Hollywood Stuns In Crochet Bikinis ... Stitches Be Crazy!

Crochet bikinis are having quite the moment this summer ... serving boho-chic with a glimpse of some Hollywood cheek! From a needle and thread to being slipped into by the stars ... you'll be woven right into these crocheted bodacious babes serving up what knot to wear.

Famous faces like Demi Moore and Chantel Jeffries stuck to the classic, neutral crochet colors, while Kylie Jenner and Storm Reid had their followers 'hooked' on their crochet suits ... with bright colored fabrics hittin' just right in the sunlight!

Check out our gallery and see all the crochet bikini babes rockin' summer's craftiest suits ...

No cro-shade here!

Britney Spears I'm Done With Botox Tries Alternative Treatment

081123-britney-spears-kal
TRYIN' SOMETHING NEW
Instagram / @britneyspears

Britney Spears is swearing off Botox, she says the injections make her face look like someone beat her up ... and now she's going with an alternative cosmetic treatment.

The singer hopped on Instagram for a Friday rant about Botox, recounting some harrowing experiences with the injections ... and propping up a new product she says she's really happy with.

Britney says she's done Botox in the past, with disastrous effects ... saying it made her forehead swell up and eyelids droop, to the point where she was afraid to be seen outside until the side effects subsided.

For Britney, she no longer sees the point in shelling out big bucks for Botox ... and now she's trying SiO beauty patches.

Britney says the SiO patches make her look and feel great ... and she's really pleased with the results.

It doesn't appear this is a sponsored post or a collab with SiO Beauty ... and Britney says "f*** Botox."

Alabama Riverboat Brawl Chair Wielding Guy Arrested, Charged

The guy caught on video smashing people over the head with a folding chair in that riverfront brawl in Montgomery, Alabama has just been arrested.

The Montgomery Police Department announced Friday that Reggie Ray turned himself in ... and he's been charged with disorderly conduct and is being held in the Municipal Jail.

080623_riverboat_fight_close_up_kal 8/6/23
MONTGOMERY MADNESS

TMZ obtained the 42-year-old's mug shot ... and he doesn't look happy about the consequences of his actions in the epic melee.

Ray is the fifth person arrested for the brawl ... remember, Chief of Police Darryl Albert previously identified Reggie as the Black man who infamously wielded the chair on the dock, bonking several people on the head.

Ray got in on the action late, after men from a pontoon boat that was blocking a passenger ferry from docking ganged up on the ferry's co-captain ... sparking a huge brawl along racial lines.

The other 4 arrested include Allen Todd, 23, and Zachary Shipman, 25, who turned themselves in Wednesday and are each charged with one count of 3rd degree assault.

Richard Roberts, 48, was the first arrested ... he's accused of punching a 16-year-old dockhand.

Then there's Mary Todd, 21, who turned herself in Thursday ... she's charged with assault 3rd degree, which we're told stems from attacking the ferry co-captain.

Kevin Costner Lawyer Slams Estranged Wife ... What Don't You Understand About the Prenup?

Check out how contentious the Kevin Costner/Christine Baumgartner divorce has gotten ... here's the first line of Kevin's latest filing ... "Christine asserts she cannot admit or deny that she understood the Premarital Agreement because she (and apparently all of her attorneys) do not understand the word "understand."

It's all over whether Christine understood the terms of the prenup when she signed it. There have been signals she is going to contest the prenup, on grounds she did not get what it meant. So Kevin's lawyers have asked her lawyers if she "understood" what she was signing.

Kevin's lawyer, Disso Queen Laura Wasser, writes in the latest filing, "Christine's counsel asked for a definition of 'understood' and Kevin's counsel provided the dictionary meaning of the word 'understood,' to wit, 'comprehended or perceive the intended meaning of words.'"

Wasser is asking the judge to make Christine's lawyers answer the question ... did she understand the prenup or not?

Here's the question that fueled the latest battle ...

Wasser: "You understood the legal effect of the premarital agreement before you signed the premarital agreement."

Christine's lawyer: "Objection. This request is vague as to the scope and meaning of the terms 'understood' ... [Christine] is unable to admit or deny the request."

A lot is on the line here ... if Christine challenges the prenup at an upcoming hearing and the judge enforces it, she'll have to return the $1.5 million Kevin fronted her, and pay his attorney's fees to boot.

The judge has indicated during several hearings he is inclined to enforce the prenup.

It's the best parsing of words since Bill Clinton wanted to know what the definition of "is" is!

