves about this whole thing -- which echoes the growing public sentiment at this point ... people are raising an eyebrow.

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CARLEE'S VEHICLE
WBRC Fox 6 News

Thus far, her family members have stuck to the same story ... namely, that she escaped her abductors, and that she fought for her life. They've also scoffed at the notion that anybody would question what happened to her ... and yet, folks still have their doubts regardless.

We covered the story on a recent episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Tiger Woods Ex-GF Drops $30 Million Lawsuit

Tiger Woods is no longer being sued for allegedly cooking up a scheme to toss his ex-girlfriend out of his home after they broke up.

Tiger's ex, Erica Herman, recently dropped the $30 million lawsuit she filed against his trust ... this according to new court documents obtained by The New York Post.

Erica's decision to drop the suit comes on the heels of a related legal win for Tiger ... as we reported in May, a judge ordered the case to arbitration, which is what Woods wanted.

Tiger's ex originally filed suit against his trust back in March, alleging he wrongly kicked her out of the Florida mansion they lived in together.

Remember ... Erica claimed she was living with Tiger in his Hobe Sound estate for 6 years while they were dating, with Erica claiming she performed "valuable services" for Tiger in exchange for living rent-free.

Erica claimed they had an "oral tenancy agreement" which was supposed to last 5 years after their 2022 split ... but admitted she didn't have it in writing.

She sued Tiger's trust -- the titleholder on the house -- for $30 mil because she claimed it was the "reasonable rental value" of Tiger's house for the 5 remaining years on their alleged oral agreement.

When Tiger and Erica broke up in the fall of 2022, she claims Tiger cooked up a scheme to throw her out of the home, including alleged false promises and a spontaneous vacation.

She claimed Tiger's people convinced her to pack a suitcase for a vacation without Tiger, allegedly driving her to the airport, where they allegedly told her she'd been "locked out" of the house and couldn't go back.

For his part, Tiger denied ever making a pact with Erica ... brushing her off as a "jilted ex-girlfriend."

John Amos Son Arrested For Terroristic Threats on Sister ... Family Feuds Over John

The son of "Good Times" star John Amos is behind bars for allegedly sending threatening texts -- including images of guns -- to John's daughter ... the latest chapter in a family war over the actor's health.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, John's son, K.C., was busted last weekend after his sister, Shannon, claimed he sent her a slew of concerning texts, which she says made her fear for her life.

Shannon told West Orange, NJ police her brother texted about his supposed gang affiliations, showing a handgun and a rifle. She claims he also sent her videos of him firing a handgun in an open field, and wrote, "Gonna sleep much better tonight big sis."

According to Robert Florida, a spokesperson for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office ... Shannon said K.C. suffers from bipolar disorder, which has led him to believe she hired someone to kill him -- and now she's worried he might retaliate.

As we reported, Shannon started a GoFundMe last month for her father John, claiming he's been the victim of elder abuse.

However, John told us his daughter's lying, and he's not sure why she started the fundraiser. GoFundMe scrubbed the page after the "Roots" actor declined the cash.

After that mess, Shannon said K.C. no longer has authority to make medical decisions for John -- and she's sent him a cease and desist letter regarding online comments he's made about her.

And FYI, K.C.'s been posting cryptic messages on his socials for a while -- one on his TikTok less than a week ago says, "Imagine calling the police #Swatting your own brother 24 times over the last 15 years & not one arrest."

Miranda Lambert Selfie Fans Post Their Photos ... 6 Ladies Up in Front?!?

Miranda Lambert might've had good reason to go off on some front-row fans who were snapping photos at her concert -- 'cause there were half a dozen of them ... all on their feet, blocking the view of the people behind them.

One of the ladies in question -- who's now copping to being part of the group that got chastised by Lambert -- posted two pics she says were being taken right before the country singer paused her show over the weekend to give them a piece of her mind.

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SH*TTY SHOTS

As you can see ... there are six women pictured here, who are at the foot of the stage, with ML right behind them -- who's trying to get the show on the road. More importantly, all of 'em are standing ... and from the looks of it, apparently blocking the view of others.

On its face ... it sure looks like they, perhaps, might've been a distraction -- that's certainly how Miranda felt anyway, proven in her mini tirade ... which her audience had backed.

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ENJOY THE SHOW

Miranda actually caught flak for this ... as some felt she'd overreacted to what many presumed was a couple of girls firing off some low-key selfies during her set. However, that's clearly not the case -- it was a much larger gathering ... and a bit of a photo shoot, it seems.

BTW, the lady who posted these definitely thinks Miranda was in the wrong -- evidenced in her caption.

She writes, "These are the 2 pictures we were talking when Miranda Lambert stopped her concert and told us to sit down and not take selfies 😱." She's echoing what many said about Miranda's response -- mocking her, essentially -- but now ... ML might be vindicated!

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

Lamar Odom I'm Starting New Biz For Senior Living ... My Grandma Inspired Me!!!

Lamar Odom is expanding his business portfolio ... his newest venture aims to find affordable living for seniors in California, and he's crediting his grandmother with the assist.

The former NBA star's manager tells TMZ ... Lamar is partnering with Regency Palms Senior Living in Oxnard and Long Beach to start Odom Senior Care, which provide affordable and luxurious care for seniors.

We're told Lamar's inspiration is his 96-year-old grandmother, Florence, who now lives alone in the same Bronx apartment she's called home for a whopping 70 years.

He decided to get into the senior living biz as a way to help folks ... after running into some obstacles earlier this year while trying to find a new home for grandma.

The major issue Lamar sees with the current landscape -- adequate senior living is just too expensive, and he's determined to change the status quo.

He already has the 2 facilities in SoCal, and plans to expand to reach his ultimate goal of providing seniors with pre-negotiated rates in 1,000 communities -- an ambitious aim, for sure, but one he hopes to achieve by year's end.