Jeff Bezos & Lauren Sanchez 'Heartbroken' Over Maui Wildfires ... Donate $100 Mil for Relief

Jeff Bezos is taking some much-needed action to help Maui recover and rebuild after the horrific wildfires -- not only by donating a huge sum of money, but also by creating a fund to keep the relief effort going.

Jeff's fiancee Lauren Sanchez announced they're donating $100 million and launching the Maui Fund, saying ... "Jeff and I are heartbroken by what's happening in Maui. We are thinking of all the families that have lost so much and a community that has been left devastated."

The deadly fires -- which have claimed at least 59 lives and wiped Lahaina off the map -- have left thousands homeless and without any personal belongings. The humanitarian crisis would be enough to draw Bezos' attention, but he also has a personal tie to the island.

He purchased a 14-acre estate for $78 million in 2021 ... which is about 20 miles south of where the fires are raging.

Lauren says she and Jeff are thinking long term -- "The immediate needs are important, and so is the longer term rebuilding that will have to happen -- even after much of the attention has subsided."

Mark Zuckerberg Refutes Elon Musk ... I Want UFC To Stage Fight!!!

Mark Zuckerberg is refuting Elon Musk's Friday morning claims ... saying no details of their potential fight have been finalized at all -- adding that he still wants Dana White involved in the process.

The Meta boss unloaded his side of the story on Threads on Friday afternoon -- just a couple hours after Musk told his 156 million X followers that a bunch of the particulars of the future billionaire brawl were now set in stone.

In one of his tweets ... Musk said the tilt will go down at "an epic location" in Italy. In another, he said all of the action will be live-streamed on X and Meta.

He also said White and the UFC are now out of the planning process, insisting, "The fight will be managed by my and Zuck’s foundations."

Zuckerberg, though, made it clear he hasn't agreed to any of those stipulations just yet ... writing in posts on his social media app, "please assume anything [Musk] says has not been agreed on."

"Not holding my breath for Elon, but I'll share details on my next fight when I'm ready," he added. "When I compete, I want to do it in a way that puts a spotlight on the elite athletes at the top of the game. You do that by working with professional orgs like the UFC or ONE to pull this off well and create a great card."

Zuck then said he's still training like a mad man for the potential bout -- showing off a photo of him working in his backyard Octagon.

The two businessmen initially began the process of setting up a fight way back in June ... when Musk floated the idea of a cage match following the revelation Zuck's Threads was in the works.

While the two sides clearly have a ways to go before anything is officially set ... one thing is clear, Musk won't be able to fight any time soon, 'cause he says he needs minor shoulder surgery that will put him on the shelf for at least a few months.

Stevie J Happy 50th Hip Hop ... Here's the Top 3 Beats, All-Time!!!

081123-stevie-j-kal
GREATEST OF THE GREATS
TMZ.com

Stevie J is celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip hop by reaching deep into his own mental crates to find you the greatest beats of all time... to his ears, at least.

We ran into Stevie Friday at LAX, and seeing as how this marks the actual day Kool Herc got on the ones and twos for a 1973 party in the Boogie Down -- birthing hip hop -- we had to get Stevie's perspective on the momentous occasion.

For all the young'uns who only know Stevie from his 'Love and Hip Hop' days ... dude was a beast on the boards, producing some of the genre's biggest hits in the '90s, primarily for Bad Boy Records. So, we asked him to name the top 3 beats in hip hop history.

He took just a few seconds to think about it, and then ripped off his list. First up, Puff Daddy's "It's All About the Benjamins." Stevie didn't produce that one, but he did show himself some love with his second pick .. another Bad Boy classic, this one from Notorious B.I.G.

He had a harder time coming up with his #3, and, arguably, cheated as he tipped his hat to the Wu-Tang Clan.

Not everyone's gonna agree with Stevie, but that's what makes this a great day for hip hop heads -- arguing your top 3, top 5 or even top 10.

Happy 50th to hip hop, and big ups to Herc!!! Where would we be without ya?

Katharine McPhee Son's Nanny Dies ... Leaves Tour to Deal with 'Family Tragedy'

UPDATE

12:30 PM PT -- Sources close to Katharine McPhee tell us their son's nanny, who they considered family, passed away. We still don't know what the circumstances are surrounding her death, but we're told Katharine is currently en route to the U.S.

UPDATE

We've reached out to a rep for Katharine, but so far, no word back.

Singer Katharine McPhee just went MIA from her concert tour in Asia ... and it's all because of a family emergency.

Katharine posted a statement on Instagram Friday ... apologizing to her fans for missing the last two shows in Jakarta on the Asian leg of her tour with her musician husband, David Foster.

She explained they "had a horrible tragedy in our family" and she had to return home to be with loved ones.

Katharine also said she hopes to come back one day and perform for the crowd.

Absent from her message was what exactly happened and to whom. It was also unclear if David would hit the stage solo to entertain the Jakarta crowd this weekend.

The couple married in 2019 and share a 2-year-old son, Rennie. David has won 16 Grammy Awards during his long career. Katharine was the 2006 runner-up on the fifth season of "American Idol."

Originally Published -- 5:41 AM PT

Stephen Amell Flip Flops On Strike Comments ... Hits Picket Line with Actors

Actions speak louder than words, as the saying goes -- so, while "Arrow" star Stephen Amell said he wasn't down with actors going on strike, his actions say the exact opposite.

Stephen had a picket sign in hand as he marched Friday with his fellow actors in NYC, which is interesting coming on the heels of his appearance on "TMZ Live."

He told us he supports his union, SAG-AFTRA, but totally disagreed with the union leadership's decision to go on strike, believing there are better ways to negotiate a good deal with the studios.

Stephen also told us he had a meeting scheduled with SAG honchos, and based on these images of him picketing with his wife and fellow actress Cassandra Jean ... it would seem the union brass convinced him to publicly get on board with the strike.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Some of Stephen's former cast members were also busy supporting the actors' strike on the left coast -- Katie Cassidy, Katrina Law, Willa Holland, Caity Lotz, Kirk Acevedo and Juliana Harkavy were all on the picket lines in the L.A. area. Even the show's executive producers came to show their support.

080123-stephen-amell-kal 8/1/23
WALKING A TIGHTROPE
TMZ.com

Stephen's shift is pretty dramatic ... last week he told us he wanted to see the union get back to the negotiating table, rather than continue the work stoppage.

He also claimed that although he's one of the only actors speaking out against striking, many of his colleagues secretly contacted him to express their support for his view.

Amell has already received backlash from some in the industry. Specifically, his former castmate Kirk Acevedo, who posted an emoji middle finger while saying, "This f***ing guy."

Riverboat Brawl Co-Captain I Got Death Threats From Boaters ... 'Just Held On For Dear Life'

080623_riverboat_fight_across_river_kal 8/6/23
BRAWL ON THE RIVER

The Alabama riverboat co-captain who got into that epic fight with a group of white boaters says the men threatened to beat him to death during the wild melee.

Damien Pickett, the co-captain of the Harriott 2 passenger ferry -- and the man who tossed his hat in the air -- told police the boaters who ganged up on him peppered him with threats during the beatdown on the docks, telling him "I'm gonna kill you, motherf*****. Beat your ass, motherf*****."

Damien's claims are part of his written account of the incident, first obtained by NBC News, where he tells police his side of the story.

The co-captain says crew members on the Harriott 2 asked the folks on the pontoon boat to move several times because it was docked where the ferry needed to land, and he says the boaters responded by giving them the middle finger.

080623_riverboat_fight_woman_kal 8/6/23
THE FIGHTING CONTINUES...

Damien says he and a dockhand went to shore and untied the pontoon boat, moving it "three steps to the right" before tying it back to the dock to clear space for the Harriott 2 ... and that's when he claims 2 of the boaters ran up to him and yelled, "Don't touch that boat motherf***** or we will beat your ass."

The co-captain says the men continued to threaten them and then the pontoon boat's owner -- dressed in a gray shirt, red shorts and a sun visor -- eventually came over and got in his face.

080623_riverboat_fight_close_up_kal 8/6/23
MONTGOMERY MADNESS

Damien says the guy who threw the first punch was "a tall, older white guy" who hit him in the face ... and he says he soon found himself being attacked from all angles, so he started defending himself and fighting back.

The co-captain couldn't tell police how long the brawl lasted, explaining ... "I grabbed one of them and just held on for dear life."

So far, 4 people have been charged for the brawl ... Allen Todd, 23, and Zachary Shipman, 25, turned themselves in Wednesday and were charged with one count of assault 3rd degree.

21-year-old Mary Todd turned herself in Thursday ... she's charged with assault 3rd degree, which we're told stems from attacking the co-captain. Richard Roberts, 48, was the first to turn himself in, he's accused of punching a 16-year-old ferry employee.