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TMZ.com

This move comes on the heels of Lamar successfully launching the Odom Recovery Group to help folks find sobriety.

As for Florence, we're told Lamar's still working to find a new place for grandma ... but it's he admits it's an uphill battle, because she doesn't want to leave her home of seven decades.

Seth Rollins I Stand With Actors, Writers But Strike Helping WWE Get More Fans

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NO STRIKES HERE
TMZSports.com

WWE Superstar Seth Rollins says he's in full support of the writers and actors striking in Hollywood ... but tells TMZ Sports there's a bit of a "silver lining" in the situation, 'cause it gives people a new opportunity to check out wrestling!!

Of course, SAG-AFTRA decided to join the Writers Guild of America on the picket line last week ... effectively shutting Hollywood down after tense negotiations with the studios.

Seth makes it clear he is siding with the talented actors and writers fighting for what they want ... but he welcomes any first-time fans to watch some wrestling in the meantime!!

"I know it's a difficult time for the actors and the writers," Seth said at LAX this week. "I believe they're doing the right thing asking for what they deserve. I stand by them.

"But it is a fortunate part of not being part of a union that we're able to still perform and, for our audiences and people who may not be familiar, now they get the opportunity to tune in and see what we're all about."

Seth added the new fans couldn't come at a better time ... 'cause the current roster of talent is the greatest its ever been.

"Business is hot right now," he said. "We're in a boom, I think. When we look back on it, it's going to be a special time."

Guess Who This Little Piano Player Turned Into!

Before this New York native with the slicked back hair turned into an actor and a Broadway star, he was just a city kid, hustling and bustling, scurrying through the crowded sidewalks and making his way to rehearsals.

This shining star took the stage at The Hollywood Bowl and played the role of Mark Cohen in the musical "Rent" back in 2010 ... with Vanessa Hudgens playing Mimi and Neil Patrick Harris directing. Most recently, he nearly hit a 'Perfect Pitch' at MLB's 2023 Celebrity All-Star Game. (His costar Adam DeVine was also in attendance).

Can you guess who he is?

Gilgo Beach Case Suspected Killer ... Didn't Put Up Fight During Arrest

We now know more about what happened when cops arrested the suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer -- we're told the guy didn't put up much of a fight.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison tells TMZ Rex Heuermann was taken into custody without issue .. and despite being suspected of committing heinous crimes, we're told Heuermann remained stoic throughout the process of his arrest.

Here's how it went down, per Harrison -- he says Heuermann was approached by detectives on the streets of NYC Friday ... who then told him he was under arrest. We're told Heuermann asked what for, and they told him it was for his alleged involvement in the Gilgo Beach murders from over a decade ago.

Harrison says Heuermann's response was interesting ... all he apparently said to the arresting officers was "I didn't do that" -- but we're told he did so in a very somber way. We're told he didn't shout or vehemently deny anything ... he just calmly said it wasn't him.

Harrison says they then threw on the bracelets, and that Heuermann didn't resist whatsoever -- he went peacefully and quietly with them. Commissioner Harrison tells us the detectives subsequently read him his Miranda Rights, and that he requested a lawyer.

Some believed his detainment was a bit more dramatic -- especially with footage that's been released showing police trailing him out and about -- however, it was anything but.

As we reported ... NY officials allege Heuermann is responsible for the 2010 deaths of Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelmey and Amber Costello. Cops also suspect he may have murdered Marueen Brainard-Barnes -- the 4th victim -- but he hasn't been charged for that murder yet.

He's pled not guilty to all of the charges.

Lil Durk Cancels Tour Dates, Rolling Loud As Health Issues Continue

Lil Durk's health issues appear to run deeper than what his team has stated publicly ... as the rapper's now been forced to pull the plug on several tour dates as well as his appearance at Rolling Loud.

The Chicago rap star was scheduled to hit the stage Saturday right before Travis Scott's comeback performance ... but has to sit on the sidelines for now.

Durk's also set to hit the stage August 11-12 in Chicago for some homecoming dates ... but as it stands, the matter seems to be a day-by-day situation.

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As we told you in the story we broke last week ... Durk claimed he fell victim to dehydration and checked himself into an Ohio hospital after becoming exhausted. Durk spent nearly a week getting treatment.

Durk's planned tour dates with Kodak Black, NLE Choppa, and DD Osama for his "Sorry For The Drought" Tour, have also been canceled.

Given the cancelations, you gotta start to wonder if Durk's condition is actually worse than originally stated.

Jason Aldean Denies His Song Is Pro-Lynching ... As Music Video Causes Uproar Online

Jason Aldean is speaking out after being accused of putting out a racially-charged music video ... and while the internet's outraged with his video, Jason is defending the lyrics.

The country singer took to social media Tuesday, opening by saying he's been "accused of releasing a pro-lynching song" -- referring to his track, "Try That in a Small Town," which was released in May but has been making the rounds since the music video dropped last week.

He says folks thinking it's about his distaste for the Black Lives Matter protests got it way wrong ... adding the "dangerous" accusations have no merit.

JA tells his fans the single's all about the community where he grew up, and how neighbors would take care of each other no matter what.

He does not address certain lines in the song ... such as telling people to take their anti-police mentality to a small town, adding "See how far ya make it down the road."

As for the MV, Jason only touches on it briefly -- simply saying the footage is from news clips. But, it's the location he chose to film his video, mixed with the context of the song, that had people up in arms.

The singer's video was shot in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, TN -- the place where 18-year-old African-American Henry Choate was lynched in 1927 after being dragged through the streets, accused of attacking a white girl.

CMT pulled the music video from its rotation Monday, so Jason's got some convincing to do.

We discussed the controversy surrounding the song on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.