Caleb White H.S. Basketball Star Dead At 17 ... After Collapsing During Workout

Caleb White -- one of the best high school basketball players in the country -- has tragically died ... after his family said he collapsed during an on-court workout at school on Thursday.

White's grandfather, George Varnadoe Jr., announced the sad news in a series of Facebook posts ... saying following the medical emergency, despite the best efforts of first responders at White's Pinson Valley High School and doctors at a nearby hospital, the point guard was pronounced dead.

He was just 17 years old.

"Our whole family was really looking forward to his upcoming senior season and afterwards, playing for a D-1 school and then perhaps the NBA," Varnadoe Jr. wrote in one of the social media posts.

"But......it wasn't meant to be."

The Alabama High School Athletic Association said in a statement Thursday evening it'd be providing grieving students and staffers with counseling in the upcoming days.

White -- a first-team all-state selection as a junior -- averaged 20.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game last season ... and according to ESPN, he was the No. 3-ranked prospect in the entire state of Alabama.

Varnadoe Jr., though, said White was so much more than a hooper ... calling the teenager "an honor student, very respectful, high intellect" and an "excellent role model."

"RIP Caleb!" Varnadoe Jr. added. "I love you man!!!!"

Rest in peace.

Gisele Bündchen No Uber Necessary After Brazilian Vacay ... Joaquim Valente's Got Me!!!

081123-gisele-KAL
AIRPORT PICKUP
MEGA

Forget Ubers and Lyfts ... Gisele Bündchen got a ride home from the airport on Friday morning from her jiu-jitsu instructor, Joaquim Valente -- further fueling rumors the two are, indeed, an item.

Tom Brady's ex rolled into Miami International at around 4:45 AM after a vacation in Brazil ... and Valente was waiting on the curb for her as soon as she touched down.

Gisele chucked her bags into the back of his pickup quickly ... before hoppin' in the front seat. The duo then sped off.

While there was no PDA -- it's hard to ignore the signs that they're definitely a couple. The two have been spotted out on Costa Rican vacations often over the past few months ... ones in which they've been seen riding horses together and playing around on a beach together as well.

The two, though, have yet to publicly admit they're dating ... but an early morning airport pickup seems to say all the words their mouths won't.

As for how Brady feels about it all ... that's unclear -- but we know he's doing his best to move on, canoodling with model Irina Shayk out in L.A. last month.

Tyrese $1 Mil Home Depot Lawsuit ... Video Shows Heated Exchange with Cashier!!!

081123-tyrese-ft-ka2l 8/11/23
ANGRY ON FACETIME
UPDATE

2:34 PM PT -- If it seems like Tyrese Gibson was more heated than the situation called for, he tells TMZ there's a good reason he got so upset.

UPDATE

Tyrese says seconds before his interaction with the cashier, he'd been on the phone with his "best friend" Brandy Norwood to wish her a happy birthday -- and to console her, as it was also the 11th anniversary of her hero Whitney Houston's death.

UPDATE

He also told us he gave Home Depot "every opportunity in the world to clean this up, and they just refused."

Tyrese wants $1 million from Home Depot because he believes a cashier racially profiled him, and his whole exchange with her -- including a FaceTime call -- was captured on video.

The 'Fast & Furious' actor just filed the lawsuit on Thursday, but the incident went down back in February at a Home Depot in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley. In videos shot by Tyrese's team, the actor/singer explains to the cashier that he had authorized his team members to use his credit card to complete a purchase, but the cashier wouldn't let them.

Tyrese was not physically in the store at the time ... he says he left because too many customers were recognizing him, so he left his team with his credit card. The problem for the cashier -- as she repeatedly explained to Tyrese, who had FaceTime'd her -- is that she needed photo I.D. to go with his credit card.

He told the cashier he was just in the store 5 minutes earlier, and seems to be insinuating ... 'You can see my face, you know it's me, Tyrese.'

081123-tyrese-HOME-DEPOT-kal
HEATED IN HOME DEPOT

When the cashier insisted she needed his I.D., Tyrese did a little name-dropping as he threatened, "Should I have the CEO of Home Depot call you tomorrow? Because he's my neighbor in Atlanta."

The cashier never backed down, and Tyrese ended up going back to the store to complete the purchase, but not before having a lengthy standoff with the cashier and her manager.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Tyrese he and his 2 team members -- Eric Mora and Manuel Hernandez -- have been in that Home Depot on "many occasions" over the years.

Tyrese says he's seeking $1 million, because that's how much he estimates he's spent at Home Depot over his lifetime. If that sounds like a lot, keep in mind ... he made some huge home improvements at the pad he sold last year -- dude built his own Benihana-style grill in the backyard!!!

He also wants punitive damages on top of the $1 mil.

For its part, Home Depot says, "Diversity and respect for all people are core to who we are, and we do not tolerate discrimination in any form. We value Mr. Gibson as a customer, and in the months since this happened, we've reached out to him and his attorneys several times to try to resolve his concerns. We will continue to do so."

It's unclear if Tyrese has discussed his grievances with his Atlanta neighbor.

Originally Published -- 9:03 AM PT

Wild Snake Nightmare Arizona Comes Home to Find Big Black Snake in Toilet!!!

081123-snake-kal
SH***Y SNAKE
Rattlesnake Solutions

An Arizona woman had a "holy s***" moment when she returned home and found a live rattlesnake in -- of all places -- her toilet!!

Michelle Lespron stepped inside her house in Tucson on July 15 after a 4-day excursion and went to relieve herself in the bathroom, according to the Associated Press.

When she opened the lid of the toilet, she was horrified to see a large black snake slithering around inside and staring up at her.

She quickly contacted Rattlesnake Solutions, a company that specializes in wildlife removal, and an employee responded ... and after 3 attempts, he was able to seize control of the reptile.

Video of the shocking moment was posted on Facebook and it's nothing less than spine-tingling. Check out the handler grabbing the snake, and yanking it out of the toilet as it hisses.

Michelle told the AP everyone she knows thought it was a gag at first ... but when they found out it was real, they all had the same reaction, "Oh my god, that's my worst nightmare."

It turned out to be a non-poisonous coachwhip snake, but that doesn't make it any less terrifying of a sight when ya lift the toilet lid!!!

Oprah Hands Out Supplies At Maui Fire Shelter ... After Devastating Blaze

081123-oprah-kal 8/10/23
HELP FROM OPRAH
Instagram / @Kakoo_Haleakala

Oprah is helping her ohana on Maui ... personally delivering crucial supplies to folks who lost everything in the deadly wildfires that wiped out an historic town.

The media mogul, who is one of Maui's biggest private landowners, visited wildfire victims Thursday at a makeshift relief shelter ... passing out cots, pillows and toiletries.

Video shows Oprah giving a man in a cot a pillow, and he appears bandaged. Oprah reportedly offered to buy supplies for the shelter, which is overrun with folks who lost their homes in the deadly blaze.

Oprah shared moments with evacuees at War Memorial Gymnasium in Wailuku, which is being used as a shelter and a drop-off location for donations and supplies, even taking a moment to pose for photos.

Oprah owns more than 1,000 acres on Maui ... including in Hana and Kula, which is in one of the areas where the fires are raging. The blaze completely wiped out Lahaina, an historic town and popular tourist destination.

Maui's been absolutely devastated by the wildfires that ripped through the island this week, and as of Friday the death toll stands at 55. In addition to the tragic loss of life, thousands of structures burned to the ground.

Folks on Maui were forced to flee the flames with just the clothing on their backs ... so they need all the help they can get.

081123-maui-wildfires-kal
LAST SECOND ESCAPE
TikTok / @ChefJoshuaMarten

TMZ broke the story ... boxer Floyd Mayweather is paying for 68 families displaced by the fires to fly to safety and stay in a hotel for several weeks, and he's also footing the bill for their food and clothing.

Now, Oprah's stepping up too.

Hawaii Wildfires Lahaina Residents Dive into Ocean To Escape Deadly Maui Fires

081123-maui-wildfires-kal
LAST SECOND ESCAPE
TikTok / @ChefJoshuaMarten

In what could be a scene directly out of a horror movie ... Lahaina residents barely escape with their lives after diving into the ocean for relief from the city's deadly fires.

The terrifying clip shows residents -- many who appear to have grabbed whatever belongings they could last minute -- getting into the water for shelter. Some cling onto pieces of wood to stick together, while others appear to be solo.

The smoke and ash make it almost impossible for residents to see, let alone breathe ... and the diving into the water shows just how desperate the situation got on Maui.

As of Thursday night, the wildfires -- which spread at an unimaginable speed because of high winds -- were about 80% contained. However, there's still been a significant loss of life, with at least 55 people reported dead and more expected once rescue efforts conclude.

Lahaina has seemingly taken the worst hit of the towns in the area -- leaving it essentially flattened and thousands of residents without water, power and forms of communication.

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